“Well-trained subs to serve you,” Tina offered, eyes brightening at the possibilities.  She did love having a sub serve her wine or something to eat. 

            “Or dommes.  To tell you what you want and how to eat it. If that’s your preference,” Doyle grinned as she turned on her heels, meeting Tina’s dark eyes with a twinkle in her eye.

Susan leaned back in her chair, looked around, and began to see the place as only Doyle could see it and create it.  “…a liquor bar, nice woods … and a coffee bar for sure,” she winked at Marina.  “You do have a way with the exotic blends, Marina.” 

            “And a full service kitchen with a good chef and sous chef; if you want to have someone serving, have to have the food to back up the service.”  Lara set the tray down and began to pass out the salads and silverware.

            Marina’s discomfort froze conversation in place.  Lara gave her a hesitant smile, her blue eyes darting around the table.  “I’m not trying to crowd you out again, Marina.  But I know a really good chef.  I went to school with her.  She’d love to work here.  I have my hands full with other… projects.”  Lara said, thinking that her first project was to try and mend some broken, battered and burned fences.

            Marina numbed her feelings, not wanting to let resentment take hold and ruin the new dreams taking hold here, but not wanting to feel forgiveness either.  Lara sat down in the one vacant chair, swept her hair behind her ears and looked earnestly at Marina. 

“I know you hate me, for what I did.  And maybe I deserve it.  I can’t change it, I can’t make the Planet what it was.  But you’re still half-owner, Marina, and I <b>want</b> you to stay involved, as much as you can or want to, considering that you’re starting a new business.  To do that, I want to help you get it off the ground, so that the Planet doesn’t suffer in your absence.”

            Marina stared at Lara, struggling to understand what she really wanted from her.  Everyone seemed so willing to attribute all her darkness to the vortex, but Marina was fairly sure that the seed of darkness had been there for a long time.  It only needed the right stimulus to grow.  And Lara’s darkness frightened her.  In that frame of mind, she was cold and calculating and frightening in a way that Susan never was.  If Susan had ever tried to mold Lara into a version of her, she’d broken that mold and made a monster.