groovygamers.com

Tuesday

One hour and twenty-two minutes before the first class bell, Laney is burning off nervous energy while she waits for Colin and Dave, walking from one end of her car to the other, mumbling nonsensically about thirteens and toasters.

"You must go through shoes."  Dave says, handing her a flash drive and a file folder.  "The stuff you asked for."  he says, leaning against her car.

She immediately begins sifting through the files in the hopes of landing onto a page that might detail Hamilton’s known haunts and/or personal habits, such as smoking.   She’ll have to wait until she has time to herself to concentrate, in order to more thoroughly review his exploits prior to Oak Park.   Perhaps while Colin’s checking out the classroom.

“Thanks so much, Dave!  I shouldn’t have called you so late last night, and I shouldn’t have asked you to come to school so early.  Shoes? It was very inconsiderate.   I’ll try not to do that again.  I’m sorry.

"Don't worry about it.  I'll see you later."  he says, heading into the building.

The momentary breeze shuffles some of the pages.  "I haven't been avoiding you."  John says evenly.  "I wanted to tell you that, in case you got that impression."

She hadn’t been getting very far, other than confirming Hamilton didn’t smoke.  It was bothering her that they were only guessing at how many Dr. Strange might have influenced over the years, that they didn’t know his motives, and that the school could fit more vehicles in this parking lot if they’d painted the lines differently…

Laney looks up so suddenly that her face is momentarily curtained by her own hair.  “Oh!  John.  Hi.  Um…I didn’t think that.  Maybe because I was in my own little world since the bomb – explosion.  Whatever.  I’m sorry.  Have you seen Colin?  Since you’re here, I might as well tell you.   After school today is fine.  I mean, fine for us to go to the library.  I want to look some things up.  Laws and such.   Come to think of it, I should have been worried you were avoiding me, shouldn’t I?  Well, you’re driving.  So I’ll buy you dinner, alright?”  Her smile goes a little crooked as one side drops while she studies him.   

“What’s wrong?”

John seems to be following along until she asks what's wrong.  "Wrong?"  He takes a minute to get his bearings.  "Nothing, just been doing stuff.  Sop, yeah, today is fine.  For the library."

Laney wrinkles her nose up at him, but doesn't answer immediately.  After glancing around the lot, she pulls the back door to her car open.  She tosses her pack in and follows right after it, crawling into the back seat.

Beckoning John to climb in beside her, Laney launches an array of questions at him, "What stuff?  It's cold. He's not here, yet. Why are you here so early?  Do you want to come with us?   Are you always early for school?  What a waste! All this time, I could've been hanging out before class with you.  Being a pain, probably.  Yes, wrong.  If you think I thought you were avoiding me.  What have you been doing?"

She busies herself, ferretting away the data Dave had given her.

John seems reluctant to sit, but eventually does and closes the door.  He listens as she gets going, her voice picking up speed as she shuffles papers and talks.  It's only a few minutes of her talking before the car is warm from John's presence.  "How have you been?  You've been hiding up there on the fourth floor, I didn't want to intrude but I'd like to know why.  If you can tell me, if it's private I understand.  Sharing things in your head can be hard, so if you'd rather not talk about it we can just not.  Talk about it."

[deleted 'cause the poster forgot to check if the brain was plugged in]

OOC: They're in the parking lot in Laney's car.  Just to clarify, unless I'm lost too.

((In the backseat of the car, steaming the windows, yes.))

She stops and looks over at John, her dark eyes are silvered in the shadows.  "Me?  Hamilton's the same as those students.   Who else, do you think?  Why are you - I wasn't - Have you been - You wouldn't have been intruding!"   The rush of color in her face betrays that little fib, but Laney pushes on, "I'll tell you, John.  If I can.  If you want me to.  If you tell me what you've been doing, too.  I guess that means you weren't going to go with me and Colin, huh?"

Colin isn't allowed to ride his bike for a few days, so it was either a very early bus or Sarah, and he loved her too much to ask her to wake up before dawn to take him to school so he could see another girl and maybe a ghost.

The block around school well before school time is a nice setting for a ghost story, though. It painfully reminds him he's not allowed to take pics for a few more days. Crayons were barely tolerated, and just to keep him from going crazy. Hoping he would be able to act upon this inspiration when his new hands would grow up in springtime, he walks on.

He's not surprised to see Laney's car already there. He's quite surprised to see movement in the car behind the fogged up glasses. Unsure what to do, he freezes a few yards away.

"Let's talk after school."  John says, opening the door, "Colin is here."  John steps out of the car and waves to Colin with a smile, "Hey Colin.  Sorry to hear about your hands."

Laney watches John exit with a scowl on her face, then she slides out and waves in Colin's direction without a glance.  She sits on the icy bumper of her car to forestall further agitated pacing.

"Hi. Um...Listen, Colin, I was talking to Adrien last night and he...we...I...Please don't tell the others about this unless you actually find something.  Please!  I mean Sammy's afraid of her own shadow, Alicia's ready to snap at anyone for no reason, Donnie's at the end of his patience, Sylvia's seeing conspiracy theories everywhere...I tried explaining about coincidences, but I don't think anyone was - Well, it's the same.  Hamilton, I mean.  And the students.  With Strange.  The same.  And Adrien said - "

She blinks in surprise.  "What happened to your hands?"

With the bandages he couldn't put on his gloves so he hid them in the sleeves. Now that he waves them to show it's not too bad, it shows.

"Hi John. No need to be sorry. It just happens when one's stupid. It's only for a while. I usually heal fast. Well, not as fast as you, but fast."


Colin looks a little awkwardly alternately at John and at Laney.

"I didn't mean to... I mean, if you need to talk I can go take a chocolate or something."


He sighs. "I thought it was a good idea to... hug a boy about to immolate himself. Fortunately Sarah was more practical about it."

OOC: has Chris (or anyone of the other US) briefed Colin about anything? Strange's arrest, his connection to Hamilton, anything?

OOC:  It was covered by the local news reporters.  It was on TV.  So was Sammy.

((I guess that's a negative.))

"You seriously hugged the arsonist? Is everyone else alright?  You guys really gotta think of new approaches.  This is -

"You want chocolate? I - Oh!  Just a sec."  Laney retreats into her car again and retrieves a new box of granola bars with carob chips, waves them once for Colin's view, then stuffs them back into her pack.  "I was going to leave these in the newsroom. Want one now? Sorry for the timing.  I thought it'd be easier to look around during the daylight.  For you I mean."

OOC:  Sammy guessed Alicia would tell, or that you guys already knew since nobody showed up or asked any follow up questions.

OOC: That's because in Colin and Sarah's time it hasn't happened yet. They would have checked on you girls later.

OOC: I personally had a brain-fart and forgot to call that Alicia passed the news along, so I figured she did too. Besides, she was focused on going over to Jack's and having a little chat.

Let's work with that Colin knows after checking in with Alicia and/or Sammy, but that no one else got briefed.

OOC: Assume Colin has learned that Strange was arrested and is linked to the death of Hamilton through assorted evidence found in his apartment as well as a possible plot to blow something up.  It was in the news, so you could have also learned some of the details that way.

"Unless you umm...can't," she continues, "because of your hands, I mean.  Maybe John could um...Well, it's not as if he needs to sneak in anywhere, is it?"

OOC: Cassie says Sylvia did her usual download on Colin's mental hard disk. He's  quite well informed, then. :)


"Tell me about it. No, I didn't really hug him, I tried to hold his face so he would look at me while he was boiling from the inside. He was quite much worse for the wear, but he'll recover, I saw to that. I still don't know it that's going to count as attempted murder or instigation of suicide."


He looks one more time at her and at the retreating John, and decides to relax.

"No, thanks, Laney, I've already had breakfast. And no problem with the timing either, I'm a paperboy, and I'm always early. We can go, now, if it's all right. I don't think we'll need to sneak in. I've got a feeling we'll find out doors that weren't properly locked." he says enigmatically.

Laney shakes her head as she grabs her backpack (again) for her drawing pad, then shoulders it.  The pages are clipped open to notes she had made last night.   She skips beside Colin and excitedly holds it up for him to see.  Of course, while almost none of the girl's calculations make sense, there is one obvious trend: a strong link between Hamilton and Strange.

While he looks, Laney chatters nervously, "It's not about doors.  It's about the people.    I'm not doing things right.   I'm sorry.  I'm really trying to practice!  Colin, the police might be able to tell you if they have Hamilton's lighter.  I know there's a slim chance it survived the blast, but then you wouldn't have to see his room at all.  Construction workers and police mostly.  They'll chase us out if they find us.  I was worried about the climbing you might have to do.  Because it might not be his.  It might belong to Dr. Strange.  I'm sorry I didn't try harder.  I could've figured this out sooner.   Then you could've avoided being burned.  I'm sorry.  He doesn't smoke.  I really need to get better at all this.  It was my fault you guys went after Hamilton.  My fault you went after Strange.  My fault you went after those kids.  And it all went wrong."

"It wasn't your fault."  John says from a few steps behind as they walk.  "To have been your fault you'd have had to orchestrate all of the events.  You didn't.  So please don't keep saying it's your fault."

"I didn't say what Dr. Strange might be doing is my fault, John.  Only that if I was better at this sort of thing, you would've found out before Colin got his hands fried or this building went...away.  That's all.  This way.  They like to pretend they're watching this side of the building when they're on break.  If we can use this lighter thing as evidence, then you guys won't have to mess with Strange directly.  You can just report him to the police, right?  They take a lot of breaks. Not sure why.  That's why I called Colin.  To help look.  He was in the pattern."



Laney will eventually lead them in through a discreet side entrance and over what can best be described as a vertical obstacle course of building materials and missing floors.  She settles into the remains of Hamilton's classroom as if she belonged, like the very debris they navigated.  She folds her body into her favored niche without a thought, but her eyes glitter strangely, tracking every move Colin makes.

"Laney, even if you told us us that Strange and Hamilton were connected, you wouldn't have been able to tell us he was bound to hurt himself. And we had to step in for those girls, we had to face Hamilton. So, no, it's not your fault at all. You're still learning and you're not responsible for any of this. Especially for me getting burned. That was my own peculiar brand of stupidity. Nothing to do with you."

"Now, finding the lighter would probably be the last nail on Strange's coffin. That kind of instigation of suicide is pursued as murder. But the police already connected them. Strange had Vincent Lo steal the biological stuff Hamilton used for his mutagen."


Colin takes a deep breath.

"Let's do this." he says with his eyes closed. When he opens them again, they're shimmering.

He takes another deep breath in, this time more consciously. It's not only air he's taking in, but also the story these ruins have to tell. He wonders if he will find Hamilton as he found Tom Renquist, as just a plume of energy.

The images of the events flash across Colin's eyesight in fits and starts.  Snapshots of moments, and then the expanding fireball.  The world looses it's colors save for the lighter, and he watches the stark contrasts show it's course through the air as it's dislodged from Hamilton's fingers by a momentary spasm of panic before the teacher stops living.  His gaze shifts to follow it's slow arc at the edge of the fireball.  It strikes a support beam exposed by the blast, and gravity draws if downward.  It slides between the spot two beams are joined, occupying a tiny pocket of space which is quickly surrounded by debris.  The world goes back to snapshots, and the debris is moved away, but the lighter still rests there in it's tiny space, unseen.  Until now.

[Colin knows enough to know not to touch it.  He can contact Chris to have him get the police to come fetch it.]

For a few seconds, Laney absorbs this new information in silence.  She clutches her stomach, sure her breakfast consisted of crushed glass instead of oatmeal.  So my fault. I ignored the connections. Didn’t want to see.  Shouldn't be surprised the police solved this first.  They’re safe now, but they almost weren’t.   

“Well, that explains the message from Jean.  I wouldn’t call it a night wasted.  It was still good practice.  She was mad I left early again this morning before she had a chance to talk to me.  I’ll call her before class.  I feel awful about dragging you and Dave out here so early, Colin.  And John.  Sorry.”

Then some tension leaves her.   She almost smiles, and there is an uncharacteristic edge to her voice.  Perhaps the acoustics in the room work in her favor.  “You shouldn’t be here.”

"None of us should.  It's a construction area."  John says. 

"Not here.  Not as much as you'd think.  They've been working on the other four rooms mostly.  You should see it from above.  It's...strange."

Colin shudders.

"He realized he was about to die. He's not here. But the lighter is. I can guide the police to it. Good call and good job, Laney. Time far from wasted."


"Uh?"

There's another glimmer in Colin's eyes, and they get very still for a moment, as he borrows the eyes of the blackbird to watch the scene from above as suggested.

A building is normally thought of as a box.  Perhaps an ornate box, or well decorated box, but a box nonetheless.  From the blackbird's perch above the scene this part of the building looks like the skeleton of some immense monster perched on the back of a building.  The remnants of the walls and support spires look eerie.  The life of a building is the people who use it, flowing through it like blood in it's veins.  The stark contrast to the open wounded building you can see reminds you that even things that seem sturdy are ultimately fragile.

"I'll head to class."  John says, "I'll see you after school Laney."  Then he makes his way carfully out of the debris field.

She nods, mumbles something about meeting at her car, and shrinks further back into the crevice she'd wedged herself into.

"Not wasted,no.  Your eyes aren't black.  Tangible evidence is helpful, I guess.  It was Adrien's idea to look closer."

"This place is wounded." Colin says his voice sounding strangely distant. "Deeply wounded. It'll take some time for it to heal. It's not good for you to stay here."

Then he blinks and he's himself yet again. When he's reasonably sure John is reasonably far, he adds: "Is there something wrong between you and John?"

"Wrong?  I thought...I asked him if there was something wrong.  He said there wasn't. Do you think there is?  I'm not good with people, Colin.  I can't tell if -  We're going to the library after school.  I've been here every day. I don't know where I'll go once they finish repairs.  Do you think that's what's wrong?  I stayed away.  From everyone.  From him.  He didn't notice, I think.  He thought I might think he was avoiding me.  I like it here." 

"I'm not good at understanding John. I like him, a lot, he's... amazing, and not because he's bulletproof, but because of what he is, but he's hard to read. I just thought he seemed a little off the last few days and I wondered... Never mind."

He walks to her hiding place and kneels beside her.

"Don't isolate yourself from people, Laney. Especially not in a place of death. No good can come from it. If you want to stay alone, I can find you a thousand places, but don't cut yourself away from life, even when it might seem relaxing."

She must like the subject.  To the the monochrome shadows her smile brings color.  "Amazing, yes."



"Last week was a little rough.  I was going to talk with him after school.  That was the deal.  Figure out why we were avoiding each other and didn't know it.  Or didn't know it wasn't on purpose.  Or... What was I- ? Oh.  Sorry. Off.  I might not be a good judge of that.  You know him better."



"I'm not- I didn't- I don't- "  Three times Laney starts and stops, testing each lie and finding it unworthy.

"I'm going to class today.  I am!  I haven't since um..."  She waves a hand at the room and whispers hesitantly,  "I like it here.  It's...peaceful?  No other place would be the same.  They weren't black really; they were like gems. I don't need...  I can think here.  Or not.  It just is.  Mine.  It'll be gone soon.  Something will.  It won't be the same.  Not like it was and not like it will be.  Right now.  It's...beautiful."

When her voice cracks, she looks down, blinking away tears and trying to continue, "I'm sorry.   Um...Why do you think that, Colin?  What did he say?"

"No, I wouldn't say beautiful. No. I'll gladly help you find another peaceful place. I know for sure there are places like that. And not... like this."


"He didn't say anything. That's what worried me. He keeps to himself a bit too much. I was afraid he couldn't find anyone to talk with. But he seems to talk with you."

She doesn't argue; and, after an inner struggle with a surge of hostility against someone trying, albeit gently, to pry her from this place, Laney sighs, closing her eyes briefly.

"Sorry. I don't know him any other way.  Yes, he talks to me.  I...I like talking with him.  Did you see his ghost?  I'll figure it out.  I mean, if you think something's wrong, it probably is.  Um...I should call Jean and get out of here before you call the police."

"Hamilton's ghost? No. And I think that's a good sign."

He looks at her in concern.

"I'd really like to help you find a nice, quiet place. Or build it, if necessary. I'd also like if you didn't take everything so hard on yourself. I... Trust me, I know where that way leads, I've been there. Nothing of this was your fault. You did your best, and that's what counts. And your best is going to get better. I'd like to be able to say the right words, to tell you, and make it stick, that even when things look bleak, you shouldn't give up hope."

He hugs her with his bandaged hands, softly and carefully.

"You're going to be all right." he whispers to her before letting her go.

"I'd also like to tell you something I haven't told anyone else yet. I'm not sure what I should do. It's quite new to me, but I don't think I could get this kind of thing wrong. I think I'm going to have a sister."

Whatever else she was going to say is forgotten when he embraces her.  She only whispers, holding him, too, for just a moment, "Thanks, Colin."



"Huh?"   The change of topic is dizzying.  Laney actually pulls herself upright, crawling out from her hiding place, sure she misheard.

"Your mom?  Like a real sister?  Cool!   You don't have any, do you?  Brothers and sisters, I mean."

"No. My father spent a lot of time at sea, my mom alone would have probably been a little overwhelmed with more than one child. And after he died... It's always been just me and mom. Until Chris. I don't think they know yet. They didn't look any different. I don't think they were planning it either. It just happened. Right after I came back after the explosion, I think."

He sighs.

"I don't know what I should do. Should I tell them? Is this going to be a good thing for them?"

It's as if Colin had hit a switch.  Laney is instantly sporting a wild grin, practically glowing as she bounces excitedly.  The scored beam she's perched on creaks.

"Oh, that's wonderful!!  Of course, you tell them, Colin!  Oh, a sister!  I never had a sister.   Did you see what she'll look like?  What's her name? Why wouldn't they be happy?  That's the best thing ever!"

And he gets another, far more enthusiastic hug. 

"I didn't see her, but my mom is... glowing, literally, and... I don't know. It's a very strong feeling but I don't know how to explain it."

"I'm very excited, it is wonderful but I'm also... worried? scared? I don't know. Chris is a good man. This will be good for them, I think. It won't be easy."

"Also, there's the creep factor." he says, standing back a bit to look at her and to make a step back from the creaking beam. "Usually, moms aren't told they're pregnant by their fifteen year old son. It'd be... weird, don't you think?"

From Laney's puzzled expression, the answer would be no.  No, she didn't think it would be weird.

"She knows about you, right?  I thought she did.  Wouldn't she be happy?  Why wouldn't they be happy about it?  You have a little sister! That's so amazing!  You should call her right now and tell her.  Call her! Call her!"   If he ever wondered how the girl felt about her own family he knows now.   That a child would not be welcome has not once entered her mind.  Not once.

Colin tries to explain. "They aren't married, Laney. They weren't planning to get married either. They're happy together, but this.. might be a bit too much too soon. It's something big. I'm not sure I should... intrude. They should be able to figure it out on their own, in their own time. It's their daughter. I'm only the half-brother, who just happens to be a paranormal."

A thought suddenly strikes him.

"God and Great Spirit. The R-factor is carried by the mother. She might be one too."

"In their own time?  What's with that?  You're part of their lives.  You're her son.  What's all this BS about intruding and time?  Ooooo, she could be as special as you are!  Wouldn't it be something to learn it from you, rather than some doctor who has no stake in it?  Honestly, Colin, not telling them isn't going to make it go away.  There's no point in worrying about it.  She's here.  Of course, it's big!  It's great!  A sister!"  More bouncing and hugs ensue, and she probably shouldn't be speaking with such a raised voice. 

Colin seems to have an idea.

"I think I know what to do now. I hope you're right. Thank you, Laney." He says, returning the hug.

He sighs, this time more in contentedness than anything else.

"Let's get out of here and call the police, ok?"

"Um...Yeah.  No offense, but I'd rather not- I mean I'm sure Chris is nice!  Are you um...Your hands...Do you want me to call him for you?"

She remains until she's certain Colin is not disadvantaged too severely and able to both contact the police and exit the area without breaking his neck.  He must tolerate more manic giggling about his sister, however.   After talking to Jean and pretending to be surprised about Dr. Strange's arrest, Laney heads to class.




And ten minutes after the last bell of the school day she is right back at her car, pacing again.

"Hi."  John says.  He's standing a few feet away, and if Laney didn't know any better she might think a strong breeze could make him move.  For his physique John presents a fairly mousy person the way he stands.  "Sorry about this morning.  I didn't mean to pry, about why you've been up there.  It's not really any of my business."

The day had been long, tumultuous, and it had taken a continuous exertion of will not to give up entirely and disappear.  Laney was so relieved to see John, she closed the distance between them and stopped when she could feel the heat of him through her clothing.   

She gazes up into his eyes a moment, then simply presses herself against him in a partial embrace - maybe so the breeze wouldn't take him away.

"It's alright, John," she murmurs in that low voice she has only for his ears, "to ask me things.  I like that you're interested.  I'm sorry I didn't realize you weren't avoiding me.  Or that you were.  Or...umm...Because I'm interested in you, too.  That's alright, isn't it?  For friends to make things their business?"

John is still for a minute, then slowly wraps his arms around her.  "I'd like to think so.  I wasn't really avoiding you, I was avoiding everyone.  And it's okay you didn't notice, because I guess you were sort of doing the same thing."

She doesn't move anything but her fingers, which curl into his jacket.  "Yes and no.  I mean, yes at first.  Now, it's something else.  That place.  Safe and beautiful.  And mine.  Maybe.  I wish I could show you what I see there.  It may be wrong to be happy where there is devastation.  Colin said as much.  But it's hard to stay away, and I don't really want to.  Why were you avoiding everyone, John?  Oh.  I guess we should um...go someplace else.  You'll tell me, please?"

"Because I always feel good in the middle of a disaster.  And, afterward, I feel guilty and it takes me a while to get so I can be around people again.  I feel like it's where I belong, where I'm at home.  I wish I could see it how you do too."  He takes a deep, slow breath.  "You wanted to go to the library, right?"

"Things would be a lot worse for everyone if you weren't there, John.  Much worse.  You must know that.  Like home...That's it exactly.  I do.  I have a list.  It's early, but I think we should have dinner first.  You feel good because you belong.  You have a place.  So you think Colin is right?  I keep thinking I should sketch it before it's gone, but if it's like everything else I've tried to do lately it'll go...wrong.  Stupid.   I really need to use my resources.  I don't understand.  Sorry.  I'm trying to.   It's different and the same.  Funny.  We both do, don't we?  Except you're the one saving people.  Helping.  And I'm not.  Big difference.  Different scale.  Sorry.  I'm terrible at crime fighting.   And I'm not really big on the whole 'fate' thing, John.  But, as luck would have it, you were in the right place at the right time.  Saved your friends.  You do belong.  In the worst places.  So they're not."

"My mom and dad have said all the same things to me.  I can rationalize it, it makes sense.  But I still feel horrible for feeling so good."  He looks back towards the building.  "Is it the image of it, or something esoteric?  Maybe we could get Greg to film it for you, or Colin to take some pictures.  Or, I could sit up there with you and you could sketch it, and not worry about whether it's right or not.  Just let yourself interpret it.  And you don't have to be good at crime fighting, or saving lives, to do good.  Dave and the guys don't have any powers and they help out.  Nothing says you can't do the same thing.  I wont push you to hang around with us if you'd rather not.  It can be hard, and confusing.  And in my case it would be selfish and maybe not good for you.  You really don't need someone looking after you like you're a china doll.  We have co-dependent written all over us."  He chuckles, "I'm also a teenage boy who feels he's never going to be able to be really close to anyone.  Everytime he does, or tries to show one of them how he feels he makes a mess of it."  He pauses for a second, and takes another deep breath.  "Sorry, I'm probably not helping your mood at all.  You said something about food?"

"You're not a pain in the ass, John, and you're not making any more of a mess than there already is.  So stop giving me space I don't need.   If I weren't around you guys, I wouldn't be around anyone.  I would've told Mike and Jean everything and be safely locked away.   For me.  Jean only wants to protect me.  Sorry, no.  It's the place itself.   It's a good idea.  To have someone there, I mean.  It's alright if you'd rather not.  I have family and an army of doctors for what I need, mostly.  Selfish... That makes two of us.   Do you want to be close to me?

"I'm sorry, John.  I don't need you.  I just want you."   Laney tilts her face up to him, so her smile may take some of the weight off what she says.  Her arms, however, circled around his waist, tighten.

She quickly continues in her rapid whispering, suddenly afraid of hearing his answer, "Well...speaking of co-dependence...Did the experiment with the maps we did last week help you any or were they too easy?  They weren't disasters.  I mean...Did you feel badly about helping those people?  I thought we could both um...practice.  Yeah, I'm hungry.  Any place you prefer, otherwise pizza.  If you come with me tonight to Hamilton's classroom, then next time we go out, we can do something useful for you.   The construction crews leave before dark.   I don't know how to help you feel better about being where you belong and doing what only you can do.  Anyone else would be celebrating that, I guess.  Tell me what to do.  Talking aobut it sucks, huh?  Sorry."

"It's not like this unless it's really bad.  The aftermath of the explosion, a train wreck a few years ago back in Maryland.  And if you'd like to practice, I'll happily help, that kind of thing I can feel good about without guilt.  It's just the big things that mess e up afterward."  He lifts her into his arms.  "The fact that you can say you don't need me helps.  And pizza sounds good.  There's a place just down from the campus that it pretty good." 

"I like helping, too.  Will you tell me about the train sometime?  Pizza then.   Oh.  In that case, I can say it more often." 

She readily curls in his arms and whispers, "I don't need you."  Chances are, it was a trap, but John walked right into it.   As soon as the short girl's face is close, she leans closer to kiss him.

OOC: I think I'll end this here.  There is something else John eventually needs to get out, but now isn't probably the time.  Never might be the time, but we'll see.