Once Bitten, Twice As Shy

[Alexia Longbow]

After the last few nights at the Red Dragon Inn proved to be less than enjoyable, Sammie decided a change of venue was in order. Stolen black suede ankle boots thudded softly up the path to the Perch as she approached. Tonight she had her hair pulled up into another high slick ponytail to show off bare smooth shoulders in a dark blue off shoulder top that cut off just at the ribs, paired with the shortest shorts she could find.

As she walked through the door, she headed straight for the break in the bar to peruse the collection of bottles, unsure still what she wanted.

Consumed entirely on narrowing down her choices, she nearly missed a friendly greeting, she wasn’t sure exactly of its origin. She at least distractedly threw a quick movement of scarred little fingers back over her shoulder. She was busy muttering the names off the labels to herself as she perused them.

After a few more minutes, she finally singled out a nice bottle of tequila, Jose Cuervo Especial, to be specific, and pulled it from the shelf to admire it a moment.

"Time to make some bad decisions." She said to herself, and although no one would see it, a small devious smirk pulled at a single corner of her mouth. Bottle acquired, she searched about for a clean shot glass.

Tequila in one hand, shot glass in the other, she turned and placed both on the bar. She made quick work of unscrewing the cap and before long had filled the shot glass to the brim. As she lifted the glass to her lips, she raised her eyebrows at a passing offer of food. However kind and friendly the offer was, it went largely unheard by the witch in Alexia’s body.

"I'm good, doll, thanks." She said, her voice lower and huskier than usual, before knocking back that first shot of many to come.

As the alcohol burned its way down her throat, she smiled and let out a soft, satisfied 'ahh' and refilled the glass. After slamming that one too, she reached into her blouse and pulled out a silver cigarette case inscribed to someone's 'Dearest Penelope' and pulled out the only cigarette inside.

Sitting at the bar, an attractive woman turned around on her stool, her cheek resting on her knuckles as she glanced across the faces around her. "Miss," She raised a fingertip to Sammie. "I just wanna say somethin'. Good tequila's a good decision. That's owall I'm sayin'."

The woman’s call was almost missed as usually no one would think to address Sammie so politely. But she had to agree with her philosophy on tequila and it showed by the slow high arch of a single eyebrow and the wicked grin that spread on her lips.

"I think that's saying a lot, kitten." She casually refilled the shot glass a third time and, as she lifted it to her lips once more, she held that cigarette aloft as though it were already lit.

"Hands in the air!" A clearly drunk Xune said, pointing finger guns at everyone as she stumbled into the inn. "Surrender or the force will take you. Who thinks they can rock paper blades me!" She made what as far as she was aware were 'sci fi' sounds. "pew pew pew" she ducked. tactically behind a pillar.

Down went the third shot without so much as a flinch. They went down easier and easier it seemed. And so would the fourth as soon as she poured it. The bottle would be empty in no time at this rate! A small smile playing on her lips as her black little heart warmed with booze, she lifted the glass once again and held it in front of her pink lips for a moment, enjoying the scent of it.

"... Arright." She set her elbows on the bar and waved Sammie on. "... Gimme one. Just one. You look like you n' that bottle got plans."

A lazy saunter carried the schmooze along down the road and up the steps to the inn, thumbs hooked on suspenders flaring his coat in a most, well, flairy way. With ciggy bobbing in lips he'd boot toe through the door, only a slight pause at the elfess bobbing about trying to hold up probably one of the most underpaid establishments in Rhy'Din. What's that? Finger gun? Plausible danger but then Mach lived a pretty odd life. "See you've found another bottle bottom. Hope it wasn't cooking quality this time." A smarmy dig as he continued through.

Passing on his way to the bar he'd send off a two finger salute to the other patrons. "Yo!" A grin before he rounded the break in the bar and continued on his way to the bottles, finger gun with duds made at the thin figure at the bar... wait, they looked familiar.

The woman’s request pulled a throaty chuckle from her as she passed the full shot glass over to her.

"Sure thing, gorgeous, if you don't mind putting your lips where mine have been." Lewd. So lewd. Only vaguely aware of the larger presence viewing the bottles behind her, Sammie gave a quick passing glance over her shoulder, almost bored, and turned back. Only to stiffen and remain incredibly still. She took a moment and casually peeked over her shoulder again, just to make certain of who she saw.

"Ohh g'waaaaan!" The woman, whose name Sammie was fairly confident was Betty, crinkled her nose with her smile as she lifted the shot glass, about ready to knock it back, until she caught Sammie's reaction to Mach setting eyes on her. "Ah shit, the plot thickens!" She set the shot down and sat with an ankle beneath the opposite knee, both hands on her shin, and teeth stick in her lower lip.

That second glance back confirmed it. Sammie was in trouble. She turned back to the bottle, and winced, unable to help the soft whispered curse that escaped her lips.

"Shit..." Kicking herself for dropping her guard even for a moment, she belated began seeking out an exit strategy. She tried to muster up a sly grin for Betty, and mostly succeeded.

"Mach, you beat me right now in a thumb match. I will pay for your tab for life." From out in the common room, Xune raised her hands around her, imitating the challenge of a brawl. "FOR THE QUEEN."

“...I don't think you wanna do that with a man with a mechanical thumb. It not only vibrates at 10 different speeds and rhythms but bends on a dime." Mach bantered merrily, thumbs up at the pickled elfess with a grin before going back to his search for alcohols. Did he notice the sudden shift in the in back in his way? Did he at least still have one eye left in his head? "You're new...? Maybe?" A slip of a face but it didn't register around the completely anachronistic background of booze and smoke.

Sammie was trapped. And now the hunter had spoken to her. Maybe he didn't remember her! It was a hell of a gamble, but it was one she had to risk.

"Yeah, just rolled in pretty recently." Sammie tried to play it casual as she reached for another shot glass.

"Did you now? Huh..." Mach gave an innocent little smile for the thin back facing him. "We... haven't met have we? I mean, I do get around and am always sloshed so...." Playful banter as he tried to figure out why they would jerk at his arrival as they did. Never a good sign but maybe they were just a scorned lover and his bad memory was finally catching up? He could hope!

"The fact that the first thing you had to say was vibrate?" Xune shook her head. Whatever he sucked, he was captain of the fun brigade. She slipped through the break in the bar and slid onto a stool near Sammie, wrapping a hand around her slender shoulders.

The hunter shrugged. "Advertise what folks want up front. You don't put the leather seats before the engine of a fine automobile unless the engine sucks, yeah? My bold claim of magic fingers will not be undermined by such poor salesmanship!" A grin at his own bit of humor as he began assembling a drink with a gin base.

A hand on her shoulder, Sammie teetered just a touch, she was four shots down in heels, after all. She blinked her surprise.

"Easy, kitten,” she murmured to the inebriated elf. “The night's just starting." Her voice, much harder than usual, came out in a sultry rasp. Thankful Mach still had his back to her as well, she shook her head, realizing too late how futile that was.

"Don't believe I've had the pleasure, tiger." Sammie froze. How she wished she could reel that word back in. Claw it back and swallow it down. But it was out there, hanging heavily in the air. Cringing at her own stupidity, she pressed her lips together and hoped that by some stroke of luck she hadn’t noticed..

Xune was not herself, alcohol was one of the greatest pleasures that she had known. When Sammie touched her and said that the night was just starting she narrowed her eyes slightly. "How have you been?' She leaned in slightly, placing her hip dangerously close to Sammie’s.

With a cold smile that never reached those lifeless eyes, Sammie chuckled stiffly, humorlessly before speaking.

"Oh, I've been great, kitten. How about you?" She reached to fill her brand new shot glass, her hand proving to be just a touch less steady than before. Still, she managed not to spill and brought the drink to her lips for another quick snap.

It was only set to get worse for Sammie. She had a stalker of sorts. Hating the idea that the drow was right, the imp had decided to go take another look. Just in case. So without any fanfare or warning, no jingle of bells. Fae was slinking into the Perch. If the lack of sound was odd, at least she was dressed like normal. Mismatched. Silks and velvets. It made an outfit fit for public. Just about.

Blue eye blue slid to the door, a waggle of brow and kissy face made to Fae. "Mornin'" Was it already that time? The man could hardly keep up with a clock. So much trouble to rouse so little time. Several bottles and a shake later and the man would have a glass of rocket fuel better known as a Fogcutter in hand, a look given to Xune and the stranger as they snuggled up... wait, what? Something about that nickname rang in his head, tickling at memories beat out of his active recall. "Oh, tiger? My reputation precedes me yet again. Not as fast as the Xune though apparently! You're pretty chummy for meeting them recently..." A note to Xune and how close they seemed to the figure that refused to turn to him.

Xune looked to Mach and nodded her head, only trying to confirm something else. She knew that he had never seen her touch anyone but a scant few. She crossed the area behind the bar, to where he was standing and stood slightly behind him. Pretending to drink from the bottle the entire time. If she let him she grabbed the collar of his browncoat, and took him to a pillar.

After several voiceless attempts and false starts, Sammie chuckled again, nervously this time, and set the glass down carefully on the bar.

"Well, it's been fun, babe, but I should probably be going..." No longer held by the shoulder, she straightened and scarred little hands smoothed out her denim miniskirt.

Blue eye watched as Xune drunkenly walked around the bar and through the break to come behind him. Collar grabbed the man... well, wouldn't budge! Nope. Stubborn as any donkey he had his reasons though from the body actions of the provocatively dressed thin figure he figured they were spot on. Tilting his head he'd listen to what the elfess had to whisper, his eye suddenly widening. "Wait... what?" Pulling from Xunes grasp he'd step forward, trapping the thin figure more. "Alexia...?" Hazarded towards the thin ones back.

"Hay..." Betty tapped Sammie's arm, then dumped a heap of food into a thick paper to-go container to pass to her. "You take care o' y'salf out there, okay?"

Suddenly distracted by food and kindness, Sammie made the fatal mistake of turning right as the hunter spoke that name. Hollow brown eyes went wide and she licked her lips as she tried to think fast.

"Uh. yeah! Yeah, hey, uh, pal..." She cringed again before quickly setting her face to an expression as sweet and friendly as she could manage. "All better. See?" She smiled, flashing pearly whites.

"But, like I said, it's kinda late and I should go..." She made as if to try and move past, aiming for the break in the bar.

Casually he blocked the girls move to pass him. Over the bar or through him it seemed were the options as the man settled a stupefied look on what was obviously not Alexia standing before him. "What..." Blood. Anger. Healing. Gun. Shoot. Shoot! Imagines and thoughts pipped around his head as he tried to piece together that night once more after getting his leg torn apart by the chimera. He was looking for a steakhouse when... "You." The jig was up, that dropping smile said as much as the schmooze flipped to the hunter on a dime.

[Alexia Longbow]

"Shit." She repeated. The jig indeed was up and Sammie was trapped like a wild animal. Looking around for something, anything, to use, to run behind, something!

"Now take it easy, tiger, let's talk, okay?" She put a single deeply scarred little hand up and took a careful step back.

"Oh I think we will be doing plenty of that..." His tone dry as he addressed the not Alexia. He didn't have the full picture, not by a long shot but he remembered enough. This was some... other... not his friend. The how and why still escaped him but the important bit was that he shot them so obviously he had to have had good reason. "... question is how much of that night are we going to repeat?" A grand gesture to indicate that he was no longer some chewed up chimera toy anymore ending in his hand slipping behind his back and sitting there.

Genuine fear twisted Sammie’s features as she resisted the urge to hiss at him again. Instead, she took another step back, her breathing quickening in pace. In a last ditch effort, she shot for the only thing she had in her arsenal.

"Whichever parts you like, tiger. I'm sure we can work something..." She paused. A small pang of something, perhaps guilt, pulled a heavy sigh from her.

"Okay, yeah, you're worried about your friend. I get that! I do! So let’s talk. I'll behave if you will. Promise." She paused, watching that arm intently.

"Deal?"

She spoke of playing nice and parlay but in his experience it was better to put a few slugs into a healer’s legs first before coming to the parley table... give you a 'leg up' as it were. The only problem was with so many folks about, he was fairly certain such an action would only get him shake and baked so he'd play nice... for now. See, he even smiled. "Oh let's not go there, down that road lies handcuffs." Considering a moment longer he finally moved to take a sip of his drink, motioning to the stool behind the bar for them to sit. "Deal."

The shock on her face was almost comical. It had actually worked. With another nervous chuckle, she let loose a puff of air and moved slowly for the indicated stool, a slick smile already playing at her lips.

"Can I bring my drink with me?" Couldn't hurt to try, could it?

Her shock did nothing to temper that more sharp expression set to rugged features. He may have agreed not to do things the very hard and very fast way but that didn't mean it was off the table yet. Give him an excuse and he'll... um, happily shoot his friends body again? Ok, yeah, maybe his shrink had a point about all his problems being seen as penny nails and he the jackhammer. A friendly enough wave was offered to departing friends, though his gaze remained on not-Alexia. "Sure, seems like you've been making yourself at home anyway..." A note of the cropped brown locks and the new wardrobe. "So. Eviction." A simple enough statement getting right to the point.

Just a hint of relief relaxed her face as she grabbed the now half empty tequila bottle and her shot glass, the unlit cigarette tucked neatly behind her pointed ear. It was more than a bit of a climb for her to get into said stool, but she managed. Her eyebrows rose high and she pointed a finger at him around the empty shot glass.

"Working on it, actually! With the kid's boyfriend." She nodded, quite pleased with herself as she filled the glass.

That look only darkened as he stared hard at not-Alexia, the hand behind his back tensing. "Oh, more seduction and then lying to me, you must really like the cuffs." An oh so sweet threat with humorless smile and all. "Now cut the bullshit or we'll go back to the hard way. Eviction."

"What? Are you serious?! I'm telling the truth, I swear! And I stopped with the sex stuff, okay? I... sorta promised." She mumbled the last few words as she poured another shot and held it aloft.

"Drink?" A genuine offer but for a limited time only. It even came with a fairly charming smile.

From the din of commotion in the background Xune looked to Sammie. "You're a fuckin' liar!" She pointed her bottle at her. "You're some chick who thinks you can talk like her! She’s a goddess. You’re some slut." She hiccuped. Shit.

Mach hazarded a weary look at Xune and then one to Bellamere sort of hitching his head in motion. He didn't have time to deal with drunk shenanigans; too much potential exorcisms in his immediate future, your problem. That was perhaps the message conveyed before looking back to Alexia-no....Nolexia. Yes, Nolexia. Their honest act earned them a low growl. "Don't jerk with me. Alexia doesn't have a boyfriend." Probably. Okay, there was a possibility sure but... surely not. That was definitely probably a lie. Looking at the bottle he smirked. "I could drink you into a grave and still be ready to brawl." A toothy grin as he took a sip of his own prepared drink snubbing the peace offering.

Sammie could feel heat in her face. A long, cold side eye slid over to Xune, the look on her face hard and dangerous.

"Easy, kitten." She warned, a touch of low growl to her voice. Then back to the hunter. Switching back to casual and almost flippant on a dime.

"Sure she does. Tall, insanely hot, green eyes, dimples, Brit. Damn fine. Goes by Danny." Her drink offer rejected, she shrugged and knocked it back, refilling it in no time.

Looking back to Nolexia his brow crunched. "Never heard of them. A good place to start a lie though, I'll give you that. Now. E.Vic.Tion. How we going to do this? And where is Alexia now?" He watched the girl closely for any sign of a lie in their next words.

Sammie scoffed her frustration and disbelief at her disbelief.

"How the hell should I know? I only took her body, not her soul. That's kinda how possession works." A slight 'duh' tone to her voice.

"Besides, what good would it do to lie to you now? I'd just get myself shot. Wouldn't I?" She deadpanned him for a moment before downing another shot.

"And I can't just up and vacate yet. Then something even nastier than me might come along for a ride. Wouldn't want that for your little friend, now would you? She's lucky a demon didn't find her before I did. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but this girl is different. Special. And I don’t mean that in some bullshit touchy feely kind of way. She’s not a typical fae. She’s, I dunno... more." She looked him dead in the eye.

The hunter was wound like a spring, from the back it was obvious his hand was on his sidearm. "You know what happens to souls without bodies, yeah? Without some sort of anchor to this plane. So you tell me, give me a good reason not to just cast you out to the ether, lure something down to eat you, and put a seal on this vessel until some egghead can figure out if we should just burn it?"

Frustrated and angered by the whole situation, Xune managed to keep her wits about her. Fucking mercenaries. "Take care idiots" she did some finger guns at the rest of the people and left.

Exasperation wore on Sammie’s features and the latest shot was not helping matters much. With a heavy sigh, she turned the empty shot glass upside down on top of the open bottle and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"And if you do that, genius, her soul really will be lost forever." Bringing her hand down she looked at him again, her face weary, she shrugged.

"Look, I'm clearly at a disadvantage here. If you wanted to get rid of me, you could have. But you haven't. Maybe ask yourself why. Really dig deep in that tiny hunter brain of yours. You hesitated last time, too. And yeah, you shot me. In the shoulder. Why didn't you just kill me then? Why don't you, now? Because deep down you know that if you do, that's it for the kid. Forever."

There was part of Fae that wanted to hang around and watch, but she was being called elsewhere. Darn it. Now she wouldn't know if the Not Alexia was squeezed out of the shell, like an unwanted pea. So a bit of paper was found. Numbers scribbled and pushed towards Mach. "I have jars that can hold disembodied stuff." Like in her larder. For snacks. "If you need a hand. Gimme a call. Also, if you get the old Alexia back." That sounded demanding. Manners imp. "Please." There.

"No saying that it isn't already..." A hard tone with those words. If that was the case then someone get a pyre ready! Hearing the words of the elfess his hard demeanor did slip just a hair, a sigh escaping as he shook his head. Why was he the drunk whisperer? Noting Xune and Bellamere poofing away he just shrugged, not keen to keep playing counselor to that, mostly because he was probably part of the problem no matter how hard he tried to keep out of it. Looking back to Nolexia his gaze did move to the paper offered by Fae. "Wait? Really?" There was a hint of something piqued in his voice, a dangerous tone to Nolexia for sure as he took the paper, nodding. "I think we'll be in touch, yeah? One way or another." A smile for the woman before looking back to Nolexia proper now.

"Let's be clear... I haven't yet because I haven't been ready. I don't just carry seals, wards, exorcism tools, and little soul trapping jars with me. I shot you to stop you so I could apprehend you and take you back so I could prepare. How does that sit of tiny hunter brain logic?" Those last words nearly snarled out. "You're not dead only because there might be some hope that Alexia is around somewhere, found some anchor. If that hope is not..." And the implications were dire and obvious.

Sammie let her head loll back a moment in utter exasperation and muttered to herself.

"Fuck." Sitting up again, she poured herself another shot. Might as well!

"Is not what? Lost? Eaten? Tortured? Because let's face it, it's not like she's on some tropical beach sipping mai tais just waiting for her body to open back up. IF she's still out there, she's either wandering or trapped and the only way to get her back is to let me and lover boy figure things out!"

"Oh? And what exactly have you been doing to 'figure things out' with 'lover boy' hmm? This looks a lot like living it up in a new body with a made up story and trying to worm your way out from being shoved in a fucking jar." He pat the pocket which he slipped the contact info given to him by Fae.

"Not that you care, but booze is the only thing that seems to help with the headaches. And, yeah, me and lover boy have a deal. He's gonna help me find a new body, one that's not being used!" she added quickly. "And then we're gonna track down her soul and pop her back in. Easy peasy."

She went to pour another shot, only to find the bottle empty. With a very disappointed tsk, she tossed the empty bottle into the nearby bin and reached to set the shot glass down on the bar.

"Not that I care? About you? No. You stole my friends body, probably because she was being dumb but that don't matter. As for that lesser evil bullshit that don't sit with me either because there ain't a shred of evidence to say you ain't some super evil entity, stole another’s body so hey, why stop there. So yeah, I don't give a flying fuck what happens to you. And sounds like I've got a body for you just well and dandy. So... we doing this the hard way or the harder way." His hand appeared from behind him, a pair of metal strips held. It wasn't too obvious by how they looked but it was obvious what they were - manacles. He was going to take her in.

"What?! No!" She slipped off the stool in a rather ungainly manner and stumbled backwards on uncertain feet.

"Come on, tiger, I played by the rules and I played nice! I'm not as evil as you think I am, okay? I'm just a witch! A human witch and-shit!" She tripped on a mop head sticking out just a bit too much and plopped square on her narrow behind, scrambling back to get away.

"Rules? Sounds like a pack of lies to me. And the fact you ain't will to just go in and prove yourself tells me you're just pulling anything and everything out to escape. I let you go now, you'll vanish like a fart in the breeze and I'll never get the chance to help Alexia." And so it was to the hunt as he set aside his drink, walking casually yet cautiously towards the girl as they scrambled back behind the bar.

Her back hit the cooler full of drinks with a thud and a round of clinking protest from the glass bottles inside. She had nowhere else to go. Trapped and frustrated and let's face it, just a little bit frightened, she looked around in vain for some kind of escape.

"God damn it, why the hell didn't I just stay on earth and hide out in Aruba or some shit?!" She asked herself miserably.

Metal bands were fully out now, a threatening electrical whir coming from the futuristic devices - mage manacles. A bind for the hands and a shock collar to illicit compliance. Effective? Yes. Nice? Hell no. Now the only question was how much could he get in a scuff without arousing thrilling heroics from the few gathered as he apprehending the girl. A step, and another, cautious as he closed. He'd be reaching for the girl with a deadly serious look on his rugged features when that word dropped from their panicked, stolen lips. "What did you say?"

[Alexia Longbow]

At the sight of the sinister looking manacles, the whirring they emitted, her deadened eyes went impossibly wide and the caged animal within threatened to unleash in a fury of kicks, screams, and scratches. But his question caught her so off guard, she simply looked at him, scoffed a bit and repeated what she had said.

"I... I said I should have gone... to Aruba?" Her eyes narrowed at him, wondering what sort of cruel last minute trick he was playing at.

His face twisted some, as though his head hurt. Why? Aruba... what the hell was it about that word that gave him pause. Thoughts of beaches and coconuts, of Way Down in Kokomo playing in the background, of friends who'd totally not appreciate him thinking of them in bikinis... in bikinis... but one. One mopey one. One... "Alexia..." The name spoke softly. How? Why? That shouldn't have been, right? And yet. "Fuck." He just didn't know any more what was going on and what was or wasn't real. Staring at Nolexia for a good long moment longer he'd offer them a hand. "Do you feel an anchor of her in you?" The question blunt, demanding an honest answer.

She eyed the hand suspiciously as if it might suddenly strike her. Eventually, her narrowed gaze rose to look at his face, searching for any hint of a trick. After a moment, she put her tiny scarred hand out, pulled it back just a touch, and then set it in the hunters grasp, fully expecting to have a manacle slapped on her and wondering just why she was being so stupid as to let it happen.

"I feel... pieces. Of what's left." She spoke cautiously. "Her soul is long gone, but I get flashes of what's left. Broken, but there... Why?"

With a yank he'd pull the girl up and off the floor and into a hug? Well this is a whiplash of a development! And yet as their heart grew close to his he could feel a cloying pain radiate out from his chest, as though something was trying to rip free from him and go to the girl. He hissed a little in pain, head shaking as he pushed them back now. "Dammit... I think I know where she was anchored too..." Rubbing his chest some against the phantom pain he eyed his not friend. "You said you were working with someone on fixing this... Danny was it? Is that true?"

"Hey-oof!" Her cry muffled and cut short by his chest, her eyes shifted back and forth in utter confusion. Until she too felt a pulling sensation from her very core.

"Ow... the fuck?" Her hand went to her heart, hauntingly similar to the way the little fae had on that grey cast shore, though it was much more like a small static shock in comparison to what the hunter seemed to feel.

"Huh? Yeah, Danny... Dubek, I think. Lover boy. Has an apartment near the marketplace." She said with a cautious shrug.

He finally let out a mild sigh, shaking his head obviously confused. "Right... lover boy." That still didn't register but then what did he know, it wasn't as though he was terribly close to the fae. Close enough to be friends but then Mach was probably friends with a few rocks so... but then that didn't explain why he had an anchor for the girl's soul. That would mean... something? Damnit, he wasn't smart enough for this!!!

With a bit more pondering he finally reached out to the girl, back of hand caressing lovingly along their cheek. "So there's really a plan in place to bring Alexia back then. And you're onboard with it?"

She didn't flinch. You got two for flinching. But she did start to pull away, until she felt the soft touch along her cheek. Her eyes narrowed, but she let him brush her cheek as it meant he was not locking and shocking her in nasty manacles.

"Yeah... It's a long shot, or at least I thought it was..." Her eyes ticked down to his chest and back up to meet his gaze.

"Holy shit!" Yes, Sammie, keep up with the rest of the class! "She's in there with you, isn't she, tiger?" A small, bemused chuckle parted her lips.

Those fingers caressed back to a pointed ear, gently tracing the length before running down the nape of her neck in a very suggestive manner. He'd step in as those fingers traced behind her neck, feather touch teasing as his hand turned to draw her in for a kiss…

Her breathing hitched as her eyes slid closed, electric sparks at every touch he laid on her. Sammie leaned in ever so slightly, lips parted. At the last second, she paused and sighed wistfully, shaking her head.

Except the palm of his hand felt cold and metal and damnit was that one of those metal strips!!! With a whir and hiss the device snapped around the girls neck like a slap bracelet, cinching in though not uncomfortably. Unlike a slap bracelet once this thing was in place it wouldn't dare prise open! Mach would step back now content with his work. "Insurance. Don't want you running off now. That'll let me track you... and stop you if you try to leave Rhy'Din." This stated in a simple monotone as he pulled out his phone, a few taps registering the collar and activating it's features.

As he tucked the phone away he looked back to the witch as they seemed to catch up. "Was. She left... for some reason..." Somehow though he'd not give such voice. "But she's still anchored. With two such points I think she should be... relatively safe... and on this side of things at least."

Alarm bells should have gone off, but she was much too busy trying to show some modicum of restraint, as difficult as it was.

No sooner had she begun to reach up to gently push his hand away had he trapped her in the collar. A swelling of rage bubbled up inside her and in that moment hated him as much as she hated herself for letting herself be caught.

"Bastard!" She growled as she clawed feebly at the collar, knowing it would be no use. Her breath came in rapid bursts as he explained what happened to her soul.

"I wasn't going to leave! I started to like Lover boy and Skinny Minnie! Ugh!" With one last cry of frustration, she threw her hands down at her sides and stomped her foot.

Taking a deep breath, she blew the air out slowly and crossed her arms under her bust.

"Fine, whatever. But this comes off the second all you bachelor contestants have your little princess back. Just consider yourself lucky. I'd be a lot angrier if that wasn't so goddam hot." She huffed.

"Yeah, well, color me paranoid. I ain't heard a lot of truth from you and I ain't so sure what your game is. You wanna walk around free and doing as you please, then I'm putting insurance on that. Anyway, maybe lover boy would be into it..." A dirty little grin now as he made that joke though it faltered a little with her words. "Wait, you... like the collar?" He knew a dirty bird had inhabited Alexia but what a winner it was if that were the case! No, no, getting distracted! "But what if Danny Boy wants the collar to stay?" DISTRACTED!!! The man worked to shake out of that bit of dark humor as he stepped back now. "You got a phone to go with your... new duds..."A motion to her attire.

She glared at him.

"There is so much wrong with everything you just said. I’ve given you nothing BUT truth! And I wasn't talking about the collar being hot, although…” Her gaze snapped back and she shook her head to clear it. “ I meant how you-" She sighed.

"Nevermind. No, I don't have a cell phone. Fae body?” She gestured up and down her bare torso. “Doesn't really mix all that well with technology. At least not this one."

"Well, 'wrong' is my middle name...." A brow quirked before it sank in as to what she referred to. "Oh you are a repressed one aren't you... Maybe when you get a new body we can see about picking up where we left off..." A wolfish grin offered promising either very smexy times or maybe reference to him shooting her again... it was kinda hard to tell. Mach was a scary bastard when he wanted to be! Considering he'd pull out a mark 1 note book and pencil and would scrawl something down before ripping out the paper and offering it to the girl. "My contact then, so if you two do find a solution you can have Danny call me... unless they're a luddite too. Might be able to use my... connection... if you all can think of such. I... can work the problem on my end too."

Her brow arched in consideration of his offer. Realizing as well it could go either way, she thought her chances could be fairly decent, considering she at least hadn't been shot... AGAIN. A lurid smile began to form as a soft pink tongue peeked out to drag along her top lip in consideration. She took the paper and stuffed it into her disappointingly modest cleavage with a wink.

"I'll hold you to that, tiger." Placing a hand on one hip, she popped it out in a lean and regarded him with a more genuine smile. "So, does this mean I can leave with the same number of holes in me as when I walked in?"

He just sort of watched as the girl stuffed the paper into very meager cleavage. Was that even useful as storage or were they just doing that because they were a lurid little thing? Don't tell Alexia he thought that! "Well, don't you like your odds..." He almost made the comment that her first memory of this land should be getting shot but you know, he'll leave it for now. No, his ire was probably better saved for a certain healer who he just knew ended up in this situation for doing something dumb, very dumb, and against his wishes. As for that second question he'd simply answer that by turning about and heading off. "Yeah. Looks like the odds favor you tonight." There was a pause as he looked back. "You take care of that body... I feel like I may need to shoot it's owner once they return..." Was he joking? If so it didn't show as he'd start off once more moving for the door.

Blinking further surprise only for a moment, she wasted no time hightailing it out of there. She rushed past, didn't even try to steal a second bottle of booze, but she did reach up to trace his jawline with one scarred little finger as she passed.

"Whatever you say, handsome!" Putting a very foolhardy amount of trust in him to not shoot her in the back, She stalked quickly out the door, her hips swaying just so in that small scrap of tightly wrapped denim, hopefully giving the hunter a small amount of anguish at some vague hint of a missed opportunity. That's right, hunter. Suffer!

The passing touch was hardly registered as his mind worked over a dozen different things at once. That blue eyed gaze would follow the girl though as they raced ahead of him. Foolhardy indeed but he’d not drill the girl in the back nonetheless. There were just too many unknowns, too much anger, and the only one with any of the answers wandering around the ether getting into gods knew what. Pensively he moved to the door himself and left to seek answers and inspiration as he could to this most precarious problem.

[Alexia Longbow]

Livid. Sammie was livid. Actually consumed by fury. She wanted to be angry with the hunter, but he just did what all hunters do. She was more angry with herself for letting her guard down. She practically allowed it to happen. Which made her even angrier. Fuming over it all in an endless cycle, she stormed back to Danny's apartment building, nearly breaking her lock picking tools with the first door.

Angry footfalls stomped up the creaky stairs that protested under such brutal treatment. With hardly a touch more care, she picked the lock on the door labeled 'Dubek' and tossed the door open with an echoing BANG. The ricochet was enough to send it slowly back, creaking to a soft click close.

"That ASSHOLE!"

Danny stood at the far end of the room, a loose fitting black thermal on his tall, lean form. He had a cellphone to his ear, chatting with someone from back home. He recoiled at the sudden eruption of Sammie noise barging into his place. Y'know...he could have SWORN he'd locked the door...

"Uh...Yeah, mate. I'll call you back." indistinguishable chatter from the other end followed. "Huh? Oh, yeah. It's her." More chatter. "No, not HER her. The other her. Long story. Hug Kara and the babes for me. Right."

Danny ended the call and pocketed the phone. "Hey there, Sunshine."

"That fucking asshole!" She repeated. Still wearing the same off shoulder long sleeve blouse cut off at the ribs and a denim mini skirt that may have very well been made for a doll, she brushed past. Black suede ankle boots thudded loudly on the floor as she went straight into the kitchen and flung open a lower cabinet, pulling out a stashed Lagavulin 16 year that Danny had definitely not acquired, much less hidden there.

She slammed it down on the counter and reached up to fling open the higher cabinet now, hopping futilely in reach for a glass. It would have all been quite comical save for the glaring band of metal encircling her neck. With a cry of frustration, she turned to him, her eyes unseeing past her fury.

"Ugh! Why are the glasses SO high?!"

Danny walked over, a bit perplexed at the rage machine that was currently piloting his would-be girlfriend's body. His eyes flicked down to that bottle, trying not to let his touched smile creep out. He grabbed her a pair of glasses and set them down. "I'll make sure to rearrange the cupboards for you next time."

He observed the little firebrand for a moment before pushing on. "So...who's an asshole now?"

With a cruel, almost symbolic twist, she wrenched the cap off the bottle, tossing it with abandon onto the counter, and shakily poured into both glasses, somehow not spilling a drop. She didn't wait for him to take up his own glass, but knocked the entirety of hers back as though it were a mere shot, only to quickly refill it and lift it to her lips.

"That... that hunter!" She practically spat the word, a look of disgust on her face that only slamming back the second glassful could remove if only for a moment.

His head rows, lips parting. "Ahh. Right." His brows knit watching her shoot 16 year old scotch like it was nothing. "Y'know...that's..that's more of a...sipping…”

But the deadly look she gave him made him wave it off. "Never mind."

Danny picked up his glass and took a sip. "So...what did I miss? Also...what's with the jewelry?" He nodded to the new band.

Venomous was the only way to describe her expression. Glass refilled for a second time, she slowed her rate of ingestion just a bit, gulping down only half the glass this time. When she lowered it, she released one finger from gripping the drink to point at the metallic collar that trapped and tracked her.

"This isn't a fashion statement, lover boy. That bastard hunter, the one that shot me, shot your little girlfriend, collared me! UGH! And I let it happen! Stupid! So stupid!" She drank the rest and reached for the bottle again.

He held out a hand. "Hey, hey...slow down, alright?" He spoke softly and soothingly as possible. "How the hell did he collar you? Did he hurt you?"

It was then a rush of color bloomed in her face. She attempted a couple of deep breaths before she tried speaking again. Normally she would continue to rage drink, risking alcohol poisoning. Nothing to say she still wouldn't. But a small pang of guilt for an unwilling fragment in the back of her mind slowed her temporarily.

"I let my guard down. I went out for a drink. I wanted to celebrate because I found a scrying spell that we might actually be able to modify and use to find... her..." Her voice very surprisingly softened. It would not last long.

"And then he came in. All swagger and confidence. I was almost out the door before he recognized me… her… whatever! And threatened to shoot me again and then he..." the flush of color renewed as she cast her glance down to where the bottle rested on the counter.

"He... distracted me." She mumbled.

Something about the whole thing didn't sit right with him. Then again, it was just her side of the story and he remembered his initial reaction to Sammie. Given everything he knew now, he wasn't proud of the way he handled it. "But he didn't hurt you, right? Collar aside?"

Still not meeting his gaze, she simply shook her head, accentuating with an angry sigh.

He let out a breath and nodded slowly. "Okay. Good." For a moment he just thought, tapping on the rim of his glass. "You tell him about everything? What we're planning?"

That's when she finally looked to him. In place of her unchecked rage, the tip of her nose shone red and tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over, though she'd die before she gave into them.

"I did! I told him everything. I told the truth! Me! And he didn't believe me!" She sniffed angrily, literally thumbing her nose before she crossed her arms under her bust.

"This is all your fault! You and Lexi!" She reveled in the nickname, knowing how he had disliked it the first time she said it at the little fae's house. "You and your little princess are making me soft!" Yes, she was angry and lashing out, but the vitriol had long since left her voice, replaced now with frustration and a hint of hurt.

He reached out and touched her shoulder gently, green eyes peering into her's. "I'm sorry he did that to you. You didn't deserve it. I'm just glad you're okay."

His touch to her shoulder confused and almost angered her. What right did he have being nice to her? Treating her like a person? She pulled away with a light scoff, but at least the tears had disappeared and her contorted features began to relax.

"Yeah, I guess… Actually,” She paused, remembering something. “It wasn't a total shit show. Here, gimme a sec..." She reached for the low dipping collar of her blouse, pulling it out toward him and revealing a soft creaminess and peered in.

OH did he fight the urge to look. His head canted to one side, brows knit together. "I...think you're mistaking our relationship here..."

She paused, leaving that peek of flesh right in front of him, and looked up with a deadpan look.

"Relax, tiger, I meant take this." She reached deep into the blouse where skin touched fabric and felt around eventually pulling out a piece of paper. She held it out to him expectantly.

"Told me to give you his number, said he was willing to listen and help." With a small pout, she muttered under her breath, “Just not to me…”

He took the slip of paper and read over the numbers before returning that green eyed gaze back up to her. "Well...that IS helpful."

Mach. He knew he'd heard that name somewhere, but beyond that one night at Beltane had never had any sort of contact with the man. Something to file away.

"I have news myself." He took another sip of his drink, pulling out a seat at his small kitchen table.

She refilled her glass for what would be her fourth double (or much more likely, triple) scotch neat and followed suit, plopping into the seat across him with a sulky slouch.

"I have a friend. A doctor over at the hospital. Works in the ICU...with coma patients." He gave her a pointed look.

Her brows rose with great interest as she sat up, her interest quite piqued. Forgetting her ire for now, she leaned forward on her elbows, causing even that modest cleavage plumping just so.

"Yeah? Did you find me my stripper porn star dream girl?" A hint of mischief crept into her voice.

He nodded slightly. "There's a woman. Been there...6 months. Medically, there's...nothing wrong. She's still inside, she just can't quite..." His lips pursed as he tried to word it correctly. "She can't use her body. She's just sort of...trapped."

He took another sip of scotch. "They have a medium on staff and, with her help, I talked to this woman. She is, um...how to put this? VERY much your kind of person. And..." A grin formed. "She's a shifter."

[Alexia Longbow]

As she listened, she sat up straighter and straighter until she was bouncing in her seat with excitement. Her lip pulled in between her teeth, she let out a tiny squeal.

"You did find me my dream girl! Nicely done, lover boy!" She reached for the glass and now sipped at it daintily.

"So how do we set it all up? I doubt they're gonna just let me waltz right in and take over. Are they?" She quirked her brow in that gut wrenching familiar way.

He lifted his hands and waved on the praise, a prideful little smirk on his lips. Elbows propped on the table as he leaned forward. "Well, she's agreed to meet you. It's not a done deal...but if she likes you and you like her...she's agreed to share her body. She said she had provisions, but they were to be discussed with you and you alone."

Lifeless brown eyes went wide. Her jaw dropped for a moment, rising quickly to form a devious smile.

"When? When can I meet her?" She sounded almost giddy.

"Soon as you like...during normal visiting hours." He quickly added. "I just have to make a call and set it up."

She nodded, her eyes going out of focus as the gears turned in her mind.

"Okay... okay, yeah... Yeah, that's good, because I'll need to get supplies. An amethyst for scrying, something of Rapunzel's, a holding vessel for me, the hunter said he had some just not on him..." She paused and looked back to Danny, her face serious and grim.

"You... will let me out of the holding vessel after you get her back, right?"

A low chuckle shook his body. "Well, I was gonna sell you to a nomadic cult, but since you're putting me on the spot..."

Her eyes began to widen incredulously.

"Of course." He looked at her like she was ridiculous. "I promised to help you. I don't break my promises."

She narrowed her eyes at him in deep consideration. Finally, seemingly satisfied with his answer, she nodded once and took a sip or two of scotch.

"So,” she said casually, after a silent moment or two. “Is she hot?" She waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively.

He blinked rapidly. Of all the questions, that was NOT one he saw coming. Though, in retrospect, he should have. "Um...she's...she's kinda...comatose. I don't think I saw her at her best. But, the mental representation of herself was attractive, if that's anything to go off of."

She swayed her head from side to side in consideration.

"Mmm, debatable." She murmured into her glass before taking another sip. "She tell you her name?"

"Jacinda." He said. "Goes by Jaci, for short. I think you'll like her." He flashed that dimpled smile to her. "She's got an...interesting sense of humor."

"Jaci..." She tested the feel of it on her tongue. The lurid smile that started forming proof she seemed to like the name at least. The last little tidbit redrew her focus.

"Oh, yeah? She try to pop your cork?" She grinned lasciviously, giving her temple a tight tap.

His lips parted, but he said nothing. Instead, a bashful sort of smile crossed his lips. It was all the answer she needed.

A low, throaty chuckle passed her lips. She raised her glass in salute.

"Girl after my own heart." Taking a sip, she leaned in, forgetting she had just pulled her blouse down moments ago. "Rapunzel better be grateful she's getting such a hot commodity of a boyfriend." She declared with a wink.

His eyes were on his drink, but flicked up to meet those empty brown eyes. For a moment, he just stared. "There are times I look at you and I swear, I can almost see her in there. Just...waiting to come out."

Her smile faltered. Whatever she thought he might say, she certainly had not expected that. Her eyes went in and out of focus with an unseen internal struggle.

"Oh, tiger... if you only knew." She knocked back what was left in her glass and glanced toward the counter where the bottle sat, forgotten until now.

His eyes lowered back to his drink and he ran his tongue along his lower lip, content to let the silence hang there for a little bit. She saw the corner of his mouth twitch slightly before he looked back up to her. "So...I have a question."

With a sharp intake of air, she shook her head and blinked a few times, scrambling to put up the façade once more. The beginnings of a mischievous smile touching her lips, she gave him a small upnod.

"Fire away."

"That bottle..." He said with a playful curve to his lips. "Is...not mine. And yet, magically...here it is. In my apartment. In the cupboard. And, I have to say...you seemed very familiar with its location." He widened his eyes and lifted his hands up with a shrug.

Her smile took a left turn into a smirk and she rose from the table to saunter over to the counter, swaying her hips and calling out over her shoulder.

"What... this bottle?" Leaving the cap well behind, she brought it back with her and refilled her glass as she sat down once more.

"Consider it a housewarming present." She said as she moved to fill his glass now.

His tongue pressed up against the back of his teeth, an amused little smirk on his face as he shook his head. "I shudder to think of you wandering around my place when I'm not here. I'm checking my underwear drawer when you leave. God help you if anything is missing."

"Well, then, I guess it's best not to think about it then, isn't it?" She raised her eyebrows in feigned innocence, ironically not quite pulling it off.

"Don't worry, tiger, I put everything back where I found it." Was she joking? Hard to say!

"Ohhhhh...I am so dusting this place for fingerprints..." He chuckled.

"I'm surprised her prints aren't already all over the place." She snorted.

He rolled his eyes and downed the rest of his first glass. "Oh please...she's been here ONCE. You've spent more time in my apartment than she has."

"Hmm... Well, that explains why you only have a couple of pictures of her with a plant." She rolled her eyes, almost bored.

His brow quirked. "You looked at my portfolio?" It was, of course, nothing Alexia hadn't seen. The beautiful vistas, the animals, the people...the women. And more, specifically, what the women weren't wearing.

"You mean that book on the coffee table?" She glanced that way now, affording full view of the collar around her neck and the soft pale skin below it before turning back to drink. "Yeah, that, too."

He exhaled a laugh through his nose and shook his head. "Does that thing hurt." He nodded to her collar, grabbing the bottle and pouring himself another glass.

Scarred fingers rose involuntarily to trace the lower edge of the collar. Her gaze turned faraway and her expression unreadable.

"Not yet, but I have the feeling it could if I don't behave."

"Ooof." His brows rose. "You? Behave? You're pretty much fucked then, aren't ya?"

Her eyes snapped back to the present and narrowed. She curled her lip, unamused.

"Very funny."

That ever-present Danny smile formed again. "You won't have it for long. I promise. I'm going to make sure of it."

"Pfft! Damn right I won't! As soon as I get out of this body, it's all you and Rapunzel's problem." She snorted as a thought crossed her mind.

"Hell, maybe you two can get some good use out of it. Could be damn sexy in the right conditions..." She smiled and started to drift away for a moment.

His lips twisted and his face scrunched. "Ehhhhhh....the collars...not really my thing."

Peering at him again, a wickedness crept into her grin.

He laughed and gave her a pointed look. "Look, she's a sweet, innocent girl. She must be protected at all costs. She must be TERRIFIED in there with all the stuff you're showing her." He grinned playfully, taking a sip of scotch.

She waved him off with her free hand while sipping on her drink.

"Eh, I wouldn't worry too much about it, Charming. I gave the baby a bottle and put her to bed."

He laughed incredulously "Phh...yeah a bottle of SCOTCH."

She knit her brows and scoffed.

"Uhh... yeah! Is there another way?"

"I'm frankly stunned you haven't killed her yet." He laughed. "Before you came around, she'd never had a drink in her life."

"THAT much was clear." Her eyes widened briefly for emphasis. "Don't think I hadn't tried other means. I guess she's just got one of those faces that keep people from wanting to sell her anything harder. Not to mention there aren't exactly the same kinds of pain killers and sedatives available around here as on Earth. What I wouldn't give for a xanax!"

His brow furrowed then. "What, were you gonna get her high on crack?"

"Oh, GOD, no! Downers, lover boy. I'm talking about downers. She's not like any of my other possessions." Her face grew obliviously thoughtful.

That much, he could believe. "Ahhhh, so do you make a habit of this? Taking other people's bodies for a joyride? Pumpin' them full of alcohol and...eh..." He didn't complete that thought, feeling it might be a bit insulting...and crass.

An almost derisive snicker echoed in the glass as she lowered it from her last sip.

"Certainly not for lack of trying, that's for damn sure. And yeah, actually, that's pretty much how it works for me. Hop in, take over, have my fun, and move on. Only, this was different. You remember when I said that in this kind of possession there's always something left behind?" She brought the glass up to her temple to gently tap.

"Whatever's left usually gives me a headache for about a day or so, nothing a little booze and sex can't distract from. They usually just give in, fade into the background and let me steer. But your girl? She fought. Hard. Still is. And after the last few days, I gotta think it's got something to do with you."

The smile that crossed his face was unstoppable. Since Sammie came along, a lot of his fears about Alexia and whether or not she was able to feel anything remotely resembling romantic feelings towards him were wiped away.

"So. Collars aren't your thing. What is?"

Danny turned his eyes up to her, a heavily dimpled smirk forming upon his lips. He crooked a finger her way, beckoning her closer. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. As he told her exactly what he would like to do with Alexia, her grin slowly faded, a blush coming to her cheeks. Suddenly, it felt like her ears were on fire, a slight heave to her chest as her breath involuntarily picked up pace. It was poetry. Hot, vivid, incredibly descriptive poetry. Finally, he leaned back, his face smug and confident.

She licked her lips and cleared her throat. Shifting a bit, she reached to trace the line of her neck, interrupted by the metal band.

"A-And it, uh, has to be her, huh?" Already knowing the answer, she just had to ask one more time.

"Them's the rules." He winked at her.

Sammie nodded slowly, which only encouraged him. Danny leaned forward, those brilliant green eyes burning into hers. “And...I mean...every inch.”

Teeth meet lip, chill meet spine.

He cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. "Well. I think we got a lot done tonight." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "So, I'll get in touch with you about the hospital, yeah?"

She glared at his abrupt stop and stood slowly, letting the mere scraps of fabrics strain against her petite body and tantalize with every deliberate movement. Once fully standing, she leaned in, placing both palms flat on the table.

"Alright, I can take a hint. But before I go, I desperately need a shower." With quite the evil look, she straightened, slowly turned and, with her back completely to him, sauntered toward his bathroom, slowly pulling off her blouse as she went. She let the flimsy piece of clothing drop to the floor, showing off her completely bare back, exposing twin bony ridges of hardened scar tissue just on the inside of her shoulder blades. A quick look tossed over her shoulder before she disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the door fully open. A moment later, the water turned on and steam poured out.

That look of smug victory fell from his face. "Oh...you evil, evil bitch..."

[Alexia Longbow]

Danny stepped through the automatic doors of the Golden Pearl Hotel And Casino. Where Sammie got the scratch for this place, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The sound of slot machines and dealers hard at work filtered into the lobby from the gaming floor. Not really Danny's sort of place. He wore a heather grey hoodie over a black, v-neck t-shirt. His well-worn brown boots and a pair of blue jeans completed his look. Green eyes looked around to see if they could catch a sight of the petite fae.

It would stand to reason to think Sammie would be in the casino living it up, or even at the bar, either pilfering bottles or surrounded by men and women alike buying her drinks. But it was getting close to the final play and instead she was sitting in the lobby on a plush seat in front of a fireplace. She could have been easily skipped over in her simple dark blue hoodie save for the high slicked back ponytail and distinctive pointed ears. Cold brown eyes stared into the firelight, somehow unable to reflect even the flames' warmth. Spying the handsome, dimpled, British Texan, she smirked and lifted a small scarred hand to call his attention.

There she was. His lips curved upwards at the sight of her, looking FAR less...flashy than she had of late. There was something different in her bearing. The flirty, outrageous woman he'd come to know was oddly subdued. His hands stuffed into his pockets as he made his way over. It had taken a few hours for him to get past the effects of their conversation from the night before, but he was finally back to normal. He peered down at her. "Mornin'. Nice place you found here."

She stood as he approached, adjusting the far more modest hoodie that only revealed just above her belly button. The denim shorts, however, were just as short, tight, and revealing as her previous outfits. This was still Sammie after all. Hands on her barely covered hips, she gave him a thorough once over of appreciation and smiled fully at him.

"Good, you found it."

"...yeah. It's not exactly a subtle building." He smirked. "You ready to go make friends?"

"SO ready!" Her eyes widened as she began to walk past him. She may have promised she wouldn't 'offer her services' with Alexia's body anymore, but that didn't mean she wouldn't make it just a bit tortuous for Danny in the meantime. With a flirty wave to a few waitresses, she made for the door, calling over her shoulder.

"Come on!"

She brushed past him, leaving him blinking. "Oh. Me? I'm fine. Thanks for asking." He muttered under his breath as she was out of earshot. "Always so considerate, Sammie..." He turned and waved. "Coming!"

He hailed them a cab. It wasn't a long drive to the hospital. Before they knew it they were passing through the doors and checking in. Danny was in the middle of it when a voice called out behind him. "Danny!"

He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the voice. "Deb!"

The woman who approached was about 5'7", slim and in her early 40's. An absolute stunner even without a ton of makeup. She had grey eyes and dirty blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Just from her arms you could tell she was in incredible shape. She wrapped her arms around him, clad in a navy blue t-shirt with the hospital's name branded over the left breast and a pair of scrub bottoms.

Danny returned the hug with a big smile. "How are you?"

"Ohhhh you know." She said in a sing song. "Not covered in a kaleidoscope of body fluids yet, so...just aces." Those almond-shaped grey eyes turned to Sammie. "And...is this our friend?"
She was friendly, but there was a sort of undeniable intensity and energy to her.

Sammie watched the woman intently as she approached. Any other time and circumstance, she would have been checking out her curves and unabashedly trying to flirt. She still looked her over, but when she hugged Danny, an odd feeling crept in. She felt jealous. And it wasn't as though she were channeling Alexia's feelings. The little fae didn't seem to have a single negative thought. This was 100% Sammie. She felt jealous for Alexia. She really had grown attached to this would-be couple and she hated herself for it.

Large, lifeless dark brown eyes regarded her and she gave the best smile she could muster, which resulted in something less than friendly.

"Yeah. Sammie, this is-"

"Deb Sellip. Sammie? GREAT to meet you." She wrapped the girl in a hug, regardless of her less than welcoming expression. She pulled back, then. "Sorry. I'm a hugger. I'm lead for Jaci. I understand there's a...Freaky Friday kinda thing going on?" She peered intently to the oddly stand-offish girl.

Her eyes went wide and she gave off a soft 'oof' much in the same way when the hunter had done the same just before he collared her. She had to admit, being pressed up against such an attractive woman was pretty great. Even better, it wasn't her doing so Danny couldn't gripe at her about it later! A tiny hint of genuine mirth crept into her smile.

"Yeah, nice to meet you, too, babe.” She said, a slight softening to the razor sharp edge. “It's kind of a long story, but let's just say I'm looking to relocate."

She nodded. "Cool. Cool cool. Come with me." She flashed a smile and glanced to the security guard holding out two thumbs up. "Henry? They're good."

The man behind the counter gave her thumbs up in return. The doctor led them down a hall towards the elevators. "We see this sort of thing every now and again. It's not highly publicized or anything, but it happens. Do you have any questions about Jaci?"

Sammie glanced at different doors and signs as they passed, getting a feel for her surroundings. Those black flip flops slapping and echoing as they walked.

"Any family I might have to deal with? Underlying abilities not related to shifting?" Still strangely serious and businesslike.

Deb’s pony tail waved from side to side as she shook her head. "Nope. No family to speak of. She came to us six months ago. Paramedics found her non-responsive in her apartment, but her vitals were perfect. We know she’s still kicking around in there. We keep a telepath on-staff for these sorts of things. We're still not sure what caused the break, but she has full mental capacity, just no ability to operate her body. Basically, the engine's running but she's stuck in the back seat. We’re mostly flying blind on what happened, but we’ve ruled out it having to do with her abilities as a shifter." Deb nodded firmly.

Sammie couldn't help the sly uptick to the corner of her mouth when the good doctor mentioned the back seat. But that thought would have to wait. The rest of her answer got a nod before she asked her next question.

"Any allergies or sensitivities to other kinds of magic that you know of, specifically arcane?" A hint of experience crept into her voice. Clearly not her first psychic rodeo.

Deb’s lips tucked between her teeth as she listened to the tiny fae. She nudged the elevator call button with her elbow. "Mm. No. Nothing of the sort, as far as we can tell. We subjected her to a few tests but they all came back negative. Mild allergy to cat dander, but that's it."

Sammie lifted and dropped bony shoulders in a casual shrug.

"Okay, then! Sounds good so far, doc." Finally, a genuine, if not perhaps a far too friendly smile pulled at her lips as she crossed her arms just under where her bust would normally have been on full display.

They stepped into the elevator when it arrived, Deb's hands going behind her back as she leaned against one side, her ankles crossing. "She's an interesting woman. I think you'll like her. We've all been waiting for a DS- err...a detached soul” she clarified, “to come by for a while. While these cases do happen, they're exceedingly rare, and without a volunteer looking to part with a soul, there's little we can do. She's eager to get back to living."

"Gotta admit, I've never had a co-pilot before. Not willingly, anyway." Sammie gave Danny a look.

"But I'm definitely ready to give it a shot. This arrangement is just not working out anymore."

Deb plastered on a tight lipped smile. "Yeah, Danny told me all about it." She reached out and pinched his cheek, her voice changing to baby talk. "Innit so cuuuute. Hims in looooove."
Danny smirked and lazily pulled his head away from her, a grin threatening to break out.

"Alright..." he grumbled

Sammie watched the exchange, highly entertained. What began as a snicker quickly burst into a full laugh.

"Aww, whatsa matter, lover boy? You couldn't stop yourself from talking about her yesterday!" She gave him an over exaggerated innocent look.

Deb's brows rose, those grey eyes widening with amusement. "So...You're sharing some of that with me later, right?” She gave a pointed look to Sammie. "I wanna hear all about lover boy and the woman that managed to snatch him up.” She grinned up at Danny like the cat that caught the mouse.

"Hey! What happened to Doctor-Patient confidentiality?" Danny complained.

Deb made a face at the question. "Well...you're not a patient. Fair game!"

"Relax, lover boy. If it makes you feel any better, I won't tell her all the juicy details until you're out of ear shot." Sammie nodded. That was a decent offer, right? Totally comforting.

She HAD to use the word juicy, didn't she? Danny thought.

Yes. She absolutely did.

Danny chuckled and shook his head. Let them talk. What was the worst that could happen? The doc probably heard worse things on a daily basis. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Deb led them out into the hall and had them sign in at the visitor's desk before leading them into the ICU and sinks in the hall. "Scrub up before we go in." She cast a look at Danny, a lopsided grin on her face. "God knows where this one's been." She nodded to him.

Sammie snickered again as she reached for the soap, making sure to take her time. There were certain things she took very seriously. Finding a potentially perfect host in a place that in the past had consistently given her, as she felt, a very raw deal, was one of them. A solemn, pensive look knit her brows as she dutifully scrubbed and rinsed.

Deb dried up and cast a sidelong glance to the pair of them. "Alrighty. Follow me." She led them down one of the corridors, before stopping at Jaci's room. "Sammie?" She said. "Meet Jaci."

She turned the knob and gave the door a shove. Jaci lay in the bed hooked up only to a heart monitor and a feeding tube. Despite her abilities as a shapeshifter, she'd retained her original appearance when the break happened. Chestnut brown hair was kept in a ponytail. She was about average height for a human female at 5'7". Even after six months of inactivity and no glamour, she was striking.

The telepathic medium was already in the room, setting things up for the meeting. She smiled up to the newcomers as the door opened.

Sammie gave a brief nod to Deb as she went through the door and toward the medium, who received the same. All manor of flippancy and flirtation was completely switched off as she prepared herself mentally. Jaci's appearance, instead of being raked over with lecherous eyes, was regarded with keen observation.

"Sammie, this is Krystal, she's our resident TM. She'll be giving you a direct link into Jaci's mind." Deb explained. "Now, before we start, can I get you some water or anything?"

Sammie shook her head, and with a deep breath, turned back to the empath.

"Lead the way." She ticked her head toward the comatose Jaci.

Krystal had set two chairs beside Jaci's bed and gestured to the one furthest away. Sammie went directly for the indicated chair. The zipper on her hoodie was given a quick tug, more out of nerves than for comfort, before she placed her palms lightly on her knees.

Krystal took the seat closest to Jaci and gently took the unconscious woman's hand, her eyes shutting for a moment. When they opened, she smiled and looked to Sammie. "Alright. She's ready. I'll take your hand. Just relax. Try to rest your mind. It might feel a bit weird at first."
The medium reached out, grasping Sammie's scarred little fingers. "And breathe in....nice and deep… Annd...out."

The world went dark and utterly silent for just a moment. Instantly she was in a space of pure white infinity. The only thing there was her and a woman, sitting in a chair.

While a bit jarring, the sensation was not terribly new to Sammie. The empty space, however, was. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the bright whiteness of it. When she could finally see, the image of the same woman lying in the hospital bed awaited her. She sat in the chair with her legs crossed at the ankles and her hands folded daintily in her lap, her head canted to one side with a demure expression.

Sammie’s eyebrows furrowed. This was the woman Danny said would be the perfect host for her? After a moment, a second chair appeared in front of the woman, facing her. She gestured for Sammie to join her.

"Hello..." She began softly. "Before we begin, I have something to ask you."

"O... kay... sure..." Sammie's eyebrow quirked suspiciously, but she obliged and sat down just as she had in the hospital room.

"Do you believe in the healing power of our lord and savior Bleurgan the admonishing?"

"WHAT?!" Out in the hospital room, Sammie's brows knit with concern.

[Alexia Longbow]

Deb crossed her arms and leaned back against a cabinet beside Danny. There wouldn't be much to see for them here and who knew how long it would take? She looked him up and down, sensing the nervousness in him. She reached over and took his wrist, giving him a little squeeze and a reassuring smile.

"It's amazing. What you're doing for them." She said.

Danny just watched. "I just want Alexia back."

Deb snorted. "You have a terrible poker face. You and I both know it's more than that. You could'a taken her to any one of a dozen back alley places that would've put her in a box and tossed her away. You like this girl, Sammie."

He was hesitant to admit it. "She's alright."

Deb smirked. "You're a good guy, Danny. Not a lotta people would go out of their way for the woman who stole their girlfriend's body."

Danny turned to her. "You think this will work?"

Deb glanced up at him, her doctor face on. "There's a lot we don't really understand about this stuff. We're all kind of figuring it out as we go. I can tell you, I've seen similar cases where a psychic break has happened when adding in a surrogate has repaired the link between body and mind. But it all depends on if the host accepts. If, for some reason they don't click...well. We'll just have to try again, right?"

He didn't like the uncertainty of it all. He wanted HIS Alexia back and soon. The wait was killing him. "Yeah...We'll start over."

Deb eyed him for a moment. His concern touched her. "She worth it?" the doctor asked.

"She's worth everything."

Deb smiled up at him. The boy was a romantic, nobody could doubt that. She leaned her head back against the cabinet. "Lucky girls." she sighed.

[Alexia Longbow]

Jaci's lips began to quiver and she could hold back no longer. Peals of laughter erupted and she almost fell out of the chair.

"I'm totally fucking with you!" She howled.

Sammie sat completely taken aback, something that didn't happen terribly often. But Jaci's laugh was infectious and soon enough Sammie was laughing right a long.

"Okay, that was a good one. You scared the ever loving SHIT out of me!" She sagged a bit in the seat.

"I couldn't resist! I knew you were coming and that tasty little morsel out there, Danny, right? Told me so much about you, I just had to have a little fun."

She had to agree her assessment of Danny was pretty nail on the head.

"So what has Prince Charming been saying about me?" Sammie laughed, actually enjoying herself.

"The words 'fun nightmare' were used." Jaci waggled her eyebrows.

"That dick..." Sammie muttered quietly to herself. "I'm really not... that terrible."

"Oh? That's too bad," A wicked grin spread on Jaci's full lips. "Because it just so happens that was my nickname in college."

Out in the hospital room, Sammie's physical expression had long since relaxed and now a devious smile took hold.

"Alright, gorgeous, I'm gonna level with you." Sammie grew serious and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "This whole situation has gone fairly tits up in a really fast way. The owner of this," she looked down to her chest, "and her actual prince of a boyfriend out there are fighting tooth and nail to get back to each other."

Jaci nodded along, mimicking Sammie's forward lean.

"Gross, I know, but damn if they didn’t get under my skin with their sickening little love story. So I just want to know, what's it gonna take to make this," She lifted a hand, palm parallel to her chest, and moved it back and forth between the two of them. "happen? What are your terms?"

Jaci nodded some more with a soft 'mmhmm' interjected a few times throughout Sammie’s explanation.

"A girl who knows what she wants. I like that. Okay, Sammie, here's the skinny. I don't care what we do, I'll try just about anything once. But all the big decisions, anything permanent or life altering, we have to agree. It's gotta be a two yes, one no type of deal. And that goes for you, too. If you don’t agree, we don’t do it. It gets tabled."

"Two yes, one no..." Sammie repeated mulling it over. She tried to find the catch. The trick. But it seemed simple enough. "So... anything is up for discussion?"

"Anything." Jaci agreed. "We can discuss all you want, but we have to agree and we absolutely cannot go back on our agreement behind the other's back. I don't want to wake up on my turn and find out we're married to a bridge troll and expecting his triplets."

They both shuddered violently at the idea of marriage and motherhood.

"Okay..." Sammie said, being the first to recover. "Okay, I think... yeah, I can definitely live with that!"

"Yeah? Great!" Jaci clapped her hands with excitement. "When can you move in, roomie?"

Sammie rolled her eyes and smiled wistfully.

"As soon as I get the love birds all squared away. Then I'm all yours."

"Oh! Good!" Jaci breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Umm... so... do we hug it out?"

Sammie's lip curled. "I'm... not much of a hugger."

"UGH! Thank GOD!" Laughing again, Jaci sat up straight in her seat. "Alright, then. I'll be here. Waiting."

Finally, Sammie opened her eyes out in the corporeal world and smiled.

Danny and Deb stood against that cabinet, waiting expectantly. Danny seemed concerned, but Deb had a big, excited grin on her face. "Well?!"

Sammie let go of Krystal's hand and stood, placing both her hands on her hips.

"Well..." she echoed. "Where do I sign?" She flashed pearly whites in a grin that reached from ear to ear.

The doctor's face scrunched up, her fist raising and pumping once in the air. "FUCK yeah!" She laughed. "I knew it!"

Danny finally let his smile come out. This was really it. The home stretch. He couldn't help but laugh with Deb.

"Congratulations!" she said to Sammie. "When this is all over, we are going out and getting shit-faced." She pointed between Danny and Sammie. It wasn't a suggestion, it was a demand. "UGH! I am SO happy for you." She positively beamed at Sammie.

"Oh, hell, yes! I'm down for that! Oh! I'll just have to make sure to check with my partner in crime first, as part of the agreement." She nodded with feigned solemnity before laughing again. "But something tells me she'll be very ready, though!"

Doctor Selip GIGGLED. "Ah. God!" She hugged Danny, planting a kiss on his cheek and turned to Sammie, walking over. "Come on. We're doing this." She opened her arms.

Before she could protest, she found herself wrapped up in a hug. She thought about pushing back, but even she had to admit, it was nice. Especially with all manner of curves pressing this way and that. She shot Danny a smirk as she placed her hands squarely on the doctor's back. See? She was behaving!

Danny's green eyes made contact with her's. There wasn't a hint of teasing in his gaze, all of that could wait. It was true, what Deb had said. He genuinely had wanted to help Sammie, just as he'd promised. And now, he had. He was 100% legitimately happy for her. The corners of his mouth upturned, that dimpled smile taking over his face as he nodded her way.

Pulling away now, a myriad of thoughts ran through Sammie’s head. There were spells to rework, materials to gather, phone calls to be made. Gnarled little hands were shoved into the pockets of her hoodie.

"This is just step one, Charming. Can't drop the ball now."

His smile only faltered a little. That was likely to be as good as he was going to get. His brows rose, a wry grin forming. "I don't intend to."

[Alexia Longbow]

Sammie walked with a purpose. Heavily laden with items needed for the next step in gaining independence from the would-be lovers, she had a grim look of determination on her face. A full knapsack slung over one shoulder held various materials needed for the two spells that would change everything, save for one item. The aged mirror from the little fae's washroom was too large to be stowed and so she practically cradled it in her arms.

In no time at all, she would find herself approaching Danny's door for what would hopefully be the last time in Alexia's body. She had nearly dropped the precious mirror trying to pick the lock on the main door. Not wanting to risk the same or let it out of her grasp, she thumped the door with her shoe to announce her presence.

"Open up, Charming, it's me!" She called out.

Danny stepped out of his washroom, nerves on edge. For days he’d been equal parts dreading and excited for this very moment. Now that it was finally upon them, it felt almost too much to handle. He arrived at the door, taking a breath before opening and holding it for her. "Hey." He forced a smile for her. "You have everything?"

"You better believe it." Gone was the flirtatious tone and glint of mischief in those cold dark brown eyes. Even her attire was out of the norm for her. Still skin tight, but more modestly covered, she wore a simple denim jacket over a thin black camisole that met the waistband of hip hugging blue jeans, and a newly pilfered pair of simple black ballet flats.

As she slipped in, the fresh smell of her recently washed hair trailed behind her as it flowed loose and just this side of unruly. She headed straight for the kitchen table and let the knapsack slip down from her shoulder to deposit onto the chair.

"Got everything on your end?" She had been vocally adamant that she would not be the one to acquire the soul jar as she did not want to be shot again, thank you very much, sir.

Danny moved over to his closet, removing an object wrapped in a sheet from the top shelf. He was barefoot, but a pair of grey pants paired with a loose black thermal adorned the rest of his lean body. He carried it out and set it upon the table, carefully removing the cover. “Got it right here. Deb should be here any moment.”

She nodded, listening without taking her eyes off her own task. With great reluctance, she put the mirror down on the kitchen table and unfastened the knapsack. First she pulled out a flask and uncorked it, only instead of taking a swig, she poured the contents out directly onto the glassy surface.

"Rain water from a new moon..." She muttered to herself as she resealed the flask and set it down on the table as well. Next, she pulled out a simple wooden hair brush, thoroughly cleaned save for one single, incredibly long dark brown hair. She gently lowered it to coil on the surface of the water.

"Essence of the lost..." The penultimate ingredient done, she placed the brush next to the flask and now procured a simple raw amethyst. She held it above the mirror, muttering words in a language long lost and known only to a few.

Taking great care not to touch the mirror with anything but the crystal, she lowered it to let a single jagged corner break the surface tension of the water. The mirror began to fog over as the rain water and hair dissolved within it, leaving a matte black rectangle that emanated eerie whispers.

"Here..." The first spell done, she reached into the bag and pulled out a simple black cloth, holding it out without taking her eyes off the mirror. "Put this on the coffee table."

Danny took the bundle and the jar, moving it to the coffee table. He was woefully out of his element. A life spent in the mundane human world didn’t exactly prepare him for a soul retrieval. He might as well have been a monkey at a typewriter, but he knew his purpose here. It wasn't a pleasant idea, but with help and guidance, he would have Alexia back. That was all that mattered.

A knock came from the door, but before he could even respond Deb pushed through the door, looking much the same as the day before. A pair of duffel bags were slung from both shoulders to her hips, containing the portable monitor and the rest of her equipment.. She was clearly coming off a long shift, but even so, she still managed to somehow look like a rockstar.

"Heya, gang." She smiled as Danny came up to her, relieving her of a duffel. The pair threw an arm around each other in a quick embrace.

"Thank you for doing this, Deb." he said with a nervous smile.

Deb took his upper arm in her hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Don't mention it." She turned to Sammie, her eyes widening excitedly and a deep breath taken in. "Well, lady?” She said with an exhale. “You ready for this?"

Sammie still did not look up. She had placed the amethyst among the other discarded spell elements and lifted the mirror flat as she carried it over to the coffee table where she laid it down in the center of the cloth with all the care and gentleness one would use with a newborn babe. Only when she was confident it was safe where it lay did she finally look up.

"Ready as I'll ever be." There was no sarcasm, no snide tone. Only business. With a quick round trip to the kitchen table once more, she snatched up the knapsack, which seemed far too full of something soft and fabric, and tucked it neatly under the coffee table before sitting on the couch, avoiding Danny’s gaze as she did.

Danny was uncharacteristically quiet, but Deb understood. It wasn't every day you were given the task of bringing someone you care about to the brink of death. The idea understandably weighed on him heavily. Sammie was busy, but Deb stepped over to him, taking his arms in her hands.

"What about you?" She asked, peering up into those green eyes of his. "You holding up?"

Danny forced a smile as best he could and nodded. "Yeah. Just nervous."

"This is gonna work." Deb assured him. "Okay? Anything goes wrong, I'll bring her back. Okay? Just...don't let yourself worry too much. It doesn't help, trust me. Now, here. Make yourself useful and help me set up."

Deb and Danny went to work, unpacking and putting together the monitor. "Where do you want to do this?" Deb asked Sammie.

Game face unwavering, she took a quick survey of the immediate area. Coffee table, couch, mirror, she gave a quick definitive nod before speaking.

"Right here." She patted the cushion right by her knee for emphasis.

"This is good. Oh, and doc?" Bottom lip tortured between teeth for a brief moment, she took a deep breath. "Thanks."

Deb turned those grey eyes turned up to Sammie, a warm smile on her tired face. "It's my pleasure." she nodded and tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. The doctor took her things over to the coffee table, setting up a little space for herself and plugging in the monitor.

Without a task, Danny had taken to pacing, wringing his hands nervously. "Okay. Okay, so...just to be sure, run me through this again." He ran his fingers through that mess of auburn curls atop his head.

Sammie nodded, more than happy to oblige. With a calm, even tone, she ran through the game plan.

"Once I'm hooked up, I'll start scrying for her. The mirror will act as a way to communicate, but it only works one way, so let me do the talking. I'll tell her to grab hold of something, anything in the room will work..." She eyed the amethyst and hairbrush laying safely on the kitchen table.

"Then, you're up, tiger." She looked him square in the eye. They both knew very well what she meant.

"I'll break my tether, go into the jar, and then you have to wait. I can't stress how important it is. If you try to bring her back before she can pull herself back together, you'll lose her again. You get me?" She looked from one pair of eyes to the other.

He nodded slowly as she explained, taking it all in and committing it to memory one final time. Danny took in another deep breath and let it out gradually. Those concerned green eyes turned to her. "How will I know?"

She turned back to him, her expression suddenly softening with a tiny wistful smile.

"You'll know." She said softly. A quick intake of air mercifully banished the tears that threatened to form, although the less intense tone remained.

"Listen, tiger, once this whole thing kicks off, there won't be much time for goodbyes or any of that sappy bullshit, so let me just say this now." Her tongue peeked out to moisten her lips.

"I never expected any of this to happen. I thought I was gonna walk away with a shiny new body and leave everyone and everything in my dust. But you guys with your goddam epic love story ripped that right out from under me. And... and I'm kinda glad. It's been a long time since I had any kind of faith in anyone. And you... you seem to be the only one who doesn't want a single thing from this girl. So... just keep taking care of her, yeah?"

She breathed deeply, shuddering just a little, and shook her head. "Jesus, never thought I'd start to get sentimental and it's all thanks to you idiots." But she was smiling as she said it.

"Try not to think of me too much when she finally does let you take her to the promised land, okay, lover boy?" Her smile morphed into a sly smirk as she began to turn away from him.

There was a tightening in his chest as she opened up to him. So much had changed in a short amount of time. When he'd first met her, he despised her for what she'd taken. Now, a part of him was sad to see her go, even knowing that she'd be back in another form. "Don't be a stranger, yeah?" Those green eyes stayed on hers. For a long moment he just stared. "Thank you for this. For all of this."

His hands found purchase on her shoulders, a sorrowful smile on his face. "I'm glad I met you."

"Yeah, yeah, save the groping for your girlfriend. I told you I don't do sappy goodbyes. Gotta save up those tender moments. Limited supply and all." She rolled her eyes and made to push his hands away, but her smile remained.

"Yeah. " He nodded with a little grin. "Too bad." Danny's arms wrapped around the body that wasn't her's, holding her tight. "I'll take care of everything. I'll get you home." He whispered.

Sammie stiffened at his embrace but didn't push him away. Instead, she swallowed hard and simply nodded, vowing to torture him mercilessly at some point after all this was over.

With that he let her go. Deb stood by, her heart warmed by the two of them. Nothing about him surprised her. He’d been the same way since they’d met during the Humility First protests. But Sammie was a surprise. Everything she’d heard pointed to a rebellious, snarky vindictive streak. Seeing her feelings laid bare, even for a moment surprised her. "Sammie, if you'll come here, I'm going to attach the sensors to you and get you all prepped."

With an eternally grateful, if not a bit misty, look to Deb, Sammie slipped out of her denim jacket, letting it slide off to rest on the arm of the couch, and stood in front of her, arms at her sides, refusing to look at anyone for the moment.

Deb was a pro, checking pretty much everything quickly and methodically. It was something to see her fully in her element. The IV was placed, the monitors attached in their proper order. She turned on the monitor, the screen showing Sammie's heartbeat and other vitals. Sammie’s heartbeat was nothing terribly out of the ordinary. Perhaps a bit fast, but considering the circumstances, not out of the norm. The Doc’s part was done. All that was left was for Sammie to do her thing and Danny to make the injections. Those grey eyes peered up at her, the doctor still kneeling at her side. "Everything looks good." She nodded. "You can lie down now."

Sammie mirrored Deb's nod and moved to stand between the couch and coffee table and knelt before the mirror that still swirled and whispered mysteriously.

"Just gotta make a quick call, doc." With a hand on either side of the mirror, she peered into the inky blackness and mumbled a few indecipherable words.

Before long, a faint image materialized in the darkness that lay in front of her. A stunning winged fae, in all her ethereal beauty, flickered in and out of view. It was Alexia's soul. Drawing a shaky breath, Sammie calmly but firmly called out to her.

"Alright, Princess. This is it. This is your life." The fae looked around as though she heard something in the darkness around her. She looked frightened and very much not alone.

"You've got to hold on to something, okay? Hold on and don't let go until you see your tether. Got it?" Alexia began to nod slowly in understanding. Suddenly, something dark and dangerous flashed in front of her. She whipped her head around, unseeing in the veil. Flashes of teeth and claws snagged at her, causing the edges of her very being to fray. Sammie’s eyes widened, a deep look of concern etched on her features.

"Do it, now, Princess! Find something to hold onto! We'll find you! I’ll find you! I promise! I promise..." Her voice failed her as she watched the little fae nod once more and fade from the mirror, the last image was a scarred and snarling beast with sharp angles and claws fading in the same direction. Having served its purpose, the mirror cleared, the connection to the ether broken. It was just a simple mirror once more.

"Go time." Sammie croaked with a small sniff. She pulled herself up onto the couch and leaned over much in the same way she had fallen asleep that first night in the apartment. She kept a keen watch on the amethyst and hair brush on the kitchen table for any kind of sign.

[Alexia Longbow]

Everything was dark. And quiet. So quiet. Alexia’s soul had been wandering in a forgotten fold of the ether. Not a single other soul or being seemed to be there. Just her. She tried moving with a purpose, hoping her vision would adjust, or that maybe she would feel something or hear something. But it just remained completely dark and quiet.

Her hope was quickly waning. She began to wonder why exactly she had been so eager to leave Mach’s subconscious. She could have stayed and continued trying to convince him she was real and that she needed help. Now, it was too late. She was lost and nobody knew where she was. That is, until she felt a strong pull. She had no choice but to obey.

Empty folds in the fabric of existence didn’t exactly follow any kind of logical time flow, and so it was difficult to tell how long she had been wandering before a faint glimmer of light appeared in the distance. Steadily, it became clearer and clearer until it looked like a floating window. As she approached, she heard them. The low, chittering growls of beasts that resided in the sharp place. She could feel the scrape of claws and grinding of teeth the closer she got.

When she was finally close enough to peer through it, she saw her own face staring back at her. Only, it wasn’t. It was her mouth and nose and eyes and everything else that made up her corporeal self, but there was something… someone behind it. And they were speaking to her!

"Alright, Princess. This is it. This is your life." The voice sounded hollow and echoed as though it were worlds away. The stranger with her face was completely unfamiliar to her, and yet whoever this person was, masquerading as her, she spoke as if they knew each other. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to ponder the situation. There were things swirling all around her, hissing in her ear, raking claws through her hair.

"You've got to hold on to something, okay? Hold on and don't let go until you see your tether. Got it?" She finally understood. She may not have known who this person was, but it was clear she was trying to help her. She nodded slowly, straining to hear. As she was about to lean in to try and hear better, a set of dripping teeth snapped at her, missing her by a hair’s breadth. It circled her, it’s tail like a whip, snagging at her face as it passed. She tried to cry out, but no sound would come.


"Do it, now, Princess! Find something to hold onto! We'll find you! I’ll find you! I promise! I promise..." She looked around once more and was surprised to see little bits of light, faint but undeniable. She was reluctant to leave the window to the physical world, but she knew the stranger wearing her face was right. She had to find something to hold onto and quick. With a final nod, she moved away, just barely escaping another gnash of teeth behind her.

Try as she might, she simply could not seem to attach herself to anything. She grasped at a faint image of her hair brush, her fingers just barely encircling it before her grip seemed to phase through. The same thing happened with the raw amethyst and even the flask. She knew she was running out of time. The snarling and tearing was becoming stronger and more frequent. If she didn’t act fast, her soul would be torn to shreds, forever lost in agony.

Finally, she saw something else. A light shining so bright, it seemed to cast away any of the nastiness that pulled and tormented her. It was beautiful and warm and she wanted nothing more than to settle into it. And so she did, and the feeling filled her with such happiness and relief, she felt like crying. She was safe at last.

[Alexia Longbow]

Deb nodded for Danny to come over, moving aside from him. He dropped to his knees beside Alexia's body, shaky hands picking up the first syringe. Deb took his hand, looked him in the eye and said softly, “Breathe.”

"Go time."

As Sammie spoke out loud, his lips parted, a warmth filling his entire being. A small gasp escaped his lips, his brows furrowing. "I...I can feel her." He whispered, his voice wavering. "I feel her..." His hand pressed over his heart. "Here."

Danny's eyes clamped shut, a tight smile on his face as he willed away the tears that had begun to form. Deb had run through the technical aspects of everything with him. It was simple enough, in theory. Danny's eyes opened, rimmed red and watery as he looked to Sammie, as if asking for permission.

Sammie’s eyes went from the table to Danny's hand on his chest confused at first. After a moment, realization hit her and a single tear dared to fall as she smiled in understanding. She gave him a single nod.

He kept his eyes on her, but he didn't say a word. Yet, a multitude of communication was in those eyes. Thank yous, I'm sorries...and I'll see you on the other side.

With a shuddering breath, he brought the syringe to the injection port. Deb stood to the side, ready should anything go awry. Danny reached out, his free hand taking Alexia's and gripping tight. His eyes shut...and he pushed in the plunger. The monitor that had been steadily beating, picked up pace, little by little.

Immediately he wanted to revive her. He was certain he’d done something wrong. Seconds felt like hours. His teeth clamped on his upper lip, his brow creasing with concerned sorrow as the beeps became a long, drawn out drone...and the line went flat. Deb stood at his side and placed her hand over her mouth, tears rolling down her cheek. She couldn't imagine the pain he was going through, but didn't dare interject. It wasn’t time.

Sammie would always go down fighting, and this time was no different. Except this time, she was fighting for someone other than just herself. Her hard set features began to wince as her heart, Alexia's heart, began to beat erratically. Her breathing hitched but her lips remained in a hard determined line. She shut her eyes tight against the shuddering in her chest and in a flash, she was still. No heartbeat. No rise and fall in her chest. Just stillness. The soul jar on the table suddenly glowed with the essence of the witch's soul. Sammie's part was done. It was all up to Alexia now.

The air hung heavy and cold for a moment until little by little the soft, unmistakable scent of lavender with hints of chamomile seemed to permeate out of nowhere. Then, like a flash of lightning, the lifeless little body crackled with a pop of deep purple tinted static electricity, causing the attached monitor to glitch for one moment, only to return to a fuzzy but unmistakable flatline.

That scent. The moment it hit his nostrils, he felt hope. His eyes popped open...half expecting to see those big brown eyes open. But Alexia still looked lifeless, like an empty vessel. He'd been told to wait...to be sure. There were times he was glad he was human and didn't have much of a connection to the ethereal. This was not one of them. If something went wrong, he’d never forgive himself. He couldn’t lose her. Not again.

"Danny." Deb's voice eeked out weakly. He glanced to her and the doctor nodded. She knew he'd gotten his sign. It was time.

Quickly, he grabbed the second syringe and replaced the first. It had only been a little over a minute, but it had seemed an eternity to him. His mind rushed, worrying that he had waited too long, that she was still gone and it would be his fault. One last time, he pushed the plunger. His eyes stayed on her still form, waiting for something...anything. He clutched that hand as if loosening his grip would cause her to slip away forever.

Her little body remained motionless for agonizing seconds after the second injection, the reviving dose, was administered. Then, the long and steady tone on the monitor stopped and gave a single, devastatingly hopeful beep. Then another. And another. And on until it began to resemble something close to a living heartbeat, albeit erratic and strained at first. Those deeply scarred little fingers twitched subtly in his grasp.

And then, nothing. She remained motionless, her lips began to turn blue on her ashen face. Finally, after several more torturous moments, the little fae tore a long, gasping, lung-filling breath, followed by several more wheezing high pitched breaths. Her large dark brown eyes flew wide open, searching wildly.

At that lone beep, his breath caught in his throat, green eyes going wide and expectant. More and more, she began to show signs of life. The second those eyes flew open, he rose up, leaning over her. "Alexia?" His left hand gently pushed a bit of hair behind her delicately pointed ear as he peered down at her. His right hand still clung to her's. Please. Please, he begged silently. Please be her.

Rich, warm brown eyes snapped into focus at the sound of his voice speaking her name. Her chest still heaving with slowly steadying breaths, she brought her free hand up shakily to touch the exact same spot on his chest she had on the night he walked her home. The night that seemed so long ago. With disbelieving eyes, she spoke one single breathy word, gasping as it left her sweet lips.

"D-Danny?"

His chest heaved with a breathy, relieved laugh, his eyes red and brimmed with tears. Danny brought her hand up and pressed her scarred little knuckles to his lips. He sniffed, the tears falling freely as his eyelids clamped shut, but a blissful smile remained. When he opened them again, another happy laugh left him as his fingers ran along her hairline and rested at her cheek. "Hey."

The feel of his lips on her fingers broke the damn. Large tears slowly rolled down her own lightly freckled face and she reached to hold his cheek in her tiny grasp, her thumb gently pushing away a tear. For a long moment, he was content to just...stare, his thumb caressing her cheekbone gently. Those eyes of hers were alive again. That stutter was back. Most of all, she felt like her. But still...he had to be sure.

"I...I need to know..." his voice wavered

When he looked into her eyes again, into her soul, she peered right back. Ready.

"Ask." She said softly, fully understanding.

"Are..." the words died in his mouth. Part of him unsure he wanted the answer. What if it wasn't what he wanted it to be? What if this was Sammie playing an incredibly elaborate, awful joke? He sniffed again, bracing himself and looking into those big, beautiful eyes. "Are you...you?"

She nodded slowly, hoping desperately the lump in her throat would allow for what he asked of her. With a hard swallow and a deep ragged breath, she let those dark brown eyes, sparkling with tears and life, slowly close. Her voice was weak and it cracked a bit, but none of that took away from its beauty as she slowly began to sing for him.

"H-Home is behind... the world... ahead..." Her voice cut out, unable to go on for lack of strength and overwhelming emotion. Her breathing hitched as a small sob parted her lips. It was the song she had sung once before, only for him. She opened her eyes to search his.

She saw the corners of his mouth slowly upturn, his chest rising and falling faster and faster as she sang. Something inside of him melted, every bit of tension he'd been carrying since she'd gone left him. He stared down into her eyes, at her. Alexia. His Alexia. He leaned in, then, fingers delving into her hair, eyes sliding shut. His lips pressed softly to hers, filled with affection, longing...need. He inhaled her deeply through his nostrils, relishing every millisecond of this moment.

The feel of his fingers through her hair sent a chill through her, another little gasp working its way out cut off by his lips on hers. Her eyes widened for a split second before sliding closed again. She melted completely into him, one hand still on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart, the other moved from his face to gently run through his hair as well. A soft sigh escaped through her nose as she timidly but passionately returned his kiss.

The moment their lips broke contact, he reclaimed them, not wanting it to end just yet. He melted into her, running a thumb along her eyebrow ever-so-gently. When they finally parted, he didn't go far, content to rest his forehead lightly against hers. "I have a secret I need to tell you..." He whispered, eyes opening to find hers.

"I kinda like you." He grinned, laughing lightly.

A soft teary laugh escaped. Her face, blooming with a shade of red any rose would envy, nuzzled into his until her lips just barely grazed the bell of his ear.

"I think I like you, too." Her breath was warm and soft and she spoke more clearly than she had in a long time. Her hand, still nestled gently in his hair, held his face close to hers for just a moment longer before falling weakly back onto the couch.

Danny beamed down at her, just watching for a moment and refusing to let go of her hand. Deb watched from the window, just smiling widely through tears. Danny locked eyes with her. "Deb. This is Alexia."

The doctor chuckled and wiped a tear from her face. "It's lovely to meet you." she said with a sniffle.

"Oh!" The little fae blinked her surprise. The color in her cheeks deepened for... several reasons. With a weak but still incredibly sweet smile she tried to sit up, wobbling precariously as she did.

“I-I'm so sorry, I didn't s-see you there! Oh..." Her eyes widened a touch as a dizziness forced her back down.

She held a hand up to halt her. "Please. Don't get up. Just..." She let out a relieved breath. "Just lie down. You've had a helluva night. Besides. We'll have plenty of time to catch up." She winked to the girl. "I'm going to just check a few things and I'll be out of your hair, okay?" This was their moment. She wanted to be as unobtrusive as possible. Deb went to work, unplugging her connections, removing the IV, and checking her pulse.

She nodded gratefully, surprisingly content to be the patient for once. Turning her eyes to Danny, she breathed a sigh heavy in a mixture of things. Exhaustion, disbelief... confinement? Her brows knit as she slowly brought her gaze down toward her petite frame and was very shocked to see so much of it. Despite being fully covered for the most part, every line, every curve, every inch of her felt exposed. Concern and confusion touched her voice as she murmured softly.

"What..."

Danny just stared, 100% enamored with the woman in front of him. His head canted to one side. "Hm?"

It was just a bit too much to deal with at the moment. She found it much safer, and really much more enjoyable to return Danny's gaze. A contented smile easily found its way onto her lips and she slowly shook her head.

"Nothing."

It hit him then. The outfit. Of course. "Oh...um...yeaaaah...Sammie had some...unique fashion choices." Yeah, to say the least. "We'll get you your own clothes back." He nodded reassuringly. He'd never admit it, but he wasn't always opposed to seeing more of her. Just...not quite as much as Sammie liked to flaunt.

Her brows furrowed briefly at the name. It sounded familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. For now, she would simply enjoy finally being in his presence again. Shakily, she reached for his hand, another bloom of color touching her cheeks.

Not long after, Deb went home, the soul jar in hand, and it was just the two of them again. He changed into a pair of pajama pants quickly. When he returned to her, Alexia was fast asleep. Danny grinned, wrapping her in his arms and carried her to the bed. He climbed in with her, shutting out the light, and curled up behind her, his lips pressing to her shoulder as he took her hands in his. Even sleep couldn't wipe the smile from his face. He was happy. Content. Alexia was safe and home in his arms.

[Alexia Longbow]

Light poured through his window, illuminating his slumbering face. Danny stirred, his eyebrows knitting as a frown slowly formed. His eyes opened, taking their time to adjust to the intrusive sunlight. He blinked rapidly as his awareness set in. Something was missing. His arms were empty. With a soft groan, he sat up straight and found himself alone in bed. Alexia was gone. He looked around the room in confusion. There was no way she’d go without saying goodbye. A bump from inside the bathroom stole his attention, a wave of relief washing over him. The doorknob turned, a smile spreading across his lips.

“Morning.” He said pleasantly as Alexia stepped out. But she simply looked at him with a low, derisive laugh. She brought her smoldering cigarette to her lips, taking a long, slow drag. Danny’s heart dropped as a plume of smoke hit his face, Sammie sauntering on passed. Her smile seemed weaponized as she glanced over her shoulder.

“What’s wrong, tiger? Not happy to see me?” She’d once again donned the tight, revealing clothes, showing Alexia’s body to the world.

“Sammie...what happened where is Alexia?” He demanded.

“Oh, st-st-stuttering s-s-sally?” She asked in a saccharine sweet mocking tone before her voice flattened cruelly. “Gone.”

“I don’t...I don’t understand-”

"I changed my mind.” She smirked as he gawked, heartbroken. “Did you really think it was going to be that easy, lover boy? You didn’t ACTUALLY think I’d let you shove me into some box while you and little miss A-cup go off and fuck each other’s brains out, did you?" She taunted. “Guess again. She’s gone. Lost in the ether, and she ain’t coming back. Now? I’m all you got.”

Danny tried to stand but his legs gave out and he collapsed upon the bed. Suddenly, his body felt unbelievably heavy. Sammie threw a leg over him, mounting his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck, cigarette dangling from her lips.

"Wait, no!" His limbs refused to move. With another terrible laugh, Sammie took a long drag.

“Give us a kiss.” Her voice was low, predatory as she leaned in, smoke pouring from her lips.

"NO!"

With a sharp intake of breath, Danny's eyes snapped open. There, in front of him, still nestled safely in his arms, was Alexia. The real and true Alexia, all curled up and clutching gently at the powerful muscles that held her to him. Danny pulled her ever closer and let out the lung full of air he had been holding. The sensation of his warm breath on her bare shoulder caused her breathing, even and rhythmic, to suddenly deepen. When she finally released it, she let out a feather soft contented sigh and snuggled deeper into his arms.

[Alexia Longbow]

Not long after his nightmare, Danny fell back to sleep. This time, when the sun shone through his window the first thing he noticed was the scent of her hair. Then the feeling of her tiny body wrapped in his arms and curled back against his. Before he even opened his eyes, his smile curved his lips. He nuzzled her shoulder, breathing her in and placed a light kiss at her back. His hand found her's, entwining their fingers. Clad in a tank-top and pajama pants, the bare skin of his arms rested against hers. Soft, warm, safe.

The way he held her, drew her in, elicited another deep and contented sigh from her as she curled her scarred little fingers into his grasp. The growing brightness from the window, however, brought a small frown to her face, her eyebrows furrowing. With her free hand, she reached out in front of her, grasping for the curtain that was miles away at her little cottage. With a small moan of protest, she murmured softly to herself.

"Mmm, don't w-want to wake up..."

"Mm. Me neither." He muttered, his hands urging her gently to roll over to face him.

Her eyes struggled to open. She could vaguely make out her own hand grasping at nothing in a room she didn't immediately recognize. Still hazy and medicated from the night's events, she turned, a terribly confused expression on her lightly freckled face. Her hair framed her features in tousled waves.

"D-Danny?" She asked softly, cautiously. Part of her feared speaking his name aloud would break whatever dreamspell she found herself in and she would disappear. But he didn’t.

The smile on his face was almost as bright as the sunlight, pure affection as he took in the sight of her. His fingers moved to her hair, running gently though those long locks. "Hey there." His thumb ran along her eyebrow. He couldn't believe he was seeing her in this light. It all felt like a dream. There was a part of him that feared he'd wake up and THIS too was nothing but a sweet fantasy.

The look of surprise and relief on her face was palpable. She reached up and with the tips of her fingers, gently traced the stubbly line of his jaw, gazing deep into his green eyes.

"Y-You're real... It was all r-real..." Her eyes, still rich and warm and full of life, her life, slowly focused. She trailed her fingers to his chin, lingering just shy of touching his lips.

He closed that distance, placing a small kiss at her fingertips. “You stole the words out of my mouth.”

A soft laugh parted her lips. She moved her thin arm to embrace him, draping it gently past his shoulder and over the back of his neck, nuzzling her face deep into the crook of his neck.

Utter bliss on his face, he adjusted his position to accommodate her. Fingers ran down through her hair and along her spine through her shirt and drifted back up again. "How do you feel?"

A pleasant shiver followed his touch and she smiled into his skin. After a moment or two, she finally found her voice, sleep heavy though it was.

"Happy." It was simple, muffled, and likely not quite what he was asking, but that was the truest answer she had.

Danny inhaled through his nose, a happy sigh letting his body sag just a little. "Mm. Me too." His fingers caressed the curve of her pointed ear and danced along her neck ever so softly. "I thought I'd lost you. I don't know what I would have done if I had… I don't think I could have stood...watching her...walking around in your skin." He shook his head. "She's...alright, but..." He sighed quietly. "She isn't you. Not even close."

She pulled back to look into his face, stunned and touched by his words. She didn't want to think about the alternative either.

"I'm s-sorry... I'm s-so sorry, I didn't kn-know that would happen... I wouldn't have l-let things stay like that. Somehow..." She shook her head, still a little fuzzy.

"Sammie?" She asked, unsure.

He nodded at the name. "You have nothing to apologize for. Besides. Gods themselves couldn't keep me from getting you back." He grinned.

Her cheeks flushed with color. She couldn't help but smile and felt so emboldened she hardly had time to think. She leaned in and, with such shy tenderness, placed a feather light touch of her lips to his.

He was all too happy to lean into that kiss, his lips, taking hers. Long, lingering, his nose brushing hers as he hovered a moment before again reclaiming her lips with another kiss. Again, his fingers dove into her hair, curving around to the back of her head.

She sighed softly against his kiss, the sound lightly buzzing between their lips. From behind his head, little fingers timidly found their way through his curls, her fingertips gently dragging on his scalp.

Just before the kiss broke, she felt a gentle swipe of his tongue along her lower lip. Slowly those green eyes opened again to just revel at the sight of her. Finger tips rolled along the skin of her arm and up toward her shoulder.

She shivered deliciously in his arms, pulling back with just a bit more color in her cheeks than when she leaned in. She smiled at him for a long moment before a thought crept in and pulled her lips into a small frown.

"Wh-Where is she now?"

"Dr. Selip took her." Danny said. "She figured we might want a bit of privacy. I can't say she was wrong." He chuckled. "I don't know if Sammie could see in that thing, but knowing her...she'd at least try."

"Took her?" Her brows knit as she tried to work it out in her hazy mind. She took a quick peek down her tiny body, yup, still clothed. And another quick peek down his, a touch of color blooming in her cheeks, still clothed, too. Whether she was relieved or disappointed was yet undetermined. Looking back to him, she frowned.

"I remember... p-pieces. Things she said a-and heard. Sh-She wasn't all bad, w-was she?"

"No." He smiled reassuringly. He had to admire her for being concerned for the woman who had hijacked her body. But then, that was Alexia. Of course she would be. "She was...actually quite sweet. When she wanted to be. It's why I helped her. I found someone who agreed to share her body. In exchange, she gave you back to me."

She nodded. Most things were fairly garbled and would take time to sort out, but she had one clear memory of the witch calling to her, urging her to safety.

"Sh-She brought us b-back to each other." She said softly before gently nuzzling her head under his chin. Timid little fingers still tenderly stroked his hair.

He was content to just hold her there, lightly stroking her back. "Later today, if you're feeling up to it, I want to go see her at the hospital when she's transferred. Be there when she wakes up."

She pulled back once more, eyes wide.

"C-Can we? I would very much l-like that." Her voice was breathy, not quite strong enough to sound excited, but it would come close. Curling up comfortably, her legs pulled into his, putting her warm tiny feet between his calves.

His fingertips slid down her spine and brushed the small of her back where the hem of her shirt had lifted, skin touching skin. "Absolutely. Though...I don't know how much you remember about her...she can be a bit...crass." That was putting it lightly.

Her eyes slid closed at his touch, opening when he tried to brace her for the full Sammie experience.

"I-It's slowly coming back in w-waves and p-pieces. She seems like a... ah... c-colorful girl." A tiny upturn of the corner of her mouth peeked as feathery lashes obscured a slight impish look in her eyes.

"Charming..."

A low laugh emitted deep within him. "Yes. Charming. By the way." He said quietly. "I apologize if any...other memories come back about things we talked about. I blame her entirely."

Her brows knit, a curious look spreading over her features.

"L-Like what?"

His lips parted as if he was going to say, but then he scrunched his face comically. "mmmm...We'll get to that another time."

Her eyebrows raised incredulously, a laugh escaping soft pink lips.

"Th-That bad?" Giggling now, she shifted to prop herself up on one elbow, affording her a better look at the luscious locks she recently realized she loved toying with.

From the smile on his face and the way his eyes slid shut when she stroked his hair, he was every bit as in love with it as her. "Bad isn't the term I'd use. Provocative, though..."

The blush in her cheeks persisted even as she rested one in the palm of her hand.

"Y-You befriended this girl." She said simply. There was no malice in her voice. No jealousy or anger. If anything, she was glad. The more positive outcomes to the entire ordeal, the better.

"Not at first." His eyes lowered a moment, tracing the line of her jaw and the length of her neck. Appreciating it up close for once. "But...she came here one night and we just talked. It turned out she'd had a rough go at life. Just...trying to escape something horrible. Despite how hard she tries to say otherwise, she isn't malicious. We ended up getting along quite well."

He reached up and ran his fingers upon the wispy hairs above her ear and down along the side of her neck, resting at the neckline of her shirt, his thumb gently caressing the edge of her collarbone.

A dark, faraway look flashed in those big brown eyes when he mentioned escape from a horrible place. And just like that, it was gone, replaced by that warm smile as she leaned into his touch.

"I-I'm glad. I'm glad you w-weren't alone."

Green eyes turned up to her, a sense of concern behind them. "Do you remember anything? From where you were?"

Unable to meet his gaze for a long moment, she swallowed hard, tongue moistening her lips before she spoke.

"I do. It's like a n-nightmare. S-Sometimes it fades and s-sometimes it comes back in f-f-flashes..." Her eyes closed tight against an unwanted memory and she shook her head, willing it away.

His brow furrowed. Danny rested his forehead to her's, his hand curving around behind her while his thumb caressed the hairs at the back of her neck. "I wish I could have gotten you out sooner."

His touch melted the intensity in her features, bringing back the sense of safety she had woken up to. When she finally opened her eyes, a smile spread easily at the sight of his face.

"Y-You got me out j-just in time."

He craned his head up, his lips pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before returning his gaze on those big brown eyes. "What do you say...I make us a bit of breakfast. And then we go meet Sammie?"

Her eyes fluttered shut briefly at his kiss. Nodding, she sat up a bit straighter, deeply arching her back into a fierce stretch.

She has exactly 5 hours to stop stretching her body against me. He thought, a smile pulling at his lips.

Her body finally relaxed with a deep sigh and she looked about the cozy apartment.

"Um... W-Would... Would it be alright if I b-bathed? I just feel..." She looked down at the clothes that she had not picked out for herself in the body she had no control over for quite some time. Looking back up to him, her rich dark eyes almost pleaded.

"Of course!" He chuckled. "I'll hop in after you."

A grateful, if not completely oblivious smile played at her lips.

"When you're here, I want you to feel...at home." one more run of his fingers through her hair and he smiled. "You don't even need to ask."

She leaned into his touch, turning at the last moment to place a ghost of a kiss on the palm of his hand. Then, as carefully as she could manage, she slipped out from under the covers and made her careful way to the shower, pausing at the door to give him one last sweet smile before letting the door close with a soft click.

[Alexia Longbow]

After a quick breakfast and Danny enjoying a much needed cold shower, they headed out for the hospital. Rhy'Din city went from a series of skyscrapers off in the distance to massive monolithic structures looming all around them, cars and people of all fashions going about their various activities like ants in a colony. To Danny, it was just another trip to a metropolitan area...but to Alexia?

Those large dark eyes were impossibly wide with wonder. She took everything in, trying to maintain some sense of keen observation and practicality, but the little fae was easily impressed and overwhelmed by the sheer massiveness of it all. Luckily, she had a warm, comforting anchor to steady her. Her tiny fingers curled within his, she squeezed his hand in excitement at each new sight. She didn't say much, but simply watched and listened intently.

His gaze redirected to the enthralled little fae at his side, a smirk forming. "First time here?"

Blushing, she nodded sheepishly and tried to focus on where they were headed. But every new flash in the corner of her eye drew her focus.

"It's all so big, isn't it?" he smiled and looked out the window. "I remember my first time in a big city. My mum and dad took me to Dallas. I didn't know people built things so massive."

A grateful smile brightened her face as she nodded.

"I-It's beautiful and a b-bit scary." She didn't mind admitting as she leaned into his well muscled arm.

He rested a cheek against her hair, turning just enough to place a kiss upon the top of her head. The car pulled to a stop outside the hospital, a stylish, silvery steel bit of architecture consisting of several floors and wings. Danny thanked the driver and stepped out, holding the car door open for the little Fae.

She slipped out after him, pausing just for a second to smooth out a comfortable, familiar old white airy linen blouse set atop sensible black leggings and ballet flats. Soon enough, scarred little hands sought out his free one.

He was all too ready to take that hand, their fingers entwining, walking with her toward the entrance. It was a quick stop to the security entrance and getting badges before they were on their way toward the elevator bank. As they approached, a scrubs-clad Deb, still incredibly put together for a woman who had pulled an 24 hour shift the day before, appeared. A pair of stylish glasses upon her smiling face as she stepped off the elevator. "Danny! Alexia!" She called to them. The doctor wrapped each of them in hugs. After Alexia's she held gently by the shoulders, looking her in the eye. "How are you feeling? Any dizziness? Wooziness?"

Swept up and then set at arms length for observation, she was taken aback. But the warmth and compassion she felt brought that easy smile back and she nodded slowly.

"I-I'm doing w-well, n-not too dizzy. I-It's getting better the m-more I m-move around."

"Still a bit of that stuff in your system." She made a sympathetic face. "Ugh, that sucks, doesn't it? Drink a lot of water. It'll help."

Her grey eyes turned to Danny, addressing them both now. "Well. Ready to see our girl?"

Danny nodded. "Absolutely."

Alexia took a deep breath and nodded her agreement as well, her fingers curling a bit more, just to make sure his hand was still there.

Danny gave her a reassuring squeeze. It would take a pry bar to get him to let her go. Deb led them to the elevator and hit Jaci's floor. As they rose, she glanced down to the clasped hands, a little smirk forming. "So damn cute."

Her face turned beat red, even all the way up to the tips of her ears and the dip of her clavicle, but her smile remained unwavering.

Before they knew it, Deb opened the door to Jaci's room. The woman's body still lay there, no signs of life but for the gentle rise and fall of her chest and the beeps of her monitors. Krystal was already in there, decked out in her black scrubs, hair pulled back in a ponytail. The Soul Jar set upon a table.

It was then Alexia’s smile finally faltered. Although she didn't recognize the woman in the hospital bed, her heart ached for whatever malady she was suffering, even though that was to be expected at a place of healing. But it was the soul jar that gave her pause. She could feel a familiar life force radiating from within it, ready to be set free. The faint light from within pulsed as though of a heartbeat.

Deb guided them in, offering seats by the bedside. "Danny, it's an amazing thing you did for her. And I know Jaci is thrilled as well." She smiled. "Right now, the most you and I can do is watch. Krystal will take it from here." She turned to the nurse. "Krystal, whenever you're ready."

With a single nod, it was down to business. Krystal took hold of Jaci's hand, creating the bond needed to let her know the procedure was about to begin. Without breaking that contact, she then carefully removed the lid, standing over it as the misty milky white contents swirled within. After a moment or two, Sammie's soul began to pour out and float just over Jaci's body where it lingered like a blanket before sinking down into flesh.

Krystal stared intently at the still figure. After a moment, greyish blue eyes fluttered open and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before slowly trying to focus on all the faces in the room. At the sight of Danny and Alexia, a slow, groggy smile formed.

"Are... Are those my little bunnies?" She rasped, mischief already in her voice.

Danny's face lit up, his hand still clasping Alexia's. The voice, though raspy from lack of use, was 100% Sammie's. "Welcome back to the land of the living. And lookit you, ya fine, foxy shape-shifter!"

Deb grinned. "Hey, there Sammie. You look different. Do something with your hair?"

She managed a tired but unmistakable wink at Danny.

"Thought I'd try the sex hair look, Doc." She quipped as her head lolled over to look at Deb. Yep, it was definitely Sammie.

Alexia's modest chest heaved as she struggled to find the words. There was so much to say and it suddenly seemed like there wasn't enough air in the room. Eventually, she managed to squeak out a single breathy word.

"Sammie?"

"Hey, princess." Her face softened considerably. "It's good to see you."

Although Alexia hated to let go of Danny's hand, it had to be done, just for a few minutes. She rose slowly, her eyebrows raised in askance. Sammie looked at Krystal and nodded letting her know the procedure had worked, the connection was sound. Krystal released Sammie's hand and busied herself with the cleansing process for the soul jar, hitting the button that would sit Sammie upright in bed before she moved away.

As Alexia neared, Sammie shifted more comfortably and held out a hand. All at once, Alexia leaned in to embrace her, Sammie's hand landing gently on the little fae's back. For a nice long stretch of minutes, the two simply held the embrace in unspoken understanding. When she finally pulled back, Alexia's eyes were shining.

"Th-Thank you... f-for everything." She said softly. Sammie tried to wave her off but there was an undeniable sheen to her eyes as well, although anyone who dared point it out would likely live to regret it.

"Hey, you just make sure to have fun with that boy toy of yours. He's a keeper." She looked back and forth from both of their faces and winked.

Danny grinned, eyes lowering a bit bashfully.

Alexia laughed lightly and nodded. For a moment, she simply regarded her new witch/shapeshifter friend before leaning in for another, lighter embrace. A small scarred little hand reached up to stroke her hair, smoothing it a bit as she pulled her close. For a second, it almost seemed as if she whispered something into Sammie's ear, but soon she was standing again, smiling.

Sammie swallowed hard with an audible gulp, appearing caught off guard and almost intimidated for a fraction of a second. In the next instant, her usual smirk and arrogant air had returned.

"So when can we bust outta here and get our drink on, doc?"

When she addressed Deb, the doctor crossed her arms, a wry grin matched her quirked brow.

"Well, I'll want to keep you here another day or two, make sure physically everything is okay...but once we're certain? Lady, you kids give me a call and I'll be there with bells on."

Danny stood up and walked over to Sammie. "So. How's it feel?" His arm almost automatically wrapped around Alexia's waist.

Sammie opened her mouth,ready with what was likely a typical lewd Sammie response but immediately stopped, casting a quick glance to Alexia, who simply stood nearby, smiling, leaning into Danny's touch. Renewing her smile, she simply shrugged.

"Like I'm my own best friend." She lifted a finger to gently tap on her temple.

"I chose well?" He smirked down to her.

"Seems to be one of your strengths." She said, another note of rare tenderness in her voice as her eyes flicked to Alexia once more. The little fae demurred, blushing.

Deb pulled up a chair beside her. "Speaking of your new best friend...Can I speak to Jaci, please? "

"Sure thing, doc, lemme see if she's decent, yeah?" Sammie winked before her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. After a moment or two, her demeanor shifted. A bright smile flashed.

"Doctor Selip! Oh! It’s so nice to finally talk to you!" Jaci giggled, her entire posture relaxed and jovial, even her voice was lighter, distinctly different from Sammie’s.

Deb's face lit up, a disbelieving, breathy laugh emitted into the room, her hands going to her mouth. "Six months I've been staring at you, you lazy bum." She grabbed the woman's hand, giving it a squeeze. "It is SO great to finally REALLY meet you."

"Well, I had to make a memorable entrance!" Another giggle escaped her lips. She squeezed back, tilting her head just so.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Selip. You kept your word and brought me back." Even as she spoke, she began to falter. Just as muscles might atrophy, her psyche, unused to being in control of her body again, was beginning to tire.

Deb waved her off. "Don't thank me. It's all this guy." She hooked a finger to Danny. "He set this all up. Danny, you know Jacinda."

Danny beamed down at her. "I do indeed. I apologize in advance. She's a lot to deal with." His lips quirked in the lopsided grin.

"You hush! She's a doll!" Jaci feigned admonishment, soon laughing again. Then her laugh lost steam and her eyelids began to droop "Listen, gang, it's been fun and all, but baby steps, you know? I think I need to let my co-pilot take over again." Her head began to nod sleepily, but her smile remained. It didn't take long before Sammie was at the wheel, nodding along just as Jaci had, content and sleepy.

Danny waited for Sammie to return again. "Hey. We're going to check in on you in a bit. But, you get some rest. Deb's going to take good care of you, get you healthy enough to move around. But, once she clears you? We're going out to celebrate, yeah?"

"I'll hold you to that, tiger. You and Rapunzel against me and the doc, we'll drink you guys und… under the table. Mmm… damn..." She cleared her throat and tried to will her eyes open, but they simply drifted shut as she fell comfortably asleep. Just then, Krystal happened to finish up the cleansing process. With a quick reach, she hit the button that would carefully put the dynamic duo in a safer position.

Alexia turned to Danny, smiling, bursting at the seams, and incredibly proud of him. She nuzzled into his chest, relieved. She wrapped thin arms around his torso and sighed happily.

[Alexia Longbow]

The hospital was on code yellow alert. Missing patient. Tensions were high, nurses were making phone calls and checking visitor logs, orderlies and maintenance staff were searching employee only access points, and the entire psychic wing was on lock down. The doctor on call nervously barked out orders to the nurses and orderlies, earning himself a round of glares behind his back.

“... and you better have good news for me when I come back, is that clear Nurse Helman?” He glowered down to a woman a good 6 inches shorter than him who glowered right back.

“It’s Hellerman.” She said in an even tone, not to be intimidated. “And if I have good news for you, it well be that we found her and you won’t lose your job.” She stood, arms crossed, unblinking.

Scoffing, he brushed her off and looked around for his next victim. Soon enough, he spied a hapless young woman in ill fitting scrubs, petite and blonde, her powder blue eyes wide as she watched the commotion all around her.

“You! Eh… intern! Is there a reason you’re just standing there doing nothing? Why don’t you make yourself useful and start looking!”

“Hey!” Dr. Selip’s voice rang out from the nurse’s station where she had been speaking calmly but with urgency to the hard working group there. Now she quickly strode over to the pair, putting herself between them. “Why don’t you make yourself useful, Doctor, and check for any breeches in the warding spells? As the doctor on call at the time of incident, you have the most to answer for.” She locked eyes with him, unblinking.

After a moment of unfounded ire, the doctor huffed and walked away toward the nearest kiosk, his face nearly purple as he pounded in his access code. With a shake of her head, Dr. Selip sighed and turned to the smaller woman, her expression considerably softer but still firm.

“Hey, it’s okay… huh... I’m sorry, hon, I don’t even know your name.” She frowned. She was sure she knew everyone who worked at the hospital.

“Allie.” She squeaked, her lower lip threatening to quiver.

“Allie,” she repeated, smiling again, “Don’t let him get to you. He’s just mad because he knows it’s his fault she’s missing. Just because he’s a doctor doesn’t mean he can’t make mistakes, and it certainly doesn’t mean he can talk to you like that, okay?” As the younger woman nodded, Dr. Selip put a strong hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

“Why don’t you check the visitor restrooms and the cafeteria and report back to me in half an hour, yeah?” She gave her a warm smile.

Allie nodded again and managed a weak smile in return. With a curt nod, Dr. Selip went back to the nurse’s station to finish giving a few more polite but firm orders and rejoined the near frantic fray searching for their missing former coma patient. The seasoned nurses sprang into further action, fulfilling all of their favorite doctor’s requests. Nurse Hellerman, in a moment of empathy, turned to the young woman and gave her a sympathetic smile before waving her hand at her, shooing her off to complete her task before engrossing herself in her own.

That weak smile took a hard turn into a devious smirk. Smug and almost snickering, those blue eyes flashed and flickered in and out, one turning slate grey, the other a hazel green, before settling back into blue. Hips swaying, ‘Allie’ turned and disappeared through the door that would lead her to the cafeteria. And the exit.

*****

All my gratitude to my incredible writing partners, the incredibly sweet and talented Dah and the creative and extraordinary Mach (more hunter adventures here), without whom this entire story would not have happened.