Ash didn't like these kind of cases, the ones where they were looking for proof that someone's spouse was cheating. Actually, Ash rather hated these kind of cases. They weren't the reason he had agreed to open a private investigators office with Ryan right out of college 11 years earlier. He wanted to actually make a difference, to be able to do something about the crime problem. Sure, it wasn't like he was a cop, wasn't like he was able to actually go out and throw criminals in jail, but as a PI, he had to be able to make some difference, didn't it?

Yet here he was, on yet another case where he was off following after someone's wife to see if in fact she was cheating on him. And to make matters worse, this wasn't just in around Dallas where the cases normally were, but the woman in question had decided to go on another 'shopping' trip to New York. Because of the money the husband was throwing at the office, Ash hadn't been able to pass the trip to New York off to one of the other people him and Ryan had hired into the office over the years.

So far, at least from everything Ash had seen, the trip had been nothing but a worry for him. He hadn't found anything so far that even hinted at an affair. And to top it all off, from what little he had actually listened to Josh about, Ash knew Tarin was somewhere around there, and Ash certainly did not want to run into his younger brother.

And into yet another shop on 5th Avenue. Grumbling, Ash waited behind a few moments before following the blond into the store and pretended to browse while actually watching her to see if she was meeting anyone. At least he was getting paid to be there.

Those photo booths at the mall were addictive. You could get any kind of picture you wanted. Like wanted poster, pictures that looked like they were drawings, the ones that take a picture of you, and then let you draw all over your own face, and those photo booths that showed what your face looked like while morphing into an animal. Sure there were the usual photo booths as well, where you could get four of five snap shots that were normal, with normal poses, but what was the fun in that?

At the moment, Pix was sitting in a photo booth that was supposed to make your face look like Mr. Potato head. She squinted at the sad image that could barely be made out to be her own face, due to all the pixilation. Then the smooth not so pixilated nose and eyes popped up on the screen. Petunia blinded. Oh that was so disappointing and cheep. The print out appeared outside and knee level looking even worst. Well there was only one thing to do. Get her money back. Even though there was a sign on the side saying that all sales that included this machine were final, Petunia would get her quarter back in her hand. So She marched straight into the closest expensive looking store, to complain.

On Petunia’s way, she knocked into a gentleman who seemed to be trying not to watch this other lady. Petunia turned to look at him, with out an apology, but stared as she walked tilting her head. Was he bitten by the love bug or something? Petunia didn’t remember his face during the last time she played the love bug game, but what else could have happened… Maybe the watching was just petunia’s imagination flying away with her again… Yeah that was it. Well he could still be bitten by the love bug, but first thing was first. The potato head Photo booth picture.

“Excuse me sir.” Petunia said marching straight up to someone in a dress coat and a name tag.

The manager of the store turned around. “Yes? How may I help you miss.”

“I have a complaint to issue.”

The manager tilted his head, with his brow furrowing.

“This image doesn’t look a thing like me.” Petunia held up the photo booth image with MR. Potatoe head’s peaces covering the pixilated mass that the photo booth screen had called petunia Gardener’s head.

The manager’s face went from looking concerned that he could loose a possible customer, to confused. “But it’s supposed to look like Mr. Potato head.”

“Yes I know but look at the detail.”

“It cost a quarter.”

“I want my quarter back. I paid for good work and I didn’t get it.”

“But it’s a machine, and you paid a quarter.”

“And I want it back.” Petunia’s voice rose on the last word.

The manager just stood there unsure of what to do. So Petunia took charge. “Oh I’ll get my quarter back myself then.” And with that Petunia spun on her heals and headed straight back the way she had came into the store. The man that was in her way before was shoved aside. “S'cuse me. Girl on a mission here, to get her Quarter. You know. Fight the machine!”

Purses. How many damn purses did this woman need, Ash wondered as he stood off a ways looking at the ties. The truth of the matter was he did need some new ones, but not from here that was sure. He might be making some damn good money on this case, but that didn't mean he could afford to spend over a hundred dollars on a single tie. That was absolutely ridiculous.

And then Ash was knocked into from behind, and he stumbled slightly into the tie rack. Turning his head, Ash saw young woman walking away from him, yet her head was turned looking at him. And without an apology or anything about having bumped into him.

Very well then, Ash decided, turning to start examining a display of tie clips instead. He had much more important things to worry about than some snotty nosed rich kid with no manners.

But then those important things quickly came to include the girl who had bumped into him as she started arguing with a nearby manager about...

A quarter she had spent in a picture booth that she now wanted back? Ok, so Ash had been wrong about her being rich. And she was starting to cause a scene, causing the other nearby patrons of the shop, including the woman he was following, to look over and watch what was going on. Never a good thing, he couldn't let her see him too often, in too many places.

At least the petite woman's argument with the manager didn't last long, and she was quickly walking back out the way she had come. Exactly the way she had come, pushing him out of the way again.

Far, far too much attention on him here. Standing there watching the girl's retreating back for a moment, Ash decided to follow. It would get him out of the blond's sight for a while, and he could always stop and double back if this attention getter ended up going too far.

"You know, it's generally approved of to apologize after running into someone," Ash said after they had gone about 20 feet, his accent as thick as if he were still in Texas rather than New York.

Petunia tossed her hair over her shoulder at the man who was now following her. Huhh. She would have expected him to have been the manager following her. Not the guy giving ad etiquette lesson that she really didn’t need.

"You know, it's generally approved of to apologize after running into someone,"

Petunia shrugged her shoulders before turning her back and addressing the photo booth that had her quarter. “I said S’cuse me the second time.” It was true that Petunia was in her twenties, but she didn’t look that way. So she wasn’t really that keen on practicing her etiquette. In fact Petunia often found it easier to just act the age she looked with was the awkward, moody teen.

Ok so now where was the place of the machine that was closest the Petunia’s quarter? She leaned against the side of the photo booth, finding the little door that the money came back out of. She knocked on the door, and waited as if someone was going to answer.

"You mean that imitation of a bull trying to bowl me over?" Ash asked to clarify what she said she had been apologizing for. As she stopped beside the photo booth, Ash stopped a few feet behind her, crossing his arms.

The expression he was levelling at her back turned to one of amusement as she actually knocked on the little coin return door.

"I don't think anyone's home," Ash commented, a smile touching his lips as he spoke. "Isn't that why you went to the store in the first place?"

But this dark haired girl actually seemed to be waiting for just that. Shaking his head and taking a bit of a breath, Ash uncrossed his arms and slipped his right hand into his pocket. No change, just a couple bills.

Shaking his head again, at himself this time, Ash pulled the money out of his pocket and glanced at it. No singles, the smallest was a five. Separating out the five, Ash put the rest back in his pocket and took a step forward, toward the girl.

"I don't have any quarters, but if you find a change machine, you can try it out again. Or whatever," Ash told her, holding the five out toward her."

"You mean that imitation of a bull trying to bowl me over?"

“Yeah pretty much.” Petunia said as she examined the door. A little fly that buzzed around her head told her about his arms being crossed, but other than the fact the man still seemed he could teach Petunia Etiquette, there was no real concern.

"I don't think anyone's home,"

“Of course someone is home.” Petunia said turning around to look at the guy from her place where she was kneeling in front of the door. “It’s a closed box with lots of cracks. It’s a perfect home. What, you want me to be rude?” Petunia was talking about the spiders. Her little buddies. Though he might think it odd, she was more concerned about being courteous to a spider than to him. Well that’s the way the pixy thinks.

Petunia lightly knocked on the side of the door again. This time with an ear pressed to the side of the door. “He says he’s coming. Just something about needing to pack his lunch box before I move his bed.”

"I don't have any quarters, but if you find a change machine, you can try it out again. Or whatever,"

Petunia shook her head, with her ear still pressed to the side of the Photo booth. “Nope. It’s the shore I want the quarter from. Not you. You know, Principle.”

Even as the woman responded to his bull comment, she seemed far more occupied and interested in the photo booth.

At least she had seemed much more interested in the booth until Ash had pointed out the fact that no one was home. A fact which she immediately and definitively denied.

Ash was about to write her off as simply trying to get a rise out of him for following her when she knocked on the little door again. And said that 'he' was coming, just as soon as he packed a lunch box.

Ash's brows furrowed at this. Maybe this girl had more issues than he had originally thought, much more than simply being worried about a single quarter. Though, she brushed off his offer as he held out the five toward her, saying it was the principle of getting her quarter back rather than just having the money.

Ok, definitely an odd girl here, Ash decided, talking as if there was someone living inside the photo booth and fighting over a quarter because of the principle of the situation.

"Alright then," Ash said slowly, returning the bill to his pocket as he watched the young woman kneel there with her ear pressed to the side of the photo booth. It was most likely time to move on. The woman he had been hired to watch was out of sight, and it would be best not to be around when security was called because of whatever this girl was planning on doing to the photo booth.

"Try not to get yourself in too much trouble with whatever it is you're trying," Ash continued, still standing there looking at the dark haired woman, not yet turning away despite how his mind was telling him he needed to get back to work. "Miss," he finished, that last bit said in such a way that if he were wearing a hat, he'd be tipping it. You know, that whole Texas cowboy upbringing and all.

Petunia slid back a step away from the photo booth, as if she needed to make room for a human sized individual to open a human sized door. There was a lever on the inside that was attached to the lock where the key fit. With a low scrape, and then a click. Open slid the door with a group of spiders clinging to the lever. A spider web stretched out attached to the little door, that Petunia had called her friend’s bed, and her friend was there at the top of the webbing, holding it’s lunch box. A bundle the size of a cricket dangled from it’s front two legs, with long legs that stuck out at odd angles.

“I’m sure this will be fast.” Petunia said to the man with the interesting accent. “Your voice sounds really cool by the way.”

Kneeling back down to the little door, Petunia offered her hand to the spider with the lunch box, and let her influence drop on the other spiders that had opened the door for her. Instantly one of the larger play mates of petunia’s pounced and cannibalized one of the smaller spider play mates. But Petunia paid them no attention. As yet another of the spider lunch boxes started being put together, while the spider with the web near the entrance obediently scurried onto her out stretched palm. “I’ve never seen one quite like this.” She muttered. Examining the spider closely. This one had a body that was about an inch long, and had a light fuzz around it’s body.

Petunia stood to stop the man from walking away. If nothing else, he might be a good look out if he thought he would be blamed as well. “Here. Can you hold this guy for me.” She held out the spider to him.

Just as Ash was turning away, he heard a clicking sound come from the booth followed by the woman telling him that it shouldn't take long. Turning, Ash saw that the little door to the photo booth that would lead to where the money was kept was now open.

"How in the world..." Ash started to ask as he unconsciously took a step back toward the young woman. And then he saw the spiders, a lot of spiders, many more than he was expecting to see.

That was nothing compared to what continued to happen. The woman almost seemed to be speaking to the spiders that were there, hanging out of the photo booth. It just got weirder and weirder, too, as she then turned to him, her hand extended with a spider sitting there. And she asked him to hold the spider.

"Excuse me?" Ash asked. Surely this girl was crazy. Why was it so important to held the spider? "You're kidding, right?" It wasn't as if bugs really bothered him, but there was a difference between that and actually holding a spider like she was suggesting.

"Excuse me? You're kidding, right?"

“No, not kidding. Just hold him for a moment.” Petunia said pushing her palm closer to the man with the interesting accent.

What was the deal with people and not wanting to hold a spider, or an insect anyways? Petunia held them all the time, and Pix found different reactions amusing. Petunia took a step towards the man with her hand raised. “Just let the little bugger sit on your shoulder for a minute. He doesn’t bite, hard, all of the time, and look. He’s got something to keep his mouth busy.” She pointed to what she called a lunch box. The bug that was trapped in the spiders little net and had been all wrapped up for later.

The spider scrawled to the tips of Petunia’s fingers, reaching out to take the next step, that intended to be on the man’s shoulder. “I don’t get what the big deal is about. I’ll just be 30 seconds. Faster if you hold my little friend.”

The woman was pushing the whole holding the spider issue. Ash just stared at her incredulously. She had to be kidding. That's what he would have thought, except for the fact that she was looking so seriously at him, and continued to hold her hand with the spider out toward him.

She'd only be 30 seconds, or faster, if he held the spider? Doing what, Ash couldn't help but wonder as he continued to stare at the woman. Why was she wanting him to hold a spider of all things, anyway?

Ash didn't have to debate any more about whether to hold the spider for her; she reached out the remaining distance, and since he didn't back away, the spider climbed from her hand up onto his arm and then shoulder, where it sat.

Ash froze where he was standing, as if he hadn't already been standing there without moving, his eyes slowly moving to the side to try and see the spider that was now sitting on him. Yes, it was one thing to not have a problem with bugs or spiders, but it was a completely different thing to be willingly comfortable with this.

"And what is it you're doing?" Ash asked, his head now turned slightly to look at the spider on his shoulder.

The spider was happily on his perch on the man’s shoulder, and Petunia took a step back to admire her little friend who so delicately held his lunch box in front of him like a little cautious kid getting ready for a new adventure called school and petunia the proud mother.

"And what is it you're doing?"

“Wow. And I thought the teachers were crazy when they told me I was diagnosed with…. Oh right your question. Well I’m doing what I’ve been raving about for the last two minutes. I’m getting my quarter back.” Petunia took another step back, and gave a little finger wave, not to the man with the most interesting accent, but to the spider. “Remember, I’ll be right back, honey.”

With that, Petunia spun on her heals and began fiddling with the photo booth. There was a loud bang against the inside of the paneling, and quarters spilled everywhere on the floor. “Oh that’s why you always see someone holding a bag under the open door.” Petunia said as she stood, and pushed the pile of quarters around with the toe of her shoe. “Witch quarter do you think is mine. I thought it would just be right on top, but since they all spilled out of the machine, it’s kind of hard to tell.”

Petunia pivitod around to grab the gentlemen’s hand and try to tug him over to the quarters with her. “Can you help me find my quarter, I’d hate to take a quarter that wasn’t mine?”

As if things hadn't already been weird enough, it looked like this girl was telling the spider that she'd be right back, as if it could not only hear her, but also understand her. Yet, the spider sat there, not really moving, as if it had somehow understood.

Then Ash heard a loud bang, and turned his head to see a pile of quarters spilling onto the floor in front of him.

All Ashley Brooks could do for the first few seconds was simply blink at the mess on the floor and the young woman standing in front of him. Here he had become a private investigator to try and stop crime, he went out at night dressed as The Shadow to actively fight it, and here he was, now an accomplice for this woman's theft from the photo booth. Not the greatest of crimes, sure, but it was the whole principle of the issue.

"Help you find a quarter?" Ash asked, his voice low due to shock. "You broke into the booth, and your worried about taking a quarter that's not yours?"

"Help you find a quarter?"

“Well technically I already found my quarter, I just don’t know witch one it is.” Pix smirked to herself on the inside. Playing the ditz was amusing when she ran into individuals like this. Their expressions were almost as good as when she decided to show people what she could do. The way Bugs just crawled out of her skin and bent them selves and their actions to her will. Then how her will wasn’t willing to be all that pleasant. The petunia Gardener on the outside was nothing like what she thought of herself on the inside. The side she gave the name Pix to.

"You broke into the booth, and your worried about taking a quarter that's not yours?"

“Well yeah. I thought I made that point clear to you two minutes ago.” Petunia said, pushing her hips out to one side and letting her hands rest there. “You watched, you didn’t step in before, and you even helped by holding my spider. Funny how you have a problem with it, only now.” Pix rolled Petunia’s eyes in an exaggerated show, like any experienced teenager, with an attitude problem, would do. "Well I guess your right. Why break into a machine just for one quarter. I did already go this far. Thanks for the advise." Petunia bent over to scoop up a fist full, to shove in her pocket, then moved towards Ash with her hand stretched out to gather her spider. Couldn't forget him now, could she.

This girl decided to take this opportunity to point out exactly what Ash had just realized, he was her accomplice in this, simply by standing there. Nope, not good. Ash wasn't going to settle for that if he could stop it.

And, she was getting even more teenage-like. The problem was, Ash didn't exactly know how to deal with teenagers. He didn't have a sister so hadn't had to deal with a teenage girl growing up, at least outside of school but that was different, and Josh didn't have kids so Ash didn't even have a niece growing into her teen years.

But then she did something he did know to deal with as he saw her bend down to grab a hand of quarters. Finally, Ash started moving. He wasn't fast enough to stop her before she had the quarters in her pocket, but Ash grabbed her wrist as she reached toward him.

"Enough playing around," Ash said, giving the girl a hard look. "You're going to put those back and close it back up, so take those out of your pocket."