The good times and the bad.

[silver_crucifix]

Baking wasn't Stacy's strong point, not even close. Mark had been sweetly tolerant of her attempts, but the bread usually failed to rise and the cookies came out blackened around the edges on a good day. He'd still nibbled on one, swallowing down crumbs and what could have been a grimace before she'd taken pity on him. After that, she'd chosen to

Comments

[dr_robchase]

Chase had been distractedly eating at caramels as he wandered through the Compound in that place between his psych shift and his Clinic shift, coming across Stacy in the rec room as he swallowed the candy. "Hey," he said, with a smile about half as sweet as the candies in his hand.

[silver_crucifix]

"Hey." Worrying didn't usually bring smiles, but Chase had that different kind of quality that brought it out in people. Stacy pushed herself up to sit more straight, setting aside the book she had been reading. It wasn't doing much for her concentration anyway.

[dr_robchase]

He tilted his head to the side slightly to see the book that she was reading, arching a brow. "Hobby?" he guessed curiously, draping himself over the nearest chair. "Or just bored and dealing with a sadistic bookshelf?"

[silver_crucifix]

"No, dealing with desperation, actually." Stacy grinned, shaking her head a little bit. "Tomorrow is Lisa's birthday. I'm terrible at baking and there isn't exactly any place I can just run over to and buy a cake or gift, so I'm wracking my brain for ideas."

[dr_robchase]

"Want help?" he suggested. "I'm not exactly the best ever, but I know enough. Plus, I'm sort of about to bake myself," he admitted with a rueful smile. "So, if the Compound explodes, you can pin it on me."

[silver_crucifix]

Stacy laughed. "I'd love it. But we'll both take the blame. What do you suggest?" She sat forward a little more, interested and hopeful.

[dr_robchase]

"Well, I need to make vanilla cupcakes with buttercream icing," Chase admitted, looking a little daunted by the task. "So, they'll either taste like that or turn out horrible."

[silver_crucifix]

"I'm thinking the former," Stacy said. "I don't think tasting horrible would be on the list."

[dr_robchase]

"Nah, definitely not," Chase agreed sheepishly. "I can't make anything chocolate though, because that's just way too hard for me," he admitted. "I'm not exactly a master chef."

[silver_crucifix]

"That's all right," Stacy said, eager to reassure him both because his help was welcome and because poor Chase shouldn't have to be down on himself. "How do you suggest we start all this?"

[dr_robchase]

"Probably with a ton of cookbooks," he suggested, eyes wide. "I have to make buttercream frosting. I don't even know what that is."

[silver_crucifix]

"Butter and cream.." Stacy said, teasing him.

[dr_robchase]

"Yeah, yeah, make fun of the man who chose to learn about bodies instead of baking," Chase dryly responded, but he was smiling still. "We could double the batch and make it easier on both of us?"