Leon MacNichol was, by nature an optimistic man. He believed that if only he tried hard enough, anything could be attained. This is the best explanation the narrator can find for why he was at that moment attempting to drown his sorrow not in alcohol, as more conventional, unimaginative people might, but in a caramel mocha latte. He may at that moment have been feeling deeply disillusioned and a bit miserable, but he couldn't bring himself to give up just yet. He wasn't entirely sure what he wasn't supposed to be giving up on though, what with being a bit concussed after the latest rogue boomer had destroyed the AD Police's latest 'invulnerable' piece of kit when he'd been operating it. He sighed, disturbing the remaining froth on the dregs of his coffee.

He barely even noticed the pretty waitress, until she set down a mug in front of him and he smiled at the deliciously sweet smell emanating from it. He looked up in confusion. 'It's from the gentleman over there.'

Leon looked over, bemused as he was usually the one buying drinks, not the other way around. Then he saw who it was and laughed. Then as his friend came over he noticed something. 'Not that I don't appreciate you not attempting to sear my retinas with colour, what's with the tux?'

Daley looked down in mildly sarcastic manner, miming great astonishment as he 'realised' what he was wearing. 'Why, I was on a date, Leon. I didn't know you cared!'

'If you were on a date why are you here then?' Leon sipped the drink and exclaimed appreciatively. 'Mmm, you have good taste in coffee!'

'Or is it that I know you? I was on the verge of arresting my date for being boring when I got a call. Being the gossip queen does have its advantages. Nene said something about Leon-poo looking al down in the dumps and not even threatening to stuff her into a trash compactor when she saw him in the supermarket. My date actually seemed quite relieved when I told him to go away.'

'So you came to join me in misery and start up the 'involuntary chastity' club then? How kind.' Daley smirked at the bitterness in his partner's voice. 'Does this emulation of me extend any further?'

'Well, I'm not on my sixth final warning with the boss and I do have self-preservation instincts, so no. But you need help, you're going about things the wrong way. Have you considered that doing something that is right and not achieving anything by it is a worse path than doing something effective that is not outright wrong?'

MacNichol's eyebrows did an accurate impression of two caterpillars mating as he contemplated this line of reasoning. 'That is the most cynical thing you've said all day.'