Talon grinned at her, then tilted his head. 'It's down this way.' The bird on is shoulder made a small sound. 'Oh yeah - this is Sparve,' Talon added.

Vanessa glanced at the bird when it made the sound, and watched it warily. She nodded to show she heard the name, and continued to follow Talon to the deli he'd mentioned.

Talon, noticing her wariness, said, 'He's gentle, don't worry. His talons need a bit of getting used to, but he doesn't hurt people.'

(For context, this slightly odd photo shows how big kestrels are :))

"I tend to be wary around anything with bits on them sharp enough to be called talons, thanks," Vanessa retorted before she could stop herself.

'A lot of people are, for some reason,' Talon said, stroking Sparve under the bird's beak. 'Actually, his talons're better than claws on a cat.'

"If you say so," Vanessa replied doubtfully, still watching the bird warily. It wasn't a very large bird, but that didn't mean anything. She made a mental note to do some research on kestrels later. "Are we still going to go to the deli?"

'Yup. It's this way,' Talon said. He started off.

(I've got a bit of an idea for a side-plot/thing here that we can tie into the shapeshifters.)

Vanessa nodded and followed him to the deli.

The deli was a cosy place, clearly family-owned. Small tables were surrounded by mismatched yet comfortable-looking chairs and the walls were decorated with pictures and paintings of wildlife and landscapes. Sparve flew off before they went inside and Talon went up to the counter.

"I know this place," Vanessa commented as they walked inside. "I go past it all the time, but I've never come in before."

'They do awesome coffee,' Talon said. He turned to a kindly-looking middle-aged woman behind the counter. 'One coffee, a chicken sandwich, some chicken soup with a lot of crackers for the side...anything to drink?' he asked Vanessa.

"Just water," Vanessa replied. Already, the smell of different foods in the deli was making her a bit queasy again.

The woman poured some ice water from a pitcher and handed it across the counter. 'It'll be a couple of minutes,' she said, with a kind smile. Talon nodded, and went to a table.

Vanessa followed him to a table, sipping the water slowly and fighting back the nausea. She could wait for the soup and crackers, no problem.

Talon took a seat. He drummed his fingers on the armrest, at a loss for what to say, then said, 'So...where do we start?'

"I guess... With us," Vanessa replied. "I mean, this is our child, I think we should get to know one another."

Talon nodded. 'Me...not much to say. No brothers, no sisters, currently majoring in biology and going to get a masters in ornithology...' He looked like there was something else he wanted to say, and eventually said, 'And there's something else, too, but I'll tell you that later.'

Vanessa looked at him when he said there was something else, but she didn't push the issue.

"I'm majoring in library science with a minor in English lit, and I plan to get a master's in library science with a focus on archiving," she said.

'There's a masters for that? Huh,' Talon mused. He got up to get their food and took it back to the table, leaning against the table with his coffee. 'Anyway, what are we going to do? Move in together, marry each other, split custody, what?'

"I'm not going to make you do anything," Vanessa replied. She touched her stomach gently. "I'm keeping the baby, and I don't know how I'm going to get my Master's in between taking care of a child, but I can manage on my own if I have to."

Talon nodded. 'Like I said, I'll be there for it. My parents would always be up for babysitting.'

"I don't want to impose like that..." Vanessa said. Inwardly, though, she was kind of pleased. She didn't want to do it alone.

Talon grinned. 'Are you kidding? My parents are already asking me about grandkids.'

"I'll hold you to it if you genuinely want to be part of the child's life," Vanessa warned, looking at him. "That means everything. I mean, I have an ultrasound scheduled for next month that you should be there for, if you're really serious."

'I'll be there,' Talon said, 'but you'll have to do your bit, too. I've got school and work to schedule around, which means you will, too.'