Teaser

"Almost no one who works there is human, Mel," Cole said in a low voice, leaning across the bar. "The owner and most of the bouncers are Vardian, there are Enixians working the back office…"

"And a Nodulian tending bar…" Mel nodded.

Cole nodded. "Not even all the dancers are human," he told her.

"Toni?" Mel asked, frowning.

"Oh, she is human, Mel." Cole smiled reassuringly.

"Okay. Because… you need to be really careful around the dancers. If something you do gives you away, they're probably going to be the ones to notice it…"

Cole nodded. "I'll need to be very careful, but I think Toni will be extremely helpful. She says she's a mother chicken."

"Mother hen," Mel corrected absently.

Cole nodded. "Yes, Mel. That's what I said."

She shook her head, smiling. "Yes, Rose."

Cole smiled and stared thoughtfully into his coffee. "We can capture many, Mel."

Mel blinked, considering this. "Yeah, but we also need to be careful."

Cole nodded. "Yes, Mel, but we can capture many…"

"Yeah, but we need to be careful. And this conversation is getting kind of circular." She grinned. "We can capture a lot of them, but we definitely need to operate with a lot of discretion. We are sort of outnumbered, you know."

Cole nodded. "No more than usual."

She grinned and nodded. "I can't believe that we're actually going through with this," she muttered, shaking her head. "This is absolutely insane," she told him with a smile.

Cole smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is. But it won't be for long. I'll be happy to have my own body back. This one is taking a lot more getting used to…" He trailed off as the front door opened and Vic walked in.

"Afternoon, ladies." Vic smiled at them. "Mel, are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Mel smiled and nodded slowly. If getting the job had been the first test, convincing Vic that Cole was Rose would be the second, and more telling. The Detective had a good nose, and he knew when things were off, even by a little.

"Vic, this is Rosie. Rose Thompson, Detective Vic Bruno."

"It's nice to meet you, Detective Bruno," Cole said, smiling and shaking Vic's hand.

Vic stared down at his hand, momentarily startled by the strength of the tiny woman's grip. Shrugging that off, he smiled up at her. "It's nice to meet you, too, Miss Thompson."

"Please, call me Rose."

"Okay, Rose." Vic smiled.

Mel poured Vic a drink, then watched for a few moments as the two talked. Satisfied that Cole was playing the part of Rose convincingly, she returned to setting up the bar for the evening. She rejoined them just a moment too late.

"I read that pickup line in a book," 'Rose' was telling Vic placidly. "Mel says that the lines in that book are shallow and insincere and that the kind of men who actually think they work should have some sense slapped into them." With that, Cole backhanded Vic, knocking him off of his stool.

"Oh, my God!" Mel yelped, as startled as Vic.

Vic was sitting on the floor, a stunned expression and a red mark on his face.

"Did I do it right?" Cole asked Mel curiously.

"Go upstairs now!" Mel ordered, pointing towards the stairwell as she circled the bar.

"But…"

"Now!" Mel repeated, shaking her head and helping Vic to his feet.

Frowning uncertainly, Cole rose and fled up the stairs.

"God, Vic, are you hurt?" Mel asked, helping him into a nearby chair.

He shook his head, rubbing his red cheek with a frown. " Mel, you have some really weird friends!" He pointed in the direction Cole had fled. "That one's stranger than Cole. Just… keep her away from me, okay?"

"I am really sorry about that, Vic." Mel sighed deeply, mortified.

"What's her problem, anyway?"

Mel shook her head. "Hormones," she lied.

Vic stared at her, wide-eyed. "Uh, yeah… You… might want to get her in to see a specialist about those 'hormones'. Preferably a shrink."

Mel sighed and shook her head again, feeling like she could have used a psychiatrist herself at the moment. "Yeah, Vic. Um, let me go get you some ice…"

End Teaser

Act 1

"I can't believe you hit Vic!" Mel raged, pacing the living room as she yelled at Cole.

"But… I didn't hit him nearly as hard as I could have, and you said--"

"It was a figure of speech!" Mel snapped, shaking her head. She stopped pacing, staring at Cole whose lower lip was beginning to tremble. "Oh, God, Cole… No, don't start… crying," she finished with a sigh as the Cirronian started doing just that.

"I'm sorry, Mel," he sniffled. "I was just trying to do a good job…"

"Yeah, Cole, I know," Mel sighed, pulling him into a hug "But you can not go around assaulting cops… Don't cry. Please. I'm… I'm not mad, Cole, just… frustrated."

"I'm sorry, Mel. I'll do better."

"I know you will." She nodded, patting his back gently. When he finally managed to stop crying, she pulled away and smiled reassuringly at him. "Look at you, you poor baby." She shook her head, feeling sorrier for him now than she had ever felt for anyone. "Go, wash your face."

"Why?"

"Because, your makeup's running, Cole. Go wash your face. We'll talk when you get back."

Cole nodded and slowly started towards the bathroom.

Mel sighed deeply, dropping on to the couch. "Those hormones are definitely not agreeing with him," she muttered, shaking her head.

If she had thought that Cole was in over his head pretending to be a woman, she realized now that he was infinitely more in over his head actually being one. God, she wanted her Cole back.

***

Cole stared at the tear-streaked face in the mirror, sighing. He had expected to have some difficulties in adjusting to this new body, of course, but he had not foreseen that he would have equal difficulties adjusting to his state of mind. Things just seemed so much different inside. The way he looked at things and handled things seemed to have radically altered. It would not have been as hard, except that, when he needed her most, Mel seemed to like him a lot less like this. That was profoundly distressing.

Sighing, he washed away the ruined makeup, wondering if this was normal for human females or just a peculiar reaction that he was having to the body. Mel kept talking about hormones, as if what he was feeling was perfectly normal. If that was the case, it was amazing that Mel was so… stable. For his part, he felt like he was coming apart at the seams, and the physical symptoms of his 'PMS' were not helping. He looked up at a gentle tapping on the bathroom door.

"Come in, Mel."

"Hey, feeling better?" she asked gently.

He nodded slowly. "Yes, Mel. I'm sorry that I'm being so…" He shrugged, not sure exactly what he was being.

"It's okay." She smiled reassuringly. "This is not easy on either of us. I keep getting so wrapped up in how freaked out I am by all of this that I forget what you're going through."

"Do you still like me?" he asked softly.

Mel covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh, Cole… Of course I do. Come here." She spread her arms and pulled him into a hug. "Of course I still like you. You're still the same Cole."

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her. "Just with different hormones. I don't know how you do it, Mel."

"Years of practice. You going to be okay?"

He nodded. "I think so, Mel."

"Okay. Let's have some lunch and then I'll take you back to the club," she suggested, pulling away.

"Will you stay?" he asked hopefully.

"If you want me to."

"You don't have to if you don't want to, but I would like it if you could."

Mel nodded. "Okay, Cole. I'll stay. For awhile, at least."

He nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thank you, Mel. It won't be for very long," he reminded her.

"I know."

"Once I have… the lay of the land…"

Mel nodded, leaving the bathroom. "We can do a lot of damage."

Cole followed. "I'm less interested in 'doing damage' than in finding out what they have planned. I want to keep you safe from them, Mel. It's the only reason I'm doing this."

She turned to face him, smiling. "I really appreciate that, Cole. I do." She shrugged and pulled open the refrigerator. "But the two aren't mutually exclusive. Like you said, we can capture many." Mel grinned with anticipation.

Cole smiled and nodded. She was, of course, right. "Yes, Mel."

***

"Well, we're going to have to get you some new clothes," Toni said with a shrug, leaning against a pole. She was standing on stage, talking to 'Rose', her hands in her pockets, her posture relaxed.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Cole asked, frowning uncertainly. "Mel wears clothes like these…"

Toni smiled and slid to the floor, gesturing for Cole to do the same. "And they're nice clothes," she allowed as 'Rose' joined her on the floor. "But not appropriate for stripping." She shrugged and began stretching.

"Are the clothes you're wearing more appropriate?" Cole asked uncertainly.

Toni glanced down at her sweat-pants and loose tee shirt with a grin. "Only for practice." She rose and extended her hand. "Come on, let's go to the dressing-room and I'll show you what I wear when I'm dancing."

Nodding, Cole rose, accepting her hand. "Mel, Toni and I are going to the dressing-room. Would you like to come?"

"Um, that's okay, Rose." Mel shook her head. "I'll just… wait here."

Cole's smile flickered, but he nodded. "Yes, Mel."

"You two have a fight?" Toni asked gently as they entered the dressing room.

"What makes you think that?" Cole asked, surprised.

"Because you've been crying, sweetie." Toni regarded her with a gentle smile. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Cole shook his head. As much as he would have liked to discuss everything that had passed between Mel and himself in the past days, Toni was not the person to do that with. "There's nothing to talk about."

"If you say so." Toni shrugged. "This'll be your locker. You can just put your purse inside now if you want."

"Thank you." Cole fished the bottle of Midol out and helped himself to a few before hanging the purse inside.

"Ah, hormones." Toni gave 'Rose' a sympathetic smile. It at least explained the earlier tears.

Cole nodded. "I don't see," he began, then stopped.

"Don't see what, sweetie?"

"Nothing." Cole smiled and shook his head. "Never mind."

"If you say so." Toni shrugged and walked to her locker. "We're going to have to do something about your makeup, too," she added as she opened it.

"What's wrong with my makeup?" Cole asked, frowning. "Mel does my makeup…" He shook his head in confusion.

"And she's got a classy hand with the brush, but, again, not appropriate for a stripper." Toni smiled and began rifling around inside her locker. "Face it, hon, when you start stripping, the rules change. Classy is no longer a good thing."

Cole frowned but nodded.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Toni smiled reassuringly up at 'Rose'.

"I'm not sure I want to…"

Toni grinned. "Healthy attitude. Me, I'm only doing this until I have enough saved up for college. What about you?"

Cole paused, recalling what Mel had said to say. "I'm good with electronics. I want to get a degree and open up a business."

Toni nodded. "Cool. Because, as good as the money is in this line of work, it's just not something you can do for more than a few years."

"What do you want to study?" Cole asked.

"Law."

Cole smiled. "Mel has a friend who is a lawyer."

"Yeah? Cool." Toni nodded and held up an outfit. "You'll be wearing something like this on stage."

Cole's smile faded. "But it's so… small," he protested.

Toni smiled and nodded. "That's kind of the point."

"Oh." Cole nodded slowly.

"Here, try it on." Toni offered the outfit. "Should fit you, too. We're about the same size."

Cole reluctantly accepted the outfit and looked for somewhere to change into it.

Toni's eyes widened slightly. "Rose, honey, if you're that shy, you're in the wrong line of work. There's something about modesty that just doesn't work in a stripper."

"I'm sorry." Cole smiled apologetically and began pulling off his clothes. "I'm not shy, it's just habit."

Toni grinned and shook her head. "Good, 'cause you had me worried there for a second."

Cole smiled placidly back as he worked out how to change into the tiny outfit. "Mel is very shy about her body," he contributed absently.

Toni smiled. "Yeah? How's she feel about having your body up on stage for dozens of men to look at?"

"I don't think she likes it very much. She's very worried about me." He shrugged. "She always worries about me, though."

"Means she cares." Toni smiled as 'Rose' finally managed to climb into the outfit. "How many hours a day do you work out?" she asked, impressed by the body in front of her.

Cole shrugged noncommittally.

"Because… damn." Toni shook her head, grinning. "You're going to make the rest of us look bad."

"I'm sorry." Cole frowned uncertainly.

"Don't be. Body like that must take an awful lot of work…"

"Oh, it did," Cole assured her honestly. He turned to regard himself in one of the dressing room's many mirrors. "What's the point of taking this off?" he asked, frowning. "It covers so little already." He shook his head. "Mel sleeps in much more than this." His frown deepened. "She wears more than this underneath what she sleeps in…"

Toni smiled. "Actually, you're not going to be stripping all the way down here. In most clubs you would, but this one's different. Didn't Veronica tell you?"

"She mentioned something about a…. 'g-string' and… patsies?"

Toni giggled. "Pasties, Rosie," she corrected, shaking her head and holding up the items in question. "G-string and pasties."

Cole frowned dubiously at them. "Okay."

Laughing and shaking her head, Toni pulled off her clothes and changed into them. "See?"

Cole examined her for a few moments, nodding. "I think Mel will be pleased that I get to keep something on," he said finally. Not that it was much, but it was something.

Toni grinned and nodded, changing back into her other clothes. "What does she do, anyway? She looks like a librarian or something."

"She owns a bar."

Toni nodded. "Cool. Um, let's go show her how you look in this. You might want to practice in it, too, just to get used to it. You can borrow it until we find you something to wear."

Cole nodded and followed her out of the dressing room. Mel took one look at them and covered her mouth with one hand.

"I think I should talk to her alone," Cole suggested quietly to Toni, who nodded and returned to the stage. Cole walked over to Mel. "You don't like it?"

"Um… you look good in it…"

"That wasn't the question, Mel." Cole sat down across from her.

Mel sighed and nodded. "The outfit, I like. It's the plan that's getting to me," she said in a low voice.

Cole nodded his understanding. "It's only for a little while," he soothed, reaching for her throat only to have her duck away. He sighed but did not attempt to touch her again. "Toni says that we get to keep on our g-strings and some kind of chest-coverings," he told her.

Mel nodded, relieved. "That's good."

Cole smiled and nodded. "I thought that would please you."

"Rosie, sweets, let's get to work!" Toni called. "You've only got a few more days until we open."

Cole nodded and rose. "You don't have to stay if you don't want," he told Mel softly, reluctantly.

She shook her head. "I'll stay. I promised I'd stay."

"Thank you." Cole smiled and hurried to the stage where Toni was waiting.

"Okay, we'll start with some basic moves," Toni said. "You dance much?"

Cole shook his head. "No."

"Okay, then it could take some practice." As they began going through basic moves, Toni spoke in a low voice. "There are certain dancers that you want to avoid," she cautioned.

"Why?" Cole asked, keeping his own voice as low as hers.

"Some of them are just bad news." Toni shook her head. "Nix, for one. And Deb. Avoid them when you can."

Cole frowned, but nodded. "Okay…"

***

"She's very attractive by human standards," Dray noted quietly to Rylan as they walked past Toni and 'Rose'.

The Vardian shrugged. "I'm surprised you bother to notice."

Dray scowled at the Vardian. Holier-than-thou, the lot of them. "Hey, as long as I have this body…"

"That's disgusting." Rylan shook his head. "They are monkeys, inferior to both of our species in every way. They're an evolutionary mistake."

Dray shrugged, wincing as he did so. Arm and ribs were both still quite painful. "I'm told we're ready to start digging?" he asked as they walked into the back of the club, where the offices were. He led Rylan into his office. "Drink?" he offered. As long as they were working together, it made more sense to maintain a semblance of civility, even if both knew it to be nothing more than a façade.

"Please."

"The digging?" he prompted again.

Rylan nodded, accepting the drink that the Enixian offered. "Not all of the equipment has arrived yet, but we'll be ready to start this evening."

"Good to hear." The Enixian nodded and sat down at his desk.

"Lana wants to know about the mirror?"

"The replacement arrives this evening. I'll supervise its instillation myself."

Rylan nodded. "Good. Lana wants everything to be perfect."

"Everything will be perfect," the Enixian sighed, annoyed.

"We can't open on time if it isn't, and not opening on schedule will raise questions."

"I know," the Enixian assured him, sighing more deeply. Vardians thought that they knew everything, that the other species had to be told how to complete the simplest tasks. It was infinitely annoying. "So the digging starts tonight?" he asked to change the subject.

Rylan nodded. "It does. Lana wants all of us there."

Dray nodded, annoyed. Lana wanted everything done on schedule but, at the same time, insisted on them taking time they did not have to stand around gawking at a giant drill. Typical. "I'll be there and I'll have my people there."

"See that you do."

Dray sat in silence for a few moments, then raised his glass. "To success."

Smiling, Rylan leaned across the desk and tapped his own glass against Dray's. "To success. And… to victory over our enemies."

End Act 1

Act 2

"Toni says that I'm picking it all up very quickly," Cole told Mel brightly as he displayed the results of the evening's impromptu shopping trip. They were standing in her bedroom as they spoke.

Mel winced at every outfit he held up for her inspection, but nodded at what he said. "Wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"Would you like to see my lap-dance?"

"No!" Mel shook her head quickly. "Thank you, but no thanks…"

Cole frowned, a little disappointed, but nodded. "Toni says she'll be surprised if I clear less than $300 a night."

Mel frowned, surprised. "You're kidding?"

"No, Mel." He shook his head. "She says it's not at all unreasonable for a good-looking girl."

Mel shrugged and shook her head. "Well, I knew there had to be an upside here somewhere. I had no clue the money was so good, though."

Cole shrugged. "Toni says most women who dance do so for the money. She also says many use drugs." He frowned. "To 'take the edge off'."

Mel frowned. "Does Toni do drugs, Cole?" she asked softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Cole smiled and shook his head. "No, Mel. But she says many of the others do. She wants me to avoid them."

Mel smiled and nodded. "Good for Toni, then. She's taking care of you. Probably doesn't want you getting sucked in to that."

Cole nodded. "That was my impression. She's saving up for law school," he added. "She wants to be a District Attorney."

"Really?" Mel smiled. The upshot of that was that Toni was probably not engaging in anything blatantly illegal. Mel herself had once considered law school, but finance and circumstances had combined to keep her from that.

"Mmm hmm." Cole nodded again, pulling out a pair of six-inch heels and frowning at them. "She says the money isn't very good, but that it's at least an honest living. She also says that… these shoes are hell and I should make an appointment with a podiatrist now." He looked up at Mel. "What's a podiatrist?"

"Foot doctor."

Mel smiled and shook her head, staring at the stilettos with wide eyes. Every time 'Rose' showed her an outfit or a pair of shoes, she got this truly frightening mental image of Cole in it. A few moments imaging Cole in a pair of red spangled six-inch stiletto heels was enough to send her into gales of laughter. She sank onto the bed, laughing helplessly as Cole looked on, clearly bemused by her behavior.

"You don't like them?"

"Just… picturing you in them!" Mel laughed, tears in her eyes as she pointed from Cole to the shoes. "The normal you…" Unable to speak further, she made some gestures as to the proportions of his normal body.

Cole frowned, startled, and then slowly smiled as the image took a foothold in his brain. The ridiculous little shoes would look absurd enough on Rose. Imaging them on his enormous feet, supporting his normal bulk… Shaking his head and chuckling, he sat down next to Mel on the bed. He was soon laughing harder than Mel, his tiny frame shaking.

"Oh, my God!" Mel howled with laughter, leaning into Cole.

Cole wrapped his arms around Mel, laughing and shaking his head. If that was an indication of the way her mind was working tonight, it at least explained the look on her face every time he held up a new outfit for her inspection. The thought only made him laugh harder.

They laughed for several more minutes until Mel plaintively announced, still chuckling, "I think I pulled a muscle…"

Cole's laughter died immediately. "Mel! Are you in pain?"

She nodded slowly, still struggling to control laughter that did not want to stop. Every time she laughed, the pain only got worse, and the tears in her eyes were as much from that as from the laughter itself. She had never thought that it was actually possible to pull a muscle laughing, but now she guessed that it was. Which just went to show that life with Cole was a constant learning experience. For some reason, that thought started new laughter bubbling up inside of her, and she winced as she struggled to control it.

"Here, lie back…" Cole unceremoniously shifted the shopping bags from the bed to the floor with a sweep of his arms, making room for Mel. Tenderly, he helped her into a reclining position. "Where are you hurt?"

Grimacing, Mel pointed to her diaphragm, where the worst of the pain was.

"Okay, just hold still and try to relax yourself, body and mind."

Mel nodded and closed her eyes as Cole gently splayed his hands on her torso. The healing was, as always, a remarkable experience, and her soft moan had nothing to do with pain.

"Just relax," Cole whispered, sending another soothing wave of heat into her body.

"Mmm… that's nice…" she breathed.

Cole glanced at the clock on her bedside table. "Maybe you should get some sleep now?" he suggested gently.

"Too wound up to sleep," came the yawned reply.

"Really?" he whispered, amused. Shaking his head, he moved his hand to her throat, just resting it there for a moment. "I know you've been under a lot of stress lately, Mel, not sleeping as well as you should. And I promise you that it will all be over in a few days." He moved his hand to rest on her forehead.

"I just worry about you…"

"I know, Mel. And I worry about you," he whispered, putting her to sleep with a gentle burst of energy. "Because worrying is what people do when they love each other."

With a sigh, he gently rearranged Mel on the bed so that she would be more comfortable. She had already changed into her pajamas, so he did not have to do that for her, which was just as well given her current state of mind. He quietly moved the bags into the living room, then returned and pulled a blanket over Mel. He considered kissing the sleeping woman, but changed his mind and brushed his fingers over her lips instead, smiling when she smiled.

"You'll feel better in the morning," he promised, touching her forehead with the back of his fingers. Troubled for no good reason he could name, he turned on her favorite CD, turned off the lights, and left her to her sleep.

He sat on the couch for a long time, considering the events of the past few days. It certainly seemed like a lot longer, looking back. Well, however long it seemed like, he had no intention of letting it last more than a few more days. He had looked up this 'PMS' thing that both Mel and Toni had mentioned and he had absolutely no intention of letting it reach its logical conclusion. The thought made him nauseous. How women did it every month was beyond him.

Shaking his head, he rose and began trying on the outfits. He quickly realized that Toni had been right. Wearing those shoes for more than a few minutes was hell. Disgusted with them, he threw them aside and picked up the phone.

It was answered after a few rings. "Yeah?"

"Toni, it's Rose."

"Hey, sweetie. What's up?"

"That offer to go out for drinks tonight? Does that still stand?" He needed to get out of the house, away from Mel and her bizarre behaviors. "Um, are there still any bars opened this late?"

Toni's voice was amused. "You live over a bar and you don't drink, sweetie. What do you want to go bar-hopping for?"

"Is that a no?"

Toni laughed softly. "I'll pick you up in… oh, forty minutes. Wear comfortable shoes."

Cole smiled. "Yes, Toni. I'll see you then."

***

"Is everyone here yet?" Lana asked, looking around.

"Soon," Dray assured her, sighing. He was resentful to have been called from his own work above to a groundbreaking ceremony that promised to be, above all, painfully noisy. The things he did for money…

Lana sighed and nodded, impatient to start the digging but not wanting to until everyone had arrived.

Dray sighed again as he continued, "In the meantime, we need to talk."

She scowled at the Enixian's serious tone. "What's wrong this time?"

"I overheard one of the dancers telling one of the other dancers that she saw Nix drizzling some drug into her eye."

"I'll kill her," Lana announced flatly, shaking her head in disgust.

"A dead body is going to raise far more questions than a drug-using stripper," Rylan muttered, joining them.

"Then I'll just break a few bones…"

"We're short-handed with dancers as it is," Dray told her, irritated. The Vardian's temper was on a very short fuse lately. "It's not like she's the only one, either."

Lana's expression of controlled rage was quickly becoming less than controlled.

"A lot of human dancers use drugs," Rylan told her. "It's part of the subculture."

"A lot of fugitives use drugs," Dray added in a mocking tone, ignoring Rylan's glare. "It's a part of the subculture."

Lana glared at both until they stopped glaring at each other. It took less than three seconds. She pointed to Rylan. "You tell that Nodulian imbecile to operate with a bit of discretion if she wants to keep her new body intact." She pointed to Dray. "You tell the monkeys that such behavior is not acceptable in this establishment."

"That is going to raise questions in and of itself," Rylan informed her.

"Not as many as a police raid is going to raise!" Lana hissed.

"So, bribe the police," Rylan suggested. "You want to keep the girls complacent, this is not the way to go about it."

Lana backhanded him in spite of the fact that she knew he was right. The sound of his jaw being dislocated turned every head in the subterranean chamber. Lana took his chin in her hand in a gesture that looked tender and popped it back into position with a sharp jerk.

"Where the hell is Nix?" she demanded loudly.

"Here."

"My office. Now."

Nix stared at her with wide eyes for a moment before nodding and hurrying towards the elevator.

Lana glared around once more. "Tarn, how long?"

"Five minutes."

"Wait for me." With that, she swept out of the chamber. Nix was waiting in her office. "You endanger us all," she said in a low voice.

Nix shifted defensively. "You think I'm the only one here who uses Fek-Maln?"

"I think you're the only one stupid enough to let a human see you!" Lana snarled, grabbing Nix's arm in a vice-like grip. "You compromise this rescue-attempt and I will break your neck myself."

"And probably enjoy it, too," the Nodulian muttered sullenly.

"You bet I would." Lana nodded impassively. "Now get your ass back downstairs and do not come to my attention again." Shaking her head, the Vardian watched the Nodulian go. "Arrogant fool," she murmured, shaking her head in disgust. Sighing, she rose to return to the chamber below.

***

"Damn, girl," Toni said, shaking her head as Cole threw back another shot. "You trying to get hammered?"

Cole nodded. "Yes, Toni."

Toni shook her head. "Uh-huh. Have another fight with Mel?"

"It's not Mel," he protested. "It's me."

"Hormones again?" Toni sighed and shook her head.

"I guess so. I just feel so… different."

Toni reached into her purse and pulled out an almost-full bag of Hershey's kisses. "These'll help."

Cole stared at them dubiously for a moment before unwrapping one and popping it into his mouth. He smiled at the completely new taste. "That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, but if you're going to eat chocolate, you can not drink tequila."

"Why?"

"It's sacrilege. You need to switch to scotch or brandy." She grinned and helped herself to one, flagging down the bartender. "Eat up. Chocolate cures all."

Smiling and nodding, Cole popped another one into his mouth, savoring the taste. He had never tasted anything quite so wonderful before. Toni was right, too, the scotch complimented it greatly.

"Eat them slowly, just enjoy the taste and feel it alter your brain chemistry."

Several drinks and a handful of chocolate kisses later, Cole was feeling much more talkative than usual. "I don't get it, Toni. She's acting like everything's changed with us…" He shook his head. "I mean…" He shook his head. "I just… I wonder if she still feels the same. You know?"

"Ask."

"Ask?" He shook his head. "Mel doesn't like to talk about these things… She's so…" He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Toni. "She can be so annoying sometimes. I mean, I love her, but… she just won't talk about some things…" He sighed and popped another piece of candy into his mouth, washing it down with a shot of scotch. "I mean, I guess I'm not much better, really…. I know I have a hard time communicating some things, and it's not just the language barrier…"

"Language barrier?" Toni repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, English isn't my first language." He waved his hand dismissively and it came into contact with the bag. "Two left," he remarked, handing one to Toni. "I can see why people like these… things."

Toni smiled and shook her head. "Sweetie, you are hammered. Let's get you home."

"But there's more scotch left!" he protested, pointing to the bottle and popping the last Hershey's kiss into his mouth, forgetting to remove the wrapper. He made a face as he bit into it. With a little work, he managed to get the chocolate separated from the foil which he spit out with a grimace.

Toni observed that display with a wide smile. "You know, I've got some friends that would be really interested in that trick."

"Why?" he asked innocently.

"She's gay and she doesn't get it," Toni laughed. "Hammered…" Shaking her head, she hauled Cole to his feet. "Come on, Rosie. Let's get you home to Mel."

"But she's already asleep," he pointed out.

"So join her."

Cole considered this in silence. It actually seemed like a remarkably good idea. Still… "I don't think she'd like that very much."

Toni rolled her eyes and guided Cole through the thinning crowds. "Obviously you two have a lot to discuss. Can't let this stuff fester, sister. Got to let it out."

"Yes. Keeping emotions bottled up is bad…" Cole nodded firmly. "I need to talk to Mel. Talking is good." He gave Toni a goofy, triumphant grin.

"Yes, it is," she laughed, essentially shoveling Cole into a taxi before climbing in herself. "You're a funny one, Rose, you know that?" she asked after several minutes of silence, broken occasionally by soft, monotone humming from Cole.

"Funny how?" he glanced quizzically at her.

"You must have had ten, eleven drinks before you showed the least sign of anything and now, in less than 20 minutes, you're completely toasted."

"Bread is toasted…"

Toni shook her head. "Your stop. Get some rest. I've got a long day planned for you tomorrow."

Cole nodded and impulsively caught her in a bear hug. "Thank you for everything, Toni. I've only known you for a short time but already I feel very close to you."

"Yeah," Toni grunted, suddenly finding herself caught in a crushing embrace. "That could be because you couldn't possibly get any closer if you tried. Let a girl breathe, Rosie…"

Cole drew away, smiling self-consciously. "I'm sorry, Toni."

"No problem. Now go get some shut eye."

"Nope. Not going to go to sleep." He shook his head. "Have to talk to Mel now." Nodding firmly, he left the cab and let himself into the Watchfire.

Toni stared after him, shaking her head. "What a strange chick," she muttered, shaking her head. Her earlier conviction that Mel and Rose could not possibly have been involved resurfaced, leaving her to puzzle over the actual nature of their relationship as the taxi-driver brought her to her apartment. Something told her that Mel Porter was not going to be very happy with either of them.

"Where the hell have you been?" Mel demanded of Cole as he let himself into the apartment.

She had been worried sick to wake up and find that Cole was no longer in the apartment. She had, in fact, been horrified that he had, for some reason, taken it into his head to go to the club and start collecting life forces or interrogating people. Her anxiety had been somewhat relieved when she found his note, that he was going out for drinks with Toni. They were probably just going to talk shop. The odds of him saying anything to compromise himself were slim.

Cole ignored the question. "Mel, we need to talk."

"Are you drunk?" she gasped when she heard the slight slur to his speech.

"Yes." He nodded. "Think so, Mel. We need to talk."

Mel sighed and mentally counted to ten. "About what?" she asked softly.

Cole regarded her steadily for a moment, then quietly asked, "Do you still love me?"

End Act 2

Act 3

Mel stared for a moment, staggered not only by the question but by the casual way he had asked it. "What?"

Cole approached her. "Do you still love me?" he repeated.

"What kind of question is that?" Mel asked uncomfortably, shaking her head.

"It's because of this body, isn't it? You don't love me any more because of this body." Cole was near tears and did not care. His earlier sense of certainty and almost euphoric serenity were gone now, replaced by fear and uncertainty and more than a little sadness.

Mel shifted uncomfortably. "What gave you an idea like that?" she asked finally.

"Every time I try to touch you, you either flinch or pull away completely." He looked up at her, eyes swimming with unshed tears. "I've been trying to ignore it, Mel, but it's not easy. You used to let me touch you all the time… You used to enjoy it, Mel. What has changed?" he asked, tears dripping down his cheeks.

Mel sighed deeply. "Cole, it's complicated," she began.

"No, Mel, it isn't!" He shook his head vehemently. "You don't love me any more because of this body I'm in."

"Cole, that isn't true and you know it."

"It is, Mel. Look at us!" He rose, approaching her and reaching for her throat, frowning when she tensed before his hand had even made contact. "You see?" he demanded, shaking his head.

"Cole, that isn't fair!" she protested. "You can't expect me to be as opened to those kinds of gestures of affection from a female as I am from a male."

"I am still a male, Mel," he pointed out. "Just because my physical signatures have changed does not mean that my life-force is any different!"

"Cole!" she protested.

"Would you have come to care for me as deeply if I had initially taken a female body?" he asked flatly, staring at her, not wanting an answer, but needing one.

Mel stared at him, her expression roughly that of a deer caught in a car's headlights. She considered protesting the question as unfair, but knew that would only upset Cole further. Instead, she answered as honestly as she could. She sighed and did the best she could to convey her feelings on the matter. "Cole, what I felt for you in those first months had nothing to do with how you looked or what gender you were. Nothing! And, no, if you had initially taken a female body, I probably would not have become physically attracted to you, but… what I feel for you, Cole, it goes so much deeper than physical attraction." She closed the distance between them, looking him squarely in the eyes. "So when I tell you that the answer is yes, I mean that with every inch of my being. I would have grown to care about you just as deeply if you had come to me as a female."

Cole regarded her steadily. "Would you have come to love me?"

Mel closed her eyes and admitted, "I don't know…" It was not a flat-out denial, because that would have been a lie, just as it would have been a lie to say yes without reservation. She simply did not know. Knowing his spirit as she did, though, it was entirely possible.

"Have your feelings for me changed? Because of this body?"

Mel shook her head. "No, Cole. They honestly haven't." She took his hands in hers. "And if you were stuck in this body for the rest of your life, if this weren't temporary, my feelings still wouldn't change. Yeah, it would take getting used to, but nothing would change."

Cole looked down at her hands, hands that had always been small and delicate, suddenly larger and seemingly stronger than his own. He lifted one of those amazing hands to his face and gently kissed her fingertips. This time, instead of tensing or pulling away, she closed her eyes and smiled. That said more to Cole about her feelings, about the sameness of them, than any words could have. He felt tears falling again, but since they had nothing to do with sorrow or frustration, he made no effort to stop them.

Mel sighed deeply, freeing her hands. "Cole, you're right about one thing. Your life-force is still the same, and that has always been far more attractive to me than your body."

With a loving smile, she reached out and caressed his throat, 'Rose's' throat, exactly the way he had caressed hers so many times in the past. Hands shaking, Cole mimicked the gesture. The stood like that for several minutes in the quiet, mostly-dark living-room, Mel in her bathrobe, Cole in his sleeveless turtleneck, each caressing the other's throat and getting lost in the other's eyes.

Still caressing his throat, Mel leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. In the body of 'Rose', he was the perfect height for her to do that. "I never meant to upset you. It's just all been so…"

"I understand," he whispered, smiling.

Still smiling, Cole lifted the hand that was not caressing her throat and covered her hand on his throat with it, moving it to rest over his heart. He smiled when Mel reciprocated the gesture, holding his hand firmly over her own heart.

"It won't be long now," he promised gently. "Another day or two."

"As long as you need," she replied, not moving, keeping his hand firmly pressed against her heart.

"You should go back to sleep."

"I don't ever want to move from this position," Mel replied quietly, closing her eyes.

"I'll have a hard time catching fugitives if we're attached at the head," he told her gently, not making any move to break away.

She laughed softly, nodding and pulling her head away, but keeping one hand on his chest and the other holding his against her own. "You could have something there."

"Get some sleep, Mel," he advised gently. "I need to practice walking in these shoes some more."

Mel chuckled again and nodded. "Good night, Cole."

He looked down at their hands, still tangled together, and smiled. "Good night, Mel." Gently freeing his hands, he lightly touched her throat again. "Sleep well."

She smiled and nodded, reluctant to leave him. "Yeah. I'll… see you tomorrow."

"I'll be at the club most of the day."

She nodded. "I'll be there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Cole, I'm sure." She smiled and nodded. "See you in the morning."

He nodded back. "Yes, Mel. Sleep well."

She smiled again, regarding him thoughtfully for a few moments before returning to her bedroom.

***

Most of those who were not immediately involved only watched the digging for a few minutes before drifting off, but Lana watched from Tarn's office into the early morning hours.

"Our progress has been excellent so far," the engineer assured her, returning to the sanctuary of the soundproofed office. "Better than we could have hoped for."

Lana nodded her approval. "And the utility lines that were looking problematic?"

"All rerouted. I doubt anyone even noticed the interruption, much less gave it a second thought."

"This is what I like to hear." Lana smiled and nodded. "Doctor Zin will be well pleased with us, Tarn."

He smiled and nodded. "One may hope."

Lana shook her head faintly. "Hope, Tarn? What an unvardian emotion…"

He bowed his head apologetically. "You're right, of course. Vardians don't hope for things. They take them."

Lana smiled and nodded. "Indeed so. I'll see to it that you aren't forgotten when my good friend, Zin is free, Tarn. You can be very useful to us both in the future."

He smiled and nodded. "It's good to know that my place is assured."

Lana smiled and rose. "Always provided that everything goes as planned, Tarn, your place is indeed assured. Why don't you go home and get some rest now, hmm?"

Tarn nodded acquiescence and followed her from the office. The din generated by the digging equipment was almost unbearable, and the two ran towards the elevator together.

"I heard there was some unpleasantness with Nix?" Tarn asked once they were inside the soundproofed confines of the lift.

"Nothing to worry about." Lana smiled faintly. "Unless I'm very much mistaken, she understands her position much better now."

Tarn nodded his approval. It was important to keep ones inferiors on a tight leash, otherwise they were prone to step out of line. He glanced at Lana, whose fatigue was more obvious than his own. He knew the ambitious young scientist well enough to know that she would not sleep much until the first phase was completed, and probably not at all during the second phase. What sleep she did take would be at the club. She would become a permanent presence there, which meant that her subordinates would have to be very careful to comport themselves properly.

But, her constant presence and sharp eye would likely make the difference between success and failure in this project. Unless the Tracker showed up, in which case all bets were off.

Dancers were already beginning to congregate on the stage as Lana and Tarn crossed the club. Tarn had to admit that he was growing accustomed to the way these humans looked, although he never would have admitted it out loud. Besides, the body did have needs.

"Which one?" Lana asked, noting his scrutiny of the girls on stage.

"Toni."

"Hmm…" Lana considered this for a moment, shaking her head.

"Can I have her?" Tarn asked with a malicious grin.

Lana rolled her eyes. "You carry this plan off without a hitch and she's all yours." At Tarn's smile, she added, "Loyalty to Zin has many rewards, my friend." She patted his shoulder on his way out the door, then turned her attention back to the women on stage, studying them for a moment before returning to her office. Of all of them, Toni seemed the smartest, and it was Toni that Lana was worried about.

"You know, Lana, I'm not dreadfully tired," Tarn told her. "I think I'll just sit and have a few drinks before I go."

Lana smiled and nodded. "If you like, Tarn."

He smiled back, giving a half-bow before sitting at one of the tables and turning his attention to the ladies on the stage, especially Toni.

"You sure you've never done this before?" Toni asked 'Rose'.

Cole nodded. "I'm just a natural mimic."

"Ah. How's the head."

"Hurts." Cole frowned. Mel had explained to him that the pain in his head was a 'hang-over', the result of drinking too much the night before. "I don't think I'm ever going to drink again…"

Toni grinned. "Well, not drinking never got anyone killed," she pointed out gently. She had never seen anyone drink so much without getting even a little tipsy and then suddenly becoming drunk in only a few minutes. "Maybe you should avoid it."

Cole nodded. "I think so."

"So, you and Mel make up?"

"Yes." Cole smiled and nodded. "You were right, talking was a good idea."

Toni smiled. "I'm glad." Her smile wavered slightly. "Rose, can we have a word in private?"

Cole frowned faintly but nodded. "Of course, Toni."

She nodded towards the dressing room.

Cole nodded slowly, confused. "Mel, Toni and I will be right back," he told her as they passed her table.

Mel smiled up at him. "Okay. Take care."

Cole smiled back. "You, too…" He followed Toni into the dressing room. "Yes, Toni."

Toni shifted uncomfortably. "Um, after I got home last night, Rose, I did a lot of thinking…"

Cole tilted his head and regarded her quizzically. "About what, Toni?"

"You. About how you are the last person on earth who would just up and decide to become a stripper. You said we're friends?"

He nodded. "Yes, Toni."

"Then I need you to be straight with me on this. You a cop?"

Cole took a startled step backwards, not answering.

'That's got to be the biggest yes I've ever seen." Toni shook her head. "Wonderful! Mel, too, I suppose?"

Cole shook his head. "No, not Mel."

"What is it? Drugs?"

Cole shook his head. "No, Toni. Not drugs."

"Can you tell me?"

He shook his head. "You'd be safer if I didn't."

"Organized crime? Got to be… Wonderful." She shook her head again. "I try to get into a slightly better environment and I end up in a worse one."

Cole gently took her shoulders. "You don't have to be scared, Toni," he whispered.

"You sure about that? I know how these people work…"

"Trust me," he said gently

She regarded Cole for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Be a good time to start looking for a new job, I'm betting?"

Cole nodded gravely. "Probably. This club… it's a front for something else. When I'm done here…"

She nodded. "Got you."

"You can not mention this to the others…"

"I won't, promise." Toni nodded and walked to her locker, pulling out her inhaler.

"You have asthma?" Cole asked, startled.

She nodded. "Yeah, I know… strange for a dancer." She shrugged. "At least I thought it was strange for a dancer," she amended.

"What do you mean?"

"Nix and Tasha both have asthma, too. They're worse than I am. Bartender, too, actually…" She shrugged.

Cole nodded. Nix, Tasha, and the bartender. He had suspected as much. Nodulians, with their need to constantly saturate their lungs to keep them from drying out, could frequently be seen taking hits off of what looked a lot like an inhaler. Asthma was not an uncommon condition among humans. He was surprised that Toni had even noticed.

"Anyone else who works here?" he pressed.

She considered for a moment, then nodded. "There's a guy in the back office, too, I think."

Cole nodded. "You mentioned drugs earlier? Do any of these people use drugs? Anyone else who works here?"

Toni shifted uncomfortably. "You said you weren't here about drugs…"

"I'm not. I just need to know. There's a special drug… You put it into your eyes…"

Toni nodded slowly. She had seen it herself, had heard other dancers talking about it. Apparently there had been some deaths last year from another drug delivered in the same way. It had the dancers nervous. "Nix uses it. She's not the only one."

"Lana?" he asked. She was obviously not human.

Toni shook her head. "No, not that I know of."

"Can you give me a list?"

"Can you promise my name does not come up at any point?"

Cole nodded. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Toni nodded and reeled off a list of people she had seen use the strange green drug, as well as a few that other dancers had mentioned using it most. There were not many names, but 'Rose' nodded and made note of each one, seeming less than surprised.

"One more question."

"Come on, Rose." Toni shook her head. "Me telling you this… it's dangerous."

"Anna. Does she suffer migraines?"

Toni blinked, startled by the question. "Yes."

"Thank you." Cole gently touched her forehead. "No more questions, I promise."

"Thanks." Toni nodded. "We should get back before we're missed."

Cole nodded. "I don't want you walking to your car with one of the bouncers tonight. You walk with me and Mel, okay?"

Toni nodded. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

"You trust no one who works here, Toni," Cole told her. "These are dangerous people."

"You're not Chicago PD, are you?"

"No."

"What are you? FBI?"

Cole answered absently. "You've never heard of the organization I belong to."

"Shit," Toni whispered, shaking her head and following him from the dressing room.

When they had both left, Dray stepped out from behind a bank of lockers. Although the conversation had been whispered, the Enixian had easily heard every word. After all, that was what Enixians were good at.

Lana was going to be furious when she found out that a cop had infiltrated the club. No, not a cop. Rose had said that she was not a cop… Government? The government knew about them, of course, and had for some time. Had they finally decided that it was time to move against them? Could it be Daggon? Or some agent of Daggon? The human they said he had taken as a mate, perhaps? Did it even really matter that much?

No, he realized, it did not. The bottom line was that this operation was over, no matter what the source of the threat. Glancing down at his broken arm, he knew that he was unlikely to walk away from telling Lana something like this in one piece. The Enixian could smell his own fear, cloying, nauseating. His palms were sweating, his heart racing, and he could feel the walls closing in on him. There was just no good way out of this.

If he told Lana what he had heard, the Vardian whore would probably kill him for his troubles. No, there was only one thing to do. Inhaling deeply and trying to appear more calm than he felt, he left the dressing room and started casually for the exit. On the stage, Anna looked up from her conversation with Nix, opening her mouth slightly and inhaling. Frowning, she left the stage and quickly moved to intercept Dray.

"Going somewhere?" she asked the other Enixian with a malicious smile. She leaned closer, inhaling deeply. "Gods, I love the smell of fear," she purred at him, gesturing idly at Rylan.

The Vardian and a few others converged on the two of them.

"Someone was going to desert," Anna announced quietly, folding her arms over her chest. "Isn't that an interesting development?"

Rylan sneered at Dray. "It most certainly is. In fact, it's so interesting that I think we should discuss it with Lana…"

Two of the bouncers grabbed Dray and started pulling him towards the office. Tarn rose and followed, more than a little curious. By the time they had dragged the Enixian into Lana's office, he was struggling wildly.

End Act 3

Act 4

Lana looked up from the schematics, startled. "What in the name of--"

Rylan spoke before Dray could. "This scum was planning on deserting."

Dray shook his head frantically. "No, I… I swear, I don't know what…" He was cut off by a sharp cuff from Rylan.

"Sit down and don't speak until spoken to!" Lana ordered, nodding to Tarn to close the door as two other Vardians forced Dray into a chair. She approached him, her expression mild and faintly curious. "Dray, Dray, Dray… Why? Hmm?"

Dray stared up at her, panting and horrified. When she extracted a flashlight from her desk-drawer, he was more than ready to talk. He knew all about the modifications that could be made to a standard flashlight.

He stammered out a response to Lana's query before she could finish circling back around the desk. "I… I overheard two of the dancers talking, Toni and… that girl, what's her name? Rosie, Rose… Toni and Rose… and… Rose… she's not a dancer. She's a Fed or a cop or… maybe she works for the Tracker…" He fell silent at the look on Lana's face.

The Vardian looked up at Rylan, a murderous expression on her face. "Get Nix in here," she said gently.

***

From their differing vantage points, Cole and Mel watched curiously as two large men half-carried the Enixian towards the back offices.

"That can't be good," Mel whispered to herself, rising and starting towards Cole and Toni.

Cole gently caught Toni's shoulders. "You take the other girls and you get out of here," he whispered urgently. Fortunately, although none of the human dancers had noticed, the altercation had drawn the attention of almost everyone else in the club. Cole could only be relieved that it was not yet opened and therefore had far fewer innocent civilians than it could have.

"But," she protested.

"Just do it, Toni," Mel hissed, joining them.

"Not them," Cole said, pointing to a knot of dancers who were looking in the direction that Dray had been taken. "Just… as quietly as you can… take the others and go."

Toni hesitated for a moment, glancing from 'Rose' to Mel and back again, then nodded and quickly returned to the stage.

"What now?" Mel whispered.

Cole nodded towards Anna. "Enixian. Think we can get her into the dressing-room?"

"Maybe." Mel shrugged, more than willing to try. "What do you have in mind?"

"Question her, find out what they're planning here."

Mel nodded and glanced over her shoulder. Toni was having a hard time herding some of the dancers out. "Damn," she muttered.

"Think you can deal with that?"

Mel nodded and reached into her purse, pulling out a badge. Criminal or not, impersonating a cop could come in handy at times.

Cole smiled. "Meet you in the dressing-room."

"Be careful," Mel murmured, knowing that he would not be.

"I'm always careful, Mel."

"Hate to see a reckless Cirronian," she muttered under her breath, walking towards Toni and the others.

Cole smiled and shook his head, starting towards Anna. A few moments consideration told him that confronting her in front of four other aliens, at least one of whom he thought might have been a Vardian, was unwise, so he went into hyper-speed and grabbed her, dragging her into the dressing room and depositing her on a bench. He extracted his Collector and a modified flashlight from the purse in his locker before slipping back into normal speed.

Anna stared at him in confusion. "What the… Aghh!" she yelped as he shined the light into her eyes.

"I need you to be quiet now," he whispered gently, turning the flashlight off but holding it ready.

She nodded hastily. "Who are you? What do you want?" she gasped, rubbing her eyes but making no attempt to escape.

"I am the one asking the questions," he replied gently in response to the first query. "And I want to know exactly what is being planned here and how it relates to Mel Porter and the Tracker Daggon."

Her pained expression was replaced by one of horror. "You work for Daggon?"

He nodded gravely. "I do. Now why don't you start talking?"

She nodded hastily as he raised the flashlight again. "Digging… They're digging, tunneling. Lana… she's trying to get to Zin…"

Cole frowned. He knew the name. Lana had worked in Zin's lab. She had been there when he had gone through the wormhole, had obviously gone through with Zin. Or, perhaps she had remained the first time, perhaps even orchestrated the second escape. It did not really matter, though.

"The vault is far underground. How are they going to reach it?"

"I'm no engineer!" She raised her hands to shield her eyes, startled when no beam of light accompanied her professions of ignorance. "I saw… um, drills, earth-moving equipment… explosives…"

Cole nodded, absorbing this. "And Lana is in charge?"

Anna nodded, hoping that cooperation might buy her amnesty or, at least, a painless Collection. "Reports directly to Haag."

"How deep is the tunnel?"

"Don't know. Honest!" she added as Cole raised the flashlight. "They were talking a week or less for phase one… Um…. It's been two or three days. There are other tunnels… egresses to… warehouses and things…"

Cole nodded. "Thank you, Anna." He put the flashlight down and raised the Collector.

"Will it hurt?" she whispered.

"For you, no." Cole shook his head gently. "Just close your eyes and relax yourself, body and soul."

Anna closed her eyes and fear was almost instantly replaced by the foggy half-awareness that was existence in storage.

Cole clutched the Collector and started out of the dressing room. He ran into Mel. "Basement," he told her.

"Right." She nodded and they started for the elevator together.

"Are the girls out?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "They took one look at the badge…"

Cole nodded. "What do you know about explosives?" he asked.

Mel's eyes widened. "Um… that they're dangerous…"

"How much will it take to destroy this building?"

"Cole, no!" she protested, shaking her head.

"Mel, they're trying to tunnel into the Watchfire. We need to get rid of this place."

"How many--" she stopped as they came face to face with easily a dozen fugitives.

"Daggon," Lana said, nodding acknowledgment. "Good to see you again."

Cole raised his Collector as Mel fished hers out of her purse. "Lana." He nodded.

"You erred fatally when you tried to oppose Zin, Daggon. He might have wished your life spared if possible, but I am not him." She gestured to Tarn and a handful of others. "Secure the sub-level. The rest of you… these two should already be dead." She shook her head at the incompetence of those she was forced to work with.

Cole stepped towards Lana only to be intercepted by a pair of Vardians. Lana smiled and moved towards Mel, smiling maliciously.

"So, you're the mongrel that Daggon gave up his old life for?" She shook her head, bemused. "You aren't even that attractive…"

"What is it with bad guys and talking?" Mel demanded, hitting Lana with a left hook and getting herself thrown telekinetically across the room for her troubles.

"Mel!" Cole shouted, turning towards her.

"I'm okay!" she called, picking herself up and Collecting Nix as the Nodulian closed on her. "The table broke my fall!"

Cole frowned, confused. He did not have much time to reflect, though, as another fugitive launched himself at him. Cole simply raised the Collector, allowing the fugitive to throw himself into it.

"Secure the sub-level!" Lana ordered, turning and fleeing in that direction.

Shaking his head, Cole fought his way through the fugitives, collecting those who tried to stop him, not bothering to try to stop those bent on fleeing. Mel picked up the life forces of several of those foolish enough to get too close to her. Her main objective, though, was getting to Cole. Those fleeing quickly realized that they were less likely to be Collected if they did not attempt to get between the two and their goal and a path opened for them.

Mel quickly reached Cole then, ignoring the spreading pain in her back and side. She was not sure, but she thought that the table that had broken her fall had also broken a few ribs. Adrenaline and endorphins combined to dull the pain substantially, though, and she was determined to stand with Cole in the face of these overwhelming odds. Of course, the odds were rapidly become less and less overwhelming as individual self-preservation overrode loyalty.

By the time they reached the basement, only the truly loyal remained. Mel and Cole regarded the mixed group cautiously. There were just too many, no way that they could take them all.

"We need to set off some charges," Cole told Mel, nodding towards a box marked with warning signs, never taking his eyes off of Lana.

She nodded. "Out of curiosity, how many will this thing hold?"

"Many."

"Yeah, that's helpful," Mel muttered, breaking into a sprint.

"Stop her!" Tarn shouted, guessing her destination.

Enraged, Lana launched herself at Cole, leaving Mel to deal with not fewer than twenty fugitives. Wide-eyed, Mel put the box of explosives between herself and them, backing into a wall in the process. Cursing, she reached into the box and pulled out a pack of plastic explosive, already rigged with a timer. This act alone caused several of those converging on her to back away. Startled by this, she dropped it. And immediately heard a rhythmic beeping.

"Damn!" she yelped, staring down at it. The timer had activated when it hit the floor. "Cole, we've got about two minutes here!"

Cole was a little busy getting pummeled by Lana to respond, but he definitely took note of Mel's warning and redoubled his efforts against the Vardian. Fear for Mel gave him the edge that fear for himself had not, and he soon had her on the ground, staring up at him with rage in her eyes as he raised his Collector. Cole suddenly found himself on his own back as someone ran full-tilt into him.

"Lana, get out of here!" Tarn shouted, kicking Cole in the ribs. "Get the others out!"

Lana nodded gratefully to the engineer. "This will not be forgotten," she promised, starting towards one of the escape tunnels.

"Someone dump the crate down the hole or we're all dead!" Tarn ordered as Cole pulled himself to his feet and turned to face him.

He inhaled deeply and squared his shoulders, prepared to sacrifice himself to buy Lana and the others time to escape. The stakes were higher than that, though, and he knew it. There were enough high explosives in that box to take out a city block. If the box were several hundred meters inside the shaft they had dug, there was a chance that the damage could be minimized. The last thing he was aware of before the life force was ripped from him was Lana fleeing through one of the tunnels and several of the fugitives working to shove the crate over the edge. To a man who was many things, but not a murderer, it was a relief.

"Cole, we need to go now!" Mel shouted as Tarn's body slumped to the ground.

"You weren't supposed to detonate them yet!" Cole shouted, nodding and grabbing her arm as they ran towards the elevator.

"It was an accident!" came the irritated reply.

Cole shook his head as they burst from the building into the parking lot where the human dancers were milling around looking confused and nervous.

"This would be a good time to run!" Mel shouted to them.

Toni blinked in surprise before grabbing the arms of one of the others and giving her a shove away from the building. "You heard the woman!" she snapped. "Move!"

Seeing the horrified look on Mel's face, the dancers did not need to be told twice.

"How far is far enough?" Mel asked Cole as the group ran. She was fast running out of steam, and the world was beginning to spin.

"I don't know…" The rest of what Cole had to say was drowned out by the shock wave from the explosion. It knocked all of them to the ground. Cole recovered first. "Is anyone hurt?" he asked.

"Did you see that?" Toni gasped. "The frigging building imploded!"

"Is anyone hurt?" Cole repeated more firmly. He looked at the others who were beginning to pull themselves into sitting positions, looking scared but unharmed.

"Bloody hell," Toni contributed, covering her face with her hands and shaking.

"Hush," Cole told her gently. "It's going to be okay now…"

Toni nodded and slowly. "Mel…"

Cole turned to look at her, startled to realize that she had not gotten up. "Mel," he whispered, crawling over to her and feeling for her pulse. He gently shook her awake, not wanting to move her.

"Cole," she groaned. "Hurts…"

Cole gently ran his hands over her back, feeling for damage. Thankfully, there was none there. "Where, Mel. Where does it hurt?"

"Think I broke some ribs… can't breathe…"

"Okay." He nodded, closing his eyes, thinking. He reached into his purse, pulling out his cell-phone and tossing it to Toni. "Call the police."

She nodded and dialed 911. "Ambulance?"

He thought for a moment, then nodded. Just because none of the dancers looked hurt did not mean that none had been. He gently rolled Mel onto her back, wincing at her pained moan. He positioned his body between her and the others, quickly finding and healing the worst of the damage.

"You're going to be okay," he assured her, pulling her into his arms.

"Cole," Mel asked softly. "Did you get Lana?"

"No, didn't you?" he whispered, closing his eyes and tightening his grip on her.

"Damn." She said. "But, hey, we're both alive. That's what counts."

Cole sighed and nodded. Relief and fatigue combined to bring tears to his eyes. "Mel, I was so scared for you…"

"Shh… It's okay now."

"They're on their way. What happened?" Toni asked, moving near them. The other dancers huddled in a knot nearby, talking quietly and looking scared and confused.

"Gas-main ruptured," Mel provided.

"Gas-main my ass," Toni replied, shaking her head.

"Toni, please," Cole whispered. He took her hands in his own and stared into her eyes. "Please," he repeated, releasing a tiny amount of energy through his hands, as he had when he had first met Mel.

Toni's eyes widened. She was not sure what she was feeling, except that she trusted Rose now more than ever. She nodded. "Gas-main," she repeated, nodding. "Right. I'll… let the others know."

As she moved off, Mel looked up at Cole. "What do you think?" she asked. The sounds of sirens were rapidly drawing near.

"I think most of them must have died in the explosion…"

"Lana?"

Cole sighed deeply. "Lana fled early. She could have escaped…"

"Do you think she did?" Mel asked quietly.

"I hope not," Cole whispered. "Because if she did, she will come after us."

Mel nodded slowly. "That was a lot of explosive. She couldn't have escaped. There's no way," she said, not really believing it in her heart.

"You're right Mel. There's no way she escaped," he said, praying it was true but not entirely able to believe it.

End Act 4

Tag

Mel poured 'Rose' another cup of coffee. Cole had wanted to say good-bye to Toni, so he was still in this body until he saw her again. Toni and most of the other dancers had been cleared by the EMTs on site. Mel had been kept overnight for observation in spite of the fact that Cole had healed the worst of her injuries.

"Still thinking about Lana?" she quietly asked the brooding Cirronian.

"Thinking about how close I came to losing you," he said simply.

"Cole," she began, trailing off as Toni walked into the bar.

"Is that your real name?" Toni asked immediately. "Cole? Rose Cole?"

Cole nodded. It was close enough and Toni had heard Mel call him 'Cole' too many times not to wonder. "Yeah, Toni. How are you?"

"Shaken, not stirred," she replied with a grin. "I'll be fine. Might be forced to write a book at some point," she laughed. "But I'll be fine."

"Well, if you do write a book, no names, please," Mel said with a grin. "Get you a drink?"

"Please. Scotch?"

"Ice?"

Toni made a face. "Um, no."

Mel grinned. "Ah, you drink it the right way."

"Right way? Try only way." She grinned and sat down next to Cole, noticing several bags on the floor next to the bar. Closer inspection told her that they were full of the outfits that she had bought with Cole for him to work in. "Returning them?" she asked.

"Giving them to you," Cole replied, smiling. "We're the same size, so I figured you could use them until you start law-school."

"Rose, that's so sweet." Toni smiled and hugged Cole. "Wow, that's… sweet."

Cole smiled. "I'm glad you think so. I'm keeping these, though." He held up the red, glittering 6-inch stiletto heels that he and Mel had gotten such a laugh over.

Toni raised an eyebrow. "Um… why?"

"Souvenir. Don't plan on ever wearing them, but they make me laugh." He smiled and shrugged. He glanced at Mel who was doing her best to suppress giggles of her own. "They make us both laugh," he amended, grinning.

Mel handed her a glass of the good scotch. "I don't know how to thank you for helping Cole."

"You don't have to. She's a sweet kid." Toni smiled from Mel to Cole. "Or maybe not as much of a kid as she looks like?" she ventured.

"Not really, no." Cole shook his head.

"Yeah. Thought so." Toni nodded. "And the hormones?"

"Oh, that was real," Cole assured her, shaking his head and grimacing.

Toni laughed and nodded. "Poor baby."

"Oh!" Mel said, handing Toni a business card. "I talked to a friend of mine who's a lawyer, and he said that when it's time to do your internship to call him first. He'll take good care of you."

"You two are the greatest," Toni whispered, smiling and trying not to cry. "Will I be able to see you again?"

"Mel will be around," Cole told her. "I… I won't. I was only in town for this assignment."

Toni nodded. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, Toni. You're a wonderful young woman." Cole shook her hand and then pulled her into a gentle hug. "You take care of yourself."

"You, too, Rosie. Find a less dangerous line of work, hmm?"

"Soon, I hope. I was serious about wanting to open an electronics repair shop."

"Well, here's wishing you all the luck in the world."

"You, too." Cole smiled at her and gently touched her forehead. "Be happy."

***

After Toni left, Cole retired upstairs and retrieved the Cole underwear ad from its place with the other photos. Mel had laminated it so it would last longer. He reverted to his normal form with the kind of ease that came from practice. It grew a little easier every time. It was like slipping on a favorite pair of old shoes, comfortable. It definitely felt good to be back, he reflected, but bittersweet as well. He would miss Toni, of course, but it was not just that.

While he had derived very little enjoyment from being 'Rose', he had learned a great deal, about himself, and about his relationship with Mel. Things that he had taken for granted up until that point had suddenly become very important. He had been forced to wonder. Why had Mel fallen in love with him? Was it his appearance, his gender, his life force? All of them?

The reflections had led to doubts, doubts that Mel had answered. She loved him for who he was on the inside, regardless of appearance or gender, just as he loved her. Nothing else mattered, just the person on the inside. For humans, he reflected, love came in many forms. As confusing as that concept was, it was also incredibly comforting. It meant that Mel's love for him was as real as his love for her. It meant that the love between a Cirronian and a human was not really any different than the love between two humans or two Cirronians. The thought was incredibly comforting, made him love her that much more.

Smiling, glad for what he had learned from the experience, he rejoined Mel in the bar.

"You know what the sad thing is?" he asked Mel, idly twirling the shoes in his hand.

"Other than the fact that we probably have one more Vardian lunatic gunning for us today than we did yesterday?" Mel asked, grinning.

Cole smiled and bowed his head. "Yes, Mel. Other than that."

She laughed. "No, Cole. Why don't you tell me what the sad thing is?"

"I went through all that hell, all those hours of practice, and I didn't get to strip once…" He shook his head. "Very sad."

As Mel stared after him, wide eyed, he rose and walked towards the stairs. He knew exactly where he was going to put them, too, right next to the model head from the seminar he had attended with Mel. He was halfway across the room when Vic entered, looking around cautiously.

"That Rose woman here?" he asked before entering any farther into the bar.

"No, Vic, not any more," Mel assured him, grinning.

"Hello, Vic." Cole waved at the Detective with the hand containing the shoes then turned again towards the stairs.

Vic frowned in confusion and glanced at Mel. "Um, what's with the shoes?"

Cole stopped and glanced at Mel, who gave Vic a helpless shrug. She glanced past Vic to Cole, and began giggling helplessly, leaning on the bar for support. When Vic turned to stare at Cole, the Cirronian gave a helpless shrug of his own, his entire body shaking from laughter. Shaking his head, he retreated up the stairs, his laughter echoing back down into the bar.

"Crazy," Vic muttered, shaking his head.

Mel looked up at him, her eyes widening, and began laughing even harder, her entire body shaking. No longer trusting her legs to support her, she slid wordlessly to the floor, shaking her head.

"That's it," Vic muttered. "I'm out of here…"

Mel lay on her stomach, laughing hysterically and pounding her fist against the floor as she was assailed by a priceless mental image of those tiny, glittering, red stiletto heels adorning Cole's hairy, size-ten feet.

End