Lita drove the girls to the airport the next day, all three operating on minimal sleep after talking long into the morning. They'd found it impossible to stop such a fascinating and unique conversation, the older girl particularly since she'd been unable to share her insights with anybody for so long. "I can't possibly thank you enough for this weekend," Chloe said, disappointed at having to leave.

"No need," Lita smiled into the rear-view mirror. "I can't thank the two of you enough. You don't know how comforting it is to know you're both out there."

"I just wish we didn't have to go," Max said, echoing the sentiment her partner felt.

"Maybe L.A. just isn't big enough for the three of us," the older girl joked. "Kidding. It totally fucking is. You guys might have to consider moving down and kicking some ass in the big smoke. You will if you choose to, trust me. You're both immensely talented and you're getting connected with some cool people. Just...give it some thought. You've got plenty of time," she smiled.

~oOo~

The girls flew back to Portland and resumed their normal lives, but neither would ever be quite the same again. Conversations late at night often became deeper and more philosophical. Little coincidences and idiosyncrasies of daily life were now things that they would tend to analyse, rather than ignore. Max was feeling strengthened by the affirmation of her encounter with the homeless woman. The seemingly nonsensical and cryptic words she'd heard in her dream had somehow been explained to her by the brilliant red-haired girl with whom she'd shared her experience. Her Rosetta Stone. Chloe was affected in a more indirect way, but even more profoundly. Without even noticing, she'd slowly started to adopt her own style of latent meditation. She began to analyse her decision making process in more detail, trying to hone or at least understand her own acuity. The more she did it, the more she was able to isolate all of the individual arguments both for and against. Each of the little strands, so to speak. She watched herself weigh them all, factors and percentages, before making her decision. All of it done within the blink of an eye. Surgical. As Chloe gained experience and familiarity with her own awareness, she found the effect to be, perhaps ironically, a slowing of time. Not the flow of time itself, but relative to her awareness within it. In each moment that passed, her mind had room to search and explore her surroundings. Life started to move in a more languid fashion, too slow of a pace for Chloe not to want to traverse the space within.

~oOo~

Around a month had passed, the two girls both existing on somewhat of a different plane than before. Chloe in particular carried a different air about her. Everyone at InkedIn had noticed the gradual change and Hoss asked Chloe about it one evening when they were alone. "I don't know what's happened to you, man," he said, having uttered the very same words to his previous business partner. This time there was no ill-intent however. "These last few weeks you've just been so, I don't know...focussed. I mean...shit, you've already done so much anyway, but now...now it's like another level." The big man wasn't sure how to describe what he saw in her. "I saw this show once about a guy who they flew over London in a chopper. They got him to draw the scene afterwards and it was like, perfect. Down to the last building."

"A savant," Chloe offered.

"Yeah, that's it," Hoss said, "Only you don't have any of the problems that come with it. You're like, completely normal...but with this extra talent."

"I'm no more or less normal than any savant, or anybody else," Chloe said thoughtfully, "But I get what you're saying. I appreciate it, man. I've just been like, studying a lot lately. Thinking about my work more." It was partially true, and enough for the situation.

"Just glad to be along for the ride," Hoss smiled.

~oOo~

When Chloe arrived home that afternoon, she entered the house to find her girlfriend sitting on the couch. In front of her were two Blacktooth Grins and one not so professionally rolled spliff. Her face wore an uncontainable grin. "Another win, my love?" Chloe asked, skipping over to join her partner.

"Not just any win," Max beamed, "The ProPic Photographer of the Year Award. It's kind of a big deal. They'll display my work online permanently with the other winners. Also, I'm going to be featured in the magazine, which is in most galleries. Plus there's a cheque for ten thousand dollars, and..." She paused and watched her partner's excited features.

"And?" Chloe asked eagerly.

"And I get my work displayed for a month in June...at the Zeitgeist Gallery," the younger girl grinned. "So, as long as you'd care to be my date...we're going to San Fran!"

"Living the dream, Max-a-roni," Chloe laughed. "Finally the pirates set sail for San Francisco Bay!" It was somewhere the girls had always wanted to go together, talking of driving down the coast when they were older many times before. "You're amazing, hun, even though it sounds almost redundant saying it any more. So, which photo?"

"The main one. Me...surrounded by you," Max smiled at the sound of the words.

"Just as you always should be," Chloe grinned, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl and kissing her.

~oOo~

Max sat at the computer the following day, significantly raising the prices on her work and smiling at the confidence she now had when doing so. She thought back to the night of her first exhibition and the way Philippe had described the market to her. 'I can't let the poor guy down after he spent all that money,' she thought jokingly. As she did so, her phone rang. It was Ruby, calling to congratulate her and to ask if she wanted to raise the price on the works in her gallery. The older lady was genuinely thrilled for her and passed along Philippe's warmest regards and congratulations also. When Max hung up the phone a little while later, she smiled at the synergy, her growing awareness noticing synchronicity where before there was random.

~oOo~

It was a little over a month later when the magazine article came out and she'd cleverly increased her prices the day before. It brought with it a tide of interest, not just manifested through sales alone, but also gallery offers and agents availing their services. To be featured in the prestigious publication was noteworthy to say the least, and something far beyond what Max had anticipated when she entered the contest. Any recognition alone would have been more than enough. The new found attention that came with her win felt almost dizzying.

Her phone rang and she looked down at the screen. Victoria. "Victoria! Hey there!" she said, happy to hear from the older girl. They'd kept in touch via email since the reunion, Victoria ever thankful to Max for re-igniting her passion.

"Hey Max. Sorry I haven't called before," Victoria began apologetically. Again Max noticed the very different behaviour from her old Blackwell nemesis. "I've kind of been busy...and inspired, thanks to you. But I had to call when I saw your article. Max, it was incredible!"

"Thanks," Max said, humbled by the kind words. "I really appreciate it. I'm still kind of blown away. I feel like I'm going to wake up and find it was all a dream. But...it's been a long one." Her answer paralleled how she felt about her whole life lately.

"You deserve it," Victoria said warmly. "And if you really want a compliment, even my parents like your work...and that's saying something. When they found out you went to Blackwell they said to call you and tell you they want to host a show. That's not why I called, of course. Hell, I'd tell you not to anyway. It's a nice gallery, but they're so...mercenary. You don't need that. I don't need that."

"Thanks for having my back," Max smiled. "Guess you'll have to tell them I'm too famous!"

"Oh they'd fucking love that," Victoria laughed. The girls chatted for a while, Chloe arriving home during the conversation and not so subtly giving her partner a loud, wet kiss on the cheek. "Sounds like you're going to be pried away by your gorgeous lover," Victoria said with a smile, echoing her words from the party. "Say hi for me."

~oOo~

They hung up and Max turned to her animated blue sylph, "Someone's in a good mood."

"Yep!" Chloe chirped, kissing the younger girl playfully. "Back with you again, my love."

"That must be it," Max grinned. "I'm not Lita, but I'm not that stupid!"

"Just...a really good day. Lots of them" Chloe smiled. "I've done a couple of pretty hot pieces lately. Business is killing and we're going to get another inker in. And yes, I get to come home to you, my darling angel who's going to whisk me away to San Francisco!" Chloe was grateful that Max wasn't Lita, or she may have noticed the slight imbalance between the blue-haired girls words and her mood. She didn't want to let Max know yet, but she'd also been spending her time planning the perfect trip for her lover. Finding a nice hotel. Searching the internet for the best photo-taking opportunities that the beautiful city provided and planning the best route between them. Chloe loved the way her meticulous and fastidious mind danced, particularly so when the focus was Max and it was seeking ways, either small or large, to make her partner's life better. She happily put the same attention to detail into every single day with Max, everything she did for her. She always had. But now Chloe was filled with a confidence...an understanding that she was doing it as well as it could be done.

~oOo~

When the girls arrived in San Francisco a little over a week later, they smiled at each other, looking forward to exploring the city they'd wanted to see for so long. Their only regret as they went to pick up their rental car, was that they weren't able to make the drive down the coast. Sadly, when that dream was born, they hadn't accounted for either of them being so busy. Being a bi-product of their success however, neither girl was too unhappy with the situation.