Peter's Office, the Hegemony Compound, Sunday

[lockestheway]

There was still residual weird of... whatever had been going on with Natalie last week, so today Peter had arranged things around so her schedule was mysteriously clear of all but the most basic, quick-to-finish tasks. And if the Hegemony kitchens were serving some of Natalie's favorite food (or at least, to what extent he'd managed to discern what

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[momslilassassin]

His phone rang a few minutes later. Don't you want to be interrupted by your favorite brother-in-law, Peter?

You know you do.

[lockestheway]

Ben was his only brother-in-law, and by virtue of that fact, also his least favorite. BY FAR.

Peter let out a groan as he checked the ID on his phone, but he answered it anyway. "Wiggin's Emporium of I'm Much More Important Than You."

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "Well, that's not exactly hard," he said. "How are you, Peter?"

[lockestheway]

"Busy," Peter said. He pushed aside a stack of paperwork. "So why are you calling me? We don't usually chat."

Did something happen to Ender? Well, he wasn't going to ask and look like an idiot if it turned out something hadn't.

[whenshewasnice]

"Where did all my work go?"

She'd guessed the food thing was his way of apologizing, or something. She had not yet thought to connect that to how empty her schedule looked today.

[lockestheway]

Peter shrugged. "Why are you asking me?" he asked. "It's not my work."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie gave him a Look.

It said something along the lines of 'don't treat me like I'm stupid, Wiggin'.

[lockestheway]

"What, you have a day off and I'm the bad guy?" Peter asked, giving her a fake wounded look.