A/N: Chapter 2 yay! This ones a little bit of filler stuff until I plan out how everything in my head is going to pan out in my chapters. Not to say this chapter isn't important cuz it definitely has things in it that are important or foreshadow important things. Enjoy!

Kristi POV

The next I saw of the girl was when she came downstairs the next day around noon. She apologized for oversleeping saying that her internal clock was a mess as she'd crossed a few time zones. Anna seemed uncannily happy to see her and surprised her and me by running up and giving her a hug.

"Allison! You come draw with me? Pleeeeease," She pleaded.

Allison looked a little bewildered and I jumped in, "Honey, she hasn't even eaten yet! Let her have her breakfast."

Seeing Anna's disappointment though Allison surprised me squatting down to Anna's level, "Maybe after I talk with your mommy for a little bit and eat we can do something, okay?" She said with a small smile.

Anna perked up again and nodded her head enthusiastically before running off to her room.

Allison stood up and looked over to see confusion written on my face. "Anna's really sweet," she said with a small smile.

"I've never seen her quite like this though," I said honestly, "she seems to have taken quite a liking to you."

"I don't know, I've always gotten along with kids pretty well but not this well," she said with a nervous laugh.

"She's got a gift for finding good people, whether it's in the line at the grocery store or the person waiting at the stoplight next to us," I said with a smile, trying to reassure Allison.

A silence settled for a minutes, maybe two before she piped up, "Kristi, is there any chance you could drive me to the store?"

"What type? I have about an hour before I drop Anna off for a play date."

"Just any old convenience store will do. Also, weird question but do you cut hair at all?"

"Heavens no, Im no good with a scissor, I have a hairdresser do it, why?"

"I just-" she stopped short looking a little embarrassed, "well, I'd really like to change my appearance...slightly...a lot. I'm worried about-"

"About your boyfriend coming after you," I finished for her, "I totally understand your fear of that but don't you think that's a bit drastic?"

"The following or the hair?" She questioned.

I smiled a little at that, "both."

She sighed, "I can't be too careful to be honest, Kristi," she said suddenly seeming to age before my eyes. She'd learned things, experienced things that were well beyond her years and though she still seemed to have life to her she had an air to her of maturity and weariness. She hid it well, but I knew whatever she'd experienced had truly taken its toll on her. I was brought back from my pondering as she seemed to suddenly shake off the darker thoughts that had come over her and smiled shyly at me, "Besides, the way I see it I can make this a sort of symbolic starting over sort of deal. I've never really done anything with my hair so it'll be kinda fun!"

I couldn't argue with that logic. She had a little money from who knows where and insisted that she was going to find a cheap hair dye and cut her hair herself but I refused. She was going straight to my hairdresser; my treat.

Eric POV

I dismissed Caleb when we returned to the manor. He was of no use at this point in my operation. He seemed happy to be relieved of his duty though he promised to be ready at a moments notice.

I tried to do the same for Marissa but she stubbornly refused.

"I'm going nowhere, Eric. I was part of finding her, I failed in her escape, and I'll be damned if I'm not a part of recovering her. I'm seeing this through."

That front was pointless to push. That, of course, left Maxwell who was as vital as ever in tracking down Faith. She was lucky that was certain. Leaving in the middle of completing our bond. I had no way of finding her, no aura, no bond; nothing outside of conventional means. But everything left a trail, it was only a matter of finding it.

Allison (Faith) POV

I looked at my hands with apprehension wondering what had been done to my hair, I'd been in the salon for over an hour and had two different stylists work on my hair, I was ready to look into a mirror, but also feared seeing something I'd hate. I'd walked into a small salon with Kristi and Anna and been surprised to find they all knew Kristi personally. We were the only ones there on a Thursday afternoon. The staff consisted of a receptionist and two stylists who all seemed incredibly happy to see us. They asked Kristi about me and cooed over Anna a little before they all walked me over to the salon chair. Kristi gave me a encouraging pat told the staff to take care of me whatever I needed and that she'd come back for me in about an hour and a half and cover the bill. Anna hugged me quickly and ran after her mommy.

I'd been left with the two stylists, one a smaller Spanish lady named Esther with dark brown hair and eyes to match with a pair of glasses in front of them. The other a man named Donny who was in about his 40s with tanned skin and salt and pepper hair. I nervously let down my hair from the bun I'd put it in and told them to have fun. They stared for a moment and asked what I meant. "Make it different. Not unconventional different but do whatever you think will look the best with my face and coloring. My only two stipulations: color it and don't shave anything." They stared a little more and then excitedly started brushing out my hair and chatting with each other, parting it in different manners and turning me every which way to study my features. Donny took command first explaining that he was better at coloring. I'd gotten one last look at myself and then I was whisked off to the sink. My hair was washed and colored, though what color I had no clue, Donny smiled as I asked, "It'll be a surprise."

"As long as it's not outlandish I'm sure I'll like it."

"It's very much in-landish," he'd promised with a wink.

I was handed over to Esther for cutting which had taken a while. All I knew was I had hair resting on my forehead which meant bangs and that my head was lighter. Donny came by for the drying process as they'd put final touches on my hair and here I was turned around, cape off, facing the mirror, excited and terrified to see what they'd done.

I looked up and almost did a double take. My hair was longer than I'd thought it would be and my bangs...wow. My hair had been almost to my waist before and now it fell slightly past my shoulders in a chestnut brown instead of my usual dirty blonde. The bangs were the best part though. Esther had left long pieces to frame my face on the side and the bangs on my forehead fell only slightly above my eyebrows (which Donny had made blend with my new hair color) and parted beautifully wherever I wanted as they quickly demonstrated. I was speechless, wait, I was crying with joy. I hugged both Donny and Esther and thanked them profusely. When Kristi walked in not two minutes later, I was still sitting in the chair looking into the mirror playing with my new hair in disbelief. Anna couldn't stop touching it either she loved it.

"It really suits you, Allison," Kristi said warmly. And I finally believed it, it did suit Allison. The violet eyes did not, but those would come later.

"Here's to new beginnings," I whispered to myself with a smile as I playfully tossed my new bangs.

It was time to move.