6AM – 9AM
 
After getting breakfast for him and Ichigo, Fernando pops up the camper’s top and flicks the switches on his dash panel until he was able to get some power from his solar panels,  just enough to run a few small things. He connects a small fan he has to the solar panels to get air moving within the bus.
 
Though the breakfast coffee would keep him awake, he lies on the camper’s bed in just his briefs staring at the ceiling. Ichigo shifts herself over to him to have half of her upper body on his chest, sleeping with her thumb in her mouth.  
 
The temperature of the air around the camp was rising with the sun as it arcs upwards to the top of the sky, their only saving grace is being under the trees that provides shade to all under it. His Dub box Camper protrudes out of the shadows, energizing its exposed solar panels, topping off the batteries inside the Dub Box while shading the roof of the Dub Box to keep it cool.
 
Everyone else had gotten their breakfast and are in their campers having their meals, with the exception of Ruth and the Bunny Girls who were in Hondo’s camper having their meals. Tonya had gotten the breakfast for those up in the sleeping area of Hondo’s camper.
 
After clean up of Hondo’s camper’s kitchen, Ruth sets up a couple large pots for soup to let the beans soak before being cooked, while the Bunny Girls set up the table to make sandwiches, putting things in pace for easy reach and set up. The meats Fernando brought over were already processed by being in a smoke house, and thus have been ‘cooked’ thoroughly but can be recooked to soften the flesh and enhance the flavor of what it is cooked with. The Bunny Girl then prepared vegetables, a job that La La, Li Li and Teri used to and will do in the near future again. Like the beans, some of the harder vegetables were put into water to soften them up before cooking.
 
After an hour of soaking, Ruth set the stove on to start heating up the water beans and vegetables to a slow boil. The Bunny Girls cut up the remaining vegetables into random sizes; Mae and Kiah cut them into large pieces, April and June cut some of them into smaller pieces. Ruth puts in some salt and spices into both puts and gives the Bunny Girls half of one of the sausages and the block of smoked beef. The smoked beef can be used as is for meat sandwiches but Ruth wants some of it in the soup for the omnivores.
 
Much of the cooking of the soup is a wait and see process, Ruth gets the Bunny girls to make a large salad to give out to those who want it, especially for the Wessen Herbivores. Lettuce, cucumbers, shredded carrot, tomatoes, raw celery, onions, spinach, and crumpled cheese. A little salt, garlic and black pepper is added before some vinegar and oil is added and mixed by tossing the salad. The half prepared food is put away for lunch time while the soups cook. Sandwiches can be made a half hour before lunch.
 
 
9AM-ish.
 
Stranded and tested...
 
According to Fernando’s calculations, Hondo should be in town having breakfast with the teens he took with them. Of those remaining in the camp, Fernando’s electric bus has been cleaned up and repaired from most damage from a bad battery that has exploded, causing a mess of chemicals and shorts to repair. He’s already gotten much of the battery compartment cleaned out but with wires shorted out or corroded and removed, his electric bus cannot move. One of the few things Hondo is getting is various wires and electrical cables for him to splice into place as a replacement. By Fernando’s orders, Macey is with Zoey and Tonya in Hondo’s Camper along with Meeshie and are to be left alone.
 
Jeanette has miscalculated on her fuel consumption and is low on fuel, needing to be pushed into place in the camping spot they found and agreed on. In truth she did not run out of fuel but her fuel selector switch is stuck on one of the positions and is not able to select the other tanks. Moro gathers from her truck the filled jugs of fuel to fill the empty tank in Jeanette’s Beetle. The Den Mother’s bus was part of the stranded group though there was nothing wrong with her vehicle. She thought it would be a waste of fuel and time if she were to go forward then come back and decided to wait for the others to return instead. The Dunebuggy teens left their campers behind but drove one of their small vehicles following Hondo. Some of the teens left with Hondo in his Bronco. The Night Time Guard Group the teens are part of were not expecting trouble but they made sure that neither unwelcomed men nor animals would cause them harm. With Fernando’s help, they also went out for fresh water from a river a few miles away to fill up empty jugs they were carrying in the other dune buggy with Minerva and Abi in the Medical Jeep.
 
Being a dessert area, one has to conserve energy and water. During the day the temps soar up into the 120s but at night the temps drops to the 40s. Thus by mid day, those who dare venture out do so in as minimal clothing as possible while staying in the shade where it can be found. Ichigo walks about the camp area in an over-sized t-shirt, black nylon panties underneath and flip flops to protect her feet with a belt holding the t-shirt around her waist and an umbrella to shade her from the sun. She checks on Jeanette to see what she was doing and hopes it was making lunch though that was Ruth’s job inside Hondo’s camper.
 
“What you doing?” Ichigo asks Jeanette.
 
“Nothing.” As Jeanette goes through her list of reserves.
 
“Got plans for lunch?” Ichigo asks.
 
“I would have to think about it, depends on what Ms Ruth makes, maybe in a couple of hours.” Jeanette answers.
 
“A couple of hours?” Ichigo asks.
 
“Yeah.” Jeanette replies before noticing Ichigo’s mode of dress. “Why are you dress like that and where you got that t-shirt?”
 
“It’s hot out here in case you have not noticed.” Ichigo answers.
 
“What about the t-shirt?” Jeanette asks. Ichigo refuses to answer for now. “Well?” Jeanette throws at her.
 
“OK, it’s one of Fernando’s t-shirts but for me it’s a medium length dress. I have nothing to wear for this type of weather so I took his t-shirt.” Ichigo answers.
 
Jeanette sighs, “Unless you have his permission to take any of his things, he is not going to be happy.”
 
“Woman, please! The guy is a wuss. He has no backbone, no self confidence. I can have him wrapped around my finger if I so wanted too.” Ichigo goes off.
 
“You’re talking about the unofficial leader of this group and the one who defeated the Lich in a Death Match, bringing down the House of Cards Fight Town was.” Jeanette throws at her.
 
“I have thrown myself at him so many times and he has done nothing. He must be part fag or something.” Ichigo says.
 
“Oh you wish... Fernando is not gay. He’s been through a lot and he is... hey! Where are you going!” Jeanette started to say.
 
“I’m going to test him one more time and if he refuses to take me, then he’s gay!” Ichigo says as she starts to walk away.
 
“Ichigo – don’t be a goldfish!*” Jeanette tells her.
 
“Ha! I got nothing to worry about.” Ichigo says as she walks to Fernando’s camper.
 
Getting there, Ichigo opens the sliding door and climbs in before closing the door again. The loud slamming wakes up Fernando.
 
“Huh? Who’s there? What’s going on?” He asks as he is suddenly awaken.
 
Ichigo climbs up onto and over the open bench and on to the bed it is part of passing by Fernando along the way before positioning herself against wall of the sliding door. She sits up against the wall with her knees against her chest but ankles far apart to show what she is wearing underneath while enjoying the view of him wearing only his briefs with a running fan turned to his direction to keep cool.
 
“Is that one of my t-shirts?” He asks as he notices what she is wearing.
 
“T-shirt to you, medium length dress for me.” Ichigo replies.
 
“What do you want? I swear, I need my rest.” He tells her.
 
“Me? Want? I don’t want anything.” She says as she arcs her knees apart as she pulls up on the bottom of the t-shirt up towards her waist and showing a lot more of what she had under the t-shirt.
 
“Still wearing those same black nylon panties from yesterday?” Fernando asks.
 
“I have several in nylon, rayon and silk that I change into.” Ichigo replies.
 
“Well, you know what they say about girls who wear black panties.” He tries to state without sounding like he’s asking.
 
“No. What?” She replies.
 
“Girls who wear black panties tend to be sexual extroverts who are serious about sex in with who they connect with sexually.” He explains.
 
“So, you’re calling me a slut?” Ichigo sounded as if she was offended.
 
“Only you can place yourself into that category.” He tells her.
 
“I have been minimally sexually active because of what men wanted of me. They are such creeps with their little girl sex fantasies.” She leans over to him. “I am not a little girl. I’m an adult woman in a little girl’s body. Hope you can understand that of me.”
 
“If you’re not such a damned slut, why the constant showing off of your panties to me?” He tells her.
 
“I’m testing you. Can’t you tell?” She tells him.
 
“That does not answer the question of why.” He throws back at her.
 
“I want to know if I can trust you.” She replies.
 
“Trust me? Ha! I own your ass.” He interrupts her. Ichigo sits there with her jaw half open. “Well?” He throws at her, “You don’t like it when somebody throws the truth into your face?”
 
Ichigo tries to argue back, “Nobody owns me. That bet is not enforceable, it’s like a kid betting the whole universe and winning, no way such a bet can be enforced and paid. No way will any bet involving my ass be paid either for the same reason.”
 
“Then how about I take you back to Fight Town and take you to court on that bet.” He tells her.
 
“No!” Ichigo lets out.
 
“For one who was queen of the world over there, something had to have happened over there for you not to want to go back.” He mocks her.
 
“I’d rather face anything with you than to go back to there.” She says.
 
“Then your ass is mine.” He tells her.
 
“Good thing I can trust you. Otherwise you’d be in a lot of trouble.” Ichigo says to him.
 
“Trouble, as in how?” Fernando asks.
 
Ichigo reaches down between her legs and pulls her panties’ crotch panel to the side, bearing what she has to offer to him before telling him, “Rape of course. In that I can trust that you would not do that because as many times I had tested and teased you, you did not take a step towards me in that way.” She takes slight pause before stating, “You must be either gay or your little sleeping companion must be giving it to you every night before I came along. But you two should not stop on my account.”
 
“What do you mean by that?” Fernando asks sternly.
 
“Everyone knows that puppy lover you share your bed with will drop her panties to anybody giving her a run-away ride.” Ichigo explains.
 
“Explain yourself and I want names and reasons.” He tells her sternly.
 
“Your bed companion – Macey. Everyone knows Macey is no angel, especially coming from being Lacey’s daughter and growing up in a whore house and all that. Horny little moppet has done what she could to get a run-away ride from home, even with multiple partners, dogs and Wessens. No doubt for the free food and ride, she’s servicing you too.” She explains.
 
“I took over Macey’s guardianship so she would not have to go through that in her life. As my adopted daughter, she does not service me in any way as you say. That’s your job!” He tells her before he grabs one of her legs and drags her towards him.
 
“EEK!” Ichigo could only react as he positions her in front of him with her legs open and her feminine parts exposed to him. She does not see him pull out his harden male organ from his briefs as he positions her into place. He leans over to her, pinning both arms by the wrist by her shoulders. He moves her arms over her head to hold them down with one hand as he takes his free arm to widen her legs apart even further to move closer into place before taking her wrists again and positions them by her shoulders again. Her eyes widen and her jaw drop as she can feel his bare male part pushing up against her bare female parts. “Don’t! Please don’t...” She pleads with him.  
 
Whether she knows it or not, her hips humps slightly against him, making her female parts rub up against the head of his male shaft ever so slightly.
 
“You should know better than to question a man’s reason for his actions or who he shares his bed with.” He growls at her.
 
Ichigo turns her head away from facing his with her eyes closed. She bites down on her lip for a moment turning back to face him.
 
He continues, “Macey is not some run-away whore, as my adopted daughter from a mother who does not care for her, she is under my guidance and protection and she will do what is expected of her in this group to support it. You on the other hand have not done much of anything to that extent of support any of us but yourself. Now what shall it be?” Ichigo does not want to answer, at least not for the moment. This prompts Fernando to ask, “Well?”
 
“If you’re man enough, then I dare you to take me, break me, make me yours.” She tells him.
 
“I’m sure that is what you want.” He growls to her before thrusting his hips forward slightly.
 
Ichigo’s eyes open wide as she can feel herself opening up down there as pressure from the head of his member increases against her love hole entrance. She tries to prepare herself for what is about to happen like she has a dozen times before in her life. She gasps as he enters her, fills and stretches the hot tight slickness of her tunnel, sliding up in it until he hits something deep up above inside her. Breathing heavy she clenches on her teeth hard, never had she had anyone or anything that big so deep inside her. And yet he was not all the way inside her, he just needed few more inches to be pushed in before he can be balls deep into her.
 
But Fernando knows that if he forces himself too much into her that he could hurt her in more ways than one. His only recourse is to take it easy with her from there slowly pulling half of what he put in out and just as slow sliding it back in. He can feel her tensing up deep inside about his shaft as if protesting of the intrusion within her most private inside areas. Despite that she was thrusting her hips forward instinctively in time with his, forcing a bit more of his length to get in a little deeper inside her with each stroke. Her body reacts on its own, producing more natural lubricant even though her muscles down there were clamped down tightly about his shaft. She is more reactive than proactive, letting things happen to her and enjoying results of such actions. Getting higher and higher on her limits of such sinful pleasure being forced upon her, she loses track of time as her body builds up on the tension of sexual pleasure seeking to be released. Before it can do that, it has to reach a plateau where it can burst in its release. Whether she realizes it or not, Ichigo was moaning with each hard pounding thrust deep inside her, to the point where she was getting louder and louder.
 
While most males last within a range of 10 to 15 minutes, Fernando is running at his optimum level and can last between 30 to 45 minutes. While most males can achieve a major single orgasm with some being able to go the distance with a double blast after a second round, the most Fernando has done was 4 though he could have lasted longer with each orgasm spacing out longer than the one before it. Females tend to orgasm within 20 minutes and if they continue with their sexual activity, the time decreases between orgasms. In theory if taken to that level, a female could have an orgasm on top of an orgasm on top of an orgasm. Ichigo has no idea as to what was going on in such terms, where most women would try to think through the delirium of how long it has lasted and how long it may last, Ichigo was riding each wave of pleasure that she’s has never felt before until she was nearly screaming with delight and wonder.
 
“OH MY GOD!” Ichigo lets out as her orgasm hits her hard, harder than she had ever experienced before.
 
Whether for concern or curiosity Jeanette opens the sliding side door before getting into the camper and closing the door behind her. She then gets on a step ladder and reaches up to closes the pop-top before standing in front of the bed gawking at the both of them.
 
“Damn Ichigo, you’re too loud!” Jeanette tells them. She continues complaining, “Some of the older kids on the Den Mother’s bus are wondering what the noise is about.”
 
Fernando has his penis thrusts up balls deep pushing up against Ichigo’s cervix as he has himself suspended over her on his extended arms holding her down by the wrists while she was breathing heavy in catching her breathe. She is only able to just squint her eyes to look up at him, though hearing everything Jeanette has said.
 
“They can... come in... and join... us if they like! Especially... that Denver bitch, she looks... like she needs... some dick!” Ichigo throws at her
 
“Ichigo! Watch what you’re saying! They’re just kids!” Jeanette tells her.
 
“And... we aren’t?” Ichigo asks knowing about their child-like and sized bodies. She looks up at Fernando and in her little girl act, “Hmph… Oh... Mister! I’m gonna... tell my momma... what you... did to me!”
 
“And I’m going to tell your momma that you pulled down your panties to show me your pussy and dare me to do it to you and that I was not a man if I refused, and so I did it!”  Fernando tells her.
 
“Hmph... That’s... Not... Fair!” Ichigo says in her little girl voice.
 
“What is fair is what is right. You dared me to do it and now look where it got you.” He tells her.
 
“Well... If you’re done... You can... pull out now.” Ichigo says like a little girl.
 
“Oh, he is not done with you yet, Ichigo. I can tell you that...” Jeanette tells her before covering her mouth.
 
Fernando looks at Jeanette, as he knows that he has never did it with Jeanette, but his Elder Time Counterpart and the Elder incarnation of Jeanette has “in the past”. Ichigo looks at her as well, not believing in what she is hearing though the evidence is showing her otherwise. She then turns to face him.
 
“I’m still telling my mommy what you did to me...HMPH!!” Ichigo teases him before he thrusts his hips against her. She moans softly as he continues to #$@! her once again.
 
“Well,” Fernando looks at Jeanette as he does Ichigo lovely, “If you’re joining us, strip and get into this bed. If not, get out.”
 
Jeanette reaches behind her to open up the Jumps seat behind the front passenger seat of the bus to sit on, replying, “I’ll sit here and watch, and make sure there’s no interruptions for you two.” She adds, “But Ichigo, you need to be more quiet about it!”
 
Jeanette’s word, though registering in Ichigo’s head, are not being adhered to as Fernando sends her into a second orgasm and then a third a few minutes later. She is becoming a quivering mass of female flesh with every orgasm he sends her through. But Fernando does have his limits and he was approaching his as Ichigo was approaching her fourth. She cums again for the fourth and final time ahead of him before he pins the head of his shaft up against her cervix and starts pumping his seed into her tiny Uterus. She thrusts her hips forward against him as she can feel him filling her up with his baby-making protein from within.
 
After a couple of minutes of pumping his seed into her, his balls subside before shutting down. He slowly pulls out his shaft and rests it on her pubis mons, still looking down at her. She could just look back at him with her mouth dropped open as reality returns to her sex-clouded brain begins to clears up. He slowly lets her go before sitting on his knees.
 
Ichigo props herself up onto her elbows. She looks up at him kneeling between her spread open legs and down at herself to where his cum soaked shaft rests on her puffy mound. Her adult voice returns to her though it is still like a little girl’s voice though the tones and inflections are that of a grown up. She wants to say a lot of things but the only thing that comes out her mouth is, “I’m sorry.”
 
“Sorry for what?” He asks.
 
“Sorry for... testing you, for teasing you , for challenging you, for saying those things about Macey and all. You’re more than any man should be.” Ichigo replies.
 
“I should be apologizing to you.” He says.
 
“For what?” Ichigo asks.
 
“For basically taking you and having my way with you, in short raping you.” He says.
 
“That was not rape, not when you’re pushed to that extent like I did of you. I deserved to be shown how much of a man you are and where I belong as a woman around you as a man.” Ichigo explains.
 
“I might own your ass but that does not give me the right to abuse it like I just did.” He says.
 
“You own my ass, like you do the rest of me. I’m yours as your slave, I have to be more respectful to you in that regard.” She points out.
 
“Look. When we get to Charlton, in the agreement you and I have I’m releasing you from that debt to me. I just want you to be more cooperative and more willing to support this group, not work against it like some have.” He tells her.
 
“I promise you all that and more.” Ichigo relies. For the moment they remain quiet before Ichigo makes a request. “Could we do this more often?”
 
“You mean the sex?” Fernando asks.
 
Ichigo drops herself from her elbows onto the bed, looking up at the camper’s ceiling, “You don’t have to fall in love with me, but I may have of you.” She hesitates to continue for a moment but eventually says, “Being an adult in a child’s body has not been easy for me, too many creeps out there wanting me to fulfill their little girl fantasies. But you’re not like that all, and that is what I want and what I need.” She pauses for a second before continuing, “At least I can trust you in keeping me safe from those from Fight Town wanting me dead.”
 
“Don’t worry Ichigo, We will protect you.” Jeanette lets herself to be heard.
 
“I doubt you can do anything compared to him. Him however, I seen him kill the Lich. That says something about what he can do compared to you.” Ichigo tells her.
 
“I took no pleasure in killing the Lich, all I wanted was information in saving Hondo’s wife. In that, anybody getting in the way of a rescue...” Fernando begins to say.
 
“...deserves what they get, including death.” Jeanette finishes for him. Both Ichigo and Fernando look at her from their respective places. “What?” Jeanette says to them both.
 
“Like I said, if you are going to stay here you might as well strip and join us on this bed.” Fernando tells her.
 
“I’m not interested in joining you two.” Jeanette replies.
 
“Yeah, she is only interested in girls.” Ichigo throws back at her.
 
“Now wait a minute!” Jeanette responds.
 
“That would answer a lot of questions.” Fernando says, throwing in, “None of which I want answered in the first place.” He then looks down at Ichigo, “As for you...” He puts his penis back in his briefs, “What am I going to do with you? For the day that is.”
 
“Anything you want me to do, I’ll do it.” Ichigo answers, putting her hand to her crotch and pulling her black nylon panties back into place.
 
“Lunch is not for an hour or two, and it is too hot outside to do anything.” Fernando says to himself though the others heard him before he gives an answer, “As long as you can stay out of trouble you are free to do as you wish before lunch time and then you must help prepare the meal with the others.”
 
“If you do not mind, I’ll spend my time here with you.” Ichigo tells him, before turning to face Jeanette, “Alone.”
 
“Look, I’m tired, not from what I just did to you but tired from the heat and staying up all night with the night patrol. I just want to rest until lunch time before I get on the radio and check on Hondo and the others.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Then I’ll stay here with you.” Ichigo replies.
 
“And if I want to be alone?” Fernando asks sternly.
 
“We got a lot to talk about. I want us to at least do that.” Ichigo answers.
 
“Jeanette. You know your options. What will it be?” Fernando asks of her.
 
“I’ll be outside and check on you two before lunch.” Jeanette replies as she slowly gets up, making her way to the door.
 
“I’ll see you later then.” Fernando tells her as she opens the sliding door. In a few seconds, the sliding door closes shut.
 
Fernando gets up off the bed and pops open the top of the camper to allow it to expand the space and let air flow about the camper from the pop-top. After looking over the snap-struts of the pop-up partition, he goes back to the bed to lie down and rest. Ichigo crawls up to him and puts her head onto his chest. She lets out a sigh as she slides her hand up and down his body, feeling the muscles underneath his skin.  
 
“Fernando... I’m sorry for having testing and teasing you all this time. I deserve what you did to me and a lot more.” She tells him.
 
“No one deserves to be raped like I did you.” He tells her.
 
Ichigo remains silent for a moment before giving a reply, “I pushed you to take such action against me, because I was hoping you would take such actions... against me.”
 
“You can’t be that lonely.” He comments.
 
“Maybe I am. But I won’t say because actions speak louder than words.” Ichigo replies as she works her tiny hand into his briefs and pulls out his semi hard shaft, pumping on it.
 
“Ichigo...” Fernando calls to her.
 
She answers with a question, “Do you really mean what you said?”
 
“About?” He asks.
 
“All debts being paid off when we get to where ever it is we are going?” She asks.
 
“Yes.” He answers in a single word.
 
“Then what would it take to stay at your side after that?” She asks.
 
“Why would you want that?” He asks.
 
“Maybe I’m selfish, but I want you there to protect me because people will be after me no matter what, no matter where I go.” She explains. He does not say anything in an immediate response. To try to get his attention and a response, she uses her little girl voice, “Don’t you want me, mister? I’ll do anything for you to protect little me.”
 
“Please don’t do that.” He tells her.
 
“Why not?” She asks in a little girl’s voice.
 
“Because, I’ll tell you this – all men have sick little girl fantasies. Even me. But some like me control it as to not allow it take over and hurt somebody like you. That’s why.” He tells her.
 
*AHEM!* She clears her throat for a second before telling him in her adult voice, “If I can trust you to protect me from those who want to do me harm, then I can trust you with those little girl fantasies too. It goes both ways, and for you I would not mind being a little girl if you want me too.” She pauses for a second before adding, “In fact I want too... I mean, I like being a little girl some times, but only to that right man and that man is you.”
 
Now it is his turn not to say anything.
 
She turns on her little girl’s voice to tease him while she grips his shaft tighter and pumps it, getting it hard again, “Wow, Mister! That is very big...”
 
“Ichigo, please don’t do that.” He tells her.
 
“Why?” Ichigo asks in her little girl’s voice.
 
“I want to rest right now.” He tells her, “I told you that you are free to go out and be free as you like but to also help out make lunch when it is time.”
 
Ichigo bows her head and clears her throat to say in her adult voice, “I need a lot of work to be of any value to anyone but I can put in that work for you like I was before the Bunny Girls arrived. But I need you to protect me, to hide me because there are too many people out there what want me dead, and no way that crazy lady (Jeanette) and her Spirit crows are going to do that, no way they are going to stop a sniper’s bullet from half a mile away*** from  finding me. But I believe you can. And I’ll do anything for that. Want me as a girlfriend? I want to be your girlfriend and love you as such. Want me to be your waifu**? I would want to be your waifu and serve you as such. Want me to be a little girl to fulfill those dirty fantasies? Anytime you want it, I’ll be there all nice and innocent for you. I know how to play my roles you need.”
 
“As per the bet, I own you which make you my slave. I do not agree on owning slaves but to deal with you, I will keep you as such until we get to where we are going and release you of your debt and bondage of me. Until then you are mine to do as you are told and for me to do as I please. But at the same time, I hope I do not end up abusing you, that I do not want to do.” He tells her.
 
“I know. That’s why what happened earlier I am not going to complain about it because in testing and teasing you, I wanted the response you gave me, I wanted to see the man I saw in the ring deal with a bad little girl that I am and deal with her – me – accordingly. You did, and in doing so you did not hurt me though you could have, you could have beaten me but you didn’t. You did what you thought was right in teaching me a lesson and...” she lets out a sigh, “Did you ever!” She pauses for a second, “If in being a slave to you, you only want that of me which my body can offer, you can have me at any time you want me. I hope I can please you in those quiet moments we would have like right now.” She finishes explaining.
 
“If you do, we might end up #$@!ing again.” He tells her.
 
Ichigo bites on her lower lip with half a smile. The thought of having her insides ravaged again by his humongous shaft entices and yet scares her greatly. She goes back to her little girl’s voice to say, “#$@!? You mean you’re going to put that huge dick inside my pussy?”
 
“Ichigo...” He calls to her.
 
She lifts up her t-shirt-dress and looks down at her black panties before looking back at his hardening cock, “I don’t think it would fit.”
 
Fernando sighs, “I swear, we just had sex just a few minutes ago.”
 
“As a little girl to you, it will always be my first time, no matter how many times we end up doing it.” Ichigo explains in her little girl voice.
 
“So you’re saying you’re a virgin as a little girl?” Fernando asks.
 
“For you it will always be my first time as a little girl for you, but, mister, a girl has to do things in order to survive. It’s a bad world out there it’s not all sunshine and lollipops, so I might not be a virgin because of that but as my time with you it will always be my first time with you.” Ichigo explains as a little girl.
 
Fernando sighs for a second, wanting to say something but doesn’t. It prompts Ichigo to ask a question.
 
“AHEM!” She breaks out of her little girl’s voice. “Fernando, what’s the longest you did it with a girl?” She asks.
 
“Non-stop or with breaks?” He asks.
 
“First one and then the other.” She answers.
 
“Well, almost 3 hours non-stop. And 4 days straight, with breaks for rest, food and sleep.” He explains before throwing at her, “What about you?”
 
“Keep in mind it’s things I had to do, so to answer you, all day with several guys and girls, and well, all day with breaks. I cannot say that sex one day continued onto the next day. It’s usually an all-one day affair.” She explains.
 
Fernando does not say a word.
 
“It’s not like I did it all the time, only when there was a promotion to take on. Ever since I became an event manager, those sort of stopped. So it’s been years since I did anything with anyone.” She tries to explain her actions.
 
“I’m not questioning what you did, why you did it or even when, where or with who.” He tells her.
 
It’s Ichigo’s turn to let out a sigh. Then she undid the belt around her “dress” and took off the t-shirt, tossing both onto the bench on next to the bed. She then turns on her side next to him, putting a leg over his. At the same time she takes hold of his hard shaft again, pumping it slightly to keep it hard.
 
“It’s so big I can’t wrap my fingers around it.” She says in her little girl voice.
 
“I bet it can fit inside your pussy.” He tells her before shifting over a tiny bit. He places his hand onto her panties’ crotch, finding them warm and damp.
 
“You should not be touching me down there like that. You can get into a lot of trouble, you know.” She tells him like a little girl would.
 
“You’re the one holding onto my dick and complaining that it is so big.” He tells her.
 
“I’m just making an observation, while you got your hand on my pussy through my panties.”  She tells him in her little girl voice.
 
“I’m making my observation too, and I say it can fit in there.” He tells her.
 
“I seriously doubt it.” She tells him in her little girl voice as she continues to look at his dick she is holding onto.
 
Fernando gives her a gentle push to make her fall on her back and spreads opens her legs at the knees to get himself kneeling between her legs. She managed to hold onto his shaft as this happened, with now his shaft is up against her panty covered pubis mons.
 
“A little girl like you should not be wearing black nylon panties.” He tells her.
 
“Why not? I like them a lot.” She replies like a little girl. She pulls on his shaft to be against her down there, pointing out, “See, you’re too big, mister! You would bust out my belly button if you went in my pussy like that.”
 
Fernando leans over her until he was over her on extended arms as she holds onto his dick. He whispers into her ear, “How about we try it? If it fits, it fits. If it doesn’t fit, you tell me and I’ll pull out for you. Either way I’ll take it easy with you.”
 
She just looks up at him for a second before she reaches down to her panties with her free hand to pull them to the side and nods. Holding her panties to the side, she takes his shaft her hand is holding onto and guides it to her entrance, rubbing its head until her feminine lips pops open and exposes her tunnel’s entrance. She continues to rub the head of his shaft about her open lips, gathering up as much lube from there onto it until she can feel it slide about smoothly.
 
“You want my dick in your pussy or do you just want to slide your pussy up and down on my dick?” He asks her.
 
Ichigo puts the head of his shaft up against her tunnel’s entrance but holds him there tightly with her hand to keep him from thrusting his shaft in her and tells him, “Be patient, it is my first time... and you’re too big...”
 
“I thought little Ichigo was a brave little girl, willing to take on any challenge thrown at her, including this.” Fernando almost taunts her.
 
Ichigo makes a final adjustment to her panties as for them to stay in place while exposing her vaginal entrance to his shaft. At the same time she gives him a challenging stare.
 
“There. Now, go in, slowly...” She tells him in her little girl voice. He thrusts his hips forward as she lessens the grip on his shaft, letting it slide through her fingers and up against her entrance. They both can feel her stretch with resistance as the head of his shaft begins to enter her. She is already breathing heavy with just half the head just past her entrance. “Slowly, like that, slowly...” She tells him like a little girl. Sinking his length in her slowly, her entrance suddenly snaps around behind the head of his shaft as it passes that point and tightly about it. Ichigo moans softly in a high pitch little girl tone before letting her hand go of his shaft. Putting her free arms around his neck, she tells him, “Go ahead, slowly…”
 
Fernando thrusts forward slowly, letting his shaft sink into the depths of her tight little pussy. Even though she was hot and wet, she was still very tight. Tighter than when she was before. His shaft slides into her with much resistance though with each following stroke it gets a bit better and easier as she relaxes until he was stroking her inside and tapping her cervix with ease. Ichigo was beside her little girl self fantasy in sexual bliss.
 
For the next 45 or so minutes, Ichigo orgasmed more times than she could count while he tries to hold of for as long as he can. He would pump his second load of seed into her several minutes before an hour could pass, making her climax one more time. Though he could continue for a third round, he decides to pull out and place his body fluid covered shaft on her pubis mound. She was panting for air heavily trying to stay in her little girl act. Eventually she manages to speak between her breathes.
 
“Oh god mister... what did... you do... to me?” She says in her little girl voice.
 
He looks down at her, “You stay right there while I go out and get lunch for us. Hopefully it is a soup and a sandwich that I requested.”
 
Ichigo looks up at him from her lying down position and nods.
 
Fernando walks about on his knees on the bed together his clothes and puts them on. As he climbs over the bench that has been set up, Ichigo gets the t-shirt she had on before. He gets his hat, glasses and jacket before stepping outside. The sun was very bright, reflecting from the sands from the shore of the lake making it brighter. He went out to check on the others before getting his meals from Ruth inside Hondo’s camper. He was back inside his camper in a couple of minutes. Ichigo kneels on the bed with her hands on the back of the raised up bench.
 
“What you got us?” Ichigo asks.
 
Fernando puts the bag of food on the tiny kitchen counter before going to the bench, grabbing the pull release handles on both sides and polling on them – dropping the back of the bench to extend the bed. He looks at Ichigo kneeling on the bed.
 
“Sit down and we’ll find out. It should be a soup and a sandwich.” He tells her as he points to the bed of the bed. He goes about taking off much of his clothes before opening up the food bag and inventory what is there: two bowls of meat/bean/vegetable soup, two bowls of salad, two Hero Meat (Beef)/Cheese/Salad sandwiches and two (recycled) bottles of orange juice. He hand her a sandwich and bowl of soup.
 
“You know I can’t eat all of this.” Ichigo says in a worrisome complaining tone.
 
He hands her one of the bottles of orange juice, “Then give me half and we’ll eat the other one later.”
 
Ichigo nods before looking at the sandwich and folds it in half, separating it along where it was cut in half. She hands him one of the two halves. She tries to hand him the soup but he refuses.  
 
“Take the soup to replace the salt you would lose sweating from the heat outside.” He tells her.
 
“I’m not going outside.” She replies.
 
“What about all the sweat from being #$@!ed so much?” He asks.
 
“But we’re done, right?” She asks.
 
“We’re taking a break until I take on you again, then we’re continue until dinner is ready.” He begins to say.
 
“But...” She tries to interject.
 
“No Buts. If you need to go to the bathroom, I can open the Dub Box for you.” He tells her.
 
Ichigo sits there, staring into space towards the floor.
 
“Eat up and rest. I got things to do before I start #$@!ing your brains out again. The Dub Box will be unlocked while I am out for you to use the bathroom.” He tells her as he finishes up his last bites of his sandwich. He takes the last swig of juice from his bottle and a napkin from his counter to wipe his mouth. He then wipes down the bottle with the napkin before setting it down on the counter next to the bag of the remaining food. “I’ll be back.” He tells her before leaving the camper.
 
Once out of the camper, he does a quick patrol going from shadow to shadow the vehicles made. Things seem to be calm and quiet as those inside their campers had their meals, with some having their door open to allow the air circulate within their campers. Minerva and Abi see Fernando doing his patrol and step up to their open camper doorway.
 
“Hello Fernando! What are you doing?” Minerva lets out loud as she stands in the shade of the doorway.
 
“Just checking on things.” He replies.
 
“Anything you need us to do?” She asks.
 
“Not really.” He says.
 
“Not really means you may have something for us to do if not now but later on.” Minerva points out.
 
“That may be true that I will need you both for something later on, but for now.” He tells her. He then adds, “I’ll see you later then.”
 
“Laters!” Minerva throws back, as Fernando starts to walk away. They stay in the doorway looking out to see if anything else was going on.
 
Fernando stops by Jeanette’s VW Beetle, as he sees Moro and the two Jeanettes filling the main tank and discuss why the sector is not turning. He walks up to them.
 
“What’s going on?” Fernando asks.
 
“We’re filling Jeanette’s main tank with fuel as it ran out.” Moro says.
 
“I can see that you are filling her tank, but why? You should have 3 more filled tanks to choose from.” Fernando points out.
 
“The selector is broken and stuck on the main tank.” The younger Jeanette says.
 
“Why didn’t you say so? We could have gotten that fixed before lunchtime.” Fernando points out.
 
“If you weren’t screwing that little midget in your camper, we would have asked.” The elder Jeanette says.
 
“Well first of all, who I stick my dick into is my business unless I make it your business by sticking it in you. Two – Whether I was screwing somebody in my camper or not, you should have told me anyways. I’m not leaving anyone behind stranded because they broke down. Look at me – half my engine bay was gutted by a battery fire, which is why we are here now. We are waiting on Hondo to return from town with parts for me to do repairs and then we can go to the next town which is not that far away. Now While Moro fills you main tank, where your tank selector?” Fernando tells her.
 
With reluctance Janette shows the inside of her Beetle and points to an added small panel under and beside the steering wheel.  Fernando gets onto the driver’s seat and checks the selector, finding it difficult to move. He looks under the dash to see how it is connected and finds a steel cable guide from the back of the panel, under the dash, and into the trunk area. He steps out and looks about the trunk area, finding the cable and follows it. It goes under the main tank and is pinched into place. He shakes his head at this.
 
“The Sergeant’s mechanics did this?” Fernando asks.
 
“Well, yes.” Jeanette answers.
 
Fernando looks at the cable but notices that by where is enters the trunk, there was a kink in the cable sheath. A kink that was shown how it was made when Moro puts a suitcase back on the main gas tank, sliding it in place. Fernando shakes his head as he sees Moro walk away thinking that her job was done. He tells Jeanette, “This should be easy to fix but I will need my tools. I’ll be back.”
 
He starts to walk back to his camper though he could have teleported the needed tools, he rather would walk away. He thinks “I swear. The Sarge or his men would not do such shoddy work. Now I got to unkink the cable guide and reroute it out of the way.  If I raise the corner of the gas tank about a quarter inch and support it with some washers; that should fix everything for her.”
 
He goes into the external storage box of the Dub Box and pulls out a small ratchet and open end wrench set. He looks for some washers to raise the gas tank by a quarter inch but can’t find. He did find a chain which the link ends was not welded. Taking the couple of large screw drivers, he inserts them into the last link of the chain and twists the link ends apart to get enough room to slip the link off the chain. He puts the screwdrivers back into the links and twists them close. The thickness of the link is more than enough to raise the gas tank the space he needs and its internal space was large enough for the gas tank bolt to go through.
 
He goes back with his tools and the chain link to fix Jeanette’s Beetle with. Working with VWs is something Fernando is familiar with and he has owned the very year/model she has: ’73 Super Beetle. Moro has finished adding fuel to the main gas tank and was about to close the hood as Fernando approached the vehicle. He reaches out and grabs the front of the hood as it goes halfway down and pushes it back up. He just looks at her.
 
“I’ll take care of it from here.” He tells hers. Moro just looks at him for a second before walking away. “Well thank you then.” He says to himself sarcastically.
 
Fernando goes into trunk area of the Bug and started loosening the bolts that holds the gas tank in place. The added fuel increased the weight of the tank to over 62 pounds of sloshing wet weight. After loosening the bolts, Fernando manages to lift the gas tank enough to wedge the chain link under its rear driver’s side corner. He lines the chain link over a bolt hole then rests on the gas tank onto the link. He then hand tightens all the bolts that holds the tank in place hand tight. Then with the wrench he tightens the bolts down without bending the metal. He begins to move the cable through the gap until he finds a small cut out by the gas tank frame that is not usually there. Examining it closely, it seems that the cable can go into the notch. Looking about his tools he gets a roll of duct tape, moves the cable into the slot and tapes it down in place. He then takes his wrench to loosen the hold down bolts again, remove the chain link and sets the gas tank down against the hole and frame before tightening the hold down bolts on the gas tank on the frame. More duct tape was applied to the cable to secure it against the floor of the truck until it goes into the notch.
 
He goes back into the driver’s seat and tries out the fuel tank sector. It sticks a little when getting out of the main tank but it is smooth when selecting the other tanks. He puts it back onto the main tank selection for one final check before closing the hood of the car.
 
The two Jeanettes look at him with the younger one asking “Is it fixed?”
 
“It’s fixed as it can be to get you anywhere. The handle will stick a little on the main tank but that’s all, it moves smoothly when selecting the other tanks. Next time, gently put your items inside the trunk; who ever threw that luggage into the trunk nearly tore out the selector cable, if they would have been gentle with putting it in, that would not had happened.” Fernando tells them. He then asks, “Now, anything else?”
 
The two Jeanette look at each other for a moment before shaking their heads lightly and saying “No.”
 
“Good. I’ll be on my way then.” Fernando tells them before he pockets the chain link and close up his tools. He goes back to his Dub Box Camper to put away his box of tools within the external storage box on top of the trailer’s tongue and locks it with his padlock.
 
He sits the trailer’s tongue for a moment, letting out a sigh.
 

---

 
(alley way near 4 Chome 17-8 Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo, Japan – between Soba Noodle Shop and CoCo Ichibanya restaurant, not far away from Matsunoya restaurant)
 
Running from the Matsunoya restaurant into the back alley entrances by the Soba Noodle Shop and CoCo Ichibanya Restaurant, a female in riding leather and a heavily scratched up full face helmet tries to distance herself from the place, only to run up against four large men. It was a mistake on her part as the ally away took her further away from the parking lot where her motorcycle ride was at. Knowing she would be taken away and killed, she decides to make her last stand there.
 
Four more men poured out of Matsunoya, the Soba Noodle Shop and CoCo Ichibanya restaurants. She from her hip pockets she pulls a pair of fist blades for each hand, a brass knuckle like device but with 4in blades coming out between each of the finger rings for a total of 3 blades per hand. The closest one to her get sliced across his abdomen, spill his guts on the floor like a police confession. His friend next to him gets sliced across the neck and face. With the closest and she though weaker down, she would try to make another run for her escape. The sliding mechanism of a shot gun is heard before she feels a hard blow at the center of her back hitting her hard. The layered ballistic and motorcycle crash protection panels under the leather kept the buck shot from penetrating her body but she still felt the force of it as it knocks her down. She turns on her back to take a swing with her blades at anyone trying to pick her up. A shotgun is put against the acrylic of her lowered face visor.
 
A short fat old man walks though those surrounding her, putting his foot on her wrist and putting his weight on it.
 
“Heh... this is the famous Hiromi Gee. You and your father cost me too much in time, money, men and resources. But now I have you where I want you. Boys do with you as you will but I want her alive for the Spirits to finish their work on her!” the old man says before getting off her wrist and steps away for her to be picked up by his men.
 
The men nod on silence the one with the shot gun steps away from her while others have their weapons aimed at her as they get her up. Once she was on her feet, one of the men’s heads seem to explode, then another, and another. Rifle shots can be heard coming from different directions, confusing them as to where to look and shoot back though their numbers were dwindling about them. The old fat man hunches over with his arms over his head and makes a run to the Soba Noodle Shop.
 
A female voice echoes across the alley way, “Hiromi – RUN!”
 
She does not need any more hits thrown her way. She runs to the other end of the curved alley way, then up a side street to a nearby parking lot on Ekimae Hongo- 4-Chome. She runs into the building and up one floor, towards the back where the smaller vehicles are parked. Once she sees her ride in view, she slows her running to a brisk walk and then a normal paced walk. She steps up to an old small Super Bike that has seen better days in its 70+ years of existing. But the words still echo in her head  of her younger days...
 
“If it has a computer in it, for any reason, you do not want it or else the spirits will take it over and track you with it where ever you go.”
 
“Yes daddy.” She would reply, adding and wrenching another part they managed to scrounge or traded for.
 
From those days it only took a few short weeks to get this ride going, a late 80s White, Black and Grey Suzuki Katana 750 – the smallest Super Bike of its time and probably still is for all intents and purposes. Almost 300HP on six tiny cylinders on this small engine; top speed is unknown though the speedometer goes to 200mph though she’s only taken it to 150 on the highways.

 
Checking her luggage pods on the bike, she steps over and straddles the bike, taking it down off its kick stand and balancing it with her body. She takes off her helmet for second, swaying her long black hair. Back and forth before throwing it back. She combs her fingers through her hair on the right side as her left holds onto her helmet, stopping at the Mouse ear that was there.
 
“I hope dad found the cure or can otherwise reverse me to back to being human again. Those assholes need to be stopped before they pour that Wessen solution into the Tokyo reservoir and turn everyone into Mouse Wessens like they did me with just a glass of tainted water. I swear, they are all going to pay for this... somehow.” She says to herself.
 
Taking her hands to flatten her ears against her head, Hiromi slides her helmet onto her head and clasp the straps together again. Remembering how, she keep the magneto off while using the starter as the engine and slowly rides the motorcycle out of the parking garage in silence and onto the street. Once on the main highway-street of 301, she flicks the switch to turn on the magneto and all 6 tiny cylinders come to life as 300 horses grip the rear wheel to the road. From Zero to 100 in less than 5 seconds she rides the highway of Tokyo to find a way out of the city to find her father and tell him of what they are preparing to do to Tokyo and with her friends to try to stop them before they do.  
 
 

---

Notes:
* “Don’t be a goldfish!” – come from the fact that the goldfish is an animal that will eat and drink in its own toilet bowl. A person “being a goldfish” is one who is willing to start trouble in order to prove a point regardless of the consequences that are to fall on them from taking such actions.
 
**  “Waifu” - Japanese for wife.
 
*** “sniper’s bullet from half a mile away” – The officially released record is 6+ miles, one by a US Sniper/Soldier and another by a UK Sniper/Soldier. Both used slightly modified rifles used by the average soldier from their countries.

Who knows how many days had passed, Hiromi wakes up though in a lot of pain and exhausted to the point of passing out but she manages to hold on. She tries to get up but cant. She tries to move her arms and legs but cant, only barely. She turns her head around, seeing that she is in some sort of lab or hospital room, too clean and sterile, to be a public facility, secured to the bed by leather belts used for highly aggressive psychiatric patients while lying naked on the bed. Then she starts noticing things about herself.
 
Days before somebody has used her electronic key and searched her hotel suite. Though monitored and accessed by her ‘coworkers’, they were eventually caught and taken to “headquarters” for questioning. His statement verifies what was theorized when Hiromi did not show up for the mission and collaborated with some witness statements of her being taken away. The information they got was that Hiromi was taken by Spirit Agents to a Spirit Lab Facility inside one of the “better hospitals” used by people of wealth, power and political influence for the best medical care provided by Spirit Technology. As for the captured Spirit Agent, he was found floating in Tokyo Bay days later.
 
Meetings are made in the next few days to find her and attempt a rescue once she is found. But what condition would she be found in? Spirit labs tend to do things to those brought in, from Organ Harvesting to being subjected to various experiments. No one knows what was being done to her. As a known Anti-Spirit Sympathizer, though the Spirit hive considers her as a resistance fighter and terrorist, they would probably torture her during an interrogation before doing anything else to her. Like everything else, they make their mission plans of rescuing her with minimal intel and almost zero time to set up.
 
An old bald man with thick glasses and a bright white lab coat that does little to hide his bad body odor or the wrinkles and age-spots speckled of his face, long gauntlet leather gloves with rubber trim covers his hands and half his forearms step up to her bed and looks down at her.
 
“Ahbout Tyme you woke up. I thought we have to eliminate a hunter group for damaging a valuable target that you are.” He tells her.
 
“Where am I and what you done to me! I demand to see a lawyer!” She tells him.
 
“Tisk, tisk… Miss Hiromi Gii. Terrorists get no lawyers by Spirit law. They are guilty sight unseen. Admit your guilt and accept your punishment, and the whole of Tokyo will be happy for it.” He tells her. He then looks over to her, putting his gloved hand on her, turning her face from side to side, “Tell me, Miss Hiromi, feeling sick to your stomach? Fever? Hot Flashes?”
 
Hiromi thinks in disgust as to what may have been done to her. She curls in her lips in anger but sense them to different from what she grew up with. He throws at her again, “If you’re feeling sick, you will be treated as necessary. We can’t our star experiment to fail before her day in court.”
 
“#$@! You! May You Rot In Hell!” She tells him.
 
He lets go of her face and presses a button on the panel of her bed. Several hundred volts at a non-injuring amperage coursed through her body, enough to cause great pain but not enough to permanent injury to her though her screams brings no relief or attention to bring it. He then tells her, “Cooperation will be less painful than denial resistance. That was setting two. Setting ten will kill you. I will increase the settings every time you decide not to cooperate. Now let’s start with something simple. How many light fixtures are on the ceiling above my head?”
 
Hiromi angrily sighs before looking past him, answering “There is only one light fixture.”
 
He replies with “Wrong.” Before pressing the button the bed’s panel sending more painful shocks of electricity through her.
 
She howls loudly in pain for the duration the button being pressed. She is left panting for air when the button is released when another Lab tech enters the room.
 
“Doctor Albrecht! We lost containment in the bio lab! You’re assistance is needed immediately!” The young female lab tech says a loud as she trots into the room, getting close enough to grab him by his arm.
 
Dr. Albrecht pulls his arm out of her grasp, “Listen here young lady! I’m dealing with a patient here!”
 
The young lab tech yells back, “You want to end up looking like patient?!  Four Lab Associates trapped in the lab are now in that situation, becoming Maushertz Wessens as we speak! Now come! Hurry!”
 
The one thing that Dr. Albrecht has picked up is the lack of an alarm signifying something going wrong in the bio lab. The other thing he is slowly picking up on is the lack of any ID Tags on the tech’s lab coat as there should be. He opens his mouth as he steps away from the patient’s bed, “There are no alarms coming from the bio lab... And where’s your ID Tags?!”
 
The Lab tech searches her self before throwing out, “It must have fell when I was told to come get you!” She tries to grab his arm again as she points to the door, “Come! Before We All Turn Into Maushertz!”
 
Dr. Albrecht throws his arm for her not to get it, but is met with a side kick to his belly. He doubles over in pain, not feeling the cold metal being put to the back of his neck, followed by 30,000 volts being sent through his upper spine and lower brain region. He shudders  for a moment, almost floating in mid air before the stun gun is removed from his neck and drops to the floor, dead or alive, it remains to be seen.
 
The lab tech goes to the side of the bed, picking up the patient clip board to see who it is. As expected it was Hiromi Gii but it was not Hiromi Gii as everyone knew her. The lab has turned her into a Maushertz Wessen. The lab tech reaches into the bed to release the belts on her wrists and stomach before gathering her personal effects that were piled on a nearby table. Hiromi undoes the belts to her ankles as he clothes are thrown onto her lap.
 
“Quickly put them on so we can get out of here!” The lab tech throws at her. Hiromi does not answer no asks a question, knowing who the Lab Tech is by sight and sound.
 
“Haruko, why are you  here and not some other young agent?”  Hiromi asks a she puts on her clothes, or what little she had when she was captured.
 
“I do not trust anyone in helping rescue my best friend and fellow agent.” Haruko answers. She then looks at Hiromi from head to toe before shaking her head. “You will need an owner’s collar if you intend to move about Tokyo on your own.”
 
“I’ll deal with that later. Right now help me strip this asshole out of his clothes and onto the bed. Take everything from his pockets, they might be of use later.” Hiromi throws out.
 
It takes them a couple minutes behind a locked door to strip Dr. Albrecht of his belongings and strapped down to the bed.  Hiromi puts on his lab coat, noting the disgusting smell of Arthritic Ointment and sterilizing agents is has on it. In the right pocket she fine several small test tubes and a sealed syringe. The test tubes are labeled with “Maushertz Serum 1.2” and dated with a date code about 3 weeks old. She puts everything back into the lab coat’s pocket.
 
Hiromi nudges her, “Come on, let’s go!”
 
“Just one more thing.” Hiromi says as she takes the papers from the clip board and puts them into the folder Dr. Albrecht may have brought in. She then stuffs the papers under her arm before they walk to the door. She then asks, “Where are we going?”
 
“To the roof. We got an Airbourne Medical Helicopter on the roof waiting for us.” Haruko says.
 
Hiromi swipes Dr. Albrecht on the room’s door lock locking it shut. Together they go down the hall, though the halls seem to be empty of staff. She asks, “Where is everyone?”
 
“Assault Teams 6, 7 and 8 came in and cleaned house while I was trying to get you out.” Haruko points out.
 
“Then where are they now?” Hiromi asks.
 
“They should be in the Airbourne Medical Helicopter on the roof waiting for us.” Haruko says.
 
“Send them on their way.” Hiromi says.
 
“Why?” Haruko asks.
 
“If the Spirits dare attack, they would attack the Medical Copter with us in it.” Tells her, adding “Send them on their way and we’ll find another way out.”
 
“How? Show me another way out.” Haruko asks.
 
Hiromi pulls out a set of keys, separating one that has a Mercedes symbol on it, “That’s how.” Haruko looks at the Mercedes key, from its size it seems to be for an  expensive model. Hiromi take her by the arm and hauls her to the stair case, in case the alarm goes off, the elevators would be shut down.  
 
Together they run down the stairs to the basement garage  where the high paid staff keeps their expensive vehicles, with Haruko telling the Medi-Copter to leave without them. Once in the basement, the garage seems to be more like a dealership show room for Mercedes and other high end cars, but the problem begins, out of all the Mercedes, which one belongs to Dr. Albrecht? She presses on the Key Fob until one the vehicles signals which one it is connected too. It is at the far end of the garage. They walk then as to not draw attention to themselves, and get into the Mercedes. It takes the no time to drive the Mercedes out of the garage and out onto Tokyo.
 
Once back into her hotel, Hiromi gathers a few things, but giving the keys to Haruko, “Remember to park that shit in the parking lot of Aokigahara Forest* I got things to see and people to do before I go off looking for my father. If anyone can reverse this, he can.”
 
“I can’t let you fly off the handle like that, at least not alone.” Haruko tells her.
 
“Wait for me to come back, until then do not drink the water. Who knows what they put into it.” Hiromi points out. She then adds, “If anyone can get us out of this mess, it would be my father.” She finds an old slave collar from long ago with her father’s initials and puts it on. At least this would make others questioning what she is doing about and alone see the slave collar and think she is doing a job for her master. That is if the stupid street gangs would leave her alone.
 
During the following days there were terrorist attacks against Spirit Targets and their sympathizers. No one knew when the next attack would happen. Though never alone with members of her crew nearby her biggest mistake was to take on her last target alone.
- - - - - - -  
(alley way near 4 Chome 17-8 Hongo, Bunkyo City, Tokyo, Japan – between Soba Noodle Shop and CoCo Ichibanya restaurant, not far away from Matsunoya restaurant)
 
Running from the Matsunoya restaurant into the back alley entrances by the Soba Noodle Shop and CoCo Ichibanya Restaurant, a female in riding leather and a heavily scratched up full face helmet tries to distance herself from the place, only to run up against four large men. It was a mistake on her part as the ally away took her further away from the parking lot where her motorcycle ride was at. Knowing she would be taken away and killed, she decides to make her last stand there.
 
Four more men poured out of Matsunoya, the Soba Noodle Shop and CoCo Ichibanya restaurants. She from her hip pockets she pulls a pair of fist blades for each hand, a brass knuckle like device but with 4in blades coming out between each of the finger rings for a total of 3 blades per hand. The closest one to her get sliced across his abdomen, spill his guts on the floor like a police confession. His friend next to him gets sliced across the neck and face. With the closest and she though weaker down, she would try to make another run for her escape. The sliding mechanism of a shot gun is heard before she feels a hard blow at the center of her back hitting her hard. The layered ballistic and motorcycle crash protection panels under the leather kept the buck shot from penetrating her body but she still felt the force of it as it knocks her down. She turns on her back to take a swing with her blades at anyone trying to pick her up. A shotgun is put against the acrylic of her lowered face visor.
 
A short fat old man walks though those surrounding her, putting his foot on her wrist and putting his weight on it.
 
“Heh... this is the famous Hiromi Gee. You and your father cost me too much in time, money, men and resources. But now I have you where I want you. Boys do with you as you will but I want her alive for the Spirits to finish their work on her!” the old man says before getting off her wrist and steps away for her to be picked up by his men.
 
The men nod on silence the one with the shot gun steps away from her while others have their weapons aimed at her as they get her up. Once she was on her feet, one of the men’s heads seem to explode, then another, and another. Rifle shots can be heard coming from different directions, confusing them as to where to look and shoot back though their numbers were dwindling about them. The old fat man hunches over with his arms over his head and makes a run to the Soba Noodle Shop.
 
A female voice echoes across the alley way, “Hiromi – RUN!”
 
She does not need any more hits thrown her way. She runs to the other end of the curved alley way, then up a side street to a nearby parking lot on Ekimae Hongo- 4-Chome. She runs into the building and up one floor, towards the back where the smaller vehicles are parked. Once she sees her ride in view, she slows her running to a brisk walk and then a normal paced walk. She steps up to an old small Super Bike that has seen better days in its 70+ years of existing. But the words still echo in her head  of her younger days...
 
“If it has a computer in it, for any reason, you do not want it or else the spirits will take it over and track you with it where ever you go.”
 
“Yes daddy.” She would reply, adding and wrenching another part they managed to scrounge or traded for.
 
From those days it only took a few short weeks to get this ride going, a late 80s White, Black and Grey Suzuki Katana 750 – the smallest Super Bike of its time and probably still is for all intents and purposes. Almost 300HP on six tiny cylinders on this small engine; top speed is unknown though the speedometer goes to 200mph though she’s only taken it to 150 on the highways.

 
Checking her luggage pods on the bike, she steps over and straddles the bike, taking it down off its kick stand and balancing it with her body. She takes off her helmet for second, swaying her long black hair. Back and forth before throwing it back. She combs her fingers through her hair on the right side as her left holds onto her helmet, stopping at the Mouse ear that was there.
 
“I hope dad found the cure or can otherwise reverse me to back to being human again. Those assholes need to be stopped before they pour that Wessen solution into the Tokyo reservoir and turn everyone into Mouse Wessens like they did me with just a glass of tainted water. I swear, they are all going to pay for this... somehow.” She says to herself.
 
Taking her hands to flatten her ears against her head, Hiromi slides her helmet onto her head and clasp the straps together again. Remember how, she keep the magneto off while using the starter as the engine and slowly rides the motorcycle out of the parking garage in silence and onto the street. Once on the main highway-street of 301, she flicks the switch to turn on the magneto and all 6 tiny cylinders come to life as 300 horses grip the rear wheel to the road. From Zero to 100 in less than 5 seconds she rides the highway of Tokyo to find a way out of the city to find her father and tell him of what they are preparing to do to Tokyo and with her friends to try to stop them before they do. She only has about enough food and water in one of her motorcycle luggage pods for about 3 or 4 days, and her personal items of clothes, a small tent and a winter sleeping bag in the other luggage pod. The evidence of what is being done it in a sealed test tube between her breasts and the folder of notes and things from Dr. Albrecht stuffed into the side with the food pod.
 
While on the road, she thinks as to where her father could be, and one of the few answers is Mitsuminejinja Shinto Temple, near Mount Wanakurayama. Getting there will not be easy, as the last mile or so is on rugged terrain and not on paved roads.
 

---

Note:
*Aokigahara Forest is known as “Suicide Forest” or “Suicide Park,” where people tend to go there, park their cars in the parking lot and walk deep into the forest where they kill themselves by various means. The wildlife takes care of their bodies after the suicide.

[Hondo’s Camper 2:00 am to 10:00 am -ish]
 
Molly and Maggie watched as Hondo and the teens leave before heading inside where Tonya had gone already. Molly had started to fill Maggie in on the basic information about the skin-walkers, but the talk had made Tonya more nervous, so she went inside before Hondo had even pulled away. Though Molly spared Maggie some of the details, and some of Hondo’s worries on them, the talk still made her a cit more nervous, but not as nervous as Molly thought she would be.  
 
Once inside, they found Tonya armed up, with her rifle and pistol, sitting on the dinette and looking out the window.
 
“You alright?” Molly asked.
 
“I don’t like these Skin-walkers… Papa seemed to unsure about them and.. and I’ve heard stories… They used to tell us if we ran away from out masters and tried to hide in the forest that the skin-walkers would find us and do horrible things to us before we died… a brother and sister pair, fellow slaves and friends of mine, were bought at the same time I was by the same master, they tried to run away after the Master’s brother got the sister pregnant and threatened to kill her and the baby… She was found, but something had happened to her. She lost her mind and starved herself to death… They claimed her brother was eaten alive and the skin-walkers took her baby from inside of her for one of their sick rituals… I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I don’t want to find out.” Tonya replied quietly, in a sad tone, as she glanced around nervously.
 
Molly shook her head, “I don’t know if they are real, but I’ve heard the stories before. I think it was your masters that did that to her, not skin walkers. You said your Master was a real bastard, right?”
 
Maggie turned away from them and shuddered, the story reminding her of what she had went through, when they took her child from out of her and denied it life.
 
Tonya nodded, “Yeah he was but… You didn’t see her, Sophie that is, that girl I told you about… That fear in her eyes. It.. It was like she was not herself anymore… I know our master’s were bad people and did horrible things to those of us they owned, but no matter how bad it got, I never saw anyone so broken mentally in such a short time.”
 
“Some of us are not as strong as others, mentally. Making taking her child and killing her brother was enough… I’m not saying they don’t exist, but I just don’t believe everything I hear about them. If there are any evil boogie men out there, it’s those spirits.” Molly replied.
 
“Th.they are real.” Maggie said softly, looked at her feet like she tended to do, since eye contact was so hard for her.
 
“The skin-walkers?” Molly asked.
 
Maggie nodded.
 
“I knew it!” Tonya Growled softly, as she tightened her grip on the rifle.
 
“B.b.but, I.. I don’t think the r.r.rumors are all t.true… W.we had a few in the lab… at least they called them skin-walkers, though two looked l.l.like rabbit wessens with horns, and the others w.were different and some we were not allowed to get close to… They w.w.were being studied… experimented on… I…” She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, “ … I saw them… was forced to help with a few… They were scared… they cried… Maybe some have d.done bad things, so have s.s.s.ome wessens, like H.hector, and some h.h.human’s like your old masters and m.my masters at the lab… I.. I d.don’t think they are monsters… If they are, it’s..it’s because of us…. For what we did to them, th.they deserve to hate. I hate myself for w.w.what I did to them and others, so how can they n.not hate me?”  
 
Maggie’s eye’s watered as she tried to keep back the memories and the tears. She so hated herself for her cowardice. She had only tried to survive, and at the time she told herself that was enough, but she knew it was not enough, as she knew the atrocities she helped commit were not worth what it took to preserve her own life, especially from all the pain and trauma she endured during that life. Maybe they would have found another to carry on in her place, but at least her suffering would have ended and she would have not added to other’s suffering, had she stood up to them and died.  
 
Molly put a hand on Maggie’s shoulder to which she jumped a bit, like usual, before stealing herself.
 
“It’s alright. We’ve all done things we are not proud of, and have all had things done to us that give us the right to hate. But Hondo and Fernando have given us a second chance, and shown us what standing together for what is right can do. We have to take that chance and use it. We can’t hate, ourselves or others. Hondo told me that not all involved are evil, but many are pushed to it because they are without hope. They are still responsible for their actions, like we both are for things we’ve done in the past, but the difference between us and the true monsters is we can be different now and we did not do what we did willingly or without guilt.” Molly replied.
 
Maggie just nodded, as she was afraid she would cry out load if she tried to talk. She knew Molly was right, but she still felt hopeless at times. When she slept, she could often see the terrified faces of their test subjects, hear their screams, and see their broken, deformed, mutilated bodied, bodies mutilated by her hands at times. She would wake in terror at times, feeling as if her hands were still covered in their blood, and have to run to a sink and wash them. She often continued to wash them until they were sore, yet they still did not feel clean. She cried over a sink or a bucket of water many times as the guilt washed over her and she saw her hands as if stained in blood. Though the sexual trauma left a big scare on her, she told herself she deserved the pain and humiliation they put her through. She deserved it all and more for what she helped put their test subjects through. Though she was scared of what might be done to her at times, she could not think of anything that could be done to her that would be enough to atone for what she had done. She only hoped she could find strength with these people and learn how to better help people for a change. Maybe then she could keep from having more blood on her hands. The current stains would never be removed, but she had to do something to help and keep from the stains getting worse as she could not live with them being worse.  
 
Tonya sighed and nodded in agreement, knowing she had done things before that she was not proud about, but her guilt was more on what she had done since, and the ingratitude it had shown the man who had rescued her and even called her daughter, despite being a wessen and a former slave to boot. Though most wessen were slaves, not all of them were, and those who weren’t often seemed to look down on those who were. Though she hated being a lowly slave and a wessen, she wondered if that’s all she was cut out for. The first person to treat her like more than what she was, who even treated her as if she was human, and she acted no better than some feral, by biting the hand that fed her, metaphorically speaking.
 
After a moment of silence Molly spoke again, “Alright, then. We have a few hours until daylight, so should make some use of it. Ruth will probably be by to handle breakfast around six, or maybe a little before, and the girls should be getting up not long after. Tonya, why don’t you go rest on your father’s bed.” Having never slept in it with Hondo, she still saw it as his and not theirs, “When the girls get up I want you to stay with them and look after them. Help Ruth if she needs it, but once the girls are dressed and fed, turn on those moving pictures for them in the bedroom, and tell them they need to stay there, unless told otherwise as it’s not safe outside.”
 
Tonya wanted to question her, wondering what made her the boss. She had been with Hondo since before he met Molly, and Molly was not officially his wife, just claimed by him and sleeping with him, which made Tonya a bit more jealous. The only thing that stopped her, besides being tired and the fact that the task was easy and Molly had been kind and friendly towards her, was that she had already hurt Hondo enough with her sharp words and acting on her feelings. She felt that Molly looked down on her, as she did not know Molly too had been a slave in the past, though Molly had been nothing but friendly. She did not know much about Molly at all, but she felt she was taking a place in Hondo’s life that she should be filling. Valentine had hurt her badly, but she had been there for her at first, and she felt more resentment towards Molly for seeming to act like she could take Valentine’s place, than she felt towards Valentine for driving her away, where she was humiliated and driven to Hector, who poisoned her mind against her father and uncle. It was a flurry of emotions, and normally she kept them down, liking Molly’s company, but at the moment her taking over and giving the orders galled her. She made a mental note to talk to Hondo later about this.
 
Instead of saying anything she felt she just nodded, “Alright.”
 
Molly turned to Maggie, who seemed stare at the floor vacantly.
 
“Maggie?” Molly called out.
 
Maggie looked up quickly, “Hmm?! I’m sorry, were you t.talking to me? I.. I was just… I got thinking, I guess… S.s.sorry.”
 
“Nothing to be sorry about. I was just asking Tonya to watch the girls until Hondo got back.” Molly replied.
 
“*Asked? More like told.*” Tonya thought to herself.
 
“W.what sh.sh.should I do?” Maggie asked.
 
“You should get some sleep until Ruth comes, then give her a hand… Tonya, can she use your bed until then?” Molly asked.
 
Tonya shrugged before replying hesitantly, “Uhm, … I guess she can.”
 
“I can s.s.sleep in the recliner, until they get here. That way I’ll w.wake up when they arrive.” Maggie said quickly.
 
Molly sighed and nodded, feeling some tension from Tonya on her reply, though she tried to write it off as them all being tired.
 
“Alright. When the girls get up, I’ll use their bed and rest some, so I can keep an eye on those rabbit sisters. If either of you need me, wake me up. Until then, I’ll be right outside, watching.” Molly said.
 
Tonya just turned and crawled up into the loft without another word, and Maggie took off her jacket before plopping down into the chair and covering her arms, chest, and waist with the jacket. As she leaned back, Molly pulled a jacket out of the coat closet to put on, as she had not been wearing one, grabbed a cigarillo from Hondo’s stash, and a lighter, her rifle, and went outside. Once outside and the door closed, she sat down on the steps and lit the cigarillo. She drew deeply on it and held the smoke in her mouth for as long as she comfortably could before blowing it out her nose. It burnt a little, as the tobacco in this one was drying out a little, but it was not too much to stand. The burning almost woke her up a bit more, which was good.
 
“Molly?” A familiar voice called out of the dark, as a figure approached.  
 
Though the voice was familiar, and she did not recognize it immediately, and tensed a bit, seeing only a female figure in the dark. Soon the figure approached close enough she could start to make them out, and she relaxed as she realized it was only Joanna.
 
“It’s me, Joanna.” Molly answered after she was sure who it was.
 
“You had me worried you were one of those skin-walkers, when you didn’t answer right away. And, please, just call me Jo.” She replied.
 
“I forgot that they said they couldn’t talk, so I thought maybe you were one when you were approaching!” Molly replied.
 
Jo shook her head, “They can’t talk, or so it seems. Did Hondo say different?”
 
Molly shook her head, “No. I didn’t believe they existed until today, honestly. I mean, James and I have seen some strange beings before, but I assumed they were some sort of feral… I’m starting to wonder if they weren’t… Just not sure what to think about them.”
 
“I’d not worry too much. I’ve heard some are bad, but I’ve generally known most to be fairly kind, shy, and easy to get along with, if you treat them right. They are only usually dangerous if they are hunted, treated badly, our you capture one of their kind.” Jo replied.
 
“So, you’ve known some?” Molly asked.
 
Jo shrugged, “I’m not sure anyone can truly know them, but we had some that would come close to the farm at times, and when out hunting, I’ve ran across some before. Had one that used to tag along on my hunts to make sure I didn’t shoot one of their own. They are fairly rare, honestly, and usually stay away from people. And though some call all of them skin-walkers, there seem to be other kinds that are mistaken for skin-walkers but are not. My grandfather saved one from a trap once. Said it was a red-eyed rabbit wessen with horns like an antelope, that wore nothing but an old hooded jacket. She was the reason some hung around, I’m told. It was not until after grandpa died that we actually saw her, so we all thought he was making it up or going crazy. I still remember him heading out into the woods with an axe, a bow, his old pistol, a blanket roll, some jerky, and a couple bottles of whiskey. Not sure what all went on out there, but he’d sometimes be gone for two or three days and come back with empty bottles and some game meat. We all swore he was going and getting drunk out in the woods alone. We figured it was because he missed Grandma. She died before I was born, so I never met her, but I know he missed her. Whenever someone would ask where the whiskey went, he’d say his Jackie drank it. Grandma was Samantha, or Sam for short, so we just thought he was losing it or had a joke he wasn’t letting us in on. We figured out later that he called this rabbit wessen, or skin-walker or whatever she was, Jackie and that they like to drink and #$@!. It was only then we understood that Grandpa wasn’t a liar, going crazy, or a drunk. He was just a horny old man.”
 
Molly laughed and shook her head, “Ha, Ha!! … That’s funny! So, your grandpa was rolling in the woods with a skin-walker. He must have been quite an interesting character.”
 
“Oh, he was! He was smart and had an opinion about everything and was not afraid to tell it, but he also had this mysterious side too… I do miss him. But for Jackie being a skin-walker, I’m not sure she was. The ones she seemed to refer to as skin-walkers sometimes looked like animals and sometimes more like wessen, but there were some she called white-walkers too that looked similar. The skin-walkers she told us to stay away from.. But their shape shifting from human-like to animal sort of  seemed like what most of the spirits do, how some can shape shift into an animal form, but these did not speak, not at least in the sense we do.” Jo replied.
 
“This Rabbit wessen, or whatever she was, she told you that?” Molly asked.
 
“Sort of. And she told us she was definitely not a wessen either. She was something else. She could not talk either, but she could write a little and use Indian hand signs. I learned a little of the hand sign so I could talk to her easier. She could hear us, so she was not deaf, but she could not speak. She also seemed to just disappear at times or reappear. Dad said she was stealthy, but I’m not so sure about that. I’m extremely hard to sneak up on, and there were times I’d be sitting in a tree waiting along a game trail and I’d look over and she was just there all of a sudden! I never saw her come or leave, but I swear she could just make herself disappear, kind of like Fernando can.” Jo replied.
 
“Hondo can too, but I don’t understand how it works or anything. He doesn’t use the ability a lot. I asked him why, and he says he doesn’t want to make a habit of it and end up getting lazy.” Molly replied.
 
“Heh! Screw that! If I could do that, I’d use it all the time! I’d be popping out of here every night for a hot shower, meal I didn’t have to cook, and a soft bed.” Joanna replied.
 
Before Molly could reply, the radios lit up with Fernando asking for a roll call. When it was their turns, Molly called in for herself, Maggie, Tonya and the girls, and Joanna called in for herself, Ruth and the others in their campers. Molly shook her head at Tonya asking about the skin-walkers over the radio. She thought she should know better, but she would talk to Hondo about it and let him handle it, since Tonya was his adopted daughter and not hers. She liked Tonya, but occasionally she felt some tension between them, unsure as to why though she had a few guesses. Where Tonya left off, Karl picked up and that had both Joanna and Molly shaking their heads.
 
“I’m not sure he will ever learn.” Jo said mostly to herself after the radios went silent again.
 
Molly shrugged, “It’s harder for some to adjust, but he seems like a nice enough guy.”
 
“Did Hondo tell you what he did with Tonya and Ruth?” Joanna asked.
 
Molly nodded, “He did. Karl was wrong and he was punished for it, still is a bit it sounds like, but he came from being a slave with abusive master, where no one ever looked out for him. I have a feeling he doesn’t make friends easily either. Plus, I’ve known slaves who had masters like that, and even their fellow slaves will betray each other to save their own skins, as surviving is the only thing they can try to do. It’s not good or right, but until you go through it, it’s hard to understand why they act that way. There are not many who would stand up for a fellow slave when they know it will only incur a worse punishment for themselves and probably not save their fellow slave from anything. I’ve heard of some of those slave owners that if one slave stands up for another, the original one can get out of punishment if they punish the one who stood up for them doubly what they would have gotten, so if they were to get 20 lashes, they have to give the one who stood up for them 40 lashes. If they do not, they both get 20 anyway.”
 
“That’s barbaric!” Joanna exclaimed.
 
Molly shrugged, “I guess, but it’s effective in what they are trying to accomplish. They keep their slaves from being friends or standing up for each other, as that breeds contempt, and they usually keep them competing in other ways, like letting them sleep in the house by the fire for a night or a week if they harvest the most, or giving them food from the masters table, which makes the cold or those eating scraps angry at the favored one.”
 
Jo shook her head, “I don’t understand why, though. What do they gain?”
 
“Some of it is because they can. They like manipulating. Some of it is because, though some humans see us wessen as barely more than animals, we have human minds, wills, and desires.” Molly replied.
 
“That’s because you basically are human. Hondo and Fernando both have confirmed this.” Jo replied.
 
Molly nodded, “True, and as such we can’t be ran like animals. A set of reigns on some oxen wessen hitched to a plow, some hay and a wooden fence aren’t enough to keep them working and contained like true oxen. The minds need manipulated too. Some wessen just give in to being slaves, as their programming worked, or they are too scared to think otherwise, but some need more convincing.”
 
Joanna nodded, “I hadn’t thought about all that, really. You must have gotten around a lot as you have some good insights into that stuff.”
 
Molly looked down sadly, “I’ve seen some things and been through some things, yeah. Was a slave a couple times myself, but was thankfully set free by my last owners, though that did not go as smoothly as it should have either.”
 
“We haven’t really gotten a chance to talk, you and I, that is.” Joanna said.
 
Molly shrugged, “Not gotten a chance to talk with anyone but Terri, Lala, Lili, Marvin, Karl, and a few of the other wessen who were staying at the hanger with us. Didn’t figure you humans had much use for my kind, especially those of us who are free.”
 
Joanna frowned, “We probably deserve to be thought of that way, but please don’t think Hondo and Fernando are the only humans that sees wessens as more than slaves. I admit I was not sure what to believe for a lot of years, but our families always were against owning wessens as slaves, and employed several seasonal worker wessens on our farm, paying them the same as any farm hand.”
 
Molly was about to reply when a light in the center of camp drew her attention. She stood up and walked a couple paces to see what was going on better, with Joanna at her side. They both relaxed to see it was Fernando lighting some lamps and placing them at the center of camp. Though the light was not a lot, it helped cut the darkness and let them at least see the shadows of the others on patrol, making them feel a little less alone.
 
“I like that.” Molly said.
 
Joanna nodded, “Yeah. Leave it to Fernando to make us feel more at ease in a tense time.”
 
Molly nodded, “Yeah, he’s good about that. They both are… *sigh* … I hope Hondo doesn’t hit any road gangs.”
 
“This time of night shouldn’t be too bad. Most are probably sleeping as there’s not many on the road at this hour.” Joanna replied.
 
Molly nodded, “Yeah.”
 
“You really do love him, don’t you?” Joanna asked.
 
Molly looked down and nodded, “Yeah, I do… I loved James, don’t get me wrong, but it’s different with him. I know we’ve not been together long, but it feels deeper and more meaningful. I.. I can’t explain it.”
 
Joanna shook her head, “I’ve always dreamed of finding love like that, but never have… If you get tired of him, let me know, though, alright? I’m calling dibs on him for me and Ruth.”
 
Molly looked up at her, “You love him too?”
 
“Love? Heh.. I’d not say love, so much. We like him, Ruth probably more than I do, but we both like him. Even our sisters like him, though they are too shy to do anything about it. What he really does is makes us horny!” Joanna replied with a grin.
 
“Really? So, you’re just in heat for him?” Molly asked, in a bit of a surprised tone.  
 
She had been made to service others for survival or the like before, but for her she just did not crave sex from anyone she did not love.
 
Joanna nodded, “Ruth has the hots for just him, but for me either him or Fernando. All they have to do is say they want to breed me and I’ll bend over and bare children for them as often as they want to put one in me!”
 
Molly chuckled and shook her head, “You are bad!”
 
Joanna grinned, “Not much fun being good!”
 
“Heh! True… I take it you are on guard duty.” Molly said.
 
Joanna nodded, “Yeah. We are supposed to do pairs, but the others need to sleep as they need to be rested for meal times. I try to help, but with some gone and not in a secure place, Ruth agreed that it was better for them to handle cooking without me, than to have one less guard.”
 
“Well, we can patrol around our campers together and talk some more, if that sounds good to you.” Molly said.
 
Joanna nodded, “Yeah, I’d like that. Would be nice to have another woman to talk to who isn’t my cousin, especially since Valentine went off the deep end… Say, you’re on the inside on all that, so what’s happening with her?”
 
Molly and Jo continued to talk on and off in the dark, early morning hours, each enjoying the company of a woman with different experiences, but similar views. Through their time patrolling they met up with Karl and David, and Marvin and Mavis a couple times, each time, just checking in on each other. A few times they thought they saw figures at the outside edges of the camp, but they never came close enough for them to make out what they were. The camp guards tried to write them off as just being curious, though the threat of the unknown skin-walkers made them all a bit tense. The conversations amongst themselves helped to ease the tension thought and they made it safely and quietly through the night.  
 
Several hours later, a little after 5:30 am, Molly and Joanna leaned against Hondo’s camper having smoke and watching the hues of pink, red, purple, and orange light up the eastern sky as the sun slowly crawled up the horizon. As they stood there Fernando approached with his pull-cart and a few supplies laid inside it.
 
“Good Morning, ladies. Any trouble last night?” He asked
 
Joanna shook her head, “No trouble, though there were some figures at the edge of camp. They stayed at the edge, so we stayed away from them, like you said.”
 
He nodded, “That’s good. Just leave them alone unless they cause trouble.”
 
He then turned to Molly who has not said anything, “How are you doing? All healed up?”
 
She nodded, “For the most part. Still a bit sore in my hip and my ribs, but can’t see any visible indications that I was hurt.”
 
“You were hurt worse than I thought, if you are still sore. If your sore still in two day, come see me.” He replied.
 
She nodded, “Thanks, and thank you for healing me up.”
 
“I’d have done that regardless, but Macey told me what you did for her, so no thanks needed.” He replied.
 
“Just the same, thanks.” Molly replied. “Are those supplies for breakfast?”
 
Fernando nodded, “Yes. I assume Ruth will be over in a few minutes to start cooking, and I don’t want Hondo to exhaust his supplies alone.”
 
Molly nodded, “Thanks. We’ll haul them inside.”
 
“No rush. I want everyone that has been up on night shift to meet me for a meeting. I can grab the wagon later, as I still need to grab some meat from Moro’s cooler unit.” Fernando replied.
 
“I’ll haul them in for you, Molly.” Jo says, as she crushes out her cigarillo, and grabs a handful of items.
 
“I’ve got to gather the others, but meet at the center of camp in five.” Fernando said.
 
“Sure thing!” Jo replied, before heading in with her armload.
 
As Fernando turned to leave Molly stepped forward and put a hand on his arm, “Fernando, wait, please… I know you’re busy, but… I’ve not had a chance to thank you yet.”
 
Fernando paused and turned, “you just did and I told you it was not necessary.”
 
“Not for healing me, though I am thankful for that too. I meant for stopping me.” She replied.
 
He turned fully to her and she pulled her hand back as he did.
 
“Stopping you?” He asked.
 
She nodded, “Yes. The .. the day James died.”
 
“Oh.” Fernando replied, understanding now what she was talking about.
 
“I don’t know what I was going to do, but my thought was to run from the pain, to ride, ride as fast as my bike would take me and as far as it would take me… I knew I might wreck or worse, and I hoped I would. I couldn’t take my own life, but I wanted it to end.. I wanted to die. You stopped me. Hondo and Vale took me in, even after I caused you both pain… I hurt you both and you still helped me. You both knew I was not thinking right and would hurt myself or get captured and made a slave or worse again, and you stopped me. If you hadn’t I’d probably be dead, and I’d never had been able to help Hondo when he needed and been apart of protecting the other wessens. I’d never have fallen in love again, or been able to share it with a man who needed it. Maybe you don’t like the thought of Hondo and I together, a dirty wessen with a human, and your friend to boot, but I love him, more than I ever knew I could love someone. It’s all thanks to you saving me, by stopping me. I cannot ever thank you enough or repay what you’ve done for me, but I wanted you to know I am thankful and will do what I can to help and repay that by helping you, Hondo, and the others.” Molly replied.
 
Fernando frowned at her and shook his head, “No thanks needed, but I will ask you to not talk that way about yourself or others! You are not a dirty wessen! Who Hondo loves is on him, and unless they are doing him harm or using him I will support him and be there for them both, as I know he would do for me. I am glad I was able to help you, for both your sakes, but the next one of you who talks bad about yourselves because they are wessen, I’ll take over my knee and paddle so hard they won’t sit right for a month! I don’t care if it’s you, Maggie, Naya, Terri, Marvin, Karl or one of the others! Understand?”
 
She looked down and nodded, “Yes sir. I’m sorry. It’s just what we grew up being told and had pounded into our heads. Even the first gen wessen, it’s part of their mental programming. We are lesser, we are dirty, humans are above us. We can never be worthy. It’s hard to get out of your head when you’ve been told it so long.
 
Fernando relaxed a bit and sighed, “*sigh* … I understand, I do, but you can’t let others beat you down and tell you what you are. Only you know who and what you are, and I know it is not inferior.”  
 
Molly nodded, “I understand, but it’s still hard not to have those thoughts.”
 
“I know, but its something all of you need to work on.” Fernando replied.
 
She nodded, “Yes sir… Uhm, so you don’t feel resentment about me being with Hondo?”
 
“Why should I?” He asked.
 
“Well, I thought maybe you being friends with Valentine, you’d be upset thinkling I took her place and left no room for redemption for her, though it’s not the case as I told Hondo even if he had to leave me, he should take her back as she was his first.” She said.
 
Fernando raised an eyebrow at her, “What did he say to that?”
 
“At first, he seemed unsure, telling me that we were only temporary as he couldn’t have two and he made a promise to Valentine that he’d only break if she left him and said she was done. But later he said I did too much for him and gave too much of myself to him for him to ever turn me away, so Valentine would have to go. I urged him to take her back, but keep us both, that is if she fixes her ways and treats him as she should.” Molly replied.
 
“Hmm. Two wives? Did not know he had that in him, honestly. He’s a bit old fashioned at time, and though I like that about him he does sometimes shoot himself in the foot with some of his stances… Honestly, that is all between the three of you. If there’s more then its between the four or five of you. Understand Valentine will not agree to sharing easily, if she’s the woman I know at all. And as far as her and I being friends, Hondo was my friend first. She did attack me after all of this, but my biggest gripe with her is what she did to Hondo, Tonya, and Zoey. Even what she did to you, trying to scare you with a gun and it going off, that could have killed you or Hondo or some other innocent bystander, so she has that to make up for ahead of anything she did to me. I might save her ass, if it needed saving, but I am extremely angry with her still and our friendship is barely there, due to her actions. It will take a long time and a lot of work before I trust her again or call her a friend for what she has done, so do not worry about all that.” Fernando replied.  
 
“Do you think we could ever be friends? You and I, that is? I know Hondo thinks of you more as a brother, and I don’t want to ever hurt that. I envy it, somewhat, honestly. I’ve never had a friend like that.” Molly asked quietly.
 
Fernando gave her a soft smile, “You seem like a good woman, Molly. You treat Hondo and those girls well, try your best, and keep showing that good woman I see, and I would not be surprised if we become friends too, maybe better than Valentine and I were. But if we are, do not ask if we are. It will be evident by my actions. That’s how true friends are.  If we have to verbalize or question it, then the friendship really is not there.”
 
She nodded, “I understand and Thank you.”
 
“No thanks needed… Uhm, I did want to talk to you about the girls.” He said, changing the subject.
 
“What about them?” Molly asked.
 
“I’d rather not have them out and about today. I think we will be safe as long as we leave any odd people or creatures alone, but I do not want to chance it.” He replied.
 
Molly nodded, “I asked Tonya to stay with them in Hondo’s room and let them watch the moving picture box. She was going to rest and keep an eye on them.”
 
Fernando nodded, “That is exactly what I was going to ask happen. Seems like you are on top of it, then. I’d say Hondo picked a good one.”  
 
Molly Blushed, “Thank you for saying so, but I think he could have done better, still, though I’m honored that he accepted me.”
 
“I’d better go get the others together. I’ll be back for the wagon later. See you in five.” He said, changing the subject before heading off to gather some of the others.  
 
As he left Joanna popped back out, with a sleeping looking Maggie on her heals.
 
“All done talking?” She asked.
 
“You didn’t have to wait inside.” Molly replied.
 
Joanna shrugged, “Eh, I didn’t want to interrupt. Sounded like you were having a good conversation.”
 
“You hear it all, then?” Molly asked a bit hesitantly.
 
“Yeah, but there was nothing wrong with it. Just wish he would stop and talk to me about stuff like that… Then bend me over in the middle of the camp and screw me, claiming to everyone that I was his to breed…” She said, sounding a bit wistful towards the end.
 
Molly shook her head and chuckled, “Heh! Your hopeless, Jo!”
 
Joanna shrugged, “Ruth says the same thing but I’m just horny. Not more than her, but she’s too prim and propper to say what she’s feeling… damn, I’d love to have a real dick in me, especially one of theirs. They have to have a huge rod and a huge pair of balls to go with them, the way I seen them handle trouble… I’m getting tired of vegetables.”
 
“Vegetables?” Maggie asked.
 
“Yeah, tired of carrots or cucumbers… I want real meat between my legs!” Joanna replied.
 
Maggie shook her head, still confused about what she meant.
 
“Maggie, she’s using vegetables like a dildo, to get off sexually.” Molly explained
 
“You can do that?!?” Maggie exclaimed, suddenly wide awake.
 
“What’s a dildo?” Joanna asked.
 
Molly face palmed herself, as she wondered how she was having this kind of discussion.
 
“Maggie, yes you can, and Jo, it’s a rubber or plastic penis that you can use to masturbate with.” Molly said, as she held her hand forehead in her hand still.
 
“They make those?! Damn, I knew I should have gone into one of those sex shops! My aunt said they would steal you and sell you for sex if you went into one… I’m guessing that was a scare tactic now… IT worked though, damn.” Joanna replied.
 
“But, what do you do with the vegetables after?” Maggie asked.
 
Molly groaned at the question.
 
“Well, like I told Ruth, once you wash them they are good as new!” Joanna replied, sporting an evil grin as she did.
 
Maggie’s eyes got wide, “You mean you …”
 
Molly’s stomach turned for a moment at the thought, before Joanna replied.
 
“No, we don’t cook with them. I just told Ruth that to stir her up! She’s a lot of fun to stir up, though when she decides to get you back she can be rather vicious.” Joanna replied.
 
Molly sighed, her stomach settling some, but the image was now burned into her mind, “You have a mean sense of humor too, you know.”
 
“Runs in the family, I guess.” Joanna replied.
 
“Well, we need to get the wagon unloaded then go to the meeting.” Molly said changing the subject.
 
“I can g.get it.” Maggie said.
 
“You sure?” Molly asked.
 
She nodded, “Y.yes. Then I’ll st.st.start getting things r.ready for Ruth.”
 
“You’re a lamb!” Joanna said.
 
Maggie gave her a confused look, “No, I’m a racoon wessen.”
 
Joanna looked over at Molly with a raised eyebrow and Molly shook her head.
 
“Right, sorry. Just… Thanks.” Joanna replied.
 
“Thank you, Maggie.” Molly said before nodded at Joanna, “We’d better go to the meeting.”
 
After they walked off a way, Joanna leaned over to Molly, “Is she alright?”
 
“Yes. She’s smart, but went through a lot of abuse, and I think they might have fried her brains a bit when they programmed her initially.” Molly said.
 
“Programmed? You mean the mind wipe I’ve heard about?” Joanna asked.
 
Moll nodded, “Yeah.”
 
“I thought that was just wessen propaganda… So she’s a first gen then?” Joanna asked
 
“It’s not propaganda, unfortunately, and from what she confirmed, it can be very dangerous, especially if they try a second time when the first one did not work. A third time can be disastrous. And yes, she is first gen, but she remembers nothing from before, so they either wiped her mind good or they ran her through twice.” Molly replied.
 
“Damn, so they made their own helpers at the lab, eh?” Joanna asked.
 
Molly shrugged, “I don’t know if they did, but it’s possible. The lab she ran away from didn’t make her, or didn’t keep her at least. She was bought as a girl by a doctor and trained some in medicine, and then a purge happened and she was captured a second time and sold to the grey Lady. They abused her before sending her to the lab, as she was too weak and scared to be a sky-pirate.”
 
“Damn! … poor thing. No wonder she’s so messed up.” Joanna replied sadly.
 
“Yeah. She’s sort of attached herself to Hondo, though, so we are trying to help her. One more to share him with, I guess.” She replied.
 
“Doesn’t that bother you?” Joanna asked.
 
Molly shrugged, “I don’t know. A little, sometimes, when the doubts creep in, but then he holds me again, and we talk and I kick myself for questioning him.”
 
“Still, I get it bothering you some, though I’d share him as long as I got a taste of the action from time to time still.” Joanna replied.
 
“Speaking of that, if you or Ruth are really needing some attention, I can talk to him.” Molly replied.
 
“You’d do that for us??” Joanna asked, seeming surprised.
 
Molly nodded, “Sure. I understand how it is to be alone and yearn for a loving touch. I know he will always come back to me, and.. and I like you and Ruth, though I’m only now getting to know one of you, and I like you better now too. You’re different than I imagined.”
 
“How did you imagine us to be?” Jo asked.
 
Molly shrugged, “I don’t know. Aloof. Prim and propper. Demanding a man to yourself and only wanting sex once married. Hating me for being with a human. Looking down on Hondo for being with a wessen… The normal stereotypes, you know.”
 
Joanna shook her head, “I didn’t know we had stereotypes, honestly. Our family always was conservative, and we girls were told to keep ourselves until we got a husband, but you get older and the hormones talk louder than the word of your parents or the preach at church and things happen. Ruth has only been with a guy once and he was not anything to brag about. I’ve been with a couple, though the first one was a drunk guy, much older than me, and he forced himself on me.”
 
“You were raped?” Molly asked.
 
“Eh, sort of. I was being flirty, and I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy, so hate dresses, so I was just in a mens shirt and it kinda was clinging to me and showing off what little I had, so I guess I was asking for it… At least that’s what everyone said.” She replied quietly, looking down in shame.
 
“Oh Jo, I’m sorry that happened to you.” Molly replied, putting a comforting hand on her arm.
 
Jo shrugged, “It doesn’t bother me anymore, so no reason to be sorry. I had it coming… We should get to the meeting.”
 
“Yeah, lets go, and.. I’ll talk to Hondo about you two.” Molly said.
 
Joanna shook her head, “Please don’t. I appreciate it, and will be fantasizing about him or Fernando until one of them decide they want me, but I don’t want pity sex. I don’t rightly deserve either of them, and as much as I want it from them, I only want it if they want me. Please try to understand.”
 
Molly sighed, “I think I do… I’ll not say anything, then, but I’ll not stop him if he wants to, either.”
 
“Has, uhm, has he said anything about.. about me?” She asked a bit wistfully again.
 
Moll shook her head, “No. Sorry.”
 
“Oh.” Joanna replied, “Well, uhm, … lets get to the meeting.”
 
“Okay, but ..OH!” Molly started to reply, but Joanna grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her forward, half dragging her limping carcass to the center of camp where a small crowd had already started to gather.
 
At the meeting, Fernando filled everyone in on some information he had received the night before, and reinforced the fact that if they left the creatures alone, they would have no trouble. As Fernando talked, Karl again opened his mouth and shoved his foot in it, causing several, Molly and Joanna among them, to shake their heads. As Fernando was finishing talking a group of Indians appeared, being introduced as Fernando’s contacts. They seemed to only be able to speak in what they knew as Indian hand signs, so Fernando had to interpret for everyone.  
 
After they left, Karl mouthed off again about Fernando knowing many languages, and Fernando released everyone to have a private meeting with Karl.
 
“I would not want to be Karl, right now.” Joanna replied as they walked back.
 
“Neither would I.” Molly replied.
 
“I know what you said about him not trusting and being abused, but I still don’t get his attitude. After all they have done for him and us… Did he want to die in that purge?? That’s what they do in a purge. Any slaves they have on their truck, unless they are extremely special, the kill and then they take out those they normally would not harvest for slaves in the area that defied them. It’s to scare anyone who would defy them from trying, as their loved ones who were captured will die, and the rest will be taken after.” Joanna said.
 
“Is that what happened to your family? They don’t usually wipe out a productive farming family in a slave harvest.” Molly asked.
 
Joanna frowned, “No, that’s not what.. I mean… It was my fault.”
 
“Your fault? How?!?” Molly asked.
 
“I.. I refused to marry this guy. He was a lazy bastard, who owned farm ground next to ours. When his parents died, he gambled away all his inheritance and the slaves they had, and then lost all his farm hands because he couldn’t pay them. The crops were in, but he was too good to hoe the corn to keep the weeds at bay, and he lost everything. His friends ended up hiring him and he was doing well for them, but he was a wicked, lazy, cruel, selfish man. He wanted to marry into our family and have us run his farm while he took all the profits. He tried to woo me at first, but I knew who he was and what he was about right away. We grew up next to each other, so I knew he was bad. When wooing didn’t work, he tried coercion, and then threats. My step-mother tried to get my father to make me marry him, but he would not let that happen. When all of that did not work, he.. he used his power to get the slaves to take us and kill whoever was not valuable or tried to stop them.” Joanna replied somberly.
 
“It was all because you wouldn’t marry him?! What a rotten bastard!” Molly replied with a growl.
 
“Yeah… I sometimes don’t know why Ruth and the others don’t hate me, and sometimes I know they have to even though they don’t show it. I mean, … How could they not?? They did nothing wrong!” Joanna half exclaimed.  
 
“You did nothing wrong, either!” Molly said.
 
Joanna shook her head, “I could have just married him. I knew he was evil. I knew he wouldn’t let it go… He made one last attempt to get me to agree to marry him, before the threats to my family started. We were alone and he told me he would destroy us all if I didn’t agree to marry him… I laughed at him… I knew he had powerful friends but I still laughed at him… I had to open my mouth and humiliate him… I was hunting alone, once, after the threats started and had him in my crosshairs one, but I chickened out. If I hadn’t humiliated him maybe he’d have gone away, and even then, if I had the guts to pull the trigger then.. then our families wouldn’t be dead.”
 
Molly did not know what to say, so she just put a comforting hand on Joanna’s shoulder, before pulling her into a hug.
 
Joanna sniffled, “*sniff, sniff* .. thanks… I’m sorry, I hate to get emotional, but it’s nice to have someone else to talk about this with… Ruth won’t let me talk about it, and I understand.”
 
“It’s alright. We all need someone to talk to at times, and if you need to talk, come to me.” Molly said.
 
“Thanks, Molly… It’s nice to have a friend again.” Joanna replied.
 
“Yeah it is.” Molly said.
 
Molly let her go after a bit and the continued up to Hondo’s camper.
 
“You going to go get some sleep?” Molly asked as they approached.
 
“Eh, soon. I’ll stay with you until Ruth comes, in case she needs me to help with something for breakfast. No use sitting and doing nothing to wait for food to be handed to me. Besides I’m starving!” Joanna said.
 
“Well, lets go in and see if Maggie’s got everything pulled out for Ruth.” Molly said.
 
Joanna nodded, “Sounds good. I’m following you.”
 
They entered the camper, but not much needed doing yet, as Maggie had the normal utensils and bowls out, and the supplies all in and sorted, but they did not know what was being made, so they could do no more. It was not much longer before Ruth entered with Maria on her tail.
 
“Good Morning.” Ruth said. “We have anything started?”
 
Joanna shook her head, “No, we weren’t sure what you had planned, but Maggie got everything out to get started.”
 
“Hey, Molly. How’s the injuries?” Maria asked.
 
“A little sore still, but nothing visible, thanks.” Molly said.
 
“Hmm. If that’s still sore in a couple days you should go see Fernando.” She replied.
 
“Oh, uhm.. I’ll do that.” Molly said hesitantly, finding it odd that Fernando had said almost those exact words earlier.
 
“So, what we cooking?” Maria asked, as she turned towards Ruth.
 
“Fernando said something about hot cereal, bread, and drinks, so I figured we can do sandwiches, but we don’t have enough time to make regular bread. It would take at least an hour for the dough to be ready and another half hour or more for it to cook. I usually did bread the night before, but with moving we didn’t make any extra as I didn’t want it to get stale.” Ruth said.
 
“Well, I know how to make a good hot cereal.” Maria said.
 
Ruth nodded, “You can head up that, then, though I would like to know what you are putting in it, because..”  
 
“Yeah, Wessen diet restrictions, I know. I’ll get water going, then we can discuss ingredients.” Maria said, cutting Ruth off.
 
“What about some pan bread buns?” Joanna asked as Maria turned away to fill a pot with water.
 
“That would work, but the girls would need to make them in our camper as we don’t have the space here. We will need to cut up some vegetables for the wessen who do not do meat well. We can start on that as soon as the bunny girls get here, as that’s a good job for them.
 
Joanna nodded, “I can handle pan bread.”
 
“What do you want me to do?” Molly asked.
 
“Oh, uhm… Weren’t you up all night?” Ruth asked.
 
Molly nodded, “Yeah, but I can still help. I know I haven’t in a while, but that’s because of the wessen haters.”
 
“I know, and if we were setup better and had the tent to work outside, I’d give you a task, but we are running out of room in here, those girls need to do something to earn there keep, and we should still have… Where is Valentine? She should be here too.” Ruth asked.
 
“She said she had to go apologize to Fernando again. I doubt that is going well.” Maria replied.
 
“She still a regular little ray of sunshine?” Joanna asked.
 
“Unfortunately, yes.” Maria replied.
 
 “Now, she’s going through a rough time. I know she has a lot to make up for, but she seems to want to get better, so leave her alone.” Ruth said defensively.
 
About then the door popped open and they all stopped talking to stare at the face of Valentine staring back at them. They were not sure if she heard anything or not, so they stayed quiet.
 
Valentine looked at them staring at her and figured they had seen Fernando reject her again, and she looked down at her feet in shame. She tried to do what Hondo said the first time and ask Fernando’s forgiveness and she was rejected with anger, harsh words, and what she read as hate. She then did what Fernando said, and mustered all she had, after failing her suicide attempt and having Hondo turn away from her in anger, she begged for Hondo’s forgiveness, of which he refused. While he had given her orders on what she had to do to not be thrown away, she was not sure it was a path to redemption. She had not gotten to talk to Tonya yet, but Hondo forbade it, until he was present, and of everyone only Zoey, the kitten girl with the big heart, only she forgave her. She had gone to Fernando this time on her own, but when she faced him her words betrayed her, and his anger shown again. She was sure that on top of everything she had lost his friendship too and it broke her a little more. She honestly did not know why she tried, anymore. There was little hope left inside of her, but she knew she had to try. She had to try for Zoey.
 
“There’s little Miss Sunshine! How’s the land of candy and gumdrops?” Joanna asked, facetiously.
 
“Joanna!” Ruth exclaimed angrily.
 
“What?! She’s the one who hurt Tonya and Zoey, and tried to destroy that hunk of a man! I don’t love him and still, if he’d spread my legs and put babies in me, I’d fight for him to the death!” Joanna said defensively.
 
“Joanna Kathrine McDonald!! Shut your mouth, grab your ingredients, and get out!” Ruth Bellowed.
 
Joanna grabbed up some items and slammed them into a cloth bag, “Fine!”
 
With the bag full she stormed past Valentine, nearly knocking her over as she huffed and stomped her way back to their camper, slamming the door behind her.
 
“I’m sorry, Val. Jo has some.. issues.” Ruth said.
 
“She swears you and the girls hate her for your family being wiped out. She said it’s her fault for not marrying that guy.” Molly said.
 
Ruth sighed, “I know, and I can’t get her to see we don’t.”
 
“You think it’s maybe herself she hates, and she’s just saying it’s you and the others?” Maria offered.
 
Ruth nodded, “I think that is the case. Joanna is sweet, but a bit stubborn at times, and lousy at communicating. That’s partially my fault. I just saw her an angry, out of control girl, after her mother died, and was too young to understand she needed me to not only listen but to read between the lines. After a couple arguments, she saw me as looking down my nose at her and she felt she couldn’t come to me. Our parents hid our uncles drinking problems and the abuse Joanna went through at the hands of her father and step mother. Had I been there for her…”
 
“You were young. Don’t blame yourself.” Molly said.
 
Ruth shrugged, “Is it really an excuse, though? *sigh* … I don’t know… Val, please forgive her. Joanna has a tendency to lash out when she’d feeling vulnerable.”
 
“That’s probably my fault. I got her talking about the past, as I wanted to know her better. I like her and having a friend kind of excited me… I might have pushed her too far.” Molly said.
 
Ruth shook her head, “It’s not your fault, and I’m glad you both talked. Jo needs friends worse than most of the rest of us.”
 
“What about you?” Molly asked.
 
“I’m fine. I just keep my head down and keep moving forward, like an old plow horse.” Ruth said dismissively.  
 
“Uhm… What.. what can I do to help?” Val asked quietly.
 
“I think there is Milk in that cooling box in your trailer that we will need, and there is this orange juice mix that needs mixed up. Start with that and we will see.” Ruth said.
 
Valentine nodded and headed back outside towards the trailer. As she left the bunny girls came in with April dragging a grumpy Kiah.
 
“I wanted just five more minutes! Was that too much to ask?” Kiah grumped.
 
The other girls ignored her, being used to her waking up bad.
 
“There you four are! We have vegetables that need chopped and after breakfast we need to prep for Lunch and supper, since we had nothing ready.” Ruth said.
 
“Awww.” Kiah groaned.
 
“Sure Miss Ruth, just tell us what you want done, and we’ll help. Come on, girls.” Mae said as she nodded at the table that had knives, cutting boards, and clean vegetables already on it.
 
“You sure I can’t help?” Molly asked again.
 
“I think we are good, and it’s getting a bit full in here. You should go rest. Fernando said he’d hand out breakfast.” Ruth said.
 
Molly looked over at the vegetables, and though she was a meat eater and did not have to eat them, the thought of them being soaked in vaginal juices turned her stomach again.
 
“Uhm… I’m a bit tired, so don’t worry about me.” Molly said.
 
“We’ll be quiet as we can so you can sleep.” Ruth said.
 
Molly shook her head, “Don’t worry about me. I’m going to go sleep in Zoey’s bed in the back seat of the cab, once they get up. I’ll probably let them sleep for a few more minutes and then wake them up.”
 
“Wouldn’t one of the beds be more comfortable?” Maria asked.
 
“I need to be close to the rabbit wessen sisters in case they wake up.” Molly said.
 
“Rabbit wessen sisters?” Maria asked.
 
“Long story. Ask Hondo.” Molly said, unsure why Maria was being nice to her.  
 
Molly knew who she was, as Hondo had told her. True she had been nice to her before, and shown her around the airship, but that was before she knew who she was. While she could not wrap her head around what Hondo had told her, that this was a Valentine from a different time line, one who had lived through the Chaos unlike him and his Valentine, she believed it because she believed him and believed in him.  
 
Maria nodded, “I’ll have to do that.”
 
Ruth sighed and shook her head, feeling some tension but not sure why it was there, “*sigh* … I half forgot about them, so that is probably a good thing. I’ll keep a sandwich in the cool box for you.
 
“Thanks.” Molly said, grabbing another cigarillo and a flask of whiskey before heading out the door.
 
Once outside, she found a nice spot to lean and lit up the cigarillo. She liked Hondo’s cigarillos, but when stressed she found herself almost chain smoking them. With Hondo gone, and the came situation as it was, she was stressed, as was most everyone.  
 
She sipped from the flask, relaxing a bit after a while, and by the time the cigarillo was gone, she felt it hard to stay away.  
 
She woke the girls after a bit, giving them at least a half hour or more to get ready before breakfast.  She saw Fernando come back to get the Wagon and saw him return with meant and eggs shortly later. She did not see him return to hand out breakfast, though as by that time, she had shucked off her shoes, jeans, socks, and jacket, laid a blanket from the storage trailer over Zoey’s bedding, checked on the sisters, laid back, and passed out. She woke once later to open all the windows just a bit, not caring if anyone saw her in just a tank top and panties, as it was getting hot. She fell back into a sweaty sleep and did not awake again for a couple hours until a soft, weak, scared, and unfamiliar voice woke her.
 
“Hello?... Hello? Where am I?... is somebody there?”

As Hondo and Melissa walked into the Farmer’s Daughter Café, Hondo paused to look around for a moment, taking in the place and its patrons. Round wooden tables and chairs sat in the middle of the room, each seating four to six people, with smaller square tables against the walls that sat two to three people. The floors were made from yellow pain, painted brown, but heavily worn in areas around the tables were foot traffic was prevalent, showing the bare boards in places through the paint. Tin and glass hurricane lanterns hung on wall sconces, and wagon wheel chandeliers with similar looking lamps hung from the galvanized roofing covered ceiling. The lights had flexible conduit to them, showing that they had mostly been converted to electric, though a few seemed to be left alone, for possible power outages, one would have assumed. The lower walls were lined with barnboard wainscoting, and the upper walls were covered with a maroon calico. Large windows lined either side of the doorway, but unless there were some in the kitchen, none others were seen, due to the café being wedged between two other buildings. A wooden bar and cashier station were at the far end, in front of the kitchen, lined with ten bar stools made from tractor seats, steel pipe, and tire rims welded together. The back of the bar was lined with coffee tins, cheese wheels, pies, and other baked goods, displayed as to tempt and entice all who entered. The smell of frying bacon, glaze, warm fruit, and brewing coffee hung heavy on the air, which would make one hungry even if they had just eaten a feast, and the popping and sizzling from fried goods and the murmuring of patrons filled one’s ears, adding to the symphony of sights and smells.  
 
As Hondo glanced around, he quickly noted the teens at a table with the Captain O’Reilly and Corporal Cain. Other than them only a few other stragglers were present, the rest of the regulars most likely having ate and started their day hours ago. Hondo strode to the table, with Melissa hot on his heels, to which the captain stood up to greet them as they approached.  
 
“G’morning, Captain!” Melissa said, coming to attention and saluting him.
 
The captain returned the salute, “Good Morning, Sargent. At ease. You know I do not require such formalities on field missions.”
 
Melissa lowered her hand, relaxed a bit, and nodded, “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”
 
The Captain held out his hand to Hondo, which Hondo took it and reciprocated his firm handshake.
 
“Good Morning, sir! I trust you got some rest?” The Captain asked.
 
Hondo nodded, “Morning. I did. Feel a bit less surly than I did last night!”
 
Patrick chuckled, “I can understand that! I apologize for the deputy’s grilling you like he did. He filled me in on the conversation from last night when we got here. You just missed him, actually. We had told them about you all, but he was expecting the whole convoy and after daybreak, like we told him to expect. I guess some have tried to soil both the medic’s and your good names, here and other places, so he was a bit warier then usual when someone came not meeting our exact description.”
 
Hondo nodded, “No worries. He was doin’ his job. I was just in a bad mood from bein’ over tired.”
 
“Well, According to Mal, you handled yourself very well despite it all, and you have his respect. From what I understand, Mal has been a deputy longer than any of the others and been in longer than the Marshal, as he served under her husband, Jedediah Young. He has a lot of respect in this town, and if he respects you the rest of the town will take his lead, or at least give you space.” The Captain added.
 
“Well, hopefully that will help things for the convoy, once they get here. I don’t reckon we plan on stayin’ long, but would be nice to have a peaceful stay for once.” Hondo replied.
 
“I’m sure it would be! I trust the Sargent has been helpful to you and shown you the stores you might need to visit?” The Captain asked.
 
Hondo looked over at Melissa, who blushed a bit at his glance, before turning back to the Captain.
 
“She’s been very helpful, I appreciate the loan of her. We visited the electrical supply store before coming here. I was surprised how much they have, honestly.” Hondo replied.
 
The Captain nodded, “Good! You get what you needed?”
 
Hondo shook his head, “Not yet. The gal there had to dig some stuff up for me an’ she had a truck come in that she needed to handle. Should be ready for us after breakfast, though.”
 
“Good!” The captain said before turning back to Melissa. “Sargent, if it gets late, switch out with the corporal so you can get some rest.”
 
“Thank you, sir. I will.” She replied, knowing it was not exactly propper nor his business that she had gotten some rest in the big, blonde cowboy’s arms.
 
She had done her job, which was to assist Hondo how he wanted, and he had wanted her to sleep with him. The major might expect such actions, and even order them at times, but the captain treated the wessen under him like the people they were, so while what she did would never be forced on her by the captain, she was entrusted to carry out her duties how she saw fit.
 
The captain turned back to Hondo, “The corporal and I are almost done, if you wish to have our seats to sit with your crew.”
 
Hondo shook his head, “No, we can grab another table.”
 
“As you wish. When we saw them come in we invited them over to sit with us. They are a good lot, and speak well of both you and the medic, which further strengths my trust in your group.” The Captain added.
 
“You need us to do anything, Chief?” Madison asked.
 
Hondo shook his head, “No, not really. I’m not sure what there is in town, but as soon as we get the parts we need to head back. The proprietor said she’d have out stuff ready by ten-thirty or so. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to scout out some sandwiches for the rife back.”
 
“If I may, there is a small bazaar on the far side of town, inside the fence still. It is beside an abandoned asphalt parking lot, which was used for large town events before they were attacked some years back. Now, it is just parking for traveling merchants, though there are rarely more than eight or ten vendors there at a time, I’m told. Due to the size of the town and its history, many vendors time their visits during the day, and try to leave before dark, choosing instead to work deals with the local shops to sell for them instead. But, there is an old bus up there and the vendor has sort of a deli out of it. Fresh chips and sandwiches made on hoagies from the local bakery. There is a simple elegance to his sandwiches, but he also makes an assortment of condiments for them that are truly delectable! He stays open round the clock, and is the only place who does this, mainly for the guards, so they have a place to get coffee and eat on night shift. Seems like he had a roadside café and deli on the highway, right before you turn off it to come into town. His wife and son were both killed in the initial attack, one of his two daughters lost an eye and a leg, and his home and business were demolished. He and his one daughter live in an old stock trailer they converted into a house that is parked behind the bus. She runs the day shift for him and he runs the night shift. His other daughter married the owner of one of the stores in town, though I am not sure which one. Her husband died in the attack too, it seems like. Dreadful business… It was a pleasant surprise, at least, to be told we could eat there when we got into town last night, and we plan to patronize his establishment as much as possible. These are good folk, here, but they have had a rough time of it. I plan on talking to the general about starting a garrison here, lead by myself and my troops, and see if we cannot grow our ranks and help make this route safe once more. Too long have we been clustered around center town. If we are to make a difference we have to spread out, and expand our influence and supply lines… Forgive me for rambling. This is my first visit to this town, and I am finding the reports on the situation to be drastically incomplete and painting a much better picture than what I have seen here, and it galls me!”
 
Hondo shook his head, “Hmm, no worries. I’ve not talked to many here yet, but from what I’ve seen, this place has had a rough go of it. Seems like a good setup, though. Better than Flight Town an’ quieter than Fight Town.”
 
Patrick nodded, “To be sure. I just hope the general takes my proposal seriously and we can help these people and save their town before it’s too late.”
 
 “That would be good.” Hondo said with a nod before turning back to Madison, “I’d check out that sandwich shop ‘round ten, ten-fifteen, an’ we’ll meet up at the rig between ten-thirty to ten-forty-five. I’d like to be on the road by eleven at the latest.”  
 
Madison nodded, “Sounds good. Just sandwiches?”
 
“Sandwiches an’ whatever you want to go with them. The captain said they make fresh chips. I’d take some of them, and there should be an empty thermos in the back of the rig, see what they charge to fill it with coffee. If they can’t, I’ll see if they will here, later. If they have soda-pops or the like, whatever else you all want to do, is up to you. Be responsible an’ there won’t be any issue. Do you need more money?” Hondo asked.
 
Madison shook his head, “The captain paid for our breakfast so I still have what you gave us.”  
 
“You thanked him, right?” Hondo asked.
 
Madison nodded, “Yes, sir, uhm, chief!”
 
Good. Now, just stay together an’ keep your radios on you. Call me if there is trouble.” Hondo added.
 
“Uhm, Ch.chief?” Patricia spoke up, seeming a bit unsure at calling him chief or Boss, but felt calling him by name would not be good after their welcome earlier that morning.
 
“Yeah?” Hondo replied.
 
“Uhm, I hate to ask, but Alice was telling us about an awesome shower she had, like, uhm, she said it was the best ever…” She paused, feeling awkward about asking about such trivial, selfish things.
 
Hondo chuckled, “Heh! Yeah, it was a pretty good rain-room. We have the room until one o’clock, so if you all want a shower, go ahead. Just stay together, no foolin’ around, an’ keep an eye out. I spoke to the Marshal and she said it’s quiet enough in town, normally, but things have happened so it’s best to stay on your guard.”
 
“We will, and thanks!” Patricia said with a smile before turning back to the others and growling at them quietly, “Hurry and eat! I want a shower!”
 
Hondo just shook his head at them before turning back to the Captain, “ Thank you for feedin’ my crew. I’ll pay ya back when we return, an’ if I don’t see ya before we leave, we’ll talk more when we get back.”
 
“I look forward to it, sir! And do not worry about paying me back. It was my pleasure and you all have done way more than we can ever repay. Safe travels and good luck.” The Captain replied.
 
“Thanks.” Hondo replied before putting his hand at the small of Melissa’s back to guide her to a table by the wall.  
 
Once they were at the table he wanted, he pulled out her chair for her, saving the one that faced the door for himself.
 
“You don’t have to do that for me.” She said, blushing.
 
“I know, but I want to, more so after all you said an’ how you’ve done for me. Besides, I think I see a new meanin’ to helpin’ a woman with her seat.” He replied.
 
“Oh, what’s that?” She asked, as she sat down.
 
Once she was seated he went to his own and sat down, sitting at an angle so he could see her and the door, and still keep the kitchen door in his peripheral.  
 
“You said you women like to be guided by men, right?” He stated more than asked.
 
She nodded, “That’s right. More so by a man we respect and trust. If we love him, we want it more.”
 
“Well, then as far as I see it from what you told me, my helping you into your seat is not just a nicety. It is my way of tellin’ you, or guidin’ you to where I want you. Where I can keep you the safest an’ such.” He replied.
 
She cocked her head at him a bit and smiled, “I never thought of it that way. We are taught to follow and after the male we are following is seated, to seat ourselves as is best to serve him, but I could see him placing us would mean we are where he wants us to serve him best.”
 
“Well, I’m still tryin’ to wrap my mind ‘round that an’ other things. You were the first woman to ever tell me all that.” He said.
 
“Molly hasn’t?” She asked, seeming perplexed.
 
“No, not so much in words, though her actions speak loudly of what you said. But I have fought her a bit on it, as I did not understand it. She did give me a talk ‘bout me havin’ who I want, for women, an’ all she askes is I treat her well, come back to her, an’ be open with her ‘bout bein’ with others. It’s a bit new to me too.” He said.
 
“The more you tell me about how you were expected to live where you came from, the more I’m not sure I’d want to go there but I would if that’s what I have to do to be with you.
 
He smiled and chuckled softly to which she gave him a questioning look.
 
“That’s the second time you’ve laughed at me for saying something about where you came from.” She stated, questioningly, though she did not seem offended.
 
“Like I said, it’s hard to explain. When the time is right I will explain, trust me. I need to go back, but I too am wonderin’ if I can.” He said, his voice trailing off a bit as he thought about home, relatives, and the plans he and Valentine had together.  
 
He was not sure how he could face anyone when he went back, nor how he would make a living after all of this. His plans as they were he could not go back to, as they were for him and Valentine as a couple. Maybe he could modify them, but if he and Valentine did not make up, then they would be severely delayed as teaching Molly or April, or one of the others, or a few of the others to help him would take time. It hit him that he was still not sure whether he, Val, and Fernando could go back, let alone if they could take the others with them. He was not sure he wanted to stay, even if they fixed things, but he knew he did not want to leave the others, especially Zoey, Tonya, or Molly. He cared about others, but he could set them up to take care of themselves, he was pretty sure, but he knew how attached he had become to Molly and the girls and just could not see his life without them. He wondered what the other version of him had done, what he had gone through. He knew he was not to know, though, as it may make his decisions later that much harder, or even change what he was supposed to do.  
 
“You alright?” Melissa asked softly, pulling him from his ruminations.  
 
“Hmm?” He grunted as he looked back at her.
 
“You were frowning.” She said.
 
“Was I? Hmm. Well, still a bit tired, I reckon. My mind must have wandered.” He replied
 
“Thinking about your home?” She asked.
 
“A little, I reckon. Mostly ‘bout all that’s changed since I left. Don’t worry ‘bout it, though.” He replied, trying to brush it off.
 
She nodded, though she wished he would open up to her more. She understood better now what Molly had said about him keeping much to himself, and bearing his own burdens alone. As much as she wanted to push and get him to let her in, she knew it was not her place, not yet at least.
 
“So, Molly want’s you to tell her when you have been with another woman?” She asked.
 
He nodded, “That’s the gist of it, I reckon.”
 
She frowned, “She and I will have to talk about that.”
 
“Why?” He asked.
 
“If she trusts you, she should not be requiring such things. Besides, if a man treats a woman well she should not be asking such things, and even if he does not, who else he sleeps with is none of her concern, unless he makes her sick.” Melissa said defensively.
 
Hondo shook his head, “Heh… I’m not sure all women think like that, even wessen women.”
 
“Well, they should!” Melissa said firmly, “We have our place and you men have yours! It’s when people start forgetting their places that we all get weak. It’s why the chaos started after the happening. Everyone knows that, but some choose to ignore it. If too many ignore it then we will all become savages again. Some women think it’s bad sharing a man, well I wonder how they will like it when they have no choice whatsoever but to submit or die!”
 
“I’ve ran across some that are already faced with that option.” Hondo replied.
 
She sighed and nodded, “It’s true and it is unfortunate, but if we forget what happened and go back to the way things were then everyone will be faced with that choice, not just some. You heard the marshal, they say women out number men two to one, and it’s four to one here. From what I’ve seen it’s more like three to one on average and could be worse than five to one in some places.”
 
Hondo did not have time to reply as an older wessen woman came out with a notepad in hand, and approached their table.
 
“Good Morning! My name is Mary. You folks must be new in town. We don’t get many new faces here, at least not friendly ones.” She said, trying to sound upbeat.
 
“Mornin’. Yeah, I’m just gettin’ parts for our convoy, though we will be stoppin’ in here on our way through. The Sargent here was part of a scoutin’ party that is assistin’ us for a bit. Just tryin’ to make sure we have safe stops an’ there are no ambushes.  I’ve heard the town had a rough go of it.” Hondo replied, offering extra information about them to appear friendly and as an offering to the rumor mill.
 
He did not like to divulge too much, but from what he sensed, this town was a fairly close-knit community. They had gone through a lot together and looked out for each other. He hoped by divulging more than usual, that word would spread that they were not hostile, and they would have to watch their backs less when stopping here next.
 
The woman nodded sadly, her smile fading into a frown, “Unfortunately we have. The worst of it was several years ago now, but sometimes it seems like yesterday… There isn’t a person in town who lived through that day here that has not lost a family member, but we try our best to go on every day and make this place better in their memories. They gave everything to protect us, so the best we can do is give everything to make their sacrifices meaningful.”
 
From what Hondo could tell the woman was in her fifties, her brown hair mostly grey now, but some streaks still remain, and her ears and tail, though streaked with grey still held a lot of their color. She was a canine wessen, probably along a domestic dog strain since her features were a little different than Molly’s Coyotle features. She only seemed to have fur on her ear’s and tail from first glance, but on second glance he noticed some hair on her feet, as she wore leather sandals, and brown cotton pants with the cuffs rolled up. Her feet were sort of human like, but canine like at the same time, having claw like nails and possibly pads on the toes, with greying brown fur on them. Her eyes were brown and looked sad, but he was not sure how much of that was the canine in her and how much was the pain she had gone through in her life. She was a strong woman still, and one could tell she had a decent figure in her younger years, but life had been a bit hard on her and it showed, though she seemed to work at hiding it.  
 
“Sorry to hear, Ma’am. I know it must be tough on folks, but carryin’ on is what they would want, I’m sure.” Hondo replied.
 
The woman forced the smile again, “Yes, well it was a long time ago. Best to not think about it. Now, what can I get you folks today? Our special today is Ham Omelets, grits, and brown bread. And the special pastry today is cherry cheese croissants.”
 
At the moment, the woman reminded him of his grandmother a bit, as she too was one who refused to dwell on hardships, even to the point of refusing to acknowledge that they happened, at times. Some said that was a bad way to be, but he remembered how tough she had been to the very end, despite life’s trials and troubles, of which she had more than her fair share.  Maybe it was a bad way for some to be, but others it suited well and got them through, which at times is all a person can hope for.  
 
“What’s different from those an’ a Danish?” Hondo asked
 
“Instead of the filling on top and being glazed, the filling is wrapped inside a light, airy, slightly sweet crust that is dusted with course sugar granules. It’s a little less sweet and not as heavy as a Danish.” Mary replied.  
 
“You have sour dough bread?” Hondo asked.
 
“Only the best sourdough for two days ride in any direction! Made here in town, fresh every morning!” She said, seeming to try to be exuberant, though her eyes did not follow her mood.
 
“Milk too?” He asked.
 
“Yes, fresh from a farm just down the road.” She replied.
 
“Then I’ll take four eggs over easy, bacon, sourdough toast, coffee, milk, an’ one of those cherry-cheese pastries.” Hondo replied.
 
“Anything on the toast? Jelly, jam, butter, we even have peanut spread from one of the south traveling merchants.” Marry offered.
 
“Butter an’ Peanut spread, sounds good.” Hondo replied.
 
“You want breakfast potatoes with that? They have onions in them and we can add hot peppers if wanted.” Marry said.
 
“I’ll take some with hot peppers.” Hondo replied with a nod.
 
“Now one last question, would you like any cheese? We have some fine wheel cheeses and a slice often goes good with a hearty breakfast!” Marry said, with a smile.
 
“You have cheddar?” He asked
 
She nodded, “Yes, we have a mild farmhouse cheddar and a sharp Whiskey barrel cheddar. If you want it melted on anything I would suggest the mild, otherwise the sharp is very good room temp. We have some other varieties too, but those are our only cheddars currently. If those do not sound good we have a smoked gouda that is a customer favorite.”
 
“That sharp cheddar sounds good. I’ll take some of that on the side.” He said.
 
“Perfect! So, four eggs over easy, bacon, sourdough toast with butter and peanut spread, breakfast potatoes with onions and hot peppers, sharp cheese on the side, coffee, and milk, is that correct?” She asked
 
Hondo nodded, “That is correct.”
 
“Any sugar for the coffee?” she asked.
 
He shook his head, “No thanks.”
 
“A man after my own heart! Coffee black or no coffee at all!” She said with a grin.
 
He smiled and nodded back, “That’s how it is.”
 
She finished writing it all down before turning to Melissa, “And how about you, my dear?”
 
“I’ll take what he’s having, except no hot peppers and any fruit preserve instead of the peanut spread, and some of that gouda cheese as well.” Melissa said.
 
“Coffee and Milk?” Mary asked.
 
“Uhm, milk, no coffee… Oh, and do you have sausage??” she asked.
 
“We have patties and links, the links are my favorite. A little peppery yet sweet. It’s the butcher’s special blend.” Marry replied.
 
“Ooo! I’ll have them!” Melissa replied, seeming exited.
 
“Instead of bacon?” Mary asked.
 
“Uhm, can I do both?” Melissa asked.
 
“Of course!” Marry replied.
 
“Then I’ll do that!” She replied.
 
“That does sound good.” Hondo replied, more so to himself.
 
“Add them to yours then too?” Mary asked.
 
Hondo nodded, “That would be good. Thanks, Ma’am.”  
 
“No problem! I’ll get this to the cook and I’ll have them out as soon as possible!” She said with a smile, before turning and heading quickly to the kitchen.  
 
As she left, Melissa turned to Hondo again, “She was friendly.”
 
“Hmm, yeah. Seemed like an act to me though.” Hondo replied in a low voice.
 
Melissa cocked her head at him, “You think somethings wrong?”
 
“No, not like we are in any danger from her or this place. I mean she is puttin’ it on to cover up hurt inside. We all do it from time to time, but seems like this town went through a great loss, an’ the folks here are doin’ their best to smile, though they sure don’t feel like it. It’s like the whole town is in denial or somethin’, I don’t know. Just seems a bit odd.” Hondo replied quietly.
 
Melissa did not reply as Mary was returning with his coffee.
 
“Alright, I have your orders in, and here is your coffee.” She said to Hondo as she set the cup down before turning to Melissa, “Do you want your milk out now, or with your meal?”
 
“With my meal is fine.” Melissa replied.
 
“Alright, I’ll have that all out as soon as it’s ready! Yell if you need anything in the meantime!” She said, before scurrying back to the kitchen.  
 
As Mary left a woman entered the café, who seemed strangely familiar to Hondo, and caught his attention right away. She was an older woman with white hair tied into a pony-tail, with a brown western type hat on her head. She wore a white shirt with a brown vest, black pants, and brown high-top western boots. She wore a brown leather glove on one hand, had a metal leg brace, that had a hinge at the knee strapped to her one leg with black leather straps. She had a brown eye-patch over one eye, a scar coming from under it and down across her cheek, and she wore a revolver in a tied down holster. She was older, but seemed strong, despite the years etched into her skin.
 
Hondo probably stared a little longer than he should have, causing Melissa to turn even and see what he was looking at, but he felt like he knew her somehow. After a moment the woman turned and looked right at him, catching him looking at her. He did not look away, not wanting to seem like some creep, so he just nodded at her. To his surprise she walked towards them, limping a bit as she walked, but still holding herself well.  
 
As she approached, she smiled at him and seemed like she started to say something, but was cut off before she could say a word as Mary came out.
 
“Ruby! I was wondering when you were going to come in! You feeling alright, hon?!” Mary asked as she came up and put a hand on the woman’s shoulder.
 
“I’m fine, thanks for askin’. Just was a bit restless last night. Lot on my mind, you know.” Ruby replied.
 
Mary nodded, her features sobering, “Yeah, I know how it is. Some nights I wouldn’t sleep at all if it wasn’t for that hooch old Doc McGillicuddy brews… You want the usual?”
 
Ruby nodded, “Yes please, and a shot in my coffee. I think the weather’s changin’. My knee and shoulder are actin’ up again.”
 
Mary made a smile return, but it was a softer, knowing, and more genuine smile.
 
“Of course, hon. I’ll have that right out.” She replied before heading to the back.
 
Ruby turned back to them, her voice soft but cheery, “Good Morning, Mr. Hondo, was it? And Sargent Melissa, right?”
 
Hondo nodded, “That’s right. You are Miss Ruby, from the hotel. I didn’t half recognize you until the waitress called out your name.”
 
Ruby smiled softly, but there was a hint of disappointment still, “I.. I am dressed a bit different than what you saw me, but I only dress like that for special events or Sunday church. We, uhm, we had a get together last night, and it just was not worth dirtying two different outfits. This is me normally, how I normally dress, I mean.”
 
The way she talked confused him a bit too, it was not like a stranger so much as someone who knew him but was nervous, like an old friend that worried the changes over the years would make you not like them anymore.
 
“Uhm, yeah. Well, just is very different styles, I reckon.” He replied, unsure what to say.
 
“Could I join you for a bit? I.. I’d like to talk with you again, if you don’t mind
 
Melissia frowned a bit, not liking her alone time with him to be disturbed but she tried to hide her disappointment.
 
Hondo nodded, “Sure. Join us.”
 
As she carefully sat down, easing herself into the chair using the arms as her knee did not seem to bend so well, Hondo could not help but stare at her. He chided himself mentally for not helping her, but he was too perplexed to think of it fast enough. He had been dog tired the night before, so it took a moment or two to recall everything, but even then, he felt filled with more questions than answers. Once she was in her seat she looked back up at him and an uncomfortable silence took over for a moment.
 
She stared at him again, with that same look of longing and fear, forcing him to break the silence.
 
“Last night you acted like you knew me, an’ you seem so familiar to me, but I cannot place you.” He said.
 
“You still don’t recognize me.” She frowned and looked down, “It’s the year, I’m sure. They have not been kind to me, to any of us, really. Despite it all, the hardships and the years, I’ve thought of you often. It’s alright if you don’t recognize me, though. Just sitting with you again, means a lot to me.”
 
He sighed in frustration, even her voice had a familiar note to it, but his mind was connecting dots that were impossible. “Who are you?”
 
She looked up at him again, “Does it matter, my love?”
 
Hondo raised an eyebrow and sat back into his chair as realization dawned on him, “You can’t be…”
 
She nodded, “I am.”
 
“But there’s already two. There shouldn’t be more.” He replied, warily.
 
“There should really only be one, but due to who you and he are, two is possible and should be the most, if it was not for the time loops.” She said.
 
“Time loops?? You know how insane you sound, lady?” Melissa interjected seeming perturbed by it all now.
 
“Melissa, it’s alright. I do know her, sort of.” Hondo said a bit hesitantly.
 
“You do?” Melissa asked, seeming confused by his change of demeanor.
 
“You said you wanted to know ‘bout my home, where I came from an’ such, right?” He asked, his tone getting more serious.
 
The Sargent nodded.  
 
“How good are you at keeping secrets?” Ruby asked her, though she still was looking at Hondo.
 
“Uhm, I’m pretty good, why?” Melissa asked hesitantly.
 
Hondo looked down, quietly for a moment before looking back up at her, “Listen, I need to talk with Ruby, here, but what we will talk ‘bout has to be kept between the three of us.”
 
Melissa nodded, “I understand.”
 
Hondo shook his head, “I’m not sure you do. You cannot tell anyone about this, ever! That means no writin’ it in a journal, no pillow talk with Nova, nothin’.”
 
 
Melissa frowned, “Oh… Uhm, I want to know, but… *sigh* … If I told anyone, would it be dangerous for you?”
 
“Me an’ others.” Hondo replied with a nod.
 
“Then don’t tell me.” She said, with a frown.
 
Hondo narrowed his eyes at her a bit, “You can’t keep it to yourself?”
 
She sighed, “*sigh* … for you I’d do anything, but with the years I have left and all, who knows what might happen? I.. I try to be strong but what if I’m captured and tortured for information and.. and I have this big secret in my head? … I’m not sure if I’m str.strong enough to take it to my grave… I’m sorry.”
 
Hondo relaxed a bit and shook his head, “Don’t be sorry.”
 
“That had to be hard to say.” Ruby said softly.
 
Melissa nodded, hanging her head as she replied, “Yeah, especially to a man you love and want to fight beside.. to admit I’m so weak… I’d not blame you if you don’t want me around after that, but if it’s that important to you, I can’t risk knowing… I’m sorry.”
 
“It’s alright. I appreciate honesty, more than you know… Now, go sit on the other side of the room for now. When our food comes out, come back on over.” Hondo said firmly but kindly to her.
 
She nodded sadly, “Yes sir.”
 
She got up, looking more like a sad little girl, than the fierce Sargent she was, and sat across the room. As they talked she sat staring out the window, telling herself she had lost any chances with him, with the hero of her kind, the man she idolized, because of her own fear and insecurities. She had been tortured once, and barely rescued in time. She knew what they could do to break a person, she knew how most would say anything to make the torment stop, and she knew she did not trust herself enough to not say anything, as she knew she would do whatever it took to never go through that again.  
 
Back across the room Hondo and Ruby sat quiet for a minute, Hondo being the first to speak.
 
“How did this happen, Val? I saw one of you already, an’ besides a couple scars she looks the same as mine, er, I mean the one that I was with.” He replied, feeling a bit perplexed by her still.
 
 
“Val… I wasn’t sure I’d be called that again, let alone hear it from your lips again… You said the one you was with? *sigh* Seems like no matter what happens, no one can spare us the pain of this place.” She said, her mind thinking on her own past.
 
“What do you mean? I know I’m not supposed to know everything that could happen but… You shouldn’t look so old.” He replied seriously.
 
She smiled and shook her head, “Bluntly honest, just like my Hondo… Let me ask you, where is your Val now?”
 
“Why does that matter?” He asked, feeling a bit more suspicious after the initial surprise had worn off.
 
Her smiled faded a bit, but did not disappear entirely. She could tell he was suspicious of her, and she did not blame him, though it was not how she wanted him to look at her after all these years.
 
“It does matter, as where she is depends on what I can say.” She replied softly.
 
Hondo sighed, “*sigh*… She’s at camp with an older version of herself, older years wise but not..”
 
She cut him off, “Not like me? I’m not sure there is another like me, really, though there may be. How many of us are around is unclear. From my understanding there were one or two more Hondo’s than there are of me, and there is at least four of you here now, and as many as six.”
 
Hondo shook his head, “I feel like I should understand, but Jefe says that certain things will be fuzzy due to there bein’ an issue with this timeline. It’s like I have the time information in my head, but it’s locked away or unclear.”
 
Ruby gave him an odd look, “Wait… He made you one of the lords already?”  
 
Hondo frowned, “Well if you know about that you must be who you seem to be but… How do I know this isn’t some spirit trick?”
 
Ruby shook her head, “You don’t, but if it helps, I assure you it isn’t. I’m surprised you are a time lord already, as I have not heard of that happening to any Hondo, not even mine, until after you all return.”
 
“So, we do return?” He asked.
 
She shook her head again, “That is somethin’ I cannot talk about.”
 
“What can you talk about then? You said you wanted to talk.” He replied.
 
She frowned, “I… I didn’t have anythin’ I needed to say, I.. I just wanted to sit and talk with you again. It’s been a long time.”  
 
Hondo frowned, “Did we have a fallin’ out too? Is this where it leads?”
 
“I don’t know where your path leads, and if I did, you know I couldn’t tell you.” She replied.
 
“Then tell me what happened to you, at least.” He asked.
 
“Did your Valentine come to this time with you?” She asked.
 
He nodded, “Yeah, we were driving down the road with our camper an’ the Bronco to our cabin in Wyomin’, ready to setup an’ start full time investigations, rescues, an’ the like, like we had talked ‘bout since meetin’ in that mission Jefe an’ I was on. One second we were then, an’ the next we were in a wasteland. You waited with the trucks in an abandoned barn an’ I took the bike back to Minot, an’ most the place was leveled, Mack an’ Kathy were gone, as well as my backup stash of equipment, an’ the town was bein’ ran by some road gang. We headed out to the cabin since we didn’t know where else to go, I nearly got hung rescuin’ some Indian Chiefs son from a crazed lunatic an’ his spirit sidekick, who was runnin’ the forts in the area, an’ was saved by you an’ our future sons who told us Jefe was around an’ we needed to head west until we found him. That sound right?”
 
She frowned and shook her head, “That’s not what happened to us at all.”
 
His eye’s narrowed at her, “It’s what happened to us an’ the other Valentine said they started out ‘bout the same way.”
 
“I’m sure she did and I think I know which Valentine is with you now. She would be the first. It sounds like your group is followin’ the paths of the firsts closely, but with key differences. You and your Val are still at odds, though?” She asked.
 
He nodded, “Yeah. The older one said I was supposed to use a mindwipe on her, to delay her insane rage at me, but I didn’t do it. Thought I was doin’ us both a favor, but not sure I did.”
 
“I don’t know if you did or not, honestly.” She replied
 
“What did yours do to you?” He asked.
 
Ruby looked down and shook her head, “He didn’t have to with me, as none of that happened to us.”
 
“Care to explain?” He asked
 
“It’s a long story, but I will try to make it as short as possible… The name Ruby might have had you confused, and understand I changed my name. You, or rather, my Hondo insisted I change it for my own safety. He wanted me to change my last name, but I could not bear to. When people ask I just say we are not related, though I always introduce myself as Miss Ruby so most do not even bother asking for my surname… Do you remember, maybe a year and a half ago your time I think it was, that big fight we had?” She asked
 
He thought for a moment and then nodded, “Yeah, I guess I do, though I had not thought about it in a while. Not had reason to an’ we’ve had worse since, here in this hell hole, that is.”
 
“What happened after that fight?” She asked.
 
“Well, you had taken some bad advice from false friends an’ wouldn’t listen to me, so we had it out. I hadn’t seen you like that before, an’ I told you if that’s who you were an’ what you wanted that we wouldn’t work out, so I went home. I was pretty sure it was over between us, an’ was hurtin’ a bit, so decided to take a week off work an’ go to the cabin I was fixin’ in Wyomin’. I didn’t have any big plans for it yet, but it was nice land an’ was a place I had hoped to raise a family someday. I got there an’ drank a bit much, an’ passed out on the porch. I woke up the next mornin’ under a heavy blanket, still on the porch with you curled up beside me asleep. You woke up a while later and started to cry an’ beg me to forgive you. I guess your so-called friends admitted that they pushed bad advice on you to get you to drive me away, as one had a lesbian crush on you an’ wanted you to do a three way with her and her boyfriend, an’ the other hated me for turnin’ down her advances after she cheated on one of my co-workers. You realized they weren’t your friends an’ tried to destroy you. I forgave you an’ we spent the week at the cabin together. It was the first time we made love together, an’ it was the week we came up with the plan for our business. I had a ring already too, but waited until Christmas to propose as I wanted to be sure we would work. We did until this shit-hole of a world sunk it’s claws into us.” He replied, keeping his tone as even as possible, though the memories did tap on his emotions a bit.  
 
 
She nodded, “I still remember that fight well. I had not had friends in so long, I was too trusting of them, and thought they really had my beast interest at heart. I was young and foolish… They told me I needed to push you for control and a commitment. I remember I drank a bit before the fight, and I never drank back then at all, but I was so scared to face you like they told me to. They had convinced me that you would never love or respect me if I did not do as they say, and would not keep you interested if I did not push you… I was so scared of losin’ you, but my actions almost cause what I feared most… I don’t remember exactly what either of us said, anymore, but I remember you telling me that you didn’t know who I was anymore, and that I must have never known who you were. You said if that’s how I wanted things that I’d have to find someone else to have that with.”
 
He nodded, “Yeah, I think I remember it goin’ somethin’ like that. It turned out alright, at least. Until recently that is.”
 
She shook her head, “Maybe for you but not for us. You see, there was no magical mornin’, no love makin’, and no plannin’ for us.  After those two bitches told me what they had done to us, I ran out of there and drove to find you. I couldn’t find you and your phone was off, so I found Kathy. She read me the riot act and only told me where you were only after I told her all that had happened and begged her to help me find you, so I could make it right. I knew I messed up, big time, but it was not until years later that I finally understood my place, and by then it was too late. I drove out to your cabin to find you and you weren’t there. I looked all over, even sat there alone for three days, hopin’ you would show up.”
 
He shook his head, “I don’t understand. I went there, I left early that mornin’ an’ was there early afternoon that same day.”
 
Ruby shook her head, “You weren’t though, at least my version of you wasn’t. I fell into a depression for a while, and even got angry for a while. I told myself it was at you for disappearin’, but it was at myself. I stayed with Mack and Kathy quite a bit for a while, as they were worried about you like I was, but no one heard anythin’. I tried to find you, but you were nowhere. After about a year I moved out to your cabin to work on it for you, as the worst was feared. It took me a while to get ahold of Fernando. He said he would look for you, but I never heard back. Just before the second winter without you I was drivin’ into town for some supplies and I saw a bright light and then I was somewhere else, some time else.”
 
“Wait, they took us at different times?” Hondo asked, incredulously.  
 
She nodded, “They took you before we made up, hopin’ you would not miss me. I guess it was supposed to spare us the pain. I was taken later, but to be used against you. The time they brought me to was before you or Fernando arrived. You and Fernando almost did better, because he was taken from before Tammy turned on him, and you were not hurt by me so early on here, nor had to look for me. You figured it was for the best, as you had convinced yourself that I was not who you thought I was originally. Fernando was a bit angrier about bein’ here and away from tammy, but one of the team members from the first of us to come here came and gave him a letter about what Tammy would have done. He was angry that they told him, but stopped fighting so hard to get home after that… I do think it was supposed to help them, but it still failed in the end.”
 
“So, someone is messin’ with us.” Hondo stated more than asked.
 
“I think it’s more like they know that only you two can fix it. Had I not been taken you both might have succeeded.” She replied.
 
“What happened to you?” He asked.
 
She looked down sadly, “It doesn’t matter now.”
 
Hondo put a hand on her ungloved hand, remembering that he saw the other was metal the night before.
 
“Seems like I’m no good for ya. Maybe we can stop all this, but you keep gettin’ hurt because of me. I’m sorry.” He said softly.
 
She shook her head, “No, it’s all because of me! If I was a good woman, who knew her place by your side, as your help-meet, as your wife, honorin’ and obeyin’ you, I would not have had this happen to me, nor hurt you… *sigh* … Because of that fight, I was lost. I felt betrayed by my friends and other than your family, I talked to no one and fell into a depression. When I was taken from our time, I was captured by some slaver and taken away. A group tried to save me, but they shot a few of them and then threatened to kill all their slaves if they interfered further. They somehow knew who I was, and threatened a purge but didn’t purge for some reason…After, after several months of humiliation and being treated as a #$@!-toy, I was sold to a gambling house to be used as a dancer and rented for personal entertainment. Thankfully Fernando found me, and you both played my master for my ownership.”
 
Hondo shook his head, “Damn. I’m sorry you went through that.”
 
“I wasn’t. It was horrible, but I made some real friends among some of the other women, some human and some wessen. It’s a long, unimportant story, but with both of your help, we managed to save a few of my friends, one of them even became your mate at the same time I did.” She replied.
 
“What?” He asked, incredulously.
 
“I learned from them and my experience, my place and what you needed from me. I was glad just to be with you, even if sharing you was the best for you and others.” She said.
 
“It doesn’t explain how you got like this though.” He replied.
 
Ruby’s face fell again and she looked down at the table. “It was a month after you rescued me and my friends that you agreed to take me and my friend. Lorelai, to be yours, even though you already had Tonya, Ruth, and April.”  
 
“Wait, we adopted Tonya.” Hondo corrected.
 
Ruby shook her head, “Not in the time I came from. You adopted Zoey and KC, but Tonya lied about being older and since you were single and she was so enamored by you, one thing led to another.”  
 
“KC? You’re the second one to talk ‘bout her, but I don’t know a KC.” He replied.
 
Ruby closed her eye a moment and looked away, “Oh…”
 
An’ April?” He asked, not understanding her reaction but figuring he did not want to know.  
 
Ruby shrugged, turning back towards him but seeming to have trouble looking at him all of a sudden, “She was drawn to you for some reason, and her and Tonya became friends and things happened. She was only your assistant when you took Lorelai and myself, but she became more after.. after what happened.”  
 
“So, then what happened?” He asked.
 
“*sigh* … Things were rough but they were some very good months. We were already in Texas and not far from our destination when our camp was attacked one night. You men were drawn out to the front of the camp while us women protected the children and watched the camp.  We were attacked by a second group not long after. It was all a diversion to distract you men, so they could take several of us to use against you, but we put up more of a fight than they thought we would. We managed to kill several of the attackers, and get Fernando’s attention before they could do much. One had time cane, like Fernando, and I guess you now have, and he knocked me out and teleported us away, though I did not know that until much later.”
 
“Damn! Who attacked us?!” He asked, half growling from his own anger at it all.  
 
She shook her head, “I can’t tell you. I wish I could, but I can’t.”
 
“What happened to you, then?” He asked.
 
“Well, I wasn’t the only one taken. They got Mae, Susanna, Juniper, Billie, as well.” She said.
 
“Susanna as in Jo’s sister? Ruth’s younger cousin?” Hondo asked.
 
Ruby nodded.
 
“The other names I don’t know… More we were supposed to rescue an’ didn’t I reckon, dammit all.” He said with some frustration. “So, then what happened?”
 
“Juniper and Mae were already wessen so they were sold as slaves again. You both found Mae, but was too late for Juniper.”
 
“Mae’s not a wessen.” He corrected again.
 
“Well, uhm, she wasn’t originally with us either, but… That’s somethin’ else I can’t tell you, I’m sorry.” She replied sheepishly.
 
Hondo nodded, though he seemed a bit exasperated at it, “Yeah, understand, I reckon. What ‘bout you, Billie, an’ Susanna?”
 
“Susanna was kept as a toy by some overseer of the united slave markets. He was the brains of the enterprises for the spirits and had a passion for breaking young women slaves in new and unusual way.” She said.
 
“Quinton Von Volin.” Hondo said, hissing the name through his teeth.
 
She nodded, “I take it you’ve had the displeasure of meetin’ him already, then?”
 
He nodded, “Yeah. He was at the camp I bought Bella from.”
 
She looked up at him with a puzzled look, “I don’t know a Bella.”
 
“I shouldn’t be surprised… One we apparently rescued that y’all didn’t.”
 
She nodded, “I should have guessed… Anyway, you managed to buy back Susanna, right before you and Fernando took him on, but that’s another story I cannot tell.”
 
“Alright, what ‘bout you and Billie?” He asked.
 
She swallowed hard and her voice got very quiet, “We  were taken to a lab where.. where…”
 
“*Sigh* … You don’t have to finish.” he said, after she had paused a moment, as he saw it was getting painful for her to recall.
 
She shook her its, “No, I need to… They… They tried to turn me into a wessen but it failed and I guess I sort of died in the process. It was a multi-species mix serum they were tryin’ and I did not survive it. But thanks Fernando making me almost immortal, after we first met, my body purged the serum and I revived. Unfortunately, they figured out what this meant and they wanted to figure out what made me tick… They.. They did things to me, tests, surgeries, experiments… I watched Billie and several of their slave helpers die, as they tried to figure out why I was almost immortal, using bits of me they put into them to try to make others immortal. MY DNA attacked and killed them, though. It was horrible to watch, especially poor Billie… She begged me to save her at first, then begged me to kill her… I still hear her cries sometimes at night… After many failures they changed tactics. I’m not sure how long it took as they would put me under and keep me out for days, weeks, maybe even months at a time, only to wake me to try something new. In the end they decided to turn me into a weapon. They killed several in the perfection of a multi-species super wessen hybrid, but even then, most who successfully changed did not live long. They had hit a wall with me, but had found a way to suppress my body’s resistance to the serums DNA change, and even believed they could make it aid the serums’ changes. They decided that if my secrets could not be extracted, they would turn me into an assassin to send to kill you all. They knew my likelihood of success was small but the mental damage it would do to you would be great. Even with their progress they knew the change might kill me after a while, but there was a window of time where my speed, strength, and stamina would be at a peak. Before they dosed me, they tried to wipe my mind and reprogram me. That did not work well so they ended up cutting into my head. They cut pieces of my brain out, and put in some electronics. It was supposed to limit my rationality, make me violent, not feel pain, and such. They also someone put fear of themselves into me and hatred of you all. It worked somehow, so they shot me up with their serum and put me in one of their tanks for a time, how long I’m not sure.”
 
“You don’t look wessen, though.” Hondo replied.
 
“I have both you and Fernando to thank for that. It was his medical brilliance, and your dogged huntin’ of the labs to get information for him… He managed to suppress the wessen DNA in me, but he could not get rid of it completely. He said it was this timeline, that it prevented him from going back far enough to fix me right. I looked normal, but have some heightened senses and abilities.” She replied.
 
“But, it made you old?” He asked.
 
She shook her head, “No, not really. What they did to me messed with my ability to heal, and even Fernando could not reverse it, though he tried. He is not sure if I age faster because of them suppressin’ my DNA or from a side effect from the combination of animal DNAs, but after you all captured me, I was so beat up that he had to put me in a coma on his moon base, and keep me there in an accelerated time bubble so my brain and body could heal… Even after I was not right for a long time. It.. It was hard on you and the others.”
 
“So, I left you here?” He asked.
 
She shook her head, “It’s not that simple. I eventually I got better, though it took time. You all stopped the mission to look for me, until Fernando told you that you had to finish what you started before looking more. You both had had a fight over it, and beat the hell out of each other in the process. You gave in, though as you knew he was right. Neither of you really won, though, as it put a bit of a wedge between you both for a while. You got over it and became better friends and brothers later on, but for you and I, things could never be fixed.”
 
“What happened to us?” He asked.
 
“I did age a bit while healing, but that did not matter to you. What mattered was.. *sigh* … I’m so sorry, my love, I really am.” She said, tears starting to flow down her cheek from her one good eye, and her voice started cracking.
 
“Tell me, what did you do?” He asked softly, figuring that she had to have done something bad from the response.
 
“*sniff, sniff*… I found out later that when I was taken that Lorelai was hurt badly. Fernando healed her up, but she had been broken up pretty badly. It was hard on you, havin’ me taken, as well as the others, and Lorelai hurt and in bed for a couple weeks while she healed. You both grew closer, but you blamed yourself for it happening, and for everyone getting taken. You even blamed yourself for what I did when I came back, though you couldn’t have done anythin’ about it, besides killing me on site. You never could forget or forgive what I did, and I don’t blame you as I cannot forgive it myself and I will never forget… On one of your missions you saved some people in this area and helped them build this town. That was after we went back and then went through the happenin’ ourselves. They didn’t know who you were and you gave them another name, so they had no way to find out. I lost my arm in the chaos that followed the happenin’, and though my agin’ is slower than others, its not slow enough. That on top of all I went through, and loosin’ an arm in the chaos after the happenin’, you gave me this hotel and saloon. For helpin’ this town they wanted to give you somethin’ an’ you asked that they build the hotel and saloon for me, with money and supplies you furnished. You set me up in business and told me to take care of myself. You said you would always care about me, which is why you wanted me safe, but you couldn’t get over what I had done.” She replied, seeming on edge of crying the whole time.
 
“Val… what happened? What was so bad that I could not forgive you an’ banished you to be alone like this?” He asked, worrying a bit about how hard he might someday become.
 
She swallowed hard again and sighed deeply, trying to calm herself before replying.
 
“*Sigh* … … … They set me loose close to the camp, in an evenin’ after you all had gotten back from savin’ Susanna. You were all tired and hungry and just wanted to eat and sleep. I can remember it all, but it was as if I had no control. There.. there was this hate in my head, this burnin’ hate that I could not control, and this intense desire to satisfy this hate… They made me hate you all. I don’t know how, honestly, and I never did on my own. Fernando tried to explain it to me later, but I don’t understand… My mind still isn’t the same as it was, from what they did to me. Too many memories jumbled and my thoughts wander too often anymore. I’m still good with electronics and such but not like I used to be… I was barely a shadow of myself when they turned me loose on the camp, but I did not lose it all until then, until that moment.” She replied shakily.
 
“What moment, Val? What did you do?!” He half growled.
 
“I.. I killed my best friend, your wife… I killed Lorelai.” She replied quietly, as she seemed to stare through the table and into that day once again. “… If that was only the worst of it, I killed her when she tried to block me from killin’ Zoey… I.. I ran in through the back of the camp with.. with a sword and a knife and a shotgun… I shot randomly, hittin’ the first few who saw me. The.. the girls saw me and got up, shocked and surprised and.. and at a loss as they did not understand why… I shot KC and was about to shoot Zoey when Lorelai threw herself at me, knockin’ the gun from my hand and knockin’ me back. I got up fast and pulled the sword they gave me, some sort of katana like blade I think, and I slashed at Zoey. I would have killed her had Lorelai not jumped in and pushed her back, taking half the damage on her own body… I remember her pleadin’ with me to stop.. tellin’ me that you all loved me and wanted to help whatever was wrong with me. Then you appeared in the doorway, wet and with just a pair of pants on and a revolver in your hand, a wet Tonya behind you in a bathrobe with a shotgun. Seems that you two were getting’ a shower while Ruth and the others made some sandwiches for you all. Fernando came runnin’ out about the same time and you both paused a moment, shocked at what you were seein’… I.. I took that moment and ran Lorelai through with the sword before pullin’ the knife and leaping at you. Fernando, he.. he snapped out of it faster and plowed into me, and wrestled me down, though you had to help as with my added strength, my system full of adrenaline, and my inability to feel pain, he could not subdue me and hold me alone for long. Some wanted to hang me on the spot, but Fernando protected me, even from you, as you wanted to shoot me at first. I was tied up and guarded while the wounded were treated. Fernando figured out most of what happened to me and convinced you that my reactions were not my own, but you still had me hauled out to watch as you buried Lorelai and KC… Fernando said I acted like a rabid animal but when I saw the bodies again and you told me I did that, that I still managed to sob, and sobbed like a wild woman. He said that’s probably the only thing that kept you from havin’ me hung…”
 
“I’m sorry that version of me was so hard on you.” Hondo said.
 
Ruby shook her head, “Don’t be. You were kinder to me than I deserved. We made an uneasy friendship over the years, and though I was still his woman, we were never together again physically. I don’t blame him for not bein’ able to erase that all from him mind, I don’t blame him for never holdin’ me again. He gave me the hotel and put me with good people. I regret many things, but not our time together, not how he treated me. He.. you are a good man and need to believe that more.”
 
“I wish I was more sure ‘bout that… So, when did you lose the eye? Same time as the arm?” He asked.
 
She looked up at him again and shook her head, “No. That was just an old woman thinkin’ she could fight like she used to.”
 
“The attack on this town?” He asked.
 
She nodded, “Yeah. I was supposed to just stay back and cover the others with my rifle, but when things started goin’ badly I charged in. Lost my eye and had my knee shattered. I still managed to pull a couple of the wounded out before it happened, though the young man who pulled me out got wounded and died from his wounds. I can’t help but feel that was my fault too, though his widow says it wasn’t. She runs the electrical emporium up town.”
 
“Liberty Lewis?” Hondo asked.
 
“So, you met her, already? She would be a good one to take as a wife. Levi wouldn’t have wanted her to stay alone. She has family here, but… They don’t talk much. The attack on the town hurt a lot of people, and many are still hurtin’. She could use bein’ taken away from here, from the memories, and bein’ loved again.” Ruby replied.
 
“She seemed nice enough, but I think I have my hands full.” He said.
 
“So, you have more than one woman now? That Sargent, perhaps? I seen how she looked at you.” Ruby replied.
 
“Well, I have Molly, she’s a wessen, but I don’t really care ‘bout that. She’s a good woman. My version of you said she wants to come back to me, but I’m havin’ some issues forgivin’ her, though after what you told me, her sins seem tame in comparison. The Sargent and her Corporal both want me to take them in, but I told them I’m not competin’ with the army, so we need to decide that after they finish their contracts. April wants to be my assistant an’ apprentice, but that’s not set in stone, an’ that’s all she wants, so nothin’ there. Tonya’s tried to push the boundaries, but she’s had a bad go of it with a lyin’ ass hole that tried to turn her against us, so I think she’s content to just be a daughter for a bit.” He replied.
 
“I wouldn’t count April out yet, but even if you do, be gentle with her. She is a sweetheart, though a bit awkward at times. She doesn’t do well with verbal expression so don’t push her away, as she needs some contact.” Ruby said.
 
Hondo shook his head, “Not sure I need that, but we will see… Anythin’ else you can tell me?”
 
She shook her head, “No, I’m afraid not. There is much about us that

[11:00 AM, Mitsuminejinja Shinto Temple Shrine – Japan]
 
As the Lone Stranger entered H.I. Sackett’s adjoined room, he found he kneeling over a sobbing Raven, who seemed near inconsolable.
 
“I’m Real! *sob* I am! I am Raven!! *SOB*” The dark-haired spirit woman cried.
 
H.I. looked up as The Lone Stranger approached, “What in hell did they say to her?!”
 
The Lone Stranger shook his head, “I’m not completely sure as they were talking a mile a minute, but something is wrong.”
 
“You think I’m not aware of that?!” He growled back.
 
“Let me look at her.” The lone stranger said.
 
H.I. gave him a hard look, “She’s fine! Her memories are just a bit scrambled.”
 
“Hondo… Let me look at her.” The Lone Stranger replied a bit more firmly.
 
H.I. gave him a bit of a surprised look, as it was not like him to break protocol, but it also snapped him out of his protective anger, as he knew The Lone Stranger would not do that unless he felt it was important.
 
He sighed and nodded, before pulling away from the sobbing Woman and standing up.  
 
As H.I. Stood up, Raven tried to grab him, to keep him down with her.  
 
“No! Don’t let me go!” She cried, but she was stopped from grabbing him as the Lone Stranger grabbed her arm to stop her.
 
She gasped and her crying soften as she looked up at him with terror in her eyes. Her wet hair was stringy and matted, and her damp robe hung open, showing most of what she had to offer, physically, as a woman, but she did not seem to care about that. Whatever Minerva had said had struck a cord inside of her mind, and it terrified her. While he knew Minerva had somehow told her that she did not think she was Raven, why it bothered her so bad was something that peaked his interest, and his worry, for both Raven and H.I. Though they did not have time for any of this, the time had to be made.
 
“Raven, relax!” He said firmly as he held her arm.
 
“P.p.please don’t hurt me.” She begged, softly.
 
“I’m not going to hurt you.” He said.
 
“I’m me, I’m Raven, I.. I have to be.” She said, her visible trembling seeming to get worse.
 
“And I want to help you, now sit still. This won’t hurt, but I need you to be still, alright?” He told her, trying to sound as soothing as he could.
 
She nodded quickly, so he let her go, to which she pulled back, and half curled up into a ball on the floor, as she sniffled and trembled.
 
The Lone Stranger looked over at his friend, and though he tried to looked hard and unaffected, they had been friends for too long for him to not see the worry etched into his features. Both knew there was nothing that could be said to make anything better at the moment, so no words were exchanged.
 
The Lone stranger looked down on the trembling spirit woman and sighed before spinning the crystal on his cane, pressing the crystal down a couple clicks, and then holding the cane over her. A greenish energy enveloped her, and time seemed to stand still for a moment. Her body was lifted off the floor and made to hover in the air, though she was not aware of it. Her features seemed blank at the moment, and her limbs limp, though her legs spread slightly, and her arms were out to her sides. The Lone Stranger stared at her, but he barely noticed her open rope, that covered hardly any of her body at the moment, as his gaze seemed to go straight through her. Blue and yellow fingers of electricity seemed to arc up and down her body, and her skin seemed to almost shimmer. Her eyes glowed with an intermittent blue and green light, and almost orange sparks seemed to pierce her head, as she was held aloft.
 
After what seemed like an eternity to H. I., though it was only maybe a minute or two, the light faded and Raven was gently lowered to the ground, out cold.
 
The Lone Stranger saw H. I.’s grimace as he stood there expectantly.
 
“She’ll be out for a while.” The Lone Stranger said as he knelt down by her and put a couple fingers to her throat to check on her pulse, before gently moving the hair from her forehead and then placing his palm on her to check her temperature. “She’s a sleep. Her pulse is normal, but her temperature is a bit low, so you should put her to bed and cover her up well.”  
 
H. I. nodded, before bending down, scooping her up, and placing her on the sleeping mats. The long stranger picked up a folded blanket and handed it to him, and he covered her up, tucking in the edges.
 
“So, what’s the bad news?” H. I. asked flatly, trying to hide his worry.
 
“As much as you do not want to hear this, I honestly am unsure.” The Lone Stranger replied.
 
H. I. gave him a bit of a blank look, “Unsure?”
 
The Lone Stranger sighed and nodded, “*sigh* … Yes, unsure.”
 
“Come on, Jefe, give it to me straight. You’re never completely unsure.” H. I. replied.
 
“I know down at the cellular level, as best I can tell in this damn, busted timeline, is that she is Raven. Her DNA is raven and her cellular make up is Raven.” HE replied.
 
“What’s the but? I know there’s a but comin’.” H. I. asked in a low voice.
 
The Lone Stranger nodded, “The but is that her cellular age is not right. Now, I know she ages differently than humans, and what was done to her when they changed her from an avian type to a feline type, that messed with her body too, but I noted that in past health scans. She seems younger. There are many explanations for that, but her mind puzzles me the most.”
 
“How so?” H. I. asked.
 
“My sight into her mind is fuzzy at best, but from what I can sense, her mind is undamaged.” He replied.
 
“Undamaged? But she doesn’t remember so much of our time together, an’ other memories seem fragmented.” H. I. insisted.
 
The Lone Stranger nodded, “I know, and both Ichigo and Minerva attested to that as well. They are worried about her, as we all are.”
 
H. I. frowned and half turned away, not wanting to verbally admit how worried he was. He knew there was bigger things at stake than any of them individually, their wants, worries, or desires, which is why he had been trying to ignore all the signs that had been screaming at him that something was very wrong.
 
“Hondo, it’s alright to be worried.” The long Stranger said, breaking protocol again.
 
H. I. shook his head, “Not when so much is at stake.”
 
“Look, we take care of our own, first. This hell hole of a world can blow up, for all I care! We take care of our own first, and then save the world, alright?” The Lone Stranger said.
 
H. I. nodded, “Yeah. Thanks Jefe… So, what about her mind?”
 
“I cannot sense fractured memories or damage to her memories. Even if they were erased, they should still be remnants of them and damage, but I sense none.” He replied.
 
“What can that mean, then?” H. I. asked.
 
“I am not sure, exactly. Maybe they did something to her we do not know about. I would suggest that they tried one of their wessen serums on her, but I see nothing that suggests that. She’s almost too clean, honestly. After all we have all been through together, and then what you two went through and the torture, even with what the other me did to heal you, I should see or sense something.” The Lone Stranger said.
 
“So..? Wait… are you sayin’ she’s a clone?” H. I. asked, his jaw working said he was starting to get angry as the thought hit him.
 
“Are you sure Raven was taken with you?” The Lone stranger asked.
 
“Damn it, Jefe, I told ya, I have no idea! She was supposed to have gotten into that container pod an’ smuggled back to the US, we both were but the damn Russian bounty hunters got tipped off an’ were there! Had I not lured them away they’d have gotten us both for sure! When I came to they tried to torture information from me an’ tried to get me to give up the cane an’ the secrets we have, but … but I let them torture her an’ kill her while I watched helplessly, an’ when that didn’t work they tried to finish me off too. Had you an’ the other you not shown up an’ healed us, we’d be worm food. That’s all I know.” H. I. replied, angrily at first.
 
The anger faded though as he thought about it all and realization crept over him, as he finally started admitting the truth that he did not want to admit. The truth left him feeling frustrated and hallow inside.
 
“What do I do, Jefe? Where is Raven?” H. I. asked quietly, sounding a bit defeated.
 
The Lone stranger hated to see his friend this way. He had not seen him like this since Valentine rejected him, and he accepted the fact that he could no help her, which had come not to long after Tonya had been killed and Zoey injured, which had devastated him enough as it was. The Lone stranger frowned as he thought what to tell him. The thoughts of all they had lost, the friends, companions, loved ones, and comrades weighed heavily on them both. They knew when they would suffer loss when taking on this life, but the world have dealt out more than even their fair share.  
 
“Listen, when I was in her mind I tried to locate her using the cane’s portal abilities and all I get is static. That is not abnormal, especially when there are multiple of the same around, which is why we cannot see each other usually. So, without being able to see her, I cannot say for sure that this is not Raven. The spirits could have a clone of her somewhere and this could be the real raven, for all we know.” The Lone stranger said.
 
“But you know it isn’t. We both know in our guts that it isn’t… I’m not sure when exactly I knew, but I know… I’ve just not wanted to face losin’.. losin’ again.” H. I. Replied quietly, as he looked down at the woman’s sleeping form.
 
“You found her necklace in the pod, right? The one I made her with the crystal you gave her, right?” The Lone Stranger asked.
 
H. I. fished the necklace out of his pocket and held it out for The Lone stranger to see, “She’d never have left it willin’ly… If they took her, she is dead.”
 
“Maybe, Maybe not.” The Lone Stranger replied. “Listen, for all intent and purpose, this is Raven. Now, she does not have all her memories, but she believes she is Raven, and her body is the same. Now, I can go in and put in some memories to help her and you. I can try to unlock memories of her creation if they are there, or add some suggestions that will help later, but if you let me into you mind, I can combine our memories and make her a better facsimile.” The Lone Stranger Offered.
 
“Why?! To placate my damn emotions?? You think a Raven doll will keep me together?!?” He snarled angrily.
 
The Lone Stranger frowned, feeling a bit hurt at that comment, but he did not blame his friend. They both had been through enough it was a wonder that they both were not insane and acting like rabid ferals. He turned away from H. I. for a moment and sighed deeply before speaking again.
 
“*sigh*… I know you are hurt and angry, and I understand, but I am not your enemy.” The Lone stranger replied calmly.
 
“No, but you think I’m so fragile that I need to be placated, apparently!” H. I. growled.
 
The Lone Stranger turned and gave him a hard look, “You assume too much! Listen, If Raven is alive, the real Raven, the chances are that they have her and plan to use her against you, somehow. To do that, they would need to reveal that this one is a clone. I would imagine that they hope we will discover this ourselves and waste time trying to find her, time we do not have! While I stand fully by that we take care of our own first, we have no place to start. If we make this one more stable, I can hopefully over write any programming they may have put into her mind. Making her stable and able to play the part is easy. The hard part is on you, getting you to play the part of not showing that she is not Raven.”  
 
“To what end?!” H. I. demanded angrily.
 
“To force them to play their hand and show us the real Raven!” The Lone Stranger replied firmly.
 
H. I. glared at him for a moment before he relaxed a bit and sighed deeply as the anger faded. He looked at his friend sheepishly and shook his head.
 
“Jefe, I’m sorry. I..” H. I. started to say, but was cut off.  
 
The Lone Stranger shook his head, “No need to apologize. We have both been under a lot of stress.”
 
“Yeah, but I should have trusted you better.” H. I. Replied sheepishly.
 
The Lone Stranger nodded, “Maybe, but I know I don’t always come across as too sensitive to others pain at times. It is one of the hazards of dealing with so much shit for so many years.”
 
“An’ many more to come. No need to explain, Jefe. I’m not known as the touchy-feely kind either, you know that… So, what’s your plan?” H. I. asked, changing the topic.
 
“The plan would be to take our memories, and combine them in her head, so she acts more like Raven.” The Lone Stranger said.
 
“You think you and my memories are enough?” H. I. asked.  
 
“Yours. Mine, Ichigo’s, and the twins… Speaking of which, come join us, Miniya.” The lone Stranger said.
 
H. I. Turned and saw a soggy Miniya standing by the door, clutching an armful of dirty laundry under her arm, and a towel around her that barely covered her from her nipples to pussy.
 
“How long have you been standin’ there?” H. I. Asked, narrowing his eyes are her.
 
“Uhm, not too long, I think.” She answered hesitantly.
 
“She came in around when you asked what should you do.” The Lone Stranger said matter of fact like. “That was a quick bath.”
 
Miniya looked down sheepishly, “Yeah, well, after you left, Ichigo and my sister told me what happened. I went to bathe, but felt bad for the Cowboy, if it were true and..”
 
“An’ what?” H. I. asked as she paused.
 
“*sigh* … I wanted to smell her for myself. We three have been.. you know… together. So, I figured I would know her scent better than my sister does. So, I bathed quickly to cut my own scent and hurried back, but didn’t want to interrupt you.” Miniya replied.
 
The Lone Stranger and H. I. looked at each other for a moment before H. I. sighed and nodded.
 
“Alight. Tell us what you think.” The Lone stranger said.
 
Miniya dropped her laundry by the door and came over to Raven and knelt down beside her. She leaned in and took a deep sniff, smelling her neck, and hair first, before lifting the covers to get a better smell of her body. She pulled back after a bit and stood up shaking her head.
 
“I know it’s been a while, but no one’s scent changes that much.” Miniya said.
 
“So, it’s definitely not her?” H. I. asked.
 
Miniya shook her head, “It can’t be her. Everyone has a unique smell, even identical twins and clones, each are unique. That isn’t Raven.”
 
H. I. looked at The Lone stranger who nodded, “They have not been wrong before.”
 
Hondo sighed and nodded, “*sigh* yeah… Tonya had that ability too. She was a damn blood hound with the mind to process what she was smellin’.”
 
“While this confirms what we suspected, it changes nothing. We need this Raven to believe she is Raven. To do that, you two will have to act like she is Raven, that means bed habits and everything.” The Lone Stanger said.
 
“I was afraid you were going to say that.” H. I. replied.
 
“Then what?” Miniya asked.
 
“We go about our mission like normal and wait for them to show their hand.” The Lone stranger said. “If they have her and she is alive, and we play our parts, they will show her.”
 
“What if, uhm, you know.” Miniya asked hesitantly.
 
“What if she’s not alive, you mean?” H. I. asked.
 
Miniya nodded, “Yeah.”
 
H. I. nodded, “I had the same questions.”
 
The Lone stranger looked at them both for a moment before responding, “… While that is a possibility, if she is there is nothing we can do about it now. Hunting down those who are responsible will have to wait until we finish the mission at hand, we all know this.”
 
“Yeah, I reckon we do, but I needed to hear it still… You’re right, Jefe. If they have her, they will wave her in our faces if we act like we think we have the real one… I’m just not sure how well I can fake it.” H. I. replied.
 
“I’ll be there and I’ll help.” She said to him before turning to the Lone stranger. “Uhm, it might help if… uhm, if you make sure to put in her head some things about uhm…”
 
“About the three of you?” He asked, to which Miniya looked down, as if ashamed.
 
She nodded, “Yeah. I hope you aren’t angry. I know I owe you a lot and you still technically own me.”
 
“I never really owned you, and after we decided to not have a relationship anymore I told you, you were free to be with whomever you chose. I’ve known about your friendship with him for a long time, though it was not my business so we have not discussed it.” The Lone stranger replied.
 
Miniya sighed and relaxed a bit, “I figured you knew, but I always feared you were mad at me for it. I figured that’s why you sent me away.”
 
“I sent you away, because you asked for a mission and that played into your strengths. I know why you asked it too, but we do not need to discuss that now, as long as this is the end of this conversation.” The Lone Stranger replied.
 
Miniya swallowed hard and nodded in agreement, as she knew she had asked for the assignment to get away as she felt conflicted over her friends with benefits relationship with the cowboy and feared she was going to give in to agreeing to be his second companion, which the commitment scared her to her core.  
 
“I understand… I can help the cowboy with her, though, if you think it will help.” Miniya offered.
 
“That is between you two.” The Lone Stranger replied “But the decision to do this is solely you, Cowboy.”
 
H. I. nodded, “Maybe so, but we both know despite my feelin’s it the right decision.”
 
“It is our best chance at handling our mission and getting Raven back. The only other option is scrubbing the mission but there is no guarantee of finding her any other way, and we know what scrubbing the mission will mean.” The Lone Stranger said.
 
Though he knew it was the right move to make, the Lone stranger wanted his friend to come to the conclusion himself, and not feel pushed into the decision, as he knew how it felt to be pushed into the right answer without being allowed to make that decision himself. This whole mission had that feeling to it already and he did not want to add to it.
 
H. I. nodded after a moment, “Alright. Let’s do this.”
 
The Lone Stranger nodded and had Miniya got get the others as he and H. I. prepared. Once the others were gathered they stood around Raven and H. I. Took out his cane. Once out, he spun the crystal and pushed it down a click before holding it up in the air. A bluish glow came from the crystal and seemed to envelope their heads, and blue and violet blots of energy seemed to bounce from their minds and arc to The Lone Stranger. After H. I. did this, The Lone Stranger spun the crystal on his cane, pressed it down two clicks again, and pointed it at Raven. As he did the green glow surrounded her and lifted her slightly again, and time again seemed to halt. Green, Orange, Yellow, Blue, and Violet sparks arced from him to her and back again, as he took the memories of her that he and the others lent to him, and carefully placed them in the clone Raven’s mind.  
 
After what seemed like another eternity, the glows faded and Raven was gently lowered to the bed again. The exertion left the girls all tired and H. I. and The Lone stranger worn out and with headaches.
 
 
“Hmm. Damn.” The Lone stranger growled at the pain in his head.
 
“That makes two of us.” H. I. groaned, knowing what his friend was cussing about.
 
“Yeah… Get some rest. She should be asleep for a while. That’s twice in one day, so she will need a lot of sleep.” The Lone Stranger Said.
 
HE started to walk to the door but stumbled a bit, but Minerva and Ichigo were at his side in an instant to steady him. Though the process does not use energy from them, it can be taxing on them, and the time inside being much longer for them than what time actually passed on the outside. For The Lone Stranger and H. I. the added stresses on the mind, H. I. with filtering out all their thoughts and The Lone stranger with painstakingly manipulating them to seem from her perspective and then palcing them in order, that tired their minds and gave them the headaches. Time wise, H. I. and the girls’s bodies had gone through a couple days without sleep in the minutes that passed outside the bubble. For the lone Stranger, having gone into her mind twice, it was more like a week without sleep.
 
“When food comes eat up, and use extra salt. Until then rest.” The Lone Stranger said as he straightened himself up and used the last of his energy to go to his room.  
 
Back in his room the girls helped him undress and lay down. Though his head pounded and sleep did not come quickly, he soon passed out from sheer exhaustion.
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
H. I. had stripped down to his boxers and fallen into the other bed not long after The Lone Stranger had left, and Miniya had just dropped her towel and crawled in beside him, both passing out fairly quickly. Unfortunately H. I.’s sleep was filled with nightmares, made worse by the pounding in his skull. The dreams were of loss, seeing the losses again and in different ways, each time knowing they were coming but being powerless to stop them. In the end it was dreams of being tortured again and seeing them kill Raven all over.  
 
At the end of them, just as they killed her in his mind all over again a banging sound startled him awake, to which he sat up, flipping the naked Miniya off him and off the bed in the process as he reached for his gun and brought it to bear on where the noise had came from.
 
Miniya squeaked as she tumbled over and off the bed and H. I. panted as he shakily pointed the gun at the noise. As the sleep cleared from his eyes and his breathing slowed he saw it was just a very wide eyed Minerva and Ichigo, who were in their sleep shirts and robes still.
 
“Don’t shoot!” Minerva squeaked.
 
“Cowboy it’s just us!” Ichigo said quickly at the same time.
 
H. I. sighed and lowered the gun, “*sigh* What the hell?”
 
The two women relaxed a bit and looked at him sheepishly.  
 
“Sorry, he told us to come in here. There were some priest that came and got him and they had some mouse wessen with them Who claimed to be Hiromi.” Minerva said.
 
“Must have been urgent if the priest woke him… Hiromi, you say? That can’t be right… I’d better go see what’s goin’ on.” H. I. said as he climbed off the bed, stood up, and grabbed his shirt.
 
“No, I don’t think he wants anyone in there!” Minerva said urgently.
 
“We were already awake when they came. You know how he is. Even exhausted he won’t stay down long.” Ichigo explained, “And though he did not say to stay out, he didn’t seem like he wanted company.”
 
“Hmm.” H. I. grunted as he dressed.  
 
A green light shown from under their door for a minute or two and then faded.
 
“You three stay here.” H. I. said as he strode over to the door, not giving them time to argue.
 
He paused at the door before opening it slowly and looking inside and then stepping in. In the other room he found The Lone Stranger, again looking fairly tired, and a tired, panting Hiromi on her knees in front of him.
 
H. I. Shook his head and sighed, “*sigh* … The laughs just don’t stop, do they?”