The Only Tree That's Left (Siobhan, Casual)

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

When Hector had first started out and was making a name for himself, on more than one occasion he took someone who wanted to be a businessman or a leader and helped them along. He gave them loans, he helped them get their business under their feet, and then collect later. Even though he was young, Hector knew how to run a business. He came into his family so early that he didn't have a choice but to learn and Hector was an overachiever. He came into his own on the business front quickly and was successful in no time.

One of the cases he took on was Jameson Shaw who ended up a part time friend for Hector. He had loaned him $13,000 to get his enterprise going and even after Shaw had struck gold, metaphorically speaking Hector hadn't cashed in. They had drinks every so often and sometimes Hector would pull it out as a playful threat but he had never followed through.

Now that Shaw was dead, though, Hector couldn't do that. Business was business and he was owed thirteen thousand dollars.

Hector made his way to the widow's address, fully intending to be as gentle as he could about the matter. If she couldn't pay if off right then, he'd work out a plan with her. Hector respected Shaw enough to respect the woman he left behind.

He showed up at her door and ran a hand through his hair, trying to push it down and tame it a bit. He wanted to appear smaller. Hector didn't want to scare her or threaten her in any way but sometimes it was unavoidable with his size and his sometimes intense demeanor. And the wild, unruly hair didn't help.

Clearing his throat and hunching down into his jacket a little more, Hector knocked on the door and waited patiently, hoping that, for all his business experience, he'd be able to deal with this situation in a compassionate and patient way.

[SIOBHAN "NYX" SHAW]

It was no secret that when the sun was out, Siobhan Shaw generally wasn’t. With the sun shining, the birds singing, and the temperature rising through the day, she was far from inclined to leave her home. Instead, she was enjoying the tinted windows, air conditioning, and the hot cup of coffee in her hand as she indulged in one of those trashy romance novels from the two dollar bin at the grocery store. In this one, the woman was down on her luck, having to sell the family home to her arch nemesis to pay back the bank loans her dead father had left her with. However, her arch nemesis was a gorgeous man who kept getting his heart broken. They danced around each other over and over again, building the tension.

It was delicious, as long as it was fiction. It never seemed to work out so well when it was real life. Any relationship drama was stressful. She’d been there and seen others go through it. She imagined it would have been much better if real life drama had the narration from the book!

She was just starting a new chapter – hopefully the one with the steamy sex scene on the front cover – when she heard a knock at the door. Surprised, Siobhan dumbly looked around for the maid for a long moment before remembering it wasn’t the day she had the maid come. Setting the book aside, she got to her feet and made her way to the door. She took a quick moment to study herself in the entry mirror, making sure she was alright to open the door. She looked a bit tired, but she was presentable, and she hadn’t been expecting company, after all.

Opening the door, she expected a delivery man or perhaps one of her neighbors. She didn’t expect the man who was standing there, seeing as how he hadn’t been by since before Jamie passed a year ago. He looked like he had made an effort to look put together and from the way he was slightly hunched, she could guess he was trying to be less imposing. She felt like sighing. He didn’t have to pretend with her. She’d seen him smile and talk with Jamie and she just couldn’t find him intimidating after that. If she was honest, she saw a lot of them in each other and her heart swelled painfully for a moment at the thought. She pushed it aside, happy to see him.

“Hector,” she greeted. “What a surprise!”

She stepped out into the hall so she could gently grasp his arm in greeting, but she couldn’t help herself and leaned in to give him a hug. He’d always been warm to the touch and she soaked it in for a moment before stepping back and looking up at him with a smile, her hand resting on his arm.

“You have perfect timing – I just put on a fresh pot of coffee. You have to come in and help me drink it.”

Hector never turned down a cup in the past and she hoped he’d join her then. They had some catching up to do.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

As he waited for the door to be answered, Hector ran his hand through his hair again and scratched the back of his head. He hadn't visited Siobhan after Shaw passed away and he worried that it was a faux pas. Hector could get by in social circles but he wasn't always very good at it.

“Hector, what a surprise!”

"Hello Siobhan," Hector smiled a little and patted her back when she hugged him. She always had been naturally affectionate even when he and Shaw weren't. "I'm sorry for not visiting after Jameson's death, life's been busy." He slipped into the apartment behind her and shut the door softly before pulling his jacket off and draping it over the door knob. He never could remember to bother with hangers.

“You have perfect timing – I just put on a fresh pot of coffee. You have to come in and help me drink it.”

Hector smiled a little and nodded. Of course he wouldn't turn down a cup of coffee; it was his main diet six days of the week. As much as he wanted to sit down at her kitchen table and drink coffee with her, Hector knew business had to be handled first.

Regardless, he followed her to the kitchen while pulling out his little black in which was a list of balances owed. Since Shaw was one of his first loans, his name was written at the very top. The sum had been crossed out and updated numerous times. He had known Shaw for so long that the original debt increased because of business. Hector charged for the original loan, for his protection, for his consultation, and for the 'lessons' so to speak, that he gave Shaw to start up his business.

All these things added up over the years. What had started an an innocuous business loan had transformed into a sizable debt. The number stared up at Hector, written and underlined in blue ink, indicating a final sum.

Over $70,000.

"Before we can catch up, Siobhan, I'm actually here on business first and foremost."

[SIOBHAN "NYX" SHAW]

"Hello, Siobhan. I'm sorry for not visiting after Jameson's death, life's been busy."

Siobhan merely nodded. Yes, life had been busy. She’d worked hard to make sure she kept busy because it was easier than being lonely all the time. Now, she could slow down without feeling the waves of depression crashing over her. She still missed Jamie, and she could hardly believe he had been gone a year, but she was doing alright.

Ever the gentleman, Hector followed her in and closed the door behind him. She smiled a little when he just left his coat on the doorknob. He’d always done that in the past and it was nice to see that some things just didn’t change.

She led the way to the kitchen. The apartment wasn’t terribly sizeable, but it was bigger than what she needed. So they had to walk down the hall and off the living area to get there. The kitchen was tidy, all the dark green granite was polished and the dark woods had all been oiled by the maid the day before. It was the kind of place where she was happy to have company.

She’d hoped she would find something to say as they made their way to the kitchen, but nothing interesting had come to mind. She just reached for cups, hoping something would come to her, when Hector spoke.

"Before we can catch up, Siobhan, I'm actually here on business first and foremost."

Business? She frowned to herself, wondering what business they could possibly have? She knew he and Jamie had business. Whenever Hector was over, they would take time to talk about it in the other room while she did the dishes or put the finishing touch on dessert. She’d never minded, thinking that whatever they’d had between them was none of her business. Jamie never talked about it when Hector left, and she’d never let herself wonder over what business they could possibly have.

So for Hector to say they had business, he meant just that. She couldn’t imagine what it was, but she had the suspicion that it was serious and it was something that linked right back to Jamie. She felt like shaking her head. Even in death, Jamie was still doing business.

The coffee could wait.

“Alright,” she replied, setting the mugs on the counter and turning so that she could lean against the counter. “What business?”

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

As Hector followed Siobhan to the kitchen, he looked around. Nothing had changed. Of course, a few things had been moved, removed, and added but overall, it was the same apartment. And looking at Siobhan, it was the same young woman.

Had it really been a year?

In the kitchen, Hector leaned up against a counter and looked down at his book. The number continued to glare up at him.

“Alright. What business?”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to think of the most delicate way to address it. "When Jamie was first starting off, he came to me and my family for a loan. After I gave him the start up money for his business, I taught him how to run it and I protected him from the backlash of earlier business ventures that were...less than completely legal."

Hector wouldn't be surprised with Siobhan knew nothing about Jamie's past. He had gotten in so much trouble with shady organizations, even pissed off another family, before he came to Hector's. Of course, he was still doing serious business with the mafia so it wasn't like he was in the clear, not really. The only difference was that Hector didn't let Jamie screw him over.

"He owes me money, Siobhan. A lot of money," Hector signed, closing the small book and tucking it away. "$71,750. Now, I don't expect to collect all of that today, but I need to at least set up a payment plan. And then there's the matter of your protection as well. I can keep it up, it'll cost a little, but it would be well worth it."

[SIOBHAN "NYX" SHAW]

Siobhan wasn’t sure she wanted to know what the business was when Hector pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed like that. Whatever it was, it was either a really big deal or something really uncomfortable for Hector. Either way, she braced herself as they faced each other across the kitchen – each leaning against a separate counter.

"When Jamie was first starting off, he came to me and my family for a loan. After I gave him the start up money for his business, I taught him how to run it and I protected him from the backlash of earlier business ventures that were...less than completely legal.”

Oh, she did not like the sound of that. Less than legal was never good. The fact he and Hector were wrapped up in it together was at least comforting. As long as Jamie had a friend, he always got by. She was beginning to wonder just what Jameson Shaw had been up to.

"He owes me money, Siobhan. A lot of money. $71,750. Now, I don't expect to collect all of that today, but I need to at least set up a payment plan. And then there's the matter of your protection as well. I can keep it up, it'll cost a little, but it would be well worth it."

Hector snapped his book closed and put it away. It was almost the last thing she noticed about the situation. She had a lot of thoughts going through her mind at his words. First, Jamie still owed him – even if he was dead. Secondly, it was a large sum, and she seemed to be the one who had inherited the debt. Thirdly, he was talking about her protection and payment plan like he was a bank. It was a lot to take in.

Siobhan took a long, even breath, hoping she had it all straight. Either way, Hector hadn’t been making a suggestion or asking her if she could pay him back. This was something she had to do because it was the right thing – no matter what Hector and Jamie were involved in. It wasn’t fair to have Hector put out because Jamie wouldn’t sign him a cheque. He always had been tight fisted with money. It was all she could do to get The Shaw Foundation going.

“That is a lot of money,” she agreed. “I don’t suppose you can take a cheque, so it’s going to have to be in small installments.”

She only got so much money per month. She could write cheques for bigger things, but she still had to live within the means of the allowance Jamie had left her. Right then, she had a lot of it saved up, but there was no way she could cash anything over five thousand dollars a month without raising eyebrows. That would take her over a year to pay back.

“I’ll have to decline the protection, though.”

She left it at that. She and Jamie had argued over the issue many times. He’d insisted she needed it because of his job and all the shady deals he had, she insisted she didn’t because she didn’t like to believe his troubles would extend to her. In the end, he had hired someone to shadow her, but she’d never known who they were, and she never let on she knew to avoid another fight with her husband. She didn’t want to have the same fight with Hector, especially considering everything else they had to talk about.

She turned slightly to finish pouring the coffee, holding out a cup for Hector. She needed something to hold onto if they were going to be having this conversation.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

While Hector waited for it all to sink in with Siobhan, he just hoped that he had been gentle enough in delivering the message. He knew that Siobhan had cared for Jamie a lot and he didn't want to ruin her image of him but it was inevitable to some degree with the news he was sharing. But, he knew that Jamie wouldn't want him to just let it slide. Business was business and it was the one thing the pair of them could always agree on. He knew that Siobhan would understand.

“That is a lot of money. I don’t suppose you can take a cheque, so it’s going to have to be in small installments.”

Hector smiled a little and nodded. "Monthly payments are more than acceptable. We need to do it small enough transactions that your bank doesn't become suspicious." Hector knew that normal banks investigated when several thousands of dollars were withdrawn or deposited in a go and unless her bank was actually a cookie jar or something, then they had to keep that in mind.

“I’ll have to decline the protection, though.”

He had been expecting her to say that. Hector remembered when Jamie told him about the fight he had with Siobhan about it and decided to take a page from his book. He would protect her despite her turning his offer down. He'd just pay for it out of his own pocket. It's what Jamie would have wanted after all.

"Of course." He took the mug from her and took a sip. "I wish I didn't have to mess with this sort of thing but it couldn't be put off any longer. I shoulder have been collecting years ago."

Moving away from the counter, Hector went to the fridge and added a splash of milk to his coffee.

"We can work out the numbers later, I just had to make sure you were agreeable," He said taking another sip.

Now with business behind them, he could get caught up with his friend's widow.

[SIOBHAN "NYX" SHAW]

"Monthly payments are more than acceptable. We need to do it small enough transactions that your bank doesn't become suspicious. I wish I didn't have to mess with this sort of thing but it couldn't be put off any longer. I should have been collecting years ago."

Siobhan listened to Hector, sipping her coffee. It seemed like he had this down to an art. He probably did this all the time with the men who borrowed money. He’d done this with Jamie, after all. She was still processing that part of all of this. Jamie had a media empire he’d built from the ground up. He’d put his heart and soul into it, and she knew he’d had to have had investors. She’d suspected Hector was one of them, but she’d never imagined that he’d let a debt grow so big. He had millions in his name when he died. He could have easily taken care of it, and as Hector said, he should have collected years ago. Now she was the one who had to arrange small payments and stay involved until it was all finalised.

Damn it, Jamie...

He was her husband and he wasn’t perfect. She liked his flaws. The way he liked to scratch at his stubble when he was thinking on something, the way he liked to yell at the basketball game on the TV, and even how he used to forget to take his shoes off and start cussing when the carpet got mucked up. But his tight fisted way of holding onto money, even if it could be paid back was a flaw she wasn’t a fan of right then. Nor was she a fan of the illegal dealings. Those were harder to forgive because he could have been taken from her sooner than he was.

"We can work out the numbers later; I just had to make sure you were agreeable.”

“I don’t suppose being disagreeable would have gotten me very far,” she pointed out.

If Hector were willing to forgive seventy thousand and however many dollars, then he wouldn’t have brought it up with her. He would have just forgotten it and left it at that. She doubted Hector would have hurt her if she had been disagreeable to paying him back, but she didn’t doubt she would eventually feel guilty enough to repay him or she could be scared into it. Either option would have just stretched out the whole ordeal.

“My bank is used to me signing large cheques to charity, so it shouldn’t be terribly difficult to request cash instead,” she assured him. “It’s just going to have to be small, which will take a while. If Jamie were...well, it wouldn’t be an issue and you’d have your money today.”

Jameson Shaw could walk into a bank and withdraw that amount easily. He’d be back by the end of the day having tripled it, so the bank loved him for it and never questioned it. He could walk out with what he owed Hector and claim a bad investment and no one would care.

She would be audited. The IRS already thought she was a Canadian subversive. She did not need to give them ammunition.

“But as you said, we can figure out numbers later. Please, sit,” she motioned towards the table as she reached into the cupboard and pulled out a tin of homemade oatmeal cookies. “How’ve you been?”

She was tired of talking business and hoped Hector would move onto lighter topics. She set the tin down on the table and sat in her favorite chair, coffee cup still cupped in her hand.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

“I don’t suppose being disagreeable would have gotten me very far,”

Hector shrugged. That was entirely too true. He had come in ready to persuade her into cooperating, even if it meant scaring her which was the worst case scenario. He didn't want to scare Siobhan, she was too lovely a woman for that. "I came prepared for a fight I'm glad I didn't have to fight." Hector smiled a little.

“My bank is used to me signing large cheques to charity, so it shouldn’t be terribly difficult to request cash instead. It’s just going to have to be small, which will take a while. If Jamie were...well, it wouldn’t be an issue and you’d have your money today.”

That was good, Hector thought. The large sums being withdrawn wouldn't be an issue. Jamie being a tightwad with his money would be. "Jamie was always scared of never having enough or running out, that's the only reason he's so stingy with it. He wants to make sure you're taken care of," He said lightly, taking a sip from his coffee and then setting it on the counter. "I don't blame him. You want to take care of the ones you love, even after you're gone."

“But as you said, we can figure out numbers later. Please, sit. How’ve you been?”

When the tin of cookies was brought out, Hector helped himself right away. He took a bite and chewed, humming happily, as he made his way to the table with his cup. Holding the cookie in his mouth, he grabbed the coffee pot for her and carried it to the table, setting it on the trivet that was sitting on the table. Once it was down, he sat his cup down and balanced the cookie on top of it so he could pull out her chair for her.

"Tired, I've been tired. Being mayor and a small business owner at the same time can be exhausting." Not to mention running an entire organized crime syndicate. He had so much to juggle at once it was actually a miracle that he hadn't keeled over from a heart attack. Hector desperately needed some sort of respite. A vacation was out of the question, it too much time, so he had to find a way to find peace without flying off to Italy or the Dominican Republic. He hoped that, now that he had reconnected with her, he could come to Siobhan. She had always had, for lack of a better term, a cooling effect. It worked on a hot head like Jamie, so maybe it would work on him too.

"And you? How have you been?"

[SIOBHAN "NYX" SHAW]

"I came prepared for a fight I'm glad I didn't have to fight."

She smiled slightly at that. Oh, she could fight if she wanted to. No doubt he had heard stories about when she’d had to rein Jamie in before he did something he’d regret. They’d fought like nothing else when that happened.

"Jamie was always scared of never having enough or running out, that's the only reason he's so stingy with it. He wants to make sure you're taken care of. I don't blame him. You want to take care of the ones you love, even after you're gone."

Someday she was going to ask Hector about Jamie’s childhood. If anyone would know, it would be him. She knew the bare minimum – he was an orphan who had ended up on the streets and he had made it his life’s goal to make money. He didn't like talking about it, but he always told her that he was lucky to be where he was. She'd been there, too - barely having enough to survive on and terrified to end up there again. Thanks to Jamie she never would. Hector was right. He was still taking care of her.

She was distracted when Hector took a cookie and hummed around it happily. Hector had always enjoyed her baking in the past. He carried the whole coffee pot over to the table – lord knew they would be up and down refilling cups if he hadn’t – and even pulled the chair out for her before he sat down himself. Say what you would about Hector Tormei, but he was a gentleman.

"Tired, I've been tired. Being mayor and a small business owner at the same time can be exhausting."

He looked tired. She’d never seen him so run down before. He’d had bags under his eyes since she’d met him, but they never looked like they truly belonged there before.

“I do hope it gets better.” She reached across the table to clutch his hand for a long moment, wishing there was something she could do for him. Shy of making sure he slept, she wasn’t sure what she could possibly do, but the yearning was still there. “It is a lot of work to run a city on top of everything else, but you’ve done a fantastic job with the city.”

He really had. Street lamps actually worked at night, and she’d seen more policemen around than ever before. He was taking care of the people. Now, if he could only lower her taxes and have someone else take the garbage down to the bin, then the city would be perfect.

"And you? How have you been?"

It was always a loaded question. What to say, what not to say – it all depended on who she was talking to. Hector had always been someone she’d told the truth to and she thought that was the best way to be now. He'd been honest and she could afford to be honest right back.

“I’ve been alright lately. I’m starting to feel like a normal person again.”

Lately was the key word there. She had been a wreck when Jamie died. For months she had moped around the apartment with no intentions on leaving. Once that got overbearing, she’d wrapped herself up in being so busy she didn’t have a chance to breathe, let alone think. All her ribs had been showing by the time she’d told herself she’d have to slow down. It was finding a balance that had been difficult. But she was finally feeling like she was human again.

“Still miss Jamie, though. And I’ve missed you, too.”

She honestly had missed Hector. All she’d seen of him were clips in the news. He’d kept busy and she was sure he was the right man to run the city, but that still hadn’t kept her from missing his visits. It was probably better he hadn’t come, seeing as how she was trying to mourn Jamie and they were very alike. Jamie had even considered running for mayor at one point, just because he could. She had no idea what had actually motivated Hector to do it.

“I have been curious – what prompted you to run for mayor?”

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

“I do hope it gets better. It is a lot of work to run a city on top of everything else, but you’ve done a fantastic job with the city.”

Hector clutched her hand back, sweeping his thumb over the back of her knuckles. "Thank you, Siobhan. That means a lot. When you're in politics, the criticism is the only thing you hear." He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingertips before giving her hand back. He hoped it got better soon too. He was on a course that would end in a crash, possibly an ulcer, possibly just collapsing from exhaustion. "I may find a way to take a couple of days off and if I do, I'll come to you and hide out on your couch for a couple days," Hector said with a smile and a promise.

“I’ve been alright lately. I’m starting to feel like a normal person again.”

He nodded. He could understand that. Losing someone always took some time to adjust to.

“Still miss Jamie, though. And I’ve missed you, too.”

Hector reached over the table and cupped Siobhan's face for a moment. "I've missed you too. I'm very sorry I haven't been able to be around more." He really wished he had. He knew he could have helped her deal with Jamie's passing but he also knew it could have made more trouble for her. He knew that he and Jamie had a lot in common and it could have hurt her more to have him around. Either way there would be regrets, he was sure.

“I have been curious – what prompted you to run for mayor?”

"Many things, certainly a personal interest in helping small businesses in the city seeing as I own one." He took a sip of his coffee and shrugged, leaning back. "It's complicated."

[SIOBHAN "NYX" SHAW]

Hector was always a charmer in his own way. Siobhan always wondered how he had never found someone to love him for the long haul. Kissing her fingers like that was just one of many things that he did that would have swept any woman off her feet. The problem was that they didn’t see Hector and it was a shame.

"Thank you, Siobhan. That means a lot. When you're in politics, the criticism is the only thing you hear. I may find a way to take a couple of days off, and if I do, I'll come to you and hide out on your couch for a couple days.”

“You’re always welcome here,” she assured him, hoping he would take some time off. With how high-stress his job was, he would need it sooner or later.

He was also right about politics. Criticism was always easier than praise, especially when you didn’t want the mayor to become complacent. Still, everyone needed some encouragement from time to time, and if he wanted to come and hide out on her couch, she was more than happy to let him. She really had missed having him around. He was level headed and always managed to make her feel like things would get better. So much had changed, and yet, he was still the same. Already she was happier to have had him visit.

So when Hector reached over to cup her face, she wasn’t ashamed that she leaned into the touch a little, accepting his affection. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched her unless it was to pose her for a photo or offer a brief hug. It was nice.

"I've missed you too. I'm very sorry I haven't been able to be around more."

She merely nodded as he pulled back. He was running a city, and his own small business. She was well taken care of, and she should have been able to manage on her own. She was managing on her own. It was selfish to expect him to make time for her when she didn’t need to be coddled. At least she might see him with this debt repayment, but she didn’t expect more than that. He was the mayor, after all.

"Many things, certainly a personal interest in helping small businesses in the city seeing as I own one. It's complicated."

“That makes sense,” she replied, thinking that the ‘complicated’ part was probably above her head. “I may have been suspicious had you said it was for the hours.”

She took a long sip from her mug. If the hours were better, Hector wouldn’t look so tired. And he probably didn’t want to sit and talk about being the mayor, not when he’d come on other business, and not when she was hosting.

“How is your business doing? I’m sure it’s been interesting running both it and the city.”

She knew Hector wouldn’t neglect it just because he was the mayor. That wasn’t the kind of person he was. Still, she thought it would be good to enquire, after all, because his day job was very demanding.

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

“You’re always welcome here,”

Hector thanked her again and continued to hold her hand. He was going to have to take a break eventually and there were worse ways to spend off time with Siobhan. It was decided, he was going to take time off. He had plenty of hours allotted to him and he was going ot use them. "You know what? I think I'll take a few days off." He nodded. "We can spend some time together and make up for all the time we missed out on."

“That makes sense. I may have been suspicious had you said it was for the hours.”

"Never for the hours." Hector shook his head firmly. "But it has its perks. Definitely."

“How is your business doing? I’m sure it’s been interesting running both it and the city.”

Hector shrugged. "It's fine. It's not booming, but it never was. It's still going on though." The bookstore was never meant to do well but it served its purpose. His real other business was beyond successful right then with his mayorial ability to grant them special rights.

[SIOBHAN "NYX" SHAW]

"You know what? I think I'll take a few days off. We can spend some time together and make up for all the time we missed out on."

Siobhan had been studying his hand – big, strong, and scarred – as he held hers – small, delicate, and pale – when he spoke. She looked up, a soft smile touching her lips. She was more focused on Hector’s first statement than the others that followed, even if she was glad that his business was going well and that he hadn’t taken the job for the hours. The idea of Hector taking time off, wanting to reconnect with her was something she didn’t expect, but it touched her deeply.

“Really? I would love that.”

It was the truth. Hector was one of the few people Jamie associated with that was real. He didn’t hold himself like he was made of gold, and he didn’t treat the people around him like they weren’t on equal footing. He was generally enjoyable to be around when they did get together. Of course, Jamie had always been in the middle, so it would be interesting to see what spending time alone with Hector for a few days would be like, but she was more than willing to find out. Hector needed to relax, after all, and she had always had a knack for getting those around her to relax. And just maybe she’d finally feel like who she used to be again.

“We could have a ‘stay-cation’ right here on the couch.”

She’d read a silly magazine article about staying home, saving money, and having a great vacation without the hassles of travelling. The article had listed a million and two things that could be done in New York City, but why go that far when there was a comfy sofa and a fridge full of goodies?

“I don’t believe I’ve had a proper bit of time off since...I can’t even remember.”

When she thought about it like that, she actually wanted to just take time off with Hector for herself, as well. Regular life could be exhausting after a while.

"Just let me know when you're booking the time off so I can do the same."

[MAYOR HECTOR "HADES" TORMEI]

“We could have a ‘stay-cation’ right here on the couch.”

Hector smiled a little, amused by the quaint phrase. He'd heard of stay-cations but have never formally addressed it. He supposed there were worse things than having a vacation at home with Siobhan. It would definitely let them catch up and if things didn't work out, all he'd have to do is call his driver to come pick him up.

"That's a wonderful idea," He said lightly. "I can't think of a better way to spend my time off." Hector smiled.

“I don’t believe I’ve had a proper bit of time off since...I can’t even remember.”

He hummed as she spoke, finding it unfortunate that she hasn't really had time off. She was a beautiful, vibrant young woman who really shouldn't be working herself too hard. She was well taken care of too, Hector knew she was, but he had a feeling that Siobhan wasn't one to just sit around and do nothing.

"Just let me know when you're booking the time off so I can do the same."

"I'll try for next week." It'd be nice to do it soon. Hector could feel the weight of all of his work weighing on him. If he didn't slow down soon, he'd definitely run into some problems. It'd be better to take a mini vacation and miss out on some work than it would be to press on and collapse from fatigue.