Fancy Seeing You Here

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

”Oh, did you? How humanitarian of you.” Marius had to smile at the playfulness of Abby’s tone. Truth be told he was curious to find out what sort of testing they were going to do and what the vaccination was for it. He may have been a doctor but that wasn’t an everyday virus, definitely not something they kept in the hospital pharmacy. He’d have to look over his medical books and see what they said about it.

”The construction only started a couple weeks ago and it’s been going nonstop since then. Perhaps it’s a treatment center. If the virus is that dangerous, the city wouldn’t risk putting them in the same vicinity as other sick patients in the hospital. They’ve probably known there was possible outbreak for a couple of weeks and began construction right away, but they didn’t want to frighten the public until they isolated the source of the virus.”

Impressive, he thought and even nodded with his best ‘not bad’ expression. Then again Liam worked with the local police and his job was one that needed to pay attention to specific details so it only made sense he would think so in depth. Abby and Liam chittered on about Sherlock Holmes and John Watson and he just sat there casually, listening in on their conversation and enjoying himself. He had never been much of a ‘let’s hang out in a group’ sort of man but he had to admit Abby and the other couple made it very easy. It helped that they were all very intelligent, mature adults instead of a group of adolescents who only wanted to talk about what movie star was married and who was having children. That idle gossip did nothing for Marius and it didn’t help that he didn’t know who half of the people they spoke of were. But Sherlock and Watson? How could he not know who those two were?

“That sounds like a good theory, though. Is this virus dangerous enough to make the city do something like that? Build a whole new building?” He realized they were all looking in his direction now and waiting for an answer. He looked at Abby while he thought about it, the corners of his eyes creasing making it obvious he was really trying to assess the situation and if it could actually be that dangerous.

“I suppose it could, yes. Well.. it’s a bit tricky. If it is naegleria fowleri like the notice says, then there really isn’t much you can do. It forms from unfavorable conditions like unchlorinated swimming pools or water near an industrial plant. But I suppose with how the weather has been lately that could have caused it to inhabit our water supply. I don’t know much about that particular virus because I’ve never had to treat anyone with it before, but the death rate is very high.. in the ninety percentile.” Marius frowned and looked at Liam and Flynn. There wasn’t a high chance of survival when it came to that virus, that much he remembered, and that only made him more fascinated by the building. Were they planning on taking those who were infected there and allow them to die away from their loved ones? Was it a place to hold them instead of overcrowding public buildings? “It wouldn’t make sense for them to take all this time to make a new building for a short period of time. Unless.. I like what you’ve said, Liam,” he looked over at the other man once more. “They didn’t want to send everyone into a panic, but maybe instead of a treatment center it could be a lab. Or they could be making a new plant to direct the city’s water through.”

“We’ll find out soon enough I’m sure. When they’re done they’ll let us know what it is.” Marius nodded, agreeing with Flynn. They would find out what the building was, whether it would be some sort of facility, plant or if it was something entirely unrelated. Maybe a lodge. Either way it wasn’t going to disrupt their day and Marius would much rather entertain another topic for the remainder of his lunch. ”It’s really coming down out there,” As if Flynn could read his mind she was already changing the subject and he nodded once more in agreeance. “Yes it is. I think I might have to invest in some snow tires if this keeps going on in this manner.” Ever since the weather had gone wild it was the first time that he’d seen it snow in Scriptor Bay. It was beautiful but also odd and out of place. You would think that Christmas was just around the corner.

He watched Flynn peck Liam’s cheek and then get up to her feet. When she came around the table and reached for Abby he raised a brow at her curiously, wondering just what exactly the girl was planning. ”Come on!” He couldn’t conceal the smile that crept over his lips when he realized what was going on. Flynn was trying to nudge Abby to go outside into the snow with her and as cold as it was it didn’t seem like a half bad idea. He just wished he would have dressed a little warmer. He looked across the table at Liam and nodded with his head towards the direction the girls were heading as if to say ‘should we join them?’

[LIAM AVERY]

“That sounds like a good theory, though. Is this virus dangerous enough to make the city do something like that? Build a whole new building?” Liam looked to Marius, genuinely interested in his take on his theory. That was one thing that brought Flynn and Liam together in the first place—their insatiable appetite for more knowledge. Marius’ eyes were on Abby as he contemplated her question, his eyes squinting slightly as he considered his answer. “I suppose it could, yes. Well…it’s a bit tricky. If it is naegleria fowleri like the notice says, then there really isn’t much you can do. It forms from unfavorable conditions like unchlorinated swimming pools or water near an industrial plant. But I suppose with how the weather has been lately that could have caused it to inhabit our water supply. I don’t know much about that particular virus because I’ve never had to treat anyone with it before, but the death rate is very high...in the ninety percentile.” Liam had heard that himself and nodded. “It’s rare to get it, but once a person does, it’s extremely difficult to recover from,” he tossed out. The notice Flynn and he assumed he received peaked his curiosity and he had gone to the library to investigate. “It wouldn’t make sense for them to take all this time to make a new building for a short period of time. Unless…I like what you’ve said, Liam.” He nodded, catching the other man’s gaze. “They didn’t want to send everyone into a panic, but maybe instead of a treatment center it could be a lab. Or they could be making a new plant to direct the city’s water through.” Now there was a thought and Liam nodded appreciatively. “You know, that makes more sense,” he replied, and Abby nodded between them in agreement as well. “We’ll find out soon enough I’m sure. When they’re done they’ll let us know what it is.” He looked back to Flynn and nodded again, knowing she was right. For all they knew, it could be a government building or a new prison and it didn’t make sense to continue speculating.

Flynn’s hand rose to his back, rubbing along his shoulders and Liam smiled at her. He wasn’t a people person, but he found he was enjoying his time immensely. They were all intellectuals it seemed, and while he could relate and chat with the other couple, he knew it was made much more enjoyable by Flynn’s presence beside him. Her gentle smile and sweet nature made it easy for him to relax and simply enjoy his time without over-analyzing everything. His hand on her knee wiggled her knee a little back and forth, an affectionate and playful gesture. She certainly brought out the best in him. As she looked at him, though, her eyes looked past his head to the window. “It’s really coming down out there.” His and the other couple’s heads all turned to gaze out at the snow, a gentle frown on his face. He wasn’t opposed to snow except in the summer. “Yes it is. I think I may have to invest in some snow tires if this keeps going on in this manner.” Liam gave a small half smile as he looked back at the man. That didn’t sound like a bad idea, actually. He picked up his cup and took a sip of coffee before he felt a soft pair of lips on his scruffy cheek. Carefully, he set the cup back down and smiled at Flynn as she got to her feet. What was she thinking of? She moved around the table to Abby, smiling brightly. “Come on!” Liam smiled with a curious look, wondering what she was up to. It only took a moment to understand, though, and he grinned that she wanted to go out into the snow. He chuckled as Abby got to her feet, smiling at the men. Marius gave him a look as if inquiring whether they should go or not, his smile as amused as Liam’s. Abby took a step back toward the table and pressed her lips to Marius’ cheek with a big smile, mimicking Flynn, and it made Liam smile wider. These women… “Come on, guys!” Abby was joining in Flynn’s invitation as the girls moved hand in hand to the door. They looked like excited children. Liam looked back to Marius with a grin. “I think that’s our cue,” he said in a low voice, getting to his feet before taking a last sip of his coffee. “I have to wonder, where do they get all this energy?” His grin made it clear his awe was in jest, but he was truly impressed with the women’s bright and bouncy natures.

Liam led the way out, holding the door open until Marius gripped it, and he put his hands in his pockets against the chill. Just as he turned to face the women, though, he felt something hit him in the chest. Raising a brow, he looked down and found snow splattered across his coat. He looked back up and found Abby biting back a big grin with her eyebrows raised expectantly as Flynn stared wide-eyed at him, smiling wide too. He shook his head, laughing and brushing the snow off for a moment, turning to smirk at Marius. He wanted to make it clear what was happening next—his girlfriend wasn’t getting off free. With a sudden movement, he rushed to a good drift of snow on the edge of the sidewalk and quickly bunched up a ball of snow in his hands. He could hear the girls laughing and saw Abby’s figure scrambling to gather up some snow of her own. Before she could get the snow packed, though, Liam stood straight and chucked his snowball right at Abby who squealed and laughed as it hit her in the side. Flynn was also gathering up snow, though she didn’t seem quite sure what to do with it as she watched Abby. Liam was already going for his next snowball, noticing Marius had joined in too. It was the men versus the women, and Liam was determined to win.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

Abby watched Marius as he contemplated her question, his bright eyes squinting up a little. He had such long lashes. ““I suppose it could, yes. Well…it’s a bit tricky. If it is naegleria fowleri like the notice says, then there really isn’t much you can do. It forms from unfavorable conditions like unchlorinated swimming pools or water near an industrial plant. But I suppose with how the weather has been lately that could have caused it to inhabit our water supply. I don’t know much about that particular virus because I’ve never had to treat anyone with it before, but the death rate is very high…in the ninety percentile.” Her eyebrows arched at this news, shocked the death rate was so high. How was that possible? She looked to Liam as he pitched in his own two cents, informing them that it was very rare to contract the disease, but once a person did they were all but doomed. This stuff was far more dangerous when put in those terms. “It wouldn’t make sense for them to take all this time to make a new building for a short period of time. Unless…I like what you’ve said, Liam. They didn’t want to send everyone into a panic, but maybe instead of a treatment center it could be a lab. Or they could be making a new plant to direct the city’s water through.” Even Abby had to nodded and agree with that. “You know, that makes more sense.” She loved having these sorts of brainy conversations with people. There was so much you could learn from others and she had to admit she found the medical stuff fascinating. That probably had a lot to do with the fact that she was an apothecary. ““We’ll find out soon enough I’m sure. When they’re done they’ll let us know what it is.” Abby smiled at Flynn, agreeing with her hopeful attitude and liking that she was striving to change the topic. Though Abby found it interesting, Marius was on break and the last thing he needed was to focus on more medical information.

She took a sip of her tea, sighing at the taste of black tea and peppermint. So good… “It’s really coming down out there.” Abby glanced up at Flynn and then followed her nod out the window. It really was and she wondered how safe it would be to drive home. She would just have to be extra careful. “Yes it is. I think I may have to invest in some snow tires if this keeps going on in this manner.” Abby looked back at Marius and smiled giving a little nod. If tires weren’t so damn expensive, she might do the same at this point. She brought her tea to her lips again and smiled against the lip of the cup as Flynn leaned over and kissed Liam on the cheek. They were so cute! Liam’s smile showed how much he adored her and she wondered if people noticed that about the way Marius smiled at her too. Flynn hopped up and came around to Abby’s side of the table, making Abby abandon her cup on the surface. The other woman held out her hand and Abby grinned wide. “Come on!” Abby took her hand with her big excited smile and she glanced to the guys. Marius was giving Liam and look and she was determined to get him to come out too. She stepped away from Flynn briefly, moving back to the table and leaning down to kiss Marius on the cheek like Flynn had done for Liam. It was her way of convincing him and she smiled brightly at him as she pulled away. “Come on, guys!” she encouraged, determined to get the men outside too. She took Flynn’s hand and they scooted out of shop, both excited about the snow. She hadn’t played in the snow in ages!

Once outside, she hurried Flynn over to a good clean pile of snow beside the sidewalk. “Let’s make snowballs to throw at the guys!” she said in a hushed and excited voice. “Do you know how?” Flynn told her she didn’t and Abby quickly glanced to the door to make sure they weren’t coming out yet. She then leaned down and grabbed a couple handfuls of snow. “You just take the snow and pack it together like this.” She showed Flynn how to pack it and make it into a fair resemblance of a ball. “If you make it too small, it won’t work as well and if you make it too big, it won’t fly as well, so this here is about the right size.” The door to the shop opened and Abby turned away from the guys to hide her grin, giggling a little. “Okay, watch!” she whispered before turning. Quickly, she sent the snowball sailing in their direction, getting Liam right in the chest. She had to stifle her laugh and was impressed with her own shot. Liam stopped and looked down at his coat as she bite her lip to fail at hiding her wide grin, her eyebrows arched in anticipation of what he would do. His bright blue eyes looked up at the pair of them and then he chuckled before looking back at Marius. What was he going to do? In the blink of an eye, the shorter man was making his way to a pile of snow and Abby felt a surge of excitement. This was battle!

She leaned down to gather up more snow frantically, trying to beat Liam to the punch. Flynn looked like she was doing the same, and she looked to see how well she had taken her instruction when a snowball hit her right in the side. She squealed and laughed, tucking her head behind her arm before she came back up and saw Marius was prepping a snowball too. Abby let her snowball fly, the white creation exploding on his back, making her laugh. When was the last time she had had so much fun? Oh right, the paint fight…but that was just her and Marius. This was a sport! She gathered another couple handfuls of snow, watching with one eye for any snowballs flying her way, she ducked to avoid one of Marius’ making her grin triumphantly. “Ha!” she exclaimed, victorious. Flynn sent one of her own flying and hit one of the guys. Abby gave her a high five. “Good job!” she congratulated. Just then a snowball got Flynn in the shoulder and Abby jumped back in time to miss another with a laugh. She sent another flying, missing Liam by an inch as he dodged. “Damn!” she hissed with a big smile before gathering more snow. A 24-year-old, a 34-year-old, and two other young people having a snowball fight in the middle of the sidewalk outside her favorite tea shop? Yeah, this was pretty epic.

[FLYNN YOUNG]

The girls headed outside and moved down the sidewalk, “Let’s make snowballs to throw at the guys!” It sounded like such a great idea! ”Do you know how?” It must have sounded silly but Flynn shook her head that she hadn’t. During her traveling years she stayed in places that were warm, not wanting to have to deal with trying to fly when it was freezing. She listened to Abby explain how to make a snowball before she scooped a bunch of snow up into her own hands and started to pat it and compress it down into a ball. She wasn’t sure just how compact it had to be but she was sure that if the snow was loose at all it would end up coming apart in the air and then it wouldn’t be a very good snowball, would it? While she was making hers the men came outside and she watched Abby send one through the air and hit Liam square in the chest. Her eyes went wide but then a smile crept over her lips. She watched the men glance at one another and then both of them turned and scooped snow into their hands. They were going to throw snowballs back at them!

Watching everyone distracted her and she ended up dropping her snowball on the ground. She crouched down and gathered up a fresh scoop of snow and packed it in like she had started to do with the other one, looking over at Abby with a big smile when she saw the snow hit the other girl in the side. Flynn squealed and shot back up so she could chuck the snowball and hit Marius in the shoulder. After the snowball hit him Abby was waiting with a high five and Flynn happily slapped her hand looking very pleased with herself. She didn’t have the best aim but she had hit Marius!

Snowballs were flying all over the place and Flynn couldn’t tell who was hitting her half the time since she was trying to shield her face with a free arm or even turning her back to the guys so she could gather up fresh ammo. She’d gotten hit in the butt almost every single time she turned around and occasionally in the back. The whole front of her jacket and jeans were soaked from the snow and some of it had even snuck its way down her shirt and into her boots making her jump around and shake from the cold. “So cooold!” She said and giggled at how silly they all were before hurrying over to Abby and using her as a shield, hiding from the guys so that she wouldn’t get clobbered with any more snowballs.

Flynn didn’t stay behind Abby for long though because she saw Marius coming over and she moved away from the other girl, watching as Marius came up and held tightly to Abby in a way that Flynn knew only a man who was infatuated with a woman could. They were so sweet together and the looks on their faces only confirmed how crazy they were about one another! Flynn loved watching other couples but she particularly liked watching Marius and Abby because she actually knew them! And they were so openly playful with one another!

She headed closer to Liam and halfway to him she bent down to shovel up snow in her cupped hands and then tossed it up into the air to make it rain down on him just before she came up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kicked a leg out behind her and planted a kiss on Liam’s lips before pulling away and looking at him with a big grin. “I’m so happy we did this! I think this is just what we needed.. some time outside!”

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

It would have been nicer if he’d dressed a little warmer instead of only having a jacket and the thin slacks to try and keep the harsh cold at bay, but if the girls wanted to go outside then who was he or Liam to stop them? He could handle the cold as long as they weren’t planning on sitting directly on the snow. Liam was the first of the men out the door and he put his hand on the door so Liam could let go of it and then headed out behind everyone else. Once outside he expected to find Abby there ready to grab his hand and maybe take a quick stroll before he had to go back to work but instead he watched her chuck a snowball straight for Liam. There was a part of him that was surprised and another part that knew he should have expected it. He looked at Liam and then turned to grab a handful of snow, packing a decent size of it nicely together. When he wound his arm back to throw it he got struck by one of Flynn’s in the shoulder and grinned before he sent it back hitting her in the side.

The girls seemed to be harder targets than the men were since they seemed to be bouncing all over the place. Marius wasn’t moving as much as they were but he tried to get out of the way before being struck with anymore. He tossed a few at Flynn and then another few at Abby, trying to hit whoever he could since they were diving out of the way. it must have been quite a sight to anyone passing by, seeing four grown adults having a snowball fight on the sidewalk in the middle of summer.

Marius secretly hoped that him and Liam would win this little snowball fight but he didn’t let it show on his face as he sent over another snowball and hitting Abby on the left hip just when Flynn moved behind her like she expected Abby to protect her and Marius laughed at the sight of the two girls. Flynn seemed almost more childlike than Abby did. They both had similar qualities but Abby was more playful while Flynn appeared to be more innocent. Trying his best (and failing) to avoid being hit by anymore snowballs he moved towards the girls, sliding a bit on the icy sidewalk but managing to wrap an arm around Abby’s stomach and pull her in close to him, her back to his front and he bent down and planted a kiss on her cold cheek. “I’ve got you now!” He told her playfully and acted like he was going to pull her away from their friends so that he could keep her all to himself.

[LIAM AVERY]

Liam wasn’t sure if he had ever participated in a snowball fight, and he certainly never intended to do so in his adulthood, but here he was having a blast flinging snow back and forth. Flynn was getting most of the heat for the girls’ team since Abby was pretty adept at avoiding the snowballs, but Flynn was doing a good job jumping out of the way herself. The guys were all but sitting ducks. They had good aim, but they didn’t bounce as well as the girls did. He had to admit, though, he liked being teamed up with Marius. He knew how to play in a snowball fight. Every time Flynn showed her backside, Liam felt playful and beamed her in the butt with a snowball. It made her hop around, which made him laugh, and she shook a little bit. “So cooold!” Liam laughed at how cute she acted even when she was cold. But even though he was getting some pretty good hits in, he was constantly being pelted with snowballs, as was Marius. Eventually, Flynn dove behind Abby, using her as a human shield as Marius threw one more snowball that hit Abby on the hip. The younger (or Liam assumed she was younger than Flynn) woman didn’t seem to mind being a shield, holding her arms up to the sides to block Flynn further, laughing as she did so. Abby had another snowball in hand that she tossed at Marius before he made his way over.

Liam watched as Marius hurried over to Abby who squealed and turned the other way, trying to avoid any snow he might hit her with. It made Liam smile to see the two of them tangled up in each other, obviously head over heels for each other. He saw Flynn making her way over and watched as she scooped up some snow in her hands. He thought about running away, but he figured since he had hit her in the butt so many times, he probably deserved to get a handful of snow planted on him somewhere. He grinned, preparing for the cold, but was surprised when she tossed the snow up in the air and made it rain down on them. A soft chuckle left him just before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned in for a kiss. He continued to smile against her lips, feeling her leg kicked up behind her like in some romantic film, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. There was never a time when he didn’t love her, but he felt it strong in that moment with the snow falling around them, wrapped in each other’s arms. When she pulled away, he continued to smile at her, the other couple all but forgotten for just a moment. “I’m so happy we did this! I think this is just what we needed…some time outside!” He chuckled. “I agree. I think that was my first snowball fight. I’m glad it was with you.” He kissed her lightly before give her a grin. “How cold is your butt, by the way?” he teased, laughing at her reaction. “It made such a perfect target.”

He hugged her tighter to him, actually picking her up a little as he leaned back, smiling wide. Liam had never felt more alive. “So I think we won!” Abby’s announcement made him look over at the other couple, quirking up a brow. “I don’t know about that. I got plenty of hits to Flynn’s backside.” He grinned at his girlfriend, still holding her tight as they made their way over to the others. “Yeah, and those were about the only hits you got!” Liam looked playfully wounded, making the girls laugh. “Marius got some good hits in too.” “This is true, but not as many as us. You guys definitely have more snow on you than we do.” He couldn’t deny it was true and Abby grinned up at Marius. “You guys just have to be light on your feet.” She giggled at the look the guys gave her and Liam sighed. “Alright, you two can win this round, but I think Marius and I deserve a rematch.” Abby shrugged. “If that’ll make you guys feel better, then I’m game.” He chuckled at her playfully cocky attitude. These girls were a trip.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

They were nailing the guys! Abby was quick on her feet and quick to form good snowballs. Every time Flynn got a snowball to the butt, though, she had to laugh. Of course, her backside didn’t escape unscathed either, but she only got one to the ass before figuring she shouldn’t turn her back on the men, especially not Marius. When Flynn jumped behind her, she laughed, putting her arms out to protect her further. She could take one for the team! And she did, right to her hip, which made her jump a little. It was cold! Even though she had been jumping around and kneeling constantly, her hat was still amazingly in place, floppy though it was. With one more snowball to the chest sent from Abby, he came hurrying over to her and she squealed, turning the other way to escape any snow he might have in his hands. He had that big smile on his face and she knew he was up to something! She tried to step away, trying not to take Flynn out in the process, but Marius got her too quickly, making her give a tiny shriek and a laugh. Her arms came over top of his, giggling as he leaned over and kissed her cheek sweetly. “I’ve got you now!” He’d had her since he first stepped into her hospital room.

He made to steal her away, making her squeal and laugh again. “Nooo!” she cried playfully. “Mercy! Mercy!” With a breathless laugh, she turned in his arms, her hat finally falling to the ground. It lie abandoned in the snow, the curls beneath it a little wild from all the bouncing around she had just done, but she didn’t think about that as her arms came up around his shoulders. “You got me,” she allowed with a big smile. It was all so very romantic and she had to pull in him for a kiss. She smiled against his lips as the snow continued to fall, one cold hand resting on the back of his head. Yeah, she had definitely fallen head over heels for her doctor. How could she resist those blue eyes and that big smile? When she pulled back, she moved back in immediately for one more brief kiss and then smiled wide at him. “Good luck going back to work all wet!” she teased with a laugh. She did feel bad that he wasn’t dressed all that warmly, though. She had a fleeting devious thought that she could warm him up, but she let it slide, looking over to the other couple all wrapped up in each other.

“So I think we won!” she announced cheerfully, smiling between the two men. This earned her a curious look from Liam. “I don’t know about that. I got plenty of hits to Flynn’s backside.” Abby laughed, knowing both of the guys had aimed at their butts when their backs were turned, but that didn’t mean they had won! “Yeah, and those were about the only hits you got!” Liam looked playfully offended, making both of the girls laugh. “Marius got some good hits in too.” She turned to look up at her boyfriend whom her arms were still wrapped around, and she nodded contemplatively before looking back to Liam. “This is true, but not as many as us. You guys definitely have more snow on you than we do.” She grinned up at Marius, knowing he had snow all over him. “You guys just have to be light on your feet.” The looks she got from both men made her laugh, feeling triumphant. There was no denying she and Flynn had won this fight! “Alright, you two can win this round, but I think Marius and I deserve a rematch.” She gave a playfully shrug, closing her eyes momentarily. “If that’ll make you guys feel better, then I’m game.” Her attitude was all in jest, though she did feel pretty good about winning a snowball fight. Even if the guys beat them in a rematch, there was no denying the girls’ victory today! “Just remember guys: girls rule and boys drool.” She held up her hand to get a high five from Flynn, making both of them laugh before she gave a playful grin to Marius.

“So I propose that we run into each other on purpose the next time. We can set up a double date!” Flynn was totally on board with this plan and Abby nodded excitedly before she reached up to touch the hat that had fallen on the ground. “We’ll set it up!” She was confused because all she felt was her hair and she looked on the ground around them for her hat. When she turned back to Marius, she found him holding it up with a winning smile. He must have picked it up when she wasn’t paying attention and she took it back from him with a grin. “Why are you stealing my hat?” she asked playfully even though she was well aware it had fallen. She just forgot it had fallen when she kissed Marius. He had some kind of effect on her. As she slipped it on, something caught her eye in one of the snow drifts along the sidewalk and she walked over to it, untangling her arms from Marius in the process. Brushing away the snow, there was a very bright pink plastic flamingo lying in the snow, battered and the worse for wear. “I think that’s the most random thing I’ve ever stumbled upon.” Abby laughed at her comment, before standing and putting her arm back around Marius’ waist. “Well, it was great seeing you guys again! Flynn, I’ll call you to set up that double date!”

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

It had been decided that the girls were the winners in the snowball competition. Surely it was one that ought to be featured in the 2012 Olympics which he knew would be starting up in the next few months. Personally he thought himself and Liam did a pretty bang up job but the men were definitely wearing more snow than the women. He reached out and gave Liam a firm handshake. "I'm sure they'll have us out again by the end of the week." He teased knowing the girls were already talking about making plans for a double date and it didn't sound like a half bad idea. He enjoyed their new friends.

He draped an arm around Abby's shoulders and played with the side of her hat a bit while they said their goodbyes to the other couple who left talking about warm baths and cozying up with a good book. That didn't sound like a half bad idea and if he didn't have to go back to work then he just might have suggested doing the same with Abby. Well, maybe not a joint bath just yet.

Marius escorted Abby back to her car, keeping her close and trying not to shiver too much from the cold. Luckily he always kept a spare set of clothes in his office at the hospital just in case someone got sick or he found himself covered in other less than appealing fluids he could always change. He'd need to otherwise he was going to catch a cold for sure. "Drive safe and slow. I want you to get home in one piece and I'll call you when my shift is up." Abby made him feel like a teenaged boy again. He enjoyed calling her and talking to her about anything and everything when they weren't together and even grew excited when he knew he was going to see her. She had been what got him through the past few weeks since the city had gone awry and there was no way for him to thank her.

He gave her a few pecks on the lips but knew he couldn't just get away with that, not that he wanted to. And he pulled her in close to give her a much sweeter, longer kiss before he reluctantly pulled away. "I'll talk to you later," he told her softly and held the door to her car open, waiting for her to get in before he shut it. Once she was slowly pulling out of her parking spot he waved and then headed back to his own car. Now to get to the hospital and change before he went back on the floor.

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