star light, candle light

Who: Jocelyn and Doc
Where: over the wire (phone)
When: Late night

It was as dark as Jocelyn would let it get in her room, dark enough that the light of her cell phone screen seemed painfully bright while she scrolled down to Doc's number. Since talking to Grayson she'd been debating calling Doc, but Jocelyn wasn't sure if it was the right move. In his message he'd said to call if there was trouble, which there wasn't, but he'd also said he missed her before he even left. Who was she calling anyway? Her boss? Or the man she shared her bed with? There were things to say to both.

Sighing loudly she pushed the call button and listened to the ring. Maybe he just wouldn't answer and she could just leave a voicemail telling him to call her when he got a chance. And reassure him that nothing was wrong, she just needed to talk to him.

He'd thought he was going to Wyoming. He'd planned and packed for Wyoming. Unfortunately for Doc, Wyoming hadn't been Goshute tribal land for over a century. He'd flown for hours that day, blending near-invisibly in the sky and touching down at one point on an empty stretch of road. When he'd found a little hamlet, Doc had been laughed out of a gas station when he asked how far the reservation was. So he'd taken off once again, winging his way a state over and settling out in the flatlands for the night.

It was gorgeous out here, peaceful and still and empty where he sat at least half a mile from the road, duffel bag beside him and a bottle of water in hand. Tomorrow he'd strike back out, find the reservation in Skull Valley. Tonight? He'd be as alone as any man could in the physical sense. Or that was the plan, but then his phone trilled in his pocket. "Trouble already?" Doc murmured to himself, fishing it out and glancing at the display with a grin before answering me. "Don't even tell me Armageddon started on the day I left town," he answered teasingly.

Shit. Jocelyn wanted to talk to him, and hearing his tease through the phone was so satisfying and yet not on so many levels, but she'd prepped herself to leave a message and now she had to talk. Soon actually or he'd hang up or think something might be wrong. "No, nothing like that." The words tumbled out a little hurried and breathless. Gathering her wits about her as best as she could Jocelyn tried talked again. "I got your message."

He chuckled quietly, shifting his duffel back and leaning into it as his phone was shifted between shoulder and ear. "I gathered," Doc said with a smile, looking up at the sky and basking in the starlight, "Sorry for being so abrupt, but I figured that if I made the rounds in person I'd lose a whole day. I'm sorta racing the clock." Though admittedly, he would've liked to say goodbye to her in person, but there'd still be a lost day if he gave into the urge to spend it with her.

"I understand. I did just see you yesterday, and yesterday was quite nice." She shifted slightly and settled back against the headboard of her bed. "It doesn't mean I don't miss you though." It was going to be difficult to bring up what had been eating at her when being sweet with him came so naturally.

"I wasn't exactly thrilled to go either," he confessed, stretching a leg out to drag his heel through a little lingering dust of snow, "Never know when the hammer's gonna drop around there, but at least I know you and the others are capable of handling things." In truth, the break was somewhat welcome, though not because Doc needed any space. It was more that he loved the multitude of places he'd seen in the world, and he missed seeing them for any longer than a task of War allowed. Out here, he could bask in the stillness for a few days as he readied himself for his hopeful plan of crafting.

"I'm surprised to hear that," Jocelyn told him with an even voice, but a less than cheerful tone. "What with you bringing in others to do my job, I'd just assume you think I'm not capable of handling much of anything on my own." She played with little tuffs of flame along her hands, enjoying the warmth even if it did heat the anger inside her. "Why bring on a witch if you're going to find a dabbler to do all the work?"

Tilting the phone slightly to hide what noise he did make, Doc took a moment to sigh to himself. So this was why she'd called, because of Maddie's involvement? "Jocelyn, it's not like that at all," he said patiently, producing his cigarettes and lighting up, "I was out shopping for components for you to work with and I got to talking with Maddie. She told me she had a custom ritual she'd written herself, one that does the work of two fistfuls of wards and leaves the option to let people past as circumstances change." He exhaled slowly, watching the tendrils of smoke creep up into the night sky and vanish. "This isn't me trying to have someone else do your job, not even close. This is a case where an option I hadn't even considered made itself know for this one job."

Of course he'd be completely logical and insist it had nothing to do with her. "That's really great, but it's not like I wouldn't have ended up going in the same direction. It probably would have taken longer, especially since she already has the spell written, but it probably would have come to that eventually. Our group is too diverse to have anything else be of worth." Which was true. She'd kicked herself for not instantly thinking of something that shielded the whole place against anything that wasn't invited. It just wasn't a train of thought she'd go to automatically: she couldn't use spells like that for herself with her line of work and there wasn't a need for it when she was living at home since her parents were part of society. "You gave me less than 12 hours to come up with something and for a good chunk of it you managed to distract me from coherent thought." Jocelyn sighed at herself, feeling like she sounded irrational even if her anger was barely noticeable to someone outside of her head.

"I did, no argument of that here," Doc conceded, frowning as he considered what the root of this displeasure might actually be. It couldn't be Maddie's involvement outright, not to his thinking. Among Doc's own kind, a chance to learn was always a wondrous thing, and what Maddie said she could do? Hell, he'd learn it himself if he could. No, this was an overlapping of territories, plain and simple. "Jocelyn..." he murmured into the phone, "You don't have to look at this as proving something, okay? I know you were worried about your place in things here, and that this was a chance to fill it, but that chance isn't gone." His head dipped back as Doc puffed loose smoke rings into the sky, watching them rise, waver, and dissolve. "I need you to keep faith in your part of this no matter what changes, because I already have that faith in you myself. So... the house project's changed, yes. But you have the chance to study with Maddie, to see what offensively designed curses you can incorporate once it's in place. You can vouch for her to Kurt and Grayson. I need you to fill as many gaps in what's happening in town as you can. For me."

She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them. "I know things change, I know I need to adjust to it." Jocelyn paused, taking a deep breath. "Just don't write me off. I'm scared yes, but I'm a damn good witch. I'm not scared because I'm a mediocre witch, I'm scared because I'm not a warrior." Something else he'd said has sent a shot of anger through her veins. "And I don't want to study with Maddie. Witchcraft isn't usually that way. Rarely do witches studying under those who aren't their family or it the people you originally learned under. We aren't the type to pick up strays and work together." Sure Jocelyn had liked Maddie and they would probably swap ideas, or tips, but not start practicing together, you just didn't share your work. But it was so hard to stay frustrated at him, especially when he said for me the way he did. She sighed, feeling defeated. "I just want a chance to prove it, to you and to myself."

He frowned, knowing he'd overstepped his boundaries in some sense even if the intentions were good. Assumption just kept biting him in the ass, it seemed. "I'm sorry," Doc said in a softer tone, sitting up a little, "Where I come from, you never stop learning. You teach each other because that's how you survive, because no one view of the world is the right one... Jocelyn, you know you don't have to prove anything to me, don't you?" This had come up before, her lack of faith in how well-suited she was to working with him, and he wanted to try and dispel the idea, but it likely wouldn't die easily. "I've seen your potential, and when the time comes? I have faith that you'll go beyond what needs to be done. It may not be a battle or a war, but I believe you're exactly who I needed for the job we have. Even if you doubt yourself? Believe me on that."

"Magic tends to work like faith, which really it is because you have to have faith in the magic to make it work. Anyone can just say a bunch of words and sprinkle some herbs around but nothing will happen. You have to believe in the spells for them to work. And by nature, faith is a very personal thing. It's the same way with magic," Jocelyn explained. Perhaps it was an arrogant type of lifestyle, but that was just how it worked. "I know you have faith in me, and I know I can do this. I just was looking forward the opportunity to do it. Magic isn't just a hobby for me, or something I picked up the same way a person would pick survival techniques. It's a life, my life. It's who I am, as much as something I do. It's all connected. Real magic flows through a person as much as around them. Every spell, every potion, every ward has a part of a person in them. Two people could make the same ward but it wouldn't be the same in the end." It was a hard concept to explain to someone who'd never actually done magic. "I didn't just call to rake you over the coals for the Maddie thing. There's something else I wanted to run by you."

He wasn't going to say as much, but Doc knew exactly what was being explained to him. A willworker's own magic was colored much in the same sense as Jocelyn's explanation, the only difference being that there weren't even the rituals and strictures placed on them. There was just a price, every time without fail. "In my experience, a lack of opportunity isn't always a bad thing. But we've dwelled there already, and I'm sorry for going around you on things. What's up otherwise?" he asked, figuring this minor conflict wouldn't really be worked out until Doc was back in town, so it was best to tend to everything else he could in the meantime.

"It's Grayson actually," Jocelyn told him, letting the argument die away. "He and I talked some this evening and he's being haunted. Poltergeist style haunting. He says it's getting worse and he can't really establish any contact with the thing." She left the more awkward portions of their conversation out since they didn't actually apply to the current situation. "I haven't had a chance to talk to Kurt yet if he's heard about anything else going around, but I can't help but wonder if it's linked to the spirits being visible all of a sudden."

Of course there'd be a situation the day Doc left town, it never failed. He didn't brood on it much, as it wasn't like he'd be able to do much about it in any case, but he never liked missing out on what were potentially pieces of the whole puzzle. It was a small test, he knew; he had to trust in the others to handle this. "Any idea if it's happening beyond Grayson?" Doc asked first, frowning thoughtfully, "I'd be surprised if he was the only one to piss off a spirit, quite honestly." He wanted to head back, to spread out his senses and follow the problem to the root, but.... Faith, Doc chided silently. "I'd bet it's connected," he mused, "The town wasn't a hotspot of spiritual activity before the ghosts appeared. Now, you may not like this solution? But it's the only one I've got right now." Of course she wouldn't, Doc knew Jocelyn's worry about the twins. But an answer was an answer. "Get a hold of Synnove, explain it all to her. She's... she's got insights on spirits you wouldn't even believe, Jocelyn."

"I haven't had a chance to look much farther than Grayson but the thought crossed my mind. My first concern was seeing if I could muster up some ward for his place since he looks like he hasn't slept in days." Hopefully Doc would understand putting out the fire of a cranky wolf who still had to bartend had been at the top of her list of things she could try and start to fix after midnight. "If I'm going to ward his place, I've gotta swing by Maddie's anyway, so I'll talk to her, see if anyone else has come by for stuff against spirits. And I was planning on calling Kurt to see if he'd heard anything." She paused before she moved forward with his suggestion. "I'll try and catch up with Synnove as well." Sure she wasn't really interested in spending unecessary time with the twins, but this was a valid reason to call on them, and they would understand work related questions. It might ease some of the tension, although Jocely really did doubt that.

"Do that," he urged her, "Even if there's some reason you two don't click, she's good about focusing on the job. And calling Kurt might not get you too far. He's... well, I was the first 'other' thing he ever encountered, so he's not the most knowledgable for spirits. But if there's something beyond Grayson's poltergeist happening in town, he'd do well to know so he can watch out for it." Of course, Kurt would be at their mercy, Big Iron didn't affect ghosts at all. But Doc wanted the man's tactical line of thinking accessible to the others and up to speed on whatever situation was unfolding. "If Grayson absolutely needs some sleep, bring him by the safehouse. I'm pretty sure it's not haunted, he can catch a few hours there."

"Don't worry about Grayson and sleep. If all else fails I think he can probably crash here at Babylon, on my floor if he has to. I'll let him know about the safe house, but I think that might make him more nervous. He seems...territorial. Plus he's reluctant for help but that's a tough guy thing I think." Jocelyn flinched a little when Doc mentioned being the first supernatural creature Kurt had been in contact with. It made her curious again what his story was and how he played into things, but she was almost certain Doc wouldn't tell her. It would have be a line of questioning she ran by the man herself. "I'm sure it's nothing huge though, at least nothing we can't handle. I just wanted to see if it sparked anything with you."

He liked that, the certainty that she and the others could handle it. Doc knew from previous experience that sometimes such notions led to disaster, but he wouldn't naysay. They all deserved a fair shot before he let his old man side take the reins entirely. "It definitely sparks something, but nothing useful," he shared, "I just can't shake the idea that all of this is a progression of some kind. I've got a quiet night ahead of me, I'll make some calls and see if anything strange is happening elsewhere. I know we had a slight headstart on the ghost appearances overall, but they showed up everywhere. So if this is a warning of something else coming? Maybe we'll get some clues. I'll call if I find anything." He sat up a little, grinning as he shifted the phone to his other ear. "You know how to get ahold of me if things get worse, too. At worst, you'll interrupt me shopping for souveniers for you and the kids."

"Definitely get back to me if you hear something. For right now it's not really hurting anyone it just seems hell bent on ensuring Grayson doesn't get his security deposit back." She smiled into the phone as she shifted lower on the bed and into a more reclined position. "Here I thought you were on some important mission and you're out there shopping," Jocelyn teased lightly.

"Shopping's not an important mission?" Doc retorted, chuckling gruffly into the phone, "Hell, as a man? I'm not allowed to ever appear enthused about shopping, so I have to go about seven states over to get it done when the mood hits." Even if he knew they were just delaying the inevitable issues that needed resolving, it was nice to just joke with her for the moment. Too often, Doc couldn't handle real confrontation on a personal level, it made him panic and fall back on old defenses. She deserves better, he mused, hoping this trip would help him figure out what 'better' could mean for him.

"Darling if you'd like an excuse to go shopping that bad, I'll gladly replace you with Kurt as far as shopping bodyguards go." The comment brought back memories of their last moments together and she paused briefly just thinking of his hands on her. It really was so hard for Jocelyn to be upset with him, especially when she was almost certain he hadn't intended to hurt her by taking the task out of her hands. Of course it was something they'd rehash, or it would be an issue until she really felt comfortable in her place at his side, but it was a conversation better left for face to face. Provided she could keep her hands off of him long enough to have a conversation.

Picturing Kurt being dragged out like that made Doc smirk, and he briefly hoped she wasn't seriously considering him as a bodyguard or anything. Kurt was a good man to have watching your back, sure, but he was a proud soldier too. Still, Doc doubted Jocelyn meant anything more than a joke by it. "He'd be thrilled by the tradeup, I'm sure," he agreed, sighing and settling back on his bag again, "But by the time I'm back, the urge will have faded for a few years at least. So if you're patient? maybe someday you can drag me out into proper stores, I think you'd get bored coming with me to buy bulk forging materials."

"Just as I imagine you'd get bored looking for shoes you didn't desperately need," she teased back. Most of the anger had left her now, but the void was being replaced with a sadness. "I miss you." Jocelyn wasn't sure if it was the appropriate thing to say but she wasn't the type to just cover up her feelings. When everyone could already tell what she was feeling from just looking at her face, it seemed useless to not wear her heart on her sleeve.

"Yeah, I own two pairs of shoes, and I don't wear one of them any more," Doc confirmed, his smile softening when Jocelyn said she missed him. "Can't be because I've been gone so long, is it just that you know I'm not there?" he asked, shifting to curl slightly on one side. "Because I'll be back soon. This is the only extended trip I'm planning in any kind of forseeable future, and... I miss you too," Doc murmured, figuring he could admit it for once. He was still swept up in the dizzying high of it all, and not being around her when he knew how great it felt? Yeah, it was lonely.

Jocelyn settled in a little more, bringing one arm up and resting her head on it. "Well I think part of me always misses you when you're not physically next to me, but no it's not because you've been gone long. It's knowing you're going to be gone long. It's different when you're just across town and I could see you tomorrow." She was feeling somewhat defensive of her feelings, but relaxed when he admitted to missing her too. Maybe she wasn't completely alone in this. "I know you'll be home soon. Just remember while you're out there exploring, I'm here with the day to day and a cranky werewolf."

Technically this was work, and when he was working? Well, getting Doc to admit he was still a person was tough. But he knew the words were genuine on both of their ends, and was still striving to break down the foolish old barriers that had made his life such a mess. "The day to day isn't so bad," Doc insisted, "And if it is? Well, you need a hobby. When I get back, we're gonna teach you how to rebuild an engine, young lady." It was a totally empty threat, and Doc's mind was more on the lines of 'spend a week in bed to balance out', but he wasn't feeling that open tonight. Even if he'd made progress, there was just too much of the man that was afraid to live his own life, to do what he wanted, to celebrate it all. She'll see it, then she'll leave, he thought starkly, blinking at himself for such a bitter idea.

"The day to day is taking adjusting to, what with work being a few states away. I have far too much time on my hands." Doc's offer to teach her how to rebuild an engine sounded terrifying, but mostly because Jocelyn was certain it would show how completely inept she was at something of that nature. "I'll take you up on the 'finding me a hobby' plan if we try and avoid things that I could actually break." She laughed lightly, thinking something more physical and directly Doc related might be more her style. It made the space in her stomach that was missing him ache just a little more, but she kept that tidbit to herself. There was no need to sound too desperate.

"We'll figure something out," he promised, grinning to himself in consideration. Doc was a renaissance man, there was plenty he could try and teach Jocelyn, and a lot of it might even come in handy if trouble ever hit. And while teaching her to handle a weapon was practical, there was far more that was just good to know. Physics were infinitely useful, he spoke a few languages without the aid of his demonic side, he could even teach her how to read the stars. Stars... he mused, looking up again. Doc needed to compare with the astronomy charts he'd brought along, to try some kind of guesswork about the alignment overhead. "I've got some homework dropping in front of me, anything I can do to help the time pass before I have to go?"

Jocelyn knew she shouldn't keep him, even if part of her would have been content to stay up all night on the phone talking. Hearing his voice made him seem as if he wasn't so far away, as if she wasn't going to be so lonely for so long. "Tell me something I don't know about you. I'll give you something new about me in return." If they treated it the right way they could make this distance work for them. Just talking provided an opportunity to learn about each other, feel out their differences and weaknesses and make progress on establishing a connection that wasn't purely physically. Even a physical connection as strong as theirs needed a solid foundation.

His smile was sudden and surprised by the request, Doc hadn't been expecting that. It was a welcome surprise though, a good sign that it wasn't just a physical connection. Or maybe it would turn out that way as she learned more, but only if Doc exposed himself wrong. So she wanted to know more about him? He thought fast, nixing ideas like how many firefights he'd been in or how long it had been since he'd bought new clothes, those sorts of details were either terrible or pointless. "Okay... my absolute favorite thing ever is sunset, with sunrise a close second. I've seen it in every state but Alaska, and probably half of Europe. And once in the Congo," he said, smiling pleasantly even if that visit had been a dark one, "Sun-up over the jungle is like nothing else in the whole wide world."

"I can imagine that would be..amazing." Jocelyn was far more a fan of sunrises, even if sunsets were romantic. For someone afraid of the dark though, light's exit is far more terrifying than it should be. There was a moment where she could explain it, but part of her was still hesitant to explain her fears. "Hmm, my favorite thing, since you told me yours, would have to be this cafe in Rome I found when I was there backpacking and looking for information on the older magic styles. I was there every morning and every evening, just watching the city wake up and end its day. Plus they had excellent coffee." It had been a happy time in her life, her cares were minimal, her money hadn't run out, she was studying ancient texts and Italian men never ceased to entertain.

"You got to backpack across Europe?" Doc asked, "Color me jealous. When I was in school I never got a break, and not long after graduating I started hunting. So I guess that's two new bits for you tonight." The mention of Rome gave him a momentary pang of heartache as he wondered where Eva was, if she was okay, but Doc wouldn't dwell on it. She'd made her choice, and if she popped up on the grid? He'd make sure she was hidden again before anyone else noticed her. "Sometime you'll have to show it to me, my top ten favorite things include a good coffee somewhere in the ranks."

"You'd be surprised how much time you have when you drop out of college and run away from home. It was nice until the money ran out." Jocelyn was a little ashamed of her unfinished education but she'd left that life behind and she'd immersed herself in the supernatural, living how she wanted, it was a decision she made, there wasn't going any going back. "I guess that's two from me as well." For a moment she day-dreamed about an extended stay in Rome with Doc, she knew he'd love it because it was so historic. "I'll gladly take you there, just name the time."

Before the end of the world, preferably, Doc though, biting back the words. This was a good talk, not one that needed somber reminders of the consequences they were all trying to stop. "Sometime soon, with any luck," he said instead, "This sort of job's a pain to get vacation time from, but we'll find a chance. Promise." He wanted that time just as much as she did, but the hope for it could be a good motivator to push ahead until a real chance showed itself. "And I'll do my best to not give you grief for dropping out of school, cranky old man that I am..."

Jocelyn hoped he was right and that they would get a chance to go, or get a chance to do something of that nature. "I'm going to hold you to that promise," she teased lightly, even if it was somewhat hollow. It didn't take much to realize that it would be harder for them than most couples to sneak off for some time. "I regret the school part. That's probably the only part of my life at that point that I regret, but it wasn't the right thing at the time. My parents were trying to control every aspect of my life and they were using school as leverage. I cut ties and ran."

"Well, count me as glad that you did, otherwise who knows how things might be different?" Sure, there were guesses, but that was all they were. Doc had learned not to focus on the what-ifs, because unless he got dropped into an alternate timestream again? They didn't matter. What mattered was here and now; the twins, Jocelyn, the fight to keep this world alive in spite of itself. "And if you regret it enough? You can always re-enroll. Hell, it'd help me get the twins thinking about going back to classes."

"I guess I never really thought about going back. Up until recently most of my time has been spent either at work or recovering from work. I've only just recently found all of this free time on my hands." Jocelyn wasn't sure what she'd even begin to study as her previous major of European History and Literature seemed useless now that she wasn't destin to just be another Laurent daughter, busy raising a family of young witches and helping the random people who found their way to the back door when they were in need. "I didn't realize the twins were avoiding classes."

He was hoping Jocelyn wouldn't actually push with the kids, though Doc didn't think it too likely. They'd opted to take a break, and he understood why. Times changed, and they'd grown up not only in a different time than him but with a constant awareness of the strangeness around them. "They decided to take an undetermined amount of time off back when trouble started hitting town," he explained, "And since none of us thinks it's over? They're still on that. But they've got their mother's wits, I know either of them could graduate with honors if they had the time for classes."

"If you were anyone else, I'd be on their side for not needing to go back to school, especially with as intelligent as they are. College isn't the right choice for everyone." Jocelyn believed what she said; she'd missed out on her own education but she wasn't any worse for the wear. Plus she'd heard the stories of people pushed into college when it wasn't the right fit just because that's what was expected of them. They typically flunked out and led a miserable life instead of one they could have led without the "college flunkie" or "college drop out" stain on the resume. "If they really want to do it, they'll find the time."

"I know they will, and really? I prefer them saving lives to them getting through English 101," Doc admitted, sighing quietly, "I guess I'm just hoping for a day when they don't have to choose between the two, you know? And maybe they already hit that point and just... picked this life." The life had picked Doc, and he supposed it had picked the twins too. So maybe it was good that they seemed able to accept it so much sooner than he had. "Whatever they opt for? I'm with them, I know that. And hell, hunting is cheaper than tuition."

"It's ok to want something different for them though, even if it's not what they go with. It's not like hunting is a pretty lifestyle," Jocelyn reminded him. "I know it's hard to see people so young take on that life." She'd seen the way hunting could break down someone; Babylon had been a respite for more than one since it'd been open. They were a tired bunch, tired and jaded. Even a friendly smile was met with bitterness and skepticism.

"I just... want better for them, I guess," Doc agreed, nodding even if she couldn't see it. He wanted better than he'd gotten, less pain, less grief, but that didn't seem like it was in the cards. Even this trip told him that; he'd come here to forge them weapons. "I should go, Jocelyn," he said after a moment of silence, "Before I get too down in your ear or anything. But I'll be back soon, promise. And you know how to reach me if you need to."

"You're too good a father to not want better for them, darling." Hearing that he had to go saddened her but she understood. "Ok, I should probably try and work on things for Grayson before it gets really late anyway." Jocelyn paused briefly before continuing. "I'll be waiting for you when you get back. Be safe Eric."

He wondered if that pause was holding words she wasn't ready to speak, but Doc wouldn't ask as much tonight. Neither of their moods seemed right for that particular talk. "I never am, but I'll try," he teased softly, "You stay safe too, tell Grayson and the others to keep the town as sane as it ever is until I'm back... goodnight, Jocelyn."

"'Night Eric," Jocelyn told him and she hung up the phone. Reaching to her nightstand to light another two candles to combat the darkness that had seeped into a darker hue, she sighed. Her heart was heavy with words unspoken, conflicts not completely resolved and most of all missing him at her side.