A sudden meow broke Atlanta's train of thought momentarily. And with a little jingling of his bell, Candy came scampering down the hallway. No longer the kitten Troy had surprised her with; the black and white, and Much cursed at, cat came straight to her. And started pretending he'd had no treats whatsoever and was just happy to see her home. Atlanta was happy to be home, after such a long odd day. She smiled sadly and crouched down to coo and make a fuss of her little pet. And Candy gave the best impression of being sweet. For once.

(Rather than 'menace' 'An absolute horror' and ' worse then any guard dog', 'heck, worse then Oink ' slander he'd quite rightly earnt off the Stingray crew and her father. Not that Sam Shore wasn't fond of the cat. He'd been grumpy about having a kitten in the house and complained about Candy all the time. Yet spoilt him worse than Atlanta ever could! Candy however remembered just who had put him in the candybox of his name sake.)

Relieved Troy hadn't dropped her off so late her father had gotten up to wait for her, Atlanta locked the front door and quietly made her way further into their apartment. Candy purred and chirped about her winding himself in and out of her legs as normal. Like any other night.

That was until Candy butted his head against her leg, his tail curled and wrapping around her ankle. A move she normally found incredibly adorable. Tonight however Atlanta shuddered with revulsion, reminded again about the band of scarring about Marina's achilles heel she'd kept trying to put out of her mind.

Shooing Candy out from under her feet Atlanta began tidying ( ie pacing about) the lounge on autopilot. until she had to kick off her heels. She'd given herself achy feet to match her head ache. She tried going about her normal routine; Feeding the cat, sorting breakfast for the morning along with a packed lunch, and popping it back in the fridge where Candy couldn't get it.

But without being able to put a disc on and have music to distract herself, Atlanta found herself thinking and overthinking and going back over the whole morning again and again.

Even Candy cuddles didn't help, although the ball of mischief was happy to be babied in her arms. Reading did not help. Lying on the sofa didn't help. Washing up, reorganising the kitchen cupboards, playing with Candy. nothing.

And all the while Marina's scar had played on her mind. Even without meaning to, Atlanta found herself Thinking about it. Wondering about it. Fretting about it.

Atlanta supposed she could go over to confront Marina about what had happened? Not that it was her place to. Maybe she should just check in with the mergirl instead? Just to see how she was doing. Marina's home wasn't far after all. Heck If Atlanta where to go out onto the balcony, and lean right out over the railing, so as to look around the end row of her street; she would have been able to see right across the town and make out the little square windows of Marina's place. Would it be lit up like Atlanta's front room; Marina a silhouette pacing along the curtains? Or in darkness, with the mergirl turned in for the night.

Would Marina be a mirror image to her even? Making a fuss over Oink while working herself into a state about if Atanta had said something? Or had she shrugged it off after the initial shock had worn off while Atlanta wound herself in knots her nose buried in Candy's fur?

Atlanta could just swing by perhaps? Just to you know, check in…?

"Well maybe not right now in the dark." She muttered. Perhaps a Video phone would be more appropriate? But looking at the time now it'd be too late if Marina was asleep. And the Stingray crew needed all their sleep for their early run tomorrow. And beside it might wake the neighbours. Atlanta wanted to ask. She didn't want to ask. Something horrible must have happened to her friend. And Atlanta just wanted to know Marina was okay.

But had no idea how to brooch the subject.