26;

"Happy birthday, Ellie!"

Ellie sat alone at the table with a small cake in front of her that was adorned with fifteen lit candles. The rest of the apartment, even Joel, stood around her in the dim light, the shadows bouncing across their faces as the flames flickered and danced.

It wasn't much, but they all chipped in and got her a gift that was now sitting on the chair next to her. They sang the traditional happy birthday song, except Joel, and watched her as she paused to think then blow out the candles. They lightly clapped when the smoke began to rise while Marlene reached over and placed the box in front of her.

"This one is from all of us."

The Christmas season had come and gone, but the winter weather had dug itself in and refused to budge. The sun was setting, just barely above the horizon, and ushered in with it a cold and peaceful darkness. The streets and sidewalks were dusted white with snow that had been sporadically falling for the last several weeks.

Though heavier in the weeks past, snow flurries were lightly falling in a zigzag pattern past the apartment's window while the people in it were watching as Ellie began unwrapping her gift.

She threw aside the torn paper and flipped up the box's flaps to reveal a white stereo with built-in radio and CD player. She pulled it out of its box and quickly skimmed over its features and looked back at the people surrounding her.

"Guys, you shouldn't have got me this. It's too much."

"Please. Between all of us it wasn't bad. Besides, every teenage girl needs a stereo." She scanned the other faces quickly in a non-serious manner. "That's what kids do nowadays right? Listen to music?"

Ellie chuckled with the others as she put it back down. "It is. And thanks."

Riley leaned in from the side and placed a small box in front of her. "From me." She waited until Ellie took off the paper and had just barely opened it. "I know it's probably really corny and dorky, but I wanted to get you something special, so… I got you that. What do you think?"

Marlene slightly leaned forward and tried to get an eye on what Ellie pulled from the box. "What is it?"

"It's a necklace." Ellie let it fall from her hand while holding onto its chain.

"It's beautiful."

Riley cut back in. "It's one of those broken heart necklaces. Kind of a symbolic thing I guess. It's got your name on one half and mine on the other, and we would just wear each other's." She had on a nervous half smile and was fiddling with her fingers. "So?"

Ellie put both halves of the necklace back in the box without a word and wrapped her arms around Riley to pull her in for a kiss that seemed to linger too long for Marlene's comfort given by her obvious throat clearing.

"Sorry." She turned back to the girl standing next to her. "I love it."

Joel had obviously passed his patience limit. "Can we have the damn cake already? It's been sitting on the table long enough."

"Hold on, hold on." Marlene walked back into the tiny kitchen behind them and returned with a knife within just a few steps. She split the cake up into pieces and passed one out to everyone around her. "So, what are you girls doing tonight?"

"I'm taking Ellie out to this restaurant downtown. I pass it all the time and it smells amazing."

"That's a good idea. What's the restaurant?"

"Some Italian place, Il Tavolo."

"You'll have to let me know how it is. I love Italian food. Anyway, finish up your plates and then you can go."

Marlene naturally took on a mother role to the girls who weren't much older than her own son. They were unaccustomed with the idea but found it amusing.

They finished their slices, Ellie thanked everyone again, and then brought her gifts back to her room with Riley following close behind. She set the stereo on top of the cabinet of drawers that held their clothes and plugged it in to an outlet which caused it to suddenly light up with a flashing 12:00.

She opened the smaller box that she was still holding and pulled out both of the necklaces. She passed the one with her name on it to Riley, keeping the one with Riley's on it for herself.

"Come here, I want to put 'em together." The shape of the jagged edges on each half of the necklace allowed them to fit snuggly into the other. "I love them!"

She pulled Riley in for another kiss, though far more intimate now that they were out of sight of the others.

Riley gasped when Ellie finally pulled away. "Wow... you must really like your gift."

Ellie softened her voice and spoke as coyly as she could. "Just wait 'til tonight. You'll really see then." She watched enjoyably as the other girl's breath hastened and grew noticeably anxious before bursting out in a laugh. "You are so fucking easy."

"Oh come on. You can't do that to me, Ellie."

"But it's so funny."

"You're an ass." Riley just sighed as Ellie's chuckling died down.

"I know." She smiled as she kissed her again and then headed for the closet.

"Well did you know you're really hard to buy for? Took forever to decide on those."

"Yeah I know that too, sorry. I don't exactly have an expressed interest in much."

"I'm just glad you like them. Though we should probably get going if we don't want to have to wait for a table… at the table. Get it?"

"No..."

"'Cause Il Tavolo is… Italian… for you know what? Never mind."

Ellie rolled her eyes and walked back from the closet with their heavy coats and a couple of scarves.

"Alright, let's go."

They walked out of the apartment, the door locking immediately behind them, and reached the stairs. As they descended the air grew colder and started to slowly pierce their coats. When they finally reached the street outside the sun had completely set, leaving only a dim orange glow just over the mountain tops. The snow was coming down densely now, peacefully, with no wind to disturb its journey. They wrapped their arms tightly and pushed against each other as they walked down the sidewalk hoping to retain what heat they could.

"It's beautiful out, but fuck if it isn't cold." Riley spat out puffs of billowing fog as she spoke.

"Yeah, no kidding. This place better not be far."

"A little bit. It's near one of my spots kind of farther out. You'll make it, just think of the nice hot food that'll be waiting for us."

"That's worse. Now I'm very aware of how cold I am."

"Well then that's your fault. It helps me to think about the all pasta and bread I'm gonna be shoving in my face soon."

Ellie smirked. "That's because-"

"Don't say it."

"You're a pig."

"You really want to start this with me again? Because it sounds like you do Ms. Can't-hold-her-lunch-down."

"Oh my god, that was one time. One time!"

Riley's laughed with a cackle. "I so wish you could've seen that guys face! He was all, 'Not my shoes!' and 'No Bailey, get away from that!' It was fucking hilarious."

"It was his own damn fault his dog wasn't on a leash. Makes me sick all over again just thinking about it."

"Well don't ruin your appetite before we even get to the restaurant."

"You're the one who brought it up!"

"'Cause you called me a pig!"

Ellie exhaled slowly through her nose. "Alright, okay. Fine." She looked around unaware where Riley was leading her. "Sure this is the right way?"

"Yeah, I go this way all the time. It's a little off the main street but it's faster."

Ellie tilted her head back and got lost in a trance as the snow flurries fell like feathers from the clouds and danced around her. Her scarf kept her neck and chin warm but the cold air stung against her ears and nose, turning them a rosy hue. She was being guided by Riley past an alley when she heard something from the shadows to their left.

"Don't fucking move." The girls stopped dead in their tracks as a chill shot up their spines. "Pull out whatever is in your pockets and drop them on the ground." The man's voice was slightly slurred and his words didn't quite flow together. "Now."

Ellie's breathing was staggered as she partially swiveled in place to see where the voice was coming from.

"Don't fucking turn around!" She stopped immediately and turned back forward. "Back up slowly into the alley. I don't want you being seen."

"Alright… okay. We're backing up."

They did as he said and walked backwards past the edge of the building, cutting off any view of them from the street. The man led them until they were facing the walled off inside of the alley as he himself stood standing at the only exit.

Riley's voice was broken from both shivering and her nerves. "Are you really mugging two girls?"

The voice chuckled then coughed. "I'm not picky. Now drop whatever you have in your pockets on the ground and I'll let you go. Simple as that. Just don't turn around again."

Ellie was scared, but stubborn, her voice reflecting the former. "We don't have anything on us. We barely make anything from begging on the streets."

The man sighed from annoyance with the delay. "Stop wasting my time and empty your damn pockets already or I'll slit your throats!"

Ellie squinted her eyes from the sudden partial recognition of the voice. She let her mind connect the recognition to somewhere in her memory before uttering out a word. "Ethan?"

The man didn't say anything for a moment, rather instead stuttering out some unintelligible noises. "How do you…"

The girls took a chance by ignoring his previous warning and turned around to face the man they had once shared a residence with. He was much fouler since the last time they saw him. He wore a heavy coat and pants, his face was smudged over with dirt, and his hair came down across his face in greasy strands. He was unsteadily pointing a large hunting knife with a black handle at them.

Ethan studied the girls' faces for a few seconds before his alcohol ridden mind finally recognized them. He shook his head and snorted in disbelief.

"Lucky me. It's the lesbians again." Riley took a step forward, her face immediately contorting into a scowl. He waved his knife at her to make his superiority clear. "Don't be stupid, Riley. Just stand there like a good girl, okay?"

"Fuck you, Ethan." She took a step back. "I knew you had a problem with us. I guess you had a problem in your own damn head too 'cause look at this shit you're doing."

"Insulting the one with the knife, real smart Riley. And no, I don't have a problem with you. I have a problem with what you do."

"Same fucking thing."

Ellie laid her hand on Riley's shoulder, a gesture to lay off. Her pulse was still racing but had slightly lessened with the knowledge that the mugger was no longer a stranger. She forced words out through her nerves in hopes of distracting him.

"What happened, Ethan?"

He glared at her with incredulity while trying to determine her sincerity. He soon gave up the impossible task and his expression gave way to something softer, yet more distressed. "What happened? That's a loaded question." He scoffed and his eyes started shifting around. "Alright, fine. You want to know? It's all 'cause of my fucking boss… the idiot wouldn't even know the difference between-"

Neither girl dared to interrupt him as he began ranting, choosing instead to use the time to scout the area around them for something they could use or, at the least, allow for some extra time for the off-chance that someone would see them. They were only able to look for a few seconds before jerking their heads back forward to regain eye contact with Ethan after he made a sudden move while expressively explaining his recent past.

"It seemed like it at the time, but it wasn't worth it. God damn it! If he had just-" He took a couple of heavy breaths before continuing his drunken rant. "But he didn't. So instead, they threw me in jail for a month and slapped a third strike on my record."

He started darting his eyes around again and continued on. The girls again took the opportunity to scan the area but neither spotted anything useful. It was a back alley with little in it, mostly some trash cans and a dumpster on the right side which blocked their view of what lay behind.

They quickly looked forward again to meet Ethan's suddenly narrowed focus at them. Hopelessness seemed to have joined in with the rest of his emotions as his eyes now had a slight sheen to them and his voice began to waver. His change in expression hadn't lessened their fear of him though as he was still firmly holding the knife in their direction.

"…it's pointless now. What little I got from the city is now gone. What am I going to do? What? No one's going to hire a homeless man with a record."

Ellie tried to speak to his now less frantic character, hoping he could better understand reason. "I'm sorry about everything you've gone through, Ethan. Really. But you still have your place with Tess, Malcolm, and the others. They'll always be there for you. And you can beg for money and save up. That's what we're doing."

"No. I can't. Like I said, there's no point."

Silence overtook them as Ethan appeared to get lost in thought. The night snow was still falling and dancing around them in a beautiful display, an unnerving contrast to their situation. Puffs of white smoke continually escaped the lips of the three standing in the alley.

Ethan's eyes slowly widened as though an idea had taken hold. "I know what to do… I need to get thrown back in. It was warm. And there was free food. I just need to give them a reason to do so…" He dropped his head and stared at the snow. "Sorry girls, can't say I'll miss you."

A moment later he heard the snow crunching in front of him as he spouted out his last decisive words. The noise approached quickly and by the time he had raised his head to react, Riley was already next to him. She grabbed the wrist of the hand his knife was in and pushed it to the side as she threw her entire weight behind her elbow and into his chest. His grip around the knife loosened and caused it to slip through his hand and fall to the ground.

He groaned loudly as he lost his footing and stumbled to a knee. "You bitch!"

He was able to regain some energy into his now free hand and connect a hard fist into Riley's stomach. She yelled and was sent reeling backwards and forced to her knees. She braced herself with a hand on the ground while she coughed and wheezed for air.

He reached down and frantically searched for the knife. He spotted a black blur among the snow, reached in its direction, and grabbed a hold of it. Just as he finally wrapped his fingers around its handle the top of a boot rammed itself into his nose, instantly breaking it and sending blood streaming down his face.

His head whipped backwards from the contact and knocked him back onto the ground. He gained sight of the girl who was positioned for a second strike and managed to lean back and slash in her direction as her fist was coming near. The blade connected and opened a gash in the side of her arm.

Ellie screamed out and recoiled backwards towards Riley while grabbing at her wound. He clumsily picked himself up again and began staggering slowly towards them with the knife that now had Ellie's blood on its edge.

Ethan released a large exhale as he neared. "Just let me do this. Give up."

Riley flashed her eyes downwards and quickly reached for something behind the dumpster they had been forced backward to. The sudden movement caused Ethan to panic and to react as fast as he could towards her. As he got close Riley's hand reemerged with a glass bottle which she quickly smashed on the side of his head. The bottle shattered into a pool of a million shards and blackened the vision of his left eye. Ethan yelled out and clutched at his face with his free hand while he began wildly swinging the knife in their direction with the other.

Riley took the opportunity and screamed at the other girl. "Ellie, run!"

Ellie sprinted toward his left side while Riley went right. Her plan was short lived however when she saw him arcing his knife toward her just as she was beginning to pass. The knife hit its target and forced itself deep into the back of her thigh.

Riley screamed and hit the ground shoulder first, sliding several feet and leaving a swathe of red in the snow behind her. Ellie's heart skipped when she heard her and immediately began to frantically look around.

Ethan turned to his left to face the girl now on the ground. He was holding the left half of his face and panting heavily.

"You should've… just given me… the money." He flashed her a crooked frown. "It would've been… a lot easier."

"You don't have to do this!"

Riley held out her hands to defend herself from the impending attack when his head suddenly jerked to the left following a violent clang sound. His body went limp and fell sideways onto the snow.

She lowered her hands to see Ellie standing in front of her with a rusted metal pipe in her hands.

The girl stood there frozen with her eyes wide open staring straight at the unmoving man on the ground. A large pool of blood near his head was growing steadily in size with each passing second.

Riley carefully pushed herself off the ground and put her hands on Ellie's shoulders. "Ellie, come on! We've gotta go!"

To Ellie her words sounded muffled, almost incomprehensible, and as if they were miles away.

"Ellie? Say something!"

Ellie slowly scanned Riley's face before managing to find her brown eyes. As she stared into them the voice she was hearing became understandable and her daze faded. She looked around at where she was and weakly nodded at Riley's command to leave. She let the pipe slip out of her hands and allowed herself to be guided out of the alley and back onto the side street. But before they could make it to the main road Ellie completely lost her strength and dropped to her knees.

"I killed him…" A smile slowly formed as she stared at Riley. "I killed him, he's dead. He's dead, Riley!" Her smile escalated into a laugh and then all at once collapsed to sobbing. "I killed him... I killed him…"

Riley dropped to her knees and pulled Ellie into the tightest hug she could. Ellie continued crying out the same words repeatedly, each consecutive one getting quieter than the last.

"You're right, you did." Riley rested her forehead against Ellie's. "But you saved our lives, Ellie. He would've killed us if you hadn't." She moved her head away and looked farther down the frosted alley and then back at her. "You're gonna be okay. Come on."