So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[Katydid50]

Nicholas couldn't believe that there could be so much in so little a space. He had found an abandoned nest -large enough that it probably had belonged to a hawk or eagle- which had fallen from its perch high above, a beautiful clearing with a creek running through it, gurgling as it felt over the rocks in a mini-waterfall, and a half-devoured deer carcass -something that he had given a wide berth to. He didn't know whose lunch it had been but he didn't want to run into them should they decide to come back.

Hours had passed -or so he guessed from the movement of the sun's position- and he didn't think anyone had come looking for him. Surely they must have noticed by now. He was both a little hurt and very happy that no one had come looking. He didn't want anyone to disturb his exploration. As scary as it had been at times -like coming across the deer and when he'd almost fallen out of a tall tree- but he was enjoying himself more than he had in a long time and he didn't want anyone bothering him.

As the day wore on, he started to get hungry but couldn't bring himself to go back to the house, just in case they tried to keep him there. Luck was on his side that day, it seemed, because he came across a bush of black berries. A large grin worked its way onto his face before he hurried over and starting eating, though not too quickly as he'd once heard that eating stuff like berries too quickly could make someone sick. He didn't know whether it was true or not but he didn't want to take the risk.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Grace shivered slightly as she walked through the meadow. She had told Aunt Rose that she was just going for a walk but in reality she was looking for her little brother. If what had happened yesterday hadn't happened, she wouldn't have been looking for him at the moment. She was doing this to soothe her mind. Of course she had a good old knife stashed in her pocket as well in case something went wrong. Looking around she guessed that the first place that he would go was the forest. She walked around the edge, trying to get a good sense of how big it was but she found that she wouldn't be able to walk around it like a park.. it was much larger than that.

Sighing, she ran her fingers through her head curly hair before looking up at the sky. Entering the forest, she kept her hand on the hilt of her knife just in case.. well she didn't know. She just didn't want to be caught unarmed by someone. Grace did her best to stay silent but she was used to the city ground.. not dirt, dry sticks, and lots of other stuff. She even say mushrooms growing in a circle. She had thought that people lied about that stuff but it was actually true. Who knew.. maybe she would be seeing crop circles next.

Biting her lower lip, she glanced back in the direction of the meadow but she couldn't see it anymore. Well if she got lost she could always climb a really tall tree and figure out where she was from there. Looking at some colorful leaves that were falling down she picked one up that looked kind of like fire. Smiling slightly, she twirled it between two fingers. It was rather beautiful but she wasn't here to look at leaves. She needed to find Nicholas... wherever he was.

Rubbing her arms she realized that she probably should have taken a jacket with her but instead she had left it at the house. Swearing under her breath as a cold breeze blew by, she then heard water and decided to head in that direction.. People always lived by water.. so maybe Nicholas would be wandering near by.

After returning to her office, she found a slip of paper had been slipped under her door. Picking it up, she looked around for who could have done it before closing the door and sitting down in the cushioned chair that was in her office. Curious about it she flipped it over before sneering. Really? It sent chills down her spine as well.

It was Ruggles' cursive writing. So apparently he called Daniel the bus boy.. as well as her little protector. Great.. This wasn't good. Daniel wasn't here for one and she really didn't want to leave her office now. Getting up she locked the door and then sat back down. Why did this have to happen? Closing her eyes, she leaned back in her chair. She wasn't going to meet with him, despite the fact that he was asking, or rather ordering her to do so. Perhaps he would find some other form of entertainment by the end of the day.

Putting the paper through the shredder she then looked back at the blank computer screen. She didn't want to have to worry about Ruggles on top of all the other things she was worrying about. Her kids came first.
((I'll add in Elenore for this post tomorrow >.< ))  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas smiled to himself even as he closed his eyes. He had retraced his steps back to the creek and had laid down beside it. The small clearing allowed sunshine to pour in, warming the air around him. His hands clasped together to rest on his stomach. Full-fed and slightly warmer than he had been, he could very easily have fallen asleep there but he knew he couldn't. As much as it didn't seem it, the forest wasn't completely safe. It may have been safer than the city but it offered its own dangers. He wasn't so naive as to think that. So, he forced himself to stay awake, listening for any sounds that didn't belong as he relaxed.


Eyes stared out of the coloring leaves down at the boy. He obviously wasn't from around here or he would know better than to let his guard down as much as he was. Wolves wandered this area. Surely he must have realized that when he came across the deer carcass? Well, he realized it wasn't entirely safe. He had watched as the boy backtracked and skirted around it. He had to given him credit for that. A lot of white boys, especially those from the city, would have started messing with the kill. That would have enticed the wolves' anger and, though he had never had to worry about that himself, he knew it was not something someone wanted to do.

Shaking his head, his raven black hair hitting him in the face, he turned and moved away. Though the trees here were not as dense as they were nearer the cabin, he was able to move from tree to tree without much trouble. The cover managed to hide him well enough. More movement caught his attention and he paused, staring down as a white girl, even more loud and oblivious than the boy, tramped through the forest. It was all he could do not to shake his head again, but in disgust. These people didn't belong here. White people did not respect the world nor the woods. He could only hope that once the girl found what she was looking for, most likely the boy, that they would both leave and return to their home. But, until then, he would wait and watch. He didn't particularly want to head back to the cabin and help unpack and -who knew?- he might just learn something useful.

((Alright))
((I don't really have anything to do to that))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She felt more at home in the city. She knew where everything was there.. what to avoid and how to stay silent. Grace frowned at the fact that she couldn't be as graceful here. It was a completely different environment and Nicholas had dragged her in here. Well.. not exactly but she was worried about him. Leaning against a tree, she looked up before narrowing her eyes. She felt like someone was watching her. It was a talent she had picked up back in the city and apparently, somehow, it worked here.

Deciding it wasn't best to stay in that one spot she headed towards the water, her eyes scanning the colorful trees and ground. You really had to look for color in the city.. it wasn't like this place, this forest. Seeing a shoe, she blinked before realizing that it was Nicholas' and thankfully it was attached to him. Walking up to him she frowned. "I thought you weren't going to take off anymore." she told him, kicking up some leaves that flew towards him. "You could have at least warned someone." she planned on getting him out of the forest but after that he could do as he wished, she just didn't want him coming back in here.

She was still a bit curious as to who she had sensed out there but she didn't know if it was friend or foe. She honestly wouldn't be surprised if they had entered someone's territory. Who knew they might have a rifle pointed at them soon enough.

((Can't think of anything for Elenore at the moment >.< ))  

[Katydid50]

From his spot in the tree, the young man watched as the girl paused beside a tree nearby and looked up. Maybe she wasn't completely hopeless after all. Judging by her expression, she knew something was wrong. If he had any guess, he would have thought she knew she was being watched. He had come across a couple of white people that had that ability but they were few and far between and had mostly led very hard lives. Daniel Marks, the man who had bought a neighboring patch of land from the young man's grandfather, was one such man. Quite frankly, he disliked all white people and Daniel was no exception, but he did respect him.

As the girl moved on, he followed through the trees. As it turned out, she had been looking for the boy after all. Crouching down on his perch, he watched as the boy sat up at the sound of approaching footsteps, jumping up when the girl entered the small clearing. A small smirk made its way to the young man's face as he watched the two, most likely brother and sister. "I never said I wasn't going to take off!" the white boy protested, glaring at his sister. "Besides, I needed to get away for a while. I needed to clear my head and I knew you guys wouldn't let me if you knew!"

The young man raised an eyebrow, his curiosity peaked. What exactly could have happened that the boy needed to clear his head? A question that would probably never be answered.

The sound of low growling made the young man freeze in his spot before looking around. He nearly cursed aloud when he saw the coyote, a skinny, horrid thing, step out of the bushes nearby, snarling and baring its teeth at the two young white people it had come across, no doubt intending to have them as lunch. If he hadn't been so distracted, he would have seen it coming.


Nicholas glared at Grace. What right did she have to tell him what to do? She wasn't his mother! However, at the sound of growling, his blood froze as he slowly turned and watched in horror as a coyote stepped out of the bushes nearby. His mind went completely blank and he felt like he couldn't move. Not that it mattered much. Skinny as it was, the canine probably would have been able to outrun him anyway.

As the coyote approached, all he could do was turn to face it, slowly backing away as it came closer. The predator was no more than a couple yards away when someone jumped from the tree above. Nicholas jerked backwards, staring at the person's back. Judging by the deerskin clothing he wore and the coloring of hair, and what skin Nicholas could see, he could only guess the man was Native American.

He watched in amazement as the coyote stopped at the sudden appearance. The man shifted his right arm and Nicholas spotted a knife in his grip -though not like any he'd ever seen before, its handle covered in leather and decorated with a feather and beads. The coyote must have spotted it too because it paused for another few seconds before starting to back off. The man lunged at it and, with a snarl, the coyote turned and ran off.

Nicholas watched as the man remained still for a moment longer, probably to make sure the coyote was actually gone, before turning to face them. He was right in guessing the man's race. The man was hardly a man at all though. Their savior was hardly older than Grace. He had shoulder-length black hair and dark skin. His eyes were deep brown with, if Nicholas wasn't mistaken, flecks of gold in them. From one ear hung a silver earring, the end attached to several small shavings of silver no bigger than the end of his pinkie to the first joint. His shirt and pants looked a lot like some of the pictures Nicholas had seen in his history book, with a line of fringes running along his upper chest. He had a belt at his waist, a knife sheathe attached to it, and dark boots on his feet that looked like they were made out of some other kind of animal. Bear maybe. But what caught Nicholas' attention the most was the dark glare the young man was sending them.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Grace crossed her arms as he yelled at her. That would no doubt attract attention from whoever had been watching her and they didn't need that. "Nick." she hissed trying to get him to quiet down. Hearing a growl though, she turned around to see a rather skinny coyote. She had run into one back in the city but it had been in a worse state than this one. Great. Now she had to get Nicholas out of here and worry about a wolf as well as someone that was possibly following them.

She was about to pull out her knife when someone else jumped in front of her. She would definitely deal with Nicholas later. Her eyes narrowed. She wasn't liking the way this was going. Nicholas had entered another person's territory who happened to have wild animals running all over the place and she had followed him into it. "Get up." she ordered her brother in a low voice. She wasn't going to take no for an answer at the moment. Not in this situation. Turning her attention to the newcomer and the coyote, she didn't know whether to trust him or not but she now realized that he had been the one watching her.

The only thing that really startled her, besides the clothing, was the fact that the coyote had stopped in its tracks. Raising an eyebrow as the guy pulled out a knife, her eyes took it in for a moment, after all she happened to have quite the interest in them. Watching as the coyote took off, she then straightened her shoulders, unsure if she was supposed to thank him or not, but she wasn't going to be hostile, at least not until she saw the look in his eyes.

He also hadn't sheathed his knife which made her pull out her own. Tightening her fingers, she stood in front of Nicholas protectively, her brown eyes looking into the dark ones of the teenager that was probably a year or two older than her, maybe more, she wasn't sure and it certainly didn't matter. "Go home Nick." if a fight broke out she wanted him to be far from here and she doubted the coyote would go after him since the teen in front of her had scared it off. Having her knife in her hand, she still had it lowered, waiting to see if he would back off and let them leave.

She didn't plan on turning her back on him until his knife was out of sight and she didn't see him as a possible threat anymore. Grace didn't like the glare she was receiving. Sure if she had entered his land, he could have at least told her sooner instead of following her around but he hadn't. So what in the world was his problem?

Elenore went back to work, trying to not think about anything except what she was trying to focus on. Today certainly wasn't her day. Her kids, Daniel, then Ruggles. It was a lot to deal with and try to balance out. It would have been easier if Ruggles had just stayed out of her way for today. Hearing a knock on her door, she jumped at the sound before she went up to it and after she unlocked it, she opened it. Thankfully it wasn't Ruggles but.. someone else was delivering packages and paperwork today. Thanking the man, she took the package, guessing that it was some printer paper that she had been needing since yesterday and perhaps another assignment that she had to look over. Setting it on her desk, she closed the door and then opened it up.  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas stared at their savior from the safety of standing behind Grace. He wasn't one to usually hide but he wasn't in a good place and that coyote hadn't made things any better. As well, the look the young man was sending them certainly didn't help. Even though the glare was quite dark, Nicholas didn't think he was angry so much as annoyed. Very annoyed.

When Grace pulled out her own knife, Nicholas' stomach dropped. He hadn't known she'd had a knife but he wasn't overly surprised. He didn't have any definite proof but he was sure she was involved with the wrong kind of people and doing the wrong kind of things. This just made that suspicion all the worse. A look back at the Native American revealed that his annoyed expression had turned to one of contempt and, if Nicholas wasn't mistaken, he looked downright insulted, not that he could blame him. This guy had just saved their lives and what does Grace do? She pulls a knife on him! Then again, Nicholas didn't think this guy saw Grace as much of a threat. For one, he looked stronger and he looked like he would know these woods. Secondly, his knife was bigger. Almost twice the size of Grace's. If this really came to a fight, she wouldn't stand a chance.

When Grace told him to go home, he merely shook his head. "I'm not leaving you," he told her. Despite the fact that he was probably wouldn't have been of any help should a fight break out, he couldn't bring himself to leave her. What if she got hurt? He would never be able to forgive himself.

Turning his attention back to the teenager, he watched as the insulted, contemptuous look faded. The teen nodded slightly, as if acknowledging Nicholas' bravery before sheathing his knife. His expression was still hard but it was no longer heated. In fact, the look he gave them was quite cold.

"I suggest you return to where you came from," the teenager said in a voice that was slightly accented. "before the wolves return and catch you between them and their kill." He looked down at the knife before looking back to Grace. "And I wouldn't bother with that pitiful excuse of a knife, if I were you. It won't protect you here, stae twes."  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

When Nicholas said he wasn't leaving she didn't know whether to scold him or be glad that he wasn't leaving. Her eyes stayed on the guy though. If he could simply put his knife away she would feel a whole lot better but no, he was holding it out in the open. Yeah, he had saved them, she was grateful for that but she didn't like the look she was getting. When he finally put his knife away she slid her own knife back into her pocket. Too bad she hadn't brought her Swiss army knife with her, that would have been better. Where did she get the knives from? That was her own little secret.

"I was planning on it." she told him before crossing her arms. She simply raised an eyebrow when he commented on her knife. Hey, at least she had something. Grace was almost itching to fight him, yeah, that's usually the way things went. She had a feeling he had insulted her in whatever language he had spoken in but what could she do about it? If Nicholas hadn't been here things probably would have gotten ugly fast.. but then again she wouldn't have been in the woods then. Deciding she might as well set an example for her younger brother, she briefly thanked the stranger before she turned around and headed back, this time making sure that Nicholas was close.

Sighing, she hated it when she felt like an idiot. This wasn't her specialty.. forests.. the city was. She could rule that place if she wanted to. If she ever saw him in the city, she could at least show she knew something, more than he knew about that place that was for sure. Muttering things under her breath as she continued to walk she glanced over her shoulder at Nicholas, trying to calm down. "You could have at least warned me that you were leaving and when you would be back. You're not going back in there again. Go ahead, roam the fields all you want but do you think I want to drag you back home dead next time?" yeah, she was in a bad mood.

Glancing at the clock it was getting a little bit darker outside and she wanted to leave this place already. Sighing, she hoped that she wouldn't run into Ruggles because she only had about another hour of work left. Placing the clean paper into the printer she then left the rest on top of it so that she could use it later and wouldn't forget where it was. Hearing the door open, she glanced over her shoulder and immediately her muscles became tense. Frederico Ruggles. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she turned around and crossed her arms. "Yes?" she asked him. "I'm kind of busy at the moment.. given that there's a new project." she told him, wanting him out of her office but he only closed the door behind him and sat down in the chair.

"I just thought I'd stop by.. after all everyone deserves a small break once in a while from work." he smiled at her. He reached over and put her computer to sleep after saving everything. "Now.. I trust that you received my little note.. didn't you?" he crossed his arms.

((what did he say? ><))  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas almost groaned aloud when Grace answered the other teenager. He was convinced she was trying to pick a fight, a fight that she would most definitely lose. They weren't country kids. They were city kids. This teen looked like he could live off the land if he needed to. He probably did anyway, judging by his clothing. The fact was, Grace wouldn't stand a chance against this guy. Not here. In the city maybe, but certainly not in the forest.

When Grace gave a brief and, in Nicholas' opinion, rather rude thanks he watched her start to walk off but hesitated himself. He looked back to the teen, watching him for a few seconds. "What's your name?" he asked. He didn't know why he asked other than it seemed the right thing to do. After all, how could he walk away without knowing the name of the guy who saved them?

A flicker of surprise flashed across the teen's face before his expression once again fell into its default coldness. "Eit eh Adesh Yron. Eyes of Hunting Wolf."

Nicholas slowly nodded. Even though he'd known the man was Native American, he hadn't really been expecting a name like that. He didn't know why, though. "I'm Nicholas and that was Grace." He paused for a second before adding, "Thanks for... saving us." When the teen just nodded in acknowledgment, Nicholas nodded back before turning and hurrying after his sister. He stopped at the edge of the clearing to look back, starting in surprise when he saw that their savior, Eyes of Hunting Wolf, was gone. He looked around for a moment before turning back and running to catch up with his sister.

When Nicholas finally caught up to Grace, he slowed down, keeping a step behind her. He knew she wasn't happy with him but it wasn't his fault! How was he to know she would have come after him? And, anyway, he hadn't asked her to. As they walked, he could hear her muttering under her breath and he just knew he would be in for it once she got her thoughts in order. Knowing her, that wouldn't be too long.

When she glanced back at him, he knew it was coming. And he was proven right. He scowled at her tone. He knew she was upset and in a nasty mood but she didn't need to take it out on him. "I told you before, I didn't tell you because you just would have tried to stop me from going." Besides, he hadn't known when he would come back. Certainly before dark. However, when she started to tell him what to do, he just glared at her. "You're not Mom! You can't tell me what to do and I don't have to listen to you!" He didn't care if she was in a bad mood. She had no right to boss him around!

((He called her 'stupid girl'. XD ))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Grace looked over at him before looking back ahead. "Yeah, I would have because I don't want to have to watch mom worrying about you every single night since she found out you sneak out." she told him. "If you haven't noticed Mom isn't here right now!" she snapped back at him. "Do you want you're head ripped off by that coyote?" her eyes narrowed before she shook her head, she wanted to continue but he was her brother after all and getting into a fight with him, one that would be worse, it had no point.

"Look. Next time, just tell me before you leave. Give me that much. Tell me when you're going to come back and at least where you're going and I won't stop you. Then I can tell mom or create a story for you so you don't get in trouble." running her fingers through her hair she almost wished that she had gone to school today. She was frustrated with the fact that the guy had showed up at of nowhere.. that Nicholas was acting like this.. that their mother was never home and that their family.. didn't even act like a family anymore. They were always off on there own. Closing her eyes, she stayed silent after that before shoving her hands into her pockets. He could go off now, she didn't give a damn anymore.

Picking up her pace she looked at the house ahead but she wasn't planning on staying there for long.. she wanted to go back to the city. At least she knew everything about that place.

Elenore's jaw tightened a bit. "Even if I did, I have business I need to attend to after work and I know that you have some kind of meeting." she told him. She was threading on dangerous ground but she had to get him out of here fast. "I'm perfectly fine with working through the day, I don't need a break. The one's that I'm provided with already suit me just fine."

"There's always a night shift.." he gently took a pen from her desk and then stood up, walking towards her which made Elenore take a step back in return. Before she could move away, Ruggles grabbed her wrist and pulled her sleeve up to her elbow. The sad thing was he was stronger than her and despite the fact that she tried to pull her arm back he had a pretty good grip. The pen clicked and he then wrote a series of numbers on her arm which then turned out to be a phone number. "Give me a call sometime." he told her before taking her hand instead and kissed the back of it, just above her knuckles. Elenore was glaring at him through his whole process. Ruggles left after that and Elenore rubbed her wrist, glad that he was at least gone.

Looking at the number she grabbed some hand sanitizer that was in her office and did her best to wash it off. The rest of the day was uneventful so she closed up her office and headed out with her purse in hand, wanting to get out of the commercial building as quickly as possible. The elevator thankfully didn't stop working since she didn't want to take the great number of stairs all the way down. Sighing softly once she reached the outside world, she walked up to her car and unlocked it. So far she hadn't gotten a call from Aunt Rose so she took it that everything was fine so far. Starting the ignition, she then buckled up and finally pulled out of the parking spot before going to the road. She had thought about going to Daniel's for a while now.. and in the end she decided she was going to do it.

((Aww >.< They are certainly going to have a love/hate relationship. haha ))  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas remained silent, contenting himself with glowering at the back of her head. What did she know? He wasn't stupid. He knew their mother worried about him. He wasn't planning on sneaking out at night anymore so he didn't understand what she was lecturing him about. When she pointed out that their mother wasn't there, he snapped, "I'm not blind! Of course I know she's not here!" That still didn't give Grace the right to boss him around and it didn't mean he had to listen to her. When she asked if he wanted his head ripped off by a coyote, he just sighed in defeat and shook his head, glaring off to the side. She just didn't get it. For the first time since the incident, he'd been able to relax, to actually think without the memories coming to mind. She had no idea what a relief that was.

When Grace spoke again, he considered not answering. He didn't have to tell her anything and he didn't have to do anything. So he went wandering. At least it was during the day! Wasn't that what the whole issue was about? Besides, this was the country. There was no one around to hurt him, except for Eyes of Hunting Wolf but, frankly, the teen had looked like he would rather spit on him than talk to him so Nicholas felt it was pretty safe bet to assume the teen would avoid him. But, then again, this was probably the best deal he was going to get as far as getting Grace off his case. So, in the end, he grunted. "Fine," he muttered.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he couldn't help sulking. He had wanted to be alone. Was that so much to ask?


The stench of alcohol hung heavily in the air. The door to the liquor cabinet had been left open, revealing its few remaining contents. The bloodied rags still sat in the sink, the deep red having long faded into brown. In the living room, empty bottles sat in a pile against one wall, the farthest from the door. Only about half of them had actually been drunk. The other half had been spilled, revealed by the puddles and pools that dotted the wooden floor of the room.

Sitting on the floor with his back, slightly bent, against the wall closest to the door, Daniel sat with his knees bent, one forearm resting on a knee and a half empty bottle of something dangling from his hand. He didn't know what it was but it burned on its way down and added fuel to the fire in his stomach. That was all he cared about.

Ever since the night before, he hadn't stopped drinking, except once when he had passed out for a few hours, only to awaken with the foul taste of vomit in his mouth even though he knew he hadn't thrown up.

The bandages around his head, leg and other injuries hadn't been changed since Michael had seen to him the night before. A couple of them had been soaked in alcohol when he'd fallen into a pool. He didn't wear a shirt. He was sure he'd put one on but he couldn't remember taking it off. His chest and arms were criss-crossed with scars, most of them large, long and, quite frankly, ugly. He still wore his pants, luckily, although the button and fly were undone from the last time he'd gone to the bathroom. Not that he cared. No one would be stopping over anyway. Besides, his underwear would ensure that anyone who did stop over wouldn't see anything.

Closing his eyes, he sighed deeply and leaned his head back against the wall. He hadn't changed at all over the past ten years or so. He had killed Damien without hesitation, although that had probably saved his life. But what did it matter? He was the same horrible person he had been all those years ago. He'd thought he'd changed, he'd tried to change, but he had failed. Opening his eyes again, he took a swig from the bottle before swallowing and lowering his forearm back to his knee.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Sighing, Grace had gone back home, or rather to Aunt Rose's home but it was still like her second home in a sense. Looking around her old room she then sat down on the bed. Her fingers gently ran over her face. She guessed the reason that she had been so ready to snap at him was due to the fact that she had more than one thing going on at school today.. or rather after it. Sure, she knew she wasn't exactly hanging around with people that her mother would approve of but there was nothing she could do about that now.

Hearing Deserai running down the hall, she looked in the direction of the door before lying down. She didn't feel like going down stairs at the moment so she curled up on the bed and closed her eyes, slowly slipping into a dream without realizing it.

She surprisingly still remembered the location of his home so once she got out of the city she had to remind herself not to speed down the road. She had been tempted to in the city but there were police at every corner and bridge. Perhaps they were getting their paychecks soon. Leaning back in the driver's seat, she thought about calling Aunt Rose but since she hadn't received a call yet she took it that everything was fine and hopefully that's the way things were. She knew Nicholas loved it out in the country and Deserai had no complaints about it either... Grace on the other hand wasn't too happy about it.

Shivering slightly she turned on the heater in her car since it was becoming colder. The sun was slowly setting on the horizon over the hills of green grass. She wished she could stay out here.. the city really wasn't the place for her but she couldn't afford to live out here. It killed her sometimes but living with Aunt Rose.. she knew it wouldn't be fair towards her even though she assured her that everything would be fine.

Elenore pushed those thoughts aside as she then turned onto a gravel road. Several minutes later she had her car parked in his driveway and she couldn't believe she was actually there. Looking at his home, her eyes softened. What was she waiting for? She was still shivering slightly even though the heater was on and it was the perfect temperature in her car. Turning off the engine, she shoved her keys into her purse and got out then. Locking the doors, she then closed the driver's car door before standing there for a moment, staring at the front door of Daniel's home. Maybe she was crazy for doing all of this.. who knew?

Walking in heels up to his door wasn't the easiest task but she managed. Her fingers brushed against the wood and some dry paint chipped off from her gentle touch. A moment later she knocked. It was possible that he wasn't even at home.. or maybe he had people over.. she hadn't thought about that really. She would be standing out here like a fool then but she still wouldn't regret coming. There would be no point in that. She did need to talk to him though.. help him if necessary as well. How many months had they known each other now? She felt like it was much longer than that.

Wrapping her arms around her waist, she knew so much time couldn't pass in a single second but it seemed like time was being stretched out to the far ends of the earth and perhaps she would never hear even a rustle on the other side of the door.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel felt like the world was spinning around him. It happened sometimes when he'd drunk far too much. He would get dizzy spells but they would fade soon enough. Just like before, the dizzy spell only lasted a handful of seconds before the world steadied again. He didn't quite mind them, thankfully. He found it an odd but slightly entertaining sensation, feeling like he was moving even though he could see that he wasn't.

The sound of faint footsteps reached him and he almost groaned aloud. In fact, he was sure he had. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Michael, the only person he could see coming to visit him at such an hour. Honestly, he didn't know what time it was but the windows were dark-ish so it must have been sometime near sunset. Though, that wasn't saying much. The sun set pretty early as winter approached. All the same, he was just hoping that Michael would leave him alone. He knew exactly what the older man would say when he caught him drunk and he didn't want to deal with it.

At the sound of the knocking, he grimaced, waiting for his neighbor to walk right in and let loose the lecturing. But it never happened. The door didn't open and there were no sounds of approaching footsteps. Frowning, he wondered if Michael had suddenly gained some respect for the fact that this was Daniel's house and not his own to just barge in. Not likely. It was that thought that made Daniel, unsteadily, get to his feet. He was forced to lean against the wall to keep from falling over. Even though the dizzy spell had passed, he still had a very poor sense of balance when drunk.

His one hand still gripping the half empty bottle, his other hand pressed against the wall as he stumbled out of the living room and down the hall to the front door. Just before he reached it, Max darted out from seemingly nowhere, nearly tripping Daniel up. Swearing profusely and loudly, he aimed a kick at the cat who snarled and hissed loudly. Scowling, he grabbed the door and ripped it open, Max zipping past in his attempt to escape his drunken and enraged owner.

However, as Daniel's somewhat blurred gaze settled on Elenore, all his anger at the damned cat drained away from him and he was left slightly dumbfounded. He really shouldn't have been, considering that she no doubt would have known that something had happened last night, but he was. So, for a few seconds, all he could do was stare at her. He must have looked a sight. His skin was pale, his hair was rumpled and his eyes were bloodshot. As well as having been once or twice soaked in alcohol, his bandages were starting to show through with red. No doubt he'd managed to irritate all of his wounds at one point or another.

"Elenore... What're you doin' here?" His words weren't nearly as distorted as they would have been had anyone else drunk as much as he had. During his younger years, he had drunk plenty and that had given him the gift of a very large amount of alcohol tolerance.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

At first she thought that no one was home. It was quiet on the other side and she ran her fingers through her now loose hair. Perhaps this had been a stupid idea. Taking a step back, she glanced at the windows and saw no light pouring from them. It's possible that he could have fallen asleep but that idea went right out the window when she heard him swearing rather loudly and a cat hissing right after that. Wincing, she lowered her head. Maybe she had come at the wrong time. After all.. who knew what was going on in there.

Jumping slightly when the door opened and an anger ball of fur ran out, she then blinked and looked at Daniel, her lips parting slightly. He was a mess. His head was bandaged though there was blood seeping through. It was obvious that he was drunk though she didn't know how much he had drank but the bottle in his hand didn't help his case at all. Her mouth closed and she swallowed. She knew it was rude to stare but the amount of scars on him wasn't something she could miss. Where had he gotten them all? Her confused eyes met his once more and she realized that he needed medical attention.. She knew how to wrap wounds so she could at least help with that.

Barely registering his question, she opened her mouth to speak but it took a moment before any sound came out. "I.. I came to see you." she told him. It was the obvious answer but she couldn't manage anything else at the moment. He looked like he had stepped out of a horror movie. "Can I come in?" she asked him after what seemed like a minute. Biting her lower lip, she didn't plan on leaving until she at least changed his bandages even if he didn't want her here. Yeah, she was stubborn.. but she also wanted to help him.

She now understood what he had been talking about before.. his past.. to a small degree. It was obvious that he had been in numerous fights.. or he had been abused a lot throughout his life. Maybe a little bit of both. Elenore shivered when a cold breeze blew against her. She wished she could say.. so much more. That she had been worried about him.. that she cared for him deeply.. but her lips stayed sealed and no sound came past them. Instead she just looked at him with her green eyes and took a small step forward.

If she had come earlier perhaps he would have still been sober. Maybe not. The smell of alcohol came off of him in waves. It didn't bother her as much as it worried her. How long had he been in this state? Since morning? Last night even? She wished she could have helped him somehow.. at the same time this made her realize that something extremely serious had happened when he went looking for Nicholas. Whatever it had been.. he had still managed to bring her son home safe and sound.

There had been no one do that for him though. He lived alone.. well, she had just found out that he had a cat, but the two obviously had some kind of love/ hate relationship between each other. A cat couldn't bandage him though.. he couldn't even feed him if necessary unless Daniel wanted to eat mice. Sighing, she shook her head at the thought. Had he even eaten anything today? She doubted it. If he would allow her.. she could always cook him dinner.. give him something to eat since she was sure he had something in his fridge.  

[Katydid50]

When Elenore didn't answer right away, simply staring at him, Daniel felt an uncomfortable heat creep up the back of his neck and flood his face, even more so when he realized she was staring at his scars. He could have smacked himself for not putting a shirt on before answering the door. As amazing as it was, he actually found himself quite self-conscious, his muscles tensing up under her gaze. Back before he had tried to turn his life around, he hadn't care whether women had stared at him or not. They had been nothing but sluts and whores, worth nothing to him but a night of fun. But Elenore was different. He cared what she thought about him, not that it mattered much now. He didn't know whether Nicholas had told her what had happened but, if he hadn't, she would find out soon enough and then she wouldn't want anything to do with him.

Daniel's gaze had drifted downward in the moments of silence, looking as miserable as he felt. At her voice, he looked back up at her face. It was quite obvious that she had come to see him, otherwise she would not have been there. At her question, he nodded slowly before stepping aside and allowing her to enter. At the cold breeze that blew past them, he shivered as well, goosebumps breaking out along his bare skin. Once Elenore was inside, he promptly shut the door. It wasn't much warmer inside but at least they didn't have to worry about the cold wind making it worse.

The floor seemed to shift beneath him suddenly and Daniel was forced to lean back against the wall to keep his balance. As he did, all he could do was look at Elenore, unable to find the words to speak even if he knew what to say, though he most certainly did not. She had told him that she had come to see him but he couldn't really understand why. He assumed she didn't know what had happened last night, otherwise she wouldn't be there. Oh sure, she would be grateful to him for saving her son but he doubted very highly whether she would willingly come, alone, to visit a murderer. Even a stupid, half-naked, drunken one. She wasn't stupid. If she'd known, she wouldn't have come.

"I'll assume Nick hasn't told you what happened," he said. "or else you wouldn't be here." Raising the bottle, he took another swig from it before lowering it back to his side. He would have gone down the hall to his bedroom to grab a shirt but, at the moment, he didn't trust himself not to fall over in the process. He didn't want her to stare at him but he wasn't entirely sure he would even make it to his bedroom unaided. "So, what are you doing here?"

Perhaps she had come to thank him for saving Nicholas, but that thought must have flown out of her mind the moment she'd seen him. He saw the way she'd looked at him, a mix of shock and horror. He truly must have been quite a sight for her, considering she probably came from a middle-class background. Even in the poor regions where he had grown up, scars such as his were not rare, but the amount of them he had was. If he hadn't gotten so involved with the fighting rings, he wouldn't have as many. Quite a few of them were also the result of the enemies he'd made during his time in the gang. Doing the things he'd done, it had been impossible not to make enemies.

For a moment, he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall behind him. He was amazed that Elenore had even asked to come in, considering her reaction to the sight of him. She was a brave woman indeed. Lesser women would have backed away and left with some excuse or muttering apologies for interrupting him or some damn thing. He wouldn't have blamed her if she had. He knew he must have looked frightening, or at least pathetic. He wondered for a second if she had stayed because she cared about him, as more than a friend, but he quickly pushed the thought away. Opening his eyes, it was all he could do not to shake his head. She didn't feel that way towards him and, even if she did, she was too good for him.