Warm Fuzzies

“So…what are the three different subtypes of Class Three demons?”

“Oooh, that’s a tough one,” Liam said, pressing his lips together to try to hide his little grin. “There’s…fish…”

Addison laughed. “It’s really more like ‘river’ but I’ll give you ‘fish’.”

“And…insect and…a last one…” He scrunched up his nose in concentration. “Uhhh…can I get a hint?”

“He’s a character on the Muppets,” Addison said, drawing a finger up Liam’s bare chest.

“Um…hmmm…oh!” His entire face lit up. “Oh I got it! Animal!”

Addison laughed. “You’re correct! You win!”

“Oh?” Liam grinned back. “And what do I win?”

“A kiss.” Addison leaned in, pressing her lips to Liam’s. The two of them had been laying on her bed for nearly two hours now, ever since Liam had come in from his office. His messenger bag – stuffed full of notes for his next article, about the opening of a new school in Southeast – lay abandoned on Addison’s desk on top of her exorcism texts. A trail of clothing led from the desk to the bed – Addison’s battered slippers, a pair of mismatched socks, one gray and one green, and Liam’s button-down dress shirt and the tee he’d had on underneath. Addison’s jeans were draped over the foot of the bed. The comforter beneath them was rumpled from a furious make-out session. Liam was only wearing his jeans, while Addison had stripped to nothing but a tank top, the bra she wore under it, and her panties. She broke the kiss after a moment, brushing a few strands of black hair from his eyes.

“How did you like your prize?” she asked.

“Oh, I liked it,” he said. “Now, if I want a…bigger prize, what do I have to do to get that?”

“Liam!” She grabbed a pillow from the other side of the bed and thumped him on the head with it. “You are so bad!”

“Hey! Hey, that’s not what my pillow is for!” he protested, throwing his arms up to protect his head.

“Your pillow? That’s my side of the bed!”

“And what a glorious bed it is,” Liam said. “I’m really glad Casey talked you into getting a full bed instead of that twin piece of shit you used to sleep on.”

“It was a decent bed.”

“Not quite so decent when your feet stick out from the end of the bed.”

Addison shrugged. “I can’t help that you’re a lanky demonology prodigy. I had no control over that.”

Liam laughed, snaking an arm around her waist and hitching her close. “You’re perfect, has anyone ever told you that?”

“I wouldn’t say perfect. Alright, on a good day.”

“No.” He leaned in, kissing her again. “Perfect.”

There was a silent moment, then, where Liam looked into Addison’s eyes, and she looked back, into his. The last few months had felt like a dream – work was going well, she was moving through the ranks of exorcist quickly. Liam had settled in with his job with the Post. Ended up moving in with her. Her parents, all the way out in California, had said that she was rushing things with him, that they should have taken the time to get to know each other more before moving in together. Liam’s grandmother, however, had merely chuckled, shaken her head, and wished Addison luck. For once, things were looking up. For once, Addison Goddard had things together in her life.

The quiet moment was interrupted by a pounding on the door. It could only be one person…

“Hey, sluts!” Casey hollered through the door. “Dinner’s getting cold while you two are playing hanky-panky in there!”

“Really, Casey?” Addison groaned. “There is no hanky-panky going on in here!”

“Suuuuuuure there isn’t,” she called back. Addison could practically see the shit-eating grin on her face.

“And shouldn’t you, you know, not be calling people sluts or anything?” Liam added. “You’re setting a bad example for your daughter.”

“She’s like, two months old! All she understands is when she wants my tits and when she’s tired. Besides,” Casey continued, “I don’t even have her right now. She’s in the kitchen with Daddy. They made dinner together. And now it’s getting cold. So put your clothes on and get your asses out here before Joshua eats it all.”

“All right, all right, we’re coming. Keep your hair on.” Addison pecked one more quick kiss on Liam’s lips, then stood up, grabbing her jeans from the foot of the bed. Liam groaned and sat up, swiping his shirt from the floor and pulling it on.

“Ready,” he said.

“Hang on.” Addison pulled her jeans back on. As she reached to button them, however, Liam leaned in, brushing her hands aside and taking the waist of her jeans. The brush of his long, slightly chilly fingers against the bare skin of her stomach sent a shiver through Addison. Carefully, Liam buttoned her jeans, then leaned in and kissed her, slowly, sweetly.

“Ready now?” he asked, breaking apart from her just enough to ask the question.

“Y-Yeah,” she said, nodding.

“Then let’s go get dinner before Casey comes back through her and embarrasses us some more.” Liam crossed the room in three long-legged strides, opening the door and gesturing to the hallway beyond. “After you, my lady.”

“You’re too sweet.” She made her way down the short hallway, sniffing the air. The smell of hot steak had drifted down the hallway from the kitchen, filling the entire apartment. “Oh damn. Joshua made steak.”

“Oh yeah, I can smell it.” Liam smiled, closing his eyes. “I’m drooling already.”

“Don’t make a mess on the carpet.” Joshua appeared at the doorway that separated the kitchen from the living room, grinning. A cloth sling was strapped to his chest, a squirming bundle tucked inside that he was supporting with one hand. Addison smiled.

“She awake?”

“Oh yeah.” He turned as Addison approached; she looked into the sling and found Anneliese nestled in, cradled against Joshua’s chest, her blue eyes peering up at Addison when she came over. “Say hi, you.”

“Hi munchkin,” Addison cooed, gently reaching into the sling and lifting Anneliese out, cradling the baby girl against her chest. “She’s so beautiful, Joshua. Hard to believe she’s two months old already.”

“Hard to believe I’m a dad,” Joshua said. “But yeah, she did turn out pretty cute.”

“She did,” Casey said, passing through. “She’s her dad’s kid, through and through. Stubborn. Eats like there’s no tomorrow.”

“I dunno, I think she got the stubborn from you,” Joshua replied, retreating back into the kitchen.

“Bite your tongue!”

He chuckled. “I’d rather bite something else…”

“Whoa! Keep it PG in there, you two!” Liam called back.

“Yeah, yeah.” Casey poked her head back into the living room. “Come on, before the steak gets cold.”

“How did you even make steak?” Liam asked as they made their way into the kitchen. Since Addison was busy still holding Anneliese, he grabbed the platter of steaks and carried it out to their rickety little dining table. “We don’t have a grill.”

“You can cook steak in a pan,” Joshua said. “If you get the right kind of meat.”

“And baked potatoes, too?” Addison whistled. “What’s the big occasion?”

“No big occasion,” Casey said, taking the plate of potatoes out to the dining room table. “Just dinner.”

“Hey, Casey!” Liam called. “What do you want me to do with all the uh…wedding magazines?”

“Oh, just…eh, just put them on the sofa or something, that’s probably where I’ll be heading after dinner,” Casey said, setting the plate of potatoes onto the table, scooting a wedding magazine out of the way as she did. Addison grabbed it, carrying it over to the couch with the stack that Liam held.

“You two decide on a date yet?” she asked.

“Uhh not really, no,” Casey said, fiddling with the thin silver ring on her left hand as she did. It still felt strange, having the ring there, even though it had been nearly a month and a half since Joshua had gotten it for her – and more than two months since he had asked her those four simple words: Will you marry me?

“We’ll figure something out,” Joshua said. “We need to plan things, first.”

“Well, we might have something figured out by now if a certain someone hadn’t been dragging their feet,” Casey said, glancing up at Joshua, who turned red.

“I wanted to make sure the moment was right!” he said. “Proposing is something you can’t just do over…I don’t know, over folding laundry or changing diapers or something. I had to wait until the moment was right. And honestly…I think the moment we had was perfect.”

Casey smiled, a warm feeling in her chest. That moment really had been perfect – the feeling of her new baby daughter in her arms, knowing she was there and safe. That their family was okay. And then Joshua proposing…it made their family feel whole. She was still riding the wave of warm fuzzies from that moment nearly two and a half months later.

“What about you two?” Joshua asked as he settled into a seat at the dining room table, a bottle of water in his hand. “Planning on moving any further forward anytime soon?”

Liam blushed, as did Addison – though she recovered first. “Well, I mean…we’ve been dating for six months now…”

“Yeah, and he’s practically moved in,” Casey said, grinning. She reached over and took Anneliese from Addison, settling her into a bouncer that was near the chair she always sat in at the dining room table.

“Well, that was…that was really more for practicality’s sake than anything else,” Liam stammered out. “It’s a waste of gas driving from Fredericksburg to DC and back every day…besides, you guys said it was okay! I help pay the rent!”

“We’re not complaining,” Casey said, shaking her head. “We were just curious if you two were planning anything else anytime soon.”

“Like…what?” Addison asked.

“Oh, anything, really,” Casey said, shrugging. “Engagement.”

“Marriage,” Joshua said.

“A baby?” Casey added.

“Whoa, whoa. Slow down there, Speed Racer,” Addison said, holding up her hands. “We’ve only known each other for a year. If that.”

“And we’ve only really been dating for, like, six months,” Liam added.

“Yeah, but you know what Beyonce says,” Casey said, taking her seat at the dining room table. “If you like it then you should put a ring on it!”

“Casey, don’t pester him,” Addison said. “There’s plenty of time. We’re young.”

Liam bowed his head, still blushing, but thankful for Addison’s intervention. He hadn’t told anyone, not Casey and Joshua, not Addison, not even his sister or his nana…but the idea of marriage had been floating around in his head for the better part of two months now. Ever since Joshua had proposed to Casey. The thought of spending the rest of his life with Addison made him feel giddy, like a kid on Christmas morning. But there was something holding him back, some nagging little voice in his head. He hated to admit it, but that nagging voice sounded a lot like Addison’s mother, whom he had just met a few months ago, when they showed up unexpectedly to visit.

“Don’t you two think you’re going a little too fast?” the voice asked. “You’ve only known her for six months. What if you wind up regretting it down the road? What if she winds up regretting you?”

He didn’t want to think that that would happen – not with him and Addison. But then again, you never really knew. One of his best friends in high school, their parents had been together for nearly twenty years, and then, one day, his friend came to him in tears and said that his parents had been screaming at each other for weeks. Next thing he knew, his friends parents were divorced and he and his mom were moving back to New Hampshire. He didn’t want that – to destroy a hypothetical family that he and Addison would have worked so hard to build.

“How well could you possibly know each other, anyways?”

He glanced at Addison from the corner of his eye. That had been something Addison’s dad had asked – and he did admit, he had to wonder. Sure, he knew plenty about Addison, the good, the bad, and the horribly upsetting. She’d trusted him enough to open up about her mental illnesses. Trusted Liam enough that the last time she’d gone into a slump, she let him snuggle up with her and put on her favorite movie and make popcorn and take a bubble bath together, instead of hiding in her room – which Casey said she’d always done on her bad days. But…was there more than he didn’t know? The idea was almost a little scary. What else was there that he didn’t know?

“Liam?”

He was startled from his reverie. “Huh?”

“I was asking if you wanted a baked potato.” Addison tilted her head to the side at him. He noticed that Casey and Joshua were both watching him closely, too, sharing the same expression that Addison had. “Everything okay, honey?”

“Oh, yeah. Fine, fine. Just…thinking. You know…writing stuff. That article,” he muttered vaguely, taking one of the potatoes and putting it on his plate.

“Are you sure?” Addison said, setting the plate of potatoes down and putting a hand on his arm.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nothing.” He forced a smile. “What’s everyone staring at me for? Food!”

***

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Hmm?” Liam looked up from his computer screen, finding Joshua standing at the end of the hallway, resting against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, glasses perched on his nose. Liam leaned back in his chair, feeling his back crack as he did. “I thought you and Casey went to bed.”

“We did. Well, she’s passed out, anyways,” he said. “I was reading. But…you sure you’re alright? You seemed a little…off after dinner.”

“What? Yeah, I’m fine.” Liam brushed Joshua’s concerns away with a wave of his hand. Unfortunately for him, Joshua didn’t seem too convinced. Instead of disappearing back down the hall, he straightened up and crossed the room, pulling out a chair from the table and dragging it up next to Liam.

“This wouldn’t to have anything to do with Casey and I trying to egg you on into popping the question to Addison, would it?”

Liam looked away, back to his laptop and the article he had been working on. “What would make you think that?”

“Dude, I’m not stupid,” Joshua said. “You started acting like a kicked puppy after that came up. Figured that had something to do with it.”

“Eh.” He continued to type, trying to force himself not to break gaze with the laptop.

“Liam. Talk to me.”

He sighed. “I hate it when you use your Captain voice.”

“Funny, cause Case loves it.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Look, I’m sorry if Casey and I made things awkward or something. We just…I dunno. Addison’s a really special girl, and let’s face, she hasn’t exactly been treated well by a lot of people in her life.”

“I’d kinda gathered that much,” Liam said lightly, finally looking away from his laptop.

“And we’re thrilled that you’re here and that you two have got what you’ve got going on,” he continued. “We just want to make sure – ”

“ – That I’m not going to break her heart? Turn out to be a tool like that last guy she dated?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of ‘get her hopes up’ or something, but I suppose you’ve got it right, yeah.” Joshua nodded. “She really likes you, you know?”

“I…yeah?”

“Oh yeah.” He nodded again, grinning. “Apparently, when her and Casey are having girl-time, there’s a lot of talking about you.”

“Wow, really?”

He shrugged. “So Casey says, and she’s pretty honest about that sort of thing.”

“I just…I don’t want to rush into anything,” Liam said. “Marriage isn’t something you just rush into. And I know a lot of people would say that if shit goes wrong you can just fix it and get a divorce or something, but…I don’t want that. There’s enough shitty and broken families out there. I don’t want mine to be one more.”

“Coming from the perspective of the kid with the divorced parents, trust me, no, you don’t,” Joshua said, shaking his head, his face somber. Liam blanched slightly.

“Shit, I forgot about…yeah. I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or anything.”

“I was like, three. I barely remember it.” Joshua shrugged. “My point is, don’t let anyone pressure you into anything. This isn’t a decision for me and Casey to make, or your nana to make, or for Addison’s parents to make. This is a decision for you and Addison to make, and you two are the only two that can make it. So take your time with it. She was right. You two are young. You’ve got time.”

Liam nodded. “You know, for a dumb jock, you’ve got some good answers sometimes.”

“Dumb jock?” Joshua wrinkled his nose. “Rude.”

“Sorry. You’re not a dumb jock.”

“Haha, thanks.” He stood up with a half-yawn, half-groan. “Well, I’m going to go to bed. You might want to consider that yourself at some point. Don’t stay up all night.”

“You’re not my real dad,” Liam joked, returning his attention to the screen.

“You’re ridiculous.” Joshua casually slugged him in the shoulder. “Goodnight, Liam.”

“Night, Josh. And, uh…thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” He gave a grin. “Just call me the Love Doctor.”

Liam snorted. “Get outta here, you freak.”

Laughing, Joshua retreated down the hall, back to his room. A moment later, the door closed. Liam sat at the computer, tapping the pencil from his notepad against the table for a moment. He picked it up, set it down, picked it up again, this time chewing on the metal bit that held the eraser on. After a moment, he took it out, stuck the pencil behind his ear, and opened Google.

How much should be spent on an engagement ring?

Control Freak

“Looks like we’re getting close.”

Sirius opened his eyes. He had been reclining in his seat and silently thanking whatever fates watched over him that he’d decided to fly business class from here on out. He’d had enough unpleasant experiences being crammed into coach class that he’d almost considered not flying again – but there really was no faster way to get from Europe to America. Boats took far too long – especially considering he’d likely have to go all the way to Bulgaria to even find a port, and he doubted he’d get to America from there. The problems with living in a mostly land-locked, second-world county such as Romania.

Fortunately, the Germans seemed to have their act together better. A simple wave of a credit card – easily the most wonderful modern invention, digital money – and he had booked three business class seats on the first Lufthansa flight to Washington, D.C.

He turned his head, finding his mate drawing the blinds back down over the window. The few rays of sunlight that seeped in illuminated her pale blonde hair, making it look white. She turned to face him, and her brown eyes were sparkling.

“Getting close?” he asked.

“To D.C.” she said, nodding. “We’re over land now.”

“Excellent,” he said, nodding and leaning back in his chair again. “Most excellent.”

“When are we meeting with him?”

“Three days from now. I tried to get something established sooner, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans, don’t you?”

“Oh, of course, darling.” She turned in her chair to face him, laying a hand against his chest with a smile. “No one can say you didn’t try, after all.”

“Indeed.” He smiled, placing his hand over hers. “You still have the address to where we’re going, yes?”

“Of course,” she said pulling her hand out from under his and sitting back upright. She reached below the neckline of her dress – a sight that made Sirius take in a sharp breath – and drew out a tiny, folded slip of paper with two fingers, grinning and waving it at him. “What kind of fool do you take me for?”

“Not one at all.” He took her chin, pressing a kiss to her lips. “You’re perfect, Adolpha.”

“Oh for goodness sake, we’re on a plane, you two. Keep it together.”

Sirius smirked, glancing across the aisle. The young woman sitting there was staring at them both with an expression that suggested she’d like to be a thousand miles away at the moment. He offered her a smile.

“My darling girl, I cannot help it if I love your mother.”

“I’m aware of that,” she said. “But we’re in public. No one wants to see that.”

“Someday, you’ll find someone important enough that you won’t care, Aleksandra,” Adolpha remarked, leaning forward to offer her a smile.

She sighed. “Mhm. So you two keep saying.”

“Your mother’s right, love,” Sirius told her. “And I know that you had hoped you’d find that in some of those boys you’d had flings with in the past. And I know it was disappointing when it didn’t work out. But trust me, someone good for you will come along. Sooner than you think.”

“Thanks, Father, for reminding me of how dead my love life currently is. And for sharing it with the entirety of the business class, I’m certain they really cared.” She raked her fingers through the tangle of hair that wasn’t braided firmly against her scalp. “You know what, just…go back to your canoodling. Let me know when we get to D.C.” She placed the pair of airline headphones back over her ears, turning her attention determinedly to the small TV a few seats ahead. Adolpha shook her head.

“Who knew the teenage attitude lasted well past the teen years?”

“She’s just tired of being on the plane.” Sirius smiled, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes again. “Just wait. We get off the plane, and she’ll be a whole new person.”

***

“Mr. Dalca?”

“Yes?” Sirius asked, giving the girl at the check-in desk his undivided attention. He noticed that her cheeks turned pink, and she recoiled slightly when he did. It wasn’t something he was unused to – the looks attracted people, but there was something of his gaze, he knew, that unsettled people. It was the wolf in him. After nearly six centuries, it was hard to keep that under wraps, after all.

“Two suites, both doubles, next to each other. That’s correct, yes?”

“Yes,” he said, nodding.

“And how long will you be staying?”

“We’re not sure, as of right now,” he told her. “Once I have something set in stone, I shall inform you. Yes?”

“Oh…yes. Absolutely, sir.” She handed two thin cards to him across the reception desk. “These are the key cards to your suites, sir. Enjoy your stay, and welcome to Washington, D.C.”

“Thank you.” He took the key cards and headed for the elevator, Adolpha and Aleksandra following behind, and a man bringing up the rear with the suitcases. As soon as they were in the suite that Adolpha and Sirius were sharing, their luggage with them, Sirius tipped the man and closed the door. Adolpha looked around, smiling.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, nodding in approval. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

“I have the means to live comfortably, why shouldn’t I? I’ve done my time of sleeping outdoors.” He laid down on the bed, stretching and closing his eyes. “Oh, yes. This is nice.”

“Look at this view, too,” Adolpha said, peering out the window. “You know, people say that the buildings aren’t as pretty in America because they’re all too new and there’s no castles, but…this place has its charm, architecture wise.” She turned, to look at Aleksandra, who had joined them. “What do you think, love?”

“It’s nice,” she said, leaning against the window frame, arms crossed over her chest, watching cars creep by in the daytime traffic. Adolpha frowned.

“Is something wrong, darling? You’ve been very sullen since we left Berlin.”

“I don’t understand the point of all this,” Aleksandra said, looking up – past Adolpha, to Sirius, who still lay across the bed. “Father, why are we here?”

“Well, they say America is the land of opportunity,” Sirius drawled, grinning. “I figured I’d capitalize on that whole ideal.”

“So why aren’t we out there doing that?” she asked.

“Because before we do anything, we need to meet with one Captain Joshua Echo.” Sirius sat up, turning to face his daughter. “He heads up CADIA here in D.C.”

Aleksandra snarled. “CADIA? Why do we have to deal with them? Fuck them. We’re here to capitalize on our opportunities, as you said, and if we have to involve them in our dealings, then we will get nowhere. You know that, Father.”

Sirius sighed, standing up and adjusting the suit jacket he wore. He had expected this kind of tirade from Aleksandra, especially considering her thoughts on CADIA – and on a certain someone they had all once held dear and his dealings with CADIA members.

“Aleksandra, what do you think this venture of ours is about?”

“What do you mean?” She frowned. “You said this was about capitalizing on an opportunity. I mean, there are so many packs here in the States, but none of them have the kind of leadership that you have. They’d be easy to take over. And with them, we’d have power, so much power – ”

“It’s not about power, per se.” Sirius strolled around to the window, stopping to look at her.

“It’s not.”

“No.” He turned to face his mate. “Adolpha, tell her what it’s really about.”

“I’d be honored.” Adolpha sauntered around in front of him, stopping so that he could wrap his arms around her waist. “It’s about control.”

“Come again?”

“Control.” Sirius leaned his head in, to rest on Adolpha’s shoulder. “This isn’t about taking power over anything, at least, not at the very heart at the issue. At the very heart of the issue, it’s about control.”

She still seemed confused. He needed to explain further.

“Aleksandra, how do you think I’ve maintained my hold on the pack for so long?” he asked. “I’m not the biggest werewolf in the pack, nor am I the strongest. And I know there are those among my ranks who do not care for me, wouldn’t shed a tear if I turned up dead. And yet, my authority is unquestioned. How?”

“Because you have power?”

“No. Because I have control.” His grip on Adolpha tightened slightly, a demonstration. “I am the unquestioned leader. The few that have, well…they’ve learned their place. It’s not about having power. It’s not about being the biggest and the strongest. It’s about being the one who has the most control. And sometimes, it’s about being the one who isn’t afraid to show they’re in control of the situation.”

“But what does any of this have to do with us meeting with that CADIA captain?” She spit out the word like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Oh, my dear girl,” Sirius said, grinning to her. “Do you know why I’m arranging this meeting with Captain Echo?”

She sighed, looking back out the window again, frustrated or disinterested with the conversation. “I don’t know, Father. Why?”

“Control.” He smirked. “By meeting with the captain, I’m taking control of the situation.”

“How?”

“Because when I meet with him three days from now, there’s a paper we’ll be signing,” Sirius continued. “My acknowledgement will be to adhere to all laws of the jurisdiction. His acknowledgement will be that, so long as I comply with the laws of the jurisdiction, I’ll be left alone.”

“All right,” Aleksandra said. “And..?”

“And that is how I take control of the situation,” he said.

“By playing nice?” Aleksandra wrinkled her nose. “Not to be rude, Father, but you’re not exactly the kind to play nice.”

“It’s not about playing nice,” he said, breaking away from Adolpha and heading for the armchair in the corner. He stopped at the desk, swiping up the copy of The Washington Post that had been expertly folded and placed on the desk. “It’s about playing by the very broad rules that have been set by those idiots at CADIA.”

Aleksandra shook her head. “I still don’t understand exactly what you’re trying to accomplish.”

“Let’s just say it like this, darling,” Adolpha cut in, taking her daughter’s hands. “This is a chess game, and your father is…setting the board in his favor. Planning on using CADIA’s rules against them.”

“So…you’re not planning on playing nice?” Aleksandra said, a look of understanding – and interest – dawning on her face.

“Not in the least,” he said. “I’m planning on being about as nasty as I can be.”

“But without arousing their suspicion? Or violating the terms of the agreement?”

“That makes it sound like I intend on leaving something behind,” Sirius said, flicking through the pages, past the headlines, past business and sports.

“Let’s just say your father and I are very good at cleaning up our messes,” Adolpha giggled.

“But before we get to any of that fun business…” Sirius stopped, on the front page of the Entertainment section, grinning as he saw the headline: Indie Rock Band Coming to 9:30 Club. And the picture, the smiling five-member band – that made him smile even more, particularly the sight of the two up front: The shaggy-haired boy holding a bass guitar, whose arm was around a tiny, thin girl with long hair, wearing an oversized plaid shirt and a smile. He set one finger against the page, running a dangerously sharp claw of a nail around the article, relishing the sound of tearing paper as he shredded the article loose from the rest of the newspaper.

“I’ve got a little friend I want to see first.”

Backstage Passes

“So I think I’m moving up in the world.”

“Oh?” Addison had her phone on the counter as she maneuvered about the kitchen, making lunch for both herself and Casey. Liam and Joshua were both at work – Addison wasn’t working until later that evening, and Casey had yet to have been called. Of course, she’d only really taken two jobs since Anneliese had been born – baby steps, she called it. She had to get back up to snuff. And, of course, realize she could trust someone else with her daughter.

At any rate, it was a girls-only kind of day, which was now culminating with Addison making macaroni and cheese and talking to Liam on the phone, who had called while on lunch break at the paper.

“What makes you say that, love?”

“Because I’m actually getting assignments that are fun now,” he replied, snickering through the phone.

“Oh, I thought your piece on the rising flood levels of the Potomac was…interesting…” she said.

Casey rolled her eyes. “It was a snoozefest! Thank God you’re finally getting better assignments! I won’t fall asleep reading your articles anymore!”

“Thank you, Casey, your support is overwhelming,” Liam remarked.

“She’s only teasing you because she loves you too,” Addison said, shaking the packet of powdered cheese into the pot of noodles. “So what are you writing about this time?”

“I’m actually doing a review,” he said.

“Oooh, movie?” Casey asked. “Are you going to get to see Age of Ultron before it happens, because I want all the dirty details on that! What do the Maximoff twins have to do anything? Why is Ultron so fascinated with singing creepy renditions of Disney songs? Is Thor not worthy of Mjolnir anymore and that’s why Captain America could move the hammer? Details, man! Details!”

“Casey, easy,” Addison said. “I’m pretty sure he’s not seeing Age of Ultron. At least not before it comes out.”

“She’s right, sadly,” Liam said. “It’s not a review of Age of Ultron, even though I probably am the biggest geek the Post has to offer. No, I’m…going to a concert, apparently.”

“When?” Addison asked, grabbing two bowls from one of the cabinets, handing one to Casey, who took it eagerly and proceeded to scoop a large spoonful of macaroni into it.

“Tomorrow night – kinda last minute, but the guy who wrote the original article announcing the concert had to be hospitalized. Ruptured appendix. Go figure.”

“Sucks to be him,” Casey said, snickering. “Who’s playing?”

“Um…I think they were called like, The Lunar Contagions or something like that.”

CRASH!

“Jesus!” Addison jumped back, finding that Casey had dropped her bowl. The kitchen floor was now littered with fragments of the bowl and macaroni and cheese, and the noise must have awoken Anneliese, because a cry came up from the living room, where she had been snoozing in her bouncy seat. Casey was staring at Addison’s phone, wide-eyed.

“What the hell happened over there?” Liam asked. “Did someone break in or something?”

“No, no…Casey dropped her bowl. Casey, what’s going on?” Addison asked.

“Did…did you say The Lunar Contagions?” Casey’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“Uh…yeah,” Liam answered. “I’m guessing they’re important?”

“They’re coming to D.C. and nobody fucking told me?!” Casey sprinted over to where Addison’s phone was sitting on the counter, somehow miraculously avoiding cutting her feet on the broken pieces of bowl or slipping on the macaroni. She grabbed Addison’s phone from the counter. “Where are they playing? When?”

“Tomorrow night, at the 930 Club,” he answered. “I think the show starts at 7:30.”

“And they gave you tickets?” she asked.

“They gave me a backstage pass, yeah,” Liam said. “But I don’t know if I can convince them to give me two. Apparently, the band keeps kind of on the down low when it comes to talking to the press.”

“Can you get another ticket from your editor?” Casey asked. “Dear God, please tell me you can.”

“Um…well, hang on, he’s walking by.” There was a sound like Liam setting the phone down, followed by a muffled yell. “Hey, John!”

There was a distant reply that sounded like “yeah” from John, Liam’s editor.

“Um…any chance I could get an extra ticket for that concert tomorrow night?”

Another reply.

“I didn’t say backstage pass. Just a ticket.” He sighed. “Don’t give me that look. I just want a ticket.”

Faintly, another reply – this one sounding a bit condescending.

“Um, not your business. Can you do it or not?”

A distant grumble, and then Liam picked up the phone again. “Casey?”

“Yeah?” she asked.

“You’re gonna want a babysitter,” he told her. “I’ve got you a ticket.”

“Really?” She squealed, a sound that made Addison wince and put her hands over her ears. “Oh my God you’re the BEST! I’ve been dying to see them!”

“Well…you’re gonna get to see them,” Liam said. “I can’t take you backstage, though. I only have the one backstage pass, but…you’ll get to see them, at least.”

“Fuck it, I don’t care. I get to see them,” she said. “Oh gosh. Oh shit. I don’t know what I’m going to wear. Oh man.”

“Well…while you ponder over that, I really should get back to work,” Liam said, “before John has my ass for slacking off on the clock. You still there, Addy?”

She nodded. “Yeah, still here. Still not entirely sure what I just witnessed.”

“Well…I hope you’re not offended that Casey and I are going on a, uh, date tomorrow night,” he said. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

“Please, it’s not a big deal,” she said, shaking her head. “Get her out of the house for a few hours. I’m sure she’d enjoy it.”

“Damn right I would!” Casey jumped back over the mess on the floor and grabbed the spoon from the pot, shoveling a few mouthfuls of macaroni into her mouth, as she was now down a bowl.

“At any rate, get back to work before you get yelled at,” Addison said. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” he said. “You working tonight?”

“Yeah, I go on shift at six-thirty. I’ll get dinner at some point.”

“Make sure you do. Don’t make me play delivery boy. I feel like the folks at CADIA won’t appreciate me not bringing them enough Chipotle for everyone.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Addison said. “Get back to work, you bum.”

“Getting, I’m getting,” he said. “Bye babe.”

“Bye to you, too.”

The line went dead, and Addison stuffed her phone back into her pocket, turning to look at Casey, who was chewing a mouthful of macaroni. Anneliese had stopped crying from the living room, which meant she had either fallen back asleep or found something to occupy her time.

“Well…that was…interesting.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Casey apologized, mouth still half-full of food. “He said Lunar Contagions and…yeah. I mean, I’ve been wanting to see them for years.”

“No, I get it,” she said. “I totally get it. I’m guessing they’re good?”

“Oh, they’re great,” she said. “And hot. Like, I love Joshua and all that, but…I’d tap all of them. Including Jocey. Hell, starting with Jocey.”

“I take it Jocey’s a girl?” Addison asked.

“Yeah.” Casey swallowed her mouthful of food. “I can’t believe I’m going to see The Lunar Contagions. Oh God I don’t have a thing to wear. Oh God, who’s going to watch Anneliese?”

Addison cleared her throat, pointing to herself and raising an eyebrow. Casey rounded to look at her, and nodded, clearly just processing that.

“Ah. Right. Yeah, I guess Joshua will be here, too.”

“And even if he isn’t…I live with you. I’d like to think at this point, you trust me enough to watch your daughter for a few hours. I mean…she’s only two months old. How much trouble can we possibly get into?”

“Okay. Fair enough.” Casey leapt over the mess again. “I need to go raid my closet and see what I’ve got to wear to a concert. Ugh, I don’t even know what I still fit into anymore. Stupid baby weight…”

She disappeared down the hallway, heading for her and Joshua’s bedroom, leaving Addison behind in the kitchen, staring at the mess of the shattered bowl on the floor. She sighed, grabbing a roll of paper towels and kneeling down, trying to scoop up the macaroni without cutting her hand on any of the pieces of shattered bowl.

“Oh, no, don’t mind me,” she said. “I’ll clean it up.”

***

“So this is it, is it?”

Aleksandra wrinkled her nose at the exterior of the club. “Doesn’t seem like much.”

“Appearances are, of course, deceiving,” Sirius said. “But this is most certainly the 930 Club.”

“Why are we here?” she asked. “The concert isn’t even until tomorrow night.”

“Casing the joint, as it were,” he said. “As I said, I have a little friend I’d like to see. Or, at least, pass a message along to.”

She sighed. “Well, if you insist, Father. How do you intend on getting in?”

“Easy.” He approached the building. “We go in through the front door.”

A swagger in his step, he headed for the front door of the club. Aleksandra followed behind, jogging lightly to keep up with her father. He stopped at the door, looked around, and then pulled hard. When they didn’t budge, he kept on pulling, rattling the doors in their hinges. Aleksandra drew up short, looking at him strangely.

“Father, what are you doing? Just break the damn door down!”

He glanced around again. “You’ll see, you’ll see…”

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”

A man hurried around the corner, dressed in a dark uniform, a belt around his waist with such things as a walkie-talkie, several pouches containing unknown items, a pair of handcuffs, and something that looked suspiciously like some kind of service revolver holstered on one side. The man was reaching for it as he approached. Sirius jumped back, raising his hands, palms outwards.

“Whoa! Please, don’t shoot, I’m sorry!” he apologized.

“What are you doing here?” The guard drew up in front of him, eyeing the two of them suspiciously. “The club’s closed.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” He sighed hard, letting his hands drop limply to his side. “I was here last night for a concert, had a few beers…I think I left my wallet somewhere in here, cause I can’t find it anywhere. I thought maybe if it was open, I could go in and try to find it…”

The guard eyed Sirius suspiciously. “Do you still have your ticket?”

“Yeah, here somewhere, I think…” He made a show of digging through his pockets. “Shit. Uh…no, that’s right, I had my ticket on my phone. Let me get it for you.”

He pulled his phone out, scrolling through it. It had been easy enough to find an image of some generic e-ticket, and almost as easy to modify it for the concert that had been playing at the club the night before. He showed it to the security officer, who examined it, then nodded.

“Backstage pass, huh?”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “I’m pretty sure I still have it before I went backstage – do you think I could check backstage? See if it ended up kicked in a corner or something? I promise, I’ll be quick.”

“I suppose,” the guard said hesitantly, casting a sidelong glance at Aleksandra. “She has to stay out here, though.”

“Okay.” He turned to look at her. “I’ll be right back, all right? I won’t be long, I promise.”

She furrowed her brow – she had to admit, she was surprised that his ploy had worked. But then again…this was her father she was watching. He was easily the most clever man she’d ever known.

“All right,” she said. “I’ll be waiting out here.”

The guard unlocked the front door, pulling it open for him. “You have ten minutes. After that, you’ve got to go.”

“It won’t even take me that long,” he said, disappearing into the club.

***

Less than ten minutes later, the door to the club opened again. Sirius stepped out, giving a sheepish grin and waving his wallet at the security guard, who had been eyeing Aleksandra the whole time like he expected her to bring out a gun and book it on a mad crime spree.

“I found it,” he said. “It got dropped while I was backstage and I guess someone kicked it into a corner.”

“Ah,” the guard said. “Well, I’m glad you found it. Will that be all?”

“Yeah, that’s it, that’s it. Thanks, mate.” He took Aleksandra’s hand and tugged her off down the street. “Come on, babe, let’s get out of her. We’re gonna be late.”

She waited until they had rounded a corner, then gave her father a look. “Was the babe part entirely necessary? It was a little creepy.”

“Sorry, darling,” he apologized. “Didn’t want to arouse any kind of suspicion.”

“So…what did you do?” she asked. “I know you didn’t go in there to find your wallet.”

“Of course not.”

“So what did you do in there, then?”

“Merely left a little gift for our friends that are coming through soon.” He grinned. “Oh, I wish I could be there when they see it.”

“But…won’t it scare them off?” she asked. “If they find it before the concert?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve made sure it will be delivered at the opportune moment.”