Doppelganger

Chapter 13

After dinner, Logan asked Quip a bunch of questions about what had happened in the alley and the two men. She grudgingly answered as best as she could, hoping he would leave her alone eventually to eat her ice cream in peace. Ice cream really was good stuff. It was vanilla with chocolate syrup on it and these rainbow-colored sugar bits called sprinkles. She had never had it before, but now she was going to want it every day.

"So...what would I have to do?" Quip asked, raising her eyebrows as she looked up from the ice cream when he finished talking.

"I'm not going to say it's not going to be dangerous, but you'll be protected," Logan started, sounding very positive about the situation. Quip glanced at Alec who shook his head and became engrossed in the rain that was hitting the window. He looked annoyed. She turned her gaze back toward Logan, and he continued.

"It's really actually simple. All you have to do is sit on the witness stand and tell the judge and the jury what you told me."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it," Logan said. He smiled at her and leaned back in his chair.

"We'll be there the entire time," Max said, trying to be reassuring.

"And you've already had practice dodging bullets," Alec added. He was tossing Logan glares when he wasn't looking out the window. Quip didn't think that Alec was happy with Logan right now.

"We're going to hope there's no need for any more bullet-dodging," Logan said. He turned his attention back to Quip. "Are you willing to do it?"

"What happens after I do it?" she asked. She bit her lower lip. She had overheard the plans, but she wanted them to tell her too.

"Well, there's a family in Canada that would like to adopt you," Logan said. He tilted his head to the side. "Would you like to live with them? They're good people."

Quip shrugged. She really didn't want to, but she wasn't used to saying no. She bowed her head and stole a glance at Alec. She didn't want to leave Seattle. She liked it here, and she didn't know anything about Canada except that it was north. She wasn't particularly fond of north.

"You don't have to tell us yet," Max exclaimed, "You can wait."

"Okay," Quip said. She ate another spoonful of ice cream and looked back at Logan. "Would it help if I, um, testified?"

"It wouldn't hurt the case."

"Except it might hurt you," Alec said. He looked at her, his eyes dark.

"Alec," Max said, shaking her head.

Alec held up his hands. "I'm just saying, there's risk involved. It's not a cake walk."

"I didn't say it was," Logan said, "It's your choice, Quip, and you can always back out if you don't want to do it anymore."

Quip looked at her ice cream. It was melting, sticky chocolate disappearing beneath pools of warming vanilla. "I guess I can try," she finally said, looking back up at the others. "I want to help."

"And the self-sacrificing X5 chick gets a sidekick," Alec muttered under his breath. Max glared at him, but he only stared back at her.

"Great! I'll let Matt know in the morning," Logan said. He stood up and started to gather their empty ice cream bowls. "This will really help out, Quip. Thank you."

She rolled her shoulders around, not really knowing what to say.

"Speaking about morning," Max said, "Quip, do you want to go home with me tonight? OC said she'd make hot chocolate, and you can have my bed."

Quip bowed her head. "Can...can I go home with Alec?"

Max pulled back, seemingly shocked. "Sure, if that's what you want..."

"Great," Alec said, rolling his eyes and standing up, "Another night with mini-me. Joy." But Quip could tell he wasn't mad because the right side of his mouth was turned up. He was trying not to smile. He looked into the living room. "I guess we should grab your new gear and head out then."

"I'll get you a bag," Max said. She gracefully stood up and headed into the living room.

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Back at Alec's apartment, Quip took a quick shower, careful of the stitches in her side. When she got out, she was exhausted. She changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. It had been a long day, and the painkillers she had taken at Logan's were finally making her drowsy.

Barefoot, she walked out into the living room, her hair lying on her back in stringy wet strands. Alec was watching TV, mindlessly flipping through channels. She headed to the couch and sprang up onto it. The blanket she had used last night was still there and so was the big pillow. She cuddled it and burrowed down in the cushions, her head pressed against the pillow.

"There're pajamas in there," Alec said, nodding toward the bag of Max had sent home with them.

Quip lifted her head from the pillow and grinned at him. "Did you look through my stuff?"

"No, I saw them at Logan's," Alec replied. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Just thought since Max got them, you could use them."

"It's a nightgown," Quip said. She wrinkled her nose and put her head back down on the pillow. Even though it had frills and stuff, it reminded her too much of the sleeping gowns she had worn back at Manticore. And it had frills and stuff. Quip wasn't going to wear it.

"Not wearing it?"

"Nope."

There was silence for a few minutes until Alec sighed and turned the TV off. He looked over at her. "You can have the bed, Quip."

"I don't want it," she mumbled. She glanced at him. "You can have it."

"You didn't seem to mind the bed when I first saw you."

"It's lumpy."

"The couch is worse."

"I like the couch." She glared at him.

"Fine, have it your way." He stood up and moved toward his bedroom. He stopped, his hand on the doorjamb. "Um, do you want more blankets?"

"I'm good," she drawled. She was half-asleep and couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.

She heard Alec laugh and imagined him shaking his head. "Okay, kid. Good night." The lights went off, and Quip started a dreamless sleep.