Chapter 2! Woo!

I can't help but feel Logan is incredibly out of charactor. I will excuse this to myself by saying that he's still getting over having learned everything about his past, so he's a little out of it at times. He has also come to apreciate that his life has definitely been better since his memory loss, so he's a bit less serious and more joking when people aren't in danger. He still drinks like a Russian and smokes like a Chimney. Still not afraid to be blunt and brutally honest, and of course he has his fair share of rudies. I hope you guys won't be too skeptical about it.

On with the story~

~April 13~ 7:46am~

It really pissed him off if he was honest. Here was the cub he had raised fearless and strong, prepared to be a true warrior. She had been taught how to hunt, how to steal, how to survive, and yet she was stuck hitch-hiking and sleeping in a roadside ditch instead of living it up.

Granted, it made sense that she wouldn't want a lot of attention, considering how she'd left. Poor girl had been devastated when she came home, and with her blindfold gone, she couldn't keep her powers in check. It had left quite the mess when he woke up and realized she thought he was dead when she'd taken off. With how she'd been when she left, she wasn't likely to want anyone to know who she was. Especially not law enforcment.

He edged a bit closer and knelt down beside her, brushing her stray bangs behind her ear. The light peering over the horizon gave her naturally toneless hair bright patches and streaks of firey oranges and pale pinks. It almost hurt to think of what she'd had to go through without him. There were several times where he'd been tempted to just take her back, bring her back into the den, and never let her leave again. But something always changed his mind- She was doing so well on her own. She wasn't livin' large, but she didn't want to. She was making a life of her own. He didn't want to ruin that for her, so he couldn't step in.

Or, you know, she got in a Semi and he had to wait for the next stop.

She made a little whine, wriggling around in her sleep, and he held his breath until she settled. When she had, he pulled the shoulder of the trench coat back up over her arm. Again, he wanted to bring her home... but she was so close to getting where she wanted to go. It wouldn't be fair.

"I'll see you soon, cub." He whispered. Only a quick look around for safety before he seemingly vannished.

~7:58 am~

I groaned out loud when I woke up- once again- on the side of the road. Third time this month- I think that's a new record.

Eventually, I willed myself to my feet and swung the large black duffle bag over my shoulder. A few quick adjustments to my clothes and the blindfold I protected the world with, and I was walking. Again.

IT was nice, really. The wind wasn't deafening- more of a gentle breeze than it would be if I was riding in the back of a trailer. It didn't all smell like alcohol and engine grease, I could feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, and the soft grinding of dirt beneath my bare feet. Shoes were pointless anyways. If I couldn't look around, I'd have to be able to feel my way around, and shoes just got in the way. Annoying contraptions. Not sure how dad convinced me to wear them for so long.

And there was the emotional pain. Come on, Tess, put it away. Just lock it up the box and never look at it again.

Several cars drove past, honking at me as they passed. I igonored them and the impulse to flip them the bird. Town was still several miles up ahead, and if I wanted to get there before dark, I had to keep walking.

~2:34 pm~

I have been walking for six and a half hours. Hitch-hiking was looking very appealing right now.

The ground rumbled slightly beneath my feet, accompanied by the growl of an engine, and I gave in, turning a bit sticking out a thumb, to- hopefully- catch a ride from some kind, friendly stranger. Like those nice strangers in fairytales that always help out the good people because they have really good sense of charactor.

The vehicle- a truck, by the sound of it- slowed to a stop behind me, and I waited while the window buzzed down. "Where you headed, kid?" The gruff male voice asked from the drivers seat.

"Town, at least. Maybe further, eventually." I smiled when the locks clicked open and he invited me in. "Thanks." I swung the duffle to the floor by my feet.

"Don't mention it." The locks clicked again, and he shifted gears to get us going. The truck rolled along smoothly on the rough road, a result of good handling and care. The interior smelled like tobacco, gasoline and some musky, woodsy scent. Maybe... Oak? It was nice.

"I'm Tess."

"Logan." There was a bit of quiet for a minute, then he poked my temple through the blindfold. "What's with the blindfold?"

I twitched at the poke, then looked away. "It's just safer that way."

"Safer? Really?" He hummed to himself. "So... laser eyes? God I hope not- the last one of those I met was an ass."

I laughed. "No lasers."

"Hm... telekinetic?"

"Yeah. I can't control it though." Cue sigh of depression... back in the box.

"How bad?"

"If it dosen't have a heartbeat, it's at risk of being ripped from where ever it is and thrown all over the place. If it does, it's at risk of being killed by the things that don't." I leaned my head back. "I'm getting better though. When I was little, if I looked at things more than three seconds, they exploded. Last week, I stared at an apple for a whole seven seconds before it gave me an apple shower."

"Well, at least you found a loophole."

I swatted at his hand before he could poke me again. "Rubber. Weird, huh? I put a piece of old tire in my bandana so I don't break anything I can't afford."

It got quiet again for a bit.

"What about you?" I asked. Instinct made me sniff lightly at him. "Hmm... Shifter?" He scoffed and gave a denial. "uh... half-breed?" Another no. "Feral, then?"

"Mmm... I guess that's what you'd call me."

I smiled in triumph and dug around in a pocket of my bag, hunting through the forrest of wrappers until I claimed a granola bar and ripped it open.

"You on the move a lot?"

"Sometimes." I bit off a chunck. "Gotta be prepared. Never know when you'll have to run. I might have another one, if you want it."

"No thanks, kid. We're almost to town." We rounded a wide corner. "I'm planning on finding a bar with either pool tables or a cage fight when we get there. Bit low on Funds. Think you'll be alright without me for a few hours?"

Translation: You don't look old enough to be in a bar, so while I'm getting paid, you have to stay here.

"Trust me, I've got my own way of funding these little adventures." I smiled, peeling back some more of the wrapper.

"And that is?" He didn't sound like he believed me. I grinned.

"One of my best talents and not quite legal."

"... I won't ask."

"And I won't tell."

I swear I could hear his eyes rolling at me. The truck rounded a final corner and when it straightened out, the engine cut off. I took that as my signal and slid out of the cab, tugging open a pocket of my bag to dig out my ball cap. Logan got to my side as I slid it down so it almost hid my blindfold. "Damn, Kid, You're short."

"You're just tall. Don't judge me." I started walking off towards where I could hear more people, putting years of training to the test as I called back to him, "I'll catch you later, Logan." He grunted in response, probably not expecting me to hear, and I melted into a crowd of locals. A few steps to the left... an inch to the right... a little faster- wham! I put on an apologetic expression, catching the woman before she fell. "Oh, I'm sorry, I got a little distracted." And I was off before she could note anything about me, tucking a wallet into my trench coat's pocket. Too easy, hun. Too easy.

~8:45 pm~

I stepped into the bar and grill unnoticed, listening carefully. Loud people, the clink of glasses... The clack of pool tables. I summoned up my calm and breathed slowly. With a hard stomp, I focused on the reception I was getting from my feet. There was a bar off to the right, a few pool tables to the left, booths directly across what might have been a dancefloor, and after a moment, I singled out the distinct voice of my ride.

Satisfied, I made my way across the room and slid into an empty booth in the corner. I set my hat on the table, heaving a sigh of content. Now for the risky part.

I listened carefully to the small world around me and pulled out two or three of my recently aquired(read:Stolen)wallets. Certain that I wasn't at an immidiate risk, I began the task of separating my cash from my liabilities. Some of my donations were larger than others, while a small number were rather on the light side. Credit cards were an absolute no- I'd made that mistake once, and had no plans to repete it. Ever.

I carefully tucked away my first wallet in the crease of the cusions, sliding the cash into an empty pocket of my trench coat. There was a faint, clicky noise, almost like pegs tapping across the floor. A moment later, strong perfume entered my senses. The clicking stopped beside my table. "Hi, Ah'm Mary-Lou, and Ah'll be servin' ya tonight. Can Ah start 'chu off with somethin' to drink?"

I smiled politely. She had a lovely southern kind of voice. Slightly forced, but still a little different. "Hello. Um, could I get a Coke, please? And maybe something to eat?"

"Sure, Hun. We've got a nice selection of fresh meat cuts, or if ya a vegitarian, we have some nice, hand tossed salads. Ah personally would suggest either the Hot n' Cold Fillet Platter, if ya watchin' ya figure, or if ya need somethin' to fill ya up, then the Seafood Dish is divine."

"Got any steak, or ribs?"

I could imagine her face going skeptical from the little huff of breath. "Of course. Would ya like Barbeque or original?"

"Barbeque. And, if it's not too personal, what kind of perfume is that? Smells kinda' like... ah... Gucci?"

"Uh, yeah. Rush chypre fruity fragrance." Her accent was suspiciously absent.

I smiled at her surprise. It was pretty common at the last city I got sucked into. "It smells... nice." I lied through my teeth. Definitely too strong, and the fruit scent was mangled.

"Thank you." She preened. "Ah'll be back in a few minutes with your meal." The clicking returned as she walked away. Must have been stilettoes. I gave a shrug and went back to gathering my funds. The bar was alive and bustling, people everywhere, playing pool, drinking beers, dancing to a small variety of suggestive songs. There was talking, laughing, hoots and hollars all around. A pleasant change from the quiet of the road, though you wouldn't have caught me dead on the dancefloor, even if I was drop-dead-drunk. I had many skills, some of which were far from legal, but dancing was not among them.

I got through most of the wallets before she clicked back with a plate of hot, fresh barbeque ribs and an ice cold Coke. I thanked her politely and she walked away again. A small pout took my face. Either she was in a hurry or she was a snob.

But, for now, I had money to collect and what smelled like very, very tasty food to eat. I smiled and pulled loose a rib. The sauce stuck to my fingers like a warm blanket, and I could feel some of it smearing over my lips. Dad would have laughed and tossed a towel at me. Jokingly called me an animal. I smiled at what outsiders would think of my carefree, rather messy meal. I had inherited a high metabolism from someone in my family, so I had no reason to hold back and 'eat like a lady', as the elderly woman at the restraunt a month back had suggested. Feh, an old lady trying to tell me how to pick up a boyfriend. Yeah, I'd pass on that.

I sucked on the tips of my fingers as the booth seat across from me sank down. "So, I assume you got your cash?" Logan inquired with light sarcasm. I gave him a victorious smirk, wiped my spit-damp fingers on my jacket, and pulled out my wad of cash.

"Piece of cake," I decided past a bite of ribs, listening to the babble of the bar over his low whistle. "Course, sorting is a completely different set of locks... If I pay for both of us, can you count out enough to cover dinner?"

The bills were gently lifted from my grasp, crinkling as they were unravled. "Anything I want?"

"Anything..." I paused to raise a finger at him. "Except a stripper. I'm not payin' for that."

He gave a snort, curling a hand over the paper as our waitress clicked over. "Hi, Ah'm Mary-Lou. What can Ah get'cha, sug?" It wasn't too hard to pick up on the flirty edge of her words. I resisted the urge to scoff.

Logan sneezed. "Bless you," I pardoned, pulling the last strip of meat off the bone in my hands.

"Thank you. Uh, I'll have the ribs and whatever you've got on tap."

I assume that here she smiled and winked. "Ah'll be back in a bit." As she clicked away, She most likely put a little extra sway in her hip. A sway that Logan ignored to sort out the money I had collected.

It was a calming, steady swish-thump as he stacked the bills appropriately. "Last time I picked up a hitch-hiker, she almost got us killed three times and blew up my truck." He stated.

"I doubt I'll be that much trouble." If I was, I'd leave before he had to make the choice. "And if you're worried, I don't bite... unless provoked." I added.

"Right." Ah, sarcasm, how wonderful you are. "Damn. This makes my pool skills look pointless. Do I even wanna know?"

"Eh, probably not." I paused and sucked sauce off my thumb. "Pickpocketing." I revealed at last, grabbing another rib. "My dad taught me a lot of things. Never know when they'll come in handy..." And there was the sadness again. Damn it, Tess, the box stays closed! "I can rob a person blind, and they'd never even know I was there. Also a master of the Arts of Diversion and Lock-picking, among others."

"Figures I'd pick up the theif."

My favorite line slipped out. "You know you love it." I grinned. "I take 'Cat burgler' to a whole new level."

The swish-thump paused. "Care to explain?"

I caught the faint sound of clicking over a sudden roar of laughter across the bar. "Maybe later. Food's here."

"Here ya go, sug." Mary-Lou had returned with a platter close to my own, only minus the coke and add a beer. "Barbeque ribs and a Miller on tap." They lightly thumped to the table. I could imagine her leaning ove a little more than she had to, trying to get him to look at her cleavage. She was good at hiding the surprised breath at the money on the table top, but not enough. "Ah hope ya enjoy everythin' we have to offer." Now, if she 'accidently' spilled a drink on her shirt, I'd be really impressed.

"Thanks," he responded flatly. That's a blow to the ego.

She referred to me with a 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me' attitude in her tone. "Can Ah get'chu anythin' else, hun?"

"Yeah, actually. Could I get a refill on Coke, and some more ribs? Maybe some hot sauce?" I smiled at Logans half-laugh, half-sneeze. She must be giving me a rude look. "And it'd be nice if you didn't look at me like that. Bad for business."

She clicked away a little more quickly than before. "And how did you know she was giving you the stink eye?"

"I didn't. Your laugh-sneeze told me." I paused, looking in his direction. "It's her perfume bothering you, isn't it?" He grunted. "I don't like it either. Way too strong, way too...perfume-y." I grabbed my last rib and munched on it happily. He was a pretty cool guy. Even if I'd known him less than a whole day and hadn't seen his face.

~10:25 pm~ Unknown Location~

Brain glanced over his shoulder at her, then went back to steering. "I'm sure you'll get him. We just gotta get close enough."

"We can't take them together. It'll tip them off if they wake up and suddenly don't mind being kidnapped. We have to track him until he's not so close to her, or he might scare her away. I know he's capable of that much, no matter how much she means to him." She growled again, adding, "A damn bond I can't figure out."

A man with a brunette buzzcut sighed, scratching the fur on his bear-paw-hands. "Calm down, Psyche. You'll make it work in the end."

A light thud as she dropped her head to the window again. "I hope so. This asshole's given me enough headaches."

~End~

I love this story. It has officially become my longest written out, and that isn't edited and added to. 65 pages!

Please review and give me your opinion. Do you like Tessandra? Is she good, bad, alright? TELL MEEEHHH!

...Please?