<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Morning light greeted her, the warmth of its glow awakening her senses along with the pleasant chorus of birds outside her window. Once or twice she resisted the tug of slumber, how it attempted to coax her back into its comforting clutches. As her mind slowly gained consciousness she felt an insistence, one the told her that she had something to do or somewhere to be. Ava opened her bright eyes, green hues adjusting to the gentle daylight. On the pillow beside her was her phone, the screen no longer lit. It was black, the smiling voice on the other end gone. Pushing herself up onto her elbow, she reached for the device, bringing it to life with a tap--barely to life. Dim with little battery left, she checked her call log, a small smile appearing on her lips as she viewed the hours long conversation, half of which was likely silence. She wasn’t certain when she fell asleep, lost in the innumerable denials she spoke on the contrary to the dove-like yawns and the sleepy whispers. She hooked in her phone to its charger as she reflected on the evening before; the sound of his voice as he sang, the masterful strum of the instrument he played. Each song had her dreamy-eyed and enamored with every note. Even the somber emotions were captivating, beautiful as they were haunting. <br/>
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Ava was not oblivious to his pain, the open wounds that laid beneath roguish smiles and laughter. Beneath the charm and the wit was guilt and regret, suffering and heartache. It made those genuine moments all the more meaningful. All the unfiltered laughs and the sincere words were small triumphs, a blip in time when he was fully entrenched in the present. With her. Vengeful endeavors were distant thoughts, and with them gone the man beneath emerged. Just as charming as before, only authentically so. Cheesier and cornier, and yet far more preferable than the deflection caused by a persistent smile. She was glad that she could be an escape, that she was able to resurrect the pieces of his old self. Though she was slightly more comfortable with the idea that whatever it was that they felt for one another was temporary, and that one day they would part, she was proud that she could grant him a little light in the darkness he’d been in for so long. <br/>
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Humming the tune of the Alice in Chains song he played for her, she began to ready herself for the day. The melody stuck with her in the shower as she washed her hair, and in front of the mirror as she brushed her teeth. Even as she moved down the curved staircase, it swam in her head. Foregoing breakfast, she moved straight to the Rover parked outside, starting the engine to make her way to New Orleans. Her mood was light as she traveled the channel across Lake Pontchartrain. Crossing the bridge she was flanked on either side by nothing but vast water, stretching as far as the eye could see. The sunlight reflected on the ripples, making the water shimmer. Fair weather made for fair sailing as boats with white sails glided along calm waters. Ava found herself thinking of Wes, how she wished he was in the passenger seat beside her; the windows down with the music high, enjoying the beautiful morning together. Her simple imaginings were disrupted as she was reminded that he was unreachable, that she wouldn’t feel those exciting vibrations or hear the catchy jingle of an alert on her phone. Her system still expected the rush and anticipation, but she knew the messages would not come. <br/>
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It was hard not to be deflated by the realization, worry creeping into her sunny mood. Ava relied heavily on his word to ease her, his promise not to be careful soothing her concerns. So that her mind didn’t run wild with thoughts of him recklessly goading some beast, or thoughtlessly barging into a den of Shifters, she quickly turned on the radio. The music kept her distracted, folksy tunes drowning out the invasive thoughts that demanded she check her phone every two minutes. Turning up the volume she continued on her way, finally able to see the spires of the city in the distance. Navigating through the busy streets, the well-preserved historic buildings and maintained landmarks soon faded. The tourist district behind her, the landscape turned to that of the weather-worn industrial part of town hidden by well-maintained attractions. She pulled into the familiar lot of the auto shop, able to see the tattooed mechanic elbows deep under the hood of an old Chevy. Compared to the shabby vehicles, the dinged up and runned down models, the gleaming black Rover was a source of curiosity for the grease monkeys who were once toiling diligently. The Hunter lifted his head in the slowing of the clinking and clanking, rising up to his full height when he saw her wave through the pane of the windshield.<br/>
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He gestured to the back of the shop and she pulled the Rover around, parking before she opened the trunk. Ava stepped out, shutting the door to wait as patiently as she possibly could. Though everything turned out as well as it could have with the hunt, she was still peeved about the <i>Grunches</i>. She knew she couldn’t be too upset. His information in return was more helpful than she could have hoped for. <br/>
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<b>“Well if it isn’t ‘Little Miss Grunches Ain’t Real’,” </b>he grinned. Ben emerged from the garage with two black duffle bags in each hand. “Good to see you, Ava. You’re in one piece, not a scratch on that pretty head of yours.”<br/>
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“Yes, well . . . It wasn’t easy. Would have been nice to know that there were two of them,” she replied, arms folding across her chest as he opened the hatch and began to load in the duffles. <br/>
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<b>“That makes sense now that I think about it. A mated pair would have a larger hunting radius. We don’t get too many of those jobs, so you’ll have to forgive me. I said I would make it up to you, so what do you want? Another shiny new gun? Free tune up?”</b> He asked, leaning against the car in front of her.<br/>
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“Oh, a free gun? A free tune up? You’re going to have to do more than that. That thing was furious when I took its mate out, and it could have easily made a meal out of me after devouring that poor cow.” Ava barked, her temper flaring at the idea that the major inconvenience could have been made right by minor suggestions.<br/>
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<b>“Fine. How can I make it right?”</b> The Hunter conceded, waiting on her to think. Ava hadn’t gotten that far. She could have reserved the favor for later, when she needed more information or when she needed more weapons. Given that his assistance came with questions and conditions, she was more inclined to minimize his involvement. <b>“Typical girl. No idea what you want . . . You take your time. I’m going to grab the rest of your stuff.”</b> He laughed as he turned to retrieve yet another bag. Ava simply nodded, her eyes began to scan the area, looking to the junky cars and parts scattered about as she thought. She didn’t expect to be intrigued by an old camper; the hitch was bad and the tires were bald, a few windows cracked and broken but it was promising. She moved toward the back of the lot to get a better look at it, inspecting it up close before she decided to take a peek inside. Ava pulled at the handle, the piece coming off in her hand so abruptly that she stumbled back with a curse. A small huff and she approached the door again, wedging her fingers into the opening where the handle once was. It was slightly dark inside, but the interior was in better shape than the outside. <br/>
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<b>“Are you interested? It was abandoned here in the middle of the night a few months back. Another couple of weeks and we were going to strip it down for parts or send it off to the junk yard. Needs new windows and a hitch. Tires were bad so we took them off, but it just needs a little TLC.”</b> Ben smirked behind her, watching as she disappeared inside. <b>“I suppose I could take care of all that for you. Not sure why you’d want a--”</b><br/>
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“Deal. I'll take it.” She smiled, leaning against the counter over the small sink to peer out of the window at the Hunter. <br/>
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Moving through the aisles of the hardware store, pushing a cart filled with paint, bulbs, tools, and cleaning supplies, she felt a buzz in her back pocket. After convincing Ben to do a few more maintenance type tasks on the camper, and haggling her wait time down to three weeks, she was distracted enough to lose track of the day. It was nearly Four o’clock when she pulled the phone from her pocket, able to see his name on her screen. She wasted no time answering, the excitement outweighing what little upset she experienced from his absence. “Hi there. You’re late,” she reminded him though her tone was soft, the relief permeating her words. Pausing where she was in the aisle, she perused the screws and nails. “I had a little fun, but not too much. Just got a little shopping done. About to wrap up here soon.” The smile that had formed on her lips hadn’t faltered since she picked up the phone, and it was in her voice as she spoke-- even more so when he asked if she was doing anything that night. “No, I was hoping we could have a repeat of last night, but . . . I’d really like to see you.”<br/>
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They said a few more days. She knew it would have been wise to wait a while longer, but she had reached the limit of her restraint, the eagerness too much for her to battle against. “Even if it’s just for tonight . . . We should meet up. I can meet you on the corner of St. Ann in the French Quarter. We can take a walk or something?” She suggested, leaning on the cart as she waiting for him to respond. </span>