A New Life in San Francisco

Chapter 2; In a Panic

James walked quickly down through his old college, the quickest route to walk into the part of city that Sam had mentioned. The college looked like just another part of the area, the buildings closely packed, built in the early seventies in that drab concrete wall design that was so popular at the time. He spied someone coming out of the student union building as he came around the last corner that pointed the way to the complex that the club was sited. The women looked to be in her early thirties, she wore simple clothing and had her hair tied up in a bun like normal.

He waved at her happily, they had met just after James had arrived in San Francisco, and it had been her that had made him decide to enrol in the college to try to make his life have meaning again. She was a student support worker, not his unfortunately, actually he never really did know who her students were but there was a lot of students here so it wasn't that surprising really.

"Hi, Gemma!" He said with a smile as soon as they were close enough. He accepted her hug, though a bit stiffly as was his way.

"Hey, James." She said when she released him, "Where you off to?"

"Going to meet Sam and Jackie at P3. You ever been there?" He asked, trying to get some information about the strange place before walking in.

"Can't say I have, all I know is that it is respectable, you don't have to worry about getting hurt." She said, seeing through his act. The three years or more that she had helped him had given her particularly good instincts when it came to James' ways. "Besides I'm sure Sam and Jackie will look out for you. Maybe you'll meet someone." She suggested with a wink.

"I'm only going to celebrate my new job." James said bluntly, rebutting her match-making attempt as he always did.

"You got it?" He nodded, "The one at the Social Services?" He nodded again and he suddenly found himself in another motherly hug that threatened to bring tears to his eyes at the reminder of his old best friend's mother but he didn't cry about things like that anymore. At least not in the open. "That's great! That's the one under Paige Matthews isn't it?"

"Yeah, she seemed nice enough, but I think she's already planning on shrinking me." He grumbled the last part out.

"You can't blame her for picking it up; it is her job after all. I know her by reputation, she's a good person, try to let her in, ok?" She told him.

"Sure, Gemma." Harry forced a grin though it probably looked more like a grimace. "I should probably get going or I'm going to be late. It's already five-to and it's a fifteen minute walk from here."

"Ok, James, have a nice evening," She smiled at him which he grudgingly returned. "Remember what I told you, even if your not a student anymore, you can always call me and we can talk. About anything."

James nodded and continued his walk along the pavement. When he looked around to watch her walk away she was already gone. He sighed as he crossed the road into the Industrial complex; she always managed to vanish like that, leaving him wandering on his own.

P3

"Matt!" Piper called across the bar, it was officially her night off and to celebrate the time away from running her club her sisters had decided to drag her back to the club again. "Anything my family orders is on the house!" She told her new barman. He nodded as if that's what he would have done anyway, and it probably would have been since he knew her sisters from his own ventures into the club. It was a quiet night since it was a weeknight but she was satisfied to see that, even this early, there were quite a few people there.

She ordered a few drinks and told him where to find them even as she stood from where she had been leaning on the counter top and turned to walk back to the private booth that her family always occupied. For once her sisters had managed to get sitters for their children so everyone was there that could be. She and her husband Leo had been nominated to sit on the bar stools that closed off their three sided cubical. Around the table were Phoebe and her husband Coup on one side. Paige and her husband Henry took up the back seats and Piper's two eldest sons Wyatt and Chris closed off the square of eight.

Piper's other two children as well as both Phoebe's three and Paige's five were at the manor under the care of a a couple of sitters as they were all under drinking age so for once they had some peace.

They made small talk for a while, catching up on everything that had happened in the last few weeks until their drinks arrived.

Just as they were all about to drink, Wyatt spoke up, raising his pint of beer in a toast. "To my little brother for graduating from college and joining the real world once more!" The group laughed partly at his little joke but mostly at the brilliant shade of red that Chris went at the sudden attention. The group cheered him and drank.

"That reminds me!" Piper suddenly said reaching across in a silent gesture to Paige who had all the bags and jackets behind her on the ledge. Paige reached over her shoulder and grabbed Piper's, handing it over the table at once. Piper dug through it for a few seconds before producing what she was looking for. "Your father and I decided it was time to pass this on. Wyatt agreed with us that you should have it even if it is supposed to be passed down through the eldest sons."

Chris reverently took the fading box from her and opened it slowly to reveal a delicately made silver ring. It was made up of two small serpents twisting round each other in the same direction and looping around to overlap themselves to make the ring complete. It was obviously very old and very expensive.

"I shouldn't have this, Wyatt should have it." Chris tried to pass it back to his father. The rest of the group just watched on in silence.

"I wouldn't have much use for it, Chris." Wyatt told him. "When I get married it will be modern, a ring like this isn't really suitable now-a-days for wedding rings. But it would suit you as a promise ring when you find the right guy."

Chris stared at his brother for a second, his family had known he was gay for the last few years, ever since he had gone to college and worked it out himself, so this news wasn't anything new for them. "Are you sure?" He asked his parents.

"Of course we are, Chris!" Leo told him firmly yet lovingly. "It's our present to you for your graduation. We could always get you a car like we did your brother if you would prefer." He continued teasingly knowing what his son would say.

"No!" Chris shouted rather loudly, drawing a bit of attention to the group making him flush again. "This is much better! Thank you!" He hugged his mum and then, leaning over her, hugged his father and then settled down to a round of congratulations from his aunts and uncles.

Across the room

"You got it! That's great!" Sam shouted gleefully smiling at him knowing better then to try to hug his friend or even shake his hand in such a public place.

"Well, we both knew you'd get it. Well at least I did!" Jackie glared playfully at Sam as the three sat in one of the booths away from the crowd. James had picked it as usual, like he always did when they went out. Sam and Jackie were used to it by now and barely noticed it. Reminded of it only when James closed off when people came too close or tried to touch him in public or even in private if he didn't know them. Neither knew why he was that way, but both knew it was something horrible in his past but both loved him despite it.

Sam chuckled at Jackie and winked at James before setting down his and James' drinks. Jackie took two large gulps of her own cider before settling down comfortably in the comfy seat opposite her two friends. James trapped safely between the wall and the protection that Sam provided by sitting on his side instead of with Jackie.

"So, where did you find out about this place?" James managed after a few attempts at speaking over the band but still carefully enough to not draw attention.

"A guy in our year at college, studied chemistry with me." Jackie informed him. "His mum owns this place and he swore it was safe so you don't have to worry."

"Yeah, well, he's obviously biased." Sam interrupted before turning half to James. "I'm sure James would prefer to know what he's like. Right James?" He joked.

"Ha ha, very funny Sam!" James muttered sarcastically, warming up to the place as he got his bearings.

"Actually, rumour has it, he is gay." Jackie told him trying to turn the conversation into a more serious one. "And actually I looked up the history of this club. It was started by his mum and her two sisters. One of them died shortly after it opened though. But they found a long lost sister soon after that. Someone by the name of Paige Matthews."

"Oh, like that ever happens anywhere but fairytales." Sam laughed.

"Did you say, Paige Matthews?" James asked and got a nod in return. "My new boss." He told them simply.

A shout from across the room during a quiet point in the song drew their attention to one of the private booths. "That's Chris!" Jackie informed them both happily, pointing wildly. "The one who's mum owns this place."

"Who do you think the others are?" Sam asked trying to get a better view.

"Well the two he just hugged are probably his parents." She told him bluntly with a raised eyebrow, "The others I can only guess at. That must be his older brother Wyatt he told me about. And I think I saw that woman on the right pick him up once for Christmas holidays. Phoebe, I think her name was."

"That must be her husband then." Sam deduced, gesturing towards the man beside her. Even as they watched Chris leaned back again and revealed the last two at the table.

"And that's my new boss." James told them succinctly as if everything always conspired against him, which it normally did.

"And her husband." Jackie supplied cheerfully. James looked at her carefully to see if she was taking something before turning back to the group and looked straight into the watching face of his new boss.

"Great!" He muttered turning back to the others quickly. "She saw me!"

"It's not a crime to visit the same pub as your boss you know, James." Sam told him.

"It is when she knows I'm only twenty and this is a twenty-ones only club." James told them glancing back over to see the whole group staring at him carefully. He went pale with so many eyes looking at him.

Jackie gave Sam a concerned look as they both saw him go very pale and both knowing it had nothing to do with breaking the law. James had done that many times since they had met him and he never went pale. He was scared.

Sam scooted across their shared seat closer to James and grabbed his hand below the table so that no-one would see them and noted how much his friend was shaking. He squeezed his hand gently as he whispered reassuringly in his ear. Jackie stood up to try to get a cold cloth from the bar, but was stopped when a guy blocked her way.

"Hey, sweetie!" He slurred at her. James started shaking more, inadvertently stopping Sam from helping her.

"Please move." Jackie told him simply but he just grabbed her arm.

"Leave her alone!" Sam yelled, his voice unknowingly carrying across the room.

Private Booth; A few minutes before

Paige watched as Chris hugged his mother and then his father before noticing a group on the other side of the room. Her eyes met that of her newest employee, obviously out with his friends to celebrate his new job. College friends by the looks of it judging by their age.

"You remember I mentioned I interviewed a new counsellor today?" She asked the group.

"The one you said seemed to be hiding something horrible?" Phoebe asked.

She nodded in James' direction. "That's him over there."

The whole group spun their heads to look just as James turned back from talking to his friends. Paige realised something was wrong when he turned pale almost instantly. Piper turned to look at Paige, as did most of the group. "I thought you said he was really young, how old is he?"

"Twenty." She told her distractedly as she watched his friends start to fuss over him. She frowned.

"He shouldn't be in here then." Piper said.

"Maybe that's why he's gone so pale then." Suggested Wyatt. Everyone but Paige and Chris turned to look at him as he joked. Paige already knowing about James being pale and Chris because he was still watching the scene across the room.

Piper sighed and went to stand, presumably to throw James out for being underage. Paige stopped her.

"Wait, Piper!" she said and Piper sat back again. "Please just leave it this time. I get this vibe off of him, like he has something terrible hidden from view that he is in a constant fight with."

"Besides mum," Wyatt spoke up. "I don't think his drink's alcoholic either so its only your rule he's broken not the law as such."

Piper sighed, partly defeated and partly glad that she wouldn't have to kick out someone that Paige seemed to worry about.

Before anyone else could speak, Chris was leaping out of the booth and Wyatt was close behind.

"Leave her alone!" The yell from across the room had both Piper and Leo on their feet followed quickly by the others as they slide out of the booth.

Across the room.

"Leave me alone!" Jackie yelled before trying to slap the larger man. The red headed man just caught her other arm and gripped it painfully. Sam by this point was split between helping Jackie and calming down James. He couldn't remember James ever reacting quite this badly before. Normally it was just a brief panic, but this time he seemed to be having a serious problem with this man that wouldn't leave Jackie alone. Sam thought he heard the name Ron whispered from James' lips and suddenly realised that this was reminding him of something from his time in England.

"Let her go." A new voice broke through the noises of struggles. James flinched as two new people entered their little area. The taller of the two pried the drunk red-head off of Jackie, who muttered a quick thank you before spinning to check on James.

"Jackie?" Chris asked her. "What's wrong with him?"

"We don't know!" Sam snapped at him before turning to James again, trying to shut him off from the rest of the world which wasn't working as they were drawing a large crowd including the rest of Chris' family.

"Please, Chris," Jackie turned on Chris. "We need to get him somewhere quiet."

Chris nodded and turned searching out his mother, who he found standing talking to the bouncer who was holding the drunk man. He opened his mouth to ask her but she beat him to it, gesturing towards her office.

Sam slowly brought James out of the booth making sure he kept his attention on him. Wyatt moved to James' other side to help take his weight. As soon as his hand was placed on James' waist however, James shrunk away from it and into Sam.

"Don't touch him." Jackie told him before moving to take James' weight herself which he accepted. They followed Wyatt and Chris out of the room and down a much cooler and quieter corridor to a nicely furnished room.

They settled James down sideways on a sofa, Sam in front of him calming him down. Jackie stood up again.

"Can you get him something to cool him down? Ice, or a wet towel?" Wyatt nodded and left the room again. The door closed behind him leaving the room in near silence despite the loud music emanating from the other room.

Chris stood uncomfortable in the centre of the room as Jackie and Sam fussed over his aunt's latest employee. Wyatt returned less than a minute later followed by the rest of his family. He took the ice filled towel off of Wyatt and slowly gave it to Jackie who settled it carefully on the back of James' neck.

James instantly seemed to calm as the shock of the ice cold cloth brought him back to reality. Chris heard his parents talking to his Aunts and Uncles in the corner and slipped closer keeping an eye on James.

"The guy's been thrown out of the club and reported to the police for abuse." Piper was telling the others.

"Do we know what's wrong?" Henry asked.

"I can sense a lot from him, but then not a lot at the same time." Phoebe told them after tapping into her Empathic abilities. "There's fear, confusion and a lot of pain."

"Pain?" Wyatt asked, "Is he hurt?"

"Not actual pain, more like remembered pain. Something from the past perhaps." Phoebe replied looking at Paige who shrugged. "Then there the not a lot part. There's something missing."

"It's his heart; it's closed off to the world." Coup told them, "I can't even get into it. He's protected it somehow. Probably unknowingly."

They were interrupted by Jackie who had come over. "I just wanted to say thanks for your help. Both for me and for James."

"Will he be ok?" Chris asked his college friend making his parents and Wyatt smile knowingly.

"Will he be ok for work on Monday?" Paige asked out of concern for him.

"He'll be ok." Jackie told them. "He's a lot stronger than he seems. Far stronger than most of us." She muttered the last part more to herself then to them, though they all heard her.

"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked glancing at the two young men still talking on the sofa, happy to see James talking calmly again with his own hand holding the cold towel to his own neck.

"He gets like this when he's nervous, or scared. I think it had something to do with you all staring at him, and then that guy must have made it worse as this is the worst I've seen him in at least two years now." She explained.

"Do you know why?" Paige asked, trying to get some answers about her knew counsellor.

"I don't know why, nor does Sam. What ever it is it happened before he came to San Francisco and only James knows anything about that and he refuses to talk about it to anyone. Even us." She sighed as she glanced at her friend before turning back to Chris. "We're helping him all we can though. There really isn't any need to worry." She directed this last part at the older occupants of the room.

The whole group jumped suddenly when James spoke up from behind them. "I just wanted to say thanks and to apologise for disturbing your evening." He was still on the pale side and when Piper went to take a step towards him to check him over he retreated backwards walking into his taller friends chest who steadied him and warned Piper with a shake of his head to come no closer. A muttered sorry from James to his friend echoed across the room again.

James look nervously at Piper for a few seconds before drawing up the courage to speak again. "Also, I'm really sorry. I know you should kick me out because I'm only twenty."

Piper interrupted him before he could work himself up again. "Don't worry about that, how about I make you a deal." She smiled at him before continuing. "As long as your only ever in here with at least one of your friends here and that you don't touch any alcohol, then your welcome in my club. And your also welcome to use this office or the one next door if you need some space. Just don't tell anyone I let you."

"Who?" Henry put in sarcastically, "Like the police?"

James, Sam and Jackie gave him strange looks at the suggestion, not knowing that he was a cop before shrugging it off again when Paige slapped him lightly over the back of the head.

"Ok, I wont joke again!" He muttered to Phoebe's husband beside him who chuckled.

"Thanks again." Sam told them all before moving around James to hand Piper the cold towel. "We should probably get going." Chris and Wyatt lead the way out of the back of the pub and walked with them in silence until they were sure that the red-headed man wasn't hanging around for revenge.

"This is our stop." Jackie told Chris when they reached the college grounds.

"You three still live at college?" Chris asked.

"Sam and I don't, both of us are staying with our family for a while till we find another place." She explained gesturing at Sam who hadn't moved from between James and the two new people throughout the walk. "But James is still renting Sam and his shared dorm in the Paxton building."

They accepted this easily enough and soon they were heading back to the club whilst Sam, James and Jackie headed to crash at James' place for the night.

A/N; My laptops back up and running again! Yay! I'll hopefully have the next chapter of my stargate cross over up later tonight. I'm really sorry for the delays. Please review!