Let's Eat To The Beat! [Amelia]

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Alfred weaved through the crowd in the restaurant, trying to find a clear table to sit at. He ignored the stares as he carried his tray. What was really so strange about carrying five hamburgers anyway? He could be sharing them with a friend! He wasn't, but how did they know that?

Anyway, he was going to put all of that behind him for the time being. He had five warm ground beef patties just waiting for a spot reserved for them in his stomach, and he wasn't going to deny them that privilege any longer. Unwrapping the first patty from its foil home, he began to feast. The different flavors worked together to create a beautiful medley within his mouth. Each and every hamburger was a piece of art just waiting to be dissected and explored by Alfred's taste buds.

While he was indulging in the food of gods, however, Alfred needed something else to keep himself fully occupied. As the table he was seated at was empty of occupants other than himself, he'd brought other entertainment. In this particular case? He had with him a Captain America comic book.

He'd read it before, of course. There weren't many comic books that he hadn't read. Captain America had always been his favorite, for reasons that were obvious to anyone who knew him. He'd gone to the midnight release of The Avengers fully decked out in Captain America garb, and had gone to see the movie at least three more times within the first week it came out.

For now, though, Alfred was quite content flipping through his comic book and eating. He certainly wouldn't mind if anyone came up and started a conversation (talking was another favorite past time of his), but he was quite pleased with his current conditions as well.

[This is set at a fast food restaurant...probably McDonalds. XD]

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Goodness gracious! It was that time already--lunch time! Amelia was out this nice weekend afternoon to do some scheduled shopping. Since she was already out and about, she decided that fast food was the only way to hit the spot. When she spotted the familiarly inviting red and yellow design, the gal perked up and maneuvered her car in the correct area to make the turn. (God, she had so many issues with driving in a reversed street.) After she parked, Amelia quickly grabbed all the little shopping bags and then stepped out of the car, left cowboy boot out first! After tossing the pink and white bags in the trunk of her red '64 convertible mustang (her pride and joy), she closed it gingerly and gave its steely surface a nice pat as farewell. With a grin, she walked over to the entrance of the restaurant, her strawberry blonde curls bouncing with every step. She peeked in and looked around. When someone caught her eye, she gave them a cheeky smile. The Enlgish man fumbled returned with an awkward half-smile. Something about the British! They couldn't seem to readily accept a random smile from a stranger. Amelia took another glance at the semi-crowded diner to see... a man wearing a very familiar-looking jacket! She was somewhere, stuck between curiosity and the desire to eat. Either she would go up to the cashier and order before confirming her assumptions or vice versa. In this case, her curiosity got the best of her, which led her wandering over to the man. Over his shoulder, she instantly recognized the magazine that he was holding--no, it wasn't a magazine! "Frankie!" She exclaimed in a chipper manner as she put her hands on her hips. "Whoa! Why howdy! For some reason I'm not too surprised to see you here at all. I guess we just gravitate towards the nearest McDonalds huh?"

MADE BY STARR OF ON THE EDGE

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Alfred heard a voice saying his name and set his comic aside. Well, not his actual name, but rather a familiar nickname that only one person he knew called him by. The cop looked up with a large grin, not even bothering to check and see who it was. "Brownie!"

He was happy to see his cousin - and, like her, not all that surprised to find her at a McDonalds. Alfred had honestly lost count of how many McDonalds they'd stopped at on their road trip a few years before. Alfred did not just enjoy fast food though. He was actually rather fond of home cooking as well, and ate and enjoyed just about anything. The main reason he liked McDonalds? It was fast and convenient, and he was almost always on the go. It just helped that he thought the food was pretty good too. Unhealthy too, but hey, what did he care? It might catch up to him later on but it wasn't later on, now was it?

"I think we do. Remember how many we stopped at when we went on our drive back home?" It was more than just a drive, of course. It was a two week long journey where they stopped to see as many sights and landmarks as possible. It was also a bonding experience for the cousins, seeing as they saw little of each other growing up. Now? Well, Alfred considered Amelia to be like a sister to him, and he had to admit that as fun as navigating London was, he was happy that someone he knew from back home was there with him.

"So, you on your lunch or do you have the day off too?" He questioned conversationally, unwrapping his second hamburger and taking a large bite out of it. Hopefully she had the day off as well - Perhaps they could make a day out of this!

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Amelia's smile became wider when he responded in the manner she had expected. Right away, she went forward and gave Alfred a hug, trying her best to go at it in the most comfortable way albeit the awkwardness. After pulling out of the hug, she hopped onto the seat right across from her bright-eyed cousin. It was always a delight to see him around, especially since their ideals were so similar.

"Oh yeah, I sure do remember. It was the best and I looved the Oreo McFlurries. I always remember the trips from the McFlurries we ate. It was so bomb!"

The roadtrips around the country was really one of the things that drew her closer to Alfred. If she could be honest, he was the only one she could really trust and be optimally comfortable around. Meeting him unscheduled was not a part of the norm but it was still truthfully considered the day's blessing.

"I'm on my day off. I totally need this break." Amelia laughed as she tucked a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. "How about you? Momentary relieved on duty to enjoy some good old-fashioned lunch?" She propped her arms up and rested her chin on her overlapping fingers. "How's work anyway? I hope it's not stressing you out too much. Then again, it seems like we've only been getting petty crime. 'S'll a good thing too, compared to Texas that is. Whacky stuff always happens down there."

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Alfred grinned as Amelia brought up McFlurries in her reminiscence. "I'm thinking we should grab McFlurries after this, for old time's sake." He was already eating quite a bit as it was, but he could squeeze in room for some dessert. He could always squeeze in room for dessert.

Alfred was grateful for the chance he had to bond with his cousin after high school. Were it not for that road trip, Amelia would remain that cousin in Texas that he would IM with occasionally. After their road trip, Alfred made sure to keep in touch with her, even as she was going to law school and he was going through the police academy. They'd usually try to meet up whenever one or the other was in the area. Their fathers might still have hard feelings against each other after the inheritance battle, but that didn't mean that it had to extend to their generation.

The blond smiled. "It's my day off too." He dabbed a fry in a bit of ketchup before tossing it into his mouth. "For the most part, it's been pretty easygoing. Except for this one case I'm working on - funny thing is, I haven't even been officially assigned to it." He chuckled. "I got a tip from someone that this girl's life was in danger, so I tried to get her down to the station to ask her a few questions. I pretended to arrest her so that she'd be safer, and would you believe it? The bookstore she worked at blew sky high just as soon as we got out of there!" He shook his head, sipping loudly on his coke before setting it back down. "Still don't know why anyone would be after her, but you better believe I'm gonna be looking into this one."

He shook his head, grinning. "Same with Philly. Can't say I was expecting more of the same in London, but I got a surprise." He tilted his head, taking in his cousin's appearance. "How are things going at your job?" Might as well do some catching up while they were there.

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"I'm game for some right now." Amelia replied with a chipper grin, her eyes practically illuminating with eagerness. Whenever she craved for something, she would crave it so badly! Good thing she happened to want the McFlurry while in the actual McDonalds store; had she craved for the treat at home, it would've been a lot more of a hassle.  The woman sat, listening closely and actively  to Alfred's story. Her eyes widened as she gaped slightly at some parts of his story and explanation, feeling astonished and in awe.  "W-Wow! Golly, No way! That sounds so scary!" Amelia cried with an amazed half-chuckle. "Good thing the two of you are all right! Oh my Gosh, Alfie, you have to be super extra careful from now on. I don't like it when I hear stories of my relatives being near exploding buildings, y'know." She wagged her finger as if she was chiding him in a playful manner that belied her seriousness. Though she knew Alfred was a police officer who knew all the dangers of the occupation, she still couldn't help but feel worried.  "Umm..." Amelia propped up an arm and set her chin against her fist as she thought. "Well, I've had some interesting cases. Divorce. Divorce. I had a case of a raping and then moore divorce." She frowned and glanced at the french fry.  "Nothing reaally special but it's been kinda boring. I would think that there'd be less divorce cases here but it's just as bad as America. So little happy endings." She sat up a little and glanced back up at Alfred. "Your case sounds more exciting. So is the girl going to be okay from now on?"

LAIKA OF BTN!

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Good thing Amelia was up for a McFlurry as well! He was thrilled to learn that London actually had several McDonalds within it's borders. He didn't know what he would have done if they hadn't. It wasn't as though Alfred was entirely addicted to the food (it was good, but he knew he could get better quality somewhere else), but rather the speed. Alfred wasn't a fan of waiting, and McDonalds gave good food at a great speed. Though if he had the time and patience to wait? He preferred a hamburger cooked on the grill just about every time.

Alfred started to laugh at Amelia's commentary. He understood her concern, and appreciated it, but the comment was a bit silly. "And just how many of our relatives have been near burning buildings lately? That one's news to me!" As far as he knew, he was the only one, but he could be wrong...or he was just teasing Amelia!

The northern cousin frowned as Amelia listed off her cases. "Lot of divorce cases then. And they say the rate is high back home! Apparently it's not much different across the pond." He'd have to remember that the next time someone brought up the statistics in America.

"I'm sure things'll pick up for you." Alfred stated cheerfully, not sure whether Amelia wanted them to pick up or not but wishing the best for her regardless. Amelia questioned him more on his case and his smile faded slightly. "You know, I'm not actually sure. I'd like to get to know her more and make sure nothing else like this happens, because this seems really fishy. I'd like to think it was just a freak accident but usually freak accidents don't have anonymous informants coming to you ahead of time. It doesn't help that she's really secretive and tries to evade every question I ask her. I don't think this one will blow over any time soon." He shrugged, taking a drink from his cup.

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"Whew, not many, I hope." Amelia replied with a hint of relief. "With the stubborn mindset that is glued to the family back in Texas, I'm sure they'd charge right in a burning building if the last 10 seconds of the NBA's were on." She chuckled airily but quickly knocked on the table with her knuckles twice. "Knock on wood. Last thing I'd want is to challenge how daring the family can be."

She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling the memory of the strain crawl back to those muscles. "Yeah, it sure seems that way. It's never fun and games like how other people think it is. Well, at least lawyers are a little bit more respected here! That's a plus. I don't get that old 'Southern-conservative glare'." The faintest of smiles graced her lips. The mention of the South made her stomach flip. Though she missed the sunshine, the sweet breeze and the scent of oak and wheat, she could not think much of home without the gaunt expression of her father ghosting into appearance. Amelia glanced up and met his smiling eyes and couldn't help but to put up an equally cheerful front.

"Thanks!" She replied promptly.

When he began to confide her the details, she rested her arms on the table and leaned forward, listening carefully. "Sounds pretty darn fishy, you're right. Sounds like a job for the bigshots like you, Frankie. Though I'm sure you'll straighten up those bad boys, Officer Jones." She sat back on her seat, relaxed. "If you need me for anything, I would be absolutely happy to help you! Of course I can only touch on the legal stuff--can't do any amazing hacking, neither do I have the grace of a Bond girl. I do know how to shoot a shotgun though if my Harvard diploma can't help!"

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Alfred chuckled at Amelia's comment about their family, shaking his head. They did come from a family of adrenaline junkies, and Alfred was no different.

"Cops seem more respected here too. The downside of that is that there isn't as much to do here in London as there was back in Philly. Well, other than someone being out to kill a woman I recently became acquainted with." Most of his other assignments involved walking around looking busy. Well, there was that counterfeit money case. He still didn't know how that one turned out in the end...

Alfred missed the U.S. too. He was more attached to the Northeast than the South, though his road trip through the states with Amelia taught him about areas outside of his prior knowledge. Philly was still his home, but he could see living elsewhere in the U.S. as well. He didn't think he would spend the rest of his life in London. He liked it in London, but he didn't feel as though London was home. It was more like he was on an extended trip.

Alfred smirked at the name 'Officer Jones'. "I'm sure they will. Once I figure out who they are, that is." He couldn't exactly bring the bad guys to justice until he had at least an idea of who the bad guys were. When the intended victim wasn't being very forthcoming with reasons why people might want to kill her, it didn't help.

He took another bite of his burger as he looked Amelia over. "I'll keep that in mind, Brownie." He winked. "Hey, you wanna do something after this? You said it was your day off, right?" He dabbed off the corner of his mouth with a napkin, trying to remove a smear of ketchup that he felt laying there.

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"I'd think that's a good thing," Amelia chimed in, "I don't know how well I'd sit if I knew that my cousin walks away from explosions while wearing sunglasses every day. Or chasing serial killers and cannibals. That sort of crazy stuff should just stay in the movies. Then again..."

She trailed off in her thoughts as she tried to dig out the pieces of news that were in the articles recently. "I have been hearing about all sorts of weird murder cases. Do you know about that? There might really be a serial killer in these parts. There were some mysterious deaths."

Hopefully, it wasn't a touchy subject for him to explain. If he knew about it at all, was one. As of late, Amelia had been getting all sorts of strange and questionable vibes from the shadowy parts of the city. There seemed to be eyes in the nooks and crannies where no one dared to bother to look at. Maybe she was just a little paranoid, and granted, she was always paranoid when it came to the safety of the public. Walking around the streets just didn't have that same kind of security that once blanketed around her a few months back. She thought that she'd grow out of it, but the gut feeling kept on chewing on her.

Then again, she thought, Frankie's in the police force.

Amelia looked up to study's Alfred's expression and then smiled at him. Just the way he looked with his dorky glasses and his weird hair with the cowlick made her feel a rush of relief.

"Oh yeah, sure I'm totally free for whatever!" she replied as she took the handle of her shopping bags. "Where should we go? Any idea? Well, I honestly had nothing planned while coming here. I think I was just drawn to McDonalds because it's some sort of an American magnet." She squinted at the lit-up menu on the wall as a part of her theatrics. Immediately, a grin returned on her lips.

"So I'm down for whatever you come up with. Once you're done I mean. Unless you're still hungry," she added with a laugh.

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Alfred grinned. "Hey, I wasn't wearing sunglasses, but the rest of it sounds about right!" He was only half joking too.

The blond frowned at his cousin's next comments. Yes, he'd heard about the case, but he was hoping that he and the rest of the cops in London would be able to put a stop to it before it reached the level that it was at. "Yeah, I've heard about that. We've been trying to look into it but no luck tracking him or her down so far." There weren't many subjects that were too touchy for Alfred to talk about, at least when it came to work. That said, it probably also meant that he talked about certain matters with people that he shouldn't, but oh well.

That said, Alfred would laugh at anyone who claimed that the streets of London were safer than the streets of Philadelphia. The crimes were sometimes different, but they were still just that - crimes.

Alfred beamed when Amelia revealed that she was open to hanging out. He might as well enjoy his day out and catch up with his cousin a bit. Both of them seemed to be busier than expected with work and getting adjusted to a new area. They might as well take this opportunity while it was presenting itself!

"You were drawn to McDonald's because it's awesome. Not our fault that Americans just happen to be better at recognizing awesome than the rest of the world." The cop had a cheeky grin on his face. He took a few sips from his drink before he swallowed, trying to think of what they could do next. "Maybe we could go sightseeing? In all my time here I still haven't seen Big Ben up close. Or we could try to tease the guards at Buckingham Palace. I've always wondered what it would take to get them to move." He was joking about the later, but not the former. He and Amelia already made a summer out of sightseeing around the States - why not make a day out of sightseeing around London?

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She chose to listen over replying to his comment about crime. It was a common subject for their occupation to discuss about, but she opted to not go delve to deep on it. It was an ordinary day, free from work for the both of them. Amelia didn't want to damper the bonding day with talks of work and all. In fact, she already had in mind on what to talk about.

At the mention of McDonald's, Amelia laughed. McDonald's had a warm place in her heart; it wasn't just because of the food--it was because some of the coolest moments of her childhood were in its' playground. There were a lot of good memories in that place, and she had made some good friends through that place as well. It was sad to see how McDonald's has become as a corporation. It has become barely recognizable now aside from the classic cheeseburger.

"Sight seeing? Ooh," she crooned, her lips curved up with excitement, "We should try to get one of the guards to smile. We can tell him weird jokes and stuff! Here, I have one."

The woman set her arms on the desk and leaned in. "Why aren't there any knock knock jokes about freedom?"

She paused, her lips curled in to restrain her giggles. "Because freedom rings!"

Maybe it was just her, but this joke always made her laugh. With that said, Amelia spilled out full and hearty laughter. Whether Alfred was laughing with her or not, she was too occupied with her mirth. Goodness, whoever had made up that joke was a genius!

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Alfred didn't mind talking about work with his cousin, but there were plenty of other things that they needed to catch up on as well. They both had busy lives as a result of their careers, and even though their careers overlapped at times, it was difficult to find time to hang out. They really needed this time just to catch up. Granted, they hadn't known each other all that well during their childhood either, but they'd really bonded during that road trip - To the point where Alfred thought of Amelia as a bit like a sister.

Alfred, too, had fond memories of McDonald's as a child. McDonald's was a treat if he behaved well when his parents were out shopping. McDonald's was the place to go for a birthday meal every year without fail. Even as an adult Alfred liked to treat himself to McDonald's on his birthday. Then he would go to a barbecue for dinner, of course - He was born on the Fourth of July, and what was a Fourth of July without a barbecue? "As soon as it warms up, I'm having a barbecue and you're invited." Alfred stated with a grin, seemingly out of nowhere (as Amelia couldn't very well read his mind to know what he was thinking before making that statement).

He was thrilled when Amelia responded positively to his suggestion. Alfred leaned in closer when Amelia leaned in, waiting for the punchline. And when it came? He started laughing as well. A few of the others in the area were shooting the loud Americans odd looks, but even if Alfred did notice he wouldn't much care. He was having fun with his cousin, and that was what mattered more than anything else at the moment. "Man, I missed hanging out with you. We need to do this more often. At least grab some lunch every once in a while."

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With a sure smile, Amelia replied, "I did too! Ya know, since we're both here in London, we should definitely do that. I mean, the rest of the family is an entire ocean away! You're the closest thing to home 'round these parts."

Sometimes, there were moments when she was homesick. London wasn't like home at all. It wasn't the fresh and sometimes musty smell of Texas she longed for the most; it was her family that she missed. She and her father never had much in common, and she had even left the country partly due to him. Still, her self-cultivate sense of independence hadn't grazed their father-daughter bond to the slightest. Then there was her ma… and the rest of the family.

Amelia brushed those thoughts away. At least Alfred was still here.

"Well, I'm ready when you are!” she chimed. “I’ve always wanted to ride the police car while not actually being the person arrested.”

Then she paused, and continued,” Wait, but I dunno about leaving my car around here. Sure, this isn’t like downtown but I’m sure we’d have some mean kids try to do something to my mustang.”

An immediate frown touched on her lips. Some people were darn rude! Maybe her car was an object of envy to others, despite its garish red color and iconic frame. Or maybe some of these British are still sour after what the Americans had done those centuries ago, and now they don’t like the sight of American things. Whatever the case, she wasn’t sure about leaving the car around in a public area.

“I’ll just follow your car—unless you want to ride in my car?” Two Americans in a mustang around London sounds like something ripped off of a comedy about stereotypes. The thought of it amused her. It seemed that the two of them hadn’t lost their culture while living around these parts.

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"You're the closest thing to home 'round these parts."

Alfred found it refreshing that he was not the only one who felt that way. He liked London well enough, but it wasn't home. Amelia was the closest thing that he had to home, and as he was feeling homesick...well, he might as well spend some time with his cousin to fix that!

"Likewise, Brownie." Even his use of her nickname and her use of his nickname reminded him that as far away as he was from home, he still had family here. Amelia might have been his cousin, but she felt more like a sister to him. They could probably relate better than anyone else in the Jones family. Their fathers still had issues with each other and barely spoke to each other unless they needed to. They were also the only members of the Jones family to dare to go across the ocean and see the world a bit. Alfred did want to return back to the states eventually, but having someone else there was awesome!

Alfred frowned when Amelia mused about kids messing with her mustang. "Wait, nobody's messed with your mustang have they? If someone does, lemme know. Remember Brownie, you got a cop in the family. I'll make sure they get a nice fine for what they did, at the least."

And likewise, Alfred knew that he could depend on Amelia if he ever needed legal advice. Given his profession, the possibilities of that occurring weren't actually all that unlikely. He'd definitely have to keep that in mind.

Alfred grinned. "Doesn't matter much to me either way, just as long as we get to hang out! It's my day off though, so I don't get to turn on the sirens. Maybe it'd be better if we went in my car on a day I have to work in that case?"