She crushed out her cigarette in the ashtray overflowing with butts. The brief hiss of flame caused a wry smile to play on her lips. So ironic, her love of burning tobacco yet fear of fire. With a resigned sigh, she rose from her chair to answer the insistent scratching at her door.

"Mrrt."

Verdant green eyes looked down to meet blinking yellow ones. "I knew he'd lose his temper again. Alright, I'm coming."

The wineglass trembled a little more than usual in his hand. But he managed to thump his cane hard on the parquet floor when the two appeared in his kitchen.

"Vieux fouineur! You old busybody," Antoine grumbled at Maurice. The cat trilled, raising his front paw to gently bat Antoine's leg.

A scowling Lucy crossed her arms. The faint rustling of leaves whispered in the room. "You lost your temper again, you old dog. You used up your precious energy too fast and lost your hold and now he saw what he wasn't supposed to. He's on to the wee fox lass."

Antoine jabbed a clawed finger at his very old friend. "Don't you nag me as well. Le salaud, the scum, was sneering at me when I watched her door. I know exactly what he was thinking!"

"Dammit, Antoine! Both of us are waning fast and the storm will be here soon. How long can we keep this up? How long can we shield ourselves as well as Xia and now Wanfeng from being noticed by others?"

"The dragon is on the right path!" the Frenchman insisted. "It's why we agreed to give him one more day before taking any drastic measures which may land us all in greater trouble. Wanfeng will succeed. I know he will. I can feel it in my bones. Events are about to fall into place. And together he and Xia will find their way home. And then... we will find our way too."

"We agreed to see this through after what happened, after what we allowed to happen, with Wenling!" Antoine finished off.

"Yes, and it took everything the 3 of us had to get the dragon here as he was the only one who could survive the journey on his own! We haven't the luxury of losing our tempers, Antoine! We can't be careless!" Lucy closed her eyes and drew a steadying breath. More rustling of leaves could be heard as she reached for the bottle of red wine on the table. With a creaking grasp, she took a swig then refilled Antoine's glass while she picked a purring Maurice up off the floor to cradle in her arms and stroke his back.

"You must keep an eye on Chen Kai as much as possible now, ma chère."

"What about the furnace? That thing the goon installed. It makes me nervous."

"It won't come to that. Ne t'inquiete pas, don't worry. "

Maurice's purrs took on a deep resonance, a much deeper, darker resonance.

"Oui, exactly," Antoine answered.

_____

Both Emma's kids looked up from the far corner table when the bell above the sandwich shop door jingled. There were no customers yet.

Xia greeted the kids with a smile as she walked in. Their table was strewn with a colourful assortment of papers, pens, and textbooks. She'd totally forgotten Emma telling her last week it was a ped day today.

"Hi Xia," Sophie said to her, only for the girl's eyes to grow wide at the sight of Wanfeng who'd entered just behind.

"Hey Sophie, hey Ben. I forgot there was no school today. This is my friend, Wanfeng." Xia pretended not to see Ben mouth BOY-friend to his now giggling sister. "Wanfeng's going to hang out here while I do my shift. Where's your mom?"

On cue, the back storeroom door banged open and Emma backed out with one of the large soup vats in her arms. "Xia, gimme a hand, will you?"

"Allow me."

A startled Emma spun round to gape at the handsome, long haired man who took the vat from her with a respectful smile.

"Where would you like this to be placed?" The older waitress' eyes darted from Wanfeng to Xia.

"Emma, this is Wanfeng. He's a friend visiting from out of town. He's got no place to go today so I thought he could hang out here and maybe give us a hand?"

"Uh, sure." A slow, knowing smile spread across Emma's face. "Could you set the vat in the heating well there?" She pointed for Wanfeng who plunked the large metal container into the space.

"The more the merrier," Emma continued, flashing a grin at Xia. "My sitter couldn't make it today so I brought the kids to do some schoolwork here before they go to swim lessons later. It all works out well since the owner's out of town so he won't be dropping in. Not that we're busy enough these days to need all the tables... Wanfeng, is it?" He nodded politely to her. "You can give us a hand cleaning up afterwards once the lunch "rush" --she mimed the quotation marks with her fingers-- "is over."

Emma's gaze lingered over Wanfeng's head. "Mind you, if you're going to help, you best tie your hair up later. Health code. We don't have any hair nets long enough for you."

_____

Wanfeng sat at the table next to the twins, a steaming cup of black coffee before him. He'd been enjoying observing Xia puttering about behind the counter, ladling soups into containers or pouring coffee into cups for customers to take away with them. Emma prepared the sandwiches, which was probably a good thing, he thought, hiding a smile that threatened to give away his thoughts as he glanced again at Xia's ladling finesse. Only three people had stayed to eat their food here. One sat at the counter, the other two at a table across the way.

"Ugh! I hate art!!" Ben tossed the pencil he'd been using on his sketchpad to rub his face.

"Can I help?" Wanfeng had been curious about the study materials the children had been using. He'd learned the twins were twelve years old and studying at a level called grade six.

"We have to draw the oldest memory we have for art homework. I can't remember anything interesting I did yesterday!" the boy complained.

"I finished mine yesterday," Sophie said smugly, pulling a sketchpad out of her knapsack and flipping it open. "I drew my old teddy bear Mr. Bumbles, the one I had when I was really little. He was missing one eye and his ears were all mashed up. Wanna see?"

Wanfeng took the open sketchpad from the girl who seemed eager for his critique. From the drawing, he ascertained the ted-ee bear to have been some toy, and not a real animal.

"You have captured the charm of the bear very well. It's almost as if I'm holding it for real." The girl giggled while her brother rolled his eyes. "A teddy bear isn't an interesting memory," he grumbled to his sister.

"Yes, it is! My bear was way cooler than your stupid transformers you always played with!" About to retort, Ben paused instead, the light of inspiration gleamed in his eyes.

"And now I believe you have a subject for your assignment?" Wanfeng said. Ben grabbed the case of pencil crayons and began choosing the most vibrant colours. "I'm gonna do my old Optimus Prime action figure!"

Now it was Sophie who rolled her eyes. Wanfeng leaned back and sipped his coffee.

"What about you, Wanfeng?" Sophie asked brightly. "What's your oldest memory you can draw?"

Wanfeng's gaze followed Xia's hand as she wiped down the counter after the customer who'd been sitting there left. He set down his cup.

It had been a long while since he'd had the leisure to draw. It was a pastime he'd enjoyed as a youth, his tutors always remarking he had a talent for it. Taking a pencil from the table, Wanfeng continued to watch Xia's hand, her fingers...

"May I?" he asked Sophie, who nodded excitedly when he flipped her sketchbook open to a fresh page. The pencil skritched rapidly across the paper. It felt more like a visual impression than a memory he drew but what Wanfeng saw in his mind's eye was a memory, he was sure of it. And it had something to do with Xia.

Both children became quiet as they watched a completely engrossed Wanfeng sketch away in a dazzling whir of agile pencil strokes. When he was done, all three stared at what he'd drawn.

"Wow," Ben uttered in amazement. "That's really good. How did you do that?"

"Ever so gently..." Wanfeng whispered. The twins exchanged a confused glance.

"Whose hands are those, Wanfeng?" Sophie questioned. "That looks like a baby's hand holding a little kid's finger. Is the baby hand yours? Is that something you remember?"

The baby's hand is Xia's and she is holding my finger.

"Wanfeng?"

"I... I don't know. It's a very old memory... an interesting one for me, like you said." He passed Sophie's sketchpad back to her.

"I can keep your drawing? Thanks!"

"Wait! You need to sign it," Ben said. "The art teacher makes us sign all our drawings."

Wanfeng took a red pencil from the case and with quick, flourished strokes, inscribed his name at the bottom of the drawing.

"Woah..." Both kids were fascinated with his signature.

The last two customers got up and left.

"I think that's as good as it's going to get today." Emma leaned out from behind the counter to call out at Wanfeng and the twins. She glanced at her watch and shook her head. "Might as well start cleaning up. Could I ask you to take out the soup vats, Wanfeng? Maybe you can wash them in the backroom sink too?"

"Of course."

_____

Wanfeng borrowed a pink hair elastic from Sophie to pull his hair up, poking one of the wooden coffee swizzle sticks through his topknot for good measure. He looked no less the cover model ancient warrior when he stepped into the back storeroom to wash the vats --albeit with an apron over his jeans and t-shirt.

Once the storeroom door was closed, Emma pounced on Xia.

"Ok, girl, spill."

"Spill what?" Xia feigned ignorance.

"You're killing me here, you know that right? I haven't said a single word the whole time he sat up front in case he'd hear. You don't think I believe for one second that Wanfeng is your "friend", do you?! Where've you been hiding tall, dark, and handsome?" Emma began ticking off her fingers. "He's polite, smart, gorgeous, helpful, gorgeous, well-spoken, gorgeous. Where's he from? When did you meet him?"

"It's complicated."

"It's complicated?!?! Huh. Xia, if you're hesitating about him, how about letting me have a go?" Emma laughed. She and her ex were on amicable terms and shared joint custody of the twins. But after her divorce a few years ago, Emma had sworn she'd never date again.

"What about your rule?" Xia teased.

"For Wanfeng, I'd make an exception! I need to shop for a few hot mama outfits though."

Xia started laughing too as she swept the floor around the counter.

Her laughter trailed off though when she took in the time on the wall clock. It was 1:30pm and they were empty already. Foot traffic wasn't an issue. People were still walking briskly along the sidewalk in front of the shop. But she knew any looking for a quick lunch were most likely headed to the Starbucks.

It was only a matter of time before she'd be let go, she knew. Her days here at the sandwich shop were numbered. She only hoped Emma could stay on. But then again, Emma had a sister who kept trying to get her to come work for her at the post office. Emma would be ok, no matter what happened.

"Penny for your thoughts, Xia?"

"Emma..." Xia wasn't sure why she suddenly wanted to say what she did but it felt important that she do. "You know I'm looking for bigger, greener pastures. I'm thinking I'm going to start travelling sooner rather than later. Waiting for an opportunity around here isn't getting me where I need to go. But things happen at the spur of the moment sometimes and..."

"...and you may just up and leave suddenly?"

Xia nodded, hesitant, unsure what she was trying to say.

Emma cocked her head at her. "Remember that movie we watched together a while back? The one with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon?"

"Good Will Hunting?"

"Yeah. Remember the scene where they talk on the roof? The rough and gruff guy tells his friend that should one day he go to see him only to find him gone, he would know his friend had moved on and he would understand? No sad goodbyes, only well wishes and the best of hopes."

Xia felt tears threaten.

"Don't you dare get weepy-eyed with me, Xia! You'll have me blubbering too. Listen, I've always felt you don't belong here." The older waitress raised her hand at Xia's crinkled brow. "Now don't take that the wrong way. You know very well what I mean. You're a sweetheart and a great work buddy, Xia, but you were meant for something else. I've known that since the first day I met you."

The clanging of pots from the backroom made Emma pause as she smiled wistfully at its door. "I fully expect one day, sooner rather than later now I think, to find you gone without a word of goodbye. And on that day, I will smile and wish you all the best wherever you're meant to be."

"Sheesh Mom, that's so dramatic!" Ben and Sophie had seated themselves at the counter when neither woman was paying attention.

"Oh hush." Emma tossed a dishtowel at her laughing son's head.

"Mom, we need to get our stuff together for the pool," Sophie said.

"Right." Emma started untying her apron. "Let me count the cash quickly and then I'll drop you off on my way to my hair appointment."

"Emma, why don't Wanfeng and I take the kids to the pool? Then you won't have to rush. It's more or less along the way back to my place. Your hairdresser's in the opposite direction. It's a nice day and a little extra ten minute walk in the fresh air would feel good."

Both kids grinned eagerly at their mother.

"Ok. Thanks Xia. That'll give me time to stop at the post office to drop off something to my sister." She turned to the twins. "I'll pick you up after lessons ok?"

_____

The community center was bustling today. With both local high schools and primary school students off, the place was teeming with kids laughing and talking everywhere. The library looked packed as did the skating rink partitioned for hockey and figure skating practice. Teens milled about everywhere on benches in the central area either on their cells or talking to friends.

At the pool entrance, Emma's kids went through the turnstiles to get to their respective change rooms. "Xia." Sophie paused at the door. "I forgot to tell mom that I need to pay a deposit for my swim cap and goggles today."

"Oh? How much is it?"

"$10 but the coach needs an adult to sign off on it before 3pm."

"Hmm, why don't I do that. Your mom can pay me back. Where can I find your swim team coach?"

"Her name's Linda. She's usually on deck. Thanks Xia!" The girl disappeared into the change room.

Xia started to rummage in her purse for her wallet. "We can use the side entrance to get to the pool without passing through the changerooms," she told Wanfeng who was attracting all kinds of attention with his hair loose about his shoulders once more.

If the center and library were abuzz with activity, the pool was most definitely abubble. Free swim was a most popular activity on a day off school. An inflatable play gym with floating tubes and slides had been set up. There were kids playing all over it. The lifeguards on duty, mostly teens themselves, were busy directing many to behave and reminding younger ones not to run on deck. Only a handful of parents were up in the stands.

"I have never seen baths so... lively before." Wanfeng's nose wrinkled. "What is that smell from the water, Xia?"

"The chlorine? I hate the stuff too. My eyes can't take more than 5 minutes in here before they go red from the stuff."

Xia tried and failed to catch the attention of a frazzled lifeguard who rushed by to get to a group of youths who'd decided to have a Jedi light saber combat with the noodles in the shallow end.

The din of so many voices overlapping in cavernous echo... it was impossible to be heard over the guard whistles, splashing, and shouts of laughter.

"Wait here a sec, Wanfeng. I'm going to go poolside to ask which guard is Linda." Slipping off her shoes and socks, she handed them to Wanfeng who earned a playful swat from her when he wrinkled his nose even more, holding her shoes by the tips of his fingers away from his face. "I'll be right back," Xia grinned.

Wanfeng couldn't help but stare at the riotous activity within the pool. Never had he witnessed such a scene as this before. It was crowded, full of commotion, and looked like... great fun. He smiled. Oh how he wished he could jump in, ku lor reen smell or not. An apartment bath and shower were no place for a dragon wishing to swim. Wanfeng had fond memories of his father and mother taking him to the sea to play and swim.

A strong pang of homesickness struck him. Mother... Father... I will see you again. I will return to you. And I will return Xia to her mother and father as well.

Xia's sharp cry pierced through the cacophony about him.

"Oh no! Xia doesn't know how to swim!" Ben, who'd just come out of the changeroom onto the deck, shouted in panic.

Every single pool light flared then went out as the roar of a dragon silenced all other sounds.

_____

Her toes squished through the warm puddles of pool water on deck as Xia made her way to the lifeguard chair at the deep end. A group of older teen boys was fooling around just ahead of her, laughing and shoving as they faked pushing each other in. When Xia went to skirt around them, one of the boys lost his footing and flew backward, banging hard into Xia who, right by the edge, went tumbling with a shriek into the water.

Roiling waters... All she could see was a bubbling blur that suddenly became dark. Up!! Which way is up?! Disoriented, Xia thrashed and flailed as panic engulfed her. Wanting to cry out, she breathed water instead. Lungs and eyes burning, her vision spotted then began to darken as well.

Something coiled around her. Something thick and rugged, and very powerful. On the verge of losing consciousness, all she felt now was a swift rising rush before she blacked out.

_____

"Shh, shh, I have you, Xia. You're safe. Don't be afraid."

Consciousness returned with water spewing out of her mouth and nose from the hacking coughs overwhelming her. With gulping, sobbing breaths, Xia sucked in what air she could in choking gasps.

Wanfeng was holding her tightly against him. They were in the water by the pool's edge.

Her body trembled violently and the tears she cried stung her burning eyes. She could barely make out the lifeguards converging upon them. "Are you ok?" Several reached out for her but all jumped back when Wanfeng's head snapped up at them.

Wanfeng lifted Xia to the deck where she slumped limply on her side. Swinging himself onto the deck next to her, he gathered her to him once again.

Several lifeguards were looking up at the ceiling, wondering what had happened to the lights and what that awful noise was before they'd gone out.

"Xia! Xia!" Sophie rushed over with her brother. Wanfeng took the girl's towel and wrapped it about a still crying Xia whom he scooped off the deck to cradle in his arms.

"I'm going to call Mom to come get us," Ben said.

"Wait! We need to file a report." The lifeguard who said this blanched and looked away at whatever he saw in Wanfeng's eyes.

_____

"Mommy! Pretty water! Pretty!"

In the toddler section, at the very far end of the pool sectioned away from the hubbub, a little girl clapped her hands on the water. Her mother sitting beside her blinked and rubbed her eyes. For a moment, it looked like the water was churning with glowing eddies.

_____

Emma picked them up in her van. Xia refused to go to the hospital. "I'm ok, I'm ok. I just want to go home," she kept repeating with a voice hoarse from all the coughing that had now subsided. A reluctant Emma took them back to the townhouse. The whole time in the van and once out of it, an ominously quiet Wanfeng kept his arm about Xia's shoulders. Neither had changed their wet clothes. Neither seemed affected by the cold air at all.

"Emma, I'm ok," Xia insisted from the sidewalk, pulling off Sophie's towel to hand back through the driver's window to the girl who looked worriedly at her from over her mother's shoulder. "Nothing a hot shower then a hot cup of tea won't fix. I'm embarrassed more than anything else. And eww," she laughed, sniffing a handful of her hair, "I reek of chlorine!"

"Xia's tough!" Ben exclaimed from the backseat. "And wow, Wanfeng is the fastest swimmer ever!!"

Emma hesitated. "Are you sure, hun?"

Xia smiled. "Yes! I'm fine!"

"I will take care of her." Wanfeng spoke for the first time since they'd left the pool.

"Don't you dare come in to work tomorrow, Xia. You've never taken a sick day ever. Take one now," Emma said firmly.

"I'm fine, Emma. Really. Thanks for the lift and sorry about the wet seats."

But she wasn't fine. Not at all. The moment she and Wanfeng got back into her apartment--luckily without encountering any of her neighbours-- her act of bravado crumbled and she started to shake uncontrollably.

Without a word, Wanfeng scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom. And now it was his turn to run the hot water for her, a shower rather than a bath, which he stepped into with her.

Standing Xia up to hold against him as the spray washed over them, Wanfeng slowly undressed them both, letting their drenched clothing drop to pile at their feet. Once done, he gently rubbed his hands over Xia's body, soothing away the trembling as best he could, ignoring for now how the shower spray glowed at his touch against her skin.

Only when she stopped shaking did Wanfeng shut off the water-- without touching the faucets. Lifting Xia out of the tub, he grabbed a couple of bath towels from the shelf and wrapped her with them.

"Shh, I have you, Xia. You're safe. Don't be afraid," he repeated the words he'd said to her at the pool. "Come, let's rest now," he whispered.

____

Bundled under blankets together in her bed, Xia lay quiet in Wanfeng's embrace with her head tucked under his chin. She held tight to a finger he had silently nudged against her palm earlier. She wasn't sure why she'd clasped it as she did. She had yet to let go.

"Maybe it's because Pete and his partner Charlie found me on a river bank." She knew Wanfeng was listening intently. "The reason I'm terrified of deep water... I think... I think I must have almost drowned as a baby. I used to believe whomever abandoned me there had expected me to perish in the river."

"Xia--"

"Thank you for saving me," she whispered, pulling her head back to press a soft kiss on his cheek and still whatever words he'd been about to say. Then she kissed his cheek again before releasing his finger to stroke his face. The light stubble of beard made her smile. "Your dragon skin feels different in the water than in the night air." At Wanfeng's stunned expression, she kissed him on the lips. "I know we've been...passionate... before. Did I hurt you?"

Wanfeng gently clasped the side of her face. "You remember?"

"Flashes came back to me while we were in the shower," she replied in a hush. "I'm so sorry, Wanfeng. I let my"--and here she felt her face redden-- "wild desires get the better of me. I don't understand why I wasn't remembering before. I would never hurt you or take advantage of you."

His gaze was magnetic. "You did not hurt me, Xia. I was a very willing and consenting participant."

She kissed his lips lightly again before flicking the tip of her tongue against them.

"Xia? After what just happened, maybe--"

"After what just happened, I need a little gentle comfort and warmth. You make me feel..." His gaze drew her in deeper. "This time," she whispered as she began to wrap her arms behind his neck, "this time it won't be like a dream I can't remember afterwards." Closing her eyes, she slipped her tongue past his open, waiting lips.

_____

The dragon swam in still waters, gentle and yielding, sheathed in warm depths of soothing pleasure. He took his ease as gentle love was made to him.

_____

It was night again. She couldn't quite make out the time on the radio's clock.

This is becoming a habit, falling asleep in bed with Wanfeng. Xia leaned back against his body that spooned hers. Her arms felt oddly stiff. Stretching them out forward as slowly as she could so as not to wake Wanfeng, at first Xia couldn't understand why furry white paws poked out from the edge of the blanket atop her, until she moved her fingers... and the paws' toes moved instead.

With a yowl, Xia bolted out of bed where she landed on four legs. Her claws slipped and scrambled on the flooring as she stumbled backwards from the tips of nine white furred tails billowing down over her head.

"Xia!" Wanfeng jumped out of bed and crouched before her. "Xia, don't be afraid." He extended his hand. "Let me help you."

Her heart was exploding in her chest. Blood pounded in her ears. Her entire body--her body?!-- shook with fear. Something was wrong with her body! All of it was wrong!!! Sheer terror had the walls closing in on her as the scream she released emerged as a howl instead.

Escape this! She had to get away! Run! Run! Run! In a burst of speed and brilliant pulse of power, she leapt and soared over Wanfeng to crash head first through the window...

...and race off into the darkness of night.

"XIA!!!!!!" 

_____

*A ped day is a pedagogical day where teachers and staff must attend school but the students have the day off.

"Good Will Hunting" is a 1997 American movie about a young genius-level janitor who struggles with his past and must decide his future.