#fenixtj

Duff enters the hold, pushing past the thanes and keeps walking

Jessica is busy.

He observes from a distance then, and waits.

There's a set to her jaw, a crease on her brow that speaks of irritation, and she is even more terse than usual. She avoids snapping at others, though, and they seem to avoid her when possible.

His own frown is almost gargoyle like. Yet something about her displeasure causes him.. just for a second, to look away

Busy busy busy. Paperwork is a regretable necessity. And where there isn't paperwork, there are face to face meetings.

Meetings come and go.

Duff waitts

And as soon as they are gone, she is too; off on patrol.

At THAT he walks beside her "Really?"

"Something I can do for you?"

"You asked to see the body" he reminds keeping pace as they take in what should be a lovely day "Also...we should talk"

"Lead the way, then. And talk, if you want to."

"I want us both too" he says moving with her, "Jessica..." A scowl, "I don't apologize easily"

"I haven't asked you to, and I don't expect you to."

"And yet, you act like I did something wrong, " He says

"I think you did." marching along, out on patrol.

"What I think, what I expect, and what you did are related but not the same things."

"How is hiring a mortal assassin to take a dauntain out so she can't hurt other changelings wrong?"

"Besides I suppose the whole ethics of hiring a hit man in the first place" He adds "Besides that, how is it wrong?"

"I wanted more information about what they were after, how they were operating. And I told you I didn't want anyone approaching them. Survailance, observation, yes." She responds tonelessly. "And then yes, there's the whole moral part of it."

"THEY? there was one Dauntain." He says "One, not a society"

"I'm using a non-binary pronoun."

"She, if it makes a difference."

Mmmmph then "I'm sorry."

It comes out quiet, but it does come out.

"You're right. I hired a mortal hitman to protect changelinngs. I could have hired a kidnapper and interogator instead"

A glare. "That would not have been acceptable either."

He throws his hands up in the air, "What do you want? they got to me, okay?"

"Who got to you?"

Duff looks. .embarrassed, frustrated, and embarrassed again "The damn kids. Faded, shattered, broken... but then there were their rescuers.. Ellie? she's a sidhe, they fade fast.. and she went after a Dauntain? I was closing my eyes and imagining litle Ellie as a ...broken soul like Onyx. or Salma stripped of her intellect as a listless husk... or Ariel, so full of life, withoutt a single song in her heart. Theyu needed protection from that and i didn't know they were out like that.. it.. got to me."

"Are there more Dauntain here? Was she part of a team? Did she have partners? Are more coming?"

"Hence why I should have gotten her kidnapped and intorggetted" Huff "I screwed up. I wanted to protect the kids."

"Hence why you should have let me handle it. I -was- handling it.But you couldn't let me do that. You had to let your anger get in the way."

"Again."

"I did" He admits "Worse. I got scared. It was for others, but it doesn't change that I let fear rule me. I haven't done that in years"