#fenixtj

"Holy shit?" He looks back horrorfied

" Wait, we have to go back, maybe help some people.." he pops with glamour.. just for a second

Jessica half turns, watching for immediate danger as well. "Luis. I'm sorry."

"Are the others here? Safe?" she asks Buce.

"Your people are complaining only of a slight indigestion," Buce assures

She nods. "I'll take that as good news, Sir, thank you." she turns to Luis "Will you come with me? I can help with food and a place to stay, a new start if you want."

"But the fire... " realization, "That's not an accident is it?"

"I'm afraid it was not, although I didn't know it was going to happen until an hour ago, and I couldn't stop it. I could save you, and I did."

"Why? You.. don't even know me..." He looks baffled

"For the memory of your father."

She remembers something else too.. even before the sluagh.. the talk of snow.. being lost under wild fire

She had left before the Beaumayn got into great detail, respecting their house

But now she realizes...Duff intended to do this DAYS ago.

He's the fire run wild again, the river surging back to old paths

Luis crosses himself, "Papa always believed in me. I'm a disgrace. I lost my honor long ago. Betrayed all he taught me. Now I..." the man, only a year older than Jescia tops, says "I don't know how you knew my father, but you do him more service than I eve did. I thank you"

"You're welcome. It does not come without a price, though. Come with me." and that last being an order, she leads him to her apartment, trusting Buce to follow.

And Buce does. Viggo is already there, preparing tea

Luis goes along, defeated by shame it seems

"Mr. Viggo." she enters quietly "This is Luis. Luis, Mr. Viggo. My friend Buce you know already. I'm Jessica King."

Luis is polite, "Nice to meet you. Forgive me. I am.. rather shaken"

"of course you are, sir" Viggo hands him a cup of tea "confusion abounds I'm sure, but trust Miss King to have it as handled as can be"

Viggo then turns to Jessica "A cup of tea for you as well? Or should I put on some coffee?" Nevermind he's in her apartment, he seems to know where everything is.

Buce scoffs, "Shaken? Barely stirred, sirrah"

"Uh, right" Luis says not sure what to make of all this. And sips "Gracias"

"I'm just going to get a glass of water." and she serves herself, relaxing a bit after the rescue.

Luis mutters "Sometimes I thought I .. I thought my fahter was lookingg at me, dissproval in his face"

Jessica risks a glance at Viggo with a raised eyebrow, a question in her eyes.

"your father can let go now, I think" Viggo answers them both, in his way, "You are on a better path. One he can no longer follow, but he is content that is a better one"

Jessica nods with quiet satisfaction.

"It seems my father had more friends than I knew" Luis admits

"Luis, you said.... I have the impression he wouldn't want you going back to that kind of life, that kind of work. Do you agree?"

"Yes, it.. I made excuses, said I just moved it around...I didn't actualy SELL It. No different from working in another warehouse... I was lying to myself. "

Jessica nods. "Is it safe for you to stay in Tijuana, and do you want to?"

"It should be safe.. I think I can find an excuse to have escaped the blast, but I wasn't important enough they would want to keep me in... it's possible the only oes who knew about me, the boss of the area? They may not even be alive to let folks know I was there"

"I suspect you are right." She glances at Buce; he knows she is SURE.

"Do you want to stay? Is there somewhere, anywhere, else you'd like to live?"

"I have a place, it's.. small. I wanted better for myself than it. Now it doesn't seem so bad."

Jess chuckles. "You mean compared to here?" she indicates her apartment in good humor. After all, it's not -much-; a place to ground oneself.

A grin crosses Luis face at that, "Your place is about three times the size of mine, I have this apartment I was tryingg to get out of. Cheap, but it's..confining. I wanted better for myself annd those important to me"

She nods. "Well. This is kind of a...shared apartment? I mean... I take care of it but I'm not the only one that uses it. You're welcome to stay a while if you like."

Luis looks troubled by that, " A young woman like yourself , she should worry about her reputation. I would not dishonor you. You are from El Norte so you may not realize how old fashioned some folks are even in a big city like this."

Buce looks impressed at this, "A man of Chivalry ? Zounds"

Jessica has the grace not to smile at this. "I appreciate that. Believe me, I can defend my own honor if it comes to it. I wouldn't even be here much of the time; I have work and other things to attend to. The offer stands."

He seems very troubled by this, he wants to, but he just got his honor back so to speak

"no.." A frown "No.. I'm doing being the sort of man who just takes and takes" he sets he cup down "Thank you, Jessica. But I can't accept"

"What if it were part of your compensation?"

"I don't follow? How would it be paying you back for me to take your charity?" His brow gets a stubborn cast

It looks almost trollish

"If you were to work, carry out duties for me, or someone, and use of this apartment was included, that wouldn't be charity. It would be compensation."

He stops, then nods , Luis has a handsome face when he smiles "You're trying to help me AND save my pride. But I might surprise you. I'm not afraid to work, so agreed"