The Fall

Discovery

XAVIER POV

Morning melted into afternoon as we put together the puzzles of each other's lives piece by piece.

I had a detailed picture of the shades of Claire as a person in the now, but each piece she shared gave the scene of her character more dimension. More substance.

Up until this point Claire had been an idea, a dream, a concept. Discovering the innermost details of her most vulnerable expression last night had not leant itself to actually getting to know her.

Claire was studying linguistics and had a passion for communication of all kinds. Spare time - or when the cafe was quiet and the boss wasn't around - was spent reading books on body language, sign language and mediation. The end goal was to be an international interpreter specialising in conflict resolution. If that was even a job.

Not that her boss would be a problem, ever again.

When I asked about that particular detail an unexpected tale wove through the air between us.

"I, uh, didn't take kindly to a particular patron telling me to 'loosen the grind because the acidity isn't right'. Which by the way makes no sense. Then my boss didn't take kindly to my method of correcting his misnomer." Her mouth pulled to the side and she was suddenly very interested in something over my shoulder.

"Oh yes? What particular method of persuasion did you employ?" I asked, laughing with my eyes over the rim of my coffee mug. Expecting something snappy but charming.

"Honestly?" She asked, her gaze traveling slowly back to me. The wind blew ringlets that had escaped her braid gently across her face, one eyebrow arched in question.

"Well don't start lying to me now Claire." She winced at my jest before saying the last thing I expected from someone pursuing a life in mediation.

"I threw a jug of steaming milk over his armani suit, and unleashed a litany of swear words that would probably make a sailor blush." She blushed at the admission and waived at her friend behind the counter for another round of coffees.

"I can see why that may not have gone over too well. Are you usually that volatile?" It would actually be an attribute in the shifter world. I stopped to check my train of thought, not wanting to get ahead of myself. Not before tonight.

"Usually only when I'm defending other people. There were extenuating circumstances that I'm not privy at this juncture Xavier." Her pointed comment drew me away from the hilarious imaginary scene playing out in my mind of a pissed off Claire piffing milk at a particular associate of mine.

Other than taking justice into her own hands like some kind of judge, jury and executioner, She had a passion for travelling and spent her life saving for it. Gallivanting around the globe till the money ran out, returning home, studying for a semester or two and saving for the next adventure. Usually taking on the world with Sally, but sometimes solo.

Claire was adopted, and her adoptive mother was her best friend in the world after Sally. She never had any interest in finding her bio-parents. "They made me, but they didn't create me or shape me." Her dad died the year before and her mum had been globe trotting ever since.

I had been hoping for a personal history that would shed some light on where her recessive shifter DNA came from. I wondered if she would be amenable to utilising The Firm to get answers once she shifted? I shook my head at myself. Because there I was, racing ahead of myself once again. How does one stop themselves dreaming about everything they have ever wanted, when it is less than a heart beat away, but might perish in a handful of hours?