"Hey, Bart, are you alright?"

Bart was standing in the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror after having washed away the taste in his mouth, when Lisa stopped by the open door.

"Yeah, I'm good," he answered simply and turned to her, his bubble now burst.

"Where have you been today? I figured you'd want to stay home and rest all day."

Bart hadn't thought out an excuse for his not-so-casual visit to the library, the events of the day still playing in his mind. "I was err... out with friends. Why? You a cop, now?" He replied jokingly to try and change the subject.

"I was just asking, Bart. You know, it's good to see you go out these days. You seem happier, kinda." Lisa crossed her arms and smiled. There was a teasing look to her that Bart couldn't quite understand.

"I do?" He looked at himself in the mirror. If that was all it seemed from the outside, what was there to worry about? "Yeah, well, it's good to feel appreciated at work, I guess."

"Oh, I'm sure it's more than that," Lisa was beaming, for once in years she looked really happy for him. It was good to see her like that, yet Bart couldn't help but feel that she knew more than she let on as she left him alone with his thoughts.

He closed the door behind her and turned back to the mirror. Perhaps he did seem happier, somehow. His life had really turned around thanks to his sister. For the better or the worse, he still wasn't sure.

For the better, one would think, as he might just keep a job for once in his life. Plus, he no longer had a homicidal maniac lurking in the shadows and thirsting for his blood.

For God-knew-what worse, any sane person would immediately think if they learned things had gotten sexual between him and his attempted murderer. Despite it all, Bart was thrilled by his situation. He had always been a risk-taker, laughing in the face of danger, and that was exactly what he had lacked those past few years. His new relationship with Sideshow Bob felt like walking on a tight rope, where he wondered if there was even a safety net below, lost in the suspense of what was to come, while Bob was throwing daggers at him. He found pleasure being in the hands of the ex-criminal, having a privileged relationship with him, albeit a very peculiar one. The fact that they had to keep it all a secret only added to the fun.

"What the hell...?" he frowned and leaned above the sink to get a closer look at his shoulder in the mirror. He pulled the collar of his shirt, revealing a blue mark on his skin. That sicko had left him a hickey. It was hidden underneath his shirt, fortunately, so no one must have noticed. Still, it was a mark on Bart's body, made by Bob, for him to see anytime he would look in the mirror. He examined it from every angle, touching it slightly and winced – it was still fresh – and pulled his collar back up.

"You sneaky fucker..." He murmured.

Going back to his bedroom, he pulled out his phone to change his mind.

"Shit..." The screen displayed four missed calls from Milhouse. He called back right away.

"Hey, man, what's up?"

"Oh, thank God," his friend answered in a worried voice. "Why the hell haven't you been picking up?"

"I was busy? Duh. Sorry about that."

"Busy with what? I've been trying to reach you all afternoon."

Great, now he had to come up with another excuse. The usual 'out with friends' routine wouldn't work on Milhouse, his best friend would just feel left out. Perhaps the truth would work this time.

"I was at the library, so my phone was on silent."

"Bullshit, what were you doing in a library?"

"Reading. So what did you try to call me for?"

"Mph, fine," he relented, obviously not buying it. "Do you work next Wednesday?"

"Hold on, lemme think... Yeah, my day off is on Thursday, why?"

"Alright, perfect, I'll come pick you up after your shift, then."

"What? Why? Wait a minute..." he thought about the date for a few seconds and realized. "Are you planning something for my birthday?" He asked, grinning excitedly.

"Maybe? You'll see," Milhouse couldn't hide the smile in his voice. "It's been a while since we've all done anything together. Thought it'd be a good idea to take your mind off work, especially with Sideshow Bob around. He hasn't tried anything, has he?"

Everything that had happened ever since he went out with Bob days ago flashed by in his brain. "Nah, don't worry. So, what are you planning for me?" He still felt bad about lying to his best friend, but he didn't really have a choice.

"It's a surprise, dumbass. Anyway... You said you were reading at the library, that's not really like you," Milhouse laughed.

"Well, I really was at the library. I try to get into reading more, are you calling me out on that?" Bart snapped, pretending to be offended.

"No, no, I'm not... I just think it's weird, but alright. I'll see you next week, then."

"Yeah, Mil, see you then, can't wait."

.

The library director was sitting at his desk the next morning, mulling over the event of the previous day. Bob wasn't usually the type to get distracted at work, but the presence of a certain someone the day before was occupying his thoughts in spite of himself.

Bart had gone out of his way to find his workplace and managed to lie his way straight into his office. The young man had always been smart, no matter what everyone thought, still he was impressed by his resourcefulness, or perhaps his stupidity. What exactly he had expected coming here, Bob didn't know, but he certainly made the most of Bart's visit, despite the immense risks it presented, and Bart really seemed to enjoy their little interactions. How he had missed their game of cat and mouse.

Now, it would be Bob's turn to get back at Bart. An idea bloomed in his mind and he pulled out the list of every library in Springfield. He picked up his office phone and started dialing.

"Good morning, Mr Terwilliger here, director of Shelbyville Central Library. I would like your list of banned users with their coordinates, if you don't mind. Much appreciated."

He recited his spiel to all of them. It sounded official enough, and within an hour he received long lists of people who never returned their books. Putting on his glasses, he started reading through the names scrupulously, when after a while his eyes stopped on one particular name. Just as expected.

He smiled, having found what he had been looking for.