[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant stood up, stretching his back muscles as Vlad turned towards the door of the small office where his cousin and B., were conducting the data search. "You'll have to allow me a moment to assist Rowe back down the stairs to her chair.  At that point, my friend, you will have undivided attention."  He stepped into the corridor with Vlad, and nodded casually to the two soldiers still guarding the office door.

He began to walk down the hall towards where Rowe was seated, "They are still jacked in, and I am hoping that's a good sign.  Vlad and I are going for a walk, did you want to wait for me up here, or keep practicing in the chair downstairs?"

[Mercy Merchant]

When you walk back out into the hallway and look down to the small table, you see that is has moved a couple of feet and Rowena is on the floor, trying to pull herself back up and not doing so well.  Her face is screwed up in a grimace as she puts another effort into standing and fails again, collapsing and sprawling on the floor.  Her hand forms a fist and she beats it against the floor, allowing a small cry of pain or anguish to escape.  She opens her eyes and sees you and Vlad and gives a weak smile.  There is movement at the stairs and you see one of Vlad's hard men standing there, some sort of fear on his face as he takes a half step towards the fallen girl.  She waves him away, saying.  "No, I said.  Stay away.  I have to learn to do this.  I have to learn to....................."

Her words are cut off as she lowers her face to her arms and sobs.

[Zen Gypsy]

He waved off Vlad and his soldiers, walked over to her carefully, slowly.  He crouched down beside her and ran his hand over the back of her head, through her hair and then held it out for her, palm up.  He spoke, quietly, "No Rowe, what you need to do is learn to accept help ...," he looked at her, his mouth frowning, "when I woke up, they'd taken my arms, my legs were just stumps.  I pushed everyone away, I had to do it alone, and it broke me Rowe.  I'm empty inside.  Until I saw you, until your smile reminded me what I'd pushed away, what I'd rejected."

He reached out, and took her hand, "It's ok to be angry, to be sad, to rage, or to cry.  But no matter what you're feeling, you're not alone.  You have people you can lean on, you can trust.  If you push them away, you risk losing a piece of yourself," he paused, brushed the tear from her eye with his other hand, "and I'm not talking about your back or your ability to walk.  You risk losing a piece of Rowena, and you may never get it back."

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad and the man at the stairs are having a conversation in Russian as you talk to Rowena.  She stops crying and nods, letting you pick her up.  She wraps her arms around your neck and buries her head in her chest.  You can hear her voice as she says, "I am tired, Bryant.  May I go to my room for a bit, please?"

[Zen Gypsy]

He turned and walked down the corridor until he came to the guest room where she and B., had spent the night.  He cupped the back of her head with his hand, and turned sideways to get through the door.  He flipped the top sheet down, then lowered her to the bed, he sat down on the bedside chair, and began stripping off the work gloves they'd fashioned for the wheelchair.

"Rest easy Rowe, there are going to be good moments, and bad.  You'll get through them, you are stronger than you give yourself credit for, but you need to remember that you don't have to do it alone."  He ran his thumb back and forth across her palm, massaging the tender heal of her hands, "You get some sleep, I'll be here when you wake up."  He squeezed her hand gently, and then placed it atop her other hand, pulling the sheet up for her.

He stood up and walked to the door, looking back before he pulled it closed.

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad is waiting for you when you return to the hallway.  "Will she be alright, my friend?  Ivan was downstairs when he heard her fall and ran up to help, but...........well, you saw.  She tries to be strong and wants to do it all herself."  He shakes his head and offers you a cigarette as you both walk down the hallway to the stairs.  The two men are still at the door and he stops to talk to them in Russian then moves on, leading you down the stairs and out the back door into the alley.  The narrowness is almost claustrophobic and looking up does nothing to dispel that feeling.  It is almost like the building is actually leaning a bit towards the one across from it, thus narrowing the already narrow strip of pavement.  He motions to the left and walks that way.  You hear a noise behind you and turn your head to see one of Vlad's men stepping out of the door and following you at about fifteen feet.  After a short while in which you pass by several doors leading to the building to either side of you, you reach a wider street, that is if you could call a passageway only slightly wider than the alley a street.  But there are people walking here, going about their daily lives.  Vlad stops at the exit from the alley and motions outward.  "My domain, my friend.  I am hungry, would you like a meal?"

[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant nodded his head in agreement as Vlad spoke, "She is strong, and she does want to do it all herself."  His face tightened some as he brought up his hand and flexed the myomer bundles that were now his muscles, a soft mechanical whine accompanied his motions as he opened and closed his fist, "I understand at least a portion of what she's going through.  To have an injury so rapidly change your life it is well ... shocking."

He followed Vlad as he led him through the warehouse towards the rear door that opened on the alley, "That strength, that independence, it is a great blessing during that time, as you recover, and rediscover, relearn, things that you learned as a child.  To walk, to climb stairs, to run, all things we learned so long ago, we forget that we had to crawl first."  he stepped out into the alley, accepted the smoke from his benefactor, took a deep inhale, and allowed the acrid taste to burn the back of his throat before he continued.

"Problem is Vlad, that strength can be a burden too.  If you only know how to fight, to resist, when that storm comes, you don't know how to bend, how to accept help, and you break in more ways than one.  She's strong, and proud, I just hope not too strong, or too proud to accept help."

He kept following his host, concerned with the distance from the safe house, he felt as though he could trust the man, but he felt open, exposed, and increasingly aware of the distance from both Rowe and Barbara.  Vlad had let him know of the reward being offered for information, and as he followed the older man, he absently wondered how much control he was able to exert over his domain.

Those thoughts began to dissipate in the wind as his host mentioned a solid meal.

"Starved."

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad nods to a small store front across the narrow street.  "My sister's place.  She does some cooking for the crews.  It reminds the old ones of home and teaches the younger ones a bit of the old ways.  She does not speak English, although she understands it a bit.  But she learned to cook at my mother's knee and has all the best recipes from the Motherland in her head.  She would be insulted if you were to find out that I had a guest and did not bring you over to eat.  Come, we will be safe there and we are only a block from the warehouse.  You will not find better Russian food anywhere else outside the Motherland."

[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant shrugged his shoulders and crossed the street as he followed Vlad, he had that undeniable itch between his shoulder blades as he kept his hands in the pockets of his long coat, and his head down.  He felt as though someone were watching him, like an unseen scope drawing aim on his back as he walked, he didn't like being in public, not given his current status with Errant.

"You'll have to forgive me if my knowledge of Russian cuisine is lacking, so I'll follow your lead as far as what to order, yeah?"  If he was honest with himself, he'd have to admit that the idea of a home cooked meal was something of a change for him, since his time in Seattle he'd lived off of restaurants, take out, and noodle shops.  His loft had a kitchen, but it wasn't used for anything other than warming up left overs from various take out containers or cartons of freeze dried krill.

Even as he walked, he kept his eyes down, but he watched the crowds carefully, looking for signs of recognition, or vectored movement that would indicate a tail, two or three people drew his eye, but when they didn't immediately respond to him, he started to understand what he was seeing.  Vlad, himself, was respected in the community, and the afternoon crowd was responding to his presence.

"Your crew," he paused, "you, take care of this area?  Haven't noticed any brown outs, seems that most folks have working utilities, water, heat, power."  He shrugged, "I know of a few folks in the Barrens, some owe me favors, some I owe.  Your domain, as you call it, seems well maintained.  Well provided."  He withdrew his hand from his pocket, flicked the ash from the Slim dangling from his lips, inhaled, held it, the bitter smoke lazily drifting upwards obscuring his sharp cheekbones, curling around his mirrored shades.

"Lesser men in your position would hoard their resources, provide for their crew, let the locals fend for themselves.  Not you it seems."

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad nods his head as you cross the street.  "Do not mistake me for a real do-gooder, my friend.  There is a seamy side to all this tranquility., but I try to keep it hidden as much as possible.  I am......we are Vory.  At the heart of the Vory concept is the idea of a family, the Bratva.  This community is my family.  I take care of them and they, in turn take care of me.  It all works.  The prostitutes here are not slaves and get a decent cut of their earnings, the crippled and maimed are provided for, there are few that go hungry.  But to get all of this they contribute in their own ways.  Family."

He opens the door for you and ushers you into a small dining area with three tables.  One is empty and waiting, but the others are full of people eating.  Aromas of food being prepared waft out from the kitchen.  A young girl of maybe twelve or so motions you to a seat and greets Vlad like an old customer.  She does not provide menus and stares just a bit too long at your arms before blushing and looking back to Vlad.  He rattles off some Russian and the girl nods before disappearing.  "I took the liberty of ordering some of her best dishes, her specialities.  I hope it is to your liking."

[Zen Gypsy]

As Vlad explained the meaning of bratva, or family, Bryant could only nod.  "You are our host, and you have put your bratva, your family, at risk by offering us sanctuary, even if only for a brief time.  I am aware of the Vory by reputation and rumor alone, as such I can only judge you for the face that you choose to show me, and that is the face of a respected ally and a friend.  But never for a second did I believe that either you, or your bratva, were anything less than you are.  Hard men, in hard times., but you live by a code and I can respect that."

He smiled at the young girl, "No need to be afraid little one, you can look if you wish, I am not ashamed of something that is now a part of me."  He waved at the young girl, then turned his attention back to Vlad. 

"I am glad you made the choice, everything I smell from the kitchen smells," he paused, "rich, hearty.  I do not know the dishes, so I will defer to you."

[Mercy Merchant]

The girl reaches out shyly and touches one of your arms, almost jumping at the feel.  She seems transfixed until Vlad says something to her and she almost jumps before running off to the kitchen.  She returns with plates and flatware for the table, none of it really matching, but it is serviceable and clean.  After another moment looking at your arm, she walks to the other tables and refills drinks before removing empty plates and glassware.  All of the plates you see are scraped clean, which is a good sign in a restaurant.  Before long, two bowls of a rich soup are brought to you and Vlad sniffs loudly before smiling and taking his first spoonful.  The aroma is almost intoxicating, but that is eclipsed by the taste.  Vlad's sister is an artist in the kitchen and it shows in the quality of the food.  Sure, almost all of it is soy, but she makes it taste like the real thing.

People come and go from the other two tables and the young girl attends to everyone, seeming to be the sole waitress and busgirl.  Vlad looks at you at quietly says, "I do not wish to pry too much, my friend, but do you notice how Miss Rowena looks at you?"

[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant finished a mouthful of the borscht, savoring the earthy taste of both beets and cabbage, "I was injured, arms, legs, irreparable, inoperable.  I am, however, still alive.  I am a man.  I've seen the looks."  He smiled at his friend over the generous plates that had been set in front of them, "She is a bright light, in a dark, dirty world.  I can allow myself to think of the future, to hope, but think Vlad.  I've been involved in her life for just over 24 hours now, and what damage has that done?  How much more will occur if I stay?  Or allow her to."

He set down his spoon, tapped a small circular scar near his temple, "Since my injuries, since a man tried to execute me, what I know of my past is learned from files, from footage.  It is all, second hand knowledge.  Everything before this," he flexed his cybernetic prosthetic, "is just an echo.  So, in a way, I've never known, never experienced what she offers, or what I am feeling now, for her."

He paused, closed his eyes a moment, steadied his breathing, "I don't wish to bring more harm, more hurt, more loss to her life.  Yet, perhaps selfishly, I don't wish to see her leave either."  He shrugged, "Life, eh?  She's never easy."

"We are hard men Vlad, we lead hard lives.  We both know when this thing ends it will be in blood, mine or theirs.  Perhaps when she sees that blood, sees that I am willing to spill it, she will make her choice.  Perhaps it will be for the best, perhaps not."  He smiled, almost sadly, "Either way, I will enjoy her company until that time."

[Mercy Merchant]

The borscht is followed by several courses of food, all quite tasty and filling.  Vlad nods at your words as he eats.  "Yes.  Life and women....................both are so hard to understand at times.  It is good that you leave her with a choice, but make sure then that she gets a choice and do not make it for her in her best interests.  I still have a scar on my heart from where a woman thought it best for me that she leave me.  I would have wished differently but got no chance to tell her that."  He will look at you for a bit and open his mouth to say something but close it withour speaking.  All too soon, the meal is over and he stands.  A dark-haired woman comes out from the kitchen and hugs him.  He introduces her to you as his sister, Olena.  She nods at you and says hello, which appears to be her only word in English.

[Zen Gypsy]

He smiled at Olena, and nodded.  "I am Bryant, and I want to thank you for the meal.  Your cooking, it is ... c'est bon."  He looked to Vlad, at a loss, "Please tell her that I am honored that she would take the time to feed me, a stranger.  Her cooking, it is wonderful."  He continued to smile at the woman as Vlad translated.

As she left the table side, he turned back to Vlad, "Thank you for sharing Vlad, your home, your food, your family.  Your concern seems genuine, and while I do not doubt that you more than capable of making hard decisions, even if those choices result in blood, or worse.  I find you a man of good character, and I appreciate your honesty, and your questions in regards to my own decisions.  I think, perhaps, there is some truth in what you say, and I will be sure to allow her to make her own choices."

He looked back towards the kitchen, the aroma still in the air, "Any chance Olena would have the time to prepare the borsch for B., when she returns from the data search, and Rowe when she awakens?  Not to create work for your sister, nor to be presumptuous, I just know that they would enjoy it.  Home cooking, it comes from the heart, yea?"