goddamngrenades | Voicemail 2.0

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voicemail

Voicemail 2.0

You have reached the voice mail system of Officer Taylor Murray.

When you are finished recording, just hang up or press pound for more options.

To request a locksmith or report a crime, press one.

To hear these options in Spanish, press dos.

To send a verbal confirmation of a written command, press three.

To send a written confirmation of a verbal command, press four.

For delivery options, press five.

To page this person, press six.

To locate your nearest operator, press seven.

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To repeat this message, press nine.

Press zero for other options.

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Thank you for calling, have a nice day.

BEEP

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...Malcolm already told me it was much more serious than just ribs. [green eyes fix him, cold a moment. don't try and downplay this. For once.] I do have to be sorry for it. You should have been safe around me and you weren't. I should have recognised you, and I didn't. And when you were leaving, I shouldn't have turned my back on you when you reached out to me. [not when you needed me.]

[Fine, that poisonous little word, a nothing word. This isn't fine. But he's not going to back down on this, is he?] ..Friends say sorry when they've been wrong, Taylor. [Something in her seems to deflate, to diminish, before she manages to offer him a weak smile] But on that same turn, that doesn't mean an apology has to be accepted.

Thanks anyway, for listening. [she backs up a bit, away from the counter, away from him and his cat, one half step followed by a second, before she turns away] Say good night to Malcolm for me, would you?

Bruising, internal bleeding. You know. Torso trauma roulette. [ He shrugs. ] Half an hour in the clinic and a night's sleep and I was good.

[ The rest, though. That-

That he hadn't expected an apology for. That he hadn't thought he needed an apology for. She needed space. He can respect that since he didn't offer it when he really should've. ]

You weren't. You weren't in your right mind and I pushed into your space When you asked me to not. I- [ What? No that's not- he steps after her, reaching out again and he shouldn't he's done with this but he can't let her think he doesn't- ] Carolina I'm accepting your apology. You're forgiven.

[ Internal bleeding may have been a sign of something far worse. They could be blase about it when they were younger, but not now, not when they're so much older, and wearier and wiser.

Or not so wise.

She stops. She's not that far from him, close enough for him to touch, to grab if he wants, and she's trying to retreat, he's trying to reach out--

--and Carolina stops, though she doesn't turn to him, not yet, draws a breath as she listens. And it is her turn now, to listen. (She's not sure she believes him, much as she wants to, just as she's sure she doesn't necessarily deserve the forgiveness she wants from him. As Malcolm himself pointed out, York would always forgive her.) ]

[tiredly] Please don't excuse my behaviour, York. [she hesitates, then raises her own hand to catch his] You may have been an idiot, but I was a bitch. At least let me own that, okay.

Okay. [ He squeezes her hand and- this is what he wanted to do less of. But he can't not reach out a little. A lot. Just to slow her and- maybe to get her to look at him again. She needs to own some of what was said and-

Well some of it does bear discussing.

Maybe.

Maybe it's his own neuroses. Anxieties. Fears. ]

Some of what you said was uncalled for I guess. [ If they're gonna talk about shit. ] I don't- expect you to answer every time I check in, you know? And if you think I'm calling too much just say something. I'm a grown ass man. I can take it.

Edited 2015-09-23 21:38 (UTC)

[ She doesn't return the squeeze. But she's not letting go, either. She should. She knows she should. But this feels like an anchor to their conversation, that letting go would simply cause them to drift out of reach.

Malcolm had held her hand when they talked. This is no different. Or so she tries to tell herself.

This may not be an easy conversation. But, it will be honest. or as honest as Carolina and York can manage, anyway. ]

..I know. You wouldn't have been offended if I'd asked you to dial it back a bit. I should have said something sooner. [it might have spared both of them some grief, for one]

[ So he had needed to dial it back. Okay, note taken. He'll not in the future. She's a grown ass woman, she doesn't need him poking at her all the time. Right.

Okay they got that cleared up. Anything else that bears discussion?

No?

Okay good talk. ]

Anything else? Since we're talking.

[ Is there something else? There's probably something else, right. ]

I won't hate you for being honest with me. For calling me on bad moods. ..I might not like it, but sometimes I need to be called on these things. [She's not perfect, try though she has in the past to be]

[there's a tilt of her head a moment, brow knitting, before she looks up at him]

I meant it, that you were getting slow. You're a police officer now. Can't afford to let your reflexes fail you. If you need help sharpening them, I'm willing to help you bring them back up to snuff. [it would indeed be the very least she could do for him]

Clair, compared to you everyone is slow. Also not everyone I hunt down is a hopped up fully trained space marine, I kind of became a cop to worry about that shit less. Divorce myself from it. DeWitt and I are on white collar crime as of late and the worst we get out of that is bad perfume and threats of a lawsuit.

[ He's not all that popular in District one right now. He doesn't care.

Sparring with her-

That.

Would end badly for so many reasons. ]

I was walking somewhere I thought was safe. I got caught offguard.

And that's exactly why you should brush up on your CQC.

You don't know when someone might rush you. Or Dewitt. [a frown, then:] Bring her with you. I could help you both. And the more familiar you are with how the other moves, the better prepared you'll be if someone is foolish enough to attempt to jump two cops.

[ Is he afraid of her, now? Because of what she did? (It honestly doesn't occur to her, not right now, that there are other reasons that sparring with her would be bad for York..) ]

It's an open offer...Promise me you'll at least keep it in mind?

Edited 2015-09-23 23:16 (UTC)

As soon as you're good with having people around, I'll bring her over. Me- I'll brush up in the bunker.

[ Space. Privacy. NOT in close proximity to a sweaty gorgeous woman he shouldn't be having emotions about he has BEEN on this ride it did not end well.

It ended badly.

Not happening again. ]

I'll think about it. But- There are old, bad habits I'd rather not fall back into, you know?

Training alone leaves you far more open to lapsing into them than under a trainer.

[ She has a point. He knows she does.

She ignores any inklings of hurt at his refusal, if that's what he wants, she'll respect it. It isn't about her, it's about what's good for him. ]

Fine. Not at my place, it's not really suitable for proper training. The gym I taught basics to Delta at would work, though. I'll check and see what times and days they have openings.

Maybe you can hit up Kirk, or ask Malcolm if he'll spar with you? He keeps in shape for his modeling role. [and at least you won't have issues being in close proximity to your sweaty handsome boyfriend, right?]

Didn't day I'd be training alone. [ Maine was always willing to punch him in the face. Not that he'll bring that up.

Is it weird that they're still holding hands? It's weird. It's probably weirder that he doesn't want to let go-

Well no, that's about the one normal bit in all this. ]

Mal has tricks to teach me. He ever show you that Klingon grapple? It's tricky as hell.

..Just not training with me.

[ Evenly said. It's fair. She understands and there's no sign of offense taken.

She gives him a crooked smile, considers withdrawing her hand from the warm clasp of his. She doesn't. (She should. Why hasn't he let go yet? If she does, he will..) ]

No, I'll have to ask him about it. I'm sure there's a great many tricks we could share, given our respective experiences. [she just has to hold back, so that he doesn't, y'know. End up too bruised.]

I can't keep up with you. [ She's speed and agility. He's never really worked that way, not for lack of trying. ] We'd both end up frustrated, and that- I don't want that.

[ They have enough reasons to be frustrated in this place and he'd really rather they don't become a point of stress for one another.

Anymore than they already are. ]

Please try not to break my boyfriend. I kind of like him in one piece..

[ She hears excuses, thinks she can hear what he isn't saying, but while her expression is, briefly, one of disbelief, she apparently isn't going to argue the point further. ]

It still stands, if you change your mind later.

[ Big if, she knows. ]

I'm not going to break Malcolm. [there's a hint of peevishness to her reply, before she crooks an eyebrow up at him] Maybe rough him over a little, leave a few hidden bruises you can kiss better for him later.

[Amongst other things, no doubt.

She looks down, then, at their joined hands, before slowly but deliberately pulling hers away. It's time, it feels like the right time. Lets end it on a good note, shall we? ]

Gimme time to catch up and I probably will.

[ He's shit at keeping to resolutions, no matter how sane this one might be. Keeping away is- well he's trying. That's about all he can do, right? Right.

Their hands drift apart and he takes a few steps back, snagging his mug of coffee before Harry can bunt it into the sink for attention. Asshole cat. ]

Just remember to tap out if he calls 'red' mm?

[ She won't hold you to that. But her smile relaxes, widens a fraction, enough to know they're on a more even keel again. For now. She'll work on it. ]

Don't be ridiculous.

It's "Blue".

Make sure to go up and check in with him. You know he worries.

Frets. He frets. It's slightly more dignified and English than worrying. [ They're fine. They're good and that-

That's good. That's a weight off his shoulders. ] I'll fix him a cup of tea and take it up. You wanna stick around for lunch or...?

Careful, he's fussy when it comes to tea. [because English.] He might prefer how you make him coffee.

Thank you, but no. I need to get back, Lela needs feeding and I have a few things I need to get squared away. ...I may still need a little more space. Until-- [she taps the side of her head with her knuckles' she'll be talking to Delta soon, for one - she needs her ports checked, her head checked, and then..well, she'll worry about compliance if they find any] But hopefully it won't be too much longer.

Lemme know when that changes. [ He won't be checking in as often.

Correction: He won't be checking in at all. Give her the distance she'd asked for initially. Better late than never, right? ]

We'll be here if you need us.

I will.

[ She'll miss it. She doesn't know it yet, but she will. But it will be better this way. And she will let them know once things are done. Not necessarily fixed, but. Steps. Baby steps. ]

You know, he told me the same thing.

[ She rests her hand on his arm a moment, lightly squeezing; it then lingers a moment, as though deciding on something, before she decides against it (whatever It was) when her hand retreats. ]

Probably because he's the smart one? [ It's- something. It's something and he can't read this. Gestures and postures and contact that he can't translate and it's as unnerving as it is relieving. That they're okay. That they'll be alright. ]

Take care, Clair.

You too, Taylor.

[She knows he'll look after Malcolm, and she trusts Malcolm to take care of York. She lets him go, steps back, reaches to ruffle the cat between the ears (he had since stealthily relocated to the middle table) and sees herself out.

This..went well. Maybe it really will be okay.]

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Voicemail 2.0

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