Into the Unknown

Chapter 4

"What do you want? 'Cause you've been keeping me awake

Are you here to distract me so I make a big mistake?

Or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me?

Who knows deep down I'm not where I'm meant to be?"

The bacon was sizzling in the pan and the pancakes bubbling when Maggie stirred on the couch. Alex took this as her cue and poured a piping hot cup of coffee, stirred in a spoonful of honey, and added a dash of non-dairy creamer. She brought the cup over to the coffee table and offered a bleary eyed Maggie a smile to go with it.

"It looks like Phoebe isn't the only one who was tired last night. The coffee is fresh, and pancakes and bacon will be ready soon."

"Yeah, I -" Maggie stifled a yawn as she stretched out, pushing the blanket to her feet as she rose, "- haven't gotten much sleep since I got the kid. One eye open and all that." She took the coffee, smiling as she inhaled. Her smile grew when she took a sip. "You remembered how I like it."

Alex ducked her head, but she couldn't stop the smile that grew in return. "It hasn't been that long."

"Uh, pancakes and bacon? I appreciate the offer but—"

"Vegan pancakes and bacon. And yes that's non-dairy creamer in your coffee. I snuck out to the store while you guys were still asleep, that little hipster place you used to like, and bought some of the tofu whatever bacon you ate, some margarine, non-dairy creamer, vegan ice cream, and some of that brown crap you used as an egg substitute. I still think it's toxic sludge. Are you hoping it will irradiate you and give you superpowers?"

"Being vegan is a superpower," Maggie said, but she smiled and looked away a bit too quickly, something odd coming over her face that Alex got just a glimpse of before it was turned away, and then Maggie was looking back again, her silly grin returned. "Are they the famous Danvers blueberry pancakes?"

"Oh, no." Alex hurried back to the kitchen, flipping the first of the pancakes that had reached the peak of browning perfection on the bottom side. She pitched her voice to travel to the living room. "Kelly's allergic to blueberries. I tried to kill her the first time I made her breakfast, so I don't keep blueberries in the house anymore." Alex's smile immediately fell away when she looked over to see both Maggie and Phoebe staring at her. She mouthed, "Sorry."

Phoebe had immediately returned to watching something animated on the TV, apparently no further traumatized by Alex's offhanded comment. With her lopsided grin and deep dimples, Maggie slid to a stool on the other side of the counter that served as a divider between Alex's living room and kitchen area. "How's that foot taste, Danvers?"

"The pancakes will be better even without blueberries, I promise."

Maggie chuckled. "I'm holding you to that. Hey, you think you can keep an eye on her for five minutes? I need to grab my go bag from my car. We hightailed it out of that apartment so quickly, I didn't have a chance to grab anything besides our coats, but protocol is to keep a change in the trunk in case of emergencies."

"Which this was." Alex glanced over at Phoebe. "She's been fine this morning, not hungry but fine. Go ahead."

Maggie's brows furrowed, but she nodded. "Much appreciate it. Hey Pheebs, I've got to grab our bag from my car. Alex here is going to stay with you. I'll only be gone five minutes, okay?"

The little girl looked from one adult to the other, Alex offering a gentle smile, and then went back to her TV without a comment.

"Silence is acceptance. I'll be right back." Grabbing her boots and tugging them on with the laces still dangling, Maggie grabbed her keys and headed out, leaving Alex alone with the little girl. It was a harrowing five minutes of cartoons and pancake flipping in utter silence, but Maggie was true to her word. With a small duffle bag in her hand, she came strolling back in, tossing her keys on the counter like years hadn't passed. "Miss me?"