Chapter 1

I walked through the darkened tents; I loved the circus at night. It was quiet, there was the occasional muffled laughter coming from the whore tent. It was an unofficial tent, but all of us younger girls were fiercely protected by the older women in the circus. They always kept us far away from that tent. But tonight there was a figure walking around aimlessly, either drunk or lost. I prayed he was lost and snuck up behind him.

"Hey, you lost?" I asked from behind him, he jumped slightly but when he turned to me I vaguely recognized him.

"Magdalena, Magdalena Brave?" I winced at my old gypsy name; I had broken from the family years ago, but had never gotten the chance to change my name.

"Yeah, Timo, is that you?" I asked, recognizing Timo from when we were kids. He was much different now; he was taller and had a different demeanor about him. The grown-up attitude I had acquired when I realized I needed to break from the family, when I was around thirteen.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you remember, you broke so long ago." He said, I laughed at this.

"You kidding? You, me and Willa were the three musketeers, nye inseparable we were." I smiled at the memories.

"Nye inseparable?" he laughed at my word choice, I felt my cheeks redden. I had always hated Timo laughing at me.

"It's a line from Pirates of the Caribbean," I explained, my blush deepening. Since I had joined the circus it really took a lot to embarrass me, but one of Timo's smiles always set me off.

"I know, I know. You know you haven't changed a bit," he looked at me, my eyes were at his chin, but I stood on the tips of my toes, a trick I had learned from tight-roping, my specialty. I pushed my face closer to his.

"Trust I've changed quite a lot," I said, my voice dripping with sexuality. This time it was Timo's turn to pull away, cheeks red. I laughed when I heard a voice calling my name. I spun and saw Marie, one of the older Cirques, what we called circus performers, guiding a drunken man out of the whore tent.

"Hey Marie!" I shouted waving; I saw her wave back clearly by the light of the full moon. I turned back to Timo when Marie disappeared and his face was pale.

"Y-you work in… there?" he asked, motioning to the whore tent.

"Nah, I work on the main attraction, tight ropes, acrobatics, the beautiful assistant, that kinda stuff." I saw him grow a shade paler. Crap that was supposed to calm him down. I thought.

"Tight ropes? Acrobatics? You could kill yourself!" I heard the sincere concern laced throughout his voice and found myself thinking back to a few days before I left, Timo and Willa were the only people I told and I had felt something click between Timo and I. But I dismissed it as my romantic tendencies acting up.

"It's-well- I've been doing it for years. I pretty much have it down- but I don't have to explain myself to you," Timo smiled and took my hands in his.

"You know, I've been worried about you, after you left you didn't call, you didn't e-mail, nothing. Half of the family thought you were dead. Your parents had a heart-attack, and then when Uncle Shad told us you had paid him and left-" he trailed off when he noticed the guilt on my face.

"I'm sorry; Uncle Shad told me I couldn't tell anyone. I wasn't even supposed to tell you and Willa and-" he cut me off by putting a finger to his lips.

"Why don't we go back to your place," I led him through a maze of tents and opened the door to my trailer. That's when I noticed the clock. 11:00.

"Shit," I hissed under my breath, Timo ignored me and pressed me against a wall. I pushed him off, "I can't. I have a show tomorrow, and practice all day."

"Of course you do," Timo said, not believing me and obviously insulted.

"I do, listen I'll give you my number and text you when I can, ok. I'm pretty busy this week," I sighed mentally going over my schedule. The first week in a new town was always the worst. I put my number into his phone.

"Is this even real?" he asked, glaring at the numbers.

"Try it," I said, tiredly pulling out my phone. He dashed off a quick message and I waited a few seconds until my phone buzzed.

Do you approve of sexting? The message asked, I laughed in spite of my exhaustion.

"Don't know, never tried it," I answered out loud.

"Really, it's interesting… I prefer it in person though. You?" I shrugged.

"I wouldn't know, I'm still a virgin," Timo raised his eyebrows, probably convinced I was experienced after my little show back there. "Being a gypsy girl and having to keep yourself pure is a pretty difficult habit to shake."

"Well, we'll have to change that won't we?" he twirled a lock of my brown hair on his finger. I smiled and nodded, my exhaustion catching up with me again. He reluctantly left and I flopped down on my bed. I remembered my puffy tight-roper's dress and pulled it off, lying back down in my leotard.

I quickly drifted off to sleep, thinking about why Timo was at the circus tonight, probably lifting off some innocent circus watchers. I had quickly disowned the habit after I left the family.

My phone buzzed and I glanced at the clock, 5 freaking o' clock! I thought, I had to start practice at twelve and needed all my rest to keep through the night. I looked at my phone, it was from Cooper Alison, one of my best friend's brother's, and he was like family to me.

I need you… looking glass key ends of the earth bar… now. I could practically hear Coop begging on the other side. I considered telling Christina, Coop's sister, but ever since their dad went missing they'd been on pretty bad terms, every time they saw each other their conversation dissolved into a screaming match.

Y...? I responded, not wanting to have to miss tonight's show.

Please just come, I need someone and I can't talk to Christi… he answered almost immediately, I groaned and stood. That's when I remembered I was still in my leotard.

Fine… I texted Coop and I also texted Timo, the only person I could think of at the time. Do you know where looking glass key is? As I waited for him to answer I pulled on the usual gypsy attire and pulled my hair back into a messy bun.

Ya… y? I could almost hear the concern in his voice. I rolled my eyes, protective much, I thought.

Can you get me to the end of the world (or whatever) bar? I asked ignoring his question.

Ends of the earth… y, he answered, remaining adamant.

So you do know it? I ignored his question again.

Y! No more ignoring him.

It's my friend… he's there and I'm really worried… please help! I drummed my fingers impatiently.

You're really worried? I'll be there ASAP you don't have to worry. He answered. It's good having a boyfriend. I thought. Don't be stupid, he's not your boyfriend. My conscious interrupted.

After a few minutes of waiting, annoyed Timo honked. I stopped twisting my ring, grabbed a bag I had packed with a few days clothes, just in case, and ran outside.

"What took you so long?" I joked, getting into the passenger's seat of his red convertible without opening the door.

"You in a rush, babe?" he asked, driving onto the dirt road that lead to the high-way. I smiled and looked to the side, engrossing myself in the scenery and thinking about why Coop would need me so urgently.

"Are we dating?" I asked, surprising myself and Timo. He paused, considering the question.

"I guess so, why, do you not want to be dating me?" he answered, glancing at me.

"No, it's just. I was thinking about it." I answered; we put an awkward end to the conversation.

Soon we reached a bar in the middle of nowhere. THE ENDS OF THE EARTH the sign proudly proclaimed. Coop was outside working on a car, talking to a blonde that looked an awful lot like a gypsy. I jumped out of the car before Timo came to full stop and I heard him screaming in protest. I ignored him and hugged Coop.

"What's wrong?" I asked, I finally looked at the blonde girl. It was Willa, the Willa Timo and I used to hang out with as kids.

"Will!" I screamed, excitedly and hug her.

I heard a car pull up and Willa whispered, "My parole officer." I nod and release her, leaning back against the car Coop was fixing. I notice Timo has already left, Willa's P.O. probably doesn't like him.

Willa's parole officer pulled up and yanked off her sunglasses. She glared at me, in response I smiled in the most angelic way I could pull off.

"Who are you two?" she asked, pointing at us with her sunglasses.

"I'm Cooper Allison, I'm just a client of Walter's," she nodded, most likely trusting the fact that he carried himself like as soldier.

"And you?" I smiled and put an arm across Willa's shoulders.

"I'm Magdalena, Willa's cousin," she clicked a pen.

"Magdalena what?"

"Magdalena Brave,"

"So, you're a gypsy," I removed my arm and started towards her, but Willa grabbed my hand and shook her head.

"I'm not a gypsy; I broke from the family years ago. But that doesn't change the fact that Willa and I grew up together." She wrote something on her clipboard and closed her pen. She glared at me and Willa for a few more minutes examined Coop and finally drove off.

"God, she's a bitch!" Willa said once her P.O. was out of ear-shot.

"I haven't seen you in forever and you start cursing like a sailor!" I joked. "Why are you two here anyway, middle of nowhere much? And who's Walter?"

"So many questions, Maggie!" Coop smiled and bumped my arm, gently.

"Why don't you come in," Willa led me into the bar, while Coop stayed outside to finish working on his car.

I sat at the counter of the bar and Willa went behind it and put on her best bar-maid act.

"So what can I get fer ya, hunny?" I smiled.

"A nice tall glass of answering my questions would be nice," she sighed, she always had hated explaining herself. "Why's Coop here?"

"How do you know Cooper?" she raised an eyebrow and brought me a glass of water.

"I've known him forever, his sister is in the circus, they haven't been talking, and I'm like the middle-man for them. Now can you answer me?" I sipped the water, noticing it was hotter than it seemed outside.

"Cooper is here because he wants Walter to find his dad," I nodded; Christi and Coop's dad had disappeared a while ago.

"And who's Walter?" I continued my line of questioning.

"That's a little harder to explain-" Just then a large, partially terrifying black man and a significantly smaller white man walked in.

"I think we almost have this case closed, Willa." The smaller man said with a toothy smile. I stared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. "It turns out Cooper's dad was carting drugs! Turns out he wasn't the upstanding citizen we thought he was and-" the bigger man cut him off with a bump on the arm.

"Walter, don't you think we should introduce ourselves to Willa's friend?" Walter eyed me, studying me most likely, and I smiled the same way I smiled at Willa's P.O.

"You seem okay, I'm Walter Sherman, and this is Leo Knox. Welcome to the Ends of the Earth, blah, blah, blah. I'm going now." He walked through a doorway next to the bar.

"I'm sorry about his behavior, he's very involved in this case," Leo explained.

"It's nothing, I'm Magdalena, Willa's cousin," I put my hand out and he shook.

"So, you're a gypsy?" he asked, after he released my hand. He asked the same question as Willa's P.O. but coming from him it didn't sound as accusatory and more like a sincere question.

"Actually, no. I used to be, but I broke from the family a while ago," this seemed to intrigue Leo and he took the stool next to me.

"So, what does one do after one breaks from the family?" he asked, I got the feeling he was asking for someone else, possibly Willa.

"Well, I went to the circus, but that's because I didn't want to wait to break until after I turned eighteen. Otherwise I would have been able to do whatever I wanted since I wasn't a minor." Leo stared at Willa as if saying, you should learn from her example.

Willa glowered back, "maybe you can explain what Walter does?" she asked as if this would be a question to stump him. Instead he explained with ease.

"Walter has a very special ability, bordering on supernatural; he can find anything and everything." My eyes widened.

"That's fascinating!" I said. Leo nodded, somewhat dejectedly.

"Yes, it is a quite humbling and amazing power, but we are afraid if he receives a case he cannot solve he will go into a catatonic state." My smile faltered, catatonic, just because he couldn't find something?

"Has he had this power his whole life?" I asked.

"No-" Willa began, Leo stood interrupting her. "I think I should go check on him." He left the same way Walter had left through.

I observed Willa; she anticipated the question I was going to ask and shrugged.

"I guess he doesn't want me to tell you," she said.

"You're still going to tell me though," I led on.

"I don't know, it is kind of a private matter-"

"A private matter they decided to share with you, a gypsy. Yes, because you're very trustworthy." I scoffed. She glared at me.

"How long are you staying?" she asked, clearly wanting me to clear out.

"As long as Coop needs me, speaking of Coop where is he?" I said turning towards the door.

"Wow, you're a clingy sister! Let him fix his car, woman!" I glared at her and she laughed at my expression. "Come on," she pulled out a jar and placed it on the counter.

"What's that?" I asked pointing to the jar as Willa slid out from behind the bar.

"It's an honor jar, if no one's around people pay there. And since we won't be here-" she trailed off, motioning for me to follow her. I reluctantly fell in after her and she led me to her trailer.

"Okay, now we can talk about what I really want to know about," she said as she flopped onto her bed, which was a couch more than anything and I pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards, resting my chin on my hands.

"And what do you want to talk about? The fact that we haven't seen each other in forever?" I smiled.

"Yeah, there's that, and also…" she trailed off and I stared at her, perplexed.

"Why you're working in a bar?" she shook her head.

"Why you're on parole?" She rolled her eyes at me.

"That one's obvious!" she smiled at me mischievously. "I wanna talk about you and our friend Timo!" I felt my cheeks redden instantly and I knew I wouldn't be able to hide anything from Willa, when we were kids she was always able to read me like a book and I doubted that ability would falter much. Neither of us had changed too much.

"There's nothing, really between me and Ti," I still attempted a lie. As I assumed she saw through it instantly.

"Ti?" she giggled, which was surprising because she never seemed like the giggling type, "that's adorable, you already have nicknames!"

"No, it's just- I normally call him Timo. I was just-" she put her hand up to stop my explanation.

"I think you two are adorable, you don't have to explain yourselves." I grinned; it was good to have my best friend back. "Now, we need to find a trailer for you." I shook my head insistently.

"I'm not staying for long; I'll just get a hotel room," she laughed at my assumption.

"First of all, there aren't any hotels around here. Second of all, you're definitely staying, you can't just come back to leave again." Her giggly demeanor disappeared and was replaced by an attitude of finality.

I knew better than to argue with that face.

A/N So, the first chapter! I'm not sure about Maggie and Timo's relationship though, I feel like I kind of rushed it. And I think I made Willa a little too girly. What do you think? I really appreciate reviews so please tell me everything you think of it!