Eva and Audrey stand together in their hug for a long moment, pressed in close against each other; then, finally, Audrey lets go and Eva steps back a little.  

"I..." Eva wipes her eyes with one hand. "I've been wanting to say that for what feels like a really long time."

Audrey smiles slightly, and shifts back in, popping up onto her toetips to kiss Eva. Eva blushes, and looks away. 

"Was it really so hard to be honest?" Audrey says.

"Yeah," says Eva. "I... it was so hard to see past the fear. And I failed to, I'm sorry..."

"Shhh." Audrey steps in again and rejoins the hug. "This... It doesn't make what you did to me right. But... seeing you like this, being honest and tearful about what you've done... It makes me want to give you another chance." 

"I want you," Eva repeats. "So I'm going to try really hard not to break your trust again."

Audrey nods. "I believe you." And she holds Eva close and presses her face to her chest.

Eva hesitantly raises a hand and draws it through Audrey's hair. 

"I... Audrey..." She blushes. "I think you're beautiful, and sweet, and clever, and strong. You... figured me out when I was doing my best to hide from you. And... I don't know if that's enough, but I'm definitely going to try."

"Yeah," says Audrey. "I feel... almost exactly the same way. It's kind of hot how much you can make me dance, even if you shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"That stays in the bedroom from now on," Eva says. "Until and unless you choose to accept something more."

Audrey blushes and nods into Eva's breasts. "Yeah." She looks up at Eva with a hopeful expression on her face. "I... can we talk about what's going to happen? Like, really talk?"

"Yeah," says Eva. "We definitely can." She traces her fingertips along the arch of Audrey's ear. 

Audrey hesitantly lets go, and Eva releases her from her embrace. They take a step apart and straighten their clothes and breathe, for a moment. 

"Okay," says Audrey. "Let's talk. I - I don't want for these two weeks at the Rose Bowers to be... Everything there is to us. I still want to know what it is that's in your memories, but - as long as it's nothing awful, I mean, ethically bad, then I'm going to want to meet with you again. And... I don't want you showing up at my house or my work just yet, it's a little scary for someone like you to know my home address... So I want to make plans to meet again some third place. Not the Bowers, a real place, a - restaurant or a movie theater or something normal. You... need to show me that you're not just in this for the sex."

Eva nods. "I can do that. I... I won't lie, I really, really enjoyed fucking you and being serviced by you... But there's more to life than that, and... I want to have that with you. More than just good sex and food at a cafe, I want to... walk with you in a garden, listen to the rain with you from under some nowhere ice cream shop's awning, watch movies with you, go to the orchestra... Almost anything's okay so long as it's with you." She sniffles, but smiles. 

Audrey nods. "I... would like that too. I - we're being really, really fast, just two days and we're already saying "I love you", and I - want that to hold, to be strong, and that takes work and commitment and time learning each other and it - won't feel real to me unless it's outside the Bowers, I think. Everything is too manicured and easy here. I want something that... can stand up to the real world."

Eva nods. "... I'd be willing to leave the Bowers for you. It's been... decades... but I wasn't always stuck here like this. Before the memory loss I remember having all kinds of adventures across the multiverse... It's only afterwards that I settled down into this - small life."

"Yeah," says Audrey. "You've been hiding. From - from reality, I think. The Bowers aren't a normal place. It's not - enough to be able to manage here. You have to be able to do some harder things, too." 

Eva takes a breath. "Could we... have some food together here? As a start? I - don't want you to waste your vacation."

Audrey smiles. "Yeah. Yeah, we can. But... not before you go talk to December about your memories. That can't wait, I think. She's been waiting years for you, you know. She still hopes you'll get back into hypnosis."

Eva rubs her forehead. "Yeah. Yeah, I know. It... It's scary, not knowing how she'll react. She'll probably be angry. But... I have to tell her."

Audrey nods seriously. "You do."

Eva takes a deep breath. "Okay. I'll call her?"

"Call her to let you know that you're dropping by, then go see her in person. She deserves to be able to - see you, for this."

"Yeah. I owe her at least that much." Eva slips a hand into the pocket of her dress and produces her phone. She swipes through her contacts list, and then holds the phone up to her ear. 

Audrey smiles encouragingly, and Eva smiles back and holds up a finger.

"Hello? Yeah, hello December. It really has been a long time since I've called you, I know. Yeah, years. I... There's something serious I have to tell you about. It's about why I stopped doing hypnosis so suddenly all those years ago... Yes, that's right. Could we meet face to face?"

Audrey flashes a thumbs-up, and Eva smiles unsteadily back at her. "Yeah, now would be best. I... it's taken me way too long to get to this point, to be honest with you. ... okay, I'll be right over. Thank you."

Eva hangs up, and slips her phone back into her dress pocket. "I... she seemed a little happy, actually. I think that... things are going to be okay."

"Can I come with you when you explain?", asks Audrey. 

"Of course you can." Eva smiles. 

Five minutes later, Eva knocks on the door to December's room with Audrey in tow. 

"Coming!", calls December; and a moment later, the door opens to reveal her. She's still wearing her long labcoat open in the front, and beneath it has on black slacks and a metal band T-shirt. She nods to Eva and Audrey in turn. "It's nice to see you. And you, Audrey." She steps back and opens the door, revealing a long room lit by blue strips of LEDs with a black couch and a recliner in front of a television. "I'm not set up for entertaining right now, I hope you don't mind. We could sit at my kitchen table?" She gestures to a door on the other side of the room. 

Eva comes in, trailing Audrey behind her. "That sounds like it would work." 

Audrey looks around at the lounge as she passes through, noting the VR goggles next to the TV and the game consoles and crystal player underneath it. "This is nice," she says to December. "The lighting is maybe a little harsh."

December waves a hand lazily. "Yeah, but it looks really cool and that's what counts. C'mon into the kitchen."

Eva and Audrey follow December into her kitchen, which has a small table and a counter area, and December pulls out a black-lacquered chair for Eva to sit. "Make yourselves comfortable," she says. "Would anyone like coffee?"

Audrey and Eva share a look. "I don't think so," Eva says. "But thank you for the offer."

"Alright." December takes a seat across from Eva, and Audrey settles in to a chair between the two. "So, what's the deal? You said on the phone that you were finally going to spill about what's been going on for the past couple decades, Eva, so I'm going to turn the floor over to you. Why did you drop from the hypnosis community so suddenly?"

Eva opens her mouth, closes it. She looks over at Audrey and wordlessly offers her her hand.

Audrey takes it. "You can do this," she says. 

"Yeah," says Eva. "Okay. I..." She squeezes Audrey's hand. "I tore out two decades of my memories around the Namer's War. I don't know why. But that... held most of my relationship with you and with Clematis, and most of my hypnosis experience... so i left. Burned my bridges. I didn't ever... intend to come back."

"But here you are," says December.

"But here I am," says Eva. "I've already told Clematis about it. I needed someone to... help me sort through all the memories and accept them back safely, and I don't want to - accidentally stumble across something. I want to take it all back, eventually, but... I think it'll be a slow process." She looks over at Audrey. "Whatever comes, I - I'm going to face up to it as best I can."

December smiles. "Brave of you. Now... I don't think I need to chide you. You know already what you've done here. I'm a little hurt, and a little sad for you, and... I want you to be okay. We used to be more than just mentor and apprentice, you know..." 

December sighs. "But even if you remember that, it's been thirty years. I've long since moved on. I think it's time that you did, too."

Eva looks questioningly at December. "You're not angry?"

"I was, at first. But now... I think I'm just disappointed. We had something once, and you chose to throw it away..." She looks down at her hands. "Well. It's in the past now. I hope you'll be well, in the coming weeks as you work through this with Clematis. I think that... You'll be happier knowing."

Eva nods firmly. "Yeah, I think so too."

December looks over at Audrey. "Do you - have anything you'd like to say, or are you just here for moral support?"

Audrey ducks her head. "I'm just here to make sure Eva does this. But... I'm really glad you're not angry at her."

December smiles. "I think you're good for her," she says. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

Eva smiles. "... be well, December."

December nods. "I'll do my best."

Eva lets go of Audrey's hand and stands. "Thank you for seeing us."

December shrugs. "This was important. And... even now, I have time for you if you want it."

"Alright," says Eva. "I'll keep that in mind." She looks over at Audrey. "But I think I'll be busy for a little while yet." 

"Keep in touch, alright?" December makes a phone gesture next to her ear. 

"I will." Eva offers Audrey a hand up, and she takes it. "For now, let's get out of your hair."

"See you, Eva." 

"See you, December."

Eva and Audrey step out of December's rooms, and Eva untenses a little, drooping a bit from her usual graceful posture. "That was... A lot easier than I expected." 

Audrey smiles and pats Eva's arm. "I think that... it's very old to December now, and it's hard to - feel strongly about something that happened so long ago. And she likes you. So mostly for her it was... good to know you were coming back to hypnosis."

Eva nods and leans against the wall in the hallway. "It was still hard. It felt like I was - drowning. But you were there." 

"But I was there." Audrey smiles slightly. "I'm glad I could help. It's been a long time since you last had to do something like this, huh?" Audrey tilts her head.

"Yeah." Eva bites the inside of her lip.

Audrey smiles and leans against the wall next to her. "I think that... that's part of what it means for something to be... real, to me. That you're willing to fight for it, willing to struggle for it, willing to - sacrifice for it. And you've..." She bows her head. "You've really come through, on that." 

Eva smiles a little. "... Thank you. I - I've been trying this entire time, maybe not so that you noticed, but - I have been."

Audrey nods. "Yeah. I... believe you. You were really stuck, huh? Living in a dreamworld like this, it's easy to lose sight of - what really matters." 

"This really matters too," Eva says. "The things we've done together, the memories we've made, the laughter, the joy, the hurt - all of that was real. It doesn't stop being real just because we're in the Bowers, Audrey, but - I do understand what I think you mean. It's easier, here. Maybe a little more shallow, if you do it wrong. And I was definitely doing it wrong." 

Audrey nods. "So, to start with doing it right... I would like that date."

"You can definitely have it." Eva's lips quirk up.

"I wasn't finished. I want that date eventually. Right now it'd just be awkward with your memories hanging over us like this. I don't know if you're... a good person or not. Could you maybe... Go sort that out with Clematis, and call me back when you're finished? And - it would be nice to hear from Clematis as well." Audrey crosses her arms.

"Yeah," says Eva. "I think I'll go see if she's made any progress. I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay." Audrey smiles. "I think I trust you that far." 

Eva takes her weight off the wall, looks at Audrey for a moment, and curtseys deeply to her, bowing her head. "I - I'm in your debt." She straightens and runs a hand through her hair. "I won't waste this chance you've given me. And if it turns out that - the memories are bad - then I'm glad to have had this time with you. You've - changed my life too, Audrey." 

Audrey blushes, and her eyes get a little misty. "... Yeah. See you, Eva." 

"See you, Audrey." Eva half-turns, stops, offers a little wave goodbye. "... I'll miss you."

"It's only going to be a couple hours, right?" Audrey smiles hesitantly. 

"A couple hours or potentially forever." Eva blinks rapidly. "But - I'm going to face up to it, whatever happens. I already said that and I meant it. So... even if the worst happens - I'll call you. Okay?"

"Okay." Audrey manages a genuine smile. 

Eva turns, and walks away down the hall a few paces, then - stops again, and turns again. "- it just occurred to me that - if Clematis has some of my memories ready for reimplantation - then the person who calls you on the phone will be... A different person, with a different set of memories and thoughts and relationships... With a different mind and heart, a different - way of thinking and being - so - I guess this really is goodbye." 

"Goodbye old you, hello new you." Audrey smiles and a tear falls down her cheek. "I - yeah." She takes three long strides up and hugs Eva fiercely. "... I love you." 

Eva runs a hand through Audrey's hair. "Yeah. I love you too." She smiles a little. "I know that... whatever happens, the new me will love you too, and - better than this me did. And that's - that's worth fighting for." 

"Yeah." Audrey lifts her head from Eva's chest. "Promise you'll call even if it's bad?"

"I promise. You deserve to hear it from me." Eva hugs Audrey's waist in close, then takes a breath and releases her. "Now I - I really do have to go." 

"Yeah." Audrey smiles and wipes her eyes. "Safe travels." 

Eva takes a step back, then turns, and walks away, casting a glance back over her shoulder. 

Audrey waves back to her as she goes, still smiling despite the tremble in her breathing. After Eva takes a dozen strides away, she turns around, and walks away in the other direction, back towards her rooms. 

It's hard to believe, but... she trusts Eva. 

It's a few hours later that Audrey gets the call. She's sitting in her rooms, carefully threading a bead onto a strand of wire, when her phone rings and she drops the bead, startled. 

She fumbles her phone out of her dress and onto her ear. "H-hello?" 

"Hello again, Audrey." Eva's voice is soft and a little hoarse, and her words come out all in a rush. "I - Clematis - I should explain. Clematis has spent the past few hours going through my archived memories with - a sophisticated indexing tool - and - told me the basics." She takes an unsteady breath. "We're about to do the reimplantation of - a big chunk of it. My history with December and Clematis and the hypnosis side. There's a part that we're stepping carefully around, a - traumatic part, to do with the war, and with... Someone I lost... but the..." She sighs. "- You want me to tell you even if it's bad, right?"

Audrey presses her phone in closer to her ear. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." 

"Clematis says that the tool has... a lot of memories of a particular demon, from Cthonia. This was before the Namer's War, so - we didn't know what they could do, then. And it looks like - it looks like I had a relationship with her. We haven't been able to review all the memories yet, it's - years and years - but it looks like we were lovers." Eva's voice shakes a little.

Audrey's eyes widen. "You were - lovers with a demon? Did she have your name -" 

"Yeah. She did. It looks like I was... used. And then I - well, I can't say this happened for sure, I can't say that I was definitely taken advantage of, there's two decades to go through - but it looks like I found out, that the people I cared about had been put at risk because I - hadn't been careful enough - and losing her and the hurt of the betrayal broke my heart and I... stopped just short of suicide." Eva's voice wavers.

"Oh," says Audrey softly. "... Yeah, it makes sense that they'd - want to get close to you, if you're rich and - close to the Directors. But... I think it's too much to assign yourself blame for that. Like you said, you - probably didn't know."

Eva sighs. "I was investigated on suspicion of collaboration, Audrey. Those records are available to me if I look."

Audrey bites the inside of her cheek. "And the records say that...?"

"I was cleared, in the end, but - I don't know if I was actually guilty or not."

Audrey holds the phone away from her body for a moment, considering - then she raises it back to her ear. "I trust you. If the commission cleared you, then you're innocent. You just - were in the wrong place at the wrong time." 

"Yeah, I guess." Eva exhales softly. "So that date is still on?"

"Yeah," Audrey says. "That date is still on."

"Okay." Audrey can hear the smile in Eva's voice. "That's good news to leave on. I - this really is the last few moments, for this me." 

Audrey blinks back tears. "Can I come sit with you?"

"I..." Eva hums. "Give me a moment, let me talk to Clematis." There's a rattle as the phone is set down. 

Audrey waits, biting her inner lip. Then the sound of the phone being picked up comes to her, followed by Eva's voice. 

"You can come wait outside. Clematis says that - because this isn't a standard reimplantation, there's going to be a period where I'm very confused, and that people who aren't trained shouldn't be in the room then - but as soon as that passes, you can come see me. Okay?"

Audrey nods seriously into the phone. "Okay. I'll... come wait." 

"Alright."

Audrey sits by Clematis' door, with her back against the wall. 

It's the longest hour she's spent in her life, but eventually, the door opens, and Clematis comes out, still wearing her squashy sweater.

"You can come in now," she says. "Eva's been asking for you. She kept saying it even when she didn't understand where she was or what was going on, and she's kept asking as we worked to verify the integration..." Clematis smiles slightly. "It's safe now for you to see her. She's still hooked up to the neuromath, but... I don't think it's right to keep you two apart for any longer." 

Audrey stands, and comes in. Clematis' cheery front room has had one of the couches replaced with a full bed, with Eva lying on it face-down, shimmering green wires digging into her skin all along her spine and in the nape of her neck.  The wires link up to a grey box by her bedside, with red LEDs winking next to columns of green-glowing crystal. Eva's memory stone is sitting in a rubber collar in the machine. 

Eva smiles at Audrey. "Hey," she says. Her eyes seem a little unfocussed, but they track Audrey as she comes in. "I - I made it." 

Audrey sits down by Eva's bedside on the opposing couch and smiles softly. "How do you feel?"

"It hurts," she says. "Emotionally, I mean. Suddenly I remember all these old friends that I - cut all my ties with, chose to forget. There's a depth and a richness, there, that  - I was missing in my life before. It hurts, but it's worth it." 

Audrey gingerly reaches out, and squeezes Eva's hand. "When will you be free of this... it's called a neuromath?" 

"Clematis is going to hold me for observation for a few hours more," Eva says. But she squeezes Audrey's hand. 

"Can I stay with you?" Audrey looks over at Clematis.

Clematis just nods. "You can stay with her. If complications develop I'll ask you to leave, though." 

"Okay." 

Clematis smiles. "Coffee?"

"Coffee would be lovely, thank you. I'm going to be here for a while."