500 Miles – Ruins

By Princess Alexandria

That night Christy was laying in bed in the trailer she miraculously didn't have to share with anyone. The cell phone she'd borrowed was lying on her stomach as she stared at the ceiling. That call had been just as unpleasant as she'd expected. Christy's mother had cried in relief, and then when Christy explained that she couldn't return, because she'd been possessed by a mutant and they were trying to separate them it had turned to fear. Christy didn't bother to tell the woman that she was talking to the "parasite." Christy's mother wasn't necessarily anti-mutant, but she sure didn't sound like she believed it was an innocent accident that caused this mess. In the end Christy had to speak in a different tone and pretend to be the "alien presence" assuring the woman that it was an accident and that it would be fixed. That she meant no harm. She lied and said she'd responded to Christy's needing help and had trouble separating, that she'd been playing hero.

Christy now had a very real headache.

The knock on the door pulled her out of the staring trance she had going with the ceiling and she rolled off the bed to get the door. Emma stood there. "Come on in." Christy held the door opened and found herself glancing at the sky before closing it. "How are you doing?"

"Well, aside from the headache of dealing with building permits, I'm fine." Emma glanced around the small trailer, undoubtedly smaller than her own, before moving to sit on the one chair. Christy sat on the bed facing her. "And you? Did you make that call?"

Christy sighed. "Yeah" her slumped shoulders told the story so she didn't elaborate on too much of it. "Apparently Christy is a teacher and I better get the hell out of her before she has to go back to work. Her mother doesn't want me destroying her little girl's life. I tried to tell her I saved her damned life, but she wasn't listening too well. I get the feeling her mother thinks I look like a slimy worm and was shoved into her ear to take over her mind."

"So I gather you didn't mention your origins?"

"No." Christy scooted a little on the bed to try and get more comfortable. "I don't know if Christy is out to her family and I wasn't going to out her as a mutant if she wasn't." It felt strange talking about another Christy and using her own name for another person so much.

"It's interesting that she's a teacher." This was turning into visiting and chatting, instead of the private lessons Emma promised, but Christy just liked hearing that cool, educated voice speak to her. God, she missed home. "We are currently trying to fill a few positions. Do you think she'd be interested?"

Christy sighed. "I have no idea." That Christy would have to move away from home and Christy knew how hard that would have been for her if she hadn't had the circumstances she did. If she had a job offer in New York before everything she'd been through, she would have been flattered, but she wouldn't have taken it. The added incentive of having a beautiful woman to move to wasn't here for this other Christy. Emma had Scott, and Emma was most likely the one any Christy would want.

"Well, without her around to talk, I guess I'll just have to go about filling the positions the regular way." Emma sighed and seemed to relax, making it clear how tired she was. "Did your Emma run a school? It is tiring work planning for children's education while also reassuring parents that this school is still someplace they can trust. Having a teacher destroy Manhattan is hard to explain away. I must have said we've improved our screening process for hiring a hundred times today."

Christy's expression softened as she recognized how Emma was fishing for information. The telepath was curious. "My Emma was a teacher, and she had run schools in the past, but not right now." She wasn't sure how much she wanted to tell this woman about her lover. There were things that perhaps it would be best not to know. "It doesn't really matter what she does, she always seems to work hard, too hard. I think you have the same problem." Christy reached out to touch the other's blonde hair in a tender caress, one she normally did with her own Emma, but this woman seemed a little startled. Her hand moved away awkwardly and Christy smiled an apology at Emma. "You look so tired. The others might not see it, but I know what to look for. You aren't the only headmaster. You need to be able to rely on your partner." And sadly she'd picked him as her partner in life as well.

"Yes, well." Emma's opened expression closed off. "If I want the school to open in time I have to do it myself. Scott has other priorities."

And that didn't sound good at all. "Your priorities should be his." Christy couldn't imagine having her Emma working herself to death and not making it her priority to help her. It didn't matter if Christy believed in what her lover was doing or not, if she needed help Christy would be there.

"Yes, well your Emma has you well trained." Emma's words sounded a bit insulting, "but I haven't had him long enough to break him in yet." Christy was betting the venom wasn't really for her. It might have been, but Christy usually gave her lover the benefit of the doubt and that attitude extended to her double.

"I can't lift much and moving my arm too much isn't that great, but I can make phone calls, file…" She stared into those sky blue eyes. "I can help you. I don't want you collapsing from exhaustion."

"It's hard getting anything for a publicly known mutant school." Emma sighed. "I hear insults, threats, on a regular basis when all I'm doing it calling to try and get more supplies delivered. Never mind the fact that we all have to do construction because I haven't been able to find a crew to do the job." The blonde pulled a metal flask from somewhere and took a deep drink. Drinking? Christy stared at the hint that Emma may have more problems with this than she'd been admitting.

"I'm used to abuse." Christy's expression became stony, her own warrior mask. "I've done some rather unpopular things in my past; I can take it."

Emma just stared at her, and Christy hoped she wouldn't ask. Christy wasn't going to tell. "Okay, come to the office tomorrow and we'll see if you last more than a few hours." Christy just nodded. This was really Scott's job, but if he wasn't going to watch out for his lover Christy would. She couldn't just sit back and watch Emma run herself into the ground.

"What do I get if I last the entire day?" She teased. Emma's wicked smile promised more than the woman would deliver, and Christy blushed before looking away.

"You are so easy dear. Your lover must have had a lot of fun teasing you."

"I like to think so." Christy smiled as she remembered some of her lover's more playful moments.

"Keep your mind focused on her." Christy felt a tap on her shield and struggled to pick a more innocent memory before opening the door. "If you learn to hold your focus teleporting will be easier. I'd bet money that a stray thought is what landed you here and not back on the beach you came from."

Christy sighed as she recognized the truth in that thought. Panic tended to make her mind race. Even though Emma came to her tired, it was Christy that had to stop first. The effort to not let her mind wander was more difficult than she would have expected.

"She looks pretty." Emma smirked at her.

Christy smiled back. "My lover is the prettiest woman on the planet." Her teasing smile faded to a gentler one when Emma nodded thanks for the compliment. They looked identical after all.

When Christy showed Emma to the door, more a move to be polite than a necessity, since standing up and taking two steps was all it took, she stood in the doorway and watched the blonde walk away for a little while. A quick glance at the sky showed the nearly full moon that was making Emma's blonde hair seem to shimmer like a goddess. "Most beautiful woman on the planet." She whispered to herself as Emma turned and moved out of sight.

………………

"Look, you have to need money." Christy's voice was cold and her eyes stared unseeingly at that cup of pens on the desk. "Everyone likes money. This place is going up if I have to put plastic up instead of windows. Just because you don't sell to me doesn't mean I'll go away. The whole damned city fell down around my ears and I'm still here. I'm like that. Now I'm willing to agree to buy from you, and I know you'll gouge me on the price." And if he wasn't the last bastard she'd called she would have just hung up on the idiot. "Think of it as your small piece of retribution, even though the people I work with killed the bastard that did all that damage. It isn't like anyone notices that." She reached out and picked up the pen. "Yes, I want a delivery by next Friday. I don't have a safe place to store anything so I can't take a shipment early." She started to write down what he was telling her. "You do realize that if you didn't screw us you'd get repeat business. Everyone knows how destructive mutants can be, especially the young ones." His pause made her smile. Money, even men like him would sing a new tune for money.

When she hung up she turned in her chair and was startled to see a girl looking at her with her mouth open just a bit. The eye patch was a new fashion statement. "Can I help you?" Christy asked politely. There weren't a lot of students staying here, in fact almost none of them were. A safe house somewhere else had the kids. Christy had been offered a place there as well, but she needed to be nearby so Emma could help train her, in the few spare moments the blonde had.

"I'm Marie." The girl finished coming into the office trailer. The place was easily three times the size of Christy's small dwelling and had a few well equipped office stations. "I was supposed to come and get a few files for Vange."

Christy looked around at the file cabinets. Hopefully she wouldn't need to figure out this system. "Do you know what you need?"

"Yes, I just need…" Marie moved around her a bit cautiously. Christy's eyebrow rose at the effort being made to not be in her way.

"Do you know where the shipment list is?" Maybe this girl worked here. Christy could add her own small victory to it. "Oh, and when those windows come in, stay away from them until I have them checked for bombs." She smiled, teasing a little, but Marie looked startled and her one eye widened a bit too much. "I was just teasing." She spoke more softly and watched the girl start to relax, before she moved to open a file drawer. "But I should check them, shouldn't I?"

Marie hesitated. "It would probably be a good idea. It didn't sound like he liked you very much."

"Whoever had the stupid idea to out a school should be shot." Christy grumbled as she sat back in her chair.

"Well, I don't know anything about that." Marie turned to look at her, the nervous slump was shrinking. "But it is a bit hard. I… I had to lie about where I was living when I went to the grocery store with Ms. Munroe. I was afraid they wouldn't sell us any milk. It seems like everyone's heard about this school." Marie bowed her head a little shyly and reached out a hand, holding a file. "Here's your list."

"Thank you." Christy stared at it a moment before taking it. This girl was scarred, hurt, and timid, but pretty competent. "It was nice meeting you." She meant it as she watched Marie leave.

After another hour she still hadn't found a supplier for the roofing. She hung up and took a deep breath, so she wouldn't start out on the next phone call wanting to rip them apart. Each asshole should earn their own angry non-customer; she didn't want to give it away.

The door opening loudly and quickly startled her and Christy found herself reaching for a gun that wasn't there. Luckily it wasn't because a young man stood there, obviously looking for someone. "Is Emma here?" Her eyebrows drew together as she looked around the place herself. She couldn't see where she was supposed to have hid an Emma. "The lumber guy is here and the order isn't right."

"She's taking a nap." And Christy had barely managed to gently manipulate the woman into doing that. Only experience with that type of battle against her lover enabled her to win. "And don't bother her." She added as he started to turn to go. She looked around Emma's desk for the name of the company supposed to be delivering today. She then grabbed the file and moved to stand up. Her steps were quick and confident as she marched past the blonde young man to the door.

A look at the truck driver showed a frustrated man being glared at by the locals. Christy took a deep breath and smiled, her steps had to be slowed so she didn't seem like she was swooping in to attack. It was time to use her training to her advantage. "Hi." She smiled and stepped forward. "We have a problem?"

"Well, I didn't get an order for…" He outlined the various missing items, which Christy could recognize they needed desperately. This was the only lumber company willing to work with them so she wasn't going to alienate him.

"I know they were ordered. I was charged for them." She spoke gently and glanced around, glad to see everyone apparently was more than willing to just let her deal with this. A few men were unloading what had arrived. She sighed, exaggerating it just a little and looked up at him with a slightly lost look on her face. "I don't know what to do. I need to keep this project moving or we'll never be ready for the kids." She stared at him like he could fix all her problems, a trick she'd learned from experience. "What should I do now? Without those things, we can't move on with the construction." She shook her head. "I know I ordered them." Actually Emma did, but this worked better. Emma wasn't the best at playing woman in distress, and while Christy hated to do it, she had to admit it worked, especially if she added flirting to it.

"Well…" He went quiet when she looked up at him and ran her hands through her hair, straightening it. The way she leaned to do that showed more cleavage. "I'm supposed to be off work after this shipment, and with the mess Magneto made it will be a while before we have a truck to deliver here again."

"Oh." Her eyes widened in a calculated move. "I can't…" Her hands moved through her hair in a nervous pulling.

"I could swing by the warehouse tonight and load it up." He gave her a half smile. Hooked.

"Would you?" She smiled and glanced around at the construction then back to him. "Oh, that would be great." She'd caught the woman in white heading their way, but Emma seemed to loose steam. She slowed down and moved to stand by some other people. Christy grinned flirtatiously with the trucker and acted just a little shy. "You are a life saver."

"Hey, you have to get this place up for the kids." Oh, how overdone. She smiled like he'd impressed her with his caring about children, but she knew it was his libido that got them that wood. She'd flashed enough cleavage and batting eyes for these supplies.

She even waved as he drove away, bouncing just a little. Her breasts weren't large enough to do much, but it was the thought that counted. "Men are so easy." She muttered as she felt Emma step up next to her.

"I thought you were acting a little strange for you." Emma was smirking. "I see you know the power of a little sex appeal."

"I learned from the best. It's nice not to be the one being controlled for a change."

They went back to the office and Christy explained what she'd been doing while Emma slept. "Not bad." Emma stared at the faxes that came in as she talked. "Tonight, I think we should work on your focus again."

Well, that was random, but Christy just nodded and answered the phone that had started to ring. She glanced out the window as she talked with the lumber company, verifying her order. Scott was chatting with Henry. Chatting? Why hadn't she seen him in this office even once today? What could possibly be so important he that couldn't even come and check to see if Emma needed a break?

……………

"I need to meet with our suppliers tomorrow to pick out the flooring Scott." Emma was talking, and while Christy tried not to eavesdrop on her, it was hard not to hear a voice so familiar to her. Even though Christy was busy eating quietly and wasn't a part of the conversation going on across the table she heard a tiny note of hope in Emma's voice. "Perhaps you could join me? We need to make decisions about flooring, as well as a few other fine details."

"I need to go into town and take care of some business." His voice didn't even hold any warmth. It was hard to hear in his tone that he was talking to a lover and Christy made sure not to look up, because she was sure her disapproval would show in her expression. He'd been like this the entire week Christy had been working with Emma, and it seemed like it wasn't anything new. She hated to know any Emma was being brushed aside like that. She kept her eyes on the plate and barely managed to keep her sigh quiet.

"Oh well, it isn't like you have any vested interest in making sure this school opens." Christy heard the accusation in that voice and Christy glanced up at them.

"I'm not doing anything." She spoke while staring at Emma. The woman turned her head from Scott to look at her. Christy gave Emma a weak smile. "I've been told I have an eye for color."

"Don't you think you should be working on separating yourself from your double?" Scott's didn't sound happy. It wasn't like she was asking to date his Emma; she just didn't think Emma would enjoy doing all the deciding without anyone to talk to.

"Really Scott, what do you think she's doing when she's sitting by the water?" Emma's defending her before she had to say anything made Christy smile just a little. "That is what you are doing isn't it?"

Christy's eyes traveled between the couple. "Um, I'm trying to build up my power reserves. I have to recharge, and she has the same powers. I feel like she's siphoning off some of my work." Emma seemed interested in what she was saying, so Christy focused on her. "It's just a guess, but if I can pull in enough I might be able to recreate my body again. I really don't want to take her with me when I leave and I am not staying."

"I'm sure she'll be relieved to know that." Scott's words were casual, but Christy felt it was a jab. When the couple started to talk again Christy tried to focus on other conversations going on around her. She didn't feel comfortable observing the quiet, and from what she could tell, often telepathic, lovers spat.

She finished eating while staring at the windows that reflected nicely on the mansion. They'd come in a few days ago and looked good, but Christy couldn't help but think so many windows were a mistake in the design, because they would get destroyed in some way. It probably won't be two months before someone had to call that company again for replacements.

After dinner she went back to her place by the side of the water. It took some effort to ignore the glances she knew she was getting as she walked away.

…………….

"I'm sorry about Scott dear." The voice startled her and Christy had to take a few breaths to try and calm her blush. She'd been receiving and if Emma hadn't spoken when she did the woman would have heard Christy moan. Her body was shaky and Christy did her best to mask that as she turned to see Emma leaning against a tree with her arms crossed in front of her. The raised eyebrow made it clear that Emma had noticed something. Christy's blush returned.

"Its okay" was all she said. Saying it bothered her wouldn't really do any good. She hated him, and this version of him wasn't really likeable either. Perhaps asshole Scotts were a universal truth. Was universal the right word for it? Christy found herself pondering that distractedly until Emma spoke.

"Why here?" Christy turned to stare at the water, but she could hear Emma starting to walk toward her after the blonde asked the question.

"I don't know." Christy sighed. "When my powers really developed I was on a shore. My real body is made of water now." She swallowed. She felt so lost and unsure of what to do, but she tried to seem confident to the others. "I don't know if I can separate us. I don't know what to do, and I'm so tired of hearing people criticize me for this like I did it on purpose. I never woulda done this to her on purpose." The phone call she'd gotten earlier still stung. Christy's mother wasn't happy she was still there. "Christy has to start work in a few weeks and I need to decide if I should call and tell them that she needs a leave of absence. I have to decide now." Christy pulled her knees up tight to her body. "Decide whether I have any hope or not."

"We will manage to do this." Emma moved to sit on the ground beside her. The conviction in her voice helped. Christy shifted to watch Emma instead of the water. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to make this a priority."

"You have a lot to do." Christy shrugged. "I know how important kids are to you."

"But you're here helping me when you'd rather be saving your lover." Emma glanced at the water. "I must admit Scott's attitude today has something to do with that. I may have let it slip that you are working to return to my double, that you love her enough to play roulette with realities." Christy was one of the few people that could catch the slight slump in Emma's shoulders. "I had some problems not to long ago and he wasn't there. He didn't try to be there."

"You said I've been trained longer." The sensitive conversation was reaching an uncomfortable level. She wanted to reach out and comfort the woman, but this wasn't her lover and she couldn't pull this Emma into a hug and not expect Emma to be uncomfortable there. Still this was unusual for Emma; at least Christy's Emma wouldn't unload her problems on someone else.

"Yes, well there is that." Emma didn't sound convinced. "It's nice to know at least one Emma has someone like you. Someone who puts her first."

Christy felt a bit more uncomfortable with this evidence that Emma wasn't happy. "Thank you." She didn't know what else to say to that comment.

Emma waved a hand, a common gesture that always seems to mean that topic was over. "So I thought I'd come here and try to get a better understanding of your powers so I could help you."

"What?" Christy wasn't sure she wanted to explain them. She'd seen too many people look at her like she was disgusting for feeding off of death's energy.

"I want to try and contact her again." Emma felt like she'd gotten closer, but Christy hadn't seen her move. "Maybe if she isn't working against you you'll be able to pull out."

Christy just stared at Emma a moment. Working against her? She hadn't even considered that. She'd assumed the other Christy was accidentally siphoning off her power. "What do you need?"

"Lower your shield and let me in." Emma's voice was a hint deeper, so sexy. Christy didn't lower her shield right away. She just stared at the woman and wondered if she should. Finally her own trust of another woman made her lower her eyes and surrender. Her fists clenched as she lowered the shield more than she normally did for telepathic communication. Some of the death energy was leaking in.

"Ohh, nice little secret." Emma muttered. "It always feels like this?"

"Yes."

"It's amazing you ever leave the beach." Emma teased and then the blonde's expression became more serious. "Just relax and do what I tell you."

"Where have I heard that before?" Christy smirked as her own voice deepened with her arousal. "All you Emma's are so kinky." Part of her was embarrassed teasing this woman like this, but her power and the intimacy of the situation seemed to call for a tension breaker.

"Really?" Emma gave her a real smile for a moment, before it became business again. "Try to pull in more power. I'll follow the leak to her. She's well hidden."

It felt like an hour, but was probably not, when Emma spoke again. "Pull in harder and try to separate now."

"How?" Christy muttered as she pulled on her powers. She'd never tried anything like this, but she used her shape shifter training, to try and visualize herself stepping out of this body.

"Keep trying." Emma sounded strained. Christy reached out and found a new arm reaching toward the telepath as she leaned on the other two. Her eyes widened and she struggled to press harder.

"Emma!" The loud voice startled her and Christy's third arm went transparent and then water splashed across her lap.

"Oh God!" Christy panted as she stared at where she'd almost gotten free. Water darkened her jeans, the water she'd managed to pull into a whole.

"Emma!"

"What is it Scott!" Emma growled out. "We were working." The blondes voice softened as the man could be heard coming there way. "We have something now. Next time we try this I think we'll be able to do it."

"What did you do?" Christy felt a little out of phase, drunk, on the power.

"I taught her how to close the leak." Scott stepped into the clearing, but Emma kept her attention on Christy. "She is aware of what is going on Christy. She doesn't blame you." Emma's sky blue eyes stared into her soul. "She told me to tell you that she hopes you get home to your lover. She feels your loneliness."

"Oh." Christy swallowed as she pitied the woman she held prisoner in her on skin. Christy looked away from Emma and out to the water so that no one would see the watery eyes. "Thanks. Maybe next time."

"We will next time." Emma stood up. "She also says to take the leave of absence. She's accepted my offer to stay a little longer and learn about her powers. Now that she sees she isn't a weak mutant she wants to know more. See, you did manage to help her." Christy just nodded that she'd heard and understood the message.

Emma moved to Scott. "Well, what was so important you had to interrupt us when we were making such good progress?" There voices grew more distant as they walked away. Christy just sat on the shore staring at the water.

"I just want you to know, I'm trying." She whispered to the woman she now knew was aware of her. It felt like a very nervous first date, she wasn't sure what to say. "I won't stop trying. I'm so sorry about this."
……………………..

"Bright Eyes." Someone teased and Christy just nodded as she walked past to go to the office. She remembered that one anti-mutant bigot calling her that, but from friendly lips it wasn't that bad. She'd spent the past two weeks going to the shore for every spare moment, absorbing all she could, and her double had a unique reaction to that. Her eyes now glowed. Maybe it had something to do with actually having a physical body. Her own form didn't do that regularly, just when she created portals.

Emma thought the split might go better if she was already fully recharged when they tried again. Christy felt like any more power and neither of the women in this body would have room to stay. She felt a little shaky all the time. Apparently she wasn't meant to always hold a full charge.

It was an hour later that someone came in and Christy looked up from the paperwork she was doing. "We need Emma to sign for a shipment." Sam held out the form. "Where is she?"

Christy just sighed and held out a hand for the clipboard the trucker must have handed over. "I'll take care of it." She glanced out the window at the slightly torn up grass. The trailers and tents were finally gone and the mansion was livable, if still without heat and a few other things.

When she got to the second floor bedroom door she reached out to knock. Her fist never hit the wood. A moan reached her ears and she froze. Her eyes widened as she heard it again. It made her heart ache; it was a noise she'd heard countless times before. A sound her lover used to make and one that Christy missed as she lay alone in bed night after night.

She turned and moved to take the stairs quickly. She wasn't interrupting that. She couldn't knock and have Emma answer the door, knowing what was going on, and with Scott at that. It was so wrong. That Scott didn't seem to respect Emma nearly enough to be let into Emma's bed.

She stared at the form that still needed signing as she stood by the front door. She took the pen and rested the clipboard on a table as she visualized Emma's signature. Her forgery was close enough to not be questioned, not without a handwriting expert. She waved Sam over from the door. "She's busy. See if that's enough and if not come to me." It wasn't like Christy hadn't forged that signature before. As she moved to hand it to him, she almost dropped it as she saw Scott talking with the truck driver in the distance. "Um... thanks." She muttered as Sam took the form. So Emma was alone?

She closed the front door and slowly made her way to the office, all the while feeling ashamed of her impulse to go back up those stairs. Not her Emma… Not her Emma… she repeated to herself as she sat down and stared at the bills she had to pay. She had to try three times to do the math for the windows company before she could pull out a check and filled it out. Emma would sign it later. Christy wasn't going to risk forging a check.

She needed to go home. It was starting to feel too comfortable being here, like she was creating a life, and she had a life. She wanted it back.

…………….

There were others around, Christy could see them but she didn't pay them any attention. They were pretending to be busy doing other things, but she could feel the eyes on her. "So, tonight is the big night." Marie spoke softly. Christy just gave her a small smile. "It was nice knowing you."

"I might not make it." Christy voiced her fear.

"Oh you will." Marie smiled and Christy once again felt a little pain at having to pick and chose realities. She'd never met this girl before this world, but Marie had been invaluable in helping Christy help Emma with the construction.

Emma came out of the mansion and Christy stood a little taller. She wasn't fooling herself. The Xmen casually hanging out around the mansion were there in case she lost control of her powers and caused problems. They were right to be afraid; Christy could imagine the damage Scythe could cause if it went wild.

Emma walked with along the path to the beach Christy had been visiting for over a month. "You know, if you don't feel ready you could wait." Emma spoke softly, in a tender tone that Christy hadn't heard directed in her way since she left her home.

Christy took a deep breath and stopped walking to face Emma. For now she couldn't hear anyone around. Perhaps they were going to have privacy. "Emma, you are a remarkable woman and it's killing me to see you every day." She noticed the taken aback look Emma gave her. "You aren't happy, and sometimes I…" Christy turned to look towards where they needed to go. "I need my Emma, and I don't want to get too comfortable here." Christy turned back to the woman so like her own lover. "You aren't my Emma, but I care. You…" Christy struggled with what she should do. If this worked, she wanted to have tried. "You are so easy to love. Don't settle for anything less than real, passionate, I can't live without you, you're all I can think about love." Scott wasn't the one, not for her. "You deserve it." She could see Emma's open expression closing down and she knew Emma didn't like hearing this.

"I don't see that this is any of your business."

Christy sighed before turning to continue walking. "It's not. That's the problem; I can't help but feel like it is. Please, just think about it."

"Thank you for all your help with the construction." And just like that Emma ignored the topic. Hopefully she would think about it. Christy sighed loudly, the only hint she wasn't happy with Emma's reaction.

"You'll take care of her? I don't know how well off she'll be."

"I've been in contact with her. Don't worry; I don't think you've damaged her too badly."

When they got to the spot, where Christy's feet stood in the water, Christy stood awkwardly, instead of sitting like she was supposed to. She stood staring at this Emma. The woman that took her in and worked with her to try and help Christy get home gave her a questioning look. Christy stepped forward and pulled Emma into a hug. It felt so familiar it hurt, but she just held on, resting her head on Emma's shoulder. "Thank you." She whispered, but her heart sang to feel arms around her again. "I'll miss you now."

"You'll do fine. You'll get home and show your lover how much you love her."

"Every minute of every day." Christy's throat felt tight as tears came to her eyes.

"That is more than enough thank you."

Emma's eyes glowed just a bit, not nearly as brightly as Christy's did, but her power was clearly being used. "Separate." Emma spoke the one word command and Christy pulled just a little more power in. It felt like trying to keep eating when you are so full every bite is painful. She screamed in pain as she took a partial step forward, a third, and then fourth leg moving to hold her weight. She pushed hard, and felt like the cold of death surrounded her, enveloped her. Froze the warmth she'd gotten used to.

Christy fell forward and backward at the same time. Two separate splashes and then she screamed, her body shaking with its contained power. Scythe rumbled and appeared.

"Keep her in mind." Emma yelled over the wind. Christy took one moment to look at the woman, looking so young in her amazement in Scythe. So young and so beautiful. Keeping Emma in mind had never been a problem for Christy.

Her eyes moved to her doubles wide eyes, eyes that seemed more aware than Christy expected her to be. "Sorry." Christy mouthed to her.

"Thank you." That woman told her and then Christy just turned and ran for Scythe. Dragging out the goodbyes just made it harder and she needed to be able to concentrate. Emma, I'm coming home, She mentally called out. She felt a different Emma, her friend's mental touch, before the ride began again. The light, shadows, and turbulence that marked the crossing of realities.

……………..

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

The Proclaimers

When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you

If I get drunk yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you

Refrain
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door

When I'm working yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I'll do
I'll pass almost every penny on to you

Refrain

When I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you
And if I grow old well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you

Refrain

When I'm lonely yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you
When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream
Dream about the time when I'm with you