In Which Justina Learns the Future and Elizabeth Has to Make the Hardest Goodbye


Justina's meal was amazing. And when the open mic started up again John's poetry was… heartfelt. And in this place that was enough.

After his performance there was a five minute break during which everyone chatted and milled around. They settled again when Eleanor approached the stage, almost entirely at different tables from the ones they'd started at. Eleanor announced the next performer, a woman named Maggie who demonstrated some of her favorite wrestling moves in energetic pantomime. Then another five minute break. Then up came a teenage girl wearing worn through jeans and a mud stained coat a couple sizes too big for her. She sang beautifully in a light clear soprano and got a cheerful round of applause. When she left the stage Eleanor brought her a large steaming mug of hot chocolate and a blanket.

During the next break Justina turned to Rob. "This place is more than it seems, isn't it?"

He gave her a crooked grin "That's true of most things."

"Yes, but this is amazing, theres so much love here. 'Haven' wasn't just picked for the alliterative sound, was it?"

His smile widened at the compliment. "No it wasn't. Neither was the mention of the Hart. This place has a magic so much deeper than anyone's charms. It's Eleanor's heart and soul laid open to embrace the world."

"What are the rules?"

"Excuse me?"

"How does it work? It's clearly well organized, despite the chaos. I want to understand."

"The city wouldn't let her open a shelter or a food kitchen, but she already basically runs this place and a lot of people are happy to donate a little money here and there for small things. Especially fun things. So she started the open mic night. If you read, or sing, or share something, you get a cup of tea or coffee. And using the logic that you need an audience to have a performance, anyone can stay as long as they want, whether they participate or not. Eleanor has a box of donated blankets too for anyone who needs a nap. The back booths are set aside for them. A couple of Cleaners volunteer their charms if there are any big messes on or off stage. Although even Cleaners struggle with glitter. It started out once a week, then two times a week, and now it's every night.

"People tried to tell her it would go badly. Warned her that people will always take advantage. I don't think they realized that kindness is not the same as weakness. They had never seen what it looks like if her protectiveness turns against you. The first time she caught a customer touching a waitress inappropriately she threw him out on his ass in the snow. When he complained, she threw his designer coat after him and his half finished meal on top of it. She is no pushover."

His smile got a little misty as he watched Eleanor navigating the crowd on the other side of the room. "She is fierce, but forgiving. She believes in second chances as long as you can show that you'll change your behavior. She gathers good people to her like peas to a window, and we all come out better for having known her.

"Sometimes the donations haven't been enough to cover the costs, but she'll gladly cover that from her own pocket. Amazingly, it's never been too much for her to handle. It's brilliant and it works, but it takes a special kind of person to keep it going."

"That's amazing, this is amazing!"

"Maybe you'll start one of your own when you get home."

"I might. I'd love too. But... I'm not entirely sure that I can go home. Not really."

"Oh?"

"I… would rather not talk about it."

"Fair enough. Plenty of people here have things they don't want to dwell on."

She nodded gratefully, and sipped her tea.

The next person brought up a watercolor painting he had made with coins and buttons glued over the top. It was pretty. He talked about it for a couple minutes and then rejoined his friends, where he was congratulated. There was another five minute break and Justina took the opportunity to visit the bathroom.

When she was done Justina washed her hands carefully. In the silence she wondered again about Xanaria. She heard someone come out of one of the stalls behind her. She looked up and met eyes in the mirror with a solemn dark eyed young woman. Justina smiled at her, but the woman didn't smile back, she just began washing her hands at the sink next to Justina's.

When Justina turned off the water the woman said abruptly, "You don't belong here."

"What?" Everyone had been so welcoming all night it surprised her. She felt a little worm of fear crawl around inside her stomach.

Stop that. She told herself, Even if she knows how I got here, No one would believe her. And if they did what difference would that make?

Justina hedged. "Of course not, that's why I got found and brought here."

The woman looked at her surprised. "You listened."

"What?"

"You heard me without dismissing me. I... Even people who know me have trouble listening when I talk about things that I shouldn't know."

"What?"

"My charm. It lets me know things I can't know and ensures no one will ever believe me."

"That sounds frustrating."

She shrugged. "It can be. Mostly it's just how life is. If I'm not trying to talk about things my charm revealed to me then everything is normal. I'm called Cassi by the way, as in Cassandra. That's not my name, but I go by it."

"As in the prophet no one believed, I get that. So that's how you guessed I'd pick the apple cinnamon tea, and that's why you were the only one told to 'hush.'"

Cassi stared at Justina, forgetting the water still running in her sink.

"Yes. I... You heard me?"

"Well, yeah."

"But you don't have a charm that lets you know truth from lies. The only other person…. But… but you don't. You don't have a charm at all. You come from a world without any magic in it. Your land is hollow and all that matters is what you can make with your hands and who can take it from you."

"Well, that's a little harsh."

"But it's not wrong."

"I... suppose not."

Cassi bit her lip. "You know, I wasn't going to say anything but if you'll actually listen, it would be nice to be believed. But it's not... I don't know if it's good news but I do not think it is."

Justina didn't know what to say to that. In the silence Cassi turned off the sink and took a deep breath before turning back to Justina, her expression grave and her dark eyes impossible to look away from.

"Your husband isn't back in your home metaverse. His body has died, but he's not exactly dead, and he can get it back. He is out here, helping, and he is sorely needed."

Justina felt her knees go weak and she grabbed the sink to keep from sitting on the floor. But Cassi wasn't done.

"If you find him he will be different. Changed in ways I do not understand."

"It doesn't matter." Justina whispered. "I'll find him anyway."

"If you try it will take a lot of time, a lot of work, and a lot of luck."

"What do you mean if? Can't you see the future?"

"Some things are clear, some things are not." Cassi shrugged a little helplessly.

"Wait, do you know where he is right now? Can you tell me how to find him?"

"I'm sorry, I don't see everything just… bits and pieces. The strongest pieces are the loudest, but you have three really strong ones and it's hard to pick up more than a handful of less certain and less imminent futures. So many things affect what makes some futures stronger than others. I can't even figure it all out. Although I didn't think it would interest you to know you will be woken well before dawn by someone you both know and don't know. Or that drinking something called a Blitz is a bad idea."

Reeling, Justina tried to think through her thousands of questions but her brain didn't seem to be working. She blurted out, "I'm not afraid of hard work."

"I know. But I also know that it will cause you a lot of pain." Cassi smiled sadly. "I probably shouldn't have brought it up. I can't change anything. I don't even know if my charm extends properly beyond my own world. But… thank you for listening."

Cassi ducked her head and left quickly. Justina stared into the sink until she felt she could walk without wobbling and then followed her out.


Elizabeth scaled the side of an ordinary looking house with ease, despite her damaged arm. They reached the roof and Elizabeth slipped around to the back of the house where there was a gable window. There was a faint light on inside that dimmed and brightened but there was no sound. He probably fell asleep rewatching an old cop show, he enjoys laughing at everything they get wrong.

~Then how will we get in?~

Getting in is easy. It's making sure he doesn't smash the window and wake his landlord that's tricky.

Elizabeth pulled her notebook from an easy to reach pocket and drew a shaky frog on one page as big as she could. Then, carefully and quietly, she taped it to the middle of the window. Moving away she scooped a few pine cones from the gutter. With a careful underhand, she tossed one hitting the top of the gable with an audible thump. Then she threw another two in quick succession at the same spot. There was swearing from inside the room and the sound of a gun being cocked. Then there was a pause. They heard the gun being put away and the window opened. A hand pulled off the drawing. A head popped out, unshaven, hair a mess, but still surprisingly handsome under that. At least to Elizabeth.

~Oh, no. I don't want to be here for that.~

Shut up. No one asked you to be here at all. And besides nothing will ever happen.

~Sure…~

Shut up.

"Liz?" He asked, looking around, "That had better be you."

~You're okay with him calling you Liz?~

I love being Liz to him, it's Betty that I hate. Everyone thinks Betty's the perfect nickname for a house cleaner.

"Yeah, Jack, it's me." At the sound of her voice he looked toward her but it wasn't until she began to move closer that his eyes found her.

"Damn, it's creepy how you do that." He stepped back from the window letting her slip inside.

The room was large and open, but it made for a small apartment. There was a dresser and a rolling hanger rack set up to screen the bed from the window. On the right was an area with a linoleum floor that held a small refrigerator, compact stove, sink, and a short counter that clearly doubled as a table. There was also a desk looking out over the whole room and two doors. Xanaria remembered with Elizabeth's memories that one went downstairs to the main floor, where his landlord lived, and the other went to a spacious bathroom.

"And what's with this?" He asked once she was inside. "You drew better frogs when we were in kindergarten."

"Give me a break, I'm not working under ideal circumstances right now." She rolled her left shoulder gently, bringing his attention to the bandage on her arm.

Concerned he reached out. "Let me take a look at that. Did you even remember to sterilize it?"

But when she jerked back he pulled up short and dropped his hand, a little hurt.

"I can't leave blood here for DNA evidence, and I can't use my charm because I had to use it back at the alleged crime scene. You can't use your Healing on me because if they catch me and your charm print still lingers they'll use it to bring you down too. I wont risk that."

He smiled reaching out to her again. "Come on Liz, you're the one who taught me that not everything you do has to be about what your charm is. I do this for a living, I know exactly how crime scenes work and how they don't. I know how to clean up any evidence of blood without using charms."

"If you're sure," She said, "but first things first."

She began pulling papers out of her backpack and various places around her person.

"These," She told him, "Should be enough to get at least Rupert Kriston put away for a long time."

He stared at them open mouthed. "I don't want to know how you got them, do I?"

"If you don't know they can't make you testify in front of a truthsayer."

"True enough."

"Confidential informant line still holding up?"

"Everyone in the department suspects something is up, but the captain's still an honest man so he keeps the sell outs off my back."

"Well, I'm afraid this will be the last one for a while."

He looked at her long and hard. "I'm not sure it was worth it."

"Don't be stupid. This is the Kristons. Of course it's worth it."

"You are worth way more than any bust."

There was a long quiet moment as they looked at each other.

~Ummm…~

Shut up.

Elizabeth looked away first, her face warm.

Jack cleared his throat. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

He guided her to the bathroom and sat her down in the tub. He pulled on a pair of exam gloves and laid out what he would need on a tray, balancing it on the toilet seat. Carefully he unwound the bandage and winced when he saw what was underneath. "Seriously? You didn't even put down a pad to keep your shirt from sticking to the wound? I'm going to have to cut off your sleeve to get at this properly."

"Please don't. I need it. It took a long time to get my work clothes right. Here." And before he could stop her she slipped her shirt over her head and tugged the cloth free of her arm.

"Don't-" he began but it was too late, the dried and clotting blood pulled away with the shirt and the bullet wound began bleeding freely again.

"Shit." She dropped the shirt behind her in the bathtub, and pressed her palm to her wound trying to stop the bleeding. Jack gently pulled her hand away and pressed a thick pad of gauze to her arm.

"I could have loosened it with water. Seriously, let me do my job."

"Your job is catching people like me."

"Well, yeah. But let me do the other part of my job. The uncredited field medic part."

"I never understood why you bothered to learn all this when you can just charm people better." Elizabeth tried to ignore what was happening on her arm as he cleaned the wound with quick gentle fingers.

"Sometimes you can't use charms, but you're still expected to fill the role you were brought along for. Besides, I see so much pain and damage it's nice to know that I can fix people too."

She hissed through her teeth as he gently applied a disinfectant gel.

"You remember Mittens?" He asked, clearly trying to distract her.

"Of course I remember our cat."

"You wrote me once that you were having trouble getting him not to try and climb up to my apartment after my family moved, but you never told me what happened to him."

"Well, he kept going looking for you right up until the new renters moved in. The girl who took your room chased him out with an air horn. She said she was allergic. After that he never went back but I would often catch him staring up the building toward your window for the rest of his life."

"I'm sorry."

"Nothing you could do about it. You were nine, and no one I know can talk to cats, so it wasn't like we could have explained things to him."

"Yeah, I suppose. How did he go?"

"Old age basically. He slowed down until he wasn't happy existing anymore and then Mom and Dad let him go. I was sixteen by then so I understood. I made sure his last day was a good one."

"That was kind of you."

"It was the least I could do. And it was a much better end than it could have been."

"That's true. Alright, you're set." He hooked on a little plastic bandage clip to hold the new wrapping in place.

"Huh," Elizabeth moved her arm around testing the mobility. "Nice."

"I assume you won't take any painkillers right now, so I applied a slight numbing agent. It likely won't last long, but hopefully it will help you do whatever you need to do next."

"Thank you. I can't be getting fuzzy headed right now. I have a lot to do before I'm safe."

"Ah, your pants are all over blood now too. Umm… Here. If you insist on keeping these clothes I'll get you a gallon ziplock bag for them and you can borrow some of my clothes until you find something better. Make sure anything with even a little blood on it stays in the bathtub. Here's a towel to clean the rest of it off. You can run the faucet on low to wet the towel, but don't get the bandage wet and don't run the shower, it splashes."

"Thank you." She told him. He looked away and nodded, then slipped out of the room.

She cleaned up as carefully as she could. It didn't take long. She didn't bother to try and clean her underthings. They weren't too bloody, all things considered, and it was just way too awkward to take them off. She considered wrapping herself in the towel, but it was a damp and bloody mess by the time she was done, so she just dropped it in the bathtub. When Jack knocked on the door she pulled the curtain. She wished it wasn't transparent, but at least it was something.

"I have some things I think will work. Um, are you decent?"

"Ah, not really, but I won't be until you give me something to wear, so... you might as well come in."

Shut. Up.

~I didn't say anything.~

There was a palpable pause from the other side of the door, then it opened. He avoided looking at her as he passed her a shirt and pant's of his own. "I know they won't fit well but it's the best I could find."

"Thank you." She reached around to take them but he wasn't finished.

"Wipe your feet down first, then put on the socks and step out without putting them down inside the tub. I can and will be washing the bath mat with bleach but it's still better to minimize the risk. And when you put your clothes in the bag try to keep anything from touching the outside."

He left the bathroom again quickly. She hopped awkwardly on one foot at a time as she followed his instructions, and then pulled on the shirt and pants. The t-shirt was soft and a little baggy, but mens medium fits everybody well enough. The pants were too big. She rolled up the cuffs to a good length but the waist kept threatening to slip down. She left the bathroom holding them up with one hand.

"Do you have a piece of rope I could use?"

He looked at her, confused.

"Ah, for the pants." She clarified. "I don't want to deprive you of a belt, but these won't quite stay up."

"Oh, yeah." He crossed the room and dug through one of his drawers.

Elizabeth sat down cross legged in the center of his apartment and took the opportunity to tuck the gallon ziplock with her bloody things into her backpack.

"Here," he pulled out a thin greenish brown woven belt that shimmered glossily. "I hate this thing, but my niece gave it to me. Burn it before you bring it back."

She grinned at him a little sadly. They both knew she wouldn't be bringing anything back.

~It's kind of now or never, isn't it?~

Please stop talking.

Jack cleared his throat, seeming to realize they had been staring at each other for awhile now.

"There's one other thing." He ducked down and dragged a package from under his bed, "This was going to be your birthday present but, well." He held it out.

Curious she took it, and carefully peeled off the tape so she could remove the gold and green leaf patterned wrapping paper all in one piece. He watched her with an amused half smile.

When she saw what was inside she gasped. She held a beautiful and clearly high quality coat. It was elegantly cut in a simple olive green and the lining where it turned out at the collar and cuffs was a deep blue with a detailed pattern of white constellations. When she pulled it on it came to her knees and fit like it had been tailored to her. It was perfect.

"Oh, thank you. I… thank you." And without thinking she took two quick steps forward and hugged him like she hadn't since they were nine years old. He hugged her back, hiding his face in her hair. Xanaria slid further back into Elizabeth's mind, trying to give them some privacy. After a long moment Elizabeth felt his breath catch, she pulled away just far enough so she could look him in the face. Then it was only a couple inches to kiss him, like she had wanted since they had been reunited in college.


As the night wore on Justina found herself beginning to yawn. She wasn't the only one. Around 11 o'clock people began trickling out or borrowing blankets and heading toward the back. The open mic continued but with fewer people stepping up the breaks got longer. Justina watched lost in thought. When people approached her she'd talk them, but as the crowd thinned fewer people did.

She had just been hit by a huge yawn, when opening her eyes she saw Eleanor leaning on the bar across from her.

"Oh!" Justina jerked upright.

"Sorry, dear I didn't mean to startle you. How are you doing?"

"Good. Just starting to get a little sleepy. I wasn't yawing at her I promise." Justina gestured at the stage were an older woman was belly dancing.

"Oh, I know you weren't. She's a regular, but she prefers to go later because she is a little shy." Eleanor chuckled. "Don't tell her I told you."

"Are you here every night? That doesn't sound healthy even if you love what your doing."

"Well, no, not every night. I have three people who I trust to keep this place running smoothly when I have to be gone. One of them will be coming in at midnight to take over."

"Oh good, I'd hate to think of you getting burnt out after creating such a brilliant and friendly place."

Eleanor smiled at her warmly. "Cassi was right. I can't believe I'm still surprised even when I know how her charm works. I try to trust her judgment, but charms will be charming." She said the last bit with the cadence of an old saying.

Justina smiled at her. "She seems like a kind person, if a little isolated. Unsettling, I'll admit, but well meaning."

"She is at that." Eleanor sighed, "I tried to get her a friend. I know someone whose charm tells her when she is and isn't being lied to. But then they developed a mutual crush and they're both painfully shy so I have to start all over again to get them talking."

"Oof. Well, I wish you luck, getting people talking is the worst. My husband never seemed to want to…" she trailed off realizing she had used the past tense. "I mean doesn't. He doesn't communicate well."

"Oh, I see." Eleanor's expression turned a little sad.

"He's not.. He's not dead. Well, he might be but Cassi said he isn't really and… it's complicated."

"That sounds confusing."

Justina nodded and sighed.

"Well, I could get you a blanket if you want to spend the night here, but if you would be more comfortable me and Rob have a spare couch you could borrow for tonight. We don't usually offer, but Cassi urged me to consider it."

"Would Rob be okay with that?"

"Oh yes, he said it sounded like a good idea. He likes you, you must have been very nice about his garden."

"His garden?"

"Or something else he loves."

"Ah, yes. I suppose I was."

"So would you prefer that? We'll leave at midnight, so if you would rather just borrow a blanket and claim a booth, I can get you something."

Justina looked around the diner, which still had some people chatting quietly and eating food. "This place is lovely but I think I would prefer the couch. Thank you."


It was a long kiss, but it hadn't been long enough for either of them when Jack's cell phone rang. He ignored it, letting it go to voicemail, but when it rang again Elizabeth pulled away.

"It's probably important." She said a little sadly.

He looked conflicted but when she pushed him toward it he went. He sighed when he looked at the screen.

"It's work." He confirmed, and answered it. "Yes sir?... It's one forty fi... Yes of course… Not long… Alright…" There was a long pause as he just listened, then, "Wow…. Yes, I may have acquired some information that could help…. twenty minutes, sir… Yes, I do, I was asleep and I don't feel it would be wise to arrive at an emergency meeting this underdressed…. Yes sir. See you soon." He hung up and looked at her with a sad smile.

"Time to escape?" She asked, knowing the answer.

He nodded. "Where will you- no, don't tell me."

"I wouldn't be able to anyway, I haven't got the slightest idea yet."

She scooped up her backpack from the floor and adjusted the straps over her new coat. He carefully packed the papers she had brought him in a briefcase, and locked it. She moved to the window and swung her legs out. He caught her arm before she was all the way gone.

"Wait, if… If this gets me a promotion I'll get sent to a different town, probably somewhere bigger. If it doesn't... Well, if it doesn't I'll put in for a transfer. If… maybe you could…" He trailed off, unable to ask her what he wanted. And she couldn't answer, because he would likely be going in front of a truthsayer over this at some point and they both knew the only safety was if they didn't know.

She smiled sadly, and pulled him down for one more brief kiss. "We'll have to see how life goes, I guess. Thank you for telling me. I… Thank you. For everything."

Blinking furiously to keep the tears from blurring her vision, she disappeared into the night.

I will find him again. I will.