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What is it that you do?

Night-shift surgeon for GeneCo. *rubs the back of his neck* I have been working too much but... *exhales* Apparently, I get "grouchy."

*looks over* What about you?

Surgeon? My scalpel skills are ashamed to be in your presence.

I teach art. Sculpting young minds...through sculpting clay.

*offers a small smile* And I couldn't tell a Degas from a Monet. We're even.

You teach? You have my admiration and respect. I could never...

*offers his hand* Nathan.

Hank offers a firm handshake.

Hank. Teaching art is easy. You just let the little rascals come into the room, flip the switches on their heads, and let them work.

I have a teenage daughter and she runs me ragged. I know it's terrible, but I tend to like people better when they're unconscious.

Which is probably why she demands for me to take this time off. Any kids of your own, Hank?

No children for me.

Teenagers will do that. Especially daddy's little girl.

...that obvious, she's spoiled her?

That's just the way it works. Daddy's girls and momma's boys.

Now, you can be hard on your son, and a mom will be hard on her girls...

Oh I get to pull double duty though. Her mother's gone. I think that's why she's pushing for the rest so much... she's not use to being alone.

Oh, that must be hard.

Good.

It's for her own good. I shouldn't be around her....

Edited 2008-10-29 21:28 (UTC)

Must be nice.

They can be pretty darn convincin' when it comes to work, huh?

Completely. *shifts uneasily* It's kind of disturbing, ain't it? ...a week off. I don't know what I'll do with myself.

I have no idea when I turned into such a pushover. All he's gotta do is smile and I'll agree to anythin'. -laughs- Workaholic? -teases- Well, there's this thing I used to do, way back in the day...it was called 'fun'.

Oh I knew I lost before I started with her. She can look like her mother when she wants to.

She hugs too. It's evil. *glances at her, stiffens a little* I have fun.

Aw, really? *slightly sad half-smile* Ryan's almost exactly like me, but he gets this look sometimes...so much like his dad.

*winces* I hate it when they hug! He calls me 'Mommy' too, and there's no goin' back. *grins* I know, I know, I'm just teasin' you, Dr. Wallace.

She looks just like Marni. It takes my breath away sometimes... *chuckles* Same deal. There needs to be a law.

*bowing his head* I just...my work relieves stress and I worry... about...

*blushes* I'm just getting old, I guess. What did you do...for fun?

-tilts head- Marni? Another pretty name. Your family's full of them. *smiles* I'm serious. "No bein' endearin' and makin' your parents bend to your every whim. Consequences for not complyin' will be dire."

Really? All my work does is create more stress. -yawns- I suppose I could try sleepin'. That might help.

*grins* Aw, you're not that old. What're you, thirty-five? Forty? *thinks for a moment* There was a lot of clubbin' involved. But there was also a lot of movie marathon's, goin' out to eat, food fights...slow dancin' on the balcony and steppin' on each other's feet...*shakes her head, avoiding his gaze suddenly* Stuff like that.

*beams* Marni and Shilo Wallace. They're my girls. Were. My girls.

*glances at her* Have you tried tea? Something green perhaps? It'll help you rest.

*blushes deeper* A tad bit older, actually, but thank you. I um.. *stops talking as he stumbles, careful to watch her own actions* You sound a lot like Marni. She could be equally at place in a State's dinner, or watching a fire and making s'mores.

I would have spent my entire life as her arm candy.

-smiles, says softly- Still your girls.

-hesitates, glancing away- It's not that I can't, it's that I...don't want to. Havin' your child wake up three nights in a row not bein' able to breathe kinda turns you off to deep sleep.

-grins, bemused- You act young. S'a compliment, no worries. -half-smiles- I dunno if I could handle State dinners. Too much cutlery. -hesitates, biting her lip- She sounds like....an amazin' woman. I'm honored to be compared even slightly to her.

-watching him intently- It must be wonderful to love someone that much.

*gently but firmly* You'll be more help to him well rested. Our reactions tend to be weaker when we're sleep deprived.

*licks lips, grinning too* I was actually talking to Shilo and about getting work done. *touching his chin* I'm... *laughing*

Oh I.. *somewhere between longing and pure love* She stole my heart away. I...she had this saying, you know? 'Chase the morning' she lived every moment of her life right up to the hilt- determined to feel every joy, every chance she could... we were both so damn young...

And I just wanted to be with her. *runs his hand through his hair* I must sound like a trashy romance novel. I'm so sorry- *laughing*

-sighs, rakes fingers through hair- I know, I know. It's smarter not to do this. I just...I dunno. -hesitates, asks softly- D'you ever...y'know, with Shilo...d'you ever just sit by their bed and watch them sleep? L-like...like the only way you can keep breathin' is by listenin' to them inhale and exhale?

-smiles, shakes head- You sorta remind me of my dad. Not, y'know, like you're insanely old or anythin', but just...the way you are with your daughter.

-listens quietly, an almost dreamy look on her face- Wish I coulda met her. She sounds....inspirational. -laughs- That sounds so cheesy, don't it?

-shakes head- Don't worry. I love those dumb harlequin romances. They always have happy endin's....

All the time. I work nights but there's moments right around daybreak when she's my little girl and I'm her father.

I know the feeling. It's almost healing.

*blinks, and tries not to look offended but yea he is sporting the red cheeks* I take it he was a good man, then?

*grinning* Oh we were completely something out of a story...I was a doctor. She was a socialite. We were forbidden. We- I...fought against her so hard...

*looking at her and stops, keeping the gaze for a moment before looking away*

-half-smiles- It's the midnight's that I'm there. Midnight is kind of a special time. He was born at midnight, he came back at midnight...it's always midnight.

-swallows hard, whispers- I know. I-I know what I'm supposed to do then, what my...purpose is. -closes her eyes- I can't lose that. Maybe I'm tryin' to get as much of it as I can before...

-blinks and half-smiles playfully at him- The best. A wonderful guy, wonderful father. And he was only in his thirties when he died, so really, no insult to your age.

-sighs dreamily- Forbidden love is always the best. It seems more endurin', in a way. Maybe it's because it has to fight so hard to even get a spark, that the flames last such a long time.

-meets his gaze evenly, says calmly- But real life rarely ends like in stories, hmm?

Before? *quietly* Before what?

Ms King...if you need anything, *swallows*

Yes, well- we burned so brightly that we both died by it. *bitterly* That was our curse, I think. We were so much more then we were suppose to be, we went too far that we drowned.

Everything is so cold without her. So hard. And now I'm alone and I'm going to lose my daughter to the same reckless behavior.

*has never said it out loud, just blinks and realizes himself again* I'm talking too much.

-almost frowning, eyes bright, looks right at him, whispers- Before it ends. -inhales sharply, looks away, wiping at her eyes- Yes, thank you...I don't believe you'd be able to assist much, but...thank you.

I guess...love's like that, hmm? If it's too bright, we burn, if it's not bright enough, it dies. -looks at him, half-smiles- But it's damn wonderful burnin' up, isn't it?

-looks taken aback- W-why would you lose...?

-shakes her head quickly- No, really, you're not. I'll talk til sunrise if you let me and it's nice...to talk to someone who understands. A little.

You know Ryan said something similar. Is there any reason you two would think that... *fighting to keep control*

*holds his hand to the back of his neck* ...do you have something to drink? My nerves...

-glances down- It's...complicated. A lot of it's speculation, a lot of it's hope, quite a bit's denial.

-laughs, arches one eyebrow- Sir, I own a bar. I've been secretly hopin' you'd ask that question since I met you. What's your pleasure?

I have nothing but time. I don't mind listening.

I wouldn't want to take advantage. *after a beat* Scotch neat. Please.

Ah. I forget. -forces a smile- In the most summarized version, yes, I live in constant fear of Lucas - that's his name, my...ex-husband - gettin' it into his head that he'd like to attempt fatherhood again, showin' up and takin' my kid.

-carefully pours the Scotch, hands it to him- Ryan is well-aware of this and it's given him more anxiety than any child should have. The part he doesn't know is that if his father decides to do this, I'm legally powerless to stop him.

((ooc: I-I don't know how they got to the bar. This keeps happening. >.<))

If he ever tried it, I'd break every bone in his body. There are 206. Half are in arms and legs. *oh look- humor...right?*

*takes the drink from her hand, and leans forward to keep his attention focused on her* ...there's no way legally to correct that? I mean Ryan is still a minor and he was abandoned.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'd watch, giggle and quite possibly clap my hands with glee. Then I'd ask for a turn.

-absently polishes the bar with a rag, for something to do- I'm afraid I know next to nothin' about legal procedures. All I know is that I terminated all my parental rights ten years ago, and now, havin' changed my name and all, the name on the birth certificate isn't mine. -half-smiles- 'King' isn't even his real last name. It's 'Hart'.

-shakes head- Even if I could keep him from goin' with Lucas, he'd probably be put in some sort of foster home. Somewhere with two parents and a picket fence and no alcohol involved.

It's a good thing Mr. Largo didn't give you any problems about it.

*hiding his pained expression* We did talk. He reminded me of somethings....

But I got your time. Just remember what we talked about.

Well, you know what? You're on vacation now. You don't have to worry about him.

I will.

I'm glad you're home.

*sinks into her touch* Oh Shilo.. You silly girl.

Yes. Yes I'm glad I'm home too.

What do you want to do first? I vote late-night movie marathon. With bagels. And tea. It's getting cold outside.

*chuckles* ...I'll take coffee and late night movies. Shall I pull the blankets off the beds and meet you in the living room? I'll start a fire.

Taken your medicine tonight? eaten?

Deal.

Yes. And yes. I'm feeling a bit better, actually.

Wonderful. So you can't fake anything to get out of family fun times.