Lee had already started walking away, focused on getting her caffeine fix since she had used more of her inadequate energy supply that morning than she should have for the run, so she didn’t hear Michael’s next question. Though if she had, even without seeing or hearing Tarin, she would know that he was panicking internally.

But with her back turned, Lee was completely unaware of that. A few moments later, Lee felt someone stopping behind her; Michael, apparently needed coffee as well. The line was short and it really didn’t take long at all for Lee to get her extra large black coffee.

Making her way back toward Tarin, Lee’s head tilted slightly as she saw the look on his face. Even before they’d really known each other, Lee had recognized a lot of Tarin’s expressions. Lee had never seen this one before. Not that it was much different from his normal expression, most people probably wouldn’t even think it was different from how he had looked before she’d walked away.

Her head still tilted slightly, Lee’s brows drew together as she looked at Tarin, wondering if everything was ok. But she felt Michael following her, so she altered the question she was about to ask. ”You good? Don’t need a coffee or something, too?”

Ranger didn’t say anything, she just nodded. Tarin tried to keep as low a profile as possible. That was interesting. She mentally filed that away. She didn’t want to stir up anything, but there was often a reason when people had that kind of reaction.

Although, Tarin being from the other side of the rip had Ranger betting it was SUPER related. The AV SUPER.

Just making conversation, Ranger asked if there was anything in the cart to make the coffee Irish. There was not. Ranger made a show of mock disappointment.

Coffee in hand, Ranger dropped a couple extra bills in the tip jar that was mostly empty. People loved paying with cards nowadays but cash was king. Maybe seeing a few more bills in the jar might encourage others to help out too.

Then Ranger met back up with Tarin and Lee. ”Mmm, coffee. Emma had my pet bears up all night singin’ the songs of their people. An’ dogs that big ‘re not quiet.”

Lee was approaching now, and Tarin debated telling her what Michael had brought up. It was something Tarin honestly hadn’t thought of as a possibility, but none he had to consider what he would do if a police officer came in to ask him about a case. It was the exact kind of thing he’d gone to great lengths to avoid on the other side of the rift. Doing things like that, helping out public and government agencies was a great way to get your name in the hands of people you didn’t want to have it. Yes, this world was different, but they’d let SUPER establish themselves here…who knew what was happening in the background.

Lee asked if he was good and Tarin nodded slowly, ”I’m fine.” he said simply, about the drinks. ”I’ll just have some water back at the shop.”

Michael was back now too, and since everyone had their coffee, they continued their walk to the shop. Michael had mentioned the coffee helping because her kid had been up with dogs and a kid, ”What kind of dogs?” Tarin asked, to hopefully keep the pin in what they’d been talking about before. Lee didn’t need to know about any of that unless it came up again, it wasn’t relevant, and wasn’t worth worrying over anyway.

”Ok,” Lee said softly when Tarin said he was fine. Though it sounded like one of her ‘I’m fine’ statements when really, things were not fine.

This was not the place to question it with Michael right behind her. Approaching and talking about dogs keeping her up the previous night. Taking a sip of her coffee, Lee reached out for one of Tarin’s with her free hand.

’’You’ve got two?” Lee asked Michael as they walked. ”I can’t even imagine having one large dog here in the city, nevermind a pair of them.” It was a ridiculous concept to Lee. But then again, she had grown up in a city where backyards were the norm. Other than in the park, the city seemed far too crowded for a large animal.

Tarin asked what kind of dogs, Ranger smiled an almost strained smile and took a loud breath through her nose.

”A friend of my wife’s apparently thought it would be fun to gift us a pair of caucasians.”Ranger said, then added, ”One of them is generally well behaved… The other, she acts up enough for the pair. Though, especially when the kiddo is involved, Reveille will tear it up just a bad as Dammit if there’s too much fun t’ be had.”

Ranger sipped her coffee, still a little hot, ”When I say gift, turns out when we lived at Haven, before de-agin’, someone snuck in and left them in her room f’r us. Thankfully I have a decently large buildin’ f’r them t’ run around in an’ can send an employee out t’ walk ‘em if I need t’... But nearly four-hundred pounds howlin’ at all hours is not conducive t’’ sleep.”

The conversation had really moved on to dogs now, and Tarin was admittedly relieved.

Michael explained about the dogs and Tarin had to admit that he had absolutely no idea what Caucasians were…at least not as far as dogs were concerned. From what Michael was saying though, they were massive and scary.

Tarin didn’t have a problem with dogs. In fact, Tarin rather liked dogs, he just hadn’t ever felt as though he was in a position to take care of anything beyond himself.

But wait. ”Your dog’s name is Dammit?” Tarin commented as they approached the shop.

Four-hundred pounds of dog? Tarin tried to imagine what that would even look like, and it was just…impossible to picture.

Now that they’d made it to the shop, it was a quick enough thing to unlock the door and pull it open, gesturing for the women to enter. ”After you guys.”

As always once they reached the edge of the park, it really didn’t take long to reach the shop. And Michael continued to talk about her dogs. Which were even larger, apparently, than Lee had thought at first when she’d said the dogs were big. Each of them had to weigh considerably more than Lee herself to make up 400 pounds of dog.

Once Tarin got the door unlocked and pulled open, Lee stepped into the shop as he held the door, setting her coffee on the counter and immediately moving to turn the lights on and open blinds to make it easier to see.

It was only as she was raising the second blind that Lee realized that what she was doing was probably weird for Tarin. ”Sorry,” she said, giving him an apologetic smile. ”Old habit.”

Ranger had said a fair amount about Dammit and Miss Rev, but the thing that caught Tarin’s attention was Dammit’s name.

”If y’ knew my wife an’ the dog... Y’d understand. Dammit’s her dog an’ somehow has little dog syndrome while large enough that Emma rides her like a horse.” Ranger said with a laugh. Dammit’s name was often a conversation starter. Sometimes from a Karen at a playground who pearl clutched when Ranger called the dog’s name to rein her back in.

Tarin unlocked the door to the shop and let Lee and Ranger in first. Lee led the way in, setting her drink on the counter and hitting the lights like she’d done it every day. Ranger sipped her coffee and looked around. It was a nice little space. Ranger often had to remind herself that her living arraignment was nearly palatial by New York City standards. Granted, a lot of that was a benefit of living in Brooklyn… And it being tucked away on top of a large commercial space.

Lee mentioned it being an old habit. Which was interesting since Ranger knew they couldn’t have met and gotten together that long ago. Tarin was from the AV, Lee had lost Kevin’s father around the time of the rip closing. Ranger wondered idly if Tarin was the AV version on Kevin’s father and this was a repeat of what this universe’s Tarin did.

Instead of commenting, Ranger sipped at her coffee. Question might be a little personal to just up and ask all of a sudden. Instead she said, ”Cute little place… I hope I’m not throwin’ yall’s day off by taggin’ along. Today’s been sort of a weird almost old home week… Never expected I’d run int’ someone with the kinds of connection’s y’ had, Lee.”

Tarin chuckled at the explanation of the dog's name. It really was a funny thing to name a dog and as Tarin could imagine being in public and calling for the animal.

When Lee walked into the shop she immediately set her cup down and went about doing all of the things that Tarin usually did when he got there for the day. He usually left the blinds closed for a while to discourage people from coming in…but still, Lee’s practiced efficiency at the tasks suggested she had done this many times.

Because…well…she had. Tarin just hadn’t ever seen it on display though. Lee smiled and apologized and Tarin just shrugged and smiled back, he didn’t mind, in all honesty the shop was as much hers as it was his…at least in spirit.

Michael commented that it was a cute little place and Tarin shrugged, ”It pays the bills.” he said, looking around the slightly shabby place. It had its charms, he supposed, but when it boiled down to it this place was work.

As for throwing off the day, at least for Tarin there was plenty of time before his first client of the day.

Michael’s attention was back on Lee now and Tarin excused himself to the back of the shop to grab that water he had mentioned with a quick, ”Be right back, water…”

Tarin really didn’t seem to mind that she had started opening things up a bit, and she smiled back at him as she finished up with the blind she was currently opening.

And Michael thought it was a cute shop. Lee supposed it was in the way that something very old was cute. The place was definitely a little rough because of its age.

”Never expected I’d run int’ someone with the kinds of connection’s y’ had, Lee.”

Lee shrugged as Tarin headed into the back to grab himself some water. ”Right place at the right time?” Lee replied as she moved back to the counter to take another sip of her coffee.

Because, really, that’s what it had all been, wasn’t it? If she hadn’t been kicked out of the infirmary that day and been wandering the mansion in the path she had, would she have ever run into Slate? And she had really only met Devon because they ran into each other while running because neither of them had been able to sleep.

”Either that or fate. Though even if you had before, would you have known about those connections?” Lee asked. Another sip of coffee. The very important coffee since they were in the shop away from people outside and she wasn't touching Tarin.

”Though, I don’t think I ever viewed them as connections like you. Just…people. Apparently, though,” as Lee continued, she glanced toward the back of the shop where Tarin had gone before looking back at Michael. ”What I’ve done in my life has been so unbelievably wild that that thought is probably also skewed.”

Train said the place paid the bills. Ranger nodded, she remembered way back when she was still newer to NYC. Smaller apartment, smaller work. That was until she got a nice influx of cash from the Kabal which she turned around and used to expand her own business.It’s amazing how much money being a troubleshooter for people will earn you.

When Ranger addressed Lee, Train excused himself for some water.

Lee shrugged and suggested it was all maybe the right place, right time… or fate.

”Maybe I’m too cynical. Yes, they’re people, but also a potential resource. Not in some exploitative way.” Ranger scratched the back of her head. What she was saying was sounding worse out loud than in her head. ”A mutually beneficial relationship.”

As for doing so much unbelievably wild in life, ”I can understand life bein’ wild. I’ve jumped int’...” Ranger thought for a moment, ”Fifteen, no… sixteen countries. None ‘f them t’ be friendly. All f’r this agency ‘r that organization… Speakin’ ‘f wild an’ workin’ f’r organizations; I learned about the Kabal from a member when we worked t’gether t’ track down a woman who had run off with my body.”

It didn’t take Tarin long to grab his water, but he stood in the kitchenette for a few moments, trying to wrap his brain around everything that had happened that morning.

Running into Michael hadn’t been all that strange, even with as big as New York City was, it wasn’t outrageous to run into people you had met when you were out and about.

The stories though, the revelations about just how large scale the things Lee had been involved with actually were, that was something for Tarin to try to wrap his head around. The big decision here was whether or not he was going to bring it all up. If he did, he thought Lee would tell him what he wanted to know, but did he want to put her in that position? She’d had multiple chances to spell it all out and handn’t…was asking the right thing to do?

Shutting the fridge and sighing, Tarin headed back out to the front of the shop with his bottle of water in time to hear Michael talk about the time she’d needed to track a woman down who had run off with his body.

”It’s a testament to how weird things can be on this side of the rift, that this isn’t the weirdest thing I’ve heard this week.” he said, opening the bottle and taking a long drink.

The number of countries that Michael had jumped into could be counted in double digits. And Romania had only been one of them. Lee just nodded. That was a lot, though if he had been military before all of this other stuff, it did make sense.

And Michael explained when he had found out about the Kabal. Again, Lee just nodded. Yup, that sure had been something that happened. She’d shaved Rupert’s legs when she woke up to find herself in his body. Lee had thought that she had just had another breakdown.

Until it was proven that she hadn’t.

”Oh god, that was so uncomfortable and strange,” Lee said as she shook her head. Only to hear Tarin’s comment as he made his way back out front. ”Really? I thought we had actually been doing pretty well this week on the weird revelations.” Was Lee joking? Yes. but there had been a lot of weird things discussed between them quite a bit…

”We found out in Columbia,” Lee said, regarding the Kabal. ”While my then husband was still laying in his own blood after Slate healed him. Because Slate had pissed off one of the cartels and they were tortured.

“Needless to say, I was pissed with Slate.”

From Lee’s comment, Ranger could assume that she had been another victim of that weird body swapping event. Ranger had known other people than just herself and Lori were affected, and had met a few. It was getting weirdly coincidental that Lee had been part of that as well.

Train took that moment to return, and commented that it wasn’t even the weirdest thing he’d heard that week. Lee seemed to joke with Tarin about the weird discussions. Clearly weird was also their stock-in-trade as it was with Ranger.

When Lee described her learning about the Kabal in Columbia, Ranger let out a low whistle. ”Oh wow. Kind ‘f surprised y’ joined up after that, instead ‘f redecoratin’ Slate’s face an’ putin’ the cartel in the past tense before callin’ it a day.” Sure Slate had healed her then husband, but Ranger wasn’t so sure she could work with the guy who got her spouse tortured and left in a pool of their own blood.

Lee made a fair point, maybe they hadn’t talked about anything as weird as body swapping. Had she been talking when he had walked out of the back of the shop?

”Were you mixed up in that too?” he asked, but the conversation was moving on to Columbia.

Tarin had already heard this story or he was sure he would have been shocked. It was a bit shocking how easily Lee seemed to be talking about it though.

Maybe it had something to do with who she was talking to, Tarin decided. It had become very evident, very quickly that Michael’s way of dealing with things was swift action and she didn’t mind getting her hands dirty if the need arose. Had she been concerned how he would react when she’d told him about it, or was it just easier to bring up now because they’d talked about it before.

The conversation shifted to why Lee had joined up with the group after what had happened, and Tarin realized that he hadn’t asked that question.

The temptation to call Lee by the name that the locals had given her was almost overwhelming, but Tarin kept his mouth shut. He was curious to see what Lee was going to say.