Chapter 3

True was enjoying herself. In all the years since the Adairs had moved in, True had never really seen the inside of their apartment. She'd always known it would be neat and orderly. Devon—and it's okay to call her Devon, because after several "Ms. Adair"s Devon had said, "Why don't you call me Devon?" and since True was practically an adult now, it seemed all right—Devon always seemed like the neat and orderly sort of person. The kind who always cleans the kitchen right after it's been used, and always has a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, without someone having to yell from inside, "Please get me a roll of toilet paper."

Truthfully, and since True liked to live up to her name, she tried to be truthful all the time, she had not thought it could be comfortable living in a house with such a neat and orderly person. She was comfortable living with her dad (John?...Dad….John…Dad…no, definitely Dad, he'd probably have a cow if she called him John), who was obviously not neat, although sometimes orderly. And it just didn't seem possible that both ways could be comfortable.

She used to feel sorry for Uly, first because he was so pale and weak-looking, but second because he had to live in a stiff clean world, and couldn't ever seem to do anything fun, and his mom always seemed to be looking sternly at somebody.

But True was thinking differently now. She was sitting at a pretty, clean table, kicking her feet happily (and unconsciously knocking dirt off her shoes and onto the tile), and drinking some hot cocoa. Devon wasn't quite as fun and comfortable as her dad, but she was very nice.

Those first few minutes had been a little awkward, but after Devon had explained a few things, True felt a lot better, and was glad, momentarily, that she had not found her dad after all. Sometimes there were things you wanted to talk over with a woman, because men don't have the same problems women do (that's what Devon had said).

It took a little while to get everything settled, because Devon insisted she not sit around in her jeans, but gave her a pair of old sweat pants. And then there was a minor lesson about getting bloodstains out of clothing, which True thought would come in handy on MANY different levels, since she was getting to the age where streaks of blood on clothing were no longer cool, and occasionally annoying, and if they looked fresh, were likely to result in another lecture from her dad about fighting or safety.

The hot cocoa was the best part, though. True could hear the rain outside, really coming down hard now. But inside it was nice and warm, and sitting at that pretty little table with the pretty little cup in her hands, she felt cozy in a way totally different than she'd ever felt before.

The knock on the door sent a quick flare of annoyance through her. She didn't want anyone to interrupt them. It wouldn't be the same once someone else came. But of course, Devon got up to answer the door, and True resigned herself to the end of this adventure.

Through the doorway, she could hear her dad's voice, and it occurred to her, all of a sudden, that maybe she should have left a note on her door. Her dad would never dream of looking for her in Devon's apartment, and he might be mad if he couldn't find her.

So she decided that as soon as he left, she was going to get out and sneak back. Maybe she should hide, so he couldn't see her if he accidentally looked in. Except that was no good, because surely Devon would mention something about her being there. It was the way of parents.

When Uly came in, and his eyes lit on her, she knew the jig was up. True looked towards the door and found herself looking straight into her dad's eyes, which were narrowing in a way that usually meant trouble. Uh-oh.

She automatically started to get up from the table, but then Devon put a hand on her dad's arm, and said, "Mr. Danziger, if it's all right with you, I'd like to speak with you for a minute."

A raised eyebrow. "And if it's not all right with me?"

This response seemed to alarm Devon a bit, but she said, a little stiffly, "Then I still want to talk with you."

While True was pausing halfway between sitting and standing, unsure which would be her best move, Uly came up to her and said, "I want hot chocolate, too!"

Turning from the door, Devon called, "Uly, have some hot chocolate and sit down with True for a minute, I'm just going to talk to Mr. Danziger outside."

Uly turned to wave at Mr. Danziger, frantically conveying through gestures and facial expressions that now he could talk to Mom about The Job—a message of which John Danziger received only the barest of understanding, and none of the specifics.

As the door closed behind them, and True reseated herself at the table, the two children looked at each other in a bemused fashion. There was a feeling of expectation, as if something new and exciting were beginning right at this very moment. But not knowing what to make of it, they simply fell to sipping hot chocolate and discussing which games are best to play in the rain.

On the other side of the door, the discussion was a tad less amiable.

"Back it up, Adair." John probably sounded more gruff than necessary, but he was irritated. "Thanks and all for what you've done, but try explaining again without the part where you act like I don't know how to raise my own kid."

With a slightly raised voice, Devon protested, "I said nothing of the sort!"

With his hands on his hips, he snorted at her, "So you weren't the one that said the words 'running around like a hoodlum'?"

Devon's eyes look pained as she put one hand to her head, and explained, "I said 'hoyden.'" Then she added, before he could take offense, "And I meant that in a good way."

"A good way?" Devon didn't need the snort this time to hear that John didn't believe her. She didn't blame him, because at the moment she wasn't making a lot of sense.

She raised her hands in surrender, and started to laugh. Not the loud laughter of someone having fun, but the laughter of someone who had no other choice. It had been a REALLY long day. Work, the storm, the Crisis with True, a brief skirmish with her apartment manager…if she didn't laugh, she would probably cry.

John stood there a little warily, trying to decide whether he or True was being insulted again, or whether the woman would need some sort of medical attention.

"Okay, okay, okay," she said, rubbing at her temples. "Let's try this again." She closed her eyes briefly, and opened them again with a forced smile and forced brightness in her tone. "Mr. Danziger. I do appreciate you returning my son home safely. I had expected only to be delayed a few more moments. When I came home, True was distressed, as I told you already, and I provided what I felt was helpful and practical advice and imparted some feminine knowledge. I think your daughter is charming, and you are obviously a good father, and I do apologize if I overstepped the unspoken rules of single parenting by speaking with her on these delicate matters. I would also like to say that should either of you feel the need for a woman's opinion or advice in similar matters in the future, I would be happy to oblige you, with your permission, of course."

This being said, Devon took a deep breath, and looked as if that were the end of the matter. She nearly nodded at him, as if to say he was dismissed.

John still stood there with his hands on his hips, staring at her, undecided. After a moment's silence he said, "Adair, do you always talk like you have a dictionary in your mouth?"

"I beg your pardon?" Devon looked startled. She didn't know what she had expected—perhaps some more defensive attitude and maybe a few harsh words—but it wasn't that.

John almost laughed at the way her eyes went wide. Almost. Sensing she would probably feel insulted if he did so, he just smiled, relaxed his posture, and said, "Lighten up, Adair. Confrontation's over, I was just joking."

Unsure of how to react to his sudden change in demeanor, Devon just said, "Oh. Kay." For another moment she just stood there wondering what she could possibly say next, until John casually asked, "So, do I get some hot chocolate, too?"

Recovering, Devon said quickly, "Of course, there's enough for everyone." Reaching behind her for the doorknob, she turned to push the door open, but his hand on her arm stopped her.

She froze, surprised again, and looked up at him. When their eyes connected, she felt her heart thud in her chest. How silly to think the touch on her arm was the reason she couldn't seem to catch her breath.

His eyes seemed to laugh at her, and he leaned forward to say quietly, "I won't bite. I just wanted to say thanks, Adair. I appreciate what you did for True, and I won't forget it."

She wasn't used to people being that close to her. She blamed the fact that all she could think to say was, "Okay" on the fact that he was definitely too close.

As they walked into the apartment, he added, "And I might take you up on your offer." Devon, walking into the kitchen, felt her stomach jump a little, because she couldn't remember what offer he was talking about. But it settled when she looked at the table and saw True and Uly sipping mugs of chocolate around the table. True, that was what he meant—he meant how she'd offered to help him with True.

Strange woman, John thought to himself. She always seemed so in control of herself, but just a touch on her arm, and she was almost undone. Not to say he was completely unaffected by the contact. For a moment there, when she looked up at him with her eyes wide, he thought he felt the slightest hint of fear from her—panic, maybe. He didn't know why that thought sent a tiny thrill down his spine. He wasn't in the habit of getting his kicks out of frightening or intimidating women.

Going to True, he laid a hand on her head briefly, and True, feeling the connection, understood that she and Devon were forgiven their small lapse (tiny, really) in consideration. She grinned brilliantly up at him, feeling slightly giddy that things were turning out so well, and John was struck as he often was, at how precious a thing he had entrusted to his care. True was his whole world, and here she was growing up on him by leaps and bounds. He shook his head a bit as if to deny it, and then took a seat around the little table, joining in on the conversation there.

Devon was at the stove, already preparing a fourth cup of hot cocoa, but looking over she hesitated a little to see John sitting in her kitchen. He was a large man, and she had a small table. His frame seemed folded comfortably on the matching chair, but his presence seemed too big for her room. Devon and Uly did not often have company. For many years now, it had just been the two of them laughing around the little table. She wasn't quite sure there was room for any others. Whether she meant that literally or figuratively, she was reluctant to consider.

The sound of her son's quiet giggle temporarily interrupted her thoughts. Knowing that someone else was the cause of the laughter gave her both a warm pride, and a twinge of jealousy. Devon was not, by nature, a jealous woman and she frowned a little at her own reaction. If hearing her son laugh with other people was so unusual then she had to consider rethinking their usually solitary natures. She really ought to find a way to make just a little more room in their lives for some friends for the both of them. Uly was getting older, and it was a shame for such a young, smart boy to have no friends.

And Devon was—well, she was getting older, too. If you looked at it the same way, it was a bit of a shame that she didn't really have any friends, either. As a young girl, she had been surrounded by many other young people. Lively and fun, she had never lacked for companionship, but as a woman looking back, it was easy to see that none of those childhood companions were really friends. Children of her parents' friends, they had often taken their wealth and status completely for granted, making them oblivious at best, or insufferably spoiled at worst.

Devon had always felt that she wanted something more from her companions and from her life. After she had Uly, and after the falling out with her father, she discovered that what she had always suspected was true: there was more to life than balls and soirees and charity auctions. In fact, there was so much more to raising a child on her own, that the life she had now did not remotely resemble the life of her youth.

Still, she preferred the little apartment she cleaned herself, and all the things that were paid for with her hard-earned money. But sometimes, just sometimes, she was just a little lonely, and the company of a nine year old boy, as amazing a boy he might be, did not completely make the loneliness go away.

If she felt like that, then it must be the same for Uly as well. Most young boys had more to occupy their time than an overprotective mother. Maybe it was time for him to branch out and as Uly started growing up, she would have to find something of her own to do, also.

She sighed very quietly, reflecting on how long it had been since she had had any room in her life to have a concern for anything besides her son. Then fixing that last cup of chocolate, she put her smile back on her face, just a little lopsided, and a little tired, but it was the best she could do, and she walked it over to the little table to set it in front of John Danziger.

As he reached for it, his fingers briefly brushed hers, and he looked up at her in thanks. She felt her stomach flip, and she was irritated a bit at her own jumpiness. The irrational thought that he shouldn't look so comfortable around her little table was quickly squashed as she determined she was going to make good on her resolution to make more friends for her and Uly. She could certainly start now.

A/N: It doesn't matter how many years pass, these stories still exist somewhere in my head. And the strangest things inspire me to get writing again. I found this chapter half written on my computer, and just finished it one afternoon, then took six months to edit. I have no idea how long it will take me to get to the next chapter, but I appreciate suggestions or encouragement. I miss Earth 2.