A flurry of auto-correct riddled text messages that didn't perform well for her text to speech app had left the elemental confused. One thing was clear, however, and that was that Zinnia, one of her few non-X-man friends in the city, needed a friend. It hadn't taken much convincing to call it a Girl's Night Out and ditch her day's responsibilities.

Erm. She ditched her responsibilities responsibly. She did get someone to cover, first.

Maya tapped her foot outside Death & Company dressed in a skirt as white as her loose hair. They'd agreed to meet at Death, which had been a little heart attack inducing until she'd called to get directions.

Death & Company, as it turned out, was a roof top bar inspired by some prohibition saying.

"If you're drinking, you are keeping company with death," the placard read. Technically she couldn't see the words on the metal plate she waited next to. It was just that just about everyone else had. Out loud. It also had a pretty nifty engraving of Death complete with hood and bony hands and sickle.

Maya didn't want to go up to the roof just yet since there was an absolute April downpour happening. She'd been told there was something delightful in place to keep the patrons dry, but she preferred to wait for her friend next to the grim reaper first.

###Dr stas for surw no change atpregnancvw.

###Too much famage done from the lsot one.

### Plz don’t tell Jac!

Tears rained down on the screen, making it hard to choose the right letters. Zinnia clutched her bag to her stomach as she sat on a sheltered bench in a tiny scrap of green that passed for a park (but was really just a place for people to bring their dogs to stretch and relieve themselves), it was close to the clinic, but not too close. She had wanted to get away from the people hanging around the front who judged without knowing her. Without knowing her story. Even though most of their judgements were correct, it still burned like acid, like the churning in her stomach. Her empty, and doomed to be forever empty belly.

She had thought about calling her Mom, but it was too much. She already hated the scumbag, she didn’t need a reason to go out looking for him. Plus now Zinnia was living back with them she didn’t want her to fuss, to be too kind, to coddle and cramp and be overbearing.

She had thought about calling Jac. But calling your female lover to tell them you were upset because you could never carry their child seemed backward, and presumptive. They’d never even spoken about having kids… much less who would be the vessel. Apparently not her. The tears continued streaming as she reached out to the only other woman she could think of. A woman she had seen cry while CPR-ing an infant dummy. Someone who could possibly understand.

A brief phonecall later to organise a time and place, she shouldered her pain and dried her eyes. She was dressed well enough, she had worn comfortable but classy clothes, to give her strength for what the Doctor might say. She hadn’t prepared herself for if he actually said it.

She arrived at the bar some time later, the Yin to Maya’s Yang, wearing black jeans and boots, a black and white shirt and an umbrella against the rain. The umbrella was far more colourful than she felt.

“Hi.” It was a weak excuse for a greeting, delivered weakly. “Thanks for meeting me.”

Zinnia was not her usual self. Though Maya could not determine her exact facial expression without pressing, she could tell by her lackluster 'hello' that was almost more apology than anything else.

"It's no hardship to meet a friend for drinks. Ah—" Actually, she corrected herself, "Treat a friend. If that's okay?" Maya waggled Cafas' credit card between her fingers. Isabel said that what he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him; but this wasn't like that. Cafas had made sure her name was added to the approved persons after her last outing with friends. She was pretty sure that he did it to encourage her to have non-Mansion, non-X friends.

"I want to hear what you have to say, but first I want to put a drink in your hand... even if it's just herbal tea." Maya... didn't actually know what Zin drank beyond cocoa. Perhaps she shouldn't have suggested a bar.

Instead of fretting, Maya turned and offered her arm in a silly flourish that would make her the man of this relationship. "Please?"

Zinnia was locked in a staring contest with the statue of death. She somehow thought she was winning. His scythe gleamed at her menacingly. Was he stone? Or hardened plastic? It was difficult to tell.

Maya's voice came through to her like talking down a length of pipe, or calling into a fan that was running. But she heard drink and please and caught the waving credit card with the corner of her unblinking eye. And blinked.

"Yes please, that would be good."

Drinks yes. Talking yes. Babies no. She squashed that thought before it spilled out of her eyes and took the proffered arm with a dip.

"even if it's just herbal tea..."

Like peas in a pod. Cafas had turned to tea as well. Having a British parent she was well versed in the good old cuppa, but it wasn't something many people in the States seemed to partake of, unless it was chilled and full of sugar.

"I'm more of a coffee type person, but let's see what they've got?"

It seemed like a quirky enough place that they could have anything within reason. She let the air elemental guide her through the press of people until they found themselves at a booth which was more akin to a bubble. It was an amazing sight, almost lost on Zinnia, but not quite. The briefest of smiles flashed across her face as she surveyed the lights dancing across the plastic, shimmering on the raindrops, it was lovely. What a shame to not be able to see this from below. Or at all.

Once inside their bubble she skimmed the drinks menu half heartedly before glancing at Maya.

"Anything take your fancy?"

As she did so one word jumped out at her, the word that meant so many comforting things. Coffee. They had a coffee flavoured cocktail.

"I'm going to have the coffee crema... then maybe some tequila."

She had never been a big drinker, too studious, too poor, too dating-a-bouncer... but if ever there was a time for drowning ones worries it was now.

"A coffee crema as well, but water instead of tequila. And I'll keep this." Ghost tucked the drink menu onto her lap, sure that she, at least, would be interested in trying different things as the night wound on. Assuming Zinnia wanted teh night to go on.

Maya took a deep breath. Her friend was in a bad way. That could mean that she wanted to spill her guts or it could mean that she just wanted to not be alone. All Maya really knew was that "Jac" was the fabulous mantis shrimp that sometimes prowled the perimeter at the Mansion and that Zinnia brought her flowers once, as reported to her by Cafas. Zinnia had something she'd eventually have to tell Jack. But for now, she needed to process.

"I can bumble on all by myself if you need. There's Rowan's pre-K classes and Jude's still MIA not to mention that it's been almost two years to this whole 'be my training wheels for a relationship that doesn't suck' thing."

"So, if you want to say something, or if you want me to just stop, tell me. I do hereby declare not to get my feelings hurt tonight."

Complete with three fingered girl scout-like salute.