"Rebirth"

Luke called her a loose wire; an electric ribbon curled up amongst computer parts, waiting for the day something needed her. What he really meant was that she was useless. An unplugged wire not connected to anything. No faith, no meaning, no friends.

Just boxes. Boxes of photos of people she thought she knew. Boxes of memories of a life cut off at the knees. Boxes of clothes, makeup, music, movies – from a fourteen year old who had changed to fifteen overnight and sixteen was just up ahead.

A familiar stuffed animal, a round fluffy sheep, was tucked under protective arms, cloth pajama bottoms overlaying twisted legs, thin from a faithful lack of eating. A soft tank top hung low, no seduction evident even as she curls into the wall, her only friend hugged against her chest in a needed hug.

"Joan?" Loose jeans looked weird on him. She remembers kakis and office shirts, not jeans and a quirky shirt greeting her in the doorway. "You okay?"

Joan barely glanced up at him, realizing he wasn't wearing his retainer anymore and his hair was growing out. "I don't know where to start."

Before he started into the room, he paused to look at her, his body blocking the light from the hallway. Slowly, he edged into the room, disappearing into the darkness easily. She went back to holding onto Michael as if he wouldn't survive the short fall to the floor.

Feet shuffled through her kingdom of boxes, hands digging through breakables like a scientist handling dangerous vials. A wire fell to the floor just before scraps of newspaper did; a startling wake of color lighting up the room with the illusion of ocean water, dolphins, and fish.

Blinking over at the Luke, she realized he was smiling. "What-"

He headed for the door, admiring his handiwork as he went. "Start here, where we all began."

Drifting from Luke's retreating silhouette and coming back to the ocean around her, Joan felt her lips twitch happily.