Participants:
Scene Title | Too Late To Apologize |
---|---|
Synopsis | She could have forgiven him everything up to now. |
Date | Jun 23, 2009 |
Alec's Apartment
Alec's home was seemingly bought right out of an Ikea show room floor. A large corner sofa with chaise faces a 50" fancy plasma TV complete with all the fixin's. Odd geometric bookshelves line the walls, their contents extremely eclectic, from fiction to classics to an entire shelf filled with texts concerning his profession. A hall, walls lined with various blueprints to buildings as if they were family photos, leads to a bathroom and a few more rooms. A master bedroom, an office, and a spare room that is simply made up almost as an after thought. All in all the place is the expected home of a thirty-something successful businessman, everything is well designed and comfortable and packs just enough character to be pleasant.
Alec opens the door and snorts, "Well that wasn't fast at all. I figured they'd have hit you with the news like two seconds after I left." he says as he spots Liz, "You know the drill," he walks back towards the living room, "lock it behind you, beer's in the fridge."
It's barely 8:00 in the morning and he's already offering her beer? Considering the realtively decent buzz Liz had last night, she's not in the mood for alcohol at all. She's dressed for work in a brown pantsuit topped with a soft ivory top. Raising a brow, Liz replies coolly, "It didn't sound that urgent. All they said was that you wanted to talk to me about something — I figure if it was important, you'd call me yourself." She locks the door behind her and turns to look at him. "Cat's comment was that I should deck you before I even said two words to you. What'd you do this time that's going to make me hit you?"
Alec tilts his head to the side, then barks a laugh, "Of course she did." he says with a small smile. "You kitty cat has quite the sense of humor. I like her." he turns back to eye her a bit, her clothes, level of cleanliness, his brow furrows. "It's morning isn't it?" he doesn't sleep remember? He easily looses track of time. He hrms a bit, "Coffee then." he heads for the kitchen, "Well, I have another confession to make, one that I'm sure will both explain a lot and also piss you off to no end. Again. But if you're good at something I was always told to do it with gusto."
Elisabeth's smile is a bit tight. "In point of fact, I gave her advise serious consideration before I knocked — the idea of popping you in the mouth gives me warm fuzzies." She walks with him back toward the kitchen and says, "Just spit it out, Alec. At this point, considering what's already come before, it doesn't seem to me there's much you can say that would actually make me react that strongly." She really should know better than to tempt the Fates that way.
Alec just grins again. Fates? Fuck the Fates, she should know better then to tempt /Alec/ that way. He holds out his hand, "I'm going to have to insist on your weapon first." the last time he said something like that she'd wished she'd kept it. "Don't worry, I didn't go all traitor on you otherwise Cat wouldn't have told you to come over here, I just don't trust you not to shoot me is all. You're really rather violent." and he never was a fan of violence.
With a faint smirk, Liz replies quietly, "You're very lucky I'm actually not, Alec Bonder — Or I'd have done permanent damage to you that day. There are any number of side effects to my abilities that would have been both unpleasant and permanent. So how about you just spit out whatever it is and we'll skip the dramatics."
Alec sighs, "Well sure, if you want to take all the fun out of it, though I have to admit…" he grins at her, "the dramatic shit is kinda my forte. Besides, if not for my flare you never would have found me even remotely attractive. Anywho, enough with the witty banter and veiled innuendo. Hit me already would you please gorgeous, before my coffee gets cold?" he sips his coffee mug nonchalantly.
Now she looks thoroughly nonplussed. "Excuse me?"
Alec sighs, "Jeez. You give a girl what she wants and all you get is confused looks and silly questions. Women. Can't live with 'em… pass the sugar." he looks at her, "Give it your best shot beautiful, pop me one, nice and hard. You've been itching to do it for like, what, months now? Get it off those pretty B cups and slug away. Freebie." he sips his coffee again, all very unworried, almost daring her to really hit him. He smirks that little knowing arrogant crooked grin of his.
She wonders why she ever slept with this arrogant ass — he was assuredly not this arrogant back then, she's sure of it. The person she thought of as a friend just never gave her this side of himself. Shaking her head, Elisabeth hauls off and slaps the ever-lovin' shit out of his face…. assuming he lets her. Yeah… it's not as manly as a good punch, but there's just something satisfying in taking hte girly way out in this case.
Alec takes the slap and sighs, rubbing his cheek, which is now bright red. He looks disappointed, "You hit like a wee girl. Like real wee. /This/ wee." he holds his thumb and fore finger about an inch apart. Sure, he could prolly force a replication from a slap, but it's hard work! Besides, no zazz. That must be zazz for a big reveal like this. It's in the Rogue Handbook.
Elisabeth grins at him, she can't help it. That slap really should have rocked him back off his heels, but well….. he is a little denser than he looks. "Well, if I hit you again, you asshole, you better believe I'm gonna break your nose," she tells him. "You really want to chance messing up your girlishly pretty face when Abby can't fix you?"
Alec sighs a bit and eyes her as if she were annoying, insignificant, and small, beneath him somehow. It's a low blow but he really wants her to hit him and she's really a good person. Unless she's pissed, truely and really pissed, she'd never actually haul off and hit him. He needs her angry. Mocking her is the only thing he can think of, besides like turning her over to the authorities, but she'd shoot his ass for that and well, you know… ow! "Please woman. Wee. Girl. I'll bet you wild crazy sex tonight that you can't even make me move an inch, no matter how hard you hit me. If I move I'll run stake outs for you for a week." he smiles prettily. "It'll be nice to see you naked again. Been to long, and you're in /really/ good shape."
For whatever reason, he still can't seem to push her buttons well enough, but he's so damn insistant about it, Elisabeth finally shrugs and hauls off to slug him as hard as she can — and she knows how to put her whole body weight behind the punch, too. But at least she aims for his gut instead of lower or face shots.
Alec doesn't even spill a drop of his coffee. Mostly because the instant her fist hits his stomach… there's no impact. There's no motion, not even /recoil/ from the /lack/ of motion. It's like, for the blink of an eye, the universe doesn't work right. Liz is paralyzed for a fraction of a second, all that force, all that UMPH she put into her punch doesn't even ruffle his shirt. "I want you to wear that red thing I like, and bring handcuffs." he suggests. They suggest. Whatever. The pair of Alec's sip from identical coffee cups at the same time, the unison thing having a creepy Children Of The Corn Go To Starbucks sorta feel to it. "And you know I like my music, so pick something that fits, Sinatra or perhaps some Monk. If I remember right you like Monk." his smile is less arrogant now, his words still teasing but his tone less… asshole. This is more the guy she knows, softer, a bit worried she might reject him or lose her shit. It's hard to find, but it's there under the calm cool.
That should have hurt! With no give, no nothing. But it doesn't, her hand merely stops. And there are two of him. Elisabeth stares at him, unable to comprehend what just happened really. Even the teasing doesn't get through the buzzing in her ears while there are two of them standing in front of her. "Oh….. God….." she murmurs softly. Taking two steps back from him, the shutters come down. Her face is cop neutral with him once more, all evidence of the actual grin and the teasing that they were engaging in gone. "Nice trick. How many of those can you make?" she asks quietly. Because it's not like she hasn't seen a replicating power before.
Alec shrugs, "Dunno. Never really tried for an outside limit, just made as may as were needed. More then a dozen though." he says nonchalantly. The other Alec eyes the first…. or is it second? Impossible to tell, and then nods and wanders off with a little wave her direction and an apologetic look. It goes off towards his office, "Sorry, have some paperwork that needs doing, figured this would allow us to talk." he waves her towards the living room as he himself heads for the couch, "Everything makes a bit more sense now doesn't it?" he asks as he chuckles and takes a seat. "You sure you don't want a drink? You're awfully pale all the sudden."
The description 'pale' maybe doesn't even quite cover it. Liz is struggling to parse through the fact that he lied again, just when she sort of thought they were past all that. She told Helena… was it really just yesterday?… that she doubted her own judgment in people. "God, I'm such a complete fool," she says softly, thinking on all the times he said something that should really have given it away to a woman he was sleeping with — getting things done that he just shouldn't have had time to do because he'd spent the night before hanging out with her instead of working. "You must think I'm the stupidest person on the entire planet. A perfect mark," she compliments him quietly, though the faint smile never reaches her blue eyes. "You are a master at the game. Good show, Alec."
Alec eyes her, "I've been perfecting this act for thirty years gorgeous." he says softly, "Even if you account for how long you've been a cop, all the years of training you've had, you wouldn't be able to match up to a portion of how much time I've spent fine tuning this act. I have nearly a century of life experiance in my head, how could you compete with that?" his expression softens. "This isn't your failure." he says firmly, "You can't compete with a guy that's spent a couple of life times hammering out a single set of skills /and/ who can be in two places at once, or several for that matter." he winces a bit, "I wanted you there when I told Hel and Cat, sadly you were… occupied. You earned the right to know, but it's not something we're telling anyone, not even the others inside the group. My abilities, while they remain secret, are a powerful asset."
Elisabeth just holds up a hand to shut him up. He's talking too much and she's going to embarrass herself by turning into a stupid girl if he keeps yammering at her. "Your secret is safe," she says quietly, managing to keep her voice level. "It always was." And maybe that's what hurts the most. This man that she thought of as a friend, who she told so many of her thoughts to…. nope. That way lies tears, and she refuses to let him see how much he has yet again hurt her. "I'll see you later, Alec," she says as she turns to head back toward the door.
Alec stands as she starts to leave and he sighs. Not much to say to that, whether or not he actually believes a word she says. "See you around beautiful." he flops back into the couch even as his door closes. The him in the office pokes it's head out, "You're both douches." he declares matter of factly before closing the door firmly behind himself, as if that could keep them from sharing thoughts.
And I'm hearing what you say
But I just can't make a sound
You tell me that you need me
Then you go and cut me down
But wait…
You tell me that you're sorry
Didn't think I'd turn around and say..
That it's too late to apologize, it's too late…