Break ins!

[mitochondriaaya]

"...and then I said how was I suppose to know the difference right? Denture paste, tooth paste? Who knew one was glue?!" Kyle laughed and held open the door to her floor. They'd just exited the stairwell after Kyle's normal night of taking Darlene out.

Pheh. Normal. That was a depressing thought. "Well...they do put nice, step by step pictures on the side of one of them?" That was a CLUE Mr. Detective.

"Who reads toothpaste tubes? Really, I just passed it to him!"

"...I do? Janna's allergic to Xylitol and a lot of toothpastes have that in as a sweetener." Because it was bacteria neutral or something. Anyway! "So do a lot of chewing gums, so no giving her gum unless you've checked!"

That was...not the come back he was expecting. "What the fuck is Xylitol?" She was making that shit up wasn't she?

"No, honest! It's a fake sweetener! Toothpaste can't use sugar right? That defeats the point of brushing, so they use fake stuff but Janna's allergic. The doctor said it wasn't uncommon!" SHE WAS NOT MAKING IT UP!

"Huh," weird. "What do you use then?"

"Toothpastes that are mainly baking soda based with mint extracts!" The whole family did! It was a solidarity thing!

"Damn allergies huh?" Kyle smiled as they turned down her hall then...froze, hand reaching for the gun he wasn't wearing. Fuck. "Darlene, stay here." The door was kicked in.

"What? You need my key t-" Oh. OH. THAT WAS HER DOOR. WHO WOULD WANT TO KICK HER DOOR IN?!

"I think some of those people Traver pissed off may have stopped by. I'll look around."

Darlene nodded mutely, wide eyed...then lifted her cell to her ear to call Traver the moment her partner went into the apartment. Because...that was her life in there. Her material life. She needed to talk to Traver.

Comments

[mitochondriaaya]

Kyle didn't like being ignored. Traver was just really reminding him WHY he wanted the man dead.

Very dead.

"I"ll have to sign a statement, but then we can leave." Darlene laid out, knowing the protocol. "As it's my property, kinda." Renting. Anyway. "Kyle can't sign." He had no right to.

"They may need more than that to determine motive," Kyle grumbled, shifting on his feet.

"More that I don't know and can't give! And we can't work the case anyway so I'm going to sleep tonight!" Darlene DID KNOW WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT thank you.

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver nodded to Darlene, "Whatever we need t' do, baby, we'll do." it was simple fact. He wasn't going to try to rush her off, or get Kyle to sign something, or anything. "Someone has called the uniforms, right?"

"Someone's coming." Breaker mentioned.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Called them after I called you." Darlene mentioned. Because...Traver came first.

That sound? That was Kyle's teeth squeaking while he clenched his jaw!

And the men coming up the hall were the rental manager and two uniforms. Handy that.

"How soon can this be repaired?" was Kyle's first question to the manager.

"Don't bother," Darlene sighed. "Wouldn't be able to trust it anyway." The uniforms, after getting people's names, went in to take stock of the situation. They knew their job!

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver nodded and kissed her temple again. Reassuring, comforting, that's what he was going for.

Breaker backed out of the way, finally giving Kyle a little bit (very little) of space while Traver helped Darlene off the ground. With luck they'd be able to go in and grab her things soon.

[mitochondriaaya]

"I"ll figure out long term housing...later." Once she'd had a private sit down with Traver probably. The living alone bit had been a temporary measure anyway.

It had just...become a thing.

Now she wasn't so sure it was necessary.

"I'll pick up a local paper, see what's on the market in a safer area for you." Kyle offered immediately. "Might even be something in my own building. A lot of cops rent there." There were...discounts. Steep discounts for cops there.

"That's sweet Kyle but don't worry," Darlene took Traver's hand up then smiled as the beat cops came out. They'd taken notes, had a team to take photos on the way, and after that was done she could take things out. "No, no rental insurer to send a copy to, just me." Darlene admitted with a tight, slightly shamed, smile.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Nothin' to be shamed of, baby." Traver said, rolling his eye at Kyle's comment. Man came on too strong, even if she weren't Traver's lover. Even Traver had more subtlety than that. "If'n you need to find a new place, you know I'll help however you want." The you in however you want was slightly stressed. Her wants, not his...and he was leaving it open for her to not need a new place because she was going to live with him.

After all, she'd moved out. He hadn't wanted her to go.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Nothing worth insurin' anyway," she muttered quietly to Traver. Darlene didn't go in for shiny electronics or even a television. Her spare cash went to spoiling her baby girl, increasingly less to her habit, cell phone, then anything else like groceries and new clothes and such. "Mostly sentimental stuff."

The uniforms nodded, made soothing noises, and tried not to...get between everyone since something was going on.

The minute the detail crew showed up they disappeared back inside the apartment.

"We'll see what happens alright?" Darlene finally allowed. "After I've slept." And the way she squeezed Traver's hands around her waist probably gave clues to how she thinking the housing situation might go.

"Alright, that's fair." Kyle finally admitted. "But I'll still pick things up to look at. I know you don't want to be an imposition too long even with this bullshit here."

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver didn't let it show, but he was smug as a smug thing at that squeeze. He squeezed her back, lightly. He'd love to have her there, he would. Completely love it. "She is never an imposition." he half snarled it because, seriously. He'd been ignoring so much and that? That was just enough. "An' curse you fer sayin' it."

It was said coldly...coldly enough to know that he meant it. If he had magic, he'd curse Kyle.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Kyle!" Darlene was stung as well. Yes, she knew she didn't deserve Traver, SHE KNEW IT OKAY? But Kyle didn't need to point it out so bluntly! "I know you want to help! I know you're worried, but Traver is the damn best person here so SHUT UP."

Then?

Well.

Darlene gathered what little dignity she had, wrapped her arms around herself and just...stared at Kyle. Or rather, stared him down. In that white knuckled, clenching her elbows, she would walk out of the precinct if he pushed right now way.

Could Kyle allow that?

Could he?

"You should check your apartment Kyle. I'll see you tomorrow." She said it quietly. Flatly.

Kyle worked his jaw a bit, took in the shaken, cracking appearance of Darlene...and he smiled. A satisfied, satiated smile at such a quivering look. It was...appeasing in a way. "Pick you up at Traver's then. Three pm shift start. Good night Darlene."

[sliceitwithwind]

Traver stayed behind her, this was hers to do...he always let her do what she needed to do, but kept his arms around her waist. He was there to support her, always, and he also stared Kyle down.

The way that Breaker stood, Kyle had to brush him to get out of there.

Then, when people are done, Traver and Breaker went to help Darlene get things and go home. Together.

[mitochondriaaya]

Yes, the few things she wanted. Her few clothes items that weren't torn up (nice job!), Janna's artwork that was still on the fridge, etc. She was a shaken, pale women from the moment Kyle left (Darlene would be since she may have utterly broken up a partnership) to the moment they stepped through the door of Traver's apartment.

"Oh, that was just..." Ugh.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Hey, it's over now." Braig said, "Dilan cleaned some drawers out for you, clothing'll be cramped but none of us is exactly a clothes horse."

"I can put stuff away if you want, Aya." Dilan offered, "Then...pizzas? Or I can cook something, up to you."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Nah, let me put it away," Aya grinned and shouldered the duffel. "Feels more like moving in that way." She'd be staying now thank you!

"I know where it all goes since you cleared drawers out..." she wouldn't be messing up a system! "...elements he's going to make me pay for tonight." Facepalm.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Fair enough." Dilan headed for the phone, he could make dessert to go with pizza. "Settle in, toss pillows about, whatever. Welcome home."

"Welcome home." Braig agreed, getting out of her way, "Hey, Sheeva, move it."

The dog wanted her to know that she was RIGHT THERE for pettings! Cat was on the bed, shedding.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Thank you!" She got to Sheeva, blew the boys a cheerful kiss as thanks, then settled in for the important things like...petting the dog and fuzzling cat before loading things into drawers. Some of her stuff, admittedly, was already there.

Still.

Home.

"So!" she called down the hall. "When Darlene breaks the lease, and let's be honest she should, Traver probably shouldn't be there. He trusts her to handle it. Breaker maybe? IN case someone is honestly gunning for Darlene?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Works." Dilan called, "I'll be there, with metaphorical bells on. What do you want on your pizzas? Braig's getting two of the veggie lovers, I'm getting two of the meat lovers."

Braig wandered around in that I feel like I should be doing something but I don't know what state.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Mixed toppings! And chicken bites!" Aya called back happily. "SHEEVA! SOMEONE GRAB THE DOG SHE HAS MY BAG!" Sheeva was tired of being ignored in favor of a bag of clothes and artworks.

THUNK! "OW OW OW! DOORFRAME BIT ME CATCH HER!"

[sliceitwithwind]

Braig was happy to help! He tackled the dog and started wrestling with her so that Aya could take her bag back. Moving her head around, tugging on her ears, making a large mess of things so that Dilan had to dance around them on his way back to the room.

[mitochondriaaya]

Sheeva...LOVED THE ATTENTION OMG SEE? PLAYING! PLAYING WAS GOOD! EVEN FOR POLICE DOGS!

"I AM GOING TO TACKLE HER WHEN I"M DONE!" Aya promised cheerfully. "Also Cat looks like she's headed your way too to tease one or both of the participants!"

[sliceitwithwind]

Cat did lean over and prod the fighters, but then she jumped back and started batting for Dilan to lift her instead. He laughed and settled onto the couch, kitty on his lap.

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya padded out to join them a few minutes later and...tackled the Sheeva/Braig pile without warning. Because, well...she'd said she would! Also it released a bit of the nerves going on.

When she had a German Shepherd sitting on her chest and her legs draped over Braig's shoulders she finally glanced toward the couch. "....so. Food comes when? Also..." stretching an arm out to touch Dilan's foot. "Tag, you're it!"

[sliceitwithwind]

Braig just laughed from his spot on the ground, and reached up to poke her in the ribs.

Dilan said, "Probably another ten or fifteen minutes, it didn't take you that long to unpack."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Hey hey hey! If you start poking I will roll Sheeva onto you!" Sheeva was...licking her elbow and play-biting because she was a happy puppy! Her tail might be smacking Braig's side but that was okay!

"Didn't know where you ordered from," Aya pointed out with a grin. "And you're still it." She had no idea 'it' for what but!

[sliceitwithwind]

"I think Sheeva's i-augh!" tail in his mouth, tail in his mouuth! Braig batted at the tail and laughed.

Dilan laughed too, deep belly laughs that shook his lap and made Cat meep.

[mitochondriaaya]

The laughing and wiggling made the pile shift which ended in rolling and more wrestling where Sheeva ended up on her back...but on top of the pile, barking happily. "...better ta this than us?" Aya finally finished. "She wins, the end! I give!"