Shawn peered out at the gathering crowd. "Is this average?"

Sara smiled. "Better than. Seems people want to get a look at the new lineup."

The stage was in the rear corner of the coffeehouse, and the coffeehouse was filling up. Shawn saw Fenris and the Telenias as a table by the window; he felt it would be polite to wave, but they seemed engrossed in their own conversation. He didn't really know them, anyway. He sort of felt like he knew Fenris, just because his mother had spoken of him often - that and Fenris's one-beloved Jessamyn used to come visit. For the last time not long after his father's death. Jessa and his mom had been friends from way back - from the Sanctuary. Like Fenris.

He didn't know anyone else in the room. He tried to decide if that made this easier or harder.

Sara nodded to him, and he sat down behind his drums, nervously spinning the sticks. First gig in Shayara. Okay. I can totally do this. Tyka bounced out in front of them and introduced the new lineup, and Driftwood Angels began to play.

Shawn fell into the drumming like it was his own heartbeat, wild and exultant, and the room fell away.

Everything but her.

He'd barely been aware of the girl before the show started - small, shoulder-length sandy hair, nose in a book, just one person in a crowd of dozens. But as he drummed, he felt her awareness lift and sharpen; he raised his head and met her stormy eyes...

And was lost.

Not the beat, no. He hadn't been with Driftwood Angels long, but he knew that beat. No, he lost something else. Too corny to say his heart. Plus, I don't believe in love at first sight. Unless it's - but it can't be. What he lost was the idea that he was self-contained. The idea that he would be alone. Because this girl in the corner with the lowering book and the startled expression was somehow tied to him. He knew it.

He shook it off, dove back into the set before he faltered - he channeled it all into the drums, transmuting wonder to music with Sara, Emily, and Donal. They fit together. This worked.

I belong here.

You were right, Jason.

Set ended. Shawn chugged water and mopped his brow, and he charged over to the table. The girl watched him the whole way, sliding a bookmark into her book,and when he arrived he found he had no idea what to say. "Hi," was all he could manage.

The girl nodded. "Hello." Her voice was low, quiet. Not quite musical.

He gestured to the chair."Can I, um..." She nodded, and he sat; she just watched him. "My name's Shawn."

"I'm Kat. You're good. The band, I mean."

"Thanks," he grinned. "My first gig with them. I just moved here. From the Sanctuary. I was... kind of distracted."

"By?"

"You."

"Ah." She looked down, then away. "Look...Shawn. I'm not what you want."

"You might be."

"I..."

"I felt somethng. When I first met your eyes, during 'Return'. Something happened between us."

"We can't let it."

"What was it?"

She looked back up at him,and he felt it again - stronger, with proximity.He saw Kat, saw her with all of his senses, the light dancing around her - and he saw the slender strengthening ribbon between them. I don't believe in love at first sight. Unless...

Unless it's a soulbond.

She felt it, too - and pulled away, stood up. He reached for her hand, and with the touch of his skin on hers -

all

was

laid

bare.

He felt her gasp more than he heard it; knew she was as deep inside him as he was inside her, images cascading -

a forbidding father

a lonely childhood

her quiet resolve

and, at the center

a pillar of strange blue fire -

and -

He was the one to pull away gasping this time, wonder shading to fear. "You're her sister," he stammered.

She sat down heavily. "You're his son."

(And so begins our intermission. I will be taking a little time off to get caught up, to write this story the best that I can rather than rushing it out on deadline. Please stay tuned to the LiveJournal community, the Facebook community, or my personal LJ for updates, or just sign up here to be notified via e-mail when I start posting here again. Continue to have fun on the forum. :) If you want to contribute art or just have any questions, feel free to contact me at shira.lipkin AT gmail.com.Thank you for reading - see you soon!)