“Do most of your activities require you to have a lawyer on speed dial?” She laughed before she could finish speaking. “Will it need a bird sling?” Her eyes looked down at the bird than wiping her hands on her skirt “Are you a vet or do you just watch youtube videos and know what you’re doing?”

“My lawyer says not to answer questions like that unless he’s present” He replied dryly, trying to keep a serious face but failing miserably. “Kind of? We need to tape his wing to his body so he can’t move it, that way it heals properly” He replied, holding the bird securely between one arm and his stomach. “Marine biologist. I take care of a lot of penguins so I kind of have a little knowledge on birds”

Easing even more in his arms when he rubbed her back, she chose to keep her eyes closed for a little longer, humming to his question. “I am, but my mom has me looking after Bobby all the time.” She said as a bit of a complaint, knowing that Calvin would get where she was coming from. She loved her new brother, but kids were still a very big issue for her. “I just wish she knew sometimes, you know?” Ophelia rolled a bit in her position to be able to look up at him, a pouty expression on her face, pulling heir hair away.

There were only a handful of people that Calvin knew like the back of his hand and Ophelia was at the top of that list. So when her mother brought home her new baby brother, Calvin helped her through those first few difficult months knowing exactly how she felt about kids. “You didn’t choose this for yourself, you have to talk to your mom about this” He suggested. “He’s your brother, not your son you know?” Calvin added, brushing his thumb against her small chin gently before scrunching his nose at her. 

“Wine?” she joked, biting her bottom lip. “Just smaller…” she repeated before glancing up to see his grin. “No, of course not. I’m parked just around the corner.”

“Oh do you have any wine in your purse?” he teased, grinning at the brunette. “Lead the way, Rollins”

“If it was a girl I’d be much more sweaty,” he joked back, glancing under his pits for added effect with a slight chuckle. “To your place? Shouldn’t you be taking this to a vet… or something?”

“I don’t know man, you look a little nervous” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Nah, Vet’s don’t get paid to take in wild animals - you have to call animal control and they’re garbage”

Melanie rolled her eyes at the pun before glancing down at the little duckling now wrapped up in her scarf. She felt sorry for the small creature, so helpless and defenseless. She never wanted to see herself that way. “So now what?”

“We raise it like our own” He joked, flashing the blonde a boyish grin. “I will probably take him home, he’s not with any other duckling which usually means he was forgotten” 

“Do you happen to have one on standby? What does that say about you?” Her hands cupped around the small bird glancing up and down between the bird and the man. “They thought I could handle it, so from when I was about 8 to about 9, I would scream at the sight of one.” 

“That I’m ready for any situation?” he joked, keeping his eyes on the bird as he carefully inspected his small wing. “look at you facing your fears - on the plus side, it looks like it’s only a sprain, this little guy will be just fine” He assured her, reaching his hands out to take the bird from the blonde. “The sad part is that I think it’s mother lost him”

Tristan looked down at the bird, nodding along as the other guy explained. “Just terrified,” Tristan teased back, while holding his hands out as asked.

“Why? it’s not a girl” he joked back before placing the bird in the other’s hands. “I think it’s sprained, i have to take it back to my place” 

“I have all the faith in you! I just didn’t know if you had the things it took to fixed a sprained wing is all,” she explained, glancing up from the bird to meet his gaze. 

“What do you use to fix your sprain? birds are pretty similar... things are just smaller” he flashed her a boyish grin. “Do you mind giving us a ride? I sort of walked here”

The blonde let out a soft chuckle at his response, snuggling closer to him when his arm wrapped around her body. “I knew you’d get Chinese, I’m only here for the food.” She joked as a grin began to form on her lips, closing her eyes momentarily as she enjoyed the comfort of finally being able to stop moving. “I am sorry, boo, I’ve just had a lot in my mind lately and today’s been so stressful.” Ophelia apologised again with a bit of a pout, pinching his cheek gently.

“I knew you were using me” He shot back, a sleepy grin plastered on his face as he instinctively rubbed her back.  Calvin was well aware of her life and how busy and on the move she constantly was. She often filled her days with no rest in between, he was tired even thinking about it. “Everything okay?” He questioned, concern filling his words. There were only a handful of people in Calvin’s life that he really considered family and Ophelia was on the top of that list and he had always felt the need to protect and care for her. 

“You speak like you’re suddenly a bird whisperer,” Melanie said as she took her purse off of her shoulder and opened it up. She took out the thin scarf that was neatly folded inside and then held it out to Calvin. “Will this work?”

“Well I take care of a different kind of work as a living so I’m honestly just winging it” He joked, taking the scarf from the blonde before gently wrapping the small duckling into his arms. “Thanks - now keep an eye on mama, or we might both be in trouble” 

“Now there’s an idea. My own personal chair, I can get on board with that.” With a slight smile she sat herself down, sinking against the back. “Thanks, again. Sorry to impose… again.”

“Who do we have to talk to around here for you to get that?” He chuckled, looking around jokingly. “Really it’s not a problem. I always feel terrible when I’m in here and it’s full like this” 

“I would never be stupid enough to confess to anything,” Amelia replied quickly before breaking out in a smile. “Is this a bad time to tell you that the movie The Birds really freaked me out as a kid?” She winced before extending out her hands.

“Do I need to call my lawyer?” He teased, his eyes landing on hers. “Your parents let you watch that as a kid? I saw it when I was 25 and it gave me nightmares” Calvin confessed, gently placing the bird in the blondes hands gently. 

Breathing in his scent as his arms wrapped around her caused Zara to instantaneously relax. Her arms wrapping tightly around him, head burying into his shoulder for a moment in a giving up, give me strength type of manner. Lifting her head, she let another smile creep onto her face as she felt his lips make contact with her head. “I did—” she murmured softly, “left the lights on all day, didn’t I?” She speaks, heavy sigh leaving her lips. Honestly, work was knackering her and this was just another negative.

Taking a step back, she shrugged her shoulders softly, her tired feet shifting to look at the car. “I—” she hadn’t even thought of that. For a smart girl, she hadn’t really taken control of the situation at hand. “I just texted you—” 

Feeling her weight suddenly release in his arms, Calvin held onto her firmly. He wanted her to know that he’d be the guy to always hold her up. “My sister does that once a week so you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself” He chuckled, trying to give her a tiny bit of reassurance. 

Popping his own trunk open, Calvin quickly grabbed the jumper cables before attaching them to her battery. “Don’t ever say I’ve never done anything for you” he flashed her a boyish grin from behind the hood of her car before doing the same to his car. “Do me a favor and get in my car and turn my engine on when I say?”

  “I think i should have some kind of box or something in my car which is not packed too far from here” he answered 

“That would be great man, lead the way” he replied, the duck securely in his arms. 

“Damn, I wonder how it happened,” Tristan twisted his lips, glancing down at the small bird. “Should we call animal control or something? See if they can find somewhere to take it to help it out?”

“I think he might have just gotten scared and twisted it” He assumed, scratching the top of the duck’s head. “Or it could really be nothing, sometimes it could just be something stuck in his wing. Hold your hands out man, I need you to hold him so I can look.... unless you’re scared?” he teased. 

Melanie winced slightly as the bird began to squirm a little in Calvin’s hands and she pressed her lips together in thought. “Are you sure we shouldn’t take him to a bird sanctuary? There must be one near by, or at least a few cities over.”

“So he can be in a zoo of other birds? no way, this guy is an independent nugget” He teased, trying to calm the little guy down. “Do you have a towel or something I can wrap him in? I’m gonna see what I have in my car that can help”

“Should we take him to the vet then?” she asked, glancing down at the bird. 

“I think I can get him all patched up at my house, V. Have a little faith in me” He assured her, a small smile on his lips.