The Perk, Saturday afternoon

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon had found a table by the window in the Perk, and was now sitting there reading a medical journal, while occasionally throwing a glance out the window. He had ordered a large cup of tea and an apple cake, but that was mostly an excuse to get out of the house for a while.

[Expecting one, but open Perk]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah was doing some shopping, and saw Simon in the window of the Perk.

Sneak... sneak... sneak... sneak.... tap tap tap on the window!

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon jumped, almost dropping the journal. River had used to say that he always fell for that trick. When he noticed Dinah, he grinned and gestured for her to come in.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah beamed at him and went in, heading for the counter first for a mochachino, then bounding over with enthusiasm to take the seat across from him. "Hi, Simon. Whatcha reading?"

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

He held up the journal. "They draw all sorts of wrong conclusions, but of course, they don't have all the data." He paused. "So, how are you?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Enjoying having a week without invasions or craziness at the moment," Dinah knocked on the table, "and studying for Finals on Monday. And couldn't you tell them they're wrong?" She peered at the medical journal, eyebrows going up. "Or do they need equipment they don't have to get it right?"

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Would you believe me if you were them? 'Hello, I'm from the future, and I can prove that half of your studies are wrong?' Besides, I..." He shrugged, then took a sip from his tea. "What subjects are you taking?" He smiled.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"TV sports journalism and Sex Ed on Monday," Dinah turned only a little pink at mention of the second one, "And Movie Appreciation on Friday. And my sister's given me an online science course I need to finish soon too, or no birthday cake for me." She cocked her head. "It must be rough, being from that far in the future, and you can't change anything here, not really."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"I don't know if River took any of those. Well, I think she took the Sex Ed one," Simon replied, blushing a little at the mention of that subject too. "And no cake? That's harsh. When is your birthday?"

At her other comment, he just shook his head: "I never planned to stay this long."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"It's okay, that course. I heard the last guy who taught it was all Abstinence Only and no one liked it," Dinah possibly overshared. "Um, well, it's Barbara. She'll probably cave in. And Thursday!" She did a little chair dance, then gulped more mochachino, wiping whipped cream off her mouth with a napikin. "I turn seventeen then."

She studied him, then asked, "Do you think you'll leave then? To go look for her?" River. Who was out there, somewhere. Maybe he had some idea where to get started?

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Oh, seventeen. Will you have a party?" Simon grinned, then shook his head. "I've been told where she went, and I can't find the way there," he replied. "But I can't just go back to Serenity without her, so I'm kind of stuck here."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry," Dinah offered, wondering if he was staying on the theory that she'd find her way back to him when she could. "That kind of sucks. She could find you here, though?... And yeah, a barbecue. If the weather's good, you know? I'll be almost done with Finals then, too, and I already know what's on Friday's. People might like a party."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"If she comes back." He hadn't completely given up hope.

"And you have to have a birthday party," he continued, relieved to have a more cheerful topic. "Including a cake."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Yay cake! I bet the God of Biscuits place will do one," Dinah said, considering. "Or maybe an ice-cream one from Chilly Boulder. It's final rehearsal day for the play I'm in, too, so it'll have to be after that."

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

It wasn't Daisy's usual errand day, but it was so nice out that it seemed a shame to spend too much of it indoors. Stopping by the Perk for a nice soy chai latte to keep her going, and maybe pick up some good beans for the station, she gave Simon a wave and a smile, not wanting to interrupt, but also not wanting to be unfriendly, either.

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

Simon smiled as he saw her, and put away the journal. Interruption was welcome, but he suspected she was working. In either case, he hoped that Daisy understood that she was welcome to join him if she liked.

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

Weekends outside of a crisis were sacred to Daisy as very specifically not working time, so the notion would have made her laugh, although the setting aside of the journal did that, too, just a light chuckle, and, as soon as her drink was ready, she drifted over toward the young doctor's table.

"How's it going, Simon?"

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Oh, good," he said. "No harpies. And how are you?" He gestured for her to take a seat.

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

"Ta." Daisy smiled as she pulled the suggested seat out and slid into it to join Simon, pleased by the invitation. "Good. Exceptionally glad for no little surprises this morning or another weekend stuck sleeping in the station. And the weather's been so nice."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Surprises?" Sometimes Simon was a bit slow.

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

Daisy blinked at Simon a moment.

"Last weekend," she said. "You didn't notice the influx of little ankle-biters presuming to be future offspring?"

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Oooh, yes!" Simon grinned. "A girl showed up on my doorstep with a small boy. Malcolm. He was really sweet, and persuaded me to show him the clinic."

Simon had really enjoyed the company.

"Did you know the father of the children?"

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

And Daisy was immediately regretting this choice of discussion topic.

"Of one of them," she muttered, wrinkling her nose in evident distaste.

"On the bright side, though, they were both very good helpers at the station, too. So help me, I think Coop might actually be considering some of Justice's suggestions for the trooper armour."

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"I had never met Dinah before she showed up with Malcolm," he told her. "She's very young and a student at the school. More like a younger sister." He looked at Daisy. "You didn't enjoy it much, then?"

[justice-beat.livejournal.com]

"I'm not exactly at the 'kid' point in my life," Daisy said, a little wryly, before her eyebrow arched slightly. "Dinah wasn't....I mean...the mum, was she?"

[fancypantsdoc.livejournal.com]

"Well, neither am I," Simon replied, shaking his head. "And yes, she was." This caused him to blush. "I mean, I wouldn't... Not now... I think we were a lot older."