First Friendly Face

Singing In The Rain

Thank you for 72 reads, enjoy this next part! 

"Thanks for letting me stay with you last night..."

"I'll be in my own room tonight so it's fine." She thanked him. She knew that he needed his bed to recover. Stress was enough; not having a bed to sleep in was even more.

"No problem." He replied. Jenny thought her words over carefully in her mind for a moment.

"We're going to Ellie's house tonight, for diner." Jenny blurted out. She saw his eyes widen. She hung her head down ashamed.

"I knew you wouldn't want to go but she asked me to and then she said you too." Jenny said defending her case.

"You know I can't go to that." Alec started with his eyes filled with fear.

"I know but just be careful ok?" Jenny pleaded.

"What else was I suppose to say to her?" She continued. Alec just stood there in silence.

"Fine. Meet me at the Traders at 4; we'll head down to her house then." Alec finally said. Jenny nodded in agreement. Jenny then noticed that Alec was holding a box.

"What's in the box?" She asked him. Alec thought about answering her. He wasn't sure if he should tell her or leave it at that.

"Um...Tom Millers computer. Paul Cotes gave it to me. I'm bringing it in to be analysed." Alec told Jenny answering his own question. Jenny's head shot up.

"Does Ellie know?" She asked him. Alec shook his head.

"What do we do tonight? Do we just not mention it?" Jenny asked Alec. Alec paused for a moment.

"Don't mention it." He confirmed to her. Jenny nodded. They stood there for a moment in silence. Jenny fiddled her feet around.

"Can I come with you? To the station?" She asked him. Alec looked at her and considered it.

"Sure, why not." He said. Jenny smiled. He nodded for her to follow him. She continued to smile the entire way to the station.

Just as the station came into sight it started to pour.

"Shoot!" Jenny yelled. She took her jacket off and covered her head. Alec winced as the rain started to come down.

"Come on!" He yelled as he ran to the station. Jenny followed him at a quick pace. They both made it under the porch. Jenny burst out in laughter. It was the first time she had laughed in a long time. Ever since things had gone wrong she didn't have time for the best things in life, like laughter.

Alec started to laugh too. They both stood there and laughed as they watched the rain come down. To Jenny it was like her tears were coming down around her. It made her feel better to know that it wasn't her falling apart; it was the world around her.

Alec snuck a glance at Jenny. She looked exactly like his daughter. They both had the same features, the same sharp brown eyes. The same smile, but not the same personality. Jenny was hidden from the rest of the world. She didn't like people worrying about her; she wanted to worry about others. His daughter wanted all the attention; everything had to be about her. He wasn't sure if she was still like that but he guessed so. His ex could never control her.

"Come on, we can go in now." Jenny said breaking the silence. Alec snapped back into reality. She turned and opened the door to the station. Alec looked one more time at the rain and then walked in through the door Jenny was holding open for him.

They walked up to the third floor and they turned to a desk in the corner of the room. A man sat there busy with papers.

"Here." Alec said to the man as he handed the box to him.

"Oh." The man said taking the box. Alec nodded to him and then turned back to the center of the room. He almost knocked Jenny over in the process but he never stopped to apologize. Jenny shot him a look behind his back.

They continued back to Alec's office. Jenny entered and plopped down into the chair facing his desk. Alec sat down at his own desk. He let out a big sigh. He took off his soaked jacket and hung it on the back of his chair. He then turned to face Jenny.

"You ok?" He asked her. Jenny twisted her mouth and then replied.

"Yeah. You?" She answered. Alec looked taken aback.

"Of course." He answered. Jenny placed her jacket down on the chair next to her. It was dripping water.

"Do you have anyone?" Jenny asked Alec. That question had been nagging at her for a while now. Did he have a family? If so where were they?

Alec didn't answer for a while. Jenny started to think that he wasn't going to answer. Finally he spoke up.

"Not anymore, not really." He told her. Jenny looked concernedly at him.

"Why not? What happened?" She asked him. Alec bit his lip.

"Divorced, my...ah...daughter is with her mother." He continued. It pained him to tell Jenny this.

"Why'd you divorce?" Jenny asked cautiously. Alec leaned back in his chair. He held off from answering for a bit.