It’s grey and drizzly outside, but Mugshot is warmly lit. The clinking cups, the muffled music, the hissing steam. I take it all in, my fingers toying absently with the malachite necklace.

Calla leans back against the wall, letting her hazel eyes travel slowly over the decor. One elbow resting on the table, the other slung back against her chair, her legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle. She’s wearing a flight suit knotted at her waist, just beneath her white t-shirt. One of her favorite looks, I’ve noticed, and I can’t help but wonder now if all of those flight suits belong to her mom. Maybe this is Calla’s way of keeping her close when she’s off-planet.

Tycho is curled up in a peaceful huddle on Calla’s lap, dozing gently. She barely fits there anymore, but she’s insistently trying to ignore that.

“I’m glad you caught me before my shift!” I tell Calla, drawing her eyes back to me. “Thanks for coming to get our, um - Ghost Office report? For your grandmas.”

“No problem. I was headed here anyways, since I have to return this little monster.” Calla gives me a devious wink, affectionately tugging on Tycho’s crooked ear. “I borrowed her for part of a disguise. We had a lively little outing together.”

I let out a startled laugh, then reach over to pet Tycho, who opens her blue eyes and happily wags her tail. “Did you commit your first crime, sweet thing?”

“Oh, that was not the first crime she’s been a part of,” Calla informs me. “Not even close.”

“Right.” I let out a little laugh, sitting back. “I forgot who you were returning her to. She’s like the opposite of a K9.”

“I know. She’s the best.” A sad pout comes over Calla’s face as Tycho nuzzles her tiny nose into her palm. “Ugh. I don’t want to give her back to Ralph. Now I miss her when I’m in Port Sitka, too. It’s bad enough missing him.”

“Aw!” I answer, beaming at her.

Calla realizes what she said, and frowns at me. “Erase that from your brain.”

“I - but - I’ll - yeah, okay. I will.”

“Oh my god.” Calla presses her fingers over her mouth, suppressing a laugh as she takes in the stressed-out expression on my face. “Okay, stop trying to lie. You’re gonna hurt yourself. If you can’t forget, then just don’t tell Ralph I said that to you.”

“No, I - I won’t. Definitely won’t. Even though it was nice, and it would probably make him happy. But I won’t! Probably not even by accident, probably! Am I - am I saying probably too many times?” I fan my face anxiously. “Is it hot in here?”

The laugh escapes Calla, half-exasperated, half full of affection.

“Holy shit. You really just can’t lie, Jamie Keane.”

I let out an agonized groan, blushing with embarrassment. “At least you know I’m not lying about what happened in the forest.”

“Yeah, that all must be true, even though it sounds fucking unbelievable.” Calla shakes her head, looking dazed. “My grandmas, they honestly had no idea… They just had a feeling there was something left unfinished, and the illusions made the most sense.”

“Yeah, they’re still very much around. All except the one. They’re fading fast, but it seems like we gave Thorn and Coral some energy back by restoring their memories.”

Calla lets out a slow breath, absorbing that.

“God, if we’d known the illusions were in trouble - although I guess - I don’t know what could have been done, until another Guardian came along…” Calla nibbles her lip thoughtfully, her fingers trailing over the many piercings in her ear. “You know, I'm sad that the Tree fell, don’t get me wrong, but this type of thing is why I’m glad that I’m not a Guardian. Grandma has no idea of the extent of what she did, making those illusions. Makes you wonder what magic Aiden has done that he doesn’t know the consequences of.”

“None, nothing!” I protest anxiously, thinking of the little critters always hanging around the malachite sapling, and the fruits I noticed missing from the ruby tree. “I’m - totally sure that everything’s fine!”

“All these attempts at lying to me are only further convincing me of your honesty,” Calla laughs, getting to her feet as the barista comes over to the counter with our drinks. “Not that I needed more proof. Not after that job we did at the White Diamond Hotel.”

I open my mouth to answer, then stop, staring blankly at Calla.

“What?” she asks, catching my expression as I hurry to catch up with her and Tycho.

“Nothing, just - the way you said that, it sounded so cool. So much more professional and dignified than it actually was.”

Calla arches an eyebrow. “Did I make it sound that way? That was not my intention.”

“Oh, come on, we made it through that! And we handled ourselves just fine in the forest of illusions, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, sounds like you did. I’m amazed, given how soft you Ketterbridge people are.”

“Hey!” I make an indignant face at Calla as the Mugshot employee sets our to-go cups on the counter. “We’re not all soft here! We’re just - um - what…?”

I trail off, staring down at my to-go cup. Jamie is written on the side in Sharpie, like always, but for some reason today there are little hearts drawn all around it.

I look inquiringly at the girl who handed us our drinks.

“Yeah, I dunno what to tell you,” she giggles. “Sticky is feeling some kind of way today. He’s doing that on all the cups. I’m not sure what’s going on. I’ve never seen him in this mood before. Normally he’s in the opposite of this mood.”

She gestures to the guy who took our order. He’s very slowly restocking the to-go cups, dreamily smiling off into the distance, blissfully unaware of anything going on around him.

“Sticky, your phone is buzzing,” one of the other baristas calls. “I think someone’s texting you.”

He promptly drops the entire armful of stacked to-go cups he was holding and runs for his phone. The empty cups scatter all over the counter with a noisy crash.

“Sorry!” Sticky is half-shouting over his shoulder, tripping over his own feet in his eager, breathless rush. “I’ll - I’ll clean it up later! I’m so sorry! Hang on, I’ll be back, and I’ll - I’ll fix it!”

Calla bites back a grin, turning her cup so I can see the hearts drawn all over it. “What were you just saying, Jamie?”

“Forget it,” I groan, then snatch up the pastry bags and head for the door.

Calla follows me outside into the blustery summer afternoon, admiring the warm orange glow of the lights in the windows against the rainy grey dimness. The sky is shimmering with hazy clouds, heavy with rain but faintly glowing with hidden sunlight.

“They almost look nacreous,” I murmur, gazing upwards with appreciative eyes. “But that would be out of season.”

Calla laughs softly, shaking her head. “Why do I always end up hanging out with science nerds?”

I give her an apologetic smile. “Well, thanks for filling your grandparents in for us. Even though you had to come to this town full of softies and science nerds.”

“It’s fine,” Calla answers absently, watching the gentle rainfall on the wildflowers. “I don’t mind it here. Ralph is here. Mel and Alix, too, and you and Aiden, all the boys, really. I like Mugshot, and that bakery near your flower shop. Ralph also showed me a few cool places in the forest, and this deli with really good sandwiches. And if I’m being honest, I feel weird when there are no science nerds around.”

I look over at Calla in surprise, but decide against asking any follow-up questions.

“Two, by the way?” I nod at the coffees and the pastry bags in her hands. “Who honestly drinks a shaken espresso without milk or sugar?”

“It’s for Ralph. He texted me and said he’s up, but knowing him, he’s been working all night. And I’m gonna add stuff to the coffee when I get to his house. I make a brown sugar syrup he likes. He says nothing else tastes like it.” Calla smiles to herself, then frowns at the Sharpie hearts drawn all around Ralph’s name. “That’s no good, though. He’s gonna think I did that. Can’t have him thinking I’m feeling soft about him.”

“What, um-? Don’t you tell each other that you love each other, like, every day?”

Calla raises one eyebrow at me. “So?”

“So… okay, nothing. Nevermind.” I let out a baffled laugh, then pop the trunk of my car. “Hang on, don’t leave yet! I have some summer lily bulbs I think your grandmas will like for their garden.”

Calla sets her stuff down on her own car, then catches Tycho and slips her in through the window.

“This girl is getting big and heavy,” she groans, as Tycho eagerly leans up to lick her face. “She’s gonna grow into those giant paws.”

Tycho stands up on the seat, puts her paws up on the window, and pants at us with a puppy smile on her silver and white face. But puppy smile or no, she’s growing into a sizable dog.

“She’s already growing into the paws, if you ask me.” I tap the tip of her nose, and she snuffles at my finger. “You’re gonna be huge by the time you take on your guard dog responsibilities, aren’t you? Ralph better finish training you fast!”

“What was that?” Calla drops the pastry bags into her car, then looks over at me in confusion. “Who needs guarding? You better not mean me. Ralph knows better than to think I need any help looking after myself.”

“No, not for you, I meant…”

I slow down, then cut myself off abruptly.

Oh, no. Ralph told me that he was training Tycho to look after any future little ones he might have, but - maybe he hasn’t shared that plan with Calla? I don’t even think he would’ve told me, except that he was trying to take my mind off of things when I was upset. Even then, he pretended he was only joking… and Calla is staring at me through the rain with her hazel eyes narrowed, like she honestly has no idea what I’m talking about.

Maybe - this whole topic is something Ralph and Calla haven’t discussed yet?

Oops. Shit.

I blush a little, then thrust the box with the lily bulbs into Calla’s hands. “Well, anyways - tell your folks we say hi!”

“I - okay,” she says, puzzled. “I mean. I’m gonna tell them you said a lot of things. Like about how my grandma accidentally created a new kind of sentient creature.”

“Yeah, you’re - you’re probably gonna want to let her know about that.” I close the trunk of my car, then push my rain-wet hair out of my eyes. “But also tell her that we’re on it, okay? We’ll help her illusions. They’re in good hands.”

Calla sighs deeply. “The mental image of you running in circles around a giant fountain with condoms flying out of your pockets and a security guard on your ass just flashed through my mind.”

I wince hard, then let out a helpless laugh.

“Look, crime is your thing, alright? This is magic. This is Aiden’s thing.”

“And yours,” Calla adds, tossing Tycho’s leash into the car, then carefully setting down the lily bulbs.

I stare at her in surprise.

“I guess… yeah, and mine, even if I can’t do it myself…” I trail off thoughtfully, then give myself a shake. “The point is, we’ll handle it. I promise. Check this out.”

I unlock my phone and hold it up to show her something.

Calla looks at it blankly, then looks at me. “What’s that?”

“A picture of a hydria,” I explain brightly. “Aiden and I looked it up, and now we know what it looks like, so. That’s step one of finding it, right? Off to a good start! We’ve got this, clearly!”

Calla stares at me, then breathes out a soft laugh.

“Can’t believe I’m saying this,” she tells me, “But I trust you.”

I stop and stare at Calla, my eyes very wide. She gives me a smile, then drops into her car.

“Good luck,” she calls.

She drives off, leaving me standing there in the rain, staring after her in surprise.

~~~~

I let myself into Aiden’s office, then stop where I am when both Gabby and Aiden both turn to look at me.

Aiden is leaning back against his desk, looking adorable in his work clothes, his luxuriant chestnut locks pushed back from his face. Gabby is relaxing in a chair across from him with a cup of coffee cradled in her hands. Her long hair is in a high, thick braid today, a few strands artfully left loose around her face.

“Oh - Gabby! Hey! You look nice!”

“Hi, Jamie! Look who's talking! Aiden was right, the camping beard looks good on you.” She gets to her feet to exchange some air kisses with me, then laughs when she sees the giant grin on my face. “Aiden was just telling me about your camping trip. It sounds like Port Sitka is beautiful.”

“Oh, it is! But I still prefer Ketterbridge, personally.”

Gabby smiles, taking a delicate sip of her coffee. “Nice to hear, as the City Manager. I’m guessing you’re here to visit our archivist?”

“Yeah, I’m headed out for my shift at the shop, but I thought I’d swing by with some goodies from Mugshot.”

“Aw!” Aiden's blue eyes catch on the hearts drawn all around his name on the coffee cup. “That’s cute, Keane.”

“I didn’t do that, babe, the barista did.”

“What?” Aiden bristles indignantly. “Do I need to go have a talk with someone about doodling hearts all over my boyfriend’s coffee order?”

“No, it wasn’t like that! Don’t take it out on Sticky!”

“Take it out on sticky?” Aiden asks, bewildered. “What does that mean?”

“You better have brought a pastry for me,” Gabby tells me, with complete seriousness. “That’s the price of paying visits at City Hall.”

“I did bring three pastries for Aiden, so… sure?”

“Take one, boss,” Aiden tells Gabby, coming over to kiss my forehead and accept his coffee from me. “That’s a thank-you for the concha bread you brought me last week. And for letting me take a half-day so we can go camping again.”

“I will take it,” Gabby laughs, extracting a croissant from the bag. She stops for a second, biting the inside of her cheek, gazing up at me and Aiden. “So, all these camping trips… what prompted this? Is there some project you’re working on?”

“Yeah, you could call it that,” Aiden rumbles.

Gabby turns her inquiring eyes on me. I falter for a second, afraid of having to lie, then come out with:

“Just - something we need to take care of.”

Gabby hesitates. She opens her mouth, then closes it again. Looks like there’s something she wants to say, but she seems to change her mind.

“Well,” she says slowly, tapping her manicured fingers on her coffee cup. “If you need to take more half-days to get it done, let me know. If it’s for something important, I understand.”

Aiden and I stare at her in surprise.

“Thanks, Gabby,” I answer, full of affection. “That’s so nice!”

“No problem.” She shrugs her braid over her shoulder, then strides gracefully towards the door. “Anyways, I’ll see you two later! I’ve got a meeting to get to.”

“Bye,” we call after her, and she shuts the door with a fluttering little wave.

“Hey, my employee review went really good,” Aiden says brightly. “No complaints from Gabby.”

“Really? That’s great!” I beam up at him, then glance down at his desk, noticing a file entitled Aiden Callahan. “Is that it? Can I read it?”

I open it up, but Aiden takes it from me immediately.

“No, dude, that’s not mine! That’s Gabby’s file on me. She forgot it here, we should go snag her before…” Aiden trails off, his eyebrows furrowing. “Hang on, what…?”

There’s a silence, and then Aiden looks up at me, his blue eyes wide.

“Jamie. You need to see this.”