Darker London

They had boarded up the door, in an attempt to both keep the weather out and give them some semblance of safety. Though clearly if a demon wanted in, they were just going to crash the hell in. They all crowded together then, sleeping in the second lounge on mattresses and hoarded blankets, none of them really wanting to be alone.

It wasn't until the next morning, until Leon and Serenity had slunk into the kitchen in search of coffee and sustenance, that Hope had a chance to address Joss' behaviour during their little invasion. He had begged her to stay in the closet, and said he couldn't watch her die again. It was a sight cause of concern.

"Joss? You awake?" she asked, glancing over at his lump under the covers.

The crash from downstairs had them all looking up, attention snatched away from the board game pieces on the table. Truth be told Joss wasn't paying all that much attention the game anyway, because Hope kept distracting him with her gorgeous intensity, and he'd really rather be doing something else instead of playing with Serenity and the empty chair that Leon had left.

The wind was making a racket around the house but that didn't disguise the crash, and it did absolutely nothing to disguise the scream that ripped through the house afterwards. Joss found himself on his feet, frozen in the middle of the room, his blood sprinting through his veins as he stared at the door that lead downstairs. He hadn't noticed that he'd grabbed Hope's wrist and pulled her to her feet too, not till she spoke.

Hope made her way to Joss' church house, though she didn't rush. He had wanted time to destress from the work day, and Hope enjoyed just kind of meandering around the tube stations and getting off a few stops early to walk the rest of the way there.

Night stained the sky by the time she reached the doorstep, huddled into her red faux-fur coat. She had Joss' present all tucked up in her bag, and she was wearing a Santa hat. She hoped she looked cute and festive! Apparently since she really wanted to have a slightly serious conversation and maybe cute and festive would make it better? She rang the doorbell and waited, bouncing around a little to keep warm.

Hope was nervous as she climbed out of the Uber and stepped towards Joss' door. Of course nervous on Hope just looked like 'loud'. Joss was the first person she had liked in this way for a long time. After losing Tasha she had lost hope she might ever feel anything like it again, but those fuzzy feelings were starting.

God she had missed them.

Clutching the flowers she had brought for Leon's family in her hand, Hope rang the bell and then stared up at the most impressive house she had ever seen. Sure, Hope lived in a manor, but this place was unbelievable.

Libero wasn't like most homeless shelters, in that it became a true home for young people who had nowhere else to go. Most inhabitants, other than the ones who showed up just to hunker down during the coldest nights, lived there for a few months while the shelter workers helped them get back on their feet. When people left Libero, most of them left with jobs or courses, and places to live, as well as ongoing support.

Hope loved working at the shelter because the people who were living there became like family. Everyone had turns helping to cook and clean, as well as maintain the garden and keep the shelter in good nick. Hope usually helped with cooking and then spent dinner chatting with the inhabitants, before moving on to doing the dishes. That was what she had shown Joss how to do as well.

After a rather large dinner, with a few temporary inhabitants seeking shelter from the rain, the dishes were cleared and heaped up in the industrial kitchen. Hope surveyed them and sighed. "I don't understand why, but curry night always makes extra dishes," she commented to Joss, grinning. "Did you have a nice time tonight?"

Noah hadn't actually told Liz the name of the friend he was bringing with him when they trooped over for dinner, but it hardly mattered to Liz. The more the merrier! She had been pottering around in the kitchen since six in the morning and when Emma had risen and joined her at eight, the other woman had laughed fondly. "Excited about company, Liz?"

"Four kids!" Liz exclaimed as she threw things into the slow-cooker. "I can't wait to squish their little faces!"

"I can't wait to sit on your face," Emma said with a sly grin, just as Hope walked in for her morning coffee. "Well hello, Hope!" Emma said loudly, turning bright red.

"Not the worst thing I've walked in on you two doing," Hope said amused. "I'll just get coffee and go, but yes, Mum, I will be here for dinner, before you ask me for the eleventh time!" Hope filled her mug with coffee and headed back to her room. The second she was gone, both Liz and Emma snorted and grasped each other, laughing delightedly.

That was how the day went on, and the house gradually filled with the delightful smell of Irish Stew. Liz made soda bread from scratch and Emma made up some cold brew tea. By the time Daria and Noah arrived, entourage in tow, the table was set and everything was ready.

Hope's entire afternoon had been spent listening to her mothers coo over her cousin's kids. Sure, she like Phoebe and Cassandra well enough, but it was like Liz and Emma thought the toddlers were somehow the secnd coming of Christ. They exclaimed over Daria's pregnant belly, and talked about the idea of more twins, and four kids running around, and Hope decided then and there she had to get out.

( What about me )

Even though Zoe had extended the invitation for Rachel to come over to her house it took the girls ages to actually do it. A week after that first invitation, Rachel had made good on what she'd said in one of her letters I'll try anything once and had climbed the roof of the gymnasium on a dare from a boy in their PE class, had been given suspension for the rest of the week and was grounded till Christmas.

After that she was a little more subdued. "I got in so much trouble," she told Zoe, when Rachel was allowed back at school (after signing a contract that specifically stated she would follow the rules). "My dad and my step mum fought about me for ages."

( ... )