"it's safe to say we are a eclectic bunch." Cindy says some time later. She, Tattoo and Mandy had been sitting on the stools at the counter in the kitchen and drinking coffee while talking about 'just everything'. "I had Jerry give me a Cliff Notes of what happened with you and Sam. Sam is not the easiest person to get to warm up to you. She keeps a lot of walls up around her. It took me months to get through and she still holds me off a bit. Lump over there broke her is half and then overwhelmed her with sex. I don't know what you did but I never seen her hug like that or jump in on a death like that. She is more then willing to kill herself for training and even for others to face death but she does not go with them. 'She's watched death enough times' she says, yet she went with you... I'd say you've found your people, welcome home Mandy"

Mandy bottom was tired of the stool so she walked back to the couch. "I didn't do anything special. If anything I just follow my gut around. I figure out what needs to be done and how I can do it then I follow my gut instincts on which way is the right way. Hugs are just a part of who I am, I don't really give people the chance to be put off by  them, I just hug like that's the way it's susposed to be. They have to be super standoffish to escape my hugs." Mandy laughs. "As for the death thing, It just made sense. it was my fear of death we were trying to overcome so I needed to die, in fact I needed to do the killing and the dying. Jerry makes doing that much easier but still, I was looking down the blade at me, and I was pushing a blade through me. It didn't seem right that Sam should have to die again just so I could experience it second hand. First hand made more sense."

Jerry's voice broke in, "Sam's on her way." A body started to build out of the couch right next to Mandy. By the time Sam opened her eyes Mandy was already holding her. Sam slid in even closer and turns and crumpled onto Mandy's lap in a heap of tears. Mandy handed Sam the hankey that was all of a sudden in her hand and caressed her back and head. Sam's sobbing slowed.

"J-J-Jerry? Direct copy. Me to Mandy. from the stab forward. Save a complete copy of the time you erased, Time lock it for 24 hours with a notice to me, you can do something like that right?"

"Yes Sam, Done."

"Jerry, we both know Cindy and Tattoo will want to know, so start the time lock for them. Do it for yourself too, I know you copied it but there is a difference between just knowing something and really seeing it in real time. That is assuming the time lock holds you out as well."

"It does Sam. When I said I would not keep a copy I meant for you to have complete control over that record. Even I could not access it with out your say so, so thank you."

"Good. I may be ready to talk about it in a day or so... But Mandy get's it now. It's all thanks to her, you know." Sam then blushes bright red. "AND, besides... I am her bitch after all." Sam actually giggled.

Jaws dropped all around the room. This was not the Sam everyone else knew. Mandy's jaw dropped for a totally different reason than the others. She had the time Sam spent staying with dying Sam dumped into her brain and she was skimming through it in her head. "Well, We can't refuse a dying girl's last request, can we?" Mandy started to move like she was getting up. Sam released her and straightened up. "Tattoo, I assume that you have a guest room here some place? it's getting late and Sam and I need a bed."

Tattoo's jaw hit the floor again, right next to Cindy's. Sam giggles again and Mandy stands and straightens her dress. "Jerry, Tattoo's forgotten how to speak. Point me to the spare bedroom please. OH! Well that's handy. It does help to know the floorplan of the house your in. Good night you two, Cindy, while you're here like this why don't you either do a striptease for Tattoo or let him undress you. If he's never seen this body clothed before then undressing you might be a treat to him. Let's go to bed Sam." Mandy takes Sam's hand and they wander off to the guest room.

"What the hell just happened?" Cindy asked Tattoo. "WHAT DID I MISS??? When did Sam become 'Mandy's bitch'?" Cindy is looking a bit panic stricken.

"Jerry, Tell them this one time and this one time only, they get a free pass. On my authority Jerry, full unconditional privacy and auto erase on completion if they ask for it. Let them know I already oked it."

Cindy looks like the bottom of her world just dropped out. "Your giving them privacy? They are going to need privacy? This is not some kind of joke? Lump have you gone insane? You'd give your left nut to watch a show like that? I AM SO CONFUSED RIGHT NOW!"

Tattoo get's up and start tugging Cindy up off the stool "Cindy, shut up, and lets go to bed. I do want to undress you." Tattoo takes the flummoxed Cindy off to his room, undresses her and himself and they crawl in bed and again Cindy almost faints. "Tattoo? Are you ok? Why are you holding me so tight?"

"Jerry, lights out. Cindy please just be quiet, and cuddle up."

Lump, cuddling? Cindy is clearly in a panic now! "Tattoo are you ok? Don't make me ask Jerry..."

"I'm fine Cindy." A few minutes later Tattoo whispers in her ear, "Thank you for being here and just being you. You girls mean a lot to me and I need to remember to tell you every so often so that you don't forget that I love you."

"I love you too, Lump..." Cindy is now sure that Tattoo is dying... She holds him close trying not to cry.