Engagement blues

[Christine MacTaggart]

"Any place you'd recommend for going to get good and drunk?" Christine asked, looking up at Pete. "Because I could go for a good drink right about now." She looked exhausted, and a faint laugh managed to escape. "I would laugh that if the bar we end up in was the same bar that Kurt or Meggan or Brian were in. That would be fun."

[rabbit]

"The closest place is as good as any." Pete stated seriously. "I'd be afraid of seein' a drunk Meggan, personally. The bird was nuts enough without liquor."

Pete scuffed his foot against the floor. "So, do ya want to bugger off now, or would ya rather have a couple of minutes to do yer female thing?"

[Christine MacTaggart]

"Get me away from all this blasted paperwork," Christine said, throwing her hands up in the air. "I can't take much more. Gah!"

[rabbit]

Pete smirked and turned to leave the room. "Well, c'mon then, luv. I ain't gonna wait all day."

The promise of booze and good company could lift Pete's spirits any day.

[Christine MacTaggart]

"I'm coming," Christine said, grabbing the jacket off her bed and glaring down at the papers on the floor. "I swear, I need to have my head examined the next time I let Rahne and Carl talk me into something like this."

[Rahne]

"Rahne and Carl talk ye into what?" Rahne said, poking her head around the door.

"My ears are positively burning, Christine. What are ye saying about innocent little me? Oh!"

She smiled at Peter, finally noticing his presence in the room.

"I'm Rahne Sinclair. Ye'd be...?"

[Christine MacTaggart]

"Talk me into announcing a false engagement," Christine huffed, crossing her arms. "Who's to say the thing works? And suppose they," she gestured, "want to meet Kurt?"

She sighed. "Rahne, Pete Wisdom. Pete Wisdom, Rahne."

[Rahne]

"You still love me and worship the ground I walk on. Besides, ye could have just said no," Rahne pointed out, before entering the room and extending her hand to Wisdom to be shook.

"And we'll cover the meeting of the pretend fiance when we get tae it. Pleased tae make y'r acquantice, Pete."

[Christine MacTaggart]

"All mighty Rahne, thank you for gracing your loving sister with your presence," Christine said, her voice slightly sarcastic. "Then you would have picked another man out of the air for me to pretend to marry."

"That should be fun. I can just see the reactions to that if his inducer fritzs."

[rabbit]

Pete shook Rahne's hand "Yeah, I remember a bit about you, Sinclair. You were chummy with that cyborg lad, Douglock. Weren't ya?"

Christine immedtiately began arguing with Rahne, and Pete was getting impatient. He wanted to go to the pub, not get in the middle of a verbal dispute. He probably had time to grab a jacket, run to the store, buy a new pack of cigarettes, and be back before they were finished. But instead of doing so, he crossed his arms and glared at the floor. "It's all mad if ya ask me."

[Rahne]

"Who is this Douglock laddie, I would really like tae knae," Rahne said, Scottish burr growing stronger under stress.

"At least ye've met Kurt, Christine. I dinnae even know who this Douglock is, and that's the second time someone has linked me tae him."

[Christine MacTaggart]

"You, Pete and I can discuss Douglock over a strong bottle of port," Christine said, grabbing the two others and stiff marching to the door. "Who's car are we taking?"

[rabbit]

Finally, Pete thought. "Don't look at me. I don't do the designated driver bit."

[Christine MacTaggart]

Christine sighed as she walked the trio to the parking lot. "Fine. My car," she said, opening the door of her small sporty import and hopped in the driver side. "Hop in, door's unlocked."

[Rahne]

"No license," Rahne said, holding one hand up.

"And I dinnae drink. *That* much of my very loving foster father's teaching stuck..."

Her mouth twisted for a moment in a bitter smile, before smoothing out.

"Grab Jono. He *can't* drink. Or Carl. Ye could guilt Carl."