It was a pretty normal day, in a pretty normal month, at least for everyone besides Tarin Brooks. Pretty much nothing in the past year had been normal for him, pretty much was even an understatement. For almost as long as Tarin could remember, he'd been running. Running from what he'd done in Texas, running from the police afterwards, running from the chance that a woman would expect him to call her the next day.

All of that had changed when Tarin had moved to New York City. He'd been there a while when he'd met Lee, true, but he didn't count his life there really starting until after the day he'd met her in the park. There was something about her, brazenly strutting through a park in fishnets and an almost sinfully short skirt that had immediately drawn him to her.

It was a slow day, so Tarin was thinking about all of this as he leaned on the antique counter in the shop. Lee had left quite some time ago to get herself some coffee, and truth be told Tarin was starting to worry about her a little bit. With the mutant registration act, Lee had become more and more paranoid as time passed. The paranoia worried Tarin as much as the chance of them being "outed" to the wrong people did. When you were paranoid, the little things stood out more, and he secretly worried that Lee would inadvertently do what it was she was trying so hard to avoid.

So there Tarin sat, thinking about the good times, the good times to come, and doing everything that he could not to worry excessively about things he couldn't change. Locking Lee in a room or closet wouldn't protect her, not that he could really do that in the first place, and she needed her coffee. Tarin took another quick glance at the door to the shop...it really was taking her a long time though.

It hadn't been all that busy that day at the shop, so Lee had run out to get a coffee. Sure, she hadn't exactly needed the coffee with Tarin there, at least energy-wise, but she hated being trapped in the shop all day every day. Sure, she was extremely worried about being discovered as a mutant and caught, thrown into one of those camps, with those collars, but the fact was Lee had spent so much time over the last 8 years out on the street, walking around all day that even after all these months with Tarin, she still felt restless and almost uncomfortable being inside all day.

And the excuse of going to get a coffee worked well to get out of the shop. It gave her the chance to get outside as well the caffeine to help keep her alert as she sat in the shop doing nothing while Tarin had customers in the back. Plus, the familiar walk to the vendor in the Park was short enough that it didn't greatly add to Lee's worry.

This particular trip ended up having some unforeseen results, though. Lee had actually talked to someone other than the man who made the coffee, meaning she had stayed away from the shop much longer than she had been intending. But even more than that, David, one of the people she had talked to, was accompanying her back to the shop to use the phone. At least she hoped that was his real reason, and not that somehow she had been discovered and he was simply trying to get her more out of the public eye that was Central Park.

Whatever his real reason was, David was walking at her side down the sidewalk as they made their way to the shop, and Lee had to push as much of her worrying to the side as possible; to show it would simply be suspicious, right?

"You'll have to be quiet when we get there," Lee told David as they approached the shop, the glass front glinting in the wintery sun. "The place really isn't all that big, and if he has a customer, well it's best not to disturb the sessions."

Finally reaching the door, Lee pulled it open and stepped inside, glancing around as she slipped her jacket off to reveal a short sleeved black blouse underneath. The few chairs in the front room were empty, Lee noticed immediately; no waiting customers. And then she saw Tarin leaning against the counter, and shot him a smile as she moved to hang her jacket up.

"Sorry I took so long," Lee told him, now pulling her toque off and running her hand through her hair. "I ended up talking to some people while I was grabbing my coffee."

At this point, Lee moved over to the back side of the counter and bent down, searching the shelves. "What did we do with the phone book when we moved everything around?" she asked somewhat absently. "I told David there that we had a phone he could use."

David was in desperate need to use the phone. He was somehow supposed to this explain to this producer why he never made it to his meeting, and also try to convince him to set up another.

This was indeed one of the most long and bazaar days David has had in a while. Although on the up side of things, he was fortunate enough to meet a pretty girl. Sure her clothing style was a little on the dark side, and he could tell she was quite insecure with her self, but he thought she was cute and innocent.

The walk was quite for the most part. David only made subtle comments here and their to get a chuckle out of Lee. He mostly thought about what he was gonna say on the phone. Tho every building they passed during their short walk made him wonder if that was where Lee worked. All of a sudden they started slowing down their pace, David looked around for a store sign when he noticed a smaller sign that says "Medium" and another one that says "contact the spirits of the dead". He glanced over at Lee as the came to a complete stop in front. He had to admit, he wasn't that surprised.

Lee- "You'll have to be quiet when we get there, The place really isn't all that big, and if he has a customer, well it's best not to disturb the sessions."

David mumbled under his breath a little,"sessions?"
He finally put two and two together, this was some sort of small business séance. David tosses his empty coffee cup into a small trash receptacle on the sidewalk as Lee opened the door. Lee walked inside and with no hesitation she dropped her jacked off of her petite body. David checked out her figure with a few quick glances while he curiously scanned the store.

He saw a man leaning against the counter, looking kinda worried. David didn't think much of it, he would look worried too if he had to make a living, trying to convince people that medium shops were legit.

Lee-"Sorry I took so long, I ended up talking to some people while I was grabbing my coffee."

David watched Lee as she walked around the other side of the counter.
He stood their about 5 feet from the door still looking at all the knickknacks and reading literature.

Lee- "What did we do with the phone book when we moved everything around? I told David there that we had a phone he could use."

David then approached the counter, as he got closer he payed more attention to the mysterious medium counter man. He seemed like an ordinary guy trying to make a living, ironically he was making a living off of the dead. "Smart business move i guess" David thought to him self.

He extends his hand out to shake the stranger's,
"Hey, I'm David. Lee said it was okay if I used the phone. You must be Terry right?"

Lee was back! Tarin grinned at Lee as she smiled at him and watched her as she moved to hang up her coat. She moved around the counter and apologized for taking so long, Tarin simply shrugged his shoulders, "It's fine, I think some of your paranoia is rubbing off though...I was staring to get worried." he leaned towards her expecting a kiss, but Lee was too busy looking for a phone book for David.

"It should be over on the right under the cash bo...wait wait wait...who the hell is David? " Tarin said, then cut off his sentence as a man entered the shop...a young, good looking man that Tarin had never met before and Lee had called by his first name.

As he stared, Tarin didn't fail to notice the looks that the guy was casting in Lee's direction or the way his gaze followed her curves before glancing around the shop and moving forward...walking right up to the counter after ogling Tarin's fiance. THE NERVE!

The other man...David held out a casual hand to shake and managed to get his name wrong. Tarin couldn't help his eyes from narrowing slightly as he stared at the other man's hand for a moment before reaching out and grasping it, maybe just a little tighter than he would have in normal circumstances, and shaking it. "Yes. I'm Tarin, Lee's finance. It's nice to meet you David." he said, reaching under the counter without looking and grabbing the phone book.

Dropping it onto the counter with no preamble Tarin smiled winningly, "Sure you can use the phone. It's over there." Tarin said, jerking his head towards the phone on the wall and giving a look that he hoped told David to keep his eyes to himself.

Lee smiled when she heard Tarin tell her it was fine she had taken so long getting her coffee, but chose to ignore his comment about the paranoia for the moment. Since they had company in the shop, Lee didn't think it would be all that good of an idea to discuss her recent paranoia, or the reasons for it.

So because of this, Lee really only looked up from her search for the phone book when she heard Tarin ask her who David was. Hadn't David followed her into the shop? Lee had been sure he had, surely Tarin would have noticed him enter, right? Glancing up at Tarin for a moment, a slightly confused look on her face, Lee turned to see where David was. Only to see him slowly making his way to the counter, glancing around the shop.

Well, it was only to be expected, Lee figured. She hadn't exactly told David where she worked, or what sort of place it was before they got there, so to suddenly walk into a Medium's shop would be more than a little odd.

But before she was able to say anything else, David stepped up to the counter, hand extended, as he introduced himself. And got Tarin's name wrong. That, combined with Tarin's tone of voice when he replied, made Lee roll her eyes. How many times did she have to tell Tarin, Lee wondered, before he understood and stopped being jealous any time there was any other man anywhere around her?

Apparently, Tarin had a better idea of where the phone book was than she did, since he pulled it out and plopped it down on the counter before she had been able to locate it.

"Like I said, Tarin," Lee explained calmly. "I got talking to people while I was grabbing my coffee. When I said I needed to get back, David asked if he could possibly use the phone."

Tarin- "Yes. I'm Tarin, Lee's fiancee'. It's nice to meet you David."

David was shocked, did he just hear fiancee'? He wasn't sure if he thought Tarin was "the man" for scoring a hot younger gal, or if Lee was that insecure that she needed someone who could easily be mistaken for her father. Maybe David over exaggerated a little bit, but Tarin was clearly older than Lee although you might not realize it at first glance, by his casual attire, and elegantly disheveled hair.


Tarin- "Sure you can use the phone. It's over there."

Tarin placed the phone book on his counter top, he seemed a little annoyed. David extended his palm and placed it on the phone book, locking eyes with Tarin. He slowly pulls it toward him.

David- "thanks"

He looks over at Lee...
David- "and thank you"

He gives her a flirtatious smile and a nod a he pulls the phone book off of the counter. He turns in the direction that Tarin pointed, toward the phone and makes way over walking with his shoulders back and hi head up high.

The phone wasn't that far away form the area where Lee and Tarin are standing. David places the phone book down on the closest table near the phone, covering products and papers. He picks the phone up and holds it between his shoulder and his ear, while he thumbs through the pages looking for this producer's information. After about three or four minuets of intensely searching he finally finds the number he needs. His finger starts rapidly dialing the buttons on the wall.

The phone rings....

And again...

Each time making David more and more anxious, he didn't even know how to begin with the excuses.

A secretary answers on the other line, David turns and places his left hand on the wall, and grabs the receiver with his right. Bowing his head a little.

David- "Yeah, this is David Draft is he still in the office?....yeah, I'll hold"

David began to tap his foot as a nervous habit. He turned his head to see what Lee and Tarin were doing. It was obvious by their facial reactions and movements that they were not having the best of conversations. For a second David was side tracked over Lee's body language, he found it quite adorable. This would only last that one second tho as the man on the other end of the phone would answer.

David- "Yes i remembered...." Rolling his eyes.

David- "No" He started to whisper... "My car was stolen as soon as i arrived, and inside was my cell phone, and laptop."

The other man on the line was quite angry at this point, David pulled the phone away from his ear and let out a big sigh before placing it back. David was trying to keep his composer.

David- "Of course the screenplay was in my car, but who cares about that!?" He said with a calm voice. "Their is something more to worry about here." David was slightly getting annoyed, his foot stopped tapping and he was now pacing a few feet back and forth, it was as far as the phone cord could reach.

David- "No, as long as your still paying for my room, i should be fine...." Then David heard something he really didn't want to hear. His reaction was loud, loud enough for Lee and Tarin to hear, and maybe anyone who was standing right outside the shop.

David- "STAY IN NEW YORK? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME KILLED?" He glanced around over both shoulders and brought his voice to a minimum...."You find it, get it back, and you do it quick...in the meantime you can reach me at my room...and if I'm not their, I'll be at this little Medium shop right around the corner from central park."

David hangs the phone up abruptly and slams the phone book shut, picking it back up. He then throws on a fake smile as he walks back over to the counter, knowing he was interrupting a conversation.

David- "Thanks again..." As he dropped the phone book onto the counter, mimicking how Tarin did before.

Precisely why did this S.O.B. look so surprised at the fact that Tarin and Lee were engaged? Tarin simply wanted to reach across the counter and knock the surprise right off of David's face.

As if coming into his shop, ogling his fiance, then looking surprised at the fact that she was his fiance wasn't enough, the younger man boldly locked eyes with Tarin as he placed his palm on the top of the book. This was simply too much. Then it got worse Tarin clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw ached a little bit and he watched, stony eyed as the guy openly flirted with Lee then moved to use his phone....in his shop.

Once the guy was across the room, Tarin turned to Lee, eyebrows raised as he looked at her. It wasn't like he suspected anything scandalous, but the guy was being downright rude now, that was the problem with inviting someone you barely knew into your private domain. "Picked him up at the coffee stand eh?" he said quietly, trying not to take his aggravation with the visitor out on Lee.

Tarin's own paranoid side was trying to take over, and he wondered just who it was the dude across the shop needed to talk to so desperately. Tarin honestly didn't care though, the guy had apparently found who he needed to talk to and was taking care of his business. That thought made Tarin smiled and he leaned forward to kiss Lee softly on the cheek, "I'm glad you're back though. The shop has been slow and I was getting lonely. I think you working here was one of the best ideas we've had yet. It makes it way easier for me to be here."

David was looking their way again and Tarin shot him a glare before turning his attention back to Lee. "I was thinking about maybe shutting the shop down early today." he said, then stopped at the sudden outbust from David across the room. "I guess that's not what he was expecting to hear...." Tarin said, frowning slightly at Lee, and eaves dropping on the rest of the conversation, eyes widening at the last sentence.

"Or he'll be here...." Tarin said, jaw clenching slightly again as the man made his way across the room with the phone book. Not only had he just invited himself to stay for a while, he had the audacity to drop the phone book in front of Tarin as he himself had done earlier.

"Mmm hmmm." Tarin said, glancing down at the phone book then back up at the guy on the other side of the counter. "Glad we could be of help."

Lee was absolutely stunned when she saw David smile at her just before he turned and walked over to the phone. She had seen looks like that before from guys, though normally they had been drinking, and those looks came not long before they came over and tried to pick her up. And when that happened, it was only a second or two before she was shooting them down and telling them to get lost. And that had been before she'd met Tarin; David now knew she was engaged.

As soon as David reached the phone, Lee turned to see the look on Tarin's face and rolled her eyes again. "I met him at the coffee stand," Lee stressed again. But then her turned softer as she took a small step toward Tarin and gave him a smile. "How many times do I have to tell you? You have absolutely nothing to worry about, ever. You're stuck with me."

Lee's smile only widened as she felt Tarin's lips on her cheek and heard his comment about her working in the shop. And about his idea to close early that day. With how busy the shop had been recently, they hadn't really had the chance to close early very often, and on a number of occasions, the shop had been kept open longer than normal just because of all the people they had had coming in. Good for money, but it meant they days could be very long and tiring for Tarin.

Before she was able to respond, give Tarin her thoughts on closing early, Lee heard a shout coming from over by the phone and turned to look. "I guess not," Lee agreed with Tarin. But then she smiled when Tarin looked upset at hearing David's comment about being at their shop. "Only if we're here," Lee whispered, putting her fingers under Tarin's chin to pull him toward her for a quick kiss, not caring about the fact that David was walking back toward them at that very moment. "We can still close up early and head home..." Lee was very much in favour of that option as she finally turned to look at David as he reached the other side of the counter. She had already had more than enough contact with people for her taste that day than her worrying and paranoia could easily handle, and Tarin's idea of closing early was simply too nice to resist.

"So, you got everything taken care of then?"

Tarin - "Mmm hmmm. Glad we could be of help."

David could since the sarcasmn his voice. He rebuttedith a half ass smirk and a small nod.

Lee - "So, you got everything taken care of then?"

He pointed his attention towardthe engaged beauty before him.

David - "Everything is perfect, I appreciate your help, and your company today."

Just as it seemed as if David should have made his exit, a customer entered the store. He didn'tt bother to notice his face as the man walked toward the counter. Insteadd, David turned to to Lee.

David - "While I'mm here, you mind if i just take a look around a little bit?"

As David walked around the store he picked up a few items, mostly books. Reading the backs of them and learning little about the life of Lee and Tarin. David's intentions were pure, he didn'tt want to ruin an engagement here, he just didn'tt like Tarin. Not that he has any reason not to like the man, he just met him moments ago. And he was nice enough to let David use his phone. But their was something about him that David just rejected. On the other had, the day has not been the best for David, he was most likely taking his anger out on anyone of the male persuasion.

After looking at just one section of the store, David was starting to get an idea of this whole Medium business, he even started to wonder if it were possible to talk to the dead. Just then, he got a crazy idea into his head. "Could Lee talk to the dead?" He looked over at her still by the counter, at this point Tarin must have taken the customer into his hands. He got Lee's attention and motioned for her to come over.

The guy was bound and determined to be a prick, there was no two ways around it. Even though Tarin had gone out of his way to help, and hadn't kicked his ass for the way he was looking at Lee. It was damn frustrating, but Tarin wasn't about to let it go on any longer.

Just as he opened his mouth to tell the guy where he could shove the phone book he'd so unceremoniously dropped onto the counter. I'll bet you enjoyed her company... Tarin thought with narrowed eyes at the man, only holding his tongue because it appeared that the punk was finally going to leave. Good riddance.

A customer walked in, and Tarin smiled at him, all anger hidden behind a pretense of politeness, the customer was interested in a reading, so Tarin took him into the back. As he left, he cast a look over his shoulder at Lee, locking eyes with her and hoping she'd read the 'get this guy the hell out.

Back to the back of the shop, Tarin took the customer, settling into his seat and progressing with the reading. It wasn't a real reading this time, the man had no spirit with him. It was one of the fakes that Tarin had to do from time to time to keep the business looking legit. He'd learned enough over the years to know that he had to keep up those pretenses sometimes, even if it wasn't necessarily the right thing to do. He couldn't help looking towards the from of the sohp from time to time though....was the guy gone, and if he wasn't, what was he doing with Lee?

Things definitely seemed to be getting tense in the shop, though Lee really wasn't sure why. Nothing had really actually happened that she could tell other than the fact that Tarin had gotten jealous. Again. And it's not like there was ever really any reason for him to be jealous.

But before much of anything else was said, a customer entered the shop and David made his way further from the counter to make room. So Lee let Tarin do his thing, talking to the customer to get everything sorted out, and then they were heading into the back of the shop. Lee knew it wasn't going to be a very good or attentive reading, Tarin was too distracted and frustrated by David. If Lee hadn't realized that before, the look Tarin directed at her over his shoulder as he disappeared said it.

Now that Tarin was gone, Lee sat down on the stool behind the counter and let her eyes find David again. He seemed to be browsing the shop, not that there was really all that much to browse, picking up this, looking at that.

A few minutes later, Lee saw David look over to her and wave her toward her. "Yeah?" She asked softly as she got up and made her way around the counter.

David wasn't sure why exactly he called Lee over. Maybe because he enjoyed her personality, or maybe it was just because he wanted to piss Tarin off when he was finished with the customer. For whatever the reason, it didn't matter. Lee walked over with a slight hesitation. "Yeah" Lee said softly. David held a few books up with one hand, all with different but equally as corny titles. "People really believe this stuff?" He said as he places the books back down on the shelf one at a time. "The question is, do you believe in this stuff?" He faces his attention toward Lee, at this point she just had a look on her face, David couldn't quite read it tho.

"Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of John Edwards; the psychic not the politician; talking to dead people. He puts closure for people who need it, but don't you think its a little far fetched? I mean raising the spirits of the non living and receiving messages from beyond the grave is something straight out of a movie, not real life."

He pulls a coin out of his pocket, ironically it was a New York state quarter, and places it between his thumb and his pointer finger. "This is real" The coin then falls into his palm. "But sometimes, what is real, and what is false, can be blinded by illusions." David closes his hand with the quarter inside, shaking his wrist. After a few shakes he opened his hand up at Lee, the quarter was gone, although she didn't know it was still in his palm, just invisible. He finishes his trick by making it appear that he pulled the coin out of her ear, turning the coin visible once again. He looks into her eyes, as he holds the coin between his finger and thumb once again, the NY print facing Lee.

"Or maybe illusions don't blind the truth, but hide it."

Lee glanced at the books that David held up. They were a relatively new addition to the shop, only having slowly been added after they had moved the sessions into the back room; there really hadn't been room in the shop before that.

"People have believed in crazier ideas," Lee pointed out with a slight shrug as she watched David put the books back on the shelf. But then he asked if she actually believed it, and she stood there in thought for a moment. The stuff that was written in the books David was looking at, no, Lee didn't believe a thing in them. But after seeing Tarin's powers in use, how and how often she had, there was no way she could believe that spirits weren't real.

"Some of it, yeah," Lee said, then reached out and tapped the spine of one of the books David had been holding. "I mean, this one is complete crap as far as contacting spirits is concerned, but it does have a few good things to say about dealing with grief and loss."

But then David had a coin in his hand was doing the disappearing coin trick. Lee had been over the whole magic thing years ago, by the time she was 12, actually, but she looked at David's trick with a small, half amused smile on her face; the things he was saying were pretty true, at least. So far, Tarin had been able to hide what he really was by pretending to be that same thing.

"And how do you know the spirits of the deceased aren't glad most people don't believe in them?" Lee asked, the small smile still on her face. "I mean, if everyone believed they could contact spirits, they'd never get a moment's peace in their afterlife, would they?"

It was a lie, and Lee knew it. With only one exception, every spirit she had seen or that Tarin had told her about had wanted something from him, whether to pass on a message to someone, have justice done, or something else. But David was already more than sceptical; best to keep him as far away from the real truth as possible here.

Lee rebutted with an interesting question. "And how do you know the spirits of the deceased aren't glad most people don't believe in them?" David put the coin back in his pocket, she spoke again. "I mean, if everyone believed they could contact spirits, they'd never get a moment's peace in their afterlife, would they?" David pondered this theory for a moment, she had a good point, but on the other hand, she didn't.

"How do you know I believe in them? Your asking me a question, only someone who believes in spirits can answer. Other wise, some one who doesn't believe in them could be called a hypocrite answering that question." He paused for a moment letting his words sink in. "Lucky for you, I do believe in an after life, anyone who has ever lost someone close to them must believe they are somewhere."

He taps to the spine of the book Lee had pointed out earlier. "You said this book helps you deal, with grief and loss, but is complete crap on how to contact the dead." He folds his arms. "What is the right way of contacting the dead? If you know the wrong way, you must be saying you know the right one." David smiles, to let her know that this was just a playful discussion, he hasn't had a good debate in a while, and he liked the fact that Lee was giving him a hard time back.

"And if you can make contact with the dead, and your just an employee...man..Tarin must be Lucifer himself!" David laughs, although something told him he wasn't far off, even if it were just a brief moment of curiosity.

"I'm just messing around Lee. So, is Lucif...i mean Tarin doing a séance right now? Should we hold hands and bow our heads?"

David smiles and picks up that book again, "grief huh?"

Lee smiled a bit more when David turned her question around and asked how she knew he believed. "I've seen a lot of people come in here," she explained simply. "Some of them are here with family or friends, even though they think it's all a complete load of crap. But you're at least listening and considering what I say, so if you don't believe, you're at least open to the possibility."

Unfortunately, David caught on and asked about the 'right' and 'wrong' way to contact spirits. He kept trying to trip her up and reveal more, it seemed. And, when he was on the phone, he had vaguely said where he was. Had her first fear when she had seen him been right? Was David one of those hunter people, trying to determine for sure whether she or Tarin were a mutant so they could be shipped off to the camps? But there really was nothing else she could do except keep up the charade, pretend Tarin was nothing more than the scamming medium he was pretending to be. To backpeddle now and say anything else would simply raise more warning flags.

"Hey, when did I say I could speak with the dead?" Lee asked, hoping the smile she still had on her face didn't look too forced. "There's a reason I work out front here.

"But honestly," Lee continued, turning to look at the books that were now all back on the shelf. "If you were to read it," she tapped the spine of the book they had been talking about, followed by a couple of others. "And then read this, and this, you'd probably think it was crap too."

Then David started to laugh, joking around about the whole thing, and Lee inwardly sighed in relief. Maybe he wasn't taking it nearly as seriously as she had been fearing.

"No, nothing like that," Lee replied, her smile coming much easier now. "We just need to keep it down so we don't disturb them back there.

"And yeah, grief," Lee answered, reaching out and taking the book from David, and starting to flip through it. "Some of it is kind of hidden between the author's bs about how to contact spirits, but..." Lee paused as she looked a little harder, then held the book back out, open to the beginning of a chapter. "This part here is probably the best section in the book on grief."