Continuing on from the episode: Nick and Dash are at the bar in the Imperial talking to Tim. Maggie and PJ are at the station finishing the late shift. Tom? Who knows? Dash has just been encouraged by Nick to have a truce with Tim (basically, everyone wants Dash to shut up about neglectful parents and let them have a few quiet drinks).
Nick: Well, what meaningless things can we talk about over a drink and later forget? What sort of bike do you ride?
Dash, stuck between Nick and Tim, who are now talking about bikes (not that she doesn't know anything about them, just doesn't want to talk about them), gets bored, starts tapping her foot against the bar stool while she thinks of what to do to save herself from total boredom, when suddenly her eyes light up and she bounds across to the other side of the bar, talking one of Adam's bags from him.
Dash: So how's your Dad? Better yet, talk as we walk.
Adam: Where?
Dash: (indicating the bags) Get these up to your room pronto, then you can get back down quicker and talk about anything other than bikes. I'll even buy you a beer.
With this, she disappears up the stairs, turns around when she's gone up about 5, and tells him to hurry up. Adam shrugs to Chris, says he'll be back in a second, and follows Dash up.
Back to Nick and Tim.
Tim: So that's how she got her name, eh?
Nick: Dash? Yep. Now you see her, then you don't, and have to worry about what mischief she's getting into.
Tim: So what does the "D" actually stand for?
Nick: Ah, well. You never heard this from me. It's Deirdre. But I don't know what the "E" is. I'll have to sneak a look at her file someday.
Tim: Deirdre? Hmm. Irish princess in the legends.
Nick: Don't tell her that. Not that it'll make her like the name any better.
Tim: She doesn't like it?
Nick: In her own words, she "needs a name like that like a fish needs a bicycle". So, you've bought each other drinks. What next?
Tim: What? Ask her out? Mate, she would never shut up about the latest kid who needs DSS intervention. Not that I don't like her. But she doesn't seem to think much of me.
Nick: You never know what she's thinking about. Very unpredicatable. I'll have another Chris. By the way, seen Dash?
Chris: (handing Nick another beer) She went with Adam up to his room.
At this Chris heads off to serve another customer, hoping she's managed to give Tim the message that Dash isn't available. Or she won't be if she and Adam get their acts together she thinks.
Up in Adam's room. Dash is sitting on the end of his bed while he unpacks his bags.
Dash: So, how's your Dad?
Adam: He's great. Thinks he might even come down and spend some time down here.
Dash: Get to see what this place looks like.
Adam: Check up on me more like. Why is it parents always think they have to check up on their kids even once they've left home? Anyway, what haven't you lot done while I've been away for the week?
(He grabs a clean shirt to put on)
Dash: Oh, we've had a pretty quiet week. Nick nearly hit a kid, who has meningitis, and whose mother is a compulsive gambler, a con guy took all Clancy and Leonie's money but he's given it back now, Clancy and Leonie ran away cause they thought DSS were going to take Rachel, but then Tom convinced them to let the neighbour of the gambling mother foster Rachel, and Clancy and Leonie have regular accesss. You want that beer?
They head back downstairs.
Dash: Hey, Chris, Can I have a beer for Adam?
Chris hands over the beer, and Dash looks to Adam.
Dash: Got some change?
Adam: I thought this was your shout?
Dash: It is. I'm broke though, so you pay, and I'll pay you back.
Adam rolls his eyes, pays Chris for the beer and asks for the darts as well, and Dash and Adam move over to the dart board.
Adam: Ok, each throw 3, total your score. If you get higher, you don't pay me back for the beer, deal?
Dash: That's not fair. On you I mean. So you can go first.
He agrees, and throws, getting a 20 double, a 16 and a 15.
Adam: 71. Beat that if you can.
Dash grins, and takes the darts.
Dash: Prepare to weep.
She throws, and Adam is speechless as she throws 3 bullseyes.
Adam: Damn. Lucky fluke though.
Dash: Nah, I skipped school too much. I just pretend to be worse than I am at darts. You know, if you promise not to tell, we can get some money out of this.
She indicates that PJ and Maggie have just arrived. Adam grins and calls out to PJ that he and Dash will play doubles in a round of 501 against PJ and Maggie. Maggie, who says she is feeling lucky, says they should put $20 on the game.
Dash: $20? Adam, have you got that much?
Adam: Probably, just.
PJ throws first getting a total of 87, then Adam who gets 79, followed by Maggie who gets 83, and Dash who gets 84 In the next round, PJ and Maggie get a combined total of 169, and Adam only manages 72. Thrilled, PJ ups the stakes to $20 and a bottle of champagne. Dash mutters something about how unfair the game will be, winks at Adam, and stuns Maggie and PJ with the triple bullseye, worth 180 she had shown Adam earlier. PJ manages to keep himself composed enough to manage a 79, while Adam got 75, and Maggie got nervous and threw badly (for her) and managed 68.
Adam: So, Dash, can you get get 11 for the spoils?
She promptly asks what he wants the 11made up of, and without waiting for an answer takes it with a 1, 3 and 7.
Dash: I told you it wouldn't be fair.
PJ grumbles and disappears, saying he'll bring the champagne around to Dash and Maggie's later, as by chance he has a bottle in his fridge. (Which he'd picked up earlier and had hoped to share with Maggie. Maggie tells him the champagne is at his own cost since he bet it, and he'll have to pay half of the $20 too. Dash invites Adam to come drink his half of the champagne tomorrow.
Maggie: Yeah, Dash will cook for you. Hope you like Chinese takeaways.
Dash: I'm not that bad.
Maggie: No, worse, because you can cook but you hardly ever do. You know, once she offered to cook, but then got too engrossed in a book. When I asked where dinner was, she tossed a can of spaghetti on the table. Didn't even open the can.
PJ: Somehow I'm not surprised. Did you say she CAN cook?
Maggie: Yeah, and she's very good at it, but more often than not it's takeaways because she gets distracted. You know, Dash, I should tell your mother.
Dash whispers in her ear "Not unless you want the world to know about you and PJ", before saying goodnight to Adam and PJ and leaving. Maggie blushes, mutters goodnight, and quickly leaves, wondering how long Dash has known about this. Outside, Dash is nowhere to be seen, and Maggie, knowing she will have taken the shortcut home across the park (and a couple of backyards), goes to get her car. She pulls into her park at home just as Dash is unlocking the front door. Inside, Maggie instantly interogates Dash as to how long she has known about her secret relationship with PJ. Dash grins and says she's often heard her leave and sneak back in early.
Dash: Besides. My mum told me.
Maggie: How the hell would your mother know?
Dash: Mrs Lowe. She's kind of my aunt. Well, in law. My Dad's brother's wife's sister.
Maggie: Is there anyone in this town who isn't a relative of yours, or a relative of a friend of yours?
Dash: Pretty much not. Small town you know. Either you're related, friends, or enemies. This one lady,
Mrs Matthews, she lives in North Road.
Maggie: Lovely lady. Very helpful. Can't be related to you.
Dash: Lucky for me not. She's only helpful cos she keeps files on everybody in the street, who visits
them, license numbers, the lot. We lived next to her once when we lived in town for a couple of years. Don't know why she doesn't like me. Maybe it was her prize lillies I spraypainted one night.
She heads off to her room to muse over this, shutting her door and leaving Maggie shaking her head and trying hard not to laugh. Her door reopens, and she pokes her head out.
Dash: By the way, if PJ stays tonight, can you please try keep the noise level down this time, or I'll have to find alternative sleeping arrangements.
There is a knock at the door, and Dash opens it. PJ is there with the champagne. Dash takes it and shuts the door again leaving PJ outside, then reopens the door and says "Sorry, I forgot you had a room here", then heads back to her room leaving Maggie to explain to PJ. About an hour later, (10pm), Dash has had enough of keeping her radio on (so she can't hear Maggie and PJ), throws some clothes into a bag and leaves, turning up at the Imperial a bit later, and goes straight upstairs, unseen by Chris, but is seen by Nick, Zoe (who has joined them for a drink) and Tim, who were getting up from the bar to go their separate ways, causing Nick to remark (in a joking manner) that he must have had too much to drink and is hallucinating.
Anyway, she knocks on Adam's door (well, it's only manners of course, besides, she doesn't have a key) and he opens it after a minute or so, having been almost asleep.
Dash: Evening. Due to unforeseen circumstances I'm unable to sleep in my room. Mind if I sleep here?
Adam: I'll give you top marks for the element of surprise.
Dash: I don't want points, I want to sleep.
Adam smiles and steps back to let her in. No, nothing happens, they just go to sleep (Except next morning Adam wakes up a bit before the alarm goes off (5.30am, youch, too early) to find Dash is still fast asleep, with her head on his chest)
Sorry folks, I'm tired, so this is now turning into a two parter. Here ends the first part (all objections over-ruled) but if you want to file your thoughts on how it's going so far, Go Ahead...(please?)