The young female just smiled as her and her 'date' stopped at the front door of her home.

"Glad you enjoyed the movie." he said. "I admit, it was better than I had anticipated, and it seemed you enjoyed it as well." he told her.

"I'd like to come inside and continue this, but I DID promise my Mom I'd be back sooner, rather than later." he then said further. "After all, I'm helping her decode some really ancient journals with a lot of ruined and partial equations in them." he went on.

"Anyway, glad you had fun, and I'll see you later." he finished.

The two of them then parted ways, and she stepped through her front door. However, before she could announce her arrival, she could hear muttering close by... in the den, to be specific.

And it sounded like her father... mostly because it WAS her father. She was adopted by him, but he was her father, and a better father figure for her, one could not find.

However, he sounded... rather irate and unimpressed.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it." he cursed quietly, seemingly preoccupied with his own thoughts.

"I employ some of the best in the business, but how is it these internet rogues keep managing to stay one step ahead of us?" he growled, shaking his head and letting his phone drop from his hand, onto the sofa cushion beside him.

The man paused for a moment, and looked over towards her.

"Oh, hi sweetie." he greeted her.

"Didn't realise you were back already." he said.

"And what's going on? Work problems." he told her, shaking his head.

"My tech team has some of the best that money can hire, but it seems like they're STILL always playing catch-up with those that have too much time on their hands, intelligence out the whazoo, but no wisdom to go with it." he sighed.

"Cyber-security is a real pain in the ass sometimes." he lamented.

"But don't you worry about it." he then assured her.

"How was the movie?" he asked, changing the subject.

"A drink? Sure." he replied.

"A bottle of water, if you please." he told her.

He then relaxed a bit, sinking more into the couch, and sighed heavily.

"I need a vacation." he mumbled.

"I'll have to see what my schedule looks like, then get Ty to fill in for me... relatively soon." he told himself.

"Maybe see Hollie about some teas in the meantime." he went on, shaking his head slightly.

"Ugh. Sometimes I just want to up and quit." he added half-jokingly, with a mild laugh.

Again, he sighed, accepting the water bottle.

"It's just that, no matter who I hire, or how they work, or the breakthroughs they make, or how brilliant they are, somehow, a computer virus manages to make its way into the system." he told her.

"Now, granted, we've not had a serious breach yet." he then admitted.

"We've been able to stop any really serious information from being compromised, but the fact that it's getting harder and harder to spot them is getting to be stressful." he went on.

"The people that I hire are just that... people. And they can only work as efficiently as their bodies and minds allow them." he continued.

"Feels like a losing war at times." he lamented.

"And Australia, huh?" he then asked, taking a drink.

"Haven't been there in decades. Might be worth another visit." he admitted.

"......." he was silent for a moment, and sighed once more.

"You know what? You're right." he said.

"Your mother's been talking about wanting to take a vacation, anyway." he told her.

"I suppose now's as good a time as any." he reasoned.

"...granted, this is still going to take SOME time to arrange." he then muttered.

"But I think we can be ready and gone in a week or so." he muttered, before taking his phone and sending a text to Hollie, asking her to swing by his home when she had the time.

"Thank you, Lunet." he told her.

After a few seconds, she received a response.

You're saying all the right words, while giving no info. the text read.

There was then silence, before she received another one.

I'm in. it read.

Call me when you get that chance. the last one told her.

Hal nodded in response.

"I am." he replied.

"I've been wanting and needing this for a while." he told her.

"Cain knows you'll be here alone, so he'll be checking up on you from time to time." he then said.

"And you know that if something goes wrong, or if something happens, do not hesitate to call me." he went on. "I can be back in a fraction of a second, and you know it." he added.

This always happened when he was about to be away from here for any extended time period. 'Extra-dote' mode seemed to engage.

Hal paused for a moment, before sighing heavily.

"No, no." he said.

"You're right, you're almost 17, and you're almost an adult now." he said further.

"I need to be able to trust you to look after yourself, and I know you or someone else will let me know if something happens." he continued, talking himself down from being too smothering and extra-doting.

He then got closer and kissed her forehead.

"Have fun having the run of the place." he told her with a chuckle.

"Love you, sweetie." he finished.

Hal nodded in response.

"All right." he replied.

"Bye, sweetheart!" he called to her as he made his way to the edge of the driveway. Once he was there, he got into the waiting taxi (which he ordered for paper trail reasons, and because he wanted to leave his car in the garage), and it drove away.

He waved to her as he left, and she watched until the vehicle was out of sight.

Completely.

He was gone, and she was alone now.

Sure enough, about 30 seconds later, there was a knock on the door.

And when she answered it, she saw the person she had been texting... Leo.

"Yo." he greeted her.

"All right, I'm here." he said.

"What we doing?" he asked.

"And how we doing this?" he asked further.