At the End of the Day.....(Sean)

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent frequented the Churchkey often. He found the atmosphere suited his personality plus no one here was taking anything seriously. It was a great place to unwind and forget your troubles for a while. Several pool tables, dart boards, and that horrible karaoke machine. All these things could bring some peace to your world for a while and peace was something Vincent needed. Maintaining order at Hammel wasn't easy. Sure, Vincent just had to concentrate on making sure the rules were being obeyed and that no meta chaos broke out. He was also the first line of defense for those kids. No one had attacked Hammel, but that terrible notion could not be ruled out. Vincent was used to rules and order, but even the most hardened and trained man needed a break once in a while. Which brings us to the story at hand.

Vincent was still dressed in his black slacks and white button up dress shirt he had to wear while on the clock. He hadn't bothered to go home and change, he just wanted to get to the Churchkey and lose himself. He unbuttoned two top buttons of his shirt to free him a bit from that confining feeling. He sat back in the chair he currently occupied, eyeing the pitcher of beer and two mugs which sat on the table. Yeah, Vincent was actually spending some private time with someone. Contrary to popular belief, he had a life, albeit a slow moving one. Vincent had invited Sean Neville out for some beers earlier in the day and the good doctor had accepted. Vincent liked Sean, respected the man even. The two had differing views on several things from politics to religion, but somewhere, the two had found some mutual ground. Vincent wasn't going to deny that Sean had done a great deal for him and quiet possibly was the one who put Vincent back on the right track of life. Sean was the one who helped Vincent learn how to deal with PTSD. The good doctor had this way of disarming you, making you feel safe around him and as a result, one would open up and reveal so much to him. Vincent wasn't sure how Sean did this, but he really didn't care.

Pouring himself a mug of beer, Vincent sighed and then took a long gulp of the fresh golden liquid. End of the day always felt good and beer always made everything better. He looked around the bar, half looking for Sean while the other half detailed the room. Vincent was a highly trained soldier and that could never be undone. He always looked for the exits and the biggest threat in the room, what he could use for weapons and so for and so on. Shaking his head, Vincent closed his eyes. "It's the end of the day, stop detailing everything," he muttered to himself, slightly unaware of the approaching presence of his guest.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean also visited the Churckey frequently, often with Josh, sometimes alone or with other friends or coworkers. Cecil was a friend of his, and he liked to provide him with the business. Moreover, the atmosphere was pleasant and relaxed, and so it always proved a nice place to go for a drink, some pleasant conversation, and a quick bite to eat.

Vincent Romanov had invited him out, and the telepath had been quick to accept. He and the younger man had not gotten to spend too much time together after hours, although they worked together, and had some other important interactions in between. Vincent had been instrumental in the showdown with M.S.A.D. four years ago. He and Vincent had worked together to help the younger man manage his PTSD from his military service. As the Head of Security, Vincent had brought students to the psychiatrist when they had missed their meetings with him, and, more than one year, the younger man had served as a chaperone during Sean’s sexual education seminar.

All of those were reasons to spend time with him after hours.

The telepath had finished his work at Hammel, and he had called to let Josh know about his plans. After promising to return home at a reasonable hour (and reasonably sober), he drove over to the Churckey and scanned for the younger man.

He found Vincent easily enough, and, after stopping at the bar briefly to search for Cecil, he joined the younger man at the table. He smiled, upon seeing the pitcher and the second mug. That would save him having to order a drink for himself, and it would keep him on the straight and narrow, avoiding harder liquor for the night.

“How are you doing tonight, Vincent?” He asked with a smile, as he pulled out his chair and sat down.

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent opened his eyes, smiling before he downed the rest of his mug in one gulp. He set his mug down and poured another round from the pitcher, filling Sean's mug as well. "Your down one," Vincent said setting the pitcher down, grabbing his mug with one hand. "Glad you could make it tonight. Talking to myself was starting to get old," he said with a laugh before downing half his mug. It was clear Vincent was a professional drinker and he was curious as to how long Sean could hang with him before waving the flag. Then again, Sean might drink Vincent under the table. The good doctor had that look about him, the sort Vincent had seen in every bar all over the world.

Vincent let out a sigh, simply sitting there holding his mug of beer. Vincent's eyes look tired and not in the normal sense of the word. You could tell the man had seen a lot of bad in his life and probably had done things he wished he didn't have to do. War had left a scar on Vincent, but thanks to people like Sean, Vincent was making it day to day. Sean wasn't what you might call a close friend and that was something Vincent wanted to change. When Sean's little group of hero's clashed with the MSAD group, Vincent was surprised to see Sean right there in the thick of things. The man wasn't a soldier, he had no defensive training as far as Vincent knew, but there the man was, fighting right along with the others. Vincent deeply respected that sort of commitment.

"Another day survived at Hammel," Vincent said with a smile before downing the rest of his drink, putting his mug down on the table. "We don't hang out enough doc. We should make this a weekly thing, you and me," Vincent said, appearing more relaxed now then when he first arrived. Then with a laugh Vincent shook his head, "See what I mean. Making conversation is awkward. We really need to get to know one another."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean returned the smile, and, once his mug was filled, lifted it in a pseudo-toast. “Thank you. I’ll see if I can make it up.” With that, he took a long sip of his mug and settled to make himself more comfortable.

Of course, he had no intention of binge drinking in order to catch up with the younger man, but he was sure that they would even out over the course of the night. The telepath would have to remain sober enough to drive home and meet up with his partner at the end of the night, as well as to prevent a massive hangover in the morning, but he was sure that he could find a way to strike a balance. After all, he had been drinking for nearly forty years.

Sean did not have many opportunities to discuss M.S.A.D. or any of the fallout. In the immediate aftermath, he had needed to provide a cover story, and he had been there to offer help to his friends and coworkers who had not escaped the battle as unscathed as he had. Then there had been their typical duties at Hammel. Although that had been three years ago, and in three years, so many had moved on to bigger and better things. Anya was gone. Clarisse was gone. Morgan was gone. Yulia was gone. Willow was gone. Mason was gone. Kateri never discussed it. Chase did not discuss it absent the follow-up sessions they had had. Sean had never told Josh about it, and Jesse was not a peer, despite being the only person with whom the telepath talked about M.S.A.D. That was not peer sharing; it was necessary for processing.

Still, it had been necessary for him to involve himself, both because he had been tracking Gabriel Underwood for years, even since the boy’s time at Hammel, and because Chase was a loose cannon. Given the choice to sit back and do nothing or to try to solve the problem while preventing Chase from getting in over his head, tagging along had been the wiser course of action. Even with all that had gone wrong, he did not regret the direct involvement. He regretted that it had to end that way, but not his involvement. Just as he could not ask others to do what he was unwilling to do himself. Even as an old man, even as a pacifist, just as he had said when he had gathered the Hammel staff members in his living room that night three years ago.

Sean took another drink from his mug. “Sometimes surviving is all we can ask for.” Particularly on long days. As frustrating as the telepath’s duties could be, he did not envy Vincent his tasks as Head of Security. “And you’re right. We should do this more often.”

Weekly would be more difficult, since he and Josh had both agreed to cut back on their drinking in order to accommodate the attorney’s blood pressure. But one or twice a month was possible.