CHAPTER 20 Wednesday, November 2, 1994 Bye-bye By Risha Jorgensen I sighed as I packed up my clothes. It was time to go back to school, to go back to the real world. It had been fun, but there was nothing left for me to do in New York, and I needed to catch up with my schoolwork, or I would be facing some _real_ danger in the shape of my parents. Not that the schoolwork that could be done away from Alfred hadn't kept me busy, if not completely out of the action. Of course, I was returning with a KILLER wardrobe, and some great memories. Into the Sunrise By Perri Smith Perri leaned her head against the window of the plane, staring out over the runway at LaGuardia. Most of the other Knighties had boarded their planes as well. There had been some tearful good-bye's, a lot of hugs and several promises to meet at DOW II. Had it only been a few days since she got on the first plane, heading for Toronto? So much had happened. Vampires, Ravenettes, revenge, spies, new friends, new enemies, Nick, Dawn, LaCroix.... She slipped her hand into her pocket and drew out a folded sheet of paper. Dawn had slipped it to her before leaving to meet the Die-Hards, as protection from LaCroix. Perri stared at it, the secret to LaCroix's underwear, thoughtfully, and started to open it -- then changed her mind, and tucked it carefully into her Net notebook. *Just in case* she thought. *You never know....* She sighed heavily, starting to doze off. It had been a good war, over all. The Knighties were a great bunch, the Die- Hards were a kick (even the stoned one) and Nick had been worth the trouble. She grinned at the thought of LJC -- Lynn would be happy to hear his sister and his Mom were at peace (although there would be a reckoning for those tapes.) Abby would be happy to not have to guard Perri's apartment anymore. Perri would be happy to get her list subscriptions back. All in all, a good war. Perri blinked as the plane began moving and the sun came into view, shining into her eyes. Morning, at last.... She drifted off into sleep as the plane slowly rose into the air and headed for Los Angeles. There's No Place Like Home...If We Can Get There By Amy Hull, Jennie Hayes, and Valerie Meachum "Well, I guess this is about it," Jennie said, looking wistfully at the outside of the door to the Jeckyl and Hyde. "Yeah," Amy agreed, equally morose. "It was like a con, and went by just as fast. Now I've got to get home and get grades turned in. Yuck." Valerie whistled suddenly, startling her two sleep- deprived companions. A cab pulled over and stopped. "Come on, guys, get in," Valerie urged as Jennie and Amy stared at her, too surprised at learning this latest talent of Valerie's to do the obvious. * * * "You know," Amy commented as she plastered her face to the window in an attempt to take in as much of New York as possible from the moving cab, "it's kind of a good thing that no one knows I was here. It would be *really* hard to have come to New York and have people ask, `What did you see in New York?' and be able to tell them just, `A pub.' I think that would go over even less well than `What did you see in ?' --'The hotel.' People never do understand that." "Oooh, look!" Jennie exclaimed, pointing wildly, "It's Central Park!" "Oh, we *have* to see Central Park while we're here," Valerie said. "That way we can at least claim to have seen the airport, the pub, and *Central Park*." She grinned and leaned forward to the driver, "Could you let us out here, please?" The cab pulled over and the girls paid the driver. He shook his head as they bundled out of the vehicle, still rustling taffeta and crinolines and lugging suitcases and canvas bags with them, then drove quickly away. The NatPackers looked around them with broad grins on their faces and started walking. "Hey, guys, think we could find the entrance to the Tunnels?" Jennie asked. "I don't know," Amy replied, beginning to scan the layout for an appropriate hill and drainage duct. Valerie began walking along one of the paths and the others instinctively followed, still looking around them. They were amazed at how populated the park was even at this hour of the morning. "Maybe we could even find the carousel," Jennie added. "I think that was from a different park," Amy said. "Really? I thought it was the same as the park with the entrance." "Maybe I'm wrong. I *thought* it was a different park, but it's been a long time since I've seen the B&B eps with the carousel, and I don't remember really well." "Um, maybe we should think about getting out of here," Valerie suggested. The others looked questioningly at her until she indicated the amount of vagrant attention they seemed to be attracting. They weren't exactly inconspicious. "I think we've used up our shock factor buffer time. And I'm getting cold; I am still just wearing one layer, you know." "Good point," Jennie agreed, gathering her skirts for the trek back to a road. Twenty-five minutes later, they were only a few blocks closer to the airport; there seemed to be no free cabs available. They had whistled, waved, yelled, and still watched every taxi for the past twenty minutes whizz by (as well as any car can whizz in New York traffic....). "Well, there's a subway station right up there," Amy pointed out cautiously. "Do you think we should risk it?" "I think we're getting past the point of having much choice," Valerie commented wryly. "We have a plane to catch and we have to get to the airport. But I think Jennie and I should put our fangs in. Maybe it will be a partial deterrent for some of the weirdos." They each dug their fangs from the bottoms of their voluminious purses, while Amy looked on somewhat enviously. The two secured the fangs and grinned, clearly revealing the sharp point. "I've *got* to get fangs," Amy commented. Soon they were seated on the relatively empty subway car headed for the airport and surrounded by their various bits of luggage. The current passengers in the car looked fairly innocuous, and Amy commented, "You know, somehow I can't get myself worked up to be scared of a New York subway after spending a couple of days surrounded by vampires....including LaCroix. This is scary but at the same time incredibly tame compared to LaCroix standing behind you with his hands on your shoulders." She shuddered at the memory. "I think at this point we're more frightening than most of the people around us," Valerie replied quietly. Jennie smiled broadly at the thought, then put her lips together as the older woman across the aisle gasped quietly and scooted closer to the wall. Forty-five minutes and two more forms of public transportation later, the three girls were at the airport and running full tilt for their gate. They arrived, thorougly out of breath, just in time to see the plane turn and begin to taxi away. "Oh, no, not again!" Amy said, already grinning at the irony of the situation and the mental image she had of how they must look to the airport personnel. "Well, what are we going to do now?" Jennie asked, dropping her bags by her feet. "Let's see if we can get our tickets transfered," Valerie said resignedly, heading for the counter. Two steps later she froze in her tracks. One hand came up slowly from her side and she pointed to a set of chairs near the window. Or, more precisely, to something next to the chairs--something bright fuschia that they had last seen as extra furniture for Knighties. "My suitcase is here," Valerie shook her head. "I expected it to turn up, but I didn't expect it to turn up *here*." "Did you ever find out who took it?" Jennie asked. "Well, one of the slightly more biochemically degraded Knighties commented to me later that night that she had been dumped off a bright colored suitcase by a girl with short dark hair and big glasses--" "Tara!" Amy exclaimed. "Yep. And I have plans for her. One last little thing I plan to take care of when I get home. It will even look quite official...." Valerie looked positively wicked for a moment. She picked up her suitcase and headed for the counter. It only took 10 minutes and $15 from each of them to transfer their tickets to a later flight. "That was lucky," Jennie commented as they sat down, "I expected to have to wait *much* longer than an hour and a half for another flight." "That was lucky," Valerie agreed. Amy sat frowning and staring blankly across the room. "Hello!" Jennie called, waving a hand in front of Amy's unresponsive eyes. "You're awfully quiet. What's up?" "Still thinking about what we were talking about at the pub," Amy shrugged. "And you need sleep, and you're going through a post-con crash," Jennie sympathised. "I think we're all crashing a bit," she yawned. "Want to go look for some more soda?" Several hours later, Jack was picking them up from the Columbus airport, shaking his head over their having missed the plane. They apologized, thanked him forcoming to get them, and fell into exhausted silence. At Valerie and Jack's apartment, they loaded Jennie's car, hugged, and Amy and Jennie headed for Indianapolis. Valerie went to bed. In Indy, Amy picked up her car from storage at the airport, and it seemed the war was truly over. * * * Several days later Amy was checking her e-mail, which was considerably lower volume than it had been during the war. One note frome Jennie, one from Valerie, a couple of digests, one from an unknown address....she punched "view" on the note from Jennie. > Hi, Amy! > > I thought you'd like to see this from the "Lois & Clark" list, so > I'm sending it along. :-) > Jennie > > >> November 3, 1994 >> >> >> Dear Ms. O'Shea: >> >> We at the _Lois & Clark_ production offices would like to thank >> you for your recent letter of support. We were especially pleased >> to see approval of our new action-over-character format, particularly >> from someone with your influence. We appreciate your agreement with >> our decision to relegate Deborah Joy Levine to the position of >> Consulting Producer; we feel that it was the best move for the >> show and are glad to see you feel the same. >> >> We were also gratified to read your wonderful complimentary >> words about our casting decision for the new Jimmy; there has >> been some opposition to the move, and it is nice to hear such >> positive feedback about it. >> >> Again, thank you for your glowing praise. We have taken the liberty >> of sending a copy of this letter to your marvellous e- mail list as >> a further expression of our appreciation. >> >> Sincerely, >> >> Lois & Clark Production Offices Amy stared at the screen for a long moment. Then she shook her head and smiled a slightly nervous smile. "That *will* be trouble," she breathed. A Parting Gift By L. Dawn Steele Nov.2, Afternoon Dawn had finally convinced Kathy that they could spend an extra day in New York. This did a bit of sightseeing after sleeping in till noon. In the afternoon however, Dawn also spent quite a bit of time trying to find the perfect gift. She ended up going into her personal "X-mas" savings, but doubted her hordes (see footnote 1) of brothers and sisters would notice. Finally after a lot of arguing and waffling, it was bought. The card was then scripted, signed, and wrapped up with the package. Dawn sent it priority mail, hoping in her heart that Canadian customs wouldn't hold it for weeks and weeks (see footnote 2). Early Evening Miklos had absently signed for the package. Still half asleep, he almost sent it along to Janette before realizing it was for him. He cautiously opened it (Wars breed paranoia don't you know?) and gently lifted out the mans' heavy necklace. It seemed to be made of thousands of tiny emerald and turquoise beads and would cover the area from just below the chin and fringe out to the collarbones. A card dropped out when he picked up the necklace. Miklos, Here's to hoping you'll take this gift in the intention it was offered. I'm truly sorry about the incident in the Jack the Ripper. To be worn while in the company of fractious humans, and potential vampire hunters. Not Janette. Dawn Miklos looked at the necklace more carefully. Entwined within the beads was a pattern of a cross. It didn't bother him of course, crosses didn't. In that he was luckier than most vampires. As a peace offering... It would do. Espescially since he he looked fantastic in green. (1) Try to define "hordes". A package of virtual chocolate- chip cookies to the first person who can. (Kathy and Tracy exempted). (2) I'm a Canadian Citizen. I'm allowed to complain. War: Its over By Linda Burkey Ah! So good to be home. Linda settled nug in bed under all the warm comforters with remote in hand. Secure in knowing the only pain-in-the- necks she now had to comfront- were the university students. The ones who had papers due and waited to long to get started. Life in the middle of Illinois. Winter was here at last, but she'd great every procrastinator with a smile and try to help. They all expected her to be the miracle librarian. Some cases would be hopeless, but others could be helped. She was glad to be home in time to play that practical joke on her friend for her 40th birthday Friday. Dead flowers...tombstone.... What to put on the tombstone..?...? Click...Click...Who said this was a male trait. I don't think so. I could scan each channel for hours without watching anything. Parting Thoughts By Ruth Dempsey "Till we meet again," you say. "Oh yes," I answer. "We meet again." But I am not telling everything So much has faded From my time `twixed life and death Some I do not know how to tell Some I have been blocked from remembering God's mercy is different than man's. I do not blame you for your bargaining How can I condemn, when until I was tested I did not know that I would have the strength To fight evil to the grave and beyond? And that is what I must do now Wholly aligned to the Light I know I can face the Darkness and its servants And they have no power over me. But I cannot truly call friend those who Willingly choose the obvious Evil. "Oh yes," I answer. "We meet again." But I am not telling everything We will meet But it may not be as friends. That Ends: An Epilogue-type Thingie By Tara "LJC" O'Shea Safely returned to New Mexico care of her generous vampire patron, Tara smiled as she licked two envelopes and dropped them in the mail slot of her apartment complex. In a day or two, Amy and Sandra would find unmarked envelopes with a key, box number and address each, and they could begin rebuilding their lives with their hard drives intact once more. It certainly had been a lovely war, though hardly little, as the last one she'd been involved in had been. She's made friends, and enemies alike. Certainly John and Caile wouldn't forget her any time soon, though she had played precisely by the rules. After all, she didn't attack, she avenged. And she liked to think she was rather good at it, though she often thought she had a swelled head when it came to such things. Still, a lovely war it had been indeed. * * * In Toronto, in an alley behind a bar that closed moments before the sunrise, two young men, rather large Italian fellows who went by Ray and Vinnie, respectively, shook themselves awake. Greeted by splitting headaches and the noonday sun, the two would-be thugs looked at each other with bewildered expressions, even as they leaned on each other to steady themselves. "Whoa, dude...." one said to the other. "What day is it, you think?" "Man, I have no idea." the other shook his head, and then instantly regretted it. "Who was that chick?" Weaving back and forth, they wandered out into the daylight, and the rest of their lives never quite knowing how close they came to losing it, and never knowing how very amused Alma had been when she pitched them out into the alley that dawn. Yes, a lovely little war indeed. The End