Gazer Gets the Girl (CC,A/I,MATURE) Part 25-L - 15 July[WIP]

[stargazer md]

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

Charles stepped into the den and looked at his sons. “Ready?”

Jesse and Harry stood, the latter kissing his wife on the cheek before stepping out for a couple of hours. The boys followed their father out to the garage. Charles stopped by the door and finding a hat to his satisfaction, headed out to his car.

As they pulled into the parking lot Charles turned to Jesse, “I’m not going to regret this, am I?”

“I’ve had a beer before Pops,,,”

“He sure knows that,” Harry teased back, “But I don’t think he’s ever seen you stop at one.”

“Marines don’t know the meaning of stop,,,”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Charles muttered as he stepped from the car and put his hat on.

“A fire department hat?” Jesse challenged.

“The Five-Five house of the FDNY,” Charles replied with irritation.

“The fire fighter who took care of your brother when he got hurt,” Harry added.

“When do I get to meet him?,,”

“Her,” Charles snapped. “She went back to New York City. She died.”

Both men assumed that Jesse figured that Fire Fighter Taylor had been killed on September Eleventh, but neither felt like correcting him, so they headed for the V.F.W. hall in silence, Charles reaching for the doorbell.


Heather reached under the bar for the button that would unlock the door. She looked up as she pressed it, making sure that at least one of the new arrivals was a member, and thus allowed to be in the club house. To her amazement, the first person through the door was wearing a hat. “Frack, I would use the button at the far end of the bar,” she muttered under her breath as she sprinted towards the other end of the bar. She had to get there before that hat came off. She reached for the bell, and gave the lanyard a quick tug.

Heather won the race, and the bell rang, one crisp ding, a sound that caused a cheer to erupt from the gathered patrons. It was bad form to wear a hat into the hall, and now the new arrival owed a round of drinks.


As Jesse and Harry settled at the bar Charles circulated among the patrons, thanking them for their support in this most difficult time, shaking the hand on some while thinking them for attending the service while accepting a pat on the back from others. Not a few stories were swapped, and Charles found the experience to be almost therapeutic as he was reminded of shared little league games and of times Bobby had spent with some of the other men’s children, but after an hour or so it was time to go.

“Guys, drink up, we got to get home before we get in trouble,” Charles commanded before turning to the bartender. “How much do I owe you, Heather?”

“Funny about that Charles,” Heather replied with a smile. “By the time I finished setting up your tab you were almost twenty dollars ahead,,,”

“That can’t be right,” Charles complained as he looked around the hall, a gesture which resulted in several of his friends raising their glasses in salute.

“Face it Charles, your money’s no good today,” she responded as she placed a pile of chips in front of him. Additionally, there was quite a pile of chips in front of his son’s seats as well. (AN: In many localities, it is unlawful to place a drink in front of a patron who already had one, so if you wish to buy a drink for another, the bartender will give them a chip, which may be redeemed at the patron’s convenience. A white chip may represent a beer, a red chip a mixed drink, while a blue chip may represent a premium drink.)

Charles took a folded twenty out of his pocket and slipped it into her tip jar. “Do me a favor would you? Take these and put then under the bar. Give then out to the retired guys and the day workers who really need them, okay?”

“Sure thing,” Heather replied as she scooped the chips from in front of Harry and Jesse as well.

“Hey!” Jesse protested. “Let me have one of those beer chips.” Then holding it up in the light and examining it closely he added, “They’re going to ship my ass off to Afghanistan, I just know it, and this is going to be my lucky charm. When it’s hotter than hell and there isn’t a beer within a hundred miles, I’m going to look at this and imagine how good it’s going to taste when I get home,,,

“Let me tell you something Son,” one of the older veterans promised, “You come in here when you get back and you won’t even have to worry about the taxi you’ll need to take your drunken ass home.”

**********
Gloria was banging around the house, desperate for something to do to keep her mind off the loss of her son. Initially, when her boss had offered to extend her bereavement leave for as long as she needed, trusting that she would not abuse the privilege, she had thought it was a good idea, and she advised that she would return to work the day after her family departed. But now, with Harry and family having left for California that morning, and their dropping Jesse at the airport in Albuquerque along their way, she found being home alone and at loose ends exasperating.

She looked into Isabel’s room, not stepping across the threshold mind you, just looking, and found everything perfectly in it’s place as expected. Finished there, she looked into Alex’s room. She had to admit, Isabel was a good influence on him, his room was now in better condition than ever, not that he was ever a slob, but he was a guy after all, which meant that she had spent years ‘touching up’ his room.

Alex’s almost full laundry hamper caught her eye. She wasn’t surprised that the teen’s household chores were slightly in arrears, for in addition to everything that had been going on within the family, they also were buried with task at both school and work. Despite Isabel’s admonishment that she would now take care of Alex’s needs, laundry in particular, she decided that her specific need to do something now overruled Isabel’s general want to be the sole caretaker of her fiancé’s dirty clothes.

Gloria had a small smile on her face as she turned and headed for the laundry baskets in her room, this small task the first bit or normalcy in a horrible week. Returning to his room, Gloria started to sort his laundry into the two baskets, totally oblivious to the fact that she was handling a teenaged boy’s clothes. Years of running a household of five guys had made her immune to the various smells and stains that came with the territory.

“What the frack!” Gloria muttered as she tossed a shirt into the colored basket, revealing a small swath of leopard skin fabric in the middle of the hamper. “Don’t tell me Isabel’s leaving her panties around for him to find again,” but as she carefully lifted the garment by it’s barely there ‘neutral territory’ side strap, she began to have second thoughts. ‘The front of the garment didn’t look flat enough to be a panty,,, it’s too,,, pouchy,,,’

“Oh my God! It’s a banana-hammock!” Gloria shouted, throwing Alex’s offending pocket back into the hamper. “Ewww!,, Ewww!,, Ewww! If Alex wants clean clothes he can get them from Isabel,” she continued as she stuffed every bit of his laundry back into the hamper.

‘I’m going to the library,’ thought Gloria as she stormed out of Alex’s room,,, ‘First I’m going to take a shower and then go to the library,’ she added as she went down the hall,,, ‘First I’m going to take a shower, stop by Diane’s for a glass of wine, and then go to the library,,, but when she reached her dresser she grabbed her purse instead. “Oh who am I trying to kid,” she said out loud. “Diane’s been putting up with Isabel for years, so frack the wine, she’s probably got vodka, and after I get a couple of drinks into me it’ll be frack the shower and library as well.”

**********
“What is it with this hen’s lunch day, anyways,” Michael asked in disgust as he looked across the crowded quad. “It’s nothing but an excuse for them to sit around and bitch about us.”

“Michael,” Max replied patiently, “Liz and Maria go back,,, like,,, forever, and even you can’t complain that Isabel finally has some friends outside of the plastic girls clique?”

“Yea,” Michael agreed reluctantly, But Maria is going to get all torqued up,,,”

“Meaning you’re going to fight, make-up, and get laid. Frankly, I don’t see a down side.” Seeing a smile cross his friends face, he started to gloat. “Admit it, I’m right,,,”

“No Maximillian,” Michael teased back. “You’re wrong as usual.”

“Then what’s got you so happy?”

“Turn around and watch. No one gave Kyle the memo, and this should be good.”


“Ladies,” Kyle said in greeting as he wedged himself, sans tray, between Tish and Ava. “And how are we today?” he continued while surveying the lunches covering the table. His mind on his next conquest, he missed the looks that passed between the girls, or the confident nod and evil smile that slowly crossed Ava’s face.

“What’s with all the veggies and salads, doesn’t anyone eat cheeseburgers and fries anymore?” Kyle whined.

“We save our calories for the Crashdown,” Isabel replied haughtily as she dug into her marinated tuna on spinach salad.

“Ahh, finally,” Kyle murmured in satisfaction as he swooped down on Ava’s burrito like, taco beef, roll-up contraption. “You don’t mind if I just take just a little bite, do you?” Knowing that Ava liked her food hot, the girls simply watched in anticipation as Kyle stuffed half the thing in his mouth.

Kyle started chewing, his eyes showed curiosity at first as he tried to decipher the flavors that he was hit with, but his face took on a cartoon like quality as he masticated the tortilla wrapping, releasing the chemical bombs hidden inside. “Son of a bitch,” he spat out, bits of food flying while he grabbed for a napkin. “What the frack was in that thing?”

“Girl stuff,” Ava answered innocently.

One of the alien girl ingredients had been cayenne pepper, which worked it’s way up into Kyle’s sinuses, causing him to phlegm up. He took two deep snorts to clear his nose, then hawked the mess up, looking for something to spit into.

“Oh no you don’t,” warned Ava as she reached out and squeezed his nose shut between her thumb and forefinger. “This is a civilized table. No spitting allowed.”

Kyle glared, but eventually he swallowed the mess so he could open his mouth and take a breath. “What the frack you do that for?” he stammered. “That was nasty.”

“Nasty?” Ava replied, batting her eyes innocently to the laughter of several of the girls. “It’s a product of the human body. How can it be nasty?”

By now Kyle was up from his seat. “Fracking aye,” he whined. “I got to wash my mouth out.” He had a half bottle of tequila hidden in the trunk of his ‘Stang, and he needed a shot of it bad.


“Told you it would be a good show,” Michael said proudly.

“What they do to him?”

“I don’t know, but he went away hungry.”


Tish held her hand up, and once Ava raised hers, slapped the shorter girl a high-five. “I would have thought that if I lived to be a hundred, I would never have seen a girl give one of the jocks a ‘Comet Pinch.’”

“What’s a ‘Comet Pinch?’” Liz asked innocently.

“What’s the ‘Comet Pinch?’ Tish asked in disbelief. “The rumors are true, aren’t they. Kyle never got to first base with you,,,”

“Kyle was a gentleman,,,”

“Kyle’s a pig,,,”

“Kyle’s a perve,,,”

“Kyle’s a man slut,,,”

Liz looked around the table in confusion, her eyes settling on Isabel, who had remained silent so far.

Isabel, realizing that she would have to arbitrate. She sighed, as if she really didn’t relish her position at the top of the food chain. “Everything they say is true Liz. Kyle would normally pop a nut anywhere with anybody, but you fed him. That’s what kept him in line.”

“Sheese,” Liz moaned in dismay, but a moment later her insatiable curiosity returned. “So what’s a ‘Comet Pinch?’”

Isabel’s attention returned to her salad, indicating that she wasn’t going to lower herself into that discussion.

“Kyle came home from a game horny,” Ava started to explain. “Now I don’t have a problem with horny, but I wasn’t that night. Knowing he wasn’t going to get a piece of ass, he would settle for a BJ. Now I’m not cruel, and I’m not adverse to relieving a guy when I’m not in the mood for more,,, so, he got one. He was in a good mood for the first couple of minutes, but when he popped, he turned crude,,,”

By now, having heard the story before, Tish was tittering. Maria was leaning forward eagerly, Liz had an expression on her face like she was watching a train wreck, while Isabel was fishing through her salad, looking for another scrap of tuna.

“He pinched my nose closed and pulled me up until we were face to face. ‘You have a choice,’ he said. ‘Swallow or suffocate.’,,,”

“Eww,” several of the girls exclaimed while several of the others shrugged indifferently, revealing vastly different levels of experience with the subject.


“Maria must be telling them about your sex life,” Max teased.

“Not hardly,” Michael snapped as he took a massive bite of his sandwich.


“What a pig,” Maria gasped.

“Now I swallow,” Ava explained flatly. “I don’t mind the stuff, and frankly, it’s much less of a mess that way,,,” Ava paused for effect, “But I don’t like to be told what to do,,,”

“Tell them what you did,” Tish gushed eagerly.

“I looked him in the eye,,,”

“Yea,” Maria asked, her eyes bright.

“And spit,,,”

“Ewwww,,,” was repeated, but by the entire table this time.


“See that, they are talking about your sex life,” Max teased again, more successfully this time.


“Still, that’s a hell of a thing to do to your boyfriend,” Liz said disapprovingly.

“Boyfriend?” Ava exclaimed. “Kyle’s not my boyfriend!”

“I thought you two were a couple?” Maria asked. “You’re always together.”

“We’re the two odd guys out,” Ava explained patiently. “And he’s fun to hang with, and he’s a lot more considerate in the sack than my last boyfriend was, but he’s not the kind of guy you couple up with,,, he’s a hard dick to sit on,,,”

“You slut!”

This brought out another round of tittering.

“Do you know his college plans?” Ava challenged. Seeing a tablefull of blank looks she continued. “He’s applied to Texas, because they have a great baseball program. He’s applied to Arizona State, because they have a great baseball program, and he’s applied to Brigham Young,,,”

“Brigham Young?” Liz exclaimed in disbelief. “They have a baseball program?”

“Not really, at least not of any consequence.”

“So why’s he want to go there?”

“Because it’s a religious school, filled with religious girls. He figures that he’d have access to four years worth the virgin cheerleaders,,,”

“Nawww,” Maria gasped in disbelief.

“Yea,” Isabel answered, snapping the cover on her empty container. “Believe it, Kyle’s a pig.”

“So why am I a slut?” Ava turned on Liz. “I’m having recreational sex with one frack buddy. Kyle has sex with anyone or anything that sits still long enough for him to get his zipper down, and I’m the slut?”

“Well, I don’t mean you’re a slutty slut like Pam Troy,” Liz backtracked. “I mean you’re a regular slut like Isabel,,,”

“Hey!”

“Oh come on Isabel,” Maria declared, coming to the aid of her childhood friend despite her new closeness with Isabel. “We all know you had Alex do you eighteen times on your birthday,,,”

“Alex did not do me eighteen times,” Isabel said defensively. “That would have kill him for frack sake,,,”

“Well maybe Alex didn’t,” Tish teased. “But you did!”

Instead of protesting Isabel just gave a self-indulgent grin.

Seeing Liz take a breath, and fearing that she was going to ask Isabel about another one of her marathon sessions with Alex, Maria kicked her in the shin.

“Owwww,,,”

“So Ava,” Maria interjected quickly while changing the subject. “If you’re not going to college with Kyle, where are you going?”

“If I could do anything I wanted to do, I’d go back to New York.”

“What’s in New York?” Tish asked.

“Everything’s in New York,” Isabel answered honestly.

“I’d get into a program at the Museum of Natural History,” Ava answered wistfully. “Or maybe the Met.”

“The met?” said Maria.

“The Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Liz answered. “Easily one of the premier museums in the world.”

“What’s to stop you?” Tish asked innocently.

“Lets just say that while I lived there I had some trouble with a couple of people there.”

“So there’s what, a gazillion people in New York? What’s the chances you’d run into them?”

“Actually, pretty good,” Isabel answered cryptically.


“You ever fantasize about two chicks?” Michael asked offhandedly.

“No,” Max stammered in reply. “I don’t want,,, I wouldn’t even know what to do with two,,, you?”

“Once.”

After a significant pause Max asked, “You just going to leave me hanging?”

“It wasn’t a pleasant experience,” Michael answered dismissively.

“Michael,” Max teased. “I at least know that fantasizing about two chicks should be a good thing.”

“There was this old movie, Barbarella, on late night. Some red-headed space chick, she was old and is probably dead now. Anyways, Maria and me were on the outs, so the next day in class I was thinking about Maria as the space chick. Then I thought of Maria and the space chick.”

Another pause. “And?”

“Maria looked over and, with just one look at my face, decided that I wasn’t displaying the proper level of upset over our ‘situation,’ so she started smacking me.”

“In class?”

“Yea, but the worse part was that Mr. Somers stood there and let her have ten free shots before he pulled her off of me.”


After the warning bell, Isabel fell into step next to Ava. “You’d really return to New York?” she asked softly.

“If it wasn’t for Rath and Lonnie? In a heartbeat!” Ava answered, but she pulled Isabel into the next alcove. “Listen, it isn’t as if I’d miss you guys, but we’re splitting up and going our own ways come college anyways.”

“It be nice to have a place to visit,,,”

“Don’t worry,,, we’ve been split up for what, over fifty years? We’ll stay in touch.”

**********
After school Isabel spent a couple of hours at her father’s law office, getting caught up on her clerical work, but she couldn’t help watching him work, a wishful expression on her face.

Phillip couldn’t help but notice his daughter’s predicament, but he did have a motion that needed to be filled by the end of business. He finished the pleading, printed a hard copy for the client’s file, and then e-faxed a copy to the Donna-Anna court clerk. Having finished the time critical document, he turned to a much more important matter.

“Miss Evans?”

Isabel smiled as she rose from her desk and approached his doorway. Her father had been calling her ‘Miss Evans’ ever since she started working in the office at the age of nine. It made her feel so grown up and important and she hoped that he never stopped, until it became necessary to call her Mrs. Whitman. Knowing they were alone, she replied with her favorite epithet “Yes Daddy?”

He held out his open palm, guiding her to a chair.

Isabel sat and smoothed her skirt, settling in comfortably while waiting for Phillip to proceed.

Phillip set his chin on his hand and watched his daughter indulgently. After several moments of this, Isabel began to feel self-conscious. “Daddy?”

“Just thinking.”

Isabel’s discomfort grew, but in a good way. She squirmed in her seat as she turned shy, her eyes down while she bit her lower lip. “What about?”

“Do you realize that you have never asked me for anything that I wasn’t able to give, or willing to?”

“Daddy,,,”

“A couple of years ago when things tightened up in town and a lot of people were loosing their homes, you heard me talking to your Mom about the fact that we did a lot of work for people who would never be able to pay. You went the entire summer without once asking for an ice cream. Then Mom took you to the mall, and took you to Baskin-Robbins, you asked for a sample spoon of very-berry strawberry. Mom watched your face light up as you savored the taste, but then you said you didn’t want a cone,,,”

“Daddy,,,” Isabel protested.

“It took Mom over an hour to get it out of you that you thought that we couldn’t afford it,,,”

“Daddy!,,”

“Phillip continued to look at her. “What can Daddy do for you, Princess?”

Isabel paused again, biting her lip. “Actually, it’s for Aries.”

Another pause, “And?”

“We need an off-premises server farm to back up the Aries equipment,,,”

“And since your primary servers are at the Whitman’s, you need a back up computer here,,,”

“No, not here,” Isabel protested. “We need twenty four-seven access,,,”

“Good save,” Phillip said cheerfully. “I bet you’re much more worried that the information on your computers wouldn’t be secure in a lawyer’s office, which leaves the house,,,”

“My room,,,”

“You don’t need my permission to put a computer in your room.” Phillip said softly. “There’s more to it than that.”

“We need to permanently install a nineteen inch rack with a power distribution module, a UPS, two servers, two RAID arrays, a Cisco firewall with a DSL modem, along with a keyboard drawer and monitor. And I’ve got to get a twenty amp, two-twenty volt circuit (nominal voltage in the US is 110v) up there,,,”

“You’re using DSL? I thought Alex was on a cable modem?,,”

“We are over there, but once we’re in Albuquerque, having both technologies here in Roswell will mean that even a catastrophic failure of one of the major ISP’s won’t shut us down.

“And all this will fit in your computer desk?,,”

“No Daddy, it’s going to be a rack mounted server farm, about six feet (180 cm) tall,,,”

“You’re not putting that in your room,” Phillip rebutted, switching into lawyer mode.

Obviously disappointed, Isabel tried again. “Maybe we could put it into the garage?”

“What?” Phillip snapped, breaking into his thought process. Seeing the look of disappointment on his daughters face, he quickly corrected, “No, you’ll get your server, but you’re not putting a big piece of industrial equipment like that in your room, and the garage’s out as well. It wouldn’t be very secure in there, let alone the fact that I know enough about computer equipment to know that it will need air conditioning,,,”

It took less than a moment for Isabel’s expression to go from fear to hopefulness, a change that gladdened Phillip’s heart. “The best place to put your rack would be the coat closet across from your Mom’s laundry room,,,”

“Downstairs?”

“Yea, it’s right at the door to the garage which will give you easy access in and out, and since the only thing in the room will be your equipment, it won’t be a problem to lock it. It also shares a common wall with the garage, which will make it easy to bring in power and AC.”

“We’ll pay for all improvements, of course, as well as pay rent,,,”

“You’re not paying rent in your own house,,,”

“Daddy, I insist,” Isabel rebutted. Softening her voice she continued, “This isn’t about me, this is about Aries. It’s a legitimate business expense, and to be honest, I need the deduction,,,”

“Oh, so you give me money I neither need or want, and I have to pay the taxes on it?” Phillip teased.

“No Daddy, we’d be renting space from you as an individual, and the twenty-four hundred dollars (1775 €) would be well below the reporting threshold,,,”

“You’re not paying two hundred a month, I’m thinking more like a hundred (73 €) a year,,,”

“Daddy, that won’t even cover the cost of the electricity we’ll use. “Fifty per month for utilities, and one hundred for the space.”

“I’ll give the fifty to your Mom to put towards the bills, but I’m going to make a donation of the hundred to the orphanage in your name,,,”

“In the families,,, both families names,,,”

“Deal.”

“Thanks Daddy,” Isabel said gleefully as she bound from her chair, ran around his desk, and have him a massive hug. Kissing his cheek she asked, “Can I treat you to dinner?”

‘No,” Phillip sighed. “Your Mother’s making fajita’s for dinner, Max and Liz are joining us.”

“Okay, tell Mom I love her and we’ll be over tomorrow night,,,”

“Dinner?” Phillip challenged.

“I’m thinking Señor Chow’s,,, sorry.” Moments later she was gone.

Phillip basked in the love of his daughter for a moment, but only a moment. “Oh Frack!” he cried out. ‘I’ve got to go home and tell Diane I gave away her closet.’

**********
Ms. Leigh suspicions spiked as she watched Martinelli leave Mr. Cavanah’s office. ‘What the frack is he bitching about now,’ she wondered.

“Carol,” he asked of the attendance clerk while Ms. Leigh hovered in front of the inter-department mail boxes, “What period does that Tish cheerleader chick take her lunch today?”

“Tish Okabe takes lunch fourth period,” Carol replied levelly, hiding her irritation.

“And that Isabel chick?”

More typing,,, “She takes lunch fourth period also, but she has an afternoon class at Eastern, so she probably won’t stay for lunch today.”

Mr. Cavanah turned to Ms. Leigh. “I think I’ll keep an eye on the Quad at lunch time. You won’t have to.”

“Okay,,,” she replied. Knowing something was up, she quickly looked at the clock. Finding that second period would be over in just a matter of minutes, she headed for her own personal information cache, the girls room closest to the Quad, exclusive territory of the ‘populars.’


Ms. Leigh settled, pulling her feet up and locking her heels on the inside the rim of the toilet in the first stall, the stall with the mysterious stain on the toilet seat that defied cleaning, the seat that every self respecting woman and girl at West Roswell High refused to sit on. She had arrived just in time.

The door slammed into the wall as Lucinda Baker stormed into the girl’s room, followed by several of her cohorts. “So that slut banged him?”

“Well I wouldn’t say banged,,, exactly,,,” Stacy Scheinin replied cattily.

“Tish got to him first,,,”

“Tish discovered him, she was entitled,” Stacy teased. “Besides she found him,,, wanting.”

“Wanting?” Vanessa gasped. “He’s got to be the best bush doctor in the entire school!”

“Yea, but after she got her grotto gulped, she decided to give him a mercy frack,,,”

“Slut,,,”

“You’re just mad cause you didn’t get to sit on his peg first,,,”

Both girls looked over to Stacy to find her laughing. “What?”

“From what Tish said, you didn’t miss out on much,,,”

“You mean he’s got a little dick?,,”

“Well, he does have an eight inch tongue, and you know what the good book says. ‘The Good Lord giveth and the Good Lord taketh away,,,”

“Get Out!” Lucinda gasped. “What is he then, the dickless wonder?”

“That’s not what Tish was complaining about,” Stacy corrected. “She was grumbling about his staying power. Apparently she groped him and he creamed his jeans, then after he finished her she tried to fish him out and he spewed on her blouse.”

“That’s not good, Tish turns into a real bitch if she doesn’t get her row plowed regularly.”

“Well that’s not going to be a problem,” Stacy advised. “She went back to Patrick,,,”

“He’s not going to take her back, not after she dogged him,,,” Vanessa protested.

“He already did!”

“No!!!”

“Yea! You know how he likes to get here early for breakfast, well she dragged him up to the eraser room, and once she got him balls deep she asked him to hook up again. What do you think he said?”

“Well that takes her out of the competition,,,”

“Competition?”

“Yea, I’m not giving up on Bruce, the poor boy’s never seen a boob before. It’s not his fault he’s got no staying power, Tish went way too fast with him,,,” Stacy related.

“So what, you’re going to bring him along gradually?” Lucinda asked in disbelief.

Vanessa looked from one girl to the other. “Tell me that after talking to Isabel and watching the way Alex treats her you’re willing to give up on finding something better,,,”

“You know, I had a chance with Alex,,,” Lucinda bragged.

“Bullshit!” Stacy gasped.

“You better hope Isabel never hears you say that,,,” Vanessa agreed.

“It was long before they hooked up,” Lucinda backpedaled. “We kissed,,,”

“For your web site? I remember that, you practically mauled him,,,”

“Yea, Maria almost had to rescue him,” Stacy said laughingly. “She would have beat the crap out of you if she wasn’t laughing so hard.”

Their chat was interrupted by the warning bell.

“So you’re going to give Bruce a go?”

“Yea, I am,” Stacy replied. “Frack the jocks, it’ll be nice to be a girlfriend instead of a sperm receptacle for a change,,,” her voice dying off as the girls headed out into the hall.

‘Well that explains what’s got Cavanah so worked up,’ Miss Leigh thought as she also left the girls room. ‘As long as the jocks aren’t getting laid I’m going to need to keep an eye on Isabel and make sure she stays out of his path.’

**********
“I need a KC-135 aerial refueling tanker out of the Twenty-Second Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas.”

“When do you want this mission scheduled?” the Granolith asked levelly.

“The Saturday after Christmas,” (Dec. 29, 2001) Alex replied. “School’s out, tourism will be up, and I’m working on another project that will have that area filled with UFO watchers. Hopefully the weather will co-operate.”

“Historically, that time of year would carry a ten percent chance of bad weather.”

“What is the chance of two consecutive days of bad weather?”

“Near zero.”

“Is it possible to delay scheduling this mission until we have a weather forecast?”

“Yes. Training flights are routinely scheduled well in advance while the orders themselves are not released to the squadrons until several days before the mission. There will be time to obtain a five day weather forecast before the orders are printed. During late December the accuracy of the five day forecast is in excess of ninety percent.”

“Good! Compose a program with Saturday as the primary date, Friday as the second choice, and Thursday as the third.”

“Sunday?”

“No! Sunday will be too late. The tourist will be headed home on Sunday. Sunday night will be too late.”

“Refueling aircraft identified. State mission profile,” the Granolith commanded.

“I want a refueling pass, just after nightfall. It needs to cross south of Roswell, and east of Dexter,,,”

“Warning. Flight operations in this area will potentially encroach on the Roswell Air Center.”

“I want the same mission parameters as that refueling flight that occurred a month or so ago that caused multiple reports of a UFO sighting out near Putnam Ranch.”

“Working. Flight level 100. (10,000 ft or 3050 M) Transit the area with a heading of zero-four-five.” (south-west to north-east)

“High enough not to be heard, low enough to be seen.”

“State receiving aircraft.”

“Get me a pair of F-117A Stealth Fighters out of the Forty-Ninth Fighter Wing from Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo.”

“Why that aircraft?”

“The Tanker is equipped with guide lights on it’s underside. These are what caused the last sighting, but I want Stealth for another reason. This mission will be flown near the full moon, and between their Nav. (navigational) lights and the fact that they’re flat black, I’m hoping for the appearance of a moving black hole against a starry sky.”

“How observable will a low observable aircraft be at night while it is flying at altitude?”

“It only takes one person, one blurry photo. Remember, these people already believe. They want to see something, no matter how small. This flight will be worth millions of tourism dollars for the city.”

“May I ask a question?”

“Yes,” Alex answered calmly. This was not a time for the Granolith to make assumptions.

“Why do they call the One-One-Seven a fighter? The Wobbly Goblin (an early nick for the F-117) is the most inherently unstable aircraft since the X-Twenty-Nine, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_X-29) and it would crash on take off without the use of four separate computerized flight control systems. It has no radar, it can not use it’s radio to co-ordinate an attack with an AWAC (Airborne Warning and Control http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AWACS) aircraft without giving away it’s stealth properties, it carries no external stores, and if it performed many of the flight evolutions that a normal fighter routinely performs, it’s wings would be torn off.”

“It’s simple really,” Alex explained. “The missions envisioned for the One-One-Seven need hot-shit pilots, and hot-shit pilots fly fighters, so although it probably should be designated as an attack aircraft, it became a fighter.”

“Interesting.”

“Granolith, are you certain we can input this mission and remain completely undetected?”

“Yes, it is completely within my capabilities to schedule this flight.”

“Are you positive? There must be no chance to trace this connection back to Aries. Isabel is an officer within Aries, and there must be absolutely no risk that she would be discovered.”

“There is no risk, but again,,,”

“Go ahead,,,”

“If you are so afraid of detection, why are you commanding me to attack the Air Force’s computer network,,,”

“No! No!,, We are not attacking the Air Force,,,”

“You are cracking one of the most secure computer networks on the planet, and hacking in a flight with the sole intention of satisfying your own personal needs. How is that not an attack?”

Alex had to scramble for an answer, but as usual he was able to pull a rabbit out of the hat. “Intent!”

“Intent?”

“Yes, intent. In order for this to be an illegal attack, there would have to be three malicious components. The breaking of a law, personal gain, and intent,,,”

“We are not breaking any laws?”

“Actually,,, technically we are,,,”

“Technically?,, If so, do you wish to abort?”

“No! Not only do we have no malicious intent, we’re helping the Air Force. They conduct training flights all the time, and the only thing we’re doing is helping a bit with the when and where. There are a lot of people in Roswell who are already benefiting from renewed interest in recent UFO activities, so another ‘sighting’ is actually a good thing.”

“So with no malicious intent, this isn’t an attack? If so, what is it?”

“I would call it benevolent mischief.”

“Benevolent mischief?”

“Yes, you do understand the concept of mischief, don’t you?”

The Granolith took a moment to check the hundred or so dictionary web sites that it had book-marked, evaluating the definition of the word mischief. In doing so, it found a parallel to another set of bookmarks belonging to a project that it had put on hold.

While monitoring the e-mail account of a FBI agent who it turned out had never so much as heard of the ‘Special Unit,’ the Granolith intercepted a message with an attached JPG file containing an image of a woman. Not any woman, but a photograph of a four hundred pound (181 kilo) nekked woman displaying her charms for all to see.

This had been the first time that the Granolith had ever seen anything like this, so it had taken several nanoseconds to evaluate it’s find. ‘This is an efficient body style,’ the Granolith had thought. ‘So many nooks and crannies for secreting items and storing supplies. She could easily store a number of hard copy files under her breasts, letter sized folders under the left while the longer right breast would cover legal sized forms easily. The fold around her waist could efficiently store lunch for four, completely enveloping the meal in flesh having the surface consistency of cottage cheese which would grip the food securely while keeping it warm.

The Granolith also found her particular body style to be interesting, for the woman was equipped with a large stomach flap that under normal conditions would have hung down and covered her private parts. This modestly flap was substantial, clearly it would stay in position during a strong wind, for it took both of the woman’s hands to lift it clear and expose her charms to the camera’s eye. Or at least the Granolith thought so, for the woman’s crotch was covered with a thick mat or fur, undulating over a number of folds and crevices between her legs. ‘Perhaps a human male would have to roll this person in flour before the sex act could commence, then after a suitable waiting period, he would be able to zoom in on the wet spot.’

But during this critical exam, the Granolith noticed a fatal flaw in this body style, for while it was apparent that the human ass had a limitless ability to grow, the human arm remained a fixed length. ‘How does this female maintain her personal hygiene?’ it thought. ‘There is no way that she can reach around to her ass,,, well to the part of the ass that counted,,,’

Thus stymied in it’s evaluation, the Granolith created a folder to store the file for future contemplation, but not before scouring the internet and downloading a number of similar photographs. In less time than the blink of an eye, the Granolith hacked into Alex’s server and deposited all three-hundred JPG files, secreting each and every one of the big beautiful women in disparate locations that his human interface would never find. It then wrote a program that would monitor the Blade’s bio-metric sensor and pop the women’s images onto Alex’s display, but only when he was alone.

The Granolith’s last act was to delete every trace of the ‘BBW Mischief’ project from it’s data banks, which would allow it to respond innocently and honestly, “Nekked woman?,, What nekked women.?


The spur-of-the-moment project complete, the Granolith was now free to reply to Alex’s original request. “Mischief. Concept understood. Please continue.”

“Good, execute program.”

**********
“Chief, you asked to see me?” Alex asked tentatively, leaning into Chief Jones’ office.

“Ahh, Whitman. Come in, sit down.”

Alex settled down, still slightly uncomfortable. Almost all his fire department dealings to date had been with Assistant Chief Montoya, so he was still a little intimidated by the top man.

“I hear nothing but great things about your Aries EMS program,” Chief Louis said warmly. “You seem to have exceeded all expectations at a fraction of the cost that the other companied had quoted. Can I ask how you did it?”

“It’s really rather simple Chief,” Alex explained patiently. “The entire project started with the fact that Paramedic Stillwell was busting my balls,,, Excuse me,,,”

“No offense, Whitman. Stilwell breaks everyone’s balls from time to time.”

“Well the more often I filled out a run record, the more I realized that it was nothing more than a database, requiring the same fields,,, items of information to be filled out every time. So the first thing I did was to build a form on my PDA that allowed me to enter the data electronically and transmit it to a printer in the Emergency Department.”

“I remember when printed forms started coming across my desk. I can’t tell you how much of an improvement that was. It made our job of entering the data into our logs much easier.”

“Well that’s the magic Chief. An EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) was writing out the forms, then a clerk at the hospital had to transcribe that information on their patient’s record, a clerk here was entering the data onto the department’s logs, and a third clerk was entering the data into the state’s system in Albuquerque,,,”

“And the State’s a year behind,,,”

“More like seventeen months,” Alex corrected without malice. “Isabel and myself had to get them caught up before the new system could be brought live.”

“And you eliminated the data entry operations?”

“Not really, the data still has to be input, but now it only gets input once, by the EMT who initially fills out the form. Once it’s saved at the hospital a hardcopy is printed to be brought back to the station while the data automatically goes to the hospital and the state. Best of all, since every agency gets the same data, there are no more coding discrepancies,,,”

“That’s been a problem in the past. Lets say for instance that Joe Six-pack is taking a leak off his deck and falls.”

That’s right Chief. In the past the clerk here may code that as a trauma while the clerk at the hospital may code it as a substance abuse. Now, right or wrong, every run report gets coded the same.”

“So how were you able to do this for so much less?”

“Do you want the real reason?”

“Yea,” the Chief replied, as if he expected no less.

“Because I wasn’t out to screw anybody, and I don’t have a huge corporation to support.” Seeing a look of disbelief on the Chief’s face, he explained. “The other bidders were all huge IT companies who were proposing huge closed networks. They specified dedicated hardware at every location connected with dedicated land lines. Just the cost to set up the necessary fixed-frame lines from the phone company was several hundred thousand dollars with additional tens of thousands of dollars in leased line charges each year. Now this is in addition to a six figure fee that they would charge every year to administer the network.”

“And you don’t have any of that?,,”

“Right,” Alex replied happily, enthused that the Chief was so up to date. “I provide software and hardware but no fixed network. Aries EMS transmits the data over existing internet connections, protecting the integrity of the data with heavy encryption. That one change alone cut the bid price for a three year contract by over a million dollars.”

“And your hardware?”

“Okay, there’s something you need to understand. Aries EMS is nothing but a database. It’s not rocket science, computers have been running databases since the nineteen-fifties. So while the Aries EMS master database resides on a fairly sophisticated server installed at the Health Department’s facility in Albuquerque, the data entry computers at the hospitals are nothing more than run-of-the-mill windows boxes,,,”

“And that’s where everything starts,,,”

“Right. New Mexico EMS installed two data entry computers and a printer at every emergency room and trauma center in the state. That’s the common point where every ambulance and rescue patient enters the EMS System. Like I mentioned, the hospital and the State gets the data, the crew takes a printed hard copy back to their station, and for most departments, say Dexter or Sierra for instance, that’s it,,,”

“But that’s not it for the larger departments,” Chief Lewis commented.

“No, that’s not it,” Alex agreed. “Any department can opt into the system and receive the same electronic file that the hospital and the State receives. The department has to bear the cost of the additional equipment, but here, for instance, the department already had enough computing power in it’s hardware that the only expense at headquarters was licensing the software,,,”

What I don’t understand is how some departments get more information than others,,, say us versus Dexter.”

“That’s not true Chief,” Alex rebutted carefully. “Roswell doesn’t get any more information in it’s electronic files than Dexter gets on it’s hardcopy sheets but there are two major differences between the small departments that participate at the minimum level, and the larger departments. The first enhancement is that Roswell and Santa Fe both chose to equip their busses (ambulance, as in ‘everyone rides the bus’) with PDA’s (Personal Data Assistants, in this case HP-Q I-Pacs) which will allow the medics to complete the run records before they get to the hospital. If everything goes right, they can drop off the patient, beam the form into the PC, and get back on the road in minutes,,,”

“I know, the time savings alone will pay for the additional hardware in a couple of months, but I’m more interested in this right here,” Chief Lewis stated, tapping his monitor.

“The data analysis capability of the software?” Alex prompted.

“That’s the part I’m liking,” Chief Lewis agreed. “The management reports I’m getting are impressive. The ability to analyze what kinds of runs we’re having, when they’re happening, and what zones they’re happening in is impressive. For example we’re already finding that our plans to locate the new rescue in Station Five needs to be reevaluated. That zones South and South-East Main Streets corridor is getting built up rapidly, leading to a number of accidents, but thanks to the fact that you backloaded the last two years of run records, we’re finding that the majority of them are fender benders and rear enders. The real trauma is happening out on Route Three-Eighty, where traffic is up and speeds are higher. As a result, the new rescue, when we get the money for it, will probably be placed in Station Two.”

“I’m glad I can help,” Alex said proudly.

The chief took a deep breath. “That’s what makes the next thing I have to talk to you about so hard,,,”

“I think I know what you’re going to say,” Alex replied softly. “You need my resignation.”

“Alex,” Chief Lewis replied earnestly, “I did not know that you had signed a waver after your first injury. That fact, combined with your refusal of treatment after your second; well, I can’t risk one of my men getting hurt when they’re not willing to take care of themselves.”

“I understand Chief,” Alex replied morosely. “I’d probably do the same thing myself.”

“There are still a number of opportunities for you to contribute,” Chief Lewis advised as he slid a sheet of paper across his desk for Alex to sign. “We still need volunteers.”

“Don’t worry Chief,” Alex replied. “I’m not going to leave you hanging. I’m going to finish every project I started, I promise.”

**********
The next morning was unusually warm for December, even for Roswell. Maria couldn’t wait to show off her newest purchase. “How do you like my new jeans?” she asked excitedly as she pulled up next to Isabel’s locker.

Isabel turned and looked, an action that caused her brows to shoot up. “There’s not much to them,” she commented skeptically.

“I know, they’re Gasoline’s” Maria gushed. “Three and three quarter inch (95mm) rise, one inch (25mm) zipper. They’re the ultraist ultra low rise jeans I could find.”

“Why?” Isabel deadpanned as she took a closer, more critical look. “They don’t look comfortable, they’re cutting across the bottom of your hip bones. If you’d sneeze they’d fall down,,,”

“They won’t fall down, the thighs are too tight. Besides, my Mom hates them.”

“What are you wearing for underwear?” Isabel asked, leaning over to the side and checking Maria’s ass for a whale’s tail.

“Cheeky pants,” Maria answered with a bit of irritation. Seeing a bit of disbelief on Isabel’s face, she continued, “They’re a bit higher in the back,,,” After several additional moments of scrutiny she added, “Okay, so I had to trim the top row of lace off my panties, so sue me.”

In response Isabel smiled as she reached deeper into her locker.

You should try them, they would drive Alex nuts,,,”

“I can’t wear anything like that,” Isabel gasped.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m a woman,,,”

“And I’m not?”

“Ria, you’re built like a boy. “You have no tits, no ass, you weigh like a hundred pounds, and you have no waist or hips,,,”

“Thanks a fracking lot,,,”

“Here,” Isabel said, taking Maria’s hand and bringing it to her hip. “Feel that? I’ve got a woman’s hips. There’s flesh there, making me all smooth and soft. If I wore something like that I’d have a muffin top on the front, love handles on the sides, and plumber’s crack in the back.” As she slammed her locker closed, she deliberately dropped a pencil. “Oops, would you get that for me.”

“Funny,” Maria sneered, staying upright.

Isabel, dressed in a much more modest skirt set, easily recovered her pencil before heading deeper into the building. “Come on, I’ll treat you to a bacon and egg muffin,,,”

“Bitch.”

“Oh that’s right,” Isabel teased. “You can’t eat in those jeans. I’ll get you a banana then, or maybe a cup of plain yogurt.”

“I hate you,” Maria replied under her breath.

“Hey, what can I say, I like food,” Isabel rebutted. “Besides, Alex love’s me the way I am, and I’ve learned how to make what I have work for me.”

**********
Alex was headed for his first period class when he saw Thumper heading in the opposite direction. “Sue!”

“Hi Alex,” she replied, pulling to the side.

“I have your parts,” Alex said cheerfully. “I can install them whenever’s convenient for you.”

“I’m not doing anything this afternoon,,,”

“Okay, see you then.”

**********
“Maria!” Miss Leigh called out, culling her quarry from the heard of students in the hall. “A moment in my office please.”

“Maria’s brows shot up, but since she was struggling to get all the financial aid for college that she could get she followed the guidance councilor without question. She took a seat as Miss Leigh closed the door behind them.

Maria watched the older woman watching her, and quickly became agitated. “You wanted something?”

Miss Leigh held up a crisp five dollar bill. (3.6 €) “I’ll take five on six,” she deadpanned.

“What?” Maria gasped as a chill ran up her spine.

“You don’t think everyone’s heard about your pool?” she added as she wrote out a late pass.

“Not everyone,” Maria sighed in relief, thankful that Isabel, or more importantly Alex had not heard.

“Oh and Maria,,,” Miss Leigh added, stopping her before she could open the door. “If you look at that pass, you’ll see it gives you time to go home and change out of those no-rise jeans before Mr. Cavanah sees them,,,”

“What’s wrong with my jeans?” Maria protested.

“They’re a little too, ‘Troy’ish’ for good taste.”

“Awww, man,,,” Maria moaned as she stood, but as she neared the door, her mood brightened. She had a pass from her next class, Michael had that period off, and instead of going home to change, she could have him modify her jeans after an hour long eraser room tryst. All at once her session with Miss Leigh didn’t look so bad. She quickly stepped across the office and snapped the five dollar bill of her desk.

“Hey!”

“Sorry Miss Leigh, a bets a bet.”

TBC

[stargazer md]

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

Diane watched her husband puttering around the kitchen with growing alarm. Loading the last of the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher, she started it before turning to him and facing him down. “Okay, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Hugh?”

“You don’t think I can tell by now when you’re keeping a secret,,,”

“It’s not a secret,,, really,” Phillip faltered, thinking that his wife had been spending too much time with Gloria.

Diane simply raised her brows and waited, knowing that her silence would unnerve her lawyer husband, who was used to talking his way through a confrontation. Surprisingly she had learned this tactic from Isabel, not Gloria.

Phillip cracked quickly. “I gave away your closet.”

“What do you mean you gave away my closet?,, What closet?”

“The garage coat closet,” Phillip explained. “Isabel asked me for space so she and Alex could install a bunch of computer equipment and that seemed like the best place to put it,,,”

“You mean they’re putting in a server rack?” Diane demanded, obviously having spent time with the teens learning about the nuts-and-bolts operation of their company.

“I don’t know,” Phillip sighed. “I just thought that if they had some of their equipment here, they might spend more time here,,,”

“When are they doing this?” Diane asked excitedly, her whole countenance changed.

“I think Isabel is having Manuel come over for an estimate this afternoon,” Phillip explained, slipping back to ‘fact’s only’ mode. “He is going to have to install electricity and air conditioning before they can put in their equipment. I was going to come home,,,”

By now Diane had grabbed Phillip’s hand and dragged him down the aisle towards the garage. She opened the door to the closet and then backed up a bit, looking into laundry room. “There’s nothing in there that can’t be moved. I can get a new washer and dryer, one of those new Maytag Neptune models that stack and then Manuel could install some cabinetry in the other space, then with more shelving in the garage,,,”

“A new washer?” Phillip finally managed to choke out.

“Yea,” Diane challenged. “I’m going to need the room, besides these are almost five years old, and do you have any idea how many loads of laundry Isabel’s put through them?”

“Okay then,” Phillip said hesitantly, wanting to get to the office before this endeavor cost him any more.

“Oh no you don’t,” Diane interceded. “You get the kids home more, you get a reward.”

Now Phillip was alright with that.

**********
Isabel joined up with Maria before heading out for lunch, but as they went through the archway to the Quad, the first thing she saw was her brother sitting at a corner table with Liz. What concerned her was the fact that Max had his head buried on his crossed arms while Liz rubbed her back consolingly. In consideration for everything that Alex had gone through lately, she clamped down on her connection before asking nervously, “What’s the matter with Max?”

“Oh, we’re not going over there,” Maria declared while taking Isabel by the arm and steering her to their usual table.

“What’s wrong,,,” Isabel asked in alarm. “I was hoping they were getting things straightened out, he’s not being a dick again, is he?”

“No,” Maria advised cheerfully. “Max didn’t have a first period class today, so he got a late start for school.” She stopped and turned to face Isabel fully before looking around to make sure no one was within earshot. “As he was crossing through your kitchen she caught your Dad putting the pork to your Mom,,,”

“Ewww,,, ewww,,, ewww,,,” Isabel gasped.

“Right there on your place at the table,,,”

“Maria!!!” Isabel complained as she put her hands over her ears.

“Max told Liz her bare ass was right at the spot where you eat your meals,,, Do you always use a placemat?,,”

“You’re enjoying this,” Isabel hissed vehemently.

“After your flat-chested smart-assed wisecrack, you bet I am,” Maria replied gleefully, but moments later she had pulled Isabel in tight and turned her to the side. Looking out past her she snapped, “Private conversation. Why don’t you go into the cafeteria and try to buy a clue,,,”

“What was that all about?” Isabel asked, confused at Maria’s quick change from antagonist to advocate.

“Popular’s snooping around looking for gossip.” Seeing the confused look on Isabel’s face she quickly elaborated, “As you have already figured out, I enjoy our little spats. But they’re private. I would never say anything like that in front of anyone, especially when there’s a good chance it would end up on Lucinda’s web site.


Across the Quad, Alex sat at ‘his’ table happily holding court. True, it was one of the less desirable tables in the quad, and today his court was limited to his band mates, but it was his court none the less.

“So Alex, have you ever seen Isabel,,, nekkid?” Chris asked.

“What?!!” Alex demanded.

“Of course he’s seen her nekkid,” Nicky interjected. “He’s boning her,,,”

“Hey! This is my girlfriend, my fiancé!” Alex admonished. “She’s going to be my wife for frack’s sake. How would you like it if I talked about your girlfriend like that? Show some respect!”

“Respect?” Markos replied, pulling Alex into a sideways hug. “Dude! You’re the only one of us who have ever had a girlfriend, what did you expect?”

“Then think of her as your sister! How would you treat her if she was your sister?”

“I don’t know, I’ve got two sisters and neither one of them looks like her,,,”

“Ice Princess, two o’clock,” Chris warned.

“Hey!” Alex protested, but he turned to meet her.

“Hi Sweetie,” Isabel gushed as she kissed his cheek, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and then leaned into his back. “How’s it going?”

“It’s going fine,” Alex answered confidently as he lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.

“Okay, I’ll be with the gang if you want anything.”

“You know? Life would be a lot better if I had a Lime Warp and some Hog Phasers,” he added as she stood and headed for her own table.

“You see that guys?” Alex said to his friends. “Isabel loves me,,,”

His friends broke out with smiles.

“It took a while, but it was worth it,,,”

Chris started to chuckle.

“I’d do anything for her, and she’d do anything for me,,,”

By now Alex’s friends were opening laughing.

“What? Alex demanded, upset that his words of inspiration were being wasted.

“Dude,” Nicky replied as he pointed towards the girl’s table.

Alex turned to find Isabel sitting at her table, flanked by Maria and Ava. Once they made eye contact, Isabel picked up her own lime warp and bringing her straw to her mouth, she took an exaggerated sip, sucking in her cheeks until they touched. Finishing her sip, she arched her brows in pleasure before raising her hand and waving.

“Izzy!”

“What?”

“Come here!”

“Aw, man,” she complained, rising and coming over as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

“I thought we agreed I needed a Lime Warp and Hog Phasers?”

“No, you decided that you wanted them.”

“And,,,”

“And I have my hands full with your other needs right now,,,” she answered sweetly as she leaned down and kissed him again “So,,,”

“Well speaking of needs,,,”

Isabel could sense anxiety building in Alex’s mind, so she turned back to see what he was up to. “I’m listening,” she deadpanned.

“The main thing I need right now is to be able to provide for our future, so I guess that means I want to know how the house is coming along.”

“The Executor has the permission of the Probate Court to sell the property. They have their appraisal completed and have given us their initial asking price. We have our inspections, the blessings of all four parents, and are pre-approved for a mortgage by a banker endorsed by Donna Castillo. We are just over two percent apart on price, and I am going to prepare a counter offer by the end of the week,,,”

“Izzy, call them,” Alex commanded. “This afternoon. Accept their offer, negotiate a better deal, it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to tell you how to do the money side of things, but I want this part of our future secured, so before you hang up the phone, buy the house,,,”

“Seriously?” Isabel gasped.

“Seriously,,,” Alex answered before he was smothered by kisses.

“I’ll get right on it,” she gushed before turning back towards the girls.

“And Izzy?” Alex called out.

Isabel stopped and looked back figuring he had something more to say about the house.

“What are you doing the weekend after Graduation?”

“What?” she gasped as she came to the realization that his anxiety had not been about the house.

“Any plans you can’t break?”

“Are you asking me to marry you?,,”

“I already did that,” Alex answered, “But we never decided on when. Now I know it’s short notice, but do you think you can pull it off by June?”

Isabel’s eyes bored into his. “Try me,,,”

“Okay,” Alex replied. “Make it happen.”


Isabel returned to her table and dropped into her seat, already reaching for her day planner. “Did Alex just ask you to marry him?” Maria demanded.

“Summer wedding,” Isabel muttered while flipping to the back of her planner. “Options ‘A’ through ‘H’. Saturday afternoon, ‘A’, ‘C’, ‘E’, or ‘G’.” Checking her amazing memory she continued, “The Church is already booked for every opening for all of June, so that means the gazebo at the country club, which is my first choice anyways, so that means plan ‘C’ or ‘G’, and since Bobby Cotton’s hall is also already booked solid, a tent for the reception, which narrows it down to plan ‘G’.” Isabel snapped open the loose leaf rings, freeing three pages covered with intricate notes which covered both sides of the sheets. She placed them on top of a number of blank sheets, then with a discrete burst of power made each of her friends a copy.

“Ava, we’re going to get you a Maid of Honor’s dress,” Isabel stated distractedly, before turning to face her. “That is if you’ll,,,”

“Who me? I thought you’d,,,” Ava gasped as she pointed towards Maria.

“Me?” Maria responded, equally in shock.

“Alex had made only one demand during all the talks we’ve had. “That’s that Maria and Liz would stand up for him.”

“I’m going to be one of Alex’s best men?” Maria gasped.

“Yup, you’re going to look good in Armani,” Isabel replied as she handed Maria a still warm copy of her list.

“Holy shit!” Maria interjected as she read through the myriad of entries on her copy the plan. “You’re going to get all of this done in five months?” she asked in amazement.

“Watch me,” was Isabel’s confident reply.

**********
“Good afternoon, Manuel. Come right in,” Diane greeted their handyman warmly.

“Buenos Diás, Diane,” Manual returned the salutation with the same warmth. “Maria (not our Maria but Manual’s wife) says hi and hopes that she will see you at the Christmas Pageant.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Diane teased. “It’s kind of a command performance for me. Can I offer you anything? Something to drink perhaps on this hot afternoon?” Diane offered solicitously as she led him into the house.

“Muchas Gracias, but no. I am fine.”

“I’ll show you the project then,” she said, leading him to the short hallway off the garage.

Manual opened the door of the closet and gave it a brief examination. “Señorita Isabel warned me that the closet may not be ready to be remodeled.”

“I emptied it this morning,” Diane replied dismissively as Manual took a sheet of paper out of his pocket. Moments later he started taking measurements and added more information to the sheet.

Diane could see numerous notes and drawings on the sheet. “I see my daughter has had some ideas,,,”

“Sí!” Manual answered cheerfully. As he crossed out to the garage and opened the circuit breaker panel. “She told me exactly what she needs.” Nodding in satisfaction at what he saw he explained. “There is plenty of electrical capacity, and power will not be a problem,,,”

“But isn’t the greatest need the air conditioning?”

“Sí, and in this she is quite ingenious.”

“How so?”

“As you well know, your central air conditioning system runs continuously during the summer, during the day in the spring and fall, and not at all during the winter months, yet she advises that the equipment that wishes to install in this space needs to be cooled continuously. So she specified a dual cooling system. During the hotter times the room will be cooled by a new zone that I’m installing on your central air system, but during other times there will be a set of powered dampers that will allow a fan to draw cooling air in from the garage.”

“You can do that?” Diane asked in amazement.

“No, actually I can’t, or at least it is something that I have not done before,” Manuel admitted honestly. “But Isabel sketched out exactly what she wants, and she says that her Alex will provide the dual system thermostat, so I guess you have to give her the credit for it.”

“Well, speaking of her getting what she wants, let me show you what I want done in the laundry.”

“The laundry too?” Manual asked in surprise,

“Yes, the laundry too,” Diane declared. “If Phillip is going to give away my closet, I’m going to need to rearrange my space. Fort Sumner Appliance will be delivering a new washer and dryer on Monday, they’re going to stack on the right side where the washer is now. That will leave space where the dryer is now for a small set of cabinets. On the bottom I want a cabinet with drawers for my kitchen linens, over that a small countertop for folding then an overhead cabinet for my laundry supplies.”

“Do you have the specifications on the appliances you ordered?”

“Of course,” Diane replied, handing over a pamphlet.

Manual checked the width of the new units and then measured the remaining space. “I should be able to get a pre-fab unit at the home center that will fit perfectly.”

“Good, then all that’s left is for you to fax me an estimate and I will get you a signed construction contract. You will start next week?”

“Next week?” Manual gasped. “It’s just two week ‘till Christmas. I can’t do this until after the first of next month.”

Diane wasn’t the wife of a lawyer for nothing. In fact, before Isabel forced her out, she had been her husbands office manager, one who was quite capable of getting things done, and the thing she wanted the most right now was to eliminate any obstacle to the kids spending time at home. “I am willing to pay a bonus for a swift completion,,,”

“But this is Isabel’s project, no?”

“You will bill Isabel for her share, but as of right now I am taking over this project, and if you need to work a couple of evenings to fit this into your schedule, I will make it worth your while.”

**********
“Good afternoon Mrs. Thurber,” Alex said politely as the front door of Susan Thurber’s house opened.

“You must be Alex,” Thumper’s mother said warmly. “I can’t tell you how grateful we are that you’re doing this for us.”

“No problem,” Alex replied modestly. “Anything for a friend.”

“Up here Alex,” Thumper called out from the top of the stairs.

Moments later Alex was settled in front of the computer, deeply engrossed in the task at hand while Thumper sat on her bed close by. Once he had installed back-up software in her system, he connected an external CD burner to her parallel printer port. Before starting the program, he sorted through the restore disk that came with her computer, as well as all the installation disks that she had been able to round up. “You’ve got disk for just about everything on your machine,” Alex reported happily. “This should go smoothly,” he added as he built the search parameters that would transfer all of her documents to the back-up CD’s. Once the program was running successfully he turned towards his friend. “Now I’m not going to find anything embarrassing on here, am I?”

“What?” Thumper gasped, her brows shooting up. Regaining her composure, and despite her earlier resolution not to flirt, and as a result embarrass him, she couldn’t help herself. “You’re going to read my diary?”

Now it was Alex’s turn to gasp. “No! I wouldn’t do that,,,”

“Don’t worry, I already copied it to floppies and deleted it,,,”

Alex turned to the computer and wiggled his fingers over the keyboard. “Undelete diary,” he teased.

“Aagghh,” Thumper gasped as she grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.


“Top of the stairway on the right,” Thumper’s mother instructed, happy that her daughter’s friends were once again stopping by. “Do you want me to bring you up?”

“No, that’s okay. I can hear them from here,” Isabel replied cheerfully.

Stopping outside the door, she got a good look at Thumper sitting on her bed. Her friend was sitting Indian style, and instead of her usual skirt and blouse, Thumper was wearing a tank top and a pair of gym shorts, a short, leg revealing pair of shorts, which when combined with her casual position, exposed every bit of her magnificent thighs to her guest.


Alex, a veteran of numerous pillow fights with the twins over the years, caught the pillow and turned back to return fire, only to find a surprise standing in the doorway. “Izzy!” he said happily. “I thought you were going shoe shopping?”

“I am,” she replied as she entered the room. Placing her hands on her husband’s shoulders, she bent down and kissed his cheek. “But I thought I would take Thumper with me and spare her from your bad jokes.”

“The mall?” Thumper said excitedly.

“Yea. I’ve acquired a new Vera Wang gown for the Christmas pageant, so I want to check out A Walk on the Moon to see if they have anything suitable. Hopefully I can save a trip to Albuquerque,,,”

“You go to Albuquerque for shoes?”

“She goes to Albuquerque for underwear,” Alex teased.

“No!”

“Yea, she likes quality,,,”

“Luckily for you,” Isabel interjected as she watched the two interact. Despite continuing to work, Alex was running true to form, entertaining Thumper despite the fact that he was the guest. If he was at all affected by Thumper’s brief attire, he wasn’t showing it. Thumper too seemed innocent of any ulterior motives, totally oblivious to Alex’s charms, but innocence has it limits. “Coming?” she asked cheerfully.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Thumper replied in the same vein. “Just let me run down to the bathroom and change,” she added as she scooted around, collecting another of her trademark tartan skirts, hose, and a fresh blouse.

As Thumper left the room Isabel leaned onto Alex’s shoulders and nuzzled his neck. “Everything going well?” she asked softly.

“Piece of cake,” Alex answered confidently.

“You don’t mind if we leave you alone?”

“No, as a matter of fact I should be done in about ninety minutes or so. The longest task will be to install XP followed by her software. I’ll let myself out when I’m done.”

“Not going to miss Thumper, or rather her thighs?”

Alex quickly spun around, facing her, his face showing alarm. “You don’t think,,,”

Isabel silenced him with a finger to his lips. “No I don’t think, but as the Good Lord instructed, ‘And lead us not into temptation’,,,”

“Temptation?” Alex gasped.

“Yes, temptation. And as a result, Aries has a new rule. No more house-calls!”

**********
Later that evening Isabel was sitting between Alex’s legs while he gently brushed her hair. She had given up on playing Jeopardy, and was simply luxuriating in the sensation of allowing her husband to groom her.

“Enjoy it while you can,” Alex said softly. “We got to get back to work pretty soon,,,”

“Not tonight,” Isabel replied languidly.

“Sorry Izzy. We got to get the presentation for Pangborn ready.”

“Not tonight,” Isabel replied, but with a little force in her voice as she turned to face him. “You haven’t taken any time off for weeks. One night won’t hurt.”

“I don’t think you realize how much work this presentation is going to take. They want a working demonstration of Aries, but more importantly they need a completely new database for tracking all of their DoD (Department of Defense) compliance logs.”

“Not a problem,” Isabel sighed dismissively as she moved back into brushing position.

“Izzy,,,”

“Friday, after the game, we’ll go down to Alamogordo, check into a room, and work through the weekend until we’re done,,,”

“What do you want to get a room for? What can we do there we can’t do here?”

“Distractions,” Isabel replied with a sigh as he brushed against her neck with the back of his hand. “No distractions. You can work on the Sequel databases while I work on the Power-Point presentation,,,”

“If we’re going to do that we’re going to need another laptop,” Alex replied worriedly.

“So, get one. We’re going to need another one before we start college anyways. How about Space Supplies?” Isabel queried.

“No, not at the quality level that we need. Hand me the phone,” Alex retorted as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders. “CAA (Computer Associates of America, the company Brody set them up with) can have one here Friday morning.”

Minutes later Alex was on the phone with a CCA representative in Bangladesh. “I need a Toshiba Tecra 8100, with a Pentium III 600 MHz processor,,,” Alex quickly specified a middle of the road, business capable laptop. “And a HP 350 portable color printer, hang on a moment.” Turning towards Isabel he inquired, “Do we take a chance they have a LCD projector?”

“No,” Isabel commanded. “Besides, even if they do, it would be unprofessional of us not to be completely ready to make a presentation.”

Alex turned back to the phone, “What do you have for portable LCD projectors?”

While Alex listened to the call specialist, Isabel slipped in an addition to his shopping list. “Get me a graphics tablet.”

“Hold on,” Alex said into the phone. “What?”

“I want to try using a graphics tablet so I can sketch my designs directly into the computer instead of scanning pencil drawings. Okay?”

“Okay,” Alex said to the specialist. “Add the Panasonic 300-U projector to the order, but we need to revisit the specifications on the laptop. First, what do you have for graphic tablets, and what software do they come with?”

~~”We are having a special on a nine-by-twelve (inch, 23x30 cm) tablet by Intuos, which produces outstanding results in Adobe PhotoShop six-point-oh,,,”~~

“Which I assume is sold separately,” Alex added.

~~”Of course sir,”~~ the specialist replied smoothly. ~~”Many of our clients already have a software package that they intend to utilize with the graphics hardware they are purchasing. It would be unfair to impose the expense, the major expense of a redundant software package.”~~

“Not to mention the fact that Photoshop is known for being a resource hog, so add that to the order, both the Intuos and Photoshop. Change the laptop order to a Tecra 9000, with a Pentium-M 1.2 GHz processor, and max out the system memory and hard drive,,, oh, and make sure that it comes with a CD-R/DVD combo drive.”

The call taker quickly summarized the order, and then Alex handed the phone to Isabel, who gave their credit card number and shipping information. “Ship to Aries Technologies, Eight-Hundred South Main Street, Suite Three-Hundred, Roswell, New Mexico, Eight-Three-Two-Oh-Three. (Like many small businesses, Isabel had leased a mail drawer at the local ‘Warp Speed Shipping’ store. This ensured that there would always be someone available to sign for deliveries while disguising the fact that they were working out of their house.) I need this shipped UPS Red, guaranteed overnight delivery. If it’s not here Friday, I don’t need it at all, do you understand?”

~~”Your equipment will be shipped from our Frederick Maryland fulfillment center tomorrow afternoon, and it will be delivered Friday. Within the next ten minutes you will have an order confirmation and,,, lets see, you’re in the mountain time zone, so you’ll have a shipping confirmation along with the UPS tracking number about noon time tomorrow. Is there anything else we can do for you tonight?”~~

“No, thank you,” Isabel replied. “Have a good evening.”

~~“Actually, it’s morning here,”~~ the specialist replied politely, ~~”But thank you.”~~

Isabel settled back, happily allowing Alex to recommence his brushing, luxuriating in the thought that they were going to spend a three-day weekend away from their parents and their puritanical restrictions, but her serenity was again put on hold as she heard hesitation in her husbands voice.

“Izzy?”

“Yea Sweetie?” she said positively as she turned to face him.

“Can we afford all this?” he asked warily. “Our own LCD projector? That must have cost,,,”

Isabel’s brow shot up. “The entire order was six thousand four hundred eighty one dollars and seven cents.” (4750 €) It’s equipment that we need and will make good use of, and yes, we can afford it.”

“I didn’t know, we don’t have that much cash in our checking account,,,”

“Our checking account is just part of our ready cash,” Isabel explained quickly. “It doesn’t draw interest, so I don’t keep more than what we’re going to need to pay bills, in fact depending on where you made a inquiry, you’ll see different balances, because a balance inquiry from the bank won’t reflect that we have several checks outstanding. The actual balance, available in Quick Books, is two hundred and two dollars, (148€) just enough to keep from being charged a bank fee for keeping the account open. We also have money in a saving account that pays some interest. Those funds are for our normal operating expenses, plus I have enough accrued in a CD (certificate of deposit) for the down payment on the house in Albuquerque and a down payment on the first of two cars,,,,”

“Two cars,” Alex repeated nervously.

“Yea, two cars. We’re going to be living on the outskirts of the city, so with differing schedules, we’re going to need two cars. Your Mom misses her Volvo as much as she hates her Focus, so as soon as her lease is up, you’re giving her Volvo back,,,”

“I’m surprised you aren’t making me switch cars now,” Alex muttered.

“I already looked into that,” Isabel quipped. “Something about whose name is on the lease and her insurance. But getting back to our cash position, we have a CD that will mature on December twenty-eighth. When those accrued funds are released they will go towards the down payment on the house, which is going to close right after the first of the year,,,”

“There’s that word, accrued, again. What is it?”

“Accrued funds are available funds that are being held against a future expense. It is most commonly used for employee benefits, such as vacation or sick time benefits, or other known expenses. Let me give you an example. Lets say that we have a twelve thousand dollar note that’s due and payable in December. Rather than come up with the entire amount in December, which in all likelihood would cause a cash flow crunch, a prudent manager would accrue a thousand dollars a month, so that when the liability came due, the cash would be available,,,”

“So where is this money?”

“In ours case the accrued funds are in the ninety-day CD I told you about, but it would be just as likely that they would be in short term savings or even the checking account. That’s why you can just can’t go to the ATM, get a fund balance, and blow the money, because while the bank may tell you that your account balance is five thousand dollars, Quick Books will tell you that you have one thousand dollars in outstanding checks, two thousand dollars committed towards Friday’s payroll, and another five hundred accrued towards an equipment payment. In that case, your available balance is only fifteen hundred dollars, irregardless of what the bank says,,,”

“So everything gets accrued?”

“Not really,” Isabel explained patiently. “Major expenses and longer term expenses are accrued, but any good accountant needs a good idea of what’s going on in any company. I don’t formally accrue funds against things like monthly bills, but in the back of my mind I always make sure that I know how much cash is committed and how much is available.”

“It’s all so complicated,” Alex moaned.

Hearing the resignation in her husbands voice, Isabel felt compelled to act. She spun on his hips, ending up sitting on her ankles, with her knees on either side of his hips. “Not really,” she answered enthusiastically. “Especially when your accountant is an Alien Princess Genius Accounting Goddess.”

“Oh, so we’re a Goddess now, are we?”

“Yea, an Accounting Goddess who’s going to make you rich, which is good for you because I just happen to know that your two daughters are going to have very expensive taste,,,”

“And I wonder where they’re going to get that from,” Alex groaned happily.

Seeing that she had been able to lighten her husband’s mood, she continued with her lesson. “Don’t think of the checkbook as being representative of the company, it is only a small part of the books. The health of the company is reflected on it’s balance sheet. This balance sheet is represented by the general ledger, which can be in the form of a traditional ledger book, but now-a-days it’s much more likely that a company’s books will be contained in an accounting software package. For Aries, I use Quick Books.

“The first thing you must understand is that there are three components to any balance sheet. Assets, liabilities, and net worth. These three components must be in balance, hence the balance sheet. Assets equal liabilities and net worth.

“Lets say, for the sake of this discussion, that Aries is worth one million dollars. All of our assets combined, cash, equipment, vehicles, product, and investments, are worth one million dollars. Now lets say that we owe two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in bills and long term lease payments. That would mean that the net worth of Aries would be seven hundred fifty thousand dollars. Assets, minus liability is net worth. One million, minus two hundred fifty thousand is seven hundred fifty thousand, okay so far?”

“Um hum,” Alex answered contentedly.

“The next convention you need to be comfortable with is that accounts all have sub?accounts, and that those sub?accounts also have sub?accounts. Think of them the same way you think of folders and sub?folders in Windows.

“So on the asset side, we have fixed assets and current assets. A fixed asset account may contain accounts for land and buildings, equipment, and long term investments. Current assets, also known as liquid assets, are expected to be utilized in the short term, usually within the coming year. They include cash, savings, accounts receivables, inventory, and short term investments.

“But we don’t have a lot of assets,” Alex challenged. “Aside from the servers and such,,,”

“In many ways our business produces a service as much as a product. We don’t have a warehouse full of merchandise to sell, what we sell is rather intangible. It is created in your mind, and it is stored on the Blade’s RAID array, but that’s a good thing. You produce exactly what our clients need exactly when they need it, and it doesn’t cost anything to produce except for a supply of Hog Phasers and Lime Warp to keep you in front of a monitor. Imagine what happens when Amy has a back room full of green aliens when grey aliens are popular, or imagine what happens at the Crashdown at the end of the shift when they have to throw out all the produce on the ‘fixings’ table.”

“So if we don’t have assets that are worth something, how is the company valued?”

“In some respects our business will be a cash business. We may hire one or two employees at the most, in all likelihood a receptionist and help desk technician to answer the phone while we’re with clients, but we will never have a lot of fixed assets. The value company will be in our client list, and it’s worth is what people are willing to pay you to solve their problems, then what we don’t need to draw off in supplies and salaries will be invested,” Isabel related. “But staying small works to our advantage.”

“How so?”

“Imagine Microsoft. They have thousands of employees, all of whom need an office to work in with computers on their desks and they expect a pay check every Friday. They need massive factories to produce millions of disk and a huge marketing force to keep everything flowing,,,”

“What does this have to do with us?”

“Well, Microsoft has the market cornered, the software wars are over, and they won. But that means that they can’t generate revenue from new customers. Instead they have to keep selling the same products to the same customers over and over again. Daddy still uses Windows Ninety-Eight on his computers, along with Office Ninety-Seven. These programs do everything we need, yet in order to keep his company profitable, Bill Gates needs to convince me to scrap a system that is working perfectly, and spend money I don’t need to upgrade to Millennium,,,”

“Or XP,,,”

“Or XP.”

“And us?”

“We stay small. There will always be a new customer, referred to us by our current and happy customers, that are looking for our solutions. We won’t have a large staff or big infrastructure to support, so if we have a couple of months between jobs, we could take the kids on vacation.”

“Is the state going to stiff us?” Isabel asked suddenly.

“No!” Alex exclaimed. “They promised us we would have a check the first week of the new year, and I don’t have any reason to expect otherwise.”

“Great, because Donna Castillo informed me that Leprino will be ready to proceed right after the holidays, and while we should be all set for money at least through February, we’re going to need the revenue from Aries EMS to cover the cost of the equipment for their Denver project,,,”

“Not to mention Pangborn,,,”

“If they sign a contract that fast,” Isabel agreed. “Each completed project supports us as well as the project that comes after us, but one thing I don’t understand. Why did you upgrade the new laptop? Why didn’t you just get an older laptop and let the Granolith upgrade it for you like you did with the servers?”

“The servers are secure,” Alex replied. They are safe in my room, and the new set will be locked in the new server room in your parents house. They are also equipped with kill routines that keeps their technology safe, but laptops are almost impossible to keep totally secure. We’re taking them to a hotel this weekend, and to a client’s location on Monday. Laptops get lost and stolen every day, and I won’t take a chance with your safety by putting Czechoslovakian technology where it can be compromized.”

Satisfied that her explanations and secretly elated with his all encompassing concern for her safety, she turned back into grooming position. “Brush,” she commanded with a smile on her face.”

“You know, you could have just said that you had everything under control,,,”

“Sweetie, less talking and more brushing. The movie’s starting.”

**********
Meanwhile, all across the country, the chat rooms and message boards were ablaze with the latest information that had been posted on the ‘We Believe’ web site. They were chatting back and forth about the importance of the find, and many were making plans to visit Roswell during the Christmas break to make their own first hand observation, but despite the best efforts of some very serious hackers, the origin of the Granolith’s message remained a mystery.

Larry Trilling had already ruined Jennifer’s holiday plans by announcing that they would be spending a weekend in Roswell, and was forwarding a copy of the message to everyone he knew.

To: List
From: Sunflower-Seed-Eating-Man@WeBelieve.com
Subject: See below

“Alien sites still survive to this day in Roswell and vicinity, and they are readily visible with aerial photography.

“Go to Mapquest.com and click on the ‘Earth’ maps icon. On the next page, at the bottom of the ‘Maps’ dialog box, click on the ‘Maps by Lat/Long’ link. Enter the below settings into the Latitude and Longitude fields, making sure to use the negative signs in the first longitude field. Click ‘Get map.’ Once the map comes up, click on the ‘Aerial Image’ button in the top right hand corner of the map, and use the scroll bar to zoom in.

“I don’t know quite what these are, whether they are landmarks for alien spacecraft, or actual alien landing fields, but they are still highly visible in the aerial photographs.”

Roswell 1 @ Sherman Place 33.14.25 x –104.37.50 Well east of Stagecoach Road
Link: <a>Map of Latitude: 33° 14 Min. 25 Sec.<br>Longitude: -104° 37 Min. 50 Sec. </a>

Roswell 2 @ Dexter 33.10.34 x –104.27.59 Just west of Rt. 285
Link: <a>Map of Latitude: 33° 10 Min. 34 Sec.<br>Longitude: -104° 27 Min. 59 Sec. </a>

Roswell 3 @ Chickasaw 33.07.53 x –104.32.37 At the Roswell Correctional Center
Link: <a>Map of Latitude: 33° 7 Min. 53 Sec.<br>Longitude: -104° 32 Min. 37 Sec. </a>

Roswell 4 @ Lake Author 32.59.02 x –104.29.28 Just north of W. Jackson Road
Link: <a>Map of Latitude: 32° 59 Min. 2 Sec.<br>Longitude: -104° 29 Min. 28 Sec. </a>

Roswell 5 @ Artesia 32.50.08 x –104.30.29 Southwest of Artesia Airport
Link: <a>Map of Latitude: 32° 50 Min. 7 Sec.<br>Longitude: -104° 30 Min. 29 Sec. </a>

Roswell 6 @ Roswell Center 33.24.30 x –104.32.58 West College Road
Link: <a>Map of Latitude: 33° 24 Min. 30 Sec.<br>Longitude: -104° 32 Min. 58 Sec. </a>

(Authors note: These sites are REAL! And I think you’ll be surprised by what you find. Please, someone, use follow the above instructions and let us all know that they work.)

TBC

[stargazer md]

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

“Your honor,” Paulie’s father pleaded. “Could you show some mercy? I haven’t been able to find a decent job since the base closed, and I can’t afford this fine, let alone the boost in my insurance.”

“Owen,” Judge Lewis asked. “What was the nature of the run the Rescue was on?”

Deputy Blackwood looked at the table in front of him. Despite the fact that he had little tolerance for foolish kids doing foolish things, he knew his information would not sit well with the judge. “It was a LOL call. (little old lady) DOA at Eastern.”

Mr. Robinson did not have to know exactly what had been said, the cloud of anger that passed over the Judge’s face said enough.

“Young man, do you understand what the Deputy just said?” without waiting for an answer he continued. “I’ll tell you. The patient they were rushing to assist died. Now I’m sure that your actions had nothing to do with that, but they nevertheless showed a great disrespect for the Fire Department and the citizens of this fair city who depend on them. Fine set at one hundred eighty-eight dollars. (143 €) Four points against your license, and I see that this will be in addition to three points you already have for a speeding ticket received in September,,,”

Paulie turned towards his father, and seeing a flash of rage there he quickly apologized, “I was going to tell you,,,”

“You will be receiving a notice from the Department of Motor Vehicles. You are now at seven points. At six, you receive a warning that you are in jeopardy of loosing your license. But I’ll make it simple for you. If you appear before me again within the next year you will loose your license,,,”

“Your honor,” Mr. Robinson interrupted. “I didn’t know about the other ticket. I assure you, if I had, he would have never been behind the wheel to get a second one. In light of that, and the fact that we can’t afford to insure him, I would be just as happy if you took his license away right now. I give you my personal assurance that as far as I’m concerned if he ever appears before you again it will be for prostitution, because he’s going to be pedaling his ass all over town on a bicycle.”

Judge Lewis rubbed his chin a moment. “Sir, you strike me as a decent and upstanding citizen who is struggling to do the right thing, although you may need to spend a little more time with your son. The clerk will draft a letter to your insurance company stating that your son has voluntarily surrendered his license,,,”

“What?” Paulie called out in dismay. “I’m not giving it up,,,”

“This will reduce your insurance cost. As for the fine, I am suspending the fine pending the performance of community service. You will have plenty of time to get to know what he is doing over the course of the next six Saturdays. His coming Saturday morning you will report, bright and early, to Fire Station One, where you will wash and wax the trucks there. Next week, Station Two, and so on until all of the equipment is done. Perhaps that will teach him some respect.”

With that the Judge slammed his gavel on his bench, ending the session. “Deputy Blackwood, would you join me in chambers.”

“But Dad, I have practice Saturday,,,”

“And I’m scheduled to work Saturday, which is going to go over really well with my boss, so unless you have something really interesting to say, I suggest you stay out of my sight.”


“What do you know about this,,, Tim Paulie?”

Owen thought a moment, “God man, good family, Paulie’s even a good kid.”

“Why don’t you get me his information. I’ll talk to my poker buddies, maybe we an get him a better job somewhere.”

**********
Isabel prepared herself, carefully finishing her shower and grooming before sliding into her red satin pajamas. Alighting on the edge of her bed, she lifted their prom picture and gently kissed Alex’s image before settling onto her favorite leopard skin pillow.

Moments later she was in her dream realm.

Isabel slowly worked her way through the café, noticing all the changes that the dreamer had made to the décor. Gone was all of the alien themed kitsch, replaced by an Egyptian layout. Isabel approved as she walked past the thick wall coverings accented with heavy vases containing lush greenery.

As she reached the back of the room she found the one who she had come for, but she was not alone. After a moments shock, she covered her mouth and watched the drama unfold with amusement.

“Faster Michael,” Maria commanded from her chase. “I’m melting here,” she added while adjusting the soothing cool gel filled blindfold that she wore.

Isabel looked over at Michael who was rhythmically pulling a tasseled cord attached through several rings to an ornate ostrich feather fan which swished back and forth over Maria. This was last year’s Michael, spike haired and stoic, but what amazed Isabel even more was his dress, or rather the lack of it. Michael’s bronzed body, athletic without being too muscle bound, was barely covered by a glistening white Egyptian man-skirt, but unlike any other that Isabel had ever seen in the myriad encyclopedias she had memorized in her junior high ‘quest for knowledge’ phase. Cut low on the hips it exposed his passion line, a faint trial of hair starting at his navel, running down to vanish beneath his belt. The man-skirt itself was brief and incomplete. The hemline, high enough that it barely covered the cheeks of his ass, was embellished with rich embroidery. At the front, the man-skirt turned upward over each hip, leaving the center open. Visible in the gap of the man-skirt, Michael’s loins were covered with a soft pleated cotton breech clout that both impressed and embarrassed Isabel with it’s prominence and bulk.

‘I’m going to have to get one of those for Alex,’ but Isabel’s thoughts were interrupted as Maria grew hungry.

“Michael! Peel me a grape!”

Isabel almost lost it as the door to the kitchen opened and a second version of Michael, identical to the first with the exception of his current longer hairstyle, came from the back with a shining silver platter. She stepped forward and took the tray from him, dismissing him with a wave of her hand before popping a grape into her mouth. ‘Damned, these are good,’ Isabel thought as she plucked another grape from the vine and carefully lowered it to Maria’s lips. She held the succulent morsel between her fingers, lowering it slowly until it just touched Maria’s lips, then yanking it out of reach when Maria bit.

“No teasing,” Maria whimpered.

Isabel made her friend bob for the grape four times before she allowed Maria to draw it into her mouth.

“Michael!,” Maria snapped. “This grape isn’t peeled! Can’t you do anything right? Even in my dreams, you manage to frack up the simplest tasks,,,”

“I’m not Michael,” Isabel answered tersely.

“Aagghh,” Maria gasped as she pivoted on her chase, sitting up as she tossed her mask onto the floor. “Isabel! What are you doing here?”

“Here?” Isabel replied as she held her hand out and pivoted on her hips, indicating the entire scene. “I rule here. The question to ask is, what the frack is this betting pool your having and how does it involve Alex?”

Maria, caught totally guard, closed her eyes and willed herself anywhere else, anywhere but with Isabel.

“’Ria, what the frack are you doing?” Isabel demanded. “You look like a cross between Tess trying to mind-warp the entire football team and a constipated dog trying to take a crap,,,”

Maria let her breath out with a rush. “I’m trying to change my dream,,,”

“Don’t bother,” Isabel advised as she waved her hand dismissively. “It’s not going to happen.”

“You seem to have me at a slight disadvantage,” Maria complained gamefully, indicating her costume. She was wearing a ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ costume, but one more suitable for the Aladdin porno motel than any TV show. With the exception of the embroidered bands that wrapped her ankles, wrist and her waistline, the outfit was totally sheer, and Maria didn’t have any secrets from Isabel.

“Okay,” Isabel said with a smirk. Crossing her arms in front of her, Isabel bobbed he head and blinked, genie style, conjuring up a jacket for her friend.

“I can’t believe it,” Maria sneered as she critically examined Isabel’s latest creation, A tiny bolero top made of the same sheer fabric that added nothing to her attire. “Who would have thought that you could conjure up something so slutty that even Pamela Troy wouldn’t wear it.”

“Michael doesn’t seem to mind,” Isabel teased.

“Really,” Maria said happily as, momentarily distracted, she snuck a quick look at her boyfriends, but her inattention was short lived. There was fire in her jade green eyes as she turned her attention back to the interloper. “I guarantee that I can get over my embarrassment a lot faster that you can, so unless you want a front row center seat at my taking on both of them, you’d better stop trying my patience.”

“Fine!” Isabel snapped, and with a wave she converted Maria’s outfit from one of sheer fabric to one of rich embroidered silk. “Now tell me what the frack is going on,,,”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know? All of your so-called friends have been talking about it for weeks. I just decided to pick their pockets a bit in the process.”

“So whatever the frack you’re doing is Tish’s fault?” Isabel challenged, zeroing in on her second who was constantly jockeying for status in the popular clique.

“Actually it’s your fault,” Maria teased.

“My fault!”

“If you hadn’t been such a slut on your birthday,,,”

“I’m warning you ‘Ria, my friendship does have limits! That’s like the second time you called me a slut in a week,,,”

“I keep telling you, it’s not like I’m calling you a slut-slut, or a Pam Troy slut, it’s more like you’re an Alex slut whenever you’re around him,,,”

“I am not!”

“Remember last week? When Tish teased you about your birthday? You let everyone think that the two of you did it,,,”

“For frack’s sake Maria, do I have to put it into words? I did not boff Alex eighteen times on my birthday, that would have killed him for Christ’s sake,,,”

“Okay, maybe you didn’t boff him,” Maria agreed quickly, “The maybe he just gave your ‘on’ button a good buffing? After all, even Trish says you’re the one in the school who can match her capacity for,,,”

Isabel was doing a slow burn that her sex life had become common fodder for the gossip mongers at school, her reaction causing the first of two insights in her friend.

“Oh man, do you look pissed. I wouldn’t want to be in Tish’s dreams right about now,” Maria teased. Insight one, followed quickly by, “You’re blushing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you blush before. You’re turning pink right down to your cleavage,,, Oh My God! It’s true! Isabel! Eighteen times!!!”

“I don’t want to talk about it,,,”

“Oh come on,” Maria said softly, leading Isabel to their booth at the back of the Crashdown and seating her before settling across from her. “Oh come on, you don’t want to talk about this? You told me you were giving him your butt on your wedding night,,,”

“I did not!,,”

“Well, you told Alex that was the last gift you had to offer him on your wedding night right in front of me,,,” Maria reached out quickly, taking her hand. “And despite teasing you, I hope you realize that little tidbit will go to the grave with me,,,”

Isabel did realize that while Maria might have fun with her, she was rapidly becoming her best friend, and that she would never hurt her. “So what’s this all about anyways?”

“The Twelve Days of Christmas,” Maria answered in a soto-voice.

Isabel’s brows raised expectedly.

“You know, the twelve days between Christmas Day and The Epiphany,,,”

“I know better than anybody about Christmas,” Isabel chortled. “But what do the Twelve Days have to do with Alex?”

“Well, Tish is speculating that you’re going to have Alex give you the Lawrence Welk treatment,,,”

“The what?”

“You know, Lawrence Welk,,, the old dead guy on PBS?” (big band music on the Public Broadcasting System)

“Hugh?”

“You know,,, a one, and a two,,,”

“WHAT!!! Holy Crap!”

“Yea, day one, and day two,,,”

Isabel did the math instantly. “That’s seventy-eight times!,,”

“Yea,,, but spaced out over twelve days,,,”

“Fracking-A ‘Ria, If I boff him that many times I’ll kill him!,,”

“You forget Isabel, we’re talking about Alex at Christmas time, and we both know that it’s in his nature that he’s a ‘giving is better than receiving’ kind of guy,,,” Maria was taken aback by the sudden gleam in her friends eyes. “Oh my God, you’re going to do it!,,”

“I said no such thing!”

“You didn’t have to, I can feel the horny vibes coming off you,,,” Maria said nervously.

“Well what about you and Michael!” Isabel rebutted defensively while pointing at the two servants who hovered on the edge of her vision. Don’t tell me you weren’t getting ready for a double dose of Czechoslovakian loving,,,”

“Me? Czechoslovakian??!” Maria exclaimed. “No way! Michael’s human side is concentrated entirly below his waist,,,” Seeing Isabel’s skeptical face she continued desprately. “I am the only unchanged one among us,,,”

Isabel grinned.

“This body is a temple,,, a paragon of purity,,, the Noah’s Ark of humanity,,,”

“Purity!” Isabel gasped. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You haven’t been pure since you let Craig Caphoco play stink finger at band camp during the sixth grade,,,”

“Isabel!,,” Maria snapped, her eyes opening wide. “A little sisterhood here. Ix-nay with the onfessions-cay,” she added with a nod towards Michael. “ Hey! Where you going?”

“I have another stop to make,” Isabel answered cryptically before waving her hand and changing Maria’s costume back to it’s original sheer fabric, but if anything, it was even more erotic than when she first arrived. Now the top was totally backless, with a halter front that hid nothing, and the legs were completely opened on the sides from her ankles all the way to her waist.

“Isabel!,,” Maria exclaimed as she looked down at what she wasn’t wearing. “Jesus fracking Christ! I’m going to freeze to death!”

Isabel stopped in front of the Michaels. She looked at last years model. “Be Gone!” she commanded. As the doppelganger faded to nothingness, she turned to the remaining Michael. “She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “Hey,” she said in greeting.

“Iz!” Michael snapped. “I told you to stay out of my dreams,,,”

“It’s not your dream,” Isabel quipped as she headed for the door. “Nice skirt.”

“Skirt,” Michael muttered before looking down and examining his attire. “MARIA!!! You got some ‘splaining to do!!!”

**********
Tish sat in the hot television lights, trying to pay attention to Maury, while at the same time trying to keep the perverted lesbian camera operator from showing the entire nation what she wasn’t wearing under her short skirt.

“Today, Ladies and Gentlemen,” Maury intoned, we’re talking to Tish Okabe, from West Roswell High School, who is here at the request of several of her fellow students from her class. So tell me Tish,” Maury asked, returning his attention back to his guest. “I hear you’re pretty popular with the basketball team.”

“Yea, I am,” Tish admitted modestly. “Over the last four years I’ve come to know every member of the Comets if you get my meaning,” she said suggestively. “But no two at the same time,” she added quickly. “I’m not a slut.”

“Well we’re going to find out just how well you know these guys,” Maury announced. “Let’s welcome the Roswell Comets.”

Tish watched with growing horror as each of the fourteen members of the basketball team came out onto the stage, each one holding a crying baby. The guys started walking in a circle around Tish’s chair, and then as the last athlete entered the circle, they all placed their screaming babies on the floor around the guest of honor.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why you were asked to appear on our show today,” Maury asked.

Tish turned to Maury with a look of near panic on her face, which turned into a yelp as on of the babies started teething on her ankle. “What the hell am I doing here?” she demanded. “I want to be home in bed.”

“Well, that’s the problem,” Maury explained patiently. “At some point you have been in bed with every one of these guys, so we conducted a DNA test to determine just who the parents are.”

“What?” Tish shouted as Maury pulled a single sheet of paper out of a heavy manila envelope.

“Tish Okabe, you ARE the mother of all these babies,” Maury stated triumphantly.

As if on cue all of the babies started wailing for their mommy at once. A stage hand pulled Tish’s chair out from under her causing her to fall flat on her ass in the middle of her screaming brood. The babies swarmed over her. Some were hungry and grabbed her boobs, others needed a changing, or just latched onto the trampy teen for a little maternal attention.

Tish struggled to stand, but the moment she was upright she was wracked by the greatest pain she had ever experienced in her life. Instinctively she squatted as her abdomen felt like it was going to explode. A scream tore from her and her cunnie felt as if it was going to split wide open as it parted, feeling as if she was going to pass an elephant, but instead another baby fell from her body. After hitting the floor and bouncing to it’s feet the newest curtain climber started to roam around the stage, looking for mischief.

“There you have it folks,” Maury announced excitedly. “For the first time on network TV, Tish Okabe has twat shat another future juvenile delinquent,,,”

“Noooo,” Tish moaned as another spasm tore through her abdomen. “Not again,,,”

“Do they usually come out walking and wearing a diaper?” Maury asked his stage manager softly.

“No they don’t,” Isabel answered Maury’s question with confidence from her place behind the control panel, ‘But then again your guest don’t usually tell tales about Alex, thus incurring my wrath,’ she added silently.

Tish’s body prepared to drop another trailer dweller, but instead she blinked out of existence in the dream realm to awake back at home in her bed screaming.

**********
Friday evening proved to be one of the most hectic days that Isabel had ever experienced, but instead of seizing up and grinding to a halt like she would have in the past, she instead tapped into Alex for a quick dose of comfort and security before dismissing her more minor concerns and heading for the Godfrey Sports Complex out at the New Mexico Military Institute. The gymnasium there had been selected as neutral ground by both the West Roswell Comets and the Goddard Rockets for their ‘Reconciliation’ odds verses evens benefit game.

The first thing she did when she arrived was to find Mrs. Seymour, the director of the homeless center, who she had dragooned into serving as the evening’s hostess.

“I don’t know why I have to get all dressed up,” the still young widow protested. “I’ve always worn jeans and a blouse before,,,”

“”This isn’t a jeans kind of night,” Isabel rebutted cheerfully. “It’s a fundraiser.” Isabel placed her hand on the small of her back and guided her newest project into the coaches office where they would prepare. She took the garment bag that she had dropped off earlier, and shooed Mrs. Seymour into the coach’s changing room.

“Isabel!” Mrs. Seymour exclaimed. “I can’t possibly wear this!,,”

“Of course you can,,,”

“It looks so expensive,,,”

“Don’t worry, I got it at the church store,” Isabel lied. ‘Well maybe there’s a Neiman-Marcus on a Church Street somewhere.’ “Besides, blue’s your color, and don’t forget to look in the bottom of the bag.”

“Oh my God!!!”

“A good dress needs a good foundation,” Isabel gushed. “Besides I took it easy on you, it’s not as if I shopped at Victoria’s Secret.” Victoria’s Secret no, it was more Neiman-Marcus, but the rich lace trimmed full slip was on the more modest side, and she did supply dark pantyhose instead of stockings. She had also taken it easy on her in the shoe department, including a pair of low heeled t-straps.

“Are you all right in there?” Isabel asked after several minutes.

“I have been dressing myself for a while now,” Mrs. Seymour teased as she stepped back into the coaches office.

“I’m impressed!” Isabel gasped as she watched her friend spin, showing off her dress.

“Just because I haven’t had a reason to get dressed up lately doesn’t mean I don’t remember how.”

“We’re not done yet,” Isabel prompted as she reached for her make-up kit.

“Oh No!,,”

“Have I been wrong so far?” Isabel sighed. “Just a touch.”

Isabel quickly fixed Mrs. Seymour’s hair into a simple upswept style with tendrils framing her face. Next she applied make-up, covertly using her powers and a large brush to give a full treatment while seemingly applying nothing more than a little blush. “There.”

Mrs. Seymour looked at herself in the mirror. “That’s just a touch?” she asked in amazement.

“What can I say,” Isabel replied with a private smirk. “I’m good.” Looking at her watch, she added, “Show time.” She would introduce Mrs. Seymour, who would make a short speech expressing the gratitude of the shelter for the efforts of the fundraisers before the start of the game. Sister Pascal from the Casa Maria Orphanage would make a similar speech at half time.

The two ladies stepped into the hall, almost slamming into a brick wall. “Owen!”

“Conswala!” Deputy Blackwood replied happily. He bolted from the wall he was leaning against and performed the ‘Picard’ maneuver, tugging the bottom of his jacket to straighten it.

Isabel had to admit, the Deputy looked sharp in his green deputy’s jacket, while the western string tie with a turquoise covered clasp emphasized his Apache heritage.

“You look fantastic,” Owen stated honestly. “That color suits you.”

“What, this old thing,” Conswala replied demurely as she pivoted on her hips, gathering a handful of the skirt and holding it out for effect.

“I don’t see anything old,” Owen gushed like a schoolboy, exposing a side to his personality that Isabel would have bet never existed. “In fact you look as pretty as you did at Prom.”

Isabel couldn’t believe the sparks that were flying, but she also recognized that the two, after swapping complements, were running out of things to say, and if she didn’t do something, this magical moment would be lost. “Deputy Blackwood,” Isabel exclaimed. “Perhaps you could help me?”

The Mesaliko warrior never heard her. Instead he continued looking his former schoolmate in the eye.

“I don’t know why they let me get involved in things like this,,,” Isabel said pointedly. “I’m just a high girl after all,,,” Nothing. “I totally spaced out and forgot to arrange for an escort for Mrs. Seymour after I introduce her. Would you?,,”

“Conswala?”

“I’d be honored,,,”

“It would be my pleasure,” Owen answered without so much as a glance.

“Okay then, I’ll go out and make the introduction, and after I say her name, I’ll turn towards the end of the bleachers and,,,”

“We’ll figure it out,” Owen interjected with just a hint of irritation.

“Okay,,,” but knowing the deputy’s penchant for plain speaking, Isabel decided that she needed to make a quick check of the concessions area before things started, giving them a moment of privacy.

**********
Meanwhile, at the Evan’s house; “I have completed all of the items on Isabel’s list,” Manual told Diane happily. “I’ll let the spackling dry overnight and will return tomorrow to touch up the paint,,,”

“Oh that won’t be necessary,” Diane replied dismissively. “Isabel loves to paint. I’m sure she be happy to paint my new laundry room,,,”

“Are you sure? Roswell is a small city. I don’t think I could hide from her for more than,,, an hour.”

“Hide?’’

“Señorita Isabel can be,,,” Manuel reverted to Spanish as he struggled for the right word. “Exigente,,, agotador,,,”

“Demanding?”

“Sí, demanding. I remember when I remodeled your kitchen. Isabella sat right there for two days,” he said, indicating the stool at the end of the breakfast bar. “She sat there for two days, not saying a word, but watching every move I made with her big brown eyes. When it became apparent that she wasn’t going to speak to me, I decided to speak to her instead. I described everything that I was doing, how I was taking out the old cabinets. How I had to make sure that the floor was level before I installed the new ones. The third day, she was back as soon as you went to your office upstairs, but this time she had several drawings for me. She had used her crayons to draw your new kitchen, and from that point on, she was my helper.

“When I put in your pantry cabinet, the filler strip gapped against the wall so I showed her how to scribe it into the wall so it would fit properly. I showed her how to use several small filler strips between the cabinets instead of one large one so that the spaces for the dishwasher and the range had a good clean fit. But what she really liked the most was when I showed her how by back?cutting the moldings by two degrees the butt joints would become invisible,,,”

“You’re the one who did it?”

“¿Qué?”

“Her perfection thing,,,”

“No,,, no,,, no,,,” Manuel exclaimed holding his hands up in defense.

“She came home from the first day of high school with a whole litany of complaints, everything from the school having an ‘institutional’ feel to it, to a itemized and detailed list of everyone of her teacher’s shortcomings. It became so bad that her guidance councilor strongly suggested that we take her in for therapy, but once she realized what direction Doctor Ramírez was headed in she memorized every book in the psychology section of the library. By the end of the second session she was out shrinking the shrink. That afternoon when Phillip picked Isabel up, the good Doctor was on her second drink and we were asked to never come back.”

“I know all about Señorita Isabel,” Manuel related. “As we were finishing the cabinets, she told me where to set every one of the adjustable shelves. I questioned her, but she was adamant. Then when we finished, we put every pot, pan, plate, bowl and glass away, just like she had sketched. Everything item fit in it’s place the first time, she had it all planned perfectly in her mind.” Manual took a deep breath. “Señorita Isabel expected perfection long before I met her, and if it’s all the same, I would just as soon finish the painting myself rather than disappoint her.”

**********
While at the Crashdown, Alex was killing time, waiting for a message from his wife that she was ready to be picked up. “The thing is Sheriff,” he waxed philosophically while he waved a Saturn ring in the air for emphasis, “I can understand why the Chief suspended me. He can't allow the city to get in trouble because I refuse medical treatment. To tell you the truth, ever since I found out that my being hurt could hurt Isabel, I've been looking for a graceful way to take myself off the roster.”

“Well, I guess this is a situation where all’s well that ends well,” Jim replied. “It may have been messy, but everybody got an outcome they can live with.”

“You want to word of advice Alex?” Jeff said sympathetically. “Just accept that this is one of life's situations where it's as good as its going to get. Just cut your losses and don't look back.”

“I don't want anyone on the department to think bad of me,,,”

“Do you want to tell them the truth?” Jim asked incredulously, but the discussion ended as the door slammed open against it’s stop.

“Excuse me,” Larry Trilling called out as he stormed into the Crashdown, making a bee-line for Jim and Jeff. “Do you know anything about the sighting that happed a couple of weeks ago?”

Jeff's face lit up as he turned towards the tourist, but seeing Jim's raised eyebrows he sighed in resignation. “There was no sighting. It was an the Air Force aerial refueling tanker that had accidentally left it’s lights on,,,”

“You mean the Air Force is covering it up?” Larry asked excitedly, totally ignoring his girlfriend.

“No! There isn’t any cover-up,” Jim exclaimed. “It was a KC-135 (Stratotanker) out of Tinker Air Force Base. (Taos, New Mexico) There is a pattern of lights on the bottom of the tanker that the refueling aircraft use to orient themselves so they can stay in formation. When they accidentally leave those lights on, it looks like a flying chevron from the ground,,,”

“Seriously? You’re saying it was the Air Force? That’s the party line?” Larry asked, his face growing more excited by the moment.

“Son, there is no party line. That’s what really happened,,,” Jeff said with a wink.

“Excellent!!! Wait until I put this out on my blog. A wedge shaped UFO, an Air Force cover-up, and I’m the first to find out about it,” Larry shouted as he jumped up and bolted from the counter. “Did anyone else see those aerial photographs,” Larry asked of no one in particular as he headed for the door, leaving a very upset and hungry Jennifer behind.

Shaking his head in dismay, Jim cast a disapproving eye on his friend. “You’re going to burn in hell, Jeff.”

“I’m going to let you in on a little secret Jim,” Jeff explained softly. “Mom was a successful writer and before she died she made sure that Lizzie’s education was provided for, but even though she missed out on the early admissions program at Harvard, she still has a good chance of getting admitted. This sighting, I’ll play along. It’s going bring in enough business for me to be able to pay for the first year of Lizzie’s textbooks, and besides, what better place for the kids to hide then in plain sight.”

Neither man noticed the satisfied grin on Alex’s face as he munched a Saturn Ring.

**********
About a half hour later Maria was headed out her front door when she found a surprise on her front walk. “Sheriff!”

“Evening Maria. Amazing to find you home on such a fine Friday night.” Seeing Amy approaching he added, “Miss Amy.”

“Jim.”

“Michael had to work the evening rush, so I’m on my way to pick him up now,” Maria teased. But it’s amazing to find you here on such a fine Friday night.”

“Well now that there’s a firearm in the house I figure it’s my civic duty to check it for safety and give it a good cleaning,,,”

“Your civic duty hugh,” Maria cajoled skeptically. “You’ve cleaned Mom’s gun three times now since the last time you took her shooting, and the last time you cleaned,,, whatever,,, Mom’s blouse was mis-buttoned,,,”

“Maria!” Amy exclaimed, but more from embarrassment than anger.

“So tell me Sheriff, when are you going to break down and make an honest woman out of her,,,”

“MARIA!,,”

“Mom!,,”

Jim decided to sit this one out.

“When you get home,,, after Jim goes home, we’re going to have a long talk young lady,,,”

“No we’re not,” Maria replied lovingly as she leaned back and kissed Amy’s cheek. “It’s time you stopped worrying about me and think about yourself. It’s been a hard year for all of us, but the two of you have been alone for years. The two of you are so good for each other that if you won’t do anything about it we’ll have to do it for you.”

Before either adult could react, Maria was out the door and headed for the Jetta. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she called over her shoulder.

Amy was shocked speechless while Jim chuckled softly, neither adult moving for a moment until Amy snapped out of it and she invited him in.

“I don’t know what came over her,” Amy pleaded. “Dos-Equis?” (a popular Mexican beer) Amy offered solicitously. “I have a fresh lime.”

“You know me too well,” Jim teased, following her to the refrigerator and taking the beer from her hand before heading for the living room and settling on his end of the couch.

“My daughter is going to drive me to drink.” Amy said with a sigh. “I don’t know what to do about her and Michael,,,”

Jim ran his hair, chastising himself for his inability to stay silent when it came to people he cared about.

Amy recognized his gesture, “What?”

“I think that horse it out of the barn,” he said gently, “But I’ve been keeping an eye out for the both of them for a while now. They both have good heads on their shoulders,,,”

“She’s just a kid,” Amy gasped worriedly.

“That conversation at the door wasn’t between a daughter and her mother, that was between two women. More and more, Maria’s seeing you as an equal,,,”

“I’m not ready for that,” Amy related as she leaned against him, settling her head on his shoulder.

“We never are,” he agreed.

TBC

[stargazer md]

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

Isabel stood outside the gymnasium, having sent a message to Alex that she was ready to leave. As she saw him pull into the drive, she stepped out onto the pavement, intending that she would drive the two?and?a?half hours to Alamogordo. “Got everything?” she asked cheerfully as they kissed their greeting.

“Didn’t pack a thing,” Alex teased. “You packed the car Wednesday evening after we decided to go. You don’t think I would doubt you and rummage through the bags, do you?”

“No,” Isabel drawled, “I mean the new equipment that came in this morning.”

“Oh that, we’re all set.”

As she was pulling away from the curb she noticed a funny look cross her husband’s face. “Sweetie?”

Alex knew better than to keep secrets from her. “The server’s acting a little buggy,” he confessed. ‘Buggy, a Freudian choice of words,’ Alex thought, considering the fact that the Blade had popped up a number of rather disturbing photographs of rather large and rather nekked and rather provocative posed women, that is they would have been provocatively posed save for factor one and two.

“Anything I can help with?”

“No, not really. I had Norton’s scan it, but it couldn’t find anything.”

“And the Granolith,,,”

“I haven’t really thought of asking the Granolith for help,,,” Alex answered honestly. “It’s not a Czechoslovakian problem, but since it did enhanse the computers,,,”

Before Alex could object Isabel had pulled out her cell and was dialing, putting the phone on speaker and setting it on the dash. “Greetings Granolith.”

“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,,,”

“Evening Granny.”

“Greetings Alex Whitman Interface with the Granolith. Husband of Isabel.”

“Granolith, establish a secure Trithium link, continue voice link,” Isabel commanded.

“We can do that?” Alex muttered. “I thought we had to use the laptop?”

“I took all our cells out to the pod chamber. “The Granolith enhanced them,,,”

“Granolith, our Blade server shows signs of a rouge program, possibly a virus, but one that our virus protection can not detect,,,”

“Stand by,,, Working,,,”

“Efficient,” Alex observed softly. “Didn’t even have to ask,,,”

”Contamination found, request instructions.”

“State nature of infection,” Alex commanded.

“Working,,, Three hundred and one files located that are not listed in the server’s number four hard drive’s NTFS (New Technology File System) indexing logs,,, Working,,, Files consist of three hundred image files and one executable file,,,”

One of the images popped into Alex’s mind unbidden.

“What the frack was that?” Isabel gasped. “It looked like,,, like,,,” It had been a nekked woman, quite a nekked woman. Despite the fact that the outsides of her thighs were spread as wide as they would go, the insides of her thighs were still in contact half way down to her knees.

“That’s the virus.”

“There’s three hundred of them?”

“So I’m told,” Alex moaned. “Although viewing five of them this afternoon was sickening enough,,,”

“Granolith! Where did these files come from!” Isabel demanded.

“Working,,, Files are stored utilizing variable-phased-charge on a single-particle-per-bit memory application which is not an available terrestrial technology. Therefore the files could only have been implanted by the Interface, the Keeper of the Royal Seal, or by the Granolith,,,”

“Are you saying I did this to myself?!!” Alex snapped.

“Tell me everything you can about these files, especially the executable file. Where do the image files come from?”

“The executable file, named mischief,,,”

“Mischief!” Alex bellowed. “That’s your file!,,”

“The Granolith has no record of a ‘mischief’ file.”

“Try harder!” Isabel demanded in a voice that would freeze water.

“Working,,, Reference found to deleted data on another ‘processor core,’ restoring,,, File named ‘Mischief’ located,,,”

“Mischief?” Alex asked unbelievingly as he broke out laughing. “I don’t believe it.”

“Confirmed! Mischief.”

“What gives?”

Alex glanced over at Isabel, who looked quite confused.

“It’s a long story,” Alex replied, “Kind of like the long conversation I’m going to have out at the Granolith chamber when we get back.” Seeing that Isabel was far from mollified, he continued, “I was trying to explain the concept of mischief to the Granolith. Looks like it took me seriously.”

“You have two hours to explain,” Isabel replied as they reached the open desert.

**********
Tim Watanabe zipped his gym bag closed before kicking it across the room.

“Dude, what’s bugging you,,,”

“Don’t you have a date with Tish?,,”

“Get a little something-something?,,”

“As if that’s going to happen.” Seeing a look of disbelief on his teammates faces, he continued, “Tish has had an epiphany something or other. When I promised her a good time after the game she said it wasn’t going to happen. Hell, she even took her bug buzzer out of her purse and threw it at me, told me the only action I was going to get any tonight was if I shoved it up my ass,,,”

“Dude,” the jocks said in sympathy.

“She said she was going to ‘give her hole a rest.’ Was going to become a ‘new virgin,’ whatever the frack that is,,,”

“I don’t know what that is either, but it can’t be good,,,”

“Yea man, what’s a guy got to do to get laid around here,,,”

“It’s getting to the point that the only girl who’ll still put out is Pam,,,”

“Naw, haven’t you heard? Pam’s off the market,,,”

“No shit!,,”

“Richard Jason got a hold of her,,,”

“Jason,,, didn’t he get the clap from some hoe out at Goddard?,,”

“Yup, then he gave it to Pamie,,,”

“Shit man, so I wear a raincoat,,,”

“Dude he was wearing one coming and going. Whatever he got must be mobile, because it got around his rubber,,,”

“Fracking-A, that’s bogus!”

**********
Two hours later, Isabel turned off the highway and then made two quick lefts, pulling into the hotel parking lot before Alex even realized it.

“Put the PDA away Sweetie, we’re here.”

By the time Alex was out of the car, Isabel had the trunk open and was unfolding a small luggage cart. Then she stepped back while Alex lifted her two Terrida bags out of the trunk. “I thought we were only here for the weekend,” Alex griped.

“Don’t be mean, Sweetie,” Isabel deadpanned. “It’s beneath you.”

Alex reached I and pulled out the next bag, but as he lifted it from the trunk, he stopped to take a good look at it. “Hey, what happened to my duffle?”

“That duffle wasn’t good enough for you,” Isabel teased. “Your new bag is Victorinox,,,”

“What, Swiss Army?”

“Yea.”

“Izzy, it’s just a sack to stuff clothes in,,,” he added as he put his new bag on the cart and then pulled out the hard case containing their computer equipment.

“You are not stuffing the new clothing I got you into a duffel bag,” Isabel warned with a definite edge to her voice as she slammed the trunk closed.

“But,,,”

“Sweetie, do you want to get laid any time this weekend?”

Alex stopped to think for a moment but quickly came to a decision. “Nice bags,” he stated as he took the handle of the now loaded cart and headed for the hotel lobby.


Moments later Alex was walking through their abode for the next couple of days, unable to hide his amazement. “I’m impressed,” he quipped. “I’ve never been in a suite before, and this is even better than the rooms we had in Boston and New York.”

“Well the sign out by the highway, Executive Suites, should have given it away,” Isabel teased. “We have the table to work around, a seating area to relax in, and a separate bedroom,,,”

“This is bigger than Michael’s apartment,” Alex continued as he opened the curtain, revealing a view of the small city.

“Sweetie, we’re going to spend the next three days in here, you don’t want me to get a backache from sitting on the edge of the bed and trying to type on the vanity, do you?”

“Well if you did get a backache, I’d give you the Whitman Magic Fingers treatment,,,”

“No magic fingers tonight,” Isabel replied levelly. “Besides, that’s an ‘ounce of prevention’ kind of thing, because if I’m going to get the Whitman treatment, it’s not going to be because I have a backache.”

“No magic fingers?” Alex pouted.

“No!” Isabel exclaimed, but with a smile. “We have a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it. So get a good night’s sleep, you’re going to need it.”

“Can’t we just shower together?” Alex pleaded, giving her his best puppy dog eyes. “We are in a desert after all, we need to conserve,,,”

“I think the desert can withstand one extra shower,” she replied as she handed him his toiletry kit.

“Last chance,,,”

“Go! I have to unpack.”

“Izzy, we’re in a hotel for the weekend. You don’t have to unpack.”

Isabel met this statement with a disbelieving stare.

“Never mind.”


“It was less than half an hour later when Isabel left the bathroom, a new record for her, especially when you consider that six minutes of that time consisted of Alex’s shower. She was wearing her paisley robe, but had neglected to tie it. She hesitated by the edge of the bed, just a moment, and then let it slip from her shoulders revealing her luscious body in all it’s glory.

Isabel lifted the covers and slipped in next to him, not at all surprised that after a seventeen hour day he was already asleep, but the moment she put her hand on him she generated a burst of power and blew him out of his side of the bed.

Alex landed on the floor in a pile. “What the frack you do that for?” he demanded, suddenly painfully awake.

“What the frack are you wearing PJ’s for?” Isabel demanded right back.

“What difference does it make? You said no fooling around!”

“I don’t give a rats ass about fooling around,” Isabel exclaimed. “This is the first weekend we get to spend together in almost a month,” Isabel implored, “And I am not going to waste one of these nights being separated from you by fabric.”

“So,,,”

“Take them off and get back into bed and hold me!”

Alex hopped in the dimly lit room as he struggled to get his shorts off, totally oblivious to the fact that Isabel was watching him with her incredible night vision, biting her lip and struggling not to laugh at his antics. “Alex,,,”

“Hugh?,,”

“Stand up.”

Alex stood straight and looked at her.

“Open your hands.”

He did, and the garment pooled at his feet.

“Now come to bed.” Isabel couldn’t help the grin that crossed her face, unnoticed in the deep shadows. As he stepped forward and lifted the covers she bit her lower lip as he slipped into the bed next to her. As soon as he stopped moving she pushed him onto his back and nearly crawled on top of him. “My favorite pillow,” she sighed as she snuggled into his shoulder.

“Happy to oblige,” he whispered in reply.

“Say good night Alex.”

“Good night Alex,,,”

And with that, she kissed him on the forehead, putting him out like a light.

**********
The following day was filled with work which lasted almost until midnight before Alex finally threw in the towel on the Aries database application he had been tweaking. The only breaks they had taken were calling in a pizza for lunch and taking just over an hour for a quick trip to a nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner.

All done Sweetie?” Isabel implored, worried that he was staying up way too late.

“Yea, no,,, I don’t know,” Alex answered, letting out a big yawn while stretching for the ceiling. “I’m just not sure having a fully working beta is the way to go,,,”

“It’s got to be done,” Isabel said as she smiled at him indulgently. “It’s the only way you can test out the concept and we can’t establish pricing until we know that,,,”

“Izzy,” Alex said softly, “We’re charging what Aries is worth. It’s not what we’re putting into it, but it’s what they’re going to get out of it.” With another back stretching yawn, he headed for the bathroom. “I’m just going to take a quick shower and then it’s off to bed for me,,,”

Isabel smiled at his back as she lifted her head from her new laptop, watched him walk towards the back of the suite. Moments later she was back at work on their Power?Point presentation for Pangborn. After a quick trip to the bedroom where she shed her clothing and pulled on his discarded shirt, she was soon back at work and so engrossed in Power Point that she didn’t hear him emerge from the bathroom until she felt his strong arms wrap around her shoulders. Without warning she felt herself being spun towards the room.

“You’ve been bad Miss Leigh. You need to be punished.”

“What?”

“You’ve overdrawn the school’s checkbook. You need to be spanked,,,”

“And who the frack is going to be spanking me?” Isabel snapped, fire in her eyes.

“I am,,, Your boss,,, Mister Cavanah?,,” Alex replied hesitantly as he came to the understanding that his attempt at sex play had gone horribly wrong.

“Alex! How could you?” Isabel demanded as she shook his hands off her and stood, backing him into the wall as she invaded his personal space.

“I saw you crouched over your laptop,,, and I,,, it’s the first think that popped into my mind,,,”

“First, Miss Leigh? She doesn’t swing that way. Besides she has been so helpful and supportive of us,,,”

“I know,,,”

For such a strong committed woman to be degraded like that,,,”

“I know,,, I’m sorry,,,”

“Second, to imply that I made a mistake in a checking account,,,”

“I know Izzy,,, I’m sorry,,,”

“And Cavanah? Cavanah hates me. How could you say you were him?”

“Izzy,” Alex said softly as he took her hands in his own. “I’m sorry I upset you,,,”

“If my husband wants to come into my office and take me, he can,,, except this weekend,” she added in a soto voice. “As long as he has love in his heart. He can have lust in his pants, but his heart must be pure. On the other hand, if anyone, and I mean anyone, puts a hand on me while they have hate in their heart, I’ll dust him so fast that he’ll never see it coming,,,”

“Izzy,,,”

“I mean it Alex,” Isabel said, her bottom lip trembling. “My heart betrayed me once before, and my family paid the price.
Don’t make me make that choice again,,,”

“Shhh,” Alex whispered consolingly as he pulled her into and settled her head on his shoulder. “I love you more than life itself. I promise. You’ll never have to make a choice like that ever again.”

“Really?,,” Isabel said softly, her breath caressing the side of his neck.

“Really,” he replied as he rubbed her back.

“You’re not mad at me because of what I said?”

“No. I would never be mad at you over something that’s so important to you.” As he said this he could feel the tension drain from her body.

“You’re the best husband ever,” she exclaimed as she stepped back and reached for her bag. “Brush my hair,” she said happily as she skipped over to him.

“No.”

“No? What do you mean no?”

“I mean I will not brush your hair,” Alex said teasingly as he sat on the bed coverings and rolled onto his back.

“Why not?” Isabel whined as she crawled across the bed, ending up straddling his towel clad hips while struggling to get her hands on his wrist so she could pin them to the pillow. “I’ve been working hard all day and I want my hair brushed,,,”

“I’ve been working hard all week too,” Alex replied with just as teasing a voice. “So no nookie, no brushie,,,”

”Sex? This is about sex?” Isabel gasped with self-righteous indignation. “What do you think Liz and Maria will say when I tell them you’re blackmailing me for sex,,,”

“Wait a minute.” What do the girlfriends have to do with this?”

“They’ve been telling me for years how different you were, that you were such a gentleman. Hell they even had be scared that if I did hook up with you I would never get laid,,,”

Alex struggled a moment longer. “They know I’ve been in love with you since the first time I saw you, and they’ve come to be as happy for you as for me, but while they’ll never become privy to the details, they do know that you’ve changed me,,,”

Alex’s struggles to escape now included his whole body, and as he thrashed his hips between her thighs she started to find it hard to follow the conversation. “Changed you, how so?” she gasped.

“You let me in,” he said softly. You let me play with your fun places,,,”

“You sound like a kid with a new toy,” Isabel said, biting her lower lip, struggling to hide her desire.

“You made me a little kid again,” Alex teased. “Kids explore their environment by putting new things into their mouth,,, Climb into bed with me. Let me go exploring,,,”

“I can’t,” Isabel groaned. “I need seventeen hours of work to get where I want to be before our meeting, and the only way I’ll get it all done in time is to keep working,,,”

”Come to bed with me,” Alex implored, sending along a couple of images of what he would do to her if she did.

“Tempting,” Isabel replied with a shudder, “But this is my contribution to this project. Don’t make light of it.” She then leaned down to kiss him. “Say good night Alex,,,”

“I hate it when you do this,,, Good night Alex.”

“Good night Sweetie,” she whispered as she kissed his forehead, sending him into her realm.

Moments later she had climbed off him and was sitting next to him on the bed, her legs pulled up under her as she leaned in close to him, resting on her outstretched arm which was crossed over his chest. She bent down and kissed his forehead again before using her free hand to sweep his hair back and caress his face. ”Girls, we need to talk,,, Now I don’t know if you’re part of our imagination or part of our future, but you’re real to us, so I need you to do something for me. Mommy has to work tonight. Now Mommy doesn’t want to, she’d really like to play with Daddy and then spend the night with you guys, but if we get this contract, we’ll be much closer to having a future with you in it. So I need you to take care of Daddy tonight. Help him make dinner, lasagna I think. Okay?”

Isabel leaned down and kissed Alex again before standing and going back to her work. At the last moment she stopped and instead crossed over to the bathroom. She returned with a towel that she folded in half and carefully draped over the seat of the chair before sitting. Then she placed her hand on the tall glass next to her laptop and changed the tepid water into a iced Cherry Coke with Tabasco. Finally, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Drawing on her Ice Princess persona, she brought her emotions under control and got back to work.


Hours later Isabel decided that her creeping tiredness was causing her efficiency to slip, so she reluctantly shut down her laptop and slipped into the bedroom. A couple hours of sleep would return her to full form, not to mention that another night that she could sleep in Alex’s arms was slipping away. She left the desk lamp on as she slipped into the bedroom, allowing her to watch her husband sleep.

Isabel settled her face on her upper arm and watched him sleep, but she could not get comfortable. While she could watch him sleep, she could not hear him. Moments later she had her cheek against his shoulder while her leg was crossed over his hip, gripping him possessively. Then with the sound of his heartbeat echoing in her ear, she joined him in slumber.

**********
On Monday morning the group had barely taken their place at the table when the door to the conference room opened and a rather nondescript gentleman walked in. Instantly the entire Pangborn staff stood up, causing Alex and Isabel to stand as well.

“Robert Tudor,” the man announced himself as he approached Alex and Isabel with his hand outstretched. Moments later, with the introductions out of the way, he got down to business. “Ready to start?,, Good.”

Isabel headed to the head of the table, and as soon as he had everyone’s attention, she started. As they had practiced almost the entire day before, Isabel presented an overview of the Aries Business software package as well as how it would be integrated into the daily operations of Pangborn Industries.

After a half hour of education about the business side of the project Alex took over and gave an equally thorough briefing about the technical side before opening the discussion to questions.

“Alex,” Robert interjected. “Talk to me about this production scheduling you’re proposing. How does that work?”

“Slide sixty,,,”

“Sixty-four,” Isabel supplied.

“The main tool that Aries utilizes for the scheduling process is a multi layered bill of materials,,,”

“That’s an accounting thing,” one of the engineers complained offhandedly.

“No. Not just accounting, they’re the key to your entire operation. The bill of materials is the recipe for anything that you’re going to produce, containing a list of everything that is needed to produce that product, including labor. It may be a simple one layer list of parts or it may fill an entire filing cabinet in the case of something complex like a passenger jet, but anything you produce has a bill of materials.

“Let’s use an example,” Alex said as he pulled a pen from his pocket. “A simple ballpoint pen. I got it for nothing,,, well the truth of the matter is that I took it off Isabel’s desk, but she got it for nothing from Rocket Fuels, and they buy them by the gross from a novelty supplier in Albuquerque.

“So a simple pen. Something we don’t even think about. I bet most of us have a bunch of them at home in our junk drawer,,,”

“Who cares, it’s a pen,” One of the staffers moaned. “”We wouldn’t even go through our normal process for such a piddly assed job,,,”

“No, maybe you wouldn’t, but somewhere, probably in Taiwan, there is a pen factory. They live and breath pens, and I guarantee you in that factory there is a production manager who would give his eye teeth to shave one tenth of a second off the production cycle of this pen, as well as an accountant who knows down to the thousandth of a cent how much it cost to produce.

“They have a bill of materials for this pen,” Alex advised as he took it apart, “So lets take a look at what that involves.” He picked up the parts one at a time. “Here we have the upper and lower barrels. The outer and inner button parts, and the ink tube along with it’s spring. So to make a pen, all you need to do is put six parts together, right? Not really.”

“Before you can make a pen, you need the parts.” He picked up the lower barrel. “This doesn’t just appear on the shelf, it needs to be manufactured. That means plastic resin, blue pigment, and injection molding time.”

Next Alex picked up the upper barrel. “But this isn’t a simple part, it has a metal pocket clip attached. So you need to take an additional step to produce the upper barrel assembly by taking a previously produced upper barrel and crimping a pocket clip onto it.

“Then there’s the ink cartridge. Not only does that have to be assembled, but the ball tip needs to be assembled first. So to produce a simple ball point pen, you need a three layer bill of materials consisting of five different assembly operations.

Isabel stood and joined her husband. “As mentioned, this is a very simple and fictional example of a bill of materials, but one that has quickly raised an awareness of what we intend to do with Aries. As part of the planning process for this program, we have been allowed access to your processes, and we have found a number of opportunities that we plan to exploit,,,”

“Opportunities? Isn’t that just code for saying that we fracked up? I’ll put our processes against anyone,,,”

“Now just a moment!” Robert shouted. “No one is accusing anyone of anything. So just shut up and let me hear what these nice people have to say. Clear!”

Isabel paused a moment to let emotions cool, communicating with Alex to keep still. She had to fix this herself. “I apologize if I implied anything of the kind.” She took a deep breath. “Pangborn has been going through a remarkable amount of growth during the past decade, and like many other growing companies, the back of the house has not kept pace with the front of the house.

“You are to be commended for what you have done, all of you, especially those of you in the accounting and planning departments. We’re going to make things easier,,,”

“How,” Robert demanded. “Not that I’m complaining, but I’ve already been down this road with several other vendors, all of whom were long on promises and short on results. So please be detailed, and if necessary, be blunt.”

“Thank you,” Isabel said with a smile. “The left wall of your accounting department is completely covered cy bookcases containing about a hundred eleven by fifteen inch (28cm x 38cm) greenbar (computer printer paper) binders. These contain the bills of materials for more than fourteen thousand items produced by Pangborn. They are produced by custom written software that was purchased back in nineteen eighty-eight, and it takes more than three months for your accounting department to update and print them every year, but since your Unix server does not have the capacity to store them internally, they are only available in this printed form. During the following year, if a production change is made, or if your cost change, there is no mechanism for updating the bills of materials until the following year, so your accounting department has to create an engineering change variance or a standard cost variance for every job referencing any of these bills of materials.”

“Two weeks ago, your production department was scheduled to produce four engine and hydraulic oil cooling subassemblies for type A-A-five-oh-five-six-one trailer mounted diesel powered auxiliary hydraulic power units that have been ordered by the Army. Briefly, this process consist of taking an aluminum casting, adding a pair of radiator cores, one for the engine coolant, the other the hydraulic fluid, along with a number of smaller parts and subassemblies. This is a critical subassembly for the unit, and work on the finished property can not proceed until this unit is completed,,,”

“We don’t need a lesson in our own company,,,” one of the production engineers sneered, only to be silenced by a frosty glare from the Controller.

“There was a problem?” Robert asked, not taking his eyes off his engineer.

Isabel hesitated. “Yes. The first problem was that before the purchased casting can be processed, it must be machined. The mounting surfaces must be,,,”

“Milled,” one of the others supplied.

“Thank you, milled. And then the mounting holes need to be bored and tapped. The castings that were brought to your production floor had not been machined, causing a delay. Additionally, the radiator cores are purchased as a work in process. Before you may use them, they must be coated with an asphalt based paint that needs to cure for three days after it’s applied,,,”

“Where the hell are you getting your information,” the same engineer demanded. “I don’t appreciate your airing my dirty laundry in public,,,”

“I gave it to them,” Robert practically shouted. “How do you think we’re going to solve our problems if we’re not willing to admit to them.”

”Do you want me to take over?” Alex asked with concern.

”No!” she answered confidently. ”There are going to be hard sells in our future, and I’ve better get ready for them.”

“We’re not here to point fingers,” Isabel explained softly. “We are here to look at problems and find solutions,,,”

“And in this instance, what are those problems?”

“There is no way for you to identify the status of the casting that you require for this assembly. Your machining steps are built into the procurement cost,,,”

“That’s right,” one of the production managers agreed. “It’s one of the details that aren’t in the system,,,”

“Because the system isn’t powerful and capable enough?” Robert added.

“Correct, it’s the same with the cooling cores,,,”

“Let me guess, according to our system they’re brought in ready to install?” Robert asked as her turned to the engineering group.

“It’s a really simple work-around,” the hot headed engineer replied morosely. “There’s a list of parts that require initial processing before they are placed into inventory. The receiver checks incoming parts against this list, and if anything is on it, he gives me a call,,,”

“And who is this receiver?”

“He got fired for submitting a false expense report during a customer visit,” the head of personnel interjected sarcastically.

“Enough!” Robert shouted as he pounded his fist on the table. “Everyone in this room has been working under increasingly difficult situations for years. I’m not going to hold anything against anyone who has been making things happen, but we’ve been down this road four times already and wasted almost three years already, so I’ll promise you that I’ll fire anyone and everyone who isn’t fully on board with moving the ball forward. Clear!”

“It can’t be done,” the engineer muttered.

“Alex, care to prove him wrong?”

Isabel gave him an encouraging smile as they switched positions.

“We have evaluated selected portions of your previous proposals,,,”

“What!” the engineer exclaimed. “You can’t do that. You can’t show a competitor a bid from another company,,,”

This diatribe was also cut short by a fist slamming onto the table.

“Someone’s going to have to get him a gavel,,,” a woman from production muttered.

“I don’t need a fracking gavel,” Robert snapped.

“The operative term here is ‘selected portions,’” Isabel interjected. “It would be unethical and possibly unlawful to disclose most of the terms of a bid, but in this instance we were shown the bidders response to your companies ‘scope of work’ clause. Any company that submits a bid response knows, or ought to know, that this particular clause is subject to professional review and comparison with other like responses; therefore, with no expectation of privacy in place, no harm, no foul,,,”

“And I suppose you’re a lawyer too?”

“I have been clerking in my parents law office since I was eight,” Isabel replied in her best Ice Princess tone of voice, “And my father, Phillip Evans, Esquire, is on our board of directors. Additionally, in the spirit of full disclosure, Alex’s father, Major Charles Whitman, US Army retired, a specialist in defense procurement, is also a member of our board. Any further legal questions?”

Robert had to hide a smile. In all his years of business, and especially now, as the number two man of a prime defense contractor, he had never seen such a hostile room subdued so quickly. “Alex, please forgive the interruption,” he prompted. “You were going to explain what sets your ‘Aries Business’ apart from the others.”

“As I was starting to explain, most of the proposals you have received involve converting your existing computer code to a newer language and tinkering with it so that it would run on newer hardware. In several cases they would incorporate this converted code into their own propriety software. In one case, the company that proposed the reconfiguration would then be the only ones who could maintain it. This entire situation is a mistake,,,”

“Why?”

“Your software is written in three different languages, all of them obsolete,,,”

As could be expected, the next criticism came from the engineering side of the table. “Our software has been making money since you were in diapers.”

“That’s right,” Alex said cheerfully, outing the engineer on guard. “It’s time had come, and now it’s time has gone.” Alex reached for his faithful pen. “Your indulgence for another example.”

Several moans erupted, but no one strenuously complained. “Back in the late eighties, when this software was written, a popular form of transportation was the mini-van. Mini-vans proved popular, and there was a whole parking lot full of them at every after-school function and soccer game. It was in incredibility practical vehicle and considering the time during which it was popular, it was very safe.

“Now lets come forward fifteen years. Times have changed, and the mini-van has been replaced by the SUV.” Alex looked around the room, catching several of the attendees eyes. “I would never place my family in a mini-van. It was safe years ago when the odds were that it would get into an accident with a Ford Pinto, a Chevy Vega, or a Yugo, but put it against the road today and you’d be taking your families lives in your hands. It wouldn’t stand a chance in a collision with a Ford Excursion, a Chevy Tahoe or heaven forbid you get hit broadside by a Hummer.

“When it comes to my family, I am going to give them every measure of protection I can find. Side curtain air bags, traction control, anti-lock brakes, front and rear crumple zones, six air bags, and whatever new technology they come up with between now and then.” Alex calmed his voice and then leaned onto the table. “Technology changes every eighteen months. Now that doesn’t mean that you have to start over every year-and-a-half, but it does mean that you need to have a plan. Just because something’s old doesn’t mean it’s good, and just because something’s new doesn’t mean it’s bad.

“The same goes for your computing system. What worked in the past isn’t good enough anymore. There have been dozens, if not hundreds of developments during the past decade that we are going to capitalize on, and in order to that we’re going to scrap everything you have now and start fresh,,,”

This started another round of protest, causing Alex to turn to Robert and mutter, “Tough room.”

“You should see them the day before payday,” Robert quipped.

Alex stood still, and this time instead of trying to overcome the rumbling in the room, he waited for things to calm down.

“What do you mean were going to start new?” the recalcitrant engineer demanded. “Every job we’ve ever done,,, Years of data,,, You’re going to scrap ll hat? What are you, fracking nuts?”

“We’re going to incorporate all of that data into Aries,” Alex said indulgently. “New servers, new workstations, new software, but every person in this room is going to have full access to every byte of data that you’ve ever created. In fact you’re going to have instantaneous access to data that you don’t even know you have. Aries will bring all the features of a modern software package to Pangborn, and once you use it, you’ll never want to go back.”

“We’ve had some of the biggest providers in the business in here, and no one has been able to pull it all together. What makes you think you’ll be able to,,,”

“Why can I do it? Because I have no ego. Because I’m not trying to make your business fit our software. Because I’m not trying to build a cash cow that we’ll milk for the next six years,,,” Alex looked over the skeptical room before making eye contact with the controller. Receiving a smile in reply, he continued, “And because we’ve already done it,,,”

“What!”

“Our laptop contains a beta version of Aries Business along with an abbreviated Pangborn database,” he said offhandedly. He looked at the engineer, “Do you want to play?”

“Hugh?”

“Don’t worry, as you’ve no doubt noticed everything you do will be on the screen,” he said with a hint of a smile. “I’ll walk you through it.”

“Errr,,,”

Alex looked to the room. “Aries has three major environments; Engineering, Administration, and Production. Engineering has the largest environment, as they have the most to contribute to any project. So double click on the icon, and at the sign on screen, type ‘engineer’ as the user name, and ‘one-two-three-four’ as the password.

“Now you’ll recognize a normal windows interface, and the program is as intuitive as we could make it, but there will be a significant learning curve as you incorporate the new features. So, go up to the menu bar and click ‘Job.’ On the drop-down menu click ‘Edit Job.’” A typical windows dialog box opened. “Notice on the top of the dialog box that there is a ‘Select Search Method:’ drop-down menu field. The default selection is to search by part number, but you can use the drop-down menu to search for a job via a Pangborn sales order number, client name, client part number, client purchase order number, and finally by N.S.N. number. (A DoD National Stocking Number.)

“For the sake of simplicity, our old friend ‘pen’ is going to join us again.” Alex paused a moment as he noticed that the engineer was hesitantly working his way through the screen. Moments later the drop-down menu had been accessed and ‘pen’ had been selected, and a graphical menu was displayed.

“On the screen, you now see all the options available for ‘Pen.’ Notice that it isn’t just limited to the bill of materials and the production settings, there are options available making every aspect of the program available to you. Depending on the environment that your log on ID is linked to, you will get a menu with the options arranged differently. Engineering emphasizes the bill of materials and production parameters as this is your major sphere of concern. You may want to change the materials going into a part. If it is molded you may want to change the temperature settings and cycle times on the machines. If it’s a metal fabricated part you may want to change the station that does the machining as well as the tool and dies that are used. In both instances you will be constantly be looking at the time involved in the operation and looking for methods of increasing processing efficiency.

“Accounting rarely looks at individual jobs, but they live and die by their rosters. They are responsible for the raw materials roster as well as the purchased parts roster. They also are responsible for maintaining the standard cost every machine and labor grade in the company.

“Another part of the Administration environment is Inventory and Sales. Your sales force needs access to much of the technical data on your products so that they can talk intelligently with your clients, while the order pullers in the warehouse need to know what orders are due to be shipped,,,”

“Why?” one of the accountants asked. “I don’t want someone in sales going into my standard cost database and mucking up my numbers so they can make their job easier.”

“Good question,’ Isabel replied, stepping in to give Alex a moment to get a drink of water, as well as demonstrate to the room that they were interchangeably knowledgeable of their product. “If you look at the bottom of the menu screen, you will see that a number of the operations not pertaining directly to the engineering department are grayed out. These functions are ‘View Only,’ specifically because none of want someone making changes that are outside of their range of expertise. For example, the standard costing data in the raw materials and purchased parts roster are typically updated annually, and only with the approval of senior management, as an error here could bankrupt the company before you realized what was happening. Now actual cost change all the time, so Aries takes the actual cost from every purchase order and creates a ‘Materials Cost Variance Report’ which is widely available, but actual changes to the roster can be only be performed by two agreeing members of upper management.”

“So everyone gets this information?”

Alex nodded to Isabel. “No. Every function is coded as to which environment, and which access levels within that environment, have access to information. For example, there is no need for your shipping department to know costing data, but it is critical that your sales force, who may be bidding on a new contract does.”

“The standard rules for data security still apply,” Robert interjected.

“As does common sense,” the engineering agreed as he continued to explore on the laptop.

“The next thing I want to show you,” Alex interjected, “Go back to the top menu and select pen.” When the requested screen was up, he continued, “Click on ‘View.’ Now ‘Tree.’”

“Is that what I think it is?” the engineer gasped in amazement.

“Yes,” Alex answered confidently. “Aries contains a strong project management function, something that your Production Control department desperately needs. Rather than use magnets on a white board, Aries will display the entire process for producing any part number in a graphical flow chart,,,”

“What are the background colors?”

“For the sake of illustration, I have interjected every day real issues into what would be a normally simple production job. The white boxes signal that there is no impediment to that step of the process. Notice that there is only one white box, and that is the availability of the metal pocket clip. Please click on the red box marked ‘Pen Barrel Top.’”

The engineer complied. “’Insufficient blue pigment on hand to produce this part,’” the engineer read.

“Yes, and below that is the P.O. (purchase order) number for the outstanding order. Aries has checked the status of the open P.O. and used it’s internal notification system to request that your purchasing clerk make an attempt to get the deliver date moved up.

“Next, click on the red box marked ‘Pen Barrel Bottom.’” After a momentary pause for the data to come up he read, “‘Outstanding work order on the mold.’ Click again. Now we see a work order that was entered by a machine operator indicating that the cooling water quick-connect fitting was leaking the last time that mold was used. Aries has sent a reminder to maintenance, and as soon as they flag the work order as completed, the dialog box will switch to white.”

“The yellow box indicates that there is one or more missing production parameters that while they wouldn’t prevent the job from being run, the issue must be resolved in this case there is no price on the spring that is used with the ink cartridge where the blue box indicates that there is missing stocking data,,,”

“The green box indicates that that particular step has been completed, and that the parts have been allocated to this project,,,”

“This is a small job,” The engineer interjected in a much calmer voice. “Can it display larger jobs? Can you project a large job on the wall?”

“The resolution of a computer monitor limits the amount of data that can be displayed on a screen, and since a projector has the same resolution that the monitor has, it has the same restriction. Now to compensate for this, Aries is set up so that the ‘tree’ graphical display works like a Adobe illustration. The entire graphic will fit on the screen, but it may need to hide details due to a lack of space. There is a solutions for this. The first is that by clicking on a dialog box, or by selecting a portion of the chart, you can see more detail,,,”

“There’s another solution,” Robert interjected.

Alex answered him with raised brows.

Robert nodded in reply.

“As part of the Aries hardware upgrade, the engineering department will be receiving an “E-sized’ (38x48” 97x122cm) inkjet plotter. With a resolution that is eighteen times greater than your best monitor, you will be able to print all but the largest charts in full detail. From there, you will be able to put it on a drawing table or even pin it to the wall,,,”

“We’re going to be able to view the entire project at once?,,”

Yes,,,”

“And we can update it with highlighters,,,”

“No!” Alex exclaimed. “The entire premise of Aries is that every function in this company is linked for the first time. The moment that drawing comes off the plotter is starts to become out of date and unsynchronized with the system. So if you have to, print an updated drawing every day or so, but never, never depend on a document that isn’t still wet or warm from your printer.”

One of the other engineers had another question. “DoD wants to eliminate a through bolted detail on a housing we make for them, and replace it with drilling and tapping. In the past this would be a detail that we handled outside of the system, because it was difficult to drill that far down into the details. How would I handle that with your program?”

“The first thing you would do is to make a change to the appropriate engineering drawing, and publish that through your existing change mechanism, which is working very well I might add. Then when the modified part becomes available, you will make a change to the bill of materials specifying the new housing and changing to the new fasteners. Finally you would change the process instructions within the production specifications.”

The group didn’t break for lunch until one-thirty, and even then plans to go to a local restaurant were scrapped in favor of hitting the company cafeteria just before it closed so that discussions about Aries could continue. Three o’clock found Isabel and Alex back in the conference room, Isabel at one end of the table with the accounting group while Alex was at the other end of the table with the laptop and projector running through the last of the sample projects that had been built into the beta database.

Robert stood back and looked around the room approvingly, but Isabel had noticed his withdrawal from the discussion. “Is there something I can do for you?” she asked solicitously.”

“No, thank you,” he replied cheerfully, but you will have to excuse me for a moment.

Robert slipped from the room unnoticed and five minutes later returned just as stealthily, but no longer alone. Isabel looked up and noticed that he was standing just inside the doorway, having what looked like an intense conversation with a man who reminded her a bit of the Sheriff. The newcomer had sandy hair and a tanned weather-beaten face that hinted at a life lead in the outdoors, but despite being dressed in a denim shirt, jeans, cowboy boots and with a Stetson in his hand, he had a quiet aura of authority about him.

“Well, now that you-all have had a chance to talk yourselves to death, it’s time to make a decision,” the new arrival stated warmly as he approached the head of the table, bringing the room to attention just by his presence. “Bob tells me you are two people I need to meet.” He held out his hand. “Dave Pangborn.”

“Alex Whitman,” Alex answered, taking the older man’s firm handshake. “And this is Isabel Evans.”

Dave shook Isabel’s hand as well. “No titles?”

“We’re a small company,” Isabel replied warmly. “We have no need for titles, we would rather let our work speak for itself.”

“Good. You have five minutes to convince me.”

Isabel looked at the founder of Pangborn Engineering with confidence. She stood and walked to the head of the table while Alex spun the Tecra so that it was in front of him. “He’s not giving us time to start all over?” Alex stammered.

“It’s okay,” Isabel replied confidently. “I made up a second presentation. It’s much more conceptual than the one we just did, geared more towards an executive audience.” “I’ll be brief,” she stated, conveying the fact that she would provide an abbreviated presentation. “Presentation two, slide one please.”

Isabel took a deep breath to compose herself. She would have to start all over again, but this would not be a technical presentation. She would show a global view of what they could do for this company, and she would have to do it quickly. Luckily she had stayed up for most of the previous night, preparing for exactly this possibility. “Pangborn Engineering has engaged in a program of upgrades to it’s IT, Personnel, and Accounting departments, intent on replacing it’s existing disparate applications with a state-of-the-art Microsoft SQL (pronounced Sequel) based Aries Business software package.

“Pangborn, like a number of outstanding companies, has separate applications running in your various operations, none of which are able to communicate in any meaningful way. Slide,,,” she communicated silently, a tactic they used through the rest of their presentation, presenting a polished façade. The slide showed a stylized flowchart illustrating the various functions within the company above very smart and efficient looking cubicles containing an assortment of servers, workstations, displays, printers, and various other peripherals. We are going to solve this.”

”Slide,,,” An illustration showed on the next slide consisting of a mixture of cartoon like characters and situations containing high quality photographs of the equipment that the situation called for. This first slide showed a scheduler standing on the edge of the production area. He was holding a gleaming Compaq iPAQ PDA in one hand while screaming into a portable radio with the other. Behind him several fork trucks loaded with parts scurried back and forth between several large injection molding machines while in the corner a industrial computer workstation spewed schedules, production orders, and pick lists. Isabel continued, “It is seven o’clock on Tuesday morning, and your first shift is reporting for work. Your production line leader consults with the day’s work schedule and makes the days work assignments. Your employees head for their work stations where they find a ruggedized printer that has produced all of the necessary instructions and specifications for that day’s assignments. Next to their bench is all of the parts and materials that they will need, having been delivered by your material handlers responding to a pick list that had been printed the afternoon before. ”Slide,,,”

An image of a Scrooge era clerk, complete with sleeve garters and a green visor appeared. He was busily scanning parts with a handheld bar-code reader while in the background a sleek self contained workstation sat on a wheeled cart. “Time passes and work progresses; products are produced and an embossed metal identification tag is affixed to each piece of property as it is completed. The bar coded data on the metal tag, along with the data from the work order, is scanned and a new record is created in a production log within the Aries database containing all of the tracking and compliance data for that item.” Slide,,,

This slide had a server rack in the center of the screen while data, represented by lightning bolts flowed out to a number of different workstations around the edge of the screen. “Meanwhile a data transfer occurs between the production station and the Scheduling Department, updating the on hand inventory values of the new property that is produced as well as the raw materials, parts and sundry supplies that are consumed. Time to produce is also tracked, allowing for the near instantaneous identification of any variance from the time and material norms that are contained within the bill of materials for that item.” ”Slide,,,”

The next slide was of a tall willowy woman. On top of her head was a huge bun with a number of pencils sticking out. She was swinging a huge hammer, smashing an old fashioned time clock. She was swinging the hammer so hard that her feet were two feet off the floor while behind her there was a shop floor employee tapping a card reader with his smart card. Lightning bolts flowed from an antenna to a matching antenna on the top of a cubicle with the title ‘Personnel’ on it’s wall. Inside of this well organized cubicle bulges of data flowed from the computer to a printer, from which paychecks flew out the top, folding themselves in midair before stacking neatly on a desk. “A data transfer also occurs with the Personnel Department apprising them of what is happening on the production floor. Perhaps the assigned employee was not available and another employee from a lower pay grade was substituted. Aries will automatically adjust his payroll record. Time clock functions are automated, sick and vacation accounts are updated.” ”Slide,,,”

A warehouseman appeared, standing at the end of a conveyor belt while a truck with the word ‘Delivery’ on it’s side scooted by in a cloud of dust outside the rolled up door. A steady stream of huge parts were passing through a ring scanner at the end where the worker, who had arms the size of tree trunks and a barrel chest that tapered down to a tiny waist was effortlessly lifting the parts and fitting them in boxes. “Meanwhile completed orders are being shipped while new orders are coming in. As part of the shipping process, the production record for those individual items are appended. The identity of the purchasing entity as well as the purchase order number are added to the appropriate compliance tracking logs, and then the databases archived for data integrity; meanwhile, ”Slide,,,” as new orders are entered into the system, Aries is evaluating the production schedule and the availability of materials of materials, components, and supplies. With this information, Aries will give the order entry clerk an expected lead time on the new order, and if that timetable is accepted, an order acknowledgement will be issued,,,” ”Slide,,,”

“Enough. Tell me about my compliance logs.”

”Jump to slide forty,” This slide showed a older worker in a warehouse that looked like it had been lifted from the final scene from the first ‘Indiana Jones’ movie. He was dumping a wooden wheel barrow that contained thousands of documents into a hopper on top of a contraption consisting of numerous belts and pulleys. On the floor below was a server farm consisting of several racks of computer equipment. “Every compliance log you have will be appended into a new Aries database,,,”

“Everything?” Dave asked disbelievingly.

“Everything,” Alex answered with confidence. Isabel put up a slide containing four customers, each holding a sheet of paper facing forward. The first was a soldier, holding a sheet marked ‘NSN: 1234-56-789-1234’. The second was a construction worker holding a sheet marked ‘Pangborn Industries P.N.: 1234-567.’ The third was a woman holding a sheet marked ‘My Company P.O.: 123456.’ The fourth was another man holding a sheet marked ‘Date of Manufacture: 01-01-2000.’ “Your current compliance logs will be entered into a fully searchable SQL database within Aries. Your older logs which are in a mixture of D-Base, Lotis-123, or Word Star formats will be converted into the new database, and your very old logs, which are paper based, will be scanned or manually transcribed into the same database.”

Alex looked around the room. “Every scrap of data that I can get my hands on will be entered into Aries. If the Army calls you with a Pangborn product that is six years old, you will be able to retrieve the compliance logs, and if the production specifications still exist, they will be entered into Aries. If a customer calls and ask for a machine that they purchased fifteen years ago, Aries will be able to produce every bit of information that you are able to provide me with. It may be flagged as obsolete and archived in a separate database, but you should not have start from scratch and re-design any project that is within the system.”

“I spoke to a ‘Charles Whitman,’” Dave interjected, apparently having heard enough about schedules and databases. “Any relation?”

“A corporate director,” Alex supplied.

“Ah, out come the titles,” David quipped with a smile. “Your father?”

“Yes,” Alex said proudly.

“We had a conversation about my staff’s initial request for you to enter into a subcontracting relationship,,,”

“There are issues,,,”

“Government bureaucracy,” Dave interjected, waving his hand dismissively. “You’re young, you have a hot product, you don’t need them.”

You sound like it’s a bad thing, doing business with the government, but you’re a defense contractor,,,” Alex stammered.

“No,,, they’re defense contractors,,,” Dave indicated, waving to his assembled staff. “I don’t have anything to do with the government, that’s what I hired them for. I provide ideas and direction, they handle the details. They’re very good at details,” he added as an afterthought.

“I started my first company when I was still in high school. Since then I’ve started seven companies and lost four. I’ve been involved in everything the South-West has to offer, cattle, oil, land, and more military bases than you can shake a stick at, so I’m much more interested in your abilities than your ages. What you’ve accomplished so far has convinced me that you’re worth taking a chance on.”

“You seem to know a lot about us.”

“I remember hearing something somewhere, ‘Keep your friends close, your enemies closer,’ not that I’m saying you are an enemy. Pretty smart for a Jap though,” Dave added with a challenge in his eyes.

“Sun Tsu,” Isabel replied icily in response to his racial epithet, although she felt that it had been thrown out as more of a test than a slur., “Not that his racial heritage should matter, was a minor nobleman in the current day Shandong province of China. He was the author of ‘The Art of War’.”

Dave smiled. “I think I’ve heard of it.” He reached out and touched the Aries projector. “You seem to be remarkably prepared. How ready is my software?”

“‘To not prepare the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues,’” Alex quoted, after a quick prompt from Isabel. “Aries will be ready for training and integration on the same timeline as the hardware procurement.”

Dave stood and reached for his hat. “‘What is of the greatest importance in war is extraordinary speed; one can not afford to neglect opportunity.’”

“When do you want to meet again?,,” Isabel started to ask.

“This meeting wasn’t about your abilities, I trust my staff’s judgment in that regard. This meeting was to allow me a chance to meet you and take your measure,” Dave admitted as he settled his hat on his head. “One last quote Miss Evans. ‘A sovereign of high character and intelligence must be able to know the right people, should place responsibility on them, and expect results.’ I feel you are the right people.”

Dave turned and walked to the door. “You’ll have a signed purchase order by the end of business Friday. The scope of
the project will be for software and computer equipment as proposed. In addition, there will be a set of engineering drawings for the office spaces. I want a second quote for a complete suite of office furniture by the last day of January. Said furniture to be dropped shipped to my facility, staff to install.”

As Dave reached the door he opened it and turned to face the room one last time. “Indecision has already cost us far too much time on this project, I want it finished by the end of the year. Mister Whitman, Miss Evans, it’s been a pleasure. We’ll not meet again.” And with that he was gone.

“December?” Alex quipped. “Easy time table.”

“Federal fiscal year,” Robert corrected. “September Thirtieth.”

“Oh,,,”

“We can do it,” Isabel interjected confidently.

**********
Isabel and Alex were bouncing in their seats as they left Pangborn. “We got it,,, We got it,,, We got it,,,” Alex kept repeating, but no matter how much he sounded like a broken record, nothing irritated Isabel.

“You did it,,,” she gushed.

“We did it,,,” Alex corrected.

“You got the contract,,,”

“We got the contract,,,”

Isabel glanced over at him, “You provided for my future,,,”

Alex didn’t notice the gleam in her eyes. “We provided for our future,,,” He looked out the side window. “Don’t you need to get into the right lane for the hotel?”

“You in a hurry to spend another evening in the hotel?” Isabel asked cheerfully. “I’m in the mood to celebrate.”

“That’s why we’re not going home tonight?,,” Alex looked around in confusion as Isabel drove straight through the interchange by Route Seventy, bypassing the hotel.

“We’re going out for dinner,” Isabel explained. “One of the girls at the desk told me about a place on the other side of the highway called Shooters. It sounded good, worth a try.”


Minutes later they were in the restaurant. Once inside, the hostess started to lead them to a table that would have been convenient for the typical Monday evening short staffed wait crew, but Isabel intervened and asked for a better table away from the kitchen. Moments later, when the waitress arrived with menus, Isabel declined and sat back expectantly.

“Oh, it’s going to be one of those evenings,” Alex said happily.

“Yes,” Isabel replied in just as light a vein. “I’ve been working hard all weekend and making all kinds of decisions. Now I just want to sit back and be taken care of.”

Alex noticed the waitress watching expectantly, so he signaled that he was ready to order. “We’ll have the South-Western appetizer plate with hot wings, roasted chilies, and jalapeno poppers. Then the lady will have your sizzling chipotle fajitas, and since it’s been a while since I’ve had a steak,,,”

“Nothing heavy sweetie,” Isabel warned.

“What?”

“You know what happens when you eat a heavy dinner too late in the day. You get bloated, lethargic, unable to move,,,”

Seeing Isabel sitting there with her head down, biting her lower lip and looking at him through her lashes, he quickly changed his mind. “Yes, something light. The fajitas, along with Nachos Belle Grande and two plates please.”

“Something to drink?”

“Yes,” Alex replied cheerfully, having noticed Tabasco on the table. “Club soda with a twist of lime, and I’ll have orange soda with just a little ice please.”

“Thank you,” the server said, taking the menu from Alex. “I’ll be right back with your drinks, and your appetizer plate will be out in just a couple of minutes.


Almost an hour later found the meal finished, the dishes cleared from the table, and the couple on the dance floor. Isabel was glued to Alex’s front despite the fact that the song didn’t quite fit that particular style of dance. “It’s really nice of them to have let us dance despite the fact that it’s Monday,,,”

“Um-hum,” Isabel agreed softly as she slipped several fingers through a gap in his shirt and began to rub his chest.

Alex luxuriated in this new sensation for several moments before commenting, “The selections on the juke box are right out of the eighties, but there’s still one or two songs to dance to,,,”

“Um-hum,” Isabel sighed as she began to nibble on his neck.

Alex struggled to maintain his composure as he held her tightly. “Are you ready to go back to the hotel?,,”

“Um-hum,,,”

-Continued next-

[stargazer md]

Once they got back to the hotel, Isabel surprised him again. Not only had she allowed him to drive, but she then sat in her seat patiently waiting for him to come around and open her door. “Thank you, kind sir,” Isabel said as he reached in to help her out. Once outside, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, but never let go of his hand as she headed back to their room.

“You’re going to take care of me?” she asked softly as he took the room key-card from her hand.

“I’m going to take care of everything,” he answered as he led her through the front room and into the bedroom. Once there she stood submissively at the side of the bed as he slowly started to undo the buttons on her jacket and then her blouse.

“I’ve been working so hard,,,”

“That’s over for now,” he sighed as he found the naughty black merry-widow that she had on under her business attire. You’re not going to have to do a thing,” he promised.

Isabel’s pulse raced as she saw the excitement in her husband’s eyes. “You’re going to play with me?” she asked expectantly as she stepped out of her shoes and kicked them away.

“Do you want me to play with you?” Alex whispered as he pushed her hair from her neck and nibbled the special spot behind her ear.

“I don’t know,” Isabel teased. “I’m a good girl.”

“Then it’s a too bad you hooked up with a bad guy. I’m going to do things to you that would make your mother blush and your father cry,,,”

“Sweetie, you’re not a bad guy,,,”

“No, but I play one on TV,” Alex quipped, despite the fact that his blood was boiling as he released the hook of her slacks, revealing the pale flesh of her flat stomach underneath. His breath caught in his throat as he slowly slid down her zipper, finding his favorite high waisted sheer black panties. Placing his hands on her hips, he pulled her slacks down, his fingertips tracing the lacy garters until he came to the top of her silky stockings. Placing his hands on her hips, he turned her so that her back was to him, and began to undo the multitude of tiny hooks that held her corset together. “To hell with these,” he muttered as he gave up on the tiny fasteners, but as this was one of his favorite garments he didn’t rip it. Instead he slipped his fingers in besides her breasts and then rolled down the cups.

Isabel’s breath caught as he turned her towards him, amazed that he was ignoring her body, instead looking her in the eyes.

“And yes, I’m going to play with you,,,” He swept her up in his strong arms before lowering her to the bed as if she were his most fragile possession. “And there isn’t a thing you’re going to be able to do about it.

Alex ran into the bathroom, returning moments later with several towels.

Isabel knew what he was going to do before he did it, for she had been sending him signals all evening. Before he could return, she raised her arms up to the top corners of the mattress, and as soon as she felt the towels touch her wrist, she converted them into soft velvet ropes which were securely attached to the bed.

Alex lifted her wrist and kissed her pulse points before gently running the rope between her thumb and fingers then wrapping it around her wrist twice and bring the rope back the way it had come. “Close your hand,” he commanded. “Make a fist and don’t open it until I tell you to.”

Isabel began rocking back and forth on the bed as Alex began kissing and caressing her body. As his fingers and mouth stoked her passions, she began to chirp and moan, making all the little sounds that drove him crazy. “I’m going to do everything for you,” he hissed, taking one of her peaks in his mouth and scraping it with his teeth. “All you’re going to have to do is lie back and enjoy it,” he added as he again attacked the same spot, wrapping his lips around it and sucking greedily.

Alex moved from one spot to another on Isabel’s body with agonizing slowness, stoking her passions to a point where her entire body was quivering so violently that the mattress was shaking. This was the moment Alex had been waiting for, the moment where she was so aroused that she was ready to explode, and realizing this he headed down her body to light her fuse. Reaching her hips, he gripped the sides of her panties, and as she obligingly lifted her ass, he slowly slid them down her legs. “Your panties are on the outside of your garters.”

“All the better for you to take me, my husband,” Isabel hissed in reply.

But one glance of Isabel’s sodden curls and he lost all sense of restraint as her alien pheromones overwhelmed him. Moments later he was atop her, unable to resist taking her, as she so badly wanted.

Isabel opened her body, heart, and soul to her husband, to the only man who knew her, or who ever would. Business, family, home, all lost meaning to her as she reveled in him, because for her this was not just an act of love, but of life itself. Maybe not this time, maybe not the next, but one of these times Alex would leave within her a little bit of himself that would blossom and glow into their family, their future. For her, the only thing better than good sex was more sex, for every time brought her closer to the time when he would spark the flame that would be Cassie.

Alex, on the other hand, was a male, and as such his instincts had been conditioned by millions of years of evolution to spread his genetic goo. Having done so, in such impressive amount that Isabel would surely be knocked up, save the fact that her period was more than a year away, his procreational role as a male was completed. Not being a salmon, he did not die, and not being a spider, he did not become a food source for his future family; instead, being human, he fell asleep.

“Sweetie?,, Alex?,, Alex!!!”

TBC

[stargazer md]

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

Alex rose to consciousness rather slowly, enjoying the trip so much that he didn’t want to rush it. He knew, just by the warmth under the covers that he was not alone, he could smell Isabel, but for some reason he wasn’t quite comfortable. He seemed to be lying on his side, which was unusual as Isabel usually had her fill of spooning in the middle of the night and pushed him onto his back. She would then spend the rest of the night with her head on his shoulder and her thigh thrown across his hips possessively.

But as awareness continued to creep in, Alex began to realize that this time it was Isabel that was flat on her back while he was snuggled up into his side with his arm and leg holding her tight.

“Morning Sweetie,” Isabel said softly as she sensed his awakening.

Alex decided that he loved the sound of his wife’s voice more than ever, as in this position he could hear it resonating from her shoulder straight into his ear. “Morning,,,” he replied as he leaned back to look upon her beautiful face. “Isabel!,, Oh My God!,, Isabel!”

“What?” she replied languishingly, refusing to buy into his alarm.

“I’m sorry,,, I’m so sorry,,,” he chanted as he flew off the mattress, leaping to the head of the bed. “I can’t believe I let this happen.” He took the rope that attached her wrist in his hand and with a tightly focused burst of heat burned it to ash, releasing her.

“Alex, what’s wrong?” Isabel demanded. “You’re scaring me,,,”

“I can’t believe I fell asleep,,,” Alex cried as her ran around to the other side of the bed. “I can’t believe I left you tied up,,,”

Isabel opened her other hand, spun her wrist to unwind the rope, and then pulled her hand free.

“You could do that?,,”

”Of course, that’s the only way I could get you to tie me,,,”

“Why didn’t you do that last night,,,”

“Because you told me not to,,,”

“And you chose this one time to listen to me?”

Isabel tossed down the covers. “Sweetie, come back to bed,” she implored. “I’m afraid you’re going to blow an artery,,,”

Alex looked around for his robe. “We got to get going. We both have a class second period,,,”

“Sweetie, We don’t have to leave until six thirty, and it’s only four now. Come back to bed. Tell me what’s upsetting you,,,”

“Four? Why are we up at four? For frack’s sake, that’s like the middle of the night,,,”

“I woke you,” she confessed. “I wanted some time to finish what you started last night.”

“We’re never doing that again,” Alex declared as he climbed back into the bed, pulling the covers up and showing her his back.

Isabel grabbed his shoulder, and as soon as his back hit the mattress she rolled into his side. “What are we not doing again,,,”

“Sex!,,”

“Bull-fracking-shit we’re not,” Isabel bellowed. “In fact you’re going to be lucky to get out of this room in one piece,,,”

“Oh no we’re not. I know you have this whole virginal Catholic school girl thing going,,,”

“I’m Lutheran,,,”

“Where you want to be a good girl and not take responsibility for your pleasure,,,”

“Every so often I like being taken care of, the same way you like it when I do things for you,,,”

“But if I can’t be sure that I won’t hurt you,,,”

Isabel put her hand over his mouth, effectively silencing him. “Alex, I’m a big girl, you’re not going to hurt me. And I’m big not just in stature, but also in strength,” she said as she took his hand and effortlessly raised it up to the corner of the mattress. “Stay,” she commanded, causing the mattress to bulge up and envelop his hand.

“And if that’s not enough, not only am I an alien with special powers, but I’m one of their leaders as well,” she added as she immobilized his other hand. Isabel climbed off the bed then yanked down the covers, dropping them into a pile at the foot of the bed. Next she pinned his ankles before climbing back onto the bed, ending up with her knees on each side of his waist..

“I don’t know why you would say that we all done playing,” she said, moderating her voice now that she had her husband firmly under her control. “Look, even Fred wants to play. I think I’ll give him a nice warm place to hide,” she said huskily as she aligned Fred before settling down onto him.

Suddenly Alex found nothing more to complain about, having decided that the view of his wife bouncing up and down on his lap was much more interesting.

Isabel opened their connection wide, reveling in his pleasure as well as her own, but where Alex usually restricted their bonding to the normal level until just the last moments of her third time, she passed straight through their connection into their super-connection. All sense of a separate Alex and Isabel, of man and wife ended, as she took them to a special place where they became one. Gasping for breath and with her sweat soaked hair flying, she just came off another peak as she felt Alex’s entire body spasm as he lifted her from the bed. She quickly tightened every muscle in her lower torso, tightening her Kegel toned body to the max, intensifying his experience and spoiling him for every other woman on the two planets.

She took a moment to catch her breath, but noticing that her frack toy was starting to relax, she was spurred back to action. “Oh no you don’t,” she exclaimed out loud. “Izzy’s just getting started,” but realizing the advantage of their super connection, she knew exactly what to do next. Shared his body meant she shared his prostate, so instead of having to give him a manual tickle, she prepared an energy burst and sent it southward.

Isabel could feel the impact as her husband bucked her up into the air, and as she sank back down she couldn’t help but imagine that despite his recent exertions, he was as hard as ever, and possibly even a bit longer. ”Good! Lets get a start on number two, and in celebration of that, something special.” ‘Cosmo. Valentine’s day issue. February Nineteen ninety nine. Page one-oh-four. Kegel Two’s,’ and with that thought she began to put her spasm ripped body through another whole set of specialized exertions.

**********
Liz felt her stomach drop as Maria continued to stare her down, despite the fact that she had already closed the Jetta’s door and buckled her belt. “Sometime today?” she challenged. “I promised Mrs. Markham that I’d stop in before class,,,”

“Markham, Smarkham,” Maria challenged. “You’ve been hiding from me all weekend.”

“Not all weekend,” Liz replied evasively as she poured all of her attention into the contents of her backpack.

“Commenting on Pam’s fat ass while we’re cleaning the shake machine on Friday night doesn’t count, and you know it.”

“I had something to do,,,”

“Something to do? You blew off your shift on Sunday morning. You haven’t done that since you and Max spent the night in the desert and found the orb,,,”

Liz ignored her, pulling out her day-planner, but Maria still got a good look at her, finding the petit brunette was blushing from the roots of her hairline all the way down to the front of her blouse.

“You’re back together?,,” Maria gasped. “You slut!,, You boffed Max,,,”

“’Ria,” Liz exclaimed as she turned back to face her friend. “A little discretion here,” she hissed.

“Did you?” Maria demanded.

“Yea,” Liz admitted shyly as she hid her face. “The old Max is back,,,”

“Do you mean the old ‘hot one day and cold the next’ Max?”

“No,” Liz said hesitantly. “Ever since Alex killed Nicholas and then he and Michael ran Rath and Lonnie out of town he’s been coming to grips with the fact that he no longer has this pre-defined destiny,,,”

“And he’s all right with that?”

“Not one hundred percent, not yet, but I think Isabel’s having the Royal Seal makes a big difference,,,”

“Well, Isabel isn’t doing it alone, she isn’t even trying to do it alone. Not only does she have Alex, but she trust Michael, and you can’t discount her and Alex’s dad. Have you seen them? When the Sheriff was teaching us all to shoot Isabel’s dad and Alex’s dad were out there with their AUG thingies. Mister E. out shot Mister W, and that shocked the hell out of everybody because Alex’s dad was like a general or something. He said with all the guys coming around the house looking for Isabel, he was really, really motivated, but still, they’re both like fracking Rambo,,,”

Liz reached over and poked Maria in the side. “How about you and your Mom? I never figured you for having a gun in the house, not to mention I don’t think I’ve seen you without your vest on since the Granolith gave it to you.”

“It’s just self protection,” Maria protested as she pulled into the school’s parking lot. “Hey! We were talking about you and Max,,,”

“Sorry,” Liz said without a trace of sincerity in her voice. “I got to go find Mrs. Markham.”

Liz tried for a quick break-a-way, but Maria got a-hold of her upper arm before she could get out of the parking lot. “Did you frack him? Hugh,,, Hugh,,,”

“’Ria, it’s not like when Michael drags you out under the bleachers to rip off a piece, it’s more like what Alex and Isabel have,,,”

“Oh give me a break, Isabel’s going to frack him to death one of these days, in fact he’ll be lucky to live more than a couple of weeks into the new year,,,”

“We went out to the Granolith chamber,,,”

“Ewww,,,”

“No. it was beautiful. Max took Michael’s cot,,,”

“Double ewww,,,”

“Turned it into a big four-poster bed with drapes and everything. There were hundreds of candles, millions of rose petals,,,”

“Awww,” Maria moaned.

“I know, it was so romantic,,,”

“No, I was thinking more like the fact that Michael is just as capable of molecular manipulation, yet I get a lumpy army cot and a dirty sleeping bag with a busted zipper. The best I can hope for is a quickie so we can get it done before the batteries in the flashlight go out.”

Just before they entered the building they looked back to see the Chevelle enter the parking lot and they decided to step aside and wait for their guys. “Max,” Liz sighed happily.

“Michael!” Maria spat with venom in her voice.

**********
“Checking out?” the desk clerk at the Executive Suites asked solicitously.

“Yes, thank you,” Isabel replied happily as she set her bag on the counter and reached for her wallet.

Austiñe leaned to the side, allowing her to see past the glowing prom queen who stood in front of her, to get a good look at the rather hansom man who had been pushed onto the settee opposite the desk. Taking note of the shell shocked countenance on Alex, who was sitting about a half-bubble off plum, she couldn’t help asking, “Was your stay,,, enjoyable,” with a grin.

“Seriously,” Isabel answered cheerfully as she dug out their platinum card. “It was a very lucrative weekend.”

Austiñe couldn’t help taking another glance at Alex. “I think your boyfriend,,,”

Isabel held up her hand, wiggling her fingers and showing off her ring.

“Fiancée,” Austiñe corrected. “I think he’s drooling.”

Isabel chuckled quietly as she signed the credit slip. “Yea, he’s been known to do that.”

“He’s so adorable. It looks like he’s worshiping you, how can you resist him?”

“I can’t,” Isabel replied softly as she turned to look at him, running her floating heart back and forth on it’s chain. Her glow ratcheted up another notch as she got a good look at his face, but as she watched, he began to slump over to the side. “Sweetie!” she exclaimed as she ran over to the couch, catching him by the upper arm and pushing him upright. She used the side of the thumb to wipe a drop of moisture from the corner of his mouth, all the while basking in his adoring stare. “What am I going to do with you,” she muttered under her breath. “Maybe it’ll help when I get some breakfast into you, or maybe I’ll have to stash you in the eraser room so you can take a nap,,,”

“Eraser room?” Alex answered vacantly. “More?”

“More?” Isabel gasped. “You want more?”

Alex couldn’t muster the mental acuity to form a reply. Instead he continued to grin like the cat-that-ate-the-canary and nodded in the affirmative.

“Okay Sweetie,” Isabel replied indulgently. “We’ll make some excuses later this week and you’ll get some more.”

“Goodie,” Alex said cheerfully while being led by the upper arm over to the desk so Isabel could grab her bag with her free hand, but as Alex continued to mutter her praises in a child’s voice she was struck with a horrible insight. ‘Holy fracking shit,’ she thought to herself. ‘Mom’s right. If I’m not careful I am going to kill him.’

**********
During the summer Alex, Liz, and Isabel had arranged to take several classes together, allowing them to form a study group that cut their work load all the while increasing their chance of acing the classes. But one of the side effects of this coordinated schedule was that much of the rest of their day lined up as well, such as gym class. Alex was absent, as this was one of the times he usually spent at Eastern, but Maria and Ava were there as well.

The group of girls left the locker room, teasing Liz every step of the way, but as they crossed out into the gym they were surprised to find that the large folding door between the girls side and the boys side open. “Don’t tell me we’re doing square dancing again,” Maria complained.

“Square dancing?” Ava asked in confusion. “What’s that, like, disco for cornballs?”

“Last time we did that Martinelli groped me three times,” Maria bitched.

“Is that the Sheriff?” Liz commented unnoticed. “Deputy Blackwood, and the new guy who replaced Hanson,,,”

“And he’s still alive?” Ava replied in disbelief.

“Hey, he does have his uses. Do you have any idea how worked up Michael gets when he thinks I’m giving it up to someone else?”

“Ladies,” Jim said in greeting as he touched the brim of his hat. He then turned to face the entire combined class. “I’m sure you all remember what happened the night of the Turkey Day game. I regret to say that the perpetrators of Miss Troy’s attack have yet to be apprehended. In the mean time, Myself and the Deputies are going to review some policies and procedures that can be utilized to insure your safety.

“Men, I don’t want any of you going all Neanderthal when you are out on a date, but I do expect you to do your part to help keep these young ladies safe. I would hope that every one of you would treat any woman you’re near the same way you would treat your mother or your little sister,,,”

From the back of a group of jocks a voice trickled out. “If Isabel Evans were my sister I’d treat her all right,,,”

Jim ignored the comment, but Deputy Blackwood didn’t. He made his way to the back of the pack where he watched the jocks with his arms crossed and a scowlful look on his face.

“Ladies, I’m not going to even try to say that I know what it’s like to be attacked.” He took his hat off and ran his hand through his hair, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “Trust your instincts. Don’t get into a situation that you may not be able to get yourself out of. If you do find yourself in a situation; again, trust your instincts. In the unlikely event you have three choices. Flight, fight then flight, or submit. Now there is no way for me, for anyone to stand here and try to tell you what the right response will be, but with these,,, guys, it seems that submission isn’t enough. They are angry,,, and they take that anger out,,, Get away! If you can’t, fight. Fight until you get an opening, then get away.

“To do that, we’re going to show you a couple of moves that may help get you out of trouble. Now these are not meant in any way to be used to fight an attacker. Just get loose and then get away. Miss Evans, could you help us please?”

Isabel made her way to the front of the group. “Any volunteers?”

“You fracking kidding me?” Patrick Briscoe taunted. “You’re as big as I am, and I’ve seen you fight.”

Jim looked out over the assemblage. “I never thought I’d see the day where a room full of jocks would be afraid to put their hand on a pretty girl. Martinelli?”

“Lo siento, Jefe. No hablo Inglés,” (Sorry Boss. I don’t speak English.)

“What’s with Martinelli?” Ava hissed. “He’s the biggest p-vert in the school. I figured he’d trip all over himself to get his hands on a girl, especially Isabel,,,”

“Anyone but Isabel,” Maria replied softly. “Freshman year Isabel went on a date with him,,, I guess she was feeling generous. Anyway, the next day, Martinelli-skum told everyone he met that he got to first base with Isabel. At lunch time Isabel dragged him to the middle of the Quad and slapped his face. Then she kept slapping him until he admitted that he didn’t get so much as a kiss on the cheek from her. But that wasn’t enough for Isabel, who at the time had her own reputation to establish, so she kept slapping him until he also confessed that he had never got to first base with anyone, and in fact had yet go be kissed,,,”

Miss DeLuca,,,” Jim commanded. Then getting everyone’s attention he continued, “Deputy Miller? Isabel, do you mind?” he added softly.

“My pleasure,,,”

“No problem Sheriff,,,”

The deputy, who was dressed for this endeavor in a state police academy sweat suit, stopped in front of Isabel. Unfortunately for him, as the replacement for the banished deputy Hanson, they had never met and he did not know what he was getting himself in for. “I’ll take it easy on you, Missy,” he promised.

“Sheese,” Isabel sighed as she turned and started to walk away from him.

Deputy Miller ran up behind Isabel and grabbed her by the shoulder and started to spin her towards him.

Faster than the blink of an eye, Isabel put Deputy Miller down. She put him down hard. And he stayed down.

“Fracking-aye,” Jim muttered unheard over the murmuring of the attending classes. “Where’d you learn that?”

“Jesse taught me,” Isabel said offhandedly as she offered her hand to the deputy.

“Jesse?” Deputy Miller groaned. “You mean there’s another one like you out there?”

“Her future brother-in-law is a Marine,,,” Jim explained.

“He taught me that move after I pinned him,,,”

“You pinned a Marine? What does he do? Is he a supply weenie?”

“No, he’s combat arms,,,”

It took Jim a minute or two to get the group under control, but for some strange reason, after Isabel’s little demonstration, no one would go near her.

“Amber Wallen!” the girl’s coach shouted. “Come up here.”

“Josh Martinez,” Coach Clay rebutted.

“Josh doesn’t stand a chance,” Martinelli quipped in a sotto voice. “She’s been trying to get her hands on him for years,,,”

“You’re next,” Owen whispered in his ear.

Jim led the teens though several moves, illustrating to the class how Amber could get away from an attacker.

“Sheriff, this is all well and good for Isabel, and even Amber,” one of the girls stated. “Isabel is a lumberjack,,,” a characterization that got a laugh from the assembly, “And Amber play’s field hockey. She’s used to playing rough. How about the rest of us?”

Meanwhile Owen was leading Martinelli to the front of the group.

“These tactics can be used by anyone,” Jim answered, a statement that was met with different levels of acceptance, but before he could elaborate Liz made her way to the front of the group. No one other than Maria and Isabel may have known it, but as Alex had taught Isabel to defend herself, he had taught his girlfriends as well.

“Hey Martinelli! If you can catch her, you can have her,,,” Richard Jason called out, only to have his comment end with a loud “Oufff,,,”

“Hey, enough of that,” Jim shouted.

“Sorry Dad, my elbow slipped,” Kyle quipped.

“You ready for this?” Liz challenged.

“Sure,” Martinelli replied, grabbing Liz by the wrist.

Liz stepped in close to Martinelli, breaking his hold and knocking him off balance. Before he could recover, she put him down.

“Did everyone see that?” Jim asked as he took Liz by the shoulder and turned her to face the group.

“How’d you do that?” Vicky said in amazement. “He’s a head taller than you,,,”

“It’s something Alex showed me,” Liz admitted cheerfully, but her explanation was cut off as Martinelli reached around her side and grabbed a hold of Liz’s right breast, squeezing it painfully.

“No!” Liz shouted as she turned to face her attacker, her arm rising instinctively. As her hand came up opposite his chest, a bolt of blue lightning shot out of her hand, striking him in the chest and knocking him backward twenty feet. (six meters)

“Oh Frack!,,” Liz exclaimed in surprise.

“NO BODY MOVE!!!” Ava shouted as she closed her eyes in concentration. “I got it, OKAY!!! Everyone who doesn’t know better is under a mind warp,” she added taking a moment to think. “Martinelli groped Liz and she hit him. He staggered back a couple of steps before he fell,,,”

Liz started to protest, but was cut off again by Ava.

“SHUT UP!!! I got to drop this warp before someone walks in here, got it?”

The members of the ‘I know an alien club’ quickly agreed, allowing Ava to drop the warp.

“You little fracking bastard,” Isabel exclaimed as she plowed her way to the front of the group, and seeing Owen already headed for Martinelli, she went to Liz instead. Taking her charge by the arm, she turned to Jim. “Do you need her for anything, Sheriff?”

“Truthfully no,” he answered. “Why don’t you take her and get her a glass of water.”

“Just a moment,” Liz interjected, shaking off Isabel’s hand and approaching Martinelli, who was having his hands cuffed behind his back by the deputy. Stopping in front of him she looked him in the eye.

“Is there something you want to say to him before I toss him in jail and throw away the key?” Owen asked solicitously while nodding his head to Deputy Miller, indicating that he wanted him to go out front and bring his cruiser to the gym door..

“Yea,” Liz replied as she kneed Martinelli in the balls. “That’s all.” Moments later she was back at Isabel’s side.

“This isn’t over,” Isabel added, a comment Martinelli didn’t hear as he was on the floor, puking up his breakfast.

As the two girls headed for the door, the crowd didn’t stop it’s comments and cat calls, but they did make way for them to proceed unimpeded. Meanwhile Owen hoisted his prisoner upright and then half carried, half dragged him towards the door. “Where’s he taking him?”

“He’s going to jail,” Jim replied patiently.

This caused a ripple of discontent to spread through the crowd. “In case you weren’t paying attention,” he continued, “You just witnesses an assault,,,”

“All he did was grope her,,,”

“It was an unprivileged touch, and that’s an assault,,,”

“But Liz volunteered,,,”

“Not to be assaulted, she didn’t,” Jim answered forcefully.

“What’s going to happen to him?,,”

“He’s going to spend the night in jail,,,”

“But Liz didn’t say anything!,, She didn’t ask you to arrest him,,,”

Jim took his hat off and ran his hand through his hair, allowing the group to reach a slow boil. Many of the guys were dismayed that one of their own had been hauled off, while many of the girls voiced the opinion that Liz should have continued kicking him while he was down.

“Okay, LISTEN UP!” Jim shouted. This got the group’s attention. “Okay, we’re going to have a quick lesson in domestic violence 101,,,”

“We’re not at home Sheriff,” one of the girls questioned. “How does domestic violence come into this?”

“Good question. When a lot of people think of domestic violence, they think of a husband getting all hopped up on a Friday night and putting his wife in the hospital. While that is a classic example of domestic violence, it is by no means the most common scenario. Domestic violence is not a specific offense, but rather a very broad group of crimes against persons.

“For a long time domestic violence has been thought of as something that happens to other people. ‘It happens in ‘those’ neighborhoods, or to ‘those’ people. It was something that happened to strangers, but during the last decade or two, we have become aware that a frightening amount of violence happens between people who know each other.

“Domestic violence is a crime against a person by a person who is known to them. That means between a husband and wife, a parent and child, a boyfriend and girlfriend, a couple out on a date, or between two teenagers who barely know each other at school.

“Everyone has the God given right to be able to go about their daily activities without having to look over their shoulder all the time,” Jim exclaimed, looking out over the group, who were much more sedate than they were just a moment ago.

“Physical contact with another person without their consent is a battery. Now there is a common sense allowance for normal social contact such as a pat on the back, but even then, if the recipient makes it known that such contact is unwelcome, further contact would be a battery.”

“Sheriff, I thought that was an assault?” one of the girls asked.

“An assault involves menacing conduct or a threat of violence caused by a show of force. Now that show of force need not be any more than shouting or invading a persons personal space. So an assault and battery is following through on that threat,,,”

“There goes the traditional after dinner blow job,” someone from the middle of the group of guys moaned.

“The traditional after dinner blow job, if as a result of intimidation, will get you free room and board in my jail where Deputy Blackwood would be happy to show you the error of your ways,” Jim responded sternly.

“If she rats,,,” one of the girls added.

“Let me explain something. New Mexico has a mandatory arrest policy, which means that if a peace officer has a reasonable presumption that a crime has been perpetrated,,,”

“English Dad,” Kyle called out.

“If she has a mark he goes to jail. If he has a mark, she goes to jail. If both have a mark, both go to jail. Martinelli assaulted Liz, Martinelli goes to jail,,,”

“What if Liz doesn’t want him arrested?”

“Doesn’t matter what she wants,” Jim replied honestly. “The main reason for the State’s mandatory arrest policy is that too many domestic violence victims are reluctant to testify against the possible breadwinner of the house, so they no longer have to. Myself and the Deputies will testify, and as to jail, that’s up to Judge Lewis.”

“That’s the same Judge Lewis that has four daughters, right Dad?”

“One of whom got knocked up Prom night two years ago?” Maria added.

“One and the same,” Jim answered. “Susan, what’s a good lawyer cost now-a-days?”

Thumper looked a little shocked to be called on, but she didn’t hesitate to answer, “Every penny of my college fund is gone, and my parents had to take out a second mortgage on our house. I don’t know how much that amounts to, but we’re going to be paying for it for years to come.”

“And that’s not counting the fact that he could be branded as a sex offender,,,”

“You got to be kidding,” Steve Lydick groaned.

“You don’t think that was a sexual assault? Honestly I think it could go either way, depending on how contrite Martinelli becomes and what mood the county attorney is in, but there’s a good chance Martinelli will spend the rest of his life registering as a sexual predator wherever he lives.” Jim knew that the odds of that happening in this case were pretty slim, but it could happen, and he wanted the shock value of that thought to stick with these kids.

Coach Clay caught the Sheriffs attention before pointing to his watch.

“Okay, I think that’s enough for today, but I’ll stay behind if anyone has any questions.”

“You heard the man, if anyone has anything he or she wants to say, I’ll bring the Sheriff out to Miss Leigh’s office. Now hit the showers!”

**********
At lunch time, Isabel made her way through the Quad with a critical eye taking the pulse of her domain and despite the many accolades from her admiring public, she did not like what she was seeing. The yard lacked the excitement that should have been present this close to a dance, but instead she observed upset girls and indifferent guys. Moments later she found what she was looking for, Vanessa sitting alone at a table on the fringe of the Quad, looking as if she had just found a scratch on her car.

“Come with me,” Isabel commanded. “We need to talk.”

“Hugh?” Vanessa mumbled, clearly caught unaware.

Isabel reached down and took her friend by the arm, practically dragging her inside. As they approached the girl’s room Isabel noticed another girl who was walking through the corridor. The auburn haired sophomore kept her head down and moved to the far side of the hallway, making way for her betters. Isabel was having none of this. “You! Come here!” she commanded.

“Me?” the girl stammered, having heard stories about the Ice Princess since she had entered junior high. “I’m nobody,,, I don’t use the Seniors girl’s room, honest! I’ve never been in there, in fact I don’t go in any of the girl’s rooms. I wait until I get home.”

“Stand here! Guard this door! No one comes in, understand?”

The hapless wide-eyed student looked up at her idol and nodded spastically.

“You, come with me,” Isabel snapped, grabbing Vanessa’s arm again and practically pulling it from it’s socket.

“For frack’s sake Isabel, take a chill pill or something,” Vanessa moaned as she was dragged through the door and pushed back until her ass hit a sink edge.

Hearing a stall open, Isabel braced, adding another intimidating inch to her height as she slowly turned to face the interloper. The new girl stopped in front of the sink, but seeing the look on Isabel’s face, her hand slowed as she reached for the faucet.

“If you value your life,” Isabel belched through clenched teeth, “Be somewhere else!” Isabel’s voice was the perfect solution for the girl’s hesitation, and suddenly cured, she ran from the room.

Now alone, Isabel turned her attention towards Vanessa, who despite four years on the top of the food chain, was nevertheless nervous about the coming interrogation.

“What the frack is going on?” Isabel demanded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Vanessa responded as her left brow arched.

“Don’t you dare raise your brow at me, I taught you the irritated brow,,,”

“There’s a lot going on,” Vanessa replied haughtily.

“I’ll make it easy for you then,” Isabel replied, softening her voice. “What’s going on with Frisay night’s dance? Usually you’re walking on air the week before my dance,,,”

“Your dance?”

“My dance. I’ve been working on it since the day after last Christmas. Friday night’s the Snowflake Ball, Saturday’s the Holiday Bazaar, Sunday’s the Christmas Pageant,,,”

“I’m not going to the dance,,,”

“What?”

“None of us are,,,”

Isabel staggered as if struck.

“Martinelli’s parents are going to be gone for the weekend. He’s having a party, two kegs, and all the guys would rather ‘chill’ and drink than take us to the dance,,,”

“So, go with someone else,,,”

“Who? Everyone worth going with is bailing; besides, how pathetic would I be if I accepted a new date this late,,,”

“How many of you?”

“Everyone that counts. Elana, Stacy, Lucinda. Vicky’s going, but that’s only because Steve likes getting laid regularly and she threatened to cut him off, but Tish isn’t going, she’s into her whole virgin-again thing. The rest of us, no dates,,,”

“Oh you’ll have dates, I guarantee, and you’ll have fun.” Seeing that Victoria was still skeptical, Isabel played her trump card. “Have you bought a new dress yet?”

“Of course.”

“Well that settles it. The Christmas Ball is the high point of the season. Your new dress will be out of date by the Spring Fling, seems to me like I’ll be doing you a favor,,,”

“Maybe,” Victoria said skeptically.

“Tell the rest of the girls to meet me in the music room during lunch tomorrow,,,”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet, but have I ever let you down?”

**********
Meanwhile Alex was in that same music room, hanging with Lester who had a new toy to show off. “It holds two hundred CD’s,” Lester stated proudly. “My uncle heard about them from one of his DJ friends, and then I found this one on Ebay.”

Alex took a close look at the drive, which was about the size of a computer CPU case if laid on it’s side. “It’s called a CD Library,” Alex explained. “You’re going to use this on Friday night?”

“Ahhmm,” Lester replied evasively.

“Let me guess, you’re having trouble with buffering,,,”

“No, it’s buffering fine. But we’re having trouble with big pauses between tracks,,,”

“That’s buffering,” Alex laughingly replied. “What’s happening is the CD’s are playing in real time. At the end of the track you have to wait for the disk to unload from the drive, the carousel to rotate to the next disk, and then the new CD to load,,,”

“Bummer, my uncle and I were hoping that we could use this for his business, but there is no way we can live with these pauses,,,”

“That’s where a buffer comes in,,,”

“So I have to buy a buffer?”

“Not really,” Alex replied as he opened his laptop, the older Aries laptop as he had insisted that Isabel keep the new Tecra. “I’ll make one,,,”

“Out of a laptop?” Lester said skeptically.

“A laptop, some software, and a couple of cables,” Alex replied as he connected everything together. “With the laptop working as a buffer, the library will download the track into the laptop’s hard drive at high speed. Then as the laptop sends the track to the amplifier in real time, the library indexes to the next track and sends that one to the hard drive as well.”

“And your laptop can do all that?”

“Not yet,,,”

“Then what good will it do me?”

“Well, as of right now I can buffer the tracks and play them with my usual playback software, but in order to do the whole job, I’ll have to write a program that will interface with the library and send it the commands for what tracks to download.”

“You can do this by Friday?”

“I won’t have a finished polished program by Friday, but I can have a working copy ready,,,”

“On this?”

“Sure, neither the database application for the disk management module nor the music player module require much horsepower. The greatest need is hard drive space, and to be honest that’s only a matter of how much time you want to buffer.”

“You know, if you could do this, you’d probably be able to sell it.”

“Yea, I’ve already written a number of utility programs, and I’ve been thinking of setting up an Aries web site and posting them. Selling them as shareware.”

“So how would it work?”

“You would use the laptop to generate a play list, and then the library would download the tracks into the laptop’s hard drive. You would then allow them to play automatically, or you could pause the playback between tracks to make your announcements and stuff.”

“You’ll do that for me?”

“Tell you what I’m going to do. “I’m going to set you up with a beta program that will be ready for Friday, then in a week or two I’ll finish the program, install it on this laptop, and give it to you.”

“You don’t need this anymore?”

“Actually I do, at least for the time being, but I want to replace it with a newer model, compatible with the one I just got for Isabel, that way they’ll be easier to maintain.”

“And what are you going to want from me?”

“Actually, quite a lot. You and your uncle are going to do my wedding.”

“Kewl, one afternoon’s work and we get a laptop?”

“Don’t count your bytes before they hatch,” Alex quipped. “I have a feeling Izzy’s going to be quite particular about her reception,,,”

“Oh, yea,” Lester moaned. “Frack me.”

**********
“Hey Mom,” Alex said cheerfully as he kissed Gloria on the cheek while Isabel leaned back against the counter. “We just stopped by so I could change the (back-up) tapes in the server before we head over to Izzy’s for dinner. Then we’re swinging by Casa Maria (the orphanage) to drop off another car load of gifts.”

“Do you want to try to give me one good reason why you stayed in Alamogordo for an extra night?” Gloria challenged.

“Is that a problem?” Alex said offhandedly as he crossed into the hallway. “Because if it is, I’ll have Izzy start packing and we’ll be out of here within the hour,” he continued with a voice absent of malice.

“No,” Gloria said softly. “Just curious.”

“Seemed like a good idea at the time. We didn’t get out of the meeting until late, and I wanted to make sure Isabel got a good meal and a good night’s sleep before we drove back.”

As Alex bounded up the stairs, Gloria turned to Isabel, a stunned look on her face.

“Does he realize what he just said?” Isabel stammered, just as shocked.

“He may not realize exactly what he said, but he’s very secure with his sentiment. He’s made his choice.”

“I,,, I,,,” Isabel stuttered, desperately trying to balance her elation with Alex’s loyalty to her with her need not to hurt this woman who she had come to love.

“Don’t worry,” Gloria said reassuringly as she stepped closer to Isabel and placed a calming hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “It had to happen, and considering the fact that you two are,,, married,,,” Gloria took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. “The book of Genesis tells us that there comes a time when a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. Alex thinks that this will happen sometimes next June as a result of some ceremony, but we both know it’s already happened. I don’t know when you realized it, but I saw it in his eyes when Rachel was here with the children. I watched him for a moment while he was holding Sam and you were playing with Sarah. The look in his eyes while he watched you spoke volumes. He committed himself to you and your future little ones that day,,,”

“They were interrupted by the sound of Alex clumping down the stairs. “All set,” he said cheerfully, unaware of the atmosphere in the room. He again kissed his mom’s cheek, “We’ll be home after school tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Gloria answered, all signs of the seriousness of her recent conversation gone. “You take good care of Isabel,” she admonished. “I don’t think I’d be able to find another girl who would have you.”

“I know,” Ales quipped as he took his wife’s hand and led her towards the door. “Besides Pops wouldn’t let me back in the house if anything happened to her.”

“Take good care of my baby,” Gloria then whispered so softly that Isabel’s enhanced hearing could still only barely hear.

Isabel slipped her hand from his and ran back to her, hugging her warmly. “I promise. I’ll take care of him with everything I have.”

**********
Diane came back to her room and draped her robe over her cedar chest before slipping quietly back into bed.

“Is she okay?” Phillip asked, his voice a mixture of concern and fatigue.

“She’s fine,” Diane said reassuringly. “Besides, she’s got Alex with her now. By the way, I let then go under their covers, but the light on and door open rules still apply.”

“I bet that’s why she did it,,,”

Diane, not believing what she had just heard, rolled over to face her husband, giving him one hell of an elbow in his side in the process. “I don’t believe you just said that. Did you hear her?”

“Yea,” Phillip admitted. “I hate it when that happens to her, especially since I can’t help her anymore.”

“She’s got Alex now.”

“What set her off this time?” Phillip asked carefully. Not being able to understand her mumbled reply, he asked again.

“She dreamed that Santa Claus showed up drunk to the pageant and knocked over the Christmas tree.”

“All that screaming was about the pageant?” Phillip chortled.

“Be nice Phillip,” Diane warned.

“You know, I love Isabel more than I love life itself, but you have to admit that our daughter was hatched with a silver stick up her ass,,,” Feeling his wife tense besides him, Phillip realized his mistake a moment too late.

“Harrumph,” Diane muttered as she rolled over to her side of the bed, presenting her back to her husband and dragging the covers with her.

“Honey?,,” Phillip pleaded, but getting no reply he only had one more thing to say. “Crap.”

**********
Jim Cavanah strode into Spaced Out Liquors as if he owned the place. He walked past the counter and stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. “Afternoon Doug.”

“Hey Coach,” the proprietor replied, using the same title he had used since their days together ten years ago at West.

“The boys are having a party Friday night, they’ll be by for some refreshments,” he said as he peeled off a couple of bills and dropped them on the cluttered desk.

“You don’t have to do this,” Doug said cheerfully. “We do take plastic,,,”

“Yea, as if I’d leave a paper trail. Besides, this isn’t mine. Another alumn is picking up the tab.”

“Okay then coach, I’ll have them ready.”

“And this time, make sure they’re cold.”

**********
Isabel looked around the music room, not believing what was happening to her. Despite more than ten minutes of her best persuasion, she still didn’t have the core group of the popular girls interested in her dance. Many of the less popular girls were happy to accept her help, and were quickly dismissed by the master planner who now turned her attention towards her more reluctant contemporaries. “Do you have any idea what a bunch of drunken jocks are going to do to whoever shows up at this so-called party?,,”

“They’ll pull a train,” Vicky interjected, supporting her friend.

“A train?” one of the more naive girls queried.

“It’s a gang rape,,,”

“It’s not a train if you’re okay with it,,,”

“Why would you be okay with that!,,” Isabel exclaimed incredulously as she shook her head while turning away in disgust, but deciding to fight back, she got right in the girls personnel space. “Lets say there’s twelve guys and only four girls. That’s four guys! Plus seconds! How,,, How,,, How can you have any respect for yourself if you’d spread your legs for any hard dick,,,”

“That’s where the boys are,” Vanessa replied in a soto voice.

“Bullshit!,, Bullshit!!!” Isabel snapped so violently her hair flew over her shoulder. “There are a lot of boys, good boys who would love to take any one of you to the dance,,,”

“’B-listers, Lucinda moaned.

“So they’re not jocks, or stuck up on themselves. They’re good guys, I should know, I’ve dated most of them,,,”

“They’re,,,” Vanessa complained.

Isabel had heard enough of Vanessa’s crap. If she wanted to spend Friday night putting out for the entire team, that was her business. Instead she turned her attention to the rest of the group. “Do you remember what it was like to have your date pick you up at the door instead of parking in front of your house and blowing the horn,,,”

“Or saying he’ll hook up with you at the party,” Vicky interjected helpfully.

“See!” Isabel insisted. “You still remember what it’s like to be treated right.”

“Everyone worth dating is going to be at Martinelli’s party,,,”

“If he gets out of jail in time,,,” Isabel rebutted.

“If his parents still go out of town,,,” Vicky added.

“There’s going to be a party,” Isabel insisted. “Those jocks will find a place to go no matter what, but none of you are going to be there,,,”

“Not me,” Stacey decided. “I’d rather stay home than go stag,,,”

“You and your date will be at my dance!” Isabel replied as if there were no other possibility. “Any questions?”

**********
The Friday before Christmas was a beautiful day in Roswell, neither to warm nor to cool, and the half-day of school allowed a number of people to scurry about making last-minute preparations for the holiday weekend. Despite the fact that Jim was twice Isabel's age, a father figure to the group, and of public safety professional, he was not immune from her fanatical lists. Luckily, at dusk, he received a call from Deputy Blackwood. He returned several pages of single-spaced type-written instructions to Isabel with an apology and an explanation that official business required him to be elsewhere. Moments later he met several other lawmen before heading out on a mission.

“Evening Sheriff,” the proprietor of Spaced Out Liquors said warmly as the group entered his store.

“Step away from the counter Doug,” the Sheriff commanded curtly.

“What’s wrong Sheriff,” he asked in confusion as Deputy Blackwood took the man by the upper arm and moved him out to the main aisle of the store.

“Do you have anything in your pockets that will hurt me?” Owen asked suspiciously, for despite the fact that he was wearing Gall’s Kevlar lined Frisk-Em leather gloves, their effectiveness was less than absolute against needles. (AN: Best gloves ever made. Thin, warm, and you can still work effectively while wearing them.)

“Am I under arrest?” Doug asked fearfully.

“Not yet,” Owen sneered as he patted the man down and checked his pockets.

“This is Deputy Phil Copp of the State’s Alcohol and Gaming Division. We’re conducting an investigation into the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors,,,”

“No Problemo, then,” Doug quipped despite the fact that sweat began to pop out of his forehead. “I never sell to minors.”

“Then we have a problem,” Deputy Copp stated flatly. “We recovered a keg of beer from the back of a pickup truck driven by a student athlete from West Roswell High School earlier this evening, and the bar coded serial number on that keg indicates that it came from this establishment,,,”

“Bar code?” Doug muttered as a sickening feeling swept over him.

“Yes, bar code. About a year ago we approached the state’s beer distributors and ‘asked’ them for assistance in fighting a growing problem with teenaged drinking. We ‘explained’ to them that it would be unfortunate if a rouge retailer selling their product illegally put their license at risk.”

“Now imagine the co-operation we got,” Jim concluded sarcastically.

“Your license to sell liquors and spirits is hereby placed under administrative suspension pending a hearing by the Director,,,”

“You can’t do that,” Doug snapped. “I know the rules. I get a fine and a several day suspension, but only after a hearing,,,”

“Unless we have a court order,” Jim rebutted as he slapped Doug in the chest with a folded sheet of paper. “Oh look at that, we do, signed by Judge Lewis himself, ordering your establishment closed until your hearing date,,,”

“Why the frack did he do that?” Doug whined as he put his hands on his head.

“Well the Judge seems to think that the jocks in Roswell,,,”

“Not just Roswell,” the liquor cop added helpfully, “A lot of jocks in the surrounding school districts are driving a considerable distance to patronize such an accommodating establishment,,,”

“Are getting out of control,,,”

“You seem to have developed quite a reputation,,,”

“Couple that with the fact that this is your third offense in less than two years,,,”

“He insisted on issuing a court order,,,”

“Said it was his civic duty.”

“Doug turned away from the tag team of senior lawmen before looking over at the scrawling deputy. “And you don’t have anything to add?”

“You got bigger problems that me,” Deputy Blackwood replied as his eyes bored into the lesser man. “When I called the distributors to track down the keg, they were pretty pissed off, having to go back to work to look up the barcode on the weekend before Christmas and all. As a matter of fact they’re so pissed they’re going to be here first think Monday morning to pull all your stock. You’re going to be a liquor store without any liquor.”

**********
Meanwhile, Isabel marched from one side to the other of the commandeered Crashdown break room, inspecting her troops. “Those of you who have been given wardrobe scores of eight-point-five or less will, upon your dismissal, proceed directly home and make the indicated changes to your clothing.

“Now while most of you have complied with the instructions I gave you for tonight’s dates, several of you have turned in deficient plans.” She stopped in front of Jerry Cifarelli. “You have violated the first rule of dating. ‘Never arrive empty handed.’ I know for a fact that your parents taught you better than that, when you came to pick me up for our her first date you had a bouquet of flowers for me and a gift from my mother,,,”

“Fat load of good it did me, you dumped me,,,”

“I didn't dump you Jerry, because there was nothing too dump. In fact circumstances were quite the opposite. I graced you with a second and third date precisely because of the fact that you made a good impression on Mom.”

Jerry shuffled his feet a little bit of embarrassment. “We don’t have a computer at home, so I was unable to print an updated antennary as you demanded, but I did stop on the way over here to pick up a box of chocolate for Kerian and a single rose for her mother.”

Isabel simply nodded in acknowledgement before moving on to her next project, Rick Surmacz. “Do you still have a transportation problem?"

“If by that you mean my father still says it will be a cold the in hell before I ever get the car again, then the answer is yes, I still have a transportation problem."

“Don't worry about that. Stewart Highsinger will pick you and your date up,,,”

“Hey,” Stewart complained. “I don't wanna pick anybody up,,,”

Isabel turned and charged Stewart, stopping just inches in front of his face with her fists on her hips, “Are you trying to give me a hard time?”

“No,,,”

“I have set you up with the best date of your life, and you're not going to cooperate?,,”

“No, ahhmm,,, yes, ahhmm,,, I’m,,,”

“Good, you will pick up Rick at five minutes after seven and you will pick up Suzie's Scotto twelve minutes later.” She then turned back to Rick, “And it goes without saying that despite the fact Stewart is driving you, it is still necessary for you to pick up Suzie at the door, complete the gifting ritual which I have provided with you on page four of tonight's dating guide, escort her back that Stewart’s car, and open the door for her.”

Isabel took a step back and looked at her charges. Despite her better judgment she felt that this was the best she would be able to do with the limited resources and the incredibly short amount of time that she had been given. “Are there any more questions?”

“Do I really have to wear a tie?” Sean Wentworth whined.

Isabel gasped in disbelief. “What you guys fail to understand is that my Snowflake Ball and the subsequent Spring Fling are dress rehearsals for Prom. If you take my instructions her heart, and endeavor to perform just slightly above mediocre by my standards, you will shine in the eyes of the rest of the female population of our school. This will ensure that you have a choice of dates for Prom, and I might add that those choices will all be within the top half of the desirable girls.

“Now if you wanna spend Prom night at home watching Braveheart and eating microwave popcorn, skip the necktie. On the other hand, if you want you dating prospects to take it decided turn for the better you will read my dating guidelines. You will follow my dating guidelines. You will take my dating guidelines to heart. You will make my dating guidelines part of your life.

“Are there any more questions,,, Good,” Isabel concluded before anyone could object. “Those of you that have been deemed to the wardrobe suitable may go well to the front of the restaurant and enjoy a repast that Alex and I are providing for you,,,”

Good, I really need a Galaxy Melt,” Juan López said happily.

“No galaxy melt for you,” Isabel said sternly. “You actually think I would have gone through all of this work just so that you could show up for you date with a ketchup stain on your jacket? Your snack will consist of a plain cheeseburger and fries with no ketchup. Salt and pepper will be allowed as long it is used in moderation.”

“Stewart, a moment if you please,” Isabel said to the back of the retreating group. Once the door was closed she continued in a softer tone of voice. “You do realize that you with the only guy in the group that is guaranteed a goodnight kiss tonight?”

Stewart's brows shot up an appreciation, “Really?”

“Yes, Lucinda Baker kisses all of her dates good night. Of course that means less than one hour later your kiss will be graded and the results posted on her web site. Once that becomes public you will become either a chooser or a loser, so give it your best shot.” Isabel then stepped around the shell shocked senior and proceeded out to monitor her charges, certain that somebody would try to make a mess of their outfit and she could not allow that to happen. She had a reputation to maintain.

TBC

[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

[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

[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?”

“Sĩ, 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

[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