Silencio 2.6

"Sorry." I said as I dried up my tears with some tissues. "Didn't mean to vent on you like that."

"Its alight." Amy reassured me, a tired smile on her face. "I, well... I help people. You needed to vent and I was here. No harm done."

I could tell that she was feeling awkward about the whole thing, but she did seem to be trying to be supportive so I guess that's what mattered.

"Well I owe you one. If you ever need to vent, let me know." I said, knowing it was probably a bad idea to continue associating with her. She just seemed so miserable; I couldn't help but sympathise. She looked at me and sighed.

"I may just take you up on that one day." She looked at her watch before sighing again. "I better get back to it, they're probably starting to wonder where I am. Catch you around maybe?"

"Yeah." I answered, surprised that I meant it. "I'd like that."


The talk with the police didn't take very long. They apparently had more important things to deal with than a non-fatal hit and run, where the victim had no details. As such, when Lisa had arrived with a spare set of clothes we left as soon as I had changed.

"So, not quite what you expected eh?" Lisa said with a grin as we walked to the nearest bus stop.

"No, not really." Lisa's ability was damn annoying at times. Picking up on my mood she just grinned harder, drawing a stare from me. I sighed. "Its good to talk again, but I have to put so much effort into it just to get the right fucking volume."

"And how was meeting Ms Dallon outside of business context?" She asked cryptically, in full fox grin mode.

"She's nice." I said, mumbling a bit. "And I feel even more guilty now. She helped me despite being exhausted."

"There's something else too, isn't there?" I looked at her, she seemed rather cheeky about it. I didn't like what she was implying.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." I said turning my gaze away. "Miss Militia told her about me, apparently all angry at the injustice of it or some such."

"And now you are wondering if you made the wrong choice?" Lisa asked, her tone shifting a little.

"Not exactly." I shook my head as I tried to formulate my thoughts. "I still think if the PRT weren't a bunch of corrupt bastards I would have got an apology from them. Or even better, it never would have happened because they would have kept a better watch on the psycho bitch."

We walked on in silence for a bit longer and took a seat on the empty bus stop bench.

"I just don't know if I should be cynically suspecting Miss Militia of trying to hush things up, or whether I should be relieved there might actually be a decent human being in their ranks."

"Well we're villains with hearts of gold, so I guess its possible even heroes can be good people occasionally." She chuckled, and I couldn't help but smile with her.

"I should probably let Dad know." I said after a short while. "Do me the favour of coming along?"

"Well, I do kind of owe you for saving us last night."


"Dad? I'm home" I yelled as loud as I could, which wasn't very. I guess I couldn't complain too hard that the crazy telekinesis came with some drawbacks. His head popped into the doorway to the kitchen, eyes wide as things fell into place.

"Taylor! You can talk!" He cried out as he came to me and pulled me into a hug. "I need to buy that girl some flowers or something."

"Can't... breath!" I squeaked, enveloped in a crushing embrace. He realised how hard he was hugging me and relaxed a bit. "Thanks"

"Hi, Mr Hebert." Lisa waved, greeting him from just outside the door.

"Come in, come in. Lisa was it?" He said, waving her inside.

"Correct." She confirmed as stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "Nice to finally meet you. Things have been a bit busy, or I would have tried sooner."

"Nice to meet you too, would you like something to drink?" He asked as he gestured to the couch and walked back into the kitchen.

"A coffee would be wonderful if I could?" She asked as we both took a seat on the couch.

"Tea please, Dad." I added.

"So Lisa, Taylor told me you had already finished high school." Dad said from the kitchen as he rummaged through the shelves.

"That's right. I do some free lance consultant work with various firms." She told him, using her cover identity. It was true, she did do a bit of work here and there. It just wasn't her primary source of income. She continued on with something we had discussed on the way over. "I've actually been wanting to get Taylor to assist me a little, in exchange for some spending money. If that's fine with you?"

"As long as it doesn't impact on her studies." He said, as he finished preparing our drinks. "What sort of things?"

"Oh, mostly just goffering and help with paperwork." She explained. "The occasional IT problem and so on."

"That sounds good." He said, a slightly suspicious look crossing his face. "As long as you aren't taking advantage of my daughter."

"Oh no, nothing like that." She said with a grin, just as I was taking a sip of my tea. "We're just good friends."


"Did you really have to embarrass me like that?" I asked, as we made our way back to the lair.

"It wasn't that bad." Lisa commented with a chuckle. "The tea washed out just fine."

I glared at her and we travelled in silence for a while longer.

"He's quite protective of you, you know?"

"Yeah, he is." I mumbled as I unlocked the door to the warehouse. "Occasionally hard to talk to though."

Which probably won't be helped by your comments, I added mentally.

"Heh, that's what parents are for." She grinned, but there was a slight bitterness to her voice. I was about to ask about it when I was distracted by the confetti flying into my face.

"Congratulations!" Brian cheered as he threw more at me.

"So, speak." Alec said, also scattering colourful paper my way. "I want to hear how silly you sound."

"Oh hardy har har." I replied as I gave him a punch in the shoulder. "It wasn't enough that you got to shove glass in my wounds, you have to mock me too?"

"Well I do have to have see how well you snark back when you don't get to write." He replied, an amused smirk lifting the side of his mouth.

"I'll forgive you for now, because I am in a good mood." I said, glaring at him. "Even if I am shouting to talk at this level."

"Ouch, sound dampening power?" Asked Brian.

"Yes. First thing I said after I was healed came out as barely a whisper." I explained as we proceeded up stairs.

"So, pizza to celebrate?" Asked Alec, drawing groans.

"Thai." I suggested to more approval, though Alec huffed.

"I'll order." Said Brian, heading to the phone. I found Rachel off in the corner, giving Brutus a brush down.

"Hi Rachel." I said as I approached. She looked up at me and nodded, before returning her focus to the dog. She was still quiet as ever, but at least now I could communicate with her with more than gestures. A thought occurred to me. "Would he like a belly rub?"

She looked back up at me and stared for a moment.

"Okay. Be careful. He likes it between his front legs." I kneeled down and started rubbing gently where she indicated, which earned me an appreciative whine from the dog and a nod from her.

"You like dogs?" She asked, a kind of wary cast to her brow.

"Yep. They're loyal." I said before voicing a darker thought that got be slight nod form Rachel. "They don't stab you in the back."

"Woah, someone's being melodramatic." Said Alec, apparently having overheard me from the couch.

"Yeah, been dwelling on the past a bit much today. We have a movie to watch or something to distract me?"


Alec suggested Heathers, but Lisa slapped him down and made us watch some brainless comedy instead. In hindsight, that was probably a good decision.