Conscience of a Dove

"Okay!" She chimed, bounding off to the bathroom. She itched to help the hospitable Alice in the kitchen, but she hadn't an idea how to cook, and she was itching quite literally to get out of her dirty clothing and wash up. Shutting the door behind her, she set to work immediately, turning the water on in the shower, waiting for it to warm up. That didn't take a whole lot of time, and she undressed herself, then climbing into the stream of cleansing water and closing the curtains. She felt pretty lucky all of a sudden, to have been picked up by Alice, finally able to relax a bit. Without her, she probably would have found herself in some other alley, surrounded by some other people. But now, she's made some friends who don't mind giving their help and companionship to her. How fortunate.
 
Alice retrieved her laptop, her relief almost staggering. She was glad to be alone again. She placed her laptop on the counter as she pulled out a massive pot and placed it in the sink. Looks like it was going to be a stew night. Lance could certainly use the calories anyway. She opened her laptop, trying to ignore the bubbling emotions that demanded her attention. In the Ebony district, there were couriers that could get her what she needed, if she paid well. She ordered large jeans and a black t-shirt for Lance, including some combat boots and black socks. Who said she didn't no fashion? She mulled a bit over Wren's outfit before ordering white slacks, a white t-shirt, and some white tennis shoes. It was a bad choice of color for the district that would make her stand out, but Alice felt that white was the only color for her. Closing her laptop, she starting pulling things out of the fridge to be cut up. After that, she retrieved a well-used wood cutting board and washed her hands. Looks like dinner is gonna take a while.
 
"Dagnabbitcadflummit!!!" Shouted Lance, quite a bit louder than the situation warranted. It seemed that the bar soap was not very fond of being held, and would much prefer to slide around on the floor of the tub. Either that, or he was just a very clumsy man. "Oh well", he thought to himself. Soap or no soap, he was much cleaner at this point than he was before he got in. Stooping down and firmly gripping the bar, causing the sides to cave in slightly, he resumed his thorough decontamination. Tendrils of muddy water swirled around his feet as he scrubbed away the years of neglect, rushing into a whirlpool as it made it's way down the drain, heading back to sewage treatment.......where it could forget it had ever had to wash this dirt-encrusted individual. After another 5 minutes, Lance could practically see his own reflection in his skin. Turning the water off, he reached for a towel that hung on a silver chinese-made towel rack. Pulling it off with a slight yank, he stepped over the low wall of the tub, rubbing his face as he did.

Pulling on his pants, Lance revisited the mirror for one more time, approaching it similar to the way a caveman would approach fire. He saw a man......but he didn't recognize him. This man was clean, with a look of content on his face. Leaning in, he ran his hand down the length of his cheek, the scratchiness of stubble causing a tingly sensation on his hand. This was going to take some getting used to. Tucking his shirt under his arm, Lance emerged shirtless and clean from the bathroom, a wall of steam billowing out as he did. Scratching his muscular torso, Lance yawned and glanced over at Alice. She was working very hard at dinner, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. This reminded him an awful lot of the way Mindy was when she was in the kitchen. As if a ghost his old self slipped out all of a sudden, Lance said what he would always say to Mindy when she was in the kitchen. "Anything I can help you with madame?"
 
"I'm not old enough to be considered a 'madame'," Alice said without looking up from the potato she was cutting, "It's mademoiselle to you. And you can help by dumping those rags and putting on those." She made a gester with her knife hand towards two bags sitting on the low table in the living area. "The black stuff's your's," She said, scarpping the potato chunks into the big pot that was simmering on the stove. A courier had come by a minute ago with the stuff, leaving the combat boots and white shoes in the bags.
 
Taking a handful of shampoo, she thoroughly scrubbed out the grease and partial dirt in her hair, face against the downpour from the shower-head. She hummed to herself as she washed; quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone if it was something of an annoyance to them. It was a somehow familiar tune, soft and almost in likeness to some lullaby. She thought it possible that she had just made it up, but still felt as though she had been taught it before. After washing her body, she shut off the water and stepped out, drying off with a grey towel she had found in the nearby cabinet. Wren couldn't help a small smile creeping upon her lips as she saw in the mirror that she looked a lot healthier now. The grey of dirt gone, her hair and skin glistened just the way it would normally, though that glimmer still couldn't bear likeness to that of her eyes. She liked them, of course, though she hadn't had the chance to admire herself so.

She suddenly took a more curious gaze into the mirror, noticing a strange marking which marred the pallidness of her side. A scar, it looked like. She turned a bit, and saw that the scar led onto her back; but also that it wasn't the only one wreaking havoc around the clear skin. All along her back, dark marks that resembled a multitude of cuts and bruised scars. It looked as though she had been hacked and lashed at to no end over a long period of time. The realization of such things struck her like a bus collision, and she had to cover her mouth to muffle a shriek from being heard by her friends; she hadn't an idea where they came from. She hadn't an idea bout anything. No memory whatsoever, nothing beyond her waking up in that alley. Who was she? Why had she been dumped in the city like that? What were these haphazardly prominent scars caused by and why?

Her head swimming, she snatched up her clothing and threw it on with as much swiftness as she could. She didn't want to look at the mirror any longer. Wren barged out of the room, unintentionally slamming the door shut. The sound made her jump and take a quick step away, and she hoped the door hadn't broken. Surely it was fine, but she looked as if she had seen a ghost. She let out a somewhat shaky sigh and rested a hand upon her head, attempting to pull herself together before someone came to check what the sound was.
 
"Wi wi, parlevou! My your face is quite a hue! Now it's turning ghostly white.....you'll give the local folks a fright! Didn't you hear what I said?! Of course you didn't, cause you're dead!" Lance chanted as he heard the girl use the French word. An odd reply, to be sure. Looking up at the strange looks he was sure to recieve, he laughed. "Sorry!", he chuckled softly, "when you said 'madmemoiselle', it reminded me of that old thing we'd sing in the Marine core." A shadow passed over his face as he retrieved his new clothing, nodding a quick and silent thanks to Alice. "We used to sing it to the corpses of our dead foes after a firefight." Slipping into the black shirt, the itchy newness of the cotton caused him to squirm. It had a funny smell to it too. The fresh out the store smell was an unfamiliar scent to him. As soon as the thought of smells popped into his head, Lance began to smell the wafting aroma of a stew in progress. Picking up the pants and other garments, he halted for a moment. Reaching down to his discarded jacket, he pulled a small and shiny object out of his pocket. Trying to conceal it from the others, Lance quickly shoved it into his new pants pocket. Trotting back to the bathroom to finish dressing, he called out to Alice in a French accent. "Smells magnifique mademoiselle!!"
 
The slam of a door startled Alice, almost making her drop the knife. She quickly dumped the cut meat into the pot, raised the temperature, and set down the cutting board. She moved towards her room in a swift fashion, not bothering to knock before she went in. "What's wrong?" She said, worried. She took one look at Wren's even paler face and closed the door softly behind her. "Tell me," She said firmly.
 
"Ah.. I- I just.." She glanced at the door, and attempted to think of something she could lie with, but she knew that would be impossible anyways. It was written on her face that something was wrong, she just knew it. Alice's concern was enough to show she couldn't just outright say that there was nothing going on, that everything was fine. She stumbled over her words for a second, before looking to Alice, a nearly pleading look in her eyes. "A.. Alice, do you.. know me, at all?"
 
"Do I.....know you?" Alice paused, her brain stumbling over the sudden question while still trying to find out what was wrong with Wren, "I don't quite understand the question. What do you mean?" She wanted to desperately understand what Wren was saying, but her mind drew a blank. Not yet.
 
She nearly shouted as she took a step forward looking a bit overcome by her mix of emotions swirling in her head. "Who am I, Alice!?" After a short moment her annoyed expression changed into that of regret. Of course she didn't know her. Why would she? They were all strangers here, there was no need to get upset with Alice for wanting to help. She sat herself on the bed and looked to the floor, murmuring a short apology.
 
Wearing a hard look, Alice moved in front of Wren, pulled her up, and wrapped her in a short embrace. "I don't know who you are or where you came from," She murmured, "But I do know how important you are. And even though I'm not used to such emotions, I am not lying to you or myself when I say I will do everything in my power to protect you. So don't worry or fret, because seeing you sad and scared, is what makes me worried and scared." Her mind clicked...and she remembered. Some of it at least. She knew who this girl was and what her duty was. She didn't understand everything, but she knew enough to know that she'd never let Wren out of her sight again. Alice dreaded what would happen if she did.
 
This action surprised Wren somehow. Her eyes shone with tears and she tightly wrapped her arms around Alice to return the embrace. Such kindness she hadn't expected to receive. As soon as she broke from the hug, she wiped her eyes with her arm, pulling a cheerful smile to her face again and nodding once. She was back to Earth once again, it seemed. "Okay.. then I'll have to stay happy, that way you'll be happy too!" She stated in an upbeat, yet determined tone.
 
Alice nodded, happily satisfied. "Come on, then," She said, sniffing the air, "Dinner smells like it's done. I promise you'll like it." Alice led Wren out of her bedroom, leaving her on the couch as she tended to the boiling stew. "Ah, by the way, those clothes are yours," She said, nodding towards the remaining bag, "I'm not much of a fashion queen, but I think white looks very good on you." Alice pulled out some thick, glass bowls and placed them on the counter. "Get dressed before dinner," She added, searching the drawers for a ladle. "Yo, Lance, at attention!" She called, "Help me with these bowls!"
 
She rushed to the bag, crouching and scooping out the white contents which were her clothing in one arm. Bounding off to another room and, lightly this time, closing the door behind her. She hopped about a bit as she pulled on the white slacks, then removed her old shirt and replaced it with the new one. Seeing a small trash can in the corner she tossed the rag of clothing that she used to don, and emerged from the room triumphant in the task before dinner. Wren then took a seat upon the couch, figuring Lance would suffice as help in the kitchen for Alice.
 
A scene began to play before Lance's eyes as he stepped into the bathroom, causing him to accidentally bump his shoulder into the doorjamb when he entered. Allowing the clothes to slide from his arms and onto the floor, he stared intently at the picture within the little heart-shaped locket that he had salvaged from their home on the night of the attack. He could still hear his daughters voice, and remember what she said, on the day she had given it to him. *flashback scene*

"Mindy, what on earth is that?!" Lance asked with a hearty giggle, running into his wifes outstretched arm as he dropped his military-issued duffle bag on the porch carelessly. "Why, don't you know?" Mindy asked him in mock surprise, giving him the cutest "taken aback" look that he had ever seen. Holding up the object in question, Mindy grinned wolfishly. In her thin and tender hand was a baby turtle, which at the moment was nibbling on a small piece of lettuce. "Your daughter has been wanting one of these for an age, and after all....it IS her birthday today." Kissing his wife, Lance looked down at the small creature with an artificially stern look. "Now see here mister....turtles have to mind the rules of this house just as much as humans would. I don't wanna see you tying a purple head band to your head, hitching up some ninja gear and heading off to fight crime. Understand?" The turtle looked boredly back at him, unphased by what he had said. Mindy giggled, punching him lightly in the arm. Looking into his eyes, she lifted her hand up to his smooth and shaven cheek. Leaning in close, she pressed her mouth against his ear and whispered, "I've missed you so much sweetheart." Tilting her head back, she kissed him softly.

"EEEEEWWWWW GROOOOOOSS DAAD!!" came a voice from the front door. Looking up with a bewildered and slightly embarrased grin, Lance saw a small red-headed girl standing there. She was hanging on the screen door with an immensely nauseated look. "There's my strawberry shortcake!!" Lance shouted, running over to her and reaching down to hoist her into his arms. He didn't have to, as she had already leaped into them with a shout of joy. "Oh daddy oh daddy oh daddy I mmmmmissed you a whole bunch!! Like...like...this much!!" She held out her arms lengthwise, as long as they could go. Laughing heartily, the honorably discharged soldier ruffled the young girls hair. "I missed you MOOOOORE, Isabella." Lance said in a challenging way. A shriek suddenly emmitted from the young girl, causing Lance and Mindy to jump. "HEEEY!!" Isabella shouted, squirming out of her fathers arms, "don't jump like that!!! You'll drop him!!" Running up to her mother, the little girl snatched the turtle from her mother, cradling him gently. "I'm gonna name you speedy!" she said happily, skipping around Lance and Mindy with a dreamy look in her eyes. "And I'm gonna make you the fastest turtle in the world!"

"Oh I'm sure you will baby girl." said Mindy with a smile, reaching for Lances hand and indicating for them to go inside. "C'mon there miss turtle trainer extraordinaire, lets go call your friends to see if they're still coming to your party." Skipping in one more circle, Isabella pranced into the door way. All of a sudden, she stopped right in front of them. "What is it birthday girl?" asked Lance in a concered voice. The girl looked up at him with a knowledgable grin. "I have something for you daddy!" she said excitedly. "A welcome home present." Sticking her tongue out from the effort, the little girl rummaged with one hand in her pocket, still balancing Speedy the turtle with the other. Widening her eyes in satisfaction, as a fisherman would after a succesful hook, Isabella held a small silver locket in her hand. Wrestling with the small device, Isabella popped the latch eagerly. A small picture of all three of them was revealed to be nestled inside. "Me and mom made this for you!!!" Her voice was so genuine as she said this. Lance smiled at his little girl, feeling his heart melt. "It's got....it's got a picture of all of us!!! So...so now you always have us with you, even when you're busy and stuff."

*flashback end* These words echoed in Lances mind as he closed the locket with a grim and tight lipped stare. "Thanks so much baby girl. For everything." he whispered. A call from the kitchen roused him from his trance, causing him to hurry into his new clothes. Placing the locket safely in his pocket once more, Lance strode out into the kitchen with a blank look on his face. "Soory it took so long." he muttered distractedly, pulling bowls down from the cabinets without really paying attention.
 
Alice rolled her eyes as she ladled the steaming stew into each of the bowls. The smell was heavenly, her mouth watered. She picked up two of the bowls and walked around the couch's edge to place a bowl in front of Wren. "Come on, then," Alice told Lance, "Are we going to eat or what?"
 
Lance was staring distantly off into space when the question came. Kicking himself mentally to get with the program, he did a little shimmy to shake off his feelings, shedding them like a snake would shed its skin. "Well, staring at it probably won't accomplish much. So I suppose eating it's our only option at this point." stated Lance as he took a seat on the couch, leaving a space for Alice to sit next to Wren. The two seemed to be close. Placing his hands together, Lance bowed his head in a brief prayer.
 
Alice sat down and bowed her head politely, but she did not clasp her hands. Somehow, she felt that it wasn't what she normally did. Not that she exactly prayed on a regular basis or that she could remember what it is she normally did.
 
Wren looked at the two for a second, obviously confused, not really understanding the concept of what they were doing. After a second of hesitation, though, she decided not to ask and copied them, bowing her head and clasping her hands together.
 
For the first time in a while, Alice spoke to him. She thanked him for what he has done and apologized for her impatience. Then she asked him for one thing. Not to protect her friends; that was her challenge, her life. She asked him to protect her as she did everything in power to protect the girl from whatever may be in store for her and to guide the military man to be everything he needed to be to be happy. She was careful and specific because it was not her way to ask for the same things twice. Now it was up to him to decide what he would or would not do. Alice lifted her head, feeling better now that she had put things in His hands. Alice stifled a laugh at Wren's awkward bow and tapped her on the shoulder.
 
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