We Need to Talk

((8th March; closed to Patch. Nothing else seems to be happening with Angel so we may as well put this thing into motion...? ^^))


The pups were asleep, for a small miracle.

Jinx and Misten were currently lost to the world. The male was lying flat on his face where he'd toppled over after falling asleep on his feet; Angel had been going to move him, but before she could Jinx had clambered onto his back and fallen asleep too. To move her would be to wake her, the young mother knew - and to wake Jinx was to wake Misten too, so attuned to his sister was he becoming - so she just left the two of them in their untily pile.

Angel herself, however, had no intention of sleeping.

Couldn't have, even if she'd wanted to.

Restless, the small dog paced. The omnipresent darkness was eating at her nerves, bit by bit; she was used to operating at night from way back in her street days, but this was entirely different. This darkness could barely be pierced, even by the brightest of lanterns; it set her on edge, made her restless, antsy.

It was like being in the land of the blind.

And the latest news that had reached her, what had happened to Annette... Angel had never been close to the middle cocker sister. More than any of them, Annette had been slow to warm up to the new presence in their midst; and when Angel had brought the report of her parentage that had torn the family assunder, Annette had held her to blame for the resulting split above anyone else. Things had been icy between them ever since--

But Angel had never wanted anything to happen to the younger pup. Nothing like this.

And it was this that pushed her to the decision she'd been slowly coming to for a while. Ever since the darkness had fallen; ever since, in fact, the birth of her puppies she'd been slowly, slowly leaning towards it. Now it was time to stop simply considering and to act. She'd asked Patch to meet her here, intending to lay her terms firmly before him. Whether he followed her or not was his business - she might hope, but she wouldn't dictate his own actions to him - but she knew what she had to do.

Jinx and Misten were, after all, just reaching the age where they wanted to poke their little noses into everything. If she wanted to make her move before they got hurt, now was the only time.

"Angel?"

Patch's voice was soft, but loud enough for her to pick up if she was paying attention. He suspected that she was, because she had been the one to call him there in the first place. As usual, the adolescent Dalmatian was intent on answering the call and listening to whatever Angel had to say... Assuming she did have something she wanted to talk to him about. There didn't seem to be any other reason for her to call him there at this point in the night, but he wanted to keep an open mind. Maybe she just wanted to have some time with him. Not that that would have been hard, considering he had been confined to the camp just the same as the rest of his family, but still... It was a possibility.

The male appeared from the darkness, striding forward to meet Angel, and when he was close enough he let his nose touch against hers in greeting. His tail wagged a little bit before he glanced in the direction of his sleeping, adopted children. They really did look peaceful there. But that was beside the point, he supposed. He needed to know what Angel had called him there for.

"I came as soon as I could," Patch told her. "Is everything okay?" He couldn't think of much else to ask in that regard. After all, it wasn't as though he knew what was on Angel's mind. He didn't even know what had been going on with her family apart from what bits and pieces he had heard. All Patch knew for certain was that something was going on. Now it was just a matter of finding out what that was from Angel herself.

"Here."

Her tail, or at least the two-thirds of it she still had, wagged happily as his voice reached her ears. Those tones, that gently accent; they were always a welcome sound to her ears, one that was able to soothe her concerns more surely than anything else. Just his being there, hearing him talking, was all she wanted, all she could possibly ask for.

At least, most of the time.

Today, she wasn't going to be diverted far from her purpose.

Even so, she allowed herself a moment apart from her worries as Patch approached, pressed his nose lightly against hers. The mix-breed gave a small whine of pleasure at his touch, small though it was, and her tongue flicked out to catch the tip of his nose just before he glanced away. Again, she was reminded how much had changed since they'd first met; he'd grown so much from the naive, unprepared puppy whose skin she'd had to save many a time, and who she'd had plenty of harsh words for about it. She still couldn't remember exactly when she'd fallen in love with him, nor chart the myriad ups and downs their relationship had taken; and she certainly couldn't fathom the drive to kill him that had consumed her for a month. She knew just one thing.

Blissful moments like this, even if they lasted but a few seconds, made it all worthwhile.

A wry smile touched her maw as Patch spoke. For all that had happened, Patch still had managed to cling to some vestiges of innocence, and it reflected in moments like this. It didn't occur to him that nothing was okay in the world anymore; his question was about her, personally. If everything was okay with her. A teasing remark rode Angel's lips.

"Well, the camp's still standing, so I'd say we're all doing good enough." She chuckled lightly, less because she'd actually amused herself than just to let Patch know she was teasing. And then sobered, immediately getting to the matter at hand.

"But really? I don't think we should be here anymore."

Her gaze flickered downwards, almost ashamed of what she had to say. After everything they'd faced here, after her promise to see the war through, after Shang had taken them back in and trusted them again, no matter how unwillingly... it seemed like a betrayal of it all to just turn around and leave. It was her old street-dog mentality talking; pull out when the risks get too high, let everyone else fight their own battles. And she hated it.

She hated even more that it was actually the most sensible course of action in this case. Not for her own sake, but for the little pups, asleep so peacefully beside her.

"A war camp's no place to raise pups. You've seen as much here as I have; it's been set on fire more than once, and none of the pups here have much in the way of life expectancy. Those who have survived, like us... well, look at us." She indicated his shoulder, her eye, and a hundred other little wounds that were hidden beneath both their fur.

"Even the streets would be a safer place to grow up, and I wouldn't wish that life on anyone. I'd rather have a home to send them to, but that's not going to happen; and if I had to, I'd prefer to take Jinx and Misten back to grow up on the streets like I did, than risk every day that someone else will attack the camp again, that they'll wonder into the wrong place, and that they'll get hurt. They don't deserve that."

She blew out a short breath, before voicing the thought that had been niggling her for ages.

"And it's not even our war anymore."

It was hard not to agree with what Angel had said, really. The war had gotten to be a lot bigger than the both of them combined, and they had lost their place in it a long time ago. There also was the obvious fact that raising puppies in a war just wasn't doable. So naturally, the Dalmatian was inclined to nod his head as Angel spoke. It would likely be best if the pair of them just went on their way. But where would they even go? Back to the farm seemed like the best option, but it technically wasn't Angel's home. Patch did remember seeing Angel spending some time with Lilo and Stitch once, but he didn't think she would want to go back with them either. For one thing, Lilo's family was still a part of the war. For another... Well, he would feel weird if he had to suddenly leave the home he had known for so long. So what were they meant to do about it?

"I do agree," Patch finally said. "The war isn't any place for raising Jinx and Misten. But... Where are we meant to go? I mean, we could go back to where my family lives, but..."

Could he even propose the idea of letting Angel, Jinx, and Misten come with him there? The farm would be a lot safer for raising puppies, but he didn't want to just thrust the idea upon Angel if she had intentions of going back to wherever Lilo and Stitch called home. Assuming, of course, that she considered them to be her family by that point. He would be perfectly willing to let Angel and the pups come live with him on the farm, after all. It was just a matter of what she wanted.

"I-I mean... You know. If you want to come with me to the farm, I'm sure you'd be more than welcome. There'd be plenty of space, and it'd be a lot safer there than anywhere else."

A slight breath escaped her, the only sign of her relief as Patch agreed with her. Call her stupid, but after being ditched as many times as she had, Angel still had trouble grasping the fact that it wouldn't happen again. Even after all Patch had stuck with her through, a small traitorous part of her mind still whispered to her that she only had to make one move, say one thing wrong, and he'd walk out of her life the same way her first five families had.

She'd worried what he would think about her wanting to ditch the war; now she was realising that she needn't have bothered. Though her expression remained serious as she listened to him speak, to someone who knew her as well as Patch did, the relief dancing behind her cerulean eye was obvious.

And her ears perked at his words. Back to his family, back to his... farm?

The thought, quite honestly, hadn't occured to her. She'd only been thinking of going back to her home; and that wasn't even something she had anymore. Even if Jim Dear and Darling would take her back in now, after everything - which she doubted, she doubted they'd even recognise her anymore - she'd never feel at home there. It was her fault their family had fallen apart; and even if she wasn't blamed for that, they'd never, ever accept Patch.

She'd thought of Lilo and Stitch, too. But Stitch was so important to the war effort, Lilo would never leave his side, and Angel didn't want to return to an empty home, much less one she'd never visited before. A house wasn't a home unless it had a family in it; with the whole Ohana out here in the war, the little house in Hawaii wouldn't qualify.

So she'd turned to the only other place she knew. The streets, vile as they were, still were safer than this.

But Patch's home?

She blinked at him a couple of times. Her expression shifted into a smile; a small smile, one of hardly daring to believe what she was hearing, but a smile nonetheless.

"That sounds perfect."

He'd told her a little about it before. A farm in England, a wide open space with other dogs, other animals, only a handful of humans who watched over them... a loose family, true, but a family nonetheless. A place where she could be accepted, wanted. A place where Jinx and Misten could grow up in complete safety. A place she'd never have dared to dream of being welcome until now.

"And you'd come too?" It sounded small, needy, almost pathetic, and once upon a time Angel would have kicked herself for that. Now, though... she knew she had nothing to hide around Patch. As much as she had to remind herself of that sometimes, he loved her more than she'd ever have imagined was possible. He wouldn't judge her for her insecurities, her fear of being abandoned yet again - or a momentary desire for reassurance.

"Of course I would!"

Patch would never dream of letting Angel go alone with Jinx and Misten. The war wasn't theirs anymore, and if he stayed while Angel went he would be absolutely miserable. Honestly speaking, he couldn't imagine them being a whole ocean apart. That was why he wanted to accompany her and his adopted children on the journey. He would make sure that his family welcomed Angel and the pups with open arms... And he'd make sure that the little puppies were happy. With so many adoptive aunts and uncles around still, he imagined it wouldn't be hard for Jinx and Misten to settle in. Patch's tail wagged at the thought. It would be absolutely perfect.

After a moment, she stepped closer to Angel and gently licked the top of her muzzle. No matter what anyone said, he thought she was beautiful. She would be even more so when she was settled down in a nice, comfortable place back at the farm. Just imagining how wonderful it was had him grinning from ear to ear.

"You're going to love it there, I promise. Jinx and Misten will, too. There'll be lots of room for them to play, and we'll have plenty of things to do together, and... Oh, Angel. I'd love nothing more than to take you there. We have to do it," he said. He didn't want anything more for his little family than this. Just a nice, peaceful life for the four of them from then on. Well... Maybe not entirely peaceful. It certainly would be lively back on the farm. That was a marked improvement over how chaotic a war could be, though.

"I'll make sure all of you settle in well, too. It'll be absolutely fantastic when we get there. Of course, you'll have to meet the rest of my family. I-I mean... The rest that hasn't been involved in the war. I'm sure there's still a fair amount of my siblings back home, and then there's Nanny and all the farm animals..."

He was rambling. Did it really matter, though? Patch was so looking forward to this that he didn't care if he sounded like a fool.

Her own expression, just moments ago still reserved and concerned, melted into a grin of its own as Patch responded with a very definite affirmative. Her two-thirds tail twitched from side to side, not able to wag fully since it had been damaged, but still doing a very good impression of it. She would be with Patch, with her pups; safe away from the war; and part of a real, genuine family. It was more than she could have dared to dream of, but all that she'd ever wanted; and here Patch was, offering it all to her--

Angel couldn't recall ever feeling so happy; at least not since she'd left New England for the war.

And Patch's added silent promise, the lick to the top of her muzzle... while the old Angel of the streets, or even of Scamp's home, would have had some teasing, flirty response to that to leave Patch feeling embarrassed, the Angel of now couldn't bring herself to do anything of the sort. Put simply, she adored Patch more than she had anyone else, before or since; and when he was promising her so much, to joke at his expense would simply be ungrateful.

That was something that she'd long ago learnt better than to be.

"If you're there with me, my loyal hero-" it was a nickname that was, at once, both distinctly teasing and very sincere "-then I know I'll love it."

Even on top of that, however, it sounded perfect as Patch continued to speak. Lots of freedom for the pups to play, space for her and Patch to enjoy one another's company together, and the family - a real, loving family! Angel had been starting to assume that she was cursed never to have one that lasted; but as Patch talked, she found herself unable to believe in that would-be curse. This home was going to last, she was sure of it. It simply sounded... well, as she'd already thought.

Perfect.

"And not to mention, plenty of aunts and uncles to dote on the pups?"

She chuckled lightly, already imagining it. Misten and Jinx deserved nothing but the best, she had decided - in spite of the unfortunate names she'd given them - and she was incredibly glad they were now going to get just that. Not to even mention, the chance for her and Patch to just get away from it all, to enjoy one another's company and love without the cares of war weighinh them down...

She leant towards Patch, feeling completely peaceful and happy for the first time she could even remember. They were leaving this accursed place behind them, the war and all it's trauma and heartache and mess. Putting a close on this dark and bloody chapter, and moving into a life they could really own, where they could just be and enjoy life.

She could hardly wait.

Pressing her nose into his neck, Angel let her tongue slip out and begin to gently caress Patch's collar line in typically doggy 'kisses'. She felt so much gratitude in her heart towards Patch, and towards whatever deity or force of fate had led the two of them together to this point. And the thought of being with Patch, being a part of his family forver now...

Even so, however, she didn't lose her head to the moment. Pulling away after a little while, Angel looked up into Patch's face, her single eye meeting his own, and a serious question on her lips.

"Do we tell anyone, do you think? Or just leave?"

As much as she liked the idea of the latter, there were a small number of others she felt deserved to know what was going on before they just pulled a vanishing act. And one family, in particular, to whom she owed an apology too.

Loyal hero...

Patch's tail whirred back and forth with glee at the use of the nickname. It wasn't 'squeaky toy' anymore. No; he was her 'loyal hero.' He liked the ring it had to it. But the matter at hand, of course, was actually getting the four of them out of the Pridelands and back to the Radcliffe farm. When she asked about the many, many doting aunts and uncles, Patch nodded.

"Of course," Patch answered. "They're definitely going to want to meet Jinx and Misten. I can imagine they'll treat them just as they would any other member of our family." That was to say, quite well. The dalmatian family was enormous, after all. Many of them had been lost to the war by that point, but those that remained were sure to be as welcoming to newcomers as they had ever been. Patch would be able to tell them about what was happening in the war, too. Or at least what had been happening up until he decided to leave. Now he and Angel would have someplace to call home again. Jinx and Misten would be able to have a family that they deserved, and everything would be wonderful.

The question of whether or not they would tell anyone made Patch think for a moment. He kind of wanted to tell his parents at the very least. They would surely notice if he just up and disappeared one day. So, he nodded before speaking again.

"I think we should tell my parents that we're going," Patch said. "Ever since what happened to Patches... What's happened to all of us out here, rather... I think they deserve to know that I haven't gotten myself hurt or something. And we can tell anyone else that you might want to. But outside of them... Well, we haven't exactly gotten close to that many people here. Outside of my parents, I can't think of anyone that really would pay any mind to us leaving. ...Except maybe your dad."

Tramp probably would notice, too, he realized. But whatever had been going on with Angel's old family had escaped him for the most part. He only knew bits and pieces by that point. So, if Angel wanted to tell them, they could. But if she didn't want to, that would be fine too.

"If you just want to keep it to my parents that we tell, that's fine too. Unless... You want to maybe mention to General Stitch that we're going?" Patch at least knew that Angel had partly been a part of Lilo and Stitch's family. It made sense that they would need to know... Right?

She grinned widely at his reaction. Patch's tail was whipping so fast that it cast enough breeze to stir her fur lightly, and Angel absolutely adored that such a simple thing as a sincere nickname could make him so happy. And the fact of the matter was that it was absolutely true; he'd returned to her even after she'd wounded him for life in her rage; he'd undone the damage he had caused; and he'd even stuck by her after she'd given into her base desires with Buster.

If that wasn't loyal, then she hadn't a clue what was.


"I should tell Tramp and Lady, yeah." Angel nodded her head once. In truth, a part of her wasn't sure she could quite bear to face them; even if they'd been accepting of Jinx and Misten and everything, Angel still felt... felt as though she was a blight on their family. It was her fault that Annette and Collette were dead; perhaps only indirectly, but still, the fact remained that none of them would have been in the war at all if not for her. And now that she was skipping out on it...

She at the very least owed them an explanation and an apology for what she'd forced them all to go through. The two older canines would probably tell her that what had happened wasn't on her shoulders, but still... though on the outside she didn't show it, deep in her heart Angel knew that if she hadn't joined the war - hell, if she hadn't let herself become a part of Tramp's family in the first place - they would all be alive and well.

Except maybe Danielle who, Angel knew, had run off to the war on her own initiative; and who even knew where the last remaining member of the spaniel trio was now?

"You're right, Stitch and Lilo, too."

Angel honestly wasn't sure she really wanted to walk out on the two of them at all. They were the ones who had offered her a family, and... turning away from that felt distinctly weird to the little dog. Still, the fact remained that General Stitch was massively important to the war effort; and with him and Lilo staying here, it simply wouldn't work out with Angel's need to get her pups to someplace safe.

She hoped they'd understand.

And, who else? Angel had a nagging feeling that there was someone else she should be telling about their departure, someone she'd been on good terms with, but if there was such a person, they were escaping her right now. Once, it might have been Vitani; but the two of them were on less than spectacular terms nowadays. Besides her, Angel couldn't recall...

No, wait. Glancing down at the jumbled pile of puppies at her feet was enough to stir the memory in Angel of who she'd been thinking of. A person who'd been kind to both her and Patch ever since day one, who'd always been around when she was needed, and who had helped Angel to make it through the most painful thing she'd ever endured.

"And we've got to tell Tiana. She's done so much for us..." The little canine nudged Jinx lightly with her nose, finally managing to roll her off her brother's head without disturbing either of them.

"I want her to know as well. And then that's all; we go before anyone else can catch on and try to stop us."

Tiana... Of course. How could Patch have forgotten about Tiana in the midst of all of this? She had done so much for the both of them, and she had been nothing but nice to the pair of them ever since they joined the war. Even after they both had returned from their extended leave of absence, with him being a villain for a time and her being a rogue, Tiana had supported and helped them. She had helped Angel through her pregnancy and the no doubt difficult task of giving birth. If anyone deserved to know that the pair of them were leaving with Jinx and Misten in tow, it was Tiana. So, he nodded in agreement with what Angel had said regarding that much. She would be among the small group of people they told about this.

"Definitely," Patch said. "After everything she's done for us, she needs to know that we're going. And we need to thank her for how much she's helped us." It just made sense. Besides, Patch imagined that maybe Jinx and Misten would want to say goodbye to her too. They might not have understood completely what was going on, or even remember that Tiana had been there for their birth, but he thought it would be a nice gesture anyway. So they would be telling her, his parents, Tramp and Lady, and Lilo and Stitch. A sound group of people to tell about this much, he thought. It wasn't as though any of his siblings would even notice or care if he disappeared. He might have been a hero at one point to them, especially after he helped to save them from Cruella back in London, but now? Well, they all probably would be concerned with other things. It just made sense to keep it to the small group for the time being.

"And once we've told them all, we can just... Pick up and go, I guess," he said. It would be a lengthy journey back to the farm, he imagined, but they had made it all the way to Africa before. It made sense that they could make it all the way back to the farm in that case. Besides, who would really try to stop them from leaving? They were just a pair of adolescent dogs and a pair of pups. It wasn't as though they had done anything massive toward the war effort in their time there. What had they even been thinking in coming out to Africa in the first place? He honestly didn't know. The sooner they left, though, the better.

"I'm honestly glad we're going to be getting out of here at this point. There's nothing more we can do, and it's not even like we've got a big stake in what's happening out here. Everyone else has this all handled as far as I can tell," Patch said. They'd never really mattered in the grand scheme of things. Once upon a time, back when Patch was still the naive pup that had joined the war, he might have thought differently. But now, he knew that he wasn't anything special in the war. He was just a dog with no real fighting experience who had drawn more blood than he cared to admit. And Angel... He didn't like to think about the things she had done. It didn't change the way he thought about her, of course, but he did still believe she was wonderful no matter what.

"We'd better start those goodbyes while we've got the chance," Patch said. "Then we can go."

(ooc: I imagine this thread might be wrapping up soon?)

"That's about it, yeah."

Small blonde canine nodded her head once, agreeing. Not that there would be anything to really pick up; she and Patch had, after all, come out here with little more than the collars on their necks. Personal possessions were hardly much of a thing for dogs at all - and though it might be wise to gather a few provisions for the long journey before setting out, that was more or less all it would come down to. That, and the pups... and then they'd be good to go, to get out of this place for good.

And... no time like the present, Angel figured. Standing, the mix-beed stretched heartily, gave her fluffy fur a little shake out, circled back around to face Patch again. At her paws, Misten stirred slightly, giving a little whimper as he seemed to register her absence even through the fog of sleep; and the young mother swiftly bent to reassure him. A nudge of her wet nose along the tiny male's cheek seemed to be enough to soothe the puppy, who lapsed back into silent slumber.

As she straightened once more, she nodded at Patch's words.

"When I first joined up, I thought it was where I needed to be... I thought it was all up to me to make a difference, to somehow change the world." Now, she didn't know what she'd been thinking. It wasn't up to one little canine to change the world; even then, her use to the army had been effectively minimal. She had been a good spy, had been able to hold her own against larger animals, had generally managed well enough--

But she'd never affected much. She'd been one soldier out of many, fighting in a war of morals that she had no business in when her own had so often been as loose as they had to be to survive.

She shook her head, a tiny scoff on her lips. "I can't even believe that was the same me anymore."

Lowering her head again, Angel began to gently nudge the two pups awake. Both Jinx and Misten regarded her with wide cerulean eyes, mirrors of her own; and, somehow, both seemed to know that something was up. Misten seemed to regard her somberly, while Jinx gave a massive yawn, then glanced around nervously. A reassuring lick was given to both of them, even as she urged them to their little feet.

They were going to say their goodbyes and then be out of here; and not a moment too soon, in Angel's mind.


---


It was a handful of hours later than they regrouped at the tent one last time. Some of the goodbyes had been easy enough, some hard, and all had taken longer than Angel had bargained for. If it had been present at all, the sun would have been setting by the time they were done; as it was, the omnipresent darkness gave little clue to that fact. Angel just had a fair internal clock; she could tell that on a normal day, night would be on the verge of falling.

Night or not, however, nothing was going to keep Angel here any longer.

She'd gathered a few supplies from the mess tent; not a lot, but enough to sustain them for a time. Jinx and Misten were huddled close together, the tiny female nestled against her brother as though she sensed the change that was about to come, was afraid of it. And though he undoubtedly understood it just as little as she did, one of the male's paws rested around her shoulders. Angel almost hated to separate them, even briefly.

But they couldn't walk the whole way, they were far too tiny; and she couldn't carry both pups at the same time. Ever so tenderly, the blonde mix nudged the two apart. Jinx gave a loud whimper, reaching her paws for her brother, then quietened as Angel nuzzled the coarse fur of her chest. With Jinx soothed, Angel nodded for Patch to take Misten, then carefully picked the girl up by her scruff.

The fact that Jinx made no further sound of complaint made things easier.

And she took a deep breath, glancing at Patch again. After months of thinking this but not quite bringing herself to act, this was it; they were finally doing this. Leaving it all behind. Getting out, claiming a life of their own. The two of them together, with nothing else between them; no politics, no plotting, no war.

If truth was to be told... she couldn't wait.

"Ready for this, Patch?"

The question was, in all probability, entirely unnecessary; he was as pumped for this as she was, Angel was certain. Still, she had wanted to ask.


(ooc: probably, yeah. I'd give it maybe a couple more posts each, perhaps? Then call it done ^^)

Saying goodbye to his parents hadn't been quite as hard as he thought it might be. Both of them had seemed understanding of the matter, and they were more than willing to let him go back to the farm where it would be safe. Patch, of course, was equally grateful that they understood. But he still had managed to cry a bit when he said goodbye to them. It was hard, but he knew he had to do it for the sake of Angel and his adopted pups. Saying goodbye to the others hadn't been that difficult, either, and eventually Patch made his way back to where he'd promised to meet Angel.

There she and the pups were, waiting for him all that while, and he smiled warmly in greeting to them. Of course, he knew it was more or less time to go. If they didn't leave right then, other members of the army that they hadn't told might come to realize what was happening and try to stop them. They couldn't afford to have that happen. So, Patch nodded a bit and glanced down at the pups a moment later. He figured he would need to carry one of them. Angel had nodded for him to do so, and she'd taken Jinx, so that left him with Misten.

"Yeah... I'm ready," Patch answered. He gently leant down to pick up Misten, and much like Pongo had done for his own pups before Patch picked the male up by the scruff of his neck and prepared to carry him. It was a bit harder than Pongo had made it look, Patch would admit, but the adolescent canine could manage it. It wasn't like they would be rushing their departure or anything. They had all the time in the world to get back home.

"We should head out sooner rather than later," he said. They did have a long journey ahead of them. Even if they didn't need to rush, Patch would have preferred to go sooner rather than lingering longer than they had to.