Forsaken of Federal Hill

The soft jingle of keys turning the tumbler of his flat above the Outreach woke Rashid out of a fitful sleep. He opened his eyes and tossed the thick fur blanket off of himself and onto the back of the couch he currently called his bed. The digital clock next to him blinked 12:00 at him angrily, like it was his fault it didn't stay set. As he sat up he felt a tug and heard stitches popping. Looking down, the shredded remains of what *was* his new shirt hung limply across his sweating torso.

With a heavy sigh, Rashid hauled himself to his feet and headed to the kitchen, dropping the tattered silk to the ground along the way. The door creaked open as he picked up a glass and bottle to serve himself whatever Luke had procured last week.

Luke stumbled up the stairs to their flat and fiddled with his keys for a moment before he gave up and just tried the knob and was glad to find that Rashid had been expecting their arrival and that it was unlocked. He was so wrapped up in his own stupidity that he almost didn't notice his friend sitting in the dark with his bottle of Jameson.

”I need that,” he said snatching up the bottle and taking a swig directly out of it before taking a good look at the boxer. ”Man, whatsup with you? Why are you out here drinking?” he asked passing the bottle back before taking a seat, it was looking like his friend needed it too.

Fire filled Rashid's eyes as something was snatched from his hand, he hadn't even gotten to take a drink yet. A look up at the offending party cooled him off quick though, as Luke bumbled his way in.

"Sleep won't happen, family isn't around, ruined my day, made things stupidly complicated. You know, life." It was rough, only half of any part of which he felt at the moment, but given how he felt currently, about right.

He took the bottle back and to a heavy gulp before setting the glass he had down and topping it off so he didn't need that stupid bottle.

"The fuck time is it, anyway? If you're here..." He fumbled about for a moment before standing up, letting his alpaca furs slide off of him.

"Let me at least go get a towel then, sorry."

Luke grunted in response ”What the hell happened to your clothes? You might want to put on more than a towel because Helen will be back soon, but who the fuck knows maybe she'll be interested in you because she sure as hell ain't interested in me.” He drank more from the bottle after Rashid relinquished it even though he probably didn't need to drink anymore.

”It's past midnight, fuck if I know the time. How did you ruin your day? I thought things went well at the strip club, you got the info we needed.” Luke turned to look at his friend because even in his drunken state he was sure something was up because he was acting really strange.

"The hell you mean by that?" Rashid was half shouting from the bathroom as he splashed cold water on his face. "You convinced her to come up here? You want me to go or something kid?" Sure, whatever, makes sense for today anyway.

He walked back in, scrubbing his head dry and kicked the tattered shirt into a corner. "Yeah, got the info, sent it to you even. Things got complicated as fuck out there. Met a girl. Got more involved than I intended. Meanwhile, have the little kitten on my mind, and as that guilt sets in, the new girl pops up all over again and my mind, dunno, fogs up? So now, I figure the haze is already there, so what's the harm?" He collapsed back on the couch and picked up his glass in a mock salute.

"Outside of that? Nah, just old scars opening up all over again. Family drama. Or rather, lack of it." That glass really should have lasted longer. He looked at the empty, sighed and set it back down.

Helen hummed to herself, distracted by her own thoughts, as she made her way through the little market. By rights it should be closed by now, but she was thankful it wasn't.
Her buzz was fading, perks of enhanced metabolism, and the thrills of the night were quickly fading despite her best efforts to remain in good spirits. She felt really badly for how she'd reacted to Luke. It was a silly mistake (what if it wasn't though?) and he was probably too drunk to even realize who he'd been kissing. She wasn't going to make a deal about it (because you were a heartbeat from being in a fairy-tale) and she didn't know why he was.
It must have reminded him how lonely he was out here Helen....
There it was. That made sense. And it was heartbreaking. What could she do to make him feel better? She thought about it as she read the ingredients on the packaged brownie mixes. He lived on a ranch, his mom probably had the whole family around the table for a big breakfast!
A smile spread across her face at that idea as she picked out some eggs and a carton of milk. She'd show him he had a family here to share big meals with. It'd be amazing! The whole pack! Lots of eggs and mmhh tasty bacon. Oh but what about Echo? She could make some vegan pancakes! She'd have to run it by Rashid, but there was still totally time to message everyone if she got the okay soon enough. Randy would be up playing video games, she knew Cho didn't go to bed this early. A late breakfast wouldn't hurt most of the pack, and if Rose and Rory ate something small enough they'd be hungry again by the time the food was ready.
If the smell of bacon doesn't make you hungry there's something wrong. Or you're vegan. Or Jewish.... or Muslim. Quit digging the hole girl.
She smiled at the cashier who was scanning her groceries. Then she noticed something she'd forgotten, but very likely needed and picked up a bottle she hoped the boys would like.

”Where have you been? Helen has been staying here for almost two weeks which will make it more awkward because I tried kissing her and let me tell you… it didn't work out so good. So, no you don't have to go anywhere because nothing is happening or going to happen.” he called over his shoulder while Rashid was in the other room.

”Woah, a new girl that fast? You, uh, do something with this girl, is that why you wanted us home late?” he said taking another drink before caning his head so he could look around the place quickly. ”Shit, she's not still here is she?” Luke refilled his friend's glass as he sat down, booze always made things better. ”And you get on me for getting around with the girls. Did some spirit switch us places or something?”

Rashid barked a tense laugh. This whole day was shaping up to be something awful.
"Two weeks now? That must have happened right under my nose, but explains why my bowl is never clean." He looked pointedly at the blonde.
"This twisted 'Freaky Friday' shit isn't cool if that's what happened. No girl here, though that would probably just make tonight even worse." He rubbed his temples. Alcohol wasn't helping. Time made it all worse, and that nightmare was some tormented reminder of how alone he really was.

"Forget your operator error, she'll figure it out sooner or later. She looks at your bumbling ass with some spark in her. The job is what happened to me. Met a girl I can't get outta my head. Didn't help that she was hot as hell and knew her way around. Kicker for ya? She's a 'Blood, and I bet you she doesn't know it. Knockout blonde with moves." Rashid shook his head, trying to air himself out, to no avail.

"Fuck me. I mean, where's my head if some 10 minutes on a couch has me completely forgetting about the chase I've been on?"

”I don't know, it'd be nice to near that one of us got some action although it sounds to me like you're getting too much.” Luke laughed at bit at all the irony and how crazy things were. He needed more to drink, maybe go pass out in urshan form because he thought he slept better than way. ”You should have seen how Helen looked at me, like I was crazy or something. Hell, maybe I am. Just a stupid pup from Texas after all.”

He tried very hard to follow all Rashid was saying despite his drunkenness. ”Woah… so backup… hot blonde girl who is also a Blood and was all over you? Where is there a problem here? Is she part of someone else's pack?”

"Kid, I think it's close to curtains for you, you can't even follow one conversation. Hot blonde. Completely abandoned my chase with Becca. The fuck is my problem. Summary."

Rashid stood up and started herding Luke towards the back. Wasn't too hard, he walked i whatever direction he was looking right now. "This stupid pup in front of me needs to cool off and not take things personally. His 'date' was part of a job, and his 'girlfriend' takes jobs seriously. He turned a corner. And, no, blonde's in our turf, no Wolf nearby. The problem is how she made me feel."

Rashid was able to stop rambling just long enough to give Luke a shove over the raised lip of the tub they were standing next to and pulled the faucet up as high as the pressure would allow, almost losing his balance as he did so, soaking them both in ice cold water from above.

”Pffft, didn’t know you were that serious with miss run and hide,” Luke said as he was walking backwards. ”Where did you find this Blood anyway? I kind of want to see her for myself, he grinned even though he knew he was pushing his luck but he was drunk and didn’t care.

”Look who’s talking, you had a ‘job’ and come home all hot and bothered about some blonde. Oh.. please tell me how she made you fee-- shit!” Luke went over backwards with a loud thud. ”Hey!! What the fuck… shit that’s cold.” He flailed around for a second still cursing before he grabbed onto his friend to pull himself up not caring if he pulled the other man down too. ”Man you’re the one who needs the cold shower. Do you know how expensive these clothes were?”

Helen made her way up the stairs, arms full of groceries.
You didn't think this through, one of the boys should be here to help jeez.
But she'd come to far to bother asking for help. She set one of the bags down as she heard Rashid and Luke muttering to one another. It didn't sound like hunt business, sounded like some blonde Rashid met and-
And it's none of your business they think they're alone you gossip!
She quickly focussed on making the world smaller, pushing away her wolf senses and relying on her human ones. Which made stumbling in the dark and finding with keys even harder.
She finally managed to get the door open and picked the bags back up. She closed the door with her foot and slowly made her way to the kitchen. Well... it wasn't exactly a kitchen but oh well, it had what she needed.
Then she heard the shower turn on, yelling and a struggle. She stopped what she was doing and raced into a scene that she was in no way prepared for.
" Luke, Rashid are you ok- ohmigawd... I didn't mean to interrupt...." she said looking away quickly as the two men struggled with one another in the tub.

"Shit! Kid, the fuck you think you're do..." A woman's voice behind him. Welp...this'll be interesting.

Rashid tried to get up, pushing against the slippery wall, but Luke's tenacious grip wound up pulling him up with the boxer, falling over in a heap in front of Valentine. He looked up at her upside down and shirtless, gave an apologetic smile and shrugged. "Not sure how much you let him drink, Valentine. This'll be less...incriminating to explain once everyone takes a breath."

He let go and waited for Luke to realize he was loose so the star could stop flailing about and get up off of him.

After a moment of thrashing around Luke focused in on what was going on and what Helen must have been seeing. ”Oh no, this is exactly what it looks like,” Luke drunkenly grinned, obviously joking as he wrapped his arms around Rashid’s shoulders and nuzzled him comically. ”We always take showers together!”

Before the boxer could punch him, he scrambled to his feet and started stumbling out of the bathroom. ”I’m going to bed, you might want to finish that shower without me. You smell like wet dog and cheap perfume.”

Rashid took a half-hearted swing at the drama prince anyway. "Sleep it off kid, you reek of a cheap bar."

He all but literally face-palmed as he stood up and went to shut the water off.

Helen put a hand on Luke's chest, stopping him before he could leave. Clearly not over his previous glum mood.
"Hey, no way! We did good tonight, no way are you boys heading to bed all gloomy, I don't care what the problem is." she said sternly, looking them both in the eyes in turn.
"I'm making brownies. It's going to make the loft smell like chocolate and happiness, and we're going to eat as many as we want tonight because I'm making a separate tray for the others." she said matter of factually.
"And then I was thinking I'd get up early and make a big breakfast for the whole pack before we open for the day and take up the hunt again, if that's alright with you Rashid." she shifted her eyes in Luke's direction in hopes Rashid would see the subtle hint.
"I mean, from the messages on my phone it sounds like everyone did well, and who knows how long this hunt will be once we declare it; could be weeks before we have a chance at another decent meal as a family." she hoped that would do.

Rashid sniffed, damn water at night. " You know what, I'm in. Brownies tonight, might get my mind off of things. I have some ice cream left from yesterday. Kid, if you skip out on sweets with us, I'm pouring ice in your bed." Hey, if he screwed himself up, damned if he'd let Luke do the same. Valentine seemed to still have the Hollywood boy's interests in mind, so whatever he did wasn't that bad.

"Breakfast is good as long as biscuits and gravy is on the list. a nice dark gravy, and dense bread to help out with the hangovers that'll be had in the morning."

He walked by Valentine to get to the kitchen. Under his breath, he muttered to the she-wolf "We should talk sometime." He got to his lamp and picked some clothing up off the ground and bitterly exclaimed:"In the meantime, I have to go throw away my new silk dust mop."

Luke looked down at the hand on his chest and back at Rashid. It was hard to stay angry at either of them for long but he was still feeling a little bent out of shape. ”Fine, fine but I’m going to go change out of these wet clothes first,” he waved his hand dismissively heading back towards his room. Luke reemerged a short time later with plaid pajama pants slung low on his hips with his hair still wet and he hadn’t bothered to put a shirt back on since he was planning on sleeping as a wolf anyhow. ”Man, it’s a good thing we aren’t like dogs and can still eat chocolate that’s all I’m going to say.”

She nodded at Rashid curiously as he headed out of the room to change, and let Luke's anger go as he agreed to sit up with them. She started on the brownies.

Helen closed the oven door and nodded at Luke's point about chocolate. She couldn't say anything about it as she'd just licked the spoon clean of batter. She sat down, setting a timer on her phone and popping open Facebook.
"Well, it doesn't do anything for me anymore when my stomach grumbles, but the day I give up brownies is the day I die." she said once she'd gotten the gritty goodness down.
"So, Randy met some girl and was blowing up my phone about her, some cute little Hispanic girl. She has such a pretty smile." she decided she'd set the mood of the conversation. She passed the picture of Lolly to the boys. She assumed Rashid had seen her, but maybe Luke hadn't yet. She looked up and realized Luke's shirt was off and she wasn't sure how long she'd been staring before she realized it.
"Ohmigawd, Rashid you should have come with us though, we went to this diner where they had a rack of Ribs as big as your arms, it was crazy. And you should have seen Luke tonight, he played his part so well he even had me fooled. We got samples of Toxic and a few other things we should really keep away from Cho and Riley now that I think about it." he deserved the praise, even if she was going out of her way to give it. Luke seemed to look up to Rashid, maybe some of his approval would help mend their friend's spirit.

Rashid looked at the phone. That was definitely the girl Riley had on his lap before the boxer disappeared in the back for the...good job ass, at least she doesn't know how close you were to carrying her off somewhere else. And the others here don't know exactly what happened anyway.

"Doesn't surprise me one bit." He tried hard to keep the spite out of his voice, at least one of them had to have something simple. He gave Valentine a look as she seemed to be staring off in the dis...at Luke. Like, directly at. And he says that he's some dumb pup. Maybe if he doesn't notice shit like this.

"Alright fine, so outside of the fact that the two of you had a good time together and should probably do it again, we now know what the stuff is called, who peddles it, and even have a sample of it. Good work." Maybe, just maybe, they would get a hint that thick and use it. "The Scorpions are coming in, and they spooked R&R while we were at the joint. Some new dealers have grown some balls now that they think they are backed by some power. SO...these assholes are moving in hard. If we get those bust locations from the twins for this new trash, we'll have a good idea of where they are holing themselves up. The Dollhouse at least is standing pretty firm on not letting this Toxic shit in their doors, so they can't be all that influential yet."