Leon scanned the bar as he entered automatically scanning for threats before approaching the bar and sitting down at the bar. He gazed at the bar with a small but satisfied smile on his face. Business was good. He just completed a job ( An actual P.I. gig) for a missing person and had earned a nice two grand plus expenses. " But somehow i don't think the guy i found is quite so happy." He thought contently. Some woman had hired him to find her husband that had abused her and began harassing her after she left him. Scared people always paid well.

In spite of what else was happening tonight Leon ordered a double scotch. He was dressed for business in easy fitting black pants and a black cotton work shirt buttoned up to the last two buttons with the sleeves rolled up. In addition to the job he had just finished he had a meeting for some new equipment ,A new model of Night vision goggles with better flare protection and a lighter frame. As well as a few other less mentionable things.

He wondered when he'd get another job offer, not that he needed the money. He had quite a sum stashed away. No he just liked to keep busy....it kept his mind off "Them" and....."Her"too. As the bartender brought his drink he looked up. His smile was gone and he ran his hand through his hair before picking up his drink. "Yes business was good......business was very good." He thought as he downed his drink.

Checking her watch, Janie sighed. Oh well... It wouldn't be the first time she was stood up really... But this time... Well it really bit. They seemed to have really clicked, and more than in the bedroom... They had the same hobbies, the same taste in music, and though they liked clubs on occasions seemed to favor the more quiet places.

Which was why she was here.

But he wasn't....

"Miss... Would you like another glass of wine?" The bartender asked as he came, holding the bottle temptingly.

But Janie shook her head. "No... No thank you I mean. I wouldn't want to get carried away or anything." She said with a smile. She knew she could only have two glasses of the sweet white Riesling, after that she would enter a 'danger zone' of sorts, not knowing where the alcohol could take her.

Maybe she should leave anyways... If he wasn't going to come...

Leon set his drink down and scanned the tavern again. There weren't many people there. A women declining a drink an older man in the corner. Probably no one of importance here...At least not yet. Leon raised his eyebrows slightly as his associate entered the bar, he really wished the idiot wasn't so flashy. Freddy or "Fredrick" as he preferred was an average guy.....other than the fact he could smuggle anything one needed, and of course his love of "flair". Today he was wearing a bright white suit with matching loafers and expensive briefcase in his right hand. He looked around for a moment before spotting Leon and motioning towards a table in the corner and Leon casually stood and followed.

"So Fredrick what have you got for me today?" He asked his tone extremely bored Fredrick frowned at him "Come on when have i not had something worth you while?" He asked in an injured tone as he set the briefcase on the table popping the latches and exposing its contents. "Brand new U.S. Military issue courtesy of you friends in office" He said grinning , he knew about Leon's issues with the U.S.. Leon gave him a glare and Fredrick's smile evaporated suddenly all business " Exactly what you asked for" He said partially raising the night vision goggles from the soft insulation of the case. " Weren't easy either, took me quite awhile to get them...." He said casually

Leon might not have liked Fredrick much as a person but he had to admit the man was an excellent businessman. Leon picked up the goggles so the back of the open case shielded them from view and examined them before looking at Fredrick fake disappointment written across his face "Fredrick, Fredrick" He said slowly shaking his head "Surely this isn't all you've brought for me to see?" Fredrick looked around nervously and licked his lips causing Leon to smirk a bit. Hey, He could have fun with people too." Of course not i've got some good stuff here!!"He said

He fiddled with the lid on the briefcase and it fell forward exposing a second compartment with several smaller devices lined in neat rows. " Especially for people such as yourself..." He trailed off picking up a a small devices with three small prongs on the end. "This is a new brand of tranquilizer round , very fast acting , it can be fitted with a nine millimeter or seven millimeter cartridge . Leon Nodded appreciatively realizing the advantage of the rounds being interchangeable with his rifle and his handgun. " Ok Fredrick, how much? For all of it." He asked

Fredrick's eye's widened a bit and he thought a bit "six grand" He said slightly uncertainly and Leon raised an eyebrow. "Fine two grand for the goggles three grand for the custom rounds" He said impatiently. Leon nodded pulled a small stack of folded bills and handed it to the smuggler giving him a cold smile "Always good doing business with you Fredrick" He said with false cheer before taking the case and heading back to the bar. As he turned Fredrick exhaled deeply apparently exhausted from the dealing.


Leon set the case down and looked up at the bartender with a false smile on his face " Another scotch if you please..." He said before looking over at Fredrick and then the whole bar. It was now empty but the two men and the women from before smirking at Fredrick he looked back up at the bartender " And get them whatever they'd like" He told the man. Fredrick could probably use it about now, and by her expression so could the women. Leon Continued to smirk as he picked up the drink placed before him and took a long appreciative sip.

The bartender came back around a few minutes later, several watch checks later, making Janie look up with irritation.

"Ma'am are you sure you wouldn't like another glass? The ge-" But that was all he could get out before Janie cut him off.

"I said no thank you. I'm not a happy drunk and with the mood I'm in now I'd probably hurt a person or two before you could stop me." She said with a wry smile. "If I want another drink, I'll ask."

But as she was probably going to be leaving soon anyway. She wasn't going to stay here alone. There wasn't any point to drinking alone as far as she was concerned. And there wasn't anyone here who caught her eye. Two guys over in the corner, one too good looking to be available one way or another... And by the way he sat close to the other guy... Well damn too bad.

And the other clients were older, no one good looking, or even close to her age really.

He took a sip from his scotch as his enjoyment of the sale faded and he began to grow bored.Leon watched Fredrick down the drink and leave the tavern walking slightly unsteadily a cross of disgust and amusement flickered over his features. Next he saw the women refused the drink and thought it was a bit odd.Well maybe she was waiting for someone. Well only one way to find out. Leon stood and walked down the bar picking up the case in one hand as he stood and his drink in the other.


He once again scanned the bar out of habit before he set the case down and gave the women a friendly smile "Is this seat taken?" he asked indicating the half vacant booth. It was a bit unusual for him to draw attention to himself , must be the drink . He thought about it for a minute and gave a genuine grin as a thought crossed his mind. If only she knew what he did for a living........

She looked up, a voice interrupting her wool gathering.

"Taken? Uh... No actually and that's kinda the problem." She muttered.

She shook her head slightly, clearing out her irritation. Well... There had to be a reason right? He must have been late for something good... He wouldn't really stand her up after all.

"Uh no if you need it it's yours." She said with a smile, grabbing her purse as she stood up. "I... I've gotta get going anyway I guess..." She sighed, moving towards the bar. Her tab wouldn't be that bad after all, just two glasses of wine would run maybe twelve dollars if that... And it wasn't a special anything, so maybe even ten or less.

"'Scuse me!" She waved at the bar tender who made his way over.

"Yes ma'am? Did you change your mind?"

"Uh no... Just wanted to pay my tab. No sense hanging around if I'm not drinking." She said with a smile.

Ahhh so she was waiting for someone.Or done waiting in any case. Leon looked at the women still grinning slightly " Don't worry about it miss." He said pulling out his wallet and removing a fifty dollar bill from it figuring it would cover whatever she had ordered " Could you pay the ladies tab and bring me another scotch? Make it a Chevis, a bottle." he said in the mood for something special.


He sat down in the booth and indicated the empty section with a wave of his hand "Would you care to join me miss?" He wondered who she had been waiting for. No ring but that didn't mean anything maybe it was just a friend. Well either way she would still probably leave. "Are you sure you wouldn't like a drink ?" He asked as the bartender brought over the expensive bottle of scotch.

"Uh, you don't need to do that. Really." She said as he pulled out the money. She sighed, rolling her eyes. Macho guys... She wasn't a DID and she hated men treating her like that. She was going to be paying for the rounds tonight, and she'd offered because she could afford it. She'd just got paid for a shoot she'd done two weeks ago so she had more money than she was used to.

"No thank you." She said as the guy offered her another drink. Why did everyone want to get her drunk or something? Sure she wasn't bad looking, but that was seriously becoming a really bad excuse. Besides, she was more apt to sleep with a guy if she wasn't drunk.

"I'm not the happiest drunk and I doubt that you'd really like to see me naked and drunk." She pulled out a ten and tucked it into his pocket. It wasn't like she had a problem with personal space or anything. "For my wine." She smiled as she pulled her purse over her shoulder, turning away.

Leon raised his eyebrows as his grin widened slightly after her comment. " I hadn't really considered seeing either" he said trying not to laugh. He looked the women over again, she probably did see that type of guy pretty often with looks like that. he was surprised again when she slipped him the ten bucks. He was becoming more interested by the moment it seemed.

"OK, No drink" He said holding up his hands in a gesture of defeat. He looked up at the clock and considered, it wasn't real late not for a couple hours anyway. "Buuutttt if you don't have any plans for later, how about dinner?" he asked. He had offered to pay her tab because he was in a good mood, but now he was interested in the women "So what do you say miss.....?"

He asked hoping for her name. Just "Miss" was getting redundant "I'll pay if you like, or if you decide you'd rather not i'll call you a cab." he offered sincerely hoping she would agree.

"Well I kind of have to work in the morning, and had I really wanted dinner, I would have ordered it on my own." She gave him a slight wink.

"But what I say, is that you are almost unbearably insistent... And have the habit of making ridiculous and false assumptions." She added, turning back to him.

"First, had I wanted to let you buy things for me, making me feel obliged for some... future activities, I wouldn't have given you the money for the drinks." She said, a hand on her hip. "Secondly, what on earth makes you think that I would have walked here, or paid someone to drive me here when I am more than capable of driving myself?" She couldn't help but grin.

"I'm not a Damsel in Distress darling. I don't want to be treated like one. You guys might think it's chivalrous or whatever, so I'll grant you the door openings, pulling out a chair, and just maybe picking up something I drop. But other than that, I can take care of myself." She smiled, patting his cheek in a diminutive manner.

Well with the way he was trying, he sure wasn't gay then. So much for that assumption. So he had to be taken. And well, no ring didn't mean anything, after all some guys were players. Not all of them though, she had to remind herself.

Leons grin widened even further and he laughed a bit." I figured you'd say something lie that , but it's not that late, how about dinner if i don't pay?" he said mischievously pouring himself a drink from the bottle and taking a small appreciative sip. It was good to be secure. he looked back up at the woman and couldn't seem to stop grinning " Ok you might not be a damsel in distress , but manners still count to a Valkyrie don't they? Maybe i should call you miss Valkyrie?" He said his face alive with amusement.


"I'm Leon, Leon Dumorne" He continues, quickly coming up with the fake name. old habits died hard, Maybe she'd find out later."And however wrong my assumptions maybe i do believe i'm coming dangerously close to getting slapped for real." He said in a serious tone though he was still grinning. " but somehow i think that having you accompany me would be much more enjoyable than eating alone so i think its worth the risk" He added careful not to choke on his scotch as he took a sip.

"That sounds like a plan. But then again, if I just go home to eat, I won't have to pay for someone else to cook my food either." She added with a smile. But the smile quickly faded as he called her a Valkyrie. "That would be Miss Wilmington, actually." She said stiffly.

"And there's finally an assumption that could turn out to be right, Mr. Dumorne" She said with a frown.

"But I have other obligations." She lied with a small smile. "So I'll have to pass on dinner. Because you're only going to get more drunk, so there's no reason for me to stick around." She said pointedly.

"But if you went to dinner with me you wouldn't have to pay at all Miss Wilmington" He said brightly. Why was she trying so hard to get rid of him? His smile died when she called him a drunk "Now who's making assumptions Miss Wilmington? I really don't think i could get drunk on two glasses of scotch" he said staring at her intently. She had apparently been stood up which could mean a few things.



He didn't see a ring but that didn't mean anything, maybe she was married. Finally Leon glanced at her slightly annoyed " You know if you would rather not you don't have to lie about other plans" He said finally in a polite voice. He continued watching her waiting for her to give some indication he was right

Miss Wilmington, Miss Wilmington.... Ugh that was getting irritating.

"I said 'more drunk' because only someone who's had a bit too much to drink already would be this irritating and insistent. I've tried to be nice and subtle so far, but that doesn't seem to be working. Now does it?" She snapped with a frown on her face, her hands on her hips.

"What you don't think I have plans either? Just because someone does show up, leaving me on my own for the night, my whole night is thrown so out of whack. It's called a back up. It might be nothing more than left over spaghetti, a few beers and a few games of Madden, but it's still a plan."

Ahhhh so he was right after all. Leon's face turned serious and slightly indignant as she turned angry. "I've only had two drinks tonight so i guess I'm just naturally insistent, and I'm sorry i guess a night at home is still obligation." he said trying very hard to make it sound like he wasn't mocking her. If she was going to leave why was she getting mad at him? "All i was saying is off you don't want to go you don't have to make an excuse"He grabbed his glass before realizing he had finished the second glass already and pouring another.

So...Did she just dislike him or was it because she got stood up? Frustrated he took another sip of his scotch. He still found her interesting and he was wondering why she had been stood up. Though if she was this angry now he could only imagine how angry a drunk she could be. " Besides it's not like I'm forcing you to stay here. I just thought I'd found someone interesting and wanted to know if they'd like to have dinner." He said casually working the compliment in. After all, She was becoming rather interesting in a trivial sort of way.

She was starting to need the drinks now... She was starting to want them so she could beat the holy hell out of him. He might have been buff, but if he was as 'noble' as he seemed, he wouldn't hit her back and she'd feel damn good in the morning.

Grabbing the bottle of Whiskey, she took a long sip from it, not shying away from the burn at her throat.

"Look buddy. I'm not in a good mood and it's not my fault that you're too stupid to see that. So keep your smart ass comments to yourself. After so long in this damn cespool, I finally meet a guy that I think I could finally get over my whole leash issues with, and what does he do? Leaves me high and dry! Of course I'm fucking pissed." She snapped. But it wasn't the alcohol speaking yet. This was her.

"You think you're good looking, think you've got a a way with women, but it's not surprising you're still fucking single, coming in to bars to pick women up!" She glared at him before taking another long swig, nearly slamming the bottle back on the table and turning to stalk off.

Leon grabbed her arm lightly restraining himself f so he didn't actually hurt her. His face was almost blank but his eyes held obvious rage that showed him close to snapping at he comment the woman had made. " You think i assume a lot? This is the first time I've tried to ask a women out in about three years, so thanks for assuming. " He said slightly angrily letting go of her arm before he really did hurt her. She made him think of Marie.....he didnt want to think of Marie. He reached back to the table grabbing the bottle of scotch and taking several long droughts before slamming it back on the table.

He was interested but now he was pissed to. Pissed won out. " You wanna go? fine. Your pissed? Fine. you know what? your not the only one and i didnt do anything to you. so go ahead and get pissed at ME when all I did was offer dinner." He fumed before sitting back down in the booth and staring ahead of himself. "Damn it all" He thought as he grabbed the half a bottle left. He put it to his lips and after several long gulps his eyes watering slightly he set it lightly on the table empty " Why was he thinking about "Her". Tiredly he put his head in his hands and sat suddenly exhausted.

Looking overdressed and out of place in the gloomy tavern, Brynner balanced his sketchpad on one boney knee rather than putting it on the table. It was high-quality paper and he didn't want to werkc the pad by setting it on the table and having it stick.

Straightening his tie, which was knotted securely around his thin neck and didn't really need straeghtening anyway, Brynner's dark eyes watched the couple at the table against the wall. Interesting... The woman's body language had been signallling anger almost since she had arrived. The man was obviously unperceptive as each of his propositions (BRynner was supposing they were propositiosn as he couldn't quite understand what the two twere saying) were rebuffed with increasing anger. Pulling out a pencil, Brynner began to try to capture the irritation on the woman's face.

"Bigger eyes, I think... yes." he muttered to himself, making the eyes a little bigger, more expressive.

"Hey!" A very large and very angry man interjected as Leon grabbed Janie's arm. One had to admit, as he strode towards the two of them, Adam made an impressively imposing figure when he had his angry face on. He wasn't quite as bulky as he had been in his linebacker days, but he was still big enough to be scary... Even in his camo pants. The black wifebeater, however, did show off his impressive musculature. "What the hell is going on?" he asked both Janie and the man. It didn't take an idiot to see that neither was one was particularly happy.

Adam glanced at Janie. "He bothering you?"

She jerked her arm out of the guys grasp, pulling it back to deck him. She was just so angry right now that punching him would have helped. But by now it could have been with the help of the alcohol too.

"Why you son of a-" But just as she was about to release her wind-up she heard a voice that made her stop.

So, he'd decided to make an appearance at last. Too bad it couldn't have waited another few seconds.

"He's only the most recent of my problems. But yeah, he's bothering me. Even though it was clear I had been waiting for someone to show up." She asked with a raised eyebrow. But she turned to Adam. He'd take care of the guy if he tried to interrupt them again. "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you for almost an hour now! And why do you have that bruise on the side of your face?" She asked, reaching up to brush the darker skin with her thumb.

Adam frowned, ran his hand through his short bronze hair as Janie turned towards him. "I got into a... an altercation." He eyed Leon. After the suck-ass day he'd had, he wouldn't mind a little off-duty pummeling to improve his mood. "If you want," his teeth flashed in something resembling a smile as he spoke, "I could get into another one."

He turned away from the guy, though, when Janie ran her thumb over his face. "Well... it's a long story. It was..." he paused again, scratching at the itchy, borrowed pants. "It was work-related." Abruptly, he turned towards the bar. "I could use a drink."

Even though he considered physical violence an unintelligent answer to most situations, Brynner couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline as he watched the woman draw her hand back, as if to strike the porpostioning man. Was he about to be in the midddle of a barfight? The idea was both exciting and a little terrifying.

She dropped her hand, though, as another man entered. A very big man. Much bigger than the propoistioning man and well-built. From a superficial examination, Brynner figured the new man more than likely knew the girl, form the way he had reacted to the situation. He began to add the new man to the sketch, trying to replicate the angry body posture onto the page...

"Oh, he's so not worth it Adam." She said rolling her eyes as she grabbed his wrist and pulled him away with a final glare at the insistent prick. He was slumped now, the alcohol probably getting the better of him. "He still might be gay, I don't know yet. And really I don't care." If he needed a proverbial punching bag, she had better ideas.

She pulled him over to a booth, playfully pushing him in the side that would put their backs to the guy from before and she slipped in next to him.

"Well if you say it's work related, go ahead, you'll be off the hook." Plus she was just curious. "What happened?"

Adam pointed at the bar as Janie pulled him away from the corner table. "But, wait, what about my..." he trailed off, allowing himself to be led off and plunked down at another booth. "It was... nothing really. My partner and I were discussing a case at Central and some idiot putz uniform let some thug get out of his restraints." Adam rubbed his forehead, behind which a headache had been brewing. "Anyway, the guy had a knife hidden away somewhere and managed to get it out when we were trying to restrain him..."

He signaled to the single, bored-looking waitress, and ordered a Stolichnaya. "Stabbed Miles. Had to take him to the hospital. He should be OK, though... I mean, they don't tell much. Pretty much kicked me and a couple of the other guys out. The thug's in the hospital too." Adam smiled grimly. "We think he was hopped up on something 'cause he didn't stop fighting until I broke his arm. And I got blood all over my fucking clothes and had to borrow these..."

"That's what waitresses are for." She protested as she pushed him into the booth, scooting closer. It was a good thing that she didn't see the look that the waitress gave Adam, otherwise she would have started a fight.

But as Adam explained what had happened, she nodded. That was reasonable after all. He was a cop and things tended to happen to cops. "Well I'm glad you're not the one in the hospital. I kinda like you ya know?" She said with a smile. He was like one of her other guy friends but with just a little something more. He knew she was still a woman, a fact that some of her friends over looked sometimes.

"Oh was he? If he was in holding, how did he get the drugs? Or was he just high before he came in?" She asked, legitimately curious.

Adam looked gratefully at the glassful of clear liquid that the waitress sat down, also missing the look she gave him. Which was fortunate because she probably weighed more than he did and apparently applied her makeup with a tablespoon. Scary. "Nah, he wasn't in holding," he clarified, slugging the vodka down and feeling the astringent burn in his throat as he held a finger up for another. "Just on his way to a cell. He'd been pretty loud, but fuck, they all are, you know? Nobody pays attention." He rubbed his forehead again.

Shaking his head, he tried a smile. "I guess your night wasn't so hot either, huh?" Adam nodded in the direction of the other guy. "So... a gay guy was bugging you?"

"Ah." She nodded. His job did seem exciting, even though she knew she'd never be able to do anything like that. Plus she liked working with cars. It was relaxing, soothing almost.

"Huh? Oh... Well apparently he'd tried to buy me a drink and my refusal of it made him 'curious'" She made little quotes in the air with her fingers as she rolled her eyes. "And then he kept trying to pay for my drinks, and you know how I hate that. Then the idiot even offered to buy me dinner. I mean we don't live in the twenties anymore. But some guys never learn that some women are perfectly able to take care of themselves." She said with a little hmph.

"I just say he's gay cause he'll never get a girl with the way he acts so he might as well be." She grinned at him. "You on the other hand, know what I want and know just how to treat me." She said with a smile.

Sure she liked to be treated special every now and again, but she didn't need constant pampering and pawing over.