Jess nodded as she took the card. All she needed to know... The way the man said that set her nerves on edge even more. "I'll... I'll let you know when it's done," she replied, attempting another professional act, even though she was probably showing all sorts of signs that she knew more than she should. It didn't matter, she told herself, Roxy had already pointed out he wasn't fooling anyone, but the anxiety he radiated didn't help.

For a moment, she considered keeping the card, but quickly decided against it. In all likelihood, it would accomplish nothing, only get both her and Roxy into further trouble. The anchor's words came back to her. The less you know the better for both of us.

She fought to stop her hand trembling as she gripped the piece of cardboard. As soon as the job was done, the details would have to be destroyed.

The man nodded and hurried out of the building. It was clear that he didn't want to be seen there. Roxy went to work on the car trying to ignore the guilt and frustration she felt. She had worked so hard to get out of the family business. Now she was being dragged back in. It was her own fault. She knew this day could come but she had allowed herself to be listed as an anchor. She couldn't walk away from someone who might need her.

No one else came in while she worked on the car. Which was good because there were few people to hide things from. While Roxy was an expert at hiding things it was clear that Jess wasn't good at hiding things. It might be because she was an empath or her history or both. Either way it was clear to Roxy that she would have to keep things from Jesse. It was the best way to keep the other woman safe. "Call the moron and tell him that his car is done."

While waiting, Jess tried to keep her mind off the situation by re-sorting the papers she'd dropped earlier, but all it did was remind her of the rough or sketchy customers who had visited so far. When Roxy called out to tell her the job was done, she grimaced. Seeing that guy again wasn't exactly something she looked forward to, though hopefully he'd make another quick exit.

It was best to get this over with. Picking up the phone, she dialled the number and let the man know his car was fixed, most likely sounding just as jittery as he did. No sooner had she put down the receiver than she heard the telltale beep of a notification from her own phone.

She pulled the device from her pocket and stared in dismay at the screen. All the notification showed was the email address - her mother's - and the subject, but that three word question said it all. "Is everything alright?"

Her grip tightened on the phone. No, things weren't alright. Things were even less alright than she'd thought yesterday. She'd known her mother would ask for the truth, but there was no way she could reveal it. Especially not now.

She was just about to read the message when she caught a glimpse of something on the desk. The card. If she left that lying around, the already paranoid man would be less than happy, and everything could get a whole lot worse for her and Roxy. Putting the phone back in her pocket, she grabbed the card and tore it down the middle, then lengthways, then into tiny pieces. Her hand shook again as she tried to throw the shreds into the wastepaper basket, and several of them fluttered to the floor, spiralling into a mess just like everything going on right now.

Leaning down and picking them up, she inwardly scolded herself to get her act together in time for the customer's arrival.

Roxy counted to ten before storming over to Jess. She wasnt really angry but anger was an old shield. It was her defense mechanism. Even though she knew that letting the other woman get close was the best way to protect Jess,at least from the emotions of others, it wasn't easy for her to do. She had build walls for a reason. She stopped by the desk and did her best not to glare at the empath. No of this was Jess' fault.

"No one us going to think any less of you if you cant handle working the desk. Dealing with my crap wasnt part of the deal. I'll figure something out. You dont have to prove anything." Roxy had no idea what Jess was trying to prove but it clearly wasn't working. The empath pushing herself to readjust to life outside of isolation was probably going to do more harm than good.

With the limited they had Jess couldn't go far. But that didnt mean she had to sit at the desk. Roxy might not be the most organized person but she had been running this business for years without help she could continue to do so without any problems. Right now all she wanted was to give Jess a chance to find a place for herself in the world. It was one thing good thing she could do. She would do it despite the cost.

Jess quickly stood up as Roxy stomped over. She'd expected a wave of anger to hit, but the anchor was doing her best to tamp it down. Even her expression was slightly softer than usual - the keyword being "slightly".

At the surprisingly gentle suggestion to give working at the desk a miss, Jess shook her head. Now she truly couldn't refuse to give something back to the anchor, even though taking on a bit of desk work couldn't begin to compensate for the damage being done. "It's ok. I know you're worried, but... It was just a few scraps of paper." She couldn't tell Roxy about the most recent source of stress. It was already clear her mother thought less than highly of the anchor, and reminding her of the fact wouldn't help matters.

She gave a shaky chuckle, trying to laugh off the wastepaper basket aiming incident, then her face turned serious. "Please, don't beat yourself up over this." The twinges of guilt seeping out from behind that shield of anger Roxy put up hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Why the hell not?" Roxy demanded. She glared at the papers on the floor. Proof that she was slowly losing control of her life once again. She pushed the thoughts away. There was no point in thinking about it. Nothing would change it. She would have to find a way to accept that. All that mattered now was that she keep Jess safe and as far from her mess. "It's my crap that's adding to stress to you adjusting to being back among people." Not to mention it was her fault that the shield wasn't working the way it was supposed to.

With that Roxy stormed back to the otherside of the building. She starting scrubbing the floors. Not that they needed cleaning but she needed something to vent her frustrations on and this was the best way to do it. Zed had helped her learn to focus her anger on inanimate objects rather than the people causing the emotion. It was probably the only reason she was her rather than in jail.

The thought made her wonder what they would have done if Jess had been matched with someone who was in jail. She wondered if it ever happened. Not that it mattered. It didn't affect them. It wouldn't. She wouldn't allow Jess to suffer just because of who she was. She had no more control over who her father was than Jess had over being an empath.

A surge of rage and guilt from Roxy ran through Jess like physical pain. "No! Don't do this to yourself!" the empath yelled, practically spitting out the words, then raising a hand as if to clamp it over her mouth. She hadn't intended for the words to take on that harsh edge. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." she started, but Roxy had already stormed to the other side of the room.

Breathing slowly in, slowly out, Jess crouched down and gathered up the shredded paper. As she threw it away, she couldn't help but wonder what secrets the man had ordered her to help him keep hidden. She didn't want to think about it, but stress and sleep deprivation set her imagination whirring out of her control.

With her increasing understanding of why Roxy acted the way she did, the last thing Jess wanted to do was read the email, read what her mother would undoubtedly have to say about the anchor.

As much as Jess thought she had figured out about Roxy there was still a lot that she had to learn. Roxy ignored the chime that indicated that the man had returned. She didn't want to have anything to do with him. She knew as angry as she was that if she tried to deal with the man she would end up doing or saying something she would regret. She couldn't take that chance. So she kept herself busy.

The customer was just as nervous when he returned as he was when he first arrived. He looked around the shop as if to make sure no one saw him. He hurried to the desk a wad of sweaty money in his hand. He thrust the money at Jess. "You better have gotten ride of that card. And I don't want my information in your system. No one is suppose to know that I am here." He growled.

"Stop ordering my help around." Roxy growled from the other side of the room. She glared at the customer. "I'll make sure that no one knows you were here. You just make sure that your boss gets a clue." The man was just screaming illegal activity. Anyone who walked by would be suspicious of what was going on. He couldn't have been more obvious if he had tried. She didn't have the patience to deal with this kind of stupidity but it seemed unfair to ask Jess to do so. Especially since the empath didn't really know what was going on.

At the sound of a chime, Jess stood up, her nerves stretching taut. Anxiety and anger from two people weren't a good combination, although she didn't blame Roxy for the outburst. Right now, the anchor was doing her best to control her frustration by furiously scrubbing the floor. Jess' muscles tensed as if she needed to channel all that pent-up emotion in a similar way, which only added to the unease. She wasn't used to feeling like this.

She pulled back as the shady man rushed over to her and flung the money onto the desk. "It's ok, it's ok!" she blurted after he growled a reminder at her that nobody was meant to know about the job. "The card's gone, I just got rid of it."

It was at that point, while the flustered empath frantically sorted out change, that Roxy intervened. Jess couldn't help but be a little taken aback. In just a day, the anchor had gone from snapping at her to standing up for her. Of course, while Jess didn't know the full story or even close to it, she now knew the other woman had a good reason for her defensiveness - and that her anger was directed more at herself than at her.

Roxy glared at the man as he hurried to his car. Damn moron. He shouldn't have been allowed to bring the car in himself. The big wigs were either trying to push her, which wouldn't surprise her at all or they were testing Jess. She wasn't sure which was worse. Either way it was done. The rest of the day would be normal. She shoved her fears and anger aside. Nothing could be done. She had had to fight to get out the first time and Jess didn't have any fight in her. So she would have to make peace with working for people she hated.

The rest of the day was quiet. They got a couple more customers but their emotions were much calmer. Mostly curiosity and respect. Roxy mostly ignored them. She found out what they needed and went to work. She wasn't one for small talk. Her world was a lonely one. She kept everyone at arm's length but that was more for their safety than hers.

She didn't stop working until after seven. Then she closed the heavy metal bay doors before making her way to the waiting area. She closed and locked the door without acknowledging Jess. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the empath. She was just used to being alone. It would take time for her to figure out how to make the other woman part of her life. "What do you want to eat?"

For the next hour, Jess braced herself for the arrival of other sketchy customers, but to her relief the next person who came in gave off much warmer, calmer emotions. Able to fake composure somewhat, or at least she hoped, she took the guy's details. Once he left, the empath pulled her phone from her pocket, staring at the black screen for a second before sighing and switching the device on. She couldn't put this off any longer.

The email was just as she'd expected, but her heart still sank as she read it. At least she could tell some of the truth - her mother wanted to know if Roxy was treating her well. Yes, the anchor was, despite that cold facade she put up. She was going to any lengths necessary to keep her safe.

Carefully considering the wording, Jess typed up a reply as she waited for the customer's return.

Hi Mom,

Really, it's all good. Please don't worry, Roxy's just a little awkward around people she doesn't know, but since the day I got out, she's helped me so, so much. She's doing everything she can to make sure I'm ok. Trust me, things are going to be fine from now on.

Thanks for coming over yesterday, it was great to see you again!

Love, Jess

She sent the email, squirming at the lies she'd mixed in with the truth - and at a thought that occured to her. How would she avoid putting others in danger? How would she see family, or make friends, without dragging them into this mess?

The thought nagged at her from the back of her mind for the rest of the afternoon, even as she served customers and sorted through papers. It didn't help that, after a point, there wasn't much for her to do, meaning few distractions. Once it had gone seven, Roxy closed up the shop without a word. Jess didn't feel so much hurt as worried by the anchor's aloofness, now she knew some of the reason for it.

When Roxy finally spoke, it was to ask about dinner. "I'm ok with another soup," Jess replied, still not exactly hungry, so it didn't really matter to her what she had. "And about earlier... About the way you stood up to that guy." She gave a hint of a smile. "Thanks."

Roxy snorted. "Don't thank me for that. It was nothing." The man had been a jerk but he hadn't been a threat. She had learned to stand up to people like him when she was a kid. It hadn't taken any effort on her part. "Fine we will get soup. Let's go." She wasn't hungry but she knew she needed to eat. She needed to keep her strength. She headed back to the door so they could go to the cafe. With any luck nothing else would happen for a few days.

Not that it mattered when they came back. She knew that they would be back. Her freedom was gone. She would have to find a way to build a new life. It wasn't the first time she had to start over. It wasn't likely to be the last. Life changed. She would figure it out in time. She waited for Jess to finish whatever she was doing on her phone before unlocking the door.

She wasn't worried about who Jess was talking to or what she was saying. There was no point in worry about it. She couldn't control the empath any more than she could control anything else. Stressing about it would only add to the problems she already had rather than solving anything.

A cafe wasn't exactly where Jess wanted to go, given what had happened at lunchtime, but if she hid from the world, the risks Roxy was taking for her would be for nothing. She followed the anchor, shuddering as she thought back to the man from earlier, that nod, that smug feeling of satisfaction. Would they run into anyone else like that?

Even as Roxy unlocked the door to fresh evening air, Jess couldn't help but feel trapped, undoubtedly because the anchor did. They were bound to each other, whether or not they wanted to be, and bound to whoever was trying to use the situation to their advantage.

The empath listened out, waiting for the telltale sound of a beep from her phone, and wondering what else she could say in response to protect both her mother and Roxy.

Roxy didn't bother looking around as she crossed the street. She didn't need to see the eyes on them to know they were there. She didn't want to see them. It would only piss her off. Anger was the last thing that Jesse needed. She kept her eyes on the cafe. She needed her strength to get through this. She opened the door to the cafe for Jess.

"Get something you will actually eat this time. You're going to be need it." Roxy told the empath. It was her job to look after the empath and she was going to do the best she could. Making sure Jess eat enough was simple enough. Roxy didn't even look at the menu. She didn't need to. She got into the line. She hoped that Jess would be able to eat. She buried emotions as deeply as she could. She was trying to give the empath as much of a break as she could.

They were all around. As the pair stepped into the cafe, Jess didn't need to look at the eyes that turned their way to know of them. That miasma of sick satisfaction permeated the air. The empath kept her head down, shuffling behind Roxy into the line.

She only looked up when she and Roxy neared the counter. The soup of the day was written on the board. Cream of mushroom soup, normally one of her favourite kinds, but she still barely felt like eating even though Roxy was right. She had to.

Halfway through ordering, she froze, falling silent at a noise - that jarringly cheery notification signal.

"Is everything ok?" the till person asked. Jess gave a hasty nod, although by now it was painfully clear she couldn't hide anything. It just figured that hiding things from one particular person was of utmost importance.

"Yeah... Everything's fine," she insisted. Thankful that the till person didn't inquire further, she finished ordering. All the while, thoughts of what she might read in the email, and what she'd reply with, chattered away in the back of her mind.

Roxy glared at Jess when the empath jumped at the sound of her notification sound. She wasn't angry at the other woman although no one else in the room would know that. Jess' jumpiness only showed her how fragile the empath was. The sound should be a familiar one. Roxy was sure that Jess and her mother texted and emailed each other all the time while the empath was living in isolation.

It was clear that Jess was having a hard time adapting to living in the city. It didn't help that their shield was less than perfect so the other woman had to deal with the emotions of others. Something Jess hadn't had to do in years. Roxy blamed herself. She didn't know how to let the other woman in and keep her safe. The only way she could see to protect Jess was to keep her at a distance.

Roxy paid for the food and gathered up the bag when it was done. She didn't look at Jess again. She couldn't she had a feeling that she wouldn't like whatever the notification was about. The last thing the empath needed today was another taste of her anger. Without a word she headed to the door. Hoping the Jess would follow. The only way they would be safe is if they were together. The minute they weren't they were both screwed.

Despite Roxy's glare, Jess knew she wasn't angry. Not at her, anyway. In fact, the emotions her jumpiness had set off in the anchor were more worry and guilt than anything else, eating away at her as she kept them bottled up under that tough exterior.

Jess only spoke to thank the till person, then remained silent on the way back to the garage. One, she didn't want to say anything that could be overheard by the wrong people. Two, trying to convince Roxy she didn't have to beat herself up hadn't worked earlier. The anchor avoided eye contact, not out of rudeness, but out of concern. Concern about what would happen if they didn't keep such a distance.

The irony of it, Jess thought as she trailed behind. They were bound, yet had to keep a wall between each other, and she'd have to find a way to keep loved ones on the right side of that wall.

Roxy had no loved ones. She had no one but Jess to protect. And by protecting Jess she would be protecting those the empath cared for. The fact that the other woman hadn't even her anything thought wouldn't have surprised Roxy no one gave her much thought or so she thought. She was used to living in the shadows.

She locked the garaged behind her before heading to the stairs. She didn't have to look behind her to know that Jess was close she could feel the other woman behind her. "I am going to my room for awhile. I'll give you some privacy to respond to your messages." Roxy was sure it was Jess' mom checking in. No doubt the woman thought her daughter was trapped in a biker club or a cult.

People judged by appearance and Roxy's appearance was tough as nails woman who wasn't someone people wanted to mess with. If Jess' mom researched her, which Roxy was sure the older woman would do she would discover Roxy was the daughter of a wealthy and respected businessman. Which would explain their watchers to anyone who couldn't feel emotions. Most people thought she was simply a heiress going through a rebellious stage. Which she supposed was true in a way. She was rebelling against everything her father stood for.

Jess didn't blame Roxy for heading to her room. If it truly was the safest thing for both of them, the empath couldn't protest. She'd tried reaching out, and failed. Maybe Roxy still thought she didn't care about her. Maybe they'd both be better off if she thought that. Jess didn't know. There was so little she knew about this, for good reason, but that didn't make the uncertainty any less terrifying.

With a faint smile, she muttered, "Thanks," then sat down to check her messages. The skepticism was still clear in her mother's writing, from the line, Please make sure you let me know if there's a problem.

At the next paragraph, Jess went cold. She gripped the phone, her mind a complete blank as to how to reply. She'd known deep down her mother was likely to ask something like this, and now here it was, as if everything were normal. How could she answer a question about the best time to next see each other?

With a deep breath, she stood up and headed towards Roxy's door. "Uh... Roxy," she said, in little more than a whisper. She knew they were both away from the watchers for the time being, but talking quietly was something she couldn't help doing right now. "How safe is it for someone to come over? Or to go to see them?"

She was sure she already knew the answer. What if her mother ended up in trouble? Or looked too deeply into the matter, with disastrous consequences for all three of them?

Roxy sat on her bed trying to figure out what do. Connecting with Jess was necessary but risjy. It was necessary for the empath's sanity. Eventually the other woman would crack under the pressure of other people's emotions, even if they were muted. But Roxy knew to get the connection Jess needed she would have to let down her walls. That would require trust and they were already on shaky ground in that department.

She growled under her breath as she got up off the bed and glared at Jess. The empath wasnt stupid. Which wasn't helping the situation. It was hard to hide things from someone that was connected to you. She yanked the door open and glared at Jess. She didn't know how to explain the situation to Jess. It was complicated as hell. She knew the empath was worried and Roxy didnt blame her.

"I know that you've figured out that things arent exactly perfect. But you need to act like you are completely clueless. You need to act as normally as you can. If you want to go see your mom tell me when I'll shut the garage down. If she wants to visit let me know. If you don't act normal you will attract attention." Roxy answered. Jess' mom eould get suspicious if Jess didn't act as if she didn't know something was wrong.