Chapter 25

The alarm went off thirty minutes earlier than usual. While Dawn started work at the same time as Rob did, with the move she was now farther away and consequently had to get out earlier. Unlike the weekend, she had no trouble rousing herself out of bed. Rob got up with her and shambled off to the kitchen to make coffee, only to discover Elaina had beat him to it and had breakfast mostly ready. She handed him two mugs, telling him which was which, and he shuffled back in time to catch Dawn before she entered the bathroom.

"Thank you, sweetie!" she said brightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He walked away shaking his head. Even on his best days, Rob was never that chipper first thing in the morning. It generally took fifteen minutes and a cup of coffee before he felt like he was ready to face the day.

Fifteen minutes and one coffee later, Rob was looking through his closet deciding what to wear when Dawn came back from her shower, naked as a jaybird and glowing from the hot water. Rob dropped what he was doing to watch her dance around the room. When she pulled out a pair of panties, he intervened.

"I thought we'd put them away somewhere safe where no one could see them," he declared.

Dawn jumped and dropped the panties with a squeak. "Rob! You scared me!" she exclaimed. "I didn't see you there!"

Rob shook his head ruefully and pointed at the offending garment. "You were expressly forbidden to wear panties for any reason," he said sternly. "What are those doing out?"

"Um, well," she said blushing. "There's a certain time of the month when they're pretty much necessary, if you know what I mean." She looked up at him hopefully.

Rob first instinct was to tell her no, no matter what, but he considered that he might be missing something here, so he asked.

Dawn sighed and nodded her head. Elaina had heard the start of the confrontation and came down to watch from the doorway.

"Most guys don't like to hear this, but since you insist," she said matter-of-factly. "My period started today. I need the panties to contain things."

Rob blinked and blushed. Unable to help himself, his eyes went to her crotch. When he spotted the little white string hanging down, his eyes snapped back to her face.

"Ah, you know when it's going to start?" he asked.

Dawn nodded. "I've been on the Pill for a few years now," she replied. "My cycle is as regular as clockwork." Rob blanched when he heard her say that. Dawn gave him a worried look. "Rob, it's not that big a deal," she said.

"I never..." He stopped to clear his throat. "I never even thought of birth control," he said with remorse. "God, what you must think of me."

"Rob, listen to me," Dawn insisted. He looked into her eyes and saw forgiveness. "If I wasn't covered, things would never have gone as far as they did. I had an idea that you were less than experienced and might not ask. It's okay, really."

"Yeah, well, I still should have thought of it," he answered sullenly. "Nice guy I am."

Elaina spoke up. "I knew she was on the Pill," she said quietly. "I could smell the progestin on her. If I hadn't, I would have advised you."

"Look," Dawn said, "I know guys don't like to feel 'green, ' but Rob, we both know that there are things you don't know, or don't know to ask. Don't beat yourself up over it, okay?"

She grabbed the garment that had started the whole thing and slipped them on. Rob noticed that they weren't the sexy silky things she'd had on before, but rather solid cotton fabric that covered the subject and then some.

"Elaina," Dawn suddenly said as she clipped on her bra, "How did you handle things the first time you had your period with Rob?"

"I didn't have to," she replied softly. "I haven't had a period for over seven hundred years."

"Oh," Dawn said with a small voice. "So that means you can't..."

"No," Elaina replied ruefully. "I can't have children."

"Did you ever wonder?" Dawn asked carefully.

"I was too busy staying alive in the beginning to think about it," Elaina said wistfully. "Later, the subject never arose. I discovered I had a preference for women as partners, then I met Svetlana, another vampire." She cast a glance at Rob. "I had my adventures, but they make Rob uncomfortable, so I think I'll save that tale for another time."

Rob harrumphed and got busy dressing, ignoring the Dawn's giggle and Elaina's smirk.

Over breakfast, Rob and Dawn discussed transportation issues. It turned out that Dawn was more than familiar with the bus system, and a quick lookup on the internet showed that the bus stop Rob had used to get to work had an express bus that would drop her off a block from her office. Rob was less than sanguine about Dawn taking the bus, but she assured him she was a veteran of the bus system and would have no problem.

Rob privately took a look at the bus scheduling, thinking he could accompany her at least part of the way, but none of the schedules would accommodate his plan without multiple transfers and an unacceptable delay. He gave up fretfully when Dawn caught him at it and admonished him.

While the two of them had been going over bus schedules, Elaina had gone to the bedroom and retrieved two ivory boxes from the closet. They had some weight to them and thumped when she set them on the table, interrupting their playful banter.

"What's that?" Dawn asked. Rob remembered Elaina telling Master Toshihiro about the maintenance kits for the katana and reached out thoughtfully.

"This is the kit I received with the sword to keep it in good condition," Elaina replied. "I never really used it because I never felt competent enough. I kept the blade clean, but the rest I entrusted to others who knew better what to do."

The first one he picked up had significant weight and he took a moment to puzzle out how to open it. He found an indent on the lid, and hooking his thumb in it, it slid open with a hushed scrape. After removing a folded cloth, he found shaped rocks of various colors and texture nestled in cloth-covered niches, the coarsest on one side and a highly-polished stone on the other.

Figuring he knew what that case was for, he replaced the lid and retrieved the other. This one worked the same way, and again he found a folded cloth protecting the contents. He removed the cloth and found what Elaina had described: a brass hammer, a wooden punch, a small vial of oil, several sheets of a crisp, light-weight paper, and the powder ball. His curiosity satisfied, he replace the cloth and lid.

He looked out to the foyer and frowned when he realized that between the cases and the shinai, along with his regular kit and briefcase, he was going to have a significant load to take with him to work. Elaina spied his concern.

"Maybe it would be better if I brought you your equipment like I did last week," she offered. "That's a lot to carry, and someone might misunderstand the practice blade."

Rob tried to demur, but Elaina insisted, pointing out that it was better all around if they didn't take any chances. She told him she had to be out and about anyway, so it was no inconvenience to her. Then she turned to Dawn and told her she would be picking her up, too. Watching Elaina roll over Rob convinced her that arguing was futile.

Taking the express let Dawn leave later than originally planned, but she still had to leave before Rob. Rob looked at the time and decided that he would at least accompany her to the bus stop and take a taxi in from there. Dawn smiled at his concern and decided to let him have his way.

The end result was that they left together, with Rob heading out fifteen minutes earlier than he needed to. Dawn treated Elaina to a soft sweet kiss at the door and thanked her for making breakfast. Rob also gave Elaina a kiss, spending a bit more time working her up before he left. He also thanked her for breakfast.

"You know, Rob," Dawn commented on the way to the corner stop, "I've been going to work on my own for some time now. I think I'll be just fine."

Rob sighed. "Don't think I don't know that," he said repentantly. "It's just that, well, now I feel responsible for you. I'm trying not to smother you, but it's hard watching you leave. If I can delay the inevitable for just a few minutes more..."

She kissed him on the cheek when the arrived at the shelter, standing on tip-toes to reach him.

"Rob, I'm going to be fine," she advised comfortingly.

There was only five minutes left until the bus was scheduled to arrive, so she stopped chiding him for his concern and let him hold her from behind with his hands at her waist. She decided she liked having him there and resolved to let him have his way from then on. She realized he could have made it an order and taken the choice away from her, and loved him all the more for allowing her that.

Rob was surprised to find he wasn't the first one in: Barbara was already at her desk, fielding early calls and dealing with the overnight mail. He greeted her as he passed and she replied distractedly as she opened a large express mail envelope.

He found he liked getting in early. It allowed him time to get everything set and review the day without distractions. He heard Brenda greet Barbara and called out his own greeting from his office. Moments later, Brenda came in with a smile.

"My, aren't you the eager beaver," she commented.

Rob wasn't ready to share his changed circumstances with her, so he kept his answer light, simply saying he'd got an early start this morning. Ten minutes later, she came back with a cup of hot coffee, telling him to shut it when he protested. He smiled and gave in gracefully.

Several hours later, Rob was contemplating what to do for lunch when his cell phone chimed. Pulling it out, he saw a message from Dawn, asking about lunch. He replied that he was free and would meet her at Tony's. He grabbed his cloak on the way out and sped off to the deli.

He managed to arrive first and settled at a booth in the back as had become their habit of late. Dawn arrived minutes later, taking a seat after pinning him to his seat with a heated kiss. Deidre sauntered up with a coffee for him and an iced tea for her shortly after that. They placed their orders after exchanging pleasantries with her, and Deidra left to turn in their orders, humming happily to herself. Rob noted Tony reaching out to touch her shoulder as she passed, and her hips developed a swish as she continued on.

When he asked Dawn how she was available for lunch, she told him that the meetings were now limited to her boss and the relevant managers.

They parted ways at the taxi stand as they usually did, with Dawn giving him a barn-burner of a kiss and leaving him dazed.

Rob checked in with Jake after getting settled from lunch.

"I'm starting to get the names of those that seemed to be involved," he reported. "As I take them out of the equation, the numbers begin to look like they should. It's still going to be a while, but now I have a better idea of what to look for."

Rob left him to it and reported to Bob. Bob was much more relaxed now that he wasn't being harassed and simply told Rob to get on with it. The rest of the day passed quietly.

Rob hadn't expected to see the Mustang so he wasn't surprised when it wasn't there as he left. He lucked out with a cab and arrived at the dojo in plenty of time. He recognized the growl of the Mustang's engine as he was reaching for the door, and he turned to find Elaina parking it. He wandered over and was greeted serenely by Elaina and enthusiastically by Dawn. He raised his eyebrows when she handed him the key.