Topic: A Chance Encounter

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-11 09:01 EST
It was late - or rather, very early. Late for people like Jason who hadn't been to bed yet; early for those who had. Eight a.m. according to the clock. Jason had rang Miranda's cell phone several times, but it kept going to voice mail, and he'd finally decided to try her home, hoping to catch her before she headed to the office. He'd only been to her apartment once before - one late drunken night that he didn't regret, but she seemed to want to forget. One late drunken night that he couldn't quite get out of his head.

That one late drunken adventure in bed wasn't the reason he was there though. He was there because something had developed in the case against Nicoletti and Jason needed to reach Desmond, and the only way to do that was to go through Miranda. So, at just a few minutes past eight a.m. one Tuesday morning, he found himself pulling into the parking lot behind Miranda's condo, a cup of Starbucks in his coffee holder and a half-eaten donut in his hand.

He looked around as he climbed out of his black Nissan Ultima, his cop's instincts on overload - or maybe he was just over-tired. He glanced around the parking lot, but didn't see her car anywhere. Still, that was no reason to think she wasn't home. Maybe it was in the shop or maybe she'd bought a different car since he'd last seen her. Whatever the reason, he was there now, so he thought he might as well go up and see if she was home. He glanced in the driver's side window and frowned at his own reflection, thinking he looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, though in truth, he hadn't been there yet. He popped the rest of the donut in his mouth and shoved a hand through his hair in a half-hearted attempt to comb it before starting toward the building, the cup of too-strong coffee in his left hand.

He opted to take the stairs, rather than the elevator - he really hated elevators - though his legs felt heavier and heavier with every step. He really needed to go home and crash for a little while. Five hours was all he needed, and he'd be good to go another 24 hours or so. He took a swig of the coffee, wincing at the taste of it, but at least the caffeine kept him going as he made his way down the hall to her posh Manhattan condominium - an apartment that was far more expensive than anything he could ever afford on his measly detective's salary. Arriving at the door, he leaned in a moment to listen for any movement inside, more out of habit than necessity.

There was movement within the apartment, but it was unlikely he could hear it from where he stood. The shower in the second en-suite was going - Bethany had got up when her mother did, but since Miranda had a meeting to attend this morning, she'd gone back to bed for another half hour before rousing herself to actually get up properly. Her second day off, she was already pretty relaxed from a girls' day with her mom, but she was determined to enjoy her morning shower today without having to worry about water bills, or Miranda coming in to make sure she hadn't passed out.

Hearing no noise or movement coming from inside the apartment, Jason thought about leaving, but he was already there, so he might as well knock on the door. There had to be a reason she wasn't answering her phone, and he didn't think it was just because she recognized his number. She was the go-between between himself and Desmond, and she knew it. After a brief moment's consideration, he lifted a hand to rap his knuckles against the door and waited to see if she answered.

For a moment, Bethany was oblivious to the knock on the door, in a world of her own under the heavenly spray of her mother's exquisite taste in plumbing. Her eyes opened, however, when her brain rushed to inform her that she might have heard something outside the fall of water. Frowning, she opened the glass door of the cubicle, leaning out to listen. Had she heard something, or was her subconscious trying to deliberately sabotage her shower"

One more time, and he'd give up. He doubted she was avoiding him, not where Desmond was concerned. Maybe he'd just missed her. If there was no answer, he'd check with her office. He rapped his knuckles against the door again before noticing the buzzer. I really need to get some sleep, he thought to himself with a frown as he pressed a thumb against the buzzer. If she wasn't awake yet, she would be soon.

Dammit! This time, Beth did hear the door, and she was not exactly pleased to do so. Sighing, she turned the shower off, leaning out through the bathroom door to call toward the front hall. "Just a minute, I'm coming!" Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it about herself, tucking it close over her chest and under her arms, muttering to herself in a distinctly put out tone. "First chance I get for a really good shower, and some moron comes calling. Typical, just typical." With water trickling down her legs, she padded barefoot to the front door and pulled it open, blinking in surprise at the sight of a handsome, if tired-looking, man frowning back at her. "Can I help you?"

Jason thought he heard a voice calling from somewhere inside the apartment, and muffled as it was, he assumed it was Miranda. The last person he expected to find opening the door was a beautiful, half-naked girl, dripping wet, wrapped in a towel. Unfortunately for him, he was just taking a swallow of his coffee when the door open and he nearly choked at the sight of her, half spewing coffee on the floor, but thankfully not on her.

Bethany, for all that she was scantily clad and had just narrowly avoided having coffee spat on her, took it in stride. Her wide mouth curved in a smile her mother would have found very familiar, brown eyes lighting up with amusement as she looked from the patch of coffee on the floor to the face of the apparently startled man in front of her. "Would you like a cloth, or maybe the Heimlich Maneuver?"

He coughed again and cleared his throat to find his voice, a bit raspy but audible. "Cloth, thanks." Though she didn't look like she could spare much of that towel. He wiped a hand across his mouth, one brow arching as he looked her over again, with eyes that were deceptively sharp, despite his weariness. "Who are you? I'm looking for Miranda."

The sharpness in his expression made her smile deepen a little, guessing this was one of those friends her mother said she didn't have. "Just a sec." Stepping back from the door, she grabbed the first cloth to hand - Miranda was going to kill her when she found out one of her expensive swatches was coffee stained - and handed it to him. But she didn't move to let him in yet. "Who I am depends on who you are. And why you're looking for Miranda."

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-11 09:03 EST
"I could say the same for you," Jason replied as he eyed the cloth warily, recognizing it as one of Miranda's coveted swatches. "Do you want her to kill me?" He sighed, looking past her. "Mind if I come in" She has to have a rag around here somewhere."

"She'll kill me, not you," Beth assured him, but the reaction was reassuring enough. If he knew how precious her mother was about those swatches, then he definitely knew Miranda Granger. "Come on, then. Sorry about the half-nudity, I was in the shower when I heard you buzz." She stepped back, gesturing for him to make his way inside. "I'm Bethany, by the way. And she knows I'm here - she's at a meeting this morning."

"Bethany," he repeated, pretty sure he'd never heard Miranda mention anyone by that name before. She was either a lover or a friend, but Jason wasn't sure which. He was betting on friend, though if she was a lover, that would certainly explain her reluctance every time he asked her for a second date. "I'm Jason," he returned the introduction, choosing not to tell her of his profession just yet or his reason for being there, since he had yet to determine whether or not she could be trusted, and all he really needed to know he'd just found out. She was at a meeting. That would explain both her absence and her lack of reply to his phone calls. He stepped inside, making his way to the kitchen, as if he knew the place by heart, though he'd only been there a handful of times, to search for a rag. "You're awfully trusting, answering the door in a towel and letting a stranger inside."

"Jason!" Bethany's grin made a dazzling appearance as she closed the door, following him toward the kitchen. "You're the cop." Her grin deepened as she recalled how she'd teased her mother about him, a faint snicker leaving her lips as she shook her head. He certainly was handsome, and no one who looked like that had performance issues. "Oh, I know what I'm doing," she assured him with a chuckle. "I'm a nurse, I know a lot of ways to convince you not to try and rape me that are pretty painful." She glanced down at herself with a chuckle. "But I should put some clothes on. I guess I can trust a cop not to go through the silver, right?"

He turned to arch a brow at her as she seemingly had heard of him. "Detective," he corrected. "I see my reputation precedes me." He turned back around, opening what looked to him like a broom closet and finally finding what he'd been searching for. "Like what? A syringe?" he smirked, as he pulled a few rags from the closet and closed the door. "As much as I'm enjoying the view, I'm not staying. I need to talk to Miranda about something important."

"Like a dislocated shoulder," she countered with a smile. Since he didn't seem to mind her being half-naked, she didn't make any effort to leave and get dressed, keeping an eye on him for the time being. His comment about his reputation made her smile once again, though she tried to tone it down a little. "Should I be worried that maybe I didn't get the right reputation from her?" she asked mischievously, before reminding herself to behave. Teasing her mother's exes was not a fair thing to do. "She'll be back after one, I think. It's a big-*ss meeting about her new collection. I'd offer to let you hang around until she gets back, but I honestly think she might strangle me if I did. She doesn't like me spending time with her friends."

"I'll pass. I had one once. It was painful." He made his way past her, trying to keep his eyes to himself and not gawk. It wasn't like he'd never seen a half-naked woman before. He backtracked toward the door, so he could clean up the mess on the floor of her hallway, wondering if they didn't have people to do that for them in a posh place like this. "What about friends of friends?" he asked, unsure if he really counted as a friend. Sure, they'd known each other a long time, but Desmond was the common denominator there and without him, he wasn't sure there would be much of a friendship.

"You think she'd approve of you and me spending time together, huh?" Bethany chuckled, moving to follow him as he headed back toward the door. "You know, I'm pretty trustworthy. You could leave a message with me, and I promise you, it'll get to her. First thing I say as soon as she walks in, I swear." One hand made a sudden grab for her towel - it wasn't made for walking around in, after all. The movement was threatening to show Jason quite a bit more than either of them would really be comfortable with. "Or you could stick around. I promise not to dislocate your shoulder so long as you don't do anything I don't like."

He paused before he got to the doorway and half turned to face her, eying her curiously, just in time to watch her catch her towel. He seemed to consider a moment, knowing he should just do as she suggested - leave a message and be on his way, but there was something about her that was niggling at his brain. "Care to join me for breakfast?" he asked, having left the half-drained cup of Starbucks on the counter so he could clean up the mess.

Her head tilted as she met his gaze, curiosity and interest combining in her expression. He was handsome, and he had a voice that made her want to do something far nicer than punch him. Big points in the plus column already. Already having slept with her mom was a big one to counter, though. "All right," she heard herself concede with a smile. "But that means I am getting dressed. You're not getting any up-towel action until you earn it." She grinned her merry grin, stepping back from him. "Won't be long." Turning her back, she slipped into the spare bedroom, and turned her attention to just what she was going to wear.

He raised a hand as if to concede defeat. "No towel action on the first date. Got it." He smirked in amusement, though it wasn't really a true date. It was just breakfast. He still wasn't quite sure who she was or why she apparently staying at Miranda's, but he was sure by the time breakfast was finished, he'd know. Friend" Relative" He knew she came from a large family. Maybe another cousin. He knew Miranda well enough to rule out lover almost immediately. While Bethany got dressed, he busied himself blotting up the spilled coffee in the hallway, deciding he didn't really want what remained in his cup. The rags were rinsed and laid out on the sink to dry, and the Starbucks cup was tossed in the garbage.

Bethany's wardrobe at her mother's condo was made up almost entirely of clothes she'd worn on nights out before crashing there, which made searching for something suitable for the daytime interesting, to say the least. About ten minutes after she disappeared into her room, she snuck back out again in nothing but her underwear, scurrying into Miranda's own bedroom to rifle through her closet, hoping that Jason the gorgeous cop hadn't seen her. A couple of minutes later, she streaked back into the spare bedroom, utterly failing to stifle her laughter, and proceeded to get dressed, emerging a few minutes later with damp hair curling around her face. Fully dressed, too. "Okay, so ....am I making you breakfast, or are you taking me out?"

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-11 09:04 EST
Fortunately for her - and unfortunately for him - he was too busy cleaning up the mess to notice her streaking through the apartment, though he did look over when he heard her giggle, too late to catch sight of her. "Going out. You don't cook a man breakfast until he's slept in your bed." There was that playful smirk again. "Unless you want to skip over the getting to know you stage and go straight to sex." He was teasing, of course, though there was no telling what he might do if she actually took him up on the offer.

Beth's grin grew, turning startlingly predatory for a moment as she looked him over. He really shouldn't have mentioned sex. "Tempting," she teased, taking pity on a man who looked like he hadn't slept in a long while. "But I'm hungry, and you promised me food. So feed me ....and we'll see what comes up after." She flashed him a cheeky wink, wondering if she should come clean about her relationship to Miranda for him. But if he didn't know, her mom had to have a reason not to have told him, so Beth didn't really know which way to go with that one.

Whether he noticed the predatory look or not, he didn't say, but he did look her over briefly himself, noticing more about her in that one glance than she might realize. He wasn't a detective for nothing. There was something oddly familiar about her, and he decided she had to be family. A younger sister maybe, or a cousin. Someone Miranda had never mentioned, but then, she never really talked about her family much, other than for the ones he already knew were related. "Not a vegetarian, are you? There's a place not far from here that has the best Eggs Benedict in town," he said, as he started toward the door.

She chuckled, the merry sound falling easily from her lips with an edge that was very much like Miranda's laugh, offering up another tantalizing clue as to who she really was. "God, I couldn't live without meat," she groaned impishly, falling into step behind him. "Seriously, how do people cope without bacon' It's unnatural." One hand caught up her keys and purse from the table by the door as she spoke.

He chuckled at her remark, sharing the same feeling. "I figure it this way....If God didn't want us to eat meat, he'd have made us all rabbits. I don't know how people can survive on sprouts and salads." Once she was out the door, he closed it behind her and double-checked to make sure it was locked. One could never be too careful.

She rolled her eyes at him as he double-checked the door, waving him out of the way with one playful hand to double-lock it herself. "Happy now, Mr Security Conscious?" she asked him playfully, zipping up her purse once again. "Or is this where you whip out the handcuffs and imprison me somewhere while you wait to find out if Miranda really does know me?" She couldn't resist leaning toward him to add with a grin, "I prefer a tie or a scarf, but I can handle handcuffs if that's your kink."

"Just doing my job, ma'am," he replied, smiling amicably as she locked the door. "Not before breakfast. We'll see what turns up after," he countered, tossing her own words back at her. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but there was something about her that put him at ease, and he'd only known her a few minutes. "Why is it women always assume cops have a thing for handcuffs?"

"Well, you've always got them to hand," she cast back at him, amused that he'd thrown her own tease back in her face. A little impressed, too. He was building up ticks in that plus column with every word he spoke at the moment. "For that matter, why do all guys assume that nurses are always wearing really skimpy underwear at work" Because I'll tell you now, lace chafes under those nylon dresses. And I've had an under-wire break during a cardiac arrest, so I know what I'm talking about."

"Good to know. I'll try to forget all my preconceived notions about nurses, at least as far as you're concerned." He started down the hallway, feeling comfortable in her company and deciding he liked her already, though he hardly knew her yet. "So, I'm guessing you're family. Sister" Cousin?" he guessed, with a glance her way, looking her over again, noting a few similarities that could easily be explained by a common gene pool.

Ah, and there was the fishing for a truth she wasn't sure her mom would be happy with her sharing. Time for a little distraction. Falling into step with him, more than a little aware of the scent of his leather jacket and, well, him, Bethany flashed him her charming smile once again. "Granger," she nodded as though answering his question, completely truthful and saying nothing. "Tell me about these preconceived notions of yours. You never know, some of them might be true. Or if you're really attached to them, they might come true just for you. You never know." Miranda was going to have a fit if she found out just how flirty her daughter was getting with the eponymous Jason, but for now, Beth was thoroughly enjoying herself.

He shrugged his shoulders as they reached the front door, pushing it open for her and waiting for her to exit before following her out. "Oh, you know....The usual," he remarked with a teasing smirk. "That you're all just a bunch of Nurse Ratcheds." That was not what he thought of nurses at all, but was just teasing her by comparing her to the famous protagonist from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

She snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes as she stepped out into the humid air of the city. "Okay, I'm not that bad, but I've met some shockers," she confessed laughingly, twisting to look back at him as he joined her. "Tell me more. How does a Nurse Ratched turn into a sexy fantasy' It can't just be the uniform." Again, her eyes flickered over him, imagining him in blues. "Although, you know, cops do look kinda hot."

"Who said anything about nurses being sexy?" he teased further. It had been her who had mentioned that, not him. "There is nothing sexy about Nurse Ratched. Nothing sexy about syringes, either. I think what men find sexy about nurses are the short skirts and the sponge baths." He arched a brow at her remark as he followed her out of the building, leading the way toward the sidewalk. The place he had in mind was close enough they could walk. "In a uniform, you mean." Because without a uniform, they were supposed to look like civvies, like everyone else.

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-11 09:05 EST
"Did I say in uniform?" she smirked, her wide mouth making the supposedly innocent expression look all kinds of suggestive as brown eyes sparkled with less than good intentions for a moment. "Anyway, I only know one cop, and I haven't seen him in uniform. He's still pretty damned hot, though." She shrugged lightly, carefully sidestepping a busy-looking pedestrian before relaxing into step with him. "And believe me, if you ever need a sponge-bath, you won't be in any condition to appreciate the nurse giving it to you. But I would get a very good look at how happy you'd be if you were in condition and I was in the bed with you."

"Detective," he corrected her for a second time. Though he was technically still a cop, he considered himself to be a little higher up on the chain of command. "God, you're worse than Miranda. Are all you Grangers that straight forward, or are you just trying to get me worked up?"

"Guilty on both counts?" she offered innocently. "Detective. So does that mean you get a bigger gun, or better handcuffs?" Bethany didn't look like she was going to let up on the teasing anytime soon, unless he did or said something that stopped her in her tracks. She chuckled at his comment about her mother. "Well, I learned from the best."

"Neither. It just means I don't have to wear a uniform or drive around in a squad car." There were other obvious differences, but he didn't bother to point them out. For one thing, it wasn't his job to write people tickets for traffic infringements. He had much bigger and more dangerous fish to fry. "Who would that be?" he asked, arching a curious brow again, unsure if she meant Miranda or someone else. He stepped around a passing pedestrian before closing the distance between them again. Though it wasn't obvious to a casual observer, he was constantly on guard and paying close attention to everything that was going on around him.

"Let me guess, you drive something vintage and classy, and totally sex on wheels, right?" She laughed at the stereotype, but there was a questioning glimmer in her eyes. Vintage cars had been her downfall for a few years in college, and she still retained a certain fondness for them. And the men who drove them. "So no uniform at all" Not even N.Y.P.D. panties" And my mom taught me, of course. Who else would I learn how to be completely shameless from?"

"I drive a Nissan actually, but that's my work car." He said nothing more about that, unless she asked, though he was wearing that amused grin again. He obviously wasn't telling her everything, anymore than she was telling him. Two could play at this time. He laughed at her question. "There's no dress code regarding underwear. I have a dress uniform, but I don't wear it on the job." He paused in thought a moment as she dropped a hint about her parentage, but he didn't quite make the connection yet. "So, if you're a Granger, how come neither Des or Miranda has ever mentioned you?"

She laughed at his teasing hint about his underwear, hugging her arms around herself as they walked. "Just the work car, huh' What's the car that you pull all your gorgeous model girlfriends with, then?" The pause he made gave her a moment of uneasiness, knowing they were skirting close to the big secret, but Bethany made a habit of being honest. Even if it freaked him out and scared him off completely, she'd come clean if he asked the right question. "Well, I've never actually met Des," she admitted with a faint smile. "I don't think he knows I exist. I'm a big secret." The way she said it hinted toward a laughing tease, but it was the truth. Would he notice that, though"

He snorted. "I think you have me confused with someone else. I don't have any model girlfriends. In fact, I don't have any girlfriends, singular or plural." He came to a stop there on the sidewalk, just a few doors away from the cafe he had in mind. It wasn't the best place to stop and talk with people bustling around trying to get where they were going. "A secret?" he echoed, looking puzzled. "Why are you a secret and from whom?"

Surprised by the way he came to a halt, Bethany turned to face him, letting out a quiet yelp as someone's heel scraped down hers. Shaking her foot out, she shrugged for Jason's benefit. "It's all tied up with my dad," she tried to explain. "I don't know all the ins and outs, obviously, but he's in kind of a dangerous line of business and it spills over into his home life, and my mom and dad agreed that wasn't the best environment to bring a kid up in. So we moved here, and I haven't actually ever met my dad. He stays in contact, though."

He reached for her arm and pulled her aside, out of the flow of people traffic. He studied her as he listened, deciding the sidewalk wasn't really the place to share life stories and he reached for her elbow to lead her back into traffic, sidestepping the rush hour crowd on their way to work. "I know it's none of my business, but that's a cop out. I'm in a dangerous line of work, but if I had a kid, I sure as hell would want them to be part of my life."

"It's complex," she tried to explain as he drew her out of the flow of people, but he was right. This wasn't the place to be having this conversation, especially since she was going to have to mention Rhy'Din if she wanted to convince him in any way that it wasn't as much of a cop out as he seemed to think. "I don't really know how to explain it. Uh ....where are we going?"

"It's okay. You don't really need to explain. It's just the cop in me being a little too nosy," he replied, letting the discussion regarding her parentage go for the moment. He didn't really expect anything more to come of their random meeting but a few hours of friendly conversation. It was better that way. No expectations, no regrets, no disappointments. "Little cafe with the best Eggs Benedict in Manhattan," he reminded her with a smile, just as they arrived. He pulled the door open to let her in engulfing them in the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the smell of breakfast.

"Just as well," she chuckled, stepping past him into the enveloping aroma, feeling herself start to salivate. "You wouldn't understand any of it. I mean, the word Rhy'Din means nothing to most people - wouldn't surprise me if you looked at me like I was mad." His smile really was quite enticing in its way, she thought to herself, tearing her gaze away to look around the cafe with a smile of her own. "I think I've died and gone to heaven. How did I not know this was here?"

"Rhy'Din?" he echoed, both brows arching. There had been a time when he might have looked at her that way, but that was before Desmond had disappeared and Miranda had explained where he'd disappeared to. He smiled again as she changed the subject to breakfast and his stomach growled reminding him that a donut and cup of coffee did not suffice. "It's a well-kept secret. I'm surprised Miranda didn't tell you about it, being her daughter and all." It was a guess, a stab in the dark, but he didn't rise to the rank of detective for nothing.

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-11 09:06 EST
Beth stilled, her eyes going wide for a moment as she looked over at him, the faint trepidation on her face confirmation enough that his stab in the dark was absolutely correct. "I ....I know about Rhy'Din," she nodded, slightly off-balance now, moving to slide herself into a seat at an empty table, laying her purse down slowly. "I've been there a coupla times. Not since I was a kid." She eyed Jason thoughtfully. "She didn't mean to lie, you know. She just wanted to keep me safe."

He pulled out a chair and took a seat across from her, a completely serious look on his face as she confirmed his guess as being correct. "She should have just told me. I would have understood." He broke off a moment before continuing. "Okay, maybe I wouldn't have, but it's not like she can't trust me. I've known Desmond since we were kids. What did she think I'd do' Freak out?"

"No, she just ..." Beth sighed softly, shaking her head. "I don't really know why the secret's lasted as long as it has. I just think ....Well, I think whatever my dad's into goes really deep, and gets a lot worse than your line of dangerous. Whatever it is, it really scares her. I mean, it's only recently she's even considered taking me back to Rhy'Din, even for a visit." Her eyes met his, wary and a little worried. "I don't have to stay, you know. If this is too weird, I can just go back to the condo, and I'll make sure she calls you as soon as she gets home. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"It's not too weird. It's just....Okay, it's a little bit weird, but ever since Desmond was..." He broke off again, partly because the waitress had come over to drop off a couple of menus and ask what they wanted to drink. He ordered a cup of black coffee and glanced idly at his menu, deep in thought, though he already knew what he wanted.

Bethany sighed once again, frowning a little as Jason hinted toward Des' slight problem. She bit her lip, managing a faint smile for the waitress as she asked for a black tea, turning her eyes to scan the menu that was handed to her. It was weird, she could tell. Bang goes a chance to get to know a guy yet again. And this time it actually is Mom's fault! Not that she would hold it against Miranda, of course. It was just bad luck.

"So, you're leaving for Rhy'Din," he said after a long moment during which the waitress returned with their drinks and took their breakfast orders. He wasn't sure why, but the thought of that bothered him. He'd only just met Bethany, and she was already growing on him. It was just his luck, as if the fact that she was Miranda's daughter wasn't awkward enough. First Desmond and now Miranda and her daughter. And here he was, left behind in New York, to finish what he and Desmond had started.

"She's thinking about it," Beth told him softly. "She only mentioned it a couple of days ago. Look, I don't know what?s going on. It's got something to do with this case, and Des, and a little bit you, and she says she doesn't feel safe here anymore. It's not like she's going for good. Fashion designers can't just drop off the face of the Earth, you know."

"Sure they can. Lawyers do." But he'd say nothing more about Desmond, not while they were in public. He had to pretend to be the grieving best friend, though it wasn't that hard a part to play. They weren't just friends. They'd been like brothers, and not a day went by that he wasn't missed. "She's right. It's not safe." Not until we put Nicoletti behind bars for good. He took a sip of his coffee, quieting now that the subject had turned serious.

"She's not gonna ....like Des." Beth blanched; she'd almost said the wrong thing. No matter how many times Miranda told her daughter to mind her tongue, she still skirted the edges of danger when she was talking to someone she liked. Someone she was growing increasingly comfortable with. "She's just scared, you know" She's scared someone's gonna make the connection with Des, and then ....and then with me. I'm kind of a liability."

"The sooner you leave, the better, then," he said, as much as he hated to admit it. Easy come, easy go. The story of his life. Miranda was right - he was married to his job, just like she was, but unlike her and Des and even Bethany, he wasn't free to come and go as he pleased, nor was he able to disappear into thin air. He had duties, responsibilities, and he wouldn't rest until this case was finished, once and for all.

For just a moment, her face fell. It was a brief flash of disappointment and rejection that painted her eyes dark for just a split second, before her smile came back, one shoulder shrugging lightly. "I guess so. The last thing I wanna do is be a problem, or hurt her in any way. So if she goes, I go. Simple as that."

"Right. Simple as that." Except it wasn't so simple, at least, not for him. They were all abandoning him, and though he tried to tell himself it was only temporary, he knew better. Life went on. No one had suggested he join them, not even Desmond. Not yet, anyway. "You're close, aren't you?"

"Yeah, we are. My mom's everything to me. I don't have anyone else." It was a pretty sad indictment of her life, that little confession. As much as she cultivated acquaintances, maintained friendly relations with her work colleagues, dated on occasion, Beth hadn't ever really been able to hold onto a friendship or relationship. They were always transient, and she'd never minded so much. Not until it was brought into sharp relief that Miranda really was all she had. She shrugged, producing another smile to wax off the momentary solemnity. "You could come with us," she suggested, half-serious. "But I don't think you're the sort to just up and leave. You do know the portals are all over the city, though, right?"

He chuckled dryly as he picked up his cup of coffee. "I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around it all." Rhy'Din, portals, fairies, the whole ball of wax. "Besides, while fashion designers can....take vacations, homicide detectives can't. At least, not right now." Sure, he could probably take a few days off, if he really wanted to, but he wasn't so sure he wanted to play the third wheel between a girl he felt a strange attraction to and the mother he'd slept with. Now that would be weird.

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-11 09:07 EST
"Tell me about it," she drawled suddenly, a wry smile showing itself on her face as she curled one hand around her teacup, glancing down into the contents before meeting his gaze once again. "I'm a born and bred New Yorker, and she wants us to go live somewhere that sounds completely fantastical. I mean, hell, she's even talking about fairytale weddings, and I kinda think she means it literally. Fairies."

"Weddings?" He echoed, sounding surprised. "Who's getting married?" he asked, wondering briefly if maybe Miranda was getting married to her daughter's father. If she was still in love with him, that would certainly explain why she'd been so stand-offish with Jason. But no, with a family as big as Miranda claimed hers to be, it could be most anyone, Desmond even. He felt a strange wave of relief to know it wasn't Bethany who was taking the plunge. He opened his mouth to speak further when their breakfast arrived, and he cut himself off.

Beth blinked, surprised to find that he didn't know the answer to that question himself, her response put on hold for a moment as the waitress set her order down in front of her. "Thank you," she smiled to the woman, waiting until she'd moved off before lifting her cutlery and cutting into "the best Eggs Benedict in Manhattan". "I thought you'd know," she told Jason quietly. "Des is getting married. Mom's gone totally smug about it - she set them up in the first place."

Jason's mouth dropped open for just a moment, obviously surprised by this news. He'd known Desmond a long time and though he knew his friend had met someone on the other side of the portal, he also knew Des had never been the settling down type. Just the opposite, in fact. "Maybe there's hope for me yet," he mumbled. If the Manhattan's most eligible bachelor was no longer a bachelor, no one was safe. "She would," he remarked, regarding Miranda's part in the miracle.

"You really don't know what?s been going on?" she asked curiously, eying him with one brow raised teasingly, eerily reminiscent of another, more famous Granger cousin. "Then I guess it'd be a shock to find out he's not just getting married. He's adopting her daughter, too." Chewing a new mouthful, she reached for her teacup to take a sip, brown eyes studying Jason thoughtfully. "What made you think there wasn't any hope before?"

"I haven't seen Des since..." He glanced around a moment, as if to make sure no one was paying any attention. Though they both knew he wasn't, Des was supposed to be dead, and he couldn't take a chance on the wrong people finding out the truth. He shrugged his shoulders, allowing her to change the subject, as he cut into his eggs and took a bite. "Long story," he replied, hoping she wouldn't want to hear it. "What about you? Pretty girl like you must have men lined up begging for dates."

"Lined up?" Beth snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "Not so much. I haven't gotten laid in months, and frankly, the whole blind date thing just isn't for me. I love my mom, but I had to ask for a break." She chuckled, tucking her hair back out of her face as she smiled at him. "Tell me this long story. Because I'm not seeing the problem you might have getting a girl."

"It's not getting that's the problem. It's keeping," he said as he took another bite of his breakfast and washed it down with a swig of coffee. "It's mostly the job. It's absorbing. Long hours with little down time. My job is my life. It doesn't leave a lot of time for dating, much less building a lasting relationship, and that's just for starters."

"I can understand that," Bethany nodded, sympathy easy to come by. "I work long hours myself, although I doubt they're as long as yours. But, you know, if you want to get a girl and keep her, you can't keep thinking of it that way. Your job isn't your life unless you want it to be. Maybe you're just not ready to settle down, if you can't make the time for a girlfriend yet."

"It's not just that. It's the job itself. It's dangerous, and not many women are willing to accept that. At least, not in my experience." Sure, there were plenty of cops who were married and raising families, but not him. Maybe the problem wasn't so much him or his job as it was the fact that he'd never met anyone he'd wanted to marry.

"Well then, maybe you need to find yourself someone who can patch you up after you get yourself beat down or shot," she suggested, through a grin that was widening by the second. No, she wasn't going to come right out and say it, but the problem as he presented it seemed to be made perfectly for a nurse to fix. And oh, look, she was a nurse. "I guess it all depends on your type. Boobs or *ss, blondes or brunettes ....my place or yours?" Wait ....did I just say what I think I just said"

"Right, like a nurse?" he asked with an amused smile, wondering if she was just flirting with him or if she was actually interested. He laughed as she let her mouth away from her. "If it wasn't for your mother, I might take you up on that, but I kind of like my face the way it is." After a moment of actually taking her seriously, he decided she was just flirting and turned his attention back to his breakfast.

"What, you think I'd let her rearrange your face just for copping a feel?" It was becoming increasingly obvious that Bethany Granger had no shame when it came to flirting with a guy she fancied, despite the faint flush on her cheeks at her own tenacity. "Besides, who can you trust with your only daughter if not a cop, right' Sorry, detective." Her easy-going laugh was back, warm and infectious as she ate the last mouthful on her plate, setting her knife and fork down.

"Ah, but you're forgetting one very important thing," he pointed out, gesturing toward her with his own fork. "You're leaving and I'm staying, remember?" Even if he did agree to travel to this Rhy'Din for a few days, he couldn't stay. There was too much at stake here. He had to finish what he and Desmond had started. Too much depended on it.

She met his gaze with a pretty sardonic glint in her smiling eyes. "And you're putting words in my mouth," she pointed out. "I said she was thinking about going, and I also said that I'd go with her because I don't have anything else here. I'd stay, if I did have someone to stay for." Her gaze had softened as she spoke, but that moment of aching loneliness was swiftly covered by a fresh smile as she took up her teacup again.

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-11 09:09 EST
He lowered his fork, studying her closely as he chewed the last of his Eggs Benedict. "How long you think before they put two and two together and figure out who you are" We're talking about the mob here, Bethany. They don't play nice, and they won't care if you have nothing to do with this case or not." He glanced around again, lowering his voice and leaning toward her so she could hear. "They tried to kill Des, and if it wasn't for....Let's just say he was damned lucky."

Her expression flattened as he spoke to her, a warning sign that he might be going a bit far in his reiteration of the dangers. "Why does everyone think I don't get it?" she asked curiously, trying not to be annoyed. "Or talk to me like I'm a child, like I don't have two brain cells to rub together" I'm a nurse, that sort of pre-supposes I have a certain amount of intelligence to play with here. I know about danger, all right' Make your mind up - either you want me to stick around so we can get to know each other, or you want to get me off your patch and out of your hair, just like Mom."

"It isn't about getting you out of my hair. Christ, I just met you!" he retorted, a little more vehemently than he liked. What was it with every Granger he knew that always got him so worked up" "You're smart, gorgeous, funny....I'd be an idiot not to want to get to know you better. I'm trying to do what?s right here to keep you from getting hurt."

"Look, I'm a Granger, okay' I figure you know a few things about this family." Beth held his gaze quite seriously, trying to convince him that she wasn't quite as helpless as he apparently seemed to think. "I always have a way out. All of us do, wherever we are. Mine ....well, mine's a little different. It, uh ..." She glanced about, leaning forward to lower her voice for his ears only. "It opens a portal in the nearest discreet location that would take me straight to the big family home on Rhy'Din." She sighed, leaning back as a thought occurred to her, lightening her expression with a curious smile. "Smart, gorgeous, funny' What happened to desirable, sexy, and irresistible" Oh, no, wait ....that's you."

He studied her a long moment, about to call her bluff on the claim that she could open a door to who knew where whenever and wherever she wanted, but then she had changed the subject and was flirting again. He snorted doubtfully. "Now who's teasing who?" he asked, though he was smiling again.

"Who said I was teasing?" She was glad to see his smile again, not at all ashamed of the little warm light that lit up inside on seeing it, though she wasn't entirely sure he'd want to know about it. "I'll have you know I'm a pretty honest girl. As well as being a huge flirt. But I only flirt with guys I like, so you're onto a winner."

He seemed to consider a moment, taking her at face value, though his gut was telling him to be careful, warning signals going off inside his head. She was cute, adorable even, not to mention smart and gorgeous, and he couldn't help but admit he was attracted to her, even if she was Miranda's daughter. "Okay, tell you what....I need to talk to your mother, and I need to get some rest. What would you think about dinner with me tonight' Just you and me."

He'd surprised her. Beth had thought he would have veered off just because she was Miranda's daughter, but apparently he didn't scare that easily. Another tick in the plus column. Her lips parted in a wide smile, easily delighted with his suggestion. "I, uh ....I think that's a great idea," she agreed with a quiet chuckle. "Mom's not gonna have her phone on until about 11, I think. If you need to sleep, maybe you should take a nap and set an alarm to wake up and call her before you go back to sleep." A practical suggestion from the nurse there. "You never know, I might actually wear my own clothes for a dinner date."

He chuckled as his eyes wandered over her once again. "I thought that shirt looked familiar," he teased, blue eyes dancing with amusement. "She's not gonna like it, you know," he warned, turning serious again as he picked up his coffee cup, his plate clean. He wasn't too worried about the coffee keeping him awake, though it might keep him awake long enough to drive home safely. Home was an apartment not far from here, but in a far less upscale part of town.

Beth shrugged lightly. She knew there might be a bit of a row about the prospect of her dating one of her mother's exes, but how often did you meet someone you felt this comfortable with after only a couple of hours" "I know," she nodded. "But, in the end, it's not really her business. I don't think she'll have a problem with it being you, I think she'll be more worried about me. She suffers from OPMS, big time." She finished her tea, her hand straying to her purse to open it up and rummage through her cash. "I have my own place, if that makes it easier. I mean, it's not like you'll have to make small talk with her if I'm late getting ready, unless you'd rather meet me somewhere."

"OPMS?" he repeated, arching both brows. He'd heard of PMS, but not OPMS and had the feeling she just making it up. He sighed as the conversation turned to Miranda again. "Look, I like your mother. I really do, and I'd like to think we're still friends, but this isn't about her. It's about us. Besides, it's just a date. It's not like I asked you to marry me." There was that teasing smirk again. "Yet."

"Over Protective Mother Syndrome," Beth clarified with a fond chuckle. She'd miss it if Miranda ever stopped being protective of her, and he could probably already tell that. "Ah, so it is a date. In that case, I should definitely be wearing my own clothes." She laughed, not touching on the marriage tease for the moment. Her mom's reaction to that would be a mixture of sheer unadulterated bliss and extreme outrage, although that would probably relax out of her if one date turned into many.

He drained what was left in his coffee cup and pushed her money back across the table at her. "My treat," he told her as he pulled out his own wallet and dropped a twenty dollar bill on the table to cover breakfast, along with a fiver to cover the tip. "I'll walk you back," he said as he moved to his feet. He'd left his car parked in the lot, so he had to go that way anyway.

She looked rebellious for a moment before taking her money back, tucking it away in her purse. "All right," she conceded, rising to her feet to join him. "But we're going Dutch tonight, no arguments. And none of that I'm the man I should pay crap - we're both on sh*tty paychecks, we should share the load." She offered up her grin to soften the insistence, and dared to walk a little closer as they regained the sidewalk, her arm brushing his with each step.

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-11 09:10 EST
He wouldn't have minded or argued if she'd taken his arm or his hand, but he wouldn't make that move himself. It was a little too soon to make that assumption, and he'd made that mistake once already with her mother. God, how ridiculous that sounded. Was he out of his mind, dating the daughter of the last woman he'd slept with' Maybe Miranda was right. Maybe what had happened between them had been a mistake. He just hoped he wasn't making another another one.

He didn't object to the closeness, and that was all the opening Beth needed. Studiously not looking at him - in fact, it looked like she was absently admiring the architecture of the buildings around them - her hand crept into his, long fingers teasing over his palm before wrapping with gentle confidence about his. And then she glanced at him, her smile suggesting at a secret shared by just them, as though hand-holding were somehow incredibly intimate. Well, after a two-hour acquaintance, it was. "You're suddenly very quiet."

"Just thinking about how your mom is gonna kick my *ss when she finds out," he said, though he was thinking about more than just that. He made no argument when her fingers found his, trying to remember the last time he'd actually done something like this - stroll down the street hand in hand with a girl. It wasn't really that long ago, was it' Her hand felt good in his, innocent in its simplicity. It made him feel almost young again.

She chuckled softly, her thumb stroking over his as they walked along, knowing she should be feeling a little guilty about even liking Jason, much less for flirting so blatantly with him. But the truth was, she didn't feel even a flicker of guilt for liking him on first impressions. Really liking him. "Well, at least you can be pretty sure that I can look after any damage she does," she teased gently. "Arnica cream's good for bruises ....applied directly to the skin, of course."

"I'll keep that in mind if she decides to slug me," he admitted with a smile, half serious. "It's been a long time since I've been on a date," he continued, slowly weaving his way through the maze of people on the street. The crowd had dissipated a little since it was no longer rush hour, but there were still plenty of people going about their business, here and there, wherever they were headed. It was a pleasant enough morning, bright and sunny, and a thought came to mind for their first date - a place she'd never expect.

Beth looked at him curiously, her expression gently empathetic as he offered up that little confession. "Well ....I could tell you right now if you're gonna get lucky or not," she offered with a mischievous smirk. "You know, in case that makes the prospect any easier to handle." As for her, she'd been on so many dates that hadn't gone anywhere, she'd given up trying to guess where she was going to end up at the guy's whim. "I have a question, though."

"Is that what you think this is about' Getting lucky?" he asked, coming to a halt on the sidewalk again, people moving around them like they were parting the Red Sea. "If that's all I wanted, I'm sure I could find it somewhere." He paused, a moment as she continued, almost dreading her question, but needing to know what it was. "Shoot," he said, smirking a little at his own poor choice of words. "I mean, ask."

She actually winced as he came to a halt, rolling her eyes with a soft sigh. "I was making a bad joke," she offered apologetically. "You know, guys are supposed to spend the whole of the first few dates wondering if they're gonna get lucky' Never mind." She shook her head, feeling her cheeks heat. God, I embarrassed myself with that one. "My question ....skirt or pants, which is more appropriate?"

"Is that what we do' Hard to believe, but some of us are looking for something a little more meaningful than a roll in the hay." Maybe that's why things didn't work out with Miranda, he thought to himself. They wanted different things from a relationship. He looked her over again, that smile forming on his face, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Something casual. Unless you want to do a fancy restaurant on the first date." Arguably the second, since he'd just paid for breakfast.

"That's not actually an answer," she protested laughingly, tugging on his hand in a way that seemed far more familiar than either of them should have been comfortable with. "And for your information, I don't do hay. I do beds, and various other surfaces, but not hay. There's a risk of unexpected thistles." She winked at him, letting him make of that what he would.

"Hay is itchy, I'm told," he agreed, though he did not know through experience. He fell back into an easy pace back toward her mother's condo, his fingers sliding through hers, feeling more comfortable with her than he had with a woman in a very long time. Maybe it was because of their jobs - both of them knowing what it was like to work long hours for little pay doing what they loved - or maybe it was something else. "If I told you where we're going, it wouldn't be a surprise."

She laughed, bumping her arm to his in further playful protest as they walked on. "I'm not asking for clues, I'm asking for a hint so I don't show up to a car rally in high heels!" she giggled up at him, rolling her eyes once again. For all her overt flirting, she did actually like him and wanted to get to know him better, and it seemed as though he'd picked up on that. He hadn't taken offense at her somewhat sexual teasing, which was a pretty good sign.

He laughed, imagining her in heels where he was planning on taking her. "It's not a road rally. Just wear something comfortable." She might guess where they were going from the few clues he was giving her, but it didn't really matter. There were dozens of places he could take her in New York, from casual to formal, fun to relaxing, chic to inexpensive, but there was one place that rose to mind over all the others.

"Comfortable. Okay." Beth laughed again, shaking her head at the mysterious teasing. "Just remember, I'll find some way to punish you if I turn up inappropriately dressed." There was a hint that her idea of punishment and his didn't really mesh in her smirk, but she didn't elaborate. "Do you have far to drive" Because you look beat."

"Is that a promise or a threat?" he asked, mirroring her smirk. He found himself wishing the morning didn't have to come to such an early end as they nearly arrived back at the condo. "Long night at the office," he told her with a shrug of his shoulders, as if it was nothing. Just another day. "Not far. I'll be okay. I just need a shower and a few hours sleep."

Bethany Daly

Date: 2013-07-11 09:11 EST
"I'd offer you a chance to crash for a coupla hours in the spare room, but I think Mom might have a fit if she came home and found you asleep in the bed I usually use," Beth chuckled softly, feeling an odd sense of regret as they reached her mother's building. She came to a halt, turning to face him with a lopsided smile on that wide invitation of a mouth. "Make sure you sleep," she told him softly. "Man cannot live on caffeine alone."

"I will, don't worry. After I call your mother." It still sounded a bit strange to use that word in reference to a woman he'd once dated, albeit briefly. He mirrored her smile with one of his own - warm and friendly, his gaze lingering on her lips a moment, but instead of tasting them, he leaned in to brush a kiss against her cheek. "I'll see you later. Oh!" he exclaimed, almost as an afterthought. "Where do you want me to pick you up?"

She thought for a moment he was going to follow through on that distracting focus on her lips, surprised and charmed when he leaned in to kiss her cheek. The smile he drew back to see was soft and almost sweet as their fingers began the reluctant process of untangling. "Oh, uh ..." Beth glanced up at the expensive building, and chuckled. She wasn't going to risk him getting into an argument with her mom just before their first date. "Come to my apartment." And surprisingly, the address she gave him was in Harlem, and decidedly less luxurious than the street where they now stood.

He seemed as reluctant to leave her company, but if he had no choice. If he stayed awake any longer, he might start having hallucinations. Coffee only worked for so long. He nodded, committing her address to memory. He'd lived in the city all his life and knew it like the back of his hand, noticing how she had chosen a far less posh area to live in than her mother but making no comment about it, at least for now. "Is six good?" O'clock that is.

She nodded in agreement, her fingers lingering against his a moment longer before retreating fully. "Six is great," she assured him. There was a pause, barely more than a heartbeat, and she stepped close, her own lips finding his cheek in a kiss of her own before she drew back once more. "I'll see you later, Detective Jason."

"Daly," he corrected, giving her his last name, though he wasn't sure why it mattered. "New York's finest," he remarked with a wink, as he slowly pulled away from her, resisting the urge to take her in his arms and sweep her off her feet on the very first date. They'd only known each other a few hours, after all, but he'd have to work fast if he wanted to make a good impression before Miranda swept her off to another world, one he wasn't quite sure he believed in yet. "See you at six, Nurse Bethany."

"Beth," she corrected him gently, giving him the privilege of using the shortened version of her name with an intimate glimmer in her brown eyes. "I'll look forward to it. No falling asleep at the wheel," she added, her smile turning to a playfully stern glare for a moment. "I'll be crushed if you stand me up through being in hospital."

"That's one way of getting that sponge bath," he teased back, eyes twinkling, tiny lines crinkling with mirth at the corners of his eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be fine," he reassured her as he stepped away, on his way toward the parking lot where he'd left his car. He waved a hand back at her, filled with a strange mix of hope, excitement, and wariness. "Remember! Wear something comfortable!" he reminded her before disappearing around the corner to find his car.

She lingered at door, watching him walk away with a hopeful smile of her own playing about her lips. Even when he was out of sight, she stayed there, her smile growing until her expression was more grin than anything else, letting herself feel the sheer delight of having set up a date with a guy she liked, without anyone else's interference. All right, so he was one of her mom's exes, but ....well, if it didn't bother him, she wasn't going to let it bother her. She just had to hope Miranda didn't go postal when she found out. Laughing at the thought of her mom's possible reaction, Bethany finally pulled the door open and let herself inside, excitement bubbling up for the first time in ages. Wear something comfortable, he'd said. So where were they going?

((Interesting, no' Fun, though! Awesomungus thanks to Jason's player!))