Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was pure luck that Fiona happened by the apartment at that moment, because Colin had been at the hospital - and would be, for some time yet - but he'd been brought back to get a few things and make arrangements with his neighbors, friends, and family to take care of things while he was away. He'd also insisted that his mother couldn't go alone to fetch him clothing and the like, which was why they were both there when she knocked.

Colin's mother, Rebecca, answered the door and greeted an exhausted looking Fiona. "Oh, hello dear. Are you here for Collie? He's resting on the couch, come on in hon."

From inside the apartment came a tired sounding voice, and once Fiona stepped in she'd see the curly haired dancer propped up on his couch with an IV bag hanging from a T bar attached to what was a hospital issue wheelchair (borrowed for the trip). He didn't recognize the young woman, pursing his lips a bit - a strange woman showing up at his apartment when his cousin was missing after the Castle raid debacle? Very likely she knew something about Khaleel. "Hey Mom, can you finish packing while we chat?"

Mrs. Hargrove gave her son a thoughtful look, then addressed Fiona again, "Try to not tire him out too much, dear. The hospital let him come home for a bit, but we had to promise he wouldn't over do it." She then did as her son asked, understanding that he wanted some privacy but not knowing why - this wasn't Nadia, or Vanessa. Maybe one of his friend's girlfriends?

"So," Colin sipped some water and gave Fiona a bit of a smile, head wrapped in bandages but also covered in a beanie; his hands were bandaged up and while he wore pajamas, it was clear he wasn't in the best of shape, "What can I do for you?"

'I'm here about Khaleel.' Fiona's words caused Colin's eyes to widen a bit in what would have been a brow arch...if he'd still had them. He'd been observing her as she observed him, taking measure on an external level in the off-hand way all people do, but not making any judgements beyond that she was a lovely girl and had some very striking eyes.

"I was wondering what happened to him." Khaleel hadn't been gravely wounded during the Castle fiasco, but he'd definitely needed tending. That Colin hadn't known where he was paired with his inability to get up and look for him, had caused anxiety when he wasn't heavily sedated. "After." The danseur caught Fiona's concerned glance at his IV bag and tried giving her a reassuring smile, but it was more like a tired grimace. "Having some trouble keeping me hydrated." And also, morphine, but she doesn't need to worry about me, I'll be fine with time.

For a moment, he wondered if the redhead knew what the real reason his cousin needed tending was - was she senshi? Had Khaleel entrusted her with his secret identity as a senshi as he once had with Björn?

From the dusky smudges under her eyes and the obvious weariness around her...it was possible.

Colin listened quietly as she spoke, nodding a little at her assessment of Khaleel's communication skills (for the most part, Colin felt his cousin just forgot because he lived very much in the moment) and took the paper with the hand that didn't have an IV line in. "Thank you."

"I knew he was hurt, I just didn't know where he ended up." Colin spoke quietly, eyes searching her face, "I was there too." It was a risk, a calculated one -- he had a really good feeling about Fiona, but he could always lie if he needed to. Not that he wanted to lie, or was very good at it...but...he could do it, if necessary.

Fiona's estimation of Khaleel was not inaccurate; she could have been talking about Colin himself and he knew just how much worry and strain he caused to his friends and loved ones. If her tone was sharp, it was warranted and the danseur did not take it poorly, no - he understood. He'd used the same sort of tone talking to Nadia about Lorne and Auguste, hadn't he?

"Close." He smiled thinly, "I roped the dragon and rode it. Seemed like a good idea at the time...now, not so much." Her offer of help was met with a gentle motion of his hand, if she'd been there as well, then she needed to rest. Besides, she was caring for his cousin, that was more than enough. "Just take care of Khaleel for me, I've help enough for when I get out of the hospital for good."

"But thank you."

Wait, was she telling him his idiot cousin had gotten into another fight? No wonder she had a pinched look tinged with annoyance at talking about it. "Well--" Wait up again -- Colin blinked at her owlishly, mouth falling open again as she identified herself. The girl with the red hair, that dragonfly senshi? That's Fiona? Hoolycrap-- "Dragonflies. That's you." Now that he'd put it together, it seemed silly that he hadn't noticed the resemblance before, but that was glamour magic for you.

"Yes, actually. Seemed like a fantastic idea. There was a small girl too...I'm really glad you came out of it so well." Stupid dragon, stupid flaming b*****d. As much fun as it might have been mentally slandering the greater youma, Colin snapped out of it when recalling why she was there. "Ah, did you want to pick up some of Khaleel's things while you're here? There's a small plastic drawer thing in the linen closet that's his..." Underwear, shirts, that sort of thing. Some of his cousin's clothes were in his closet and dresser as well, but he couldn't imagine she'd need a bunch of jeans or slacks.

Colin could not suppress the wry twist of his smile as he agreed with Fiona's words; in theory many of the things he'd done had been good ideas until he'd tried putting them to practice, with disastrous results. "Very, very true." I really like her, I hope we can be friends. I hope Khaleel keeps her, she's really a phenomenal woman.

"I will. And if you need anything from me..." He didn't really need to expand on that statement; Fiona was intelligent, no doubt she'd understand that Colin's friendship was being extended and that he would do for her anything he could to help when he could do so. "He has a knack for finding trouble. I'm afraid that's a family trait too."

Fiona would return to find that Colin had brought his phone out and had it resting on one knee, held in place by long, bandaged fingers. "You're a very kind person, Fiona. We're lucky to know you." He curled his fingers loosely around the phone and gave the redhead another tired smile, "Would you mind putting your number in? I'd like to have your information, just in case." And of course, he could be able to text her his so that if they needed to contact one another, it wasn't entirely reliant upon Khaleel's memory or phone.

From the room down the hall, a few dull thuds could be heard; drawers closing, or a suitcase being closed and righted on it's rollers. Colin didn't look forward to returning to the hospital, but he did look forward to resting again; even being out just this little amount of time was taxing for his damaged and healing body.

Kind and humble, no wonder Khaleel liked her so much - no wonder he found himself liking her very much as well. There was just something so honest about Fiona, it made it very easy for Colin to place her within the warm shelter of his friendship.

Colin favored Fiona with another tired but genuine smile, taking his phone back and tucking it slowly into one of his pajama pants pockets for safe-keeping. "You're very welcome, Fiona."

Rebecca Hargrove came back out just in time to hear her son thanking the pretty red-haired young woman once more. "All taken care of then?" One of Colin's smaller dance bags was fat with clothing and even a few books to keep him occupied when he was feeling up to reading. She gave Fiona a kind but firm smile, "It's time to get him back to the hospital, but you're welcome to visit with Collie there."

With a bit of help from his mother, Colin was settled back into the wheelchair, his bag lain across blanket-covered thighs, ready to return to the hospital once good-byes had been said.