Joanie rushes to aid Jade and learns the child wasn't the only one maimed. The Anderson twins talk about Pinky, her dangerous mental powers and her relation to Joanie. More celebs show up at her farm. Joanie gets a car that puts the little old lady from Pasadena to shame. We hear about the Smith's twin mom and Katie. And this ferret/mink/big furry rat -- no one is quite sure what it is -- comes into her life.

Andy Warhol said,"In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." What if your 15 minutes came late in life, and fame decided to never let you go? Could you survive the circus your life would become?

Timeout 4, Reel to Real: A Whateley Academy Fan fiction

This is fan fiction for the Whateley Academy series. It may or may not match the timeline, characters, and continuity, but since it's fan fiction, who cares? To see the canon Whateley Stories, check out either Sapphire's Place,

(http://www.sapphireplace.com/stories/whateley.html) or the Big Closet (http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/taxonomy/term/117)."

Here’s another chapter in part four of my TG/sci-fi/superhero/magic and anything else that comes to mind epic. It’s not that bad; I do have an overall story arc in mind, honest. I’m much better than when I started this, though my grammar and spelling remain flawed; ask Itinerant if he is still coherent. (Still no!: Ed.) Your constructive criticism and advice continues to help. This is an exercise in the joys of creativity and in appreciation of the wonderful Whateley Universe. Any violations of copyright, trade mark or use of real people or incidents are purely for purposes of humor or parody and done solely for the free enjoyment of the reading public. All rights reserved in perpetuity, John from Wauwatosa WI, 2005-2006.

Adult content advisory: this chapter containts situations and topics unsuitable for young minds or your sanity. If you survive that pap, there is some adult content too, so be warned.

Timeout 4

By John from Wauwatosa
Jade/Jinn/Jann "special consultant" and added dialog by Babs Yerunkle
Painless punctuation practiced by Itinerant
Grudgingly approved by the Guild of Evil Blonde Proofreaders

Chapter 2, This Old Farm House -- A Blast From The Past 2, Congratulations, It’s A Girl 4, Welcome to Adulthood 3, Hey Miki You're So Fine 1

Whateley Academy Dunwich, May01-May02, 2007

May 01, 2007, 3:30PM

I checked Jade over briefly; she was breathing slowly and there was little evidence of blood. I had taken basic Red Cross first aid training decades before in the Scouts. I had refresher training with Security, but chest wounds were beyond my skill. All I could do was call for help and keep the wound closed.

"Timeout to all units, serious chest wound my location, roadside ditch 100 yards northeast of main entrance to my farm. Need EMT’s and transport stat. Will leave link open, Timeout over," I said with practiced efficiency.

"Ghod, I hope the chest wound is the worst of it; that thumb twitching scares me. Damn it, I could have saved you. If you’ve suffered neurological damage due to my failure to react. I’ll never forgive...." I said and felt violently ill.

I truly *enjoyed* my lunch in inverse order from the way I’d originally eaten it. As I recovered between heaves, I thought I heard a rapid snapping/popping sound, a bit like a noisy dot-matrix printer. I wiped my mouth and turned back to face Jade; I thought I saw a small, circular object moving down near Jade’s belt, but I wasn’t sure.

~~Must be my imagination. All she has on the belt are tools and a Hello Kitty makeup compact -- on her belt? That’s odd, I smell burnt wood ... What the hell happened to the splinter?! Something has cut most of it away.~~

I noticed the remnant of it laying by Jade’s side -- jagged except for a series of precisely spaced scorch marks cutting across one end -- it clearly matched to the stub sticking out of Jade’s breast. That disturbing random thumb twitch gave me the willies. I had no time to ponder these strange observations of mine; several officers came up and helped assess Jade’s injuries. One I recognized as reserve EMT.

"We’ll take care of her now, Joanie. Stand by for now, okay? Nice job cutting back the splinter -- that will make transport much easier. I didn’t know you knew how to use a pulsed laser cutter," he said and I felt a little better.

~~Laser cutter, what laser cutter? All I have is a Swiss Army knife.~~

They radioed to Whateley medical and soon an EMT team arrived by hover platform. Seconds later a Whateley ambulance arrived.

While the EMTs worked on Jade, I called around and determined everyone was accounted for and uninjured. That wasn’t strictly true; I took a quick peek at the farmhouse and the four large holes in its sides. I was surprised to see the second story was still the second story and not all mixed up with the first floor and basement. I kept an ear open for when I might be needed and stared in horror at the devastation wrought by the bombs.

~~Is the roof leaning to the east now? That can’t be good!~~ I thought to myself as a walked around a corner of the house while carefully avoiding stepping on the jagged debris. ~~Now that I've seen more, I think the whole east side is sagging.~~

“Damn, the whole east side is gone!” I exclaimed, though no one could hear.

~~Looks like the corners and central stairs are all that is supporting that side. Thank Ghod no one was near the house when it blew; they’d be hamburger. That’s something to be thankful for. Hum? The north and west sides are better, though not by much. No obvious cracks in the mortar or missing bricks -- the central and kitchen chimney stacks look intact from what I can see. Maybe the house is repairable, but I don’t know.~~

“If I have to I’ll build new, so be it,” I said to no one in particular.

I walked up to the oddly shaped pile that represented what had been most of the east side of the house. The tires visible underneath bothered me somehow.

"It looks like this is laying on top of some ... thing ... Oh my poor baby!"

My weeks old police special crew cab had taken the brunt of one of the four explosive *gifts* the earlier tenant had left behind. It was partially buried and had flat tires on the side nearest the blast. Through a gap that had been a window in the house I could see dozens of dents and holes in the sides and top of the truck. The cab looked intact at least from what I could see.

I felt guilty. Here I was wasting time looking at a stupid house and truck while a girl might be dying. I knew the EMTs wanted me out of their way, but what I’d been doing didn’t seem right. I turned away and worked my way carefully back toward the ditch. I’d check out things in detail later; Jade was -- must be -- my only concern and properly so.

The bomb expert came up to me. "I’ll follow up here and assess the damage so we can determine what they used. Looks like four bombs -- one for each side of the house -- rigged for all to go off if any one was triggered. I’ll let you know when you can begin cleanup and demolition. I doubt if the house is salvageable," he said, and I nodded my understanding. "The Chief has made sweeping your property a priority; expect to see me or others from Security scanning every inch of your farm for explosives. Joanie, you’d best buy a box of dog biscuits for Fifi; he’s our best explosives sniffer and we’ll need him. If our survivalist placed these four bombs...."

"... there could be more and maybe a stockpile somewhere else. I’ll cease work if you think it advisable," I replied.

"Well, the house is certainly clear of explosives. We’ll have the buildings and all the surrounding ground done by tomorrow. The rest of the farm -- the fields and fence rows -- will take longer," he said.

The EMTs asked for my assistance, so I helped lift the litter into the ambulance which rushed off to Whateley medical. I rode back with one of the hover platform officers.

~~This is a slick way to ride and so cozy. Ooh he’s built, nice abs, cute tush -- Joanie, stop it, you’re not having sex with this man to bury your guilt, girl.~~ I thought as I hung on tight to the male pilot and officer.

It reminded me of doubling up on a motorcycle.

~~Maybe Eric and me on a cycle, we could.... ~~

Sometimes I *hate* my libido.

We got back to Whateley and I assisted in transporting Jade into Medical. Dr. Pollard and several nurses came in and began to prep her. Her clothes were filthy with dust and fine debris which fell off as they cut them away from her body. I hung around for awhile, not sure what to do next -- maybe fifteen minutes to half an hour tops. The nurses came and went with various supplies and a second surgeon came and assisted while Pollard and several others worked rapidly on her chest, some kind of surgery I assumed. Everything was done at an almost frantic pace and it worried me.

~~Is Jade close to death? I feel sick. ~~

I couldn’t stand to look anymore, and I turned to leave.

"Joanie, stay; we can use the help. The nurses need a break and someone must be with Jade. I can see you’re beating yourself up on this. You need to know it’s not that bad," Pollard said almost smiling.

"She’ll make it? I’d been warned there might be more than one bomb. If only I’d thought to time stop Jade when she stood up, I could have gotten her back down to safety. She’s going to have horrible scars and that twitching can’t be good; she’s got a brain or spinal injury, right?" I said choking back tears. "Please tell me I’m wrong! I’ve scarred and crippled an innocent girl; I’m a ghod-damned failure!" I said angrily and crying. He held me for several minutes while I cried out the stress from earlier.

"Joanie, calm down, we’re finished and it went well. You can ask her yourself in a little while," Pollard said softly.

"Wha ... t?" I sputtered.

"Come and see. Jade’s ready to be moved to recovery," he said and led me to Jade’s bedside.

"We’re finished cleaning her, Doctor," the nurse said.

"Let’s have a look, Joanie."

He lifted her hospital gown exposing her upper chest. It was roughly an hour since the explosions. I forced my self to look at her disfigured, bloody ...

~~For a petite girl, those are nice breasts -- almost a good as mine. Not as big but respectable and real perky. They look perfect except for some bruising, and that bright red scar on the right one, though it appears to be healing well. This makes no sense at all, unless? ~~

"Doctor Pollard, she had this big, hideous splinter in her chest. It looked straight out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’d expect lines of stitches and bandages and, well, a lot more damage than this. What’s going on here? Is Jade a," I whispered, "regen? Eeep!" I shrieked as Jade’s eyes opened and she blinked a few times.

"I hate it when this happens!" Jade exclaimed then moaned.

"You're okay!" I exclaimed and tried to hug her.

"Yeouch! That hurts!" Jade yelled at me as my arm brushed her injured breast.

"I’m so sorry; I get all touchy-feely at times. Can the doctor get you a pain killer? It was my fault you got hurt. I was worried you’d be disabled or disfigured and ... Now I’m babbling; maybe I really am a blonde, huh?" I said and Jade smiled though she seemed to be in pain. She looked around carefully then spoke.

"I heard you whisper to Dr. Pollard, Joanie. I am a regen; I wasn’t always, but I’m one now, and a high level regen at that. My body burns off medicines so fast they’re almost worthless. They did all my surgery without anesthesia -- not fun, believe me. Thanks for asking though. Don’t worry, by tomorrow there won’t be a scar or bruise on my body," Jade said in a soft and polite voice. Then she quickly added, "Please don’t ever tell anyone; if people knew I was a ... you know."

"I share your fears; don’t worry, I won’t ever tell. You’re like me in that, Jade. You must have heard about my assault on campus. Most of the bones in my body were broken and my heart stopped, but here I am thanks to my regen. I have the same trouble you described, drugs wear off too fast to be any good to me; thank Ghod my mind has the good sense to render me unconscious if the pain is too great. PMS and my period are a joy, and I make sure to share my joy," I said and giggled. Jade snickered, too, until it hurt too much.

"I know the feeling; the first time my friend Nikki had PMS she made it thunder and lighting on our floor in Poe -- she’s a kind of sorceress. Don’t ask about my roommate Billie, you don’t want to know," Jade said and laughed.

"How’s Jinn? You shouted she was back just before the big explosion went off," I asked.

"She’s okay; she, um, doesn’t like seeing me hurt. It reminds her of when she, well, you know. She went back to our dorm room," she said, but it didn’t ring true.

I suspected Jinn was nearby and lying low -- they watched each other’s backs, it was obvious. Jade’s expression showed I’d touched a nerve.

"Should you want to talk about it; I’m very good at keeping secrets," I said then I whispered in her ear. "There are some things you’re not telling me, but that’s your prerogative. Jade; tell me when and if you can, but I’ll not press you. I have secrets I need to keep too, like where my dad and sister live," I said, and she nodded and looked relived.

"I don’t like to sound mercenary, but how much are you out with all this, dear? You were injured on the job so I feel responsible," I said. "You must have medical bills."

"It’s okay. Uh, I have a really good medical plan," she said evasively.

Earlier I’d noticed a damaged and bloody plastic sack -- more of a blob, really, that oozed a thick fluid -- lying in a biohazard waste container along with sponges, torn open sterile packaging, used scalpels and the like. I only now realized what it was; the shape was unmistakable.

"It must be to cover," I whispered, "breast augmentation. They‘re very nice, by the way. You and your surgeon have excellent taste," I said cautiously.

She looked worried for a moment then my smile and gentle squeezing of her hand must have relieved her.

"I have a VERY good plan, I’m covered," she said, then she smiled and giggled for a moment. "I could use help another way though, Joanie."

"You need but ask. Remember I’m distraught and not thinking straight -- an easy mark for your nefarious plans," I said and giggled which broke her up.

"Ouch, don’t make me giggle; it hurts," she said and giggled; she was getting better fast.

"I don’t need help with my medical needs, but my clothes and Jinn’s equipment are another matter. She got out okay but lost that micro-radio. I had to save up for months to buy that," she said and made this cute, adorable, weepy-eyed waif expression, then grinned wickedly.

"Ooh, that was evil! Don’t ever use that expression on anyone again, Jade. You reminded me of one of those early 1960’s paintings of little kids with huge sad eyes -- creepy. Get the radio you need, upgrade it while you’re at it. Call it a bonus for a job well done," I said and she looked at me like she was prompting me to say ‘and’. "I’ll replace any clothes or other equipment you ladies lost. You should throw in some shampoo, soap, and makeup on the bill, you look a mess," I said and chuckled.

"Sounds fair, Joanie. I don’t want to be seen as greedy, but Jinn and I work our butts off ‘cause we’re here as wards of the state. I’m not complaining; it’s much better than being back at home," she said and gave a small shudder, "but any extras are on our own nickel. Do we still have our jobs?" she asked, looking anxious.

"Are you joking, Jade? If Jinn hadn’t the guts to stay calm and hold that grenade shut while warning us, a lot more than a house would have been gutted. I’d planned to rent it out or have my friends stay there. I -- this stays between us Jade -- I have a boyfriend. He’s a, um, teenager too, so we can’t, you know, but someday he’ll be old enough to come and sleep over. If he had been in the house, or his mom, his sister, or my dad and it ..." I stopped and cried softly.

"I understand, Joanie. I have friends I love too," she said so sweetly I wanted to wrap her up and take her home as mine.

"I owe you big for this. I could get Cecilia Rogers to make you some bullet-resistant clothes like she made for me. Working for Operations can be dangerous; today was proof," I offered and laughed.

"Ooh! Her clothes are to die for. My roommate Billie gets hers from Miss Rogers and they make her look sharp. I’ll consider it; I don’t want to take advantage or feel obligated," she explained, then she grinned. "Ooh, could I get an outfit like you wore on late night TV -- that was wicked!"

"Um, I must warn you, Jade, Jedi mind control will not work on me as I’m so nearly a blonde, there is nothing to control," I replied and chuckled.

"And they let you teach here?" Jade asked facetiously.

"I, like bribed my way in, yah know?"

~~That’s close enough to the truth to sting a little, but if it helps her...~~

"Bitchn’ ‘do, girl. Is that gel or, uh, foam? Love your nails," I said and giggled. Jade snickered

"The clothing offer stands, Jade. The same goes for just chilling with me and venting your frustrations. Sometimes you have to tell somebody or burst. If you tell me your secrets I’ll tell you mine. Some of them are whoppers... I’ll let you play with my kitty cats," I offered.

"You mean your lions? I’ve seen you and Pinky walking them; they seem nice enough, but why lions?"

"Why does everyone assume they are lions? They’re not, you know," I said.

"I know they’re smilodons," she whispered that last word, "but it’s safer to call them lions. It would be cool to meet them, and it would be nice to talk to someone else about my troubles and stuff," she said.

"I’d like that; you’re such an interesting girl, I want to know more about you. I’m dying to know what that thumb twitching was about. I thought it was evidence of a brain or spinal injury, but I’m not sure now," I said, Jade laughed.

"It’s something Dr. Bellows taught me, a self-hypnosis trigger to deal with pain. It made the surgery tolerable too. This isn’t the first time I’ve been hurt since becoming a ... being a ... you wouldn’t think it hurts, but it does," Jade said.

"I’ll have to get the good doctor to teach me. Some of my menstrual cramps are winners, but you know about that, Jade," I said and Jade’s expression went from happy to sad in a flash.

"I said something stupid, forgive me. It’s obvious, I’m such a dope. The breast implants, your stature -- you’re not developing right, some kind of GSD and can’t have children?" I suggested; she held back tears. "I see, I struck a nerve again, but if you want to talk about it, I’ll listen. I’m so sorry, Jade. Whatever it is, if I can possibly help, just ask me," I finished.

I decided to repeat my open invitation for Jade to visit me in my dorm or anywhere she preferred. I suspected much of her *official* background was a construct to protect her, but from what and why?

"Anytime or place you want to talk, let me know. Come back to work when you’re up to it, until then you and Jinn are on paid sick leave. I’ll see to it that Operations knows this. I stand by those who stand by me," I said.

"You don’t have to, but thanks, Joanie. Um, Jinn can work today if you need her. I’ll be okay by tomorrow," Jade said.

"It’s almost four, so tell Jinn to call it a day. Work tomorrow only if you ladies feel like it. If you need time to get your heads together, I understand," I said and Jade giggled strangely -- like I’d nearly stumbled onto something dangerous. "Jade, dear, when you feel like it, please tell me who the other one is," I said so only Jade could hear.

"Other one?" Jade asked in a soft, nervous tone. I could see her body tense.

"Someone cut-off that awful splinter with a pulsed laser. The EMTs think I did, but we both know better." I looked around to make sure we were still alone. "You’d just cried out that Jinn was back but I didn’t see her so she had to be in spirit form. You said earlier she needs to be *recharged* every few hours, but I doubt you had time to do it. If you did, I certainly did not see her afterwards. I was thinking, if Jinn can be almost any shape, what if you have more than one *dead* sister," I hypothesized making quote marks in the air.

"I thought I saw your Hello Kitty compact moving immediately after I heard the rapid popping sound. I noticed the cut-off piece of the splinter immediately after that. I can’t see a machine doing this autonomously, unless it had an advance AI, very expensive -- that leaves Jinn or someone else. What’s her name... Jean?" I asked. Jade looked on the edge of tears.

"She’s Jann. Please don’t tell, Joanie, I beg you! Only my doctors and Team Kimba know. If anyone else found out...." Jade pleaded and began to cry.

Ghods, she’s got those eyes like Mel has when she’s near panic. ~~

"Like the Alphas? That won’t happen and I do have a resource should they become a problem -- a former Alpha who is on the Whateley staff," I said.

"Hartford? She’d help -- the Wicked Bitch of the East?" Jade asked wide-eyed.

"No, that’s my third grade teacher, or was that the Wicked *Witch* of the East?" I said and Jade smiled.

"She owes me, and we get along in our fashion. I’m such a mass of contradictions. I’m middle-aged, yet physically 17. I was a man; I’m all-girl now. I’m friends with both Charlie Lodgeman and Ms. Hartford -- that’s darn near schizophrenic. Think of me as a neutral power on campus, with my feet in both the student and staff camps. Think of me as Sweden; hell, I look the part," I said and gestured at my body.

"You get along with Hartford? She tried to get my roommate Billie kicked out of Poe and Billie ‘s the greatest!"

"I didn’t say I agree with her, I said I get along. Some things she does are needlessly officious and uncaring, yet I’ve known her to do things that impressed me. If Ms. Carson can see some good in her, she must be okay," I replied.

"Ms. Hartford did something nice?" Jade asked incredulously.

"And it was for a first-year Whateley student. This happened both before and after I was friends with the child."

"WOW! Are you sure it wasn’t a clone of Ms. Hartford or a malfunctioning android?" Jade said in her bemusement, then she grinned.

"I like you; you’re silly like I am. Get well, get your head screwed on tight and come back to work, okay?" I asked. "Be seeing you," I said and made an odd sort of salute.

"You watch The Prisoner? Number Six is so cool! He wears just the sharpest suits. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get those *rover* balloon things to guard your farm?" Jade snickered.

"That never made sense to me. All those pin-on number badges and no one thought to pop the rovers with one," I replied.

"You’re a loony, Joanie," Jade said and giggled.

"It beats the alternatives: being freaked out at my mutation, the loss of my old friends, family, and life. Being sad that I’ll outlive anyone I’ll ever love... don’t repeat that last bit, ever, Jade," I said.

"Of course, high-level regens can have very long... I may live a real long time too, Joanie. That’s something to keep quiet about," Jade replied.

"Good, then maybe we should keep in touch. It would be nice to have a friend who’s around for the long-haul. Give it some thought," I asked.

"For real? You’d be my friend, Joanie?"

"For real, Jade, if you can stand me. I’m much more outgoing than I used to be, but even John valued his friends -- he was painfully shy and that hurt him. I’m Little Miss Bouncy, and I like it," I said. I was walking out of the room when Jade spoke.

"Joanie, no one in their right mind would ever call *those* little," she said, pointing at my chest.

"Arrgh!" I exclaimed and walked away giggling.

* * * *

I checked on the Sabers. Tom and Tina were constantly being shadowed by at least two of their friends no matter where they went. I talked with Tina Anderson, and she said the Smith’s were much calmer today. She and Chris had made a point of walking past their classrooms several times that day. They believed we could end the suicide watch soon, but having a couple friends sleep over was still a good idea if they had nightmares.

"It’s looking good, Joanie. Not that they won’t have nightmares or other problems, but the chance of suicide is fading fast," said Tina Anderson. "I’d recommend one or more of you sleeping over with them for a few more nights, but I think we’re over the hump. I talked to Pinky during her lunch about that mental compulsion she offered as a last resort to stop Tom and Tina from suicide. Her method is very dangerous, but I sensed Pinky’s heart was in the right place. It would work, but it’s too stressful in itself and can cause serious long-term problems for the recipient. I’d have tried inducing a calmer state and making them sleepy, if it had come to it.

"Chris and I had a long talk with her; we explained we’ve had extensive training in our mental powers so we know what we’re talking about. She knows now not to use *that* technique unless a professional asks her to, and I got her to promise to learn some safer, less intrusive techniques. I’ve even offered to help train her, with Dr. Bellows supervision, should she wish it.

"Pinky loves you very much, Joanie, and she values the new friends she’s made through you. She told me how proud she was that on their first day on campus you asked her to mentor Tom and Tina on the do’s and don’ts of student life at Whateley. And then you trusted her to get them safely back to their new dorm after supper. That you showed a high level of trust in her so soon after she nearly... She couldn’t say enough nice things about you -- the young woman worships you.

"It’s like you’re her mother and best friend all-in-one. Please don’t ever betray that, it would devastate her. She’s much more mentally sound now than before -- we both sensed it -- but she’s still not 100 percent. If she ever felt you’d hurt her, she’d might snap. There is the core of an outstanding person there, so be careful. With patience she’ll be a lovely person, but she’s more fragile than she looks."

“I know what you mean. If I hadn’t fallen for Eric, I could see myself falling for her. She’s special. How her mother can be so hateful is beyond me.”

* * * *

I called the Ford dealership and requested a flatbed tow truck come to my farm to pickup my damaged crew-cab. They promised someone would be out there at once. They seemed surprised I was having trouble with such a new vehicle. I ran out to my farm as the late afternoon weather was fine, and I’d missed my morning run.

* * * *

Stan and Morrie were looking over the wreckage that was my farmhouse. To my surprise, the TV cameras were up and running. A technician pinned a mic on my blouse. A graying, familiar man stood with them.

"Tom Silva?" I asked. The man smiled warmly, in response. "How’d you get here so fast? I mean, I wasn’t expecting you or Norm again until we’d finished cleaning up from the previous owner and here you are right after our, ah, tiny setback," I said and pointed at the disaster that was my farmhouse.

"At your service, Ms. Brown; beautiful country around here, I can see why you like it. I was on my way here for tomorrow; we like to film a before and after comparison, and I often give my professional assessment of a buildings condition. I learned of the explosions in-transit, so I hustled over after confirming my lodging. From Norm’s reports I thought this was a typical rehab, but I never expected this level of, shall we say, structural problems," he said in his disarming Boston accent.

"Would you believe really big termites?" I joked. "What’s the prognosis, Doc?" I asked in a Bugs Bunny voice.

"Pull the plug; this patient’s terminal. The structural damage is bad on its own. We’d have to spend a day or more just shoring it up enough to make it safe to enter. Add in the damage to the electrical, phone, plumbing, HVAC, every window shattered, and the plaster -- hopeless," said Stan.

"I’ve seen the video our remote cameras took of the explosions. I’m surprised the house is still standing. What's left is damaged and overloaded; even after repairs the structure would not be trustworthy. I agree with Click and Clack, it’s better to start anew. The big question is how best to take down the old building and is anything worth salvaging?" Mr. Silva said and grinned.

Stan and Morrie laughed, I could barely contain myself.

"Isn’t that two questions, Mr. Silva? I AM a teacher you know," I asked like a displeased schoolmarm and snickered. "I thought you two determined the flooring was special. I believe you mentioned it in your survey of the property," I said to Stan and Morrie, then I realized they’d not been introduced.

"Sorry, Mr. Silva, these two loonies are Stan and Morrie, they’re primarily plumbers, but double up on nearly everything else back at the Academy in our Operations department. They keep the hodgepodge of old school and bleeding-edge high-tech that is our campus running smoothly," I explained.

"The thrifty farmer who built this used whatever trees were on site at the time. Much of the flooring is old growth pine with its tight grain -- nice stuff. A couple rooms were old-growth oak and maple -- absolutely beautiful. With luck we can salvage some of that, enough for a few rooms or at least for trim and maybe some custom furniture," Morrie said.

"You plan to prop up the damaged structure and dismantle it in place? Risky," Silva said.

"No taking chances, not after these survivalist booby-traps we tripped. If you have to, pull it down. I will not have anyone hurt, understand?" I said.

"We -- that’s Stan and I -- have an idea. Actually Harry Wo ... Almost forgot, no last names with regard to the students, Joanie. Harry, one of our gadgeteer students came up with it. Harry says he could fabricate a cradle which a heavy-duty crane could lift into and through the now open first floor and position just below its ceiling. Once the cradle was secured, the crane would support the upper structure so it could be cut free. It would then be set it down safely to the side. We could dismantle the house with extreme safety this way," Morrie said.

"Where would we get a crane that big? ...Please, not the robotics lab!" I asked, with alarm.

"Not all their experiments run amok, and there is always DARPA," Stan said.

"The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency?" Mr. Silva asked in amazement.

"Nikki’s dad owes us a few, and Sam has his contacts," Morrie whispered to me.

"What was that all about?" Silva asked.

"Because the Academy takes in the most extreme mutants of any school in the US, we have become a valuable ‘proving ground’ for new materials and equipment. Between the energizers, super powered bricks and all the devisor/gadgeteers, these materials get a workout. The Academy gets the benefits of access to the latest and most robust technology and our students get a leg up on productive careers in industry. A heavy lift helicopter or antigravity drives, Stan?" I speculated.

"Who knows? We got your truck free of the debris. Sorry, Joanie, she’s totaled. The cab held up well; I guess they were right about it being a police package," Stan said.

"I have to go with the tow truck and see what the deal is. Go ahead, order any additional dumpsters we need and tell my student crew to just pickup debris for today. Make sure they use gloves, masks, goggles and their safety shoes. I don’t want to see anyone else injured. I have to go. They will be alright, no other nasty surprises?" I asked.

"Aside from the physical hazards -- the broken glass, exposed nails, splintered wood and the like -- the site tests out as safe. All these fine particles covering the debris are simply ordinary construction dust, no asbestos or toxic materials if that’s your concern. The wall insulation was nothing unusual and quite safe to handle. A good dust mask and goggles will provide excellent protection. Operations mixed up a simple detergent and polymer spray for us. We have a drum of it to fill the backpack units Morrie and I brought with us. We’ll simply wet things down whenever the dust blows too much. Being detergent based, it cleans up easy..

As to the house, Mr. Silva is going to assist us in inspecting the foundation; we have a robotic remote that can film inside. With luck we can reuse the foundation which will save weeks. You take care of your truck; we’ll take care of the rest. Operations ‘owes’ you and Charlie for the Hawthorne dock project," Stan said.

"Dock project? You have a lake here? I love boats," Silva said. I giggled.

"I’ll let them explain, excuse me," I said and left to meet the tow truck driver.

* * * *

"I understand you need a tow; did *we* speed in that hotrod of a truck of ... W ... What the hell happened?" the tow driver exclaimed.

"Oh, this? The usual, survivalist booby-traps house and leaves it behind when he moves out -- it wasn’t an epic battle between a valiant wizard and a demon, if you were wondering," I said.

"You ask a simple question and people get all snotty on you," he said and laughed. "No one was hurt, were they?"

"One injury that looked bad but wasn’t. It could have been much worse," I said.

"I remember hearing rumors about survivalists moving into the area back near the end of the Vietnam War. We do have more than our share of the unusual around here, but then that’s what makes life interesting," the driver said and smiled.

"I could do with a bit more *dull* at times, but I guess this goes with the whole gorgeous mutant babe syndrome."

"You are one at that, Ms. Joanie," he replied.

"One what?" I asked, grinning.

"A gorgeous babe, you seeing anyone special?"

~~He wants a date? He is rather buff and well groomed for a tow-truck operator, hum?~~

"Depends, what class is your rig?" I cooed and placed my right hand on my upper thigh.

"Heavy duty all the way, gorgeous," he grinned.

"I like it *heavy-duty.* Pity, I’m off the market," I said in a sultry voice, then I giggled.

"The girls in the dealership office said you were a card, they didn’t exaggerate. Thanks for the fantasy, however brief," he said smiling.

"My pleasure, but I was serious, I do have someone special. Sorry," I confessed.

"He’s a lucky man."

"He knows it, and thanks," I replied.

* * * *

We got to the dealership quickly, nothing like being away from a big city to speed traffic. While the driver unloaded my wounded toy, I walked to the service counter.

"Excuse me, my crew cab was just towed in. Any idea as to how soon it can be repaired?" I asked, the little she-devil that I am.

A woman in her late twenties walked up to the counter.

"I’m Ms. Reinhardt, the service writer and ... Oh my, it’s you! I wasn’t here when you bought your truck and I’ve been hoping I’d be here the next time you came in. What can we do for you, Joanie? I hope it’s not problems with your police special? That truck is supposed to be all but bomb-proof," she asked. It was all I could do not to giggle at her choice of words.

"It’s over here," I said and pointed at the mangled wreck. I silently congratulated my self for not snickering.

"You weren’t driving when *that* happened, were you?" she asked aghast.

"The truck was parked roughly fifty feet from my farmhouse and I was hunkered down in a roadside ditch several hundred feet further away. A previous tenant on the farm was a tad paranoid and placed bombs in all four walls of the farmhouse. We discovered them the hard way. It was the usual stuff, usual for a war zone. There was a trip-wired military fragmentation grenade placed next to glass jars full of metal scrap and a box of old dynamite -- for that little something extra -- in each of the four exterior walls. All of them were backed by steel to send the blast outward, nasty stuff. Can she be fixed?" I asked, knowing what her answer had to be.

"The whole passenger side is caved in. Both tires on that side are flat though surprisingly intact, but then they were the run-flat police tires. The front drive spindles on both sides are bent; the tail gate is torn off and the outer body panels are Swiss cheese. The cab is fully intact, though the glass is etched and cracked -- the designers at corporate will be happy to see how well the armor performed," Ms. Reinhardt said.

She got inside and turned the key.

"Amazing! All the major systems work. Part of the brake system is out but the secondary systems are go and not a hint of trouble with the fuel or fuel-cells -- outstanding," she said with pride.

"What about it, how soon?" I asked.

"We’ll have to order you a new one, probably a month at best," she said.

"I can’t be without a truck that long, Ms. Reinhardt. Can’t you do something? I do have a lifetime free repairs and maintenance deal on the vehicle, no limits," I reminded her, "and what about my custom equipment?"

"I’ll have to ask the dealership owner. I know this was a special deal, but I don’t have the authority to replace a totaled vehicle. This isn’t a typical warranty issue," she explained.

I was tired and cranky and thought she was hemming and hawing. Maybe I wasn’t being fair but I decided to cut out the middleman.

"Get the owner on the phone then," I asked.

"He’s in a meeting at Ford and is unavailable," she replied, that pissed me off -- I got out my cell and dialed a special number.

"Mr. Ford’s personal assistant, how may I help you?" he said.

"I need to speak with Mr. Ford immediately. It’s Joanie," I said.

"He’s in a meeting with the top dealers and asked not to be disturbed," he explained.

"Disturb him, I have a problem that needs resolving at once, between us and not in the press."

~~That was a low blow, Joanie. PMS again?~~

"Joanie, what’s the trouble. My assistant said you were upset?" Mr. Ford replied.

"The service rep, a Ms. Reinhardt, won’t expedite the replacement of my truck. It’s a total wreck and she says it will be over a month. She’s hedging on the custom equipment too," I said.

"Hand the phone to Ms. Reinhardt, please," he requested. He did not sound happy.

They talked for a few minutes. He did most of the talking except for when she described all the damage and how it happened. Towards the end she did less and less talking. I think she was worried.

"Yes, Mr. Ford ... I understand, Mr. Ford, but ... I’m so sorry, Mr. Ford. Of course Mr. Ford ... I’ll see that it’s done as you say," the woman replied to the unheard voice.

She handed the phone back very politely.

"Joanie, I authorized Ms. Reinhardt to replace everything new, including the custom items, but I agree it will take sometime," he said.

"How long? I need a vehicle."

"I’ll see what I can do to rush things, but the first truck was a fluke to be available that fast. I’ll see if it can be less than a month, two weeks if we’re lucky. I told the service writer you can have any vehicle at the dealership as a loaner until your truck is ready," he said

I clipped the phone to my belt, turned, saw *it* and smiled.

"I want this one. Whoa yeah! Come to Mama!" I said and walked over to the most beautiful sports car I’d ever seen.

"But that’s a next generation Ford GT, the previous model sold for over 250 grand!" she exclaimed.

I grabbed my phone from my belt and hit the redial. Mr. Ford picked up directly -- I guess he had the enhanced caller ID.

“Yes, Joanie, what I can I do for you now?” He sounded both upset and amused -- a volatile combination.

“I want *that* car as my loaner,” I said, it was not a camera phone.

“*That* car? Please put Ms. Reinhardt on,” he asked.

She explained or tried to.

“The GT. No sir, not the Mustang GT, *the* GT, the new model with all-wheel electric drive, gravity generator traction assist and the MHD turbo-electric dual-generating power plant,” she said finally. Soon she handed the phone back.

“You sure you don’t want another crew cab?” he asked.

"If I’d wanted another, Toyota makes a fine pickup and their jingle is a catchy tune," I said to Mr. Ford and started humming it.

"Joanie?"

"Sorry, can’t a girl have some fun? Aren’t we supposed to change our minds for no apparent reason? I’m being a tease, I know, but hear me out. Think of the publicity -- a tall, drop-dead sexy young woman driving around in your finest sports car? I think some print ads, TV spots or public appearances with me in it would be covered by our contract. I’ll go to the Detroit Auto Show if I possibly can, I promise. Meanwhile you can brag to the nation’s police how well the truck held up. All that blast damage, the entire side of a two story house falls on top it for-crying-out-loud, yet it runs and not a trace of penetration inside the armored cab! Oh, don’t take this out on the service writer, she was trying before I went all psycho-bitch on her, and she is a hottie,” I confessed then giggled. “Cumon’ Mr. Ford, what do you say? Pretty please?"

Ten minutes later I was driving out of the dealership, smoke pouring from the tires — I’d turned off the gravity generator traction assist for a moment -- as I tore down the road in the GT. I did back off the speed as soon as I was out of sight -- 185mph in a 55 mph zone is a bit much even for me, and I hadn’t begun to test its limits. The prototype holds the land-speed record for four wheeled vehicles.

~~I’m a baad little girl!~~

* * * *

I called Madison that night to check on Mrs. Smith’s condition. She had had all her major surgeries, though lesser ones to reduce scars and to remove the pins and plates helping her bones heal would be necessary down the road. Gin informed me that Donna -- Mrs. Smith -- was a good candidate for some thaumatogical assistance once she finished recovering from her surgeries.

"What do you mean, Gin?" I asked.

"Using magic multiple times on a person can have bad consequences, particularly if powerful magics are used. Mrs. Smith shows no signs of previous significant exposure to magic," she said and I giggled. "Joanie, I’m serious. There are a lot more magic users in the world than you think. Some unscrupulous retailers and employers use people with such powers to manipulate consumers’ tastes. I mean, ten years of 'Tickle Me Elmo' sales, come on! In that particular case it’s subtle, but effective. Ever wonder why Elmo’s song is so captivating?" Gin said.

"Does that mean Pamela Sue Anderson’s success is due to magic?" I asked.

"No, she has a great body to begin with and some top-notch plastic surgeons; silicone is magic in its own right," Gin said and snickered back. "Now as to Leonardo De Caprio ... major mojo was used to boost his career. He can act a little, but face it, he’s a shrimp. He’s too short for me and I’m hardly a Valkyrie like you, Joanie," Gin said.

"I am NOT singing Wagner -- forget it -- no way in hell am I gaining 150 pounds, a triple-chin and wearing that stupid horned helmet, " I said and snickered. "I do understand what you mean, Gin. What’s the deal with Donna Smith and thaumatology?"

"My friends and I think Donna is a good candidate for a magic overhaul. Once she’s healthy we zap her big-time and reset her entire biological clock while repairing as many scars, adhesions and other damage as possible. With luck she’ll be as healthy as before her assault, maybe far more healthy. You saw what I did for Katie," Gin explained.

"Gin, Katie is a bad example; Tom and Tina need their mom, not a Amerasian sister in pre-school," I replied and giggled.

"Joanie, we can custom-tailor the spell. We’ll just make her whole and healthy, maybe shave a couple years off her age. If she’d rather be a teen again, it can be done; it’s not unlike what some sorceresses do to extend their lives and no, I have not *altered* my appearance. I am as my mutation made me, Joanie," Gin said sounding offended.

"I mean no offense. I’m concerned for the twins, they’ve suffered enough. They need stability in their lives but if you honestly believe it’s in her best interest to look that much younger or different do it, but let the whole family decide," I replied.

"Absolutely, sorceress's honor. She’s a nice woman and didn’t deserve what they did ... That’s right, GG didn’t know at the time you two last spoke. They raped her, Joanie, in front of her husband -- just before they broke his skull. Thankfully she was on birth control and they didn’t transmit any STD’s. All that and neither revealed where their kids had been taken -- I’ll be happy to be half the parent they were," Gin said and I wiped my tears.

~~If I get my hands on her torturers …~

"Gin, since we mentioned her, how’s Katie doing?"

"She’s finished transforming; she’s a sweet, bright young girl and full of energy. She thinks and acts like a young girl all the time now, but don’t ever try to hurt her or her friends if she’s around. She’s a tiger; her old military training comes roaring back and she’s adapted it to her new body. Red was teasing me and Katie misunderstood. She knocked Red on her ass -- nearly knocked her unconscious. They’ve made up and Red is a frequent and welcome visitor at my parents. My new *baby* sister loves playing with 'the Amazon lady.' That’s what Katie calls Red; I overheard them the other day. It’s something private between them because I asked Red straight out and she said she couldn’t say. All Red will admit to is it’s a *girl secret* and she can’t tell me; she gave Katie her solemn oath — hope to die and everything. I’ve tried asking Katie, but she giggles and sticks her tongue out at me.

"Katie can read at the first grade level and knows her numbers. She can do some simple addition as well. Mom hopes to get her in the AM Kindergarten program this fall, by then her physical age will be four-and-a-half, mentally she’s six already. She’d test higher academically, but learning to be a girl is so important to her. She’s soaking up everything eagerly and has near perfect recall. I suspect she’ll be this way permanently -- my new sister is a near genius and I’m so happy for her. She can speak entirely in Humong with Mom, it’s pretty basic stuff but she speaks it perfectly. She has a real gift for language," Gin said happily.

"I’m glad it worked out. Did you get the CDs I sent?"

"Katie was so thrilled you remembered her. Her only memories of that terrible day are how brave you were to jump in the water, and how pretty you are. She has your poster up on her door, one of the more tasteful ones, the girl idolizes you," Gin said.

"Tell the gang to keep on searching for the people who did this, I feel so helpless at the moment," I said.

"Don’t worry, Joanie, our best lead has them up near the Canadian border. If they were around, they couldn’t get to her. No one can get to Mrs. Smith. MSG is treating her as one of ours and we stick together," Gin replied.

I had an inspiration.

"Is Donna, I mean Mrs. Smith, up to visitors?" I asked.

"She will be a few days. What are you thinking of Joanie?"

"Could you or, better yet, the Mutant Wing at the hospital put up a couple teenagers for a night or two?"

"It’s possible," Gin replied.

"I’m thinking of flying out Friday night or early Saturday morning, dropping the twins off, then flying on to Iowa. Babs needs a visit and, well ..."

"You’re that horny, huh?"

"That too, Gin, but I simply want to see the Johnsons, for purely platonic reasons. Not that I don’t wish it could be otherwise," I admitted.

"I’ll make arrangements. I take it, Joanie, I’m not to let Donna know?" Gin asked.

"Ms. Carson is accommodating to my wishes, but you never know. Best not get Donna’s hopes up," I said.

"Okay, girl, remember, if you ever change your mind about Eric ..."

"I know -- you, Red and the Andersons all want a shot at me. Why me?" I said, laughed and hung-up.

* * * *

May 02, 2007

I stopped by Administration early to see if I could pull off the weekend trip to the Midwest. It was doable, if I could swap one shift with Security and if Boston PBS could reschedule my Nova recording sessions. Ms. Carson was most supportive.

"I feel like I’m taking advantage of you, Ms. Carson, but I think a visit will do Mrs. Smith and the kids a world of good."

"I agree; you are taking advantage, but for all the right reasons. You have my blessing, but you need to make sure all your duties here are covered during your absence, Joanie," she added.

"I will and thank you," I said and hugged her.

* * * *

I met Pinky for our morning run along with most of my clean-up crew.

"I’m glad to see so many of you here -- why?" I asked.

"It never hurts to exercise. You seem to enjoy yourself, and sweaty spandex is so sexy," said Cheryl, remarkably alert for so early in the morning. "Pinky said she’s noticed more and more students coming out to watch you and your friends run. I hope to get my pick of the voyeurs," she finished.

"In that uniform, you’ll get lots of action; that’s right up there with some of my outfits," I told Cheryl.

~~That’s barely decent. It’s not fair!~~

I decided to give tit-for-tat -- lots of it.

"Joanie, what are you doing?" Tom asked, though I could see he didn’t mind the show.

"Just getting comfortable," I said.

I removed my sport top, leaving myself in my running shoes, tight short-shorts and a sports bra that was almost a bikini top. It was a little cool out but tolerable and no way was I going to be one-upped by anyone. Suzy saw me and turned to Tom.

"WE are running in front of Joanie and if I see you looking back ..." she said and thrust her knee up hard. Tom and everyone else knew were that knee would be aimed at if he did ogle my goodies.

"Suzy, if you do that, he may not stray but you might neuter him. Counter-productive, don’t you think," I said, then broke up in a giggle fit.

WE had a fun run, and I do mean WE. Mystor and Lonnie ran side-by-side and seemed happy together. I don’t think they are a couple, but they do act like friends which is progress. He stopped wearing that awful Goth clothing and make-up. *I’ve* noticed he’s hot looking, as have a lot of other girls. I may have created a monster -- but a good-looking monster. Cindy, Jenny and Pinky ran together for a while. Pinky told me later they were "working on something for the Sabers," but she wouldn’t tell me what it was.

We cleaned up and got dressed while our hangers-on rolled their tongues back in their mouths and tended to their swollen -- well you know.

"Joanie, I haven’t had that much fun in ages. I felt sorry for some of the boys; we had them so wound-up it had to be painful. And the group from Dickenson -- I’ve never seen ... You could poke your eyes out on those. Can we do it again tomorrow?" Cheryl asked and snickered.

"We’ll see, we don’t want to cause too many whiplash cases, hon," I said softly.

Pinky led some of the group to my farm on foot while Suzy got to ride in my GT -- Tom was envious and Suzy was so mature.

"Hey, Tom, eat our dust!" Suzy shouted to him then stuck out her tongue.

"Real mature, Suzy," I said then turned to Chris Anderson who was loading the remainder of my crew into a Whateley van, "Wanna drag?"

I smoked the tires ~~Setting a good example are we?~~ then drove responsibly to the farm. I was willing to show off but I didn’t want to see anyone hurt.

* * * *

We got to the farm and I helped Suzy out. Stan and Morrie were there with Tom Silva and the TOH camera crew.

"WOW, Joanie, what a wreck!" Suzy exclaimed as we walked up to the gutted farmhouse.

"Young lady I’ll have you know I’m in the peak of condition, or would be if I dropped twenty pounds or so. Hi, I’m Tom Silva, and you are?"

"Um, Suzy?" she said hesitantly.

"Don’t worry, we will edit every bit of footage to make sure no one’s name or face gets on the air that shouldn’t be," he said.

"Sorry, I’m Suzy, Joanie’s my friend and I’m here to help out," she said.

"And to earn some spending money or help pay for school. The Academy is very expensive," I explained.

"But Joanie’s paying for me because she’s ... the lady who saved my life and feels responsible, like that Chinese saying," Suzy said.

~~You are one bright girl, Suzy. Nice save.~~

"So your Suzy’s ... sponsor?" he asked.

I whispered back, "I, um, know her aunt. And I feel responsible for Suzy." He nodded his respect.

~~I have got to keep my mouth shut. I’m proud of my niece but if that leaked out ... Idiot! ~~

"They are all my friends -- even Mystor here whom I met when he stripped my clothes off with magic -- but Suzy is a special case. We met while swimming this spring," I said and both Suzy and I giggled.

"I saw your *swim* on TV; I can see why you're Joanie’s friend, Suzy," Mr. Silva said.

"So what’s the deal today?" I asked.

"We used a robotic probe to inspect the house as we talked it over with Mr. Silva. The top of the house will be supported by a cradle the robotics lab is building per Harry’s design -- it will be lifted away and set off to the side. That way we can dismantle the house safely and have the foundation ready in a few days. We’ll clear out the basement and do any necessary foundation improvements -- new buried utilities, drains and such. Fran is willing to do some of her special stone work for us as needed so all we need is a design," Morrie said.

"I was hoping for something that looks historically proper on the exterior but is fully modern and easy to live with inside. Maybe some sort of hybrid ranch-house/Usonian?" I suggested. "Maybe with an attached, heated garage?"

"We’ll have a couple ideas for you by tomorrow, Joanie. Today your crew can concentrate on picking up the work site. Does everyone have on their safety shoes, hardhat and goggles?" Stan asked, and they all nodded. "Good, I have lots of disposable dust masks and work gloves. If yours gets hard to breathe through, or your gloves start to get thin, see me for new ones. If you’re not sure, change them anyway. No one gets hurt, okay?"

Harry Wolfe made a BIG impression on the TOH people, both with his appearance and his knowledge. He showed off the mini-rail system and how he would reroute it to accommodate the changed work site. He demonstrated with a scale model of the anti-gravity assisted crane and cradle system that would be used to disassemble farmhouse.

"We’re using the antigravity lifters as stabilizers, just as on the mini-rail system, but scaled up. Robotics has a huge portable crane donated to us by DARPA. It could do the job alone, the anti-gravs are for additional safety," Harry explained.

"You’re a gadgeteer you said, Harry?" Silva asked, not the least bit awed by Harry’s huge build.

"Oh yes, it means in my case I’m exceptional with machines, in fixing and building them. I instinctively know how they work. Your boat has the beginnings of a head gasket leak," Harry said abruptly.

"How do you know that, and how do you know I have a boat?" Mr. Silva asked.

"The boat I know about because I’ve seen 'This Old House'. The head gasket problem I can smell on your clothes; seawater leaking into a cylinder has a unique smell when it reacts with the hot metal, oil and gas of a failing engine. I have a very good nose," Harry said.

"My mechanic was saying I might need the head repaired in my boat. I am impressed, Harry," he said and Harry beamed.

I began to giggle uncontrollably and couldn’t stop.

"What’s so funny, Joanie?" Mr. Silva asked.

"Your boat's engine or the toilet?" I giggled but calmed down. Mr. Silva laughed.

I noticed Harry looking longingly at my GT.

"Harry, the Ford GT is a loaner. Please don’t play with it," I said.

"I could make it go 30 MPH faster, easy," he said.

"It’s fast enough. I have to go. I’ll leave everything in your capable hands, Stan, Morrie, " I said and drove off.

* * * *

Classes went well that morning, and I got news from Dr. Joshua P. Bakers, Dr. Jean Alden and Dr. Korolev, on my summer *field trip* history seminar.

"This is a list of important events in the history of Whateley Academy and its predecessor institutions that are poorly documented. Circe and Dr. Ophelia Tenent -- Caduceus -- came up with a list of magic hot spots that bear investigation. This should provide ample opportunity for research by yourself and students who sign up for the seminar," explained Dr. Bakers in the most words he’d ever said to me.

"Thank you all for getting back to me so soon," I said.

"We agreed it was a great idea -- your seminar -- and we were inspired," said Jean Alden.

"Ah, the enthusiasm of youth," replied Dr. Bakers.

~~Youth? Jean Alden is over 400 years old, what does that make you, Methuselah?~~

"Sergei, you’ve been quiet," I commented.

"I have a prototype dummy time-travel module for you. The panels are lightweight and elf-contained, to minimize the inconvenience to you. It uses a compact holographic system to alter the visible exterior to mimic whatever you desire," he said.

"Don’t you mean self-contained?" I asked.

"I said elf-contained and I meant it. An electro luminescent film is wrapped tight around a stiff yet lightweight foam core. The film is similar to some of the smart-camo the Army has experimented with. It can automatically mimic its surroundings using its built-in micro-cameras, or assume the appearance of any of many objects stored in its memory. It’s being tested now and should be ready anytime you need it. The tricky bit is faking convincing time machinery, but I should have something soon, Joanie," Sergei explained.

"That sounds good, Sergei. While you work on that, I can do a little preparation. I do need to scout some of these sites and take notes. I don’t want to wing it come class-time," I said.

"I suggest documenting some of the magic hotspots first. You may wish to avoid those for the seminar and Operations can always use the data to aid in planning construction projects," said Dr. Alden.

"Agreed. I’ll see if Charlie is available, I’m still not expert on magic," I said.

* * * *

I contacted the Boston PBS station, and they said the crew at my farm had almost everything needed to record my narration for the Nova special. My Nova producer said she would inform them of my intention to do much of it during the week at Whateley. She got a hold of the station’s floor director and he figured the remote crew would be available for my hosting/narration work by in the early evenings, at which point it’s too dark for outdoor filming. All they needed was a soundproof room and a green screen, both of which we had in the King Annex. A couple hours a night over the two weeks and we would be on or ahead of filming compared to spending the weekends in Boston.

We had a conference call with the camera crew, and they figured we could film from seven to nine PM, giving them time to clean-up, eat and set up after the days filming at my farm. This allowed the Sabers to get in their needed practice sessions. It would be a grind but feasible.

* * * *

I talked with Pinky at the late lunch period.

"I may take the Smiths to see their mom this weekend, leaving Friday late afternoon or early Saturday morning. Could you take care of my cats and ensure the Saturday cleanup crew behaves?"

"Be glad to, I’ll keep George and Gracie safe," she said.

"I hate to leave you alone, but the Smiths need to see each other and I want to visit Babs in Iowa. I could get Lex or someone else to take the smilodons, are you sure?" I asked.

"I have to be on my own sometimes and I have the other Sabers if I get lonely. I’ll be fine; you’re acting like you’re my mom. I promise I’ll be good and you go see Babs. Give Eric a kiss for me, you dirty girl," Pinky said and hugged me.

"I feel guilty."

"Good, maybe you’ll get me a present to assuage your feelings of worthlessness. Something in 22 carat gold or higher should do," she said and giggled.

"So I need to bribe you eh? Okay," I said, and walked away, turning back once to make moose antlers at her and stick out my tongue. Her laughter was all the assurance I needed.

~~I need to check with Senator Joe about those papers I wanted. It’s time to settle the situation with Pinky’s mother one way or the other. ~~

* * * *

I drove back to my farm after my classes, I should say I intended to drive back, when I noticed something odd. There were small plies of stones around my sports car, stacked three atop each other aligned with the points of a five pointed star or pentagram. I knew enough about magic to be concerned. I checked to see if Dr. Tenent or Circe was available but they were busy with classes. I was going to see if one of the Security officers who knew magic was available when I spotted Lonnie walking with Cheryl.

"Lonnie, Cheryl, I need advice, " I called out.

"Sure, what can I do for you," Lonnie said, Cheryl nodded.

"Follow me and see what you make of this, I’m stumped," I said.

We got to my GT, and I pointed out the stones.

"Is someone playing a prank or is this for real? What is it, some sort of magic alarm?" I asked.

Lonnie got out a few crystals from her book-bag and dangled several from what looked like silver chains. Most did nothing but one swung out at a great angle from vertical in the direction of each pile of stones as she walked around the car.

"I’ve seen these in my magic theory class. It’s a simple and rather old-fashioned ward. I’m not a high-level sorceress like Dr. Tenent or Circe, but this is serious stuff," Lonnie said.

"Is Joanie at risk?" Cheryl asked.

"Walk toward the car, Joanie but don’t touch it or the stones."

She did some more scanning -- if that’s what you call it -- while she had me approach and retreat from my car. She did the same with Cheryl and herself then used their combined *charms* on a geeky young boy to do the same for us. I felt sorry for the boy, they used him shamefully. Thought he did get a kiss from each girl so....

"So, Lady Morgana, what’s the deal?" I asked.

"Joanie, be careful with that name, some magic users don’t see the humor in it. The field is a ward and it’s attuned to you and your friends. It reacted in a positive way to your presence, like it was signaling to a friend you were okay. It acted similarly for me and Cheryl, though more like we were unimportant. The young boy was close to getting an unpleasant shock if he’d touched the car. What is odd is the flavor, the color -- I can’t describe how I perceive it better than that -- is strange," she said, struggling for the words.

"How? I’d like to know. Remember, I may have need of such knowledge if this magic storage-cell phenomenon gets worse," I said.

"Magic storage cell?" Cheryl asked.

"Joanie stores magics around her body but they don’t touch her. It’s likely some unique quirk of her warper powers. They are stronger than the last time I noticed, Joanie. Being near so many magic users and mystical objects is feeding the energy into your field faster than it’s bleeding off. It’s not a dangerous level yet, but you have more magic around you than some of the top sorceresses on campus except for people like Sara Waite, Dr. Tenent, or Circe. See, these two crystals of mine react to magic in terms of its magical frequency and energy. The energies around you have combined in a higher frequency and energy level than their original form." She paused and thought.

"This is all very theoretical and I only am starting to study this, but I think you’re not a storage cell, but more akin to a particle accelerator or even a laser. The different magics that were chaotic are becoming coherent, they are *vibrating* at nearly the same frequency and that makes them more powerful. You should make an appointment with Dr. Tenent soon, I mean it. You won’t get hurt but someone around you could. I don’t mean to alarm you. It’s fairly low level yet but under rare circumstances magic has been known to build until it crackles across the skin like St. Elmo’s fire. I remember hearing about a student here who had that problem, but the name eludes me," she said.

"So I’m fine for now?"

"For a while, Joanie. The ward around you car puzzles me; as I said, magic has characteristics -- colors, flavors. This magic used in this ward is alien and very old. I swear it reminds me of a style of magic attributed to India and this was not done by a human. Oh, Joanie, I saw paw prints in the stone dust by the front wheel. It’s something like a cat but not a cat, a weasel of some kind?" she speculated. Lonnie stopped, and tapped me on the shoulder. Her eyes were locked on something.

"Quiet! Look over by the evergreen hedge next to Administration, on the left; that could be it, the magic using animal," Lonnie said softly and in awe, I thought.

"Here goes nothing. Hi there, little one! Looking for me?" I called out as I turned to face the animal -- not fifty feet from us.

It started to run, stopped, turned, stood up on its rear legs and....

"Did you just bow to me, little one? That was ... what was that?" I asked.

"I think that was or is someone’s familiar. An animal that helps a sorceress access her magic and often acts as a bodyguard. I think it was acknowledging you as a sorceress. That is an honor; they tend to be secretive and tightly bonded to their mistress or master. I wonder, there’s a legend of a prankster animal, some call her Miki, supposed to be an orphaned familiar. She’s rumored to have lived on the Whateley grounds for decades -- maybe since as far back as the oldest buildings.

“You should ask Dr. Tenent about Miki, Joanie. She’s an expert on familiars and how they interact with their human partner. She has an intimate knowledge of the Whateley area’s magical heritage. If anyone can figure out what’s going on, it’s the doctor,” Lonnie said solemnly, I choose this moment to break out in giggles.

“You mean the guy with the blue police box? I thought he’s a fictional character?” I said and snickered. Lonnie joined in while Cheryl looked at us as if we’d each grown an extra head.

“What’s so funny about a blue police box?” Cheryl asked.

“I take it you don’t watch a lot of science-fiction TV? I asked.

“I was too busy with my music to watch much TV of any kind.”

~~I’ll have to get her a copy of the show since I’ll be on it.~~

“The more I think of it, the more I'm sure that had to be her, Joanie. Wow, I saw Miki! The rest of my magic theory class will be so jealous when they find out," Lonnie finished.

"How does a familiar get orphaned?” I asked.

"Supposedly, its mistress was killed; strange, familiars normally can’t sustain the magic after the bond is broken. When their mistress is dead, they normally revert to ordinary animals. Miki must be very special to survive so long on her own. You really need to see Dr. Tenant, we’re talking serious magic here.

To Be Continued