Casper.... Evan the Friendly Ghost

[Argus Steele]

It was around eight in the morning, and it was quiet all through the house. Not a creature was stirring .... <Eve?> The voice was more like a whisper, like a smoke ring in the air on the verge of breaking up. <Eve? Is that you? > The voice was becoming clearer, more distinct, or perhaps it was that someone was waking up? <Hey, nice bed clothes.> The voice lacked the serious bass tones of one Mr. Steele, and yet it sounded so familiar ... <Don't wig out on me, okay? I'm stressed enough, and it's taking some serious concentration to keep myself solid enough for you to see and hear me. I'm making like Casper now. Wow.> That chill you get when the urban legend says a spirit is near? It's not a myth. Just ask one Eve Nora Lizt, who had the pleasure of seeing her male counterpart.


The cold was what really woke her. It was like the slippery-slide of an ice cube down the length of her spine, like a winter wind across the back of her neck...except that the air didn't stir. Goosebumps broke out on her arms despite the sheets, and Eve found herself shivering. It was almost disappointing that her breath wouldn't fog in the air, but she was used to it by now; of course, if someone else touched her, she'd undoubtedly be cold, whether they could Feel the same chill or not..

"...Evan?" This was only after she'd sat up and tossed off the sheets, half-ready to bolt if need be. Eve hated those spectral encounters, and had been hoping it had just been some wild part of her imagination. Okay, it wasn't, but...she could deal with this. Raking a hand through her sleep tumbled curls, the young woman drew her legs up gently at the knee, draped her arms about them. A relatively at-ease posture, even if her expression was a little dubious.

"...Astral travel?" Was that was it was? More to the point, could *she* do it if need be? A shake of her head at herself, and that left brow arched slightly. "What's going on?" Asked slowly, in a tone that said she might not want to know.


Save for the semi-solid state, Evan looked no worse for wear. He was even dressed in her traditional attire, male version of course. <I'm still trying to get the hang of it. This. You look like an out-of-focus dream ....> Then he wasn't there for about the span of twenty seconds, before reappearing just several feet from where he was standing before. <Whoa! Sorry. Had a lapse there. So, you made it back! This just doesn't look like your style though ...>


<So, I know you want to know what happened.> A wispy shrug of the shoulders <...Armageddon. The daemons were everywhere, Eve. Killing anything and everything. Doc...The base...Gone. > Ever see a spirit shed a tear? Kind of cool, like seeing a shimmer of light fall away into nothing. A motion toward himself. <The daemons couldn't see me any more, but they could sense me. I was a fxcking ghost, unable to do anything but watch mankind die all around me. > Turning away from her, Evan moved to where the window was, the sunlight playing off his form.

Next was a knock on her door. "Frail? Things green light in there? Sensors were picking up something strange...You're not doing any mojo in there are you?"


Jumping at the knock, Eve was giving Steele innocent 'who, me?' eyes for all of two seconds. Not that she *was* guilty or anything; he'd just startled her, was all. The girl had gotten caught up in trying to figure out what she was Seeing with Evan present... Was he dead? Or just...stuck, somehow? Both seemed frightening possibilities to her...

"Oh...nothing. Just...talking to a friend." Lovely. How would she explain that one? A friend that no one but her could see...sounded like a delusion to her? Giving herself a mental shake, the young woman sat up a bit straighter, glancing from Evan's figure to Steele. "..Ever meet yourself? Really creepy. Even creepier when it's yourself, but opposite gender." She couldn't help it. Her lips quirked into a little grin. "Sorry, Evan." Hard to shake the feeling that she looked nuts, but when in doubt...roll with it.

<That your boyfriend out there? Wait, did he just call you 'frail?' What the fuck?>

Only Steele's head had made its way through the opening, that trademark bemused look already on his face. "Have I ever met myself? A female version of myself? Frail, that's too scary for words!" He did glance around the room, before looking back at her. "Okay then. I'll let you two ... Just two, right? Um ...Talk."

Yeah, he sort of believed what Eve was saying, and the sensors *did* detect something in the room she was in. But if she wasn't freaking out about it? Then he'd be cool with it as well. "I'll be down below if you need anything."

It wasn't five seconds after Steele excused himself, that Evan was giving Eve a cat that ate the canary smile. <Bad timing on my part, huh? Sorry about freaking out your boyfriend.>


Eve couldn't help it. She'd been giving Evan a look that said 'shut up!' the first time he said the word boyfriend, but managed to hold her tongue - even if she *did* blush a little...

"Yeah, probably would be pretty scary. I've met...oh...three others. Really freakin' creepy there..." A shrug, and then she was nodding to Steele. "Yeah, just two. I'll holler if anything comes up." Well, he was wearing off on her a bit, maybe? She'd never used that word before...or did *he* even use it? A mental shrug, before she turned back to Evan.

Then..."He's not my boyfriend!" Steele probably heard that as he went down the hall. She hadn't exactly said it quietly. Chances were good that if he was corporeal, she might have tackled Evan over it. Deep breath, followed by a laugh at him, and an 'I'll get you for that' grin. "Quite frankly, I'm not even positive this is my reality. I think I either ended up in the wrong one, or my being in yours *seriously* altered everything. I'm sort of...back where I started." Her brows drew together, and she gave her head a little shake. "And more confused than ever."


<Then that explains why you're dressed like that, and why he was *soooo* checking you out right before he left.> His smile quickly became an expression of concern after hearing that last part.

<It had to be your reality, right? It had the same readings ... But they were off by a few percentage points. I guess that would explain the shift. Anything else?> At that point he was facing her again, thumbs hooked into the loops of his jeans, while the other hand was finding its way through his hair. <That's how I found you. That rift was still there. Sort of. It was more like a seam. Found it by accident. It was getting smaller, so I figured what the hey, how much worse could it get, right? Then I found myself here... Well not *here* but near some burned
down apartment. Then I started hearing things. Voices. Yours. So I followed them until I came here. Something about this place that made me go all wispy, and I've been working on keeping myself solid. That's when I saw you laying there. >

A shrug once again of his shoulders. <Now you know as much as I do.>


Oh...that just wasn't fair. She raised a sarcastic brow at him, lips pursing a little. "I'm dressed like this because some people donated me some clothes after my apartment *burned* and I lost..oh...pretty much everything." A click of her tongue, and gentle tip of her head. "...Except those glasses Everett gave me and those rollerblades you sent with me." A pause, and she couldn't help it; she was replaying the last few seconds before Steele left the room in her head. No...surely not. Of course not! "And he. Was. Not. Checking. Me. Out." Each word carefully emphasized...before moving on..

"That's just it, Evan. I don't know if this place is mine or not. I mean, I know Steele and he seems pretty much the same - but his name is different. Rico is a girl here, which is opposite of mine, and...well..there is no third, according to Steele. He says he doesn't know the name Amber or Samantha." A shrug. "A lot of little differences that really add up. Makes me wonder if it's my reality, or one that isn't such a huge leap from it." Her lips pursed gently with thought. "...I wonder what it is about this place that made you do that?"


<Dude, I'm a guy. He was oh-so-checking you out. I'm pretty hot for a girl. You got legs, and a new ability to turn colors whenever that subject is brought up!> Then Evan became serious.

<Maybe this is yours, rebooted? With Nora and Everett gone, and me playing Casper. Maybe it's some sort of cosmic stable whatcha-thingie to stop any more damage or something. Crap, I oh-so-sounded like a nerd right then. So, is there a Doc Darcy here? What about the Institute? That any different? How much does your ... friend know? Maybe he can do some fact finding?>


"No, he wasn't." Eve would argue that until she was blue in the face; the problem, perhaps, was that if she knew herself, *he* would too...

"That's the problem: How do I tell for sure? I mean...it's like time reset itself. I'm back where I started from, literally. Yesterday morning I woke up in my little apartment and had to go to work at the coffee shop, and Steele came in like last time. This time...he claims he wasn't *looking* for me, but like last time this Goth chick and her little friend came in. Last time around, those two were looking for me and Steele gave me an out; this time he spilled his coffee on me and I had an out, but I didn't take it. Instead I just...Closed off." Her brows knitted briefly as she reflected on it. "...It kind of hurt. But! Unlike last time, my apartment caught fire and the frat house massacre happened a couple of weeks ago, and..." She made a soft "ugh" sound and threw herself back on the bed, covering her face with her hands. "...I'm pretty much ready to pull my hair out from trying to puzzle the whole mess out." Deep breath. Remember, Evan *had* asked questions. "There is a Darcy here; she's an author, I think. Looks like what she writes deals mostly with examinations of the paranormal. Haven't met her, so I couldn't tell you if she's much the same or not. I know Stonebridge exists, but I have no clue what it's like; I'll have to find out one way or another." She didn't really *want* to go there, but she would if she had too. "Hopefully, Steele can help me answer some of the questions."


<You don't think by closing off, you started another reality path or something? Hey, does this make me like, um, Nora? I would be the male version, right?>

Now he was slowly pacing back and forth, blinking in and out of existence without knowing he was doing it ... <Doc Darcy mentioned once, that if she had a chance to do it all again, she would have been an author. That's just a whole new level of deja vu. And I think I might have helped muck things up for you. We had skin-on-skin contact right before you made you leap ... > Shrugs <... Maybe that did something? Those glasses do anything for you, besides looking like bookworm?>

"I don't know. I just..." A shake of her head. "Okay, the first time around, I was freaked out enough that when he threw his coffee on me, I had an excuse to duck into the back. The second...I guess I was more prepared. Or maybe just more stupid." A grin passed her lips, briefly. "I think reality had already taken a different path by then, anyway, because it didn't happen like before. The book Steele brought in was different and everything, and I don't recall him wearing a nametag last time. Not to mention that I didn't get the feeling that he was baiting this time, either." A shrug, and she pushed up onto her elbows, but still lay down for the most part. "I don't know what did it; Everett said that my being in your reality was a really bad thing to do, so...for all I know that was it. But I don't think I actually had control of it, seeing how I don't even know how I got there." A thoughtful frown was on her lips, and she finally sat up fully.

"The glasses? Oh yeah. They have the magical ability of fooling people into thinking I'm an intelligent, sensible girl. Okay, no, not really. But I *can* See daemons with them on. The guy that came into the coffee shop with the Goth chick? He was a daemon." She froze suddenly, thinking about it. Had she even told Steel that?


<Was he one the first time? No, wait, you didn't have those then, right? Huh, I guess you need to talk to the Man of Steele then. Whatwhatwhat?> Becoming focused again, made Evan appear a little more solid.

<What was the first thing that was *off* to you? You woke up in your place...Anything?>


A long moment passed in which she considered it. "...The time change, I guess. Spring forward; I don't remember that the first time." A shrug. Aside from that? Nothing until I got in the shop and Steele came in. I mean...I was anxious and all because I had the feeling that I'd just woken up from a really long, really weird dream." A second to nibble at her lower lip lightly. "...But he probably was one, then. I mean, the girl was something else, and I know there had been a daemon at Molly Ann's place. I just...didn't see if it was actually *him* or not." A shrug. She'd had to go to the girl's room, after all, but she'd heard the dog was one...and the 'mother' hadn't been right, either.


<Time change? Spring? That was when weird stuff started happening to me. Everything felt a little off when I woke up, but I just thought it was due to the time change. Daemon? Molly who? Losing me here. Who's Molly, and if there's a daemon involved, don't you need to do something? When does it happen?>


Tipping her head back a little, Eve drew a deep breath, trying to frame the thoughts. Put them into something coherent. "Okay, the frat party massacre I mentioned? There was a girl by the name of Molly Ann there, tied up and thrown in a closet. Anyway, I go with Steele and Rico to investigate - this was *after* being at the murder scene, by the way - and they send me up to the girl's room. Not like I had any idea what to do or anything, but anything...The Goth girl, Tania or something like that, was there, and she started screwing with my head. That..." Her brows drew together briefly. "...Was when I first encountered Nora. Along with...um...three of my *past* selves, but they were me. Parts of me, I mean." A shrug. "But that might not make any sense at all. Tania started calling daemons, one thing led to another and I broke through the illusions she was using, and the next thing I know, a really big and ugly one is coming in the door." A shrug, albeit a little uncomfortable. "...Steele sort of...did away with it." Yep. Seemed he was pulling her butt out of the fire a lot, didn't it?


<Whoa. I *never* had anything like that ... I'm thinking you need to get Mr. Steele brought up to speed. You might be able to make another difference, path or something. *After* you put some pants on first! > Evan didn't play the boyfriend card again, but that smile just spoke volumes.

Meanwhile, Steele was nose deep into that same Frat party, and it's lone survivor. He would tap his pen on his chin for several moments before picking up the phone and making a call. "Yeah, it's me. You busy for the next hour or so? I want to have a chat with the kid's folks. They released her from Stonebridge this morning, which is weird considering what the frail saw. I'm not sure, call it a hunch. I'm hoping she's not so out of it from the meds that she can't recognize the bookstore owner who was spotted in that area the night of the party. Just a follow up social call, right? I'll meet you there in about twenty? See you then, Rico."

Steele would set the phone down, while at the same time picking up a mirco recorder. "The girl is the key. If she can ID the store owner, then we know he was at that party, and had that book with him." Shutting it off, Steele had another thought.

What about the girl? Was she going to work? Sleeping in? Or continue doing the Foster's House of Imaginary Friends routine. (m) "Elf. Not with legs like that. I would have came up with something better."

Rising from his chair, the usual things were collected. Badge. Gun. Phone. And Eve. Standing there. Reaching for his glasses, he'd play it cool. "I was just coming to see if you had plans for today."

Evan was there as well, and had just the biggest grin on his face right then. <Wait, he can't see me, right?> That was when he just lost it, going into a serious laughing fit.


She knew full well that Evan had more jokes, that he was positively *dying* to say something else. Eve just gave a long suffering sigh and nodded in agreement before searching around for some clothes worth putting on. It was only a few minutes later that she'd managed to sneak up on Steele, much to her own surprise, heard those murmured words...and was dumbfounded. She'd actually opened her mouth to say something, but drew up short, eyes widening a little, cheeks flushing. Well, if he hadn't said 'Elf,' she could have doubted him a bit and thought it was someone else...

Realizing that she was staring, and *really* trying to ignore Evan's laughter, she cleared her throat softly and forced herself to recover. "Um...No, I was just...coming to ask you if you'd talked to the girl that was at the frat party?" Eve had left her hair down, but changed into jeans and a white tank top, pulled on a white button down shirt over it - but left it unbuttoned. She'd left her hair down but was still wearing the glasses; funny, they were almost addictive...or maybe they just fed into her own paranoia? Either way, they had been a little helpful.


"Matter of fact, that's where I'm headed right now. And I'm going to assume that you have some insight about that as well? If you do, make it quick, because I'm meeting Rico on this one." Was it possible for a ghost to lose his breath? Evan was beside himself, watching the two of them.

Steele watched her for a second; looked like she was trying not to look elsewhere ... "Your friend is in here, let me guess." Placing on the glasses, he messed with the ear pieces until the lenses had a soft tint to them. "Son of a .... He does look like you. Can't hear you bugger, I can only see you. What's he laughing about?" Waving the whole thing off, he turned back towards Eve.


"Well...last time around, all hxll broke loose. We ran into a daemon." A shrug. "The guy that came in with Little Miss Sunshine? He was a daemon." She shifted a little as Steele picked out Evan's presence, and nodded. But hold on..

"You can See him with those? What'd you just do?" She even stepped closer, tilting her head like she was trying to get a look; not really so much interested as trying to avoid answering why Evan was laughing. "But when this happened last, you and Rico took me with you - I'd also been at the crime scene itself and had the fun of using the Sight there - and you two were going to let me question Molly Ann. Why, I don't really know considering that I have no experience in this field, but you sent me up, and I think you went down to talk to her pops...and Rico stayed behind with her mom." Stepping back, she folded her arms, lips pursing a little. "The Goth was there, and doing a fine job of screwing with my head for a little while. I think the ugly little yippy dog was a hxllhound or something, and from what you told me, her 'dad' wasn't her dad." A shake of her head, and a sigh. "But the fun question is what out of that would actually hold true this time?" Did we mention that she was *really* trying not to look at Evan? She wanted to blush or throw something at him every time she did; made her think of having a sibling that was a true pain in the neck.


"Here the adjustment switches are ...." He reach up to slowly take her glasses off, before showing Eve how they worked. "Solar powered. Huh. Never seen this brand. Looks more advanced." He continued to listen to what Eve had say about the her own personal encounter, before placing the glasses back onto her face. "Call me crazy, but I think your pair adjust automatically. When we get back, I'd like to take a closer look."

Evan would chime in. <Yes, and then he'd like to see the glasses!>

Tohmaz was debating something. Pressing a button on his phone, he motioned for Eve to follow him as he went out of the room. "Rico? Me again. I'm bringing someone along. And bring the specs. Yeah, *those.* See you there." Locking the door behind them, Steele makes his way over to the SUV, unlocking the passenger side on the way. "You're not going inside with us. But I want you to keep watch from the SUV. Any trouble and you call for backup." Offering her that *Argus* like smile ... "This way no one gets their collective butts in a sling, and I can pass it off as an along the way to the coffee shop trip."


"...Someone gave them to me." Saying 'oh, one of the alternate versions of myself gave them to me' just didn't sound right. She stood still when he looked at the glasses, regarding them with him, then shrugged as he put them back on. She reached up to adjust them automatically, before her lips quirked into a tight little grin and she held one hand out to Evan, giving him the good ol' one finger salute. Didn't happen very often with Eve, but it was either she do that or try and throw something at an incorporeal guy; bad enough that she was having a hard time not laughing.

Following Steele, she had to throw a glance back to see if Evan was coming too. She hoped so, because he was oddly comforting, even if he *was* being a pain..."What?" She had to give Steele a dubious look at that. "So, I'm what...guarding the car?" By her tone of voice, she was less than thrilled with that. Chance encountering a daemon...guard the car. Chance encountering a daemon...guard the car. Neither seemed like fun options...

Giving one of those long-suffering sighs, Eve settled into the passenger seat, buckling her seat belt. "So I'm supposed to listen for screams or gunshots and call for backup?" Arch of a brow. She couldn't help it; maybe she was good at being a pain in the butt too...


"Too smart to be working at a coffee shop." And off they went. There was no music channel to pick from this time around, only random police calls. As for Evan? He had not been seen since the finger incident. "I'm curious, Eve. Why continue to help? If you have seen this play out, most folks would be on the next shuttle out of here."


There was a long moment of quiet in which she watched the world go by out the passenger window, considering it. Good question; why? She could have just as easily bailed and tried to get as far away as she could...

"Kind of hard to say, I think. First of all, because I *have* seen it, I guess; but of course, since some things are already different, that's not a guarantee. I figure that if this is my reality, it's the best place for an oddity like me; if it's not, maybe this is my best bet to get back into my own." A shrug. Another moment's pause, before she shrugged gently. "And we were friends, before. You saved my life more than once, I'm sure, and sort of helped me to finally really and truly convince myself that I wasn't crazy; off, maybe, but not nuts. So I figure if I can help, I will." She mostly spoke while looking out the window, but finally turned to him now, brow arched. "...Tell me a few of things? I have a few questions that could really use some answers."


"I'll answer what I can frail. Shoot."


"Okay. Some things seem...off. In that background check you pulled, did it say who my attending doctor at Stonebridge was? It *used* to be Maxwell...but here, Maxwell seems to be a woman - the author of that book you had the shop yesterday, in fact - but when Doc treated me, he was a cranky old bxstard that really wanted to keep me drugged and locked up."


"Maxwell was a guy. Don't know if that's a good thing." Steele had to smile at the cranky comment, before looking over at her. "Crazy, huh? We only met yesterday, and it's like I already know you. And Rico was a guy?" Shaking his head. "Molly Ann was treated and released at Stonebridge, you know. It wasn't by your doctor though. Some older guy..Cromwell I think."


A slow nod. Cromwell. She'd suspected as much, somehow..."Before...Cromwell was rumored to be a daemon lord. I don't even know what the chances on that one holding true are." Deep breath. "Okay. Tell me what you know about Stonebridge? That place seems to have played a role in everywhere I've been, for good or ill."


"No offense, but until we have actual evidence, we can't just go after everyone you saw as a daemon before, okay? Some folks just are not ready to have their collective reality come crashing down around their ears... Elf. Now as far as Stonebridge goes ...."

[Argus Steele]

"Whoop. Jara's here. I'll introduce you, but after that you stay in the car. In the car. You. Here when we come back. Right here. I have this feeling you won't listen though..."

With a half grin, the man in black stepped out of his SUV, meeting a woman that looked of Asian background, getting out of a similar vehicle, also dressed in black.

The pair would exchange a few words, before the both of them turned to where Eve was sitting. "Oh wow, she's hot!" Evan would chime in, from behind her. "Being dead sucks on *so many levels!*" With a huff, her spirit counterpart sat back with arms folded.

Jara was walking over to the passenger side of the SUV. "Hallo, luv. To bad we be meetin' on the job an' all. Name's Jara Rico." Extending a gloved hand through the window, she shook Eve's hand. "Be seein' ye in a few then, right?" Flashing a very Jared-like grin towards Steele. "C'mon partner. Time to be playin' good cop, bad cop."

As the pair walked through the white picket fence, Steele looked over his shoulder at her, mouthing the word 'stay.'


Though Eve had found herself a tad annoyed at his previous remark about busting anyone without evidence, she couldn't help grinning to herself. He'd called her Elf; made her a bit homesick, and confused all over again.

After shaking hands with Jara - albeit a little hesitantly - and exchanging a smile, she nodded and sat back with a little huff...much like the one Evan had just given behind her. Well, nice to know that her psychic 'twin' was still around. "Yeah. I got it. Me, guarding the car. Big whoop..." Note the edge of sarcasm in her voice. A long suffering sigh followed, during which she unbuckled her seat belt and folded her arms, leaning her head back on the headrest. She was watching the two of them walking off though, and even flashed Steele an innocent, 'who, me?' grin.

"Oh yeah. That's Rico, alright. Wasn't bad looking as a guy either, actually..." Spoken to Evan, though she didn't turn to look at him.


"I know what you're thinking, Eve. I'm thinking it also. What if all of us meeting ... Me, you, Nora, Everett at once ... Then doing that hands-on thing did something? I'm neither here nor there, and you even said some things are different for you here. You did say that you were with them inside that house, right?" Evan was now speaking to her from outside the SUV. "You still got those glasses? Put 'em on." He was staring at the house where Steele and Rico just entered, and Evan had a weird look on his face. "Something bad about to go down there. Seriously bad mojo. Can you feel it?"

-Inside the house. Rico, dead. In the basement. By the Father. Steele torn to shreds by the Mother. And Molly Ann? Looking like the girl found inside her closet from the
Ring.-

"Eve! You listening to me?" It was Evan. And she found herself back inside the SUV.


A shudder ran though her as she came back to herself, and for all of a heartbeat, she was sure she was going to be sick. It passed luckily, and she found her mind racing. Did that...why did that happen when she put the glasses on again? Previously they'd been pushed upward to rest in her hair, worn like a headband. Eve pushed then back up again, and half-twisted to glance back at Evan. "Yeah, something bad is going to happen. I can't let them..." Her hand found the door handle and opened it before she even realized, and didn't finish explaining herself before bailing out of the SUV and darting through the picket fence, going for the front door. Wasn't much to be said for being subtle but Eve was afraid there just wasn't time for it. Or maybe she'd get lucky and nothing had happened yet...

...Of course the idea struck that if nothing *had* happened Steele might just try to order her back out to the car. But...it was a chance she'd just have to take. She didn't waste a second going for the door, meaning to burst right on it.


Rico wasn't smiling at this point. She thought the father might have had a little too much to drink, when he started making his advances on her.

Because of what happened to their daughter she was willing to cut him some slack. That was until her grabbed her behind. Well, that got a nice left hook for his troubles, along with a warning. "Hands to yourself. Where I can see them, sir. Let's not do anything else you might regret." Jara had practiced enough to lose her accent when conducting business, or maybe it was because she was extremely pxssed right then.

The Father would comply - sort of. He kept his distance, but Jara suddenly found herself flying across the basement, landing into a shelf filled with preserves.

Upstairs, the family pet was sitting right in front of the door when Eve came running through it; only this time it wasn't a little doggie. It was a full grown pit bull, who did not take kindly to the latest intruder. A low building growl signaled its next intent.


Stopping right inside the door, leaving it wide open, Eve canted her head slightly as she eyed the dog. Oh yeah. This *really* reminded her of why she was a cat person! A deep breath drawn, and she raised her hands slightly. Okay..wasn't the dog a hxllhound before? Of course, that had little bearing on this, apparently..or did it? Reaching up slowly, she dropped the glasses back into place across the bridge of her nose, just hoping they worked as before. "Nice doggie..." That sounded stupid, even to her. Why did people say that? It obviously *wasn't* a nice doggie...Eve reached inward for a moment, reaching for that wellspring of energy. It was becoming easier, the more she did it; levitating the pit a few feet in the air made it much easier to keep him still, be sure he wasn't going to charge her to attack. Well...sort of. "Rico!" Shouting into the house, regardless of who might be present, or what might have been going on. "Steele! Where are you!?" Not exactly panicked, but she did have a rush of adrenaline.


The dog was a dog, though a yelping one due to its present situation. Steele didn't answer - or if he did, the loud crash coming from the basement drowned him out.

The Father was advancing on the stunned agent, the look in his eyes speaking volumes. Jara had enough wits about her to reach for her gun, only to see it fly from her grasp.

[I am going to enjoy your soft fleshy body in every way before I possess it, human!] Jara had no clue what he just said, but the tone of it along with the fact she had trouble moving told her all she needed to know.

Her last thought was that Steele heard the crash, and would be running down to save her fat from the fire any second now.


The crash had led Eve in the direction she needed, and it had been a strange feeling to be running at full tilt through someone else's house...but that hadn't stopped her. After coming across the door she presumed - hoped! - led to the basement, she flung the door open and made it halfway down the steps before the sound entered her head. It was words, a *voice,* but it wasn't something spoken, not something to heard with her ears...a chill went through her, but Eve only slowed a little to ease further down the steps. Hoping the 'speaker' was too involved in what he was doing to notice her...

Of course, at the sight of the 'father,' her stomach tied itself into a knot and her heart moved into her throat. Daemon. Yeah, that was what she was afraid of...She scowled then, trying to shake the fear off. If she didn't do something, Rico was going to die - or worse..

Eve reached a hand up, fingers splayed wide to begin with, before closing them suddenly into a tight fist. The movement was like a guide, something physical to accompany the energy that did the same thing to the daemon, closing into a crushing grip around him. Distantly, Eve was almost sure she could even *feel* the horrid thing, though she didn't physically touch him. Would have been unnerving if she'd let herself think about it, but there were more important things to deal with... "Move, Rico!" Now, here's hoping that Jara was in any shape to actually *do* so...


The moment she felt herself able to move, Jara was already rolling across the floor, reaching for her firearm. What was the girl doing? Making a fist at the pervert wasn't going to do anything.

"Alright! Let's just everybody take a deep breath... Screw this!" Three shots were fired, one in each leg, and the third right between the eyes. There was the usual death twitching of the body, then ... Nothing.

From Eve's point of view? She saw ebony energy pouring from the Father's body, as the daemon cursed and spat at her before shooting inside the far wall, leaving the two women. Jara was already running up the basement steps, making sure she had a full clip locked and loaded. "Steele said you wouldn't bloody listen. Thank ye fer bein' so hard headed, luv. Now let's hope he's havin' a better time than we did!" Jara was taking two steps at a time in full sprint. Pausing long enough to glance at the dog, who if it could, went running out of the house the moment it saw Eve.

Jara was already taking the next flight of stairs leading up to the second floor."This is Agent Rico, we are going to need a containment team at my location ASAP! Code Level Orange! Steele? Where are you? "


She'd dropped her arm and skittered back up a step or two, her gaze locked onto the movements of the black energy. The death of the body hadn't mattered nearly as much as that... "It got away..." That was all she could say in response to Jara, before turning and bolting back up the steps behind her. At least the mutt had learned it's place.. "Steele!" Trying to think of the images she'd seen before, Eve found herself glancing around. "He's with the girl's mother..." Duh. Jara knew that, didn't she? Eve was betting that each was supposed to question the other. But where had they actually *been?* ...Hard to say, but seeing how there seemed to be little activity in the downstairs, she hit the stairs to go up, looking for a Disturbed poster, but not holding her breath for it.


And right down the hallway was a poster: GodSmack. The door would open with Steele holding a comatose girl in his arms, and him closing the door behind him. Looking like he had also been in quite the melee, and nod was offered to the two women. "Rico?"

She would nod. "They're enroute. You alright, luv? Lookin' a little rough around the edges."

Steele would nod his head again, before giving Eve a small smile. "Thought I told you to stay in the car?" Eve, still having those glasses on, would see something Jara did not. Steele seemed to be partially covered in something, but unable to see with the naked eye. Eye contact was made with Eve, with Steele telling her to just follow them outside, there's nothing more to be done. It was *so* painfully obvious that he did not want her seeing what was on the other side of that door. Then there was that thing with his eyes; it was different this time, almost if it was going away instead of coming on...

The trio would be met outside by several plain clothes agents, in the guise of a mailman, phone company, and a police officer. "She is to not be taken back to Stonebridge, got that?" Steele would inform them, as the emergency vehicle arrived. Eve would get a first hand account on the what the clean up crew did.

The first spin was the call to the police dealing with a domestic disturbance, where they found an apparent murder/suicide with the girl's parents.

Once word of this was 'leaked' to the neighbors, there went the rumor mill about the father constantly drinking, often fighting with the mother, until he apparently snapped and killed his wife, before taking his own life.

The daughter would be taken care off at another facility, until a next of kin could be notified.

Steele let Rico handle all the questions while he sat on the front bumper of his SUV, away from the others, now looking visibly shaken.


Behaving herself and keeping her mouth shut during all of this was a very difficult thing to do; Eve had questions, and was absolutely dying to ask Steele what in the hxll was all over him, not to mention that she kept flashing back to the look in his eyes in that room...It reminded her of once before, in the bookstore with Mortimus - but it had been so difficult to tell if she was really seeing something then. She did well to keep quiet and out of the way, watching and listening more than anything, and kept her hands to herself. She hadn't tried to go through that door; she'd been afraid that whatever was in there might be more fodder for her nightmares...

Of course, once Steele wandered off to have a sit down by himself, she gave him a few minutes - but only a few. Deciding that she was tired of being underfoot, the young woman wandered slowly over to the SUV, leaning on the hood, arms folded at she looked at him. "You okay?" She was still wearing the glasses, and let her eyes flicker over him to nonverbally question what she was Seeing - though if he'd pick up on it or answer was something else altogether...


"I'll live, kiddo. Thanks for the heads up. You were right on the money. The kid was going to be next, by the looks of it. Now everyone gets to go back to their everyday lives." Glancing up at her, he just shakes his head.

"You don't get used to seeing shxt like that, you know? Heh. I guess you do." Looking at her glasses. "Yeah, you do." Steele would hear his name called, a deep sigh would be his response. "Whelp, here we go. You stay here and just look cute, okay? I'll be right back. Gotta explain to the brass why you're here." Another deep breath taken, and he was able to assume that swagger he was known for so well. Whoever his boss was, it appeared he was none too happy with having non-personnel involved.

What started off as him having words with Steele and Rico, slowly evolved into him looking like he was viewing a tennis match, his head pivoting from one agent to the other, nodding his head in agreement, then anger etch in his face, soon becoming one of annoyance. Jara would soon leave the two men, walking over to where Eve was leaning. "I owe ye a big one, luv. You made a true friend fer life wit' me." Nodding her head, as she joined Eve in leaning on the SUV. "When we were walkin' to the house, Steele said ye'd be our ace in the hole. Didn't say why though. I thought he was out of his friggin' mind, ye know? I'm not going to even ask about what ye did with ye fingers an' all. " She's lightly punch Eve playfully in the shoulder, before running a hand through her hair.

"Man, she is soooo hot!" Evan would chime in, standing beside them, along with a certain dog that seemed to be able to detect Evan, even though it looked like it was just sitting there.


After he left, Eve sank down onto the bumper herself, letting her hands fall to rest on it to either side of her. Would *she* ever get used to seeing those things? To Seeing at all? Absently, she reached up and pulled the glasses off her face and looked at them for a long minute. Shouldn't she have been used to it by now? She'd been Seeing since she was small, and it never seemed to be any easier on her. Maybe if she had grown numb to it she wouldn't have gotten friendly with a razor blade and avoided Stonebridge...

Shaking it off when Jara came over, Eve slid the glasses back on, but left them pushed upward to rest in her hair to wear them like a headband instead. "Funny, he kept telling me to guard the car." By the tone of her voice, Eve still wasn't quite happy with that one...but she understood, on some level. She had to flash Jara a grin. "He is out of his friggin' mind, though."

The grin served two purposes - it was friendly, helped shake her slightly darker turn of mood, and helped her keep from laughing outright at Evan...Though she did glance his way, stormy gaze flickering from him to the dog, then back once more...before she turned back to Jara. "Mmm...I don't know. What has Steele told you about me? Anything except that I suck at staying put?" The grin remained, flashed brighter for a moment, then faded off a little.


"Well, he said somethin' about helpin' out because o' some fire the other day. I gave him what fer, because ye be not a man! Let him sit around in his boxers all bloody day! We women need clothes! The way he described ye, I thought ye be close to my size. Ye need anything else, I'm #247 on the celly, 'kay?" A mild shrug of her shoulders. "Other than that luv, I wish there was something tasty to tell ye." Jara would study her for a second, before getting a small knowing smile on her face. "An' don' ye be worryin' that noggin' of yers, Miss Eve. He be all yers. I don' mix work with play." Before Eve would get a chance to correct Jara, she was already off the SUV and heading back towards her car. "Ye ever need to..ye know, talk?" She's give Eve a wink, before meeting Steele half way, sharing a few words with him.

Evan during that time, was whispering something into the dogs ear, then giving Eve that *grin.* The pit bull would walk over to where Eve was, sniff her hand, then give it a lick, tail wagging. "Look at Eve, wooing the agents and the dogs!" And to make matter worse? Evan breaks into an old 80's song by Hall and Oates: 'Maneater.' "Oh-ho. here she comes, watch out boy, she'll chew you up! Oh-ho, here she comes, she's a maneater!" Timing it just right so she couldn't respond without making herself look foolish, as Steele was walking towards her. "I'm hungry. How about you?"


The image that flashed through her head of Steele sitting propped on the couch in his boxers was one that made her laugh - which was a good thing, because that helped a little to cover the flush that came to her cheeks. Oh, Evan would be having a field day with that, she was sure...

After nodding to the remark about the cell number, Eve found herself just staring at the other woman, wide-eyed and somewhat dumbfounded. All hers? Didn't mix work with play? What the hell did *that* mean? She opened her mouth to refute that, try and correct her, but it was too late. Jara was already walking off, leaving Eve to sigh and settle back on the bumper of the SUV. Oh, that just wasn't fair...

So maybe she flirted a little now and again. She could admit it - privately, but only on pain of death to anyone else. It was all in good fun, wasn't it? There was just no way he could be interested. The idea of someone being interested in her as something more than a curiosity or science experiment was just...creepy. Tipping her head back, sighing at herself, she had to admit that *that* was creepy too...

She jumped when the dog licked her hand, but relaxed a little when she realized who it was. Offering her palm for the dog to smell it, she shot Evan a glare. God, he was even breaking into song. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing or yelling at him, and offered the dog a scratch to the ears. "...Not so bad, are you?"

Steele surprised her, given that she was still giving Evan the 'I'm going to get you for this' stare, and she jumped a little, turning to look at him quickly. "Um...yeah, I am."


Getting into the SUV, it was put in drive and they were on their way. "Short version? My boss was very impressed that a civilian with zero training handled herself so well." Shooting Eve a look and a smile. "Rico and I agreed to keep your talents on a need-to-know basis as far as everyone else goes. As far as the Chief knows, you just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time; and he'll have my butt in a sling if I endanger you again. I guess there's your out to get back to your normal life, or to take a walk on the wild side. You impressed the hell out of Rico, and that's no small feat. Good for you in taking care of the dog. But she stays with you. Got it?"

The dog? How did it get into the...? Evan. With things being so crazy back there, it was no need to look at the dog's tags; but having it in the back seat it gave Eve a close look at her name. 'Amberlynn.'
"So...my treat. I'll let you pick the place...Elf. " Really, he didn't care to call her that, but he liked the reaction he was getting.


"Think about it, Steele: Can someone like me really *have* a normal life? I mean, yeah, there are normal day-to-day activities involved...but in the end, things have the tendency to get so weird that it there isn't much normal left to it." A brief pause as she got in, went to get herself buckled in, and realized the dog was in the back seat. Not a dog person. She should have had it tattooed on her forehead... Twisting around, she reached for the dog's tags, wanting to see if puddles had a name. "Besides. I'm almost used to the weird - not the things that happen, mind you, but the unreality of it all." A touch absently spoken, and at seeing the name on the tag, she tilted her head gently, eyeing the mutt. "..Guess Amberlynn made it after all." Murmured to herself, before turning back around and buckling the seat belt. "You know, you really don't have to call me Elf if you don't wanna. Well, unless you *want* me to call you Tommy." A grin flashed his way, just before nodding. "Sure. I know a great little place on Asher Street..."

[Argus Steele]

Downtime. Was there such a concept? Well, following the Molly Ann episode, things had slowed down, were even considered normal. Save for Eve.

Despite Steele's claim to not mention those skills of hers to anyone outside their small circle, if she was going to join, then she had to be processed. Which would mean a discovery of hidden talents.

Looks like *someone* has some thinking to do! And that day would start of with blaring music from an alarm clock. A simple motion to hit the snooze button resulted in the radio flying right up into a certain light fixture. And the date? April 13th - Friday. The Man O'Steele was already out of the house, doing his morning jog, along with the new dog.


Eve found herself just sighing at hitting the light fixture all over again, and lay under the sheet for a moment, staring at the broken glass that had rained down on the bed...and floor. Wonderful. Now she'd have to walk the proverbial minefield. Unless....

Carefully sweeping the sheets back off her to keep it contained, the young woman swung her legs off the side of the bed, but didn't try to touch the floor yet. Focusing on the glass on the floor, she made a brushing movement with one hand, trying to clear a free path. That's what she got for leaving her shoes across the room.

Most of the time, she was what could be called a morning person; today just didn't seem like her day already, if that set the tone for it. She really wanted to grab a shower...and it only then dawned on her that the mutt was gone. Oh. She must have gone with Steele...but hadn't he told her to keep the dog with her? A sigh and shake of her head, and she focused on just trying to grab some clothes and get out of the room without getting her feet sliced open. Of course, it was all rolling around in the back of her head - the idea of being 'processed,' seeing if there was anything else lurking under the surface there.

Scary thought...


Evan. Not a sound from him. Not even a peep. Where does he *go* when she's sleeping? Where do ghosts and spirits go when they are not around the living?

The place was almost painfully silent, save for Eve. It almost felt like any sound made there would echo off the walls. Even the media room was shut down, save for a laptop.

There was no signs of breakfast eaten or made, no notes to say where he'd gone, and when he'd be back.

*But* on the calendar, the LED display on the clock, and even the built-in time on the cell phone all had one thing in common: The date. Friday. The 14th.

If she decided to venture into the media room, she would discover several files from a certain Institution, one being about her, along with random notes written by them.

1) Check records.
2) Temper.
3) Doctor visit.


While she'd wanted a shower, wandering through the place appealed more to her first; it was just creepy, that silence. It was the kind of silence that seemed to hold it's breath, just waiting for things to happen...

"At least it isn't Friday the 13th..." Murmured softly as she eyed the calendar, and stood still in the media room for a moment, glancing around. The files caught her attention, of course; What did the notes mean? Temper? That one left her a tad confused. Did she even *have* much of a temper, most of the time? Considering that one, Eve finally shrugged and walked back out, heading for the bathroom.

Maybe he'd taken the dog on a walk. Maybe he'd had something else to do and doggy just escaped. Or maybe she'd warped into some other weird reality...

She *really* didn't like the idea of that last one, and tried to shake it from her mind. "First thing...shower. Then deal with the daily creepiness." And then she booked it for the bathroom, intending to do just that.


There would be faint sounds heard once the water was turned off; Steele was evidently back, and there were .... No towels. Not even a dirty one! The closet that contained them was right on the other side of the now-occupied media room. The dog was running about the place, getting used to her new surroundings. Running up and down the halls, then sliding when trying to stop.


Oh, lovely. Standing still for a moment in the bathtub, giving her hair a squeeze in an effort to get some of the water out of it, she found herself sighing. There wasn't even a linen closet in there? Sighing, she gave herself a shake, a bit chilled now in the cooler air, and tried to brush some of the big drops of water off before getting out and getting dressed. Still soaked, but feeling much better; it improved a bit when clothing was added to the mix.

Stopping in front of the closed door for a moment, listening to the odd sounds outside, she finally gave up on trying to analyze then and stepped out. The jeans felt like the stuck to her legs a little, and the grey tank top was spotted in places with drops of water from her hair, which she hadn't combed yet. "Steele?" Heading for the stairs rather than her room, tilting her head as she looked around. "Amberlynn?" Both names called, and trying to shake the feeling that things felt...off-base. Even more than usual...


"Yeah, I'm in here. So's the dog." The voice would come from the media room, where Steele was perched in front of the television, typing on a laptop and talking on the phone, all at the same time! The dog was content gnawing on a pig's ear, pausing long enough to take notice of Eve entering the room, wagging her tail before returning to the task at hand. Steele was also shirtless, cooling off from his morning run. This version appeared to be in more better shape than the one she knew. That, and a lion's head tattoo on his shoulder.

He'd smile at her when she entered, tilting his head in the direction of a bag of bagels and cream cheese, and some donut gems. There was also some coffee from a certain shop also waiting for her.

"Yeah, I'm thinking we need to pay a visit there soon, just in case. Can't take any chances with her for the long term, you know? Yeah, I'll see. Later." Closing his cell phone, that slightly devious smirk was slowing appearing. "About time you joined the ranks of the living."


"Pay a visit where?" She paused long enough to give the dog a prod with her toe before going to the coffee; it was a better distraction than looking at Steele at the moment. Oh, but she was glad that Evan didn't seem to be around at the moment; she could just hear the taunts now...

A moment's consideration, and she grabbed up a few of the donut gems as well, then settled herself into a chair; legs drawn up, tucked in against her side, but her posture remained elegant somehow. A nibble of one of the donuts, then a second to blow gently at the steam of her coffee, glancing up at him...and noticing the tattoo. "I don't think you had that before." But then...how could she have known? It wasn't like she'd ever seen him shirtless before. Her cheeks colored just a bit at that, but Eve shook it off, raking her fingers through her hair. Damp, wavy, but at least it wasn't tangled. "Beside I'm usually not sure that I'm *ever* really among the living.." Doubtful world she lived in, usually.


"Visit? Oh yeah. The dog. Gonna get her checked out. The vet. And you." Stopping long enough to shut his laptop down, giving her a bemused look. "Before what? Frail, this old thing was part of my college frat days."

[Eve Nora Lizt! You're checking him out! Oh my God! ]That would be Evan, who slowly appeared to the left of her. [I'm dead, but I'm not *that* dead! *And* you're blushing! Oh my God!]

Steele was still looking at her. "Frail, is your ghost pal in here? You have that look-but-don't-look thing going on." Leaning back into his chair, he went into deep thought for a moment, before looking back at her.

Evan would whisper into her ear. [He's going to ask you something personal, I bet. Just *don't* turn a brighter shade of red there, okay? Heh.]

"What's the deal with this Argus? Were you two...close?"

[Holy shxt! Right to the point! Oh-ho, here she comes! Deal? Or no deal?]


She had to grin at his first words. "Get me checked out too? I don't think vets check humans...or I'd hope not, anyway."

And then...and then Evan showed up. Eve felt her cheeks blanch a little, felt herself go stiff, and suddenly she didn't want the coffee or donuts anymore. In fact, she rather wanted to slap herself in the face, and felt like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie-jar at the same time... "Um...yeah. Evan's here to stir up trouble." Breathe Eve. Just breathe, and don't listen to Evan...

The young woman couldn't help but just stare at Steele for a moment. Dxmmit, but Evan was right! Okay, even if it *did* take her a moment to gather his meaning...

"Close?" A blink, followed by a faint tint of color to her cheeks, and a quick shake of her head. "No, no...I mean...we were friends, but...No." That seemed to be all she was capable of saying, as she stumbled a little over her own words. Alright, so it was more than a little... Deep breath, and she tried to clarify. Tried. "He helped me out a lot.. probably more than anyone else before, really. It's just hard to remember that things are really different here, you know? I mean...Rico is a girl here. And Amberlynn is a dog." Yeah, redirection, that was it. Notice that she was watching the dog closely, too.


Turning to face her, he rubbed his chin slowly. "Run with me on this, and think about it before you answer. Is there any ... Mmmm ... chance it all could have been a vision? And that this is your reality?"

Evan would get serious. [Agent Muscles there has a point, save for one thing: Me. I'm not some figment of your imagination...am I?] Eve knew the signs, that look; Evan was about to start doubting himself. [Shxt, Eve. What if...No, it couldn't all be a fluke could it? Did we do something to alter your reality? You just said Rico was a guy, and Nora was your ghost, right? It's like something has taken certain elements and placed them all here in your world to turn the odds in your favor.]

Almost as if the dog heard him, she looked up at Eve and barked, before returning to chew on her bone


Well, at least he *did* move on to another subject...even if she didn't like the tone of it. Looking at him once more, all traces of embarrassment were forgotten as she arched a brow at him. "What are you...What do you mean? I've had visions before, Steele and that...that definitely didn't Feel like one of them." A shrug. "Besides, I've been to several different places - not to mention that Evan being here makes that a tad odd, and I don't doubt that he's real." Eve shrugged, pausing to take a deep breath. To just...think for a moment.

She wanted to respond to Evan, but didn't want to look insane. A second afterward, she decided to hell with it, and did so. "Evan...something either drastically altered my reality...or I ended up in the wrong one. Similar, but not *quite* right." A sigh, and she rubbed at her eyes, wishing she could just forget the entire mess. "Nora was *a* ghost, one of the most common. She was the only one that was really...communicative. But it does seem that most things are turned more in my favor..." She found herself eyeing the dog, gaze narrowed speculatively. "A lot of things are different. So forgive me if I forget and slip a little." Mostly in Steele's direction; she had a way of forgetting that he wasn't *quite* the same guy she'd dealt with previously.


"Well, how about this: You did all that jaunting about and maybe all of this here is an attempt of making your own reality more stable? " Shaking his head, Steele looked at her once again. "How are you handling all this? Really? Me and Rico have training to fall back on, and I still get the creeps sometimes. You been doing a bang-up job of holding it inside pretty well, frail. The constant distractions make for a good tonic. But sooner or later..." Stopping to tap his temple. "All that up there is going to need an outlet, or you're going to pop. Been there. Done that."

As he was talking, Steele was approaching Eve, then knelt in front of her, taking her hands into his. "If you need to curse or shout or swear or cry or let off some steam to get it out of your system, now's the time to do it."

[Eve, check that out! Direct flesh contact, and nothing's going on! No more jokes; I'm going to ghost around and compare notes from my own world, since ours are pretty much alike, okay? I think these guys, along with your boyfriend, are the real deal. Like Muscles said, you've been pretty level during all of this. What if you were being prepped to come back to your own reality after going through all that with the other ones, including mine? You didn't get along with Nora, but you and I were like peas and carrots. Maybe this was meant to happen...And Muscles seems awfully comfy around you, considering you keep saying he's not your guy. Maybe he is, but in a different way... ] Frowning for a second, Evan runs a hand through his hair. [Unless he's going to ask you to marry him, he really needs to stand up now!]


Between listening to Evan and Steele alike, Eve found herself staring at Steele in fascination. It was a sense of d?j? vu, reminding her of the first time he'd done that, in that time before when he'd been trying to reassure her that everything was going to be okay...but also reminded her of the one time he'd called her 'babe' and earned the teasing of both herself and Rico.

But what came out of her mouth was something altogether different. "I don't See when you touch me; why?" She was giving him a wide-eyed look, and had gone very still. Distraction had been good; it helped her keep from thinking about the situation, and the cracks that she was sure were starting to show in her facade, in her personality...even if no one else had really noted them yet.

Eve's fingers were curling and uncurling, and she found her breath coming in shorter gasps, but kept quiet for the moment. "I'm..." Her throat felt tight when she said the word. Oh, no. Not tears. She'd rather do about anything *but* cry... A deep breath, and she gave her head a quick shake. Her eyes stung too, but hadn't started to blur up yet. "I'm tired, you know? It seems like things...never...even out. I get used to something and it all changes on me again and leaves me so twisted around that I'm not even sure of my own sanity anymore." She had to stop, clear her throat. "I feel like a lab rat in a science experiment..." Silly, but that best way she could put it.

Oh yeah, now she had to reach up and swipe at her eyes, take a deep breath. "Just...Yeah. Go check on that, Evan." Just an aside. She didn't really feel up to the teasing, suddenly.


Something spooky? Steele and Evan would say the exact the say thing at the same time. ["Eve, things happen for a reason, and I don't have a crystal ball. But if I can help it, you're not going anywhere else."]

Steele would pull Eve up to her feet. "Go ahead, frail. Let it out. Besides, you're pretty sexy for a lab rat."

Evan wouldn't even comment, he'd take his leave instead. [I'll be back soon as I can. Leave the porch light on if...you know. I'll give a wide berth. Really.] With that, he was faded before Eve's eyes.

"For what it's worth, I pitched the idea to Rico about us three - four counting the ghost - working together. Of course you'll have to get certified, and all that. We even decided on a name, after our softball team. NWI. Rico liked the way it sounded. All covert-ops and stuff. Her words, not mine. So, you have your supporting cast now, if you want it. " And what happened next? Steele hugged her.


She found her gaze pin-balling back and forth between the males as they spoke the same words, an 'are you serious' expression on her face. That was just...weird. Cute, but weird. A shiver rolled through her, and she found herself taking another deep breath, trying to force herself into that relatively steady position again, to patch the cracks in her mentality...

...Just before Steele was pulling her to her feet. Hugging her.

That...that just wasn't *fair* somehow. Eve did pretty well at holding it together, at keeping herself from exploding or collapsing, but something about a hug splintered the cracks, made them run deeper and wider. Forced her into giving up the stresses that had been stretching her mentality bowstring tight for so long. While she didn't fall into a sobbing heap, she did find herself leaning heavily on Steele and having a hard time getting her eyes to stop tearing up, at getting her chest and throat to stop feeling so constricted. "It's...I..." It came out as little more than a squeak. Finally giving it up, she just leaned on him for a moment, even gave in and wrapped her arms around him. All she could really do was roll with it, for the time being.

[Argus Steele]

Imagine the scene if you will: One Eve Nora Lizt sitting at a table. Tohamz Steele sitting to the left of her. Jara Rico to the right.

Evan N. Lizt stands at the other end of the table, something of a non-factor, since only Eve can see and hear him on a normal basis. Amberlynn? Underneath the table, having a field day with Eve's shoe strings. The occasion? Eve needs to sign up to become part of the agency. That's the *good* news. What could be worse than that? Getting the official okay from her shrink to say she's mentally fit for the job.

"Eve, luv, yer gonna have to make a trip to Stonebridge to get yer Doctor to sign off on this. The sooner you do this, the sooner you get all the fundom benefits."

Evan? Poor boy is just making goo-goo eyes at a woman that can't see him. Luckily for him. Eve has probably *never* met anyone so blatantly honest before, and so sincere at the same time.

Steele was showing off the guns wearing a formfitting black T-shirt, with matching baggy jeans and boots. If there was another color besides black that touched his body, no one has seen it. "Rico's right, frail. We need to take care of this soon, you know?" And he was doing that short pacing thing too.


Eve had began to tap a foot gently under the table as she looked at the documents, taking a deep breath. Her shrink. "...Cromwell, did you say it was?" Okay, odd question to ask, but they'd already established that it wasn't Maxwell there, which threw things for her quite a bit. "It doesn't sound like a problem, except for one thing: I'm not sure what kind of relationship we had here. I mean, I don't know if my release was on good terms, or if I just did like before and wised up about my behavior." A shrug of her narrow shoulders, and she leaned back in her chair, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair from her face.

After her little breakdown, she'd been feeling quite a bit better - even if she *did* feel a tad awkward sometimes around Steele. She wasn't used to someone being around when she cried; that had been something altogether new, and she still wasn't quite sure how to take it. In the end, she'd simply blown it off. It had been something she'd needed to do, whether she'd really wanted to or not.

Now and then she'd nudge Amberlynn gently with her foot, especially when the dog started trying to make off with one of those laces. It was a funny feeling, but one she generally ignored for the time being. At least everyone was present...even if Evan *was* too busy staring at Jara... "Worth a shot, though. I admit, I'm a little curious about Stonebridge this go-round, too."

...Eve would *really* have to stop herself from talking about things that way. It made her sound whacked, even to her own ears. She only hoped that Steele had caught Jara up on most of it; the last thing she wanted to do was make the other woman think she'd lost it.


Jara was giving Eve a look; Steele just smiled. "You'll get used to her doing that from time to time, Jara. Besides, wait until she tells you all about her knowing you as a man! Oh yeah, you two are doing the road trip. Maxwell is still there, and is still your shrink. Cromwell is the head honcho of the whole shebang. Couldn't find anything out of the ordinary, frail."

Jara was *really* looking at Eve after the *man* comment made by Steele. "I guess that'll give us somethin' to talk about on the way up there, hmm, Eve?"


That made her backtrack just a bit. A little shake of her head sent the shiny curls of her ponytail swinging gently behind her head, and her brows drew together in confusion. "So...Maxwell is an author here *and* still my psych?" Eve was starting to feel like she really needed to see the files on all of this. It wasn't much fun, to be *this* confused and lost about her own life.

Sitting back again, she made a little brush away gesture with one hand, thinking about all of it. Or *was* Maxwell an author? It wasn't like it was an incredibly unique surname... "Um, yeah. You were a guy, Tohmaz's name was Argus, and...Amberlynn was a human." A glance under the table, giving the dog a nudge with her foot. "Loosely speaking, I think."


Evan just slapped his forehead. [Duh alert! Doc Darcy is the author, and your Doc is still ... Your Doc!]

Remember that comment about Jara being blatantly honest? She's blunt as well. "So I was a guy, hmm? Was I hot? Did we, like, do it?"

Ever hear a room go totally silent? Even Steele had the trademark eyebrow arched, while Evan stood there with his mouth wide open. The dog? Yawned and laid down by her feet. Jara looked at all involved. "What? Did we do it? At least tell me if he had a decent package!"


Eve had been giving Evan a stare that said 'just...shut...up...' when Jara said that. She found herself staring at the other woman, dumbfounded for a second...before recovering herself. "You were about as nice looking as a guy as you are as a woman..." A look back over to Evan, and a teasing grin curved her berry glossed lips. "...Which is probably why Evan there has been having a hard time keeping his tongue in his mouth. Don't believe me?" Pulling the glasses off the collar of the vivid blue shirt she wore, she offered them to Jara with that same grin. "Feel free to take a look." Then she was sitting back, expression a little more serious. *How* she'd managed
to keep from blushing was even beyond her, but Eve had managed to keep some level of composure; more than she often managed with Steele, but she didn't even want to *think* too much about that... "But no, we were friends; the dog was a lot more into you than I was." Another nudge of Amberlynn.


"Oh, I believe you, luv. I don't need those. I See and Hear him quite well. That's *my* talent. I'm a Spirit Watcher." Passing the glasses back to her.

And Evan? One second he was there. Two seconds he was a very bright shade of red. Three seconds he was gone!

"Aww, I hope I didn't run the bloke off. Let's get this show on the road, then." Smiling at Eve, she paused long enough to pet the dog, and punch Steele in the shoulder. "I'm taking her out shopping after the Stonebridge trip, just so you know. " Steele just looked at one female to the other, wondering if this had the potential of being a *really* bad idea!

Amberlynn just sat there, looking at all involved.


She couldn't help it. Eve looked from Jara to where Evan had been, and burst out laughing. That had to be the funniest thing she'd seen in a while...

After recovering, Eve put the glasses back on her collar and got up from her chair, absently smoothing her clothing as she went. The blue shirt was fitted and left untucked over the dark washed jeans. "Stonebridge. Oh joy." This in a deadpan voice, following which she drew a deep breath. Not something she was looking forward to - especially not the second time around...

"Well, last time Steele was the lucky one nominated to go with me. Hopefully things turn out better this time." A wry smile, and she leaned down long enough to give Amberlynn a scratch. "Isn't that right, doggy?" Oh, no. She was even *talking* to the dog now. A mental sigh at herself, and she decided that was something she'd try to curb pretty quickly; she tended to look crazy enough already.


Where Steele drove the SUV, Jara was the proud owner of a classic bright yellow Firebird. "This be my pride and joy. Don't make 'em like this anymore. Sad, really. An' don' be bucklin' yerself in, if you don't want. Ain't killed anyone yet! " Giving her enough time to get seated before peeling away from Steele's place, Jara popped in a classic rock CD. "Sorry luv, I'm a mark for the classic stuff. I guess since you've been giving out some of your trade secrets, I'll let a few skeletons out of the closet. You're lookin' at a lone survivor from a little boat trip through the 666 triangle. For an eight year old, I was pretty much a basket case, an' had my fair share of shrinks too, so I feel yer annoyance wit' those buggers! Soo...What's goin' on with you and Steele? You an' him had something goin' on in your other mojoverse? " Spoken with a sincere smile too. "I'm just pushin' yer buttons, luv. Don't take me seriously. *But* you keep blushin' like that, I'm going to start thinkin' differently. Not like it's any of my business, but you be the first shelia I've seen him interact with since I've been here, really."


Once they were in the car - and it was a nice one, she had to admit even if she didn't know jack about cars - Eve buckled in, throwing a smile at Jara. "I'm used to it..." Being buckled in, that was. Once they got going, Eve let her attention drift to the window, watching the world go by outside as she listened to the other girl talk. "Psychs are pains because most of them are so close-minded; if they can't see it, touch it, taste it, analyze it, it doesn't exist. Plan and simple." ...Which was why she'd always had such hxll with Maxwell, most likely...

But the sudden turn in conversation was unexpected, made Eve blink and look at Jara again; and naturally, she felt her cheeks warm up a little. "...Why does everyone seem to be asking that?" Okay, so it wasn't everyone; but Steele himself had asked, and Evan kept teasing Eve about him, and now...Jara, too. "I mean...no. We were friends; kind of the same circumstances, because I ended up staying at his place. Someone actually seemed to be looking for me at the time, and Steele sort of...intervened." Clearing her throat gently, she gave her head another shake, looking out the window again. "He helped me out, you know? He was probably the first person ever that seemed to have *some* kind of understanding of what all this really was, because I sure as hell didn't know how to use it. There were a lot of times that I was still giving myself fifty-fifty odds of being crazy." A shrug, and the blush had faded off. Eve had been speaking sincerely but simply, without much emotion in her voice one way or another.

But..."How long have you been here, again?" Both curiosity and because...well...she had a hard time seeing it, really.


"This is my third trip into your wooonderful country, an' it be lookin' like the third time will be the charm, on a more secure basis." thingying her head to one side, she held a solemn expression. "I think those blokes back home are happy to see me go. Gave them the creeps, I did. They tried to treat me like I was normal, but eh, I could tell. So, I bet it's a little nerve-wrackin' wit' your situation wit' him, hmm? Not sure on how to act sometimes due to the looks you might get."


"Yeah, it can be. It's...it's all a bit nerve-wracking, really. A lot of things are the same, but so many things are different, too. Sometimes I forget that." A shrug. "And sometimes I'm absolutely sure that Steele really thinks I've seriously lost it, but if he has, he's done a good job of hiding it."

Letting a moment of quiet pass, she then turned to look at Jara again, left brow delicately arched. "Do you really like the idea of all of us working together? It was...Well, I sort of stumbled into it last time. The three of you had already had a partnership of sorts going, and I just...fell in, I guess, even though I didn't have a clue." She wasn't sure why she'd decided to ask just then; maybe she'd just really needed to hear it on her own.


"Steele? Sorry luv, I was talkin' about yer spirit twin, Evan." Jara would give Eve a small smile before responding to her comment. "As for the three of us working together? I have no worries. Maybe it's fate. I hopin' you get Mr. Steele to open up a little more. Somethin' .... Bad happened to him a looong time ago, an' that man just keeps it bottled up inside him. Far as me an' you go? Not gonna lie. I'm glad to have someone else with problems to join the club. Have someone to share the Tales of the Darkside wit'. If I didn't care for you, you'd know. Trust me on that. So, what's the jolly on your male self? Sort of strange that only Steele is the same, sort of kind've, while the rest of us were other genders."


Yeah, that smile said more than Jara could have, really. So her cheeks *did* color a little; so what? Eve shrugged it off, and made a soft sound. "Mmm, Evan? Yeah, it's a bit weird with him around, but I think he's done a lot in the way of keeping me grounded, help me be sure that I didn't lose it or that it wasn't all just some long, weird dream that I woke up from."

She went quiet for a moment before nodding to herself, nibbling at her lower lip. "You know..you're the third person to say that it might be fated. I still find the idea of fate strange somehow, but I like to think that everything does happen for a reason." Another few seconds of thought, and she glanced at Jara. "How long have you known Steele?"


"Since my third trip here. They paired us up, and we sort of clicked from the start. Nothin' along the lines of X Files, until a couple of weeks ago wit' the whole cult thing poppin' up here in the city. But that melee back at that house? That was a first. Funny now that I think about it - You saw somethin' in the father, I didn't pick up nary a spirit. What was he, possessed? "


A slow nod, linking her hands together in her lap. Funny, Eve had a hard time thinking she could get him to open up, either; she had the idea in her head that if he wanted someone to know, or felt like talking about it, he'd do so...

...But she still thought it was strange that she never Saw when she touched him. Ever. That was the most peculiar thing of all, to her.

"Hmm?" A blink, coming out of her thoughts, and she followed it with another nod. "Yeah, I think he was. Something...broke away from him, after you shot him. Headed for the wall. I didn't..." She shrugged, brows drawing together in a frown. "...Everything was so tense at the time, and I..." Shaking her head, Eve really couldn't find explanation as to why she didn't say anything about it *then.* It just didn't make sense to her, really.


"Mmmm. Stonebridge, next exit. Dun-dun-duun! I know this is a nail chewin' moment for you. Remember, all else fails and you need too be makin' a point? Kick 'em where it counts. Twice. No balls and two strikes. I love sports."

A wink and a smile, as they approached the exit.