Taylor actually kept an eye on the time for once, and left early, still wondering what was going through Flack’s mind these days. She had stepped out of the shower and was wrapped in a towel staring into the closet when she remembered about her less-than-solid friends. “Maddy! Aiden!”
“Hey-ho,” Maddy greeted her cheerfully as the two appeared.
Taylor pulled her head out of the closet and peered around the door at her friend. “Did you just call me a ho?”
“Nope” Maddy smiled. “Just said hello.”
“What’s the matter?” Aiden asked with her trademark Cheshire cat grin.
Taylor eyed the pair suspiciously. “For the record, you two really can’t pull off the innocent routine. So what’s up?”
Aiden shrugged. “You called us.”
“Ha ha,” Taylor muttered dryly. “I just feel like you two know something I don’t.”
“Always did,” Maddy told her.
“That is so not what I mean,” Taylor responded, shooting her a scathing look.
“Maybe not,” Maddy shrugged. “But we still know stuff you don’t. Not that that means we can tell you.”
“Don’t I know it,” Taylor grumbled. “Look, Don’s being... he wants to take me out for dinner. Is it possible that we can manage that without a ghost, or demon, or even a unicorn disturbing us?”
“You know unicorns don’t exist, don’t you?” Maddy told her, eyebrows raised.
“Yeah,” Taylor agreed. “But I thought the same about ghosts and demons, so I’m not saying no to anything these days.”
“Interesting,” said Aiden, looking at Maddy.
Taylor held her hands up, “Whoa. Whatever you are planning - stop it now. I have no interest in anything other than ghosts.”
Aiden and Maddy both shrugged in a manner that Taylor assumed was them trying to be innocent again. She sighed. “Should I be worried?”
“Relax,” Maddy told her. “As far as we know, the Powers That Be aren’t going to send you anything your way that wasn’t once human.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but vampires and werewolves were once human.”
“Good point,” Maddy grinned. “Okay, let’s rephrase that: the Powers That Be aren’t going to send anything your way unless it died human.”
Taylor sighed and sat down at her dresser. “Why does that not fill me up with any more confidence? And you still haven’t answered my question.”
Maddy and Aiden shared another look. “We are not going to disturb you tonight, or the small hours of the morning tomorrow.”
Taylor groaned. “So what time is my wake-up call going to be?”
“We have no control over what time a person dies,” Maddy whined.
“So you keep telling me,” Taylor sighed. “But you’re avoiding the question again.”
“We can’t tell you,” Aiden told her. “But the sun will be up.”
“It’s summer,” said Taylor, trying to remain pleasant. “The sun rises early.”
Maddy and Aiden once again shrugged. “Can’t tell you anything more,” said Maddy. “But wear a red dress tonight. That one you bought when we went shopping the other month.”
Taylor got up and walked back to the closet. “You mean, when I went shopping and you added your two cents to pretty much everything in my life?” she asked as she pulled the dress in question out and turned around. The two ghosts had disappeared. Muttering to herself, Taylor switched on some Fall Out Boy and began to get ready.
At 7:25 she was finished: short of replacing the necklace Dean had given her for one with a garnet in it to match her dress. She got up and walked over to the full length mirror. The dress was a deep red Charmeuse halter, with a v-neck and empire waist. It had been about the only thing Maddy had been constructive about. Seriously, shopping with ghosts was much more fun for them. Especially when people gave you funny looks when you told the dead to shut up.
“You look beautiful,” Flack’s voice boomed over Dance Dance. Taylor let out a shriek and whirled around to quieten the music. “Sorry,” Flack shrugged. “But you weren’t answering your buzzer. Are you ready?” Taylor nodded and quickly turned everything off, and then followed Flack downstairs to where there was a taxi waiting.
The taxi dropped them off outside of one of the many entrances to Central Park. Taylor eyed Flack suspiciously. “You haven’t got another surprise picnic planned, have you?”
Flack laughed. “No, sorry. You’re not dressed for a picnic anyway.” He stood and stared at her in the dimming light.
“What’s the matter?” Taylor asked, checking her dress for a stain or something - Flack was staring at it rather intently.
“The dress looks familiar,” he frowned.
“Sorry, but this is the first time I’ve worn it.”
Flack smiled and shook his head, taking her hand in his. “Come on, we still have time for a stroll before dinner.”
Taylor glanced at her watch. “You know it’s just after eight, right?”
“Yeah, I also made reservations for 8:30, as well. I thought it would be nice to enjoy the evening.” Taylor smiled and the two of them began walking through the park. Flack led them both on a somewhat scenic route around the lake and to the Leob Boathouse, where, it turned out, he had made his reservations.
“Hey-ho,” Maddy greeted her cheerfully as the two appeared.
Taylor pulled her head out of the closet and peered around the door at her friend. “Did you just call me a ho?”
“Nope” Maddy smiled. “Just said hello.”
“What’s the matter?” Aiden asked with her trademark Cheshire cat grin.
Taylor eyed the pair suspiciously. “For the record, you two really can’t pull off the innocent routine. So what’s up?”
Aiden shrugged. “You called us.”
“Ha ha,” Taylor muttered dryly. “I just feel like you two know something I don’t.”
“Always did,” Maddy told her.
“That is so not what I mean,” Taylor responded, shooting her a scathing look.
“Maybe not,” Maddy shrugged. “But we still know stuff you don’t. Not that that means we can tell you.”
“Don’t I know it,” Taylor grumbled. “Look, Don’s being... he wants to take me out for dinner. Is it possible that we can manage that without a ghost, or demon, or even a unicorn disturbing us?”
“You know unicorns don’t exist, don’t you?” Maddy told her, eyebrows raised.
“Yeah,” Taylor agreed. “But I thought the same about ghosts and demons, so I’m not saying no to anything these days.”
“Interesting,” said Aiden, looking at Maddy.
Taylor held her hands up, “Whoa. Whatever you are planning - stop it now. I have no interest in anything other than ghosts.”
Aiden and Maddy both shrugged in a manner that Taylor assumed was them trying to be innocent again. She sighed. “Should I be worried?”
“Relax,” Maddy told her. “As far as we know, the Powers That Be aren’t going to send you anything your way that wasn’t once human.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but vampires and werewolves were once human.”
“Good point,” Maddy grinned. “Okay, let’s rephrase that: the Powers That Be aren’t going to send anything your way unless it died human.”
Taylor sighed and sat down at her dresser. “Why does that not fill me up with any more confidence? And you still haven’t answered my question.”
Maddy and Aiden shared another look. “We are not going to disturb you tonight, or the small hours of the morning tomorrow.”
Taylor groaned. “So what time is my wake-up call going to be?”
“We have no control over what time a person dies,” Maddy whined.
“So you keep telling me,” Taylor sighed. “But you’re avoiding the question again.”
“We can’t tell you,” Aiden told her. “But the sun will be up.”
“It’s summer,” said Taylor, trying to remain pleasant. “The sun rises early.”
Maddy and Aiden once again shrugged. “Can’t tell you anything more,” said Maddy. “But wear a red dress tonight. That one you bought when we went shopping the other month.”
Taylor got up and walked back to the closet. “You mean, when I went shopping and you added your two cents to pretty much everything in my life?” she asked as she pulled the dress in question out and turned around. The two ghosts had disappeared. Muttering to herself, Taylor switched on some Fall Out Boy and began to get ready.
At 7:25 she was finished: short of replacing the necklace Dean had given her for one with a garnet in it to match her dress. She got up and walked over to the full length mirror. The dress was a deep red Charmeuse halter, with a v-neck and empire waist. It had been about the only thing Maddy had been constructive about. Seriously, shopping with ghosts was much more fun for them. Especially when people gave you funny looks when you told the dead to shut up.
“You look beautiful,” Flack’s voice boomed over Dance Dance. Taylor let out a shriek and whirled around to quieten the music. “Sorry,” Flack shrugged. “But you weren’t answering your buzzer. Are you ready?” Taylor nodded and quickly turned everything off, and then followed Flack downstairs to where there was a taxi waiting.
The taxi dropped them off outside of one of the many entrances to Central Park. Taylor eyed Flack suspiciously. “You haven’t got another surprise picnic planned, have you?”
Flack laughed. “No, sorry. You’re not dressed for a picnic anyway.” He stood and stared at her in the dimming light.
“What’s the matter?” Taylor asked, checking her dress for a stain or something - Flack was staring at it rather intently.
“The dress looks familiar,” he frowned.
“Sorry, but this is the first time I’ve worn it.”
Flack smiled and shook his head, taking her hand in his. “Come on, we still have time for a stroll before dinner.”
Taylor glanced at her watch. “You know it’s just after eight, right?”
“Yeah, I also made reservations for 8:30, as well. I thought it would be nice to enjoy the evening.” Taylor smiled and the two of them began walking through the park. Flack led them both on a somewhat scenic route around the lake and to the Leob Boathouse, where, it turned out, he had made his reservations.
* * *
Flack took a sip from his wine and settled back into his chair, contentedly full after an enjoyable meal and studied his girlfriend. She was smiling softly with a faraway look in her brown eyes. “Penny for your thoughts.”
Taylor sighed contentedly, “It’s nothing really. I’m just happy.”
“You want to elaborate on that?”
“You,” she told him simply. “You make me happy.”
Flack’s face broke out into a wide smile. “Really?”
Taylor frowned. “Of course. You make me feel happy and safe.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Flack sighed growing serious. “I have something to ask you. Please stop me if you think I’m getting ahead of ourselves, but I think the time is right for this.” Taylor stared expectantly at him waiting for him to continue. “Well, the thing is, I like waking up next to you, and I like how much better my shirts suit you. More to the point, I like living with you. And I’d like to make that slightly more permanent. So what do you say to finding somewhere to live together?”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Taylor told him, smiling brightly.
“I was thinking about the logistics of it, and my place is too small, but I’d be more than happy to sub-let it to Marty so he has somewhere to live. It’s cheap enough. And I realize I could probably just swap with him, but it might be nice to find somewhere new.”
“You have anywhere in mind?” Taylor asked after Flack had paid the bill and the two were walking back to get a taxi.
“So long as I get to wake up with you, I don’t mind,” Flack told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
“Cute,” she told him. “But personally, I would like somewhere with a boiler that works. And maybe without a cockroach infestation.”
Flack chuckled, “I don’t mind. But I think I’d like to stay on the island, if that’s possible.”
“Well, it’s not like we have kids to worry about.”
Flack stopped and looked down at her. “Do you want kids?”
Taylor frowned and stared back. “Are you broody?”
“No,” Flack shook his head. “But I do want kids one day.”
Taylor bit her lip and turned her attention to the lights that were twinkling away in the buildings that surrounded the park. “I do want kids. But I’m not ready for them yet. And I’m not certain I want to bring them into a world where I spend all day chasing ghosts around.”
“But you’re not ruling them out?”
“Of course not,” Taylor frowned. “Like I said, I’d like a child. A little boy who looks just like his father.”
“I’ve always seen myself watching my kids grow up.”
“How many kids are you planning on having,” Taylor asked him warily.
Flack shrugged. “Six or seven.”
“Seven?” Taylor practically shrieked. “Are you wanting to create your own basketball team?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” he mused playfully.
Taylor was about to protest when he winked at her. “You have any ideas on names?”
“Kate for a girl, Michael for a boy.”
Taylor arched an eyebrow. “You have really been thinking about this, haven’t you?”
“Yeah,” he admitted. “I’ve always wanted a big family. Haven’t you thought about names?”
“Yes, but I’m a girl. I’ve been thinking about it since I was six.”
“Guys think about this kind of thing too, you know.”
“I know,” Taylor sighed as they continued walking. “Dean,” she told him after a while.
“Dean? Dean Winchester?”
“Huh? No. The boy’s name I liked,” she pulled a face. “But I guess I’m not calling my firstborn Dean, because he will never let me live it down.”
Flack looked sideways at her. “You still speak to him?”
“I email Sam. Dean usually tacks on a couple of lines. Actually, the last time I had spoken to them, they had just been hunting...” Taylor frowned. “This sounds as crazy as demons... vampires.”
“You know what,” Flack scowled. “I really don’t want to know. Vampires?”
Taylor nodded. “I’d like to think that they were making it up, but I’m really not sure.” They continued the rest of their walk in a comfortable silence until they reached the taxi rank. “What are you thinking?” Taylor asked Flack.
“How much I like the dress,” Flack told her as he realized why it looked so familiar - it was the dress she’d worn in the dream he’d had all those months ago. “And how much better it would look on my bedroom floor.”
Taylor licked her lips. “We can soon sort that out.”
Taylor sighed contentedly, “It’s nothing really. I’m just happy.”
“You want to elaborate on that?”
“You,” she told him simply. “You make me happy.”
Flack’s face broke out into a wide smile. “Really?”
Taylor frowned. “Of course. You make me feel happy and safe.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Flack sighed growing serious. “I have something to ask you. Please stop me if you think I’m getting ahead of ourselves, but I think the time is right for this.” Taylor stared expectantly at him waiting for him to continue. “Well, the thing is, I like waking up next to you, and I like how much better my shirts suit you. More to the point, I like living with you. And I’d like to make that slightly more permanent. So what do you say to finding somewhere to live together?”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Taylor told him, smiling brightly.
“I was thinking about the logistics of it, and my place is too small, but I’d be more than happy to sub-let it to Marty so he has somewhere to live. It’s cheap enough. And I realize I could probably just swap with him, but it might be nice to find somewhere new.”
“You have anywhere in mind?” Taylor asked after Flack had paid the bill and the two were walking back to get a taxi.
“So long as I get to wake up with you, I don’t mind,” Flack told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
“Cute,” she told him. “But personally, I would like somewhere with a boiler that works. And maybe without a cockroach infestation.”
Flack chuckled, “I don’t mind. But I think I’d like to stay on the island, if that’s possible.”
“Well, it’s not like we have kids to worry about.”
Flack stopped and looked down at her. “Do you want kids?”
Taylor frowned and stared back. “Are you broody?”
“No,” Flack shook his head. “But I do want kids one day.”
Taylor bit her lip and turned her attention to the lights that were twinkling away in the buildings that surrounded the park. “I do want kids. But I’m not ready for them yet. And I’m not certain I want to bring them into a world where I spend all day chasing ghosts around.”
“But you’re not ruling them out?”
“Of course not,” Taylor frowned. “Like I said, I’d like a child. A little boy who looks just like his father.”
“I’ve always seen myself watching my kids grow up.”
“How many kids are you planning on having,” Taylor asked him warily.
Flack shrugged. “Six or seven.”
“Seven?” Taylor practically shrieked. “Are you wanting to create your own basketball team?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” he mused playfully.
Taylor was about to protest when he winked at her. “You have any ideas on names?”
“Kate for a girl, Michael for a boy.”
Taylor arched an eyebrow. “You have really been thinking about this, haven’t you?”
“Yeah,” he admitted. “I’ve always wanted a big family. Haven’t you thought about names?”
“Yes, but I’m a girl. I’ve been thinking about it since I was six.”
“Guys think about this kind of thing too, you know.”
“I know,” Taylor sighed as they continued walking. “Dean,” she told him after a while.
“Dean? Dean Winchester?”
“Huh? No. The boy’s name I liked,” she pulled a face. “But I guess I’m not calling my firstborn Dean, because he will never let me live it down.”
Flack looked sideways at her. “You still speak to him?”
“I email Sam. Dean usually tacks on a couple of lines. Actually, the last time I had spoken to them, they had just been hunting...” Taylor frowned. “This sounds as crazy as demons... vampires.”
“You know what,” Flack scowled. “I really don’t want to know. Vampires?”
Taylor nodded. “I’d like to think that they were making it up, but I’m really not sure.” They continued the rest of their walk in a comfortable silence until they reached the taxi rank. “What are you thinking?” Taylor asked Flack.
“How much I like the dress,” Flack told her as he realized why it looked so familiar - it was the dress she’d worn in the dream he’d had all those months ago. “And how much better it would look on my bedroom floor.”
Taylor licked her lips. “We can soon sort that out.”
Originally posted 29/08/2007