Crowley hadn’t really expected to run into a woman with a snake on her person and having a casual conversation about snakes but he wasn’t going to complain about it too much. Made the day more interesting and if someone else liked the reptiles as much as he did why not continue the conversation? Either one of them could end it whenever they pleased and it seemed pleasant enough so far as he took his turn to open the door next to the milk and pull out a bottle of creamer himself.

“Boelen python,” a smile widening on his face.

“Got her as a gift after expressing interest and research over time. Wasn’t expecting her but was pleased as punch when I saw her in a set up at my residence. It’s been quite a few years so she’s grown to a large size but not getting any bigger. But far too big to just casually stroll around with as sweet as she might be.”

Stepping off to the side he gave a nod in gesture saying she could go first if they wanted to walk. There were a few other things he had to grab and put in the basket at hand so it wasn’t like he was leaving quite yet.

“Really? Those are so pretty.” Ellie had to hold herself back from asking to see a picture, after all, she didn’t know this guy very well. But still, she smiled at the thought of such a big girl. So she adjusted the basket on her arm and nodded, to walk alongside him. Not to mention she was going in this direction anyway. 

She needed to get some fresh veggies. 

            “And i’m not as a profiler for the FBI ?? “ his tone mimics offense but he’s simply waiting for the crack about how he doesn’t even work for them anymore  . either way its fun sibling banter no matter how much they may try to one-up the other  . those that do not at least fear someone in malcolm’s profession tend to underestimate the amount of knowledge he can incur from a single gesture  ,  an accent  ,  an expression  .  malcolm’s eyes lift as he tilts his head back and forth  .  she’s got him him  . there’s a HUGE difference  .  “  in my defense ,  when am i NOT gossip at the nurse’s station  .  something tells me there’s a running bet when the next time they’ll see me from the last  .  “ he huffs at the sudden change in tone of the conversation but he should have known it was coming  .  “What would you have me say  ?? we are just as we always are  .  a MESS  .  “

“Profilers don’t have a stereotypical attitude.” She told him with a little raise of her brow, like she was asking him if he really wanted to go down that road with her, because she would gladly roast him for being in the FBI at all. Working for the government was probably one of the worst ways to function. “I think that only matters when you actually go to the hospital. Cause if you’re conscious, you’re probably gonna find a way to talk yourself out of going.” She was his baby sister, it was her god given duty to roast him as much as possible. Then she sighed and stood at her full height, which wasn’t much, but it was better than being bent over peering into Sunshine’s cage, “Yeah, but it usually isn’t about Martin.” 

if i became a doctor , i would have . it stung of course , wounded the pride , the ego of a maniac and for a brief moment there was silence , the light hum of static between the pair as smile faltered .  ❛  can’t say as i blame you , ellie . i realize this last name of mine holds a stigma .  ❛  the words were spoken low , quiet . and then the smile returned .  ❛  but it’s also associated with saving quite a few lives . a healer . i mean not to be dramatic here but i’d also think lifegiver would be appropriate !  ❛  

another pause , the resources offered to the incarceration surgeon was near endless . tone lilted upwards , innocent sounding but with something lurking beneath .  ❛  hm ? which number dear , your pennsylvania one ? i’ve had that for years . oh ! you must mean this new one ? only a few weeks , ever since your brother came to visit well it’s given me a new lease on life , on family ! and i was feeling nostalgic and wanted to check in .  ❛  

brows lift .  ❛  el salvador ! beautiful country , passionate people .  ❛  that smile was in tone once more !  ❛  you know ellie , i couldn’t be prouder of all that you’ve accomplished and at such a young age ! you’re the prodigy your father was i don’t mind saying .  ❛  a grin . there was a glimpse of that ego .  ❛  but like your brother and sister , you’ve all accomplished so much .  ❛  voice had softened and throat was again cleared .  ❛  ah listen , the holidays are coming up and i was wondering if you wanted to come visit your dear ol’ dad for a few hours ? they’re letting me put up a tree and everything !  ❛  a brief chuckle , sheepish sounding .  (  false  )  ❛  this is the first year in a long while where i’ve been in contact with my family , elouise .  ❛  

“Elouise. You call me Elouise, Ellie is only for people who know me.” And literally for everyone that isn’t a serial killer. He’s a mass murderer. He’s barely your father. She had to keep reminding herself of that when she head that soft tone his voice had taken. 

She almost collapsed against her car when he told her he had her Pennsylvania number. How long had he been tracking her? She’d stayed out of the spotlight for a reason. She ran so far just so his reputation wouldn’t follow her, but apparently that just couldn’t stop when you came back to it. When you came back home. And now he had her cell phone number. 

Ellie moved around to get into the driver’s side of her car, transfering the phone call to her blue tooth. As much of a douche bag it made her look like. Time to get those mice. Part of her wanted to just hang up on him. 

“I guess we’re all compensating for something, Dr. Whitly.” Keep the barrier up. She had dealt with sociopaths plenty at work, so this one should be easy--right? Theoretically. She stopped at the near petstore and parked, letting out a sigh, this one more tired than genuine annoyance. “I...I don’t know. Holidays are a real busy time at hospitals, you know that. I barely made it for Thanksgiving with mom.” She didn’t, really. She ended up getting there a little past one in the morning. “And your visiting hours are pretty limited, right?” 

    malcolm rolls his eyes at her jab, but with her as a sister, he’s used to it. “No more so than you are, dear sister.” he sighs as he moves into the kitchen to put a kettle on for tea not bothering to ask her if she’d like some. he’ll pour it and if she drinks it or not. oh well. thats the good thing about siblings, manners aren’t required. “She is. Its why her name is sunshine. She brightens my whole day, but she’s very socialized and she’ll let you touch her.” he laughs grabbing two mugs from the cabinet above the counters. “You come all the way over here to yell at me about getting snake knowing that you just got one?” 

“Yeah, but I’m a nurse. We’re supposed to be a little scary.” She raised her brows a little pointedly. From her experience, nurses and nuns had very similar reputations. Caring, stern, and a little scary. :”There’s a big difference between a ball python and a black mamba. You know, cause one of them is super cute, and the other has put you in the hospital and made you the source of local gossip at the nurse’s station.” And she’s back at the cage, poking her fingers back in to rub Sunshine’s head. “You ever plan on telling me about the family’s collective nervous breakdown or was I supposed to figure that out myself?” 

you don’t choose your family , they are a gift from god  -  not one for prayer or organized religion however that quote always made the surgeon smile . today was no different . malcolm visited weeks prior which in turn brought jessica and then ainsley . a family reunion ! one that was not quite complete until the youngest sibling managed to come . 

the phone rang once , twice and then a click . whitley speaking . a smile from the other end was clear even through the phone .  ❛  ah you never did change your last name did you , kiddo . that’s good , i’m thankful .  ❛  tone low , it held affection that was of course sullied by past misdeeds .  ❛  i wanted to give you a call , see how you were doing since i’ve been visited by your brother , sister and mother ! ever since then it’s been a practical parade of people coming to see me !  ❛  

tone lilted upwards , hopeful . excited .  ❛  has ainsley told you about my interview ? i’m looking forward to it , i mean not to toot my own horn here but i do believe it’s about time the next generation learned about martin whitly and what i’ve given back to society .. besides you know ..  ❛  a clear of his throat ,  ❛  the unpleasantness .  but we’re not here to talk about that ! listen to me rambling on , tell me . what have you been up to ?  ❛  

She swallowed and forced herself to keep moving toward her car with those bags hanging off of her arms. There was something sickeningly familiar about his voice. Something that made her pause. There were warm memories connected to that voice. That tone. Those words. “If I became a doctor, I would have.” Was all she managed to spit out as she put her bags into the trunk, mentally going back and going back over what she needed to do that night. 

She couldn’t really remember. After all, his voice just emptied her mind of everything normal that was going on. 

“How did you get my number?” He sounded very happy. Healthy, even. And she didn’t expect any prison to actually hurt him or make a point of not feeding him, but it was just weird knowing that he did all of this and still managed to sound like that. She wet her lips and slammed the trunk shut. He was just going on and on--what was she supposed to say? That she didn’t think it was a good idea to be talking to him now? That sending him that postcard was a mistake? 

    malcolm knows he can only deflect for some long because he knows that look. his sister is determined and a little more than annoyed since he had neglected to inform her of is injury.  “That could have been ANYONE. I’m not the only one with blue eyes, but buggy? That’s a little off putting dontcha think?”  

those buggy eyes of his roll into the back of his head the moment she turns to pay attention to his parakeet. Luckily she realizes he doesn’t want to mention his affirmed stupidity with the snake. not his finest moment, to be sure. “Right after I moved back. My therapist said an emotional support animal might do some good but you know me, i couldn’t just get a dog like everyone else.” 

“Yes, you are pretty off putting, but I wasn’t gonna mention that.” She just gave him another look before moving on from that. She hoped he understood that he was being very, very stupid without her giving him a stern talking to. Ellie was pretty sure their mother had already done that. Then her mouth pressed together into a line, just peering at the pretty yellow bird. She put her finger in and watched her edge a little closer and nip a little at the tip of it. “She’s sweet.” Yep, she’s already a little in love with her big brother’s bird. And she pulls her finger out. “I just got a snake, still figuring out what I wanna name him.” 

“ a fling ? what kind of fling ? messy ? fun ? sexy ? ” ainsley grilled her sister for details, unsuccessfully trying to dodge ellie’s poking. she took a drink of her coffee, rolling her eyes. “ god, no ! she got a key to my apartment, again. I wasn’t even thinking about introducing them. everything just so- ” complicated. she made a generically crazy motion with her hands, exhaling heavily.  

Crowley had been staring very hard at the large cooler in front of him at the grocery store. He had honestly been debating what kind of creamer he wanted to buy to go along with his coffee and there so many choices that he had a hard time picking out a flavor at times, especially when seasonal flavors came out. But as he stared through the glass he noticed another reflection in the glass. One brow cocked in curiosity at the site he was seeing and with a small turn of his head he had confirmed exactly what he was seeing.

Stepping off to one side so she could get to the cooler he smiled at the sight. Now that really wasn’t something that you saw every day when you’re at the grocery store.

“It’s really okay. My lips are sealed, I like snakes myself you see. Own one too sweetest thing. Though she’s far too big for me to carry to a grocery store with me. He seems to be having fun though.”

His voice was in a lower tone just incase any employees came by and heard him talking so as to not draw attention to the little ball python before he was tucked away into a pocket.

Her relief was almost immediate at the way he smiled at her, reassurance coursing through her veins. And her own smile reflected that as she looked down at the boy who was peaking out of her pocket before ducking back in. “Thanks, I’ve been wanting one for years, but work hasn’t really let her settle anywhere. But now that I’m pretty sure I’m sticking around, gotta take the change when I’ve got it. Ya know?”