This is the beginning of Jesa Callen's return to command, and her former life. It was written when the Isannah was to be re-launched as an independent simming group rather than under the shackles of the previous organization to which it belonged. It coincided nicely with the return of the other main player from the Isannah, he who writes Buck Gear. Obviously I (the player of Jesa Callen) wasn't very interested in running the Isannah without him because of the very simple in-character reason that Jesa would not want to.

During his absence in the time since I quit the Isannah for the first time, I rewrote a story (with another author) which involved Jesa and some of the gang from the earlier Isannah timeline. This turned into the Far Horizons story-verse, which can be found here if you're terribly curious. However, backtracking I found one point… one single moment, in which a change of happenstance would have resulted in a completely different future for Buck and Jesa.

It is that future which we write about now.

There are countless times in one's life where one circumstance changed, one decision altered, forever changes destiny. One accident avoided, one circumstance taken advantage of... to turn a life completely around. Often the scenarios are ignored, lest regrets become a permanent addition to one's life. Constant doubting, what ifs that would drive one mad. All it takes is a handful of choices changed and in an instant lives reshape, rippling into a completely different future for each person that life comes into contact with.

Destiny seems to keep her head through all these choices, forcing events into narrow alleys, into darkened corners, one choice and only one, or the thread of life snaps. Occasionally though, very occasionally, fate holds her breath, and what was destined to be unavoidable is suddenly avoided. Usually with the recipients of the reprieve never having known...

Two forms stood in a darkened room, embracing and looking out the window of the sixteenth story in the old-fashioned hotel. The man's arms were looped around the woman's waist and she laid her hands atop his. The reflection of their faces shone in the window-pane as fireworks went off in the distance, dashing the night sky with sprinkles of color. It was a beautiful sight. Noisemakers could be heard in the streets below, the celebration seeming to get underway. But these two didn't seem entirely inclined to leave their comfortable embrace.

He nuzzled her hair and she smiled softly, her blue-grey eyes refocusing on the pane to see the reflection of his face in the glass. Warm green eyes looked back into hers and her smile grew slightly. There was love in those eyes. There was no rule now save for that of contentment. The woman closed her eyes and leaned into him, just enjoying the moment.

Jesa felt a cold shiver run up her spine, as though a dark cloud had just passed over her. She froze in his arms, listening for any sounds or signs of movement. Anything that would tell there was something amiss. The old-fashioned clock ticked away quietly, counting away the seconds. The seconds slowly stretched into minutes, but nothing alarming happened.

"What's wrong?" his voice came from behind her.

Jesa looked over her shoulder at Buck and smiled. "Nothing."