Chapter 7: A New Leaf

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Daniel awoke bright and early. As he did so, he noted with some disappointment that his 'experiments' had all disappeared, leaving small piles of fine dust - with one big one where the sofa had been - as the only evidence of his nocturnal activities; they had all disintegrated as his mind surrendered to sleep.

Feeling trully refreshed for the first time since recovering from his coma, he performed some light exercises before noting that he should be getting ready for work. After taking a quick shower and donning his favourite suit - it was a fairly unique day after all - he decided to call his landlord.

"Hullo? That you Mr. Stone?"

"Yeah. Fred, sorry I didn't get in touch before, but - "

"Hey! No problem. It ain't every day you wake up from a coma!"

"Thanks. Uh, about the ap - "

"All sorted. Your utility bills were settled by your lawyer friend. What's his name? I forgot."

"Sam? He came here?"

"Oh, yeah! Plenty of times. Nice guy once you know him. Scared the bejesus out of Sally though. Never went to your apartment, just asked about costs an' all that."

"Oh. Great! That's a burden off my back. I'll have to thank him later. Hey, Fred. Look, it's a bit of a mess here, is there..."

"Heh. Got the spring cleanin' blues, right? No problem. I'll send my girl over to give the place a once over later."

"Great! Thanks! Uh, tell Sally I'll give her something for her trouble. Oh, when will she come?"

"Don't give her nothin' fancy, now. Beth spoils her more than enough already. Oh, she'll show up about... hmmm, how's four thirty? She should be back from school by then. Beth?" He called out to his wife. "That right? Half past four? Yeah," he said a few moments later. "How's that for you?"

"I'm not sure I'll be back by then," Daniel replied with disappointment.

"How about I let her in with the master key? Got no secrets in there have you?" Fred chuckled lightly.

"Sure. Classified. Doing research on dirt. Nasty stuff. Nah, that'd be great. Cheers, Fred." If only you knew, Daniel thought smugly. Sally'll probably think I've gone wierd, leaving piles of dirt everywhere. X-Files material even.

"Like I said, no problem. Anything else?"

"No. Best get to work. Again, thanks."

"Sure. Okay, cya."

Well, that's that problem sorted, Daniel thought as he recalled fondly the first time he had met Fred face to face, thinking he had just stepped onto the set of NYPD Blue. He even had the moustache and balding pate.

Checking his wallet to make sure he had enough change for the taxi ride, Daniel noticed Dr. Roberts' card with some chagrin. His promise to book an appointment had completely escaped his mind. Muttering in irritation, he picked up the phone and dialed the number on the card.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Roberts? It's Daniel here."

"Daniel? Oh! Mr. Stone! Are you ready to book your appointment?" he asked blithely.

"Yes... er, when would be best? I know I said three days but I would prefer to get it out of the way."

"Of course. Hmmm, let me seeee..." Daniel heard a faint rustle of paper. "Yes, there's a few places here. The earliest is tomorrow afternoon at three thirty. Would that suffice?"

"Ahhhh... yes, that would be fine. I'll just leave the office early, thank you. You must be... busy," Daniel hinted.

"No problem. I'm looking forward to seeing you again actually, Mr. Stone. Have you had any, uh, difficulties?"

"None whatsoever. I feel great."

"Oh. Nothing? Well, you never know. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Right. Bye." Don't sound too thrilled now, Daniel thought testily.

"Bye."

He looked around his dirty apartment for a few moments, vaguely wondering where he was going to get the raw ingredients for his next bout of modern art before realizing with mild consternation something that had been staring at him in the face. Where was dust when it wasn't sitting in convenient piles on the ground? Why dust? Why even think about it? Cursing at his stupidity, he headed for the door but was interrupted as the phone rang.

"Dan?"

It was Pete. Talk about timing, Daniel thought to himself wryly. "Hey, Pete!"

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine! I've just finished arranging to have the apartment cleaned."

"Well, in that case... WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" Pete screamed, causing Daniel to wince slightly in remorse. Then, in a more measured tone, he said, "Here we all are, worried sick about you. And when you finally get out - nothing! Not a word!"

"Hey! Chill, Pete. I'm sorry. Had some things to sort out. I was actually on the way to the office when you rang."

"Oh. Really? Damn, sorry. Chalk up another for Premature Pete. Oh, Sam's been bugging me about you, but he hasn't been here for ages. Want me to buzz him, let him know you're coming in?"

"Yeah. What's he doing?"

"Uh, dunno. Anyway, catch you later."

"Yeah. Won't be long."

"Right. Oh, you coming by taxi?"

"Yeah."

"Don't go direct. The cops are thick as flies on a fresh turd around downtown."

"Oh? What's going on?"

"Haven't a clue."

"Oh. Well, I'll move now. Be there soon."

"'kay."

Daniel grinned to himself as he hung up the phone. No doubt Pete was itching to get him back behind his desk and dealing with his share of the paperwork. He doubted that everyone was 'worried sick' about him for a start. Still, it will be good to see the gang again.

Gathering his suit jacket, he made his way to the door - and was interrupted again. However, this time it was the buzzer.

Muttering inanities to himself about timing, he wandered over to the panel and pressed the answer button. "Hello?" he said gruffly.

"Daniel?" came a fuzzy, electronified voice.

"Yeah? That's me."

"Dan, it's me! Chaz! Let me in!"

Daniel froze, dumbstruck. What? "Uh, sure. Come on up." He pressed the door release, fidgeted momentarily and then groaned as he spun around and surveyed his apartment. Shit! Just when being a teekay would be handy! Shit!

Cursing more volubly, he raced to the door, doubled back to pick up his jacket again, then tore his way out of the apartment - slamming the door shut behind him just as he heard a pair of high-heeled shoes making their way up the stairs.

"Chaz!" he called down. "Wait up, I'll be down in a moment."

Locking the door, he composed himself and steadied his breathing before making his way down the stairs. He met Chaz on the next floor standing before a breathtakingly panoramic view of a brick wall with a puzzled look on her face, her eyebrows drawn together questioningly.

"Hey there," he said, casually waving. She was dressed conservatively today; a stark contrast to the tight, sensual outfit she had worn the last time Daniel had seen her - plain though it was, had it been on another person. A dark grey woolen skirt that ended at her knees, a matching sports jacket and a creamy white blouse that complimented her light skin. A silky black shawl that highlighted her dirty blonde hair, which was tied back in a pony tail and surmounted by a pair of dark designer sunglasses, was wrapped about her neck and tucked into the front of the jacket, giving her a distinctly classy air. It was an outfit designed to show some elegance without drawing too much attention, but her beauty killed off whatever attempt at being nondescript the designer had originally intended.

"Hi. Nice suit. Where are you going?"

"Work. Thanks, you're looking very good yourself. But Chaz, what are you doing here?"

She looked out the window, saw the fascinating view, blinked and turned back to Daniel as she closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. "I... think we need to talk, after last night. Look, I know you're in a rush. That's why I came so early, but - can we? Talk?"

"Ummm. I know you're here and... sorry, but can it wait? It's just that I'm already kind of late."

"I tried to get here earlier but I was caught in traffic, sorry. Look, I'll give you a lift. You said you don't have a car, so..."

Daniel looked at her, trying to fight his inner instincts and keep a firm grip on his libido. Oh, what the hell, he thought. What can go wrong?

"Okay, thanks," he said, nodding. "I suppose we should talk anyway. So, how long were you two talking after I left last night?" he asked as they walked down.

She shrugged. "Quite a while. Not all you though," she said as she crinkled her nose at him. "So, don't start thinking you're the centre of the world or anything."

"What? Me?" Daniel said, grinning widely.

He was pleasantly surprised at her car; a late model black Mercedes where he had been expecting some kind of flashy convertible. Still, it reeked of more money than he was used to so he was suitably impressed as they belted in and drove away. An even bigger shock followed when she started playing Vivaldi on the car's stereo system after he had given her directions to his office.

"Surprised?" she asked, nudging him in the side with her elbow.

"Yeah," he admitted ruefully, embarrassed she had noticed the look on his face.

"Don't be. It's a front. Normally I only use this car when I go to dad's. I'm meeting with stuffy types at the bank later, you see. Actually the car really belongs to dad, he just lets me use it."

"Ah," Daniel chuckled.

"My other car's a Rolls." She laughed as Daniel gaped. "Just joking! Well, actually my dad has one but I never liked it. Stuffy. Nah, I've got a Porsche I like to nip about in."

Daniel nodded, not having had the experience to know whether a Rolls Royce was stuffy or not, and definitely lacking whatever it was that let her casually dismiss a Porsche as something to 'nip about in'.

"So... you and Elaine? Last night?" Daniel hinted.

"Oh. Yeah," she said hesitantly. "Well, we talked it over." She looked at him as they stopped for some traffic lights. "Dan, what I said..."

"It's okay. You weren't yourself."

She shook her head slowly. "No, no I wasn't. But... Daniel, I meant it."

"What?" He stared at her. A moment later he fell back in the seat and began chuckling to himself. "I can't believe this. What am I on, for god's sake? Sure, Chaz. It's not every day some gorgeous girl I just met asks me to give her an orgasm or two! Who am I to deny her? The lady wants an orgasm, don't argue. Just give her one!" He started laughing openly, shaking his head in wonderment.

Chaz blushed furiously. "That's... great, Dan. Thanks. I think. But - well, that's not what I meant. Sort of."

Continuing to chuckle lightly, he turned to her and asked, "What then? That's what you said last night, you wanted more."

She hesitated for a moment before speaking, a slow flush spreading across her cheeks. "I want... well, I also want the bit that, uh, usually comes before."

He looked at her closely, his expression guarded as the smile slowly slid off his face. "What are you saying? Hang on, Elaine said that you're..."

"... a lesbian. Yeah." She sighed and peered through the tinted glass at the traffic sign which still showed red. "Well..." She said the next words in a rush. "All I know is I want to give it another try. I'm... I dunno. We talked about what you did to me, and her, and she told me that kind of feeling was pretty normal. With guys. We couldn't exactly sit and compare notes, Dan! If you know what I mean. So I want to try again."

They sat in silence until the lights showed green and Chaz put the car in gear.

"So, what you're saying is that the feeling you get with another woman is... what, different? Different than with a guy?" Chaz started to nod, but then shrugged. "Well!" Daniel sat back loosely in the passenger seat, releasing a deep breath and not knowing what to say.

"Chaz," he said after a few moments. "Chaz, you're not... are you - "

"No."

"No?"

"No, Dan. I'm not a virgin. I lost that years ago in high school. Like I said, I want to try again. Dan, I'm twenty two. I'm not a clueless teenager you know."

"Oh," said Daniel, feeling slightly disappointed as he pictured her in that very role. Then curiosity struck him and his eyebrows furrowed together. "But - "

"On purpose. Look, you know what it's like. Well, maybe you don't. It was an itch I had to scratch."

"Ah," said Daniel, preferring to remain monosyllabic.

Chaz suddenly laughed quietly to herself. "Dan, a few days ago if anyone had tried to convince me that I would be having serious difficulty talking a guy into bed I'd have gone into fits."

So, that's that, Daniel thought. That's what she wants, for sure. Oh, shit how did I get in this mess? What the hell am I complaining about? Crap!

"And if someone had told ME that I wouldn't be shouting 'Yes! Thank you Lord!', I'd be calling them crazy. Chaz, you're gorgeous. I really, really mean that." A light flush crossed Chaz's face and neck as she stifled a grin. "I'm having great difficulty here, you know, especially when I think about... ah, last night. It's a bit complicated. Look, what did Elaine say to all this?"

Chaz sat silent for a moment, then, still without looking at him, she spoke. "Dan, what is the situation with you and Elaine? Truthfully? Just how complicated is it? How complicated can it be?"

Daniel looked at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking without actually doing the dirty deed. Damn, he thought. It's like having a car and being forced to walk everywhere.

Noticing him scrutinize her, Chaz sighed and said, "I don't know how you feel towards Elaine, but don't start feeling responsible or guilty just because you screwed. She isn't, I'm telling you." She saw a look of faint suspicion come into his eyes. "Don't look at me like that! She's my best friend and I'm hers. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her, and I'm pretty damn sure she wouldn't hurt me. Not that she could before last night." She started to smirk but then sighed and lowered her head slightly. "I told her how I was feeling last night, you know? I told her everything. Not just about you, but..."

"Why?" Daniel interrupted quietly. "That's what's bugging me the most. I mean, I'm... uh, not your type."

"'Not your type'. That's what Elaine said too." Chaz paused, a look of indecision on her face. "Okay, hear me out. Do you have any idea what it's like, being me?" She looked at him for a moment before looking back at the road and continuing. "Of course not. Look at me. What was going through your mind when I first walked into the room last night?"

Daniel remained silent.

"Yeah, I can see it in your face. Well, I've had that all my life, acting or no acting. I never hung out with guys at high school. I couldn't handle it. I suppose it might have been different if I wasn't... if I liked guys. Do you know how it feels like to be 'popular' only because every jock wants to bend you over a locker and fuck you blind?"

"I see. Sorry. I always wondered about that at school, actually."

She gave him a searching look. "Did you? Then you're a first. Even the fucking teachers gave me the chills."

"I'm sorry."

She looked at Daniel, then turned back as tears started to flow. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I've got no right laying all this on you. Shit!" She slammed her hand hard against the wheel.

Daniel didn't know what he felt as he watched her crying softly, fighting a losing battle against the tears coursing their chaotic way down her cheeks and ruining her mascara. Finding a box of tissues in the center compartment, he silently handed her a few. He knew what he wanted, that was a certainty - he felt more than a little lightheaded and dull witted since a large volume of his blood had taken up residence in his groin, anticipating a pleasure cruise of warmer climes. But was she really acting on her own, rather than something caused by his 'proof' the previous night? He gazed out the window at the buildings rushing by. A change of topic was in order.

"So," he said as he grinned comically, facing her once again. "What do you do with yourself when you're not frothing at the mouth?"

Chaz twisted in her seat and stared at him, eyelids stained with smudged mascara, glancing at the road occasionally and disturbing Daniel in the process. "You can't be serious. Christ, you're hard to follow. Uh, you mean my job?" She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with the tissues.

"Yeah."

"Oh, this and that. Nothing permanent. Did some modeling after high school. Had a go at being a news anchor for a while, one of those short ones between regular shows. That was last year."

"Didn't enjoy it?"

"Nah. Wasn't very good at it. 'Too emotional', they said." She sniffed again as she shook her head.

"So, what're you doing now?"

"Not much. Kinda unemployed at the moment."

"Oh."

"Dan, I'm not exactly broke."

"I noticed!" Daniel grinned at her.

"Yeah. Well, I know it sounds kinda lame but I only work when I'm bored."

"So... hang on. Turn left here. My friend said the cops were doing something around downtown."

"Oh. Sure."

A few turns and a broken down sedan later they pulled into the spacious car park in front of Daniel's cafe where he sat and fidgeted, fighting a losing battle with a childish urge to show off as Chaz manoeuvered the car into a space. Well, it might help cheer her up, he thought as he caved in. Oh, what the hell.

"Hey, Chaz. Got any pet phobias? Snakes? Spiders?"

"What?" Chaz said, momentarily taken aback at the odd turn in the conversation. "Oh, no. Nothing. Why?"

Daniel cupped his palms and frowned momentarily. Then he slowly breathed into them and then focused, his forehead creased in concentration. "Hey, it worked!" he exclaimed a few moments later. Smiling in satisfaction, he turned to her. "I've been practicing." With that, he opened his hands and a tiny, shockingly brilliant yellow butterfly flew up and landed on her hand as she gripped the steering wheel.

"Ow! What th... where..." Her voice trailed off. "No way!" she whispered, staring wide eyed at the creature flexing its wings on the back of her hand. "No fuckin' way!"

"Waaay!" said Daniel, quoting inanely. "What do you think?" he asked with a smug expression as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

She stared for a moment, then said in a flat tone, "The body's supposed to be black, not yellow. And it doesn't have feelers."

Daniel gaped. "Oh, give me a break! I haven't done a butterfly before!"

Chaz grinned cheesily at him, her eyes sparkling. "I'm joking! What do you think I think!? It's great! It's really heavy though."