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

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 23-B The Circle Grows
By Stargazer MD

Isabel loved her business development class. As one of New Mexico’s preeminent advance placement programs, it attracted Roswell’s best and brightest, and Isabel was by far and away it’s star performer.

“Miss Evans,” her teacher greeted.

“Señora Castillo,” Isabel replied with a smile.

“Please, have a seat.”

Isabel walked past her instructor’s desk and settled at the small conference table, opening her padfolio and preparing for her class.

“I hear congratulations are in order,” the instructor said with a smile as she settled at her side of the table.

“As usual you are very well informed,” Isabel replied with a genuine smile, despite a momentary flash of panic. Señora Castillo could not possibly know that she had practically destroyed a room at the Roswell Comfort Inn, and that her tool of destruction had been her new fiancé, Alex. Nor could her teacher know that by early Saturday morning, she had abused him to the point that she had to use her special ‘tickle’ to get him to a point of usefulness, let alone the fact that by noon of that same day she had exhausted all natural forms of seduction and simply zapped him into a state of readiness.

“May I?”

Isabel held out her hand and was surprised when Señora Castillo gently took her hand and lifted it for a closer look.

“As usual our young Mister Whitman has done an exceptional job,” she advised levelly as if she expected no less. “Radiant cut! I’m impressed. It seems our young titan of industry isn’t a slave to convention. One carat, the perfect size to highlight your sapphire side stones,” she added with a mischievous grin as she reached for a small loupe.

“Rosario!” Isabel exclaimed in shock, but in the same light hearted tone.

“Hush child,” Señora Castillo teased dismissively. “You would deny me this simple pleasure? How many times do you think I get to look at such a beautiful stone here in Roswell, let alone on the hand on one of my apprentices.”

“I should have never guessed,” Isabel teased as she slipped off the ring, eager for her mentor’s favorable opinion.

“Don’t let my humble appearances fool you,” Señora Castillo chastised as she flashed her own ring of delicately interwoven gold. “My ring has been in my husband’s family for generations, long before diamonds became popular. That doesn’t mean I don’t know my way around a little bobble like this.” She looked up in amazement. “My complements to your fiancé. This is an exceptional stone. Wonderful proportions. VS1 clarity. (Very Slightly Included, which means very slight flaws which are only visible under high magnification.) The last time I saw a student with an engagement ring it looked like a chip from a real diamond that had a sandbox inside of it. Platinum?” she asked as she handed the ring back.

“Do you really need to ask?” Isabel teased as she slid her ring back on, hesitating a moment to de-cloak the Antarian engraving on the inside of the band.

“Definitely platinum,” Señora Castillo intoned. “Sometimes a diamond picks up a yellow cast from a gold band, but this stone is totally colorless, so the platinum setting accentuates the sparkle and brilliance of the diamond.”

Isabel beamed at the approval of someone she respected, but moments later she was brought back to earth.

“Nina,” Senora Castillo asked warmly. “Surely you have these insured?”

Isabel’s eyes opened wide. “Oh my,,,” she gasped.

“The only reason I ask,,,” she hastened to add, “At such a moment, practicalities fly out the window.”

“I never even thought of it,,,”

“And Alex? Would have taken out a policy?”

“No. Details like this are my job, and besides, before we were together he insured his car through a search engine over the internet, I don’t think he would even know where to start,,,”

“You start with the best insurance agent in the city, especially now that the two of you are reaching a time in your lives where you already have way too much to loose.”

“I should have thought of this on my own,” Isabel pouted.

“Please, you have to leave us something to teach you,” she said with a smile before turning her attention to her call. “Señora Delgado-Castillo de Magliaro que llama para (calling for) Señor Alvarez, porfa vor.” Señora Castillo looked over to Isabel with a wide grin. “Quite a mouthful isn’t it, and that’s less than half of my full name. You should look into the meaning’s of our compound names Isabel, you’d be amazed at what you could find out.”

Isabel missed the hint that her mentor had served up on a silver platter as she listened in on the conversation. She thought it strange that despite her language skills, she had some trouble following the conversation, but her mind went totally blank when she picked up on two facts, that Señora Castillo was estimating the value of her ring at ten thousand dollars, and the value of her earrings at four thousand. (7850€ and 3150€ respectively)

“All set,” Señora Castillo said cheerfully as she folded her cell, catching her young charge touching her earrings. Unbeknownst to her, Isabel had used a minute burst of power to weld the jewelry’s backs to the posts. There was no way she was going to loose one due to a ‘jewelry malfunction.’

“At my request Señor Alvarez has activated a temporary rider on your victory spoils here. It will provide you with two weeks of protection allowing sufficient time for you set up more comprehensive coverage. During that time he will drop off a proposal at your father’s office for your consideration, which should you choose to pursue, you should call him to set up an interview where he will take care of everything.”

Isabel nevertheless rallied quickly. “Thank you,” she replied genuinely. “We’ll give his proposal our full attention, and I assure you that your recommendation carries a lot of weight.”

Señora Castillo simply smiled in response.

“There’s one thing I wanted to ask you though,” Isabel ventured tentatively. “I was unable to follow parts of your conversation. What were you speaking?”

Señora Castillo smiled, impressed that Isabel had noticed. “I was speaking Castilian. It’s a vernacular of Spanish, a more formal dialect that was brought to the new world by those who were involved in commerce and more importantly those employed by the government. Now-a-days, it’s a more proper and form of speech.”

“I never knew anyone who had a language named after them,” Isabel teased.

“I sorry to say I can’t take credit for that. My ancestors came from the Capital, or Castile, region of Spain. That’s where my familial name originated. Castilian Spanish got it’s name the same way, but enough of such unimportant things. Tell me, who proposed? Having been watching you these past several months I’m thinking that you would asked him the moment you were of age,” she teased with a rich smile on her face. “But how does that explain his having a ring?”

Isabel’s face glowed as she thought back to her party. “I may have given him some hint as to my desires,,,”

“That’s not the way I heard it,,,”

“It was Alex that proposed,” Isabel protested, wondering if Señora Castillo knew that last night she needed to insist that they stay in separate homes Sunday night in order for him to be even remotely functional this morning. “He had already asked for our parents blessing and had my father hide the ring,,,” Isabel’s face turned serious. “You know, I have to find out where he had it hidden. I don’t like it that Daddy’s developing the ability to keep things from me,,,” and with this declaration, the two women continued chatting for the rest of the period about important things, all matters of business forgotten.

**********
Later that afternoon, Alex poked his partner in the chest, “You ready for this?”

Michael poked him back, “I’m ready for this! Are you ready for this?”

“I was born ready for this,” Alex replied confidently. “Lets do it.”

“Just like we talked about.” Michael stealthily trotted to the corner of the old soap factory and then turned back to watch Alex climb into the building through a busted out window that had been missing since the night of the rave fire. Seeing that Alex was safely inside, he then climbed onto the loading dock and strutted through the door.

Rath was warming his hands over a trash fire that he had burning in an oil drum, while Lonnie was poking around the perimeter of the room gathering up several pieces of old furniture that they could use to make their hide-hole a little more comfortable. Rath, sensing company, turned and instinctively raised his hand towards the loading dock door.

Michael saw Rath raise his hand, giving him just enough time to raise his own hand and build a charge. Michael watched as if in slow motion as Rath’s charge approached. It looked like a living thing, seething and boiling with white hot power as it grew in size the closer it got. The blast struck Michael squarely in the chest, then nothing.

Rath was not so lucky. Michael had been spending a lot of time in the desert developing and sharpening his spatial skills, allowing him to regain his rightful position as the warrior of the group. His blast also hit Rath full in the chest, but Michael’s blast had the effect of blowing Rath back across the room and into the wall behind.

Lonnie missed the first blast, but she was in the right position to see the effect of the second. She saw her pod mate go down and stay down. She raised her hand and built a charge as she turned to face Michael.

The near silence of the room was rent as the staccato pops from Alex’s pistol was followed by the tinny sound of the spent 9mm parabellum cartridges bounced on the hard concrete floor.

Lonnie turned to face this new threat as she raised her hand to her jaw line. “Opie?” she gasped as she found twin streaks of blood on her fingertips. Lonnie’s spiky hair grew out and snaked down her neck, landing in waves around her shoulders. Her piercing melted as her tattoos faded, which were quickly covered as her leather vest morphed into a button down blouse. “Alex,” Isabel’s voice implored, “What are you trying to do, kill me?”

”Don’t think I’m going to fall for that Lonnie,” Alex related coldly. “If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead right now. I can feel the difference between the two of you. You’ll never be able to fake the warmth in her heart.”

“You’ve got to try, don’t you?” Michael taunted as he watched Rath try to angle his hand for another shot. “Do what you feel you have to, but know this, I’m going to hurt you.”

“What’s Opie doing here?” Lonnie demanded of Michael as she morphed back to her natural state, her ploy ineffective. “This should just be between us.”

“Don’t talk to me,” Michael answered levelly. “His old lady’s the queen, talk to him.”

“Opie,,,” Lonnie gasped, while Rath chose Michael’s momentary inattention as an opportunity to attack. His blast struck Michael square in the chest, again with no effect.

“Ahh, ahh, ahh,” Alex warned while shaking his head at Lonnie, warning her to stay out of the battle. Meanwhile Michael slowly took deliberate aim at Rath, watching the panic building in his dupe’s eyes before blasting him again.

Alex kept his weapon aimed at Lonnie while he watched Rath out of the corner of his eye. “I figure you have a couple of broken ribs and some internal bleeding Rath,” he advised analytically. “I suggest you stay down.”

“Isabel has the seal,,,” Michael started to explain.

“Isabel!” Lonnie gasped.

“Yea, Isabel,” Michael repeated merrily. “Now imagine Isabel’s stubbornness, Vilandra’s temper, and your duplicity, all in one package.”

“I wouldn’t cross her if I were you,” Alex added.

Lonnie’s face looked as if her whole world had just imploded.

Michael looked over to his friend, and noticing a new feature on his shoulder, he decided to ramp up the rhetoric. “Alex decoded the destiny book and has become the Keeper of the Granolith, and as Isabel’s mate he has his own game going.” Addressing Alex he commanded, “Lower your left arm a bit. Show Lonnie your stuff.”

Alex didn’t know what Michael was referring to, but complied none the less. Keeping his weapon trained on Lonnie, he changed his stance slightly, revealing his left shoulder where the Royal Seal of Antar glowed brightly. This seal was not solid like Isabel’s, depicting his lower station, but comprised of five white rings arranged in the classic ‘Vee” formation, the center of the rings as black as the darkest night.

“So here’s the way it’s going to be,,,” Alex commanded.

Rath climbed to his feet and stood rather unsteadily. Seeing Michael point towards his partner, he too turned his attention to Alex.

“You destroyed your four square when you killed Zan, and we lost Tess,” Alex explained slowly, as if talking to a small child. “So although we have the Granolith, it can’t be accessed without an intact four square. That means you’re not going anywhere, and as a result, there is no purpose for your coming here ever again.”

Rath spat a glob of bloody phlegm onto the floor. “No one tells us where we can and can’t go.”

“You want to go another round?” Michael challenged. “I’m feeling fine. In fact I could go all day, but you don’t look so hot.”

“The next time you step foot in New Mexico you will die,” Alex stated coldly. “This is our home, our safe haven, and we will not let you violate it.”

“And us?” Lonnie spat out. “We get nothing?”

“You get New York,” Michael conceded. “We have no need to go there.”


“That went well,” Alex muttered as they drove back to town.

“Actually,” Michael teased, “You’re not done yet. Now you have to go tell Isabel that you put yourself in danger,,,”

“I’ll tell her something,,,”

“You’re not going to lie to Isabel,” Michael teased. “You’re such a fracking boy scout you couldn’t even lie to Lonnie and Rath,,,”

“I wasn’t lying. They will die before I let them come anywhere near Isabel, or any of the girls for that matter.” Seeing Michael sitting there with a smug look on his face he launched his own salvo, “You think Maria’s not going to be pissed?”

“I’m not that worried,” Michael teased. “Maria’s going to blow like a volcano, until I get my lips on her. While she’s quick to anger, she’s just as quick to forgive. My sister on the other hand,,,”

“You mean the sister you called stubborn?”

“Aw crap,” Michael exclaimed. “I forgot about that. We’re both fracked.”

**********
Gloria looked over at Lisa, her co-worker who had been nice enough to offer her a ride home. “So as far as I’m concerned, the Saturn’s a piece of crap. Charles got it for me because the Volvo was getting old, but from the day we brought it home, it’s been in and out of the shop. Meanwhile Alex and Isabel have been driving my old car everywhere, and it keeps going strong.”

“Now Isabel, she’s Alex’s fiancé?”

“For the moment,” Gloria replied laughingly. “I don’t know how long she’s going to be satisfied with just being engaged.”

“I don’t know why they’re always in such a hurry to grow up,” Lisa agreed sympathetically as she rolled to a stop.

Gloria wasn’t really listening as she noticed the aforementioned Volvo cross through the intersection and turn into Planet Storage. “Lisa, do me a favor and pull into Rocket Fuels a moment, won’t you?”

“You need something?”

“Not really,,, No, no, to the left. Park right here inside the curb,” Gloria instructed instinctively. “Stop!”

“Okay,,,” Lisa answered skeptically as she watched her friend stare out the windshield. “And we’re?”

“That’s my Volvo,” Gloria explained, “And that’s Isabel, my future daughter-in-law, who’s unloading packages into a storage bin that I know nothing about.” She gathered her purse and opened the side door. “I think it’s time for me to have a look at the inside of Isabel’s hope chest.”

“Do you want me to wait?” Lisa asked.

“No,” Gloria replied confidently as she paused outside the drivers side door. “That’s my car over there. If Isabel has a problem with me sticking my nose into her business, she can walk home. She’s young.”


“Is there something you want to tell me?” Gloria asked softly.

‘No,,, It can’t be,,,’ Isabel thought as she turned slowly. Her eyes opened as wide as saucers as she found her worse nightmare standing in front of her.

“Isabel?”

Isabel was speechless as Gloria looked past her, inspecting the nearly full locker.

“Okay then,,,” Gloria said with a chilling smile. “We’ll do this on my home turf. Keys!” she demanded as she held out her hand. “Lock that up and get in,” she commanded before moving around and climbing in behind the wheel.

**********
Across town Alex looked at Mr. Parker in surprise as he and Michael sipped on mild restoratives. “You’re going to the Fire Fighter’s Ball?”

“You sound shocked?” Jeff replied.

“Well,,, Yea,” Alex stammered. “How’d you get involved?”

“Alex!” Maria cried out in alarm as she slapped him in the shoulder. “How rude!”

“That didn’t come out right,,,” Alex stammered to the man who had been like a second father to him since childhood.

“Alex, I got my invite the old fashioned way, I wrote them a check,” Jeff answered. “This is a fundraiser after all. They’re raising money to buy a heat imaging camera, and having had a fire in the grill’s exhaust fan a few years ago, I figured it was a worthwhile investment.”

**********
Gloria put a mug of tea in front of Isabel before sitting down opposite her. “Isabel, you have a problem.”

“I don’t have a problem,” Isabel replied, but the cracking in her voice betrayed her.

“If you don’t have a problem, would you mind telling me why I caught me standing in front of a storage bin full of wrapped Christmas presents?”

“It’s not what you’re thinking,,,”

“Isabel, I know you love Alex and your family, but don’t you think you’re out of control?” Gloria asked gently. “Renting a storage locker so you can hide Alex’s presents?”

“It’s not my locker, Alex had to rent it for me because I was underage when I needed it.”

“You mean Alex knows about this?” Gloria stammered.

“He helped me pick out a lot of the presents,” Isabel continued, her confidence building. “He even helped me wrap some of them,” she added with a smile. “You taught him well, I only had to re-wrap eleven that he did.” Seeing the look of confusion on the older woman’s face, she started to explain. “This is the first year I’ve had more than what I could earn working for my father, I mean, I could take care of myself, my clothing and school needs, but there was never enough,,,”

“For Alex?”

“For the orphanage, I’ve never been able to do right by them,,, What I really needed,,,”

“Now don’t say that,” Gloria implored. “I don’t think anyone’s done more,,,”

“You know we were found in the desert,” Isabel explained, turning her thoughts inward, almost as if she were talking to herself, “We didn’t know who we were or where we came from.”

Gloria slowly wrapped her hands around her mug, careful to not interrupt her young charge.

“Mom and Dad chose the day they found us in the desert, October twenty-fifth, as my birthday, and the day they were allowed to bring us home for good, March thirty-first as Max’s birthday. As a result, we spent our first Christmas in the orphanage. We didn’t really know what was going on, but I’ll always remember that Christmas, the bright lights, the music, the special foods, and the presents.”

Gloria couldn’t help herself. She reached out and took Isabel’s hands in her own.

“I received a doll and a blouse that Christmas,” Isabel continued, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “I didn’t know that both the generic Barbie doll and my shirt had been bought in bulk, but many of the others did. The boys all got the same toy dump truck. Everyone on the staff at Casa Maria did the best that they could with what they had, but,,,” she declared as she took Gloria’s hands in her own.

“I have been blessed,” Isabel declared, her blossoming smile making her face glow. “I have so much to be thankful for. Alex, Max, my Mom and Dad, You and Charles. Now it’s time to give back, to share my good fortune with the children who are still there.”

Isabel’s smile faded a bit as uncertainty crept back into her voice. “Those gifts are for the children. There’s a toy or a game for each one of them. I selected every gift individually with help from Alex and the staff. There’s an outfit for every child, no two of them the same, along with a set of underwear and a nighty for every girl, not a Fruit-of-the-Loom in the bunch,,,” Isabel’s fears soared as Gloria pulled her hands away, only to have her feelings turn one hundred eighty degrees as she found herself swept up into her future mother-in-laws loving arms. Overwhelmed, she finally felt safe enough to let go of her fears and let her tears flow freely.

After a minute or two, Gloria started to realize that something was wrong, well something more wrong than her stumbling on one of Isabel’s secrets. “Isabel,” Gloria probed softly. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Isabel pulled back, and seeing nothing in Gloria’s eyes but caring and concern, she decided to open up even more. She sat down and took a deep breath, waiting for Gloria to sit also. “On a related topic, I’m in over my head with the Christmas Pageant,” Isabel announced in a rush. “You remember the kitchen fire they had at the community center? Well Mrs. Seymour told me that since the city is self insured, they won’t have any repair money until the next budget cycle, which doesn’t start until June first. The Crashdown is too small for their banquet and party, I checked with Bobby Cotton out at the Summer Haven Country Club and he’s booked solid, and the school board turned down my request to use one of their buildings,,,”

“They can’t turn you down,” Gloria exclaimed. “Don’t they realize you’re doing this for the orphanage?”

“Due to the intrinsically religious overtones involved in a holiday pageant, the school board feel compelled to deny my request,” Isabel snapped. “I’m going on the assumption that we’ll have to hold it at the orphanage, but I so want to give those poor children a day out in the community just like everyone else.” Hearing no response to her confession, Isabel looked up to see that although she looked lost in thought, Gloria’s had a smile on her face.

“Do you know the greatest untold advantage a military officer has?” Gloria asked kindly. “A military wife,” she answered without pause. “A good wife can make her husbands career by supporting him in a hundred little ways, from making sure his uniforms are always perfect to keeping his ‘go’ bag ready with just a moments notice, not to mention working her network of the wives of the other officers who have influence over his career. Oh it’s changed a little over the past several years as more and more women have advanced in the ranks, but some things never change. You make the mistake of choosing a no class wife who gets a little too slutty at the officers club while you’re gone on T.D.Y, (temporary duty assignment) causing discontent within the community, and you’ll find yourself in Tulle Greenland counting polar bear shit so fast you won’t know what hit you.”

Isabel smiled at Gloria’s rather earthy description of her former career but couldn’t help asking, “I would love to sit down and learn more about your time in the Air Force, especially how it shaped Alex’s earlier years, but what does that have to do with my current problem?”

“Well,” Gloria drawled out, prolonging the moment, “Charles, as a retired officer, is a member of the veteran’s organizations in town. In fact he’s the a Past Commander of the American Legion and he’s currently the Adjutant of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post,,,”

“And they have function halls!” Isabel concluded excitedly.

“When are you doing the party?” Gloria asked, happy to see Isabel’s countenance move towards normal.

“Well, the pageant’s already on for the weekend of December fifteenth, and the children’s party is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.”

“Sunday? That makes it easy,” Gloria gushed. “Both halls are undoubtedly booked for Friday and Saturday nights, but no one holds their company party on Sunday, and the V.F.W. hall on Perdue Drive has that hill across the street where the kids could go sliding if it snows. (AN: As hinted at in the show, Roswell averages 8” (2 cm) of snow per year.) In fact, depending on who has it rented for the night before, I bet we could get the hall already decorated,,,”

“You can do this?” Isabel interrupted excitedly.

Gloria stood only to be slammed by one of Isabel’s special flying hugs, albeit one without quite the force that her son was routinely subjected to. “Why don’t you go home, I believe if I understand your schedule Alex is there waiting for you, and hand him your brush. In the mean time let me get on the phone.”

“Oh I can’t thank you enough, You’re one in a million,” Isabel gushed as she kissed Gloria’s cheek. “I love you, she exclaimed as she practically bounded for the door.

“I am one in a million,” Gloria repeated softly as she grabbed her day planner and phone before settling at the table. “It’s about time you realized that.” But her flippant comment was nothing in comparison to the look of determination on her face. This was the first time that Isabel had opened up to her and asked for help, and by God, she would deliver a function hall, decorated and ready to go, even if she had to build one from scratch.

TBC

[Stargazer md]

I have photos of Isabel:
Wearing her floating heart,
Her engagement ring,
Her earrings,
and her wedding dress from the "Seekers."

One of these days i'll get around to setting up a web
site and posting them.

In the mean time, feel free to e-mail me,
and I will send them to you.
pdyernh@comcast.net

WOW,,, 3,000 plus reads,,,
thanks one and all!

Starry
Paul

[AlexanderPhoenix]

Photobucket.com, it's not much of a site but at least it'll hold up to 25mb(?) of photos for you and people can view them.

[AlexanderPhoenix]

Did I miss something, how did Michael and Alex know Lonnie and Rath were at the soap factory? Either way this entire scene was way cool. I love the interaction between the characters, you can feel the tension in the air. The fight scene with Rath and Michael, lol that rocked. I really think Michael enjoyed it, finally becoming the warrior he was cloned to be. It'd be nice to see more of the past brought into the future like today.

As for the Isabel and Gloria, that was great too. It was funny starting out, Gloria catching Isabel and the way she reacted, then towards the end how Isabel opened up that was really good, not oftened do you see that. I actually thought Gloria was gonna run into Lonnie, that would have made for an interesting chapter. You should keep those two around, they make things a bit more interesting.

[KaraGail]

Isabel replied with a genuine smile, despite a momentary flash of panic. Señora Castillo could not possibly know that she had practically destroyed a room at the Roswell Comfort Inn, and that her tool of destruction had been her new fiancé, Alex. Nor could her teacher know that by early Saturday morning, she had abused him to the point that she had to use her special ‘tickle’ to get him to a point of usefulness, let alone the fact that by noon of that same day she had exhausted all natural forms of seduction and simply zapped him into a state of readiness.

I always find myself laughing so hard at these mental thoughts that Isabel has. : I love that she finally "wrecks a bed" with Alex literally!!

This was such a great part and I really liked how Isabel and Alex are stock piling the storage unit for the Orphanage. I always thought that Isabel participated in all the events during Christmas was because of her days in a home with no parents :

I can't wait for more! Especially the Fireman's ball. Sounds like the department has something special in store for Alex. Plus Isabel will get to see him in a dress uniform!! Oh let the fantasies begin....

Kara

[incognito-sticks]

EXCELLENT UPDATE.

I loved it fromthe beginning all the way to the end!!!

Especially Isabel having a tempary panic attack when she thought her teacher knew about her "insatiable bed room antics". Typical Isabel always over re-acting or worrying about something.

But what really got the heart strings going was the moment between Isabel and Gloria i just love there interactions and if Gloria is the one to find out about izzy's "other worldly" DNA i hope she still treats isabel the same. im sure she will.

but this is roswell fanfiction and ANYTHING could happen!

[Velvet Skye]

And if she doesn't, although these are fictional characters, I will find a way to transform myself into Fanfiction people and come MAKE her accept Isabel.

Well you'd have to write that LOL

But refardless it was awesome as always and of course Gloria will think none the less of her future Daughter in law, she'll just love her all the more. (not to mention have a bit more understanding. LOL)

And yes, back a part or so I saw that mention of the stop they would be making at Rhonda's shop. Thanks, was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten me, haven't heard from you in so long LOL

You'd better write that in you know, LOL... loving the quick updates, only wish there was writing time in my life, but thre is hardly computer time at that.

Rhonda

[KarenEvans]

Lovely update Paul.
I was laughing when Isabel had a momentary panic attack when she thought her mentor had an inkling of her wild bed breaking/room destroying nightly activites :
Loved the talk between Isabel and Gloria.
Waiting to see those pics you have of her.

[Pooh]

Bump, missing you and this story

[Chelbert]

Now what I actually would like to see is that scene in the hotel room...How could you deny us that moment lol I can't believe Isabel actually had to zap Alex into submission lol

[KaraGail]

Okay..I am officially bummed :? I was so excited about there being a new post..

Oh, well...

Come back soon :

Kara

[Stargazer md]

Sorry,
I guess that personal blue screen message from bill gates hit before the upload.

See below.

P

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 23-C The Circle Grows
By Stargazer MD

“Dude,” (Pronounced as ‘I need to talk to you.’) Steve Lydick called out as he saw Kyle headed for the quad.

“Dude.” (Pronounced as ‘What’s up?’) Kyle replied, indicating the patch of lawn just outside the door.

“Dude!” (Pronounced as ‘I’ve got something serious to say.’)

“Dude?” (Pronounced as ‘What’s wrong?’)

“Dude,” (Pronounced as ‘You got to help me, brother.’) “You need to do something about Ava!”

“Dude?” (Pronounced as ‘What the frack are you talking about?’)

“Dude,” (Pronounced as ‘Do I have to explain everything to you?’) “She’s giving Vicki ideas.”

“Dude?” (Pronounced as ‘I still don’t know what the frack you’re talking about.’)

“Dude,” (Pronounced as ‘You dumb bastard.’) “Okay, here’s the four-one-one. Forth period study hall, Vicki comes up to me and ask me if I’m up for a quickie before she meets with the cheerleaders for lunch. Well, you know me, I’m always up for a quickie,,,”

“Dude!” (Pronounced as ‘Goal!’) Kyle exclaims as he throws his hand up for a high-five.

“Dude!” (Pronounced as ‘You’re a dumber bastard than I thought.’) Steve snapped, ignoring Kyle’s gesture.

“Dude?” (Pronounced as ‘What the frack just happened here?’)

“Dude,” (Pronounced as ‘If you tell anyone this I’ll kill you.’) “She wanted me to eat,,, quiche.”

“Dude,” (Pronounced as ‘I don’t believe I have to explain this to you, you simpleton son-of-a-bitch.’) “Real men eat quiche.”

“Dude?” (Pronounced as ‘What the frack’s the matter with you, have you been playing football without a helmet?’) “Just quiche! Nothing else! I’m a guy, I need more than,,, quiche. It’s not very,,, filling.”

“Dude?” (Pronounced as ‘You miserable bastard, I’d feel sorry for you if you weren’t so dumb.’) “You didn’t tell her that, did you?”

“Dude!” (Pronounced as, ‘What the frack do you think I’m as numb as a pounded thumb?’) “She went away happy,” Steve pouted.

“Dude,” (Pronounced as, ‘Then what the frack are you bothering me for, my mashed potatoes are skinning over.’) “Buddha says, ‘The oxen are slow, but the Earth is patient.’ ”

“Dude!” (Pronounced as ‘What the frack is that supposed to mean? Is your whole family fracked, or were you dropped on your head at birth?’) “What the frack is that supposed to mean? Is your whole family fracked, or were you dripped on your head at birth?”

“Dude,,,” (Pronounced as ‘Unenlightened peasant, this is going to take a while.’) But before he could enlighten his friend, Steve had turned his attention elsewhere.

“Dude!” (Pronounced as ‘Come rescue me from this clueless bastard.’) Steve shouted, waving Alex over.

“Gentlemen,” (Pronounced as ‘What the hell are two jocks talking to me for?) Alex replied in greeting as he paused just outside the door, clearly impatient to be elsewhere.

“Dude?” (Pronounced as ‘What the frack? You’re asking Alex about girls? He’s only dated one girl in his entire life! I’ve been out with almost every girl in our school and half of the girls over at Goddard!’)

“Dude!” (Pronounced as ‘What are you, fracking nuts? That one girl is Isabel Evans, and not that I was looking, but did you see his back Monday morning after her party? He has three bite marks on his shoulder and his back’s ripped to shit with nail marks.’)

“Dude,,,” (Pronounced as ‘Help me Alex, you’re my only hope.’) Steve implored.

“Dude,” (Pronounced as ‘Hang onto your ass, you’re not going to believe this.’) Kyle interrupted. “Vicki wants Steve to eat quiche.”

“I love quiche,” Alex answered happily. “Liz and Maria turned me on to quiche years ago,,,”

“Dude!” (Pronounced alternately as ‘My Hero!’ and ‘I’m going to be sick.’)

“In fact my favorite quiche is Miss Amy’s,,,”

“Dude!” (Pronounced alternately as ‘Wait until I tell the whole school,’ and ‘Wait until I tell my Dad, he’s going to kill you.’)

“She adds a little bacon grease,,,”

“Dude!” (Pronounced by both parties as ‘You sick rat-bastard.’)

“I know that’s not healthy, but considering you’re already eating a mixture of heavy cream and eggs, what harm can a little bit of pan drippings do?”

“Dude?” (Pronounced as ‘eggs?’)

Alex realized something was wrong. “We’re not really talking about quiche here, are we?”

“”Dude,” (Pronounced as ‘I’m not making myself clear.’) “Vicki wanted me to eat quiche. Not as an appetizer, just quiche.”

Suddenly light dawned on Marblehead as Alex understood what was being said as well as what wasn’t. “Tell me you dived right in. Tell me that you told her it was the best quiche you ever had, that you would die without it.”

“Dude.” (Pronounced as ‘Sure I told her that, I’m not stupid.’)

“Then you have nothing to worry about,” Alex answered, relief evident in his voice. “Vicki is one of the nicest, most giving people I know, and if she only gave you a snack, maybe it was because she was all torqued up about schoolwork or she’s testing you. At any rate, you passed, and it’s been my experience that when you treat your girlfriend as if your entire world revolves around them, and nothing is about us, they go out of their way to make sure that we’re taken care of.” Alex stood upright, ready to depart. “At any rate, I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”

“Dude!” (Pronounced as ‘You’re my God!’) Steve exclaimed.

“Dude.” (Pronounced as ‘I know that’s the word but I don’t have any way to pronounce it.’) Alex replied as he turned and headed for Isabel’s table. Moments later he settled next to Isabel, aware that half of the students in the quad were watching him. “Izzy, you’re going to have to stop sending me to school marked up,” he said softly.

“Why” Isabel replied while munching on her salad, his request so ludicrous that she almost didn’t answer. “I’m proud of you, Sweetie,” she answered breathlessly as she opened his collar before giving him a brief yet nevertheless passionate kiss. “You can’t blame me for wanting to mark my territory.”

”Izzy,” Alex sighed, switching to their more intimate form of communication. “You know nothing makes me more happy than making you happy, but the looks I’m getting lately,,,”

“What kind of looks?” she demanded as she scanned the Quad with a furrowed brow, looking for trouble.

“You know the look you get just before opening a new Cosmo? That look.”

“Oh,” she relented as she slapped his hand away from his chest before he could scratch. “Maybe it’s time for me to put a different mark on you then.”

‘Oh great,’ Alex gasped with a thought he was careful to keep to himself, especially as Kyle settled next to him.

“Dude,” Kyle said in greeting as his gaze locked on the entrance to the Quad. The rest of the group turned and watched Ava approach.

“What?” she demanded defensively. “Never seen a cheerleader before?”

Kyle continued to stare at the vast expanse of thigh that her short skirt exposed, a sight only rivaled by the several inches of hard flat stomach that her brief top left uncovered. “Cheerleader?” he asked, his mind in a fog.

“Yes, a cheerleader,” she answered with a smile finding that her outfit was having her desired effect. “My boyfriend’s a jock, my friends,,,” She blushed briefly at her faux-pas as she quickly glanced around the table, “My other friends, are all jocks and cheerleaders, why not me?”

Michael couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease, “Because the moment you start ditty-bopping around on the sidelines, Ace here will turn into a blithering idiot and throw the game.”

“Hey,” Kyle protested as he took a moment to wipe his chin.

“See?”

“Ditty-bopping?” Maria asked quietly.

“I’ve been reading a lot of Viet Nam era stuff lately,” Michael answered.

“I used to be famous for my back flips,,,” Isabel added encouragingly.

“But she had to give it up,” Alex deadpanned. “She got so tall her legs took five minutes to caught up with the rest of her.”

“Hey!” Isabel protested as she slapped his shoulder gently, happy that he felt comfortable enough to joke at her expense.

“Well, I’m done here,” Kyle stated as he stuffed his unfinished lunch back into it’s bag. “Time to see what kind of underwear you can fit under that uniform. Can’t be much,,,”

“Nope!” Ava commanded. “No panty time for you,,,”

“Hey, we have an agreement. As long as you have the only goodies I get to play with, I get to play with them when ever I want to,,,”

“What agreement? You’re still cut off for peeing in the kitchen sink,,,”

“Well if you weren’t hogging the bathroom,,,”

Ignoring her clueless boyfriend, Ava turned to the only other cheerleader at the table. “Isabel, did you used to do this?” she asked as she lifted her left leg and tucked her knee in behind her left ear. “It’s called a bow and arrow.”

“No,” she laughingly replied as she watched Kyle’s reaction to the sight of the tiny crotch of Ava’s panties just inches from his face.

“How long can you hold that position?”

“Longer than you can last,” Ava flirted, “Especially if I have a strong shoulder to rest my leg on.”

“So, what is our agreement then?” Kyle stammered.

“You agree that I am the only one of us that gets to make any rules, and that I get to change them or cancel them whenever it pleases me. You agree that I get to do whatever I want to do, whenever I want to do it. And you agree that I alone am in control of my goodies, despite my planned generosity in sharing them with you. Lastly, you agree that whenever you are granted the supreme privilege of playing with my fun places, you will remain cognizant of the fact that there are two people in the toy box.”

“Huh?” Kyle replied distractedly, her arousal readily apparent at such close range. “Okay.”

“Good!” Ava smiled as she lowered her leg. “And as long as we understand each other,,,” she grabbed his hand, dragging him from the table.

“What a wus,” Michael taunted under his breath.

Hearing him, Maria turned her full attention on him. “Michael, would you please get me a water?”

“Men,” Liz said dismissively as she watched Michael grumble before getting up and head for the vending machines. “They’re as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.”

”Izzy, about that bow and arrow,,,”

“I was thinking the same thing,” she replied as she gathered the remains of their meal. “And I still have my junior high cheerleading uniform. It’s a little small, doesn’t cover as much as it used to,,,”

**********
“It cost three dollars to use in this playground Twerp, pay up.”

“I don’t have three dollars, and I wouldn’t give them to you if I did,” the smaller boy spat out defiantly.

“Malamoot, you booger eater,” Rion’s tiny blond friend interjected. “Go pick on someone your own size.”

“Stay out of this Freakoid,” the junior Malamoot commanded as he pushed her down.

“No one picks on Michelle!” Rion shouted as he leapt to his cousin’s defense, getting into the bully’s face.

“Give me your lunch money,” Malamoot shouted.

“He doesn’t have any money, you big ape,” Michelle interjected as she kicked the much bigger boy in the shin. “Hot lunch is on a smart card now.”

Malamoot roared as be bent over, hopping on one leg while rubbing his other. “You’re in big trouble now,,,”

“Rion’s mommy taught him to always be good and to play fair,” Michelle said sweetly. “My mommy taught me that the bigger they are,,,” she snarled as she wound up to kick him in the other shin. “The harder they fall.”

Rion stopped Michelle before she could act. “You’re right about my mommy, but she doesn’t know what Daddy taught me,” he added as he socked Malamoot right in the jaw, knocking the bigger kid on his ass.

“You’re dead,” Malamoot hissed as he struggled to his feet.

“Why don’t you say that a little louder so his sisters can hear you,” Michelle taunted as she pointed to the sidewalk where the older kids were just climbing off the bus.

“Aagghh,” Malamoot squealed as he turned and started running.

“You better run!” Andy shouted as she came to her family’s rescue.

“Are you alright?” Cassie asked as she knelt in front of Michelle. Receiving a nod in the affirmative she probed, “No powers, right?”

Michelle shook her head solemnly. “I don’t need no powers. Not when Rion’s here to protect me.”

“Orion Whitman,” Andy commanded in her best ice princess voice, “What did Mom tell you about fighting?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he answered defiantly. “No one hits Michelle.”

Michelle pushed Cassie aside to stand by Rion. “He’s my hero,” she gushed as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.”

“Ewww! What you do that for?” he demanded.

“You’re just like Daddy. He gets all icky when Mommy kisses him too, but when she isn’t looking he smiles and winks at me.”

“Well you don’t see me smiling,” Rion pouted as he nevertheless took her hand and led her out towards the sidewalk, now that the older girls were there to watch over them until the parents got home.

“Are you going to tell Mom he hit Malamoot?” Cassie asked Andy as they fell into step behind their young charges.

“And incur the wrath of Michelle? Are you kidding?”

“Andy, she’s eleven years old,,,”

“She’s a Deluca,,,”

“No she’s not. She’s a Guerin.”

“Not where it counts Cassie, not where it counts.”

When Diane got up for her midnight walk of the house, she was surprised to find Isabel sitting on the edge of Alex’s bed, gently rubbing his shoulder as he slept. With her eyes arched in question, she waited for her daughter to explain.

Isabel leaned over and gently kissed Diane’s cheek before preceding her down to the kitchen. As their tea seeped, she tried to explain. “His dream was so intense that I picked up on it, and I was worried for him.”

“Was it a bad dream?” Diane asked with concern.

“Not really,” Isabel answered with a smile. “We met your future grandson, Orion.”

“You’re going to give me a grandson?” Diane exclaimed happily.

“I don’t know Mom,” Isabel; answered wishfully. “I don’t know if his dreams are a simple fantasy or some kind of premonition. If it’s worth anything though, he only has them after spending an evening with Liz, and this does seem to be her strong suit.”

“Well, I’m going to start knitting,” Diane decided.

“Knitting?” Isabel gasped.

“Knitting. If I’m going to be a grandmother, I’m going to have to learn to knit.”

**********
“We have been a little concerned,” Alex led off hesitantly. “It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve heard from you.”

“Will Mike Stamford be joining us?” Isabel asked as she awaited Patty’s reaction.

“Mike is no longer with the company,” Patty answered levelly.

“What?” gasped Alex in astonishment.

“Mike Stamford is no longer employed by Leprino Foods,” Patty repeated, carefully annunciating each syllable distinctly.

Receiving the unspoken message loud and clear, Isabel placed a restraining hand over her Alex’s. “And you asked us here,,,” Isabel ventured carefully.

“I was at the meeting where Aries informed Leprino that you were declining our offer to cover the cost of the PeopleSoft software that was inadvertently left out of our initial purchase order,” Patty led off.

“Yes,” Isabel answered carefully. “That’s the meeting we met at.”

“Would it surprise you to know that due to an accounting error an expense request was misrouted to my desk for that very software?”

“What?” Isabel shrieked as she felt her face flushed. “I assure you, we never invoiced you for that software,,,” A thought crossed her mind, causing her to turn to her partner, “Alex?”

Alex’s brows shot up as he held up his hands up defensively. “Not me!”

“Patty,” Isabel implored. “I give you my word,,,”

“Isabel, relax,” Patty commanded with a tight smile on her face. “I thought there was something hinkey about how the requisition was handled, and when I traced the payment we found the funds had been routed to an account where they shouldn’t have been.”

“So you’re alright with us?” Isabel asked doubtfully.

“Yes, although I’m also encouraged by your reaction. Watching Isabel’s face grow cold she hastened to explain. “Surely you can understand that we had to put the project on hold while we sorted out this impropriety,,,”

“Yes we understand,” Alex answered calmly as he covered his mate’s hand with his own, calming her. “But you must understand that we have an agreement, and we are eager to get back on track.”

“Good,” Patty declared as she stood. “I need you at out headquarters next Friday to discuss the time table for the rest of the project. She smiled as she held open the door while her guest exited. With any amount of luck she could get this project back on track, in fulfillment of her promise to the general manager of the Roswell plant, Mr. Magliaro. Her future at Leprino depended on this, as everyone knew that Mike Magliaro was well connected with the Leprino family and was in fact in line for the next Vice-President’s position, and while bringing home his pet project may not guarantee her a promotion, she already knew what failure would cost her.

**********
Gloria looked across the table, “Well, all in all I guess it’s been a good week.”

“What makes you say that?” Diane teased.

“Because we’re drinking wine,” Gloria teased. “If she had had a bad week, I’d be swilling high-ball’s by now.”

“I would have given anything to have seen the look on her face when you caught her at Planet Storage,,,”

“Hers, you should have seen mine. The moment I saw the size of that storage locker I figured she was getting ready to set-up housekeeping,,, Although, you know, she was looking through a bridal magazine last night,,,”

“Just one?”

“Yea,,,”

“Don’t worry about that,” Diane replied dismissively. “If she only had one, she’s just keeping up with the fads.”

“Yea, that’s true. I guess we don’t have to start worrying until she brings home a stack of them a foot high and starts scanning articles into a computerized database.”

“Besides, you’ll be one of the first to know when she starts planning her wedding,,,”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Because that will be the day Alex starts drinking.”

TBC

[KaraGail]

Loved the whole "Dude" speach at the beginning. I could totally hear their pronunciation of each one :

Sounds like Ava has taken a page from Isabel's book on how to get her guy to do what she wants (Of course Alex has a little more will power than Kyle) :

I also loved the flash into the future and the way the pod squads kids stand up for each other in the face of adversity (Malamoot)

Great part and I so can't wait for more!!

Kara

[lvlyfem]

OMG, that whole "Dude" conversation actually had me laughing out loud! I just love this fic, please write more soon!

Lynne

[incognito-sticks]

Excellent Update loved the "dude" scene it speaks volumes about how most guys comunicate.

But i especially loved

“Izzy, you’re going to have to stop sending me to school marked up,” he said softly.

“Why” Isabel replied while munching on her salad, his request so ludicrous that she almost didn’t answer. “I’m proud of you, Sweetie,” she answered breathlessly as she opened his collar before giving him a brief yet nevertheless passionate kiss. “You can’t blame me for wanting to mark my territory.”

haha Alex is the only guy that can complain about having too much attention, but he totally walked into

Oh,” she relented as she slapped his hand away from his chest before he could scratch. “Maybe it’s time for me to put a different mark on you then.”

lol i wonder watch she will think of but NO doubt it will get him more looks.

can't wait for the next update hope its really soon. (hint hint)

Oh p.s looking forward to when someone else is let in on the secret. Im envisioning sparks, fireworks, green ones.

[KarenEvans]

I enjoyed the whole 'Dude' dialogue :

And the dream was nice,little Michelle kissing Rion :P very cute episode.

[Stargazer md]

Stargazer Gets the Girl
Chapter 23-D The Circle Grows
By Stargazer MD

Alex looked across the table with a look of amazement on his face. “My God Michael, Isabel didn’t mean that at all. We’re so sorry. I believe I kept her too long out in the sun this morning, and I’m sure the pressure of tonight’s soiree is getting to her.” Alex stammered as he turned to his mate. “I think she’s fried.”

“How dare you apologize for me, especially when the big lug deserves it,,,” Isabel spat.

“Izzy, shut your mouth before you say something you’re going to regret,” Alex commanded in a soft yet determined voice. “Now gather your stuff. We’re leaving.”

“And what if I don’t want to go?”

Alex leaned right into her face and answered quietly enough so that his voice did not carry beyond the booth, “I said for you to grab your purse and come with me. Now are you going to obey me, or am I going to drag you out of here by your hair and cause a scene that will be all over town by nightfall?”

As he watched Isabel snatch her purse and slide from the booth Alex realized that he had said the right words, but he didn’t know if it was the command to obey him, or the threat of public humiliation that had won the day. At any rate his victory was short lived.

“I am ready to go home now,” Isabel stated haughtily as she stood, straightened her clothing and flicked her hair at her momentarily domineering boyfriend. “You may pay for my lunch and then drive me home.”

“Yes dear,” Alex replied with a smile as he handed Liz a twenty. “Take Michael’s out of that too, if you don’t mind, then split the change between yourself and Maria,,,”

“You’re paying for his lunch?” Isabel complained. “After he called me high maintenance?”

“Yes, because he was being kind. You are having a high maintenance day,” Alex murmured as he took her elbow and led her out the door.

Michael watched in amusement as the door closed behind his friends. “Man, I pity that guy,” he said to no one in particular, receiving a smack to the back of his head for his trouble. “Hey! What was that for?” he demanded as Maria paused by his booth.

“You had to poke the bear, didn’t you?”

“Bear? What bear?” he answered innocently. “I didn’t see any bear?”


Isabel stood on the sidewalk, tapping her foot impatiently as she watched Alex unlock and then open her door, but she was totally unprepared for the burst of power that he released when he touched the small of her back as he guided her into the car. It rocked her down to the tips of her toes.

“Am I high maintenance?” she asked softly.

“You’re being you,” he answered offhandedly. “I love you.” As he settled behind the wheel he had a smile on his face.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Isabel pouted as she covertly looked across the width of the car, confident that Alex would make everything all right. Although she hated to play second fiddle to anyone, she knew with all her being that he knew how to take care of her better than she could herself.

“You know Izzy,” he ventured softly. “This is what happens when you close yourself off,,,”

“I haven’t closed myself off,” she snapped in reply.

“Sorry,” he answered sincerely. “I must be mistaken. It’s just that you’ve had your walls up, hiding something for a couple of weeks now,,,”

“I’m not hiding anything,” she protested.

“Izzy, it’s okay. We’re going to have secrets,,,” ‘Like the fact that I’ve already ordered our wedding bands,’ he added silently. “You’re going to want to hide things, like surprises or presents. We’re going to have to keep working on this, so we can separate our little surprises for each other from how we feel about each other.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Isabel pouted. “You were able to keep my ring secret,,,”

“You kept your proposal secret,” Alex countered as he pulled into the driveway of her house. “You told both sets of parents that you were going to propose, and got them to along with it. All the time I didn’t know you were planning a party, let alone preparing giving me the second best gift of my life.” By this time he had brought her to her private bath off from her bedroom.

“So if my proposal was my second best gift, does that mean you’re joining me so I can give you my number one gift? A little water sports?” she teased as she nodded towards her shower.

“Not in a million years,” Alex laughingly replied. You’re still keyed up enough to give me a permanent injury if I got in there with you.”

“So what’s the point of taking a shower if you’re not going to join me?” she pouted.

“For all the same reason normal people take showers,” Alex replied with an evil grin. “You’re all hot, sweaty, and covered with sand,,,”

“I’m what!” Isabel gasped as he quickly lifted her into her tub and turned the water on. “Alex, you bastard!” she continued as the icy water soaked through her tee. Alex, on the other hand, was nobody’s fool. He was already in her bedroom, heading for his own shower, causing her wet shirt to strike the unexpectedly closed door behind him.


When she had finished her shower, Isabel found him sitting on her bed, waiting for her, brush in his hand. Expecting him to perform his usual marathon brushing session, she was surprised to find that after quickly drying her hair he was gathering it into a pony tail.

“Lie down,” Alex commanded softly, his breath against her neck causing her blood to boil. He could see the love in her eyes as she looked up at him, her grin spreading as he untied the sash of her robe. “Roll over,” he added as he peeled the garment from her as she turned.

“Feeling a little kinky today?” Isabel asked as she felt him kneel and climb onto the bed with her, but her joy turned to confusion as she felt him straddle her hips and settle his weight on her ass. “Sweetie, you’re still wearing your boxers,,,”

Isabel’s protest died on her lips as Alex painted a thick streak of Vic’s down the center of her spine. “Just relax,” he said as he started to paint the back of her neck and shoulders with little circles, drawing the Vic’s out and massaging it deep into her stress-tightened muscles.

“Let go,” Alex whispered wordlessly. “Let me take care of everything.” He felt her melting under his hands as he drew all of the worries out from her body, working his way down her shoulders to her back. He elicited a whimper of protest from her when he brushed his hands against the sides of her breasts, almost loosing himself in the soft flesh that flared slightly from her side, but he stayed on task and worked his way down to the small of her back. Alex slid lower, rubbing the insides of his thighs against the outsides of hers, but his plans to linger over her lower body were forgotten as a plume of moist heat rose from her to assail his senses with her need of him.

“Sweetheart, don’t move,” he commanded as he opened his hands as wide as he could, quickly skimming over her back and using his powers to flash away the now messy vapor rub. “All done. Roll over so I can do your front,,,”

“I got something for you to do,” she said passionately as she pulled him over on top of herself, pulling him close for a kiss that would set his hair on end; while with her other hand on his ass, she zapped his shorts into oblivion.

Alex, who had no problem whatsoever with the fact that massage time was over, slid home as he took her in one confident stroke. He took his time, slowly building her passion until her whole world exploded.

“Sweetie?” she gasped as he rolled to her side.

“Shhh,” he whispered. “It’s not about me,,,”

“The frack it isn’t!” she snapped as she climbed on top of him. Her eyes bored into his soul as she slammed herself down, putting him back where he belonged. “This is about you, today is your day.”

“Alex locked eyes with her, barely able to gasp her name.

“Do you like this?” she teased as she ground her pelvis into his, rotating her hips for maximum effect.

“Ghhhh,” Alex gasped.

“I’ve got everything, you’re ever going to need, everything,,, Geeee,” she squealed, biting down on her lower lip as her gyrations brought Fred into contact with one of her own sweet spots. “Ahhh, everything you’re ever going to need.

“Aagghh, aaahhhaaa.”

Isabel took a moment to regain her composure before continuing her attack. “You don’t like it when Trude comes out and makes me read Cosmo? But I bet you’re going to love our mutual friend Kegel,” she panted as she imagined that she had to pee, and then clamped down to stop it. “You know, Trude thinks we can finish you off in less than a minute.”

“Oh God, oh ghhh, ghhh ahhh.”

“You like that? Then you’re going to love this. It’s called the pelvic crunch,” she gasped. “You lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the bed, kind of like I am now. Next you put a ball between your thighs, crunch forward and then,,,” she tightened every muscle between her knees and her chest, “Break the ball, just like this.”

“Aabb, Bbaa, aabb.”

But Isabel had failed to anticipate that Alex would instinctively connect as he began to lose control, and the flood of love, passion, and the near electric current from the surface of Fred’s over stimulated skin was more than she could handle.

The two teens shook, rattled and rolled through what felt like an eternity for the both of them, an exertion that left Isabel lying on his chest gasping for air like a fish out of water.

“Is, Iz, Izzy,” Alex stammered.

“Shhh,” she answered tenderly as they finally disconnected. She slid down his body, settling with her cheek on his shoulder and her hand over his still rapidly beating heart. “Sleep, Sweetie, get some rest. I’ve got you now and I’m never going to let you go.”

Isabel watched as his breathing steadied, but did not join him in sleep. This was not an opportunity to share a dream, but a necessary resting period for her fragile human mate. Instead she happily watched him rest, luxuriating in the warm touch of his skin, his special and unique scent, and the soothing rhythm of his steadily beating heart than beat for her alone.


“Sweetie. Time to get ready,” Isabel whispered, gently kissing him awake.

“Mum,” Alex replied as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Maybe later,” she teased as she reluctantly pulled away. “If you’re good. In the mean time, go take another shower.”

“Scrub your back?” he offered with his best Snidely Whiplash brow lift.

“Get out of here!” Isabel insisted with a laugh as she threw a convenient shoe at him. “If you don’t leave right now we’ll never make it,,,” ‘and we can’t have that,’ she added silently.


To his surprise, Alex found Isabel waiting for him when he got out of his shower. In contrast to the towel that he had loosely tied around his waist, she was already dressed in a beautiful ivory colored satin tap panty and camisole set, her hair still pulled back into the pony tail that he had made earlier. “Here, put these on,” she commanded, holding a small scrap of fabric out to him.

Alex took the garment and puzzled with a moment until he found the waistband and oriented it right side up. “Izzy! I’m not wearing these. “They’re panties!”

“Cheeky pants, just like mine, but with a fly and a bit of lycra in the pouch for support,” Izzy replied. “They match your flesh-tone perfectly, and they don’t have any bulky seams that will show through your uniform.”

“Izzy, there’s a lot of things I’ll do for you, but wearing man panties is not one of them. What’s wrong with my navy BVD’s?”

“Sweetie,” Isabel explained patiently. “You class-A uniform trousers are made of a light weight worsted wool. Whatever you wear for briefs, either too light or too dark, has the potential to show through under the right lighting conditions,,,”

“Is it the color you’re worried about?”

“Mostly.”

“Tell you what. I’ll compromise. Pick any pair of shorts that I already have, change them to whatever color you want, and I’ll wear them.”

“Okay,” Isabel replied reluctantly, secretly happy that the negotiations were going exactly as she had planned. Moments later her face was burning as Alex nonchalantly dropped his towel and stepped into the shorts that she had ‘modified.’ With her last shred of control, she bolted to his closet and pulled out his freshly altered uniform. “Let’s get you dressed,” she pleaded. She needed the stability of making sure he was perfectly turned out before she hurt him.

She carefully lay his uniform on his bed, effortlessly making sure it was perfectly flat and wrinkle free. She removed his shirt from the inside of the jacket. She took it’s shoulders into her hands, opening it between her hands as she stepped towards him.

Alex, recognizing the need in her soul, turned his back and raised his arm, allowing her to slip the new, yet freshly laundered and mildly starched garment onto his body. He turned to face her, and stepped closer, smiling indulgently as she fussed to get the epaulets to sit perfectly straight on his strong shoulders. Once she was satisfied with that, she slowly and deliberately buttoned the shirt, starting with the second button.

Isabel pushed Alex back until he sat on his bed, and then gently lifted his feet, resting them on her thigh as she slipped his dress socks up to his calves, carefully making sure that there was the proper amount of free space around his toes. When she finished, she unclipped his uniform trousers from the fancy wooden hanger that she had bought just for his uniform, and then held them out in front of him, offering her shoulder for support as he stepped into them. She then sat in front of him, using her fingers to fold pleats into the hem of his shirt as she settled the trousers waistband precisely above his hips. Next she lifted his shiny black basket-weave belt and carefully fed it through the belt loops, insuring that none of them were stressed or stretched. When finished, she fastened the buckle, making sure that it didn’t deform the waistline of his trousers, that the brilliant gold buckle was precisely centered over his fly, and that the end of the leather extended past the buckle exactly two inches. (50 mm)

Isabel looked deep into his eyes as she stood in front of him. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard to put Fred away,” she teased as she reached for his collar. “Nor do I believe I’m about to do this,” she said as she slid his black Principessa tie around his neck, slowly tucking it up into his collar and then pulling it back and forth until it sat just right, at which point she buttoned his top button. She then looked critically at how the ends of the delicate silk tie fell against his body, pulling the wider end an inch lower (25 mm) before tying a perfect Full Windsor knot.

Isabel scooched down, level with her handiwork, and examined her completed knot with a critical eye. After making several miniscule adjustments, she moved her attention laterally just a bit. “Alex! There’s stubble here.”

“Stubble?” he gasped. “Izzy, I shaved twice. Both times with a new razor. I knew this was important to you.”

“Sweetie, tonight’s not about me, it’s the Fighter’s Ball,” she explained as she ran the back of her fingers back and forth over his cheek. “It’s about you, and I don’t want you to go there with a frayed collar.”

“Frayed collar? Maybe in a decade since I’m only going to wear this shirt about once a year,,,” he muttered.

“Never mind, I took care of it,” Isabel responded as she straightened up and walked to his bureau. She returned moments later with his collar pins. She lovingly removed the backs and then pressed the studs through pre-measured holes that she had punched through the plastic collar stays after she had picked his shirt up at the cleaners. “Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician,” she read as she rotated the pins until the rockers on the top of the pins were positioned properly before pressing the backs onto the studs. Next she lifted the ends of his tie, and slipped a heavy gold tie-chain up it’s length, stopping to attach the back of the chain over his third button, pressing the end of the hood through the buttonhole to insure that it would not fall out at an inopportune moment.

Next she turned her critical eye to the flap over his left breast pocket, visualizing the perfect placement of his name tag.

“Is that the new one?”

“No. The new one will go on your jacket, this is the tag Alex gave you. She saved your life. It belongs on you, not on a jacket hanging over the back of a chair,” she explained as she reached for his badge. She buffed it against her camisole before slipping it into place, then she ran her fingers up and down the military creases that ran vertically over both sides of his chest.

“Izzy, you’ve already altered the seams three times,” he said softly. You’re going to have to accept them as they are if you’re ever going to finish with me and to have time to get yourself ready,,,”

“Pfff,” Isabel replied dismissively as she reached for his jacket. “I’ll go naked before I let you go less than perfect.”

“Naked, hugh?”

“Sweetie!” Isabel teased. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Naked? Yes. You’re going out that way? Never going to happen,” he answered as he slipped his arms into the proffered jacket.

Isabel fussed with how his jacket fit on his shoulders until she was satisfied that it was sitting just right. She then grabbed his lapels and drew the front of the double breasted jacket together as she fashioned the six shiny gold buttons. Next she slipped his outer badge into the tab over his left pocket, and then she went back to his bureau for the new name tag that she had ordered at the same time as the rest of his uniform.

With the tag in place, she stepped to his closet. Easily reaching up to the top shelf, she brought down the box containing his new Evershine dress shoes. She set the box on the corner of his bed and flicked the cover off to the side. After removing the cedar shoe trees and loosened the laces, she took a shoehorn from the box before kneeling in front of him.

“Izzy,” Alex said softly, “I can get my own shoes.”

Isabel sat back on her heels. “Sweetie, I’m enjoying this,,, taking care of you.” She held the shoe open in the front with the shoehorn at the back while he steadied himself on her shoulder and stepped into them. Moments later, as she tied his laces, he thought that she was finished, but she crawled around to his side to make sure that his trousers fell just right, with the back of his trouser leg ending precisely two inches (50 mm) from the floor and the front of the legs breaking slightly before coming to rest on top of the laces of his mirror finished shoes.

Isabel placed the shoehorn on his bureau and then handed him his Citizen watch.

“I was going to wear my Skagen,” Alex protested.

Sweetie, I know you love it, and it is a beautiful watch,,,” she had helped pick it out after all, “But the titanium gray metal and the blue face don’t match your uniform. You need to wear your Citizen.” She handed him the accessory, a gleaming gold watch with it’s freshly polished black leather band. Noticing that it was slightly off, she pulled out the stem, pausing the second hand over the only marker on the sleek midnight black face, a diamond set at twelve-o’clock. Adjusting the gold hands until they were perfectly synchronized with their Blade server, she restarted the watch and placed it on his wrist. “Understated elegance. This is definitely the watch to go with your dress uniform.”

Realizing that his mate still in her underwear, Alex glanced at his watch with alarm. There was no way that they were going to make it on time. In fact, watching her pony tail bobbing with her movements, he doubted that she could dress and complete all of her grooming rituals before the event concluded. “Izzy, we’re not going to make it,” he protested.

“Of course we are,” she replied confidently. “I’ve scheduled us to arrive ten minutes into the cocktail hour, which will give me exactly enough time to show off my handy work,” ‘let alone our ring,’ she added silently. “Final inspection! Stand still a minute,” she scolded as she took out a small steel rule to check her work, insuring that his name tag was centered over and one-quarter inch (6 mm) above, his left pocket flap.

“A ruler?” he teased.

“Hey,” she protested, slapping his chest. “This is me remember?” She turned and dropped the ruler on his bureau and picked up a buffing cloth before kneeling again to touch up his shoes.

“I have to admit,” Alex said happily as he turned slightly to look at his reflection in the mirror, “You do good work,,,” His praise was cut off as he flew up into the air while letting loose with a girl like squeal, all in reaction to a flash of light at his groin. Setting back down at a safe distance from his astonished mate, he demanded, “What are you trying to do? Burn Fred?”

“I’m not trying to set fire to Fred, that’s Daddy’s job,” Isabel replied impatiently. “What I am trying to do is to remove an errant thread on your fly. Now get back over here before I give up on doing this the hard way and simply zap you.”

Alex cautiously returned to his position and lifted the hem of his jacket away from his waist as he watched nervously as he worked. “What part of Cosmo did you see this in?”

“Actually,” Isabel answered as she stood and leaned in close, giving his lapel’s a critical look, “Your father told me how to detail a uniform.” After burning down several more loose threads, she put the lighter down and picked up a wide roll of masking tape.

“So Pops told you to burn my balls off?”

“Sweetie, I wouldn’t burn your balls, I have plans for them,” Isabel replied levelly as she unwound several wraps of tape onto her hand, sticky side out.

“Izzy, the jacket’s less then two weeks old, and you’ve already had it dry cleaned once,,,” he protested as she patted him down.

“Perfection isn’t a destination to be reached, but a journey to be enjoyed,,,”

“You’ve been hanging out with Kyle too much.”

Ignoring him, Isabel stripped off the soiled tape and picked up his hat. “Stand still,” she instructed as she carefully fitted it to his head. “See why I had you bring your hat to Albuquerque with us when you got your hair styled,,,”

“Styled. Is that an euphuism for a ‘hundred dollar haircut’?” he muttered.

“Everything is perfect. Not a single hair out of place.”

“What’s next?”

“Done,” she declared. “Take off your cover and jacket while I get ready.

Alex placed his cover on his bed and carefully removed his jacket before reaching for his wallet. “Nothing in your pockets,” he heard shouted from her room. “I don’t want a handful of coins bulging out and ruining all my hard work. I’ll take care of whatever you need tonight.”

Shrugging in acquiescence, he took his uniform in hand and walked out into the hall with a smile on his face, anticipating the spectacle of watching her get ready, but as he walked through her open door he was surprised to find her pulling up the side zip of the pants of her new white suit. She stepped into her white mules, no her other white mules, the ones with a modest two inch (50 MM) heel and then slipped her coat over her shoulders. “All set,” she advised, handing him her clutch as she stepped into the hall while closing the three buttons of her jacket.

“You’re already ready?” Alex asked in amazement?

Isabel felt as if she had been shot, a chill running up her spine as she stopped and turned towards him. “All I thought I needed was a touch of lip gloss,,,”

“Izzy,” Alex said, ashamed that his careless comment had caused her distress, “You’re practically glowing,,,”

“You think this is the wrong look,,,”

“Izzy, forgive me. I just never imagined you could throw together that perfectly thrown together look so quickly. Here,,,” he continued, taking her hand and holding it over his heart. “Why don’t you take a peek at what I really think.”

Isabel allowed their connection to flare as she drank in his love for her. “Sweetie, you know the ten-scale doesn’t go that high,,,” she said as she bit her lower lip, her confidence restored.

“That’s because the poor humans who made the scale had never met an Alien Goddess,,,”

“Princess,” she corrected flirtingly.

“Same thing,” he sighed as he reached to touch her floating heart that sat in the middle of the deeply cut bodice of her jacket. “Just do me one favor tonight.”

“Anything, you have to know that.”

“Don’t go near Stilwell wearing this. I hear that his wife is a big girl, but I don’t think anyone could keep him under control if he gets a look at you.”

“I’ll take care of Stilwell,” she promised as they walked hand in hand out to find Phillip’s gleaming Lexus in the driveway.

“Your Dad’s car?”

“I told you tonight was special. I had Max prep it for us.”

“Max?” Alex asked in amazement. “Knowing his taste in cars I wouldn’t think he knew what wax was.”

I had to promise him that I would do his share of the dinner dishes for a month to get him to detail it for me.”

“Izzy, you faker, I bet it was your pout more than any promise that got Max to do this for you. Besides, as far as you’re washing his share of the dinner dishes, not only are you never home, but your parents have a dishwasher.”

“Maybe,” Isabel agreed, her eyes gleaming in amusement, “But since the full extent of Max’s exertion was to make sure the garage door was closed before he zapped Daddy’s car clean, I figure it was a fair trade.”

TBC

[Stargazer's Delight]

"Sorry,” he answered sincerely. “I must be mistaken. It’s just that you’ve had your walls up, hiding something for a couple of weeks now,,,”

“Izzy,” Alex said, ashamed that his careless comment had caused her distress, “You’re practically glowing,,,”

Now i am pretty sure there is something special planned at the firemans ball for Alex, her efforts in making him look perfect for the event make me think that he will be receiving an award of some type.

I am pretty sure that the glowing comment in quote 2 is Isabel's obvious pride in what will happen to Alex at the ball, but it all so made me think that she maybe has a baby on the way Hint Hint

Poor Michael, upsetting momma bear is not a good idea.

Please no more mentions of zapping or naked flames near poor Alex's groin :P

I have only just caught up on this fic and i have to say it is a great story, each update keeps getting better and better. I hope to see more in the future, keep up the good work.

Thanks
S.D

[KarenEvans]

I loved this part Paul :D

Alex leaned right into her face and answered quietly enough so that his voice did not carry beyond the booth, “I said for you to grab your purse and come with me. Now are you going to obey me, or am I going to drag you out of here by your hair and cause a scene that will be all over town by nightfall?”

This is the way I like Alex : In control