Halley's PoV

I grip tightly onto his waist as we turn the corner, still not able to believe the fact that I'm leaving. I'm actually doing what I've thought about for years. I'm leaving behind my private hell for a whole new future. Who knows what this'll bring? It's so liberating I'm tempted to just hop off this bike and do a little happy-dance. Ok, so I could never be that happy, but still, this kicks!!

We've been riding for a long time know, how long exactly I really couldn't tell ya. All I know is that I'm so happy...oh, and I know that Aiden is probably really amused with me at this point, seeing as I'm grinning like an idiot, but I think it's understandable. Let's just hope I don't become the laughing stock of Terminal City, whatever that is.

He says we're going to Seattle, but I don't even know if that's where we're staying. I'm nervous beyond belief at being shoved into a whole new city, but anything's better than those damn boarding schools. I really don't have to worry about the job-problem for a while; I have a nice nest egg of my guilt-jewelry from Daddy and my allowance of the past five years. What can I say? I knew I would need some quick cash sooner or later.

It's almost surreal to finally have this happen. I mean, it's like one of those plans that you make but never expect to use, or the daydream that finally comes true. It's crazy, and surreal, and I love it.

My dream is finally coming true...

Aiden's PoV

I pull over to the side of the road by an old, abandoned cabin. The sun's setting behind my shoulder, and Halley hops off the bike as we roll to a stop. "Ooh, elegant." she says sarcastically, and I nod.

"I just hope they didn't forget the mints on the pillows." I say archly, and she giggles, but tries to hide it.

"Ugh, I just hope this has better housekeeping than the Ritz. Last time I was there, they forgot to fully restock my minifridge!" she says, putting on a false British accent and flipping her hair like some ditzy heiress. I smirk, breaking the padlock and opening the door for her.

"M'lady." I say, bowing as she walks in.

"Why thank you, good sir." she says, then squeaks. "Ew, spider!" she squeals, grabbing my arm. I crush it with my shoe, and her hold lightens. "Thanks." she says, blushing in the most beautiful way possible. Who'd have thought that she can even make blushing cute? "I, um, really don't like spiders. We kind of have a hate-hate relationship- isn't pretty."

"They do have quite a few legs." I admit, trying to make her blush lessen. She nods, sitting down on an old couch and opening her backpack.

"Hey, will you help me count my money?" she asks, and I nod, not really expecting much. I mean, after all, this is the post-Pulse world we're talking about. But then she pulls out a jar filled with bills, and an enormous bag filled with jewelry.

"Holy shit." the words come unbidden, and I sit down, trying to tally up the worth of the jewelry- all real, from as far as I can tell. But I'll have to ask Max or Alec on that one- they're the resident cat burglers. She looks up at me, smirking.

"What can I say? Guilt money is never a bad thing." she shrugs, dumping the jar out onto the coffee table in front of her. "And guilt money is one thing that can get you away from overbearing parents who could care less about you." she says gleefully, grinning cheerfully as she separates bills.

I sit down next to her, gently taking the jewelry out of the bag and doing a quick estimate on each. "Are these all real?" I ask, and she shakes her head, pointing to a necklace with colorful beads on it.

"Not that one, which you probably would've figured out, but the rest are." she says, putting another tally on a sheet of paper and smiling brightly at me. "Two thousand, seven hundred, and forty-eight dollars."

Damn. That's a shitload of money, especially in post-pulse terms. I look at the jewelry, and hear her stifle a laugh. I look at her, and follow her eyes to the necklace that I put on my wrist for safekeeping- the one I got for her. "Pretty." she says, trying miserably not to laugh.

"I got it for you..." I say, and she looks at me questioningly, "but if you're going to be mean, I'll wear it myself."

"Yeah, that'd be hot." she says, smirking, and I take the necklace off and fasten it around her neck. "I love the yingyang. I think it's so true."

"What's true?" I ask, fully lost on what it means. I just thought it was a symbol girls think is pretty. She looks at me incredulously.

"You don't know what the yingyang stands for?" she asks, her clover-green eyes wide. I shake my head, and she pats my arm in mock-sympathy. "It's ok. I know you're trying." she says, holding back a smile that still reaches her eyes. "It means that to every good thing, there's something bad, and that not everything that's bad is fully bad. You see the little dot in the middle of the black?" she implores, and I nod, amused that she takes this so seriously. "It's to symbolize the tiny bit of good in everything evil. The opposite goes for the white."

"Good philosophy." I say, agreeing.

"Yup." she says, toying with the necklace nervously. "Um...do you think that I'll fit in even slightly in TC?" I just laugh. Her bottom lip immediately springs forward, and she looks like someone just took away her puppy.

"Halley, there are giant dogs and lizards. You'll do fine." I tell her, and she nods, not looking convinced.

"It's just that you all have the bond of being Manticore...I'm just being dropped there in the middle of a siege." she says, picking at lint on the old couch. I wrap my arm around her, trying to make her more comfortable. She leans back, calming a little, as I knew she would. Transgenics are comforted by touch...I'm guessing it's the animal DNA.

"You'll be fine. Let's get some sleep. I want to be in Seattle by tomorrow night." I tell her, and she nods, and, not bothering to walk to the nearby bedroom, uses my shoulder as a pillow, curling her feet onto the couch.

"Night." she mumbles sleepily, and I pull an old blanket over us, a cloud of dust rising a bit.

"Night." I say softly, waiting for her breathing to even out before I let myself fall into a deep sleep.

AN: okay, totally trying to update a ton of my stories, so bear with me if it's short. All of you reading "Along Came Trannies", it's up, and "Tru Confessions" should be by tomorrow night, too.

Luv ya!

Molly Jeane