"Will it work?" Jericho asked softly. The concern for her friend was plain on her face but it was the tone of her voice Sommerfield listened to.
"It should. We'll know more when I run some tests." She showed them the vial of blood in her hand.
"Thank you." Jericho gently touched the blond woman's arm. She saw the small smile and nod before Sommerfield walked away leaving them alone.
Jericho tried not feel like this was her fault, repeating to herself she could've forced the red head to leave with her, could've save her friend.
"Will they come for her?" the soft voiced question tugged at him. King didn't know why but he felt a sense of empathy with Jericho.
"Can't say." He replied in an equally quiet tone of voice. He didn't know if the vampires would target the red head but it was possible. "She's better off laying low." He knew that much, knew it was better to hide from them if you weren't going to fight and somehow King didn't see the red head doing any fighting.
"I've got work." Jericho stated suddenly. She turned on her heel and started walking.
"Woa, hey." King hurried after her, grabbing at Jericho's arm when she didn't stop. "You're place got trashed, vampires went after you-."
"Yeah." Jericho rounded on him, her pent up feelings pouring out. "Explain to me how they came in un-invited." She glared at him and before King could reply Jericho continued unwilling to hear him out just yet. "Because vampires DO NOT do that. They can't- shouldn't have been able to come in without my say so. It- it's against the rules, against everything I know vampires are capable of. A vampire doesn't just bite you! That's not how you turn, you have to ingest their blood and once you're a vampire that's it! You're dead and there's no going back, no cure!" she slapped a palm into his chest letting out her guilt and frustration. "But here you are! You use guns- bullets DO NOT ash vampires and wooden stakes should work. I put one right though its heart. I know I did- I don't miss and he pulled it out." She looked at him; more quiet now, some of the fire gone from her eyes and voice. "A vampire pulled out a wooden stake from its heart."
King's arm half rose, intent on putting a hand on her shoulder but Jericho suddenly turned to the wall and put her fist through the rusted metal. The loud echo reverberated in the hide out and with both hands King took Jericho by the shoulders.
"Woa, ok- you're upset." King stated much to her annoyance. No one knew better than her how upset she was. With an eye roll Jericho pulled away from King and started walking again. She flexed her hand feeling the burn from the gouges in her fist relishing the pain, it's what she deserved.
"Jericho!" King called matching his step to hers. "You go to work I can guarantee they will try again." She didn't stop and both headed down the stairs. "So you get out, you're the Slayer they can't really hurt you. What about the others? Every one else at 'Cabaret' are they Slayer's too?"
They stopped at the bottom of the stairs with Jericho wanting to hurt him for being so right. It was like having Maty all over again, only this one wasn't eleven years older or Japanese and he wasn't her Watcher.
"Eres un imbecil." She murmured. "But this made sense. God!" she stormed off to her car and opened the trunk. Jericho started yanking out her duffel, dropping it beside her feet before reaching inside for more. King grinned; the smug look on his face probably wouldn't fade for at least a week.
"A little help!" Jericho snapped glaring at him.
------
March 5, 2004
I'm slaying again.
------
Jericho was up. Sleep just wasn't a good idea not when she kept having those dreams. Lately they came more often ever since she re-immersed herself in the life of the Slayer.
The work out mats had been there before though she'd added a rack to their weapons wall. It was nice having her swords out in the open, in plain sight and not worry about how to explain them. She was working on her technique, something she'd neglected and now that she had the time and space there was no excuse for being lazy. Her two years in Prague had been difficult but she'd learned new tricks. Running had always been a good way of letting off some of her excess energy but it was dangerous for a young girl all alone at night. Jericho hadn't cared, hadn't been afraid of what was in the dark, hiding, waiting for some innocent to stumble in. Even though she had been alone, not once had Jericho been attacked. That had surprised her, made her worry a little, thinking that maybe the nasties knew who she was…
But then she bumped into a group of five runners, at least that's what she'd assumed but when they started jumping over fences and leaping across cars Jericho hadn't known what to make of them. They didn't feel like vampires, they didn't look or act like demons… Jericho followed them. She didn't try hiding her curiosity and they noticed. It turned into a game of sorts, them 'running' and Jericho on their heels following. She just couldn't get over how 'beautiful' they looked, how fluid their movements… almost animal like.
It occurred to her they might be werewolves but the moon was up and they still looked human to her. No fur or too much excess hair to be suspicious and then they'd stopped; four guys and one girl.
Life got easier with new friends and Jericho didn't have to worry about hiding her agility or strength, at least not when they were running. They were all equal then.
Jericho felt the soft tug in her gut and knew King was there. She completed her last turn bringing the tip of the Katana down then jabbing out.
"Knock it off." She ordered into the silence.
"What?" King's startled voice echoed from her left and cursing under his breath stepped into the light of the single lamp. He scratched at his head looking embarrassed to have been caught spying.
"Did you need something, Hannibal?" she kept staring knowing it made him uncomfortable. Jericho didn't delve too deeply into why that was or why she felt the same when he was watching her. She didn't need the distraction knowing there were better ways to spend her time.
"Heard noi-." King huffed and straightened. "Couldn't sleep." He replied honestly. It was one of those few rare moments and Jericho was beginning to notice. After three months with the NightStalkers she was noticing a lot of things, finding out about them and their lives. She turned away taking her Katana to the wall rack.
"Neither could I." she murmured. Her fingers lingered on Maty's Katana, a feeling of loneliness washing through her. She was twenty four years old, no friends, no family… "It's you're destiny… You will always be alone even when you are surrounded by others."
"Matzuye…" Jericho felt the sting of tears in her throat and eyes.
"So," King's voice sounded nervous. "You always use that?"
"No, not in a long time." Jericho cleared her throat, she tried to brush past King but he stubbornly followed her off the mats and into the rec room.
"Almost seven years." King said taking a guess. When she didn't answer he tried a different question. "Maty your boy friend?"
"Shut up." Jericho ordered softly. Her body tensed up and though she didn't face him King knew his pixie was trying not to show emotions.
"I can see it." King said walking up behind her. Jericho felt his hands, very gently rest on her shoulders. "The guilt." He turned her around until she was looking up at him. The question in her brown eyes mixed with confusion. She hadn't thought him to be so observant, not the way he behaved. "It doesn't go away." He was careful as he stepped towards her, closing the distance between them. He put his arms around her feeling her stiff body protest but Jericho didn't pull away. "But it gets better- less, with time."
Jericho leaned into his chest, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. There were so many things she kept inside, hidden from every one, so many things eating at her soul, things she couldn't tell any one.
'Cant I?" she wondered. Slowly her arms went around King's waist, her face hiding in his chest. She'd always had Maty to talk to, always and then there had been the journals but that had been a long time ago, another life ago…
"Maty was my Watcher." Jericho murmured into his chest. Had it been any one else her words would have gone unheard but this was King and he heard the soft voice. Heard her sigh and the emotions behind the words.
----
May 10, 2004
It's mother's day and I have no idea if I still have mine.
I've spent five months with the NightStalkers. I wonder who came up with that name, though I'd take a wild guess and blame it on King. He's such a goof… cute- annoying, yes that's more like it, annoying.
But he seems to understand me. It's like having Maty- only King isn't my Watcher. He has no idea if half of what I've told him is all made up. Like I'm not 'baring my soul' to him in our midnight talks. I still have trouble sleeping. I keep dreaming them, the girls… they're so young… too young to be dying.
I was young too. Seventeen. But I had Matzuye and we'd been slaying on our own with no help from the Council or the Powers That Be. I haven't even begun to talk about Them to King. I doubt he'd be able to understand what and who they are, I'm not sure I completely get it myself, I'm stuck on how They pull our strings.
-----
"Come on." King led her out into the hot desert afternoon. It was still another hour before sunset and the colors in the sky were beginning to change.
"What are we doing out here?" Jericho grumbled. "You know I don't like being in the heat if I don't have to." She didn't like being overheated at all but most times there was no way around it. She didn't complain either, except for now; with King she played her girly card. Jericho had been more than surprised when she figured out he was actually a gentleman in hiding. He had manners he just chose not to use them; he behaved like a giant kid most times.
"I'm gonna teach you how to shoot." King returned with a grin on his face.
"Que tu que?" Jericho questioned, frowning. "I can shoot already. And I don't miss so don't start." She warned at his look.
"Ookay." King handed her the bulky looking sci-fi gun he always carried around. "Set up some targets out here. Knock 'em down."
"Chikushou okkuu shibutoi dansei." She finished glaring at him.
"You're showing off again." King warned standing aside as Jericho took the gun and stood ready to shoot.
"You really wanna make cracks when I have your gun?" she gave him a sweet smile and still looking at him fired. With every bullet there was a ping as one of the targets was knocked down. Jericho handed him the gun and turned around to head inside when King snapped out of his stunned silence.
"Woa there pixie." King caught her wrist and started walking her out to the field. "We need to check your aim.
"My aim?" Jericho huffed. "King, I do not miss. It's practically impossible for it to happen even if I tried."
"Yeah, tried…" he laughed but each target he'd set up was down and when he checked the marks found each bullet had gone right to the center. "Fuck… me."
"No thank you." Jericho huffed standing with her arms crossed and waited impatiently for King to convince himself she wasn't bullshitting. At her response King threw her a narrow eyed glare. He stood, didn't say a word to her and walked back to the hide out.
"Por fin!" Jericho threw her hands up and jogged back inside. She passed him up without a word leaving him to grumble all on his own.
'Pixie? What the hell…' Jericho turned around and waited for King to catch up. Once he was at the door she stopped him.
"Why do you keep calling me 'Pixie'? I am not that small. And," she added remembering his comment to the big blond vampire. "I am not evil." She smacked his arm for good measure.
"Ow," King rubbed at his arm feeling the sting of her hand on his bare skin. "See that's why you're an evil pixie." He brushed past her heading into the dark interior and the A/C.
"What-? Am not!" Jericho ran after him. She rolled her eyes at the childishness of her words. "God, I can't believe I said that."
"I can." King retorted half laughing.
"That's because you've never grown up. You're just a big… baby… Huey." She retorted.
"Baby Huey?" King replied eyebrows rising. "You're saying I'm like that duck?"
"I'm pretty sure he was a Goose but it the feathers fit…" Jericho stomped past him. "Don't call me pixie." She warned leaving him in the rec room alone.
"Evil little Pixie." King muttered under his breath.
----
It was late but even so Jericho knew she wasn't the only one up. She sat in the rec room staring at the muted TV. King came in quietly about an hour after the infomercials started up. If she hadn't been able to feel the left over strain of vampirism in him Jericho would never have know he was behind her. His arm stretched out holding a leather bound book in front of her.
"A book?" Jericho questioned taking it from him. She flipped through the pages as he walked around the couch.
"It's blank." King answered though he could tell by her look she'd figured that out.
"You know," Jericho set the book in her lap. "They make them with words." She could see his smile at her dig.
"Why read a story some one else made up," King retorted dropping into the couch beside her. "When you can write about yours." He flashed her a pleased grin, one Jericho didn't find amusing. "The truth is much better than some fantasy." He said a little quieter. He watched her flipping through the blank pages looking thoughtful. "Besides, I can always sneak a peek."
"Hmph," she shook her head not bothering to hide the smile. "You think I'd write down all my deep, dark secrets? My most… erotic… of fantasies, wishes, dreams… paint a vivid picture, lay it all out, naked…." Jericho laughed at King's salivating look. "Too bad I don't do the Diary thing." She tossed the book into his lap grinning.
"Wha- that was cruel." King stated with a hurt look.
"Your mind is overly active, Hannibal and you're easy." Jericho turned to flip the volume on ignoring his protest.
"Hey- well, yeah." He agreed. They sat in silence watching the next infomercial for a couple of minutes. King couldn't help but look over at her. He knew it made her uncomfortable for the same reason her staring at him made him fidget like a schoolboy wearing his Sunday best and sitting in the hard pew at Mass.
"It's a journal." He said softly and lay the book in her lap again. This time Jericho didn't return it.
----
What he didn't say was that I needed to write, to put down how I felt then and before.
Cute, annoying but it's that insightful quality that always gets me. That wasn't my initial impression of King, though. Their story, the vampires- this was all new, I thought they were all crazy and Hannibal King… wow, he just didn't make it easy to believe them. Of course my first reaction was to strangle him, he tends to be annoying, cute but annoying, did I mention cute? I meant to say handsome, something about tall men- especially if they look good without a shirt… annoying Jericho, focus on the annoying.
I ended up staying with them, the NightStalkers. I'd never expected there to be more out there, more 'Slayers' only these weren't of the 'Chosen' variety. They didn't go out alone, there were no prophecies warning them of their death and they didn't have short life spans, not like Slayers.
Other than Hannibal King none of the others had super slaying powers. They were regular human beings and they lived, they survived each hunt… It gave me hope, in a way. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, the rest of my life…
Hannibal isn't always annoying, he has his moments of – I like to tease him by saying he gets 'in touch with his feminine side' but truthfully, King can understand why I-.
Why I stayed dead.
I told him once, he had it worse. Being forced- five years…
Sommerfield explained how the cure worked, pretty much treating vampirism like some sexually transmitted desiease you killed with antibiotics. I didn't get much of it because I'm not a doctor or anywhere near interested in the field. And I didn't get why there were different types of vampires. Mine- the ones I had come in contact before ashed with no problem. Wooden stake through the heart, that's all it took. The NightStalkers couldn't explain it and Maty had never said anything about this but I'm thinking the Watchers and the Council didn't know.
----
"Hey, you're pretty good." Jericho smiled, pleased with the little girl's progress
"Its fun." Zoë replied hopping up again. "I like gymnastics."
"I hated it." Jericho admitted with a rueful smiled. "Maty used to force me to practice." The smile faded and turning to the mats again Jericho motioned Zoë to follow. "Come on, back flip."
"Jericho's all Zoë talks about." Sommerfield said smiling at the sound of her daughters giggles.
"I heard." Abby agreed watching as the pair tumbled on the mats. "She's really good. Zoë I mean."
"She's happy." Sommerfield said with a softer smile. She knew her daughter wasn't growing up like a normal kid, nothing in their life was normal.
"Watcha doin?" King asked coming up behind the pair.
"Observing your girlfriend work with Zoë." Abby stated with a serious face.
"She's not my girlfriend." King huffed loosing his happy grin. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"
"Maybe if you stopped denying it, King-." Sommerfield didn't bother hiding her smile.
"Denying what?" King exclaimed. "She's not-." King stopped as he caught sight of Jericho helping Zoë complete a back flip.
"Your type?" Sommerfield questioned helpfully.
"King." Abby looked at him in disbelief. "Jericho is so your type. She practically screams trouble." She hooked a thumb in the brunette's direction shaking her head.
"Danger too." Sommerfield added. "Can't forget danger."
"We are just friends." King insisted looking from one disbelieving woman to the other.
"King, Abby." Dex called from behind the NightStalker. "We got a call from the San Francisco cell."
----
It had been years since I took to writing. Starting up again wasn't easy not when there were so many years, memories to sift through. Things I wanted to forget but once I started…. I left the last two journals with King. I know he'll read them. Maybe he'll understand why I chose to go. I know he doesn't think I'll go back.
He doesn't know what I've walked into, all these girls…they're so young, so many of them dead.
I know what I have to do.
I know who I am.
-----
They'd been driving all day, their little caravan. Jericho led the way being the smaller car. There was no missing the sporty red BMW and the big SUV's kept to her pace. 80mph. The NightStalkers had packed up whatever they could carry knowing they had to move fast and get to San Francisco. They were short staffed and that was never a good thing, not in their line of work.
Jericho read the sign a few yards ahead and smiled.
"Food." She glanced at her blond passenger. "I know you have to be hungry by now. Little Mexican restaurant by the side of the road… I could go for some Chiles Rellenos. How about you?"
"Something spicy." Sommerfield agreed. "Zoë?"
"Nachos!" the little girl piped up.
"Yeah," Jericho laughed shaking her head. "They don't qualify as food, Zo."
"Aww, man." Zoë humphed though she couldn't keep the half smile from her face. Jericho had never seen the little girl be anything but sweet, no tantrums or mulish fits. Zoë did as she was asked, maybe a question here and there but usually the little girl was co-operative.
"I think we can get there faster."
"You're already speeding." Sommerfield pointed out.
"You noticed, huh?" Jericho grinned. The sun roof was open and though the music wasn't blaring it was loud enough to hear over the wind. "I'm hungry." She pouted.
"You know he's going to complain." But Sommerfield also knew Jericho didn't care, at least she pretended not to and most times goaded King. The more Sommerfield thought about it the more she realized they behaved worse than children at the best of times. She smiled, a slight chuckle escaping her at the thought of King and Jericho… All that was left was for King to put gum in Jericho's hair or start pulling it.
"Fregado…" Jericho cursed yanking out her cell phone as it vibrated in her pocket. "Right on time." She smiled and put King on speaker. "Hi, what's up? You guys need a pee break or something?"
"Ha, Ha. I forgot how not funny you are." King snapped. "You in a hurry, Jeri?"
"Call me Jeri again and see how in a hurry I'll be to kick your ass, King." She didn't mind all that much but arguing with him was sort of a prelude to any conversation.
"You're all tough with that slayer strength. Bet you're not so ballsy without it."
"Mine are bigger than yours, baby." Jericho's eyes widened as she realized how that sounded. She turned to Sommerfield, red faced. "Not that I know- I haven't- cus I've never seen…" King's laughter only made her turn a darker shade of red. "Hey you pig! I got little ears listening in."
"You got me on speaker?" King asked chocking down his laugh. "I swear, sometimes you-."
"I'm hanging up now." Jericho warned.
"No, hey." There was a muffled shuffling before he spoke again. "What's the big hurry? You're over 100mph now."
"Food." Jericho replied easily. "There's a restaurant about 15miles ahead and I want to get there before the dinner rush. We'll try and get you guys a table but I think you're underdressed."
"For a diner half way in the middle of nowhere Nevada?" King knew she was looking to start one of their arguments. "You know-."
"Not really. So catch up when you can. Tell Hedges I'll order him something mild. No heart burn tonight. Bye." The cell snapped shut ending the call before King uttered a protest.
"You two are like children." Sommerfield stated.
"Na-ah. I'm nothing like King. He's the Baby Huey of this club." Jericho laughed; picturing his face when she'd first told him that.
----
June 30, 2004
I'm twenty five years old now. Been Slaying for the past seven months or so. I try not to keep count, think of what I started doing…
Birthdays. Hannibal's been awfully insistent on finding out when mine is, he's even gotten Zoë to start asking. I told her a couple of stories, the food Mom would make and the cake Papí would buy. Dios, no place has ever come close to the spongy bread that doesn't go all hard and yucky when you have to put left overs in the fridge and the icing! Man, my mouth is watering. But this is not an exaggeration. I mean, usually you get this crunchy sort of paste that's freekin sweet like a mother but not ours. Our cakes had this fluffy, whipped cream sort of icing, just sweet enough and I think they used it for the filling as well. It's a good thing my birthday falls in the summer, strawberries are in season. The filling was my favorite though; just sweet enough with a tangy sort of flavor from the strawberries… Dad used to get them from the bakery in Chinatown…
The need to go looking for them is always there but lately it's gotten worse. Sometimes I cant sleep because I'm thinking of ways, of excuses to just drop in on them, see if they're still alive but then what do I say?
No, its better I just forget them, forget the life I had before the Council and the Watchers got their claws in me. Let King keep trying to pry my birthday outta me, its not gonna happen even if he is using Zoë; probably thinks she can help him figure out who I really am.
Good luck.
I've been trying to figure that out since I was twelve.
Maybe I'm going about this all wrong, maybe what I need to do is learn to accept the legacy I've been given.
'…a Slayer and it was her sacred birthright to defend humanity.'
I've never forgotten that. Always felt like I had to live up to it but I was so naïve back then, thinking I was answering some higher purpose, some noble cause-.
It is noble in a way, when you understand it, when they don't tell you lies and hide reality from you. When you choose to die for the cause…
Why it's so difficult for me to explain- Dios, I wish- but wishes don't change what is.
----
"Una orden de Mulitas." The waiter smiled as he set the plate in front of Zoë. "Bistek Ranchero, for the Señora." The aroma of the spicy meat plate got a rumble from Sommerfield's stomach. "Y Chiles Rellenos."
"Muchas Gracias." Jericho smiled tapping her finger to the hot plate. "Puede servir los otros platillos en unos cinco minutos?"
"Claro, no hay problema." The waiter smiled and left them to eat. It wasn't long before the other NightStalkers entered the little restaurant. Abby arrived with Hedges and took the chairs beside Zoë.
"Nothing spicy, right?" Hedges questioned a smiling Jericho.
"Nope. There wont be any heartburn for you tonight otaku bo-i." she took another bite of the chile looking up as the waiter returned with another set of plates.
"Sopes de carnitas y fajitas de pollo." He set both plates down taking out two sets of utensils from his apron. "I bring the drinks, ok."
"Thank you." Abby replied to his retreating back.
"What is this again?" Hedges questioned poking at the lettuce and crema.
"Sopes. It's like a- a- chikushou, I'm not sure how to word it but sort of like a pizza bread and a tostada only this one is on a corn sort of tortilla." Jericho explained with an apologetic shrug.
"Uh-huh. What's in it?" he still looked doubtful which got a chuckle from the others at the table.
"Just meat, Hedges. Shredded beef, beans, lettuce, cream and tomatoes with a side of rice. Not one thing on your plate is spicy so eat up before King gets here- unchi." Jericho cursed seeing the other two walk in.
"Hey!" King called over to them much to Abby's annoyance.
"Damn it, why can't he not draw attention?" she muttered.
"Pinche teinousha, pendejo!" Jericho hissed under her breath seeing the glint of steel at his side.
"You started without us." King noted as he sat beside Jericho, Dex took the only other empty seat on her left. "Ow." King glared feeling the sting on his shin from Jericho's foot. "What the fu-."
"You're an idiot." Jericho hissed watching as the waiter came back with the last two plates.
"Enchiladas de pollo?" he questioned Jericho who pointed to Dex. "Ah, y los tacos de tripitas para usted."
"Thanks." King grumbled still glaring at Jericho.
"Algo mas?" he questioned looking at the NightStalkers expectantly.
"No, es todo, gracias." Jericho answered.
"I'll have a beer." King replied not taking his eyes from Jericho who turned a glare on him.
"What kind, señor?"
"Heineken." Dex answered already eating.
"Claro, and for you?" the waiter shifted, beginning to notice the tension between King and Jericho but it was she who answered for him.
"Traigale una Negra Modelo. Gracias." The waiter nodded leaving with the order not bothering to reply.
"You want to explain the bruise on my shin, Jericho?" King said under his breath.
"If you're going to flash people at least do it when we aren't around to catch some heat for it." Jericho's eyes hardened.
"Flash?" King glanced at his lap wondering if his fly was down when Jericho smacked his arm, exasperated.
"Eres o te haces?" she growled. "The gun, baboso! You think no one else noticed you're packing?"
"Oh, well, no because if they had noticed there would be a lot of people looking at me." He replied in a smug tone.
"Alright you two." Abby ordered. "Don't make me separate you."
----
Jericho stood up and found her way blocked by King's chair. She tapped his shoulder and motioned for him to scoot in but he just smiled at her like he didn't know what she wanted. Instead of voicing her annoyance Jericho grabbed his chair and forcibly shoved it into the table. She passed by him wearing a pleased smile.
"You should've moved." Abby told him. King's curses drifted to her ears adding to the smirk on Jericho's face.
She passed the kitchen doors and heard the loud sounds of dishes and pots clanking together, the cook's orders and the babble of Spanish. For a moment Jericho felt at home, back in her southern beachfront house.
'Weird.' She frowned pushing open the door of the restroom. 'Why would I even think of that?' she pushed those thoughts aside knowing where they would lead- another failure. Still, Jericho couldn't help but sigh over the lost anonymity she'd had, so what if her home had been small, it was hers and it was private. Jericho wondered if the foliage had taken over the garden area, had the vines and weeds made their way into the house yet? Who was living in her home, if any one at all?
She never noticed the dark haired man step out behind her with the gray bin in his hands to collect the dishes. She didn't see the confusion cross his face as he wondered…
'Es ella? No, no puede ser ella. No puede.' But he couldn't stop himself from looking over his shoulder waiting for the woman to come out of the restroom. She looked different, her hair was longer than he remembered and she seemed thinner- no, not thin… He thought of the loose fit of her shorts, he'd always told her she had nice legs…
"No puede ser ella." He muttered again.
The clanking of the dishes masked the sound of the bathroom door opening so he didn't hear her, didn't see her walk towards him to her table. But something made him look over his shoulder, some spirit or angel and he did, he looked and then faced her, standing in her way.
"Maria…"
Jericho froze. Her body kept moving but inside she was frozen, unable to process what she was seeing.
How could this happen? How in the hell did this happen so far from where they had parted ways two years ago?