fandom_clinic | FTEC, Sunday, March 12th, Daytime

Lana came in about mid-morning, bringing fresh coffee. "Hey," she said, "Thought maybe you could use some of this."

"Coffee?" asked Janet eagerly. "Thanks, Lana. How's it going?"

"Good. Much better, actually. It's amazing the difference sleeping in a bed snuggled up with someone you lo- care about makes. As opposed to, oh, say falling asleep outside the clinic on a park bench." She grinned.

"Not that Shep will ever let me live that down either."

"You didn't!" exclaimed Janet. She grinned. "And yes, it's amazing what rest you get sleeping in a real bed. Though, see, you told Shep about it. If you tell him something like that, he's going to tease you about it."

"I know," Lana replied. "But he was expecting me to either come home or call that night so when I woke up I figured I should just call right away. And when he asked me what happened I just... told him. And immediately thought, 'oh, I'm never going to hear the end of this'."

She smiled. "But he's so good to me, I can't complain much. And I certainly have my fair share of things I can tease him about!"

"No, I can see why you wouldn't want him to worry," said Janet. "Though 'a bed in the clinic' is a perfectly acceptable white lie in that case. If it ever happens again."

"I'm glad you guys are happy. You both deserve it." Janet grinned. "Besides his propensity for being injured, you mean?"

Lana laughed. "Yeah, if I'd been more awake I might have thought of that. Though," she bit her lip," I probably would have still told him the truth. I have this real hang-up about people lying to me, so I try to make sure I don't do it myself."

"And yeah, we're happy," she said smiling again. "He's such a great guy. And I'm working on that whole believing I deserve it thing, but it's tough." She shrugged, "Things don't usually go so well for me. And yeah, mostly the whole getting injured thing, though I do bag him on his whole playing dumb thing as well." She giggled. "He's such a brat."

"Okay, that makes sense. No one likes to be lied to," said Janet, nodding. "Sometimes it's hard for us to believe we deserve being happy, but I can think of very few people who don't deserve it."

"Of course you deserve it." Janet propped her chin in her hands. "You guys seem happy together. I can't think of very many people who don't deserve to be happy." She snickered. "Guys like him often play dumb. I don't understand why, though possibly that's because I couldn't play dumb if you paid me to."

"Hmm... I hadn't thought of it in terms of everyone deserves to be happy," Lana said thoughtfully. "Makes sense though."

She smiled. "He says it keeps him out of a lot of trouble, but yeah, I can't imagine playing dumb. How terrible is it that I secretly think he's really cute when he does, though?"

"So... how about you? Anyone making you as happy as you deserve to be?"

Janet smiled. "And you're happy with Shep. So it's the perfect solution."

"As long as you manage to avoid telling him that, you should be safe," said Janet, laughing. "It's hard not to find everything cute about the one you like, though."

Janet smiled. "Wouldn't that be nice?" she asked, hopefully evading a clearer answer. "So, what decorations do you think we need for Angel's surprise party?"

"It is, isn't it," Lana said happily. "And actually I have told him that I quite enjoy it - as long as he's not pulling it on me."

She smiled a little dreamily for a moment, then looked up at Janet. "Well, I wish you well with it," she said gently, recognizing the evasion and not wanting to push in any way.

"Decorations... well, we don't have a whole lot of time. I'm thinking streamers, some balloons, maybe a big sign?"

"You know him too well," said Janet. "He'll never get away with it." She looked mischievous. "I don't think you should let him get away with anything."

Janet half-shrugged, and smiled at Lana's answer, then turned her mind to decorations. "That would be the easiest thing to do. And they always look good. See, I knew you'd be good at this."

She giggled. "I don't miss much," she replied. "Of course, neither does he. And I swear he gets me to tell him stuff I never would have volunteered on my own. I just find myself... *saying* things."

Lana raised her eyebrows. "Streamers and balloons come out to being good at this? I think you have to reserve that for something really original. But thanks. Do we have the food situation taken care of or do we need to figure that out as well?"

"That's a good sign," said Janet. "I think you two are meant to be together. But--saying what sorts of things?"

"Lana, my brain is so fried that I couldn't come up with anything," said Janet, smiling ruefully. "Food? I hadn't even thought of that."

Lana grinned, then blushed furiously. "*Things*, things... He challenges me, gets me to admit to things I... want or feel. And I end up being more open with him than I ever thought I'd be with anyone. Oh... inadvertantly, *dirty* "

Lana stops to think for a minute. "I bet the NPC grocery does party platters. I could give them a call and arrange for them to deliver some to Caritas, and maybe we could get some dessert stuff from J GOB?"

Janet snickered, then tried to look a little more serious. "How is that a bad thing, though? Admitting what you want, I mean, or being honest with someone."

"That's perfect. Tell them to send the bill to me, though." She grinned. "I never spend all of my food money for the month anyway."

"It's not really a bad thing," Lana admitted. "And I've almost gotten used to the fact that he has this... I don't know... *aura* about him that gets me to open up. But at first..." She let out a deep breath. "It's like splitting yourself wide open. I'd feel so vulnerable and... scared... and wondering how the hell that had ever come out of my mouth and he, well... there's this *pause* and it feels like forever before he says something..."

She looked off past Janet's head almost as if at something or someone who wasn't there. "But he never lets me down - never leaves me out there. He always makes me feel good about whatever it was."

She's quiet for a few moments, then looks back at Janet. "Sorry," she said quietly. "Even just talking about it is powerful."

"Anyway, okay, I'll order the stuff ~~and already put up another thread for it~~ and have them bill it to you. Are you sure? I don't mind pitching in."

FTEC, Sunday, March 12th, Daytime

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