Stranded (James)

[Chloe Matthews]

The weekend had come and she couldn’t be more glad for it arriving. This week had been eventful to say the least. A whole new perspective haunted her and what she had been taught, what she had adapted to as reality over the past number of years had suddenly been turned upside down and the contents tipped out. Chloe didn’t know what to think or believe anymore. Details, evidence and seeing only what was before her had been her way of life for three years now and to have that changed so quickly, to tell her what she had taught herself to believe had more to it, it was tough to comprehend. In an attempt to understand she had been reading and researching but none of that effort had really helped in the way she’d hoped it would. Now she was only even more confused within her logically trained mind. What was real? And what really was just make-believe? Simplicity of rules and restrictions had been snatched away from her and for a girl who liked those regulations for her own sanity; she was missing the ‘normal’. Yet to contradict this wasn’t all to foreign feeling to her. In actual fact it was her adaption and this unusual comfort she had for this new world that truly did scare her.

She wanted to escape from it all. Everything was too much and she needed to go somewhere to clear her head, away from the city. And so the young and naive blonde had travelled across the bridge to Sacramento where one of her few university friend’s had found herself a job. Chloe was pleased for her and somewhat envious, but it had been her own decision not to proceed straight into a job, wanting to take things easy for a year with fear of losing her mind...well, that hadn’t exactly turned out the way she’d expected. If anything the graduate was losing her mind far more easily having taking her time away from crime and psychology. This was why she needed to run away, to find some normality if even only for a couple of days.

Those days away with her friend had proved to be beneficial, it was like nothing had ever changed in her life and for those days she forgot all about her worries. Like any other girl her age she’d dressed up and went out in the city with some of the girls, drinking – something that was a rarity in her life, control was a big deal to her but for that time she wanted to let go of her firm clasp on the ground – and had had a good time. But good times didn’t last forever and had to end at some point.

Chloe was now returning to what was now her reality, back to her home in San Francisco where she knew she had a lot of understanding to come to terms with. Since leaving Sacramento and her friend behind, her small banger of a car had been making rattling noises that sounded less than healthy and on her way home in a place that was who knows where, it seemed to be getting worse. “Come on baby, don’t do this to me” she had a firm grip on the steering wheel as if it would make a difference, that her determination along may make her trusty car keep driving...

No. That didn’t have any difference. Her car slowed, cut out and stopped. Chloe tried turning the keys in the ignition again...and again....and again....nothing. “Dammit!” she hit her hands hard on the steering wheel. Reaching over to the passenger seat she rummaged in her bag pulling out her cell phone. Typical. No reception. Why? When cars broke down was it always in the middle of nowhere and there was no reception? Didn’t cell phone providers learn from that?! Chloe gazed out of the front window taking a deep breath. Okay...getting out of the car she walked around to the bonnet and popped the hood. Well, there was no smoke, or steam, or anything that looks intrusive and lethal....that was as far as Chloe’s knowledge of cars went. She had no idea what she was looking for and if she was even looking in the right place.

Biting down lightly on her bottom lip she set down the hood and leaned back against her car, closing her eyes as she ran her hands through her blonde hair. Great...what did she do now?

[James Proctor]

With the weekend now here. James had decided to kick back a little. However, sometimes Jim didn't always get what he wanted. It was expected with the line of work of course. You couldn't predict when something other worldly was going to strike. If that was the case he'd never have a job to do. No, the uncertainties that came with hunting for a living never ceased to take him by surprise. God help it if he had ever decided to settle down, not that it was really an option. A favorable one to say the least. He was going to live forever. In no way was he going to settle down, to spend 80 years or so (if they had a good life expectancy) to then watch as his beloved withered and died and he didn't age at all. He'd rather not have that on his head. It would truly be the finishing point for the young man who'd already lose everyone he ever cared for.

Lucky for him the weekend had only just begun. He'd finished his mission after arriving in Sacramento that Friday evening, he'd hunter the demon, killed it and still had time for some late night takeout and an icy cold beer. Finally dragging his ass out of his motel room bed about noon, he swiftly got back on the road again.

James packed his shit up and got back on his Harley. He'd aimlessly drive around until something caught his eye. Scouring newspapers and what not to have a general search for any strange accurances he could likely be a dab hand in. So off on the road he set. He loved that about the US, the wide open roads that ran through, basically..no where in particular.

With such a bunch of open roads to explore it was no surprise that James was traveling way over the speed limit. The roaring boomed from the engine as he sped down the desolate highway. He viewed out of the visor on his helmet. Even though he'd likely just get up and stride off if ever caught in an accident. James liked to be on the safe side. A helmet and jacket advisable.

It wasn't lone before James stumbled across civilization. A girl to be exact. A blonde girl. Her car was on the edge of the road, she was leaning against the bonnet looking quite frankly distraught. He was still traveling at some speed and quite literally blew straight passed her. He got a couple of yards away from her, 30 at the most before screeching to a halt.

Stopping dead center of the highway. James looked over his shoulder. Taking his right hand off the bike her bought it to the visor and slid it open. Two bright eyes peering up ahead toward the blonde. Did he help her? did he not?..she was stranded by the looks of it and James, well he wasn't the type of person to refuse help when it was needed. Besides, these roads they weren't safe for a young woman like herself.

Snapping the visor down he revved the engine. The bike screamed and the tires screeched as he spun the vehicle on the spot, a 180 before stopping again. He drove back toward the blonde. Not as fast as before but still at some speed.

Coming to a stop right beside the car, lifted the visor up and peered at the young blonde. Lifting both hands to the helmet he hastily slid it off and placed it between the handles "Broken down?" he asked brow raised and a forced friendly smile.

[Chloe Matthews]

Sitting in silence on the open road it wasn’t anything less than a surprise when she heard the buzz of an engine as it flew past her, eyes opening responsively to see the motor bike drive past her. Instinctively she stood up from the bonnet but realised once standing how little point that had to it. To her relief the figure on the bike had screetched the vehicle to a stop not too far ahead. Standing in front of her broken down piece of silver junk, she watched the driver up ahead wondering if she should go over to him and ask for help, whoever he was he must know more than her, but who was her? Narrowing her eyes she squinted through the daylight, meeting the gaze of the figure up ahead who’d now turned to look back at her. He just looked at her. Would he help her? Was he waiting for her to shout over to him? Chloe opened her mouth to call to him, it was her only chance or who knows how long she could be stuck here in the middle of wherever she was, but before she could utter a single work the motorcyclist had loudly started the bike again and backtracked towards where she was left stranded.

The bike drove towards her car and Chloe didn’t move until the driver had stopped, nearing him a few paces out of politeness as he lifted his visor. His dark brown eyes could almost see right through her as she glanced at this young man trying to determine if he was really stopping to help her or if she should just jump back into her car again regardless of it starting up or not, doors locked was still safer than standing here and she was having difficultly reading this person before her. He didn’t seem dangerous but Chloe knew better than to judge on first impressions alone. Eyes darted around taking in everything about this person as he slipped off his helmet to reveal his identity. There didn’t seem to be anything suspicious about him, just a driver on the back road from Sacramento as she was she concluded. Well, she had two choices: trust him to help her and get home before tonight or be stuck here on her own which was something she wasn’t too fond of thinking about in regards to the dark crossing over the sky.

“Yeah” she nodded a little, “she was working fine a couple of days ago and when I left Sacramento earlier today...she's been making a rattling sound for the past few miles though, I hoped I could ignore it till I got home but...well, you see the outcome...You don’t mind helping me out, do you?” she asked nicely hoping he hadn’t just stopped to point and laugh at the blonde with the broken down car who was completely clueless to anything involving motors beyond how to make the vehicle move. “I kinda suck when it comes to cars” she smiled a little knowing it was true and not bothering to deny it.

[James Proctor]

“Yeah” the blonde admitted. Atleast she was honest right?

The corners of his lips curled into a smile as he dropped his head. Perching forward, James placed the helmet onto the bike and slowly lifted himself off.

“she was working fine a couple of days ago and when I left Sacramento earlier today...she's been making a rattling sound for the past few miles though, I hoped I could ignore it till I got home but...well, you see the outcome...You don’t mind helping me out, do you?”

Turning his eyes toward her James continued to kick the bike stand, it clicked out and hit the pavement pausing the bike into position, holding it right up against the road side.

"Not at all" he responded softly as he began walking over toward the broken down vehicle. Slowly taking his gloves off as he moved toward the bonet of the car.

“I kinda suck when it comes to cars”

With a light chuckle he slipped the gloves into his jacket. Bringing his hands to his chest he unzipped his jacket, slid his arms out and tossed it onto the bike. The jacket wrapped itself over the handle bars.

Turning his eyes to the blonde he spoke again "Well i guess you're lucky i came by, hm?" with another smile he began to pop the bonet up "So, you said rattling noises?" he asked her as he buried his head inside.

"I notice no smoke, which as it stands is a good thing. The rattling noise could be the engine..which isnt a good thing" he told her with a glance. Turning back to the vehicle he began fiddling about inside.

"Tell you what. Go turn the engine back on. I'll stay down this end.." he told her looking up from the bonet.

[Chloe Matthews]

The stranger kicked out the stand and stood up off his bike...she assumed that meant yes, he’d help her out? She smiled when he responded positively and she was more than thankful for his help, there was no way she could figure out what was up by herself or even find her way back to San Francisco, not with her phone having no signal, the reason had a cell phone was for instances like this so what was the point when you couldn’t make any calls. The language of cars was one that was not in Chloe’s vocabulary, complete foreign territory so she was willing to admit it before she ended up making a fool of herself otherwise if asked anything that made no sense to her whatsoever.

He took his jacket off as Chloe still smiled thankful for him stopping. Hazel eyes followed his removed jacket then back to him, studying his profile, what he wore, may be carrying, scoping out anything suspicious or that could be dangerous, adding up information that her vision told her but her reasoning began to haze over. She blinked. Oh. “Very lucky” she responded unable to take her eyes of the man, her voice sounded distant and continued to as she replied to his question, “Yeah...” Chloe! She yelled at herself silently. “Yes, rattling noises” she returned to her alert self as she answered back to the world that was her standing beside her broken down car.

No there had been no smoke, she’d have stopped long ago if that was the case but no smoke was a good thing as he said so everything was okay, her car would be fine...engine? right, maybe not but she refused to make funeral arrangements for her little silver friend. Chloe had no idea what he was looking for inside the car but he couldn’t make it any worse than it was right? As he looked at the mechanisms of her car she profiled him, brushing her blonde hair from her eyes she never took her gaze off him. He was very – “Yes...Okay” she smiled nodding at his request as he looked up. Quickly Chloe turned her back and hopped into her car, cheeks flushing brightly and thankful that she was hidden in her car away from his eyes seeing her stupidly girly behaviour. Turning her keys in the ignition she revved her car but it never came to anything, never started. Great, just great. She had her new job to start tomorrow and here she was broken down on a long stretch of road who knows how far away from San Francisco. But she had hope, this stranger seemed to know what he was doing which was far more than she could say for herself. Rolling down her side window she peered out, “Anything?” she asked optimistic.

[James Proctor]

“Very lucky..Yeah..”

The blonde spoke. James could hear the distance in her tone. It was perculiar, as if she was somehow confused. Of course! it wasnt until he glanced at her he realised just why she was so distant. She was staring aimlessly at him. James gave a light, quiet chuckle to himself as he turned his eyes back to the job in hand.

“Yes, rattling noises”

There she was back in the real world again. He was amused by her behaviour, though this form of reaction wasnt new to him. Usually the girls werent so suttle and almost shy about it. God, he'd surely stumbled across some characters in his time.

James was going over in his head, ruling out the possibilities but also at the same time depending on Chloe for back up. He'd only just arrived. Maybe he missed something?. The blonde was once more hesitant in her answers but James kept his head down, he vaguely imagined why the sudden paused was for. The same thing as before.

“Yes...Okay”

Chloe smiled again after James asked her to head back into the car. As he lifted his head up he viewed the blonde and her toothy grin. He hadnt noticed before, he wasnt one to notice people really. Him being kind of anti social if you will. But she was very nice to look at. Her skin was light, her hair somewhat golden and her features ever so small, some could say slightly angelic.

Strangely he found himself in the position that the blonde had been. Trying to pry his eyes from her as she stood there. With a grin he turned his head back to the damage which lingered beneath the bonet, glancing every once in a while after the blonde as she made her way to the car door.

The man continued to fiddle about with the metal parts beneath the bonet. He was slowly building a picture in his head as he allowed his hands to move softly over each piece. He was damn good at this sort of things. Brilliant with cars, there wasnt much he couldnt do. But, here stranded with no tools..it would be hard to fix this thing up.

However, when Chloe attempted to turn the car on. Nothing. Kaput!. James smiled. He knew what it was. The engine had packed up. Replacement would be ideal but, being here, stranded, no tools and certainly no replacement. It was simple wishful thinking.

“Anything?” she asked hopeful.

Lifting his head slightly he continued to grin. James placed his hands over the engine. It needed a boost. A jump start if you will. Since there were no tools here and certainly nothing to source so much power. He'd do it the good old fashioned way. He'd use his abilities.

"Try it again" James instructed politely as he lowered his head again.

Palms down and fingers seperated James began to create electrical surges from the tips of his fingers. Each blue current traveling along his skin, beautifully dancing around his hands as he awaited Chloe to start the ignition again.

[ooc:>> sorry ive been swamped with uni work]

[Chloe Matthews]

Chloe sat in the driver’s seat of her car and waited on his response as she turned the ignition but the blonde already knew her little friend wasn’t for playing. Looking down at the steering wheel she shook her head, she should have stopped at the gas station miles ago when she first had belief her car wasn’t right. Damn it. The car had made no noise when she’d turned the key, no sound of complying to her orders at all. She was stranded here...wonderful. Maybe this stranger could help her...oh she really hoped so, she didn’t want to be stuck here waiting for a tow truck to come along, those guys were never reliable when you wanted them to be and to boot she had no idea where she was.

Looking up from the wheel she caught his grin at her through the front window. She returned the smile lightly, that was either a grin of yes, your car is fine and easily fixable, or a smile of trying to make her feel better yet she got a strange sensation it was neither. Shaking her confused thoughts off she called outside, “Sorry I’m not much help, I did say I sucked with cars”. Silently she made a mental note to learn a bit more about cars but no matter what situations she got into or what she told herself would be useful for future incidents, she knew she’d never actually do anything about it. Just like some people had no interest in crime scenes, blood and death, she had little interest in cars no matter how much she wished she knew about them now. But then her acquaintance had luckily arrived on the scene proving she had no need to know such skills..this time at least.

She watched him for a few moments before he told her to try again the whole time trying not to look like she was staring and concentrating on not blushing, it was a curse of hers. Silently she nodded to his request, lowering her hand to the ignition again and turning the key with her left hand hoping to hear the sound of her car’s engine coming to life. The car made a noise of trying to start and so hearing that more healthy churn of the engine she made to try again but her feelings got the better of her. She paused. Eyes looked up to glance interested out of the window. "Uh..." she sounded ominiously. There was nothing strange, nothing different or out of the ordinary that she could see, yet she felt...strange, from lack of words to describe what she felt. Fingers tingled slightly and she gazed back down at them. Okay, she was officially losing it. Worry, panic, cute guy...she had no idea what the reason was but she needed to get a grip of herself. Shaking the thoughts from her head she turned the key again hoping for a response from her car; on one hand she wanted her car to fix, on another...well, she had conflicts in her mind.

(ooc: No worries. I was in panto all last week anyways so I haven’t been posting much)