Hyde Park, Sunday Afternoon

[geoff_chaucer]

House had been called on another page to the hospital, except that this one actually appeared to be an emergency, so Geoff decided to take the time to do a little exploring. He'd told House not be concerned if he wasn't there when the doctor returned, and pulling on his coat headed out into town

Comments

[shane_mcc]

"Oh, man," Shane groans, doing her best to sound like a bratty, much put-upon sister. After a moment, she chuckles again, shoulder shaking. "Yeah, I guess I could drop Necro. I mean, Anita already sees me for Practical Magic three days a week, she's bound to be getting tired of me, by now."

[shane_mcc]

"Is this the part where I remind you that I'm not entirely ladylike?" Shane shoots back flatly, her tone as dry as sawdust, though her eyes are twinkling with amusement.

[geoff_chaucer]

"Mmm...yeah, I think it is." Geoff nods seriously. "Which...means it's also where I inform you that it doesn't matter, because I'm not a responsible adult."

He turns his head and grins. "So I'm guessing we'll be waiting until summer?"

[shane_mcc]

"I guess that's why we get along so well," Shane says with cheeky smile. "Don't worry, though... only Tara and I are getting naked." Her tone is reassuring, though there's a definite amused lilt to it as she gives his hand a squeeze.

"Yeah," she replies, nodding. "Or... I don't know. Maybe spring? With all the flowers blooming. Tara was talking about having it in the park by the water..."

[geoff_chaucer]

"Only you and Tara? Well that's disappointing," he teased.

"Spring sounds like a good plan. It would be nice with the flowers, wouldn't it? And I guess you'd only need to be naked for the actual handfasting, so even if it wasn't really you'd be all right. So...how do I get to help?"

[shane_mcc]

"Hey, if you wanna get naked, too, I guess I can't stop you, but Mom would probably flip," Shane replies with a snicker.

"Well," she begins thoughtfully, "we were thinking about asking Mr. Phale if he'd say some words... since he knows us pretty well. I don't know, would it be really bad if we asked everybody to say something about us...? Nice stuff?"

[geoff_chaucer]

"Shane. You really think your mother's going to mind if I get naked?"

The slight...weirdness of the statement hits Geoff, and he laughs loudly. "All right, forget I said that. Moving on to the next topic. I think it would be great if you asked everyone to say something. I mean...it's supposed to be a celebration, and that's the whole point. The people who come will be the ones who love you, and they'll want to talk about you. I definitely think you should, and even if you don't, I'm going to make a speech myself."

[shane_mcc]

"Forgetting, got it," Shane says dutifully, nodding and at the same time making a face. Geoff's connection with her mother and her father was just about breaking her head.

She knew that CJ was very fond of Geoff but, for the most part, Ten had been the one whose feelings had run the deepest. She'd pretty much resigned herself to the fact that as soon as she worked up the nerve to tell Ten about Geoff being in town - even if she could finally sort out her feelings about Geoff - she most likely didn't stand a chance and the utter hopelessness of the situation made her heart ache.

"I was hoping you'd say that," she says quietly, smiling.

[geoff_chaucer]

"You're going to have a hard time stopping me, Lady Shane. If I attend, there will be speechmaking."

He gives her cheek a quick kiss. "I'm really proud of you. You and Tara both. You took a difficult situation, and you stuck together and made it work to your advantage."

[shane_mcc]

"Good," she murmurs, eyes shining as she looks up at him.

Shane ducks her head, feeling her cheeks grow slightly warmer, from the praise as much as the kiss, and lets out a soft laugh. "I told her we would," she says softly. "I mean... what else could we do, right?"

[geoff_chaucer]

"But look how many people give up, and under easy circumstances than what you had. You two did well, Shane. And you don't know how glad I am to see you so happy. You deserve it, both of you."

[shane_mcc]

"Thank you," Shane replies, her voice hushed. "You know, I ... I feel like I know so much about her already but... I just wanna know more... and everyday I find out something new. It's just... she's opening me up so much and, it's like... it's scary. It's really, really fucking scary."

[geoff_chaucer]

Geoff nods, because he knows how hard it can be to trust a person enough to really let them get to know you.

"That's the way it should be, I mean that you should want to always know more. I think that's how you know a person is right for you, when you realize that they'll always intrigue you. And...when you feel like it's all right to let them understand you."

[shane_mcc]

"I... I want her to understand me," Shane says quietly, decisively. "And... she does. She does understand me; she knows almost everything that I'm about... and she's still here. She's still with me."

In a million lifetimes of trying, she's not sure if she'll ever stop being amazed by that fact and that astonishment bleeds through in the hushed, reverent tone of voice in which she speaks.

[geoff_chaucer]

"Good. That's all I need to know. I'll start working on my speech right away."

He grins, and looks around a little, watching the people go past them on the street. "What are you going to do if the library isn't open?"

[shane_mcc]

"Go tomorrow, pay my late fees and get 'em stamped again?" She says with a chuckle. "I've had these for almost a month, but I'm studying up on herbs and goddesses and stuff for the scrying spell."