Brawl

Carson lets his sister go and leans on the counter, studying her for a moment. "So you really packed up all your stuff, eh?"

Dani nods and moves to stir her milkshake with a straw. "Yeah..." She gives a sorry laugh. "Getting fired was kinda the straw that broke the camel's back."

"What happened?"

"I had a fight with a guy who was higher than me. The boss liked him better. So... I was out."

"Bummer."

"Yeah. I got enough money to keep myself afloat for a short while, but I need to find a job and place to live pretty quick."

"Well..." Carson shrugs. "You can at least spend the night here with me if you like. You can have the bed. Tomorrow I can help you start scouting around."

"Really?" Dani's eyes show more than gratefulness. She was just glad to be talking with her brother again at all, let alone having the offer of his help.

"Well sure." Carson looks at her as though it was a given. "I may have been a jerk to leave you in the dark, but I'm not going to do that anymore."

A smile breaks through, making Dani's eyes shine. "Thanks, Carson. I...I hope we can get to know each other again."

Carson looks at her, part of his mind seeing her as she was now, and part of his mind bringing up memories of when she was the child he'd protected. "Me too."


Kyle grins and gives Misty's hand a squeeze. "Of course I missed you. I always miss you. I was about ready to bawl my eyes out. Right Wyatt?"

"Hmm?" Wyatt had been paying little attention, and receives a kick to the shins under the table. "Oh. Right, yes." He nods with forced seriousness, looking at Misty. "His lip was starting to quiver and everything."

Kyle grins, his eyes twinkling with humor as he elbows Misty. "See?"


Con doesn't realize he's being spoken to right away, until Laura elbows him. He then realizes that it was Dalton, and asks for a repeat of the question he hadn't heard. Giving a little shrug, he shakes his head. "Not doing much at the moment. Looking for work... there's a security job open at the mall I was thinking about. I guess I could always find somewhere to flip burgers, but I haven't gotten that desperate yet."

After thinking for a moment, then asking Nate about Carson and his sister joining them, Con receives the go-ahead and starts to rise from his chair. He's stopped though, as the flying straw wrapper bounces off his chest.

His eyes widen and he looks down at his wife. "What was that for?" Though unable to hear Jason's snicker from several chairs down, his eyes find his friend, and he sees the mock innocence on his face. Con sets his hands on his hips. "Now tell me this. Why is it that Jason started this, and I'm the one getting pulled into it?!"

Jason holds up his hands. "Accident?"

"Accident my foot." Con makes his way around the table.

Jason's eyes widen, and he's immediately on his feet, almost tripping over his chair. "Now, now, Tank, calm down. You should be going after your wife, not me."

"I'll get back at her later. You, on the other hand, I have to catch while you're still here."

Jason backs up, his hands raised in surrender as he tries to stifle his laughter. "But you don't want to make a mess, do you? Or make a bad impression?" He reaches the back of Dalton's chair and pats his shoulder, still talking to Con. "You wouldn't want to make Dalton here think that he was going to be working with a bunch of little kids, now would you?"

Con pauses in thought, only two feet from Jason.

Jason relaxes. "See? Now just go sit back down and throw a wrapper at Jamie instead of attacking me."

Con thinks, letting his eyes roam the ceiling. Finally he shakes his head. "No, I think I like my original idea better."

Before Jason can react, Con's got him spun around and in a headlock from the side, dragging him around the table.

Jason tries to wriggle free, laughing too hard to do much good. "No! Conrad! Let me go!"

"What?" Con cocks his head. "What did you say?"

"You heard me and know good and well what I said!" Jason retorts, glancing around wildly until finding Katie. "Hey! You just gonna sit there and let this guy do this to me or what?!"

"She better!" Con warns, throwing Katie a wink. He drags Jason further away, towards the counter, killing two birds with one stone - getting back at Jason, and following through with his idea.

Carson sees Con and Jason and he straightens, backing up out of the way. "Whoa...Con, you got your hands full."

"That I do." Con tightens his grip so Jason can't slip out. He smiles and nods to Dani. "Hi there."

Dani's eyes are wide as she looks up at the large man. "Um...hi."

"Don't let him fool you," Jason gasps. "He's really a nice guy." He tries to get free once more. "Unless he's got you in headlock! Con!"

Con grins, still unwilling to let go. "Carson, we wondered if you and your sister would like to join us. We got plenty of pizza and...well, as you can see, the entertainment isn't much, but there's more than enough chairs."

"Oh, well, I..." Carson's eyes drift downward. He'd been around this group periodically, and once in a while had been involved with them if they happened to be in the same place. But to be specifically invited... Maybe Nate was right. Maybe they did see him for who he was now... even Jason didn't seem to mind the thought of him joining the gang.

"Come on," Con prompts. "If you don't, you'll just be throwing away that extra pizza later. So if you join us, you'll have less cleanup later."

Carson turns to his sister with question.

Dani gives a little shrug. It seemed like a nice group....and Misty was there...they coudln't be all bad. Her eyes drift from Con, then to Dalton, then back to Jason. They certainly had some big guys here. Hopefully they were as nice as they seemed. "I wouldn't want to impose."

"Now, don't even start with that." Con gives a grunt as Jason's elbow catches his ribs, but he stays on track. "Nobody can ever impose, least of all when you've already been invited."

Carson really does want to join in...it felt good to be invited... and maybe this would be good for him and Dani to not have to sit awkwardly together for a while either. It might be easier to break the ice in a group than alone. He gives a litle nod to Dani, signallling that he was okay with it if she was.

Finally Dani shrugs. "Um...okay." She smiles and picks up her milkshake. "I won't get put in a headlock will I?"

Con laughs. "Nope. Just this obnoxious fellow. You gotta watch him. We just got him out of the mental institute yesterday."

"That is so not true!" Jason wails as he gets dragged back to the table.

Carson can't help a laugh, watching them go, then gestures to the table for Dani to come with him.

On Con's way back, Jason trips and stumbles, trying to get the upperhand, but failing. "Will somebody please get this brute off of me?!"

Kyle perks up, ready to join in some silly antics. Standing up, he puts a hand over his heart. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I'm coming!!!" Scooting out of his chair and barely missing Misty's head with his elbow, he shoots down the table to where Con is, ready to grab him from behind. On his way though, he misjudges and runs right into Carson.

Having seen the collision coming, Carson was ready, and braces himself, more catching Kyle than being pushed. Without even thinking, he immediately joins in, putting Kyle in a chokehold, while pinning one arm behind his back.

"Ahhk!" Kyle is yanked backward as he's held, and for just a minute, he wonders how much play or seriousness is involved here. Though knowing changes had happened, being around Carson did put him just a little on edge. How serious was this hold?

Only after Carson has a hold on Kyle does he realize what he's doing, and for a moment, stands still, bringing things back into perspective. Feeling Kyle squirm, and realizing now what must be going through his mind, Carson drags him backward a little ways. "Shh," he whispers. "Con thinks I've got you down. Now you're in the perfect position."

A laugh surfaces as Kyle sizes up Con's back. "Yeah, but he's too dang tall!"

Carson grins. "Not if I give you a boost."

Released, Kyle turns to quirk an eyebrow at Carson, fidning that he really was trying to join in the play, with no ill-intentions at all. A grin spreads. "You're on."

Before Con knows it, Carson has given Kyle and extra boost, and Kyle is latched onto his back, trying to make him let go of Jason. Spinning around, he almost loses Kyle.

Kyle shrieks as his foot almost knocks over an empty chair. "I've got him right where I want him, Jason! Hang on!"

Laura watches the guys in horror, plopping her face down on the table. "I don't know them... I've never seen them before... Con is not my brother."

Letting the other three work out their playful brawl, Carson takes Dani's hand to bring her around to a couple empty chairs. "Um, guys, this is my sister..... um... Danielle...Davis."

Dani glances to her brother, then at the others at the table. "Actually.... It's Dani Banks." She looks back to Carson. "And it stays that way this time."

Carson's eyes show he's please, but he doesn't have time to comment before he has to duck one of Kyle's legs as he flies around behind Con, still hanging on for dear life.

True Friends

*Dalton looks to Con and gives a small nod before looking at Kyle as he talks. There was a strange look in his eye. Something told Dalton there was more to this story than was told. But it was non of his business and he was not one who liked to but into others lifes.

Looking at Con again Dalton inquires.*

"So, now that's its getting cold Con what do you do for work?"

*Katie looks to Jason as his emotions slip through about Misty and than back to the table. Now her own brain moved wondering what would happen with this whole situation. Misty seemed very happy with Kyle but was it enough. It pained Katie to think of Kyle being hurt but what would happen would happen and she had no right to give her two thoughts on it.

Out of the courner of her eye Katie see Jason's mission with the wrapper and her own eye widen a little bit as the ball goes flying through the air landing in Jamie's drink and sending soda onto her. Elbowing Jason Katie cant help the laugh that escapes her lips.

Nice going!*

*As the liqued splashes onto Jamie she snaps her head up looking around the table for the caulpret. As she eyes pass over Jason and Katie the look on there faces tell the tall of what happend.*

"You two can hide, but that look on both your faces tells me everything I need to know."

*A cheese smile cross her own lips as she picks up a wraped straw. Taking taking the one end off and pull the wrapper just a little bit Jamie takes aim at Jason. Heaving a heavy blow Jamie quickly turns taking her aim off Jason and replacing it with Con. The straw paper flying off the end of the straw and hitting him right in the side of the face. Jamie trys to muffle her own laughs.*

*Nate gives a small nod to Carson as he listens to him talk only addin in things here and there. About friendship and how he will always be there for Carson, and about life and change. But moslty Nate just listens to his friend talk knowing sometimes silence speaks stronger than words.

As Carson goes to leave Nate stands to and puts a hand on his shoulder. Looking him the eyes with all the sencerity one could give.*

"They are you friend to Carson. Thats the funny thing about true friends, we have the ability to look past the falts of other and see who is standing in front of us today."

*Giving a smile Nate turns and rejoins the other sliding in down next to Laura.*

*After splashing some water on her face Misty exits the bathroom feeling better once again. Making her back to the table of friends Misty sits down next to Kyle and slips her hand into his giving him a smile.*

"Didn't miss me to much did ya?"