Paul had been out wandering the streets of new York once again with no particular destination in mind. There had been no rhyme or reason to his wandering, simply a desire to get out and see the city he had been away from for so long. The leather jacket that seemed to be his constant companion in this type of weather blocked out the cold wind from his upper body though his face still felt its icy touch. As he glanced around the street his eyes fell on a sign that triggered a memory he couldn't quite place.

"Full circle book store..." He murmured to himself as he paused to look at the revolving door that led into the shop. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

For a few moments Paul stood there, trying to figure out why he was making this strange connection. Finally he decided that the only way he was going to figure things out was if he got more information so he turned and walked resolutely through the door and into the bookstore.

The blast of warmth was welcoming indeed and immediately Paul unzipped his coat and felt himself beginning to thaw out. The shelves were fully stocked, stacked high with all sorts of books that could transport the reader to all sorts of interesting places both real and fictional. It was a haven to relax in and it was just the sort of place Paul had been looking for. He had yet to find a good apartment and so he was staying in one of those long term hotels which wasn't really the best place to relax and unwind but this location had definite possibilities. "Nice... very nice."

The best things going for the Full Circle were the location and the fact that they served snacks. Seriously. E-books were going to be the death of her beloved business.

Lately Maya had moved away from trying to carry everything and instead went for the leather-bound and thick paper kind of books. To her, it seemed the only people who bought books were the people who really appreciated them. So she tried to cater to that.

Maya huffed out a sigh from behind the counter. She'd had to lay off another employee rather than take more on for the holidays. Of course, looking around the store now it didn't look like there was too much of a rush. Cailey, the store cat, twined between her ankles. There were two friends chatting over lattes. Regulars. An old guy that Maya didn't have the heart to wake up was sleeping in the history section.

Yep. Just your typical fare. She thought about sweeping again.

The soft ding of the door sounded and Maya perked up. "Welcome to the Full Circle."

Lightly tan with grayed hair, this gentleman reminded her of art for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that he looked as if he could have fit into a yacht club if only he'd remembered to bring his deck shoes and pashmina scarf.

Maya leaned onto her elbows from behind the circular counter, her green Full Circle apron covering her button up and skirt. "Can I help you find anything?"

"Welcome to the Full Circle."

The pleasant voice moved Paul's attention away from the bookstore as a whole and firmly focused it on the young woman standing behind the counter. Petite with friend pale brown eyes, her skin was extremely pale but what stood out most was the white that was mixed in with her brown hair... or maybe it was brown mixed in with her white hair.

"Can I help you find anything?"

As he looked at her, the memory of an almost forgotten meeting bubbled to the surface. A fabulous art exhibit that he had eventually broken up for his own gain though she had no way of knowing that. He had been quite careful to make sure noone knew he had stolen that particular painting but before that less than legal bit of business he had enjoyed quite a pleasant conversation with this particular young woman and a young man that modeled himself her protector. What had the young man called her?

"ma Ghost..." Paul murmured, his voice just above a whisper before he shook his head to bring himself back to the present. "Sorry, about that. I don't believe I need any help, I just stumbled upon the store and as I love books it seemed like a great place to stop in. I'm Paul McCoy though I think we might have met before. A year or so ago at an art exhibit. You were with a young man... your son I believe?"

Racking his brain, Paul tried to remember the name that had been paired with this striking young woman. Their conversation had been quite enjoyable but since they had only met once he was having definite trouble remembering exactly what her name might be. Well, today was a good day for renewing old acquaintances.

Paul McCoy? Maya tried the name out by whispering it to herself and it soon was obvious when the light bulb of recognition came on over her head as it was marked by a sharp intake of breath.

"Right! The exhibit that was interrupted. I'm sorry we could not make our acquaintances properly otherwise I surely would have recognized you. Maya Csendes." She supplied both her name and her hand, ready for a re-introduction. He looked exactly the same. The clothes were different, but only just.

"Jude was quite impressed if I remember right." She practically glowed with approval. Now here was a man her son should look up to.

"Feel free to look around. This is my shop so let me know if you need something." A friendly face was like a breath of fresh air. Maya decided that she would sweep after all so she left the circular enclosure that held the till and went to find the broom from it's hiding spot.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you again Maya." Paul answered with a smile as he reached out and gave her hand a gentle but firm handshake. "The young Frenchman handled himself quite pleasantly and he was very protective of you I believe."

Nodding to the young woman he turned and wandered through the store for the next several minutes simply enjoying the quiet of browsing the wide selection. He didn't see a single cheap paperback or low quality book on any of the shelves. It seemed that Maya had decided to only stock quality hardback volumes that would stand up to lots of wear and tear and lots of reading. It was a sentiment that Paul could appreciate in a world that was slowly tossing aside paper volumes in favor of the blossoming digital age.

"So you're a small business owner." Paul observed when he wandered across Maya sweeping, "What made you decide to have a book store? Was it simply that you wanted a small business or was it a love of literature that inspired you?"

Obviously there was more depth to this wisp like young woman than what was readily apparent on the forefront. The appreciation for art and more than likely literature were somewhat apparently but to run your own business took a steely resolve that obviously was hidden below the surface. There was also the fact that Paul had met a son but never heard a mention of a father... was Maya also a single mother as well?

Oh wow. Maya hadn't thought about how she came to own the place in a long time. She took a break and leaned on her broom. There was no wedding ring on her finger.

"Well, originally I came here for school, but that was when the registration was going on. So that delayed things a bit." You know, unlawful incarceration. No big deal. She'd clearly moved on from that hurt. "I got a job here to make ends meet and make friends. I didn't know anybody really, but tensions being what they were riots broke out at the park. The violence spilled over here and wrecked this place. The previous owners were elderly and didn't want anything to do with it. I was younger and foolish enough to think of myself as a peace maker. Make books, not war."

Maya motioned with her broom handle to the plaque by the door that declared this store neural ground and a safe place for all. "I like books. I like people, mostly anyway. So I did some convincing and got a couple silent partners, state of the art security, that kind of stuff. I was lucky they had a good brand to start off because I really didn't know anything when I started." She chuckled at the memory of double orders and cardboard promotional cutouts.

One of the regulars motioned Maya over. She excused herself and went to refill their coffee cups from a rather simple industrial-type pot. When Aurum wasn't around, Maya kept the coffee as simple a she could.

"Did you ever start renting your empty apartments? Delores here, she says her son is in the market."

"I haven't." She addressed the other woman directly. "I'm sorry, Delores, they're still in need of heavy repairs. I could let him see them anyway if you like. If I had interest maybe then I could rationalize the cost, you know. The market is still rough." The elemental fished around in her apron pocket, but eventually had to fetch a business card from the counter. She scribbled her personal cell number on the back and prayed these matrons were actually trying to help her fill her vacancies rather than set her up.

Maya mouthed her apology for the interruption in their conversation as she paced back to where she had left Paul. "So that's pretty much it. Through sheer dumb luck I fell into it. This place is my rock." She had been shot here, fallen in love here, been healed, made her proposal, friends had come and gone... Some days she hated it, but ultimately Maya would be sad if she had to let it go.

Maya's story was a simple yet charming one. A story of a person looking to bring about change and willing to work to accomplish it in her own small ways. The story of a store founded on certain ideals with the support of friends and family. It was almost like something from a fairy tale. "Very nice." Paul responded with a nod and smile, "This place seems to fit you... or maybe you fit with it."

Other customers called her attention and so Paul went to browse through a shelf full of classics while the young woman took care of refreshing the hot beverages. Though he hadn't intended to eavesdrop, he couldn't help but hear something about empty apartments... with ears suddenly perked in interest Paul's mind suddenly focused completely on the conversation behind him while he stared blankly at the book in front of him. A few minutes later the conversation ended and he heard Maya walking back toward him.

Turning back toward her, he lowered the copy of "Call of the Wild" that he had been looking over and once again gave her a warm smile. "It seems like we might both have our share of dumb luck. Though I didn't mean to intrude I overheard your conversation about apartments and I happen to be in the market for one. I'm also rather handy so depending on what sorts of repairs need done I just might be able to pitch in and help them get done... at least if you don't mind considering me as a possible tenant."

She ducked her head by way of accepting Paul's compliment. The place suited her? She didn't see it, but she knew better than to argue the point.

"Oh. Well, I can go get you a card too." She craned her neck to catch sight of a wall clock placed just so between the stacks. "Or, as soon as my replacement comes in, I can pick up my son from daycare and we can walk there together. It's maybe two blocks from here? And the sidewalks aren't too bad." He did not look so old that Maya had to worry about him walking that far. In fact, he seemed pretty spry.

"I should hire a super, but there are so few apartments we're usually okay." She shrugged. "It'd be nice to have someone around who can handle a hammer."

The door chimed again and Maya hurried away with an apologetic shrug of her shoulder. Business was business. He couldn't fault her for that.

"After your shift would be great if it isn't a problem." Paul said with a rueful smile, "The long term hotel I'm in isn't exactly the homiest place I've ever stayed."

Waving slightly as Maya was called away to run her business, Paul turned and made his way to the most comfortable chair he could find. He would definitely be buying this fine copy of "Call of the Wild" but for now he was quite happy to just settle in and get lost within the story as he had in previous years.

The fantastic story of an animal ripped away from its home and familiar surroundings was captivating and always made him stop and consider his own background. His mutation had ripped him away from a normal life and led him down an unfamiliar path but in the end that path led him home. It was amazing how that worked.

McCoy settled into a chair with a book. Maya meant to take him a coffee to ease the wait, but business ended up picking up a bit and before she knew it the next shift had come in. She ran back to the office to count out her drawer and remove her apron.

For the first time in a while she felt... hopeful.

Maya was just buttoning the bottom button of her peacoat over her skirt as she passed Paul's chair. "You stay right there. I'll be back for you in just a moment." She darted out the side door and down the few storefronts until she came to the sky blue door. She was up and down the stairs again in record time, Rowan bundled up like a marshmallow in her arms.

His little unnaturally gray face peeked out of his hood as Maya came to stand in front of Paul once more. "If you're ready?" Her cheeks were pink from the cold as were her bare knees, but she didn't seem particularly bothered by either. "Paul McCoy this is Rowan Csendes, one and half years old. Rowan, say hi." She cajoled her son until he at least waved. "Jude is at boarding school just north of the city so we aren't likely to meet up with him today."

She shifted Rowan on her hip as he arched his back in protest of being held, but Maya knew it would be much faster to carry him. His little toddler legs just couldn't keep pace. Maya held the door for Paul and then they were off out into the chilly afternoon air.

"Thanks for waiting around." She noticed he bought a book too. It was polite after occupying a chair for so long and went some way toward her approval of him as a person. "There are two apartments open. One I rented to a lovely couple for... oh, a long while, but they've since moved to a larger space. The other one is unfinished. My husband was supposed to get to that, but..." She shrugged because she didn't have very much that was nice to say about the subject. "Well, he was supposed to do a lot of things." Maya pursed her lips and plowed on.

She brought him to a dusty gray brick building that was shorter than every building around it. The property was clearly old and the shop in the front had its windows papered up so that it looked abandoned. Maya dodged the front altogether and went around to the back where she juggled Rowan until she could fish her keys out of her pocket.

"The apartments are all upstairs. The storefront used to house a clinic, but it never really took off." The door opened to a tight corridor with painted red walls and a small wooden mailbox cubbyhole system. It was cozy and warm with shag-style mats to wipe their feet on before they hit the stairs. The wooden stairs creaked and jostled as they ascended, but to their credit, no one fell through them in all the time Maya lived here.

Once they reached the top of the stairs Maya put Rowan down and he ran down the hall. "This apartment at the top of the stairs belongs to a young woman, very private." Maya had not heard a peep from Svetlana since Jude had moved out. She hoped the woman was embarrassed.

There was a large space until the next door which Rowan was straining to turn the knob to. "This is where Rowan and I live." Clearly it was a space large enough for an entire family. Of course, that had been the original plan. "These next two are the empty ones and the last one down there belongs to a very large red man. He isn't around much." Not that Maya minded since his rent check was very regular.

Maya tugged Rowan past their apartment and let him help her unlock the first empty space. "This is the finished one. No furniture, of course. Radiator style heating, one bathroom, full range and oven, there's even a hook up for a washing machine, ah- a small one. Wood floors except in the bedroom." It needed a little TLC since some of the flooring was damaged and it was clear that the wall that this apartment shared with Maya's had been patched rather inexpertly.

She let him take a look around the space before she tugged Rowan to the next apartment. The floor was ripped down to the studs in the main room with water damage to some of the drywall around the only visible window. "I haven't really been in here in a while, but... well, you can see why I can't rent this one out at least." She shrugged again and hoped her neglect of this space did not make the other one look less appealing.

Paul was so invested in his book that he almost missed Maya's comment about coming right back. Lifting a hand he waved in acknowledgement though he remained absorbed in what he was reading. Buck was an amazing canine and his first experience with 'the law of the club' was yet another thought provoking moment. What was the club in Paul's life? What was the one thing that allowed another being to have control over him? While there was no physical object that could affect him that way he always wondered whether there might be an emotional club that he had not yet considered.

"If you're ready?" The young woman's voice broke pleasantly through his reverie. Lifting his gaze Paul had to smile and he quickly rose to his feet.

"Absolutely... and it's nice to meet you Rowan."

Pausing on the way to the door, Paul paid for his purchase and then followed Maya out the door. The weather seemed to have warmed slightly over the past few hours, but not much. Maya didn't seem to be bothered by the cold though she did make sure that her young son was bundled up quite well against the weather.

"It was no problem waiting though I am sorry I won't get to see Jude again. Please tell him that I said hello whenever you happen to speak with him."

The walk was actually quite enjoyable and it didn't take long at all to cover the distance to the apartment building. Walking inside, Paul looked around and could see that while everything was quite clean and tidy it was also in need of some basic maintenance. The stairs were still holding together but it sounded like they could use some new braces as well as a little bit of oil.

"I can respect people's privacy... especially since I like my own." Paul responded with a smile, "If I move in here I'll do my best not to bother anyone."

The first apartment she showed was nice enough with only minor damage that would need to be fixed. Some basic drywall repair and painting combined with a few planks on the wood floor. It was maybe one days work, pretty minor. The second apartment needed a lot more work with a complete floor replacement and a lot of drywall replacement as well. From the evidence of water damage it was likely that some of the studs would need replaced as well. It would probably take a week or two of solid work if Paul were trying to get it done all by himself.

"I'd actually rather take this apartment." Paul said after a few moments, knowing that this decision might actually surprise Maya, "I can take care of all the repairs on the first apartments and most of them in this one. If there are any electrical or plumbing issues then I'll have to get a professional but all the main work I can do. It'll probably take a few weeks but I'd be able to customize this one with the paint colors and such I might like, at least if that would be acceptable with you. It'll allow you to rent the other apartment to whomever might want it so that you can have both apartments rented out instead of only one."

The only problem with respecting other's privacy was that it got awfully lonely. Maya hefted Rowan up from the ground and back onto her hip.

"I can't in good conscience let you stay in the unfinished room. Please, Paul. Be reasonable. I don't yet have another prospect. Stay in the finished one until you can get the other one up to code at least. Even if it's just temporary."

Rowan arched his back and squealed an unhappy sound until Maya handed him her keys. "Why don't you come in. I'll get us a snack and you can look over the lease agreement." She had to steal the keys back to open her own door, but they went right back into Rowan's hands afterward.

Maya's apartment was, for New York City, palatial. It had 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a dining area, and a living room. The majority of her walls were a pale Tiffany blue, her kitchen chairs and couches were white with spots of color where rugs and pillows dotted the room. And, as any self-respecting book store owner should, Maya had several shelves full of books. It made decorating easier when the walls were mostly covered in books.

"Why don't you take a seat at the table?. Would you like some tea or... uh-apple juice?" She didn't keep much on hand by way of drinks.

Rowan, as soon as he was set down, ran straight for his booster chair at the kitchen table and climbed up. He pushed his hood back from his face and took a deep draw from a sippy cup.

It was a small table meant for four, but half the table was kept clear for eating and the other half had stacks of papers and other things that better belonged in an office. Maya drifted through the kitchen collecting a snack and drinks before she returned to pass them out. Apple slices all around, though Rowan got some peanut butter and raisins to go with his, and cups with tea bags for the grownups.

She dug through the papers until she found a manila folder and pulled out the standard agreement. "If you would like to trade repair work for rent, we can easily amend this to reflect that. Feel free to take your time deciding. I don't need an answer right away."

Part of the situation didn't feel right... making Maya wait to be able to rent her other apartment while Paul was trying to fix up the other one but at the same time he understood her argument. Deciding that it was best to allow her to win this battle he finally smiled and nodded his agreement. "Deal... I'll stay in the finished one until I've made the other apartment liveable but not necessarily until I've finished in there."

Since that matter was settled Paul fell into step behind Maya and the young boy. In a matter of just a few minutes he was seated comfortably at the kitchen table. "Tea will be fine, thank you."

It was nice being in a family setting for even just a short time. He hadn't really been in this sort of environment since his own childhood some 80 years before and now it brought back memories that he hadn't dwelt on for many many years. Rowan's settled straight into his chair and took a long draw on his sippy cup making it very clear that this was his home environment and where he was most comfortable.

Apple slices crunched pleasantly between his teeth while he read over the lease agreement. It was a very standard agreement and the monthly rate was more than fair. "How about we deduct the cost of materials and whatever you feel a fair addition for time might be. I've got a pretty free schedule through the winter months so I should be able to give it a lot of time and have it wrapped up pretty quickly." Unless he happened to pick up one of his less than legal jobs, the winter was a very quiet time for a landscaper like himself. Once spring rolled around he could pick up a few landscape jobs to plump up his bank account but he had enough to survive comfortably. It helped that he was a man of simple tastes without a lot of extravagance as well as someone used to surviving under all sorts of conditions.

Setting the papers down, Paul took a sip of his tea. Normally he was more of a coffee drinker but growing up in a cold climate he had an appreciation for all hot beverages and he could drink a nice cup of tea now and then. "So do your friends still come to the book store a lot? You mentioned earlier that you had a lot of people helping you when you first started out."

"Ah, well. My dad works at the school where Jude boards. I go up to visit... Well, not as often as I should." Maya took a sip of her tea to stall for time to think of a way not to sounds really pathetic.

"Things change a bit when you have kids and I sort of went away for a while." She cleared her throat self consciously."For safety reasons. Ehm. People move on pretty quickly, but if I called or really made much of an effort..." Friendship was a two way street and maybe she has pulled away when she realized that her condition was not going away.

"I have as little as 5 years left before my mutation kills me. Maybe more, but... I used to try to save the world and it got me hurt. A lot. I have kids. I have to leave then something. I have to... be careful and it's not really conducive... I don't get out much?" Maya was surprisingly dispassionate about her time left, but her excuse for not really having any friends sounded pretty lame, even to her.

She cleared her throat to regain as much dignity as possible and helped Rowan pull the sticker from the skin of one of his apple slices. "And you, Mr. McCoy?" There was something lonely about him that she could recognize in herself.

Maya stuck the sticker onto Rowan's forehead like it was a common thing to do. Rowan peeled it off and then stuck it to Maya's arm. Maya sick it to his chubby cheek, and so on.

Paul was quiet as he listened to Maya relate her story. She wasn't giving that many details but in her halting way she was telling a sad story that did not have a happy end to look forward to. It sounded as though a lot of her friends had moved on and left her behind to fend for herself. Paul couldn't say that this made them bad friends but he also had to wonder what could be more important than a young woman like this that was fighting to try and make things better?

"But your friends... they're still out trying to save the world." Paul commented quietly, not even feeling that he needed confirmation to know that he was right. It was the part of the story that finally him to see what might have happened. Maya's priorities had changed or shifted while her friends' had not. She had changed her focus to her children while her friends continued to try to save the world but who would save her?

"Please, just call me Paul." He said quietly before taking a sip of his tea. His own story was just as convoluted if not more so and he was needed a moment to decide exactly how much he should share. "I can't remember if I had told you that I'm a mutant as well... I was born in 1919. I have the strange ability of coming back to life after death. Like the Phoenix of legend a fire consumes my body and I rise from the ashes. It doesn't completely halt the aging process but it does slow it."

Taking another sip of his tea he looked down into the brownish liquid still left in his cup. "I've had to leave people behind over and over. Sometimes I was forced to leave and start over because of my own stupidity and sometimes I left because those around me had died. Ninety-four years doesn't seem like a long time in some ways but yet in other ways it's far to long. I endure while others that probably deserve to live are forced to pass on. It's..." For once words failed him and so Paul simply lifted his cup to drain the last of his tea. Unfair wasn't a word that did the situation justice especially after the revelation that Maya had just given him. Here was yet another instance where he would outlive someone... maybe unfair was the perfect word after all.