#anywhere

"Ooh geez NO" She says eyes wide

"if it was, she wouldn't care about you being with others when you entered with her"

"Ok."

"Sorry my joke got you worrying, but it was just a joke. No Piper is... meaningless sex isn't her passion. I would know"

"Nah, not worried about that." He turns with a smile fixed on. "What did you get up to while I was gone?"

"Well, I entertained zane...and possessed a fae who will remain namlesss but it was with her permission"

"Cool. I think Zane's been missing company, glad you could help."

"He misses his best wing man yeah, but he's also getting really nosey, asking me if he can experiment on me.. and I mean with magic" A shake of her head "Idrew the line. I don't need MORe 'glamour games' going weird"

"You need me to pound him?"

She laughs "Much as I enjoy two guys working up a sweat, no. "

"Ok."

"Hey, how did YOU like it down there? Were the folks jerks to you? I mean, the locals of the hold?"

"Nah, most of them were pretty cool. There was only one real jerk but he got dealt with."

"Good!" She nods "I get tired of you getting crapped on. One thing PIper and I agree on"

Adam shrugs. "I try not to think about it."

"Yeah I know. Mm so what did you like best about the place? Details."

"Oh... uh.... yeah, it was like a spa? There was this springs, like the hot springs here but there was this Inanamate? A water dude, fresh water though. And we hit the beach!" A pause, a frown. "Piper loved it."

"And it was an... interesting court. Countess Jessica, there? Totally like the Chief."

"Okay this sounds boss" she agrees

"Like, if the Chief and the Mountain had a baby? Exactly like that." He grins.

"Well, they kind of did" she says

"Exactly!"

"Piper is really missing the beach huh? When siv comes back you should ask for passage to places"

"Hell, it's summer. We'll go down the Jersey Shore!"

"Ha. Cali Girl will rip it apart...but that might be part of the fun for her"

"Atlantic City! Get a room or an Air BnB, go somewhere nice to eat, hit the boardwalk... sucks we can't get into a casino or drink but....." He shrugs.

"Hey, the Boardwalk is where most of the changeling stuff is I hear" she says

"Yeah? Cool. We'll hit that."

"You should."

"Yep. So....." He looks around, pulls out some clean clothes and starts to change, dumping the worn in his basket.

"Your dad is grililng in the back, that's why your fam wasn't here to greet you. They're in the yard"

"I should probably go out, then." He shakes his bag out over the basket, dumping out dirty laundry.

"Cool! Also.. good food" She says

"Yep." He steps down the hall to the bathroom and splashes his face, washes out with some mouthwash, and runs a comb through his hair.

He sticks his head back in the room. "You good?"

"I'm great!"

"Right. Ok. Cool. I'll be outside." He heads down, and out back.

The grill is cooking great, the smells make him hungry all over again

His mom hugs him "Son! How are you?"

He hugs back. "Hey mom. Smells good."

"Your dad is trying his hands at actual steaks. You want the 8 or 12 pounder?"

"Eight's good."

"Your son is going for the ocho" she says in a loud voice

"I'm right here," His dad says.

At the other side of the yard under a dark black parasel, a glare from Lily

"Oh, sorry, Lily" Brenda lowers her voice

"Thanks!" He grabs a coke and sits.

Brenda says "So, how was Mexico?"

"Good." Slurp. "Thanks for letting me go."

"Glad it went well for you"