Beginning Again

1

She had been in luck that day. No one did. At least not overtly enough for her to notice. They kept their distance as they mingled and she kept her eyes down on the papers that were distributed during the actual presentation. To the outsider she looked like she was just going over things and memorizing new procedures. In fact she was trying to remember to breathe and hoped that no one would draw attention to the fact her eyes had shot open when she walked in the room and saw the full room of nothing but non-ordinary males.

"Hey Princess?" One of the men walked up as he placed out his hand for her to shake.
"Princess?" She asked as she looked up with almost a glare.
"Sorry I didn't catch your name but we are all going to lunch and then to get a few drinks since we all are going to be working closely. We wanted to invite you." He said as she slipped her hand out of his as the introductory handshake was over.
"Thank you but I have some catching up to do." She said softly. "Another time possibly."
She hoped since she was the last person to arrive they would understand and not see it as a slight. She didn't want to get off to the wrong foot with them but she doubted she could actually handle all of them at the same time in an inclosed space for any period of time. She was fine in small groups but not larger ones.
"Understandable." He said with a gentle smile, "Don't work yourself to hard."
"I won't thank you." She said as they all huddled out of the room and she was left alone. She sat back and let out a deep sigh. "Well idiot what next?" She asked herself doubting in herself as she looked around. Maybe one day she would be better again. She would go back to the way she was before. She shook her head and stood. This was going to be a long day.

"Poor thing looked scared to death when she walked in." Masamune said.
"Did you really call our new head research scientist a poor thing?" Kenshin asked.
"Did you see her face?" Mitsunari asked, "she was terrified."
"It isn't because of her work. She is well known in the field and also known As a recluse. She never speaks publicly though her formulas are not taught throughout the world." Sasuke replied.
"There is a fighter underneath the skin. There has to be otherwise she would not be here." Nobunaga replied. All the men Were gathered at the long table picking of the dishes in front of them and drink a beer from the tap. One started to laugh. Though the man was not known to them before today.
"She is a fighter and she would kill me for saying anything." He began, "but to be honest everyone should know. Five years ago she died, well almost died. She was beaten to within an inch of her life and well she hasn't been the same since."
"Beaten?" The man who had talked to her before, Hideyoshi asked.
"Yeah, twenty seven broken bones and eight surgeries later we are waiting for the woman to return but I think the damage was more mental then she lets in." The stranger said.
"Who?" Five of the men asked at the same time. They all silently hoped it was a stranger attack but something told them it wasn't.
"Her ex husband." The man replied. "Sad thing was they were good together. There had never been any problems, no warning signs, he snapped one day while she was on the phone with work of all things. The person she was on the phone with heard the entire thing. They had to leave the post a few months later it was to much for them. I was one of the first on scene and it was definitely to much to see her like that. She can handle maybe five men at a time and then it gets bad. It is an improvement though so we all hope, one day, maybe." He trailed off but the unsaid words were there and everyone at the table heard them loud and clear.
"Where is the ex?" Shingen asked quietly.
"Besides damaging a beautiful woman to the point of seclusion, that ass hat got off on all the charges. Some freaking technical bull crap from her admission to the hospital got lost and they couldn't prosecute." Another man from down the table said loud and clear.
"But he left her alone right?" Yukimura asked as his face flushed with anger for the injustice of it all.
"That kid is probably the worst part of the story." Their new boss walked up and sat at the head of the table, "he didn't leave her alone. He was so outraged that she had survived that he made it a life mission to go after her in every way he could. He at one point was a brilliant computer programmer that had so many ideas of new software that we all bet that he would make it big one day. However after the incident he used that knowledge to go after her every unseen way possible. He cyber stalked her, he was in every part of her business and private life. He tormented her at every turn. She is a fighter but I think ultimately it was the extra torment that sealed her fate. Like Aaron said she has made improvements, she is light years beyond where she was when she first woke up from the coma. That is why I moved her out here. She needed a fresh start. When this project was proposed I knew it may be the thing that saved the rest of her. She is special to many of us."
"I can see that." Ieyasu replied. His tone different from his normal flippant one, "She seems not as weak as most females."
"She isn't." Came a voice from down the table.
"So the reason you are telling us all this?" Mitsuhide asked in his normal bored tone.
"Give her time." Their boss said. "She will bring us all great success I still believe that but you all have to be patient around her. Don't overcrowded her either. Also no real sudden movements. She tries to hide it but they still affect her on a deep level. I don't believe she saw any of the blows that came to her but the idea was implanted and she flinches easily."
"All good to know." Nobunaga said. "I think we can all strive to keep your princess calm and safe."
"Good. Her address is classified but he will try to figure out where she is. This move was done in a way nothing is in her name. Basically she disappeared from the face of the earth. Hopefully that will buy her healing time." Their boss said with a glance over the table. He knew this was a good idea as he watched the ideas sink into the newer mens heads. She would be protected here but her own members of the team that was formed years ago and these newer men. He sat back and smiled to himself, she might do really well here after all.