A Very Special Coat
Word Count: 1,106
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Nico/Dani
Spoilers: up to 1x08, to be safe, though most specifically from 1x05.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I just break things.
Summary: It's a lot more than a coat, but now Dani's not the only one who knows that. Sequel to More than a Coat.
Author's Note: I wanted to write this fic a bit with an outside observer, but I surprised myself by using Dani's kids for it. I got my sequel to More than a Coat, lol. I also combined it with the week two challenge on the NR livejournal community, which is "this so needs to be tweeted."
A Very Special Coat
"Okay, that is just a little weird."
"A little? Mom has gone off the deep end," Lindsay said, looking over at her brother and shaking her head. "Look at her. I think she's smelling it. She might even... I don't know... kiss it?"
Ray Jay shrugged, not caring as usual. "You have got to be kidding me. Mom is not going to... make out with the coat. I don't know where she got it, and I don't know why she likes it so much because it is huge on her and seems to have some paint on the inside, but she's not a complete psycho, and she's not going to do anything with the coat."
"Are you sure about that?" Lindsay asked. "I think they need a room."
Ray Jay laughed a little, and they watched as their mother took another deep breath, inhaling the scent of the coat. Ray was grinning. "This so should be tweeted."
Lindsay frowned as she saw him taking out his phone and using it like a video camera. She didn't mind laughing at her mom or embarrassing her, but tweeting about this would embarrass all of them. Didn't her brother get that? Of course not. She had to stop him.
"Come on. We have to get closer."
"Why are we getting closer to Mom and the creepy coat she's been obsessed with since last week?" Lindsay demanded, and he put a finger to his lips as he led her along closer to where their mother was standing, engrossed in her coat. She was starting to think her mom was doing this every day, coming out to the back yard in the early morning, wearing the coat, and then just... breathing in. It made her mom smile, put her in a good mood, and it shouldn't matter what did it, right? Her mom in a good mood should be a good thing.
"Here," Ray Jay said quietly, pulling Lindsay over behind the bush. "Didn't you see him?"
"Him? Who?" Lindsay looked around until she spotted someone walking up to their mom. "Oh. Wait—that's that security guy that busted us, isn't it? What is he doing here?"
"We've seen him here before," Ray Jay reminded her. "I don't know why he's here now, but look. Notice anything?"
Ray had the video camera out again, that much Lindsay saw, but she forced her eyes over to the man who was now talking to their mom. Wait. That coat... "It's the same coat, isn't it?"
"Shh," Ray said. "They're talking."
"Usually you're here in the middle of the night. I feel like I should be worried that you're showing up during normal hours," their mother began, and the man smiled a little. "I see you got a new coat."
"In my line of work, it is prudent to buy in bulk," he answered, and Lindsay frowned at the smile on her mother's face. "I never expected it back."
"Good," her mother said, though Lindsay could have sworn she looked disappointed for a moment. She tied the belt tighter. "'Cause you're not getting it back. It's mine now."
Lindsay looked over at Ray Jay. He was filming the two of them, and he didn't seem to get that their mom was actually flirting with the security guy that had busted them. This was not okay. It was very bad for them, if nothing else.
The security guy looked their mom over, and Lindsay felt a bit sick to her stomach. "It could have a more flattering fit. We're hardly the same size."
Their mom shook her head. "It's not about the fit, Nico. It's about what this coat means."
"It's just a coat."
"To you. Not to me. This was just what I needed when I needed it," Lindsay's mom went on, and Lindsay wondered just what that meant. Why did the coat matter at all? It was the guy's discard, right? "I would have gone in there looking like a Smurf or something if not for you."
"It was hardly your fault that someone was careless with the paint," Nico told her. Dani shrugged a little. "Pittman was actually very impressed with you."
"I wish the reverse was true," Dani admitted. Then her hand flew up to her mouth. "Don't tell him I said that. I just—I guess I didn't see anything that would merit the loyalty you show him. Please don't tell me you do all this stuff for him for money."
"There are plenty of things I could do for money, but I don't do them. I have my reasons. And, no, I don't feel like sharing them," he said, smiling again. "Pittman does have another request, if you're willing?"
"Wait, now it's a request? Not a demand? I might just faint."
"You never struck me as the fainting type, Dr. Santino," Nico said. He reached into his pocket and took out a card. "This is the contact information. They're hoping to hear from you."
"Not expecting?"
He shook his head. "No. Not yet, anyway."
Lindsay's mom nodded, and Nico walked away from her. Lindsay ducked down in the bush, yanking her brother with her. He'd gotten so wrapped up in filming that he hadn't even noticed that the Nico guy was walking right toward them.
"You should know that—as a part of my job—I monitor all the twitter feeds that concern the team. I would advise against posting that video anywhere," Nico said as he got close to them, and Lindsay almost shrieked. He'd seen them. How had he seen them? "It would be best to erase it."
"Are you going to break my phone now?" Ray Jay asked.
Nico looked at him pointedly. "Should I?"
Ray shook his head. "Absolutely not. I won't post it, I swear. And Lindsay will make sure of that. Really."
Nico's gaze turned to Lindsay, and she felt very uncomfortable. Then he moved away, and Lindsay let out a breath she didn't know that she was holding. She looked over at her mom, who had her hands folded over her chest and a dark look on her face.
Lindsay hit her brother. "Why did you have to film them? She was in a good mood before."
"Yeah, 'cause she's got a boyfriend."
"She does not."
"Yeah, she does," Ray insisted. "And that guy is scary."