Emily: "Yeah?"
James: "I just wanted to check in, make sure you two had gotten moved in all right."
Emily: "James?"
James: "Yes, Emily?"

Emily leapt forward, catching James off guard with the biggest hug she could manage. He seemed somewhat disinclined to return it, pulling away after only a few seconds.

Emily: "Where the hell have you been? Come in here, we're all having food!"
James: "I can't really stay."
Emily: "You don't have to stay all night, just ten minutes or so."
Markus: "Is that James?"

Emily: "Yes! Tell him he has to stay."
Markus: "James, you have to stay."
James: "I'm not really in the mood for company."
Markus: "Too bad. A few minutes won't kill you. We've hardly seen you in months."

James: "Fine. But I really can't stay long."
Emily: "Just a few minutes."

Emily practically dragged James into the living room, startled by the sudden return of the tension she'd hoped had dissolved for good. He sat down just outside the group and began staring absently at a basket of rolls.

Tristan: "I'm surprised to see you."
James: "I'm not surprised to see you."
Tristan: "Of course not. Have a beer."
Mary: "They're technically a peace offering from Markus. I'll let you have one."

James: "Thanks, but I'm going to pass."
Mary: "Ok, but if you change you're mind I might not be so willing to share."
James: "Then don't. Whatever."

Emily wavered slightly at the scene playing out before her. There was a strained silence that seemed to stretch into eternity, broken only by a random creaking coming from somewhere in the attic.

Deanna: "Anyway… To answer your question, no there weren't any. It's all a marketing ploy."
Serge: "I'm glad you told me before I wasted my money on a plane ticket."
Deanna: "Don't get me wrong, it's still a decent place to visit, just not if you're expecting any actual aliens. They all got out in the 1960's."
Tristan: "And you really have to like the desert. Which I personally don't."

Markus: "So, James. Why don't you let us in on what you've been up to lately."
James: "Because it's really not that important or exciting."
Markus: "It would still be nice to know what you've been doing that's kept you away for so long."
James: "It's really none of your business, is it?"

Tristan: "You don't have to be such an arse about it."
James: "You want to know what I did? Fine. I was going to leave town, but you already used that little trick, and I honestly fail to see how it's made things any better for you anyway. So I stayed home. I watched too much television and too many movies, drank too much and ate too little. If you want, I can throw in some hookers and drugs to make it a little more exciting. Satisfied?"

For just a moment, Emily felt like the room seemed to want to list slightly to the left.

Mary: "Emily, are you ok?"
Emily: "Yeah, I just need to sit down."

She sank slowly to the floor, wondering if chaos was always going to win out in the end. She focused on a small thread of blue woven into the quilt in front of her, trying to ignore the fact that everyone seemed to be staring at her.

Tristan: "Do you need anything?"
Mary: "I know where your pills are, did you want me to get you one?"
Emily: "I'm ok, really. Sorry. Just tired. I'll take something a little later."
Mary: "Just let me know when you need it."

Emily nodded slowly, hoping for another distraction to pull everyone's attention away from her. For a fraction of a second, she thought she was imagining someone yet again knocking on the front door of the house.

Mary: "Ok correct me if I'm wrong, but everyone we know and actually like is already here, right?"
Emily: "I'm fairly certain."
Mary: "That just leaves people we don't like."
James: "I'll answer it. You two should stay here."

Tristan: "I'll come along for backup."
James: "I suppose I could grant you beating the piss out of certain individuals."
Tristan: "Can this be a standing allowance, or is there an expiration date on it?"
James: "Let's call it standing."

Emily watched nervously as James took a deep breath before opening the door, ready to take a swing at whoever was on the other side.