[Not-so-merry prankster] Steve: Innocence is overrated based on what you haven't done

[girlsolo]

They let her go with less than a slap on the wrist. More of a slap in the face. Community service. Fine, whatever. It's an insult, in a way. It's also exactly what she needs. A slap in the face. Wake up, Freelander. This isn't a dream. It's not going away. A slap in the face. For being a brat and acting out. A slap in the face. Look at your life, look at your choices. Where's a girl's sassy gay friend when she needs him.

Not being sassy, never gay, and sleeping with the boss. That's where her not sassy, not gay best friend is.

Kate sighs, adjusts the ugly ass bag on her shoulder and tucks her hands in her pockets. It's a long walk from IPD to the little house on the beach, not prairie, even if there's a cheerful dog waiting to greet her. The walk will do her good. Maybe her cheek will stop stinging by then. Maybe her heart will.

She doesn't mind Will selling her out. She's kind of glad he did. It's a way to get straight, make good, and keep her pokerface at the same time. It's not that she cares. It's not that it matters to her. She just got caught and now she's got to pay the price and pray that it's enough. Yeah, she's in kind of a Melissa mood and she'd pretty much kill for her iPod.

The tracks in her head have switched from Melissa to Dessa by the time she gets to the hut on the beach. Her little canine pal is there, barking and wagging his tail. She smiles and crouches to pet him, in case they take away visiting privileges. Damn dog is one the only good things about this island. "Hey, pal. At least someone's glad to see me."

*Title and lj-cut lyric from Dessa's Dutch. Internal reference, Melissa Etheridge's Chrome Plated Heart.

Comments

[haolehothead]

"How was my day, he asks," Danny huffs, slinging the tie over Steve's head with a glower on his face, ignoring the presence of Kate for the moment. "How was my day? I walk in and find out that there's been a rash of thefts and whose name is on the list, but yours. Other of my friends too, but yours, Steven, and the toolbox," he hisses, like he can make this a more private conversation. "I don't -- I don't understand how you're so goddamn calm right now, given how you acted when that thing showed up!"

[newkindofcop]

Steve reaches up to pluck the tie from off his head without much effort, gently dropping it in his lap. Meanwhile, Zulu hops down from the sofa to greet Danny, tail lashing back and forth in excitement as he rises up on his hind legs, paws resting on Danny's knees as he growls playfully.

"Well, it's not like there was anything in it, Danny," he points out, shrugging. "Everything that made the box important never showed up with it to begin with. Kate's making the rounds to return everything, and we got to talking."

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate takes a few notes from Zulu, too. The pup obviously loves Danny, and whatever she said, she does think animals are good judges of character. So she chills, makes like she's not here, and learns every damned thing she can about them.

It's a little like deja vu. Watching Will and Magnus fight over how they can possibly trust her after Ashley. Her chest tightens at the thought, but she's a lot more worried about losing Magnus and Will over this than she is anything Danny might want to do to her.

[haolehothead]

Danny crouches down to pick up Zulu, holding him tightly in his arms like he's little more than a recalcitrant child. He smoothes a hand over his fur, giving Steve a look that's shooting daggers before he turns his attention to her. "And you," he says. "What, was it just for kicks and giggles? You had nothing better to do than to tie up the legal system here?"

[newkindofcop]

Like most looks he tends to be on the receiving end of when Danny's irritated with him, Steve responds to this one with no more than a passive calm, choosing to consider his words before he utters any he's likely to regret - or ones that will dig him into a deeper hole than the one he's in now.

"Come on, Danny. At the very least, it gave IPD something to do," he points out.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate considers pointing out that they all seemed pretty grateful to have something to do, but Steve does that, and it probably comes off better out of his mouth.

She half-swings the beer to firm her grip on it, and acknowledges the question with a tilt of her head. "More like a domestic dispute that got out of hand," is what she goes with. It's a story a guy with that much surface emotion might understand. It's also true, if not the whole truth.

[haolehothead]

Danny sets Zulu back down on the ground, hands on his hips when Steve and Kate both attempt to justify it. "I don't care how bred people are, I'd rather be sitting on my hands and getting to work with kids because there's no crime, especially when said crime is stealing from my fiance!" he shouts, more heated by the moment. "Domestic dispute gone bad? Cry a river, go get drunk!"

[newkindofcop]

Steve quietly observes the puppy sitting next to Danny's feet, his tail thumping against the ground as he tilts his head when Danny starts to get a little louder, ears cocked slightly.

"Hey, Danny, it's okay, she apologized, we've talked it out," he softly promises, setting his beer down and rising from the couch, holding out his hands in a manner meant to pacify.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

The puppy's the main reason Kate doesn't mouth off and tell Danny exactly what she thinks about him telling her how to solve her problems. He's confused, and she doesn't want to add to it. That's what she tells herself, but she doesn't really believe it.

"Did plenty of that, too," she says, the bitter, wry twist and sharp edges returning to her all at once. She glances at Steve, little tip of her head to say she's okay and not to make things worse for himself on her account. Maybe he gets it, maybe he doesn't. "You and I are okay, and that's cool. But I've got a lot more to do to make it right."

[haolehothead]

Danny's got a lot to think about and right now, this is just a bit too much for him. He snorts slightly and shakes his head as he stares at Steve. "I'm aware that you like to be crazy and take risks and put yourself out there," he informs him quietly. "But if someone took something dear from me, if someone took my ring, don't even try and tell me you wouldn't tear this place apart and hold forgiveness about twenty feet high," he says. "Kate, I barely know you. I don't want to judge you. Am I okay with the thieving? Hell, no, but I'll save my judgment for after you put in your time."

He pokes a finger at Steve. "You, I'm pissed with."

[newkindofcop]

Steve's mouth twists into a tense line and he finally doesn't manage a reply, looking between the two of them before his gaze finally settles on Kate. "This probably isn't something you want to stick around for," he admits, in a half-mutter, shifting his weight to put Danny behind his shoulder while he faces Kate directly.

"Come on, I can walk you out," he offers.

[girlsolo.livejournal.com]

Kate's already sticking her feet in her boots when he says it. This is none of her business and the longer she stays the more trouble Steve's going to be in. Since she never wanted anyone to get hurt, she needs to get gone before she screws up something way more important than her.

"Nah," she says. "I'm good. Thanks, for being decent about it." She bites her lip and weighs it a second while lacing up a boot, and then shrugs. Today's probably not the best day to try to apologize to Danny, but she might not get another. When she stands, she says quietly, "I really didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. You did. For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry about that."

[haolehothead]

Danny tiredly waves a hand in some kind of manner of 'hello, goodbye, how are you, I'm tired of talking'. He does muster up an exhausted nod and hates the anticipation of a fight with Steve. "Just put in your time. You want to earn my forgiveness? Do that."