Lights looked Ethan in the eye, trying to decide whether to be exasperated at his inability to do what she told him, amused at his calling her feisty, or touched by the fact that he cared about her that much. She finally settled on a smile. "One; I'm not alone." Notice the Aurors around here? "Two; I'm doing my job, I'll be fine. But you can stay if you want." She'd lost the battle but the war wasn't over yet. "We may need you to clear up a bit around here," she teased. Secretly she was pleased he had fought so hard to stay - it was like a reminder that he loved her. And that feeling was nice.

"Well, thank you," said Lights, smiling. When he wasn't protesting against corrupt leaders, the loudmouth was pretty nice. "I'm Lights by the way. Lights Lennox." She held out a hand.

" I am Joe Jon Montcenaggio " he introduced himself to Lights. " My freonds call me J.J. Starr' he yolf Lights/ " Or even my enemies right now call me that name" J.J. laughed. " Where do yo uwant me to protest again?" he asked Lights.

"Oh," Saph said while looking at the two department heads that are arguing. One of them was her boss.

Exhibit A? she thought. What is that? She figures that she will need to follow whatever Lights's doing. She tucked in her wand in her hands and shut up for a few seconds, letting her mind drift off to several random things.

"I will stay, thank you very much!" replied Ethan, winking. Good, he thought, she cracked. He looked around and saw more people putting wands away, department heads speaking in hushed voices, and murmurs floating through the crowd. "Lights, does this have anything to do with that cult thing?" He had heard about the cult, but didn't know much else. How long, if they did exist, had they been in the Ministry? For all four of Ethan's years of working for them? Either way, he was unsure of the factuality of it all, but he figured that his MLE wife might.

"I swear on my life." Evander answered seriously, but he looked a bit concerned for the old woman's health. What in Circe's name possessed her to galavant in a fountain? And step down? That was a concern, if she didn't feel well enough to continue, but it just meant his timing was good. A riot would have certainly ensued had she passed out in the fountain while tempers were still high and wands were still raised.

He looked for this Gavin person, eyes settling on the man as Gina addressed him.

"Perhaps, after you arrange for someone to help Gina, you can keep the protest going outside." Evander spoke quietly. "We need it to continue and for certain.... individuals.... not to be allowed in -or out- of the ministry. Can I count on you for that?" Could Gina count on this man for that?


Evander lowered his own hand and stepped back, confident that Gina's people would help her and continue the protest outside.

Besides. There was fish to fry. Van turned slowly and fixed his eyes on Recard.


"On the contrary, its more than right. Its the only option left to us. But you seem... a little under the weather, Recard." Growly Evander. "I think you had best return to your office at once."

He looked around. Oh. Good.

"Gabe here will help you out."


"If you wouldn't mind, Gabriel." The man would make a marvellous escort, wouldn't he? "Our friend Recard here needs a bit of help returning to his office, and perhaps it might be worthwhile.... keeping an eye on him for a while. For his own safety of course. He seems just a little... stressed out."


---

Van addressed all those gathered around the fountain.

"If you're protesting, please, by all means continue to do so with the full support of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, only we request that you move outside once more and humbly suggest that nobody is allowed in, or out of the Ministry of Magic until this travesty of a government is corrected and restored."

He stepped out of the water and looked around for his own people, intending to move right away.

"MLE, to me, if you would. We have work to do."

"Nice to meet you, J.J. Starr," grinned Lights. She pointed to the door. "I think my boss wants you guys to go back to where you were protesting before, please. Thanks."

Lights smiled. "By Exhibit A, I meant that protester." She pointed out the man she'd been speaking to before. "He was causing some problems, but since they can protest outside, they're all moving out." Thank Merlin's stripy socks.

"Shh!" hissed Lights, glancing around to check if anyone had heard. "Yeah, I think it does," she said in a calmer but lower voice. "But we can't talk about it here. Meet me at the, um ..." Where was private enough so they wouldn't be overheard? Hmm. "You know that Maintenance closet on Level Two?" She couldn't believe she was suggesting it. "Meet me there after work, okay? And don't mention them around here." That could get him hurt - or worse.

Lights looked up expectantly. She shot Ethan a quick smile. "Got to go. See you soon!" She went over to the head of MLE. Things were going to get more interesting now, she hoped ...

Roxi arrived just as things seemed to be winding down. As usual. She had started to make her back over to the Ministry as soon as Esteban had told her the protesters were now inside, but it took awhile to go from Diagon Alley to the Ministry without an Apparation license. She arrived just in time to hear Mr. Bole tell the protesters to get back outside and call the MLEers to him. She walked over to him and another woman from the department.

Melanie looks around the room. The MLE seemed to be trying to rid of the workers and have the strike outside! Melanie paced around the space she had with so many people in the room. Is the strike going to continue now, but then at the same time protesting outside will not get our point through and we NEED Borr to see this and all the other workers! Melanie shook her head. This wasn't going well and we'll never be able to have our voices be recognized by the people.

She took a breath, "I need... to get out of the... cold... water." She said. Her joints were killing her. She took his hand along with Evander's and got out of the water.

She breathed better now... she used her wand to warm up her joints and she began feeling better. "Home? And not continue the strike?" She said with a smile. "I may need a chair, but I'm still standing up for our rights!" She said with a smile.

"Thank you JJ!" She said holding his hand. "Can you and Estaban help me to the picket line?" She said.

"We'll be at the picket line." She said nodding. "But we're going to be more agressive! No one in. No one out. Make him leave, Evander... Make. Him. Leave."

Listening as Evander spoke to Gina then addressed him, Gavin nodded his face still neutral. He understood perfectly, what the man was saying, probably even more then the guy thought Gavin did. "We can make sure that none get in our out." he replied just as quietly, knowing full well that some of those individuals could very well be in that room there with them at the moment. "You can count on us...me." he added his wand tucking back into its holster but his fingers not leaving it, as he glanced around at the others.

He was going to suggest Esteban to aid getting Gina home, when she spoke and his eyes flickered back to her.

Noting she was looking a little better as he stepped out of the fountain himself he didn't bother with drying himself off, he'd do that in time. "As you wish ma'am." he replied. He'd make sure that there was a chair for her even if he conjured one himself.

"Nice to meet you, too" J.J. Starr smiled at lots. "Even though we are both married, it is nice to help a pretty woman out " Joe Jon Montcenaggio said to Lights." I plan to go back to where we originally protested" J.J. explained to Lights. " If you and your husband are ever in Turin, Italy, look up my wife Katalin and I for dinner, it will be uncer much better circumstances" he smiled .

" Sure, we can help you J.J. Starr told her."Anything for you, my former boss" Joe Jon Montcenaggio said to her. " Now Esteban take one of her arms and I will take the other, so we can get her out" J.J. explained to him.

Esteban looked at J.J. he looked a little familiar but couldn't remember when he had worked in the Department. "Thank you for the help J.J." Etseban told him. Offering Gina his arm for her to walk with. Just in case, the cold water certainly had not helped her. "Gavin...." Esteban said turning toward his fellow co-worker. Hoping...sort of anyway, that all was forgiven. "If you could get Gina a chair when we get out there?" He asked with a smile.

Chelsea had put her wand away when cued - and when Bole called the MLEs over she nearly ran to him. She was ready for whatever she needed to do - pick the brains of needless cultists. Sure why not? It wasn't like they needed memories.

"MLE, reporting for whatever you need me to do" she smiled, rubbing her hands together as she warmed them and got ready to do whatever was needed of her.

" You welcome" J.J. Starr told Esteban." Actually. I think she wants to go where we started the protest" Joe Jon Montcenaggio said to Esteban. " Of course, she may need to sit for awhile" J.J. explained to Esteban.

Sabel was completely and utterly amazed at how easily Evander seemed to diffuse the situation. Whether or not Recard went silently was still to be seen, but the mob protesters were slowly trickling out. And if anything, their purpose had been doubled and their hope of change renewed.

It was a strange, but reassuring turn of events. While he would have liked to see Damon take on so many people all on his own, he hadn't wanted to see it with this group; they were, after all, just trying to do what they thought right.

His attention returned to Evander, feet taking him a few steps closer. "Sir." Waiting for orders. Ready for duty. It was all self-explanatory why he was standing there. The less that was said, the quicker things would get solved.

With her follower's help Gina returned to the Picket Line.

"Oh, okay," she said. "Thanks."

She felt really stupid. She has been here a year more than Lights, and she's supposed to know more, but due to the fact that she's stuck in the security desk she had almost missed everything. Not that she don't like her job --in fact, she really like it-- but it's just that her job is more like an office job. She prefers jobs that are more practicall.

She followed Lights to their Department Head.
"Wand weigher, sir, reporting for, uhm, whatever you wanted us to do," she said, quite sheepishly towards the end. She knew that she doesn't need to talk, but something pushed her to say stuff without thinking. And she regretted that she hadn't planned her words beforehand.

Dean grinned widely as Bole asked Gabriel to escort Recard out. Oh, boy. That's bad news for a man's ego! With arms still crossed in front of him, Dean followed the Head MLE. Bole sounded like he already had plans for something and as a typical rookie, Dean was excited to know about it. "Dean Benson from MLES, sir. Reporting for duty," he addressed with full respect.

The Departments of International Cooperation and Magical Law Enforcement had gone to the bloody hippogriffs! Their leaders were practically giving up on their positions and working to tear the Minister and the rest of their collegues down. They were the ones committing treason and if he had been in charge he would fire every last one of them. Recard wondered if Borr had even heard about this yet and he added it to his list of things to report to him when Evander finished speaking with Gina, who looked weary, and turned to blab at him.

"Under the weather?! What are you on about Bole?" he said getting angrier after the nonsense pouring out of the man's trap. But before he could come back with a witty and demeaning retort, his arch enemy was ordering one of his men to take him away.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he said looking at Gabe and then back at Van outraged. "I will stay here if I please, this is the Ministry's Atrium, and I am loyal to the Ministry and it's minister. You lot are the one's who have gone looney and should be removed!"

He stood there smoldering.

Gabriel was smirking even more now. Any more things not going the way Recard wanted and the man would probably have a panic attack. Entertainment for the masses. He did rather look like steam was coming out of his ears - or that could have just been from the fountain.

And when Van turned to talk to him, asking him to escort Armen back to his office, well, the security head was only too pleased to oblige. "I wouldn't mind at all, boss. Don't want the poor man to have a funny turn here by the fountain do we?" Turning his head to Recard, Gabe smiled, a glint of something twinkling in his eye. Oh, he was going to enjoy a little one on one time.

He really did look like a five year old having a tantrum. It was rather amusing. But Gabriel kept a cool demeanour. Taking another step towards the man, Gabe moved his face closer, ignoring the paddy in front of him. "And you are the one currently creating a scene. So before I arrest you for that, I suggest you see sense and come with me to your office." His tone was quiet but firm. He would get his wand out if need be. "De-stress maybe. Have a sit down and a nice drink. Whether you do that is up to you, Recard - and whether I have to use force to get you there is also up to you."

You know, come quietly and we won't have any problems.

Melanie followed out to the Picket Line with the rest of the crowd droopily. Will this strike ever end? The strike seemed to be going to nowhere at all. Will Borr ever be able to see the protests his employees were making?

"I'll meet you there. Love you!" Ethan called to the back of Lights' head. He decided it was time to head off. Where to? Well, the Level 2 Maintenance closet, of course. It wasn't like he had anything better to do if he couldn't stay with his wife. And so off he went to Level Two.

Wes slowly uncrossed his arms, relaxing a bit as Van diffused the situation with Gina and the witch went back outside to the picket line. He was starting to make his way over to his boss when of course he couldn't help but hear the latest rant from Armen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanialRadFAN01

"Under the weather?! What are you on about Bole?" he said getting angrier after the nonsense pouring out of the man's trap. But before he could come back with a witty and demeaning retort, his arch enemy was ordering one of his men to take him away.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he said looking at Gabe and then back at Van outraged. "I will stay here if I please, this is the Ministry's Atrium, and I am loyal to the Ministry and it's minister. You lot are the one's who have gone looney and should be removed!"

He stood there smoldering.

Wes just stared at the Transportation Head, and then started laughing abruptly, loud and long, laughing right in his face, even though he was hardly standing near the man.

"You heard, Gabe," he called out toward Recard. "Come quietly and there will be no problems." Wes started twirling his wand between his fingers, smirking as he just HOPED for an excuse to use.... necessary force.... on the man.

Damien was not relaxing... he was irritated and Armen Recard shouting at him and whatnot was just making him smile. What fun. The huge smile remained on his face as he gripped his wand tightly.

"Come along, Recard," he said calmly and quietly. Not taking his eyes off of the man and not moving an inch he merely waited. Because one way or the other the man was going to come with them.

BLAH!
Emily glared at people as they made their way back outside, why did they have to be so difficult and make things worse?

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Emily nodded her understanding.
"I'm all ears..." and more...
What was the plan boss man?