Totally bonkers

For some reason, Misty's invitation for Alec to stay was accepted and he folds his arms across the back of the chair, leaning down to rest his chin on them. "It's a courier job," he responds. "I get to wear khaki and drive a pickup around town to deliver boxes." He shrugs. "It'll come out to twenty or thirty hours a week probably. More at first until I learn the routes."

Straightening, he swivels the chair a little again. "The guy who took my app wasn't too bright. All I had to do was word it right when asked about "previous employment" and he bought it." He rolls his eyes. "If the big boss runs a background check like he should, I'm sure I'll get canned, but at least I'll rack up a few hours in the meantime." Pausing, he shakes his head. "That's what Gage should have done. Problem with him is he's turned to mush after the Agency and he'll blurt out his record to anyone. Who's gonna hire him except that lame lumberyard?"

Strumming his fingers on the back of the chair, he thinks about seeing Gage in the hospital. Though his own feelings confused him, he couldn't deny the fact that he didn't like wondering if Gage was gonna live or not. They were far from being friends, but Gage really was the closest thing he had to his own past and they were connected by the Agency whether they liked it or not. Alec was pretty sure that if Gage hadn't landed a crappy night job, he wouldn't be where he was now.

"'Course the only reason I'm getting a job at all is to keep Reese off my back." He had enough money to survive without a job right now, but in this program he knew he was supposed to find steady employment or at least show an effort. "I don't know how other people do it though," he muses. "Even Carson. Day in and day out in a kitchen... I'm surprised he hasn't gone stir crazy. He might be domesticated but he's still ex-Agency and I know he's still got part of that in his blood. It never does leave."

Alec pauses to wave an arm in the air. "Here though... now this is a job. I mean... people get in on the action, they get to go chase their bad guys and every day it's something new." He gives Misty a wry grin. It wasn't exactly long ago that he'd been one of those bad guys, and even now he knew he sometimes still walked a fine line. "Seems to me a job like this would help keep a person sane, ya know? Reese wants to convert Agency scum into right and proper citizens... problem is, he doesn't figure in that once Agency, always Agency in some way, shape or form. He needs to figure out how to keep up the action for the people he wants to convert. Otherwise..."

He shrugs again and his grin returns. "...I guess they end up like me. But Reese wants me around here 'bout as bad as he wants a shovel over the head. Dalton's the only one who will let me do anything. Not that I'm all gungho about taking down the Agency but if I'm smart, I'll choose the winning side, and right about now, I think the Elite's got a pretty good grip on things."

Stopping the rant and realizing that it really was a rant, Alec clamps his mouth shut. That was more than he usually said in a week, aside from Ryan and Eli. His cheeks felt just slightly warm. He really had been thinking a lot about all these things and it had finally just all spilled out, once he'd found willing ears.

Glancing down, he swivels again and clears his throat. "So I'm gonna be a delivery guy. Fun, fun, fun."


Justin's eyes ricochet from his plate to Beth, a little surprised by what she'd said. It threw him off because one, he hadn't realized he'd been that transparent about the way he was feeling, and two, that she felt comfortable enough to offer her own ears, recognizing that he'd been the one helping her so far. It seemed to be one more step in the right direction though, and while Justin might not be completely comfortable with the idea of sharing himself with her on that level, he knew that to some degree, he needed to if only for her sake. Beth was smart enough to know that friendship was a two-way street and if he didn't talk to her sometimes, she would see only a client/counselor relationship, which was exactly what had upset her a while back.

The same warm smile returns to his lips as he looks back to his food, taking another bite of bread and sauce. "I don't mind listening either," he assures. All of the scenarios, choices and consequences make their way through his mind in a matter of seconds. "But thanks. Just a long day - everything with Scott and all. I guess I shouldn't blab about everything, but there were just some things he wasn't told so he feels betrayed. If he doesn't change his mind, basically I've failed and that's never a good feeling."

He spins his fork in his spaghetti, taking another mouthful and chewing thoughtfully before adding a bite of meatball too. "I suppose if it hadn't been me though, it would have been someone else so I try to not take it personally. Just one more thing to add to my notes of dos and don'ts so the next time I'm more prepared."

Pausing, he sets his elbows on the table and clasps his hands, still holding his fork. His eyes roam the kitchen for a moment as he swallows his mouthful. "There's formulas and methods for everything, but in the end, all I can do is build up my experiences because everyone is different, and everyone will always present something I haven't encountered before."

Offering her another small smile, he reaches for his water and takes a sip before returning to his food. "I bet you get your ear yacked off a lot, while tending bar."


Quinn follows Anastasia, a smile pasted on his face. She knew how bizarre this whole thing had been from the first place - if anyone would understand the rest of the story, it would be her.

Forgetting all else, he goes with her to a nearby cafe for lunch and after ordering their food, he finally has the chance to tell her all about what had happened. "Okay, so you left me at the auto shop, right? And we already knew Axel worked there. Well, so come to find out, he just happened to be one of the mechanics to work on my car."

He smirks a little. "Coincidence, right? So I find out they don't have a clue what's wrong with the car - as in can't figure out a thing. I'm stuck in town again, but instead of getting a rental car, I go back to the hotel. I figure they'll find the problem and the next day I can get out of town."

He pauses and shakes his head. "Oh no, that would be too easy. I go to the shop and they still haven't found out what's wrong. I meet up with Axel and we have a short chat without killing each other. He basically says he thinks this whole thing is God, which had already crossed my mind, but he actually had the guts to say it." Becoming more animated, Quinn gestures with his hands as he talks. "So he thinks it's really about him and me and convinces me to go up to his place and talk a while. I figure I really didn't have much to lose at that point, so we did. Went better than the first time around - still not sure what to think about his past and all, but it was about the best chat we could have, considering where we started out."

Forced to pause again as their drinks are brought, he takes a sip of his pop then keeps right on going. "We weren't even done talking and would you believe another mechanic called up to Axel to tell him my car was working? I mean, crazy, right? By that time, we both knew it couldn't be a coincidence, but who would believe us? So I finally got my car back and we parted on not-quite-as-bad terms. Kinda that feeling that you'll probably cross paths with someone again even if you haven't planned it. So I get back on the road finally, I get a ways out of town and here's this old man walking on the side of the road - his car was broken down. What was I supposed to do? Leave him there for a heat stroke?"

Quinn's eyes were shining as he spoke almost too fast to keep up with himself, totally enveloped by the events and knowing that Anastasia would be just as amazed as he was. "So I bring him back to town, then he's got errands to run and I help him out. Well by the time that's all done, it's getting dark again. Great. I only had a few options and I just couldn't think straight or decide what to do. So, I wound up heading back to the lake where you took me the other night. Enjoyed the stars for a while and then I ended up sleeping in my car. You'd think I'd finally get out of town now, right?"

He shakes his head. "Every time I thought abut it, it was like God was right there, pointing me the other direction and telling me to wait." Heaving a deep sigh, he lets his palms flop on the table. "So here I am. I can't leave this town no matter how hard I try! I had so many plans and goals for where I was going next and... and they're just gone now. It's like they're just not important anymore and I don't even know why. Would you believe I'm actually considering finding an indefinite place to stay?" His voice lowers a bit. "I feel like I'm going mad. I mean, really... totally bonkers here. Then at the same time... I get this feeling like... like almost excited, like there's some big plan or something that I haven't seen yet and... and God's just waiting to show me."

Finally stopping again, he searches Anastasia's eyes. "Totally bonkers," he repeats. "If I didn't have that actual Ricky Nelson record in my car, I'd think I dreamed up the whole thing."