2020-02-29 - Waffles and Conversations

Parking his black Dodge pick up in the back spots, Adam walks towards the door with his winter coat zipped to protect from the cold. His new badge was clipped to his jeans and his handgun locked in place as well. He smiles as he walks in and sits in a back booth with a view of the door. Once more he thinks this is the right decision, a fresh start in a new place. The team had been ready for him to go... to much media attention had everyone on edge.
He picks up a menu and asks for coffee when staff walks past.

Jewellia parked her coup in one of the few spots closer to the door. She scanned the parking lot , seeing her brothers dodge pick up she gave an inward squee of excitement before hurrying into the warmth of the waffle house. She was dressed plainly enough, jeans, winter boots and a fluffy pale purple sweater under the leather jacket, Adam had gotten her for her birthday a couple of years before. Seeing Adam she called out his name and bounced over to him. not even waiting for him to stand up before wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. "You made it!"

"I would never let you down Jewelss you know that. We talked and this move is the kind of fresh start I need. I figure we can pick through the bones of my old life and see what we have space for in the apartment then I'll put the rest in storage. Thank you once more for taking me in. If it is too much let me know and I'll look for a place." He smiles brightly, missing his sister and best friend something fierce.
"Now then breakfast is on me so eat up!"

The hug was tight and lingered a moment longer than it likely should have but she had missed Adam and wanted it to show. "I know you wouldn't, Adam. I am just really happy to see you." She smiled at him letting go of the hug so she could step over to the other side of the table wiggling out of her jacket, and hanging it over the back f the chair before sitting down. When the waitress came over with the cofee she asked for a cup herself. "The apartment isn't a huge one but it is nice sized and it is just me there so I am sure we will be able to rearrange things to fit." She smiled at him, her expression bright, showing how glad she was that he was there. " Of course, Adam. You know I would do anything for you. " She motioned at his badge "Getting to work already?"

"Yes, wanted to get sworn in last time I was here. Part of why I packed up this weekend for the drive. Transfer is done and I am already set to go in later. Keeping it visible means I can put people at ease." He nods and sips from his cup. "How about you, how's the photography going? Any places you just have to show me?" He grins remembering an early morning hike that was half walking together half carrying her because it was a "must see" spot for a sunrise.

She added cream and sugar to her coffee before taking a small sip and then adding another packet of sugar. "I am glad you are getting settled in."She smiled at him, glancing at her menu before ordering a waffle with a side of both bacon and sausage. She sighed a bit at the photography question. "I am making enough to live on. Mostly doing family stuff and weddings."She rolled her eyes and made a bit of a face. There are some amazing abandoned locations around herem but it doesn't seem like a lot of people are interested in that style unless it is Halloween. I do have a place to show you later, especially if it is still snowing. The snow coming down on the water is just amazing looking. I also found a spot..."She paused and laughed softly. "Sorry, you know me. I could go on all day about the different places I have found. I have prints of many of them in the apartment. "

He laughed having ordered the same thing and sips from his coffee. "I do know, that is why I asked. I'll alert search and rescue when we head out to your snow spot. I feel a blizzard coming that day." He laughed again. "Well it is good that you can pay the Bill's, I'm sure the second income will help and give us both a bit of savings. When I am home I promise to help with the chores as well." He grins.

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully when he mentioned alerting search and rescue. " I only ever got us lost once! and that turned out perfectly okay!" Only because he had come prepared with camping and survival gear. She nodded her head taking another small sip of her coffee, wrapping her small hands around the cup to warm them. " it will, but you know thats not why I said yes to you asking if you could move in. I said yes because you are my brother, and how could I possibly tell you no to anything?" She smiled again. "Now all I need to do is adopt a kitten from the shelter and my life will be complete."

"Of course sis I know why, just like you know why I asked about coming here. It's not about the money but it's an added perk." He reached out and squeezed her hand. "So a kitten huh. What kind and color are you thinking? Any policies at the complex we need to be aware of?" He laughed knowing that was always his thing, the law, the rules, he lived knowing the guidelines and how much they flex. Jewels was the creative one with the free thinking mind.

"The last time I was in and volunteered for a weekend they had this adorable little calico. I am hoping she got adopted though, she was so sweet, so I guess it just depends on what is there when we go." She laughed. " You probably know better then I do. I gave you a copy of the Tennant book. I just remember cats and dogs less then 70lbs are okay. So much for my dream of owning a mastiff. Oh! and no Pit bulls either, stupid people and their prejudices against good dogs." When he breakfast arrived she added syrup on top of the whipped cream on the waffles. "How about on your end. How have things been going?"

He stares for a full minute then laughs. "Sorry, had to shake the sugar shock off. Yes I read it, only a minor rent increase." He pretended to drool then covered his waffles in syrup. "Nothing to much, went over my cases before I left. I'll likely start in traffic this week. Did you ever fix that tail light?" He grinned.

She rolled her eyes at the comment about the sugar shock. "What can I say I like sweet things and they don't have any of the fancy flavored creamers." She was not at all surprised that he had actually read the information she had sent him. That was the way they had always been, her diving right in without even opening the instructions to something and him making sure he read the fine print. Any trouble they had gotten into as children had mostly been her fault. When he mentioned the taillight she almost choked on her waffle and stared at him before swallowing slowly. "Isn't there some sort of unspoken rule about not looking at your sister's traffic violations?" She gave another long pause. " I got it fixed, eventually."

"Wow, see I noticed it last time, I did not even go into the records." He laughed at her expression. "But now that I know you did have someone else mention it, maybe i should look." He grins. "Anything else you would like to mention at this time sister dear?"

She wadded up a napkin and threw it at him teasingly. "Brat, tricking me into admitting something like that when I could have just played innocent." Which is what she had done when she had been pulled over for the taillight even though she had known it was out and just kept forgetting about it. Luckily the cop that pulled her over wasn't her brother who could almost seem to tell if she were lying sometimes. She took another sip of her coffee and then sighed. "I paid off the speeding ticket too, and haven't gotten another one since. That was last summer anyway." people would be nuts to try to speed in the wintertime around here.

"Well now that I am here, if it's not done on your free time I see batted eyes and a please in the future. So those things will be taken care of. So besides your car... what else should I take a look at for you, sister dear." He laughed.

She gave him one of her sweetest smiles, and most innocent looks, which likely would have worked on anyone but, Adam. "I wouldn't ask you to take care of things like that for me, but since you are kind enough and offering, how could I turn down such a sweet gesture from my older brother?" She held u her hands and shok her head, long dark curls falling over her shoulders as she did. "Nothing! I promise I haven't really gotten into any other trouble. No trespassing or anything like that to make sure I get really interesting pictures. " She quickly took another large bite of her waffle.

"Disturbing the peace huh." He laughs while cutting up the rest of his waffles. "I am kidding, do not sweat it. You have my number and I can get involved if I need to." He sighs with that smile on before eating.

She smiled at him, her expression was bright and cheerful. "Not really just pissing off crotchety old men who like to wave their canes and gets and tell them to get off their lawn, even if the kids didn't know the weird old abandoned shake was on their lawn in the first place and just thought it would be cool to take a few pictures of. I left and he settled down, and I guess that was the end of it because I haven't heard anything else. Sad though. The place had this really creepy ambiance ." She paused and ate a bit more of her food before looking at him mischievously. "So how many hearts did you break telling people you were moving away from Seattle? "

That had him nearly choke on his bite. He looked at her grin and shook his head. "Nice try. No the one girl I was seeing stopped taking my calls when the drama at city hall started. If I broke anyone's heart it was Mom. She couldn't say if she was happy in was moving down here with you or sad that I wasn't moving you back to Seattle. So she just did that smile instead." He sipped and watched her a moment before adding. "So how many men did you have to kick to the curb just to fit my stuff in?" Now he grins.

She had opened the door and walked right into that question, and she knew it. It didn't stop her from blushing a bit though. "None. None of them ever got to the point where they moved anything in other then a couple of changes of clothing and a toothbrush may be, and the last one of those ended before you ever called. "Thier excuse was that I didn't ever take anything seriously enough, not even the relationship. She rolled her eyes.

As much as mom was dissapointed I wasn't moving back up to Seattle I am sure it makes her feel better that we are together, looking out for one another. Someone has to remind you t have fun even once in a while.

"That is true, she is happy we are together since we balance each other so well." He chuckles and signals for the check. "At least our parents mean well. I have met a few.... characters. Most of them had no business having kids, and I would struggle to call what they were doing as raising their children."
As the staff arrives he hands over forty bucks.
"So what else do you have planned today? I have a few hours before work. Tackling what's going into storage should not kill more than an hour." He looks to Jewellia with a curious expression on his face.

She stood and pulled on her coat as he paid for their meal and left the tip. "I don't have anything planned. I actually cleared my whole day in case there were things that you need to do, or if you wanted me to show you around. Typical responsible you though, wants to jump right into work." She smiled at him. Let's head back tot he apartment, we can get you unpacked and settled, and see how much time we have left of the day before you have to go to work. " reaching out she took his hand and gave it a squeeze as she leads him back out into the cold.

Her apartment wasn't far from the dinner he had chosen for them to have breakfast at, and the roads leading to the apartment complex where she lived were pretty well plowed of snow and salted. it would only take a few minutes to get there and start getting him settled in his new home.