Mara woke first.

She was still pressed against Duke, and she took a long moment to just feel. His heartbeat was strong and slow, his breath even in slumber. She wished she could see his face, but this was enough. She needed to enjoy it now, in case he woke up feeling differently.

Moonlight promises had a way of dissolving in the harsh light of day. She had to be strong.

Her lips brushed his chest in a feather-soft kiss, and the arm around her tightened, pulling her closer.

Best. Feeling. Ever.

"Hi." Mara murmured.

"Good morning. How'd you sleep?" It sounded like he was smiling, and she relaxed against him.

"After I blew up? I slept great. How about you?"

He chuckled, rubbing her hip. "Same. You talk in your sleep. It's cute."

Mara gasped, and she could feel the heat of the blush on her face. "I- I don't talk in my sleep. Do I? And I'm certainly not cute."

"Oh, you're so wrong. You absolutely talk in your sleep. But you're a little right. You're not cute. You're fucking adorable."

Damn it, she was still blushing! She had to get control of this situation, fast.

"Nope. But I was last night." Mara grinned wickedly as Duke gasped.

"Mara! You dirty girl. I'm impressed. That was almost a good way to change the subject."

She huffed, chuckling. "Fine, Duke. What did I say?"

"See, I'm not really sure I should tell you."

"Why, was it that bad?"

"Not for me, it wasn't. But still. I think I'll wait til you say it awake first."

She poked his side. "Tease."

She felt his breath on her face as he replied. "It's not teasing if I intend to follow through."

Goosebumps again. How could he do that with just his voice?

"As much as I'd like to stay here all day, I have to use the restroom, and I have to process some of this Aether. I need to be able to see, at least. And then I have to settle our eyes."

"I guess you'll want clothes to do that?"

"As many people that come in and out of this boat? Yes. You can see whatever you want, but your friends can keep their eyeballs to themselves."

"I'm going to remember you said that, Mara."

She couldn't keep the stupid grin off her face.

He came around the bed, pulling her up and against him. "Shame to cover up this view."

"No fair. I can't see you."

He pressed close. "You can feel me, though." She felt a kiss on her throat, and all her muscles tightened.

He brought her to the bathroom, and told her he'd be back soon. She took care of her needs by feel, stepping carefully into the shower to wash the salt from the seawater out of her hair and skin. She turned a knob and was doused in frigid water. She shrieked as her muscles clamped down, fumbling for the handles.

Duke raced in, frantic. "What, what's wrong?"

"Cold! Help, I can't fix it!"

He laughed as he reached in, and then warm water was cascading over her.

"Mara, you need to get used to asking me for help. If you're going to get sick, I need to know how to take care of you."

"I'm not going to make you play nurse for me, Duke."

"You didn't. But I'm still going to. I want to. Now stop arguing. I'll be right back. Call if you need anything." He pressed a kiss to her lips and walked away.

Mara washed and shaved on autopilot, thinking hard.

Scientific process. What did she know?

If she took him at his word- and she did, unlike everyone else in this town- he didn't want her to go. He believed in her innocence. He'd slept touching her, without restraints, and trusted that she wouldn't hurt him. That combined with the fact that he wanted to help her through the sickness indicated that he wanted her to stay here on his ship with him.

He'd touched and kissed her, even without the affects of the Aether-blast. He'd made love to her, knowing she wasn't Audrey. He hadn't been pretending, he'd said her name. He'd appreciated that she'd been honest with him.

He might actually like her.

She rinsed carefully, letting the warm water relax her tight muscles. The fact that nobody had called Duke after the blast was a good sign. Maybe nobody else felt it, though she couldn't imagine how that was possible.

She finished rinsing, reaching out for the knobs before she stopped, remembering the freezing water.

No thank you.

Mara sighed, rolling her shoulders and shaking out her hands, preparing herself to try things Duke's way.

"Duke? Can you come turn this off for me? I don't want to screw it up again." Mara called loudly.

She jumped as a chuckle sounded inches from her ear.

"I was standing here, betting on whether you'd ask for help or be stubborn and do it yourself. I'm glad I won."

The water turned off, and she laughed. "Of course you win if you're betting with yourself!"

There was a kiss on her nose as a soft towel wrapped around her shoulders, another touching her hips as he pulled her forward, gently drying her. "Now you see the genius in my plan."

"Gods, you're the setup of a million jokes. 'A pirate who's an evil genius walks into a bar that he owns..' You're like a one-man band." He laughed loudly, making her shiver.

She couldn't deny, the pampering felt very nice. Not that she needed it, she reminded herself.

Still, it was a luxury.

Duke dried her hair patiently, patting and squeezing, remarkably gentle. "So, Mara. Let's test your newfound patience out. Let's see if you can work with me."

She cocked her head, burning black eyes curious, her hair brushing her breast as she watched Duke's eyes.

Oh, she understood as she felt his fingers run gently up one ankle and she lifted her foot in response; he was dressing her. She felt the soft fabric of her own panties- he had laundered her clothes- sliding up a bit before Duke rubbed her other ankle. His eyes, the only light in the blackness, never left hers.

Duke wanted to see how much Mara responded to him. The poor man had no idea. He was her world. His fingers or his eyes, she could- she would- follow him anywhere. This was a game she knew she could win.

And Mara did win, moving exactly as Duke wanted her to- the touch of a finger, the tiniest flicker of his eyes showed her where to move, and she released the control she used as a shield. She wanted to work with him. She wanted to be the one person in the universe who could know his desires with the touch of a finger. She wanted to be the hidden support that kept him stable.

She won by finally understanding what she was. What she could be.

Yet Duke won, too. Someone was listening to him. Caring more for his needs than theirs. Trusting him without fear or question or threat. Mara had, both literally and metaphorically, placed her life in his hands. She had trusted him with a truth, a fear. She'd made the effort to be kind to someone just to make him happy.

She was meeting him in the middle, not just taking or trying to make him change.

His voice was low, soft as he said, "I'm still working on your shirt, but arms up."

She did as he'd asked, smiling slightly as she felt one of her own tanks, still here from before, pulled over her torso by Dukes slow, exploring fingers. A sinfully soft cardigan followed, and the smell touched her even as the fabric did.

"Duke? Is this one of your sweaters?"

"It's supposed to be colder today, and your temperature is already down. Want me to comb your hair?"

She smiled. "That would be nice. Thank you."

Half an hour later, they were seated on the couch, an empty wooden box between them.

"Okay, I'm going to do this slowly, both so you can keep track and so I don't take out more than I have to."

His hand rested on her neck, rubbing gently as she worked. One by one, she fashioned the orbs, placing each into the box. Every half-dozen, she would blink and look around, testing.

A full 36 orbs later, when Mara checked for the sparkle of Duke's eyes, she saw the red tint of his face as well. She smiled happily.

"Okay, now, I can fix your eyes, but I need to touch your face. Is that alright?"

"Mara, it's fine. You don't have to ask permission to touch me. I think we're past that now. " His teeth shone crimson as he smiled.

She caressed his temple gently, focusing. "I'm going to do this for you, but you need to pay attention, get used to the way it feels. It's just using a muscle you're not used to."

She stared into his eyes as she pressed her fingertips to his head and pushed very carefully. The silver faded away and she pressed her lips to his head.

"I think you looked perfect before, but this looks suits you, too." She blinked, and her own eyes opened normal, the red gone from her eyes and her vision.

They leaned in, his hand wrapping around the back of her neck as he kissed her, her tongue sliding along his lip when a knock sounded at the door. They stared at each other with wide eyes, and Duke quickly tore a cushion off the sofa, pulling up a trapdoor inside and slipping the box of Aether in, replacing everything before she could blink. "Don't move." He strode for the door.

Mara stilled and slipped into her dark, bored mask as she heard the voices; the peaceful phase of constant motion and interaction she'd slipped into with Duke at an abrupt end the moment she heard them.

Duke entered first, and surprised Mara- as well as Audrey and Nathan- by coming to sit next to her, bodies touching.

Nathan was staring, and she forced herself to stare back. She felt uncomfortably vulnerable; no makeup, hair down and unprepared for battle.

"What the hell is she doing out?" Nathan asked incredulously.

She made her tone as dry and acerbic as possible. "Good morning, Nathan. Lovely to see you too."

"My boat, my rules, Nate. Sit if you want."

Mara looked at Audrey. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks to you. But what about you? You looked really rough when Duke chased us out last night."

Mara shrugged, suspicious of the question and polite tone. "It's nothing. I've had worse."

"Your eyes aren't black anymore." Audrey noted.

"Nope."

Nathan cut in. "So, what exactly was that last night? The black cloud?"

Mara leaned back, crossing her arms and legs as she gazed at Nathan impassively.

"You guys keep talking about the 'Troubles' being backed up in Duke, making him sick. It wasn't the Troubles, it was the Aether that was backed up. Once I reprogrammed him, his body had to release the backup."

"Why'd it go into you?" Nathan asked.

"Because I'm the only one with the ability and knowledge to make it dormant again."

"So when your eyes turned black, that was from Aether?"

Mara shrugged.

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying you've got access to Aether?"

"I'm absolutely full of Aether right now. Dangerously full. I told Duke I'd process it under his supervision as soon as I'm able to."

"You can process it right now, and I'll take care of it."

"I'll do no such thing. I'm not risking my physical well-being because you're scared of the big, bad wolf."

"Why the hell is she loose, Duke? You're sitting here with her loose, with access to Aether? I knew it. The only reason you wanted to 'help' Duke was to get your hands on more Aether!"

Mara jumped to her feet, glaring as she sneered at Nathan. "You're as stupid as you are self-righteous! You want to accuse me of using Duke? You've been using the same four incidences of him irritating you as children to beat on him and demand his help whenever you want it! The Aether Duke expelled had to go somewhere, or it would have spread a thousand new, mixed-up Troubles! It would have infected a whole new generation! You were there, you twit, did that look fun for me? Dumping all this Aether when I'm already unwell would be a disaster, I'd be beyond sick!"

"So you get sick. You hurt plenty pf people and you seem healthy. I'm sure you can handle being sick."

Mara saw red again, and she snarled. "Oh, you want to talk about my heath, Nathan? Let me tell you about my medical history! There was a flood the night James was born. No power, the roads were impassible! 38 weeks and 3 days, Nathan! I gave birth alone in my bathroom, because nobody could get to me. He was 5 hours old before Dave made it there, and he had to use a dinghy!

"Yes, that's right, me. Audrey came after Sarah! Audrey wasn't part of me then! So you came back and found me, and because I had her face, you fucked me and forgot me. You didn't even have the nerve to tell her! Of course she was upset, you idiot! She knows how long she's been around! So keep looking at me and talking about me like I'm some evil monster. I was apparently good enough for you to fuck when you missed Audrey!"

"Duke, you can't be buying this! Make her release it! If she gets sick, she said Dr. Cross is her mother. She's got to be qualified to handle her health care!"

Mara pressed her lips shut, irritated that she'd reacted and almost stumbled as she backed up into Duke, who had stood right after she did. She was close enough to grab his fingers, whispering frantically.

"Duke, please. If you want me to force the Aether out I will, but don't call her. Just let me be sick, please, please just don't call her."

Mara turned away to wipe a fallen tear from her cheek. Great. Black. She formed it into an orb, handing it to Duke before she turned back.

Duke was staring at Nathan, his posture challenging. "I'm not forcing her to do anything else that hurts her. I'll be damned if I let you call Dr. Cross, either. Did you forget she saved Audrey? Mara didn't have to tell us she could help her! She fucking volunteered. You weren't there all night and this morning, you don't have a clue how much she suffered. No. If you want her, Nate, you have to go through me."

Nathan moved as if to strike Duke, and Mara jumped between them. Suddenly, everything froze.

Audrey stepped in front of Nathan.

The two women stood inches apart; Audrey with her perfect blonde hair, sensible cop-clothes and hand on her holster- Mara looking tiny with long, darker hair, bare feet and Duke's sweater, hands fisted in front of her. Yet both women radiated fierce power, and the air between them was thick, heavy like ozone before lightning.

"Knock it off, Nathan. You're being an ass. Of course Mara shouldn't do something that's going to make her sick, and if she and Duke are comfortable, so am I." Audrey looked at Mara, speaking more gently as she said, "Could I talk to you? We can go up on the deck."

"Parker, I-"

"Enough, Nathan. You need to apologize to Duke. Do it before I get back, are we clear?"

Mara felt a little more brave with Audrey on her side. Nathan always listened to Audrey. "I'll know if you hit him." She reached back, squeezing Duke's fingers as she followed Audrey out, trying to make her expression calm again.

She was under control by the time they made it out, and she sat carefully in a chair, overlooking the water that would have been her grave.

She had to get control of this situation quickly. She crossed her arms. "You look better. Feeling okay?"

"I am."

Silences didn't bother Mara, as a rule. The longer you stayed quiet, the more anxious the other person would get, making them easier to manipulate.

Of course, Audrey knew that too.

And Mara had been the one who just spilled a secret.

They waited each other out, and Audrey finally took mercy. "Thank you for helping me. Duke is right, you didn't have to. I felt terrible, seeing you hurt and bleeding like that."

"Don't pity me, it was nothing. I've-"

"Had worse. I know."

Mara's indifferent masked slipped a bit, and she narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

Audrey sat next to her, both staring out at the waves.

"I had a lot of dreams last night. Dreams that weren't mine." Audrey said without looking over.

Of course. Now that Audrey had Aether inside her and she was split from Mara, there was no way Mara could control the flow of information and memories. Everything before the split was available to Audrey now, once she learned how to look. It would start with dreams, but eventually... she could remember everything.

Shame Mara had to remember too.

She sighed. "What'd you dream?"

"Enough to know you're innocent."

"I'm far from innocent."

"You haven't done what you were accused of."

Mara shrugged, staring at the skyline as clouds started to gather. "Doesn't matter. People here only care what the books say. Funny thing about books, they're just one side of a story. The winner's side."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Mara's laugh held no mirth. "Nobody asked. They had their little books and legends. I was a female who wasn't human, and I kept coming back. They assumed it all meant me. Why should I volunteer information if they don't ask? Besides, they wouldn't have believed me anyway."

"Duke believed you, obviously."

"Only after I helped you. He had to figure out for himself that I wasn't what you thought. Actions speak louder than words. And look at Nathan. It doesn't matter what I say or do, he sees me as the enemy. Me talking to him won't help. And he'd say something hurtful about some aspect of my life that would cut too close to home and then he'd really see me angry. No. Words are useless."

Audrey saw the pain, steered them away. "Did you still want to use more Aether on me?"

Mara breathed deeply. "It's best. What you have now keeps you alive, but to achieve your potential, you need more. Your DNA is the same as mine. The Aether seems to think you're decent. You can do anything I can do, with practice. You need to be able to, if something happens to me. If Charlotte closes in, I'll go back to keep her away from you and Duke. If that happens, you have to help him. Convert the Aether he takes in."

"I'll learn whatever you want to teach me, but we're not going to let her get to you."

Mara chuckled, smiling grimly. "You're sweet. Naive, but sweet. Stay here for a second, I have to talk to Duke."

Mara stood, sticking her head in to call for Duke.

"What, are you okay?" He was looking her over carefully, and she rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but smile.

"What's she going to do, Duke? Manicure me to death? I'm fine. But look, I want to give Audrey extra Aether, make her a little stronger."

"Do you need some from the box?"

"No, I can part with a few more. But I agreed to talk to you first, remember?"

He smiled softly, his eyes warm. "I remember. I'm just... grateful." He kissed her gently and she blushed, still smiling absently as she came out onto the deck.

And Audrey saw her before she could put her mask back on.

Oh, what the hell. It seemed like Audrey was more reasonable than Nathan, at least. It would be fine. Probably.

"I just needed to- I chose to talk to Duke about it first. It makes him feel better."

Audrey didn't laugh or mock Mara. She looked very serious. "You love him."

"Anyone with half a brain loves him. He's a wonderful person."

"You're in love with him."

"How do you know?" There wasn't much point lying to Audrey.

"I used to be in love with him. When we split, it took me awhile to realize those feelings had changed. I finally figured out which parts were you."

Mara shrugged again, stretching her sore muscles. "I do, and I'll take what he's willing to share. I'm not a fool, I don't expect him to feel the same and I don't expect flowers or jewelry or marriage. I'm just enjoying what time I have with him. Sit down."

Mara pulled a chair so she was facing Audrey. She shook her hands out, forming the orbs as she spoke.

"Look, let's just agree not to bullshit when it's just us, okay? We were together a long time, we know what we know. But that means I know you, and you lie to yourself. Constantly. You like to pretend the darkness is just me. But it's not. Neither of us is completely dark or completely light. Until you accept that part of yourself, you're hobbling your own abilities. You said I'm innocent. Your words.

"Darkness isn't something to fear, Audrey. Without it, how would we know when we saw light? I understand that you're afraid, but just think about it."

Mara crushed two orbs, holding her hands out to Audrey. The blonde didn't hesitate to place her hands into Mara's, and the Aether flowed into her happily, building her up, improving healing, brain function and access to her abilities. Making her more OtherWorlder, less human.

Mara crushed one more, pressing her hand to Audrey's throat. Opening her ability to see into people. "I mean it, stay away from Charlotte. I don't know what you've dreamed yet, but you're calm, so it can't be that much. My relative innocence is nothing, absolutely nothing next to everything else."

The Aether bonded, and Mara dropped her hand in shock. Audrey's eyes were glowing bright blue, bright as Mara's which flared with her golden fire. "I assumed because our genetics are identical that... here, come look at yourself in the window. Closest reflection without seeing Nathan."

Mara brought her to the window and they stared at their reflections side by side. Aside from the glowing blue and red, they really did look fairly different. Same face, but different expressions, Mara's hair was longer and darker, and somehow she looked smaller.

"I'll teach you to make it fade. Here, just feel, you'll learn what muscle to use." Mara brushed her hand over Audrey's head as she blinked her own eyes back to normal.

"Wow. That's... pretty neat."

Mara chewed on her lip. "Between us, can I ask you a favor? I'd send Aether out to check, but I don't want to ask Duke about it yet. Will you check on his daughter? I want to know if she's okay. I have a weird feeling. And you were all wrong. Duke would be an amazing father. Hell, I'd do anything to be the woman he wanted a family with. But while I'm wishing, I may as well ask for a pony." She shrugged. "Just check on Jean, please. But while we're alone... did anything weird happen last night?"

Audrey smiled faintly. "Like the earthquake that knocked me out of bed but apparently wasn't felt or reported by anyone else?"

"Yeah, that. That was me, sorry."

"What happened?"

Mara returned to her chair, Audrey following.

"They're called Convergence Events. When two very different things happen in very close timelines. You've heard about the soft spots between the worlds. Last night, there was another timeline where things happened slightly differently, and you guys decided to kill me after I fixed you. Threw me overboard.

"When I was sinking, I was thinking about you and Duke, and I remembered Momma was here, knew you weren't safe. That if I died with her loose, you and Duke would just replace me in her work. She'd have torn you from Nathan, locked you up and subjected you to the exact same thing that I had to deal with. And she'd have been a danger to Duke, too. My death was going to be pointless.

"I panicked, and tried to use the last of my life to throw protection over both of you. But my body- on both sides of the Event- was packed with Aether. Overfull. I've never, ever worked with that much on board. It reacted, all focused on that one final task, and the resulting explosion set this version of me off. They bounced back and forth. I was asleep, so I only remember things from the other version of me, but Duke said that after the first explosion, I was floating, lit up. When I woke, I fell, and I was covered with salt water. Coughing it up. My sigil was bleeding. The two different versions of me converged."

She stared out at the waves, thinking.

"If you and Duke felt it, but Nathan didn't and you haven't gotten any calls, then maybe it only affected Omni's."

"Omni's?"

"You guys call us OtherWorlder's. Which makes sense from your point of view. But that's not what we call ourselves. We've got a species name just like you. Well, not you. You've got the same DNA as me, which makes you Omni. Humans are Homo Sapiens. We're Omni Sapiens. The difference really comes down to that. Humans value their sameness, their humanity. Thought comes second.

"Omni's value thought- science and power, particularly- over everything. Over life, liberty, love- there's nothing more important. It's a terrible place for anyone who cares about people. You remember how scared Dave was about that door? He was just a baby when he left home, doesn't remember anything about it, but still remembered the danger."

Audrey was listening carefully, and Mara had to stop and remind herself that this was Audrey's history, too. The girl had been looking for her past forever. It might not be what she wanted, but at least it was answers.

"So people like Nathan and the rest of the people in town are human, and you and me are... Omni?"

"You, me, Dave, Momma, William, Howard. All Omni."

"What about Duke?"

Mara rolled her neck, thinking.

"Duke is different. Special. Generations back, I tried to use Aether to make a family who could remove Troubles. The initial Target was flawed, everything got screwed up and the Crocker's could only kill a Trouble by killing a person. It was all because he couldn't release the Aether. Duke's choices, his spirit, made him different. I'm going to teach you to do my part- taking the Aether from Duke to make it dormant- because if something happens and I'm not around, he'll need your help."

"You're afraid your mother will get you."

Mara shrugged. "If it comes down to her taking me or finding out about you and Duke? I'll go willingly. I can't just let you take my place. I wouldn't whore you out to save my own skin, no matter what jackass thinks. Sorry, no matter what Nathan thinks."

"What you said about James... can you explain?"

"Not much to explain. The lives were pushed on me to make me despondent. Desperate. Willing to do what they wanted me to do just to make them stop. I never had any say in what the personalities chose to do, but they were still me. I was awake and powerless. At the end of every life, the memories and experiences merged and became part of me."

Her brow furrowed as she watched the birds over the sea.

"When I met Nathan as Sarah, he looked at me... like he could see me. Like he was looking for me. Obviously now I know he was looking for you, because he doesn't understand how time works, but I didn't know that then. I thought he saw me, that he wanted to help me. I wanted him." She scowled, wiping a black tear from her eye and forming it into an orb that she rolled between her hands.

"I was scared, but so happy when I found out I was pregnant. I was a fool. He used me as a stand-in for you because we had the same face. I was the whore again, but the Aether hadn't protected me because I wasn't afraid. It let me conceive. But I had to give James up, because the Hunter came again. And then you came, and I finally figured out what had happened.

"Gods, I've been used for centuries, even long before the Barn. Finding out that the first time I'd let myself be vulnerable, to believe, was just a big lie- that he was pretending I was you- I hate myself for that, and I hate him for it, too. The fact that he doesn't see what he did wrong makes it worse."

Audrey didn't try to hug her or touch her or offer stupid platitudes. Mara appreciated that. Five orbs in her hands now, rotating and spinning as she moved her fingers.

"We'll figure out a way to take care of Charlotte, Mara."

"Maybe. Either way, she's not getting near you and Duke."

"Or you."

"Whatever. We should go make sure no one's gotten hit yet." She cradled the orbs, still spinning them absently as they went back in.

Both men were seated, neither marked at all. Gods, Nathan really did do whatever Audrey told him to. Mara sat against Duke, offering him the spinning orbs as her fingers twirled them.

He rolled his eyes and smiled, but didn't take them. "That reminds me of David Bowie with the glass orbs in Labyrinth."

"Just think about the guy who was standing against Bowie's back, doing the spinning."

"Lucky guy."

Mara grinned mischievously. "I agree completely."

Nathan cleared his throat and Mara froze, slipping back into her trademark scowl. She'd forgotten their audience. She was getting sloppy.

"I uh... want to apologize."

"Seriously, this whole time and you still haven't apologized to him? What the hell were you two doing?"

"Not to Duke... Mara. To you."

Oh dear gods, not a forced, canned apology from Dudley Do-right. Full of trite excuses and utterly insincere. Her stomach couldn't take it.

"Unnecessary. I told you I'd let Duke supervise the Aether and I will. I don't care how you feel about me."

Mara saw Audrey signal, and Duke turned to Mara, sighing. "Against my better judgement, I'm going to go talk to Audrey for a second."

She blinked wildly. "Are you seri- fine." She'd forgotten herself for a moment. She didn't need or want Duke's protection, and she was perfectly capable of talking to Nathan without a buffer.

She certainly wasn't about to beg for help.

"Mara, if you need me, I mean it- yell. I will be there before you can blink."

She was angry and hurt; she felt oddly betrayed. She didn't smile as she shrugged. The old, stupid part of her wanted to beg him to stay, tell him she needed him now.

Gods, Mara hated that girl.

"Whatever. It's fine."

He looked torn. "Mara-"

"I said it's fine. Go." Her voice came out harsh, hurt masked behind anger.

Duke frowned, stroking her face before he walked away. She didn't lean in, but she didn't pull away, either.

She pulled Duke's sweater around her, crossing her arms and legs again as she stared at Nathan. "You want to talk, talk."