Graves visibly shuddered at the mention of Amber. "We had a thing, past tense." He shrugged. "Eventually she wasn't able to make her payments in her usual way, as I decided that I wouldn't be taking pay in that sense anymore." He started moving with her towards the house. "I decided I should try and scrape up any morals I could find."

Graves followed her inside and sighed. It was always comforting to know that you had a place to sleep for the night. "I kept everything the same, except for the basement and the living room. I threw everything in the basement away, and the living room is where I've been staying."

Shilo found herself feeling rather pleased that Amber and Graves were no longer.. in business together. When she had first seen them together, she had felt some sort of twinge... jealousy, perhaps..but back then she merely shrugged it off, and chalked it up to something small. Those feelings were getting a little harder to ignore these days, but luckily for her she didn't have to worry about Miss Sweet, or her addiction to Zydrate and Graves anymore. "Don't worry. No more Amber Sweet talk." She didn't care to talk about any of Rotti Largo's spawn anymore.



In fact, since that fateful night, part of her always wondered if he had actually been her father. What if Marnie and Rotti had some sort of an affair without Nathan knowing? It was likely impossible, but there were many scenarios that had gone through her mind. So, she would have been happy never speaking of any of that family.. for if it wasn't for them, then her own family would have possibly been alive today... her mother included.



As Shilo stepped inside, Graves informed her that he had cleaned out the basement as well as the living room, which he had made his own. "I've never even seen the basement.." She turned to look at him, feeling a shudder run through her. "Thank you for getting rid of.." She suddenly felt ill, realizing just what he could have found in there. She placed both hands over her stomach, and allowed her eyes to take in everything in eye shot. Everything looked exactly the same.. whether that was good or bad..she hadn't quite decided. "I think I might end up just throwing everything away." She turned to look at him once more, and she blinked. "Unless there's anything you've grown attached to."

Graves nodded happily as she said that Amber would not be brought up again. "Good. If there are any subjects that are off limits for you simply let me know and I will not mention them at all." They pressed inward, and Graves took in the surroundings, ensuring that everything was in its rightful place before he looked back to Shilo. He grew concerned when she grabbed her stomach, and he placed one arm around her, though he didn't quite realize that he still smelled like the graveyard.

"You alright kid?" He looked her over, knowing that she had been sick previously, and he half wondered if she was still sick. "Are you going to be sick?" When she said that she was going to throw everything out he nodded. "Nah, as long as you leave my stuff and the kitchen appliances alone I don't have any problems with that."

She nodded to him, grateful that he'd keep off of certain topics. "Thanks..but don't worry. I've got to talk about things eventually, right? I can't just keep everything in the past and hope it doesn't catch up to me." Even though that was what she had wanted to do. It would have made her more than happy to just have every bit of her memories erased..but unfortunately, that wasn't living a real life. 

When he put his arm around her, asking if she'd be sick, she shook her head. "No..i'm fine, really. I'm not sick anymore." Even though she never was truly sick.. but she did feel a little nauseous. She nodded again when he asked her to keep the kitchen supplies. "Kitchen stuff and your stuff is all safe. I promise." She gave him a small smile, and then she looked toward the stairs. She had to go see her room.. it was the next step. She ascended the stairs without another word, and she walked toward her room.

It was as though she were walking a long hallway that never ended. When she finally reached her room, she stepped inside, and noticed that nothing had changed there, either. She walked past her bed that wreaked of illness. She walked toward the doors that led to the balcony, and she opened them. She stepped outside, and clutched the railing, looking out at the world like she had done so many times before.. only this time, it was with fresh eyes.

Graves took everything she said in stride. He agreed, she did need to talk about it eventually, but he did not wish to speed up anything that she wished to remain buried for the time being. When she stepped out from under his arm he had to hire back a sigh at the loss of her warmth beside him, but he shook his head. Thoughts like that were dangerous, he knew that.

He watched her move up the staircase, and after he shed his coat and dropped it over the stair railing he followed her. He didn't want her to have a mental breakdown, at least not if he could help her not have one. He kept his distance, stopping at the open door to her balcony. "The city hasn't changed much."

She had hoped that he would follow her... but she had hoped for it silently. She didn't want to be alone, but she needed to see the view again.. it was what kept her holding on for nearly her entire life, and she needed to feel it again. When she heard  him speak, she turned to look at him over her shoulder. "It feels like it's changed.. or maybe it's just me that's changed." She looked back out over the city, and she inhaled a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. "You shouldn't stay in the living room.. If you're going to stay here you should at least take one of the bedrooms. Tomorrow i'll start getting rid of everything, Everything, and..." she closed her eyes, clutching the railing tightly. 

She closed her eyes, feeling the stinging of tears. She hadn't cried since that night.. she hadn't fully taken everything in. The moment that she knew her father was dead, she ran away and never looked back, until now. "I thought I was stronger than this.."

He nodded slowly. "I think you have changed kid, you had to grow up pretty fast." He was surprised when she mentioned that he should take a bedroom. "Really kid. I've been sleeping in dumpsters. The couch is fine with me." He was telling the truth. He'd never had a bed, not since he was a little kid.

He grew concerned when she said that she thought she was stronger than this. He moved out onto the balcony with her, one of his hand resting on her shoulder gently. "Hey, it's gonna be alright."

Shilo nodded silently. "Alright.. wherever you're most comfortable." She didn't want him to feel strange by sleeping in a bed if that wouldn't be comfortable for him. "But..just know the offer is on the table. There are plenty of rooms." It had been a big house for only she and her father.. there was plenty of space. She was holding it together rather well, until those tears started to fall.. and then when she felt Graves' hand on her shoulder, it made the tears come even more. 

He told her she was strong. He understood that she had to grow up fast.. and maybe the same thing had happened to him when he was young. For what ever reason, she felt as though she were kindred spirits with the Grave robber since the first time she had saw him..and now, her emotions were taking control. She spun, and leaned her head against her chest, allowing herself this moment - however brief it would be - to just break down and seek comfort. "Am I? Then why am I crying?" she muttered beneath soft sobs. 

He nodded softly, happy that she did not press the issue of him taking a room. It just wouldn't feel right. That's why he had avoided it for so long. He squeezed her shoulder gently as her tears continue to fall, a small sigh escaping his lips. He wasn't good with comforting people. Most of the ones he had interacted with were either dead, or on their way to death.

When she turned quickly and leaned into him he was shocked at first, and then one of his arms went to rub at her back, trying to comfort her in any way that he thought would work. "You had a lot happen to you, especially in just three days. It'll take time to get used to everything again. Sides, it's the first time you've been back since that night right kid? There's got to be some pent up something waiting to escape."

Shilo only allowed herself to break down for a short time. He had said earlier that they had hardly known each other, and yet here she was, using his chest as her own personal pillow to cry on. He had attempted to comfort her, and it was working. Him just being there was working. She couldn't have imagined what it was like to have been at this house alone. "Yeah but.. I shouldn't be unloading all of this on you." She leaned her head back, and she wiped her eyes, sniffing and clearing her throat. "Sorry about your shirt.." She glanced to the side, suddenly feeling embarrassed for her little melt down. "And yeah.. this is the first time I've been back here."



She looked up at his face and she stared in to his eyes for a long moment. "Hey..I'll be okay. Really." She gave him a small, reassuring smile. "You can go get settled if you want. I think I might actually just sleep out here on the balcony. It's not really cold, and the fresh air might do me some good." And she just refused to sleep in that bed again.

He shrugged. He didn't actually mind her unloading her problems on him. Sure she was a lot more talkative then his "friends", but it helped him feel a little less lonely. "It's not a problem kid." He watched her as she stepped away and shrugged again when she apologized about his shirt. He had gotten a lot worse on it than just a few tears. "It's not a problem."

He watched her carefully as she said that she was going to sleep on the balcony that night. "It might rain." He said simply, before moving back into her bedroom. "If you need anything, or just can't sleep, I'll be in the living room."

Shilo gave Graves a small appreciative smile. "Thanks," she spoke softly, trying her best to hide the tremble in her voice. He spoke of how it might rain, and she lifted her gaze to the sky. "I'll make sure I grab an extra blanket."  She followed him in to the bedroom, and crossed to the opposite side of the room where her closet stood, completely untouched. She pulled a couple of fresh blankets and pillows from it, and she walked back toward the balcony. Before Graves had a chance to leave, she turned back toward him, and spoke again. 

"Hey.. in case I don't need anything in the middle of the night.. Sweet dreams." There was something about having him there that put her at ease. He'd be down stairs and she'd be on the balcony, but she felt so much safer than she would being there.. anywhere.. alone. 

He watched her putter about her room, gathering up blankets and pillows, luxuries he hadn't had in years. He gave her a soft smile as well and had turned to leave when she spoke again. He was surprised, no one wished him sweet dreams anymore. He chuckled slightly and turned back to her. "You too kid, I hope you sleep well." He gave her a slight node and then moved from her room, and back down the staircase.

He gathered his coat from the place on the railing where he had left it, and moved into the living room. He had been lying, slightly, when he said that he had been sleeping on the couch. He had been sleeping on the living room floor, using his coat as a pillow. It was easier that way. If anyone tried to break in he would still be wearing his boots, and the knife he kept in his coat pocket wouldn't be far away. He folded the coat and set it on the floor before he moved to lay down.

It lasted thirty minutes. Shilo would have been fine, except for the fact that there was a chill in the air that made it uncomfortable to breathe, and there was also the low rumble of thunder in the distance that signaled that it would indeed rain soon. She had always enjoyed thunder storms, but only from the safety of her room. She stood up from her makeshift bed, and she carried her pillow and blanket in to the bedroom. She stood at the side of her bed, staring at it. Staring angrily. Knowing that for years she was confined to that bed when she never had to be. She turned away from it, and decided to walk down stairs carrying her own pillow and blanket and an extra set along with it.



She stood on the stairs, peering around the corner in to the living room at Graves. "Graves?" She called out softly. "Are you awake?" Well, if he hadn't been, he certainly was now. "You were right about the rain.. I couldn't sleep. I brought you a pillow and blanket, too.. since you won't take a room, you can at least be warm."

Graves had been laying down, attempting to count sheep, when he heard someone stirring above him. He sat up, moving to grasp his knife out of his coat pocket, before he remembered that Shilo was in the house as well. He sighed and shook his head, mentally berating himself for overreacting as he stashed the knife back in the pocket that it belonged in. "Lived too long on the streets." He muttered to himself as he continued to listen for Shilo. He could hear the steps creaking as she moved down the steps, and he quickly moved to sit on the sofa so that she did not know that he was sleeping on the hard floor.

"Yeah kid, I'm still awake." He looked up at her and gave her a small smile. "Storm moved in a little quickly huh?"