|
|
 |
        __________________________________________________________
 Miranda sat and watched the fun unfold; she would miss this place dearly. She knew her time was slowly coming to an end, but she would try to make what time she had left last. Laughing, she watched Geoff go to get the key to the front door, but by the time he turned around, Isabel had already unlocked the door and pulled Jesse inside. They didn't seem to notice that all eyes were on them; to them the world had disappeared.
Kyle still sat with Michael and Maria, suddenly he had an idea. Passing around napkins, he took out a pen and wrote the number ten on it. Passing the pen to Michael, he motioned for him to write down a number, too. Michael catching on, writes down eight and a half; then he hands the pen to Maria, she decided on a nine. They stood up and motioned to the others, then they started applauding and then they each held up their score.
Isabel broke away from Jesse, turning around to see what all the commotion was about. When she turned toward the booth, she saw the numbers, then she blushed.
“Very funny, Michael!”
“Don't look at me! Kyle started it!”
Isabel narrowed her eyes and looked at Kyle. He just grinned and gave her a little wave. “Hey, everybody told me to keep my temper cool, so I just couldn't help myself.”
Phillip walks over to Jesse, offering him his hand. “Welcome home, son.”
Jesse had one arm around Isabel, the other he extended to his father-in-law. “Glad to be back.” As he turned back to look at Isabel, he thought something was different, it was her hair. It was now down to her shoulders and blonde. “Did you do this?”
“No, it's the real me. I can change it back if you want.”
“No, I like it…it'll just take some getting used to, but I like it.”
“So how long do you have until you have to go back to Boston?” Isabel didn't want to hear the answer.
Jesse hesitated; he didn't want her to be disappointed in him. “Well, I asked them for some time off for some personal reasons, and they said it would have to wait until this latest case was done, and I told them it couldn't wait…they told me to enjoy myself because I now had all the time in the world.”
“Oh, Jesse, they fired you?” Thinking, she started to smile. “Oh Jesse! They fired you!!” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think I know of a law firm that might be able to help you.”
She turns and looks at her father.
“Yes, I do remember an opening in the mail room, it's been backing up for awhile. Are you interested?” Phillip was trying hard to keep a straight face.
“Sir, if it meant that I could be near Isabel, I'd lick every stamp going out the door, too.” He looks at Isabel, his eyes full of love.
Phillip grins, “Right answer. Welcome back, we'll have to see about getting you an office.”
Everyone was standing around talking, Miranda could feel herself starting to get weaker, she would have to leave soon. Looking at Isabel, she caught her attention. Giving her a slight wave good bye, she starts heading towards the backdoor. When she felt a light touch on her shoulder, she turns around. “You can't leave yet, we haven't had a chance to talk.” Isabel looked broken hearted at the thought of Miranda leaving.
“Dear, I must leave very soon…I'm afraid that I have spent what energy I had left to come here. I haven't got long; I feel I am getting weaker every second.”
“We can get Max, he'll help you. Do you know where he is?”
“He can't help me, it's my time. Besides he's off with Liz, they have much to discuss after what they heard tonight.” Reaching up she softly touches Isabel's cheek. “I will greatly miss you both.”
Isabel looks at her with tears in her eyes, “If Jesse and I ever have a daughter, we're going to call her Miranda, it's such a beautiful name.”
“Well, I don't think that will be possible, I think your brother just beat you to it.” Isabel gives her a funny look, like she couldn't figure out what she meant “You'll figure it out in a few minutes, but if you don't, you will in a few months.” Smiling, she gives Isabel a kiss on the cheek, and then she turns to leave. As Isabel heads back to Jesse, she realizes what Miranda meant, turning back, she sees that the older woman could barely walk, but she does turn back for one last look at them all. She sees Isabel give her a small wave. She slowly, painfully made it through the kitchen, she needed to be outside, soon. Nancy was just coming in with some dirty dishes,”Miranda, where are you going! Sit down and rest.” Setting down the dishes, she puts her arm around her
“I must leave dear, if I don't go soon, I'm afraid I'll make a dusty mess on your floor. It's my time to go, maybe I can find Claudia and we can discuss old times.” Nancy didn't know what to say.
“Can I do anything for you?”
“I am very weak, please could you just open the back door, I really must go.”
Opening the door for her, Nancy reaches down to give her a hug, but to her amazement there was almost nothing there, it was like she disappearing in front of her eyes. “Thank you for my daughter's life…you saved her, even if you didn't know it.”
“Yes I did know, it was in the prophecy. Good by…” Suddenly she was gone; just dust floating on the air.
At the same moment in the pod chamber, Max sits up in bed. Looking up to the stars, he sees a red shooting star fly over head. “Good bye Miranda and thank you.”
Liz rolls over, her eyes full of sleep, “Did you say something?”
Lying back down, he reaches down to get the sheet and covers them. “No, I was just thinking out loud.” Kissing her on the forehead, he pulls her close. “Go back to sleep.” Sighing, she snuggles back into his arms. Max lays awake, watching the stars overhead.
 The next thing he knew, the sun was pouring into the pod chamber. Liz opens her eyes then shuts them quickly. “Whoa! Who opened the blinds?”
Max looks down at her. “Sorry.” Waving his hand, the ceiling goes back to normal.
“Thank you. Did I hear you talking to someone last night?” She opens her eyes back up, rubbing them, she tries to figure out what time it is.
Running his hand down her hair, he looks at her, hating to tell her the news.” I was saying good bye to Miranda. She told me last night before we left, that it would be her last night. She was a great friend in what little time we knew her. At last we know our past.” Kissing her good morning, he gets up. Offering Liz his hand, she stands up too. “Well, I guess it's home for a quick shower, then back to real life.”
Liz grins, “Yea, ain't it great!”
They sneak in the back door of the Crashdown, Michael peeks around the corner. “It's about time you two got back. Maria's been yelling all morning about being swamped. Sure beats living in a van…not.”
“Give me ten minutes; I'll be right back down.” Running up the stairs, Max follows her. They both head for the bathroom.
“Too bad you only told him ten minutes…”
Max walks into the UFO Center, looking around, he sees Brody checking on a display. “Morning, Brody. What can I do to help?”
“Max, I'm glad you're here. Come with me, I have something to show you!” He heads to a set of stairs that seems to lead to nowhere. At the top, they stand on a balcony, facing a brick wall. Brody takes a “brick” and slides it to the side, revealing a control panel. “Now all we have to do is figure how to open it.”
“Where does it go? Milton didn't know about this, did he?” Max studies the panel, pushing buttons.
“There is supposed to be a room back there, a big room. I think it has something to do with this being an old air raid shelter. I don't think he could have known. It was on some old top secret plans that I had to pay dearly for…Max I think this building was used for more than they said. I just wish we could figure out how to make that panel work.”
Max looks down to the floor below, not seeing any of the employees walking around, he takes his hand and places it over the panel. They hear a double click, then the door slides open. Brody just looks at him. “I guess it helps to have the right friends. Come on Max, I want to see what's in here.” When he tries to turn on the lights, nothing happens, again Max lays his hand on the switch, the lights come on, surprising them both.
“So, did you and Max have a good time last night?” Maria was waiting for Michael to finish her order.
“I'll never tell…” She looks at Maria, she's giving Liz her best pouty face. Liz starts to whisper. “Okay, if you were taken to the pod chamber, and it was fixed up like the most romantic hotel suite that you'd ever seen in a magazine, what would you say? Oh, plus Max took Tess's pod out and destroyed it, and then used the rest of them for the headboard, after that…”
“What, there's more?” She turns and gives Michael a dirty look. Michael looks back. “What?”
“Never mind, Spaceboy, we'll discuss it later. What else?”
“With a wave of his hand, he turned the ceiling of the pod chamber into a giant sky light…it was the greatest thing I've ever seen. Well, almost the greatest…” She adds, blushing.
Michael just rolls his eyes “Oh, brother.”
Max and Brody walk into the room. Not believing the size of it…how could this room fit on top of the Center, it was way too big. One wall contained row after row of files, they looked very old, and were covered in dust. One of the other walls contained something that looked like an old computer…the kind that used to take up almost a whole room They walk over and look at it.
“This is amazing, I wonder if we could figure out if there is any information in it. And if there is, how do we get it out…” As Brody starts to run his hand over the control panel, he accidentally pushes a button. There comes a slight humming, then a door opens, behind that door was some of the most modern equipment that they had ever seen. “Even I could never imagine that this kind of thing could be possible…”
 If you enjoyed this story or would like to have your story posted on this site let us know at mailto: Momosroswell@yahoo.com.
|
|
