DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

Lex jerked his head toward the stairs.  "She's got stripper clothes on, and I don't know where to get real clothes."

Kat nodded now, understanding. "I can bring some of my clothes I don't wear much over tomorrow. I told Gaster I would stick around here until he got home at least."

"Cool.  But if you're tired, you can hit it.  I got this now," Lex said than paused.  "Scratch that.  You seen Ashton?"

Kat shook her head. "I'll sleep on the ouch at least until Gaster gets back. And no, I haven't. Why?"

"Sh-."  Lex headed for the door.  "I'll be back."

Kat nodded. "Be careful..." She warned.

Lex bolted for the rooftops and started searching for his second.  Where the hell was he??

Echo had been up again for a couple of hours now, doing business as usual. She was still worried, and wondered how her mysterious "client" was doing handling her problem. She hoped it wouldn't cost too terribly much...

Unable to find Ashton, Lex went back home to check on Layla before heading out again.  Where was he!

Tramp sat in his box, stroking Bobo gently.

Layla was out cold right now, cuddled under the blanket as she slept off the last of this bout of drugs.

Echo spotted Tramp and hesitated a moment before she made her way over. "Hey." She greeted.

Lex passed her and went toward Ashton's room.  Maybe he'd been by and left a note.

Tramp looked up warily then relaxed when he saw who it was.  "Hey."  He looked a little bleary, but he wasn't scratching off his skin or spouting paranoid babble.

Ashton  was dozing off in his room, with Night on his chest.

That made Echo relax a bit. She saw how rough her friend looked and pulled out a joint and offered it to him. "Would this help?" She offered softly.

Night was happily asleep.  Then came up with a hiss when Lex half growled, half yelled, "What in the bloody hell!"

Tramp hesitated then nodded, reaching out with a shaking hand.  "Yeah.  Thanks."

Ashton jerked up into a sitting position when Lex started to yell. "What are you talking about?!"

Seeing Tramp's hands shake, Echo lit the joint before she handed it to him, giving her friend a small smile. "You okay?" She asked softly.

Night mewed as he tumbled into Ashton's lap.
"Thanks for telling me you got home safe!" Lex snapped furiously.  "Thanks for saving me running around half the city looking for you!"

Tramp took a couple of long draws before answering.  "I'm alright.  Just... Yeah.  I'm fine."  He stroked Bobo's fur, focusing on the puppy.

"I was, but I couldn't find you!" Ashton snapped. "So I decided to come home and chill until either you showed up, or enough time passed for me to start panicking!"

Echo sighed some. "If you need anything, you know I'm here for you, right?"

"You could have check- oh what the hell."  Lex threw up his hands and turned to leave.  "Come meet my new project the Doc dumped on my lap."

"I know," Tramp mumbled, smoothing muddy fur.  "You're too good."

"Project?" Ashton asked. Confused, he scooped up Night and followed Lex out. "What project?"

Echo laughed softly and without humor. "Either that, or not good enough, eh? You say I'm too good, but I'm still not good enough to escape living street life still."

Night huffed, incensed at the "rough" treatment, but snuggled into Ashton's hold.
Lex indicated the girl.  "I picked her up. Now I'm stuck with her."

"That's 'cause you drag yourself down with sh- like me," Tramp informed her.

"How do you keep meeting these cute girls?" Ashton muttered. "And why are you stuck with her now?"

Echo shook her head. "Nah, you're in the top percent of who I regularly deal with, Tramp." She said honestly.

"Because she don't have nowhere else to go during withdrawal," Lex replied with a cranky look at Ashton's first comment.

"You should slum it with some rich kids, get yourself hitched to one," Tramp mumbled.  "When you clean up, you're real pretty."

Ashton ignored the look. Lex was usually cranky about something, and Ashton thought it was a good observation. "What was she on?"

"I'm not a gold digger, Tramp!" Echo snipped, offended. However, her cheeks blushed a little at his second comment. He really thought she was pretty?

"Same thing that Echo chick's friend is on, I think," Lex shrugged.  "The Doc gave me the rundown on how to help an addict withdraw."

Tramp shrugged, taking no offense at her tone.  "Nah, but you're a survivor.  Like me.  You have a way out.  You should take it."

"Huh." Was all Ashton had to say to that. "Good luck?"

Echo stood abruptly. "And I am not stooping that low if I can help it! I am surviving fine without selling myself out, so I'm not going to!" She turned to leave, set off now.

"You're helping me," Lex said simply.  "But more than that, keep an ear out.  See what that jacka- gets himself into."

"Okay," was all Tramp said, bowing over Bobo.