For me to love you now would be the sweetest thing, 'twould make me sing, ah but I may as well try and catch the wind

Nick was saying something else, but his words were drowned out by the pounding of her heart.

Rose was in love with Nick. Her feelings had finally solidified enough that she couldn’t even deny them to herself.

I’m… in love with Nick. Nick is my first love.

Rose freaked out like crazy, but used all of her acting chops to maintain her poker face. Luckily, she was already frazzled from those terrible movies she’d starred in, making it harder to spot just how chaotic her thoughts were at the moment.

It’s really him? She’d always carried fantasies about what her first love would be like, but her dedication to her brother and their future together had kept her from thinking about things like that seriously. Only now, her feelings had hit her like a train and there was no going back.

Nick might not have been the most handsome guy in the world, and with her looks, she certainly could have found someone better. So why him? The rational side of her brain couldn’t make sense of it, but it was quickly being pummeled into submission by the emotional side of her brain, which was slowly exerting more and more dominance over her.

Once victory had been achieved, she could understand then why she had fallen for him. Nick had seen her at her worst. When she had no one, when all seemed lost, Nick had comforted her. Even when she’d done such terrible things, he still made her feel like it would all be okay. And when she remained in the game at the expense of Holly, had he blamed her? No, he continued to treat her like a person.

For someone who had only shown her false face to everyone, someone seeing the real Rosemary meant a lot. Only her brother knew her better than Nick at this point. And if he could see her awful movies and see the best, if he could witness the pain she’d caused others and still not abandon her…

How could she not fall for someone who accepted her so honestly?

“Rose, are you okay? You look like you’re burning up!” Nick exclaimed. He leaned in and pressed his hand against her forehead, and she suddenly became aware of just how close the two of them were.

Particularly, her eyes were focused on his lips.

Rose had kissed Nick before. But she wanted to do it again. She wanted to do a lot more than that, now that her heart was let off its leash. She’d sworn that she would only have sex with someone she loved? Well she loved Nick. And she could…

She leaned in close, preparing to kiss him. Nick’s eyes widened, sensing what she was going for, but he didn’t shrink back. If she was going to kiss him… that was fine with him.

But she stopped just shy of it.

He’ll think it’s another plan to seduce him, she realized. He won’t take my feelings seriously, not after everything that happened.

That thought came with equal parts pain and relief. It hurt that he still felt that way about her, but at least she’d managed to stop herself before she crossed that line. She yanked her lips away from his, eyes widen and cheeks red.

“I… I… I’m not wearing any underwear right now!” She blurted out. Nick stared incredulously at her as she turned and ran down the road, not sure what to make of that statement or the almost-kiss she’d just cut short.

Rose: 1900 BP + 300 BP = 2200 BP

“Okay, last thing on the list, then we can go check out the garden,” Carly assured her twin sister. They were standing in front of the boutique Kim worked at.

To settle things, the trio of Carly, Marley, and Dawn worked out a schedule of how they’d spend their time today. They’d all wanted to get to know each other a little better. As roommates who’d barely spoken before now, Dawn and Carly wanted to get to know each other, and Dawn was curious as to how much of Marley was still Mimi. Even Carly was interested in her new sister, since part of her knew all her memories had been fabricated.

In the end, Carly got to use Dawn as her little dress-up doll, spending her section of time dressing the cat girl up in the most adorable outfits. She was wearing one now, in fact. While Dawn still couldn’t match Carly in height or figure, she didn’t have to. The cosplayer had given Dawn one of the maid outfits from her cosplay collection (to Dawn’s chagrin) and one with a very short skirt. Because of Carly’s figure, it actually fit the shorter girl respectably, with a few alterations.

Dawn’s trip to the cat café for lunch and playtime with the kittens was significantly tamer in comparison.

Then, finally, it was what Marley wanted to do. And first thing on the list was finally resolve things with Kim.

She’d been thinking about it for a few days now, and finally knew what she wanted to say.

“Welcome! …Oh. Hey guys.” Kim greeted them with an awkward expression on her face, and the three women glanced at each other.

“You… didn’t transform again, did you?” Marley asked warily. Today might end up being another loss.

Kim shook her head. “No, nothing like that,” she assured them. “I just… I wanted a change of style, that’s all. No new transformation.”

“Are you okay?” Dawn narrowed her eyes. She’d noticed Kim’s wince when she shook her head, and from the way the girl carried herself, it was pretty clear that she was worn down. “You seem kind of… sore.”

“I, uh… Dani helped me work out a little,” Kim said. Carly twitched slightly, but regained her cool pretty fast.

Still, the air turned tense as they all considered the situations one another were in. Kim didn’t even want to look at Marley, she felt too awkward.

“Can… can I help you with anything? Would you like to buy something?” Kim’s eyes landed on Dawn in particular. The other girl had certainly gone through some serious growth.

“We’re not here for me,” Dawn said, holding her hands over her bouncing chest. She still didn’t have a bra that fit. “These are just temporary, so…”

“No, I totally get you,” Kim nodded. “Could I interest you in our new rent-a-bra, then? For only 100 BP, you can rent a bra for 24 hours!”

Dawn rolled her eyes. What a waste of money.

“No thanks. Like I said, we’re not here for me.”

Kim turned to Carly next, but the girl dressed as a maid just shook her head and nodded to her sister.

Just as Kim feared.

“Marley?” Kim wanted to shrink back, but a voice inside her was telling her not to run away. She needed to confront the former slime girl head-on. It was her fault that Mimi turned into this, and if the other woman wanted to condemn her, then she would accept that.

“I’m not upset,” Marley explained to start. She didn’t want to put Kim on the defensive. “It isn’t your fault this happened to me.”

“It… kind of is, though,” Kim pointed out glumly. “If it wasn’t for me…”

“Then it would have been someone else,” Marley said, shrugging. “None of the winners wanted to be my buddy, after all.”

Carly winced. That hurt to hear. Kim felt a little uncomfortable about that statement, too.

“Still, I’m so sorry,” Kim said, lowering her head. “You turned into a completely different person. You lost yourself because of me.”

Marley shook her head. “I just changed, that’s all,” she said, placing her hand over her chest. “I’m still Mimi. Like how you were still Kim the other day, right?”

“Really?” Kim had been blaming herself for what happened to Mimi. But neither twin seemed to be blaming her for it themselves.

Marley nodded. “I can prove it,” she said, and hugged Kim tightly before the girl had the chance to escape.

Marley hugged tighter than a bear. Kim thought for a moment that she was going to sink into the sweater-wearing woman, but no, those were just Marley’s boobs pressed up against her chest. After a few seconds, she pulled back.

“See?” Marley gave her a small smile. “Still cuddling.”

Kim had to laugh at the proud look on her face. “At least there’s that,” she nodded in agreement.

“Now then.” Marley turned to her sister. “Carly, Dawn, and I are all going on a walk through the botanical garden.”

She smirked at Kim. “Sorry, but you can’t come. Gotta work.”

“Awww!” Kim frowned. “You guys are lucky.”

Marley stuck out her tongue and followed Carly and Dawn out of the store.

“Well, you seem to be in a good mood, sis,” Carly said, patting Marley on the back.

“I’m glad you worked everything out with Kim,” Dawn agreed. “She’s a nice girl and a hard worker. Someone like that is a trustworthy friend.”

“Now, to the garden!” Carly, as usual, took the lead, while Marley trailed behind her. It had always been that way, ever since they were kids.

Marley thought back to her memories of growing up with Carly, and smiled. Now that she didn’t have to worry about the divide between herself and Mimi, she could really acknowledge the person she’d become as her true self.

I was Mimi. Now I am so much more.

The garden was just as beautiful as they remembered. It was really something, seeing it with her new eyes.

“It’s lovely,” Dawn murmured.

“Eh, just some plants,” Carly shrugged. “Marley here’s the one with a green thumb, isn’t that right?” She elbowed her sister playfully.

“Oh?” Dawn adjusted her glasses and looked at the shyer twin.

“I studied botany in college,” Marley explained. “I was actually thinking about becoming a botanist, maybe working at a place like this, and then… well…”

She glanced at her sister and the two women averted their eyes. Dawn didn’t need to hear any more, she could put the pieces together. Carly had dropped out of college too. You didn’t need Dawn’s level of genius to understand that the reasons probably overlapped.

“I’ve always loved plants,” Marley murmured, running her finger along the stem of a flower. “I suppose it’s because I am one, huh?”

It was a lame attempt at a joke, and nobody laughed.

“You’re a human,” Carly stated firmly. “You might have been a slime before, but that’s not who you are anymore.”

“It will always be a part of me,” Marley argued. “Weren’t you listening? I’m certainly not Mimi anymore, but at the same time, she’s still me.”

That was the kind of philosophy Carly wished she’d finished college to understand.

“Marley…”

“I can’t explain it,” Marley said, shaking her head. “I just… I’m me, but… my family…”

She loved her mom and dad. They’d always been there for her, and she had hundreds of moments of them being happy together locked away in her brain.

So why did it still feel like something was missing? Why did she still need to hug someone else tightly when she went to bed, to remind her she wasn’t alone?

Marley poured over her countless memories of skinned knees and ice cream sundaes and family movie nights. She felt her heart swell with joy, and turned to her sister.

“Whoa!” Carly wasn’t expecting a hug like that.

“I’m glad I get to be part of your family, sis,” Marley whispered, hugging Carly with everything she had. “Thank you for helping me find my place.”

“…Yeah, of course I would,” Carly said, not sure what else Marley expected. She hugged her back. “You’re my sister. I’m obviously going to love you. Whether you’re slime, or human, or a blood-sucking alien, nothing’s going to change that.”

Marley tightened her grip. She’d found it, her source of happiness. Her heart wasn’t in turmoil anymore.

They continued the walk through the garden, enjoying the scenery. Dawn appreciated tranquil places like this, and while Carly preferred her nature walks to be a bit more rugged (she still loved mountain climbing after all) she felt at peace as well.

Ironically, the most restless one here was Marley.

She’d come here looking for new experiences, hoping to maybe recapture some of her old feelings of nostalgia by returning to the garden. And while it was certainly lovely, a strange aura hung over the place, leaving her with a feeling she just couldn’t shake.

When they got to a certain hedge maze, she realized why that was.

“Here…” She murmured, reaching out and touching the green wall. “It’s this place.”

“This is where you wanted to come?” Dawn asked, noting the sign talking about plants and demons. “It’s kinda…”

“This is where she was born,” Carly murmured, her eyes moistening. “Where we first met.”

No wonder Marley felt called here. It wasn’t just the love of plants from her memories as a botany student. Her heart was calling her home.

“Can I go?” She turned to her sister for permission. And Carly was happy to give it.

“Of course you can!” Carly nodded rapidly. The three girls navigated the maze, without making a single wrong turn. Marley seemed to naturally intuit where they were going, and before long, they arrived at the heart of the labyrinth.

Marley slowly approached the center, staring into the enclosure where she’d once been incubated. The plant parts she’d outgrown had all withered and died by this point; the only thing left was a patch of overturned earth.

Carly winced. It reminded her of a grave.

Marley knelt down and placed her hand on the ground, feeling the dirt against her fingers. The same substance that had nurtured her for so long, and yet it was just lifeless soil.

I thought I’d moved past all this. She’d resolved to keep living her life as a human, as Marley. Mimi’s memories were so faint, barely a week’s worth. But her soul? That was telling her something much more important.

“Oh…”

Everyone turned to see Sylvia walk out of the maze. She looked shocked, as if she hadn’t been anticipating them.

The look of surprise lasted only for a moment, and then her usual smile returned.

“My, look at you all! Come to check out the garden, my girls? Be careful, these plants are certainly dangerous!” She turned to Dawn. “Make sure the Honeysuckers don’t get near you, with that inflated rack of yours. Once they latch on, they’ll drain those things for all they’re worth!”

Dawn winced and crossed her arms over her chest. Carly just rolled her eyes.

Marley stared at Sylvia, silent as a statue.

“Why are you here?” She asked, and a tremor shook Sylvia’s body.

“…Is it so wrong to want to go for a walk every now and then?” Sylvia pushed past Marley and walked into the dirt, standing in the center of the enclosure. She turned her face away from the women.

“Now, please leave. This is my personal time, and I shan’t have it be interrupted, my girls.” Sylvia tried to sound upset, but it only came out as a frantic warble. “Please go!”

Marley looked at the others, then she looked at Sylvia. She didn’t know what she should do. Those doubts had resurfaced, that tumultuous feeling had returned, and her heart stung whenever she pictured the blonde’s sad face.

But… I’m still what I am. And there was nothing she could or would do to change that.

Finally, she walked back to her sister and left the enclosure.

“M-Marley!” Sylvia’s voice cracked. Marley turned towards her, and saw the host staring back at her desperately. Her face was wet.

Sylvia swallowed and **** out her next question, wiping her eyes. “Are you… happy with your new life?”

Marley nodded. “I am,” she said. “Very happy.” She closed her eyes and pictured her childhood. “I remember the apartment we all lived in, when Carly and I were kids. It was so small that I didn’t even get my own bed, I had to share with mom and my sister. Then, dad got a new job, and we moved into a new house, and I thought it was the biggest house in the world!”

She laughed a little, remembering those days fondly. “I got a bed to myself, but of course, I still didn’t get my own room. You can only have so much, you know? But I had a sister who was always by my side, and mom and dad treasured us both. We went on vacations, played games, I got so much cake for my birthday once I nearly exploded… it was warm and full of love.”

Marley’s smile could blot out the sun. “Of course I’m happy. I got such a wonderful family!”

“Marley…” Carly placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

“I-I see.” Sylvia was shaken. She took a deep breath and let it out with a smile that failed to hide the sadness in her eyes. “I’m glad.”

Unable to face the other girl for a moment longer, Sylvia turned away, crouching down in the dirt. It was the last thing she had left of her daughter, she wanted to be as close to it as possible.

She didn’t even realize that Marley had come and crouched down next to her.

“Huh? M-Marley?” She wiped her eyes and tried to put on the host mask again, but she didn’t have it in her. Not when Marley stared at her with those wet, warm eyes of hers.

“I know I’m not the same,” Marley murmured. “I’m not Mimi anymore. I changed. I’m human now.”

“I’m happy for you.” She really tried to be. “You have a family… a home. People that you belong with. That love… I always wanted that for you.”

Marley stared at her. “But… I had that already.”

A hush fell over the garden.

“…What?”

“I don’t just remember all those memories I got placed inside of me,” she said quietly. “I remember mine. You used to water me twice a day, just in case I got extra thirsty. And whenever I got dirty, you were always there to wipe down my bulb. And you would always read to me, so that I wouldn’t get lonely, growing up here all by myself. I was all alone, but I was okay because I always had you. I love you, too, Sylvia. You were an amazing mom.”

Carly wiped her tears, and even Dawn got misty-eyed. Neither said a word, just watching the emotion fill Sylvia’s face.

The host’s lip began to quiver and her eyes started watering. “…You… were an amazing daughter as well, my girl.”

She threw her arms around Mimi and held her tight, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you,” she sobbed. “Thank you for finding your happiness.”

“I’m right here,” Marley whispered, crying into her shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m still right here.”