Lean on Me, Part 1

Manhattan - Donovan Residence

The top three floors of a five floor mansion on Fifth Avenue, the Donovan home is quite large. The outer walls are a beautiful white limestone with a wrought-iron gate blocking the entrance. The home has eleven large rooms and has wonderful details throughout including the original staircase, elevator to all floors, 11-foot high ceilings, hardwood floors, three wood burning fireplaces, a solarium with skylight and a great south facing terrace. There is a grand foyer on the main floor, a beautiful living room with three large windows overlooking Central Park. Other rooms include a formal dining room, powder room, a service kitchen and a staff room and bath. The next floor is the sleeping floor with 4 bedrooms and baths, including a spa like master bath. On the top floor there is a wonderful den that opens into a windowed eat in chef's kitchen that over looks the 400-square foot south facing terrace with views of the Empire State Building, a powder room and a solarium also looks out to the terrace. There are also two large storage rooms.


Characters

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Preston Van de Mark Cooper Montgomery Ariel Johnson-Lowell Jenna Donovan Chance Harper

It feels surreal. The apartment is the same as it's always been. The sun is in the sky, and the television plays the same old shows. There's news on the news stations, but nothing local, and it feels so surreal that something like this is actually happening.
Jenna didn't have to say anything when Pres finally dragged himself in from his near twenty-four hours of debauchery with Cooper. One look at Jenna's face and he knew something was wrong. Jenna's a good actress, but he thinks she wasn't expecting him to waltz in as he did. Wearing the same clothes he was wearing when he left, with slightly mussed hair, whistling and probably looking quite well-fucked.
Amazing how quickly his mood deflated.
It's been hours since Jenna told him. Hours since they just fell into each other's arms and cried, until he went numb and Jenna threw herself into full fledged distraction mode. Preston retired to his room; laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Then he went into Siobhan's room and did the same thing. When he came out, Jenna was still buzzing around, Chance was hovering over her seemingly torn between worry for Jenna and worry for Siobhan. One look at the sorcerer and Preston retreated again because he wasn't in the mood to be anyone's confessor. He's barely dealing with his own feelings.
He's taken his phone out several times, but hasn't called Cooper. His boyfriend is freaked out and scared, and the center of this might not be the best place for him right now. Right now, the apartment is just theirs, but what happens if Doctor Robert and Miss Dawna come by to talk to Jenna's parents? What happens if Coven witches show up?
But he needs someone and there's only so much hiding he can do before he finds himself dialing those familiar numbers.

~*~

Cooper has spent the day dancing since Preston left. He doesn't have a lot of space at home to do so, but after clearing the living room of everything but the television and couch, he managed enough to get a good workout in — as if he wasn't tired enough after spending the day and night fooling around with his boyfriend.
Still, it's one of the things he does to think. Dance, or drink. Sometimes both at the same time.
He's been trying, for Preston's sake, to come to terms with everything. To accept it. He still finds it all a little too weird, but he gets the feeling that Pres has a bigger thing for Ariel than he's been letting on.
The phone rings, and he wipes his head with a towel before answering.
"S'up, Pres?"

~*~

"Shiv's gone." No lead in, no introduction, the words just come out the moment he hears Cooper's voice. He's not telling his boyfriend because he thinks he should know, or he's trying to stir up that old friendly attachment. He's telling him because he needs to tell someone. He needs to talk to someone, and Jenna's not talking; even if she were, he'd be strong for her, and right now he needs to break down to someone else.
"I mean she's missing. Taken." Beat. "Someone took her, Coop."

~*~
"You don't think she ran off rather than facing Harper?" Cooper wipes himself down a little more, and heads to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.
He stops as soon as Preston clarifies.
"Why on earth would someone take Siobhan?"

~*~
"No, I wish it were something like that." Preston is speaking very quietly. He's not afraid of being overheard. It takes energy to talk loudly, and concentration to not start wearing tracks in the floors.
"Convenience. Leverage. She was visiting her friend Brooke. They probably wanted Brooke. That's what the current theory is anyway. Shiv was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

~*~
"Have you called the police?"
It's the first thing Cooper can think of. After a few seconds, he moves toward his fridge and grabs the cold water. Pouring himself a glass, he frowns. "Why would they take her friend in the first place? I mean, kidnapping is pretty rare isn't it? Is it for ransom, do you think?"
Beat.
"I can be over there in twenty minutes. I just need to grab a quick shower first… or I suppose I can just grab a shower at your place."

~*~

"No, the police will just get in the way and screw this up. There are people handling it." Preston doesn't know a lot about The Priory, but he knows enough to know that they are the right people to handle this. The only people to handle this outside of the Coven and a dynasty, if Siobhan's father still had connections to his.
"No ransom." Preston sits up and drops his head. He knows he's throwing a lot at Cooper, but he needs to talk to his boyfriend right now. "Brooke is a witch, too. They took Brooke because she's a witch."
Beat.
"Shiv was a two-for," Preston laughs at the morbid joke, though it's as fragile and sharp-edged as glass.

~*~
There is a slight groan at the knowledge that Siobhan was kidnapped because she was a witch. Cooper takes a sip of the water, and then grabs a sweater. Throwing it on over his leotard, he grabs his keys and wallet, and heads for the door.
"I've got to grab the next taxi, but I'm on my way. I don't know why you wouldn't call the cops, or even the FBI in this situation. Is there a private securities firm working on it or something? Do the Knights want to keep this quiet?"
Beat.
"Do you need me to take care of the Company? We're on a break right now, so I don't know if they need to be told…"

~*~

Preston lets out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding when Cooper says that he's on his way. "There is a private securities firm. They handle these sorts of things. The police wouldn't … Cooper, what I told you? It's a well kept secret. The police and the FBI? They wouldn't know where to begin to handle this or really look. Dunlop & Browning, this is what they do." Preston has no idea if The Priory will involve the police and the FBI, just to keep the cover up, but as far as he knows, right now they haven't.
Beat.
"You're on break. They don't - if she's not back in a few days …" Preston can't even finish the thought.

~*~
"Right, I'll keep quiet."
Once he's out the door, Cooper flags down a car and hops in. He gives Preston's address, then goes back to the phone.
"How is everyone else holding up, Pres? Do any of you need anything?"

~*~

"We need Siobhan back." It's the first, automatic response out of his mouth. They don't know why she was taken, outside of her value as an additional witch; or hybrid if the kidnappers figured that out. They don't know where she is or what's happened to her. It's a scary thought because if two witches haven't magicked themselves out the situation, and magic can't find them, then it's bad.
"Jenna's in psycho stepford wife mode. Cooking and baking. Chance is being strong for Jenna." Preston gives another mirthless chuckle, but it breaks on a partial sob. "What if they hurt her, Coop? What if no one can find her?"
Beat.
"I need you."

~*~
"I'll do what I can to help." Cooper means that. Mostly for Preston's sake, because his boyfriend sounds like he's about to break, but also because before everything got so fucked up, he and Siobhan were friends.
"So you don't need food, is what you're telling me. Booze? I can bring plenty of booze. Distractions too if any of you need them." He'd make a joke about an orgy, but hearing Preston's sob stops him from doing that.
"If they hurt her, she'll heal. Her dad's a doctor, right?"
Beat.
"They'll find her, sweetie."
Covering the mouthpiece of the phone, he directs the taxi driver to a shortcut, down a less heavily trafficked street.
"I'm on my way. Ten minutes, Pres."

~*~

"This is so fucked up. This doesn't happen in real life. We're real people. This isn't a tv show." The words are coming now, the wall that Preston's had in place slowly being battered down by the fact that he can talk about it. "This sort of thing doesn't happen to real people. It doesn't. Or it happens to other people."

~*~
"Yeah, you're right. It is pretty fucked up." Cooper exhales a slow sigh, wanting to reach out and embrace his boyfriend. "Have you told Ariel yet?"
There's a slight pause, and he says, "I know you're worried, and Jenna's likely out of her mind considering how close the two of them are. You two can't shut down though. You're the ones that know her best. You'll be able to help, right?"
~*~
"No . . " Preston shakes his head although Cooper can't see it. Holding the phone to his ear, he rests the elbow of his opposing arm on his leg and rubs his forehead. "I thought about it but … it's a family thing. She should probably hear it from her mother and if she hasn't heard, she's on the other side of the country. All she can do is worry." Siobhan has plenty enough people worried right now. More worry isn't going to help.

"I'm trying not to," Preston whispers. He hasn't so much shut down as he has withdrawn. Jenna is coping in her own way and she has Chance. "If they need us, yes. No one's talked to us though and I'm not sure how much good we'll be. I didn't even know she was in the city. I thought she'd gone to Boston."

Everyone thought she'd gone to Boston.
~*~
"You're right. She should probably hear it from her family." That doesn't mean that Cooper won't give her a text and tell her to call Preston. Even if it's just as a small chit-chat, his boyfriend needs that sort of connection right now.

"I think everyone thought she was in Boston, sweetie. Don't beat yourself up over her not telling you she was still in the city. She's got stuff to work through too."

Beat.

"Almost there. Is the door unlocked?"
~*~
"Yeah, I think so." Preston draws a breath and drops back, stretching out on the bed. His gaze falls on the ceiling and he stares up at it, not really seeing it. "I'm upstairs. In my room."

Trying not to be in Jenna's way. Trying not to stress her out more than she's already stressed. He knows his friend needs that distraction right now. He just wishes that he could find some sort of refuge in distraction as well.
~*~

Without even caring what the ride cost, Cooper gives the driver a twenty and hops out a few houses down. He sprints the rest of the way to the apartment, and then opens the door. He doesn't care who's in the house, Preston needs him.

He does call out that it's just him as he shuts the door. If Siobhan was indeed kidnapped, he doesn't want Jenna freaking out about someone opening the door and coming in.

Bounding up the stairs, he opens the door to Preston's room and slips right on in.

"I'm here. Now what can I do?"
~*~

Preston looks up at the door opening, and there's a look of relief and welcome that flashes across his face at the sight of his boyfriend. He's on his feet and halfway across the room before Cooper has fully entered. Meeting the other man halfway, he wraps his arms around the dancer and buries his face in the crook of his neck.

"I don't know." The words are muffled against Cooper's skin, a low thick half-whisper. "I just need this. I'm scared, Coop."
~*~

Cooper is not used to this level of commitment, and not knowing what to do in this situation is an understatement. He just wraps his arms around Preston and leads him toward the bed.

"I know you are."

The dancer doubts he would've called if he wasn't, being that they did just see each other that morning.

"I'm here. I'll help however I can."

Sitting down, he pulls Preston along with him.
~*~

Preston leans against Cooper, craving that support and contact right now. The actor's been trying to deal on his own, and he's finally reaching the end of the line.

"These stories don't have happy endings." It's the first time Preston has said it aloud. He's thought it. He hasn't been able to stop thinking it, but he's kept it to himself. "Statiscally, it doesn't end good. It ends with a - body." He chokes on the last word, hating himself for going there, and for the mental imagery it provokes.
~*~
"Not true, Pres. As long as they find her within the next two days or so… she'll be fine and you know it. The Duckling is a fighter. Even if she can't rescue herself, she's not going to be without fight." Cooper strokes his hand over Preston's head and sighs.

"I don't want you thinking that. Not until you have more information, okay? No going to the dark morbid places yet."
~*~
Siobhan is a fighter. She's strong and she's stubborn, Preston knows this. He's seen her in action, but part of him is heartsick with worry for his friend. Worry that he doesn't want to show to Jenna, and that he certainly can't show to her family.

"I know she is but … they took her. She didn't defend herself. She maybe couldn't defend herself. Or protect herself." Which means the people who have them are able to counter magic, both witch and sorcerer; it points further to the fact that the people responsible knew what they were kidnapping when they went for Brooke.

Taking a breath, Preston fists a hand in Cooper's shirt. "Thank you for coming." It might sound silly, but just having his boyfriend here is a tremendous help.

Beat.

"Is it too early to get drunk?"
~*~
"She may not have had a chance," Cooper points out gently. "But they took her, which means that she's still alive, right?" Otherwise, Cooper is certain, that his fellow dancer would already be dead.

"You needed me, sweetie. Why wouldn't I come?" He's sweaty, and gross, and dressed like he just ran here from the studio, but he did it because Preston did drop everything and come to him after the debacle with Siobhan.

"In this situation? I don't think so. I can get you a drink, and then go grab a quick shower… or you can keep me company while I wash up, then we can get something together."
~*~
"Yeah, she's alive. They've told us that they're sure of that." Preston doesn't know the details of how they got that information and he doesn't care. Siobhan is alive and that's what matters. As long as she stays that way …

Stop it, Preston.

"I did. I do." Preston lifts his head and presses his forehead against Cooper's. His fingers drag along his boyfriend's arm until he can lace the fingers of one hand in the other man's. "I tried to hold it together for Jenna but then I just had to get away."

Beat.

"I keep trying to think about what Shiv would do if it were me or Jenna …"

Preston breathes out a sigh and licks his lips. He hasn't noticed that Cooper is sweaty and gross, only that he's here. Whatever other weirdness is going on and however much his boyfriend is freaked out, he's here and that means something. "Grab a shower if you want and then we can go downstairs."

That's where the liquor is anyway, and maybe Chance will have heard from his father by then.
~*~
"Then you know she's alive, so stop thinking like she isn't. She's going to make it through this, and she'll need her two best friends to help her." Cooper holds Preston as long as the other man needs it.

"I won't be long. I just need to get out of this leotard. I know I've got some clothes around here somewhere." He does keep at least one clean outfit here, so he doesn't have to do the 'walk of shame' when he leaves. That way, if everyone wants to go out that night he doesn't have to trek back to his place just to change.

"You know what I want you to do? Call Ariel, just to chit chat. Hang on to that one piece of normalcy you can. I won't be more than five minutes, I promise. Then we can go get as drunk as you want to."
~*~

Taking Cooper's face in his hands. Preston kisses him soundly. It's a kiss of gratitude and just relief at having someone there for him, and having that connection and grounding.

"Top left drawer," Preston directs. It's where he puts the things that Cooper leaves behind, either intentionally or accidentally. It's been in the back of his mind to just give Cooper the drawer and make it his but that's not where his mind is right now.

"I'll do that," Preston says with a swallow and a nod. "Call Ariel, I mean."
~*~
Brushing his fingers through Preston's hair as the kiss breaks, the dancer musters up a smile.

"Try to keep things light with her. She may not know yet, but if she does, it gives you an additional person to talk to."

Cooper presses a light kiss to Preston's forehead as he lifts up off the bed to grab his things from the drawer.

"Five minutes."
~*~
"Five minutes," Preston repeats with a half-smile. Picking up his phone, he stares at it a moment before sliding it over to call Ariel. He's only spoken to her once since San Francisco, though they've exchanged plenty of texts.

Keep it light.

He listens to the phone ringing.
~*~
The terrace at the Knight condominium is a refuge. Since getting the news about Siobhan, Ariel feels like she hasn't really stopped. Her mother was instantly booking flights, which means that they packed in a flurry. Jasmine isn't done with school yet, so her father stayed back in San Francisco. Probably a good thing because the Knight place, while spacious, is already feeling a little cramped with she, her mother and her grandmother. Not to mention the Coven women who've been in and out and the blonde Texan sorcerer who she learned is Jenna's boyfriend's father.

She's resting on a lounger, letting the sun hit her face, nearly drifting off to sleep. She's been taking care of her mother and Uncle Robert so that they can take care of Aunt Dawna who's a scary wreck. Christian took off and is helping the Priory people, and it's kind of weird thinking of her annoying little cousin as the serious, confident young man who answered the door when she and her mother got here. Ariel swears he did that grow up over night thing, or maybe she really didn't pay that much attention to him in Vegas.

The ringing of the phone stirs her, and she reaches for it. There's a blink as she stares at Preston's name. Ariel's thought about he and Jenna, but hasn't contacted them. There's not a lot she can offer them right now. Hell, she doesn't even feel like she's offering much to her family except being able to perfectly brew Grams' sleeping tea that has Aunt Dawna out like a light.

"Hey Pres." Ariel answers softly.

Beat.

"How are you holding up?"
~*~
Preston almost thinks the phone is going to ring over to voice mail when Ariel finally answers. He's at a loss of words for a moment, not sure what to say to her. Not sure how to keep it light when she poses her question.

That simple question tells him a lot. It's not an inquiry of how he's doing. It's an inquiry of how he's handling things. He breathes out, long and slow. "You know."
~*~
Cooper is true to his words once he's got the clothes. He rushes to the nearest shower, strips down and jumps in. Even though the water isn't extremely warm, he doesn't care. He soaps down and cleans up as best he can in the short time period he's allotted himself.

Once he's out, he dries off and throws on his clothing. His hair remains wet as he ducks back into Preston's room. Slipping up behind his boyfriend, he wraps his arms around him.

"You can keep talking," he whispers as quietly as possible. "I'm here for you too."
~*~
"Yeah," Ariel nods, even though Preston can't see her.

"Aunt Dawna called my mom last night. She called all her sisters, but she called my mom first. After Grams."
~*~
"Right. Your family is pretty close." Preston's always envied that closeness that Siobhan's family and extended family has. He's close, in a sense, to his father and his younger siblings, but it's not what Siobhan's family shows.

"How are you doing?"
~*~
Ariel snorts and gives a half-laugh. There's not much to laugh at, but the assessment of her family earns one. "My mom and Aunt Dawna are close. Aunt Tamara and Aunt Gloria? Not so much."

"I asked you first." Ariel pulls her knees up to her chest and wraps an arm around them. "I'm surrounded by family. How are you and Jenna?" She knows that Harper is completely oblivious to everything, up in Boston.
~*~
"Jenna is distracting herself in the kitchen. It's a little scary but she has Chance keeping an eye on her."

Beat.

"I'm … dealing." Which is more true now than it was before Cooper arrived. Preston is willing to leave his bedroom, even if his plan is to get drunk. He relaxes immediately into Cooper's arms when the man returns, leaning back against him.

Beat.

"I plan on getting drunk."
~*~
"Who's keeping an eye on you, Pres? Is Cooper there?" Ariel is genuinely concerned for him. She knows he's close to Siobhan, and that it's a familial sort of closeness.

Beat.

"I'm … keeping myself distracted. Aunt Dawna is a scary wreck right now. Mom takes care of her and I've been trying to take care of Mom and Uncle Robert." Ariel reaches out and runs her fingers along the leaves of one of the plants on the terrace. "I'm running out of things to do though. Their cleaning service is too good. I've done all the laundry and reorganized the pantry."

Beat.

"Getting drunk isn't a terrible idea."
~*~
"Yeah, Coop's here." Preston reaches back and down and squeezes his boyfriend's leg. He's more grateful than he can express for Cooper's presence.

It takes a moment for Preston to sort through the witch's words and make sense of them. "You're … in New York?"
~*~
"What is Jenna doing in the kitchen, exactly?" Cooper is trying to distract Preston quite a bit, even while he's on the phone. The closeness is kept, and a few kisses are dotted on the actor's neck.

He stops after a moment, and mouths, "She's in the city?"
~*~
"Tell Coop I said hi."

"Yes, I'm here. At the Knights," Ariel nods again as though Preston can see her. "Mom got the earliest flight out that she could once we heard. She wanted to be here for Aunt Dawna. We got in last night." They haven't stopped really going since then either.

"I'm sorry… I . . . didn't call because … " Ariel shrugs her shoulders, trailing off.
~*~
Preston sighs and presses back against Cooper. The physical contact is a good thing, and a good distraction. He shifts, arching his neck to give the dancer more room. Covering the mouthpiece, he explains. "Jenna is cooking. Baking. She's making food for the Knights and I think food for the - private securities people. Lots of food."

"Ariel says hi."

He listens to the rest of what the witch has to say and gives Cooper a faint nod as he mouths, 'Yes, she's in the city.'

"No, you've been taking care of family. It's to be expected, Ariel. You don't have to apologize for not calling. I'm glad that Dawna, Robert and Chris had you and your mom."
~*~
"Tell her to come over to pick up some of the food Jenna's done with. It will give her a bit of a break, and something to do. It'll provide a distraction for Jenna." Cooper rubs his hands down Preston's back, kissing his boyfriend's neck again.

"No strings attached," he adds quietly. "I'm not trying to lure her here to see a re-enactment of what you two were up to when you visited." Nipping at Preston's neck, he smiles. "I promise. I just figure she needs a bit of downtime too, and the food will help everyone, including Jenna who might just stop in the kitchen long enough that Chance won't have to be in there worrying about her and Siobhan."
~*~
Preston reaches back and wraps an arm around Cooper's neck, tickling fingers along the nape of his boyfriend's neck.

"You should come over." It's not exactly worded like an invitation. "Jenna's been making food for the Knights, so you can say you're coming to pick it up and get away for a bit." He's not disagreeing with anything that Cooper is saying. Ariel sounds like she could use the escape, too. "You could bring Chris, too." If his parents are falling apart, the younger man probably wouldn't mind getting out of the house as well.

"Don't say no. Don't stop and think about it. You can't support your family without taking some time to support you." It's why he had to get away from Jenna and why he's been hiding in his bedroom until Cooper got here to draw him out.
~*~
Object is exactly what Ariel was about to do until Preston shoots down the option.

"Okay. I'll need to change but I'll come over." She feels a little guilty about the way her stomach tugs at the thought of seeing Preston and Cooper. It's not the time for her to be having those feelings and responses, and she wonders how horrible of a person it makes her.

Beat.
"Just me. Chris isn't here. He's gone off to help, I guess."
~*~
Cooper didn't exactly word it like an invitation either. He grins against the side of Preston's neck before nibbling at it lightly.
"I'll order dinner in for the five of us. We can camp out in the living room and keep each other company until we hear any additional news. When Ariel wants to go home, I'll make sure she's got a car, alright?"

~*~

However unusual and unconventional, Preston has no doubts that he loves his boyfriend. Right here, right now, this is the reason why he loves him. He didn't have to come to Preston now; he didn't have to suggest inviting Ariel over, and he definitely didn't have to suggest sticking around and having dinner with everyone. He's looking out for Preston, and for everyone else, probably without really thinking about it.
"That sounds … great." It's hard to not want to draw his boyfriend in and kiss him at that moment, so that's exactly what he does. Tilts his head down, hooks fingers in Cooper's hair and drag's the dancer's mouth up to his for a brief, if harsh, kiss.
When it breaks, he speaks back into the telephone. "Did you hear that, Ariel? Come over. Have dinner with us, and stay until you have to go home."
~*~
The lack of response to her words has Ariel worried until she can hear the low murmur of Cooper's voice in the background. She can't make out all the words, but she assumes he and Preston are discussing something. There's an odd lingering silence for a few moments, and then Preston's speaking to her again. "Alright. I'll shower and change first, though. And um, I don't know where it is so I don't know how long it'll take to get there after I call a cab…" She thinks it's within walking distance, but Ariel's not going to attempt to walk the street alone, especially after Siobhan's been grabbed.
~*~

The kiss actually surprises Cooper. Not because he doesn't see it coming, but because he's got no idea what he did to make Preston do it. Grinning, he tickles his fingers over Preston's side, and grabs the phone from him.
"Preston will send a car for you. It's not far to walk, but since Siobhan's missing, I'd feel better if we knew who was picking you up and that you weren't walking in the city on your own."
The words surprise him too. Cooper wasn't certain he'd care if a witch went missing, but here he is not just worrying about Siobhan, but looking out for Ariel as well.
"If you want to walk back later, one of us will walk with you, alright?"
~*~

Preston presses a kiss to the side of Cooper's neck. Despite the tension and knot of fear in his gut, he's warmed to see that Cooper is concerned. That at least means that there's hope and not everything has gone straight to pot.
Preston lifts his voice enough so that Ariel will hear him. "I'll have a car there in thirty minutes." That should be enough time for Ariel to take a shower and change her clothes.
~*~
Ariel blinks, unexpectedly hearing Cooper's voice instead of Preston's. "Alright, then. I'd rather not walk alone in the city anyway …" Even if Siobhan wasn't missing. Yes, she lives in a big city, but she's comfortable in her neighborhood. Not so much on the other side of the country.
"Thanks," Ariel nods. "I'll be there soon, I guess."

~*~
"Thirty minutes apparently."
Beat.
"Make sure you let someone know you're coming over here to get some things from Jenna, and you'll bring them home later tonight"
The last thing Cooper wants is people frantically searching the city for another young woman.
"We'll be downstairs waiting." Handing the phone back to Preston, he stretches his arms up, then wraps them around his boyfriend again.

~*~

Taking the phone, Preston says good-bye to Ariel, and then calls for a car for her. Not just any car, but his father's private driver. Preston can tell that Luka is both bemused and curious by Preston's request, but he doesn't question him. Preston's father is going to be tied up the remainder of the afternoon and won't be needing the car until later anyway; his mother's at the spa for at least another three hours.
"I'll pay you extra for cutting into your time, Luka," Preston promises.
"Don't worry about it, Preston. This is my job. I'll see your friend gets to you safe and sound."
With that taken care of, Preston tosses the phone to the top of the bed, letting it land and settle on one of the pillows. He twists around and presses another kiss to Cooper's mouth. "Thank you."

~*~
"For what?"
Cooper gives Preston a slightly lopsided grin, and shrugs. "It's a hell of a lot less than you did for me a few weeks ago." Picking up Preston's phone, he tucks it into his pocket. "We might need it if someone calls, right? Let's go downstairs though, and wait for your girlfriend to get here." It's said lightly, teasingly. Anything to draw Preston out of a potential funk.

~*~

"She's not …" Preston trails off, and shakes his head. He knows Cooper is teasing him, trying to distract him, and he's as thankful for that as he is everything else the dancer is doing. "She's not my girlfriend." Preston honestly doesn't know what Ariel is or what they're doing.

~*~
"She is female, she is your friend, and what did I tell you about labels? Stop doing it. For today, Ariel is your girlfriend, just like Jenna is." Cooper turns, and ushers Preston out of the room.
"Now go grab Broadway and the Cowboy and tell them the game plan. I'll go make everyone drinks, sweetie."

~*~

Preston opens his mouth to object, and then closes it. It's on the tip of his tongue to point out that he never had sex with Jenna, but it's easier to just accept what Cooper's saying for now.
Heading downstairs, he locates Jenna and Chance in the kitchen, and tries not to wince (too much) at the chaos that's taken over the kitchen. Granted it's more of an organized chaos, but it's still chaos.
"I just got off the phone with Ariel."
Beat.
"She and her mother flew in. She's coming over to have dinner with us, and she'll take food back to the … family." He almost says 'Knights' but then remembers that Ariel isn't a Knight, and it's easier than saying the Knights and Johnson-Lowells.

~*~
Cooper heads to the bar, and starts pouring the drinks. A decent round of shots, and then something a lot stronger for he and Preston. A scotch for Chance, and a glass of wine for Jenna.
~*~
"Pres?"
Jenna turns around, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. The front of her apron covered in flour. Her nose dotted with it as well. "Eat one of these cupcakes? I can't get the recipe quite right, but I saw this thing in Shiv's book, and she was planning on making them for Harper, so I decided to try just in case… she's not back by his graduation." The kitchen is well organized. Food for the Knights is in the fridge or freezer at this point, and the kitchen is covered with mis-attempts at the cupcakes.

~*~

Chance pushes away from the counter at Preston's entry. He's been staying out of Jenna's way, but he's honestly waiting for her to just fall over from exhausation. The sorcerer also doesn't think that his girlfriend heard a word that the actor said. He gives Preston a shrug, and says quietly, "Jenna, sweetheart? Why don't you take a break? Did you hear what Pres said? Ariel's in town."

~*~
Preston stares at the cupcakes and combs a hand through his hair. If Siobhan isn't back by Friday, then Harper isn't going to care about graduation or cupcakes. He doesn't say that. Instead he walks over to Jenna and after looking around, grabs a paper towel from the roller. He wipes at her nose.
"Come on and have a drink with us. When Siobhan gets back, you can help her if she's pressed for time."
~*~

Blinking at Chance, the empath hands him a cupcake. "Fine. A break, but then you're helping me figure out the secret to these cupcakes so I can at least try to get a dozen done, and not put to the side." Grabbing another, she hands it to Preston as well. "For Cooper, and tell him to be honest with it. It won't hurt my feelings if it's awful. I'm just trying to get the ratios right, since I can't understand Shiv's chickenscratch in the margins."
Wiggling her nose at the paper towel wiping, she elbows Preston playfully in the ribs.
"I did hear him, Chance. I was just focused. So she's coming to pick up the food? I'll need to box it, because there's a lot."

~*~

Chance can't help but frown when Jenna hands him yet another cup cake. "I'm starting to feel a bit cup-caked out," Chance says. He isn't lying about that. He's tasted far too many cupcakes, though nothing can be as bad as the first one that had too much salt, and the second batch that had too much cumin and saffron. Chance isn't even sure that cumin and saffron should be in cupcakes, but evidently somewhere along the lines, it worked for Siobhan.
He hefts the cupcake he's holding, "I'll offer it up to Cooper." He's not worried about leaving Jenna alone with Preston. He knows the other man can handle her. Though he's not rescuing the actor from cup cake tasting.
Heading into the other room, Chance sets the cupcake on the bar in front of Cooper. "Jenna's trying to reconstruct a recipe. She asked that you try it, and be totally honest."
~*~

Preston frowns after Chance, frowns at the number of cup cakes and frowns at the one in his hand.
"Yes, but Cooper is ordering dinner for us all first. We can find a box when we're ready to send her on her way."

~*~
"It's only been ten batches," Jenna points out. She can't blame him. She loves sweets, but even she can't eat another cupcake at this point. When Chance leaves, she looks at Preston and bites her lip.
"I guess it is time I took a break." Looping her arm through his, she nods. "A big box. Or two smaller ones. I made enough food for them for a week." Nothing for breakfast, but definitely large dinners and stuff that could be thrown in a slow cooker.
~*~
"With the state her mind is probably in? I don't think she'd want me to be totally honest," Cooper says, sliding the glass of scotch toward the Cowboy. "How are you holding up? I'm guessing that keeping her calm, and not in the worry-zone is a bit much. I'm ordering dinner once Ariel gets here, and we're camping out in the living room tonight until it's time for her to leave. Preston needs that."

~*~

"Ten?" Preston gapes at her. "That's it. You're done for a while." Setting his hands to her waist, he turns her so that he can untie her apron. "Come up for air and have a drink. I think we can all use one. Or two. Or five."
Beat.
"With the extra bodies in the house, I'm sure the food won't go to waste. Chris is still a growing boy, and I remember how I ate at that age."

~*~
Chance gives a slight chuckle. It's not much, but it is something. "Yeah, probably not. Although I'm not an actor and she didn't burst into tears when I spit the first two out right away."
Chance picks up the glass and takes a swallow. He wants to toss it down immediately, but he doesn't. "I'm … hanging in." Which sounds incredibly lame to his ears. Chance scratches the back of his neck. "You know it was around last year this time that I met them? If someone had told me at that first meeting that I'd be friends with Siobhan and worried about her now?" He's not sure he would have believed it. "So, I focus on Jenna, because then I don't focus on worrying about my friend." With that, Chance does toss the whole glass back at once and set it on the bar, pushing it toward Cooper for a refill.
"I know she's going to be okay, though, because Siobhan's too damn stubborn and bitchy to not come back to us. Even if it's just so she can bitch us out for being worried and upset."
~*~

"Only ten." Jenna was ready to make another batch, but she ran out of cumin and had to improvise, so hadn't really mixed it yet.
"Pres, if I have a drink and stop focusing, I'm going to cry again. If I cry, Harper will know something's wrong and I'm trying not to worry him until his exam is over." Lifting the apron over her head, she hands it to her bestie and then takes a deep breath.
"One drink. Dinner. Then I need to get busy again, okay?"
~*~
Cooper grins just a little bit and eats the cupcake. He isn't big on sweets, but this way he can tell Jenna that he ate it.
"Everyone needs something to focus on. For right now, we can all focus on one another and no one needs to focus on whatever Broadway's doing in the kitchen." Refilling the glass, he snorts.
"You think she's going to let one of those divas take her role when we go back out on tour? Not a chance in hell. Besides, she won't miss Harper's graduation for the world. She was talking about leaving the tour just to be at it."

~*~

"One drink. Dinner. Then I may even help you translate Siobhan's hieroglyphs into something resembling English for the rest of us." Preston takes the apron and hangs it neatly on its hook. He pulls Jenna in for a brief hug and kisse the top of her head. "Remember, sweetie, no news is good news, right?" They'd have heard if Siobhan was found; they'd have heard if there was something bad. They've heard nothing, so Preston is going to accept that as good. Or at least neutral.
~*~

"Are you going to start suggesting board games too?" Chance asks with a faint, teasing smile. "Because it's been a long time since I kicked anyone's ass at Monopoly."
Chance accepts the refill with a nod of thanks. "No, I don't think that she would. I know she wouldn't want to miss Harper's graduation."
~*~

"Would you? I'm pretty sure that cumin isn't a cupcake ingredient, but it was on the page…" That doesn't mean it was for that recipe, or if it was it's some secret of Siobhan's that only she can get the right amount of, because Jenna's been stumped by it all day.
"I guess it is. I just feel like I should be doing something, you know?"
~*~
"Naked co-ed Twister, maybe, but board games?" Cooper scoffs at the idea and then tosses his own drink back. Refilling his glass, he slips out from behind the bar and sets the tray of drinks on the coffee table.
"The cupcake isn't bad, but it's definitely missing something."

~*~

"It's Shiv's recipe," Preston reminds Jenna. "You know, or maybe you don't know, she's always had a way of doctoring them to give them a special spin. And she's always been a good mixologist, right? Isn't that what Miss Dawna says?" He loops an arm around Jenna's shoulder and leads her toward the living room. "We'll figure out. Impress the hell out of her when she gets back."
Squeezing her shoulder, he nods and hugs her closer. "I know, sweetie. Me too, but I think that we have to let the professionals handle this, and just be ready to help Shivvie when she comes back." After all, if this is traumatic for them, it's also traumatic for her.

~*~

"You would suggest that," Chance looses a genuine laugh this time. "You'd probably have better luck with strip poker, though."
"That's an improvement on too much of something."
~*~

"I think she puts notes in there to throw everyone else off," Jenna says with a grin. "That way they can't mimic her recipe." The empath doesn't mind. Figuring out the recipe gives her something to do, and she can send the 'okay' cup cakes to one of the soup kitchens.
"I know we do, but that doesn't mean I don't want to do something. Maybe we can set up a welcome home party for her, for when they find her, or you know, put together something special for her and Harper for the last week of her time off from tour."
~*~
"Strip co-ed Twister works just as well as far as I'm concerned. I'm pretty fucking flexible, so I'll win and get to see you all naked."
Cooper grins as the Cowboy actually laughs, and knows that if he can make one of them laugh the others will too eventually.
"Strip poker could work as well, although I've seen two out of four of you naked already."

~*~

"Then let's plan something for she and Harper. Give them the perfect romantic evening or something that neither of them has to plan. They're … going to need it." The couple needed it before all this happened; once they have Siobhan back, they're going to need it more.
~*~

"I'm not setting myself up for a game where you have an unfair advantage," Chance shakes his head. The words are light and teasing.
A frown furrows Chance's forehead as he plays over Cooper's words. He knows the other man hasn't Jenna naked, and Preston is a given that he has seen naked. He hasn't seen Chance unless there's something that went on in Vegas that Chance doesn't know about, so that only leaves -
As though to complete his thought, the bell rings, announcing Ariel's arrival.
~*~

"You'll help me? We need the best hotel in the city, and oh! I can get them the rooftop at Eclairant, I'm sure. I don't think Mr. Collins will mind, considering that his girlfriend is with Shiv… and uhm… oh there's plenty to do in the city. A carriage ride through the park…" That thought seems to get Jenna more on board with leaving the kitchen, and she starts to lead the way to the living room.
~*~
"Why not? You know you want to see Pres naked." Cooper waggles his brows at that. He's about to plop down onto the couch when he hears the bell. It's not his house, but he heads toward the door anyhow.
"I've got it, Cowboy. You just make sure Broadway and Pres get their drinks, a'ight?"
He doesn't see a security glass in the door, which he'll suggest to Preston later. So he sets the chain and slowly opens the door to see if it is Ariel or not. No point in letting in strangers and freaking out Jenna and Preston more than they already are.
"Come on in. Preston's just trying to drag Jenna out of the kitchen."
~*~
"Yes, I'll help you." Preston grins down at Jenna. Talking like this is helpful to him too. It's planning for the good, what happens when they get Siobhan back, and not venturing toward the morbid and the negative.

~*~
Preston's response to the ringing of the doorbell is automatic. His heart speeds up and there's a jolt that goes straight to his gut, but in a very good way. Outwardly, he's calm, leading Jenna into the living room and toward the bar. Inwardly, he really wants to go to the door.
~*~

"I should get that," Preston says to Jenna and Chance. He nudges Jenna toward the bar. "Give her something light. She doesn't want to turn into a maudlin drunk."
~*~

It would be pointless to argue with Cooper and protest. He may be in a committed relationship, but he's not dead or blind. Preston is hot, and seeing him naked wouldn't be a hardship. He shakes his head, watching Cooper walk away.

"Don't worry about it." Chance slides Preston a glass of scotch. "The door, I mean. Cooper's getting it."

He reaches for Jenna and pulls her in close, pressing a kiss behind her ear. He reaches out and draws the glass of wine closer. "I think your boyfriend figured that out already."

Beat.

"He's also trying to get everyone naked." As per usual. Chance is grinning slightly though, because Cooper has amused him. It's probably a good thing the dancer is here; they need his special approach to life to lift some of the tension.
~*~

Ariel is trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach as she stands on the doorstep and rings the bell. That guilt follows every time she feels too excited helps to keep her a little calm.

She's not sure what to expect or how to react. She decides to cue her reactions off of the guys, which is a lot easier said than done when she finds herself staring into Cooper's blue eyes.

"Hey," Ariel tries to go for casual because he's being casual. She runs her tongue over her lips, her eyelashes dropping as she frets with the hem of her shirt. Smoothing her hands over her jeans, she lifts her gaze and gives him a bashful little smile as she brushes past him and into the house. Pretending that she doens't get a little tingle and thrill from the brief, light and fleeting contact and that she doesn't know how good he looks.
~*~

Hearing the doorbell, Jenna automatically asks, "Is that Ariel?"
The feelings she's getting off of Preston are strange. He's excited, and nervous, and she blinks at that.
"Pres? Is something up?"
Nudged toward Chance, she settles against her boyfriend as much as she possibly can. He's been her rock, and what's been keeping her sane. She's going to have to make it up to him when all of this is over and Siobhan is back home.
"When is Cooper not trying to get everyone naked? I think if he stops doing that, then we should all worry."
~*~
"Hey yourself." Cooper lets her wander in, and then closes and locks the door.
"First order of business now that we're all in the same room… everyone does a shot for good luck and to bring Siobhan home. Then we can all argue about dinner and naked Twister."
~*~
Preston takes a breath and shakes his head. "No, everything's fine." He was really hoping that Jenna is trying to block so she's not feeling everyone's emotions. He can control how he acts outwardly, but his internal emotions aren't going anywhere.

He takes a long swallow from the glass of scotch. "Or we should worry that we're all getting old and ugly, if Coop stops doing that."

Turning as Ariel walks into the room with Cooper, Preston resists the urge to run over and scoop her up in his arms. That doesn't mean that he doesn't approach her and pull her in for a hug. It's just not the immediate response that his body wanted to give.

"Hi you. Good to see you," Preston tells her, wrapping her petite form in his arms. At least a hug is permitted and he doesn't have to explain it away.
~*~

"Some of us are never getting old and ugly." Chance nuzzles Jenna's hair and tickles his fingers along her side and hip. "My beautiful lady is going to be gorgeous forever."

Beat.

"The rest of you might have to worry, though."

Beat.

"Hey, Ariel. Good to see you again. Wish it were under better circumstances."
~*~

Preston's greeting more than makes up for Cooper's casual greeting. Ariel clings to the actor, probably a few moments longer than she should. She knows she shouldn't be chasing her thoughts and emotions right now, but she can't help what she feels. The flurry of confusion and tint of hurt, and the relief when Preston stepped up and hugged her.

Breaking the hug, she stretches up on her toes and presses a sweet, light kiss to Preston's cheek. There's a dusting of a blush across her cheeks as she turns to Jenna and Chance.

Jenna's given a warm, sisterly hug and she nods to Chance. "Yeah, me too."

Beat.

"Did someone say something about shots?"

~*~
"Well you're not worried anymore is why I'm asking. You seem… nervous." Jenna is blocking but that doesn't mean that changes aren't going to be noticed. "And Ariel seems excited too." Really, the little empath isn't going to push it too much. It's easy to mix up emotions when her own are all over the place right now.
A smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes is given to Chance, and she sighs happily. "Maybe to you, I will be," she tells him quietly.
~*~
"Like I've got to worry about getting old and ugly? Please, Cowboy." Cooper glances around at them, then waggles his brow. "I'm going to grey gracefully, and have all the hot young men and women pining over me because I'm already taken."
Nodding toward the table, he winks. "Tequila, just so I know you won't be too plastered to go back to your family."
~*~
Preston shrugs. "Anxious maybe." Beat. "Maybe she's happy to see Coop." Though given that Coop's reaction to Ariel is rather laid back, Preston isn't sure that explanation is going to hold water. He is glad when Jenna drops the topic.

He glances at his boyfriend when he makes the comment about being taken, but doesn't say anything. He's not quite sure if Cooper is just teasing and not listening to himself, or if it's somewhere in the back of the dancer's subconscious.

"C'mon." He reaches out for Ariel's hand and gives her a tug toward the shot glasses. "Let's do this."
~*~

Chance isn't an empath, so he is wholly unaware of the emotional overtones that Preston and Ariel are giving off. Besides, he's slightly more concerned with his girlfriend anyway. "I'll do the shots, but we're not playing co-ed naked Twister, Coop. You're not seeing my girlfriend naked."

Beat.

"You have enough fodder in your imagination as it is. You don't need help."
~*~

"I'm not sure that they'd notice," Ariel sighs. That's not entirely true. Her Grams would notice, even if her mother was oblivious. Grams notices everything. Including the fact that Ariel actually put on lipgloss and a touch of eyeshadow before leaving the house.

A smile is given to Preston, though there's still enough worry about Siobhan that it doesn't fully reach her eyes. Still, it's something. Ariel accepts the shot glass that he presses into her hand, and really hopes that Jenna isn't picking up on the giddy-excited emotions that are colliding with the guilty-worried ones.
~*~

"I don't think that's it," Jenna tells Preston quietly, giving an odd look to Ariel. It may not be the right place to question it, or the right time, so she does let it drop. Only because she doesn't want to make things worse.
"Why, Chance Harper, are you jealous that Cooper wants to see me naked?" She knows that's not it, but the little empath is trying to lighten the situation just a little. "Besides, Preston's seen me naked lots. You remember, we were skinny-dipping in the Hamptons while you boys went out to the nudie bar."
~*~
Cooper blinks at that, then peers at Chance for a moment. "So you've already seen Pres naked? Well then we're both two out of four aren't we?"
Lifting a shot, he lifts it up. "To Siobhan, and her safe return, which we all know will be happening, so we're stressing ourselves out with worry for nothing." He holds his glass up until the other four clink with it, and then he tips it back quickly.
"Now who's up for a good old fashioned argument about supper?"
~*~

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