all by myself / OPEN

[Xander Hawkley]

Xander Hawkley was feeling thoroughly miserable. He had been feeling so for the past couple of weeks. Having spent a month or so with an old friend on their island in the Caribbean, he had finally caved to his temptation to return to England even though he was pretty sure that about eight people plus their cats were out to get him. He didn't even really understand why - he was sure he hadn't misled the Anglesey girl. She must have known of his reputation and yet she'd got way too attached anyway. The minute he'd heard that she was talking about marriage and that she'd told Jethro of all people, Xander had scarpered.

Now, very tanned and moody-looking, he was making his way to the Magical Menagerie with a cap pulled down low over his head, his collar turned up and sunglasses on. He had debated for a long time about coming here or not, but the truth was that he was bloody lonely and he thought a bit of animal company might cheer him up though. Not cats, though. He bloody hated cats.

Pushing his way into the shop, Xander was relieved to find that it was empty but for the owner and whipped his shades and hat off with a sigh of happiness. That hat was murder for his hair. He made his way straight over to one of the corners of the shop and crouched down in front of one of the puppy pens.

Xander watched them all playing around for a while until the shop owner came over and asked if he could help. After a brief deliberation, Xander pointed to the biggest puppy, a boisterous black lab who had one of his sisters pinned to chew on her ears, and about two seconds later his arm was full of wriggling puppy.

[Kenzie Tremlett]

Kenzie had never been one to have any pets. They were way too much of a trouble and mess to take care of and it wasn't an easy task to handle one, especially since she didn't live alone. Sure, they were cute and cuddly but they peed, and pooped and were so hungry all the time, and they couldn't even talk and tell what they needed. They were like babies. But ever since she'd gotten herself an agent and publicly announced her first album, she'd been getting a lot of mail, from old 'friends', well wishers, family, boys and everything. And she decided that she really needed an owl to take care of it, instead of going down to the post office time and again.

Walking into the Magical Menagerie, she looked around, the smell of fur and water everywhere in the air, but easy to overlook. She spotted a different variety of owls and looked around for somebody to help her out, but the shop owner looked occupied with some other man. Waiting patiently, she walked up to a cage with a barn owl, and patted it on the spot on it's head, calmed by the soft hooting, until she heard the sound of a young puppy and looked back. She did a double take when she saw whose arms he was in.

Was that - no, it couldn't be, so much tan - and the hair, but wait was it - "Xander Hawkley?" she questioned, remembering running into the guy back when she worked for the Ministry. "Look at you!" she exclaimed, a surprised chuckle escaping her as she motioned for the shopkeeper to tell him that she was liking the barn owl and tell her more about. "Did you go MIA, or have I been ignorant?" she asked.

[Xander Hawkley]

Xander was letting the puppy chew on his leather jacket with a slightly distracted air when he heard his name being announced from the other side of the shop and swore internally. Turning around, tucking the puppy under one arm and giving it his fingers to chew on rather than his expensive jacket, he squinted at the girl and tried to work out if he knew her. She didn't sound angry, so she obviously wasn't any relation or friend of Muirin's, and neither was she an ex-shag of his. That was a good start.

"Uh, yeah," Xander admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, all of his customary swagger vanished, "I've, uh - you know, been away. Staying with a friend, you know. I was just here to buy a puppy," he added, picking the puppy up in both hands to hold out and show her. It wriggled and squealed and Xander hastily cradled it again, hoping against hope that at some point in the next ten seconds he would finally connect a name to this girl's face.

[Kenzie Tremlett]

She frowned at his discomfort, wondering if she'd touched a nerve, or worse, if he'd been looking to be left alone. "Oh, that sounds nice. Did you have a nice trip?" she asked, turning her attention to the puppy in his arms and smiling as she tentatively rubbed it's nose with her finger. Looking up, she saw the lost look on his face and tried not to grin. He didn't remember her, she could tell, and she didn't blame him since they'd met only once, ages ago.

Holding out a hand, she smiled, reintroducing herself. "Mackenzie Tremlett, ex Ministry Official and shameless self-advertising new singer on the block," she laughed. "But most people just call me Kenzie," she said, jumping as an owl hooted suddenly behind her. Turning to it, she let herself stroke it's feathers as she contemplated which bird to buy and if it would be a decent house guest.