Several hours later:
Percy (to Poppy): Ummm, hey honey, are you free to talk for a minute?
Poppy (to Percy): Of course, honey. Vincent's off at work & I'm about to put Victor down for the night. Come on in... What's wrong?
Percy (to Poppy): Honey... Are you calm? And sober?
Poppy (to Percy): I'm calm... and sober, honey. Stop stalling. What's going on?
Percy (to Poppy): A message from Cecily & Gerald arrived at the inn, honey... The Colonel hasn't been home for several days... The last thing he mentioned to them was meeting a woman with a proposition.
Poppy (to Percy): Oh... Thank you for telling me, Percy... I think I need to be alone.
Percy (to Poppy): Oh, alright... I know how you feel about the Colonel, honey. He was like a father to you, to us... sort of.
Poppy (to Percy): I know you do... I'll talk to you later, honey.
An hour or so later:
Poppy (to Mouse): Hey honey, could you please watch Victor for a little bit? ... I have an errand to run.
Mouse (to Poppy): Oh yeah, sure. Is everything okay?
Poppy (to Mouse): It's a family thing, honey... When Vincent comes to get Victor, could you please, please make sure he doesn't leave?
Mouse (to Poppy): I'll do my best.
Poppy (to Mouse): That's all I can ask. Here's everything you should need, honey. I'll contact Vincent when I've crossed over. Thank you.
A short time later:
Poppy (to Vincent): Hey honey, I have an errand to run. I left Victor with your sister. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't wait up.
Vincent (to Poppy): What? Where on earth are you headed? Is everything alright?
Poppy (to Vincent): It's probably nothing, but... Whatever happens, honey, just know that I love you & Victor very much.
Vincent (to Poppy): What? Poppy, what the hell is going on? POPPY! She hung up on me. She fucking hung up on me... Goddamn it, woman!
Ripper (to Vincent): Are you okay, Captain?
Vincent (to Ripper): No! Poppy is mad at me and not she's gone and done God knows what fool ass thing... Damn it! I have to go.
Ripper (to Vincent): What!?! We're packed! Lulu is deejaying right now. You can't leave.
Vincent (to Ripper): And if something happens to my wife while I'm here serving drinks to drunk art students? Please move, Professor.
Ripper (to Vincent): Really? You're worried about your wife... the trained assas-- spy getting into to trouble… Oh, look at the time.
Vincent (to Ripper): Wait. What did you say? Oh no you don't. You're not up for another 20 minutes. What did you just say, Jacob?
Ripper (to Vincent): Shit. I wasn't supposed to mention it. Forget I said anything.
Vincent (to Ripper): Jacob. Don't. I haven't had a good couple of weeks. Right now, my temper's in check, but I'm not sure I can keep promising that.
Ripper (to Vincent): Oh geez, I accidentally stumbled on some documents about the Imperial assassin nicknamed the Magpie a little while ago... When I did a little more digging, I learned it was, well, it was Poppy.
Vincent (to Ripper): What? Poppy? The MAGPIE? What are... Oh. Oh! A whole bunch of shit just started making sense. Fat Christ! I have to go!
Ripper (to Vincent): Shit. Are you sure, Captain?
Vincent (to Ripper): If what you're saying is true, then she... Jesus! Tell Sasha... I don't know. Tell him whatever you think he'll believe. I am SO fired after this. Jacob, move. Why aren't you moving? MOVE.
Ripper (to Vincent): Fine...
Vincent (to Ripper): Thank you.
Eep (to Vincent): Where the fuck are you going? (to Ripper) Where the fuck is he going?
Ripper (to Eep): Honestly, I'm not sure if he even knows.
Eep (to Ripper): And you let him go? Jesus! He's gonna get his stupid ass fucking killed.
Ripper (to Eep): He wasn't really giving me any other options. Was I supposed to hold him down?
Eep (to Ripper): No. No, he probably would have punched you in the face had you tried. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Ripper: Damn it.
A short time later:
Vincent (to Mouse): Hey, sweetie. I don't suppose you know where in hell my wife has run off to, do you?
Mouse (to Vincent): No, she just said she had an errand to run... Victor's sleeping. Are you hungry? Thirsty?
Vincent (to Mouse): No. No. I'm fine. Would you mind watching him just a little while longer?
Mouse (to Vincent): Oh sure... Um, Can you help me with something before you run off?
Vincent (to Mouse): What? Oh, well I really ought to go as soon as I can, sweetie. If it's quick.
Mouse (to Vincent): Oh well, I just need help with something in this closet... I can't reach the shelf... I'm really sorry.
Vincent (to Mouse): And you want ME to get it for you? Wait. What are you... Mouse? MOUSE! Let me the hell out of here, woman!
Mouse (to Vincent): I'm sorry, little brother, but Poppy asked me to keep you here.
Vincent (to Mouse): Sweetie, please. PLEASE. Poppy is doing something possibly incredibly stupid. You have to let me out.
Mouse (to Vincent): So, that I can let you do something equally stupid? Somehow, I think I'll deal with you being mad at me over her... She scares me a whole lot more.
Vincent (to Mouse): Something has happened. If it hadn't, she wouldn't have asked you to waylay me. ... I just want to know she's OK. hun.
Mouse (to Vincent): I understand that, little brother, but she can take care of herself. You, on the other hand, get yourself in trouble.
Vincent (to Mouse): I know she can take care of herself, hun. I'm not worried about her physically.
Mouse (to Vincent): Fine... But, I really have no idea where she went.
Vincent (to Mouse): I know, hun. I'll find her. Thank you! Take care of my son for me, please.
Mouse (to Vincent): Hold on! Have you thought about why she didn't want you to know where she was going? And, don't you think that if she wanted you to be involved, she'd tell you what she was doing.
Vincent (to Mouse): Yeah. One is that Hiiri is involved, and the other... Well, I'm guessing she has a lot of very good reasons for not discussing her past with me.
Mouse (to Vincent): Don't you think she'd rather you were here to watch out for your son? I realize that he's young, but losing both of your parents really sucks. Trust me.
Vincent (to Mouse): I have no doubt of that, hun. But, just because she doesn't want me to be involved, doesn't mean I shouldn't be. I know, hun. I... Poppy was trained as an assassin for ISS. I'm guessing there's a reason she stopped that kind of work. Just like I'm guessing there's a reason she didn't tell me that's what kind of work she did with them. And why she said... I'm thinking she was worried about more than just Hiiri getting her hands on me.
Mouse (to Vincent): So, why don't you just wait a bit before you go rush off after her? I mean, you have pointed out to me that you're just an errand boy. You're out of your league, little brother... Wait. What am I saying? You probably hate that fact.
Vincent (to Mouse): Oh for fuck's sake! This isn't about fame or reputation or any of that other irrelevant bullshit! Yes I'm out of my league. I know that. But... It's Poppy, sweetie! I love her and I'm worried about her and what she might do. What am I supposed to do?
Mouse (to Vincent): You should go into the guest bedroom & look at your son... and then, when you're done if you still want to go, I'll let you.
Vincent (to Mouse): That is not fair, and you know it. What would you do if it were Eep, hun? What would you do if the man you loved were about to do something he didn't want to do out of some kind of bloody-minded revenge?
Mouse (to Vincent): Vincent, I just spent 5 years without the man I love & did a lot of things I'm not proud, so don't tell me what's fair. But, you're a parent now & your child's welfare should be more important.
Vincent (to Mouse): ... Fine. Just... FINE. I'll stay home.
Mouse (to Vincent): Don't act like a petulant child, it's very unbecoming, little brother.
Vincent (to Mouse): I'm not trying to act like a petulant child, hun. I'm trying not to loose my temper and start screaming. Y'all have a little girl fast asleep in the other room, I believe. And, maybe if I had crossed over, we might have been killed. Or maybe not. One thing's for sure; if Poppy does what she's planning, he'll most likely lose one for sure.
Mouse (to Vincent): Wow... Do you really think Poppy is that stupid? I mean, if you really think you can do some good, then why aren't you going out the front door right now? I'm not forcing you to stay. You're going to do what you like.
Vincent (to Mouse): Of course I don't think she's stupid! I think she's going to try to take out Hiiri, hun. And if she does that, I don't know what kind of shape she'll be in when she gets back. But you're right. I've got a little boy to watch over who can't take care of himself, so he's my priority. Poppy is an adult. Just... don't expect me to be uber-thrilled about it. We're headed home. G'night.
Poppy (to Vincent): You're so sexy when you're being concerned about me, honey. (to Mouse) Thank you again, honey for watching the little man for me.
Mouse (to Poppy): No problem.
Vincent (to Poppy): POPPY! You're alright, aren't you? What happened? You scared the hell out of me! Are you sure you're alright? Come here, you huge fucking pain in my ass!
Poppy (to Vincent): I'm fine, honey, just exhausted. Let's go home. You can yell at me in the morning.
