Clive glanced around the sewers - he had been broken out of prison and dragged down into the sewers. He was on an elevated platform - grossly green water was rushing by, but the platform had enough room for the homeless tramps that lived there. He glanced at his saviour, who was still wearing an old Halloween mask. He'd been able to deduct it was a girl, from her voice.
She pulled off the mask and threw it into the water. She was a girl, and had her hair cut short in a messy style, as if whoever cut it wasn't really sure what they were doing. She glanced up at Clive. "Yo, 's me, Iona. Nice to see ya 'gain, Clive ol' buddy." Clive squinted - she did have an air of familiarity about her. And the name Iona seemed all too familiar, as well. She folded her arms, sensing Clive's confusion. "You don't remember, uh... I nev'a used to talk like this, ah guess."
She looked up at him, cleared her throat, and spoke in a different accent. "Hello, Clive. Do you remember me now?" And suddenly everything clicked: Iona had been his best friend before the explosion. He'd been so busy after that and transferred schools that he'd forgotten all about her.
"Iona?!" She grinned and wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh fank GOD I thought ya'd never 'member!" she laughed, returning to the growly and rough voice. "Good ta know ya 'aven't forgotten."
"Why do you speak like that?" Clive asked.
"I'm used to it," she said, shrugging. She hadn't changed her accent, leaving it rough and edged. "I was kicked out of my house by my parents - you always knew they were scummy assholes, anyway - so I ended up living down here in the sewers with the others. We're a family down here. I was going through a run-down house and the radio was on, and I heard that you had been imprisoned. I wanted to get you out. It's nice down here."
"Why me?" Clive folded his arms. "I can't help you. Not at all."
"Yes you can. Clive, you're good-looking and your voice is really sexy. You're the perfect person to infiltrate some woman's house and make off with all her jewelry, which we can sell off. Clive, we need money. We've been building up a stash for a long time, but none of us are pretty enough to get into someone's house with their consent!"
Clive laughed and leaned back a little. "What the hell makes you think I can make it into the bed of anyone I want?"
Iona raised an eyebrow. "Clive, you walk into a club and every girl will be eyeing you up. I promise. Please, Clive, please. We're stuck down here and our life is hell. Why can't you just help us?" Her eyes were pleading. "Don't leave us like this, please."
"Alright, I'll help you," Clive sighed. "When do I start?"
"Tonight," Iona said cheerfully. "I managed to steal some clothes that I think are your size. And I have some cheap-ass fake gold necklace, it looks nice but the paint is gonna peel soon enough. So, let's get ready!"
Sometime early in the morning, when Iona had finally managed to fall asleep, Clive dropped down into the sewers and shook her awake. Iona stared at him blearily - Clive was grinning from ear to ear, holding up beautiful, shining gold jewelry in both his hands. Iona smiled and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him extremely tightly.
"Thank you so muchhhhh!" she squealed. "I knew I could trust you! Thank you thank you thank you!" Clive was surprised at how happy Iona was. Sure, she'd spent years of her life in the sewers, stealing to live with her hobo friends, but it was as if she'd never seen any kind of jewelry in her life and it was the holy grail. "I'll sell it tomorrow." She rolled over, yawned and fell asleep again. She was tired as hell, anyway.
Clive had difficulty sleeping - rats kept running up to him and he whacked them away, sleeping in his prison clothes. He presumed he would be out every night. How long would it take to raise enough money to get anything? Surely Iona could get a council flat?
Clive reluctantly ended up outside the next day, during the afternoon while Iona was selling off the jewels, calling Dimitri via a payphone. Dimitri hadn't been given a prison sentence in some kind of plea bargain that involved him making Clive seem even worse.
"I need my money, Dimitri," he said coldly. "Or I'm going to kill you." After scolding from Dimitri, the older man reluctantly agreed to return Clive's money in a briefcase and they met just an hour later.
When Clive returned to the sewers with Iona, he found that the jewels were worth more than he bargained and they couldn't even count how much they had before Clive had to prepare himself for going out. That night, he managed to worm his way into three beds and came back with more than the night before. Iona seemed slightly distant, not celebrating as much as last night. When Clive questioned her, she just shook her head and said she was fine.
For a week, everything went the same way, Clive racking up more money each night, and Iona seeming more distant. She also seemed to be putting on weight, which was odd, considering they were eating very little.
On the night where Clive suggested that they should search for a flat soon, Iona looked at him with sorrow and fear in her eyes and told him something that would change everything: "I'm pregnant, Clive. It's coming."