5- So, You're Human After All.

The sirens in the distance, only two blocks away, had woken Tau from his slumber. He had heard these types of sirens before and knew well what they meant. He crawled from his box, and then ran towards the convenience store. He didn't have to get close to know the situation, and only desired to ensure Quays' safety. She now knew who he was, there was no reason for him to hide away. She had written that she wanted to see him, so why should he wait?

Today should have been her day off, she only did sessions on the nights before she didn't work, and Tau knew this. Thus, he continued to run towards the building he knew to be hers. When he arrived, he was confused by what he saw; names on a list next to numbers, on a wall next to a keypad. Quayleigh had introduced herself, once, many years ago, but her surname was not one he had forgotten. Sounding it out, he found it amongst the list, Q. Vershinin 306 #8235. He thought about what he was seeing and tried to make sense of it. Looking over the keypad, he finally spotted the instructions engraved above. Pressing the buttons that were identical to the numbers next to her name, the keypad began to ring. After five rings, it automatically disconnected, and he would try again. No matter how many times he tried though, she didn't answer.

"Who are you trying to reach?" An elderly woman asked having passed him on her way out to the garbage bins, and now returning several minutes later to find him still there.

"Quayleigh Vershinin. Do you know her?"

"The names not familiar."

"She's a young woman with a scar," he said pointing up at his own face.

"Oh yes, I know the girl you're talking about. She works down at Liebman's. I saw her leave earlier today when I was out for my morning walk. I bet she's just gone to work," she said donning a reassuring smile.

"Thank you. I will check there."

"Good luck," the woman called out as he opened the door and left the lobby of the building.

Running down the street, he returned to the convenience store, stopping outside to catch his breath. Like almost everything about this body, this experience was something new, and he did not enjoy it. Not only was he dripping with sweat, but his legs ached, and his chest hurt. It wasn't that this body was in poor shape, in fact it was the opposite. Its previous owner had taken good care of it. It was athletic and firm, strong, but still slender. When he finally managed to stand up straight, he noticed the activity of the reporters and police at the corner. He had seen humans cluster in this way before but had never experienced it in a such a way, finding the amount of noise they were creating rather fascinating. As he drew closer to the door of the store, he spotted Quayleigh, threw the window, emerging from the back, employee only area, with a man he hadn't seen before. He took a moment to ease his distress. He breathed deep. Straightened himself up and told himself that Quayleigh wanted this. She had told him that she wanted to see him.

Opening the door, Tau went inside. He wasn't entirely certain of what he was expecting to happen, and when her eyes meet his, "Quayleigh, I found you!" came pouring out of his mouth.

"Dylan?" Det. Mazurka questioned at the sight of the disheveled looking man, "Dylan Kirkwood?"

"You know him?" Quayleigh asked looking at the detective.

"Well, I thought we were friends until he dropped off the face of the planet a couple of years ago."

"Yeah, it's been a while," Tau smiled reaching out towards her, "Let me help you with that."

"It's ok, it's for Detective Mazurka and his officers," she replied holding out the case of water to Mazurka.

"Thanks, I'm sure the men will enjoy it," he replied taking the case from her. "We should try and catch up sometime, Dylan."

"Another time," Tau replied as the detective began to walk away, only to stop and turn back around.

"You know, it's strange. Of all the places in this city, this is the last one I thought I'd ever run into you at, Kirkwood. Tell me, what could possibly bring you all the way out here?"

"For Quayleigh, I'd do anything," he replied never taking his eyes off her, as if he were speaking to her, instead of about her.

"Anything? Awfully bold statement coming from a man like you."

"And here I thought it reasonable."

"Ok, enough you two. Detective, enjoy the water. Should you need anything else, you'll have to pay for it," Quayleigh interjected herself into the conversation putting it to an abrupt and immediate end.

"Right. Take care, Quayleigh. I'll be in touch," Mazurka said before taking his leave.

Quayleigh watched as he left the store, while Tau never took his eyes from her.

"I looked for you," he whispered causing her to turn towards him.

"Let's speak in the back, follow me," she remarked turning around and heading back toward the employee only area once again. Holding open the door, she looked at Tau and motioned for him to keep moving, "You're coming, aren't you?"

Tau smiled and followed as she led him to the back office where she closed the door as soon as they were both inside.

"Give me your wallet," she ordered.

Tau tilted his head as she held her hand out towards him.

"Your wallet, now."

"I don't understand," he admitted dropping his eyes to the floor.

"Then empty your pockets onto the desk."

Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out his wallet and set it onto the desk along with a set of keys, a container of mints and an empty chocolate bar wrapper. "These are his things?"

"That's the big question isn't it," she muttered as she opened up the wallet and removed his driver's license, "Dylan Montgomery Kirkwood. So, you're human after all."

"I think so. I mean it's more like I'm wearing him, but it's itchy and doesn't fit right. It feels wrong."

Quayleigh returned the license to the wallet setting it on the desk, before flopping into the chair behind it. Tears began to fill her eyes, and her entire body beginning to quake, "Tauluthet, is it really you?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you."

"That's not what I meant," she smiled softly, wiping the tears from her eyes, "I meant, how are you here? How are you in that body? I… I have so many questions. Where have you been staying? Why haven't you come to me sooner?"

Tau squatted down and looked up at her from the floor. "It took me time to figure things out. Even longer to understand where I was. Things are different here."

"I know, but I would have helped you. You could have said something."

"Not how that works."

"You were here. You were showing up here, buying things. Why didn't you just tell me it was you?!"

"I couldn't," his reply was meek as he lowered his head to her raising voice. "It was impossible around you. I didn't want to frighten you. Like I am now."

"No Tau, I'm not frightened by you. I'm upset that it took you so long to say anything. But I do need you to tell me the truth about something," Tau looked up at her as she spoke, "Are you responsible for what happened in the alley last night?"

"Yes. I did it to protect you."

Her eyes widened, her blood turning to ice in her veins, and the color drained from her face.

"Are you frightened now?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

And to him she told her first lie, "Of course not. I'm not afraid of you Tau, but I am afraid for you. Mazurka said these weren't the only ones. They've found eleven others."

Tau closed his eyes, a toothy grin stretching across his face, "He will eventually find more."

"How many, Tau?"

"At least twelve. I try to leave them out in the open, but some have been a lot heavier than they looked," his smile fading. "I'm not entirely certain how my job works now, but if they hadn't been on my list, I shouldn't have been able to hurt them…"

"I don't think it works like that anymore," she gasped as she stared at him.

"Yeah, after last night, I think that might be true," his smile widened again, taking on a more menacing appearance.

"Look, I can't leave here yet. Do you have a place to go for a while?"

"I can stay here with you."

"Tau," she reached out towards him, her fingers trembling.

"Oh, it's ok," he said reaching out and taking a hold of her hand in his own. "I get it. You don't want me here."

"No! No, that's not it at all!" she announced shaking her head. "I want you to go and collect your things and come back later tonight before closing. I want to help you, Tau. I want to help you figure this out. And until then, I want you to come and stay with me. I want to get to know you. The real you. The one whose been with me, all this time. The recipient of all of my letters. The one who was in the room when Death brought me comfort."

"You…" his smile erupted, his perfect teeth shining in the office light, "you want me to stay with you?"

"Yes, and until then, I need you to keep as far away from the police as possible. Nothing good will come out of you being on Mazurka's radar too."

"Too?"

"Don't worry about that. First, we need to figure out how you got here, and I suspect, you don't know."

"No, I don't."

"What's the last thing you remember before being in this body?"

"You," he gazed into her eyes pulling her hand to his chest, drawing her closer until their brows came to rest against each other's, "I remember you. Seeing you through the green. Receiving one of your gifts. It was a large one, with a missing antenna. She was perfect. I took her down to the Lasurian cleansing pool and washed away her body before returning her energy to the river. I returned to the wastelands and found my next job waiting. I remember the tear, then I woke up looking like this. I was in a place I didn't know, in this skin, with these hands and face and heart, none of which are mine, and the tear was gone."

Reaching up she set her hand against his cheek, enjoying their proximity as she said, "Oh, my dearest Tauluthet, I'm going to help you figure this out. I promise."