Yo, guys, what up? Got a new idea I'm throwing your way, let me know what you think of it!

Read on!

"Hey, watch where you're going!" The stranger snarled as he brushed rudely past the hooded woman, his umbrella shaking indignantly with him as he walked away. She didn't say anything, just clutched her pack closer to her chest, but her fingers twitched as she walked away and her lips curled up into a smirk when she heard him yelp a few seconds later as a strong gust of wind tore his umbrella out of his hands.

She walked with her head down to ward off the cold October rain, nimbly sidestepping puddles and pedestrians alike as everyone scrambled to get out of the cold downpour. She stepped beneath a covered stoop and pulled the hood off her head, baring riotous curls that were nearly black in the murky late afternoon light. Intelligent brown eyes scanned the door, skipping over peeling paint and dirty glass before alighting on a small divot next to the keyhole. She set the pack at her feet and pulled a switchblade out of her pocket, biting her lip as she poked the end of her thumb and pressed the bloody imprint into the divot. The sound of bolts sliding out of place announced her arrival and she sucked on the red smear on her thumb as she walked inside with her bag in her other hand.

She dumped the rucksack on the floor beside the counter and pulled the leather jacket off her shoulders, draping it over a chair next to a radiator. Shaking her hair out and scratching at the nape of her neck, she jumped when something alighted on her hip and leapt onto her shoulder.

"Christ!"

"You're back."

"Yes, was it necessary to give me a goddamn coronary?" She glared over at the small dragon that had leapt from the table to her leg, sharp back claws digging into the heavy material of her jeans while the dangerous hooked claws at the bend of its wing helped its ascent up her thick Henley to her shoulder. She sighed and scratched at its chin with her fingertip, relaxing as it began rumbling happily. "How's the house, Nyx?"

"Still together, though the back door is groaning rather a lot. I think it's perturbed that you slammed it the other day. Really, Jane, was it necessary to anger our dwelling?"

"Whatever, it's not like I meant to!"

Nyx nipped her ear in reprimand and scrambled for traction when Jane bent to pick up the bag at her feet. "Oooh, did you bring me food?"

"No, you glutton, I brought me food." Jane rooted through the depths of the pack, pulling out a couple careworn books, another bag that bulged awkwardly, and a small box. She set the still full rucksack aside and started pulling items out of the bag as Nyx crawled down her arm onto the table.

It wandered closer to the bag, sniffing at the vegetables and boxed foods being set down, then started hopping excitedly in place, back feet propelling it forward just to jump back with its winged front legs. "You were lying! I knew you were, you always bring me back a – yes!"

It darted in toward a package wrapped in parchment paper, nosing the tape away and squeaking happily as a perfectly marbled cut of prime rib was revealed. Opening its mouth, a small jet of white hot flame seared the closest side of meat and it tore a bite out, barely pausing to chew before it swallowed and took another bite.

"Hey, don't you scarf it all, I need food, too!"

"Mmm, bett'r hurry, thish's sho goo', I cou' jush'ea' it all riy' now."

Nyx tore into the meat again and squeaked indignantly when Jane took it away, wrapping it back in the parchment paper as she opened the fridge. Its tail lashed back and forth across the table as it glared hotly with green reptilian eyes. "I wasn't done with that!"

"You'll eat later. Besides, don't think I didn't see you sneaking cookies last night. I don't know where you manage to put it all."

"I am a marvel of engineering, all of this power and magnificence burns energy," Nyx said stoically. It lifted its neck elegantly and flapped its leathery wings. "All the strength of a hundred men-"

"Wrapped in a fun sized package!"

Nyx growled and snapped at her hand in annoyance, leaping off the table to glide over to the door. "So, are we going out later today?"

"What for?" Jane started putting the groceries away, cupboards opening as cans and boxes flew into their spaces, while the fridge door opened for her to put some fruit on a rack.

"So you can go stalk that woman."

There was a thud as Jane hit the back of her head on the fridge, followed by muttered cursing and growling. "Excuse me?"

"You're excused. Now stop avoiding the question. Are we going out later?"

"Uhm, what woman?"

"The one with the pretty eyes, and the sun spun hair. The one that always stops at that coffee shop a few blocks down? Ringing any bells yet?"

Hazel eyes set above a dimpled smile and haloed with golden hair flashed across Jane's mind. "It's raining."

"Yes."

"It's cold."

"It is October."

"She's probably gone straight home, wherever that is."

"But when have we ever listened to 'maybes?'"

Jane met Nyx's eyes and sighed, groaning quietly. "Better get my big jacket."

"Yay!"

Jane pulled her hood lower over her eyes to keep the rain off her face, wincing as Nyx's front claws hooked through her Henley and got skin. "Sorry," it whispered, its head nestled amongst the hair curling around her jaw so it could see but still remain hidden.

Jane tilted her head to rub her jaw along its head, welcome for the heat that rolled off its body, keeping her back and neck warm as they walked through the rain toward Rooney's Diner. "Do you want anything for home?"

"Danish?"

"Strawberry?"

"Please."

They finally reached the diner, full and cheerful from the outside with people filling every table and warm light spilling across the soaked concrete. Jane pushed inside and inhaled the strong coffee-people-greasy food smell. She pulled her hood down and made sure her dark beanie was still snugly on her head, keeping her hair contained and allowing Nyx to remain hidden amongst the curls. She walked up to the counter and straddled a chair, waving down a waitress for coffee and a danish to go, then turned around to people watch.

She sipped at the coffee when it came, eyes flicking over couples, families, and friends all eating and talking, and felt a melancholy smile touch her lips. Scales rubbed against her neck reassuringly as Nyx whispered, "It'll all turn out, Jane, you'll see."

She hummed noncommittally and took another sip of her coffee, eyes skimming over a booth and backtracking when she realized it was the woman she had been looking for. Her breath stuttered in her lungs when she pushed back her hair, revealing more of her face for Jane's perusal. Hazel eyes tracked words on a Kindle while lips silently mouthed along, a cup steaming at her elbow with a nearly untouched plate of food in front of her. Her legs were crossed at the knee beneath the table, heels still on her feet and dark skirt accenting the pale expanse of leg.

"Your attraction is showing."

"Shut up," Jane hissed, drawing the eye of a man beside her. She only glared at him, smirking when he quickly looked away.

"Go talk to her." Jane shook her head, jumping when sharp teeth nipped her jaw. "Talk to her. You need human interaction, not just myself and the woman you buy our groceries from twice a week. Go."

Jane stubbornly kept her seat, sipping at her coffee and watching the woman continue to read until her drink had gone tepid. She idly blew on the surface of her coffee, letting a bit of heat loose, and sighed as the drink warmed up again.

By the time she finished her coffee, the woman was standing up and pulling a long trenchcoat over her shoulders, pulling her hair out from beneath the collar and tucking her Kindle into a purse on her arm as she pulled an umbrella out from inside it. Jane left a tip on the counter and barely remembered to grab the boxed pastry before she walked out, idly following the woman up the street.

"Jane, what are you doing?"

"I…don't know?"

"What do you mean you don't know? I told you to talk to her, not stalk her!" Nyx hissed into her ear and Jane shook her head.

"I just…have a feeling."

"Oh no," Nyx moaned. "The last time you 'had a feeling' we ended up halfway across the continent, with nothing on our person but your shoes and a long jacket that barely covered your-"

"Silence."

Nyx's jaw snapped shut as its head peeked out of the shelter of her hair just enough to scan the street through the dreary rain. "Something's not right."

"You fucking think?"

Up ahead, the woman seemed oblivious to the bad feeling crawling up and down Jane's spine. Jane watched a person slide out of the alley between herself and the woman, steps full of purpose as they reached the woman and put their hand on her shoulder. Jane broke into a run as they yanked her around and reached for her purse, taking the woman by surprise as they yanked it off her arm.

The person took off at a sprint and Jane barely spared a glance at the woman's stricken face, so intent she was upon the flapping back of the thief's jacket. They ran down the street, pounding through puddles and flowing water, and Jane lengthened her stride as she tried to catch up. The thief sped around a corner and Jane nearly slipped into the side of a car when she ran through the water, watching the distance grow between them.

"Alright, fine. Guess we're doing this the easy way."

Jane took a deep breath and exhaled, watching the water solidify into ice on the sidewalk, racing toward the fleeing sneakers of the thief. She watched in satisfaction as they slipped on the concrete and very subtly directed their frantic flailing toward a light post, smirking as they ran into it and fell backwards onto the sidewalk while the sound of skin hitting metal echoed across the street.

She jogged up and planted her foot on their chest, noting with satisfaction the welt already visible on their forehead where they had hit the lamp post. "Nice try, kid, maybe you should stick to something legal though."

She crouched and picked up the dropped purse, taking the opportunity to flip back the thief's hood. Angry, dazed blue eyes glared up at her through wet, blonde hair, pierced ears and nose completing the young man's look. "Get a job, kid." Jane nudged him in the side and watched him scramble to his feet, giving him a kick in the ass to get him moving. "Do something with yourself."

He looked over his shoulder in confusion and took off down the street, leaving Jane holding the woman's purse while Nyx muttered under its breath. "I swear, you try and do one nice thing…"

"What's that?"

"You let him go."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Maybe he'll learn."

"Another one of your 'feelings?'"

"Something like that."

The sound of the falling rain surrounded them, soon interrupted by the quick, staccato tap of heels on concrete, and Jane turned on her heel to watch the woman stride toward her with fast steps. "Did you see – my purse, that, that hoodlum – oh."

Jane offered it up with a faint smile, watching the woman look through it suspiciously before putting it more securely on her shoulder. "Thank you."

Jane bobbed her head and flinched when Nyx bit her ear and hissed, "Talk to her."

"Uhm, welcome. You're welcome. I just – right place?"

"I suppose so." The woman stared at Jane, studied her, eyes dragging over her face slowly and making Jane squirm. She shoved her hand into her pocket, feeling her switchblade comfortingly against the pads of her fingers as the other flexed around the wrinkled Styrofoam box with the pastry in it. The silence stretched uncomfortably until the woman shifted and pushed a wet strand of hair back from her face.

"Oh, shit, you're wet. I mean," Jane stuttered, flushing at the look the woman gave her and the amused chuckle Nyx breathed into her ear, "I mean – clothes? Um, I have clean clothes. Dry ones. At my place."

"I couldn't possibly-"

"it's just, like two blocks that way." Jane thumbed over her shoulder and waited anxiously as the woman seemed to weigh her options.

"I…suppose I could. I don't think riding the subway like this is the best idea." Jane smiled weakly again and turned on her heel, leading the way down the street. They walked silently until they reached the stoop, worn door waiting for Jane the same as it always was. She pricked her finger on the edge of her blade and dug it into the divot, making a show of turning the knob and coughing to cover up the sound of the bolts throwing themselves.

She preceded the woman into the house, throwing switches as they walked through to the back, where Jane's bedroom and bathroom were. "I have clean clothes, they might be a little long but they should work. Here." Jane shoved a shirt and pants into her arms and pointed at the bathroom door. "Take your time, I'll put some coffee on."

Jane fled back into the kitchen and yanked her jacket and beanie off, letting Nyx climb down her arm onto the counter as she looked for filters and plugged the coffee machine into the wall. "What are you going to do?"

"Play it by ear?" Jane offered a helpless shrug at Nyx's unimpressed look and took two mugs off a shelf. "I don't know, what do you say to someone who you just watch drink and read and have now retrieved their purse from a thief for?"

"You're welcome?"

"Ugh." Jane dragged a hand down her face and picked Nyx up. "You better hide."

"Just leave me the Danish?"

"Of course, your Highness."

Jane put Nyx in its nest beneath a side table in the living room, setting the open box beside it so it could eat the pastry with relatively little mess. She just started pouring coffee into the mugs when the woman reappeared, Jane's pants rolled a couple times so her feet peeked out from beneath denim, and Jane's shirt stretched over her larger breasts. Jane silently passed the coffee over, not trusting her tongue yet, and watched the woman take in her house.

"It's a beautiful house."

"Thanks. I'm…renovating it, I suppose you could say."

"Restoring it?"

"No, there was – nothing worth saving of the original house. I'm rebuilding it from the ground up."

Jane looked away as she spoke, staring into her coffee, and startled when the woman laid her hand over hers. "Thank you."

"I – yeah, of course. Glad I could help."

"I just – oh it's been quite a day, and then to have that happen…" The woman shook her head and extended her hand. "I'm sorry, my manners appear to have deserted me. I'm Maura Isles."

"Jane."

Like I said, short but it's just an idea at the moment. Plenty of potential here, let know if you like it.