When Worlds Collide

Dinner & Dessert

Walking out of the bar, V looks around her before seeing River leaning up against his truck in the far corner, his head tilted back to look at the night sky.

"Hey!" she calls out as she approaches him.

His head quickly snaps in her direction before he straightens, smiling.

"Hey. I feared you'd forgotten about me." He teases, echoing her words from before.

"Forget you? Never." She chuckles. She comes to stand beside him and leans on his truck. "So, I was thinking..."

He raises a brow. "Yes?"

"Since I missed out on your family dinner, what would you say about picking up some groceries from the store and heading back to my place for a homecooked meal?"

"Back...to your place?" He asks, the nervousness evident in his voice.

Her grin falters for a moment. "Or we can still go out for a bite as before if you're more comfortable with that. It was only a suggestion."

He shakes his head. "No, let's do it. Let's cook at your place. I like it. I'll even make you my world-famous jambalaya."

"Oh? Is this an ancient Ward family secret?"

He smirks. "Mhm. Come on. Let's go get the ingredients and you can cook with me."

"What are we waiting for?" V grins.

* * * * * *

Hands full of groceries, V guides River through her apartment to the small kitchen area.

"I'm sorry the area is so small." V chuckles, setting the ingredients out on the small table. "Maybe this wasn't the greatest idea."

"We'll manage." River glances over at her with a smile.

"Are you sure? I can definitely compensate you for the groceries and we can still go out. I'm sure there's plenty of places nearby we could hit up."

"No need. Just tell me where your pots and pans are, and I think we're in business."

V points to the nearby cabinet.

"Think you can manage without me for a moment while I put away my jacket?" She teases.

"Oh, I suppose I could."

Rounding the corner, V half expects Johnny to appear to give her shit about River or at least make a comment about her taking off his jacket and shades but he doesn't show. Before she has time to figure out whether she sees this as a good thing or bad, River calls to her from the other room.

"You never told me you knew Kerry Eurodyne. How'd that happen?"

Taking off Johnny's jacket and shades, she sets runs her hands over them for a moment before setting them aside.

"Don't tell me you're a fan?" V calls back.

"Not exactly. Just know of him from the news from time to time."

Returning to the kitchen area, she breathes in the sweet aroma of whatever he's cooking and smiles.

"I don't know him that well. He's more like a friend of a friend; The one we were doing a tribute to." She comes to stand beside him as he stirs the pot. "Smells good. What was it you're making again?"

"Jambalaya." He turns with a smile, but it falters slightly as his eyes move down to the deeply cut V in her tank top. Immediately, his eyes jump back up. "It's... um, a family recipe. Bet my socks it'll be the best you've ever had."