Well the telephone is ringing...

[to_serve]

It takes her three days to finally call Renee once she gets back to Gotham from Milliways. She hasn't been avoiding the call, really. She's just been busy. But like an itch you can't reach, the promise has sat in her awareness until finally she couldn't avoid it any longer. The night lights of Gotham twinkle as she watches from her balcony and the distant hum of traffic is barely noticeable. Before she can think of another thing she needs to do, she pulls out her phone and hits the speed dial. Yes, she has Renee on speed dial and yes it's a codename, what of it. Doesn't mean anything.

Comments

[interrogoiterum]

"I don't know about that," Renee says. "I've seen the way you dress when you go out.

"But you're not hallucinating, no."

[to_serve]

"Hey, I'll have you know I create quite a stir when I go out. There's nothing wrong with my wardrobe!"

She leaves the implication hanging out there.

[interrogoiterum]

"Course you do."

Renee's quite for a few seconds, breathing heavily as he runs and jumps over something.

"You planning on going back?"

[to_serve]

"Let's see a place to catch my breath, have good food and maybe see friends I don't get to see that often or friends who are gone...yeah, I'll be back.

"Sounds like you're busy again. You need to go?"

[interrogoiterum]

"Just the opposite."

A soft, gaseous sound and Renee's voice suddenly sounds much clearer.

"Unless you'd rather go."

[to_serve]

"I can talk a bit longer. My cousin's coming over for a workout in about half an hour," Kate replies turning to lean against the balcony railing and watch the moon.

[interrogoiterum]

"Hnh," Renee reponds. "I didn't know you had a cousin."

[to_serve]

"Bette. She's still a kid but has been training for some time. The Colonel," she explains though the rank seems to take an effort for her to say, "thought she could benefit from a more militaristic approach and so convinced me to take her on. I don't advise doing this if you can avoid it."

[interrogoiterum]

"No sidekick, got it," Renee confirms.




Then, before he can let Kate change the subject, she jumps on the tone Kate used for 'The Colonel'.

"Kate? Everything OK?"

[to_serve]

Kate pauses, tempted to go into the cluster fuck of drama her life has become, if there is anyone she would talk to it'd be Renee, but she catches sight of Bette on the street below and realizes she just doesn't have time now.

"Well enough," she says with a sigh. "Maybe some other time I'll go into details but the short story is I'm not talking with my dad right now. My workout partner is here early so I'll call...tomorrow maybe?"

[interrogoiterum]

"Yeah."

Renee doesn't expect her to call. So she intends to call herself.

(As it happens, she won't.)

"Speak to you tomorrow, Kate."

[to_serve]

"Okay," Kate replies full of good intentions which will likely get sidetracked by work. "And Renee, don't forget you aren't alone, okay? I'm here if you need me."

[interrogoiterum]

"Likewise.

"Say hi to your cousin."

She doesn't say 'bye'. She just clicks off.