"You were a Chronos number, too?" Sven asked astonished as they sat at a diner table. Aalilyah nodded. "Me and my ex boyfriend. Numbers 11 and 12. I thought I was destined to be a Chronos number after my mama died of illness. But my ex-boyfriend's useless, I don't like being ordered around, and I needed money fast. I'm a sweeper and a—."

"Ho on the corner?" Train finished as he stuck in a piece of tuna in his mouth. Aalilyah yanked his hair, "You betta' watch who you talkin' to, I outta' snatch all ya hair out!" she growled.

"OW! What the hell!!"

"Aalilyah! Stop it!" Sven demanded, "Train, that was rude!"

Aalilyah released her grip and turned her back to them.

"Why did you leave your boyfriend?" Eve asked in her innocent, monotone voice. "He probably would have taken care of you and wouldn't let you do things like that."

"D'Marcus? Heh, he wasn't any different than those guys on the street," Aalilyah said as she leaned back in the seat and lit a cigarette. She smokes…? Sven thought, surprised. He glanced at her appearance again; the rose tattoo around her navel, the bone-shaped dog tag around her neck, her clothing just…period. She was awful. But he couldn't just leave her homeless even if she said she was a well-trained sweeper.

That night at a motel, Sven walked in the girls' room to check on them. Eve was in her bed, head under the covers sleep while Aalilyah sat on hers, smoking with her iPod blasting loud on rap music. He frowned and sat on the bed, taking the earphones out her ears. She looked at him, annoyed.

"Yeeeeeeeees?" she said as a cloud of smoke came out her mouth.

"Might I ask why some of my smokes are missing after I just bought a new pack?" he asked sternly. She shrugged.

"These aren't cheap."

"You're tellin' me."

Sven reached over and took her pack. Aalilyah gasped. "Those are mine!" she screeched.

"Now they're mine. Quit smoking."

"Pffh! And you?"

"This doesn't concern me," Sven said as he stuffed his cigarettes in his jacket pocket. "Look in the mirror one day and see how beautiful you are. Don't you won't to keep that beauty?"

Aalilyah blushed slightly. "I don't see you talkin' 'bout keepin' your looks…."

Sven smiled a bit. "Trust me; no one wants to be with a 30 year old man like me."

Aalilyah looked down. "I doubt that…."

Sven patted her head and stood up. "Well, 'night, sweetheart."

Aalilyah, letting the name slide, laid down and shut her eyes.

"Aalilyah…hey…wake up, mutt."

Aalilyah shot open her eyes to see Train looking down at her. She sat up.

"Whatchu' call me—!?"

"We're gonna' miss breakfast and I'm telling you I'm gonna' be pissed if we do."

Aalilyah groaned, rubbing her eyes as Train grumbled about Eve and Sven already dressed.

"Well you didn't have to call me 'mutt', 'putty tat'," she snarled as she climbed out of bed.

While taking a shower, Sven and Eve walked in the motel room to find Train lying lazily on the bed.

"All right, she's still getting cleaned up," Sven told Eve as she nodded along.

Train opened one eye to look at them. "I thought you guys headed out to eat breakfast."

Sven set down a bag on the bed. "Yeah, she's supposed to think that."

Train sat up and eyed the bag. "What's that?" he asked. Sven smirked. "You'll see."

They heard the shower shut off and Aalilyah walked out, once again wearing skimpy clothes.

"Train, I'm ready to go—,"

"I don't think so, young lady. Not with those clothes. Eve…."

Eve handed Aalilyah the bag.

"What the—?"

"We bought you some clothes," said Eve, quietly, "but I thought you might like them."

Aalilyah shot a look at Sven.

"In order to be beautiful you have to dress appropriately," Sven said. "Don't you think I'm old enough to pick out my own wardrobe?" Aalilyah snapped. "Yes but as long as you live with us you will dress as you're told. Understand?" Sven said, winking.

Aalilyah stomped back into the bathroom and walked out with ripped jeans and a long sleeve shirt that had a smiley face cupcake on it. Train burst out laughing as Eve smiled a little and Sven wore a big, goofy grin on his face.

"You look nice," Train teased.

"SHUT UP!" Aalilyah growled, tackling him.

"OW! Why are you so violent!?!"

Sven and Eve laughed. "Okay, you two, let's go grab some grub."

With no luck again on the job, they decided to stay one more night before going off on the road. Sven yawned sleepily as Aalilyah and Train were once again fighting and Eve was asking questions about the arguments.

"Say that ONE MO' 'GAIN, Train! I dare you!" Aalilyah threatened as she held up her perfume like a gun.

"Well it's not my fault you have bad grammar," Train said, shrugging.

Aalilyah grew an anime vein on her head and chased Train around the room, spraying him with her perfume.
"Hey! Cut that out! I don't wanna' smell like mutt!"

"You better be glad this isn't a gun!"

Eve looked up from her book. "A game of cat and dog…?" she asked softly.

"C'mon, guys, aren't you tired?" Sven asked as he lazily sat in the chair, "it's 11:00."

Ignoring him, Train jumped over Sven and behind the chair, making Aalilyah spray him instead of Train.
Train snickered as Sven shot up, covering his eyes and yelling. Aalilyah gasped and dropped her perfume to floor. Eve stood up, eyes open wide. "Sven?" she asked.

As Sven leaned over in the sink, wiping his eyes with a dry towel, Aalilyah stood in the doorway, rubbing her arm nervously.

"Sv-Sven…I'm sorry…are you okay…?"

Sven looked at her through the mirror and studied her face. He smiled a bit. "I'm all right."

"I really didn't mean to—," GASP! "Sven! Your…."

He looked again and turned to look at her, then back at the mirror. "I know...my eyes aren't the same color. Creepy."

"No, they're…," Aalilyah looked away, blushing and pouting, "they're pretty. I like them…. Why is your right eye a different color?"

"I can predict what will happen in the next five minutes to a person with this eye. Wears me out, though."

Sven put on his eye patch and patted her head as he walked out.

"Get some shut eye, sweetheart," he said. Aalilyah turned to look at him as he tucked in Eve under the covers and moved strands of hair out her face.

"Good night, Eve."
"Good night, Sven."

Sven smiled and walked out with Train.

Aalilyah looked at the mirror, remembering what Sven said.

'Look in the mirror one day and see how beautiful you are. Don't you won't to keep that beauty?'

"My beauty…… D'Marcus never said anything like that to me…."

She blushed and shook it off before turning off the light.

Train looked up at the ceiling, thinking to himself. She's hiding something…something dangerous and I don't like it. Never liked the smell of a dirty mutt.

Grrr! I had enough with the lovey dovey crap. I'm ready to start some serious action next chapter. :) But it was fun to see Aalilyah gain a crush on someone she can't have.