"You certainly are giving them fits, aren't you?" a female voice laughed from the viewing window of Buddy's cell.

Buddy looked up from his book. A pink haired young woman stood half-leaning against the glass. He recognized her from when he'd been arrested. "Am I?" he asked. She seemed to know Violet fairly well and he'd already read this book three times now.

"They expected you to at least try and escape once by this point," she told him with a smirk. "I'm sure you have all parties concerned pulling out their hair, the ones that don't just want information from you that is."

"And you didn't expect me to escape?" he asked carefully.

She smirked again. "After all the trouble you went through to get in here? And I certainly don't expect you to talk."

"Who are you? I saw you talking to Violet that day…" Buddy murmured wishing he'd kept up better with the NSA. At one time, he'd known about almost all the operatives. Not only through Xerek's plants, but also by the fact that finding a super often was easily done through by following their liaison.

"I'd say no one to be trifled with, but that is such a clichéd line and I'm not a super of either persuasion," she told him with a slight grin. "Invisagirl has spoken rather favorably of you. Have a good day, Mr. Pine." She mocked saluted before she walked off.

Kathryn Dicker, of course, Violet's liaison. Daughter like father could be very loyal but often not to the NSA as much as the supers they worked with. She wasn't one of Xerek's, and she'd pretty much told him her loyalties in this case didn't fall with the NSA.

That didn't mean she was on his side.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Helen Parr opened the front door to find Kathryn Dicker on her doorstep. "Kathryn…it's good to see you."

Kat grinned. "Hey, Mrs. P, can Vi and Robin come out to play?"

"What do you need them for?" Helen asked, almost suspiciously. Raised by Rick or not, Helen always had the feeling Kathryn had her own agenda that she kept to herself. She was too much like her mother that way, playing too many games at once and thinking it would never catch up with her.

"That is confidential and privy information between me and Vi," Kat told her leaning in slightly. "But I 

can divulge that we might get some ice cream and there might be a park with swings involved.

Helen sighed. "You two girls just be careful," she told Kathryn.

Kat nodded both of them understanding that they weren't talking about over-eating ice cream or falling down and skinning ones knee.

Helen didn't like it but she knew it whatever it was involved Buddy Pine and the potential for Violet to get hurt and not just physically. But this limbo they were hanging in had to break. "I'll go tell her you're here."

"So Robin will be able to visit him twice a week," Kat was saying and Violet wanted to strangle her.

They were sitting on a park bench watching Robin on the swings, but Violet barley saw her even though she was looking right at her. "What about me?"

Kat gave her a look as if she'd lost her mind. "Vi, have you heard a single thing I've said?"

"I want to see him," Violet told Kat, folding her arms across her chest. "Or talk to him. Just something." If it wasn't for Robin she'd think everything had been a dream. Or a nightmare.

"Because that would look so good for you, Violet. Did we forget the part about me having to lie through my teeth to keep you from having a matching cell?" Kat asked testily.

Violet was fairly certain Kat was stretching the truth a little. "You just need to get me into the building."

Kat dropped her head back and rubbed her temples. "Why should I go to the mat more for him?"

"He's not asking you. I am," Violet snapped.

"Vi…"

"I don't care what those idiots think. He's not the same man he was. He almost died, he lost his arm…isn't that enough punishment?" Violet demanded. She wanted him back, it wasn't fair. She could deal with him having to pay his debt in prison for a while but to never see him again? To be kept from even acting like she cared out of fear?

Kat was silent for a moment. "To some. No."

Violet whipped her head around staring at Kat's bleak expression. "Kat, you said you trusted me."



"And I do. But I don't trust him," Kat told her with a heavy sigh. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it up, taking a long drag before she went on. "He killed Henry's father. Or at least had a part in his death."

"I didn't…"

Kat shrugged. "Neither did I until recently. Henry knows I think. A lot of people died on that island Syndrome had seven years ago. Simon J. Paladino was among them."

Violet wrinkled her forehead. The name sounded familiar and not just because of the last name. So which super was he? "Who…"

"Ask your father if you really want to know. Or your mum, he was at their wedding," Kat told her, leaning forward to rested her arms on her legs.

Robin laughter split the air as she raced up the stair of the wooden fort with another child. "Thank you for making sure Robin could see him," Violet finally said.

"Wasn't hard, just convinced the right people he might be more cooperative if he could see his kid," Kat told her, and then groaned. "To many fucking games going on in the NSA right now, Vi. Everyone has a racket."

Violet managed a smile. "You've always had one."

"Hey, tech always as a racket it's in our contracts. The only reason they let me liaison is because my father is close to retirement and your father wouldn't trust you and your brothers with too many other people, and neither would my father."

"What about Henry?" Violet asked even though she knew the answer.

"I'm the only one that can handle him and this way they don't have to admit to themselves that an agent was fucking a super or that supers can have mental breakdowns," Kat's voice was icy.

Violet pressed her lips together. "You know I'm sorry about what happened to him."

"So am I. So is he. So is everyone. It's a goddamn pity party and how the hell we wind up talking about my pathetic excuse for a life?" Kat asked with a twist of a smile.

Violet smiled serenely. "It's one of my powers?"

"Bitch," Kat said affectionately, flicking ashes on to the pavement by her feet.

"Freak," Violet shot back.


Kat started to laugh and Violet joined in, laughing until their sides hurt. When they could catch a breath, Kat shook her head. "So you really love this guy?"

"Something like that," Violet admitted.

Kat nodded, watching Robin. "Ten minutes."

Violet blinked confused. "What?"

"I can get you ten minutes," Kat said softly, taking another drag off her cigarette. "He better know how fucking lucky he is."

Violet could only bite her lip and nod.