Missing Persons

"What I don't understand," Skye stated as she stood in the middle of the shop not sweeping the floor, "Is why you've never bothered to clean up after yourself when you 'remove' someone."

She frowned at her mentor as she continued, "That whole mess could have been avoided if you didn't leave all those loose ends behind. Abandoned cars and missing people, of course the police would come knocking sooner or later. Frankly I'm surprised it's taken this long. According to Emily, that towing company has records going back twenty-five years, of vehicles mysteriously abandoned in the parking lot out back?"

Rather than address the point her young apprentice was making, Selene chose to focus on an easier topic.

"I'm not surprised Rick keeps such meticulous records. He always struck me as a diligent and conscientious fellow."

Skye narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she stared. "Are you telling me he's a former customer too?"

The tall blonde smiled slightly, "My shop has been here since nineteen-eighty-two hon, I've helped quite a few people in this town over the years. I first met Rick back in the eighties, but I had occasion to help him again two years ago when his wife was in hospital."

"So why didn't he help cover things up?" the teen asked.

Selene sighed, "I've always told him the same thing I said to Danni last week. Cooperate with the authorities, don't get in any trouble on my account."

Skye frowned as she thought for a few moments. Finally she shook her head, "Back to my original point, this whole mess wouldn't have happened if you didn't leave those loose ends laying around. And there wouldn't be any loose ends at all if you didn't insist on 'removing' people like that in the first place."

"As I said to Emily," she replied in a quiet, curt tone, "I'm not proud of what happens when I lose my temper. And I'd rather not dwell on it, hon."

The teen was quiet for a moment, then asked "Maybe just don't 'remove' people in the first place? Eject them from the shop. Launch them into the lake if you want, that might be fun and it'd certainly make a point. Tossing them off the face of the Earth is problematic enough. Changing them is overkill, don't you think?"

The tall blonde sighed again, "Skye, Phillip Duncan wanted me to make him a spell he could use to do something horrific to his political opponent. When I refused, he threatened to kill me and my cat. The man was utter trash so of course I removed him from my shop. You know I don't do that lightly, and I don't do it often. That sort of fate only befalls people who truly deserve it."

Skye sighed as well, "Like that gangster guy, who threatened me back when I still thought I was human."

"Yes," Selene replied. Her voice became quieter as she explained, "I sold him a Novum Principio. Normally I wouldn't do business with someone like that, but he agreed to pay a rather exorbitant price for the spell. He'd have been able to start over as a young man, but he'd have lost all knowledge of his criminal dealings and contacts along with the violent temper that led him to be such a terrible person in the first place. You know the rest. He attempted the spell too early rather than wait for the full moon, then came in here and threatened your life."

The young brunette finished for her boss, "So you turned him into a rodent and dumped him in our backyard."

"He threatened your life," Selene repeated. "You still believed you were human then, I had no idea if he could actually harm you. But that's neither here nor there. He was going to beat a sixteen year old child to death because he didn't get his way and was having a tantrum."

"Ok," Skye shook her head, "I don't want to argue that with you. I've never felt like I've been in danger any time I've been in your shop or your home, whether as a human, a cat, or as I am now. I'm just saying, maybe we need to find another option instead of 'removal'. Or if that's what you're sticking with, then we should clean up afterwards so there's no loose ends that'll bring authorities snooping around."

"Perhaps you're right. I'll think about it. Though honestly things worked out all right in the end this time. Without those 'loose ends' we might never have met Emily, we might never have been able to help her."

"Serendipity," the teen stated. "There's no way you planned that. It was just a lucky accident."

"I know," Selene agreed. "Still, it did work out ok for her. And the way you handled things for her was very nice. I'm proud of you hon."

Skye raised an eyebrow, "You are? But I didn't trick her or mislead her, or accidentally leave a spell where she could find it."

The tall blonde frowned, "None of your sass or sarcasm young lady. I'm trying to offer you a compliment."

"Sorry," the teen replied. "Thank you. I'm glad you approve of my methods."

Selene got back to work cleaning one of the countertops as she stated, "Well I didn't say that. Bringing her mother back crossed several lines and you know it. I'd be very reluctant to do that sort of thing myself. You can cause a lot of trouble when you mess with life and death hon, and I'd be happy if you didn't do it again."

"Sorry," Skye said again. "It was important to restart her at age seventeen though, since that's when it all went wrong the first time. But it meant she'd need a parent or guardian. The only living person who had any kind of close emotional bond with her was Gloria, and she wouldn't have been a good choice even if she was available."

She shrugged, "Anyways, I figured bringing her mom back would solve the problem, as well as being a nice little bonus for both of them."

"Yes it was, and it did," Selene agreed. "And please don't do it again."

"Ok," the brunette replied with a sigh, before she finally began sweeping the floor.

The two worked quietly for a bit, before Selene spoke up again.

"Did you enjoy it?" she asked. "Being nice, I mean?"

Skye stopped sweeping as she smirked, "I've been nice before you know? It's not that rare an event."

"But yes," she added. "I did enjoy it. I'm not sure about the unexpected hugs, but it was a good feeling knowing how happy Emily was."

Selene crouched down and started cleaning the front of the counter as she commented, "I was a little concerned with just how forthcoming you were with information about the two of us. You know I'm usually not that talkative with clients. And I've never taken a human to our home, or to any other world for that matter."

Skye sighed, "Ok maybe I was a bit too open and honest with her? But I think given the circumstances and the situation, it was kind of warranted. She'd been digging around all week and she already figured out about the store not fitting. Plus Gloria told her about the magic and how reality could be changed, even if Emily didn't believe it at first."

After a pause she added with a shrug, "Bottom line is, I think it was justified. And honestly it felt good to be able to share that stuff with someone. I took her to my favourite spot on Io and we sat and watched Jupiter spinning round while we talked."

The older woman frowned as she straightened up. She looked at her young companion and asked, "Are you lonely Skye? Do you miss having friends your own age?"

Skye shrugged again, "Not really. I'm not much of a people-person, remember? Anyways, considering there might not be anyone else like us in all existence I'm not likely to find another friend at any age, apart from you."

"What about being friends with a human?" Selene asked. "You enjoyed helping Emily, and it sounds like you enjoyed spending some time with her."

The teen sighed, "I can't imagine any way a friendship like that would work. I like Emily and she's grateful for what I did for her, but she's also terrified of both of us. She knows what we can do. She knows I can reshape her entire existence with a thought. Even something as simple as taking her to my quiet place on Io left her overwhelmed and anxious."

She shook her head and added, "I wouldn't want to make her endure that kind of stress or pressure just for the sake of keeping me company."

Selene continued to frown. "I just don't like to think you might be feeling lonely hon, or missing out on some part of growing up."

"I'm fine," the brunette responded quietly. "And I enjoyed helping Emily, so maybe I'll start doing more of that? I kind of get the appeal now, I get why you do it."

She smiled as she continued, "So you go on helping people your way, I'll start doing it my way, and every now and then we can bicker at each other about how you're doing it all wrong and my way's better, but neither of us will actually change how we do things."

"As long as your way doesn't involve taking people to other worlds on a regular basis, I think I can probably live with that." Selene replied with a smile of her own.

Skye grinned as she protested, "Hey, it was my first time! I'm still figuring out what my way is. All I know for sure is it'll be more direct than yours."

Her expression become somewhat thoughtful as she considered, "My way will probably involve a small black cat. Who knows, maybe it'll be enough to get people to treat black cats better. Like you never know when one will turn out to be an eternal being of unlimited power, ready to grant your deepest heart's desire."

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Cue the accusations of witchcraft. Black cats and magic already have a bad reputation, hon."

"There's that bickering I was talking about," the brunette teased. "And that's the exactly the kind of reputation I want to fix."

Selene just shook her head as she finally got back to cleaning the counter and display windows. Meanwhile Skye started sweeping again.

Once she finished the last of the counters, Selene put away the rag and spray then asked "Incidentally Skye, I was wondering what you did to ensure Emily's old self won't be missed? I trust we won't be visited by more detectives, looking for a lost coworker?"

The teen was just about finished sweeping, but rather than use a dustpan to gather up the little pile of debris she simply lifted up a corner of reality and swept the dirt underneath. Then she let reality back down to cover it up.

With the chore complete she straightened up and rolled her eyes, "Of course not. I extracted both her and her mother from their original timeline right from the start, then wove them back into the new one three decades later. Nobody will come looking for 'detective Collier' because nobody remembers that person ever existed."

"And before you ask," she added because she knew what her mentor was about to say, "I made doubly sure that wouldn't affect Gloria's life in any way. She had other friends, and someone else helped her hatch in her teens. And it happened without all the emotional baggage and lifetime of regret she was left with after crushing Emily in the first place. So basically I fixed three lives with one brilliant and cunningly executed move."

Selene gave her young friend a look as she responded, "I'm glad you were thorough and careful Skye, but don't let it go to your head. You still crossed several dangerous lines, and I won't be convinced it wasn't just beginners luck until I know you're consistently this good."

"And don't be so sure nobody remembers the detective," she added after a moment. "Even humans can become aware of changes in reality if they've experienced it enough, or if they're sensitive to it."

Skye frowned, "Are there any like that around here? Humans who're sensitive to it?"

"Yes," the older woman nodded. "Our neighbour Danni and her father Karl, they're both attuned to changes in the timelines."

"Oh," the teen responded, as her lips started to curl up into a grin. "You know after she visited us on Sunday, Emily went next door and got her ears pierced. Do you think Danni would have known her, or remembered her?"

Selene felt a small smile tickling the corners of her own lips as well. "I know she's aware that she and her father get a bit of business from our satisfied customers. If she did remember Emily from before, I'm sure Danni would have been discreet about it."

A moment later she asked, "What is it you're plotting hon? I know that look on your face."

Skye shrugged innocently, "Nothing. I was just thinking maybe I should get my ears pierced too?"

"Hon if you really wanted pierced ears you know as well as I do you could make that happen at any time," the blonde said in a reproachful tone. "Danni and her father have been very good neighbours, I'd rather not have my young apprentice startling either of them."

"Fine," the teen replied with an exaggerated sigh. Then she glanced around the quiet empty shop and suggested, "Let's go home. The shop's clean, the work's done, there's nothing more left for us to do. We're all finished here."

~ The End ~