One & the same with Atlas

“I misspoke, I’m taking it back. You’re wrong.  Like, always.  Forever wrong.” She huffed playfully, her nerves already fleeing.  What would be, would be.  And whatever it was, the two would face together, just as they did with everything else.  “Oh thank god, because I’m about ready to burst,” she responded at his prompting, grabbing his free hand and pulling him towards the bathroom.  Once the test was in hand, she made quick work of it, while she had made peace with her nerves, that didn’t mean she wasn’t dying to find out what the result was.  “I can’t believe we have to wait a whole five minutes,” she groaned, finishing washing her hands before knocking her head against his chest repeatedly.  “Distract me, Hudson, before I lose my fucking mind.  We could have a quickie?”

⚾

Soft chuckle was given as he let himself be pulled through to bathroom. “Too late now, it’s ingrained in here.” All the waiting felt intolerable even though he’d always considered himself something of a patient man but now that they were only minutes away from a result things felt as though they were dragging even more. It’s nothing he shows too obviously though, instead just wrapping his arounds around Charlie, head shaking in fond exasperation as debated his response. His inability to bring himself to say no to her was inevitably what had gotten them into the situation. “Come on, you know we usually need longer than five minutes.” The truth was that for all he wanted a distraction for the next five minutes, he didn’t want to wait a second longer for the result than they absolutely had to. So he proposed an alternative, hoping that it would do for them both. “How about I make us something to eat or at least a drink?” Pressing a kiss to his wife’s lips as though that would sweeten the deal, it was his turn to take her hand and lead her back through to the kitchen. 

Charazard 🔥: What should I call you, then? Supreme Piper Layer? Also true but not as cute 🥺

Charazard 🔥: so i would come but...

Charazard 🔥: [ PHOTO ]

Hot guy from bar fire ❤️: again, not exactly teenage boy friendly. I have a reputation to keep up.

Hot guy from bar fire ❤️: I see how it is, delivery boy again. you gonna buy me a uniform?

Charazard 🔥: baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabe

Charazard 🔥: honeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey

Charazard 🔥: snuggle buttttttttttttttttt

Charazard 🔥: if you aren't already most of the way home could you stop and get some roast beef and peanut butter aandddddddd some of those floppy shoe string fries from the drive thru near the beach?

Hot guy from bar fire ❤️: babe, you gotta be more careful with texting nicknames

Hot guy from bar fire ❤️: I don’t think I could ever live ‘snuggle butt’ down if team saw. Even if it is accurate.

Hot guy from bar fire ❤️: of course, I haven’t left yet

Sometimes she wondered how such an even tempered, calm, cool, and collected man like Nate put up with such a head case like her.  She was prone to spinning out in situations of stress, or running in circles in excitement like a chihuahua.  But Nate…Nate was the cliffside that she endlessly beat her waves against; still, strong, a sentinel.  In moments of self doubt, she just hoped he was of a grit that she wouldn’t erode.  “You’re right,” Charlie sighed with a deep breath, “Of course you’re right.  You’re always right.” With those words she shook out her nerves, loosening her shoulders which had been steadily creeping towards her ears, flopping their joined hands around in the process.  “Freaking out one way or the other won’t change the pee stick.”

“Would it be weird if I said yes?  I don’t know, it just feels like…This is about our family, and I don’t want you sitting on the other side of the door.”

⚾

Grin flashed over his features at her words, unable to resist a quick, teasing quip to alleviate some of their nervous energy. “Not always, just most of the time.” Charlie’s endless energy was something to be admired - she was electric and had been just the spark he’d needed to shock him into the realisation all those years ago that love and marriage wasn’t completely off the table for him. Because he saw it as something so endearing, a crucial part of the woman he loved, it had never really overwhelmed him. From the moment he’d asked her on their first date he’d always been prepared to be whatever she needed him to be so if she’d wanted him to wait outside that’s what he would have done. But he found himself relieved that she wanted him with him, glad that they would be facing it as a team without him having to wait outside.

Head shook reassuringly in answer to her question, firmly believing that a man taking a backseat was an old fashioned mindset he wanted no part of. He wanted to be next to his wife every step of the way. “We’re in this together.” Keeping one hand in hers he reached for the test. “Now, what do you say we put that ‘pee stick’ to use?”

※

Kevin grinned at Nate, making a show of reconsidering his offer. “Wait, you’re not picking up lunch for the whole department, are you? ‘Cause you, I like, but the rest of those numbers nerds …” Of course, Kevin didn’t care one whit about humanities versus math and science, but it made decent enough fodder for teasing. “Nah, of course I’m sure. It’s my treat, absolutely. You making the most of the half day, too?”

⚾

Head shook in reply to his colleague’s question. “No, just a party of two.” Well, technically three but while his wife’s pregnancy was no longer at a stage where secrecy was needed, he was still private by nature. Brow furrowed in mock offence at the nickname. “Number nerds? Is that what the cool kids are calling us now? At least it’s alliterative.” Smile flashed over his features as he joined in with the rival department banter. “Yeah, just running some errands for Charlie before I head home. You got plans after this?”

location. Delish on 5th

“—with swiss cheese, and um, the spicy mustard, please.” Having finished ordering his sandwich, Kevin turned to the person behind him in line, and added, “And whatever they’re getting. My treat.” It was one of the rare half days where he, too, could leave early — at least to grab lunch — and Kevin had an extra spring in his step for the excuse to deviate from his usual weekday lunch of leftovers. If he could pass a little of that happiness on to others, he would, for friend or stranger alike.

⚾

He’d been to the deli more times in the past few weeks than he had in the years previous. In the last forty-eight hours alone he’d been in almost a handful of times attending to his wife’s newest cravings. Having made time in his day to stop by for what was fast becoming his regular order, he was waiting for a text from Charlie to confirm whether or not there were any new additions to it. It came through just as a familiar voice spoke up. “You sure? I’ve got a long enough list here that you might regret that.”

They had spoken about children before, and had similar feelings on the topic; could happen, but didn’t need to.  It was a healthy perspective, Charlie thought.  The two would rock the parenting game, but didn’t need a little one to make their family complete.  Granted, Charlie knew that a decision one way or another had probably been on the horizon, as she ventured ever closer to her mid-thirties, but that didn’t stop the emotions swirling around in her head as her eyes closed in on the bag in her husband’s hands.   

“Uhm…..Yes.–No.  Maybe.” The reply left her mouth staccato, pausing to think in between each answer, changing her mind and unable to stop her thoughts from spilling from her mouth.  “What if it’s negative?” She asked, looking up at Nate after his calming kiss on the head.  Her questioned lingered, but then her eyes widened, a different thought plaguing her, “What if it’s positive?” – She was reminded of something her ever practical father had taught her: if you were stuck between two choices, with the feeling of equal amount of like for each, flip a coin to make your choice, and as the coin is somersaulting through the air, you’ll find yourself hoping for it to land a certain way, showing you your true feelings.  Well, this was about to be one hell of a coin toss, and she was frightened that if it came out negative, she would be wishing it was positive.  Or even more frighteningly, the idea that it would be positive, and her gut would drop and she’d find out she had been fooling herself.  What if she–No.  She was spiraling.  She was about to cry over dairy that hadn’t even been spilled.  Hell, it wasn’t even out of the fridge yet.  

“Wanna watch me pee or are you good on sitting out on that part of the process?” She asked, holding her hand out for the bag that was going to change everything.

⚾

The bag that held the answers to all their questions was set down, figuring that they’d waited all day they could spare a couple more moments for him to reassure his wife. And himself along with it. Hands reached out to take both of hers in his, gentle squeeze given to help guide focus to what he was about to say. “We’ll work it out either way.” That was the one thing he was certain of amongst all his doubts. The pair of them had already managed to work through so much together he knew that this was just a new challenge for them, whatever the result. Not for the first time - or the last - he found himself wondering just what he’d done to get so lucky. To find a partner that nothing felt impossible with. It was that thought that kept him from spiralling along with Charlie’s questions when it wasn’t as though the same thoughts hadn’t crossed his mind throughout the day as he’d waited to get home. But one of them needed to stay grounded, at least for now, and he was happy to play the steadying role.

He couldn’t help but feel that maybe he was over simplyfying things when there was no doubt they were on the edge of something potentially lifechanging. But he couldn’t see another way to handle it other than with his usual straightforwardness. Still, the last thing he wanted to do was make her think that she was alone in her nerves or even overreacting. “I’m struggling to stay calm about this too but let’s get the result and take it from there.”

With one more squeeze of her hands he gently let go, reaching for the test that he’d previously set down. “Do you want me to? I’m happy to sit in or out I can make us something for while we’re waiting?”

who: @natexhudson​ where: hudson home, oldtown

Charlie’s day had diverged greatly from what she planned for it to be.  A chill day at home, catching up on some shows, doing some cleaning, maybe some light paperwork that she had brought home from work.  But then she had woke up sick.  And whilst doing her favorite activity while feeling like shit (complaining), Nate uttered the words that sent her day careening off a cliffside, ‘Could you…Be pregnant?’.  Well, shit on a stick.  And then that bastard had to work. Had to earn money to pay the bills.  The gall on him.  They had agreed they’d wait until he got home to figure it out, but Charlie was deeply regretting that choice.  Yes, she wanted him there for whatever answer they got, but she also desperately needed to know, her mind spiraling.  She had been drinking, not heavily, but she had been!  Oh!  And all the soft cheeses and cured meats.  Charcuterie boards were her go to app at restaurants.  

She nearly pounced on her husband like a rabid dog as soon as the door opened, the dogs reacting similarly, feeding off her energy.  “Did you buy the tests?” she asked, looking for a bag in his hands.  She knew it wasn’t something he was likely to forget, she imagined having a possibly pregnant wife was probably at the forefront of his mind, but she was about ready to blow both with the need to pee (she had been hydrating so there would be no waiting time) and a need to know, one way or another. 

⚾

The usually short detour to the store on the way home from work had seemed to last a lifetime, the same way that the school day had seemed endless. It was unusual for him to long for the day to end quite as much as he had but ever since the idea had come to him about the reason for Charlie feeling under the weather, he’d been unable to think of much else. He’d always considered himself level-headed and even tempered, reliable in his clear outlook even under stress. It had been a trait of his for as long as he could remember and his unshakeable nature had served him well time and time again. But if there was one person who could break him out of his predictability it was his wife. Charlie’s moods had always been somewhat contagious for him and seeing her mix of nervous and excited energy at the notion that they could be parents had stoked the same emotions within him.

Anticipation was almost unbearable as he entered their home, holding the test up in answer to her question. He closed the distance between them, hand out to still his restless wife just long enough to press a kiss to her forehead. “You ready for this?” It was a loaded question knowing that as quietly excited as he was, the result would have an impact. He’d had all day to consider the ramifications of being a parent and what it could or would mean for them but he found that his thoughts weren’t any clearer now than they had been at the beginning of the day. What he could be certain of though was that no matter the outcome, they could face it together.

CLOSED START FOR: @natexhudson​ LOCATION: eureka pride march — eureka city hall, downtown

Isla Jean was happy to take the weekend off to escort Frankie around Eureka’s annual pride celebration. The colorful seven year old enjoyed festivities and had since they’d moved there. While it was a busy time for her small business, Frankie would always be Isla Jean’s number one priority, which meant she was content to play chaperone to Frankie’s whims all weekend long. Only, Frankie had made off with a friend from school and her fathers, so Isla Jean was left to wander about aimlessly, cellphone ready when it was time to collect her daughter again. “Now there’s a sight for sore eyes.” Isla Jean called out in her form of greeting, saccharine smile pursing on her lips as she gave Nate a little wave to garner his attention. “Where’s your gorgeous wife?”

⚾

There was very little that he wouldn’t do for his wife when all he wanted to do was make her feel valued and supported. Pride was something that fell into that category, knowing it was important for her to take part, but it had become important for him too. “Last I checked she was just up ahead -” Head nodded towards the spot where he’d last seen his wife, pleased to see that the familiar brunette and blonde duo hadn’t moved too far. “- her friend likes being part of the action.” There was only amusement in his tone when he was more than content to give them their space to enjoy their day with him watching from afar. Another glance at Isla Jean told him that it would be one of the rare times he’d see her alone, noting that her daughter was nowhere to be seen. “No Frankie today?”

Special Delivery For: @natexhudson​

If there was one thing that Adam thoroughly enjoyed to do, it was go hiking with his best friend. As stupid as it sounded, when he found out that Nate liked to go hiking, he had a thought that maybe he wouldn’t want him to go with him. To be honest, Adam had that thought with a lot of things. He often thought people would either choose not to invite him to things or assume he could do certain things anymore because he lost mobility in his right arm (not to mention the whole being blind in one eye thing). Luckily though, it was never the case. And it certainly wasn’t with Nate.

As they trekked through the foliage, a smile was on his face as his blue eyes (one significantly duller than the other) shifted around the area, “This might be my favorite trail.” Adam stated, rather randomly, “It’s the one I feel like I’m gonna be get least lost on if we take a wrong turn and have to find our back to civilization.” He joked, “But we’d never get lost, right?” He jogged forward and caught up with the best girl in the world with us.“ Adam scritched behind Ripley’s ears with his good hand and grinned, "She’ll never let us get us.”

⚾

It was always the most straightforward things in life that he found brought him the most enjoyment. Maybe that was the remnants of a childhood with very little that had taught him to value things outside the material but he often found that the simplest things were the hardest to beat. There was nothing quite like a walk in nature to clear his head and it never failed to help him put things into perspective. So when he added to that his most loyal companion and his best friend, it was about as good as it got in his mind. Adam was more family than friend now and he would take any time with him that came his way given their busy schedules. 

He chuckled at his friend’s remark when he understood the feeling all too well, he wasn’t really one to stray too far from trails but there had been the odd occasion he’d managed to find his way off by himself after taking a few short cuts. “We can do another one next time, build up some familiarity. I think there’s a couple I’ve not tried myself yet either.” His calm, capable demeanour meant that he tended to relish a challenge rather than dread one so the notion of something new had never put him off. “Course not. She’s smarter than the both of us.” Strides slowed for a moment, turning to look at their surroundings before deciding to use the short break to catch up. “What’s new with you? Caroline and the girls doing alright?”

Happy Tails Dog Park | @natexhudson​​

Annie was beginning to realize as she grew older that she was a creature that thrived on routine. It had been the only thing to seemingly save her in the months she felt as though she was floundering, and, now that things had so rapidly changed once again on the home front, it was largely the main thing she looked forward to to help distract her from said changes. The routines were small: early breakfasts with Benji, classes at the same time, work in the evenings. And, in between those things, time to take the dogs to the dog park, clear her head. Sometimes catch up on emails. Or, if she was lucky, catch up with Nate. The pair were an unlikely duo, admittedly–they shared very little in common outside from both owning dogs–but Annie had come to find a degree of comfort in their friendship, in the way they’d bonded. She was excited, then, when he’d responded to her text fishing for company at the dog park, and went out of her way to pack up the dogs and stop for some coffee. She grinned at the man as she opened the gate to the park, dog leashes in one hand and cup holder in the other, and quickly closed the distance between them, handing him the coffees to unleash the dogs, allowing Kevin to mosey over to a prime spot under a tree while his sister bounded away from them in a full sprint. She shook her head as she watched Kevin. “That dog hates me. Hates me. I have never felt so judged by a dog in my entire life. It’s actually–it’s kind of a little devastating to me,” she half-joked, coming to sit beside him on the bench he’d saved for the pair of them as he disseminated their beverages. Reaching into her bag, Annie withdrew a bagged muffin, which she extended to the man at her side wordlessly.

⚾

Structure had always been an important part of his life, most likely from how his parents had tried to give them a sense of stability from routine when they’d been unable to provide it financially. It had carried over into his adulthood with his time in service only reinforcing it and ensuring that he would remain a creature of habit. If his day had no interruptions everything ran like clockwork, things timed almost to the second. Some might have found it boring but he’d always found something reassuring in the certainty of it all. But he had people in his life like his wife and now Annie that helped him inject a bit of spontaneity into it, even if it was only a case of rescheduling when he’d take Ripley for her second walk. With Sprinkles too tired out from their early morning walk and Meatball predictably wanting to spend time with Charlie, he’d set out with Ripley after getting Annie’s text. He wasn’t sure quite when their dynamic had shifted from pleasantries at the dog park to a deeper bond but it wasn’t unusual for people to sneak up on him. For him to realise only after he was attached to them in some way that was more than just acquaintances. He was in the middle of fetch when Annie arrived, greeting her with a smile. “If it makes you feel any better Meatball refused to come with me.” He’d learned not to be offended by it considering the dog was Charlie’s from before they got together and Ripley was much the same when it came to choosing him over Charlie. “They say dogs are a good judge of character but I might have to disagree with Kevin.” Hand reaches out to take the coffee from her and then the muffin. “Thanks, this one of yours? It’s my turn next time.” 

“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Hudson.” She loved to tease him, although she had been slightly disappointed with how quickly he had gotten used to her sometimes vulgar and always outlandish ways.  She tried to ignore the chill that sped up her spine both at his movements and her use of their last name.  It had been a year, but sometimes when she was filling out paperwork or showing her license, or any other number of mundane tasks, and she’d catch sight of ‘CHARLOTTE HUDSON’ and then she’d inevitably get stuck in a rabbit hole that led to her looking at the few photos they had from their courthouse-slash-elopement and getting stupidly emotional about luck and fate and all that woo-woo nonsense.  “Pft,” she scoffed, “You ruin all my fun.  Deflowering the coach in his natural habitat is my number one fantasy, you know that.” 

Whenever Charlie got to see Nate interact with kids or talk about them like this, she always felt a strange number of things.  First and foremost, regret that she never got to meet his parents.  They raised two great men, even with all their struggles, and to meet and know them would have been something she would have loved.  Secondly, a small flutter in her stomach.  They had talked about kids, both of the mind that they would like them, and if it happened it happened, but if it didn’t that was okay too.  But as he spoke with his firm, no-nonsense in a caring way type of attitude, she couldn’t help but think what a great father and partner in parenting he’d make. “So I think the solution here is cloning you, and somehow inserting said clone into the school system of that team and slowly worming him in there until he makes coach and then he can set that kid straight.”

⚾

“You know I don’t make empty threats, Hudson.” For better or for worse he had always been a man of his word, matching what he said with what he did. He might have lacked a childhood but his parents had still managed to raise him, impressing upon him the importance of keeping promises just as much as not making promises that couldn’t be kept. But he had never been more conscious about being consistent than when it came to his wife. He wanted them to build a life together and that needed steady foundations, laid by making good on his promises. Maybe it was his upbringing and how everything was so changeable and unpredictable, he was the only thing he could control and so he made sure that he was the steady, predictable one. It could have made him boring but he had Charlie to lend him her spark whenever things got too stale or stiff. “Still number one even though we’ve done it already?”

He knew exactly why he’d wanted to become a teacher ( he had hours of therapy to thank for that )  but there were times he couldn’t help but wonder if his fellow educators did. Maybe it was unfair of him to hold others to his own lofty standards but he’d always felt as though they had a responsibility to the children. And if that required a little tough love in the short term to help them long term, he’d be the first to do it. “What about a clone to go around lecturing the school system?” Most change came from within, after all. But on the whole he knew that the vast majority of his profession also wanted the best for their students and so he drops the subject, choosing instead to chuckle at his wife’s plan. “If that’s really the best option then they’d have to clone you too. Don’t know what my clone would do without you.” 

→Cal’s

Max was supposed to be doing his fatherly duty for the weekend - make sure Penelope had enough food to survive the last few weeks in her dorm before she moved home for the summer - instead, he found himself sitting at the bar at Cal’s waiting for his daughter’s text that she was done with her other errands and ready to be seen in public with her father. Granted, he knew that part of this was so he could carry the heavier items and grab the goods off of the top shelf that she couldn’t reach. It was an even exchange, he got much-needed and missed time with his youngest and she got the assistance that he could only assume the boys in the dorms wouldn’t even think about doing. 

“I’m not exactly a wagering man,” Max began, directing his attention to the person sat a couple of stools down, “but how much do you wanna bet that my kid is going to call me to ask for help either taking something down, putting something together or carrying the furniture she doesn’t need right at this moment and storing it at my place until she’s done with school for the semester?” He didn’t doubt that part of what was taking so long was that Penelope was doing more than just window shopping and actually making purchases and plans. If his daughter took after her mother at any given time in their years together, it would be the first thing he’d expect to come from her.

⚾

Usually he found no place better for unwinding than his own home, feeling most relaxed when he had control over the space. That had changed somewhat since they’d begun their renovations and with what felt like every spare moment he had spent tackling the next part of their project. He was beginning to look at time away from it more favourably. It wasn’t as though he was sick of it ( something he considered impossible whenever his wife was around ) just in need of a little break from time to time. While he usually chose either the dog park or Rosie’s, sometimes the fresh air or food didn’t quite hit the spot and it was then that Cal’s became his location of choice.  As soon as he’d walked in and spotted a familiar face he felt as though he’d made the right choice. Some conversation with someone he considered something of a friend was exactly what he needed to give himself a chance to hit the reset button before he returned home to carry on.

With a nod of his head he greeted the bartender, ordering his usual of a beer, taking his seat just in time for Max to aim his question his way. “I’m not much of a gambler but I think it’d be a bet I’d take.” Whilst the pair of them weren’t what he would call extremely close, he felt as though he knew enough to say that Max’s daughter would be reaching out. He always thought it spoke highly of parents when their kids still reached out to them even once they were technically adults. “Has she been on a shopping spree or something? Or is it just a case of her accruing stuff over the year the way that all kids seem to when they leave home?” He didn’t have kids of his own but he’d heard enough tales from friends or the parents of past students to know that the amount of possessions they had seemed to go up exponentially.  

Lifting his hand, Leland used his knuckles to idly rub at his eye, as if it was going to actually help him focus. “Looks like I’m definitely going to need to make a fresh cup of coffee— if I can’t remember that you said burgers and fries. Shit, man…” A pathetic chuckle rolled out from his throat, gently shaking his head, “Alright, well— You want all the toppings on them, or what?”

“Good— I mean, I would’ve loved to hit them with the missing their bedtime jab, but I don’t think I’d be able to mentally handle a squad of teens right about now.”

⚾

A lack of clarity was something that was rarely associated with him given the way he’d never been shy of being honest or making his opinions known, but this time he felt like he was responsible for the confusion. “I’d put money on me being barely audible. My attention was on this - “ He held up his phone and as if on cue it buzzed to life again, undoubtedly Charlie asking how long he’d be. “- rather than you.” Nod was given to the question. “Yeah we’ll go for everything, you’d think my wife was starving. You got any suggestions for good extras?”

At the other man’s words he chuckled, quick to agree when despite enjoying being a teacher and a coach, after a day of renovating he couldn’t imagine anything worse. “You and me both. They’re all great kids but I’m always glad they go back to their own homes.” 

“Okay, but first, riddle me this…What the fuck is in a cosmo anyways?” Cyrus couldn’t help but break his façade with the question, because he truly, honestly had no clue.  Was it sweet?  Was it more like a martini?  He really had no clue.  He hated to be a cliche, but he really was a simple man of beer and whiskey.  

A smile tugged on his lips at Nate spoke of the team, even when Cyrus knew that he was definitely blowing some amount of hot air up his ass, he didn’t really care, it was still nice to hear.  “I’m still proud of him for wanting to put studying first at school, but man, I don’t understand why he didn’t go out for the team.  I know I’m bias, but I think he coulda made it.  Second string at least.” he finished with a shrug before taking a sip of his drink, giving a nice sigh of refreshment at the end.

“Well, you know I’m good with a hammer and all them other fancy tools, so if you need some help, lemme know, I’m more than happy to help.  Got all the experience of dealing with the old houses after fixing up my parents’.”  Granted, he hadn’t had to work around the combative historical society.  “Well, Nilsville” he paused to let out a small snort at Nate’s term “–has a population of one so it’s pretty damn boring.  Might follow your lead and get a dog or something, I don’t know.”

⚾

There’d been times when he’d served that his squad’s habits of doing rounds had turned into more of a competition to see who could buy the most outlandish drinks. He’d tried his fair share of cocktails and concoctions but beer would always remain drink of choice, a creature of habit for better or worse. “A pal of mine once described it as a fancy vodka cranberry but I’m fairly sure a purist might have something to say about that.” 

He chuckled slightly at his friends words, them serving as a reminder of fatherly pride. “As his coach I’m pretty biased too but he had talent but more importantly the work ethic. Still, it’s his life and his choice to make. Pretty sure you’ve equipped him well enough to choose the right path for himself.” As a teacher and coach he knew - or hoped - that he would have some influence over his students and their futures but he knew that in most cases it was the parents who would really prepare them for life. In Evan’s case he had a level-headed father who wanted nothing but the best for him. 

While he had always been self sufficient, he did his best to never be too much of a martyr and remind himself to take help when it was offered. He was pretty sure he and Charlie had it covered but he was also happy to let her be the judge of that. “Fair warning if I take you up on that you’ll lose at least a whole day of your life.” Wry smile was flashed the other man’s way before he took another drink. “Well it’d at least get you up to a population of two. Getting Ripley was one of the best decisions I ever made, it’d keep you busy if nothing else.”