This black and white photo

I'm still trying to figure out if these past couple of weeks went by really slow or really fast?  Which is funny because you'd think I'd know one from the other.  But apparently not.  Comes with being just that busy.

Alex and I haven't had much time recently.  In fact, we've barely seen each other.  I know she's got a lot going on at work, and I've got stuff.  Still miss her though.  It's not like we're living really far apart either, sometimes it feels like it though.  But I'm sure it'll get better, and I know she's probably a lot happier back at work.

The last time we really had a conversation I was half awake.  I had gotten back from London (crap, was that two weekends ago?  Yeah, see, that time thing again..) and I crashed because jet lag is always ten times worse on the way back.  She found the diamond necklace I picked up for her.  I thought she might've liked something...we talked about going to Europe, hopefully we'll actually get to go together.

Felix hated not being able to be in the field.  It was like sitting on the bench in a football game.  He wasn't exactly cleared for field operations anymore though, and playing assistant coach just wasn't the same.  His status hadn't been raised that much since before he went on leave, but his duties did.  Now he had a desk in the New York building.  It was funny now to have two offices...one at the DA's that was barely enough to fit one person, let alone the two of them that they squeezed in there, and here.  Here there was a desk..shelves, a door that actually shut, and he could walk around comfortably without running into things.

So lots of stuff happened recently.  Alex came home, I've been hanging around her place a bit, to make sure she's ok and everything, she's still not getting around all that good.  She's as bored as hell though, and I don't blame her.  If I didn't have other outlets of..stuff to do, I would be too until they told us that they found 'office space' for us and all that complicated..ness.  Complicatedness.  

Anyway, I'm going back tomorrow.  Ribs healed, leg healed, I've got some fun new scars though.  Something to brag about to my sister's kids.  Whenever she has kids that is.  

"This is Felix Leiter, I can't answer my phone right now.  Leave a message and I'll call you back."

"Felix, it's Mom.  I know you're home since you're not at the hospital anymore, please call me back.  I'm just concerned, especially since you're there by yourself.  I know that you don't like it, but it's not like it used to be Felix, and I just want to make sure that you're all right.  So please call me back when you get this.  Thank you...I love you."

Neither the phone ringing nor the message recorded succeeded in waking Felix from where he slept on the couch.  It was closer than bed, and it was always a short time before the painkillers practically rendered him unconscious.  Just like in the hospital, it became a routine to stay awake until lunch, then sleep most of the afternoon and evening.

He was exhausted, which came too easily now.  After talking to Nadia Pressman the day before about CTU and the bomb investigation, as well as the surprise to find her married and pregnant, and dealing with Alex's doctors at the hospital, yesterday was exhausting enough.  Today Alex woke up coherently for the first time in a full week.  Physically, just sitting in a chair caused a significant amount of pain if he stayed there long enough and today he fell asleep there which did nothing to help.  The coming few weeks were going to be exceptionally long.

So today was kind of boring.  There really wasn't much to do so I found something to do, which started out harmlessly and ended with bouncing those little red bouncy balls against Alex Cabot's door.  Hey, it sounded entertaining at the time.  

Alex Eames and I successfully completed the rescue mission in the air vent in her office today.  There were only minor casualties.  Oh, and there might be decent coffee tomorrow too.

Ok, so.. here's the list so far of Doomplayers.  Remember we've got Unreal Tournament too, which is an awesome game.  See, like my picture, I'm a necris wraith..thing.  Whatever they're called.  Black Legion team.  And I guess we'll trade off every so often with the games.  

But let me know what your guys' screennames are, so we can find you with the server.  Jack says he can get us private games so we don't get any weirdos trying to crash in on us.  Which would be weird to have some 14 year old kid on the other side of the country breaking in on a game with a bunch of lawyers and cops?  Yeah, that's weird.  entertaining, but weird.  Anyway, here's the list, so lemme know about your screenname, and if anyone else wants to join, lemme know too.

Jack Harper - screenname: RedJelloMonster
Me - screenname: TemporalMarine
David Stettner - screenname: DrDavid3 
Ash Novak - screenname: TheVengefulCellist 
Geoffrey Keegan - screenname: double07 
Tara Wilson - screenname: TombRaiderChick

Anyone else wanna join?  The more people we have the more fun it is.  Trust me.  With Unreal we can do team matches.

(ooc: don't worry about the screenname stuff, that's just for fun, it's not an actual screenname.  because that would be weird.  you don't really have to download the games, i'll post descriptions and stuff, oocly, as needed, and possibly screencaps as soon as i break down and buy the newest UT)

Damn.. ok, I honestly haven't forgotten about this.  I didn't think a whole lot was going on for awhile.  Work.. and..work related stuff.  Though on one of those adventures, I talked to a cop working on Staten Island.  It was one of those chance things.  Anyway, the fella's name is Jack Harper, and he said he used to work out here in Manhattan, in SVU.  Nice guy.  Which.. I mean, I don't want to insult anybody, but especially walking down the street, New Yorkers aren't always the friendliest people.  But then I've been places where asking someone on the street "how are you" means to hear their life story, then be invited over for a three course dinner.

Anyway, Harper and I got talking for a little while, oddly enough we started talking about jello.  Which..don't ask.  I don't know how that got started.  He looked me straight in the eye and said, "Red jello eats people."  I'm not so sure that I doubt it.  *shudder*  Anyway...when we got off that subject, we got onto gaming.  Apparently him and his brother play Unreal Tournament against each other sometimes.  He plays Doom too.  

But we thought it would be kind of fun to play sometime, so...we're working it out, but the tenative time is at 2 pm (yeah..during work, but it's generally a lull, we both decided that).  Anyone else want to join?  Doom 3, Quake 2 (old school) and/or Unreal Tournament.  Kind of a wide variety, but we'll figure it out.  Harper's screenname is RedJelloMonster if you run into him out there someone, and I'm TemporalMarine.  Don't.. ask, I don't even know.  So if anyone's up for it, lemme know.

I know I've neglected to updated for awhile, I honestly haven't been that busy, but I guess enough to..not...do it?  Anyway, many things have happened in the past week/two weeks, maybe longer?  Ok, give me a break, I'm operating without all systems functional today.  

So, Alex and I had a date.  Went well.  Very well.  Then we went briefly to Judge Donnelly's fundraiser thing, which was pretty cool.  I met Denny Crane, from Crane, Poole and Schmidt.  I swear there's something about that guy that's vaguely familiar.  It's a weird surreal thing.  I can't quite put my finger on it, whatever it is.  But that was good, I wasn't really big on socializing that night.  I've never been a huge socializer in big groups, normally I just...watch...big groups.

Then recent stuff, my sister called today (what the hell, Jessie, it had to be really early in the morning for you, why were you so happy?), and I've got this deep sexy voice right now because I'm sick, and I answered the phone and the first thing she says is "Wow, you sound like hell, what have you been doing in New York?"  Hi to you too Jessie.  So I plan to spend the rest of the weekend sleeping off a headache from hell and trying not to cough up a lung on the couch in front of a lot of good movies.  Sounds like a good plan to me.

He went jogging that morning - staying active was a good thing, the doctor told him.  Felix wasn't much of a morning person, if he had his way, he would sleep in.  But after the early wake up calls of the Marines, and sleeping with one eye open in the field, it became sort of a habit.  Morning was the best time to jog anyway, he could go out, then head back, shower, and head to work.  He fell into routine easily, just as he always did.

Felix Leiter's desk can be found in a very small office that is quite difficult to move around in.  His desk is also small, matching the office, and made of a dark finished wood, though it appears to have been there for some time and the finish is wearing.  On the left corner, there's a closed HP laptop and a headset sitting on top.  Next to it is a desk phone with a few lights flashing, indicating new messages that have yet to be listened to.  There's a desk lamp on the right side, next to a Texas University coffee mug with some scattered pens and pencils, and a stack of file folders that are anything but neat, but evidently he has his own system of organization and claims to know exactly where everything is.  His chair is a regular black office chair with wheels that squeak, and leaning against the left side of the desk is a black nylon bag with several pockets, that he carries everything around in. 

Felix found that the past few days, he would stop and realize that the past few minutes had gone by unnoticed as he was thinking about Alex again.  It wasn't so much that he couldn't stop thinking about her, but that he didn't want to.  But he wasn't quite sure what to do about it.  He was still surprised how fast everything happened, but maybe..because everything is faster in New York.  She was still sort of his boss, and what would this do if it went any further, how would it impact work?

I've officially come to label my office as the sardine can.  I know I've definitely been/worked in tighter places, but I trip over something at least twice a day if not more, it's really a challenge to move around.  But, it's an office, and I don't spend a whole lot of time there.  Which is a good thing. 

He remembered strange things. The steady lap of the water on the cement. The powerful swish of a tail. The way the water conducted much more movement than the air. The window in the side of the tank. That it had been a warm day, and that he had a comfortable bed waiting for him. The vague and impulsive note he left. Clearly, he wouldn't be doing this again. Especially since, it had to be the end, didn't it?

He wondered strange things too for a moment. Who would talk to his sister? James? Who would tell his mother? What about his car? Damn, that was a loss. Was blood really thicker than water? If it was, wouldn't it form a separate layer, like oil and water, instead of being mixed together to make a cloud. That's what it seemed to be doing anyway. Blood.. he was bleeding.

He suddenly thrashed around, his lungs aching to get another breath, his eyes wide with fear. The movement attracted a fuzzy creature in the water and for the moment, he was too preoccupied with fighting to get to the surface. The tail swished by him excitedly - like a dog, who was about to get a treat after dinner. Or maybe before dinner.

Then, there was pain. He screamed, but under the water, it only made bubbles and sounds vaguely to his ears as he expelled what little air he had left. More pain, unbearable pain. But wait...wasn't this a dream?