How long had they been dancing? Shilo didn't know and didn't care. In the crowded dance floor she'd literally run into Blue once or twice, who'd grinded or winked and continued on, depending on the situation. Always, though, at her side, front, and back was Riley. Shilo looked up into his face, and at times when the light shone on it just right she was able to notice little features she hadn't before. The creases at his mouth, how his nose turned up in the most adorable way. At one point she even though one of his eyes was the slightest bit smaller than the other. Riley's eyelashes were distractingly long…

When had he pulled her outside? Suddenly cool air was tearing at Shilo's hair and clothes. Riley's hand was firmly around her's as he leaned against the dirty brick wall. Both were trying to catch their breath, unable to talk just yet.

"….hi," Shilo managed to gasp, and Riley burst into laughter. He brushed back a sweaty piece of her hair.

"You're cute, Jack."

She wished he could say her real name. It would coat his tongue like candy.

"Thank you."

Their silence was companionable as they watched the night sky, the dingy lot behind the club. Riley rested his cheek on the top of Shilo's head, and she felt a little thrill of pleasure travel down to her toes and back up again.

"I hate this place," he said. "You can't see stars."

"Or sunshine."

"Or real color."

More silence. Riley began to hum something slow and sad, and Shilo suddenly had the urge to cry. She quickly swallowed it.

"It's like being trapped," Riley said. "Do you ever feel that way? As if there's a cage around you. And you have these really big wings. Beautiful wings! But they're all smooshed inside this fucking cage, and you can't do anything about…this sounds really, stupid."

Shilo shook her head wordlessly. If she opened her mouth then all the tears would escape, warm little traitors. Riley seemed to understand, though, and squeezed her hand tighter.

"Hey…" he began, hesitantly. "I want to show you something. Can we take a walk?"

They circled around the club and headed down the street to a boarded up Chinese restaurant.

"I've never eaten Chinese food," Shilo mused. Riley looked down at her in shock.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"God, Jack. We'll have to fix that."

"But it's closed."

Riley bit his lip, then grinned mischievously. "Another time. Right now…"

He tapped on one of the wooden boards twice in quick succession, once more slowly. After a few moments a hole on the other side of the building appeared like magic. Riley quickly dragged Shilo in, and slid back the wooden covering. She squinted in the darkness. It smelled like mold, and…syrup.

"Just in time for breakfast!"

A light clicked on, and Shilo gasped. She was immediately reminded of a tree house. The walls were decaying wood panel, patched over with scraps and covered in painting, posters…newspaper clippings, especially. A group of three sat on beanbag chairs near an antique lamp, and looked up in unison. The one girl was heavy set with pigtails and very blue eyes. The other two boys were obviously twins, dark haired and splattered with freckles. They were wearing tattered band tees eating large stacks of pancakes.

"People come in and out. Our movement has over thirty of us, all unsatisfied. All angry as hell. Right now we have one goal, and then everything else will fall in to place."

Riley grabbed Shilo's shoulders, and his eyes were glowing with excitement.

"Who is this generation's figurehead of change? Who is the one person that can rally together all of the people too scared to fight?"

He pointed to a banner hanging over the wall.

Save Shilo.

"Jack? Are you okay? I thought you blacked out for a second."

Shilo blinked. "Sorry I…"

Riley froze. He'd propped Shilo against the wall after she nearly fainted, and upon opening her eyes in confusion she noticed the large newspaper cutting next to her head. A close up shot of a very scared girl.

"You…"

Shilo swallowed. "Please don't tell," was the first thing she could whisper. She was scared that Riley would lash out in anger that she'd lied to him in the club. To her immense surprise, he burst into laughter and wrapped her in a bone-crunching hug. Soon other hands were pulling her in, and someone shoved a sticky plate at her chest. Riley gently held her chin.

"Little lady," he began, eyes twinkling; "I think you have a story to tell."

Lucky for Shilo, Riley respected her secrets. He didn't push her for details about her rescuer, only thanked the moon and sun he or she existed. The quiet girl was Leona, and the hyper-active twins were Mikey and Jay. It seemed that everyone in the room could play an instrument but Shilo, and soon a laid-back jam session commenced. Riley on guitar, Leona on a little keyboard, Mikey with a ukulele and Jay with a set of bongos. Shilo sang with the songs she knew, hummed to those she didn't. Eventually something that she, thanks to cable, knew was called a blunt got lit and passed around. Riley instructed her on sucking in, breathing deep into her lungs. A large grin hit Shilo smack in the face and didn't seem ready to leave any time soon. It was obvious and surprising and delicious to her that Riley could not stop staring.

"We should get you back to your friend," he finally said. Leona and the twins told her goodbye, the latter two with a dramatic, flourishing bow each. Riley pulled Shilo back into the street, and it seemed a world that she no longer recognized.

Miraculously, no one noticed their stumbled entrance back into the bordello. Blue obviously didn't hold Riley's belief on water, because she was laughing raucously and clinging to Shilo's waist. For her part, life had never felt so…real. So full of life. It blew Shilo's mind that there were people- over thirty of them! – who had been searching for her. Who believed she was the answer to their prayers. Thank god Riley hadn't suggested some sort of battle plan yet, or shoved her face first into responsibility. She could still taste smoke in her mouth. Shilo separated from Blue in the hallway. The leather, the sweat…she'd never felt so brave. The weed seemed to still be thudding inside her skull, whispering one name, over and over again. Shilo kicked off her heels, aching feet applauding, and crept down the basement steps. Without pausing to take a breath or even think about what she was doing- Shilo was so beyond thinking- she opened the door.

Graverobber tossed his coat to the ground. His body ached, and so did his head. Where the fuck was Demetri? It seemed he hadn't seen Shilo for a while either, and that bothered him the most. When was the last time they'd spoken? He rubbed his forehead, wishing he was asleep or drunk or back in the freshly turned earth.

The basement door opened. At first Graverobber didn't recognize the woman there. He focused in on her bloodshot eyes, looked past the dyed hair and ridiculous outfit.

"Kid?"

Shilo grinned crookedly and shook her head.

"I'm not a kid."

He swallowed, hard. For the first time that statement was easy to believe. The curves of Shilo's body were more pronounced than ever- hips obviously round under the tight casing of leather, her calves oddly pronounced. The weird little sweater thing she had on was unbuttoned over a tight tee-shirt that just barely showed the points of her hipbones. Shilo was barefoot, and this counteracted the Zydrate-whore look, made her look whimsical. Young but not young. Graverobber took a deep breath, and got a whiff of Shilo's smell- soap, Blue's perfume, sweat, and marijuana.

"Where the fuck have you been?" His eyes narrowed.

Shilo shook her head, advanced on Graverobber. He couldn't move, though every synapse was screaming for him to push away this girl, this child. She pressed herself to him and shuddered, placed her palms gently against his chest. Unconsciously Graverobber moved his fingers to the exposed bit of her hip. So soft. The thought of corrupting this innocence repelled him just as it aroused him. He moved his hands to cup her ass. She was shaking, and the eyes that bored into him looked unfocused, sleepy. It would be so easy. Shilo closed her eyes and parted her lips. Graverobber lifted a strand of her hair. It was lit by blue, by the shred of light falling through the door she'd left open. He took a very deep breath.

"Get out, kid."

She was kissing the exposed part of his chest.

"While you can."

Her lips opened at his neck, just enough so that her teeth touched his skin.

"Shilo."

A finger hooked his belt loop.

"GET OUT!"

Graverobber pushed her away, turned around and kicked the bed. He heard a strangled little gasp behind him, and she ran up the stairs. Graverobber collapsed on the bed. She was scared. Good. Only then was he aware of his erection. Good that she should run. Graverobber could feel her small body on his, and smell her sweat. So close. He'd come so close.

Good that she should be afraid.