but oh what a year

[patrols]

Comments

[ostensively]

( Ezra lifts the pillow he put over his head, turns to face the offending light of the hallway and just gives the most incredulous look. )

Do you want to stand here questioning us, or do you want to go back to sleep. The faster we get a door, the faster you get snuggle back up to your husband, and we're a good dream away.

[tearhiseyesout]

["I want to know why before I unleash the two of you like chaos demons upon the world."

Jaqueline sighs, before settling.]

Remember Audrey Parker?

["The FBI agent you were ranting about when you were dealing with Stiles?"]

That's the one. Two strange men suddenly appeared swimming with the dolphins in the Boston Aquarium and called her out, directly to the camera. I want to go find out why.

[David huffs before holding up a finger. "Don't kill anyone, don't make any bigger problems than we already have and don't piss off this Audrey Parker woman. If what you said is true, she's immune to magic and she is an actual FBI agent so she can and probably will arrest you. And I'm not opening you a door out of jail."]

[ostensively]

Been a long time since we've colored inside the lines. It'll be nice to get some practice.

( If they call it reconnaissance, will that suffice? But, she doesn't snark any more than she has to. )

I think it will also behoove us to know who's dropping into the world over dolphin tanks.

( Solving the mystery that is Audrey Parker will also help. )

[tearhiseyesout]

[David looks pointedly at Jaqueline and she nods.]

Yes, fine, I'll be good.

["Okay." He steps out of the bedroom, gesturing for them to stand back as he moves through the list of doors in his head until he remembers the doors of the Aquarium, and opens his bedroom to reveal the aquarium parking lot instead. "Have fun."

Jaqueline takes Sierra's hand gently before immediately slipping through, making sure they stay together and don't disrupt the delicate binding spell.]

[ostensively]

( The door closes behind them and the chilly night awaits them. )

Are they being held inside the aquarium?

[tearhiseyesout]

That's what I'm finding out.

[It simply takes her phone and and a few pointed questions in the right direction before she has her answer.]

Yes. Agent Parker called ahead and asked that they be taken to the security office to dry off until she arrives. And apparently they listen to her.

[Jaqueline adjusts her jacket before nodding to Sierra.]

Shall we?

[ostensively]

Well, it's a good thing Agent Parker's liasons have arrived in time.

( She flips her sunglasses down, keeping her cool, giving her best FBI agent as she follows her wife to the front doors after hours. (nat 20) for the FBI disguise )

[tearhiseyesout]

[With her own matching romantic (nat 20), Jaqueline follows her lead, making her way into the room where the security guards are lounging around, waiting for the FBI. Jaqueline flashes them a smile.]

Hi there. FBI. Here for your unexpected swimmers?

[The security guards don't even blink. "Good luck. Hope one of you is Audrey Parker."]

She's still on her way, but we'll get started.

[Jaqueline wanders over to the doors nearby, peering in the windows. They separated them, so they don't have time to get their stories straight.]

Which one do you want to try first? Blue eyes or off-brand pirate?

[backtaxes]

( She evaluates to two men in each room, through the windows. She knows her choice, aesthetically, but she reads their body language very differently.

"Blue eyes is stoic, looks unshakeable. The pirate's drumming his fingers, bouncing his leg."

Because they have new visitors, Duke shoots up from his chair, stepping out from behind the table, gesturing at the window.

Sound doesn't seem to be traveling out, but he's agitated. Rightfully, Sierra assumes. Which might make him more pliable. )

[tearhiseyesout]

Pirate it is.

[Jaqueline opens the door, stepping into the space where Duke is pacing. She flashes him a smile, before stepping to the side to let Sierra in behind her.]

Agent Melroux, Agent Harper. And you are?

[backtaxes]

( When two agents let themselves in, Duke ends his pacing back at the table, leaning against it from the back. )

Still wet.

( He weighs giving them his real name or an alias. He knows Nathan isn't far, if he can get past them and to Nathan, then they can make their way back to Haven.

"She's asking your name," Sierra says. )

I know what she's asking. I didn't break into the aquarium.

[tearhiseyesout]

The fact that you're soaking wet says otherwise, buddy.

[Jaqueline tips her head to the side.]

Unless you what? Fell out of the sky and into the seal tank?

[backtaxes]

They were dolphins. And people don't just fall out of the sky.

( He's between a rock and a hard place and until Audrey gets here and smooths things over, he doesn't know how to cooperate without giving the farm away or being committed. )

Audrey Parker.

[tearhiseyesout]

That's just what we wanted to talk to you about, actually.

[Jaqueline moves further into the room, studying him carefully. Not reaching out to touch just yet. He might be immune the same way Audrey was.]

What do you know about this Audrey Parker? We're having a hard time tracking her down.

[backtaxes]

That's not the impression I was given.

( The security here aren't tapped in, but, they got in touch with people who are. He was led to believe - no, he believes someone did get in touch with her. He was told to stay put.

He studies them, dragging his chair a little farther away, peering behind them at the empty hallway. )

Why are you asking me about her if you work with her?

[tearhiseyesout]

Well, we did ask them to keep a lid on it.

[Jaqueline lets a slow smile stretch across her face.]

And we never said we worked with her.

[backtaxes]

( That, he doesn't like. And just like that, he's decided not to provide anything at all. )

What are you, internal affairs?

[tearhiseyesout]

No. We work in the Boston office.

[She shifts to lean against a nearby table.]

They called us to confirm your story and we had to tell them we knew no such agent. So where exactly did you meet this Audrey Parker?

[backtaxes]

We're old friends.

( He's not falling for this. But, he also needs answers. He sets his jaw and decides once and for all to take a seat. His (1) at sense motive wins him nothing but his own cooperation. )

Haven, Maine.

[tearhiseyesout]

[Not that Jaqueline is the most intimately familiar with New England locations, but something about that doesn't sound right. She glances back at Sierra, raising an eyebrow.]

Haven, Maine? Not Connecticut or New Jersey?

[Granted those are New Haven and Fair Haven respectively, but she's just double checking.]

[backtaxes]

( Maine has never been Colony territory and in her travels, it wasn't a state she spent much time in. She tries to minimally shrug, but mostly not react. )

Not Connecticut or New Jersey. Was she in Connecticut or New Jersey?

[tearhiseyesout]

No.

[And Jaqueline will put out her phone to double check, just in case.]

It's just that I've never heard of Haven, Maine.

[She pulls up her maps app, because Google cannot be trusted.]

[backtaxes]

I don't know what to tell you. It's a pretty small seaside town. Not real well known.

( What's her point? Sierra peers over her wife's shoulder, reading the findings or lack thereof.

"Does it go by another name?" )

It doesn't have a nickname. ( What kind of line of question is this? ) Pretty sure, things are named what they're named.

[tearhiseyesout]

Maybe, but ... Google Maps says there's no such place.

[She'll hold up her phone to show the screen. She'll even pass it to him if he wants to do some searching himself. If he had a phone, it probably got shorted out when he went swimming with the dolphins.]

[backtaxes]

( It did, and wouldn't have the signal he needed anyway. He doesn't know what to do with this, though, and he sets the phone back down. )

Well, there is. I'm from there.

( Even if there's not here and he's not about to try and work that out with two FBI agents.

"Why are you lying, Mr. Crocker?" Sierra says, perching on the side of the desk. )

Why would I lie? About one of your own?