It was almost a normal and boring day at the clinic, except that Alice holds Lapin’s hand in an iron grip. Pulling her into the treatment room She looked with pleading eyes that begged to be saved at Lilly.

Alice really did have high hopes about Lapin, so to give her a bigger role at the clinic she thought that Lapin could at least try to be an assistant. Which Lapin at first had thought to be a kind of joke, until Alice had given her a mischievous smile and grabbed her by the hand.

Lapin did a wonderful job of explaining what happened during the treatment and could fill some parts of information that Alice couldn’t, due to the fact that she no longer felt emotions.

Patient that once earlier had been a pain in the behind because of his worried behaviour, was easily got calmed down by Lapin. Which did a really good job, even if it was her first time treating someone. Not to mention that Lapin had trained hard to improve her talk to make sure patients wouldn’t suspect her to be from the lower class.

The treatment went quicker than usual.

Alice maybe really had to consider taking assistance from Lapin more than she had thought from the beginning. And if it did this quick when it was her first time, then it could easily go even quicker when she had learned the routines. Which of course wouldn’t be so hard since Ellen wouldn’t let her use the “Angel”.

“You are a horrible person Miss Alice.” Lapin came back after leaving the patient outside. Looking horrible tired and worn out. Apparently so had the patient somehow got worried after the treatment when Lapin helped him out. She had done her best but without result. To her luck so had miss Lillium come and helped her out.

Alice apologised, she hadn’t thought that it would turn out like that. Even if it could be good if the girl to see that all patients weren’t easy to handle. She had only been unbelievable unlucky that it was her first patient that turned out bad.

Luckily Lapin was very quick to forgive and was soon showed how to empty the “Angel”.

Lapin looked at the small “demons” that Alice picked out of the “Angel”. Even after all the times she had got treatment, so had she never got the chance of seeing those things.

“So these are the things that make people feel like they do?”

She was really smart for being that young, not to mention that she caught up at what Alice said very quick.

Ellen looked satisfied at the light giving gear she just installed in what once had been her and Alice bedroom. With that done so was almost all the light giving gears set up in the house, only one or two remaining.

Next step should be to install some warmth giving gears, at Alice’s request. “The princess” had thought that it got too cold from time to time, so she wanted Ellen to install it in all rooms. Including Ellen’s workshop, but that wouldn’t happen. Her workshop, her rules. Ellen was happy with the workshop as it was now, so there wouldn’t be any major changes. Except for installation of an extra light giving gear or two. But it was all her own decision.

Somehow she felt happy that Jack wasn’t there. If he had, then he would probably have been stuck in Alice iron grip. Which would have made it so much more difficult for Ellen to stay strong. She could handle her sister so-so, but was straight off at the losing end when it came to Jack.

Ellen let out a heavy sigh, she really wanted him to be by her side. Showering her with his love and taking care of her. Supporting her and just standing by her side. But he wasn’t there but instead somewhere else. So there was not anything she could do about it, except to make sure that he had a loving home that he could come back to.

Ellen felt she still needed advice about installing warmth giving gears. Sure she had helped Chris install at those boats, but that was a different matter. That had been boats and not houses, which meant there should be things she needed to think about. Therefore it was better to ask about it than to risk burning their home to the ground.

She should ask Chris when she arrived home, but first off she would talk with Sour about it. She needed to buy the warmth giving gears anyway, so she could as well start there.

Angela was standing in behind the counter, looking as beautiful as always.

“Good day Ellen. It was a while ago, how is the beloved little missy doing?

It had been a while since Ellen meet her. She had only meet Sour, but Angela had always been somewhere else. Making Ellen remember that Angela hadn’t even been joining them at the bar.

But what did she mean with calling her “beloved little missy?”

“I would need to buy a couple of warmth giving gears.” Ellen couldn’t spend far to much time there only chitchatting. She was there to buy those gears that she needed for the house. Which didn’t even give her the time to ask about what Angela did call her.

“Starting a new project again after that machine?”

Angela didn’t know that the machine that Ellen had created only was meant to making those horrible crystals even worse. But of course so didn’t the others know about it either.

“Not really, I will install cogs in the house that I and my sister has bought.”

Angela didn’t bother to hide that she was impressed and asked some more questions as she served Ellen.

Ellen had done a really good job with installing those cogs, making it look so simple that even Alice herself could do it. She was so proud of her beloved sister. Hardworking and serious. She could even dream of a better sister than Ellen.

According to Ellen so was the installation going very smoothly. Almost all the light giving gears was installed, and soon she would start with the warmth giving ones. After that so would there be no anymore more chilly evenings in the house. They could then just sit in a comfortable heat, without being forced to pull a blanket around themselves.

Ellen had looked a little strange at her when she made the request, as if she didn’t think some evenings could be chilly. But of course her beloved and strong sister maybe had a little higher cold resistance than Alice. Either way so could it also be good to have them installed if the weather became really cold.

Soon it would only one thing that could destroy their happy life together, and that would be if their stupid father came back. Sure Ellen would most probably be really happy to see him, and if she still holds feelings for him so would it be even worse.

It would probably be for the best if he never came back. Not because Alice hated him, but she simply found out it to best if he didn’t come back.

“Are you thinking about your big sister again?” Alice already knew what Lilly wanted to ask when she came up to her. It was always the same question when Alice spent some time to think things through.

“Yes. She’s doing a really lovely work at the house, so I was thinking about how proud I am over her.”

She wouldn’t even try to bother explaining anything about Jack for Lilly, it wouldn’t be worth the time. Not to mention that Lilly didn’t have anything to do with it. So instead she talked about someone she enjoyed talking about. Her beloved sister.

“She`s doing the work herself?”

“Yes, she’s doing the work herself. And is doing a really good job too.”

“How is doin’ a good work?” Lapin had left her place behind the counter and joined the conversation.

Alice would like to said that it was Lapin that did a good job, just to see her reaction. But she couldn’t tease the girl too much.

“Little Ellen is handy and is installing all the cogs herself in their new house.”

As soon she understood that they talked about Alice sister, she didn’t hesitate to show how impressed she was. Curiously asking small things about both the house itself and which kind of cogs they installed.

Alice really liked Lapin. She had without hesitation joined their work, without even knowing how to read or write. Which she had shown herself being determined to learn. She did her very best to learn from all those small mistakes did. No one of them was big enough to give them serious problems. And she did seem to learn from it, it had never been the same mistake twice.

Patients also seemed to like that she acted as Alice’s assistant. Which she had got better at after came over the uncomfortable feelings about it, and of course got a couple of pushes in the right direction.

“So you invited both of your co-workers?” Ellen finished the sentence for her over the dinner.

They had been more or less working the same hours since Alice bought the house. Leaving in the morning and in the evening so did Alice pick up Ellen in the house. Which most probably was necessary to make sure that Ellen didn’t work the whole night.

“Yes. I hope that you are fine with that Ellen.”

Of course she was fine with that, she was dumb to even ask that. Ellen herself had also invited two other persons, out over Chris. Not to mention that they would celebrate Ellen and Alice moving into their own house. So they should invite their friends, or in this case co-workers.

“How much longer will it take before we can move in?”

Alice would like to move in this very day, but Ellen was most probably not done yet. So it would be enough to know around how many days more it would take. Then she also had the possibility to prepare their clothes so it only was to grab and leave.

“I think it will take two days more, in worst case four days.”

That was great. Alice would make sure that everything was prepared in two days, which wasn’t so hard since they only had clothes to pack.

“We will hold the celebration in six days.”

Lilly declared that they would plan to make sure they had a short working day that day. So could they all go together directly from the clinic to Alice’s new home.

Alice and Ellen had decided to hold the celebration some days after they had moved in. So would they have time to settle down in the house, and it would put a less pressure at Ellen while installing the cogs by giving her some extra days. Not that it would have been a problem anyway since she did a really good job already, and most probably would be done in two days.

The warmth giving gears took a little longer to install than the light giving gears. But of course there were more Ellen needed to think about with the warmth giving gears.

They could have been able to move into the house already if Ellen hadn’t fallen for that “spoiled princess”, want to have that warmth giving gear without a reason. They could have moved out from Chris’s house and finally stop bothering him with their time there. Which they already had done for long enough. Not to mention that they partly occupied his workshop with the machine that pulled extract out of the plants, which’s request only had increased.

Ellen let out a sigh, it wasn’t much remaining until they could return to their usual life. Only a couple of gears remaining, the celebration that the moved into their own house and Jack would come back. Or rather, Ellen hoped that he would come back. He couldn’t stay away forever, right?. He had to come back to his beloved girl, didn’t he?

It was probably the only thing that would be missing for quite some time more. They could try to get everything back to what it was before, but it would never be the same without him.

Now thinking about it, for it to go back to the same. Wouldn’t Taija also need to come back? “The princess” only natural enemy. If it hadn’t been that Taija’s fiancé beaten up by Ellen, so would it have been a nice idea to invite her. But that jerk off really got what he deserved. Which couldn’t have fit well with Taija since, since who wanted their beloved fiancé getting beaten up.

It was still not time to think about that, she needed to get going with the house so they could move in. And so she could make sure that Jack had a lovely daughter and house that he could get back to.

Ellen was somehow not even surprised. She had finished the installation of all the gears, and both of the sisters had moved their clothes into the new house. When Alice dragged Ellen to the bathroom for taking a bath together.

Sure she might want to show her appreciation, but why did it have to be in the bath?

“I am really glad for what you have done in the house and that you could do it so smoothly.” Alice sat behind her and gently washed her back and hair, chippering like she was a small bird.

“It is I that should be grateful for you both buying the house and to let me do the installation.”

There were no lies. It really was Ellen that should be grateful that Alice had earned the money that was needed to buy the house and to buy everything they needed. She had only done the necessary installation, but it was her sister that was the only reason it could have been done.

In exchange for that Alice washed her, so was Ellen washing Alice back and hair too. Which she more or less had to force upon her. The dumb “princess” had no intention to let Ellen do it from the beginning, so she had to use her only trait that surpassed Alice. Her muscles. Which made Alice realise very quickly that she didn’t have any chance against Ellen.

“So what will you be doing tomorrow Ellen?”

It wasn’t much for her to do, since all the work in the house already was done.

“I will look over all the gears again, one last time. Then after that so will I do a little cleaning of the house and some cleaning in my workshop.” It sounded wonderful to say “My workshop”, really implying that it belonged to her and only her alone.

“I see, will you make sure to clean the house well then?”

Ellen didn’t even want to answer that question. Of course she would do, it was after all their house. And it should be just as well like when Jack lived with them. Not to mention that some cleaning could give her a good chance to think more about that “new” thing they called an automobile. Which she hadn’t got time to think about since the day Alice gave her the key to the house. But now after getting back her own workshop, she maybe could find something out about it. And maybe even try to build something in connection with it in there.

Ellen was cooking the food for the celebration. Her shoulder length hair was still wet since the short bath after a turn in the workshop.

Alice had during that morning tried to convince her that Alice would do the food herself after she had finished the work, but had given up after Ellen asked about how long she wanted the guests to wait. It was much better Ellen did the food so they could eat in peace when everyone had arrived.

Of all the guests so was Alice’s co-workers the only people that Ellen didn’t have a clear picture off. Sure she had met them both, and “that” doctor had treated her. The girl had she both lead into the clinic and she had helped Alice home once, but neither of them had given a clear picture of who they were.

Not that Alice had meet Agnes yet either, but that girl had been very open to Ellen during the time at Sour’s shop.

The first guests that arrived were Agnes and Sour, bringing a bottle of burnwine as a gift.

“So this is your house? It looks good.”

“Yes, but I would rather express it as that it is my and Alice’s house.” She didn’t want to leave out the fact that it was mostly thanks to her sister that they even got the house.

“I see. You also look beautiful.”

Ellen was wearing a simple shirt and blouse. If he thought that she looked beautiful in that, then he would probably lose his mind when he saw Alice. After she had changed clothes that was. Lose him mind just like all other men did.

Agnes was a really kind girl and kindly asked Ellen if she needed help in the kitchen.

“You are so lucky to have a big house to share only with your sister.” Agnes seemed to be jealous about that Ellen lived together with only Alice.

Ellen would have like to told her that she rather would have lived together with only Jack, but didn’t since she then would need to tell her about Jack to. Not that it was a problem, but it could be kind of hard to explain if it came out that he was her father.

During the small talking it came out that Agnes had been living with her mother earlier, but has all of sudden decided to move in at Sour’s place. Both because she could help him with the shop and get some experience, and that it could be easier to find a partner in the city than in a small town.

Alice arrived with both her co-workers and with Chris, that they meet at the way home.

“Cheers for Alice and Ellen’s new home.”

They should just start to eat when Lilly took the chance to toast for the sisters. On which everyone followed.

“How badly food poisoned will I get if I eat the food?” Chris just had to start with his bad jokes. Both Lilly and Lapin looked shocked at him, before they questioned why he even asked that.

“I promise that it won’t be that bad.”

“Yes, I helped do cook some of the food.” Agnes followed up at Ellen’s answer. It wouldn’t be surprising if she was used to jokes like that, she was after all living with Sour.

“In other words, you should be happy if you wake up tomorrow.”

Alice’s co-workers didn’t seem to know what to believe. They couldn’t be used to that kind of jokes, which only showed the difference between the two groups.

No one seemed to have gotten food poisoned by the food. At least not when they had finished the meal and went to the living room for some chit-chatting and drinking.

“What is your sister working with?” Agnes was curious, but who wouldn’t be that after Alice’s suggestion that they should do a toast for Lapin. That had been “promoted” to Alice’s assistant.

“She works with to help people that are feeling bad, down and things like that.”

It was a very simple explanation, but Ellen didn’t know really what Alice was doing anything else than that. Except for maybe teasing that poor cat, which had been clear during the dinner. Ellen had only knowledge of how the machine was used first, but it could have changed since then.

Agnes still didn’t follow, so she tried to explain it a little more in hope of she could make it somehow understanding.

Lapin carefully joined the conversation and gave some more information that Ellen couldn’t.

“No wonder that Alice wants your help as an assistant if you know that much.” Agnes praised the girl, that quickly looked away shyly. She didn’t seem to be used a being praised, maybe Ellen would need to have a talk with “the princess” about praising her employees. Because this girl really seemed like a really good and gentle girl, so she should be one that Alice needed to hold close.

“I don’t know very much. I still have much more I need to learn before I really can help miss Alice.”

Alice should really hold on to this girl, she wasn’t only smart and willing to learn, she also had a very cute personality. So cute that it wouldn’t surprise Ellen if she would become the front girl to get more customers, which she wouldn’t even blame the guys for.

The evening progressed and the alcohol flowed, during a whole lot of small talk.

“Ellen can I please ask you for a favour?” Alice quickly walked to her sister’s side.

“Sure, no problem.”

“Please protect me.”

The alcohol had got to Ellen’s head again, so she didn’t hesitate to help her sister. But what would she protect her from, was she far too intoxicated again?

“Alice please come here.” Chris came walking. He really seemed to have got far more than he could take. But it seemed that Alice wanted to be protected from him.

Ellen rose and took a stand between her sister and Chris.

“Can you please move so I can get to my lovely Alice?”

Lovely Alice? Did he liked Alice, or had he only been charmed by her as all guy got?

“She doesn’t seem to be in your company for the moment. So please do try again when you ain’t drunk.”

“Can you please move Ellen. I really do want to get to my beloved Alice.”

Could he please don’t sound so desperate when he talks. He could be too drunk to notice it himself, but he sounded straight off pathetic.

“Can you please move before I need to use force to reach my beloved?” Chris still hadn’t given up and had yet been asking her desperate for a while. Ellen was still standing strong, not even thinking about to moving.

“You mean force like a challenge?”

She did just more or less challenges HIM, which was much bigger than her. And without hesitation, much stronger than her. Only to protect “that princess”?

“A challenge sounds good. I win and get Alice. You win by beating me senseless.”

“Sure, Indoor or outdoor.” There was no chance that Ellen either could or would back off now.

Chris, in differences from Ellen started to look unsure about it. Ready to back out of it.

“Behorned, don’t be wussy and fight like a man. You can’t back off against a girl.”

Ellen had become Chris’s punching bag. She was on the losing end of the fight, a fight she had picked because of “that vulgar princess” that couldn’t even protect herself from those she charmed. “The princess” that she would have let solve this problem herself.

Was this the punishment “that princess” wanted her to suffer through because she loves Jack. The man that revived her and without hesitation would have protected her now. Why did she even did this? Had the alcohol totally shut down whole her brain capacity? She really would have let “that perverted princess” doing this herself. A “perverted princess” that charmed men like her would deserve a beating like this themselves.

Throwing a punch, miss and got hit in the face.

Ellen didn’t want this, it hurt. She felt dizzy after all Chris’s punches, she didn’t deserve this. Yet she couldn’t give up, she needed to win. She couldn’t let herself go through this without giving Chris a payback for the punches.

Not to mention that Sour also would get back later on. Encourage Chris to fight. If Agnes didn’t kill him after she ran over there to scold him, so would Ellen make sure that he wouldn’t see the sun tomorrow.

Ellen didn’t react that she threw a punch toward the side of his waist, even turning her body to put more force in the punch.

Hit, Chris reacted and stopped up. Lending forward in pain or shocked by the hit. Ellen felt very dizzy. He wouldn’t stop after that hit, right. And he said that she needed to beat him senseless, then that was what she needed to do. Putting all her power into one hopefully last punch, aimed for his face.

Chris laid unconscious at the floor.

“Good fight little missy!” Sour tried to cheer for her after she had won, as if he wasn’t the big reason it began.

“Thank for helping me Ellen.”

Next time “that princess” wanted help, so would she need to find some other idiot to help her.

Ellen noticed how the little cat was looking at her with big eyes when Chris woke up again. Was that timid cat looking up at her in some way, or was it just an illusion that Ellen got.

“That was a good fight Ellen, I could never have guessed that I should lose.” Chris seemed to be okay when he woke up, and did seem to accept his loss against her.

“Since I announced my love, who is up to fight against Ellen for Alice love.”

He wasn’t fine at all. Coming up with an idea like that, he couldn’t be okay. Even if it only should be Sour that she had to beat, so where there no chance that even would think about fighting more.

“I like Alice, but I am not suicidal and rather suffer through the time it takes for her to accept me.” Lilly liked Alice, wouldn’t that mean she likes girls? The strange dream about how Ellen, Lilly and Jill surfaced again. That really couldn’t have happened, right? Why couldn’t she have got a serious answer from Jill? There was no chance she could ask Lilly about it either.

“I won’t accept you in that way, ever.”

Alice was still hiding behind Ellen, giving Lilly a dead cold answer. Which didn’t even surprised Ellen. Since Alice had lost her emotions, how should she possibly be able to fall in love?

“Then, how about you sour. Will you take on Ellen to reach Alice’s heart?”

Couldn’t Chris just give up? Would he ask the girls later on too?

“To be honest, so would I like to take on little missy. But it would be for her heart itself and not her sister’s.”

For her heart? Did that mean, that he rather would be with her than her sister?

“Sorry mister. She belongs to me and only me.” Alice hugged her from behind and peak out while talking to him. Guess that even she had her cute sides sometimes.

“Sorry Sour. I have another man that I like.”

“And it ain’t Behorn. So come here brother, so will we drink ourselves senseless.” Sour was very quick to follow up at Ellen answer. As if he already knew it from the beginning.