"Guess you just make me smile, awwwww." 

Johnny looked over and smiled nice and big once more before downing the rest of his coffee. 

"Honestly though I am a bit surprised she is still taking the packs if it has been that many..." He pondered out loud.

"Hmm surprised? Why's that?" Talia asked.

"Well knowing you and that temper of yours, I kind of figured you would have whipped her into shape or at least scared the living crap out of the girl... then again you have always had a soft spot for that girl. She is a lot like you, kind of a mini Talia."

"Oh, I have threatened her on numerous occasions. Generally she just laughs at me then goes about her business. I've even smacked her with a few kitchen utensils and still the same result. She says ouch, chuckles then goes back to doing whatever she was doing. So I've given up in the threatening regards, I just try to hide them a bit better or smoke then all before I get back to the house."

Talia paused for a quick moment, giving herself enough time to take another sip of coffee. This second cup was much better then the first and it was going down a lot quicker.

"You sure you don't want a roommate? She is semi behaved and can take care of herself for the most part. If you wanna be semi technical, she is kind of in a way half yours. We did find her together..."

"I think I am good on the roommate front, thanks for the offer though! If she is half mine I'll be the fun parent that doesn't really do any of the mean parenting stuff. Yup that sounds like a solid plan."

Johnny nodded as he picked up his cup to take another sip before realizing it was empty and putting it back down. 

"Damn, coffee is all gone. That's unfortunate..."

He looked at his cup, then over to the counter, then to Talia... trying to decide if he should get another cup.

"Hmmm... so um, what's in the plans for today? Anything exciting or important going on?"

“That’s not fair!” Talia pauses for a moment. “Not gonna happen either, plus she’s not really our kid. We kind of decided or I decided to take her in and even though she is a pain in the ass I rather like her. She’s grown on me. It’s odd, isn’t it?”

Talia didn’t give him much time at all to respond before moving onto the next thought in her mind. 

”No real big plans today, just have to run a couple errands but nothing overly big. Do you have plans?” 

Her question sparked a curious look into Johnnys face, one that indicated that he was thinking. Once again before he was able to speak Talia chimes in once again. 

”You’ve probably got a whole bunch of things you need to do. I’m sure the whole being the man in charge of a headquarter comes with a bit of responsibilities. Speaking of which, how are things getting on over there?”

"I don't think I have a whole lot planned to be honest, I have a fish who does a lot of the heavy lifting. Things have been pretty good I guess, not too much of a change really Ood is still around to look after all the important stuff... I'm gonna grab another coffee I'll be right back..."

Johnny slid out of the seat and headed over to the counter not waiting for a response. Halfway to the counter though he realized Talia might need a cup and headed back. When he arrived back at the table she was lost in thought staring out the window.

"Hey you need more? Yeah, you need more, nevermind!" Johnny said as he tapped her on the shoulder a few times.

He had noticed mid tap her cup looked nearly empty and so once again he rushed away over to the counter before she actually responded. He ordered two coffees and brought them back over to the table placing one down in front of Talia and then sitting back down across the able with his new cup. 

"Anyways. Where were we?"

“Huh?” Talia muttered after feeling the taps on her, by the time she turned around all she saw was Johnny’s back as he headed back towards the counter. She didn’t hear what he had said but figured he was just going to get another coffee. With not more thought about it she directed her focus back outside the window. 

She wasn’t looking at anything in particular just aimlessly gazing out the window. For all of commotion and mayhem of the life she was living, this moment was rather peaceful. It was the first time in a good while that she was relaxed. She stayed in that moment until Johnny got back, the rather forceful placing of the cup in front of her snapped her back into reality.

”Anyways. Where were we?” 

Talia took in a deep breath.

”Uh, we were talking about your fancy new headquarters. You know, the one you haven’t even showed me yet.”

"Hey, you can come and see it tonight if you would like?" 

Johnny gave Talia yet another big ol' smile and wink before picking up his still scalding hot coffee and taking a large mouthful.

"Ouch fuck. It's hot by the way... the coffee that is not my new headquarters..."

He spent a few minutes with his tongue out rubbing it trying to make the pain go away while Talia looked on as if he had three heads. Once he could actually talk again he looked back up to Talia and the big smile came right back across his face. 

"But seriously, you know you are always welcome!"

When Rain arrived at the Café it was a little busy.  Dawn one of the waitress came over to her and gave her a message from Big Moe.   While Dawn was talking to her she spotted Talia sitting at the booth with a gentlemen, it had been awhile since they had talked.   She went over to the table and greeted Talia and she motion for her to sit and joined them.  When Rain sat down at the table Talia introduced her to JohnnyCage.  Rain knew that he had established his own organization in Corktown not too long ago.   Rain told JohnnyCage it was a pleasure to meet him, congratulations on his new journey and she wished him the best. 

“Well, hot coffee is... hot...” Talia smirked in his direction. 

She had been in his shoes before, it wasn’t pleasant burning he piss out of your mouth. That being said she was sure glad it was him and not her.

Taking a moment, Talia dolled up her coffee. Couple of sugars, some cream and a good stir. Same as the previous cup, that combination always made the perfect cup. Placing the spoon down next to the cup, Talia gave a subtle blow across the top of the caramel colored liquid. It still needed a couple moments to cool, giving her enough time to direct her attentions back onto Johnny. 

”Yeah, I’m well aware I’m always welcomed. I mean even if I wasn’t I would still pop in when I felt like it but...”

Before she was able to finish, Talia caught glimpse of a familiar figure. A figure that promptly made her way to the side of their table. Both her and Johnny turned their directions on the woman as she greeted them. 

”Good morning! Fancy seeing you here.” Rain spoke. 

Talia smiled. “Coffee, the morning jump start. Sit.” Talia scooted over, making sure to pull her coffee in the same direction she was going.

Talia could see the slight confusion on Johnnys face, a look that needed an introduction. 

”Rain, not sure if you have ever Johnny... Johnny Cage. Johnny, this is Rain.”

"Nice to meet you Rain."

Johnny picked his coffee back up off the table as he spoke and gave it a glare, popping the lid off and blowing down on it a few times with his still sore mouth. 

"If you plan on getting a coffee, just a fair warning it's hot..."

After a few more minutes of blowing Johnny put the lid back on and took a sip from the coffee, a sip that this time didn't burn the living crap out of his mouth.

"Ah that's better. So, Talia... you were saying something? Something about popping by? I can even get the fancy sheets out if it will help give you that extra nudge to come and see the place."

“Uhhh...” 

She had to give a bit of thought to what she was gonna say, it magically disappeared from her mind. Was something not to extraordinary, actually was quite common. She could have swore when she was little her mother bumped her head into a couple walls, cause the lack of memory was quite astonishing. 

She gave Johnny a blank stare. 

”You forgot, didn’t you?” 

”Hehe..” Talia muttered softly. “It’s definitely a possibility.”

“Typical...well I was saying you’re always welcomed at my headquarters. Then I said I’d get the fancy sheets you..” 

Talias eyes lit up, was just like that her thought was back in her head. 

”Oh yes, I remember now. I was just saying that even if I wasn’t invited I’d still come over but you know, the formal invite is so much better. Then again when do formal invites mean anything?” 

With that statement, Talia picked you the cup in front of her. Brought it slowly to her lips and slowly tilted the liquid onto her lips, was just ever so slightly to give it a temperature feel. It was perfect! Causing her to take a rather nice sip. 

”Ahhh, not too hot and not too cold.” She made sure to direct her gaze towards Johnny, kind of poking fun at him for his earlier misjudgment of his coffee. A look that was combated with an evil glare from him, a look that caused her to laugh a bit. 

”So, fancy sheets?”

"Oh yeah, the fanciest sheets. Silky sheets, black with the dragon logo and everything."

Johnny noticed the rather large sip Talia took of her coffee while he was speaking. He thought to himself if hers was cooled off surely his was by now as well. He looked down at his cup with a big smile, coffee was good and he still needed to finish waking up. He scooped up the cup and took a test sip, a test that the coffee passed with flying colours. Realizing now that it was at that perfect temperature and raised the cup to his lips once more and chugged down the entire contents.

"Bit thirsty?" Talia asked as he slammed the empty cup back down harder than intended. 

"Heh sorry. Bit tired I guess but that should help. Speaking of though... you got any of the good stuff on you? Its been a long week."  

Talia brought her hand up to the bottom of her neck where her necklace laid. She fiddled with the charm for a moment before bringing her hand back onto the table. 

”I always have a bit on me, not a terrible lot but enough to get the heart beating a bit faster.” 

A big ole smile went across Johnnys face. “That would be a great start, lemme have it!” He reached his hand across the table, a hand that was quickly slapped away by Talia. 

”Ouch!” He quickly pulled his hand back. “What was that for?” 

Talia smiled, said nothing but took another sip from her coffee.

”Cant I have some?” 

Talia nodded causing Johnny to once again reach across the table. Once again his hand was met with Talias smacking it away. Johnny again pulled it back quickly, she could see the rage starting to form within him. 

”Seriously... what the hell?” 

Talia took another sip from her coffee, was the final sip then placed the cup off to the side.

”I’m just waiting for the magic word, duh.”

Johnny looked across the table to Talia with a slight head tilt.

"Abra Kadabra?"

She frowned and picked up her coffee once more, completely ignoring him to take another casual sip from her cup. 

"Alright alright, magic word... alakazam!" 

This was simply met with another frown as Talia grabbed at her necklace and tucked the hanging bit, the part concealing the goodies, into her shirt.

"Oh come on. Fine, you win. Please?"

A satisfied smile crept across her face when he said the word as if she was quite proud of herself for making him say it. She gave the string of her necklace a slight tug and pulled the locket out from her shirt, and then took it off of her neck all together before sliding it across the table to Johnny.

"See that wasn't so hard now was it?" She said while still smiling.

"I guess not..." Johnny muttered as he fiddled with the locket trying to remember how to get the secret compartment unlocked. 

Seeing him struggle a bit caused Talia to tilt her head ever so slightly. It wasn’t rocket science but he was having the hardest time opening that charm. Could it have been his hand size, perhaps... it wasn’t the biggest charm and was easier to open with smaller hands but still he shouldn’t have this much of an issue with it. 

”Twist...” Talia said directing the instructions to him, directions which didn’t completely work. 

”I am twisting, I’ve twisted both ways... did you give me one that doesn’t open?” 

He stopped twisting it, figuring that was exactly what she had done but Talia wasn’t laughing. She sat there still giving him a bit of a confused look. 

”You need to twist it. Twist!” Talia did the whole twist motion while explaining it.

Johnny looked back down at the charm then back up to Talia, grasping the charm and twisting once again. Still not opening it. He pushed the charm towards Talia. 

”You do it, if it’s so easy.” 

Talia sighed, grabbed the charm and in one twist opened it up.

”See, twist...”

"God damn witchcraft I tells yeah. I was doing that and it wouldn't budge!"

Talia shot him a look that could best be described as 'were you though?' as she reached across the table and poured a little pile of the white powder out of her necklace for him before screwing it back together and putting it back around her neck. 

"At least, I think I was..." 

The look had Johnny second-guessing himself as he pulled a bill from his pocket and rolled it up. He didn't even bother making the pile into a fancy line or anything, he just put the rolled-up bill up to his nose and sucked the whole damn think up with one long hard inhale. 

"Oh damn, that's better already. It's been a while. Thank you."

“I used to practice a little bit of witchcraft back in the day, was one of my earlier phases.” Talia said with a smile 

“I’d rather not talk about that though... dark times I tell you, dark times.”

Johnny cocked his head a bit, well actually a lot. 

”Seriously?” He asked rather curious. 

Talia simply nodded and quickly tried to change the topic. 

”So, uh... how about those Tigers...”

"Oh come on, the Tigers suck. You wanna see a real team play you should go see the Washington Senators."

Johnny reached over as he spoke and grabbed a cigarette from Talia's pack, and some matches. It was starting to become a bit of a habit at this point and with his coffee now gone the smoke was lit and hanging from his lips before he even realized what he was doing.  

"Wait a second!"

Johnny paused and squinted over towards Talia for a few second before continuing. 

"I see what you did there. Nah uh. Nope. You said you practiced witchcraft? Huh? Care to elaborate? What was this one of those rebellious teenage phases where you got all moody and gothic for a while and started poking dolls with pins? Hmm?"

The coke was clearly kicking in, together with all the coffee and the words were coming out of Johnny's mouth a hundred miles an hour.  

Devante was in Detroit looking for Rain, she left him a message about business if he was interested.  Devante know that she had a great head for business on her shoulders and when she wanted to make money he knew it wasnt chump change.   She wasn't in the Colombian Cafe' so he sat down and ordered a couple of coffee.  It was a robust favor and hot just the way he liked it.  He got a chuckle at the thought of that because Rain was hot and had flavor.   

Talia shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah was something like that, was dark times like I said. Went from that right into this life.” 

”Having coffee with me?” Johnny raised his eyebrows up and down a few times.

“Yup, everything in my life brought me here for this exact moment. Coffee at this cafe with you!” She said in a sarcastic tone while she rolled her eyes the moment she finished.

”Like it was meant to be, huh?” Johnny said smiling. 

It caused Talia to sigh subtly. 

”You getting another coffee or are we getting out of here?”