A few days had passed since the incident with Nick. Chloe hated the daytime. She'd drop Max off to work and find herself feeling lost without her friend or her own job to go to. Sometimes she'd spend hours just sitting in a nearby park, drawing and waiting. She had applied for a few new jobs already, but with no success. The blue-haired girl sat perched on the back of a bench, feeling the chill of the cool late-Winter's day, drawing again. Chloe's phone rang as her pencil traced across the paper sitting on her lap.

"Yeah?" she answered absently.

"Chloe? ...It's Frank."

Chloe's eyes sprang open and she smiled widely. "Frank? Holy shit dude, you made it? I thought you were dead. How?"

"I was buried under rubble for nearly three days before they found me. Been in traction almost the whole time since. I think I broke more bones than you've had hot meals, girl," Frank said, his voice sounding weaker than usual, but happiness apparent his tone. "I'm glad you made it. I wasn't sure if you'd survived or not. Haven't really spoken to anyone since the storm. Haven't really been able to. Besides, there's not many people left. Good thing I've got old Pompidou."

Chloe's smile broadened, "Pompidou's ok?"

"Yeah. Poor guy stayed with me the whole time. Broke his leg and he was pretty badly dehydrated, but he's a tough one," Frank said, the relief in his voice obvious. "Anyway, how are you doing? How did you make it out?"

"It was Max," Chloe said smiling, her mind again on her partner. She caught herself before she recounted the 'wrong' version of the truth and went on with the well-practised, semi-true story, "We were up at the lighthouse hanging out when the storm came in. We saw everything. Just lucky it didn't turn our way, I guess."

"Max is with you? That's cool, man. She kinda freaked me out at first, but she's a cool chick," Frank's gruff voice laughed.

Chloe grinned, "Yeah, she's my cool chick now. We've got a place in Portland together. If you're ever in the area man..."

"I'm really happy for you guys. Seriously," Frank offered earnestly. "I'm in Seattle. Not getting around very well yet, but when I am I might just hit you two up."

After the phone call, Chloe hung up and looked down at her notebook. She tore out the page she was working on, crumpling it in her fist and throwing it into the bin at the end of the bench. The blue-haired girl smiled at the blank page in front of her and started drawing again. Time floated by and she found herself so absorbed that she almost ran late picking up her best friend. She snapped her book closed, bounding off the bench and hurrying to the camera store.

~oOo~

The following week found Chloe's routine mostly unchanged. Still unemployed albeit with a couple of interviews lined up. She found the idleness frustrating. It was late on Friday afternoon and she sat in her truck smoking a cigarette, waiting for her partner to finish work. Her legs rested on the bench seat, back propped against the car door, eyes closed and lost in thought as 'Stolen Babies' blared from the stereo. The ringing phone broke her state of abstraction. She turned down the music and answered. It was Hoss.

"Hey Chloe. How you doing?" he asked. Chloe was surprised to hear from her old employer.

"Yeah I'm ok. Apart from the whole unemployed thing," she replied, unable to keep some of the disappointment from her voice.

"Yeah I'm sorry again about all that shit. But I told you I'd try and make it up to you," the big man said apologetically before continuing. "I'd really like you to come back."

Chloe was shocked that he would even bother asking. "Yeah um...unless you want a dead business partner, that's not happening. Sorry dude."

"That's the thing," Hoss continued patiently, "I don't have a business partner any more. Bought him out. That crap he pulled on you was the last straw. I've known him for years...tried to help him get his shit together. But he's a fucking lost cause, man. Dickhead can go die in a gutter if that's what he wants. Probably will. I'm done with his shit. So yeah, I'm running the place on my own and I'd really like you to come back."

The blue-haired girl sat in her truck listening to Hoss speak. Her lips turned up into a smile. Her previous apathy and despondence, all but a memory. "You're fucking serious?" she said, still somewhat disbelieving.

"Fuck, I'm gonna be swamped in here, man. Of course I'm serious," the big man laughed. "Also, there's one other thing." He paused before continuing,

"I know it's probably not something that you'd be able to manage...but if you can, and if you want to...I'd be happy to let you buy-in to the business as a partner."

Chloe was stunned and struggling to process the conversation, "I...um...I don't know what to say dude. I can't thank you enough. But I'm flat-ass broke...and I don't think I'm in any position to raise that kind of bank."

"Look, no rush. If you raise some scratch we can talk about it again," Hoss smiled before adding, "Forty thousand...fifty percent. Just so you know. Also if you got...say half, I could probably let you work the other half off at less pay. Just so you know." He laughed, pushing the point. "But for now, see you Monday?"

"Bright and early, big guy!" Chloe beamed, "And thanks...again."

Chloe was hanging up the phone when the passenger door sprung open, startling her. Max climbed in, smiling at her friend's obvious good spirits. "This Chloe seems...different somehow," she said studiously, pretending to inspect the older girl closely.

"Hey cutie," Chloe grinned, leaning over and kissing her friend.

"Intriguing..." Max continued in a bookish tone before bursting into laughter. "What's going on?" she asked, genuinely excited and intrigued.

"Got a spare 20k in those pockets, Max?" Chloe said, reaching over and frisking the younger girl. Max giggled, simultaneously blushing bright red.

"I...I kinda wish I did now," she laughed in a slightly flustered manner. "Seriously! What's going on?" she pushed, needing to know.

"I got a job. Well...my old job, but I'm going back" the blue-haired girl said with the sparkle back in her blue eyes. "Hoss ditched that human-shaped shit."

"Chloe! That's awesome!" Max exclaimed, hugging her friend. "But...why do you need twenty thousand dollars?"

"He said he wanted me to be a partner in the business," Chloe said, still almost unable, or unwilling to believe the conversation she'd just had with the man.

"Jesus, Chloe!" Max was as astounded as her friend, "That's such a good opportunity! We have to work something out."
Chloe chuckled at her partner's enthusiasm. "Easy, tiger. It'd be nice to 'work something out' and end up with twenty large, but I've got no idea how. Anyway, I'm just stoked to be working again."

"Agreed! Chloe you rock," the younger girl smiled as her friend started the drive home.

~oOo~

When they entered the house, Chloe turned to Max with a mischievous grin. Her friend knew the look on Chloe's face all too well. "It's Friday night, Max. And we're stuck having to celebrate again," the taller girl said, resting her arms on the smaller girl's shoulders flirtatiously. "You know what this means, don't you?" she asked.

"Does it involve a Blacktooth followed by a blue-haired girl taking advantage of me?" Max replied innocently.

"You know me so well, Max!" Chloe laughed before continuing, " And you'd better love it, 'cause you're damn well stuck with me."

"Lucky for you, I do," Max grinned up at her friend. "Or lucky for me..."