Consider this your break from drama, because next chapter there will be action.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Discourse
Victor knew he should feel more depressed, or hurt, or angry, or- something. She had broken up with him on the thirty-first. By the third of January, she was steady with some new student. He didn't mind, and he didn't blame her. They had gotten along, but had never felt anything more than a casual Saturday night attraction. He had just talked with her the day before, and they were good friends. Bee was friendlier now that she wasn't dating him- it was too clean of a break, almost. He had met Garth and Karen (Aqualad and Bee, if he saw them on patrol) around Forston. He had congratulated the TE (the in-school acronym, just in case anyone was listening) on a fight Eve had mentioned. If the chief of police read through an entire report, Barbara felt it was worth the time.

He was in the park, leaning the giant oak that no one else had ever claimed. It still was the best place he could find for thinking, no matter how cold the weather was. He watched his breath stream away in a wind. It was a clear night, as California went, but the stars were obscured by a haze of smog. He could make out only a few stars, including something that might have been Orion's belt.

He hadn't seen anyone else in the park since the occasional snow shower gave the area an almost permanent frost. There wouldn't be anyone to hear if he remembered something his grandma had always said, looking at a California sky. "Stars light, stars bright, all stars I will not see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." He heard rustling to his right, directly downwind.

"Who taught you that, Stone?"

Of all the times for them to meet again, it would be after something like that. Jinx was her own force of nature. "My grandmother, frustrated with stargazing around this area. She was born in the upper peninsula of Michigan, where car exhaust is exceeded by smoke from pasties. She missed Cassiopeia whenever she came out here to visit."

"The crooked W, right? That's a good constellation to find to get bearings." Jinx had read more than her share of Greek myths, where the endings of tales were rarely happy and people were quick to find the bad girl. Jinx put more blame on the gods and goddesses than she did on the almost-good girls hated by the general population. "What did you wish for?" she asked, after both were content with a few minutes of quiet.

"I can't tell you that, Jinx. If I did, it wouldn't come true." Besides that old superstition, he would recite six nursery rhymes before telling Jinx the wish was about her. He shifted to his left, leaving space. She took it, sitting directly next to him.

"It's cold," she said offensively. Jinx didn't believe in defense. "Do you mind? I'm at a biological disadvantage, here. Besides, it's not like you need the body heat you're radiating."

"What's your biological disadvantage?" Victor expected a mention of her lack of insulation.

"I'm from India, originally. I burn like crazy in that sort of sun, but that's my favorite temperature range. That's the worst of California- it's all wind and no real heat."

He didn't know exactly why she was talking about her past so casually, but he wasn't about to stop her. "It wouldn't be so bad, if you had a proper coat. You should get something with a few layers."

Jinx shrugged. "I can't exactly go walking into a store, with my reputation. I'll probably just scare one off some rich broad with sense not related to fashion."

"I won't convince you otherwise, but I could get a coat somewhere that would actually. I'm some rich kid who's convinced he owes you an apology- no strings attached."

"There's no need," Jinx said airily, ignoring an offense to her pride. "I've been here before, when you were at the tree," she said, changing the topic. "I haven't heard anyone wish for a long time."

"Why don't you try?" he challenged.

"Wishing has never worked out for me, Stone."

"That doesn't mean it won't work this time."

"Optimist," she grumbled.

That made him smile. "You sound like Raven. She has the same idea about positive thinking. Trying wouldn't hurt, Jinx."

"It won't change anything, Stone."

"No, it won't."

She was quiet for a minute, leaning against his side. He didn't push when she was ready to fight back, and he was always courteous. "I heard your team messed with Slade's girl."

"Tara?" Victor hadn't heard the details. Rachel knew, but no one had asked her after seeing the look on her face. She had muttered something about a promise before walking away.

"Tara Markov. In my circles, she's known only as Molotov. Everyone in Forston heard her last hello. She wasn't all bad, I guess." Jinx was a criminal, but she had never killed anyone, by accident or otherwise.

"You know about her? Raven does, but she only talks about a promise before clamming up."

"I know about her. She's an explosives expert, but her science isn't exact. Slade snapped Tara up when she was coming off of a series of jobs that killed innocents she hadn't wanted to hurt. She was his apprentice, so she. . ." Jinx didn't know what else to say. Everyone else in her circle of acquaintances knew what it meant when Slade chose a pretty female apprentice. "Tara and Slade were involved," she said diplomatically.

"She passed information to him the entire time. I guessed that much."

"No, Stone- don't be a blockhead. She and Slade were sexually involved- she thought he loved her. Your Raven knew that Slade and Tara were involved." Jinx guessed that Raven was still rebelling, by fighting with the Titans. Trigon's daughter had never offered her any troubles- Jinx could play the fool on that point.

"She knew they were- involved to that extent?"

"Yes." Jinx was sure. Tia never lied. Tia's temper was as short as she was, but anyone accusing Tia of dishonesty usually lost a battle of sabers before realizing that she was in earnest.

"I don't want to know what Tara had on Raven, unless Raven herself tells me. She told us to not trust Tara, but that was all. Raven's going to have a talk with Beast Boy tomorrow, so I wouldn't recommend going over by the hospital." Victor remembered another topic. "Mia's doing fine."

"We keep in touch," Jinx said curtly, breaking away from that topic. "What about the rumor mill in Forston? This isn't HIVE business at all, but I heard Karen and Garth are an item."

"And?"

"It's interesting."

Victor could only guess her motive. "Jinx, what do you want? There's nothing odd about the two of them hooking up." He didn't know what he'd do if she knew everyone.

"Stone, you're overreacting."

He stood as quickly as a false limb would allow. "Overreacting? Let's be honest, Jinx. You're a criminal."

"That doesn't mean my every reason for action is to stick it to the good guy." She leapt to her feet, eyes blazing in the dim orange streetlamps.

"Call it my own pessimism, Jinx, but you know my name and the names of two close friends. You have some odd source about Raven. What am I supposed to think? I like you, but this will not work. I don't know you at all."

"You could try trusting my motives, just this once. I only care about one quality of your precious Karen Beecher, but you'd guess the wrong one."

"You've been snooping about her. What should I guess? You want to figure out how to defeat the East in battle?" Victor rarely raised his voice, but she was trying to make him angry.

"No. Someone I know from Forston told me the girl ditched you for a pretty boy. That's why I talked to you- you're single, and I'm not stepping on a girlfriend's toes. I thought we had something." Her voice dwindled before she remembered her fury. "I should have known all heroes were the same."

"Why would you care?"

"Why? Maybe I kept thinking about some stupid guy who didn't laugh at my roof. Maybe I wanted to do something different with my life. This isn't supposed to happen, Stone. I'm not supposed to fall for the good guy like some D-grade movie villainess."

"Maybe it's karma," he said, remembering old conversations.

"Maybe, but there is no guarantee that this will work." She was through yelling. Instead, she lapsed into thoughtfulness.

"Who needs a guarantee? We'll never know unless we try."

Jinx wanted to make everything clear before they started. "We're not going to be some tragic Romeo and Juliet couple. Look how happy they ended up. If I ever need to leave, I'll disappear. If you ever decide that you can't be with a criminal, then I'm gone. If you ask me to betray the HIVE, you'll wish I was gone."

"I wouldn't expect anything else- and if you leave, I just hope that you'll leave a goodbye. It's a little cold to stand around outside all night," he said, switching the subject. "What's something you've never done before?"

Jinx thought for a moment. "Let's go bowling- it's normal, not too difficult, and shouldn't send some sort of bizarre message." She pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt.

"Jinx, you don't need to hide."

"It's better this way."

"My friends might not like the idea, but that's not their decision. Your friends can think that you're just messing with some rich boy's head- I don't care what they think about me."

"We'll see, Stone." The hood stayed up, for now. "You have your car, right? Giz is envious of your hunk of metal, and I want to see it in action. The HIVE won't hear about us, but that's to keep out reprisals from the few freaks that follow me around."

"It's karma, right? We'll see if this works out."

"Karma," Jinx agreed, smiling when he opened the passenger door for her. Nice guys- there was no living without them.

Hours later, the fairy tale of an evening had to end. "Just drop me off here, Stone." Jinx wouldn't let him go past the park. "I'll walk back- really, I don't know how you managed the coat business." She was wearing a new black coat, and was already smiling at the stories she would spin for the HIVE crowd. Except for a small number of friends, the HIVE thought she was some sort of eighth world wonder- and that would suit her just fine, for the night.

Victor kept a quick phone call to Kori to himself. "I have contacts," he said with a straight face. He got out of the car to say goodbye. It was only polite, and Elinore Stone raised only gentlemen.

"You keep telling yourself that, Stone. I think we could try this again sometime." The bowling alley employees had complimented her hair once she let down the hood. "Next time, my surprise."

"As long as I know when, you can say where," he promised.

"Good night, Victor."

She had never used his first name before. "Good night, Jinx."

"Even if this was a trick, I had a great time," she said before slipping into an alley. The rest of her reply echoed back to him- she wanted the last word. "If it was a trick, you'll regret it the next time I see you."

He smiled. Jinx would never change, but she was fine the way she was.

.Friends Like These.
"Gar, come on."

"Visiting hours aren't over," he reminded her.

"For you, they are. You're going out to dinner, my treat." Rachel had brought a car to the hospital for the occasion- the Taurus, a nice bland car that wouldn't draw stares. Gar needed someone to interfere, and she could try his brand of bossing comfort.

"Rachel-"

He had yet to look at her. "She won't wake up," Rachel snapped. "If she does, by some chance, wake up, it will be after she can sustain more than four minutes of higher brain activity. She might not remember you. She might attack you. She might last a moment and then go into convulsions and die. There are no guarantees in life- and you can leave this room and have a life again."

"You don't understand, and you're one to talk about having a life."

"I do understand," Rachel said, trying to ignore the other half of his statement. He didn't mean to lash out, she hoped. "Tara and I were friends, and I understand things about her that you never will hear from me." Maybe she hadn't ignored his barb as well as she had hoped.

"You don't get close to people, Rachel."

It was too much. She forced back a rush of itching heat in her eyes. "Yes, I do. I might not show it, but I hurt when we left. Maybe you don't know what she said to me. I fought her, Gar, and she found my weakest vulnerability and ripped that open to make sure she could win."

"Like you did to me back in November?" He wasn't trying to be petty, but he couldn't understand Rachel. She had ignored him through all of December, and now suddenly wanted to be seen in public with him.

"Yes. Just like that. I'm just as bad as Tara- except you're sitting at her bedside. We're similar, aren't we? I'm not working for Slade- I'm probably chief underling of Trigon himself." Her voice never rose or changed tone.

"Rachel-" He put his full attention to the conversation, but it was too late.

"Forget it. I only wanted to be with a friend to help both of us through a rough time. If I turn out to be allied with Trigon, don't be surprised," she said bitterly. He never would guess, no matter how many hints she dropped. She didn't want anyone to know, but she couldn't keep that secret forever.

"Don't go," he said.

She already was buttoning her coat. "There's one difference between Tara and me, Gar. I'm sorry for what I said, and most of what I said was a lie. You've managed to stay upbeat through everything. I make everyone as miserable as I am. And for everything else- I already tried an apology, and it didn't work. Go ahead- stay here, believe in miracles. I'm going home."

She left, and he lost precious time lacing a boot and pulling on his jacket. He sprinted after her, running down three flights of stairs to try beating her elevator. He saw a dark blue coat and purple hair. "Rachel!"

She only walked faster. "Rachel, you could have said this earlier," he said.

"You were busy." The curt words were forced. She paused beside her car, putting the key into the lock.

"Never too busy for you."

That was it. He was not getting away with a statement like that. With the single mind of outraged fury, she picked him up by the shoulders and shoved him against the over-priced, over-gassed, over-chromed car in the next space. "No, Gar, you were too busy for me. For every three hours you spent with Tara, I was expected to be ready and waiting for a single glance. If I wasn't, you ignored me for a while and were surprised I didn't make the effort of sarcasm. You can't be the closest friend of two girls, Gar."

"I never claimed to be your closest friend," he protested, still in shock at Rachel's outburst. She never lost control- he had thought.

She dropped him. The fall to the ground was a few inches. The shriek of the fancy car's alarm was ignored. She hadn't left bruises or dents- there was no reason for a fuss. "I would say I understand, but you don't think I do."

"Rachel- I've wanted to be your friend for months, but you've consistently shot down that idea and word. I'm sorry if I paid less attention to you, but Tara was- she was something else. She was almost like you, Rachel. She had your secrecy, your way of pretending to not care- I think you went past all her badness, and she couldn't figure out how to do the same. She was jealous of you, Rachel- and I think she was right to be."

Rachel didn't know what to say to that. Instead, she let him finish without interruption.

"Friends?" he asked.

"We have been, Gar. Get in the car before security comes to check out the scene, will you? I know just the restaurant."

"What would that be?" he asked from the passenger seat. He watched her pull out. Rachel seemed to be looking anywhere but surrounding cars, but she adjusted before scraping the nearby cars.

"Dave's."

"The pancake place?" he asked.

"That's the one. I lied, before- for me, pancakes were something my mother made when people needed cheering up." That was all she would say.

He didn't push her. He didn't feel that he could get away with that just yet. "Whenever you're ready, I'll listen."

"I know, Gar." She was relieved when his communicator interrupted the exchange. It was dangerously close to one of the 'moments' Kori spoke of so often.

"Gar in," he said.

"Garfield, the nurses told us of a loud argument which ended with you running from the area. Are you fully right?" Kori asked.

"Everything's fine. I'll give details later, if people want to hear, but we just got to the restaurant."

"Restaurant?" Victor asked.

Everyone was on, so Rachel opened her communicator. "Dave's. Gar is with me, I'm not the poisoning type, and we'll see you later." That quieted them quickly, and they said a few quick good-byes. She rolled her eyes when Gar opened her car door for her. Sarcasm was safer than a smile. Too much change in one day wouldn't help anyone.

.Technical Difficulties.
"Bowling is an interesting choice."

Victor had guessed that it was safe to tell Rachel about his date without wariness about repercussions, but she was a little too prepared. "You could explain why you have no problems at all with a teammate dating a criminal."

"You're a big guy, and I know you're crazy about each other. Even if I disapproved, it's not my concern," she said mildly.

"How well do you know Jinx?"

She shrugged. "I've met her a few times, out of uniform."

He heard her shift in tone. Gar might be able to get more out of her, but Victor wouldn't risk cutting off the conversation. "She told me about Tara and Slade. That fills in the gaps."

"What did she say about me?" Rachel doubted that Jinx would give anything too incriminating away, but she always checked.

"Not much. I told her I only wanted to hear your secrets from you, not that she would have told me. You don't have many friends, Rachel, but you sure choose them."

Rachel didn't bother acknowledging the remark with a nod. For a telephone conversation, it didn't make sense- she never used the video feature, a small paranoia about someone seeing her room at home. "I'm not involved with Slade any more than you are."

"I didn't think so, Rachel."

"You never ask about what you want to know," she said. Victor could guess that she wasn't in with Trigon, but confirmation was always nice.

"That's because you wouldn't answer. I wouldn't have asked you that anyway, Rachel."

There was no arguing with the truth. "Try me. Ask me something you want to know."

"What did you and Gar talk about last night?"

"Hospitals, whether soy milk ruined potatoes, why it's nothing that he did that caused Tara to betray us, and the crazy candy-striper at the hospital convinced that he's Robin from the Teen Titans."

"You're just proving me wrong now, Rachel," he said with a smile.

"No. I'm proving that I don't always follow my own rules. I ate pancakes yesterday, and convinced Gar to spend time with me." She glanced past the communicator. "I need to get back to biology homework- patrol is in an hour. I'll see you then."

He knew that she had hung up without checking. She often hung up quickly. He was used to that. He called someone else. "Gar?"

"Just a minute, Victor- I'm talking to Kori."

"I will leave, friend Gar. Thank you so much ever for enlightening me." Kori waved through the camera before hanging up with a smile.

"Enlightening?" Victor asked. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Kori went to a movie with Richard last night."

"And?" Victor prompted.

"He reached his arm around her shoulders, and she wanted to find out what that meant. After I told her a little about that, she was asking me about what Rachel and I did."

"Rachel said you guys talked a lot. I didn't ask one question, though- why were the nurses nervous? Someone mentioned something about an alarm, too."

"We had a fight," Gar said, deciding to get straight through the point. "It cleared up most of our problems."

"Jinx told me about how far Tara was into Molotov. It's not your fault." Victor figured out what he had said a second too late.

"Jinx?"

"Yes, Jinx, the criminal, and if-"

"I don't have a problem with that, Victor. I'm just surprised, that's all." He couldn't forget something Rachel had said. "Yesterday, Rachel made a few odd comments about how she just might be someone to Trigon- it was weird."

"What brought that up?" Victor asked. Rachel always acted oddly about the gang leader. Victor could only guess her father had met Trigon.

"Tara." Gar didn't have to explain anything else.

"I think Rachel's family might have some bad history with him, but that's just a guess. Did she explain the fuss about pancakes?"

"She didn't say much, and I didn't pry. It has something to do with her mother."

"I hear she and Christiana are close, but Rachel makes it hard to tell." Victor decided a change of subject was in order. "Everyone's coupled up but you and Rachel."

"She just got over being mad at me- she held that grudge for six weeks. Could you imagine how many new things she would have to be angry about?" Gar didn't want to explain his real opposition to the idea.

"Why was she mad, anyway?" Victor asked, dropping the other idea. Gar wasn't going to talk.

"She was second fiddle to Tara, and I forgot that there's a huge gap between what Rachel says and what she means." He winced. "After a nice slip of my tongue, she exploded, and then I figured out how to fix matters."

"Why did she explode?"

"She said I couldn't be closest friend to two girls. I was stupid enough to say that I never had claimed to be her closest friend. That's when she dropped me."

"Dropped you?" Victor asked. "Is that a wrestling move or something?"

"She shoved me against a car when I kind of- forget it, I plainly said I was never too busy for her. She already had apologized for all the earlier stuff when I made her really mad. She let me off easy- no bruises." Gar had never seen Rachel lose control.

Victor doubted he should be glad to hear Rachel was shoving people against cars, but he was. She hadn't caused any damage, and was comfortable enough to touch. "You did luck out. I know that you'll be careful with her, Gar- she would have taken to offense at anything, until she had that frustration out of her system. I don't think you saw the look on her face, when Tara hit you that night. Rachel cares about you, but she isn't sure how that works."

"I know," Gar said. "Do you want to call Kori? I think she figured out that I know next to nothing about dating. Tara and I mostly talked about other people."

"The arm thing?" Victor asked.

"Richard stretched for the whole move- and Kori wants an exact definition." Gar's halting explanation had been politely considered, but Kori had confessed 'an utmost desire to speak with friend Victor.' "And you're up- Richard would stutter worse than me, and I already messed up my chance."

"That's for girl talk," Victor said. "Tell Rachel to call her."

"Rachel's got a ton of bio- I do, too, but I'm doing most of it later when the foster parents are home to bother. She might abandon work for Kori, but she told me that she expects no phone calls and that I can talk to her during patrol."

"I'll try." Victor felt that some things were better left for the girls of the team. He did not want to discuss that sort of thing with Kori. "I'm surprised Richard knew- he must have seen the classic movies, or actually paid attention in a theatre."

"I might as well start bio so I at least know what the chapter's about."

"It's biology, Gar," Victor said tolerantly. "How bad can it be?"

"Photosynthesis- everything from Calvin's cycle to exactly what chloroplasts do with sunlight. It should be an easy science- but Dr. Isley's teaching it."

"Good luck. You usually procrastinate with homework- are you showing the fair maiden Rachel your scholarly side?" Victor teased.

"Leave off, will you? Forston Community College is the most scholarly I'm going to get."

"Have you even applied to Bell?" Victor couldn't believe it. Gar's grades were below spectacular, but he was in hard classes and had doctors' notes to prove extraordinary circumstances.

"I couldn't afford it. I'm a ward of the state, remember? That doesn't pay for college."

It wasn't like Gar to be bitter. Victor decided to get past such defenses the most mature way possible. "Fine. I'm calling Rachel."

Gar paled. "You wouldn't." Rachel would not accept excuses, and she would convince his foster parents to start fussing again.

"I am, Gar. She's good at pressuring you, or anyone. Go do your bio homework- but remember, Bell University gives scholarships, and they'll let you in. The bright orphaned cancer patient- milk it, just this once. Free money's never bad. I have about sixteen scholarships for losing my brother and a leg- actually, I have more grants for the fake leg. All you need to do is check "independent" status, list guardians, and give your doc's number."

"Could you tell Rae what lecture you've given me? I'm sure she'll elaborate." Gar knew what Victor meant, and couldn't manage to be offended.

"It isn't too late yet- and we still have time before patrol. Maybe Rachel can talk to Kori," Victor said.

"Maybe." Gar wasn't sure.

"It's a girl thing- I think." Victor punched in the code for Rachel, not offended when Gar left before listening to a possible explosion. It was dangerous to bother Rachel when she was busy with homework. "Rachel? I know I already called you, but I have two favors to ask."

"Oh?"

"Kori has no idea what an arm over the shoulders means in movies. Gar couldn't explain, and I don't know how to explain the girl's perspective. Richard did it, and Kori needs a girl talk."

"Without Richard there, I'll do it. What's the other part?"

"Gar hasn't applied to Bell U."

Rachel frowned. "That can be remedied. I assume there's no good reason."

"He says money."

"Everyone else is accepted- Kori is already dithering about dorm rooms, Richard is looking over crime rates, and you checked garage security."

"You haven't looked into college too much, Rachel."

She shrugged, aware the phone would not pick up the motion. "I don't know if I'll end up in college. There's a family legacy I'm having difficulty avoiding. That won't require a traditional degree."

"You put down your major as microbiology, right?"

"That is very tentative. I'll work on this, Victor. I do want to go to Bell with everyone, but my father doesn't approve."

"I know you will." Victor hadn't heard a mention of her family since that day in the cemetery. "Will you talk to Kori?"

"Yes, I'll call her. I'll just work in the car." Rachel disconnected and tapped in Kori's number. "Kori?"

"Are you calling about the matter of the arm?" Kori asked after Rachel opened the video screen. For Kori, she'd talk closer to face-to-face. Kori was too unsure about girl talks.

"Yes."

"There is no need. I am asking my sister."

"Connie?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, she is my only sister. I will speak with you later." Kori knocked again, trying to convince herself the idea would work. "Connie?"

"What?"

Kori would talk to a door, then. "What does it mean when a male puts his arm about his date's shoulders during a movie?"

"Did he yawn first?" Connie asked.

"Yes."

"Did he move unnecessarily slowly?"

"Yes."

"This was Richard?"

"Yes."

"He likes you."

"Truly?" Kori asked, delighted.

"Yes. Will you leave me be now? I need something to wear to Kitten's party. It's a pool party- no one swims, but it needs to look good for lounging around by the pool in case anyone's silly enough to swim."

"You could borrow my dress from Cousin Diane's wedding, the blue one," Kori offered.

"The blue rag? It might work, but don't start getting an ego." Connie emerged from her wreck of a room a minute later to find the dress hanging on the doorknob. It would work- but this changed nothing. Kori still could have done something to stop what happened, and Connie knew it. If it wasn't the Masai, who was it?

Connie remained just as surly after a party riddled by compliments for the dress. Kori had meant something nasty, of course. Connie wouldn't be fooled.

.One More Call.
"Selina?" Bruce asked.

"Could you please give me Kori's phone number? I would like to speak with her," she said, uncomfortable with something as simple as a phone call. She made dozens every day- but not to Bruce.

"Why?"

"I'm telling her first, Bruce- she deserves to hear it without anyone else giving her any bias."

He told her the number. "She and the Titans are meeting here in ten minutes, Vic's picking her up in five. Depending on how long your message is, you might have to wait."

"You've changed, Bruce."

"Maybe I have, Selina. Richard asked me about 'the arm thing'- Gar warned him that Kori's been asking Titans."

"The movie-theatre deal?" Selina asked. "I didn't know they were an item."

"They have been since Kori's birthday. I don't get the full story, but Kori's sister was being nasty. Kori proved whatever point by kissing my nephew, and he didn't mind at all."

Selina shuddered. "Young romance- so full of hormones. It almost makes me glad to be old. How are the others?"

"Victor and his girlfriend split, but it was amiable and he's seeing someone he has yet to mention to me. Gar and Rachel are back to where they were in November, finally." Bruce had watched the drama within the Titans with increasing interest, much to Alfred's amusement.

"How are Gar and Tara?" Selina asked.

Bruce didn't answer for a minute. "Tara was in Slade's employ. She betrayed them on New Year's Eve, and caused that explosion blamed on a gas leak. She saved them in the end, but the building went down on her and she probably will never wake up. She went by Molotov, before."

"Molotov- she always was a wildcard. I had no idea she was a kid."

"It took paramedics hours to get her out. She's in a vegetative state with REM- she might wake up in a hundred years, she might die tomorrow. No one's found any trace of Slade, but there was an hour's gap without any presence on the scene. Someone could have collected a body. Eve put the cop in charge of that on grunt work for the rest of the month."

"How's Gar?" Selina asked.

"Rachel talked to him last night, and I think they're finally past their November argument."

"The last time I asked you about the kids, you didn't know two sentences' worth. You changed all on your own, Bruce- I'm sorry to end this, but I have deadlines to meet. I have some line or other to start tonight- my publicist handles details."

"Are you going alone?" he asked.

She hadn't wanted to come to this point. "No. Jean-Paul is coming with me. Good-bye, Bruce." She listened to his polite good-bye. Maybe she had brought out his bad sides with her Catwoman prowl- or maybe he was finally someone she could deal with. She had a final call to make, regardless.

"Kori, this is Selina. How would you like a job?"

.Model.
"And then she asked if I could step in this weekend as a model- one of her regulars threatened that she- the model- was irreplaceable." Kori knew that Selina had a scattered cast of models. Some spoke no English at all, which was fine with Kori.

"Is this a one-time deal?" Richard asked.

"Maybe, but it would be most pleasant to have a flexible job. Selina understand why I have an erratic schedule, and she will not embarrass models with showy designs to please the heterosexual male crowd. I will take this opportunity," she said, watching the look on his face.

"I don't like it, Kori."

"It is not your choice, Richard," Kori said serenely. "You cannot make decisions for me."

"People are nasty." Richard had heard too many stories of teen models and the culture that went behind the camera.

"Yes, they are. There will be those who are not kind, but this does not mean that all will be unpleasant. I can choose my acquaintances." Kori did not like arguing. "Rachel, do you understand the Calvin cycle?" It was a valid question. She would talk with Richard later, when he cooled down.

"I think I understand it. There's a diagram two chapters ahead, on page 722."

Kori looked ahead, relieved. She wouldn't give up what she wanted to avoid a conflict. She and Richard would fight, eventually, but she would not read that far into the future. For now, they were happy.