Mouse
Mouse ran a hand through her dripping wet hair, noting that the red went on a lot brighter when she'd bleached it before hand. She needed to be on the move again, see new people, and know she wasn't gonna walk down the street to find a bullet whining past her head. Nyx had offered, and she was going. Running. Going to find a place where she could curl up and rest. Tay was hurt himself and she needed to rest up and lick her wounds until they healed. She had a bag packed with a few things, much like when she was on the streets. Couple of changes of clothes, CDs, books, pack of smokes, her knife and Sidhe's collar. She hefted the bag over her shoulder and headed out. Nevyn curled around her neck and Fafnir running along at her side, she could almost make believe this was the only thing she'd ever done. Falling back into familair patterns she settled on a ground eating lope as she headed towards the Hansons house. Say good bye, and then run for it. Just for a bit. She'd come back but she needed to be on the move again. She faded in through their door and then headed up to Taylor's room, hoping to avoid many confrontations.
Avery
Avery stepped out of her room and saw Mouse.
"Hey Mousey, whatcha doing?"
MOuse
"Hey Avery." How did you explain stuff like this to a kid? Mouse smiled slightly at Avery. "I'm leaving, just for a bit, cherie. Nyx invited me up to the mansion, and I...I need to go. Need to get away." She ran her fingers through her still slightly damp hair. "Like my new hair colour?" She shook it like a dog, droplets spraying out from the fire red strands.
Avery
Avery nodded, tempted to search inside Mouse's mind for the answers she wasn't getting, but decided against it.
"Oh... well... you will be coming back, right?"
Mouse
"Course. How could you think otherwise?" Mouse tilted her head to the side, rapidly slipping into the streetwise persona that had kept her safe for years, a faint trace of Creole accent flavouring her voice. "It's the wanderlust. Comes on me, and I just...need to get out and away. Watch the road disappear behind me. Tu comprends? But I will be back."
Avery
Avery nodded. She hugged her briefly then went back into her room.
"Have fun then... I'll miss you. Bye."
MOuse
Mouse sighed, and then did what she knew would be the hardest. She knocked on Taylor's door. "Tay? I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"
Jessica
Jessi put her hand on Mouse's shoulder before she went into Tay's room. "If you're going to the mansion, would you mind terribly if I came along? I could use a change of scenery, and some of my closest friends are there."
Mouse
"You couldn't handle the way I travel, Jessi." Mouse put her hand on Jessi's. "I can probably get Nyx to come and get you or something when I get there though. Sound alright to you, cherie?"
Jessica
"Or I could hitchhike, bum rides. Mouse, I've run away before. I used to leave all the time, just go away for a week or two. You came in the middle, Mouse, Mom and I have been apart for a long time. But if you were willing to wait a day, we're all going tomorrow, for the wedding," Jess said. "We're flying. You can come with us, if you like, and then stay."
Mouse
"Jessi. Listen to me. I need to get away. Leave me time to heal, ok?" Mouse turned and took Jessi's face in her hands. "I love you all. But I need me some alone time. I'm not *used* to people. You're all crowding me. I *want* to travel alone. I'll see you when you get there. Ok, cherie?"
Jessica
"Okay." Jess said, and satormed into her room. She grabbed a cigarette and went outside. Suddenly, she felt like she was falling. SHe took deep breaths, and tried to steady herself, but all she wanted to do was cut. The tears began to pour down her face.
"I can't do it, I can't do it." She was trying so hard, but she needed the pain.
Mouse
"Merde," Mouse cursed and then wheeled on her heel and headed after Jessi. She didn't mean to hurt the girl, and this was exactly the sort of scene she'd wanted to avoid. She'd havta talk to Tay later. "Jessi? Don't go there." She faded through the wall to stand next to Jessi. "I'm not abandoning you, ok? I'm a person as well, you know. I have my own hurts to deal with. Don't cut. You hear me? You don't need that. You never needed that." She put her hands on Jessi's shoulders. "Why do you do this to yourself when someone else has already done it to you?"
Jessica
"It's all I deserve. It's all I'll ever deserve. Mouse, I may not travel with you, but I'm leaving. Today. I can't stand it. I'll get Adam, and we'll just go. Maybe to the mansion. I miss Rachel so much it hurts. She was my best friend. And Dawn's there, and, well, I can't take it anymore, Mouse." Jessi said, tears on her face.
Mouse
"Do I deserve it? Did Tay deserve to come in and see me spin the gun and the blood cos I'd been playing my game?" Mouse shook her slightly. "You don't have a wolf to gaurd your back. You wait. You come up with your family. You have a shot at a normal life. Don't screw it up."
Jessica
"Mouse, I can't do this right now," she said, and she bolted, and went straight to Adam's house.
Mouse
Mouse cursed long and steadily before going back inside. She still hadn't managed to talk to Taylor, and she needed to. She wasn't gonna leave without at least a goodbye kiss. He didn't deserve it. She knocked on his door again, wondering slighly why he hadn't come out before. "Tay? Need t' talk, cher." Flav?
Yes, mousey?
Can you make Tay get up and answer the door?
Suresure!
Taylor
Taylor had just had another of those headaches just minutes earlier, and hadn't heard her first knock.
Problems with his memory included short term... including remembering to take his medication every twelve hours.
"Wait a second," he said, hearing the knock, before hearing Flavian talking.
"Mouse?" he asked himself, getting up to answer the door.
"Jane!" he exclaimed, pulling her in for a hug.
Mouse
"Ouiai, moi." She wrapped her arms around him, and then sighed as the bag thumped against his shoulder. "I'm running for a couple of days. But I *am* coming back. Going up to th' mansion. Nyx invited me, et je suis tres fatigee, cher. I need a rest. Je t'aime. Don' doubt that." She traced the side of his face with a finger. "And you need to tell your maman that Jessi took off. She wants to follow me. I told her non, but I tink she still come."
Taylor
Taylor gulped a little, registering what she'd said.
"Merci pas simplement du décollage, mais de venir pour me dire d'abord," he said, hugging her again, this time closing his eyes.
He pulled back and kissed her forehead softly.
"Je m'ennuierai de vous aime fou, mais je vous connais puits moyen. Je sais que vous devez partir."
He sniffed a little, trying not to let her feel his sorrow.
"Je t'aime aussi. Rappelez-vous toujours cela. Si vous avez besoin de n'importe quoi, quelque chose du tout, appelez-moi. Envoyez le mot dehors. Je l'obtiendrai."
Mouse
"Oui, je sais." She hid her face against his chest and tried hard not to cry. She *needed* to leave, felt it like a deep ache in her bones, but oh, how she wanted to stay. "Merci ainsi de la compréhension. Pas beaucoup comprendraient. Je dois aller, mais je retournerai. Je reviendrai toujours. Vous êtes mon coeur. Vous êtes mon Paquet. If I need any'ting, I will send word, oui? Vraiment. And how could I leave without saying goodbye? I couldn't."
Taylor
"And no one's more grateful than I am," Taylor whispered, putting a hand over her head then resting his chin on it.
He glanced over at the fuzzles.
"We'll look after Dorian for you," he smiled, "but when can you... how soon will you be back?"
He hoped she didn't notice his voice crack a little.
Mouse
"Week at most, few days most like. I just...never stayed so still before. Never stayed so long in one place. I always move, ya know?" Mouse looked up, begging him to understand. "But now I have something to come back to, that makes it different. But the wanderlust is so strong...I need to go and get my head together. But I'll come back, I promise."
Taylor
Taylor just nodded.
"I do understand, and I know you can tell I do. But I know you can also tell I don't want to lose you. I'm just afraid of the temptation to leave forever."
He gulped a little and looked away.
"We'll be touring by the end of the year," he turned back to her, "will you join us then?"
Mouse
"Let me tell you something, cher...the temptation of the road is strong. But you are a bigger hold on me then that. You've only given me good, and the road's given me a lot of bad. I'll join you when you tour." She moved up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "You ever need me, you let me know. I'll come running, you know that."
Taylor
"If I could, I'd never let you go. Or I'd go with you. But I know you need space. You need to get away."
He ran his fingers down her face, then leant down to give her a longer kiss.
"Have fun," he grinned.
Mouse
"With Nyx and Sabre? You think I won't?" She laughed lightly, glad he was letting her go. "Come next time. I just really hope Jessi doesn't follow me. I think she went to Adam's...tell your mom when I go. I've had enough confrontation tonight with Jessi. Je t'aime, mon couer." She kissed him one more time, fixing his scent in her nostrils. "Au revoir, m'amour." She turned to go. "I'll come back."
Taylor
"I know you will," Taylor leant against the doorway, watching after her.
"Call me. As soon as you get there."
Mouse
"Oui. I will, cher, I will. Wouldn't want yo' t' worry none." She raised her hands to her lips and blew him a kiss over her shoulder. "Call ya when I get there, if nothin' untoward happen." She headed out into the night, Fafnir by her side. The walking soothed her soul. Free!