So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[Katydid50]

((Alright))  

[Katydid50]

(( ninja ))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Well, it seemed like the was fine with the idea. It definitely had taken some work to convince him to go since she had asked several times so that she could pay him back for everything that he had done to help her and now she would actually be able to do it. He hadn't been able to finish his goodbye but at least he had looked happy for once, he usually looked tired.. or just mellow, never excited or truly happy.

It seemed to take forever for time to pass. At times she would just sit and stare at the second hand which seemed to be taking it's sweet time but then she would get back to work. The project was going fairly well, not that she really cared for it, and that's what mattered in the end for this, for her to be able to keep her job. She wasn't about to sleep with her boss to keep it. Yes, she did have a family to feed.. she would just have to make it work out somehow.. find another job soon enough then again with the economy at the moment it was almost impossible and it would be even harder if her boss gave them a bad rap about her.

Shaking her head, she decided to not think about that anymore, there was no point in ruining her mood for later. Daydreaming wasn't something that she ever did.. even in her past relationships.. okay, maybe she had done it back in high school but that was besides the point. She was doing it now and that wasn't exactly at good thing. Falling for someone was not in her to-do-list and she hadn't planned on it happening for the rest of her life. Betrayal was something she was afraid of as well as being used just for sex. Daniel of course didn't seem like that kind of guy but she didn't want a relationship built out of pity from him either. She wanted a serious relationship. Why was she even thinking about this?! Who said he would even agree to something like that?

Saving the the work she had done on the computer, she shook her head and logged off, realizing that it was almost noon. Biting her lip, she looked into the mirror that was in the room and fixed her hair as well as her shirt and vest. Grabbing her purse, she left the room and locked it before leaning against the door. Lunch, lunch, lunch.. she just had to think about it like a friend get together type of thing.. Yeah, hopefully that would work and she wouldn't epically fail.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel sighed deeply as the constant tick tick tick of the clock in his "office" echoed endlessly in his ears. For a moment, he was convinced that one of his bottom eyelids would start twitching. It had happened before, back before he'd left his life of crime, back when he had still been questioning his sanity. When one of the other guys would start bugging him, one of his bottom eyelids would start twitching, like crazy guys off cartoon shows. By that point, the annoying person would either get the hint and leave him alone or they would end up with a black eye, bloody nose, et cetra.

He had no more packages to deliver, at least not at that moment. Nothing new had come in for the past ten minutes so he assumed people were focusing on finishing their work so they wouldn't have to work through their lunch break. He himself never had that problem since he couldn't remember the last time he had actually eaten lunch. It had probably been around the time that he'd first moved into his house and Michael had come over to help him with the rebuilding. Daniel had been suspicious at first but eventually had allowed the older man to help. Besides, if there was one thing that he'd learned about Michael, it was that Michael was going to do what he wanted and no force on Earth could stop him.

As he sat there, listening to the clock, his mind started to wander to his lunch with Elenore. She said it was just a way to repay him for everything he'd done for her. He didn't really need repaying but Michael was constantly telling him that he needed to get out and interact with people. Besides, Elenore seemed nice enough and she appeared to have her head screwed on right, which was something he'd found to be painfully rare. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing either that she was good looking. He certainly wasn't going to complain about that. It was even more rare to find a woman who was both beautiful, smart and nice. Usually, he found they only had one of those qualities, two at the maximum. The few that he'd come across that had all three usually doubted themselves in relation to those qualities and refused to believe otherwise. He'd always found that annoying, how insecure some women could be. And clingy too.

Finally, the clock ticked into place for lunch. Almost at once he could hear the noise change. Getting to his feet, he left his office, pulling the door closed and locking it behind him. Before anyone could approach him with something to do, he hurried across the lobby and out of the building. Crossing the parking lot, he made his way over to his truck and climbed in, searching his mental map for the location of the Olive Garden. He knew this city far too well but he had never been to the Olive Garden before so it took him a few moments to remember where it was.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Walking up to the elevator, she then remembered what had happened last time and decided to take the stairs instead. What's the worst thing that could happen with stairs? Shaking her head, she didn't want to find out but she would use them anyway, it was better than dealing with the elevator. You never knew which floor it would decide to breakdown at.

Biting her lip as she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, she walked out, it seemed like plenty of others left the place for their lunches as well. Going up to her car, she pulled the keys out before unlocking it and getting it. Starting the ignition, she backed out of the parking slot, noticing that Daniel's car was already gone. Well it seemed like he had a head start.

It didn't take her too long to get to the place just a few traffic lights and a few turns. Parking the car next to the entrance, she put her bag back over her shoulder and pulled the keys out. It didn't take long to lock it and go back out again. Looking at the tan colored building that happened to have a green roof, she smiled slightly and then headed in. Elenore ordered a table for two after the waitress gave her a strange look since no one was exactly standing next to her and sat down near the back in one of the booths.

Now all she had to do was wait. She had given the waitress his name so that if he did end up showing up, he could just be lead to the table. Twirling a fork absentmindedly, she looked out the window as people in the restaurant continued to talk, but it was all just a low murmur to her since she wasn't paying attention. Of course she hoped that he was still coming but there was a small doubt forming in the very back of her mind. Be prepared for the worst but hope for the best...  

[Katydid50]

It ended up taking Daniel longer than he'd thought to reach the restaurant, distracted as he was by the lunch meeting. Scowling, he shook his head. Focus, Dan, he thought as the light turned green and he pulled away. He really hated the city. Too many cars, too many people, in too small a space. It was unnatural. No wonder so many people snapped and went on to kill people. He was glad he'd decided to move to the country all those years ago.

When he finally did reach the Olive Garden, he pulled into the parking lot and chose a place close to the exit of the lot. It was one of his odd little quirks. He liked being able to make a quick get away. He blamed that on the years he'd spent in the crime industry. It had made him skittish and suspicious and he doubted very much whether he'd ever be able to get over that. Then again, maybe he would, but it would take time. He'd made friends with Michael and now Elenore. Perhaps there was hope for him after all.

Turning off the car, he climbed out and locked the door behind him. As he made his way towards the front door, he noticed Elenore's car and smiled. At least he wouldn't have to be kept waiting. Walking into the building, he was almost immediately greeted by a person, most likely a waitress. When she asked for his name, he blinked before saying, "Daniel Marks." She smiled and nodded before leading him over to a booth near the back. A smile formed at his mouth when he spotted Elenore. He slid into the booth.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," he said. He really didn't. He himself hated being kept waiting and, anyway, he'd never understood the concept of being fashionably late. What was so fashionable about being late? It was just an excuse for people who took far too long to get ready for something. His excuse was the traffic, if she asked, and that he'd never been there before. He dreaded the very thought of admitting that he'd been distracted by the thought seeing her again was just far too embarrassing to even consider. Anyway, it wasn't a date. It was simply her repaying him for all the help he'd given her.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

After what seems like forever she set the fork down as a waiter came up and handed her a menu. She thanked him and set it down before she began to look through it. Some of the dishes seemed a little strange but that was because she wasn't a big fan of seafood. As she continued to look through it some appetizers were placed on the table that she had ordered earlier which happened to be breadsticks and some sauces to go along with them.

A certain dish caught her eyes, Fettuccine Alfredo, it had been forever since she had actually had some and she was about to call a waiter over but just as she raised her head, she saw Daniel. Her lips parted slightly and she tried not to grin like a child on Christmas morning, so instead she smiled softly. "No, you didn't." it seemed like the wait was worth while now and she was rather happy.

Closing the menu she side it across the table slightly, passing it over to him so that he could look through it. Crossing her legs out of habit, she placed her hands on the table right before the waiter came back over. "What would you two line to drink? Water? Tea? Wine?" Elenore swallowed slightly when the wine was mentioned. That wouldn't exactly be a good idea since they were going back to work after this. When she had been looking through their menu she had noticed that most of their beverages were alcoholic. Of course there was the regular drinks like Dr. Pepper, and other sodas as well as tea and some fruit drinks but other than that, two thirds of it contained alcohol. Perhaps this wasn't the best place to pick since it could give him the wrong impression. "A Strawberry-Mango Limonata please." she said after a moment, as the waiter scribbled something down on his notepad and then turned his attention towards Daniel.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel nodded, glad that he hadn't kept her waiting long. "I'm glad to hear that," he told her. No sooner had he spoken that the waiter asked what they wanted to drink. He raised an eyebrow before quickly scanning the menu. He noticed that the majority of the drinks were alcoholic. He frowned at that. It wasn't that he didn't like alcohol. It was just that when he got drunk, he tended to do things he regretted. As for tea... The thought of drinking warm leaf water had never sat well with him. Ever.

Anyway, they had to go back to work after lunch so he didn't want to get drunk, or sick like he had last time he'd drank tea. "I'll just have water, thanks," he told the waiter. Water was safe, for the most part. Turning his attention from the waiter to the menu, he scanned through the list of foods. He didn't care for seafood but he absolutely loved chicken and red meat, forcing him to lean towards the lasagna. It was pretty big for lunch but he hadn't prepared anything for his supper that night so he would be fine. He probably would have ordered spaghetti except that the last time he'd eaten it, a piece had flung up and smacked him in the face, getting sauce in his eye. Not pleasant.

Lifting his gaze to Elenore, he smiled warmly. "So, what are you going to order?" he asked, for lack of anything better to say. He didn't want an awkward silence to fall between them, though, for some reason, he couldn't really see that happening. Even though he refused to accept the fact that he could see himself having a relationship with her, he could admit, to himself, that he would be content to just sit there with her in silence.

Then, a thought occurred to him and he had to stop himself from laughing. "What did you do to Nick?" He was curious to find out what had happened to the spirited little kid who reminded Daniel so much of himself. He hoped Nick hadn't been punished to severely. Then again, on the other hand, he hoped he had been. The streets were not a safe place for someone as young as Nicholas, especially at night. Daniel would know.

((Just a note, I've never been to an Olive Garden before in my life so I have no idea about their menus.))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore glanced at the waiter as he left after Daniel had said he would be fine with just water or something along those times. Leaning back against the cushioned booth, she glanced out the window, it looked like it had started to rain slightly. A small smile formed on her lips.. she loved the rain. To be honest, she didn't want to go back to work after this. Seeing a movie or something like that seemed like a much better alternative.. especially if it was with a certain someone. Swallowing, she lowered her head and cleared her mind of those thoughts for she doubted that they would actually happen any time soon if they even happened at all.

Seeing his smile, she then heard his question. "Fettuccine Alfredo. What about you?" she responded with a soft smile of her own. Her eyes locked with his own for a few moments and then looked away. Hearing his next question, she sighed before placing her hands on her lap. "He's just grounded for a while.. and Grace is hopefully going to keep a closer eye on him." she answered.

"I'm just hoping the same thing doesn't happen again and it shouldn't tonight." Elenore knew that he loved being outdoors, so that would keep him busy for a while and Aunt Rose did have a large dog that followed Nick around a lot, so she wasn't worried about his safety for now. Deserai would have fun too and she was almost tempted to let them spend a few days there since they enjoyed it.

Their drinks were brought afterward and the waiter asked if they had decided on what they would like to eat and Elenore nodded her head before speaking, "The Fettuccine Alfredo would be nice." Taking a sip of her sweet drink later, she tilted her head to the side slightly as her neck popped. Her back was a bit tense as well from stress and one thing she would love was a massage. She had never had one but from the sounds of it, it would be heaven at the moment.  

[Katydid50]

When Elenore looked out the window, Daniel followed her gaze. It took him a moment or two to realize that it was actually raining, it being as light as it was. He smiled weakly. He liked the rain, not for being rain but for the memory it brought up in him. It had rained the day he'd decided to turn his life around, to take control. It had been soothing, almost cleansing. He hadn't had a car then so he'd had to walk back to the place where he'd been sleeping. By the time he'd gotten there, he'd felt like a new man. He could still feel the soft touches of the rain as it hit his skin, the smell of it wreathing around him and the soft pitter-patter of it as it hit the ground around him.

Looking back to Elenore, he nodded slowly. He hadn't had Fettuccine Alfredo for a long time. He didn't much care for it but it was decent. "Lasagna," he told her. When her eyes locked on his, he stared right back at her. He felt his heartbeat starting to quicken but he couldn't understand why. Soon enough, she looked away and he sighed quietly, leaning back against the cushioned back of his seat.

At the news that Nicholas had been grounded, and that Grace would keep a closer eye on him, he scoffed. If he'd been there, he would have beat some sense into the boy. Then again, maybe it was for the best that he hadn't stuck around to hear Nicholas's punishment. His own father had always been far too tough on him. Despite how much he hated the thought, he could see that, if he wasn't careful, he'd end up just like him.

"It will," he said plainly. "If not tonight, then within the next few nights." He didn't bother to explain how he knew. He just did. Nicholas was too much like Daniel had been at that age. It didn't take much thought for him to figure out what the boy would do. "He needs to have someone keep a very close eye on him, or else he'll end up in some deep s**t. Mark my words." He ignored the annoyed and insulted looks some people nearby shot him at the sound of him swearing. He didn't care if he insulted other people. Elenore needed to realize that Nicholas was putting himself in a lot of danger.

When the waiter finally came around with their drinks, he took a sip of the water before putting the glass back down again. It had the same metallic taste as the water he'd gotten at every single other restaurant he'd ever been to. He preferred the water out of the creek in the woods near his house. "I'll have the lasagna," he told the waiter before looking back to Elenore. He raised an eyebrow at the sound of her neck popping. "Stressed?" he asked. Whenever he got stressed, his neck and back got tight. He suspected it was the same for most people.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Lasagna. It was a good choice, she liked it though she sometimes hated it when it was made a certain way or burned at the edges. She had made it at a point in her life and that was the day she had almost burned the house down. Not the best memory that she had but now that she looked back on it, it was rather funny.

Hearing him scoff, she looked at him once more before he began to speak. His words didn't exactly reassure her but at least he was being honest. Putting her hands on the table, she messed with the napkin that was there. So what was she supposed to do, put him on a chain? Frowning a bit, she knew she couldn't stay at home and keep an eye on him as much as she wanted to so perhaps it would be best if he stayed at his great aunt's house for a while. She loved the kids anyway so she was sure she would be fine with it.

Elenore waited for the waiter to leave before she responded to him. "Yeah.. how can I not be with a boss like the one we have and Nicolas running around at night?" she folded the napkin into a diamond shape. "I can't take a break off of work so their really isn't anyone to watch him unless I take him into the country so he can stay with his great aunt." the napkin was then folded over and it became a triangle. "Grace hasn't been on her best behavior either.." Elenore frowned once more.

So much for being a wonderful mother. She could only hope that Deserai wasn't getting into some kind of trouble as well. "If I had the opportunity I would move out of the city in a heartbeat. The kids like it out there as well." raising the glass, she took another drink out of it and set it down once again. For a moment, she remembered her dream.. being out in the country. Taking in a deep breath, she wished that things were on the brighter side at the moment.

Of course things could always be worse but just thinking about that sent a chill down her spine. If their father showed up, she knew that he would want the two kids back and then he would start questioning her about the third child since he knew nothing about Deserai.. It was none of his business in her opinion though. Wherever he was at the moment, she hoped he didn't give her a second thought.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel rested his forearms on the table, sliding the salt shaker from one hand to the other and back, just to keep his hands occupied. If he sat still for too long he tended to get fidgety and that was not pleasant, for him or for those around him.

He cast a glance at the retreating waiter before turning his attention back to Elenore, the salt shaker still sliding from one hand to the other and back. Oh the joy of being able to multi-task. When she spoke, he listened. It was a good question. The situation was not an ideal one, by any stretch of the imagination. His eyes snapped down to the napkin she was folding before rising back to her face. Sighing, he shook his head. "As much as it pains me to say it, I get the feeling that they will start behaving, but not before something horrible forces them to realize what's really important, and just how the world really is." He hated to say so but that was what he thought.

When she told him that she would move out of the city in a heartbeat if she could, he wasn't surprised."It is better living," he said. "Clean air, clean water, plenty of space. You wouldn't have to worry about Nicholas running into any trouble out there if he continued his nightly wanderings. The worst that would happen would he break his leg and have to spend the night outside." He shrugged. "It sounds bad but it's better than any alternative this city has to offer." It really was. She didn't want to know about the kind of creeps that hung around the alleyways at night. He did know, but he wished to God that he didn't.

He let the salt shaker pass by his hand, sliding along the table and coming to a stop beside its partner. He stared at the two shakers, a thoughtful but distant look coming over his face. His mind flashed back to the night that everything had changed for him, the night he'd finally had enough and run away from home. It had started raining, not the nice, easy rain that made everything clean. It had been a downpour, added with thunder and lightning. He'd sheltered in an alleyway but hadn't been the only one. The man had come up behind him, grabbed him and pinning him to the ground. To that day, he could still feel the stones biting into his front, feel the painfully tight and slimy grip, smell the rank stench of garbage and alcohol. He'd managed to get one hand free, grabbed a sharp stone and stabbed the man in the shoulder joint. He'd gotten lucky that night. Somehow, deep down, he just knew that if that happened to Nicholas, he wouldn't be so lucky.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

It seemed like neither of them could sit still at the moment.. Closing her eyes, she crumbled up the napkin before smoothing it out. His words weren't soothing but they weren't lies either. How was she supposed to accept that? As a mother she would be willing to do anything to shield them from anything that could hurt them that badly. Of course she didn't want them to go through any kind of pain but that was impossible. Her fingers curled slightly before she ran her fingers through her red hair.

Elenore knew she had to do something.. but what? Locking them up was not something she wanted to do because they would only want to get out even more. Swallowing, picked up her glass and drank some more before she looked at the glass. "I hope you're wrong." she said in a low voice. She hoped.. and yet she was preparing herself for that.

When he started to talk about the country, she looked over at him. He lived out there.. or at least she guessed that he did. He definitely didn't seem comfortable in the city. Again he mentioned her kid getting hurt. She frowned slightly before lowering her head. She hadn't been worried about these things when she was with him but there was no way she was going to go back. Not after being betrayed like that and she doubted her kids would be alright with that.. except for Deserai.. she would be thrilled but her ex didn't even know about her. He wouldn't accept her.

She stayed silent after that.. what was she supposed to say anyway? Elenore couldn't help but wonder why he was telling her all these things anyway. Sure he had brought Nicolas home but it seemed like he actually cared for the kid. She was glad he didn't bring up the fact that Deserai had asked if he was her father. That had most likely given him a bad impression of her but there was nothing that could be done now. A moment later the dishes were brought, she was glad that it didn't take too long. "Is there anything else I could get you two?" the water asked. Elenore shook her head since she would be fine with what she had, but Daniel could go ahead and get something if he wanted.

Elenore realized she wasn't even that hungry now... after speaking about what could possibly happen to Nicolas, food was the last thing on her mind. She felt horrible at the moment.. wishing she had raised him better.. Looking at the plate full of food, she bit her lower lip gently. There was no way she could go back to work after this..  

[Katydid50]

At Elenore's quiet words, Daniel glanced up from the salt and pepper shakers, her voice pulling him from his memories. He took a moment to think back on what she said. "I hope so too," he murmured. But he could almost guarantee that he wasn't. He'd seen things like this happen far too many times. He knew he was right, no matter how much it hurt to think so.

When she fell silent after that, he got the feeling that he had upset her somehow. He probably had. He felt bad about that but he couldn't take back what he'd said. Even if he could, would he? He'd spoken the truth. He could have probably put it a bit nicer but it was the truth. Nicholas and the girls would have been safer in the country. Every place had its own dangers but, he thought at least, the dangers of the country were nothing compared to the dangers of the city. He would have much preferred to face a hungry predator than a human. Humans were capable of cruelties that animals were not. It made him feel sick to his stomach just thinking about some of the things he'd witnessed, made even worse by the knowledge that he could have stopped it but hadn't to save his own skin.

He was just about to apologize when the waiter came up with their food. When the man asked if they wanted anything else, he just shook his head. "No, thank you." He turned his attention to his lunch. He grabbed his fork but paused when he realized that Elenore hadn't done the same. Frowning, he placed his fork back down. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I shouldn't have said what I did." Why? Why couldn't he have just kept his big mouth shut? Just because it was the truth didn't mean he had to blurt it out. Heck, why not just go ahead and tell her about his past? After all, it was the truth! But he just couldn't do it. Even though this relationship wouldn't go anywhere beyond friendship, he couldn't bare to see the look of shock and contempt on her face.

Sighing quietly, he lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. He was never go with situations like that. He wished there was some way he could take her mind off what he'd told her but he couldn't think of anything. Even in all his years, women's minds were still a mystery to him. He glanced down before looking back up again. As much as it annoyed him to admit it, he felt guilty. He hadn't meant to upset her but he obviously had. He wished there was some way he could make it up to her but he just didn't know how.

Looking back down, he picked up his fork again, severing a piece of the lasagna and scooping it up to drop it in his mouth. Slowly chewing, he wondered if he should try distracting her or just keep his mouth shut.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Sighing softly when she heard him apologize, she shook her head. "I should have realized.. or rather accepted that earlier. It's not your fault." she told him. After all, he was just giving her the truth.. and even though it hurt, she would rather have that than anything else. "I didn't mean for this to.. start this way." she had been hoping that it would be a bit more happy.. she had been looking forward to it after all. A small smile appeared on her lips. She had invited him and now she was bringing it down.. so much for being a good host.

Picking up the fork that was laying next to the plate, she poked it into the plate before twirling it slowly. "Besides.. you were only trying to help. I appreciate that." she told him as she looked up at him. After taking a bite of her food, she chewed before swallowing. "This was supposed be a way to pay you back for your help but it seems like my problems keep rising up even though I don't mean them to." she added before she continued to twirl her fork in the pasta.

She ate slowly, not really in any hurry and she wasn't hungry now anyway. She hadn't come here for food in the first place. Elenore was slightly surprised he stuck around as long as he had.. but then again he wasn't in this for a relationship as far as she knew.. it was just friendship even if she wanted it to grow into something more. She wouldn't push it though.. she didn't want to destroy what she had with him at the moment even if it wasn't a whole lot and she hadn't even known him for that long.

It seemed like things had gone from good.. to bad.. to now silent. Of course she wished it would make a complete circle but she didn't know how to change it. Inviting him to something else to make up for this.. well he would most likely decline and she didn't blame him. Talking about someone's problems the whole time wasn't exactly the best way to spend your time. Closing her eyes for a moment, she then continued to eat not knowing what to say.