Doppelganger

Chapter 12

When Alec finally got back to Jam Pony for good at the end of the day, he found Normal ranting to someone who was as short as the counter about boxing matches that Alec had been in.

"And then, hey, listen up," Normal said, looking down. Alec could see the top of Quip's head above the counter, but that was all. "And then your brother popped up next to Sam and socked him right in the kisser." Normal bobbed and weaved and threw a sloppy jab into the air. "Right there, right in the mouth. Sam didn't know what hit him. He was down of the count, and your brother won me more money than I knew what to do with." Normal sighed and leaned back against the counter, shaking his head in admiration. "That man is a god."

"A hungry god," Alec said as he walked up to the counter, pushing his bike beside him, "But I don't think gods are supposed to be hungry." He glanced over the side of the counter and grinned at Quip. The kid was standing beside Normal. She flicked her eyes up at him with a long-suffering look before smiling at Normal and nodding. Smart kid.

"Speak of the angel," Normal said, turning toward Alec. He patted Quip on the head and smirked at Alec. "I was just telling your sister about your conquests in the ring of combat. Great stuff, back then."

Alec almost lost it at the look on Quip's face. If Normal patted her again like that, he might lose a hand.

"Yeah..." Alec drawled, his voice full of veiled sarcasm, "Good times." He clapped his hands together. "Well, I'm clocked out. Ready to go, squirt?"

Quip's face lit up like he had given her a pony. "Yes!" She darted around the doorway and stood by his side. Still keeping up with the ruse, she grabbed Alec's hand and smiled with childish embarrassment at Normal. "Thank you, Mr. Normal, for letting me spend the day with you."

Normal slipped back into his belligerent persona and waved his hand at her. "Sure, sure. Now get out of here, I'm not paying you overtime, even if you are my golden boy."

Alec hid a smirk as he turned around and headed back toward the entrance, Quip's small hand still in his. When they were out on the street, she dropped his hand and the cute little girl act, reverting back to her slightly feral X8 state.

"What took you so long?" she asked, peering up at him with his own eyes and an irritated expression he knew his face made. That was so friggin' weird.

"Well, sometimes people have to eat, and when people have X5 moral-infused ice queens breathing down their necks about not stealing crap constantly, people have to get jobs and actually do work in order to eat. It sucks." Alec frowned as he thought about Max and her save-the-world morality complex. "Of course, that doesn't mean people can't supplement their income with extra, nighttime activities on the side."

"You work as a call-boy?" Quip was staring at him now, her mouth open with disgust, nose scrunched up, face wrinkled. "Ew...that's gross."

Alec froze. A woman walking in the opposite direction nearly collided into him. Still ogling Quip, he side-stepped the woman. "What?! Hell no! I steal things. You know, cat-burgling?"

A tiny, infuriating smile dashed across Quip's face. "Mhmm."

"I am not a call-boy!" he exclaimed. People around them turned and stared, eyebrows raised. Alec's face grew hot as he realized that he had forgotten his surroundings. The kid was throwing him off. He glared at Quip and started walking again, swinging his arms in aggravation as she smothered a giggle.

"It's not that bad," Quip said, trotting to keep up with him. Her little legs were no match for his lengthy stride. "You could be a kidney-peddler. Now that'd be bad."