What is home (Heavenly, Garrett)

[Lovely]

August 11, 2007
continued from: Taking Chances

Her lips curled into a slight grin as she rolled some of the tension out of shoulders while guiding the bike slowly back out of the spot. She didn't look to see if he was behind her when she took off. It wasn't like she was trying to lose him, but she veered down the side streets and short cuts to get her out past the park as fast as she could.

It was a few miles into the woods that skirted the town, when she turned down what looked like a long driveway. In many ways it was, since her house was the only one on the road, down near the end about a 1/2 mile in. The road came to an end fading out into overgrowth and trees, she turned to the left slightly and brought her bike around the back of the house. She'd thought about setting a few planks up as a ramp and parking on the porch but was afraid the boards of the porch wouldn't hold the weight. She cut the engine and rolled into her usual spot beneath the awning that extended out for shade. There was room enough for Garrett next to her if he wanted, she had a feeling at one time this might have been the start of a carport.

She was off the bike, feeling less savage then she had at the diner, rides would soothe her sometimes. Her boots hit the porch with a thump as she jumped over the rail and landed. Her hands were shaking a little and she dropped her keys, fumbling with the door. She didn't have the patience to play the push and pull, lift and turn with it tonight anyhow. She kicked it hard, close to where it latched and let it swing in with the force of her blow.

He'd stayed casually behind her, keeping up but keeping distant enough, watching for anything unusual, especially on the outskirts of town. He'd made his friends and enough enemies to match those he was usually on the alert and had to be. His headlamp glimmered over the gap of the door she'd gone through as he pulled up and parked. Cutting the engine he had to shake his head, like he was rattling something loose. It was quiet here, almost disturbingly quiet. Garrett looked around the lot and the porch, swinging loose of the bike and following up to the door. Shadows and more shadows... "Lee?" He waited for a reply as he stepped in, looking around at the covered furniture, how everything seemed on 'pause' the way she'd described. It wasn't bad, just needed a little TLC from the look of it.

"In here." She replied, in a voice that wasn't loud but she knew he'd hear her, a bit of marco polo in that she didn't tell him where here was. He'd likely be able to follow the scent and now the sounds as she moved around the kitchen, pulling a steak from the fridge and barely resisting the urge to tear into it raw. The kitchen seemed to be a space somewhat apart from the rest of the house. The stove and fridge were clean as they'd moved here with her, the old ones that had been there before -she'd dragged out to the garage.

Sounds and scents lured him toward more food and the temptation from the cool raw meat she was playing with. "Should've taken you to Allegheri's if I'd known you wanted a real dinner. Steaks two inches thick, as rare as you want them and potatoes the size of a dinner plate all by themselves," he said, watching her from the door to the kitchen. "So... what else do you want to know?"

"Maybe another night?" She held up the second steak from the package as to offer him, if he wanted some as well. She wasn't doing much more than warming hers up and wasn't planning on taking the time to make any potatoes. She sighed and shrugged her coat off, tossing it over the back of the closest chair. "Everything." She splayed her hands out as if to tell him, anything he had to teach her would be more than she knew now. "How about.. we start with why you're here first.. "

He shook his head to the steak. "Kind of you, but you save that. The dinner invitation is open for anytime, though," he said, watching her attempts at getting comfortable. "Everything may take a little while to explain, but I'll do what I can. Starting with... I'm here because maybe I have questions for you, too."

"Ok.. ask.." She turned back around to put the second steak back in the fridge. "..it never stays good for long.." She murmured, pulling a beer out and popping the cap off. ".. maybe.. if you have questions.. " Her fingers closed into a fist and she tapped it against the door to the fridge lightly. "I'm sorry.. i get kind of cranky.. when I'm.. hungry.. but I meant it when I said ask.." She took a long drink of the beer and set the bottle down, moving back over to the stove to check if the burner was heated up enough and plop her steak into the pan.

"I don't think it'll have time to go bad," he answered honestly, understanding well enough that she'd go back for it later. He leaned against the bare spot of wall, noting that it could use a touch of paint. "Alright, I'll ask," he nodded, deciding to leap in to what he wanted to know about her, his leather creaking as his arms folded. He slipped off the glasses again and his eyes seemed to glow from within, faintly catching any hint of light in the darker room than they did in the restaurant. "Why are you so hard on yourself? And second, if you wanted to run away so bad, why did you come back here?"

[Lovely]

She stopped moving for a moment after he asked his questions, she thought about how to answer them, did she even know the answers? She flipped the steak and turned the burner down, then turned around to face him. "Because there's no one else to be hard on me.. no one to help me know what's right and how not to cross the lines.. Because I killed a man.. it doesn't matter that he killed my parents, that he was going to kill me.. he was still a man.. I.. I don't know what to do with that.. what to do with me. I didn't just kill him.. there were pieces.. and blood.. I know what he tasted like.. and.. I liked it. I was so angry.. I've never been that angry.. " She shook her head, looking up at the ceiling as she tried to grasp at some sane thought or emotion about it all. "I came back here... because this is where it all started.. because.. I thought I could find some clue.. some reason for all of it. Because this.. this was their dream.. I was their dream until something changed it, changed them.. I don't know, I think sometimes.. if I can just put it back together that somehow.. it will make it feel better, that it will stop it from hurting so much.. that something will be right, that something will make sense."

"Something you said I don't quite get. You were born with it. How? If he changed them, when... that's what I want to know. Some things have gone on in this town over the past few years... hell, they don't make sense to any living soul, I can bet you a few dead ones are wandering around a little confused too. I'm not joking about that, Hack. It's more than the dream that brought you back here and I think you know that. Don't burn your steak." He started to walk around, taking a look more closely at the place. "This... friend... you took apart. Don't feel sorry for him and don't blame yourself. He wasn't just a man, was he?"

"I don't know.. I .. came here to try to find out. I don't have the answers to any of those questions." She let go of the chair back she'd been gripping and swiped at a tear that escaped from the coner of her eye as she went to the stove to pull her steak off the burner. "Come with me.." She reached out for his hand to lead him to a different room and show him something that confused her more when she'd found it.

"Alright. Lead on." He looked at her hand, considering a moment her fear and her hunger.. she still hadn't eaten and her scent and emotions were wavering across the board. He let her grasp his fingers and followed. "Y... you don't have to do this. You should eat first."

Her fingers slid around his gently and she gave his hand a squeeze. "I'll eat. I promise." She led him out through the livingroom, which sat silently in it's ghostly coverings, to a small room, which she opened with a key she'd pulled off a hook on her way by. "Don't turn on the light yet.." She told him as she stepped into the room, the moon light filtered in around a gap in the curtains. "My parents were turned a year before I was born, or so they always told me.. they also told me that they wanted a child very badly.. that they'd built a nursery before they were changed.. but after the attacks they didn't think they would have any children.. They said they built this room a year before they were attacked.. You can turn the light on." When the light came on it would illuminate the room in a soft, dim light, one that wouldn't hurt the eyes of someone like them. There was a crib -one that had been modified to have a stronger frame and a top that could cover it like a cage. On the walls, there were murals painted, angels and fluffy clouds along one and moon lit forests with baying wolves on the other, the ceiling was a blanket of tiny stars over a deep blue. "There's a date in the corner.." She pointed and gave him sort of a sad smile. "It's the year I was born.."

His eyes had already adjusted from the diner and the lights on the road so it didn't matter much. "I can see fine without it, but if you insist," he said softly, taking in the room in the moonlight just as easily. He flipped the switch if it would at least add a little warmth to the story she relayed. "Angels... and wolves usually don't keep good company," he snickered, walking closer to the calendar she pointed out to be sure he saw the date clearly. He knew what he expected to see and that her story wasn't so very different from his own.

"I came here for answers.. and maybe to find some peace.. I found.. more mysteries.. maybe lies.. I'm still hoping for a little peace.. but I think I've learned not to expect anything, but the unexpected." She did a slow turn around the room, the angels weren't cute litte cherubs and the wolves seemed so real, like they might jump off the wall at any moment and run into the night. "I don't know what to think of any of it.. I don't understand why they would lie to me about something like this.. This.. this says they knew I was coming.. that this room wasn't just for a child someday.. and it wasn't built long before I came.. was my mother pregnant when she was attacked? Were they ever attacked? What if they were.. just like this?"

He hung his head a moment, thinking or maybe trying to keep himself from saying what he was thinking. "Teller's Pond," he muttered, looking back over the pictures of the wolves in the shadows on the wall.

"What?" She watched him, with a curious expression and took a step closer to him, reaching out to lay her hand gently on his arm.

He chuckled uncomfortably and pointed out the pictures on the wall. Some of the faces were almost familiar enough to name. "They knew more about fairy tales than the Brothers Grimm if that means anything to you. A little more grim than Cinderella and her wicked step sisters anyway. This room is more like a d**n yearbook than a mural, Lee. You want to know the whole story? We should go to Teller's Pond. You know anything about the... the convergence? Like you and me here, walking around every day joes, humans? The pond sits at the edge of the convergence of where ... well, where creatures like us come from. It's kinda party central - where most of these folks live."

[Lovely]

She turned her attention to the wall again, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Where these folks.. live?" She whispered like and echo of his words, that she was trying to make sense of. Her hand slid down to grasp his again, her eyes moving over the figures that had been painted, supposedly -randomly on her walls. "They're.. real?" She asked softly, her other hand lifting to trace over the wall, she could feel the texture of the paint under her fingertips. "Who.. who are they? You know.. you recognise them?"

"They're real," he shrugged, settling that curiosity. "I know a few, seen others around. It's like I told you, some strange things have happened in this town in the past twenty or so years. This one should be pretty familiar to you already. If I'm not mistaken... it's me."

She sort of snatched her hand back when he said it was him, looking at him with an expression like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "You?" She hadn't meant to squeak when she said it but she did a little. She felt more than overwhelmed, this was just not possible. Her hand was shaking a little as she lifted it again to trace over the figure on the wall.. him.. Her other hand never let go of his as she tried to absorb this revelation. "There's a mysterious mural of wolves on my wall.. and you're in it.. What the hell does that mean?" She felt close to tears and tried to push the emotions back. "I know I felt a connection to you.. but it wasn't suppposed to be.. You're on my wall!"

"It could mean a lot of things, but I think the most it means is that you need to come sit down for a little bit, okay? Consider me a friend of the family. A real friend, trust me."

She didn't know what to think, who to trust, where to turn, what to do.. She felt the warmth of his hand in hers and her gaze drifted down, the slowly up to his face. Everything in her world was tumbling upside down and inside out, yet.. "I trust you." She whispered, looking back to the mural on the wall and nodding to his suggestion of needing to sit down. "It feels like I'm falling... like that dream where you're just falling and falling.."

"I said I'd catch you, didn't I?" He raised an eyebrow and tried to be gentle with telling her more of the truth she was entitled to. "Maybe it's just time to wake up. It all starts about twenty, twenty-five years ago or so, right? Let's start there while you eat."

"Stupid.." She muttered as she couldn't fight the tears any longer and they started to well, a few escaping that she tried to wipe away before they could get down her cheeks. "..d**n.." She nodded again, her free hand alternating between trying to wipe the tears and clenching into a fist. "Catch me.. please.. I don't want to hit the bottom."

He slipped his arm around her as she fought her tears. "I've gotcha. Let's go sit you down a while, darlin'. It's okay to be upset, but once you're past this, once you know more about who you are and who I am... who they all are... you're gonna be okay. Every one of those faces on that wall is someone who will protect their little girl, even the ones that look a little scary. I'll tell you more about them later."

She curled into his chest, leaning against him for a moment, her head snapped up suddenly and she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You're not like.. my cousin or... long lost brother.. are you? No offence but if you are.. I'm going to have to throw up."

"We're not related," he grinned, having pieced that much together. "But your parents knew my family from the looks of it. There could be a marriage or five over the years, but I know my bloodline."

"Oh thank goodness.. cause kissing my brother or even a cousin like -that- would just be sooooooooooo wrong!" She managed a small smile through the tears and leaned her head back to his shoulder.

"More like just the boy next door," he chuckled, rubbing her back a little for comfort. "Alright, a little closer than the neighbors since yours are about a half mile out from here. It's not an accident your folks chose this place. I'd like to take a look around in the daylight tomorrow, if you don't mind. Though it is kinda late and you're kinda spooked. You want me to stay a while?"

"Please, if you don't mind.. I would like you to stay." She lifted her head again, but stayed snuggled against him, slowly starting to make her way out of the room with him. "..I might need more catching, I could fall again in the middle of the night."

"Guess I'll just have to stay really close and not let go then, huh? First... steak. After that...," he clicked the light off on the way out.

"Sounds good to me." She wasn't usually this needy or this trusting or this easy to feel close to someone.. her arm wrapped around his waist and she sighed.

[Lovely]

********************

Morning wasn't that far away. He kept her from the cage, refusing to let her believe... to feel that's where she belonged. The bed needed some clearing, items piled up around the sides like fortress walls. He joked quietly about snowballs in winter time though he hadn't seen snow in this town in years. Every story was a short, pleasant memory, a bedtime story he hoped would help calm her and bring her more into his trust. He stayed close, listening to the empty sounds of the creaking boards and wavering branches outside and kept his nose keenly tuned to anything unusual, anything that might be lurking in the shadows that shouldn't be near here. Garrett had a few ideas about the plot of land, why her parents felt it was safe, at least from a few kinds of evil... the kind they didn't invite in like friends. His own stomach churned at the thought of such a traitor. What was it with wolf packs? Every one of them he knew had one upstart, one traitor... at least one who thought he could take over. He shook his head as he lulled her into whatever sleep she would agree to and kept watch, not sleeping at all himself. It wasn't quite daylight yet, but he'd gone back to the kitchen to get her ready for the day ahead, waking her to the scents of whatever scraps he could find to make sure she'd eat well. There were many things he'd have to teach her.

Her kitchen wasn't that well stocked, she didn't shop alot and only bought enough to keep her going. She could afford to have more but why waste it? Maybe now she had a reason to keep things more stocked. She woke up from a light doze, the bed was very comfortable and with his warmth next to her, she drifted off. The first thing she realized is that she was in the bed, the second was the cooling space behind her where Garrett was no longer there. She heard the soft sound of movement in the kitchen and the scents in the air of food being prepared. She pushed the covers off and padded quietly to the kitchen in her bare feet, her curls were only a little more wild than earlier and she rubbed her hand against one sleepy eye as she came up to him. "Hi.. why are you up so early?"

"Mornin'," he smiled, 'sneaking' up on her as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. He gave her a light hug and a forehead kiss. "Early riser... always have been. Long day ahead, things to do... more answers, hm? Hungry?"

She leaned into the hug and kiss, giving him a small smile and looking shy for a moment. Her hand dropped away and she looked at all he was throwing together. "How many of us are you trying to feed?" She reached to steal a bite and gave him a questioning look. "The sun's not even awake yet.. sleep.. bed.. comfy bed, with pillows and blankets.. and me.. doesn't that sound better than being up?"

"Absolutely does," he agreed, biting his lip from saying more than he should. The smile was playful and sweet. "Get a plate and we'll talk about it, okay?" He looked around the kitchen and the small amounts she'd unpacked so far. "Hm... and tell me where you'd like help to start making this place more like home."

She started to reach for a plate and stopped turning to give him a small sweet smile. "You already have." It was a simple and honest answer, she'd slept and felt better in the short time he'd been there than she had in a year. She pulled her gaze away from him and looked around at the barely touched boxes, even her more personal things were still packed, her clothes.. She sighed. "I don't even know where to begin with the rest. "

"Alright. I love a challenge. You.. sit... eat... good girl," he teased and reached for the nearest box, labeled or not. "I'm joking. You eat and direct... tell me where you want this stuff. One box at a time and before you know it...," he shrugged, taking a piece of the steak he'd cut up to go with the rest as he milled around.

"Oh, um.. well I think um.. maybe you might want to have some soapy water to go with the box.. I wasn't kidding about twenty plus years of dust.. I mean I cleaned some of it.. just not all of it." She sat down in the chair like a 'good girl' and gave him a look with big blinking eyes and a little pout.

"Nice," he said, like he had the night before, amused and intrigued by the girl. He took her plate and filled it with the pieces of meat and mix of things he'd found. There was little sense rolling up sleeves when he really didn't need them anyway. The shirt he had on was wrinkled up from laying on it now and he slipped it off to the tank underneath. "If you don't mind ma'am... show me your tub and I'll see what damage I can do on those nasty little dust bunny critters. Have to say though... never met a bunny I didn't like."

She snatched a piece of meat from the plate and popped it into her mouth, licking her fingers before she stood up again. "I think the buckets are in the pantry.." She started to head to the small 'room' off the side of the kitchen, coming out with a couple buckets and sponges. "See.. told ya, I started.. I bought the sponges and buckets.." She winked at him, juggling a bottle of multi purpose cleaner in the mix. She pushed the door mostly closed behind her with her foot and nodded towards the direction of the laundry room, there was a big sink in there, it was almost big enough for her to climb into.

[Lovely]

"Got it, got these," he said, relieving her of the supplies if he had to fight her for them. "Ehht... I'll do this and get started." He held the bucket for her drop the bottle into and nodded for her to go back to her plate.

"You're very ...stubborn, aren't you?" He was able to get the buckets from her as she was trying to hold onto everything, but once he'd freed her hands some, she held the bottle of cleaner back as if she wasn't going to let him have it.

"Aww, how sweet. You noticed," he grinned, flattered and teasing more. "Yes and yes. Cleaner, please?" He wiggled the bucket again but he'd manage without it if he had to. "Though, I should probably make a call. Yes, I work for the city, but I'm not exactly employed by them. I kinda just ... well I tell them when I'm working. Pretty sweet deal, actually, but they deserve the courtesy to know I'm... well, a little tied up today."

"I noticed lots of things.." She teased him back. leaning forward at him with a playful smile as she dropped the bottle of cleaner into the bucket. Her eyebrow arched up a little as he somewhat explained his 'sweet deal', it seemed he'd etched out a nice spot for himself. "There's a cordless in the kitchen if you want to use it.. "

"Thank y'kindly," he nodded, putting a little spinning drawl on his tone. "Wait... what things?" He was curious what she'd noticed, whether she was simply teasing back since he wasn't wearing the shirt now or if her senses were waking up to more things he should be alarmed about.

She chuckled and licked her lips slowly, her eyes walking over his well defined muscles. "Ohhh sugar, I don't kiss and tell." She shook her head, smiling a little as she didn't hide the fact that she liked what she saw. Much less bashful about it than she'd been at the pool where they'd met.

"How about kiss and don't say a word, then?" Maybe if he was lucky, the cleansers would be just as strong on his senses as the chlorine and keep her scent from affecting him as much as it was. Moment by moment it was becoming a struggle and he didn't want her to think that was the only reason he'd stayed.

Her eyes sparkled and she smiled, her arm reachiing out to wrap around his shoulders and pull them closer. Then her lips brushed against his softly before she kissed him more deeply, this time there was definately tongue. She was so glad he wasn't some long lost relative, because if just kissing him felt this good...

Buckets dropped gently from each hand. He wasn't going to argue, either. The phone call could wait and the boxes had already waited twenty years. They could wait another ten minutes. It wasn't his imagination... her scent, the taste of it in the kiss. God help her if he gave in. Control, Garrett... d**nit, man. She didn't need the doubt, she needed stability and ... The sound that rose was not quite a growl and not quite a sigh, but the sound of a man trying to remain a gentleman.

She hadn't meant to keep kissing him like this but it was so hard to stop when his kiss tasted and felt so.. mmm yeah she was definately in big trouble, but d**n she liked it. She wasn't one to believe in love at first sight, though she'd definately felt something when she'd met him.. what about falling in a kiss? her lips trembled against his as she tried to pull back but couldn't pull away from him. "Mmhmm.." She murmured close to his lips, her breath slightly panting as she tried to fight the urge to dive back in. Her fingers rested along the side of his neck and her other arm stayed curled around his shoulders. In a way she understood the sound he made, she felt the same way.

"Good morning," he sighed out, dumbfounded and rattled, not trying to hide the fact he was more than shaken and her earlier request to wait for a real sunrise was oh so tempting. Silver moon dials shimmered with crimson with each breath. "I better start cleaning," he said, dodging any other topic that swam in his mind.

She swallowed looking up at his eyes, good god they were amazing! Her smile and soft breath would be more felt against his cheek as she shifted to keep herself from kissing him again -she didn't want to stop, but didn't want to cross that line.. yet. She really wanted to forget cleaning and have him right there in the hall... but there was a conversation she had to have before she could do that without feeling guilty. She owed him that much, even if she wasn't in love with him, even if he bored her and on his best day couldn't excite her a fraction of how much just being in the same room as Garrett did. She owed the 'boyfriend' the decency of telling him it was over before she let herself fall too deeply into this.. but she wanted to fall, she wanted to tumble and wrap up in this and not stop. At the same time it was frightening to feel the sort of connection she was feeling, it wasn't just some passing fancy, one night of lust.. she actually liked Garrett, alot. "Mmmhmm." She nodded, yeah he better do something because she wasn't sure she could.

[Lovely]

************************


She'd managed to pull herself away from Garrett though how she found the strength to do so was something she didn't know. She rushed off without much explaination other than she had to do something and she didn't know whether he'd be there when she returned. "Do you have anything in black leather?" She laughed softly from where she stood in the doorway.

looks at outfit he was changing out of. "... um... not now.."

"Where did you go?" slides up beside him, with a soft pout, she'd only just returned from rushing out on him in the morning.

"Hmm... Nowhere really. Out for a ride," he shrugged and offered a smile as she sidled closer. "Vague question... vague answer. Why?"

"Wondering.. I had.. to go take care of something.. wasn't sure if you'd be here.. or come back.. guess this answers that question." Her hands run lightly over his shoulders as she looks up at those eyes of his, they were just beautiful.

"Nice place to come back to. Had to change," he pointed out the darker outfit being exchanged for something with a little less flash. "It was either this or the red cape. I forgot to go to the cleaners this week."

"Ohhh.. well I know a place that has a washer and dryer.. even some detergant and fabric softener.. nice girl runs it.. a little wild and fiesty, but I think you could handle her.. if you were interested.... "

"Dry cleaning," he clarified. "But I think I know someone interested in a side offer."

"You have all your clothes dry cleaned?" She tipped her head a little and stepped closer to him. "Well.. I'm free if you want to go over offers with me."

"Not all of them, no, but these, yes. Hope you don't mind jeans." The same boots and same dark leather jacket were waiting but the black leather was being put away.

"Hmm do you?" She laughed softly and motioned down to what she was wearing now, she'd tossed on whatever she could grab before rushing out this morning.

"All the better to ride in," he nodded. The look he gave was much like the look before, head to toe without an ounce of shy.

Her teeth caught her lip in a cute half smile as she felt his eyes move over her. "Were you thinking of taking me for a ride?"

He chuckled and shook his head, though 'no' was the farthest answer from his mind. Her scent was just so enticing it was hard to say anything and have it come out the right way. "I was thinking of taking you somewhere, yes. I think I have a little more information about your little storybook in there."

"Oh." She said the word softly, her eyes lowering for a minute and her hands slid from his shoulders down to lace gently with his hands. "I.. was sort of hoping.. you'd be interested in being part of the next part of my story.. and I don't mean as the narrator. We started something this morning.. or maybe I just thought we did, before I ran off. There was something I had to end before I could start something new." She let her gaze drift up to meet his.

[Lovely]

His fingers tightened around hers with a gentle tug. Reassurance couldn't hurt. "It wasn't just a thought. This is just the intermission between the good parts with the scenery and some other guy talking like he knows what's going on," he smirked and bent down to touch his forehead to hers, feeling the heat layerying off of her and her scent rolling over him in waves too strong to ignore. "Cuz if I don't show you now... we may not get out again all day."

His grip on her fingers was the first step in reassuring her and she smiled, relieved a bit that she hadn't been the only one with that idea. "So I'm not crazy or foolish for thinking and feeling like this.. for wanting.. you?" She closed her eyes, tipping her face up slightly to turn the resting of his forehead against hers into more of a light muzzling, her lips brushing his cheek. "feels a little like I'm going crazy.."

"This is only the start," he warned with a teasing lift of his eyebrows. The nuzzle and brush... he turned into the kiss, briefly before beginning to insist that they wait a while yet. "Stick around with me long enough and it'll be a lot more than a 'little'. Saddle up, pardner... let's go."

She smiled a little, kissing his cheek before taking a step back to give them both space. "Alright.. but will you answer something for me, first?" She watched him and then went into the question before he could protest if he was going to. "Why.. do I feel like this.. almost like.. I'm in heat, but it's all about you.. When I'm in heat it's just give me a male... like a need and craving.. crazy. But since I met you.. it's like I'm craving you.. not the 'heat' which makes me all primal, but all those kinds of needs and cravings for you.. like you're under my skin and.. I never felt anything like this."

"Because you are... and I am," he whispered. She did know, so she must know what effect it was having on him, how difficult it was for him to simply be here without giving in. He had to hold back and get a grip on himself.

"Oh.. that explains it all.. why is this happening?.. not that I mind it all so much, I mean who would protest you.. just I don't understand it. Why hasn't this happened to me before.. why now.. why you?" She watched him and bit her lip, taking another step back, making as if she was just grabbing her coat so they could go, but she was trying to give him the space he seemed to need.

"Plenty would protest, and have, believe me," he laughed but seemed genuinely flattered by the compliment, enough that his eyes flared gently, a pale reddish-tinted silver that made him look a moment like a happy puppy that would wag his tail. She stepped away and he wondered if she felt in any way rejected... hardly, it was just... "Daamn that's nice," he sighed.

She pulled her coat into her hands and draped it over her arm, looking back at him with a slight smile. "What is?" One hand brushed her hair back over her shoulder and ste stepped closer to him again without realizing she was doing it, it just felt so natural and nice to be around him, close to him.

"Don't you worry about it. Let's just go. Think about what you want for dinner tonight besides steak. We're going to be hungry later, trust me," he added. Maybe it was her subtle admission of feelings or something was strengthening her scent, a ripeness that was making him hungry now.

She gave him a totally shocked look, though joking of course as she said. "There are other foods besides steak?" With a wink she slipped her arm around his and leaned her head on his shoulder. "So.. does this mean I get to ride with you for this trip?" The smile was playful and hopeful, she'd usually insisted on her own wheels -an independance thing, but now had the urge and curiosity to want to ride behind him.

[Lovely]

"You get to ride with me but you have to hold on tight," he said, looking down into the depth of the lurking colors in her eyes that told him more than she probably knew. "Nice... can.. can we go .. now? I think there are a few things we'll have to take care of pretty early tonight."

"I have no problem with holding on tight.. to you." Her smile was sweet and playful this time as she nodded to his request. "I'm ready when you are." Her grip on his arm tightened just a little and she motioned for him to go ahead. "You're leading the way this time."

"I always lead, I'm just not always in front," he smiled. His mind was reeling with ideas now. His arm circled around her, bringing him down for another quick kiss before pulling loose to slide back into his snake-skin boots. They were a little muddy around the soles from his wandering earlier in the day, checking out his hunches about the property her parents had built her little house on.

"Oooo you keep kissing me and I just might let you lead from behind.." She teased with a soft giggle, letting go of him so he could get his boots on as she shrugged her jacket over her shoulders and pulled her 'wild' soft curls into a ponytail holder and wrapping the band to make a messy bun to keep her hair from getting snarled in the wind.

"I'll keep that in mind. So when did you say your folks bought up this land?" He was curious about that part, trying to figure... what he'd seen around had been there for quite some time.

"They said about a year before I was born a little more than.. so somewhere around twenty seven to twenty eight years ago. I umm.. I have the deed in my files.. I can dig it out for you if you need to know.. I really should.. unpack.." She sighed, biting her lip as she glanced around at the boxes. They were supposed to start this morning but then there was that kiss.. oh goodness was that a kiss. In that moment Lee had known that she wouldn't be able nor did she want to resist him, rather she wanted to tear his clothes off right there in the hall, it had taken just about all the will power she had left to pull away, get dressed and leave the house. She'd gone into town and called the boyfriend, met him and told him it was over. There was just no way she could pretend or keep trying to be with him, she didn't tell him that part but ended things with him so that there would be nothing keeping her from moving ahead.

"So that was twenty-seven years ago. What's on your mind now? You want to talk about it or wait til we're back?" The sigh held more secrets but he mostly guessed those as she looked around then back at him. "What I really need to know... I'll know. Just like what's meant to be unpacked will be. We're burning daylight, come on."

He managed to make her blush deeply as she was cuaght thinking about their kiss and then breaking up with the human boyfriend. She couldn't answer him because it was taking her too long to decide whether to try and lie or just outright tell him what was on her mind. Finally she laughed and turned for the door. "Later.. I'll tell you later.."

Her laugh was comforting like a fuzzy blanket he could snuggle into a long while. She didn't really need to tell him a thing. What more did he have to say, either, other than run his hand over hers as they settled onto the bike together. That was a feeling he could linger in too except there was someplace she needed to go, someplace with answers he hoped she was ready for.

[Lovely]

She'd slipped her sunglasses over her eyes before getting onto the bike behind him, it felt strange to slide up against him like this, but nice. She could feel the warmth of his legs along hers where they rest close together, her arms around his waist and her hands clasped gently against his belt. Lee took a deep breath at the strange sensation she felt, curling around him like this, it was a pleasant one but again one she'd never felt before. His scent filled every breath she took and it made her mouth water and her arms tighten around him a slight bit.

Down the empty road and back nearly into civilization again, Garrett took a turn down an unpaved path off the main road, heading into a dark part of the wooded area at the far edge of town near the upward climb of the canyon. The trees thinned around their 'road' and began to follow along the river.

Lee held onto Garrett gently but firmly as they rode, watching the scenery only a little from where she curled behind him, enough to be able to get back if she had to on her own.

Downshifting, the sounds of the bike's roar dulled as he coasted and the sounds of the river came up. It appeared to widen and the forest seemed to fall away at a clearing ahead. He stopped short of the clearing, pulling up to a large tree to park the bike near like he was setting a horse up to water. "We walk the rest of the way. You'll see," he mentioned over his shoulder, letting her pull loose to get her land legs again and get a sense of their surroundings. In a moment she'd hear it, the falls roaring ahead and the small lake at the bottom in the clearing.

It didn't take her long to adjust once she was off the bike though she looked around in wonder at where they'd ended up. It was certainly beautiful even moreso than the property which surrounded her little house. Lee turned to gaze at him questioningly as he told her she'd see.. what would she see? "Are we going to the water?"

He nodded and flipped his keys rhythmically in his hand as he walked, reaching his other out to her. "Stay close. A lot of this is going to look very familiar to you very soon. Remember that pond I told you about?"

Her hand slipped into his and she stepped in pace beside him, glancing around and then back to him. "I remember.. I still don't understand, though..I mean, it's all very pretty but what are we doing here?"

"You have questions... Teller's Pond... if you're asking the right questions, you'll get answers," he said, seeming a little haunted in the suggestion about asking the right things. He looked around, keeping his sense trained for others who might want the information for themselves. "We're also very, very close to a hell-mouth. Yes, they exist and no you don't want to mess with them or what can come out of them. And the last thing you want to do is get into the water. This ain't your usual variety swimming hole."

She stopped walking, dead in her tracks and let go of his hand, her gaze drifting around them and then back to him. "You didn't tell it to me like that before." She said quietly, feeling a bit like she'd been tricked and not wholly comfortable with the ideas he was presenting about this place.

He shrugged one-shouldered and gave her 'that' smile just the same. "You wouldn't have come anyway? Let's just say I learned a few lessons the hard way and I'm saving you the trouble." He had been around a long time, enough to know a few of 'them'... the ones who walked between dark and light and the ones who walked through the air and the earth as easily as the fish swam up to the water's edge to watch them now. "It's a different place, that's all."

[Lovely]

"I'm not sure I would have.. I don't know.. " She folded her arms, her lips tugging into a small pout. "It would have been nice if you'd told me what you were getting me into before you got me there." She still spoke quietly, not that there was need to raise her voice with his hearing. "I guess it's just so simple for you.. you know all this stuff, it's a normal everyday thing to go by the hellmouth on the way to the magic pond where.. what a lily pad is going to answer all my questions?" Her one hand curled into a fist under her folder arms. "By the way.. what exactly is a hellmouth? It sounds pretty.. well like something is going to eat me."

He shook his head. "It won't. It's not that kind of hell mouth. Let me explain, okay?" Garrett reached out to help her unfold herself and consider trusting him. Nothing in his scent indicated fear, but everything about protection and almost anger. Anything unexpected that came at them, her especially, would have to go through him and wouldn't get far with very few exceptions. "All it is is a door, a door that's open all the time, a point in time and space where the world you know and the one that you don't think is real meet."

She tried to be stubborn and keep her arms all folded up under each other but with him close, smelling like he did and tugging gently she relented, looking down a little before bringing her gaze up to his face. "Ohhhh is that all it is? Silly me thinking it was something to worry about. Do you have any idea what this is like for me? I'm not part of this world you live in.. I'm like Alice.. except this is a heck of alot scarier than Disney's version of wonderland."

"You're playing a really big part in my world. Don't fade to black on me yet. Besides, these effects are lot better than Disney ever imagined. Take a closer look around you - that tree, that outcropping there...," he pointed out one or two more of the landmarks that had been filtered in to her mural.

"Do I get to be the heroine? Or am I the damsel in distress?" Her hands rubbed over his arms as she slowly turned, her back resting against his chest as she looked toward the things he pointed out. She didn't have words as she recognised them, her head slowly shaking, she was more shocked now and maybe more confused too. "This is...? But.. how.. why?"

"You get to be what you're meant to be which is never, ever locked in a cage. This is a big part of my world, too. Family, me.. we kinda guard this place, off and on. We have a little help now though."

"You like giving me evasive answers don't you?" She leaned against him a little more heavily and her gaze lowered again. ".. yeah.. that cage.. I don't know.. last night was the first time I haven't slept in it since.. but you already know that.." With a sigh she looked up and across the clearing again. "Who helps you?"

"Step up the microphone here and let's see if you get an answer." He didn't want to let go. Standing here in the wonder of this place, guiding and protecting her was a moment of peace for him. He'd direct her to the water's edge where she could look into a portion of the pool where the eddies slowed the spinning into a nearly still area reflecting only sky, or whatever leaned over to look into the water's depth at that point.

"What?" She was completely lost now and followed where he guided her with a confused expression on her face. "Answer from who? I asked you.." She shook her head, trying to turn enough to look at him and for him to tell her what he was trying to do and give her any kind of real answer about anything.

"Ask the genie of the... well, lake... take a look and watch your reflection." He encouraged her to take a look. "It's more than just a doorway to what some folks think of as hell. Other beings wander through here with the powers over almost any emotion and thought known to man and each has ears enough to hear anything said. This is where earth air and water mix equally and constantly and this close to the portal? You'll get an answer from the truest source. Go ahead and ask again."