“Did you get them all?” Zas asked Ezza. They had been packing up for a while now. Ezza had cold stored specimens of his plants, Cameron would hold on to them until they were more settled.

“Yeah, I just want this over with. I hate myself so much right now.” Ezza said. Zas rubbed Ezza’s back in sympathy for a few moments.

“Accidents happen. We move on, and even though it’s not what you would have chosen, it’s over and done with now. At least she has closure now. She can be happy, and you’ll find some happiness of your own someday. I guarantee it.” Zas said. Ezza nodded, it had been an excruciating couple of weeks. Even though Dina couldn’t be seen, she could be heard sobbing through the walls and it was enough to tear anyone’s heart and soul apart.

                                                                                                     ***********************

“How exactly can you work with this!?” Ezza asked Cameron gesturing at his body. This is so weird.

“Well, you don’t smell anything like you used to. Pity I loved the way you smelled, but everything else is amazing. You’ll have to tell me how it all works sometime. So now you two and me can all get of scott free if needed. Let me make a call.” Cameron said wandering away.

“How do I explain this to Dina?” Ezza asked. Zas just stared at Ezza, he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of Ezza. His heart was thudding in his chest and he felt like he had butterflies in his stomach. This wasn’t right.

“You don’t.” Zas barely managed to whisper the words. He felt for his friend, but there was no way he could find a logical explanation for this. Ezza looked down at the floor, teeth digging into lip. Zas just about lost his sanity watching Ezza do it.

“Okay, here’s what’s happening.” Cameron said coming back. Then he stopped and looked at Zas’s red face and then at Ezza. “Oh you two are so explaining this later. For now though, we kill Ezza. Closed casket funeral. I’m thinking poison, which works with my plan. Akira dearest is sending puffer fish nigiri; deadly if not prepared right. Poor Ezza eats it not realizing what it is and then bites it. Gross and all bloaty thanks to the fish, gets buried. I have my contact looking for a place for you two in San Myshuno right now, and the we blow this Popsicle stand.”

“I die?” Ezza asked.

“Well how else are we going to explain you Pretty Baby?” Cameron asked.

“What about Dina? What if she is pregnant? What do we do then?” Ezza asked looking at both of them. Zas looked at Cameron and Cameron gave him a nod.

“Dina will have closure, she’ll move on. Humans are pretty resilient. If there is a baby we take care of it.” Zas said.

“I hope you don’t mean…” Ezza trailed off looking at Zas and wondering who he was.

“No! We raise it. I can mess with her mind make her forget. It will take a toll, but it can be done. We raise it together just like we talked about before.” Zas said. Ezza’s eyes began to tear up, but Ezza nodded accepting the plan.

“Now for your part Muffin. For this it has to be convincing. Leave the rest to me.” Cameron said steering Zas away as he talked to him. Ezza looked like alone time was a must.

For the next few days Zas and Cameron put the plan in motion. Zas skipped work more and more often, and did no cleaning. He didn’t answer when anyone called him on the phone.

             

Finally worried Dina popped by.

“Hey, guys are you in there? Ezza? Is anybody home?” Dina called out knocking on the door. Zas clasped Ezza on the shoulder and then went to put on the performance of a life time. Cameron grabbed Ezza by the shoulders and helped him out the back window and up onto the roof. Zas splashed a little juice on himself and then grabbed a drink for his hand. Ruffling his hair he went to answer the door.

“Dina.” He said sadly. Dina’s eyes widened. She looked worriedly at Zas, this wasn’t like him.

“Is everything okay? You haven’t been at work lately and you and Ezza won’t answer your phones. Everybody’s wondering what’s going on.” Dina said. She was looking around at the house. There were dirty dishes and half eaten food everywhere. Ezza wouldn’t have let it get like this. Dina began to get a sinking feeling in her stomach when Zas stiffened and then downed a full glass of Salty. This wasn’t like him either.

“Ezza’s gone, and it’s my fault.” Zas said his voice cracking.

“I’m sure he’ll be back. You two fight all the time, you always make up.” Dina said walking closer and placing her hand on Zas’s back.

“He’s not coming back Dina.” Zas said letting tears fall from his eyes. Dina froze for a moment and then turned Zas to face her.

“What do you mean?” She demanded. “Where is Ezza Zas?”

“I killed him. I killed my friend.” Zas sobbed into his hands, his tears plinking into his drink.

“That’s not funny!” Dina shouted at him. “Don’t joke about that! What’s going on?”

Zas wiped his face and looked at her. Dropping his drink on the floor he grabbed Dina by her shoulders.

“I killed him! I did! He was my friend and I killed him! It’s my fault! My fault!” He shouted at her while shaking her body. His yells were ferocious and Dina felt afraid for the first time. When Zas finally released her she stepped back from him and crossed her arms around herself.

“What happened?” She asked quieter. He had to be lying, he wouldn’t do it.

“It was my arrogance. I heard of a Dish they make in the city:   Nigiri. I wanted to make some, I was sure I could do it. Ezza said he would test it for me like he always did. I did it wrong Dina, I did it wrong.” Zas said, a haunted look on his face. “One minute he was eating it and telling me how good it tasted, the next he was face down on the table. I thought maybe he was choking but no matter how many times I tried nothing came out. I called the hospital. It was poison from improperly prepared   Nigiri. I killed my best friend.”

          

Dina’s eyes widened. She’d heard of this but had never thought it would happen to someone she knew. Her face crumpled. Then she flung herself at Zas and hugged him tight, crying her eyes out.

          

 

They didn’t ask and really didn’t want to know, but somehow Cameron had found a corpse that had an eerie similarity to Ezza from before the protocol happened. He worked on it for a few nights and then announced it to be sufficient under scrutiny. Ezza sat at home staring out the windows as everyone gathered at the funeral. Zas greeted everyone slightly juiced. People shied away just as Cameron thought, but didn’t blame him. Everyone knew how close he and Ezza had been. The only one who stuck by him-annoyingly- was Summer.

          

The Caliente sisters showed up to show their support for Dina, and offered their condolences. Katrina hugged Zas tightly.

“I know how much he meant to you. I’m so sorry Zas.” She said before kissing his cheek. Zas nodded and then turned away from her. He would wander aimlessly and people made way for him. So it wasn’t unusual when he would slip into his room for a few minutes and visit with Ezza.

          

This sucks.

You think this sucks? You’re not the one who has to lie to everyone, and put on a show.

I know. I’m sorry, it’s just she’s out there and I can’t go.

I know. Zas said placing his hand on Ezza’s leg. Ezza slapped his hand away.

Hey, Playboy! Watch the hands.

Oh, sorry. Zas said blushing a little. The new Ezza was going to take some getting used to.

 

After everyone else had left Zas made Dina, Cameron, and himself a drink.

“To Ezza.” Cameron said. Dina nodded and then downed hers, tears rolling down her cheeks. Zas downed his in silence and then looked at Dina.

“Dina, I don’t mean to upset you, but I have to know something.” Zas said. Cameron sat up a little straighter.

“What?” Dina asked. She was tired, and lonely. She had lost Ezza, and she had planned to spend the rest of her life with him.

“Ezza told me a bit about what was going on with you two,” Zas broached delicately. “I just need to know. Is there going to be a piece of my friend wandering around?”

Dina started to cry. Cameron reached over and rubbed her back, Zas took her hand in his.

“No,” she sobbed out. “I couldn’t even do that right and now every part of him is gone.”

Zas looked at Cameron and both men shared a small relieved smile. This was going to be a little less complicated after all, not a lot, but a bit easier.

                                                                                                  **************************

That had been a week ago. ‘Ezzas’ body had mysteriously disappeared from its grave and nothing had come of it. Zas and Ezza had felt a weight lift off their shoulders when nothing else had happened afterwards. Cameron just gave them a told you so comment. He was busy talking to his contact Akira in San MyShuno. Together they were finding a place for Zas and Ezza.

The day before they were to leave, Cameron gave Zas and Ezza their new ID’s.

“We’ll pick you and the last of your stuff up tomorrow bright and early. Time to get this over with. I’ll keep working on the webbing and I’ll let you know what I find out.” He said as left. Zas and Ezza continued packing and soon enough they were done. Sitting on the couch together they took one last look around. It had been hectic but it had been fun starting here. Tomorrow would be the start of a whole new adventure.