Disclaimer: Some things never change. Only Nora and Melissa are original
Melissa smiled the whole time Jesse showed her around. 'He is not bad looking, I think I'm going to like it here,' she said to herself.
"What, did you say something?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah, I said the place looks great," She replied.
"Oh, yeah Adam designed it," Jesse started to tell her. "Well, here is where you'll be sleeping," he said showing her a guestroom.
* * *
Emma kept looking behind her wondering what the other two were up too. Nora noticed and asked what was wrong, "Nothing, I was just wondering where everyone else was," Emma answered. "Well, anyway, here we are."
Emma opened the door and showed her the room, and then she took Nora to see where they ate and then the dojo.
* * *
"Are you sure you'll be comfortable here?" Jesse asked as Melissa walked across the room.
"Yes, thank you," Melissa said in a 'dreamy' kind of way as she looked at Jesse.
"You okay?" Jesse asked and Melissa laughed.
"I'm fine, I just get lost in my thoughts sometimes," she said and smiled.
"Oh okay. I'm going to see Emma, call me if you need anything," Jesse said and walked away.
Melissa sat on the bed and sighed. It seemed it might take a little more to get his attention. That was all right, she had all week and maybe longer. She lay back on the bed and smiled, this was going to fun, and she really loved it here already.
* * *
Adam walked out of the lab, his test analysis finished. He was running the results in his mind, turning the problem over and over to find a solution. Melissa's abilities were impressive and she had them under pretty good control, Nora on the other hand, she was the one that he was worrying about. As he walked to the dojo, the first thing he noticed was that it was unusually quiet.
Looking under the dojo, where the reflecting pool was located he found Nora. She was sitting at the edge, her legs draw up to her chest and her chin resting on her knees. She had wrapped her arms around herself as if she were trying to make herself into as tight a ball as possible.
He walked over to her, but her concentration was so intent on the pool that she didn't notice him. This was his first chance to take a real good look at her. She had dark red hair that was styled into a long French braid going down to the middle of her back. She was covered from head to toe practically. She wore thin gloves, long sleeve turtleneck, and jeans that looked a little to long for her legs. The cuffs were worn from scraping the ground.
He touched her shoulder gently and she jolted violently. She calmed a little when she saw who it was. Adam knelt down, "I didn't mean to frighten you. I wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm okay," She slid an inch away from him. Adam frowned softly and sat down on the ledge.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?"
"No, its not that, its just that," she fumbled for the right words still holding herself in the curled up position. "Don't get me wrong, I like hanging out with people, and I like having friends, especially when they don't think of me as a freak or anything. Every time I touch someone, it almost feels like I become that person. I know everything that they know, feel everything that they've felt their entire lives. I know they're deepest, darkest secrets, things no one should know about. It takes a while for it to fade away, but even then I still know the things I know. I can't touch anyone because of this damned curse."
"In a way, I'm responsible for that."
"No, you're not. You couldn't have known. You were fooled as much as my parents were. I have you too thank for saving my life back there. If you hadn't shown up, I don't know what I might have done," Nora smiled sweetly at him and he smiled back.
"I only try to do the right thing."
"And that is the difference between you and Eckhart," she rocked back and forth lightly. He gently touched her shoulder again and held his hand there. She stopped rocking, but relaxed under his touch. Adam smiled again, patted her shoulder, and stood up.
"Did you happen to see where Emma went?"
"Yeah, I think she went into her room."
"You okay alone for a little while?" Adam asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just wanted to watch the water for a little while, helps me calm my thoughts."
"That's the point," he walked away and headed towards Emma's room. He knocked on the door and got a terse 'Come in,' and he tentatively opened the door. The tension in the room was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Emma was sitting on her bed with her arms crossed, and Jesse was standing to the side. Adam had a feeling that he had just walked in on the middle of a fight.
Melissa smiled the whole time Jesse showed her around. 'He is not bad looking, I think I'm going to like it here,' she said to herself.
"What, did you say something?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah, I said the place looks great," She replied.
"Oh, yeah Adam designed it," Jesse started to tell her. "Well, here is where you'll be sleeping," he said showing her a guestroom.
* * *
Emma kept looking behind her wondering what the other two were up too. Nora noticed and asked what was wrong, "Nothing, I was just wondering where everyone else was," Emma answered. "Well, anyway, here we are."
Emma opened the door and showed her the room, and then she took Nora to see where they ate and then the dojo.
* * *
"Are you sure you'll be comfortable here?" Jesse asked as Melissa walked across the room.
"Yes, thank you," Melissa said in a 'dreamy' kind of way as she looked at Jesse.
"You okay?" Jesse asked and Melissa laughed.
"I'm fine, I just get lost in my thoughts sometimes," she said and smiled.
"Oh okay. I'm going to see Emma, call me if you need anything," Jesse said and walked away.
Melissa sat on the bed and sighed. It seemed it might take a little more to get his attention. That was all right, she had all week and maybe longer. She lay back on the bed and smiled, this was going to fun, and she really loved it here already.
* * *
Adam walked out of the lab, his test analysis finished. He was running the results in his mind, turning the problem over and over to find a solution. Melissa's abilities were impressive and she had them under pretty good control, Nora on the other hand, she was the one that he was worrying about. As he walked to the dojo, the first thing he noticed was that it was unusually quiet.
Looking under the dojo, where the reflecting pool was located he found Nora. She was sitting at the edge, her legs draw up to her chest and her chin resting on her knees. She had wrapped her arms around herself as if she were trying to make herself into as tight a ball as possible.
He walked over to her, but her concentration was so intent on the pool that she didn't notice him. This was his first chance to take a real good look at her. She had dark red hair that was styled into a long French braid going down to the middle of her back. She was covered from head to toe practically. She wore thin gloves, long sleeve turtleneck, and jeans that looked a little to long for her legs. The cuffs were worn from scraping the ground.
He touched her shoulder gently and she jolted violently. She calmed a little when she saw who it was. Adam knelt down, "I didn't mean to frighten you. I wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm okay," She slid an inch away from him. Adam frowned softly and sat down on the ledge.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?"
"No, its not that, its just that," she fumbled for the right words still holding herself in the curled up position. "Don't get me wrong, I like hanging out with people, and I like having friends, especially when they don't think of me as a freak or anything. Every time I touch someone, it almost feels like I become that person. I know everything that they know, feel everything that they've felt their entire lives. I know they're deepest, darkest secrets, things no one should know about. It takes a while for it to fade away, but even then I still know the things I know. I can't touch anyone because of this damned curse."
"In a way, I'm responsible for that."
"No, you're not. You couldn't have known. You were fooled as much as my parents were. I have you too thank for saving my life back there. If you hadn't shown up, I don't know what I might have done," Nora smiled sweetly at him and he smiled back.
"I only try to do the right thing."
"And that is the difference between you and Eckhart," she rocked back and forth lightly. He gently touched her shoulder again and held his hand there. She stopped rocking, but relaxed under his touch. Adam smiled again, patted her shoulder, and stood up.
"Did you happen to see where Emma went?"
"Yeah, I think she went into her room."
"You okay alone for a little while?" Adam asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just wanted to watch the water for a little while, helps me calm my thoughts."
"That's the point," he walked away and headed towards Emma's room. He knocked on the door and got a terse 'Come in,' and he tentatively opened the door. The tension in the room was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Emma was sitting on her bed with her arms crossed, and Jesse was standing to the side. Adam had a feeling that he had just walked in on the middle of a fight.