blackthornedvancity

[blackthornedvancity]

It was a full life at the moment for both Paul and Suranne. So many things to get ready with moving in and then Casablanca shooting with him having to do pickups for "Arrow" whenever he was in town...it was busy. But he wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

He'd gotten Suranne's text, wondering what she was up to. He rode the lift up to their floor, chuckling to himself. She was full of surprises and he was appreciating that about her more and more. He liked to take life as it came and it seemed like she was beginning to do the same. He was struck by the difference in her from when he first met her to now. It seemed like she was more at ease with herself, more comfortable living in her own skin. He liked seeing that, and knowing he had a small hand in it.

Whistling an Indian tune to himself as he entered the place they were both calling home now, he smiled when she came into the living room. "I did." he murmured in response to her question. "What have you been plotting, Ms. Jones?"

It's a date! (Suranne+Paul)

Due to unpacking, Paul’s film schedule, and Suranne’s agent sending her script after script to read, the Jones&Blackthorne house had been busy since they moved in. So busy, in fact, the couple hadn’t had much time to actually enjoy being a couple.

Well, Suranne was going to change that tonight.

She knew the cherry blossoms had begun blooming downtown, and she figured Paul would want a chance to snap some photos of them. She texted him and suggested he clear his schedule for the evening, and spent the next couple of hours getting ready. She readied his camera bag and made sure there was a camera for her as well, before showering and getting dressed. She wanted to look nice for him, but still casual, so she donned a long skirt with comfortable shoes, as well as a button up which she tied over her stomach, which was starting to show signs of life inside.

Pinning her hair up off her shoulders, she put some makeup on, and was just spritzing some perfume on when Paul came in. She wandered out to meet him in the living room, leaning up to kiss him before murmuring “Did you get my text?”

[blackthornedvancity]

"She wouldn't care, especially since it's you and Rupert. She very much thinks of him like a brother." Paul said honestly. "But a hotel might not be a bad idea from a mental standpoint. Pick somewhere nice. Recharge your own batteries a bit."

This was a hard situation, and not something anybody could have known was coming. But that was life really. You got handed things and sometimes you could juggle it on your own and sometimes you needed somebody who already knew the trick to guide and direct until you got the hang of it. "He could be driving." Paul pointed out sensibly. "Now that he actually knows how. I taught him in between rehearsals."

A Shoulder To Cry On (Katie+Paul)

[blackthornedvancity]

"It's not a question of you being strong enough." Paul said quietly. "What's going on is completely in his own head, Katie. Everybody deals with thing differently. I'm not going to react to something the way Suranne would and she wouldn't react to it the same way you would. Sometimes, people get into situations where they need a little extra help. It doesn't mean you did something wrong. You just don't have the complete toolbox a therapist is going to have."

He ran a hand over his face. "I know what you mean. I've seen it before and it's like they vanish. Physically they're alive but it's like talking to a zombie. It's hard to deal with and not something you can do alone." He gave her hand a squeeze. "There's a lot of people here who care about Rupert. You've done what you can. Let us help you both for right now. Once he's got his feet under him again, you can decide where to go from there." 

A Shoulder To Cry On (Katie+Paul)

[blackthornedvancity]

Paul listened, aching for both of them. He'd seen grief in his life, knew of its destructive power and the scars it could leave, not only on the person directly affected by it, but on some of the people around that person. He didn't know what to say to make her feel better. All he could offer was the wisdom of his many and varied experiences. Maybe there was something he could do to ease the burden a bit, but he couldn't take it or bear it for her. That was something only she could do.

"You're not horrible." Paul said firmly, reaching out and placing a gentle hand on her arm. "You didn't abandon him at the first sign of trouble. I'm no psychologist, but I think Rupert needs professional help, something not even you or I or any one of his friends can give him. I've been around people who have lost loved ones and it rocks their entire foundation. Especially since Rupert was so close to his mum."

He was quiet for a moment. "You have to take care of yourself too, Katie. You can feel for him and want him to get better, but you can't do that at the expense of you. This isn't Rupert. You and I both know him. But he's locked up somewhere you can't get to him. If leaving for good is what you need, then do it but at least make sure that he's seeing a psychologist first. The man you love is still in there somewhere, even if you can't see him right now."

A Shoulder To Cry On (Katie+Paul)

[blackthornedvancity]

To say that Paul was concerned was an understatement. He hadn't seen much of Rupert, but there had been whisperings. Obviously, things were bad if Katie had left. He wasn't sure how much of it she wanted to talk about but he would listen and try to offer her the best advice that he could, provided that was what she wanted from him. He made a mental note to have Suranne check in on Rupert later, since they'd been friends for some time.

"You're welcome." he said softly when she accepted the tea. She was hurting and he was helpless to do anything about it. All he could do was provide a safe environment for her to decompress a bit. He settled into his new chair, allowing the silence to reign for a moment. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, they knew one another too well for that. 

Rather, it was a quiet invitation. He wasn't going to push or poke and prod. When she was ready to talk, he was listening. Picking up a biscuit from the tray, he gave her a small nod of encouragement,

A Shoulder To Cry On (Katie+Paul)

Making her way to Paul’s new place, Katie slowly let herself in before calling out, “Paul?” She stepped further inside and turned to lock the door behind her before going to the kitchen, where she thought she heard some movement. Biting her lip, she watched her tv dad busying himself in the kitchen getting their tea and some cookies- though he insisted on calling them biscuits- on a tray.

"Need any help?" she asked softly. She drew a breath then let it out on a sigh, stepping closer and finding the sugar and cream and carrying them to the coffee table with Paul. She slowly curled up on the couch, wrapping one of Paul’s ever-present and always comfortable throws around her shoulders. She accepted the tea that he handed her, noticing he’d all ready added her cream and sugar. 

"Thank you," she whispered before blowing on it and taking a sip. Tears began building up in her eyes and she tried to hold them back, but this was real life, not acting. She had no control over her tears right now, and they slowly began trecking down her cheeks.

Setting her tea aside, she reached up and wiped away her tears, trying to get her thoughts to fall into line.

[blackthornedvancity]

Texting Paul

Katie: I left him

Katie: Probably best if I stop by, not the best company for public consumption right now.

Paul: My door is open.

Paul: I'm putting the kettle on on.

[blackthornedvancity]

Texting Paul

Katie: Paul? Please tell me you're not busy... I could use a dad...

Paul: I don't leave to shoot for another few days...what's going on?

Paul: Do you want to meet up somewhere or come by?

[blackthornedvancity]

Paul wanted to laugh at Gavin's face. He looked like he was expecting to have to go around Vancouver some more but the search was over. They'd found their perfect place. The neighborhood had the right feeling and there was enough space for them to be able to do pretty much whatever they pleased. Except host a drum circle, perhaps, but the chances of that happening were pretty slim.

"I could handle that was well." he nodded before following Gavin out as he locked up. This place was going to be theirs in just a few short days. The hard things, like decorating and such he was not looking forward to. Still, it would be easier with Suranne there to help him out.

"We did it." he said as Gavin left them to head back to his office. "Now Gavin can go help someone else." The realtor had really gone above and beyond to try and help them. A fruit basket or something might be in order when they closed.

It's Perfect! (Suranne+Paul)

[blackthornedvancity]

"I think it ticks off all the boxes, as far as I'm concerned." he agreed, giving her a one armed squeeze. "A guest room is always good, room for us, the baby, the darkroom and then any other surprises that come our way." He had no idea how things were going to pan out in the future but he felt good about things with Suranne and he would be there as long as that was what they both wanted.

He turned an eye toward the realtor. "How much do you want to bet that Gavin does a victory dance when we tell him this is it?" he joked. Their realtor was a good natured man, having scoured Vancouver as well as nearby suburbs to make sure that they had all the options they could. Signing on this would surely be a relief for Gavin, as well as them. They'd have a place that was theirs, not just his or just hers. They'd chosen it together and he rather liked that.

It's Perfect! (Suranne+Paul)

[blackthornedvancity]

They'd seen a lot of properties today, but nothing that had jumped out so far or at all this week. Paul wasn't concerned about taking time with it, though. This was something important and it needed to be just right for them. Sometimes the view would be stunning but there wouldn't be much room. Or there was plenty of room but it wasn't in the greatest area of town. Nothing had everything that they were looking for. However, this last propery was speaking to him. Seven rooms seemed like a lot, but once a master bedroom was claimed, along with a possible study/book room as well as a dark room (if Suranne would allow it), that left four rooms. One could be a guest room and then a nursery for the baby. They had two they could play with and if things went well and they ended up expanding the Blackthorne/Jones clan, they'd already have the space that they needed. . "I think this could be it." he said thoughtfully as he looked around. "I like the floor plan and I also really like the neighborhood." As an artistic soul, Paul could appreciate the bohemian vibe of the shoppes and buildings surrounding this one. He gave her hand a slightly squeeze. "I know there was one more we were going to look at tomorrow, but I really don't think it could possibly beat this one, in my book."

It's Perfect! (Suranne+Paul)

Suranne and Paul had been looking at places to move into for about a week now, and Suranne was beginning to think she’d have to settle for someplace that was ok, but she didn’t love. She wasn’t looking forward to the prospect, however, because if she was going to move out of London, she wanted someplace that felt like home here in Vancouver, not someplace that she’d put up with. 

The properties they had looked at were all stunning, but not enough bedrooms, or a terrible view, or way too far out of the city for Paul to drive to work. She realized she was being nit-picky, and she just hoped that Paul wasn’t becoming annoyed with her. Not that she’d blame him at all.

Drawing a breath, she looked over at Paul as they made their way to another property with their agent. She offered him a kind smile and squeezed his hand gently, hopeful that they would find someplace they both loved today.

As they neared the building, she smiled softly, seeing the decadence of the neighborhood. There were shops and boutiques lining the street, cafe’s, bistro’s and restaurants dotting the neighborhood. It seemed like a bustling area, and Suranne’s hopes were all ready soaring as they parked, climbing out. The agent wandered over, telling them the history of the building, having been built about ten years ago, the floor level was all shops and a gym for the residents, and she couldn’t help but smile at the fact that there was a book shop there. She loved relaxing in bookstores, and this was practically next door.

She wandered with them to the elevator and up to the floor the condo was on, stepping off the lift and discovered the entire floor could be theirs. Yes, seven bedrooms was a bit much, but in Suranne’s eyes that just gave them room to grow and stretch as a family. She wandered the flat, her hand in Paul’s, soaking it all in. With a sigh, she turned to Paul, a smile on her face.

Leaning close to him, she murmured, “So, what do you think?”

[blackthornedvancity]

"No. I've been leaving my mobile in my tailer after Bruno had that freak out when the PA's phone went off while he was talking." Paul sighed. He knew that the situation was frustrating, and one that neither of them wanted to be in, but David was being an arse. Rolling his eyes, Paul pulled the trunk open. "It'd go easier with two people, but I wouldn't dare dream of asking you to get your hands dirty, Princess Tennant." he shot back before removing a car jack from the back as well as the spare tire. He was glad there was one at least. He rooted around and found a wrench that he could use to get the nuts off with. It was slow going and he worked in silence. If David wanted to be a jerk, Paul wasn't going to talk to him. He didn't want to get into anything that would get him in trouble with Suranne. Still, if David threw the first punch, then Paul had no qualms about kicking his arse. Enough was enough.

Awkward Silences (David&Paul)

David heard the question but seeing as how Paul didn’t wait for or seem to want an answer he just sighed. “Whatever you like. If it saves us having to speak to one another” he thought to himself. Or at least he assumed he thought it, realizing after about thirty seconds of silence between them that he had in fact said that outloud. However, he didn’t really feel that he could make himself take it back. And besides, it seemed to work brilliantly at breaking up the awkward silence between them a bit. 

David heard the sound of the car as the engine revved and felt the vibration of the car shaking as Paul hit the gas to get onto the highway, feeling the shaking and vibrating ease up a bit as he let off the gas. He stared aimlessly out the window as they drove along the highway, jumping slightly when he heard the loud pop that sounded like a gunshot going off and his eyes locking with Paul’s when he saw him look over and all he could do was nod at the question. “Yeah, you?” he asked automatically, his own voice shaking a bit. When he heard the other man swear, he turned around and looked out the back windshield and couldn’t help noticing the black bits of tire that seemed to be strewn all down the highway, the car slowing and finally rolling to a gentle stop alongside the highway. “Well this is just bloody brilliant. What do we do now?” he asked as he followed suit and unbuckled his belt and climbed out of the car, assessing the damage to the tire as he walked around the car.

He ran his hand through his hair and pulled on it in frustration as he realized that he had left his mobile in his trailer back at the set, swearing softly to himself. “I don’t suppose you have a mobile on you?” he asked him. “Or let me guess, you know how to singlehandedly change a tire?” he asked, sarcasm dripping from his tone as he was unable to stop himself from being just a bit petulant as his annoyance with the entire situation came to the surface.

[blackthornedvancity]

David was obviously looking forward to this about as much as Paul himself was and that was a bit of consolation. Shared dread. Not the best place to start, but at least there was one. That was what he was going to tell himself anyway. He got into the driver's seat, flicking the knob for the radio on. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked, motioning to the radio. He sure as hell hoped not because otherwise, there was going to be a mighty awkward silence in the car. Suranne had told him about her and David's latest verbal dustup and he could empathize, to a certain degree. However, he could see her side of it too and knew that the situation wasn't the best. He'd admit that. The soundstage where rehearsals were being held was a way out of town and as Paul pulled onto the highway, heading south, it felt like the car was shaking a bit. He eased off the gas and it seemed to help. He made a mental note to tell the PA to get their oil changed and then it sounded like a gunshot had gone off. He immediately took his foot off the gas, easing the car over onto the shoulder of the road. It was early morning and there wasn't any traffic to speak of. He had no idea what had happened and glanced at David. "You alright?" he asked, his voice a bit shaky. Glancing in the rearview mirror, Paul could see exactly what had gone wrong. Black bits of tire were strewn behind them and he swore to himself in Punjabi. They were going to have to get the tire changed or else call for someone to come and get them. He'd left his cell phone at the soundstage and wondered if David had brought his along. "They don't bloody pay us enough for this." he muttered, unbuckling his seatbelt and preparing to go out and unlock the trunk. Hopefully the PA had a spare tire.

Awkward Silences (David&Paul)

David knew when he heard the cast list for this project, that things were going to be awkward. He had been on set with Paul only a few times and they hadn’t had to film many scenes together yet but he knew they were going to have to at some point. He wasn’t looking forward to it. He still wasn’t speaking to Suranne after their latest argument and knowing what he did about Paul and Suranne being together and expecting together, he had made a conscious decision to keep his distance, instead focusing on the scenes he had with other people, knwoing that if he had to speak to Paul beyond a cordial hello how are you in the mornings things wouldn’t be so good between them and they would probably end up going to court for fistfighting. Besides, he wasn’t big on fist fights anyway.

He knew what the director was doing, as soon as he was told that he and Paul were expected to go and get some breakfast for the cast and crew and he was dreading being in close quarters with the other man. He was sipping on a cup of coffee, minding his own business, when he heard the jangle of keys, pulling him out of his thoughts and startling him. 

He looked up to see Paul coming toward him. “Hi” he said softly, watching as the other man tossed the keys into the air. He nodded at the question, draining the last of the coffee from the cup and throwing it into a wastebasket before he followed Paul out of the studio and to the PA’s car that they would be taking. 

No matter what happened or how much he didn’t want it to happen, this was going to be awkward, for the both of them. 

He let out a soft sigh and climbed into the car, closing the door and feeling as if the sound of the door closing were a death dirge.

[blackthornedvancity]

Awkward Silences (David&Paul)

Intellectually, Paul had known that he wasn't going to be able to avoid David forever. He did his best to keep things polite and cordial on set and generally stay out of the Scottish actor's way. They were supposed to be playing best friends though and the director had caught on rather quickly to the chill in the air between the two men. His solution? Sending them to go and collect an order of donuts he'd called in for the cast to eat. Paul had offered to drive and the information was then relayed to David. This could either go very well or very badly, but Paul hoped that they could at least come to some sort of "I won't break your face if you don't break mine" for Suranne's sake. He knew that she and David were friends, had been for some time so he was willing to be a good boy. Of course, if David threw the first punch he wasn't going to take it sitting down. Hopefully they wouldn't end up in court. The keys jangled in his hand as he tossed them up into the air before catching them. They would be taking one of the PA's cars (since they got reimbursed for any gas used) and he tried to be as casual as possible. Any way this was sliced though...it was going to be awkward.

"Hullo David." he greeted politely when his fellow actor came into view "Ready to go?"

[blackthornedvancity]

"You're far too kind." Paul laughed, giving a joking little bow in her direction. He'd certainly seen Anne's work before and had been impressed with her. He was more impressed now, after having worked with her a bit. She was a giving actress, not someone who was going to try and hog the spotlight all the time and he was enjoying the chance to pit his talents against hers. He got himself a bit more coffee, stirring it with a little red straw. "I think it's starting to come together nicely." he commented as he watched what was being blocked in front of them. "A bit of a shaky start but when you're remaking something this iconic, there's bound to be a bit of nerves at the start." He had purposefully not watched the original, just because he didn't want to scare himself out of performing well. Remakes were a risky proposition sometimes and he wanted his head in the game for this.

Co-stars (Anne + Paul)

Anne had not been needed on set as early as her call time had told her to arrive, so she’d spent the better part of her morning in her trailer reviewing her script. She knew the scenes they would be rehearsing today, and once she felt like she couldn’t rehearse them in her mind any more, she emerged from her trailer and headed to the main stage. She stood back quietly, observing the rehearsal that was happening before the scene would be laid on film. She was absolutely in awe of the talent working on this project and was humbled to be a part of it.

Wandering around, she made her way to the craft services table and picked up a couple little nibbles before wandering over and sitting down. Eventually the current scene wrapped up and Anne smiled up at Paul as he passed by her. “I could watch you all day, you know,” she grinned. She’d meant it as a compliment, as she had all ready learned a lot from her co-star. 

[blackthornedvancity]

"Well, as tempting as the idea of you doing yoga in a little black dress is, I thought you would rather be comfortable." Paul shrugged, giving her hand a squeeze as he clicked the keyless entry box on his keyring, locking up his Jeep. He was glad that she seemed to be enthusiastic about the idea. "They have special yoga classes for pregnant women as well." he said hesitantly, giving her a sidelong look. "I thought if you fancied this after trying it, you might check into one of those." He wasn't trying to push her into it, just give her some options. He himself liked to have lots of exercise options and given that her choices would be limited by their child in the near future, he figured it wouldn't hurt to make her aware of what was out there. The class was fairly full of people and he chose a spot near the back so that people wouldn't be fighting to see over him. Hazard of being on the taller side of the spectrum. The instructor had everyone take seats on the mat and begin with some simple breathing exercises, intended to clear the mind and also bring them into harmony with one another. Paul listened, making sure that his breathing was matching hers and he was surprised to find that they even opened their eyes to look at each other at the same time. Maybe there was something to this after all.

Namaste (Valentine's Day; Paul + Suranne)

[blackthornedvancity]

"You can ask, but I'm not telling you." Paul replied, his tone a touch smug as he pulled out into traffic. He'd wanted their first Valentine's Day together to be memorable and while dinner out was certainly an option, he wanted to do something that was a bit more original. Plus, with the wind advisories and weather being what it was, he also wanted it to be something indoor. He'd stumbled across something that would appeal to them both as well as be something different. He pulled up outside YYoga in Yaletown and was pleased to see lots of other couples there. A huge banner proclaiming "Yoga Date Night". "Hopefully this wasn't a lame idea. If it was, there's still time to go back and get changed." he teased as he shut off the engine. He didn't think Suranne would have any objections to this. He'd already demonstrated certain advantages that yoga gave a person while they'd been in India together.

Namaste (Valentine's Day; Paul + Suranne)

Suranne had spent the day looking through some new properties their agent emailed her, and she took virtual tours, sending ones she thought she and Paul would enjoy back. She was still in the hotel for now, which was fine, it gave her a chance to feel like she wasn’t smothering Paul. She also knew he was working right now, so she had plenty to do at the hotel to keep herself busy.

Eventually she was sent a text from Paul telling her to get ready, that he’d be picking her up soon. She all ready had a dress picked out for their date, but then he told her to dress comfortably, and sweats were preferred. Her eyebrows knit together, trying to figure out what he had planned for their first romantic Valentine’s Date that could possibly involve sweats, but not one to question him, she got into her comfy yoga pants, sports bra, tank top, and oversized sweatshirt that she wore off the shoulder. She laced up her trainers and grabbed what she would need, strangely feeling like she was going to the gym rather than a date, but she tried to give Paul the benefit of the doubt and keep an open mind.

She wandered through the lobby until she was outside and spotted his car pull up. Smiling, she waved at him before climbing in, seeing that he was dressed just as casually. She leaned over, kissing his cheek softly, her fingers reaching up to play over his five o’clock shadow as a kind smile crossed her lips. “I must admit, this is probably the most comfortable I’ve ever been for a date,” she teased. She settled into the seat and buckled up, turning to Paul, “Am I allowed to ask what we’re doing?”

[blackthornedvancity]

Suranne- I'm sorry your present didn't arrive in time for Valentine's Day, but I guess I forgot to factor in how long Customs takes to clear things. You'll have to forgive your scatterbrained boyfriend for that one. I wanted to get you something that would not only remind you of India, but also of the gift that the two of us are going to be receiving in a few months' time. I hope you like this. Paul