Lost and Alone In a New Place ((Clay))

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

A scream erupted into the air, crashing into the silence of the airplane cabin. Dixie jumped and cast a look behind her at the crying child. She hated flying. It was already a circus and they hadn’t even taken off yet. Even from her comfortable seat in first class, Dixie felt the familiar tug at her stomach as the plane began to taxi down the runway. The child continued to cry and Dixie had to suppress the urge to yell at her. As the plane gained speed, Dixie felt her grip tighten on the arm rests. She closed her eyes and imagined herself back at Hogwarts with Adam. The plane lifted and Dixie felt her stomach drop, but not because of the take off but because of what she had done. She felt sick at the thought ever loved for selfish reasons. She couldn’t do it, though, it had been a very selfish thing to do, but Dixie had never been good at dealing with things that caused pain. It wasn’t like she had left without a word, because she had written him a letter and seen him before he left even if he hadn’t seen her. If he had tried to track her down (which he could have done considering her lay overs), he didn’t do a very good job of it. She closed her eyes and rested her head deeper into the seat, her hands still gripping the arm rests.

Dixie had drifted off into a nervous sleep as the plane soared over the land and ocean. When she woke up, it was because the feeling in the pit of her stomach to as the plane dove into a landing seemed to grow tremendously. Keeping her eyes closed, Dixie bit back a shriek as the plane wheels touched ground. They were on land. Thank God! Dixie opened her eyes, eager to get off the machine that could end her life at a moments notice. The plane taxied to the gate and then the seatbelt light was turned off. Dixie was the first one off the plane and walking on the ground to the terminal at the airport in Paris. She was here. A long way from home and all alone, but nonetheless here she was. Her feet carried her toward baggage claim as a voice popped on over the speaker. First they spoke in English, which was then translated into French. Dixie knew only a little French, but it was enough to get her around for the night and a car. Luckily, English was spoken at the airport fluently. Dixie reached out and plucked her luggage from the conveyer belt. When she had all suitcases, four in all, she put them on a trolley and headed to the car rental kiosk. “Bonjour, may I help you?” The accent was heavy, almost as heavy as the woman’s perfume.

“Yes, actually, I need a car. Just for a couple of days.” Dixie picked up a pamphlet and flipped through it while she answered the woman’s questions. Soon enough the car was waiting outside for her and she was handed the keys. Before she drove of, she dialed her mother’s number on the phone he was given before she left. It rang, but no one answered, so Dixie left a message and hung up. She started the car and drove away from the airport. First things first, she needed to reach the French Ministry of Magic building. Luckily, Dixie had been to Paris many times before with her family and knew where Wizarding Paris began and ended. Of course that meant parking her car and getting out to walk, which was something she didn’t feel like doing. Nevertheless, Dixie parked and got out, heading toward the alley. Wizarding Paris always seemed to be more advanced than England did, especially with their cloakings of magical places or events. Dixie tucked a strand of her now loose hair behind her ear as she bobbed through the crowd of witches and wizards to get to the ministry building. She was tracking down Clayton Daniels, Devon Daniels’s older brother. Devon had said he could help her out when or if she ever went to Paris, and here she was. The ministry building was tall and grayish white, kind of intimidating.

Dixie breathed in and opened the door. It was busy inside and Dixie had to leap out of the way of a running dwarf who was being chased by two ministry officials. “Welcome to the circus, what’s your trick?” Dixie jumped in shock and wheeled around to see a girl with black hair sitting behind a desk. “Too bad for you, we’ve already got us an open mouthed moron.” Her jaw clicked shut instantly as the girl pressed a button on her desk and spoke into the weird gadget on her head. “They don’t have these back in England do they? Figures, people there are never up with the times. You are from England aren’t you?” The conversation was so random that Dixie wasn’t sure what to do or say, she just stood there. After a moment the girl rolled her eyes and flicked her wand causing a visitors form to appear. “Fill this out and the ministry will get back to you and any complaints you may have.” She floated the form to Dixie and watched her expectantly. Dixie didn’t take the form, instead she crossed the gap to the desk the girl was seated behind. The girl shrunk in her seat as Dixie towered over her with a smirk on her face. She found it amusing that the moment she turned on her aggressiveness the girl lost hers.

“Let’s cover a few things first, shall we?” Dixie spoke as her eyes bore into the squirming girl. “If this place is a circus, then you must be the ringmaster especially with that outfit which is so out of season that it hurts my eyes. Don’t insult England, by your accent I’d say you’re American and your country isn’t known to be the most intelligent. So I’d think twice before insulting a country that is more academically advanced than yours could ever be. And the last thing is I’m not here to complain, though I very well could about the rudeness of the receptionist, but rather I’m here to speak with a Clayton Daniels. Can I get a meeting with him? Or do I have to fire another barrage of insults your way?” The girl let her mouth drop at Dixie’s words and then pushed her button to get someone on the line. Just then there was laughter from behind Dixie, causing her to jump in surprise for the second time that day. She turned around as she waited for the person to say something more.

[Clay Daniels]

"I want the list by tomorrow," Clay shouted over his shoulder after leaving the room. "Alright..." he heard a faint voice that died as he walked through the partitioned office building of Paris's Magic Ministry office. He glanced at his watch before sitting back down at his desk cluttered with random papers and litter from his quick lunch that he didn't even have time to finish. Between the actual training that he led for young witches and wizards trying to get into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and all the paper work that came along with it, Clay never seemed to find a moment to breath during his ten-hour work shift five days a week. Sometimes, when he was lucky, one of the secretaries from another department would help to sort through the papers for him, but that was a rare occasion. He did a lot for the Ministry, and the more he did, the more that seemed to be pushed his way. He usually took it in stride though, wanting to be as much help as possible. It was just his nature. Plus, it wasn't like he had much of a life outside of the Ministry.

Filing a few last minute papers, Clay tried to at least make tomorrow's list of things to do a bit smaller. With another glance at his watch, he realized it was ten minutes past quitting time. Gathering his jacket and bag, Clay made his way to the main entrance, just in time to hear a visitor chewing out Crisselda, the receptionist. When he heard his name, Clay stopped for a second before connecting the dots. Remembering the letter that Devon had sent him just that week, he realized that this must have been Dixie, the girl who was supposedly coming to Paris. He doubted he would see her this quick, but assumed it must be her. Laughing, he watched as Criss looked totally shocked that Dixie was so adamant and forceful. Most visitors were intimidated by Criss's demeanor. Then, the girl turned to look at Clay and he stopped laughing. "Dixie?" he asked, checking to make sure he hadn't assumed wrongly. When she acknowledged that he guessed correctly, he held out his hand and introduced himself. "Clay... but I'm guessing Devon told you about me. I can't say I remember you from Hogwarts, but the name was familiar." He motioned to the door and turned and waved to Crisselda. "Night Criss," he said, leading Dixie to the door. "The Ministry closes to visitors soon, so maybe we can just talk outside," he said politely holding the door open for Dixie. "Plus, by the looks of things, we might want to avoid Crisselda. She's known as Cranky-Criss for short around here," he added with a grin.

Once outside, Clay stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to face Dixie. "So... Paris, eh? What brings you here?" Clay remembered Devon mentioning the reason, but it slipped his mind. He started walking in the direction of his apartment and then stopped to ask another question before letting her answer the first. "Oh, wait, did you drive here? Because I walk to work, and my apartment is in this direction. But if you are parked somewhere else... then..." he trailed off, waiting for an answer. He wasn't quite sure what kind of help Dixie needed. Devon had only said that the girl might look him up, so he really wasn't sure what kind of assistance he should be offering. Heck, maybe she didn't have a car or anything.

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

Dixie felt her eyes widen and her head nod when the man asked if she was Dixie. She shook his hand, shaking herself mentally from the closing that she was bringing down upon her mind. She offered a small smile when Clay said her name sounded familiar. “It sounds familiar to a lot of people…” she muttered. It was true, if the name wasn’t associated with Derreck’s many goings on with the rather more well-to-do women of the society, it was with Mack’s singing, or… in the least liked in Dixie’s eyes, it was of her insanity. She was slightly relieved to find that there weren’t going to be many people in Paris gawking at her and waiting for her to do something like a caged monkey in a zoo… or like an act in a circus. Clay was bidding farewell to the receptionist who he called Criss, and Dixie shot a look of disdain in her direction before exiting the building through the door Clay was holding opened for her. “I wonder why…” Dixie said in a sarcastic tone of voice at his comment about Criss’s nickname. Her skin was still prickling from the agitation that girl had caused. The old Dixie wouldn’t have thought twice about cursing her, not even if she were in a Ministry building, but this Dixie was different. Or was she really all that different? Dixie chewed on her bottom lip and pushed her hair behind her ear as a breeze blew it in front of her. Her eyes took in their surroundings, and she would have completely missed Clay’s question if she hadn’t been looking past him and seen his lips move.

“Oh, well… it isn’t England, for one, or Scotland for that matter. I just… needed to get away.” Dixie shrugged and crossed her arms as if to block the chill that was coming down on her body. It wasn’t even that cold, but she knew it was happening because of the frightfulness of the situation. She had moved kilometers away from home, and she was going to start over but she didn’t even have a place to stay. She was way in over her head in this one and it was as if she just realized it, even though she had gone over all the possibilities that could go wrong before she even purchased her plane ticket. Dixie chewed on her bottom lip some more and then looked over her shoulder where she had parked at Clay’s mention of their impending dilemma. “Well, yes, I did drive… how about I give you a ride? We can figure what you can help me with there, because I honestly have no idea where to begin.” It was all so overwhelming and Dixie, for the millionth time that week, felt like she might have made a huge mistake. But she also knew that if she hadn’t done this, she would have been miserable back at Hogwarts and Adam could just find her at her house if he wanted to. No. Paris was a must.

She smiled and pointed over her shoulder, “This way a bit,” she said before turning and taking a right. It was odd. She was so out going as opposed to her withdrawn self. She had been certain that she would have reverted back to the Dixie that stayed in the corners and spoke to no one unless they annoyed her or talked to her first. She had even expected being a little bit meaner, but none of that was happening. Maybe it was because it took too much effort to put insults out unless she really was agitated (which Clay was most definitely not doing). Who knew? Dixie just wasn’t sure she was ready for life outside of Hogwarts. She hadn’t even graduated! One step at a time, Dixie. The car she had rented came into view and Dixie pointed it out before crossing the narrow street to get to it. She unlocked it and got in, and was soon followed by Clay. “Alright, where am I going?” As she followed his directions, Dixie let the list of things she needed roll around in her mind. Finally, she found the most important thing and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “OK, so, let’s see. I need a place to stay, my portfolio (which is something you can be of no help with unless you know fashion), and possibly a job… but that last one might not be needed.” She smirked, “Any ideas?”

[Clay Daniels]

Clay watched as Dixie shivered and appeared to be deep in thought. Then, she offered that she could drive him. It wasn't too far of a walk, but he wouldn't mind the ride though. He nodded and followed when she pointed and led the way. "Paris is good for that," he said as they walked, "you know, getting away, like you said." Clay remembered when he first came to Paris. The city was a very nice place. It was kind of like a small country of its own. Clay found it to be a good place to live though.

They were at the car shortly, and he started to instruct Dixie on where to go. "You'll want to take the next left and then drive straight for about half a mile. At the light, take a right, and my apartment complex is just as you turn." The traffic was slow tonight, at least slower than a normal evening in the city.

Clay laughed slightly at Dixie's humor as she proceeded to tell him the ways in which he could give assistance. "Well, you are probably right about the portfolio thing. Fashion isn't exactly my forte," he teased. "As for the place to live and the job... well, if you don't mind dogs, I have an extra bedroom in the apartment. It's small, but it's a place to sleep. At least for now anyways. And with the job, we are hiring a second receptionist, ironically enough. Criss has been complaining of too many long hours, and so she'll need an assistant. However," he said, biting his lip and giving Dixie a wary look, "I'm not sure how well the two of you would get along, judging by your first meeting." He looked back toward the road and pointed to his right. "Just up there," he explained, as Dixie pulled into the complex. "Number eleven, right there," he motioned with his head. Dixie pulled the car beside the building and stopped. Clay looked over across at her. "You're welcome to at least crash for the night, that is, if you want. We can get some coffee and try to go through the paper to find you either a place of your own or a job perhaps. But the choice is yours." He sat and waited to see if Dixie would come in or if she would just try to navigate Paris on her own. "Otherwise, the closest hotel is back where we turned off this road. You'd continue going straight until you see the large fountain in the middle of the road. The hotel is just on the left then."

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

Dixie smirked, “Egypt would be a good place to get away to as long as it meant leaving behind Hogwarts.” She didn’t mean to sound snippy, if she did sound it, but it was just the idea that she could have gone to Italy or some place else, and instead she went to France. Of course, the fact that Paris was considered one of the bigger fashion capitols of the world had weighed in her decision quite a bit. She also had planned on going to Paris at the end of her seventh year anyway, but she had planned on dragging Adam with her and then she’d decided whether or not to move there. Now that Adam had been left behind along with that dreadful school, Dixie saw no reason to stay in England. She followed Clay’s directions with ease, which was odd for her considering she usually second guessed everything she was told, but in moments she was heading in the right direction.

She let a small smile appear on her face when he said fashion wasn’t his forte. “It’s the one thing I’m good at, well, at least if you don’t count leaving countries at the drop of a hat.” It was a sad sort of truth, Dixie didn’t know what had driven her to leave except her fear of Adam tracking her down and talking her into returning to Hogwarts. She hadn’t mentioned where she was going in her letter, but she very well knew that he could figure it out if he really wanted to. He had a direct link to Dixie by the name of Mack, it was whether or not he would go through with it that kept Dixie on the edge of her seat. If he did find her, would she flee yet another country? Would she go to that extreme? Or would she be willing to talk to him? Get a hold of yourself, Dixie. The chances that he’ll come after you are slim, he’s the one who wanted you to go. Dixie bit her lip and returned to the conversation just in time to hear Clay say they were hiring another receptionist.

A laugh escaped her as she turned into the complex, “I think it would be fun to get her panties in a twist every day, but I don’t know if I’m willing to put so much effort into something I’m doomed to fail.” She offered a small smile as a twinge in her heart made it dim a little. Failure was a pretty large fear of hers. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine with a job, because I’m planning on sending my portfolio into this fashion industry… they’ve already said they would take me in if I ever came to Paris and here I am.” She parked the car beside the building and leaned back in her seat, as Clay began to talk again. After he spoke, she looked out her window and chewed on her lip. With a small nod, she turned her attention back to him and grinned softly; “If you don’t mind a lunatic living in your apartment, I’d like to take you up on that offer. I mean, I don’t know how difficult I am to live with, but I would guess fairly difficult. It’s just… Devon had mentioned, she’s an odd one, that sister of yours, and well… I really don’t have a place to stay nor do I think I’ll find one any time soon with how little money I have on me.”

[Clay Daniels]

Clay couldn't help but notice Dixie's sarcasm. It was quite obvious that she was still a bit uneasy with what seemed to be her decision to come to Paris, but he decided against prodding into the subject. He barely knew her and figured that he might as well just offer what help he could and let her deal with whatever issues she had. Devon did mention that Dixie was crazy, but he had just thought it was an exaggeration. From what he saw, Dixie just seemed to have some internal issues of her own that he figured was normal to every person. Who didn't have their problems? And so what if Dixie chose to use Paris as a means of escape. Who was he, to judge her? But the last thing he wanted to do was poke into something that wasn't his business. He wasn't the best when it came to dealing with other's problems anyways. It was awkward to him. Not that he didn't like helping people out, but he just never felt like he knew what the right thing to say was. That's why he just tried helping Dixie in the way that seemed most practical to him. He laughed when she made the comment about working with Criss. Then, he smiled when she said that the job thing seemed to be pretty set as long as she was in Paris. That was good. Clay wasn't sure what else he could have done for her in that area anyways.

When she admitted that she could use his place to crash, Clay unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his bag. "No problem for me," he said assuringly. "But as I said before, I do have a dog. Now, whether or not Dap will take a liking to you, I don't know. He is pretty particular when it comes to who he will listen to." Clay smiled as he stepped out of the car. "Why don't we unpack your things and then you can come in and meet Dap over a cup of coffee. Well, he won't be drinking any, but you know what I mean."

Clay helped Dixie to unload her belongings from the car as they walked to his door. Taking his keys, he unlocked it and opened it. Like a rabbit, a small white flash took off, barking and circling around the two as they tried to get all of Dixie's things inside the small apartment. "Hey, Dapper!" Clay said happily, bending down to rub the dog's head as it pranced around Dixie's feet, trying to get a sense of her. "Dixie, Dapper. Dap, this is Dixie." He smiled after introducing them. Clay knew that he often thought of Dapper as a best friend pretty much, but Dap was all he had really. With spending so much time at work, Clay had a hard time branching out with his social life.

Once inside, Clay showed Dixie to the spare bedroom. It really wasn't very big, but it was all he had. There was a single twin-sized bed and an empty dresser. The room didn't have any decorations either- mostly because Clay never used the room. "It's not much, but it should do," he said, biting his lip. "Go ahead and get settled, and I'll go make some coffee. Clay left the room with Dapper nipping at his heels, and he went into the kitchen to begin brewing the coffee.

((Dapper))

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

Dixie smiled softly when Clay said it wasn’t a problem. When he mentioned his dog, Dixie wasn’t sure whether or not to sink into her seat or smile brightly. She didn’t know how she was around dogs, considering Derreck never let her or Mack have one. She laughed when Clay said they could have coffee but of course Dapper wouldn’t have any. She got out of the car, tucking her hair behind her ear again, and then popped the trunk so they could get her luggage out. Unpacking wouldn’t be a problem, and she was glad that her magic hadn’t been taken away because she had dropped out of Hogwarts. It would have been immensely difficult if they had. She followed Clay to his apartment and waited patiently as he unlocked the door. The moment the door was opened there was a white flash and barking. Dixie resisted the urge to jump back and let out another laugh as Clay introduced the dog as Dapper. “Energetic, is he? Good, I have experience with energetic animals.” Dixie smiled and knelt down to pet Dapper who barked and licked her hand. She laughed again and stood up, quite glad that Trevor had a cat that was energetic (oddly enough for a cat) and liked to use Dixie as a target for it’s many weird expeditions. That cat made Dixie seem less intelligent.

She followed Clay to the room she would be staying in and nodded her head when he said she should get settled. He was right, it wasn’t much, but Dixie knew she could fix that with a flick of her wand. Dixie chewed on her bottom lip and pulled out the wand that was hidden in her jacket pocket. She first levitated her luggage further into the room and then she pointed her wand at the bed, “Ruducio.” The bed immediately shrunk so it was tiny enough to put into a shoebox, which Dixie did. She then pulled out another bed (also twin) and placed it in the area the old bed had been. “Engorgio.” The bed grew to it’s normal size and Dixie smiled to herself with satisfaction. This bed had been her favourite, considering it held a hidden drawer at the foot of it. She did that with a few other pieces of furniture, fitting them so that the room was still roomy but it at least looked like Dixie lived in it. She had the lanterns she had bought at a shop in Hogsmeade that changed colours according to her mood, and there was the mirror that told her whether or not she looked good in an outfit (of course, Dixie had stopped using that and disabled it magically), and the purple shag rug that her bed was situated on top of was one that she had since she was little. Dixie had collapsed on her bed as things started to fly out of her bags and put themselves away. The CD player mounted itself on the wall, the posters did the same, her CDs (although muggle, she hated using the wizard wireless because she never could figure it out) stationed themselves on the rack that had also mounted itself to the wall. Pretty soon, Dixie had four empty suitcases and a full room that was glowing a dull blue because of the mood lanterns.

Her eyes glanced over the room once more before she left it and entered the kitchen where Clay was. She ran her fingers through her hair nervously, because the situation was overwhelming her once more. “All finished,” she said quietly as she tucked her wand back into her pocket in her jacket, “Thanks, by the way, for letting me stay here. You have full authority of kicking me out if you ever get sick of me or… frightened.” The last word was in a whisper, but she knew he could hear it, and she knew that it might confuse him. Dixie didn’t feel right, though, moving into this guy’s apartment without letting him know her past. It was just the idea of telling him about her that made Dixie fall back into that dark corner she had spent her last two years in. “So, how’s that coffee coming?” she asked with a small, timid, smile.

[Clay Daniels]

As Clay walked through the kitchen, back and forth to get the items necessary for the coffee, he whistled along to the tune that was playing on the radio. It was a habit he had developed since living alone. The silence bothered him, and so he liked to have the radio on low in the background. It was muggle music for the most part, since it was an old muggle radio that had been his father's. He had never bothered to get a wizarding music chip installed in it to be able to get the stations that broadcasted the music of the magical world. It didn't bother him though. The muggle tunes were what he grew up on.

With the music playing softly and the added noise from the coffee maker, Clay sat down at the small two-person table in the kitchen. Dapper had tired down a bit and was laying in his fleece puppy bed in the corner. Clay flipped his way through the newspaper, distracted by the sounds coming from Dixie's room. It was odd for him, and he found himself momentarily forgetting that she was even there until he would hear another sound come from her room. Living alone, with only Dapper, had become second nature to him. The coffee finished brewing just as Dixie emerged from the room and joined Clay in the kitchen.

"Ah, I think it's ready," he said, turning to see the steam falling from the pot. He pulled his wand from his pocket and levitated two mugs over to the table followed by the sugar, milk, and hot pot of coffee. "Help yourself," he said, allowing Dixie to have the first share. He continued flipping through the pages of the paper and then got his own cup once Dixie had poured hers. He took the spoon from the sugar bowl and stirred in two heaping spoonfuls, followed by a splash of milk. The taste of straight coffee was too bitter for Clay, but he didn't mind it with some milk and sugar.

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" he asked, putting the paper down and sipping from the hot liquid. "I have to be in at work at 7 in the morning, so I can't offer much help navigating the city. You are welcome to help yourself to any food here, and don't mind Dapper. The elderly neighbor lady has a key and lets him out in the middle of the day for me usually. Sometimes I make it home for my lunch break, but usually I am too busy."

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

Dixie hadn’t thought it was important to mention that she hated coffee, and that she hadn’t drunk it since her fifth year because it made her really nervy, but now she wondered if she should have. As Clay levitated the coffee and others to the table and told Dixie to help herself, she bit her lip and took out her wand after she poured herself a cup. Using it to look like she was stirring the coffee, she had actually turned it into Chai tea which looked like coffee with milk and sugar in it but tasted so much better. She set her wand down and took a sip, the creamy but lovely taste reminding her of Adam. She shoved the memories into the back of her mind, forcing herself to at least get settled before she started beating herself up over it. She tucked her hair, nervously, behind her ear when Clay asked what her plans for the next morning were. She had half a mind to snap at him, but bit down the snide remark with a shrug and another sip of her tea in disguise. “I doubt I’ll do much tomorrow but just… get used to it all. It’s a big change, you know? Leaving the sheltered world of Hogwarts to come here… I mean, I was expecting it but not so soon. I guess… I wasn’t really thinking about the end of my school days, though. It always scared me too much.” Dixie smiled sadly to herself and peered over at Dapper who brightened her smile. “He’s really cute, and he’s probably a really good companion too. You don’t have to worry about decorations clashing with his, or who he has over or if you don’t like his friends. I’d take living with a dog over living with my sister and step-brother any day.” She didn’t know why she was talking so much, but she was and she knocked it down to nerves and being exhausted.

With another shrug and another sip of her tea, Dixie looked up at Clay; “I might just figure out where everything is around here, so I won’t have to rely on you the whole time I’m here. This, by the way, isn’t forever… If you want I can find a place to stay for the remainder of my visit within a week, but I only plan on staying in Paris for awhile… and if I do decided to live here I’ll find an apartment of my own. I just don’t want to be this huge inconvenience to you.” Dixie had always felt like she was just a bother to people. That was mainly because that’s how her father made her feel unless he wanted to talk to her or whatnot. He was usually doing something with the business (whatever that was) at the time, and whenever Dixie would go into ask him something he would shoo her away like some fly. Her mother was always in her own little world, too, so whatever Dixie had to say went in one ear and out the other. Mack had been no help, either, because she was always doing her own thing… which was usually what she was told to do. No, Dixie had grown up accustomed to being shunted aside and she grew up with the feeling that she wasn’t wanted places unless she was useful. “I feel really bad just barging in on your life… maybe I can… well, I’m not very good at cleaning and I’m a horrible cook, but I can help out as much as you need me to. I can even pay half the rent. I just don’t want to be an imposition.” Dixie leaned back in her chair and shook her head as her hands covered her face. “Am I completely insane to have done this?” The question was an honest one, and she wanted an answer although she knew that would be a difficult question for her to answer especially if she hardly knew the person who had asked it.

[Clay Daniels]

The coffee's warmth began to heat up the mug that Clay held with both hands. It felt good holding the cup as Dixie answer his questions. He gave an understanding smile, as he remembered his first week in Paris. It was a bit overwhelming, but he figured that Dixie would begin to find her way around the city fine with just a bit of practice and experience. Plus, the people were mostly friendly and willing to help. "You know, you could stop by the Ministry building tomorrow around noon and I'd be glad to show you the best place for lunch. Then, I can point you in the right direction for a few of the more prominent places you might want to familiarize yourself with." He watched as Dixie looked at Dap and commented about having him as a companion. "Yeah, it's pretty nice," Clay replied, but then in a joking voice added, "however you probably don't come home to find your sister or brother have chewed your furniture or left yellow puddles on the floor." He smiled and then looked back at Dap and then Dixie. "But you're right, the companionship is worth it I suppose. As long as he remembers who's the boss."

"No need to apologize, or for you to feel obligated to pay rent or anything of the sort," Clay said quickly after Dixie mentioned it. "Honestly, you are really no inconvenience for me, I mean, at least not yet," he said with a grin. "But really, I don't mind. I'm just glad to be able to help. Do what you need to do, Dixie, and just let me know how I can help. I promise I will let you know if I can't help and I will be honest with you if I happen to have a problem with anything." He took another drink of coffee and then looked back with a serious stare as she asked him another question- one that took a little more thought to respond to.

"Well, Dixie," he began, "I can't really answer that for you. But I can say that I don't think so. I mean, I don't really know your whole story, but sometimes you just have to do things that might be crazy. You know? Sometimes you have to take chances and gamble a bit. If you are never willing to step out and take risks, life would be boring. I was scared to death coming to a new city all alone, but now I love it here and couldn't see myself anywhere else. If I could give any bit of advice, it would be to follow your heart. If it feels right, then do it, and if not, then maybe try it out for a bit and see if anything changes. Granted, I know that acting on feelings is not always the best advice. But I think following your heart will get you what you want in life quicker than following your gut." He smiled again and then finished off the rest of his coffee.