It had been at least a week since Jacen and Kealey had enjoyed a good conversation or any time together. She had been wrapped up in her project to get accepted to design school while he was busy with a career change. Ever since the huge mutant brawl at King Pharmaceuticals Jacen had known that he really had no choice. The other officers watched him out of the corner of their eyes, suspicious looks on their faces. Sure, they knew his blood test was X-Gene negative but they had seen what happened when mutants were near him. That meant he had to be some sort of freak. Maybe the blood test had been screwed up or something. Whatever it was, Jacen had just moved up to their top ten list of suspicious individuals.

Whether he would admit it or not, the cold shoulders hurt. People that Jacen had considered his friends for years were suddenly looking at him like they'd never met him before. They were treating him like he was carrying some sort of contagious disease. With a relationship like that it was just a matter of time until their work during training began to suffer. Finally Jacen made the hard call that he knew would be for the best of the SWAT team. He went to his commanding officer and officially tendered his resignation. Just like that, Jacen found himself unemployed and without a team that he could turn to for help. A life that had been so under control and focused less than a year ago had fallen apart because of things that he couldn't control.

Walking down the street was a strange feeling. There was no service weapon holstered in the small of his back and no shield was clipped to his belt. He was just like any other civilian and that was how he was going to have to live his life unless he chose to make a call. The business card that he had picked up in Florida seemed to be burning through his wallet but Jacen refused to make the call. There were other things that needed to be dealt with first. His savings would provide his needs for at least a month or two which meant that he had some time.

Picking up a bouquet of wild flowers Jacen made his way to the library and then headed in to find Kealey. After searching the stacks in all of her normal areas, he finally headed over to ask one of her co-workers. After having the young woman repeat the directions three times Jacen turned and made his way through the stacks until he found the stairs. Slowly descending into the lower levels, Jacen dodged around boxes of books that had yet to be unpacked before finally heading along the lighted path to the "Special Collection" room. Pausing at the gated door, Jacen peaked in and had to smile. Kealey's hair was a mess and she seemed to be flipping through various books at a frenzies pace but he couldn't remember when she had looked more beautiful. Reaching up he knocked on the door, trying to attract her attention and get her to come over and let him in. The ladies upstairs hadn't mentioned he would need a code to get in on his own.

The desk. Charles Dickens had penned manuscripts on this desk and Kealey Quinn couldn’t even come up with an idea for a sketch. Hands went into hair again, heedless of the fact that it was in a ponytail and when they came away, small pieces came with them. It had been this way for hours now and a halo of frazzled curls framed the blonde’s head as she looked around at the shambles that had been the rough draft of her portfolio. It had been like this for over a week now, and Kealey was seriously wondering if the whole fashion school thing had been any kind of a good idea. It didn’t seem like it now.

It was quiet in the special collections room, nobody ever came down here. It was amazing to Kealey that they’d hidden it and all its treasures in the very bowls of the library, but then again it made sense. The walls were lined with books, countless numbers of priceless books. There were first edition Dickens novels in this particular room, though a person had to wear gloves if they actually wanted to touch one. Kealey had done it before, but not in the last week. The last week had seen this room turned into a nightmare of a work space. Books on fashion were spread out all over the floor and papers hung haphazardly off of the priceless desk that had once held the inkpot and pen that had spawned Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol. Balled up, torn up, crinkled up, and scribbled out sketches scattered the plush area rug and Kealey sat cross legged in the middle of it all, trying to flip through books for inspiration.

It was hopeless, Kealey thought, closing her eyes and trying to take a deep, calming breath. Fail. One of the benefits of being so far below the rest of the library was that the emotions of the people above were almost completely dulled to a low buzzing that was barely discernable. It wasn’t helping though, nothing was helping. Looking down, Kealey saw the edge of her watch peeking out from under some of the sketches and pulled it out, eyes widening as she realized just how long she’d been down there. She’d been off work hours ago.

Hands went back into hair, she was living in the same apartment as Jacen and it felt like she’d barely seen him in the last week. The portfolio had to get done, though, so Kealey doubled the pace, almost frantic as she searched through the books. Then came the knock on the Plexiglas door, a knock that made Kealey nearly jump out of her skin. She tried to get up too quickly and her socked food slipped on loose papers, sending her back to the ground on her rear with a solid “oof”.

Up Kealey looked, and the surprise and slight irritation on her face shifted into a bright, if slightly strained smile. Getting up more slowly this time, Kealey walked right over all the papers and books and punched the door code into the keypad on the wall. As the pane of Plexiglas slid aside with a whoosh that could have come straight from the movies. It was rare that Jacen could sneak up on her, with the silence that usually accompanied his close proximity, but the seclusion of the room had muted the emotions enough that Kealey hadn’t even noticed.
”You startled me!” she said with a smile, eyes drifting down to the flowers in Jacen’s hand, ”Are those for me?

Out of the room the blond reached, grabbing Jacen’s wrist and tugging until he moved into the room. Some policies and procedures had to be followed, and leaving the door to this room standing wide open broke most of them.

Once he was inside, and the doors were shut, Kealey wrapped her arms around Jacen and hugged him tight, ”I was just thinking about you…I hadn’t realized it was so late. If you’re not in a hurry, I’ll clean all of this up and we can get out of here.” The blonde said, casting a look around the room, but not moving away from Jacen, her brows drawing together at the mess, ”It’s not like I’m getting anything worthwhile done anyway.”

Jacen had to hide a grin as he watched Kealey struggle to her feet only to slip and fall back onto the floor once again. Even messy and slightly frustrated she was cute and he always enjoyed her company.

"Finally! For once I get a chance to startle you! And yes, of course these are for you. Unless of course you think the desk of there would appreciate them more." Jacen replied with a grin, offering the flowers to Kealey as she tugged him inside. The splash of color livened up the room that was mostly wood tones and the muted colors of book spines. Glancing down, Jacen twisted his head slightly to look at one of the fashion books Kealey had left lying open.

"Keeping yourself busy I see... when is all of this due again?"

It was a question that would deffinately set up what their plans for the day consisted of. Jacen was hoping to snatch Kealey away from the library for at least a few hours so they could eat together and talk about all that was going on but he could also be patient. If she needed to finish up some things then he might just have to take a seat and wait for her to complete at least part of her project.

"I hear there's a really good Thai restaurant a couple blocks away from here. I thought we could grab a bite and give you a little time to relax if you're not to busy." Jacen added with a grin as he turned to face Kealey once again. Impulsively he stepped foward, wraping his arms around the young woman and pulling her into a hug. "I've missed you Kealey. We've both been to busy lately."

Kealey nodded to Jacen as he pointed out his pleasure at actually being able to sneak up on her. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, ”That’s most of the reason I’ve been shutting myself down here. It’s far enough away from everything and everyone that it’s relatively quiet. Especially for the last little while. I think my brain is frazzled enough that it wasn’t letting anything else in.”

Once they were inside and the door was shut, Kealey took the flowers and shook her head, ”I doubt the desk would like them more. That’s a very uppity desk indeed, it was the very one that Dickens used to pen his manuscripts.” she said, but smiled, holding the blooms close and inhaling deeply. ”I love them though. This place did need something to liven it up.” They really did smell nice, they were pretty too. It was just a shame that there wasn’t any water or vases to put them in. It wasn’t too much of a matter though, they’d last.

Jacen tilted his head and Kealey followed the line of his gaze to one of the books that she’d been flipping through. ”Not busy enough.” she said, face darkening slightly at the mention of her lack of productivity. ”Mostly just brainstorming. I’ve got my main idea and color scheme worked out, I’m just struggling to bring the whole idea together. They want so many different things. I’m starting to wonder if this whole thing is just folly.”

Due. That was the word that Kealey really hated at this point in time and she took a deep breath and sighed, ”Ten days. I have to have it sent in, in ten days.” It seemed like ample time, but Kealey was still worried. She wanted her portfolio to have a theme, the guidelines had suggested it and what sketches she’d completed followed it. It just had to be perfect though…all of it. What was the point otherwise?

Jacen pointed out a Thai restaurant that he’d heard was good and Kealey’s stomach growled in response. When was the last time that she’d eaten? The blonde rubbed one eye with the palm of her hand and nodded her head, ”That sounds fantastic…” and it really did. So did getting out in to the air. His words were nice too, and Kealey found herself already relaxing a little bit as Jacen moved forward and wrapped his arms around her. Kealey hugged back and reconsidered dinner, this was awful nice on its own, she thought, snuggling slightly into his chest, but still listening as he spoke.

Kealey looked up and nodded her head again, ”That’s what I was thinking about earlier. I feel like I’ve barely seen you lately, which seems so funny.” The blond frowned slightly, shaking her head and looking around at the mess in the room, ”It’s my fault, mostly. I just can’t concentrate if I’m anywhere more public…and if you’re around, I don’t want to concentrate on silly things like sketches and clothing samples.” No indeed. When Jacen was around, there were much more interesting things to concentrate on, like just how warm he was, even through his shirt. Or just how nice it felt when he was hugging her like this. It reaffirmed what a necessity this room was. Just a little.

Kealey sighed a little and stepped back from Jacen enough to look around the room. It was tempting to leave everything like it was. The likelihood of someone else coming in while she was gone was low…but Kealey figured it would be better to be safe than sorry. ”I’m not getting anything done, and my shift ended hours ago. This is as good a stopping point as any for the time being.”

Bending, she started gathering papers. Nothing was organized, not at this point, and the sketches were scattered from one place to another in the room. ”I just need to gather all of this up and put it in my bag.” Kealey said, gesturing with the papers in her hand at the messenger bag laying on the desk under more sketches. At one point, when she’d first started her portfolio, Kealey would have been mortified at the idea of someone seeing her sketches, she wasn’t so worried now, though. If all of this worked out, lots of people would look at her work on a daily basis, “The books can stay here, anyone who’d come down here would just think they need re-shelved. I think we can leave my bag and stuff here, too. Nobody’s scheduled time down here for the next week. ”

That said, and the papers packed away, Kealey grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder, leaving the flowers on the desk for the time being and turned, smiling, ”Ready?”

Silently cursing from the shadows, the dark haired man glared daggers at Jacen's back as he and Kealey exited the room. His plan had been perfect. After weeks of scouting the special collection room and watching Kealey work he had been ready. A walk up to the door carrying an empty box while pretending it was heavy, he would knock and get the young woman to open the door in order to help him. Once the door was open the box would be tossed aside, the woman would be bludgeoned, and several priceless first editions would be his. It was all that man's fault! He was the reason things would have to wait even longer!

***

"I'm deffinately ready. So how's the portfolio coming along? What's your main thought for it?" Jacen asked with a smile and he opened the door and led the way out into the hall. Once they were sure the door was secure, they were off to walk through the hall, up the stairs, through the library, down the stairs to the street, and then a few blocks away to their restaurant. "You fill me in on what's going on with you and then I'll give you what's going on with me."

Reaching over, Jacen snagged Kealey's hand as they walked. Giving it a quick squeeze he settled into an easy gate that the young woman could match with no problems. They needed some time to relax together so that meant absolutely no rushing. After an early dinner they'd see if Kealey still wanted to go back and work on her project more but that would come later. For now it was just the two of them enjoying each others company.

"What sorts of designs are you using? Ultra high fashion or are you going a little more risque?" Jacen asked teasingly, hoping to see that oh so attractive blush rise in Kealey's cheeks once more. He really didn't know all that much about fashion but he knew enough of the words to make it sound like he had some idea what he was talking about... at least on the short term.

Out of the special room the couple went, completely unaware of the man watching from the shadows. He was angry, and if Jacen hadn’t been so nearby, Kealey probably would have felt it as they passed. As it was, she was far more centered on the man walking next to her and the fact that she was leaving the library at a time that most people would have considered at least mostly decent.

Jacen asked how the actual portfolio was coming along and Kealey shrugged her shoulders as they walked, ”It’s …coming, I guess. I’ve got lots of sketches and the few other samples and things that they want. I just don’t know what to say…or how to put it together. That’s what all the books are. It’s so hard for me to figure out what I’m trying to say. They don’t’ want a lot of words, the work is supposed to speak for itself. I have to have some fashion sketches, but then they also want regular drawings from observation. I’ve sketched my whole life…but I don’t know what’s good enough and what’s not.” Kealey shrugged, ”I guess that’s the point though…you don’t know what they want. I’m just scared, if they like it, I have to come in and do a personal interview…that’s the really scary part.”

Jacen grabbed Kealey’s hand, and she squeezed his in return, falling into step with him as he took off through the library. As they walked, Jacen asked about the types of clothes she was designing for the portfolio and at the mention of the more risqué clothing, she laughed, obliging his hopes for a blush with a distinct pinking of her cheeks as she thought about the kinds of risqué clothing she would design. There was actually a little merit to the thought, and Kealey secretly filed it away in case she needed the idea, ”Probably the more traditional things.” she replied to Jacen with a laugh, ”Though I’d only be drawing them, not modeling, so I’m not sure what you’d be so keen on.” The blond said, looking up and over as they walked and smirking slightly, ”Though…maybe I could get a better perspective if I did make and model some of these things….what do you think?” She said innocently, a wicked smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

They were out on the street now and Kealey took a deep breath of outside air, knowing that she’d been stuck inside way too much when it smelled as good as the air had at that lake Jacen had taken her to. She really needed to start getting out more. ”That’s about all I’ve done…” she said, ”Isn’t that just stupid? All this time spent in that little room, and that’s all I have to say about it.” Jacen had said he’d tell her what was up with him after she was finished, for now, she was. ”So…what about you? Done anything over the last week that’s going to send me into fits? Any daring rescues or tense situations?” There probably were…those were the things that SWAT officers did…like breaking up huge mutant fights at pharmaceutical companies. Being nonchalant was better than worrying, or at least Kealey thought so.

"You'll do fantastic Kealey. Just relax and believe in yourself. You're a talented young woman and I'm sure the review board will see that in your portfolio." Jacen replied confidently as they walked. He was enjoying everything about their conversation even what might have been classified as the more simple things. The sound of Kealey's voice, the slight scent of her perfume and hair products, and the twinkle in her eyes. Oh, and of course the blush in her cheeks that he was always able to bring out so well.

Suddenly Kealey was turning the situation around, hitting Jacen with his own brand of teasing. Smiling broadly he looked over at the young woman and gave her a quick wink before turning his attention back to the busy street and sidewalk. "Any time you want to model for you I'll be available to watch. Sounds like fun to me!"

Suddenly the nice easy part of the conversation was over and Kealey was asking about how things were with SWAT. The question made the feeling of emptiness at the small of his back even more apparent as well as the lack of weight on his belt from a missing shield.

"There was a major situation out at King Pharmaceuticals almost a week ago. It turned out to be a major mutant brawl and the Pharmaceutical company called us in the break things up and protect their property." Jacen said slowly as they moved along at the same pace as the rest of the walkers. "I got put in some bad situations and unfortunately, the only way I could keep my fellow officers alive was to show my ability."

Arriving at the restaurant, Jacen opened the door and guided Kealey in. After a few moments they were seated with glasses of water and menus in front of them. "None of the other officers could trust me anymroe. Even after the blood work came back showing that I wasn't a mutant, they couldn't accept what they'd seen. The lack of trust and team work was obvious in our training sessions so I had to make a decision. I... I resigned from the NYPD. SWAT will be better off without me to distract them from their mission."

Kealey nodded as they walked, appreciating Jacen’s encouragement even if she wasn’t sure he was being completely accurate in his assessment of her work. Sure, he knew when things were pretty, but the people judging her work would be harsh. Very harsh, and what was worse, Kealey would be able to tell every single time they disliked something she showed, said, or did. Jacen’s words really did make her feel better, though. But then again, he’d always managed to do that. Make her feel better, even when she’d wanted to be angry with him. It was so different, walking down the street in New York with Jacen, Kealey had probably made this particular trip, down this particular street dozens of times, but she noticed things now that she rarely did before.

Jacen took her tease with ease, as he always did, and Kealey wished she could find some way to ruffle his feathers a little bit. He always took everything she did in stride, even when she was sure it would be shocking. This was something that needed to be worked on, and when he pointed out that he’d be a willing audience anytime she wanted to model something, and idea began to form in the blonde’s mind. An idea that really wouldn’t be all that difficult to pull off, and might just be shocking enough to stun even Jacen.

Kealey’s questions about work didn’t go unanswered, either, and as Jacen started to speak about the happenings at the pharmaceutical company, she nodded her head, ”I was watching on the TV, a news helicopter got close. I wondered if you were there.” she commented quietly, leaving out just how nervous the thought had made her.

Jacen kept talking and the neutral look on Kealey’s face turned thoughtful as Jacen pointed out that he’d had to reveal his ability to his fellow police officers. The conversation lulled for a moment as they entered the restaurant, were seated, and received the menus, then Jacen spoke again and Kealey’s face changed from thoughtful to absolutely stunned. What Jacen said made absolutely no sense. Why on Earth would his fellow officers trust him less for his ability. If anything, Kealey thought that a fellow officer who could nullify mutant powers would be welcomed with open arms.

Jacen kept talking and Kealey’s eyes widened as she looked across the table at him. He’d quit the force. ”That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!” the blond exclaimed, louder than she’d intended. ”Who in their right mind would distrust someone simply because they saved their life?
Kealey was getting more and more worked up as she thought about it and her cheeks pinked up with frustration instead of whatever it was that had made them flush before. ”So what you’re telling me is that in New York City, someone can run headlong into an incredibly dangerous situation, putting themselves at risk to make sure that everyone else is okay…and they get punished for it to a degree that they can’t even do their job anymore?” The words were coming faster now, her accent thickening as her frustration increased. Jacen …not a police officer…it was just…wrong on a fundamental level. It’s what he did. Kealey had gone her whole life wondering what it was like to be in the perfect place, sometimes things just fit…like Jacen and police work.

Kealey realized that her fists were slightly clenched and made herself calm down, slightly embarrassed by her outburst and reminding herself for probably the millionth time how much stronger her own emotional reactions were when she was around Jacen. Looking across the table, Kealey reached out and grabbed Jacen’s hand, ”I’m so sorry that happened, they’re obviously delusional…and I’m sure they’ll realize, much to their detriment, what a mistake they made treating you that way.”

This was a lot to take in, and Kealey tried to puzzle out exactly what she could do to make Jacen feel better. As good as she might be in normal situations, with Jacen, Kealey was just like any other person, struggling along to find the right thing to say or do. Did the words exist?

”What are you going to do? I simply can’t imagine you sitting behind a desk.” she settled on, deciding that talking in general would be the best, at least for now.

"Anyone that I directly saved was treating me better than the rest." Jacen commented with a wry smile, "Unfortunately, most of the force wasn't near me or wasn't even on the scene. In a way I can't blame most of them... so many get killed by mutant every year that it's hard for most of them to remember that some of them are good people."

It was hard, but Jacen was doing his best not to blame the rest of his squad. That was teh way he still thought of them, his squad. They were so scared and nervous from the mutant threat, even if they didn't show it, that it often clouded their judgement. It hurt to be rejected as unceremoniously as he had been but that was what had happened. All he could do was be a big boy and move on with life.

Sipping at his water, Jacen pondered the question that Kealey had thrown his way. What was he going to do? "A lot of former police officers become PIs, but I just can't picture myself following people in order to catch someone in a suspected affair. I want to help people but not that way. There are plenty of other people willing to get their hands dirty there."

Lifting his glass of water again, Jacen found himself thinking about the mysterious Mr. Larraby. Was that really an option? Now that he was out of SWAT the offer was a lot more tempting than it had been a month or so ago. "I did think about government work... I mean, the FBI or someone should have some use for a former military, former SWAT officer. Wouldn't they?"

Kealey had to hand it to Jacen, he was handling this much better than she would have. Of course the people he’d saved were treating him better, but it still baffled her that they were treating him poorly at all. But Jacen said he couldn’t really blame them. The blond shook her head, ”I guess I get it, but you’re obviously on their side. Why would they think that’s a bad thing? You’ve never done anything to suggest that you’d hurt anyone who didn’t really have it coming…It’s just senseless. You’re good at what you do.”

Kealey had heard of mutants being discriminated against, but Jacen wasn’t even a mutant. This whole situation seemed so convoluted. It was the reason that Kealey had come to New York in the first place, but with the registration over after her arrival, she’d seen precious little of the discrimination that had so dominated the news before she’d left Ireland.

Jacen pointed out that a lot of former Police Officers got into PI work and Kealey’s brows drew together in concentration as she tried to picture Jacen doing the things he was talking about a PI doing. Nope, it just didn’t fit. Then Jacen mentioned working for the government. Kealey’s mind instantly moved to the man he’d mentioned meeting in Florida. There hadn’t been many details to be had, but something about working for the same government that had done its best to put mutants in concentration camps in the not so distant past left a slightly bad taste in Kealey’s mouth. She looked across the table at Jacen and he talked about his options and tilted her head slightly, nodding slowly at the final suggestion.

”I’m sure they’d be all over a person with your particular talents and training, Jacen. You could always put a call in…you’ve still got that number, don’t you?” she finally said. In all the time she’d known him, Jacen’s judgment had been spot on about 90% of the time. If he thought that this was something that he could look into, that would be good for him, all Kealey could do was support the idea. There was one thing, though…

”What would a job like that entail? Wouldn’t it be even more dangerous than what you’re doing now? I mean, there’s occupational hazard, and then there’s asking for trouble. Is that something you’re interested in?”

"Being on someone's side doesn't turn away prejudice. Back during the civil war, a few slaves were offered the opportunity to gain their freedom by fighting for the south. It wasn't offered to many, but a few accepted the offer. Unfortunately they were looked down upon and hated for the most part because, even though they were fighting for the South, they were still considered slaves." Jacen replied quietly. Obviously the sort of prejudice he was facing was nothing like what the slaves had dealt with but at the same time there were deffinite similarities. "People are afraid of what they don't understand. Whether it's from the color of your skin, the accent in your voice, or the power and ability that manifests in your body."

Right then the conversation was put on hold as their waitress walked up to see if they were ready with their order. Hurriedly Jacen opened his menu and picked out the item he normally ate at these sorts of places. "I'll take the sweet and sour chicken please."

A few minutes later, after Kealey had made her decision and placed her own order it was back to the conversation at hand. Her concerns were well spoken and Jacen understood her point but he also knew that he was a man of action. He didn't really want to go looking for trouble but that was what he was trained to handle. Should he really be trying to avoid it?

"I don't want to go asking for trouble Kealey."/B] His voice was soft and affection as he looked at the young woman but the look in his eyes showed how seriously he was taking their conversation, "I care about you to much to want to throw that away because I did something stupid with my career. But at the same time I'm a military man. I was trained to handle situation that most couldn't survive. I'll have to ask Larraby more questions but from his overall description it sounds like a good group."

Reacing across the table, Jacen grabbed one of Kealey's hands and gave it a gentle squeeze while offering her a smile. "I promise, if I don't like what I hear then I'll find something else to do. But it doesn't hurt for me to talk to them. Right?"

Kealey listened to the story Jacen told about the slaves during the American Civil War. Being Irish, American wars had been very low on the list of priorities in school and even though she knew the basics of what had happened, what Jacen told her came as a bit of a surprise. How could people fight for the very thing that had kept them in chains? It was fascinating and something that Kealey decided she should grab a book on the next time she had extra time in the library. Jacen’s point wasn’t lost though, and Kealey frowned and shook her head, ”Like I said, Jacen, they’ll realize what a mistake they’ve made soon enough. Besides, who knows, maybe this was what was supposed to happen to change some minds…a butterfly effect thing.” People always said that one flap of a butterfly’s wings could change history. If that was true, maybe this was that flap and the police force would shift. It was a bit of wishful thinking, Kealey admitted to herself, but optimism had never hurt anyone.

The waitress showed up, then, and Kealey ordered some kind of chicken thing that had looked good when she’d perused the menu after they first arrived. When the waitress left again, Kealey looked back to Jacen and waited to see what he had to say about the things she’d pointed out. Lying to herself wasn’t something that Kealey had ever been good at, and the idea of Jacen purposefully walking into highly dangerous situations made her nervous. When he spoke though, the honesty that rang true, instantly caught her attention.

The situation was serious, and as Jacen continued to speak, Kealey looked back at him intently, smiling slightly as he spoke about exactly what it was he planned to do. He cared about her, and he didn’t want to throw that away, but at the same time, this was what he did. Kealey knew that, it was the reason she’d had so much trouble picturing him doing anything other than what he did. Working for the government as an agent-type made almost as much sense as working in the police.

Jacen reached across the table and grabbed her hand, and Kealey returned the squeeze with one of her own and returned the smile widely and brightly. ”It doesn’t hurt at all to ask, Jacen, and if it feels right…chances are it is. I know something about feelings, and there’s a lot to be said about following your instincts. I just want you to be happy with whatever you do…” she said, a teasing light entering her eyes, ”Just don’t go getting too good at rescuing damsels in distress or anything like that. Stick to manly situations.”

"I hope that they realize their distrust was a mistake but I'm not so sure that their wanting me to leave the force is really a mistake." Jacen said as he took hold of his straw, stirring his water and staring intently into the mini whirlpool he was creating, "You and several others appreciate some time away from your abilities. It's a gift for you to be able to act just like everyone else. But for other mutants I've met, they treat it like the plague. I can already imagine myself getting sent on different assignments and actually making the situation worse because some mutant freaks out because their power is suddenly not working."

It was a strange thing to be thinking about but if Jacen was going to deal with this situation then he had to be completely honest with himself. He had been wondering if the force was still the right place for him for quite a while now and this just helped to show that maybe he had just been delaying the inevitable. Working on a group that was sent in to deal with tense situations was probably not the best thing for a man that could possibly just make the situations even more tense.

Looking back up at Kealey, Jacen had to smile as he watched the young woman's eyes begin to glitter along with the teasing tone in her voice. After the initial shock had worn off, Kealey was taking everything in stride. It really shouldn't have surprised him, after all, Kealey had dealt with a lot of things through her life. Why should he think that a small change like this would throw her for a loop?

"I thought rescueing damsels in distress was a manly situation." Jacen replied with a grin before squeezing Kealey's hands one more time and then pulling his arm back as the waitress walked up with their plates of food. Once the entrees were deposited on the table and the young woman had walked off, Jacen picked up his fork to take a bite. "But don't worry... no matter how many damsels I end up rescueing, you'll still be my favorite."

Kealey frowned slightly as she looked across the table at Jacen while he spoke. She took a drink of water so her mouth didn’t run off before her head caught up with it. Kealey knew that Jacen was talking about people in general, but what he said still bothered her a little bit. Something needed to be said, and her brows drew together as she tried to puzzle out the order the words should come out in. The blond tilted her head before she spoke,

”You know it’s not about that, right? she said, looking intently across the table, ”The normalcy. Because none of this is really normal for me, and you’re the one person I really wish my powers worked on.”

Kealey knew she was changing the subject, and she nodded her head at what Jacen said, getting back to the topic at hand, ”I can see your abilities causing a problem in an already tense situation….”

Jacen seemed to be coming to terms with the situation, though, even seeing the benefits. It was amazing to Kealey how he could see through everything else and put the people who had mistreated him so badly ahead of his position on the team. ”I have to say, though, I think you’re being much nicer than I would about the whole thing. Much nicer, and much more practical about the whole matter.”

Jacen appreciated the teasing tone in her voice, and Kealey inclined her head slightly as he squeezed her hand again, giving him an arch look when he pointed out that rescuing damsels in distress was a manly pursuit. She was about to speak, once more, but the waitress arrived to present them with their food. As always, when she was with Jacen, the food tasted far better than it had any right to, and for a while, Kealey could do nothing but concentrate on the food. One thing at a time.

Jacen pointed out that she’d stay his favorite damsel no matter how many others he rescued and she smiled across the table, ”Still. I’d much rather you be the kitten rescuing type. Their claws have a tendency to be far less sharp than some damsels, but I'll make sure I'm available to rescue you from any damsels who get the wrong idea.”

That being said, Kealey winked across the table and finished off her food. It was a good thing that Jacen had never been spooked by her appetite, it really was voracious. She was feeling much better now, despite the news that Jacen had shared with her. She smiled again, ”So. It’s settled. You’ll make the call.” she said, taking a long drink of water before setting down her glass.

Around the restaurant Kealey looked, then back at Jacen. Truth be told, the last thing she wanted to think about was going back to the library and working more. Would it be so wrong? ”Now that we have that settled…if you don’t mind dropping back by the library when we’re done. I think I’d like to just grab my things, and if you’re not otherwise engaged for the rest of the evening, maybe we can find some other things to divert us from all of our trivial worries.”

What they would do, and how they would do it, Kealey didn’t care. If Jacen didn’t have anything else that he needed to do, she would not be thinking about the sketches or her portfolio again for at least the rest of this night.

For a moment, Jacen just looked at Kealey before it dawned on him how his comments must of sounded. "I didn't mean, it came across, oh damn. Chalk one up in the stupidity column." Jacen said with obvious chagrin, "I didn't mean for it to sound like the only reason youwanted to be around me was my ability. That came out wrong."

Thankfully the subject was changing away from Jacen's comments and back to the matter at hand. The fact that Kealey understood what he was saying was good to hear but he didn't want to be put up on a pedestal for it. "I'm ex-military Kealey. We're trained to be practical. Like I said, I'm not going to say it doesn't hurt but if I were in there shoes, I'm not sure that I could guarantee that I'd be acting any different."

Turning his attention to the food on his plate, Jacen dug in with the standard military appetite. Maybe it was something issued right along with their BDUs and weapons or maybe it was something they learned at the mess hall. After all, normally whoever was last out of the mess hall was the one that got "volunteered" for KP duty. Either way, Jacen was a fast eater that could consume a lot of food in a short ammount of time. Due to his own concentration on the matter, he had never really paid all that much attention to how Kealey ate. Fast or slow, it didn't matter, so long as the food made its way down into the stomach.

"Damsels with claws? Now wherever would you get that idea?" Jacen asked with a mischevous grin and raised eyebrow, "And here I thought they were all genteel ladies that would give me their handkerchief as a token of thanks and affection."

After finishing the last of his meal, Jacen sipped at his water and leaned back in his seat. He was now comfortably full and ready for whatever came next. If he had to wait at the library for Kealey to work a few more hours then that would be fine, otherwise he was going to whisk her away for some sort of nonsense. In a town like New York City, surely they could find something to keep them entertained.

"Since my truck is parked at the library we kind of have to go that way anyhow." Jacen said with a smile, mentally cheering that Kealey was obviously working on the same wavelength at the moment. Quickly pulling out his wallet, Jacen despoted enough money to cover their meal as well as a good sized tip and then moved away from the table and stood up. "Ready? We can take a leisurely stroll and then just wait and see how the night unfolds."