The Wandering Shadow: Chapter Four
4 Will woke with a start as the clock's bell rang. It was morning. He couldn't have gotten more than a few hours sleep. He hadn't even gone to bed, but had instead fallen asleep seated on the couch. Jenna was curled up beside him, asleep with her tail wrapped around her body. Will sighed sadly as he looked at her. She was still a wolf, and showed no signs of changing back to her normal self any time soon. Whether by luck or design her mind seemed unchanged, so in that respect she was still herself. The unfortunate side to that was that she was all the more upset by her transformation. That had resulted in him spending most of the night trying to console her. As he watched her sleep, Will momentarily considered waking her, but decided she would be better off asleep for now. With how distraught she had been the night before, he was in no hurry to put her through more of the same. Will groaned quietly as he got up off the couch. He was still pretty sore from being thrown onto the table. The table itself was worse for ware though, amounting to little more than kindling at that point. He hadn't even bothered to move the debris yet. But then, a broken table wasn't terribly important to him at the moment. He had more important things to worry about. As if to remind him of that his stomach grumbled. He sighed. Since he figured it probably would be a good idea to eat before dealing with anything else, Will went to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. He hadn't actually cooked in years, and he knew it wouldn't be as good as Jenna's cooking could be, but with things as they were he didn't have much choice. After a short while breakfast was ready, and he was reasonably pleased with the results; not restaurant quality, but edible. He piled the food on to two plates and with them in hand walked out to the den. He immediately realized once there that with the table in pieces he had nowhere to put them. Taking a quick look around he decided to set them on one of the shelves of Jenna's bookcase. With his hands free he set to moving what was left of the table off to one side of the room. Once it was out of the way he picked up the shredded remains of Jenna's dress, took them to the kitchen, and unceremoniously dropped them into the trash. When he returned to the den he was unsurprised to see that Jenna was still deeply asleep. Will smiled sadly. At least some things hadn't changed. He walked across the room and knelt beside her. She was breathing softly, and her eyes were fluttering ever so slightly. He almost hated to wake her, but he knew she needed to be involved in the decisions they had to make--especially considering they revolved around her. Will placed a hand on one of her furry, snow white shoulders and nudged her gently, trying to wake her as quietly as he could. After a moment her eyes opened and she raised her head to look at him. Jenna looked almost happy for a moment when her eyes met his then she caught sight of her nose. Her ears flattened and with a dissatisfied look in her eyes she wrinkled her nose back and forth as though judging it. Jenna sighed. For an instant, brief as it had been, she had thought she had imagined it all. But the proof was plainly in front of her. She gritted her teeth, trying to stall the outpouring of emotion she felt coming on. In a way, her emotions weren't even really focused on one particular aspect of what had happened to her. She was depressed over how it seemed to have essentially ruined the simple happy life she had been leading. She felt anger over the fact that she had no control over it, and that there seemed to be no reason. She was confused by her new form, with all the muscles and senses and thoughts she had never had before. It was all so much to deal with, and even though Will had thus far made a point of trying to comfort her, he probably had little to no idea just what was going on in her mind. Jenna shook her head, both in frustration and to try to clear her thoughts. She took a deep breath, and thought to herself I can't spend all my time worrying, or I won't be able to do anything about it. She looked up to Will again. He had been sitting patiently by, waiting to see what she would do, and how she would react to the fact that she still wasn't herself. He was more than a little surprised when he saw determination in her eyes, but he was glad to see anything that wasn't angst. Seeing his surprise Jenna gave him a look that seemed to ask What? Were you expecting dramatics? He actually smiled a bit when he said, "Glad to see you're feeling a bit better. Listen, before we start talking about what to do about...all of this, I kinda made breakfast, so we should probably eat before it gets cold." Jenna rolled her eyes, but nodded in agreement. She was hungry, but then they had neglected to eat the night before. Breakfast sounded like a good idea, even if it would waste some of their time. She stood and stretched, then lightly hopped off the couch and headed into the kitchen. Will stood and followed her, wondering what she was doing. He was surprised to find her pushing out her chair at the kitchen table before jumping up to sit on it. Apparently she was intent on acting as though nothing had really changed. Since it was what she wanted, Will went back to the den, grabbed the plates off the shelf, and returned to the kitchen once more, depositing one plate in front of her and another in front of his chair. After grabbing a fork for himself he joined her at the table. As he started to eat she eyed him. The first thought that popped into her head was What, no fork for me? It clicked in her head after a second that she couldn't even hold a fork at the moment. She sighed to herself. This was one place where she would just have to make due with what she had. Moving carefully to get a gauge for how far out her muzzle actually extended, Jenna lowered her nose to the plate and made the attempt to snap up the food in her jaws. After a few less than successful attempts she managed to get a mouthful. No major victory, but at least it was something. Will watched the whole process out of the corner of his eye. Under any other circumstance he might have found it amusing to see a wolf doing that, but to him it just served as a reminder of what had happened to Jenna. Hell, she herself was a reminder of that. Her very presence reminded him of the fact that he hadn't been able to protect her from...whatever had happened. Every time he looked at her he felt a twinge of guilt and pain in his heart. He couldn't help but feel at a loss, even as his mind raced to think of a way to fix things. Once his hunger was satisfied Will set down his fork and crossed his arms in front of him, resting them on the table. "There won't ever really be a good time to discuss things...so we may as well now." Jenna looked up from the last little bit of food she had been trying to work into her mouth, and after a second she nodded. There was no point in putting it off. Will sighed. "I...I don't even really know where to begin with all this. I do know that...whatever happened to you, we're going to find a way to get things back to normal. The problem is that I don't really know how. I don't know much about actually using magic...and that's what undoing this will require." Jenna nodded. She knew his own limitations would make any course of action difficult. She perked up a bit as an idea occurred to her. But how to get it across? Oh, I know! She jumped off her seat and ran out of the room, leaving Will feeling a bit baffled. She seemed to have left with a purpose, but he couldn't begin to guess what. He waited there for a moment or two and just as he was considering going after her she came back. As Jenna sauntered over to him he could see she was carrying something in her mouth. She dropped it on his lap and sat down beside his chair with an air of self satisfaction about her that seemed to say, Look how clever I am! Looking at what she had dropped in his lap he immediately recognized it as his badge. He frowned, puzzled for a moment before he pieced together what she was trying to tell him. "I don't think going to I.O.M.E. with this is an option." She scowled at him, tilting her head in a questioning manner. Will ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well...there're a couple reasons why we shouldn't. First is that most people there are like me in that they can't or won't use magic, so they don't know much about it. And more importantly..." Will hesitated, trying to think of the best way to say what he was thinking. "More importantly, the energy that transformed you seemed to have a dark nature to it, which I.O.M.E. could see as potentially dangerous. If they aren't able to find a way to reverse it, then they would likely lock you away to keep any residual dark energy in your body safely contained. I've seen it done before. Not usually to animals or people--in fact it's almost exclusive to items and artifacts--but I'd still rather not take that risk." Will wouldn't admit it, but he also secretly suspected that if he were to return to the office just one day after Greer had all but forced him to take time off, the result wouldn't be pretty. Jenna sighed. He was probably right. She didn't like it, but he was probably right. What are we going to do? An uneasy silence fell as both tried to think of something they could do. Finally Will came up with a sort of compromise. "There is one person at I.O.M.E. who knows a fair amount about magic. I shouldn't really go to the office to talk to him about this though. Maybe I can find out where he lives...speak to him more privately. He may be able to offer some advice, at the very least." Jenna tilted her head to one side. She was rather curious to know who he was talking about. Guessing at her meaning Will said, "He's the lone member of our office's R&D department. Quentin. He's kinda quirky...and his inventions don't always work well, but he's the closest thing to an expert I know of." Jenna nodded understandingly. It's not much, but it's the best we have for now, she thought. She sighed sadly. Even if they could find some way to change her back, she would still have to spend some amount of time in her current form. It was an idea that was more than just a bit unappealing. She knew she would just have to deal with it though, and hope that Will would learn something of use.
"No, you stay here. You'll just draw unwanted attention as you are." Jenna's ears flattened out as she glared at Will. She didn't want to be left all alone. It was night time, just a bit after six. Will was about to head out to try to track down and speak to Quentin. He had waited until that late in the day since he knew Quentin worked during the day, and he would have a better chance of catching him as he was leaving the office to go home. It had also been in part so he could spend the day thinking about how to approach the issue if he did manage to talk to Quentin about it. Other than that the day had been spent in somber silence, and that alone was enough for Will to be glad to get out of the apartment for even a short while. He also wanted to leave Jenna at the apartment, as he had said, because she would draw attention to them; wolves weren't exactly common place in the city. Will knelt down in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you don't want to be alone now. I wouldn't either. But just for now, it'll be better for you to stay here. Alright?" Jenna avoided meeting his gaze. She felt as though she were being abandoned. She knew he didn't see it that way, but then it wasn't as though they were experiencing recent events with the same mindset. She licked her lips nervously. More than anything else, she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts, and no one to turn to if she should lose control of her emotions again. Jenna shook her head as she looked back at him. Will sighed. "Even when you can't speak you're stubborn as hell. I get that it'll be hard right now, but could you please just stay here for my peace of mind?" Jenna gritted her teeth. She shook her head again and growled. She wasn't having it. Will stood up, taking a step back from her with a scowl on his face. "Dammit Jen, I know you don't want to, but I'll lock you in if I have to. This shouldn't even have to be argued. I don't want to leave you alone, but it's safer right now. I just want to try to keep you safe until we can reverse this." Jenna hung her head. She hadn't really thought out his reasoning beyond that he wanted her to stay. If he was doing it for her--or at least mostly for her--she could live with it for just a little while. She looked back up at him and nodded reluctantly. Will smiled softly. "Thank you. I'll do my best to be quick." He leaned down and planted a kiss on top of her head, then straightened up turned to face the door. He looked back over his shoulder once, then opened the door and stepped out into the dying rays of the setting sun. The air was already growing cold. He drew his jacket a bit closer around him then set off down the stairs to the street below. He turned in the direction of the I.O.M.E. office and walked down the street at a brisk pace. Convincing Jenna had taken longer than he had planned. Hopefully he wouldn't be too late to catch Quentin. After making the usual half-hour walk to I.O.M.E., Will took a seat at an outside table of a café across the street from the building, ordered a cup of coffee, and waited. Only twenty minutes had passed--barely enough time for him to finish his drink--when he spotted Quentin walking down the front steps of the I.O.M.E. building. Will dropped enough money on the table to cover his bill and set off after Quentin, following him from the opposite side of the street. Once they were a decent distance down the street Will cut across to the side Quentin was on and increased his speed. When he was only a few feet behind the brown haired scientist he said Quentin's name loud enough to get his attention. Quentin turned and his face lit up. "Will! What are you doing here? Wait, don't tell me, you missed work so much you sought me out to feel like you're working again, right?" Will shook his head. "No. I couldn't care less about work right now." Quentin blinked a few times, as though he didn't understand. "That's not like you at all. I dare say you have my attention. What's going on?" Will hesitated. "I...need your help with something...something rather personal. I'd like to speak in a more private setting." Quentin nodded. "Alright then. My home is just a few blocks away. We can go there if you like." Will agreed and they set off. It only took a few minutes of walking to reach Quentin's house--house being a generous term. It was only one story in height--which was far from uncommon--but it and many others beside it were incredibly slim; clearly they weren't designed for space, or more than one occupant. This became even more apparent as Will beheld the cramped quarters within. While his and Jenna's apartment was on the small side, even he had to acknowledge just how minimal a life Quentin seemed to live. Like Quentin's lab at the I.O.M.E. office, the interior was essentially spotless, almost as though no one lived there. It was also sparsely furnished, consisting of only the bare minimum of what was needed, it seemed. Quentin turned to face Will once they were inside and the door was closed behind them. "Well, here we are. Feel free to take a seat somewhere, and we can discuss this issue you need my help with." Looking around Will saw a fireplace set into one wall, with a pair of armchairs in front of it. Will took a seat in one, and--after lighting a fire which cast a warming orange glow on the room--Quentin took the other. Then, Will began to talk. After what felt like an eternity silence fell. Will waited with apprehension, hoping Quentin would have something to say. Quentin leaned back in his chair and watched Will silently, as though trying to figure him out. Finally he said, "From anyone else I would think that story was meant as some sort of sick joke...but I doubt you would do that. So I have to ask: what is it you think I can do for you?" "I...I don't really know. You know more about magic than anyone else I know, so I thought maybe you could offer some help or advice." Quentin shook his head. "My specialties are in making things. Metallurgy mostly. I'm not going to be much help with something like a person transforming into a wolf." Will's shoulders slumped. "But...you...can't you offer any advice or...anything?" Quentin thought for a moment, then said, "I don't know anything that can help you, but I know someone who might." Will sat up, looking hopeful. "Who?" "An alchemist friend of mine. Anita. She generally does the same sort of work I do, but she recently started doing research into the possibility of transforming organic matter, an area where alchemists don't normally work. She's been working on this theory that--seeing as living things are basically just amalgamations of chemicals--an alchemist could do to an animal of human what they do to lead or tin." Will stood up excitedly. "So she may be able to help then. Where is she now?" Quentin hesitated then said, "That's the difficult bit really. She lives in England." Will blinked a few times as the meaning of that hit him. "So we can't easily speak with her. How long would it take to get a message to her? And to hear back?" Quentin shrugged. "It would take about a week and a half to get to her. Then when she can find the time to respond, it would take about the same to get back here. So...three weeks, absolute minimum. It could be longer though." Will sat once more and sighed. "So my only real option at this point is to wait for almost a month, and hope this friend of yours can help from this distance, all while Jenna suffers in her current form." Quentin shook his head. "It's not your only option. You could also go to see her in person." Will laughed. "Are you serious? Go to England?" Quentin nodded. "I am. If you want to resolve your issue as quickly as possible, it seems like the best option." "I don't have the money to get two people to England and back, not to mention that I would have to take an unexplained leave of absence from work!" "One person and one wolf," Quentin corrected him, "They wouldn't charge for Jenna in her current form, or if they did, it would be a pittance. Besides, if you don't go now, there's a chance you would have to go anyway. I doubt Anita would be able to do anything from this distance anyway." Will didn't have an argument for that. Quentin was completely right. "I...would have to see what Jenna wants to do. Until then I won't know for sure. She'll probably want to go though. So I guess it would be best to get your friend's information." Quentin nodded. "Let me go write it down for you." He stood from his chair and walked out, leaving Will alone with his thoughts. Going all the way to England would be taxing, not to mention expensive--even only paying for one person. But it would be worth it to get Jenna back to normal, wouldn't it? He shook his head. Of course it would! He shouldn't even have to think about it! Will began to grow impatient as the minutes ticked by. Finally Quentin returned and--to Will's surprise--was carrying a bundle of black cloth with him. Will eyed it curiously. "What's all that?" Quentin smiled. "Something I want you to test for me since you're going to be traveling. Consider it like a fee." Quentin shook out the bundle and revealed it to be a cloak. "This is something I've been working on. Assuming I've done it right--which I'm pretty sure I have--it should be able to protect you from almost every environment. Rain or snow, heat or cold. Plus it should retard flames as well." Will quirked a brow. "Why a cloak though? Why not just make it a coat?" "Two reasons. One, this covers the whole body. Second...the material seemed to take better to the energy I put into it. I tried with a few coats and they...ignited." Will suddenly felt reluctant to even touch the cloak, let alone wear it. "That's not very comforting." Quentin shrugged. "This is the only cloak I ever worked with, and after three weeks it still hasn't gone up in smoke." He held the cloak out to Will, who reluctantly accepted. "Alright. But if it does light me on fire I reserve the right to seek whatever vengeance I deem fit." "Fair enough. These are also for you." Quentin proffered an object which Will immediately recognized as Lightning Shot. "What's this for?" Quentin smiled with something akin to pride. "Also testing. This is the second version of the Lightning Shot design. After reading your report on the first one, Greer wanted me to make some modifications. It now holds six more shots than the original. But that's not the great part. The original design just impacted the target. This version punctures like a bullet, and discharges electrical energy into the target to stun whatever part of them you hit. Needless to say, it hurts." Will quirked a brow. "But what makes you think I'll have an opportunity to use it? Do you know something I don't?" Quentin hesitated. "Well...I've never told anyone before...but members of my family have a bit of a gift. It's a sort of ESP. We can't...foretell the future...but we can get a sense of whether things to come will be good or bad. Will...I'm sorry to tell you this...but I sense something dark along the path you walk." Will smirked. "Is that so? If you can sense if things will end badly, why do you still have me test so many of your inventions?" Quentin shook his head. "Mocking me and my abilities yet again. I know it sounds ridiculous, but please trust me when I say you'll be glad I gave you that." Will sighed. "Fine. Just don't be offended when I say I hope that power you claim to have is nothing but nonsense." "For your sake, I hope so too." Quentin reached into his pocket and produced a slip of paper, handing it to Will. "That's her address in London. Her full name is Anita Conlin." Will pocketed the paper and the Lightning Shot then donned the cloak, deciding it would be easier than carrying it. "I know I mock you at times...but I really do appreciate all of this. I'll make sure I put all of this to good use." "I hope so. Now it's getting late. You should head home." Will nodded and walked to the door. As he opened it and stepped into the cold night air he looked over his shoulder and said, "Thanks again Quentin. I'll let you know how things go once it's all over." "Just worry about getting it done, and good luck." "Thanks." Will closed the door behind him and set off back toward home, feeling just a bit hopeful for the first time all day.
Jenna's ears perked up when she heard the front door unlock. She bounced off the couch--where she had been waiting since Will had left--and ran to meet him as he came in, hoping he had good news. She canted her head to one side when she caught sight of him, wondering why on earth he was wearing a cloak. Will smiled apologetically as he turned to face her after closing and locking the door. "Sorry I took so long. It didn't go as quick as I would have liked." She nodded understandingly then stepped forward and pawed at the hem of the cloak as though to ask, And what is this? Getting her meaning he said, "Quentin gave it to me. It's supposed to protect from most any weather. But we have more important things to...uh...discuss." Jenna nodded. She wanted to know what--if anything--Quentin had had to say about her condition. She walked back into the den with Will following a few steps behind. They took up seats at opposite ends of the couch then Will told her of everything that had happened since he had left the apartment. When he finished he asked, "So what do you think? Should we go? It may very well be our best option." Jenna thought for a moment then nodded. She didn't want to wait longer than she had to, so it only made sense to do whatever would help things along. Will sighed. "Well...alright then. Tomorrow I'll start working on how we'll actually get to England." She nodded again then moved to his side of the couch and laid her head in his lap, cuddling up to him. She felt almost relieved by the idea that there was someone who may actually be able to reverse the change she had gone through. At the same time she was worried though. If it turned out that there was nothing that could be done for her, they would have wasted their time, and she would still be no closer to being human again. She sighed softly when Will placed a hand on her shoulder and gently rubbed his hand back and forth along her side, trying his best to make her feel better. It didn't help much, but she appreciated the effort. All either of the could do anymore was try to make the best of things as they were, so even such a simple thing as momentary contentment was a welcome change. The night would pass with the two of them once more falling asleep on the couch. Though neither would admit it, both felt as though it would be wrong somehow to sleep in their bed. When morning came Will once again did his best to prepare breakfast, and once again it was passable. Once they had eaten he left the apartment to withdraw what money he could from the bank and find out if any ships at the city's port would be making transatlantic voyages any time soon. This of course left Jenna home alone yet again. She had put on a brave face that morning for Will's sake, but inside she was hurting far too much to really be okay with being left on her own. One of the first things she had discovered about her new form was that she had lost the ability to cry. She had felt in the past couple days that she could use a good cry. Strange, she thought, what you never realize you would miss. Time seemed to pass at an incredibly slow rat as she waited. She had nothing to do to distract herself. The though occurred to her a few times that she could probably still read even as a wolf, but at the same time she felt little motivation to do much of anything, and she was worried about damaging her books anyway. All that left her with was trying to sort out her own feelings, which was generally a rather depressing task that she tried to avoid. She eventually fell asleep on the couch her dreams haunted by strange images of watching her own body become disfigured and morphed while shrouded in darkness. She was having one particularly intense dream when she was awakened by something nudging her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open and she was greeted by the sight of Will's face. His familiar features and compassionate brown eyes serving as welcome relief from her nightmares. She jumped off the couch and into his arms, snuggling up close. His brow furrowed with concern. "What's wrong?" She had no way to answer, so she did all she could and nuzzled him, trying clear her thoughts. Though he didn't know the exact cause, Will could easily tell how distraught she was--not that she needed much reason in her current state. Holding her close he said, "I don't know if this will help, but you may like to know that I've arranged for us to be on a ship that leaves early tomorrow morning. We'll be on our way by sunrise." Jenna nodded to show that she had heard and nuzzled him again. It made her feel a bit better, but she still couldn't help feeling just a bit depressed. I hate this all so much, she thought. Why me? Why us?
After just a few hours of fitful sleep on both their parts, Will and Jenna readied themselves to leave. Rather Will readied himself, as Jenna had nothing to do but sit around and wait. As she sat on the couch, waiting for Will to gather up what he was taking with him, a thought occurred to her. The wreckage of the table was still sitting off to one side of the room, unmoved since Will had put it there in the first place. Of her dress however, nothing remained to be seen. She slid off the couch and wandered into the kitchen, absentmindedly looking for any sign of it--or rather what was left of it. Jenna felt a flash of irritation as she spotted a piece of green fabric clinging to the edge of the kitchen trash bin. Surely Will hadn't thrown it out. There must be some salvageable piece left! Looking down into the trash she was less than happy to see what remained of the dress; at least it was right on top. Using her paw to poke through the remains she found what looked to be the biggest shred, which was still only about a foot and a half long and rather tattered. Even so, it still had to be useable for something. She carefully picked up the piece between her teeth and carried it back out to the den, where she sat waiting for Will with the fabric in her mouth. A few minutes passed before he finally appeared, once more wearing the cloak Quentin had given him. He also had his gun and holster at his waist and a small bag hanging from one shoulder. The bag contained the information on Quentin's friend Anita, the money he had retrieved from the bank, a spare set of clothes, and his I.O.M.E. badge, which he had tossed in with the rest on an impulse. When he caught sight of her sitting there with the shred of the dress in her mouth he cringed slightly. He had hoped she wouldn't find it, if only because he knew it would upset her. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry. I should have told you I threw it out. It didn't look like much could be salvaged...and I didn't think you needed the reminder." Jenna let out a short growl and lifted the piece of fabric into the air, trying to get across the idea, this piece can be used, or at least saved! Will sighed, and assuming he understood her he said, "I know it was your favorite, but it's destroyed. What do you want me to do, tie that piece around your neck like a scarf?" Jenna blinked a few times in surprise. She hadn't actually thought of doing that. She nodded in reply. I rather like the idea, she thought. Will rolled his eyes. "Alright then, hold still." He walked over to her then knelt down beside her and took the scrap of fabric from her mouth. He folded it once lengthwise to hide some of the more damaged looking bits then placed it across the front of her neck, pulling the ends around behind her head and tying it with a knot. He tested it by pulling once or twice, then stood back up and asked, "Happy now?" Jenna gave a halfhearted nod. She wasn't really happy per se, but she did feel happier at least. She stood up and stretched before walking out of the room in the general direction of the front door. Clearly she was ready to leave. Will smiled and shook his head. "Just a minute, I want to make sure I have everything first." He pulled his bag out in front of him and quickly went through the contents, checking that everything he needed was inside. Everything was there except for the Lightning Shot Quentin had given him, which was loaded into his pistol. He readjusted the bag and took a look around. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, he was just looking for memory's sake. He knew there was a real possibility that after this trip they wouldn't have the money to keep their apartment for very long. He wanted to at least get what may be one last look at where he and Jenna had spent the last few years of their life together. He smirked as his eyes came to rest on the shadow box that hung a couple feet above the couch. It was the very same one that held his sword. Thoughts of how often Jenna had berated him over even having it--let alone displaying it--in an odd way made him think of happier times. An almost ludicrous idea occurred to him then. Yet somehow it also seemed like a good idea. Though he didn't set much store by Quentin's "prediction" about darkness in his future, Will had to admit that the cautious side of him did want to pay some heed to that warning. Plus, a gun couldn't solve every dangerous situation. He smiled and quietly said, "Why not?" A few minutes later he joined Jenna at the apartment's front door. Looking him over she rolled her eyes when she realized he had attached the sword and its sheath to his belt. She gave him a look which matched the thought in her head: Really? Will just smiled and shrugged, guessing at the meaning behind her expression. "May as well. Not like it does any good hanging on a wall." Jenna shook her head but didn't pursue the subject further. If he wants to look foolish, she thought, that's his choice. Sensing her approval--or at least toleration--Will stepped past her and opened the door, gesturing for her to go out first. She walked through and he followed suit, stopping only for a moment to take one last look at their home before closing the door and heading out into the semidarkness of the early morning.