"Mort, would it be a problem to get a towel?" Alex asked.

 Mort looked at her a bit strangely.  "Are you a messy eater?"

Alex laughed.  "No, I want to put Julia's seat on the chair and I don't want to scratch the finish."

An image flashed in Mort's mind.  He saw his cabin – the word "SHOOTER" scratched into every wooden surface that existed.  He closed his eyes and forced it away.  "A…a few scratches won't hurt anything."

"Well, it'll bother me if I do it," Alex said sweetly.  "I can get one if…"

"No, you're my guest.  I'll be right back."  Mort left rather quickly, disappearing from Alex's sight.  What was I seeing? 

My work.  I'm coming back, Mr. Rainey.  And the pretty girl at your table knows it.

"Out," Mort whispered.  "Out, out, out.  She doesn't know anything about you.  I don't know how you're in my head, but you're not here."

You seem to have my hat again, Mr. Rainey.

"No, I burnt it."

Are you sure about that?

"Yes!"

"Mort?" Alex's voice floated from the dining room.

"Uh, yeah?"

"You O.K.?"

He forced a laugh.  "Uh huh.  I just got a bit too excited about having clean towels.  I, um, well, I thought I was going to have to do laundry tonight, but I don't."

"That can be…a nice feeling," Alex said, not fully believing him.

Mort returned to the dining room, towel in hand.  "Downy fresh," he laughed.  Immediately, Alex was relaxed again.  Mort helped to get Julia settled, then began to bring food in from the kitchen.

"Let me help," Alex insisted, when he returned with a covered bowl.

Mort kissed the top of Alex's head affectionately.  "You are to do nothing but relax."  He went back into the kitchen and Alex blushed.  He came back with another covered dish and two serving spoons.  "It's been a long time since I cooked for anyone besides myself."

"Well, it smells yummy."  Oh, God, I said yummy!  Alex lowered her eyes.  "Can we pretend I didn't say that?"

Mort smiled.  "You've been feeding a baby for nine months, I'm sure it's the vocabulary that you're used to using."

"Yeah, but…"  Alex shook her head.  "Between Julia and twenty three first graders, I sometimes forget how to talk to adults."

Mort winked.  "Well, if it bothers you that much, it's forgotten."  He uncovered the bowls on the table and looked at Alex a bit unsurely.  "So, this is my famous chicken stir fry."

"Famous, hm?"

"Oh, yeah," Mort laughed.  "I've yet to ruin it, unlike so many disastrous Rainey creations that have filled the kitchen with…unpleasant aromas."  Mort uncovered the second bowl, which was filled with rice.  "Believe it or not, I have been known to ruin Minute Rice – I think I got lucky with it today."  Alex laughed and Mort began to dish out the dinner.  "Not the most gourmet meal, but…"

"It's fine – and I'm sure it's going to be wonderful.  You know, you don't have to worry about impressing me."

"Oh no?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.  He looked thoughtful for a moment.  "Have women changed drastically in the last couple of years?"  He smiled.  "Or am I just a lost cause and this is a pity dinner?"

Alex shook her head.  "Neither."  She locked her eyes with his.  She sighed.  "I'm going to regret admitting this, but at this point you could feed me burnt rubber and it wouldn't make much of a difference."

Mort wrinkled his nose, causing his glasses to slide down ever so slightly.  "Um…"  He waved his hand as if trying to pull a reply from the air.  "I'm not quite sure how to take that."

"It's a good thing," she smiled.

"Ah, well," he laughed.  "Yay for me then."  Alex looked surprised by his word choice.  "Never said there wasn't a bit of a kid left in me.  We've been out of touch for a while, but he's still there."

See how comfortable you are?  This is going better than either of us could have hoped.  I know Shooter came around, but your confidence with her is making him weaker.

R…really?

You're doing fine – keep it up.

The two began to eat – Alex fed Julia at the same time, alternating a bite of Mort's for her, and a bite the food she brought with her for her daughter.  Mort couldn't help but let the scene burn into his mind.  Amazingly to him, he didn't wonder what his child could have been like – instead he wondered if he'd ever have the chance, in his new life, to have a child.  The past mistakes didn't matter anymore, that child wasn't meant to be.  Could I be a father?

Suddenly, everything seems much more possible than before.  Mort smiled.  Glad you're seeing the light.

You've changed your tune about my life quite a bit, haven't you?

Only since you met her.

Mort snapped himself out of his inner dialogue.  "She's a good little eater."

Alex laughed.  "After several bouts of being covered in her food, she realized that eating it was far better than wearing it and having to have a bath."  After taking another bite of her own meal, she said, "By the way, your meal's a hit."  

Mort swallowed what he was chewing.  "Oh yeah?"  Alex nodded.  "Glad you think so, because I was thinking of introducing a frequent diner's incentive program – to be used at the diner's leisure, of course."

"Will you deliver?" Alex asked, giggling.

"Hm…possibility.  For the right client, that is." 

After all the tension that both of them had struggled with about the previous night, neither Mort nor Alex could believe how at ease they were.  Both were soon full and Mort insisted that the dishes would wait until after she left.  Alex attempted to protest, but Mort won out in the end.  They went into the living room; Alex changed Julia, then Mort found himself asking if he could hold her.

Alex smiled.  "Sure."  She handed her now sleepy daughter to Mort, whose eyes brightened.  "She's tired, so don't be surprised if she gets a bit cranky with you."

Mort looked down into Julia's eyes, they did look a bit groggy, but not cranky.  "Is she getting close to walking?"

"She's still trying to master standing, but it's coming along.  Her doctor says every baby's different."  Mort seemed satisfied with the answer and went back to studying Julia.  He bent his head down a little closer to him and she reached for his glasses, pulling them roughly from his face.

"Oo, sorry, she's grabby."

Mort laughed.  "No problem."  He smiled at Julia.  "You're just curious, aren't you?"

"You're brave," Alex said, resting her chin on her hand.  "Usually her uncle puts her down after that."

"Well, she can't help it," Mort said softly.  He watched as her eyes began to close.  "Anyway, I think the triumph of stealing my glasses was a big enough victory to tire her out completely."  He looked back up at Alex.  "Should you be going?"

"Only if you want me to."

"Well, um, is it her bedtime?"

"She's a good sleeper – she can conk out anywhere.  Could we put her in your room for a while?"

"On the bed?  You can do that?"

Alex laughed.  "Yeah, you can do that."

"And you'll stay a while?"

"Mm hm."

Mort gently stood up, Julia still asleep in his arms.  "Welcome to Hotel Rainey," he chuckled.

***

Author's Note:  Well, would you look at that – a chapter that's not wimpishly short!  Heehee…  O.K., put aside the fact that Mort had a bout of murdering and picture him with a baby – Awww!  If it was too cheesy for your liking, I apologize (but I think everyone can appreciate some cheesy goodness now and then).