Steph was glad they had asked Julian to accompany them to the streetcar stop. While he appreciated the man’s size when it came to scaring off potential attackers of any sort, he made it easier for him to walk without having to think about what he should say. He’d always been crap at chatting, and around Janie he was feeling even more tongue tied than usual. 

Not only was she drop dead gorgeous, not in a million years could he see someone who looked like her even sparing him the time of day, there was the whole comes from another dimension and knows all sorts of things that humans have no idea about, thing. Talk about way to making his insecurities even stronger. 

Of course he did like the feel of her leaning into him as they walked along. He knew it was only because she wasn’t feeling that stable on her feet at the moment, but still, her warmth and presence were nice. She had just reached out and grabbed his arm when they left Boneman’s place and leaned into him as they began walking. "Hope it’s okay" she had said, smiling up at him from where her head rested on his shoulder. He had just nodded.

Julian walked slightly ahead of them, occasionally looking back to make sure they were keeping up. He smiled to himself. Looked like the kid was starting to fall for Janie. Damn that could be awkward. She might look like an attractive human woman, and even act like someone Steph’s age with her taste in music and the way she dressed, but she was anything but. Even if she managed to survive whatever or whoever was after her, she wouldn’t be on earth very long. Hell who knows what she even really looked like?

It felt strange to be clutching someone’s arm. But it wasn’t just the physical support she required. She needed the mental/emotional comfort that touch carried. Near death experiences tended to make people, even people like her, pretty fucking vulnerable and there was nothing like the feel of another body beside her to help reduce that sensation. Sex was also helpful, but could also lead to complications she didn’t think she was up to dealing with. She wondered if she could share Steph’s bed for warmth and comfort later and not have to worry.

So the three of them walked the streets of the old warehouse district down by the train tracks up to King Street. The night’s darkness was broken by only the occasionally street light which cast pools of lights that only served to make the shadows deeper and the night even more impenetrable. 

The chainlink fencing surrounding the mostly derelict low rise buildings on either side of them rattled as a light wind brushed them and the streets smelled of abandoned concrete and stale bricks washed with dirty rain for decades. Julian felt his hackles rise just at the surroundings, and he saw both Steph and Jannie hunch deeper into their shoulders and each other as they continued to walk up the road.

He’d be glad when they were out into the main street. He didn’t think there was anyone waiting to attack them, it was just the death associated with this place was almost too much to bear. He could smell stale blood - must have been slaughter houses around here years and year ago. He doubted even Jannie understood why this place was so unsettling; the scent would be beyond even her abilities to pick up. 

Yet even Steph, with only his human abilities, could tell there was something wrong with the area. He might put it down to the neighbourhood and the events of the night, but he was still feeling the very wrongness of the place. Julian watched as the two behind instinctively, and probably without knowing it, drew closer together. If Janie had been what she looked to be he could see the two of them really bonding over their mutual experience. Nothing like a little life and death struggle to bring a couple together quickly.

Fuck it - if she needed to seek comfort somewhere she could do a lot worst than Steph. He looked to be a decent enough kid. Just hope she was nice to him and let him down easily when the time came. For a guy who did his best to avoid human business as much as possible he sure seemed to be getting involved tonight. Not a good plan - it always led to trouble. Once these two were at the streetcar stop he’d cut out and head off - hope things turned out well and all that but he’d his own shit to attend to.

The chill wind of early autumn was cutting through Steph’s jacket, made him think he’d need to something about his clothes for when winter really set in, but also made him even more aware of the body next to him. With his one around her shoulders for support,  Janie was leaning into his chest and her arm was wrapped around his waist. He couldn’t really feel her warmth, but she was a tangible presence and a weight that he didn’t think he wanted to ignore. 

Okay there was the whole not from around here thing she had going on, like maybe not even human and what did she really look like anyway when she wasn’t in this form and that was a strange thought to be thinking anyway right? But right here and right now she was nice and comfortable to walk with and her head resting on his shoulder felt right. A sudden shiver caused her arm to clasp him around the waist a little tighter, she must be feeling the cold too.

She didn’t really understand humans all that well. The area they were walking through still smelt of the animals which had been slaughtered for food. From what she could tell the buildings had been abandoned years ago, but the scent of fear and blood still persisted. She could tell Julian was effected by it in the way he was staring furtively down the side streets looking for danger. The danger was years old and long gone, and not the kind they needed to fear. 

How could anyone eat anything that had been subject to killing on such a scale? Wouldn’t their food be tainted with the taste of the fear the animals went through on their way to death? Packed in with no room to move or eat - shitting and pissing on each other - it would have been horrible. She had no problem with the eating of flesh, but the ways humans had devised to mass produce and consume it were beyond her comprehension.

"You know sometimes I can almost imagine you can still smell the blood from the old slaughter houses down here. It’s like on certain calm nights or when it’s really damp you catch a whiff of something that catches in the back of your throat." 

Janie looked up at Steph as he said this - he wasn’t looking at her, just staring off into the night at the old buildings and the fences they were walking through. So even he feels it, though not as strongly as Julian or her. She gave his waist an extra squeeze - hoping to encourage him to draw closer to ward off the chill of the past permeating the present. She was relieved to feely his body responding to the pull of her arm and his arm pull her closer. She is contemplating reaching up and kissing him when the sound like a growl pulls her attention ahead of them again.

The lights of a main street and the sound of traffic reaches them in a wave, blowing back the darkness and chill. Julian has cleared his throat breaking in on the two behind him, and watches as they, probably without noticing, pull ever so slightly apart. 

"King Street" says Steph. "We can catch our streetcar at the lights there" He indicates the traffic lights and a place to their left where a small wind shelter sits. "It will take us up Bathurst and we can get off at Collage Street and walk over to my house from there. We should be okay from here." This last addressed to Julian. "I mean, I don’t expect you really want to hang out much longer..." He stumbles to a stop all of a sudden embarrassed, but Julian saves him.

"Don’t worry kid, I’ve had about enough companionship as I can take for a while." Turning to Janie he says, "I think you’re in better hands now then you were when I first saw you tonight" and gave his barking laugh.

Janie reaches out with her hand and touches his forearm, "Thanks for my life and this body - I kind of like both of them. You’ll be able to find us again won’t you?" She pauses, "I mean if you or your friend hear anything you think we might to know"?

"Yeah I’ve got your scent and I can find you anywhere now."

"Um I could just give you my address" says Steph, "That might make things quicker. 26 Kensington - house with a blue door - main floor entrance not the basement." He pauses for a second and then "You’re welcome anytime you want - don’t need an excuse."

Julian reaches out and shakes Steph’s hand "Okay kid, thanks. Take good care of our friend here and we’ll see you soon." With that he walks off into the night, without a backward glance or leaving a trace of anything behind him.

Next Chapter: Chapter 7