2020-04-15 - Walking with Grief - Vincent and Fiona

Fiona was up early as the sun streamed in the window. She was so delighted to breathe again, fully, unobstructed and with comfort. She rolled to one side and let her feet hit the floor, wiggling her toes. Vincent still seemed to be asleep beside her so she tiptoed quietly towards the bathroom.

Vincent felt Fiona stir beside him, but did not move.  He felt fine.  They had gotten the results of their second test for the coronavirus back only the day before.  It had taken a couple of days this time, as Kitty was getting a little bit overwhelmed with tests.  So it wasn’t his health.  He’d gotten much worse, as had Fiona after they were diagnosed.  Two weeks of feeling terrible, followed by almost two weeks of residual effects of healing.  But in that time, Giovanni had died … and Vincent could not get that fact … or Giovanni out of his head.

Fiona emerged from the bathroom, sweeping her hair up into a messy bun and securing it with an elastic. Vincent was still so she figured she'd let him sleep. The illness plus losing Giovanni had been way harder on him and she worried for him. She looked lovingly in the direction of his form on the bed and then tiptoed to the kitchen hoping to stealth make a pot of coffee. She was pretty good at that. Fiona took the tin of grounds and shook them into the filter basket and then started running water into the carafe to fill the machine. She was in a baggy old black tank top and some flowing soft flannel plaid pj pants.

Vincent hears Fiona as she begins to make coffee.  It isn’t that she’s loud, it’s because he isn’t asleep.  He sighs deeply and forces himself out of bed and into the bathroom.  After his pee he looks at himself as he washes his hands.  He needs a shave, he realizes and just as quickly realizes he doesn’t care about shaving.  Glancing at himself, he inhales deeply.  “Suck it up, Vincent.”  he chides himself.  Then he dries his hands and moves into the living room area of their apartment, separated from the bedroom area by a simple screen, where he sits in the chair and looks out of the window.  Immediately his eyes are drawn to the clinic building … specifically the third floor windows in the front of the building… the last place Giovanni had drawn breath.

Fiona hears Vincent start to move as she presses the button to brew and then hears his migration to the bathroom. She opens the fridge and takes out some eggs and their coffee creamer and then putters around finding a frying pan and finding some bread. She's holding the bagged loaf and looking his way when she notices him sit down in the chair and just stare. She's pretty sure she knows where he's looking and she quietly walks over to him and sits down on the arm of the chair, sliding her free arm across the back of his neck and kissing his cheek quietly. Fiona wasn't going to push, just be present.

Vincent senses Fiona’s presence and accepts the kiss.  He leans into her and asks “Morning.  How did you sleep?”  it's a normal question for waking up.  He looks at her.  “You put the coffee on … thanks.”  he looks up at her from his position in the chair, but then blinks and looks back out of the window and then, just as suddenly, he moves his gaze back in the building to his harp.  “Fuck.”  he growls, finally moving his eyes to his feet.

Fiona answers his question "Ok. Breathing is awesome. Yes coffee and then maybe some scrambled ..." She cuts off watching his gaze and then hearing him curse. Tenderly she runs her fingers through his hair "I know. Talk to me Vincent? It's ok to be sad....."

Vincent blows out a breath, then bites his lip.  His eyes go back to his harp, then he looks at Fiona, trying to get and maintain eye contact.  “I’m just … you know …”  he begins and maintaining eye contact is hard, so his eyes fall again.  He’s been thinking the same thing since he found out Giovanni had died.  “Um .. when my mother died …  it was like … waited for me ... like she held on .. so she wouldn’t have to .. you know … die alone.  Maybe we both needed for me to hold her hand.  Because … you know.  Goodbyes…”   he’s always felt that this had helped him in mourning his mother … being there when she died.  Knowing he had been there with her at the end.

Fiona instinctively took his hand, not knowing if it would cue him to really open up or not. She looked to the harp as well "Would it help you to play? Music can be good for...expressing what you need right?" He had been trying so hard to be strong, too hard. She wanted him to feel free to not have to be with her. "You don't have to do this alone Vincent."

Vincent feels Fiona’s hand and immediately closes his around it.  Her touch had a way of opening him up.  Like she was some loving safe-cracker.  He nearly chokes on a sob, but continues to talk.  “He died alone, Fiona.”  he swallows again.  “I mean … the doc was there but I wasn’t.  She …”  Dr. McKinney cared for her patients.  Maybe more than a doctor in a large city would, but she was not him.  Giovanni had known Vincent since he was a baby.  Maybe even before.  “And I know she made sure he was comfortable.  And I know Uncle Vincent doesn’t blame me.  But … he was all alone.  I should have been there … for all of it.”  he blinks.  “He was all alone.  I left him alone”  and he begins to sob like a big bearded baby.

Fiona looks pained listening to Vincent's sorrow. She tilts her head, knowing she can't talk him out of feeling responsible, even though it's no one's fault. She squeezes his hand as he talks and when the sobbing starts she lets the bag of bread fall to the floor and just slides right onto his lap, pulling him fully into her arms and holding him tightly "Oh Vincent......" She exhales into his hair, tearing up herself in empathy and love for him.

This moment had been coming for Vincent since the day he realized that not only was Giovanni sick, but that his own illness would prevent him from visiting the old man.  Nearly a month of frustration and grief came through into Fiona’s form as she held him.  First they had been too sick to grieve, although Giovanni was on his mind badly .. then they had gotten better, but Giovanni had died .. and now he as well … but without Giovanni.  He held onto Fiona as if afraid she would vanish as if being snatched away in punishment for what he considered abandonment of one of the men who had loved and supported him all of his life.  And part of him also knew … he wasn’t being rational.

Fiona just held on, rocking him a little, stroking his back and his hair lovingly and crying with him. It was heart wrenching and made her ache in her whole being but she was also so relieved he was letting all this out. She snuggled her face into the side of his, her tears mingling and just breathed.

Letting it out did feel good to Vincent.  It was several minutes before he backed off.  “Shit.  I snotted on you.”  he blows out a breath.  “I need to blow my nose.”  he looks at her.  “Thanks Fiona. For being there.  For supporting me.  For not thinking I’m all … whatever it is I think I’m being because I cry.  Man nothing should be this hard.” he grouses.

Fiona looked down at the snot on her shoulder and shrugged. Cheekily she retorts "You've done worse." And then follows him to the tissue and grabs one to wipe herself off. "You're human. You love people. You grieve them. there's no whatever. I think I'd be concerned if you didn't love deeply. I'm always here for you Vincent...and you're right. It's hard. But you're not alone." She leans in and kisses his cheek and then steps back with a sweet smile "Do you want an omelette?"

Vincent heads for the tissue and wipes the snot off of himself with her.  “It’s … Gino and his bullshit.”  he grumbles.  “Be a man and ust shrug off things like death.”  he smiles at the kiss and looks at her as she steps back.  Then he takes a step forward and kisses her softly.  “I would love an omelette.”  he admits.  “And coffee.”  He heads for the kitchen.  “I’m not sure when, because the whole world is on hold it seems, but I need to get on some of the things Giovanni suggested I do.”  He sits at the kitchen island.  “One of those is changing my name and … he had a neat idea for our wedding rings I thought you might like but … we were so sick I didn’t bother to bring it up.”  he pauses.  “And changing my name BEFORE the wedding .. because it’ll be easier to register as Reinhardt and not have to change it after classes start.”  he figures he can honor Giovanni by utilizing his wisdom.

Fiona follows and then opens the fridge again, taking out a block of cheddar cheese, some green onions, a bag of mushrooms and a nice looking tomato. "Giovanni was such a man ahead of his time...supporting a man taking a woman's name." She beams "What's the ring thing?" She pulls out a handful of mushrooms and moves to the sink to wash them.


Vincent laughs.  “Well, I don’t know about that, but … he knows how I felt about the name D’Antoni … and he knew Gino, so …”  he smiles.  “Plus I told him I proposed on bended knee AND asked your father for your hand.  After that, he was completely content about us.”  his smile grows larger.  “He said there is this metal called black titanium … and he suggested our wedding rings be black.”  he bites his bottom lip.  He’d really liked that idea.

Fiona turns, looking pleased at the idea of black rings "Black titanium. We'd be like gothic superheroes Minstrel. I approve." She grabs a cutting board and a knife and starts chopping up mushrooms. "Hey, can you grate some cheese please?"

Vincent beams and immediately stands to get the grater and the cheese.  “Good.  I loved the idea.”  he settles himself back on the other end of the counter and begins to grate … cooking was very therapeutic for him.  “He also wants … wanted .. to buy my suit or tux or whatever.  Yours too … you remember when Vincent bought my suit for our first Winter Formal?  But he said he wasn’t sure and couldn’t talk to your Dad about that thing with him being sick and all.  Father of the bride paying all and … shit like that.”  he shrugs.

Fiona had the mushrooms sizzling in butter and had moved onto the green onions in her chopping. "Well my parents will be happy to share costs. If my dad was in charge we'd be shopping for fancy clothes at the thrift store. Not that that's bad...though maybe with Covid new is safer for awhile. Besides you might end up all John Travolta if we go too retro. Then they'll make you do the dance." She teases. Fiona loved retro so she knew it well.

Vincent laughs.  “Yea …  I think maybe we can let Giovanni foot the bill for the clothes and the rings.”  he decides.  “Although…”  he smirks a little, looking pointedly at the cheese and not Fiona.  “You’re going more for Wednesday Adams as opposed to Mortitia on the dress, right?”  he almost teases.  Fiona never tried to look sexy, as far as Vincent knew.  To him, she just was.

Fiona whipped her head around at him, holding up a tomato like she was considering him as a target. Her expression was playful "Do you want Morticia? Or Wednesday? Spoilers...there is only one correct answer." Fiona put the tomato down and stabbed it dramatically. She was a relatively small breasted woman and she knew it. There weren't enough push up bras on the planet that would give her the cleavage needed for the other dress...without surgery that is.

Vincent looks up at her, hears the question and sees the tomato take the blade.  He holds up his hands.  “Well I want YOU … dressed as Wednesday.”  he confesses.  “Always have.”

Fiona giggles "I know. I'm just testing you. you passed as always my love." She sets aside the chopped tomato and starts cracking eggs "Oh chicken embryos....look at your glorious sacrifice......." She beats them without remorse and tips them into the mushrooms "Bring that cheese over here so we can add the forced lactation of cattle to our evils we'll be ingesting.” Fiona could easily turn a weak willed person off any meal when she set her mind to it.

Vincent chuckles and dutifully brings the shredded cheese over.  He stands beside her and casually watches.  Other people cooking fascinated him still, even though he had been sharing the cooking with someone else for more than three years now.

Fiona swoops to the cheese and  grabs handfuls throwing it into her chaotic scramble of an omelette. She was a good cook but she was super random about it. Food had no rules. She made noises like the cheese was a plane crashing into the rest of the melange and then as it solidified she tried to fold it and it all fell to pieces "Damn you embryo...do my bidding.....no no over there ye rat bastards......" This was mostly for Vincent's amusement. She was in a silly mood. today would be a good day to connect with Addy, the queen of the land of silly.

Vincent watches Fiona cook while chuckling like mad.  He knew he was a little anal about cooking, feeling every meal had to be perfect.  Fiona was helping him get over that both with her own less stringent cooking style and by loving him even when he got distracted and ruined a meal … usually because Fiona distracted him.  There’d never been a fire, but there had been a couple of ruined meals they then recooked together.  His mind turned to Addison too and he reached for his tablet computer, which was usually in the kitchen so he could read and follow recipes.  He goes through the apps and calls Addison O’Brian.

Addison was on her living room, reading a book and listening to Celtic music.  She hears her phone go off and sees it is Vincent.  Tapping the screen she smiles.  “Well hello there!  Have you finally decided to take up sports?”

Fiona turns off the now cooked omelette mash and overhears "Addy!" she yells from behind Vincent "I'm committing beautiful murders in here. Is homicide a sport if you stretch first. Because you should always stretch right?” She dashes back for the bread she dropped on the living room floor and puts in some toast.

Vincent laughs and shakes his head as Fiona replies.  “Nope.  I’m just watching my love serial murder while we plan a wedding.”  and he sets the tablet on its stand so Addy can see Fiona cooking before he heads back around the counter and puts himself on a stool, putting his chin in both hands and giving a particularly dopy loving look to Fiona.

Addison laughs.  “Where …”  she watches Fiona leave and come back.  She’s had the grand tour, so she knows the layout of their small apartment.  “Are you hoarding bread in your living room?”  she blinks and then laughs at Vincent’s words and then the way he looks at Fiona.  “Well if you can’t guess my costume, I may as well not attend.”  she mock huffs.

Fiona beams at Vincent "It's delightful how planning a wedding and planning a murder are so...aligned." She takes 2 pieces of toast out to butter and then pops the next 2 in, closing the bag and dramatically stroking it for Addy on camera "Wonder bread...it never goes bad. And we can use it as pillows if the apocalypse requires more. We've lined the walls with it." She chides, clearly not meaning it. "What are you up to today Addy? Aside from reading of course." She's buttering now with her head turned back but still listening.

Vincent keeps up his puppy love pose.  At this point he is in this for the food and lets the ladies chat, since there was so little of that after they got sick.

Addison laughs.  “They ARE … and she smiles at the wonder bread comment.  “Smart lady!”  then she huffs again.  “Besides reading ….  I am working on my beloved father, who heard about a virus and promptly ordered enough meat and Irish Whiskey to outlast a zombie Apocalypse.  He said he won't go another 3 years with nothing but birds and fish to eat.”  she rolls her eyes.  “Yet he’s in better shape now than he was before.  Of course now he and Jack are at home because the bar is closed and Dad decided that we can social distance in the building … which works cause it means he has Jack and I can still see Tony and Quentin.”

Fiona gives Vincent a look of love before buttering the next pieces of toast. She loved him and spending every waking moment with him was complete heaven but she had desperately missed Addy.

"So you're running a  drunken abettor. I approve. Your Dad must be kinda bored. He's used to having so many people to talk to. Maybe he could make a pub night on Zoom or something for all those old dudes....i mean my Dad included..." She laughs. Fiona plates the food and brings one to Vincent as an offering as she keeps talking. "Tony and Quentin. Well one of them's old enough to enjoy looking at...you know for masturbatory apocalypse fodder." She's only half joking, wishing her friend had some love or lust to keep her warm at night too.

Vincent accepts the plate with a smile and a blown kiss.  And then he begins to eat happily.  Listening to the besties, he shakes his head at them.

Addison nods.  “I’m setting that up for him now.  Of course that means I am setting it up for all of them, including our dear mayor.  They can spend at least one night a week drinking booze Dad plans to have delivered and bemoaning the very technology that is making it all possible.”  She laughs and the bites her lip, although with Fiona, she doesn’t blush.  “Yea …. Um …. Speaking of Quentin…”  she pauses.  “Since Aeden is alive but not coming back … and I mean who knew we’d all live, but he’s got his own life now and … well I do too, damnit!”  she clears her throat.  “But I’ve kinda been … keeping a secret from you .. because … I mean … you and Vincent have been making plans the last few months and … I’m not about to interrupt with my weird ass life … but … you know …  I mean ….” 

Fiona sets her plate down with wide eyes and a huge grin and then grabs Vincent's tablet and sets it where she can stare fully at her friend "A secret with Quentin? Oh. My. God. Tell me you're banging him? Because that would make my entire day!!! Tell me your weird ass life....Holy shit Addy...tell me EVERYTHING!" Fiona is practically jumping up and down in her seat with anticipation of the goods on this.

Vincent’s eyes grow wide as he chews his omelet.  He knows Addy usually had a thing for older guys and that Aaedan O’Leary had been the youngest guy she’d ever been with.  As his fiance gets excited he chuckles and swallows.

Addison laughs at her friends excitement.  “Yes.  A secret with Quinten.  I mean it started being more than just pity flirting maybe a year ago, but he …”  she shrugs.  “You know Aedan and I never had sex … so Quention is my first…”  she bites her lip.  “Now I know what you meant when you told me about you and Vincent…” and she blushes a little bit, finally.

Fiona gives Vincent a little sideways grin and looks back to Addy "Now I forget what I said...because it's been years of absolute love and total ecstasy.  So what are YOU saying about Quentin? I have no shame. We might make Vincent blush though and that's worth it too...." She teases.

Vincent blinks and looks up with arched brows as he is inexplicably brought into the conversation.  What had Fiona said about him that could have anything to do with Quentin, he wonders.

Addison giggles.  “Oh it was something about how a big cock can be complete bliss.”  she smiles.  “I was so afraid of sex … you know pain and how would it fit and .. you know me.”  she inhales deeply and blows out a long breath.  “Oh.  my.  God.  You were right .. it’s INCREDIBLE.  And he has as talented a tongue as Aeden has.  Just … god Fi … watching him hovering over me, knowing I will feel him inside me filling every happy place inside of me.”  she bites her lower lip.  “And .. yea … emotion … I mean … Maybe because I’ve known him since he and Tony moved in … when he moved out of that little studio on Water because Tony came into his life.  It went from friendship to my crush … and then he started flirting back and … then ….  I … um … you know … emotion and shit.”

Fiona gives one clap and throws her head back laughing "Yes bliss!" She looks sheepishly at Vincent "Sorry, not sorry." She sighs happily at Addy "I'm so glad you're getting laid properly...with emotions and shit. So like saying the L word emotions and shit? I want to marry him emotions and shit? " She's genuinely curious "How's Tony taking it? And how's your DAD?!"

Vincent drops his head and shakes it.  He isn’t surprised that Fiona discussed his penis with Addison; he’d be surprised if she hadn’t.  He finally speaks.  “I’m happy for you too, Addy.  But I am pretty sure I speak for Quentin when I say we probably won’t stand for a side by side comparison.” and he gets up to pour himself and Fiona some coffee, making both cups the way they like it.

Addison smiles ear to ear and her picture jolts when she falls on her side laughing at Vincent’s words.  It takes her a minute to get herself together, then she sits up and gets a little more serious.  “L word emotions and shit.”  she confides.  “You know I’m not much for marriage, considering how well it went for Dad, but I don’t think Quentin is into it either.  Can’t we just love each other?”  she smiles.  “Well …  Tony is great.  He had a crush on me .. and you .. but now that he is becoming a man in his own right …”  she laughs.  “With that voice you know he’s got his own pack of harpies, just like Vincent did.”  and she sighs deeply.  “Dad and I talked about it when the ferry reconnected.  Quentin wanted to take me out for a weekend and I had to tell Dad.  And Dad got red in the face … until I reminded him how old my mother was, so he can’t play the Portly Hypocrite with Quentin.  Plus Dad loves Quentin so … he wound up just telling us to have fun and be safe.” she giggles.  “And we saw next to no part of White Rock which is why we're still healthy.”

Quentin could hear Addy laughing and giggling outside the door as he did his post run stretch out against the wall. He couldn't make out words and he had no idea who she was talking to. He eyed the door, wondering if he should come back later and shower at home today. Quietly, he opened it, just peeking in and smiling awkwardly. Not everyone knew about them so he decided to play it neighbourly "Good morning Addison. Could I borrow a cup of sugar?"

Fiona had been laughing through the whole thing, insanely. At Vincent, at Addy and now when she heard Quentin she just howled again for a minute before calling him out "So is that what you're calling it? Hi Quentin....It's OK...she told us!!

Quentin shuts the door behind him and hides his face behind his hand laughing "Alrighty then......fucking hell..." He was slightly sweaty and in track pants and one of those light grey sports tshirts with that sort of wicking fabric.

Vincent hears Quentin as he sits himself back down.  “Hello Quentin.”  he calls.  “Welcome to my world.  I’ll send you a welcome basket soon, I promise.” it was sort of nice to know someone was in Addison’s life.  “Plenty of sugar products, too.”

Addison laughs as much as Fiona when Quentin comes in and asks for a cup of sugar as if they were in an old fifties sitcom.  Then she laughs at Vincent's offer to make sugary things and put them in a gift basket.  She reaches out for Quentin’s hand to either pull him either into a kiss or onto the couch with her .. and into a kiss.  “Now’s your final chance to run.”  she tells him.  “Cause these two sort of come with me…”

Fiona has turned the screen so Vincent can be seen too. She's done grilling her friend and now just wants to see her joy with this newfound love. She giggles at Vincent and then says "Oh Quentin...you want his baking...trust me! Welcome to the madness."

Quentin grinned widely and chuckled at it all and took Addy's hand, kissing it sweetly as he's pulled down and then kissing her a little longer than is polite in front of her friends. When he pulls back he turns and says to the whole group "Well I will accept all baked goods and baskets. And I've already had my run...so now you're stuck with me. Sorry for the smell..." He jokes as he settles in with Addy and leans back, arm around her shoulders.

Vincent smiles and watches the kiss.  “Well if I don’t make you brownies now, I’m guessing I can go sleep on the washing machine.”  he decides.

Addison gets into the kiss and then looks cheekily at Quentin when he comments on the smell.  “I don’t mind your sweat one bit.  And I don’t think you mind mine.”  She is not known to be shy nor to pull any punches.  She settles under his arm and beams.  “Oh .. brownies.  Chocolate…” she bites her lip and smiles up at Quentin.  “I should save one for Tony, shouldn’t I?”

Fiona giggles at Vincent "Or in the machine. Think of the fun of the spin cycle Minstrel. But yes make a double recipe please. I want some too."

Quentin gives Addy a little eyebrow wiggle about the smell comment and then laughs "Well if we're not cooking them here...the boy might not smell them right away. Mind you he's like a hound dog for the food. One time he had those buddies of his over playing that table game thing with the dice...D&D...and I dared to open a bag of pretzels in my room. Door closed. They HAD snacks. They had eaten 3 pizzas. I grabbed 2 slices before they dove in. But now the bag opened and in his head came in the doorway "Hey Dad you have pretzels..." He laughed "Then they ate my damn pretzels....all of em. I still miss those kids coming round though. They had to play their game on 3 way calling on old school phones because Mason got himself grounded from technology. Kid started a fire making some kinda craft....for that birthday..." He makes eye contact with Addy knowing she knows which one and then looks back and continues "Anyhow it was funny to watch Tony deal with that one." He gives a charming smile "Got on a roll there. Hey you two are getting hitched. Happy Hitching times there Fiona and Vincent."

Vincent nods.  “Two pans of brownies.  I’ll make them today, since I am feeling so much better now.”  he looks at Fiona gratefully.  “I’ll get Owen to deliver them … OK three pans of brownies because Owen’ll want some and if your Mom finds out I made brownies and didn’t make her some I’m a dead man.”  He listens to the story of the pretzels and sniggers.  “I used to eat like that.”  he remembers.  “Thought it would make me grow tall .. but I only got wider.”  he’s far from fat, just wider than he was a skinny young teen.

Addison giggles at the story and nods.  “Daphne McLeod.  She threw a farting unicorn party.  Mason Stanley started a fire trying to use a soldering iron instead of a glue gun.  Man Fi, we dodged a bullet with those Stanley kids.”  She looks at Quentin.  “You DO know that Tony has a crush on Daphne, right?”

Fiona beams at Vincent and looks back at the screen "I'm just grooming him to be my house husband so I can have all the brownies." She looks at Quentin "Oh yes the eating.... I have three brothers. I know how boys eat...." She grins again at Vincent "You're perfect my love. Not quite as boney as when we began...." She trails off with a mischievous look and then answers Addy "I have heard the rumours about them. and the girl....I keep seeing her on roofs around town like she's some kinda vigilante. Impressive...but I wouldn't want to babysit that...and a soldering iron? Yikes. I approve of the farting unicorns. God only knows what they really eat right?" She pauses to see what Quentin's reply is to the crush.

Quentin nods along about the Stanley twins and laughs and then looks thoughtful about the crush "I had my suspicions......I give the illusion of privacy but...I hear things. I heard how he was talking and singing to her. He must be a little pissed that we all gotta stay in." He laughs "Ah he'll live. He can just keep singing to the girl on Zoom."

Vincent was baking in his mind but snaps out of it.  “Oh yea .. thanks Quentin.  It’s going to be a Halloeen wedding so … Think of a costume.  Addy will be one of any numbers of Cubs, probably.”  Then he looks at Fiona and adopts the voice of his favorite Harry Potter character.  “I’z does the baking for Boss Fiona.  Chocolate makes her keep the socks at bay.”  then he arches his brows in amazement.  “I am so glad I never got into babysitting.”  he shakes his head.  “So none of them had a wet fart?  Now THAT would have been hilarious.”

Addison nods and laughs.  “Yes.  Mabel.  And their grandfather is of course Chief Stanley, so talk about skipping a step in getting in trouble.”  She looks at Quentin.  “Oh, they should go on a virtual date.  No wait … never mind.  She has two sisters.  That’d be like Fi and Vincent trying to find privacy with her brothers around.”

Fiona giggles at Vincent's elfishness and then squawks out "A shart! No kid's gonna admit that one. You're so gross Minstrel. I love it. I found privacy with my brothers around. You just have to be a little scary. Tell Daphne I take proteges." She jokes.

Quentin laughs along with all the comments. He had kind of been on the fringe of Addy's life for a long time. It was still novel to be part of the main show so to speak. He muses about the advice for his son and his wished for date "You know...it's probably best we leave them to sort it." The Harry Potter reference seemed to have sailed over his head because he didn't laugh on that cue. The costume thing circled back in his mind and he offered the typical "Can I dress as a DJ...we look like everyone else." He flashed an insurance smile at Addy thinking she might object.

Vincent shrugs.  “It does help that your brothers were … well… are scared of you.”  he looks at Quentin on the screen.  “With your being Addy’s plus one or whatever you can’t even BE the DJ.”  he tells the man.  “I’ll be happy to get out of having to wear wings with my white suit.”

Addison didn’t seem bothered by Quentin’s lack of Harry Potter appreciation.  She was learning about the concessions that have to be made to keep a relationship going.  But she shook her head at him.  “One.  You don’t all look alike.  Two.  You have to wear a costume.  But what costume?  I mean we can get all stereotypical and go with like Shaft, I suppose.  That way you don’t have to look too … abnormal.”  she winks at him. 

Fiona eyed Quentin noticing he didn't catch the house elf joke and then smiles at Vincent "Indeed. And no, Quentin you are there to have fun, not work. I'd be more on the Nick Fury page though if you're picking a Samuel L Jackson muse character."

Quentin chuckled at Addy but then did a little snap and point at Fiona "Now we’re talking...or uh grow and oil the fro for a little Jules Winnfield."

Fiona was loving Quentin's thoughts now "Pulp Fiction....yes. You should add a bit of brains on the lapel for good measure..."

Quentin howled "Oh best scene. So bad and so good...."

Vincent listens to the conversation, drinking his coffee.  Breakfast is over.  Now its time for conversation.  He smiles, glad he is able to do so.  An hour ago he was in tears and so depressed he just didn’t know what to do.  And Fiona led him out … again.

Addison bites her lip.  “Jules Winnfield … oh yes .. yes .. god yes.”  she nearly moans.  “I wonder if my Dad still has his fedora….”  she gathers her long red hair in her hands.  “As long as I don't have to get a haircut …”

Fiona took forever to eat, still picking at hers, even though it was tasty because the conversation had distracted her. She took another bite and smiles, closed mouthed at the screen and then at Vincent.

Quentin basks in the approval for a moment and then slid his fingers up the back of Addy's neck as she scoops her hair "No haircuts baby..." It's a plea followed by a light kiss at the nape of her neck.

Fiona swallows her bite and pretends to speak through  a cough "Get a room lovebirds!"

Vincent watches and chuckles.  “OK, I get it .. this is how that feels, eh?”  he teases, as he and Fiona often got affectionate when Addison was around.

Addison smiles and gasps.  “Never…” she whispers, glad not to be standing because she knows her knees would give out on her.  Especially when he nuzzles her neck.  “Yea Vincent.  Consider this revenge.” 

Vincent laughs.  “No worries, Addy.  I am all about seeing love and happiness today.” 

Fiona snorts and gives a little eye roll “Touche.”

Quentin eases off and smiles a little sheepishly “Sorry... I just love Addy’s hair..” he chuckles.

Vincent laughs softly.  “I can relate.”  he reaches over and tucks some of Fiona’s red hair behind her ear.  “But Fi’s eyes…”  he pauses to look into them and his words don’t continue.  He’s lost.

Addison giggles and looks at the screen.  “Well … I think this is a good place to say goodbye.”  she licks her lips.  “Tony is downstairs ready to start school.  Dad is downstairs with Jack working out how they can turn Statutes into a virtual bar.  Vincent is lost in Fiona’s eyes…”  she giggles.  “I say we all head for bed … or couch … or kitchen …”

Fiona sees Vincent lost in her and sighs at him and then vaguely nods at Addy and swats towards the tablet to end the call "What she said. Nice to chat with you Quentin......bye now." And she clicks it off and finds her way to her man, the rest of the world fading away.

Quentin laughs and gives Addy's hip a little squeeze "Bye guys..." he says but she's ended the call before the end of his last word. He gives Addy a smoldering look and suggests "Or shower....been thinking about that since I asked you for sugar."