The appearance of Lori triggered no sort of recognition in Meld at all and, while she should have been getting used to the fact that she wasn't going to recognize much of anyone, it was still a frustrating and terrifying experience. Memories were supposed to remain where they were, firmly inside one's head. They were not supposed to suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke. But, Lenna had just said that Lori was her boss and Lori was certainly acting like a person of authority so at least those pieces seemed to fit together.

Meld made a shallow bow in Lori's direction, respectful while still retaining her stature. She might not remember much, but she still knew who she was as she knew that she would never prostate herself in front of anyone, boss or no boss.

"I'm sorry but I don't remember you." Meld's voice was polite, professional and remarkably calm for all her personal confusion. "Someone," she took her cue from Lenna who seemed to have just suggested that it was a 'someone' who was responsible, "has done something to my memory. I don't...I remember Aura and Abyss and I remember living here. I don't..." her voice tapered off in confusion.

Pink lips had actually parted to ask if she had some kind of head trauma, but Lenna and Meld were very clear. Her memories were stolen. Perhaps they could be returned, perhaps not. "We always take care of our own."

She nodded and extended her hand. "Well it's nice to meet you again, Meld. How's the hand?" She motioned to the electric hand. She and that had were aquatinted even if Lori and Meld as people were not. Like called to like.

Lori was hoping the key to Meld's memories was lost at sea. Having Meld back was like someone accidentally turning on the cable for your apartment. Why call and tell on yourself? They'd just take your free HBO.

She tsked a few times. "Do you remember who at all took your memories? We're pretty good at the business of revenge." Also it wouldn't hurt to have a cable man around, ready to tweak people's channels as needed.

Meld's memory was so bad she didn't even remember her boss. How sad, not to rememember a face like Lori's. They'd have to refresh her memory in a roundabout (replacing whatever past ones she had with ones they wanted) way.

Lenna looked to Lori, then to Meld as the blond asked her a question. Lenna took a few steps away from Meld, just to bridge the distance a bit more. She stopped at Lori's side, and crossed her arms.

"Where'd you wake up today, before you realized you had no memories? Can you remember that far back?" What did she have for breakfast? They'd need all the important details if they wanted to track the thing that did this down. Lenna was personally hoping for Wheaties... they'd need a champion. She hoped Meld still had her game.

Lori's words were comforting. It was good to feel like she had somewhere to belong, that someone cared for her. She had made the right choice, then, in trusting what few memories she had left in coming here. She may not have remembered her boss, but clearly her boss remembered her.

"Thank you," Meld answered Lori, her voice openly grateful. Where would she be had she not had people to help her? Probably still lost and alone in the alleys of New York. She looked at her hand when it was mentioned. "My hand is fine, its my brain that doesn't seem to be working right." A wry and bitter smile.

"I don't know who took my memories. The first thing I remember was...I think I was on top of someone, hurt them. And...there was a woman with brunette hair there too. She threatened me with a gun." Meld remembered the gun all to well even if she didn't remember much of anything else. "I'm sorry. I just don't know. I wish I could be more help." It was an exercise in frustration and desperation not even to be able to remember such simple things.

"I don't remember anything before this evening," Meld addressed Lenna. "Just the two women and then being in the city. That's it. Everything else is just shadow and cobwebs."

"If brownie had a gun she couldn't have been a self-respecting mutant. Adapted maybe? Pure human?" It wasn't a slight, it was truth. Adapteds were human. It wasn't taboo for them to use a gun.

"Is any part of your gift memory based?" Or was that anything she would remember?

"And what about the other one, the one you were hurting. Mutant hater, baby drowner? I'm guessing she didn't have any of those things tattooed on her forehead?" Though she might as well have if Meld was attacking her.

The strange thing was that they were two women and a gun. It didn't occur to Lori that the three of them standing there were women and a gun. Four if Lisa were included. Somehow mutant powers and adapted mojo made them a bit better than that. Maybe because they had focus, purpose and intent.

"If you don't want to explore backward, that's fine too. We can always move forward. I can show you your room." Not that there was a lot in there. Meld had left things rather spartan when she had left, but Lori always knew she would come back.

Nope, no Wheaties. It seemed like she still couldn't remember much. A brunette with a gun, proximity. Meld had been threatened... and she'd been with two women.

There wasn't much else she could say. Lenna didn't suppose Meld knew what kind of make the gun was. That might have steered them in some direction... maybe to a dealer, maybe given them some clue. It might not have been a huge one, but it was better than what they had.

Lori noted the gun with a degrading comment towards gun-owners (and adapteds), and Lenna had to nod. Inwardly, she was smirking.

What Meld didn't know...

... And while it was true, most mutants could blow people away with their own powers, and had no use for sidearms, Lenna disagreed with Lori's point. Guns were useful, in cases when powers were ill-advised. It was a good public speaking device. Just showing it off caused people to suddenly listen to what you had to say. She disagreed with anti-gun vibes as a matter of principle. They'd been more useful to her than any mutant power might have been.

She kept those thoughts to herself, though, and gave no outward appearance of thinking those thoughts. Cover stories. Had to have 'em. And disagreements on personal principles didn't matter one bit.

Lori was the boss, and Lori had good guiding questions, and a direction.

At Lori's comment on Meld's room, Lenna chimed in "Do you need to sit down? I'd imagine all this is tiring." She offered a concerned look, to show the Order Amazons had the woman's best interests at heart.

Meld had no idea whether or not any of the two woman who had been around when she had come to were mutants or humans but she did know about her powers. Thankfully that was one memory that hadn't disappeared from her mind. "No, none of my powers are memory based, unless you count the skills needed to actually forge my flesh melds." Skills which she was fairly certain she was still in possession of.

"I don't know anything about the one with the gun," Meld stated, frustration showing in the tone of her voice. Normally she was calm and collected, rarely letting much of anything show through, but if there was ever a time to be openly frustrated this was it.

"I'd love to be shown my room," Meld answered gratefully. "I think I just need to lie down. Maybe things will start to make more sense after I've had a chance to sleep." Not too likely, but she was exhausted and sleep couldn't possibly make things any worse.

Meld was back. Meld wanted to stay. Lori smiled as bright as day. Her prodigal child had returned.

"It's just down the hall. Come on."

They hadn't even let anyone in to wash the sheets. It was perfectly preserved if a bit empty from the things she had taken with her. Lori turned the knob and the door opened smoothly to a dim room. She would let Meld turn on the lights if she wanted.

"If you need anything, I'll be across the hall in the office there. If I'm not there, Lisa can find me." There were only a few minor things to take care of here at the Sanctuary. Lisa handled so many of the day to day things that without her, Lori would be quite lost.

This had worked out just as she'd hoped. They'd earned her trust.

Lenna smiled with Lori as they dropped Meld off at her room. Lori told Meld she knew where to find her.

"If you need to contact me," Lenna added, "Lisa has my contact information. Take care, Meld. Let me know if you need anything. I worry, you know?"

With a casual wave, Lenna turned away from the two women, walking down the hall. "Good bye."

Exit, Lenna. Job, well-done.

Meld didn't know where she would be at that moment if not for the kindness of Lori and Lenna. They helped in a moment that must surely be her most trying. Even if she couldn't remember that that had happened recently, she could still have some sense of suratey that not much could be worse than losing years out of your life.

"I'm grateful to the both of you. If there's ever anything I can do to repay you for this, you have only to ask." She followed Lori to her indicated room, stopping to wonder only briefly where her personal touches were. She was almost too tired to properly think, however, and such questions could be asked later. She was certain there must be a good explanation for it, after all.