Haven, Maine, over the weekend

[betterthanaplan]

The last time Octavia had been to Haven, she'd gotten arrested and Gloria had had to go yell at the Chief of police.

The last time Duke had been to Haven, he'd gotten arrested and Gloria had had to go yell at the Chief of police.

They could both be forgiven for being a little nervous pulling into the harbor now, even without the "let's go meet our mutual therapist in person" part of the deal.

[for one! NFB due to distance]

Comments

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's bar for niceness from Nathan was set to him not being openly hostile for about ten seconds, so that had been met, now.

So she removed the rag, yes.

Re: BUT THEN!

[seaoftroubles]

"Where's Audrey?" Nathan asked, embarrassed and annoyed, but not quite his full belligerent self. "Did she go after Lilly on her own?"

Duke rolled his eyes. "Does it look like we have that information, Nathan? She wasn't exactly long on details."

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

"Don't even know who Lilly is," Octavia agreed. "But she said she thought she knew who gave you this bout of crazy before she dumped you on us, so..."

Re: BUT THEN!

[seaoftroubles]

Nathan paled slightly and looked down at himself. His mouth tasted like grease and blood. And it hadn't slipped his notice that Duke was bleeding.

"What did I do?"

Duke shrugged. "Threw punches, called me names. The usual."

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

"Nothing to feel too guilty about," Octavia rasped in agreement.

It was probably the nicest thing she was likely to say to Nathan in a long time.

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

Duke waggled his phone. "What's Audrey's number? I'll call her to come fetch you."

Nathan scowled. "Unchain me. I'll call her myself."

"Nope. Not letting you go until the lady with the taser is back. What's her number?"

"Audrey tased me?"

"Yeah, see, you didn't stop choking me when Octavia smashed a board over your head, so I'm just going to play it safe."

"I choked --" Nathan cut off with a long, deep sigh. "Mr. Crocker. I encourage you to file a complaint and press charges."

Duke dropped his head with a sigh of his own. "Not my style, Nathan."

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

"Just give him the damn number," Octavia grumbled, "so we can get on with it."

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

Nathan narrowed his eyes at her, then looked back at Duke and rattled off the number. Duke dialed, pacing away a few steps as it rang.

"Audrey. Hey. Sleeping Beauty woke up. Please come get him so Octavia and I can move on with our lives."

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

Octavia stayed where she was, looking off towards the water.

Nathan wasn't getting any more of her attention than he absolutely had to get.

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

". . . Yeah," Duke said, shooting her a look. "I might know where that boat is. But I want to know what's going on."

Nathan shot him a suspicious glare.

"Because I'm a concerned citizen, Audrey. And this trouble tried to kill me, so I'd like to know if I need to be looking over my shoulder."

And if someone might come along wanting him to kill to stop it.

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

Octavia met his look with a resigned one of her own.

It didn't sound like this was over for them just yet.

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

Duke mouthed an apology at her.

This was what you got when you dated a compulsive fixer.

"I'll take you there. We can leave Nathan chained to the docks, I'm sure he'll be fine." He grinned at Audrey's response. "Ugh, fine. If you insist. But if he attacks again. . . ."

He was enjoying teasing Audrey. Which made for two cops now whose presence he might actually enjoy.

What was even happening to him?

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

Octavia only barely kept herself from motioning for him to wrap it up.

Instead, she moved to see about unchaining Nathan. Since that was apparently happening.

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah. We'll be here." Duke hung up and let out a breath. "Okay. Looks like we've got a little more trouble wrangling to do before we're done." He quirked a smile at Octavia. "We'll get back on the water as soon as we're done."

Nathan hmphed, straightening carefully once the chains were off, and warily eyeing Octavia.

"Did you really hit me with a plank?"

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

"Yes," Octavia said, as if it was obvious.

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

"Doesn't hurt," Nathan muttered.

"Jesus, Nathan." Duke rolled his eyes. "We get it. You don't feel anything. It sucks. Move on."

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

Octavia wasn't going to touch that topic at all.

Instead, she looked up at Duke again. "So Audrey's coming to meet us?"

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

"Yeah," Duke said. "She thinks the troubled woman and her husband might be hiding out on his boat."

"Lilly?" Nathan asked. Duke shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe?"

Nathan shook his head. "I don't know. That doesn't sound right."

Duke snorted. "Man, last time I talked to you, you didn't even think the troubles were a thing."

"Last time you talked to me, you were cuffed to an interview table."

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

That earned Nathan a sharper look.

"Do we have to reminisce right now?" she drawled.

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

Nathan gave her a blank look in return.

Seriously, why did Duke have a thing for stoic, withholding people?

Fortunately, Audrey was coming down the dock again. "Everyone still in one piece?"

"Not for lack of trying," Duke said. "Our resident trouble wrangler here says he doesn't think it's Lilly."

"We saw it on the security tapes at the Freddy," Audrey said. "She played the piano, and everyone changed." She frowned at Nathan. "And you said she was playing at the Scupper."

"She was. But I didn't -- go blank until Ray started."

"Ray?" Audrey was already turning to rush back down the dock, Nathan hot on her heels. "We have to find that boat."

Duke watched her go and glanced at Octavia. "You can stay here, if you want. Haven's troubles aren't your problem."

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

"No," Octavia agreed. "But yours are."

Did that mean she was eager to join Audrey and Nathan.anyway, though? Not exactly.

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

"It could be dangerous," Duke said. "You saw what happened to Nathan."

What Nathan had managed to goad Duke into doing.

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

Octavia's expression turned a fraction more wry. "And that's supposed to dissuade me?" she asked.

She did have a well-established track record of running towards danger, after all.

Re: BUT THEN!

[betterthanaplan]

Yeah, but Nathan had also managed to bleed on Duke, and he wasn't sure how he felt about the danger she was running towards being from him.

"Alright. Just . . . wanted to make sure."

"Are you two coming?" Audrey shouted from her car.

"Be right there, Officer Agent Parker!" Duke called back, getting a snort from her. He offered Octavia his hand. "Let's go solve a trouble."

Re: BUT THEN!

[okteiviakom]

Octavia had existing first-hand experience being in danger from him. She'd be careful to avoid it in the future, and was for damn sure not going to let that mean she would let him go into danger by himself.

(Sorry, Nathan and Audrey.)

She took his hand, but only to give it a quick squeeze. Then she let it go, and strode towards the car.

Time to solve a trouble.