After Tonya's and Nick's arrests, it was some time before Indy was well enough to be released from the hospital.
To celebrate, her friends planned some welcome-back parties. One was to be thrown by the KWHO TV station, but the first was a celebration among friends at Pippi's home, on the day Indy was ready to be released.
But they didn't want Indy knowing about their plans. So Ariel suggested that since it was such a nice day, Pippi could pick up Indy, with NT along for the ride. Then Pippi would drop the girls off at a mall where they could spend some time shopping or at a movie until all the guests had arrived. Then Pippi would pick the girls up.
At the mall, NT made sure to take things easy with Indy, asking her every so often if she needed to rest or get a snack or drink.
Indy was blisfully quiet for the most part, just looking at everything with new eyes, it seemed. It was wonderful to be free and on the mend.
NT was feeling newly liberated too, since Tonya was locked up, but she had to remember to zip her lip for a different reason. Several times during their outing, NT almost said something in excitement to Indy about Bez or some other friend who was going to be at the party, but then she remembered that might give away the surprise.
As they walked along, trying to decide where to shop next, Indy was startled by an excited voice and someone hurrying toward them.
"NT! Indy!"
It was Madonna Gale, someone who had become a good family friend. She had met Indy occasionally when Indy had moved into Pippi's after the townhouse fiasco.
"Hi Madonna, wow, the people you run into in these places!" NT laughed.
"You're looking well, good to see you smiling," Madonna grinned at her. "Indy, I'm glad you're okay. That Tonya was a sick - well, let's not ruin a good day by talking about her," She remembered to shift some bags she was carrying behind her, apparently not wanting them to be seen clearly.
"It's okay, I'd rather talk about her than be in the same room with her again." said Indy, making a horrible face. "I'll have to eventually anyhow. So,
The girls chatted for a bit, and then Madonna said she had to put the bags in her car, but would be back if they wanted to join her shopping or for a coffee and/or a snack. They made the arrangements, the girls agreed, and Madonna moved off, leaving the other two smiling and laughing.
So they walked around the mall, admiring all sorts of things from electronics to ornaments and bath and body products.
"Oh, there's the pet shop!" NT said happily.
"Hey yeah! And that's good, the washroom's right across from it and I need to...well, why don't you go into the pet shop, and I'll join you in a few?" Indy suggested.
"Yes, great! NT smiled, and the two went their separate ways.
NT went into the pet shop and looked around. She had really started enjoying her time there, and knew Indy would as well when she came out.
But as she was at one of the rabbit cages, someone sweetly called her name. She looked around, and couldn't believe her eyes. Of all people, who should come up to her but Cherie, the angsty young mage girl from some of the most unpleasant times in the past.
"NT," Cherie said sweetly as she approached her.
NT flushed and turned away, but she knew it was useless trying to pretend she hadn't noticed or heard.
"I'm sorry, I know I never should've said anything. But I needed to get it off my chest. I hope you can forgive me. It was a mistake making you go on that mission."
"Cherie," NT began, stiffening, "If I told you once, I told you a thousand times to stop it! No, you shouldn't have said anything. You shouldn't have taken me on that mission or at least you could've done things a lot differently! But Tonya's locked away now. I'm free. Can't you just let things go and allow me to be happy for once!?"
"I didn't mean to upset you - "
"Yeah, yeah, always the same story!"
"NT, please!" Cherie grabbed NT's arm as she was about to bolt. "I need to tell you about my life since then. My mother - " she swallowed and some tears welled up in her eyes. "She..."
NT yanked her arm out of Cherie's grip. "Call me a selfish wench if you want, but I can't help you! I have a party to go to tonight, for a good friend who just came out of the hospital! She could've died! I'm not ready to deal with all of your troubles! Cherie, please, go find someone stronger who can handle you! I can't! Sorry!"
"You don't understand! My mother was murdered! It was when I was at a party! I came home and found she had been...*gulp*You don't want to know what all - "
NT had run off during this speech in tears herself. She managed to duck behind what she thought was a display until the person in charge found her there.
"Miss?" the man in charge of the display said, looking baffled. "You shouldn't be behind there."
NT shrugged and looked helplessly back.
"Are you okay?"
She shook her head. "Sorry. I was trying to get away from somebody." she came out from where she was, and quickly hurried away before the man could ask her any more questions.
She ran a little further, then saw Madonna sitting at a table, apparently waiting. NT suddenly remembered, and looked at her watch. "Oh shoot," she ran over to the table, "Sorry about being late - and OMG Indy - where's my head today? I was supposed to wait for her back there - but - " NT sighed, frustrated and still trying to get herself under control.
"What happened?" Madonna asked, concern mingling with bafflement.
Indy came out and into the pet shop, but NT was nowhere to be seen. "Hmm, that's odd," she mumbled, but decided to look around anyway. The puppies were what drew her attention, playing and looking cutely out at her through the window.
But as she passed the rabbits to get to the puppies, she noticed a girl who seemed to be upset.
"You okay?" she approached, looking concerned.
Cherie sniffed. "I'm sorry. It's just that my sister - " she swallowed. "She *swallow* she was killed while I was out at a friend's. I thought *sniffle* I could come in here and stop crying..But...But...*gulp*"
"OMG..." Indy gasped, and took Cherie in her arms to comfort her.
Cherie then started sobbing out all the gory details of how her sister had been found, in what condition, what was suspected, what was confirmed etc. and it touched some very raw nerves with Indy, who was still reeling from her own experiences.
Indy continued to comfort Cherie, but was also in tears by the time Cherie finally pulled herself together and excused herself, then left the store.
There was still no sign of NT, and Indy was too despirited by now to want to do much of anything. She looked at her watch, "Oh, yeah, we were supposed to meet Madonna for coffee at Munchup's.
Cherie exited the pet shop, leaving a now sufficiently saddened stranger behind, feeling sorry for her. Cherie's posture changed when she was out of sight from Indy. She straightened up, brushed the tears from her eyes, and smiled from ear to ear. There was a spring in her step as she strode along.
Back at a table near Munchup's, "You remember Cherie?" NT began.
Madonna frowned, "Yeah,"
"Well, she's here too. She came up to me and started in again with stuff she should just drop already."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Apologizing for upsetting me with her life story, and then going on telling me even more things that happened to her since the last time we talked, nothing good - she needs professional help, I can't deal with her!"
Madonna nodded. "That girl seriously weirds me out, if you want to know the truth, NT. She went on and on about how evil she was back at the reckoning. Well, I'm not sure she isn't. There were so many people who were victimized by those louts, and no one made such frightening shows of coming unglued as Cherie did."
"Cherie just makes me feel terrible all of the time, and yet she claims she just wants to help me and doesn't mean to upset me. Then why doesn't she listen?"
"Why does Cherie do anything for that matter? Nothing she's ever said or done in my presence has made any sense whatsoever." said Madonna. "Including why she shunned any real help that was offered, and why she was always so afraid of Capri, who was working just as hard as anyone to stop her abusers."
NT sighed. "Thanks. I'm glad someone besides me and maybe Capri feels this way. But now I just ran off without Indy, she's probably looking all over the mall by now."
"Unless Indy just saw you weren't there and decided to shop around and meet us both back here as planned."
"I hope you're right. So, since we're alone, do you need a lift to the party? Pippi's picking us up when they're ready."
"No, thanks, but I'll follow you guys there."
"Oh, right, you said something about your car earlier. Gah, I'm flustered." NT shook her head.
Madonna smiled at her, "It's okay, everybody has days like that, and I can hardly blame you with all these mixed emotions. It would throw anybody.
"Oh, there she is," NT said as Indy came dejectedly toward their table.
Indy collapsed into a chair.
"What's up, are you okay? Do you need to go rest somewhere?" NT asked.
"Yeah, I probably do." Indy replied listlessly.
"Have you been crying?" Madonna asked, noticing Indy's face showing some tell-tale signs.
Indy nodded, and struggled not to start again. "I met this girl in the pet shop..."
NT and Madonna exchanged disheartened looks.
Indy continued. "She told me her sister was recently murdered.."
"Sister?" NT repeated, completely perplexed.
"She told me everything." Indy broke down. "What's this world coming to?"
NT got up and went to put an arm around Indy, hugging and comforting her until she subsided.
When Indy had calmed down, NT said, "Did she tell you her name? What did she look like?"
"I didn't get her name. But she was young, really slim, medium height I guess, long dark hair, brown or maybe dark green eyes, I'm not sure. Very pale skin."
"That sounds like Cherie," said NT, "Only she said it was her sister? Cherie doesn't have a sister as far as I know."
"I wasn't aware she had a mother for that matter, she had a guardian she called her mom, but no relation and as far as anyone knows, she wasn't adopted." said Madonna. "If this is one and the same girl, something's definitely not right."
"Indy, Cherie came up to me and, well, tried to rehash a bunch of stuff I just didn't want to talk about with her any more - this was while you were still in the bathroom. That's why I ran off. I was about to go back and look for you."
Indy nodded.
The girls sat quietly for a while as Indy and NT recovered from the unpleasant experience.
Madonna pondered. Nothing about Cherie was adding up. She would have to tell Capri or Pippi about it later while at the party when she got a chance. If Cherie was some sort of con artist or a case of Munchausen's, or both, it was best Capri and her friends investigate and try to put a stop to it, especially considering Cherie was also a mage.
Later, Pippi called NT to let her know she was on the way to pick her and Indy up. They agreed to meet at the front entrance.
The car ride was considerably quieter on the way home, but Pippi thought it was due to the girls, especially Indy starting to get tired. She hoped Indy would be up for what was in store.
At home, Pippi and NT showed Indy into the front room, and then:
"Surprise!"
So many people popped out of their hiding places!
Ariel, Capri, Ameh, Heidi, Misery Chastain, Sarah Marie, Madonna Gale, Kristina, Bez, Sigma, Matrix, even Thande, who had to hide around the corner in the next room.
"What!?" Indy squealed.
"Welcome home, Indy!" Sarah shouted, grinning.
Several others said likewise, and many people took turns hugging Indy, shaking her hand etc.
Indy was overcome.
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