• 1-Not My Momma's Fairytales
• 2-Maybe...Maybe I Won't Have The Meatloaf
• 3-Indecision
• 4-Meeting Billy Black
• 5-Sunday Supper
• 6-Moving Forward

Thoughts In Italics.

Harry's eyes easily slid over the room, mentally dismissing the vast majority as not applicable at this time. It was a habit he'd gotten into during the war, his way of mentally preparing himself in case a battle broke out. His eyes slid over a man in a policeman's uniform and lingered, Lasik-ed eyes trying to make out the name on the badge. He still needed glasses to read up close, but the name on the badge was just a bit to small to see from so far away. There was another man wearing a similar uniform in the corner, but his booth was filled and so logical deduction indicated the first was his contact, Chief Charles Swan.

Harry moved easily through the eerily silent eatery, well used to the rather blatant stares from people not bothered by the fact that their meals were going cold. He let an easy smile cross his face as he reached the table and held out his hand.

"Chief Swan?"

The man reminded Harry of Remus a bit, just in the face. His cheekbones weren't terribly pronounced but were clearly there, providing a bit of definition to his face. His eyes were a honeyed hazel, deep set and lightly lashed. His hair was perhaps the most clear comparison; sandy brown with strands of gray beginning to fleck throughout it.

"Yes, sir. And you must be Mr. Potter."

When the man rose to shake his hand Harry didn't let his eyes move too noticeably while still taking in the man's body. His muscles weren't as defined as they may once have been, though he was by no means overweight; Harry would say that Charles Swan was more accurately described as 'comfortable'. It doesn't hurt that he looks really good in that uniform.

They smiled and took their seats in the still and silent diner, both casting about for some way to keep from falling silent themselves.

"I apologize for my tardiness, I'm afraid that I got held up on my way from the airport. Have I kept you waiting long?"

The man smiled, easy and comfortable. Harry decided that, despite the mustache (he had a very low opinion of facial hair in general), Charles Swan had a really nice smile.

"Nah, I haven't even ordered yet. Did you have a good flight?"

A woman began moving out of the corner of Harry's eye, delivering the plates in her hands to a nearby table. Obviously the food service professional, then.

"It was long, but I'm rather biased. I've been on too many for too long now. It was nice to see Africa again, though. I'll have to make sure and go back in a few years. Have you had a good day thus far, Chief Swan?"

The man laughed, which Harry also decided was very nice, before answering.

"It's been pretty quiet, which it always is around here. And the name's Charlie. You can call me Chief Swan if I ever need to arrest you, but we aren't real big on formality around here."

Harry's smile slid from 'I'm charming, pay no notice to the man behind the curtain' to 'it's good to be hanging out with friends, having a beer'. Good humor tinted his voice as he spoke, eyes dancing with mischief.

"Pleasure to meet you, Charlie. I'm Harry. Although getting arrested isn't too terribly high on my to do list, I'll make a note to call you Chief Swan on such an occasion."

**

Charlie saw Tina trying to compose herself before approaching the table while he laughed. Harry had a good sense of humor, and he was certainly easy enough on the eyes. Charlie had always been interested in women, but he was secure enough in his masculinity to admire an attractive man; if those thoughts changed once the lights went out and he'd drifted off to sleep, he certainly didn't think it was anything to be ashamed of. Tina reached the table, cutting off that line of thought. She went into a speech about being their waitress for the day that was longer than it needed to be but Charlie just let her at it since she was obviously nervous. He thought it was amusing.

"I have no idea what I want. Any suggestions?"

Vivid green eyes met his, obviously asking for his input. Before Charlie could answer, Tina let out a giggle that verged on hysterical.

"Oh, this old man's in a rut. Always gets the lunch special every day if it's any good or not."

While Tina went on about the pros and cons of the entire lunch menu, Charlie thought about her observation. This old man's in a rut. Maybe he was. After all, he'd fallen into a pattern after Renee took off with his daughter and he'd never seen reason to change things. He'd let the diner dictate his diet, never mind that the menu hadn't changed in Charlie's lifetime. He'd gone on a few dates since his divorce, but the mere fact that this was Forks kept things from getting serious. His eyes rested on Harry again for a moment; Charlie felt like he was on the verge of a breakthrough, about to come to some sort of decision without being entirely certain what he was indecisive about. Tina stopped talking and Harry seemed to be in deep thought, so Charlie made the first of what he hoped would be significant decisions.

"Maybe...maybe I won't have the meatloaf today, Tina. It's been years since I had Dale's fried catfish."

It was a little insulting when half the diner looked shocked, but Harry spoke before Charlie could snap at them to get back to their own business.

"I've never had catfish, but I've heard very good things."

Charlie cut him off, laying his hand on Tina's arm before she could rush off with the order.

"Catfish is something you're either gonna love or hate. Why don't we just pick something else and split them both?"

Something flashed through Harry's eyes that Charlie couldn't have hoped to catch, but a lingering interest stayed. It was flattering to a man no one had shown interest in for far too long.

"Club sandwich and chips?"

Harry's forehead wrinkled just a bit in thought, distracting Charlie from answering.

"That's the wrong word in America, isn't it? A chip here is a crisp."

Charlie turned to Tina, who was hovering and almost raping Harry with her eyes.

"Catfish with coleslaw and club with fries, please. I'll have iced tea with mine."

Tina nodded and asked Harry what he wanted to drink; he ordered a cola and the woman had no choice but to leave the table though she was clearly reluctant to do so. Harry turned thankful eyes on Charlie, who was fairly certain he was blushing just a little.

"There a place in Port A that sells fish and chips, I go there once or twice a month with my friend Billy."

Harry smiled his understanding and struck up a conversation about the town of Forks, specifically asking how to get certain places; the grocery store, for example, or his house. Charlie gave the man a verbal tour of the town while they waited for their food, their voices the only sound in the diner. Charlie could clearly see that more than half of the patrons had finished their meals and were just sitting around, blatantly eavesdropping on Charlie's conversation. When the food came they didn't bother shifting portions from one plate to the other; Charlie had the random thought that it was almost like a date as they pushed both plates near the center of the table and freely ate from both. The easy conversation continued, moving from Forks to sports, Charlie's favorite pastime.

"I love American football. Something about a group of muscular men getting together to beat the crap out of one another really appeals to me. Same reason I like rugby."

That surprised a laugh out of Charlie, and a voice that wasn't quite quiet enough spread throughout the diner; the question wasn't malicious, just curious...confused, even.

"Wait, he's gay?"

Harry didn't turn around, and his tone was conversational.

"Yes, he's gay. So what do you think about hockey, Charlie? I love the senseless violence."

Charlie kept up with the conversation easily while his eyes watched his fellow townsmen process the fact that they had their first open homosexual. He was prepared to be strict if he needed to be; there would be no hate crimes in his town.

Besides, Charlie was stuck in a rut...and it wasn't just his lunch he was planning to change.

Author's Note: WOW, Y'ALL!! Such positive feedback! I adore you all, and thank you so much for reviewing! Here is chapter two, and chapter three is on it's way! This Chapter Sponsored By: Being nearly out of cigarettes, losing my cell phone, reading the 7 ballsiest ways to quit your job on cracked, and listening to my brother watch old episodes of Kitchen Nightmares. *adores you all*