They'd talked all through the night. Midnight struck and it wasn't much of a proper time to leave a bar but Christmas was over and she'd successfully found a way to forget about it for a while. Graverobber gulped down the last bit of his beer when she announced she was leaving and offered to walk her out.

She wondered how a fugitive was acting so nonchalant about being out in the open like this especially one that stuck out the way he did. Well, maybe she was the only one who thought he stuck out because he was the first person with rainbow colored tresses she'd ever met. As she looked around and really thought about it he was pretty subdued in comparison to some.

"So how are you so comfortable just roaming around out in the open? Aren't you supposed to be flying under GeneCo's radar at least a little bit?" Somehow walking her out turned into walking with her down the road toward her home. She kept her voice down as she asked although there weren't a lot of people out on the streets at midnight on Christmas.

He chuckled. "Nobody was looking at me in that bar. Everybody in there was to enveloped in their own misery to pay attention to anyone else there. I could have walked in with a chainsaw and a mask of human skin and no one would have flinched. Plus all my wanted posters have been down a while, the sheep don't remember faces like they used to." The smile on his face was jolly and snide all at once.

"You sound a little disappointed about the posters, did they feed into your ego Graverobber?" She figured he wasn't about to tell her what had gotten his posters taken down, part of her didn't want to know.

"I still have one stashed away as a reminder of the good ol' days." He said looking over and giving her his mischievous wink.

She smiled. Something hadn't changed, Graverobber was still Graverobber the perfectly wicked showman.

"So, you know why I can come out every so often. I think I get to ask how you left the tower." He stated more than asked.

Her pace was slow, the sound of the heels on her boots adding to the cacophony of sounds of the city night. Staring at the cement she tucked her hair behind her ear as she decided what the best way to explain was. "I grew up, the "tower" couldn't hold me back anymore. Not to mention I realized there were genecops confirming I was still there. Also how I realized the old name had to go. I went out through the graveyard one night and I sold the place. I had to liquidate anything in my name so they wouldn't follow me."

He was surprised she'd thought ahead so far. Trapped in her room her whole life and somehow she knew how to cover her tracks almost as well as he did. "Impressive kid." He looked at her really taking in how different she was. He reached out and gently tugged at a curl toward the front of her hair. "I like the hair. Suits you."

She chuckled, "Yeah, anything's better than my shiny bald head."

Out of a dark alley a figure and voice slithered just far enough to be a silhouette in the night. "I don't know about you but my favorite color has always been blue." Oh there was a tragically desperate undertone that could be heard the world 'round.

Graves knew what was going on, this is classic junkie code. Only really used when they caught you in a slightly open environment or when they were trying out a new dealer to make sure they weren't actually vice. His dealer smirk travelled up his face. "I'm forced to agree but I like it best when it's got a touch of neon." He knew the banter was ridiculous but it was the good ol' tried and true.

Shilo had gotten wise over her time in the real world. She could guess what was going on but she didn't even claim to understand. She wanted to know why that desperate voice sounded so familiar too.

"Can we cut the shit Graverobber?" Finally the woman stepped out far enough to really be visible. The long burgundy hair and the tight pale face of the ever changing CEO.

Shilo's breath caught in her throat and she turned her head so her face would be more covered by her hair. Amber wasn't looking at her though.

"Only if you've got the cash, no time for any alternate payment tonight Sweetcheeks." He kept the veneer perfect. If he acted weird Amber would get suspicious and that was the last thing he wanted her to be with Shilo next to him.

Shilo flushed at the mention of noncash payments having grown up enough to really know what that meant.

"But that's half the fun, Graverobber." The way she purred -a pur that was nearly a hiss- his name brought Shilo back to that night, it seemed like such a distant memory. At the same time no memory was ever so vivid as that night.

"Not all of us were born with the gold spoon hanging out of our mouths and can afford for it to be 'fun' all the time." He easily challenged back. Normal, he reminded himself, normal.

"Well if you can find where I keep my money you can have it." Fluttering her long sewn on lashes flirting shamelessly. The tiny outfit she wore -as she always did to strut around for Graverobber- left very little to the imagination and she didn't carry a purse so it was easy to imagine where she could be hiding her money.

Frustrated with the never ending games this woman wanted to play he grabbed her by the throat and shoved her into the nearest alley wall. The hench chicks she'd inherited were standing in the alley with their blank faces waiting for a signal that Amber wasn't enjoying this. They were more intimidating than her old guards that was for sure.

"Amber if you want me to grope around your body for your money let me assure you I can. It wouldn't make for a grand old time though." He kept his voice low like that would hide the threat from the bitches with guns. "I don't even like you. I've told you this dozens of times. Why do you feel the need to chase me?"

All Shilo needed to hear was that first bit before she decided it was a good time to get out of dodge. She really didn't want to see Graverobber search Amber for her money. Plus it was best not to push her luck any more than she already had.

Graverobber heard the boots walking away his eyes flashed after her before realizing Amber's eyes had followed. He slammed his free hand against the wall blocking her eyes from following the dark haired girl. "I'll give you a vial on the house. Just get your shit from GeneCo now. Not like Daddy can stop you. I'm sick of your shit." He thrust a vial into her chest and walked away.

She looked over to the unchanged faces of the hench chicks embarrassed -hurt- to be scorned in front of an audience. In her mind their faces had twisted, they were judging her, they were laughing at her. Rage bubbled up from the pit of her belly, her eyes narrowed, "Send the investigators out to find out who the dark haired bitch was." She barked then stalked past them toward GeneCo only just passing them before turning back. "And get me her face."

Graverobber jogged off in the way he watched her go occasionally glancing back to make sure Amber wasn't following him. Honestly he hoped she'd listen to him. Even if it got him back on GeneCo's shitlist. Amber had seemed far more persistent since she'd given him his pardon -of sorts- and it was quite troublesome for him to deal with her especially since it made the girls he used to have "special transactions" with disappear for some reason or another. That really pissed him off. Nothing worse than a needy junkie.

It took him a minute or two of jogging and guessing directions before he caught sight of the swaying hips that could only be Shilo's. They swayed unlike the hookers, unlike the women of too much pride that think their hips turn the world, it was a nearly innocent sway. Maybe Graverobber could stop identifying women based on their hips but it was highly unlikely.

The girl heard the jogging steps behind her and could guess whose clunky boots were thudding against the pavement. Debating on turning to see him run up to her she figured it'd seem like she was waiting for him to swoop back in on her life. If she just kept walking though it would seem like she didn't expect him, like he wasn't what was on her mind.

"You seem like you can get away without me now." He joked as he easily caught up with the girl. Leg length was a beautiful thing when it came to catching up.

Something about that whole thing had chilled her. Reminded her of that dreadful night. Reminded her of the deal he'd made with the Largos just for some extra cash. Stealing her mother's corpse from her gilded cage. Although he did end up getting screwed. It gave her great pause, was this really someone she could trust? "I'm not a confused kid anymore, I can find my way home."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"

A weighty sigh escaped her and she rolled her eyes. "I grew up. I don't just trust the first guy who almost gets me killed in a graveyard." Trying to sound objective she just sounded icy.

"I wasn't trying to get you killed. I wanted..." to impress you, no that would end badly. "I don't really know what was going through my head. I just have to try to fuck with authority sometimes. Impulse control issues."

Probably not his best defense. "Well, that makes it better. I'm not naive, I can't trust that you don't have a deal with Amber right now to find me."

"If that was the case don't you think I would have just shoved you over to her then? Why would I waste anymore time?" The man did know more about that sort of deal than she would. "I'm your friend Shilo. I don't know what more to say to you. I'm not Mr Perfect but damn if I'm not the guy who saved your ass even if it wasn't always to my benefit. I could have shot you up that night, rest assured you wouldn't be where you are today if I had. You'd either be dead or just another junkie crawling for their next fix, empty and worthless. If that's not enough for you kid there ain't nothing more I can do."

The words the drug dealer spoke in his cruel, passionate honesty rang within her and echoed truer than church bells. Her arms crossed over her chest keeping her eyes on the ground. "I'm sorry Graverobber. I just... I don't spend time with people. Trust isn't something I'm really apt for."

His bright blue eyes watched the pale girl as her words were spoken softly, fearfully. He reached out and gently tugged one of her hands free lacing it with his own. "Me too kid."

Authors Note: Sorry about the wait. This story has morphed a wee bit from what I thought it'd be and flushing out what it needs to be has taken some time. Plus I started another Graverobber story that took up a lot of my time. You may see it sooner or later. :]

Thank EVERYONE who followed, commented, and favorited you guys are the reason I took my eyes off the other story long enough to finish this chapter.

Forgive the "U" in the title. It's one letter too long with it spelled out "You" and I couldn't part with the title.