Apartment Above Fix And Clean Shop- Wednesday- Early Evening

[alwaysonguard]

The sun was already starting to sink when a taxi pulled up to a stop at the end of the causeway and a figure got out. As he stood looking around for a moment, Dwight took a slow, deep breath and then started walking across the causeway. Snoopy tugged excitedly at his harness as he sniffed the air and gave a happy bark.

"Ah are we home?" Dwight asked with a somewhat forced smile as he watched the pup. "You happy to be back home boy?"

Dwight was glad it wasn't too far to his apartment, because after the last few weeks, even the duffle bag slung over his shoulder felt like it weighed a ton. And with just one quick stop, which was thankfully literally on the way to his place, Dwight was looking forward to finally being able to try and relax for a change.

And so, after a quick stop at Furnado's for a handwaved meeting with the vet, Snoopy was settled in for a mini vacation of his own. After nearly a month in hotels and everything, Dwight knew the pup deserved to be pampered, and have a good thorough check up. So, after a few more head rubs and drowning kisses in return, Dwight was finally standing outside his shop.

"Well at least it's still standing," he said to himself with a slight chuckle.

Dwight fished his keys out and unlocked the door. Stepping inside, he was relieve to see that all was still good, and the shop was in good, all be a bit dusty, shape. Leaving the closer inspection for morning, Dwight headed up the stairs to the apartment, dropped the duffle bag by the door and headed to the kitchen. Thankfully he had been meaning to do some shopping when he had gotten the call and had to rush out, so there wasn't a terribly big mess to deal with in the fridge. That also meant there was nothing to eat and less than great beer left in the fridge still.

He wasn't going to complain too much though. Beer was beer and Dwight had made it a point not to drink hardly at all while dealing with all that mess. But now that it was over, now that he was home, even a cheap beer sounded heavenly. Sinking onto the couch he cracked open one of the cans he set on the coffee table and took a drink, trying to block out the echoes that still rang in his head any time he let things get too still or too quiet.

Dwight looked at his phone sitting there and thought about sending a quick text or two that he was back, but didn't make a move to do so.


(Yes, Dwight is now back on the island!)

Comments

[what_the_shock]

Yeah, if you thought you were quiet, you didn't have spider hearing, Dwight.

And Miguel knew the likely outcome of being out of town for weeks, so he was knocking on the door with sandwiches in hand.

[alwaysonguard]

Dwight looked up from couch and for half a minute then got up and opened the door. He had a pretty good idea who is was.

"Hey, Miguel" he said as the door swung open. "Sorry if I... if I bothered ya when I came in. Tried to be quiet" he said a weak grin.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel looked him up and down. "You look like crap. Here. Food." He thrust the plate at Dwight.

[alwaysonguard]

What was the first clue? The nearly week's worth of beard stubble? The dark bags under his eyes? The fact he looked like he hadn't had a proper meal in far too many days? Ummmm...yeah. "Like crap" was a pretty good description.

"Thanks, appreciate it man," Dwight said with a weak laugh and took the plate then nodded as he stepped aside, inviting Miguel inside.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel came in and draped himself over a chair. "Welcome back. You need sleep or alcohol? Or both?"

[alwaysonguard]

"Both?" Dwight replied honestly. "Might take a bit of the drink before anything resembling decent sleep is possible."

He gave another nod of thanks to Miguel and then started in on the first sandwich.

[what_the_shock]

"We can do that." Miguel thought about it. "Tonight'll probably be busy at the bars here. I know a place on the mainland. Eat up and we can head out."

[alwaysonguard]

"Eh, no need to trouble yourself on my behalf," Dwight said trying to wave Miguel off slightly with the hand that held the can he was currently bringing up to his lips again. "I'll be fine..." he said, hoping that he sounded more convincing to Miguel than he did to himself just then.

[what_the_shock]

Yeah, no.

"Nope. Eat up." Miguel brought out his phone to check the bar was open. "Dollar drafts if we get there fast enough, and they've got over a hundred."

[alwaysonguard]

"Over a hundred?" Dwight said unable to hide his sudden interest, even though he did try. "That doesn't sound too bad..." he offered with a nod as he worked on the food a little more earnestly, finally letting himself acknowledge, at least to himself, how hungry he really was. And damn you Miguel, you knew him too well if you know how to use the cheap beer trick against him.

[what_the_shock]

The cheap beer trick always worked!

Miguel switched to the Portalocity app on his phone and booked a portal. "You've got ten minutes to get yourself together and finish eating."

[alwaysonguard]

That earned a faint smirk from Dwight as he feigned concern for a moment and then looked at Miguel.

"Oh, I think I can manage that" Dwight said, not one to step down from a challenge like that. You know what they said, you can take the guy out of the military but you can't take the military out of the guy.

"Ten minutes? No trouble" Dwight said as he grabbed the last sandwich off the plate and headed to the bedroom to get a quick shower and change into something a little nicer than a t-shirt and jeans he had been wearing for the last two days. "Be back in seven!"

[what_the_shock]

Miguel rolled his eyes. "I said that so you could finish eating first," he yelled after him.

[alwaysonguard]

And look at that, about seven and a half minutes later Dwight was back, looking at least a bit more put together.

"So, care to clue me in where you are kidnapping me off to? Or going to keep me in suspense?"

[what_the_shock]

Miguel shrugged. "Bar on the mainland. Baltimore, so not too far. The cheap and different drafts are the pull. You ready?"

He had a feeling the answer was yes, so he was already heading out.

[alwaysonguard]

"Perfect night sounds like." Course, the last month was making that a very low bar to clear, but Dwight knew Miguel would not disappoint. "Lead the way" Dwight said with a nod as he grabbed his jacket off and followed after.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel led the way down and out to their portal, then across to the bar. It was a step up from a dive, but not that busy on a Wednesday, and the draft pulls went the entire length of the bar.

"Sit," he ordered Dwight. "Drink."

[alwaysonguard]

Dwight wasn't going to argue. He sat, ordered the first of many drinks likely to come. And he drank. And nearly finished the first one before he spoke again.

"Thanks, for this" he said lifting the glass slightly. "And for keeping an eye on the place for me."

[what_the_shock]

Miguel snorted and finished his first drink, ordering another. "There wasn't a lot to do. No invasions or anything while you were gone."

[alwaysonguard]

Dwight finished and ordered another himself as he gave a surprised chuckle. "A whole month, really? Damn, hope nothing crazy happens soon or I am gonna start thinking I really am cursed."

The faint smirk that had started to form quickly faded as the echo of his father' voice started sounding in his head again. He grabbed the drink and knocked it back.

[what_the_shock]

"Oh, there was crazy." Miguel shrugged. "A lot of people couldn't sleep for about a week. We had a kraken drill at oh-stupid-thirty this morning. But nothing destructive."

He finished that drink and ordered two more. There was a reason he liked this place (and they didn't particularly care for him, but he tried to remember to tip well).

[alwaysonguard]

"Ah glad to know the island didn't totally shut down without me around."

He finished the beer and ordered another one. He gave the bartender a bit of a look when she hesitated and looked at the empty glasses already on the counter.

"Look at me," he said with a scoff and a slight open hand gesture at himself. "I can handle a couple beers. I'll be fine, promise."

He gave her a slight nod once the glass was in front of him and picked one up, drinking it a bit more slowly this time, knowing the point of the night wasn't to pass out in the first half hour.

[what_the_shock]

Eh, Dwight could pass out whenever he wanted; Miguel could carry him home.

"Nah, it's all fine. You've missed some really ridiculous shirts on Wednesdays, though."

He tried to figure out if he should ask or not, then finally gave in and shrugged. "You want to talk about whatever? You don't have to, but I'll listen if you do."

[alwaysonguard]

Funny Miguel should had chosen that moment to ask cuz Dwight had just been starting to consider it. He nodded slowly for a moment, fully intending to give a nice short and sweet 'eh it sucked but will deal' answer. However, when he started speaking, that was far from what came out.

"Went about as well as an unexpected funeral and visit with the father you cut out of your life nearly five years ago could have." Dwight sighed as he stared into the glass in his hands for a minute.

"Found out he never told me about the Trouble because he thinks they are a curse from god. That you can pray your way out of them or be 'good enough to earn forgiveness' and escape them. That he firmly believes I brought this on myself, that I fully deserve this punishment, and am nothing but a walking bad luck charm and a danger to everyone..."

Dwight stopped, clenching his jaw to stop the flow of words from spilling out more. He lifted the mug to his lips and drank the rest of it down. Then sighed as the last bit slipped out anyways.

"And he's not wrong. My ex, my Ranger buddies, Tuck, Lizzie, Helen... so who knows who else is going to go down because of me."

[what_the_shock]

"So he's about as big a dick as my old man," Miguel summed it up.

He smacked the back of Dwight's head, lightly for him. "Nobody's gone down because of you, asshole. They've gone down because people were shooting at you. You don't push bullets toward other people, you know."