"I'm going to need more details than that, I'm afraid."

Ashe stared at the screen, her left hand gripping the phone tight. Crystal's answer didn't make much sense, and she wasn't sure the woman would even bother to answer her. No bouncing dots greeted her as the seconds ticked by and eventually she set her phone aside and slumped back on the sofa.

A comforting arm wrapped around her and she found herself pulled into her mom's side and the dam broke, tears falling freely as she wept into the arms of one of the few people that were willing to fight for her. She held on tight to the only anchor available to her, silently wishing for some miracle she knew would never come.

She stopped believing in fairy tales long ago.

Eventually the tears dried, her eyes heavy with the weight of the day upon them. The jingle of keys and an opening door jolted her back upright, her mom chuckling as Ashe looked about. Scratching at the master bedroom door could be heard alongside whining. Her mom took the opportunity to stand and glanced towards the source of the scratching.

"I should let Jasper out before he starts—" A howl, deep yet needy, emanated from behind the door. "Nevermind."

Ashe chuckled, stretching herself the rest of the way to wakefulness. Then a blur of brown and black fur shot past the couch followed by a muted huff as her mother was forced to catch the excitable ball of fluff. Jasper was decidedly her dog, having been adopted by her mother shortly after she was. The poor fella was a police dog, now retired after a bad run in, and he was attached to her at the hip.

"I missed you too," her mother said, sounding exhausted as she carried the eighty pound dog back to the couch and set him beside Ashe where he curled up against her and laid his head down on her lap. "How are you holding up, kiddo?"

Ashe slumped back, burying herself in soft fur. "Will I get scolded for saying I feel like horseshit?"

"Not at all," her mother said. Mom returned a moment later with a steaming cup in hand and passed it to her wife. "Thanks love."

"Anytime," her mom said, taking a seat. "How bad are things looking?"

Mother grimaced, then drank half her tea in one go. Chamomile if Ashe wasn't mistaken. Hopefully Mom had added an ice cube or something to cool it.

"Legal is fairly certain that we'll get a conviction," she said, not looking at either of them. Even Ashe could tell that her ministrations to Jasper were being used to conceal something. It wasn't a surprise when her mom cleared her throat. Mother sighed. "Unfortunately, it will be a slap on the wrist at best."

"That's bullshit!" Ashe exclaimed. "They tried kidnapping me at gunpoint! The one I punched fucking groped me!"

"That's why I'm certain the excessive force charge their lawyer flaunted will be dropped," her mother said. "They also want your new girlfriend brought up on murder charges for their deceased client."

"That's bullshit!" her mom yelled at the same time Ashe said, "she's not my girlfriend!"

"She fled the scene, Linda," her mother said. "We're lucky that her composite sketch isn't all over the news right now. The only reason the department isn't making a bigger deal of this is that Ashe is family. Even those with iron cross tattoos are backing her."

"Joy," Ashe muttered. "I take it that they're out on bail now?"

"Unfortunately," her mother said. "We threw every scrap of red tape we could at them, but without this mysterious Crystal, we ran out of options. The department has your back regardless."

"She was assaulted and used appropriate force along with the help of a concerned citizen. If it weren't for the fact this is Ashe at the heart of things, this would be a conservative political wet dream."

"I really don't want to see our daughter's face on ads for people trying to take away our marriage," her mom grumbled.

"No argument there," Mother answered. She then turned back to Ashe with a grim expression. "Ashe, I know you won't like this, but I don't want you out and about without someone trustworthy at your side. Linda's on paid leave for the next week and I'll make sure the school knows you'll be out for a week or two while you recover."

Her mom grimaced. "They did strike me as the sort of assholes that would try for revenge."

"I'll be sure to bring my sidearm when I'm not going to school," Ashe said. "I'm not taking chances either, even if Mom is with me."

"That's good," Mother said with a weary smile. "We'll get you to the range once you're healed up a bit, see if that injury impacted your aim."

"Next weekend at the earliest," Mom interjected. "And only with doctor approval. We don't want to make things worse before you're fully healed."

"Doesn't mean I can't run some practice drills with an empty gun in the interim," Ashe said.

"Quite right," Mother said. "Now, it's three in the morning and I do have to be in for my usual shift. Ashe, if you need anything, don't hesitate to wake us up."

"Even if you just need a drink," Mom added. "We want to dote on you right now, so be a good daughter and let us."

Ashe rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide the smile that blossomed on her face. She was truly fortunate to have been adopted by her amazing moms. She stood with a bit of effort and enveloped them both in a crushing hug. Jasper let out a whine of jealousy until she patted him for being such a good boy.

She remembered to grab her phone and walked back to her bedroom, her mom following close behind. "Rest up, Ashe. You've got the week off, so don't be afraid to sleep in a bit."

"You've got some time off too," Ashe countered. "I'm holding you to the same standard here."

"Hoisted by my own petard," Mom said with a shake of her head. "On that note, I think sleep is in order, so goodnight."

"Night, Mom," she said, offering a parting hug.

Ashe didn't shut the door behind her, the rules of the house were clear cut, open doors unless you wanted some privacy. A shut door was a knock only entry and as far as she determined, her parents respected that rule and so did she. She kept her door shut when she was out more so to keep Jasper from messing up her bed while away, but when she was home, she tended to leave it open as a show of trust.

She crawled back in bed, thankful she didn't need to clean up her own mess. Once snuggled back under her covers, she finally opened her phone and began to catch back up on things. Her raid team ended up clearing the final fight with the help of one of their teammate's alt raid group members, which left her a bit sour, but she was still happy for the group all the same. She didn't have social accounts to check, her birth mother didn't have family and she had no idea who her father was nor did she care. Her social circles were depressingly small and so she found herself checking her texts and came to the reply from Crystal.

"I sort of ran away from home, years ago, not that it stuck. My father is someone I'd rather not get into, but I do know he has people watching for if my name turns up. I'm of age now, but I do maintain contact with my little brother much to the man's dismay. If I got involved, you would have powerful eyes on your case that you don't want. I'm willing to say more, but it will have to be in person. Sorry that I kinda fucked you over, but I'll try to make that up to you if you'll let me."

Ashe stared at the screen, unsure what to think of what she was reading. She turned the words over through a second read, then a third. Crystal had secrets, that much was blindingly obvious, but there were things she could use in the message to learn more. The question was, did she want to dig deeper?

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

If her name actually was Crystal then finding the missing person's report would be easy enough, even if it was over a decade old. If not, she could comb the reports for someone in the nineteen through twenty three range and likely find Crystal that way. She didn't think she was older than that, given she would be willing to entertain dating once Ashe was eighteen.

Ultimately, she decided against it. Digging like that risked running the woman off completely, and like it or not, Ashe couldn't stop thinking about her blue hair and bottle green eyes. She wanted to be friends with her, for she had so few of those. A chance to get to know someone without all the preconceptions that came with her school's rumor mill. Halsey High was a cesspit of rumor and backroom deals after all. Jessica often bragged about how daddy bought her a spot on the cheer team.

She wasn't going to waste the chance being presented. Ashe started typing, Jasper wandering in and hopping into bed with her as she did so, and sent the message before she could reconsider.

"When would you like to meet?"

She sighed, snuggling into the ball of fur and warmth, the text on her mind as the reply came in.

----------------------------------------

Ashe wasn't sure she was making the correct call, meeting up with a woman she barely knew without her parents. Sure, her mom knew where she was, and wasn't far off, watching from a restaurant across the street from the outdoor bistro slash coffee shop that they agreed to for their meeting. That was the condition for being allowed out and about, she wouldn't be unsupervised.

She felt the comforting weight of her sidearm on her shoulder. Her reloading drills demonstrated that her ability to handle a gun wasn't impaired beyond her ability to compensate, but she wouldn't fire unless given no choice. Her arm was still healing, no point stressing it further.

Ashe arrived early and claimed a seat. It was just lunch with someone that might become a friend. She had to remind herself of that. It wasn't a date, even if she wanted it to be one. So, she sat under the Florida sun, enjoying a cool sea breeze with nothing but a light jacket to hide her hidden gun.

That was when she caught sight of the deep midnight blue that haunted her dreams. Sleep was fleeting in the wake of the attack, but that blue represented a comfort each time the nightmares came. Ashe found herself waving, and Crystal smiled, adjusting her path slightly to arrive at the table.

"Hope you weren't waiting long," Crystal said, taking off her jacket.

Ashe was momentarily captivated by the sight of muscled arms practically dancing with color, decorated with several tattoos. Her left arm especially, starting with a spider's web on her shoulder set between branches that turned into a series of vines and flowers that stretched down her arm and ended with a single black widow hanging from a web near her wrist.

Ashe shook her head, sliding the menu over as Crystal took the opposite seat. She couldn't let herself get distracted by her arms, or tattoos. "Not long. Given how busy it was, I went ahead and ordered a sampler. Figured that was safe enough."

"Good choice, and dibs on the poppers," Crystal said as she skimmed the menu then set it aside. "How's your arm?"

"A bit numb," Ashe said truthfully. "The doctors weren't sure if the nerve damage was permanent or not."

"Fuck. I'm so sorry," Crystal said. "I should have just shot all three and been done with it. You're going to carry the scars of my inaction for the rest of your life."

Ashe blinked at the heavy words spoken. She sometimes heard things like that from officers nearing retirement, but hearing it from a girl only a few years older than she proved sobering. Just what trials had Crystal endured to speak such words? It made Ashe shiver to consider and the weight of it brought her mood down.

Thankfully, a long haired waitress distracted Crystal from the somber turn as she placed the basket of fried goodness down on the table, then accepted Crystal's full order. She hurried off, and Ashe hid her expression behind a glass of cola. Crystal regarded her with a soft smile and eyes full of pity. Those eyes held her attention longer than was proper, and she had to look away to prevent her blush from growing too blatant.

Mom had told her, she was a young girl experiencing a puppy crush. Sure, it could grow into more, but for now she had to keep that in mind, to avoid it blinding her judgment. Ashe agreed with that assessment just hours earlier, but now, looking at the woman again. She was struggling to heed those words.

"So, what first?" Crystal asked. Ashe blinked, trying to recenter her focus on the reason she was there in the first place. "That I lied about my name, or how I can help deal with the piss ants that made bail?"

Ashe pushed the disappointment aside and focused on which she wanted to hear first. Name. She needed to know Crystal's real name if she was going to trust the woman.

"You mentioned your father being a thorn, so let's start there," Ashe said, grabbing a fried pickle chip. Stereotypes be damned, she liked them. "Why is he so dangerous? High up with the IP?"

"Something like that," she muttered, staring at the plate of food as if contemplating using it to delay further. "My name is Crystal, but my last name isn't Fairbrooks, it's Ellington."

"Ellington," Ashe said, mulling it over before a spark of recognition went off in the back of her mind. "As in Senator Ellington?"

"Got it in one," Crystal said with a self-deprecating laugh. "As you can see, having that fuckwit as my father complicates things."

That would certainly do it. Ashe only knew as much as she did because he was one of the fuckers that kept coming for her right to exist. He spearheaded several anti-LGBT bills over the years, thankfully none of them made it to national law. Still, he was extremely popular in Jericho and Florida in general for that matter. His word carried weight, and Crystal was his daughter.

A bitter pill, but the emotion packed within Crystal's voice rang true. Nothing more needed to be said. She believed her and that was that. One more question remained and it was the one she feared most to ask. It was the one her parents wouldn't approve of, and yet, it was also the one that she was most eager to hear the answer to.

"You mentioned retribution," Ashe said, picking up a mozzarella stick. "Let's hear it."

Crystal smiled, a beautiful thing, yet also terrible. There was no kindness or mercy in those eyes of hers, just hard edges and raw determination. "I found out where the broken nosed bastard lives."

"Okay," Ashe said slowly. "What good does that do me?"

Crystal chuckled. "Oh not much. I just happen to know he moves drugs for the Iron Pricks. How would you feel about paying him a visit and seeing what we find?"

Ashe moved to shoot the idea down right then and there, yet the words caught in her throat. Justice already failed once, and if he could get away with sexual assault with a slap on the wrist, what were the odds that getting caught with dope would see him punished appropriately?

The idea was oh so wrong, and yet, it might just be her best bet.

"I'm listening," Ashe said, damning herself even as Crystal began to explain the things they could do. Not even the arrival of their food dampened the flow of ideas. Worst of all, she wasn't opposed to nearly as many of them as she would have liked.