Harbor Park Fountain
The former fountain is somewhat cleaned, now, though the site of the blast itself is still like a raw, open wound in the park. The flagstone court, or what of it remains away from the fountain-hole, has been swept clean; the grass springs bright, verdant green farther out. The bushes are still charred and twisted, another reminder of the carnage. The piping towards the middle of the crater is also twisted, some of it melted, much of it splintered.
The murky waters of the Columbia River flow swiftly along the east side of the park. Bracketing the park to the west is First Street. The park extends to the south.
Dante is hanging around, having looked at Jenna, and goes back to wandering 
 about the park, thinking.
Jenna is watching Dante keenly.
Maria comes walking up the side of the river, musing on her thoughts. She 
 picks up a stone and throws it into the river, as far as possible. While 
 loitering there, she sees Dante and stills, attempting, oddly, not to draw 
 attention to herself.
Dante does not notice Maria. Rather, he seems lost in his own thoughts.
Maria looks intently at Dante, trying to guage if he is who she thinks he is 
 by body language and clothing alone. She hesitates for a moment, and then 
 steels herself.

Dante:	A short, thin AmerIndian boy, apparently not more than 10 years old. His long black hair is tied back behind him in a pony-tail. His face is cute, and often he smiles shyly or laughs, but sometimes, when you peer into his dark eyes, you can see the haunted look of innocence lost.
	Dante's wearing a pair of SCCU sweat pants, along with big fuzzy gray tube socks and a pair of broken-in sneakers. His long-sleeved sweatshirt has a picture of Wile E. Coyote, Super Genuis upon it. When outside, he wears a skicap and big gloves or mittens, along with an oversized Seattle Mariners parka. At his side, he wears a pair of new leather sheaths, with a dagger in each. He has a beat-up old six-string guitar hanging over his shoulder.

Jenna notices Maria now, and studies her, as well, noting the steeling,
Maria ignores Jenna, and approaches Dante, quietly. "What..." She stops, and 
 starts again. "Allegheri?"
Dante sits down, cross-legged, on the snow, looking out over the Columbia 
 River.
Dante looks up and around with a start. 'Allegheri?' No one calls him that 
 but his... "Mom?"
Maria holds out a hand to her son. "I had heard," she says shakily, "That you 
 might be here... Oh, *Dante*..."
Dante stands, filled with lots of conflicting emotions, his legs buckling and 
 shaking.
Maria gathers the undoubtedly slightly unwilling Dante into a hug, unable to 
 do anything but this for the moment. Explanations can wait. Hugs can't.
@doing Look! A Reunion!
Dante, after a brief moment, returns the hug.
Jenna looks amused.
Maria buries her head in his shoulder for a moment, letting the tears flow 
 only then. Releasing him, she steps back and takes a long look. "The knives 
 are new. The guitar, I'm used to. Dante, you and I, we need to have a talk. 
 Either here or elsewhere."
Dante says "Yea. We do. Lets go somewhere warmer?"
You say "Certainly. I have a hotel room...?"
Dante says "Okay."

  -- Taxi to hotel --

It's a small hotel room, plain like so many of the modern econo-lodges are. 
 But it has a television, a bed, and a table, so it is sufficient. She 
 evidently has been staying here for awhile, because everything is organized 
 slightly differently than the normal hotel standard.
Dante rubs his nose, sniffling, as he looks around, then has a seat.
Maria sips at the Coke she bought on the way. "Dante... I hardly know where 
 to begin. I am warring between demanding explanations and sitting here 
 looking at you as if you're Venus rising from the water. I believe I will 
 start with the first, however, and do the second while you are talking. Tell 
 me, my son. Tell me of these months?"
Dante runs his hand through his long hair as he slips out of the parka. He 
 bites back the biting sarcasm and hatred and anger and betrayal he feels 
 towards her, though the look on his face masks those emotions only slightly. 
 He takes a deep breath. "I had a dream last night. A vision, that said you 
 were coming."
Maria takes her hair out of its braid, not missing any of the play of 
 emotions across his face, but not willing to address them until she knows 
 some of what has happened, these last months. "Really? I had no such useful 
 signs. I only had the FBI, and they are a far less certain hope than visions,
  to my eye."
Dante nods, and continues. "The vision was of my father. My real father. He 
 stood, in front of a bright light, in his dress uniform. It was very white, 
 stark and clean. And he talked to me. About my duty, mostly. How it was time 
 for me to grow up. And that you were coming."
Maria does not quite wince at the mention of William, but she looks, if 
 possible, more tired. "And what did he say your growth was, your duty? Or 
 was it less clear than that, then?"
Dante says "He told me I had to accept my responsibilities. And sometimes 
 life throws you a curveball, and you have to hit it. You can't run away from 
 it. That's something I needed to hear. From someone I trust, that is."
Maria tilts her head, slightly. "I cannot say I disagree with any of that. It 
 does not, of course, answer any of my question, but I assume you are coming 
 to that. Slowly but surely." She does not, as she might have once, speak of 
 the pain Dante has caused her, or the worry. She simply waits.
Dante says "I am."
Maria continues to wait.
Dante takes a deep breath, calming himself again, then asks, "What do you 
 know?"
Maria shakes her head. "I only know," she says, trying to be calm herself, 
 "That you were seen here a month or so ago. Alone. I came here, and you had 
 not been seen in some time. But this was the one possibility I had for 
 family. I was not going to give it up." She gathers her hair up again and 
 then lets it fall, distractedly.
Dante takes a deep breath. "James and Daniel are dead."
Maria winces, and then keeps her eyes closed, balling her hands into fists on 
 her forehead. Breathing deeply several times, she says, eventually, somewhat 
 fiercely, "How?"
Dante says "I don't think you really want to know..."
Dante looks very pained, his eyes, distant. The look he used to get when he 
 was being hit.
Maria bites her lip. "My son, I am very, very tired of avoiding truths and 
 realities. I did it for ten years. I do not want to do it anymore. Please?"
Dante looks up at her, doubtfully. "James was trying to sell Danny... us. For 
 money."
Maria winces again, and takes a long breath, holding it. When she looks up, 
 she says, directly, "I take it you did something about this."
Dante grits his teeth. "Yes, I did. James's blood is on my hands. The drunk 
 bastard. And Danny. He got shot. By the guys James was dealing with."
Maria looks down at her hands, which, apparently to her surprise, are balled 
 in fists. "Looking back on it," she says, amazingly calmly, "James was 
 something of a failure of a human being. He was a very nice person when I 
 first met him. He seemed as if he would be a good father. Those were both 
 very wrong assumptions. For me, and for you, and for Danny. Oh, Danny..." 
 She trails off, and stares at her hands again for a moment. "I am sorry... 
 beyond words... that you had to do it, and not the person who should have 
 done something about it long, long ago. No. Not sorry. Ashamed."
Dante just kind of blinks, and stares at an unexpected reaction. He's not 
 sure /what/ he expected, but this wasn't it.
Maria looks up at him, finally. More questions are obviously in her mind, but 
 she lets him respond to what she has said, first.
Dante swallows. "I ... accept your apology, mom." It's a big step. Very big.
Maria lets out the breath she's been holding, without realizing it. "That is 
 well. Very well indeed. I..." She trails off, seemingly lost. "I do not 
 quite know what to say. What else has been going on for the past months? Are 
 you well?"
Dante looks up and down, a couple of times, trying to find words for the anguish he feels inside.
Maria sighs, somewhat lost.
Dante finally speaks, quietly. "Mom. I'm hurt, you know. Deep down hurt."
Maria curls a hand up. "I know. I cannot take away your pain, much as I would wish to. I would like to try and help to change the hurt, slowly, into something better, stronger... But you may not wish this of me."
Dante says "How?"
Maria considers this. "By being a better person than I was. Trying to know you more than I did. I cannot make any promises, because I made promises before and look where they led. But I can try."
Dante sniffles again, looking like he's about to cry...
Maria reaches out a hand, tentatively.
Dante practically collapses into your arms, suddenly bawling incoherently.
Maria, honestly rather surprised, nonetheless holds you and pats your back comfortingly and makes little cooing noises.
Dante, after a bit, leans up. "Mom, I've missed you so much. It's been so hard, without you. I mean, even before we left, it was so hard."
Maria looks pained. "I wasn't there. For *years*, I was not truly there. I... like to think I am more solid now..." She looks at Dante, and stops musing. "I have missed you as well, Allegheri. What of your life now?"
Dante says "It's... different. I don't know how to describe it otherwise."
Maria nods, quietly, and steps back. "But it seems to be something that you are happy in."
Dante considers this. "Happy? I'm not sure about that. I think..." He pauses. "I think that it's where I belong, though." He seems to be reaching a revelation - an epiphany.
You paged Dante with ''Bout _time_, babe! (er, pardon me.)'.
Maria stills in recognition of this epiphany. "And this place is...?"
Long distance to Dante: Maria would love to just, like, not ask, and stuff, but this IS a mom, even if she's a tentative one, and she cares about her son, and she doesn't want him in, like, a prostitution ring or something.
Dante says "I guess I'd just have to show you."
You say "That would be well."
Dante stands, making a frown, not sure what he's going to do.
Maria stands as well, tentatively.
Dante pushes open the door and steps out onto the street.
Dante has left.

Information for Maria:
Maria is connected.
Location:       13th Street, 1400 Block
Other Name(s):  Anna Maria Tall Trees. Anna Maria.
Race:           Not Set               Sex:            female                
Position:       Not quite sure yet.   
Info:           Dante's mom. Recovering addict, abuse survivor, etc. Kinfolk, but not aware of the fact.

  -- Lane --

Dante looks up nervously at the farmhouse. "Um, can you wait here for a bit, mom? I'll be right back..."
Maria says, quizzically, "Certainly."
Dante smiles, and runs behind the house, into the woods.
Dante continues down the lane, disappearing from sight as he moves around the house.
Dante has left.
From afar, Dante appears on the porch and waves you inside :)

  -- Farmhouse --

Dante shakes his head. "It's okay."
Derrick pages to Alec, Maria, and Dante: If I get confuzzled, well, live with it. *grin*
In the back of the house, Regina slides open the glass door in the kitchen, stepping in, and then closing the door behind her.
In the back of the house, Regina passes through the open doorway for the front part of the house.
Regina has arrived.
Alec blinks, and looks at Dante.
Maria enters, slightly tentatively.
l me
Maria(#3217Pcr)
A somewhat short Amerind woman, she is neither pretty nor beautiful, fat nor thin - but she *is* interesting. Her hair is almost down to the small of her back. She moves somewhat tentatively, seemingly learning new patterns and rhythms as fast as she discards old ones.
Derrick looks carefully at Anna Maria, and then at Dante. "Um?"
In the back of the house, Athena slides open the glass door in the kitchen, stepping in, and then closing the door behind her.
In the back of the house, Athena passes through the open doorway for the front part of the house.
Athena has arrived.
Dante says "Um, Athena, Derrick, Alec... and uh, Regina. This is my mom. Mom, this is Athena, Derrick, Alec, and Regina."
Regina says, quietly, "Pleased to meet you, ma'am."
Derrick's jaw drops, slightly. "She... But..." He pulls himself together, and says, "Wow. Pleased to meet you, ma'am. I've heard a lot about you."
Alec nods at Maria, and echoes Regina. "Pleased ta meet ya."
Athena considers her packmate's mom thoughtfully, and then nods. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."
Dante says "Mom, these are some of my new... friends."
Maria looks at the four newcomers with interest, and says, "The feeling is mutual." She considers this more, and says "Diverse sort of group." She seems a bit baffled, but perfectly willing to take this in its stride.
Dante says "Well, it's kind of hard to explain. I just wanted to show you, and, well here I'm living. And, jeez..."
Dante looks up at her. "I just wanted to show you. Maybe we should talk some more, and then come back?"
Maria looks around with interest, and muses, seeing the closeness, "A new version of family, I see." She looks back at Dante and says, "Oh, certainly. We will have much talking to do. To heal ourselves."
Derrick watches Dante and his mom wander off. "Uh-huh. Right. Well, at least we know he's not dead in a ditch."
Alec says "I don't know anything 'bout this at all.""
Derrick sighs. "I dunno if I should explain for him, but I ain't feelin' too charitable toward him right now, so I will. Dante's step dad was an asshole, his mom let him be an asshole. And then his step dad came here, to St. Claire, and tried to sell his kid brother, for, y'know, humpin' people. Dante found out, and came chargin' to the rescue... And while he was accidentally killin' his dad (I think it mighta been first Change), his brother got killed. He hadn't seen his mother since, and had wanted the pack to go talk t'her with him... But apparenty, she got t'him first."
Regina sinks into a chair, chewing on a fingernail. She stops herself after a few seconds.
Derrick amends. "Well. Asshole, as in, abusive. To all of 'em."