Date: 01/02/2001
From: SouthernSlider

Good morning, all. Pardon me if I seem a little incoherent. Eight football games in one day has me a little addled. Or maybe it was seven. I can't remember. Who's on first? No, wait, that's baseball. Anyway, two more biggies to go until college football withdrawal begins.

DMD: Good luck tonight. I can't believe I'm pulling for the Gators, but I want the SEC teams to win. Unfortunately, some of them aren't fairing too well. Did you catch the Miss. State game the other night in all that snow? I couldn't believe it. And what an embarrassment for Notre Dame! But that's okay with me; I'm not a fan of theirs anyway.

Missye: To answer your questions -- Yes, this is a sequel to United We Slide, Divided We . . . Disappear. Quinn and Colin are not in the middle of their big fight anymore since Quinn thought Colin had died in the plane wreck, but they are still not close yet. I will have that story line in here briefly to tie up some loose ends, but it's not the main crux of this story. The beginning of that story starts with post #2277 on page 62. Yes, Conie is Conrad Bennish. Kelly called him that in the previous story.

And if anyone is still around after wading through those messages, here's more story.
---------------------------------

Until We Meet Again

Chapter Two

Wade finished her number and started up another one almost immediately. The night had been slow, and she was glad to see the small group come in and have a seat.
She felt her singing had been wasted on the thinly-populated audience. Her spirits lifted with the first note.

As she continued to sing, an odd feeling began to creep up her spine. She could feel the five pairs of eyes boring into her. Grateful for the attentive audience, she tried to
push those feelings away. But when it came time for a break, she welcomed it with fervor. With the stage lights going dim and the house lights coming up, she would be
able to get a peek at the faces behind those eyes that had stared so intently. She tried to nonchalantly leave the stage.

“I can’t believe it. I was here for two years and never ran into her. And now my little sister is singing in the same bar I did,” Kelly said.

“She is not your sister, Kelly.” Colin corrected.

“Well, you know what I mean. I know she’s a double, but it’s so eerie. I guess I just want it to be her so bad.”

“Yes, I understand.” Colin looked over to his brother as he spoke. Quinn had been strangely quiet ever since they had walked in the door. Colin knew it had affected
him as much as, if not more than, Kelly.

“Well, the girl did a fantastic job,” Remmy chimed in. Colin glanced his way and could have sworn Remmy’s eyes were just a little teary. It seemed to him that Wade
was going to haunt all of them for the rest of their lives.

As all of them, except Quinn, continued to comment about Wade and her performance, Wade was backstage peering out at the group. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the door jamb to keep her from falling to the floor. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach, and her throat was suddenly dry. She tried to breath, but found her chest
too heavy to allow her lungs to accept the air.

“Hey, Perky!” a voice behind her called out.

Tony, the band’s leader, had given her the nickname the minute he laid eyes on her and saw that cute, up-turned nose. Truth be told, he had an enormous crush on her,
but she had made it plain she wasn’t interested in any relationships; she just wanted a job and a genuine friend. Tony vowed to be just that until she let go of whatever was
troubling her. Someday he was sure she would see the light and fall madly in love with him. Until then, he was satisfied with the friendship they were forging.

“Perky? What’s up? Who’s out there that has you standing here like a stone statue?” He peered over her head at the direction of her gaze.

“No one,” she said quietly. “I . . . I was just looking at my audience . . . seeing if I could get a feel for what to sing in the next set.”

Tony knew she was lying, but he wasn’t one to ever force an issue. And he knew Wade wouldn’t allow him to. She was one stubborn girl, a trait that drew him to her as
much as her far-away look and sad smile.

“Well, you had better get that feeling pretty quick. We go on in five minutes.” He laid his hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her, then planted a quick, friendly
kiss on the side of her neck. He gritted his teeth to push away the urge to make it more than it was as he left her.

Wade closed her eyes at the touch of his lips on her skin. Images of Quinn danced in her mind. Another time, another kiss blossomed in her thoughts. She squeezed her
eyes, then jerked them open, admonishing herself for letting her thoughts stray to the longago memory.
“It’s not him. It will never be him,” she said aloud as she continued to stare. “It was just a matter of time until I ran into his double on this world. And what a
coincidence that my sister’s double would be in his entourage.”

“Perky, we gotta get back to work. Save your voice for singing. You can talk to yourself later,” Tony said as he passed her.

Wade ran her hands over her face and tried to collect herself. She uttered a prayer that she could get through the last set without falling apart. Her legs wobbled as she tried to make it back to the microphone.

Quinn swallowed hard as Wade took the stage again. He wasn’t sure he could sit through another set of songs. Hearing her soft, sultry voice earlier had just about done
him in.

When she grasped the microphone and released her first note, he could swear she was singing right to him. Their eyes made contact, and she looked nowhere else in the
room. He could even feel the others’ eyes on him as they, too, realized her words were directed his way. It wasn’t his imagination.

His heart raced; his breathing became labored. He sat there as long as he could, then suddenly jumped up, with his chair falling backwards, landing with a thud.

“Q-ball?” Remmy said as he reached to right the chair.

“I’m fine. I just need some fresh air.” He turned and headed toward the doors. Colin pushed back his chair and started to rise. Maggie placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Let him go, Colin. This is hard on all of us, but especially him. He just needs some space. He’ll be fine when this all sinks in, I’m sure.”

Colin hesitated, but figured Maggie was right. Besides, he probably wasn’t the best one to console his brother on the subject of Wade. And too, Kelly appeared to need
him as much, if not more, than Quinn. Even in the dim setting, he could tell Kelly’s eyes were watery, and her body quivered.

Out on the street, Quinn was in the same predicament. He knew it wasn’t the cold that made his body shake so, and there was nothing in the air to sting his eyes.

As he moved in a daze away from the notes escaping the confines of the building, he mumbled to himself, questioning his ability to withstand this particular slide.

“She’s never going to let me go. I’ll go to my grave with her memory,” he said.

“Hey, watch it, buddy. There’s plenty of sidewalk for both of us. Move over,” yelled the stranger. Quinn mumbled an apology and continued on his way.

Chapter Three

The house lights came up as Wade let the last note die away. Remmy immediately stood up, clapping furiously. She couldn’t hold back the smile that bubbled
up. Her Remmy would have done the same thing. If only he really were her Remmy. As she headed off-stage, Remmy took a step in her direction.

“Remmy, where are you going?” Maggie asked.

“I just thought I would tell her how much I enjoyed the performance. It means a lot to know your audience appreciates your work.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Maggie questioned his motive, and wondered if he was letting wishful thinking take over.

“I’ll be fine, sweetheart,” he said, then as if he had read her mind, “I know she’s not our Wade. I just want to praise her singing.”

Maggie gave him a sympathetic look to tell him she understood, then shook her head at Colin as Remmy left them with Kelly following along behind.

“I don’t know about this. Maybe we shouldn’t have stayed,” Maggie said.

“I think you are right. You and I seem to be the only ones that can see this for what it is. We do not have so much emotion invested in this woman. I think we have our
work cut out for us on this slide.”

Maggie took a deep breath and sighed. She just knew things weren’t going to go smoothly this time around. So what else was new?

***

“Hey, Perky, you got some fans out here wanting to see you,” Tony said as he stuck his head in the dressing room door.

Wade froze. She had seen Remmy and Kelly get up and head toward the back when she left the stage. “Just tell them thanks. I’m too tired to put up with any groupies
tonight.” She picked up the brush and started pulling it through her hair vigorously to release the tension. There was no way she could speak to them face to face. That was
asking too much.

A disappointed Remmy and Kelly headed back to the table when Tony delivered the message. He had apologized for Wade, and added that she really appreciated their
interest, but she was just too tired. The four of them left in search of Quinn.

“Do not worry about it, Rembrandt. It was probably best that you did not meet her face to face.” Colin said. He put his hand on his friend’s shoulder as they headed
down the street. Remmy tried to smile but he couldn’t hide the disappointment.

Wade slipped out the back entrance and around the side of the building to watch the four friends as they headed down the street, wondering where their Quinn had
disappeared to. “I wonder if they live around here?” she whispered.

She got a far away look in her eyes as her mind slipped back to a time when she would have walked down the street with her companions in much the same way, headed
for The Dominion Hotel. How long ago and far away that was. The image of herself, Quinn, the professor and Remmy, walking arm in arm materialized, and a tear slipped
from her lid.

“I can’t do this to myself. I have to distance myself from those memories. This is my new life, and I won’t jeopardize it with thoughts of the past. I have one chance to make this work -- one chance to prove myself to him.” She turned and headed back inside.

***

An hour later, Colin, Kelly, Remmy and Maggie finally found Quinn back at The Dominion Hotel. They had walked one way then the other, retracing their steps more
than once, then finally decided he must have come here.

When they found him sitting in the dark, back to the door, staring out the window, they were relieved, yet saddened at the same time. As much as seeing Wade had touched
all of them, especially Kelly, it was nothing compared to the feelings that had welled up inside of Quinn. They all knew he was in great pain.

Remmy insisted they all turn in for the night and leave him alone to console his friend. They agreed that he was probably the best man for the job.

“Thanks, Rembrandt,” Colin said as Kelly and Maggie headed for one of the bedrooms. “I am sure both of you have some issues to deal with, and I am sure you can help each other. But, please, let me know if I can help.”

“You got it, Farm-boy. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. You know, it kind of punches you in the gut sometime. You just have to have a little time to regain your breath.”

“Yeah.” Colin gave Remmy a half-smile and left the room.

Remmy turned and headed toward his friend. He grabbed the desk chair along the way and pulled up beside Quinn.

“You all right, Q-ball?” he asked as he straddled the chair and crossed his arms against the back of it. There were a few moments of silence before Quinn responded.

“As much as I can be, I guess.” When Remmy didn’t reply, he continued. “You know, sometimes I think, if I could just see her one more time, talk to her, tell her how
much I love her and how sorry I am; then, like tonight when I do see her double . . . I just can’t take it. It hurts so bad.”

“I know, man.”

“I wanted to run up to her, tell her so much, but I knew she would think I was crazy. It wasn’t really Wade. But the longer I sat there, the less I realized that fact. I had to get out of there.”

“I understand completely. We both keep beating ourselves up over the events that lead to her loss. And although, I know she wouldn’t want us to do that, we can’t help it.
It will haunt us for the rest of our lives.” Quinn turned and looked at his friend for the first time. “You have to promise me something, Q-ball.”

“Anything, friend.” Somehow, at that moment, it actually sunk in that he and Remmy were in the same boat. He had always carried his guilt around locked away in a
box that know one else could penetrate. He knew Remmy had felt guilty about letting the Kromaggs take her away, but he had pushed it out of his mind, and taken the burden of
losing her all for himself.

“We have to be here for each other. Anytime one of us feels the weight of her loss, we have to reach out. We can’t hide our feelings anymore.” Quinn knew what he
was referring to. Keeping it all in had eventually led to his indifferent demeanor and the big rift between himself and Colin. Colin. He had been trying to say what Remmy had
just said. But Quinn had been too stubborn at the time to listen and understand.

He had to stop being selfish in his guilt and his grief. They all shared each other’s pain. He would have to let them share in the consoling.

“I understand, Remmy. No more turning in on myself. We will let our inner turmoil explode in whatever way it needs to. The other will accept it and deal with it.”

They clasped hands in silence.
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Ah, how sweet it is to back on the board amond friends. Hope your new year is starting off wonderfully.

Previous post #s: P,1) 2532

SS

Ahhhhh! The torture!

Date: 01/02/2001
From: DieselMickeyDolenz

My dear Dawg fan, you are a master at inflicting pain on your audience. They're all right there together and no one's willing to admit the possibility that... I'm sure you'll get these people back together somehow, but the waiting is killing me!

Waiting in agony,
DMD

Patiently waiting for the next part

Date: 01/02/2001
From: SweetOne

I hope you don't make us wait too long though.

SweetOne

"The things that matter the most in this
world, they can never be held in our hand."
Gloria Gaither

ibsweetone@hotmail.com
http://communities.msn.com/sweetonesphotos

It is very hard

Date: 01/02/2001
From: Missye

It is very hard to get me to show any sad emotion. Even though in the past year I have learned to show a little this was one of the few times that I have had a lump in my throat when reading a story. Maybe it is partialy because when I saw 4th season I was yelling "Go find Wade and be merry!" to the t.v. But that is just one of those things. I am very interesting in what is to come don't let up wait to long, please.
Missye

WhooHooo!!!

Date: 01/02/2001
From: dellyone

SS has returned. Wonderful story, dear. Thanks for posting it. I can't wait to see what happens next.

dellyone

Great Story

Date: 01/02/2001
From: sliderlynn

I've read both posts today.I'm really enjoying the story.
The supence of what is going to happen next to our friends
is killing me.I can't wait for the next chapter.

Original URL http://www.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/1095/3074
Nominated by DieselMickeyDolenz