A/N: Sorry for the lateness! Had a lot on with university blah de blah, hope to update soon, but I can't promise. This is a bit of a filler chapter, tomorrow I think they will go out in the gryospheres… we'll see where that goes ;)

Relieved and Off Duty

Zach Mitchell – Gray and I r going down for breakfast, do u wanna come?

Me – Sure, see you in a sec.

Val pulled her earbuds out and closed down her laptop screen. She hopped off the bed, slid her phone and key into her pocket, and was out the door in under a minute. Both boys were standing in the corridor waiting, Gray looking excited for the new day while Zach had his hands stuffed into his pockets and a bored expression.

"You look different." Gray seemed surprised to see her in a pencil skirt and blouse instead of the casual wear she had sported yesterday.

"Yeah." Val finished tucking her elbow-length blazer into her laptop bag. "Going into the office today while you boys are with your Aunt."

"Oh." Gray look a little put out at the thought, turning from her to summon a lift. "We knocked, but didn't hear anything. I thought you might still be asleep."

"Sorry, I was listening to music and sorting out some emails from home." Val smiled. "Did you guys sleep okay?"

"Yeah, it's a really cool hotel room!" Gray fidgeted as he watched the oncoming lift to the left tick down the floors above.

A grunt and shrug was the response from Zach who once more had his phone in his hand. Christ alive, this trip was wasted on that boy. Val frowned as she looked at him, what was his deal? Anyone right in the head would be stoked at the opportunity to have all this VIP access in the most coveted theme park in the world! Val was mid-way through judging him when a thought popped into her head.

"So what? That just means you get two of everything, loads of my friends' parents are divorced, it's no big deal. Are you seriously crying?"

Zach's voice had carried heated anger, more anger than seemed reasonable towards his brother's attitude. Val suddenly wondered if Zach was more aware of his parents' situation than he had let on, being the elder he would surely sense the tension just as much as Gray, if not more. What if he was just as scared as Gray was at the prospect of his parents' divorcing?

The disdain in her eyes turned into pity just at the moment Zach looked up at her. He must have seen it, because his own expression hardened, and he was the first to push into the crowded lift when it arrived. She and Gray filed in after him and he held himself stiffly as far from her as possible in the cramped quarters.

Val sighed softly. She wanted to empathise with him, but he didn't make it easy.

Thankfully food is a great way to clear the air of awkwardness between people. When the doors released them onto level 3 the others in the lift funnelled out behind the kids who had stopped just outside its doors to look out at the scene before them.

Tables were filling as soon as they emptied, an excited chatter filled the high ceilinged room as people planned out their day in the Park, white-shirted wait staff wondered through the mix of colours bringing orders and offering assistance. The edges of the room were lined with long tables beneath snowy white cloths and covered with dishes of food. Val's stomach rumbled as she looked out at all the options before her.

"Grab a table and forage?" She asked the boys.

They both nodded eagerly and the three of them managed to beat a family to a recently vacated table. The animosity Zach had shown in the lift seemed to have evaporated, and Val made a mental note never to bring it up again. She volunteered to guard the table while the boys went off and got some food first, an offer that they happily agreed to.

A waitress came and cleared away the remains of the previous occupants' breakfast, and Val was shocked to recognise her. She looked very different in the pressed uniform of the Hilton as opposed to her normal plainclothes, and her hair was coiled into a tight bun rather than the ponytail she normally sported, but it was definitely Mia from the coffee stand.

"Mia?"

"I was wondering when you'd recognise me." Mia grinned and paused in her work. "I've been wondering where you've been, haven't seen you popping in and out of work for a couple of days."

"I'm escorting Claire's nephews around during their week here." Val pointed to where Zach and Gray were clustered by the hot food section of the buffet. "So I get to stay here and go around the Park with them."

"I didn't know you were over here to be a baby-sitter! Can I give your number to my cousin? She's looking for someone to mind her kids so she and her hubby can go out to dinner some time." Mia teased.

"Ha. Ha." Val rolled her eyes. "What about you? Why the uniform, aside from the obvious?"

"Making ends meet." Mia shrugged. "They had an opening and a friend got me in, I'll be on the coffee cart this afternoon, I only take the breakfast shift here. What are you up to today?"

"Clare is showing the guys the Control Room today, so I get time off." Val grinned. "I'll probably be in at the stand, I'll be at work helping Zara."

"Only you would call that 'time off'." Mia pulled a face. "At least I'm being paid to work."

"Well hopefully one day I'll be back here and being paid." Val said wistfully. "If you're still around I promise to be faithful to your cart."

"Not a chance." Mia snorted. "I'm not far off my goal, might save up a little over, but then I'm out of here!"

"Mia!" Another one of the waiters loaded with plates pointed towards another table that needed clearing. "A little help?"

"Catcha later, kid." Mia tipped Val a wink and went to pile up some more dishes from the other empty table.

The rest of breakfast passed by in an uneventful half hour. Val had been dazzled by the options presented to her when it was her turn to go and get food, it had been a long time since she had seen a spread like this. She went back for seconds when she was done, almost thinking of following the boys' example and polishing off a third helping, but her distended stomach begged to differ with that desire.

She was nursing a cup of coffee and sorting out what to do with the boys tomorrow when Claire arrived. Her hair and white outfit caught Val's eye, she was standing just in front of the lifts casting around. She began heading for their table after Val waved to catch her attention.

"Good morning boys, and Valarie." She greeted, taking the spare seat between Val and Zach. "How did you all sleep?"

"Good." They all chorused.

"Can I get you a coffee?" Val held up her cup. "It's pretty good."

"I had one just before, but thank you." Claire smiled.

"How are you?" Gray asked politely.

"I'm fine, sweetie. Are you guys having fun? Zach?" She peered close at him, he was on his phone. "Zach?"

"Huh? What?" His attention came to the table again, and Val felt her earlier sympathy for him evaporate. Sure, she still thought he was covering up more hurt than he showed about the divorce, but he didn't have to be so rude because of that.

"Are you enjoying it here?" Claire really wanted them to be having fun, she wanted to be a good aunt.

"Yeah, it's cool."

"It's amazing!" Gray salvaged the atmosphere from the threatening awkwardness. "What do we get to do in the Control Room?"

"Well-" A the trilling of her ringtone cut Claire off. She pulled it out and held up one finger to the boys. "Just a sec."

"Have you been to the Control Room?" Gray asked, turning his attention to Val.

"No." She admitted around her last mouthful of toast. "It's not really in my line of work."

"I thought you worked with Aunt Claire, right?" Gray gulped down his orange juice. "And she goes there."

"Yeah, but Claire runs all but the entirety of the Park, I just help out in the office." She shrugged. "I'm happy with that."

"Sorry about that." Clare made her way back to the table, but didn't retake her seat. "That was Lowery, one of my colleagues, they want me up there now. Are you boys done?"

"Yup!" Gray moved his cutlery to cover what remained on his plate, jumping from his seat. "Let's go!"

"Sure." Zach slid his chair back and took his time standing.

"Great!" Claire turned her attention to Val, who was gathering up her laptop bag from where she had slung it behind her seat. "Valarie, Zara is waiting in the office. Nothing special to do today, you have both done a great job prepping for Verizon tomorrow, have you come any further on the report I asked for?"

"I haven't started writing it yet." She admitted, walking to the lift with them. "I've been wanting to focus more on research. But I think I've found out all I need and can get it started today."

"Thanks."

They crowded into a lift with another couple groups of people who had been waiting, riding it down to the lobby in silence. Val's mind was already back in the readings she had been doing. Sorting through the information she had processed into a rough order for the report.

"Bye, Val!" Gray wrapped his arms around her waist when they emerged from the lift.

The hug caught her by surprise, but she put an arm around him in return, a smile on her face. Now she really wished she had her own little brother. "Catch you later."

She got a smile and a wave from Claire, a head-jerk and a 'see ya' from Zach, then the trio were moving quickly to the entrance. Val could see Claire's white Mercedes ready and waiting, and it had driven away before Val made it out of the revolving door. Sound and heat blasted her the second she stepped out of the air-conditioned shelter of the Hilton. The sleeves of her blazer felt long and confining after spending a day with bare arms, her longing for the office was no longer simply related to being able to get back to her work. She sent a quick text off to Zara and headed on her way.

It was as big a relief as she expected to be enveloped in cool air as she had hoped. Familiar faces surrounded her again, refreshing after the sea of tourists she had waded through yesterday while adventuring with the boys. Those who had time greeted her with a wave or a quick few words, others were so focused on their destination that Val didn't think they registered anyone around them. She didn't feel offended that they didn't notice her smiles, she had been in that same state of mind on numerous occasions when rushing to get a job done for Claire and Zara.

The latter greeted her warmly when Val reached their adjoining work stations.

"Valarie! I am so happy you are back, yesterday didn't feel right without you!"

"I'm sure you managed fine." Val replied drily, setting up her laptop. "You and Clare ran this place long before I turned up."

"You've made us soft." Zara teased. "We are too used to our extra helper now."

"You'd better hire me when I graduate then." Val joked back. Well, half joked, she really did want them to hire her back. "I'm leaving in February, then you are taking time off for your wedding, Claire is going to go crazy!"

"We'll both be back." Zara spared a dreamy gaze for her engagement ring. "And she will love us all the more!"

Val couldn't help laughing, feeling noticeably more relaxed than she had yesterday. This was a much more comfortable environment for her to be in than playing tour guide to the boys. That thought made her guilty, because she really really liked Gray, but it was true.

I'm turning into an adult way ahead of schedule, she thought to herself, giving a rueful shake of her head.

"What is it?" Zara inquired, having noticed the movement in her peripheral vision.

"Nothing." Val assured with a smile. "Just a silly thought."

Zara accepted this and began talking in a rapid stream even as her fingers flew over the keyboard and her eyes remained on her screen.

"Stan and I had a long talk last night about how to do the reception." She began. "We were thinking…"

Val nodded along, copying Zara by splitting her focus between her write-up and gossiping about the upcoming wedding. Internally she dreaded the day she would have to leave all of this behind.