[video]

[foreverbouncing]

[Charlie is curled up on the couch in her pajamas, with a bowl of cereal. She frowns at the phone, which seems to be sitting on her knee.]

Babs is gone. Uh. Barbara. Gordon, I mean. If anyone...she wasn't here long this time, I don't know how many people talked to her anything but she's...gone. Again. Of course.

Great Christmas present, right?

[The

Comments

voice;

[nottheanswers]

She tends to do that a little too often, doesn't she?

voice;

[foreverbouncing]

YES!

ALL THE DANG TIME!

It sucks.

voice;

[nottheanswers]

Must be hard when you depend on her for so much.

Re: voice;

[foreverbouncing]

Well, I...

I guess I kinda don't, anymore? I just miss her.

voice;

[nottheanswers]

Well, no, don't figure you could under these circumstances. But missing her is the only rational response, even if you can't depend on her, she still means something to you.

Re: voice;

[foreverbouncing]

Yeah. I just...I wish it would stop bringing her and then taking her away. I get used to it, right? then she shows up...just long enough for it to seem right...

then Bam, gone again.

voice;

[nottheanswers]

It has its way of playing with all of us like that. Sometimes you'll meet someone you wouldn't mind seeing, just to find out they're someone else entirely.

voice;

[foreverbouncing]

That's what happened with Helena. Twice!

voice;

[nottheanswers]

[He chuckles softly.]

That's right, you would know her, wouldn't you?

Re: voice;

[foreverbouncing]

Well, yeah. Duh.

Three versions now, though one has never been here and one was only here for like, a week.

voice;

[nottheanswers]

It's all luck of the draw.

Or it would be, except that the dealer's stacked the deck against us.