Synopsis:

Back in Los Angeles again, and close surveillance begins of our heroine; family revelations begin, and there are the evils of -- DISCO.

Story:

Amazon - Part 9: Dancing Queen

By Itinerant
Edited By Amelia R.

Biographer's Note: This is Nicole's story. It covers those events and people she finds notable in her life and chooses to share. If you have problems with it, take it up with her. I'm just a glorified stenographer.

**********
Monday, February 5, 2001(84/51)
Washington, D.C.
9:00AM EST

The conference room quieted as Carson called the meeting to order. It was a sizable place, with two rows of tables facing the end of the room where two large projection screens hung. The projectors had been mounted on the ceiling and were controlled by a rack of equipment in the back left corner. A camera, mounted above the screen and in the middle of the wall, captured an image that was displayed on the left. A test pattern was displayed on the right where incoming feeds would appear.

The morning had been filled with meetings to filter the raw data from Los Angeles as the mysterious redhead had been found and followed. This meeting was to relay the initial report to the Chairman and consider how to proceed. Carson had come in early this morning to work on a written version of the report he would present this morning so the people at the main facility would have time to consider the information and develop questions.

After the internal discussions, Carson was hovering between relief and disappointment. Based on the initial video and verbal reports, this mystery woman was anything but the man-hating bitch they were looking for. The interactions between the redhead, the brunette, Kathryn Tanner, and Kathryn's boyfriend Alexander, were pretty typical for a college-age couple and their female friend.

The right screen flickered and steadied as an image appeared. The scene was of a similar room; only the faces in the seats differed. The Central Committee Chairman, the Security Officer, and his assistant were present, but to the left of the picture and in the back of the room. Carson gulped, gathered himself, and began his briefing.

"Good morning. Our objective for this meeting is to present a preliminary report based on the surveillance of the subject over the weekend in Los Angeles. She's our only candidate at the moment due to the timing of her hiring at a company known to be partially owned by Artemis. We're still attempting to gain access to the computer systems at that company to determine if there's any useful data, but so far their firewall is proving effective.

"Our efforts to gain information through the vending service staff have been a little more successful. They gathered the data on the subject's itinerary that permitted us to pick up observation on her arrival in L.A., and have subsequently heard that Dr. Michael Wing made the employment offer himself. We're trying to determine whether the offer was instigated by Artemis.

"The initial report from the L.A. office has been received and so far the behavior of the subject is not what we had expected based on the profile we were provided. We will take steps to broaden our surveillance to make sure we're not missing anything, and we will also be identifying and searching her motel room for any clues."

There was a pause before anyone spoke.

"Have you considered more direct access to the WGSS facility? I'm sure there are specialists who could acquire the information if they had direct access to the systems of interest."

"We've considered it, but until we have more reason to do so we'd rather not be that obvious or burn assets unnecessarily."

"And your current evaluation of the situation?" The slightly accented voice of the Chairman forestalled any other questions for a moment.

"Sir, at the moment we don't know enough to make an intelligent decision. The subject, so far, does not act in a way consistent with what the profile lead us to expect. It could be a deliberate attempt to divert attention on her part, so we will be continuing our observations over the entire three weeks she's scheduled to be in Los Angeles. We might have enough data for a preliminary evaluation by next week, but we know she'll be in LA for three weeks and in Fairfax for another four. By the end of that time we should be able to decide one way or the other without guessing."

"Very well. I'll expect updates at this time each week."

"Yes, sir. We'll file reports each Sunday evening, California time or Eastern time depending on where the subject is, and we'll plan on a video conference at this time each Monday."

The Chairman nodded at someone off screen and the video channel cut off.

Carson suddenly realized how tense he'd been as the muscles in his neck and shoulders unwound. He stood at his chair and faced his team.

"Okay, we'll reconvene at one o'clock for the phone conference with LA. In the meantime, make another pass through the video and stills; if there are any clues, we need to find them. I don't want to be following a redheaded herring and leave a shark unwatched."

*****
Los Angeles, CA.
8:30AM PST

The stakeout team had taken over from the first watch at the parking spot that permitted a good view of the only exits from the hotel grounds. The information provided indicated they'd need to be ready to follow the target today; she was here for dance classes, but no one knew where the studio was located.

The teams had requested and received approval for a tracking device that could be mounted on the rental car. The schedule during the week probably wouldn't be a problem, but if she took off during the weekend they needed to be able to keep track of her location. With luck, the device would be arriving by express shipping tomorrow.

"She's on her way to her car. Heads up."

The driver turned the ignition key. They needed to be able to take off immediately. Of course, she took off north out of the parking lot; they had to quickly make a U-turn and scrambled to get back within visual range as she cruised up Beverly.

~I hate stakeouts.~

They finally reached their preferred tailing position, just in time to see their target make a right hand turn. They passed a dance studio and made the same turn they'd seen their subject make. The car wasn't in sight as they came around the corner to Dayton Way. They slowly started down the street and spotted the car making its way down the alley toward the parking area behind the buildings on Beverly.

The man on the passenger side quickly jumped out to follow the subject, as the driver continued down the street. He'd make his way around the block and rejoin his partner.

*****
Los Angeles, CA
8:30AM PST

~New hotel; same old routine.~ she thought.

By now the schedule was familiar enough. The alarm had sounded at five o'clock local time, and, after a cold washcloth to help wake up, Nicole headed for the fitness room for as much of a workout as possible. This morning it had taken a couple of extra minutes to locate the fitness room, which was a bit of a disappointment. There were free weights, rather than the weight machines at Dana Point, and the weight available would be a minimal problem even if a non-Amazon were in the room. Nicole looked around, deciding to limit her weight levels to no more than a couple of hundred pounds just in case someone came in unexpectedly. With the lower weight levels, she chose to run through a longer series of lifts, relying on the longer duration to make up for the weight deficiency. Her morning run was about normal length and speed -- higher than most people could manage for the duration, but by no means superhuman.

An hour and a half after she had left her room, she trotted back for a shower and clean clothes.

She had taken some time this morning as she pondered the clothing selections for the day. With dancing class, she would no doubt want to wear heels. There was no point in learning with shoes she wouldn't wear to a dance. On the other hand, there was no way she'd wear heels for almost eight hours of lessons without something to change into for lunch and between lessons.

First, she thought, was the choice of clothing. She looked over the selections, limited though they were.

~Jeans are out for today, at least. That's a little too informal without being sure it's appropriate.~ She flicked the hanger to one side and looked at the pantsuit briefly before it joined the jeans.. ~Nope. I want a little more freedom of movement, so it has to be a skirt.~ As she isolated the skirts on their hangers, she considered her reaction.

She finally settled on the gray skirt and white blouse combination; it was as short a skirt as she had -- that she'd wear to the studio anyway -- and would be comfortable even on this warm day if she left the jacket off. ~Two months and two weeks, roughly,~ she thought. ~Just about seventy-five days and I'm getting there, little by little.~

She stood in the bathroom and leaned over the sink as she put on a little makeup, keeping it to the minimum for daytime. It took only a few more minutes more to put her pantyhose, blouse, and skirt on. She had chuckled as she slid the hose up her legs and recalled the utter disaster of that morning in Virginia; she was pleased that no hose fell victim to errant fingernails today. At last, she took a brush to her hair, smoothing the wild disorder into something easily gathered into a convenient ponytail for the day. She stepped back from the counter and took a good look at her appearance.

~I'd never have imagined it, but,~ she smoothed the skirt with her hands and smiled, ~I really like the way I look.~ She reached for the jewelry selected for the day, grinning at herself as she fumbled a little with an earring. The necklace and bracelet took moments longer; finally, she stepped out of the bathroom into the main area.

She looked around the room one last time as she stepped into her black flats. She'd taken one of the laundry bags and put her heeled shoes in them for later. Grabbing her purse, she reached for the doorknob. She stopped before opening it and turned back to pull the scepter out of its hiding place. It rode securely in an inner pocket of her coat as she finally left the room for breakfast.

~I regretted not having it when I ran across Judith. I guess I'd better learn how to carry it with me.~ She thought for a minute. ~I wonder if I can start wearing one of those coats like they used in the 'Highlander' movies?~ She giggled briefly at the thought of reaching into her coat and confronting someone with -- her stick.

~It lacks something in intimidation factor.~ More snickers escaped as she walked down to the restaurant.

Breakfast was tasty; the hot buffet was well stocked, and the selection of fruits was as varied as she'd seen anywhere. One or two of the fruits were unfamiliar and a small sample of each was included as she filled her plate, as were some others that Tom had tried and rejected.

~Who knows how my taste buds will react now?~

Nicole found she still needed to make an effort to restrain the ingrained habits of her male life as she ate. ~Small bites,~ she reminded herself. Tom could take big bites; that wasn't ladylike, so she mustn't.

~Why not?~ The thought wandered in from a corner of her mind.

~Because I AM a woman now, and need to blend in. If not for my own well-being, then for Kate's safety.~ came the determined response. ~Even if it means putting up with looks from the businessmen having breakfast.~ The oddest aspect of that train of thought was her uncertainty about how she *wanted* to react.

~Am I making my life more stressful than it needs to be? Can I live with the idea of being attracted to women in my head, and my body reacting to men? Can I just relax, accept I'm functionally bi-sexual, and just quit worrying about the plumbing arrangements?~ Her ponytail swung as she shook her head in confusion. It had been weeks since she'd taken time in the shower to -- explore, and she was finding herself antsy of late. On the other hand, she was a bit hesitant to find out what kind of pictures would flit through her mind as she tried to relieve the sexual tension that was building.

Shaking off the topic, she watched the news and took time to ponder what the next three weeks held. She'd spend time with Kate on the weekend, probably. She also wanted to get to know Alex a lot better. Kate was in love with him and sooner or later, he'd find out, or need to be told, about the Amazons.

She also paid attention to the antics in Washington, as the new Bush Administration put its list of candidates forward for confirmation. ~What they're doing, I'll have to do before too many years pass. I might as well try to learn from their mistakes. Why can't a new administration avoid making the same stupid mistakes?~

She finished up her breakfast, still bemused by how little she even wanted to eat, and signed the charge slip to place the meal on her room bill before standing and making her way to the lobby. The concierge was setting up for the day as Nicole approached.

"Excuse me; could you help me with some directions?"

The concierge, a young Asian woman about Nicole's own age, looked up.

"Certainly. Do you have an address?"

Nicole provided the information and was informed that the place was less than a mile away.

"It's just north of here on the street out front, which is named Beverly Drive. As you leave the parking lot, make a right turn and keep going until you cross Wilshire. I think the parking is in the rear of the building, so you'll need to go past it and find the parking access off Dayton Way."

The tall woman looked over the map used as a reference. "So I just need to make sure I stay on Beverly until I have to go right and then expect to bear slightly to the left when the road crosses Wilshire. That should be easy enough. Thank you. You've been very helpful." She turned a bright smile of thanks to the shorter woman. The redhead walked out of the lobby, her hair swinging as she remembered at the last minute how she was supposed to walk.

The sky was clear, and traffic was moderate as far as Nicole was concerned. Only a mile separated her from her destination, so there was no hurry as she turned right out of the parking lot, heading north.

There was plenty of parking behind the building, once she found the alley around the corner, and she parked near a line of trees that bounded the southeast side of the lot. A couple of minutes later she found herself in the reception area of the dance studio.

A young man sat at the desk with his attention focused on the computer monitor until her entry rang the chime above the door. The area was clean and bright with the morning light reflected from buildings across the road through the large plate glass windows.

"Welcome to our dance studio. My name is Nick. May I help you?" His voice was a mellow tenor; both his voice and smile were warm, and echoed his underlying emotional state.

"Yes, my name is Nicole Harrison. I believe I'm booked for lessons here for the next three weeks."

He turned back to the computer and clicked a few times with his mouse. "Yes, Ms Harrison. You're signed up for the Full Bronze program for nine dances. Eight have been pre-selected by your company; the ninth is free for you to choose. I have a list here of the available choices, and the list of dances already selected for you." He handed her a sheet of paper.

She scanned the document. "So I will be taking lessons for the Fox Trot, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Eastern Swing, Quickstep, West Coast Swing, Rumba, and Slow Dance." She gave him a baffled look. "I hope there will be an explanation of what this all means."

He chuckled. "You aren't the first person in that situation. We have a brochure that will help." He handed her a colorful, folded sheet that listed the dances taught at the studio and categorized them.

Nicole looked over the brochure and cross-checked the listing with the lessons already selected. After pondering the choices, she looked up again. "I think I'd like to add Progressive Line Dance as the last selection. I can't say I'm a fan, but that covers the Country and Western music world in case I need it."

Nick nodded and made a notation on the computer. "Alright, I have your full schedule set up. You'll be taking six private lessons per day, three in the morning and three in the afternoon, from nine o'clock until four o'clock. In addition, there will be six group lessons in the evening. One lesson is held each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from seven-thirty to eight-fifteen. There are two lessons, from seven-thirty until nine o'clock, on Thursday. This week, even though you're just starting, I'd still recommend attending the Advanced Technique class on Wednesday. You can just watch and pick up useful information for next week when you've gained some experience.

"We strongly recommend, though it isn't required, that you attend the dance party that is held each Friday from eight-fifteen until nine o'clock. It's intended for some extra practice in a fun setting."

She shrugged. "I'm across the country from home, so I might as well put my time to good use while I'm here. Do I need to sign up for the party?"

"Yes, but I'll handle that right now." *Clickety-click* "Okay! You're all set as far as signing in. Now about shoes and clothing, I recommend you dress comfortably for the lessons. Most students manage to fall once or twice early on, so I wouldn't recommend wearing a mini skirt." He chuckled, as did Nicole, at the image deliberately invoked. "I'd really recommend comfortable jeans other than on Friday night. You need to wear the shoes you expect to dance in, whether they're heels or not."

She held up her bag. "I thought that might be the case, so I brought some heels with me."

He nodded and looked up at the clock. "It's just nine o'clock, and time for your first lesson, which is the Fox Trot. If you'd come with me, I'll introduce you to your instructor. Later this morning will be the Waltz and Viennese Waltz lessons. This afternoon, you will have Eastern Swing, Quickstep, and West Coast Swing. You'll work hard, but have fun, too."

The instructor, Abraham Kendall, was a couple of inches shorter than Nicole even without her heels. He gave a brief introduction to the dance and its history, and covered the four steps that would be covered in the class.

Abe started out with a warning. "One thing I don't want is for you to watch your feet. You'll make mistakes, but it's like touch typing -- you won't be as good as you can be if you're trying to watch what you're feet are doing. Keep your head up and eyes on me."

The remainder of the class was spent introducing the basic pattern, and trying the step for both leading and following. Nicole found she was able to either keep track of the step, or stay in time with the music. The worst part of the lesson was keeping her head up and seeing the flicker of pain in Abe's face when she stepped on his foot.

At the end of the forty-five minute lesson, he reviewed what she'd done well -- being overly generous in her mind -- and outlined what was coming up in the next Fox Trot lesson.

"Will you warn the next instructor to wear their steel-toed safety shoes?" she asked with a slight blush.

He grinned. "I also teach the Waltz, so I'll consider myself warned."

Nicole returned the grin and said, "I'll look the other way if you want to run."

"No, I enjoy a challenge. You have the physical ability to perform any of these dances. I have the privilege of showing you how to do them. Now you have about ten minutes if you want something to drink, then we'll get started on the next lesson."

*****
Washington, D.C.
1:00PM EST/10:00AM PST

The LA office had just dialed in. This meeting wouldn't be a video conference, but the multiple mikes made the room ideal for the call.

"I know you've hardly had time to gather new data," Carson began, "or do more useful processing of the information you had, but I want to make these a regular event until the target leaves LA. We've reviewed your video and transcripts. Do you have anything new to add?"

Diego responded for the remote office. "We now know where the dance lessons are being held. We have a team on standby to install a video pickup in the place tonight, so we can keep an eye on things without having to run the risk of putting a face in there that she'll recognize later. We also have a team ready to do a search of her hotel room as soon as the opportunity presents itself."

"Are the investigations into the other people she's come in contact with making progress?"

"We've completed the first pass on each of them. We've compiled the reports and placed them on the server."

"That's good. We'll look them over. Continue with your surveillance, but make sure you aren't caught."

"Trust us, we're good at what we do."

"If there's nothing else, we'll let you get on about your business. If you need some additional resources to complete the background checks, you can call Asok and use some of the people at this office."

"Will do, boss."

*****
Los Angeles, CA
10:00AM PST

The Waltz lesson went about the same as the Fox Trot lesson had. Nicole struggled to get her body moving in time to the music and with the proper steps. ~Just another example of the fact that I still have to work to learn.~

The after-Waltz review was similar to the after-Fox Trot review. There was a lot of work to do, but this was just the beginning.

The Viennese Waltz lesson actually went better than the Waltz lesson had gone. Having been introduced to the basic steps, this second round permitted her to focus more on timing than the step. She found that, despite the faster pace, the extra pass through the steps started to get the muscles accustomed to the moves and pacing of the dance. The second lesson ended with less pain for Abe and less stress for Nicole. She kept losing the timing of the music, but wasn't losing the step as often.

She felt herself relaxing toward the end of the second lesson, slowly becoming aware of the pleasant sensations of physical contact as they practiced the dance steps. She tensed at the reaction and lurched a bit as she fought to refocus on the dance.

She was grateful when the lesson was over, and it was time for lunch. Abe extended an invitation to join a couple of the instructors at a nearby restaurant where they served Italian cuisine. It was a block or two away, but the weather was warm and the walk pleasant.

*****
11:45AM PST

Diego Derbez stood at the window of his office, looking out over the smog-choked city. It had been his home for most, but not all, of his life. He recalled the trip across the border from so many years ago. His family had been locked into the shipping container, and he had seen his parents and siblings sweltering and gasping in the intense heat. His father had sworn that they'd never suffer like that again.

He'd grown up in the dark underside of the Southern California urban society, scrambling for every chance to get a little further away from the raw edge of survival. His parents had demanded, at times with a leather strap, that he attend to his schoolwork.

"I won't have you screwing up like those fools you run with. You'll get out of this hole and make something of yourself if I have to beat you RAW!"

There were still scars from the beatings, but now, with hindsight, he saw they had been right in their insistence on school. He'd actually managed to earn a diploma and then rode an academic scholarship to UCSD.

He'd pursued a business degree, with a history minor, and had signed up with a small company in Los Angeles during the economic boom of the 1990's. Unfortunately, his company had lost several major, lucrative contracts later in the decade. He'd blamed the losses on the fact that the other company's CEO was a woman, overriding his firm's superior bids.

During a late night visit to his favorite bar, one of his local drinking buddies mentioned someone who might be able to help get a little back from the arrogant bitches who were making his life miserable -- who had cut his bonus to nearly nothing that year.

Three weeks later, he had begun his career with Hunter Security.

He grinned as he looked outside. The job had turned into a perfect match for his skills and drive for revenge. The early days of the 'dot-bomb' had, supposedly, disrupted that former competitor. She'd never figured out who had tweaked the contents of that financial report.

She'd be out of prison in another four years, maybe less with good behavior.

His chuckle echoed quietly in his office as he savored the memory.

*****
1:00PM PST

Nicole returned to the studio ready for the afternoon's first lesson on Eastern Swing. Abe was replaced by Kent O'Neill for the three afternoon lessons; he proved to be as resilient as Abe, but was a bit more intense and focused on the task. Kent also emphasized the need to keep her attention up at her partner from the beginning. He led her slowly through the steps, gradually increasing the pace until she managed three correct executions of the steps at full tempo. He moved on to the next part of the lesson, repeating the process for each new increment.

He followed a similar plan with the other afternoon sessions, as he covered first the Quickstep, and then West Coast Swing. At the end of the afternoon, Kent and Abe sat down with her and reviewed the day's successes and problems.

Kent nodded as he closed the day. "Overall, you're making good progress. Your coordination is excellent, and you seem to retain the required footwork. You need more practice to smooth out the dances, and you have more to learn, but I think you'll easily complete the course in the time available. The only caution I'd make is that you need to work on not getting distracted until the steps become automatic."

Nicole fought the blush that heated her cheeks as she recalled the reason for her 'distraction'. "I'll try harder to focus. Tomorrow's new dances will be Rumba, Slow Dance, and Line Dance, right? Then we go back to the first three from today?"

Abe nodded. "I'll have you tomorrow afternoon and we'll do a quick review before starting in on new material. Kent will be handling the morning lessons."

She shook hands with the two men and waved to Nick as she headed out the door.

*****

The team sat quietly in the car as they waited for their relief or the reappearance of the subject.
Finally, just after four o'clock and just when their replacements had appeared, the tall redhead exited the building and made her return to the hotel. The two teams scrambled to follow, and finally had time for the formal hand-off after she disappeared into the lobby.

*****

Nicole made her way back to the hotel without incident, other than an interminable wait for the traffic to clear long enough for her to turn into the hotel parking lot. As she finally locked the door to her room, she collapsed onto the couch. Her shoes dropped to the floor and she tucked her legs up onto the couch, rubbing the ache out of her poor, abused feet.

~I'm not sure I'll live long enough to get used to those high heels.~ She moaned a little as she hit a particularly sore spot.

*****

The late afternoon was a nice break from the physical activity of the day, and Nicole had time to relax before the restaurant opened for dinner at five. The veal was tender, though not in the same league as the meal she'd had with Judith. She found herself thinking back to her visit to England and wondered what Judith would do about the call she'd received.

The sun was dropping quickly toward the horizon as she reentered her room. ~I should leave by seven, so I have maybe an hour and a half.~ She looked longingly at the bathtub. ~If I set the alarm, I could soak for a while.~

A few minutes later, she lowered herself slowly into the tub. Her travel alarm was sitting on the counter and far enough away that she'd have to actually get out of the tub to turn it off. The water was on the verge of being too hot, but the heat quickly soaked into her aching feet and legs and began to relieve the discomfort.

Nicole lay there, soaking in the heat and drifting in the haze at the edge of sleep until the alarm began its annoying, high-pitched 'beepbeepbeep-beepbeepbeep'. Despite the death glare she sent its way, it stubbornly refused to go silent or disintegrate. She reluctantly dragged herself from the warm comfort of the tub and grabbed a towel, resisting the temptation to smack the noisemaker into oblivion.

She slipped into her panties and bra, then grabbed her jeans from the closet and slid them on. They were joined shortly by the light-green blouse she'd worn on her shopping trip with Kate. The little voice in her head that sounded like Kate stopped her as she prepared to tuck in the garment. With a sigh, she tied the garment in a midriff-baring fashion; at least it was warmer today.

The evening went somewhat as expected at the group lesson for beginners, and the imbalance in numbers between men and women required an unconventional pairing or two. Kent O'Neill was conducting the session and ended with Nicole and another young woman after pairing the available men. His hesitation was visible as he contemplated the potential damage to a profitable contract if he mishandled the situation, but the redhead was much taller than any of the available men.

"Nicole? We have more women than men in this class. Are you willing to be paired with Kim for the evening?"

The 'Kim' in question was an Asian woman who could have been anywhere from twenty-five to forty-five years old. She was easily a foot shorter than Nicole, which was likely to be a problem given where her face would end up. The tall redhead looked for a moment at Keith, then at Kim who looked a bit uncertain herself.

"We'll give it a shot. If it doesn't work, we can try something different."

Kim was still looking worried, but Keith made sure to circulate by the pair more frequently during the lesson; he also made a point of switching the leading role from time to time.

"Nicole, you're tall enough that you will inevitably find yourself dancing with someone shorter than you are in heels. This is a good chance to learn how to cope with that situation."

Kim gradually relaxed as the time passed; Nicole found her mind was all-too-frequently short-circuited by the utterly necessary touch of a soft, warm hand on the bare skin of her back or side. The only good side was that, by the end of the lesson, she was less affected by the contact. There was still an uncomfortably moist feeling between her legs, however. The situation wasn't helped by the speculative looks from her dance partner.

She didn't spend much time socializing after the lesson; the jetlag was still a problem as she forced herself to stay awake as long as possible. On top of it all, her reaction to having Kim in her arms during the dancing left her struggling again. She was able to relax enough to get to sleep, but only well after the light had been turned off.

*****

The late afternoon watch had been dull. She had stayed in her room, taking only a short trip to the restaurant to eat, then, at about seven o'clock she left again. She returned to the dance studio where she stayed until about eight fifteen, returning directly to the hotel. She was followed by the new shift of watchers that had come on duty at eight.

"She's dragging a little tonight."

"She just got back from a week in London. She's not doing badly considering."

The passenger side door opened briefly. "I'll watch the room light and give you a yell when it goes out. Do you want over or under on nine o'clock for the coffee tonight?"

"I'll take over. She'll try to force her adjustment to the time zone before the weekend."

"I hate to give it to you, but I think you're right. You like your coffee black?"

*****
Tuesday, February 6, 2001
Los Angeles, CA
12:30AM PST

The dance studio had shut down for the night hours before, and the little shops next door had finally gone dark and silent.

The team moved in with practiced efficiency through the warm Southern California night; they climbed to the roof to avoid discovery by passers-by, and the security system was bypassed in seconds as they entered the top floor storage area. They were professionals, and there was an economy of movement that reflected their experience.

It took two hours to make the installations: two cameras in each of the private lesson areas, plus two more in the main dance studio, would provide complete coverage. They also added the compression and transmission equipment and their wiring to an obscure junction box for power. They took time to check for any other rooms that might be of interest, but found only office space and restrooms.

As the video team worked, a second team managed to pull the lesson plans for Nicole Harrison off the computer system and copy them to a floppy. Having a schedule would be helpful in planning their operations.

Tomorrow they would have a lot of video to watch, but there would be no guesswork about what was happening inside the building.

*****
Fairfax, VA
WGSS Offices
9:00AM EST

"Alright, everyone. Let's get started." Joanne Bankhead began.

She had been appointed as the CEO of Wing several years before, and had never liked meetings that started late or ran longer than absolutely necessary. She'd been hired in through the teams and had been quickly dragged, fighting hard at times, into positions of responsibility. Dr. Wing himself had finally 'invited' her into his office and forced her into a choice.

"Joanne, I can find people to staff up the teams at any good university. A good portion of those will function reasonably well as team leaders. You, on the other hand, have a gift for leading that is rare. You were chosen early on as someone I wanted to run this company, and I admit I pushed you hard to develop your skills. It's your choice, but you'll be wasting your talent if you say no."

She'd wrestled with the decision for another week, but finally accepted the new position and quickly put her own unique stamp on the operation. The demand for prompt and efficient meetings was only the first.

The agenda was pre-published and adhered to; if there was something new to cover that wouldn't fit in the allotted time, a new meeting was scheduled and all pertinent information distributed ahead of time.

Amelia wrapped up the meeting with her department's monthly report. "... so based on the current growth rate of storage requirements, we have time to start our procurement process and have the new equipment in place before our worst case need date." She checked the item off her list of topics to cover.

"Regarding the security concerns about the continuing attack on our firewall, we've managed to track back to a second layer of controlling systems, but they're still in the same countries as the first set. Our defensive measures are working, and so far, we've managed to maintain normal communication with our field teams.

"We still don't know who it is, or why they're doing it, but we're looking."

Joanne inquired, "Is there anything one of us could do that would help nail down the guilty party? Any extra resources or contacts you need us to pull in?"

It took only moments for Amelia to begin shaking her head 'No'. "We've talked about it within the department, and we've used some -- unofficial channels -- to try to ID the problem source. If the situation changes, I'll let you know. For now it would be wasted effort."

Joanne nodded. "If anyone comes up with an idea, talk to Amelia and don't wait for the next meeting. If there's nothing else, then I'll see you all next month."

David Sterling closed on Amelia as they left the room. "Amelia," David began, "are you sure there's nothing we can do to help? I still have a few contacts from my younger days."

"I'm not even sure it's more than some 'script kiddies' running amok, but if you want to pass the raw data along you can have it. I'll drop you an e-mail with the info attached."

A little later, David was making a phone call to an old friend. "Gerard! David Stirling. It's good to speak with you again. How are Anna and Melissa? ... Good. Gerard, I have a couple of things I'd like you to check out for me, a little special project, if you have a little time, of course...."

*****
Los Angeles, CA
8:40AM PST

The first daylight watch was settled into their place -- northward bound this time -- as the now familiar Grand Prix headed out with its red haired driver at the wheel. They waited before pulling out into the flow of traffic about a block behind.

Today was lower stress; at least they were starting in the right direction and had a good idea where she was headed.

Once again, they ended their travel at the dance studio, and took up watch in the parking area. With a flip of a switch, they activated the video feeds in the studio and the recorder in the car. A small screen hung between the seats allowed them to watch the split screen feed and keep an ear on the audio. The two settled in for the remainder of their shift, watching as their subject began the day's lessons.

*****
Los Angeles, CA
9:00AM PST

Nicole greeted Nick, who again sat at the desk, with a smile and wave as she walked in. She wasn't as tired as she'd expected after the hard time getting to sleep last night and was looking forward to the classes today.

Kent was ready to begin promptly on the hour, and began the first lesson for the morning. By the time the first half-hour had elapsed, Nicole was convinced that the rumba was God's gift to dance. The combination of energy and eroticism was heady as she assimilated the basic figures and the underarm turns.

Nicole's nerves were singing by the end of the lesson, and Kent actually smiled as they reviewed what had been covered and the lessons to come.

"You seem to have enjoyed this dance," he said, "and it showed. If you show the same enthusiasm for the rest of the dances, you'll finish the work a week ahead of time."

She shook her head. "I know you've had dances that just seemed natural for you from the first step. I don't know why, but the rumba just seemed to flow for me like walking or breathing." She inhaled deeply, expanding her chest in a fashion that, quite unintentionally, rattled Kent's equanimity. "I know I have to move on to the next lesson, but I *really* could do that dance all day."

At ten o'clock, Kent began instructing his tall student in the slow dance, which proved to be much easier on the libido. The basic figure was well in hand by the end of the lesson; he covered the reverse basic as time ran out. The slow dance was rather boring after spending time on the rumba, and Nicole settled on using it as a reward for herself for working hard on the rest of her lessons.

Kent, eyeing the six-foot four-inch height of his high-heeled student as they wrapped up the review, commented that the underarm turns were likely to be difficult unless he found a taller instructor for a day or so. His five-ten would force an awkward reach to even emulate the turn.

She looked down at him, amused at his dilemma. "Shall I ditch the heels for that lesson?" she asked, giggling a little at the frustrated glare the question earned.

The progressive line dance was -- okay. It didn't seem a huge challenge, and country music would never rank high on Nicole's personal 'Top 40', but at least she'd be able to mix effectively in the middle of Nowhere, Texas.

~Bleah!~

*****

The surveillance team quickly found themselves shifting uncomfortably in their seats. The lithe athleticism of the woman they were watching made the rumba lessons a ... stimulating experience. She was obviously enjoying the lesson, based on the expression on her face.

The slow dance lesson wasn't much better, but it at least wasn't quite so expressive, and the line dancing lesson was mild in comparison, finally giving them some relief from the visual stimulations.

*****

The noon shift picked up the chase, as the redhead joined the pack of dance instructors as they made their way to a nearby restaurant for lunch. The in-car video camera was called into service again as they gathered information, while wishing they had the freedom to use a parabolic mike to pick up the conversations. Fortunately, even the facial expressions of the group had proven useful in gauging the general trend of conversation.

The group chatted, amiably it seemed, as they consumed their meals before gathering themselves for the walk back to the studio. The watchers followed to make sure of the final destination and settled in for an afternoon of watching.

*****

The first lesson was a step neither of the automobile's occupants was familiar with. The last two, as far as they could tell, were waltzes of some sort. It was obvious that she was a beginner as there was a cry of pain once or twice from her partner.

They chuckled at the mishaps as the lessons continued.

*****

The 'lunch-bunch', as Nicole was coming to view them, returned from the local pizza shop and dispersed to their duties. Nicole and Abe began the afternoon with the scheduled Fox Trot lesson, which went surprisingly well.

The waltzes, on the other hand, were still a work in progress, and Abe found his feet the unwilling target of Nicole's errant footwork at times.

*****
5:30PM PST

Nicole was settling in to check her e-mail after a quick meal at the restaurant when her cell phone warbled.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Nicole!"

The redhead grinned at the sound of her sister Amazon, and dear friend, Kate. "Hey, Kate! It's good to hear from you. What's up?" She dropped onto the couch, curling her feet up under her as she got comfortable.

"Mom was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow."

"I have an evening lesson at seven-thirty. If that isn't a problem, I'd love the company; what time should I be there?"

"Around five-thirty. I'll be home by then, and Mom works from home, so we can lend a hand. Dad has a Toastmasters meeting, so he's eating out. Oh! A week from Saturday, the seventeenth, is the monthly get together at the Key Club. You're welcome to come again if you want."

The two chatted until Kate was informed that she was needed - NOW - in the kitchen.

There was an 'Eeep!', followed by a 'Bye!', and Nicole was left chuckling and listening to a dial tone.

*****
Wednesday, February 7, 2001
Los Angeles, CA

As on the previous day, the pretty young woman left the studio after her last lesson at four o'clock and made her way back to the hotel. The teams were talking about combing through each shift's video and stills for a 'Best Picture' competition.

They'd have to be professional, but there was no reason not to have a little fun as long as it helped focus their attention on the subject of interest.

*****
5:30PM PST

Nicole stopped her car in the driveway, parking behind Kate's little Saturn. She was in her jeans and blouse, topped with a jacket to ward off the occasional rain that was pelting the city. Scampering up to the doorway, the redhead sheltered under the archway as she rang the doorbell. Kate pulled open the door and soon the three women were in the kitchen, with Nicole giving her hostesses a quick update on how the week had gone.

The menu made heavy use of the seafood that was so readily available, and reasonably fresh, in the area. Marie had steamed some fresh vegetables, and they sat down to a perfect California meal.

"So, Nicole," Marie said as they began eating, "I'll bet you're looking forward to getting back and settling in at home for a little while. All this traveling must be wearing on you."

"I suppose." She shrugged, picking at some broccoli. "I only moved into Fairfax the day before I reported to work, so I don't know anyone there, yet. I *am* getting travel-weary, but for now it's just the way it has to be. I guess I should be grateful I don't have a family to complicate the situation." The smile she put on her face was unconvincing.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "And just what am I? Chopped liver?"

Nicole looked over at her, noting Marie's attentive gaze at the two of them. "Kate, I've told you before how I feel about you. I was thinking of being married and having a spouse and children and the impact all this travel would have on them. After all, how would Alex feel about having you away from home for six weeks or so?"

Kate stopped chewing as she considered the question. "I'm guessing he wouldn't like it, any more than I would."

The redhead nodded. "Long trips, or even a lot of shorter trips that add up, can be hard on a relationship."

"You sound as if you have some experience with that situation, Nicole." Marie broke into the thread of the conversation. She was focused on their guest.

"Remember what I said about my father being in the Navy? That's a perfect example of what I mean." Marie and Kate both nodded. "It's a question of whether you're willing to pay the price for the work in your relationships. You're lucky, Kate, that you've had a lot of time to build a solid friendship with Alex. That will help, but won't solve all the problems."

"So much wisdom from one so young." Marie mused quietly; she returned the quizzical looks from her daughter and guest with a calmly thoughtful one.

"So," Kate broke in to change the subject, "what are you up to for the weekend, Nicole?"

Grinning, the redhead replied, "I don't have any plans -- or do I have some that you just haven't gotten around to telling me about?"

Kate suggested a shopping trip to equip Nicole for the monthly group visit next week. "We can also make an appointment for us at the salon to get our hair done. I know you haven't had a chance with all the traveling you've been doing."

The arrangements were made to meet between nine and nine-thirty at the Tanner house as the three finished their meal. By the time they were done, and cleanup was complete, it was time for Nicole to head off to the evening's class. A quick round of farewell hugs later, she was out the door.

*****
7:30PM PST

The day had gone normally, with the morning and afternoon lessons broken only by lunch with the staff and a visit to the Tanner home. Unlike the previous evenings where she took the group lessons in stride, the techniques this evening seemed to leave her a little dazed and confused.

*****

Nicole stood by the side of the studio, at first. The group lesson for the evening was 'Advanced Techniques', and she just stood back and listened as conversations flowed between people who obviously knew each other. The terminology was as opaque as a wall.

Abe and Kent were both in attendance this evening, and spent the first few minutes arranging the students in pairs. They began the class with a demonstration of the evening's techniques, then started the students working in their pairs.

Nicole found herself looking up, in heels, for the first time. Abe had looked around for a couple of minutes when she walked in, spoke briefly to Kent, and then had introduced her to her lesson partner.

"Nicole, this is Richard MacLeod. He's been taking lessons here for a few months and will be your dance partner for tonight. Richard, this is Nicole Harrison. She just started her lessons this week."

Richard looked down at the slightly shorter woman with a grin. "I'll consider myself warned, Abe." Holding out his hand, he addressed his partner for the evening, "I'm pleased to meet you, Nicole. I usually go by 'Rich'."

He was easily six and a half feet tall, with black hair and facial features that looked as if they could have been carved by a sculptor. He was dressed in black slacks and a long-sleeved, turquoise dress shirt. His dark eyes seemed alight with humor. "Shall we?" he asked, extending an elbow to lead her to the floor. She twined an arm in his and followed him.

He stopped in an open area, and they took their position for the first part of the lesson.

"I'll have to apologize in advance for the pain in your foot," she said. "Poor Abe has tried to get me to the point where he doesn't get hurt, but we aren't there yet."

His smile was warm, and full of confidence. "I'm sure you'll do fine, and if not," he shrugged, "I'm a big boy."

She couldn't resist the warmth and good humor he radiated; he had the feel of a long time friend. She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Oh?" she said with a little smirk.

The faint tinge of a blush rose briefly on his cheeks, but he still returned her smirk with a grin. "Ahem! Behave yourself; it isn't nice to embarrass your dance partner! It can be hazardous to your toes." He made a show of stepping on her toes, and she squeaked as she pulled the target out of range.

Nicole's response was cut off by the beginning of the lessons.

*****

The forty-five minutes evaporated, it seemed. Nicole had spent the entire time with Rich, and it had been a joy and delight. The first fifteen minutes were a bit rough as they adjusted to each other's movements, and as she tried to figure out how to keep her feet off his, but by the thirty minute mark they had made enough progress to attract a smile of approval from Abe and a nod from Kent.

Their confidence in each other grew quickly, and they were moving together quite smoothly by the end of the class; Nicole glared at the instructors as they called the lesson to a halt.

"Very good, everyone. We'll see you all next week!"

Nicole's shoulders slumped a little in disappointment. She had had such a good time that she'd lost track of the clock. The sudden end of the class left her wanting more time on the dance floor, despite the slight ache from all the time in heels.

Rich's soft chuckle drew her attention. "I had a good time, too; I wasn't ready for the class to be done either." He stepped back a little, removing his arm from her waist and sliding it down her arm. He stopped with both her hands in his.

Nicole shivered slightly at the sensation of the touch, and blushed at her own reaction and his quiet snicker. "I suppose we're even, now." she said, looking up at his face and dropping her hands to her sides.

He nodded, and the two just stood and chatted quietly as the other students gathered their belongings and departed. He was a stockbroker -- struggling now to deal with the impact of the economic slowdown and the bursting of the tech stock bubble -- and a sometime extra in the movies when they needed an authentic American Indian. He'd migrated west to California from the Cherokee tribal lands in Oklahoma.

Nicole related the short version of her official history, touching on the traveling she'd done in the last month. She reluctantly picked up her gear in preparation for leaving.

"It's been a real pleasure this evening, Rich. Will you be here next week?"

"I'm actually planning on being around Friday evening for the dance party. Will you...?"

She smiled, "I’ll be there for the lesson and the party. See you there?" She stuck out her hand.

"I'm looking forward to it." He took her hand, and with a gentle shake, they parted for the evening.

*****

The video feeds displayed the interior of the studio. The instructors had finally paired her with the tallest of the male students, a black-haired man with distinctive American Indian features. He was the first man she'd danced with who had the size to make her look at all petite. Several times he or she flinched as she made a misstep, but by the end of the forty-five minute session, they were moving more smoothly together.

They lingered for a few minutes after the session and chatted amiably. Finally, the two shook hands and she departed.

"This is a man-hating Amazon queen? Why are we following this gal again?"

"Because the boss will have our *heads* if we don't."

*****
Los Angeles, CA
11:30PM

As expected, the express shipping company had delivered the tracker that morning. Similar to the devices used by theft recovery companies, it was battery powered and used a custom frequency. It took an additional step to conserve battery life by keeping the transmitter off until queried by a coded message from a station that powered up the built-in GPS receiver. The location was identified and transmitted to the command system; an alternate response was used to indicate a GPS problem and allow triangulation of the tracker.

The installer stealthily made his way to the vehicle and found a hidden nook on the underside where the device could be secured. He kept the car team posted on his progress as he placed and verified the device's operation.

"Okay. The scanner indicates no activity on either of our default frequencies. Switching on the unit ... it's powering up ... and passed all internal tests. Running GPS test ... the receiver is picking up the signals ... and we have a lock on four satellites, so you'll get velocity data, too. Checking the precision channel ... key is entered ... okay, we are in the hi-precision mode and the location is correct. Stand by for the transceiver test."

"We're ready."

"Okay. Run your query."

The watcher's vehicle had a portable terminal with a moving map display that would provide the vehicle's current location in a useful format.

"Okay, we have a good location on the target. Good job; you can head back to the barn."

"Thanks. See you after your shift."

~At least now we can hang a little further back.~ thought the man in the driver's seat.

*****
Thursday, February 8, 2001
Los Angeles, CA

The friendly competition between the teams continued, as the full capabilities of the digital still camera were pushed to get *just* the right picture. Today was going to be a problem with the rain; no one expected the redhead to be out as much on a day with that kind of weather. They still got a couple of nice shots of her in her braid look, though.

The tracking system was going to be a help, too, as the morning team put it through its paces on the drive to the studio. The precision GPS mode worked well, and they were able to follow the track of their subject from out of sight during their run.

Another team had managed to gain access to her hotel room. It turned out to be the least interesting search they had conducted for months; nothing was found other than the normal items expected for a woman traveler. As audio-visual bugs were planted in the room, along with a tap on the telephone, a man with latex gloves pulled Nicole's laptop from its case and began cloning the hard drive.

The evening, too, went as before. A late group lesson, covering the waltzes and similar dances, lasted from seven-thirty until quarter after eight. It was followed by a second lesson on dances similar to the rumba from eight-fifteen 'til nine o'clock.

After she returned to her room this evening, the 'over' bet won. The light went out at nine thirty, and the order for 'coffee with two creams' was accompanied by a satisfied grin.

*****
Friday, February 9, 2001
Los Angeles, CA

~Typical day.~

The driver was tapping his fingers in boredom on the steering wheel; he stopped when he noticed the glare of his partner in the other seat.

The daytime shifts had seen nothing of interest, and this evening would be more of the same in all likelihood.

The student count was higher tonight for what the instructor called the 'Social Dancing' lesson, and there seemed to be a variety of skill levels present. The interesting part began when the group lesson ended. After the early session, a second session began called the 'Dance Party' on the schedule they'd received.

*****

She had dressed up for this evening. Despite the cool temperatures, she pulled out her camel colored skirt and white blouse, relying on her coat for comfort during travel. For the evening, she chose her silver necklace and earrings. She wasn't even aware of the extra care she had taken as she carefully applied her makeup and brushed her hair until it glowed like burnished copper.

The social dancing lesson went okay, but it lacked any excitement. Nicole caught herself looking at the clock a few times as she willed the lesson to be done and the party to begin.

When the time finally arrived for the party, she looked around to see where Rich might be. As the music started, she was disappointed to note his absence, despite the fact she didn't know the steps. The first dance came to an end, and she found she'd migrated slowly toward the entrance. She found herself wondering if he'd changed his mind about coming. Her face brightened into a smile as he walked into the studio.

He was dressed in a pair of khaki slacks, and a white polo shirt that showcased his broad shoulders and exposed well-muscled arms. She took in his appearance and noted a tattoo -- an eagle, globe, and fouled anchor -- on Rich's right forearm. A smile rose on his face as he approached her.

"I was beginning to wonder if my dancing had scared you off." Nicole looked him over, smiling. "It seems you got the dress code memo for the day, at least."

He gave her a puzzled look. "Memo?"

Her smile turned into a grin. "Look at the colors you're wearing, then look at me."

He looked at her in confusion, then at himself. The light bulb went on as he finally made the connection. He smacked himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand as he went "Doh!" in a very poor Homer Simpson imitation.

Giggles erupted from the redhead. "It sounds like this dance is over; are you ready for some fun?"

He laughed. "Yes, as long as you don't use those heels on my toes." Taking her hand, he led her to the floor as the next dance, a waltz, was announced.

She and Rich took their places and swept into the dance as the music began. The tune, 'Last Waltz', was one she remembered from its debut in 1967, and she found herself quietly singing along. Focusing on the music, she found herself and her dance partner moving in reasonable synchronization.

"I find it hard to believe that you've only been at this for a week. You hardly missed a step, and I enjoyed your vocal accompaniment, too," Rich commented.

"The two waltz lessons are helping. The timing is different, but they're similar enough to amount to double practice." With a blush she continued, "I enjoy singing, but I find I don't have time for more than an in-car sing-along."

"Your voice reminds me of my grandmother's, at least as far as your vocal range."

The music continued to vary from waltzes to tangos -- even a line dance that Nicole took part in as Rich watched from the sidelines.

As the evening progressed, their coordination improved, though Nicole found herself working at times to get her feet moving properly.

The last couple of dances were waltzes again, and Nicole found herself sweeping around the floor in the arms of her tall companion. The only problem during the party was that she found she needed to make a visit to the ladies room between the last two numbers; she had begun to feel awfully damp -- ~down there,~ she thought, and blushed -- as the night progressed.

The party finally came to a close, and Nicole found Rich holding her coat as she put it on after changing out of her heels and into flats. He grabbed his own jacket, and the two walked out toward their vehicles.

*****

The music had varied over a wide range of styles, some of which they hadn't seen covered so far. For the first couple of dances, which were styles she hadn't learned as far as they knew, she stood back and observed. As the second dance began, the tall man from the previous evening arrived. He seemed to look around briefly before spotting the redhead. They spent the remainder of the class swirling around the room as if they'd been dancing together for years.

There were long stretches where her face reflected intense concentration on the mechanics of the dance; the man had similar moments, but frequently slowed the pace just enough to allow his dance partner to keep up. Later, as the music changed back to waltzes, it seemed they both relaxed and flowed around the room in nearly flawless synchronization.

*****
9:10PM PST

They waited, secure in the cloudy darkness. They had been hired by someone -- they didn't know who and really didn't care -- to steal a redheaded woman's purse. They had been chosen for their size and strength. Both were well over six and a half feet tall and muscular; in their line of work, it had kept them from having to work too hard, as most of their victims rolled over rather than face the inevitable pounding that would follow resistance.

It seemed like a stupid task, but the pay was good and the risk minimal. The information on her whereabouts had been accurate, as they'd watched her go in. They waited in the deeper shadows of a tree.

What they didn't see was one of the surveillance team members in a secluded corner. He had a low-light video camera and a parabolic microphone that were poised to capture the impending encounter.

*****

As the couple walked toward their cars, their quiet conversation barely audible beyond a few feet, the hired muggers moved out of the shadows.

"Give up the purse, and no-one gets hurt." said the taller of the two thugs. His partner moved out to his left, flanking the intended victims and cutting off an escape route.

*****

Nicole was listening as they walked slowly toward their cars, and Rich described his early years in the Marines.

"I got bored in Oklahoma. More school just didn't sound attractive, so I decided to enlist. I wound up at Camp Pendleton for boot camp, and got to ride around the Pacific during my four-year hitch. It was interesting visiting some of the places we stopped, but I decided it wasn't really for me. The last year, they tried to get me to stay by keeping me as an instructor at Pendleton, but...."

He broke off as Nicole stopped abruptly, turning her attention to two figures moving out from the shadows. He watched from the corner of his eye as one of them moved toward their escape route, and he felt himself dropping into combat mode. The anger he felt at the disruption of his evening was draining away, and his mind shifted into a cool, detached state. He waited for the thugs to speak or act.

When the demand came for Nicole's purse, he noted her movement to relinquish the item. ~She's doing the right thing for most situations, but not this time.~ He felt her hand on his shoulder and reached out to stop her.

*****

A long moment of silence, punctuated only by the sound of cars passing on the street beyond the buildings, passed. The woman placed a hand on her companions shoulder and started to remove her purse from her shoulder. A restraining arm held her back as the man spoke.

*****

"Back off. You've screwed up a good evening, and if you don't leave now I'm going to take my frustrations out on you both." His voice carried tones of irritation and utter confidence.

It was hard to tell whether the expressions on the muggers, the woman, or the cameraman were more comical. The only certainty was that the woman's companion was poised to attempt to carry through on his threat.

With growls of annoyance, the two thugs moved to punish the man; they were unused to being dismissed as a real threat and decided to prove the futility of resisting their demands and get a bit of exercise.

*****

Rich had been out of the service for three years, but he'd kept himself in good physical condition. These two were no larger than some of the students he'd had at times, and now he had the added incentive to protect Nicole. He had warned them, but they moved in anyway.

His face never reflected his internal grin as he engaged the attackers.

*****

The leader reached for the man, and suddenly found he was flying head-over-heels into the ground. The sharp pain in his elbow and shoulder was abruptly overshadowed by a greater pain in the back of his head. The pain was snuffed out as blackness claimed his consciousness. He didn't see the woman's companion continue to spin, using his momentum to kick out and catch the second thug on the point of his chin.

He collapsed as the crack of shattered bone echoed in the parking area.

*****

Nicole had kept out of his way as Rich moved to deal with the two attackers. She didn't know what he intended, but she sensed the calm confidence he felt. ~He's almost amused.~ The speed with which he broke the two thugs was surprising; even her physical prowess would be pressed to deal with the precision displayed by the man.

For anyone else, she expected the combat would have been impossible to follow.

As the second body settled to the ground, Nicole watched her companion relax from his combat stance.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she pulled her cell phone out of her purse.

He nodded. "I'm fine. I didn't have a chance to tell you that I was an advanced martial arts instructor for my last year in the Marines. These two," he gestured dismissively, "weren't a real threat. You're calling 911?"

She nodded. It was only a few minutes later that the first car arrived with lights and siren blaring. The interviews and paperwork consumed much of the next two hours. The two goons were bundled into a squad car for transport to a hospital; neither was in condition to speak or argue.

*****

The cameraman was hoping that slow-motion playback would help, because it seemed only an eye-blink after the action started that both thugs were unconscious and on the ground.

He decided a quick withdrawal was in order as the woman, seemingly unshaken, pulled a cell phone out of her purse. The equipment was packed away and he was just sitting back in the car as the police car arrived.

He turned to his partner. "You have to see this video. The tall dude with the target just wiped out the team of muggers we sent in the blink of an eye."

"What did *she* do?"

"She just stood there while he took the bruisers apart, then she called the cops." He gestured at the second cruiser as it roared up, lights blazing and siren echoing through the streets.

*****

It was close to midnight when she finally got back to the hotel, though she wasn't as perturbed as she expected to be. The pleasant company she'd had made the time seem to fly. The two 'gentlemen' were well known to the officers, and, despite the fact the police could only file an attempted robbery charge, the prospect of getting them off the street had made Nicole and Rich very popular at the station.

The two had resumed their quiet conversation as they waited for the paperwork to get processed. After signing off on their respective statements, they walked in silence to their respective vehicles.

"Rich, I really enjoyed the evening with you. I also appreciate your courage in taking on those muggers, even if I think it was an unnecessary risk." She hardly trusted herself to say much more, as her mind and emotions were in a whirl of confusion. His smile didn't help the situation, either.

"It's a pleasure to be a knight in shining armor to such a fair princess." He bowed low, taking her hand and kissing the back. He stood upright again, and reached for his wallet. "I'd like to get together again outside the dance classes, if you don't mind." A business card appeared in his hand.

She answered his bow with a curtsy. "Such a handsome and courageous knight is a welcome addition to any royal court." Nicole's mind had reeled a bit as he kissed her hand, and it took a couple of moments to regain her equilibrium. She accepted the card, and gave him one of her own as her heart tried to hammer its way out of her torso.

"Rich, I'd like to see more of you while I'm here, too. I have to be honest, though; I'm flying back to Virginia on the twenty-fourth, and I don't know how long it will be before we could see each other again. I don't want to operate under false pretenses."

His smile never wavered. "I understand, and I'll accept whatever time we can have while you're here. Are you busy tomorrow evening?"

She ducked her head in embarrassment. "I don't have any settled plans, yet, for the evening. What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing major, just dinner at a little restaurant I like in this area."

They agreed that he'd pick her up about six, and the dress code was clean jeans. The place was for good food and music, not showing off. He stood, watching, as she pulled away for the drive back to her hotel.

*****
Saturday, February 10, 2001
Los Angeles, CA

The weekday teams had settled into a routine; the subject was busy enough that deviations from the class schedule were unlikely. Nobody knew what to expect for the weekend, other than that the rain and cool temperatures would cancel any beach plans. They waited patiently as the drips of water ran down the windows.

Finally, about nine o'clock, she came barreling out of the hotel and zipped out of the parking lot as if to head to the dance studio. It quickly became apparent, as she continued past the place, that she had another destination in mind.

In a few minutes, she was disappearing into the Tanner house, moving quickly to dodge the falling raindrops as another wave of slightly heavier showers passed through. They recalled the previous Saturday with the mad shopping dash in the mall and prayed fervently that they'd be spared this weekend.

They groaned as the terrible twosome thundered out of the house just a few minutes later and roared off in the target's car. There was no doubt -- she had a credit card and wasn't afraid to use it.

"Fire up the tracker. Let's find out where they're shopping this weekend," sighed the driver.

*****

Nicole stretched as she finished putting away the laundry that had been returned that morning. Jeans were the uniform of the day, and with the rain, she put on a blouse -- and tucked it in.

~Let Kate fuss. It's too cool to not have things tucked in today.~

She scooted over to the Tanner home, finding Kate dressed and ready to go. The two were soon back in Nicole's car and on their way to the Century City Mall.

"So how did the rest of the week go, sis?" Kate asked.

"For the most part, it went fine. There was a little excitement last night when a couple of muggers jumped us on our way to our cars."

"Us? Our? Who's the rest of this 'us,' sister-mine?"

Nicole felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she drove along and outlined the events of the week. She mentioned her introduction to Rich, the encounters during the dance lessons and party, and how he'd taken care of the muggers. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Tigger's intent look as she finished.

Kate had been watching her friend's reactions as she related her story. "You *like* him, don't you." It wasn't a question.

Nicole didn't reply for a couple of minutes as she steered her car into a parking spot. Turning off the engine, she sat back in the seat. "I can't. I want to -- God knows how I was ..."

"Getting a little damp between the legs, you say?" There was just the least bit of teasing in Kate's voice.

"Kate!" Nicole's face flamed almost as red as her hair, and she turned her glare toward her passenger.

A gentle hand on Nicole's arm, and a sympathetic look stayed more of a reaction. "Nicole, it's okay. That happens to all women to some degree when we start getting aroused."

"But I *can't*, Kate. It isn't fair to him -- or me. He's warm, intelligent, and witty -- a classic tall, dark, and handsome man; I can feel my body just aching to be with him. It's bad enough he wants to go out tonight."

"So we find you a vibrator, and you use him as inspiration." Kate shrugged and watched as Nicole's face reached new shades of red. "Remember what I said about women having to be more careful. You aren't protected, so you can't indulge unless you intend to get pregnant. You aren't used to the hormone storm you're going through right now, so you're having a hard time handling it. Trust me, I've been there, and I know how you feel."

"Like you need a diaper when he's around?"

Kate blinked. "Well ... I don't get quite *that* damp." She paused. "Really?"

The embarrassed woman nodded, silently.

Kate pursed her lips as she thought for a moment. "You can probably get by using a pad; it should be absorbent enough to cope no matter how excited you get. But to get back to the main topic: What are you going to do about Rich?"

"I ... can't avoid him for the next couple of weeks, and to be perfectly honest, I don't want to. I do like his company, and I think he likes mine from what I'm picking up. I'll have to be as honest as I can with him; I already warned him about my travel plans."

"And until we find you a little buzzing, plastic friend, you'll just have to use your hands to keep the tension level down." Getting an inarticulate growl in response, Kate continued. "Look, don't be so squeamish. You're a healthy, adult woman; it's smarter to relieve the stress and keep yourself out of trouble. You haven't taken time to give yourself an orgasm yet, have you?" It was another statement, not a question.

"Once. The first week in Dana Point."

"Once in the last six weeks, more or less. Or ... has it been only once, ever?"

Silence.

"I see we're going to have to have a nice long talk later. We have things to do right now, and the rain's let up."

The two girls got out and jogged into the mall through the rain.

The next few hours were spent walking the mall, as they shopped for new outfits suitable for next week, and some new jeans and a top for Nicole.

"You only have the one pair, and this will give you something clean for tonight. You should make a good impression on your new boyfriend." Kate teased her companion.

They took a break a little after noon in the food court and discussed the tactical shopping options for the early afternoon.

"I need to be ready by six, and I'll need time to get ready." She checked a few strands of hair. "I really should wash this mop, too."

A couple of hours, a pair of jeans, a turquoise top, and two, matching, scandalously small, black dresses later, the two were off to the Tanner's to drop off Kate and her purchases.

~Two thirty by the time I get back. Three and a half hours should be enough to get ready, even with drying my hair. I hope.~ Nicole built her task list in her head as she drove along, unheeding of the vehicle that trailed along behind.

*****
6:00PM PST

It only sunk in as she stood, waiting, in the lobby.

~I'm going out on a date ... with a man ... alone ... and I'm looking forward to it.~

It was fortunate that, as her higher mental functions restarted and began to process the implications of that thought, Rich drove up to the entrance in a sleek, black Firebird.

~Too late to run!~

It looked like a refugee from the old 'Knight Rider' television show. The spray from the roads seemed only to increase the depth of the finish and the engine rumbled as only the muscle cars could. Rich looked like he unfolded from the driver's seat as he got out; he made his way to the passenger side of the vehicle as Nicole walked toward him. He was dressed in jeans and a plaid flannel shirt; a worn, brown leather jacket and boots completed his look of casual comfort.

"Good evening, Nicole. I wish the weather were better, but at least the rain quit for us."

"A little water never hurt anyone, and we'll be inside, so..." she shrugged.

With a nod, he handed her into the car, unaware of the mental effort she exerted to remember to follow normal procedure for a woman as she sat down and rotated herself into the seat.

"So where are we off to?"

"Weber's Place. It's a bar and grill a little north of here, in Receda; it's a good place for food and music. Nothing fancy, but it's tasty and fun, and on Friday and Saturday they have live music."

The drive was relatively short, and Rich found a parking spot that was reasonably close to the entrance. He opened his door to get out, and Nicole started to do the same. A strong hand on her arm forestalled her exit.

"Just hold on a moment, and I'll come around to let you out."

Nicole just sat and waited for him, as much due to the need to think as anything. Tom would have done the same thing for Beth; Rich was obviously someone who believed in treating a woman as a lady.

~How do *I* feel about that?~ she wondered. She, better than anyone alive, knew she was hardly a frail woman; the whole 'protective man' bit would get old in a hurry, she was sure. Still, the attention was enjoyable; it made her feel special in a way Tom had never felt. She could sense Rich's feelings of protectiveness, and yet a strong respectful streak was there, too.

The thoughts chasing around in her mind were disrupted by the door opening. Rich extended a hand, and once again, she concentrated on a lady-like exit. The smile she gave Rich was honest, despite her inner confusion.

She was at the door before she realized he still had her hand in his.

And she didn't mind.

A couple of minutes later, they were seated in a corner where they could see the stage, but weren't in the direct line of fire of the speakers. The band for the night was playing acoustical guitars, but she didn't want to test her ears healing ability any more than necessary.

"What do you recommend?" she asked.

"If you prefer a salad," he gave a questioning look and received a nod in return, "their Chicken Caesar Salad is my choice." He stuck out an arm and flexed his bicep, eliciting giggles, "If you want REAL food, you should try their Mega Munchin' Platter."

"So you're having the salad, I take it?" She carefully kept her face serious.

"What? Me real man! Me have meat!" His cave man imitation was enough to crack her façade.

The waiter returned to their table, finding them gasping for breath to recover from laughter. Intermittent giggles rose as they finally ordered her salad and his platter.

"And what would you like to drink?"

Rich asked for a Guinness, and she ordered a diet cola. "You don't drink alcohol?" he inquired.

She shrugged. "Not very often. I don't have much of a taste for most of it."

"You don't mind if I have it, though?"

The red hair waved a bit as she shook her head at him. "I have no problem, as long as you don't overindulge. I know a lot of people really like the flavor.”

The conversation was briefly interrupted by the arrival of their drinks, but quickly resumed as they shared stories about their youth. Rich painted a word picture of the Oklahoma reservation, the struggle that so many of his neighbors had had to stay employed and provide for their families.

"An awful lot of the kids I went to school with dropped out, or burned their brains out with drugs or alcohol. That was another of the reasons I just had to leave; I didn't want to end up like that." His face hardly echoed his feelings. "My grandmother had a lot to do with keeping me out of that kind of trouble. She's a medicine woman of the AniWodi, or Paint Clan; it's a position that still is held in honor -- even by those who don't follow the traditions of the Cherokee. She's also the eldest on the clan's council of grandmothers. I tried to get them to talk to her, or just listen, but they wouldn't."

Nicole put a hand on his arm. "It hurt you to see them like that, too, didn't it?"

He nodded. "My best friend is buried because of alcohol and drugs. He lost hope, and tried to run away from it all."

Nicole's eyes teared at the waves of grief that were radiating from him. "I'm sorry you lost your friend." She forced a wan smile as she used a tissue to daub the tears from her eyes.

He had to gather himself a bit, before responding. "I'm sorry I brought it up. I shouldn't spoil your evening like that."

"It's what friends are for -- sharing the burden. I'm flattered you felt comfortable telling me about it. Someday, I hope you can show me where you grew up."

His smile returned. "I think I'd like that very much."

Their food finally arrived, and they sat and munched away as the musicians prepared for their first set. The music seemed to perfectly match the mood of the evening -- warm, relaxed, and friendly.

The musicians finally were done with their last set at midnight, and Nicole and Rich made their way back to his car and then her hotel.

"I really enjoyed this evening, Nicole. You're good company, and a good friend, I think."

The tall redhead smiled back warmly, and she gave him a careful hug. "I'm glad you think so, and I'm happy to call you a friend, too." With a final squeeze, she stepped back and waved as he drove off.

*****
Sunday, February 11, 2001
Los Angeles, CA
9:15AM PST

The early service was over, and Nicole walked down the aisle with the Tanners toward the cool, gray, windy morning outside. The rain of the previous day had cleaned the streets, and the air below the clouds was unusually clear; the mountains were sharply visible.

"Excuse me, miss, could you help me a moment?"

A look to her right revealed a tiny, white haired woman who was bracing herself on the pew. "Of course, need a wing?" Nicole carefully crooked an elbow out to serve as a brace.

"Thank you so much. I left my cane back at my room, and," she winced, "I think I twisted my hip a little this morning. My name is Alice Grant, by the way."

"I'm happy to help, Ms. Grant. I'm Nicole.." Nicole turned her head to the Tanners. "I'll walk her where she needs to go, then join you, okay?"

As they walked slowly along, their conversation continued. "I'm sorry to interrupt your time with your friends. Have you known Greg and Marie long? I've noticed you here on and off over the last two months."

"I actually met their daughter, Kate, for the first time early last month. We got along very well, and they've been nice enough to let me tag along when they come here."

"Oh! I thought she was rather taken with that young man; Alexander was his name, I believe. Are you her new partner?"

Grateful for the fact she was facing straight ahead, the tall young woman took only a heartbeat to steady herself and squelch the impending giggle. "No, she's still with Alex. I'm more of a sister she just found, though we're not related."

"Oh, that's good. They've known each other for so long, it would be a shame for them to break up." The old woman changed topics to her own family, and her children who now lived so very far away, as Nicole walked her carefully to the shuttle bus that the church used for transportation.

Nicole grinned and waved as the bus carried Alice back to her home. ~I really could do this all day,~ she thought as she turned to make her way to where the Tanners waited.

*****
3:30PM PST

~Shit! SHIT! *SHIT!*~

Diego sat at the video monitor as he reviewed the collated data from the field teams for the week.

It was bad enough that the entire week had been a giant waste of time, and the weekend a joyful time of chasing after a couple of shop-a-holics. Oh no. Tomorrow, he would get to explain the result of the arranged mugging. Two burly, experienced men taken out in the blink of an eye. The whole point was to provoke a reaction from the Amazon, to force her into a situation where she'd reveal herself to the camera. They’d gotten a reaction, all right. Not by the target as expected, but by her male companion as she stood back and watched.

~Looking at the guy's record, I can't say I'm surprised anymore. Just my luck he's a retired Marine who was a hand-to-hand combat *instructor* at Camp Pendleton.~

He swore under his breath as he pondered how to convince his higher-ups that this supposed Amazon was anything but.

~No way a REAL Amazon would let a man step in for her like that -- even a man with HIS skills. She's nearly simpering.~

*****
Tuesday, February 13, 2001
Tanner Home
5:30PM PST

Marie was up to her elbows in dinner preparation as Alex walked in.

"Hi, honey!" She hugged her daughter's near-fiancé. "I'm glad you could make it for dinner."

"Hi, Mom! I'm glad I could make it, too; I've eaten enough of my own cooking to have a full appreciation for the good stuff."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, young man." she said with mock sternness and waving a spoon at him. "Just for that, you can go help Kate downstairs. She just went down to get at some boxes of books for work and might need help."

"Yes, ma'am!" He faked a salute and headed for the basement, leaving Marie chuckling.

*****

~I don't like the mess when the folks are remodeling, but they always end up with something that's worth it.~ Kate needed to get at some boxes of reference books from college and started to shove a large pallet of materials to one side to gain access. It slid only a couple of inches before it hung up on a floor drain. She stared at the drain, which blocked the only clear aisle. She looked around quickly and listened. ~No-one around, and Alex shouldn't be here for a little while. I'll take care of this quick and easy.~

She was in the middle of the task, and was holding one side of the palette up as she dragged it over the drain, when Alex appeared at the bottom of the stairway; his approach had been masked by the squealing of the wood sliding over concrete.

"What!? How?!" He gave her an incredulous look. He and Greg had moved that same palette the previous weekend, and it had been all the two could do to move it around. He had come down the stairs to see Kate *lifting* the pallet over a drain by herself.

Kate paled. ~This isn't how it was supposed to go.~

Alex walked up, the astonishment still in his face. "Kate, last week it took both your dad and me to move that thing, and you're just shifting it around like it was nothing. What's going on?"

~I told Nicole I wouldn't lie.~ She took a deep breath and jumped in. "Alex, I can't really tell you everything right now, but I'll tell you what I can."

"Do your parents know what this is all about?"

"No." Kate sighed. "Alex, have I been acting differently? Do I look worse?"

He looked her over as he considered her question. "No, I can't say you look worse -- you actually look better in some ways. How do I phrase it? You look more taut -- like your body is in perfect tone." At her amused smile he quickly added, "You looked good before; you just look like a better you." He cringed at the phrasing.

Kate giggled at his awkwardness, as she walked over and hugged him. "That had to be one of the nicest back-handed compliments I've gotten. That's not a bad way to put it, though.

"Alex, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and have a family together. I hope to raise our children, grow old with you, and enjoy however many years we're given together." She took his hands in her own and looked into his face. "I want to tell you everything, but I need to make sure another person is here."

"That has to be Nicole. This all started when she showed up." His voice reflected thought and confusion, rather than anger.

"And she told me I may tell you and my folks if I must. I had my reasons for not telling you sooner, love, but what happened wasn't just Nicole's choice. The decision was mine."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" The hurt in his voice was plain.

The brunette looked stricken at his pain, and it reflected only a fraction of the turbulence in her heart. "I'm sorry, sweetheart; I really am. I -- we -- are just trying to keep you safe."

"From what? And whatever it is, you need to tell your folks, too. We're your family, Kate."

The indecision was almost a physical pain in her heart. Finally, she pulled out her cell phone.

"Hello, Nicole? ... No, I'm okay. Alex just walked in on me when I was moving something heavy. I have to tell him now, but he thinks my folks should know; do you have some time tonight? ... I know, but... Yeah, he's my partner, and it's important. And they're my family, and they're important, too. ... I figured if you can handle the basics, I could take it from there, so you can get to your class tonight. ... I know, and I didn't mean..." Kate's face relaxed a little. "Yeah, we have to trust that it's working out as it's supposed to. ... Thanks, sis, and I'll see you in a bit."

She ended the call and looked at the man who was so much a part of her. "Alex, Nicole will be over in a little bit. I'll want you to tell everyone exactly what you saw; Nicole and I will take it from there. All I ask is that you keep an open mind, because it will sound incredible."

*****

It was an interesting conversation, and took much less time than the Amazons had expected. Alex had seen Kate in action, but she had to do a reprise for her parents. Nicole outlined the overall situation she and Kate faced, and the danger that had led them to hold back the new role Kate held.

Nicole began the tale, "Let me start off by saying I held this information back because my life is already at risk, and I didn't want you any more in the middle of it than could be helped.

"Back at the end of November," she pulled out the scepter, "I was traveling and literally tripped over this. I didn't know what it was, and took it home with me. The following weekend, I was visited by Artemis and her boss. They explained that what I had was the Royal Scepter of the Amazons, and that I had been chosen to rebuild the Amazon Nation."

Greg broke in. "Artemis and her boss? Zeus? How do you know they were who they said they were?"

Kate saw, and was the only one to understand, the pain in Nicole's eyes as she responded. "Artemis' boss is the Archangel Michael now. I know he is who he says he is because there was someone I trusted who was in a position to confirm it, and since then I've had plenty of proof.

"Since then, I've been in training for the responsibilities I've taken on. One of those responsibilities is locating those people, women mostly, who're called to become part of the Amazons."

"Is your job connected with this?" Marie asked. "I noticed, when I looked it up, that a Dr. Michael Wing and Dr. Artemis Dianapopolis founded it. Would they be the same people?"

Nicole grinned. "They believe in hiding in plain sight."

"Don't you think your enemies will know, too?" Alex piped up.

Nicole paused. ~It doesn't hurt to assume they do. If so, ...~ She turned a little pale. "That means they could be watching what I'm doing right now; that they know about you." She put her face in her hands. "Oh, Lord!"

"Hold it! Marie, you sound like you BELIEVE this!" Greg was almost sputtering.

"Dad! Hold on! Everyone come with me a minute." Kate cut off the impending explosion.

Kate led them downstairs for a reprise of her unwitting demonstration to Alex, who just shook his head afterward. Greg was mute with shock, and Marie just nodded.

"And Nicole can do that, too?" Greg finally asked, shaking his head in bewilderment.

"Actually, Daddy," Kate broke in, "compared to what Nicole can do, that's nothing. She took an inch thick steel bar and bent it into a hoop. I could maybe flex it now, but what she can do is beyond me. The bad part is she may need every bit of that, because she's the Queen. Whoever is out there will be after her first, and I think she'd die before she'd let anyone get to me, or anyone here."

Nicole picked up the thread of conversation. "That's why I didn't let Kate tell you until it couldn't be avoided. I don't want loved ones put in any more danger than I can help."

Marie surprised the two young women by coming to their defense. "Alex, Greg, I've had a closer eye on Kate the last couple of months because I knew something had happened that was more than we were told. You two miss things when it comes to people's emotional state." She grinned at her daughter and Nicole with a "Men!" look. "Whatever it was, Nicole has been good for Kate. Our daughter is more -- settled, I think is the word. I'd say more mature, but then this *is* my daughter we're talking about." She turned to Kate, who stuck her tongue out. She pointed a finger at her daughter. "Case in point. I'm not really happy that you chose to keep this secret, but I can understand, I suppose." Marie grinned for a moment. "Nicole, since it's about time for you to get to class, we can pick up this discussion tomorrow evening when you come for dinner. And Kate gets to be the jar opener from now on with her new muscles."

The redhead felt the tension drain from her neck and shoulders. She was still welcome to be part of their lives. The relief almost brought tears to her eyes.

Marie caught her reaction, putting an arm around her shoulders and squeezing. "It's okay, Nicole. I think I understand why you did what you did. We *will* talk more on this topic, though. Now scoot, young lady. You don't want to be late. I think the four of us will have an interesting chat this evening."

*****
Wednesday, February 14, 2001
5:30PM PST

Nicole stood at the door, hesitant to ring or knock. Even the day's rumba lesson was affected by the stress she felt after the previous evening's conversation. Unfortunately, the problem wouldn't go away, even if she stood out here in the rain; she finally pushed the doorbell button. Marie opened the door and stood there with a gentle smile on her face. The apprehension on Nicole's face was clear as she stood in the light drizzle outside, though she calmed a little as she sensed the acceptance in the older woman's emotions.

"Come on in, Nicole," Marie said. She reached a hand toward the young woman. "You're welcome here. Come in, please."

Nicole's face took on a small, uncertain smile as she took the offered hand and allowed herself to be led into the house. She surrendered her coat, and found herself the recipient of a gentle hug from her hostess after it was hung up.

"I want you to be sure that you *are* welcome here, child."

"Mrs. Tanner, I ..." She was silenced by the brown-haired woman's hand on her arm.

"Nicole, it's all right. We talked for a good part of last night after you left, and even my husband understands now. He offered to be here tonight, too, but I think we'll have you over again when he can be here."

They walked back into the kitchen, where Kate was watching the doorway. She put the wooden spoon down, and gave her friend a tight hug. "Hey, sis! Mom told you what happened?"

Nicole was almost trembling from the relief as she returned the hug. "She did. You two ganged up on the guys?"

The younger Tanner nodded. "Alex was pretty much convinced by the time you left. Dad took longer, since he was worried about me and whether I'd be safe or not."

"I can understand his feelings. I'd be peeved if someone were to drop into your life and endanger you, too."

There was a period of relative silence as Nicole worked to set the table, while the Tanners brought the food out to the dining room. The center of the table was occupied by a vase of roses, which Nicole noted and dismissed. The dinner was filled with small talk about the day, and Nicole's plans for the week. After the meal was over and the table had been cleared, Marie deliberately shifted the topic to a more serious vein.

"Nicole, Kate talked last night about the Amazons. I'd like to hear what you have to say."

Nodding, the queen sketched the history of the ancient nation and then moved on to describe the task set before her. Her throat was dry as she came to the end of her summary.

"So my main task is to develop an organization that can survive, identify, and defeat our enemy. I'm also hoping to build a real nation with a culture that is its own." The redhead grimaced. "The last thing I want is to have a glorified women's club. I owe my predecessors more than that. If you decide to do some research, I'd appreciate it if you didn't dig too much. The last thing we need is to have you call attention to yourself suddenly looking up a lot of material on Amazons."

"I'll keep that in mind, unless I get a suitable research contract. How is Kate supposed to help? She doesn't really have a military bent; you don't seem to, either, for that matter."

"I'm hoping Kate will stay out of any fighting, and just focus on finances. I want her trained enough to protect herself, but I really need her talent for managing cash flow. We don't have a lot of resources right now, but we need to make the best use of what we have."

"All of which she can do from here."

"Right. There's no need for Kate and Alex to change location for the foreseeable future. I'll be tied up with the Marines for at least four years, so she can just stay here."

The relaxation was transparent in Marie's posture, but the concern didn't quite clear from her eyes. "What about you? You're just about at the upper end of the age when children are easiest to have and care for, yet you haven't said anything about wanting to have a family of your own."

Nicole grimaced. "Mrs. Tanner...."

"Ahem! I think you don't need to be so formal, dear. You're as good as family. Marie is fine."

"Marie, then -- I have a job to do; no one promised that I'd have time for a family when I accepted this responsibility. One day, God willing, I might have a chance, but for now I'll be happy if Kate manages to finally land Alex and they have a bunch of little ones." The blush on Kate's face raised a grin on Nicole's face. ~Ha! She shoots! She scores!~

"Just remember, sis, I don't get mad -- I get even!" Kate glared at their guest.

With an air of utter confidence, the redhead responded, "Hmmm. Just remember what happened the last time, at the etiquette school." The shark-like grin that followed caused Kate to go wide-eyed, and gulp.

*****
7:20PM PST
Dance Studio

Rich was inside, waiting, as Nicole finally made it to the studio. She could feel the pleasure rolling over her as surely as she'd felt his hurt during their date. Her own pleasure at the sight of him welled up as she walked over. She puzzled a bit at his stance; he held his off hand behind him, concealed from her view, rather than his normal relaxed pose.

"Hi, Rich!" She hugged an arm. "It's good to see you again."

She tried to look around him at the hidden hand. He turned to block her view.

Hands on hips, she glared up at him. "Okay, what are you up to?"

Her breath caught as he unveiled a single, thornless, yellow rose and handed it to her. Wide-eyed, she looked up at him in total confusion.

His smile was broad. "You've forgotten what day it is?" Her growing bewilderment made the answer clear. "It's February 14th, Valentine's Day. I know we're just friends, but I have a friend who owns a flower shop, and she said yellow roses are appropriate for this occasion."

~Beat, heart. Go back to pumping.~ It took a few hours -- or so it seemed -- for her mind to recover. "Rich, I...."

He raised the hand that had held the rose, placing a finger to his lips to shush her. "It's a surprise, and I'd hoped it would be." He looked oddly uncertain, as if debating with himself. "You're an altogether remarkable woman. I ... haven't found anyone with your depth, before. I still remember that you can't stay, but I still wanted you to have something special as a memory."

~What would a woman do?~ She racked her memory for something to guide her in an appropriate path. She finally moved, stepping up to him and placing a hand on his chest and a soft kiss on his cheek. "Rich, that was a wonderfully thoughtful thing to do. Thank you." She punctuated her comment with a hug. She took a sniff at the rose and looked up at him through her eyelashes. "It's lovely." She looked up more directly as she continued. "If you're free Saturday evening at seven-thirty, my friend, Kate, and her boyfriend have invited me to a get together at the Key Club. Would you like to join us?"

He nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "I'd be more than happy to go. What's the dress code?"

"Nice, but not formal; it's an upscale club. I have a nice dress picked out for it." She considered the effect the black dress would likely have, and for a moment felt sorry for Rich. ~It'll be hard on him, and me, but we'll both enjoy the look.~ She smiled to herself at the thought.

"I'll look forward to it; shall I pick you up at seven?"

As she nodded her assent, they were pulled out of their little world by the instructor calling for the class to begin.

*****
Thursday, February 15, 2001
5:00AM PST

She struggled out of her sleep, wakened as much by an increasingly familiar sensation in her abdomen as by the never-to-be-sufficiently-cursed alarm clock. It was far more bearable that it had been the first time, and even better than last month, but still it was going to make the next few days less enjoyable. Even the ibuprofen could only do so much.

~And that means that Saturday is going to be ... Damn! Of all the times for this to hit.~

She dragged the covers to one side and raised herself to sit at the edge of the bed, finally gathering the will to boost herself up and toward the bathroom. Nicole knew that her attitude would improve, at least a little, with the painkiller; that hardly meant that she was looking forward to another weekend of pads and tampons. That also meant the inevitable water retention, tight bra, and all the rest.

~It should make it easier to behave with Rich, though. It isn't a total loss.~

*****
Friday, February 16, 2001

It had been an awful day, and not just due to the early morning fog.

The dance schedule had been a rerun of the first week, so her beloved rumba wasn't on the agenda. She wouldn't have enjoyed it as much, but it would at least have given a little glitter to an otherwise gray, or at least bathroom green day. Her period, that faithful reminder of her new life, was ramping up with its inevitable discomfort and inconvenience.

Even the evening's dance party managed to only moderate, rather than dispel, her monthly funk. Rich didn't really notice at first, but after catching her in a wince, he finally asked what was wrong.

Her cheeks colored; talking to Kate was one thing, but talking to a man wasn't entirely comfortable. Though, recalling Tom's reactions at the same age, she figured he'd drop the subject quickly.

"I'm sorry, Rich. It's just that... I get cramps when...."

His eyes lit with understanding, but to her surprise, he nodded and continued. "Is there anything I can do to help? I have some aspirin in my car if you need it, or if you're not up to any more dancing, we can just go sit for a bit."

Nicole suddenly understood why Beth had been so appreciative of his solicitousness when she'd had her periods. Just the expression of caring, of paying attention, and understanding that she just felt crummy, made Rich more precious than ever. ~And I *have* to let him go.~ It was all she could do not to cry, and even so the tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hey, we don't have to quit!" he quickly spoke up as he noticed her tearing.

She gave a watery laugh, blotted the renegade tears, and hugged him. "It's okay, Rich. The hormones are acting up, and you're just saying the right thing at the right time. I hope you realize how special you are."

"Only for special people, princess." His dark eyes locked onto her gray eyes for a long moment before the two returned their attention to the outside world.

~Oh, Rich...~

*****
Saturday, February 17, 2001
Los Angeles, CA
10:15AM

Nicole was subdued as she picked up Kate that morning. They had the morning to shop and enjoy each other's company. The schedule called for them to present themselves for the makeover at the salon at two o'clock.

"What's wrong, Nicole?" the green-eyed brunette asked. Her companion, normally at least conversational, had been nearly silent for the entire drive. "What happened last night?"

The silence carried on for another block before there was any response. "I'm getting scared, Kate" Nicole's voice carried her stress in every word. "I'm enjoying Rich way too much for my comfort."

She pulled into the parking garage and found an open spot. "You know it's that time of the month for me, right?"

At her companion's nod, she continued. "I was feeling really crampy last night, and he was kind, concerned, and attentive." She grimaced. "It took the better part of a year before I clued into how rotten Beth was feeling, and Rich just seemed to understand instantly."

The conversation continued as they got out and headed for the interior of the mall.

"I don't know if this is a crush, or love, or lust. Whatever it is, I never felt like this even when I was a teenager. It's all kind of hard to deal with when you include the monthly visitor. I'm having a hard time coping with the emotional stress."

The two talked quietly as they strolled through the mall; Kate mostly listened, but asked an occasional question as she tried to understand what Nicole was trying to cope with.

"So," Kate finally said, "it sounds like you're mostly struggling with being fair with Rich, even more than your own physical and emotional reactions."

They walked along for a few moments while Nicole considered Kate's remark. Finally, she nodded. "I think you're right. I know what's coming in my life, so I know it isn't fair to him. I still feel a strong attraction, and it's hard to manage right now. I'm really wondering about how wise it is to wear that black dress. It's going to make it harder on him, and me, tonight."

Kate shook her head as she smiled. "I know you really know better than to think it will be that big a problem. He knows, already, that you're 'benched' for a while. If you dress up nicely, he'll enjoy the view as much as you would have in his place. Just relax as much as you can."

"I suppose. It still doesn't seem quite right, though."

The morning passed quickly, and lunch was a hardly noticeable interlude in the conversation that took place as the two meandered slowly from store to store. Nicole guided them, at one point, to a bookstore that sold acid-free, bound journals; she explained to Kate that she intended to keep a journal, or diary, of her life that she'd archive for her successors, and suggested that Kate might do the same.

The time came for their salon appointment, and Nicole walked up to the shop a little more reassured. It would be a new experience, but it couldn't be more stressful than her situation with Rich.

*****

"Heavens, girl! What in the world have you been doing with your hair!"

~Well, maybe not *much* more stressful, anyway,~ Nicole thought as the stylist continued his tirade at the, according to him, abused tangle of hair on her head. The manicurist was no more impressed by the fingernails she was called on to salvage.

The imprecations were a continuous trickle as the stylist worked to reclaim the fire-hued disaster area. It didn't help that Kate was in the adjacent chair and snickered in counter-point.

"No comments from the peanut gallery, Kate!"

Nicole's stylist paused and looked at her. "You should follow your friend's example." He pointed to the brunette's chair. "She's obviously been taking time to come in and be properly cared for."

He continued his running commentary, making sure his client was paying attention to the list of absolutely minimal hair care tasks he had outlined. "Toss out whatever you're using; it just won't do justice to this magnificent hair of yours."

The manicurist's litany of abuses were interleaved with the stylist’s, and she, too, had her outline of minimal care for the nails she was working on. She made notes on a pad lying on her materials cart, promising to have a comprehensive list for Nicole at the end of the repair session.

Finally, with her hair and nails complete, Nicole thought she was done.

"Hold it, sis!" Kate chirped from the other chair. "I've set up one last thing for us, my treat."

Another man walked up to her chair, and Nicole found herself subjected to a professional make-up treatment. The work was done deftly, and it seemed as if no part of her face and neck was left unattended. At one point he asked her, "Where will the neckline of your dress start?" She indicated the proper point, and a few minutes of further attention followed.

The work stopped, the chair turned, and the stylist's voice spoke again. "Alright, what do you think? Keep in mind that he used an evening makeup technique; it will look as it should tonight."

She was stunned. Kate stood to one side, grinning at Nicole's reaction as she saw the result of the afternoon's work. Her face was still uniquely her own, but more so with the enhancements of the makeup bringing out her fine features and the gray of her eyes. Her hair glowed like a red aura around her head, and the waves, while still prominent, were more like ripples on a pool of flame than the typical, separate, uncontrolled strands of fire.

"Oh my," she said in a small, quiet voice.

"I think it turned out well. Just be careful as you dress, and everything should hold up fine for tonight." Each of the salon employees watched with satisfaction as the redheaded reclamation project walked in a daze to the counter, collected the array of supplies they'd recommended, and departed.

*****
Crowne Plaza Hotel
7:00PM PST

Rich was waiting beside his car in the warm dry evening at the hotel's entrance. He'd tried to be a little earlier after he'd arrived Saturday to find her waiting. Tonight, he had driven up to the entrance ten minutes ahead of time, and was relieved to find she wasn't there.

*****

Nicole had taken care as she'd gotten ready that evening, and both her hair and make-up had survived the bath. She slithered into the short, black dress and settled it and herself into proper place. The heels she stepped into were taller than normal, for her -- a full three inches high -- and had been purchased at Kate's insistence for that particular dress.

At last, everything was in place; she smoothed the last, imaginary wrinkles out of the smooth fabric. Nicole had finally tucked an extra couple of tampons into her purse, pulled on her long coat, and made her way to the elevator. She had checked her make-up one last time as it quickly dropped to the lobby level.

The doors opened onto the lobby, and she hesitated for an instant as she reviewed her lessons in how to walk properly. She held her head high and posture erect, as she walked smoothly and proudly out toward the entrance where her date waited.

*****

She was moving almost like a model on the runway. She was walking more smoothly, though; there wasn't the same exaggerated sway in her walk. ~She's almost gliding along like a lioness on the hunt.~ The thought sent a tremor of anticipation down his spine. Her long coat covered her from neck to knees, revealing only slender calves below.

With a bow and flourish, he opened the car door. "Your ride awaits, princess." She laughed quietly as he handed her into her seat and closed the door.

Less than fifteen minutes later, they were standing with Kate, also wearing a long coat, and Alex at the entry to the club. Nicole sniggered at Kate's reaction when Rich came into view; her eyes widened, and she gulped as her head craned. The little brunette recovered quickly.

"Hi, Nicole! This must be Rich. Rich, I'm Kate, and this is my boyfriend, Alex."

The two men shook hands, and the four made their way into the building. They stopped by the coat check, and the two girls winked at each other as they simultaneously doffed their coats.

The air pressure in the vicinity dropped as the men abruptly inhaled; the two Amazons, in their matching dresses, were spectacular. The tall, slender redhead and the shorter brunette almost strutted to their respective partners; it almost looked rehearsed as the women simultaneously put a finger to each man's chin to close their sagging mouths.

The rest of Kate's friends were at their regular table, and they had taken time to gather additional chairs for the two newcomers; Kate again performed the introductions, and they settled into a relaxed evening of music, dancing, and conversation.

At one point, as Nicole and Rich were on the dance floor while a DJ filled in during the band's break between sets, Nicole stumbled briefly as an old disco tune from the 1970s began:

"Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for the place to go
Where they play the right music, getting in the swing
You come in to look for a king."

Red hair swept around her shoulders as Nicole spun her head to look at the table where Kate still sat. The now smirking brunette raised a finger and marked a score for herself on an imaginary scoreboard. Rich and Alex were utterly baffled as their respective partners broke down into desperate gasps between near-hysterical laughter.

They couldn't get any explanation out of either woman for the behavior, either.

When the number was over, Nicole led Rich back to their table and the women retired to the ladies room for repair work and conversation.

The stalls were empty as Nicole took the chance to switch her tampon and relieve her bladder and then join Kate at the mirror for make-up repairs.

"So," Kate began, "that's the Rich I've been hearing about. He looks even better than you described, sis, and I see what you meant when you talked about how much of a gentleman he is. Definitely the tall, dark, and handsome stranger you described."

Nicole straightened up from checking the condition of her eye make-up and nodded. "He's an amazingly special man; he's pushed some buttons along the way that I've had to think about. He insists on treating me like a lady, and I told you about the rose." She smiled. "He's decided to use 'princess' as his pet name for me."

Kate giggled at that. "If he only knew the truth. So what now?"

The pause stretched out almost to the point of discomfort. Finally, the redhead shrugged. "What else? Even though I'm powerfully tempted to stay, I have to leave next week. I want to keep in touch with him just for myself, but he was also a martial-arts instructor in the Marines. That could prove helpful, too."

Another pause followed as Nicole stared at herself in the mirror. "If I were on the pill, I don't know that I'd be able to resist the pull to make love to him, even with my background." She gave her companion a rueful look. "It's been enlightening being in this situation."

Kate put an arm around her friend's shoulder and gave her a gentle hug. "Will you try to see him again?"

"Oh yes," came the quiet, but intense, response, followed by a deep breath. "Do you think we've been in here long enough to make the guys nervous?"

"I think so, sis; time to go enjoy their company some more."

*****
Sunday, February 18, 2001
Los Angeles, CA

Rich pulled his cell phone from his belt as it began to ring again. "Hello?"

"Hello, grandson. How are you and your red-headed warrior doing?"

It took a moment or two for Rich to make the connection. "You mean Nicole? She's the only redhead I've been around, lately; she's no warrior, though."

"Not yet, child, but she has been called to that path. I know you find her attractive, but you must not try to hold her back from her journey. Enjoy the time you have with her, but let her go when her time there is over."

"Are you ...?" He sighed into the phone. "Never mind, you're the medicine woman; you know about Nicole, and more about her than I know it seems. I just thought that I'd finally met the one special woman...."

"I know, and I wish it could be different, too. I'm sending a gift for you to give her when she flies out on Saturday, and I want you to make sure she knows that she is to come for a visit. There is much she and I need to talk about."

"I will. I just...."

"You aren't done with her, but you haven't met your life partner, yet. Be patient."

*****
12:45PM PST

It was getting worse.

The week had been a rerun of the previous week, only without the fiasco of the attempted mugging. Diego had intended it to force the woman into revealing herself as a fighter, if she truly was what Washington thought, or eliminate her permanently as an object of interest. In Diego's mind, it had succeeded, as her passive reaction had shown her to be a typical, non-violent, pretty face who was otherwise useless.

The more data they acquired, the less useful this whole effort seemed. The woman had spent the weekend socializing with her apparent friend, and then in addition to the dance classes during the week, had started spending more time with the man who'd taken the muggers apart, Richard MacLeod.

And then, to top it all off, Saturday had been taken up with a trip to the beauty parlor and an evening out with MacLeod, young Miss Tanner, and *her* boyfriend.

The outfit the tall supposed-Amazon wore, and the photos and video of it from the field teams, had become the most popular wallpaper and screensavers for the LA office.

~Five and a half days and I can hand this waste of time off to those cretins in Washington that ordered this fiasco. Now all I need to do is set up for the call to DC this afternoon.~

*****

The conference call, as on the previous two occasions, had begun with a summary of the events of the week. Diego took this last opportunity to underline his conclusion.

"My conclusion, based on her actions and responses over the last two weeks, is that there is no way this person is the one we're looking for. Her hiring at WGSS has to be just coincidence, especially since it seems she was brought in at the request of Doctor Wing himself, rather than Artemis."

Carson scowled at the phone. He'd gone over the data himself, including some of the raw footage, just to make sure he wasn't being suckered in by a report that excluded data Diego thought wasn't useful in making his point. Even the raw data backed up the conclusion though.

Even the image of her laptop's hard drive hadn't really helped. There were no passwords stored on the machine, and the net addresses were already known to the techies. There were only the normal company e-mails, plus one from Dr. Wing about an appointment with the Marine recruiting office.

~Weird! I wonder why they're working it backwards? Oh well, like it or not, it looks like we struck out on this one.~

"Okay, Diego. Your team did a good job in gathering data. I don't see anything to change in the report. I'll pass your conclusions along with my endorsement, but I'd like you available for the report to the main office. Call in on the speaker phone tomorrow morning at six o'clock, and also keep an eye on the subject just in case there's a last minute surprise."

The exasperation, while muted, still came through the voice. "Of course, Mr. Sinclair. We'll submit a final report by the end of the day next Sunday for your review, unless you want to have a final telecon?"

Carson paused to consider the question. "No, unless there's significant new data, there isn't a point to having you burn more of your Sunday. Send me an e-mail when your report is complete and take a couple of days off. We'll keep an eye on her, but only as part of our general watch on the Wing offices."

The call ended, and the room emptied. Carson sat silently with his eyes focused on infinity as he reviewed the situation.

~Okay, we're back to square one. The queen is out there, somewhere. The redhead wasn't her, so where do we look now?~

The early darkness of the Virginia winter closed in as he pondered this latest dead end.

*****
Monday, February 19, 2001
Washington, D.C.
4:00PM Central Complex Time / 9:00AM EST / 6:00AM PST

Carson poked at the speakerphone as it rang.

"Hello?"

"This is Diego at the LA office, calling in for the conference this morning."

"Thank you for coming in early. I could and would have handled the presentation, but there might be questions today that you can answer more easily."

"I appreciated the offer, but the office and the operation are my responsibility. I'll take the heat on this."

"I don't think...."

The video feed flickered to life, displaying the now familiar faces from the previous weeks and cutting off Carson's comment.

"Central Complex here for the conference."

"Good morning. Diego from the LA office has dialed into the speaker phone to support this meeting."

Diego took the lead in making the report, touching on the high points of the written report he'd submitted the previous day. He finally summarized the conclusion of the report.

"Our evaluations are based on the profile we received that was prepared by the central office's psychological consultants. Our observations were oriented toward situations that would reveal the subject's reactions to stimuli covered by the profile. One particular situation was instigated by our office in LA to create conditions that the profile indicated would be of special value in revealing the Amazon queen." Diego's voice turned wry. "The situation did not develop quite as planned, but proved equally enlightening in our opinion. We had to pay a premium to cover the additional costs due to the intervention of the man. In general, her dedication to physical fitness is consistent with the profile, but her social interactions with males deviate wildly from expectations.

"Our conclusion, based on the profile as provided and the observed, documented behavior of the subject of our surveillance is that she is not the Amazon queen we're looking for. We recommend that a lower level of observation be maintained on the chance that she may be a link to the Amazon we're looking for. The deviation from the expected behavior is well beyond the error limits."

Diego heard only silence over the speaker on his end. Carson was able to see the tightening on the faces of the men over the video link. Finally the Chairman spoke.

"We will review your data and conclusions. Continue the close observation through the remainder of the subject's stay in Los Angeles. Unless otherwise informed, you may relax the watch when she returns to Virginia."

A double "Yes, sir." came from Carson and Diego, and the video link was terminated.

*****
Wednesday, February 21, 2001
Dance Studio
7:30PM PST

~Two more days after tonight.~

Nicole was keenly aware of how quickly this last week was passing. Tomorrow and Friday would be the evaluation days for the dances she'd spent the last three weeks working on; Saturday, she would head back to Virginia. ~Too few days to enjoy the company,~ she thought as she leaned into momentary contact with Rich.

Kent and Abe called the class to order.

"We're going to rotate the dance selection again, tonight. The line dance is out, and the rumba is replacing it."

Nicole's eyes flickered to her preferred dance partner. They had earned a reputation as one of the better pairs in the Waltz, but hadn't been called on to try the rumba together.

"Are you going to be okay with this, Rich? We both know how -- intimate -- that dance can get."

He grinned a little. "I know all too well." ~And I'm not sure if I'm up to this, either.~ "I'm game to try if you are, princess."

Nicole gave him a small smile in return as they walked to an open space on the floor. "Will you respect me in the morning?"

"Always, dear friend, always"

*****

When the rumba number was over, however, he was a little less sure of himself and wondering where the nearest ice bath could be found. The waltz with Nicole had been an utter joy as they flowed around the room. She obviously enjoyed it, and communicated her happiness in every step.

This dance touched a wholly different facet of this marvelous woman he'd only begun to know.

Her motions, always smooth, turned liquid. Suddenly, she had seemed to be as flexible as a great cat, and her eyes sparkled like stars. The effect on his own body was instant as he was caught up in the energy and joy she felt. He also knew that she'd felt -- she had to have -- his other reaction as they had danced.

The smile on her face at one point was that of a lioness examining her next meal.

He shivered and made his way to the restroom. ~Maybe a splash of cold water on the face will help.~

Nicole was in no better condition as she made her way to the ladies room. She'd lost it; the music had begun, her mind had gone on vacation, and her body had been left unsupervised.

~Dear God, I just wanted to devour him, there and then!~ A faint whine of frustration came from her as she sat down to deal with the amazing flow from her arousal. The pad was soaked.

~I wish I'd let Kate take me to that adult 'toy store', but after tonight, I think I'll go with the hand plan. I know there has to be someplace near the apartment that has something.~

She forcibly restrained herself from relieving her stress right there, quickly changed her pad, and returned to the studio before her resolve fractured.

As she reentered the hall she overheard Abe commenting to Kent. "I think that's the first time I've had to worry about whether a dance should have an 'Adults-Only' rating."

*****
Friday, February 23, 2001
Dance Studio
3:45PM PST

Nicole shook Abe's hand as she accepted the completion certificate for the dance coursework. The private lessons for the week had consisted of evaluations of her skills for each of the dances, and she had achieved a satisfactory grade for the entire set.

"You've worked very hard and accomplished a lot the past three weeks. Kent and I have both enjoyed having you as a student; as a graduate, you have a standing invitation to join us at the Friday dance party whenever you are in town."

She smiled at him. "I've enjoyed the lessons, too. I don't know when I'll make it back, but if I'm here on a Friday, I'll be here if I can."

*****

She stuck to her routine for this last day, though she had a final dinner with the Tanners and Alex between her last private lesson and the early evening class. She was subdued at the dance party that evening; Rich, too, was more quiet than normal as they both considered the end of the time she had in California.

"Rich? My flight leaves at about twelve-thirty tomorrow." Nicole stared at the ground and scuffed a toe. "Will you have time to come say goodbye, or do we need to say our farewell here?"

He reached a hand to her cheek, gently stroking it with a thumb as she gazed up at him again. "I'll be there tomorrow, Nicole."

"I think I'd better go before the waterworks start." She embraced him for a moment, then forced herself to step away and walk to her car.

*****
Saturday, February 24, 2001
Los Angeles, CA
11:30AM PST

It was the last shift. The subject was leaving for Virginia in about an hour, and she and her entourage of friends had gathered for a goodbye outside the security area. Even MacLeod was there.

She went to each person, starting with Richard. He received a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. As she started to step away, he held her for a moment as he spoke to her. She replied with a smile and a nod of her head. As she started to move on again, he held her hand for a moment more. His other hand pulled something from his jacket pocket, and she was visibly stunned when he gave her a small package. She went to open it, but he shook his head and restrained her as he spoke a few more words. After another embrace, they parted for the final time.

Alex was next, and she apparently said something to him quietly as he nodded his head as she moved on.

The elder Tanners came after Alex, and each gave her a warm embrace. Mrs. Tanner was first, and included a peck on the cheek. Mr. Tanner followed with his own hug for the tall redhead. The two spoke quietly to the young woman, and whatever they said caused a look of astonishment and joy. They were almost smothered in the embrace that followed.

She ended her round with Kathryn, wiping the tears from her face as they approached. The affection was plain between them, and tears were clear on each young woman's face as they said their goodbyes.

The redhead, still brushing stray tears away, turned and went through the scanners, pausing on the other side to wave goodbye again to the little group she'd left behind. Trailing her carryon, she soon disappeared from sight.

He kept an eye on the exit area until the flight took off and called the Washington office to give them a heads-up on the actual departure time.

~Time to head back to the office. The boss said I had the rest of the day off once the video was uploaded and the report was filed.~

*****

Rich, Nicole, Kate, Alex, and the elder Tanners stood outside the metal detectors leading to her gate in terminal 5. The long trip, seven weeks on the road, was coming to a close. As uncomfortable as they had been, there was an ache in her heart as she prepared to leave people she had come to know as much more than friends. Even worse, Kate had come to mean more to her than the bare word 'sister' could communicate, and she, too, was staying behind.

Nicole stepped up to Rich, first. "It's hard to say goodbye. I've had such a good time with you, but...."

"You have a journey to take that leads you away from here. My grandmother told me; she also said that you are to visit her when the time comes." He handed her an envelope. "This has a map, address, and phone number for when you go."

She had only to reach up a little to embrace him in a hug, which he returned. As they parted, she placed a kiss on his cheek and started to turn away. He held her hand to restrain her.

"Hold it. My grandmother also sent you this." He pulled a small, wrapped package from his jacket and handed it to her; he stopped her as she moved to unwrap it. "She said you shouldn't open it until you get home."

She hugged him again. "I'll wait; thank her for me, please?" she said as she turned toward Alex.

The young man looked a little uncertain. "Alex," she said as she stepped close, "Kate loves you. You know about that new part of her life now; do your best to take care of her, okay?"

He nodded. "Take care of yourself, Nicole. You mean more to her than I think you know."

She hugged him and moved on to the Tanners.

Marie came up and took the young woman's hands in her own. "I know I was hesitant the last time, but we've gotten to know you better this visit with all that's happened. I've seen how much you care for our daughter, and you've shown yourself a good and compassionate person. You're someone we'd be proud to consider part of our family."

Mr. Tanner startled Nicole a bit as he gave her a quick hug, which she gently returned.

"After your first visit," he said, "it sounded like you didn't have a real family anymore. Marie, Kate, Alex, and I have talked about it since that little revelation of Kate's. My daughter's future is closely tied to yours now; you're a part of our lives. We'd like you to feel welcome at our house any time you're in town. Consider our house your West Coast home."

"Mr. Tanner, I ... You don't have to do this. I appreciate it more than you know, but you and your wife hardly know me."

The unhesitating acceptance she felt from all three of the Tanners, and Alex, too, started tears from Nicole's eyes. Her vision was blurred as she felt herself embraced by her new family.

Kate stepped in; her green eyes awash in tears. "Sis, I wouldn't ever have believed what's happened if I hadn't lived it." She threw her arms around the tall woman's neck. "I'm going to miss you," she sobbed.

Tears trailed from the redhead's eyes as she returned the hug. "I'll miss you too, sis. I'll keep in touch as best I can, but it will be only letters during boot camp." She squeezed once, and released Kate. "Take care of yourself, your family, and Alex, okay?" She caressed her friend's cheek. "I love you, Kate."

She finally turned toward the security station and wiped the tears from her face. It was time to move ahead, again. It only took a couple of minutes to clear through, and she turned on the other side to wave to her friends and family. It would be good to be back at her apartment, though. A month from now, she'd be on the road again; this time for an indeterminate time in the Marines.

*****
Dulles International Airport
8:30PM EST

The light snow had slightly delayed several flights, including the one from Los Angeles carrying Miss Harrison. He'd gotten a briefing, and knew that the young woman was now considered an unlikely subject for further investigation. Her behavior over the last three weeks had departed so much from the profile provided that it seemed pointless to waste more time and resources.

They'd finish the surveillance for her trip, and make sure there weren't any surprises that cropped up over the next four weeks. Once she left for Marine Boot Camp, they'd have a hard time trying to keep an eye on her anyway.

He tagged along, following at a distance as she retrieved her luggage. A quick call to his partner brought his ride, and they kept watch as she retrieved her rental car and returned to her apartment.

"We're scheduled to finish out the evening shift. At midnight, we're done with her and can get our report filed." They sat quietly until they saw the lights go out at eleven o'clock. The car started up, and they returned to their offices.

*****
Fairfax, VA (35/21;snow)
9:00PM EST

Angela Ogle sat reading in the living room as the snow fell outside. Her assigned roommate, Nicole, was due back this evening from California.

~Odd that a newbie would cause such a ruckus at the office. Even the Colonel seems to have been disrupted a bit.~

The clatter of a key in the door pulled her attention away from her thoughts as a tall, slender redhead came into the apartment, accompanied by a wave of cold, outside air.

A train of suitcases, briefcase, and a purse lined up inside the entry; Nicole paused to rid herself of the encumbrance of her coat.

"Hi," she said as she folded the garment over her arm, "I'm your roommate, Nicole Harrison. You must be Angela." She saw a woman with a face that held faint echoes of Rich's facial features. She was, perhaps, in her mid-thirties, and had a sense of calm about her. Her dark hair was just barely shoulder length and pulled back in a ponytail.

There was an underlying sense of strength about her -- the feeling of solid leadership.

*****

She hadn't spent much time with Angela this evening. She had unpacking to do, and needed to get organized for going to the office tomorrow; she said good night, and retired to her own bedroom.

She found, tucked into her purse, the package given to her by Rich and his grandmother. The wrapping was simple, just white paper. Nicole carefully picked at the tape and gently removed the paper. A small box was revealed, wrapped in another piece of paper -- a letter, it seemed. She unfolded it and began to read:

Dear Nicole,

I'm sure you are wondering at this point why I have sent this gift to you or, indeed, how I know who you are.

Richard, my grandson, has told you that I am a Cherokee medicine woman, or shaman. My clan and family have been chosen to serve our people for many hundreds of years; we are more sensitive than most to the spirits working in the world. Those spirits told me of you and something of your place in the world.

You face a long life that will be full of trials that you only dimly see -- your own 'Trail of Tears'. The box contains a necklace and earrings, named ‘Journey’, which symbolize the trail the Cherokee faced.

As your work continues, you are welcome to come and spend time talking with me. We have experience in dealing with some of the challenges you now face and will give what advice we can.

I offer you a blessing of my tribe as you begin your journey:

May the warm winds of Heaven blow softly on your home,
And the Great Spirit bless all who enter there.
May your moccasins make happy tracks in many snows,
And may the rainbow always touch your shoulder.

Blessings on you,

Ahyoka MacLeod

Nicole opened the box, and found the earrings and necklace nestled inside. The silver of the pendant glowed against the black cord, and the earrings were a perfect complement.

It was nearly eleven o'clock before she was settled enough to even try to go to sleep.

Notes:

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