The day Chance had left Lawrence's gallery, part of her had died. She had become a shell of what she used to be and had wandered aimlessly through the city of Genil without place nor purpose. She stole what she had needed to stay alive and slept in whatever gutter she cuold find for safety at night. For all matter of effect, she ahd returned to what she had been before she met Lawrence Gimmel. For the first few days, she had considered going abck to beg his forgiveness, but every time she had made it to his street, she had stopped and backtracked. She remembered what had happened that day, how wonderful it had been until they'd shared each other. When she remembered how he had been afterward, how he called her a mistake and then left her alone, she'd turned around and walked away again. He'd made it clear then that he really hadn't wanted her. It was to that end that she had wandered through Genil in her haze.

After a couple of weeks, Chance had been forced to eat more regular. She'd started being nauseus and eventually sick and her bloods had stopped. Chance put it down to the lack of food, clean water and a little comfort. It would happen to any, she had convinced herself. Not once did she consider the other option and not once she she allow herself to think on Lawrence again. He was history, a fond memory that had turned sour, just like everything else in her life.

After another couple of weeks, Chance found herself on the outskirts of the city in what other residents called suburbia. It was pleasant enough, but she soon found the same closed doors and cruel words of before. Nobody wanted her. Dirty and withered, Chance had wandered back into the city again. Still hungry, still dehydrated, still dirty and still sick, she found herself one evening in a pleasant garden surrounded by equaller pleasant apartments with flowered verandas and an immaculate pool in the middle. Fearing the same harsh treatment she'd received everywhere else, she hid herself between some large dumpsters. The sickness was taking its toll now and she was sick quite often throughout the day.

Heaving up nothing yet again, Chance put her hands to the wall and cried softly. She finally admitted she was getting seriously ill, but she still had nowhere to go and no money to pay for a doctor. She needed something to eat. However, Chance didn't bank on the pair of kindly eyes staring at her from across the complex as she rooted through the dumpster, finding anything she could eat as quickly as possible.

"Miss?" A soft voice asked her.
Chance whimpered and carefully clambered out of the massive bin, clutching tightly to her, a half eaten chicken carcass.
A kindly young man with tidy blonde hair and soft grey eyes stared at her, "Are you alright Miss?" He asked again politely.
Chance whimpered a second time and clung to the chicken. "Please Sir, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I'm just so hungry. I'll be gone, I promise."
The young man stared at the half eaten chicken and lifted his brow, like an idea had just struck him.
Chance didn't like it one bit and backed up slowly before she tripped on the ragged cuffs of the jeans she was wearing. The chicken dropped and she went over on her backside with a thump and a yelp.
The man was immediately over her with his hands out, "Are you alright?" He asked again quickly, picking the terrified girl up and putting her back on her feet. He cuold see she was utterly terrified and quickly let her go again. He backed up and picked the chicken up, "My name is Michael Davis." he told her, "But everyone calls me Mike. Me and my partner run this complex. What is your name?"
Chance whimpered and backed up another step, "Please forgive me Sir!" She pleaded, "I'm not stealing, I found it in the bins. Please don't report me? I don't want any trouble, honest!"
Mike shook his head and putt he chicken back in the bin, "You eat that, you'll be dead before the morning." He told her. "And I'm not going to report you either. You haven't stolen anything and I'm surprised a pretty little thing like you doesn't have anythign to your name. What is your name?"
"Ch-ch-chance." She stammered.
"Ok Chance. I'm Mike and over there on that big veranda is Andrew, my partner. We've been watching you."
Chance looked around the slim man towards a stocky, fat one sat stuffing his face with crumpets. Crumpets. Chance's mouth was watering instantly.
Mike saw what was happening and quickly turned to the side. "There is plenty if you wuold like some." he told her.
Chance's guard went up quickly and she stared at Michael with caution.
Mike also saw this and shook his head, "Oh no, nothing like that." he said quickly, holding his hands up, "Andrew and I are not interested in women. We wouldn't touch you, I promise."
Chance stared in confusion. The concept of homosexuality was lost in her. "Sorry?" She said, puzzled.
Mike smiled, "Andrew and I are lover." he explained, "And we have no interest in teh female sex, so you're safe with us."
Chance's eyes went wide before her throat suddenly closed over and she hit the deck. Two men as lovers? The idea alone was unimagineable!

*****

An hour later, Chance woke again in a comfortable bed. She was clean and dressed again in a soft cotton nightdress, covered to her wiats in a warm cotton dovet. Her eyes opened to find a pretty light hanging above the bed she was laid in. Her head turned slowly and she found she was looking out of window intoa beautiful rose garden. Her head turned the other way. What she saw made her jump quite violently. Two dogs staring at her, two very poofy looking dogs with great tufts of curly hair on their heads. Chance screamed in fright and the dogs scarpered for cover. In seconds, the door was thown open and Chance recognised the man she had met by the bins. She screamed again in terror as he approached, realising that she was in a bed.
Mike backed up again quickly and held his hands up in defense, "Miss Chance!" He protested, "Miss Chance, everything is ok, I promise you."
Chance shot out of the bed and into the corner of the wall. "Where am I?" She asked quickly, staring around the room proper.
"You're in mine and Andrew's apartment." Mike explained, "You fainted near the bins, so I brought you in. You were very ill and dirty, so Andrew and I bathed you and put you in the spaer room so you could sleep it off."
Chance looked down at herself, finally seeing the soft cotton nightgown that went all the way down to ehr feet and covered both her arms to the elbow. She was covered again! But at what price?
"Don't worry." Mike promised, "We didn't touch you in any way that was untoward. One of our tenants gave us some clothes for you. Your own were torn and tattered so they're being washed and repaired."
"What do you want with me?" Chance asked quickly, still not too sure of things right then.
Mike carefully moved around the room, keeping himself as soft and smooth in manner as he cuold, as unthreatening as he cuold be. He understood the girl was terrified. "We don't want anything Miss Chance, we just want to help. Have you just arrived in this life?"
Chance shook her head quicky, "No." She replied, "I've been here a while."
Mike seemed genuinely surprised and carefully sat in a chair near the window, keeping a good distance between them. "Someone should have greeted you a long time ago Miss Chance." he explained, remembering his own arrival, "Have you never been offered a home or a job?"
At that, Chance's eyes filled with tears as she thought about Lawrence. She crumpled into the corner and wept.

Mike was instantly on his feet and crouching near her. "It's ok, it's ok." He cooed softly.
"No it isn't!" Chance cried back as she curled up tightly to the wall.
"Look." Mike offered, "Whatever it is and whatever you're running from, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you need."
Chance looked up and wept some more. Lawrence had told her the very same thing.
That all but confirmed it for Michael Davis and he nodded with a soft smile. He had suspected she had run away from somewhere, or from somsone. "Andrew and I are welcome to have you here for as long as you need. All we ask is that you return our favour."
Chance bristled and held her breath.
Mike smiled and shook his head, "It's nothing like that Miss Chance, nothing like that at all. Andrew and I have discussed this and we have decided to offer youa place here in return for some minor duties. We are currently looking for someone to handle the laundry room for our tenants and maybe some light cleaning duties. If you would do that for us, we will provide you with an apartment here. Would that suit you Miss Chance?"

*****

And so it began. Chance had yet another new home and yet another new job. She didn't need time to consider it, she took it right off the cuff. Anything to get off the streets and somewhere safe. She took the position and was introduced to Andrew and Grace and Pippa as well. Though Chance was somewhat cautious of the large fluffy dogs...............