Date: 01/03/2001
From: SouthernSlider

Good morning. Brrrrrrrr. It's cold as Cresus down here. This is getting ridiculous. I NEED WARMTH!! I can't even use my fan. I guess somewhere along the line I'll have to write in a steamy love scene - something that will boil my blood.

Sorry about last night, DMD. They kept it close for a while, but Miami was just too much for them in the second half. I did my part. I pulled for them, despite the protests from my hubby and son. They couldn't understand how on earth I could pull for the Gators. I'm not sure how I could either, except, I just wanted an SEC team to win.

Now for another chapter.
-------------------------------------

Chapter Four

Wade pulled her knitted cap over her ears and shoved her gloved hands into her pockets. The air was unseasonably cool and windy today, but she had to get out and walk. Tony
had grumbled when she said she was walking home, but she didn’t let it deter her. Ever since seeing the doubles of her friends last night, she had been out of sorts. The fresh air would help clear her mind.

When she came to the park, a feeling of deja vu swept over her. How many times had they tumbled out of the vortex into this park, thinking they were home? Home. Did
it even exist anymore? Had it ever existed? Maybe all those memories were just figments of her imagination. Maybe he was still controlling her after all.

She walked up to the statue of President Abraham Lincoln, and stared. At one time, there had been a bum who slept behind that statue. She couldn’t help but take a
peek to see if there was one on this world. Empty. Disappointment came and went.

“Wade, get a hold of yourself. It’s not like anything that happened before is going to happen now.” She continued slowly down the sidewalk.

A funny feeling crept up the back of her neck. She shuddered and turned around. Nothing. No one was there, but she could have sworn someone was watching her --
hoped that maybe it was Quinn. But that was crazy. This Quinn probably didn’t even know this world’s Wade. If he had, he would have spoken to her last night at the bar.

She frowned and thought of the other ‘man’ in her life. It couldn’t be him. He said he would leave her alone for a while when he deposited her here; let her work on
things alone. She looked around one more time. When her efforts proved fruitless, she turned and ambled onward.

Quinn made himself one with the tree and held his breath. After several seconds, he peeled himself away and dared to peek around the side. He closed his eyes for a
second and prayed she hadn’t seen him. When she came into view, and he saw her back as she walked away, he released a sigh of relief. What on earth would he have done if she
had spotted him and came toward him? When he raised his hand to his forehead, he felt the sweat that had beaded up.

“This is crazy. I . . . I can’t follow her around like a stalker. I can’t just walk up to her and say hello. What the hell am I doing out here? Besides, it’s not even her. It’s just her double.” He argued with himself aloud. “But, God, what would it be like to just
hear her voice one more time -- to touch her, to take in her scent?” He looked down as his hand began to tremble. “Walk away from this, Mallory. You have to walk away.”

He watched her disappear around the bend, then turned in the opposite direction and headed back to the hotel. As he reached the outskirts of the park, he mentally kicked
himself for not having spoken to her. As the distance between them grew longer, the memory of his fears lessened.

"What would it have hurt?" he asked aloud. "As long as I know it's not my Wade, I could have made light conversation." As soon as the words escaped his lips, he
knew they weren't true. "Who am I kidding?" He kicked a stone in his path and sent it sailing through the air, then rolling down the hill.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and continued on his way. The war of wanting to talk with her and the fear of his emotions if he did waged on.

Wade rounded the bend and stopped dead in her tracks. Not twenty-five yards away stood the double of the man who had become her nearest and dearest friend in the past few years. Rembrandt, "Cryin' Man", Brown. What would he do if she ran up to him and embraced him? Call for the cops? Return the embrace, thinking she was hitting on him? Slap her silly? It didn't matter. She wouldn't do it -- couldn't do it.

"Wade?"

She jerked at the sound of his soft voice saying her name. While she weighed the options of hugging the man, he had closed the gap and spoken to her. How on earth did
he know her name? He must be mistaking her for this world's Wade? What would she do now?

"I guess you don't know me. I'm Rembrandt Brown. I saw you singing at the Sassy Brass Bar last night. I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your performance,"
Remmy said. How it hurt to keep his arms from pulling her to him.

"Th . . . thank you. I remember seeing you there with . . . friends," she answered.

"Yeah, we were taking a little break from our . . . grinding routine." An awkward silent, moment passed between them. Neither knew exactly what to say. Finally, Remmy touched on some common ground. "I'm a singer myself, so I appreciate the efforts of others."

"Oh, really," she said, trying to be nonchalant. "I would love to hear you sing sometime. Are you performing somewhere around here?"

"Uh, no. My singing is on hold at the moment while my friends and I do some traveling."

"I see." She smiled, looked down at the sidewalk and kicked at the air.

"Would you like to get a cup of coffee? I have some down time, and I would love to talk to you about your singing." Remmy said.

"That would be great."

Wade and Remmy left the park in search of a coffee shop, with Wade's spirits soaring. She pushed the idea of this little adventure being dangerous aside. The need to
connect with her former companions, even if they weren't the real ones, was too great.

When they found a place and got comfortable, they talked for hours, until Wade noticed the sun getting lower in the sky outside.

"Oh, my gosh. I've really got to be on my way. Tony will have my head if I'm late," she said, jumping up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you. I hope your boyfriend will understand."

She laughed. "Oh, he's not my boyfriend. Just my tyrant boss. Well, not really. He's a very good guy -- the guitar player in the band. But I really do have to go and get ready for another night of singing. A girl's got to make a living, you know."

"Oh, yeah. Wade, it was a pleasure meeting you and talking." He almost choked on the words.

"For me, too, Remmy. I hope we get to talk again. You know where to find me. I'll be at the Sassy Brass all week. You should stop by." She left the place hurriedly.

As she disappeared from view, Remmy frowned. "Remmy? She called me Remmy. I didn't tell her that name. I'm sure I said Rembrandt." He stared out the door.
"It couldn't be. She would have known me." He paused, in deep thought. "Or would she? Those Kromagg bastards could have . . ."

Remmy hurriedly plopped down enough bills to cover the cost of the coffee and ran out the door. Looking in both directions, he couldn't see any sign of her. "Which way
did she go?" he whispered. He sighed, weighed his options, then turned to the right. He had no idea what he would do or say if he caught up with her.
------------------------------

Just one chapter today, boys and girls. Thanks for your previous comments.

Previous post #s: P,1) 2532 2,3)2536

SS

The plot thickens.

Date: 01/03/2001
From: DieselMickeyDolenz

It's shaping up to be a great story, Southern. Can't wait for the next chapter.

No, my boys in blue didn't get the job done. They had their chances and then some. Sometimes I just want to grab the head ball coach and scream, "RUN THE DAMN BALL!" His ego about the passing game has lost us more than a few games, but it's probably won us more. A perfect example came in the 4th quarter. We were down by 10 and had the ball on our own 15 yardline. We drove down inside Miami's 10 and had first and goal. All but 15 yards of that drive came running the ball, and what did we do? Threw it at the endzone three times and kicked a field goal. Disgusting. Add ni all the stupid penalties, the dropped passes, and the times the quarteback threw into double coverage when other recievers were wide open, and it's tought to win a game against a team like Miami.

Oh well, we get to play them again in '02 and '03. Tonight I root for the Sooners, I hope I'm better luck for them than I was for Auburn and Tennessee in their bowls.

DMD

Wonderful

Date: 01/03/2001
From: SweetOne

SweetOne

"It is not so much our friends' help that
helps us as the confident knowledge
that they will help us."
Epicurus

your killing me

Date: 01/03/2001
From: Missye

Your killing me here. Can't wait to read more.
I'm reading united/devided. I'm liking that one too.
Missye

I Love It

Date: 01/03/2001
From: sliderlynn

I couldn't wait to get home from work to read this story.
Please keep more of it coming. I can't wait to read the
next chapter.I'm sitting on the edge of my chair.
MOre. More.

Eagerly waiting for the next chapter....

Date: 01/03/2001
From: dellyone

Interesting. Hmm.... who's Wade's other guy?

dellyone

Original URL http://www.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/1095/3078
Nominated by DieselMickeyDolenz