Welcome to Gaia! ::

He was either going to kill her or be surprised. And then kill her. Truth was that Rae didn't care either way. She couldn't sit back in Destiny City and wait for news on how both Quinn was doing and his parents. So after she had checked on Isis, Rae and picked up both books they had been reading off the bedside and caught the next flight out to Colorado. The house staff had given her the name of the hospital they were in so she wasn't completely lost when she got there. Catching an Uber, the red head made her way and only felt the butterflies when she was standing at the information desk being told no visitors were allowed. She hadn't wanted to tell Quinn but just show up. However, it looked as if she had to pull the second option. Walking away from the angry volunteer, Rae picked up her phone and dialed Quinn.

Quinn glanced up from the paperwork he had been reading when his phone vibrated on the bedside table. A quick glance had him picking it up and excusing himself. “Hey Rae,” he wasn’t exactly expecting a call from her since he had just talked to her but it was a good break from the paperwork that he actually had to deal with and sitting in the quiet hospital room. The young man walked into the floor’s waiting room and settled into one of the chairs. “Is everything ok?”

"Hey....yea everything is fine." Rae sighed, hearing his voice. "I...um...well..." Normally she would come right out and say it. Normally she would just pester him until he told her where he was. Now... "I have been worried about you so I had food sent to the hospital for you. After all, who ever said they were known for their food. Anyway, I got a call they wouldn't allow them upstairs to the rooms so would you mind going to meet them...main lobby?"

Quinn frowned slightly at her voice, it sounded a bit hesitant to him but maybe he was just projecting his own unease onto the conversation. “Sure I’ll go down in just a minute.” He walked over to the windows and absently stared out at the sea of amber and green. He could almost understand why his folks wanted to be out here as fall started to shift the trees to their fiery colors. It was rather beautiful, it was a shame that he was observing it from a hospital. “I’m doing better today, promise.” He absently smiled even as he started towards the bank of elevators. “I’ll give you a call once I get the food. I wonder what you ordered, not anything too out there I hope,” he joked lightly as he hit the call button. Giving his goodbyes once more before hanging up and getting on the elevator, Quinn didn’t really have the heart to tell her that the secretary had stepped out to grab them both a late lunch. After all it was the thought that counted. The soft chime heralded his arrival in the lobby followed by a rather surprised, “Rae!?! What? How?” That red hair was rather distinctive after all, it didn’t take a mastermind to figure out who was standing at the information desk. “Why?” All He was missing was the ‘where’.

The woman had moved towards the elevators when he had ended the call. Watching one of them count down, she had felt herself hold her breath before taking one final one. "Here we go." She told herself as the doors open and the man basically spat out the traditional set of questions, minus where and when. "Hi." Was all she said at first as she stood there, not sure if she should go up and hug him. "I think I can skip the what and how. As to the why...." Now she stopped looking away and met his eyes. Stepping close her, ballet flats the chosen shoe of the day, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Because I refused to let you go through this alone. Because staff members will not treat you the same way I will no matter how close you are to them. Because I can' stand to see or hear you suffer." Reaching into the large bag at her side, Rae then pulled out a pair of books. "Also I brought these."

Quinn gaped at her for a moment longer before snorting slightly. Of course she showed up. “So how was the flight? Your arms tired or did you take the broom.” His jokes were a little lame but they were better than nothing really. The chime of the elevator reminded him that they were currently blocking the main bank of them and he needed to get her on the ‘list’ as it were. “Come on, let’s get you signed in then I can chew you out for coming all this way,” his lopsided smile showed that he didn’t mind her showing up, he actually really appreciated it. He gave her hand a pat and lead the way back to the info desk. Once everything was squared away, it didn’t take long, he turned towards her and playfully tried to peek into her large bag. “So did you bring food as well or only the two books? Or should I call up my guy and get him to pick up one more...” he stumbled for a moment as he forgot what the secretary had said he was going to get. He had been a little lost in his own head at the time. “Portion,” He lamely finished with a slight wince.

"The broom was in the shop so I took the normal human transport called a 747." Rae had to roll her eyes before she jerked her bag back. "Less leg room but much warmer than it would have been flying this way." She had packed quickly and didn't need him going into her 'personal' items. Last thing she wanted was Quinn pulling out her lace in the middle of a hospital. "Would you mind having them add one more?" She offered, extending a hand to touch his shoulder. It was a comfort for her as much as trying to comfort him. "A bag of peanuts doesn't do much to cut hunger when one hasn't had a meal beforehand. Also the uber driver got lost coming here..."

Quinn pretended to pout when she yanked her bag out of his reach while he muttered, "Shame. The broom would have been cooler." His smile was lopsided but genuine as he gave her hand a pat. It was surprisingly good to have a friendly face here, one that wasn't an employee and didn't have to keep the business side of things afloat. "Sure, just give me a moment." He pulled away to call Nick, his 'handler' for this hell trip. After a moment of quiet muttering he pulled the phone away from his ear and asked Rae, "Pepperoni pizza ok? The place has a few other simple Italian things if you would rather go pasta though." He had honestly been surprised when the very capable secretary had informed him that he had ordered a large pizza. As if the two of them could finish off a large, especially since Quinn wasn't that hungry... nor would likely eat more than a bite or two. It was rather hard to swallow past the lump of fear, guilt, and worry that sat in his throat.

"Sounds perfect." Rae answered. Truth was she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten just a basic pizza. Work and her friends were all about the 'finer' things in life which meant pizza was a loose way to describe what they got. So this was a welcome, reality change. "If they have red pepper flakes, tell him to grab a few packs." She was trying to keep a smile on her face as she watched him stand over there. Support. That was what she was to be.

"Sure" Quinn relayed the request, adding a few extra surprises for Rae like a pint of ice cream. He also asked Nick to pick himself up one too, Quinn was good with just the pizza. Once the call was done he hung up and made his way back to his friend. "Nick said it would take a bit longer so we might as well go up," He guided her back to the elevators and hit the call button before 'cheerfully' adding, "I'm sure mom and dad will love to see you." It was a strained comment, a very cardboard-esq phrase that he nearly robotically said. If he hadn't stumbled slightly on it he might have actually been able to pull off the 'everything is ok' vibe he was doing his best to portray. It wasn't easy face to face... wasn't easy over the phone either but having her here with him meant that it was just that much harder to keep it together.

Nodding her response, she waited silently next to him until the elevator arrived. Once they had slipped in and she was sure they were alone did Rae move towards the the buttons and do something that could get her into a s**t ton of trouble: smash the buttons and stall the elevator in the shaft. The machine jerked twice, causing her to steady herself so she didn't fall directly into the man she was about to scold. Only when she was sure they weren't moving anymore did she raise her eyes, lock onto Quinn's face and smack him upside the head. "Stop it!" She snapped, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "Stop pretending everything is fine when all you want to do is cry your eyes out and scream. I can see it all in your face and your words...you should hear yourself. It's just you and me now. No one is going to say or judge anything you do. But stop trying to be Mr. Tough guy. It's going to kill you!"

Quinn starred in surprise as Rae hit the emergency stop button, the alarm rang as the elevator box jerked to a stop, “Rae-“ he was going to ask her what she was doing only to yelp when she smacked him upside his head. He gaped at her as she berated him but as her tirade continued his face flushed red in anger before paling, a mixed bag of emotions flashing across his face. “What do you want me to do? Screaming and crying and breaking everything around me? You think I haven’t thought of that? That I don’t want to just fall apart and curl up into a ball?” He backed away from her, his hands fisted and his face full of anger. “I can’t! I can’t scream to the heavens that it isn’t fair! I can’t break down!” If he broke down he wasn’t sure he could put himself together again.

"Why not?" Rae threw back as she watched the emotions cross his face. "Why can't you just take 5 minutes to let yourself break apart before you have to pull yourself back together again. It will clear your head and let you think with more logic instead of fighting it every time you look at someone or someone turns to you!" She moved towards him. "You are fighting being yourself and the man They..." She gestured towards the elevator door as a general statement "think you need to be. So right here, right now, it's just the two of us. No one else matters. Why can't you just...let it go"

“Because!” He might have said more, like how he wasn’t sure he could put himself back together once he broke down, if the emergency phone on the panel hadn’t rung. The sound had him start for a second before he scrambled to answer it. It took him a moment to explain that it had been an accident, that they didn’t know how to get it started again… to explain what was taking so long, and to assure the security guy on the other end that they were fine. He was just about to hang up when the elevator started to move again, “thanks, we will get off on the next floor.” He hung up the phone and turned towards Rae. “You don’t get it do you?” His question was said quietly, almost sadly, “I don’t have a choice.”

Rae stood in the elevator, watching his back disappear around the corner as she felt her own hands ball into fists. "Is that what you really think?" She mumbled, knowing he would never heard the words. "You always had a choice. You just chose to turn a blind eye to it...."Just as the door began to close again, Rae slipped out to follow him down the hall. She was wordless, gazing ahead of her as she caught up to him. "Fine then but if that is the way it is going to be then you at least need to look the part."

Quinn felt like an a** but since he already felt like crap it wasn't a new sensation. He knew that Rae was only trying to help. She was only trying to get him to let off all the anger and fear and sadness that was boiling inside of him but she didn't understand. She had no idea that this issue was only a part of his whole problem. How did he tell her that he woke up in the middle of the night after dreaming that he was the one who had injured his parents, and not in a figurative sense either. There had been a rather vivid nightmare last night where instead of the negaverse agent who he killed it was his own mother. Was their accident a cosmic punishment for the blood on his hands? Did his father blame him for it? Was that why he had yet to look at Quinn? He hadn't uttered a word, not a one since he woke up, according to the doctors. The little bit of work Nick gave him actually was a welcome distraction for the young man. It let him focus on something besides the two figures lying lifeless in their beds, only the constant beeping of the machines telling them they were alive. Even though he felt like a heel he still couldn't find the courage to mutter an apology when he sensed Rae next to him as he strode towards the stairwell. He quirked a half smile at her comment as he held the stair door open, "What? Don't like the clothes my landlady packed for me?" The black slacks definitely didn't go with the worn t-shirt and flip flops but his clothing options were definitely limited and this was all he had left that was clean. "We have two more floors up to go but I didn't think security would appreciate us fooling around on the elevator again." It was bad enough that they knew he had been lying about it being an accident because of the cameras but at least they didn't catch anything more then her smacking him. It might have been a rom-com situation but it definitely wasn't a rom-com kind of place.

"No. You look like a mix of a lazy frat boy and a businessman who refused to grow." Slipping past him and onto the stairway, she turned, blocking his path and pointed at his feet. "For starters, those. In a hospital. You are asking to catch something if not at least a cold. Not to mention no man has attractive feet. When we get back, I'm redoing your shoe collection". She stated as if it wasn't even up for debate before beginning the climb. Distraction. That was really all she could do right now...even if she just wanted to wrap him up and steal him away. "Do you even own boat shoes?"

Quinn smothered a snicker at her comments about his clothes. He would have gone with the ‘closet threw up on you’ route but frat boy/businessman worked too. “Hey, at least I don’t have hobbit feet,” His attempt at a comeback was bad and he knew it. “And it was either this or shoes without socks.” He followed up behind her, only absently checking out the view. She had a good a** not that this was the time or the place to even mentally comment on it. “I’m a bit surprised if you don’t really. You’ve never really liked my closet anyway.” Yes, focus on clothes because he didn’t want to think about the people in the room they were currently climbing towards. Focus on the conversation because it was here and now and wasn’t about what was expected of him as company CEO. Focus on shoes because god forgive him if he cracks, he couldn’t go back. Quinn knew the conversation was nonsensical but he still focused on it as if it was the door from Titanic and he was Jack… he didn’t particularly want to drown, or freeze, but it was better than nothing. “I have shoes I wear on boats. Does that count?”

"No those don't count." Rae threw back, glancing over her shoulder at him. The look cost her through and she missed the next step. Her foot caught the edge of it and she spilled forward onto the landing between floors. "Ow..." she whined, mostly just natural reaction as she felt her hands scrape on the concrete. "Now see. I try to scold you and end up falling on my face." Well, almost. She was still bent over the step, her a** basically in the air for a second longer before she moved to right herself.

He didn’t get a chance to make a comment about how technically it did count and what was so special about boat shoes. Any response was lost when Rae tumbled up the stairs, face planting on the next floor landing. “s**t,” Quinn scrambled towards her, “Are you ok?” He scootched around her until he was standing on the landing and offered her a helping hand. “Yes well, at least it wasn’t like when we were kids. I was normally the one who ended up on the ground.” The young man tried to make light of her tumble even as he pulled her upright, absently checking her over for excess damage. “Looks like just a few scrapes. I think you will live but we could always flag down a doctor if you want a second opinion.“

Taking his hand, she used his assistance in standing, quickly checking herself over. "It's fine. I don't want to bother then over something so stupid. Not like a broke anything." Rae sighed, glancing back at him and slowly shaking her head. "You ended up on the ground covered in everything from scrapes to mud to dog poop if it was in the path of destruction." Brushing a hand on her hip to make sure she wasn't bleeding, she reached up and flicked his nose. "Yet you always had a smile on your face. I was always amazed by you. Now I just question your taste in so many things. Fashion being only one item I fear needs a womans touch."

“I remember you pushing me most of those times,” Quinn absently corrected her. Although to be fair he had taken more than a few tumbles unassisted, some that had even landed him in the hospital with more serious injuries then just scrapes. Such was the life of an active boy who was always on the lookout for a new adventure, now he was just trying to keep his head above water. When exactly did that change? Was it when he became a knight? The negaverse raid? The months that followed where he lost himself in drink and then work? Quinn had no idea what happened to that grinning face Rae remembered from their childhood. “Yeah well you tend to question my taste in everything so what’s new,” He tried to brush off the mental barrage of questions that swarmed him. At least they were memories of the past and not his current situation… that was something right? And as tempting as it was to make a smarmy comment about his clothes not being the only thing that needed a woman’s touch, ‘wink wink nudge nudge’, he instead turned the conversation back towards their trip upwards. “Would you like me to lead this time so you don't have to worry about tripping as you critique my clothes? And what exactly are so special about boat shoes? Are they like snow shoes?”

"Well for one they have more uses than snow shoes." Rae offered, falling back into the conversation on a safe topic. Motioning with one hand for him to lead, she then feel into step behind him. "For another they got their name because they are an upscale shoe that doesn't damage or leave marks on a boat if you slipped. Mostly they are just a causal, easy, closed toe shoe men can throw on without socks!" The last part was added to throw back at his earlier comment. "As for the pushing, well you had it coming." For old time sake, she poked him in the lower back. "How was I ever supposed to be a proper lady hanging around such a troublemaker. Oh I was doomed from the start." The words were dripping in sarcasm as she remembered the panic on her mother's face everytime she came home dirty. "Doomed to be an old maid as she says."

Quinn started up the next, and their final, flight of stairs as Rae explained what boat shoes were. “So they are like slippers? I had a pair of those but Isis clawed them to death. They were really nice too since they had some fake fur lining them.” He honestly thought the shoes bit the dust because of that fur. Ah, well it wasn’t like he had worn them a lot anyway before they got destroyed. “Yes yes, it’s always my fault for pointing out when you were acting like a icky girl.” He smirked, not like she could see it, and absently swatted at her hand when she poked him. “I didn’t know you wanted to be a proper lady. That sounds ever so dull,” he mocked her tone with a bad british accent only to lose it as he went on. “Besides the old maid was always the queen so that means you rule… and she drools.” He never really liked Rae’s mom, he much prefered his mom with her free spirit and wide heart. The thought of his mom who was currently still in a coma had any amusement he felt melt like snow under a summer sun. But he didn’t want to bring Rae down with him so he did his best to keep his tone upbeat, “Anyway it's not like our generation is getting married early anymore. Most everyone is waiting until their thirties or early forties. It helps cut down on alimony for when you get your next spouse.”

"Or you can just get it right the first time and cut it all out together instead of marrying someone only for their money or status." Rae shot back, an annoyance in her voice as she considered her mother. The falling out between her and her family had not been...pleasant to say the least. Since her return to Destiny City, things had picked up right where they had left off. Only this time, her father was in on it as well under the guise of 'I just want you taken care of when I'm gone.’ One bad test result from the doctors and he was all death and doom. "That way your wife can just tell you what to wear and you won't have on slippers when you go to a meeting. " She was teasing him a bit, though he wouldn't see her smile. "Oh, Isis did manage to steal half a chicken."

“Isn’t that what I have you for?” He missed the bite of annoyance the first part of her comment carried, mostly because he was lost in his own thoughts. Quinn wanted a marriage like his parents, a marriage between equals where money and status didn’t factor in. He had even dated someone for a while who was like that but it fell through, he still couldn’t figure out why, and since then he had avoided the fairer sex other then Rae because she was kind of like a sister to him. She didn’t count. “And the last time I went to a meeting in slippers no one said anything so I think next time I’ll try going in Crocs just to see what reaction I get.” That was a bit of a lie since it wasn’t really a ‘meeting’ meeting but more a ‘you forgot s**t at the office’ meeting. It was just to keep the cheerful mood as they neared the stairwell door of his folks hospital floor. His flip flops caught on the last step just as Rae told him about his cat, the ensuing stumble, he didn’t hit the ground like she had fortunately, and the mental image of his savannah cat running off with a chicken in her maw had a snort burst out of him. The rather rude sound echoing in the cement tower that was the stairwell. “Geez Rae! At least it wasn’t the whole chicken.” A genuine smile lit up his face even as he continued to snicker at the thought of his menace that was a cat.

Finally she had found it. The one thing that could bring out the smile she knew so well and knew was down there still: Isis. If there had been some way to get that menace of a wild animal on the plane without sedation, she would have done it just to see him...happy. "No, it wasn't. The other half had already ended up in the chicken salad so this part was going for stock. Sadly, that became veggie stock. I think they were still locating bones when I left them. " Rae slipped up the stairs to his side while he leaned over and moved past him. Bending down, she offered "Had to copy?" With a chuckle, she offered him her hand just as he had. "And yes. You have me. But if I'm going to be managing your attire and other items, including your lion, I'm going to be needing to make more money as your personal assistant." She might have only been half joking but she said it with a smile. "Friend or not, a girl has to eat."

“I hope they find them all or else they might kill me when we get back,” The snickers faded at the thought of going back but the amusement was still there. Just the idea of this whole nightmare being over was enough to keep a light grin on his face. He straightened up with the ‘assistance’ of her hand, not that it was really necessary but hey it was nice to just have a hand to hold some times. “Yeah I think your right, these shoes are trying to kill me.” He waggled the rubber soles, smacking them against the ground, and made a face at Rae. “I think that might be arranged. Don’t people have like personal stylists and stuff. You can be my personal Rae, I’ll even throw in dinner now and again while you berate the state of my closet.”

His response made her lean back with a look of 'you're joking right'. Not that she would be opposed to helping him at all but to be honest, she figured he would just blow it all off at the very idea of her being around that much. "Why don't we discuss the idea sometime other than standing in a fire escape looking like we are both drunk and security most likely watching us expecting us to do indecent things at any moment." Shrugging at the idea, she looked at the door between them and the floor they had walked too. She wouldn't open it unless she knew he was ready. "Oh...I don't do litter boxes."

“It would at least give them something to gossip about,” Quinn smirked and made an exaggerated brow wiggle as he eyed the camera that was very noticeable in the corner of the starwell. The young man sighed and faced the door that opened to his personal nightmare. He didn’t particularly want to go through it but there wasn’t really a reason not to, his obligations were waiting for him and they wouldn’t wait forever. Besides, he still harbored a small little hope that the next time he entered his parent’s room that the whole thing was just a joke or at the bare minimum they would both be ‘awake’ and aware of what was going on. At least that way he wouldn’t be alone in the silent space any more. “Neither do I. It's one of those automatic things that I change once a week. Best money ever spent, hands down.” He shot her a half smile, a shadow of the true grin from a little bit ago, before mentally taking himself in hand and reaching out for the door handle. “Lets go before security sends out a search party or something,” with that he pulled the door open and gestured Rae through it. It was time to go back to reality, time stopped for no man after all.