(Untitled)

[gotbottle]

Who: David and Rachel.
Where: Meeting at Daniel's house.
What: That previously-discussed "getting to know you" thing

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[extremeways]

David is tired. It's been a long day; he hopes this meeting will be calm and uneventful. He doesn't have any reason to believe otherwise; despite her attempt - or, rather, perhaps because of it - Rachel seems like a decent enough person. He understands the feelings that drove her to try and kill Adam. Since he'd heard about the plague being released by a person, he often envisioned trying him and condemning him to death. Would that be satisfying, though? Could that alone be enough? No. Nothing could ever replace what they had all lost.

David wills himself to think of brighter topics; he's not going to be a good conversationalist if all he does is sulk. And he wants Rachel to like him. He runs a hand through his hair - which, to his consternation, has started to go grey already - and prepares himself for her arrival.

When he hears the knock, he hurries towards the door and swings it open. Smiling, he opens the door for Rachel and, in a welcoming tone, says, "Hello there. Please, come in."

[gotbottle]

"Hello, David," Rachel replies brightly, stepping through the door and murmuring her thanks. Though most of it winds up lost under her collar. When she pulls that down, there's a sheepish grin turning her lips, and she repeats herself as he closes the door.

"Hello, David. Thank you." She offers him a hand to shake. "I'm Rachel. It's nice to finally meet you in person.

[extremeways]

David takes her hand and shakes it; his grasp is firm. Nevertheless, he's a bit disarmed by how simply stunning his new guest is. Her hazel eyes glow, and her hair is a gorgeous, vibrant red. She reminds him vaguely of a detective with whom he once worked; in fact, they look as though they could be twins, though Rachel's hair is long, while Detective Falacci's - that's her name, right? - is short. Was short, he corrects himself. Detective Falacci is dead.

"Likewise," David says, brushing away the memory as best he can. This is not the time to gloomily reflect on the past; it's time to build a new future. "Take a seat," David adds, gesturing towards the sofa in the living room. "How are you doing?"

[gotbottle]

"Thanks," Rachel says, unzipping her coat the rest of the way and shrugging it off. She hangs it on a coat tree beside the front door, and runs her fingers swiftly through her hair to settle it. "I'm good, thank you for asking. I spent the afternoon chopping wood--our house gets cold at night. It's harder than they always made it look on TV," she says, laughing softly.

She follows David through to the living room, and perches on the couch, smiling. "How are you? Are you getting settled in okay?"