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The day after the police station debacle, I was up bright and early for work again. Donning my suit, combing my hair, I was on the clock and swinging open the shutters before my shift had even officially started. 

Soon the heavy whirr of machinery began to resound, and the pleasant aroma of freshly grounded coffee beans slowly enveloped the place with the way it does so lavishly, and very much temptingly. 

In fact, so enticing was its scent, that I already had my first customer of the day before I could even fully open. Swiveling around towards the counter, I could see her nose wrinkling with desire, wide eyes shimmering with her intentions. Oh, I knew that look, that lick of her lips… yep, here it comes, three, two one -

"Make me something, won't you?" 

"Mmm," I took a glass, swiped a cloth, and began doing my best weathered bartender impression. "The usual, I suppose?"

Playing along, she squinted her eyes, tapping a finger on the counter, finger guns with the other. "Ya know it, buddy." 

I sounded an amused grunt, gave an audible sniff, and scooted closer to the counter. "That's 8.50 then." 

She gasped, outraged. Not part of the character, clearly. "8.50 for coffee? What - but I'm your sister!" 

"And you're in a coffee shop, emphasis on shop," I said, calmly continuing to wipe. "Your point being?"

Her lips widened even more. "I'm your sister!" 

"Hey, you should be so lucky," I said. "That's the family privilege price you're outraged about."

"No way to get it any lower than that?"

I frowned at that. "Any lower and it'll just be the standard price."

Suddenly, I heard a slam shooting across the countertop. Now, that's definitely out of character. "You were planning on charging me extra?!"

"No, I am charging you extra," I said, flashing my sweetest, bestest, customer-service smile. "Family privilege, remember?" 

Eventually, harboring deep loathing brotherly resentment, Sammy reluctantly coughed up the payment in full, and slid in her hand a nice warm steamy cup which she chose to simmer and sip away in one of the giant antique chairs scattered about, making her look a lot like a frowny, angry hobbit or something.

There was still quite some time before official opening time, time that Sammy believed needed to be put to good use, since yesterday apparently wasn't enough time spent already.

"Y'know, you're solving supernatural cases, putting your life at great risk," She said, slowly stirring her mug with a little swirl of resentment wafting above. "And there you were taking me shopping, because don't worry, Sammy… I'm not doing anything you need to know at all."

Yesterday, after talking to Ash, I finally confronted Sammy about everything that's been going on. She was surprisingly understanding about it all back then, taking all that I was telling her in stride, asking no questions, displaying none of her usual attitude… didn't once occur to me that that was just her trying desperately to make sense of it all first, and well, now that she had hours to do just that…

Here we are.

"Yes, because obviously only the nice, caring older brothers expose their loved ones to possible imminent danger, of course," I said, matching her sarcasm with mine. "Please, excuse me for my dick-kery."

"I don't know why you didn't just tell me in the first place," She muttered, taking a sip, a look of disapproval peeking over the rims of her glass. 

"You're the one that said you wanted nothing to do with this in the first place. You've made that pretty clear. Was only doing what I thought you wanted."

Sammy rolled her eyes, doubling down on that look of hers. "Yes, because obviously, only the nice, caring little sisters wouldn't want to know if their loved ones are in any imminent danger." 

"Careful there," I said. "You don't want anybody accusing you of actually caring for my well-being now, do you?"

"This isn't a joke, big bro," She snapped, intentionally-accidentally slamming her glass on the table a little too hard. "Just who the heck is this Jay-guy? What's his problem? Why is he going around stirring up problems for you for no reason?" 

"Oh, he has his reasons," I said. "Sadly, he isn't the monologuing reveal-all-my-plans type. Really wish he was though, it kinda feels like he's dragging this mystery out a little too long." 

We were interrupted - or more accurately, Sammy was. The swing of the door chiming the whistles of welcome, and there, like clockwork, waltz in the first official customer of the day. 

"You need a less eventful life, I swear. Next thing I know, you'll be whisked off into another world." 

Not the standard greeting I was used to from patrons, but from her, I didn't expect any less.

Bright and springy, the yellow of the sun bouncing off the yellow of her hair, Amanda made her way to her usual spot, before spotting Sammy, and taking a sharp direct detour towards her position. 

"Same as usual?" I asked her.

Amanda batted endearing eyes at me, "Please do!" before turning to Sammy with a smile filled with sunshine and hellos. 

As I fixed Amanda her drink, between the whirr of machines and the clinking of glass, I managed to catch bits and pieces of their conversation, not as if they were being subtle about it.

"You sure you wouldn't rather stay?" Amanda asked Sammy. "It's like your brother said, I'm more than happy to have you over at my place. I mean, it's kind of a waste, isn't it? You've only been here a few days!" 

"Seats are already reserved, and they're no refunds," Sammy replied. "Besides I only came to the city to check up on this big idiot you call your darling, if it's back at home - it's even easier." 

A disheartened sigh had Amanda leaning dejected into her seat. "Ahh, wish I could come. The countryside sounds like a nice change of pace, " Her eyes whirled around towards me again, sad, sorrowful puppy eyes too. "Plus, you'll be gone all the while! How long? You don't even know! What am I supposed to do with myself until then?" 

"Wait for me," I told her, walking up and placing her steaming cup on the table in front of her. "You've managed yourself before you met me, just do it again."

She pouted, gave a little grumble. "You say that like it's easy…"

"I'll miss you too," I said, cheekily stroking her head like comforting a grumpy child, before beginning to walk away again… except I only managed a single step back before I stumbled to a stop as she grabbed hold of my wrist, prompting me to turn around again.

"You didn't forget, did you?" She looked up, a genuine concern in her gaze. "Did you, you know, have you talked to her yet?"

Her. Yeah, her. I know her.

"Not yet."

"Then when, before or after?" She asked. "You know she's not exactly well-known for her patience, right? You're gonna have to give her an answer at some point."

"Yeah, and she's also very well-known for not taking no as an answer, in case you forgot," I said.

"There's no helping that, it's just how it is." 

Then across from us, Sammy began to groan, crossing her arms, flashing another one of her testy looks at me. "Another thing you aren't telling me? Let me guess, umm… you told a witch you'll give soul to her, you promise a vampire you'll be her slave, or, uh - you said to a demon you'll help find her a body to possess?"

"No, I made a deal with an evil necromancer with a high risk of turning rogue and wreaking havoc upon the world that I'll set her free from my control over her so that I'll have absolutely no way to stop her if she does."

Shocker, guess who just became all quiet and meek all of a sudden? Ask and you shall receive, Sammy. You wanna dip your toe into my life, well sadly, you're gonna have to settle with diving in headfirst instead.

Once more, catching everyone one of us three off guard, the whistling chime of an opened door resounded about. I spun around the fastest and the first, at ready with my practiced morning greeting, only to realize it wasn't necessary.

"Morning," I said, sufficient enough.

I received a grunt, a gruff greeting back. "Morning, Hero." 

"Got everything set up already. You can double check if you want." 

"No, it's fine. You should know how things work around here by now already," He replied, sounding his usual belligerent self. "And if you don't, then that's your problem." 

Nick shuffled around behind the counter in his usual daunting strut, for some reason fifteen minutes late from opening time, but I'm not one to question the punctuality of my manager.

Amanda greeted in her usual cheery cadence, along with a wave and a smile, "Hey Nick! Hope you are having a good morning!"

He didn't look her way, shyness, grumpiness, or perhaps unsurfaced feelings kept his gaze down to the countertop as he answered her back. "Yes, you too…" A second after, without another word, he disappeared into the back room, where the faint hum of a desktop shortly began to sound.

Managerial duties. He doesn't skip a beat, does he?

I felt a pull on my sleeve - Sammy staring at me with shifty eyes. "So that's… that's him? The guy whose dad is…?"

Silently, I gave a nod, and her blue eyes went took a turn dimming somber.

"He doesn't know, does he?"

Again, I just nodded.

"But surely he knows right?" Amanda shifted her gaze between Amanda and me for answers. "His dad is missing. Surely he knows something must be up."

"Yeah, he probably does," I responded, heaving a long breath. It's gonna be an agonizing few minutes now.. "Which is why I'm going to ask him."