Part 2 – Endings

"The Roosters have the rail yard!"

Ebony rolled her eyes. "Let 'em have it! The rail yard is old news Spike. It was home of the old tribe of Locos."

Spike grunted and tossed an antique bookend across the shop. It smashed into a vintage lamp and shattered the stained glass shade into pieces. Ebony remained silent and unmoved by her deputy's sudden expression of fury. She had no patience for such things. Entertaining Spike's childish outrage would only waste her time.

"The Locos are barely a tribe anymore! We're your followers! You say jump, we say how high - and I'm sick of it!" Spike spat at her, shaking his fair hair from his eyes.

Ebony cocked her head to the side calmly, pursing her plump, scarlet lips. "I'm the leader Spike. You're supposed to follow me," she replied in her deep, husky voice.

"And I did… to this place!" Spike exclaimed distastefully, throwing his hands up and glancing at their surroundings – the antique shop on level two of the Phoenix Mall. "Home of the saviours of the City – the Mallrats. You're nothing but a sell-out Ebony. A sell-out. And Zoot would be turning in his grave if he could see what you had done with his dream - teamed up his Locos, his warriors… with his angelic big brother on a mission of mercy!" he ranted, bearing down on her menacingly.

Ebony narrowed her exotic eyes and stared at Spike, unfazed by the considerable height he had on her. Unexpectedly, she slapped his face with all the strength that her diminutive body could muster. "How dare you even mention Zoot's name! You were nothing to him. Nothing! I knew him, I had his respect and he gave me power. Not you. So don't preach to me Spike. I don't have to explain anything to you. Now, learn your place – under my thumb," she snapped, clenching her hand to ward off the stinging in it.

Show no pain and show no fear, as Zoot had always taught her. She intended to live by it.

Ebony could see Spike fighting the urge slap her back. He had always had a little temper problem. Maybe that's why she loved goading him so much – to see his reaction. His upper lip curled into a venomous sneer as a red mark appeared on his cheekbone. "Maybe you had Zoot's respect… but you never had his love. He saved that for Trudy, didn't he?" he gloated softly. He glanced over her shoulder and nodded smugly.

Nonchalantly, Ebony turned ever so slowly, tossing her toffee coloured braids over her shoulder. On the other side of the level, Trudy stood in the doorway of her sleeping quarters holding Brady. She was quietly looking down on the commotion of the market on the lower level. Inadvertently, Ebony's face tightened with pure revulsion. Fortunately, her deputy missed it, as he did many things.

Spike lowered his head to hers and whispered in her ear. "Oh yeah, he loved her all right… and that kid proves it."

Ebony shoved him away from her. "Get out there and do your job!" she ordered.

Spike saluted her sarcastically. "Whatever you say… boss."

Ebony crossed her arms and watched Spike saunter across the Mall to go down the stairs to the market. As he did so, he raised a hand in greeting to Trudy, who blandly returned the gesture. Ebony watched the exchange with unmasked irritation before turning on her heel and walking back into the antique shop. She spotted the broken shards of the beautiful lamp, now worthless bits of pretty glass. Picking up a particularly jagged piece, she ran her fingers over it. It would be so satisfying to just slash it across Trudy's throat, to rid herself of her forever. She'd thought about killing Trudy many times when she had lived with the Locos and slept in Zoot's bed, taking all of his attention away from Ebony. She had been revolted by how much Zoot had been infatuated with Trudy, the lengths he had gone to to make her his, even before the Virus.

When Ebony had colluded with the Guardian recently, and helped him take Trudy and Brady from the City, she had thought that she had gotten rid of her for good. Unfortunately, the girl had managed to get away from the Chosen somehow, much to Ebony's fury. Not only had she consumed much of Zoot's thoughts until his death, but she had consumed his brother's attention too with her neediness – and still did. Ebony was well aware that Trudy had loved Bray as much as she did. It was a good thing that she seemed to be over him though, or else Ebony would have another reason to want her dead.

"Ebony?"

The shard of glass in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter. Ebony looked round to see Bray standing in the doorway, a questioning expression on his face.

"Are you coming down to the market? We could do with your presence if things get rowdy," he said.

Ebony smiled genuinely. "Sure," she replied. She went to him, stepping on the shards of glass as she did so, crushing them into the floor.

Bray shot her an even smile before turning away and letting her follow him. Staring at his tall, broad form, Ebony thought about how much she hated that smile. It was his 'everyman' smile – a smile that he used on everyone. It meant that she was no one special, just another person to him. He saved that special smile, that smile that reached his eyes and lit up his whole face for only one person, his precious Danni.

Ebony watched as Bray jogged down the stairs and met Danni halfway as she went up. They both smiled and gravitated toward each other: hands on hips, shoulders brushing, knees touching. She felt nauseous at the sight of it all. As they parted, Danni walked up the steps past her. Ebony gave the raven-haired girl a dark look that was promptly ignored.

Turning her attention from Danni, Ebony slowly, purposefully, walked down the stairs to take up her role – Ebony, Empress of the Locusts and all that they beheld. As the people of the market down on level one of the Mall spotted her, a hush came over the crowd and they nudged each other. Ebony held her head high and smiled complacently to herself.

Whatever Spike might think, she still had power over the masses.

-O-

"Where's Lex?"

Trudy looked up. She had been staring into space vacantly, as Brady cooed in her lap. Cloe and Patsy were arguing each other on the opposite side of the room. Trudy was looking after them while the market went on because they had too often gotten into mischief with KC whilst it was in session. Bray didn't want to take any chances, so had banished them from level one during market time. KC was too slippery for Bray and had snuck past him earlier to no doubt pull some dirty deals with traders.

Trudy stared at May blankly as the girl stared back, a prompting look on her face.

May rolled her eyes impatiently. "Lex? Is he around? He's not down in the market," she prompted, brushing her red and silver streaked hair behind her ear.

Trudy shook her head. "And you think he would be in here with me and the kids?" she asked, holding Brady closer to her.

"Just a question. Why don't you go back into your trance?" May muttered, making a face.

Trudy looked away from her and retreated back into her own little world. May, with a loud sigh, walked off, muttering something about her being a space cadet. Trudy barely registered it. She didn't care about May's tantrums. She cared even less about why she was looking for Lex.

A wash of sadness came over Trudy as she looked at Brady. In the last few months she had been through hell because of Brady, for Brady. Simply because of Brady's existence as Zoot's one and only heir. But he hadn't been Zoot when Brady had been conceived, he had been just a boy chasing after the girl he liked, just a boy who had felt invisible in his brother's shadow, and who had wanted to be someone important. Unfortunately, he had also been just a boy who had managed to mould himself into an urban war lord. He had also inspired impressionable people to believe him to be some kind of deity to be worshipped.

Zoot had been no god though. He had been a very human, very young, very lost child.

Trudy bit back tears as Martin's clean-cut image in her mind faded into Zoot's maniacal one. Was it for the best that he'd died? If he were alive, would Zoot still be a Loco? Would his tribe still be striking fear into the hearts of the Mallrats instead of, in a bizarre twist of fate, protecting them? Would he have stayed with Ebony? Or would he have managed to persuade Trudy to go back to him? What kind of person would she be if she had joined him and the Locos? Would fatherhood have changed Zoot at all?

These were the questions that had plagued Trudy during her time with the Chosen. Zoot had been all they talked about, it had been difficult not to have her mind filled with him. Thinking of him had at least taken her mind off her kidnappers. The Guardian had had her brainwashed every single day but she hadn't believed in any of it and never would.

It was only by chance that she was even in this mall right now, surrounded by her tribe. A member of the hierarchy in the Chosen had taken pity on her. He had brought Brady to her after dark during times when the Guardian had prevented her from seeing her. They had eventually become quite close, she and Lieutenant Luke. He had been more humane and gentler than the others. He would dismiss her guards and take over guard duty himself, spending the night talking with her.

One day, after a particularly severe day of 'Zoot lessons' as Trudy had dubbed her brainwashing, Trudy had broken down in her cell, fearing what her role as Supreme Mother might call for her to do. Luke had brought Brady to her once again, hoping she would comfort Trudy. When the baby was asleep, Trudy had broken down. Not even seeing her daughter had managed to calm her fears for long. She had just wanted to be gone from that place. She wanted to forget about Zoot, the Guardian, the Chosen and go back to her friends.

Luke had held her while she had cried. Trudy had been surprised by his show of affection, but grateful for the comfort. Eventually, all of her pent up frustration, fear, worry and pain had come to the surface. In a desperate need for solace she had kissed Luke… and he had kissed her back. That night, the Supreme Mother and the Chosen's lieutenant had slept together. It was the ultimate sin against Zoot in Luke's eyes and he had been frantic afterwards. He had felt ashamed, guilty and disgusted with himself for 'taking advantage' of her, as he had put it. Baffled by her growing fondness for him, Trudy had insisted that what they had shared hadn't been a mistake. She still believed that.

Luke had seen what her time with the Chosen had done to her. How it had made her gaunt and jumpy, constantly on edge, tearful and afraid. If she couldn't accept their way of life then he believed that she shouldn't be made to, not if it meant seeing her so unhappy. He had smuggled her out of the camp in the dead of the night, wanting to save her from a life that she hated. Despite her pleading, he had refused to go with her. His place was with the Chosen he had said. They were his calling, his life, his duty. By the light of the moon, Trudy had held her baby close to her and kissed Lieutenant Luke goodbye… and that had been the last time she had seen him.

Their relationship had hardly begun before it had ended.

That fleeting bit of intimacy was the first Trudy had experienced since she had slept with Zoot. Luke had been surprisingly passionate, given how very calm and reserved he was usually. The emptiness and regret she'd felt after sleeping with Zoot was so different from how she felt after being with Luke. Trudy yearned to see him again, to feel what she'd felt on their only night together. At the same time though, if seeing Luke meant seeing the Guardian and the Chosen, then she would endure never seeing him again.

On returning to the City, Trudy had told the Mallrats about her captivity at the hands of the Chosen, their attempt at brainwashing her, but had omitted her affair with Luke. It would have only complicated things. They didn't need to know. Luke had told her that he would tell the Guardian that she had taken her own life and the life of her child. The Guardian hopefully now believed that the Supreme Mother had taken her baby and drowned in the nearby ravine, joining Zoot in the afterlife.

Trudy watched Patsy and Cloe as their argument was resolved and they began to chat normally once again. How glad she was to be back here, safe away from the Chosen. She just wanted to forget all about it and resume her life, but she didn't think that that was possible. Every night when she closed her eyes, all she saw was Zoot. His unnerving eyes stared at her. He taunted her. He told her that the Chosen would come for her and Brady.

Trudy hugged her daughter tightly to her.

-O-

Lex smirked. "So the last time we did this was the last time, huh? The great Tai-San was mistaken," he said smoothly, propping his head up on his hand.

"So it seems," Tai-San replied shortly, turning away from him. She rose from his bed, bringing the sheet around her. She yanked it off the bed and pulled it with her as she went to pick up her clothes from the floor.

"Tai-San, you need to understand that we were just made for this. I mean stopping, well it'd completely mess up our karma… wouldn't it?" he asked carefully.

Doing up her top, Tai-San looked at him, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing. "And what about Alice's karma, Lex?" she asked pointedly, cocking her head to the side.

Lex stared at her for a moment and then rolled his eyes. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his trousers. Blatantly ignoring her question, he pulled them on and buttoned them.

"Lex, I can't keep giving in to my desires, not when it hurts someone I care about," Tai-San said softly, seeing his denial.

Lex gave her one of his stony glares. "It's not my fault the girl's obsessed with me just because I saved her life! I don't owe her anything, and neither do you, so just forget about Alice and focus on me!" he exclaimed.

Slowly, she spoke. "Lex, Alice is my best friend. She's not obsessed with you, she loves you, and I won't continue to betray her trust like this. She keeps telling me how strongly she feels about you! How do you think it makes me feel to hear that knowing we're doing this? I've let it continue for too long — and I'm sorry, but this is it. This is the end," she said clearly.

As these words fell on Lex's ears, his chest began to rise and fall painfully, rapidly. He felt like something large and pointed was lodged in his windpipe. It was hurt. Inwardly collecting himself for Tai-San's eyes, he strengthened his expression. "That's a pathetic excuse and you know it Tai-San. This has nothing to do with Alice and everything to do with you! You're afraid of getting into something with me and actually loving me! You've done it before and now you're doing it again. You watched me marry Zandra knowing you had feelings for me, didn't you?" he asked viciously.

Tai-San raised an eyebrow. "You're way off mark Lex," she replied.

"Am I?" Lex's eyes narrowed and he snorted. "I know you Tai-San. If you don't feel that something is right, then you don't do it. You think this is right. You're just trying to find reasons for it not to be," he said coldly.

Lex had lost his wife and child. He had faced alcoholism and destitution. He often felt completely useless within the tribe and hopeless at helping them. He was just getting back on track and Tai-San was the only one who had ever truly understood him. He'd never felt like he needed to hide anything from her, because she was smart enough to know it already – all of the faults and flaws. Why was she doing this to him? Now when he needed her the most?

Tai-San walked round the bed and stood inches from him. She stared up into his blue eyes and saw seventeen years of hurt in them. He had been hardened by his life, she had known that the moment she had met him. Was she adding another layer to the protective armour he had built around himself?

"You going to Alice's farm that day was destiny. You being there in time to save her when the barn collapsed was destiny. You getting hurt instead of her was destiny! There is a rhyme and reason to everything. I won't stand in the way of life's inevitable flow Lex. It's not my place. You have to see where your path takes you and Alice must do the same. If your paths converge, then I was right. If not, then I have misjudged the signs. But either way, there's nothing to lose," Tai-San said earnestly, feeling like the bottom was falling out of her stomach.

"Yes there is – us," Lex whispered urgently, his brows drawing together.

Tai-San had no reply to that. She faltered for a moment, but composed herself quickly. "I have my own path," she uttered softly, wishing she could lose herself in his arms and forget her principles. But if she did so and then lost Lex to one of his many vices – drink, greed, women, power – and had already lost her principles by staying with him, she'd have nothing whatsoever.

Lex blinked, closing his eyes for just a second longer than needed. His intense expression faded as her words wandered through his mind, taunting him. Another girl lost Lex, another chance at happiness gone, another life that will never be. He tightened his lips and squared his jaw, ignoring her sweet smell and the feeling of her warm breath on his neck. He glared down on her fiercely.

"Fine. Go. See if I care. Just don't expect me to be here when you realise just how very wrong you've been," he spat.

Tai-San gave him a pained look and exhaled. She kissed his cheek gently and though he didn't know why, he allowed her to. She touched his bare shoulder briefly, then turned away from him and left the room. Lex stared at the empty space where she had been for a few long and cold moments. Then he sprang into action suddenly, picking up a knickknack from a shelf and hurling it across the room, unknowingly mirroring Spike's reaction of rage in the antique shop earlier.

Breathing heavily, Lex felt the energy flow from his body. He slumped down on the floor by the bed, his arms hanging across his knees. She was gone… again. And this time it was for good.

Another bad goodbye. Another bad ending. It seemed these days, life was filled with nothing else.

-O-