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"I get it," she says with a grin. "After a certain point, you just start rolling with whatever it is and say 'I guess this too is a thing'. At least that's been my experience."

And now that definitely included knowing that at one point aliens were really a thing.

Piper shakes her head. "I'm sorry it's been your experience as well," she says. "Going into this new life without someone there who can answer questions would be hard. So please, I'd be happy to give you his number if or when you ever want it." She pauses. "Also weird to add but he's also freakishly good at sword fighting so if you are ever in need of some new skills... for whatever reason, I'd recommend it."

She takes a moment to consider that as they walk and nods. "That would make sense. That leaves some sort of imprint no doubt. Glad it didn't make me shy away tonight." She would have definitely been in more pain and probably driving onto wherever the road would have taken her until she had to stop.

"Have you always known? About what you are and the things in the world? For me it was in the last five years and so its definitely been eye opening to say the least."

And more than a little confusing, if he's honest. But she's right about one thing. Eventually you stop questioning and just accept until proven otherwise.

Kyle can't help but laugh at that. "Never have sword fought, but I suspect I would be freakishly hot doing it." He pauses, considering a few things. "And might not be a bad trait to learn, all things considered. It's become something I've had in my life recently."

Even if they were plasma swords.

"I'm glad it didn't as well," he says, stepping up to open a door for her - and not thinking about how he's admitted there are aliens if he's sure the land has been affected by them.

"Yes and no," she says after he asks and explains it's only been around five years for him. "Jordan, my cousin, and I came into our powers when we were seniors in high school - so... around five years ago, I guess? Around the same time as you. But, before then, I vividly recall setting my dad's dresser on fire during a tantrum not long after losing my Mom." She smiles, giving him a shrug. "So... I think I always knew? My Dad and her Gran bound our powers for our own good, is what we were told. After we found out, we... or I quickly realized that it's so much different than the innocent things I had always thought it would be."

She had been the type that had been so sure that she knew everything. But she quickly found out and had to admit that there was so much more than she'd ever realized and she just had to be open to that.

It had become her new goal, during that time.

Piper laughs and looks him over. "I agree, I think you would look really hot doing it," she says, nodding. "Honestly, it's a handy skill to learn if you ever worry about coming up against someone meaner and stronger than you. And martial arts is never a bad skill either."

"Thank you," she says when he opens the door for her and steps through with a smile. It's nice to talk to someone who isn't hundreds of years older than her and who is still learning everything, much like she still is. Failed prophecies are not, she was now in this however long of life by herself and it's nice to have someone else who may be there along for the ride.

"Wow. I mean, to find out you've had that ability all your life and yet had family protecting you as best they could."

Though he appreciates that as well, smiling softly as he thinks about it. Thinking about being able to do something for others and finding out they have that much ability and only learning about the same time that Kyle had learned that people he had known all his life were actually aliens.

He's quiet for a moment on that, not saying a word until they've been escorting to their table and are settled in.

"The truth about those skills? I think they could be useful. I'm just not sure what they would do against a powerful telekinetic with the ability to set things on fire with his mind."

He doesn't say it loudly but she's admitted a lot to him, and no reason for him not to share the truth with her as well.

She smiles. "If they hadn't, we would have turned out completely different. To some of our family, they wanted us to start training from a young age - dedicate ourselves to our "destiny"." She can't help but roll her eyes at that.

Piper could still hear Brenda's voice in the back of her head telling her how disappointed they were in her selfishness in her pursuit of revenge. Mentally, she gave Brenda the biggest middle finger she could. Because fuck her.

She clears her throat and settles into the booth. She listens to him with a little tilt of her head and hums.

"They can definitely be useful," she agrees, then continues with a softer voice. "We learned that chopping their head off usually works pretty well." Even though it was late in the evening, there were still some tables full and she didn't want anyone overhearing them.

"But it also depends on what they are... but as a telekinetic and someone who can set things on fire with her mind, if I am not living a long life, I would say that would probably do it."

She opens up the menu they were given and takes a look at it, feeling pretty hungry now after the drop in adrenaline and pain.

He makes a face at that. "I'm glad your family let you have a childhood then," he admits, not having thought about it in those terms but then realizes how lucky she had been. "Kids deserve that, even when they come from families of power. There's always time to learn, but eventually there comes a time when there's not much time to play."

He makes a face though at that.

"And between one talk and the other, this is cheerful of me. You must be so excited you came here to hear me talking about these things. All the dark and depression must be exactly why you came to see me, huh?"

His tones are lighthearted though and not taking himself seriously.

"I am too. I'm thankful that we got to mostly grow up not knowing about it or having it be the main focus of our lives. You can imagine the surprise of Jordan's gran when we came back from spring break with two vampires who'd been family friends for years by then. She had no idea," she says with a laugh, remembering that conversation.

Her mouth curled up. "Well, I did owe you for patching me up," she says with a grin. "And after the adrenaline and pain wore off, I was starving. Besides, this is a practically normal conversation for me these days."

She could tell he wasn't being serious about it though.

"I really appreciate you coming over so quickly tonight and doing what you did. It's not the easiest to find someone that you or someone you know trusts to help after everything that's happened."

Although she would have to leave tomorrow or... in a few days, once she felt fully recovered, she would have to make an effort to keep in contact with him. He was easy to talk to, attractive and seemed to just get it.

He can't help but laugh at that, nodding. "I can almost imagine give my mom's face when I told her of my convoluted years that I hadn't been gone and came back a vampire," he admits, thinking it might well have been about the same look.

"That I understand. It's hard sometimes remembering that not everyone has these talks and none of this is normal. At least not for most people."

And if he's not careful, he could be locked up. It's why it's nice having this blossoming friendship and having someone he can have these talks with.

"The sad funny thing? My mom knows about me, but not about the rumors about this town being real. I think she could handle one but not the other." Not to mention it wasn't his secret to tell, but if he admitted that aliens were real, he'd have to rip the band aid off about how his dad had really died and he's not ready to do that to her.

"I'm glad I could help. Just know that I'm here if you need anything else, okay? I really do mean that."

"Probably very similar," she agrees with a laugh.

"Your mom accepts you being who and what you are now," she asks, bringing her glass up to her mouth for a sip of water. It sounded like it and she was glad to hear it. It was nice to have that support.

Piper nods in agreement. "Yeah, I get it. Honestly, I have a hard time relating to people who aren't on this side of life sometimes. Especially over the last year, as you can imagine." She pauses and thinks about it for a moment. "I've made nice with my neighbors back in Seattle but I don't have any deep conversations with any of them. I almost worry I won't know what to say in a normal conversation."

Which, when it came down to it, was not right. If she had to, she could do it. She'd been in public relations long enough and making friends/contacts with people was her jam. But she just felt different than the girl back in London.

"Here I assumed that people would have an easier time believing in the rumors about this town than we are. People seem so fascinated by UFO sightings after all."

Piper smiles and nods her head. "I really appreciate that, Kyle. And I'm here too if you need anything in my skillset."

"My mom... saw it with her own eyes and couldn't deny it. I think she still thinks the entire is suspect and that it was a science experiment and not a wormhole. She accepts I'm changed though and that I'm still me."

Which had been her one concern. Well the one she voiced.

"Sometimes I catch her staring at me though and I know she's wondering." Which isn't easy but is better than it could be. She hadn't had him committed for one, or done something to get his license taken from him.

"That right there? How do you talk about life but have to remember not to mention that you literally abandoned your truck last night to run to an accident you heard, and you got there seconds after it happened and were able to pull someone from the wreckage... that they would have needed the jaws of life for?"

He says it softly, not bragging either. Just an example that had just happened to him.

"They're obsessed with it but as a legend, a mystery. They don't want to know that since the crash there have been aliens among them and they never knew. Or that they aren't grey or have weird eyes. Well one of them looks weird but that's because he's an idiot."

Again those soft tones, almost relieved to have this talk with someone.

"But then I would also have to tell her things that aren't easy. That involve her family and her losses and I'm not sure she'd handle that well."

He smiles at her. "Being able to have this talk? It's a bigger thing than I think you realize. Because I can talk about everything."

"Ahh, I see. Seeing it with your own eyes does make it hard to deny. Especially if it isn't just the trick of the lighting," she agrees.

Piper smiles when he says that his Mom still accepts that he's still him though. That was big.

"Staring is better than the worst-case scenario so that's a plus. From what I know, both of my parents had some sort of abilities so I know, if they were still around, I wouldn't have that to contend with. So I can only imagine how hard it would be for you or anyone else who doesn't have that."

Piper's mouth curls up when he admits he saved someone from the wreckage and nods in understanding. "Jordan, my cousin and I had the same issue. After our trip to the past and finding out our destiny, it was hard to explain to our friends that we'd had to fight a demon to get back home. How do you explain to them that at any point between then and when we turned twenty-one, creatures could come out of the woodwork to attack us? But that, along the way, we'd save anyone/everyone who needed it. So we left because we didn't want to bring the trouble to their doorstep."

Her voice was quiet but knew he would hear her, relating to him and understanding where he was coming from. It was hard. Especially when you weren't surrounded by others who understood.

She nods in understanding. "I suppose knowing the legends and seeing them with your own eyes would be completely different. Everyone thinks being a witch would be so cool or having a destiny but sometimes it's not."

"If there is ever a time to tell her, you'll find the right time. Otherwise, sometimes ignorance really is bliss. I imagine it's not easy."

Piper smiles at him. "I'm happy to have this talk and others anytime. I feel like I hardly sleep these days so when I say anytime, I mean it."

She glances around the diner and spots a couple of people looking over at them. "Are you some sort of celebrity," she asks teasingly. Though, she assumed it was just because it was a small town and everyone knew everyone. Especially if you were a doctor.

"Exactly. See it once, it might be a trick. Multiple times and eventually you have to start to take it seriously. She never knew about the days where I nearly died so..." So it's good she won't have to worry about those again.

"I guess growing up in it is different, huh? What was it like?"

He knows his side of things, but he's curious. What if his friends have kids and they're raised around him, after all. They may learn about him and what that could mean.

His expression tightens as she explain what she and her cousin went through, not even able to imagine that. Yet here she is and she's been through that. "I can't even imagine how rough things were for you both. Dealing with it in your adult years is rough but just being practically a kid and having demons stalking you? That had to be awful. I'm so sorry."

And he is, genuinely sorry for them and all they endured. She's had an amazing life but a rough one as well he's realizing.

His smile softens at her words. "I don't know. The witch I know is still pretty cool," he admits, as sincere as he's ever been.

Though the smile kind of fades then. "You should get some sleep though. Do you think there's something I can do to help? Is it the inability to feel safe enough to sleep?" Because he has some ideas of how he could help with that.

He snorts, rolling his eyes. "No, that would be you. I'm here with a stranger? Everyone wants to know about you now. I'm sure someone will ask me at work tomorrow and they weren't even here."

But they would have heard.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through those kinds of days," she says seriously, watching him.

She goes quiet as she thinks about it. "It all feels so complicated, honestly. My first ability was fire and when that showed itself rather dramatically, my Dad made sure to send me to therapy just as a means to control my anger or emotions. From what I have heard from Jordan's Gran, his gifts were seeing the future and getting glimpses of the past. He didn't know how to handle a budding pyro. I don't know much about my Mom or what her gifts were because she didn't leave anything behind that I've found. When we moved back to New Orleans and they bound our powers, everything just sort of got locked away, if that makes sense?"

Perhaps that was part of the reason why she returned to Seattle after their deaths. It wasn't a conscious decision but perhaps after losing the family she knew, she was seeking the family she hadn't gotten a chance to know.

"Once we found out again, then bits and pieces started to return to both Jordan and me but a lot of it is still a blur." She nods. "The demon had also been really stalker-y because he had a book on each of us detailing our lives up until that point and neither of us could ever bring ourselves to read it. Who would want to?"

She was sharing more with Kyle than she had probably shared with just about anyone but for some reason, she wanted him to know who she was. Not just the woman who sought him out to help heal her.

Piper smiles when he says that she's still pretty cool. "I appreciate that, thank you. Just wait until you really get to know me," she can't help but tease as perhaps some form of self-deprecation.

She thinks about his question before slowly nodding. "I think that's a large part of it. I haven't felt safe enough to truly sleep since they died and so...," she shrugs a little shoulder. She wasn't sure how he could help other than simply staying with her and she couldn't ask that of him.

"Oh, now that does make sense," Piper laughs and takes another drink from her water. "You know, it was always a dream to be a source of gossip in a small town."

Despite all Kyle has learned about his father's family and the aliens, he's been lucky. He had his mom and dad for most of his life. Parents who doted on him and who knew how to handle the man he had been then. The boy even.

They hadn't had to face this in him, and his dad had ignored a lot of it and left his bother to handle most of it.

Jordan and Piper's family hadn't had that chance and they had dealt with it all the best they could. Good or bad.

"Never read those. Ever. There's nothing there that is meant to help. Only to taunt you." He truly believed that and he wouldn't pretend otherwise.

He smiles at her then. "So you'll be safe tonight. I hope. I can stay up and make sure things are safer even, if you want. If you think it will help." He's willing to do whatever she thinks might help. If he can. "If you think that would help. I won't be offend if you think I can't help. I know we're still getting to know one another."

And he doesn't expect her to trust him like that either.

He laughs at that, giving her a look. "Oh well, then we should make a show of you going home with me. Someone from the sheriff's office might show up. Probably not my mom. She would likely send Max to come by and check things out."

Piper smiles. "I never plan to read them. We - I have them so that no one else gets their grabby little hands on them but at this point... so much in my life has changed that I wonder what could someone really benefit from?"

She pauses then lifts a hand to her forehead. "Fuck, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't dump my tragic life story on you like that, you did not sign up for that." She couldn't really blame it on the blood or anything... other than the comfortable feeling she got around him, she supposes.

Piper looks down at the menu still sitting in front of her and questions what she had an appetite for when he gives her the option of staying up while she slept. Piper blinks and lifts her head to look at him. "I can't ask you to do that, Kyle," she says after a moment. As much as she wants him to stay because she does trust him and does think it would help, she didn't want to put him out.

She laughs at the look he gives her and places her hand under her chin. "Hmm, I definitely think we can manage that then," she says with a grin. A thought she didn't expect coming ran through her mind and that was: I wouldn't mind going home with him.

Edited (sorry I thought better of my last edit because her whole goal is to be a source of gossip so! lol) 2023-09-06 01:17 (UTC)

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. They aren't... I mean, like mystical books or anything?" He can't believe he's asking things like that but it's what his life has come to and he has to accept that it's a possibility as well. More than that, he didn't want her dealing with that.

"OKay one, yes I did. Two, I don't mind. Three, it's not fucked up. Just really, really, really different," he teases, leaning in a bit closer to her. "Says the vampire" he whispers. Because to him that's weird and fucked up too.

"Why not? Not like I need all that much sleep anyway. I can pretty much do what I want though sleep helps with control and hunger."

Which it technically does for humans as well.

"Then I guess that's solved, isn't it? We can stay up and watch movies." Or they can until she falls asleep and then he can. "And you can tell me about what's going on."

"No, they're not as far as I've been able to tell. However, I have some mystical books. My ancestors a long time ago decided to put some of themselves or their magic into a book in case they weren't around to "guide" their future descendants. They're as annoying as you may think," she says and brings her glass of water up to her mouth for a long drink. What was most annoying about it was that since Jordan and David's deaths, she hadn't heard so much as a peep from them - either in person or from their damn books.

Her mouth quirks up a little at his words and nods. "I appreciate you listening all the same. I," she pauses and snorts softly. "Not to repeat when we first met but I normally don't just give my life's story to someone when I just meet them but...," she trails off. Was it weird to say she trusted him on some level? A man who she only just met that night but who had come out in the middle of the night to help her? "So thank you."

She grins at his response and nods. "Yeah, movies and talking sounds good," she says and smiles when a man walks over to take their orders, giving Kyle a curious look.

Conversation with Kyle flowed easily through their late dinner and shakes. They didn't really seem to run out of things to talk about which was nice but for now, she kept it away from what's been going on. She could go into that when they got to his place.

It was roughly thirty minutes later when they walked out of the diner together and headed in another direction from the motel where she was staying. "I'm glad they're open late otherwise it might've been whatever leftover snacks I had in the car which... isn't a lot," she admits with a little laugh. She usually wasn't too hungry in general these days but she'd been stabbed and healed and apparently, her body needed it.

It's easy to listen to her, to share these talks. Both about the most mundane of things they're dealing with, like work and snacks, as well as the world that most around them had no idea about. Roswell invested in aliens and never knew they actually had any.

It isn't at all surprising that they hadn't a clue about everything else that went bump in the night either.

Now they are the things that go bump in the night. Even as they stand on a sidewalk, laughing and teasing one another as they plan on heading home.

"Okay rule one, you have to eat at least one good meal a day. Doctor's orders," he says, as if he thinks that will work. "Two, once a month you have to come here to have dinner and rest. I will write it on a prescription sheet, if you want."

Although Adonis (and even Klaus to some degree) looks out for her in their own way and they are working toward the common goal of finding everyone involved in Jordan and David's deaths, they are still more separated than they are together. It's been longer than she cares to think about since someone even attempted to look out for her and the fact that Kyle even says something about taking care of herself, it's nice.

She laughs and sends him a grin. "You may need to write it down on a prescription sheet so I can remind myself that I should/need to do said things," she says with a smile. "It's not something I'm proud of but I get so focused on what's going on or my current goal that everything else sort of takes a backseat."

Is she proud of it? No. Is it something that Jordan, David, and even Ben would give her shit about in the past? Definitely. Despite Jordan being exactly the same way in many ways.

It isn't that Kyle can't understand that thinking or how she's processing things. Learning about aliens and all he had about them, being kidnapped and killed and all that had come with it, he had neglected a lot himself during that time. Yet he knew that he would do his best for others. Do as he says and not as he does kind of a thing.

"I can do that, and maybe I'll just have to make sure I text you daily as well. Just to be sure."

Giving it as an opening and not an insistence. Both as a friend and someone that already cares about her as he does. If he can just do something to try and help her and maybe she her again.

Piper grins and loops her arm with his as they walk in the direction that she assumes is toward his place. "I will not say no to daily texts from you," she says, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Both for that and just... because."

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