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KA-THUNK

“Unnng…” Groggy from a restless night's sleep, Sonia rolled over thinking she was in her own room, tangled up in the sheets when in fact she had been out on the couch in the living room. From her spot on the floor, wedged between the footrest and coffee table, she groaned. “Ow…”

Although her movements were slow, with some effort she finally stood up. Raising both arms above her head, Sonia was rewarded with near-immediate relief when both shoulders and her upper back popped loud enough that if anyone was downstairs they would have likely heard it too. But it was the weekend, and a quick glance around revealed that nobody else had come downstairs and the guest bedroom on the main floor was still closed.

Given the current situation, it wasn’t really her place to complain; Reed was essentially sacrificing his study so it could be converted into a bedroom for one or two of their-

Sonia paused in her thoughts, realizing that she really hadn’t had a chance to talk with him about what all of this was or will be. Until now, she’d never been a part of an actual team so everything about this was unfamiliar territory. Her own situation being a unique circumstance, she had to wonder if this was normal; was it typical for teams to all live together?

Then there was the topic of the three corrupts; all of who suffered a fate worse than her own. Although it wasn’t long ago that she had been threatened with the possibility of youmafication or having one put in her head, Hylonome, Actea, and Mizuki all lost more than just a home like she did. They had their identities stripped. Like children, they were blank slates and Sonia for one wasn’t about to let them fumble their way through things without having a reliable person to lend help or offer guidance to.

What she said before was still true, Prehnite was a capable captain and she was certain that he’d step up and do more than just teach them how to fight the White Moon Senshi or their Knights. Even if her own experience started off shaky, an understatement if there ever was one but that was besides the point, after a few months they at least learned how to communicate civilly. Because of that, she had faith he’d continue to learn, adapt and grow into his role as a leader.

But, there were some things that it’d be best if perhaps she handled for him.

After wiping the sleep from her eyes, Sonia trudged upstairs; expertly evading the squeaky boards like an assassin. Except, the only thing she was about to kill was the couch for being so narrow.

Reaching the landing she crossed the hallway to her room, which was shut since it was currently occupied. With her knuckle, she knocked on the door lightly only because her ears picked up the sound of movement on the other side.

“Jane? Are you awake?” Her voice kept soft in case she’d been wrong.

Sonia turned the knob and stepped over the threshold into her room, sparing the glass lamp on the nightstand a brief glance. The room was kept clean which she was incredibly grateful for, not that she was overly worried that Jane would rummage through her drawers. Fortunately, there wasn’t anything worth hiding or of much value save for the swords she used for fencing that were at the studio for the time being.

“I just needed to get some clean clothes and wanted to ask if you were interested in running a few errands with me.” With sure steps, Sonia approached the dresser; from it she selected a tank top and pair of jeans. In another drawer, she gathered undergarments and shoved them between the folds of the pant legs for modesty's sake, not that she had a reason to be embarrassed. She then walked over to the closet and picked out a cardigan to wear and a simple belt as an accessory.

“I wanted to get some more food for the fridge and thought maybe we could stop by Costco; they usually have people at the end of the isles offering samples of food they’re selling. There are other stores nearby that have clothes, shoes- I think there are two bookstores; Barnes n’ Nobles and possibly a Half-Priced-Books but I’m not sure if they’re still open. If you’d like to come, I have all day to walk around.” Money wasn’t a huge concern since Reed hadn’t been charging her rent for the last several months. There were enough savings that she could do this for Jane, and the other girls, since he was furnishing the remaining rooms for them to have a proper place to sleep instead of blow-up mattresses.

Plus, if push came to shove and things got tight, Sonia had no problem asking Reed for help since they were equally responsible for the household situation.

Sonia thought it over for a moment then smiled and nodded her head, “I think so.”

“Jane Doe and John Doe are names usually given to someone who has no identity. It’s not unheard of to have someone who no longer remembers their name, to be asked to sign a piece of paper and they, without hesitation, write their name without thinking much about it. Your mind might forget, but muscle memory is a real thing.” Granted, the first time she was made aware of this was when watching a crime scene show, and later one of those ER dramas. But the thought of it seemed not unlike someone picking up an old hobby and still being proficient at it after a decade or so.

“While we’re out, I would definitely encourage you to wander. If something catches your eye, let’s stop. Same thing if something smells good, we can go try it.” Truly, Sonia didn’t mind stopping and just exploring options. “I don’t want you to be bored here. Reed has his garden and I have my fencing. We’ll find something that calls to you.”

Sonia walked over and placed a hand on Jane’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “But first, I think we should stop by the book store and pick out a few baby name books.” Yes, online browsing was an option but having something tangible to hold might make choosing a name for herself feel more personal.

“Right,” Sonia agreed with an added nod and a genuine smile to match Jane’s positive outlook on her current situation.

“This is also an opportunity for you to reinvent yourself. Do things that you may not have had the chance to explore previously. New is a scary concept, as is change. Just know you’re not alone and that you can always ask for help.” It’s easy to feel isolated or boxed in but Sonia honestly felt it was important to make sure that Jane and the others got out and explored, even if it was a walk around the neighborhood.

“Give me about… ten minutes or so to get changed and brush my teeth and I’ll meet you downstairs.” A shower would be lovely but Jane looked ready and raring to go so it was best to not make her wait. Seeing her in such a good mood was reason enough to hustle so they could get out of the house.

“Hey, sorry for the wait,” with the sound and graceless bull, Sonia hustled downstairs in a gray turtleneck, hair pulled up into a high ponytail, and a side bag slung over her shoulder with a hooded sweater hung over one arm. “I really needed that quick shower.”

“Were you able to grab something to eat while you were waiting or do you want to stop by somewhere first?” For her, it usually took no less than an hour after waking up to start feeling the hunger pains which is why she usually kept a couple of Cliff bars in her bag otherwise she would enter hangry mode and that would ruin anyone's day. “There’s a cafe near where we’re going that has an amazing cinnamon roll and blueberry-lemon scones.”

Barely perceptible, except for one with a trained eye, Sonia caught sight of that look in Jane’s eyes, brief as it may have been. The one of unspoken self-doubt or worry. The same one that often mirrored many of her students when she asked them to try a maneuver for the first time. Things may seem complicated or overbearing right now but in time these things would become second nature.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. You’re doing fine,” She walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed her water bottle, and clipped the carabiner to her side bag strap. “I tend to over-prepare since I was the oldest child growing up and my younger brother, Anton, had the memory of a goldfish.” Not quite true, but he wasn’t here to dispute it so why not throw him under the bus. Although, as a kid, he did have a knack for leaving something under the bed in hotel rooms whenever they went on vacation.

“Shall we?” Sonia motioned for Jane to follow her outside to the silver Dodge Dart sitting out front.

About fifteen to twenty minutes later she pulled into a parking spot across the street from the cafe. “I don’t know if you’re a coffee person but they do also make an amazing spiced chai tea latte.” Some people, like her mother, love the smell of coffee but found the taste of it too bitter. So much so that they often joked whether she had enough coffee in her creamer on the few occasions she had it.

“Can I add a cappuccino, one shot no foam, and a cinnamon roll to the order please?” Sonia opened her wallet and from it pulled out a credit card and handed it to the cashier. “Thank you,” she added after the card was swiped and returned to her. The cashier then turned the monitor towards her to enter a tip and sign along the authorization line to complete the transaction.

With a motion of her head, Sonia lead Jane to the other end of the counter to wait for their order to be called. “This is one of my favorite places to go when I don’t want to go home. Something about the atmosphere.” She glanced around the cafe, noting the recent change of artwork hung on the wall. The wood floor and antique furniture were covered in a thin layer of patina; small dents or scratches that gave this place added character.

“Someday I’ll need to bring you back here so you can try their crepes.” They had both savory and sweet great for any time of day. A ham and cheese for breakfast or strawberry and banana with Nutella for an afternoon snack on a warm summer day.

“De la Cruiz.” Sonia turned when the barista called her name and she walked over to pick up their order.

“We can eat the pastries here or take them with us? Today is your day,” She smiled sincerely. It had been a couple of days since Jane had left the house and the last thing Sonia wanted was to make her feel rushed.

“I think that’s a reasonable idea.” For a moment, Sonia turned to go back to the counter where the napkin dispenser was and grabbed about four or five and shoved them into her pocket.

Costco was still a bit of a drive away, but the bookstore was close enough to talk to. They’d just need to make sure that their pastry was eaten before going in only because security would probably stop them. Their coffee was probably fine inside since there was a Starbucks, or Tully’s, inside. But sticky fingers and new books were typically frowned upon.

“Since it’s still decently cold out, why don’t I at least drive us to the bookstore?” They could sit in the car and toss the garbage in the back she kept in the back seat. “Normally I’d suggest walking since it’s only like six blocks that…” Sonia spun around trying to get her bearings and orient herself to what she hoped was north. “That way.”

If they were outside, she’d know which way to go but with a crowd of people and no street signs, it was easy enough to get turned around.