~ Nicci in front of the fire, listening to Mari ~<br/><br/>As Nicci knelt by the low table, and reached for the coffee pot, Mari took the questions and said she'd like to go next.  Pouring the dark liquid into her cup, Nicci sat back on her heels, she felt that if she moved it would break the spell and she loved that she was so close to Mari as she started to speak, looking up into her face and seeing every nuance of her expression.<br/><br/>But it was Nicci's face that showed more emotion as Mari started to speak.  As just for a moment she couldn't hide the pain Mari's answer brought from her heart.  She looked down and into her cup, which she cradled to feel the warmth and try not to think about just how much she had wanted a father, a protector.... someone to rescue her..... and to love her.  Her words about Robin Hood had been truthful but didn't tell the whole story of course.  The heavy burden she had born as a child, the fantasy that someone could lift them from her shoulders and free her had been always been her dream and really it had not left her as an adult either.  The one time she had thought she had found it..... she closed her eyes, no she didn't want to think about that, not now, not here.<br/><br/>Nicci took a sip from her cup and looked up, seeing Mari's eyes focused on the fire behind her, her skin warmed even more by the glow from the flames.  How wonderful it must be to have memories that made you look like that, she thought. Perhaps one day Mari could tell her more of them, it was hard for her even to imagine living  in such a family, it was more than a world away from her own life, perhaps in the time they had ahead of them she could learn even more about it.<br/><br/>All Mari's answers seemed to tell of such a strong loving spirit, honest and true it shone out of her and the way she spoke to Mila brought a lump to Nicci's throat.  But when it came to the way she described her sexual nature Nicci felt so very inadequate, as Mari had managed to say so much that was the same for her, and so beautifully.  Nicci wished she had the same way with words or could express herself so truly.<br/><br/>Nicci stood up swiftly, turning her back to everyone to face the fire, feeling rather stupid and inadequate.  How was she going to make this work if she couldn't do what Mari had just done, open herself up and let people see inside?  She knew none of her answers had really said how she felt, they were truthful, but they were facts and figures, most of them rather superficial. Would she ever be able to do that though?  Were the habits of a lifetime too engrained to break?  She sighed, drinking some more of her coffee, well what ever happened they'd see what she actually did and they could judge her from her actions, even if she couldn't find the words to explain herself.<br/><br/>She turned towards Bo, who was looking across at the girls, would a man like him ever really love and care for someone like her?