"The one who brought you the little lace thing?" Marcello asked. "Really? I thought she was supposed to be watching over you. That's how they put it to me. I...she made me somewhat uncomfortable. The black one was much easier to talk with."

"That one makes me uncomfortable," she said. "She once assaulted my friend Dierdre at a party. The one you were speaking too, I can't see at all. Literally; I've been in the same room with her, or so you've claimed. That one, you have a fancy for." She smiled at the unlikelihood. "She, however, is presumably in love with the very elderly, very evil man who molested a friend of mine when my friend was a small child, if that is any indication of her judgement." She bit her lip. "There's a half-dozen or so others. They prefer to deal with you."

Marcello looked confused. "Well, I know I have a fancy for her; I could have told you that," he replied. "But she told me she can't actually experience emotions like love, so I don't..." He frowned. "That's all very complicated," he observed. "Who would like someone like that?"

Niabheara's mood noticeably darkened at the confirmation that Marcello did, in fact, fancy the girl in black. At present she was willing to overlook this information in hopes that it would be one of those things that would go away again after his memory was restored. "Don't worry about it," she said. "It is complicated, and unfortunately it is also one of those things you know more about than I do."

"Well, not at the moment, I don't," Marcello answered cheerily. He gave her a sympathetic look. "This must be frustrating you at least as much as it's frustrating me. Are you...how are you handling all this?"

She laughed. "Let's say that while I am not at all weary of your company, the novelty has begun to fade," she replied.

He reached up and touched her cheek. "If I were the other me," he said. "What would you say to me right now? If I remembered everything?"

"I'd say fucking hell, where was the three-times-a-day when we were leading up to this wedding," she said, chuckling. "Except not really. Likely I'd see if you remembered everything first, make sure everything was right again. Then see if you were still interested in getting married." She smiled up at him. "As it stands I just want to know if you were all right, if you need anything. Other than a personal bodyguard, obviously."

"I was probably stressed out about the wedding?" Marcello suggested. "I think if you mentioned that, ah, necessity to me, I would have been more than happy to oblige, don't you think?" Then he chuckled. "I liked this plan to have you as my personal bodyguard," he told her, brushing a hand against her arm. "I like the idea of having a woman stronger than I am."

"Good. I'll have someone find you one." She nudged him back with her shoulder. "I'm just worried about you not knowing the place, especially as things are right now. And especially after this. I can't believe I forgot to tell you about Barbara." She looked anguished. "I was sure I had."