Pinching the bridge of their nose, Kody paced around the motorcycle. “She could be like this for hours, what’s worse is that the vision was probably useless.”

  “Again, I know all this Kody.” Casey excimed in a huff, “Come up with something that is useful, not reflective of the fucking ongoing problem.”

  A line of code danced in Kody’s mind and logically id out possible avenues, before long Kody held up their finger and nodded. “We are about thirty minutes from where we were going to pull over anyway. We lost..” Kody looked at the moon and then back to their wrist and noted the time. “If all went to pn we would be an hour into the drive back.” Kody shrugged, “It is still early in the night and if I am right, we only need to get to the portal, the machine will do the rest.” Although Kody wasn’t fond of the logic bouncing in their head, Kody walked to the rear of the truck and began donning a radiation suit. “Looks like while she’s down, I have to go in.” After zipping themself into the suit Kody walked over to Casey. “I really hoped that your blood bond would keep Sylvie going until she got back and we could cleanse. Me doing this has a high chance of failure.” Kody blinked their green glowing eyes, “I estimate a seventy percent chance of failure.”

  “Fuck.” Casey noted the dismal outcome. “How deep is the rock where the cavern is hidden? I can use my mist form for a second or two, but then I will have to dig myself through.” Casey shook Sylvie once more. “Please Sylvie, I need you to do more than drink blood.”

  Sniffing the air, Sylvie sighed a breath of relief. “Cassiopeia's stars, I am gd to not smell that garbage anymore.” She turned to see Kody’s face behind the hard pstic mask and began ughing. “Glowing green eyes, you look as radioactive as though the suit didn’t work.” Finishing off the bag of blood, Sylvie used Casey’s strength in order to stand and dig out her own suit. “Let me get this on and while I do, I will expin the vision.”

  Over the next few minutes, Sylvie felt her strength return and told the two other vampires the complete story, including what she believed was honestly going on at the time. “Kody, I am going to ask you to do something impossible for anyone else.”

  Still processing the vision that Sylvie reyed, Kody had helped Sylvie get into her protective gear and left the face shield up so she could speak. “Lovely. What I have done over the st two nights wasn’t impossible enough?” Kody ughed and waved his open hand to Sylvie. “By all means, let’s hear this newest request.”

  “Not a request, you have to do it. Which means you need to turn around now and head back. Casey and I will just have to store the radioactive material. All three barrels.”

  “All three?” Kody asked with disapproving orange eyes. “Why do we need three all of a sudden?” A moment after they said it, the situation dawned on Kody. “I really don’t like you, Sylvie.”

  Gncing between her partner and friend, Casey didn’t understand what had just passed between the two. “Hey, I can feel that one of you is annoyed and the other is happy. Care to tell me what is going to happen?”

  Holding up her index finger, Sylvie looked back at Kody. “You know the drill, make the call on your way back and Cisco will meet you there.” Sylvie then turned back to Casey and blew her an air kiss. “Love, I want Kody to build a second machine.”

  Without any hint of frustration, Kody simply added to what Sylvie mentioned. “One is a prototype, the other is actual.” Kody shook their head, “I should have thought of it before, somehow I missed it.”

  “Kody.” Sylvie walked over and hugged Casey and then finished addressing her friend. “Kody. I have a very lovely strawberry shortcake whispering in my ear and I took something from you that I shouldn’t have.” Sylvie patted Kody on the shoulder. “I took away your ability to allow your gadgets to assist you in a time of need.”

  “What?” Kody scratched their scruffy hair, “I don’t get it. I mean I said I don’t mind being in your control..what am I missing?”

  “Heaven help me, I love you, Sylvie.” Casey beamed. “Looks like a tiger can change its stripes.”

  Waiting until the myriad of talking stopped, Sylvie smiled at Kody. “Kody, I want you to recall all of your designs. Just promise me not to get hooked on them for everything.” Sylvie closed the face shield and turned on the air, “I shouldn’t have taken them in the first pce, no one is perfect.” She looked back at Casey, “Help Kody back to the truck, it will be a few minutes while they recover all of the designs.” Sylvie giggled, “It is fun to watch this part, Casey.” A quick kiss and a hop into the air, Sylvie transformed into a good-sized bluejay and flew off in the distance.

  “Come on you walking, ptop, let's get you out of the street.” Casey gently guided Kody back to the driver’s side of the truck and then lifted Kody onto the seat. “I swear I am in Oz and messing with the scarecrow.”

  A silent waning moon over an empty forest and a single majestic mountain reminded Sylvie of how utterly alone she truly was. There were no trickles of water for small waterfalls, no animals milling about looking for food, or owls hooting to break the silence.

  Duty and protection were the reasons that Sylvie had taken on this mission, and she hated it. With the promise to never be separated from Casey while working like this, the guilt for going mostly solo was beginning to take its toll on Sylvie’s heart and mind. Over the st few weeks she’d grown accustomed to having her lovely ray of sunshine with her. While Sylvie knew her partner was undeniably beautiful, it wasn’t Casey’s looks that Sylvie wanted as she flew through the empty skies.

  -Her touch, her presence. A glowing look from her gold eyes. Never leaving one another's side.-

  Within her circling thoughts and deep attachment, Sylvie understood clearly why Vivienne doted so heavily upon Faye. Love. Simple and easy to say and express, but sometimes difficult to understand completely. It had taken thousands of miles and equally as many hours for Sylvie to finally feel Casey's strong swimmers hands caressing her body, taking away the pain and loss of so many years alone and wanting.

  -Too long to wait. Now here I am without it yet again. I am tired of time putting distance between us.-