In the morning Andrea slowed in her stride when she heard Gara's voice coming from the office. The smaller woman's enthusiasm meshed with Tanner's mellow voice.

Andrea had expected, or rather wanted, Gara to find something else to do once the System chimed, indicating that working hours had started. Finally, some normalcy. She could spend the morning with Tanner. Not that it mattered.

Two minutes passed and the woman didn't exit, so Andrea went in. To her horror, Gara had gone so far as to plop up a chair beside Tanner's desk. She shot off questions nonstop, and Tanner, usually quite serious about his work, sat back in his chair, crossed his legs at the ankles, and listened. That was the sort of attention he had only reserved for Andrea, or so Andrea had thought.

Now the man was not only giving Gara his undivided attention, but conversing—actually conversing—with the imp-cow.

Keeping her gaze low, Andrea lumbered to her desk and sat down.

Andrea hadn't heard Tanner laugh often, but he was laughing today. Face set in an expression that she knew might make her resemble her mother, Andrea tried not to cringe at the sound of it. It sounded smooth, and she found herself wishing she either understood the joke or was the one to have made it.

I'm funny. I'm damn funny. I could make you laugh. If...we had ever really talked, but whatever.

She endured it. One hour turned to two, then three, and Tanner did nothing but listen to Gara until the chime sounded for lunch.

Finally. Andrea let out a sigh of relief.

Gara grabbed Andrea's arm and dragged her up. "It's lunchtime. I'm so hungry I'm about to pass out. Come on, let's get some food."

Tanner muttered something, and Gara paused to look between Andrea and the E.

"But it's lunchtime. Why wouldn't she wanna come?" Gara turned to Andrea, her soft voice lined with hurt and confusion as she asked, "You ran out on Tanner for lunch before? Did he do something to upset you?"

The very notion made Andrea droop. "No. No, of course not. That was a misunderstanding."

"Then it's settled. Let's go."

Go? Andrea hurried to think of a protest or excuse. It was hard to say no to the smaller woman. Andrea would never find herself so bold as to touch someone else, let alone drag them up. The enthusiasm that came with Gara's gentle smile, however, was hard to disappoint. Gara's brown eyes twinkled, and Andrea thought of not only spending the rest of the day alone, without Tanner, but also of Tanner and Gara making kissy faces behind her back.

I found him first, you little rot. Bad enough you're in the way. No way in hell I'm going with the two of you.

***

Andrea went with the two of them.

Before she knew it, she was not only at the staff's cafeteria, but also sitting at a table by the door. She took comfort in the fact that she could at least run away, should the need arise, and at least she hadn't been forced to walk far in, subjecting herself to the curious looks from others.

Gara did the honors with regards to getting food. Once the smaller woman put the tray down, she went back to get one for herself. Andrea appreciated that Gara opted for using telepathy with Tanner because at least she could understand half of the conversation.

"Right then, I went ahead and got a whole lot, so we can all share. I didn't know what to get you, Andrea, hon, so you'll have to help yourself." Gara plopped a bowl in front of Tanner, who raised a bare brow for her. "And that is for you. E baby food."

Tanner's face became the very definition of embarrassment, and Gara colored. "Tan, I'm sorry. Don't think anything of it, all right?"

Queen's imposing figure pulled up a chair and sat. "Well now, putting your foot in your mouth again, rich girl, or is it just me?"

Andrea looked the trays over while Gara and Queen squabbled. When Tanner finally spoke up, they quieted. The look on his face when Andrea sat up suggested that the bald E was getting tired of the both of them.

Gara muttered an apology, and Tanner shoved her. The gesture had the smaller woman chuckling. "Stop manhandling me."

They started to eat, although Queen just sat back and yawned. Tanner stared at the trays of food, and Gara took a few bites of some rice and replicated chicken and pronounced herself full.

"I'll have to rest up a bit before I can tackle the rest. Sweets are more my thing." Tanner's reply made Gara laugh. "Yeah, I used to be able to eat anything, but as you get older, you start gaining a bit faster. But you young'uns should eat up."

Andrea nursed her water, her eyes searching the mass of people. She caught sight of a few workers who looked at them and laughed. One man started to eat his food daintily. Andrea looked down to her own meager forkful and found herself sinking lower in an effort to hide.

"Geez, you eat like a half-dead imp. Do you have an eating disorder or something?" Leave it to Queen to do the honors.

The look Gara gave Queen suggested that she wanted to kick him.

"She just isn't hungry," said Gara.

"She has to be hungry. Her body size suggests that eating at her pace and volume would have her malnourished in no time."

Gara nudged Andrea, and said. "Ignore him. Here, look at this." Forearms on the table, she gave Tanner a smile. "Do it. Go on. She'll get a kick outta it. Just do it."

Tanner flushed. He sat up. A good deal of the contents of Tanner's bowl had diminished. Andrea had missed that—surprising, since Tanner didn't seem interested in eating. She felt stupid for having believed that.

A sigh roused her from her thoughts. Tanner exhaled yet again and put his right hand over the top of the bowl and inhaled. He picked his hand up, and Andrea's eyes bugged. The substance turned into powder and disappeared. In a matter of seconds, the bowl was empty. Tanner showed his hands and clapped them together. When he belched for effect, Gara laughed, but Andrea didn't move a muscle.

"What...what did you do?" Andrea asked.

Gara looked between them and settled her gaze on Andrea. "He ate. He absorbed it. Watch, pass me your water."

That time when Tanner put his hand on the glass, he held it. He seemed less sure of himself. Andrea watched with interest as the liquid crawled up the sides and spilled out onto the man's fist. As soon as the water touched the dud E's skin, it faded.

Andrea gasped. "Incredible."

"It's a trick they use to give the impression of eating and such. But Tan doesn't care about that. I mean, they do eat, sorta. It gets broken down and absorbed. Tan just needs a few extra steps." Gara explained. She slapped Tanner on the stomach with a smile. "'Cause this stubborn E refuses to eat anything."

Tanner kept his gaze low and continued to absorb a few more things. Andrea couldn't help but take note of the fact that Queen was still sitting with his arms folded.

"What about you? Don't you want anything?"

"Me?" Queen snorted out a laugh and slapped down on the glass from which Tanner had absorbed the water. When he picked his hand up, the glass was gone, and Queen sat up, more determined to make his point. He put his hand on the table, tapped the end of the tray once, and then smirked. "Come here."

On his command the silver tray took on a softer texture and shrank down. It reminded Andrea of water being sucked into a sponge. Finally, the last of the tray disappeared at the end of Queen's fingertips.

"Satisfied now?" Queen asked.

Andrea looked away.

"Well, the way Tan does it looks cooler. We don't all have to be show-offs," Gara grumbled.

After that Tanner was quick to nudge Queen. Andrea could see the bald E was trying to change the subject or lessen the tension.

Gara took it upon herself to engage Andrea instead, but it wasn't much of a real conversation because Andrea found herself focusing on Tanner every chance she got. Hearing her own name caught Andrea off guard.

"She's about five-foot-eight." Queen's voice carried.

Andrea turned to see the green-haired E appraising her.

"For her build," Queen continued, "the amount of calories she's taking in...."

Tanner brought a piece of paper forward and put it on the table. He gestured to Queen to write the information out.

Eyes fixed on the paper, Andrea covered her mouth and whispered, "Gaw-ro me, another piece...."

Queen met Andrea's gaze. Then he turned to ask Tanner, "You got any more?"

Tanner shrugged and reached behind his back. Andrea assumed the man must have pulled it from the back of his trousers. When he laid out ten sheets, Andrea drooped. Queen took it upon himself to pick up all ten and fold them. Tanner didn't seem to mind, but Andrea was dying inside. Each fold made Andrea bite her tongue.

"Gaw-ro priceless," said Queen, chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Gara asked.

Queen smiled to himself and turned to his brother. "You do realize that five of these sheets of paper are worth your entire paycheck for the month, right?"

Eyes wide with surprise, Tanner sat up. Whatever he said had Gara frowning in sympathy.

"Tan, this isn't the low-quality stuff you can find just anywhere," Gara explained. "You didn't realize that it feels different from the plasticky stuff?"

"It's fine." Andrea felt the need to stop the two-against-one gang-up. "It's an honest mistake, and I don't mind at all."

Sullen and shamefaced, Tanner looked to Gara for help. After the words were repeated again for the E's benefit, Tanner let out a soft response.

"He says...." Gara tried to give Andrea a smile but couldn't manage it. "He says he'll pay using both this month's and next month's pay."

"Really, you don't have to," Andrea protested.

Gara didn't waste time trying to play it off this time. "Hey, it really means a lot to him that he doesn't cause any trouble. So give him his pride and let him pay. Please."

Andrea wasn't sure what the proper thing to do was, but when she focused on Tanner, the E returned the gaze and pointed to himself.

"Pay."

The effort to use English had Andrea smitten all over again. "All right. Thank you."

Tanner smiled his brilliant smile, though it was shaky at first. "Please."

They shared a look that had Andrea grinning like a fool. Queen's laughter broke the spell.

"Please?" Queen chuckled again. "Are you trying to say 'bitte' as in you're welcome? Who the hell taught you that? It doesn't translate, not even slightly."

Andrea, who had found the effort endearing, stared daggers at the green-haired man, who was nearly in tears by then with his laughter.

Tanner sat up, his voice stern. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, fick dich, please."

Gara laughed. "Yup. Couldn't have said it better myself. I concur; fick dich, Queenie. You can just go hang yourself while you're at it, too."

The green-haired E had the grace to blush.

After clearing his throat, Queen sat back. "And since when can you use any English?"

Tanner made eye contact with everyone but Queen. Eventually, the dud E started collecting food to absorb while ignoring him.

"It's helping a little bit, yeah," Queen warned, "but...consider what you're risking."

That time Gara did kick the E, and Queen shot her a look. "Hey. Don't let this face fool you. I'm more than willing to electrocute a midget."

With that Tanner stood and walked away. Gara went after him. After they were gone, Queen sat back with a sigh. He glanced at Andrea and the tray of sweets that still remained. Finally, Queen stood and took his leave as well.