Detective Miller stood before the Judges trying to plead his case again and again. They wouldn't listen. His attempts to get them to at least hear him out were proving in vain. As much as he didn't want to admit it he had overstepped the mark this time. Interfering in the affairs of the living world was frowned upon at best. They had overlooked his assisting what the Judges termed 'prey' who had gotten lost on the mountains. They at least understood he had his own reasons for doing so, if asked they would say that they had ordered him to do so. It was the Judges way to take credit for things that weren't of their doing.

The collective voices of the Judges reproved Detective Miller yet again. They spoke as one despite their numbers being many. They acted as one, thought as one and did so efficiently. Their word was law and was unbreakable. Any who were brought before them a second time found themselves to be facing the risk of being re-judged. Second judgements were never good and there was only one place they could and would send Detective Miller.

A representative of the Judges stood forward. He was their voice; their words were his. "You have interfered in the affairs of the living world for the last time. We have overlooked your past interferences and you have abused that. The vessel was not to be told anything. You were going to tell her our secret; you were going to surrender our knowledge to her. What can you say in your defence?"

"There is nothing I can say in my defence except that I thought I was doing the right thing. The vessel had to be told something. She is no good to you dead, unless she knows what is coming that is what will happen."

When Detective Miller had finished saying what he said a great clamour rose in the hall of the Judges. Their voices rang out in argument no longer speaking as one. Some agreed with the detective and others passed off his speech as a desperate excuse to save his soul. Some demanded that the vessel was of no consequence while others defended her. No matter what their thoughts or feelings the vessel was essential to them. She was the bridge between the living world and their world, the first and last bridge that would ever present itself to them.

They had to use her wisely.

Kit came back from the clinic with a clean bill of health. Everything had checked out fine and the only evidence of his being run over by Sportacus was a few bruises on his back, arms and legs. Doctor Cole had expressed a great deal of interest in numerous scars he'd seen on Kit's torso when he'd examined him the day before and Kit had explained them all. Some were attributed to operations, others to fights and some were unexplainable.

It didn't surprise Doctor Cole at all to hear that Kit had been in more fights than he could count. Kit explained that life on the road was tough and there was always someone out there wanting a piece of you. Knowing how to use your fists was a major advantage although Kit had admitted freely that he'd lost most of the fights he'd gotten into.

Robyn welcomed both Sportacus and Kit with a kiss and a hug when they returned from the clinic. Robbie declined Kit's request for a kiss and a hug with a chuckle and a dismissive wave of his hand. His excuse was that if he kissed and hugged Kit he'd have to hug and kiss Sportacus which might not be received as well as it would with him. Kit nodded and smiling wickedly gave Sportacus a kiss and hug so Robbie didn't have to. Robbie laughed and rolled his eyes, he still refused to kiss and hug Kit.

Kit pouted for a few seconds and then put his hands on his hips, "Fine. I thought you loved me but I was wrong. After all the things I've given up for you. All of my time and my hard work wasted. You don't appreciate me, Robbie, so I'm leaving you. Goodbye Robbie."

With that Kit turned on his heel and hit the door face first. He'd not remembered closing it.

Robbie, Sportacus and Robyn couldn't help but laugh when Kit stuck his nose up in the air after scraping himself off of the door and opening it walked out swinging his hips like women do when they walk.

When he'd calmed down Sportacus put his hands on his hips too and looked at Robbie with mock disgust. "How could you? If you love him you should go after him." He said before dissolving into more laughter.

Robbie couldn't move for laughing. Kit had been extremely convincing as a mistreated housewife and he'd even made Robbie wonder if he'd actually done something wrong.

A knock on the door calmed Sportacus' laughter and being that he was the closest opened it. Doctor Palley stepped in with a rather bemused look on his face and two bundles of paper. At Sportacus' instruction the doctor removed his coat and hung it on the end of the banister of the stairs.

"This might seem extremely odd but I was given a message from Kit for Robbie. He says he wants a divorce." Doctor Palley recounted hesitantly.

Robbie chuckled, "don't worry doctor. It's a little joke we had last night. We were discussing his and Robyn's wedding and somehow we got into a rehearsal and I married Kit."

"I see now." Doctor Palley replied, "I wish you every happiness for you future together."

Sportacus, Doctor Palley, Robyn and Robbie burst out laughing again.

Deciding it was best to leave the doctor alone to discuss the results of the tests with her father Robyn picked up her coat and went outside. She stepped around all of the residual traces of the now melting snow and tried to find Kit. It didn't take her long to find him; he was sitting on a nearby wall reading a book. She sat beside him and attempted to read over his shoulder but he was smarter than that. He kept deliberately obscuring the book from her view by different means and wouldn't let her read as much as a word.

Eventually silence fell in the hall of the Judges. They had made their decision. Detective Miller was to remain in the state of existence he was in at that present time and had been permitted to answer any of the vessel's questions on what was to happen.

For his part Detective Miller didn't like what he'd been permitted to do. There was a very strong chance the Judges would change their minds once he'd told the vessel all they wanted to know and he'd be judged again. If he didn't tell the vessel what they wanted to know he could be punished for that as well. No matter what he did he was trapped. This was not a position he liked to be in.

Knowing that he had to keep his thoughts well guarded from the Judges, Detective Miller thanked them for their mercy and he was sent back to where he'd been before they'd recalled him. It was his guess that Robyn was long gone by now and he decided that he'd take his time in finding her. He knew where she was true enough but the Judges didn't know that. Looking for her was safer than talking to her and he could keep his back guarded that way. It brought him more time as well; time to think on what he was going to do.

It was almost certain that the Judges would be watching him. They had eyes and ears everywhere. Followers that kept themselves anonymous to everyone, their identities were never shared. These followers were quite simply termed 'watchers'. It had been the watchers that had been responsible for Robyn losing her sight. They had thought ill of the girl, that she could see too much and could betray them with that knowledge. Every move the girl now took was scrutinised to the finest degree. She knew the rules now, the next time she stepped out of line they would be justified in removing her sight again. There was no argument about that.

Looking around him before setting off Detective Miller thought he'd take the long route to Lazytown. If he was being followed by the watchers there was a chance he could stay one step ahead of them on the mountains. For twenty years he'd spent an unending amount of time scouring them.

Either way he had to eventually tell Robyn something. What that something was would be decided by her. If she made the wrong choices they were both doomed.