[IC] That sure is a big dog you have there !

[BeautifulSnow]

Vanessa was a bit surprised when she saw them all walking in. ''Wow.. I never had so much people at once in my shop'' she said with a smile. She then waited for Gabriel to finish speaking and she leaned against her working table pretty relaxed. ''Guys, don't worry.. If I even wanted to hurt him, I could have done that this morning'' she said. ''But I am not the type that hurts people just to show that I am the boss or something'' she said. When Gabriel said he wanted to speak with her alone she nodded. ''That's good'' she said.

She then walked up to a fridge but not the kind for your grocery's. When she opened they would be able to smell all kinds of flowers. She got out a few flowers and laid them on the table. ''Now I see in your style of clothes that your not the girly-girl type but, if you wanna give it a try.. Here are some flowers, a pot and some floral foam. The floral foam is soaked already.. Green to fill you can find in the corner of the cooler and further more.. do what you feel like'' she said and then walked to the shop where she sat down behind the counter. ''Gabriel, we can talk here, then they can still keep an eye on you'' she said.

[Chenzor]

Gabriel nodded at Conrad and Robyn, who shrugged and attempted to look productive. Conrad kept away from sight mostly (seeing as hobos might disattract customers) and Robyn grimaced at the thing she had no idea what it was that Vanessa had given her. Gabriel went with Vanessa behind the counter.
"You probably saved my life last night. Or this morning. Or whenever the hell it was." he said, a bit confused, waving his hand in the air as if not really caring when it was. He looked a bit weary, obviously still in a bit of pain and fatigue. "And I want to thank you for that. Truly, it was an act of kindness I've rarely seen in a human- I mean another human being." that last sentence sounded a bit awkward, as if the word 'human' was different to him.
He looked at her for a moment. Why is she so familiar? he asked himself over and over, trying to get a read on her face, her personality. He felt like he had met her before, but every time his mind comes closer to remembering, he feels a sharp sting of pain in his chest - as if shame manifested itself physically in him. It stopped him from remembering.
He decided to be blunt.
"Do you know me, Vanessa?" he asked after a moment of uncomfortable staring. His face looked stern, crooked in a frown. It was a very serious facial expression. The question was a simple one, but with so many hidden uninterpreted meanings behind it. Gabriel expected Vanessa to be caught off-guard by the question, or perhaps become uncomfortable. But then again, she is such a light-mooded person that she might be just as blunt herself.
This talk could get interesting.

[BeautifulSnow]

Vanessa smiled some and listened to Gabriel, when he stopped talking and looked at her, she decided to take over and reply on his thank you. ''Really.. A thank you is enough.. You don't have to do anything for me.. I like to help and it might sound weird and crazy but I will always help when needed'' she said. The 'human' thingy made her think, was he not human? What was he then? A alien? She shook her head slowly and laid her hand on his. ''Listen Gabriel...'' she said but stopped her sentence as he asked her bluntly if she knew him. ''Ehm.. I met you yesterday.. So knowing you is not the right word.. But I think that you mean that weird feeling that, so it seems we both have.. I really think that we met before.. But.. in a different way'' she said. ''Not that I think that you ever snapped away my purse or something.. I never really am a purse person anyways'' she said. She laid her hand on her shoulder, her right shoulder where the scar of a wolf attack was and rolled it around.

Robyn looked at the flowers and smelled them, she listened to what Gabriel and Vanessa were talking about. ''Hey Con.. I think you know more about these things than I do'' she said and shove the stuff towards Conrad. ''Have fun buddy'' she said. Vanessa heard a shoving sound and got up, the vest she wore hung below her shoulders and when she turned around, Gabriel could see a little part of the scar on her right shoulder.

[Chenzor]

When Vanessa stood up, and Gabriel caught sight of her scar, he stiffened up. Suddenly, her scent became all too familiar to him. He rose up from where they had been seated and rapidly walked towards the exit, without a word. He motioned for Robyn and Conrad to follow him out. Both were confused and shocked at the sudden leave, and at his pale, grim expression. He stopped at the door. "I'm sorry, Vanessa." he said and left.

"What's going on, Gabe? Why are we leaving? What's the hurry? Hey!" the others asked him as he stormed off. He was sweating, and was heading back to their territory. He didn't say a word the entire way there, but once they had arrived, he just sat down at their "home", in his usual corner, and stared emptily. The others knew not what tod o.

[BeautifulSnow]

Vanessa was shocked when he suddenly left. What happened in that second when she got up? She looked around, it couldn't be anything around in the shop she guessed. She sighed. What could she do? She walked to the back of the shop and there she saw that there was made a small start on a new flower arrangement, she decided to finish that of and then maybe called it the day.

Once Vanessa was done with the new flower arrangement, she put it in a pot and placed it in her store. Right behind the window. The money for that one would go to Gabriel... While working she hadn't thought of him but now she kinda mentioned him to herself, she felt weird. She wanted.. No, she Needed to find out why he had left. She took her coat but right at the moment that she wanted to take her keys and walk for the door, a few costumers walked in and started to roam around the store. This she couldn't tell them to leave, they would never come back. So she took of her coat and started on helping her costumers.

- Evening time -

It had felt like after those first costumers it had been like everybody knew again that she was there with her flower shop. It hadn't taken long before Vanessa almost had to call up her one employee for some extra hours but she had been able to handle it. Now it was 5:30 PM and she could finally call it a day and lock up.

After she did clean and lock her store, she started on her walk home. It was already getting dark and she didn't know what to do or where to look for Gabriel or his friends. She started on walking towards her home, after all it had been around there that she first had met Gabriel. ''Gabriel?'' Vanessa called as she now looked around. ''Gabriel.. Please.. Tell me where you are'' She now said and she sounded pretty sad.

[Chenzor]

"What did she do, Gabe? Did she hurt you? Should we go back and give her a mopping?" said Robyn, her usual badass-ness adorned with some concern. Gabe was sitting by the fire in the barrel that the gang had set up in the middle of their little camp. They lived in the slums, and in a downtrodden backalley they had set up shop. It wasn't much, but it was theirs. They oversaw their territory from here. It was their seat of power, so to speak.
"Don't be ridiculous, Robyn." said Conrad. "We don't hurt young girls." Robyn gave him a sharp glance. "If she hurt Gabe, we do!" she persisted. Jaze finally put his hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "You haven't spoken since we left the flowershop. You haven't eaten. You haven't done anything. Are your wounds bothering you, or is it something else?" he spoke gently. Jaze was a gentle man who could manage to get through to almost anyone. Gabriel finally broke the silence. "I was young when I was turned." he said, a sentence that froze the entire camp to the core. Gabriel had never spoken about his origins before. Everyone exchange worried glances. "Sometimes I wonder how I could be your leader... After the things I've done." Gabriel continued.
The others stood silently, frozen in place. "W-what do you mean?" said Thomas, the youngest of the group. "What do you mean the things you've done?"
Gabriel gave him a stale look at first, but it softened into a tiny smile. "I was young when I was turned. I don't know if all wolves know this through some sort of instinctual understanding or if this is a shock to you, but if you're turned before your teenages, the result is often violent."
Conrad and Jaze nodded, concerned look on their faces. The others didn't know what this meant. "I... I didn't know this." said Thomas. "I was ten. It's a blurry memory. An infectous bite, a ferocious, giant white wolf... A girl..." Gabriel said, lingering on the last words, a whisper.
"Bloodthirst manifested itself when I hit puberty. My transformation was out of control. I killed anything in sight, mostly animals." he continued. Robyn and Thomas listened and looked on, shocked at what they were hearing. Conrad and Jaze listened too, with stern faces. They knew, somehow. Perhaps it was an age-thing, Thomas thought.
"The woods were mostly empty... Except for one family nearby. My rampage took me closer to their home... I remember the scent."
Suddenly, Conrad widened his eyes, as if he understood. Jaze looked at him, deepening his brows as he didn't understand what this meant.
Suddenly Gabriel rose from his seat, and stormed off. "Do not follow me. Wait for me here." he said to them, and began to run. His wounds had mostly healed after the hours since the flowershop, and dusk had begun to take the city and the sky. The clouds were dark, almost merging with the setting sun. Within a few hours, it would be very dark out.

Gabriel stopped at the place where he first saw Vanessa. The edge of his territory. He used the fire-escape of a nearby building to climb up to the roof, to overlook the city. After a moment, he heard a voice. "Gabriel?" the voice called. "Gabriel.. Please.. Tell me where you are." It was Vanessa. Gabriel winced at the sight of her, the memory. He wasn't completely sure, but the scent was unforgetable.
He dropped down from the fire-escape and landed in front of Vanessa with an athletic thud. An agile landing.
He looked at her, and before she could speak he said to her, softly, "Vanessa... I must ask you again. Do you know me?"

[BeautifulSnow]

Vanessa was a little shocked to see him land in front of her and she looked up at the sky. ''Where did you..?'' she asked after he had asked her his question. She looked him in the eyes and took a step forward, she took his hands in hers. ''Yes... Or... No... I don't know for sure.. But I keep having this weird feeling, like that I should know you.. It kinda feels like I wanna remember you but I actually don't know you..'' she said. ''It's weird.. But please.. Let me help you.. You and your friends.. I have a place where you guys are safe from those other guys'' she said.

She knew that it was weird to actually invite him, a total stranger, and his friends, more strangers, to the house of her parents. But she felt like she could help him, like she had to help him. ''I keep having the feeling I just explained to you.. But.. If you don't want a thing to do with me then, please say so'' she said and let go of his hands.

[Chenzor]

Gabriel stood still as he listened to Vanessa speak. Just as I thought. he thought to himself. She feels the same thing.
"It's not that I don't want a thing to do with you, it's just... I feel like I'm endangering you if we get too close." he said, and turned around as she let go of his hand. Just like back then. he added to himself in his mind. He stood quiet for a moment before continuing.
"I feel the same thing. I feel like I know you. Like I've met you before, long ago. Like there's a ... Connection."
Of course, he knew more than he told her, but he wasn't ready to tell her their big secret yet.

"Tell me, what is this help you want to offer us? We are homeless, a family without anything but each other. What could you - a young girl working at a flower shop - possibly offer us?" he asked her, sceptical at first but realizing afterwards that he might have come off as rude. "I... Mean no offence, of course, I just..." he stuttered, unsure of how to save the situation. It had been a long time since anyone rendered him speachless. "What I mean is, we are a bunch of hobos. Why would anyone want to help us? Why could you possibly want to help complete strangers? There's some sort of connection between you and me, but... Why?"
He was genuinely concerned about her.

[BeautifulSnow]

''I want to help you because of that connection and you would never abandon your friends, I know it in how you take care for them and they for you'' Vanessa said. ''And.. I am not just working at that flower shop.. I own it.. It's mine.. And.. I also own a house in the forest a half day driving away from here.. It belonged to my parents but... They died a long time ago... I am 22 years old btw'' Vanessa said with a smile. ''And.. Around the house there is a 3 miles ground that is also ours'' she said.

She saw that he was about to leave and she grabbed him by his shoulder. ''Don't leave.. Please..'' she said. ''Or.. get your friends.. It might be a little tight but you guys can come sleep in my apartment'' she said. ''A big.. sleep over?'' she said with a smile. ''Weatherman said it's gonna rain... If I leave now without you and your friends.. I'll be back here in thirty minutes with everything I can find to help you guys'' she said. ''I wanna do something good..'' she said.

[Chenzor]

Gabriel turned to her and smiled finally. He had heard all he needed to, and he felt more at ease. "You truly are a strange person." he said, teasing her slightly before adding, "But a very kind one. Thank you."
He took hold of her hand briefly. When she mentioned him bringing his friends and having a big "sleep-over" at her tiny apartment, he laughed. His mood had completely changed for the better. "We're five hobos who haven't showered for days. I'm pretty sure you don't want us in your apartment, miss 'i-own-a-flowershop'." he said and grinned at her.

"It's alright. We've lived in the street for years, we can manage one more day." Gabriel said. Vanessa responded with "Weatherman said it's gonna rain... If I leave now without you and your friends.. I'll be back here in thirty minutes with everything I can find to help you guys. I wanna do something good..." and Gabriel couldn't help but smile. She was almost too kind for her own good. "It's alright, we've built our own makeshift roof. We'll be fine as long as we stay back at camp. Really, you don't -have- to help you know."

[BeautifulSnow]

''But I want too'' Vanessa said with a smile. ''I have a good working shower.. You guys could take one, not because I think you are smelling weird but more to warm up.. Get a better feeling.. And I still have clothes from my older brother, and my father so you could put those on after it and the girl can wear something of me.. You could sleep well without having to stay alert'' she said. ''But.. I can not force you.. Just.. Think about it, give it a shot and well... maybe vote.. I don't know how you guys do that..'' she said.

''I'll leave my front door unlocked.. Tomorrow I am gonna search for you again and then you are all coming to see that other place.. Or.. I hope you all will join'' she said. ''And stop calling yourself or your friends Hobo's... You guys aren't hobo's..'' she said. Then she put her hand in her pocket and took out twenty dollar. ''That man that was with you.. He is good with flowers.. I finished his flower piece and this is what someone paid for it, I want you guys to have it'' she said.

[Chenzor]

Gabriel stared at her in awe. She truly did care. He wasn't sure if he was more surprised that Conrad had made some flower arrangement that was actually decent or the fact that she is giving him 20 dollars. "Alright fine, we aren't hobos." he said finally, smiling. "And... I'll ask the others about tomorrow. If they think it's a good idea, we'll accompany you to that big house of yours. For now though, we will manage the night. Oh and..." he accepted the 20-dollar bill from her. "I'm sure Conrad will be overjoyed to hear he just made 20 bucks. He'll probably share with the entire group, but still." he smiled at her. "Thank you, Vanessa. Truly."
He wasn't sure if he should hug her goodbye or if he should just let that be it and leave, and so he stood in awkward silence for a moment. It was a rather simple farewell since they would meet tomorrow but... Why couldn't he move?

[BeautifulSnow]

Vanessa smiled and gave Gabriel a hug, it actually was something that just happened. And when she let go of him again she looked at him. ''I- I am sorry..'' she said, her face turning reddish and she looked down at the ground. ''Well.. I hope you guys can fix it.. You know where my apartment is and, small or not.. My door will be unlocked'' she said. She now looked at him again. ''I will be waiting at the end of the back streets for you... Probably around an hour or... 10 am'' she said. ''Then you guys have enough time to sleep and rest some'' she said.

[Chenzor]

Gabriel wasn't ready for the hug, and sort of awkwardly accepted it. When she was finished, Gabriel could tell she was embarassed, as was evident in her red cheeks. Gabriel snickered to himself. "Don't apologize. It's alright. I might just... Not smell very nice. You should probably take a shower now." he grinned at her, sort of teasing about the showering part.
"Alright... Take care, Vanessa. I'll be here at 10 tomorrow, wether the others say yes or no." he says, smiling.
He then left, and took a walk around his territory. He could feel the stench of the Up-town pack around his territory. They were closing in, and he didn't like it.

Getting back home, he called for a meeting. The others were nervous at first, but they soon noticed Gabriel was in a good mood. They joked about him seeing Vanessa, but he gave them a look and they'd lay off.
He told them about her offer, and gave Conrad his 20 bucks, which he of course wanted to share with everyone and was overjoyed about. After a few minutes of debate, the group agrees to travel to Vanessa's old house. Some were sceptic, but nobody saw a reason to doubt Vanessa after she had saved Gabriel and patched him up.

-

They slept well that night. All except Gabriel. He couldn't escape the smell of the Up-town pack running aroudn his territory. His dreams reminded him of Vanessa, and his past. Could the girl from back then be Vanessa? It didn't bother him as much as it did earlier, but... Her scar... He remembered where he hurt the girl from his past, how he had slashed her chest. It was too similar. Her scent was almost the same. It was... Strange.
He got up in the night, without waking the others. He made his way to the edge of his territory again, patrolling or some such thing he told himself. Eventually, he arrived at Vanessa's apartment building. It was late at night, probably 1 or 2 am... He didn't have a watch.

He remember her mentioning she was keeping her door unlocked, and he suddenly realized his folly. She can't keep the door unlocked, the up-town pack was probably onto her! That's why their scents was all over his territory - they were trying to throw him off while they got to her!
He ran carefully across the street, making certain nobody followed him. He makes it into the apartment building and up to where he remembered her apartment was. He froze. It was dead silent everywhere. He couldn't smell the up-town pack here. They hadn't found her yet. But what if they had found him? They might've followed him here. They could be anywhere.
He was suddenly nervous.
He put his hand on Vanessa's door handle and opened it slowly. Once standing in the hallway, he closed the door silently. He stood in the dark.
Looking around, he found a small tablelamp, lit it and sat down. If Vanessa had heard him enter, she could come and call him out on it. If not, he would wait here to keep her safe from the up-town pack through the night. He wouldn't wake her... Although he kind of hoped she had awoke.

He sat down, and waited. Ears perked, nose ready for any others in the area...

[BeautifulSnow]

After her talk with Gabriel, Vanessa went home, made something to eat and then got herself settled on her small couch with a cup of tea and a dvd. It was some movie she had seen already too many times but it was the only one she had here. Yet she didn't mind it, she liked the movie even after watching it a hundred times.

Once it had ended, Vanessa had drunk three cups of tea and she got up to make herself ready for bed. She hit the sheets and closed her eyes yet couldn't sleep at first. Something told her that she wasn't alone. She looked on her clock and it was 11 PM. She listened to the rain falling and felt how she slowly started to fall asleep.

Vanessa was a sleep when Gabriel walked into her apartment, yet tonight she slept light and when he closed the door and lit up her table lamp. She sat up. ''Gabriel?'' she asked. She was wearing a proper pajama so she got out of bed, took the blanket with her against the cold and opened her bedroom door. There he sat. ''Gabriel'' she said and smiled. She walked into the room. ''Where are the others?'' she asked and sat down next to him. ''Oh well.. I don't mind it.'' she then said and offered him some of her blanket.

[Chenzor]

"Oh, you're awake. Sorry I woke you." Gabriel said, suddenly a bit embarassed he had just barged in. "I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk around and realized those people who had harassed you and beat me up might get to you if you left your door unlocked tonight... So, here I am. Sorry if I'm being creepy."
He declined her blanket however. Partially because he wouldn't want to make a lady feel less dressed (pyjamas or not) and partially because he wasn't super clean so he wouldn't want to make her blanket dirty. "Oh, don't mind me, keep the blanket. I wouldn't want to make your blankets all dirty. Being a hobo and all." he said with a joking smile at the end. "The rest of my squad is back at the camp. I didn't want to wake them up either."

He had taken his jacket off and hung it over the chair he was sitting on. Other than that he was wearing a t-shirt with a ragged jacket over it. Pair that with some dirty ol' chinos and you got yourself a Gabriel. The only thing that was recently new on him was his socks. He had acquired a pack of nice socks from some volunteer workers at a homeless shelter.
"If you want to go back to sleep I wont keep you up. I hope you don't mind I'm ... Creepin' around."

[BeautifulSnow]

''Gabriel.. Stop worrying about you making me, my house or my items in it dirty.. I do not care about it'' Vanessa said. ''So take the blanket, I have another one and I do not want you to get cold or sick'' she said and now placed the blanket over him. ''Oh, and you are most welcome to stay here.. You are such a nice guy'' she said with a smile as she looked at him. She was still standing in front of him as she suddenly heard someone knock on the door.

''Gabriel?'' a female voice said. It was Robyn. ''Gabriel, are you here?'' she asked. ''Door is open!'' Vanessa said and Robyn walked in. ''Oh good.. We were afraid that you were attacked or something'' the girl said. ''He is fine.. Don't worry'' Vanessa said. ''I am not that good of trust Miss'' Robyn said. ''I understand.. I am gonna make some tea.. Feel free to call out for the others too'' Vanessa said as she filled a kettle with water and putted it on the gas.

[Chenzor]

Gabriel was about to respond to Vanessa about the blanket and mentioning he's a nice guy... Though he was surprised to see Robyn was up and had followed him here. Maybe she had caught his scent. "Robyn, I'm fine." he says, with a hint of a smile. "Couldn't sleep, is all. Took a walk around and got worried the Up-Town pack might've found out where Vanessa lives. You know what they do to get to me sometimes..."
The two talked a bit while Vanessa was in the kitchen making some tea. Gabriel wasn't really much for tea but he didn't want to be impolite. "Wait, who makes tea in the middle of the night anyway?" Gabriel said jokingly to Robyn, teasing Vanessa from the other room.

-

"Robyn, you should go back to sleep. We'll be travelling tomorrow. I'll stay here." Gabriel said while the trio was enjoying their tea. Knowing her, he realized she was going to protest. Before she opened her mouth, Gabriel continued. "I need the pack to be gathered for tomorrow. I'm staying here to make sure the Up-Town pack bastards don't show up."
He awaited her response.

[BeautifulSnow]

Robyn looked at Vanessa as she was sipping from her tea and then at Gabriel. ''I don't know Gab.. I prefer to stay here.. Plus, they are also searching for you on every known hiding spot.. Once they were done with that, they will come here too'' She said. ''Or do you think that if someone wakes up and don't see you on your spot, we just go back to sleep after last time?'' the young girl asked with a raised eyes brow. She then took a sip from her tea and at that moment someone knocked on the door.

Vanessa got up, she walked to the door but before openeing she looked at Gabriel. ''Who is there?'' she first asked and saw how releaved he looked when Conrad said: ''It's us.. Is Gabriel here?''. Vanessa opened the door and smiled. ''Good evening guys, come in'' she said and more she didn't have to say. The guys walked into the apartment and looked, a little worried, at Gabriel. ''Did those dogs attack you again?'' one of them asked, Vanessa didn't know who it exactly was but she closed the door and now locked it. ''Hey, unlock that'' Robyn said. ''I didn't lock it to keep you guys inside.. I lock it because Gabriel wants me too, he was scared that some guys called the 'Up Town' pack will attack me..'' Vanessa said and walked to the kitchen, she got some extra cups. ''I don't know if I have enough tea for all of you but please, accepts the cups? I would like to see you all warm.. The way you guys deserve to live'' she said and gave them all a cup, half filled with tea. ''I'll make some more tea'' she said and walked back to the kitchen. She looked behind herself and smiled. ''Ehm... Take a seat somewhere.. If I am right, I have enough seats for all of us'' she said.

[Chenzor]

The entire pack was seated in Vanessa's small apartment, in the livingroom. It was... Awkward. They were all used to the open sky and the chilly, but familiar, streets outside. They looked around, having long forgotten or perhaps never even known that people actually own things. It was cozy inside. Gabriel suddenly felt very guilty for having left without saying again. Jaze caught Gabriel's eyes and smiled. He understood. Gabriel realized they all did. They all understood him, and he understood them. They were a family, after all.
"Well not the Up-Town Pack definitely know we're here." Gabriel said. Conrad snickered in response. "They're dumb but you're right. No way they'd not catch our scent now that we've all travelled here in a group." he said, but quickly realized he had spoken out loud, with Vanessa in hearing range. "And by scent I mean smell. I haven't showered in weeks." he said, attempting to salvage the situation. Gabriel gave him a swift glance, and the pack fell into an awkward silence again.

"You guys had tea before?" Gabriel said suddenly to break the ice. Vanessa had made them all tea but smoe hadn't even tasted it yet. Conrad nodded, Jaze nodded, Robyn and Thomas shook their heads. Thomas spoke up for the first time in a long while. "Tea is an old lady's drink." he said and sniffed his cup, sceptical to it's contents. Conrad gave him a nudge. "That's rude. I happen to like tea, you're not calling me an old lady are you?" he said. Thomas grinned back at him. "Nah but maybe an old geezer." he retorted, finding himself quite humorous. "Watch it, kiddo." Conrad returned with a grin of his own.
Jaze shook his head and smiled. "Don't bite each others necks off." he said, to which Thomas and Conrad both responded with a snicker or a "hmpf". The atmosphere was lightening up in the room.
Gabriel looked at Vanessa. "Say, you pay rent, right? Is hot water included or does the landlord fix that?" he asked, curious. Ever since Vanessa had mentioned a shower Gabriel had been dying for some hot water. The entire pack probably was, but they could wait until the morning, when they were going to this other house Vanessa had talked about. They found Gabriel's impatience funny. Maybe he was getting attached to this girl, they thought.