Not Quite Paradise Book One; Paradise Lost free porn video

Chapter 2 Vacation, all I ever wanted Vacation, have to get away.. "Vacation meant to be spent alone." Lexey sang the way she always did, off-key. She had always loved this song. So playful and so philosophical at the same time. Over the last half century, no song had done to her what that one hit by the Go-Gos did. The open road was where she felt most at home. Lexey had crisscrossed every road in the United States at one time or another. The dreams that caused the sudden hunger for jam tarts started to track into the real world that the cobalt blue Microbus moved through. Forgotten highways and byways of a country she loved.... had fought for at one time... Although Grenada was more like a bake sale. Dreams like the ones that included the jam tarts were rare, and Lexey knew from her long experience that ignoring such portents was done often at her peril. But jam tarts? While the occasional pastry was a nice little treat, it never had meant more than that. She knew it had to be a subtle hint from Justice. "Hmmm. Delacroix." She knew to pull off of the interchange and in the quiet night. After passing through Idaho and Washington, she had turned south. Portland has changed a lot since the last time I'd seen it, Everywhere had. Seeing the United States had become like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Once you finished, it was time to start again. How many laps had it been? Lexey was beyond knowing, or caring. Always something new. Of course, things had been quiet these last few years... Not since The Change. Not that I don't mind the break. Years of experience had taught her that the longer the time between incidents, the more intense they were when they arrived. Six years... It had been the longest break since she and the other one had ended their association. Six years since Harmony had announced that she was off to attempt to make a kind of peace with the other side. The Change had been the catalyst, made them grow farther apart. She often wondered what had happened to the Welsh woman with the commanding Voice. But, no matter. These dreams were the first strong signs since The Change that something was about to happen. The Change had been unexpected, but whatever happened... "I'll be ready," Lexey said absently as the song changed. "Always am... Ooh! Haven't heard this in years..." She had to love internet radio, if they had told her when he was still a kid that they would have such a thing, she would have laughed at them. The off key voice continued to sing on the road devoid of traffic. "Doesn't matter what they say... In the jealous games people play-hay-ayay..." Our lips are sealed. *** "ORACLE, off." Nikki Taylor said as the lights began to flicker. Her naked sunbathing time was over. She was glad she had the solarium put in. Less glad that one of the glass panels had cracked. Gotta get that fixed soon. She lounged atop a pedestal that was set into a raised dais in the middle of the floor, vines grew artfully around the room. Removing her eyeshades, Nikki stood her naked form upright and stretched her weary muscles. She knew Tina was up. 'Best to move by night." She always said. And she was right, hence the solarium. Nikki got her vitamin D before the sun rose. All the better to be ready when the markets opened. Any kind of edge would do these days. Some days, she envied Tina. The subservient woman in her house would often spring into action impulsively. Doing things that seemed nonsensical at the time, but usually ended up having an odd kind of prescience to it. If there was a problem, Tina would solve it. If only she could solve the problems of the overseas accounts. Some of her investments hadn't paid out or paid out poorly. Parts, it all came down to parts. This company would lose a contract to make this component, so another company would fail. On and on up the corporate food chain. When Robocars had been cleared onto the streets a few years before, none of her investments had panned out. It all moved so quickly in this new economy, she often thought of just getting a boat and living on it. A Pirate's life for me. Nikki snorted laughter, they'd be the worst pirates in history. Besides, she got seasick. She stepped from the dais to reach for a robe that was hung by the door. Opening the door, she checked both ways down the corridor to ensure Tina wasn't prostrating herself by the door. That still happened sometimes. She shuddered. Roxx had tried to pry Nikki from her friends in the most devious way possible... By making her an object of worship to a small island in Ancient Greece, in the end seeing her friends again had reignited the fire she once had when becoming Nikki had just been a way to get her friend back from the clutches of bimbohood. Her tack with Tina was... somewhat different. Tina had once been a trust fund kid-cum-wannabe playboy with a beach house and a list of high level connections, made Tina by Roxx at the time of her Ascencion, the newly christened Aspect deposited her into a brutal post civilization afterscape populated by brutal men where women were commodified to the point of becoming livestock. Tina's agelessness and treatment there had made her an oddity. It had made her a very capable, albeit subservient handmaiden. Creeping down the hall, she could hear movement. She could see Tina in the kitchen, the perfection of her naked form gliding around gracefully in something between martial motions and some kind of salacious dance. The smell was the only clue she was in there. Bagels toasting and lox piled atop a plate. Her dark amber hair slid like warm honey over her shoulders as she turned to bring her gaze to match Nikki's. A clatter sounded and within a wink, Tina was in front of Nikki. Her head bowed, hair hanging in front of her face. Here we go again. "Apologies, mistress." Her voice trembled. "Dawn isn't until....." "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm..." Nikki said. "I am not fit to serve you." Nikki reached under the bowing woman's chin, lifting it. "Tina," Nikki soothed. She knew if she didn't do this next thing right, she'd be down on herself all day. "You don't have to serve anything." "I serve, mistress," the trembling woman said, allowing her head to be lifted.. "If I have learned anything, service is the joy of life." "This isn't the Radlands anymore," Nikki said. She felt sorry for the woman. Years spent passed around from band of raiders to band of raiders in a trackless radioactive wasteland had broken her mind in strange ways. Tina tried so hard to keep her tears back. "Mistress is too kind." She rose quickly, yet timidly. "But I must finish..." Nikki shook her head. "Relax, Tina. Find my neck collar, the platinum one. Choose something for yourself." She stood, releasing Tina. "I'll finish up." Tina beamed, her pink eyes glowing. She rose and hurried away, leaving the scent of lavender behind her. Nikki wound her way around the island in the center of the kitchen. The bagels and lox were nearly finished. Assembling the lox and bagel with a judicious sprinkling of capers, she hefted the rich repast. Nikki wished that Tina would drop the supplicant act. Some days it was cute, others it was just sad. She felt sometimes that she would be roasted in the depths of a Sloar for allowing it to go on. Didn't stop her from putting out one hell of a breakfast though. Tina re entered the room with her hair swept up on one side, fastened by a jewelled clams shell comb. She bowed as she held out the segmented platinum neck collar. "Will mistress be requiring the Louboutains or the Jimmy Choos today?" Nikki made a note to order more of the clam shell combs. Tina liked them so much, she once explained that after women, water was silver to the gold that was women. Wearing such aquatic accoutrements could be seen as a symbol of power. ...or the servant to a living goddess. Either way, Tina loved the water and everything about it. "The Choos," Nikki said, taking the necklace from Tina. "Although I could probably get away with slippers, no one's looking at my feet." She could see Tina's pink eyes move towards the plates. "Oh, for... eat something." Tina hastily assembled a bagel and held her food close, protecting it. "I'll be taking a shower and getting on the first video call. Make sure the right spreadsheets are sent to the right monitors this time." Tina swallowed hastily. "Yes, mistress." She downed the last bite and rose to leave. Nikki sat alone and considered a second bagel. Now that Tina was out of the room, she could think about the two most important things. One, how to get the fortune to turn back around. Another couple of years like this, and she'd be down to living on the interest. And Two, how would she ever tell Tina how she really felt? Faye never had these problems. *** Chase couldn't sleep; and why should she? The life of a barista proved to so much better. A chance to have evenings out with Rach more often. This fight with Tim and Bobbie constituted everything wrong in the universe, condensed into a single young couple. She couldn't imagine herself and Rach being in similar straits. Maybe she was too tired to sleep, but this couldn't be allowed. Those two went together like peanut butter and jam, bacon and eggs, fish and chips. She turned and watched Rach sleep for a moment. The last half decade had been wonderful, and watching those two argue like that made her grateful that she and Rach were as close as they were. She saw Tim sleeping fitfully covered by the blanket on the way in; but, she was worried about Bobbie. She was thankful that Nikki had set her up with PERK!. Being a business owner had its advantages. Breakfast, the most important meal of the day. One of the advantages of running the place, it gave her access to the full kitchen. There were days when a big breakfast was just the thing. Just the thing to keep the mind off of things, and a chance to look at the world differently as a new day began. She pulled her bicycle off of the wall and left in the same clothes she had arrived in. It may not have smelled the best, but the aroma of bacon should have made it disappear soon enough. The Bobbie and Tim thing would wait, at least until after breakfast. *** Bobbie felt warm, covered... Tingly. "Wakey wakey, sunshine." Bobbie knew that voice. ROXX! She gasped awake completely and looked around, she wasn't at Cheepskates, nor was she at Krakatoa. "You must have finally pissed her off." The room solidified and it stank of decay and malediction. Ruined gurneys and missing tiles seeped black ichor. The whole place had a stink that was felt more in the bones than in the olfactory sense. Red hair that had been brighter at one time coalesced like a mist around her eyes; and, how those had changed The pinpoints of green that used to be cranked up to laser intensity now dripped with the same black ichor that was running down the walls and pooling up on the floor in deceptive, trapping ways. "About time, too." That voice. It was Roxx, alright. "That goody goody act grates on everyone eventually." The ichor seemed like it was part of her; the unfinished jaw hung slack on the one side that wasn't connected, strips of thin cheek muscle holding the bottom up. One of the legs trailed off into nothing, muscle fibers twisting into nothingness. One arm was no more than bone with flesh covering her thumb and forefinger. "I bet you thought you finally got rid of me." The lips weren't moving, it only added to the disconcerting nature. Bobbie couldn't speak. When Rach switched Roxx and Faye's bodies, Roxx seemed to explode into nothingness. Seeing what she was seeing now told her that her greatest fear had come to pass. Roxx not only wasn't gone, but she had never left. She sat on Lust's throne in the space between, waiting to return. "But now, we can be together again," Roxx said, her voice starting to echo in an unearthly timbre. Her body vibrated in ways that amplified what she felt. The Tingle intensified. "Your life is going to be so much more fun than this stuffy act of yours. Wish I could talk more, but..." She held up a malformed, decaying arm. "My phone plan is somewhat useless these days." The form drifted forward so quickly it appeared to be in two places at once. Bobbie gasped at the frozen air that greeted her first. "See? Told you Physics wasn't important." A cold finger brushed her lips. Shuddering, Bobbie felt the contact start to fade. "You can thank me later. I'll be in touch." An ichorous eye winked. Unable to breathe; Bobbie gasped, feeling odd and oddly guilty. She knew what she had done. Timmi may have done things that were definitely not inside the bounds of standard matrimony, but what she did was wrong. But she didn't feel wrong... Just the opposite, in fact. It took her a moment of rising through the layers of sleep to realize that the closer she got to waking, the more amazing she felt. Sensation was deluging her as surely as Noah had withstood a forty day and night downpour. However right it felt, or however much she needed the release, she'd have to deal with it when she saw. But right now, this moment... She was being overwhelmed by wonderful, pleasuring bursts from some long forgotten cavern of memory, one that had not been properly spelunked in some time. Bobbie, nearly drowning in sensation woke with a moaning gasp. Rach stood before her as she whipped the cover away from her head. She was greeted by a sharp ninety degree turn from where she had fallen asleep. It was Rach's townhouse, the large TruD television sat on the wall. It was powered down, looking like one of Roxx's dead, black eyes. *** Faye woke stretching. The bed seemed like an endless expanse of cushion and high thread count. She felt energized, imbued with a rambunctious energy that only magnified a type of joy she knew had been missing. Opening her eyes, everything seemed bigger, brighter... happier. Having had somewhere in the neighborhood of a million hangovers, she knew she should have been reaching for the bong. But, she didn't need or want to. She felt too good already. Blonde hair stood in the way between her eyes and the rest of the room. Bobbie's sleeping body was next to her, but the scale was way off. The blonde strands stayed in her face no matter what she did. She noticed her hands looked different, the lacquered nails gone, replaced by digits that were pudgier and nails that barely cleared the cuticle. She sat up, glancing down at herself: No breasts, just a bare, flat chest. Was she a guy again? No, the skin was too soft. It had too much of a glow that wasn't present before. Also; the proportions all wrong... She got to her knees and looked over at the woman with whom she had shared a bed with the previous night. Bobbie was positively huge, and not from a gain in width. ...so was everything else. Her comically large bong even comically larger. Faye had to get to a mirror. No, nonononono... The floor seemed so far down. Blonde strands remained in her face; she pushed at them, looking like a Ta'i Chi master. The scream when her eyes rested on the mirror was high pitched. "Unhhhhhh!" The giantess slapped a hand on her head. "It's way too ..." Faye couldn't stop looking at the mirror. She was the epitome of adorable. Wide, pale blue eyes set in a doll's face. Sharp nose, rosy cheeks. She was short and built like a straw. Finally wrestling the hair away from her face, she finally got a look. Her hair reached her ankles in a glorious waterfall that could only be described as liquid sunlight. A paralyzing fear overtook her, causing a second scream. "What is that noise?" The blonde asked rising up to her feet, her head clutched like it needed to be held together. Blinking, the blonde woman tried to get her bearings, but nothing was familiar, nothing was right. As her eyes settled on the very same mirror... An echo rose as a second scream joined in. *** Rach was used to waking up alone. All part of the territory when your girlfriend runs a coffee shop. "You know, Tim. We would have thought that Breakfast would have come with..." Rach was mid yawn when she turned the corner and saw Faye Valentine's eyes starting that classic eyeroll that could only mean... "FAYE!!" Rach bolted forward and threw her arms around what ostensibly looked like a red haired Faye Valentine to someone that wasn't up on current events. The hug became a kiss, and Bobbie wasn't sure it was going to stop there. The newcomer saw Advocate blue eyes stare deeply and lovingly into her own. "How did..." Rach said, completely confused. She stoppped. "Where's Tim?" Tim? Bobbie looked around groggily. Her surroundings were unfamiliar. Was this supposed to be Krakatoa? "Rach, what am I doing..." She froze; Her voice wasn't hers; yet it was vaguely familiar? Memories of last night, the dreams of Roxx surged to the forefront of her mind. Panic rose in her chest."She's back. Oh, god she's back. She's almost nothing, but..." The eyes widened. Bobbie stopped abruptly as reality caught up to her racing thoughts. "Did you say Faye? Bobbie stood up, her body feeling unfamiliar, swollen. She caught a glimpse of herself in the TruD set, allowing her to peer into it's obsidian, reflective surface. The woman...no, girl who stood in her place looked like just like Faye Valentine...but younger. Teenager. Faye was barely sixteen when they'd first met. Well, physically at least. Yet that was the same face that stared back at her now, a. Japanese woman forged by Lust to take over the world, one lapdance at a time. Her mind reeling at the possibilities of what she'd seen as she collapsed on the couch. "No, not possible," she muttered, eyes wide in shock. "Not again...I can't be a Thrall again." She'd had this body before, many years ago...switched with Faye at Justice's whim as a teenager, she'd been left to discover that her life with Tim was far more valuable than she realized. But is it? A voice mewed softly in her thoughts. Was it Roxx? Or just her own fears and insecurities given form and substance. The memories of last night came flooding back. The passion. Forbidden love. The thrill of betrayal. She'd taken that life with Tim and throw in to the wayside, all for a night of carnal delights with Faye. Was this her penance? A punishment for her indiscretions? You're free now. The thoughts came again. Unbidden and unwanted, but they wouldn't be silenced. No more Tim. No more bakery. No more responsibility. You can start over... Shut up! Bobbie clasped her hands over her ears, trying to shut them out. But that didn't make them any less right . "Not this shit again." She rose a fist to the ceiling. "Roxx! You fucking cunt!" Bobbie howled. "Bobbie? Is that you?" peered at the new girl curiously, albeit with an oddly calm demeanor: The regularity with which these kinds of things happened in Delacroix had robbed her of any sense of surprise some time ago. Unfortunately for her, Bobbie was also emboldened by a similar sense of familiarity to such events. Bobbie stood up, removing her clothes with a clear sense of irritation that she found herself caught up in a situation like this once more. She began to examine her naked body with a sense of morbid curiosity, as if she were Indiana Jones who caught sight of a relic that could destroy the world: Fascination layered atop fear and trepidation. It was the same as she remembered it; curvaceous, sensual and crafted by magic to be perfect in every way. She was a monument to pure, feminine sexuality. Hips that curved like an hourglass, and tits that were big and round enough that they both proudly defied gravity and the laws of physics, betraying not an inch of sag or distortion despite their enormity. Her smooth, flat abdomen flowed down to a flawless, bald crotch nestled between luscious, wide hips and a gorgeously sculpted behind. The only real difference between what Bobbie saw now in her reflection and her first memories of Faye, was that instead of the dark hair and blue eyes, the hair burned crimson with eyes of purest amethyst. Bobbie ran her hands along her sides, shocks of intense pleasure rippled through her body, banishing the earlier bewilderment. "Mmmm." Bobbie shuddered with a tiny grin. "Forgot how good this felt." She was no longer an Advocate, she didn't need to see the tattoo stitched across the small of her back to confirm that. She was a Thrall once more, and with it came all the perks: Heightened sense of pleasure, a body that wouldn't age or stretch in unflattering ways, and a libido that would make a nymphomaniac blush. Bobbie drew her hands back, as her emotions pushed back against the rising, gnawing needs within her. Her composure settled on that Frankenstein's Monster feeling. A churning well of confusion, anger, and freedom. Bobbie wasn't as calm as she could have been, nor was she as panicked as she should have been. Rach began to laugh, then caught herself as she realized the absurdity of it. "Sorry," she said meekly. "This isn't funny," Bobbie snapped. She turned back to the mirror. "At least I'm Faye again. This would be even weirder if it was anyone else." Bobbie told herself she should be crying and screaming at the injustice that had so unfairly been thrust upon her. But that well of emotion seemed dried up, exhausted by the events of the last few days. "She was my girlfriend before you came along and all this shit started, brain donor." Rach turned wistful at the sight of her old lover in front of her again after all this time. Faye's body gasped and covered its mouth in a gesture too graceful to be Faye in a newly wakened state. What was it Roxx wanted, and would it be enough? "Why do you look like Faye?" Rach queried, finally deciding to ask the obvious question. "Maybe my being in here completes the circuit in a way Tim can't. Goes a long way to explain why it has to be me." Bobbie shrugged and gritted her teeth. "I don't know. Roxx...I saw her in a dream before I woke up." Rach's eyes widened in shock. "Roxx is alive?" "If that's what you wanna call it, yeah." Bobbie choked up a little, barely able to accept the revelation herself. "But she was incomplete. I guess when you switched her and Faye she scattered across the universe or something. She can't do much though, but it won't stay that way forever. She's weak." "Soooo...how does that factor in?" "How should I know?" Bobbie cried in frustration. "She's stealing all of Lust's notes. Maybe this was the first trick she can pull off right now." "Or the only one she can do right now," Rach offered. "She's left everyone alone, maybe that's why." Bobbie raked a thick bang of crimson hair away from her face, the midlength bob falling in her face at angles that were unfamiliar at best and downright troublesome at worst. She bent over, digging through Tim's pants to find his phone. Once she found it, the display confirmed he had called after her sixteen times. "It's been going to voice mail," Rach said, ascertaining Bobbie's intent. "Shit," Bobbie said. "I didn't charge it after...." A panicked look appeared where an annoyed one had been. "We've gotta go." "Where?" "Um.... Last night, I was at..." Bobbie looked down. "Krak... Krakatoa." "You went to visit Faye?" Rach began to put two and two together, but their sum was disapproval. "Well, that explains a lot. How did you get past Tweedledick and Tweedlenuts?" The similar woman couldn't hide her feelings. A moment's thought provided a follow up. "How is she?" "Sad, lonely, and really, really high." Bobbie bit her lip. Rach gave in to impatience and poured a cup of coffee, before she brought it to Bobbie. " "I've got half a mind to..." She stopped to pour a second cup. "That place doesn't make you feel..... weird?" "Let her kiss you, that all goes away really quickly." Bobbie bristled all over with memories, all of them tingly after a fashion. "Let her..." Rach turned, nearly dropping her cup, she knew exactly what that meant. If Faye had ever been anything, she had been persuasive. "You didn't." Bobbie nodded sheepishly. "I did." *** There was a loud, piercing scream happening on the planet he was on; and it was cutting into Tim's head like a chainsaw through a freshly baked cherry pie. If the screaming continued, the walls would have been just as decorated. Tim recognized this feeling. He was hung over, and it felt like the mother and father of all hangovers, probably a few distant relatives as well, The dull, throbbing ache in his head was putting the room into spins that were moving the room in the opposite direction. "Unhhhhhh!" His head screamed with unspellable pain and his stomach was issuing an ultimatum that either he would move of the contents of his stomach would. "It's way too ..." Hair too long came away with his hand. Startled, he looked down. There were breasts. Which was half a surprise considering last night should have been date night. He should have been Timmi, but she wasn't. The clear thinking and surprise were the first indicators. He should have been at Rach's townhouse... ...but she wasn't. And there was a tiny blonde girl pretending to be Lady Godiva standing and screaming in front of a mirror. The pain in her head and the rumbling of his stomach did nothing to deter him from wishing the scream would stop. Tim caught a glimpse in the mirror and his own scream added to the child's. Tim wasn't who he was when he went to bed; it was funny to him that this wasn't the shock it should have been. At least I'm not Timmi. Having possession of his full faculties in this female body would be a welcome change. Can't nearly get Chase deported this way. The little girl turned and her impossibly long hair followed. "What the fuck, Bobbie?" "B..Bobbie?" It took Tim a few seconds for the surprise that she was still in possession of her full faculties. That meant... "No, not Bobbie..." He looked around. "Where am I? Who are..." Recognition dawned as she splayed her tiny hands inwards. "Oh, fuck. Tim. It's me, Faye..." She sank to her knees and sobbed. "It's me," she whimpered. "...Faye." That magnificent, shimmery hair shook and quaked. A small part of Tim's mind reverted back to old patterns. Cousin Itt reference number six hundred and sixty four.... "Faye? Thank god." Tim pointed to himself. "Well, at least I can think..." Head swiveling slowly and taking stock of this newest piece of information made this riot of confusion a touch simpler. The uneasy stomach not soothed, but certainly quelled for the moment. Seeing Faye standing there. The little girl... Faye. What happened? He remembered Justice, seeing her feeling the fear of having an Aspect's gaze bearing down on him. "Okay." Tim's movements got faster as she found the top he had last seen Bobbie in. Was that a bite mark? "If you're Faye, then this is..." Her pale skin got whiter. "Oh shit." The shirt went on and Tim contemplated going commando. It's not like Timmi never did. Finding Bobbie's ripped panties solved the issue for him. The jeans fit and Tim had to turn her attention to the tiny girl heaped on the floor. "Faye? Bobbie came here last night?" "Yeah, she was." The anguish was gone in a second. "What was that all about? Huh? The best thing in everyone's life that she meets and you...." "You shut yourself up in this room," Tim said, than pointed at his head. "She shut herself up in here!What else was I supposed to do?" Tim began looking around the room for anything he could use to get free from the current surroundings. "I lose everything if I lose her." Faye returned her eyes to the mirror again. "You lose everything? I've lost everything..." Blue eyes beamed out through the curtain of hair. "I can't keep starting over like this." She yelled in anguish, her tinier voicebox unable to give the words the push they needed. "Faye, we'll be..." Anger flitted away, Tim's worry was starting to kick in. He started looking around. "Shut up." She sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "We won't be okay. Look at me." "Faye." Tim did his best Bobbie impression and tried to soothe her old friend. "You'll always be okay." He looked closer. Is she crying? The first thing the closer look allowed Tim to notice were the dark, swirling shapes that twisted and danced around her phantamsically. Instinctively she could see the dark shapes attacking her. Faye looked so vulnerable at that moment that Tim just wanted to rush forward and... Realization of where they were made Tim's worry began turning to panic. If this was indeed Krakatoa, then she realized she had to get out of the lion's den. "I know I should be freaked out right about now, and you are. But I can't stay here. We can't stay here, got to find Bobbie." Faye had dissolved into full crying, not caring who saw. "Come on. I'm not leaving you." The crying stopped with a gasp. "NO!" Faye squeaked. "She's out there, and... and..." Tim reached forward and moved the hair away from her back, there were no signs of a Mark anywhere. It looked like at long last Faye Valentine was far beyond the reach of both Justice and Lust. "I don't think you have anything to worry about." She hastily grabbed a shirt. "I promise anything happens, back in here we go." Tim smiled weakly. "You say the word. Okay?" "Okay," Faye murmured, looking more like a little girl than ever. "Hands up?" The little girl looked even more scared. "Sorry, just trying to get this on you. Can't have me running out of here with a naked kid." Faye raised her hands and allowed Tim to wriggle the top over her. Getting the hair out of the back and front and sides took considerably longer than either of them wanted in the dilated sense of time in the room. "This is bullshit, Tim," Faye said, the word coming out strangely adorable. Tim would have laughed had he seen this yesterday. Now that he was in Bobbie's body, it was a hell of a lot less funny. Tim sighed. She grabbed the hair and began questing for the hair ties. It didn't take long, all of them had crimson strands twisted in them. Tim gritted his teeth, Bobbie came here? Getting herself dressed didn't take Tim long, muscle memory left over from all the times he suffered the curse of the werewoman. "Faye...." said Tim gently. The little girl was still staring into the mirror, tears running shiny tracks down her face. "Faye." She said again, trying to break through the wall of Faye's reverie. "We've got to go." Tim retrieved Bobbie's things and seeing the little catatonic girl, she hefted the small one on a shoulder and got out the door and down the back stairs that led to the kitchen. The odor of the previous night's teriyaki and churrasca steak bites hung heavy and full of grease. Tim could smell that the hood vents needed cleaning. Keeping her insides where they should be was taking all of her attention. Faye was warm like fresh bread and as encumbering as a large sack of flour. The service entrance was pushed open with Tim's opposing hip. Faye's tiny hands pinched through Bobbie's clothes and into Tim. It was still dark outside, faint traces of light breaking over the eastern horizon. The tiny girl clutched to Tim, shaking. It was fear, that much was obvious. "It's okay, Faye," Tim whispered. "I've got you. Nothing's gonna happen to you." She squeezed reassuringly. The thought of being out of the club shook Faye to her core. The smell was so different; gone was the musty smells of desperation and expensive liquor. Sweetness, with a tinge of the morning's dew. Tim matched eyes with Faye, with considerable effort She stepped out into the empty space. Crossing the threshold, the tiny girl squeezed her eyes shut and held on waiting for Roxx to exact some price as Faye Valentine felt the dawning sun on her bare skin for the first time in years. *** Kimster Dragstrip was jet lagged; she wanted a cigarette, not these damn patches. She wanted a cheeseburger, a root beer and a massage. She toyed with her bright red hair and decided that while the change was fun. Bettie black hair and the comfortable streets of Delacroix were just what the doctor ordered. But what she really wanted to see was Heather. Not a videochat, not email tag... The flight had been interminable, the first five hours were spent on the tarmac waiting for 'maintenance'. The stopover in Bonn wasn't too bad, The schnitzel and spaetzel had been a little greasy, but the beer had been a welcome respite. London had been fun, it was always nice to see fans outside the United States. Retro was a way of life there. The ska underground was still active, and the modern skins and chelseas found her. But, fun tour time was over, and it was time to go back to Delacroix. Time for a rest. And, time for Heather. In high school, they had been the leaders of a band. GRRL ARMY. Kim smiled at the memory. Bunch of silly girls playing with instruments and costumes. They had gotten a few gigs; but, of all of them, only Kim held the desire to play music for the rest of her life. The opening of Cheepskates, watching everyone come together to enjoy both her and her sister's endeavors. The music and cameraderie helping her transition from her old life to that of a Thrall. And, of course the almost apocalypse of the graduation party; When her sister finally gave that bitch what for. Finally getting Roxx out of the way enough to live their lives in a manner more conducive to happiness. Bella Rourke taking her valedictory tendencies to Brown University and Amber studying accountancy. Kim chuckled, becoming a thrall had forced her to focus. The music and the joy were things that Kimster Dragstrip as she was now known had used to keep her mind off of the things that Thralls would dwell on. She had instead become a professional musician. Kim was now proficient with over a dozen instruments and could order dinner in any one of a hundred countries. Long way to come for a small town girl. Growing up, Kim Pointe had always felt out of place. Once her father died and her brother Robb had spiraled down into a life of drugs, anger was her only constant companion. After he had left, she had discovered and made peace with who and what she was. When Robb had come back into her life; only this time called Bobbie Sharpe, she had mellowed some. Finally connecting with the singing keytar player that designed clothes. In the end, it was Kimster Dragstrip and Heather Sweet. Just the way it should have been. Some of their conversations had gotten staid over the last couple of months. Proclamations of absent fondness even more absent. When she had first left for Prague, the sound of a call would prompt the immediate answer, now sometimes it even went to voicemail. Kim was glad the tour was over. Couple of years to work on an album and maybe record a few gigs for that ShoutBox startup that had been making waves. But she'd have to leave that to Heather, business was her bailiwick. Kim's was music and fun. Heather had her clothing company Sweet Nothings to worry about. Being who she was, Heather would only let Chase help in a silent partner capacity. Not taking on partners left her often busy and operating on some level that only the most dedicated of Jedi masters could see; but, that was how Heather wanted it. I bet that girl needs to get out of the house. Since the band went their separate ways, Heather had thrown herself into her clothing. Girl didn't even take a break... Kim had started as something of an Instagram sensation back when that was a thing. Many people saw the clothes she wore and asked after where they could buy some. Sweet Nothings became a fairly successful business... ...and Kimster Dragstrip became something of an underground burlesque/vaudeville act. Her knowledge of the whereabouts of the world's thralls kept her supplied with performers and couches to crash on. But, she was back home now and Heather would be all that she would care about. "Thank you for flying Starmark Air. We're descending into Delacroix Municipal at the moment, local temperature is sixty eight degrees with slight winds. Weather is partly cloudy today, we would like to thank you for choosing Starmark." Thank god. Kim looked out the window and watched the ground rush up to meet the belly of the small jet. *** When Harmony passed the office, she could tell that her Voice was doing its work. The clerk had been hunched over a different kind of keyboard with a pile of haphazardly organized papers sat unregarded next to him. "Harmony, hi." He said, stretching his spine to stand straight. "Y'know, after you left yesterday, I just had to get these few notes down." He smiled and shook his head, his darknesses seeming to settle to the bottom. They would remain, but his passion was blooming again. At least it should keep him busy long enough to get into that club. The morning had found her itching to get to the place called Krakatoa. She decided to walk around Delacroix to get a lay of the land. A town with an Advocate shouldn't be too difficult to navigate. Her lips curled into a smile that could have been devious, could have not been. The people out and about at dawn's early light seemed to have no explosive baggage. There were no lines on their faces. Darknesses chased away by the reaching sun's advance assault on the darkness. There was a time when seeing people so content and fulfilled would have pleased her to no end. It meant that Justice's precious balance was preserved, but now she just saw lifeless drones. No spice to their lives, their edges dulled. Soon, their darknesses and their light will come together. They'll see. "They all will," she said to herself as she connected her earbuds and allowed the ambient music to provide an overture of the building list of things that she would have to do once she got inside that door. *** Faye stopped shaking after the first couple of blocks, finally venturing to open her eyes and loosen her grip a block or two after that. Seeing the opportunity, Tim set Faye down and remained on one knee. The cold concrete shot shocking arctic shivers up her tiny body. "You okay?" She shook her head, knowing that she was pretty far from okay. Everything she had built had been taken from her time and again. Sure, she was a little girl, but who knew how long that would be? I can't keep doing this. But, then the sun finally fully broke over the tops of the low hills. It was a blazing ball of light and fire, It woke something in Faye, shocking her into a different silence. Faye opened her eyes wider and took in the breaking day. It was the first time she had seen the sight since Roxx had Ascended. It twinkled, spilling new golden light over the grass patches that were growing through the sidewalk and the fresh smell of the night's condensation. There had been nothing. Not the invasion of Roxx she expected, nor the possession of her flesh. When Faye realized how far away from the club she was, she stopped and looked up at the skyscrapers that passed as buildings just yesterday. "I'm out." She blinked, turning her head slowly both ways. "I'm out!" She leapt at Tim, hugging him warmly. She let go and spun. "I wanna... I wanna...." The cold didn't bother her anymore, she welcomed it. After years of temperature control, the sudden cold an alien thrill. "We should get you home first. I don't think..." Faye stopped. "Home? I..." She knew about Rach's townhouse, after all, she had anonymously 'donated' her furniture. "Where's home for me now?" "I meant the bakery, we still live up there. Got an extra room since..." Tim looked down. "The miscarriage?" Faye said absently. Tim looked back up at Faye. "She told you that?" she asked incredulously. "Yeah. Why wouldn't she?" the little girl said as if it had been the most natural thing in the world. Tim stared blankly. "She doesn't talk abou..." "If anyone knows how persuasive I can be, it's you," Faye admitted, looking more mature than her form belied. She shivered slightly, the vibration passing through her hair. "It's chilly out here." Small feet pistoned up and down. "Going to have to get you something to wear. C'mon." Tim scooped Faye up into her arms and carried her to the closest bus stop. Luckily, the bus made frequent stops on weekdays; and, it was a short ride once the local buses arrived. Holding Faye and trying to get money out of her purse seemed to be an impossibility. How do parents do this? A small appreciation for Myka, Tim's mother flitted through her mind. "Bobbie." The driver chided. "You know your money's no good with me." The driver held up one of the caramel buns that could have only come from Cheepskates. "Get in before she freezes to death." A nasal laugh. "Always knew your daughter would look just like you, take a seat." Tim got in and sat down, setting Faye next to her. There had to be an answer, but getting to Cheepskates was the first step. The bus rolled away with a hydraulic hiss and the squeak of the door. Faye slapped at Tim's shoulder. The cacophony of color was dizzying in a whirlwind of soft pastels and hard primaries, Delacroix's sights zipped by. Unfamiliar sights greeted her at every turn, and the lack one in particular. "Where's Daily Grind?" she asked. Faye remembered visiting the local coffee shop many times, always good memories. "It's gone, Faye," Tim said flatly. "Where's..." She turned to face Tim. Experience Point seemed to be gone as well. "Gone, Faye," Tim repeated. "Everything's different now. We got older, the world changed again." Her voice got distant. Faye turned her attention back to this new landscape. A small smile formed. She looked down at her nails. "Nothing's like it was." I got out. It should have been a happier occasion, she lost track of the buildings as the town sped by in a blur of color and motion. It was all so new and bright. Years spend in the darkened environs of Krakatoa had made her used to seeing things in low light. But this... this.... explosion of color welled up inside of her. It was so beautiful, the dirty streets and shiny dwellings. Faye couldn't contain it anymore, her miniaturized body keeping the same amount of feelings as an adult. It was just too much. It started as a sniffle, then the world warped liquidly through her filling eyes. ...she wasn't in the club... ... the sun was rising... Faye was a part of the world again and the big, beautiful sun had been shining its light on Faye's face for the first time in years. The warmth and light making her squint. She turned and flung her arms around Tim as she continued sobbing. "What's wrong?" "Nothing." She squeezed tighter. Faye held onto Tim until the bus stopped about a block from Cheepskates. Tim carried her until they got to the door. Once she had it open, the two of them headed up the familiar flight of stairs that led to the cozy apartment where Tim and Bobbie lived. Faye was struck by the differences. All of the furniture had been replaced, so had the carpet. There was art and pictures on the walls. It was very different from the last time she had come to this place. "We still have some kid's clothes from the charity drive last Christmas.." "You kept doing that stuff?" Faye asked. "Yeah," Tim said, completely deadpan. "Of course we did..." A moment of reverie began. "That's just who she is." Blinking and returning to coherence, Tim continued. "Bobbie thought that after Aurora was born... She thought she could... we could..." She trailed off, leaving the most important words unsaid. "This place smells the same." Faye inhaled deeply through her nostrils, savoring the aromas that reminded her of a different youth that wasn't so long ago. Faye looked around, she had to smile to see the kitchen still looking as homely as ever. How many times had they cooked for her? She wished she had appreciated it more at the time; like going outside, having a quiet evening, all the things she missed locked away from everyone. She looked up at the cabinets that sat so high up that she couldn't possibly hope to reach them. I don't need a stepladder, I need an escalator. It just looked so high up there. Logically, she knew she could just climb up on the counter, but it seemed so... ...silly. "Here." Tim said, flinging a pink tangle of fabric at her. The garment flew over her head, hooking on one of the drawer knobs. "Sorry." Faye gave a murderous look, she slipped the Krakatoa server's uniform off and retrieved the shirt. It seemed about her size, maybe a little small. She held it up in front of her. The shirt was pink with darker pink around the sleeves and the front had the nose, eyes, and ears of a pig. "You're kidding, right?" "You look like a little girl, you wanna keep dressing like you're heading for the Texas youth pageant circuit, go ahead." Tim shot back irritatedly. Faye pulled the shirt over her head and spent the next two minutes pulling her hair through the hole in the neck. "Y'know, as much as I hate pants, I could use some." Tim held up a pair of overalls. Faye narrowed her eyes. "Oh, now I know you're kidding." Tim's face had more annoyance flit across it like a drunk helicopter. "Deal with it. It's what I have now." "Fine," Faye replied through gritted teeth as she rolled those blue orbs. Tim stood staring at Bobbie's phone on the charging pad, waiting for the boot image to hover above the screen. C'mon, Bobbie. The phone vibrated, burbled, bleeped, blooped, and did who knew all what else. The missed calls and voicemails all piled in at once. Tim waited until it stopped. She snatched the phone up and called who she hoped would be Bobbie. "Tim," said the face of Faye Valentine with hair of red and eyes of violet "Huh?" "So," the woman on the other end of the line said. "That's what it looks like when I do that." "Bobbie? You're me... not me... not Timmi... what the hell...?" Tim let his confusion run riot for a moment before he remembered the dream. I guess it wasn't a dream. "Justice," Tim blurted. Justice? Bobbie got closer to the phone. "You saw her?" "Yeah. Scared the hell out of me too. What did she mean? And why am I..." Tim searched for the right word. "You?" Bobbie breathed a sigh of relief. "You be the Advocate for a while, run your bakery." Bobbie said with an overdose of condescension. That stung Tim and she knew she deserved it. "Of all the things.... You're not freaked out by..." The exasperation on her face was plain. "Justice has her reasons. We lost a Candidate before, maybe she's just moving you over. Where is Chase anyway? She's gonna be on my shitlist too." Tim turned. Rach shrugged. "Probably making one of those breakfasts of hers," Rach said. "Now I'm hungry." "Hey!" Faye said popping up next to Tim on the couch. "Any other important news?" Bobbie froze. The unasked question was answered when the small girl suddenly appeared in the projection on the phone's surface. Her sunshiny face held a depth behind it, a darkness that showed stormy waters beneath the wide azure eyes. "Faye?" "Yeah," the girl said. "You too, obviously." Bobbie peered into the projection. "What the fuck is she playing at?" She looked at the glass jar on the counter before stopping. "Swear jar... lame." "Don't normally run off before breakfast, but y'know..." Faye threw up her hand in an unusually mature gesture. "Shit happens." Tim saw Bobbie's face change to one of horror. Two and two made four faster in Tim's mind. "Wait..." She looked at Faye, then back to the phone. "You..." "God." She slapped her forehead. "Now, I want a shower." "You never complained..." "Gah... stop talking." The distant sound of someone trying to open the door drifted in through the open window. Tim moved to stick her head out to tell the potential customer that they'd be open late today. A wave of relief washed over her when she heard the British accent ask such a simple innocuous question. "Anybody up there?" *** Speeding by on her regular route, Chase was surprised that the bakery wasn't open. She stopped and tried the door. It wasn't like Bobbie to leave the bakery unopened.Maybe she really didn't come back home last night. When the door didn't open after the second try, she looked up and yelled to the open window. Didn't see Timmi last night either, Tim was still there. "Anybody up there?" Chase called. A loud crash sounded, followed by Bobbie's telltale blonde hair and blue patch popping out the window. "Chase! Thank god. I'll be right down." When Bobbie finally opened the door, she was hopping on a bare foot and trying to rub the other one with a hand. "Bobbie, what's..." "Actually." She sighed, forever tired of explaining this already. "It's Tim," "Tim? Shit, another cock up?" "Chase!" a smaller voice called, this one contained in a little girl with hair almost as long as she was tall. Chase looked down in puzzlement. "Who're you, little one?" She went to one knee. "Can the shit, Chase." When the eyes rolled, Chase recognized to whom she was speaking. "Faye?" She swung her gaze to Tim. "You wanna try to..." "No, I don't," Tim said with finality. "Justice, I'm not completely sure what this is, but she's behind it for sure." "Justice, huh? Starting to think I got the better end of the deal." "Oh, yeah." Faye said. "You get the swank accent, Tim gets the bakery, and I..." "...I get the..." She looked down. "Size twos and the pink piggy shirt." Faye,what would happen when they didn't find her at the club? More importantly, what would happen to the club. Well, Chase thought. I guess I'll find out when we get there. "I was heading into PERK! Bobbie should be by soon enough if you aren't here." "Yeah!" Faye agreed loudly. "Let's go. Coffee sounds amazing." Tim looked down at the tiny girl and had to agree. She sent the text to Bobbie telling her that they'd be at PERK! Coffee may not fix this, but it'll go a long way to getting this day on track. *** Bobbie couldn't wait to get to the PERK!. Rach was cool and all, but the thing Bobbie needed most was for Bobbie to finally let herself be Bobbie for a minute. Bobbie. It had been so long since she had thought about herself for a moment, it was always what others needed. Giving and giving and giving with little to no payoff. Where was this Karma she was assured existed? You are Karma. That nagging voice in the back of her head was absent save that one statement. Free. The way the conversation with Justice had proceeded, she knew that there was something important to be done. But what? And even more importantly. Do I even care anymore? The world had looked different today, rife with possibility. The things people needed weren't important. Tom Jenkins and his busted lawnmower wouldn't be an issue. Stop thinking about it. Years of people's needs encroaching on any sort of tranquility that might have been earned or deserved. Remember who you are. Justice's words repeated in her mind. But who was she really? Before she had been the queen of cupcakes, she had been Robb, Jester of Junkies. Why would Justice want her to remember that? And what in the name of everything unholy was Roxx up to? Rach turned the corner in Chase's old Camaro. The way the colors danced in her vision made everything seem hopeful. Not the dreary world of needs she dealt with on a daily... Stop thinking about it. Bobbie reached down and cranked the volume and let the bass throb through her nipples and body. This feeling was not the respite for which she sought, but was more than welcome anyway. "Could you turn it down?" Rach yelled, turning to face Bobbie who was trying to get her groove on in the limited space. "Hell no! If it's too loud, you're too old." "You're older than I am, bitch." Rach continued screaming, and the sound continued to carry after she shut the car off right in front of PERK!. Bobbie jumped out of the car and stuck out her tongue before turning to almost run into the door with its prominent 'closed' sign. She let herself in and headed to a table as quickly as she could. "...How the heck should I know?" the little girl yelled, pointing at Tim. "Because you do this on a regular basis." "No, I don't. I have a staff, remember? For fuck's sake... I." The yelling stopped when they saw Bobbie sitting there. "Well," the little girl said. "Been a long time since I've seen that body." "Babe!" Tim dropped everything and ran to her. Tim hugged. Bobbie didn't. "Not now, I don't..." She huffed with exasperation, she broke the circle of arms. "And what the fuck?" Bobbie gestured to the epitome of cuteness standing next to Tim. "How am I supposed to know?" Tim asked. "She just said that..." "Well, aren't you and Justice all buddy buddy now?" Bobbie pointed, the red hair seeming to flare brighter for a moment. "Rach." Faye rushed forward and leapt onto her hip. "Huh?" "I'm Faye." Her tiny voice reached Rach, who looked down with a sharp motion. Rach's whole world stopped. The spin of the Earth; something she had come accustomed to feeling, now flung her to some far off corner. "Faye?" Rach brought her eyes up to meet Bobbie's "How?" Bobbie raised her hands. "Don't ask me. She keeps you in the know just as much as she does with me. But it looks like we both got what we want." Tim let her jaw hang. "We both got out, with everybody I helped... When I needed people, where were they?" Bobbie walked past the bedroom and into the spare room that had once been Tim's. She came back with an arm full of clothes. "Hey." Tim said. "What?" Bobbie said. "They're yours. I'm gonna crash with Rach and Chase for a couple of days. Tim. It's just ..." "What, Babe? What is it?" "I just need a fucking break, alright?" The angry red eyebrows said all that needed to be said. "Everything's screwed up and I just need time." "Bobbie," Rach started, looking down at Faye. "We're gonna have to..." "You two are the Advocates now, not much I can do anyway. You comin', Rach?" The other Advocate shrugged and followed Bobbie out to the car. "I'll come back later." Rach reached down and put a hand on Faye's small shoulder. "Promise." Faye's little face beamed, and Rach couldn't forget it the whole way home. *** Heather Sweet still wasn't used to the newer car. She had regretted selling her Karmann-Ghia, but she did need the van. Chase had come through with some of the startup money to get Sweet Nothings(her clothing company) up and running. Which, Heather was able to do simply; with her top model and rocker/retro girl Kimster Dragstrip Orders and tour dates became the rule rather than the exception. But, to Heather, she would always be Kim Pointe. The girl she secretly loved until she could no longer stand it. Yeah, she and Bobbie... Heather laughed as she thought about those halcyon days. Of course, after what seemed like average teenage girl bullshit had dark consequences dealt out by the governing forces of the universe. They had wound up players in an ancient game, and if Heather's role was only to be a cheerleader... ...then so be it. As long as she had Kim. Although she was starting to wonder these days. Kim running off to tour Europe for eight months had been a bone of contention. The video chats and her concerts on that new ShoutBox thing being her only contact. Sweet Nothings, on the other hand had flourished under her constant attention. With shipments going out to five continents; she was a bona fide success, if not a smash. Things had been strained, being the responsible one had its drawbacks. While Kim's gallivanting had been good for business... Heather would have given it all up to be back in the garage with Kim and the rest of the band again. "Heather!" There she was, Kimster Dragstrip. The diminutive girl was pulling a case that was large enough to hold her and another person. Her hair was a different color; now a deep blood red instead of the usual Bettie Black. She had a top on that said 'Talk Aussie to Me', a red stain on the left shoulder stood out. The sunglasses over her eyes kept her aloof, but the smile didn't. Her Crazy Apple jeans were of the appropriate tightness. Flashes of black on her hands appeared as she began to wave. Heather couldn't take it anymore, she rushed forward and clasped the girl close. It was physical contact, something that her business had kind of kept her from. "Missed you, girl." Kim squeezed tighter than Heather did. She stepped back, "New look again? Loving the hair." "Thanks, you too." Heather retorted, touching at the short cheekbone length bob with severe bangs. It gave Heather the commanding air she favored. "It is the twenties, and we need to twenty two skidoo. I have a conference call at three, and they're on Copenhagen time." The fringe dress she wore would have looked more at home drinking bathtub gin and reading The Great Gatsby while waiting to participate in a Charleston contest. Kim looked at her watch. "Renegade?" Heather asked. Reading the letters across her knuckles as Kim grabbed the strap on the large trunk. "Yeah." Kim grinned, placing her balled fists side by side. "Fitting, I thought." She lowered her voice. "Got some other new ones, too." She lowered her glasses to show her jet lagged eyes. "I can show you later." The eyes flashed. "Demon girl's home..." Heather smiled weakly. While it was so fantastic to see her again, how long would it be before she was off to tour Japan? Do a walking tour of New Zealand's South Island? Another massive list of dates in Europe? While Heather was back at home designing what she would be wearing. God, that must have been fun, just look at her. Kim seemed to be glowing despite her tiredness. They took the parking tram to the parking lot where Heather's car was. Kim was taken aback when she didn't walk up to the Karmann-Ghia. "Your car!" Kim exclaimed. "Had to get something bigger." Heather pushed the button on the remote and the side door slid open on the not so shiny black soccer mom van. Inside was cavernous. "Only way we'd ever get that damn trunk of yours home." "You'll be happy to see inside of it when..." "Tonight," Heather interrupted. "After the conference call. Nobody expected you for another couple of months. Kim snapped a salute. "As you wish, ma'am. So shall it be." She extravagantly opened the door with a deep bow. "Milady." Kim darted around the front of the van and asked the most burning question. "Just please tell me we can stop for a real cheeseburger, please?" She pointed to the red splotch on her shirt. "One without beetroot?" Heather looked over. "Beetroot?" "Yeah." She made a face that was somehow still pretty. "Disgusting vegetable." "If you don't tell anyone about the chocolate milkshake I'm about to have." "Deal." Kim smiled. Looking up into Heather's eyes told her she was home. They kissed, standing in the shadow of the large trunk. Wheeling out the large container, Kim informed her girlfriend about there was more to her trip than just the tour. How much more Heather would have to wait until they could reach her place. "Cheeseburger first," Kim said, Heather's chocolatey revelation caused a flurry of thought. "Know I shouldn't, but gonna join you in that milkshake." The van trundled off back towards Delacroix proper, Kim excitingly telling Heather about the cliff diving she had done in Spain. *** She could see the shadows twist and spin faster and faster. The people inside and out? Oh, that was a darkness buffet with all the fixins. If she had been so inclined, Harmony could help every one of them. But then what? Only to have them fall in the trap of needing something else. Want was where it was at, everyone would see that. She would make them see. But, more importantly I will make them Listen. Harmony lifted the trunk higher and walked towards the door with confidence. There were two nearly identical men at the door. Unusual take on gargoyles... When she approached the door, Harmony looked at the layers of things they had seen and done. She could understand breaking a few eggs though. Especially what she had seen transpire since The Change. The gargoyles moved closer to the door. The one on the right shook his head in the negative. "Blue hair mean trouble," said the one on the left. "Trouble? Oh, no. I'm here to help." Harmony smiled. "Ye'd have nothing huge to fear from me, you only have to let me see." Both men's eyes glazed over instantly, they parted and allowed her to pass. The smile broadened as Harmony hefted the case in which The Harmony Box was contained. It was a quiet room that was devoid of patrons. The sounds of the never ending party downstairs mildly thumped. The beat of the deep bass winding its way into a melody she would use soon. Someone with an empty trolley passed her with a digital clipboard. Harmony could See that. Another burly man stood, poring over a clipboard. He suddenly turned his bright blue eyes on her. "What are you doing here?" He dropped his arms to his sides and turned. "Heard you needed me," Harmony said with all the presence of someone that belonged there. The way Advocates always do. He put his right hand into his jacket and Harmony twitched a facial muscle and she started to sing. "My words a healing balm, drop your hands and remain calm." The singsong lilt of her voice glazed the man's eyes like so many donuts. "Tell me your name." Harmony glided closer to the man. She could see the gun he was reaching for. Clearly this man knew Harmony's kind of trouble when he saw it. Blue hair mean trouble. She was definitely in the right place. "Nikolai." "Maybe you should show me around? After all, you need me." Nikolai stopped for a moment, as if her words had somehow lost their power. "Mikhail, Kostya. See to the liquor." "It is but a simple chore, I just want to see the door." She sang again and Nikolai resumed his walk. *** You're free now... The words echoed inside her skull, it was her voice, but the face... wasn't. Bobbie was looking at the face of Faye Valentine, it hadn't aged or shown a single crease. Skin still as supple and flawless as it had always been. The eyes seemed woefully inadequate to convey the tortured soul within, Bobbie was still reeling from seeing the different reflection. Gone was the sweet and innocent looking blonde girl, replaced by the crimson haired sexpot that stood before her now. She reflected on the day so far. Wasn't the first time she woke up in a body like this, only now it seemed to twist a knife. All her failures had confronted her today, and having it all be shoved in her face at seemingly the same time was almost too much. Bobbie hadn't been able to save Faye from her fate locked away inside Krakatoa, hadn't been able to stop Roxx from becoming.... whatever it was she was becoming. Because it sure as shit isn't Lust. And Kim. Bobbie had failed her, too. The thoughts were swimming as she began thinking. Being in this body again only shone a light on things that she felt should remain in the dark. What was Roxx planning now? And Justice... Well, who ever knew what she had in mind? Bobbie looked at the makeup laid before her. She wanted to reach for the blue, but stopped. She reached for the green. Who am I anymore? Is there a Bobbie? Or is it just Robb with a direction in life? Remember who you are... Justice's words rang with a special hollowness. If she had learned one thing from Faye over the years, it was that Bobbie's internal spring was usually overwound on the best of days. Time to not think was always the best answer. Tim. There was nothing that she could do that he couldn't. He'd had a quiet strength at times, maybe he'd be a better Advocate than she could. Aurora... The daughter she couldn't have because... who knew? I know what you need. Faye's voice bounced around her head. Faye. She had been freed from her prison of velvet and debauchery just as surely as Bobbie had been from her compulsion to help. Gone was having to tightrope walk a straight and narrow path with someone who loved her but couldn't deliver more than companionship. Sure, he was devoted to her. Almost to a fault, the strain put on their marriage increased after the miscarriage. The rollout of the food printers only served to exacerbate things. With me so wrapped up in everyone else's problems that I ignored what I wanted... ...ignored it for so long that I don't even know what it is that I do want... I just know I don't want this. The gold eye shadow beckoned, sparkling as it did in the harsh, fluorescent light. Faye's answers to all of life's dilemmas seemed to involve loud music, dancing, and doing every fucking thing under the sun to avoid the harsh realities that often stared her in her perfectly gorgeous face. Being given a chance to be someone else was often far more deceptive than it could be helpful, Bobbie would have to watch out for that. Tonight; however, she was going to take what might be her one major chance to regroup. A chance to not think about her life, before it slapped her in the face with whatever kind of bizarre circumstance fate would choose. Besides, Justice said I was needed. Roxx had said the same thing, more or less. Having both of them agree on anything was a horrifying prospect, what could possibly be worse than... Stop that shit right now, what has that ever gotten you? The girl in the mirror had once told her that going out was the cure for what ails, and she had never once been wrong about it. Tomorrow would be a day to figure things out. But tonight... She would take a step back and just not do anything she didn't want to do. Waking up in this body would be the last thing she didn't want to do today... period. "You can't be serious." Bobbie was startled by Chase, who had been leaning in the doorway for an indeterminate length of time. "You're Faye, Tim's you, and Faye's a Cindy Brady clone and you're just gonna go out?" "Rach and I are going to Krakatoa tonight." Bobbie looked back at the mirror. "Checking out what kind of damage Faye left behind, pandemonium sounds like as good a cover as any." She turned to study herself in the mirror. "You coming? "Gonna be honest, the red hair and this dress..." "I missed the hot water, didn't I?" Chase sighed and put on a look of mock disappointment as she slid into a hug. Bobbie looked away. "Get a room, you two." "Got one," Chase said, pointing. "Why not go out?" Bobbie said, looking at her outfit choices. "Black tube dress it is. All this stuff is old now. I'd look like someone's aunt." "You're not listening," Chase said. "You're just gonna walk away from all of..." "Has going out ever been a problem for me? What's the big deal anyway? Pretty sure they can deal without me there. Why are you so...?" If there was anger on Chase's face, she hid it well. "Because, Bobbie. Faye's a kid, she's gonna need someone. Remember when Faye was that little girl? Tim wasn't the biggest help." Chase was stunned by Bobbie's cluelessness. "Yeah, well, he didn't have to change diapers either." Bobbie looked down for a moment before raising her head. Looking more determined than ever to have a good time today. After all, it had been what she had asked for, wasn't it? "Bobbie, cut him some slack. He's trying to..." "To what? Make me forget? Is that what it is? Because bitching to Chase sure seemed like a weird way to..." "You two built that place together. With the bakery not doing so well, he just wants a contingency plan." Chase looked at the dress Bobbie was eyeing with disapproval. "I've got something if you don't wanna go out in that." Bobbie turned. "We're the same size, remember?" The two women went to the bedroom and Bobbie was pleased to see stuff that was between Timmi's SlutWear? and Faye's GothEmoGlam ensembles. Bobbie reached for one trimmed with blue, but stopped. Turning to the mirror, she realized that blue wasn't really her color today. Something hotter. The red swing dress with the brocaded dragons looked about right. "Good, that's settled. I'm hitting the shower." "I dunno if this is the best idea." Rach said, entering the bedroom. Bobbie turned. "Who's gonna stop us? Those two dipshits at the door? Nikolai has to be filling one colostomy bag after another." Bobbie stopped. "How old is he anyway?" "Who knows?" "Who cares? Me?" Bobbie asked. "I'm gonna go out and have a good time tonight, before something else happens." "And you're not freaked out?" "Oh, Rach," Bobbie said. "That's cute. I did this before, remember?" "How could I forget?" Rach, dryly. "I meant about Faye." "She'll be okay. So she gets to grow up again." Bobbie tossed a hand nonchalantly. "Roxx has something up her nonexistent sleeve, only this time I'm up to my tits in it." "And I'm not gonna wait until she finishes pulling herself back together to get out." "What does she want?" Rach asked. "Fucked if I know, but whatever it is, it should be fairly obvious." Bobbie looked at her backside in the full length mirror. "You positive about that?" Chase hadn't moved. "I talked to Morgan a little bit ago, everyone's freaking out down there now that Faye's 'missing'. Some new girl is taking charge and..." "Do I look okay?" "Gorgeous," Rach said flatly. "Now you wanna get serious? We're gonna go scope out Krakatoa tonight because..." She trailed off when she heard the door. "It's pandemonium in there," Chase said. "Without Faye around, nobody knows what to do." "Perfect," Bobbie said, talking about her hair more than the situation. *** "Faye?" Tim was moving the stationery bike into a corner. "A little help?" "I can sleep on the couch, it's not like I take up that much room anymore." Faye had been bouncing back and forth between dynamically energetic to still and brooding all day. "No way," Tim said with a chopping motion of her hand. "No one as important as you is gonna sleep on that lumpy assed thing." She looked down. "Woke up a few nights out there. Like she just went to bed and left me out there." The child's bed had been reassembled and the mattress unbagged. Faye looked through the sheets available. Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. "We're gonna go with the Star Trek. Even I have limits." "Nerd." Tim laughed. "You're gonna give me a complex." Faye folded her arms. Tim looked at the clock and gasped. "Oh, shit, now what?" The day that never seemed to end had just extended like a long corridor. "Bakery prep," she said resignedly. "Need to jump on that. I can't do it all alone." Faye looked at the fitted sheet, anything had to be better than cleaning this room. Besides, she had the strangest urge to eat something sweet. A room full of sugar might be just what the doctor ordered. "Throw a couple cupcakes my way and you've got a deal." Tim chuckled. "That was easy." "Hey, tits aren't gonna inflate for years," Faye said. "I can live a little." Tim flipped the breakers and brought the bakery to life in a ballet of sound and color. Faye gasped at how bright everything was. "Been a long time since you've seen this." "I still can't. I'm a lot shorter." She folded her arms. Tim laughed and went to the broom closet and pulled out a folding pink stepladder. Years of disuse had made it difficult to open, but it eventually gave way with a pop. Faye looked at the clean counters and the shining cases. Everything was empty. "Where's all the..." Faye's memory could only recall the bounteous shelves stuffed with chocolate and cream. "We have to make it all, we're a day behind, gonna pick up soon though." Tim looked at Faye. "I'm honestly just glad to have someone here. It'll keep your mind off of..." "Off of what?" Faye tightened her ponytail. "Being a kid? Christ, I'm gonna have to go through puberty again." "It's not so bad," Tim offered, hoping to keep the younger appearing girl from brooding on what was obviously a sticky subject. "Easy for you to say, you grew up one time..." Faye held up a finger "once." Tim nodded solemnly. "And it was too fast, remember?" It was true, Jack and Stephanie Flaherty had perished in a car crash en route to picking a drunk Tim up from a party that got out of control. He was left to take care of Myka, his mother. Luckily, there had been enough good years at Cheepskates to get her a small condo further south as she started her life over. It was so different from the VIP room at the club, years of being waited on in the dark place offered a kind of comfort. This was a new world, one with all the darkness and neon stripped bare. No ogling men, no clanking, crashing. CLANK crash, CLANK dibibibi, CLANK CLANK CRASH! She turned to see Faye's hands clamped over her ears and her eyes shut tight. Tim hurriedly lowered the volume. "Sorry, too loud? I mean..." Faye went to the store's computer system, and finding that she couldn't quite reach the keys, she retrieved the stepladder and got herself up to a good position as if she had always done it. The music died with a wave of her tiny hand. "Ugh," Faye said. "I finally get a chance to lose that music for one whole day and you go and ruin it." "Wasn't sure what to..." Tim stood back and watched. "Can we just talk?" Faye looked more like the little girl she was than ever. "It's nice to have conversation. 'Specially with old friends. Just..." Tim could see her getting a touch of the onion eye. "I got used to not having anybody except Nikolai, and vy ne govorite po- russki." "Why didn't you just call us?" Tim said, years of being around foreign films told her to ignore the string of what had to be Russian. "And let you see what I was really doing? All stoned and fucked up." There was a sniffle. "You remember, Bobbie does too. I didn't want..." The sniffle again. "Didn't want..." The dam burst and Faye Valentine, the girl that could handle anything. Just lost it. Tim had her in a tight hug, Faye gripping so tightly that Tim was sure that she was going to lose both eyes. "I was stuck up there, didn't want you to see," Faye sobbed. "I didn't wanna see." "It's all over now. You got out, that's all that matters." Tim hugged again. "You never took any shit before, why start now? None of this has been easy on anyone." Her face darkened. "Especially Bobbie." "It's still not fair," Faye said, letting go. "You're gonna talk to me about fair?" Tim said. "I'm having a bad hair day, and I think I chipped a nail. Faye laughed through her nose. "Stupid shit..." The chortle started before Faye just laughed and laughed. And laughed. "I'm serious, this shit hurts." Tim looked at her splayed fingers, then Tim laughed, too. There was something in Faye's smile, the brightness of her eyes' Maybe it was the way she moved, an echo behind her girlish laugh. Echoes of his lost sister Stephanie within. "It's okay." The little girl turned and grabbed her stepstool. "We all got the shit end of the stick. Didn't we?" She put on her bravest smile, even though deep inside she was more than a little frightened."So what do we do?" Faye asked. "Doesn't sound like Bobbie's gonna snap into action on this one." "I dunno." Tim said, still surprised to hear Bobbie's voice spouting the words. "Why ask me?" "You're the Advocate now, remember?" The panic in her voice sounded like petulance. "Pancho always saved the Cisco Kid." Tim delivered, sounding like conveying Confucian wisdom. "Who?" A puzzled look. "See?" Tim smiled. "You're sounding like a kid already." "Fuck you." Faye grabbed at her hair. "I could strangle you with this you know." She looked down at the gathered strands. "Wouldn't leave a mark, either. Nikolai said that..." "You should probably get used to the idea," Tim said distractedly., trying to read the whiteboard that had the order list on it. She turned to see Faye looking on in horror. "Hey. Every time we get into this bullshit, there's a body somewhere... Where's Roxx?" Tim was doing everything she could to soften the blow, but wasn't sure how soft she could make such a series of circumstances sound like anything approaching normal. "Dang," Faye said thinking about it for the first time. "Nikolai must be freaking out." "Good." Faye looked up. "Good?" "Yeah, that place was a thorn in Bobbie's..." "Excuse me?" Faye got up and turned angrily, her hair following five seconds later. She had been about to defend Nikolai, the only person that had made a job of keeping her safe. "It took you from us, didn't it?" Tim yelled, and suddenly Faye felt terrible, her years being stuck inside Krakaota never once leaving her wondering about how the others felt. Sure, she understood. Didn't make it suck any less. "I..." Faye's face crumpled slightly. "I didn't think...." Tears filmed her eyes. Had it really hit them as hard as all that? Faye had spent so long feeling sorry for herself that she never thought about the others. She just thought they'd be fine without ol' Faye Valentine to kick around anymore. Tim yelling with Bobbie's voice drove the point home. "Y'know..." Tim ran her hand through her hair and inspected the blue streak. "Maybe Justice wants me to help someone." Faye wiped her eyes with an annoyed gesture. "You?" "Why not?" Tim said hurt. "You haven't brought your eyes up from a spreadsheet or from Bobbie in years." "I had to keep everything running, for Bobbie." It was Tim's turn to tear up. "After the miscarriage, she just went into overdrive. I thought she was just trying to not remember; but after today, seems like she wants to forget." "Maybe it's Bobbie that needs help, it sure feels like it." It dawned on Tim. "Oh, come on," Faye said, reaching for a banana. "Now you're just delusional." "Psychologists have to see therapists," Tim pointed out. "How is this any different?" She rose to her feet "C'mon. Speaking of spreadsheets, We've gotta prep the bakery." "What's this 'we' shit, white man?" Faye stepped back and eyed Tim suspiciously. "C'mon," Tim promised. "It'll be fun. Besides, if I'm gonna help someone, how else would Bobbie do it? Something tells me that tomorrow will be a good day." Tim thought for a second. "Haven't sold any jam tarts in a while, and we still have enough blackberry jam to feed the Third Red Army." Faye was working out what she was going to have to do. She had worked in this bakery before. The bakery was lit and the ovens were ignited. Not like it's been all that busy anyway. Banana bread was coming out of the oven and it's aroma was making Everyone feel more hungry having not eaten. Tim made some hot cocoa, not sure exactly what to do with Faye in her current state. Faye began to yawn with the cocoa unfinished, as did Tim. They both fell into dreamless sleep quickly, exertion and exhaustion claiming them. *** No one not in the know would have ever thought there was something wrong inside of Krakatoa's walls. Chase, Rach, and Bobbie walked into the club with familiarity. Mikhail and Kostya had waved them through. Inside the crowd was drinking and being casual. But it was the music that caught Bobbie's ear. It was miles ahead from the canned loops and repetitive DJ tracks. It was unlike anything she'd heard. "What happened to Plugman?" The difference hit Bobbie right away, there was an exuberance to it that she hadn't heard before. She had missed the difference last night, what else did I miss? "He's producing now. Some small hip hop outfit in Texas." Rach led them to the bar. Chase looked towards Morgan, the girl she had trained when she left to run PERK!. Looking around, Chase saw a flash of blue hair and a distinct lack of darknesses standing in front of an oddly shaped box, a headset dangling around her neck. "Who's the Advocate?" Rach pointed, astonished to find another of her kind in such a place. "What the...?" Chase trailed off, sipping her Redstone Lager. "Now I really wanna know what's going on." Bobbie sipped, unable to stop her free hand from tapping the bar. Feeling somewhat invigorated by the fmusic; Bobbie felt lighter as she waded out into the dance floor, seeking out the wall of thunder that thrummed and beat its happiness into every listening ear. As Rach listened, there was a small, nattering sound in the back of her mind, the music carrying it. It annoyed her the way a mosquito might. But the mystery of this new Advocate only served to annoy her more, masking the edge setting pitch. *** "She gonna be okay out like this?" Chase asked. "Let her have tonight." Rach looked around. "I wanna get a look downstairs. See what kind of damage Faye left." Rach half laughed. "Damage? That's her alright. You sure you wanna go down there?" She caught Bobbie dancing in front of the speakers. "You kind of stand out." "So do you." Rach sighed. "We go together." Chase snatched Morgan's attention and pointed at her eyes, then to Bobbie. The taller girl nodded and Rach and Chase vanished to 'powder their noses'. I bet that means something completely different here. They waded through the crowd, bouncing just enough to make them appear part of the throng of flesh. Both women knew their way around the club intimately. Not as well as Kim does, Rach reflected. Had things been different, Kim would be rocking the blue hair of an Advocate. She had done so much to get the girls that wanted out... out. The first sign something was amiss was when they passed the door that had four locks on it. Chase stopped. "Someone's paranoid," Rach said. "You see the shit comes through here, question is if you're paranoid enough." Chase replied evenly. Looking closer, she noticed that three of the locks had been unlocked. She began to turn to tell Rach "It's too quiet," Rach said, standing close next to her. "Let's get out of here before that changes." Neither woman saw their silent assailants as they were grabbed from behind. *** Lexey felt dirty as she entered the club. Her overdone makeup and out of character clothing had been unnecessary. The two slabs of meat at the door weren't looking for much, and the bartender was busy. This wasn't the kind of place an Advocate would frequent. Something was different here, but there was so much going on, that nothing was clear. Needs and darknesses put on their own light show behind and beyond the laser lights and smoke machines. Looking at Delacroix, it didn't seem like such a place should be able to do any kind of business, brisk or otherwise. Something wasn't right here. A lot of things weren't right here. The first thing she noticed was that the music had an odd mosquito like trilling underneath it. Finding the source was easy, but seeing what she saw made her drop her jaw. It was Harmony, the other one. The one that had gone off to make a deal those years ago. The one with the voice that... Lexey stopped being curious, and started being afraid. Who knew what had happened since they had parted ways? She had to find Delacroix's Advocate soon before bad things started to happen. Her old instincts told her she may already have arrived too late.