Late Wednesday Night

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[Ten didn’t come home. He’d called, which was considerate, but it didn’t help that Chip was asleep and she was bored and alone, and Ten's credit card was maxxed out now, and there was no way she was buying things off infomercials with her own money. Dressing warmly, she made herself a thermos of hot spiced cider and took the leftover bread to the pond to feed the ducks…who always seemed hungry.]

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[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

[He sits, hand resting on Snookums who sleeps beside him. A cloud of smoke swirls around his head…no breeze to carry it away.]

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[Walking to the pond, she spies the constant night time figure of Mr. Crowley. Smiling, she slips in beside him.] Is this seat taken, sir? Or can I join you?

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

May you, pet. May you join me. And yes…you may.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[She sits, setting her bag of bread beside her. She notices the duck, and remarks as she opens her thermos] How did you train him to do that? You must spend a lot of time here to have such a tame one.

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

[His hand absently strokes the feathers] Time, patience, and livers, precious. He’s…unusual. We get along famously, my pretty bird and I.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[She pours herself a measure of hot cider and sips it, inhaling the steam.] Time and patience work wonders on most everything, Anthony. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of practice, right? Mr. Phale told me…well, lead me to the answers. I know you were in the Garden.

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

[His grin is cool, but genuine] Yes, poppet. I was. Do you despise me too, now, for your original sin?

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Not at all. If it weren’t for God putting the Tree there in the first place, you’d have never had a job in the first place. That’s ineffable, right?

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

Quite, pet. You seem to know quite a bit. You’ve gone to church-school haven’t you?

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Yes, Our Lady of Mercy. I’ve been indoctrinated. [She smiles and laughs lightly, sipping her cider.] But unlike a lot of my classmates, I never lapsed. I’ve talked to Mr. Phale a lot about this. Faith. Comfort. It’s good…it’s part of me.

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

How can you say that, precious? It’s your faith that damns you. If you’d let it all go, renounce him, you’d feel so much better.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

If I renounce him, Anthony, I’ll be in the same situation as you, sort of. No…thank you for the offer, but I’ll pass. You can keep that bit of fruit to yourself.

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Shane had been leery of returning to the park since her run-in with Crowley the week before. She wasn't keen on taking any chances and losing both her and Tara's deals from something as simple and stupid as coincidence.

Which sucked. Because she loved the park.

Still, it had been a while since she'd seen the ducks and, she reasoned with herself, as long as she didn't try to call after Crowley as she had done the previous week, she might be all right.

[flash-serpent.livejournal.com]

[He's walking away from the bench, a familiar figure of a woman watching him go. He moves fluidly to the Shop and goes inside, and the woman sits back down, watching the pond.]

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Feet coming to a halt in the chilled grass, Shane's breath catches in her lungs and she's as delicately and perfectly still as a deer, green eyes tracking Crowley as he walks to the shop.

When the door shuts and she doesn't feel the crushing weight of her own inner torment come crashing back down into her again, she releases the breath she's been holding in a relieved sigh.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[She opens the sack of bread and begins tossing it to the ducks, calling them different names as they approach. At least she isn't bored, although now, with Anthony gone, she's alone.]

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Hearing a familiar voice, Shane looks over and sees CJ and startles a smile out of her. "Hey... CJ?" She says, tucking her hands into the pockets of her hoodie as she approaches the bench.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[Looking up, she smiles wide] Hey baby! I haven't seen you in a while! How are you and Tara? Rested and better? I didn't want to bug you...

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Rested and better," she agrees, nodding as she takes a seat next to CJ on the bench and CJ's smile is infectious. "A lot better."

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Oh, good. I've been worried, and busy...I had a couple things come up. Geoff got beaten up, and I had to meet with the Dean, and then Chip came along [She sighs] Chip is legally mine now. I'm his guardian.

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I... I saw Geoff," she says quietly, slouching back against the bench. "On Sunday and then on... on Tuesday."

At the mention of Chip, both of her eyebrows arch, a slightly stunned look on her face. "You -- what -- what happened?" She asks.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

He looks bad, huh? I...took care of it. Sort of. I talked to the Dean about his attacker. [SHe sips her cider, and looks down] I do what I have to do, you know? Chip...I had to. His guardian was threatening him, and I had to help. I made a call and got temporary custody, so they can't take him from school. Ten's set up rooms for all you kids...you have one, Chip, Geoff...a few others, and a couple spares. It's turning into some wierd Brady Bunch thing in there.

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Shane murmurs, watching the ducks as they paddle their way around the pond. "I... I got Paige and Maia kicked out of the diner. Permanently, I think."

"I have a... I have a room?" She asks, looking over at CJ with that same look of complete and utter bafflement.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Of course. My room was getting far too much use, so we decided all you kids need rooms. A safe place you can always call home. Or home away from home. It's yours...I even put your name on the door.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

(([mutters and drinks some of his mun's birthday latte] Should never have shown you the interdimensional television...))