groovygamers.com

Rob & Dave have become the unofficial Roadies for the band, and the garage is being set up for them to play.  Elrod sent Sammy a text message to tell her he's had no luck on his search for a keyboardist since he's been out of town most evenings with college interviews.

OOC:This thread will have a lot of loose ends at the beginning as I try to spool it all together.

At the Vega Home...
Alicia's mom stuck her head in the door of Alicia's room just before 9AM.  "Did you want a ride to the Jameson's or will you be getting over there yourself?"

At the Gruffudd Home...
Rhys' dad calls from the little space where the washer and dryer are, "Rhys, have you seen my blue turtleneck?"

Sammy replies that she'll try to find somebody from school, unless he wants to just go without it tonight.

There will be 4 of us.  should be ok.  Is the reply she gets back.  then a couple minutes later she gets another one.  I missed you this whole week!  I sux as a boyfriend! :P

And, quick as a wink, Rhys is there, the toothbrush still in his mouth, toothpaste foam making him look rabid.

"Why?" His voice is muffled by the toothbrush. He drips foam on the carpet. "Are you coming? To see Consuelo?"

Dad looks down at the spot of toothpaste foam on the carpet.  "Unless you have a better reason?  This girl Sammy, is her mom single too?"  Dad goes back to rifling through the basket of clean cloths, "I know I washed it.  Tell me your girlfriend isn't borrowing my cloths."  he says with a grin.  "Your cloths is one thing, mine is just too much."

I'll bring my A game then!

"Daaaaaaaaad" whines Rhys in that way that only the early-teen years can produce. "Could this be any more awkward? I don't know about Sammy's mom, but you didn't really come here to shag all my new friends' mothers, did you? And no, Alicia isn't borrowing your clothes." He grabs a paper towel from the wire shelf above the washer and dabs at the spot on the carpet.

The elder Gruffudd laughs, "Wait."  he says, pulling the beloved turtleneck from the basket.  "We could hit it off and Consuelo and I could marry.  That would make it more awkward.  You'd be shagging your step sister.  I think they frown on that even in America."  He's grinning as he pulls the turtleneck on.

Rhys throws his hands in the air and heads back to the bathroom, grumbling unintelligibly around his toothbrush.

His retreat is heralded with a long laugh that fades as he gets further away.  His father has obviously found something funny in the situation.

Alicia starts answering without thinking, "I was planning to stop by Rhys's and ride with..."

She brings up short. "Wait, how did you know I was going to Sammy's today?"

"Her mother called me to ask if I wanted to come over.  I thought it might be nice to get to know them some.  I was going to make something to take with me.  Any ideas?

Alicia stares blankly at her mother. "Um... take-out?"

Consuelo nods slowly, "Suuuure.  We could get some pasteles from the Latin market.  I really don't have time to make anything really good anyway."

Alicia shrugs, trying to look unconcerned. "OK. That sounds great. So, um, I guess you are going to go? I'll have to call Ree-is and let him know not to wait for me."

"Is there some reason you don't want me to go?"

Alicia is quick to answer. "No! No, I just... wasn't sure if there'd be anything for you to do. I mean, you got your own social life and..." She stops as another thought enters her head.

She looks at Consuelo suspiciously. "Mom, are you meeting someone over at Sammy's?" She doesn't specify who but she has a damn good idea.

"Her parents."  Consuelo says, then her hands go to her hips, and she stares at Alicia.  "Why, who else is going to be there?"

Alicia frowns in thought as she muses aloud, "Not sure, but I'm going to find out."

Realizing who she's speaking to, she changes gears fast enough to strip a clutch. "I mean, ah, I was wondering if, like, the parents were, y'know, doing a get-together for some reason, um..."

Her verbal back-pedaling is accompanied by the physical counterpart as she tries to head off to her room and her clandestine cell phone.

Consuelo watches her go, "I like it when you have friends.  You're not always so cock-sure."  Consuelo smiles and goes about getting ready to go.

((Stick this in wherever it belongs:))

It could have been grass Laney was walking across when she left the car, so surefooted she was over icy patches on the street.  She’d parked a polite distance away from the address, in order to allow others space (or because she didn’t want to parallel park.  Anyone’s guess), but was uneasy about the overhanging tree branches.

She approached the residence burdened by a homemade pecan pie for the Jamesons, the freshly laundered clothing on loan from Sarah, and a growing sense of dread.   

Her aunt had done so much to ensure Laney felt like part of the family, like a daughter, that Laney had no will to oppose her.   So, instead of jeans and a t-shirt, Laney wears what her aunt selected beneath her black wool coat:  a heavy, grey checked skirt that drapes to her mid-calf and brushes the cuffs of her lace-up boots, allowing an occasional peek of black stockings. The soft cashmere turtleneck is a deep rose color and clings snugly to her form.

The sixteen-year-old’s only contribution was to leave her hair long and unbound, something Jean normally gently encourages her not to do  (Jean thought the girl looked adorable like that in the white knit cap - and matching scarf! - and let Laney get away with it today).

If her face wasn’t marred by a dark bruise spreading down the left side of her face and over her eye, she could have posed for the cover of a Land’s End catalog.

Yep, this is it.   After today, no one will ever speak to me again.   Maybe I should learn sign language, for when I lose the power of speech due to lack of use.   Maybe the electricity will go out and we’ll have to eat in the dark where I can’t be seen. 

At precisely five o’clock, Laney glances hopefully up at the utility poles then knocks at the door; the sound rings out with a confidence she didn’t feel.

Sammy opens the door with a smile.  "Laney!  Hi, come in.  Hey that looks good.  Mo-o-o-m!  Somebody's here, and she brought pie!"  Sammy leads Laney upstairs to her bedroom where she can leave her coat and anything else she wants to dump.  The walls are covered with music-related posters, and there's a bulletin board layered with tons of photographs and small souvenirs -- ticket stubs, concert programs, a dried up flower, a dog's collar, groucho glasses, a beautiful brooch pinned to a ribbon, etc.  There are also some carefully framed and hung pictures which had to be cgi, they've obviously been processed at some level -- images of a girl who looks a lot like Sammy as she floats and dreams in the sky.

"You're the first one here.  I'll take you down to meet my mom and dad.  They're still cooking."

Laney obediently trails behind Sammy, silent after a first hello until she takes a moment to look around the room.   She homes in on the photographs.

“Oh, that’s cool!   Did you do that?  I messed with fauxtography last year, but broke my camera.   It’s cheaper to replace tubes of paint, so I stick with that.   It’s you, right?

“Will Sarah be here?  I brought her stuff.”

She removes her coat, scarf and hat and leaves them neatly folded at the corner of the bed.   Freed and charged, Laney’s hair is a black cloud of static and frizz about her face she doesn’t bother to tame.  So much for the aunt’s good intentions.

*skadoosh*
Sarah appears on Sammy's front step with her arms wrapped around herself.  She rings the doorbell *ding dong*  and rubs her shoulders.  Oh god oh god oh god hurry up and open the door!  Quick!  I'm dying out here!  What's taking so long?  Okay I realize that it's only been about fifteen seconds but don't they realize there's an idiot on their front steps with only a sweatshirt?  Come on people get with the program here!  Oh god oh god oh god! 

Her scratched up, ink marked jeans and dark green hoodie sweatshirt are rapidly losing the fight to retain her body heat and her backpack makes a shuffling sound of cookie redistribution as her body shakes. 
*ding dong*  C'mon Sammy yourr killin me!

"That's me.  Colin took them."  Sammy starts to answer Laney's question, but the doorbell rings.  "Oops, gotta get that."

She skips down the stairs and opens the door.  "Sarah!"  She sees how cold the other girl is and whispers "Doh!  Why didn't you just come straight into my room, or at least wear a coat?"  More loudly she says "You look like you need a spot by the fire.  Come on."  She leads them into the family room, where a flickering fire pops and crackles merrily behind a hearth screen.

Smiling timidly, Laney offers Sarah's own fleece to her and hovers like a ghost a deliberate distance from the fireplace

"Thanks for that.  And for inviting me."

The doorbell rings again. This time it's Alicia and her mom.

Consuelo is casually dressed; sweater and slacks, with a comfortable looking coat and earmuffs to counter the weather. Alicia is dressed as usual, T-shirt, jeans, army jacket, shades and gloves. She's still wearing her choker necklace. She's also lugging a large pot with a lid and a put-upon expression.

"Hey," Alicia says once the door opens, "we brought pasteles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteles)!"

"Mom will like that," Sammy says.  She leads Consuelo through the house to the kitchen to meet the Jameson parents.

Laney tunes out the pleasantries as guests arrive.  She pulls back and away from the gathering and, instead, studies the layout of the rooms visible to her, committing hazards and exit locations to her memory - conscious mapping she'd been trying to remember to do lately.

Alicia dutifully follows her mom to the kitchen to deliver the pot with still-steaming water, but escapes back to the living room as soon as able.

On the way back, she asks Sammy with a hint of concern in her voice. "Ree-is isn't here yet, right? I didn't hear him coming in."

Sarah nods her thanks to Samantha and crouches, shivering, down by the fire letting it's warm return her to normal.  In a happy paraphrase of the wicked witch she sighs contentedly and says, "I'm melting... melting."  She looks up at Laney and says, "I'm glad you could make it to the party.  I brought cookies which will come as no surprise to anyone else here."
She pulls out the large bag of cookies, still a bit warm and stuffs the borrowed fleece into it's place in the pack.
"You're welcome for the fleece.  I'm glad it was helpful.  Looks like you've got some warm clothes now."  

Undaunted by snow and ice, Colin's bike rockets through the silent Oak Park streets. He prefers the chilly mornings, when he can pretend he's the only moving thing in the world, but the evenings have their charm too.

He parks and chains the bike to the usual street lamp and rings the bell twice.

Donnie sees Colin enter the house and almost calls out to him, but the door closes before he can decide to ask his friend for help.

Ding-Dong!

Donnie's at the door, juggling five cases of assorted soda. He had to summon Pip to ring the doorbell for him with a promise of savng a couple Sarah cookies for later.

Every time the doorbell rings, Alicia starts and focuses on the door, her head cocked, then relaxes.

Rhys finally arrives, lugging his bass and looking dubious about his father's presence. Andrew makes nice with the other parents as he takes a crockpot of traditional Welsh lamb stew through into the kitchen. Rhys makes a beeline for Alicia, dropping his bass just inside the door.

"Dad was pretty quiet in the car. Not a good sign. He gets contemplative when he's smitten."

And then there is the sound of Alicia's mother laughing from the kitchen, and then Rhys dad.  and then the Jamersons.

Sammy keeps herself busy between the kitchen and her friends.

Alicia sighs. "Not good. Well, at least Mom seemed not to know that he was coming, so maybe..."


Alicia mutters. "Oh crap."

Grabbing Rhys, he says to the assembled teens, "If you'll excuse us for a mo." She drags him to some decently private corner of the house (maybe the garage if the roadies are done or even outside if worse comes to worse).

"OK," she confronts Rhys. "If my mom and your dad get together, is that gonna bother you? More importantly, will it be a problem when they break up?"

"No and no. But people will think it's weird. Dad even mentioned there might be laws against it." Rhys looks downright miserable thinking about it.

Donnie sees the assemblage of parental units as he sets the cases of soda on the kitchen floor. After exchanging pleasantries with the Jamesons he pauses in the entryway to the warm kitchen then pulls out his cell phone.

"Hey Mom. The Jamesons are here and so are some of the other parents. Do you want to come over too? It's better than doing a boring crossword and going to bed early."

and the temptation to sit at the kitchen table, drinking..

Ding....Dong  when Sammy answers the door, Jack is there.  "Hey."  he says with a wave.  He's wearing his standard cargo pants and combat boots with a dark blue t-shirt.  His beaten trench coat, which would be the envy of every emo and gothkin in the greater Chicago area, completes the picture.  "Am I early?"


"You don't think it would be a bother?"  She says.  Donnie's mother has been alcohol free for weeks now, but the worry of it is still there.

Alicia looks confused. "Laws? On old people dating? What kinda country did you come from?"

"No, silly, if they were to get together we'd be step-siblings. And then our relationship would get complicated."

"Nooo. The Jamesons like you, plus there's new kids' parents to meet. I don't mind. You need to get a social life anyway." Donnie grins.

"Nope, you're perfect."  She leans in and whispers to him, "We have some new club members.  One doesn't know what she can do, but she's been ID'd by a lady at school who seems to know these things.  Another is big and strong and good natured; do you speak polish?  The next one is some kind of shape changer.  The last -- you'll figure it out when you meet her.  She and the shape changer got into each other really quick.  Scary quick."

"I've been a pretty bad mom if you're having to worry about my social life."  It sounds bad, but her voice is mirthful.  "I'll come by in a little while."


Jack shrugs, "Shape changers are like that."  He comes in and sheds his trench coat.  "Folks are all in the kitchen I'm guessing?"  he asks, finding a place for his coat and heading that way.  "I'll say my hellos."

Alicia's confusion grows. "What are you...?"

Her face blanks as realization kicks in. She squawks in alarm, "Your dad wants to marry Mom?!? Madre de Dios! He's only just met her!"

"Shhh! I don't know... I was just speculating. Worst-case scenario, kind of thing."

Alicia looks at Rhys like he's grown a second, evil head. "Don't scare me like that!"

Calming down a bit, she explains, "Look, Ree-is, let me explain something to you about Puerto Rican women. When they get to a certain age, they're expected to be with a man.

"Mom, well, she's smart enough not to just jump into bed with the first chulo who walks in the door, but she doesn't spend her time waiting by the phone, if you know what I mean. At the same time, she doesn't stick to one man very long."

Her face turns thoughtful and her voice takes a wistful tone. "At least, not since my dad, whoever the hell he was. Maybe she's looking for someone like him to come into her life again."

She shakes her head to dispel the mood. "In any case, if Mom's interested, chances are she'll date your dad for a while, which may make things kinda weird for us. But sooner or later, she'll move on. The thing is, I dunno how your dad would take that and what would happen to us afterwards."

"Now?  Oh.  Yes, thanks."

Disoriented and at a loss for words, Laney backs further away, closer to the edge of the room like a perfect wallflower.

And there she notices Colin, closer to the corner actually, who seems to be drawing something in a sketchbook.

Sarah decides to let Laney go as the girl slowly backs out of there conversation.  She brings her giant gallon bag of cookies into the kitchen and begs a plate off of the closest of Sammy's parents.  With a minutes quick work she loads the large serving plate with a neat arrangement of cookies.  She has about five left over which seem to be cluttering the top.  She scoops the back into the bag and stuffs it into the front pocket of her hoodie. 

Sarah leaves the platter on the table and finds Donnie setting up cases of soda.

"Here let me help."  She cracks out a cola and pops it open.  After a long drink she smiles and says, "Let me know if you need any more help.

Donnie looks at her with a droll expression. Then bows and offrs her a close approximation of a middle-eastern bow, hand circling in front of his head. "My deepest gratitude, sahib. Please allow me to toss rose petals in front of you as you walk through the house."

He stands. Were there a few sparkles trailing from his hand?

"That is, if you can move." He grins evilly as Sarah realizes that her feet are damn near glued tot he floor thanks to Donnies little gravity spell.

She was raised not to interrupt the conversations of others, couldn't speak with Sammy about things here in this crowd, didn't see Greg around to chat about the club, hadn't been properly introduced to these new faces, and didn't even see John to thank (and apologize to) him again...  After her misadventures with those she did know, Laney was so disassociated with her environment it felt surreal.    

Now would be a really good time for that power outage.  I think if I snuck out in the dark, no one would notice I'm gone.   Hell, I could do that in the light.
Plenty of trees, the wind is blowing...I mean the odds of the electricity going out right now are...

She stops calculating when she realizes she's using outright guesses (she didn't collect climate information for Oak Park) for her data in the equation, becoming aware of just how fixated she is - and how silly.

The strange boy with the sketchbook snaps her attention to the present.   At her aunt's insistence that Laney have at least one subject she used to enjoy this semester, she was enrolled in 2D studio art and had her own materials.  So she tries to relate the brand and type of paper to what she was familiar with.

Easing close enough that he should be able to hear her low voice over the others, but intentionally not at an angle she could critique his work from over his shoulder  (she hates it when people do that), Laney dares, "Homework?   Are you in the band, too?"

Sarah looks down at her feet and grins.  She tugs on her legs and finds herself stuck.  She looks at Donnie and asks, "So is that gravity pulling me down to the floor in this spot or am I suddenly a lot heavier?  How does that work?"

Sammy zips by.  "Hey Colin.  Laney was admiring your photographs a little while ago, the special ones you took of me.  Have you guys met?"  If not, she does the honors, then excuses herself.  She takes a plate and grabs a spot near the fireplace, looking over the music while she eats.

Elrod comes in through the garage, into the kitchen and then emerges into the living room with a soda and a cookie.  He finds Sammy and kisses the back of her neck.  "Hey Windy."  he says plopping onto the floor next to her.  "I think I'm going to Princeton.  Meeting went well."

"Gravity, baby. I call it 'Gravity is a Harsh Mistress' If I had made you heavier, you would collapse. That's something I don't even want to do to the bad guys. Snapping bones not a good thing." He stands there and opens a coke, taking a long slurp. "You could fwip elsewhere, but not with all these mudbloods around." Donnie leans back against the table, smiling. "Tell you what, you keep some cookies aside for Pip and I'll let you go, Jedi Master Sarah."

"Princeton?!  Princeton!  Oh my god, El, that's great!"  She hugs him very enthusiastically.  "I'm so happy for you."  She leans in close.  "You'll have to give up your slacker title.  Slackers don't go to Princeton."

After an Oscar-winning performance as a deer caught in headlights, Laney recovers from Sammy's drive-by intros enough to offer a timid smile to Colin.

"This is true.  Maybe I'll cut my hair and start wearing slacks."  he smiles and kisses her.  "I kept having to derail dad during the meeting.  Finally I just said I wouldn't go if he kept trying to bribe the guy.  that's when he smiled and shook my hand and said we look forward to seeing you next fall Mr. Janush."

"Hmm. I see your point. Well, dad wouldn't forbid me from seeing you, but you might get the hairy eyeball if he sees you around the house for a while. But only if she really breaks his heart. Otherwise, it should be fine. Dad's a great guy, really. He really deserves a great woman like your mom. Oh, hell."

"Your hair?  aaww."  She affectionately runs her fingers through the subject under discussion.  "I really am happy for you."

Elrod smiles.  "Thanks.  I'm surprisingly happy about it too."

Sammy leans into him.  "We should celebrate.  Maybe I'll fly you there."

Rhys gets the hairy eyeball from Alicia. Her voice is flat as she asks, "Ree-is, are you hot for my mom?"

You can almost hear the warning klaxons. "Warning! Warning! Collision alert! Brace for impact!"

"I'm getting blackmailed by someone using Harry Potter slang," Sarah gripes.  She fishes out the plastic bag from her pocket.  "Okay, you got the drop on me.  Here's the goods now drop the Impedimenta and eggo my leggos."

She shakes the sack of cookies and grins.  

John is the next to arrive.  He's somewhat subdued when he comes in, and he's still not wearing a heavy enough coat.  "Hey everyone."  he makes his way into the kitchen for something to drink.

Laney perks up like a flower in morning light, and the weak smile she had for Colin becomes a brilliant miracle when she directs it at John.   She's not about to go into that crowded kitchen, though, and begins to worry about seating arrangements for so many people.

John comes back out into the living room and finds a corner to stand in.  He surveys the room and spots Laney.  He waves, then looks around and moves over towards her.  "Hi."  He looks at her face, "That's not too bad.  Good thing you put ice on it right away."

"I...Yes.  Thanks for your help.  Glad you're here.   I was...um...Seems like there are a lot of parents here.   I keep wondering where the kids' table is.   Yours didn't come, though.   Is this normal for practice?"

"No, but Rhys and Alicia are both sort of new to the group, and Sammy's mom like to meet people."  John takes a sip of soda.  "You look nice.  I feel under dressed standing next to you."  he says with a smile.

The compliment has Laney bowing her head in such a way that her reddening face is shadowed by a silky curtain of hair.  She would rather talk about the ugly mark on her face than this...concoction of her aunt's.  It made her look so old.   She mumbles something that might be "thank you,"  and tries to recover from that using the other topic provided.

"I thought Rhys was the base player.  New band, then, huh?   What's Alicia play?"   
Rhys, you moron.   Shut up and be glad the Alpha Bitch and the New Guy aren't around.

"Well, Elrod's band has been around, but I guess he lost a couple of people.  They recruited Rhys and some guy I haven't met to play drums.  And you're welcome."

Sammy smiles and flashes John a thumbs up when she spots him.  Not grounded!

"No, and no." he says quietly. He looks up from the sketchbook and looks thoughtful for a moment. "Though, now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind taking singing lessons. I'm usually more about the graphic, but hopefully my voice should be done changing soon." He looks at her. "You must be..."

That's when Sammy sweeps in.



Colin smiles too. "Every time we come she's a little concerned about being the perfect hostess. Well, nice to meet you." He offers his hand. Doing so, he unwittingly shows her what he was drawing. It looks like a fairy tale's landscape. It seems realistic, but at the same time suffused with magic, as if seen in a dream. It's a weird sensation. Before they can shake hands, though, John arrives.


Colin takes a mental photo of this miracle...


... and doing so, his attention goes to Laney's bruise. Uhm.

When her attention turns back to him, he offers his hand again.

Rhys recoils in horror. Hot for someone that old? "No. All I'm saying is I can't guarantee my dad isn't." He slips (or at least tries to) his arm around her. "Why would I want the mother when the daughter is already mine?" he says with a wicked grin.

OOC: Smooth operator. ;)

Apparently mollified, Alicia accepts Rhys's embrace and molds her body to his. Cheek-to-cheek, she breathes into his ear. "And don't you forget it, lover."

Her hand cups his crotch for a moment, suggestively but possessively, the needle-sharp claws extended enough to poke through the fabric of his pants and press against the flesh underneath.

She breaks off, back to business. "OK, let's just play it cool. I'll have a talk with Mom later and find out the skinny." Regardless of the words, the tone of her voice warns of future turbulence.

"Yeah, I should probably talk to dad, too." He kisses her, then adds, "Shouldn't we be getting back?"

Alicia lingers on the kiss before pulling back to agree. "Yeah. The new girl is here, and I'm curious to see if anyone found out more about her. Besides I heard another adult show up; maybe it's her dad or something."

She takes his hand and starts pulling him back to the living room.

Jack eventually manages to leave the kitchen and find Sammy.  "I think your mom is trying to set me up with some friend of hers.  Does she know anything about me?"

"Deal!" Donnie says brightly. A gesture, and Sarah's feet are suddenly not so glued to the floor. He snags the cookies and stuffs them in a pocket. "I'm going to try Sylvia again and see if I can coax her here."

He heads to a quiet corner to make the call.

Laney accepts it with a firm grip and tilts her head curiously to better see the drawing.
"Oh, that's beautiful!  Unusual take on it.  It's not for an assignment?   I do that, too, sometimes."  You used to.

Colin feels the world shift into a storm of emotions.  At the center of the storm is Laney.  He watches as her world falls apart in a blinding flash of light and death.  Family gone in a flash.  Her life a pale void filled with uncertainty and guilt.  Then the world swims back into focus.

Laney feels a calm settle over her as she shakes Colin's hand.

This brings up a giggle.  "Mom? She knows.  Do you think she, or my dad for that matter, is going to let baby girl go running around the country on a tour bus with the condition of a chaperone without knowing about the chaperone?"  Sammy quirks her eyebrows at him.  "Prexactly.  I told them some before too, when I started training with you.  Mom would have stopped it real fast if anything seemed wrong."  She looks around and eventually spots Alicia and Rhys coming out of some out of the way area.  "There are the two bunny rabbits now," she mutters. More brightly she says, "New guys, 5 o'clock, near the basement door.  I promised I'd introduce you to them."

She leads him in their direction.  "Alicia, Rhys, this is Jack.  Jack, these are some of the new kids.  Jack's our trainer."

Jack extends his hand, "Howdy."

Colin clings to her hand just a couple seconds more, nothing creepy or anything, but his hand seems warm. John notices her bruise disappear.

"Thank you. I'm trying to recall something I dreamed. You, know, I have a spare sketchbook and pencils. I'd love to share them if you're in the mood for it."

There was an enthusiastic, "Sure!" then confusion sets in and Laney adds hesitantly, "What, now?"   She looks to John for guidance.

"Now, or later. I have them here." he pats on a backpack under his chair. "Whenever you'd like. It's no problem."

John reaches out and puts a hand on Laney's shoulder.  "You should go splash some water on your face."  he says softly, "There's something you should see."

As they enter the living room, Alicia hears Sammy talking to some older man. The words don't mean much to her, and she's gotten used to tuning things out if they're not relevant. She does catch the word "training" which perks her up, giving her a chance to see them approaching before Sammy introduces Jack.

Of the dubious gifts bestowed on Alicia by her mutant heritage, one that is not immediately obvious to all but her is a hyper-heightened kinesthetic sense. She is, at every waking moment, almost painfully aware of the exact position, angle and motion of every part of her body. This provides her with close to superhuman balance and agility. She could balance herself on one finger, where her digits capable of supporting her whole weight.

It is this sense that allows her to easily see how Jack carries himself with a very similar level of control over his own movements. She can tell, whatever else he may be, Jack is an experienced fighter. And potentially someone she will be training with.

Part of her wonders how she would fare in a fight with the older man, and a smaller, darker part of her thrills at the prospect. She can't help it.

She looks up and down critically, disdaining the offered hand. "Hey. Sammy told me how old you are. You don't look that ancient."

Jack looks at his hand, then back at Alicia.  "You smile first, then shake my hand.  Then after you let go you crack wise."  he shakes his head.  "You kids these days, no manners.  I know your mom would be appalled.  She's in the kitchen, we could ask her if that's how she raised you to introduce yourself?"

Alicia's eyes narrow behind her shades. Her lips stretch into a challenging grin as her hand extends to grip Jack's.

"Ooh, bringing the 'rent in right off the bat. Is that how you handle the uppity kids? 'Just wait 'til your mom hears about this'?"

She's tempted to use some claw, but controls the urge. No need to show all your cards on the first hand.

Laney opened to mouth to reply to Colin with what was, judging from her lively expression, an acknowledgement that now would be a fine time and she was very interested.

Then dear John snuffed the light right out of those blue eyes.   Her hand flutters to the left side of her face, touching it lightly.  In a neutral voice, "Something I should see?   It's not bleeding is it?  I had that happen once from a...Well, I'll be right back then."
It's not bleeding.  What is he talking about?  Oh, damnitall, I thought I got over the breakouts last year.   I'm going to die here.  Yep.  Dead.

Self-conscious and sullen, Laney doesn't wait for an answer and wanders towards the nearest bathroom, which is interesting because no one has shown her where it is, yet. 
She simply guessed.

Sammy noticeably winces in embarrassment.  She starts to plead, "Alicia--," then breaks off.  Let her get knocked down.  "'s'cuse me guys, I have to go check something.  My party, my responsibility.  House rules."  She walks off in the direction of the kitchen, picking up a discarded plate as she passes.

"Nope.  I just like to give as good as I get."  Jack's handshake is firm, not an attempt to demonstrate anything beyond a firm handshake.


Once in the bathroom she can see in the mirror that the bruise is gone, as though it were never there at all.

"Uhm." Colin says to John. "I was only trying to make her comfortable. Was it a good idea to tell her so soon? I'm afraid that now she'll be tense for the rest of the evening."

John shakes his head.  "I'm probably the last person to ask.  Since I obviously make her nervous.  And once again I have to call Sammy to rescue me from my own stupidity."  John flags Sammy down.  "I think I did it again, Laney is in the bathroom.  Could you make sure she's ok?  I'll just be over in the corner there trying not to break anything like a bull in a china shop."

Alicia cocks her head. "So you're not one of those old fuds who's all about not fighting dirty?"

There were times things she saw were not real and times reality could not be seen.   Laney knew this so very well, but believed she'd worked most of it out with her therapist.   She pressed her fist hard into her temple for there must be something to feel.

There wasn't.

The room lurched one way and Laney the other when she tried to compensate.  Then she was on the floor, her legs pinched uncomfortably beneath her and her hand flat against the cabinet beneath the sink.  She'd caught herself, though her nose is only an inch from the hard-edged corner.  

It was painful to breath; Laney leans her head against the cabinet door, waiting for her heart to stop beating so wildly.  Can't get worse...

Colin looks at John for a moment in a strange way, but says nothing. He follows Sammy to the bathroom door. Just in case the door needs unlocking.

"I was referring to your wise cracking, but since you asked, not really.  Fighting is about winning.  You don't want to ever have to fight.  Problem is, the other guy isn't always going to be so rational.  So you fight to win.  It gets gray after the fight."

John's head cocks, and he's down the hall in a blur of motion, the door to the bathroom yielding to him as if it wasn't there.  "Laney?"  He says, lifting her up, "Are you ok?"  She had locked the door.  Her gaze catches the handle, in no condition to be called a door handle any longer, as the door sways there.  John's fingers, very warm, go to her neck to feel her pulse.  He's looking at her, and it's obvious he's worried.  "Laney, I need you to let me know you're in there.  Talk to me, ok?"

... but John obviously gets there first, and then unlocking is the least problem of the door.

"Uhmm, John, maybe I can help here."

Laney would answer if she could; she just doesn't have enough air to make a sound, and her eyes fill with frightened tears.

Sammy says "Laney.  Oh crap. I'll get some smelling salts.  John, the door... there was a key right on top of the frame..."

"Yeah.  Good idea."  John gently moves back, letting Colin in and then slips down the hall quietly.

"No, John, don't go, please."

He sits on the floor, and takes Laney in his arms. He tries to project calm into her, while he gently whispers "Breathe. It's nothing. You're safe here, there's nothing to fear."

Sammy *zips* to the first aid box in the kitchen.  "Laney's fainting," she says breathlessly, then *zap* brings it back to the bathroom.  She opens it up and grabs the smelling salts.

"What do you need me to do?" she asks anxiously.

Alicia's eyes unfocus for a moment, remembering other places, other faces, other voices. In a tone much older than her years, she muses, "Ain't no winners or losers in a fight. Only survivors. You fight to survive. Nothing else matters."


Alicia shakes her head as her reverie is interrupted. Turning towards the bathroom, she says, "Something's going down." Without excusing herself, she heads to where she heard John's voice.

At the end of the small crowd, she waits, quiet but attentive, her curiosity all they way up to 11.


Alicia is right behind Sammy. In a serious voice, she states, "Her heartbeat is up. Breathing irregular. I'm guessing a panic attack. Smelling salts won't help."

Without hesitation, she takes over. "Sammy, go back and reassure the 'rents. Colin, bring her down. John, you know the place; she needs some space to lie down. Everybody else, get out of the way and give her some room."

She follows her own command, stepping out of the bathroom and out into the hall.

The moment of parental panic is diffused by Jack, in the doorway to the kitchen keeping the adults at bay.  "They've got this.  Gotta let them take care of these types of things in their own way."  He says, and it's the way he's so casual about it that gives them all pause, then they try to go back to talking casually, listening for any clue about what might be happening but letting the kids take care of thiungs.


John looks to Sammy, "Where can I put her?"

Whether she was encouraged by soothing voices around her or disciplined by her own will is anyone's guess, but Laney regains control of her breathing while the world swims in a grey haze.  She blinks dazedly until faces come into focus.   So many faces.  What did I do?  and she starts losing it again.

Donnie comes out of the kitchen and sees everyone running down the hall. He goes and sits on the couch and picks up the latest issue of National Geographic and begins to read.

With a houseful of paranormal teens, it's unlikely anything that require's Donnie's attantion. The others are more than capable of handling most situations. He takes another sip of coke and flips a page.

He smacks himself oon the forehead and pulls out his cell phone, dialing Sylvia's number.

ring ring BANANAPHONE!

"Guys, we both appreciate the sentiment. What about giving a little time to do my job? You can all wait in the living room, thank you. John here is all the help I need." Colin states in a quiet voice.


Hey. It's all right. You didn't do anything wrong.

She feels Colin's low voice in her bones.

Alicia nods. "Gotcha." She helps in herding the rest of the group out of the bathroom. She does pause to give John an appraising glance.

Back in the living room, she focuses on keeping her senses sharp. No way she's missing out on any of the conversation in that tiny room.

"Follow me.  She can lay down in my room, it's quiet there, and closest."  Sammy leads them up, and unceremoniously dumps the coats from the bed onto the floor.  Too late she remembers the sugar packets pinned to her bulletin board, souvenirs picked up from different buffets in her interstate travels with John and labeled with their towns of origin.  Maybe he won't notice them.  He's in doctor mode.

"What do you need me to do?" she asks.

Rhys shakes Jack's hand with a warm smile. "Pleased to meet your, sir. Rhys Gruffudd."


Rhys rolls his eyes.

* * *

Rhys feels the blur that is John shoot past and follows the others to crowd around Laney, making himself taller to see over their heads. When Colin shoos everyone away, he obliges, retreating to the living room, keeping a hold on Alicia's hand.

"I wonder what just happened."

"Poor little Laney Brennan.  No, she didn't do a thing.  Wasn't it tragic?  Look towards the camera, Laney."  And there were so many faces, and lights, and they wouldn't stop, and... I didn't do anything. I'm sorry.

Aloud, in a weak, croaking voice, she whispers, "I'm sorry."  Laney pushes the memories down to secret place she'd made not long ago, and then she tries to look around and regain her bearings.

Jack looks towards Alicia.  "See how he did that?  Maybe you should take notes?"  He's grinning as he shakes Rhys' hand.

"Be calm. And a glass of water, please." Colin says with a smile. He clings to Laney's hand as John lets her down.


No need to be sorry. It's all right. It's not your fault.

It usually isn't...and is at the same time.

There was John above her, rescuing her again like the perfect babysitter he was, and that was alright.  The twitch of her lips is Laney's attempt at a smile for him; she closes her eyes.

"Her breathing is steady and her heart rate are down."  John says.  "I'll be in the hall."  He says, making his way out of the room.

Sammy darts to the hall bathroom she shares with her sisters, and fills a paper cup with water.  While she's there, she gets a washcloth and dampens it.  Can't hurt.

She re-enters her room and places the items within Colin's reach on the little table next to her bed.  She absently picks up and hugs a stuffed animal to herself, a floppy eared dog that looks like its been around as long as she has.


"Um, yeah... I'll wait by the door too."

Rhys quietly asks Sammy, "Is Colin a healer?"

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I meant to help, but I confused you."

Laney keeps hearing Colin's voice both in her ears and her bones.

"What do you blame yourself for?"


Colin mouths 'thank you' as she goes out. He takes the washcloth and gently presses it on Laney's forehead.

Sammy whispers back "Sort of.  He mostly fixes people on the inside though."  One arm untwines itself from the toy dog and her hand scratches at her tattoo.  "He's a, I guess you'd call it Spirit Talker."

Without opening her eyes, Laney reaches up to touch the cloth at her forehead inquisitively, then lets her hand fall.

"It's still there, isn't it?  The bruise?  I think it was gone and then...then...I think I fainted.  Sorry."
Sorry.  This isn't the way things should be.   We had far better odds.   I...

Oh, I made an ass of myself again. The lights went out after all.   See how nicely that worked?  Such an idiot.

"Stop saying you're sorry. No, the bruise isn't there anymore. I made it go away. That's why John wanted you to look at yourself in the mirror. I'm sorry it disturbed you."

"You?"  Laney channels her attention outward with returning coherency, sets her speculative gaze upon Colin.

Colin shrugs. "When we shook hands. It's part of what I do."

Of course.  Sammy's friend.  Sarah's... One tenth of one percent...  Laney uses the new data she'd looked up this morning; apparently the current population of Oak Park was much more than fifty thousand.   She had a precise number from the latest census, which she uses for her variables right then and there as she lay on the bed staring at Colin.   It didn't take long, and she was more comfortable slipping into the logical world.   It was safe.

She knew of three paranormals, probably more in this house.  And me...and me...and...    And her calm quakes then shatters.   She sucks her lower lip between her teeth to silence the whimper.

"Please, talk to me."

Colin looks at her with concern.

"Tell me what troubles you."

"I'm alright.  I'm alright.  I'm sorry.  I never met... I fell apart yesterday, too, when Sammy was flying around.  Scared John.  Please don't tell my aunt, please!  They'll hold me back another semester.  Please?  I'm sorry.   I won't tell anyone..."  It's a frantic whispered stream that gains both speed and volume and threatens to choke her again.

Colin grabs her hand again, and tries to send deep, soothing calm her way.

"Shh. Don't worry. I won't tell anything to your aunt. No need to fall apart."

He sends her an image, a landscape. It's the shore of a lake. Water lilies float peacefully on the water, the grass is green, the sun is shining but it's not too hot. They are sitting on a white wooden bench. Everything is quiet. Laney feels herself pulled there, until she is there. The bench, the grass, the lake, all seems real, and she has no trouble breathing. Colin is sitting beside her, waiting patiently.

She could be asleep, lying serenely on the bed with her hand in Colin's.

At the lake, Laney is delighted by the lilies, or rather their placement on the reflective surface.   She leans forward to count the lovely plants, trying to find the pattern in their positioning.   There's always a pattern.

I am falling apart, aren't I?  I was doing so well.

No. This is just... a little refuge I use sometimes.

The positioning of the lily seems artistic, rather than mathematic. It's as if they balanced the landscape.

You can move them if you like. Or make new ones.

He turns to look at her.

Are you mad at me?

Alicia rolls her eyes and wrinkles her face in a mask of teenage exasperation.


Alicia places a finger against her lips then first points to her ear and the room they've just left. She hopes Rhys gets the hint; She knows John's hearing is even better than hers, and doesn't want him to suspect she's trying to eavesdrop.


Still focused on listening, Alicia contributes absently. "He said he wanted to help me, too. With this group, I guess he's pretty busy."

"I'll be outside."  John says, and he heads out onto the porch.

Sammy slumps down the wall just outside her bedroom door and sits on the hall floor.  She waits.

Sarah stays clear of the Laney scene.  She lets John and Colin take care of it... and Sammy.  Anyone else hovering over the poor girl and she'd probably start hyperventilating.  

Something is definitely up with that girl.  I mean talk about the elephant in the room.  I think half the reason I showed up was to see if I could find out what her abilities are?  Unless she's an X class mutant worrier.  Oh that's nice Sarah.  Well I deserve to be snippy she's hogging my boyfriend on a weekend.  No doubt my wonderful and selfless boy will want to help her and heal her which will be all touchy feely.  Grr.  Wait.  Do I really feel that way?  I don't think so.  But a part me wants to feel that way because isn't that the way I'm supposed to feel?  Seriously can't I be jealous of attention to Colin?  Am I indifferent to him or something?  No way.  I totally think about him.  Come on, how many times have I popped into his room to watch him sleep?  Wow when I say it to myself like that it sounds a little weird.  Oh shut up.  It's just he's... Colin.  Fine.  Whatever.  I am not jealous and I've got the rest of the evening.  This drama will be done in a few minutes and I can snuggle with Colin and listen to Sammy and the rest jam.  I wonder what they're going to play...

Sarah phases out for a while on her own thoughts and stares into the middle distance.  Finally she shakes from her reverie and starts nibbling on snacks.  She heads over to Jack, Rhys and Alicia.  "Hey Jack, hey Alicia," she says and after a beat adds, "hey new kid."  She grins at Rhys in a friendly fashion.  She had no clue why she enjoyed teasing him.  
She says to Jack, "Have you got them signed up for bumps and bruises 101 yet?"

"Not yet.  We need to work out those details.  I guess the next group session would be a good time to start."

Alicia purses her lips.

Crap. I'm the worst person to do this, but with everybody else hovering over Miss Psychodrama...


Alicia thinks. Sarah? Dunno. At least she knows everyone better than I do.

Alicia crooks a finger at Sarah and tries to speak as softly as she can. "John's out on the porch and I think he's bummed out about The new girl. Um, should someone go out and... I dunno, talk to him?"


This piques Alicia's interest. "You're willing to take us on? Can you handle it?"

She realizes belatedly the challenge in her choice of words, but it's too late to unsay them.

"Everyone has their own pace.  Some people come by for more intense training.  Most of them just come by a couple of times a week for basics.  Shouldn't be a problem, as long as I have my warm milk and am in bed by a decent hour."  Jack ends with a grin.

Sarah answers Alicia's question to her with a nod.  "Maybe, plus it's no fun sitting out on the porch while everyone else is having fun inside."

She turns to head off when she hears Alicia answer Jack,

"Oh my.  Next class will be fun," she says walking away to grab her fleece from the backpack.

She pulls on the fleece and pulls her hood on and heads out to the porch to find John.  It's possible he's out taking a brisk jog around Chicago.

She opens the door and heads into the cold.  OhmygoshwhydidIsayyes?
"Hey John?"

Despite herself, a flutter of excitement builds within her. It'd been so long since she's had a chance to work out without worrying about someone seeing what she can do...

Trying to sound casual, she asks, "So where do you do this training? Do you have an actual hall or are you just running this out of your basement?"

John looks over as Sarah steps onto the porch.  "You should get a heavier coat."  He says, stepping closer to her.  In the chill it's suddenly apparent how warm John actually is.  "You could catch a cold out here."


"I'm staying at a place near the lake.  It has plenty of room and equipment."

"Equipment?" She just manages to say the word without squeaking. "Like what? Weights and mats? Do you have punching bags?"

Unconsciously, she leans forward. like a child begging for an extra cookie.

"All the good stuff, pads, mats, speed bag, heavy bags.  The guy who owns the place works out a lot."

Sarah smiles and says, "I've got layers.  Fortunately Laney returned my fleece today.  Plus Sammy keeps saying how toasty warm you are.  I'll just keep you between me and the wind and I'll be just fine."

She looks around outside in the dim light and asks, "You okay?"

Alicia's face is lit like a kid on Christmas morning. "Coooool."

She attempts to regain her composure. "I mean, sounds good. And when does the next session happen to be?" She tries to act is if it's no big deal, but it's nowhere near an Oscar-level performance.

John takes another step closer to her so she can benefit from his unnatural warmth.  "I'm ok.  Thanks for asking."


Jack relates the date for the next session.  "So I should expect to see you both there then?"

Alicia makes a big show of shrugging. "Maybe. If we're not too busy."

"I suggest taking Drama next semester if you're going to keep that up."  Jack says, taking a bit of cookie.  "You need some more practice."

Alicia's stare could melt the plastic lenses of her sunglasses.

"Humph," she mutters, turning her head in disdain. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to see how Sammy is doing."

She stalks off, trying to look dignified and condescending, but just managing to look miffed.

Jack puts a hand on Rhys' shoulder.  "Latin women are good practice for the future hostage negotiators and help desk technicians."  He smiles and heads off to talk with the adults.

Alicia unerringly finds Sammy sitting on the floor in the hall outside her room.

Sliding down next to her, Alicia looks over and speaks softly. "You all right?"

Sarah looks at John quizzically and asks, "Okay okay or just ...okay?  What's going on if I can ask you that?  Did you and Sammy have a fight or something?"

Sammy musters up a weak smile.  "Mostly.  Laney seems so fragile, but Colin's with her, so she'll be ok.  I'm just sitting here waiting in case he needs me to get something."

Alicia rubs her nose, unsure on how to proceed.

"John sounds... well, not upset, but, like, worried unhappy? I asked Sarah to go out and talk to him, but I don't know if she's good at that."

She smiles ruefully. "It's funny. He's always jumping in to help people, but I don't know who he has when it's him who needs a hand."

"I know.  His girlfriend had to leave town very suddenly not too long ago.  Her name is Megan Howell.  You know, the mayor's daughter.  The one whose brother turned out to be a criminal mastermind.  I try to help, but... there are rules I have to follow, mostly because I'm the one who gets confused about them."

"Oh. Wow."

Alicia bites her lip. She sucks at this empathetic stuff, but she can't not try. "Would I be wrong in deducing that that embarrassing thing you were talking about yesterday involved John?"

Sammy looks tolerantly amused.  "You do know he can hear every conversation going on in this house right now, right?"  She pauses a moment to  let this sink in, then says "But you're lucky.  We talked about this.  Its okay.  We both agreed it was nice, and both know that it wasn't real.  But it was embarrassing because I was used, and because I used him too, yet at the same time, it was nice.  I felt really guilty about that mix; if its not voluntary, it shouldn't be nice, you know?

{After Alicia walks off.}

"Well, she'll be there for sure - I don't think you could keep her away. And I could certainly use some more know-how."


Rhys nods. "Yeah, she's quite the firecracker. But they're more fun that way," he says with a grin.

Alicia raises an eyebrow at Sammy's comment but lets her finish. "I know John can do that. So can I." She pauses to let that sink in.

"And, like me, he's learned to ignore most of the noise. Only way to stay sane. But, like you said, it's all cool anyway."

Alicia sighs. "Sam, 'mana, is it so hard to practice what you preach? You made such a big deal about it not being my fault I cut you up back on the roof, but here you're sitting feeling guilty 'cause you had a nice time with John? Really."

She shakes her head in mock-dismay before giving Sammy a grin.

Sammy smiles back.  "No.  Its all right now.  We all know I'm a serial crusher.  Even when I'm with someone really special..."  she shakes the cobwebs out of her head.  "I thought there was something wrong with me.  But apparently, its just part of being a djinn -- they, um, get around a lot.  Lots of partners.  Its not that they don't love each one, but they can love... more than one."  She sighs.  "Not so great as that sounds.  If you expect the one you're with to be with only you while they are with you, then you should play by the same rules.  So I catch myself being... entranced?  infatuated? while... well you get the idea, right?"

Alicia can't help it; her grin reaches Cheshire proportions. She doesn't say anything; she doesn't have to. She does waggle her eyebrows.

Suddenly the grin is extinghuished. Softly, she asks Sammy, "Have you told Ell-rod?"

Sammy looks away and hugs her dog. "Not now that I totally understand myself.  But I broke up with him because of a boy I fell in love with while singing a song... and I got back with him because, well, I love him.  And he is my friend.  Even after I broke up with him and got angry with him for being fooled by that 'other' Sammy.  He genuinely cares about me. The other boy... ran.  He was scared, and confused, and not ready.   That made all the difference.  I think he knows, even if its only a hunch."  She shrugs. "It's over by August anyhow.  He's going to Princeton, and I'll be here."

"No, nothing like that.  I'm just not good with people.  I either don't share at all, or share too much.  It's just something I have gotten used to, and then every once in a while I meet someone that I say all the wrong things too."


"Firecracker.  Good term.  Short fuse.  Loud bang."  Jack says as he heads to the kitchen.

Alicia frowned quizzically. She understood the words coming out of Sammy's mouth, but the concepts were like Egyptian hyeroglyphics to her. Feeling out of her depth, she grabbed the last sentence as something she could respond to.

"Has he told you it's over?"

Sammy makes a face. "Puhleeze.  My oldest sister is away at school; I know how it works.  You make all kinds of promises to keep in touch, to stay together.  Then you get to the new place, and you're so busy at first that you forget, or you call every day and cry a lot because you're homesick, but eventually you get new friends, new interests and the old stuff..."  She displays her stuffed toy.  "Its like this dog.  You're still fond of it, and its nice to take out and play with once in a while,  but you don't need it like before.  And it finds its way to the bottom of your bed,  around your feet somewhere,  then across the room on a chair where you can see it, sometimes, if its not covered with other junk, and then in a box in the attic or in a bag to go to charity or out with the trash."  She resumes hugging the toy.  "So, come September, there will be lots of tears and kisses and promises, and he'll go his way and I'll go mine and that will be that.  He's going to go places and do things and travel the world, and I'll be here, in high school, worried about zits and SAT scores."  She sort of smiles.  "I don't doubt we'll stay friends, but everything's going to change.  I used to waste a lot of time freaking out about that; I think that made it easier for Nick to get in the door, to be honest; but I realized its better to just enjoy what I have while I have it, and to worry about the rest later, when it actually happens.  Sooo... I'm with El, and I'm enjoying the ride while it lasts, and I'm not going to do anything really stupid to mess that up.  Its a conscious choice."  She sets the dog down next to her.

"Oh my gosh.  One of us saying the wrong thing," starts Sarah with a sarcastic shocked tone, "Can I quote you on that?  I'm sure it will make the front page of the newspaper."  She puts her hand on John's shoulder, he was always so warm it was kind of amazing, and says in a quiet voice, "Honestly I don't care how badly you think you screw up talking to someone you are officially outclassed around here."  She rolls her eyes back towards the inside with a grin.  "So you said the wrong thing to someone.  Big deal.  If they are a friend they will forgive you.  If it wasn't Sammy... Laney?  And if new girl goes into fainting spells over something the nicest guy in school says then it's honestly better if you scare her off.  What is she going to do if... no, when, the next crazy thing happens at school?"

John smiles and gives Sarah a hug.  "Being a teenager sucks."  he says softly.  "And thank you."

Sarah smiles and says, "Being a teenager doesn't suck.  Taking it all so seriously sucks.  Sammy and Sylvia are always so serious about everything going on.  I guess that's just who they are.  If they're trying to be fifty by fifteen, mission accomplished."  She laughs and shakes her head adding, "Then again I'm totally guilty of the same thing sometimes so I shouldn't say stuff like that.  Have you been having any fun lately or do you just read those medical texts until you run out?"

"I have fun."  John says defensively.  "Sammy and I go flying.  I think I've almost licked my fear of heights.  And I do other fun stuff."

Sarah coaxes him, "Stuff?  And things?  Like?  C'mon.  Spill.  I've been hanging out at the lunch table with you for months and seeing you and school and I barely know anything about you.  My fault I guess.  I mean I've been prying into the lives of everyone else at the table."

John shrugs.  "You know, stuff."  He looks out across the street, not really focusing.  "I read a lot."

Sarah nods sagely.  "Books.  Books are good.  I've read a few.  Though mostly I've read magazine articles and journals.  From studies of mental perception to Ten Quick Tips to Activate Your Psychic Self.  I don't read many of those anymore."

She scootches closer to John for a little more warmth.  "But you've got to be doing something more than reading books?  Playing video games?  Jumping small buildings in a single bound?  Bench pressing cars in parking lots?  Stamp collecting?" 

She looks at his profile for a moment and asks, "Missing someone?"

John shrugs.  "I get the feeling that things wouldn't have worked out in the long run with Megan.  She was great, but she was outgoing, and vibrant, and loved to be around people and mingle.  I'd have eventually become."  he shrugs, "She's got a lot of new friends, and is seeing someone.  She's really happy.  and that's good.  I'm happy too, happier than I used to be.  I have friends that know what I am, and that's a huge help."

Sarah nods again and says, "Okay.  Good enough for now.  You can tell me about your stamp collection or whatever another time.  Feel up to coming back to the party so we can scarf some food and get Sammy to sing some tunes?"

"Sure.  I can always eat."  John says with a smile.  Then he gets the door for Sarah and they go back inside.

Alicia strives to at least look as if she's following all this, but she does catch the last part.

She nods in satisfaction. "Exactly. What happens in August will happen in August. No reason for it to spoil the fun you're having now."

A smile suddenly flashes across her face for no apparent reason. She gestures with her head towards the bedroom as she flows upright to a standing position.

"Sounds like they're just about done in there. I'll let you do the hostess thing. The pasteles smell about done and I wanna make sure I snag one."

With a wave she's down the hall.

When Sarah and John walk in, they see Alicia stepping into the living room. She sees them and flashes a smile and thumbs-up to John before continuing into the kitchen and loudly asking, "Is it ready yet?"

Sammy sighs and waits and plays Rorschach test games using the scuff marks on the opposite wall.

Rhys catches sight of Alicia's return and gets up close. "All done? Can I have you all to myself again?" he asks with a grin.

Alicia gives him a sultry smile and wraps her arms around his neck as she says, "Always, loverboy. But if you get between me and food right now, I can't be held responsible for what happens."

"By all means, the lady must eat to keep up her strength." He winks.

"Damn straight," Alicia asserts.

As they head to the dining room to collect paper plates and plastic silverware, she remarks, "So, you finished brown-nosing with Sensei Jack?"

The door opens and Colin and Laney get out of the chamber. Colin sees Sammy on the floor and helps her on her feet.

"Is dinner ready? I'm getting hungry."

John sees them come out of the room and smiles.  Then he looks around the room.  He puts a hand on Sarah's shoulder.  "I need to go do something.  I'll be back before long."  Then he steps outside, closes the door and is gone in a blur.

"I think so."  Sammy sniffs appreciatively and grins.  "It smells done.  Everything's okay then?"  She leads them down the stairs.  "The food is in that way.  I'll let my mom know you're all right.  She's probably worried sick.  Don't worry if she asks you a million times if you want anything to eat or drink; that's her way of showing she cares."

Alicia makes sure to snag one of the pasteles and insists on feeding pieces to Rhys.

She seems unusually attentive to him, getting him something to drink, sitting by him, and stroking his arm or leaning against him to keep physical contact.

Laney is quick with the apologies, "I'm alright.  I'm sorry, Sammy.  I'm usually good handling surprises and...things.  I um...Guess not anymore.  Was -" she picks at her blurred memories until an image locks in her mind.  " - The door!  Oh, hell. Was it really broken?  Did I do that?  I'm so sorry!"

"You didn't do it; John did it.  He was in a little bit of a hurry.  Don't worry about it.  It gives Mom an excuse to have that bathroom repainted."  Sammy glances at Laney, then looks away.  "Please don't be embarrassed by what happened, okay?  Colin has had to help me out a bunch of times too.  If it wasn't for him, I might not be here right now.  He held on to me once, when I was in danger of drifting away from the world.  We've all helped each other through rough spots at one time or another.  None of this is easy."

Having now become Sammy's second shadow,  Laney continues in a rushed whisper, "I'm alright.  I'm sorry I got everyone upset.   Your parents...Will they call my family?   Do they know you...you can fly?  Have you always been able to?"

"They won't call unless you want them to call, they know I can fly, and no, it started just a few months ago for me.  I got stressed out when some crazy attacked in the gym and next thing I knew, I was floating mid-air.  It was pretty scary at first."

"God, no!  They'll pull me out of school if anything goes wrong.   You flew right in the middle of gym?   So the whole school knows or what?  Do you know um...why you can do it?"

"Um, no, in the locker room, and they were all too busy running away to notice me.  If they know, they're being cool about it, except for the ones trying to kill me.  And yeah, I can because um, I'm not completely human.  I found that out the hard way too."

"Kill you???  Why was someone trying to kill you?"  her voice raises in pitch, and when she asks, "How can you not be human?  What else is there?"  Laney's no longer whispering.

Sammy stops, chagrined.  "Me and my big mouth.  I'm supposed to be calming you down."

She changes course and leads Laney over to a couch.  She sits.  "Sit down so you don't fall down.  OK, uh, the not human thing first.  I'm part human, part djinni.  You know, blink-blink, yes master, harem-outfit genie in a lamp, except not quite like that.  Its a complicated story.  It explains a lot about me though, when you learn what they're really like.  And there are all kinds of beings out there.  It's a great big world, with lots of hidden layers." 

Sarah over hears the word 'layers' from Sammy.  She walks up to Colin and asks, "Did someone bring parfait?"

Sylvia answers after a while, huffing and puffing.  From the noise of traffic behind her voice she must be outside.  "Hello, my darling.  What's going on?"

Laney drops onto a couch cushion, oggling Sammy.
"Your parents are in a harem?  Isn't that illegal or something?  Still doesn't mean anyone should be trying to kill you!"

Over in the dining room, Alicia looks like she's about to choke on a mouthful, but manages to keep her composure.

"Here, have another bite, Ree-is. It's really good! You sure you don't want anything else to drink?"

Rhys looks slightly nervous. In a low voice, intended for Alicia's hyper-sensitive ears only, he asks, "Not that I don't appreciate it, but why are you acting so lovey-dovey? It isn't what I expected..."

Alicia pouts, "What? I can't show my affection to you in public? Would you prefer I yell and throw things at you?" The question is obviously meant as a joke, but there is the merest hint of heat in the tone, and not the good kind.

Colin snuggles close to her and kisses her behind her ear.

"No, it's more a Shrek thing."

"No, I wouldn't prefer that at all, and of course you can show affection in public. It's just a bit of..." He seems at a loss for words for only a moment before his expression brightens. "Oh! I get it." He smiles broadly. "Yeah, everything's fine. Would you like me to get you anything?" he asks, grabbing his empty cup and getting up to re-fill it.

Sammy snerks hard at the thought of her dad in a harem. "No!  Nothing like that!  I was trying to give you a reference point.  Oh boy.  Um.  Uh...  Its just that one of my grandparents, or maybe even farther back than that, was a genie.  That's all.  No harems, not that I know about anyhow."  She struggles to regain her composure.  "And the killing thing.  Just like there are good people who have powers and use tech and magic to do good, there are bad people who use their, uh, gifts for evil.  We deal with them as we find them, or sometimes as they find us.  Thing is, they don't play nice, and, um, every once in a while they make potentially lethal moves.  Some have been aimed directly at me."

Laney cringes in embarrassment, dipping her head low, dark curls tumble down like a shroud across her face. 

"Sorry.  I don't know much about...um...that sort of thing.  Dad said they deserved equal protection under the law, but it wasn't a subject brought up much at our house.  Mom wouldn't allow it, and they didn't like to argue in front of us kids.   You um...mentioned your neighborhood watch thing, but if they're getting violent, isn't that something the police should handle?"

Alicia tilts her head slightly. She's not sure of what he's got, but she's not going to complain.

Her nose twitches and she answers, "The stew smells delish. Could you snag a bowl for me, please? Thanks."

She smiles contentedly as she watches him walk away.

"Oh, Laayerrs," says Sarah with a grin.  She carefully loads her plate up with a fine assortment of delicious smelling food.  When they are away from Laney she asks Colin quietly, "Is new girl okay?"

The parents continue to talk amiably.  Jack seems to be able to smile and nod, but it's obvious he's out of his element.  He offers short answers to questions, and they're vague answers at best but the other adults don't push.

When it's clear Laney isn't going to die they relax some and make sure that food is dished out and drinks are taken care of.

Rhys returns with a bowl of the steaming lamb stew for Alicia. "Yeah, it's pretty good. One of the few things my dad can cook well. But you want the real deal? You need his shepherd's pie. That's a treat."

"She recently lost her whole family in an explosion. She's got a bit of survivor's syndrome. With time, she'll be fine."

"Hiya hotstuff! You planning on coming to the Jam Session at Sammy's?"  

"I was on my way," Sylvia says, "but I passed a van with a couple of creepy guys loading furniture out of someone's house."  She sounds exuberant.  "I stopped them.  Then I called the police.  It was so cool."

"They are.  There's even a paranormal crimes division in Chicago that comes out here once in a while.  But a lot of times, things just happen at school.  We're right there so we intervene to try to keep it from getting worse than it already is.  Don't get the wrong idea --I'm no vigilante.  I don't go out of my way or patrol the streets to look for 'evil-doers'.  But if somebody puts themself in my way?  That's another story."

"Sweet! Citizen's arrest for the win. You need a ride? My mom was on her way back here to join the Parent Brigade in the kitchen. She can pick you up, if you want."

"Great! Mom claims she can cook, but I'm still not convinced. It'll be good to have someone who can in the hou..." Alicia's jaw clamps shut as she realizes what she's saying. She shovels a mouthful of stew in past the foot in her mouth as she slumps, red-faced, over the bowl.

"Oh, like the one in D.C....Just coincidence then?  I think if I could fly, I'd be everywhere...watching."   She picks at the food on the plate resting on her lap, staring down at the shapeless mess she'd created with her random stirs.    "Who taught you?  How to fly, I mean."

Rhys offers a watery grin at that, his expression betraying the fact that he doesn't know whether to laugh or be sick. He also picks at his food.

His hand drops beneath the table and rests on her thigh, as if he needs reassurance of her presence.

"My mom," Sammy says softly.  "I'm the only one of her three kids to inherit the right DNA."  She thinks about Donnie's dragons, and decides to withhold that information just a little bit longer.  "I watch a lot of natural flyers, like hawks and swallows and different kinds of insects, and have got some ideas from extreme roller coasters.  After my dad found out, he showed me some old movie called Top Gun, and video from air shows.  That gave me lots of ideas too."  She smiles.  "I have a blast when I can let myself loose."

Her hand joins his and squeezes, reciprocating the intent. She glances over at him, biting her lip, a mixture of emotions bundled too tight to unravel shifting clearly on her face.

Suddenly her face settles into an intent expression, her eyes targeted on Rhys. She puts down her spoon and stands up, still holding Rhys's hand.

"C'mon," she says, her voice brooking no discussion.

OOC: Assuming Rhys plays along...

Alicia leads Rhys back to the isolated spot they had previously used for their clandestine discussion.

Once there, she doesn't give him a chance to say or do anything. She presses against his body, her hungry mouth seeking his, her amorous intent clear in her blazing eyes and roaming hands.

"You don't have wings.  So that can't have helped much." She notes the obvious, but the realization that she might not be seeing all there is to see has Laney stirring her plate with renewed vigor.

"It's very nice that your parents are helping.  Do um...the other parents here know?"

"Oh!" Sarah whispers harshly before shutting her mouth.  She continues as before, "Wow...uh, are you okay?"

"About me?  I don't think Alicia's mom or Rhys' dad know-- speaking of whom, where are those two? Rhys and Alicia, not their parents. Oh crap.  If they're doing it on my parent's bed, I'm going to kill them!"  Sammy visibly tries to calm herself down, but her eyes nervously flit everywhere.  "Wings," she says somewhat absently, "No, I don't have them.  But I can shape and steer air, so I can make the aerodynamics right.  I can take up tourists too."

"Flying..." Raising her head with a little, dreamy smile. "That would be fun.  Oh.  Um...They're probably just in the -((insert entirely random room selection here.   There's a good chance Laney's guess is precisely correct down to the location within the room.))  That's kindof um...  Yeah, they could at least wait until after dinner.  D-do you want to go find them?   I'll be okay here.  Thanks."

"No.  If I go looking, it might draw parental attention, and that would be so bad..."  Sammy shudders at the thought.  "Maybe its entirely innocent.  I'll keep telling myself that."

"I'm sure we could come up with a suitable distraction.  But it's up to you.  Maybe it's innocent after all.  I don't see John around, either.  Does he help, too?  I mean with the um...things at school.   How bad does it get really?"   Out of sync with the rest of the world for so long, Laney considers it an accomplishment to remember today's date.  She nervously starts mapping the room again, making note to look up news articles about Oak Park later.

"Bad sometimes, but if your aunt? and uncle? have lived here for long, they'll know about it.  If they put you into the school knowing what has happened there this year, it would hardly be fair for them to yank you out of it, right?  And yeah, John is a part of it.  He's really good at getting people out of the way and at putting himself between attackers and innocent bystanders.  He also does a lot of first aid.  I guess you know about Colin now too, right?"

"Yes, I know.  I um...don't understand...I don't know everything, I think.  But um...Yes, it wouldn't be fair.  Um...yes, aunt and uncle and three cousins.  All boys.  Jean's glad to have another female in the house."  But they don't know.  They only moved here last spring, not long before - and the boys are a couple years from attending high school.

"He said something about medical school - John, I mean.  Do his parents know?  Is he a genie, too?   He said he could see through things.  Can you do that?"

"As far as I know, John is not a genie."  This seems amusing to Sammy.  "His parents know all about him, but want him to keep it low key, for his own protection.  He's been this way since he was born, so I can see their point.  You don't need a little kid being a target, and they'll do enough stupid things without thinking superpowers will save them.  His powers are way different from mine, mostly.  There's a good chance he might be able to fly too."

"I guess so...Maybe.  If I could fly or move air about, I think it would've saved me a few stitches growing up and - Wait.  Powers?  What else can he do?  What else can you do?"   With that, Laney gave up any pretense of eating at all.

Rhys follows along at first, being led away and then for a few minutes of some intense making out, but he calls a stop to it eventually. Reluctantly pulling away, he holds her by the shoulders and asks "What's wrong? Something doesn't seem at all right here. Talk to me."

Sammy laughs.  "I manipulate air.  I can make a soft breeze, or a focused blast, or a whirlwind, or a force field kind of air wall.  I can fly, really fast if I want to.  I have a lot of musical talent, but I'm not sure if that's a power or just from lots of practice.  John is fast, strong and tough, and a quick healer.  His senses are stronger than normal people, so he can hear and see things most people can't.  Like I said earlier, there's a good chance he can fly too."

"I'm a mess," Sylvia says.  "I wanted to try it the stupid way, so I got up close to one of the guys and kneed him in the groin.  He had time to smack me to the ground before he went down, and I cut open my forehead on the concrete.  I'm on my way back home to change my clothes and wash my face.  Am I missing a good party?"

Alicia, her shades having disappeared at some point in time, avoids looking at him. She says evasively, "Nothing's wrong. I just... wanted to be close to you."

Her voice switches to defensive quickly. "Why? You tired of me already?"

Laney is almost visibly brighter, warm sparkles in her eyes, she even giggles before excusing herself to go to the kitchen and dare the parental cluster.   Rising to return her nearly untouched plate to the kitchen rather than prolong the risk of spills, she feels lighter.  Although a part of her can't help but succumb to jealous thoughts, she is remarkably relieved when she listens to Sammy's details. I'm not paranormal after all, just crazy.   I can't do any of those things.   I couldn't do anything.  One tenth of one percent...

Rhys catches the avoidance and evasion easily. He pulls her close into a hug. "Of course I'm not tired of you. And I want to be close to you, too. But you're acting a bit more extreme than usual. So I can only assume that something's bothering you, and I want to know what it is. How else can I help?"

Sammy heroically overcomes the urge to hover and lets Laney go away alone.  She also overcomes the urge to hunt down Rhys and Alicia.  The only thing left to do is finish her own food.

Alicia hesitates for a moment, her body tense as a strung bow, then fiercely returns the hug. Her voice muffled as she buries her face on his shoulder, she says, "Just hold me. Don't go away."

Rhys holds her tight, not saying anything, for as long as she needs him to.

Alicia takes a long while to let go. A few times she mutters something vaguely intelligible. Rhys can finally make out what it is by the third time. It's the same three words: "Don't go away."

Finally, she steps back. She wipes her eyes and puts her shades back on. She swallows and says, a slight quaver barely audible in her voice, "We should go back up."

As they approach the common room, she hesitates. She can hear the people laughing and talking, both in the living room and in the kitchen.

"I can't," she whispers. She stands stock still, her body tense again, like a deer in the split-second before it leaps into flight.

Rhys strokes her hair. "No. No, I won't. I'll be right here. I promise."


"You can. You're the strongest girl I've ever known. You can do anything. You know why? Because I believe in you." He grips her hand and waits for her to get under control again.

Her head gives a minute, jerky shake. She presses her hand to her chest. "I can feel it, trying to escape. One of them will say something; Sarah, or John, or, oh God, Sammy. And it'll get out, and I'll hurt someone, and I don't want to, but I can't help it..." A tear runs down one cheek.

"I need to get out. For just a bit. Please."

"Outside, do you mean? Or do you mean that you need to get out some frustration? Whatever you need, I'm right here; tell me what you want me to do."

Donnie clucks his tongue. "Syl, sweetie, you need to play up your strengths. Play headgames with them. Don't go all she-hulk and get medieval on their asses. Jack isn't training us to be offensive machines, just to defend ourselves properly. I think you spent too much time hanging out with Kel. You do not need to add to your scar collection, dear. As far as the party, New Girl went and had a fainting spell, john broke the bathroom door getting to her, and Colin played his Healer card and spent some time with her. Oh and I glued Sarah to the kitchen floor for being a smart ass. She paid ransom in cookies. I owe Pip because he rang the doorbell for me when my hands were full of cases of soda pop. Oh, Jack's here too. He's gonna want to know how you got the new cut. He doesn't miss a trick for an old dude."

She clenches her hands, frustration evident in her face.

"I don't know. There's a part of me that just wants to..." Her fist jerks as if to strike an imaginary target.

"Like there's an animal inside of me that wants to jump out and... but I can't let it loose, not here."

"Someone fainted, and a door was knocked down?  I'm starting to think we should have paramedics standing by when we go to a party.

"As for Jack, do me a favor and give him some guff?  Ask him why he got outsourced while the other guy got to stay in the States."

After food is consumed Elrod gets the musicians out in the garage to jam.  They do some rock, some pop, and with Sammy on the horn even try something that sounds like a swing tune.

John returns at some point and passes into the house to get some food then return to listen to music, with a heaping plate.

Rhys looks down, averting his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to help with that. I wish I could do something..."

Alicia speaks slowly, as she concentrates on keeping her emotional balance. "Tell them I had to go to the can, or something. I'll be in the back yard."

She opens her eyes, a quick smile flashing through the tension. "Don't worry. I'm not planning to bash myself against a tree or anything like that. I need to work off this energy somehow."

When he gets people moving, Sammy mutters something suspiciously like "ohthankgod"



After a while Sammy suggests playing something 'old' for the 'rents, in case they feel like getting up and dancing.

Old qualifies as 80s music for the most part.  Some songs are agreed on and Sammy's mom and dad dance.  This gets Alicia's mom and Rhys' dad dancing as well.

OOC:  Mr Burns says "Excellent."

When Sammy sings, she sometimes turns and looks at El, but most of the time she's staring out over the audience, such as it is.  If she makes eye contact with someone, she graces them with a blissful smile and moves on.

Colin shrugs. "I only took off some of her guilty feelings. She showed me what happened. She almost saved her brother. It was so unfair." he shakes his head, and looks up at her with a smile. "I wouldn't mind some bright feelings for a change. Would you dance with me later, please?"

Laney assists in the clean-up after dinner and, when she finally joins the others in the garage she realizes she hasn’t spilled a single drop on herself tonight - an achievement for which she is proud.

In the garage, she positions herself where she’s least likely to disrupt things or be stared at.  However, whatever her intentions, Laney’s enthusiasm for their play bubbles forth and cannot be suppressed – she doesn’t try to, cheering between songs and dancing through others, with a complete lack of concern for whether anyone else is, too, until the world consists of only her and the music.

A dance instructor would bury his head in exasperation, for her steps are nothing recognizable, entirely her own.   Innocence and sensuality in the same motion, with an ethereal grace and seemingly uncharacteristic passion, for the genre and tempo it was precisely right.


((John is doomed if he ever clears that plate.))

Once the band gets jamming things liven up some.  Elrod tries to keep the mood light, and will periodically step in and kiss Sammy on the cheek as they play.

John finishes his plate, and goes to dispose of it, returning about the time Laney has fallen into her own trance to the music. 

If Rhys stumbles over the rhythm whenever he catches sight of them, he hides it well. He tries not to look...

"Outsourced? What the heck are you talking about?"

"Just ask him," Sylvia says.  "I figure you'll both get a kick out of it."

Donnie wanders outside looking for Jack.

A time in the evening, she’d removed the weighted boots and reverted to her abstract state on nimble, stockinged toes.  Her lithe body performed the complex movements intuitively; it seemed effortless.

During a pause between songs, Laney returns to a lucid state.  With a soft rustling of nylon on silk, she nimbly pads to John’s side and smiles at him with her head tilted just so, her unruly hair gives him the view of only one bright eye.

“Hi.  Um…Sorry about earlier.  It looks like I’m doing that to you a lot, doesn’t it?”

After a while, Alicia makes an appearance, leaning against the doorway from the kitchen into the garage.

She doesn't look much the worse for wear; her pants slightly stained and a stray blade of grass still stuck on her hair. She stays there, leaning, arms crossed, listening to the music, her posture indicating she's fuming but not sulfurous.

She watches her mother dancing with Andrew without expression. Soon, her body relaxes into the rhythm of the music, her head lolls to the side to rest against the sill. A sadness softens her face at the same time that a fond smile tugs at her lips as she watches the older couple move in unison.

She moves quietly to one of the available chairs and drapes herself on it. It's obvious she's enjoying the music, but, unlike the previous time, she seems unwilling to join in the dance.

John shrugs.  "As long as you're ok, that's all that's important.  I have a habit of over reacting.  Too much time worrying probably."

In spite of removing her shoes to let the cold seep in from the cement, she was too warm. Laney pushes her sleeves up and begins twisting her hair under the dubious control of a clip she’d ferreted in a pocket.

“No need to worry.  It’s not your fault.  I told you those sorts of things just happen around me, didn’t I?  If it’s not a fallen book, it’s a door, or a fainting spell, or a shelf, or a ceiling fan, or a cable pole, or a - torn stocking.  Damnitall.” 

She twists her body, raising her long skirts to expose the back of a slender leg, and, indeed, her quick inspection discovers a run from her heel to just behind her knee.

Straightening, Laney shrugs – inadvertently shaking free a few black curls to bob across the bridge of her nose.   She grins up at John, pleased with the slower rhythm of this next song.   “Oh, well.  No surprise there.  Wanna dance?”

"Ah."  John changes colors too a bright shade of red, "Ah, sure I guess."  He offers her his hand, "You'll have to lead, I don't really dance.  Never really did that."

Donnie's mom arrives with Sylvia.  They make their way into the garage and Sammy's folks introduce her to the other parents.  They ajourn to the kitchen for some food and to talk away from the music some.

Jack waits for Donnie and Sylvia to complete their greeting.  "Outsourcing?"  he says with a shrug.

“Relax.  No one has to lead.  We’re not going anywhere,” she whispers.

Before either of them can change their minds, Laney brings John over to the place she’d been before and guides his hands to her waist.  The most basic step holds the deepest mystery, it seems; she slips right into her reverie and this time tries to draw John with her.  He could remain motionless, and she would make his stillness part of their dance.  Easy it is to be allured into a harmonic fusion when she is so pliant against him - and has no care that her toes are ever on the verge of being crushed. 

John isn't motionless, but he moves with great care.  He seems nervous, but moves with her to the music.  He's not as fluid as she is, but he still seems to be dancing with her.

Sammy can't dance with anybody, exactly, being busy performing, but she rhythmically weaves her way around the others in the band, always starting and stopping the circuit with El.

"Yeah.  How come you were the one sent to the Far East?" Sylvia asks, nudging Jack in the side with an elbow.  She treats him more familiarly than the others.  He's like an uncle.

"Oh.  There were three of us.  Masterson went to Europe, Steve stayed here and I went to the Asian theater of operations.  We all had our own part."

"Yeah, but no one ever talks about Captain Japan.  You got screwed.

"Did you ever have to ride a motorcycle and wear a vinyl suit with bug eyes?  Did you fight Godzilla?"

Alicia remains in her seat, listening, her body making small movements from time to time with the music. She's withdrawn into a personal bubble, present but apart from the crowd. She smiles at Rhys when he glances in her direction, but still remains in her self-imposed seclusion.

There's an irony for those who observe it. Laney, the wallflower, is out dancing with John, obviously enjoying herself, while Alicia, normally brash and outgoing, sits quietly in the background.

Jack shakes his head.  "Yes, No, and No."  he says smiling.  "And I wasn't Captain Japan.  My codename was Shield.  They still call the US Army's deployment to Japan Orient Shield.  I pretend it's in honor of me."

Sylvia is waiting for Donnie to shriek like a girl and run from the room in slobbering superhero hysteria, but sometimes she's a poor judge of what sets him off.  "You aren't dancing," she observes to Jack.  "And you didn't come with a date.  You really aren't going to give the vampire lady a second go, are you?"  She's genuinely disappointed.  What good is being empathic if you can't claim some preeminent capacity for matchmaking?

"We've been out a few times.  She's nice.  I'm old fashioned.  She thinks it's cute.  So, you want to dance?"  sometimes Jack seems to throw curve balls.

Sylvia glances at Donnie to see if he minds and thinks she sees the dawning shine of a fan-boy seizure in his eyes.  "Sure," she says slowly to Jack.

"I'll be right back," she tells Donnie.  "Have some punch.  Sit down.  Don't swallow your tongue."

[Sylvia could easily be mistaken about Donnie's reaction to the Captain America connection.  Maybe he already knows.  Or maybe she's rattling the wrong cage, and Rob is the one who would shriek like a girl.]

Jack takes Sylvia by the hand and they go out to dance for a little while.  "I appreciate you trying to hook me up.  And Sammy's mom too, but I'm doing ok.  Really."

Laney does not release John from the quickened beat of the following tune.  A light pressure on his shoulder here, a curl of her leg there...He's become as much a part of what has entranced her as the music.  

She would have told Alicia then, that things are not always what they seem and, in fact, rarely are; that one must be vigilant lest the patterns of life unravel right before one's eyes...But she's lost her perspective for awhile and is simply having too much fun to care about anything else.

Sylvia looks up at him, brow crinkling.  "Doing okay?  Who do you see socially besides the moms--"  Dinner with Jack is a weekly ritual.  "--and . . . ?"  She comes up blank.  "What do you do with yourself?"

"I read, watch movies and TV.  I go to bars and chat with people, I fight crime, train the next generation of heroes to defend themselves, and take guff from 14 year old girls who think that the world was in black and white when I was growing up."  He says the last part with a grin.  Sylvia hears his words, and see the filaments of the meaning in his head.  He looses people, to time, to violence, but in the end he always seems to loose them.  He has a few connections, a Granddaughter and her family and friends.  A dwindling pool of friends from his checkered past.  He's happy though, which she finds hard to believe.  But he is happy.

John seems content to stay and dance with her.  As warm as it is in the garage, Laney can feel John's unnatural warmth.  He seems to relax some as they continue to dance, swaying together in companionable silence.

Donnie's eyebrows quirk as they dart betwween his mischeviouosly smiling girlfriend and the old soldier. He's slo on the uptake tonight.


At this, his eyes seem to bug out a bit and his mouth drops open in shock.


"Abuh-uh-ayuh.." is about all he can muster as the WWII hero that so many had heard of, but so few really knew about takes his girlfriend out on the dancefloor.

That illuminating observation gives Sylvia pause, but she plays the part of the willful fourteen-year-old anyway.  "But Jack, the world was in black and white when you were growing up.  TV wouldn't lie."

She sobers some.  "How did they pick you?  For the experiment?  How did they choose you?"

Jack laughs.  "I was one of the scrawniest kids at the recruiting center.  Declared 4F, which meant I wasn't fit for service.  They took me into a little room and said there was a chance I could serve my country, if I was willing to be part of an experimental project.  Pearl Harbor had just been bombed, I jumped at the chance."

"The government said they were going to pump you full of chemicals so you could serve your country, and you said yes?"  Sylvia, citizen of the twenty-first century, finds that hard to swallow.

"They didn't explain the process until after we were all at the lab.  They'd give us the Super Soldier Serum.  then we'd go through the Vita-Ray process, and then if all went well we'd be fit and able to serve our country.  It was the chance of a lifetime."

"But there were only three of you.  What happened to the other guys?  Why didn't they make more of you?"

"Well, the guy who had invented the formula was killed the night it was determined that project had been a success.  He was one of those types of guys that kept all of his notes in his head.  He was the only person that knew the exact composition of the serum.  And when he was killed by the German spy, the secret to the serum died with him."

"But this was a military program, wasn't it?"  Sylvia, citizen of the twenty-first century, has also taken The X-Files to be a course on U.S. government.  "If someone told you the formula no longer exists, they were lying.  It's probably hidden somewhere with the plans for Stan Meyer's water-powered dune buggy."

After a few dances, a rosy-cheeked Laney reluctantly excuses herself from her partner for something as mundane as using the bathroom.

"Then why didn't they make more of us?  Oh, they tried.  They came up with all kinds of crazy drugs that they hoped would work.  The closest they came was something called Hourglass.  They used it in the Pacific.  It's what Kel's grandfather used, and probably why Kel has the abilities he has."

Bound by the laws of underage driving in this state, she would have to be home by the curfew, but she’d promised a phone call to her aunt if she stayed later than a couple hours.   Tugging on her boots and creeping upstairs, Laney went to retrieve her cell phone from her purse – and realized she’d left her purse in the car.  So stupid!  The batteries will die again.  Great…just great… Pulling her heavy coat on, Laney sighed; when she stepped outside, the chill air felt good.

…Until she reached the car and she was shivering so badly that while she was hovering under the dim luminance of the dome light, she drew her cell phone from her purse and it slipped from her fingers.   

With the car as her fulcrum, Laney swiftly pivots low and reaches out.   She catches the small silver device a fraction of an inch from a calamitous collision with the hard asphalt.

At that instant, a gust of wind thrusts the car door shut on her fingers.

There's no sound from Laney; she awkwardly reopens the door and crawls inside to sit, hugging the phone and her hand to her chest.  Can't get worse.

"You were too good, too strong.  Look at you.  You're older than--"  She casts around for a likely example and jerks a thumb at Rhys's father.  "--Mr. Gruffudd, and you look like you could date Paris Hilton.  Imagine a society in which even one percent of the population was like you.  One percent would live longer, be faster, be stronger, and while they could ensure that three of you were good soldiers, they couldn't ensure that a hundred thousand of you would be.  Grandpa Stilley is old.  He putters in his garden.  He has his cemetery plot all picked out.  He's a controllable asset.  You're a problem that won't go away."

There's an arch lightness to her presentation, but really the conspiracy theory sounds more plausible to her than the idea that the U.S. government would let some scientist keep all his notes in his head.

"Times have changed lady.  Back then we didn't look that far in to the future, well most of us didn't.  We didn't keep as many secrets back then.  But you are right about one thing, I'm a problem that wont go away, but at least I'm still on the good guys side."

"That you are, sir.  That you are."

She's reminded of something she wanted to ask him.  "Hey, Jack?  How does a kid like me grow up to be a superhero like you?  No Vita-Rays," she hastens to say.  "I don't want to look too butch.  I mean, how do people get picked up by the big groups?"

"Sometimes they come looking for you.  Sometimes it's a matter of who you know.  You want to keep this up after the whirlwind dies down?  And it will die down, trust me.  If you're interested though, we can keep in touch.  Opportunities pop up, interviews, that sort of thing.  For the federal programs there are a lot of interviews.  Psych testing, interviews, testing, interviews, informal chats and interviews.  someone once said it was easier to become Miss America than a super hero for the NSA."

Sylvia winces.  "So you know how they say, if you want to go to Harvard, you have to take violin lessons and volunteer to help lepers in Calcutta?  What do you have to do to join the Defenders?  How do I pad my résumé?  Do I have to start now?  Do you know someone who can give me an in?  Will you write my recommendation letter?  Am I too young to join one of those Alpha Squads?"

Despite the inherent coolness of the garage, by the end of the session Sammy finds herself hot and sweaty.  She excuses herself and dashes up to her room to get a change of clothing.  On the way back, she stops to examine the damage to the bathroom door, wondering how much physical labor this is going to cost her.  It's not like it was anywhere near her fault, but she'll feel better about it if she pitches in.

"I know some people.  And you keep doing what you guys are doing here, you'll be fine.  Which reminds me.  I'm supposed to ask you why you're late?"


When Sammy looks at the bathroom door she sees the handle has been replaced.  The new one a bit shiner than the one that had been there before.  In the kitchen garbage she finds the old one and the packaging from the new knob. 

Depending upon the timing,  Sammy might also find an artificially cheerful Laney in the kitchen, politely asking permission to use the Jamesons' phone.  It seems her cell battery died.

As she passes her father Sammy says "Wow, dad, that was fast.  Did you have a spare doorknob in the basement?"


Sammy points to a phone mounted on the kitchen wall.  "There ya go."

Sylvia tries to spin it.  "I fell and hit my head."  She sounds like a feeb.  "On someone's driveway."  Hardly better.  "Because someone pushed me."  A big guy!  "He wasn't supposed to be there."  And now the part where she either sells it as a heroic deed or as a tactical malfunction.  "But I krav'ed him in the testicles and took out his partner with an illusion.

"Who told you?  Carolyn?"

Laney smiles her gratitude to Sammy, recites a quick litany over the phone, "Yes, Jean.  No, Jean.  Yes. Thanks.  Alright, 'bye,"  then disappears up the stairs to remove her coat and sit on the edge of the bed, dunking her hand into the glass of ice water she'd procured for a few minutes while she studies the room more closely.

Music posters, lots of them, cover the walls.  There's a largish bulletin board covered with souvenirs and other "happy thoughts" things -- concert programs from school, marching band photos, concert tickets, movie tickets, greeting cards, bits and scraps from who knows what, pictures of friends, some stuff from what looks like a trip to California, and sugar packets with amusing place names written on them, most at least a hundred miles away from here.  School books are piled on a desk, and some library books (all fiction) are stacked next to the bed.  The colors in the room are blues and purples; Sammy doesn't seem to be a pink girl.

"Knob?"  Her dad looks confused, "Oh, that must have been what John needed the screwdriver for.  We broke a knob?"


Jack shakes his head.  "Misdirection, divide and conquer.  Maybe I'm throwing you onto the mats too hard and rattling those brains of yours.  If there were two of them, then one of them could have kicked the other ones ass if you'd thought before you tried being all Jill Justice."


John taps on the door, "I noticed the swelling."  he points towards her hand, "Want me to take a look?"

"Yeah, when Laney was feeling dizzy they needed to force the door to get in the bathroom and the knob was damaged.  I guess John fixed it though.  Oh well."  She digs through the refrigerator for something to drink.

That peculiar composition Colin created of Sammy within the frame held her attention so completely that John startled her.  Laney's hand jerks within the cup, and icy water sprays across her skirt.

"Oh, um...Hi.  They're not broken, see?"   She flexes her mishapen fingers, wincing and not so sure she spoke the truth.   "It's alright.  It happens.  I'm kindof accident prone."   She grins crookedly up at John to assure him she was fine.

"Are they still playing?"   Stupid question.  Are you deaf?

"Didn't mean to startle you."  he says, walking in, squatting in front of her and taking her hand.  He stares at it, and gently turns it around to view it from other angles.  "Yep, not broken."  he says with a smile, "Back in the ice water."  He lets her hand go.  "Just wanted to make sure you were ok.  Hands are tricky.  Lots of little bits in there."  He stands up and heads towards the door.  "I'll get you some ice from downstairs.  Be right back."

OOC:  photos description starts here: http://www.groovygamers.com/forum/index.php/topic,2837.0.html (http://www.groovygamers.com/forum/index.php/topic,2837.0.html)

"Yes, tricky.  Um...Thanks."    She looks ruefully down at her empty glass and her lap, then plucks the single chip of ice she can locate.  It melts between her fingertrips before she can make use of it.

John steps out of the room, and a few seconds later is back with a pair of zip-loc bags filled with ice wrapped in a few paper towels.  "Here."  he says, slipping her hand between the ice packs.  "This should help."

"Thanks.  It's alright. I've had worse.  We go through a lot of ice at our house.   So um...Sammy travels a lot, huh?"  Inwardly cringing, she prays John recovers from the whiplash of that sudden change of topic.

John looks around the room for a second, "I guess so."  he says.  "Pressing the two sides of the ice pack to her hand.  "we don't have to talk about you being accident prone if you'd rather not.  I'm just here to do the first aid thing.  We can talk about something else."

“Not much to talk about there, anyway.  Just one of those things.  Um…Have you known these guys long?  It’s a good band.   Sorry for forcing you to dance – I mean I’m not sorry, but sorry if I made you uncomfortable.  It was a nice dinner.  Oh, did you try my aunt’s pie?  I think mine’s better because I put chocolate into it…”   and her nervous babbling eventually tapers off.   She is content to sit there quietly for a few minutes.

When the pain is less distracting, Laney appreciates how thoughtful John’s ministrations were and how carefully prepared these ice packs.   She turns to him with amazement in her gaze and awe in her low voice.  “John, how fast can you move?”

When they have finished for the evening, Rhys puts his bass down, but before he goes about unhooking and packing everything up, he comes over and hunkers down next to Alicia's chair.

"You weren't dancing like last time. Is everything okay? Or do you still feel all wired like before?" He extends his arm and strokes her back. "I wish I could understand what's wrong, and that I could do something about it."

"I'm not totally helpless," Sylvia insists.  "I'm not Sarah, but I can move when I have to."  Crazy kung-fu acrobatics?  Sure.  Sylvia can do that.  But she's like a wire-fu actress, all ballet and no power.

"So really.  Who told?"

"I've known them since early in the school year.  They were some of my first friends here.  you didn't make me uncomfortable.  I just don't dance very often, and I'm a little self conscious about looking like a white guy that can't dance if you follow me.  And the pie was good."


"Ah.  Pretty fast.  I'm not sure exactly.  Why?"


"I never said you were helpless.  I am just trying to get you to think about your powers.  what I'm teaching you guys is for those times when your powers aren't gonna cut it, or they aren't appropriate.  I don't know how your powers work, only you know.  So you should be trying to use them to their fullest.  But don't become so dependent on them that you are helpless if they ever don't work.  And as for who told, a good spy master never gives up an asset he doesn't have to."

Oh.  And pictures of Christmas trees, in Rockefeller Center, the National Mall, and downtown Chicago.  And a cloth napkin covered with autographs from famous musicians.

"I just never met...I didn't know you could...Um...You really don't know?  Don't you want to test your limits?"

Her gaze drops to her lap again.
"And you danced just fine.  It was nice.  Thanks."

John smiles, "It was nice, I had a good time."  He sits down, "Well, I can push myself way past my normal limits.  I just never really had a chance to find out.  Maybe someday I'll figure it out, I just hope for the time being that I'm fast enough for whatever I have to do."

For some reason Sylvia's attention swivels to Colin.  That'd be just like him--ratting her out to the teacher with some misguided idea that he was doing her a favor.  "I'll play it smarter next time," she promises.  "But I found crime and stopped it.  By myself.  I could wear a mask and cape now and not be a total poser."

"This is true.  Just remember, ice then heat.  No matter how good you are, you'll get hurt.  But it feels pretty good to make a difference, even in little ways."

"Never had a chance?"  Speaking so softly she's almost whispering, Laney traces the random wet splotches on her skirt with a finger from her good hand, an intensity in her stare.

"You can't do that."  But they weren't random; there was a design; she had to think where to start deciphering it.

"Aren't you helping Sammy and...and whoever else with the neighborhood watch or whatever they're calling it?   You can't sit there, cross your fingers, and hope you'll get lucky, John.  You'll push your limits one day and fail.   You have to know when to use alternative methods, to know what your chances really are.  It's too dangerous to wait for someday."

"My powers are still....changing.  I'm faster now than when I was little, and stronger.  Even if I knew there was some limit, it wouldn't stop me from doing what I do.  My mom calls it my over developed sense of heroism.  I never knew I was bullet proof until I got in the way of some bullets.  I prefer to get people out of the way of things, but sometimes there isn't time."  he looks up at her, "We do what we can.  We can do more together than alone.  I'm just happy to not be alone anymore.  But let's not be so down.  We had good food and danced and listened to music.  It was a good day overall."

Alicia gives him a slight smile as she runs her fingers along his hair. "I'm fine. I had what I guess was a tryout with Mr. Jack. We had our own dance in the backyard. Dunno if I passed, but it helped me get the edge off."

She leans forward to kiss him lightly on the lips. "You're here." For now, adds the small voice in the back of her head, but she ignores it.

"That counts for a lot. Thanks."

"Any time, my lady," he says, kissing her hand like some old-fashioned romantic. "I just gotta pack up my bass, and then just let them try to separate us."

He packs up his bass faster perhaps than he ever has before...

"I'm not being down.  I'm being practical."  Angry is what she was being.  He might not recognize this at first; she uses the same quiet voice, keeps her head bowed so it's a challenge to see the narrowing of her eyes and the color rising in her face.

"Like I really want to hear about how you died one day because you were trying to do something stupid and -"
Wait.  Did he say - ?

"Um...bullets?"

Sammy gets her drink, and goes back out into the garage.  She gives El a swift, strong hug from behind, then releases him and starts helping to pack up gear.

Alicia looks fondly at Rhys as he moves off to pack. Rising smoothly from her seat, she glides over to where Jack, Sylvia and the others are talking.

In an inconceivable outburst of politeness, she waits for a proper point and says softly, "Excuse me, Mr. um...?"

She realizes she doesn't know Jack's last name. "...er, Jack? Can I speak with you for a moment?"

Elrod lets her get packed then pulls her into his lap on the stool where he's taken up residence.  "Drummer is getting lesson, starting to really sound good.  Rhys is a great bass player.  I was thinking, if I paid for piano lessons would you go?  Christmas present, before you get all defensive.  Besides, I can't have you play the piano in the conservatory of my grand house if you don't play."  He smiles and kisses her.  "assuming you'd have time between band, and crime fighting and all the other things you do."


"It was years ago, back in Maryland.  No one has shot bullets at us here.  There was the metal spike thing, but that was something totally different."

"You'll need a conservatory first, and before that the grand house will have to be finished," she says, and kisses him on the nose, "and by that time you might have to stretch to remember my name so you can give me a call, if you haven't found another piano player by then.  Or bought a player piano."  She smiles.  "But I'll find time for the lessons, just in case you do remember.  I'll need to find a place to practice every day though, if you need me to be any good any time soon; I guess I could use one of the pianos at school, unless your parents have one?"  She relaxes against him.  "I'm pretty sure that works out to 'yes' to all your questions.  Is this because you want me to play keyboard, or because you wanted to give me a music gift?"

Donnie wanders up, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He looks decidedly uncomfortable and a bit pale. "Hey. Hi Sammy, Elrod. You guys sounded great tonight. Thanks for the invitation." *pause* "Um, Elrod, may I speak to you for a moment?"

"The chance of me forgetting you without some sort of serious head trauma is nonexistent.  And I wanted to get you a music gift, yes.  But."  he kisses her again, "Since you said you'd take the lessons, I'll have to get you a keyboard too.  But you'd be welcome to come practice at my place anytime you like.  The keyboard is just like a free girft for taking the piano lessons."


Elrod looks at Donnie.  "Sure, what's up?"

"Why were people shooting in Maryland?  I mean shooting at you.  What spike thing?   What have you been doing?"  She's watching him closely now; there is a thin crease between her brows and a tension in her jaw, her eyes so reflective he could imagine them showering sparks when she fires off those questions.  She continues in a harsh whisper, "Who else is helping you?  They're not doing a very good job if you know first hand what bullets feel like."

"Sneaky.  Giving me a skill that'll make me think of you every time I use it."  She kisses him back.  "Thank you."


Sammy slides off El's lap.  "I'll be in the house," she says.  She kisses him oh so sweetly and walks away.

Donnie winces slightly at this comment.
 

Donnie takes a deep breath and looks Elrod in the eyes. "I am sorry for what I did. I am sorry that my friendship with Sammy led to- No, that's not what I mean." He pauses and seems to reset himself. "I apologize for putting you in the hospital. We were both victims of Torrance's manipulations, but you doubly so, because I was used as a weapon, and for that I have no way of expressing my sorrow at my inability to resist her manipulations. I don't know what I can do to make it up to you. If I were a senior and some pudgy freshmen did that to me, I don't know how I would react. The fact that thusfar you have shown no indication of hidden plans for my ultimate distruction show that you are an extremely forgiving person, or simply a very patient and devious planner." Donnie offers a half smile at this and then clamps his mouth shut, waiting for Elrod's response.

"Ah.  I was just going to buy the company your dad worked for and fire him, but I suppose we can call the apology good."  Elrod says it with a straight face.  And Donnie makes a mental note to never ever play poker with Elrod.  "She was the worst kind of bad.  We all fall pray to things that we wish we didn't, and we hope to have friends that forgive us."  Elrod smiles and extends his hand.

"Slow down."  he whispers, "It's complicated.  In Maryland I didn't have any friends with powers, so when I got into trouble it was just me.  I've always tried to use my powers to help people and sometimes that put me in the line of fire, so to speak.  I've really only been hurt once since I go there, last week.  We're not sure who did it yet, but we think they were trying to kill a girl at school.  It was during the robot attack, and I thought it was flying shrapnel from the bus.  there wasn't time to move her, and even if I did there would have been people in the way.  I was surprised it stuck as deep as it did."

Jack looks her way, "Sure, what's up?"  he seems as jovial and polite as always.

No, she doesn't slow down, she continues in an agitated whisper, "Only last week?  Why were robots trying to kill her?  Who is she?  Is she alright?   What are the police doing about it?  

"You could have said something, you know.  If you're hurt, I shouldn't have asked you to dance.  I'm so sorry.  I guess the hospital treats people like...like you as often as any other.  Are you alright, now?"  

Donnie seems to sag with relief. He takes Elrod's hand. "Thank you. Truth is you might have found that harder than you might think, though a real mastermind would wait until I graduate, get a job, and then buy that company and fire me. "

Elrod shakes Donnie's hand, "who said you're getting into college?"  This time he's smiling though.


"No, wait.  The robot wasn't attacking her.  It was just.."  John stops and puts his head on his knees.  "this is why I spent so long as a loner.  I'm not good at telling people things.  I'm not hurt now.  I heal very quickly.  And the hospital would only have trouble treating someone that didn't have normal physi...See, I'm doing it again."  he chuckles.  "The girl that was attacked is fine.  We think someone used the opportunity of the robot attack to try and kill her.  We're still trying to sort that out.  Colin knows some of the police from Chicago that deal with this sort of thing, and we're working on sorting out who's responsible.  The robot thing was an accident.  Two kids from school got a hold of it, long story I guess, and then jump started it.  It was some WWII relic and started attacking, but we were there to stop it.  Did that clear anything up?"

Alicia glances at the assembled audience with some concern, then accepts the fact he's not going to make it easy for her.

Taking a deep breath, she says, "You seem to know something about me that's part of the memories I lost. I... I'd like to be able to get them back. If there's anything you can do, I'd appreciate it. I'm asking for your help. Please."

"Um...sure."  Sure, she looks like she'd been spun a few times around and dropped on the bed.  Her eyes won't focus when she lowers her head again to stare at her lap.   The wet pattern across her skirt makes more sense to her; that she knew she could work with, having all the variables within her grasp.   John has a reprieve in Laney's silence

Sammy notices that the powder room will need more toilet paper soon, so she zips up the stairs to get it from the upstairs linen closet and goes right past her room.  She sees Laney and John sitting side by side on her bed -- on her bed -- "Oh!  Oh, uh..."  she flushes red, not sure what she's interrupting, and really not sure she wants to know.  "Sorry.  I'm, um... toilet paper.  Excuse me."  She bolts for the closet, grabs the entire partially-used 48 pack, and runs back down the stairs, having her own variation on the Goldilocks and the Three Bears moment (Someone's getting jiggy on my bed!  And they messed it all up!).  She dumps the pack by the powder room door as she passes and hurries back out into the garage, where there's safety.

"Huh."  John says, I wonder if she's ok?  I should go see.  You going to be alright?" he asks as he stands up.

Laney hadn't noticed Sammy at all.   Her answer is automatic, "Yes, I'm alright.  Thanks."

John heads downstairs looking for Sammy.  She's not usually hard to find.  "You okay?"  he asks when he finds her.

Donnie just smiles and shakes his hand. Then he goes to find Sylvia for a much needed hug.

Sylvia is standing around, talking to Rob about nothing in particular.  Well, really she's showing him the cut on her head and making big gestures that manage to convey from a distance how kick-ass she was on the way to the party.  It gets better in the retelling, too.  That knee she delivers to the bad guy's groin develops more and more of a Tony Jaa Muay Thai vibe, and the five-mile squint that goes with the blast of her illusion looks more and more deadly.

When Donnie comes to join them, she grins up at him and loops an arm around his waist.  "Donnie, does your mom keep flammable alcohol in the house?  A lot of it?"

"Sure.  We'll probably need Colin, and whoever else you might want for moral support.  And then we'll need to get you into the right frame of mind.  Let's work on it some next week, when you start training at the house, ok?"

That was remarkably painless, she thought.

So far, was the inevitable inner response.

Aloud, she simply said, "Okay." Taking another glance at the other faces, she nods, "Thanks."

Alicia heads back to Rhys for a hug and kiss.

Brushing back a stray strand of hair on his forehead, she murmurs, "I'd like to spend some time with you, but not here. Can I come by your place later tonight?"

"Mm-hmm" she replies, not looking away from whatever she was looking at.  "Sorry if I... I didn't mean to interrupt anything, um, private."  In my bed.

"We were just talking.  She asked about some of the things that have been going on.  I got her some ice for her hand, she banged it up somehow.  I think I might have confused her more than she was before about what's been going on.  But I'm going to let that get sorted out another time.  I need to head home.  thanks for the invite, and I'll see you at school Monday."

Sammy goes through a series of shades of pink as she is alternately relieved and then embarrassed by what she assumed.  "Oh! When I saw you guys sitting so close together on my bed, I thought maybe... I guess I was wrong.  OK, yeah, um, Monday.  See ya.  Thanks for coming by."

John chuckles, "You give me entirely too much credit sometimes.  Thanks though."  It was so casual when he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then he turned and left, grabbing his jacket on the way out.

Laney disposes of the homemade ice packs as discreetly as she can, politely expresses her gratitude to her hosts, mumbles an offer to give anyone a ride home, then slinks out.

(OOC: that's a good place to leave it for me.  Sammy would just putter around cleaning up and maybe go out to the movies or something with El, if anything at all.)

"Of course you can. You can even come through the front door if you want." He smiles at her. "Are you sure you're all right?"

OOC: And here I was going to make it a surprise to have her do just that. ;)

Alicia smiles back, a spark of her energy flashing across her face. "I may just do that."

To the question, she answers contemplatively, "No, I'm not sure. But I think I'm going to start working on that."

Rhys looks at her. "That's really good. Good for you." He pulls her into a hug. He delivers the words with such sincerity that the trite sentiment comes across as completely genuine.

Alicia returns the hug, closing her eyes and immersing herself in his scent.

Well, we'll just have to see about that.