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Stan wagged his tail a bit when Icarus pat him on the back. His brown eyes closed before opening again and barking once at the drunk man. It was more like I'm-better-than-you bark than a you're-disgusting-and-I-hate-you bark.

Zoe closed her eyes again and breathed in deeply, their laughing subsiding a bit. "Why are we laughing again?"

They all shook their heads and laughed some more. "Hey guys! Can we eat cake out here? It'd be a bit depressing eating in a police station." She hopped to her feet quickly and grinned. One of the men nodded and walked into the station. The other two watched Zoe as she watched them, a staring match kind of stare until Zoe broke it and twirled around. "I want to dance." A sigh escaped her lips and she looked over her shoulders at them. They both seemed uneasy until the tall black one stepped forward and offered a hand.

"Thanks Jay! Such a gentlemen. If only all men were as kind as you. I'd be in heaven, I swear it." She giggled infectiously before taking his hand and putting it to her waist. "You know how to dance? I can't...I step everywhere."

"I take my wife dancing all the time. I can teach you. It may even help you find a man." Jay proclaimed and Zoe frowned at him.

"I don't need a man. I've got Stan. Stan The Man, Stan." Another grin as she put her hand on his shoulder and wiggled her hips.

"Just follow me, men always lead."

"Yeah...I've noticed that lately..." Jay only laughed at her comment, not noticing the slight tone of anger in her voice. He began to move her around as the other cop watched on in amusement. Zoe continued to step on Jay's toes though the man said nothing and only chuckled at her clumsiness. She could run and jump and catch criminals, but couldn't dance. "You're amazing!" She was spun outwards and then inwards, being caught in Jay's arms and then tilted backwards. "Wuuuuaahhhhh. Woah." She pulled back up and gasped. "My back cracked..."

Another few minutes and she heard the bark of Stan as he dashed past Icarus and Terrance, galloping towards Zoe. "Stanly! Hey buddy! Would you like a dance with the birthday girl too? Jay was just teaching me. No need to be jealous. You're my real man. A dog of a man, but a man nonetheless." Stan jumped up and she took his forepaws in her hands and waved them around, twisting her hips in an nonrhythmic manner. "Such skills." She cooed and laughed loudly when the dog barked. Just as she dropped him back to the ground, the third cop came out with a large cake balanced in his hands.

"AMAZING! Don't tell my Patricia made it...she's too sweet! After I nearly poisoned her when I tried making dinner. Looks delicious." She grinned wildly and looked over her shoulder at Terrance and Icarus. "Look guys! Cake! Come get some!" She waved her tan arm and bounced towards the cake as the cop placed it on the table outside the station and took out a knife and plates. "I feel like a little kid again. You know how many birthdays I've had without cake? Like...like...15 years..."

She brushed some hair from her face and leaned towards it, wiggling her butt around excitedly. "VANILLA! OH GOD PATRICIA IS A GENIUUUUUUUSSSSS!" Stan barked with Zoe when she exclaimed it happily and took one of the plates, digging with her fingers and shoving some into her mouth. "Ooooooh my god...like...ecstasy but better. Mmmmm Icarus, Terrance, you gotta have some!" Plopping down on the sidewalk she let Stan lick her fingers of the icing before eating some more of the cake.

((haha...sugar addict...))

((OKAY. POST. READY. GO!))

Icarus suddenly stopped in his quick pace when Terry announced his name. Stan rushed passed him to get to Zoe and she was saying something about cake, which he adored, but he remained there. He turned a little to look at him and then turned all the way around to look at him fully when he mentioned something about a swimming pool.

He smiled real slow. "Yeah... Yeah!" He said, clear eyes wide. He was smiling fully. "It was that girl's house... uuh... what's her face... she was so gorgeous, remember? You about pissed your pants if she said hello." His smile got wider. "And I dared you to strip down and jump into her pool? But you wouldn't?... So... I... I was... going to..." He slowed down, smile falling a little. "I got down to my boxers before you talked me into seeing a movie instead." Icarus laughed a little. "Kinda still wish I had jumped in... But then again... probably saved me an overnight stay in jail... didn't it?"

He was quiet for a longer moment still, shaking his head a little. "Terry." He said and shook his head again. Icarus touched him briefly on the shoulder. "You know..." He trailed off and shrugged his shoulders. "I really need a cigarette." He said and trotted the rest of the way to Zoe leaving Terry behind.

Icarus watched her eat cake briefly, felt his stomach rumble loudly, but he ignored it. "So, do I get my cut or what? Not the cake... the money." He was business like once more, no longer ruffled and frustrated. "But I'll sing you happy birthday if you give me a slice of that cake too."

If there was one thing Icarus couldn't resist, it was cake.

((yeah!!!! wooo!... I sit.))

((I should be doing a bunch of things. Oh well. XD))

Terry almost ran into Icarus when he suddenly stopped. Instead, he did a jig-shimmy sideways to avoid the collision, and ended up leaning against a wall again. Oh the joys of being drunk.

But either way, a wide smile started to spread on his scruffy face. He DID remember! Though, not exactly perfectly, "No, no she was a total b***h, you tried to get me to piss in her pool, but I chickened out..." He trailed off, shaking his head and pushing away from the wall so he was once more standing without the help of anything.

"I saved you from a LOT of overnight jail sleepovers, Ickie." He half sniggered at the nickname. "Though that didn't stop us from getting into trouble anyway..." The last statement was more murmured to himself than anything, being that Icarus had mentioned cigarettes and then walked over to rainbow girl (he STILL didn't know her name).

Terry then slowly made his way over to where they were, digging in his pockets until he pulled out a half-pack of crumpled cigarettes. He was just putting one into his mouth when a rather large cop came up to him and commented on his current state. "Piss drunk, you could say," Terry said around his cigarette, allowing himself to be sat down as he lit the thing. "And I'm done with the puking." However, he DID snatch the cake that was going to be taken away and started in on it. "Wow." That was good cake.

Then they mentioned something about being partners, and to that Terry had to raise an eyebrow. Last he checked, Icarus had been rather irritated with her. Oh well. Not his business.

Though, when Zoe brought up getting naked in her back yard, Terrence gave a laugh, "Unfortunately, Icarus liked that idea. There wasn't just one backyard streak-fest back then... But I never remember anyone living around here that looks like you..."

"And my policy is that I add whatever the hell I want to the birthday song if I'm gonna sing." He pointed an unsteady finger at her. "That's how this guy rollz." Yes, he DID pronounce it with a z.

((READY GO! YEAH YEAH YEEEEAH.))

Icarus didn't say much of the friend statement as he was given a large slice of cake. He eased himself slowly onto the police station stoop and then with his fingers shoveled piece after piece of amazing cake into his mouth. He grinned happily and was all too sad when it was gone from his plate.

He made himself busy with licking up every little crumb, though he kind of choked at what Jay said. "WHAT?" He asked of the black man. "What...?" He put his plate aside and looked pointedly at Zoe. "You've gotta be kidding me... you're a softie. I don't do business with softies. You'll hold me back. I work ALONE."

Then he paused and grinned. "I did have a thing for getting naked, back in the day." And laughed as Terry agreed with that statement. "Nothing more thrilling than getting naked in a stranger's pool... or a beautiful girls'. Whichever came first." Icarus laughed again, and one of the older cops shook his head.

"You were such an a*****e, Icarus." The older cop paused and then snorted. "Not much has changed, huh?"

Icarus flashed him a charming smile. "Probably never will."

Zoe then spoke a little of her childhood. "... Your pool?... a blonde?" He wondered, thinking entirely out loud. "I mighta just wanted to take a piss in it, honestly. Never know with me... especially if you were a brat." He rubbed at his chin. "I don't remember... too much... maybe I did know you, maybe I didn't." He grinned crookedly. "I certainly got around in those days."

Icarus then paused and looked at Terry. He had smelled cigarettes. Oh yes... he had. He stuck out a hand and wiggled his fingers expectantly. "You gotta a place to stay, Terry? Bring that pack and I'll let you stay at my place." He said and then with his hand still waiting for his nicotine fix he looked to Zoe once more. "And I want the cash now so I can go home."

((hahaha, j is naughty D smile )

Swaying slightly, Terry looked over at Zoe as she explained her childhood. He nodded and waved a hand as if he completely understood, but a lot of what she said went right into his ear, and somewhere on the road to his brain, was lost. He really was trying to listen, mind you, but eight beers and not really knowing her didn't help the poor woman's case. But, hoping to make her feel better, he cleared his throat and tapped his fingers on his knee, creating a short beat before saying, "Yeah, yeah, I get ya... I get ya. Kids can be real jerks." Though usually it had been Icarus and himself heading them... But he wasn't going to mention that.

That, and his head was starting to hurt. Too many memories suddenly crowding in for attention. So was the alcohol.

Taking a good, long drag on his cigarette, he put his now-empty cake plate on the ground beside him and blew a couple of smoke rings before looking back at the woman. Taking a deep breath, he then belted out, and badly, Happy Birthday, his own rockstar hardcore metal version. It even made HIM wince. But oh the glories of being drunk - he probably wouldn't remember it. HOPEFULLY wouldn't remember it.

It was about then that Icarus offered a place to stay for the night, for the sole price of a few cigarettes. Um. Hell yes? Yes. "Sure, here..." He got his hands on the crumpled pack of 'em and tapped the thing on his knee until a cigarette came out the opening. He tossed that and a Zippo into Icarus' waiting hand. He'd planned on parking his bike in front of a motel and begging to let him sleep in the lobby. He'd come back here out of anger, and all of his stuff was still back in California. Well, everything save a nearly-maxed credit card and (thankfully) his driver's license.

He sat idly as Zoe seemed to get rather upset, and nodded when she said alcohol was bad. "Don't I know it?" He grinned up at her and gave a wave. "G'night, Rainbows!" He gave a laugh before giving a couple of coughs and looking rather green. Noooo way was he going to vomit again. So instead, he took another drag of his cigarette and flicked the butt into the street. "So, we goin' then?"

When Zoe had finally reached the tenth floor of the apartment building she opened the door to her apartment and locked it behind her. Stanly quickly went over to a large pillow near the couch in the living room and plopped down. It was a busy day, not really, but he needed an excuse to fall asleep before Zoe did.

As Stanly drifted off to doggy dreams, Zoe fumbled around in the kitchen. She opened up a small cabinet, filled with yellow bottles, stickers labeling what the medicine was for. She picked up a large bottle and tipped out to horse sized pills, shoved them in her mouth and swallowed. Afterwards she leaned against the counter and took a couple deep breaths. When she felt steady again she stood up and got into the shower.

After cleaning herself she went into her room and ran her fingers through her now straight rainbow streaked hair, trying to towel dry it before going to bed, otherwise it'd be hard to style in the morning. When she laid down on the bed her eyes stared at the ceiling. Her mind whirling and body pumping. It took a few hours before she gave up and stood up again. Her feet brought her to the living room which had stacks of books lining the walls and filling every nook and cranny.

In a few minutes she was laying on the couch, side light on, glasses on, and reading. There was no point of spending useless time TRYING to sleep when it was impossible. Books were more important, at least they allowed her to imagine places she's never been. The only few nights she actually slept she'd never remember her dreams. Indeed...books were much better than stupid dreams.

Icarus let out a yelp when Terry tripped. He raced forward and quickly knelt down beside the old computer with his eyebrows furrowed like he might cry. "Ah! Is she alright!?" He asked, running his hands carefully over it's old parts and then leaning his face on its screen. He seemed rather relieved to find that "she" was alright.

"JESUS!" He shouted suddenly and gave Terry a look. "You're going to have to be WAY more careful if you're going to stay here. I got some pretty priceless stuff in here, alright?"

He patted the computer nicely on it's circuits and shuffled on.

Icarus then raised an eyebrow at his remark of the cars. "You do what you have to to get by, you know? What with the bigger computer companies having their own repair services I gotta do a lot of odds and ends to make ends meet... and I only really do personal business... some illegal upgrades." Icarus shrugged. "And somehow I got into repairing cars. I read some books." Was his explanation for it. "That was a you thing... wasn't it?"

And then he frowned. "Oy. I NEVER played Sim City, for the record. Screw that s**t. I was all WoW and RPG's... and Zelda... which isn't a computer game, but comes up to scratch comparatively." Said Icarus's inner nerd. "... And I was never NERD. Nerds are awkward and never get chicks. I had problem with neither of those things."

At the next question Icarus smiled. He made himself comfortable on a sofa that he unearthed from somewhere. "Bounty hunting...?" He laughed. "I never thought I would... I'm not exactly built for it, though I WAS a monster at that game." He grinned and rubbed at his thin neck. "But, you know... it was just one of those things just happened... Never was going to make it doing something good with my life..." He looked thoughtful. "I thought I might have when you were around, but when you left... HA. I screwed up big time. It happens." He paused. "I tell anyone who asks... I'm just a starving artist... and being a bounty hunter is kinda a lot like that. I sympathize with the hippies of our nation."

Icarus settled back into his dusty pillows and pulled the book Mother Night into his hands. He sniffed a little and took a bite of an apple he had pulled out of his groceries when he had loaded stuff into the fridge. "What about you? I thought you'd go on to do something productive... dunno why. I always thought you were better than me."

((HUZZAH. Depth. How strange. I didn't know he had any D: ))