on the side of the angels...

[asthenoseonyourface]

"I'm bored."

It was cruel for him to say the words, but he didn't care. He couldn't help it. Even if it made Jane's breath catch and her shoulders tense, even if it made Jock sigh and set his jaw, it had to be said because it was true. It was true, it was real...and it was just as scary for him as it was for his siblings.

"Did you finish the Robertson investigation?" Jane called out, trying to keep the trepidation out of her voice.

"On your desk."

"What about the Robertson homicide?" Jock threw in. He had enough mettle to actually lift his head, allowing John to look into the nearly colorless blue eyes that matched his own, the only difference between them being the sun streaks in that cap of dark brown, almost black hair that Jock at least attempted to keep trimmed while John, who rarely went out, let his own dark mop grow in a whorl of unruly curls atop his head.

"On your desk." John replied flatly as he started to pace the office. The action resulted in a spike of fear in both his siblings, Jane shifting in her seat while Jock leaned back in his, hands folded and elbows on the arms of his chair as he watched his brother stalk like a caged panther. Pacing didn't help, not really, but he could make a game of keeping pace with his own head, with the thoughts racing a mile a minute and the details streaming through his eyes too quickly to process, too much to endure...

"We have to have something." John growled, finally banishing himself to the baby grand piano that sat where his desk ought to have. The baby grand was heavily laden with all manner of artwork and graffiti, from engravings to spraypaint to marker and back again. Flopping down on the equally battered bench, he slammed open the lid and began to play a stirring aria. "We have to have something that's not boring or just plain stupid. Or something you made up to keep me clean."

"What?! In the hell." Jane scoffed, gaping first at John, then at Jock...who looked strangely guilty. Glaring at her brother, she waited for him to crack.

It didn't take long before he rolled his eyes and sighed. "It was just one time, and I didn't make it up, I just asked the guys in CSU to let John process the scene...buy us some time to find him a case."

"I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored..."

As John continued to pace, Jane and Jacob "Jock" Riley shared a look between passes of their brother's frenetic body. It was the same one they shared every time John got like this, manic and aggressive, bordering on violent.

Fear and worry, with a healthy dose of steel mixed in...because they both had to be ready for anything if John decided to do something stupid before something walked through the door of the exterior lobby to save them both from their brother's genius, slowly tearing him apart.

Comments

[coatandscarf]

The coffee was delicious, but the people viewing was even better. Oh, the inspiration she could get from this very spot. Over the mug, Randy watched as people milled about, going along their busy lives. That one there, tourist. A lost one at that. The blonde? Hairdresser. No normal person wore that much makeup, and no hairdresser left home without it. Oh yes, she could definitely have fun at this spot. Looking around at the small crowd within the shop itself, she considered her options, her gaze lingering on the sign behind the counter. A room for rent.

Randy moved away from her table by the window, cozying up to the counter to chat up the barista, questioning her about the rental. Evidently, the place was right next door, which was certainly convenient for Randy, considering how much she enjoyed the coffee here. Further questions, however, led her away from the coffee shop, and to the doorway on the other side of the empty rental. Shamrock Investigations. Staring at the sign for a few moments, she found herself grinning a bit, her eyes flicking around the inside of the glass. A staircase, meaning the offices were upstairs. Yet there was a buzzer. Not *entirely* open to the public then. It certainly fit what she'd heard of the woman. Moving back into the shop, she slipped into the bathroom, reapplying her makeup and fixing her hair. It couldn't hurt to look presentable. Tucking her coat collar up, she turned her collar up and tugged her scarf a bit closer to her neck. It was a bit nippy out, after all.

Moments later, umbrella in hand, she pressed the buzzer outside the door.

[asthenoseonyourface]

The second the buzzer rang, the whole room went quiet, pregnant with tension.

"Buzzer. Single ring." John murmured.

"Oh shit." Jock muttered, eyes going wide.

Helplessly, Jane watched as John glanced between his siblings...then tore off towards the door, heading for the stairs.

"Jane?" Jock sighed.

"I have a blouse if this goes to trial." she half-deadpanned, rubbing her hands over her face wearily.

Outside, John was a study in action as he pounded down the stairs, standing behind the gated door and clinging to it, fingers through the grate like a man in prison. It was a woman on the other side (he didn't have much use for those) with pretty features (preferable, ugly was distracting) and a heavy coat turned up against the cold. Naturally, he asked the only truly appropriate question for the situation.

"Do you have anything interesting to say?"

[coatandscarf]

When Randy rang the bell, she was not expecting an immediate response. Perhaps through the comm, or a buzzing to let her in. She did not anticipate a stampede to the door, revealing a man who looked her over quickly, his fingers moving through the grates towards her.

Well that was not the sort of greeting she expected to get, even considering the wild rumors she'd always heard of Shamrock Investigations. Not that she minded the looks of the man presenting the question to her. While not a traditionally handsome looking man, he had the most stunning eyes. Eyes which, at the moment, dug into her ruthlessly. His cheekbones were lovely, and his entire face lent itself to all expressions.

Something interesting, hm? She looked over his eyes, then moved to his fingers briefly, spotting the signs of paint and the heavier padding on the bottom of his fingers. "You're bored, despite the hobbies of both painting and... I would say piano from the leanness of your fingers and lack of callouses that would suggest a guitar player. It would seem you need better hobbies, or better company." Without missing a beat, she continued. "Now, may I be allowed inside, to inquire about the room for rent?"

[asthenoseonyourface]

For a long moment, John simply stared at the stranger...then smirked. It was a small, relatively cold expression, but it did stir him back to life and drain away most of the tension that had him nearly shaking with some unseen, frenetic, violent sort of excitement.

Opening the gate, he was relatively relaxed as he held it open for the woman to admit her inside.

"Upstairs...no elevator, sorry, but it's not like it matters." John replied in something vaguely resembling good manners. Or so he thought. At least this time, he hadn't gone much deeper than the psychosomatic limp she was sporting.

[coatandscarf]

Evidently, she had said *something* right, for the blue eyed stranger opened the gate for her. Opening the door, she stepped inside, moving to the base of the stairs and waited for him until he closed the gate behind them both. "No worries, good Sir, I can handle some stairs." Her limp wasn't so bad as that. She used the railing as leverage, tucking her umbrella under her other arm as she climbed the stairs after him. The man moved like a panther, purposeful, with not a wasted movement. For a man with as much energy as he seemed to exude, the fact surprised her.

The stairs opened to a lobby, a simple enough entrance, with a door and a couch. A table with some magazines, all out of date. Yet out of the cold, stark room, one thing caught her attention: a rather lovely take on Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'. At a glance, it didn't seem like a print. It certainly wasn't the original, though, yet anyone could be fooled to think such a thing. A glance at the back of the dark, near black curls gave her a moments pause, as she considered whether he was the one that painted this, or not. "Yours?" She asked finally, motioning to the painting in the room.

[asthenoseonyourface]

"Forgery case, test subject, Jock's girlfriend hung it up there." John bit off tersely, but easily, as if they'd known each other all their lives instead of mere moments. Moving through the lobby, he opened the door to the office and walked in, leaving it open behind him.

"Writer in the lobby, wants to rent the office." he rattled off. "Military, Navy doctor, not a surgeon. Not totally stupid." He paused, blinking as he frowned at his sister. "Is it impolite to tell Jock to let you do the talking? She doesn't trust men."

Both siblings shared a look, shocked by what they'd just heard, then promptly rose to head into the lobby while John retired to his piano. Taking his advice, Jane took the lead, walking over to offer the woman her hand.

"Hi...John said you're interested in the rental downstairs? Jane Riley, this is my brother, Jacob."

"Jock to my friends." Jacob threw in, coming up behind Jane to offer his own hand. "And um...the weirdo you just met is my twin brother, John."

"She's not totally stupid, Jock!" John shouted from the piano as he began to play a cheerful aria.

Jacob blinked again at hearing the woman being called 'not totally stupid' and turned back to her with a curious look. "Can I just ask...what did you say to my brother, exactly?"

[coatandscarf]

Being informed that it was a forgery, yet not quite directly acknowledging that it was his own, Randy looked over the painting carefully. "It's lovely." He had moved off though, to no surprise of her own, charging through the lobby into the adjoined offices.

A soft laugh escaped her as he launched into a description of her. An accurate description, at that. But when he mentioned her lack of trust with men, she stiffened slightly, her hand gripping onto the umbrella tightly. She'd done nothing to show that, had she? Was it... so ingrained in her that even unconsciously she projected it? Or was he just *that* observant? Curious, she'd always heard of a Shamrock employee being like Sherlock Holmes, but she never quite thought he'd be like *this*.

Two people exited the offices. One looked familiar to her; the lawyer. The other looked familiar to her simply because she had just seen his face leave the room. But this wasn't the same man, clearly. Besides the hair being different, he didn't have that... *look* in his eyes. When the woman extended a hand, Randy gave her a smile and shook it, doing the same for Jacob when he extended his own. Twins, yet clearly not the same. After all, 'John' had just informed them that she didn't trust men, yet here he was, shaking her hand. Amusing.

"A pleasure meeting you both," she said honestly. She looked between the pair standing before her. "Although, he's not your only twin," she remarked to Jacob, motioning towards Jane. The boys might be identical, but there were too many similarities between them for the woman to not be a twin as well. Not to mention her age was the same as theirs. Would be a difficult task, unless they were triplets.

At that moment, she heard John's voice calling out from the other room, reminding them about her apparently lack of complete stupidity. The look on Jock's face made it fairly obvious that such a statement was very rare, and Randy spoke once more to fill him in. "He asked if I had anything interesting to say. I told him that if he was bored, he needed a better hobby than painting and piano playing." She motioned absently towards the offices. "Even if he is skilled, he clearly isn't stimulated by them. I suppose he sees my... observations as proof of intelligence. I am... not so used to being read that easily, I will admit. It is... disconcerting." Randy looked at them, giving them a warm smile. "Keeping that in mind, however, I can see why having a former policeman could be handy at a law firm," she said, with a nod towards Jacob. "And an interest in martial arts." The latter was aimed at Jane. Randy placed her hands on the umbrella, covering her right with her left to hide the slight tremble. "In any case, he is correct, I did come here to ask about the rental downstairs. I'm afraid at home I can't focus for the life of me. Having a separate location I can go to, get some coffee, meet clients at... It would be quite advantageous. If the rent is reasonable, of course."

[asthenoseonyourface]

"Oh, the rent's whatever you want it to be." Jock snorted, smiling a little at Randy's far more pleasant assessment of the two of them. "If John likes you--"

The aria had stopped moments before. John was suddenly at the doorway, scowling murderously. "I never said I liked her."

Jock stilled, visibly trying to be patient. "You said she's not totally stupid, didn't you?"

John's scowl deepened, then suddenly vanished as he waltzed into the room and flopped into a nearby chair. "Point made."

Jane was again jolted at John's blatant approval. She wasn't sure what to make of it...the woman was pretty, but John showed no interest in women. She seemed nice enough, but nice people usually put John off (too stupid to see that the world sucks, in his own words).

"Just so you know, John...gets around the building a lot." she warned slowly. "He does that a lot, too...reading people that way. Probably why he likes you--"

"What do you write?" John suddenly interjected, nearly leaping out of his chair as he met Randy's gaze, unblinking. "You're a doctor, why do you write?"

[coatandscarf]

John did *not* like Jacob saying that he liked her. Randy couldn't help but bring a hand up to cover the smile that spread on her cheeks, even as the thought crossed her mind that she wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of *that* look. She watched the exchange, her eyes following John absently. Restless creature. It only added to the animalistic aspect about him.

Her eyes fell upon Jane as she spoke up once more. This time though, when she mentioned about him 'liking' her, John not only didn't challenge her, but he cut her off, as if wanting to move to a different topic. Cute.

Her eyes flicked back to John's, her grin not quite humorous. Lifting up her left hand, the shaking at her fingertips was obvious until she returned it to the umbrella and tightened her fingers around the handle. It seemed to stop the shaking for now. "Bad economy. People not quite looking for traumatized doctors to fill their numbers. Not to mention, I don't really want to... deal with people." Leaving it at that, she tilted her head slightly, a smile crossing her face. "As for what I write... why don't you tell me, Mr. Holmes?" Sherlock was a name she'd had lobbed at her many a time. Somehow, she doubted she was the only one, considering the man standing on the other side of his siblings.

[asthenoseonyourface]

The second the name left her mouth, Jane and Jock both visibly tensed, even moved forward a bit to hustle Randy away...or pacify John when he inevitably started yelling and screaming.

Instead John whirled on her, invading her personal space.

"I hate that bollocking nickname. Never call me that again." he warned. He stayed there a moment, frowning at her curiously, then turned and headed back to his chair, leaping lightly to sit crosslegged in it.

Jane and Jock shared a look, silent for a long time before Jock turned to Randy...

"First month's rent is free if you move in immediately?" he offered hopefully.

[coatandscarf]

She had expected a reaction, but not quite like this. Knowing that she was distrustful of men, John bolted right to her and... hovered. It wasn't the hovering that caused her to tense though, it was the proximity. Evidently, it was his idea of payback, for he informed her of his dislike of the name before looking at her and storming off again.

It took her a moment to recover. Whether he moved off out of mercy or for some other reason, she wasn't entirely sure... but she was grateful for it. "I... hate it, too. But I meant it as a compliment," she admitted, her tone surprisingly apologetic, considering how badly she wanted to bolt away just then. But the only sign of that was a tighter grip on the umbrella handle.

When Jacob offered her the first month for free, she nearly chuckled, bringing her right hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Can I see the unit, first? I got a fairly decent look from the outside, but I'd like to see it from the inside as well."

[asthenoseonyourface]

"Done." Jane offered, gesturing to the door. "Let's--"

"I'm coming." John suddenly piped up, leaping out of his chair.

Jane was on him in an instant, pointing at him almost accusingly. "You get a babysitter if you are. I'm not leaving her alone with you."

"Bitch."

"Takes one to know one, what's it gonna be?"

The silence was pregnant with tension, but John broke it with a sniff as he moved to the door and stood there stubbornly.

As Jane smiled and nodded for them to proceed, John took the lead, walking backwards down the stairs (because he knew it annoyed Jane), talking to Randy all the while.

"I don't know what you write, I just noticed that you do." John observed. "But if I had to speculate, and that's all it is, it would be related to your military career. Or fiction...you're a liar, though, you do want to deal with people. You need that connection, you're just scared."

[coatandscarf]

Randy made a slight face as the man walked backwards down the stairs, but trusting that he knew enough about his movements to not take a tumble. She gripped the railing as she walked after him, tucking her umbrella under her other arm. "Has to do with my military career, *or* fiction? Why does it have to be *or*?" His assessment that she was just scared of human connection was entirely too true; however, she did not acknowledge it aloud. It was part of the reason she wanted to rent a place. *Force* herself to interact with others again, on a more social basis, rather than solely on the professional front.

"I've written three books. None of them have been on the bestseller's lists, but they're averaging fairly well," she remarked simply, wondering how much he'd be able to get from just that statement alone. This man was utterly *fascinating*. Quirky... strange... but *fascinating.*

[asthenoseonyourface]

John made a noise of approval. "Well, that fairly limits you to the mainstream fiction category, being that military nonfiction rarely does bank, and bodice-rippers aren't your thing." He paused finally, silent as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"You really have to excuse my brother, he's...a lunatic." Jane sighed, narrowing her eyes at John. For her trouble, she got scowled at with murderous brutality...and a kiss on the head before John was again walking backwards, directly in front of Randy.

"What's your pseudonym?" he asked. Off her look, he rolled his eyes. "Don't be boring, you crave human connection but you lean on anonymity as a security blanket, of course you have a pseudonym."

[coatandscarf]

She was just able to hide the wince that threatened to appear as he used the term bodice ripper. Jane, however, was quick to excuse him, even though Randy couldn't quite agree with the conclusion. No, he wasn't a lunatic. Asperger's, very likely. Possibly some sort of psychopathy, considering the general lack of emotion he displayed, beyond the intense curiosity between bouts of boredom. Although Randy could imagine many people called him a lunatic. They simply didn't know better.

So lost in her thoughts was she, thinking over his symptoms, that when he asked what her pseudonym was, she gave him a startled look. He seemed to take it one way, explaining why she must have a pseudonym. A soft smile crossed her lips. "That's part of the reason why I use a pseudonym, yes. Privacy is definitely sought after. The other is to fool people into thinking I'm a man. War fiction does not sell if it's written by a woman, period. So... I give them a fake name. I go by Randy Adler when I write." The irony of using 'The Woman's' last name when she was pretending to be a man was just too hard to pass up.

[asthenoseonyourface]

John blinked, stopping dead in his tracks, nearly causing his sister to run into him with a scowl. He stood there, immobile, for a long moment, then finally scowled.

"Dull...boring, ridiculously stupid." he huffed, turning on his heel to dash ahead of them as he called out over his shoulder. "I don't know why I like you!"

Jane was again shellshocked, but shook it off quickly as she shot the other woman a look before leading the way again. Well up ahead, John was in front of the door to the open office space, fishing around for keys he'd either pickpocketed off Jock or her to open the door.

"What's your real name, anyway?" Jane finally asked. "Sorry, I know, this has all been just a bunch of rude people hustling you around, but this is just...I'm being flippant when I say lunatic, but John's got some serious issues, he's really antisocial. Neither one of us have ever, ever seen John react to someone this way before. So...yeah, me and Jock forget ourselves when our brother's concerned."

[coatandscarf]

Something had startled him. Randy could only guess it was the name, considering his reaction to the 'Sherlock' term, earlier. Of course, he'd figure out the connection. Thus far, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd read her entirely life story off her knuckles. Randy watched him run ahead, looking for keys to the rental. As for the other woman, Randy peeled her eyes away from John to listen to her, explaining how their brother tended to throw them for a loop.

"Yes, I can see various... medical classifications that would apply to him," Randy said simply, not wishing to get into it. If Jane had a question, she could ask later. "And don't worry, I'm actually, well, rather enjoying this. It's a nice change of pace." Looking sideways at Jane as they walked up to the doorway, moving to stand alongside John as he continued to try and open the door. "My real name is Eirena Hughes, but seeing as how I can't stand the name Eirena, I go by Randy. So please, call me Randy." She glanced over at John before looking over at Jane. "So, investigation/law firm, hm? Must make things cheaper than hiring out private investigators to do your research." Randy's eyes flickered over at John. "Not to mention, far more accurate."

[asthenoseonyourface]

"We're strictly a private investigation firm, but I still practice, mostly pro bono." Jane replied with a shrug and a smile. "I like to help where I can...case in point."

As Jane pointed at him, John stuck his tongue out at her as he got the key in the lock and turned, ushering them both inside.

"I don't need a diagnosis, I'm a maladjusted sociopath with antisocial tendencies, over identification issues with my twin brother, and an IQ over two hundred." he rattled off as the girls filed past. "And you're the second person I've ever met who isn't a complete idiot."

"That's a compliment." Jane assured her with a lopsided smile. "And you're actually the third, he counts Jock and me as one person."

"We're triplets. And I only count you, genetically Jock and I are identical." John shook his head with a testy huff, then did a spin on his heel. "Just take the office already, Adler. The square footage is sufficient, my brother will charge you whatever you want to pay, the office units in this suite will be easy to convert into exam rooms, and I'm bored."

[coatandscarf]

A private investigation firm. Interesting. Very interesting. She'd always assumed it was a law firm.

She listened to John as she stepped into the waiting room, realizing she would have to be careful around the man. Even from a fair distance, he'd overheard what she'd said. Or, perhaps he knew what she had said before she even said it. Being a doctor, she supposed it would be obvious that she would think of the medical reasons why he behaved the way he did. "Don't forget the signs of Asperger's," she remarked, meeting his gaze dead on, watching him as he informed her of her lack of complete idiocy once again.

A glance over at Jane as she assured her that was a compliment told her that the woman wasn't lying, although John was quick to point out she was incorrect. Randy's gaze fell back towards John as he spoke, observing him carefully as he spoke, looking at the way he spun around on his heel, facing her once again as he finished.

"And I don't bore you, is that it, Holmes?" She held a hand up as his eyes shifted to look at her, glaring and otherwise making faces at her. "Do not pout at me, it won't work. You called me Adler. It is only fair I call you 'Holmes', if you're going to be doing that." She drew away then, exiting the small waiting room to inspect the main office inside. Simple, undecorated, yet well constructed. She could tell there was another couple of rooms inside, one being a small bathroom, the other being another room. Presumably, the actual office, but one she could easily convert into an exam room. She didn't doubt his word that the rooms were acceptable, turning to look over at the pair. "Holmes is correct, this is acceptable. It's more than I need, really, but the rooms will be useful. I'll take it."

[asthenoseonyourface]

John didn't even get a chance to contest her: she was making deals. Deals. He hated that, mostly because it worked when he let it. Not that he was going to let it....except that it was interesting to bait her and test her and do this odd little dance they were doing.

So he kept his mouth shut, visibly and grossly unhappy as she left to look at the rest of the office herself.

"Johnny? You okay? Quiet is bad." Jane observed, watching her brother closely.

John just shook his head, staring after Randy intently. "Quiet is thinking."

"Mind palace?"

"No, just...boring." John sighed, cocking his head to the side. "Do you like her, Janie?"

Jane was used to getting questions like that, more from Jock. They both ran opinions on people by her, of the three she had the best instincts about people...of the three, she was probably the least warped by the genius none of them could truly escape. John was an overachiever, but damaged, Jock was out of work because he was too smart to function within the structure of the LAPD and had a miserable time getting a date. Jane was alone by choice, and the youngest person, not just woman, to pass the Bar in recent memory. Of the three, her genius always seemed to lie in the human element.

So she had an answer, but no time to deliver it before Randy returned, agreeing to take the unit. John's answer came in Jane's smile and sly little glance to her brother before she offered Randy her hand.

"Then we'll start with a handshake deal...and John can give you your keys, and give me mine back." she declared, sliding a look at John.

John narrowed his eyes, but relented and gave Jane back her masters before pulling a second set out of his pocket and dropping them into Randy's hand.

"He makes fresh copies of every unit's keys whenever he pickpockets us." Jane explained. "And he does it often, so be on your guard. The quicker you catch him, the less likely he is to lift anything important. It's some kind of twisted respect thing for him."

"And I only do it when people piss me off." John added.

[coatandscarf]

Randy found herself smiling in return, and held herself in check as Jane sent a glance towards John. A conversation she missed, clearly. Considering the look she gave him, it had to do with her. She knew better than to ask. She listened to the exchange about the keys and found her smile broadening, extending her hand towards John, her fingers curling around the keys with a smile. An office. Perhaps she'd be able to get *work* done without interruption. Her eyes flickered towards John briefly. Well, without *some* interruption. "Thank you, Holmes." He hadn't protested the deal, something which amused her greatly.

Listening to Jane's information that John tended to pickpocket, and John's declaration that he only did it when people pissed him off changed things though. She paused for a moment, tilting her head slightly as she realized something was off. "Hm, being called Sherlock really *does* annoy you, doesn't it? Well, I apologize for that. Sincerely. I, however, do need my phone back. Preferably now, before you can determine what my password is and can access my information." Randy extended her hand out once more towards John, waiting for her phone expectantly.

[asthenoseonyourface]

John narrowed his eyes, but after a moment sighed and slipped a hand into his pocket, earning him a smack on the arm from Jane. He waved Randy's phone lightly before dropping it back into her palm.

"Change your password, Adler. The year your parents got married? Lazy." he warned as he did. Sherlock...Adler...yeah, it was a fine trade off.

For now.

Just then his own phone buzzed in his pocket, garnering his attention. Withdrawing it, he read the text coming from his brother.

STILL BORED? LOCKED ROOM EVAL, TWO HOURS.

John promptly grinned and started giggling, pocketing his phone smoothly.

"Game time, Janie Bear. Jock has a case." he chirped brightly, then in yet another startling move, turned to Randy and blinked at her expectantly.

"You're a doctor, and you're not completely stupid." he observed yet again, but this time made it sound more like he was taking a list than repeating a fact. "Do you like reading murder mysteries?"

[coatandscarf]

When he called her Adler once again, Randy couldn't help but smile softly. So the deal was on then. "Most people aren't you, Holmes." How he could deduce the year of their wedding, she wasn't going to ask. Why bother? The man was correct, after all. Probably had something to do with her fingerprints on the screen or something.

She turned her attention to her phone briefly, going into the settings to change her password to something else for the moment, not entirely listening as John mentioned there was a case to investigate. Her attention was drawn to him once again when he seemed to address her, her eyes flicking up to meet his bright blue eyes. "I do, but if you're asking if I'd like to participate in a wild goose chase... well Holmes, I'm afraid I can't at the moment. I have plans for the afternoon. Most of which involve settling into this place. However, I suppose it couldn't hurt to offer my assistance should you ever need a medical opinion on things," Randy remarked, looking over at John initially, then over at Jane. She had a feeling she might come to regret saying that one day, but for now, it was fine. It gave her something to *do*.

John Riley wasn't the only person that got bored.

[asthenoseonyourface]

John narrowed his eyes at her, weighing the pros and cons of having her around sooner to bringing a playmate on his latest case, then finally moved over and kissed the top of Jane's head.

"I guess I'm riding along, then." she sighed with a rueful grin.

John followed by wrapping his arms around her from behind in a hug that made her giggle, the seeming easygoing affection of a brother who loved his sister dearly...without a shred of emotion showing on his face, save for a softening in the hard, unsmiling lines.

"I'll call you next time there's a dead body." he assured her, a joke that, for John Riley, wasn't.