Alex was dozing in the back seat of the cab by the time it arrived at his New York flat. He had materialized on the sidewalk in front of the U.N. plaza. Ignoring the startled looks of the pedestrians, he got his bearings and hailed a cab.

"We're here, pal," said the cabbie as the car pulled up in front of the building. Alex opened his eyes and, grabbing his bag, got out of the cab. He walked around to the driver's side and paid the fare, probably over-tipping judging from the man's expression. Sometimes it was difficult to keep track - the paper money in the U.S. was all the same size and color.

Alex entered the building and took the elevator up to the second floor. The doors opened onto his flat and he stepped inside. Checking his answering machine, he found there were several messages waiting for him. He set down his bag, took off his coat and headed for the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he took out some cheese and opened a bottle of wine. Pouring some into a glass he headed back to the living room and switched on the fireplace. The gas flames instantly appeared and began to warm up the immediate area.

Popping a piece of cheese into his mouth, he hit the playback button on the answering machine and listened to his messages as he sipped his wine.

"Hello, Alex. This is your mother. I just wanted to call and confirm your arrival time at Heathrow. Please call me as soon as you can. I had a terrible time trying to get a line through to you with all of the troubles in Ireland. I'll talk to you soon, good bye."

Troubles in Ireland? More than the usual troubles? Alex shrugged and continued to listen.

"Alex, hi. This is Tom Greene. It's been a few days since I've spoken to you and I just wanted to check on your progress with your symphonic piece. Give me a call when you get a moment. If I don't hear from you before Christmas, have a happy holiday. 'Bye."

Alex grimaced. He hadn't thought about school for almost a week. The symphony was about two thirds complete and would likely need another week to finish and then a week or two to polish. As his schedule looked now, it would likely be another week and a half before he could work on it again. Fortunately, he didn't need the finished piece until mid-February.

"Alex -- hi, it's Sarah. I'm back in New York kind of unexpectedly, and was hoping we could maybe see one another before I headed back to Philly. Give me a call if you're around in the next couple of days, okay? If not, maybe we can get together sometime between Christmas and New Year's. Uh, bye!"

Alex's mood brightened a little. He hadn't thought he'd get to speak to Sarah until after the holidays. He also hadn't quite realized how much he was looking forward to seeing her again. He reached for the phone and dialed her number.

Sarah's voice sounded on the other end of the line, the faintest of scratches present in it. "Hello?"

"Hello, Sarah, it's Alex. Sorry I missed your call."

"Alex!" The girl didn't try to hide the joy she felt at hearing her friend's voice. "How've you been?"

"Well," he said, trying to decide how to answer, "if I were given the chance to relive the past week, I think, instead, I'd choose to be torn apart by wild dogs. As it is, I don't think I'll be returning to New Orleans any time soon, at least not by choice.

"Oh. Not so good then."

"Oh, it could have been much worse, I suppose. I discovered a bit more about myself than I would have otherwise, but that's another story entirely. How are things going with that case in Philadelphia?"

Sarah hesitated a moment. "They're going alright. I'm going back tonight, and hoping we're going to wrap it all up in a couple of days. Dr. Wight has some solid leads."

"Oh," said Alex, clearly disappointed. "I guess that's actually a good thing. I'll be heading out to London soon -- the Christmas holiday and such. I was rather hoping I'd be able to see you before you headed back out of town."

"Yeah, that sucks. We don't seem to have the greatest of timing do we?" Sarah sighed, also disappointed. Brightening, she asked, "Hey - what are you doing right now?"

Noting the cheerfulness in her tone, Alex answered with mock-seriousness, "Well, at the moment, I'm trying to maintain my composure in light of the devastating news I've just received. Otherwise," he said glancing at the bag that contained his costume, "I just have to drop by the dry cleaner's. Why do you ask?"

"Why don't you come over for a little while? I'm not leaving 'till suppertime. You can meet Paula, my roommate, and there's this awesome malt shop down the street we could walk to..."

"Excellent! I think I'd like that very much. When would you like me to show up?"

"The sooner the better, I guess, since I have to get going in a few hours."

Sarah made sure Alex had her address and Alex told her he would arrive within half an hour - on foot if necessary.

Twenty-eight minutes later, Alex jogged up to the front of the apartment building. After dropping his costume off at the cleaners (sans the mp3 player that now rested in his pocket), he'd hailed a cab. Traffic had been a little slow and Alex was unable to impart a sense of urgency in the cabbie. He ended up giving the cabbie a twenty-dollar bill and headed out at a light jog.

He went up to the door of the building and pressed the button for Sarah's apartment. Her voice was recognizable over the intercom, but only barely.

"Hello! I believe I'm supposed to meet a friend of mine at this address. Would you happen to know if she's ready?"

Sarah smiled and answered, "I don't know, does this friend have a name?"

Alex replied, suppressing the urge to chuckle.

"Yes, her name is Miss Sarah Steiner, a lovely young lady. Perhaps you know her? I've heard rumors that she is the frontrunner for the standard by which beauty is measured..."

The gack of someone gagging audibly sounded somewhere in the background as Sarah laughed and admonished her British friend. "Liar." The glass door buzzed. "Come on up."

Walking to the elevator, Alex rode up twenty floors in the speedy glass-and-steel lift. A few steps down the hall brought him to Sarah's door, where he politely knocked. A beautiful, lithe brunette opened the door. Barefoot, she was dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a flannel shirt. She almost looked familiar, and Alex found himself thinking he'd seen her on the cover of some American fashion magazine.

"Hello, is Sarah in?" he asked courteously.

"Oh yeah," the girl answered with a wry smile. C'mon in. So you're Alex, huh?" Leading the tall man into her apartment, the young woman continued, "Sarah'll be out in a minute -- she's said something about getting into her costume or something."

"I heard that!" Sarah shouted from her bedroom, where the door stood closed except for a crack. "Alex, ignore her! I'll be out in a sec!"

Motioning towards the leather sofa that sat facing the apartment's bay windows -- and a spectacular view of the city - Sarah's roommate smiled. "Have a seat. I'm Paula. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Pleased to meet you," replied Alex. "Could I have a glass of water? I ended up jogging the last few blocks."

"Water? You're kidding, right?" she asked. When she saw he was serious, she arched an eyebrow and headed into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water.

"Here you go," she said as she handed him the glass. As Alex took a drink, she added, "Be careful with that stuff though. I've heard that fish make love in water."

Alex barely avoided blowing the water out of his nose and ended up choking instead. While he was coughing, Paula smiled sweetly and said, "See, I told you to be careful..."

In her room, Sarah finished running a brush through her long hair. Placing the brush down on her dresser, she looked carefully into the mirror, inspected her make-up and attire. She wore a snug, figure-flattering Irish knit sweater along with a short, red plaid skirt and a pair of black winter tights. As she turned to leave, satisfied everything was in place, she caught sight of something in the mirror. On the bedside table, behind her, stood a framed family photo - a photo of Sarah taken before the plethora of surgeries she'd undergone had transformed her into the gorgeous girl she'd seen reflected back at her. Moving across the room, she opened the table's drawer and slide the photo inside, hiding it. Sighing, the girl stepped into a pair of thick-heeled, large-buckled shoes and walked out into the living room.

Alex looked much as she remembered him; tall and handsome. Something, though, seemed a little different. As he stood up to meet Sarah, he seemed older somehow, or tired perhaps.

"Hi!" Sarah exclaimed, first taking his hand to shake it before engaging in an awkward half-hug. "Good to see you," the blonde said with a grin as they parted. She looked positively radiant.

Across the room, Paula arched one of her sculpted eyebrows. "You two want to be alone?" she asked devilishly.

"No!" Sarah answered without thinking. "Uh, I mean, we're going out. We're going to Scooter's."

Paula pursed her lips as she swallowed whatever response she'd had on her tongue. "Well, you two kids have fun... but be good."

Sarah pulled Alex towards the door by the hand, suddenly anxious to get them both off the hot seat. "'K. Bye Paula!"

"Bye Paula! Uh, nice to meet you..." Alex managed, dragged out the door by his attractive but purposeful friend.

On the elevator ride down, Alex said, "You have a nice place. Your roommate is rather, uh, spirited, isn't she? Have you known her very long?"

"Paula?" Sarah made a face. "Yeah, she's a real case. I went through modeling school with her. She's my best friend, even when she's trying to embarrass me and crap like she was back there."

"I imagine it's nice to have someone to talk to at the end of the day, even if it is just to complain about something."

"Yup. We fight sometimes, like all roommates, I guess... but for the most part we get along great. I'd get lonely if I lived alone."

They left the building and Sarah indicated the direction to Scooter's.

"So tell me about this place, Scooter's. I believe you said it was a 'malt shop'?"

"Yeah. It's like an old-fashioned malt shop, with booths and a counter a really old cash register and stuff. They've got really great ice cream. And - duh - malts."

After a short walk, they reached Scooter's and went inside. Once they were seated, they quickly looked over the menu and ordered. While they were waiting for the burly waitress to return, Sarah asked, "So. You seem a little distracted or something. What exactly happened in New Orleans?"

Alex's face clouded a little and Sarah suddenly wished she hadn't asked. Instead of the changing of subject like the girl was expecting, she was a little surprised when he answered.

"Are you sure you want to know?" asked Alex quietly. Sarah nodded after a momentary pause.

"It was like... a war zone."

"A war in New Orleans? I'd have thought that something like that would have been plastered all over the news."

"It seems that the Royal Elite had managed a communications blackout. I'd be surprised if it was kept quiet for too much longer. News of a massive vampire infestation probably won't stay a secret too long. The Protectorate wasn't even aware of what was happening until Jacob showed up during my meeting with them."

"Vampire infestation?! The Royal Elite? The Protectorate? And who's Ja-," Sarah stopped, realizing that she was speaking a little loudly. "Umm. Maybe if you started at the beginning..."

Alex took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The waitress brought their order and, once she'd left. Alex began as close to the beginning as he could determine.

"I had contacted the Protectorate for some help or suggestions as to how to handle my 'Royal Elite' problem. During the meeting, Jacob burst in and informed us about a situation in New Orleans -- vampires had been attacking and their numbers growing, evidently led by Vamp, a member of the Royal Elite..."

Alex continued, speaking quietly, eyes partly closed as if reliving the events of the past week as he spoke. He told her of the events that followed his arrival, his initial skirmish with the vampires, his discovery that they might be cured and what that implied. He told her about how it fell to him to determine which of the 'victims' they would try to save, and how that decision would determine, by default, which would be destroyed. Finally, he told her of his confrontation with Vamp and how things had been when he left.

When he had finished, he took another deep breath then looked at Sarah with slightly haunted eyes. Then smiled slightly and said, "It sort of makes the 'wild dogs' option seem a little more preferable, doesn't it?"

Transfixed by the young man's story, Sarah blinked a few times as she sucked on the straw poking out of her frothy drink. "Wow," she said simply and finally, licking her lips. "And I thought my week was bad. That takes the cake, Alex. Sounds like you need a vacation."

Alex relaxed a little more and smiled. "I'd say that a holiday is definitely forthcoming. I'm leaving for London tomorrow. It's been a few months since I've seen my family and I'm hoping the change of scenery will clear the cobwebs, so to speak. How about you? Is everything going all right in 'Sarah's Universe'?"

"Oh. I've been fighting with my mother again, as usual. This time she doesn't want me going back to Philadelphia to help Dr. Wight with the case, because..." Sarah's cheeks colored slightly.

"Yes?" prompted Alex.

"Well, she just doesn't want me going back. But I'm going anyway, and she's fee-urious. I'm not sure what she's going to do. Probably cut up my credit cards or something. It's not as bad as fighting vampires, I'll admit, but it's still stressful." Alex noticed Sarah blush, a not unpleasant sight, but decided not to pry.

"I can imagine," he sympathized. "My mother has a way of making life unbearable if she doesn't approve of something I want to do. I think there must be some kind of 'genetic switch' or something that flips on when one becomes a parent..."

Sarah chuckled, then turned a bit more serious. "Did I tell you that this Hack creep seems to have a thing for me or something? Dr. Wight finally had to place some kind of magical ward on me so he couldn't find me." The young woman thought briefly about showing off the temporary tattoo on her back, then kept speaking. "I might act as 'bait' in order to catch this guy. As long as it works and we put him behind bars, I'll be happy." Alex had known she was trying to track down a murderous metahuman. However, hearing the name 'Hack' conjured up images of his recent experiences in New Orleans. He was suddenly very concerned, even knowing how tough Sarah was.

"Hack? Is this the name of the killer you're trying to help capture? I would think that acting as bait for someone like that would rate pretty highly on the Insanity Scale. Perhaps your mother has the right idea even if its for, uh... other reasons."

Sarah frowned, and her voice took on something of an edge. "Yes, that's his name -- as far as we know -- and no, my mother does not have the right idea, Alex. I'm a lot safer than anyone else this psycho goes after, just because of who I am. If I can help bring him in, I'll do whatever it takes. Why is it so--"

"I'm sorry," said Alex. "It's just that recent events have caused my world view to shift a bit. I'd be very unhappy if it shifted any more because my friends start dying."

Her expression softening, Sarah relented. "Oh. Well, don't worry. I'm not going to die or anything. Hack is really dangerous, but the guy I'm working with -- Dr. Wight -- is a real pro. And in fact," she sighed, "I don't think he's going to let me carry out my plan of acting as bait. He thinks it's too dangerous. Anyway, let's talk about happier stuff. How are things in your life otherwise? School going okay and everything?"

"They're going fairly well, I suppose. I have the symphonic piece for school pretty well planned out and a lot of the tracks are finished. I figure a week or two more and I'll be able to turn it in. I was planning on finishing it when I return from London. How about you? What have you got planned in the foreseeable future?"

Sarah shrugged. "This and that. I've got this movie starting shooting in January, and for some reason I'm not that excited about it. I have a feeling my agent and mom are kind of going to ruin it for me. I shouldn't be pessimistic, though."

"Not excited! It sounds fascinating! Who else is going to be in it? Can you tell me the plot or is it one of those top-secret, closed-set kinds of things? Who's doing the music for it?"

Smiling crookedly, Sarah answered, "You know what? I actually know who's doing the score, which surprises me for some reason. Ever hear of Stewart Copeland? Whoever he is, he's the one doing it."

"Stewart Copeland? Yes, he was in the group, The Police, with Andy Summers and Sting," replied Alex. "He was the drummer, I believe. He's been doing scores for television and movies for just about as long as I've been alive. I think he's even done music for a video game..."

"That's the guy. I guess the movie is going to be pretty cool. I shouldn't let my arguments with mom wreck it. I've got a co-starring role -- the real star of the show is Blur, if you've ever met her or know who she is. She seems really nice, if a little on the hyper side. No surprise, I guess. I don't know much about the plot yet, unfortunately -- I guess they're still working on the script. I also probably shouldn't tell you what I do know... but I can tell you that Blur and I play a pair of kick-ass, bad-grrl-type superheroines. It'll be silly, but it should be fun." Sarah's eyes narrowed in mock anger. "Except for my costume, from what I've seen of it so far."

Alex suppressed a smile and asked, "Why? What are they doing to your costume?"

Sarah drained her malt, then raised an eyebrow. "Let's just say it'll be a struggle to keep the PG-13 rating."

"Oh, I see," he managed to say in mock sympathy before breaking into a wide grin and adding, "I can hardly wait to see it..."

Nearly an hour later, Alex and Sarah left the soda shop. The sun had gone down while they were inside, and the night air was frosty and invigorating. Sarah suggested that they return to her apartment by way of a short walk through Central Park, and Alex readily agreed.

The pair walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, simply enjoying one another's company, before Sarah finally spoke. Glancing sidelong at her friend, she began, "So how long will you be in England? I'm going to South Carolina for the holidays, but I'll be back before the New Year."

"I'll just be in England for a few days," said Alex. "I'll get there in time for Christmas Eve and I return the 28th." Alex smiled, then added, "If you like, I'll call you the instant I land."

Sarah grinned and replied in her best British accent, "Well, if you'll promise to call me as soon as you get back, I suppose I can keep a stiff upper lip? You can even unpack and get settled before you call if you like."

Alex laughed, hearing the same words he'd said to her a few weeks ago coming back to haunt him. Speaking in Sarah's own voice, he played her part from that same conversation. "Really? That's awfully understanding of you. "

"You wacko!" she said, taking a playful swipe at him. "Seriously though, maybe we can actually get together for longer than an hour or two. I still haven't investigated all the nooks and crannies in your apartment, and didn't you promise to take me to a band? You'll also have to meet Paula sometime when she's not being a freak. Which isn't very often..."

"I would really like that, Sarah. As it happens, I already have the tickets for the concert - Phish is playing at Madison Square Garden on the 31st. Have you heard of them?"

Sarah wrinkled her nose. "I think so... I think I've heard my friend Mark talk about them before. Aren't they some kind of jam-band with a big following, sort of like the Grateful Dead?"

"Similar, in some respects. Their albums don't tend to do exceptionally well, but they excel at live performances. In other words, they 'kick ass' in concert. I think you'll like it. If not, we can always leave early and go somewhere else..."

Alex stopped suddenly. "Oh bother."

Sarah stopped and turned to face the troubled Brit. "What's wrong?"

"I just remembered that I have something for you back at my flat. I meant to grab it earlier on the way out and I completely forgot it. What time is your flight? Maybe I can get it to you before you leave."

"Actually, I'm just driving back to Philly, so I don't have a plane to catch. But you really didn't need to get me anything."

Alex smiled again and said, "Well, be that as it may, I'd still like to get it to you before Christmas, if possible."

"If you're up for it, we could just head back to your place, then. As long as I get to Philly by tomorrow morning, I'm good. I don't mind driving at night - there's less traffic, for one thing."

"Alright then. Would you like to head over now or do you still want to stop by your place?

"Nah, I don't need anything -- let's just go back to your flat."

As the two were walking up to Alex's place, they were met at the door by a delivery man from the dry cleaners.

"Thank you," said Alex as he accepted the opaque dry cleaning bag. "I really wasn't expecting this to be done so soon."

"Well, Mr. Chaney put a rush on it for you," said the delivery man. "He figured you might need it soon for some emergency or other."

"Oh. Well, tell him I appreciate the service, but -- well, never mind. Thank you. Merry Christmas," said Alex tipping the man.

"Merry Christmas to you, sir. Ma'am," he said tipping his cap.

Sarah thought that Alex looked a little jittery but didn't think much of it. They walked into the building and took the elevator up to the next floor. The place didn't seem to have changed much in the last couple of weeks. Alex hung the dry-cleaning bag on the coat rack by the door and headed toward the kitchen.

Alex didn't notice that one of the gauntleted sleeves of his costume was now dangling below the open end of the flimsy bag.

"Can I get you a drink or something?" he asked.

Sarah was busy admiring the interior of Alex's home. She'd seen it before, but it was equally impressive on second viewing. "Sure," she answered. "I'd love a glass of wine."

Alex returned with the drinks held in one large hand and a wrapped package in the other.

"Here you go," he said, handing her a glass, then handing her the package, said "and this is also for you."

Setting her wine down on the coffee table, Sarah plunked down onto the sofa and turned the package over in her hands, fighting the urge to shake it. "Alex, you really shouldn't have. What is it?"

Looking at the wrapped box for a moment, he replied with a deadpan expression. "It's a present."

"Oh, be serious," said Sarah, with a wry smile.

"It's a combination Christmas present and 'Thank you' for putting me in touch with your tailor, Susan," said Alex. "She did a bang-up job on the things I had her make for me out of that DuraWear stuff." He paused for a moment and then said, "Well open it up. The suspense is killing me."

Tearing off the ribbons and wrapping paper without effort, Sarah opened the package. Inside, she found a stylish jacket made of the same super-tough fabric as her costume. The colors were fairly neutral so she would be able to wear it with just about anything.

"Wow!" Sarah exclaimed, holding the jacket up to have a better look at it. "This is cool! Alex, you really didn't have to do this!" Alex simply smiled as the girl stood back up and slipped on the jacket over her sweater. It fit perfectly since Susan had already had Sarah's measurements, and was able to tailor the coat for the girl's impressive build. "Like a glove!" Sarah gushed before trapping her host in a tight embrace.

Alex was unprepared for the hug Sarah gave him. He found that he was starting to have a little difficulty breathing but there was no way he was going to complain. Instead, he managed to say, "I'm very glad you like it."

Stepping away from the hug, Sarah was all grins as she admired the jacket. "I don't really know what to say... wait, yes I do: thanks!"

At that point, Alex noticed the sleeve hanging out of the dry cleaning bag. He got up and headed over to the coat rack. "I really should get this put away," he said as he tried to unobtrusively stuff the sleeve back into the bag.

While doing so, the other sleeve slipped out. From that point, it rapidly turned into a comedy skit as Alex continued to try stuffing the costume into the bag at the same time that it seemed to be trying to escape. Ultimately, the costume won out and ended up in a heap on the floor.

Sarah appeared at Alex's side with her jacket still on and her mouth agape. "Is that what I think that is?" she gasped. "Is that a... costume?!"

Red faced, Alex bent over and picked up the jumpsuit. Trying to roll it up into a little ball, he said, "I believe that a more accurate term would be 'Bane of my Existence.'"

"And after the way you went on about not having one! You owe me an explanation, mister! So out with it - what's up with the pajamas?" She bounced both perfectly groomed eyebrows. "You can tell me as you model it..."

"Model it?! Y-you can't be serious!" he spluttered.

"Oh, yes I can! It's only fair -- you've seen me in mine, I was wearing it when we met, remember?"

"I can't imagine any circumstance that would cause me to forget that," said Alex. Attempting to redirect the conversation, he added, "I wonder what the Matrons are up to n-"

"Never mind that! C'mon, I want to see you in that costume in five minutes or I'll put it on you myself," threatened Sarah in mock seriousness.

"Oh, all right," replied Alex, clearly not happy with the turn of events. "Give me a minute."

The deflated young Brit headed through the door that led up to his bedroom. He returned a short time later, wearing the form-fitting costume. It was primarily a one-piece, black body suit with sleeves that ended with white gauntlets. There was also a white band collar at his neck and a white "V" that extended down his chest and stopped just below his sternum. The only other detail was a gold treble-clef design on the left breast where a pocket might have been if it were a tuxedo jacket.

Sarah watched Alex as he came back into the room. The first thing she noticed was that Alex was clearly embarrassed. He managed to turn two or three shades of red in as many minutes. True, the costume was very form-fitting and left little to the imagination, but from her perspective, this was not a bad thing.

"It doesn't look so bad, Alex. Get over here and let me have a closer look," she said, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a giggle, "what's the story behind all this, then?"

Alex grimaced and walked out into the room.

"What's to tell? It was originally designed by some Ministry functionary who evidently thought it would be a clever play off of the code name, "Maestro." I had rejected the design and indicated that I wouldn't be wearing anything of the sort. A few months ago, another well-meaning lab tech found the design sketches and thought it would be a good idea to actually make it. He also added a few other bits of his own and sent the costume to me. I promptly put it in a trunk never to be seen again. Then the New Orleans thing came up and I ended up wearing it just in case."

"What 'bits' did this guy add?" asked Sarah, still grinning widely.

"Well, he increased its protective qualities without hindering my range of movement. According to him, it's supposed to stop small arms fire. I haven't tested that particular quality but it does keep claws from doing more than leaving welts. He also added this..." He picked up his coat and fished out a small, square-ish, flat device and two other hook-shaped objects.

"What are these?" she asked as he handed them to her, momentarily diverted from Alex's embarrassment.

"It's a music player and a couple of speakers. The player fits in a pocket behind the treble-clef and sends a signal to the speakers that rest just behind my ears. I'm guessing that they somehow use my skull as some sort of resonance device. I'll have to ask the next time I see him. They look weird, but the sound quality is remarkable."

"That's pretty cool! Is it enough to manifest any special powers?" asked Sarah, handing it back to Alex.

"Oh, yes. I still can't control how they manifest, but whatever abilities I've gained have been useful so far. The costume has turned out to be a marvelous feat of engineering. Now, if only the damn thing didn't make me look like a penguin..."

At that Sarah burst into laughter and the redness returned to Alex's face. After a few moments, though, he started to laugh as well.

Finally, Alex took a deep breath and said, "if you've had enough of the fashion show, milady, I think I'll go change back into some more respectable clothing..."

A crooked smile touched Sarah's lips. "Go ahead and get changed -- unless you want me to go get mine so we can fight crime together tonight..."

Alex quickly changed and came back down stairs.

Sitting back to recover from all the laughing she'd been doing, Sarah finished her wine and caught Alex's eyes with her own. She held them a moment before speaking. "I'm having a good time, Alex," she stated honestly. "I don't want to go home yet. Want to go out to dinner with me?"

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do. Where would you like to go?"

"How about Mediterranean?"

"Sounds fine."

Sarah gave the thumbs-up sign. "I know a cool little Greek place down in the Village - we should be able to get a table, too, since they don't get really busy until a little later in the evening."

Alex nodded. "Right, then. Greek it is."

Two hours later, the pair exited the Athenian restaurant, large smiles on their faces from the fine food and good company. All around, the sights, sounds and smells of Greenwich Village assaulted their senses, but in a good way. This was New York City at it's finest. Sarah tucked a thick strand of blonde hair behind one of her ears in a move that was fetching despite looking rehearsed. "So... whacha wanna do now?" she asked, her vivid blue eyes nearly glowing in the light from a nearby and well-lit used bookstore.

Alex shrugged. "Well, if it's not--"

"I know!" Sarah exclaimed, cutting him off. "Paula has this friend - Artie - who does some spoken-word shows down here. She's been trying to get me to go for weeks. I'm pretty sure he's over at Cornelia Street Café tonight. Want to check it out?"

"Er," Alex began, "alright. Let's go." His past experiences with such artists had been trying, but the young Englishman wasn't keen to disappoint.

What he didn't know was that Sarah had no more love for live poetry readings than he; she was simply trying to demonstrate that she, a simple, southern American girl, could be as cultured and civilized as anyone. That charade, unfortunately for Sarah, would soon be over...

"Rising up. Rise. Up. Rising up from the ground. From the ground. Like great fangs. Like great fangs from the ground. Rise up, great fangs. Like bloodied talons. Rising up from the ground, like bloodied talons, like talon-fangs. Like daggers, daggers of steel and glass, obliterating the sky. From the ground to the sky, like talon-fang-daggers, stabbing the heavens..."

Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The room was packed, and virtually everyone in the room was enraptured by the speaker, by the words dripping from his tongue like water. Everyone except Sarah, and Alex. To this point, both had been unwilling to admit to the other just how awful Artie's spoken-word poetry was. Sarah smiled sweetly when she noticed Alex looking at her from across the room -- the place was so full of people, they hadn't even been able to sit together.

"From the ground, penises. Great, terrible penises rising up from the ground, clad in iron and plastic, thrusting and chopping at the sky..."

"Okay, that's it," Sarah muttered to herself, ignoring the annoyed looks on the faces surrounding her. "I am so outa here." Alex immediately noticed the girl making a break for the exit, and it was with no small measure of relief that he joined her outside the café.

"I am soooo sorry!" Sarah apologized as they retreated away from the den of pretension. "Really, Alex, I had no idea. God, that was horrible! I thought that maybe, being English and all, you'd enjoy some cosmopolitan 'high-art' sort of stuff, but I guess I really didn't know what I was getting us into..." she babbled.

Alex smiled and listened to her apologize for another minute, not because he wanted the apology but because he enjoyed the sound of her voice.

"It's quite all right. Really, it is," he finally said. "The disadvantage to stuff like that is you never know how bad it's going to be until you're stuck listening to it." Alex grinned and added, "I wish I'd have had the courage to walk out myself instead of being held hostage by the dictates of 'politeness.'"

"It was probably really rude of me to get up in the middle like that, but I just couldn't take it anymore." Sarah shuddered visibly. "God only knows how much longer he was going to go on..."

Alex began to laugh. "Gods that was awful, though. Much like a road accident, you're generally horrified but you can't look away. At least it was "penises" and not "penguins" rising up -- I think I'd have had to give him a good thrashing otherwise."

"Now that would have been entertaining!" Sarah laughed.

The pair walked a few blocks, chuckling together, enjoying each other's company when Sarah spotted a neon sign that appeared to say "BOW." Then the "L" flickered to life, changing the word to "BOWL." Sarah grinned and pointed it out to Alex.

"What do you think? Should we balance off the poetry reading with some good old fashioned blue-collar entertainment?" she asked.

"You want to go there?" he asked, surprised. "Well, all right. But it sounds as though they're torturing some poor beast in there. We may have to put a stop to it," he said with mock seriousness. Sarah was a little confused by the comment, but it became clear when they opened the door. It turned out that the sound of the "tortured beast" was actually someone singing -- very badly. It appeared that there was a karaoke machine in the lounge and it was, to Alex's dismay, being used.

The bowling alley was a little run-down, with torn or missing linoleum tiles on the floor and countless dents and scratches in the walls. The smoke was a little thick but not as heavy as the smell of beer. They discovered that the management had attempted to boost customer traffic by putting in a karaoke machine in the lounge. By the looks of things, it had only served to drive more people away.

While Sarah picked up some bowling shoes for Alex and herself, Alex ordered a couple of bottles of what passed for beer. Surprisingly, he wasn't asked for I.D. A moment later, Sarah returned with the shoes.

"Here you go. They only had one pair in your size. The guy at the counter said no one's used those in years." She smiled sweetly and added, "I guess they don't get many tall, British penguins, uh, I mean, musicians around here."

"Oh, lovely," said Alex with feigned indignation. "There are probably thousands of beautiful women I could have met in New York and I had to meet the one that was also an aspiring comedian. If you offer me a fish, I'm going to take back the beer ..."

They chose their bowling balls from the selection that was left on the racks, and began playing.

"So. How do we play?" asked Alex.

"Oh my gawd! You're kidding, right?" asked Sarah in disbelief. When Alex shook his head, Sarah burst out into laughter. "I don't believe it! How could you not know how to bowl?"

Alex shrugged, smiled and answered, "They don't have too many bowling alleys in Antarctica..."

Sarah went into another fit of laughter and, when she finally calmed down, she gave him a few pointers and showed him how to keep score. After a few initial gutter balls, Alex got the hang of it and started throwing a fair number of spares and even a few strikes. After the first game it became something of a contest to see who could go the longest without getting either a strike or a spare. Coming into the last frame, Alex and Sarah were tied. Alex allowed Sarah to go first.

Approaching the line, Sarah let go of the ball. Unfortunately, she had thrown it a lot harder than she had intended to and the ball slammed into the pins, shattering most of them into splinters before punching a hole in the back wall and bringing down the entire reset mechanism with a thunderous crash. The noise was even enough to temporarily drown out the karaoke singers. Everyone stopped and stared in their direction.

Red-faced, Sarah swallowed hard and turned around to face the silent crowd. When she spotted who she presumed was the owner approaching, she smiled weakly.

"What the hell just happened?"

"I guess I threw the ball a little too hard..."

The owner's jaw dropped when he got a better look at the destruction at the end of the lane. "A little?!"

"I'll pay for all the damages," Sarah offered apologetically.

The owner seemed less concerned with the damages themselves than with that fact that a girl had just thrown the ball harder than anyone he'd ever seen. "Wait a minute," he responded, finally recognizing the powerful heroine. "You're that super-strong girl -- Knock-out."

Sarah nodded. "I am. And I really didn't mean to wreck the lane..."

Waving his hand, the owner dismissed her apology. "Aw, it's okay as long as you pay for the damages." Coming closer, the expression on his face changed. "Provided I can get an autograph for my son..."

"Of course," Sarah agreed. Soon she'd signed no less than thirty autographs for the owner, his employees, and many of the patrons in the place. When she was done, it was clear that she and her date had become the talk of the place, as all eyes were still on them. Sitting back down in the scoring seat, Sarah looked sideways at Alex, who had managed to steer clear of most of the mayhem. "Sorry about all that. Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

Alex cleared his throat and diplomatically suggested, "Maybe that should be our last game..."

Sarah nodded her emphatic agreement. "For sure."

After Sarah left her agent's number with the owner to cover the damages, they turned in their shoes and were headed toward the door when Alex felt his arm head in another direction.

"What thuh -- where are we going?" he asked, a little startled.

"Over there. I want you to hear you sing something."

"Oh, come on," he said, half seriously. "This is getting borderli--"

"No complaining!" interrupted Sarah. "The way I see it, you still owe me for lying to me about your costume. So get up there and sing before I start describing to everyone how cute your tush looks in tights..."

Alex sighed and shook his head in resignation. After a few moments short of Eternity, the current duo decided to give up on their rendition of drowning felines and Alex was up.

"Anything in particular?"

Sarah thought for a moment and then said, "Nope. Whatever comes up at random will do nicely."

Alex punched in a three character combination, looked at the screen and said, "Oh. Umm, how do you feel about the Jackson 5?"

"I dunno. Is it 'ABC'?"

"No. It's titled, 'I'll be there.'"

"That'll do."

"I was afraid you'd say that..."

Alex picked up the microphone, hit the "play" button and the music started. When his cue came, the lyrics started running across the video monitor. Alex ignored the monitor and looked at Sarah instead. He took a breath and started to sing.

"You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back
Where there is love, I'll be there..."

Alex's voice was a sharp contrast to the background music. Where the music coming out of the old speakers was a little weak, scratchy and slightly off key, his voice was strong, clear and smooth. It was evident that his musical talents extended to more than just playing instruments.

"...I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name and I'll be there..."

Alex gazed at Sarah while he sang, his piercing green eyes seeming to hold her in place. She wasn't sure she'd be able to move if she wanted to. Perhaps more strange was the fact that the music seemed to sound a lot better than it had a few moments before, with a fuller, deeper quality.

"...I'll be there to comfort you,
Build my world of dreams around you, I'm so glad that I found you
I'll be there with a love that's strong
I'll be your strength, I'll keep holding on..."

While the two continued to gaze into each other's eyes, the rest of the patrons stopped what they were doing and watched the performance as well. The sound of dropping pins were momentarily silenced, the occasional burst of laughter quieted, even heated arguments paused as if waiting for something to happen.

"...Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter
Togetherness, well that's all I'm after
Whenever you need me, I'll be there
I'll be there to protect you, with an unselfish love that respects you
Just call my name and I'll be there..."

Alex sang the chorus again. The lights seemed to dim in the lounge, except for those around Sarah and Alex, which, to the patrons, appeared to intensify. It was almost as if the light formed a connection between the two. To the onlookers, it seemed that even the air around the two was sparkling.

"...So, If you should ever find someone new,
I know he'd better be good to you
'Cos if he doesn't, I'll be there..."

As Sarah listened, mesmerized by the sound of Alex's voice, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and goose bumps appeared on her arms; a pleasant shiver ran up and down her spine.

"...Don't you know, baby, yeah yeah
I'll be there, I'll be there, just call my name, I'll be there

I'll be there, I'll be there, whenever you need me, I'll be there..."

As Alex finished the song, the room slowly returned to normal. The music regained its scratchy, flat quality, the lighting returned to normal, even the other people were released from whatever had held their attention. The sounds of activity quickly returned to normal. The only difference was the applause by the other people in the lounge.

Alex bowed awkwardly then put the microphone down and walked over to where Sarah was sitting.

"I hope that evens things out for a little while," he said smiling and looking into her eyes.

Standing up without a word, Sarah stepped into Alex's arms and kissed him deeply on the lips before he even knew what was happening. The applause that had started to die down for Alex's performance picked up again as a few patrons even hooted and hollered their approval of the lengthening kiss.

When the pair separated, they suddenly became aware that they were the focus of attention for quite a number of people. "Let's go," Sarah said simply, leading the man she'd just surprised from the bowling alley by the hand. Outside, she took both of Alex's hands in hers and moved around in front of him.

"That... that was beautiful, Alex. That was the most amazing thing I've ever heard. We are so even..."

"It wasn't too bad, I suppose, but I'm very glad you liked it."

"Not to bad?!" said Sarah in disbelief. "It's a good thing Michael Jackson didn't hear you sing before he got his start. You might have scared him away from a career in music!"

Alex seemed a little embarrassed but he said, "Well, be that as it may, I'm afraid I still 'owe' you."

When Sarah gave him a puzzled look, Alex explained, "That kiss... was rather amazing. Certainly more than I could have hoped for a simple song. And fairly addictive I think..."

Sarah winked and offered up a big grin. "More where that came from," she teased, turning and skipping down the street. "Now let's go get some coffee!"

"God, I don't want to go in yet..."

Standing in the bright hallway just outside Sarah's apartment as she dug for her keys, Alex reminded the girl about her long drive in the morning. "I know, Sarah... but it's after one, and you've got to get to Philadelphia."

Sarah's shoulders slumped. "I know, I know," she groaned. Secretly, she wanted to drag the young Englishman into her apartment and have her way with him -- repeatedly -- but she knew that it would be best if they took things slower. One relationship based on sex was plenty at the moment. What she'd shared with Alex, especially after hearing him sing to her, was on an entirely different level. Still, it was hard to be strong. "I guess this is, uh, good-night..." she muttered.

Alex smiled, noticing the way the muted light from the hallway gently illuminated Sarah's face while she spoke. He thought about how easy it would be to get lost in those wonderful, blue eyes. Then he took a slow, deep breath, released it and replied, gently. "I suppose it is."

After a few heartbeats had passed, he became a little more serious and added, "Please be careful. I don't want to see your name anywhere in the paper except the headlines, and then only in a good way..." Sarah intuitively understood that to mean, I don't want to see your name in the obituaries...

Alex took her hands in his and leaned down and gently kissed Sarah good night. "Until we meet again, milady."

Alex backed down the hallway toward the elevator, not wanting to take his eyes off of Sarah before he absolutely had to. He ended up stumbling over a trash can near the elevator and only avoided falling to the floor by turning the stumble into a back-flip. Regaining his feet, he picked up the trash can and punched the button for the elevator. The elevator door opened a few moments later and, red-faced, he gave Sarah a little wave and stepped in.

On the way home, Alex experienced a momentary, vague feeling, almost as if Sarah were next to him. While unexpected, he didn't find the feeling unpleasant. Not unpleasant at all. The feeling faded to almost nothing as the cab pulled away from the curb, but it didn't seem to fade entirely...

Lying awake in the darkness, Sarah was finding it hard to sleep. The combination of alcohol, caffeine and sexual energy were keeping her mind and body buzzing, and while she knew she needed her rest since she'd set the alarm for 4:30am, it didn't feel like sleep was coming anytime soon. More than the chemicals in her blood, more than her frustrated arousal, there was something else. Sarah couldn't place the feeling, but it felt familiar somehow, almost like a welcome memory from childhood. It was at once stimulating and comforting, exciting and calming. Gradually, the feeling subsided. It was nearly another hour before the girl drifted off, finally overwhelmed by the day's activities.
 

Home      Gaming Guidelines      PC Roster      NPC Roster