Chapter Eight

"Relax, Peter, I know what I'm doing."

"What you're doing is ruining my provenance." Peter complained.

With his left sleeve rolled up Peter sat with his arm resting palm side up on the table staring at Neal nervously with his gold ringed eyes. Along with a coded version of his name and birthday Peter wore a tattooed list of all his previous owners starting with the Market near the inset of his elbow and ending with Cheng more than half way down his arm. Each owner had a registered code that consisted of a horizontal line of seven small geometric symbols. The symbols had been done in black ink with laser precision by machine every time he'd changed hands. Putting down the traditional tattoo gun that Mozzie had brought him Neal reached out to use his finger to keep track of the lines so that he could count them.

"There are seventeen of them." Peter supplied, drawing his arm back slightly to avoid being touched. "Eighteen if you count the New York Market, but no one ever does."

"That seems like a lot. Is it?"

"It's...more than average." Peter admitted bitterly.

Neal reached out again, this time taking Peter's wrist first to keep him from pulling away. Peter flinched but he didn't fight. It was the first time Neal had touched his skin and he was surprised to find it unusually warm. Neal hadn't heard anything specifically about Animula having higher body temperatures than humans, but he hadn't really found anything on Animula physiology. Taking a closer look at Peter's arm Neal noticed that the second to last code had a thin white line drawn under it. Peter's breath hissed across his teeth as Neal ran his finger across the line and discovered that the white mark was slightly raised.

"Does that hurt?" Neal asked concerned.

"No."

"Why is this one underlined?"

"It's just a scar." Peter answered dismissively. "I cut myself, it was an accident."

"Really?" Neal asked doubtfully inspecting the arrow straight scar that ran perfectly under the coded name. "This looks deliberate. This would have been the owner you had just before Cheng. Who were they?"

"No one." Peter insisted. "Can we just get this over with?"

Neal paused, unsure of how he should react to Peter's increasingly subversive behavior. As the day had worn on Peter had become somewhat agitated, he continued to work at the computer on the list that Neal had asked for, but he had gotten to his feet about two hours ago and had stood at the table shifting his weight in an oddly rhythmic fashion until Neal asked him to sit for the tattoo. Neal had suggested several times during the day to Peter that he should take a break, but he just shook his head and kept focused on the research. Neal wasn't sure if Peter was trying to prove something or if he was simply not as uncomfortable as he looked. Either way Neal felt that it probably wasn't a good precedent to ask a direct question and not get an answer, particularly when the answers he'd gotten had sounded like lies and had been followed by a demand.

"Peter, answer me." Neal said, trying to sound firm. "Who was this?"

Neal looked up at Peter to stare him down, hoping that a non verbal challenge would be enough to get the right response. He didn't want to resort to verbalizing a physical threat, because he knew wouldn't be able to follow through with it if Peter continued to disobey. Neal never used violence to solve his problems, he wasn't even used to acting threatening. He doubted that he was doing a very good job at it now as Peter still hesitated to answer. They stared at one another motionlessly, locked in a stalemate. It was actually the most eye contact Neal had gotten from him and he found himself uncomfortable with the sorrow in the Animula's unnatural eyes. When Neal shifted his weight slightly Peter jerked as though he expected to be struck.

"Peter, I..." Neal started to apologize.

"Elizabeth," Peter said quietly "her name was Elizabeth."

"A woman?" Neal asked surprised as he looked closer at the mark. "Was she a good owner?"

Peter just nodded.

"Why didn't she keep you?"

Neal had asked the question out of sheer curiosity before he even thought about the fact that Peter probably didn't want to talk about it. However now that he had asked he worried about backing down without an answer. Neal had also made the added mistake of looking up and catching Peter's eye when he'd asked, leading to another silent stand off. The problem solved itself when Peter cast his eyes down with a sigh of defeat. Finding himself tense Neal waited for the explanation that he had basically demanded but no longer really wanted.

"Two years ago she lost everything on a bad investment."

"Which included you." Neal said in sympathy.

"She couldn't afford me."

From Peter's tone Neal doubted that the separation had simply been a business decision, however he didn't want to pry further and invite more conflict between them. Wanting to change the subject Neal turned his attention back to the task at hand. Peter need to be identifiable as belonging to him and since registration wasn't an option this was the next best thing. Neal didn't have access to the kind of computer guided needle that had been used by the other owners when they brought their new purchase in for registration. He had been practicing with the traditional tattoo gun on peices of synthetic skin for most of the afternoon. Neal would work on a forged certificate of ownership in Nick Halden's name along with Nick's geometric code tonight.

Anyone who actually went to look up Nick Halden's code in the database wouldn't find it there. However unless you were selling no one tended to look any deeper than comparing the mark to the paperwork. However if they were out together in public and any authority figure stopped them Neal would have to be able to 'prove' that Peter wasn't stolen. Neal's last five attempts at the tattoo were perfect. He was convinced that a computer couldn't possibly do any better.

Looking grateful just to not have Neal asking any more questions Peter kept his arm on the table. Picking up the tattoo gun again Neal gripped down harder on Peter's wrist and asked him to hold perfectly still. Peter tried to comply but when Neal dipped the needle in the ink and turned on the gun the buzzing noise caused him to jump slightly. Neal repeated his request that Peter hold still since they would only have one shot at this. Neal was still a few inches away from being able to put the needle to skin when Peter started trembling.

"Peter, please, hold still." Neal ask again as he became more nervous himself. "I can't do this if you're shaking."

"I'm sorry. I can't help it." Peter said honestly. "Please, Master Neal, don't do this...even if it is perfect you are still about to make me completely unsellable to any legitimate owner."

Neal hated the fact that Peter was right. Once the forgery was etched in his skin he'd
only be able to be sold 'Off Market' to buyers that were banned for one reason or another from the auction and just as unwilling as he was to properly register him. Sweat was starting to bead off Peter's already heated skin as he stared pleadingly at Neal. Neal was starting to question how anyone who was supposed to be 'soulless' was able to speak so clearly with just his eyes. Putting down the tattoo gun Neal released Peter's wrist and sat back.

"The way I see it, we have three options here." Neal sighed. "I can give you back to Cheng. I can sell you back to the Market and explain that you were transferred to me, but that I don't want to register you. It hasn't been three days so they will take you back with just the paperwork that came with you. Or I can do this and you can stay with me."

Neal could see that Peter was horrified by all of his options. Breathing heavily again he looked over his shoulder at the door, but he didn't really look like he was considering bolting. An Animula out on the street without an owner wouldn't last long, there would be no way to hide and no one who would be willing to help him. In the end he'd be caught 'ownerless' and returned to the Market or worse he'd be found by someone interested sell him Off Market themselves.

"It's up to you." Neal said gently. "Whatever you want."

"You want me to choose?"

"I do. I would love for you to stay, but I honestly don't think I have what it takes to be your 'Master', I don't even like hearing you call me that." Neal confessed. "If you need a firm domineering hand to feel comfortable then we need to find you a new owner. I don't have the personality or the desire to follow the 'Animula rules' you laid out for me. However, if you can live with what I suspect will be far more personal freedom than you're used to I can offer you a safe place to live in exchange for your help in my various 'business ventures'."

Peter stared at Neal distrustfully. Neal suddenly realized that this was probably the first time that anyone had asked him to make a decision about his own fate. Having never been offered a choice like this before he might not even know how to make it. Neal was about to say something more when Peter slowly got to his feet. Neal expected him to retreat to his room on the far side of the hall to think it over, instead he cross his right forearm over his left at the elbow and leaned all of his weight against his arm to pin it firmly to the table to keep it from shaking.

"Peter..."

"Do it."