Seeing is Believing [complete]

[Vigilante]

Ginny pulled her Harley-Davidson into the driveway of Redencion House, Aimee clutching her about the waist. Once they were past the outline of the house she set the brake and kickstand, and the girl released her, hopping nimbly off the back of the chopper and pulling the spare helmet off.

"My hair is a tangled mess," Aimee complained, her fingers getting stuck in what had formerly been a ponytail, and was now more like a rats nest. Ginny smiled, reaching over and mussing the girl's hair some more.

"I'll help you brush it out, okay?"

"I don't know why we couldn't wait for Cameron," the purple girl pouted, but then she threw her arms around Ginny, hugging her tight. "I'm so so glad you came. I wasn't sure... when I didn't hear from you..."

Ginny hugged her back, and then carefully pulled herself out of Aimee's grasp - no mean feat when the girl wanted to hold onto you. She strapped the helmets to the seat of the motorcycle. "It sounded serious. I came as soon as I could get away."

Aimee nodded. "Come on, I think Aidan's home. You'll like him, he likes Harleys too."

She laughed, letting Aimee tug her across the lawn and to the back door of the house. "Yes, we are part of the great brotherhood of Harley-Davidson owners. I must meet this Aidan immediately."

"You know what I mean!" Aimee dug her keys out of the pocket of her jeans and unlocked the door, pulling Ginny inside after her.

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan had heard the motorcycle pull into the driveway behind the house, and he'd jumped up out of his seat in the family room, not bothering to turn off the TV, and hurried down the hall through the kitchen in time to see Aimee coming in through the back door with a red-headed woman he didn't know.

"Aimee! Are you okay? The rally's all over the news - where is everyone?"

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee nodded, and then shook her head, shoulders coming up in a shrug. "I don't know where everyone else is. I'm fine, though." She took a deep breath, and then looked at Ginny, who was standing near the door, arms not quite folded across her chest.

"Uh, this is Ginny Hayes. Ginny, this is Aidan. Um, Ginny is a friend from New York. I called her about..." Aimee floundered for a moment, remembering just in time that Aidan didn't know anything about the strange red-eyed monster that Cameron's friend had encountered. It was probably something he should know about.

[Vigilante]

Ginny stepped forward, holding out her hand to Aidan. "Aimee's like my little sister. I was going to meet up with her at the rally, but things got out of hand. I saw an opportunity to get her out of there, so I did."

Aimee was texting on her phone, leaving the two adults to talk for a moment. Ginny looked around the kitchen. "She says great things about this place. I'm glad she found somewhere to live... back in New York I could never get her to stay more than one night at a time at my place."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan sidestepped Ginny and flagged Aimee's attention. "You make sure you contact Anna and let her know you're home safe, okay?"

He sighed and glanced back toward the front hallway where the TV was still droning on about the clean-up after the fracas in the park. "Yeah, it's, uh... well, you'll have to pardon me for not showing the best hospitality right now. Anna's just on her way back with the other kids, Scott was hit with tranq rounds, and they needed to wait for the paramedics to discharge him, and nobody seems to know where Alex is, we're just hoping his girlfriend gave him a ride..."

Aidan forced his hands into his pockets just to keep them from clenching and possibly hitting something. He was a solid block of tension, like a coil spring wound to the breaking point. He'd wanted to jump on his bike and race to the rally the moment he heard about the trouble erupting, but someone needed to be on deck in case the phone rang, and once it had, he needed to be ready to pass on the information if it rang again. The House was in crisis, and he'd been demoted to phone operator.

Finally he turned toward Ginny and reached to shake her hand. "So, sorry you had to come when it's so crazy, but thanks for bringing Aimee home. Do you have any idea what the hell happened? The news has at least five different stories, and I don't believe any of them."

[Julian Davitt]

Julian was right behind Aidan as he ran down the hallway, sniffing the air intently. He didn't know what was going on, and Aidan was putting out pretty heavy scents of anxiousness and confusion as well.

In the doorway stood Aimee, who smelled of fear and aggression, though the aggression was fainter, as if she hadn't been fighting herself and was simply in an aggressive situation. A woman who smelled of the same was speaking with Aidan, almost too quickly for him to understand what they were saying.

"So, sorry you had to come when it's so crazy, but thanks for bringing Aimee home. Do you have any idea what the hell happened? The news has at least five different stories, and I don't believe any of them."

Julian perked his ears up, eager for an answer himself, if only because Aidan wanted it.

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee looked up, "Just got a hold of Tess, they're in the van on the way home. Still worried about Alex - they haven't heard from him yet." And now she was too, she hadn't known he and Lana had gone missing. Cameron hadn't responded to her texts yet, either, which wasn't like him.

She looked down at Julian and ruffled his ears. It was hard to think of him as a guy, especially when he spent almost all of his time in his wolf form. "Hey Julian."

[Vigilante]

Ginny began to answer Aidan's question, but hesitated as what could only be described as a big ass dog padded into the kitchen behind him. Or maybe a wolf, the beast certainly looked lanky and wild, like the animals she'd seen on National Geographic channel.

"Ah," Aimee seemed comfortable with the animal, so Ginny concentrated on Aidan again. "I got there when the riot cops were moving in already. Took out a big guy near Aimee. We didn't stick around to see what happened next. I didn't know there were other kids there I was leaving behind, so, I'm sorry about that." Ginny paused, and added, "I teleport. So we got out of there pretty fast. Didn't seem like regular cops though, even SWAT or riot squad. They were more military."

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan glanced over toward Aimee. Ginny may not have known there were others, but did Aimee not say anything? He pushed the question aside - it didn't matter at the moment.

"Military?" he repeated. "Why would the military be involved? You said they arrested a big guy, a Pacific islander?"

Ginny nodded, and Aidan folded his arms, looking very troubled. "He's a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, but I didn't think he's really a key player, just ground-level muscle. That's a lot of trouble to bring in one terror suspect."

[Aimee Connors]

"Noah wasn't even doing anything," Aimee interjected, deciding not to point out that she'd begged Ginny to go back and help the others, but she'd refused. "They shot him with something and he just went crazy. Arms coming out all over... like nothing I ever want to see again. Hurt him real bad I think."

It turned her stomach a bit just remembering it. She absently curled her fingers in the thick fur on the scruff of Julian's neck.

[Vigilante]

Ginny let Aimee talk, and then said, "I was in the Army, these were definitely not US troops. More like private military, like Praetorian, or something."

She ran a hand through her red hair and added, "It was a mess. LAPD was not working with them, looked like they were as surprised to see them as your friend Noah was."

[Aidan Fox]

The mention of Praetorian made Aidan think back to du Toit's visit the previous week. This was exactly the sort of attention the mutants of Los Santos didn't need. It was an unhealthy mix of official authority and plausible deniability.

"Damn it. Well, most of the others are on their way home, so there's nothing to do but wait."

Aidan really felt like he could have gone for a beer, but of course Anna didn't allow those in the fridge for obvious reasons. He opened the fridge anyway and came up with a cold ginger ale. "Still, good thing you showed up when you did. You want anything, cold drink, coffee... leftover burrito?"

[Vigilante]

"No, thanks." Ginny shifted her weight from foot to foot, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Maybe I should be going -"

[Aimee Connors]

"No!" Aimee blurted. "Don't go. Please - I mean, you just got here."

The sound of the van pulling up outside was unmistakeable, and she turned toward the outer wall. "I think everyone else is here." She looked down at the phone in her hand. "Still can't get in touch with Cameron."

Ginny was moving away from the door, in case everyone came in the back, and Aimee sent Cameron another text.

I don't mean to freak out but please text me back Im getting really worried about you. Ginny wouldn't let me go back and find you. Im sry!

[Jacob Foley]

Jake piled in through the front door with the rest of the crowd, he'd spoken with Anna long enough to discover they were missing Scott, Cameron, Alex, and Lana, but everyone else was relatively unscathed. They dispersed at the staircase, half charging upstairs making an unholy racket, others trudged into the living room, while Jake headed straight for the kitchen. He caught Aidan's eye and held his celphone aloft.

"Battery died, man. I've been on the other side of town picking up shit for Julie's place. We should go and-"

That was when he noticed the red-haired stranger, "Who's this?"

[Aidan Fox]

Aidan waved with his can of ginger ale. "This is Ginny Hayes," he said. "Friend of Aimee's. She's the one who brought Aimee back from the park. Ginny, this is Jake, Anna's brother."

That was all the introduction he was going to give, which was signal enough to Jake that Ginny was a stranger, and strangers in the House deserved watching these days. That meant as long as she was around, either Jake or Aidan would have to stick around, too, even if there were still missing kids to find.

[Anna Fernandez]

"Aimee!" Anna pulled the purple girl into a hug as soon as she entered the kitchen behind Jake. "I am so glad you are okay. And this must be Ginny -" She released Aimee and put her hand out to the other woman, who shook it warmly.

"Aimee has told me a lot about you, it is good to finally be able to put a face to the name."

[Vigilante]

Ginny smiled, but was acutely aware of the tension coming from the two men in the room. Nothing hostile, not yet, but they were on edge. "Yes, well, she's spoken of you quite a bit as well over the last year, Anna," for that was the only person this pretty and lightly accented woman could be.

She raised an eyebrow, "She didn't mention there was a baby on the way, though - congratulations."

"Thank you," replied Anna, then she looked at the others in the room. "I am going to call Paolo, see if he's been able to find Alex and Lana yet." Her forehead creased with worry lines, a tightness in her face that Ginny hadn't noticed at first glance. Once the matriarch of the house had left, already chattering in Spanish into her cell, Ginny shifted a little and looked at Aimee.

"I guess I'll be going. I'm going to get a hotel nearby. And we'll talk later about why you called me." She reached out and mussed up Aimee's long hair, the girl ducking away and frantically trying to straighten it again.

[Jacob Foley]

"You're from New York, right?"

Leaning against the doorframe, and with little intention of moving, Jake folded his arms. His tone was conversational but he made no effort to dance around the subject tactfully, it was no time for secret-harbouring, not in the current climate.

"That's a long way to travel for a simple phone call," he said, and his gaze skipped casually to the small purple girl, "Aimee?"

[Aimee Connors]

She wished she hadn't just gotten her hair out of her eyes, because hiding behind it was preferable to Jake's eyes on her. Aidan and Jake. Both. Staring. At. Her.

Aimee swallowed. "Uh, well, its kind of a funny story. You'll laugh. Well, no, its not funny ha-ha..." she shook herself a little as Jake's gaze sharpened at her babbling. "Ginny has a gap in her memories from way back in 2006. She was missing from her apartment, and she -" Out of the corner of her eye Aimee could see her red haired friend straightening up a bit, her head turning toward her.

Nothing to do but hurry on. Aimee found her eyes skipping about, trying to find somewhere neutral to look. She almost ended up on Aidan, but finally settled at a spot on the island somewhere between the three adults. "-she showed up later with no idea she'd even been gone. Weird, right? Uh, well, I was just thinking that... maybe..."

Her voice trailed off, and she looked desperately at Jake, hoping for some sort of verbal lifeline she could hold onto, but he was still leaning there with his arms folded, waiting to see what sort of hole she could dig herself into. "Maybe you could help her with her memories." She ended in a rush, and then she glanced shyly over at Ginny, who of course had the good sense to pretend she'd heard this idea before.

[Vigilante]

Ginny shook her head slowly, closing her eyes for a moment, and then said, "I don't expect anything, of course. I was intending on coming out to check on Aimee anyway, and..." she shrugged. "It only took me a few moments to get here."

She frowned despite herself, remembering the moments she had spent on the Astral Plane during the trip. Scarier than usual. Francoise had told her to avoid using her ability to physically enter the Plane, but it was the only way to make a jump longer than 33 feet. And getting her hands on the only clue to her disappearance was worth it.

Also, apparently Aimee had some sort of back up plan in regards to that. Ginny looked at the squirming girl, and winked. Its okay, kid. These guys were tough nuts to crack, but everything Aimee had said sounded like the truth.

[Aidan Fox]

Trade glances for guns and it was a Mexican standoff. Aidan couldn't miss the earnestness in Aimee's voice, and it was obvious she really wanted to help her friend. But there were leaps in her logic that outstripped Ronnie. Aidan wasn't even certain Jake was capable of going after buried memories.

He turned to Ginny, whose poker face was far better than Aimee's. "We'd like to help," he said, "but this isn't a good time right now. We've still got kids missing, everyone's a little shell-shocked..."

Aidan paused midstream. "Aimee, if this happened back in 2006, why did you just call her now?"

[Aimee Connors]

Ginny opened her mouth, but Aimee jumped in quickly, interrupting her before she could start talking. "Well, like, Jake... I didn't think that he could do something like that, but I was talking to Cameron about it the other day, and we... I thought maybe it was worth a try?

"But obviously I was going to talk to you about it, Jake. And I didn't know she was coming, like, today." Her mouth twisted a little miserably. "I'm really worried about everyone who's missing." But mostly Cameron.

She looked down at her phone that she had been clutching in her hand. No new texts.

[Jacob Foley]

While Aimee and Ginny knitted their story together, Jake watched intently, his gaze occassionally flickering across to Aidan, who was studying the pair just as closely. Once they were done, he found there was a certain lack of satisfaction to be had from their tale but, considering the other immediate concerns of the household, he rolled with it.

"Aidan's right. It will have to wait," he caught Ginny's gaze and gave her a nod, "But I'll see what I can do."

[Cameron Bell]

A couple of hours later, Cameron arrived at Redención House. He had changed since the rally, gone were his torn jeans and blood-stained Darwin Fish t-shirt, in their place he wore a pair of cargo shorts and a short-sleeved baby blue shirt, and other than the light graze on his cheek, looked like he'd enjoyed a rather pleasant day in the sun. There was another message waiting for him on his celphone when he stopped at the door, despite having reassured Aimee numerous times that he was fine over the course of the last hour, her worried texts persisted nonetheless; it was very sweet, in a bunny-boiler kind of way.

He gave the door a knock.

[Aimee Connors]

The door flew open and Aimee practically launched herself at her boyfriend, jumping up into his startled arms and hugging him tightly. "Ohmigod I was so worried and I'm sorry about all the messages I'm a huge dork but -" She pulled back a little and kissed him soundly on the mouth.

"I'm so sorry we got separated, I didn't want to go without you but Ginny insisted we leave." Aimee kissed him again, hands on either side of his face as he gently put her back down to the ground.

The sound of a throat clearing behind her brought her back to the present, and she suddenly released him - then grabbed his hand and brought him inside. "Uh, this is Ginny Hayes, my friend we talked about. She, uh, kind of surprised me by showing up today." Aimee grinned, looking from Cameron to Ginny.

[Vigilante]

Ginny smiled and stuck out her hand at Cameron. "Nice to meet you. Aimee's been telling me all about you."

She'd been a little surprised to find that little Aimee had managed to hook up with a mundane, and while she couldn't deny that the girl was very pretty, she couldn't help but be suspicious of the boy's motives. Just on principle. And here he was, all tall and dimples and very handsome, and Aimee was quite obviously besotted with him. "I think we have a lot to talk about."

[Cameron Bell]

Caught in the moment, it was difficult for Cameron to convey to Aimee, who was caught up in a whirlwind of apologies, that everything was alright. So he just closed his hand around hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze, flashing her a smile that looked suspiciously amused. Then he took Ginny's hand, unsurprised to find a firm grip on the other end of the handshake, she had eyes that could shatter walls. Fortunately, he was wearing his best shit-don't-stink summer attire, and was as cool and breezy as the evening air. In acknowledgement of her words, he gave her a nod, and prodded his phone:

"No kidding."

[Aimee Connors]

"Right," Aimee said, reassured by the squeeze of his hand on hers. "Um, maybe in my room? Everyone's in the backyard, gonna have a barbecue for dinner."

She tugged gently on Cameron's hand. "Come on, Jen went to the store with Anna, we won't be disturbed." Part of her wished Ginny wasn't coming along as well - spending some quality time with him in her room sounded just about right.

[Vigilante]

"Sounds like a plan," Ginny winked, and followed the couple up the stairs. She'd already been given the tour of the house, and was pretty impressed at the whole thing. After Anna had gotten the call from the last missing teen - Alex? - everyone had relaxed a bit, though Aidan and Jake seemed to be constantly on edge.

Aimee closed the door behind them, and Ginny took a seat in one of the two chairs in the small room, at an equally tiny desk area that could barely fit two laptops. There was only one there, a bright bubblegum pink number that had to belong to Jennifer, Aimee's airheaded roommate. Aimee sat on the bottom bunk, legs crossed and short enough that she didn't have to duck, while Cameron pulled the other chair closer to his girlfriend.

"So. A red-eyed monster in Los Santos?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.

[Cameron Bell]

"A machine. It moves like man. Beats up mutants."

There was no point in mincing his words as he'd done with Aimee in the park. It was obvious Ginny was the kind who liked to get straight to the point, so he did, tossing her a knowing glance:

"But you already know that, don't you?"

[Vigilante]

She shrugged a little. "What I know, and what I've been told are a little different. I've done my research, and I know this machine has made a habit of hitting mutants all over the United States, as well as having been spotted overseas."

Ginny ran her hand over the top of her head, fingers through her hair. "And I've been told that it is responsible for my abduction from my apartment, and that its involved with the Vanguard organization." She hesitated, looking at Aimee. The girl did not know of her activities as the mutant Vigilante, which, after chasing herself in circles trying to nail down former Colonel Vasher, she had returned to in the last year and a half.

Cameron, though, had something in his eyes. He was what... nineteen? Something in his face though, it was strange, like he was much older. Or more mature than his age suggested. "Nothing I say can leave the two of you. But if this thing is here, targeting mutants... we're not safe. And if you're intending to hunt it, Cameron, you certainly aren't.

"In oh-six I was one of thirteen mutants that were abducted on the East Coast. I was the only one that came back, and I came back with no memories. I've been trying to track down what I can about Vanguard, but its nailed up tighter than a tick's ass." She chewed her lip with frustration. "They always seem to be one step ahead of me."

She turned toward Cameron. "You're the best lead I've had in over a year - Aimee stop giving me that look - I'm going to hunt this thing and I'm going to get it to give me what I need and then I'm going to kill it. If you want to help me, then that's fine, but it isn't going to be safe."

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee looked from Ginny to Cameron, seeing the same intense look on both their faces. She played with the ends of her hair, brushing it across her lips as she tried to come up with some sort of argument that would convince Cameron to let Ginny take it from here.

"If he could take you down once, Ginny..." her voice trailed off.

"He took me by surprise. That won't happen this time." Ginny sounded very sure of herself. Then she softened, looking at Aimee. "This bit about your friend Jake - do you think he could really clear up my memories?" She sounded almost excited.

"Ah.. well... maybe?" Aimee made a face. "I've been thinking about it and he's a telepath, so at the very least he might be able to figure something out. He said he'd think about it though, so that's good."

[Cameron Bell]

"Vanguard. They are the guys who crashed the rally, right? It's all over the news."

Cameron stiffened in his seat. When Ginny gave a nod of confirmation, his vacant expression hardened, and he exchanged a telling glance with Aimee. She, too, saw the suffering inflicted at the heavy hands and eager trigger-fingers of this alleged anti-terroist group; the park had been littered with the trampled bodies of those caught in their wake. There was a weight of responsibility now upon their shoulders, an obligation to right some wrongs, a serendipitous turn of fate.

While the story of her abduction and consequental memory loss armed him with a salvo of questions, he held back, for her talk of killing had left him stunned and prompted another, more pressing, question:

"What does this thing have that you need?"

[Vigilante]

Aimee had warned her about Cameron's inability to talk, but hearing his phone speak for him was going to take some getting used to. The girl didn't even seem to notice anymore.

"Vanguard. Its proof of illegal and illicit activities on behalf of the agency, and I want to take them down. Those sons of bitches have covered their asses though, there isn't a loose thread to pull on... except for this one." Ginny leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees. "And I need to know what they did to me."

[Cameron Bell]

"Sounds like a worthwhile cause to me."

Sat next to him, he could practically feel Aimee's discomfort rolling off in nervous waves, and it would only be a matter of time before she cornered him and questioned his part in what undoubtedly sounded like a suicide mission. Ginny, on the other hand, looked ready for anything. She reminded him of someone, his confidence swelled, and after another furious typing session, he met her with a hard gaze.

"You're not in this alone. I'm not a mutant or an army ranger, but I want to stop this thing, whatever it takes. Want a sidekick?"

[Vigilante]

"No!" Aimee said, but Ginny was already slowly nodding her head.

"You're my lead, Cameron. I need you to show me where this attack happened to your friend." Aimee had filled her in on the details of Cameron's knowledge, as much as she knew. Ginny looked at him steadily as the girl put her head in her hands. "I don't need a sidekick though. We run into this thing, you let me take it on and you get out of there."

[Cameron Bell]

"And when you find this thing, contact me before engaging it, so I at least know where to find you."

Careful to end his sentence there, Cameron had already figured Ginny for the sort not to take kindly to any doubts concerning her ability, so he left the part about potentially scraping her corpse from the floor unsaid. There was something about her that left him uncertain, an air of fierce independence that perched itself upon her shoulders, feathers ruffled, to ward off those who would interfere with her hunt. On the desk there was an open magazine, the page plastered with celebrity fashion, and from it he tore a corner and scribbled on it with one of Jennifer's pens, a plume of pink fuzz sprouting from the top. He handed the paper to Ginny.

"My number. I provide you the deatils and come along for the ride. I'm not a thrill seeker, Ginny, this means something to me, too. I want to trust you."

[Vigilante]

She pocketed the number, and looked at Aimee, who seemed a little shell shocked. "I want to trust you too, Cameron. Trust that you'll listen to me, because you're not an Army Ranger, you're just a zealous kid who -"

Her cell phone rang and she put up a finger. "Just a sec, sorry." Ginny fished her cell out of her jacket and pressed answer. "Hello?"

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee threw a pillow at Cameron while Ginny was on the phone. "You can't go with her," she hissed. "I mean... then, I'm coming too. I mean, safe enough for you, safe enough for me."

[Vigilante]

Ginny was nodding slowly, her back straight. "Yes... yes I understand."

She ended the call and put her phone in her jean's pocket. "I have to go. It was... nice meeting you." She stood up, straightening her jacket, and added, "I'll talk to you soon." It wasn't exactly clear if she meant Aimee or Cameron... or both.

Ginny disappeared, a silent rushing sound filling the ears of the teens left behind, and a residual stain of purplish smoke that quickly dissipated, leaving behind the odor of sulfur. A few moments later they could hear the Harley starting up and then leaving the house.

[Cameron Bell]

Cameron waved a hand through the air until the smoke cleared, his face wrinkled with distaste at the pungent smell left behind. Once Aimee stopped spluttering, a long silence filled the room. He was staring at the now empty spot where Ginny stood seconds ago, his expression pulled taught in frustration, fists clenched around his phone. A moment later, his rigid posture turned slack and he sunk into his seat miserably.

"That was different."

[Aimee Connors]

"Yeah, it was."

Aimee glared at the spot where Ginny had been, and flopped sideways on the bed, head almost hitting the pillow. "So. That was Ginny." She twisted towards him, propping herself up on an elbow. "She came... she saw... she teleported."

She frowned at the empty seat again. "Usually she's not that rude."

[Cameron Bell]

Cameron shrugged. Ginny's sudden departure wasn't what bothered him but rather the inconclusive end to their conversation. It was going to take some work to bring her around to his way of thinking. Perhaps, considering Aimee's pillow-hurling reaction, it was best not to pursue the matter futher that evening. He propped his feet up on the vacated chair and slouched lazily.

"Quite a nifty trick for getting out of awkward situations though. You're in a restraunt, enjoying a romantic meal, when an angry ex shows up: BAMF!"

He shot her a teasing grin from over his celphone.

[Aimee Connors]

Aimee rolled her eyes, but couldn't be angry with that grin and those dimples. "I'm sure that's what she uses it for."

She looked at the closed door and then back to Cameron, her expression changing. "Well... now we're all aloooone..." Aimee winked.

[Cameron Bell]

It was a welcome change, the melody in her voice, eyes alight with mischief, unspoken words full of promise. A moment longer he remained statuesque, and gauged Aimee from afar:

"You have such a one track mind. Oh well. I'll do what I must..."

Adopting a very hard done-by expression, Cameron picked himself up off the chair and trudged closer. When he reached the bed, he collapsed in a heap next to Aimee and rolled close until their lips met. The heavy silence was broken by a smattering of wet kisses and the airy rustle of wandering hands. His lips curled with satisfaction - with Ginny on his side, it was only a matter of time before he and the machine were reunited, and then everything would change.