She frowned, unable to stop herself from snapping the obvious answer. "Of course I did!" Tegwen rubbed her temples with her palms. "I'm sorry. I . . . I had my parents." She paused. "I was friends with Mr. Gearloose, and Mr. McDuck and his extended family. Their pilot, Launchpad, too. I had my best-friend, Kayla Doxy." She was inclined to add Fenton to the list but after her angering revelation earlier that evening, she chose simply to leave him out. Sighing, Tegwen looked at her hands somberly. "I had friends there. Why do you ask?"

"Um . . . I was just thinking about what you said on our walk home earlier. That . . . you didn't think they really sent anyone looking for you."

Slowly, Tegwen lifted her head. "They didn't," she told him resolutely.

"Um . . . Did you see police when ya were out on the streets?"

"Yeah. All the time."

"None of them talked to you?"

"No!" She laughed. "I always ran from them. None of them could keep up with me!"

"Don't go running off now, but . . . did you ever . . . maybe . . . stop to think that these cops were looking for you to take you home and not to arrest you?"

Tegwen withheld a cringe. You know you're at the lowest point in life when someone like Megavolt starts making sense. God . . . Can I get any lower?

She knew the answer was an overwhelming yes. She just didn't know how it was even possible. So, she chose not to dwell on it.

"How not just assume they wanted to book me? I was a ... a transient. I constantly stole -- to survive, but the law doesn't care why people steal." Tegwen took a deep breath. Among other reasons they would want to arrest me. Reasons they didn't even know.

"You know now," Megavolt said softly.

"Yes." "Why not let them take you back?" "It's . . . involved. I can't just go back. It's been too long. Why do you ask? Do you want me to go?"



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