milliways_bar | (no subject)

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[ooc: "Okay. Let's go see Uncle Charlie."]

The front door opens to a wee girl who's been to the bar many times before . . . and a woman who has not.

"See, Mummy?" Megan Pace says gleefully, as Karen Pace looks about in wonder and confusion.

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"I know. And I'm trying... what door brought you here?"

"Through the closet. Megan showed me."

"Megan...?" He blinks at the little girl, who blinks back innocently, before getting back on track. "This place is... not what you'd call usual."

"For one thing, it's in the closet."

"Well, yes. And for me, it's in what I assume is a warehouse downtown, even if I've never actually seen what the building really is. And for Charlie... it's in the roots of a tree on the island where his plane crashed."

"So it's a place called Milliways with a lot of doors," Karen says and shakes her head.

"Well, that's the short version. People come here from all over - different places, different times. Not all of them are from Earth. And some of them... you might recognise as fictional."

There is much blinking and frowning, and she squeezes her daughter so tight Megan whines and squirms. "Too hard, Mummy."

"Sorry, baby," Karen whispers and looks again at Liam. "I don't understand."

"I know it's hard, when you first get here. I would have told you, but I could never figure out how to even start..."

"How long have you been coming here?"

"...quite a while. But what would you've thought if I'd told you Charlie was alive and I was visiting him in a bar at the end of the universe?"

His voice is apologetic.

She plays with Megan's hair. "I'd have thought grief had driven you mad.

"Is that what this place is? A bar at the end of the universe?"

"Exactly. And that's what they tell me."

He doesn't point her towards the window yet, easing her in.

"How is this possible?"

"That part, I never understood. The closest I've got to an explanation is 'magic'."

Megan nods eagerly.

"Magic," Karen echoes. "Of course."

So the two of you really been visiting Charlie. And Sunny and Darien and those other people she's mentioned--they're not imaginary friends. They're people she actually knows."

"Yes. Sunny's a girl about her age. You should meet them."

"Yes, I should." She rests her lips on top of Megan's head, and then starts laughing quietly.

"Liam . . . I'll try to think of something to say to Charlie other than 'I'm glad you're not dead,'" she says and gives Liam a sidelong look.

All is forgiven.

She gets a small smile. Message received, with relief.

"He'll be glad to see you."

"I'll be glad to see him. Particularly since he'll tell me what you've been up to here."

Liam grins innocently.

"What makes you think I've been up to anything?"

"Because the Pace brothers always get up to something when they're together. It's genetic."

Darien wanders in.

Clair'd given him his shot for the week, but he'd gotten back almost immediately. That's why he sees them near the door.

He grins wide and wanders over, rubbing the top of her head gently before kissing her cheek.

"Hey, munchkin. How you doing?"

He puts a hand out, for a shake or a slap or whatever, for Liam.

"Hey, man. What's happening? Good to see you."

A nod to Karen.

"Ma'am."

Liam grins over at him, slapping his hand.

"Karen, this is Darien. Darien... meet my wife."