Chapter Thirteen: Surprising

Cheerful singing startled Jamie awake.

In her exhausted stupor, Jamie nearly summoned Daylight before realizing it was her mother and Strickler walking through the door with a plateful of candle-topped pancakes—made out of birthday cake batter and covered in frosting and sprinkles, just the way Jamie liked on her birthday.

Something had to make up for it being the anniversary of her dad bailing on their family.

"Aw," Jamie said through a yawn, releasing her protective grip on her blanket. "Thanks, you guys!"

"Happy Birthday, sweetie," Barbara said, giving her a smooch on her messy hair and setting the pancakes down on her lap, "Walt helped me make 'em this year," she indicated the pancakes, "so they shouldn't make you sick again."

That was the second-worst birthday ever, by Jamie's account.

"Oh, no," Jamie said in a falsely joking tone, "I hope they're not poisoned."

The way Strickler's mouth tightened was only a little satisfying. "If I'd wanted to poison you, I'd have let your mother make them again," he said, earning a pillow in the face from Barbara. "Besides, I was rather hoping to gift you your present before any such tragedy strikes."

"Now, get up and get dressed," Barbara said, rising from the bed. "It's present time!"

"Oh, Barbara, let the girl eat."

Jamie allowed her smile to drop as her mother and Strickler left her to her breakfast. She couldn't believe that buttsnack could pretend everything was all hunky-dory when he was literally plotting to destroy the world! After yet another fruitless attempt to convince the changeling to forgo Bular, her faith in her surrogate-father was finally beginning to waver. Maybe the trolls had been right—maybe changelings just weren't capable of real love.

The thought made Jamie's heart clench as she considered how desperately her mother loved the changeling. How could he live with himself when he had to look Barbara in the eye and trick her on a daily basis?

You mean, whispered that traitorous little voice in the back of her mind, like you do?

Snarling in disgust at her train of thought, Jamie scooted her partially-eaten pancakes off to one side of her bed and dressed quickly. She needed the centering presence of her friends, now more than ever.

But first, she had to make it through present time.

After braiding her hair, she descended the steps, trying her hardest to school her expression into something other than irritation or bitterness. Judging by the look on her mother's face, she'd failed.

"Sweetie," Barbara said in her most nurturing mom-voice, "can I talk with you for a second?"

Jamie sighed but nodded, "Sure, Mom. What's up?"

Barbara placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder and walked her toward a corner. Apparently, a conversation of this nature required privacy. Great.

"I know birthdays aren't your favorite," she said. "And I noticed how you seemed a little tense with Walter earlier…"

Jamie really did not want to be having this conversation right now.

"I just wanted to say," Barbara sighed, "that it's okay."

Jamie did a double-take, "Wait. What?"

"I get it," her mom continued, teal eyes shining with hope. "This is a hard day for you—it used to be hard for me, too. But ever since Walt came into our lives, it's been better—so much better. I just want you to know that he cares for you. He doesn't have to replace your father, but when you're ready to let him in, it may help you to let go of the past."

The Trollhunter stared, mouth agape, wishing she could just tell her mother the truth so that he couldn't make her happy anymore and she would be safe…

Except, Jamie wanted her mother to be happy; and Strickler was keeping her safe (in his own, twisted, changeling sort of way).

With a tortured sigh that only a teenager can pull off, Jamie relented, "Okay, Mom. I'll try."

Barbara's smile alone was almost worth it, "That's my girl," she said, hugging her daughter tightly to her chest. "C'mon! It's present time."

Jamie allowed her mother to lead her into the kitchen where a brand new blender—OMG, it's the Food Magic 3000! The girl realized with an excessive amount of joy—sat, shiny and unused, upon the counter.

The girl rushed toward her mother and hugged her, "Mom, this is great! It's totally gonna help me with my baking! Thank you so, so much!"

Jamie caught Strickler's eye over her mother's shoulder, who was observing their interaction intensely. She closed her eyes to keep from glaring at the changeling. When Barbara finally released her from her grip, Strickler stepped forward. "I, too, have a present for you, Little Athena," he said as though coaxing a feral cat from a stubborn hiding spot.

Remembering her mother's earlier request, Jamie plastered a cordial smile on her face. "Oh?"

The changeling withdrew a small box from his coat pocket and presented it to Jamie. Curiously, the girl opened the box and blinked owlishly at the artifact within. It was a small glowing green pendant, radiating a dark pulsating magic, encased in what appeared to be a stone-fanged mouth on a string. "What is it?" Jamie asked nervously.

"It is known in some cultures as a Grit-Shaka," Strickler said in his teacher tone. "Legend has it that it is a magical totem used for its ability to banish fear and imbue the wearer with the courage to face any battle." He gave the girl a pointed look, "I assumed it would be useful for your LARPing activities, though I would not recommend wearing it except under the direst of circumstances."

The Trollhunter felt her jaw drop in surprise. Strickler, the changeling who wanted to free Gunmar so he could take over the world, had just given her a very helpful, magical totem as a birthday present. Wow.

"Thank you," she finally managed to say, replacing the piece back into its box for safe keeping. "That means a lot to me."

Strickler's mouth gave the smallest of quirks, conveying his fondness for the girl. "Remember, Little Athena," he said softly. "I will always be on your side, no matter what happens."

"Jamie! Come quick!"

The moment was interrupted as Toby and Claire raced to the garage at break-neck speed. "There's an emergency at… the LARP community… c'mon! We gotta hurry!"

"Duty calls, Young Heroes," Strickler said, standing and pretending to check his watch. "I'm afraid I must also take my leave, Dearest," he turned to address Barbara, "the committee meeting is due to begin in half an hour."

"And the cyber-bullying epidemic won't take care of itself," Barbara acquiesced graciously, kissing her boyfriend for just a beat longer than was comfortable for Jamie.

"Yeah," she said, walking backward toward the exit, "thanks for the blender, Mom! Catchya later!"

"Have fun!" Barbara called to the already long-gone teens.

As they approached the entrance to Trollmarket, their run slowed to a jog so they could finally talk.

Claire started, "Whoa, I bet it is weird seeing Strickler with your mom now that you know he's a changeling."

"It's literally the worst," Jamie bemoaned. "Who does that guy think he is, playing boyfriend for my birthday, all the while helping a mass-murdering monster take over the planet?"

"That'll be a real mood-killer if your mom ever finds out," Toby agreed, reaching into his pocket for an energy bar while he jogged.

Jamie threw her head back dramatically, "That's why I can't tell her!"

She felt too stressed to keep running. Her heartbeat was racing and her breathing was ragged after just a mile and a half! Slowing to a walk, Jamie placed her hands behind her head and continued speaking, "If I die, he can keep her safe, at least for a while. If I live…" Jamie sighed. "Well, he makes her happy."

"Will he still make her happy if she knows the truth?" Claire asked. "Don't you think she deserves to make that choice?"

"But is it our place to tell?" Toby chimed in, walking beside her as he munched. "I mean, if he's really trying to help us, we don't want to screw him over, right?"

"It doesn't matter," Jamie ended the conversation as they reached the canals. "Right now, we have to deal with whatever is going on in Trollmarket. What's the emergency?"

Toby swallowed the last of his energy bar. "It's the trolls!" He cried. "They've gone crazy-town banana-pants!"

"Don't listen to him, Jamie," Claire said flatly, "I already told them not to do it."

"Claire!" Toby whined and shot her a look of utmost betrayal. "It was supposed to be a surprise!"

Jamie was completely confused. "What are you guys talking about?"

The Latina rolled her eyes but smiled slightly as she explained. "Toby got it in his head that it would be hilarious if the trolls pretended they were rabid so they could lure you into the Forge for your surprise party."

The outrageous statement stunned the Trollhunter into silence as the words slowly sank in. "Toby," Jamie glowered at the boy as she withdrew the horngazel from her pocket. "Why?"

The copper-haired teen shrugged sheepishly, "I figured it would be a good way to introduce the trolls to the concept of surprise parties! They're weird like that!"

With a final roll of her eyes, Jamie drew the doorway to Trollmarket and slowly descended the glowing staircase with her friends, donning her armor on the way down. Thankfully, once they reached the bottom, there were no insane trolls to be seen.

The Trollhunter released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and forced herself to walk at a leisurely pace in the direction of the Forge. "So far, so good," she murmured to herself.

Claire slipped a small hand into Jamie's and gave her friend a reassuring smile. "It's nothing too crazy," she soothed. "Just cake and balloons. Nothing that'll scar you for life."

"It wouldn't have scarred her for life," Toby said vehemently. "Just 'til graduation. Then, she'd have her entire college career to make her forget about it!"

Jamie didn't even have time to finish her eye-roll before a thunderous chorus greeted her entry into the Forge. "SURPRISE!"

Balloons and confetti rained down on the human teens. Streamers lined every accessible surface of the arena. The smiling faces of her monstrous friends—and Bagdwella—beamed at her from behind a small, chocolate cake that was the perfect size for the three humans in attendance.

Where did they even get all this? Jamie wondered as her mind worked to recall the socially appropriate response to a not-so-surprising surprise party. "Aw," she said. "Thanks guys."

Aaarrrgh, the closest one to her, reached forward and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "Jamie's birthday!"

"Yeeeeah!" Jamie squeaked with the little air left in her lungs, trying (and more than likely failing) to sound enthusiastic, "Totally!" At least there's chocolate, she comforted herself. And who wouldn't appreciate these guys?

While Jamie made her rounds, hugging her friends and chatting amicably before diving into the incredibly chocolaty cake, Blinky frowned and turned toward Toby, "Is Lady Jamie quite alright, Master Tobias?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. "She seems to be… forcing her interactions."

Toby sighed, stopping his assault of the cake on his plate, "Yeah," he sighed, wiping the frosting from his lips, "Birthdays tend to be hard on her, so we do what we can to make them better."

Blinky frowned, uncertain as to how a celebration could possibly be difficult. His initial assumption was that the party had fallen short of her standards—he'd seen the girl's propensity toward insecurity-induced superficiality on more than one occasion, after all, and he loved to tease her about it—but somehow, the thought of her being so blatantly ungrateful toward her friends did not quite fit. "I was under the impression birthdays—especially the sixteenth—were momentous occasions for human youths," he said by way of asking for clarification.

"Well, for Jamie," Toby said, "Birthdays are just a reminder of the day her dad left their family to be a ski-bum in Vermont with his new girlfriend."

"What do you mean?" the troll asked, appalled by the very notion. "He simply left his family?"

"Happens all the time," Toby asserted as he finished inhaling his dessert. "And it happened to Jamie. Trust me, you don't want to ask her about it. It's why she takes such good care of her mom. No one else was there to do it until Strickler showed up—and he turned out to be a changeling in disguise!"

Blinky turned his gaze toward the young Trollhunter. Her smile would never betray the hurt she felt at this well-intentioned, misery-inducing reminder of a celebration, but Blinky knew her well enough to gauge she was one to fake her enjoyment for the benefit of those around her. Selflessness was just her nature. She wouldn't be the Trollhunter otherwise.

The thought brought to the fore of his mind the memory of their conversation from the day he'd met Claire. How frightened Jamie had been—he'd only seen her more emotional the day she discovered Strickler's deception—and now the depth of her fear made so much more sense. It wasn't typical teenage insecurity that made her so afraid; it was her history of being abandoned.

Blinky sighed as he watched the Trollhunter smile tensely while Bagdwella ranted about what made a quality party. "What a horrible tragedy…" he murmured morosely. He had to do something to make up for this grievous error of a gift. He had to show Jamie she was deserving of devotion.

"What's a stalkling?"

The question drew a gasp from Blinky's lips as the troll looked up to find the source of the question. Jamie stood beside Draal, holding up her phone with a curious look in her eyes. "Strickler just said that Bular sent a stalkling after me and that I can't be alone."

"He is right!" Blinky approached the conversation, his concern evident. "Those unfortunate enough to be caught alone with a stalkling are never to be seen again!"

"Well, that only applies at night, right?" Jamie asked easily, glancing around the room for confirmation. "I mean, if it's from your world, it can't follow me during the day…right?"

Draal's uncertain grunt sent the teen's heart plummeting to her feet. "Unfortunately, Trollhunter," he said as he rested a heavy hand upon her shoulder, "the stalkling is one of the only species of troll immune to the effects of sunlight."

Jamie's jaw dropped in horror. "What?!" she cried. "I can't not be alone ever again! I have calls to answer, runs to go on, girl stuff to take care of!"

"I know nothing about this 'girl stuff'," Blinky said unhelpfully, "but I do know that you have friends who will stand guard beside you until we can concoct a scheme to rid ourselves of your fearsome shadow."

"Trust me, Blink," Toby piped up, leaning an elbow casually against the table, "you don't wanna know about the girl stuff. This one time, I walked in on JL-!"

"Shut up, Toby!"

"Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name…"

Claire's voice echoed around the theater as Jamie entered, still sweaty from having to skip her after-track shower. Thanks for nothing, stalking, the girl grumped bitterly to herself. She slumped unceremoniously into the bleachers to await the end of her friends' rehearsal, only to gasp in shock as her eyes settled upon the stage.

There, standing with Claire, reciting Romeo's lines, was Toby.

Where is Steve… Jamie wondered as she watched the two reenact the balcony scene with an unexpected chemistry. And how can we keep him away until the play is over?

"What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night so stumblest on my counsel?" Claire asked from her place upon the ladder that acted as a balcony.

"By a name, I know not how to tell thee who I am," Toby gazed upon the Latina intensely as his words built with passion. "My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee; had I written it, I would tear the word!" Toby's hand sliced through the air emphatically.

Jamie gasped at the fervor with which her friends acted and the intensity with which they spoke. It was the way they stared—bodies angled toward the audience yet eyes only for one another—that made the scene flourish. She marveled at the thespians' dedication to their art, especially compared to her declining focus upon her sport.

"How in the world did Mr. Palchuck manage to convince you he was the superior Romeo?" a familiar accented voice drawled from Jamie's far right.

The teen's head snapped toward the sound to see Strickler standing beside Ms. Janeth, their gazes affixed to the stage where the two thespians played their parts to perfection. "His audition was well-done," Ms. Janeth said, eyes unmoving. "And his friendship with Claire made their interactions on-stage so smooth, at first."

"Apparently," Strickler drawled, "rehearsing together has created quite the surprising bond between these two."

Or, ya know, Jamie thought wryly, Trollhunting together.

"…and but thou love me, let them find me here. My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love."

Ms. Janeth sighed at Romeo's romantic pronouncement. "I'm starting to think that Steve's hospitalization was the best thing that could have happened to this play—not that I'm glad he's in the hospital…!"

Jamie gasped as the woman babbled in an effort to rectify the unfortunate Freudian slip and approached the two teachers swiftly. "What? Steve's hospitalization? What happened?"

Strickler frowned upon noticing the Trollhunter's approach. "Little Athena, so good to see you in such excellent company," he said, double-meaning apparent and features guarded. "How are you enjoying being sixteen?"

"Bittersweet," Jamie said honestly before continuing her inquisition. "What happened to Steve?"

Ms. Janeth and Strickler exchanged a fraught glance. "Apparently," Strickler said slowly, "Mr. Palchuck was involved in an accident."

"What kind of accident?" Jamie asked worriedly. It didn't matter that he'd cheated on her or that he was an overall jerk—she didn't want him hurt…or worse.

"According to Eli," Ms. Janeth said conspiratorially, "he and Steve were working on a project together…"

"And said project exploded."

"And it sent Steve right through Eli's bedroom window!"

Jamie frowned. There were a million things wrong with that story—namely the fact that Steve and Eli would never work together unless forced, especially not in Eli's bedroom, and Eli was far too intelligent to blow anything up… unless he did it on purpose to get back at Steve for being such an asshole all these years. "Is Steve gonna be alright?" Jamie asked instead of voicing her reservations.

"Coach Lawrence said he had a slight concussion—his eighth, I believe," Strickler said dryly, "but that he should recover within the week."

The girl released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and smiled in relief. "Good," she said. "But… does that mean Toby won't get to be Romeo anymore?"

"Unfortunately," Ms. Janeth said dramatically, "Steve has the part as long as he's capable of performing."

Jamie frowned. "Even if that means the performance won't be as good?"

"'Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice,'" Strickler quoted and laid a hand upon his frowning coworker's shoulder. "Woodrow Wilson. And Ms. Janeth's loyalty to her troupe is as admirable as it is appropriate."

Jamie felt her heart drop as the quote reminded her of her first lesson with Draal. Kanjigar had sacrificed his relationship with everyone he ever loved in order to protect them. The Trollhunter understood her time to sacrifice would come as well. Unfortunately, she knew in her heart of hearts that track would be the first sacrifice she would have to make…

The thought of telling coach left a sour taste in her mouth as her stomach churned in resistance. She didn't want to stop being a kid. She didn't want to give up the one thing that remained hers and hers alone. Unfortunately, as long as the fate of the world rested upon her armored shoulders, she could not—would not—refuse.

"Ms. Janeth?" Claire's uncertain voice called from the stage. "We finished the scene."

"What did you think?" Toby asked with a furrowed brow.

"Marvelous!" Ms. Janeth cried enthusiastically and approached the stage. "Simply marvelous!"

While Ms. Janeth critiqued her young actors' rehearsal, Strickler turned toward Jamie. "A word, Little Athena? Here, if you please, and quickly; Bular will kill me if he catches me alone with you."

Jamie shrugged in resignation. "Sure," she sighed. "What's up?"

"It would be in your best interest if you stayed in Trollmarket tonight," Strickler said quietly. "Bular expects me to forcibly remove you from your home and surrender you to the stalkling myself."

Jamie's jaw dropped in horror. "And were you just gonna do it?!"

"Hush," Strickler glanced around as her voice echoed around the theater. Luckily, the thespians were so engrossed in their critique that they paid their conversation no mind. The changeling relaxed once more. "Of course not!"

"Then why do I have to stay in Trollmarket?!"

"So he doesn't kill me for disobeying his command!"

"Ugh," Jamie rolled her eyes and tried hard not to pout. "He wouldn't kill you if you'd just help us kill him first."

Strickler rubbed the prominent ridge of his nose tiredly and turned away from his favorite student. "Just try to stay out of trouble, Little Athena," he sighed in defeat. "Contrary to what you may currently believe, my loyalty to you does extend to self-sacrifice." He fixed her with a hard look, "I would implore you not test it."

Jamie watched her father figure depart, feeling stunned by his proclamation. Did that mean there was still hope for him? That maybe he would stop working for the Gumm-Gumms and join her side?

"Remember, Little Athena," he'd said to her earlier that morning. "I will always be on your side, no matter what happens." Did that mean Strickler was secretly helping them defeat Bular? Or that, even if Bular won the battle, he would do what he could to keep her safe?

More confused than ever, Jamie settled down to await the end of her friends' rehearsal and finally get through this crazy day.

After bidding Toby and Claire goodnight (and promising to stay up late for a Gun Robot marathon as soon as the stalkling problem was solved), Jamie descended the glowing staircase to Heartstone Trollmarket. Her conversation with Strickler had left her worried for the changeling and heavy thoughts occupied her tired mind.

Truthfully, Jamie was barely angry with the man anymore. She knew he was only doing what he thought was right (made especially difficult, due to prejudice in both his worlds) and she shouldn't judge him. It was just so difficult to watch someone she cared about be forced to toe the line between doing what was right and what was safe.

It felt easier just to blame him… until today.

Sighing, Jamie reached the entrance to Blinky's library to announce her arrival—and found him there waiting for her.

"Lady Jamie," Blinky said, his lower hands clasped behind his back while the upper two fiddled absently with his suspenders. "I am glad you have returned to us safely."

No matter how exhausted she was from dealing with stalklings, schoolwork and surprise parties, Jamie would always have enough energy left to smile at this troll. "Hey, Blink," she said, covering up a yawn soon after.

"I can see that the day's events have left you exhausted," Blinky said stepping forward and grabbing her hand, "so, I will make myself quick."

Curious, Jamie allowed her trainer to lead her to an unfamiliar, intricately carved table that sat in the back corner of the room…

Only to realize that it was not a table, but a piano.

"Aaarrrgh took the liberty of helping me procure it from the library this evening—temporarily, of course," Blinky said, beckoning her to sit beside him on the seat before the keys. "When I learned about your dislike for birthdays—and especially the reasoning behind said dislike—I wanted to gift you with a memory to replace your less-than-satisfactory experience with your father; to demonstrate the depth of your friends' appreciation for you."

Jamie was speechless as Blinky handed her hand-written sheet music on thick, ancient-looking parchment. The title and lyrics were obviously in Trollish and the notes around the stanzas appeared non-human as well, but the work was easily identifiable as music.

And Blinky had written it for her.

"What does it say?" Jamie asked, too stunned to say much else.

"'Vera Elu,'" Blinky said, "which translates roughly to, 'Like the Moon.'"

The girl smiled up at her friend, clutching the sheet music to her chest appreciatively. "Will you please play it for me?"

Blinky smiled back at her and said, "I would be delighted, My Dear."

With that, the four-armed troll proceeded to play his beautiful and intricate composition (which, he had to have written today, Jamie realized with admiration) with his usual level of delight, but an intensity she hadn't seen in him until tonight.

And then, he sang.

The smooth, booming baritone of his voice astounded Jamie as he harmonized with the piano accompaniment. She should have known he could sing just by listening to the power with which he spoke, but hearing him croon in his native tongue was out of this world.

As the work came to an end, all sixteen fingers splayed across the piano in a delightfully open chord, tears burned behind Jamie's eyes. "Blink…" she murmured, struggling to convey how deeply she appreciated the troll's gift. Unable to find the words, she simply leaned forward into his four-armed embrace, pushing all the love she felt for him into the hug. "That was amazing! Thank you so much."

"Please, do not cry, Lady Jamie," the sky blue troll said, concern consuming his expression as he pulled away. "I did not intend to cause you distress!"

Jamie laughed and finished drying her face with the sleeve of her hoodie, "I'm not distressed, Blink. Sometimes, humans cry when we're overwhelmed by our emotions."

"That is so peculiar!" the scholarly troll exclaimed as he brushed the tears from her eyes, curiosity dominating his concern. "I wonder what purpose it serves…"

The girl chuckled at her trainer's antics and turned her attention back to the pages in her hands, "What do the lyrics mean?"

Blinky smiled, "Perhaps, discerning their translation can be your homework for this week?"

"Okay," Jamie said through a yawn, too tired to argue. "Where am I sleeping?"

"My guest quarters," the troll rose to standing, holding a helpful hand out to the exhausted human. "Follow me, Lady Jamie."

Jamie allowed Blinky to lead her across the library to a door that had remained closed as long as she'd known of Trollmarket's existence. Now, her host opened it for her, revealing a plain room littered with faintly-glowing bioluminescent stones and sporting a nest of various furs and fabrics. It took all of Jamie's remaining willpower not to curl up then and there.

"I hope it's to your satisfaction," Blinky said politely. "If you need anything, my quarters are just across the library," he pointed to an often-closed door at the opposite end of the vast room. "Otherwise, I shall see you in the morning."

Exhausted, but not quite ready to part with her mentor, Jamie opted for one final fierce hug. "Thank you," she murmured into his stone chest, loving the feeling of all four of his arms embracing her back. Finally, she pulled away. "I'll see you in the morning," she promised, casting him one last grateful smile before closing the door.

It was an easy feat to gather the changelings in the twenty-four hour café on the opposite side of the city from the museum, where Bular would never dare to roam. Across the booth from Strickler, Nomura cradled a swaddled NotEnrique in her arms, irritation at the lateness of the hour etched across her delicate features. "What do you want, Stricklander?" she spat, the harshness of her tone lessened by the natural softness of her human voice.

In her arms, NotEnrique whined his concurring disapproval.

Strickler rolled his eyes at the both of them. Somehow, despite having been raised under the crueler half of the Father's vicious rule, they still managed to behave like such children. "I've summoned you for the purpose of reviewing the recorded materials from the hidden cameras I attached to the Trollhunter's school bag a week ago."

The other changelings stared at him for a long moment, making Strickler hyper-aware of the dully chattering nightshift workers behind the counter across the dining area. With the super-hearing changelings possessed, he should be able to play the audio on the lowest volume, denying any humans the opportunity to bear witness to the hidden world below.

Taking their silence as reluctant acquiescence to their superior, Strickler removed his Smartphone from his jacket pocket and pulled up the audio files he'd arranged specifically for this moment. "Listen closely," he demanded, "and tell me what you learn…"

Despite their apparent disinterest, Strickler couldn't help but smile at how the two changelings leaned forward ever-so-slightly, eager as any of them would be to catch a glimpse of the lives they were so cruelly denied by fate. Reveling in the kinship of that shared longing, he pressed play.

"Any news of the changelings' plan to take back the Bridge piece?" Clare Nunez's voice echoed from the recording.

"Not yet," Jamie replied stiffly "He hasn't said a word about it."

"It can't stay in the Vault forever," Tobias Domzalski pipped up. "Sooner or later, they're gonna realize it's missing and try to break in. Then, we'll have even bigger problems than your public approval ratings, JL."

"Or," the Trollhunter's tone was indicative of an argument. "We could just let them in and they wouldn't need to rebuild the stupid Bridge…"

Claire's voice replied, "You know why we can't do that, Jamie…"

"The trolls would never let you back in if you just welcomed the changelings onto their turf," Toby answered.

"If we could just get the trolls to see that changelings aren't bad-!"

"Ah, Trollhunter!" a booming voice interrupted the conversation. "You're just in time-!"

Strickler cut the recording and began flipping to the next when NotEnrique whispered, still in human form, "I knew it!"

Nomura's almond-shaped eyes were fixed to the baby in her arms, interest obviously piqued. "What do you mean?"

"He's the guy they've got working on the inside!"

Nomura stared at her superior in disbelief. Strickler cut the young spy off with a glower, "Need I mention that your cover has also been blown?"

At NotEnrique's self-incriminating silence, Nomura grimaced and rolled her eyes. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Shall I continue with the recordings," the changeling asked, brow cocked knowingly, "or have you heard enough?"

Again, the two remained quiet, hoping to hear more. Strickler paid careful attention to NotEnrique's facial expressions as he pressed play once more.

"How have things been with NotEnrique?" Jamie's voice came through slightly muffled as though she were far away from the hidden recording device.

"Um…" Claire replied, uncertainty in her tone. "Actually, he's been really great ever since we got over the screaming match that happened earlier this week. He started using the bathroom when Mama and Papa aren't home and he's tutoring me in Trollish when you're busy in Trollmarket!"

A moment of silence followed this proclamation. "Wow, Claire," Jamie's surprise voice piped up. "That's totally awesome! So, you have a troll-brother now. Kinda like Toby and Aaarrrgh or me and Draal…"

"Yeah!" the Latina said, tone smiling. "Pretty much! I just wish I could have Enrique back, too…"

Shuffling could be heard in the back ground just before Jamie's voice appeared much louder than before, as if she'd moved closer to her friend. "I get it, Claire," she murmured. "But NotEnrique's helping us get him back. We'll get them all back. We just need to take out Bular and then we can come up with a plan to break into the Darklands and free the familiars…"

Strickler cut the recording off again, staring expectantly at his changeling brethren. He could see from the pained expression upon the youngling's face that he cared as much about his human sister as she was beginning to care about him. The question was: would that caring be enough to turn the tiny changeling's loyalties?

"So now there's proof, on tape, of both of you defecting?" Nomura asked dryly, her shock betrayed only by the way she clenched her jaw between words.

"Not me," Strickler denied instantly. "Unfortunately, I am not in a position to argue my way out of what few incriminating phrases exist within these files. Therefore, I'll be graciously keeping these conversations between the three of us."

NotEnrique rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yer a real hero, mate…"

"Is that all?" Nomura asked, her affect bored. "I actually have a life outside of taking over the world, you know."

"Arranging Renaissance-Era pottery by age and listening to Peer Gynt on repeat hardly constitutes as having a life, Ms. Nomura," Strickler drawled, pressing play before she could retort.

The next recording features the sounds of a children's film playing in the background. Muffled chattering from the television was quickly drowned out by Jamie's concerned voice resounding from just beside the recording device. "Dude, seriously. Are you okay? You've been sharpening that same knife for like, an hour and a half."

A familiar huff and the clatter of metal flooded the speakers. "You've been weird ever since the museum," the Trollhunter continued. "Is it about Nomura?"

The female changeling's mouth tightened as she realized the identity of the other party in this supposedly private conversation.

"Drop it, Trollhunter," Draal's gravelly voice rumbled as the sound of knife-sharpening continued. "It's none of your concern."

There was a pause in the conversation, allowing for the background film to dominate the recording once again. Jamie could wait only a few moments before barging on, "You know…" she said, "If you still care about her, maybe all you have to do is tell her, give her another chance?"

Draal sighed, clearly exasperated. "It's not that simple," he said, more softly than before. "She was not the only one who made a mistake…"

Strickler watched as Nomura's eyes widened and grew glossy. "Claire and I had a falling out once," Jamie admitted over the recording. "Her mom and some of her friends thought I was a 'bad influence'… and Claire believed them, even after all the sleepovers, the secrets, the girls' garage band…" her voice was bitter as she confessed this. "I didn't react well to her suddenly ignoring me. In fact, I completely lost my mind in front of the whole school and yelled at her—which totally wound up proving everyone's point…"

"Get on with it, Trollhunter," Strickler could practically hear the troll's eyes roll through the phone.

"Right," Jamie refocused. "Anyway, Claire and I didn't talk for almost a year. It took Claire approaching me, even though we both messed up, because I felt so stupid for ruining our friendship instead of giving her the space she needed." More shuffling resounded through the recording. "Maybe, if you say you're sorry for the part you played in the relationship ending, even though you both made mistakes, you can have another chance with her?"

To the two other changelings, the silence of Nomura holding her breath was louder than any sound they'd heard all night.

"The next time we see each other will be on the battlefield," Draal said despondently. "And by then, it'll be too late."

"It's never too late to fix things, Draal," Jamie replied, voice smiling.

Strickler stopped the recording, body tingling in the powerful silence the conversations left in their wake. "Well then," the changeling drawled. "Now that we're all on the same page, tell me… what did you learn tonight?"

Dearest Readers,

Longest chapter yet! Jamie is now officially 16, has a stalkling after her, and is more confused than ever by Strickler. Why ever would Steve and Eli have been hanging out? :) Please refer to Chapter Eight for your hint… And poor Blinky has no idea what he's done by writing that song… Which side will the changelings choose? Can't wait to hear your thoughts! I love and value and appreciate you all! Thank you so much for reading!

To merendinoemiliano: Yes, Blinky IS the best Dreamworks dad of all time… just not here… Unless you're into that sort of thing. :)

To 17: YES! Jamie's abandonment issues are so bad—she stresses out about what everyone thinks of her to the point that it ruins what people think of her and didn't exactly have the parental guidance and support necessary to cope with that stress in a positive way. Claire, on the other hand, is forced by her mother to consider how she appears and basically walked through the process of being a political princess. Jamie never stood a chance. At least Blinky totally gets it (well, almost). I'm pretty sure Toby is in denial about his nerd status, so he's no help…

And, no. That ship does not set sail into the sunset, sexy as our charming rocker may be. Douxie does get A girl, though. Please, tell me I'm not the only one who watched Wizards with the tiniest hint of terror that Claire was gonna get into a love triangle with Jim and Doux? Their chemistry was just a little too existent for a sec.

Yours,

Elora Story