Disclaimer: Fox, ME, Joss has it all, I could never claim that they were or ever will be mine. No finances are being exchange and this is made solely for entertainment purposes only

Again he finds himself looking at the brothel from across the street as he sat perched upon his stool, sipping disinterestedly at his drink.

Finally steeling up his nerve he left one seedy establishment for another, pausing just outside its doors.

He feels like he's being watched, 'Gorramit' he was so damned careful not to attract attention this time.

He looks calmly around to find his adversary.

There a woman stares at him for some ungodly reason and then vanishes. He cocks his head to one side trying to figure what just happened.

He chucks it up to the whiskey.

Placing a hand onto the door, several thoughts race through his mind.

The permanence of happiness and what comes with it.

Sure, killing people and getting paid to do it makes him happy, but that's only short term.

What he wanted, meant having to tear down walls he had built for himself, find a woman that would have a man such as himself and settle down.

He closed his eyes knowing full well, that in the life that he leads, that things will never be the way he would one day would want them to be.

He opened his eyes only to see the woman from earlier who had disappeared, but now standing in front of him, two inches away.

She strokes the right side of his cheek in a loving way and then with the wind the apparition seemed to dissipate before his eyes, leaving him bewildered.

He feels he may be ready for the bughouse and yet, could this be the sign of hope he was looking for.

He closes his eyes again hoping the answer reappears and finds when he reopens them, there is nothing, but the feeling that someone is trying to get to him.

Now more then ever he needs to know the answer to his questions.

Who was that woman?

And why does he feel drawn to her?

He leaves to search for his Phoenix.