Connie - bring on the pain. Poor confused Angel.

KAY

One morning I’m a little slow getting started.(Ok, so I had that dream about Pierce Brosnan and the giant flat of strawberries. Arrest me.) Anyway, Wesley’s ready ahead of me, which almost never happens. He’s looking somber, which almost always happens. Cordy’s poking all the donuts, looking for the one she likes, which, any given day? 50/50 shot. “Would you mind not fondling all of those? Other people might want some, too.”

“Are you sure?” Cordy says. “Women your age have problems metabolizing carbs.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got old age and treachery on my side...which, speaking of, give me a dime.”

“A dime?”

“Yeah, one of those little flat things that weigh down your purse.”

“ I don’t know why. You and Gunn just keep putting money in the curse jar anyway.” But she hands me the coin. She might be all right after all, in spite of herself.

“Why didn’t you tell anybody about this?” Wesley says, waving some little bit of paper around. Oh, crap, I think, but don’t say, he’s found one.

“It’s no big deal,” I say. “Just a kind of tribute thing. Tommy did it to me...before he uh... did it to me.Stan did it to the Munchkin. Ten years in, I get dimes, huh?”

“Not that. This.” He really wants me to look at this bullshit. Sighing, I give in.Kind of like me and Pierce.

‘Prepare to Die’ I read, “Junk mail’s getting really obnoxious nowadays.”

“ You could be in very grave danger.” Wesley says.

“Yeah, I could get shot or something....no, wait, that happened already. It’s all right, Wesley, the kind of twitch that does stuff like this does it because he can’t do anything else.They’re like...impotent. I’m safe as houses, huh?”

“I’d feel better if you stayed somewhere else for the time being, all right? Go home with Cordelia tonight.”

“No!” Cordy says, then she sees my look and says “ I’m sure Detective Howard can handle herself."

(Ok, so I had that dream about Pierce Brosnan and the giant flat of strawberries. Arrest me.)

wibble...

The dime thing is ringing a bell, but I can't quite remember the context. 'Splain, please?

It’s all right, Wesley, the kind of twitch that does stuff like this does it because he can’t do anything else.They’re like...impotent.

Heh. Makes me wish that Munch was eavesdropping.

Stanley used to ask the Munchkin for quarters because he had 25 years in as a cop(well Worden in AYOKS did that all the time, Stanley did it once.) It's a respect thing...it took the squad months to put it together...why a quarter? Especially, if he caught his partner slacking. Reading "Rolling Stone" iirc. I'm guessing, Anne, that the Munchkin will hear the impotency spiel eventually. Or Kay will find out it's him and crack up laughing.

Ah! Thanks, Erika.

I figured that's something she's been waiting for a chance at.

Pierce Brosnan....strawberries....Pierce Brosnan...strawberries....

I'm in a happy, happy place.

Thought so. I know what's good, right?

You know what's good, and you write what's good, and happy.

I loved that "gimme a quarter" deal from first season H:LOTS. It took me a second to ping it, because of the switch Kay made to dimes.

In the book, it takes the squad almost a whole year to find out why the Big Man wants the quarters...the Munch-a-like is like "You want cigarrettes...I'll buy you goddamn cigarrettes. Just quit holding me up...it's not dignified."
"No, I don't want cigarrettes. Give me a quarter."
Then finally, at Christmas, he wishes his partner a Merry Christmas without adding "you miserable sonofabitch" like at Thanksgiving and doesn't ask for one, and the partner finally asks why. Kind of heartwarming, in a fucked-up way.