>9LB HAMMER >SEATTLE, WA >TUE, 15SEP2019 >1830.../// Donnelley shifted into gear and listened to the roar of his Indian’s engine as he accelerated past the green light, the vintage bike having turned some heads on their way. Even as they rode, he could hear the cacophony of motorcycles being revved somewhere off in the distance, where their destination was. While Donnelley wanted to treat all of them to a nice night in Seattle, he didn’t want to take them to a chain place that was not dissimilar to any other location flung across the states. There were a few dive bars that Donnelley frequented around Western Washington, having had time to visit quite a few of them in the past. This particular one was not a hipster hotspot, but neither was it some of the dens of debauchery he’d been to. At least not outright. They could have whatever fun they could think of here without worrying about pissing off some nasally twenty-somethings, or worrying about getting drugged. The 9lb Hammer lay in wait for them and he slowed his bike until he walked them into a suitable parking space some distance away from the bar itself. He was dressed in jeans, his leather riding boots, and a thick flannel under his denim vest with patches aplenty adorning it, his Special Forces tab and the beret flash of 5th Group sewn onto the denim and displayed proudly. He wasted no time in checking his phone and then lighting up a cigarette. He looked Laine over with hungry eyes, “Damn, you look good.” He said, chuckling, “You got a man?” Laine moved her hands from his waist and reached up to smooth her short dark hair down after the wind tousled it all over. She took a survey of the parking lot, then looked at him in his patched vest and dark sunglasses. She slid from the bike, brushing her hands over her jeans and tugging them subtly. They were snug black jeans with holes ripped open in them where the fishnets showed through. Over the cropped halter top she wore Donnelley’s leather jacket, it hung loose on her frame but was very warm between her bare skin and the damp cold of the evening. The boots she wore were new, she planned on stashing them at his house since she forgot to bring her Docs everytime. Her outfit was not becoming of an FBI agent or a psychologist, but nights like these she was just that gothy chick with a nice figure. “I do got a man,” she said, giving him a sassy little toss of her head, then snapped the lapels of his leather jacket. Laine curled a finger in the large ring hanging from the choker she wore and gave it a tug, giving him a sly wink. Donnelley’s grin grew and he growled at her, biting his lip. He stood up and kissed her deeply, his hand on the small of her back before he sat back down on his bike. A pedestrian was looking over at them and their behavior as he passed and Donnelley gave him a kissy face. He took another drag off his cigarette and looked to Laine, “Think they can find their way here through the city, lover?” Laine chuckled at his response, her green eyes twinkling after the illicit kiss as she scanned the parking lot. She loved riling Donnelley up, seeing and feeling him react to her. But now they were in public again, she reminded herself and soon would be with their teammates. "Dave had a good sense of direction I'm sure he'll be fine," she said, "9lb Hammer, that's a distinct name. Any idea how that happened?" “Ever heard of John Henry?” Donnelley asked, his brow quirked and he puffed on his cigarette, “Old railway man beat a steam powered hammer in a contest to see how many railroad ties they could beat in. Man versus machine, man versus nature, man versus whatever - the tenacity of man triumphs.” Donnelley snorted at his musing, “As for why this place has a name like that?” He shrugged, “Never thought to ask.” Laine raised an eyebrow at that, "Didn't he die right after? I half remember the song." She huffed a soft laugh and lay a hand on his shoulder, giving him a brief squeeze at his sentimentality. She slipped her hand away quickly when a car turned up the driveway but it was just an old Toyota with a bunch of young punks stuffed into it. “But, he [i]did win.[/i]” Donnelley chuckled, his grin widening at Laine’s brief touch. Dave was watching out the window as the taxi he and Ava had ordered pulled into the lot of the bar. He was dressed for the Seattle weather in a black T-shirt and lightweight Carhartt jacket, his pistol and Buck knife both concealed inside his waistband. He had his ‘Hat-hat’ jammed down over his shaggy hair and he grinned over at Ava as they pulled to a stop, giving her hand a quick squeeze. “Go on,” he said to her as he dug out his wallet. “Lemme pay the man, an’ I’ll catch up with ya.” Ava peaked around him at the bar and visibly grimaced. “I am not dressed for that place.” She said, pressing her forehead to Dave’s arm. Laine had told her to dress ‘comfortably’ and ‘cute’ and it appeared that both of them had forgotten their drastically different tastes in style. She had dressed herself in a nice, warm, robin's egg blue sweater dotted with white puffy clouds, a simple white skirt with soft pleats and her grey thermal leggings and hiking boots. Her hair was pulled over her shoulder in a braid due to the humidity in the air. And to complete the look was a white beret, with a pair of triangular cat ears. She had picked it up in Idaho on a whim and wore it with Dave’s encouragement. She looked up at Dave, her chin resting on his arm. “Do you think I’d stand out too much?” Dave looked at the people around them as the man took his money. There were a few on the unusual side of things, but not many. “I think you’ll be fine,” he said. He waved the change back at the man as a tip and then opened the car door, reaching down to help Ava from the taxi. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I think you stand out everywhere, just cuz you’re so damn pretty. But don’t stress, I’m here with ya.” Ava flushed at the compliment but smiled. She gave his hand a squeeze before hooking their arms together. “Thanks Dave.” She said, taking in a breath and straightening herself. “Well, shall we go find our friends?” “Sounds good to me,” Dave grinned. He put a hand on her shoulder and guided her towards the bar, scanning the parking lot for their friends. Laine was watching the taxi pull up and the well built man in the Carhartt jacket looked familiar but she was certain when the fluff of pastel emerged after him. She grinned but stepped away from how close she was standing with Donnelley beside his Indian. She walked forward and waved at them, her appearance certainly not what they had seen but the black was a dead giveaway. Laine smiled, playing with the zippo in her hand covered by the cuff of the leather jacket. “Hey guys,” she called out as she walked towards them, “Cute sweater, Ava.” Donnelley remained behind her, his arms hanging over the handlebars of his motorcycle. He took a drag and got up, swinging his leg back over his machine and walked over to where they were all gathering. In the short space between him and them, he considered how much space he should leave between him and Laine, and how much eye contact they should share. How big should he smile at her and how often should he look into her eyes? He shook his head at that, knowing Dave knew, and apparently didn’t care. It was also unlikely anyone from the Program was watching their every move. When he got to the others he smiled and nodded, “Howdy, how’s y’all’s commute?” Ava’s eyes widened as she looked over Laine’s outfit, surprised to see the normally put together and professional FBI agent in something more...Grungy. She blinked her eyes and smiled at the compliment, brushing her hands over the soft fabric. “Um, thanks, I got it back in Idaho and my sweater dress was...dirty.” She said, glancing up at Dave before looking away with a smile and a small blush. “So, I thought now was a good time to bust it out.” She chuckled, adjusting the beret on her head. She turned to Donnelley as he approached, less surprised to see their Team Lead in something out of the ordinary. She smiled and waved. Dave joined her, walking up and offering his hand to Donnelley with a grin. “Cab driver did all the work,” he said. “We just got to hang out. Kinda jealous of your ride, though.” Laine tried not to smile at Donnelley, looking away and down, then at Ava’s beret. “Meow,” she said with a wry grin. At the comment about the bike, Laine could not help but smile, it was a pretty cool bike and riding behind him had been thrilling if rough. It was intimate and closed the world to just them even as they whipped down a highway with the wind in their hair. She tucked her hands in the pockets of her holey jeans, pushing down and exposing the top of the fishnet pantyhouse underneath. She considered lying, saying she too had taken a cab and got dropped off earlier but decided to just leave it. Donnelley chuckled at Dave’s compliment, looking back at the bike in question, “Yeah, she’s a beauty. Older’n me.” Donnelley looked back at all of them and shrugged, “Used to be my dad’s, tried to keep it as original as possible. Not many nineteen-fifties Indians on the road no more, so y’know.” He glanced at Laine still in the leather jacket that was almost painfully obvious didn’t belong to her, “She turns a few heads.” He chuckled to Ava and Dave, cracking a joke, “This place ain’t the seediest bar I could find, but it’ll have to do.” Ava’s eyes widened at the mention of the year of the bike. “You have a nineteen-fiftie Indian!?” She asked with bright eyes. “Can I look at it?” “Yeah, well, come on over.” Donnelley chuckled at Ava’s sudden excitement and led her over to the bike. Laine stepped aside as Ava zeroed in on the bike, now standing near Dave. She glanced at him, his hair and beard grown long since their time in Idaho and Alaska. Mountain man indeed. “How’s it going?” she asked, feeling suddenly self conscious as she knew that he knew what Donnelley had told him. “Enjoying this time off?” Dave nodded a greeting to Laine as she approached. He watched Ava fawning over the bike with a smile. “Yeah, it’s been nice. Just...Havin’ time together,” he said. He sighed and looked back to Laine. “How ‘bout you? Enjoyin’ the downtime so far?” "It's nice, you know," she agreed, rocking on her heels in the heavy boots. "Not having everyone around, I mean not you guys but just...I know I've got a lot waiting for me back home. Going back to work after all this and trying to focus on my day job. So, I'm just trying to enjoy this free time and not worry too much." She glanced at Donnelley and Ava talking about the bike and looked at the ground, the pitted asphalt and tiny shards of broken glass. "Just blow off some steam before going back to the real world. I think I might get shit faced." “No reason not to,” Dave laughed. “Ain’t like you’re drivin’. Hell, I might catch a good buzz myself, since we’re gonna be takin’ a cab back. Been a while.” "I remember that moonshine, think they have anything close?" Laine asked, a grin forming on her face. Dave laughed. “No chance.” “Let’s find out,” she said, reaching out to give him a tug on the sleeve. She turned to the two by the bike, “Alright, enough fawning. Let’s get drinking.” Ava looked away from admiring the engine on the motorcycle, after listening to Donnelley explain what parts were original and what ones had to be replaced with all the fascination of an excited school kid. “Uh, you guys will have to do my drinking for me.” Ava chuckled. “But it’s been awhile since I had a Shirley Temple.” She said, walking up to Dave’s side with a grin. “It’s a great bike.” “It is a pretty great bike,” Dave said. He put his arm around her waist. “I think Laine’s thirsty. An’ I could go for a whiskey, myself.” “Somebody say whiskey?” Donnelley quirked a brow and smirked, “Come on, let’s go get us a booth and then I can whoop Dave’s ass at Buck Hunt.” The bar inside was low lit, an amber glow from the overhead shaded lights and the neon beer signs, a strand of red Christmas lights scorched crimson over the small bar tables against the wall. It was over half full, people ranging in ages from twenties to forties, most dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts, some dressed in full punk gear and others with heavy biker boots and unpatched vests. The clanging of a pinball machine drew Laine’s attention as she stepped in, the body heat from the close quarters had her taking off the warm leather jacket and hanging over one arm. Off to the left there were arcade games as advertised and in the room beyond there were pub tables and a lone pool table currently being run by college age kids in funky meme t-shirts and one girl with a purple fauxhawk. “Nice place,” Laine said, the people looking over at them but she did not sense hostility, but it was early and no one was drunk yet. One of the waitresses passed by, her long hair in a high ponytail and she wore hot pink plastic frame glasses, “Hey, guys. Seat yourselves, I’ll be by to take your order or you can get drinks at the bar.” “Y’all wanna get us a table while me and Dave get drinks?” Donnelley asked. Laine took Ava’s arm, guiding her out of the way of two big burly men that looked like bikers but they had none of the patches of an outlaw MC who followed them into the bar. They nodded and excused themselves, heading to the bar. “We’ll grab a table by the wall over there.” She gestured to the ones opposite the bar and close to the games. Ava eyed the games with interest as she followed Laine’s guidance over to the table. She focused back on her friend and smiled, wrapping her arms around her and giving her a quick friendly hug. “You look like you’re doing better, I’m glad.” Laine was surprised and grateful for the hug, embracing Ava with a tight squeeze. “I do feel better, what a couple of days off can do, right?” She glanced away and gestured to the tall pub table with the tall stools. “Need a boost?” she teased as she pushed herself up into the seat. “How’s it been with Dave, how’s he doing?” Laine looked over at the men at the bar with the other crowd waiting on the one server. It might be few before they returned with drinks. “Better, I think,” Ava said, hopping up onto the stool as her face grew thoughtful. “We went on a hike on Mt. Rainier today, poor Prince was passed out in the hotel room when we left to come here.” She chuckled and smiled. It dimmed slightly. “It was a really good day, but...The night before.” She hesitated and glanced over to Dave at the bar. “Nightmares?” Laine asked, looking at Ava, “It can be very hard on survivors, even if things turned out for the better, he had a few days to grieve a great loss.” “There is that, but,” She looked back at Dave before turning back to Laine. “I...left the room, when he was still asleep, to take Prince to the bathroom and get us some food. He woke up while I was gone and thought...That I was still…[i]gone[/i]. That I never actually came back. He said it was only for a minute, but...That had to have been an awful minute.” Laine also looked over, following her line of sight and glanced away from Dave to Donnelley, his familiar stance and frame she could recognize anywhere. She tried not to look too long. Laine glanced up at the chalkboard menu that she could hardly read from this distance and finally said, “I can imagine. That panic of waking up and thinking he was back in Hell.” She toyed with the chain around her neck and then dropped her hands, looking at Ava. “Do you want my professional opinion?” “Of course.” Ava answered without hesitation, the concerned frown deepening on her features. “I want to help Dave, however I can.” Laine clasped her hands in front of her and leaned forward, her deep green eyes meeting the bright blue of Ava’s, “He needs you. He needs to spend as much time with you as he can, physically, emotionally...I saw his face when he saw you were alive.” She smiled a little, her eyes starting to glisten at the memory. “He blames himself, both of them do. And it’s not their fault, but they’re men and they feel they failed to protect their...well, he feels he failed to protect his woman. You know Dave. I think that you might not mind spending all that time with him.” She reached over and opened her hand to her, “I know it’s hard for you, too. Seeing him hurt and panic over you. Don’t blame yourself for it, ok? Now, as pleasant as that all is, he’ll need to talk about it. Sometimes we can’t tell the ones we feel closest to everything in our hearts out of fear of hurting or worrying them.” Laine found herself looking past Ava towards the bar but pulled herself back to the young woman in front of her. Ava looked at Laine, then reached out to take her hand. “I can do that.” She said quietly, with a small smile. “I want to do that. Alaska was...pretty fucking bad for us too.” She said with the smile fading from her face as she started down at the table, squeezing Laine’s hand. “I want to spend time with him too.” “I know it’s probably new for you,” Laine said, a teasing smile appearing on her face, “I’m sure you and him will help each other. Though I do want to offer my help for either of you, should you need it. Not just as a friend but as someone that’s had a couple college courses that need to get used.” She shrugged a little and squeezed Ava’s hand, pulling back and she reached up to toy with the ring on her choker absently. Laine looked back over at the bar, more people had arrived since they sat down and it was getting crowded. “Hey, you ever play pinball?” “A few times.” Ava smiled and let go of Laine’s hand. “And, thanks Laine.” Laine ran a hand through her dark hair and ruffled it, “Anytime, of course. We’re a family now, aren’t we.” “After a couple drinks, we’ll hit that pinball machine. So...I know you don’t drink so I’m apologizing ahead of time for dealing with me drunk,” Laine said, then snorted a soft laugh. “I’m sorry.” “It’s alright, just consider me the designated sober person.” Ava chuckled. “I’ll make sure everyone gets a cab if they need it. Especially can’t have Donnelley riding home on that motorcycle.” “Bless you,” Laine snickered, then said dryly, “And yeah...you know I have a feeling he might be stubborn about that. Just a hunch.” “I can be very persuasive.” She said, then mimicked a sad puppy dog expression. Laine rolled her eyes and laughed, “Yes, you win. I might have a couple tricks up my sleeve in getting him to cooperate.” She gave Ava a sly look, she was wearing a sleeveless tank top she wore now exposed and her tattoos on display since the leather jacket hung off the backrest of the pub stool. “So how’s the dog? Do you still have him?” “He’s good! He’s back in the hotel room, completely exhausted after the day of hiking.” Ava chuckled. “I left him a bowl of water and the tv on, but he should be fine while we’re here.” She reached into the pocket in her skirt and pulled out her phone. “I have pictures, do you want to see?” “Of course, he’s a cute dog,” Laine said, leaning over her crossed arms to see the phone. “A hell of a find.” “Yup.” Ava said with a clearing of her throat. >THE D-BOAHS.../// Donnelley watched the single bartender at work as she buzzed around the patrons at the other end of the bar, making them all the fanciest drinks Donnelley had ever seen. He figured she’d appreciate that Donnelley, and most likely Dave, would have simple drinks in mind. The two of them stood side by side watching the bartender work. As Donnelley looked around at the other patrons, he felt a bit like a sore thumb, like the only wolf among a pack of sheep. The only bars he’d gone to besides today were the ones he and Queen would hit up, where you were equally as likely to find someone to fuck as fight. But tonight was supposed to be happy. No thinking about Alaska, or West Virginia, just about whatever they were going to get into tonight. He forced on a smile even though he knew all these people brushing past his back would get old real quick if he didn’t get his drink soon. Loud bars and crowds had never felt the same after all those years in dangerous places. The only things keeping him in check was standing right next to him and sitting at a table on the other side of the room. He looked back at the table in question and his eyes fell on Laine, the sight of her almost sapping his anxiety away. “You doin’ better now we got some time off?” Donnelley asked, glancing back to Dave to start some conversation seeing as they’d have to wait some time before the bartender was freed up, “I know I am... kind of.” Dave rested on his elbows, back to the bar, watching the crowd mingle around them. He found his gaze returning again and again to Ava, and he smiled when Donnelley spoke. "Definitely doin' better, man," he said. "For the most part. Shit's still weird, but… It's gettin' better." The bar was a far cry from the country dives he frequented in Arkansas; he wasn't sure he'd seen so many facial piercings in one place before. Still, the other patrons seemed easy-going enough, and the pistol in his waistband and knife snugged to the small of his back were reassuring. He idly wondered whether any normal Joe would ever intimidate him again. He shot a sly look at Donnelley. "How are things with you two?" Donnelley chuckled, sucked at his teeth. A shrug and a cheeky smirk were his only answers for a bit, “Ain’t had a better couple days in a while, tell you what.” “What y’all been busyin’ yourselves with?” Donnelley asked, he chuckled, “Since I steered you from wastin’ your money anywhere within a couple miles of the airport, I guess.” "Went for a hike," Dave said, visibly brightening. "Hard hike up the mountain, picnic, then a nap in the sun and a slow walk down. Wore the pup out so he shouldn't wreck the hotel room while we're gone. Otherwise just takin' things easy. Sleep late, watch movies in bed. That sorta thing." “Yeah, that sounds real good, man.” Donnelley smiled at Dave, sincerity in his eyes for the man’s happiness. After the time they’d all had in Alaska, they were due for some. “I’m real glad. Me and Laine, we cruised down Ruston and watched the water. Played some of my old records at my place and just kicked back.” He had a guilt in his smile then, remembering everything he and Laine had done behind closed doors, but also what he’d told Laine, “I told Laine what we talked about.” He said, “‘Least some of it. Told her I told you about me and her.” Dave tensed at his words, relaxing only when he realized that Donnelley was talking about their relationship. Not what he'd done in that barn. "What'd she say to that?" Dave asked. He turned, focusing more of his attention on Donnelley now, though he still kept an eye on their surroundings. "She seem alright with it?" “Well,” Donnelley chuckled at that, seeing Dave’s face expectantly waiting for the answer, “Yeah, she ain’t mad. Ain’t ecstatic neither.” He opened his mouth to say something, but it caught in his craw for a second, “It just ain’t, uh, [i]professional.[/i] I told her that, bein’ honest, I look at you and Ava and… a Company man like myself gets jealous.” Donnelley shook his head and shrugged, scratching at his beard. “I think it’s the normalcy. I don’t know.” "Sorry, man," Dave said. He winced a little. "That's shitty. I guess it's easier for us, I ain't exactly professional as it is. I'm probably a bad influence." Donnelley shook his head and waved Dave’s concerns off, “Don’t give me that, man. Just don’t be, you know, tongue wrasslin’ front of Foster or anybody.” He laughed, “Me and Laine are fine. Ain’t hurtin’ us none, you two ain’t who we’re worried about seein’ us.” Donnelley shrugged, “Anyhow,” he said, “What you got planned for four whole months? I don’t know if I’ve ever had this much time to myself. Gotta be careful else I’ll end up in a damn most wanted list.” "Gotta see my boy," Dave said firmly. "Otherwise… Gotta get some trainin' in. For both me and the lady." He looked back over at Ava and seemed to shudder. "The way things went down… I gotta get better. Harden myself up, man." “Yeah.” Donnelley said, turning to look in the same direction at Laine. As cold as it was to put it this way, his second chance. His first love he corrupted and got sent to live with family out East in Kentucky or somewhere, the second had enough of his apologies and took his daughter with her. It had been some time, time enough for Donnelley not to make the same mistakes he always did, for him to be better, and to treat someone right. And how many times had he stared into the blackest parts of humanity, how much had he hardened himself against anything and everything to the point where pulling a trigger was easier than falling asleep between then and now, “Just make sure you still recognize who’s in the mirror by the end of it.” “Hello!” Donnelley flinched at the barkeep’s voice, turning to her to see her eyeing the both of them flirtatiously, most likely giving it her all for big tips, “What can I get you boys?” Donnelley chuckled and smoothed his hair back as he looked the attractive waitress over, a modest bust, but hips and thighs that could kill. If he were a younger and singler man he might’ve tried his luck and had as much fun failing as he could, “Well, I’ll be havin’ me a whiskey sour. My friend here…” >.../// When the men finally returned from the bar, Laine gave a fake clap and looked at Donnelley and said dryly, "I thought I was going to have to go remind you we had a [I]table.[/I]" She took the cherry vodka sour from him with a hint of a smile. He had remembered from the first time they had drinks together. "I'll get the second round," she said as Dave and his whiskey settled in and a Shirley Temple in a tall narrow glass was placed in front of Ava. Laine took a sip the sweet cherry of the grenadine mingling with the sharp alcohol, the two drinks were nearly alike but hers had vodka, house brand by the burn. “I [i]remembered,[/i]” Donnelley feigned anger mirroring Laine, a small hint of a smile on his lips as he sat down next to her. He tapped his temple, “Got a mind like a steel trap, I don’t forget [i]nothin’.[/i]” He took a long sip of his whiskey sour and smacked his lips. He’d made it a double, “Anybody wanna make their drinks a little stronger, I picked up some shots on the way.” He opened his vest to show the inside pockets filled with more than a few of the little bottles they handed out on plane trips, “Pick your poison.” “That steel trap better not get rusty,” Laine said then reached over to pick two, a Malibu rum and a Grey Goose vodka shot. “I’m good.” Ava said, smiling over at Dave as she took a nice long sip of her Shirley Temple. “I really am going to be the designated sober person tonight aren’t I?” She grinned over at Donnelley. “I’ll make sure to take care of your bike.” Donnelley tipped some more of the whiskey sour down his throat and wiped his mouth off on his flannel sleeve. He laughed at Ava, “In your dreams, missy.” He chuckled good-naturedly at Ava, “Where’d you get your love of motorcycles from?” “My grandfather was a mechanic and he liked working on cars and bikes even after he retired.” She answered with a shrug and a small smile. “I ended up liking it too so it was something we bonded over. My grandmother got me into baking so I spent equal amounts of time covered in engine grease or flour.” “I respect that.” Donnelley frowned appreciatively, nodding, “That’s some honest work right there. Computers, engines, ovens. What [i]can’t[/i] you do?” Dave grinned and reached over to put a hand on Ava’s shoulder. He had a glass of Number 7 sitting on the table, neat like Grampa took it to this day. “I need to train her up on plant identification, ‘fore she tries to walk through anymore poison oak,” he said. He squeezed her shoulder to take any sting out of the words. “She ‘bout let Prince drag her straight through a patch of it. It’s alright though, I stopped her before either of ‘em got hit and we’re plannin’ on some outdoorsy trainin’ when we get back.” Ava flushed in embarrassment. “I can identify flowers pretty okay.” She mumbled before taking a long sip of her drink. “A tree just looks like a tree to me.” “We’ll get ya learned up,” Dave said brightly. “It’ll be fun. I won’t even make ya crawl through it.” A flashback to SERE School played through Donnelley’s head as he snorted, sipping at his drink, “Sounds grand.” “Ah, the great outdoors,” Laine said, knocking back the mini Malibu and grimacing at the sweet coconut taste. That had been a mistake. “I love nature, when I can watch it from my bed on TV.” She shoved the empty bottle in her pocket, then added the extra vodka to her drink, “Ava’s pretty well rounded, I want her on my team during the apocalypse.” “I really think Dave is probably the better choice for an apocalypse scenario.” Ava snorted. “Long as the apocalypse happens outside a city,” Dave shrugged. “Probably all better off stickin’ together. We can take on the rest of the world.” “I’ll drink to that,” Laine said, giving their mountain man a warm smile and then knocked back the double vodka. “I work better [i]alone.[/i]” Donnelley said in his deepest, cheesy action hero voice before knocking back the last of his whiskey sour. “But I’ll make an exception for y’all.” Laine rolled her eyes and laughed, feeling the pleasant fuzzy warmth from the first drink. She ate the cherry, plucking it off the stem and popping it in her mouth. “I don’t have any of those survival skills, I can cook but...” she frowned and looked brightened. “I could make some really cool DIY post-apocalyptic outfits.” She laughed, then slid off her chair and said, “I’m getting a second round and some quarters.” Laine sauntered up to the bar, leaning on it and noted the bartender’s appearance then shot a look over her shoulder at the table. No wonder it had taken so long. She smiled anyway, her lips feeling a little numb. “Can I get a Long Island Iced Tea, two shots of whatever whiskey rednecks like the best and another Shirley Temple?” “Sure thing, doll,” the bartender said and set to mixing the drink. “Oh can I get ten bucks in quarters?” Laine slid the bill over the counter. A man around Laine’s age perched himself on a stool next to Laine at the bar. He was wearing a leather jacket not dissimilar to Donnelley’s, though considerably less rugged. His medium length hair was slicked back and a pair of aviator shades were pushed up his forehead. He smiled at Laine, trying subtly to give her a once-over, but it was obvious enough to the woman. His friend behind him was dressed much the same, though a couple inches taller with a shaved head and short beard. When the bartender left to fetch Laine’s quarters, the longer-haired man chuckled, “I take it you’re not a regular? Haven’t seen you around before.” He said, “I’m Seth. You know, you wanna hang around with me tonight, I can show you a couple places.” Laine turned when he spoke but she had already spotted the swoop in from the corner of her eye. She looked him over then smiled politely, “Two strange men and me? Sorry. I’m here with someone...with friends.” She gestured back to the table where Donnelley and Dave sat, Ave perched between them. “I appreciate the offer,” Laine said, the vodka still making her feel in a buoyant mood. “Nice sunglasses.” Laine giggled then took the Long Island Iced Tea, sipping from it. The bartender returned and Laine began stuffing the quarters into her pockets of her tight jeans, trying not to drop any. A couple bounced onto the floor and Seth got up from his stool, giving Laine another smile as he bent down and retrieved them, “We can be friends too.” Seth offered the quarters to Laine, but another man’s hand roughly snatched them out of Seth’s palm. Donnelley, standing there and somehow making a friendly smile look menacing. The scar on his cheek helped, “Thanks, hoss.” Donnelley turned to Laine and put a hand on the small of her back, nodding to their table, “Go ‘head, me and Dave are ‘boutta shoot us some bucks.” The Texan in his voice was busting through the levee now that alcohol was in his veins. “You need me to get you another drink while I’m here?” Laine felt the heat of the iced tea after taking one drink and looked at Seth who did not get the message. She bit her lower lip, feeling the numb fuzzy sensation and was about to turn him down again when Donnelley appeared. “I got you guys whiskey,” she said, trying to gather the drinks, her long ago experience waiting tables kicking in. “But yes, I’ll have another.” She smiled at Donnelley, the warm affectionate grin she had only used in private with him. She was not drunk yet to forget and caught herself, turning to go back to their table with a more neutral expression. Laine made it back to the table, sliding the shot of whiskey in front of Dave and another Shirley Temple to Ava before sliding into her chair. She sized up the drink in front of her, then looked over for Donnelley, leaving his shot beside the empty glass. Back at the bar, Donnelley leaned against the bar top, resting on his elbow. He smiled at Seth, and Seth smiled back. Donnelley slapped down a hundred dollar bill on the table, a bit more forcefully than needed, “Buy you and your friend here some drinks on me.” Donnelley nodded, “And I’d really appreciate it if you and Stone Cold Steve Austin back there left me and everyone at my table [i]the fuck[/i] alone. Please.” Donnelley walked backwards, giving the both of them his kissy face before he turned and went back for the table, a smile plastered on his face before he picked up the shot Laine had gotten him, “Where were we?” Donnelley asked, “I remember Dave was about to tell us a story or somethin’.” “Well, I have quarters,” Laine said and stood to empty her pockets to leave them mounded on the table. “Everyone can grab what they want. I have my eye on that pinball game. Then maybe some pool if the table clears.” She took a long sip of her iced tea, then turned to Donnelley, “I had that handled, you know.” Laine reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, then murmured, “But good looking out.” Ava’s eyes went over to the claw machine over by the pinball game, before looking to Dave with bright eyes and a grin. Dave followed her face and then laughed. "I take it you're gonna be spendin' a few quarters at the claw?" He said. He picked up his shot, waiting for the toast. “Only 5 dollars worth.” Ava said, picking up her own glass. “That’s my rule with claw machines, I don’t play past 5 dollars if I haven’t won anything.” She grinned. “But I usually win, I’ve done [i]research[/i].” "Girl, that's half my quarters," Laine teased, "You better use that big brain to figure out the trick to snatching plushies." She chuckled and raised her tall "tea" glass, looking at Dave expectedly. Dave clanked his shot glass against the Long Island, downed it, and then thumped it down on the table. "That's the good stuff," he sighed. He gave Ava a nudge. "C'mon, let's go check out that claw machine before I go shoot some bucks with Donnelley." Ava reached over and scooped up about 2 dollars worth of quarters. “This should be enough.” She beamed, hoping off down the chair and taking a long drink of her Shirley Temple. Then she grabbed Dave’s hand and walked with him toward the claw machine. Donnelley watched the both of them traverse the bar towards the claw machine, hand in hand. Donnelley watched Ava, how happy she seemed now. He remembered blaming himself for everything, but watching the two together, especially after the talk he and Dave had by the fire… he felt his heart warm a bit at that. He looked over to Laine with a tender smile, a feeling of calm enveloping him in her eyes. Just for tonight, and the past few days, there was no war. There was no fight to throw himself into. Just her. “I love you, Laine.” Donnelley said, “A lot.” Laine smiled around her straw, finishing the sip of her drink. She leaned in, looking into his eyes and said in a low voice, “I love you, too.” She grinned and lightly bumped his boot with hers under the pub table, “But I’ll still kick your ass at pool.” Donnelley laughed and slapped the table, a big grin on his face, “Oh, [i]okay.[/i] It’s fuckin’ [i]on, lil’ missy.[/i]” Laine sucked the last of the long island iced tea out of the glass and set it down, “You just wait.” The college kids had cleared out and Laine rushed to smack a stack of quarters down. She waved at Dave while Ava was focused on the claw seeking some plushie that caught her eye. “Alright, cowboy,” Laine said, selecting a cue that did not seem too warped, then chalked the tip. “Your break.” “Get ready to be humbled.” Donnelley winked at Laine, licking his teeth and then lining up his shot. >.../// “Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” Donnelley watched Laine float around the pool table sinking the pool balls in ones, and at one point a couple twos. And it was the third time he’d tried to beat her. He threw his hand out and mouthed a swear at Laine, “Jesus [i]Christ,[/i] when the fuck were you gonna tell me you were a prodigy, woman?” Laine bent to line up the last shot, the eight ball banking and rolling smoothly into the far corner pocket as she had predicted. She smiled at his exasperation and took a sip from her second iced tea, now feeling loose and buzzed. “I told you right now, I was going to kick your ass. I hope you do better in Big Buck Hunt,” she said, leaning on the pool stick with her hip canted. Laine walked past him and said in a low voice, “Saddle up tonight, I won.” She winked back at him, teasing him for his cockiness earlier, and sipped her tea as she waited for him to gather the balls and put them in the triangle, the loser’s duty. “We should make a scam outta this. I can be your fall guy.” Donnelley smirked, glancing at her as he retrieved pool balls from out of the pockets, “Won’t even have to try that fuckin’ hard to make it convincin’...” “I’ll just wear a low cut shirt, that seems to distract you,” she chuckled, sipping her drink. Laine gazed at him, her green eyes glassy now as she grew more tipsy. “Well, it’s good to know we’ll have a side hustle if this whole thing doesn’t pan out.” She wanted to go up to him and kiss him, biting her lower lip slightly instead. Laine took a deep breath and handed him her drink, “Excuse me.” Laine felt that looseness when she walked, glad she wore boots and not high heels as she was buzzing and feeling good, a sure sign she needed to slow down. As she went past the other couple at the claw machine, Laine tapped Ava on the shoulder, giving her a little smile, “Bathroom buddy, want to make a run to the ladies room?” “Sure, just give me 5 more seconds…” Ava said, her eyes on the literal prize as the claw dropped down and closed over a plushie of a very chubby fox. There was a pause before the claw gripped the fox and started to lift it out of the prize pit. “Ha! I got it!” She laughed, pumping her fists up in the air as the claw dropped her prize into the chute. She bent down and retrieved the chubby fox, holding it to her chest with a grin. “I shall name him Chunk.” Laine clapped as the fat fox dropped, her mood unusually bubbly, “He’s adorable, look at his tiny legs. Let Dave watch him, I need to go and I don’t wanna go alone.” She glanced over her shoulder, Seth and his big bald friend were still at the bar, drinking on Donnelley’s dime. Laine shrugged it off and held her hand out to pull Ava along. “Oh, sure,” She passed the fox over to Dave. “Be right back.” It wasn’t long after Donnelley finished fixing the pool table that he joined Dave next to the claw machine. He wasn’t exactly drunk, but Donnelley wasn’t sober, and after the loss against Laine he was fixing to win [i]something.[/i] Donnelley eyed the fox in Dave’s hand and smirked, “Nice.” He chuckled, “This your plus-one? She’s kinda foxy.” Dave was a few deep himself, though he’d been sticking mostly to beer after the initial whiskey. He kept eyeballing the people who passed, judging the quality of the various tattoos and trying to figure out if any looked like the shitty ink he’d seen on the Russians they’d killed. Still, the grin on his face was genuine and he held up Chunk when Donnelley spoke, turning the toy. “You know me, man, I got a weakness for redheads,” he laughed. “Laine done kickin’ your ass at the table?” “I’ll slip you a fifty if you never talk about that fiasco again.” Donnelley smirked, folding his arms and putting his back to the row of arcade games similarly to Dave, “Between you and me, I was [i]not[/i] lettin’ her win. Woman’s got a future in pool if this whole thing don’t work out.” “Shit, I’ve knocked around some balls before,” Dave said. “Might hafta give it a go, see if she can beat a mountain man.” He glanced at the beer he held. “After another drink or two. I ain’t at pool-shootin’ levels yet.” >..// Laine swayed out of the stall once she finished and went to wash her hands, she was still grinning as she sung Happy Birthday under her breath. Once she was done, she looked at Ava and grabbed a paper towel. “Alright, look.” She ducked her head and looked under the stalls then back at her, “I got something I need to say, to tell someone or I’m gonna bust.” Laine grabbed her shoulders, leaning in closer with the faint scent of booze on her breath, “It’s just between us...our group. Can we keep it that way?” Ava looked at her with a mixture of amusement, curiosity and a healthy amount of confusion. “Sure Laine, I won’t say a thing.” She said with a small grin. “What’s your big secret?” Laine took a deep breath, her green eyes shone like wet glass from alcohol and emotion, “I love Donnelley.” It came out in a rushed whisper then she said again, “I love him and he loves me, oh shit. It’s not supposed to happen but it did. And I’m happy an we're like, together.” She sobbed and laughed at the same time, biting her lip. “I’m sorry, I’m drunk I know.” Ava blinked and stared at Laine with her head cocked to the side, the gears visibly turning in her head as she processed the information. “You...And...Donnelley?” She repeated slowly, as though putting together the components for a complex math equation. “When did...I’ve never...What?” She asked, her expression completely befuddled by the confession. Laine stared at her, expecting not that answer and then she laughed, “Oh my god, of course...” She hugged Ava, squeezing her arms around her smaller frame, then let her go. “Never change. But yeah...we’ve been sorta seeing each other, on the downlow. It’s not exactly professional for a supervisor to date a subordinate. At the Bureau it might get someone transferred or formally disciplined...” Laine ran hand over her own shoulder, brushing down the black inked scene of the beach at night, picking up the chain that acted as a strap for the tank top. “And we’re in love. So, there it is. He told Dave before we left...it’s fair you know, and I wanted to tell someone. Because I’m really fucking happy.” She wiped her eyes and laughed again, “Jesus, those long island ice teas.” Ava returned the hug without much thought, still processing the information but she focused back on Laine. She saw the smile on her face, the way her eyes lit up and the tears of happiness glistening in them. Of course, a lot of the energy and giddiness was on the alcohol, but that still originated from genuine emotions. She smiled and hugged Laine. “That’s great Laine, that’s really great! I’m so happy for you two! Screw what regulations and professionalism says. We need whatever happiness we can get in this line of work and I’m so, so happy you two found that in each other.” Laine sniffled and took a deep breath, “It feels really good to say out loud. We been feeling some kind of way for awhile but...you know, things.” She wrung her hands and shook her head, glancing in the mirror saw the smeared eyeliner giving her racoon eyes. “Oh brother. Well, I’d love to say screw it. But truth is, I don’t want to endanger the team so...well, once we’re back in the field we’ll keep it cool.” Laine rubbed at the black smudges making them a little worse then gave up, “But fuck it, not now. I’m happy. He’s happy. You and Dave seem very happy!” She hugged Ava again, leaving her arm around her shoulders, “Alright, I’m done with my weird happy breakdown. Also...he doesn’t know I told you but he’ll be glad to know he doesn’t have to act like we’re just friends around you two.” “You guys really fooled me, that’s for sure.” Ava said, running her hand over her braid. “But I guess I’ve always been a poor judge on that kind of stuff. The first time I met Queen, I didn’t realize he was flirting with me until he practically told me to my face. Same with Dave! I didn’t know he liked me until he asked me out.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “Is that an asexual thing or am I just bad at picking up certain social cues?” Laine dropped her arm and shook her head, “I don’t know, but it’s probably more that you’re not looking for it. The asexual thing but we did try hard to not show it. I don’t know if we were as successful with everyone else as we were fooling you.” She grinned and pulled the door open, holding it with her hip so Ava could walk through, “So, consider this a double date I guess.” Laine followed her out, using her thumbs to slip up the straps of her tank top that threatened to start creeping down her shoulders again. “Damn things, I think I stretched it out beating Donnelly’s ass at pool.” They passed the bar, Laine regaling Ava about the victory and she paid no mind to the men still drinking there. Unbeknownst to Laine and Ava, they were respectively being eyed up and dressed down by Seth and his bald friend. Donnelley could see it from across the bar, having been watching the doorway into the ladies’ room and waiting for Laine and Ava to exit. His eyes were drawn to Seth, the obvious leader. As often happens, Seth noticed Donnelley too, and gave his own kissy faces back at Donnelley. Donnelley’s eyes narrowed, and if he hadn’t had to piss something mighty, he’d have left it alone. He stared at Seth’s smirking face all the way up to the men’s room door, where he stopped and hooked a thumb in his belt loop, “The fuck did I tell you, boy?” “Maybe you could slide me another hundred.” Seth chuckled, a big shit-eating grin from which his infuriating voice slurred out of like shit from an ass. “Yeah, you can get it after I shove my cock down your throat in one of the stalls.” Donnelley smirked and gave his own kissy faces at Seth’s scowl as he slipped into the bathroom laughing to himself. Dave was loitering with Chunk and his beer, watching the crowd and enjoying his time not being shot at. He brightened as the girls left the bathroom, waiting for them to arrive before giving Ava Chunk and a kiss on the forehead. He watched Donnelley leave and followed his exchange with the two men from a distance. “Laine, you didn’t pay with a card, did ya? Used cash?” He asked, his eyes on Donnelley. Laine smiled at the affection between the two but it faltered when Dave asked about the way she paid. "Cash, of course," she replied, glancing up at him. "Don't worry." “Alright, cool,” Dave said. He gave Ava’s shoulder a squeeze and shot her a reassuring smile, noting the two men at the bar getting up and heading towards the bathroom after Donnelley. “Well...You guys get packed up just in case, cuz I think ol’ Donnelley might’ve got himself into some trouble.” He slammed back the rest of his beer, dropped the bottle on the table, and headed for the men’s room, rolling his neck and shaking out his hands as he went. A couple of weekend tough-guys were about to bite off far more than they could chew. Laine sighed when she spotted the recognizable bald head of the taller of the pair vanish into the restroom. “Damnit,” she muttered, watching Dave take off after them and headed towards the pool table, “I’ll get my quarters.” “Wha,” Ava straightened slightly with alarm, looking at Laine and the retreating Dave with equal parts confusion and worry. She looked down at Chunk. “I don’t suppose you know what’s going on?” She made the plushie shake it’s head. “Yeah, me neither.” >.../// Donnelley was pissing in relative peace, and had been for the past twenty seconds. It always amazed him how much liquid the human body could hold. From behind him, he could hear two individuals step into the bathroom, and from the sound of their clothing and boots, he could tell it was those two assholes at the bar. Deadset on causing trouble, they probably were planning to beat him up and leave him in a stall. Donnelley knew this, because had he had Queen with him instead of Dave, and neither of the girls, well… they would’ve done it to Seth and his bald fucking Igor. “You know that offer wasn’t serious, man. I’m not gonna do that kinda stuff inside a place like this.” Donnelley said as he slipped himself back inside his jeans and zipped up. He turned around with a shit-eating grin on his face, “But, if you meet me somewhere outside- oof!” Donnelley’s head snapped back, but lucky for him, Ghost’s helmet headbutts and sparring with Poker always involved harder impacts. His nose trickled a bit of blood though, and Donnelley touched the tip of his finger to his nostril to confirm, seeing it come back red. “Alright.” Donnelley nodded, the good humor gone. The door flew open, driven by the weight of a very unhappy mountain man. Dave took in the scene at a glance, noting the blood on his friend's face and the aggressive posture of the barroom thugs. The bald one had time to register annoyance at Dave's sudden appearance before he yelped in pain, courtesy of Dave's heavy hiking boot crashing into his shin. Then Dave was on him, his fists swinging and fury in his eyes. Seth only had enough time to hear the door come crashing open and the opening act of his and his friend’s ass-whoopings before a heavy kick to his knee made a sickly, audible pop echo in the tiled bathroom. Donnelley had a wild grin as he watched Seth squawk and flail back onto his ass, almost tripping Dave up in his own fight. Donnelley bent over and grabbed up a fistful of Seth’s collar, cocking his arm back and then sending a fist crashing into his chin. Baldy was leaning against the wall, held there as much by the sheer aggression of Dave's assault as by his own will. He'd managed a half-ass swing that had knocked Dave's hat askew and another wild elbow that would probably leave the mountain man with a shiner. In exchange Dave was rocking him with every dirty strike he knew, keeping a shoulder in baldy's chest so he could hammer short, hard punches into his solar plexus, kidneys, and liver. A groin strike finally doubled him up and Dave rode him down the wall, now methodically kicking him in the face until he went to cover it before driving his toes into his thighs and kidneys to open him back up for another headshot. "Ain't so tough alone, are ya boy?" Dave snarled. "Not so fuckin' tough alone!" Donnelley’s assault was cut off by Baldy’s bulk knocking him aside from Seth, giving the other man time to try to stand. Adrenaline was in Donnelley’s veins now and by the time he’d somewhat righted himself another punch smacked into his ear, making him stumble again and swear. He had his arm up and chin tucked just in case there were more punches coming, and Seth came on strong again. Donnelley tucked himself in tight at the waist to receive a kidney punch that only connected with his ribs. He responded in kind, ducking a wild hook that a toddler could’ve slipped and coming in close, two low hooks one after the other hammered into Seth’s side, one to the kidney and then his ribs before Donnelley pushed off his back leg and drove his shoulder into Seth, butting him against a wall. He stomped the heel of his boot into Seth’s toes and then sent hard knees into the inside of Seth’s injured leg’s thigh to add insult to injury there, all the while mixing in some shoulder strikes, smashing his shoulder against Seth’s chin and knocking the back of his head into the tiles. A few more kicks, surgically delivered to the groin and the chin, saw the bald punk out of the fight. As he lay moaning in what Dave suspected was his own piss, Dave turned his attention to Donnelley and his foe. He watched the rest of the show, leaning against the wall with a booted heel on baldy's belly, catching his breath as he put in a dip. "You 'bout done learnin' that boy his lesson?" He asked as he prodded the Cope into place. “Let me see,” he called over to Dave, and then spoke into Seth’s ear, “You done learnin’, boy?” Seth rested his head against the wall, breathing hard through a split lip that had already started swelling. When Donnelley stepped back, Seth only wobbled in place before carefully setting himself down on the sticky floor tiles with his bald friend. Donnelley heaved in a breath as he checked his nose again, still bleeding. “Figure we better clear out. I need a cigarette after that anyway, tell you what.” He chuckled, then clapped Dave on the shoulder, “Seriously, let’s get the fuck out of here.” Donnelley took his own advice and hurriedly strode out of the bathroom and over to the two women that had accompanied them here. Hoping Dave was on his heels, Donnelley put a hand on the small of Laine’s back and nodded for the door, speaking through a carefree smile that didn’t match the hurried words, “Let’s go, we gotta go, we gotta go.” Dave flashed Ava a smile as he joined them. He winked at her and took her hand, falling in with Donnelley and Laine. "Gonna head on down the road, sugar," he said. "Couple'a boys have made us feel unwelcome here." Ava’s eyes widened. “What happened to your eye? Did they hit you?” She asked in concern, picking up her purse and tucking Chunk underneath her arm. "Yeah, we had a lil' tussle. They were tryin' to jump Donnelley," Dave said. "It's alright, though, we handled it and ain't nobody hurt serious." Laine grimaced at the sight of Donnelley’s bloody nose but made no attempt to stop him when he began pushing her towards the door. She glanced at him, “How bad do they look?” “Oh, they’re fine,” Donnelley smiled, wiping away some blood from his nose again, “Just a friendly little disagreement.” Laine shot a glare but held her tongue, for now. She hustled out the door, walking too fast and swaying a little but the pleasant drunken buzz was rapidly fading. Donnelley caught her glare and smiled sheepishly, like a boy who’d gotten caught stealing from the cookie jar, “Everythin’s [i]fine[/i], lover.” “I have unspent quarters,” she said, raising a brow as she pulled on his leather jacket. “We’ll talk about it later, let’s just get out of here before they call the cops.” Donnelley turned to Dave and Ava, offering both of them a smile. For Dave, the two of them shook hands and then clapped each other’s backs, and he and Ava parted with a hug. It was a short round of hurried goodbyes and Donnelley made sure to voice his thanks, and his apologies for having their good time cut short. Donnelley would’ve been lying if he’d said the fight, especially with Dave by his side, wasn’t part of his fun. As Dave and Ava retreated off into the night, Donnelley and Laine hopped onto his motorcycle and made their way back to his house. Donnelley had an idea of how he’d make it up to Laine for her unspent quarters. >SEATAC AIRPORT >WED, 16SEP2019 >0615.../// Donnelley and Laine sat in the quickly shrinking line for pick ups and drop offs at the SeaTac Airport. They’d smiled at each other every so often as the conversation died down. The reality that they’d be spending some more time apart set in little by little as they got closer to the airport until it was all they could think about. Donnelley depressed the gas pedal on his Bronco, the lifted four-wheeling rig guzzling gas all the way to the airport and looking like a mighty sore thumb among all the small commuter cars. He pressed the brakes again and they came to a halt for the umpteenth time in the line. He looked over to Laine and smiled again, “Guess this is it now.” He said, “Ain’t gonna start cryin’ are you? Might make me cry, and I’m an ugly crier, don’t know if you knew. Fair warnin’.” Laine watched the drop-off getting closer and she turned to meet his gaze, reaching to touch his hand on the gear shift. “Well, I’m pretty when I cry,” she said, the teasing smile and glint in her eyes. “Don’t worry, I won’t. Because I’m not going to say goodbye.” She left it at that and leaned over, putting her head on his shoulder, then gave him a swift kiss on his bearded cheek, “I’m only going to say, I can’t wait to see you again.” Laine settled back into her seat, her fingers fumbling around with the buckle. The truth was she felt the tightness in her chest and pit of her stomach, almost like being homesick. She would miss him and likely cry over it once on the plane. The closer they edged the more restless she felt, Laine had no option but to go home, work expected her in the office tomorrow. It felt surreal going back to the mundane world, especially after being resurrected. “You always know what to say.” Donnelley smiled, though it was weighed down some with the clenching in his chest. He’d miss Laine, and no matter how much he didn’t want to, he had to let her go back home. Funny thing, there was a point in time where he was satisfied with all of them living their own separate lives. Now they had been intertwined and tangled so tightly that Donnelley could only think about when they’d meet next. “Looks like this is your stop.” When they got to the appropriate space Donnelley merged out of the lane, then looked at the woman he loved. He had a sad smile on his face, and if Laine looked close she might see his eyes starting to mist over. He got out of the car with her and opened up the back, retrieving her luggage for her. They stood opposite each other in silence for a few moments until Donnelley realized he was almost holding Laine’s luggage hostage. He rolled it over to her as he looked off to the side, almost like if he didn’t see her disappear beyond the door and into the crowded airport it wasn’t really happening. “Keep in touch,” he said, looking to her with a lopsided smile, “Okay?” Laine smiled at that, hopefully she knew what to say at times when words were needed. A psychology degree still did not give a person tact. She could see his eyes, the emotion and the tears held back and looked away. If she allowed herself to start they would both fall apart. Taking a deep breath, she unbuckled her seat belt and slid from the jacked up Bronco. While he gathered her suitcase she put her laptop bag over her shoulder and gathered herself together. She wanted to hug him tight and not let go but Laine knew she would fall to pieces and this was not the time or place. She took the suitcase, her fingers brushing over his as they exchanged looks before he glanced away. “Always,” she said, “I’ll annoy you because before you know it we’ll see each other. You’re coming to Virginia soon I’m sure.” She tried to smile but her throat grew tight. Laine nodded and forced herself to turn around and then looked back to see him one more time as she called over her shoulder, “See you later!” The walk through the glass doors felt like she was treading through sludge, like those dreams where no matter how hard you try to move everything pulls you back. Laine went through the check in and stood in line, every once and awhile glancing at the doors though she could not see out and the Bronco would be gone. Laine pulled out her phone as she waited and texted him, “Check your pocket.” >.../// Donnelley stood and watched her leave, his Docs almost glued to the ground and deeply-rooted. He would’ve stood and waited there all day if the honking of a horn didn’t rip him out of his own little world of grief. He sheepishly waved and hurried back into his Bronco, putting it in gear and merging back into traffic. The drive home was somehow so much longer without Laine in his passenger seat and he simply sat in his driveway while his music played. It was several minutes before he decided to check his phone and saw the text, [i]Check your pocket.[/i] In his jacket pocket, she left a simple note torn from a memo pad with a bold heart drawn in pen and their initials in it. “I love you 4 ever” scrawled under it in her doctor’s handwriting. A teenage love note if there ever was one. He snorted out a laugh that shook his shoulders and he was one part embarrassed how juvenile they were with their love and one part endeared to it. As his laughs died down he took a deep breath and blew it out, fishing out his cigarettes and biting one out of the box. He lit the end of it and sighed, looking at the note again. He smiled and wiped a moistening eye on his coat sleeve before texting back, [i]I love you too.[/i] Once inside his house he simply stood in the living room and looked around. It wasn’t as dusty as it once was thanks to Laine spot cleaning wherever she went. When he walked into the kitchen to grab his whiskey there was another pang of loneliness in his chest. The house seemed altogether too quiet without the sounds of their lovemaking or their conversations, their laughing. He shrugged off his coat and left it draped over the back of one of the couches, plopping himself down in another and turning on the tv, setting the bottle of whiskey down on the coffee table…/// He awoke with a start, sweat beading on his brow and dragging in air as he frantically looked around his living room to see nothing had changed. No threats, no guns pointed at him. It was the same dream, or one of them. Staring into those children’s eyes in Libya, and what he was forced to do. The nightmares were right on schedule, he grimaced. With Laine gone, he didn’t have that security blanket that was her presence. He reached for the whiskey bottle until his phone buzzed to life, his personal one. He looked down to see a name he hadn’t seen on his caller ID in a good, long while. He took two long swigs, one after the other and hissing with the burn. He accepted the call and held it to his ear, “...Hello?” “Joseph, it’s Holly,” she said, her voice sounding like she would rather be doing anything else than this. Like maybe pulling a good tooth with pliers. “Do you have a minute?” “For?” He asked, his own tone already taking on that age-old snark and resentment they seemed to have for each other. Years of unaddressed problems in a failed marriage will do that. “It’s about Tilly,” Holly said, then paused, somewhere in the back of her mind knowing he hated that. Just like when she would tell him ‘we need to talk later.’ She grit her teeth and sighed, “She’s been asking about you.” Donnelley quieted then, holding his breath and searching for something to say. Whether to be goddamn ecstatic or feeling some amount of dread. Dragging the man he was now across that threshold didn’t seem like the grand return into Tilly’s life that he’d imagined. He frowned and shook his head, that old anger creeping back up after imagining Holly dripping poison about Donnelley into his daughter’s ear, “I think we both knew this was comin’, Holly.” Donnelley spoke, “So, what’s she askin’ and how’re you answerin’? Ain’t makin’ me out to be too much of a [i]rotten fuck[/i], I hope?” "I certainly knew it was coming," Holly snapped, "She's asking about you, who you are and where you are. Questions I've answered as truthfully as I dare. She knows you're an alcoholic, she knows about your PTSD, I've had to explain the incident at school several times as she's grown older and make it age appropriate. But most of all..." Holly paused, the accusatory tone in her voice only fading slightly. "Mostly she wants to know why you never call or write, why you've never visited. Why you don't want to be her Dad. The same things she's asked since we split up. I've explained that it isn't about her, it's...that I kept you away, for her protection. That you had issues with alcohol and anger. She's been blaming me for years anyway, I might as well take it. It's not like she doesn't have a father, Mark is her father and a damn good one. But lately she's asking to see you. To meet you again. And not in the same way she used to use you against me. I think." Donnelley snorted ruefully, shaking his head and looking out his window at the darkening sky. How long he had been asleep was still a mystery to him, “So, you goin’ to ask me over? Or tell her I just couldn’t make it because I’m too fuckin’ drunk.” Donnelley almost snarled, looking at the whiskey like it had been sneaking past his lips for years on its own. He lied, but taking solace and some imagined superiority knowing he was functional and not like those assholes face down in the alleys, “I cleaned up, Holly. You wouldn’t know that because you’re too busy pretendin’ we never fuckin’ met past makin’ sure I’m still alive for child support, but I’m pretty [i]fuckin’ better.[/i]” “But if I’m goin’ to answer any questions it’s goin’ to be me speakin’ directly to her. I’m not lettin’ you control her opinion of me.” Donnelley spat, “You really told her that? That I didn’t come around, because I’m still a fuckin’ alcoholic?” Holly made an irritated sounding huff, "Don't give me that shit, you're damn right I keep up on that child support. I didn't make her on my own and that kid has dreams. Expensive dreams, let me tell you. We do alright but you'll be paying your part for the next year and eight months. After that ..." She let it fade off, then sighed, "Yes. Because you are an alcoholic, Joseph. You drank yourself stupid when you got home and wouldn't deal with your issues. If you're better now...I'm very happy for you. I hope you are. I don't wish you ill but I had to tell her something. Would you rather her keep thinking you just couldn't be bothered to reach out to her? That whatever was going on in your life was more important than her? She blamed me for a long time that I kept you away, I was the bad guy and it wasn't fair. I had to explain once she was old enough." Another pause before Holly said, "So...she wants to see you in person. Mark and I talked about it for quite awhile before we came to an agreement. If you're willing to come here and with our supervision. And sober." Donnelley frowned deep and had to keep himself from cutting into Holly. Instead he closed his eye and drew in a breath, “Of course I’ll be [i]sober.[/i]” Donnelley swallowed again, trying to keep his anger in check and not play into those old memories Holly had of him, “I’m not goin’ to ruin my daughter’s request for somethin’ that stupid.” Donnelley got up and looked around his pockets for his cigarettes before eyeing his jacket and retrieving the box from there. He saw the note from Laine and his anger sank back somewhat. He put one of the cigarettes between his lips, “So, when am I bein’ expected?” He asked more calmly. "I can schedule it for this Saturday evening, she's back in school and it would be best for her to have a day to ... recover before going back," Holly said, "I don't know how she's going to take seeing you. She's excited but scared, as you can imagine. She ...she has a lot of ideas of how it'll be. But honestly, she has no idea." "I just don't want her to be hurt again," she sighed, "I know that you want what is best for her." “I do. We both do.” He said, walking into the garage and closing the door behind him. He sat down on a step stool and lit his cigarette, “She’s old enough to ask for the truth, she’s old enough to get it. And I’m not wantin’ to hurt anybody.” He pursed his lips and took another drag, exhaling smoke before he spoke again, “Can we just all be passed that. A lot’s happened. I don’t want either of us bein’ the bad guys in her mind.” Holly could hear him smoking, she had given it up years ago but damn if she didn't crave one. "Alright, Joe. We'll put it behind us for her sake. Especially if you're doing better. Mark and I agreed that if you accepted then we'll have you over for dinner and then if Tilly wants to, you both can spend some time alone talking." She did not sound very enthusiastic but like a wary mother bear grumbling. "This Saturday, dinner is served at 7 sharp," Holly added. “Okay.” Donnelley nodded, though Holly couldn’t see it, “I’ll be there.”