(Untitled)

[ladyfirestarter]

[Out of Milliways: And if the fires burn out, there's only fire to blame]

The front door opens onto a hallway in Taos, New Mexico.

Charlie McGee steps in with the slow careful movements of extreme exhaustion, leaning on a cane, and holds the door for Charles Wallace Murry.

"Here we are," she says to him, with a tired but beautiful smile.

Comments

[thisfatefulhour]

Charles beams and follows her through. (His smile is rather less tired, but not exactly full of energy.)

"Thanks."

He hikes his overnight bag up on his shoulder, giving her a close look. "Are you coming in?"

[ladyfirestarter]

She casts a quick glance around the room. "...I think I might," she says. "For a little bit."

[thisfatefulhour]

"Don't tire yourself out," he warns, half-teasing.

[ladyfirestarter]

She gives him a wry look. "Little late for that."

[thisfatefulhour]

"No need to make it worse, though."

He nods to a nearby empty table. "You get a seat, I'll get you something to drink."

Just let him mother hen, Charlie. He got into the habit.

[ladyfirestarter]

It's a measure of just how tired she still is that she's willing to let him.

"Thanks. Nothing with caffeine in it, please? I've had enough of that for one day, I think."

[thisfatefulhour]

He laughs. "Nothing with caffeine. Hot or cold, alcoholic or non-alcoholic?"

[ladyfirestarter]

"Oh, definitely no alcohol." A rueful laugh. "I don't want to knock myself out either. And ... hot, please."

[thisfatefulhour]

"Right."

He heads off, and returns a few minutes later, down one overnight bag and up two mugs of cocoa.

"Here. I'm still not sure if it beats home-made, but it's awfully close."

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie's found a table in the meanwhile, and is leaning back in the seat, eyes half-closed. She straightens at the sound of Charles's voice, and smiles.

"Thanks. Bar does good cocoa."

[thisfatefulhour]

"Doesn't she just."

He joins her, passing off one of the mugs and settling in to enjoy his own.

"It's odd how quickly things start looking like the status quo again, isn't it," he says, after a minute. "Even after things like that."

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie's drinking her cocoa, and nods.

"Though," she adds after swallowing, "I think it'll still take a while to start feeling like normal again."

[thisfatefulhour]

"Yes," quiet.

Less time for him, perhaps; he can go home. But there were revelations that he's taking back with him.

"What happens next? Any idea?"

[ladyfirestarter]

"Well." She rubs at her forehead. "There's going to be some reorganization at Tet, but fortunately I don't have to be directly involved in any of that."

Despite the word fortunately, there's a faint tone of regret in her voice.

[thisfatefulhour]

"What kind of reorganization? If it's all right for me to ask. I mean, everyone came out whole. The rose is still safe."

(There's an understated wonder on the rose. That's one of the revelations. He's not sure he'll ever be able to process that one, but it doesn't bother him.)

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie smiles at his tone of voice. "The rose is still safe," she agrees, "and I'm glad you and Zillah got to see it after all. That's probably going to be the next thing on my plate, really, determining whether the visit did her as much good as we hoped."

It may not be clear whether she's avoiding his question or just wandering from the subject.