The real sign of spring robins bring is their song.

[needsarobin]

It was a mild day on the island, warmer than it would have ever been on the same date back home. Tim approved of that and in all the activity, he didn't have time to give more than a passing thought to all the things that he'd have liked to include in this celebration. Alfred had worked miracles with the limited supplies on the island and it was

Comments

[wizard_errant]

"Hey, wow." Dairine is occasionally on time for things, but not with any great regularity--Tim's heart notwithstanding--except when the things are likely to involve food, in which case she's there with bells on. Like now, for instance. "This all looks awesome."

[fallen_ancient]

"Dairine, is it not?" Morgan asks mildly, computer tucked under her arm while she pours herself a cup of tea. "I am Morgan. A friend of Timothy and Sprout's." She might say she were a friend of Nita's, but she had spent rather more time talking to the little computer than the girl.

[wizard_errant]

Dairine glances up at her and smiles. "Yep, that's me. Nice to meet you, Morgan."

[fallen_ancient]

"Likewise, Dairine." Her expression warmed to a smile for the casual nature that made her a peculiar, but fit choice for Timothy's second in command. "Have you brought Spot with you? I should be pleased to meet it as well, if you have."

[cantstopmoving]

For the first time in years, Dick only has one family to spend his birthday with. One big, tangled, not-so-happy family. Between Cassie and Jill, Monet and Dinah, he half expects Tim and Alfred's carefully planned surprise dinner to explode like a fireworks factory in Gotham on the fourth of July.

Only half. If he planned it, there'd be tears, laughing, loving, tickle-fights, brawling and making up. Tim hasn't mentioned it, but Tim will have enforced a code of conduct along with the arrival time. And for once, he's grateful for it. He needs the downtime.

Outwardly cheerful, Dick passes a hand through Tim's hair on the way to the juice, pours a glass, mouths 'I love you' when Alfred isn't looking, then settles (on a bench, instead of on top of the table, so not to traumatize Tim) to talk and share his birthday.

[wizard_errant]

Dairine is on her best behaviour. You can tell, because she's willing to sit on the furniture like a normal person. She sinks down onto the bench next to Dick, leaning back agains the table and glancing upward at the sky. "Happy birthday."

[cantstopmoving]

"Afraid of Tim too?" he teases, eyebrow lifting when she chooses to sit beside him instead of at his shoulder on the table. He stretches his arm along the table behind her back, not mussing her hair or hugging her in a compromise between his affectionate nature and her preference for not being cuddled. "Thanks. It is happy, in spite of everything."

[wizard_errant]

She elbows him playfully in return, and shakes her head. "I'm not afraid of Tim. I just don't like him being all stressed out. Sometimes I try not to add to it." A quiet, thoughtful pause, and she adds, "That's good. You okay then?"

[fallen_ancient]

At six p.m. sharp, not a moment before nor a moment after, Morgan arrives in the appointed place, dressed tastefully, if less festively than Mardi Gras, in her favorite celadon green wrap dress, having taken the liberty of leaving the Sangraal with Dick earlier in the day. That, as much as the opportunity to observe Timothy with his family and share with them, pleased her. It was rare, these days, that she could venture out without it, which meant a color palette she appreciated far less than the soothing, cooling blue-green, if she wished not to appear garish with the ruby about her neck

[not_the_s]

Birthday. Kon couldn't help bursting into an impromptu (and poorly sung) version of 'Happy Birthday' the first time he saw Dick come into the room. He laughed and ducked away from the glares and then made his away over to the food. Soon enough, a few weeks really, it would be his birthday. Funny enough, he wasn't even sure everyone knew about his birthday.

Even weirder, he wasn't sure that he wanted to tell them.

Stupid, huh?

[thedoctordances]

Beverly was considerably better at this kind of low-stress party than the kind where one dressed up and drank several oddly named alcoholic beverages and tried to be diplomatic to Romulans...all right, that had only been once.

Though it looked, from what she could see, that managing her intern's stress levels would be about the same in terms of futility. Beverly made a mental note to check his blood pressure at some point, and checked her PADD to make sure that it was 1800 hours, before smiling softly and going into the party.

[fallen_ancient]

Although they had not met, Morgan recognized the woman who entered as Timothy's other mentor. His medical instructor, Dr. Beverly Crusher. From what she had managed to learn, the woman came from a future time in which humans had colonized space from Earth, rather than living on Earth in isolation and general ignorance of the rest of their species seeded throughout Camelot.

She had meant to introduce herself, but there had never seemed an appropriate occasion. A private, quiet party where neither of them were truly family but treated as such seemed fitting. Gliding gracefully from her spot beneath the shade of the trees, Morgan offered a quiet, mild smile. "We have not met, Dr. Crusher, but Timothy speaks highly of you. I am Morgan, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

[thedoctordances]

She spoke slightly differently than your usual twenty-first century human, and Beverly was slightly charmed by it. Smiling back, she offered her hand. "Likewise," she said, "and please, Beverly is fine--no need to stand on titles. Tim's spoken well of you too."

[fallen_ancient]

"Beverly, then." Her smile warmed slightly at the courtesy, eyes dancing, as ever, at the oddity of the human custom of the handshake continued as a formality long past a time when it had utility. As her fingers curled around Beverly's however, she found another reason for it that til now she had understood intellectually but not experienced. It permitted her to take a measure of the woman, her strength and her compassion. That awareness deepened her smile; perhaps she grew more accustomed to her body. "He is a remarkable young man," she said, fondness evident as she glanced in Tim's direction.