Enter the Copycat!-2 by Lynceus I'd always thought Alena was the mature, responsible twin. And maybe she was. And yet, after that trip to Las Vegas, I felt older somehow. I'd learned a lot about myself. And there was one thing I was absolutely certain of. Something that scared me more than a little. I was in love with Johanna Constantine.

Authors Note: the events of this story occur after Magical Chaos!: Aftermath

---

I watched Sis and the others receive their rewards for saving the City with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was so proud of Alena. But I was scared too. Terrified.

I'd always known Sis was the kind of person who could put other people's lives above her own. But...oh God. I felt the tears come and I couldn't stop them. She had almost died!

I couldn't get the image out of my mind; seeing her walk up to Klariann, her body being pierced by quills of magical energy. And that light! Neither blue nor violet, but both. Indigo.

I had never in my life felt such love, such devotion. I understood why Alena didn't attack Clara...

Because she could feel not only our pain, but the pain in that little girl's heart. My sister had tried to save everyone, and I knew in my heart that she was the only reason no one had died.

And I...I...

I was ashamed. So ashamed. Because if I'd been in her place, I would have punted that little brat into the stratosphere. When did I turn into such a selfish bitch? When did I stop caring about other people?

No, that's not right. I know I care, but somewhere along the way, I had taught myself to ignore those feelings. I thought it had been a survival thing, you know? Because sometimes, you have to make choices. Choosing between my Sister and some magic-using brat? Easy.

Except, that was the problem, wasn't it? It was easy. Too easy. I'd always thought I was the stronger twin; now I knew the truth. I was weak. Always taking the easy way. Because caring gets you hurt, right?

Everyone was kind of pissed at Johanna right now. It wasn't that she did anything really wrong; it was just her attitude about it. Cynical. Harsh. Uncaring. So what if the kid had died? Better that than an entire City, right?

And that's when it hit me. I was looking at a damn mirror! That's who I was going to become!

It was second nature for Johanna to push people away from her. To try and push her feelings aside. Never get to close; good for them, good for me. But God, she had to be so lonely!

Just like me. I'm not even sixteen yet. What the hell do I know about love? I'm just a kid! Friendship? Sure, that I understand. Intimacy? I got that too.

I'd thought that's all there was between us. We'd hooked up, shared a few intimate moments, and had some amazingly satisfying sex. But we were just friends, right?

So why did it hurt so much?

-

Alena was feeling better; she'd mentioned having a migraine when that ghost-thing popped up at the Convention. It was part of how she sensed magic; good magic felt ok, bad magic not so good.

Normally, I'd make a joke about her having 'Buffy-sense', but I didn't feel it. I was packed and ready to go when I felt Al behind me, pulling me into a hug. She didn't say anything, but I burst into tears as she held me.

She just lay her head on my shoulder and kept telling me it was going to be ok until the tears stopped.

“Ali, I'm so sorry.”

“For what? It's not your fault!”

“Shh, Sis. I know you think I'm an idiot when it comes to this stuff. But I can tell you're hurting. I'd give anything to make that pain go away.”

“Moron! It's all your fault! You...you could have died!”

“Not just me.”

I froze.

She sighed. “Alison. I love you so much. You're a part of me, I feel that so strongly. I know that anytime I'm weak, you'll be there. Sometimes I don't really understand where I end, and you begin. But you're also your own person. There are parts of you I don't get, and probably never will.”

She kissed my hair. “And I know it's the same for you. I don't expect you to understand why I put myself in danger for others. I barely understand it myself. I just know that, if I didn't do everything I could to save someone, and they died, I'd never be able to live with myself. Do I care if I die? Of coruse I do! It scares me so much, and I know you and Mom would be devastated.”

“Al...stop...” I couldn't listen to this, not now! “I...know it's selfish. But if I lost you, I..I'd die! I might be alive, but I'd be dead inside!”

“Sis, I love you so much, but that's bullshit. You're tough. You're strong, you'd survive.”

I tried to pull away from her. And I couldn't! Without those goofy bracers, I know I'm stronger than she is. I know it!

But it didn't matter. You ever hear that expression about being knocked over by a feather? My Sister's love is so damn strong, she can knock me over with it. It's just like that.

“I wouldn't want to! I wouldn't want to live like that, because I'd push everyone away! I'd be alone!”

“You mean you'd be like Johanna.”

I gasped. “...what the fuck...when did you become a mind reader?”

She guided me to a chair and sat down, holding me in her lap. I felt her gently stroke my hair, and I trembled at her touch.

“Alison..I knew the minute I saw you two together that something had changed inside of you. And I knew that you were trying to deny it. Pretend that you were the same old Ali. You had sex with her, right?”

I choked. “...yes.”

“And it was different. It wasn't like it was with Carrie.”

I just nodded. What was the point of talking, anyways? She knew everything!

“You're in love. It's confused, it's weird, it's frightening. But it's real.”

I frowned. “What do you know about love anyways?”

She laughed. “I know that I love you. And Mom. And Jade and Doris and Lena...all of them. Because you're all my family! I'd rather cut my own arm off than see any of them get hurt.”

“...I don't want to share you with everyone. You're...you're mine!” And that was it. Now I understood why I'd tried seducing Alena. Because I didn't want to see her with anyone else. “Oh fuck...I'm so selfish!”

“Love isn't all about being selfless, Sis. A lot of times, love is about wanting something so badly it hurts. I appreciate you more than you could ever understand. It's okay to be selfish, it really is.”

“That makes no sense. I've been a jealous bitch.”

“No, you've been my Sister. Trying to keep me safe. Because you can't bear to see me hurt.”

“But Al...I could hurt you.”

She kissed my hair again. “I know. But I love you anyways. And here's a news flash. I don't want to share you either.”

I sucked in a breath. “You...don't?”

“No. I especially don't want to share you with a jerk like Constantine!”

I jumped up. “Don't you dare talk about her like that! You think it's easy to be her? You don't know...” I trailed off when I realized Alena was grinning at me like an idiot.

“...oh.” I was speechless! “Oh fuck me. I really am in love with her, aren't I?”

The glow in her eyes brightened. “Damn you're stubborn!”

I laughed. “Yes. Yes I am. And you...you're wonderful!”

She chuckled. “Yes. Yes I am. And also stubborn.”

She was acting so much like me at that moment I got the chills! “But...what do I do now? She's gone, and we have go home now...”

She stood and handed me my cell phone. “You're going to talk to Mom, that's what you're going to do. She's been waiting.”

I gaped at her. “You're not my sister. You're some kind of alien.” I shook my head. “You already called her?!”

She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed my forehead. “Of course. I'll be back, you and her need to talk.”

-

So I called Mom, and I told her everything. I was pretty sure she'd heard it all from Alena, but that didn't matter. By the time I finally stopped talking, I was crying again.

“Alison, shh, baby, don't cry.”

“I'm too young for this!” I knew I was hurting bad if I was admitting that!

“I know honey. And so was I when this happened to me. Ok, granted, I was a little older than you, but it was the same way.”

I frowned. “You mean Dad? But he's a jerkface! A total loser!”

She sighed. “Yes. But that doesn't change the fact I loved him then, and I still love him now.”

The pain in her voice cut me like a knife. She'd been hiding this all along? “Oh Mom...I'm so sorry. I've been an idiot!”

“No honey, you've been a teenager. I remember what it's like, believe me! I'm kind of sad, in a way. You've grown up on me, and I wasn't there to see it.”

“...I'm sorry.”

She laughed. “Don't apologize! I'm so proud of you I could burst! But...why weren't you up on that stage with your sister?”

“...because she's a hero, Mom. And I'm not.”

She made a tsking sound. “Still denying it?”

“I don't want to be a hero! Mom, Alena could have died!”

She drew in a deep breath, and released it slowly. “I know.”

There was silence for a moment. “I know it. I was watching the news, and everyone was so frightened, people were panicking..and I knew that Alena was right at the center of it. But baby, listen to me. We can try to protect her, we can try to keep her close, but that's where she belongs. That's where her heart is! She's always going to be in the worst of it. And every time someone gets hurt, or dies, she's going to tear herself apart, thinking she could have done something, anything, to prevent it!”

Stupid tears. I wish I could stop them. But even my powers won't let me do that.

“Alison. I would give anything to have powers like you girls have.”

I blinked. “Really? But...why?”

“So I could be there with her.”

I felt my eyes widen. “....oh.”

“There's only one way you can protect your sister, Ali. You have to be there, at her side. To fight along side her. To hold her when her heart is breaking.”

“...that doesn't leave much of a life for me, does it?”

She sighed. “No baby, it doesn't. And that's a choice you're going to have to make. I know you want to help her in your own way. Knowing you, you probably have some idea of protecting her from a distance, making her problems just disappear.”

“Guh. What the fuck?! When did you and Sis turn into psychics on me?”

“Language, honey.” I could see her grin, though. “You grew inside of me for nine months, right next to Alan...Alena. That's a strong connection, one that doesn't break easy.”

“I think you do have powers, Mom.”

She chuckled. “Mom powers?”

“Better than that. You're some kind of Super-Mom!”

“Thank you, baby. That's the highest compliment anyone has ever given me.”

“But what do I do? You're saying I have to chain myself to Alena? What about my life? What I need?”

“I had dreams too, baby. In the end, I had to give them up. For your father. For you. And I have never regretted that choice. Not for a minute! No matter how much he hurts me, I have you and Alena, and that makes it all worth it. But that having been said...this person you're in love with...”

“Her name is Johanna. She's...a lot older than me. I mean, she doesn't look it, really, but she is. I have no idea how old she is. She's...a real pain in the ass. Stubborn, does things her way. She's...well...”

“Like you, all grown up?”

“Yes! We're so much alike...and I can feel it, how alone she is. How much she hurts inside. Always pushing people away, trying not to care...I don't know if she can change or not.”

“Maybe she can't. An older woman.” She sighed. “I have some mixed feelings here. Ok, a lot of them. But Alison, I can't put you in a cage or tie you down. Even before you had powers, you were a free spirit, that's what your Dad never got. He thought he could control you.”

“...what. What are you saying? That you breaking up was my fault!?”

“No. It wasn't your fault. He hated how you were always in trouble, that you were letting your grades slip...he hated the way you talked, the way you acted, the way you dressed...and he hated the fact that you were a lesbian.”

“He knew?!”

“I...told him. He didn't take it well. He kept saying he was going to force you into line, that no daughter of his was going to be a...” She stopped.

“A freak. A homosexual. Mom. Does he know about Alena and me? You know, that we're...”

“I got an email last night. He say Alena on TV. Of course, she was in her costume, but...he posted a jpeg. Along with a picture of you. And in all caps. IS THIS MY DAUGHTER????”

“Four question marks?”

She giggled nervously. “Yes.”

“He thinks she's me?”

“Well he doesn't have any idea that Alena is a girl now. I think he'd have an aneurysm!”

“...shit. Wait, he said my daughter? What an ass!”

“Yes, he is. Anyways, I made a choice. Between the man I loved, and my children. You won, it was a landslide. Baby, laying down the law or putting you in chains isn't going to do anything but hurt you. I've done the best I could, being there for you, trying to support you, no matter what.”

“You don't know how much I want to hug you right now, Mom. You...you've done so much, and I've been...I really have been a bitch!”

“Maybe. But that's how my Mom raised me.”

“You were more like Al though, a nice girl.”

She snorted. “Keep on thinking that! I was always driving that poor woman up the wall! God, I miss her so much! Sometimes...I don't know what to do. Especially now, with you and Alena growing up so quickly, and getting in way over your fool heads. But then I ask myself, well, what would Mom do?”

“What would she do?”

“Well, I imagine she'd tell you how much she hated seeing you girls do what you're doing. Then she'd hug you and tell you how proud she was of you both. You should have seen her at my wedding! Your great-aunt Josephine...you never met her, but she pretty much raised your Dad...she kept going on about how I wasn't good enough.”

“Oh jeez, what did Gramma do?”

“She slapped the hell out of that bitch. It took your Dad, your Grandfather, and Uncle Steve to break it up!”

I giggled. “Oh man, tell me there's video of that!”

“Mm...officially? There isn't. Unofficially? When you girls were born, Uncle Steve gave me a VHS tape in a brown paper package, and made me swear not to tell your Dad.”

I laughed. “Oh man, I have to see it!”

“She hated your Father, too. Completely, totally, hated him. She told me more than once that he was going to break my heart. And she was right, but she also told me something important, something I'm going to tell you now. That we can't choose who we fall in love with.”

“Mommy?” I felt like I was eight again. “What do I do?”

“Honey...and it kills me to say this, but...I took the money from your college fund and it's in your checking account now.”

“Buh?!”

She laughed. “Go after her. If you need anything, you call. Your sister and I will move Heaven and Earth for you. She may be the worst person in the world, but you have to find that out for yourself. You have to let her know how you feel. And give her a chance. Or you'll always regret not doing it.”

-

When Al came back, I told her what Mom had said. She was quiet for a few minutes.

“I don't want you to do it.”

I blinked at her through my tears. “Al...”

She held up a hand. “I don't...but. Mom's right. You have to. I love you, but that's not enough. I can't protect you from your own heart.” She drew in a breath, and her eyes began to glow brighter. “But I swear to you...”

I don't think she realized it, because if she had, she'd be pretty disturbed. But she and the Star Heart spoke in unison.

IF SHE HURTS YOU, I'LL FLY THAT BITCH INTO THE SUN!

It was the scariest and simultaneously, the most heartwarming thing I've ever heard Al say. I hugged her tight, and she handed me her Green Lantern Ring. No, not the magic one. The other one. The one Jade had given her.

“Wait..I can't take this..”

“Tell her, Star.”

ALENA HAS MATURED, AND SO HAS HER CONTROL OF OUR POWER. SHE NO LONGER HAS ANY NEED OF THE RING.

I caught that 'our'. Something had changed between them. It was spooky, but I prayed it was a good thing. And I don't pray very often.

“So if they call you...?”

She held her ring closer to her mouth. “Hey Lena, you found her yet?”

The ring glowed, and Lena's voice came out of it. Ah, in case you don't remember, Lena is actually Lex Luthor's daughter. And very much in love with Doris, our very own Giganta.

“Good grief, she moves around a lot! But yeah, I got her on a plane that took off from Reno, she's going to London.”

I blinked. “You can track Jo?”

“Heck yeah I can! It's not easy, but I guess even a magician needs money, huh?” Lena chuckled.

“Lena...next time I see you, I'm going to kiss you so hard you're going to forget your own name!”

“Just as long as she remembers who I am, then.” Doris spoke up. Of course, they were using her ring to talk with us.

“I'd never steal her away from you. You might step on me!”

Doris laughed. “I would, too.” Then, in a more sober tone, “Are you going to be ok, Alison?”

“I don't know. But...I have to do this.”

“I understand, honey. You need to talk, I'm here for you.”

“...you're going to get one of those kisses too.”

A new voice broke in. “Hey, free kisses? I helped, do I get one?”

I laughed. “Hey Ariel, how's the water?”

“The water's fine. And stop calling me Ariel!” Rena was trying to sound grumpy, but it really didn't suit her.

“Thanks for everything, guys. I'll probably be calling Little Mermaid up a lot; I've never been to England before.”

“Given how much of a Doctor Who fan Alena is, that's a little surprising.”

Al coughed. “Believe me, I'd love to go either there or Cardiff. But this is Ali's quest.”

“That's right, I get solo xp's!” I kissed Al's cheek.

-

Alena flew me to Reno, where a private jet was waiting for me. R&L (that is, the Rena/Lena tag team) can do anything! But I was in for another surprise when I got on board and met the pilot!

Jade smiled at me. “Ready to see London?”

I gaped at her. “You can fly?! I mean...a jet?”

“Well...I don't have a license, but I've logged about 30 hours on the simulator.”

“...thirty.”

She laughed. “Relax, we'll be flying under Ring-power. I'd dispense with the plane, but they'd already chartered it when I caught your conversation. Plus, I need to learn how to fly something like this; there's a lot of us now, and flying people around is going to get hard.”

“..us?”

She pointed to the ring Sis had given me. “Like it or not, you're part of the team.”

“I...I shouldn't have this. I'm not a hero like you are.”

She shrugged. “No, you're not. You're a different kind of hero. Eventually I think you'll realize that. But you've been really helpful lately, when you didn't have to be. And it's not just the fashion tips; you're quickly becoming part of the official welcome wagon. It's hard to become someone different, to have your life totally change. But you understand that, and you're really good at helping people to cope with it. To accept that they've changed, and to help them accept who they are now.”

I blushed. I couldn't help it, I mean, this was Jade! It's very easy to understand why Alena chose this woman as her role model! She's totally awesome, and she has this way of seeing right to the heart of things. It's not like Al's empathy, it's more...well it's the kind of thing you want a leader to have. To be able to understand what makes your people tick, and recognize their talents.

“Do I call you boss?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. And you can back out at any time. We're not an army, even though some people seem to think we are.” She frowned.

Yeah, for all our efforts, we were getting some negative press. People scared of our powers, who thought we might decide we should be in charge. And it was going to get worse before it got better.

“For now, you have to follow your heart. So focus on that.”

I looked at her for a moment. “You know what she did. And why.”

She nodded. “Yes. She did what none of us really were willing to do. I don't think we would have won without Johanna Constantine. She knew what she was doing the whole time. Even when it hurt.”

She sighed. “I don't claim to like her. I definitely wouldn't want her on this team...force..”

“Mob.”

Jade laughed. “Yes, a mob. I don't trust her as far as my Ring could toss her...well actually, a lot less than that. But I do respect her.”

I grinned. “It's a start.”

“Hm. Maybe. Ok, buckle up, we're going for a ride!”

-

I'm going to skip ahead a little. I found her finally, in a dirty nightclub in Soho. The kind that I'm too young to get into, but a combination of my shapeshifting and the Ring's powers (plus the nice fake ID R+L made for me) took care of that.

She'd let her hair grow some, it was almost shoulder-length. She was wearing a dress, of all things, which really showed off her height and those long legs of hers. I'd have gone with a slightly different look myself, but...it didn't matter. To my eyes, she was fucking gorgeous.

She was also hitting on everyone in sight, and outrageously drunk. But from what I've learned from chasing Miss Constantine, and talking to the people who know her (including the only person who will admit to being her friend, a fifty-ish cab driver named Chas, who not only found her for me tonight, but drove me to the club), Johanna can function pretty well when drunk, stoned, poisoned, or blasted out of her damn mind.

Chas had helped me with my disguise; I was sort of a hybrid of the various women in Jo's life. A homage, if you will. Including the girl she had me change into, that night in Vegas. Her name had been Emma.

According to Chas, Johanna's life had been nothing but one painful incident after another; many of whom she had engineered herself. Chas told me, his eyes bleak, about how Ritchie Simpson had died. Someone that Jo had called a friend.

Sacrificed so that Jo could get revenge on a demon. Scary stuff. Every instinct I had was telling me to turn around and get the hell away from Constantine. Hell, Chas told me to do the same thing.

But when I looked into his eyes and told him that I couldn't, he nodded. “Me neither. Even now, I'm her friend. Even after everythin'. We're a couple of fools, you an' I, Miss.”

He hadn't wanted to know my name. Given Jo's track record, who could blame him?

-

I sauntered up to Jo; I'd practiced this sexy walk for days, watching videos of some very hot young ladies that Rena had found for me. I tried not to judge her for old habits; I knew what it was like to be alone, and besides, her unique knowledge was really helpful at the moment.

Most of my female friends, you understand, had been born guys. There's not many people I can go to for advice on how to be smexy! And I'd feel weird asking Mom!

I lowered my eyes, looking up at Jo through my long lashes, and she stiffened. I had her.

It was a simple matter to lure her back to my hotel room, where I slipped her a mickey. A quaint American custom she really should have seen coming. When she woke up, she was naked and handcuffed to the bed.

Naked for two reasons; I didn't trust her, and, well, she really looks good naked!

“...great. Who are you, and what did I do to piss you off?”

I grinned. “You ran away from me, Miss Constantine. Without so much as a goodbye.”

“Join the bleedin' club.”

I undressed and got on the bed, straddling her waist. She spit at me, but only got saliva on her chin for the effort. I leaned over and ran my tongue along her abdomen, and up her left breast. Despite herself, she moaned.

“...the fuck?! Are you going to kill me or rape me?”

I took her nipple in my mouth; to my amazement, that shut her up for at least 45 seconds!

When I was done (and she'd stopped swearing as much) I gave her a solid look. “This isn't rape, Miss Constantine, and I don't care for the insinuation.”

“I'm here against my will, and you're having your way with me!”

“Which Chas tells me is one of your favorite sexual fantasies.”

“Chandler? What the fuck would he...wait. You know Chas?”

“Yep. He's the one who helped me find you.”

She frowned. “Oh sure. He picks now to stab me in the back? I been tryin' to get him to hate me for years!”

“He doesn't hate you. In his way...actually in a surprisingly non-sexual way, he loves you.”

“Bah. Love's a fools game.”

“You're probably right. But we can't pick the people we fall in love with.” I started crying again.

“...hey...look, I get that I hurt you. I don't even know who you are, but...I hurt everyone. Just slap me or somethin', you'll feel better.”

“No, I won't. Because I love you.”

She snorted. “Right. I don't even know you.”

“Don't you?” I looked her in the eyes.

“oh fuck me. Ali?”

I shifted to my normal appearance. “Surprise.”

“Ali, this...this ain't right. You're a kid, I'm an old bitch...you can't love me! I'll...I'll hurt you. An'...I don't want that. You don't know...”

“Yes, yes I do. Chas told me everything. About Astra. Emma...Zed...all of them. Even Ritchie. So shut the fuck up. I get it. You're a horrible person and anyone who cares about you gets fucked over. But you know what? That doesn't change how I feel! I wish it did! I wish I could hate you, but I don't!”

“...ye've really thought this through.”

I pinched her nipple. Hard. And gave it a twist.

“Ow! Hey!” She complained, but I felt her nipple harden instantly.

“You like the pain, don't you? Some kind of masochist. I guess you'd have to be, to push people away like you do. Well listen to me, Johanna, and listen good. Nothing you do is going to get rid of me.”

“...heard that before.”

“You can run. You can hurt me. But I won't give up. I'm a foolish, stupid little girl, remember? That's what my kind do. And every time you hurt me, you're going to hurt yourself. And you know what? The day you do manage to push me away, you're going to get drunk as hell and go crawling to Chas. And he's not going to help you.”

She tried to look away, but I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. “And even if he does, one day, he won't be there. You need me, Jo. The Devil won't let you die. You're too stubborn to go crazy. And you can't be alone any longer.”

Her eyes softened. “Why me?”

“Fuck if I know. I deserve someone better than a washed-up, has-been, two-bit con artist who's managed to anally rape anyone who ever trusted her. Especially one who's an old biddy with piss-poor magic.”

She blinked. “Hey now, just a minute!”

I kissed her. She tasted like cheap alcohol and cheaper cigarettes. And smelled worse. But to me, she was my ambrosia and my nectar.

She was resistant at first, but then she warmed up, and it was...one hell of a kiss.

I pulled away.

“Ok. You're an idiot. But so am I...you're the one I was runnin' from, Ali.”

“I know.”

She sighed. “This is crazy. But...alright. I can't stop you. So I might as well...stop running.”

I grinned. “Smart.”

“Now, um, you going to un-handcuff me?”

“I don't know, I kind of like you under my power.” I spit out the lockpick I'd found in her mouth. “And without this, you could be here awhile.”

She blanched. “...bugger me. It's like lookin' at myself!”

“Mm, yes, we're a lot alike. But unlike you, I'm not a hardened old hag. So here's the deal. I'll let you go, mostly because you could use a long hot shower before we have sex again. And I'll follow your lead. You tell me to duck, I duck. You tell me to run, I run. I know your life is full of scary ass shit.”

“..ok, run away from me, then.”

I reached behind me and rubbed her crotch with my fingertips. “Are you sure that's what you want?”

She groaned. “...not really.”

“Good girl. Oh and if you try to run from me, I'll find you. You won't know who I'll look like, but I will find you. And I won't be so gentle next time.” I started probing her, and she whimpered. She might have a lifetime of experience, but her body was young and full of yummy hormones. She couldn't help but want me.

It felt kind of nice to have that kind of power over her.

“Ok! Ok! I won't run! Fuck...”

“Shower first. But don't worry. I'll be there with you.”

Her eyes got wide and she smiled. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Oh and um, just so you know?”

“What's that, love?”

“Al says if you hurt me, she'll pitch you into the Sun. Can the Devil bring you back from that?”

I saw this look of terror form on her face. “She can do that?!”

“Do you really want to find out?”

“...bollocks. Looks like I'm stuck with you, then.”

I pressed my fingers in deeper, and she gasped. “You make it sound like it's a bad thing. Do I have to make you beg?”

-

It turned out that I didn't. The shower was fun; the sex was...educational, in a very satisfying way.

And when I woke up, she was still there, laying next to me, gently stroking my hair.

“'ello, love.”

“Don't toy with my feelings, Jo.”

She shook her head. “...I'm not. Which ain't easy for me. It's...kind of natural for me to fuck and ferget. Been doing it for so long. But...truth is, I love you. I wanted to run from it. Pretend I didn't, but somehow...I thought my heart was black as coal, and my soul even worse. How...how did you make me love you?”

“Could ask you the same question.” I snuggled up closer to her. “I don't know. And I'd love to know why I'm totally addicted to you.”

“Call it my charm. Speakin' of addictions...”

“No, I threw them out.”

She gaped at me. “You threw out my fags!”

I giggled. “No dear, I'm right here.”

She made a face. “You ain't lesbo, I'm a man, remember?”

“Funny, you orgasm like a girl.”

She frowned. “I really need a smoke.”

“You just quit.”

She pouted. I kissed her, but didn't relent. “You quit once before, remember?”

“...only 'cuz I was gonna die. That ain't a problem now.”

“Oh yes it is. Because I like this pretty young body of yours, and who knows what kind of trash you'd come back as if you get killed again?”

“...now that I have someone who cares about me? Buck-toothed and ugly as sin, I bet.”

“Oh well, I'll put a bag over your head.”

She sputtered. “Th' bloody Hell you will!”

“Well it's either that or leave you, and that isn't happening.”

She sighed and settled down. “Do I have to quit drinking too?”

“Nah, I don't mind if you have some vices. But I have to kiss that mouth.”

“Mm....do you mind if one of my vices is underaged girls?”

“As long as the only girl you want is me, yes.”

She chuckled. “But you can be any girl I want, can't you?”

“If you keep me happy? Yes.”

“Ok. You beat me. I surrender. I'm at your mercy.”

I traced little circles on her tummy. God she has some sexy girl-abs! Yum! “I thought you were English, not French.”

She flipped me on my back so fast I didn't have time to blink!

“Oh now you done it. I'm gonna show you we do it in Liverpool!”

“Will I like it?”

She ducked her head down, burying her face in my breasts. “I bet you will.”

-

She was right, I died of pleasure. And came back very satisfied. I don't know what kind of life we're going to have, but for now, I'm in Heaven.

Now all I had to do was keep my girlfriend out of Hell!

---

To be continued...