Author's Note: Found this story, which I'd written just randomly. Thought it was okay. Figured I'd post it. Very strange little story.

Enjoy!

The Bet

"…and that's the Blinovitch limitation effect," the Seventh Seo finished explaining to her two companions. She grinned. "In a nutshell."

Stacy pouted.

"Sorry," Seo said, with a small wince. "But trust me, traveling back in time to do yourself is… well…" She thought a moment. Then shook her head. "It doesn't seem right, somehow."

"Two of me, two of her," Tim put in. "We thought it was the best foursome we could come up with."

"You could join in," Stacy offered. "Two of you, too! A… six-some!"

"Except that, due to Blinovitch, it would still be an impossible combination," Seo replied. Paused. "Except for me. And… well… with my other faces… there could technically be seven of me at once…"

Stacy and Tim looked at one another. Then back at Seo.

That was where the bet began.

"You're kidding," said the Fifth Seo. Glancing up at her future-self, across the console. "Tell me you're kidding."

"Of course I'm not kidding!" Seven said, with a bright grin. "Told you! I made a bet with my companions! So now… I'm off to win the bet!"

Her eyes danced as she said it.

The ship hit a jolt, and Five scuttled around, staggering, trying to right Oliver's course. She pulled down a lever, which came off in her hands. Swore beneath her breath.

Then dug in a toolbox for some needle-nose pliers.

"It doesn't have to lead anywhere else," Seven explained. "Just a snog!" She paused. Then added, "I mean, unless you want it to lead—"

"Moon-Sphere calling Oliver," came a voice over the loudspeaker. "Seo? Are you there? Still alive?"

"Alive, and… just… tweaking… trajectories," the Fifth Seo reported, using the needle-nose pliers to yank the sawed-off lever downwards.

"It's just… I'd really like to win the bet," Seven continued, stumbling as Oliver bucked, yet again. "And since you're the most attractive of my other-selves, I thought—"

"Yeah, in case you haven't noticed," Five cut in, sharply. Waving at the nearest window. "About to crash into a sun, over here!" She scurried around, punching some buttons elsewhere on the console. "Either help, or get out."

Seven shrugged.

Then made her way over, to help out.

"So… you're saying you don't object on principle," Seven clarified. "It's just that now isn't the best—"

"I do object on principle," Five retorted. Yanking up another lever. "But this is still a bad time. Now stabilize those parameters! I don't want to see a barbecue from the wrong end!"

The Sixth Seo just stood in the kitchen.

Her hands still in soapy water, dish dropping in the bucket with a plunk.

As her jaw dropped.

"What?!" Six cried.

"A snog," the Seventh Seo repeated. "Or… something more. Just, you know, if it happens to turn into…"

"I have a boyfriend, you know!" Six snapped. Waved a wooden ladle, still drenched in soap-suds, at her future-self. "And I happen to like this one. I'm certainly not going to cheat on him with myself!"

She grabbed up a dish rag, and began to dry off the ladle.

"It's not really cheating," Seven replied, bouncing on her toes. Her eyes twinkled. "Sleeping with yourself. It's more like… very elaborate mast—"

"Don't say it!" Six interrupted. She gave an elaborate sigh, and thudded the ladle down on the table. "Seriously. Don't."

The Seventh Seo tip-toed a little closer. "I'll help with the dishes," she offered. "For a snog."

"No," said Six, turning back to the dirty dishes.

"And I'll—"

"No."

"But I'll also—"

"No." Six rinsed off a plate, then dried it with a dish towel. "And you should be ashamed of yourself for even asking. I mean, at your age!"

"I'm not that old," Seven said. A little hurt.

"What kind of example are you setting?" said the Sixth Seo, reaching for a frying pan, and scrubbing it in the soapy water. "I've got a teenage daughter, you know. If she found out I'd done something like that… what kind of message do you think that'd send?"

"That she should have fun every so often?" Seven offered.

Six shot her a scathing look. "She gets into enough trouble with time travel as it is." Dried off the pan, and stacked it beside her. "No. And that's my final answer."

"Seo, come on, we have to—" Jenny began.

Then stopped.

Staring, in horror, at what she saw.

"What are you doing?!" Jenny cried. Pointing. "Who's that?!"

The First Seo hesitated, pulling out of the snog. "She… said she was me," the First Seo admitted. She seemed a little confused about what was going on.

"You're kissing yourself?!" Jenny cried. Then sighed. "Just how narcissistic can one person get?"

The First Seo's eyes went wide. "She started it!" she said, pointing at her Seventh self. "She said that it was standard practice for this to happen to all First-incarnations. I mean, haven't you…?"

Jenny turned on the Seventh Seo.

Who was grinning, ear-to-ear, like the cat that got the cream.

"I've never been molested by my future incarnations," Jenny said. Her eyes narrowing. "Had my life ruined by them? Yes. But they never mentioned anything about snogs."

Seven clasped her hands behind her back. "Well, asking nicely wasn't working," she offered. "So I went for more of a 'surprise! Here's your snog!' thing, this time." She turned back to her earlier self. "And… you know… it could always go further."

Her First-self shot her a look that could melt steel.

"What?" said Seven. "Why is every one of my former incarnations so irate at the thought of sleeping with me? I'm good-looking! I'm—!"

Then Seven noticed she was being cornered by two very angry blond people.

"Or, on second thought," Seven amended, "maybe… I'll ask someone else."

And ran away.

"…JUST WANT A SNOG!" Seven shouted, through the loud bangs and cracks of guns and explosives.

Four dove to avoid stray bullets, then fired a warning blast at a nearby tankard, which exploded. Dragging her future-self away from the shrapnel.

"Didn't hear you," Four said.

Managed to off one of the enemy, lumbering towards her, with a well-aimed shot. Then scanned the area for any signs of hidden artillery.

The battlefield just kept booming with the sounds of gunfire and war.

"A SNOG!" Seven shouted.

But was cut off by a bomb falling, some ways away.

"A fog?" Four said.

"SNOG!" Seven began, again. "S. N. O… oh, never mind."

"Don't know who you are, don't care," said the Third Seo, punching a punching bag. She did an expert flip kick, and grinned. Then turned back to Seven. "What'd you want, anyways?"

Seven hesitated. "I… well…"

"Yeah?" said Three. "Out with it. I don't have all day."

Seven fidgeted nervously. "I was wondering… if I could…" She stopped.

Then turned around, and left.

"Can't do it," Seven decided. "Even if it's me. I just can't stand the thought of snogging someone who looks like Glory."

Her Second self went bright pink.

"I… I don't…" the Second Seo stuttered.

From the other end of Oliver, David Walter Korjensky III — whom Seo had been having a secret affair with behind his wife's back — watched. His eyes going dark, as he realized exactly what was being proposed.

"Two Seos," Dave said.

Second Seo stepped back. Eyes scanning between her Seventh self… and Dave.

Dave raised up his hands. "No, sorry," he decided. "Up to you."

The Second Seo hesitated, even more.

Which was when Seven decided it was time to pull out all the stops.

"Yeah, you don't have to," Seven assured her former-self. "I'm sure Dave will have just as much fun spending a quiet evening at home. With his wife… Alonna."

That clinched it.

"All right, I'm in," Second Seo decided. "But first, ground rules. We can't—"

She was cut off by the beginning snog from her Seventh self.

Who'd finally won her bet.

"Two Seos," Dave repeated. Looked up at the sky. "God, I think I finally believe in you."