-- Stranger in A Strange Land -- Kristian -- KEEP

[Alexis Piper-Vulpez]

Tonight is one of those lovely nights when Alexis doens't have to work at either of her jobs and she plans to exploit this free time as much as she is humanly able to. With her arm hooked around the arm of a young man whose tattoos and piercings almost rival her own. At work Lexi mainly sticks to jeans and shirts but tonight, since it's her time to enjoy herself, she has gone for a more feminine look with a dress, a buckled corset over the dress and heels. Laughing as they walk the two make their way through the short lines to get into one of the Clerkenwell bars, they figured since it was mainly staffed by werewolves here would be little chance of vampires been inside which would make their night a bit more pleasent without having to worry about random vampires eyeing them up to figure out of they're worth the effort. Alexis herself had no misgivings towards werewolves, a few of her regular clients at the tattoo palour are werewolves. Vampires on the other hand she isn't so sure about, the ones that come into her work are always a little bit too grabby when she's close to them doing a tattoo. She'll put up with them at work but when she's out trying to have a good time there's no reason why she has to let them act the way they do.

The bar is nice enough inside and warm which is nice since the weather outside isn't all that pleasent; raining and windy, and it's going to be like that for a while since they've just come off of winter and into spring, by her experience that transition is always a little weird, as if the weather doesn't know what season it wants to be. Once inside she tells her companion to go find a seat while she goes to the bar and gets the drinks for them. Walking slowly through the partrons of the bar Alexis makes her way to the bar, she had been looking down for a momen to get the money out of a pocket of her dress, when she looks up Lexi comes face to face with someone she had never expected to see here, a face she has not seen in quite some time.

Quickly she looks down again the back up. She couldn't just turn tail and run. Taking a breath she readies herself and steps up to the bar, talking to one of the bar tenders standning beside her ex-husband, trying to not steal glances at him as she orders and waits for the drinks.

[Kristian Vulpez]

Nick ran around the house, a black form chasing him. But he was giggling. He loved playing with his dad when Kris was in his wolf form. It was like playing with a big dog. But even that had to come to an end as Kris noticed the time. He whined at his son, trying to tell him that he had to get ready for work. The boy seemed to get the message and hugged the wolf that was his dad.

Going to his room, he quickly changed back before taking a shower and dressing for work. Thank god it was warmer now. He pulled on a black tank top and his black jeans before heading back into the living room. Nick was coloring in his book. That brought back memories of when Kris was still married to Nick’s mother. He shook his head. He didn’t need the memory of the divorce on his mind going into work.

He pulled up to work and walked in. He said hi to his friend Tahmores and set about his work. He worked for a few hours when things leveled off. That’s when he saw her. His ex-wife. He nearly made eye contact with her! Suddenly he didn’t want to be in the same room as her. Telling Tah he needed a break, he went out back for a smoke. Why did seeing her make him want to do that? Well, it wasn’t like it was going to kill him.

[Alexis Piper-Vulpez]

It was him, it was Kris for sure. What should she do? Talk to him, say something anything? How do you say hello to someone who haven't seen for a long period of time. she'd always felt blame for the break up of their marriage, that Kris had taken their son with him when the divorce had gone through. In a way she is almost relieved that he leaves the bar area but at the same time all Lexi wants to do is go up to him, hug him and say how much she's missed him. But how would he react? She thought that Kris certainly wouldn't be all that thrilled about seeing her suddenly turn up at his work and want to talk to him out of the blue. Sighing to herself she takes the drinks back to the table then excuses herself, saying that she has seen a client she is friends with and wants to say hello.

Carefully she watches where the other bartenders are facing and sneaks behind the bar and out the back door which Kris had gone out of. Opening the door slowy she peeks around it to see him. A small smile comes to her lips on seeing that he has hardly changed at all but it soon disappears at the sight of him smoking. For a moment she forgets where she is, and the motherly instinct that her child is around someone who smokes kicks in. "Smoking? When you've got a child to look after. I thought you knew better than that Kristian. I thoguht you'd know better than to do something so stupid that could end up killing you".

[Kristian Vulpez]

What the hell was she doing here? The whole reason he had moved with their son was to get away from her. Nick didn’t need to have his parents divorced and one night standing each other. No kid did. "Smoking? When you've got a child to look after. I thought you knew better than that Kristian. I thought you'd know better than to do something so stupid that could end up killing you." a voice came from the doorway. He knew that voice. “Don’t patronize me, Alexis,” he said, blowing the cigarette smoke from his lungs.

Little did she know what he had become. Cigarettes wouldn’t kill him at all anymore. In a way, he had to thank Tah for that, for turning him, albeit accidentally, into a werewolf. “Trust me,” he told her. “I’m more likely to be killed in a bar fight than by smoking.” All too true as he had found out when he was still human. But he couldn’t tell her what he was, that their son was living in the same house as a werewolf. She would have a heart attack, conniption fit and psychotic breakdown all in one. And he wasn't about to lose his son.

[Alexis Piper-Vulpez]

She watches the smoke twist and curl in the air as it flows out from between Kris's lips. For a moment she thinks back to when she'd kissed those lips for the fist time back in high school. The memory makes her smile almost sadly. Their fist encounter since last seeing eachother back in Romania and now she's giving him shit for smoking, getting into an argument with Kris isn't how she wanted to meet him again, though she wouldn't admitt it to anyone in her heart there are still lingering feeling towards her ex-husband. Perhaps it was the guilt she felt for their marriage breaking up and him leaving with their son. "Sorry Kristian".

Slowly she walks around in front of him, looking at him for a moment then suddenly puts her arms around his chest and hugs Kris tightly for a few seconds before stepping back and glancing at the ground. "Sorry I just..". Biting her lip Alexis moves to go back through the door when it suddenly opens and a co-worker of Kris's stands in front of her. He looks at Alexis for a moment then at Kris. "Kris we need you inside, it's getting kind of busy". Tahmores looks at Alexis then turns away and walks back into the bar. Alexis turns back to look at Kris then walks back into the bar.

[Kristian Vulpez]

"Sorry Kristian." he heard her say. “It’s not me you should apologize to, Lex,” he said, meaning about their marriage going bad. It had been tough on Nick losing his mom that early in life. “And don’t call me Kristian,” he added. “I haven’t been called that since high school.”

He wasn’t expecting her to hug him. It totally caught him off guard. After a few seconds, she let go of him. "Sorry I just..." she started. “Missed me?” he finished. “You’re not the only one that missed the old days,” he added. He had found himself thinking about her and the old days a lot now a days.

He looked over at the door as Tah came outside. "Kris we need you inside, it's getting kind of busy." he said. “Alright, I’ll be in in a minute,” Kris replied. He finished his smoke and headed inside.

He returned to the bar with Tah where he was supposed to be that night. Every now and then when he had a minute, he stole a glance over towards where Alexis was sitting. Why couldn't he get her off his mind lately?

[Alexis Piper-Vulpez]

She laughs at his objection to been called by his full name, even back when they were together she would call him Kristian instead of Kris like everyone else, even though she knew it bugged him. He was right. It isn't him she should be saying sorry to, it's Nic'. The boy had been separated from his mother at such a young age and hasn't seen her since Kris took him out of Romania. She'd ask Kris if there is a chance that she could see their son, just to let the boy know that she's still out there and still cares about him. "Missed me?". Alexis nods slowly. "Yeah, I've missed you. After you left everything reminded me of you and Nic. All the places we used to go together, even the high school building. So many years later and it still makes me think back to the days when we were first getting to know eachother".

She had beene expecting Tahmores to yell at her for been out back where only employees were allowd, but he just looked at her then spoke to Kris. Feeling a little nervous now Alexis gives Kris a little smile and goes back to her seat where her friends are waiting. She says nothing about meeting her ex-husband and talking to him, she didn't want them asking questions or wanting to know who he is. Like Kris, every now and then she'd look over to where he is but looked away whenever they happend to do it at the same time.

After a couple of hours Alexis walks up to the bar to get another round of drinks, this time she goes to Kris specificly to order the drinks. "I want to see Nic. If just want to see him and tell him that his mother still cares about him and has missed him".

[Kristian Vulpez]

"Yeah, I've missed you. After you left everything reminded me of you and Nic. All the places we used to go together, even the high school building. So many years later and it still makes me think back to the days when we were first getting to know each other." she said. “I bet it did when that’s my birth country,” Kris replied.

Kris was working at the bar when she came up. Everything was starting to wind down. "I want to see Nic. If just want to see him and tell him that his mother still cares about him and has missed him." she said, ordering some more drinks. He thought a minute. He guessed that it couldn’t hurt for her to see their son again. “You remember what my car looks like right?” he asked. “Meet me by it at closing time. I’ll be off then,” he told her. Then he had to go back to work.

After work, he met up with her. “Ready to go?” he asked. He got in the car and waited for her to get in. There was a chance this could go bad, like he wouldn't remember her, but he couldn't deny her the right to see their son.

[Alexis Piper-Vulpez]

"I remember what you're car looks like. I'll see you there when you're finished". Giving him a small smile Alexsi turns away and goes back to the table with her friends. Like before every so often she'd chance a look at Kris. Closing time comes and the bar has started to empty. With her friends she leaves the bar, breaking away from her friends and moving towards where Kris's car is parked and leans against the passenger door.

She looks up at Kris as he comes up to her. "Yeah I'm ready to go". Lexi gets into the car with Kris. "How has Nic' been? Oh i hope he's going to remember me, I'd just die if I get there and my own son doesn't remember who I am". Lexi glances at Kris. "I probably won't stay too long. I kinda didn't tell my friends that where I was going". At the house Lexi slowly walks up to the front door, breathing in slowly, nervous about seeing her son.Following in after Kris, Lexi looks around the house. Her eyes widen a little as she hears Nic calling out askking if it's Kris who just came home. Alexsi stands backa little as Nic comes out to where the two are. "Nic". She kneels down in front of him. "Nicholas it's me".

[Kristian Vulpez]

"I remember what you're car looks like. I'll see you there when you're finished". Giving him a small smile Alexis turned away and headed back to the table with her friends. Closing time came and the bar started to empty. With her friends, she left the bar, breaking away from her friends and moving towards where Kris's car was parked. When he came out, he found her leaned up against his car.

She looked up at him. "Yeah I'm ready to go". Lexi gets into the car with Kris. "How has Nic' been? Oh i hope he's going to remember me, I'd just die if I get there and my own son doesn't remember who I am". "I'm sure he'll remember you," Kris said, driving back to his house. "We were married for five years remember?" Lexi glanced at Kris. "I probably won't stay too long. I kinda didn't tell my friends that where I was going". "Stay as long as you want," he said.

At the house Lexi walked slowly up to the front door, breathing in slowly, nervous about seeing her son. Kris opened the door. Following in after Kris, Lexi looked around the house. Her eyes widened a little as she heard Nic calling out asking if it's Kris who just came home. "Yea it's me, Niccy," Kris replied. Alexsi stood back a little as Nic came out to where the two are. "Nic". She knelt down in front of him. "Nicholasit's me".

Nic looked at her a minute before it clicked. "Mommy!!" he cried, running to hug her."I missed you Mommy," he said. Kris had gone into the kitchen for a drink when he heard Nic ask if he and Lexi were getting back together.