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There was no Canada Day Ball this year, in fact none of the groups that Alex belonged to had anything planned. It had been pretty quiet lately with everyone Alexandrea knew. She decided to just go out anyway and find someplace to watch the fireworks alone. Willow Court was certain to be a snooze with all the rules that came with being a gated community.

Walking south she soon found herself at the river, looking across at The Dragon's Gate Inn. She wondered if the Spring Rolls were just as good as the ones in the 8th dimension mall, and looked around to be sure no one would see her before stepping out on to the water. It was a shot walk and she wasn't spotted as she got to the other side and went inside the restaurant.

The smells were just as wonderful, Alexandrea noted as she walked up to the counter. She placed and paid for a take out order for some Spring Rolls to go and while she was waiting for her order, Alex saw a flyer for the Silverlight Fairgrounds. Which was only about a block away. She smiled as she read that there would be a fireworks display. Once her food was ready, Alexandrea took her snack and headed directly there.

She got in at a discount of course, she always did everywhere she went. And soon enough Alexandrea found herself lost in the park's bright lights and laughing crowds. Alex played a few games, rode the Carousel, and decided to try and be on the Ferris Wheel for the show.

A woman that was dressed somewhat similar her friend Zodiac caught Alexandrea's eye, although no where near as stylishly, and Alex wandered over, curious as to what she had at her booth.

The woman smiled as Alex came up towards her and beckoned her closer. "Wouldn't you like to know your future, young lady? I can answer all your questions for a very modest amount..."

Alex grinned at the older lady and went ahead and sat down in the chair across from the self-proclaimed soothsayer. "And just what exactly would this 'modest amount' be?"

"Ahhh... a pittance, truly. In exchange for what I can tell you, it's really nothing at all." After saying so with a huge grin, the fortune teller pointed to a small sign that Alexandrea had failed to notice before. It listed what services the woman who owned the booth could provide and at what costs. The one at the bottom was a reading of all three services the human offered; the palm, an object reading and the Cards.

"Alright, give me the full package." Alex quickly answered and then took off the necklace she always wore around her neck, the one that her father's ring and at on always hung on. At one time Odin's key also shared a spot on the long chain but that was in the past. A slight sigh escaped her lips and she frowned without realizing it.

The 'Gypsy' noticed these 'tells' of Alexandrea's and believed she knew something now about the young woman in front of her. The ring that the blonde now held must have belonged to a lover.

"We will start with the palms." The fortune teller said with a firm nod. "Place both hands face up on the table, please."

Alexandrea did as instructed, setting the precious ring and it's chain down before hand.She placed her hands, either side of the ring and watched it out of the corner of her eye.

This was also noticed by the human woman, who tried not to frown. The ring looked it was valuable. She had been hoping to make it 'disappear". She sighed and leaned over her client's hands. And began to study the lines on Alexandrea's palm.

"TAKE OFF! To the Great White North!"

Jennifer scrunched her nose in distaste as Zodiac sang in her head. "Is that the only thing you know that is Canadian?"

"Well, I know some Triumph tunes as well. ROCK AND ROLL MACHINE!"" the girl began to air guitar as she danced about, causing her assistant to groan and cover her ears. Every year this happened. Jennifer was born and bread in this part of the world, but the Texas born gypsy refused to adapt to the local flavor and fare.

"Zo, it's a holiday!"

"So is the 4th of July too and you give me crap for setting off fireworks three days after your holiday! You guys got some weird days to play with."

"Okay, what would happen if I acted like this on July 4th in Texas?"

"You'd be shot. A lot. Dead maybe." Zodiac started singing 'Magic Power' now.

"Will you stop with the songs!"

"Philistine! Triumph is such a unappreciated band."

"So where are you going this eve?"

"Heard the fair grounds was having a fireworks display tonight."

"Nice, I am heading in the opposite direction then!"

"What? Oh come on!"

***

"Fine, be that way ya damned kanuc-kle-head. I don't need you along to have fun, I can have all kinds of fun by myself" the gypsy fumed in her thoughts as she paid the price of admission. She entered the grounds and smiled at the all the people who had came out. Mostly families, of course, but what else would one expect here. They were here for the fun and to ride the rides and see the sky show-just like her.

She paused in front of the boards that showed the layout of the grounds and what could be found where. Her eyes skimmed the listings till she found where the Midway would be. She had a nostalgic fondness for such places, especially since she worked them in her teen age years on occasion.

Zodiac blinked and snorted in contempt as she saw who was playing fortune teller for the crowds. "Bolva? Bovine is more like it!" her thoughts sneered. 'Madame Bolva' was a con artist who would rip you blind if given half a chance and tell you nothing in return. People like her gave others like Zodiac a bad reputation (not saying the mystic was above reliving people of their money, but what she told them was truth and not vague hints and kinda, sorta, maybes.) "And if she is Romany, then I'm a Geisha girl!"

"Well, can't be rude to a fellow 'gypsy' now, can I?" she aimed herself at the Midway and walked quickly. She might save some poor sap from loosing their shoes if she got there in time. Perhaps Bolva would be happy to see Zodiac again. The notion caused the girl to cackles in silent laughter.

Part of her was amused by the show the fortune teller was putting on but another side to Alexandrea was a bit insulted. After having met the real thing; watching the fake gypsy preparing to give Alex a reading felt as if the human was mocking the real thing. But she tried to relax and be more easy going about it. It was all just in fun, something to pass the time with and have a few laughs.

"I see you will have a very long life..." The fortune teller said in a tone so serious that Alex had to actually bite her tongue to keep from laughing. "Although it looks as if you have had a few... close calls. Accidents, perhaps?"

One slender eyebrow rose the slightest degree on Alexandrea's face as the blonde tried to count how many times she had been sent to the Shadow Realm. Was it four times or five? Alex's lips pressed together in thought as the human woman watched her closely; reading not so much the palms of a client's hands as she was the reactions of a mark to what had been said so far.

"Yes... you are like a cat. You have nine lives. You should be more careful, soon. I see about half that many breaks in the left hand already. How many more might I see on the right?"

Alex breathed in quickly and tried not to look interested. She was a bit of a con artist herself and was pretty proud of her poker face. But when the fortune teller mentioned the number of breaks in her lifeline, Alexandrea was impressed. She had no idea what the woman meant about the two different hands however, not that she was planning on admitting that.

The fortune teller decided to move on, she wasn't getting much to work with off of the blonde. Time to push some buttons. The first look at the hands of a customer can tell you plenty without even looking at the palms. If they were rough and hard working or soft and well manicured. If there were wedding rings. Or if there were tan lines where wedding rings used to be.

No such clues were on Alex's hands. Well manicured, yes. Soft... not at all. And the only sign of a ring was the one on the long silver chain.

And Alex's eyes kept returning to that ring. That and her other little tells showed the artist how to work the con.

"Your loveline runs very deep, you have much love to share. But you have been hurt... I see some kind of loss here." The fortune teller gave Alex's hand a squeeze and leaned closer with a smile. "It can get better. And with my help it will. Madame Bova is never wrong!"

As she made her way along the Midway. Zodiac forced herself to calm down. She didn't hate the woman and she certainly could not play a moral high ground on the issue of how one managed to acquire money. Her business was legit to the penny and she defied any auditor to try and find something on the shady side, but not all of her profit ventures were legit either. A dishonest dollar was a way of life for some and she was no angel on that either.

It was how Bolva did it that set her fangs on edge. What the cards to tell and what they could do was a responsibility-so the mystic had been taught. The more educated among them would find the idea totally insane, yet the girl treated the concept of readings with the care and respect a physician would treat their patients. Anyone playing a con game in such a fashion was less than vermin. Part of her wanted to supervise Bolva having a fatal accident, but the damned woman was just public enough to make her 'accident' draw too many questions. Add to that the 2 women's confrontations had also been in the public's eye too often, and the mystic tolerated the woman's continued life.

An eyebrow raised as she saw Alexandria sitting at Bolva's booth. She did not make a telepathic greeting as she normally would but moved to stand beside Alex and placed her fists on her hips and simply glare at the woman. Bolva looked up as the hit of colors invaded her view of Alex's hands and the ring that sat between them. Inwardly Zodiac smiled as she saw how Alex had kept her treasure in plain sight and guarded. Smart girl. "Play dumb for a bit, dear. This is gonna be fun" she whispered to Alex's thoughts alone.

"Why, Mistress Zodiac," the contempt in Bolva's voice was barely hidden as she lifted her hands away from Alex's and looked directly at Zodiac. "Out slumming for clients this evening? Not all of us have pretty shops to work from, so it must be work getting people to come see you. Perhaps you should consider moonlighting for extra money. There are several dancing establishments always looking for new talent."

Zodiac held her pose, refusing to break eye contact. Bolva smiled. "Did you say something, child? Oh, forgive me. That's right. The Goddess saw fit not to give you a voice. Perhaps that was for the best. Little Miss High and Mighty you would probably sound like a screeching harpy if she had one. Now off with you! The fair hired me to do a job and your presence is disturbing the spirits as I try to help council this poor woman sitting next to you. If you were truly a sensitive, you would feel her pain as I do."

'Oh, you want to feel pain?' she kept her thoughts locked down. A single hand raised from her hip and she snapped her fingers. A moment later, Zodiac's familiar jumped up onto Bolva's table and sat down, adding her stare to the mix. Bolva shrinked back a bit in her chair now. She had been on the receiving end of Ginny's claws a few times in the past when the woman tried to be physical with her threats. Zodiac smirked and pointed at the would be gypsy and then jerked her thumb towards the entrance of the fairgrounds.

"Your loveline runs very deep, you have much love to share. But you have been hurt... I see some kind of loss here." The fortune teller gave Alex's hand a squeeze and leaned closer with a smile. "It can get better. And with my help it will. Madame Bova is never wrong!"

Her eyeballs screamed in protest as Alexandrea fought back the urge to roll them. True? Yeah, kinda but a ring being worn on a chain around a woman's neck usually screamed out that she was carrying a torch for someone. Alex wasn't impressed. She kept a straight face and said nothing, just kept looking at the fortune teller's eyes.

Madame Bova pursed her lips when the mark didn't have any reply at all. She directed her attention back down to the blonde's palms as if nothing had happened and went on. Perhaps a lighter touch was called for. Her client wore nice clothes, expensive clothes. Her hair was styled and her nail were done. Her shoes looked top of the line. But she didn't have that 'air' about her that so many who are born with money had. And such strong hands. The woman must have worked for her money.

The scent of Lilac and Jasmine drifted passed her nose and Alexandrea looked around slightly just as the human had smiled, she caught sight of what she was sure was a black cat and grinned. Alex had almost brought her Penny Valentine with her but was concerned about the Fireworks. Not that they would bother that cat at all, Penny wasn't frightened of anything. But other animals might get spooked and her cat was still very young.

Just seconds later, Alexandrea felt Zodiac draw near and heard the ruffling of her clothes and the jiggling of the Gypsy's jewelry as her friend moved to her side. The familiar voice in her head made her want to smile but she just sent back an affirmative reply instead and focused all her attention on this Madame Bova.

"I see you come from a modest family... " The woman said, changing tactics. "And money didn't come easy when you were growing up."

Alexandrea's hands shook slightly with the laughter she struggled to resist, thinking of how backwards that was. But Madame Bova took it to mean Alex was upset and thought that this time, she had found her mark's weakness. A terrible childhood. Aww... how sad. The fortune teller thought to herself with a small smile.

The carnival gypsy's smile faded as she looked up to see Zodiac standing there and Alex sat mute, as the human unleashed venom on her friend. Whether or not Zo wanted Alexandrea to continue to play dumb or not, Alex was getting pissed. She was about to get up and punch the human in the face when Ginny arrived.

Pushing her instinct for violence off to the side for the moment, Alexandrea took a second to send a loving welcome to her kitten's mama, along with some images of the little cat as she grew.

"You cannot tell me to leave!" Bolva was furious now. "I have been contracted for the evening. My place is here. But you?" The older woman stood up. "Perhaps I should call security and have you removed for disrupting the peace-along with that feral beast of yours. Should be put down anyway. It's a menace and you know it!"

Zodiac's lips parted in silent laughter as her hand dipped quickly into her dress pocket unnoticed by Bolva. Again she fixed the older woman with her gaze as her hands moved about as if she was weaving a spell.

"What are you doing?" Bolva demanded a second before a snap of Zodiac's wrist sent the small home made bomb to the ground at the woman's feet. A large BANG! sounded as flash power and smoke suddenly erupted around Madame Bolva. She screamed as she backed up and tripped over her chair. "You psychotic *****!" she screamed. Her accent now clearly Canadian with all trace of ancient gypsy vanished. Zodiac turned to Alex and smiled.

"If you needed a fortune told, why didn't you ask me?" She winked and motioned for the woman to follow her. Ginny turned and nuzzled Alexandrea for a moment, then gave the faux gypsy a hiss before following her owner.

"For hating me and despising what I have accomplished so much, that wench has tried three times to be hired by me." the mystic's mindspeak rambled to Alex as she walked along. Not even turning to see if her friend was following along or not. "'Madame Bolva'- as if! Her real name is Leslie Phillips and she has a file with the police thicker than mine. Has milked every kind of con game you can imagine and a couple I never even knew existed."

Zodiac stopped in front of the balloon game and looked over the prizes that hung like silent charms of enchantment to lure in the masses. Darts and balloons was a classic rip off game. The tips of the darts were dull, the flights cracked or warped to throw off their path to the target and the balloons underfilled, giving them more bounce to resist being popped. Zodiac would warn anyone she cared about not to waste their money here, but her eyes focused on the large stuffed purple cat among the treasures. She stepped up to the line and offered the tender a few dollars and began to inspect the darts he handed her.

"So why did you feel the need to talk to someone like Bolva? Just having fun or is there a real issue bothering you?" she glanced in Alex's direction.

Alexandrea grinned as Ginny walked over the booth's counter top and gave her head bump, the two exchanged cheek rubs before the cat bounced off to rejoin Zodiac. A part of Alexandrea almost felt bad for the human woman. Almost. But it had been too funny watching Zodiac in action to not laugh. Alex picked up her necklace with her father's ring as she got up and followed her friend, not sure how to rely about the reading.

They stopped at a game of Balloon Darts and Alexandrea also paid for a turn, waiting until Zodiac finished taking hers. Alex noticed the Mystic's eyes checking out a large purple stuffed cat and decided that if she was to win and her friend didn't that that would be the prize she picked. And she would give it to Zodiac. Alex knew the games were rigged but hadn't played any carnival games since she had been turned. Her aim was much improved and with her new strength, Alexandrea was more worried about not damaging the booth than not being able to bust the balloons.

"I suppose at first I just stopped out of boredom and curiosity." The blonde finally said with a shrug. "But after she started... I don't know. I found that I really did hope she would have some answers for me. But I'd much rather you did a reading for me, I know you know what you are doing and I trust you."

She nodded in reply as her fingers continued to pull and bend the plastic flights back into some sort of alignment again. "Sad part about that woman? She probably could have answers for you if she focused on helping you first rather than how to empty your wallet. I never said she wasn't talented, but I know she is a con artist first."

"That is why I loathe her. She has a gift and uses it just enough to pull a con job." Zodiac decided the darts were finally in as good of shape as she could make them. "Yeah, I take money for what I do, but only after I do all I can to advise and help my clients and not be spinning a trap to get them to pay me even more."

She turned her head as a group of children approached the booth. A quick swish of her tongue to be sure her fangs were hidden and she smiled brightly at the new comers and waved. "Let's try not to ruin the man's booth too much." she sent to Alex as the mystic stepped up to the line. A glance at the score chart told her she needed three red balloons to win one of the bigger prizes. Rather than holding the dart the way most people would, Zodiac held it by the tip as if she was preparing to throw a knife. Her eyes locked on the red balloon as she pulled her arm back and then let go with a snap of her wrist. POP! "You should have seen me play softball as a kid," she told her friend as she prepared for her second shot. Her vampire strength made sending the dart hard enough to defy the odds of breaking the balloon easy, but one had to be able to aim.

'POP!' Went a second red. The kids were laughing and cheering her on now. Zodiac grinned and made a grand showing of winding up as she eyed her next victim on the board. Again the wrist snapped and a third 'POP!' sounded as another red exploded. The man inside the booth shook his head in disbelief as the gypsy high fives a couple of the children before approaching to claim her prize. Her eyes went back to the purple cat, but spotting something that had been hidden by the edges of the decorative top she had not seen before. Zodiac pointed and made a question mark in the air and the attendant brought the item down for her to inspect closer. Her mouth opened in silent laughter and she nodded and took the pillow and held it against her chest. She gave the children a peek at what it was, causing them to erupt with laughter before she returned to Alex's side.

"Thought of you when I saw this." she laughed in her friend's mind as she showed her the prize.



"For you!" Zodiac giggled.

"That woman is really rather sad... " Alex said out loud but only loudly enough that Zodiac would hear it. "I wonder if she even knows how empty her life is. I was like that once... " She switched to mindspeaking with her friend; *Until I was turned.* The sentence completed, Alexandrea let the subject drop. Turning an unhappy human was more likely to result in a very unhappy vampire than it was a happy vampy.

Zodiac took great care in fussing over her darts and Alex took a look over her own, and found no real fault with them using deadeye wouldn't solve. It wasn't cheating if you cheated a cheat in Alex's opinion. She chuckled at the Gypsy's worry about the booth and had to nod. A rather disastrous night at a bowling ally a few years ago had taught her not to forget just how much stronger she was now.

The Mystic's aim was so good that Alexandrea wondered if Zo had gotten deadeye herself but she didn't intrude on her friend's abilities. She clapped her hands as she egged on Zodiac. "Woot! You show 'em girl! Those balloons better beware of the amazing skills of the mystical madame Zodiac!" As the last balloon met the inevitable end, a small crowd of children and and adult (kind of) vampire all cheered.

As Zodiac went to go pick out a prize, Alex took a moment to set down her darts and put her chain and ring back on for luck. As she turned back around, she saw her friend showing her winnings off to the kids. They seemed to be amused and Alex grinned from ear to ear when she saw it too. "Oh my gosh... that IS adorable!" Her eyes widened in surprise as Zo went on to present the pillow to Alex as a gift.

"Awww thank you, Zoey! And I'm flattered it reminded you of me! I hope you don't mind holding on to it while I go destroy this man's property." Alex winked at the Mystic before she turned, grabbing up the darts and kicking off her sandals then taking aim several feet away from the booth's countertop. She let the feeling of the earth come up through the soles of her feet and kept her focus on finding a calm center. In a blur, she threw the first dart.

POP "One dead luft balloon." Alex raised her arm to take steady aim and with another reminder to herself to stay grounded, she whipped the second dart home as quickly as the first.

POP "Two dead luft balloons."

For the last dart, Alex got a bit anxious. The sounds of the kids and the looks from the booth's owner concerned her. She had to slow her speed down. Not putting her full strength in a throw was the easy part. Alexandrea had always been fast, even as a human. She took slower aim and did her best to throw more slowly as well as not too hard. She bite her lip, worried that even with deadeye she might miss.

POP "WOOT! Three dead luft balloons!" Laughing, Alexandrea gave the children high fives as Zodiac had done and went to go claim the purple cat before someone else got it. She made it dance in the air in front of the kids as she passed them by on her way to the Gypsy.

"I think Ginny needs a new friend. Why don't you take this little kitty home with you?" Ginny had been there all along of course, but at the mention of her name the cat looked up. What otherwise had seemed dull and unworthy of Ginny's notice got more interesting if her name was being mentioned.

Zodiac stood back and watched Alexandrea prepare to throw. She knew the woman would have no problems with the task, but was bouncing with excitement like the younger viewers of this unfair rooking of a unfair contest. The gypsy almost swore Alex was shooting the darts rather than throwing them and shared looks of amazement and panic with the children. Again, the man running the scam looked bewildered when another winner stepped up to claim a big prize. The kids cheered and so did she. Zodiac laughed at the appearance of the purple cat and swapped trophies with her friend.

"It's so fluffy, I'm gonna DIE!" her mindspeak quoting the child from Despicable Me. The trio stepped out of the way of the children, now determined to try their luck as well as they surged the front of the booth. "So we ripped him off, big deal. We just made him more money with our little show just now. The universe always balances itself out." Zodiac excused herself for a moment and approached the parents and made a grand display as her business cards 'appeared' in her hand and passed them out.

"So, why do you think your need your fortune read, dear?" she fell in step next to Alex as they continued to browse the Midway. "People often say they are bored or just something to do, amusement, but in my experience something is bothering someone if they go this route so what is bothering you? By the way, it's 'Mistress'. 'Madame' was my grandmother and I have not lived long enough to know even a percentage of the things she did to feel comfortable laying claim to her title. Besides, in this town it would sound like I am running one of the damn whore houses that keep popping up."

The trio (including Ginny) inspected other games of chance. Zodiac grinned at the Fish Toss. "Should I win you a snack, my love?" she sent a message to Ginny as she looked at the Betas posing in their tiny bowl shaped prisons. She was distracted by the sounds of screams as the rollercoaster roared along a short distance from where they stood.

"Hot snot!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Alex's hand and began to pull her along. "We can talk on the rides!"