"Kei?" The girl twisted her head to look at Nina, who was tilting her head cutely with a partly puzzled, partly admiring expression on her innocent twelve-year-old face.

"Yes, Nina-chaaan?" Kei drew out the 'chan', making the ginger nurse giggle. Nina held back more bubbly laughter as she tried her best to look serious.

"Why are you so pretty?" Kei nearly tripped over a stray slipper, before righting herself with a pink face.

"What on earth are you talking about, Nina?" Nina scrunched up her nose.

"It's true, ask anybody." And it was. With her big brown doe eyes, long dark hair parted in a silky side fringe, porcelain-perfect skin and 'womanly' figure, Kei was a stunning young woman. Even her breasts rivalled the size of Alex's.

"They'll all say no." Kei flapped a hand with a 'psh' sound. Nina pouted in disagreement.

"No way! You are!" To prove her point, she turned to the disgruntled doctor sitting at his desk. "Dr. Theo, is Kei pretty?"

"Yes, quite," He replied bluntly, turning to furrow his brow at the said girl. Kei nearly dropped the mug of honey-green-tea she was holding, instead splashing a bit of the hot liquid onto her bare foot, cursing and hopping on one leg. "She can be clumsy as a bull in a china shop, but she'll make wonderful wife material." He gave her a look and turned back to his paperwork. "Now, out, both of you! I have work to do."

Trudging out into the hallway, Nina plopped down onto Kei's bed as the girl herself shut the door and took off the clothes she was wearing - she'd sewn one of Nina's dresses so that it could double as one of her own shirts, thus saving money and allowing them to share cute clothes, and was wearing high-rise dark denim shorts underneath.

"I told you so," Nina put in with a smile. Kei huffed, and dug around in her dresser.

"Dr. Theo is not 'anybody'. He is one person, so that doesn't count." Kei pulled her off the bed. "Now, help me pick out an outfit nice enough for us to deliver the brownies." Easily diverted from further discussion, Nina grinned, jumped off and skipped to the dresser.

"So, you do care about looking nice!" She yelped when Kei flicked her forehead.

"Of course I do. But that has nothing to do with being pretty." Pulling out a chocolate high-low skirt with light brown stitching at the hem, she tugged it over her hips and buttoned the waist closed. "Choose a shirt." Nina frowned, digging around in the drawer.

"How about this?" She held up a cream shoulderless peasant blouse with two small wooden buttons and appliqued lace flowers. Kei nodded her approval while putting on a pair of comfy brown knee-boots with fold-over cuffs.

"I like it." She pulled that on, too, and let Nina's nimble fingers tease her hair into a messy waterfall braid running down her back.

Minutes later, they were walking out the door, Kei hollering a "We'll be back!" to the absent minded doctor and carrying a basket of several dozen homemade - clinic made, rather - brownies, Nina skipping and holding her other hand.

"So, who first?" Kei smiled down at her little friend. Nina beamed.

"Constance-san!" She declared, humming as they went. Kei laughed at her, but not unkindly.

"Alright. Let's go!"

"Connie, are you there?" Kei called, readjusting her grip on the basket handle.

"Yeah, I'm just - ow! Coming in a second!" There was a bang of bone against metal and a hiss of pain from the store owner. A mousy brown mop of hair emerged from behind a counter, and a smiling, wincing Connie sauntered over, pausing to tug at a broken board or rusted nail. "Heya. What can I do for you, Kei - oh, and Nina?" She smiled in a friendly manner at the young nurse, who returned the expression with a small wave. "Need a gun?" She added sarcastically, holding up a pistol. Kei glared at her playfully.

"Hell no. But, we do have brownies for you," She held up the basket. "Freshly baked." Connie practically drooled as she smelled the chocolatey scent wafting from the cloth cover of the basket, and made 'gimme gimme' hands.

"Looks good, smells good. Now, hand 'em over!" Both Kei and Nina laughed at Connie's childish behavior, but surrendered a generous portion of the brownies to her. Helping herself to one, Connie scarfed it down, brushing the crumbs off of her hands. "Yum. Just as good as Granny's navarin. Not that I'd expect any less, though!"

"You're welcome, Connie," Kei said drily. "Your thanks is much appreciated."

"Ahaha, sorry. Thank you," Connie chuckled, knowing her friend was only teasing. "They were really good." She grinned. "Make more next time!"

"Yes, yes. Now, share those with Granny Joel, please - it'll save us a lot of trouble, you idiot." Kei smacked her arm lightly, and the store owner feigned hurt.

"Cruel! But, sure. See you later then," Connie waved with a grin. Kei and Nina left, smiling and laughing, to visit their favourite law enforcers, Adkins and Balfour.