I ran toward the phone with only one thought in my mind 'escape'. I scrambled to pick it up before whatever kind soul on the other end could decide to give up and hang up. I put the phone quickly to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Lucy?" Amy sounded concerned, as she should. "Are you alright?"

"Oh thank God you called," I collapsed on the couch, glad for a few moments of freedom from the world's longest game of shoots and ladders. "We have got to loose that game, Amy. I mean it, I'm just going to throw it in the ocean."

"Lucy," Amy warned. "You will not."

"No, I wont. But can't a girl dream? We've been playing for almost two hours, as soon as a game is over he wants to start again right away."

"Is that Mim?" Michal asked leaning against the door to the hallway. I smiled and nodded, loving that he called Amy that now. It had been our compromise on mom.

"Do you want to talk to her?" He nodded and I handed him the phone.

"Hi, Mim," he spoke softly as he always did. "We're playing shoots and ladders, Lucy's doing well."

I smiled listening to him, he had almost no accent anymore, and had learned proper English living here in Spain, it was sometimes funny to hear him speak so much more properly than any other English speaking child we happened across. Mostly though we were just glad to see him adjusting well, even the therapist agreed. Yeah that's right, we're taking him to therapy. What would you do with a kid whose mother was a world class super villain? As much as Katia cared for him I think he spent a lot of time with other people for his own safety, he didn't ask about her much anymore.

"She wants to speak to you again," Michal handed me the phone.

"Go set up the board again, why don't you?" I prompted, with a nod he ambled back toward his room where we had been playing.

"I knew you wouldn't throw the game out," Amy commented when I put the phone back to my ear.

"I can't help it, I'm a marshmallow for him," I admitted. "Anyway how are you? How's New York City?"

"Great," she answered, but didn't sound as enthusiastic as she might.

"Are you parents doing alright?" I asked.

"Of course," she answered quickly. "They're looking forward to you and Michal arriving. It's just." She trailed off, not finishing the sentence.

"Amy?" I asked, concern growing.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "There's been a bit of a DEBS issue."

"Did Janet mess up again?" I teased.

"No," I was glad to hear her laugh a bit. "But they could really use our help."

"Again? Amy, it's almost Christmas," I was really not in the mood to spend my Christmas on some crazy mission where I end up being shot. I moved my shoulder a bit just at the memory of the last one.

"I know. That's the thing. It kind of involves Michal too."

"What?" Now she had my complete attention. "Is someone after him? Did Katia find a way.."

"No it's nothing like that," she quickly soothed me. "It's the Super Micro Macro Best Friend Talking Muffin doll."

"Huh?" I was completely lost.

"You know he wanted the Super Micro Macro…."

"Yeah I got that," I interrupted saying her breath. "But what on earth does that have to do with the DEBS?"

"They've all been taken." Amy answered.

"The DEBS?" I asked, still utterly confused as to what disappearing DEBS would have to do with dolls.

"Lucy, the dolls were taken, the DEBS were hired to find them."

"Listen if the DEBS are after a doll thief I need to get back into the crime business," I joked.

"Its Faire who took them," Amy explained. "Have you heard of her?"

"Yeah," I nodded, knowing she couldn't see me. "She's a crackpot from what I've heard."

"Total crackpot," Amy agreed. "But good at what she does."

"Why dolls?" I asked.

"They're the hottest gift this Christmas, she'll be able to well over cost on the black market."

"Black market Muffin dolls?" I asked skeptically.

"Lucy didn't you ever have something you wanted so much your parents would pay anything for it?"

"No, they did a lot more taking then paying," I admitted and sighed. "Okay, how long has she given them to get the dolls back?"

"Twelve days."

"What's the first clue?"

"So you're coming to New York then? The DEBS already booked tickets for you and Michal, the flight leaves at four PM your time."

"Amy what's the first clue?"

"My parents will be happy to take him when we can't, and the hotel has plenty of things to keep him busy too."

"Amy," I answered warningly.

"Alright so I'll be seeing you soon."

"The clue?" I asked once more.

"Fine," she sighed. "The first clue is."

"A partridge in a fake tree?" I asked incredulously. "Jesus, Faire really is a crackpot."

"You didn't guess that when Amy said we have twelve days?" Max asked, barely holding back an uncharacteristic grin. "Twelve days till Christmas eve, Lucy."

"And if we get the dolls back people will just get killed that night scrambling for one," I pointed out.

"We're working on something," Max answered.

"This is a waste of time," Dominique rolled her eyes, smoke thick around her in the small room, I was glad we had left Michal with Amy's parents, by now all three of them were probably sleeping, which I wished I was doing as well. "We could already be on vacation."

"And Miss a chance to tangle with the strangness that is Faire?" I asked. "Who would give up that?"

"Someone who has a conciounce and doesn't want to see millions of kids sad on Christmas morning," Max answered with more feeling than I would have expected.

"Well I'm here aren't I?" I pointed out. "Where's Janet and Scud?"

"They should be arriving at any minute," Amy glanced at the clock. "Their flight landed over an hour ago."

"Traffic's horrible out there," Max shook her head. "My cab in yesterday took damn near two hours."

"Okay so we won't wait for them," Amy decided. "Now we all know how these clues work. Each clue will lead to the next clue, and the next clue will only be there for twenty-four hours after we find the first clue. If that makes sense."

"Basically we have twenty-four hours to figure out each clue, and this ones about to expire," I answered.

"In as few words," Max agreed.

"Where in New York City would you find a pear tree?" Amy mused.

"I think the more important question might be what the fuck is a partridge really?" I asked.

"It is a game bird, like a quail or the ruffled grouse. It is most common in farm lands." Dominique answered casually, not looking up from the nail she was picking.

I was glad I was not the only one who was stunned into silence by this display of avian knowledge.

"What?" She asked, finally looking up and seeing the triple looks of shock.

"Hi! Sorry we're late, the traffic was horrendous, I don't know how anyone lives in this city, Amy!!!" Janet entered the room spinning us all back into life.

"Janet!" Amy smiled and accepted Janet as she threw herself at Amy, arms wrapping tightly around her as Janet laughed happily.

"How are you Amy? How's Michal?"

"Asleep I hope," Amy answered.

"Hey, Luce," Scud dropped the two oversized duffle bags he was carrying. "This woman packs like crazy."

"It's New York City," Janet defended. "I've never been."

"Well they do have shops here," I informed her. "Usually good to bring empty bags."

"She has one packed," Scud answered with a shake of his head.

"How are you?" I smiled and hugged him quickly.

"Good, we've been good," he nodded. "We were also warm back in Nevada before we got called out to this craziness."

"It was nice in LA too, so don't act like you're the only one pulled away to real winter," Max snapped.

"Touchy," Scud grinned. "Where were you two headed, and where's Michal?"

"We were going to spent Christmas with Amy's parents in New York anyway." I explained. "They live in Florida for winters now, so they wanted some snow."

"I don't know about you, but I miss Christmas in the Bahamas," Scud whispered confidentially.

"You and me both," I answered leaning in. "Tia and Gia?" I asked even more quietly.

"Miss them too," he nodded with a grin. "Things still good with Amy?"

"Great," I smiled. "And Janet?"

"Better then I ever expected."

"So Tia and Gia?"

"Fun, but unnecessary, right?"

"Right," I agreed clapping him on the back. "Now what do you know about partridges?"

"Um, they like pear trees?" He answered skeptically.

"That's apparently not the case," I answered with a smile.

"There aren't any farmlands in New York City," Max mused looking over a map of the city.

"Well what if its not a real partridge," Amy asked.

"Ohh maybe it's a partridge family!" Scud spoke with mock enthusisum and Janet elbowed him.

"No," I shook my head. "But Amy could be onto something. All the big department stores still put on those big holiday displays right?"

"Yeah," Max nodded thoughtfully. "But there's a ton of them."

"Still probably our best bet," I pointed out. "And its not like anyone's going to die if we mess this up right?"

"But the children will be very upset," Max pointed out forcefully.

"Yeah, we get it," I nodded. "Let's go look for a partridge."

Four hours later, just as the sun was coming up and time had almost run out we hit Christmas partridge gold.

Just for the record the stores had three frosty the snow mans, twenty-four santas, about a bazillion reindeer (six were Rudolph), and thirty Christmas trees. One had a partridge in a pear tree.

"Here!" Janet called just as I had about given up on the whole idea and was trying to figure out how to tell Amy I quit more elegantly then Dominique had. "I can see another card by the bird."

"There are like ten cards on that tree, babe," Scud pointed out coming up behind Janet.

"But that ones a different color," she insisted. Max leaned forward checking out the card.

"This is it, there's a big D on the card."

Max purposefully strode toward the big front door and banged loudly. For a few moments there was no response and she banged again. This time I bent and withered old woman ambled toward the door.

"We're closed."

"We're government," Max answered pressing her badge against the window. "Let us in."

"You don't look like government," the woman answered skeptically.

"You want me to call my supervisor?" Max asked giving the woman a patronizing look. "You want me to wake his executive ass at this time of the morning and haul him down here just to assure you that we are what my badge says we are?"

The woman seemed to think about this. "You can come in, but all those others have to go across the street before I'll open the door."

"Go on," Max waved us away. "I'll get the card."

As a group we worked our way across traffic, then stood shivering while the woman let Max into the building. Personally she isn't the one of the group I would have picked to be alone with, but then the woman didn't know here. Before we could become true icicles Max slipped back out, and waved the letter over her head to show she was successful.

Hardly looking at traffic Max darted across the street. "Got it."

"Great," I tried to sound enthusiastic, I really did. "How about we step into this coffee shop to read it so I don't freeze my ass off?"

There was no disagreement. Soon we were all settled into a big round booth in the back of the café, which was already insanely busy at six am. Coffee in hand I was much more in the mood to read the next clue.

"We know what its going to be," I couldn't help pointing out.

"Yeah but not how she's going to change it a bit," Amy answered, I could tell by her voice she was getting as tired as I was. "Read it Max."

"Two turtle doves, dancing merrily." Max read aloud.

"That sounds logical enough," Scud rolled his eyes.

"Alright, none of us are going to figure out anything this tired," Max admitted. "Lets all head back, and I'll email this to Dom, she can come up with something maybe."

"Thank god," I nodded and stood wearily pulling up Amy behind me. "None of you better call before four this afternoon."

They all nodded and I lead Amy outside. We were lucky and it only took a couple minutes to hail a cab. Once inside Amy snuggled in next to me, eyes already shutting.

"I love you," she muttered.

"Love you too," I smiled and kissed her head, stroking her hair. "You're parents are going to be alright with Michal for the day?"

"Of course," she assured me. "They're positively giddy about it."

I leaned back in the cab, forcing myself to stay awake even after Amy dozed off. The ride didn't take long and soon we were at our own hotel. With barely any words we undressed and climbed into the heavenly soft bed. Both of us were asleep before her parents and Michal even woke up.