Eep (to Robert): Marlena. She's an early riser.
Robert (to Eep): Ha ha ha! That will do the trick. How are she and Mouse settling in?
Eep (to Robert): They're doing OK. Still adjusting, but OK. Mars is still a little uneasy. She keeps thinking I'm gonna leave or Mouse is.
Robert (to Eep): She mentioned that to me when I met her as well. She's also been on her "best" behavior so you don't leave, you know.
Eep (to Robert): Yeah. I know.
Robert (to Eep): Don't worry. She'll be fine. She'll be throwing temper tantrums like a normal 3 year old in no time.
Eep (to Robert): Great.
Robert (to Eep): How are you doing? I understand of this whole fiasco, but I can imagine it's more than a little difficult processing it all.
Eep (to Robert): Yeah. It's been... It's been a lot. But I'm alright.
Robert (to Eep): Are you?
Eep (to Robert): Uh, yeah. I love Mouse and Marlena, and everything else we're gonna figure out, you know?
Robert (to Eep): Mmmm hmmm. So, what's with the burn on your arm then?
Eep (to Robert): What are you...? Oh! This one? It's from a cigarette. I dozed off on the swing last night when I came out for a smoke.
Robert (to Eep): If you say so. I know you're trying to keep a stiff upper lip for your wife and kid, but if you need to talk, I'm just next door.
Eep (to Robert): Yeah. I know. Look, I get why you're worried, but I'm hanging in there. I'll be OK. Thanks.
Robert (to Eep): I know you will. I just want to make sure you arrive at OK in working order. I'll leave you to your coffee and cigarette.
Eep (to Robert): Later.
A short time later:
Marlena (to Mouse): Mommy, there's a blue haired lady looking out the window at me when I was in the backyard playing. Do you think she's a fairy?
Mouse (to Marlena): No, it's not a fairy. That's probably just Wanda. She lives next door.
Marlena (to Mouse): Oh... That's too bad. I was hoping she was a fairy.
Wanda (to Mouse): Knock, knock. Hey, Mousie! Is my former roomie in? I've been hearing strange tales, and I KNOW I shouldn't be nosy, but Percy... (to Marlena) Oh. Hello! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to almost knock over your horse castle.
Marlena (to Wanda): Daddy gave me ponies to play with... You're the lady from the window.
Mouse (to Wanda): Oh hey, Wanda! I think you may have just missed him. He was out on the porch having a smoke before he headed to work.
Wanda (to Mouse): Ohmigawd! She's totes adorbz! Is this another one of Poppy's cousins? You guys are like cousin central lately. (to Marlena) Oh, they're PONIES, not horses. And I am the lady from the window. I saw you playing. I didn't scare you did I?
Marlena (to Wanda): No, I thought you were a fairy, but Mommy says you're Wanda.
Mouse (to Wanda): No, she's not a cousin of Poppy's... It's a long, strange story, but she's my daughter, Marlena.
Wanda (to Mouse): Oh shoot. Lulu said he was messing with her last night, and... Wait. She IS your kid? Oh my various gods. I was sure Eep and Percy were playing some kind of joke. I think I might actually be speechless... Wow. (to Marlena) Hee hee. She's right. I am Wanda. I'm too big to be a fairy. If you want to see one, I made a little house for fairies in the backyard. That's the best place to try to spot them.
Mouse (to Wanda): Sorry. Can I get you something to drink? A glass of water? Coffee? Wine?
Wanda (to Mouse): No, no. I think I'm alright. Just surprised. Eep is OK with all this? What am I saying? OF COURSE he's OK with this. He's always liked kids more than he wanted to let on. I'm still impressed, though. Way for him to step up.
Mouse (to Wanda): Heh. You're taking this a lot better than I was expecting. I shouldn't really be surprised. I mean, Eep told me you were dating Percy and it still weirds me out that he's the Poppy that I knew.
Wanda (to Mouse): Dude. I was more weirded out that I was dating the person Vincent used to fu--uh, have "special times" with. Well... OK, maybe "weirded out" isn't the right choice of words. Anyhoo, stuff happens. People have kids before they're planning on it. Ask me how old my parents were when they had me. I'm sure it's not shocking that they were younger than Short Stack and Poppy. How come you're just bringing her home now?
Mouse (to Wanda): Oh, we came home as soon as Eep found us. It's been a little strange readjusting to life on this side.
Wanda (to Mouse): What?
Mouse (to Wanda): Oh, like I said it's a really long story. (to Marlena) Mars sweetie, why don't you take your toys into your room while I talk to Wanda? Leave the door open please.
Marlena (to Mouse): Okay, Mommy.
Wanda (to Mouse): You're messing with me!
Mouse (to Wanda): I wish I was... Look, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but Marlena is well, she's mine & Eep's. She & I have been living somewhere else for awhile. Um, the me you've been hanging around with was me, too, but not the real me... God, I should tell you the truth, but you have to swear that you won't tell anyone. Can you do that?
Wanda (to Mouse): First of all, you KNOW I can't keep a secret. I try, but I just talk and shit I'm not supposed to say... it just comes out! If you don't wanna tell me the story, you don't have to make up some crazy bullshit, you know. Heh. Just tell me you'd rather not talk about it. I mean, I'll probably STILL bug you about it, actually. Maybe that IS a bad idea.
Mouse (to Wanda): Well, it's just weird & super complicated. But, she's ours, we live here now & Eep is adjusting as best as he can.
Wanda (to Mouse): Yeah. When is anything with kids NOT? Works for me. Gimme a hug, Mom. I've gotta go. I've got class in a few, hours, and I wanted to check on Lulu. Percy gave her some math puzzle and she's been going bonkers. She left last night before I even got a chance to get her... Oop. (to Marlena) Hey, kiddo. Wanna see my fairy house, later?
Mouse (to Wanda): Heh. I'll talk to you later.
Marlena (to Mouse & Wanda): Oooo, Can I?
Wanda (to Marlena): You betcha. I live right next door, so you'll see me lots. (to Marlena & Mouse) Bye!
Marlena (to Mouse & Wanda): Yay!
Mouse (to Marlena): What did you need, little one? Judging by the time, I'm thinking lunch. Am I right?
Marlena (to Mouse): Yes, please. Can I have something with peanut butter?
Mouse (to Marlena): Sure. Come on. You can help me make it.
An hour or so later:
Vincent (to Lulu): Good heavens, hun. Are you trying to deforest the northern hemisphere single-handedly? You must have 20 notebooks on the table.
Lulu (to Vincent): Oh hey, munchkin. I've been on a bit of a creative streak. It's all based on an idea that Percy put it my head days ago. I'm forcing myself to stop. I'm a bit worried that I'm going to start writing on the walls.
Vincent (to Lulu): Mmmm. It's usually best to stop before the men in white coats start taking notice. Want me to grab you anything? I need coffee.
Lulu (to Vincent): Oh yeah, sure... Just ask for my usual. Everyone knows me.
Vincent (to Lulu): Here you go, hun. One "Lulu regular."
Lulu (to Vincent): Thanks, sweetie. Oh, don't look in those. It's probably such theoretical nonsense.
Vincent (to Lulu): As if I could understand any of it. I majored in poetry. Oh. Wait. This one looks like... What is this sketch, hun?
Lulu (to Vincent): Well, in theory it would be able to stabilize a small wormhole between two points in space... and possibly time. I was thinking that you could attach it to an airplane or a rocket and move with more pinpoint accuracy if you knew the exit point from a wormhole, but I haven't quite put my finger on the right equation.
Vincent (to Lulu): Well...
Lulu (to Vincent): What? Don't tell me you know the equation. You just said you studied poetry.
Vincent (to Lulu): Who ME? Good heavens! Do I look like someone who knows anything about wormholes? Heh. I thought it looked something from a movie. Heh. Come to me if you need to know something about Allen Ginsberg or need to know how to source quotes in MLA format.
Lulu (to Vincent): "Tail turned to red sunset on a juniper crown a lone magpie cawks. Mad at Oryoki in the shrine-room -- Thistles blossomed late afternoon. Put on my shirt and took it off in the sun walking the path to lunch. A dandelion seed floats above the marsh grass with the mosquitos. At 4 A.M. the two middleaged men sleeping together holding hands. In the half-light of dawn a few birds warble under the Pleiades.Sky reddens behind fir trees, larks twitter, sparrows cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep." Oh, Ginsberg. I love 136 Syllables at Rocky Mountain Dharma Center.
Vincent (to Lulu): Heh. You don't need me to tell you about Ginsberg after all! He's my fav. I did my thesis on Plutonian Ode. I have opinions on some of the other beat poets from which I'll spare you. Anyhoo, I should get going. I would advise you not to drown yourself in maths, but I see your lady friend headed this way. I doubt she'll give you a chance.
Lulu (to Vincent): I love Ferlinghetti's Number 8, but I too have a lot of opinions on the beat poets... I won't bore you.
Vincent (to Lulu): Anyhoo, I should get going. I would advise you not to drown yourself in maths, but I see your lady friend headed this way. I doubt she'll give you a chance. Later, tater.
Lulu (to Vincent): I'll try not too. See you around munchkin.
Wanda (to Lulu): So, HERE'S where you've been hiding. Was that Short Stack I saw leaving? Why didn't he stick around? You know, for YEARS, I couldn't have shaken that boy if I tried, now I can't even get him to stop in and say hello. What's chewing on his britches? He was making such a face. Lemme guess. You've gotta run.
Lulu (to Wanda): I've only been hiding here for the last few hours... Actually, most of the day. Is that really the time? Oh, I don't know, he was looking at my notebooks and, hey wait a minute... I'm missing a couple. God, did I drop them? Where!?! I'm not running anywhere. I have the day off... Do you see a couple notebooks anywhere?
Wanda (to Lulu): Um, I don't know. There are kind of a million notebooks on the table already. What do they look like?
Lulu (to Wanda): There were three identical ones that had a stupid looking jack-o-lanterns on them, but I don't seem them now. God, I hope I didn't lose them somewhere.
Wanda (to Lulu): Don't worry. We'll find them! You probably just misplaced them. I've got a couple hours before class. Let's retrace your steps. They're somewhere. You'll see. Who would take them? They're full of math. You know, most people hate math, right?
Lulu (to Wanda): Thank you. That's nice of you. I'll make it up to you, somehow.
Wanda (to Lulu): I'm sure you will. I'll even help you out with a couple of suggestions. :-P Let's begin the hunt!
Lulu (to Wanda): Heehee, I bet you will.
Wanda (to Lulu): I'm a very helpful soul.
Vincent (to Percy): Percy? Where the hell are you? Are you in West Piedmont or Britannia?
Percy (to Vincent): I'm in West Piedmont, honey. What's wrong? Are you mad at me?
Vincent (to Percy): In a word, YES. I'm on Market Ave. Meet me at Josie's Fresh Market ASAP, please.
Percy (to Vincent): Oh... Okay. I'll be there in 10 minutes.
A short time later:
Vincent (to Percy): It's about bloody time. Here. YOU deal with these!
Percy (to Vincent): What on earth are these, honey? Wait. Are these Lulu's notebooks? Why do you have them?
Vincent (to Percy): Because from the looks of it, she was a few day's worth of work, maybe less, from cracking a formula that would let her open up wormholes. Look at that! That's a portal generator if I ever saw one. What the fuck are you playing at, Percy? What if she had built this and made it work? Can you even comprehend the kind of danger she, and everyone around her, could have been in?
Percy (to Vincent): Oh... All I did was mention the possibility of trans-dimensional travel, honey. I didn't realize she was going to actually come up with anything tangible. I mean, it took a group of 4 scientists to come up with the portal generator in our world. And, it took them years to crack the formula. I just thought that she'd have fun with the theoretical mathematics.
Vincent (to Percy): And you handed that over to a bored genius with a better grasp of theoretical physics than all of them put together! Do you have any idea who exactly Lulu is? You know what? It doesn't matter. That's her business. Next time you wanna impress your fuck buddy with your intellect and give her a "fun puzzle" to work on, buy a Sudoku book!
Percy (to Vincent): I didn't think there was any harm in it. She doesn't know that the portals exist, honey. She just thinks its a game... Wait. What do you mean? Who is Lulu, exactly?
Vincent (to Percy): Do you really think that it being theoretical would have stopped her building it? Fat Christ! She's a scientist and a HUMAN. OF COURSE she would have tried to build a portal generator, you tin platted ass! If you really want to know who she is, do a Google search for her name, and the term "prodigy." And then ask yourself who else in Britannia, aside from Tesla, has that good a grasp on portal generation.
Percy (to Vincent): Oh... I'm sorry, Vincent. I'll take these back with me.
Vincent (to Percy): See that you do. I'm going to see my sister before I cross back over. I'll see you at some point, I'm sure.
Percy (to Vincent): Alright.
An hour or so later:
Vincent (to Mouse): Hey, hun. Sorry to barge in on you like this. Where's Mini Mouse? Taking a nap?
Mouse (to Vincent): Yes, finally. She's been wound up pretty tight since I got back. How are you, little brother?
Vincent (to Mouse): Heh. I can imagine. She's got a whole new parent, a new house, a whole new world to explore. I wish this were a social call, sweetie. Poppy has to go work on the other side, and I was going to head over with her. I want to keep sniffing around. Has anything else come to mind that might help us find Hiiri?
Mouse (to Vincent): Maybe... But, I don't want you to keep looking for her.
Vincent (to Mouse): Oh for heaven... You sound just like Poppy. Let me guess, you think I'm exhausted, and not thinking clearly. Oh. And also that I'm a stubborn little ass of a man.
Mouse (to Vincent): Well, that sounds about right, little brother.
Vincent (to Mouse): And while I'm sitting here, pouting, how many more people is she going to slaughter? How much closer does she get to coming back after you, or Marlena, or Eep, or Victor, or Jacob, or Bernard and Molly?
Mouse (to Vincent): I know, but I think you need to let it go. I'm worried that she's going to be your white whale.
Vincent (to Mouse): Fine. If you don't want to help, I won't ask you to. In fact, I'm slightly relieved. You and Eep have been through enough. Do you know what happened last time I let a person I knew to be an awful human being run rampant?
Mouse (to Vincent): No?
Vincent (to Mouse): Eleven people died at the hands of your friend Drake's crew. I have enough trouble sleeping lately without adding more guilt.
Mouse (to Vincent): Little brother, I know Hiiri should be stopped, but why does it have to be your responsibility?
Vincent (to Mouse): You know the answer to that, hun. I'm not delusional, you know. I know damned well I'm out of my league with Hiiri. I wasn't lying to you when I said that I was more a glorified antiques dealer and delivery boy than a buccaneer. This is all... But, she's not going to stop and just leave us alone. You know that. Besides, who else is going to do anything about her? There's no national police force in Britannia; the ISS won't get involved unless she's a threat to the Empress or Empire. Feel free to stop me when I get to a part that isn't true.
Mouse (to Vincent): No, I know you're right, little brother. I just don't like it.
Vincent (to Mouse): Poppy doesn't either. She thinks Hiiri is targeting me, and anything Ahab-y I do is playing right into her hands.
Mouse (to Vincent): That's probably not far off from the truth, which worries the hell out of me. You never told me what you found in that room at MacTavish's that upset you so much. You & Poppy ushered me into the hallway so fast that I didn't have a chance to see. I'm assuming that's why you're so gung-ho to go after her.
Vincent (to Mouse): I know. ... Are you sure you want to know, hun? It's beyond ugly.
Mouse (to Vincent): Probably not, but it might help me to understand why you're feeling so incredibly suicidal.
Vincent (to Mouse): It, um, it was the other clone. Unlike your prior incarnation, this one apparently not only knew what she was, but that there was another incarnation of herself out there. I suppose she didn't want any competition. She didn't just kill her. She, um, she gutted her. She made some kind of--of *display* out of her... I... God. Gimme a second...
Mouse (to Vincent): Oh little brother... and after you sat up with the other me. I'm so sorry.
Vincent (to Mouse): Now you know why I was so Kentucky fried the other night. And why Poppy doesn't want me going back just yet. I promise I'll be careful, hun. If nothing else, I've got a little boy I've got to take care of. I can't do that if I'm dead.
Mouse (to Vincent): I don't blame her at all... I know you're going to go whether I beg you or not, but just be careful. And, since you're going to go and do something foolhardy. Would you please go to the house where you found me, go into my bedroom closet. There's a loose board in the floor under a pair of boots. You'll find a notebook in the hidden drawer. It's got everything that I have noticed or learned over the years that I thought might be significant. It might help. Here's the key. The house is in my name, so if anyone gives you any trouble. Just make something up.
Vincent (to Mouse): Thank you.
Mouse (to Vincent): Yes, well, don't thank me just yet.
Vincent (to Mouse): How about I thank you when this is all over, and we're sitting on the porch, drinking a beer?
Mouse (to Vincent): Okay. Come here & give me a hug.
Vincent (to Mouse): Yes, ma'am. Don't worry. I'll promise I'll come back. I love you, sweet sister o' mine. I'll see you soon.
Mouse (to Vincent): I love you too, little brother.
Several hours later:
Eep (to Mouse): Hey. How's your night been?
Mouse (to Eep): It's been good. I just put Mars down for the evening. Need a drink, food or both?
Eep (to Mouse): Oh god, both. Please.
Mouse (to Eep): Oh yeah, of course. Rough day at the bookstore?
Eep (to Mouse): School's back in, so we had a whole host of kids in today trying to piss off Mom and Dad. Hey. You OK? You seem a million miles away tonight.
Mouse (to Eep): Do I? I'm sorry. Vincent came over earlier & told me that he's going back to Brittania to continue the hunt for Hiiri.
Eep (to Mouse): Oh. And you're worried about him? Wait. Why the fuck am I asking that? Of course you're fucking worried. I'm sure he'll be OK.
Mouse (to Eep): I know he'll be okay, the little idiot... I just feel a bit guilty because I may have led him on a wild goose chase.
Eep (to Mouse): You did? On purpose?
Mouse (to Eep): Yes... I told him that I left a journal with everything I learned about Hiiri over the years at the house... but it's a fake... I have the real one with me. I didn't think it was safe to leave it lying around where anyone could find it.
Eep (to Mouse): No. Probably not. Heh. I hope he takes the hint and takes it fucking easy.
Mouse (to Eep): I hope so, it still makes me feel bad. I understand why he wants to stop her, but I don't think he can handle it. She's crazy.
Eep (to Mouse): Christ. Tell me about it. Still, I don't know that I blame him. I mean, he and Poppy think Hiiri's after their kid and all. I'd be freaking out.
Mouse (to Eep): I know. I just think he's being a bit fanatical about it. He's stretched himself pretty thin mentally. I'm just worried about him.
Eep (to Mouse): No, I know. I'm not saying it was a bad idea. If that doesn't work, you can just hit him over the head for a couple of weeks.
Mouse (to Eep): Heh... That's true.
