The Founder kept his attention fixed on the screen directly in front of me. He had ignored John for fifteen minutes now, leaving him standing in front of him, like a schoolboy called up to the teacher's desk. John resisted the urge to shift his weight or fidget in any way, refusing to give the man even that small amount of satisfaction.

"So you want to see Irene?"

"Yeah."

The Founder finally deigned to look at him. One condescending glance and then back to his screen.

John experienced the unsettling feeling he always got when the Founder probed his mind. Realizing his face betrayed his impatience and hate for the man, he quickly schooled his features to a more impassive look. The Founder must have caught him in his peripheral vision because a stab of mental pain made him grimace.

Expecting to be punished for his mistake he was surprised by the Founder's words. "Okay. I'll allow it. Alice will make the arrangements."

"Alice?" For the life of him he couldn't stop himself from questioning the man. Why would Alice be involved?

"The girl also asked to speak to me. I confess I was . . . stunned that she had the guts to make the request. She's totally gauche and immature and stumbled all over herself, but apparently she's not above begging. Says she's totally depressed, homesick for the sewer you called home and desperately wants to see you."

The Founder turned to catch John's eyes again. "Appears you've been avoiding her. Wonder why?" He feigned the appearance of a person trying to remember something. "Oh, right you killed her mother! Guilt, John?"

John kept his face blank, but his hands clenched into fist. This man knew exactly which of his buttons to push and delighted in doing it.

A satisfied smile on his face, the Founder asked, "Did you have something to say John?"

"No."

The response was met with an expectant tilt of the Founder's head.

"No, Sir." John hated himself for toadying to the man, but he had the girls to think of.

Seeing he'd have no sport with John today, the man lost interest and turned back to his screen. "So, to answer your question Alice will make the arrangements because the girl wants to go out on the town. On a date with dancing." He shook his head. "Questionable taste choosing you, but I suppose she's young. But I am getting off track. Having spent a good part of your adult life in a sewer, you can't really be expected to know the hot spots in town. Therefore Alice will pick the appropriate club."

He paused while he reviewed something on his screen and then added, "I'll have Alice order you the appropriate clothes."

John argued with him. "I can get my own clothes. You just won't let me out, and you won't give me any money."

"And that situation will not change." The Founder sounded bored now.

"So can I at least have some subway money, or are you gonna make me jump the turnstile?"

"Someone from Kane's team will escort you to the site which you will not know ahead of time. Irene will also be escorted, and there will be both human and TP guards watching you at all times."

John shook his head in frustration. "Haven't you figured out by now that I'm not going anywhere?"

"It's not you I'm worried about. It's those sewer rats that you're protecting. They're stupid enough to try something, and it could get ugly if you're forced to choose between your lady love and the girls."

John opened his mouth, but the Founder spoke first. "Go away and stop annoying me. I told you how it's going to be and that's it. I have work to do and can't waste any more time on you."

John turned and stormed out, kicking an unlucky chair that happened to be in his way.

"Really John! Try not to act like a petulant child." The Founder's raised his voice loud enough for everyone in the busy command center to stop what they were doing and turn to stare at him.

John, feeling like a fool, left without responding.

Ponzi and John drove him the following evening, Jim at the wheel and Ponzi in the passenger seat. Ponzi kept grinning and nudging Jim, so John wasn't really surprised when the man twisted in his seat and ordered, "Put your hand out."

John sighed and put out his hand knowing there was no way to avoid whatever it was they had planned. Jim's attention was divided between the road and the rearview mirror.

Ponzi reached over and put something small in John's hand, forcing his fingers to close over it.

John looked at him for a moment before opening his hand. He shook his head in disgust at the condom Ponzi had given him. "Hah, hah. So unfunny." He tossed the little cellophane package into the front seat.

Ponzi deftly caught it. "Whatza matter? Don't know how to use it? Didn't daddy Jedikiah ever have the talk with you?" He nudged Jim with his elbow, sharing the joke with him. "Our little boy is all grown up and going on date."

Jim was chuckling to himself. Ponzi couldn't leave it alone. "Word is the girl didn't just wanna see you. Wanted a date. You're quite the ladies man, aren't you boy?"

John refused to answer or give any sign he was listening to him. He steadfastly kept his gaze fixed out the window. Ponzi kept it up while John silently endured until they finally pulled up to the curb outside the chosen club.

Both men got out making John stay in the car. Jim's eyes were everywhere, watching. John knew from the way his hand pushed his jacket aside that he was carrying a gun.

Ponzi after an intense inspection of the area opened the door and motioned John out, stepping up to him after he closed the door. John rolled his eyes with 'a what now' expression, but Ponzi just straightened his jacket and shifted the opening of his shirt. "No tie? Tsk Tsk. She's gonna think you don't care."

John just asked, "Are you done yet?"

The man patted John's cheek like he was a kid and lectured him. "Now, don't drink too much. You know you're a lightweight when it comes to liquor. Stick with beer."

John sighed. "Now are you done?"

Ponzi shook his head. "Gotta get you inside. Then the other team takes over."

Ponzi took him to the head of the line and spoke a few words to the bouncer. He escorted John all the way inside the packed club before leaving him.

He reached out mentally as soon as Ponzi left. Irene practically knocked both of them over as she barreled into him.

"Whoa, girl." He helped her regain her balance. They looked at each other and then hugged.

"It's so good to see you ag—" John caught himself before he finished the sentence. The last time they had come face to face was when he killed her mother.

Irene didn't let the moment stay awkward. "I am so excited. Out on a date."

As John's eyes widened, she laughed and explained her statement. "On a date with a FRIEND. It's been hard. No one to hang with." She looked him over. "You look good. That shirt makes your eyes beautiful."

John laughed self-consciously. "You don't use the word beautiful when you talk about guys."

She shrugged. "I do."

He always felt better around her. Irene was just so, so Irene.

She grabbed him and pushed him towards the bar. "Buy me a drink."

"Crap!" John smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "I don't have any money."

"Not a problem. There's an Ultra tab. Just put it on that," Irene blithely explained.

"Then why do you want me to buy you a drink?" John was puzzled.

"Cause," she said simply. "I want to be treated like I'm someone special.

He laughed. "No doubt about it. You're special."

"I'll be at the table." Irene made a sweeping gesture that could have indicated half of the crowded room. "Over there."

John didn't anticipate any trouble tracking her down, so he waited patiently at the bar, getting a beer for himself, and the sickly drink that Irene had requested. He eyed it with trepidation, disliking the color and the ridiculous name. The noise in the club was deafening, but he picked up her mental directions easily. The table she guided him to had three almost full drinks on it already.

"Are we sitting with someone else?" he asked looking around.

"Nope. Just trying different drinks. I wanna make the most of my night out. Never know if they'll let us do this again." She smiled as she sipped from the new drink. "Whoa. This one has a punch."

John had to turn away to hide a smile. He took a swig of beer and let his senses spread out.

"Looking for the TPs?" Irene asked knowingly.

He smiled down at her. "Yup."

"Let's dance, and I'll point out them and the human guards."

John barely had time to put his beer bottle on the table before she yanked him away. He had to give it a tiny mental shove to push it back onto the table before it overbalanced and tipped off the edge.

He had never seen Irene in action on the dance floor, and it came as kind of a shock. She was completely and totally awkward with no sense of rhythm, but she also didn't care. What she lacked in talent she made up for in enthusiasm. He decided he didn't care either. She narrowly missed smacking a couple of people dancing near her with her wild gyrations, but they good naturedly ducked so it worked.

They were enjoying themselves dancing and taking breaks to talk and drink until Irene decided she needed to chug her liquor. That in turn led to her decision to show John she knew how to twerk. He didn't mind that regardless of the stares she got. What he minded was that she decided to twerk against him.

He heard mental laughter and turned towards the source. The two Ultra agents Irene had pointed out were practically rolling on the floor. John really couldn't blame them. If it wasn't his groin she was thumping against, he would have been laughing too. As it was, he was totally embarrassed and would have gladly teleported out of there.

He tried to get her to settle down, but she just got wilder and to her mind what she thought was sexier. Drink apparently loosened up everything about her, but did nothing for her dancing abilities.

John finally shrugged and decided that if drank enough he wouldn't care. He was more than a little drunk by now, and when a dark haired girl that had a superficial resemblance to Cara asked him to dance, he overrode his initial decision to refuse and accepted. She molded her body against his, and he closed his eyes and his mind, pretending it was Cara in his arms.

Irene frowned and then decided this girl was poaching on her date. She weaved her way through the dance floor like a pinball bouncing off people until she reached the couple. She grabbed the girl's arm and yanked her away from John.

It started to get ugly because the girl was just as drunk and belligerent as Irene.

"Really, John. I thought you'd behave better than this."

John spun around searching for the source while trying to keep the two girls apart. He caught sight of the Founder, huge grin plastered on his face, sitting at a nearby table.

"What are you doing here?" He was so astonished that he neglected to pay close enough attention to the two feuding girls and ended up taking a punch meant for the dark haired girl when one of Irene's shots went wild. "Oof."

Ultra agents quickly came up and intervened, walking the dark haired girl away.

"Come sit with me." John recognized that it was order not a request.

He grabbed Irene by the upper arm and steered her towards the table. She protested, glasses askew. "I can take her. Russell showed me a couple of moves."

John sighed and pulled her along. When they got to the table the Founder was patently amused.

He addressed Irene. "I saw you dancing before. You were . . . ah . . . different."

She smiled happily and turned to John, bragging. "I'm different."

She drunkenly stumbled over to hug the Founder nearly knocking his drink over on his thousand dollar suit. He caught it and an armful of drunken Irene at the same time.

"Sank you for tonight." Irene slurred, blinking at him. "I so happy."

"You're welcome." He held onto her for a moment, brilliant blue eyes piercingly bright, focused on a point over her head, but Irene's happy smile did not change.

He lifted her off him and placed her on a chair. He indicated that John should take the other chair. John sat, noticing new agents moving in around them.

Irene looked around frowning. "I think I lost my drink. John, can you get me another?"

"You're not going to feel so good in the morning. I think it's time to stop," John cautioned.

"Who cares? Wanna have fun." She stumbled off to find a drink. A guard looked to the Founder who made a shooing gesture with his hand, and she was allowed to pass.

John started to rise from his seat, worried about her, but an iron grip on his arm stopped him cold. As John resisted he heard. "Don't."

The six beers had made him reckless, and he almost broke away. At the last moment he came to his senses and stayed put.

The Founder smiled at him and laid an arm over his shoulder.

"Just smile and act like I'm telling a joke."

John tried his best to relax and let the Founder probe his mind. The man finally withdrew, satisfied. He stood up adjusting his suit. He smiled down at John obviously amused by what he was going to say. "She's very drunk. You could get lucky tonight."

John just shot him a disgusted look before asking, "What's this all about?"

The Founder grabbed John by the chin. "I don't trust you. I don't trust her. I wanted to make sure for myself that there's nothing going on.

John tried to pull his chin away, but the Founder wouldn't release it, digging his fingers in.

"Challenging me, John?" The Founder was practically purring in anticipation.

John still retained enough sense to relax, letting his mind go blank and dropping his eyes to the floor.

The Founder released him, running a hand through John's hair, ruffling it. "There's hope for you yet. You're learning to obey.

John gritted his teeth, but kept his head down. The Founder waited a moment, half hoping John would show some sign of rebellion. He was mildly disappointed when John stayed silent and soon left. The entourage that accompanied him also went, only the original TP and human escorts staying behind.

Irene came back and asked John to dance. It was late and he wanted to leave, but she whined and begged. "Just one more. Please."

He reluctantly agreed, but immediately regretted it when she unbuttoned more of his shirt and buried her face against his skin, while snaking her arms inside his jacket and wrapping them around him. John caught the raised eyebrows and backslapping of the two highly amused TP agents.

Irene started kissing his skin. "Irene!" he protested.

"Whassa matter?" "Don't react. I'm tucking something into the waistband of your pants. Your belt should hold it in place." In contrast to her slurred words, her mental voice was crisp and clear.

"What?"

Irene licked him, making him jump. As howls of laughter reached his ears, he felt her hands at his back and pressure against his waist.

"I thought you were drunk?"

"I took the precaution of coating my stomach and taking a drug to metabolize the alcohol, but never mind that. Pay attention. No one can know what I gave you. You need to hide it someplace safe until it's needed."

"Whatya mean needed?" John pushed her away from himself.

She aimed a sloppy air kiss at him. "You'll know. Just hide it." She feigned a belligerent attitude. "Whass wrong? How come you don't want kish me?"

John frog marched her over to the TP agents. "You need to take us home."

They stood up, one of them informing John, "We'll drop you off first."

The ride to Ultra was fun for everyone, but John. Irene took advantage of her supposed drunken state to amuse herself. She was all over John, laughing on the inside. The agents found his discomfort highly amusing.

"I'm going to give you an opportunity to teleport out. You won't have much time. Use it well."

"How? I can't. The girls will end up paying."

She snuggled up to him. "Let's make out." Irene slurred her words.

The driver checked it out in the rearview mirror while the other one turned sideways in his seat.

John was horrified when Irene said, "You know I never did it in the back of the car."

The next moment there was the unmistakable sound of a zipper unzipping. "Hey! What the . . . "

Laughter erupted as Irene giggled and said, "I know what to do next." "Go!"

John teleported out so abruptly Irene tumbled onto the car floor.

The agents immediately stopped laughing. "Oh crap!"

They looked at each other. "What do we do?"

"We have to report in."