"It's downpouring," Drift comments, looking out the window, "you know what we should do? Cooking. It's early enough that we can make soup for dinner and brownies and cookies."
"So, destroy the kitchen then?" Crosshairs asks, making Jamie laugh.
Drift whacks Crosshairs' arm, "smartass."
Cogman isn't thrilled about the idea, knowing the kitchen will be a disaster, but he knows Drift won't leave the mess for him to clean. He didn't think Drift was planning on making dinner for everyone.
"The soup will be done for dinner, and there's ten of us. There's going to be enough for everyone."
"Consider this a surprise afternoon off," Crosshairs adds.
Being used to his butler duties, the silver mech isn't sure about an afternoon off. He doubts there'll be much to clean around the house he just cleaned. Cogman leaves the kitchen.
Drift explains to Crosshairs and Jamie that he'll have to cook a chicken first. Which is part of why making soup takes a few hours. The three decide to start on the cookies.
"...start the mixer on slow —," Drift explains to Crosshairs, who puts the mixer on full speed. Flour going everywhere, "I said slow!"
The two mechs' shirts are covered in flour. They smile, hearing Jamie laugh.
"You're welcome," Crosshairs smiles.
"Now, you clean the mess while I finish mixing."
The mixing bowl is put aside once the flour is mixed and chocolate chips are added. The chicken still has twenty minutes to cook. Drift goes to change his shirt while Crosshairs cleans the mess.
Once Drift returns to the kitchen, Crosshairs goes to change.
"We can prepare the rest of the soup," Drift comments.
"And give the rabbit a nice treat," Jamie adds, "though maybe not all the carrot peelings."
"Can't the chickens and Turkey have peelings?"
"Oh yeah, so a treat for everyone."
"We can take a quick trip back to your dimension...if we can trust Crosshairs to make the cookies."
"Hey!" The two see that Crosshairs just put his shirt in the laundry room and didn't get a new one. Answering how he could be back already, "if cooking is this messy, why change?"
"You know it's not, and if you just listened," Drift argues.
Crosshairs watches his friends prepare the carrots for the soup. Suspecting Jamie will be taking a quick trip back to her dimension.
Crosshairs finds out he's right but is not pleased he's being told to stay behind.
"I'm not leaving this all unattended or the cookie dough," Drift argues, "we won't be long, but I don't dare leave all this even if we're gone for ten minutes."
"Fine," Crosshairs sulks.
"You can start making the cookies," Drift adds.
Crosshairs agrees. Jamie and Drift leave with the carrot peelings. Crosshairs gets the baking sheets and preheats the oven. He smiles as he grabs the bowl of cookie dough.
Drift didn't say anything about sneaking cookie dough. Crosshairs thinks.
He follows what Jamie does when making cookies, which results in a cookie dough treat on a hand. Still, Crosshairs sneaks cookie dough from the bowl.
Drift and Jamie return before the cookies are done.
"How much cookie dough did you eat?" Drift asks.
"Not much."
"You two continue with the cookies while I work on the soup," Drift says, "this should be done by dinner."
Drift smiles, hearing Crosshairs argue with Jamie about eating cookie dough while making the cookies.
Cogman walks on to see Drift is right about the soup being dinner and that the three friends are making cookies. He sees the kitchen isn't a disaster.
Within thirty minutes, dinner is ready for everyone. The others are surprised to hear the three friends made soup and cookies. Everyone finds out Drift did most of the work making the soup while Crosshairs and Jamie made the cookies. Everyone praises their cooking. Everyone hopes Jamie will return to baking more often and Drift will make his soup more than when their human grinds are sick. The three friends had fun cooking and baking while it was raining.
