No Cameras

"Oooh, daring." Hunter grinned at Ryan's pizza choice. He couldn't help but enjoy her subtle affection of having her hand on his leg. Maybe she still needed him after all. 

"As long as we both eat it," he mused. "That way the onions won't interfere in any... after lunch activities." He bit his lip as a mischievous grin wrinkled his mouth. Leaning closer, he placed a simple kiss on her cheek. "I like your pick. We'll go with it." 

As drinks appeared on their table, he straightened a little and looked up at Carson. "Thanks."

"You bet. You guys decide what you want?" 

"Yep. Deep dish with pineapple, bacon and onions." 

Carson quirked an eyebrow and decided to write that one down. "Been two weeks since someone ordered pineapple."

"Serious?"

"Mm-hmm. Guess people around here think it's for smoothies, not pizza." Carson picked up the menus and gave them both a nod. "Won't take long. I'll be back." 

When he'd left, Hunter slid down a little in the booth and put his feet up on the seat on the other side. He tore open the end of his straw wrapper and turned to blow the wrapper at Ryan, which landed in her hair. Laughing, his eyes twinkled. "I can't even hit a target that's three inches away."


Scott sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I should be okay. Thanks, though." He got to his feet and took a moment to steady himself before slipping his shoes back on. "Had a good time tonight... felt good just to sit a while and enjoy myself." He really did mean it. He felt a hundred and ten percent better about how things sat between him and Dalton at least. "I'll um... I'll prolly see you if I stop by the office again." 

He did manage to make it home, although he couldn't help but be a little concerned. He could see through the data okay when it came up, but if it did while he was driving, it would be hard to ignore it enough to remain safe on the road. Getting inside his house, he greeted Domino and slipped off his shoes. After making sure she had food and water, he headed straight to his room where he eased down on his bed without bothering to change out of his clothes. 

Rolling onto his back, he picked up his phone and started a text message to Hope. 
Been at Dalton's. Thought I'd
let you know I made it home
okay and we had fun.


The going was slow, but Aaron did his best. His knee felt stiffer today, and it didn't like the weight he tried to put on it. Going up a whole flight of stairs was murder, but for once, he didn't complain or even mutter under his breath. He just had to stop a couple times before making it to the top, and kept following Sam until they'd come to their destination. 

Looking around a moment, Aaron found it strange the Elite didn't make use of all this space. But then... if they'd been trying to stay hidden for so many years, having offices with windows like this probably wouldn't have been smart. He moved closer to the window and stood in the sunshine, closing his eyes and breathing in the breeze. It was kind of musty in the room, but the outside air was fresh and felt good. 

After a moment, he eased down to just sit on the floor in front of the window, and sighed deeply. He looked up at Sam, revealing a new dimness in his eyes. The fight was gone. The anger had subsided. The frustration had been curbed by the depressing realization that he now had nowhere to belong. "There aren't any cameras in this room," he observed aloud. "What happens if I decide to come up here in the middle of the night?"