Pride and Perseverance

by AnimeFaeMoon

Riki and Iason have returned to Amoï and try to resume their lives after so many changes. Third and final part of Blondies Have More Fun Series. (WARNING! THIS STORY CONTAINS MALE ON MALE RELATIONSHIPS AND SOME SCENES ARE EXPLICIT. DO NOT READ THIS STORY IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN OR IF YOU FIND SUCH THINGS DISTURBING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!)

25. Carrie's Story

Carrie stepped through the transport portal, after receiving clearance from Eos security, and stared at the darkened privacy field that rose before her as high as she could see. There was a door just a few feet away, and what looked like an elevator opposite it. She wished she had known about the elevator because she really disliked traveling by portal, but she had gone where she had been directed to go upon approaching the high-end condo.

She smoothed down the lines of her pale green skirt and adjusted the collar of her light pink blouse. Riki's invitation for dinner had been a surprise and a delight, but for some reason, now that she was here, she felt nervous. Despite what they had been through together, Iason Mink was still the top Blondie of Tanagura, and some would say Amoï, and she couldn't imagine what purpose he had for asking her to come here.

During their time on Avalon, Carrie had revealed far more about herself to Iason than she had ever intended, and it wasn't until after she had been back behind her stall that she realized how devastatingly wrong her actions had been. Iason and Riki were part of her Pride, she meant that with all of her heart, but she had been betrayed so many times already that it was difficult for her to believe that this invitation was only a matter of courtesy.

No, Iason wanted something from her, she could feel it in her bones that she had been called here under the guise of a social dinner for some greater purpose. She liked Iason, truly she did, but now he knew who she was, what she was, and it would probably be inadvisable to refuse whatever request he might make of her. She could no longer trust that he would not use her secret against her, as others had.

The familiar sting of panic began prick at her chest and then dropped, uncomfortably into her stomach and her feet involuntarily stepped backwards towards the portal. All manner of excuses started to fill her head of why she had to decline the dinner, she was too busy, she was ill or it wasn't a good time. Then she remembered that security would have already contacted Iason and advised she had arrived.

Motherfuckingshitmongeringsonofawhore! She blinked in shock, wondering where such thoughts had come from, then recalled she had once heard Riki say something similar and had been amused by it. Great, the little shit was rubbing off on her.

Her hand clenched against her stomach as she willed her feet to go forward but no amount of will power would allow it. Defeated, she started to turn back just as she spotted Riki, leaning against the doorway of the entrance beyond the darkened privacy field.

"How much longer are you going to stand there?" he demanded quietly.

Carrie stared at him and felt heat sting her cheeks. Here she was having a panic attack and fretting over Iason Mink's motives, and Riki had been waiting for her to come for dinner. She could see the confusion in his eyes, and the disappointment that she was still outside of the apartment.

She held out both her hands to him, and was relieved when Riki pushed off the doorway without hesitation and walked towards her, his disappointment turned to concern.

"Are you not feeling well?" he asked and took her hands. "You're like ice. What's wrong?"

She couldn't tell him that she was afraid of walking through that door, afraid that her life here would be over and that once again she would have to flee to save herself. The idea of leaving Riki and never seeing him again. No. She'd finally found someone she could be close to again, someone who could be part of her Pride. No way was she losing that.

"I'm just really, really hungry." She watched the tension in his shoulders immediately relax and was relieved when he smirked.

"Cal's made lots, so we can take care of that." He kept hold of one of her hands and started towards the door, but she tugged him back.

"Riki, no matter what happens tonight, promise me that it won't change how we are with each other. That we'll still be friends?"

Riki frowned. "What are you talking about?" He let go of her hand, suspiciously. "What do you think is gonna happen and why would anything change?"

"It's nothing." He couldn't possibly understand and she felt he had enough to worry about without her burdening him with the hell that had been her life. She reached for his hand again, squeezed then released. "It's nothing. Let's go eat."

Riki held her gaze a moment longer, then shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "Come on then."

They stepped through the door and Carrie was almost blinded by a room of incredibly brilliant white. White furniture, white flooring, white walls, well, not actually walls more like a silvery-white energy field around the room than a solid, actual surface. She could see a set of glass doors to the right that probably led to a balcony and a set of spiraling stairs, set back from the living area, that rose to adjoining platforms that were also surrounded by the same silver-white fields. She didn't think Elites used stairs as they had the portals to get them about.

Iason rose from a white sofa that was identical to the one across from it, and appeared to be the only touch of colour in his emerald green cloak jacket, white and green tunic and matching slacks. "Riki was afraid you'd gotten lost," he said as they stepped down to the living area.

"No, I just…" Carrie clenched her stomach again. "Traveling by portal always upsets my stomach a little."

"Cal, bring her an elixir, would you?"

"Yes, Sir."

Carrie jumped a little because she had not seen the young man standing beside them as they entered. She was too jittery, too nervous. She needed to calm down and as she watched him disappear through a silver door far to the other side of the room she again considered making an excuse to leave. "

"Dinner will be ready in a moment," Iason assured and waved towards the sofas. "Won't you sit?"

Carrie nodded, settled on the opposite sofa, touched and slightly relieved when Riki settled next to her, instead of Iason who returned to his own seat. "I guess you've gotten settled in again after our adventure?" she said, in an attempt to make small talk.

"More or less," Iason returned as Cal reappeared with a tray of three drinks, two glasses of wine and a glass of amber liquid that she assumed was a fermented liquor.

"I've mixed the remedy in with your drink," Cal offered as he turned the tray to present her with the glass. "It should not change the taste of the wine."

"Thank you," she returned quietly and accepted the drink, then watched Riki grab the amber glass and Iason took the second glass of wine. She took a sip and her eyebrows rose at how nice it was. "It's very good."

"Iason likes his wine," Riki smirked as he sat back and draped his free arm over the back of the sofa, though not close enough to touch her.

"I do," Iason agreed easily, "However Riki prefers a baser, less pure alcohol."

Riki shrugged and sipped his beer. It wasn't so much a matter of taste, but the fact that during his training Iason had often mixed aphrodisiacs into wine and forced him to drink it. He never touched the drink after that.

"Where is your lady friend, Yiela wasn't it?"

"Sleeping. She's not used to the hours here yet."

So much for some additional female support, Carrie thought and sipped her wine. Unable to keep up the farce that this was just a simple visit, she decided to take a chance and put her cards on the table. "So what is it you wanted, Iason?"

Iason's eyebrow rose. "We can discuss that at dinner…"

"I'd rather do it now."

"Are you in hurry?"

"I just want to know why I'm here."

"To have dinner, of course."

Carrie reached forward and set her wine on the table between the two sofas. "You're a Blondie of Tanagura, and as much as I appreciate you allowing me to remain friends with Riki, I sincerely doubt you can be bothered to be social with a lowly merchant unless it serves a purpose for you."

Iason was impressed, because anyone else would have assumed that he had invited her strictly for the purpose of socializing, or perhaps in gratitude for her assistance during Riki's kidnapping, which was admittedly part of the reason at least.

He also sat forward and placed his wine next to hers, ending the façade between them. "You have been of great assistance to Riki and I recently," he began, watching her closely. "I would like you assist me once more with an issue I have."

Carrie ignored the spike of fear that went straight to her stomach and straightened her shoulders. She could not allow herself to be placed in that horrible position again. "And if I refuse?"

"You would do so without hearing my request?" Iason challenged. "Does that seem wise?"

Was that a threat, she wondered? He was still speaking calmly, but then she'd rarely seen a Blondie be anything but calm or cordial. Considering how formidable their reputation was, it made sense that they were not required to show agitation or anger. Why get upset when no one could go against you? She'd seen Iason upset on Avalon, but that was over Riki and been a different scene altogether.

Riki, confused by the sudden atmosphere sat forward as well. He thought Carrie liked Iason, and vice-versa, so what was with this sudden tension between them. There was no question that Iason had asked Carrie here because he needed her to do something for him, even he knew that Iason didn't do anything without a purpose or benefit to himself, but he was startled by Carrie's sudden cageyness.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, worried that she might accidentally, or perhaps deliberately piss off Iason and if she did that the Blondie might order Riki to stop seeing her. The promise that she had asked him to make in the corridor suddenly worried him. Carrie had always been bold and confident and sure of herself, but now she was pale, really pale and he had never seen her like this. "What are you afraid of?"

Carrie flinched and picked up her wine again. "I just want to know what to expect, that's all."

Riki looked at Iason and then back to Carrie, torn between his Master and lover and the woman he had come to deeply care for. Was she afraid that Iason would hurt her, is that why she was so obviously upset? Riki didn't think that would happen, Iason seemed to be fine with Carrie being around him, and she had helped to save their lives. Where were these feelings coming from?

"Very well, I would like you to reveal yourself to someone."

Carrie's biggest fear was realized and she finished off her wine, before answering. "Why?"

"He is a Blondie and has recently gone through some complicated procedures. He is not responding as anticipated, so I had hoped the sight of something unique and surprising might assist his recovery."

"You can't ask her to do that, Iason."

Both Carrie and Iason glanced at Riki.

"Can't I?" Iason countered.

"Did you forget what she told us? Her kind was hunted to extinction and she only revealed herself to help us!"

"It is one Blondie, Riki, in an enclosed and secure environment…"

"I can't take the chance that it wouldn't somehow be recorded or passed on to others," Carrie countered, pleased with Riki's rush to her rescue, but concerned it could get him into trouble. "I don't regret showing you and Riki what I am, Iason. It was the only way to help you, but I can't do this favour for you. I'm sorry."

Carrie held her breath, knowing that Iason could easily threaten to reveal her regardless for not helping him. When neither he nor Riki spoke, her fear continued to climb, as did her regret. She realized that she did not want to lose her Pride. She did care about Riki and Iason and she didn't want to have to leave them. "You both mean a lot to me, but I can't do this for you."

"Do you not trust me?" Iason asked, quietly.

Carrie couldn't lie to him. "I want to."

"Yet you do not. Are we not part of your Pride? Does this title mean nothing then?"

"You are, and it means everything, but…" Carrie glanced at Riki, expecting him to be hurt by her confession, but his expression remained one of concern and she felt some of the nausea in her stomach ease. "It's very difficult for me to truly trust anyone, Iason. I'm sorry but I am being honest here. Too much has happened for me to give such a thing so freely."

"As I share this characteristic, I understand your concern and will not fault you for it, however I have given you my word that I would not betray your confidence in this matter."

"I know, and I believe that, but you want me to reveal myself to another Blondie, one that I cannot hold to that same promise. It's too much of a risk, Iason. I'm sorry."

Carrie was not a fool. Although she had only been on Amoï for a couple of years, she still understood the rules on this world, and one of those rules was that refusing a Blondie's request was not done. It could result in the loss of her merchant license, banishment and in some cases, according to rumors, disappearance of the offender.

She rose and glanced at Riki, full of regret at the idea that she might never see him again, and wondered how things had become so complicated? "I'm sorry, Riki."

"Why…" Riki began but Carrie was already moving towards the door. He rushed forward and blocked her way. "Why are you leaving?"

"You know why."

"No, I don't!" He looked over Carrie's shoulder toward Iason, who had also risen to his feet. "Iason, tell her to stay."

"Riki, don't…" Carrie began and tried to push past him to the door. How could he not understand the slight she had made to Iason and the danger it put her in? He'd lived in this world longer than she had, so he had to know the repercussions of her actions.

"I accept your decision," Iason said quietly from behind her, just as Cal appeared and announced that dinner was ready. Iason stepped forward and extended a gloved hand to Carrie. "Let's not put Cal's efforts to waste."

Carrie stared at Iason's hand and then lifted her gaze to his, still hesitant. What did it mean, she wondered, that he accepted? Was he offering her a final dinner before he brought the boom down upon her? She hated being afraid of him, she'd learned not to be afraid of anyone and beyond that she really, really liked Iason. But it was fear and not adoration that crawled into her heart and scrapped at her belly.

Riki stepped around her and down to the next level. He took Iason's outreached hand, then grabbed her hand as well so he had hold of them both.

"Come on, Cal's a really good cook."

"Riki…"

"It's better to listen to him," Iason suggested mildly. "He can get very moody when he does not have his way."

"Shut up," Riki snapped at Iason and then started to pull them both towards the dining area. "We're having dinner and that's that."

Carrie could do nothing but follow as she was tugged across the living area and up three steps to the a formal dining area where Cal had laid out three place settings at the end of a beautifully elegant table.

"Did you call Yiela?" Riki asked as he settled on the right side of the table.

"Miss Yiela is still sleeping," Cal advised as he held out the chair at the head of the table for Iason and then moved around to the left side, opposite Riki's position, and did the same for Carrrie. "I will prepare a plate for her to eat later."

"Bring us a bottle of the Yelden Seven," Iason requested as Cal removed the covers from the steaming dishes. "In honour of our guest."

"Yes, Sir."

Cal disappeared again and Riki rose from the table, he glared at Iason. "If you let her leave the only thing you'll be getting from me is teeth marks."

"Oh, really?" Iason smiled slowly. "I do like a challenge."

"Fuck off." Riki pointed at Carrie again. "Stay." Then he followed Cal through the entrance that led to the kitchen.

"What are you going to do?" Carrie asked Iason the moment Riki was out of earshot.

"Why, to keep you here of course, as I was so boldly ordered to do."

"Iason, let's just end this now. You owe me for helping you, so let me walk away."

"Now you are sounding like Riki." Iason's gaze narrowed. "I have no intention of allowing you to leave us, Carrie, at least not until you have explained why you cannot accede to my request."

"I've already explained why!"

"Not well enough. I understand that you fear discovery, however I do not believe my request will put you in danger." Carrie opened her mouth to protest and Iason continued before she could speak. "Furthermore, it annoys me that after everything you professed to me, everything you have done for us, that you still do not trust me."

"It's not like I want to be this way, Iason, but in my experience…"

"You have been betrayed in the past?"

"Yes."

"By those close to you?"

She nodded. "By people I cared a great deal for and who I thought cared for me."

"I see." Iason tugged on one glove, straightening it over his fingers. "So you would lump us in with those people, despite the fact I have only shown you acceptance and support? I have allowed you to keep contact with Riki, against my initial concerns at the time, and I believe I even thanked you for your part in our rescue from Avalon. Is that not enough to warrant your trust?"

"You've been extremely generous," Carrie agreed honesty, because in this dystopian world Iason's actions had been beyond reproach for any normal Elite. Still, she felt the sting of his words in the deepest part her heart. "But you don't understand. You can't possibly understand why I have to be this way."

"Then help me to understand." He reached for her hand, grasped it and held it beneath his on the table. "Carrie, I do not idly allow people into my private life, yet I have done this for you."

"I know, and I appreciate that, but…"

"I have done this because of the support you have offered Riki, and also myself. I have offered my friendship not as a bargaining tool, but as reward for what you have done for both of us. If I did not consider you in this way, then yes, I would force you to do as I bid, but I will not do this. I wish this to be a favor, between friends, and no more than that."

Carrie stared into the pale blue eyes of the Blondie and thought about how others perceived him, how she herself had perceived him upon their first meeting. His gaze could be cold, frigid in fact, but she saw only warmth in those eyes now. They had faced kidnapping, injuries and the risk of death together and she truly respected and admired him, yet the wall of mistrust around her heart was so thick that she didn't think anything could penetrate it.

"I want that friendship, Iason," she admitted, quietly. "I do consider you and Riki family, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I know how things work here and I know how things tend to work out for me. People that I trusted, deep through my soul, betrayed me; I cannot always have confidence in the feelings I have for others."

Iason could understand her predicament, as he had faced betrayal himself several times. First with Orphe, then with Issac. He could not deny that trust was a commodity that he did not offer lightly, and because of this he could not fault Carrie's reluctance to take him at his word. However, he was Iason Mink, the Blondie of Tanagura, and once his word was given it was never revoked. It was not just a matter of pride to him that she did not accept it, but of some deeper emotion that went beyond offence or annoyance; it was a new feeling that he had never experienced before.

There were few, of even his own kind, that he truly held admiration and respect for, but Carrie was one of them. Not because only because she had beaten the odds and survived being the last of her race, although that in itself was quite an accomplishment. No, he liked Carrie because she had challenged him over Riki, had informed him, in no uncertain terms, of a side of Riki that he had been unaware of. She had shown no fear of him at that time, and it bewildered him that she would show it now.

He should let her leave, he decided, if being here frightened her. However, he found that he did not wish to give that command. Only recently, when he had run the risk of losing it, did he realize that he was enjoying their little family. He and Riki, Cal and Katze, and now Carrie. She was part of their group, and he enjoyed the idea of having such a family too much to give it up.

"You are feeling vulnerable," he decided. "I too have felt that way on occasion."

"You?" Carrie asked, startled. "You're a Blondie, what could you be afraid of?"

"You already know the answer to that." He squeezed her hand then released it. "You witnessed my fear and vulnerability when we were on Avalon."

Carrie thought back to their experience and her expression softened. "Riki." Iason's biggest, and possibly only fear was the loss of Riki. "I can understand that."

"Because he is part of your Pride?"

This time Carrie reached for Iason's hand. "You both are." She realized what a mess she had made of things and how her mistrust had somehow hurt him, because despite what the rumors were, she believed that even a Blondie could be emotionally hurt. "I…May I tell you my story? And after hearing it, maybe you'll understand why I can't help your friend?"

"I would very much like to hear your story, Carrie."

She nodded and quickly released Iason's hand as both Cal and Riki reappeared. Cal moved around the table and started to fill their glasses with the wine that Iason had requested, with the exception of Riki who still had his beer, as Riki set an additional covered plate, set of utensils and a wine glass.

"Is Yiela going to join us after all?" she asked.

"No." Riki pulled the chair beside him and taped Cal's shoulder, as the boy started to move away. "Sit."

Cal paused, startled. "I beg your pardon?"

Riki plucked the bottle of wine out of Cal's hand and filled the extra wine glass he had brought in and set it before the additional service. "Sit and eat with us."

"But…I'm Furniture!"

Technically he wasn't anymore, but Riki didn't want to argue. "You did your duties as Furniture, now you're my tutor, so sit your ass down."

Cal's panicked gaze moved to Iason, who simply stared back at him, then finally nodded. Cal reluctantly settled in the chair beside Riki and once he had Riki immediately sat down and turned his attention to Carrie.

"Did you guys make up?" he demanded as he picked up his fork and glanced at Iason, who as a rule, had to start eating first.

"I believe we were on the cusp of reaching a mutual understanding," the Blondie advised as he slid a piece of succulently marinated meat into his mouth. "Just before your attempt to put your tutor in the Medical Centre."

"He's fine." Riki looked at Cal who was sitting stone still and staring straight ahead. "Right?"

"I…don't think this is appropriate, Master Riki," the young man confessed quietly, unwilling to admit that he had been thrilled to be invited to sit at the table and share a meal with them, however he was still wary of food; even that which he prepared himself. His stomach simply rebelled at the very idea of it. "For me to sit at the meal table and..."

"Oh, is that what's bugging you?" Riki stood up, grabbed his plate and utensils in one hand and his beer in the other. "Then let's move somewhere else." He had stepped out of the dining room before anyone could protest.

Cal looked at Iason and Iason looked at Carrie, his eyes dancing in amusement. "I blame his behavior on you," Iason told her and received a small smirk from her in return. "I suppose he will sulk if we don't follow." He smoothly slid back from the table and picked up his wine. Cal bolted from his seat to pick up Iason's plate, unable to consider that his Master might actually take it away from the table himself!

"I'll bring a tray, sir…"

"No need." Iason took the plate from him and picked up Carrie's wine in his other hand, easily holding two full glasses between his long fingers. "Coming?"

"Absolutely!" She grabbed her plate and utensils, and felt a bit of the pressure and anxiety that she had been carrying since that morning ease a little more. "I hope we have cake for desert," she told Cal, trying to snap the boy out of his dazed stance and urge him to follow. "Riki says you make the most amazing chocolate cake."

"I…It's a simple recipe, Miss," Cal stammered, hating that he couldn't regain his composure. "Anyone could make it."

"Not according to Riki." Carrie's heart went out to him, for Riki had told her what had happened to him because of their former Furniture. "It's obvious he cares very much for you, sweetheart, much more than just a Furniture or a Tutor."

"I…I care for Master Riki as well, Miss, only…"

"He's had a rough time of it lately, so let's let him have this break in decorum and enjoy a friendly, easy dinner, what do you think?" Carrie hoped Cal would agree because it was obvious that the boy also needed a break from reality, and maybe two or three chocolate cakes to fatten him up; he was much thinner than she remembered. She thought of what had happened to him, and memories of her own past filtered in. "I'm going to tell a story, I think it's one you should hear."

Cal opened his mouth to reply and then flinched with Riki barked his name from the other room.

"We'd better go in."

He nodded and grudgingly picked up his plate and wine glass. When they entered the living area, he saw that Riki had piled a bunch of the sofa cushions around the low table between the two sofas and now sat on the floor by the table, his food in front of him and his back settled between Iason's legs, who had opted for the sofa and was balancing his plate in one hand while he ate with the other.

"Come on, the food is getting cold!" Riki insisted.

The relaxed atmosphere did even more to dispel Carrie's misgivings about being here. She immediately kicked off her shoes and plopped down on a section of cushions, crossing her legs over each other as she set her plate on the table next to the glass Iason had already set there.

"This is much nicer," she grinned at Riki and was thrilled when he grinned back.

"Except for the stuck-up Blondie behind me who refuses to sit with us and OW!"

"I will do many things for you, my love, but sitting on the floor is not one of them." Iason released Riki's hair and slid his fingers through in a caress. "Though I do approve of your current position."

Riki slapped Iason's hand away but the fingers were back a moment later and running through his hair affectionately. "Cal, sit."

"Stop barking at him, Riki."

Riki tilted his head back to look at Iason, startled. Was that what he was doing? He just wanted Cal to eat with them. He straightened and looked at the young man who had demurely knelt upon the cushions beside Carrie and was now staring at his plate. "Am I pissing you off?" he asked

"No, of course not."

"Then what's the problem? Is it really such a big deal for you to eat with us?"

"No." Cal couldn't explain his behavior or why he felt it was wrong to eat with them.

Sometimes, before Bean had been hired and Orphe had tried to kill his Master and Riki, Riki would often eat in the kitchen with him when Iason was working late. Riki claimed he didn't like eating alone, and so Cal would fix them a simple meal and they would chat over what they did that day. Cal had enjoyed those times and had gotten past the inappropriateness of it, but to eat with Iason and a guest in the main dining area, atop the fact that food was currently his enemy, it was just too much.

"Just do what you can," Iason advised Cal as he slid a morsel of his food into his mouth. "It's excellent, as expected of your skills."

"Please eat," Riki added quietly. "I know it's hard, but you can't keep starving yourself…"

"I'm hardly doing that!" Cal snapped and then lowered his head appalled. "My apologies. I…I did not mean to speak…" He blinked as Carrie suddenly took his plate and exchanged it with her own then did the same with their wine. He lifted his questioning gaze to her.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but this smells too good not to eat." She immediately tucked into her meal, nodded in approval and nudged Cal with her shoulder. "Delicious, well done you."

Riki also began to eat, hoping that Cal would do the same if he felt he was unobserved. He was only slightly annoyed when Iason reached forward for his wine, which he had placed on the table next to Riki's own glass, caught Riki's chin and dropped a quick kiss to Riki's lips.

"You were going to tell me your story," the Blondie reminded Carrie as he took a sip of his wine, then set it back on the table, and snuck a second kiss before settling back on the sofa and resuming his meal.

"Yes," Carrie agreed and again tried to ignore the knotting in her stomach; just as she was getting relaxed, she thought morosely. She hoped that she was doing the right thing. "Before I do," She lifted her eyes to Iason's. "I need to know if you will…" She wet her lips and tried to think of the most diplomatic way to phrase her question. "If there will be any repercussions for my refusing your favor?"

Riki turned to scowl at Iason, who continued to hold Carrie's gaze. He'd push the limits several times already this evening but he knew that this was something he couldn't interfere in,

"Before I do," Iason mimicked. "I must ask what would your actions be if I say yes?"

"Iason!" Riki snapped before he could help himself and received a warning look from the Blondie. He faced forward and stared down at his food, before he made the situation worse, but he vowed that if Iason chased Carrie away he'd never forgive him.

Carrie was surprised by question, because obviously she would cut and run, She lowered her eyes to Riki who was now watching her. Or would she? The idea of leaving and never seeing Riki again…Her gaze moved back to Iason's and she realized that she would miss him as well. They were already her family, damn it.

Iason's eyes seemed to mirror her thoughts, and held knowledge of her decision; before she had made one. He knew that she could not leave Riki any more than he could.

"None," she whispered and dipped her head, because it was the truth.

She was so tired of running away and starting over in a new country or in most cases, new planet. Never being able to settle in a permanent place, or allow anyone to get too close to her. Always being suspicious of people, and refusing invitations for dinner or sex or both. She would never have a spouse, or children, never have real friends or a home.

Riki watched, appalled, as Carrie's shoulders started to shake and then glanced up as Iason rose, stepped over him, pulled Carrie to her feet and into his arms.

"I…I'm so tired," she murmured as she clung to the hard, firm Blondie. "I don't want to run anymore. I want to stay, please let me stay."

"Yes." Iason was oddly touched by Carrie's confession and he cradled her against him, as he had sometimes done with Riki when his beloved had a nightmare. "Stay here. Stay with us. No more running."

Cal jumped up and hurried off to the kitchen, then was back a moment later with a very tiny glass.

Iason took the glass and pulled back slightly to look down at Carrie. "Drink this, it will calm you."

"Sorry." Embarrassed, Carrie wiped at her wet cheeks, accepted the drink and drank it down in one shot. Despite her earlier misgivings, she trusted that the drink would not be doctored with any kind of harmful chemical. "I'm so sorry. I've never done this, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Riki muttered, although he was equally embarrassed at seeing her in such a state. It made his chest hurt to see tears on her cheeks.

"Would you like to lay down, Miss?" Cal asked kindly offering her some tissues.

Carrie accepted the tissues, shook her head and pulled away from Iason to compose herself. She glanced down at Cal's plate and noticed he had eaten over half of his meal already. "Was it good?" she asked him with a small smile.

Cal, confused by the question, followed her gaze and blinked in surprise that he had eaten so much without even being aware of it. He had found himself caught up in their dialogue and had forgotten to be afraid of the food. "Yes," he returned simply.

"Then finish it up," Iason ordered mildly and watched Cal settle back at the table.

She looked back up at Iason. "Maybe this isn't the best story to tell while we're eating."

"I doubt any of us will be put off our food by a story," Iason returned, his eyes moved to Cal. "We've all lived through some gruesome things ourselves and survived."

Cal was unaware that everyone's gaze had moved to him for a brief moment, as he was more intent on complying with his Master's wishes and eating the food before him. It was not as difficult somehow, he realized, eating from the plate he had served up for Miss Carrie than trying to eat from the one that Riki had served up for him. He wasn't sure why exactly, but the fear was less.

"You don't have to tell us anything else," Riki decided as Carrie settled across from him again and Iason returned to his seat.

"Yes, she does," the Blondie decided. "But let's finish our dinner first."

Gratefully, Carrie did just that, but she didn't enjoy the food as much as she should have. The drink he had given her had helped mellow her anxiety, but there was still a golf ball sized lump in her throat. This was just a delay, she would have to explain things to them, but she appreciated Iason's allowing her a moment to gather herself again.

Once they were done, Cal took their dishes and asked if they wished for desert to be served, to which Iason declined, then chuckled at Riki's wounded expression. He wanted to hear Carrie's story first. Cal nodded and excused himself, but Carrie caught his sleeve.

"I need cake," she decided. "This will be much easier with cake." Actually, she was beyond full, but she wanted to make sure that Cal returned so he could hear her story.

"I will bring you a piece right away."

"Hey!"

All three looked at Riki, who scowled at Iason.

"Fine, you can have a piece," Iason conceded. "Though how you will fit it after that marvelous meal…"

"There's always room for cake," Riki muttered and winked at Carrie when he turned back around.

Carrie started to rise and found that her legs had fallen asleep. Age really was catching up to her. "Well, shit."

Riki smirked, rose and lent her a hand. Once she was upright, and had released a very undignified grunt at the action, she poked him in the chest. "Not a word out of you, kid."

"What would I say?" He returned innocently as he plopped down next to Iason, deliberately keeping a distance between him and the Blondie for even thinking of not giving him cake, but Iason hauled him closer almost immediately. "Prick," he muttered but pulled his legs up and tried to get comfortable.

"Okay, so here goes." Carrie settled on the opposite sofa, took a few deep breaths, and began. As I mentioned before, my people were hunted to extinction."

Cal returned with a small hover tray, upon which he had placed a whole cake, several plates and the wine they'd had at dinner. He refilled their glasses first, then carefully cut two pieces of the cake. He handed the first one to Carrie, who immediately handed it back to him.

"You eat that one, it's too big for me," she said. "I want a smaller piece."

Cal only hesitated a moment before he set the cake back on the tray and sliced her a smaller piece, which she accepted, and a fork. He started to cut a large chunk for Riki, but spotted Iason's gaze and the two fingers he held up and halved it. Again, Riki glared at Iason, but accepted the plate and fork; he'd get seconds later anyway. He knew this was Iason's punishment for him acting out earlier, and as punishments went it wasn't too bad.

Cal paused, as if unsure what to do, then took the piece of cake that Carrie had given back to him, slowly settled down at the other end of the sofa where she sat and sent the hover-tray back to the kitchen. He glanced at her and saw she was smiling at him, then he slowly cut a piece of the cake with his fork and slid it into his mouth.

Content that Cal was eating again, Carrie also took a bite of her cake and rolled her eyes in pleasure as the delicious, moist taste of chocolate melted on her tongue. "Oh my God! This is unbelievable, Cal. You are such a great cook!

Cal flushed but kept his head lowered. "Thank you, Miss."

"Where was I?" Carrie asked and Iason reminded her. "Right, extinction. Well, before we got to that point, a small group of us managed to escape and set up a colony on another planet. The problem was that there were very few females who made it out and so our men tried mating with some of the local women in an attempt to increase our numbers."

"They were Humans?" Iason guessed and glanced down adoringly at Riki who had already finished his cake and was practically licking the plate.

"They were Eyet." A species very similar to Humans only they were all born with red hair and green eyes. She had inherited only the eyes and lighter skin of her mother, which darkened when she was in her cat form. "Unfortunately, the breeding experiment didn't go well," she continued. "I was the only one who survived, and only because I was born in a more Humanoid state; my cat side came out later. The other children were in their feral forms and…"

A Dakfure's memory began from the time they were born, and she could vividly recall being pulled from her mother's womb, cleaned and spoken over. She couldn't comprehend the words, but she did remember that her mother refused to hold her. Afterwards, she was placed on some sort of grassy bedding, and to her left she could see the torn remains of a dead woman beside her, who, she had been told years later, had gone into labour just a few minutes before she had come into the world.

"You can trust us, Carrie."

"I know that." Now, she added silently, but she had never revealed her past to anyone, not the full truth of it. "The reason the other babies didn't survive was because in their feral form, once they reached six or seven months, they instinctively ripped themselves out of the womb, killing both the mother and child."

Riki's eyes widened. "Then how did your kind breed at all?"

"Between two Dakfure it's different. With a Human, you the child can sometimes hear sounds or voices outside of the womb once they reach a certain stage in development. With a Dakfure child, our instincts and hearing are highly tuned, so we can hear such things at a much earlier stage. Also, because the children are born feral, there is a necessity to calm the babe from the earliest months of pregnancy. Also a Dakfure female produces a certain type of hormone that automatically calms the baby, and there is an internal sound new mothers make that can drown out all other sounds and keep the child in a relaxed state."

"As the Human mothers did not have either of these, is the assumption that the off spring rebelled inside the womb?"

"To an extent, yes. We have some Humanoid qualities, certain etiquettes and social graces that are taught to us from a young age, but we are not born that way. We are born only with instinct and a deep seeded need for survival."

"You were the surviving child out of how many?" Iason asked, more curious than horrified by the details."

"Maybe a dozen." She reached for her fresh glass of wine and sipped, ignoring the impulse to gulp it all. "They would have stopped after the first two, but several of the women were already pregnant and they didn't want to end the pregnancies if there was a hope that one of them would survive."

"Why were so many impregnated at the same time?" Iason asked. "Was it against their will?"

"No, well not exactly. My kind goes into a kind of heat period and these people were…" She lowered her head. "Incentives were offered," she said. "They agreed to help carry the children, which would then be taken into the Pride and the women were free to go about their lives."

"Did they know the dangers of cross breeding?"

"There were risks, of course, as with any interspecies breeding, but no one could have predicted how truly dangerous it was. There was no way to know that a Human's anatomy would be so different from us when it came to giving birth. After the first few died, many women tried to abort their unborn fetuses, but this is strictly against our laws, and so they were sedated and kept calm until…" She trailed off again.

"Until the children ripped their way out."

"There was still hope that some might survive." She took a deep breath, knowing that her people had basically murdered those women by not allowing the abortions. "You have to understand how desperate they were. There was so few of us left with only two females, and they were just children themselves, still."

"It is a difficult choice for anyone to make," Iason agreed. "And you were the only survivor?"

"Yes." Carrie glanced at her wine glass. "Do you have anything stronger?"

"Cal," Iason began and almost smiled at the sight of his empty cake plate. There was a small smudge of chocolate that lingered at the corners of the boy's mouth. "Bring the Cira Perdue."

Riki's head swiveled to glare at Iason, because that was the liqueur that he'd gotten very drunk on not long ago and suffered the worst hangover in his life. "Why?" he demanded.

"I think Carrie will enjoy it." Iason caught Riki's chin. "And you can certainly attest to its strength."

"Fuck off," Riki muttered.

Cal rose, collected their plates and other glasses; his own glass of wine had been left untouched and stepped away. He returned a moment later with three small glasses and the familiar thin bottle that Riki had once stolen out of the liquor cabinet.

"I don't want any."

"It will be fine if you don't drink it all at once," Iason teased Riki, as he accepted his glass then watched Cal pour one for Carrie, who took a tentative sip and looked at Iason surprised. "What do you think?"

"It's very nice."

"It's got a kick," Riki warned pleased when Cal set the bottle on the table and settled back on the sofa. "Watch yourself with it."

Carrie nodded, took another sip and let the smooth flavor tease her tongue and slide down her throat. She could taste the potency almost immediately and felt her nerves relax a little more. Enough, at least, that she could continue her story. "My birth mother tried to abort me twice before she was caught and sedated, but for whatever reason I endured. Then, when I was born, my mother survived but I looked Human. My Pride thought I was also a failed experiment, and gave me to the woman to raise. Unfortunately she was afraid of what I might turn into, so she snuck back into our village and left me in the fields."

Riki felt his anger grow and poured himself a glass of the liqueur, despite his promise not to touch it again. He could not help but notice the comparison between his childhood and Carrie's. While she had been given away, he had been taken, but they were still essentially abandoned by their parents.

"I was lucky that my people changed their mind, for while it was acceptable to give up a child to its mother to care for, it was morally impossible to leave that same child who had been abandoned altogether, and so they accepted me into the Pride," Carrie continued, quietly. "None of them would admit to being my father, perhaps they truly didn't know as they had lain with multiple women, but it became the oldest member's duty to care for me."

Carrie slowly smiled as she remembered the aged Dakfure with hair that had turned silver and his lovely black stripes faded to a deep grey. Kysrrs had lost his mate, daughter and her mate and their cubs in the attacks before they had escaped to Rarin 4. He was very much a loner among the Pride, and no longer respected as a valued member as only the strong were respected. Survival of the fittest was their way, but that did not mean they discarded an old cat or a young cub just because they were weak.

"We fled from that planet, because we were constantly under attack from the locals, due to the deaths of their women, and because they were right to hate us for what we did. We finally settled on a small jungle planet in the Nova system. There I learned the ways of my Pride, but I found the lessons difficult because of my Human form. I didn't know that I could even change into a Dakure, but I worked hard and was determined to be able to keep up with my Pride. Eventually I learned to run and climb and hunt. I respected the laws of nature and the Pride, but I was still Human."

"Sounds like fun," Riki snorted, knowing it must have been anything but.

"Sometimes it was, Kysrrs was old and couldn't move as well as the others, but he taught me many essential skills. I still had to use a weapon to kill an animal for the daily meal, but I managed and the Pride accepted the kill as if I had done it with my teeth and claws."

"Why did you leave them?" Iason asked. "Or did they abandon you?"

Carrie shook her head and took another hit of the liqueur. "I was nine when the hunters invaded the village. We had lived there peacefully for almost a decade, as it was remote enough that we rarely saw any other Humanoids. There were a couple of local tribes, Tree Hangers we called them because they lived high in the trees. They were mostly foragers, but our village was far enough away from them that they never bothered us and we left them alone as well."

She finished off her cake, needing something to moisten her suddenly dry mouth, then set the empty plate on the table. "Occasionally there would be an off-world traveller that came to for the purpose of hunting or to get samples of the fauna, but we always kept out of sight of them. Someone must have seen one of us, because one day an army of men descended upon us. We had no warning, and no way to defend ourselves against sedation guns and laser weapons."

She took a deep, heavy breath, knowing that when she closed her eyes tonight she would see the massacre of her people as she had so many years ago. The screams of her people, the scent of burned flesh and blood, so much blood as the hunters immediately moved in to skin a fallen Dakfure the moment it was down.

Kysrrs had ordered her to hide beneath the fire pit in one of the dens, the pits were dug almost four feet down so it allowed for heat to rise but no flames to catch on anything inside the den. She could still taste the leftover ash he had covered her with, and the weight of the wood and boughs that he'd piled atop her. For hours, she'd lay curled inside the pit and waited for the screams and sounds of battle to die down. She waited for Kysrrs to return for her, but he never did. No one did. When the smallest sliver of sunlight lit the den and managed to nudge its way into the fire pit, she realized that no one was ever coming back for her.

When she'd finally climbed out of the pit, her legs and arms were cramped from being in one position for so long. It took her awhile to crawl out of the den and when she did, she been devastated. The break of dawn showed the true horror of the night before. Bloody carcasses littered the village, skinned from their heads down to their feet by the monsters that had attacked them.

In a daze, she walked through what was left of her Pride, tears streaming down her cheeks because she could not recognize any of them. The faces had been burned away after they had been skinned, it all looked so unreal.

She remembered shuffling up the small hill towards the large oak tree that she and Kysrrs often had their lessons under, and spotted a figure by the base, leaning over. For a moment she had thought one of her kind had survived, but then the figure straightened and held up the long sheath of the Dakfure he had just skinned; still dripping with blood.

The rest was shrouded in darkness, and she could not recall, even to this day, exactly what happened. Her next memory was of the torn and shattered bodies of the four remaining hunters that now lay next to her kin, and the taste of their physical remains in her mouth. She'd had claws, and a tail and long hair over her entire body that was now matted with blood.

"Carrie?"

She glanced at Iason, startled and realized that she had been too far lost in that nightmarish memory. "I…Sorry." She reached for her drink and, ignoring Riki's warning, tossed it back. "I haven't thought about any of this in years."

"You can stop if you want…" Riki began, understanding how difficult it could be to discuss the past, especially one you where you could not control your own fate.

"No." She took a deep breath. "I'm okay. My people were murdered but I survived because I hid. Afterwards I left the village and tried to find a place for myself." She decided to leave out the fact that she had tracked down the Judas who had betrayed them and had ripped him apart with her new claws and teeth. "I managed to smuggle myself onto a ship that was leaving the system." She shrugged. "I don't remember how many years I wandered, but I was careful to keep my Dakfure side hidden. Then one day an Earth woman who was enjoying an excursion with her family spotted me stealing some food. She decided to take me home with her."

"Did you look Human at the time?"

"Yes, I didn't have much control over my form at first, but it seemed that the side of me only came out when I was afraid or threatened."

Riki thought about the power that the Queen an Yiela had claimed he had, it seemed much the same thing. It was odd having so much in common with Carrie. "So, what happened with her."

Carrie smiled finally. "They became my Pride, my family. For the first time I had a mother, a father, a sister and even a grandmother."

"Where are they now?" Iason inquired.

Carrie's smile faltered, but not completely. "I don't know. They raised me until I was about twenty, and around that time I met a very handsome young man who I became very intensely involved it. Eventually, as things progressed, I decided I had to tell him the truth about myself. He was…well…shocked to say the least and said he needed time to think, which I gave him. About a week later he called and apologized and asked if we could meet to talk. So I went."

Carrie reached for her empty glass, now out of habit, and smiled as Cal quickly rose and refilled it for her. She took several sips, stared at it, then took two more.

"He betrayed you," Riki guessed, based on her expression and behaviour.

"He was a gambler, he had debts," she reasoned quietly. "He hadn't wanted to do it, but when he let a drunken slip out to one of his bookies at a bar, they did some research and learned what I was." She shrugged and took another sip of her drink. "I was in love, stupidly so, and I walked right into their arms."

"You obviously escaped," Iason stated.

"Yes, obviously." Carrie nodded and stared at the pretty coloured liquid inside her glass.

It was the truth, she had escaped, but not before the people who held her captive humiliated and taunted her beyond reason. Lane had promised to come back for her, she just had to pay his debt and they would let her go. He would be waiting he said, but she knew in her heart it was a lie. She'd tried to pretend that what Lane had told them about her was wrong, that she was just an ordinary, Human woman, but they found ways to make her change, and then they tried to keep her in that state for days.

When they were done 'playing' with her, they sold her to a geneticist lab where she was poked and prodded and pricked with every contraption available. They tested her pain threshold, as well as her emotional range. They forced her into impossible situations where she had to use all of her strength to escape from them, only to be shot with a sedation dart and wake up strapped to an examination table the following morning; ready to start the experiments all over again.

She pleaded with them to release her and all they gave her were false promises. She did everything they asked and then they just continued to demand more. It was agony, to be in captivity and treated like a lab rat. She'd almost preferred to go back to the brutality of the thugs that had initially captured.

Through her months of captivity Lane never came to see her, never tried to help her and she realized he truly had sold her to pay for his debts and walked away. She'd thought maybe her Human parents would try to find her, or the police, anyone, but no one ever came. She was on her own and acknowledging that had finally given her the strength to escape.

She hadn't wanted to kill anyone, had been doing everything in her power to avoid it, but these savages were not going to release her until she was dead, and then they would probably skin her and cut her up for parts, just like the Hunters had done to her Pride. So, she escaped, and left a bloody trail behind her.

The first thing she did was try to get back home, but when she did she saw that the police were there and her father was agreeing to contact them should she come back. Betrayed again! How could they just give her over without knowing the whole story? Granted, the news showed that Carrie was wanted for the murder of several prominent scientists. They said nothing about what the scientists had done to her, or that their deaths had been in self-defense.

So she had waited until the police left and then she snuck in through her bedroom window and quickly packed some clothes and essentials in a bag. It was then that her grandmother had found her, and because she had given up on everyone and everything, she turned prepared to fight her way through. But her grandmother cried at seeing the scars and dried blood on her, and she pulled Carrie into her arms and held her tight.

Her grandmother gave her what money she had, it was enough to buy an off-planet ticket at least, and the holo-globe. She told Carrie that she could never come back, because her parents would not understand what happened, but she wanted Carrie to live free and be well.

So Carrie left, what choice did she have? She ran into a few smaller issues in other places, enough that she had to leave again, but she'd been on Amoi a couple of years now and had established herself as a small-time trader. It was enough to eke out a modest living, and to pay for a very low-end apartment just outside of Tanagura. It was very damn little, but it was hers. The apartment, her stall and wares. It was all she had and she didn't want to have to give everything up again.

"Fuck me."

Carrie was startled by Riki's voice and her head shot up to see that the handsome young man that she had become so fond of was openly crying. She glanced at Cal, who's own eyes were glistening, and then at Iason who's expression was grim. Oh God! Oh God, had she voiced her thoughts? Had she told them everything that she had been remembering?

"I…" she began, appalled at the idea, she didn't even remember speaking. The liqueur must have loosened her tongue too much! "It wasn't…I didn't…"

Riki crawled over and settled between Carrie's legs as he had Iason's. He put his hand on her leg. "Carrie," he managed, his voice rough with emotion then he lay his head on her lap. "Carrie."

"It's okay," Carrie wiped at the single tear that spilled from her left eye and placed a trembling hand on his head. "I'm okay."

"I want to kill them," Riki growled as his hand fisted. "I want to kill all of them, every last fucking one of them!"

His threat touched her heart but also frightened her. "I didn't mean to go into detail, I'm sorry. I'm okay, really. It was all a long time ago."

"What of the man who betrayed you?" Iason asked, offering Carrie a way to move past that horrible part of her story. "Did you seek revenge?"

She shook her head. "Pathetic, right? I didn't even think about going after him. He had always been weak, I'd just refused to see it and let myself succumb to his charms. I should have known better."

"What about your parents?"

"It was easier for me to leave, safer for them and for me."

"Have you ever been back to see them?"

"No. I don't even know if they're still alive, but it doesn't matter. I can't ever go back." She lifted her gaze to Iason. "But I will go forward. I will do whatever I have to do to survive."

"There will be no need of any drastic action," Iason assured. "I will tell no one of your linage, and I will find another way to help Issac."

"Why don't you get him a pet?" Cal suggested, quietly.

Everyone stared at him surprised.

"He is hardly in any shape to respond to a pet…" Iason began

"Not a Human one, an animal pet." Cal looked at Riki. "Like that lizard that you bought Riki? Something that he has to take care of himself, or it will perish?"

"He'd probably let it die," Riki grumbled but Carrie disagreed.

"You know, it's not a bad idea," she encouraged. "On Earth, they often used animals in convalescent homes and with coma patients."

"Animals are filthy creatures," Iason returned. "They are below the notice of a Blondie and certainly not worthy of being cared for."

"Hey, I've known some pretty filthy Blondies," Riki retorted, suddenly on board because Carrie agreed to it. "It can't hurt to try, and it would certainly be different than anything else he's used to."

"He's not used to anything, and that is the issue," Iason stated. "He does not respond to anything enough to recover to a normal state."

"May I visit him?"

Everyone turned to see Yiela standing on the upper platform of the living area.

"You're supposed to keep a low profile," Riki reminded her.

"Yes, however I am well trained in psychology and physical therapy. I may be of some assistance to him."

"He is not one of your local tribesmen," Iason scowled. "He is a Blondie of Tanagura and beyond your scope."

"He is another machine, like you?"

"Artificial life form or Elite might be a better term for you to use," Carrie suggested with a hint of warning after seeing the glint of temper in Iason's eyes, at least if the girl wanted to keep living. Really, she couldn't see how anyone could mistake Iason as cold and unfeeling, he was an open book if anyone bothered to read his eyes.

"He has an organic brain?" Yiela continued. "Which is to say that he does and should feel many of the same emotions a normal Humanoid might. If you will allow me to spend some time with him, I may be successful in getting him to respond."

"It couldn't hurt to try, Iason," Carrie reasoned. "She's defiantly something he would be curious about, and sometimes that's all it takes to start someone's recovery, is a healthy dose of curiosity."

Iason studied Yiela for several long moments. "I will consider it," he finally said and then nodded at Cal. "Fetch her dinner."

"Yes, Sir." Cal rose and once again felt his sleeve being tugged. He looked down at Carrie. "Did you need something, Miss?"

"Can I get another piece of that fantastic cake?" she asked. "Just a teensy bit bigger than the last one?"

"Of course. There is ice cream as well, would you care for some?"

"Yes!" Riki's eyes lit up as he leapt to his feet. "I'll help."

"You just want another piece of cake," Carrie teased.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

They headed off and Iason's intense gaze never left Yiela as she followed them to the kitchen. Finally, he turned his attention back to Carrie. "Would you like to freshen up?"

"I would, thanks." Carrie wiped at her face, no doubt she looked a fright, but when she stood she swayed a little and Iason instantly rose and caught her arm. "Riki was right, that stuff does have a kick."

"Would you like to lay down?"

"No, I'll be fine once I get some sugar in me to soak up the alcohol." Carrie lifted her gaze to his, then reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. She knew Blondies usually detested being touched, but Iason seemed to be the exception, at least with her. "I'm sorry about ruining the evening."

"It has not been ruined. You needed to tell your story and I needed to hear it, so I could truly understand your misgivings."

"Still, I shouldn't have gotten so…" She shook her head, so ashamed at having revealed so much. "It was more than I had intended to tell."

"That happens sometimes when there is a great need to tell it," Iason said. "May I ask, have you ever spoken of your past to anyone else?"

"No. Never."

"I see. I am honoured that you chose to share it with us, and I give my word that it will never go any further than this room."

"Thank you, Iason. Really, thank you for everything, all of it. For the first time in…well, ever, I feel like I have a home and a Pride, and I can't tell you what that means to me."

He surprised her by dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "It is satisfying to count you as my friend, Carrie, and as a member of our little family. I hope we will never disappoint one another."

Touched beyond words, she could only nod.

"You will find the washroom up the stairs and to the left. I'll have Cal make up a room for you to sleep in."

"You don't have to…"

"I am not Human," Iason stated. "However, I'm not completely indifferent to their ways and feelings. You should not be alone tonight, and nor will you be."

She took a deep, satisfying breath, then suddenly threw her arms around him. "I love you too," she whispered, then broke away and darted up the stairs before he could see the flame in her cheeks.

Iason chuckled, then engaged his wrist unit. He scowled when Katze didn't answer, then remembered that the Black-Market dealer was on vacation. He left a message for when Katze returned that he wanted to know everything there was to know about a Lane Debaur.