De's Birthday Whatsit - [ssshhhhhhhhhhh] - [Actor's Quarters]

[canadianbill]

[tag on this post whenever, guys. :)]

It wasn't exactly a party, not really. Bill and Len weren't sure De was up for a party just yet, although he was showing distinct signs of improvement. Nor was it a dinner, or indeed - thank God - anything quite so sedate and affected as a tea partyTo Bill's mind, it was a whatsit. That would do. There was

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[len_not_spock]

Leonard, completely oblivious to Spock's ruminations on both the fruit punch and himself, took another sip himself before handing De a card in deep red envelope.

"Let's start with this, then."

[canadianbill]

"If you could get this onto the system, Len," Bill commented, as he shifted into the frame, "you could give Susan and Liz a surprise."

He glanced around the room for Tina; held out his arm for her. "C'mere, you. That dress is too pretty not to be documented on film."

He would have invited Spock, but he wasn't sure whether photographs were illogical or not.

[rn_chapel]

Tina slid in next to Bill.

"Spock?" She tried to make it clear from tone of voice that it would be okay whether he joined in or didn't, after the emphasis she'd put on being polite and sociable, earlier. She didn't want him to feel pressured to be way more friendly than he was used to.

[mirroredspock]

Spock froze for a moment, entirely uncertain of what was appropriate. But they seemed quite pleased with themselves....

He was almost shy as he eased in next to Tina.

[len_not_spock]

With Spock having (slightly reluctantly) joined the group, and Christine dragging McCoy into the fray as well, Leonard set to taking probably more shots than were entirely necessary.

Well. It probably was a first in the history of photography, this assembly of people from four different universes.

[canadianbill]

First or not, Bill's face was still beginning to ache by the time Leonard was done. He stepped away from the others, rubbing at his jaw, and made a beeline for the table.

"Susan'll like those," he said, with the pained smile of one who has just grinned too broadly for too long. "Can I get anyone a drink?"

[mirroredspock]

If it were poison, he would know it by now.

Spock raised his cup.

The warmth in his blood was rather pleasant. And the press of bodies on all sides had been rather... fascinating. Perhaps socializing was not entirely objectionable.

[de_forest]

De looked at his glass, and then over at Bill. "I could probably manage a 'De Kelley' now, in the spirit of celebrating however old I am."

[canadianbill]

Bill took both glasses, with a grin at De. The replicator made short work of the vodka-water-lemon concoction, and he handed it back to De before passing the refilled punch glass to Spock.

"Let's not go too deeply into how old you are," Bill advised De.

[de_forest]

"Old, at any rate," said De, with a wry smile, taking a sip of his drink, which really wasn't all that bad, considering it was replicated.

[len_not_spock]

He couldn't resist taking another snap of Bill and De like that, close together, smiling at each other.

"Not that old," he said gently helping himself to more punch, "at least not by this universe's standards, I'm sure."

[rn_chapel]

Under cover of Len's photography and Bill refreshing people's drinks, Tina unobtrusively removed herself slightly from the group and found a seat. She was feeling a little faint and queasy, all of a sudden, but there was no way in hell she was going to let her "delicate condition" disrupt another party.

Anyway, she had a perfect view of De enjoying himself from where she was sitting, which would make up for almost any amount of lightheadedness.

[canadianbill]

De most certainly was enjoying himself, and that fact alone was as much of an intoxicant as the champagne. (Besides which, Bill was drinking his at a rather slower rate than De. He had absolutely no desire for a repeat performance of the last alcohol-fuelled debacle. Plus, there was something distinctly inconsiderate and impolite about being drunk, to any great extent, in front of Leonard, to Bill's mind.)

"Nah. You're in the prime of life," he told De, squeezing his shoulder. "Again."

He really was downing his drink a little quickly, but still. Bill knew De. His Irish blood could take it.

[de_forest]

De did not normally drink quickly, or to excess. He liked a drink, here or there, nursing a vodka from the back of a party as he watched what was going on, or, later in life, settling down with a beer on the sofa, and just talking with Carolyn. But, on this occasion, it was his birthday, and everything was different, and having more than one drink didn't seem like too bad an idea. He didn't want to get drunk, he couldn't remember ever really being drunk, but having a couple of drinks wouldn't hurt

[len_not_spock]

Leonard was just about to mention the cake which had not yet been cut, when he caught sight of Tina sitting down out of the way.

He probably wouldn't have picked up on anything being the matter, given the smile she was still wearing, but the memory of Sandi's rather dire bouts of early pregnancy queasiness had been etched into his brain, given how spectacular they'd been at times.

"Hey, you alright?" he questioned softly as he walked over to her. "Want me to get you some dry crackers or something?"

[rn_chapel]

"I'm fine," Tina said, feeling touched by Len's concern. "Just feeling a little off. Though, actually, some crackers or something might be nice - I just don't want to disrupt things."