Drex gives a nod - obviously relieved - and goes back to his book.

Esca shakes himself, somehow managing to give off an air of 'told you so', nods his head and pads towards the door.

She gives him a scritch, and this time when they get to the main hall she pauses to see if he'd like to lead her anywhere in particular.

He pauses, realises she's waiting on him, and then leads her down another hall, pawing open a door that does in fact have a dog flap that would fit him, even though it leads to an internal room.

It's obviously not a regularly used room, although it looks like at one point it was well lived in. A large sofa sits across one corner, a table and lamp next to it with a pile of well-read books - although they don't appear to have been disturbed recently. There's a box tucked in to one side of the sofa with a pile of dog toys, which look a little more disturbed, but still don't seem like they've seen regular use. There's also a set of shelves that has more books on it, as well as a couple of photos - some that are obviously of a much younger Drex and Esca, and a variety of other people, including a similarly aged Angelique.

Huh.

She looks around the room - doesn't linger over the books, but does read a few of the titles, just to get an idea; spends longer looking at the pictures (where were they taken?), and then checks out the dog toys, giving a questioning chirp after a few moments.

The books mostly appear to be fiction, aimed at teenagers, although there's a couple of non-fiction works about animal care, specifically for dogs.

The backgrounds of the photos vary, but several are in places she'll recognise from her trip around the house, and one is probably from in the orchard.

Esca rummages around in the box with his nuzzle, and the first thing he pulls out is a well loved plush bear, which he offers to Denice.

Aww, sweetie. She takes the bear and invites Esca onto the couch with her.

He joins her, snuggling up, and putting his head in her lap, closing his eyes, apparently quite intent on going to sleep.

Fair enough.

She drifts off too.

Well, no-one seems inclined to disturb them. They can snooze undisturbed until Denice wakes up again.

She wakes in the middle of the night, needing the bathroom; she leaves the bear in the toybox, and goes back to bed in the guest room when she's done.

She'll sleep through the morning, if no one disturbs her.

Esca follows again, retrieving the bear, and depositing it next to her when she goes back to sleep. He stays down on the floor beside the bed.

No-one disturbs her till morning, when there's a knock on her door.

- yeah?

"Breakfast," Drex says. "Ange also wants me to talk to you 'bout something. But that can wait till you've eaten?"

She tenses up a little, but shrugs.

He puts the tray down on the desk again. "So. Ange recognised you. First thing: we aren't sending you back."

"Ange is pretty set on dismantling the place. But more importantly, we both want you safe from that place. And that means we want to know what you want."

She pulls her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them, looking pensive.

"Out," she asserts, after a minute, not looking up - he knows that, but... it's a starting point. And she hasn't really figured it out, past that, and being out is enough, anyway.

"You got out," he says, sounding impressed. "And you're not going back. Does mean you're going to have decisions to make, but if you want, those can wait."

She curls in on herself a little more at the mention of making decisions, but nods.

Esca moves, picking up the bear to drop on her knees, and then cuddling close to her, almost protectively.