Man Talk

As Seth approached the guest house, he saw Justin looking like he needed someone to talk to. Maybe. Seth pulled up a chair, spun it around and sat down beside him. "What's up with you, bro? Looks like there's something weighing on your mind. It's not about the Lodge and the Poker game last night, is it?"

JC laughed softly and started to shake his head. But then he stopped and he shrugged. "Perhaps. In a sense, I suppose you could say. I'm about to change everything in my life. Everything I've known...for Desi. That includes the Lodge."

"Don't you think she's worth it?" Seth smiled. "I was always under the impression that you were of a mind that she was worth everything." Seth had been looking into Justin's eyes as he spoke and read something there. (Seth was very good at that.) "Oooohhhhh, I see. Now that it's staring you in the face..... Well, all I can say is "Don't try to second guess yourself, man. You know you've been in love with her for...what? Twenty or twenty-five years?"

"A long time in 'dog-years' - that's all I know. Don't you think I feel stupid?" Justin asked with a wry smile. "I used to walk into Feral bars and start fights, just to pare down the population that came in. They'd scatter - most of them - when they saw me coming. And here I am, afraid of what the love of my nine hundred and some year life could do to me, if she decides...."

"She's not going to decide THAT way, I assure you. Got some of that GSL Coffee goin' in there?" Seth stood up. "With some of my wife's brandy.... Mmmm." He opened the door and Justin finally stood up. "You can start over here - on this world, my brother. Leave all of Earth behind. You'll be better off. You and Desi fought together in the Feral Wars. You saved each other's lives. Sorry I wasn't there to see it, but I heard from those who were.

"I was in SanAn with dear old Dad, getting rid of the Queen-bee - Veronica Reed*, and her personal squad of goons. They put me with MJ. That's where I met her. We fought together too. And when it's like dancing some intensely wicked dance well, that's when you know - THAT is your partner.

"You know as well as I do, not all 'partners' in fights are smooth as butter on the intermeshing of purpose. It evinces itself in EVERYthing you do together, JC. You know that. Sit down and I'll make the coffee," he winked.

* Veronica Reed is Glory's maternal Grandmother - a Hybrid Asgardian Werewolf who had herself bitten by a Vampire to become Hybrid. She was a woman more than disliked by the members of the Black Sun Clan.