Riley had decided to make Italian food for their little dinner party with Danny and his new girl. She'd spent the better part of the morning of Friday the Thirteenth in her office at the hotel, pouring over cookbooks in the vain attempt to plan the perfect menu for the night. Finally, she went in search of her husband to get his input. He liked food almost as much as she did, after all. She plopped herself down in one of the client chairs that sat across David's desk from his own ultra-comfy executive chair and set three cookbooks down in front of her. Each book was bristling with enough sticky notes to make it look like the bastard love child of a porcupine. "Help?" she said, giving her husband a look that was remarkably like Finn's when he was trying to cage people food from a soft mark.

Privately, David thought making dinner for someone who was spending a lot of time with Dan was an unfair proposition anyway. The guy was a world-class chef?his midnight snacks were better than most people's carefully planned Sunday dinners. He knew Riley was having some misgivings about Dan meeting someone new so soon after Lelah?though he did notice that she seemed a lot less reluctant to give this Jenni the benefit of the doubt than she had Lelah. He wondered if that was because she and Lelah really had become good friends in the time she was with Dan, even if it had turned out badly in the end. "Can't figure out what to make, huh babe?" He reached for the first of the cookbooks. "What've you got it narrowed down to?" Judging by the stick notes, there hadn't been much narrowing?but he was kind of hoping there was another explanation for the medium-sized forest's worth of paper sticking out of the books.

"Narrow is such a...broad term," she said, sitting back and crossing those trademark legs. "I was thinking four courses. With either beef or chicken as the main course. And zabaglione with berries as dessert."

He enjoyed a good look at the aforementioned legs before answering. He was allowed. "Chicken Parmigiano? You don't find too many people who don't like that stuff."

"Ooh, yeah," she said excitedly, leaning forward to check one of the other books. She found the recipe and left it open to that page. "And we could do either spaghetti marinara or spaghetti with oil, garlic, and red pepper for the pasta course."

"The second one. That sounds awesome to me." He nodded. "And definitely the zabaglione. Anyone who doesn't like that can't be trusted anyway." He grinned at her.

She chuckled and then found the recipe for the pasta dish, the zabaglione, and then shoved another book at David. "Traditional anti-pasta for the appetiser?"

He nodded vigorously. "Mmm, yes. That stuff is awesome. Even if someone always goes through and picks out all of the pepperoni."

She gave him an innocent look and took her book back. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Besides, vegetables are for health food nuts and prey animals." She stood up, leaned across the desk for a kiss, and then went back into her office to draw up a shopping list.

He smirked a bit, but was more than willing to accept a kiss in place of apology or admission of guilt. "Let me know when you want to go."

"We can hit the Marketplace on the way home tonight, then if there's anything missing, I can go after class in the morning. Ooh, we need wine, too. Would you track down Christian and get his opinion?" One of the many perks of working in a world-class, or in the case of the Imperial Grand Rhy?Din multiverse-class, hotel was the availability of amazing specialists to give opinions and help when needed. Christian Bertand was a sommelier Riley had seduced away from a three-star Michelin restaurant in Paris and employed at the Temple.

"Why don?t we let Jenni and Dan bring it?" David countered, knowing it was likely the only way Riley would let the other couple bring anything with them.

"Ooh, an even better idea! Would you track down Danny and ask him to bring some wine for tomorrow night? I?ve gotta call our laundry people. They?ve jacked up our prices again." As Riley dialed the phone, she grumbled about the recent incursion of protection money rackets and their effects on the small business person.

Riley gave Jenni a warm smile and stepped in to enfold the tiny woman in a light hug.? "You, too.? Danny's been telling us about you.? He didn't say how pretty you are, though.? C'mon in.? David's...uh...around here somewhere." Riley headed inside, pushing through the front door and leaving it open for Dan and Jenni to follow.

Jenni gave Daniel a stunned look and then whispered to Daniel once Riley had disappeared into the house, "She's gorgeous.? And very tall.? I feel like a munchkin."

Daniel, who was himself several inches shorter than Riley, nodded, grinning.? "She is indeed."? He understood the stunned look perfectly?he'd had the same reaction to his first sight of Riley.? David had, too.? In fact, most people did.? "Come on," he continued.? "Let's go in and meet David."? He kept a gentle grip on her hand, and led her into the house.

David was setting the table while Riley went out with Finn to wait for their guests.? When he heard the front door open and close again, he figured they'd arrived, so he finished up quickly and went out to meet them.? He grinned at Dan and then turned his attention to the girl with him.? The first thing he saw was that she was tiny?like a foot shorter than him.? The next thing he saw was her eyes.? They were electric blue, shockingly so.? They were the bluest eyes he'd ever seen.? He stepped forward, holding out his hand to her.? "I'm David," he said.? "It's nice to meet you at last."

Jenni smiled bashfully and shook David's hand, taken in by his easy-going attitude and his good-looks.? "Hi.? It's nice to meet you, too.? I love your house.? It reminds me a lot of the place I grew up in." David was even taller than his wife and had broad muscular shoulders and a narrow waist. He carried himself with ease and Jenni immediately thought that he must have been a martial artist or maybe a boxer. He was dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved rugby shirt with navy blue and white stripes. His hair was black and his eyes the exact color of dark chocolate. He and Riley made a beautiful couple and Jenni thought that if they ever had children those children would be intensely cute.

Riley and Finn were sitting at the kitchen table?Riley in a chair, Finn curled up at her feet as he worried at an enormous beef bone.? The Cat was quietly studying Daniel's new girl, nostrils delicately flaring as she took in her scent.? Jenni was cute, no doubt about that, and she could totally understand why Daniel was drawn to her.? She reeked of prey, something to which a strong, dominant Alpha Lycan would very attracted.? But there was something else about her.? Something somewhat familiar...

Dan glanced over at Riley, knowing immediately what she was doing.? It was instinctive, that sizing up.? He also knew pretty much what she was concluding from it.? Although, he wasn't so sure about the faintly confused scent he was getting from her?like she was trying to remember something and couldn't quite do it.

"Thanks," David said, givng her hand a gentle shake.? Her skin was very soft, and he felt like she might shatter if he squeezed a bit.? "We're pretty fond of it, too."? He grinned.

Riley finally roused herself from trying to figure out why Jenni was so familiar to her, decided that she must have caught the girl's scent around the hotel at one point or seen her in Danny's office.? "Would either of you like something to drink?? Dan, did you bring wine?"? She stood up, gave Finn's head a pat and went to stand next to David, rubbing against him subconsciously, like a cat rubbing along a favourite human's ankles.

"Oh, yes!"? Jenni said and held out the bottles of red and white wine they'd picked up on their way to Twin Oaks.? "I nearly forgot.? I hope it's okay.? I wasn't sure what you were making for dinner so I thought I'd cover all the bases."

David slid one arm around Riley's shoulders when she brushed up against him, looking between Dan and Jenni.? She was very cute, he decided, and almost nothing at all like Lelah.? That was good?less likely to remind Dan of things he'd be better off putting behind him.? She seemed really into Dan, too.? He hoped so.? He didn't like seeing his friends hurting the way Dan was when Lelah up and walked.? When Jenni held out the wine, he smiled and took it from her.? "Thank you," he said again.? "It's perfect."

"Well, I think everything's pretty much done, so we can start with antipasta and wine out on the patio, if you guys want," Riley said, taking the wine from David and uncorking the red to let it breathe while she poured glasses of white for herself and anyone else that wanted one.

"Can I help with anything?" Jenni asked a little timidly.? Her mother's endless etiquette lessons were beginning to gang up on her and push her past her shyness and fears.? She let go of Daniel's hand and moved closer to Riley.

"Sounds good," Dan said to Riley.? He gave a little smile when Jenni went over to ask Riley if she could help, glad that she seemed to be overcoming her shyness.? He waited to see what Riley would say before heading out to the patio.

"Uh, sure," Riley said, looking around for something Jenni could do. "Here," she said, filling the girl's hands with small plates and napkins.? "You can take these out back and I'll bring the wine and the antipasta."

Jenni took the plates and followed David and Daniel outside.? "Oh, wow," she said softly as she looked around their back patio.? There was a large koi pond in the far corner and next to it was something that looked like a little hut with a statue of Buddha and another god or goddess inside.? There was also a chess table, a telescope, a huge outdoor hearth surrounded by comfortable-looking wicker furniture, and a well-appointed kitchen, too.? "This is gorgeous," she said.

David was finding it surprisingly hard to keep his trademarked impassive expression in the face of Jenni's shocking revelation.? Could she actually be Makepeace's daughter?? And if she was...was this some kind of trap?? Some plot for revenge?? It was a lot more likely that it was an alternate universe coincidence...but he rarely believed in coincidence.? It was just too suspicious.? For Dan's sake, he was going to have to try to act normal, though.? At least for now.? As soon as they got a chance to talk to him alone, though...? "I bet that dragon was Icer," he said.? "She's always greeting newcomers."

"Yes, that was the name. Icer.? Big blue dragon with a lot of kids.? She said she gardens and has a ranch or something."? Jenni shook her head a bit as if she found the whole idea amazing.

Daniel nodded, smiling.? "Yes, Icer is one of the more friendly dragons around.? She was very nice to me when I first arrived in RhyDin, too." Waves of confusion and concern were coming off of David with tsunami force?he was hiding it quite well to human eyes, but a Lycan's nose wasn't fooled.? Why was the identity of Jenni's father so important?

Riley stood up then, figuring that the first course was done and wanting to diffuse the situation that she knew Daniel was picking up on.? "Let's go back inside and start the second and third courses.? I have to be at the theatre in a little while."

Jenni stood and helped Riley collect dishes to carry inside.? "The theatre?? Are you in a play or something?"

"The ballet, actually," Riley said as she headed into the kitchen.? "I own a dance studio where I teach and from time to time, our little company does a show at a friend's theatre.? This month, we're doing La Bayadere."? She nodded towards the three of them.? "You all should come.? David hasn't seen the show yet and usually he's in the audience for every performance.? I think we could squeeze a box out of 'Taya, the theatre's owner, if you're interested."

David, coming in behind them, nodded.? "I like that idea," he said.? "Box seats, very fancy."? He grinned, only having to force it a little this time.? He considered himself to be an better-than-average judge of a person's character, and so far he wasn't getting any warning bells about Jenni.? The way she smiled at Dan was either a supreme act, or she really liked him.? He wanted to believe it was the latter.

"I'd love to see one of your shows," Daniel said, coming into the kitchen as well.? "I haven't had many chances to do so."? He looked over at Jenni, raising a brow.? "How about it?? Do you like the ballet?"

"Oh, I love the ballet.? I have tickets to the Pacific Northwest Company.? My mother and I would go to see the Nutcracker every year."? She reached for Daniel's hand, excitement pouring off her, bringing a twinkle to her eyes.? "Could we go?? I'd love to see the show."

He took her hand, smiling at her reaction to the idea and nodded, looking at Riley with a grin.? "I think that's a yes, don't you?"

"Well, cool.? Then it's settled.? You guys can have a seat and I'll bring the pasta and chicken over and we can eat."

"Let me give you a hand," he said, wanting a chance to talk to Riley separately.? He glanced at Dan and suddenly realized that there was nowhere in the house he wouldn't able to hear them.? His ears were as good as Riley's.? So he didn't say anything as they picked up the dishes, just gave her a Significant Look.

She nodded subtly and on the off-chance his freaky brain powers had morphed into an ability to read minds, thought very hard at him: 'After dinner'.

Jenni went to sit down at the table and poured everyone a glass of the red wine.? "Gosh, it smells wonderful.? Chicken parm, right?"

Daniel nodded, settling into the seat next to her.? "Yes indeed.? Don't let her pretend otherwise," he continued, grinning.? "Riley is actually quite a good cook."? Some of it had likely come from living with him, but he wasn't tactless enough to say that out loud.

"Only because I had a good teacher," she said with a little smile.? In addition to the chicken parm, there was a big bowl of spaghetti noodles that was dressed in olive oil, crushed roasted garlic, and red pepper flakes, a smaller bowl of roasted green beans, and a small loaf of crusty Italian bread.

David snorted softly.? "Somehow, Dan's cooking skills never rubbed off of me, though.? He was carrying the green beans and the bread, as well as a knife for cutting it, and some butter.

For an instant, he stared blankly at David, thinking he'd misheard, or misunderstood what he'd heard.? Then he shook his head.? "No."? His voice was low and a thread of anger wound through it.? "No," he said again.

He sighed.? "I'm sorry, Dan."? He held up a hand.? "Now, I'm not saying that it's her father.? We both know there's over a hundred other possibilities.? Maybe it's just a coincidence."? He sure hoped it was.

He shook his head again, his nose telling him what David was really feeling, regardless of his words.? "David," he said.? "Jenni is a nice, sweet and shy girl.? I won't believe that she's part of some plot.? She couldn't hide that...not from me.? Not from Riley, either."

"I never said she wasn't, Dan."? There was a hint of pleading in his voice.? "Come on, you know I wouldn't say this sh*t unless I was worried.? I don't want to f*ck things up for you.? Or her.? Maybe it really is just a coincidence, a multiverse practical joke.? Ask her if she's talked to her dad lately."

Daniel froze.? "Sh*t," he said very softly, but with great feeling.? All of his arguments fell apart as he thought of what Jenni had told him?the event that had sparked them getting back together.? "Her father's missing, David," he whispered, unable to meet the other man's eyes.? "He disappeared two weeks ago, without a trace."

He stared at Dan, unsure of what to say.? They both knew what it had to mean.? It wasn't any alternate universe coincidence.?? Jenni was Makepeace's actual daughter.? This...complicated things.? "Maybe she doesn't know," he said with no small bit of desperation.

He looked up now, meeting David's eyes.? The compassion in them was obvious, even if he hadn't been able to smell it.? A little spark of hope flared to life inside him.? "She told me she doesn't get on that well with her dad.? That he was always away."

Though a terribly small person and generally light on her feet, the sound of Jenni coming down the steps was still pretty loud, giving the men time to compose themselves before she entered the kitchen.? She gave David a smile but went to sit next to Daniel at the table, sliding her hand in with his and giving it a gentle squeeze.? "Thanks for inviting us over, David.? You have a beautiful home."

He forced a smile, nodding politely.? "Thank you, Jenni."? Dan was right, though.? She seemed a perfectly sweet, normal girl.? If she was playing them all, and could fool a Lycan's nose?two Lycan's noses!?then none of them had a chance of exposing her anyway.? He had to at least try to get it sorted, though.? "Dan just mentioned to me that your father's gone missing," he said.? "I hope you don't mind.? I was a cop back in San Fransico, you see.? He thought maybe I could help."

She smiled softly, sadly, and shook her head.? "The FBI are looking into it."? She glanced aside at Daniel for a moment then asked David, "Did Daniel tell you why I'm here?? What caused me to come to Rhy'Din, I mean?"

He shook his head.? "I didn't mention that," he said softly.? "I wouldn't have said anything if he and Riley weren't my best friends, Jenni.? I trust them with my life."

She gave Daniel a grateful smile and then turned to David.? "I was being stalked.? Someone was calling me at all hours, following me around and taking photos of me and emailing them to me, along with creepy messages that said stuff like "You have what I want" and things like that."? She shivered a little.? "The local cops in Seattle called the FBI, I guess 'cause of my dad, and the FBI decided to send me here to keep me safe."? She gave a tiny giggle.? "I still can't believe they know about this place."

That brought a little smile to his face, too.? "Believe me, I was as shocked as you to find out..."? He shot Dan a little glance, almost asking permission to continue.? He got a little nod in return, so he pushed on.? "They never caught the guy?it was a guy, I take it?"

She shrugged a little.? "They never caught him, no.? That's why they won't let me go home and be with my mother now.? They're worried that the same guy?or guys, maybe?took my dad in the hopes of flushing me out."

"So they think someone's stalking you in order to get to your father?? He's rich, obviously.? Does he have government contracts?"

"Oh, yes.? His think tank has contracts with DARPA, the military, the DoD.? All of the alphabet soup agencies."

His lip twitched a little at 'alphabet soup'.? "So he doesn't just have money, he's got secrets.? Knowledge is power, right?"? He was almost musing to himself.? "Are they trying just to open a door to him through you...or do they think you've got something to give them, too?? Are you close to him?"

"No, we haven't been close since I was a little girl.? His idea of dealing with me was to throw money at me."? Her voice was bitter, eyes hard and flinty.? "Everything I could have ever needed monetarily was mine for the asking, but my parents ignored me.? My dad was always away on business and my mother...well, she's probably at the bottom of a bottle again."

He glanced at Dan?just a quick flick of the eyes.? If she was telling the truth?and his instincts from ten years a cop said she was?then maybe, just maybe, she had no idea what her father really did.? "I'm sorry," he said, really meaning it.? No one should have to grow up like that.

Daniel caught that little look, and knew what it meant.? David was starting to believe Jenni was exactly what she said she was.

She gave David a sweet, grateful smile.? "Thanks, but..."? She shrugged a little.? "It's how they were raised.? They don't know any better."

He nodded, and reached out to pat her on the shoulder.? "I don't know if I can really do anything, but I'll talk to some people," he said.? "In the meantime...we have a ballet to get to.? If you still want to go."

"Yes, I still really want to go."? She stood up and took Daniel's hand and after David locked the house up, they caught the train that would take them down to the Shanachie Theatre just in time to watch Riley and her students take the stage.

"I don't know," Dan said again, dropping heavily into one of the office's chairs. "I can't just pretend to know nothing every time she talks about him. That's the same as lying to her."

"Well," she began carefully. "Sometimes it's best to lie to someone when the truth would hurt them. Of course, not knowing what happened to her father might be even worse than knowing." She shrugged a bit. "I think if I were in that situation, I'd want to know. Even if it turned out that my father was a complete and utter d*ck, I'd want to know what happened to him."

David nodded, the corners of his mouth pulled down in a contemplative frown. "Yeah. She's right. I'd want to know, too. Even if it meant losing a friend."

Daniel nodded slowly. "I know," he said softly. "I knew right away, even if I didn't want to believe it. I can't let her sit and wonder if she's ever going to see her father again. Even if it means she'll leave."

"It might suck at first, but maybe she'll come around to it. Maybe she'll...oh, I don't know...be grateful that you told her and she doesn't have to wonder anymore." Woah. When did Riley become Little Miss Pollyanna? David glanced at her, a little surprised. She wasn't normally one to sugarcoat things. She frowned defensively. "What? It could happen."

"I hope you're right," Daniel said, standing again. He looked between the two of them, grey eyes very serious. "I'm tired of hurting, you know?" Riley gave Danny a sad smile and rose from her chair to cross the room and enfold him in a tight hug, like she was trying to keep the rest of the world from hurting him.

David went over and rested his hand on Dan's shoulder. "Sucks being human sometimes, doesn't it, brother?"

Despite himself, Daniel chuckled. "How the hell would I know?"

She chuckled softly and darted a kiss against Danny's cheek. "Lemme know if you need anything, okay?"

"I may need a hole to crawl into and pull after me," he said. "Once I break the news." The he stiffened. "Ah...I can tell her, right? The MVA isn't going to bust in and arrest me if I say something about Makepeace?"

Riley shrugged. "I don't see why you can't. They didn't tell us not to talk about it and there were no non-disclosure documents, so yeah. Go for it."

"F*ck 'em if they don't like it," David said bluntly. "We did their dirty work for them, so they owe us."

Dan chuckled again. "All right. Good. I'll tell her, then. As soon as we get a quiet moment."