<em>~ Marcus in the lounge listening to the others answer questions ~</em><br/><br/>As Bo stepped forward to volunteer next, Marcus gratefully handed over the papers, very glad that his turn had come and gone.  Never one to talk much about himself unless pressed, the exercise had been a burden that he would have preferred not to bear but, once assigned, he tackled the way he would any other challenge he faced, head on and to the point.  He knew his answers could have been wordier but the five in the that room with him didn’t need to hear him blather on and on; they were looking for a peek into his soul and a peek was exactly what he’d given them, nothing more, nothing less.  There would be plenty of time to reveal bits of it piece by piece as the months progressed, just as he would learn more about them also.  Settling back into his chair, he closed his eyes briefly and savored the flavor of his tea as it poured over his tongue, heating his mouth before slipping down his throat.  This was the life, he thought; good company, good tea, and a quiet night.<br/><br/>Well, quiet for a moment at least, as it was disrupted when Bo began to speak.  His voice came out strong and sure, drawing Marcus out of his daze.  The first words from his mouth revealed a larger piece of his soul than Marcus had given and it stunned him momentarily though the revelation had not surprised him.  When he’d first learned that Bo had a military background, he called in some chips and gotten a glimpse of what he’d done.  Mission details had not been revealed, of course, and for that Marcus was glad.  He wanted to get to know Bo, the man, not Bo, the soldier who had done this or that.  It wasn’t that Marcus didn’t respect the profession, oh no, for that he had quite a bit of respect.  After all, Bo had served as one of the country’s elite that put themselves in harms way time and time again.  It was just that he wanted to look at Bo through eyes not clouded by previous judgments or impressions.  Glancing around, he wondered if the others had noticed his “confession” but he couldn’t tell so he sat back to listen some more.  Bo spoke at length, giving slightly more detail to his answers than Marcus had, all of them forthright and honest to the core, just like the man that he clearly was and had always been.  When he was done, Marcus reflected back on all that he had heard and then gave a tiny head nod to Bo; his way of acknowledging what the man had done with his life.  In many ways, he and the ex-SEAL were very alike, though their lives had taken drastically different paths up to that point, and Marcus had a sneaky feeling they would become very good friends over time.<br/><br/>As the banner was passed to Nicci, Marcus noted the way Bo’s hand lingered on her shoulder and a small smile came over his face.  The art of forming bonds had begun already it seemed and he considered that a very good thing indeed.   They’d gotten off to a rocky start but things were finally settling down and paths were being paved to greater things, things that he hoped would last.  As the beautiful woman began to speak, Marcus focused all of his attention on her, his ears hearing her words while his eyes noted her beauty.  The one thing that stood out for him as she spoke, that thought that wedged its way into his heart and built a fortress to defend, was the passion that he heard in her voice.  He heard it when she talked about Robin Hood, her strong desire to help the poor and destitute shining through like a golden beacon calling her home and had it confirmed when she talked about what angered her.  Inside this woman was a heart of gold, one that would pour itself out into others if only it were possible to do so, and he admired that, admired it greatly because it called to the protector in him.  Yes, this was a woman he could learn to love rather easily.  Listening to her continue, that central theme of passion played out again, this time with the way she filled his mind with images of her tongue swirling around his nipple and in the way she talked about her sexual nature, her demeanor making it clear that she hoped she didn’t offend anyone with her way of life.  That alone called to his heart, as one who also shared an unusual sexual background, at least in his eyes, and he knew after glancing around that Nicci had found the one place that would accept her for who she truly was, not what they wanted her to be.  Gracing her with a small smile, he lost himself in thought for a moment, waiting for the night to continue.<br/><br/>The next brave soul to take the plunge was Mari and Marcus could tell the very thought made her nervous.  It was clear in her body language, something he’d gotten quite adept at reading from his years in the business world, and his eyes locked on the way her sensual tongue stroked out over her lower lip before disappearing from sight once again.  So mesmerized was he that he missed the first few words she spoke, tuning back in near the end of her first answer but catching the most important parts.  Here was a woman who understood family, probably better than any of them, and who he hoped would be the rock that he could lean on when a reminder of what was important was needed.  Her answer to the sinking ship caught his attention and he listened as she explained the concept of teamwork in such few words yet really didn’t answer the question either.  A strong, stubborn woman, would Mari be able to make the tough decisions she would face in life, especially if it might harm the group?  Marcus didn’t know but he also suspected the answer didn’t lie in a five second answer to an admittedly unbeatable question so he gave it no more thought and simply listened again.  Passion came out in her remaining answers, just as it had for Nicci, and Marcus rather liked that.  A family couldn’t survive without passion, without heart, and this was a good sign for them.  Noting the way Mari locked hands with Mila for a moment, he smiled.  Was big sister emerging now, that piece of Mari that would help guide the women through this experience or was she simply offering comfort where she could?  In the end, the answer didn’t really matter as both were a step forward in his eyes and that was good enough for him.<br/><br/>That should have been the end of it, the power to speak passed to another, but instead emotions shifted again as Nicci suddenly turned and placed her back to the group, her gaze on the heat of the blaze.  The reactions of Bo and Mari came next, each as perplexed as he from what he could tell.  He briefly considered stepping in again, trying to diffuse the situation or bring clarity to it but in the end, he changed his mind.  They were six people, as diverse in background as they could possibly be, and the art of discovering oneself was fraught with danger.  This was but a momentary blimp on the radar screen and would soon pass, which it did.<br/><br/>It was Mila’s turn next, timid shy Mila who had to open herself up to them and speak about her past.  Marcus wasn’t sure if she’d be able to do it, though he thought she had it in her, and when she began to speak, he studied her from afar.  Her words were spoken quickly, one answer rolling out after another, none very in depth but all immensely revealing.  The creative side of her was clear in her answers, their whimsy and light humor obvious, and he found himself attracted to that side of her.  He’d always been a forthright, get the job done sort of man, with little time for creative endeavors; the thought that he could share his life with someone that could bring that to him…well, it left a warm knot in his stomach at just the thought.  Her simple thank you, directed at him with a faint smile, added heat to that warmth; he knew what it was for, could sense it in his soul, and so he nodded, letting her know that too.  As he sipped his tea, she continued on, working her way through each difficult question, the impact to her psyche obvious to all who cared to look.  When she reached for Mari’s hand, drawing strength of will at the very least, Marcus had to smile.  Another bond was forming and it was a wondrous thing to see.  She wrapped it up with an answer that rocked him.  His fear was of being alone, which was bad enough, but hers…hers was so much more, a fear of being rejected, of not being accepted, of a loneliness far deeper than he could imagine.  That very thought drew him closer to her in his heart and he knew, deep down inside, that they would be drawn to each other.<br/><br/>The last of the group spoke next, young Vince with his Irish brogue.  A strong man, deep of heart and inner spirit, not to mention strength yet his hands slightly shook as he held the papers.  The reaction was not what Marcus would have expected but seeing it drove home a point, that they were all human, with emotions and fears and thoughts, and taking this step was a big thing for all of them, even those strong of heart.  His choice for three words to describe him was profound in Marcus’s eye – trust in me; they were simple yet complex, strong yet weak, and through them he was able to see, in his mind at least, straight into the man’s soul.  It didn’t take a genius to know that he liked what he saw.  The rest of his answers came sure and quick, each one revealing a new layer to the man that they hadn’t seen before.  The news of the loss of his brothers struck Marcus the most since he’d never experienced life with a sibling before and could not imagine what it was like to lose them.  That Vince had sacrificed further to cross the line and protect his family only made Marcus’s respect for him grow more.  When the man finally stopped answering the questions, and came back with a few of his own, Marcus had to laugh.  It was the perfect way to end a tense moment and he knew that it was one strength Vince would bring to this newly growing family.<br/>