At the hospital later that week as friends visit Maddison and Cat
"how is she" asks Brian
"I'm right here you know Brian, where's Anne" says Maddison
"she wasn't sure if you wanted her here or even if you'd remember her" says Brian
"I only let Cat drag me here so I could get well enough to hold a decent conversation with Anne, I have to live with her or someone on this stuff, if I don't have a place to go where someone can be with me most hours of the day I won't be allowed to leave until a solid plan is in place, their backup plan is a mental health care facility way up in northern California or even Canada, which is what will happen if she's not here in half an hour when the doctor gets ready to release me, which is happening because he was TOLD she'd be here, I'll be shipped up north" says Maddison
"your memory seems better" says Macy
"fat good its doing me, I was looking forward to going to the beach with Anne and actually remembering how to get back home, my memory lasts seven hours before a reset, you know what, forget about this, I'm just going to let them ship me away, if I can't trust her to trust Cat then maybe she isn't my princess in shining armor" says Maddison pushing everyone away from her as everyone heads to the hall to talk
1 hour later as Anne arrives with David
"what took you so long, I've been delaying her transfer to Canada for half an hour" asks Cat
"you chose my new phone but I chose the provider and it appears I chose wrong, everyone had already left for the hospital here before I even got your text and I had to scramble to get ready and somehow find someone to get me here, nobody was willing to drive me here until the crane outside the apartment caught fire, Chief Vega arrived with the firefighters and I took my chances on telling him the situation, he's the only reason I even managed to get here today" says Anne
"was the apartment building damaged" asks Cat
"the lawn and gardens at the back entrance are destroyed but we got to the building before the fire reached it, they were loading insulation and a dishwasher on the crane when the dishwasher ignited and set the insulation ablaze" says David
"sabotage" asks Jade
"it is a possibility but they'd also loaded diesel generators on the crane the load before and apparently one of them was overfilled" says David
"I told them solar generation for power only, especially that close to the building" says Cat upset
"the solar paneling hasn't arrived yet, bad weather caused delays, I know you don't like liquid fueled generators but they didn't have a choice, the city cut off power to the building yesterday and they assumed the solar upgrades were being installed in full today, most of us are still living in the apartments yet to be renovated and we need power, they're mostly using the generators to power 'hallway power stations' as Astrid calls them, the construction company themselves are using small solar arrays to power their tools but sometimes it isn't enough to make it through the days work, Maddie's apartment was just finished today and it will be the first powered by solar when the panels arrive in a few days, now can I see my love" says Anne
"in a bit, I have to explain to her the reason you didn't show up with everyone else, she's not in a very forgiving mood" says Cat as she heads in to speak to Maddison
"why delay the inevitable Cat, I have no reason to stay here" says Maddison
"Anne chose her cellphone provider while I chose the phone" says Cat as Maddison cuts her off
"what does that have to do with anything" says Maddison
"I was going to put her on the best and most reliable plan but I was going to subsidize her plan, she didn't want you thinking she was taking money from me so she insisted she pick her own cell provider, unfortunately she chose the most unreliable one, one known for delaying text messages and erratically misdirection phone calls, she chose them because they gave her a cheap plan, something she could afford on the money she's getting from the city for cleaning up areas of town, she got my text twenty minutes late, she's the person I put as the building contract manager, even if she had received it on time she wouldn't have likely noticed as technically you weren't to be released until the weekend when she had a day off because the construction company doesn't work weekends unless I give them extra money" says Cat
"is my apartment done, like can I go see it" asks Maddison
"it was only just finished but the solar aspect isn't done, bad weather delayed them getting here and the company is forced to use diesel generators for power as the city assumed the solar panels arrived today and were being installed so they cut power so it could be done, you'll have to live with Anne in her still small apartment until the solar panels arrive and can be installed" says Cat
"I guess I can give her one more chance but that's all I'm willing to give her unless she absolutely sweeps me off my feet" says Maddison
"she won't be present all day, she's getting paid to keep an eye on the construction site the building has become, she will however be spending a guaranteed four hours a day with more possible depending on demand for her insight, things like paint color and such, as well as nights and mornings" says Cat setting expectations
"iI can handle that so long as I have a steady amount of food available at all times, I'm definitely hungrier than I used to be before the edibles, also more tired" says Maddison
"until you get to a certain weight, your uncle says that will be happening, Anne's been stocking up on shelf stable foods" says Cat
"the only shelf stable foods I'll eat are marshmallows, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, candy, chips and pop, not exactly enough calories to gain weight or I'd have already been at the minimum weight" says Maddison
"I've set up a twice daily in and out burger delivery order so you have enough calories each day to slowly gain weight, hopefully you'll be with Anne in your new expanded apartment by Monday, the only limiting factor is power" says Cat
"send baby in, I'd like to spend time with her before we leave" says Maddison
"the hospital really needs this room or you wouldn't have been scheduled for release from the hospital today, it's one of three weed safe rooms for medicinal card testing at this hospital, I can monitor the construction process for the rest of the day if you spend the rest of the day snuggling Anne and keeping up your food intake, you'll be getting money based on keeping up on personal hygiene, cleanliness of the apartment and eating and sleeping as needed" says Cat
"ok I guess I'll agree to this" says Maddison getting dressed and heads to the hall where everyone is waiting
"so did I fail" asks Anne
"well not exactly baby, you get one more chance unless I absolutely need to be your forever girl" says Maddison as Anne faints from the shock of being called 'baby'
"uh oh, hey doc do you have anything for Anne here" asks Jade
"she fainted from shock of Rosie's word choice, maybe ease up on that Rosie" says Doctor Bayen
"so you're the doctor uncle she'd talk about, you're a lot taller than I'd imagined" says Brian
"and how much have you been talking to my niece exactly mister, you're a little old for her and she doesn't like men that way" asks Richard, stepping out of his role as a doctor now that Maddison has been released
"I talk to her a lot, I'm the man who made sure she had food, I'm gay and married, I make sure everyone who couldn't afford food at the apartment had food, luckily I won't be as busy with Cat running the place and giving people jobs to keep it looking good, the holes in her memory don't make her unpleasant to talk to, if anything it shows the extent to her imagination and it shows that the injury hasn't disrupted that part of her brain" says Brian
"ahh so he's the brainiac you were talking about Rosie, you should be happier that someone like him chose to help you" says Richard
"I am, it's just most days I barely remembered him and usually only enough to know he wasn't a threat, I don't tend to remember the long conversations we have just that we talk a lot, that can be scary" says Maddison
"has her memory timeline changed" asks Brian as Anne gets up and picks Maddison up, swinging her around cutely
"seven hours at a time now instead of a max of five, until she gains a few more pounds the weed will have a stronger than desired effect" says Cat
"will the weed affect her legal ability to consent if she chooses to" asks Anne
"no, it isn't that kind of weed, it's purely medicinal, she gets no weed buzz from it, though I'd advise you get her consent in writing, memories still have a hard time crossing memory boundaries so unless she's hyped up on love at the time of consent she will require a written letter that she can sign each time" says Richard
"why does it have to be written each time, that seems excessive" asks Jade
"so if someone lies and says Anne raped her they have evidence to prove otherwise, just because she consents once doesn't guarantee she will consent the next time so having it in writing and making sure she knows what she's signing is important, the same scenario would apply even without the weed, the holes in her memory makes relationships tricky, the more evidence the better no matter what happens, whether she consents or not at any given time, having evidence in case someone accuses Anne of rape they can show a judge the proof" says Richard
"oh that's fair I guess, better get you home, I'm sure you're hungry" says Jade
"I don't care if I don't have power in my apartment yet, I want to see it first and I want in and out burger, a meal not just the burger" says Maddison
"it's on Cat's dime so I don't care" says Anne as they all walk out to a bus to drive them to the building
"any particular reason why there's a bus waiting for us" asks Maddison
"you were supposed to be in a wheelchair for the first week so you body can adjust but Anne picked you up so you won't have to be" says Richard
"oh I'm still taking that wheelchair, I'm already wo--" says Maddison as she faints in Anne's arms
"Nurse we need a wheelchair" yells Richard as a nurse runs over
"why didn't she leave the room with one" asks Nurse Walker
"I didn't know she needed one, she's never had a fainting problem before that I knew of" says Richard defensively
"well she obviously has one" says Nurse Walker
"no actually she doesn't, everything can be explained by her being under the minimum weight for the edibles she's on, she's four and a half pounds under as of this morning, since day one of testing its been messing with her senses, first it was blurry vision, then things were too loud, this mornings issue was motion issues and Anne spun her around, she'll be fine, how much to buy the wheelchair" says Cat
"then keep an eye on her and this is one of our cheaper ones but it's covered by your insurance" says Nurse Walter
"her insurance won't let her keep it long term though, that's the problem" says Cat
"if she needs it long term I can give you a list of accessibility stores that sell really cool ones that her insurance will let her keep" says Nurse Walter
"I assume you already looked that up Auntie" says Jade
"always good to be prepared Jadelyn, oh and my sister says Becky's ready to talk relationship with you and Naomi" says Nurse Walter
"Naomi, are you rested and recharged enough to switch back" asks Jade
"just enough yeah, having someone else in the relationship will help me the rest of the way but be warned Jade she has Elhers-Danlos syndrome so her joints will be loose and they will pop, you need to know up front that you can't always pop them back in and she will need medical attention when it can't be popped in by you or me and you can't just keep trying if it can't be fixed the first time, having Elhers-Danlos isn't a cheap condition, we're talking twenty grand minimum per hospital visit, her ankle popped last year and she couldn't walk for months, hell she couldn't stand on it much without wincing till last month, I know you've been paying the bills for her but you need to know what you're signing up for, she'll be very nervous and scared" says Naomi
"she's an old friend, almost as old as Cat and I's friendship, though there's more that I won't talk about in public, let's go get the lovebirds home" says Jade as everyone gets into the bus
"hey Anne, take care of my niece and don't be afraid to call me if you need advice, she's going to be very hungry and very tired until her weight situation levels out, I'm a call away for anything you want to talk about" says Richard waving as Maddison comes to
"you got it boss" says Anne as she closes the bus door
"you are a good man, Maddison would be lucky to have you as her legal guardian if that judge approves of it" says Nurse Walker
"I'm not holding out hope that he will see eye to eye with me on it, my dealing of weed in the past tends to make people think I'm just a criminal acting like a doctor, it took the state drug agency six months of negotiations to accept me as Southern California's leading expert on weed and how it affects the body and even then I was one no vote away from having the feds raid my house and being sent to prison for the rest of my life, Aggie needs me, I'm not sure Belle will be willing to take over my duties keeping Aggie safe let alone go on dates with her" says Richard
"Aggie is in every way her mothers daughter, right up to shredding her debit and credit cards so she couldn't get anymore weed, you knew Adella was pregnant with her ex's baby when you two started dating and you raised Aggie as your own, you're a good father but Aggie's bad streak can be linked directly to your worldview" says Julia Walker-West
"how do you figure" asks Richard
"for one I'm basically endlessly in love with you, have been for ages but Delli needed you more so I introduced her to you and sacrificed a lot to put her first, Aggie needs a woman she can talk to in her life or she's going to turn Belle away every time, I was even in Delli's will, she wanted me in yours and Aggie's life so you didn't return to selling weed illegally" says Julia
"I'm not interested in replacing Adella in my life or in Aggie's" says Richard
"I'm not looking to replace her, I'm infertile anyway, Aggie has questions she needs answered but doesn't want to tell you or even her male therapist, she has a physical need to call someone mom again and she wants you to date them and not just have her call me mom without a personal relationship between us, you misunderstand the situation in which I introduced Delli to you" says Julia
"I misunderstand nothing" says Richard
"I was DATING Adella when her ex raped her and got her pregnant, I'd have been Aggie's bonus mom, after he raped her however I realized I could never protect her and that she needed you to protect her, I'm the one who named her Agatha, Aggie's biggest fear is that you'll abandon her just like Maddison's parents abandoned her, she thinks she's too far gone and that you're a few arguments away from buying a gun to threaten her with before abandoning her and selling the house and moving to San-Francisco, oh and she's one call from Belle away from trying to kill herself because she doesn't understand her own damn feelings for Belle or anyone for that matter but yeah go ahead and continue your life as you have been, surely Aggie ending up in a mental health care facility for the rest of her life won't affect you in any way" says Julia as she walks off leaving Richard to ponder everything
Back at the apartment building
"I love you Anne" says Maddison getting lost in Anne's eyes
"that's more direct than I was expecting, you're sure the weed isn't making you say this" says Anne
"no it's just made my thoughts more clear and organized" says Maddison as she kisses Anne
"let's cuddle then and I mean only cuddling, we don't have power for my laptop to charge so I can write the consent form" says Anne
"ok" says Maddison as Anne leads her to the bedroom
Meanwhile at Cat's house
"I'm not sure Anne is ready for an intense relationship, at least not one that requires consent forms" says Cat worried she's helped set things in motion too early
"so long as there's enough time left in Maddison's memory window if sexy time becomes an option there isn't a problem, I've talked Anne through everything, especially about sexy time, that's why she asked if the edibles affected Maddison's ability to consent, there won't be sexy time until the powers back though because Anne's laptop battery is trashed and it only powers on if there's power being fed to it through an outlet" says Tori
"the solar paneling for the balconies arrives tomorrow afternoon, I've paid the construction company enough to get the finished apartments powered though each apartment will have a master switch to switch between grid and solar but solar will be the default except for the stove and laundry system, I'm surprised more people haven't pushed back on my decision to add solar energy to the apartment, most people tend to hate the idea of adding renewable energy to a building" says Cat
"it's because it's an extremely low income building, your other apartments will face more criticism for adding solar panels, just be glad you have a choice, I've been hearing stories from a few people in red states that you'd likely be arrested if you did the same thing there, the people telling me this are now moving here so they can petition the Governor to let you build a solar exclusive apartment building" says Tori
"that would be way to expensive for me, don't get me wrong I love the idea but that's Jade West level money not Cat Valentine level money, I'm spending all the extra profits I have as it is making sure this one apartment building gets done, I might have to cancel the renovations or move them a year out, I may be rich but things are so expensive these days I don't know if it matters much anymore" says Cat as Tori seems alarmed
"this isn't what we agreed to Kitty, the plan was to spend money to benefit the apartment buildings and the tenants not bankrupt yourself, you're going to have to scale back" says Tori
"I'm not in bankruptcy, not even close, I have a ton of savings but I enjoy making other people's lives more meaningful, that's which I insisted on solar power for the LA apartment building specifically, they need a supplement for their bills, any extra power generated goes to the basement battery bank system when its installed and I have a system coming that will tell me how much was sent from each apartment, they'll get checks from the city every month based on how much they sold back to the grid" says Cat
"ok I admit that sounds awesome but please keep an eye on your spending, I'm still working out the play royalties from my original independent songs that I'd released, it's a ton of legal paperwork and your lawyer hasn't gotten back to me about whether I can get that money soon or if it's a few months down the road thing while my current music money slowly comes in, I'm not exactly getting as much as I'd hoped" says Tori
"it takes a bit, I waited six months for my music to really make money, I was getting a grand a day, which granted is good money but after the six months it was three hundred grand a day though since I have yet to release a true album my income has slowed, also California has an income check law, which my lawyer is working out with the state for you, its so little because they want to make sure it's not laundered money, my money cleared in two weeks, yours should clear pretty fast" says Cat
"I don't like not being able 5o contribute evenly to things you enjoy doing, even the apartment renovation stuff" says Tori
"ok enough shop talk, I heard Jade mention something about an open relationship polyamorous relationship idea to Naomi, I have to wonder where you stand on it because honestly I wouldn't mind sexy time with Naomi a few times a month" says Cat
"I'm open to it so long as Becky also agrees, they picked her up and immediately went for a date, if Becky wants exclusive access to Naomi and Jade then nothing will be happening, besides I want that San-Francisco boat ride you promised, though I'm not opposed to you bringing them with us, it could be fun if Becky agrees" says Tori
"have you had sexual thoughts about Jade since spending time with her, because Naomi's bikinis aren't really hiding much" asks Cat
"given the clothes Jade wears it's hard not to, however the deal Jade and I made is sitting on Becky wanting to try it whole sale, if she's no convinced entirely then the deals off and you and I can role-play in bed" says Tori
"that's fair so long as I'm never Naomi, the whole family sexual relationship thing definitely freaks me out" says Cat
"it was never an option once we found out we were related let alone twins, before the accident though that's another story, if Jade, Naomi and I were in a relationship before the crash I wouldn't have stopped myself from having fun in bed simply because she had the same as adoption papers said my twins name was, if id had a problem with it then I'd have the same problem in bed with you because you prefer to be called Cat instead of Catarina and cat's aren't human beings" says Tori
"I have no problem with you saying that before you knew the truth that you'd have sex with Naomi but I don't want any implications that you'd still engage in such things with what you know" says Cat
"no worries Kitty, it's off the table and I, have serious doubts that Becky will agree to a polyamorous relationship anyway" says Tori
"so you think the deal is doomed to fail" asks Cat
"it's likely to fail yes, Naomi isn't entirely sold on it either since her and I legally and morally couldn't have fun so it's like a polyamorous exclusion relationship and she doesn't like those, though she did say she'd agree to a switch agreement where her and I could switch places so long as sex is on the table" says Tori
"so polyamory without the polyamory part, interesting" says Cat as she gets undressed
"sexy time I guess" asks Tori looking for an invite
"absolutely" says Cat
