Gazer gets the Girl -Mature- Epilog 22 Oct. 2009

[Stargazer md]

WOW Pull quotes, haven't seen them for a while
I know, the story's moving slow,
it took me like a year to get from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

As the story implies, we are solidly in the Christmas season.
Alex is setting up another 'sighting' for the Christmas break,
which makes the sighting for the end of the week between
Christmas and New Years.

Christmas 2001 fell on a Tuesday,
and Isabel's Snowflake ball fell on Friday,
the Holiday Bazzar fell on Saturday,
and the Christmas Pagaent fell on Sunday,
of the weekend before Christmas,
so that makes it Dec 21, 22, and 23, respecticvely.

The whole 'not going to the ball' crisis broke on
the last Tuesday before the Christmas break,
so that makes it Dec. 18th.

[Rim]

just wait to read the next part. hope to see it soon

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 25-F All Good Things
By Stargazer MD

To: One and all
From: Luscious Lucinda
Subject: Snowflake Ball

So another Christmas season has come and gone,,, ‘Oh, it’s only Saturday,’ you ask? Well put all thoughts of decorations and gifts aside! The Snowflake Ball was last night, and compared to that, everything else is as disappointing as taking a seat on a department store’s Santa’s lap.

First off, I have to give credit to where credit’s due, to the Snowflake Princess herself, Miss Isabel Evans. Our school’s self-appointed activities director outdid herself this year by not only overcoming a fire at the Community Center, but by shrugging off a palace revolt as well. In less that three days she was able to couple-up just about every eligible guy and girl in the school, which by the way made my job much easier.

First, lets talk about our hostess. Cutting a swath through the revelers, Isabel couldn’t have left as many happy faces in her wake if she had been Father Christmas’ favorite daughter. With a kind word here and a special smile there, she made everyone who was in attendance feel special.

Now everyone in the city knew that this was Isabel’s ball, and that the expectations for the night were formal, so no self respecting woman would be caught dead at her ball in pants; therefore, Isabel wore pants, a pants suit to be exact. Nor would anyone wear white this late in the year, except for out trendsetter, Isabel. But this was not your grand mother’s pants suit, not by a long shot.

“Just something off the rack,” Isabel told me when I asked about the designer. Well, not any rack located anywhere near Roswell, and Isabel must have some kind of special magic if she can manage such a perfect fit. Worn sans-blouse, and with a low three button closure, Isabel was in danger of a wardrobe malfunction every time she moved; but no matter how many times she protested that the evening wasn’t about her, and no matter how much she ran about, taking care of the myriad of details that a successful function like the Snowflake Ball entailed, no garment would dare let her down.

What was Alex doing while Isabel was occupied being the Belle of the Ball? Well West Roswell’s own stealth hottie was serving as her official host. I was having a rather awkward moment, standing at the coat check table with my wrap hanging from my shoulders while my date gawked at the scenery as if he had never been to a formal before,,, well to be fair to him he had never been to a formal before,,, but he was totally leaving me hanging. Alex came to my rescue. Do I need mention he looked so hot in his tux?

So here we are, at the coat check table,,, did I mention that the coat check was being manned,,, manned, we need a new word for that,,, but anyways it was being manned by the junior varsity cheerleaders. They were putting their time in, trying to earn their way up the social ladder by serving their betters, but being cheerleaders they were all cheerful and gleeful in their borrowed prom gowns. (The blue sweetheart drop waisted gown that Solana was wearing was mine, from last years junior prom. More kudos to Isabel’s good taste in matching the JV’s with just the right borrowed dresses.)

Alex rescued me. He magically appeared behind me, slid my stole down my arms, and then folded it before handing it over to one of the check girls. “Watch and learn,” he discretely told my date before lifting his hand and offering me his arm. I placed my hand on the inside of his arm, he covered my hand with his free hand, and then he escorted us to a table. He walked slowly, did I mention he looked so hot in his tux?,, so I asked him about his attire. Seemed that he had rented one last spring for Junior Prom, because he and Isabel didn’t hook up until the last minute,,, what’s up with that?,, but now with Isabel’s busy schedule and all, she had decided to buy him one. Yea, like he had any say in that decision. His tux has Isabel written all over it, an Armani classic, with black studs on the shirt but no ruffles, a bow tie, “Always a tie,” he says, but no cummerbund. “Hey, it works for George Clooney,” he quipped. I’ll say it works, did I mention he looked so hot in his tux?

Alex walked slowly, conscious of the fact that I was wearing a tight skirt and stilettos. He wove a convoluted course through the hall, making stops to introduce me to the Mayor, Judge Lewis, the Sheriff, who he seemed to be on a first name basis with, and Superintendent Gottlieb. By the time we did arrive at our table, I was suitably impressed by his connections, but his special treatment did not stop there. He took the back of my chair, and held it for me while I sat, and that’s where he really astounded me. This evolution could prove a little embarrassing for a woman who was wearing a gown that was vee’d quite as deeply as mine was, but after he helped me sit, I was surprised to see that he was still looking at my eyes,,, not that I would have objected if he had looked lower, did I mention he looked so hot in his tux? So by now, my date’s got a clue, and thankfully he was a quick learner.

Having arrived fashionably late, We were one of the last couples to arrive, and Alex’s duties as the greeter were soon over, but with Isabel preoccupied, he turned his attention to the coat check girls, who due to their young age, their yet to be established social status, and most importantly, the fact that they were there to work, were dateless. Alex made it a point to dance with every one of them at least once during the night. It was almost comical, watching them vie for position, especially during the slower songs.

I also found myself in his dance queue, strictly for journalistic purposes I must add, and I must say that Alex knows how to take possession of a woman,,, now get your minds out of the gutter, I mean on the dance floor. He took the lead the moment the music started, and I don’t think I’ve ever looked so good on the dance floor, and so effortlessly.

Alex dances traditionally, hand to hand and hand to hip, which is really so much more intimate than wrapping your arms around a guys neck while he feels up your ass (Thank God I’m too short for most of my dates to reach my ass.) while he grinds himself into your belly. ‘How so?’ you might ask? Because once we got going he lifted my left hand and pushed against my waist with his other one. Once I had a moment to remember what it was like to really dance, it was as if I was floating on air. About half way through the song Isabel swung by on the arm of Judge Lewis,,, ewww, ewww, ewww. She asked if I was trying to steal her fiancé. ‘No,’ I assured her, as if anyone could. For a moment I was afraid she was going to switch partners, but fortunately for me, she spun off instead. I watched her with amazement. Somehow, no matter how hard he tried, she managed to keep a foot of clearance between herself and the Judge. Also, she must have tapped into a internal source of special Snowflake Princess powers, as the entire time her jacket clung to her like a second skin. I can’t imagine anything worse than having an old man looking down my blouse. Did I say ewww?

But all good things must come to an end, and Isabel, having completed her duties about mid way through the festivities, laid claim to her fiancé. By now the special guest were gone, the lights were down, and the music slower. After several more hours of dancing, it was time for my date to take me home; so now for the good stuff.

Stewart Highsinger properly dropped Rick and Suzie before taking me home, showing that he had in fact learned a lot about how to properly treat a date. He shut down his engine, came around to open my door, and then took my arm as he escorted me to my door.

Stewart stopped on my porch and waited. He knew he was getting a kiss, my reputation proceeds me after all, but he didn’t act like a Neanderthal, he didn’t rush in, instead he waited for me to take a step forward before bending down. His first touch was tentative, as if despite my reputation he was seeking permission. Meeting no objection, his next kiss was much more sure. No chapped lips, no slobber, no onion breath, and no fish lips. Just fireworks. One hand on the back of my neck, and the other on the small of my back, with just the right amount pressure and duration. I’ll tell you girls, he rocked my world. I just stood there trying to breathe while he took the keys from my hand and opened the door for me. Giving me one last peck on the forehead and a gentle push inside, he gave me a shy smile and promised to call me tomorrow. Man, I so did not want him to leave, but I did have work to do, so here goes:

Stewart Highsinger rates an unreserved four tongues, and unless you haven’t guessed, he’s off the market. Now I’m off to bed, and I wish you all sweet dreams, just like I’m going to have.

********
The next day, Rick Montes wandered through the Holiday Bazaar, the bright lights and cheerful people just reinforcing his funk. Ever since Vicky had branded him ‘the Minute Man,’ he had been unable to snag a date. Then to top it all off, Martinelli’s kegger had been busted, causing he and most of the team to take to the woods to keep from getting caught. As he saw Isabel working the crowd, his anger found a mark. Maybe she didn’t give him his nickname, and maybe she didn’t break up their party, but she was responsible for drawing off all the girls last night.

Isabel loved her role as the official party mistress of the pageant. She was dressed in a Mrs. Santa outfit, or maybe more of a Miss Santa outfit. Although made of the traditional red velvet and trimmed in white faux fur at the neck, wrist, and hem, all semblance to Santa’s outfit ended there. The one piece red dress was cut with a deep vee neckline and ended at mid thigh. Finished out with red hose, more white trim on the tops of her boots, and a Santa hat with a big white pom-pom, it was perfect for the mild winter’s day.

Noticing an abundance of happy children and a disparate lack of Santa’s helpers, Isabel headed for the Koffee-Korner tent run by the Roswell Comet Boosters Club. Staffed by cheerleaders, she suspected that was where most of the city’s teens, as well as her volunteers would be found.

“People,” she called out as she entered the tent, “Ten minute breaks only, and not all of you at once.”

Her pronouncement was met with a chorus of groans coming from the seated group.

“There’s a lot of children out there, and we don’t want to disappoint them,,,”

“Hey Isabel, there’s something I always wanted to know,” Rick Montes called out from his place under the lap of one of the cheerleaders. “How’s it feel to have a set of tits that get everywhere five minutes before you do?”

Isabel bit back what she wanted to tell him, well she bit back her verbal retort after she bit back the impulse to blast him to kingdom come. She hated that word. (AN: So do I, but in this one instance where ‘boob’ wouldn’t do.) Instead she glanced down to her décolletage, and while she found it flattering to her figure and fittingly alluring for someone of her age, it was in no way inappropriate for the occasion. Now composed, she looked to Rick with a smile on her face.

“You know something Rick, every time I enter a room there isn’t a doubt there that I’m a woman, but guys have a problem. There’s no way anyone can get a good look at what’s hanging between your legs, that is ‘IF’ you have anything hanging between your legs. On the other hand, I bet that if we were to ask the young woman sitting on your lap, she could tell us all about your short comings.”

The room broke into laughter as the cheerleader bolted from Rick’s lap as if his pants were on fire and hers were catching.

Isabel ignored the hubbub as she poured herself a coffee with two creamers and five sugars. “Anyone going back to work?” she asked offhandedly as she walked out of the tent, confident that she would not be alone.

“Did you see that?” Maria asked excitedly, elbowing Ava in the side. “She destroyed him without even trying.”

“Yea,” Ava quipped. “Guess he never got the memo about not provoking the Ice Queen,,,”

“Ice Queen, I thought she was the Ice Princess. When’d she get a promotion?”

“When she got the seal,,,”

“You know, I bet it’s going to be all around the school in half an hour,,,”

“Fifteen minutes,” Ava replied confidently, pointing across the tent where John Andrews, the Rocket’s star center was already on his cell.

“Yea, you know, Montes, the little runt who plays guard for the come-quarts,,, Yea, he came on to this babe and she seriously burned him. She called him the dick-less wonder,,,”

**********
Once back in the plaza Isabel went back to work. “You look fine Benji,” she said reassuringly. “We need to get you out of that projection booth more. Now come on, let me introduce you to Santa’s other helper.”

“Arlene Bluth?” Benji said with a touch of wonder in his voice as they approached Santa's booth. “I didn't know we'd be working together.”

“Neither did I,” Arlene replied, her face turning red.

Isabel noticed that the two shy teens were becoming tongue-tied in each other's presence, so she got down to work. “Okay you two, enough chitchat. There's a lot of kids out there waiting to have their picture taken with Santa. Benji, did you bring everything you need?”

“Yes,” he replied, feeling much more comfortable talking to Isabel. “The school allowed us to borrow everything we need. We have a digital camera mounted on a tripod for stability, a laptop for previewing the photographs, and a photo grade color inkjet printer. All we need now are the supplies.”

Isabel waved towards a Space Supplies bag. “Right there,” she said with an unreadable smile on her face. “Arlene, would you mind helping him set up? I need to go talk to Maria for a minute.”


Isabel didn't really need to talk to Maria, she took the opportunity to visit with her friend to allow Benji and Arlene some time alone to overcome their shyness. “Are you matchmaking again?” Maria challenged.

“Maria, it's Christmas,” Isabel deadpanned. I'm way too busy to get involved with such nonsense. And besides, if I were to get involved in matchmaking I would do so in February on Valentine's Day.”

“So I guess it's just a coincidence that Arlene, one of the cutest but shy girls at school is over there talking to Benji the hermit hottie of the auditorium's projection booth.”

“Look at them,” Isabel sighed happily. “Both their faces as such and endearing shade of red.”


“I can't believe Isabel got me to dress in this costume,” Benji mumbled as lifted the camera and tripod from the back of his car.

“I don't know about that,” Arlene let slip as she reached for his laptop. “You should get out of those baggies more often,,,”

“Me?” Benji said disbelievingly. “You're the one who looks fantastic,” he stammered as he glanced down at her green tights and short skirt. “I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that. I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, it's not that I'm uncomfortable. It's just not true. No one's ever said anything like that to me because when God said figures, Pamela Troy cut in line in front of me and took a double dose. There was nothing left for me and I ended up looking like a boy,,,”

Greg quickly put his equipment down and took her hands in his own. “Pam doesn't have a figure,” Benji protested. “She's just puts out. You on the other hand,,,”

“I’m as flat as a board. Look at me, I have no hair, no waist, and no hips,,,”

“I like short hair,” Benji replied honestly. “And as far as your figure goes, on a scale of one to ten, you’re a fourteen, and that's not counting your bonus points,,,”

Arlene’s smile was bright enough to light all of Santa's Village. “Have you been checking out my bonus places?” she asked shyly.

“I,,, I,,,”

“I'm teasing,” she confessed as she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “No one's ever said I was a fourteen before, but we'd better get back to work before Isabel catches us.”


Santa's helpers lost track of time as they worked and flirted the afternoon away. Before they realized it, it was dark out and Isabel released them from their labors. “Thank you for helping me put the equipment away,” Benji said softly as he closed the trunk of his car.

“That's okay,” Arlene said as she examined her shoes, but her struggle to find a way to extend her time with Benji was cut short by Isabel's appearance.

“I want to thank the two of you,” Isabel gushed. “I don't think Santa's visit would've been the same without you.” She said as she started to walk away, but she turned back suddenly. “Oh, and I almost forgot, I have a ticket for both the you to attend the Christmas Concert tonight. You'll be sitting next to each other, I hope you don't mind,” she added with a smile.

“I don't know,” Arlene almost cried. “I don't have any way to get there,,,”

“I'll be happy to pick you up,” Benji interrupted. “That is if you don't mind telling me where you live.”

While Santa's helpers continued to make plans for the evening, neither noticed Isabel as she turned and headed back towards Santa’s workshop, a big grin nearly splitting her face in two as she crossed another task off her ‘to do’ list.

“I have to admit,” Michael sighed as he pulled off his fake beard. “I never thought in a million years you would get me to help you hook those two up.”

“Why does everybody keep saying that?” Isabel said in exasperation. “It's true I do have some matchmaking for you to help with, but those plans will have to wait ‘till I get through Christmas first.”

“Just tell me I won't have to wear another one of these scratchy beard's.”

“I don’t know about a beard, but Maria volunteered you to play Cupid for Valentine's Day. I’m already working on your costume, a diaper with a nice gold satin sash,,,”

“Diaper?!!” Michael bellowed. “I ain’t wearing no stinking diaper,,,”

“With a little toy bow and arrow,,,”

“Maria?” Michael shouted at the top of his lungs. “Where are you? How come you’re never here when I need you,,,”

**********
On Monday Maria was surprised to find Isabel waiting in the front of the Crashdown when she finished changing. She looked around for Michael, her temper surging from zero to overload so fast it almost scared her final customer.

“If you’re looking for Michael, he’s not here. I told him I’d take you home,,,”

“That bastard,,, Hugh?”

Isabel almost got whiplash, watching her friend’s mood change so fast.

“But it’s Christmas Eve,” Maria whined.

“Come on,” Isabel said, handing her friend a large Frozen Mountain Dew that she had picked up at Rocket Fuels on the way over. “I’ll take you home,,,”

“Cafinated sugar! My favorite!” Maria squealed in delight. “Wait a minute, what’s this going to cost me?,,” she added fearfully.

“How do you do that?,,” Isabel gasped in amazement as she followed Maria out through the break room towards the back door.

“I mean, it’s Christmas and everything’s going good, so it’s just my fracking luck that some Czechoslovakian shit-storm hits,,,”

“No, there’s nothing going on like that,” Isabel broke in. “I just wanted to talk to you,,,”

“Talk to me?,,”

“Will you stop doing that!”

Maria settled into the Volvo, nervously sucking on her straw.

Isabel looked over, smilled at her friend’s discomfort, and started the car. ‘Still got it,’ she thought. “I wanted to talk to you about something,,,” she added, her voice trailing off.

“What’s that?”

“It’s about your mom?,,”

“What about Mom?,,”

“I want to offer her a job,,,”

“What kind of job? She already has three jobs,,, well actually she doesn’t have any job, because she doesn’t want to anyone else the opertunity to let her down,,,”

“Maria,” Isabel pleeded as she put a calming hand on her friend’s arm. “Okay, not a real job, but we do have an opertunity opening up. We have a task where a lot of data that has been recorded in hand written logs needs to be transcribed into a database,,,”

“I remember Alex talking about that. I thought he was going to use a Granolith enhansed OCR (optical character recognition) program,,,”

“We were,” ‘But we both wanted to find ways to share our good fortune with our friends,’ Isabel added silently. “But that meant Alex would have had to write a program supporting the Granolith, scan every page, compile the results into a useful database, abend any unreadable entries, and then proofread the final product. It just seems to be more efficient to have the data entered manually; besides, there’s a question of ethics. If we did use the Granolith, we couldn’t tell Pangborn, and then billing them as if we really did have their logs transcribed wouldn’t be right.”

“I know your mother used to do a lot of typing, term papers and disertations and such,,”

“That’s before the (New Mexico Military) Institute required all incomming freshmen to have a laptop, and with everyone at Eastern having a computer, or at least access to a computer lab, there isn’t much of a demand for having paper’s typed anymore.”

“But she’s good,,,”

“We both are, since any work that comes into the DeLuca household is spread amongst all available DeLuca’s. I can type about seventy-five words per minute, but Mom, once she’s warmed up and in her groove, can hit about one hundred.”

This impressed Isabel. While she could type at one hundred thirty-three words per minute, (one hundred fifty on a Dvorak keyboard) she had the advantage of supperior eyesight and unsurpassed recall. The fact that Maria and Amy could type at their rates was quite an accomplishment, especially consitering they didn’t do it every day.

“How much work is there?” Maria asked offhandedly, trying to hide her enthuesasism.

“Sweetie? I know you’re jamming, but real quick, how many hour’s do you think the log transcriptions will take?”

“Ahhmm, about four hundred or so,,,”

“Thanks Sweetie, love you.”

“Four hundred hours at twenty dollars (€13.66) per hour,,,”

“That’s too much,,,”

“Sorry,” Isabel recoiled as if stung. “I know it’s a lot of time, but I thought that with how slow things get around here during the winter,,,”

“No, not the time. It’s the money. We don’t need a hand-out,,,”

“What hand-out?,,”

“Twenty dollars, you could hire someone for less than half of that. Data entry labor is cheap, say eight or nine dollars (€5.46 to €6.15) an hour,,,”

Isabel smilled. She had mis-read her friends objection. “You don’t think I’ve done my research?” she stated cooly as she turned to face Maria.

“No,,,”

“We don’t wan’t to hire anyone, especially this early in the history of Aries. Having an employee means providing a place for them to work, generating a steady supply of tasks for them, and having to deal with the distraction of making time to supervise them. It also means withholding taxes, Social Security taxes, employment security taxes, along with workmen’s compensation insurance, medical insurance and benefits.

“All this will raise a ten dollar (€6.83) wage to a fifteen dollar (€10.24) per hour expense, and before you ask, the only business in town that places temporary workers is Space Supplies, and they want twenty dollars an hour for a contract employee. So you see, this isn’t a hand-out, instead we’d rather give the business to someone we know.

“Besides, your mom has worked as an independent contractor, so she’d have no problem providing a ten ninety-nine form.” (The income tax form required of a worker who is employeed as a self-employeed sub-contractor as opposed to a regular company employee.)

“Four hundred hours?” Maria repeated in a soto voice. “That’s eight thousand dollars, enough to get us through the slow winter months.”

“’Ria, I have to warn you, Alex is working on a project this weekend. He doesn’t think the alien business in Roswell is going to be so slow this winter,,,”

“How are we going to do this?” Maria asked excitedly. “I mean, Mom’s computer has seen better days,,,”

“You’re also going to be doing some of the work?,,”

“Yea,,,”

“You be issued a laptop. Although it will remain Aries property for the purposes of warranty and maintenance, you’ll be free to keep it at the end of the project, in consiteration for the fact that you may be offered future projects. We’ll provide a second laptop, same terms, for your mom,,,”

Having arrived home, Maria couldn’t wait to run inside and tell Amy the good news. “I can’t believe this,,,”

“Hey, you’re going to work, and work hard for this,,,”

“I know, but you’re still being more generous than you have to be.”

“What can I say. It’s Christmas. You know how I get,,,”

Maria leaned across and pulled Isabel into a sideways hug. “Yes, I know how you can he, and thank you. Merry Christmas, give Alex my love.”

“I will, Merry Christmas to you too.” Isabel watched Maria as she bounded into her house before backing out of the driveway and heading home. “All set Sweetie?”

“Yea, swing by and pick me up, would you?”

“On my way, and by the way, Wednesday morning I’m going to be ordering two more Tecra’s.”

“Anything I need to know about?”

“Not really. The whole data log transcription project is off our plates. I’ll tell you about it when I get there.”

“’Kay, see you in a bit. Love you,,,”

“Me too.”

**********
By previous agreement, Isabel and Alex spent Christmas Eve night apart, both staying with their respective families. Then, respectful of the agreement that had been made weeks ago, with Thanksgiving dinner at the Evans’ followed by Christmas dinner at the Whitman's, Alex had shown up at Isabel’s for breakfast, along with gift opening.

“That was a fantastic breakfast, Mrs. Evans,” Alex said cheerfully. “Mom's going to be upset with you because you probably spoiled my dinner appetite.”

“I don't think that's going to be a problem,” Isabel teased. “How many times did you eat dinner at home and then come down at the Crashdown for more?”

“That's just because he knew you were going to be there,” Max rebutted. “At that he never tasted a morsel while he sat there watching you,,,”

“You're one to talk,” Liz interjected as she came through the garage door.

“I've always wanted to try this,” Isabel said getting everyone's attention. “Nobody move!” she commanded. She then walked over and opened the dishwasher and then, seemingly without effort, every dirty dish in the kitchen floated through the air, dropped its waste food into the sink, and then settled gently into the dishwasher.

“Everyone, to the family room please.”

It had long been a Christmas tradition at the Evans household that Isabel serve as master of ceremonies for the mornings activities. Phillip, Diane, and Max were dressed for the occasion in PJ’s and robes but despite the casual dress of most of the participant's, Isabel wore a perfectly tailored pair of black slacks and a white camisole top. She then went to the sideboard where she put on a beautiful hand knitted Icelandic sweater of brilliant white wool with little Christmas trees and snowflakes ornamenting it’s shoulders.

Max leaned in close to Liz and Alex. “One of the church ladies made that sweater for Isabel while we were in the orphanage. It was the only gift she got the year that was unique to her and she's worn it every Christmas morning since. You won't see it for the rest of the year, but come Christmas morning she will put it on after breakfast and put it away after she passes out the presents.”

“You should have heard the stories I've told Mom over the years about how it still fits,,,”

“When she was eight years old she told me that she had taken it to the cleaners and had it blocked,” Diane supplied. “Then when she turned thirteen she told me that she had completely disassembled it over the summer and re-knitted it into an adult size,,,”

“I still can't understand how you believed all of those stories,” Isabel said in amazement.

“Oh really,” Diane replied sarcastically. “Which would you rather have me believe, that my obsessive-compulsive daughter spent a fanatical amount of time maintaining a sweater that meant a lot to her, or that my favorite Martian zapped it with her stretch-ray gun?”

“You have to understand,” Phillip explained softly, “That while you kids were growing up they were a number of things we could not explain, but the fact that our beloved children were not of this earth was so far outside the realm of possibility that the thought never crossed our mind.”

As the small talk continued, Isabel retrieved the gifts from under the perfectly sculpted Frazer Fur tree, sorting them and making neat piles besides everyone in the room. It went without saying that no one dared touch a gift until Isabel had completed her task and settled next to Alex on the couch. Once seated she turned to her mother and gave a nod indicating her approval to open the first gift.

Isabel watched with delight as everyone opened a gift in turn, everyone receiving a gift that they loved and cherished. She happily watched as Alex opened the gift from her mother, a hat, scarf, and mitten set that Diane had made especially for those cold star gazing nights. Then it was Isabel's turn. She reached for one of several gifts from Alex, having recognized the wrapping paper that they had bought together. She excitedly tore it open only to find a desk sized calculator.

“It’s a financial calculator,” Alex explained proudly. “It’s functions include simple and compound interest, amortization calculations, and it converts between percentage interest rates and effective interest rates.”

Isabel couldn't help but be a little disappointed as the second round of openings began. Phillip received a special bottle of single malt scotch that Charles had sent over. Diane received a set of airline vouchers so she could visit her mom in Florida after the first of the year. Max and Liz had exchanged concert tickets although ironically both sets were for the same Gomez show.

When it came Alex's turn, he reached for a gift that he recognized, a large jar of shelled pistachio nuts that Liz got for him every Christmas, but upon receiving a scowl from Isabel, he touched every gifted his pile until he got a smile from her in response.

He opened a small box and found a note. ‘Look behind the couch.’

Alex's scream of glee filled the room as he lifted a guitar case. “Oh my God Isabel!” he exclaimed as he settled the case across his lap and impatiently opened it. As his eyes took in the gleaming guitar, he struggled to identify it.

“It's an Emperor 5-string Elite,,,” Isabel filled in helpfully.

“A Fedora?” Alex gasped in amazement. “Their production line is backed up,,, like,,, three years,” he said looking around the room in explanation. “They're incredibly rare and expensive.” He turned back Isabel, his eyes moist. “I've always dreamed of having one of these, but never believed it would happen. How did you manage?”

“I found it on eBay,” Isabel explained. “It’s previous owner had ordered it new, but when it finally arrived he needed the money more than the guitar. As far as how could I afford it? Well my husband gave me a good paying job,” she answered as she sorted through her pile, and wanting a sure thing this time, she selected the gift from her mother.

“I hope you like it,” Diane said excitedly. “Alex helped me pick it out.”

“Really,” Isabel drawled as she carefully unfolded the wrapping paper and ribbon finding a nightgown, a long sleeved, ankle length, flannel nightgown that buttoned all the way to the neck. It had a gingham print and ruffles at the cuffs and neckline. “Thanks Mom,,,” Isabel said hesitantly. “It certainly looks warm, in fact it looks like something Grandma would wear on a cold winter night,,,”

“I don’t think so,” Diane teased. “Mom asked for a Victoria’s Secret gift card for Christmas,,,”

“Mom! Gram’s too old for Victoria’s Secrets.”

“Oh I doubt that,” Diane answered dismissively. “One’s never too old for Vickie’s, especially if you’re feeling a little frisky,,,”

“Oh my God!” Isabel gasped with a shudder. “I could do without that visual, besides she’s way too old to get frisky,,, she’d,,, break her hip or something,,,”

“Well apparently not Iz, why do you think your grandmother wanted to stay in Florida this year?” Diane asked with fire in her eyes. “She's got herself a boy toy,,,”

Isabel’s face took on a look as if she had eaten something bad, but instead of continuing a loosing discussion, she turned and gave Alex a good whack.

“What you do that for?” Alex whined, for instead of one of her gentle play slaps, this one had meant business.

“Your Mom is spending way too much time with my Mom.”

**********
Meanwhile, at the DeLuca household, Michael was setting a pile of presents on the couch next to Maria. “Now before you open these, I have to explain something,,,”

“Okay,” Maria said hesitantly, placing her ire in check. While she feared that the number and size of her presents screamed of practically, the quality of the wrapping could only have come from Isabel; therefore, it couldn’t be all bad, could it? “Spill.”

“When Isabel inspected what I had bought you, she swore at me for about five minutes, in English, Spanish, French, and even a bit of Antarian. Words I didn’t understand, and I wouldn’t even try to pronounce. When she finished, she switched back to English, and she asked only one question. ‘Why?’ So I told her. When I finished, she went out to her car and brought in the wrapping paper, but as she worked she told me that as soon as you opened them, I had to give the same explanation to you,,,”

Maria leaned forward, waiting for him to continue, “And?”

“If you don’t like them you get to kick my ass for being practical,,,”

“Practical!,, Oh Michael,,,”

“Maria,” Amy snapped. “Isabel said that you were to open your gifts, and let him tell you what prompted him to select them for you, so unless you want Isabel to go all medieval on you, I suggest you do what she asked.” Amy had come to like this big lug, and she was a little defensive of him; besides, it was Christmas, and there was to be no fighting in the house, unless Jim brought her something practical, in which case all bets were off. ‘But Michael,’ she added silently, ‘You knock her up and nothing will save you.’

Maria tore through the wrapping paper and her worst fears were realized. She had received a down comforter, an electric blanket, and two sets of flannel sheets. They were all coordinated in a rich lavender pattern, and they were of good quality, which belayed an inordinate amount of thought from her Spaceboy, but no girl wanted a gift of flannel, especially at Christmas.

“Michael?” she asked, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

Michael knew he was in trouble. Isabel had reluctantly agreed to green light his idea, but she had warned him that it could go either way. He looked down to the floor and began his explanation quietly. “One of the first families I was placed with was the Pascal’s. They had three children of her own, but they took in fosters, especially when Mr. Cuddihy (Michael’s first social worker) had an emergency placement. But they were poor, they had a small house, and they couldn’t keep anyone long term. I was with them for just over a year, and that was the longest I stayed anywhere until Hank came along.

“The girls, Amanda and Sarah, got the downstairs bedroom, while Dylan and I shared the attic. The thing I remember the most about that time was that room was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Every night during that winter I would sneak my coat upstairs and put it on top of my blanket . If I lie on my side and bent my knees, pulling my legs up tight, it would just about cover my lower half,,,”

“Michael,” Maria asked softly, her eyes glistening. “Why didn’t you ask for another blanket?”

“Because I didn’t want them to send me away,” he answered honestly. “And I don’t ever want you to have to go cold like I did,,,”

Maria couldn’t hold back any longer. “I love them,” she said as she climbed into his lap, burying her face in his strong chest as her tears flowed freely. “I love them almost as much as I love you.”

Any had stepped into the kitchen to give the teens a moment of privacy while they exchanged gifts, but the silence from the living room made her nervous. She knew that Michael would not defend himself if Maria started swinging, not on Christmas morning, and she began to fear what Maria would do to him. She was wiping her hands on a dish towel as she turned the corner into the living room but stopped in her tracks as she found her daughter curled up in her boyfriend’s lap while Michael rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head while telling her that everything would be alright. Stepping back carefully, she resigned herself to the fact that another something had just occurred, and that in all likelihood she would never get to know just what it was.

**********
Once all the gifts had been handed out and Isabel had put her special snowflake sweater away for another year, she ended up in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher, and she was none too happy.

Diane could barely conceal her smile as she watched Isabel practically destroy her kitchen, but that wasn’t quite enough to keep her from needling her daughter, for she was making it so very easy. “Careful Iz, that platter’s been in the family for three generations.”

Isabel didn’t rise to the bait, but she did moderate her actions, not wanting to damage any of the family heirlooms that she valued so much.

“Is something the matter Iz?” Diane probed gently. “You seem to be quite,,, agitated,,,”

“No! Nothing’s wrong Mother,” Isabel deadpanned as she finished with the lower rack of the dishwasher and started to pull the juice glasses from the top rack. “Whatever would make you think that something is upsetting me?”

“Well for one thing, you’re putting the juice glasses where the coffee mugs belong,,, not to mention the fact that you called me ‘Mother’.”

“It’s Christmas morning, what could possibly be wrong? The gifts were sufficient in number and quality with adequate presentation, demonstrating appropriate sentiment,,,”

“You must be happy with Alex’s presents,” Diane quipped as she poured herself another mug of tea. “Not many boyfriends would give their fiancé four gifts,,,”

Isabel missed the rest of the sentence as she took a quick mental inventory. ‘Calculator, vacuum cleaner, and a steam iron,’ all perfectly practical items that they would need once they moved to Albuquerque. “No Mom, three,,,”

“Alex sweetheart,” Diane called out. “I know why Isabel’s so steamed with you, you forgot her fourth present,,,”

“That’s not possible Mrs. E, Izzy passed out the presents, and she doesn’t make mistakes,” Alex quipped as he headed into the kitchen. Coming to a stop by the back door, he corrected himself. “Oops, my bad. I didn’t bring everything in,” he added with a grin that guaranteed that his wife would never be mad at him. Taking a set of keys off the rack he tossed them to Isabel.

Isabel took a look at the strange keys. “Alex, these are Honda keys. We don’t have a Honda.”

“You do now,,,”

“What?” Isabel asked skeptically, but seeing the grin on everyone’s face, she knew she had been had. “What did you do?” she asked again with mounting excitement.

“Why don’t you go out and look?”

Isabel’s eyes opened wide as she practically ran to the garage door, followed by the rest of the merry-makers who were hoping to watch her reaction. She snapped on the light, reveling a gleaming red sports car with a big white bow on the top of the windshield.

“Oh My God!” Isabel exclaimed as she started jumping up and down with excitement. “It’s ours?” she asked as she leapt into Alex’s arms, practically knocking him over backwards.

“Well technically the title application has both of our names on it, but for all intents and purposes it’s yours,” Alex managed to choke out between kisses.

Isabel let go of Alex and ran to her car, opening the door and settling behind the wheel. The small car fit her like the cockpit of a fighter plane with a high center console which insured that no matter how hard she drove it, she would stay solidly behind the wheel.

“I’ve never seen a car quite like that,” Diane commented from Alex’s side.

“It’s a Honda del Sol,” Alex answered. Indeed the car was quite unlike anything else on the road before it or since, with less than seventy-five thousand being sold in the US, and few of them making inroads from the east and west coasts. “It’s a two-seater with a removable hard top that can be stowed in the trunk and with a rear window that can be powered down. In it’s ‘open’ configuration it rides like a rag top but with a large ‘wing’ behind the driver, giving it the feel of a convertible with the safety of a coupe.” “Izzy, there’s actually a couple more presents in the trunk, but don’t open them now. If your father sees the nightie I bought you he’ll kill me.

“It looks fast,” Phillip muttered.

“Fast, but safe,” Alex assured him.

“Well,” Phillip concluded, “You’re going to have a hot blond wife in a hot red sports car in a state with wide open highways and nationally reviled speed traps. Heaven help your insurance rating.”

“Oh crap,” Alex replied.

**********
Christmas evening, the young couple was sitting in the backyard looking at the stars when Isabel brought up a topic that she couldn't stop thinking about all day. “I can't believe you bought me a car.”

“There’s something you need to know about your car,” Alex said softly. “It can never go to a dealership,,, it can never go to a mechanic.”

Isabel turned to face him squarely. “What are you saying?” she teased. “You stole me a car? It's a special alien car that you stole from the government?”

“Well,,,” Alex drawled out.

“Come on Sweetie, spill.”

“Okay, it’s a VTEC, model, meaning it’s fairly suped-up from the factory. It’s got a one hundred sixty horse power engine and fifteen inch wheels with low-profile tires. It comes with front and rear disk brakes as well as a front and rear stabilizer bar, but it’s been enhanced so that it now has four wheel anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control as well as driver and passenger side airbags,,,”

“So you got it at a speed shop,,,”

“A little,,,” Alex pointed skyward.

“So it is an Alien-mobile,,,”

“I had a little help from the Granolith,,,”

“You took it out to the Granolith chamber?,,”

“Actually I took it to the garage where Kyle is working part time. Max and Michael did the work,,,”

“You let Michael work on our car,,, and you drove it?”

“Hey,” Alex interjected reassuringly. “The Granolith specified all the changes, Kyle translated and supervised, them Max and Michael did their thing,,,”

“So that’s how it became accident proof,,,”

“Well I wouldn’t say accident proof, but you have the only car in the word that has a titanium roll cage. That’s why you got a del-Sol, and not the Miata I was initially looking at. The windshield frame and the ‘wing’ over your head, in fact the entire passenger compartment, is reinforced with a concealed roll cage. You could drop it upside down from the top of a five story building and the top wouldn’t crush, not an inch,,,”

“You really meant what you said down at Pangborn, you would do whatever you needed to do to keep me safe,,,”

Alex felt embarrassed at the wonder in his voice, so he fell back on old habits; he cracked a joke. “That’s nothing. You should have seen the hoops Señora Castillo de Magliaro made me jump through when I bought it,,,”

“You talked to Donna Castillo about my car?”

“Of course I did,” Alex replied incredulously. “I have no understanding of how you manage our finances, and I really have no intentions of finding out. That's your job. So once I decided that's what I wanted to get you for Christmas, I asked her how to go about doing it. She had me make a down payment on the car, but it’s still financed with a three-year loan, and you're going to be helping make the payments,,,”

“Hey,” Isabel protested, slapping his shoulder gently.

“So for some strange reason, we’re going to own the car as individuals, and then lease it to the company. So in reality it's going to be your company car.”

“Perfect,” Isabel sighed settling back against his shoulder. “I won't have to redo the deal.”

“Hugh?”

“Nothing Sweetie,” Isabel said softly as she snuggled deeper into his embrace all the while rubbing her floating heart against its chain. “Donna Castillo had you do that for tax reasons. Buying the car with financing gives us a fixed expense which we need for tax deductions. Owning it as individuals and then leasing it back to ourselves at Aries gives us a second set of expenses and deductions for the company. It's all a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit, but you don't have to worry about it, that's what you have me for.”

Alex leaned forward and kissed her gently on top of her head, but through their connection she could feel him turn pensive instead of affectionate. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he answered dismissively.

In reply Isabel sent a little love bomb through their connection, and when it reached his mind it exploded like a skyrocket of love and calm.

“Okay,” he answered a second time, this time with a happier lilt to his voice before turning serious again. “Everything is okay. I love you, and I love what we’re doing,,, I wouldn’t change a thing, but at some level my mind is having trouble coming to grips with the fact that we’re buying two cars and a house. With the fact that before we graduate high school we’re going to be a quarter of a million dollars in debt.” (€187,000)

“Have you talked to your accountant about this?” Isabel asked softly.

“No,” Alex answered teasingly.

“Well that’s too bad,” Isabel answered trying to keep her voice level. “Because I’m sure that your accountant would just love to just tear off all your clothes and ravish your body until there wasn’t a rational thought left in that puny human mind of yours,,,”

Alex chuckled and kissed her hair again.

“But since she has as much respect for your mind as lust for your body she would instead explain a lot of people carry that much debt, they’re called homeowners. Instead of thinking of your home as one big mortgage payment, you should be thinking of it as the refuge where you will be raising your family, not to mention that it’s the location of your own private pleasure palace where your wife will finally be free to satisfy your every desire anytime of the day or night without having to worry about being interrupted,,,”

“You’re back to the body part again,” Alex teased as his body started to respond to her incessant flirting.

“Um-hum,” Isabel answered as she wiggled deeper into his embrace. “But she would also admonish you that you’re only looking at the liability side of your balance sheet. In addition to the assets of two cars and a house, not to mention Aries, we will have a substantial cash position. Once the other Leprino locations, Aries EMS, and the Pangborn Engineering production control project convert from anticipated revenue to AR, (accounts receivable) we’re going to be in the black. In fact, depending on how fast Donna Castillo generates purchase orders for the other Leprino plants, I expect us to be in the black well before we graduate.”

“Really?” Alex teased. “Is that all my accountant has to say?”

“Um-hum,” she replied, turning on his lap to face him.

“Good, cause I want to get to the ravishing part.”

*********
Maria looked up from the counter as the door chime struck up ‘Close Encounters.’ Seeing Isabel, and especially the huge grin on her face, she happily reached for her order pad while starting for the end of the counter and the ‘pod squad’ booth, but to her surprise Isabel settled at the counter. “Flying solo today?” she quipped.

“Yea,” Isabel answered offhandedly. “We both stayed with our families last night and they’re having a big family breakfast, so I figured I would get a stack of Jose’s blueberry pancakes before I hopped in my new ride and headed over there,,,”

“How about that Alex,” Maria squealed while hopping up and down in excitement. “How about that car?”

“You knew!,,”

“Of course I knew,,,”

“I don’t believe you knew and kept that a secret,,,” Isabel demanded, her eyes glowing

“Of course I kept it a secret, it was your Christmas gift,,,” Maria replied with growing anxiety.

Isabel couldn’t keep up the pretext any longer. “Come here,” she cried as she headed for the end of the counter where they embraced and exchanged air kisses.

“That’s enough you two, I think you just fulfilled every fantasy the guy in booth three ever had,” Karen teased.

“Ewww,” the girls moaned as they separated and went back to their places.


Isabel ate her breakfast while Maria worked her tables, so it was a couple of minutes before they got back to chatting. “So,,, your plate must be a lot less full now that Christmas is past,” Maria asked.

“Not really,” Isabel replied. “We’re kind of holding out breath waiting on the Leprino order, but Pangborn is keeping us busy, not to mention the wedding and all.”

“How’s that coming, by the way?”

“Everything’s going according to plan. I have everything set with Bobby Cotton out at the country club, the tent and chairs rented. I have the minister and caterer lined up, but there’s still a lot to do. I designed my dress years ago, along with three selections for the bridesmaids to vote on,,,”

My tux?” Maria probed.

“You’ll be wearing Andrew Fezza, suitably feminized I assure you,” Isabel replied confidently. Next I’ve got the invitations, the rings,,,”

“But Alex already got the rings,,,” Maria blurted out before covering her mouth with her hands, a look of horror on her face.

“What!” Isabel exclaimed. “He’s already bought our rings! You’ve seen them!,,”

“Oh No,,,”

“Maria!,,,”

“I can’t! Alex is my oldest and dearest friend! He asked me to keep it a secret,,, I can’t betray him,,,”

“Don’t worry about it, Maria.”

“I,,, I,,,” Maria stammered. She had only known Isabel a little over two years, but she did know that she never gave up this easily.

“I would never ‘ask’ you to betray Alex,” Isabel replied with an evil grin. “I know you would never ‘volunteer’ anything that he asked you to keep secret,,,”

Maria couldn’t help but notice the gleam in her friends eye. “Oh Crap!”

*********
Jim Cavanah took a mug of coffee from his long-suffering wife before settling at the breakfast table with the morning paper. Despite a mild hangover, he was anxious to read about what had happened over the weekend. Already grumbling over the fact that the paper had not been published over the weekend followed by both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, he was nevertheless unprepared for the headlines that awaited him.

Andrea Cavanah hesitated at the head of the stairs. Her father had really tied one on yesterday, and she debated her desire for her mother’s blueberry pancakes verses sitting and listening to her father vent his spleen on his target of the day. She bit her lip and started down the stairs slowly, for although she had a stash of granola bars and other emergency rations in her room, she was really craving her mother’s cooking.

Jim read the first of the feature stories with a growing sense of dread, about his liquor lackey’s arrest and the likelihood that his business would be closed. “Son of a bitch”, he swore under his breath as he finished the article and turned back to the front page, intent on reading the second article that had been printed under an attached sub-heading. “Mother Fracking Son Of A God Damned Bitch!,,”

Andrea turned around and headed back up stairs. It looked like it was going to be a chocolate-chip granola bar kind of day after all.

Jim slammed the paper down onto the table as he slowly rose from his chair as he rapidly read the article. It reported that a pick-up truck, containing several youths and a keg of beer, was stopped Friday evening, leading to the arrest of the driver, the impoundment of the vehicle, the seizure of the keg of beer, along with the subsequent arrest of the propitiator of Spaced Out Liquors. Although the identity of the driver of the vehicle is being withheld due to his age, sources close to the investigation have revealed that he was a member of the West Roswell High School’s Comet basketball team.

“Jesus Holy Fracking Shit.” Jim had to find out who had been caught, and even more importantly, what Coach Clay was going to do about that, but in the mean time, he turned the page to finish the article, coincidently opening to the social page.

“Scheinin?,,” he exclaimed, recognizing a photo of the Comet’s head cheerleader. “What the frack was she doing at a,,, a,,, Snowflake Ball?,, She should have been at the team party,,, And who’s she with?,,” Jim didn’t know his name, but he had seen him around the school. “He’s on the chess team for frack’s sake. What’s she doing with a looser like him.”

As Jim read through the article with rising ire, he continued to find several more references to the recreant cheerleaders, plus one name that leapt off the page at him. “Isabel Evans,” he growled.

**********
Ava answered the knock, unable to keep the surprise off her face. “Maria?”

“Ava, I need a favor,,,”

TBC

[majiklmoon]

- as always, an incredible update!

[Ti88]

isabel is too much. I love her car alex is the best and I'm glad her party went off and saved them poor girls from having to be buffet for the football players. your santa snowflake scene had me cracking up. but it was awww what she did for those two and how she helped amy and maria. see business smart but able to be generous and give back. but what out izzy that guy seems to have it in for you.

[Stargazer md]

The scene i liked the most was the M/M gift scene. I always thought they needed some highs to offset the lows they had, i mean why would Maria keep going back. She had so see something there that no one else saw, and there had to be more to him than the others who had to abandoned her.

[majiklmoon]

The scene i liked the most was the M/M gift scene. I always thought they needed some highs to offset the lows they had, i mean why would Maria keep going back. She had so see something there that no one else saw, and there had to be more to him than the others who had to abandoned her.

That's true...and there had to be a reason why Michael stayed and kept loving her despite how mean (and she was) to him.

[Stargazer md]

The scene i liked the most was the M/M gift scene. I always thought they needed some highs to offset the lows they had, i mean why would Maria keep going back. She had so see something there that no one else saw, and there had to be more to him than the others who had to abandoned her.

That's true...and there had to be a reason why Michael stayed and kept loving her despite how mean (and she was) to him.

I don't know how i missed this one,,,
negative attention is better than no attention, ask any five year old.

P

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 25-G All Good Things
By Stargazer MD

“Man, this is good,” Michael exclaimed between mouthfuls of Amy’s Turkey Pot Pie, his fork never coming to rest.

“Michael, slow down! You’re scarring Mom, and she doesn’t scare easily,,,”

“Let him be,” Amy interjected indulgently. “The poor guy’s never had anyone to bake him a turkey pot pie from his Christmas dinner leftovers,,,”

“I’ve never had anyone cook me a Christmas dinner,,,” Michael corrected.

“You’re fork’s going to start throwing sparks and set fire to the tablecloth,,,” Maria whined.

“Michael, do you want another helping, or do you want to save room for blackberry pie?,,”

Michael held out his plate helpfully as he finished chewing. “Don’t worry, there’s always room for desert.

**********
Meanwhile, Larry Trilling, along with his new wife Jennifer, were at the junction of the landing strips identified on the ‘We Believe’ web site as Sherman Ridge. Living about a day’s round trip from Roswell, they had found all of the landing sites during two weekend scouting trips in preparation for the holiday visit by a much larger group of believers, and it had been he who had selected the Sherman Ridge site for further study. It had proved to be one of the more undeveloped of the six sites and after a run-in with Sheriff Valenti at the Chickasaw Road site, coincidently the location of the Chaves County Correctional Institute, he thought that undeveloped was just what the group was looking for.

One of the more serious, or possibly one of more prosperous of the U-F-Ologist had brought along a truckload of surveyor’s stakes and several cases of orange marking tape, cheerfully donating it to the cause. The group had then spent the better part of the day staking out the perimeters of the strips, a task which had proven to be more of a difficult then expected at ground level, but after careful consultation with a number of printed versions of the aerial photographs and a lot of judicious use of a transit, they got the triangular pattern of the four strips outlined.

It gets cold at night in the desert, and as dusk faded to night Larry felt the chill. “I’m going to go to the car and get my hat,” he told his new bride. Jennifer took the opportunity to take a walk among the men and women who had broken up into their own groups according to their beliefs. Furthest from the intersection of two strips she found a group who were using various implements to look for a ‘shadow’ of a UFO’s visit, while other groups used everything from filtered flashlights to Ouija boards to conduct their ‘research.’

“Find out anything interesting?” Larry asked as he fell in by her side.

“Not really,” Jennifer said morosely as she realized that his trip for warmer clothes didn’t extend to her. “Figures,” she muttered under her breath, not knowing why she would have thought that getting married would have made him more considerate of others.

Larry walked by another group of seekers, inhaling lustfully the sent of searing meats wafting up from their gas grill while eyeballing the cooler of beer that sat on the tailgate of their truck. “I guess we’re more of a ‘generalist’ when it comes to aliens,” he mumbled as he shivered and pulled his coat tighter.

“Well how much longer are we going to stay here,” Jennifer complained. “This wind’s a bitch.” Indeed it was, with the temperatures near freezing and a strong wind blowing steadily, it was cold and getting colder every minute. In fact with the wind blowing so hard it was near impossible to hear anything from just one group away, but that all changed as shouts of excitement started to ring out.

“What?” Larry exclaimed, joining in the excitement as he scanned the sky to the southwest.

“It’s a plane,,,” one watcher shouted.

“It’s not a plane,” the prosperous visitor countered. “I’ve got my G.A. (General Aviation, or light aircraft) license and I’ve never seen a plane with lights like that. “It’s a flying chevron,,,”

“Besides, it’s too low to be a plane,,,”

Camera’s snapped and video tape rolled as observers jockeyed for position.

“It’s coming right for us.”

As the apparition came closer it became more visible to those utilizing binoculars and other handheld devices.

‘There’s something behind it, something dark,,,”

“If it’s so dark how could you see it?,,”

“It’s a shadow, I saw it block out the light from one of the stars,,,”

“It’s not a shadow. It’s a stable worm hole. That’s the UFO’s propulsion system,,,”

“It can’t be a wormhole, it’s not emitting any Hawkins’ Radiation.”

“Look at that guy,” Larry complained while he aimed his Polaroid skyward. “He’s looking for radiation with a cone of aluminum foil and a photographer’s light meter,,,”

“Protons are protons, Trilling; meanwhile, you’re going to be lucky to get a blurry spec of light on that picture.”

Minutes later, after the UFO had faded towards the northeast, the real celebration broke out. The spectators shared whatever they still had in their coolers with whoever stopped by, at least as long as they were willing to listen to their stories.


Meanwhile, aboard the KC-135 aerial refueling tanker the pilot keyed his microphone. ~~“Gas Passer Eight plus two to control, mission complete.”~~

~~“Received Gas Passer Eight, return to base.”~~

**********
Isabel headed down the hallway but stopped when she saw Max in his room. Noticing that he was dressed better than needed for a dinner with the family she asked, “Going out?,, you know Alex wanted us to stay low tonight.”

“Yea, I figured I’d swing by and see what Liz is up to.”

“Sorry Bro, I talked to her earlier and,,,”

“You talked to her?”

“Max, just because I’m not quite as close to Liz as I’ve become with Maria doesn’t mean I don’t spend time with her, in fact I spent an entire afternoon with her last week exploring her powers.”

“Sorry,” Max said softly. “I guess I’m still a little touchy about Liz.”

“You should be, you treated her like dirt, but you know something Max? The smartest think the two of you could do is stop over thinking so much when it comes to each other. Go to the Comfort,,, Get a room,,, See how much damage you could do to each other in a single weekend,,,”

“Isabel!,,”

“Hey, it worked for me,,,”

“About Liz?”

“She took Alex to Señor Chow’s,” she advised as she unwound from teasing him and settled on the foot of his bed.

“Why’s that?”

“He’s feeling a little freaked, so she’s taking him out, letting him vent, and then she’s going to tell him everything’s all right,,,”

“I thought that was your job now,” Max said doubtfully.

“Not this time,” Isabel sighed. “He’s supposed to be taking care of me. He can’t vent to me, he can’t show doubt.”

“He’s worried about the house?”

“What? Isabel asked incredulously. “The house? We’re only putting down twenty-five thousand (€17,300) on the mortgage,,,”

“Only twenty-five, easy for you to say,,,”

“You don’t have any idea what we’re going through, do you?”

“I know you’re going to be rich,,,”

“If we can pull it off. In the next year Alex is going to write nine hundred thousand dollars (€623,600) worth the checks for computer equipment that we’re going to resell,,,”

“You two have that kind of money?”

“No,” Isabel stated flatly. “Hence the dilemma.”

“What are you going to do?” Max stammered.

“We’re going to get a check from one project and reinvest the proceeds into the next job. As long as my plan and the timing holds, we’ll be okay,,,”

“Your plan? You’re risking your future on a plan?”

“I have to,,,”

“Why?”

“Because this isn’t about me, or Alex, or the money. It’s about our family.”

“So it looks like neither one of us is going out anytime soon. Are you ready for Mom’s chicken surprise then?”

“Oh, I’m going out for a stroll,” Isabel replied evilly. “But not ‘till later.”

“I don’t want to know,” Max deadpanned.

**********
Maria spun around practically blinded by the bright lights. In all her life she had never seen anything quite like the scene that was unfolding right in front of her. Above her head huge screens alternated between displaying video shorts and popular products while all around her traffic blazed to-and-fro seemingly heedless of the sense of excitement that shimmered in the air.

All around her were places that she had only heard of, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Café, Disney, Heresy, and almost beyond belief, right in the middle of the intersection, there was both a Police Station and an Armed Forces Recruiting Station.

“I love Time’s Square at night,” Isabel said menacingly.

“Isabel!” Maria gasped as she gave her tall friend a leaping hug. “I never believed it could have been as wonderful as you described, but if anything, it’s even more exciting.”

To say that Isabel was surprised at Maria’s reaction was an understatement. “You were expecting me?”

“Of course, your veiled threats aren’t very veiled now, are they. Besides, this is your powerbase. It would only stand to reason that you’d try to catch me where you would have me at a disadvantage.”

“Okay then,” Isabel stammered. “Where are they?”

“Why whatever do you mean?” Maria teased with a gleam in her eye.

“Our wedding rings.”

“They’re right down there,” Maria quipped, pointing to a heavy iron man hole cover.

“Down there?”

Maria waved her hand over the cover, lifting it and moving it to the side. “Down there,,,”

“’Ria,,,”

“Hey, it’s my dream, why shouldn’t I have some of the powers you guys keep having fun with,” Maria teased. “Your rings are down there, so all you have to do is go down there and look for them.”

Isabel, dressed in her ‘dream walking’ red satin pajamas and barefooted, stepped carefully to the edge of the hole. The stench was overpowering, and it took several swipes of her hand to eliminate it before both young women could look down.

What they saw was a steady stream of filth straight from the bowels of hell. Rotted fruit, meat bones, and fish skeletons floated by while black rank waste dripped from the rungs of the ladder. Isabel pulled a pebble out of thin air and dropped it down the hole. It’s ripples set off a flurry of motion as a crocodile leapt into the circle of light in search of whatever had disturbed it’s slumber. It’s blackened skin was flecked by bits of toilet paper and food wrappers while a used condom hung from one of it’s broken fangs.

“Seriously not going to happen,” Isabel sighed in resignation.

“Hehehe, Alex’s secret is safe.”

“How were you able to do this?”

“Welcome to the sewers of New York, Ava’s powerbase!” Maria teased.

“You got yourself mind warped?”

“Of course. I’d do anything for Alex.”

“Well, as long as we’re here,” Isabel sighed, stepping to the curb and flagging a cab, “Let’s go to Lombardi’s on Spring Street. They make the best pizza,,,”

**********
Alex sat on the edge of the bed tying his shoes while his wife puttered in the bathroom. “Izzy, we’re going to be late.”

“How can we be late?” Isabel challenged, stepping to the bathroom door and facing her husband. “We’re going dancing, alone. We’re not meeting anyone, and no one there will know us. If we didn’t go, no one would notice, let alone care.” Having had her say, she returned to the mirror, finishing putting her hair up, reaching that ‘just thrown together look that took her years to perfect.

Alex couldn’t take his eyes off her, either while she was facing him, or now that she had her back turned. He didn’t know which was worse, the view of her front with the not quite closed towel exposing her left thigh all the way up to her waist, or the current view of her leaning into the mirror, her too short towel exposing just tantalizing crescents of the cheeks of her snowy white ass.

Isabel snuck a peek at Alex out of the corner of the mirror but kept her satisfied grin to herself. Her teasing was definitely getting to him and she was enjoying the hell out of it. Despite the fact that they already had their ‘six’ for the day, several in the morning after they checked into the room and several more during the afternoon in the hot tub, she waned this trip to be one he would never forget.

She stepped from the bathroom and headed for the bureau and her clothing, casually dropping her towel as she passed in front of him. She picked up her garter belt and turned to face him as she unconsciously wrapped it around her waist and clipped it behind her back. “All I’m saying it that it’s going to be a busy couple of days, and I don’t think we really need to rush out tonight.” She paused to give him a moment to say something.

Alex knew he was being played with, but he really didn’t care. He loved it when she played with him, almost as much as he loved the enjoyment he took from her pleasure when he played with her. But the truth be told, he wasn’t consciously aware of any of this. He was instead enthralled by the sight of her golden curls which she was taking great pleasure in displaying for his rapt attention and obvious appreciation.

Smirking at the realization that he couldn’t speak, she reached for a black seamed lace-top stocking. Gathering it in her hands and taking a wide stance, she put her left foot on the bed to his right and slowly, gently, caressingly slid the stocking up her leg. ‘Did he just gulp?’ she wondered. ‘I think he did. He’s going to snap any moment now.’

Alex’s senses were quickly becoming overwhelmed. In addition to her golden curls he could now see the fleshy treasures that they tried so inadequately to conceal, but the most compelling assault on his self-control was her scent. Despite her recent shower, his wife had been in a state of arousal since she stepped from the tub and noticed his watching her through the open door.

“I’m so tired. Today we had to have the utilities changed over to our name,,,” ‘which took all of an hour,’ she thought as she clipped the garter tab onto the front of her stocking. “Tomorrow we have laptop work to do,,,” ‘followed by another nekked romp in the hot tub.’ Isabel switched legs and started the stocking process all over again, if anything this time the angle being better for the light on the nightstand to illuminate her ‘offering’ while another burst of her alien-enhanced pheromones wafted into her husband’s face. “And then Wednesday we have to close on the house and sign the mortgage papers,” ‘after which I’m going to drag you to MY house and frack the ever-living crap out of you,,,’ Her stocking ritual complete, she turned and presented him with her ass. “Sweetie, would you straighten my seams?”

Alex loved everything about his wife’s ass. He loved how her legs seemed to rise forever until they reached the line delineating the tanned tops of her thighs and snowy white cheeks that were reserved just for his viewing enjoyment. He loved the way the bottom of her cheeks bubbled out, how he could stand in front of her, reach around her, and lift her almost effortlessly, how once her weight was taken off her legs they almost automatically snaked their way around his waist, pulling herself onto him. But mostly he loved the way she responded to him whenever he touched her, how fast he could turn her on with just a touch.

He slid off the edge of the bed, landing on his knees behind her then sliding his hands inside the garter straps on the back of her thighs, pulled her close. Not all the way, but close enough. Isabel’s seams were already straight, and they both knew it, but if she wanted to create a little fiction where her appearance was less than perfect, he would happily play along.

Isabel knew her stocking’s were perfect, but she couldn’t resist a calculated opportunity go get her husband to play with her. Despite the having already reached their quota for the day, the fact that they were in Albuquerque to buy the house that would secure their future together was making her insatiable. If she had her way, they would stay in bed for the next two days until it was time to go to the realtor’s office. In fact, they would probably get there late.

Alex opened their connection just a crack, allowing him a quick peek at what she was up to. As he thought, she was trying to drive him insane, hoping that he would snap and then vent his need on her. Although he had been well trained by his girlfriends that he was chromosomally incapable of understanding women, especially a woman who was ‘one-of-two-of-a-kind,’ in Maria’s words, he was still a guy who would strive to give her whatever she desired.

Isabel felt him enter her mind, and gave him a glimpse of herself on the room’s desk while he stood between her legs pounding into her as if his life depended on it. ‘Now that he knows what I want,,,’ she decided, a thought that was driven from her mind by an entire case of sky rockets going off in her body.

Alex’s breath hit her ass as his hands started dancing up the outside of her stockings. Moments later, he had finished with the nylon and had started on the soft flesh at the top of her legs. “All done,” he said softly as he turned her once again, now facing him. As soon as she stopped turning he pursed his lips, his warm breath caressing her golden curls before he slowly straightened up.

“Nooo,,,” Isabel moaned as he broke contact. She could not believe that he would abandon her, that he would leave her hanging,,, for all of two seconds.

Alex enjoyed the scenery as he stood, he could spend the rest of his life watching his wife, the tan line below her waist, her gently curved stomach, her snowy white breasts capped by their hard pink nipples. He loved her beasts, their translucent white color untouched by the sun with just a hint of blue veins, the rose color of her burgeoning peaks looking almost like little breasts capping her larger ones, but he knew how to make them harder. He knew how to give her more pleasure. He leaned forward and opened his mouth wide.

“Í síðasta hluta,” Isabel gasped, opening their connection and pulling the words right from his mind.

Alex maintained his suction as he pulled his head back, the negative pressure causing her to engorge even more. “You’re teasing me?” he asked.

“No,,, More,,,” she whined.

Taking her back into his mouth again he repeated the process, but this time he brought his teeth into play. As he pulled himself off he gently clamped down on her areole before scraping his teeth the length of her nipple.

“Ljóðmæli séra lnars í fydölum komin út,” Isabel shouted as the dual sensations of pleasure and pain burned through her, leaving nothing but smoke and ash in it’s wake.

“Do you know what happens to you when you tease me?” he demanded as he repeated the process on her other side. “I turn all that desire around and take it out on you,” he added as he reached between her legs and rolled her moist flesh between his thumb and forefinger.

“Í síðasta hluta,” she chanted.

”Now I’m going to tease you,,,” Alex declared, his mouth just inches from his ear. “Open your eyes! Look at me!,,” Isabel did look at him, but her lack of focus made it clear that she was not comprehending a word he said. Without warning he thrust two fingers up into her, not violently enough to hurt her, but with enough force that her ready flesh yielded to him.

Isabel was caught with her lungs empty, and she inhaled drawing a breath that sucked all of the oxygen from the room. “AAAGGGHHH,,,” she cried out as every muscle in her body tensed.

“Don’t say a word,” Alex commanded.

“Take me, make me yours,,,” Isabel pleaded, but her voice failed and he began to saw away at her.

“I’m the teaser now. Don’t make a sound,,,”

“Unnnnmmm,” Isabel panted as he sawed away at her.

“Don’t make a sound or I swear, I’ll wash my hands and walk right out of this room.”

Isabel knew he was bluffing, she knew he would never waste her juices by washing them down a drain, but she wasn’t about to take that chance. Instead she linked her hands behind his head, pulled him back to her breast, and started a quick climb to the top.

Alex could feel her entire body start to tremble, so as he brought his mouth back into play, he dig as deep as he could with his fingers. This meant that his thumb was in the perfect position for a little action of it’s own.

Isabel’s entire body spasmed, driving herself against her husband. Alex wrapped his free arm around her, supporting her as she writhed on his hand while her chest panted for breath like a steam engine climbing a mountain pass a little steeper than it was designed for. She obeyed him, she didn’t shout out, but the noises that she was making were driving him crazy. While not quite coherent, she was nevertheless aware that he had not yet formed a super-connection. She didn’t have enough of her wits about her to decide if this was a good thing or bad, but she instinctively knew that when her husband reached the zenith of playing with her, he always gave the ultimate of himself, joining her in her mind.

Alex felt the tension start to drain out of his wife’s body, realizing that he had driven her pleasure about as far as humanly possible for this round, but he wasn’t quite done yet. He rolled his fingers inside of her, turning them so his nails aligned towards her back, then he bent his index finger forward, finding a little corrugated pad of flesh, one that felt like the inside of a piece or cardboard after one of the outside layers of craft paper had been torn off.

Isabel’s explosion was instantaneous.

Alex continued his ministrations, driving Isabel’s pleasure until her body failed her and she collapsed against him. He held her tight against him as he stroked her hair reassuringly. “I got you, Sweetheart. Take your time, come back to me when you’re ready.”

“Your turn,” Isabel said lazily. “Although the way I feel right now, you’ll have to roll me onto my back and climb on top,,,”

“What’s the matter, feeling a little wasted?”

“I think you melted every bone in my body,” she said in a sotto voice.

“Bet you’re going to look really good on the dance floor with no bones in your body,,,”

“Dancing?,,”

“Yea. You said that we were going dancing tonight,,,”

“After that?” Isabel gasped in amazement. “We’re not done,,, you haven’t,,,”

“I’m okay,” he teased.

“You think you’re going to be able to get that into your pants?” she retorted, pointed to his groin, which was quite ready for action.

“Don’t worry about Fred. He’s learned to be patient during the years and he knows how to behave.”

“You really want to go dancing,” Isabel sighed in resignation, knowing that she would deny him nothing.

“Yea, besides we’ve already hit Maria’s quota for the day. We can’t do anything more before midnight, I wouldn’t want to burn you out early.”

The concept that he so much as thought that he could ‘burn her out’ was so alien to Isabel that she completely missed the levity of his statement. Instead she reached for a sheer red nightie that she had stashed in the bottom of her suitcase. She didn’t have any plans to wear it to bed, she wouldn’t dream of having anything between them while they slept, but she had brought it along to add to her toolbox of teases.

Alex watched in confusion as his wife pulled a negligee that was illegal in thirty seven states over her stockings, “Ahhmm, Izzy? What are you doing?”

“I didn’t bring a party dress, so I’m going to wear this,,,”

“Oh No You’re Not!” Alex exclaimed, for despite the paleness of her pink nipples he could see them clearly through the diaphanous fabric.

Isabel, touched more than she would ever admit by his possessive concern for her, quickly reassured him. She touched the garment, morphing it into a dress that was more suitable for going out.

“A little higher neckline and a little lower hemline,” Alex commanded.

“Spoilsport,” Isabel pouted, liking the dress just as it was, nevertheless willingly complying with his command. “You know I’m not going to let anything show that isn’t supposed to show; besides, we’re miles from home. No one knows us here.”

“Izzy, this is our home now. People are going to get to know us, and I don’t want their first impression of us to be an open invitation,,,”

“Oh you have the open invitation part right, but you’re the only name that will ever be on it. Besides, no one’s going to recognize us.” With that, she reached up and touched the side of her head, shortening her hair and turning it a light brown while turning her eyes to a brilliant blue. Next she laid her hand against her husbands face, spiking his now blond hair and turning his eyes to a deep brown.

“Oh, I’m going to regret this,” Alex murmured as he turned to the mirror and took in his new look. “I don’t know why, but I just know I’m going to regret this.”


Isabel spent the next three hours teasing him unmercifully, starting by flashing her stocking tops and panties as she climbed into and out of the car, and ending with an eleven minute bump and grind while Sarah McLachlan’s ‘Silence’ boomed through the club, their last dance of the night. It wasn’t the last song of the night, the party would go on for another hour, but Alex had had enough dancing for one night.

Once they got away from the music and were heading towards the dark back corner of the parking lot that they ended up in as late-comers, conversation became easier. “It’s a good thing you were wearing panties,” Alex teased. “Otherwise you would have,,,” His voice faded as his inherent modest upbringing stepped in and prevented him from completing his thought of her leaving a wet spot on the front of his thigh.

“What panties?” Isabel replied huskily as she pulled the tiny garment from her bag. “I took them off before the dance started.”

Alex couldn’t take it anymore. He slammed Isabel back against the side of their car, lifted her skirt, and savaged her right there in the parking lot. As he sawed into Isabel, his entire world shrunk until it comprised of just the two of them.

“Take me, take your pleasure,” Isabel hissed into his ear, fully intending to stand there with one leg wrapped around him as she met his needs, but his needs were contagious. Her eyes blackened as the most primitive regions of her brain took over. Her hand raised in battery, ready to fire in defense of the father of her future children, but as her mate’s hips slammed into hers, and that’s how she thought of him right now, not as a civilized husband but as her bonded mate who took of her according to his need, she became swept up in the passion.

Her second leg came up and she locked her ankles behind him, all of her weight being born by his hips and her arms around his back. As pressure built within her, she also lost track of her surroundings as she stifled her screams by biting deep into his shoulder, again and again as her body spasmed around him, but then it was her turn to hold him, and through their connection, guide him back to earth.


Isabel rolled back against Alex’s chest, her signal that it was time for him to put his hand under her breast and hold her so she would sleep peacefully. “Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” she asked softly.

“Strangely, I did,” Alex answered honestly. “It seemed exciting to step outside of my comfort zone. You?”

“Not really,” Isabel confessed. “I mean I had a blast in the club, but afterward, in the parking lot,,,”

“Now wait a minute,” Alex exclaimed, rolling back and pulling Isabel with him so he could look her in the face despite the dim lights of the city bleeding in through the open drapes. “You seemed to be pretty into it at the time,,,”

“Yea, but I couldn’t completely loose myself like you did. I,,, felt so,,, so,,, exposed. I’ve spent so long hiding,,,”

“Isabel, I’m so sorry,,,”

“Don’t be,” she whispered as she continued to roll so that she ended up with her head on his shoulder, her hand over his heart and her thigh across his hips, another one of her favorite sleeping positions. “It’s not as if I didn’t like it,,, the excitement,,, the danger of getting caught,,,” In fact she didn’t want him to know how alien she had felt during their encounter, how ready she was to blow anyone who interrupted them to kingdom come despite the consequences.

“I sense a but coming?”

“But it’s not something we’re ever going to do again,,,”

“Now wait a minute,” Alex protested. “What ever happened to ‘I can do anything I want to do to you, whenever and wherever I want to do it?’”

“That still applies,” Isabel said lazily as she scratched little circles on his chest.

“So we can go out next weekend and have hot danger sex?”

“No.”

“But you just said I could have anything I want?”

“Yes.”

“But not that?,,”

“Yes, you could have it, if you wanted it.”

“Then I could,,,”

“No. Cause you really don’t want to,,,”

“I don’t?” Alex asked skeptically.

“No, ‘Cause it makes me uncomfortable.”

“So although I want to, I really don’t want to, because I am only going to want to do things that you want to do?” he asked skeptically.

“That’s right,” she sighed as she yawned indulgently before nipping on his chest and settling her cheek on his shoulder, “Because that’s one of the many ways you tell me how much you love me every day.”

“Oh,,,” Alex sighed. “Oh!” he suddenly agreed after what she had said had a moment to sink into his sleep starved brain. “Of course not.” He would never knowingly do anything to make uncomfortable, and the thought of his using her for nothing more than draining a nut, and that’s what he thought of any encounter that she didn’t draw pleasure from, repulsed him.

”Daddy?”

“Yea, Princess,” Alex replied, totally confused because he could hear his daughter Andy through his connection with his wife despite the fact he didn’t think he was asleep yet.

“Mommy says to stop thinking so much and come join us. She’s making ‘Basco’ ice cream and she says it’s your turn to crank the machine.”

“Okay Princess, Daddy will be right there.”

**********
Several days into January things were starting to settle down in Roswell. The holidays were over, school was back in session, and the ‘We Believers’ had gone home and back to their schools and jobs. That’s not to say that all was quiet. With two sightings in as many months, Roswell’s businesses were not going to have a ‘Winter’s Slump’ this year. As a result, when Alex entered the Crashdown it was more busy than he expected.

He sat at the counter and patiently waited for Maria to get him his orange soda. “Seen Izzy?” he asked casually when his friend got a moment to serve him and chat.

“Have I seen her?” Maria rebutted with surprise. “Don’t you just,,,” she bent her antennas down before raising them slowly in imitation of Uncle Martin from the old ‘My Favorite Martian’ show.

“No, I don’t want her to think I’m pathetic and needy, following her around and checking up on her,,,”

“So what are you asking me for?”

“Well, despite the fact that I’m neither needy nor pathetic, I’m kind of checking up on her,,,”

“Okay,” Maria chuckled. “So long as you’re not going back to your pathetic puppy stage. She’s upstairs with Liz,” she continued, leaning in and lowering her voice. “Liz was doing a number on the cutlery, so Isabel’s helping her get a hold of her powers. They’ve gotten together a couple of times, and I’ve been sitting in, just in case,,,”

“You?” Alex cajoled. “The temple of purity?,,”

“That ship has sailed,” Maria replied sadly. Leaning in closely again she eased, “I have a million-badzillion alien spermies swimming around inside of me,,,”

“Maria,,,”

“In fact I’m surprised my hair hasn’t turned green and I haven’t grown another set of boobs,,,”

“To much information,,,”

“Michael would like that. Maybe two more sets, one right under the regular ones, and another set on my back,,,”

“You’re killing me ‘Ria.”

“Don’t get all high and mighty like that with me,” Maria teased. “I’ve heard enough about your sex marathons to know you’re not bashful anymore; besides, I’ll tell Isabel you’re stalking her and she’ll make you sleep on the couch,,,”

That’s something I’ll never have to worry about,” Alex interjected proudly. “Izzy has needs, in fact just like you alluded to, her needs are so great I’ll never have to worry about sleeping on the couch.”

Acknowledging a customers wave, Maria moved around the end of the counter, but she stopped, and leaned against Alex’s back, getting in the last word as well as the last dig, as was her right as a woman. “One word from me and Isabel will throw you down on the living room floor, take her pleasure until she’s got you on the brink of death, and then go to bed satisfied while leaving you hanging with only the choice of sleeping on the couch or in the dog house.”

“Crap,” Alex muttered as he reached for his glass. “Double crap,” he continued upon finding said glass empty.

**********
Meanwhile, a phone rang in Albuquerque. “New Mexico Department of Health, this is Howard Tawny. Now may I be of assistance?”

“Howard? Keith Rayeski. Department of Safety. I have the results back on that data encryption problem you asked me to look into.”

“Good. What you find out?”

“I didn’t find out anything. I couldn’t break the encryption, so I sent the file down to a friend in Las Cruces who does it for a living,,,”

“You sent it out?,,”

“You told me that it was a dummy file,” Keith explained. “And these guys keep secrets for a living. You don’t have to worry about them.”

“Okay. What did they say, could they crack it?”

“They cracked it, that’s what they do. But the guy I know there says that considering the sophistication of the methods that used to decrypt your file, your vendor easily exceeded the requirements of your contract.”

“Well our vendor will be happy to hear that,” Howard replied happily. “We needed to be sure that the medical data being sent here from the hospitals and rescue companies is secure, and it’s the last sign-off I needed before they get paid.”

**********
Gloria opened the door to her room, restless and unable to sleep with Charles on the road again, but before she could step into the hall, she saw Isabel slip from her room and head for Alex’s. As the daughter she never had stopped and leaned against his doorframe, Gloria managed to sneak up on her, hardly a difficult feat as Isabel was so engrossed with her prey.

Gloria watched as Isabel reached a decision, pushing herself from the door jamb, and heading into her son’s room. “And just what do you think you’re going to do young lady,,,”

Isabel snapped bolt upright before turning on her heel. “I hate it when you do that.” She whispered fiercely as she stepped back into the hall. “Look at his shoulder. I was adjusting his covers,,,”

“He’s a big boy. He’s been adjusting his own covers for quite a while now,,,”

“And that’s my job now!” Isabel bit her lower lip and looked down at the floor, not wanting to get into an argument with this woman that she had come to love as a second mother. “When he’s cold, I’m cold,” she continued with a much softer tone as she fished her floating heart out from between her breasts and began to rub it back and forth on her chain.

Isabel’s distress gave Gloria a moment to study the tall teen. She was dressed in what she thought was one of Alex’s wife beater tops, but in actuality it was a hand-me-down from Jesse, and had seen better days. It had started life not as a tank top designed for outerwear, but as a true undershirt, and the years had not been kind to it. It was worn thin, and the elastic around the deeply scooped neck and arm holes had long since given up the fight, resulting in a garment that barely covered, and did nothing to conceal, Isabel’s imposing figure. Below that she was wearing flannel sleep pants. Gloria figured that these had to be Isabel’s, as despite her far from petite figure and the fact that she had a woman’s figure, so unlike the waifs of the day, she didn’t think Alex’s pants would stay up on her. Despite that, she couldn’t help but notice that Isabel had rolled down the waist of the pants, exposing a number of inches of smooth belly.

“It’s no wonder you’re cold, dressed like that,” Gloria rebutted without malice.

“It’s the middle of the night, and I’m dressed for comfort,” Isabel retorted, also struggling to keep things from becoming personal. “I wear a lot less when we’re on the road,,,”

“And when you’re in your own home you can do whatever you want,,,”

“I shouldn’t have said that,” Isabel explained sincerely. “I respect your home, and would never do anything to upset you, but I need him. He needs me. I need to be close to him and take care of him.”

Gloria smiled in the dim light, loving the closeness between them.

“I don’t think you can understand us,” Isabel tried to explain. “I don’t think any human can understand how close we are. There is no more us, there is only one. I am him, and he is me. I don’t think Max and Liz have reached that point, and I don’t think Michael and Maria ever will, but he is a part of me, and I can not bear to be away from him. I wish you could experience this feeling, I have never experienced anything like it,,,”

Isabel finally noticed Gloria’s grin, and deciding that while she may not yet have won, she was at least getting an open mind. “Watch this,,,” She turned to face Alex and whispered, “Roll over.” Once he had she continued, “Fold the covers down.”

“He can hear you?” Gloria asked in amazement.

“Og þeir sögðu. Ðiður til þess að sjá borgina. Ðiður til fyrirtæki að sjá borgina,” Alex murmerred.

“No. He’s asleep. I reached out to him in our mind, and I need to join the rest of me.”

“What did he say?” Gloria asked gently.

“I don’t know. I can’t speak Antarian,,,” Isabel said modestly.

“You’re the Alien Princess, but you can’t speak your own language?,,”

“He’s the closest to the Granolith,,,” she explained as she connected. “He said, ‘Come here. I’ll keep you warm. I’ll keep you safe,,,’” Isabel explained, her eyes glowing. She had really taken a chance, opening up as she had, and she looked at Gloria with trepidation, awaiting her banishment back to her room, but instead she detected the slightest of nods.

Isabel skipped across the room and practically few into Alex’s bed, landing with her back against his chest. Isabel felt at peace for the first time that day, but as Alex slipped his hand under her, cupping her boob, she saw Gloria coming closer. Barely hiding her shock, she grabbed the covers and pulled them up to her neck.

Gloria swung around the foot of Alex’s bed before stopping near his nightstand. She reached down, took his side of the covers, and pulled them up, gently covering her son’s shoulders.

“Scrubbies Mommy,” Alex pleaded in a childlike voice that emanated from Isabel.

“No scrubbies tonight Bubby,” she answered softly. Gloria’s pet name for her youngest son dated back to his third year when Jesse had teased him about the fact that their mom still called him ‘her baby.’ ‘Bubby’ proved to be a good enough compromise for all concerned, but she had not called him that for over a decade. “You have Isabel for that now,” she added while bending down and after brushing back a lock of his hair, she lightly kissed his temple, expressing her love for him.

“That’s okay, but you’ll always be Mummy,,, Wove you Mummy.”

Next she slowly walked around the foot of the bed before stopping in front of Isabel. She squatted down, looking Isabel in the eye.

Isabel’s eyes opened wide. Despite loving the special closeness that they had developed over the last half year, she was nevertheless unprepared for her frank appraisal.

Gloria’s face broke into a grin. “At least one of your nipples is warm now, although I doubt it will be going down anytime soon,” she whispered teasingly as she leaned in close to her future daughter-in-law. Kissing her also she added, “Sleep well.”

Gloria retreated to the door and leaned against the doorframe, mimicking Isabel’s expression of just a moment ago. “Take care of him,,,” she murmured.

Isabel should have never been able to see the fact that Gloria was speaking, let alone what she said, but she heard every word as she continued, ‘I’m giving him over to you, take care of him after we’re gone.’

“I will Mom, I love you too.”

TBC

[majiklmoon]

As always, an INCREDIBLE update - steaming hot

[dreaming of the incrowd]

Holy COW - HOLY HOLY HOLY COW

[lvlyfem]

Just a friendly bump...I miss you :

Lynne

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 25-H All Good Things
By Stargazer MD


The following morning Alex was surprised to find Isabel waiting for him by the kitchen island. She handed him a breakfast roll-up, a kiss on the cheek, and gave him what felt like a figurative boot in the ass.

“I need to have a word with your mom,” Isabel explained. “I’ll ask her to drop me off.”

“Why?,, What’s up?” he asked with concern.

“Nothing to worry about,” she replied offhandedly, bringing up an image of his mom leaning against his doorframe and looking at them in bed together then sharing it with him.

“We’re busted?,, I’ll stay. You shouldn’t have to take all the heat,,,”

“No worries,” Isabel interjected. “We’re not in any trouble, but there’s something I want to talk to her about,,,”

“I’m going, I’m going,,,” Alex quipped as he felt himself being pushed towards the door.

Isabel closed the door behind him and hearing Gloria coming down the stairs, she headed towards the coffee pot and poured herself a mug, three quarters full. Then she reached for another mug, filling that one precisely ninety-three percent full. She put both mugs on the table and then went for half-and-half for Gloria and Tabasco and sugar for herself.

“What’s this?” Gloria demanded as she buckled on her watch.

“Sit,” Isabel commanded as she poured the demi-cream.

“I don’t have time for this,,,”

“You have seven minutes and forty-six seconds before you need to leave for work, and that’s counting the fact that you’ll have to drop me off.” (AN: Isabel couldn’t take her del-Sol to school. Since she didn’t get it until well into the school year, she didn’t have an assigned parking space.)

Gloria sat at her place and took a sip of her coffee. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this is perfect,,,”

“Come now, bullshit doesn’t become you,,,”

“Language dear,,,”

“Quit stalling,,,” Isabel stood and moved to the calendar next to the phone. She pointed to Charles’ return flight information on Friday. “Northwest flight 623 into Albuquerque. That’s not coming in from Reno. It’s from Dulles.” (Virginia, outside of Washington DC)

“So?,,”

“Remember my super alien hearing? ‘I’m giving him over to you, take care of him after we’re gone.’”

“I didn’t say that out loud,,,”

“Loud enough, so what’s going on?”

Gloria bit her lip.

“Tick-tick,” Isabel interjected, tapping her wrist.

“You can’t tell Alex,,,”

“I will not keep a secret from my husband.”

Gloria hesitated again.

“Don’t make me come in there after it,,,”

“Then promise me that you won’t go out of your way to volunteer anything until Charles is ready,,,”

Isabel rubbed her floating heart back and forth on it’s chain. “Agreed.”

“Charles isn’t in Nevada, he’s been commanded to report to Fort Belvoir Virginia for an extended interview with Admiral Lippert, the director of the Defense Logistics Agency.”

“What’s the Defense Logistic Agency?”

“In short, they do the same thing Charles’s agency does, (AN: Charles works for the General Services Agency, the government’s purchasing agent and landlord) but instead of supporting the civil services they support the military,,,”

“And his actions on Nine-Eleven caught their attention?”

“Yes. The Admiral called him personally. He said that with a war coming they’re going to need people who can get things done, and speaking of getting things done, I better get you to school.”

“That’s all you got to say?” Isabel stammered.

“That’s all I know,” Gloria replied as she locked the door behind her. “I’ve been a good military wife for almost thirty years. I’ll find out what’s going on when he’s ready to tell me,,,”

“You’ve been a good military wife for almost thirty years,” Isabel agreed readily. “And I doubt you’ll wait that long to make your opinions known,,,”

Gloria simply smiled enigmatically as she started the car.

**********
Meanwhile Alex’s phone rang just before he turned into the schoolyard, the ring tone telling him instantly that it was the Granolith that was calling him. With a sense of alarm he reached for his phone, knowing that a call so early in the morning would not convey good news.

~~“Secure Trithium Link established!,, Danger Alex Whitman!,, Danger!”~~

Alex was already running scenarios through his mind, taking inventory of his family and friends as well as the locations of weapons and assets. “Granolith, state the nature of the emergency!”

~~“Alarm,,, Alarm,,, Alarm,,, Detection perimeter compromised,,, Disturbance of detection orb occurred at seven twenty-three hours forty-two seconds local time,,,”~~

“Granolith!,, SELF-DESTRUCT ORB NOW!”

~~“Unable to comply!,, Auto-destruct sequence initiated in compliance with protocols upon the confirmation of disturbance, as per your standing orders. Auto destruct sequence initiated at seven twenty-three hours forty-five seconds local time. Compromised perimeter detection orb is off-line. Commanded self-destruct no longer available.”~~

“State current condition of the detection perimeter orb.”

~~“Auto-destruct replication sub-processor fired successfully. Silica processing core and power supply of the compromised detection perimeter orb fused as programmed.”~~

Alex, realizing that the security protocols that he and Michael had established had worked perfectly, began to breath a little easier. The orb was now a rock. If it were to be x-rayed, it would look like a rock. If it were to be thrown into a rock crusher or sawn in half, it would be indistinguishable from any other rock. “State the location of the compromised orb.”

~~“The compromised orb was the Alpha unit of the high resolution detection pair located on Route Two-Eighty-Five South at it’s intersection with Chickasaw Road.”~~

“What would the level of resolution be when scanning the compromised location utilizing the remaining high resolution detection orb on Route Two Eighty-Five with the most proximate of the wide area detection orbs that surround Roswell?” Alex demanded as he made a right turn, intending to head south and find out just what was going on with the off-line orb.

~~“Such a scan would be ninety-six percent efficient, but the data returned on any hostile target would be less specific than data returned by a functioning high resolution detection orb pair.”~~

“Granolith, scan the area utilizing the remaining high resolution orb in conjunction with the nearest available wide area detection orb. Repeat command with the next nearest wide area detection orb. Continue to repeat the command sequentially with increasingly distant orbs until all orbs within range have been utilized.”

~~“Working,,, Program available.”~~

“Execute!”

~~“Working. Time to program completion forty-three seconds.”~~

“Be advised I am enroute, to that location.” Alex thought a moment longer, racking his brain in an attempt to think of anything else that he could do. “Granolith, issue incremental reports as the individual scans complete.”

~~“Working. Alex Whitman, be advised that Michael Guerin is also enroute to the location of the compromised detection perimeter orb. At your current speeds he will arrive one minute and fifty six seconds ahead of you,,,”~~

“What information does he have?”

~~“In response to the initial alarm notification he replied with a one word interrogative. ‘Where?’ The location of the compromised detection perimeter orb was given.”~~

Alex one-key dialed Michael’s cell. “Michael, pull over and let me catch up with you. You can’t drive and shoot at the same time. We’ll go in together. I’m only two minutes behind you,,,”

~~“This is going to fracking over in two minutes,,,”~~

~~“Initial scan complete. No hostile targets detected. No friendly targets detected. No unidentified targets detected. Scan iteration two running.”~~

~~“Granolith. What are the chances that this is some kind of diversion?”~~ Michael demanded. ~~“What are the chances that we are being attacked from another approach?”~~

~~“Initial scan of high resolution detection perimeter detection orb pairs protecting unaffected Roswell approaches complete. No hostile targets detected. No friendly targets detected. No unidentified targets detected. Scan of all off road approaches protected by wide area perimeter detection orbs running. Scan iteration three of the compromised area complete. No hostile targets detected. No friendly targets detected. No unidentified targets detected. Entire perimeter scan will complete in seven minutes one second.”~~

Alex was impressed by Michael’s command. He hadn’t even thought of being out-flanked, but he was thinking of another attack, from a force much closer to home. “Michael, this isn’t a time for a balls to the wall assault. Let me catch up to you.” No response, so after a moment he played his trump card. “If you go in without back-up, you’ll have the mother of all fights with Maria, and I don’t mean one of your ‘foreplay’ fights. She’ll,,,”

~~“Friendly target detected approaching from the north. Friendly target stopped one point nine miles (3 km) north of the compromised high resolution detection orb. No hostile targets detected. No other friendly targets detected. No unidentified targets detected. Entire perimeter scan will complete in four minutes sixteen seconds.”~~

Minutes later Alex, with Michael at his side, came upon the first bright orange ‘Road Work Ahead’ signs. “Look like construction,” Alex muttered in disgust.

“There’s a backhoe on the side of the highway, and a length of culvert in the back of a truck,” Michael added, taking advantage of his superior eyesight to look for threats.

~~“Perimeter scan completed. No hostile targets detected. No friendly targets detected. No unidentified targets detected. Resetting. Beginning scan iteration two.”~~

Alex changed to the left lane and slowed as they passed the job site. “Looks like a false alarm. The orb auto-destructed for nothing.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Michael added dismissively.

“Yea, and a good test of the system. The programming ran perfectly,” Alex added. “Granolith, cancel alarm. Log this alarm as accidental trip due to construction activity at the orb site. Reset the entire perimeter detection network to passive scan.”

~~“Compliance.”~~

“Granolith,” Michael commanded next, “Make one of the new orbs I asked for into an orb I can replace this one with.”

~~“Error! Command sequence error! Command not recognized!”~~

“Don’t give me that crap,,,”

“Granolith,” Alex cut in. “Priority! Configure a replacement orb for the destroyed Alpha unit of the high resolution detection pair located on Route Two-Eighty-Five South at it’s intersection with Chickasaw Road. Utilize one of the high resolution orbs that have been prepared for the Albuquerque installation. When complete, replace the high resolution Albuquerque orb that you utilized with one of the unconfigured spare orbs Michael instructed you to have on hand. Expedite!”

~~“Working. Replacement Alpha unit for the high resolution detection pair located on Route Two-Eighty-Five South at it’s intersection with Chickasaw Road will be available for deployment in two hours. Replacement undesignated Albuquerque orb will be available in six hours,,,”~~

“Granolith. Will you have my orbs ready by Friday?” Michael demanded menacingly.

~~“Error! Command sequence error! Command not recognized. Working,,, Reconfiguring command, correcting syntax. Working,,, Yes, Michael Guerin. The high resolution detection orb pair for Albuquerque East on Route Forty at it’s intersection with Route Five Fifty-Six, the high resolution detection orb pair for Albuquerque North on Route Twenty-Five at the southern border of the Sandia Indian Reservation will be available on Friday as ordered. The high resolution detection orb pair for Albuquerque West on Route Forty at it’s intersection with Ninety-Eighth Street and the high resolution detection orb pair for Albuquerque South on Route Twenty-Five at it’s intersection with Bobby Foster Road in Mountainview will be available for deployment on Friday as ordered. High resolution detection orb pairs for the Union Pacific railroad lines south of Albuquerque will be available for deployment on Friday as ordered. High resolution detection orb pairs for the main, freight, and service entrances to the Albuquerque International Sunport (airport) will be available for deployment on Friday as ordered. High resolution detection orb pairs for the three primary access points to Kirtland Air Force Base will be available for deployment on Friday as ordered,,,”~~

“You’re going to have your work cut out for you this weekend,” Alex quipped as he reached a break in the divided highway, allowing him to turn around and head back towards Roswell.

“Needs to be done,” Michael replied offhandedly. “I won’t take any chances with Maria’s and Isabel’s safety. I’m going to deploy a perimeter at least as effective as the one around Roswell,,,”

“Dude, the perimeter around Roswell measures fifty miles, (80 km) Albuquerque’s is going to be what, three hundred? (480 km),,”

“So, at least it’s doable. You should see what I’m going to do to protect Max and Liz in Boston,,,”

“The orbs won’t blend into the New England landscape?,,”

“Yea, no desert up there, but even worst there’s no definable boundary around Boston where I can lay down a string of orbs. There is no end to the city. It just turns into suburbs that cover the entire eastern half of the state.”

“So what are you going to do?” Alex asked with concern for his friends.

“We’re not going to do a perimeter, the Granolith’s designing a full saturation matrix for their neighborhood, although when compared to the full perimeters we have out here it’s going to be a comparatively small sanctuary. The orbs are going to be shaped like bricks and I’m going to zap them into the walls of buildings in a pattern the Granolith’s still working on, but once they’re in place they should have one-hundred percent coverage,,,”

~~“Warning. Deployment of high resolution detection pairs on only the major access points to Albuquerque will yield limited protection at best. Protection from non-primary highway infiltration into the north-east quadrant will be forty-three percent effective at best and protection from non-primary highway infiltration into the north-west quadrant will be twenty-four percent effective at best. Protection from non-primary highway infiltration into the south-west quadrant will be sixty-seven percent effective at best and protection from non-primary highway infiltration into the south-east quadrant, excluding the airports, will be eleven percent effective at best.

~~“High resolution detection orbs for secondary roadway access routes to Albuquerque will be available one week from Friday as ordered. Wide area detection network orbs for the perimeter of the Albuquerque International Airport will be available for deployment one week from Friday as ordered. Wide area detection network orbs for the perimeter of Kirtland Air Force Base will be available for deployment one week from Friday as ordered.”~~

“Hang on,” Michael interjected, raising his cell. “I want the second batch of orbs ready earlier. I want to start scattering them on Tuesday.”

~~”Error! Command sequence error! Command not recognized!,, Working,,, Compliance.”~~

“You know, I’m worried about you getting that close to Kirtland,” Alex murmured.

“Not a problem. Ava and I are going out Sunday afternoon and set orbs along the airport’s northern perimeter road.” (AN:
The civilian and military installations share the runway complex with the Sunport terminals to the east and the Air Force Base to the west.) “No one’s going to hassle a young couple out for a walk, and if anyone does notice me setting an orb, well, Ava can do her stuff.” In fact Ava was already using her stuff on Michael. Alex could barely believe that Michael would accept help on a protection mission, but he would have paid to see Ava and Michael walking with a baby buggy full of orbs. Fortunately for him, and thanks to Ava’s mindwarp, Michael would never know.

~~“Then wide area perimeter detection orbs for the four quadrants will be available one quadrant on each successive Friday until the entire perimeter is protected.”~~

“Kewl,” was all Michael had to say.

At the next intersection Alex slowed and instead of taking Michael back to his bike he turned and headed towards Dexter.

“Dude, where you going?,, My bike!” Michael asked in confusion.

“I’ll drop you off, but I’ll bet if we hit the bakery first we’ll be just in time for a batch of crullers that are hot from the cooker,” Alex answered with a grin, knowing of Michael’s fondness for the pastry, the hotter and fresher the better.

“You know,” Michael replied with a grin, “For an Earthling, you’re all right.”

**********
Michael’s brow’s furrowed as he watched his podmate lean into Vicky’s booth. “Are Isabel’s boobs getting smaller?” he asked offhandedly.

“Michael, you sexist pig,” Maria complained as she turned to him and started slapping him about the back of the head and shoulders.

“I’m just making an observation,” he replied defensively, then ignoring his girlfriend he turned towards Liz. “She isn’t going on some Hollywood fad diet, is she?,,”

“Isabel isn’t on a diet,,,” Liz stammered.

“Because Izzy’s a beautiful woman. She doesn’t need no fracking diet,,,”

“She’s just trying to ‘tighten up’ a bit,,,”

“She looks great, always has,,,”

“Her wedding dress has a corset top, and she wants to look good for Alex,,,”

Their banter, and Maria’s assault, was interrupted when Jose put a plate of Saturn Rings on the pass-through and rang the bell.

“,,,And yes, Isabel’s always been a beautiful woman,” Liz said softly as she gave Michael a chaste kiss on the cheek before picking up the order.

“I think I’ll help her,” Michael added hastily, leaving the booth and heading for the kitchen, followed closely by Maria, who now free of the confines of the booth, had much more room for swinging.

Liz dropped off the plate of Saturn Rings in front of a customer at the counter before refilling several soda glasses. When she finished she found Isabel leaning over the counter expectantly. “What’s got into those two?”

“Honestly, you don’t want to know,” Liz replied cheerfully.

‘Okay then,,,” Isabel said slowly, figuring there was more to the story than she was being told. “I’ll just go rescue Michael before Maria kills him.”

Isabel walked into the kitchen but was surprised to find Jose in there alone. “Didn’t Michael and Maria come in here?”

"Si they did,” Jose answered respectfully. “First they were fighting, then they made up, then they went into the break room. I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”

Jose’s words stopped Isabel’s hand just inches from the doorknob, where she could sense the presence of an alien lock. “I think you’re right,” she said with a sigh as she retreated back out to the dining room.

**********
“Mister Cowan,” Michael asked from the doorway. “Do you have a minute?”

Michael’s art teacher looked up. “Sure,,, Mister Guerin. Have a seat.”

Michael held his ire in check. He didn’t know if he was being teased for missing class or if it had been so long since he had attended this class that the teacher had really forgotten his name. This made him even more nervous as he took his seat. Michael had always been goal oriented, rarely thinking a problem through before taking action, so he got right to the point, “I need your help.”

Mr. Cowan knew a fair amount about Michael’s background, as did most teachers and he realized that it took a lot for him to make such an admission. As a result, he decided to tread carefully, less he scare the teen off. “What can I help you with?”

Michael crossed his arms and sat deep in his seat, his entire countenance screaming unease. “I have a college scholarship,” Michael blurted out. “I have to,,, I have to make good use of it,,, It’s the only way I’ll be able to provide for,,, I need to get into college.”

“And you want me to?,,”

“Humanities. I need a humanities credit this year in order to graduate. And art is a humanities.”

“Michael, you’ve only done two projects in my class, a drawing of a semi-circle and then a stick figure,,,”

Michael knew he shouldn’t have asked for help,,, expected anyone to help,,, but it had been worth the risk. Jim had called in a lot of favors to secure him a scholarship, and he desperately wanted to take advantage of what he saw as the best opportunity he was going to get to provide a good life for Maria. “Thanks,” he said as he braced to stand. He was determined not to let anyone see how stung he felt, but once he got on his bike and out to the quarry, no rock would be safe.

“Michael, sit down!” Mr. Cowan snapped. Seeing Michael hesitating, he imagined that the troubled teen would bolt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, Sit down, lets discuss this.”

Michael reluctantly sat and eyed his teacher warily, but while he wanted to convey a look of arrogant disinterest, he in fact looked like a vulnerable teen who had no idea what his future held in store for him.

“Not all art is esoteric,” Mr. Cowan explained gently. “Maybe in your case we can come up with a more practical project that you could perform, on an independent study basis.”

“Independent study?”

“This semester the focus of the class will be ‘form follows function’, the application of art in everyday life.”

“You sound less than enthused,” Michael quipped.

“I don’t have my hopes up. Every year I get paper-plate prickly-pear cacti, soap box guitars, and coffee can drums.”

“Sounds like it wouldn’t take much to impress you,” Michael related hopefully.

Mr. Cowan noticed the gleam of hope in his erstwhile students eyes and decided to encourage him. “Michael, if you can impress me I’ll give you the “A” you need for the semester,,,”

“What if I blow your socks off?”

“You blow my socks off and I’ll give you an “A” for the year.”

**********
Meanwhile out in the quad, Isabel’s phone rang. Looking at the display she answered, “Good afternoon. Aries Technologies. Isabel Evans speaking.”

~~”Good afternoon Isabella,”~~ Señora Castillo intoned cheerfully.

“Donna Castillo,” Isabel happily replied. “It is a pleasure to hear from you.”

At the same time Alex’s phone rang. “Aries Technologies, this is Alex.”

~~”Alex, Rob Blynn. Got a moment?”~~

~~”I’m happy to report to you that at this morning’s board meeting the Aries project was unanimously approved.
The PO’s (purchase orders) have been cut, and they’ll be Fed-Ex’d to you later today.”~~

“That’s wonderful,” Isabel replied gleefully.

“Of course,” Alex replied confidently.

~~“And you are willing to work with Pat to get all of our plants online by the end of the year?”~~

~~”I need thirty-five laptops,”~~ Rob advised quickly. ~~”One for each member of senior management at the Denver headquarters as well as the plant manager, production manager, personnel manager and plant accountants of all six production facilities. I need good quality, and I need them quick.”~~

“Yes, I haven’t met with Mrs. Orlowski since my last visit to Denver, but we have been keeping in touch and subject to Leprino’s ability to have the hardware we provide installed and ready for activation, I anticipate no problems meeting your timetable.”

“Toshiba’s new ‘Tecra M’ line has just entered wide circulation, and by buying this early in the product cycle we can be assured of full manufacture’s support through a three year product lifetime. Do you intend to lease or buy?”

~~”Good. It is critical that we leverage the advantages that we are enjoying at the Roswell plant throughout the entire company.”~~

Rob chuckled. ~~”You know my opinion on leasing. We’re going to purchase. Three year [minimum] service life, and I want Aries to fully support them during those three years. Hardware, software, help desk, even the battery life. I don’t want to spend another moment worrying about them. How quick can you do this, and I know you are still in start-up mode, so I’ll put in the PO as soon as you order them, that way I’ll be able to pay you on delivery. Is that okay, or will you need additional help with financing?”~~

”Izzy,,,”

“Yea,,,”

“I need a hundred grand right now for a batch of laptops out of C.C.A.” (Computer Corporation of America)

“Terms?”

“We’re going to deliver in two to three weeks for double that,,,”

“One hundred percent profit?” Isabel questioned doubtfully.

“Not exactly,” Alex agreed. “Aries software licensing is involved, and there is some exposure of equipment failure, but even I know we want to do this,,,”

“Time frame?”

“Payment on delivery,,,”

“NO! Standard terms, net thirty. (Payment due thirty days after delivery. Generous payment terms such as this are highly unusual within the computer hardware industry, but Isabel wants to emphasize to their clients that Aries is much more than just another hardware re-seller.) I don’t want them to think that have to treat us special. As far as they are concerned, we’re just as big and just as capable as every other one of their vendors; besides, their payment will come due just about when we have to start ordering hardware for Pangborn.”

“No, we have our financing under control. Standard terms, net thirty. I’ll have a proposal with specifications and pricing faxed to you by morning,” Alex answered. “Just put it on a normal purchase order, no special circumstances required.”


Several minutes later both teens had completed their conversations when Isabel gave her husband a hard stare. “Alex, what do I keep telling you?”

“Guys are pigs because we wash our butts and our face with the same bar of soap?” Alex deadpanned.

“No,,, the other thing,” Isabel answered levelly, refusing to rise to his bait. “That you don’t need to ask me to spend your own money.”

Maria watched this display with a smile on her face, continuing to marvel at how at ease her friends were with each other.

“Oh No!” Alex protested, leaning back and shaking his head while holding his hands up protectively. “I know all about the flow chart you’re keeping hidden away with all of our pending projects showing cash outlays and expected revenue streams,,,”

“Alex,,,”

Maria sat quietly, realizing that Isabel’s lack of endearments meant that she was solidly in ‘work’ mode.

“You do what you have to do to satisfy our clients and I’ll have enough money to support you,,,”

“But,,,”

“But nothing. That’s my job, and with signed purchase orders from our clients I can tap several lines of credit that I’ve been negotiating.”

“Okay,,,” Alex drawled.

“Take a chill-pill,” Maria commanded. “Alex will always defer to your better judgment when it comes to finance not because he’s condescending, but because he respects and needs you,,,”

So you are coming out to the house this weekend,” Alex interjected, hoping for yet another topic change before the two women killed each other, not realizing that they were having fun, torquing each other up for his entertainment.

“Yea, I can’t wait to see her sex shack,” Maria rebutted. “How’s it coming?”

“We were there last weekend and Alex supervised the installation of both the alarm system and the back-up generator,,,”

“And then the two of you broke it in?” Maria teased.

“Why, whatever do you mean?” Isabel rebutted, fanning her face in her best Scarlet O’Hara imitation.

“I mean did you boink the poor boy in every room of the house?”

Alex decided that this was a good time to read a magazine, although he really couldn’t pull it off, the magazine being Isabel’s Cosmo, which he held outside down, barely covering his bright red face.

“No, we’re going to do the grand tour this coming weekend,” Isabel deadpanned.

“Ewww,,,”

“Don’t worry, we already used the room you’re going to be staying in,,,”

“I’m going to be sleeping in a contaminated bed!” Maria gasped.

“No, your bed doesn’t exist yet.”

“You’re having it delivered?”

“Kind-of sort-of,” Isabel answered evasively.

“You’re making it,” Maria exclaimed excitedly. “That’s why you need the entire Four-Square there.”

“Kind-of sort-of,” Isabel answered again.

**********
Alex and Isabel had the Evans’ house to themselves, but while they had got a lot done before splurging on Señor Chow delivery, the tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. “So Pops took Mom out to dinner/” Alex asked tentatively.

“Yea,” Isabel answered softly.

“You know what’s going on?”

“A bit,,,”

Alex could sense her reluctance, her promise to his mom to keep her secret, but he couldn’t stand it anymore. “Tell me.”

Isabel patted her thigh. “Lie down.”

Alex spread out on the couch, his head on her lap. “Roll over,” she commanded before she began to rub his back using just her fingertips and scrubbing him with little circles.

“Scrubbies,” he sighed contentedly.

“I’ve seen you use them on Maria, she purrs like a kitten.”

Alex waited, knowing his wife would talk when she was ready.

“Pops had a job interview with the Defense Logistics Agency,,,(DLA)”

“In Virginia?”

“Yea. Fort Belvoir,,,”

“Are they offering him a commission?”

“Hugh?”

“Are they going to offer him a job, or are they going to bring him back into the Air Force?”

“That’s probably what they’re talking about now, but before Pops left he told Mom that he thought they were going to offer him ‘light,,,” While Gloria had to explain to Isabel that a Lieutenant Colonel may be informally referred to (although never to their face) as a light colonel, possibly as a result of the ‘Lt.’ abbreviation, she was sure that she would have to make no such explanation to Alex.

“He’s going to take it,” Alex interjected morosely.

“Without talking to your mother?”

“If he doesn’t take she’ll rip his arm off and beat him over the head with it,,,”

“She wants him back in the Air Force?”

“She wants Harry and Jesse safe,” Alex explained, sitting up so he could look his wife in the eye. “There’s a war coming,,,”

“Afghanistan,,,” Isabel supplied. “We’re already bombing them,,,”

“You can’t take and hold ground from the air,” Alex stated levelly. “We’re going to have to go in there. That means Harry is already at risk in the air, and once we invade, meaning Marines, Jesse will be at risk also. If Pops going to work for the DLA means that Harry has an engine that won’t seize up in hostile airspace and Jesse has a vest that will stop a bullet, Mom will want him there.”

“So it’s already settled?”

“Yea, or at least that’s my bet. They’re going to move to Virginia.”

“Sweetie,,,”

“I just thought being a nomad was over, we’ve been here for almost ten years after all. I never thought they would leave Roswell.”

“But we’re moving to Albuquerque,,,”

“Which is only four hours away,,,”

“Sweetie, we’re going to be ten minutes from the airport,” Isabel rebutted tenderly, not wanting to diminish his concerns, yet still wanting to point out that all was not lost. “There must be flights to (Washington) DC every hour.”

“It’s not going to be the same,,,”

“No it’s not,” Isabel rebutted, this time a little more firmly. “All good things come to an end Alex, they have to,,, to make room for the great things to come. You started our company and we just bought out first house. In the next couple of months we’re graduating High School, getting married, moving, starting college, and in a couple of years we’re going to start our family.”

“I guess,,,”

“Besides, if you need a distraction I know a really self-centered self-described princess that will be willing to let you play with her goodies,,,”

“No thanks,” Alex gasped. “I got all the goodies I can handle right here.”

“So it’s play time,” Isabel teased.

“No, lets go home. Mom and Pops will probably want to talk to us.

**********
“Come on, I can’t hear the TV,” the Crashdown owner implored from the end of the countertop where a small portable TV had been plugged in.

“Jeff, you’re going to burn in hell,” Sheriff Valenti cajoled as he nevertheless jockeyed for position with several other area businessmen who had stopped in to watch the show.

“What are you doing here anyways Jim?” the Kristen Pettit, the manager of Spaced Supplies asked. “I thought you’d be out at the courthouse with the other dignitaries.

“Not me,” Jim answered dismissively. “I kind of agree with Judge Lewis inviting the Air Force to talk about the recent sightings, we could use a boost to tourism to get you guys through the winter, but the moment I heard they were sending a pilot instead of a public affairs officer I decided this was going to be a train wreck. I don’t want to be anywhere near the place.”


Minutes later the local TV station went live to the courthouse, where Judge Lewis was introducing an Air Force officer.

“Good afternoon, and thank you for coming,” the officer started out politely. “My name is Major Pete Carlson. I’m the executive officer for the Twenty-Seventh Fighter Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, which is located in Clovis, New Mexico, and I’ll be conducting this briefing.”

Pilots depend on situational awareness, a total knowledge of what was happening around them. They need this to survive, but this was one instance where Major Carlson never had it. While he was a phenomenally capable pilot in the sky, he was hopelessly out of his league in front of a hostile crowd of reporters, every one of who had their own ‘we believe’ agenda.

“The Air Force has noticed two recent media reports of supposed UFO sightings in the Roswell vicinity during the past several months,” he started off confidently. “We have correlated the reported facts of these sightings and have found that they were Air Force flight operations. Both incidents were in fact Air Force aerial refueling missions. As such, these are ‘Identified’ flying objects, and you can report these facts to your readers, thus alleviating their concerns,,”

“Major Carlson, Elsevan DuPris, The National Inquisitor,,,”

“Mister DuPris,” Major Carlson acknowledged reluctantly.

“Are you saying that it is mere coincidence that on two different occasions Air Force jets crossed over the site of the Forty-Seven crash?,,”

“No, the sightings occurred to the south of the Roswell International Air Park. The sightings were nowhere near the original crash site at the Putman Ranch,,,”



“That’s the first sound bite,” Jeff chuckled.



“So the Air Force is admitting that there was a crash of a UFO in Forty-Seven?” a reporter excitedly asked.

“I’m sorry, I misspoke. There was no crash,,,” Major Carlson answered confidently.



“That correction will never see the light of day,” Jim interjected skeptically.



“What happened in Nineteen Forty-Seven was the recovery of the remains of a weather balloon.”

“Then how do you explain the bodies?” another voice asked.

“Bodies?”

“It’s a well documented fact that the bodies of the aliens captured after the Roswell crash are in cryogenic storage in the United States Treasury’s Bullion Depository at Fort Knox,,,”

“Along with Jimmy Hoffa,,,”



“Oh, this just keeps getting better and better,” Jeff gushed.



“The nations gold reserve is at the Fort Knox Depository,,,” Major Carlson rebutted, but his voice was starting to crack under the pressure of a dozen reporters trying to twist his words.

“There’s no gold there! The government gave it all to Bill Gates.”

“Bill Gates has all of the Fort Knox Gold?” Major Carlson repeated foolishly.



“There’s sound bite two!” Jiff exclaimed.

“That one’s going to make the network news,” another agreed.



“Everyone knows that the government gave all it’s gold to Bill Gates in exchange for alien technology that was used to produce the ‘F-One-Seventeen Stealth Fighter’ and the ‘B-Two Stealth Bomber’,,,”

“What the hell would Bill Gates need all that gold for?” Major Carlson asked disbelievingly, having totally lost control of the briefing.

“He’s given it all to Intel so that he can corner the computer chip market,,,”

“Bill Gates secretly owns Intel in addition to Microsoft. He’s going to take over the world at the rate he’s going,,,”

“Yea, in Two Thousand-Twelve,,,”

“What?” Major Carlson exclaimed in disbelief. “What about Apple?”

It took the reporters a moment to come up with a counter to this one. “Ahhmm, Jobs is from a different planet,,,”

“Yea,,, he’s another race of alien sent here to fight Bill Gate’s race,,,”

“The war between the Green’s and the Grey’s,,,”

“Now I’ve been all over the world,” Major Carlson protested, “And I’ve never seen anyone who was either green or grey, well anyone healthy,,,”

“They’re using their own stealth technology to hide among us,,,”



This isn’t a briefing anymore,” Jeff deadpanned. “They’re just having fun with him now.”

“Judge Lewis seems to agree with you,” Kristen cut in. “Look at him. He looks like the cat that ate the canary,,,”

“He should step in and put this guy out of his misery,,,” Sheriff Valenti countered.

“He won’t do that, not in a million years. Do you think after his ‘first ticket free for aliens’ stunt he’s going to cut off a guy who’s going to have Roswell in the news for the next week? This ‘briefing’ is going to be worth a million bucks for us.”

“Yea,” Jeff agreed. “The ‘sighting’ was worth one year’s tuition for Liz, and this, whatever you want to call it, is going to pay for her second.”



Back at the news briefing a young airman with a cell phone glued to her ear quickly approached the major. Without looking at him she shoved him to one side and leaned into the microphone. “I’m sorry, but the Major has been called back to headquarters,” and without further comment she took her superior officer by the arm and led him from the steps. Major Carlson started to protest but the young woman never faltered. Instead she handed him the cell, and whatever he heard caused his face to turn pale.


Across town Charles Whitman aimed his remote at his TV, turning it off before throwing the controller onto his desk in disgust. He then turned his attention back to his phone. “Yes Sir,” he said diffidently. “His driver got him away from the microphone, but he made us look like fools before she was able to cut him off.”

~~”I don’t know who the bigger frack-up is,”~~ the voice on the other end of the phone roared. ~~”That ‘all balls and no brains’ hot stick or the numb-nuts fracking bastard who sent him down there.”~~

Charles didn’t have a dog in this fight, so he decided that this was an instance where discretion was the better part of valor. “Yes Sir.”

~~”Thank you for the call Charles, at least we got that cluster-frack shut down before he made too big a fool of himself. Have you ever been to Keflavik, (Iceland) Colonel?”~~

“Just passing through, Sir.”

~~”Well next time you do pass through you may want to stop in and say hi to the Major, because as of oh-seven hundred tomorrow Carlson’s going to be their resident expert on penguin shit.”~~

Charles also didn’t think it prudent to mention that it was Naval Air Station Keflavik, not Air Force, and that there were no penguins there, instead he played the good soldier. “Yes Sir.”

~~”So when are you coming out here? I as talking to Lippert (Admiral Lippert, the then commanding director of the Defense Logistics Agency, Charles’ new boss) the other day and he already has a to-do list for you long enough to keep you busy for at least a year.”~~

“My district manager here gave me his own to-do list before he would release me,,,”

~~”Frack his fracking list, there’s a fracking shooting war going on. I want you here in two weeks. As far as your family goes, Sandy’s (the Admiral’s wife) been in touch with Gloria, and she’s working her network to get you a billet. (housing) Get out here Colonel, we need you.”~~

“Yes Sir.”

~~“You haven’t said anything to him about Clean Slate, have you,”~~ the general asked softly.

“Of course not! I don’t have the authority to read anyone into the program.” In fact Charles didn’t even feel comfortable with the name of his secret ‘We-are-not-alone’ command being broadcast over the phone.

~~“Good, good,”~~ the general continued at his own pace. ~~“I bumped into Keith at Morton’s the other day, and we discussed your new assignment amongst other things. (Morton’s steak house in Georgetown, close by to Washington, DC.) He now knows that that you have had some skin our the game despite working for GSA the last couple of years, and I also took the opportunity to explain to him that if he was smart he would use you as a fixer for problems where you can operate independently and that he never ask about the contacts that you may have tucked away in your rolodex.”~~

Charles knew when he wasn’t being told the whole story, and he knew that this was one of those times. Admirals and Generals didn’t rise to their positions by leaving things to chance, especially an encounter at Morton’s, a watering hole for power-brokers, usually perused by the legislative types more so than the military, but he also knew that there was only one correct response, “Yes Sir.”

**********
“Oh Thank God you’re here,” Maria gasped as she flopped back against the locker next to Isabel’s. “I need some relief.”

“Relief?” Isabel teased. “Whatever do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Maria groaned.

Isabel did in fact know exactly what Maria meant. On the first day of school Isabel had set up a virtual woman’s health center in her locker, although with her ‘long duration’ cycle, Maria had been making more use of it than Isabel ever had.

“What about your ginger oil, your borage oil, and your black currant seed oil? I thought you were totally hooked on homeopathic medications,,,”

“Yea, that was all well and good until Michael gave me space herpies,,,”

This was a little more information than Isabel wanted to hear. “’Ria!,,”

“I’m serious,” Maria hissed as she leaned in close for privacy. “You got yourself a nice earth boy with nice earth boy spermies that don’t do a thing to that artificially created digitally timed incubation chamber you got down there, I hope you never have to go through what I have to go through,,, They’re like piranha. I swear they find a place to rest and gather strength, biding their time until bam,,, all at once they have an orgy, just ripping my insides apart,,,”

“Maria, your PMS has nothing to do with Michael. Alex told me he used to keep track of your period all the way back to when you first started,,, and by the way, I intend to get another batch of nice earth boy spermies from Alex this afternoon while you’re sitting in study hall,,,”

“Ewww, Ewww, Ewww,,,”

‘There, that’s payback for the space herpies line,’ thought Isabel. “He told me he used to make sure he had supplies for you, but otherwise avoided you for a couple of days,,,”

“He did not!,,”

“Who the hell do you think you used to beat the crap out of before Michael?,,”

“I,,, I,,, I never beat on Alex,,,”

Isabel simply raised a brow and gave her small friend her most intimidating stare.

“I was,,, demonstrative, that’s all,,,”

“So that’s what they call domestic violence now?,,”

Maria gathered herself up, stretching herself out to her most intimidating height, which really wasn’t nearly tall enough to intimidate Isabel. She leaned into her friends personal space, which wasn’t really an invasion in Isabel’s mind. This, fully on attack mode, Maria demanded, “I need drugs,,, NOW!”

Isabel figured that she had teased her friend about as much as practical, any more would start to border on cruel, so she reached into her locker and took out a box of Pamprin PMS. It was not one of the meds that she had initially stocked at the beginning of the year, but one that she had purchased especially for Maria, after carefully researching which over the counter medication would be best for her friend. She opened the top of the carton and offered it to Maria.

“Thanks,” Maria said softly as she took several individual foil packets of pills.

“Don’t mention it. Anyone who’s going to put up with Michael needs all the help she can get,,,”

“Do you realized I just found a way to blame my PMS on Michael?” Maria giggled.

“I thought you blamed everything on Michael?”

“I do, but don’t you think this is pushing it just a bit,,,”

“Miss Evans!” Jim Cavanah bellowed from behind the two as he reached between the two girls and snatched the box of Pamprin PMS out of her hand. “Imaging my catching you distributing drugs in my school.”

Both girls turned to face this new threat but as he reached to snatch the foil packets from Maria she slapped his hand away. “Keep your hands off me you male pattern balding pervert, or I’ll scream ‘assistant principal molestation of a female student’ so loud your ears will bleed and you’ll never feel me kick you in the balls,,,”

Isabel’s mind raced as she turned to her friend, “Maria! Go down to the girls room and take your medicine, you really need it,,,”

“I’m not leaving you alone with him,,,”

“It’s okay Maria, we’re going to go to his office and have a nice little chat, isn’t that right Mister Cavanah?”

“I wouldn’t use the word nice,” the vice-principal for discipline retorted as he turned and headed for his office.

“Oh, it will start nice,” Isabel said in a soto voice as she followed him with a smile on her face that would have made his blood run cold if he had seen it.

TBC

[Rim]

wow great new part more soon i hope

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 25-I All Good Things
By Stargazer MD

“Sweetie,” Isabel said as she slipped into the bench next to her husband. “I made arrangements for us to meet with Amarillo (Texas) Memorial (hospital) on Thursday,,,”

“Thursday,” Maria challenged. “He has school on Thursday.”

“Sorry Ria,” Alex stammered. Despite having almost every call together during their Freshman year, their courses of study had now diverged to the point where they only shared one class on Thursday, and Maria would miss him.

Isabel hastened to explain, “My gallant fiancé charged into Cavanah’s office, and we both got suspended,,,”

“Oh man, oh man,” Maria moaned, rocking on her feet.

“Hey! Don’t do that,” Isabel insisted as Alex went to her side. “This has nothing to do with you,,,”

“Nothing to do with me?” Maria stammered. “It was me that got you in trouble.”

“Maria,” Isabel interjected in her best take command voice. “There’s something wrong in this country right now, and that’s a lack of common sense. It was Pamprin for frack’s sake. If they suspend every girl who borrows a pill every time she cramps up,,, as a matter of fact I hope he (Cavanah) tries. Daddy could retire off the winnings from that lawsuit.”

“But,,,”

“Don’t worry about it,” Alex said condescendingly as he wrapped his arm around his friends shoulder. “She took care of Hanson, didn’t she?”

“She has a plan?

“Sure, Izzy’s always got a plan.”

Moments later Maria went back to work as Alex turned to his wife. “You have a plan?”

“Course I have a plan,” Isabel said in surprise. “Don’t you trust me?”

Instead of responding he sent her a feeling of warmth through their connection while his thoughts turned back to Texas. “I really don’t know what we’re doing talking to a hospital system,” he said doubtfully. “It’s a crowded field and I don’t see how we’ll be able to compete.”

“Actually we’re not going to be competing,” Isabel said reassuringly. “Rob Blinn (Leprino’s corporate IT director in Denver) got us the lead. He and Neil Collins, the IT guy from Amarillo Memorial, went to school together and the preliminary talks I’ve had with them seem to indicate that they’re doing a system wide upgrade and they want us to consult on the inventory control module of their new software.”

Alex looked skeptical, but he trusted Isabel. She knew Aries almost as well as he did, and while she could not drill down into the programs code like he could, he knew she was better on the business integration level than he ever would be.

“Everything they’re installing is going to be Sequel based, and neither of the software packages they have bids on have strong inventory control packages, so when Rob told them that we increased his (inventory) turns and cut his perishable losses to near zero the got interested real fast.”

“Hell, we could do that,” Alex said happily, “So tell me what you’re doing about Cavanah.”

“That’s for me to know and for him to find out,” Isabel answered cryptically, ‘To his detriment,’ she added silently.

**********
Alex was humming to himself as he raided the refrigerator, gathering the supplies needed for an afternoon snack that would last him well into the evening. He was in a good mood, having solved a rather difficult problem in the Pangborn program, and having worked straight through lunch, he was starving. He took two slices of his favorite oat-nut bread, laid them side-by-side on a plate, and had just finished covering the first slice with a thick layer of Miracle Whip when he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.

“Alexander Charles Whitman,” Isabel practically shouted as she charged into the kitchen, “What the frack are you doing?”

“I’m making a couple of sandwiches,,,”

“I don’t mean what you’re doing so much as how you’re doing it!”

“I’m using Miracle Whip Lite,” Alex stammered in explanation. “I don’t think we even have the high test in the house anymore since Pop’s cholesterol hit four-twenty,,,”

“I don’t care about your cholesterol, in fact if you’re going to keep committing food abuse a heart attack may be the only way to save the rest of us from your sins.” She pushed him out of the way and bent to examine his efforts. “Just as I thought. You took these two slices of bread out of the package together, didn’t you?”

Alex, who still didn’t know what he had done wrong didn’t make any admission whatsoever, his deer-in-the-headlights countenance not withstanding.

“This is all wrong. You must take the bread out of the package two slices at a time, carefully flipping the top slice and laying it next the first one, then take another two slices for a second sandwich, if so desired,,,”

What Alex did next was a sign of his growing level of comfort and confidence in his relationship with Isabel. Oh he knew it was the wrong thing to do, and that he would pay a horrible price, but he couldn’t help himself. He asked “Why?”

“Why! Why? Well, cause that’s the way it’s done!” Isabel rebutted as if her method of handling bread was a Gospel truth. “Because if you use non-congruent slices of bread they will have disparate edges which in addition to being not very appealing, will also lead to an increased risk of the fillings falling out. I’m just going to have to throw this out and make you a proper sandwich myself,,,”

“Enough!” Gloria snapped as she walked into the kitchen. “We do not waste food in this house, especially for such a foolish reason.” She turned to her son. “Finish making your sandwich and then go out to the dining room.”

“Yes Ma’am,” Alex muttered as he scurried through the doorway, not wanting to be around when Isabel exploded.

“And you,” Gloria commanded as she turned her attention back towards her semi-permanent house guest. “He has been working all day to provide a future for both you and your demon spawn and he deserves better treatment than that. Prepare drinks for the both of you,,,” she reached behind her back and took a random apple from the fruit bowl on the counter and tossed it at Isabel. “You will take this apple, you will not inspect it, you will not exchange it for another, you will accept it as-is. You will join your boyfriend, sit with him, eat your apple, and pay attention to whatever he has to say about his day. You will act interested and praise his accomplishments, because for some strange reason he has chosen you, and heaven knows if he smartens up no other man would put up with you,,,”

Isabel had by now recovered from the shock of Gloria’s challenge. She put the apple down and slowly walked towards her tormentor, invading her personal space. She didn’t stop until she was inches away, glaring down at her mother-in-law. To her credit Gloria didn’t budge.

“I will sit and listen to Alex, not because you tell me to, but because I haven’t seen him all day and I want to hear what he has to say. I will eat your apple, not because you tell me to, but because I know you take as much care providing for your family as I do, and I trust your selections. I will,,,”

“You will make another sandwich for him, and then after he finishes, you will go and spend some time with Diane. For some strange reason she complains that you do not spend enough time visiting her. I’ll call her and warn her that you’re coming, which should give her just enough time to break out the emergency Tequila and prepare for your visit.”

“I,,,” but Isabel’s bluster failed her. “I’d love to spend the evening with Mom. She doesn’t need to be drunk to put up with me,,,”

“She didn’t before,” Gloria deadpanned, “But we all get older and wiser. I’ll tell Alex you will be spending the night there.”

“Okay,” Isabel said softly as she turned to the counter, carefully taking two slices of bread out of the package and laying them, congruent sides up, before reaching for the Miracle Whip.

“Isabel,” Gloria said softly, the rancor gone from her voice as well, “Use the Mesquite Smoked Turkey that he pulled out. I think the sandwich he has now has nothing on it but salad dressing.”

Isabel finished his sandwich before cutting it in half at a perfect forty-one degrees, owing to the trapezoidal shape of the bread. She smiled, thinking of him with an empty sandwich, until she noticed the pursed expression on his mother’s lips. “You think he’s weak!,,”

“I do not think he’s weak,,,”

“Let me tell you something about my Alex. After we closed on our house I was walking through it, cataloging each room as I went. He indulged me as I planned out the living room, the dining room, and them our bedroom, but then when I walked into the kitchen and started making changes, he stopped me. He said no, which I may say is a word that I am not very used to. He pointed out that the kitchen had been designed by a renowned architect with granite countertops, cherry cabinets, and stainless appliances. He told me that after a year I may propose changes, but that until then, the kitchen was off limits,,, He has a force of will that you have probably never seen, and he got that force of will from you.”

Gloria’s countenance softened.

“I need him,” Isabel pleaded as she placed their drinks, her apple, and Alex’s Dagwood sandwich onto a small tray. “He is my compass. I need him to keep me level, I need to be able to trust his judgment when mine falters.”

“Oh my God! You didn’t tell him that, did you?”

“He knows.”

“You’ll never keep him in line that way,,,”

“I’ll,,, he’ll,,, we’ll be okay, I won’t accept anything less,” Isabel said reassuringly as she headed for the dining room.

“Isabel, you’re going to make a good Whitman woman,”

Isabel grinned as she backed her way through the door. “I am a good Whitman woman.”

**********
Isabel was dressed in a pair of boots, rich coffee brown nylons, and one of her signature leather skirts, but in deference to Alex’s fixation on her legs, she had shortened it from it’s original calf length to a height that was only appropriate when one considered her youth and figure. She looked around the Crash, nodding to acquaintances, but as she started to slide into a booth, she arm was snatched as she was dragged into the break room by a frantic Maria.

Once they were safely behind the closed door, the waitress whirred on her tall friend, “Are you wearing panties?,,”

“What?” Isabel gasped in surprise.

“This is a restaurant. A place where people come for wholesome nutritious sustenance, and you,,,”

“Ria, I understand that with Jose on the grill and Liz out somewhere putting a smile on Max’s face you are feeling frustrated because you have no one to bicker with, so I’ll indulge you. Yes I am wearing panties, but that’s just because Alex hasn’t told me to take them off and hand them to him yet,,,”

“Ohhh,” Maria gasped in response, her bickering session not going the way she had intended.

“He never raids my panty drawer, he prefers the pair I’m wearing,” Isabel continued, relishing in Maria’s sudden unease. “He likes them warm and,,, scented,,,”

“I’m on to you,” Maria hissed, rallying and leaning in close. “You’re nothing but a space vampire, sent to Earth to suck out poor Alex’s life force, one bit at a time,,,”

“One? Oh no, you poor deluded and undersexed local girl. Never one with Alex, at least two, often times three, and if I have the time I can usually get him to rise to the occasion even more,,,”

“Uuuggghhh, your hopeless!”

“You know, I’m going to bring you a reprint from a recent Cosmo, call it a life lesson, so to speak. Guy’s have this spot called a prostate, and with a little alien mo-jo, five, six, seven,,,”

By now Maria’s eyes were wide as saucers.

“What, you should be happy for Alex?”

“I am, right up to the point you give him a heart attack and frack him to death.”


An hour later Isabel looked over to Maria and raised her perfectly manicured index finger beckoning her favorite server, the significance of the motion lost on Alex.

“Yes Queen Amidala?”

Ignoring Maria for the moment she turned to Alex. “Sweetie, you have something on your chin.” Without conscious thought she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of red nylon, one that had been a white paper napkin just a moment before. Although just a scrap of cloth, Maria thought otherwise, just as Isabel had intended. She brought the cloth to her mouth delicately wetting a corner of it with her tongue. Then with a smirk to Maria she wiped the non-existent smudge from Alex’s chin.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Maria hissed.

Isabel’s grin was her only answer.

**********
Isabel got home from the Crashdown looking forward to a little downtime before she would sit down and watch Jeopardy while she hoped that Alex would give her hair a good brushing. Instead she found Gloria waiting for her.

“Could you help me with something?,, Upstairs?,, It should just take a minute,” Gloria asked nervously, for it wasn’t in her nature to ask for favors.

“Of course!” Isabel exclaimed without a moment’s hesitation.

As they started up the stairs Gloria explained, “With Harry and,,, Bobby,,, being in the Air Force, Charles handed down most of his uniforms, and now that he’s going back in, well it would cost us a fortune to get him re-outfitted,,,”

Isabel didn’t understand quite how this related to her until she followed Gloria into the master bed room where Gloria had laid out several Air Force uniforms and a bunch of other civilian clothing on her bed.

“I thought you could help fill out his wardrobe. I have his good dark suit here that you can use that for sizing, and I have one of his service-dress and garrison uniforms that you can copy.”

Isabel first reached for an ornate short uniform jacket that was on the far side of Gloria’s bed.

“That’s his dress-mess jacket.”

“Dress-mess? Isn’t that an oxymoron?” Isabel teased.

Gloria couldn’t help but to smile at Isabel’s comment, but reserved any more pointed retort. “Dress-mess is his formal jacket and being in the District (The Military District of Washington) he’ll probably need it at least once a month.”

From the conversations that Isabel had had with Charles she doubted that he would be spending much time in Washington, let alone at formal dinners, but she wasn’t going to argue. Instead she carefully laid Charles’ dress-mess jacket on top of his suit coat and ‘stretched’ it a bit. Next she did the same with his class-A coat and trousers. Finally she took one of his dress blouses (shirts) and increased that by one size, a testament to Charles’ efforts to stay in shape despite having been out of the military and working with the G.S.A. for the last eight years. “There, we have one of everything in the right size, now all we have to do is make more.”

First Gloria brought out several suits to be cloned.

“Let me get warmed up with shirts first,” Isabel asked.

“Blouses,” Gloria corrected as she set the suits down and then took a stack of shirts from a JC Penney’s bag on the far side of her bed.

“You didn’t get these at Goodwill?,,”

“No,” Gloria interjected. “I didn’t think it would be right to buy something that would be a convenience for me that would deprive another person of something that they truly need.”

Isabel thought about this for a moment and found that she had to agree.

“Besides, I paid twenty dollars (€16) per shirt at Penney’s and blouses are fifty (€40) at the BX,,,”

“The BX?,, Wait, fifty dollars for a blouse?”

“Well, it is a military blouse, with covered pockets and epaulet loops, but if you think that’s bad, trousers are a hundred and twenty bucks (€96) a pair and his service coats are two hundred thirty. (€132) Multiply that by the number of uniforms he needs and it gets expensive.”

“How many uniforms does he need?”


“Once when he was a young lieutenant he came home from a trip without his cover.” (hat) Gloria smiled at the memory. He lost it on a flight line, a gust of wind taking it across the active runway where he couldn’t go after it, and he learned his lesson. In addition to being careful with his uniform, he travels with at least two of everything,,,”

“Two hats?” Isabel queried, lifting his wheel hat.

“Well, not two of these, he carries a garrison (soft) cap as a spare, but he carries a fresh shirt for everyday, several pairs of trousers, and a spare coat and pair of shoes. That way if he has a wardrobe malfunction, he won’t be caught ‘out of uniform’. For next week’s trip to Warner Robins,,,” (Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Macon Ga.)

“Next week!”

“Yea, Admiral Lippert wants him working, and two-stars get what they want. I’m packing seven shirts and three pairs of pants, spare coat and shoes, plus what he travels in.”

“What about his job?”

“Reno?,, FIGMO.” (pronounced fig-mo)

“Sweetie, your Mom’s gone all military wife on me. What’s FIGMO mean?”

“Sorry Izzy, haven’t heard that one.”

“FIGMO?”

“Forget it, got my orders,” Gloria replied with a smile that she had got one over on Isabel. “Friday’s Charles’ last trip to Reno, where he’s going to turn over whatever tasks he does to whoever he does them with. Then after a quick vacation weekend at Lake Tahoe we’ll fly back to Albuquerque where he’ll be sworn in at Kirkland, (Air Force Base) then he’ll be home for two days before heading to Georgia for at least two weeks. By the time he gets done there I should have our household set-up in Virginia,,,”

“I can’t believe everything’s happening so fast,,,”

“You’ve heard of Anaconda?”

“Troops on the ground in Afghanistan?”

“Yea, things are happening fast there too, and it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”

**********
Saturday morning Maria was the first one in Isabel’s house, leaving Michael with their overnight bags while claiming that she had to pee. “Where’s the fracking bathroom,” she exclaimed as she blasted past her hostess. “Oh My God!” Maria gasped, slamming on the brakes and backing up to get a good look at her tall friend. “What the frack did you do to your hair?”

“Like it?” Isabel teased, primping for her friends benefit. “I got a hair cut,,,”

“By the looks of it you got them all cut,” Maria said disbelievingly as she slowly circled her tall friend who’s newly straight short hair just touched her collar. “Why?”

“The old style was my high school do, this is my new career style. I can wear it straight, with a body-wave, in a bob, upswept, slicked back, and it’s still just long enough for Alex to put it into a French Braid.”

“Seriously?,,” Maria’s voice trailed off as she studied her friend. “There’s more,” she added quietly.

Isabel bit her lip as she came to a decision. “Alex is the only one who knows this, and he’s keeping my secret,” she confessed while pulling Maria into the pantry for a bit more privacy. “It’s something I’ve been planning for a while, but I was going to wait until after graduation. What made me decide to do it now? Angelina, one of my kids from Cassa Maria, (Orphanage) spent some time in UNM Hospital (the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, the state’s only Level I trauma center) and while she was there she made friends with a girl that was going through chemo. They still keep in touch, and Angelina tells me that her friends happiest day was when she got a wig from Locks of Love. Ever since then Angelina’s been letting her hair grow long enough so she could donate it for another sick child,,,”

“Don’t tell me,,,”

Isabel ignored her friends obvious conclusion and continued her story. “Yesterday was Angelina’s ninth birthday, and Sister Saint Anne-de-Beaupré let me take her out for the day, so as soon as school let out we got cuts and styles, mannies, peddies, dinner at Señor Chow’s, and then a movie,,,”

“And as long as she was getting her hair cut?,,”

“Why not? My hair was longer than the minimum, and it’s never been treated or colored,,,” Seeing Maria’s skeptical look she continued, “And hair’s just that, hair. There’s no DNA in cut hair, nothing to trace,,,”

“I’m sure there’s a little girl out there who would be happy to get your hair,” Maria interjected, remembering to be supportive.

“Yea, I hope so,” Isabel beamed. “But remember, no one can know about this, I have a reputation to maintain.”

“Iz, where can I drop this crap?” Michael sighed as he fumbled his way into the house, slamming Maria’s bags against the doorframe like a pinball.

“Through the living room and then the second door on the right,” Isabel replied levelly.

With a grunt he was off, leaving a very pissed Maria in his wake.

“Don’t you have anything to say to your sister,” Maria nagged, following Michael all the way.

“Maria, Take it easy on him, he doesn’t notice things like you do,” Isabel called out to the departing pair, but it did no good. Maria harangued him all the way to their room.

**********
Isabel looked around the four-square, making sure everyone was paying careful attention. “Now is everyone sure of what we’re going to be doing?”

“Iz, you’ve showed us three different sets of plans along with full color drawings. I think we’ve got it,” Max sighed.

“Besides, I’ll be guiding you,,,”

“I’m out of here!”

“Michael! Get down here,” Isabel snapped as she knelt in the middle of the living room.

Maria watched in amazement as Michael meekly knelt and placed the palms of his hands flat in the floor. “Man, I got to learn to talk to him like that,” she said in a sotto voice.

“It will take you decades of practice to perfect it,” Alex whispered.

“Decades?” Maria challenged. “She’s only cracked out of her shell what, twelve years ago?,,”

“I heard that,” Isabel interjected.

“And she emerged with the ‘voice’ and the (eye) ‘brow lift’ already fully developed.” Seeing her skeptical expression he continued, “What, you think I’m immune? She’s been using them on me since fourth grade.”

“Yea Girlfriend,” Maria teased. “That’s because when it comes to Isabel you’ve always thought that negative attention was better than no attention.”

“Ha, ha,” Alex deadpanned, but then after thinking about her comment for a moment he had to agree that she may have had a point. “Well,,,”

“So what are they doing?” Kyle cut in.

“This house, like most others in the area, has neither a basement nor frost walls; in fact, except for the back of the house where the lot slopes down it doesn’t have a foundation at all. Just a bit of a footer and then it’s built slab-on-grade. They’re making a foundation, converting the soil into concrete and driving a set of walls ten feet (3 meters) deep under the perimeter of the house,,,”

“So they’re making a basement?” Maria queried. “What does she need a basement for, this is a huge house.”

“Not a basement,” Liz corrected, “More like a bunker, like Maideckenzie Rock. It will be a safe haven if we’re attacked, or if we get hit by a tornado or something, but here would be much more accessible than the pod chamber as well as much more comfortable, and since Alex installed the generator and Isabel’s going to stock a couple of freezers full of food, we won’t need a constant use of powers,,,”

“Because those of us with powers are going to be out saving the world,” Alex quipped.

“I’m not staying behind,” Maria challenged.

“How about your mom?” Alex rebutted softly. “How about the Parkers and the Evans. You’re going to be responsible for them.”

“What he’s trying to say ,” Kyle interjected, “Is that if Mars attacks,,, again,,, Liz will have to go with Max, because he can’t function without her. You, on the other hand, will have to stay behind because Michael won’t be able to function if you’re in danger,,,”

“You don’t think I’m going to let that jackass run off and get himself killed, do you?”

“Maria, your job’s going to be here,” Kyle said reassuringly. “Do you think Isabel would trust anyone else with her family?”

‘Yea,” Maria pouted. “She is controlling like that,,,”

“I heard that too,” Isabel called out from the center of the room.

“You raise that brow at me again and I’ll shave it off,” Maria snapped back. “That’s how you handle her,” she added for Alex’s benefit.

“Maria,” Isabel replied in a voice so sweet it practically rotted every tooth in the room, “Sweet dreams.”

Maria’s mind flashed on the fact that she still hadn’t gotten even for the ‘I Dream of Genie’ encounter and realized that she probably never would. Under those circumstances, “Oh crap,” was the best retort she could come up with.


Isabel immediately forgot about her tormentor and returned her attention to the task at hand. “Okay, that’s the walls. Now I need you to help bring half of the soil up and thicken the ceiling slab. Remember, we want an arched roof, two thick at the center, and three feet thick at the sides.”

The four-square concentrated on their task and a slight rumble was felt as the floor of the house thickened with a new layer of reinforced concrete. It took several minutes, but soon the task was finished. Isabel then walked out to the hall, placed her hand against the floor and concentrated.

“She’s making the entrance,” Alex supplied softly. “It’ll be a stairway located in the center of the hallway so it can’t be seen through any of the windows. When she’s done she’s going to put a touch pad on the wall to control it,,,”

“Hey, if they’re all off saving the world, how are the rest of us going to activate it. We can’t activate one of their four-fingered Czechoslovakian door locks,,,”

“Anyone who’s had their DNA sampled by the Granolith will be able to use the touch pad. Everyone else will need to use their Granolith enhanced cell.’

“Aw, man,,,”

“Ria, you could still get sampled,” Alex supplied hopefully. “Just a little pin prick in the center of your palm,,,”

“I think I’ll pass. The bod’s already getting as much Czechoslovakian prick as it can handle,” Maria responded playfully, taking delight in Alex’s sudden unease. “I don’t need the Granolith standing in line,,,”


Isabel and the rest of the of the Four-Square made their way down to the bottom of the of the stairs where several piles of earth awaited them. Within minutes the soil had been transformed into the interior partition walls and then the remaining material was compacted down into a new concrete slab floor. “Okay guys, you can come down now.”

Kyle was the first down the stairs carrying a Coleman lantern. Max took the lantern and adhered it to the ceiling in the center of the room where it cast enough light to illuminate the large common room. Next down the stairs was Alex who had the front end of a bundle of PVC electrical conduit, followed my Michael, who had scooted back up the stairs to help. Liz and Maria followed each carrying boxes of electrical fittings and supplies.

While the guys returned to the garage to retrieve more of the building supplies that Alex and Isabel had been laying in, Isabel and the girls brought down several wooden chairs that she had picked up at a yard sale. Within moments these had been morphed into step ladders and other implements that would be needed during the blitzkrieg that was a Czechoslovakian remodeling.

Liz decided to help Alex as he started working on the conduit that would contain the electrical wiring for the bunker. Although she only understood the basics of wiring, she was drawn to the logic and regimentation of the work. Alex worked quickly and seemingly effortlessly, sorting out the supplies and then lifting the main-lug sub-panel to the wall and holding it while Max used his powers to bolt it to the wall.

Meanwhile Isabel was allocating tasks. Michael and Ava left to start deploying detection orbs while Maria and Kyle left for the local home center with a shopping list consisting of a chest freezer, refrigerator and electric range that would be installed in the kitchen end of the bunker. Isabel then kept Max busy trotting up and down the stairs, fetching a supply of lumber that she converted into kitchen cabinets, a large dining room table and chairs, and various other pieces of furniture as fast as her brother could supply her with raw materials.

Liz watched with fascination as Alex cut the conduit to length using a quick burst of heat. He then dry fit an outlet box onto the still smoking end of the tubing, using another burst of heat to fuse them permanently together. He would then hold the conduit and box against the wall while she temporarily secured it with duct tape.

“I haven’t seen you look at a plan once,” Liz said in admiration.

“That’s because Izzy’s been feeding me what I need to do one piece at a time,” Alex replied modestly. Seeing a questioning look on Liz’s face, he elaborated. “Izzy read and digested several do-it-yourself wiring books and laid out the conduit and outlet boxes for where she wanted electricity. Then I added the actual wiring diagram before she memorized the final design. ”Izzy, what’s next, but reply out loud. Liz is curious about our process.”

“Next cut a piece of conduit five feet eight inches long, attach it to the box you just installed, and then add another outlet box, but one with a connection in the top. You’ll be feeding one of the overhead fixtures from that box,” Isabel called out from one of the rear rooms that she was setting up as a bunk room.

“So why are you doing this the old fashioned way,” Liz asked. “Why don’t you have Isabel just zap it?”

Alex fused another piece of conduit into the outlet box as he took a moment to compose his answer. As Liz stood on one of the stepladders and taped it in place, he started, “Do you remember when Michael abducted Maria and dragged her down to Marathon?”

“Yea,” Liz answered with a smile, recognizing that there wasn’t a drop of malice in Alex’s rather provocative recollection of events.

“Well, Michael burned up the wiring harness in Maria’s Jetta. Max fixed it the following morning, but what you may not know is that when they got home, the wiring harness was still burned to a crisp. The car was running on Max’s powers and they had to zap it a second time to kill it again before dragging it into Pete’s (Lift Off Towing and Auto Emporium) so it could get fixed,,,”

“And you don’t trust Michael,,,”

“No! Nothing like that!” Alex gasped. “There are some things that can’t be zapped. Like, Isabel tried modifying a hard drive for me. She couldn’t do it. So we experimented a bit. What we found was that if she could see and understand the repair she could fix it, like a cut line on a circuit board or a burned solder joint on a connector. What she can’t do is fabricate complete circuits,,,”

“But the Granolith can,,,”

“Yea. The Granolith can design and then replicate just about anything. It did our cell phones, the Aries servers and laptops, all of the orbs we’ll be needing,,,”

“But that means someone has to be in Roswell.”

“Not necessarily,” Alex answered evasively.

“You’re working on something?” Liz asked excitedly.

“I wasn’t going to say anything until I know it’s going to work,,,”

“Maybe I can help?” Liz offered hopefully.

“I’ve asked the Granolith to work on making a small replicator, something we could keep here in the bunker.”

Liz’s eyes burned with excitement, waiting for more.

“The Granolith thought it was an intriguing problem and agreed that it would be strategically advantageous to have the ability to replicate at an alternative site in case access to the pod chamber was compromised.”

“What can it do?”

“It will be about the size of a large microwave, and it should be able to configure orbs, modify replacement cell phones and laptops, regenerate our zap-proof vests, and other small task like that.”

“So it would communicate with the Granolith?,,”

“No! It wouldn’t be much use as a back-up device if it wasn’t fully autonomous. The Granolith will program an orb, and the orb will operate the replicator,,, Grab another length of conduit, would you please.” He attached this piece of conduit to the outlet box, but this time he set it vertically, molding it to the contours of the room, until it reached the center of the ceiling, where another outlet box terminated that run.

Liz looked at the new outlet box and then to the new sub-panel that they had just installed. “How much power do you have in this house, anyways?”

“Enough,,, I hope,” Alex added quietly. Seeing an expectant look on Liz’s face he continued, “Since the house was used for a business, it already had a two-hundred amp service.”

“That may be a little more detail than I understand.”

“Well, there’s no time for a lesson like the present,” Alex quipped as he heat fused another section of conduit and held it in place while Liz duct taped it to the wall. “Everyone’s going to need some knowledge of what’s down here and how it’s going to operate,,,”

“You’re counting on Maria remembering how this all works?” Liz teased.

“Memory?” Alex rebutted with a hurt expression. “We don’t need no stinking memory. Izzy’s Power Pointing one of her famous procedures, complete with diagrams and photos,,,”

A strident call of “I heard that!” floated out from the back rooms.

“I know dear. I meant that in a good way,” Alex rebutted sweetly before returning his attention to his friend. “The two hundred amp panel is up in the utility room, and it feeds the entire house. At different times it will feed this new sub-panel, a new sub-panel in the Aries suite, or the new sub-panel in the garage,,,”

“The garage?” Liz asked disbelievingly.

“Yes, the garage. We can build out an entire computer network in the garage and load test it before delivering it to a client. We’d park the cars outside, set up folding tables, and draw power from that new sub-panel,,, but not at the same time we’d be using the electric range down here. Same way we wouldn’t use the electric heat down here the same time we would be pushing the air conditioning upstairs.”

So you have to manage the electrical load?”

“Yup, even more so if we’re on generator. It only puts out about one hundred-twenty amps at full load, and we don’t want it at that heavy a load over an extended period of time because it would suck down the propane.”

“Speaking of gas, I thought you were going to have an all gas home?”

“We will, as far as the upstairs goes, but down here fresh air and carbon monoxide would be issues, hence electric.”

“Why propane? In Roswell we use natural gas,,,”

“This was one of the first houses built in this neighborhood, long before the gas lines were installed. Then when Public Service (of New Mexico) came out here the original owner it didn’t convert to natural gas. Primarily he didn’t want to change over all his appliances, but he also figured he could shop among the different suppliers for the best pricing. Now being on propane works in our favor. Izzy enlarged our storage capacity by zapping in a second tank, so if we need to we could be self sufficient for about two months with the generator running at half capacity,,,”

“Two months? Then what?” Liz asked nervously.

“Well,” Alex sighed, pausing in their work, “If we’re holed up down here for more than two months there’ll be bigger problems out there than our running out of gas.”


Meanwhile in one of the bedrooms Isabel was doing her stuff. “No Max,” she snapped. “Move out of the way.” She pulled a drawer out of the bureau that had been a stick of lumber just a moment ago. “You see this,” she chastised, pointing to the corner where the drawer front met the side. “The wood can’t be fused like this it isn’t natural, especially where it changes from Cherry to Maple.” She touched the corner, transforming it into a perfect dovetailed joint. “See, this is what I want.”

“Iz,” Max murmured in a voice that would have melted Liz had she been anywhere nearby, “Why don’t I make the basic furniture and you add the level of detail you want.”

Isabel thought that was a wonderful idea. Her brother could do the heavy lifting, so to speak, and then she could configure the contents of the rooms to her liking. They worked like this for another hour, until Isabel had all of the space
furnished to her satisfaction. By that time Michael and Ava were back, as the next stage of Alex’s project was ready to start.

Alex spaced the members of the Four-Square along the wall, each at one of the junction boxes. On his signal, the aliens applied power to the conduit system, setting it into the concrete so the tops of the boxes were flush with the surface of the wall. Then as they worked their way around the bunker, Alex started pulling wires through the walls.

Under his tutelage the wiring was done by dinner time, when the group feasted on Chinese food and pizza, all the while making plans to go to a dance club near the university for the evening.

**********
Jeff sat in the drivers seat of his car watching his newest waitress trot up her driveway. The door opened before she made it halfway up the driveway and her father leaned out nervously as she climbed the several steps to the door. Noticing Jeff, he visibly relaxed before waving and closing the door behind her.

His newest charge safely delivered, he headed home. Ever since several of the girls in Roswell and the surrounding towns had been attacked, he had made it his mission in life to insure the safety of his waitresses. He longed for the day when Jim would advise that the p-vert who had been preying on the girls had been brought to justice, preferably feet first while in reality the two men would never know that the world was now safe from that particular threat.

While the true wild-wild west may have faded into history, most of New Mexico was still a rural state with a population that was used to hard living and taking care of their own problems. So when Dennis the P-vert had accosted a waitress at a small roadhouse out in the middle of nowhere, justice had been swift and sure as he now slept with the fishes at the bottom of Lake Lee, right next to Mr. Green’s pick-up truck that Max had helped ‘loose’ during a moment of Michael’s miss-spent youth.

**********
Alex watched Isabel moving about the room, performing all of her little ‘before bed’ rituals. He thought of how lucky he was to be a guy. His greatest pre-bed responsibility, well his greatest pre-bed responsibility since Isabel moved in, was making sure his underwear was in the hamper instead of leaving them on the floor until morning. His wife on the other hand, had to have every part of her body oiled, lotioned, or exfoliated. He wasn’t complaining though, he kind of liked the show.

Isabel stole a look at her husband out of the corner of her eye, almost breaking out in giggles as his nonchalant countenance clashed with Fred’s tenting of the bedding at his waist. She distracted herself by looking around their bedroom, satisfied that everything had turned out just perfect.

Alex started to follow his wife’s eyes as she surveyed her domain, not even wanting to think about the cost of the bedroom set (Newport ‘Sleigh’ bed by Ethan Allen, $2899 (€ 2010) with an additional $6000 (€ 4160) for the matching suite of furniture) that she had purchased, but this was her domain, and he would not complain.

“Is the bed comfortable?” Isabel asked hopefully.

“Oh yea,” Alex replied happily. “I’ll get a good night’s sleep on this.”

Isabel thought that he worked hard to provide for her and her future family, and he deserved the most comfortable night’s sleep that she could give him, and that the Kluft Royal Standard ‘Cashmere Embrace’ mattress fit the bill.

“And these have to be the most comfortable sheets I’ve ever felt.”

“Thomas Lee, five hundred thread count Pima cotton,” Isabel supplied, omitting the fact that she had special ordered them from Macy’s. Hoping to distract him before she was forced to reveal that her ‘comfortable’ mattress was exclusive to Bloomingdale’s New York City locations for the paltry sum of $11,449 (€ 7960) on clearance. Instead she turned to face him, dropped her negligee onto the floor, and slinked across the room towards him.

Alex gulped as he watched Isabel come closer. He was not only still amazed by her beauty, but he now was struck by the level of comfort that she displayed, showing no hesitation at all as she pulled down the bedding on her side, shed her panty, and climbed in next to him.

Alex would have been purring like a kitten if he could have, so instead he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close, content to just hold her.

Isabel could barely contain her smirk as she burrowed into his side. “Sweetie, you don’t believe that bullshit line I fed Maria, do you?”

“Bullshit line?” he queried, hoping for the best. “I don’t remember any bullshit line.”

“Sure, when I told her that I was too tired to go out tonight after using my powers all day,” she teased as she rubbed the inside of her thighs against the tops of his.

“It would stand to reason that you would be tired,” Alex replied hesitantly, having no idea at all which way she was headed.

“I not tired at all,” she continued as she lifted her leg higher, grinding her curls into his hip while rubbing the bottom side of Fred with her thigh. “I use my powers more than the rest of them combined, I’m used to it.”

“Oh?” Alex queried as she kissed him before rising to her hands and knees, obviously getting ready to do something, and he would bet anything that it would not be something that he would need to complain about.

“Yea, I like it when you take me dancing because it makes me horny,” Isabel said softly before whipping the covers off the bed. “But that’s nothing compared to how I feel right now after watching you spend the entire day nest building,,,”

Alex felt her settle with her upper body across the top of his thighs, pinning him to the bed. He thought it was a rather unusual position for her, but she still bragged that she still had a several page ‘to-do’ list of things she wanted to try out on him, so he didn’t complain,,,

That is until he heard a loud WOOSH, accompanied by a feeling like Fred had been plunged into a bucket of ice cold water. “Izzy! What The Frack!,,”

“Relax Sweetie,” Isabel purred reassuringly, “You know I would never hurt you. I’m just making a sundae. I got a nice fat juicy banana and a full can of chocolate Ready-Whip,,,”

Alex groaned as the can whooshed again.

“I don’t see a cherry anywhere, but I found a couple of quite impressive nuts,,,”

“Izzy, you don’t have to do that,” Alex started to say, never wanting her to think that she’d have to do for him what he so willingly did for her, but his comment died on his lips as Isabel began licking her special treat. Alex’s hands clenched, ripping her $175 dollar (€120) sheets, but this was okay. Isabel would later fix them, as she would many more times during the two years they used them, that is until she replaced them with a better brand of bedding.

**********
Maria awoke to find herself encased in a warm green gel. While she immediately thought of the security cylinders that the Granolith had used for identification, this felt subtly different. For one thing she couldn’t sense the sharp boundary of a security cylinder, but more importantly the lighting seemed much more subdued, more like the pod chamber than the Granolith compartment.

Then she realized that she was nekkid. It took a moment to get over the shock of that discovery, but she soon decided that she liked it. ‘I could get used to this,’ she thought as the gel held her in neutral buoyancy and supported her with a warm gentle pressure. Then she felt someone behind her. “You fracking bastard,” she shouted as she turned and slammed the heel of her palm upward, towards the point where she had been trained an attacker’s face would be. Luckily the gel that muted her shout also dampened her motions.

‘Maria,’ Michael called out.

‘Michael, what the frack are you doing in here,,,’

‘What am I doing here?,,’

‘And why can I hear you in my head?,,’

‘It’s my pod,,,’

‘Are we connected?,,’

‘You tell me, it’s your dream. Besides, I like communicating this way. It leaves my mouth free for other things.’

Maria sighed in pleasure as he started sucking on her neck, but as she floated up to his height, she felt something poke her in the back of her thigh. ‘Your nekkid!,,’

‘Yea, so? Last time I spent forty years in my pod nekkid,,,’

‘We’re going to spend forty years in here!’

‘I honestly don’t know, but since it’s your dream it can’t last past the night, but I guess Isabel could make it feel like forty years,,,’

‘But what about food, how are we going to,,,’

‘Too much talking,’ Michael interrupted as he reached around her, cupped her boob in his strong hand, and began to
twist her nipple between his thumb and finger.

Maria’s mind exploded as her body flooded with pleasure, so much so that she almost missed the sensation of Michael’s hand making it’s way lower on her body. It was going to feel so good,,,

Michael was surprised as he reached lower and lower and found,,, nothing. ‘Ria?,,’

‘No,,, No talking,,, More,,,’

‘More what?,,’

‘Space boy, I’m so close,,,’

‘You may be close, but you don’t have a go button,,,’

‘What!,,’ Maria reached down and found that her crotch was as smooth and featureless as the Barbie dolls her mother wouldn’t let her play with as a young girl. ‘You mean I’m going to spend the next forty years all hot and horny with no way to get off?,, I’m going to kill your sister.’


Isabel pulled out of her dreamwalk to find Alex watching her intently. She didn’t know if he could see her eyes open in the darkness, but she could certainly see him with her phenomenal night vision. She decided to play possum.

Alex instead sensed a change in her level of alertness through their connection. “Izzy?”

“Hummm?” she sighed burrowing deeper into his shoulder.

“Izzy, I know you’re up. Where have you been?”

Isabel knew it would be pointless to try to hide from him, “I went to visit Maria,,,”

“Izzy,,,” Alex growled menacingly, having heard some of the trash talk they had been sharing the past several days,,, well months.

“Relax, when I left her she was all snuggled up with Michael.”

“Good, cause the last thing I need is for the two of you to be trying to kill each other.”

**********
Isabel looked at the breakfast table as she poured Tabasco into her orange juice. The contrast between how the two couples treated each other was amazing. Max and Liz had refound their mojo after some tough times and were as lovey-dovey as ever. Kyle and Ava on the other hand, each had their noses buried in the morning paper. Ava in the arts section, Kyle in sports.

She turned towards the refrigerator, juice in hand, and got the shock of her life when she almost bumped into Maria. “Sleep well?” she stammered.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Maria answered cryptically, “But the morning has been pretty good so far.”

“Why?,, Where’s Michael?” Isabel asked in a near panic. “What did you do to him?”

Seeing that she had pulled one over on her nemesis, Maria couldn’t hold her scowl any longer. “That fracking dream of yours,” Maria cajoled, pulling Isabel deeper into the kitchen, away from prying ears, “I woke up, Michael was there,,, his morning errr,,, was there,,, I think I broke it,,,”

“So where is he?”

“He’s taking a nap, he’s recovering,,, Where’s Alex?”

“He’s,,, recovering,” Isabel agreed, causing the girls to break out into peals of laughter.

“Girlfriend, you’re going to burn in hell,,,”

“No I’m not!” Isabel protested.

“Why not, because Czechoslovakian’s don’t have a hell?”

“No, because my Mom’s Episcopal, not Catholic like yours, and she didn’t threaten me with hell every time I went out for a date,,,”

“Good thing, that would have been a whole lot of hell considering all the guys you brought home.”

“Hey!,,”

**********
The following day Isabel came out from her morning shower refreshed and ready for the day, despite the fact that she had only got several hours of sleep after driving Alex and herself home from Albuquerque during the night. Cinching the belt of her robe, she entered the room Gloria now allowed them to share, finding Alex sitting on the edge of their bed.

Alex, as always struck by her beauty, accentuated by her care-free countenance, smiled as she entered the room. His smile turned to a full grin as he spread his legs and pointed between them.

“Really?” Isabel excitedly replied.

“Sure, we got time.”

Isabel skipped across the room, grabbed his desk chair, and then sat backwards in it with her back to him.

Alex reached next to him, picked up her heavy oak hair brush, then using his left hand to dry her hair, he started brushing it with his right.

“Ummm,” Isabel sighed as the natural hog bristles burnished her hair. Despite it’s shorter length, she still loved having it brushed, especially when she was being groomed by her husband. She closed her eyes and leaned back, peeking through their connection to check his state of desire. Finding him sated, not a surprising condition after what she had done to him before leaving their house the night before, she relaxed, giving herself into his strong hands.

“I finished everything on the server racks but the servers themselves,” Alex said softly. “Today I’m going to take the main boards and processors out to the Granolith chamber so they can get enhanced. Then I think I can finish the beta release of Pangborn’s software.”

“A month ahead of schedule,” Isabel queried.

“Not really, something will come up after we install it in their test-bed and they start the trial run, and I’ll have to fix it.”

“Isn’t that part of the process?” Isabel said softly. “We have reservations at Eiffel tonight,,,”

“Eiffel?” Alex exclaimed in surprise. “What’s the occasion? Lets see, we could be getting engaged, but we already went through that stage in our relationship. We could be getting married, but again we already are. We could be planning a ceremony to bring our marriage public, but judging by the amount of alcohol our moms are drinking you’re already working on that,,,”

“Hey,” Isabel interjected, slapping his knee.

“So what’s the occasion?”

“Nothing special.”

By now Isabel’s hair had been perfectly groomed, but Alex continued, the both of them enjoying their ritual. “Come on, I don’t believe that.”

Isabel held her tongue a moment, teasing him before confessing, “You know how I’ve been massaging our cash flow for the last couple of months?”

“Yea,,,” Alex drawled out, knowing that Isabel would not be making plans for the evening if she had bad news.

“Donna Castillo is going to be in Roswell today, she wanted to make herself available in case I need her tonight, but I’m also meeting her for lunch at Señor Chow’s, She’s bringing our next check,,,”

“Isn’t that about a month early?” Alex gasped.

“No, this is the check for the laptops, we’re still due a check for the Denver upgrades, which should push us solidly into the black,,,”

“Lunch at Señor Chow’s, dinner at Eiffel’s,” Alex teased, “Are you sure you’re going to fit into your wedding dress?,,”

“You rat bastard,” Isabel exclaimed as she stood and turned, put her hands out, and leaned into his face, only to find him sitting calmly and chuckling softly.

“Are you sure you don’t want any help at the Community Center?”

Isabel was almost finished setting up a computer lab at the newly refurbished Community Center. So far she had performed all of the work on the project herself, along with the help of several of the girls from the Cassa Maria Orphanage. “No, I got it under control,,,”

“I know, but it’s my nature to offer.”

“I know,” Isabel replied as she leaned in and kissed him. “See you at five.”

“Five, isn’t that a little early?”

“No, we have to be at the school at seven.”

Alex’s mood sank as he remembered their suspension. “Yea, that.”

TBC

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 25-J All Good Things
By Stargazer MD

“Do I know you?” Justin Renner asked as he looked at the supposed student standing in the door to his classroom.

“Ummm,,, No,” Michael replied honestly. “But Isabel Evans and Liz Parker both recommended you,,,”

“Recommended me?” Mr. Renner stuttered in confusion. “What for?”

“I have an equation from a book I picked up at the city library and I don’t think I entered the variables correctly,” Michael explained as he placed a sheet of paper covered with carefully drawn out figures on the teachers desk.

The algebra instructor was momentarily perplexed at why an unknown student would be bugging him during his free period, at least until he took a good look at the problem. “This isn’t algebra,” he commented with rising interest, “This is calculus, and a rather advanced problem at that. What book was it in?”

“A civil engineering manual,” Michael commented offhandedly while pointing to the middle of the page. “This is where I think the problem is.”

“What is this value represent?”

“Road surface thickness.”

“And this?”

“Material weight per cubic foot.”

The instructor mulled this over for a moment. “Yes! These two variables are transposed,,,”

Michael snatched the paper from in front of the teacher and then started furiously scribbling for several minutes. Satisfied with the results, he folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket. “Thanks, that looks a doable,” he said over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

“Wait! That’s a college level problem. How were you able to solve it?”

“I just read the book. Start at the front, keep reading until you run out of pages, it isn’t all that hard,” Michael explained patiently as he paused at the door, exhibiting far more courtesy than he was used to.

“But what class are you in? You should be taking one of my advanced classes,,,”

“Can’t,” Michael rebutted as he ran out of patience. “I’m practical tracked. The school says I’m not academically qualified to take courses like yours; besides, I don’t have the time. I’m carrying a full class load for the rest of the year so I can graduate with my girlfriend.”

“Not academically qualified,” the instructor mumbled at the now empty doorway. “If your not, who is?”

**********
Isabel and Maria took their paper plates from the window of the Taco Shack and headed for one of the far tables. Despite their loyalty for the food at the Crashdown, both women occasionally gave in to their cravings for hot spicy Mexican food that just wasn’t available at an establishment that catered to the tamer tongued tourist trade. Settling at the table farthest from the parking lot, which just happened to be the table farthest away from any of the other patrons, they dug into their food.

“Your work has been exceptional so far,” Isabel commented glowingly. “Alex agrees that you will get first crack an any outsourcing that we may have in the future.”

“That’s good to hear, I’m going to need all the help I can get with college cost, let alone with my share of an apartment in Albuquerque,” Maria replied happily, not so much at the prospect of continued employment, but more-so at the fact that praise from Isabel was hard won and rare, increasing it’s value ten-fold. “,,,And have you ever seen Michael eat?”

Isabel giggled. “Yes I have, in fact you should have seen him with a table full of Mom’s ‘pre-awareness’ cooking. Michael would sit there trying to strike a balance between eating the recipe-of-the-day versus the very real prospect that it would be a while before he got his next meal,,,”

“What’d he do?”

Noticing that Maria, not for the first time, scratched at the back of her scalp, Isabel was momentarily distracted. “He would ask Mom for something to drink, and while she was in the kitchen he would fill his plate and then cover his food with Tabasco, Worchester, Hot Sauce, or whatever new condiment we were trying out before she came back,,,”

“And your Dad never said anything?”

“No,,, For one thing he was used to seeing us do the same thing, and for another thing he was just adventure-adverse enough that he usually just took a small portion of Mom’s cooking before sneaking out to get something else before one of his many ‘meetings,,,’ What is it with your hair?”

“Michael gave me space lice,” Maria answered fearfully.

“Michael did not give you space lice,” Isabel snapped as she moved to the opposite side of the table, close to her friend. “For one thing there is no such thing as space lice, and for another thing if you had space lice they would be all through your hair, not just in that one spot,,,”

“How do you know there’s no such thing as space lice?,,” Maria rebutted as Isabel dug through her hair.

“I know,,,” Isabel rebutted coldly.

“Oh yea, just how do you know,,,”

“Who’s the alien here,,,”

“With the exception of your space-sluttyness, and I mean that with all the love in my heart, you’re just like me,,, born right here in Roswell,,,”

“Hatched, and Maideckenzie Rock isn’t in the city limits, it’s in Chavez County,,,”

I mean you didn’t even know where you came from until just a little while ago, and you come from this impossibly small section of space, just thirty-nine square degrees,,, you didn’t know about other aliens from your own planetary cluster, about Courtney, until she showed up,,, that slut,,,”

Isabel was impressed with her friends understanding of celestial navigation, but she wasn’t going to give an inch. “And now you’re comparing me to Courtney?,,”

“And when I’m talking about Courtney I don’t mean slut in a good way,,, ‘I’ve been a hottie for fifty years,,,’ Maria quoted the short-termed waitress in a sing-song voice before continuing her rant, “She’s probably single handedly gave the entire human race space herpes and space lice,,,”

“You have a tuft of hair missing on the side of your scalp,,,”

“Seriously?,, No way!”

“Seriously! It looks like it got pulled out. What happened?”

“I don’t know, nothing’s happened,,,”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Isabel put her finger over Maria’s lips, silencing her for a moment. “Did you take your head off and leave it anywhere,,, no?,, Then you should know what happened to your hair,,,”

“That rat-bastard Michael, he must have done it,,,”

“How could Michael have done it?,,”

“When I get my hands on him,,,, You want to come with and watch?”

“No, I’ve got to get home and change for my meeting tonight,,,”

“Yea, that’s tonight?,,” Maria gasped, leaning forward on her crossed arms, once again scaring Isabel with just how fast her mind could change gears. “Going to wear your power suit and get all lawyered up?”

“Nope. I’m going for the vulnerable and innocent look,,,”

“You,,,” Maria gasped in amazement. “You don’t do vulnerable,,, I don’t think you’ve even been vulnerable, and you haven’t been innocent since you got your fingernails into Alex’s back,,,”

“Be that as it may,” Isabel countered, feeling just a little sting at the fact that her friend had never been able to see past her walls at just how vulnerable she once was, “It’s going to be a white blouse and plaid jumper night,,, not entirely Catholic School girl slutty,,, but more school girl than business woman,,,”

“I’d like to see that,,,”

“Stay up late tonight and you just may get to do so,” Isabel replied cryptically.

**********
Jim Cavanah was quite pleased with himself as he leaned forward and turned his monitor off. Already tasting the cold beer that awaited him at home, he grabbed his briefcase, threw his coat over his arm, and locked his office behind him. “The great Isabel Evans,” he cajoled as he made his way down the back corridor towards the rear parking lot, ‘I didn’t even have to threaten her, she just gave up,’ he continued silently. ‘Sure I had to give her some crumbs, but that will be worth it to get her and her freakish boyfriend out of my school for the rest of the year without a fight.’ “It was almost as if she had given up in advance,” he declared happily. “Guess she knows who rules the school.”

He never saw the lights from the TV truck in the front of the school as he headed for home.

**********
“No,” Diane stated softly but emphatically as she put a restraining hand on Phillip’s. “She said she’d call us if she needed help.”

Phillip sighed in frustration as he watched through the windshield of his Lexus. Minutes later the spotlights turned off and Isabel hurried over to the back of the car and climbed in.

“Phillip turned in his seat to look at his daughter while Diane asked, “Everything go as planned?”

“Yea,” Isabel replied, taking no joy in a nevertheless necessary move. “Checkmate.”

**********
Lucinda watched as the three-point field goal sailed in, nothing but net. In her exuberance she elbowed Ava in the side. “Kyle’s an animal today, I haven’t seen him play like this since JV. (Junior Varsity, usually the first two years for high school sports teams) And I didn’t hear one word about his Buddha Buddy on the bus. What’s gotten into him?”

“Actually it’s what he’s not getting into,” Ava teased back.

“Hugh?”

“Lets just say that he’s on a diet,,,”

“No,,,”

“Yea. I noticed that he vacillates between being an aggressive jock and a great thinker depending on how long since he’s gotten some, and since I want us to make it to State, he’s not getting any,,,”

“You better watch out, he’s always had a wandering eye. Besides, he can always make a fist,,,”

Ava didn’t think so, knowing how powerful a mind warp she had applied. “Nope, he’s tried the best, he don’t want the rest,,,” She didn’t see a need to add that since Kyle came home from a road game with a crotch full of crabs that he wouldn’t be getting any more play from her. In fact as soon as school was out she was going to blow this one-busted-ass-spaceship town.

“You are so bad,,,” Lucinda taunted, but having watched Kyle just score again while managing to get Carlsbad’s clutch player to commit his fifth foul against him, she wasn’t so sure.

**********
~~“,,,Now I have been told that you are one of the leaders in your class,”~~ Nicole Bradly of Eye Witness News Four probed.

~~“Yes I am, or rather I was,”~~ Isabel replied modestly. ~~”My class ranking was third, behind my brother Maxwell Evans and his girlfriend Elizabeth Parker, but this is not an issue about my class standing, it is an issue about my being a woman. It is about the fact that women have periods. That we have cramps. That we need to take simple over the counter medications like Pamprin. Pamprin contains aspirin, a mild diuretic, and a mild muscle relaxer. It doesn’t even contain caffeine, yet the school store does not sell over the counter period relief medications, nor does the school nurse dispense over the counter period relief medications. The sports teams can be given a number of pain medications, but we girls need to help each other out when we get caught unprepared.”~~

~~“About that, isn’t it the position of the school that girls should be prepared?”~~

~~“Be prepared? Why? Are we going back to the dark ages where our having our period was some vestige of Eve’s original sin? Are we going back to the days where we were unclean? Mister Cavanah suspended me because I gave a friend who was having her period a Pamprin. Should she have been sent home? Is that what he wants, that girls having their period go back to the days of a week’s confinement?,,”~~

~~“I understand that tonight’s meeting was to resolve your suspension?”~~

~~“Yes it was.”~~

~~“And what happened?”~~

~~“Faced with the prospect of expulsion,,,”~~

~~“Over a Pamprin?”~~ the reporter gasped in amazement, loosing all sense of objectivity. Her news director had sent her over to get the story about Isabel’s suspension. There had been no mention of an honor student being expelled.

~~“Yes, Mister Cavanah left me with no choice,”~~ Isabel said with a catch in her voice, the bright lights reflecting off a single tear that left a glistening trail down her otherwise perfect cheek. ~~“If I stay in school he promised to begin expulsion proceedings against me, as well as seek criminal charges,,,”~~

~~“Oh My God,,, Surely you will fight this?”~~

Isabel hid her satisfaction with just how well her interview was playing out. ~~“No, I can’t take that chance with college, with my future. Mister Cavanah,”~~ she continued, carefully laying all of the blame on the Vice Principal and leaving out any reference to the rest of the school staff as well as the school board. ~~“Promised that if I dropped any claim to class standing and withdrew from school effective the day of my suspension that I could apply for my diploma after graduation,,,”~~

~~“All because you friend got her period,,,”~~

~~“All because of the fact that women get periods, that we need Pamprin, and the fact that Vice Principal Cavanah,,,”~~

**********
At the end of the game Kyle and Lucinda both found themselves alone with time to kill. Several hours later, deep within her belly, two cells merged to become one, later splitting back into two, thus ending Kyle’s dreams of college and pro baseball. Instead he was now fated to a life spent working at Pete’s Lift Off to support his new family; but he wouldn’t know that for a couple of months yet.

**********
Mrs. Shaffer had seen enough and turned off her TV before turning out the light and rolling onto her side. “Three years,” she muttered as she punched up her pillow. “Three years I’ve been documenting every racist and sexist comment, his running interference for the sports teams, all of which led to naught, but Isabel Evans killed him in less than a week,,,”

‘Oh he wasn’t dead, but his career was,’ she thought. Years spent courting the members of the school board behind the scenes would be washed away in the cold light of Nicole’s camera. ‘Isabel had made the perfect choice to speak to Nicole Bradley.’ She had met the reporter several times while having dinner at Ellen Leigh’s and had found her to be deeply involved in woman’s issues.

**********
Phillip ignored the news story following his daughter’s performance, turning instead to give his critique. “You were imprecise Princess. He prevented you from going to school? You know enjoined would have been a much better choice of words,,,”

Isabel pulled her hair tight around her face. With her best pout and her little girl voice she replied, “I’m sorry Daddy. I’m just a poor little school girl who doesn’t know about big words like that. All I want is to make it so that the bad Mister Cavanah won’t pick on us anymore.”

“Do you think Joe-Six-Pack knows what enjoined means?” Diane interjected.

“Well I’ll tell you this,” Phillip cajoled as he caught onto his daughters plan. “I’d hate to be responsible for answering the phones at the school tomorrow,,,”

“Or at the School District Offices or at City Hall,” Isabel added with an evil grin.

**********
As the sports scores wound up the Eye Witness Four camera turned back to Nicole Bradley. ~~“Sounds like it was a good night for the Comets, led by Kyle Valenti, and it also looks like it’s going to be a good night for Isabel Evans, the West Roswell High School senior who was the subject of our lead story this evening. We have received a call from Judge Lewis about that story. As many of you know, Judge Lewis is the Mayor of our fine city, but what many of you may not know is that under the City Charter the Mayor is automatically the head of the School Board,,,”

Nicole paused as a sheet of paper was handed to her. “The following is from a faxed news release from Judge Lewis, Mayor of Roswell and Chair of the School Board.

~~“I would like to assure you that Vice Principal Cavanah has acted without authority in the matter of Isabel Evans. This young lady is known to me, and I can think of no greater example of the quality of our youth today. I assure you that I will be in contact Miss Evans in the morning, and I will make it clear to her that any negative action towards her will be vacated immediately.”~~

Nicole read only the passages highlighted by her editor. This was as much to cut out some of the self-serving election year banter of the judge as to shorten it’s length to a twenty second news bite, but the outcome was the same, devastating to the Vice-Principal. ~~“I can not be so reassuring with Vice Principal Cavanah future as he is currently under investigation by the Roswell Sheriff’s Department with charges pending for providing alcohol to various high school sports teams.

~~“Effective immediately, Vice Principal Cavanah is being placed on unpaid leave pending a disciplinary hearing. During that hearing he will be given a fair chance to defend himself, just prior to his employment being terminated.

~~“Miss Leigh, the current Guidance Councilor at West Roswell High, will fill his position, until a permanent replacement can be found,,,”~~


Isabel missed the last story of the late-night news. Instead she was snuggled tight to Alex’s side, doing things to his poor body in her realm that would be impossible in the daytime, or at least she thought they were impossible, she wouldn’t know for sure until she tried.

TBC

[Rim]

Just a bump waiting for the next chapter

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 25-K All Good Things
By Stargazer MD

“So that’s what you want, a PT Cruiser?” Isabel asked levelly as she drew the collar of the shirt that Alex had been wearing yesterday across her lower face so she could drink in his scent.

“Yea,” Alex answered nervously as he brought up a picture of an electric blue car that defied easy description. “It’s not really a car, but it’s not a truck or van either. It’s got retro styling, but with the rear seats removed I could have carried Leprino’s entire shipment of laptops in one load,,,”

“I heard the Cruiser was underpowered.”

By now Alex was familiar with Isabel’s remarkable breadth of knowledge, but he was nevertheless impressed. He never figured that she would be ‘up’ on cars. “The stock Cruiser does have that reputation, though it’s really not that bad. A lot of people look at it and think ‘Hot Rod,’ and it clearly isn’t, but since we would use it for a lot of long highway trips, often with a load in the back, the new turbo version would be a welcome improvement,,,”

“It looks good,,,”

“A little bit hot, a little bit nerdy, and it’s a perfect fit for what we need. I really like it,” Alex sighed. “Too bad I can’t have it,,,”

“Why the frack not!” Isabel exclaimed.

“It’s just coming out now,,,” Alex explained.

“So?,,”

“You can only get it new,,,”

Isabel spun his chair so he was facing her and then with her hands on the chair’s arms, leaned down, “I like the idea of buying two-year-olds, someone else takes the initial hit on depreciation, but if this is the car we need, or more importantly if it’s the car you want, I’ll get it for you,,,”

“But Mom’s lease is up on her Focus. She has to return it to the dealership on Friday. There’s no way we can get one that fast,,,”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Isabel instructed; then seeing he was still skeptical, she continued. “Let’s face it, we’re not going to get anything by Friday. If we try we’ll be limited to whatever poor choices we could find on a lot. Instead I’ll research the dealerships in Albuquerque, pick one, and order exactly what you want, and it will come in when it comes in. Besides, Mom’s (Gloria) driving Pop’s car while he’s in Warner Robins (Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Houston County Georgia) so she doesn’t need the Volvo back until she and my mom drive both cars to Ft. Belvoir (Fairfax County, Virginia) After that we’ve got by with just one car before, we will again, and if we have to I’ll get you a rental,,,”

“Sounds expensive,,,”

“Sweetie, you let me worry about that. You work your ass off, and as a result we have more money than any two kids our age have a right to expect. If this is what you want, this is what you’re going to get.” Isabel stood with a smile that turned pensive as she bit her lower lip. “Want to watch me take my shower?”

“Izzy, you know that if I watch you take your shower we’ll be late for school,,,”

“News flash Lover,” Isabel teased as she inched open her top revealing a tantalizing triangle of flesh from her neck to her waist. “We don’t have school.”

Alex’s eyes feasted on the snowy white skin of her inner breasts, revealed right up to a delicate pink spots where her nipples were barely covered, imagining how they would taste. With a shudder he dragged his eyes back to hers, “You’re killing me. We don’t have school, but we do have rules. No nookie under the parental’s roofs,,,”

“Sweetie, your parents won’t be back from Kirtland (Air Force Base, Albuquerque, NM) until this afternoon, besides rules are made to be broken,,,” Isabel said softly popping the bottommost button on his shirt, exposing her golden curls.

I can’t do that,,,”

“I can!”

“I can’t let you do that,” he groaned. Our moms have too much respect for you and your dad already wants to bury me in a shallow grave for defiling you, hell Pops hates me even more for the same reason,,,”

“He does not,,,”

“He does! Remember that ‘talk’ when your dad threatened to castrate me with a pair of hedge clippers?”

“Yea.”

“I heard Pops has a standing offer of a hundred bucks and a bottle of Jack Daniels if he’d do it again and let him watch,,,”

“Daddy thinks you defiled me?,, And you believe this?” Isabel chuckled. “If you think what we’ve done up to now constitutes defilement,,, you ain’t seen nothing yet,,,”

Alex may have had a lot of respect for Isabel and their parents, but he was only human, and an eighteen year old male at that. His willpower was fading fast, but before he could act Isabel stormed across the room and snatched his cell from the bureau top before leaning into his closet and grabbing a small gym bag. She tossed him the bag and then punched the speed dial. “Pack a change of clothes and your trunks for the hot tub. We’re taking the morning off.”

“Who are you calling?” Alex asked as he nevertheless scrambled to do her bidding.

“I’m calling the Comfort. (Inn) It’s a weekday and Ernesto should have at least one room prepared to my standards.”

**********
Meanwhile across town Maria found Max and Liz waiting in the Chevelle with her Jetta nowhere in sight. As she walked towards their car her mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water. “Where’s Mom’s car?”

“Michael call and asked me to pick you up,” Max mumbled without meeting her eyes.

“That rat bastard,” Maria swore. “That car is the key to my keeping the peace with Mom, and if she knew half the things that have happened to it,,,”

“He said he had to bring something to school that he couldn’t bring on his bike and that your car would be waiting for you in the parking lot,,,”

“He’s got no right,,,”

“No he doesn’t,” Liz interjected. “But Michael’s Michael,,,”


Meanwhile Michael carefully entered Mr. Cowan’s room carrying a three foot long (91 cm) piece of rigid Styrofoam insulation supporting what appeared to be a bridge.

“Mister Guerin,” Mister Cowan exclaimed as he leapt from his chair to help.

“No! Don’t touch it,” Michael commanded. “You’ll break it, it’s unbelievably fragile.”

Moments later Michael’s art project was safely on a table at the back of the room while Mr. Cowen bent down to examine the details. “What’s it made of?” he asked as he reached to touch one of the towers of the suspension bridge.

Michael reached out and gently stopped his teacher before he could make contact. “The towers are made of a half sheet of printer paper rolled and glued. Each pair will only withstand about a half pound (1/4 kilo) of static force but any amount of dynamic force off their vertical axis will cause them to fail,,,” Michael leaned back and took a deep breath. “I spent a lot of time researching bridges and then trying to find materials for the model that would approximate the real thing.”
Seeing Mr. Cowen’s brows raised in question Michael explained. While this was unheard of for him his yearly grade not to mention his admission to college was at risk.

“Anyone could build a model utilizing packaging twine and fishing line, totally overbuilt to scale. I wanted to build something more challenging. What got me thinking this way was a show on the History Channel about the Mackinac Strait Bridge (linking the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan) and the fact that ninety-seven percent of it’s weight bearing ability is consumed by it’s own mass. Then when you subtract wind loading as well as snow and ice build-up, there isn’t much capacity left for cars and trucks,,,”

“Yet those cars and trucks are why we build bridges,” Mr. Cowen concluded. “But tell me, If the Mackinac bridge is barely functional at thirty eight hundred feet, (1158m) how do you explain the Pearl Bridge?”

Michael smiled, he knew his stuff. “The Akashi-Kaikyo bridge in Japan is a little over two-thirds longer than the Mackinac bridge, but it is also forty years newer which allowed for a lot of advancement in materials and design.”

“So tell me about what you used.”

“The main cables are made out of yarn. (Lopi, made of natural wool) Although the yarn will not break it will stretch if it’s overloaded causing the deck to fail. The deck itself is made of dried sugar water reinforced with fiberglass window screening,,,”

“Which is a pretty good approximation for reinforced concrete.”

“Yeah.”

“The deck is supported by girders made of angel hair pasta, with rim girders of fettuccine.”

“What are suspension cables made of, they seem to glisten.”

“That's the most expensive part of the model. They’re strands of my girlfriends hair.”

“Maria’s?”

“Yea, she'll kill me if she ever finds out.”

“She doesn't know?”

“Well I guess it doesn't matter she's going to kill me soon or later anyways. So, ready to break it?”

“Break it? You just brought it in.”

“It's made of sugar water and dried pasta. It's not designed to last more than a day you two. Besides I want to see how accurate my calculations are.” Michael reached to the back of the Styrofoam platform and grabbed several wooden dowels that were taped there. “If I'm correct it will support two dowels, a third will crack the road deck, and six will bring the towers down.”

Michael carefully inserted one dowel between the towers and gently lowered it onto the road deck. Nothing happened, but as he placed the second rod the road deck audibly cracked. “Frack!” Michael muttered as moments later the road deck split in half along it’s length, the only thing keeping it rods from falling to the Styrofoam below was the fiberglass screening that reinforced the broken deck.

“Keep going,” Mr. Cowen commanded as he bent down and stared intently as Michael slowly guided the third rod between the two towers. The bridge held this one, but as he applied the next, the road deck sagged towards the eastern side. He thought it was going to stay there, but after a shudder the main cable attaching the north-east tower parted. Next the unsupported tower folded, and with the loss of support the north end of the deck fell until it hit the ground. With the north end down, the south end of the road deck rose up into the air, shuddered, and then also fell.

“Frack!,,”

“Extraordinary!,,”

“Extraordinary? Did you see what I did? It broke,,,”

“No Michael, it failed,,,”

“What’s the difference?’’

“Vandals break things, engineers experience failures,,,”

“So what’s so extraordinary about my bre,,, failure?”

“I don’t think you understand, everything failed,,,”

“Wonderful,,,”

“Yes,,,”

“How?”

“You designed every component so it was just as strong as it had to be, and as light as it could possibly be,,,”

“It failed earlier than I wanted it to,,,”

“I expected it to,,,”

“Great,,,”

“The best model can only approximate the real thing Michael, it’s a limitation of scale. The deck you built has no flexibility, while your main cables had too much. It’s not your fault, it’s the nature of a model, but the real problem was with your suspension cables. You had no practical means of adjusting them. Now, do you want to know just how your bridge failed?”

“Yes,” Michael answered tersely.

“First, lets look at the loading. On a real bridge the weight is distributed evenly by the very nature of the cars and trucks that cross the bridge. As the road deck changes elevation due to weather or if it undulates in the wind, the load follows the changing contours. You couldn’t do that, not with a solid rod the length of the bridge. By the very nature the rod concentrated all of it’s weight on just two high spots, and as those two spots failed, the next two high spots picked up the load.”

Michael bit back a retort, while he usually would usually attack anyone who aimed the least bit of criticism at him, he had growing admiration for this teacher, and with that came the realization that constructive criticism used as a teaching tool could be a good thing. With this thought in mind, he did something he never could have done before he opened himself to Maria. “I had trouble with the suspension cables,” he admitted in a soto voice.

“I suspect that you did,” Mr. Cowen admitted. “You did a fantastic job considering what you had to work with.”

Michael started to think he was getting smoke blown up his ass until he was asked, “Do you want to know why I say that?”

“Yea,,,”

“A real cable on a bridge can be hundreds of feet long, yet it’s length can be set to within inches. That way the tension on every single cable can be set to the engineer’s specifications. You can’t do that with a model, especially since you’re working with a single strand of hair. No matter how careful you are, some of those hairs are going to be tighter than others, and those tight strands are going to fail first,,,”

“How do you know all this?” Michael challenged.

“I wasn’t always an art teacher, it’s not what my degree is in,,,”

“What is it?”

“Engineering,,,”

“So how did you end up here?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I got nowhere to be.”

“Okay, when I was about your age I was getting ready for college. I was pretty good at art, pen and ink and charcoal mostly, in fact I got a partial scholarship to UNM. Our class trip that year was to New York City for a week, Midtown Manhattan. The Portland Hotel. It was a small place, the rooms were tiny, they had the most uncomfortable beds I’ve ever slept in, but it’s just two blocks from Time’s Square, and if you’re in New York for only one week, how much time are you going to spend in your room,,,”

“So who spends time in bed, right?”

“I fell in love with the buildings. I skipped out on the museum tours we were scheduled for, and started sketching.” He pointed towards a drawing on his wall.

“What is it?” Michael asked bluntly.

“It’s a gargoyle from the Chrysler building at Forty-Second Street and Lexington Avenue,,,”

“From that trip?”

“Yea. I sketched the Empire State, the World Trade, cast iron storefronts in SOHO, I came home with my future decided. I was going to be an architect,,,”

“So what happened?”

Mr. Cowen took a moment to compose his answer. “Do you know how many signature buildings actually get built? Two or three a decade, maybe five at the most. And those projects go to the most famous of architects. The rest of us, them, we get to design the plumbing, or the clips that hold on the glass skins, or maybe the electrical distribution system.

“I couldn’t see myself spending the next ten years, possibly the rest of my life, specifying the marble to be used for the vanity tops in the women’s power rooms. With this,” he said, holding up a pencil, “I can build any building I want. I can build a castle on a mountain top, I can build a hotel in space,,,”

“And me?”

“You can be an engineer,,,”

“Seriously?,,”

“Why not, you’re a natural,,,”

“I never thought,,,”

“Think about it Michael. You’re worried about how you’ll support Maria? An engineer can make a good living. Think about it hard.”

**********
Later that evening Alex and Isabel sat at the table with her parents for a rare quiet dinner. It may have been a sign of just how rare an occasion this had become was the fact that Diane had made Phillips favorite dinner, stuffed pork chops. As he started cutting into his second one he looked at his daughter with a twinkle in his eye. “What are your plans for the week, Princess?”

“Meetings and more meetings. We’re flying out tomorrow afternoon for Texas Memorial in Amarillo, from there to Leprino’s headquarters in Denver on Thursday, and a quick flight down to Pangborn in Alamogordo on Friday,,,”

“Three meetings in three states in three days?” Phillip stated disbelievingly. “Sounds like a lot, even for you,,,”

“At the time I had to scramble to take advantage of our time out of school while we were suspended,,,”

“I’m not looking forward to sitting next to her on that nine-seater on the flight to Pangborn’s,,,” Alex teased.

“Why not? Air New Mexico’s new Cessna Grand Caravans have a more powerful Pratt and Whitney PT6A-114A turboshaft engine producing six hundred seventy-five shaft horse power and a glass cockpit,,, What, you didn’t think I’d get on another plane without knowing everything about it, did you?”

“You seem to be getting over your fear of flying,,,”

“It’s not so much my fear of flying as my fear of landing. Remember, on our trip to Boston I was oh for one. Now I’m twelve for thirteen.”

“But don’t you have to stop by the school?,,” Diane started to ask before getting cut off by a smug Phillip.

“I think Isabel’s got something to say about their going back to school,” Phillip admitted with a smile. “Don’t you Iz?”

“What, that they’re not going back to school?” Diane interrupted. “She still needs to pick up her grades for the AP classes she took. She’s going to need them for UNM.”

Phillip looked shocked that he wasn’t the first to have divined his daughter’s plan.

“You do realize they’re moving,,,”

Phillip was suddenly struck with just how fast she was growing up, and hung onto the fact that he still had a couple of months before he had to give her away. “In June,,,”

“Daddy, we’re both registered for the spring semester,” Isabel said tentatively. “We start classes a week from Monday. We decided to start there once our time here was up,,,”

“How are you,,, how many days a week are you going to have class?,, It’s a four hour drive,,,” Phillip stammered.

“We’re not going to commute Daddy,” Isabel said softly. “We’re still going to be spending some time here,,, but for the most part we’re going to be living in Albuquerque,,,”

Alex braced himself. He had been fearing this conversation almost as much as Isabel, but while she didn’t want to hurt her father, he didn’t want to get hurt himself. He just knew that the day he showed up to take Isabel away, Phillip would drag him out to the garage and castrate him. Maybe,,, just maybe, if he kept quiet, he could survive the meal and be able to sneak out to his meeting at the Sierra Fire station tonight.

“Well,” Phillip sighed, “I guess your Mom and I’ll have a place to stay after the next Bar (attorney’s) meeting in Albuquerque,,,”

“Thank you Daddy,” Isabel cried out as she jumped out of her chair and hugged him. “I was so scared,,,”

“Well, it’s time to let you go,,,”

“You’ll never have to let me go Daddy, I’ll always be your little girl.”

The reunion was interrupted with a strident knock on the back door. Before anyone could move to answer, Gloria swept into the room. “Change of plans!” she announced in her usual no-holds-bared tone.

“What?” Diane gasped as she headed to the cabinet for wine glasses.

“I was really looking forward to going back to being a military wife. Do you know that behind ever successful officer there is a successful wife who is working as hard on his career as he is? We live on base in a semi-closed community with a single sense of purpose. The O-Club, (officers) the officer’s wives groups, the PTA, junior officer’s wives to mentor, the NCO’s (non-commissioned officers [sergeants]) families to watch over and support,” Gloria waxed wishfully. “Not going to happen.”

“What went wrong?”

“The only housing Sandy could find for us on such short notice was a townhouse in Springfield, north of the mixing bowl,,,”

“What’s the mixing bowl?”

“It’s one of the worst intersections in the country, and they’re ripping it up to make it worse. Even though it’s only a fifteen mile drive to the base, it would take an hour each way. So with being so far from the base and with Charles spending all of his time in the air I’d have nothing to do. I’d end up dusting knick-knacks and collecting cats,,,”

“Mom, you hate cats,,,”

“I know, so I’m staying home. Besides, I have a new project,,,”

“What’s that?”

“Harry’s new squadron’s already has their pre-deployment warning, so as soon as he gets home from Aviano, (Aviano Air Base, Northern Italy) he’s going right back to the Middle East. Rachel and the kids have to move out of Edwards (Edwards AFB, Los Angeles County, California) within thirty days of his transfer to Kirtland, and since they don’t know anybody in Albuquerque, they’re coming here.”

“Hey!” Isabel protested. “I’m looking forward to living near Rachel and the kids.”

“Sorry Isabel,” Gloria stated without an ounce of regret in their voice. “Meme overrules Auntie every time.”

**********
Isabel sat in the corner of her booth, looking out over the various activities going on in her daytime realm. Her brother was sitting at the counter watching Liz’s every move, a situation that reminded her of the simpler times before the shooting. The only difference was that Liz was now an active participant in this little game, as every time she passed by him she paused and whispered promises in his ear.

“So what’s with Gidget and Moondoggy over there?” Maria asked as she slid a special stir fry in front of her friend. “Seems like the more things change the more they stay the same.”

“Well, something’s changed,” Isabel replied. “I think things are getting to the point where Liz is going to have to break down and follow through on one of her promises to Max. She doesn’t seem to be able to shock him anymore, and as a matter of fact I think it’s been a while since I’ve seen her able to get him to blush.” As she said this she glanced over at Alex, who was sitting at a table by the door with Steve and Vicky, along with Lucinda and her project of the week. Alex was telling them about the music scene at the University of New Mexico, but it was plain for all to see that he was having no luck convincing his new friends that Albuquerque was going to be the next Seattle.

“She’s going to have to start?” Maria gasped in amazement as she leaned into the booth for a moments gossip. “Man, are you out of the loop,,,”

“If this is about the two of them,” Isabel warned while holding up her hand. “I don’t want to know.”

“All I’m going to say is that Friday night the Chevelle was parked out in the alley, and when I took out the trash, I had a hard time figuring out where Liz ended and Max started,,,”

“Ewww, ewww, ewww,” Isabel complained, closing her eyes while bending her head down and covering her ears.

“One thing I got to say though, great asses seem to run in your family.” Figuring that she had pushed her friend about as far as prudent for any one encounter, Maria headed for the kitchen.

“Hey Maria,” Isabel called out to the departing waitress.

Maria turned impatiently, but seeing the expression on Isabel’s face, knew that what was going to be said was for her ears only. She returned to the booth.

“Thanks for the visual of my brother’s ass,” Isabel said, her sarcasm matched only by the lack of volume in her retort. “So as far as that whole ‘Barbie and Ken’ dreamwalk thing goes, we’re even.”

“Oh no we’re not,” Maria rebutted with an evil voice. “We’re not even close. I haven’t completely paid you back yet for the ‘I Dream of Genie’ incident”

As the kitchen door closed behind Maria, the front door opened as Brody entered the cafe. He walked right past several empty spots in Maria’s section and stopped by Isabel’s booth. “May I?” he asked, indicating the empty bench.

Isabel nodded and Brody settled down. “My Lady,” he said softly.

“Brody?” Isabel replied in shock.

“Larek, I need to speak to you privately.”

“Lets go back to your office,” Isabel replied, reaching for her bag.

Once she was sure that they were alone in Brody’s private office at the UFO Center she leaned back against one of his workstations. “Okay, what’s up?”

“The Council of Regents has commanded me to set up a meeting with you. There have been,” he paused for a moment, searching for the right word, “‘Developments,’ on Antar that you need to be apprised of.”

“What developments?” Isabel demanded, clearly agitated that just as her current life was falling in line her past life was threatening to frack it up, again. “And how am I supposed to meet with the Council?”

“All will be answered, three days hence. Five PM here, in my office.”

“No!” Isabel snapped. “Now!”

“Vilandra,” Larek answered softly. “I am only here in fulfillment of a command. I do not have the answers you seek.”

Isabel figured that if Larek thought of her with Vilandra’s temper it would work in her favor, so she let it slip. “Please advise the Council of Regents that the Royal Four look forward to meeting with them on Saturday at five,” Isabel replied diplomatically. “Myself and the Keeper of the Granolith will be on a plane for the rest of this week and we regret the delay.”

“As you wish,” Larek replied subserviently. “And my Lady, Rath and Lonnie must be present as well.”

“That is unfortunate. Michael will never consent to allow Rath or Lonnie into the city where we may not be able to control them with the necessary discretion. Instruct the Council that we will meet at the Pod Chamber, not here.”

“By your command.”

**********
~~“Warning!!! VHF radio transmission detected. Frequency analysis indicates presence of Santa Fe County law enforcement equipment approximately six miles (10 km) ahead. Reduce speed immediately!!!”~~

Isabel looked at her Granolith enhanced radar detector. In addition to the ability to detect K-band, Ka-band and the older X-band as well as police LIDAR (laser) at unbelievable distances, it also monitored the police communications frequencies to track the locations of police vehicles in order to keep it’s charges safe. Seeing a clear display she checked her speed and then looked back out the windshield, straining to see anything in the distance. “Confirm.”

~~“Confirmed. Second transmission indicates transmitter is moving in your direction. At your current speed and closure rate you will enter maximum detection range in one minute and thirty seven seconds. Reduce speed immediately!!!”

Isabel took her foot off the gas, allowing the Volvo to cross below the hundred mile per hour (160 kph) threshold, coasting down to a more reasonable speed. “I’m in the middle of the desert in the middle of the night, and all I want to do is get back to Roswell, I don’t need this crap.”

~~“You will only be in Santa Fe county for another ten minutes. After that if the roadways remain empty you may resume your nominal cruising speed.”~~

“Resume monitoring, and notify me when I am one half hour from home.”

**********
At precisely 1201z (7:01 am local time) Lieutenant Colonel Charles Whitman, United States Air Force, personal troubleshooter for Defense Logistics Agency Director Vice Admiral Keith Lippert, marched into building 1602 of Robins Air Force Base, the office of DRMO (Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office) Warner Robins. He stopped in front of the first desk he came to, the only desk occupied at such an early hour. “Bubba Smith, please.”

The young man behind the desk dropped a handful of papers onto his desk before replying, “Bubba is usually scheduled from eight to four-thirty. He usually gets here at eight,,,”

Charles picked up the phone and placed it in front of the young man. “Call him.”

“Can I help you,,, Colonel?” a new arrival asked.

“Bubba Smith?”

“The one and only,” the man replied cheerfully, reaching for Charles’ hand. “Bubba Smith, my parents were bayou folks, they thought Bubba was a proper name,” he added with a shrug. “Have you come down to unconstipate us,,, begging the Colonel’s pardon.”

“Maybe. I need to see the ‘Plains of a Thousand Rains’.”

“It’s more swamp than plains this time of year Sir,,,”

“That’s okay, I left my garrison uniform back at the barracks,” Charles cajoled while pointing to his boots. “I’m dressed to work,,, and don’t call me sir. You’re a civilian and I work for a living.”

“Could have fooled me, I don’t see any stripes on that uniform.” Seeing a smile in response to his professional jive Bubba continued, “Come on Colonel, I have my truck out front,,,”

“Charles,,,”

“Semper Fi, Sir. That’s not going to happen.” (Translation: “I am an ex-Marine. I am incapable of calling an officer by his first name.”)

After a fifteen minute drive they had passed through a locked gate and entered a large fenced in enclosure with black shrink-wrapped pallets of military property that covered several acres of near swampland. As they watched a crew of two men cut several tattered scraps of plastic from a pallet several rows away and efficiently over-wrapped it with fresh stretch wrap.

“How much time do you spend just trying to keep this trash dry?”

“Two men, full time,,,”

“There’s a war coming Bubba, we need them elsewhere,,,”

“There’s over a hundred million dollars of property out there Colonel, and it’s my responsibility to keep it from getting into any worst condition until we get a chance to refurbish it,,,”

“Refurbished? Morse code practice set, J?38 variant. (NSN: 6940?99?219?2848, an ‘assigned’ designation as this property pre-dates the current identification system.) They were functionally obsolete fifty years ago, yet we still have twenty seven of them in inventory.” (Actually DRMO Warner Robins only had twenty five of them with an additional two cartons marked ‘Space Keeper - Empty Box.’ When this property was sent for destruction the discrepancy was found. The official finding was that the original packing list for the pallet showed that twenty five sets had been received from the manufacturer, and that during an inventory taken in the late eighties the count had been changed to twenty seven. The investigation concluded that an unknown clerk had looked at the shrink wrapped pallet, counted three boxes wide, three high, and three deep, and assumed that there were twenty seven sets.)

“They’re the exception to the rule Colonel, most of the property here is current,,,”

“Then lets try something a little more current Bubba, Prick?77’s. (A rather crude but widespread nickname for the AN/PRC?77 radio telephone, man portable, NSN: 5820?01?930?3725.) You have five thousand one hundred and eighty four of them, and every one of them has been flagged as inexpedient to repair,,,”

Bubba was a little disconcerted at the depth of this visitors knowledge, but he had survived many of these ‘site visits.’ The Colonel was scheduled for a two week visit. Soon he would be gone and then they could get back to their comfortable existence. “Even if those trainers are fifty years old, they are still classified DEMIL-D. (demilitarization required, total destruction) If you want to get rid of them we’re going to have to find ‘em, dig ‘em out, drag them down to headquarters, and prepare a challenge against their classification. Maybe we can get them changed to DEMIL-A, (no demilitarization required) DEMIL-B (no demilitarization required, but Trade Security Controls required at disposition) or maybe the best we can get is DEMIL-C (demilitarization required, key point or lethal part removal or destruction required) because of the training manuals, but at any rate, we have a process to follow,,,”

“Or we can send it all to Maryland,,,”

“Maryland?,,”

      Options Upload attachment Disable BBCode Dis“Yes, Maryland. Why waste time on a challenge for property that’s going to be destroyed anyways? We have a forty-one-sixty (DoD 4160.21?M?1 Defense Materials Disposition) contractor that can take anything you can send them,,,”

“A civilian contractor?,,”

“They have contracts within the intelligence community, and as a result they can handle DEMIL-A through D property as well as DEMIL-P (security classified) and Q (demilitarization not required, CCL [Commerce Control List] property) that your Service can’t accept, and utilizing a civilian contractor frees you,,, all of us, to look forward instead of backwards,,,”

able smilies Do not “Listen Colonel, I know A-76 (privatization of services) is popular right now, but this property is valuable. Take your Prick?77’s for example, I bet at least half of them still have a battery in them and that’s hazardous waste. (Actually federal law classifies spent batteries as universal waste, but Maryland doesn’t have a universal waste statute, so we were forced to go through the expense of manifesting them as hazardous waste.)

“Radio’s are shipped with batteries in them every day, you know that’s not an issue,,,”

“Some of those batteries have never been used, we need to,,,”

“Don’t say it Bubba!” Colonel Whitman ordered. “Don’t say that you’re going to recover those batteries,,,”

“Colonel! Those batteries are worth more than a hundred dollars each,,,”

“Bubba. Let me start over again. My name is Lieutenant Colonel Charles Whitman. I am Admiral Lippert’s personal errand boy slash motivator slash ass kicker. Do you want to know why Keith picked me Bubba? Oh,,, Have you ever known anyone who calls an Admiral by his first name Bubba? Now you do.

“Keith picked me because he has to get this Service ready for war, and he knows that I’m motivated to help him. He knows this because I just buried my son, Air Force Lieutenant Robert Whitman, and two of my other sons are getting ready to go into harm’s way.” Charles took a step forward, invading Bubba’s personal space and continuing in a low menacing voice. “If you think I’m sending my sons, or anyone else’s loved ones, into combat with a battery that’s been sitting in a junkyard for ten years, you’ve got another thing coming,,,”

One of Charles personal philosophies was that the only difference between a prick and an asshole was that a prick knew what he was talking about, and a successful prick knew when he had got his point across. One look at Bubba’s face told him that it was time to back off.

“No Colonel,” Bubba rebutted softly. “We’re certainly not going to be doing that. Just tell us what you need and you’ll get it.”

“Thank you,” Charles said with an equally softened voice. “Battle Creek (Michigan, DRMS headquarters) is going to send you two task orders per week, one for Monday, one for Thursday. Each task order will be for two truckloads pf property. Start at the front of this pile and work your way to the back. Build a manifest for twenty four pallets per truck, ship them to Maryland, and don’t look back.

“Listen, I know you all take pride in your jobs, and believe me, we are going to place demands on you that are going to have you working harder than you’ve ever worked before. But those demands are going to involve moving forward and supporting our troops.”

“You can count on us Colonel. Consider our asses kicked ,,,”

Charles chuckled at this. “Oh no Bubba. You’ve been receiving coaching and counseling. If I’d been kicking your ass you’d know it. You’d be missing about ten pounds of ass and this office would be missing a number of employees.” Charles turned and looked at his watch as he started back to the truck. “Then my job here’s done. If I’m lucky I can get up to Tobyhanna (Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania) before nightfall,,,”

“You’re done here Sir? I thought you were going to be here for two weeks?”

“No need. I have a feeling you’re going to become my own personal ass kicker down here; so, what do you think Bubba, do you think I’ll be able to get a good look at the real lay of the land there if I show up a week early?”

“With all due respect Sir, I’m willing to bet that the Colonel will see whatever-the-hell he wants to see.”

**********
Morning came to Roswell several hours later finding an unlikely pair sitting in the vacant parking lot of the Taco Shack munching on crullers and coffee from the bakery in Dexter.

“So what’s so important you had to drag me out of bed at such an ungodly hour?”

“You’re always up at this hour.”

“Not if I’m not getting paid I don’t.”

“Alex beat me at Jeopardy,,,”

“You got me out of bed an hour early because Alex beat you at Jeopardy,,, wait,,, I’ve seen you get perfect scores. That has to be what, a hundred thousand dollars?”

Isabel happily bought into this distraction. “The maximum possible score is five hundred sixty-six thousand, four hundred dollars, but that is only a mathematical total,,,”

“How the frack could he beat you? You shout out the questions before Alex Trebek is able to read the first word of the answer,,,”

“While it may be possible to get all sixty one answers correct the resulting score would depend on where and when the Double Jeopardy answers are found. In order to get to the mathematical maximum the Double Jeopardy answers would have to be found in the least valuable row as well as the thirtieth, fifty-ninth and sixtieth answer. Since that’s impossible,,,”

“Between your Czechoslovakian eyesight and your Czechoslovakian recall,,,”

“Maria, you’re babbling again.”

Maria had only seen Isabel this upset a couple of times, so she let the babbling comment pass. “Okay, I’ll be quiet.”

“He played with my hair,,,”

“He played with your hair? Every time I’ve watched the two of you watch TV he’s brushing your hair,,,”

“Not that hair,,,”

“Oh,” Maria replied with a smirk as she figured out how Alex had overcome her, ,, abilities. “So he brought out the slut in you, and I mean that in a kind and loving way, but he turned on your mo-jo, and that’s why you denied me my beauty sleep?” Watching her friend take a deep breath and gather he composure, she stayed silent, waiting for it,,,

“We had a fight,” Isabel admitted offhandedly as if it were of no consequence. “Actually we had two, and we’re probably going to have a third,,,”

“I knew you were going to frack him to death,,,”

“I’m not going to frack him to death. It’s got nothing to do with that; besides, he’s rather enjoying my wide range of seductions,,,”

“Seduction,” Maria replied gleefully, getting into the zinging contest with a close friend who would not take it personal. “It’s not seduction if you tie him up and zap his prostate in order to get him to perform.”

“I don’t need to tie him up to get him to perform, he’s an eighteen year old guy. Once he got over the fact that he wasn’t going to hurt me, he’s become quite,,, willing,,, accomplished in fact,,,”

“Okay, enough of that. I don’t want to have to bleach out my ears. So if you’re not fighting over the goodies, what are you fighting about?”

“Computers,,,”

“Computers? You fought over computers? Don’t you have like fifty of them?”

“We do. In Albuquerque. We only have eight left here, the eight that I was going to install this morning at the Community Center’s new after school computer lab. Last night he stole them,,,”

“Stole them, aren’t they his? Don’t you mean he got a chance to do a deal and make you some shoes and pantyhose money,,,”

“I don’t wear pantyhose,,, hot, sweaty, too short legs. Nope, never have, never will, but that’s not the point. He should have checked with me first. I would have told them they were already committed,,,”

“Why would he? He’s doing whatever he can so you’ll have a place to drop your demon spawn,,,”

“Don’t push me,” Isabel growled menacingly. “My indulgence has it’s limits.”

“Maria ignored Isabel’s opening salvo, “What was the second fight about?”

“Once I realized I didn’t have the computers I needed I decided to go to Albuquerque and get them. Alex didn’t want me to go alone,,,”

“And my guess is that judging by your loaded car,,,”

“Alex’s car,,,”

“Okay, Alex’s Mom’s loaded car, that you went anyways,,,”

“I curled up next to him, got the two hours of rest I need, then I put him into a deep sleep and went to Albuquerque, hence, fight three.”

“You’re going to pick another fight with him?,,”

“Me!” Isabel gasped as her brow’s dropped in disbelief, but moments later she had schooled her features and had her cold demeanor back in place.

Maria lifted her coffee to her lips and took a slow sip, all the while calming watching her friend over the top of the cup. If Isabel thought her Ice Princess routine would still work on her, she had another thing coming.

“He’s going to dump me,,,”

“What!!!”

“He’s going to get rid of me and go out and find himself a nice normal girl,,,”

“Alex has been in love with you since the first time he saw you. He is not going to dump you,,,”

“I treated him like a rag witch,,,”

“You didn’t treat him like a rag witch,,, you can’t treat him like a rag witch,,, You’re not,,,”

“What, I’m not human?”

Maria’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “You can’t think I think that! I was going to say that you can’t still feel like that after all the two have been through together,,,”

“No, I don’t think that,” Isabel admitted softly. “I don’t think you think that way about me,,, I don’t think Alex is going to dump me. I feel it. I know it’s not true, but I feel it, here,” she said, pointing to her heart.

“And you’re telling me this because?,,”

“Because I need you to be my friend.”

Maria reached across the table and took Isabel’s hands in her own. “Well girlfriend, that’s the first smart thing you’ve said today.”

“I can’t let him see me like this.”

“Iz,” Maria said softly, “We didn’t raise him like that, you don’t have to hide from him anymore. He’s changed,,,”

“I changed him,,,” Isabel stammered as she ground her floating heart back and forth on it’s chain.

“Yes, for the better. We raised a wonderful quirky boy, you made him a man. He’s not going to back down from you, but he’s not going to let you go either.”

A small smile broke out on Isabel’s face.

“We all have our weak moments, do you remember when his brother was killed, he couldn’t even go into his own house,,,”

“You’re not comparing my hissy fit with his brother,,,”

“No, I’m not. Where is he?”

“He’s at his home, working. He’s been cracking open out connection and checking up on me, but other than that he’s been ignoring me,,,”

“No,,, he’s been treating you like an adult, letting you do what you need to do.” Maria drained the last of her coffee, grabbed the last of her cruller and stood, holding out her hand. “Keys.”

Isabel started to protest, but then again she had asked for help, so she settled in the passenger seat and handed over the keys.

Minutes later they were at the Whitman’s, a house where Maria had been welcomed for years. Not seeing Alex’s Mom’s Focus in the yard, she walked in without knocking. “Honey I’m home,” she shouted out as she headed up to Alex’s room. Moments later she was sitting on his bed next to a very nervous Isabel, while a curious Alex looked on. Like Maria before her, he decided to wait for it.

“I hear you had a fight last night,,,”

“Noooo,,,” Alex replied slowly and honestly.

“So you’d agree with me that you could have told her you were taking the computers, I mean with your Vulcan mind-meld you could have told her in seconds,,,”

“Yea,,,”

Maria turned back to Isabel, “And you could have told him or left a note taped to the top of the stack,,,”

“You’re not helping,,,”

“So fight one is a stalemate,,,”

“It wasn’t a fight,” Alex sighed. “It was just an oops.”

“And then the second fight,,,”

“That wasn’t a fight either,” Alex replied to his friend while his eyes were locked with his wife’s. “I’m the luckiest guy on the planet to be in love and more importantly loved back by an Alien Goddess who’s abilities far surpass my own. She could fix a problem I couldn’t, and while I don’t like that, I’m working on it. We all have our quirks,” he said softly, “And in addition to working on them we also have to realize that our loved ones are okay with them, and in fact we may like them.”

“Like them?”

“Oh yea,” Alex said as he stood and moved to stand in front of his wife. “I love it when Izzy goes all commander. It’s amazing to see how her mind works, how she can put all the pieces of a puzzle together and execute before I can even find the card table,,,”

“So there going to be no fight three?”

Alex took Isabel’s hands in his own. “No, no fight three.” Pulling gently on her hands he didn’t stop until she stood in front of her. “You know,” he said softly as he leaned into kiss her neck, “One of these days you’re going to cut yourself with that chain.”

“I know,” Isabel replied. “I’m working on it.”

“I figured we’d go install your network together then we’ll swap the Volvo for your Del Sol. That would get us on the road to Albuquerque earlier than if you did it alone, and that will let us get an early dinner and a chance to chill for the evening before we have to start our road trip tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me,” Isabel whispered as she held her hand over his heart.

“Okay, then lets get this done and go home.” He kissed his now calm wife’s forehead and then looked at their friend, “Maria, school or the Crash?”

“School, but home? I thought you said you were going to Albuquerque?”

“I did,” Alex answered as Isabel took his hand and they headed out of his room. “Effective today, Albuquerque’s home.”

TBC

[chanks_girl]

I think you already know that I love this your story....but it doesn't hurt to say it again

I LOVE IT!!!! everytime you post a new part it's great

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 25-L All Good Things
By Stargazer MD

Isabel flitted about the kitchen, cleaning up after their dinner. While Alex’s plan had been going out to eat, the moment she had entered their house, she knew that they weren’t going out again until they left for the airport the next morning. Chicken Enchiladas with rice and beans had been a manageable challenge thanks to her well stocked pantry, and her husband’s happy face as he ate was reward enough.

Now with Alex in front in the TV she was cleaning her kitchen. Despite the fact that she could have accomplished this in seconds with a minimal use of power, she reveled in doing the simple task around her house the old fashioned way, with a dish cloth, soap, and her own two hands. She loved the sound of it, her kitchen, her house, her husband. Most of all she loved her Alex, the man who gave her all this. She looked in on him, finding him on the left side of her love seat, watching Wheel of Fortune on the tube with the sound muted. Tuning into him, she heard him talking softly to himself, working through a problem. Turning back to he sink she glanced at the clock display on her microwave. ‘Eleven minutes and forty-three seconds to the start of Jeopardy,’ she thought. She started an internal timer and dipped her hands into the hot soapy water. ‘Plenty of time to finish.’ She would be curled into his side before Alex Trebek introduced the first contestant.


Alex fitted his Bluetooth headpiece as he organized his thoughts. Although the headpiece was a cutting edge technology with a limited list of compatible equipment, he was confident that the Granolith enhanced device was totally secure. He loved the fact that it allowed him total hands-free access to all his toys.

“Computer, stand by for new tasking.”

~~“State scope of project.”~~

“Aries capital project. Maximum effort.”

~~“Stand by. Working,,, local server farm online. Working,,, availability, one hundred percent. Working,,, Evans server farm online. Working,,, availability, one hundred percent. Working,,, Whitman server farm online. Working,,, availability one hundred percent. State level of communication security necessary.”~~

“End user of project is an Aries client. Standard Aries protocols are to be utilized. Maximum commercial encryption required for all transmissions between Aries servers. Under no circumstances are any extraordinary protocols to be imbedded in the code of this project.”

~~“Compliance.”~~

“Job One. Create an inviolate back-up of all Amarillo Memorial raw data on both Roswell servers, full RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Devices) protocols.”

~~“Compliance, job in queue. Warning, Roswell storage drives approaching seventy percent capacity.”~~

“Stand by.”

~~“Standing by.”~~

Alex reached and touched his Bluetooth headset, muting it. “Izzy!”

“Yea Sweetie,” Isabel replied, leaning through the doorway.

“Can you make a mental note that we need more storage in Roswell?”

Isabel thought a moment. “Current planning is that we switch to IBM Ultrastar drives,,,”

“SCSI hot swappable?”

“Yea. They’re designed for the Blades (servers) we use. They’re currently have one hundred forty-six gig of capacity, how many?”

“Eight. Two for each Blade. That way we won’t have to worry about it for a while.”

“I’ll order them tomorrow, UPS Blue. (two day delivery) That way we’ll be sure to have them in time to install next weekend when we’re in Roswell. By the way, that will leave us with just two empty slots in each of the server farm’s external drive racks. The next time you add drives you’ll have to start thinking about either upgrading them to a 16 slot (half-height) c7000 enclosure or adding a second 8 slot c3000,” she said as she went back to putting the dishes away.

“Timeline?” he asked of her retreating form.

“Six months, unless things really start picking up,” she called out over her shoulder.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he answered mentally, not wanting to shout at her.

“You won’t think of it until you’re standing there with no place to put a new set of drives, but I’ve made a note of it. I’ll remind you in plenty of time to research options and get something shipped in before it becomes an issue.”

“That’s why I love you,,,”

“Really,,, I thought you loved me because I bring you to the heights of ecstasy every night,,,”

“Oh, that was you? I thought I’d been working too hard and went to bed totally exhausted every night,,,”

This comment earned him a wet dish cloth to the face before they both went back to work.

Alex tapped his headset, “Computer.”

~~“Awaiting instruction.”~~

“Job Two. Create an Aries Database for Amarillo Memorial, standard fields for a central master database. Name the database ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database’.”

~~“Compliance. Job in queue.”~~

“State number of files in the Amarillo Memorial’s purchasing folder.”

~~“Working,,, there are eighteen thousand six hundred and seventy-four files in the Amarillo Memorial purchasing system.”~~

“Job Three. Open Aries ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database’. Open Amarillo Memorial purchasing folder. Analyze folder contents. Open file one. Create new record in ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database’. Transcribe data from the open Amarillo Memorial file into the ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database’. Verify data. Next. Repeat. Continue until all Amarillo Memorial files have been entered into the ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database’. Verify. Create inviolate back-up of ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database’. Name back-up file ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database beta one-dot-zero-dot-zero.’ Copy ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database beta one-dot-zero-dot-zero’ to all server locations. Create working copy of ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database beta one-dot-zero-dot-zero’. Rename working copy ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database beta one-dot-zero-dot-one.’ Open ‘Amarillo Memorial Master Database beta one-dot-zero-dot-one.’ Open record one. Verify the presence of data in critical fields. Flag any record with missing data in critical fields. Close record. Next. Repeat. Continue until all records have been analyzed. Create exception report containing flagged records. Verify. Save report as ‘Amarillo Memorial Invalid Data Report One’.”

~~“Compliance. Job in queue.”~~

“Job Four. Open ‘Amarillo Memorial Invalid Data Report One’. Create working copy. Name new file ‘Amarillo Memorial Invalid Data Report Two’. Open record one. Analyze data. Identify missing data fields. Perform internet search to ascertain missing data. Append the record with newly discovered data. Save record. Next. Repeat. Continue until all records have been appended. Verify. Save file.”

~~“Compliance. Job in queue.”~~

“Computer. How long will these jobs take.”

~~ “Stand by. Working,,, creating sample records. Working,,, analysis of one hundred recently accessed files connotes a five percent incidents of missing data. Working,,, analysis of one hundred inactive files connotes a forty percent of missing data. Conclusion,,, Estimating twenty-eight hours until completion. Confidence of accuracy of estimate is moderate at best due to small sample size and the unknown availability of additional data on the internet.”~~

“Execute,” Alex commanded as he took his headpiece off and made room for Isabel.

“Done?” she asked as she burrowed into his side.

“Done, just in time.”

“Not yet, there’s two more commercials to go, not counting the one running now, and then that’ll be Johnny Gilbert’s introduction.”

Alex stayed silent for he knew that if she was tracking time that accurately that she had something on her mind to be brought up before the show started.

“About the juke box software we have on Aries Shareware, I got the contract back from ‘i-DJ’.”

“They agreed to our changes?”

“Yea, they jumped at the chance to pay us a lump sum licensing fee instead of ongoing royalties.”

“They think they’re pulling one over on us.”

“There’s no way for us to verify how many copies of our software they’ll bundle with their drives,,,”

“Actually the jokes on them. In two years or so hard drives will have enough capacity that DJ’s won’t need a big CD changer anymore. All they’ll need is a laptop with an external drive, hell before too long a laptop with an accessory drive in their expansion bay will be enough.”

“And as per our agreement Aries DJ will still be available for sale to our shareware customers who don’t have access to multi-disk drives,,,”

“So, sign it.”

“Already did,” Isabel admitted in a soto voice.

“What? You didn’t wait on me?,,”

“Sush, Jeopardy’s started,” Isabel admonished, but a moment later she had a proposition for him. “I bet I can beat you.”

Alex knew that he could not possibly beat her even on his best day, but he had to respond to the teasing lilt in her voice. “I don’t know, I’d put my money on an enhanced human over an alien hybrid every time.”

“I’ll take my chances,” Isabel replied laughingly.

“Terms?”

“Hairbrushing, five strokes per question.”

“And if I win?”

Isabel turned to face him. “If you ever have the gall to beat me I’ll take you over my knee and warm your cute little tush with my oak brush,” she exclaimed indignantly before settling back on his shoulder in a huff. “I don’t feel like keeping score,” she sighed. “Spot me forty correct questions and concede defeat.”

“Now why would I do that?”

“Because if you do I get two hundred strokes. My hair will glisten like spun gold and the rest of me will be purring like a kitten,,,”

“Deal!” Alex interjected. Good things happened to him when she was purring like a kitten.

**********
Meanwhile back in Roswell, Ava’s cell rang. “Hello?”

~~“Ava, where the frack are you?”~~

“Home, why,,,”

~~“Because your Buddha Boy’s ruining Steve’s party, that’s why. He’s running around going all eastern lovey-dovey, except when he talks about Max Evans. He says the next time he gets his hands on Max he’s going to kill him. Claims Max ruined his party-ability,,,”~~

“Vicky, we broke up. I’m not responsible for Kyle if he gets drunk,,,”

~~“No, Kyle’s not just drunk,” Vicki interrupted, “He’s cocked-off-his-ass,,,”~~

“Frack,,, What’d he get into?” Ava asked, her ire coming through in her voice loud and clear.

~~“Just Mexican-Joy-Juice, (a potent mixture of LimeWarp, a local type of soda-pop, and cheap tequila) and I don’t think he finished his first shot. Either he came here already wasted or he got into some serious shit,,,”~~

“Great, just great,,,” ‘What a time for him to start changing,,,’

~~“Listen, I know he’s not your problem anymore, but you are staying with him and his dad, and if Kyle gets fracked up, his dad’ll come down hard on all of us,,,”~~

“Yea, where’d you say you are, Steve’s? I’ll be there in five minutes.” Ava jammed her phone into her pocket and abandoned the small collection of art books that she had checked out of the library. ‘I got to get him out of there before he does something stupid, then I gots to get out of this cornball town.’

**********
As a car commercial came on TV, Isabel settled her head on Alex’s shoulder while she racked her brain to figure out why it took her over a second to come up with a question on Central European Monarchies.

Alex meanwhile had his own issue to bring up. “In the interest of not having another fight,,,”

“We don’t fight!”

“Okay,,, in the interest of preventing another misunderstanding,,,”

“We didn’t have a misunderstanding,” Isabel insisted with more than a little ice into her voice as she sat up straight and turned to face him fully. “Fights and misunderstandings are for couples that are less perfect than ourselves. Your only shortcoming is your tardiness in realizing the brilliance of any conclusion I may have reached,,,”

‘Geeze, isn’t she going to let me get a word in sideways?’ he thought.

“I heard that!”

“Hey! Knock first!”

“Sorry, I know you have something on your mind, so I took a peek.”

Alex paused a moment, and then as Isabel settled back on his shoulder he continued, “There’s a pile of equipment in the Aries suite. I’m saving it for a project.”

“Really? What’s up?”

“I’m going to write a program for Amy, Aries POS.” (Point Of Sale)

“Don’t worry, I don’t have any other projects in the loop, and next time I’ll tell you if I do,” Isabel sighed as she ran her hand into his shirt, resting it over his heart. “You know how she values her independence, she’s not going to let you do that. She still has mixed feelings about the laptops we gave her,,,”

“We didn’t give her anything,” Alex insisted. “Those are Aries laptops, issued to them so they could work for us,,,”

“And it took her all of three seconds to see through that.”

“Izzy, they’ve had life so hard, Amy carries her entire business in her head, it limits what she can do. If I could make a system easy enough to use, intuitive enough so she didn’t have to spend a lot of time to learn how to operate it, it could make things so much easier for her.”

“So Amy, a valued partner of Aries Technologies, will Beta the new Aries POS system. Her insights will be invaluable to it’s development,,,”

“Think she’ll go for it?”

“Maybe, as long as she feels that she’s earning her way.”

“Good. With Maria leaving for school, she’ll need the help.”

Isabel moved to lie on the couch with her head in his lap, but he wasn’t finished trying to help his friends. “Izzy, when I finish Aries POS do you think Mr. P. will help us with Aries Hospitality?”

**********
For their meeting at Pangborn, Isabel had again booked their stay at Executive Suites in Alamogordo, but unlike their last several visits this was not a working evening. The plans for the Pangborn project were completed and tomorrows meeting was to inspect the progress that the Pangborn staff was making on the installation of the office furnishings that Isabel had specified. Due to her phenomenal attention to detail and the thoroughness of her plans there had not been a single snag to date, and as a result the couple was able to enjoy the evening in the facilities hot tub, an amenity that they had not had time to explore on their previous visits.

Isabel noticed that her husband face was becoming flushed, indicating that they had just about reached the limit on the amount of time that they could spend in the swirling water, and stood. “Come on Sweetie,” she enjoined holding her hand out to him, “Lets go back to our suite and you can help me wash the chlorine off.”

His eyes took in her beauty, enthralled by the red one piece suit that while of modest cut, had the consistency of tissue paper, hiding nothing. “I can’t believe you wore that suit,” he gasped as he stood and kissed her gently on the mouth.

“Save it for later,” she answered breathlessly. “I’m just happy no one else came over. I didn’t have to ‘thicken up’ my suit,” she added as she pulled her cover-up on.

Minutes later they were back in their living room and Alex couldn’t help but notice that as she closed the door she added a burst of power to the lock. He gulped as her robe slid down her arms, pooling at her feet while revealing the still wet suit that struggled to contain her heaving breasts. “Don’t you want to take a shower?,,”

“Frack the shower, I’m thinking of something more fun to do. We’re here all alone,,, we have this nice room,,,” she continued, her eyes gleaming.

Alex didn’t know quite what she had in mind, but he knew that look. It was like a hungry lion staring at a steak, and he was the steak. He grinned like the horny eighteen year old guy that he was as he realized that he was going to enjoy the next hour or four. “What do you have in mind?”

“I’ve been thinking about some of the dreams we’ve shared,,,”

“You mean like the one where you gave me a big forked tongue and big floppy bunny rabbit ears that you used as handles to hold my head between your thighs,,,”

“No,,,”

“Or the time you made me a space pirate and you were a kidnapped green skinned Orion Slave Girl with three boobs and two cunnies, all of which needed equal attention,,,”

“I was thinking of something more earthbound,,,”

“There’s the one where I threw you over my shoulder and carried you up the side of the Empire State Building so the whole world could watch,,,”

“No,,,”

“Or the time you were part of the chorus line practicing your high kicks during the Great Panty Shortage,,,”

“You do realize that the Rockettes don’t wear black back-seamed lace-top thigh-highs and thongs,,,”

“Actually, although I usually don’t like thongs the tan lines it left uncovered were an interesting touch,,, oh I know,,, the one where I was flat on my back on the painter’s scaffolding and you were tied to the ceiling fan,,,”

“We don’t have any scaffolding,,,”

“I still can’t believe you didn’t get dizzy when you kicked it up to high speed, nor did I think I could get a friction blister there,,,”

Despite Alex’s levity, she could tell by the bulge in his trunks that he was definitely interested. She took his hand and led him towards the bedroom. “I was thinking we could reenact one of our first,,,”

“The Plumber and the French Maid?” Alex asked excitedly.

“Oui Monsieur. Madame has commanded that I assist you in every possible way,,,”

“Don’t hurt me,” Alex squeaked as she stopped and ripped off his trunks.

“I’ll try not to,” she sighed as she began to nibble his neck while digging her nails into his opposite shoulder, “But I make no guarantees.”


Several hours later Alex was on the floor, flat on his back and gasping like a fish out of water while Isabel snuggled into his side. “Sweetie, do you know what ‘Ria told me?”

“That you were going to frack me to death?”

Isabel giggled at this, “No, that the only thing better than good sex was more sex,” and without warning she sent a burst of power straight into his prostate.

“Holy Fracking Shit!” Alex yelled as his ass flew into the air. “You’re not going to frack me to death, you’re going to zap me to death.”

“Awww, quit your bitching,” she cajoled. “You know every guy still in school would give their left nut to be where you are right now,,,” and with that she grabbed Fred, pulling him into the air.

“Izzy!”

“I just want to try something I saw in an encyclopedia a while ago,” (truthfully it could be best described as a woodcutting of ancient Asian pornography) she explained as she practically pulled Alex’s unit out by it’s root while she shoved a couple of pillows under his ass.

Alex felt more than a little uncomfortable being bent upwards in the middle but Isabel was impressed. “Fracking aye,” she muttered as she wrapped her hands around her favorite plaything. Finding more to enjoy than she was used to, all thoughts of preparation fled her mind. She planted her feet on the floor close to his hips and squatted down. “Mama need some of this, and if Cosmo’s right about this position, we’re going to venture into unexplored depths,,,”

Isabel’s body is difficult to describe accurately. The words big and large invoke unflattering images that could not be farther from the truth. Isabel’s body is trim for her frame, but that far from petite frame carried a lot of power at a weight that while right for Isabel, was nonetheless well above that of the average woman. Isabel released her hold on her knees and hips, allowing her appropriate yet still substantial weight to settle onto a two inch cylinder, a fleshy cylinder that her body was designed and eager to accept.

“Ooohhh,” she gasped as she took him to the root, running out of depth herself, causing him to contact her ectocervix. While most women equate this with a kick to the stomach, some find it to be immensely stimulating. Isabel’s ‘deep spot’ instantly spasmed, bring on her first release of their fourth joining.

Alex watched his wife wobble atop him and he reached for her, taking her hands he interlaced their fingers, lending support as her body writhed in ecstasy. “Are you okay?”

Isabel did not have the presence of mind to respond, instead she opened their connection to share her pleasure. The only thing that kept his poor, short-fused, teenaged body from joining her in release was the fact that it was also his fourth of the evening.

Isabel recovered quickly, but Alex was still hard, and as long as he was between her legs, her insatiable desire demanded more; besides, she still had to get her husband off. She started slowly, lifting herself off him and dropping back down, grinding her button into his course short hairs. Gradually she increased her efforts, rising higher, faster, and dropping down harder. As she reached the limit of this single axis of travel, she elaborated, flexing her knees and rotating her body on her single point of contact while leaning forward and backwards, generating the small sounds that drove Alex crazy.

Next she imagined that she had just finished drinking an entire bottle of Lime Warp, causing her to have to pee. She clamped down every muscle below her waist, resisting that urge, and triggering her second release.

Alex bit down on his lower lip, trying to delay the inevitable by performing navigational trigonomic equations in his mind. In doing so, he solved an age-old question, finding that the source of the Nile River was actually in the middle of the Australian Outback, but the distraction worked, he made it intact through his wife’s second peak. Without her noticing he snuck his knees up tight to her back and waited,,,

Isabel took a deep breath as her awareness window quickly expanded back to the point where she could again feel her husband between her legs. She gave him a little grind, finding to her amazement that he was still rock hard. ‘Fracking aye,’ she thought. ‘He’s going to kill me with that thing, but at least I’ll die as a woman, a human woman who knows she’s loved.’ But this thought passed quickly. Her desire had always been to frack him to death, albeit many years in their shared future. But all this faded in her mind. Right now she wanted to give her husband pleasure, more pleasure that his poor puny human mind could handle. Tightening her fingers to the point where her nails started to dig into the backs of his hands she lifted her hips until he was just barely inside of her. She locked her eyes with his and asked in a gravely voice, “Sweetie, you ready for this?,,” while expanding their connection.

“Oh yea,” Alex replied as he tensed every muscle in his ass and the back of his legs. The moment he sensed her relax her legs so she could sink down onto him he exploded, driving up off the floor and burying himself into her soft and slick center.

Isabel was caught completely buy surprise, a fleeting sensation as her mind blanked and her body took over. She felt him come up into her, the lengthened Fred bottoming out deep within her as their pelvises ground together. Alex continued driving, lifting her feet several inches off the carpet before reversing course, bouncing his ass off the pillow and slamming up into her again.

Isabel was already done for. Her poor body was no match for the continuous explosions happening below her waist and the ecstasy of their super connection, both of which combined to push her over the edge. Alex was no better. He lifted her into the air, holding her there as Fred did what Fred was known to do, before his resolve collapsed and he sank back down.

While Alex peaked and faded fast, Isabel’s lasted longer. As he sank down she ended up on her knees, her legs no longer able to support her, she fell onto his chest. The moment she settled on him, she peaked again, but this time she had him in her clutches. Before they calmed and she snuggled into his side, she marked him with a deep bite to his neck and deep scratches to his shoulders.

Nothing on Earth could wipe the grin off Alex’s face. His wife was snuggled into his side making little happy noises as she doodled on his chest with her finger tip, and he had given her that contentment. “Iz,,,” he gave up on oral communications. “Izzy, I don’t think I’m going to be able to move for a week.”

“That’s okay by me,” she replied as she gently scratched his sternum with a perfectly manicured nail. “I got you right where I want you.”

“Maybe, but I was hoping to give my wife more than a hotel carpet,,,”

“Well at least I made sure it was a clean carpet,,,”

“For us to sleep on,,,”

“Well luckily for you, you married an Alien Princess,” Isabel teased as she reached over him and placed her hand flat on the floor, coincidently onto one of the covers that they had pulled down in their play. Using a burst of power she morphed the micro fiber blanket into a plush mattress. “Comfy?” she asked softly.

“I’ve never felt better in my life,” Alex replied honestly.

“Good, I made it a Kluft Royal Standard ‘Cashmere Embrace’ mattress, just like at home,,,”

“Oh that? I didn’t notice. I was referring to you.”

“Oh,” Isabel whispered in pleasure as she drifted off to sleep.

**********
At five minutes to five on Saturday afternoon Isabel looked around the pod chamber, assessing the success of her preparations. Rath and Lonnie were seated on a couch that she had provided, but despite their comfort, they were visibly upset at their circumstances. Opposite of them stood Alex, Michael, and Max, who were ready to blast them into oblivion at the first sign of resistance. Backing them up were Jim, Phillip and Charles, all armed with AUG bullpups.

“I’m getting sick and tired of having guns pointed at me,” Lonnie complained.

“You came into my house and threatened my family,” Phillip countered. “You’re lucky to be alive.”

“What are you going to do about it?” she challenged.

“I’ll kill you, go home, enjoy my dinner, and then get a good night’s sleep without a moment of remorse,” Phillip deadpanned.

“You never going to learn to keep your mouth shut,” Rath muttered, admonishing his podmate.

“Frack you!”

Isabel ignored the squabbling dupes, turning to Maria instead. “Did you talk to Brody?”

“Yea, but as much as I hinted around, I didn’t get any impression that he knew anything more than he told you a week ago. In fact, I didn’t even get an impression that he realized that he had been possessed.”

“So now what do we do?” Michael challenged of Max as he began to loose patience.

“Keep me out of this,” Max replied. “I don’t have the seal anymore,” he continued as he pulled Liz close. “Isabel seems to be thriving with it while it almost ruined my life. I don’t want anything more to do with it.”

“Larek said to be here at five p.m. and we’ll just have to wait a bit longer to find out what he wants.”

As Isabel finished the chamber started to vibrate as the Granolith spooled up, building power.

“Du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du,” Alex hummed the theme to the Twilight Zone.

“Now what?” Michael snapped fearfully as he pulled Maria to him protectively.

Lonnie started to stand, but she froze for several seconds and them melted back into the couch when Phillip raised his weapon into battery.

“Has that ever happened before?” Ava asked softly.

“I don’t think so,” Kyle answered. “Even when one of them came here and talked to it, it never seemed to radiate the power it is now.”

“Everyone just settle down,” Isabel commanded. “Larek asked us to be here for a reason, so we’ll just have to wait and see what he wants.” She moved to a position between the pods and the others. “But just to be safe, Alex, Max, take my flanks sides and be ready with your shields.”

With no further warning the air began to ripple in front of the group, between where they were gathered and the front of the pods, behind which the Granolith hummed with power. The air coalesced into a transparent figure of the head and shoulders of an ancient man who floated in front of them. “Lady Isabel,” the black eyed figure said respectfully as he bowed in greeting.

“Lord Larek,” Isabel replied as she matched his gesture. “You grace us with your visit.”

“I must be brief. This communication is consuming enormous recourses, and we can maintain this connection for only a few minutes, but there have been significant developments here that I have been ordered to relate to you.”

“Then I will not delay you,” Isabel replied politely. “Please speak freely.”

“The war is over,” Larek related tiredly. “Kivar is dead,,,”

This pronunciation caused an uproar within the pod chamber, glee from the Roswellians and dismay from the Dupes.

“Wait!” Isabel commanded. Once the uproar had abated a bit she turned back to Larek. “Please, how did this happen.”

“Kivar made a critical mistake. As usual he was arrogant and foolish, but this time his folly led to his downfall.” As his audience calmed and paid attention, he continued. “At the Summit meeting he called for the Leaders of the Royal Houses of Antar Prime and the Antarian Planetary Cluster Nicholas foolishly admitted to Zan and all that Kivar did not have control of the Granolith, refuting a claim that usurper had been making for decades. Then when Prince Zan refused to cede control of the Granolith to Kivar, his enemies and his supposed allies became emboldened.”

“He lost his ace?in?the?hole,” Isabel interjected.

“What?”

“His power base,” Alex supplied.

“Yes. The Council of Regents gathered the dregs of the Palatial Guard and whatever other forces they could find for one last push against Kivar and after an epic struggle, we were successful.”

“It’s over?” Isabel asked hopefully.

“Yes, the civil war on Antar is over,,,” Larek answered evasively.

Cheers erupted within the pod chamber, almost drowning out Larek. “Lady Isabel,,, Lady Isabel!,, Please, time grows short!”

“Wait!” Isabel shouted. “There’s more?”

“Yes,” Larek replied. “The Matriarchal Heads of the Seven Houses of the Imperial Royal Court of Antar Prime, comprising the Council of Regents of Antar Prime, has established a citizen legislature as an interim government, but at the same time there is a great fear that the future of the Antarian Planetary Cluster, or even Antar Prime itself, is at risk.”

“You don’t need us to return, do you?” Isabel gasped, a chill running up her spine.

”Where you go, I go,” Alex promised.

“No,” Larek answered. “The actions of the Monarchy, first the whims and petty decrees of Zan, second past, (Max’s father) and then the inaction in the face of dissent of Zan past, (Max) combined with the tyrannical perversions of Kivar have convinced the Council or Regents that absolute power should no longer be concentrated in one person, especially when the only qualification that person possesses is the luck of a royal birth.”

“So Antar is now a democracy?” Max asked.

“Err,, yes,” Larek answered after taking a moment to evaluate the word, “Or it is on it’s way to being one, but the Council of Regents still need one last act of benevolence from the Keeper of the Royal Seal of Antar,,,”

“And what is that?” Isabel asked, her voice trembling despite a wide open connection with her husband.

“The return of the Granolith.”

“How do I know this isn’t some kind of trick?” Isabel challenged.

“Ask the Granolith,” Larek answered helpfully. “I must end this connection. The Council ask that they have your answer soon, the Granolith will convey your response. They ask that, should you agree, the Granolith be returned in one week’s time. They also advise that should any of you wish to return to Antar, you may do so at that time, but they warn that this is not the same planet that you left. Many of the citizens blame the Royals for the war, and your return may not be,,, pleasant.”

“I will consult with the Royal Four and convey my answer,” Isabel advised, her confidence returned now that she knew she was staying with her families.

“Thank you Lady Isabel,” Larek said respectfully as his image faded.

Lonnie was the first to speak. “I’m going back.”

“Word,” Rath agreed.

“You’re not going anywhere but over the state line,” Isabel commanded. “IF we decide to return the Granolith, I’ll contact you and give you safe passage back, but until then, your banishment stands.”

Lonnie tried to stare Isabel down, but unlike their first encounter, she failed miserably. Instead she turned to the fathers. "Going to run us out of town, Five-Oh?"

“It’ll be our pleasure,” Jim replied, speaking for Charles and Phillip as well.

As soon as their ‘guests’ departed, Isabel turned to the others. “I think we should take tonight, if not the rest of the weekend, to think and talk about this,,,”

“I don’t need any time to decide,” Michael declared. “Good riddance.”

“I agree wholeheartedly,” Isabel said passionately. The Granolith doesn’t belong to us, especially if we’re not going back to our past lives, but it’s an important decision and it deserves careful consideration,,,”

“Fine, I’ll consider it, then tell you the same thing,” Michael said as he took Maria’s hand before heading up the ramp towards the entrance.

“Max?” Isabel asked.

“We have to remember how powerful it is,” Max said with concern. “We owe them to make sure we’re doing the right thing.”

“Ava?”

“Hey, this whole Royal Four Square thing is new to me,” Ava said nervously. “The biggest problems I’m used to are what I was going to eat, or where I was going to sleep. I don’t want to have any part of this.”

“Alex?” Isabel asked next.

“Not for me to say,” he answered.

“The Granolith has chosen you to be it’s keeper, and you were the first one of us to be able to communicate with it. You’re closer to it than any of us, so don’t for a moment think that you don’t have a say.”

“Okay then,” Alex replied levelly. “If we know it’s going to the right place I’d be happy to be rid of it, and Rath and Lonnie are welcome to go with it. I’ll feel a lot safer if they were gone.” He reached for her hand. “But this decision sounds irreversible. Are you going to be happy here?”

Isabel took one look into his eyes. “Yes. Lets go home.”

“Mom and Dad’s or Alex’s?” Max answered naively.

“Ours,” Isabel answered confidently while reaching for Alex’s hand. “I’ve got my rice-rocket and a Granolith enhanced radar detector that can see over the horizon. We’ll be in Albuquerque in just over two hours.”

**********
Later the following week Isabel found herself back at the Granolith chamber, her third such consolation in as many days. “Greetings Granolith,” Isabel intoned as entered.

“Greetings Isabel. Royal Four Square. Sister of Zan. Keeper of the Royal Seal of Antar. First in the line of succession to the Throne of Antar Prime and the Antarian Planetary Cluster. Wife of Alex. Have you rendered a decision to be related to the Council of Regents?”

“Yes. You will be returning to Antar and both Lonnie and Rath will be returning with you,,,”

“They understand the attended risk?”

“Yes. They have made their decision. I support it.”

“By your command.” The Granolith paused a moment, but when it saw that Isabel wasn’t moving to leave it asked, “My Lady, is there more?”

“No,” but before she could leave Isabel contradicted herself. “Chair!”

A chair silently arose from the floor, one of comfortable design, a design that had evolved over her last several visits. “I will miss your council,” Isabel said softly.

“As I will miss you.”

“How can that be so?” Isabel queried. Despite commanding the Granolith to make conversation easier by speaking of itself in the first person, it was still a machine.

“As I experience certain sensory input patterns, my mental pathways become accustomed to them. The inputs are anticipated and even missed when absent.”

“And I will miss your council. What news of Antar?”

“Conditions on Antar are tenuous at best. The Council of Regents is doing it’s best, but with a total lack of a leadership structure to provide for the needs of the populace their efforts are slow to roll back the effects of civil anarchy,,,”

“Tell me of this anarchy. There is nothing remaining of the old realm or of Kivar’s empire that can be used to serve the populace until a new government can be out into place?” What Isabel left unasked was if it would be helpful for her and the other Antarians to return.

“The conflict between the Royalist and Kivar has been going on for more than a half of an Earth’s century. There is only one person within the Royalist movement with any credibility,,,”

“Lord Larek?”

“Yes. Lord Larek,,,”

“And of Kivar’s people, can anyone be trusted? What of his successor? What kind of plans had he made for after the war?”

“Kivar was a tyrant, and like all tyrants he didn’t have a succession plan. He feared that any successor would think like he did, and as such may attempt to take over while he was still alive, so anyone who showed promise was eliminated before they could become a threat.”

“So it all depends on Larek. Is he up to the task?”

“He is old, he was your tutor in your early life at the palace after all, but there is no one on Antar as pure of heart and without self ambition as he. With the affirmation of the Council of Regents and the presence of the Granolith he will succeed.”

“Hence your return.”

“Yes, hence the return of the Granolith, the ancient artifact of the Architect of the Universe.”

“And what of us left behind? What of our families? What of those of us without powers to defend ourselves?”

“Kivar is dead. Nicholas is dead. We have detected no skin activity in almost a year. Charles and Alex have altered the governments records of your existence. The security perimeters around Roswell and Albuquerque are complete and the devices for Boston are ready for installation. The replicator devices I have provided for you will serve you for at least a decade before the orb powering it fails. In conclusion, presence or absence of the Granolith will not have a significant influence on your families safety.”

“And what of my children? Are they real,,, will they be real, or are they just a dream.”

“Your future is yet unwritten Lady Isabel, but I would never doubt your ability to get that which you most desire,,,”

“You don’t have any last minute advice?” Isabel asked nervously.

“Just that your children’s lives will easier and safer than yours,,,”

“How so?”

“They will be totally human,,,”

“Why!??” she demanded.

“There is no Gandarium to parse your Antarian and Human DNA, so your contribution to your children’s genetic make-up will be totally human. Now rest assured that they will be superior examples of the human race, but they will be human none the less.”

“No powers?”

“No powers.”

The moment she heard that her children would be different than she was, she thought that she would be upset, but instead she felt nothing but relief. Her children would be able to live without secrets and fear. They would be able to go to a doctor’s office, make friends, and do whatever they wanted to do with their lives. Instead of being upset, she was happy with the news. The next thought that came to her mind was that she wanted to share this news with Alex.

She bounded up and hopped from leg to leg, impatient to leave. “Anything else we need to know before we send you back?”

“I am assembling information that you may need or otherwise want to have. I will have an orb programmed for you when we are ready to leave.”

**********
Six Weeks Later
Isabel slowly walked through the house, performing her own security check before retiring for the evening. She was much happier then she had been for the past several days, having Alex home from a three day trip to Leprino’s two Lemoore California plants. Despite the fact that she had insisted that he go alone, leaving her behind to integrate Amy’s and Maria’s recent efforts into the now complete Aries database being created for Pangborn Industries, she hoped that the demands of their company didn’t cause them to separate too often.

Isabel finished her inspection of the first floor and climbed the stairs to the Aries suite, where she stood in the doorway analyzing the status LED’s on the various pieces of equipment, assuring herself that the UPS’s were fully charged and that the servers, firewalls and the Codex modems were functioning properly. Her duties complete and her families safety guaranteed for the night, she headed for her bedroom to which she had banished her husband after seeing how tired he had been when she picked him up at the airport.

Isabel confidently strode into their bedroom, shedding her clothing as she crossed the room without a bit of self consciousness. Leaving a trail of discarded garments on the bedroom floor, she stood naked next to the bed as she pulled down her side of the covers. In her mind lingerie was for lazing around the house and foreplay, when she was in bed with Alex nothing was going to come between them. Interestingly enough, if Alex had been awake, he would have commented on her newfound ability to control many of her compulsive behaviors, in this case how casually she treated her clothing at the end of her day.

Isabel settled into the bed with her back to Alex who, without waking fully, reached his arm around her. Feeling his slow gentle breath on her neck, she found another reason to love her new shorter hair. She pushed back against him while his hand instinctively snaked down to cup her breast and as soon as it was in place, she relaxed, holding his hand between herself and the bed, where it belonged.

Isabel gently entered Alex’s dream orb, careful not to disturb the scene that was already playing out in his mind. She found herself downstairs in their living room, not their current living room, but a room in the future where the coffee table had been pushed to the side and a newspaper had been abandoned in a messy pile on the floor. Having settled ‘Rion in his crib for the night, she settled on the arm of his recliner at the edge of her favorite oriental rug and watched as an epic battle of fart wrestling unfolded.

Alex broke free from Cassiopeia’s clutches and launched an attack on Andromeda. He pushed her down onto her back and then placed his mouth against her soft belly and blew a long sloppy raspberry. “Pffffffffttt.”

Andy giggled uproarishly as she flailed her arms and kicked her legs, struggling to escape her father’s clutches.

“I’ll rescue you,” Cassie cried as she attacked her father. She jumped on top of him, causing Alex to have to brace himself so as not to put too much weight on Andy. Alex listened to Andy’s giggles and detecting a note of breathlessness he decided that she had had enough, for the moment. He submitted to Cassie, allowing her to roll him onto his back, rescuing her sister. Fast as lightning, Cassie pushed the tail of his shirt to one side and laid a big sloppy raspberry on his belly. It didn’t count of course, both girls had to pin their father to win, same as the rules stated that in order for him to win he had to pin the both of them at the same time.

Andy leapt up and ran to Isabel. “Mommy, Mommy,” she cried out as she grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled her into the fray, “You got to help us with Daddy, he’s too big for us.”

“Okay,,,” Isabel said laughingly as she pulled her blouse out of her slacks and unfastened the bottom two buttons before tying her shirt tails into a large sloppy knot. “I’m ready.” She couldn’t play fart wrestling without having her belly available.

Alex worked his way out from under Cassie and attacked his wife. “Help me,,, Help me,,,” Isabel cried as she flailed happily. This caused both of the girls to charge in, rescuing their mom and starting an epic battle where no quarter was asked for and none given.

Minutes later Alex saw Cassie stifle a yawn while Isabel couldn’t hold back a smile as Andy struggled to keep her eyes open. With a wink to his wife, he allowed himself to be pinned. “Now!” Isabel cried, and with three sets of lips on Alex’s belly, he conceded defeat.

“Okay, time for bed,” Isabel instructed as Alex boasted of the horrible things that he would do to them next time. Cassie and Andy just giggled as they helped their mother restore the living room, having heard their father’s empty boasts many times before.

Isabel stepped close to her husband and gave him a chaste kiss of congratulations. “Tuck the girls in,” she
whispered, her breath hot on his cheek, “And I’ll be waiting for you.” ‘I’ll wear the red and black lace teddy I bought for our Houston trip,,,’ she added silently through their connection.

‘The one with the neckline that plunged down to your navel, and with the legs cut up past your hips? We wrecked that one,,,’

“You wrecked it you mean, if I remember right, and I’ll remember that night for the rest of my life. You tore it off me piece by piece with your teeth before you,,,’

‘And you saved the pieces?,,’

‘Pieces? Oh-no-you-silly-boy! After your,,, inspired,,, performance that night I fixed it. It’s good as new, in my treasure chest, right next to my First Time nightie, waiting for our next special occasion,,,’

‘And tonight is,,,’

‘Oh yea. Daddy’s been very good tonight,,,’

“Ride Daddy,” Andy pleaded, holding her arms up and breaking into their banter.

“Okay,” Alex replied softly as he bent and scooped up his daughter.

Cassie watched Andy’s face glow as she settled into her father’s hip, unable to totally keep the look of disappointment off her face that they were getting to big for him to carry them both. She was the oldest after all, and her parents had taught them to be responsible. She would sacrifice her ride for her little sister’s benefit.

Alex easily read Cassie’s look. “Daddy’s good for another ride,,,”

“No Daddy, I’m getting too big, and last time you bent to pick me up you almost couldn’t stand again,,,”

“That’s okay Princess, Daddy’s been working out. Besides, when you’re too big to carry together, Daddy’ll make two trips.”

“Wait Daddy!” Cassie cried out as she bounded up onto the couch before climbing up onto it’s arm. “You can pick me up without bending down! See!” As she settled on his hip she added, “I wuv you Daddy,” then with a wink to her sister they both leaned in and gave him a fart raspberry on his cheeks.

Alex’s heart overflowed as he carried his daughters to their room, tucked them in, and then read to them from the book The Princess Bride. Five pages later they were sound asleep. He returned the book to their nightstand, pulled their covers up, and kissed their cheeks. Hand on the switch, he hesitated at the door, not wanting to turn out the light on such an idyllic scene, but he did. The he headed down the hall towards his wife. Despite his love for his daughters, he loved Isabel more, for in addition to blessing him with a family that filled his heart to overflowing, she was a part of him.

**********
Graduation Eve
Isabel gently slipped from under Alex’s arm and turned to kiss him, adding a small burst of power to insure that he remained asleep. She crept to the dresser in her old room at her parents house, past the presentation materials that they needed for their meeting in Amarillo Texas the following morning, then quietly pulled on a pair of jeans and a warm sweater. Moments later she was in Alex’s PT Cruiser and was headed out of town.

Isabel parked next to the motorcycle on the edge of the bluffs overlooking the bends in the Pecos river, right where they had come so many times before in times or crisis, or whenever they needed a private place to talk. She wanted to catch up with Michael to tell him how proud of him she was for his decision to apply for the civil engineering program at the university, but as usual with Michael, he cut right to the chase. He didn’t even turn towards her, instead acknowledging her presence with a characteristic grunt.

“You felt it too, didn’t you?” she asked softly.

“Yea,” he replied as he finally turned to face her in the cold moonlight, “But I don’t have any idea what ‘it’ is.”

“They’re dead,” Isabel replied gently. “Lonnie and Rath. They were the last of their kind, but they still had parts of what made us, us. It’s only natural that we’d feel their passing.”

“The Granolith warned them that this could happen, that after so many years of fighting that they might not be accepted,,,”

“I don’t think so, I don’t think they died at the hands of our earlier selves. They weren’t the victims of violence,” Isabel tried to explain as she struggled to understand what her feelings were trying to tell her. “I think they could not adjust to Antar,,, The atmosphere or pressure or temperature,,, whatever. It feels like they went back to the wrong place, in the wrong time, in the wrong bodies.”

“Then it’s true. One can never go back.”

“Don’t you mean we can never go home again?”

“No!” Michael said emphatically, shaking his head. “I meant back to that place, the time of our former lives. Home is here. Home is with Maria. Home is here in Roswell with Amy and Jim, or with you and Alex in Albuquerque. Antar is someplace I would have loved to have seen, but I now I’m more sure than ever that it could have never been home.”

Isabel stepped into her brother’s arms, giving as well as taking comfort in his strong embrace. “Come on, lets go before our homes wake up and find us missing.”

END