Midge was sure the last of his insides ground to a halt when Queen reached the bottom and Pan hobbled into his arms. He felt numb; hollow.

Queen had the grace to look up at him. Pan didn't even offer him that much. Gaze low, Pan checked the object in Queen's hand.

It was hard to make out her words, but not her intent. She tugged Queen by the arm. Queen didn't move, not until Pan clutched her knee and lost balance.

Pan's arm around his neck, Queen glanced up at Midge again, and then helped Pan walk toward the café.

Midge stood there like an idiot.

Pan. The Lowlander traditionalist, so strict in her ways that she'd finally broken it off because being with an Elemental was "wrong." The same woman who wouldn't acknowledge that she and Midge were an item for fear of what people might say. And "What if my father finds out?"

The very lengths Midge had gone through, the hoops he'd obediently jumped. And for what?

Those ideals must have vanished sometime during the last two years, because Pan leaned back against the wall and allowed Queen to move the long apron aside and pull her pant leg up.

Pan wasn't even vocal when Queen kissed her knee in plain view.

Midge fought back the urge to vomit. When Queen picked Pan up, no doubt heading back to the café, Midge sat down.

He should have gone down; been the bigger man, checked on Pan, but a part of him hated the two-timer. He hated them both.

From here, Midge could go home. He probably should. If he didn't, he might take a swing at someone. At this moment he couldn't readily say who'd be at the end of his fist. He wished he could hit himself for being so stupid.

Thoughts of leaving weighed on him, but he had a feeling he was forgetting something.

"Hey!" Lydia's voice carried from below.

Closing his eyes, Midge groaned. This was one more thing he couldn't deal with right now. He couldn't leave, not so easily. Yet he couldn't will himself to go back down and get Lydia. The last place Midge wanted to be was Big Henry—a fitting physical manifestation of his misadventures at wooing—but it was the only place he could get some peace and quiet.

From there he stared out at the city, feeling sorry for himself.

No. He wasn't all that shocked, but he'd held out hope. Time was all they'd needed. Midge would have figured out how to sync with Pan eventually. He'd just needed a little more time. Queenie had managed it, of course. As far as DNA went, Midge and Queen were nearly identical. Even the System had trouble telling them apart. They were nearly identical, and now Midge was seeing that bastard's face where his should be.

He had just needed more time.

Lydia's annoying complaints carried from the bottom of the building. She could keep whining though, Midge was done with being everyone's doormat. It hadn't gotten him much. The morning transports were a few hours away still, but Lydia could wait.

War-gen were about—watching them, watching Midge—so she would be safe. So long as Midge didn't head further into the Lower Levels.

Forehead on his knees, Midge tried to keep his heart from popping right then and there.

Queen and Pan. And worst yet, Pan had given Queenie her private name, Willow. She never once offered it to Midge. Granted, Midge never offered his own either but that was a different issue. They hadn't been able to sync and there was no sense in giving out a name Pan could never use. Informal names were reserved for spouses.

It was all Midge could do not to scream; not to totally lose it and break Big Henry in two. Fuck it. Fuck them all.

He had his curfews to think about, his jobs, and other obligations he had to check in on. Life might have been easier when he was back teaching his younger brothers. There was no 'weekend' for young E's.

"Right about now, I'd give anything for those fourteen-hour school days again," Midge grumbled.

He'd given it all up. And for what? To be stuck in the one place in the Colony he'd been permanently thrown out of, with his twin, with his idiot boss, Joshua, with Ruckus and her stupid campaign for Mitchellii, and now with Pan; his brother's new fiancée.

He wanted to vomit.

If not for the body flopping over the banister, he might have done just that.

Lydia picked herself up only a few inches from the ground before she flopped down again, hugging the solid surface below her.

"Oh my gosh," Lydia gasped. "I actually made it."

She wasn't the only one stunned. Midge couldn't tear his eyes off the woman lying on the ground. Lydia's body glistened with sweat, even her hair was matted.

Fear of heights be damned, she'd gone through hell. She'd actually climbed Big Henry. As small as Lydia was, she looked larger than life when she finally dragged herself to her feet, and dusted her skin hugging trousers off.

"That was, by far, the worst idea I've ever had. And trust me, I've had a few doosies," Lydia complained.

Midge watched her as if she'd fade like some illusion.

"You climbed all that way? On your own?"

"Well, you're my transport home," Lydia said, hands perched on her hips. "That, and you sorta have my loot."

Somehow, Midge didn't think it was the money that motivated the petite woman to do the impossible and reach this far. The way Lydia crouched down shortly after, betrayed her return to a fearful reality.

"You didn't come down, and I wanted to check on you. Are you okay?" Lydia asked.

"Go away," Midge said, turning from her. There was no place to go. No prospects to follow. Even Pan was unattainable now.

"How exactly? 'Cause I'm not heading back down by myself...."

Midge hunched, resolving to ignore her.

"Hey, listen. I can't say I know how you feel, I mean, you've just suffered some major disappointment. But would it make you feel any better if I reminded you that I'm still here? You know, always ready to catch a good man that comes my way."

Midge glanced back in time to see Lydia hold out her hands with a grin.

"You know, catch?" she teased, "And let's be honest, I'm so much more fashionable."

Groaning, Midge put his forehead on his knees. It was a silly thing to do, especially at his age, but it was either that or go down and punch Queenie in the face.

"Oh come on, are you gonna sit here and sulk? So your brother stole your girlfriend. If you ask me, any woman who'd fool around with twins is sick."

"She's not like that," Midge muttered. "She just missed Queenie. We all did. When Queen was gone, it was like nothing was whole. We weren't gonna make it, Pan and me, because we couldn't look at each other without feeling guilty. And the few times when she'd call me Boa, I shouldn't have let her. I shouldn't have. I knew, but she probably felt worse 'cause she mixed us up."

"Mixed you up?" Lydia asked, inching forward. "He was the one locked away?"

That memory was always gnawing at the surface but everyone who knew what happened knew to never ask. Hearing those words now made that guilt raw and palpable.

"I can't fight him. That's why I'm up here. E's absorb matter, so we'll eventually erode any and all matter around us. We counteract that by giving off power. Less power, less matter we attract. Twin E's are the worst. We amp each other up. Do it long enough and it's theorized we'd weaken most structures in the Colony. You gotta drain them of power if they can't keep their abilities in check—if they can't stay calm. I...I couldn't stay calm."

Lydia nodded as she sat. "Should I ask why?"

"You just saw why. Once again, Queen comes and takes something I wanted. But this time around, I have to let him." Midge stared into the Deadzone and sighed. "I leveled three sections with that energy wave—luckily, people evacuated in time. When they asked Pan which one of us it was, she made a mistake and chose Queen. Queenie never said a thing, and I was too much of a gaw-ro coward to confess. So ten years in stone to protect the Colony. And now he's with Pan, and I have to accept that. What am I gonna do? Blow up? Get mad? Nah, I'm not allowed."

Lydia matched his posture and let out a weak sigh.

"He was my crush," Lydia said, clearing her throat. "You think you have first-love woes, then fine, I'll one-up you, okay? Joshua was my gaw-ro crush." She grumbled, "Trust me, if you want a 'my embarrassing first love' story, you can have mine. My thing with Joshua was that I was in love with him. I thought I was. I convinced myself I was."

Midge didn't respond, though he raised an eyebrow while staring at Lydia out of the corner of his eye.

"I was in love with him," Lydia said again. When their eyes met, she managed a weak shrug. "I was young, and I didn't have any idea what love was supposed to feel like, but I was sure I was in love with him. Joshua held the very Colony in the palm of his hand as far as I was concerned."

Midge choked back a gasp. "What?"

"We grew up together. You know, back before I realized he was bad looking." They both chuckled but Lydia went on. "I didn't care. He slew every rabid imp in our make-believe. He never cared that I was tiny. He'd push me in the front of every line saying I was a pixie and too cute to wait like everybody else. He was tough, and maybe he was a brat, but he was a smart brat without a touch of fear, and I loved him for that. And me? I was afraid of every damn thing."

Midge tried to match the contrasting images together but came up short. The Joshua he knew was a coward, afraid of his own shadow. If it came down to it, Midge had no doubt Joshua would use Lydia as a shield in the face of danger. That wasn't entirely true, and not entirely fair either. Joshua had been specific with his instructions at that raid, even though they were pretend bandits, treat Lydia well.

To Midge, it seemed like an empty request, as Joshua had also demanded that Lydia's diskette be taken at all costs. That was insecurity-driven. Joshua should have just had the guts to request a suit from Lydia. No doubt, he'd get it.

"And I can't stand him now," Lydia said.

Or maybe not.

Midge gaped. "Huh?"

"I declared my love for him at thirteen, which was so dumb, but it was innocent. He laughed it off. I told friends about it, and the awful things they said...about him—about his family, his parents...."

Midge nodded. "That's why you changed your mind?"

"No. I didn't believe any of the terrible things they accused his family of. They were so bad. And the way they talked about Mrs. Laurence...well, I went to Dizzy, tears and all." Lydia's once stern tone wilted into a mutter. "And she sent me away. Said I would ruin them with rumors. So she found a really good school that'd take me. Only...it was old-fashioned."

The conversation stopped rather strangely. Midge expected there was more to this tidbit.

"Old-fashioned?" Midge asked.

"A school for the gifted. She sent me away for three years, until I improved in my studies. When I came back, Joshua...he was different. And I keep looking at him, trying to see what I used to like but I swear, every time I meet him, it's like another bit changes here and there. He's not recognizable anymore."

Lydia's perceptiveness amazed Midge, but not as much as how simply she described every inch of Joshua's being.

"So...?" Midge said.

"So I can't turn him down because I feel like I'll lose something good in my life, that feeling of love that I had. And, I can't tell him yes because it'd be unfair." Lydia sat up, guilt and worry written on her face. "So instead, I just string him along like a trollop. And it's terrible of me."

"No." Midge gasped. "No. I think he appreciates that iota of a chance. You gave him something he can't let go of either. I can respect that. Hell, maybe that's what happened with me and Pan."

Lydia's eyes widened, "Can I be upfront? And I know it's none of my damn business but...."

Midge waited. The look on Lydia's face told him he should refuse but he nodded anyway. "But?"

"But I don't get it. We went through a lot of trouble to meet her. And in the end, she says she has a date and you were so...okay, maybe next time. So what is it? Can you just tell me that much?"

Their eyes locked, not because Midge was enchanted, but because he was going to deny those words to himself. He was long past the stage of denial at this point.

"Do you know the Colony's exact population? Do you know how much an average imp weighs? Do you know how many documented illnesses there have been in the Colony in the last century?"

Lydia shook her head, brow furrowed. "Wow, you know all that?"

"No. Queen knows all that. If somebody drops dead tomorrow and he sees the results, he knows all that." Midge stared at his boots finally. "Growing up with someone that has your face, someone that's just a better version of you, I learned how to take what I wanted, otherwise I'd never get anything."

With a nod, Lydia muttered, "And Pan.... Don't tell me that was another trophy."

The word cut Midge in two. "No, of course not."

"Are you sure? Because I think that's what I am to Joshua. Hell, I think that's what my father is to my mother. I think that's...that's maybe what you are to me," Lydia confessed. "Something I cannot have that I really want, and when I saw Pan, I was so pissed. I was angry at first because I compared us. I mean...that awful outfit."

The disgust in her voice made Midge crack a smile. "She's gotten better."

"And I've never been jealous of anyone before." Lydia met his gaze again. "And then she was walking and she couldn't, and I thought...typical. That's just like Midge."

Face heated, Midge said, "You don't know me."

"I know you. You're one of those heroes who can't help it. You don't care that she's got a bad knee. I thought you really liked her for her and then when I saw the bigger picture, I realized something."

Midge held his breath and waited. Lydia could see through them and Midge wasn't sure he wanted to keep letting her.

"She can tell you apart." Lydia's pleasant expression faded. "She can tell you apart. You are wearing an identical uniform to your brother. You two jerks even have the same haircut, but don't tell me for a minute she's confusing anyone. And I know guilt because I rule it. And she feels guilty. And she should. And you...you don't seem the type to give up on something you want. So if you fought over Pan, are you sure you didn't change your mind part way and well...if she was so much trouble to get...."

"Why not make the best of it?" The words came out of Midge's mouth with a sense of nausea. Finding interest in the concrete below them yet again, Midge muttered, "No. That's not true. You've only just met us, you have no idea."

"You're really fooling yourself," Lydia whispered. "And I don't wanna say it like that. One look at Pan and you can see that she's nuts about your brother. And in a sick way, I think your weird, cold, nearly evil-ass brother kinda cares for her, too, ya know? Me personally? Hate to say it, but I'd probably die of shame or worry if someone with a knee like that tried to climb up here for me. I don't think I could handle it."

Distant memories of arguments ending with Midge's abrupt departure came into view. He swallowed down his guilt, face heated as he confessed, "I can understand that."

"But your brother doesn't care. My dad gave me one good piece of advice, maybe the only one he's ever given me. Love is fifty-fifty."

"Anything less is pain," Midge said, finishing one of the Lower-levels' oldest quotes. "Your dad's a Lowlander? Really?"

Lydia looked into his eyes as she nodded. "Yeah, he is."

"Wow. You've got a lot more in common with Pan than you think. Her mom was a noblewoman, too. She ran off with a miner."

They sat there for an awkward minute before Lydia nudged him. "You'll take my secret to your grave, right? And by grave, I mean, I will gaw-ro kill you if you let it slip."

Lydia's smirk was cute, but the wink made Midge laugh. "Yes, Ma'am."

Brown eyes fixed on him, Lydia seemed to be running some sort of analysis. "And you know...I'll lay off. I mean, I'll stop running you down like some cavewoman in heat."

At the big grin, Midge nodded. "I appreciate the rundown." They were both silent until he nudged Lydia's arm and said, "So thanks."

"Oh, I will go back to chasing you. Just let me know when you're up for the constant pervy advances, if you please."

"Give it a rest, already." Midge groaned.

"Okay, okay," Lydia muttered. "But I've never felt so driven before, you know? Like I said, I've never really wanted anyone and it's...."

Her voice petered out.

"Kinda overwhelming?" Midge asked. At the nod, he nudged Lydia's shoulder. "I understand. I guess that's how I felt in the shower. I'm really sorry about that. I can't say how much."

"Let's not talk about it again," Lydia pleaded. "I'd rather forget the sordid details. Now, can I ask you a favor instead?"

"A favor? That doesn't sound too good," Midge decided. "But sure, what is it?"

"Would you give me an honest shot once the fictitious breakup isn't too fresh?"

The smug smirk made Midge's face heat at first. Eventually, they both laughed.

"I'm serious," Lydia insisted.

"You just do not give up, huh?"

Shaking her head, Lydia smiled. "Hn-nhm."

"Come on, I'll take you home."

They didn't move.

Lydia sucked in a deep breath. "I've got a date, so I'm going to need to go home and put these diskettes some place safe and come back."

Midge couldn't believe his ears. "A date? You're sitting on a fortune and you want to go on...a date?" Lydia wouldn't look at him so he said, "And I can't. I'm...I'm not really allowed to be in the Lower-Levels. If I leave here, I'm not coming back easily, trust me."

Lydia's rigid posture didn't change.

Nudging her, Midge offered, "I would say let me drop you home and have your date tomorrow, but I really don't think this is the place a noblewoman should roam alone. Especially now with you being on Mitchellii's radar."

Her expression grim, Lydia muttered, "Please. I just don't think I'll have the nerve to do this if I don't do it now. Because if I go back and it's not enough...." She shook her head. "I can't. Hell, a part of me wants to take these credits, buy myself a flat down here and forget I have a title to go home to."

The longing in her voice suggested that she might have thought the idea through more than once. Whatever the reason, she'd decided against it now.

Midge waited for her to say more. It was unexpected to see Lydia looking so disheartened. "Are you sure about this? A date? You've got a lot and I know enough about gambling to know you walk away with what you have."

"I can't," Lydia whispered. "I absolutely cannot go back to all that. I really can't. If it's not enough...it needs to be enough."

One hundred and twenty-five years' worth of credits was far more than anyone in the Lower-Levels even touched. Midge was sure no one would need more.

"You have your fortune," Midge reminded her.

"That might just vanish into an abyss. Don't you get it? Every single credit I have is useless if it won't offset the balance. It's utterly useless."

Midge couldn't answer. It wasn't his burden, and it wasn't the weight of his unwanted responsibility weighing him down. It was crushing Lydia at this point.

"Do you honestly want to tempt fate?" Midge asked.

Without looking at him, Lydia handed her own private diskette over. Midge scanned through it and whistled. "Damn the Colony, this is a lot of charges." He paused and asked, "And you won't see the balance until you're the head of the house?"

"Yeah. But to be honest, I don't think I wanna see it." Lydia's jaw worked. "I don't know the balance, but Joshua estimated the amount, and—"

"Damn, I hope you're not thinking of going toe-to-toe with Joshua."

Cheeks taking on heat, Lydia stuttered, "Course not."

"Good, it's best to avoid that manipulative prick."

Each bill that scrolled past confused Midge more and more. How many tablets can one woman swallow? He glanced up from the diskette to Lydia. "That's an unusually high volume of medical bills."

"I forgot you mentioned you were a medic." Lydia said, taking the diskette back. "I don't suppose you can tell me what they're for. Some seem pretty old, but they won't go away."

Even if Midge was still a medic, he wasn't certain he could. "No. They're confidential. Short of being in Colony defenses, it probably wouldn't be released to a common medic. I'd ask Queenie to take a look after the urge to kick him fades but he's not one you want rummaging through your files. He doesn't really respect the hidden."

They sat in silence, Lydia staring down at her diskette—the reminder of her sinking estate—while Midge watched her.

"Can I ask you something crazy?" Lydia wouldn't look at him. "That house...that place we got stuck in, those were monetary diskettes. Tons of them. The way they were all stack there.... It just reminded me...."

"Of Joshua's fake raid," Midge admitted. His heart thumped—he'd hoped Lydia would never in her wildest dreams mention that place again. They were lucky to escape—lucky.

Two woeful brown eyes settled on him as Lydia asked, "Do you think...? Were those really real?"

They were, but they weren't an option.

"Stop," Midge said, before things got out of hand. "If those diskettes were the stolen loot, they're sitting there for a reason. Twenty years is enough time for the statute of limitation to run out on 'lost' property. Twenty years. Twenty years sitting around waiting for all that money. And more importantly, an E put them there. Better you steal from the creator himself than get an E with a grudge running you down."

Lydia hunched over holding her knees. "Twenty years? Why rob at all if you have to wait twenty years for the payoff?"

Midge didn't answer. It was best to forget what happened in that tunnel. It was best to forget that house. It was best to pretend they hadn't stumbled upon the biggest find in the history of the Lower-Levels. For their own sake.

Something in the way Lydia curled up made Midge rub her back.

Lydia asked, "You don't plan to tell me?"

"Why do you think I have all the answers?" Midge met her gaze. The utter trust he found there made him sigh. "People think long-term. Maybe the robber was young and didn't realize the statute. An experienced crook would know. Or...or maybe he or she knew but decided it was worth it to be a noble. Most of the upper crust made their money off the backs of E's."

Lydia looked hopeful. "But E's don't value credits so maybe whoever it is won't care."

A pit in his gut, Midge debated responding. Those somber brown eyes stared at him, begging for any agreement—Midge couldn't offer it. "No. An E doesn't need money. Anytime you see an E meddling with credits, it's a bad sign. And it's always dangerous because more often than not, there's a credit-hungry Yule somewhere in the mix. Take Ruckus. She's a crook but even though she does it for the thrill...it's really for Mitchellii—a Yule.

"And anyone can value money if there's something, or someone, they want badly. Hell, look at Queenie. He gets paid and he never touches any of it. But he collects pay for a reason. Queenie's amassing wealth because he never uses it, but force him out of whatever plan he's got and they'll be hell to pay. Money buys status and money takes off stigmas. We're E's. We're called the Untouchables for a reason—and no, not because it's a literal observation. And rare as it is, E nobles do exist, and we give them a wide berth because they've got something to lose—status and power—and they'll cut anyone off at the knees to cling to it."

Lydia blinked, confused. "But it's forbidden for E's to be nobles. Just marrying an E would negate any house."

True. No doubt those words were pounded into her head early and with good reason.

"Not every E in the Colony is documented. A low-powered E can have a normal hair color. Keep off the Colony's radar and there's never a reason to get scanned or evaluated. Then keep your head down. Trust me, they are few, and us E's know them on sight, but they exist and they aren't to be trifled with. This E might be trying to do that, too. So forget about those diskettes."

"But fast money is superficial in the account," Lydia insisted. "Sure maybe no one can take the entire value of the stolen diskette but at least a good amount is easy to get to." She considered it.

That thought process needed to stop before she figured out those diskettes weren't from a theft, but rather payments—payments that someone was collecting slowly.

"Regardless of what they are," Midge said, "they are out of the question. I'm sorry. And under no circumstances should you ever step foot in that tunnel again. Swear it to me. I couldn't live with myself for exposing you to that."

Silent, Lydia nodded—deep down she must have known.

The diskette in Lydia's hands seemed heavy even as she put it under the back of her shirt. She was second-guessing her date, and Midge regretted causing it. Sometimes people just needed a helping hand.

At the silence, Midge nudged her. "So how about letting this E escort you safely home?"

Lydia didn't smile her usual radiant smile. She hesitated. "I trust you. And I know everything you're saying makes sense. I...don't want to demand anything of you. Just hold on to the credits so I know they're safe. If the High ELETE punished you for a year's worth, I'd hate to see what happens if you disappear with one hundred and twenty-five. Technically, you're still in my service. And this is what I'm asking."

Being tasked with holding Lydia's money was the last thing Midge wanted, but Lydia was right. The best person to hold credits was someone who didn't care for them. Other than handing them over to an imp, a Colony monitored E was the next safe choice.

"I don't feel right leaving you by yourself. Sorry, I'm putting my foot down." A gentle quake shook the building and Midge considered his options. "Might be best to get going before Ruckus comes back. She's really going all out tonight. Maybe she's in a bad mood."

Lydia stared at Midge, struggling to answer. She looked like she wanted to go, but she shook her head.

"No. It's just one date. A small one. Won't take me long at all. Or are you in a hurry?" Lydia asked.

Midge shrugged. "A hurry to see who? My 'lover'?"

Lydia winced. "Bitter...."

"I'm not bitter," Midge grumbled. "I'm petty." He held her gaze but nudged her. When she finally relented, Midge felt at ease.

As soon as Lydia stood, she shut her eyes tight. "Oh my gosh. Was it always this high?"

"It was always this high. Come on, I'll climb us up."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather go first."

Midge blinked. "What? You're afraid of heights, but you'd rather go it alone?"

"Nooo," Lydia drawled. "I'm afraid of heights, but I want any chance to feel you up when you guide me. And no, I have no shame."

With a chuckle, Midge scooped her up into his arms. The way Lydia switched gears when uncomfortable said a lot about her true apprehension and fear. "You are a weird one."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just make sure you know that I'm squeezing that tush of yours before the night is through, so don't turn your back on me, unless you're making an offer."

Facing reality with Pan didn't hurt as badly with someone else fresh on his heels. Midge was glad he couldn't be tempted with the idea of sleeping with Lydia. Without a branding tattoo, it'd be impossible, anyway. Even if he wanted to.

"Hey," Lydia said, hugging him tight. "You never told me about the seventh one."

"Seventh what?"

"Realm. Fifth is the past. Sixth is the future, what's the seventh?"

Midge didn't mind talking to Lydia. This information, however, was one that was well guarded by his family.

He waited too long to respond, and found himself unwilling to lie to someone who'd faced one of their greatest fears on his behalf.

"No one knows for sure what's beyond the sixth. It's beyond death, beyond life. Nothingness. Oblivion. Only one of us has ever made it there and back—my older brother, Norman, but I've never met him. It's forbidden to talk about it, so keep quiet, okay?"

"Just so long as I get to squeeze that tush." Lydia grinned.

Midge chuckled, "One more word out of you, and it's plop, plop, splat. I swear."

"Sounds lovely. Make sure you hump me a few times on the way down—"

Midge rushed the wall, just to shut her up.

A loud siren tore through the Lower-Levels, bringing Midge to a screeching halt. The building shook again and he put Lydia to stand.

"Something's not right." He risked making his way to the edge of Big Henry alone and looked down. A good sized crowed gathered...around an E.

Buzz. Buzz. Midge searched himself for a diskette which yielded Queen's face.

"You're still down here, aren't you?"

Midge said, "I'm going, I'm going."

"No. Come down. We've got trouble. It's Tan."