A New Begining (Open to All)

[ladyamber]

Amber’s mind wandered as she packed up her belongings. She didn’t have much to pack these days. She never tried to personalize her homes anymore. She never really unpacked even. She had to move so often; renting furnished apartments or extended stay hotel rooms had become the norm. She had her clothes and her medicine bag. She had a small box of belongings. All her sentimental items were in a safety deposit box or left with her grandfather’s friends. After the attack on her at the reservation which resulted in fire damage to her grandfather’s cabin, she didn’t trust leaving anything important where a little research revealed her ties. One of her most cherished possessions, her grandfather’s beloved 1965 Chevy truck had been left with his best friend’s grandson, Robert Fox. Small items like important papers such as the deeds to her grandfather’s property and small items like her parents wedding rings, her grandmother’s necklace was also tucked away in the safe deposit box. She had hidden anything that meant something. She had done it so that those who feared and hated her for abilities she was born with couldn’t destroy the items that were the last links to her past and heritage.


Amber did a last check around the extended stay hotel room she had been staying in. She checked the closet, all the drawers, and under the bed. She double checked that she had retrieved all her toiletries from the bathroom. Amber was currently in Billings Montana. The Marshall currently assigned to her case, had decided that rural Montana would be the place to hide her. Amber had stopped arguing and just did as she was asked. She had been in Billings for about two months working as a waitress at a local diner. Last night a large white man with white supremacist tattoos had recognized her. He had attacked her landing one good punch which had split her lip open. She had managed to deflect the next few blows before other patrons subdued him. Some didn’t know what to do as he ranted and raved about how unclean she was. How she had consorted with shifters and should be killed for protecting monsters. Amber had heard it all before. People who had been pleasant and seemed to like her now looked at her with suspicion and fear. Amber had quietly told the diner’s owner she quit. She had left her apron and grabbed her bag and left. She did not even bother calling the Marshall’s office to let them know what had happened.


She couldn’t live this way anymore. Always moving, always looking over her shoulder. Always hiding who she was. She felt stifled and trapped. She couldn’t practice her religion or her art. She couldn’t find harmony anymore. She was so far out of balance that she felt she would never find the inner balance she craved so desperately. She had not shifted into her totem animal in years. She couldn’t feel the elements or her connection to nature. The nightmares were even worse. She had almost permanent dark circles under her eyes. She was lucky to get 4 hours of sleep a night. She always woke up after a few hours. A noise would startle her awake and her heart would be racing, and adrenaline would be pumping through her body causing her to shake. After the adrenaline crash, she would feel exhausted and weak. Amber had always thought of herself as a strong independent woman. These days she felt fragile like a stiff wind would blow her way and destroy what little was left of her. Amber had no idea where to start or what to do. She simply knew that she couldn’t continue to live this way.


She put her suitcases and the small box of her belongings into the back of her Nissan Rogue. She pulled her grandfather’s heavy plaid jacket around her shoulders. She felt cold even though it was spring. She never felt warm anymore. She checked out of the hotel and filled up her SUV. She left Billings without another thought. She simply hit the highway and drove. She had given her cellphone to a homeless person at the gas station before she left Billings. The Marshals would be able to find her if they really wanted to. She didn’t have to make it easy for them. Amber was strangely calm. She just drove almost on autopilot.


She drove until she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. She checked into a highway motel in some little town along the interstate in New Mexico. Amber was exhausted and fell to sleep quickly. Amber slept deeply for a few hours before nightmares of being chased and stabbed had her writhing and twisting on the bed. She woke panting hard covered in sweat with the blankets tangled around her legs. She laid there waiting for her heart to stop racing. She knew she would not be able to get back to sleep. The sunlight peaking through the blackout curtains told her that she had slept at least 6 hours. She showered and checked out and got back on the road. Amber grabbed a coffee and some cheap food through a drive thru before getting back on the road. It was as she got back on the interstate, she realized that she had decided on where to go. It had been unconscious decision. She had made the decision to go to the last place that had felt like home, Dallas.


Amber was unsure if she would be welcome. Her presence had seemed to draw all the crazies out of the woodwork. Her presence had disrupted the entire preternatural community in Dallas. Humans First and then their more militant and extremist younger brother Humans Only had popped up to harass the preternatural community. Amber had done her best to protect others and keep their secrets. In the end the chaos had led to open fighting and attacks in the city. She knew she had to try. The hard tight knot of anxiety in her stomach seemed to expand the closer she got to Dallas. The skyline of downtown Dallas appeared on the horizon. Amber knew where she wanted to go. She pulled off the interstate into northern Dallas. The city had changed so much since she had been gone. She used her GPS to navigate to Wired Angels. She pulled up in front of the store and parked. Amber looked at the clock and realized she had made it around lunchtime. She turned her SUV off and climbed out. She hit the lock button on her key fob automatically. She dropped the keys into her purse.


Her eyes never left the entrance as she moved forward. She walked up the stairs and into the shop. Amber’s long black hair was pulled back into a braid with a silver and turquoise ponytail holder. She was wearing no makeup. She had dark circles under her eyes. She had a huge bruise on the side of her face where the man had hit her. She had a few bruises on her arms from deflecting the man’s blows. Her lip was still split but had scabbed over. She had the faded lines of old scars marring her skin. She was wearing soft worn blue jeans with a white t shirt and a pair of black converse sneakers. She had a handmade leather bag with native American symbols on it in beadwork that was pulled across her body worn like a purse. She walked in and took a deep breath. She could see changes that had been made to the place over time.


She headed straight for the staircase that led up to the gallery upstairs and what used to be her office. She found herself drawn to the artwork that remained in the gallery. She found herself drawn to a piece that she never intended to sell. It was one of the first pieces she had painted after moving to Dallas. The piece represented her memory of her beloved grandfather. It depicted his spirit hanging in the sky above open plains. Back then she had felt he was always close by, guiding her. She had imagined him as this big powerful presence looming over her life. It had comforted her back then to know that she could still feel his presence. It was as if looking at this painting was the key to unlocking her pain. The numb indifference and cold fell away. Tears rolled down her face as she collapsed sobbing before the painting on her knees. She could hardly breathe with the pain that seemed to be crushing her chest.


Slowly she managed to take a deep breath. She adjusted her position, till she was sitting on the floor crossed legged in front of the painting. She wiped at the tears on her face. She winced as the tears stung as they hit her split lip. She adjusted her bag, so it was resting in her lap. She tried to control the depth of her emotions. She couldn’t stop the flow of tears, but they slowed. Her breathing slowed and evened out some. At least she was no longer almost gasping for air. She looked at the painting thinking about the past and what her grandfather had taught her. Seeing the painting helped her feel close to him once more. It gave her courage. She smiled sadly wincing as it pulled her lip painfully. She tried to think about what her next step should be but was simply overwhelmed by the moment. She sat there gazing at the painting unsure of what her next step should be.

[Jordana Dane]

Jordana had gone back to work at Wired Angels after the Humans First attack. She still had nights where she couldn't bring herself to show up and she'd call out sick. She hadn't been inside when the business was attacked but she'd witnessed it from across the street at the diner. The diner was just an empty lot now. It had been destroyed during the attack. Bane had died saving her life and several others in the building before the building exploded killing him. She wasn't over it. She didn't think she ever would be over it.

Even though they were in the lunch rush, she managed to get a second to breathe. Sometimes she just had to walk away because she couldn't breathe because it felt like the walls were closing in around her. Going upstairs in the gallery always made her feel better and it made her think of Bane. Anytime she was in the gallery she also thought of Amber. As she reached the top step she saw someone sitting on the floor. At first, she just assumed someone came up to look at Amber's art. Somehow they had managed to save Amber's paintings during the attack so that nothing was burned. David had been reluctant to let them return the paintings to the gallery but he finally agreed.

Jordana glanced at the woman as she went toward the opposite side of the gallery. She stopped, and did a double take, getting a good look at the woman. She was sure that was Amber, older, still beautiful but she looked so defeated and tired like she'd just had enough. Jordana took a step closer.

"Amber, is that really you?" She asked softly. She didn't want to startle her.

[Remy LeBeau]

Having rebuilt after the attack healing attending the memorials for those lost, sticking mostly to himself save for when needed. Having failed at his attempt to save the wolf woman, knowing the vampire bane was lost and he had waited to see what Jordana would do. She had pulled further away much to his concern and sadness. That was neither here nor there for him at the moment he was looking for artwork to liven up the space that he created in. So as he parked at wired angels knowing they sometimes hosted local artists, he didn't have much on his mind save that.

Catching the back end of a familiar shape he shrugged at his luck but didn't want to crowd her. Trying to be heard enough to not startle anyone but curiosity meets cat no matter the size had him following her up" Well dis here seem to be where da fete is"

Clumsily ruining her attempt to approach the woman on the floor calmly it seemed. " my apologies chere I couldnt help it when I saw a familiar..back?"

[ladyamber]

Amber was usually much more situationally aware. Her experiences in the last few years had made like a veteran and hyperaware of her situations typically. Amber was so emotionally and mentally distraught that she had forgotten to shield her powers from others. Those who could feel preternatural energy would feel the strength of the aura that surrounded her. Hers was red hot with emotional energy at the moment. It said a lot about her state of mind, that she had not heard or felt Jordana coming towards her. She jumped at the soft voice calling her name. Amber climbed hastily to her feet and turned around. Her heart was racing. She was now facing the woman. Her face showing the harsh lines of grief, pain, and surprise with a dark bruise covering one side of her cheek along the side of her split lip. Her normally warm brown eyes were dark with pain with tears in them.

Amber’s hands shook as she took in the woman facing her. There was a man who had appeared to be coming in behind her and was talking to her back. Amber was confused. Did she know this young woman? Amber looked over her shoulder at the man. She didn’t recognize him either. Who were they? How did they know who she was? Her anxiety was peeking out as her mind ran amuck. Logically she knew that there would be people around Dallas who would recognize her on sight. She had been recognized by perfect strangers. She had closer ties to the preternatural community in Dallas. Logic had flown the coop as panic and anxiety set in. She knew it would happen here, yet she couldn’t stop the adrenaline that dumped into her system. She put her hands in her pockets to hide the tremors. She took a deep breath as she fought her flight or fight response.

Amber tried to keep a neutral expression and probably failed. She didn’t frown but it wasn’t a smile either. More like a pain filled grimace. “I apologize but do I know you? Who are you?” Her eyes flicked over to the man. Amber didn’t even try to read their auras as she did her best to reign in her leaking energy. It was too late to hide her powers, but she didn’t need to give away any more information than she already had.

[Jordana Dane]

Jordana glanced back when she heard Remy and smiled. She hadn't seen him in a while and that was her own fault because she'd returned to the wolves instead of to him as he was her Nimir-Raj. She returned her gaze to Amber. She didn't move as she listened and watched Amber's movements. She recognized that shell-shocked look. Amber had been through something or was being hunted, maybe both. She could feel Amber's energy as well. She didn't move because she didn't want to spook Amber.

"Amber, I'm Jordana. You hired me to work here when you were first with the Ulfric's pack." Jordana paused, trying to think of something else to tell her.

"Amber, we can help you; if you want it." Jordana still didn't move. She didn't fear Amber but she'd didn't want to upset Amber and she felt like her moving might do just that. She'd thought of Amber often since she left and hoped she'd come back one day. She glanced back at Remy again and smiled.

"It's good to see you, Remy." She shrugged. "I'm sorry I didn't come to you. I should have as you are my Nimir-Raj."

The apology probably didn't mean much but she was sorry and she should have gone to him first and then if she still needed something she could have went to the pack.

[Remy LeBeau]

He waited for Jordana to speak and once she did he was a bit of releaved." I know dis one an Remember you a lil but you might not memba ol Remy it seem, so pleasure to meet ya chere." Circling round slow so he wasn't talking to one persons back but they both could see him and trying to take the most non threatening stance he could. Not that either of these two couldn't defend themselves but his mamon had taught him better than that.

"Any how i done rebuilt my place and thought some art might look nice on da walls so spend local is a good motto fo me..I remembered yall sometime had art and wanted to come look see"
 
The apology made his brow raise" Im no tyrant chere i believe in free will was I a little sad? ye but tha world keep turnin anyhow. Thats not a right now concern we can chat later fair?"

[ladyamber]

Amber’s eyes flicked back and forth between Jordana and Remy. She struggled to rein in her runaway thoughts and anxiety. She raised up on the balls of her feet. She looked ready to bolt. Her hands were clenched into fists inside of her pockets. Amber’s eyes locked on her face as the woman spoke.

"Amber, I'm Jordana. You hired me to work here when you were first with the Ulfric's pack." There was a flicker of recognition in her eyes as her face shifted to confused as her brow furled in thought. Amber’s attention was focused on the woman as she continued.

"Amber, we can help you; if you want it." Amber shook her head confused. She was unsure if anyone could help her. The woman claimed to know her. Her voice and name seemed to trigger a lost memory.

Amber had suffered a severe concussion after the last attack. She had suffered some memory loss from that incident. The Marshalls had swept in and put her into protective custody before she had even woken from her injuries in the hospital. She had been yanked out of Dallas and flown to Austin. She had woken up in a hospital room in Austin with a federal Marshall sitting at her bedside. She had been hurt and was suffering from severe head trauma. He had convinced her that she needed to go back into witness protection while she was not really in a condition to make that decision. A serious concussion that had put her life support in the ICU for two weeks. She ended up in the hospital for a few more weeks after that. She spent the next 6 months working on recovering with physical therapists coming to her in a safe house. She had ended up with some permanent memory loss from the head trauma.

Occasionally like now, something would trigger a memory allowing her to recall bits and pieces. Amber’s tension seemed to be draining away.

Amber’s eyes flicked to Remy as Jordana spoke naming him Nimir-raj. Amber nodded remembering that Jordana was a wereleopard. Amber remembered how nervous she had been to come in and ask for the job. She thought Amber wouldn’t hire her because she had been a wereleopard. Amber’s posture was relaxed now. She still looked like she was carrying a heavy load on her shoulders. She didn’t carry herself with the same confidence and strength that she had exhibited in the past.

Amber’s eyes went to Remy as he spoke. " I know dis one an Remember you a lil but you might not memba ol Remy it seem, so pleasure to meet ya chere." Amber shook her head as Remy spoke. She still didn’t recall him.
"Any how i done rebuilt my place and thought some art might look nice on da walls so spend local is a good motto fo me..I remembered yall sometime had art and wanted to come look see" She smiled to know that people still came here to look for art. She had hoped the gallery had remained open to help out local artists.

Amber felt suddenly awkward like she was in the middle of their conversation. She looked down to give them a semblance of privacy for a moment as he said. " Im no tyrant chere i believe in free will was I a little sad? ye but tha world keep turnin anyhow. Thats not a right now concern we can chat later fair?"

Amber waited for them to have their moment before turning to both of them.

She stepped towards Jordana and opened her arms offering her a tight hug. “I remember you now. I’m sorry I have some memory issues from a head trauma.” She blushed a little and the anguished look came back across her face. “How could I ever forget my first employees!” She released her just as quickly. She didn’t want to assume anything.

She turned to Remy. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Remy. I am sorry but I still don’t remember you. I am, however, grateful that you remember my gallery. Almost everything up here is for sale. The only painting that isn’t is this one.” She indicated the painting she had been looking at when they found her. She looked at Remy and Jordana, “I just got back into town.” She looked down unsure whether she should go or not. She didn’t know how to broach the topic of past events. If she was going to stay, she needed to go see David. She looked back up at both of them, “How have you been?”

[Remy LeBeau]

" pleased as punch to meet you as well chere and noted."

He glanced around getting a bead on a couple of pieces and then glances back to the ladies seeing the wavering tension and attempting to connect. They all had a fair amount of ptsd behind the attack, Amber definitely seemed to have a good portion of it. Having near died himself he understood but maybe the Nola in his blood made it a little bit easier to bounce back. Look at all nawlins had delt with floods and famin and violence plenty but still the people quoted it like a mantra " Laissez les bon temps rouler" a self soother. "Rebuild was hard building took a good bit a damage but was salvageable. I mostly just keep to my self save for the monthly meetings seeing as aint to many of my flavor roun here."

[Jordana Dane]

Jordana nodded to Amber, her own face clouding over, thinking of Bane. She smiled but it wasn't her usual smile.
"As Remy said, a lot of us had to rebuild." She glanced down then back to Amber. "We lost some people but we had to keep going. We all keep to ourselves more, it seems safer I guess." Jordana felt for the necklace around her neck that contained a ring that Bane had always worn. He'd pressed it into her hand when he covered her body when the shooting broke out in the diner. She was sometimes lost without him but she also knew that Nadine and the Kiss had done everything possible to save him. Her emotions were trying to spike so she smiled back at Amber but could feel tears in her eyes now that hadn't been there earlier.
"It's good to have you back and I'm sure David would love to see you." Jordana blinked hoping to blink the tears away. Now, she just really wanted a hug.

[ladyamber]

Amber tried not to fidget but found herself shifting her weight from foot to foot and wringing her hands unconsciously. She listened to what Remy said about rebuilding and thought how sad it was that he felt the need to keep to himself. That was part of what she remembered loving about living here in Dallas. She had all kinds of shifters visiting her shop and magic users, even the occasional vampire. It had been why she had stayed open after dark. She remembered Dallas had groups but they interacted and were a community. She frowned a little thinking over the changes that were revealed in their conversation.

Amber could see the pain flair on Jordana’s face and in her aura. She instinctively stepped forward and hugged her. “I am so sorry I was not here for you Jordana. It is selfish of me to think I was the only one who suffered. I know that is not true.” She hugged Jordana tightly and rocked her slightly back and forth. Amber didn’t know Remy that well, but she knew shifters liked touch. It was reassuring to them, and they needed it. She suspected Remy was in need of a hug too. She opened up her hug and offered to let Remy join them. “No one should have to go through life alone to be safer. If I have learned anything with what I have been through, alone doesn’t necessarily mean safer.” Amber’s voice quivered as she asked softly in Jordana’s ear. “Do you really think David will be happy to see me?” She sounded very unsure and afraid.

[Remy LeBeau]

Taken aback, Remy hesitated but then gave in gingerly wrapping both women into his long arms. Rubbing his chin on top of Jordana's head scent marking in human shape. Smiling at Amber as well, "Thank you chere I know it's probably hard fo ya but still you offering comfort to us."

He knew alone was probably nowhere near safe but he had a hard time thinking anyone he had gotten to know and care for might suddenly not exist. He gave them both one more squeeze and then backed off. " so which one here you think ol Remy should take for his space hmm? I don't know much bout what the kids these days call esthetic"

[Jordana Dane]

Jordana started to purr in the hug with Amber and when she felt Remy scent marking her, she purred a little louder. She loved the pack because they were her first protectors but Remy was her Nimir-Raj. Being around him felt right. She closed her eyes taking in the scent of them both and hopefully holding back her tears. Amber was right, being alone wasn't any safer, and it certainly didn't feel safe. She heard Amber's question in her ear. She answered without opening her eyes.

"David would love to see you." She paused thinking how much to tell her. "The pack has lost a lot. David's hurting too."

Jordana felt Remy give them another squeeze then step away. It had felt so good being surrounded by him and Amber. She slowly untangled herself from Amber but continued to hold Amber's hands. She glanced back at Remy.

"Where did you say you were going to put this piece of art?"

[ladyamber]

Amber was nervous at first that she had pushed Remy a little too far out of his personal comfort zone. Amber felt the comforting warmth of their overlapping auras as Remy joined their little huddle. She allowed herself to relax and accept their comfort. Remy’s smile helped her feel reassured that she had not offended him. His heavily accented words touched her heart. Amber enjoyed the moment and released Jordana as she pulled back.

Jordana’s words about David and the pack suffering were like a dagger to her heart. She had truly felt that her leaving would help protect them. She knew that many hate groups had continued to find, follow, and attack her. How naïve she was to think that she could protect them from the haters of the world. The truth was that people were afraid of what they didn’t understand. Shifters were powerful with the ability to cause massive destruction and loss of life. They were not without weakness and could be killed and hurt just like others. Shifters could contribute a great deal to society if they were just treated fairly. She hardened her resolve to reach out to David. She needed to talk to him and see how she could help him.

She gave Jordana a smile as she squeezed her hands gratefully and reclaimed one of her hands so she could turn to face Remy as he asked for their help in choosing some art. She nodded at Jordana’s practical question about where he planned to put the art. “Jordana makes a great point. Are you looking for something to put on the wall, a sculpture to display on an end table?” Amber gestured to paintings by other local artists hanging on the walls, smaller sculptures from ceramic, wood, metal, and glass. She pointed to the last stained glass piece she had left hanging in front of a window. It was a large oval piece that hung in a heavy oak frame that depicted a wolf drinking from a stream with wildflowers behind them at the base of a tree. “What do you like? You should never buy art because it matches the color of your couch. You should buy art because it speaks to something in your soul.”

[Remy LeBeau]

Remy was glad to see Amber was losing some of her fear of them. " aww prolly more paintins than sculptures they going on the walls of my workspace and some out in the showroom for my pieces. Nothing too flashy but enhancing to wire-wrapped natural precious stones."

He liked things that looked like things landscapes, and portraitures, never one for modern art as it was, and said as much. "not too much for them dots and swoops but actual pictures are more my thing. I like the idea of animals hidden on the walls like a representative of the groups here. like the stained glass would look amazin in the front window"

He had more money than he could spend in a few lifetimes so this would be a hefty sale for the shop.

[Jordana Dane]

Jordana turned with Amber to listen to Remy's wants. She'd never been to his workspace. She needed to go sometime. She smiled as she listened to him explain what he wanted.

"Stained glass is very beautiful. I also like the idea of hidden animals representing the groups of the city." She didn't move away from Amber because she didn't want Amber to feel abandoned. She hoped Amber's next move would be a visit to David and Lucinda. Jordana turned back to Amber.

"David had all of these paintings in storage because he wasn't sure what you might have wanted to keep or sell. After the Humans First attack, he said he wanted to see something beautiful so he had these brought back to the store."

Jordana agreed with David that they were all beautiful. She'd always liked Amber's art. She liked art in general and Bane had taken her to the art museum a handful of times and she had actually enjoyed it.