Bubbles' presence made the room feel strangely awake. There was no telling from his expression he had been there the seconds earlier to catch the gist of Francis explaining Julian's...visit and Ricky had looked up to him still holding the pony casually. "Is he trying to work for cheeseburgers again?"

"He met up with some guys downtown...he didn't have the pictures and they were mad as fuck...greasy looking guys in a black SUV.."

Francis could picture the men he spoke about too well. It was her ex husband's MO completely and she felt relieved all over again that Julian and Ricky had stolen them away. There was nothing too incriminating...she thought of the picture of herself with Julian leading him into the trailer. It now was at least to them what she hadn't wanted it to remain. A quick bang or two...than what? She had sealed her own shit on that..

Julian's glance fell on her but she looked back to her phone and the text. Had she won? Victory...it had felt far away and the odds so slim.. "Are you meeting at a lawyers or.."

"Nah it'd be too reasonable. It's at one of his clubs...the better secured one if I assume right.." She paused a moment than shrugged. "But seriously..I'll be there and so will my lawyer I doubt I'll need back up.."

Bubbles instantly perked up. "I saw these guys...it could get greasy lawyer or not! Just let me go with you.."

There was a moment where Julian looked at Bubbles his chest puffed out obviously eager to be helpful. He was right...there was a greasy element to meeting at a club. He looked at Ricky and thought of the near wild shootout that had almost occurred the last morning he had woken at Frankie's. Ricky however….he was not going to be a good tag along to the mess. He looked at Layla who was still explaining the history of her pony toys when it occurred to him.

"I'll go too….and just for security's sake Rick why don't you stay here and keep an eye on the plants and Layla….can't leave the place open for Randy or someone to stumble in and fuck things up right?"

Ricky looked back his hand mid swipe of the tiny brush onto the pony's hair. He seemed to be about to volunteer before Julian spoke than looked back at the little girl still rattling on about ponies. "Yeah...I'd be pretty pissed to find the plants gone and the place smelling like greasy burger sweat. Plus I could call Trin and invite her over with Mo…"

"That would make me feel so much better Ricky thank you. I'll return with some pepperoni and smokes for you." Francis still awkwardly avoided looking at anyone else. She truly wasn't sure what the meeting would be like...but Julian had solved the mental picture of Ricky's mouth getting everyone shot at in the middle of a crowded club. She looked down at her phone still rubbing the case as she breathed out. "Well….I'm stepping outside for a cigarette…"

Francis smoked her cigarette outside next to her car half pacing as she toyed with the stick between her fingers. Ricky wouldn't say anything now...but if he did what did she care? It was Julian she was sure who would...it wasn't as if she were still that awkward frizzy girl...but she wondered if even time could remove that role for her. She lit another one continuing her odd walk half waving at Corey as he went by her focus obviously on the night ahead.

Inside her trailer, Bubbles looked out the door at the pacing young woman. She seemed worried...but then he had been the one to volunteer himself to go to the very place he assumed the greasy henchmen he had seen would return to. "Maybe without the stuff Randy was greasing up for them he'll just give her the divorce…"

Julian didn't answer. Ricky looked up from the ponies as the little girl leapt into the hall looking for another to join the pile forming beside him on the couch. "If they're not meeting somewhere easier he could still have something greasy going on…"

"Ricky.." Julian looked up as if he had been asleep but his expression wasn't one that Bubbles immediately recognized. He took a drink from his glass shrugging after a moment. "The sooner this is done the sooner we get that land bought. Let's just hope this goes smoothly…you keep your eyes on her daughter and the plants and Bubs and I have whatever goes on taken care of…"

Bubbles puffed his chest out again nodding his head. He had failed to delight Francis with his guitar playing...but he had been through enough stupid shit antics with his friends he figured he could handle himself. Ricky started to pull something out of his pants and when he pulled the handle out Layla had turned the corner silently watching him. "Here Bubs..you might need.."

"RICKY I'M NOT TAKING THAT!" Bubbles hardly thought going in armed would be useful...he knew Julian would have one and he had never felt himself okay with carrying one around. "You keep it for the plants.."

"Daddy has lots of those." The voice made all three men dart their attention back to the little girl. She looked at it with an expression that seemed lost and reflective. "Lots of them...the red one was the one that he likes best..that's the one he got rid of when he.."

"Layla...I am sure you are ready for me to make some lunch aren't you.." Francis slid into the trailer almost instantly tossing her cigarette into the sink water as she gently led the little girl into the hall. "Chicken nuggets maybe? Fries? It'll be so yummy why don't you pick up your toys a little while I talk to our friends huh?"

Francis had worried most of the day about the intentions of meeting at the club. She did not discuss it any further...especially after Layla had almost spoken about a night she had hoped the young girl would have forgotten. How could she? Francis had poured herself into making lunch for everyone there, than insisting upon the young girl's nap than began to clean her car out while the men watched or alternated discussing the plants in her hidden basement. Julian and Bubbles went to feed his cats since Ricky was being dressed with a Batman mask from her daughter's trove of costumes. He walked outside for a cigarette and Francis leaned against her car staring at her burn barrel.

"Don't feel bad Francis...Julian's banged half the trailer park at least once...we all screw people we only drunkenly meant to..for some people it's just a phrase.." She had wanted advice from someone and she got a Rickyism. She looked back at him with the Batman mask slightly on his forehead and breathed out smoke dropping the butt to put it out.

"I'm just nervous about tonight….besides like you said...I'm surely not the first girl and I won't be the last.." Francis felt the same facade she had worn through her marriage raise as she brushed off the jeans she was wearing. "Well...guess I'll get dressed…"

"Why're you all quiet...did Ricky catch you like J-Roc with your.."

"Bubs for the hundredth time I'm fine."

"You're not fine you're yellin at me and I'm just checking on the kitties before a very serious mission...we're like Patrick.."

"I swear to God Bubs...you will stay with Ricky and watch plants if you finish that."

"Sensitive…" Bubbles wished for a moment he had Conky to continue the phrase but without a puppet his secondary thoughts were silent. He walked into his shed filling the food dishes patiently still aware that Julian seemed annoyed. "Francis hasn't said anything about me has she.."

There it was. Julian took another drink trying to decide how to answer his friend. He couldn't remove the echoes of Frankie's words...quickly covering up their encounter as if it were some shameful thing Ricky would do behind the pawn shop. She had said she was in love with him at the party...the way she had looked at him...fuck off. She was a lot younger..and perhaps it was just a stupid thing because she had once idolized him. Now it was easy to see the flaws...he had hoped to have found success by then and what did he have?

"Francis has been really busy keeping Ricky from teaching her daughter how to be an idiot..let's go back and get ready to go.."

"What about this one?" Francis emerged from her room and walked into the living room in a black dress with a plaid skirt attached that rested above her knees. "I haven't been to a club in a really...long time."

"Ricky Elvis and I don't like that one...do we?" Layla was sitting besides Ricky dressed in a tutu and mask her tone quite serious.

"It is a little…"

"It's little. And ugly."

"Ouch...who taught you to examine outfits?" Francis stuck her tongue out at the little girl and retreated into her room to change again.

"I don't even know why you're doing this...that guy was a cock rider…"

The dark haired woman dropped the dress she had tried on and put another one over, the white and green material clinging to her in shining colors. She could remember her ex husband commenting viciously as she had changed clothes a hundred times for the opening of the club they were going to. She could recall the red gun that Layla knew so well...the sound of the shot...the feel as she fell down…

"Because; I have my dignity to preserve. He's sure to have made things public and...we aren't taking my car. I've arranged for some friends to take us...and don't worry Ricky when we return they've already requested to buy something off you.." The Torrens sisters were always down to be part of some excitement..and they'd asked about Ricky describing his houndstooth shirt so well she knew immediately who he was. She smoothed down the material of the dress the silky material smoothing over her. She ran her fingers through her hair as she walked into the hall staring down as she fumbled her hair into a bun. "Okay what's the damage on this.."

"You look really fucking good…" The words came out of a voice she hadn't expected for a few more minutes and she looked up at Julian whose glass slipped slightly from his hand as he grabbed it with the other. He had his sunglasses on but from the expression she wondered how dark red her face had become at his words. She looked back at Layla who gave a thumbs up and had begun to look as if she were falling asleep.

"Well make sure that I see them when they're done...I sold them the same hash twice.."

"That sounds exactly like them.."