Amazon - Part 10d: Home Stretch free porn video

Amazon - Part 10d: Home Stretch By Itinerant Edited by Amelia R Biographer's Note: This is Nicole's story. It covers those events and people she finds notable in her life and chooses to share. If you have problems with it, take it up with her. I'm just a glorified stenographer. ********** Sunday, March 11, 2001 Williamsburg, VA 1:50PM EST ~I can't believe I almost *forgot*!~ Nicole had been muttering imprecations at herself during her drive from Fairfax to Richmond. It hadn't been that many days since she'd spoken with Marilyn, but with the busyness of the week, the trip to the enlistment station, and the phone call from Judith, she'd hardly gotten home from church when it occurred to her that she had to get to Williamsburg by two o'clock. She had finally made the turn into the visitor's center at just fifteen minutes before two o'clock, and felt the tension in her shoulders and arms ease. There wasn't a lot of spare time, but she was fast on her feet and could easily make her rendezvous. The redhead scanned the area, looking for the family she expected to meet, when a wave from the other side of the gate showed that they'd already gotten in. With a grin, she slid up to the ticket booth and soon joined them. As she walked up, she took a good look at the Davidson family. The youngest of the three, Tara, was a small, almost skinny child with her head covered by a green watch cap. She was young -- only eight years-old -- with leaf-green eyes that sparkled when she grinned, as she was doing now. There was, nevertheless, an air of weariness around the little girl, as the long series of treatments for leukemia had sapped her youthful energy. Tara's spirits were lifted as she saw the redhead walk up. The woman's air of calm was comforting; the feeling was similar, but not quite the same as that of her parents. She was like an aunt, or something, with her air of maturity and concern. Tara's father stood behind her, and loomed over his family. He was about Nicole's height, but was far more massive. The broad shoulders were matched by the rest of his physique; he looked very much like a fullback -- a bowling-ball on legs. He might have looked like a big, slow-witted block, but his eyes were examining Nicole and gleamed with intelligence. He was as formidable looking in the daylight as he had been at the concert. Nicole sensed that his emotions were colored by frustration, as he could do so little to help his sick daughter. He watched as the tall, elegant figure hurried up. He'd only seen her sitting at the concert, and now was impressed by the feminine, yet utterly confident woman who walked up. His lips twitched as the thought ran through his mind that she could be a relative if you went by hair color. Her eyes, on the other hand, were quite different -- a soft gray, as opposed to the green of his Irish-descended family. The woman's smile was warm, and he could see the concern she felt as she looked at his daughter. ~I wonder what her background is?~ Marilyn stepped out to greet the new arrival. "Hello, Ms Harrison! I can't tell you how grateful my husband, Robert, and I are for what you're doing." "Call me Nicole, please." She smiled and continued, "I really can't see any reason not to take advantage of a haircut I'm required to have. Tara's natural hair color is like mine, and we redheads have to stick together!" The little girl giggled in concert with the chuckles from her fire- haired parents. "So, do you three know where we need to be, and how to get there?" Nicole inquired. A few moments of consultation settled the route, and the four set off at a moderate pace for the wigmaker's shop. The quaint restorations kept the adults entertained as Tara doggedly endured the interminable walk through the streets. "Yipe!" Nicole had heard the rapid-fire footsteps as someone came running by, and just managed to dodge as she yelped in surprise. She just avoided a collision with a young boy, perhaps Tara's age, whose mother hollered after him. His hair was blonde, but showed the first signs of darkening toward the roots; it was not yet clear what the final color would be. "Gary! Gary Yadkin! You slow down and watch where you're going! You'll hurt yourself, or someone else, if you don't pay attention to people around you." "But Mom! The Courthouse is over this way, and I want to see it all before we leave." Gary's mother apologized as she and her husband hurried to catch up with their wayward child. ***** The small, gambrel-roofed shop was just across from the Raleigh Tavern; a flag hung from a staff mounted on the fa?ade and snapped in the gusty breeze. Nicole led the way into the shop, holding the door while the family made their entrance. A small bell tinkled as the door opened and the group entered. A tall black man, of average build, stood with a pair of women near work tables toward the rear of the room. He turned to greet them as they closed the door. "Good day, gentlefolk. I am Reginald Blizzard, and the proprietor of this shop; how may I help you?" Nicole grinned as she curtsied to the man, who was dressed in period clothing, and played along with the game. "Good sir, my name is Nicole Harrison. We spoke earlier in the week about having a wig made." The man's eyes widened, and he looked at the child. "Yes, I recall your name, now. This is the young lady you mentioned?" He looked the adults over more carefully. "You two must be her parents." The introductions were made, and Reginald gave a tour of his shop to the group. He led them toward the tables, where there were wigs in various states of completion. He pointed out each step, ensuring that it was thoroughly understood that it was a significant effort and expense to make a high-quality wig. He took time to examine Nicole's hair, and assessed the length of the raw material she proposed to provide. "It's unusual for someone with this length of hair, and who takes such obvious care of it, to cut it as short as you say you intend. I must admit that your hair, even as soft and fine as it appears to be, is also remarkably strong. I don't expect any problems in making the wig you want. It will take time, though, and it won't be inexpensive. It will be particularly difficult to make it useful for as long as the young lady will require. On the other hand, when I am done, it will be around and useful for many, many years if it is properly cared for." Nicole shrugged. "I had intended to pay the expenses myself, but my co- workers overheard me talking to a friend. They're insisting that I accept their donations." The wigmaker allowed that how she covered the cost was her business; he had Tara sit down, remove her cap, and took his initial measurements. He narrated as he worked, describing each measurement and why it was necessary. He also mentioned that he intended to make a wig head precisely the size of Tara's head to ensure a proper fit. "Overall, it will take two and a half or three months to make the wig, which would be mid-June at the latest." It was generally agreed that the length of time was to be expected, and Nicole made a down payment that covered the materials and half the hours required for the task. Her bank balance was heavily depleted, but there weren't any major expenses expected for the next two weeks. She didn't fully understand the urge, but it seemed important to help this child; she knew better than to ignore the hint. The sun was well to the west when the quartet finally returned to the street, but there was plenty of time to indulge Tara in a slow-paced tour of the immediate area. They stopped outside the front door, and the girl took a chance to talk to Nicole. "Ms. Harrison? Would you mind if my dad took our picture together?" Nicole gladly agreed to the idea, and Robert grinned watching the two hamming it up -- egged on by Marilyn -- as he took his pictures. He saved some film for the rest of the tour, and snapped a few more photos as they walked. The poor child wore out quickly, and she wound up cradled in her father's arms as the group walked toward the exit. The adults grinned at each other as the girl snuggled into the security of his embrace and dozed off. "You really don't need to pay for this all yourself, Nicole. We can help some." Marilyn spoke firmly, but quietly, so as not to wake the sleeping girl. "I agree," Bob chimed in. "We may be pressed because of the treatment costs, but we can still chip in." They might have been arguing with the wind. "This is my gift to her, and to you. Let me indulge while I may. Please?" Finally, and reluctantly, the elder Davidsons relented and began their trip home with their sleeping daughter. The sun was well down by the time Nicole arrived at home, but she was well pleased with the accomplishments of the day. ***** Monday, March 12, 2001 WGSS Offices 1:10PM EST The door closer hissed, and the familiar sound of sandals thumped on the raised floor. "Okay, Nicole, where were you? Trish and I thought you'd come over so we could start planning for Judith's visit, but you just vanished." It took a little while to recount the events of the previous afternoon, given that there was work to be done. Amelia listened attentively until her friend was done. "How could you forget? I thought you had an eidetic memory." The redhead's right eyebrow arched. "I can remember everything, but only if I think about it. I have a memory, not an alarm clock. Now that you remind me, we do need to talk about how we're going to handle this induction." Amelia suggested that they gather after supper at her apartment, and teased Nicole about needing a string on her finger to help her remember. The two women turned their attention back to the task at hand, pored over the test results from the weekend, and began to outline the detailed report that was due Friday. The report format was left entirely to Amelia; Nicole waved her script-wizard's wand as she parsed data from the test results and reformatted everything into the proper table format for inclusion. She pointedly ignored the quiet mutters about someone needing a keeper. ***** ~What time ... Oh!~ Nicole suddenly sat back after checking her watch. "Mela, I have an appointment at the doctor's. I have to leave, or I'll be late." The gleam in the strawberry-blonde's eyes should have been a warning, but Nicole missed it in her scramble to get back to her desk and out the door; even her empathic link gave no warning as the queen hurried away. Amelia chuckled as the door closed again, and she turned back to her work. ~I wonder how she'll like the refrigerators in the examination rooms?~ ***** Doctor JoEllen Clarke's Office The redhead sighed as she returned the clipboard to the receptionist. After Saturday, the prospect of filling out still more paperwork was even less appealing. ~I wonder who came up with the idea of all the record-keeping? And I wonder if I can ever get my revenge?~ The examination records from Saturday might save some time and effort for the doctor; at least she hoped it would limit the poking and prodding. Nicole wasn't overly optimistic, as doctors liked to check things out personally in her experience. Precisely at the scheduled appointment time, a young woman opened the door to the reception area; there was the usual round of measurements -- weight, height, blood pressure, blood test sample, and the like -- before the nurse left and Nicole found herself sitting in an examining room, wearing a fashionable paper gown. The room was unremarkable, and looked like any of the dozens of similar rooms she'd seen as Tom, except for an appliance that looked oddly like a dorm-sized refrigerator. ~I wonder what that's for?~ A muted clatter outside heralded the extraction of the folder with her paperwork; the sound of flipping pages went on for a moment before the door opened to reveal the doctor. She was average in height -- meaning she was about half a head shorter than Nicole -- and slim. The woman's energy almost crackled around her despite her apparent age, which seemed to be about forty or so. She had short, brown hair that framed intense hazel eyes. ~Oh, Lord! They look like Beth's eyes!~ The curse of perfect memory made itself known, as so many memories of looking into well-loved eyes flowed to the forefront of her mind. Her face hardened for a moment as she fought down the emotions; she forced herself to return her attention to Doctor JoEllen Clarke, who had looked down again to read. "So, Nicole, this is your first visit to this office. I like to take time on a first visit to learn a little about a new patient, so why don't you tell me a little about yourself: who are you, where are you from, boyfriends -- all the good blackmail material I'll need later." The good humor in the question provoked a chuckle from the redhead, and she began a synopsis of her new history. JoEllen listened attentively and took occasional notes. She found this time useful, as the introduction served to gain more than just raw information. Each individual told their story in their own way, and areas avoided in the telling sometimes served to point out stress points in a person's life, which was useful in understanding how to better care for each unique individual. ~This patient is going to be interesting,~ she thought. Nicole's story wasn't really unusual, but there was a sense of ... detachment about so much of it; there wasn't much emotion in it, other than a few events such as the passing of her parents. There seemed to be much more intensity in the descriptions of her last few months, which was interesting, and there was a clear, strong attachment to her new friends. "Thank you, Nicole," JoEllen began, "that might be helpful in the long term. A family medical history is always important. I'm curious as to why you're taking time to come to me; you said you're enlisting, and you'll have the military's doctors to call on." Nicole shrugged. "I won't be in the Marines forever, and I'd like someone I can trust when I'm at home." ~Such a home as it is, anyway.~ "I also have another ... ummm ... item that I need. I think." She squirmed uncomfortably as she tried to approach her topic. ~She's acting like some teenagers when they first ask for the pill!~ The doctor struggled to keep a professional air, but having a grown woman in her mid-twenties acting this way made it hard. She sat quietly while her patient sorted herself out. Finally, Nicole took hold of her embarrassment, took a deep breath to calm herself, and formed a simple question. The amusement from the doctor wasn't helping. "I need a prescription for a contraceptive, preferably the pill. I'm not sexually active, but I think I need to take the precaution." JoEllen couldn't entirely suppress the chuckle, but covered it with a quick cough. "That's no problem, though you're older than most of my first-time prescriptions. I checked the records you brought, but I'll conduct my own examination before prescribing anything. So why don't we get started?" She stepped to the door and called in a nurse The second time around wasn't quite so bad, Nicole decided. At least she knew more about what to expect, and how all of it *felt*. It still wasn't pleasant, though, especially when it came time for the intimate part of the examinations. The doctor stepped back, and raised the stirrups at the end of the table. "Now lie back, and put your feet up. Wendy, would you get my instruments from the 'fridge, please?" Nicole's eyes widened at the statement, its implications, and the look of amusement on the face of the doctor and nurse. She couldn't entirely quell a whimper as the door of the white appliance opened, and she tensed at the rattle of metal on metal. It had been a nasty surprise the first time around, even with the items at room temperature. Her eyes snapped wide as the comfortably warm speculum made contact. She raised her head and glared at the top of the doctor's head as it bobbed with barely-controlled mirth. "That was *mean*!" The redhead shared some of her wrath with the silently smirking nurse. The nurse's smirk turned into a quiet giggle, joined shortly by snorts from the doctor at the end of the table. Nicole struggled to hold onto her annoyance, but the humor in the situation won out and she joined the others in laughter ... until the speculum probed a little deeper, and she gasped. There was the usual poking, and a momentary discomfort as the doctor took samples for her tests. Finally, the metal intruder was withdrawn, and JoEllen sat back. The instruments were taken for sterilization or disposal, and Nicole was permitted to dress. The doctor waited patiently for her to finish. "Everything looks fine, Nicole. Your health is a perfect as I've seen, and unless something really strange shows up in the blood work, or other tests, you can relax." She wrote quickly on a prescription pad, and handed it to her patient. "The only thing that really was out of the ordinary was that you seem to be a virgin; I don't think I've ever seen that in a woman your age. Normally, I'd schedule you for an appointment every year, but under the circumstances I'll let you call when you need to see me." Nicole recovered quickly from the exam -- it was still all new to her -- and settled back. "Thank you for the report, doctor. As far as my sexual habits," her face tinged with a slight blush, "I won't casually jump into bed with just anyone, and I haven't found the right person yet." JoEllen nodded in understanding, and guided the redhead out to the receptionist before heading off to the next appointment. ***** Amelia and Trish's Apartment 7:00PM EST The two-legged occupants of the room looked up at the rap on the door; the royal couple twitched their tails and ignored the proceedings until something worthwhile happened. Trish opened the door, and welcomed the tall Amazon queen into the room. Nicole gratefully relinquished her coat and navigated to a chair across from the sofa where her friend and coworker sat. Trish followed as far as the sofa, but hadn't sat down before the redhead spoke. "You set me up!" Nicole tried hard to keep her voice serious, but the memory of the events at the doctor's office, and the echo of humor through their shared bond, left her with lips twitching. "I have no idea what you mean by that!" The blonde's eyebrows arched imperiously, and the action was echoed in small by the two felines behind her -- admittedly more due to being disturbed than any real interest in what the humans were making noises about. Trish looked bewildered at the antics, but turned her attention to her love. Knowing the humorous streak of her partner, Amelia, it was likely she'd pulled a prank on their new friend. Hands on hips, she stood by the sofa. She, too, felt the humor running through the two women and had to fight down her own smile. "What did you do, Mela?" "Me? Whatever makes either of you think I did anything?" Tandem eyebrows rose in mute disbelief. Amelia sat unmoved by their skepticism. Nicole smirked as she spoke. "To be completely honest, Trish, it wasn't what she did so much as what she didn't do. I had my first appointment with Doctor Clarke this afternoon." The young, brown-haired woman's eyes widened. She, too, was a patient at that office. The surprise turned to a smile, then a grin. She ended on the sofa, laughing helplessly. Amelia joined in the laughter, and watched as the redhead bit her lip in a desperate attempt to keep from laughing herself; the gray-eyed glare wavered, too. It failed miserably, and the infectious mirth kept them laughing, or giggling for quite a while. "It was still mean!" Nicole fumed, but without heat. "She's a good doctor, though. I appreciate the referral. I didn't come here just to fuss ...." "Whine!" Amelia retorted. "Fuss!" Nicole returned, "at you. I want to figure out what we can do for, and with, the Epps family. If it was just Judith, I wouldn't be bothered, but we'll have David and Miriam, too." She paused, uncertain of the path to take. "They're a family, and I'd really like to have all of them involved somehow; I don't know that having eight people, counting Artemis, in your place will work. "I'd also like to keep our supper kosher, if possible, and I know enough to realize that's more complicated than any normal meal. Any ideas?" Trish looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at Amelia with surprise. "Mela, I have that festival in Vienna this weekend, Friday evening, and all day Saturday and Sunday. I want to be there, but we'll have to do it at the festival then." Amelia nodded. "That might not be such a bad idea anyway. If we keep meeting here, someone might notice. I've fixed meals for festivals before, so I can work something out. We'll have to be inside, though; the weather is supposed to be pretty windy and rainy. I'll ask a couple of friends of mine who are Jewish about what I need to do, and they might have ideas on how to deal with a kosher meal in the field." "Can you two handle the arrangements for the food and festival? I'm assuming you know the people running the show," Nicole asked. "I'll see whether Kate can make it. I also want to take time while everyone's here to have a planning meeting. I'll be out of touch with you for long periods of time, and I want to make sure we have a plan of action in place before I go away." "We can do that. The festival could work out well; there should be rooms for the artists to rest and practice, so we can probably set up in one of those. There will be a few things we can have for Miriam, if we bring them along." The outline of the options was at least identified now, and all three women settled back to relax a little. Nicole stretched her limbs in relief; it had been busy since she'd gotten back from California, and she was beginning to feel the wear. One of the cats -- Nicole couldn't reliably tell them apart, yet -- stood, arched its back, and slithered its way to Nicole's lap. The quiet purr was mesmerizing, and the queen found the fatigue of the last couple of weeks catching up with her. Trish watched her for a few moments then frowned. "Nicole? What have you done for fun and relaxation the last three months? You're looking awfully frazzled." Blinking as she stirred back into full alertness, Nicole thought for a few moments as she reviewed the time since January. "Ummmm. Since I got back here, I sat and read one afternoon; I also went to that coffeehouse with you two. Before that I went out on a date one evening, and the evening dances were more fun than work." Trish's frown was joined by a near-twin on Amelia's face. The blonde shook her head in exasperation. "Are you determined to burn yourself out before you even hit boot camp?" The redhead shrugged. "What am I supposed to do? I have to get ready for boot camp, which means the evening sessions with the Colonel have to happen. I was the only one who could have made the trip to Williamsburg to set up the wig making, and I have to coordinate at least part of the gathering for Judith." She returned the frowns. "I haven't been exactly burning the candle at both ends, even if I haven't been out much. The exercise I get with the Colonel helps, and other evenings I tend to just hang around home and recover." Amelia was hardly reassured. "You should find something fun to do once in a while, so you get out of the apartment. You like to dance, and I think there's a contra-dance group in Reston that meets this evening, so you could go there and not have schedule conflicts." She paused for a moment. "I still think you could do a better job of delegating; in fact, from here on out, you'll have to." "I noticed that it took you a bit to think of something that would work with what I *have* to get done during a week; even so, I suspect we'll be spending time with the Epps next week, and the next Monday I'm off to the Marines, so I won't have time for the dance group. In any case, I agree that delegation has to happen, and that's another thing to take care of while the Epps are here. We'll have to organize secure communications for all of us, and arrange for some kind of self-defense training for everyone. I also want Kate to get help from David to learn how to manage the financial side -- such as it is. And thinking of Kate ...." Nicole pulled out her cell phone, and called her friend to find out whether she could fly east for a while. Things got complicated as Amelia and Trish jumped into the conversation -- they found rather quickly that they hardly needed a speakerphone with their enhanced hearing -- and the four had roughed out the arrangements for the next two weeks, depending on how much time Kate would have available. ***** Wednesday, March 14, 2001 ~Windy, rainy, and cool. Bleah!~ It was a short sprint from her apartment to the car, and only a slightly longer run from the car to the office, but Nicole was looking a little like a drowned rat by the time she made it into the lobby. Angela followed more slowly, due to the struggle to keep her umbrella under control, but was a bit drier when she made it into the lobby. The work for Angela's team was done, for all practical purposes. All of the data had been logged, stored, and cross-referenced in record time with the new scripts. The next step was in the field team's hands, as they worked on the report; Nicole spent much of the time carefully documenting the new tools and generating help files; there was the occasional interruption as one of the team would ask for clarification, or delegate a data extraction task, but none took more than a few minutes. She stretched and yawned as she sat back from the keyboard. Despite keeping an eye open for new opportunities, the work was mind-numbingly boring. ~I have to remember that they think I'm a newbie. It's probably too late to start bugging them for something more interesting to do anyway; there's less than two weeks left.~ She sighed, and leaned back toward her keyboard. Even the afternoon would be consumed putting the finishing touches on the draft report for Amelia. She grimaced. ~I hate writing documentation. So what do I do for most of my day ...?~ ***** Nicole's Apartment 7:45PM EST Stretching and yawning, Nicole blinked at her dark-haired roommate. "I think I'm going to sit and read for a little while, and then turn in early. David is wearing me down with his workouts." Angela smiled in sympathy. "He gets that way; you'll be glad for it when you're in boot camp. Go ahead and get some rest. I'll see you in the morning. Good night." The door to her bedroom was closed, and the redhead had moved to ensure the room was secure. She played back the debate she'd had with herself since Judith had called, and in particular since Trish had suggested the festival as a rendezvous. It didn't feel right to tell David to take a long walk with Miriam; the little one had been important in winning the family over. Finally she called quietly, "Lady Artemis?" She truly was weary, but this issue had to be dealt with. The slim, black-haired figure appeared with a puzzled look. "Yes, Nicole?" "I need to talk with you, but prefer that we don't do it here. I'm concerned that Angela might hear something. Will you take us to Michael's cabin, so we can speak freely?" With a nod, Artemis reached out, and the two were in the familiar great room. The goddess, head tilted in question, asked: "What's on your mind?" "We need to talk about the Epps family." "Why?" "I told you about her calling to accept the call, but I've had time to think about it since then. Judith is the first woman called who's been married to a man. Between that, and the arrangements we can make for an induction, things are more complicated this time having to deal with the folk festival." "So? I don't see what the problem might be." "I'll get to my point, but I want you to understand why I think as I do. Why do you oppose having men involved with the Amazons?" The goddess returned a look of exasperation. "As if you need reminding! Has your perfect memory failed?" "Humor me, please. I have a point to this all." The black-haired patroness threw up her hands as she dropped into a chair. "Twice -- once before, and once after you accepted the call -- I explained that the Hittites and other men had betrayed my daughters. They surrounded them, and slowly wore them down until they were destroyed." "And why did that work? Why were the Amazons vulnerable to that strategy? They could have fed themselves and their horses, right?" "Of course they could feed themselves! It was just they were cut off from ... Oh no! You're not going to talk me into that corner." The dark brown eyes sparked with anger. "Why are you angry with me?" The redhead's eyes, mild at first, turned as hard and unyielding as a granite cliff. "You're acting as if I'm your enemy! Do you really think I love my sisters less than you do? They are *all* I have now; they're the only family I *will* have for I don't know how long. I will do whatever I must, and use whatever resources I can, to make sure they each live as long and happy a life as possible, and for that to happen we need to be able to grow without having recruits from the outside world." She huffed in frustration. "I'm trying to use everything I can, every possible advantage I can think of, to build up the Amazons; I'm just as determined as I was the first day after I accepted the call. I told you that the very first time I sat in this room. We'll need men like David Epps if we're going to grow and thrive." Artemis sensed Nicole's struggle to reign in her frustration before the queen spoke again. "What was your first impression of Tom Edwards?" The abrupt change of tack bewildered the goddess. "Pardon? What does that have to do with anything?" "I need you to work with me for a few more minutes. What was the first thing that came to mind when you saw him?" "I don't know ... Mister Average, if anything." "Mister Average," Nicole snorted in amusement. "I suppose that's as fitting a term for him as any. He and Beth were married for over thirty years; in all that time, how many times do you think he strayed? How many times did he betray his vows to her?" "This has to be a trick question, and I assume the answer is never." With a nod Nicole continued. "Precisely. In thirty years, with more than ample opportunity given all the traveling he did, Mister Average never violated his vows. God has called Judith to be one of the first women to join the Amazons, and she, too, is someone who is married. Do you think that David will be any less reliable than Tom was?" The implacable gray eyes held Artemis' gaze, until the goddess shook her head and dropped her stare. "No, I don't. What's your point?" Nicole's eyes softened. "I know that we will, at some point, find women who will need to be rescued from men who *have* betrayed them. They'll be abused, neglected, and in need of our protection. Not all the men will be like that, though; there will be others, and I believe David is one of them, who are part of a marriage that shows the best of what that partnership was intended to be. David and Judith are a team, just as Amelia and Trish are a team; I don't want David inducted and empowered - - that's not his role -- but we'll need him, his talents, and his abilities. I want to have David there when Judith is inducted -- and Miriam, too -- so he knows what they're both becoming a part of. I don't ever want our Nation of Amazons to be splitting up loving couples." A bleak look came to her face. "One was more than enough." "Nicole ...." The glitter of tears was plain in the redhead's eyes. "Please, Artemis, don't let us become a lever that comes between couples and breaks up loving families. They're everything a family should be, and they both love their daughter deeply. What will we be telling Miriam if we send them away? Check with Michael if you need to make sure, but don't hurt them like that; I beg you, *please*, don't make them suffer, too." Artemis was struggling, too. The goddess's ancient hurt and hatred warred with the anguish she saw on her companion's face, and the truth she knew lay in the young woman's words. "I'll think about it, and I will talk to Michael." She looked unhappy, but resigned. "If he says David is trustworthy, then I will agree." ***** Thursday, March 15, 2001 Epps Home 8:00AM GMT (3:00AM EST) Willy hefted the last of the bags into the boot and turned to see the little girl who stood nearby. Her face was serious as she held up her stuffed rabbit for packing. She thanked him as he took it, then she turned to join her parents. He smiled as he stowed the toy carefully for the trip. Miriam was barely containing her excitement as she looked forward to her first trip across the Atlantic. Judith had taken time to sit with a globe, and maps, to show where they were and where they were going. They took time to plan some sightseeing trips around the region; the child was disappointed to learn that Ms. Harrison would not be guiding the tour. "I'm ready, Mummy! May I sit in the front with Willy, please?" She wasn't often taken on a long trip, but she delighted in sitting where she could easily see the countryside as they passed. "As long as you sit nicely and don't bother Willy, you may." Miriam walked around to the passenger side door, and sat proudly -- and almost quietly -- in the front seat. David and Judith smiled, and climbed in for the two hour ride to Heathrow. ***** Dulles - International Arrivals Building 3:35PM EST David Epps had walked off to retrieve their luggage, leaving Judith to tend to their daughter as they waited to go through customs. "Mummy, I'm tired. Can I go to sleep now?" Miriam had been an absolute jewel for such a young child during the entire eight-hours of the trip, but the long day was wearing on her. She was tired and hungry and wanted to stop traveling. "Not yet, Miri. We have to get to our hotel, and then you may take a nap before supper. It's only a short ride to the hotel, so it won't be too long once your daddy returns." "Will Miss Harrison be there?" "No, sweet; she will be at work for a while, but I'll call to let her know we're here. Perhaps she'll be able to join us for supper." "Okay," came the little girl's weary reply. ***** The three weary travelers were happily settled in their suite, and Miriam was taking a nap while they waited for their hostess to arrive. The adults, too, were tired from the long day; forcing themselves to adjust to the new time zone. The soft rapping on the door startled them from their light doze; David opened the door to reveal a windblown, slightly damp Nicole. "Hello, Ms. Harrison. Thank you for coming so promptly." Judith noticed the wince that flickered on the tall woman's face. "David, I don't think we need to be -- or should be -- quite so proper. You know that Americans aren't terribly formal, and under the circumstances ...." She refrained from completing the sentence as she rose and started toward the door; the whole point of the trip was to make their family a part of Nicole's, and even the British upper-classes weren't so formal with family. The man looked slightly embarrassed. "Forgive me, Nicole. Thirty years of practice lead to heavily ingrained habits." The tall redhead clasped his hands in her own. "It's alright, David. The situation is strange by any reasonable measure, and we'll all need time to adjust." He gave her a firm handshake, and then released her as his wife walked up with hands extended. "It's good to see you again, Nicole," she said as she greeted the visitor. They clasped hands briefly, before the couple took seats in on ouch, while the redhead settled into a chair. "Miriam's resting, I take it? It must have been a long day for her." The Epps' related the tale of their day of travel, and they listened to the outlines of the locals' planning for the weekend. Nicole was insistent that they have their Sabbath, if they chose; with the morning blocked out for her training, there would be only a little time lost. A sound from one of the bedrooms drew Nicole's attention, and she turned to watch the door as it opened to reveal a newly-awakened Miriam. She tottered sleepily to her mother, climbed into the warm security of the familiar arms, and sent a tentative smile toward their guest. The smile was returned by the queen as the discussions free-wheeled until the child made it clear that she was awake and hungry, though more politely than many adults would have. Her suitably chastened parents gathered her up and, after a brief pause to return Miriam's clothing to a fit state, the four made their way to the restaurant. ***** Dulles International Airport Friday, March 16, 2001 5:30PM EST There was rain; there was wind; there were flight delays. The plane had finally arrived, and Kate gratefully queued up with the rest of the passengers to leave the aluminum cigar that they'd been cooped up in for the last five and a half hours. She'd felt funny taking the week of vacation time, but, as she'd listened to the number of tasks that needed to take place before Nicole's departure for boot camp, it had seemed to be wise to allow the meetings to be spread out over a longer time. And all that was beside the point that she'd become very fond of her friend and queen; it was a chance to see how she was doing in all the adjustments to her new role. The shuttle deposited her and her fellow passengers at the main terminal, where she made her way to Baggage Claim. Luggage thunked against the side of the carousel, and the crowd of tired, impatient people jostled for position to retrieve their belongings and make their escape. "It's about time you showed up. Were you delayed getting away from LA?" Kate started at the unexpected voice, and whirled to see Nicole standing just behind her. "Sis!" The happy surprise in the cry was punctuated by a warm hug. Kate's luggage, ignoring the distraction, slid quietly onto the carousel and began its unaccompanied tour of the baggage claim station. Kate's expression, as she watched her bags wobble majestically around the circle, left her friend snorting with suppressed laughter. The errant luggage finally deigned to return, was collected, and the two women left the terminal for their short ride to Nicole and Angela's apartment. ***** Angela was curled in a chair, sipping tea, as the door opened. Nicole had mentioned that she'd have a visitor -- a friend from Los Angeles -- to pick up from Dulles, but that she'd take care of dinner once she returned. The cheerful voices of the two women echoed in the entry as coats were hung and luggage dragged in. ~It sounds like a sisters' reunion,~ Angela thought. "Kate, I'd like you to meet my roomie, Angela Ogle. Angela, this is my dear friend and surrogate sister, Kate Tanner." Angela saw a young brunette who looked short in comparison to her towering friend. Travel fatigue was clear in her face, and she seemed to be running on nervous energy at the moment. Kate's face would lose her a bundle if she took up poker, Angie decided. She wore her affection for Nicole on her sleeve, but there was something a bit more than just sisterly affection. She couldn't quite put a finger on it, but there was a leavening of respect that was unusual. Kate had been curious about her queen's roommate. The occasional phone calls and e-mails hadn't really shed light on the other resident, but Nicole had seemed to approve of the woman with whom she shared the apartment. Kate wasn't surprised, now that she'd met the woman. The soft, southern accent was muted but clear in Angela's welcome. Having an older person around -- ~Well, at least older than I am,~ Kate snickered internally -- had to have made the settling in much easier, too. There was also no doubt about her welcome, and no hint of resentment at the intrusion. The newcomer was directed to Nicole's room, while the redhead put on an apron and turned her hands to dinner. Once Kate returned, Angela indulged in some good-natured teasing about her roomie's lack of cooking skills. "There's hope, though. We haven't had any ER visits for the whole week!" Kate snickered as the poor victim turned her head and stuck out her tongue at Angie. The snicker turned into a choke as Nicole fired back: "My skill level is a direct result of my teacher's ability." The meal, though fairly simple, was very good; Nicole flushed in pleasure at the praise from her friend and her teacher. ***** Saturday, March 17, 2001 7:00AM EST Kate had muttered at the disturbance when Nicole's alarm had sounded, but the roll-away bed that had been rented was comfortable enough to allow her to ignore the rude noises enough to get back to sleep. Nicole had warned her the evening before that she had an early appointment with the colonel, and would be gone until an hour or so after lunchtime. Kate planned to sleep in, and then take in some of the area sights when Nicole got back. She could have rented a car, but it wouldn't be as enjoyable seeing the attractions alone. She also understood the heavy demands of her sister's schedule. There would be time over the next week to share. She didn't know, yet, about Nicole's noon appointment. The redhead met David Stirling at the appointed time, and began the session with the recitation of the material she was supposed to memorize. The Colonel had enhanced the lessons by explaining the rationale behind the routines, and they spent time discussing the reasons as she went through her physical exercises. ~I'll be sorry to lose him as an instructor. He explains the why, not just the what and how.~ She began her workout, as had been decided at the beginning, with a run through the tests that each recruit faced. It was the easy part of the workout, and served as an easy warm-up for the real efforts to come. Nicole was sure that she'd appreciate the extra instruction when she reported for training, but at the moment, knowing she'd be reduced to an exhausted wreck of quivering muscles, it was hard to keep her perspective. The gleeful anticipation that underlay his impassive face didn't help either. ~Beast!~ ***** 12:20PM EST She walked briskly through the mall on her way to her appointment, hoping to get this done as quickly as possible. Her hair had been long ever since she'd become a woman. Despite the work involved in keeping it clean and styled, Nicole had come to see her long, red locks as an integral part of her self-image. The Marines, however, had regulations that prohibited the hairstyle -- the maximum length permitted was above the bottom of the collar. She'd thought about the timing, and had wondered if it was wise to cut it just before the ceremony this evening. She had wanted some time to recover from her own shock, and an opportunity to get accustomed to the lack of weight of hair. Getting the cut today, though, had the advantage that, with everyone around tonight, she would have a chance to enjoy the reactions of her sister Amazons to the change. She stopped as she reached the entrance of the salon, and fingered the long, loose hair that flowed over her shoulders. It would be years before she'd be able to let it grow again, but it *would* grow back. And this would help Tara, too. With a deep breath, Nicole walked into the salon. "Hello, I'm Nicole Harrison, and I have a twelve-thirty appointment." The stylist was somewhat surprised to find out how much hair Nicole intended to have removed, but she was more than pleased to use extra precautions once she heard the story of what her customer intended for the tresses. The manager was called over as she'd dealt with such needs before. A roll-away table was brought out with tissue paper on top to allow each lock to be laid out and preserved as it was cut away. When the stylist turned the chair, and allowed Nicole to see herself in the mirror, it took an effort of will to hold her emotions in check. The above-the-collar style looked fine -- it even looked good on her -- but it was hard to reconcile herself to yet another marked change. The appointment had taken much longer than a normal haircut would have, but at the end of it Nicole left with a new, off-the-shoulder hairstyle. The hair that had been cut off and wrapped in paper had been placed in a plastic bag to protect it from the weather. ***** "Nicole! What did you do to your beautiful hair?" Kate asked in shock. Angela was intrigued, and only a bit surprised, as she knew the redhead was due to depart in a bit over a week. The surprise passed, and Kate began her inquisition. She was less interested in what Nicole had done than annoyed that she hadn't warned her friends about the plan. ~And that's probably why she did what she did. She's indulging her weird sense of humor,~ the young brunette fumed. The discussion continued as the tall woman prepared and demolished a sizeable lunch. Nicole readily admitted that she'd kept everyone in the dark, but she was entitled to have a little fun. Angela inquired about the evening's activities; it was obvious that there were plans of some sort in the offing. "You seem to be awfully busy for a transient." Nicole chuckled. "Everyone's in town, it seems, to get a last visit before I disappear for three months. This one," she pointed at Kate, "had some vacation time. A friend of mine from England is in, too, so we're getting together tonight with Amelia and Trish at the folk festival." "I think I'd be worn to a nub if I tried to keep your schedule, Nicole," the older woman said. After Kate's obviously measuring look at Nicole, and the unspoken 'you're too late' that came with it, she dragged an unresisting redhead out the door to do some sightseeing before meeting their friends at the festival to help with setup for supper. ***** 5:30PM EST "Oh, Nicole!" Amelia didn't shriek or raise her voice, but the shock and horror in her voice clearly communicated her attitude toward the change of hairstyle. She walked over and ran one hand through the shortened locks as she studied her coworker's face. The set of the tall woman's shoulders, and the tight lips of her mouth, broadcast her tense state of mind. "Are you okay with this?" The tall woman shrugged, aware of the attention of Kate and Trish -- as well as the love and concern that were layered so heavily into the bond they shared. "It needed to be done, whether I'm okay with it or not. It was still a lot harder than I thought it would be." She closed her eyes to control a surge of resentment against the latest demands of her freely-chosen life. Gentle hands from each of her sisters touched an arm, or hand, or shoulder as their comfort surged through their emotions; it was a reminder from them that she'd not be alone unless she chose to be. The redhead's grateful smile echoed around the group, evoking relief in the trio standing around her. "I'm okay again, and thank you. It's just a little hard when I get used to looking one way, then have another big change come along." She reached out and hugged each woman. "Now let's get things set up before the Epps get here." ***** The sun was nicely down when the family came walking up from the ticket booth; David and Judith strolled along with Miriam toddling along between them. The latest wave of showers had passed for the moment, and the three moved as quickly as possible toward the building that housed the performances during inclement weather. They'd had a quiet couple of days between sightseeing and the Sabbath, but it was time to meet Judith's new 'sisters.' The two adults scanned the crowd for the tall, familiar redhead; they both stopped abruptly when they saw the newly-shorn figure. Miriam halted when her parents did; when she caught sight of Nicole, she burrowed into her mother's coat and peeked out, uncertain at the change in the tall protector's appearance. A worried, young voice threaded its way out from the coat, as an equally uncertain eye peeped out. "Do I know you?" the little one asked. Nicole crouched down. "Yes, you do, Miriam. I am Nicole, the same person who helped you and your mother." "You don't look the same. Your hair is all short." The redhead grinned, and shook her head. The shortened waves whipped back and forth. "You're right, I had my hair cut today. I had to have it cut short before I go to learn more about how to protect you all. You don't like my hair, now?" A firm shake of the little head, combined with the dubious look in the child's eyes, left no doubt of her opinion. Nicole patiently coaxed the child out of hiding, finally winning a small, tentative smile as the little one decided that short hair was the only change. She still chose to walk with her mother as the queen walked and chatted with David. The backstage area was cluttered and busy; performers were indulging in a meal after a long afternoon of playing, or were gathering themselves for their time on stage. Nicole led the new arrivals to a practice room, with nearly sound-proof walls, in a corner of the building; Trish had wheedled a larger space from the organizers by pleading out of town visitors -- and bribing them with a promise of first dibs at leftovers. Amelia had set up hot plates and a crockery cooker with recipes that had everyone in the room fighting to restrain themselves. Nicole introduced the Epps to the rest of the Amazons; as expected, Miriam had the women mostly wound around her finger in moments. "Okay, everyone, listen a moment," Nicole began. "Before we go on with what we're here to do, I want to emphasize that having David here is going to raise the stress level a lot." At the puzzled looks, she decided to explain. "Remember what happened to the ancient Amazons? As long ago as it was for us, it's as if it happened yesterday for Artemis -- like the Holocaust having occurred a year ago, rather than fifty-six years ago. Her pain is that fresh, and that intense. "I asked her to allow David to be here, because I want their whole family to be part of what we're building; I thought it would be wise to warn everyone about it before we start. Does anyone have any questions?" She looked at David and Judith first; each shook their head, as did the rest of the group. "Okay, one more thing. Miriam? Come here a moment, please." Nicole knelt down to put her head on the child's level, and stretched out a hand. The little girl walked carefully over, and she nearly melted into the queen's hug. "Miriam, something very special is going to happen, soon. I don't want you to be frightened, though." "My mummy is going to be your sister, like in my dream?" "Yes," the redhead grinned, "she's going to be my sister. The lady who will make her one of my sisters can seem very scary, but I promise she won't hurt anyone here, okay? And once she's done, we'll all have a good supper together." The child nodded as Nicole released her to her father, and then stood to face Judith. "Judith, this is your chance to back out if you aren't completely sure you're comfortable with what's coming. No one here will blame you." She grinned. "We'll even still have the supper together." Judith stood straight and looked at the queen steadily. "I'm quite certain, and I wish to proceed." Nicole nodded and took a look around. Kate, Amelia, and Trish were along one side of the room; David and Miriam were guided over to join them, then Nicole led Judith to the other side, across from the group. "Lady Artemis?" The familiar form, accompanied by the still-intimidating wash of ancient, ageless power, appeared in the room. Artemis glanced at David briefly, and gave a wan smile and nod at the question in Nicole's eyes. The love between the husband and his wife was a tangible thing, and Nicole had, if anything, understated the quality of the man. As hard as it was, allowing his presence was the right thing to do. "My Lady, we have another woman who has accepted the call to become an Amazon." "I see." Artemis moved to stand before the wife and mother, who swallowed nervously. "I know Nicole asked this already, but I prefer to make sure. Are you ready to take this oath?" "I am." "Very well. Judith Rachel Epps, do you swear your allegiance to your Queen, obeying her in all things and forsaking and renouncing all other allegiances? Do you swear to support your sister Amazons, giving them all the aid and comfort in your power? Do you swear to aid the weak and helpless as you are able?" "I do." Her eyes glistened. "Nicole Joy Harrison, do you, as Queen, accept Judith as your sister and a true Amazon? Do you swear to protect, teach, guide, comfort, and aid her?" "I do." Nicole returned the goddess's gaze calmly. "Then welcome to the Amazon Nation, Judith, my daughter." She placed a hand on the woman's head, and a soft silver glow spread over her body. Miriam gasped a little in fear, her emotion echoed in her father's face, as the glow faded, and her mother wobbled; Nicole reached out and steadied the newly-empowered woman for a moment. "Welcome to my family, sister." Nicole could see the moment when Judith first felt the bond with her queen and new sisters, and grinned at the tears of joy. "That's one thing I didn't tell you about; you'll know your real sisters whenever you meet them, because you can feel them with the bond that we share. Now then, before you go too far and crush the silverware...." Miriam giggled as her mother started to learn a minimal level of control over her new strength; David was enlisted to pitch a number of sacrificial aluminum cans in Judith's direction, though Miriam insisted on tossing some of the cans -- some of which even made it to her mother's hands. Judith was elated when she was finally able to catch an empty can without it looking as if it had been stomped on. While the Epps were providing impromptu entertainment, Nicole spoke a very quiet word of thanks to Artemis, and she added a firm hug of appreciation. "Artemis, I know how hard that was for you. Look at them, though." The game of aluminum can catch had grown to include the other three Amazons, with Trish and Amelia working to surprise each other on occasion. "I see two loving couples having a good time with each other and as a group," the queen looked at the thoughtful-looking goddess, "and that's the foundation of all we'll build later. There won't be many like David, but they'll be important when they come." She looked for a moment more at the game. "When was the last time you played catch with a child, Artemis?" Nicole smiled, and handed an empty can to her companion. Miriam had turned in their direction and saw the can handed over; the little one held her hands out to catch the expected can when it was tossed. ***** The game ended when the smell of the feast, and rumbling stomachs, overpowered the joy of simple play. The group dragged a couple of tables out from the wall, found enough odd chairs for all eight of them, and sat down to enjoy the buffet-style meal. Amelia had shown her familiar skill in an unfamiliar cooking style, and was on the receiving end of high praise. As they finally finished with the dessert, the redhead looked around the room. Nicole had thought about this moment for the last several days. Had David been excluded, it would have been simple -- she'd just tell her new sister the whole tale. With David and Miriam, the situation became slightly more complicated, as a four-year-old couldn't be relied on to keep a secret. "David," she began, "I have some business that is adults-only, and Judith needs to be here. Would you take Miriam out to the music hall for about twenty minutes or so, please?" He nodded, gathered the little girl up, and the two made their way out to mingle with the crowd. When the door was shut and secured, Nicole glanced around the room. "Judith, what I'm going to tell you now isn't to be shared with anyone other than David under any circumstances. Everyone else here has heard it already. I'm telling you because you're one of the women who'll be setting things up for the long term, and there is information you'll need to do your jobs effectively. "My story begins back near the end of November of last year ...." It took only fifteen minutes or so for the redhead to relate the whole of her personal history; the practice was making it easier to keep the level of detail down and still tell all that needed to be told. At the end of it, she saw pity in Judith's eyes -- for the sacrifice Tom had made, as well as the long years that lay ahead of the young looking queen. "So now I'm planning to spend the next ten years, at most, in the Marines, so I can learn the military side of things. In the interim, there's a lot that will need to happen. Each of you will need to take self-defense classes so you can control your strength and speed. The beach incident is a good example of what can happen. There's a lot more, but it will take more time than we have tonight. The next few days and nights that I have free, I want us to get together." Nicole's face turned grim. "This will be our first council of war, sisters, and I'd like to start tomorrow afternoon." There should have been a bolt of lightning outside, with a flicker of the lights and thunder at the ominous statement. Instead, there was only the soft hiss of the air conditioning as it fought to pull the humidity from the outside air. "I don't have all the questions, much less answers, so think it all through. What do we need to do now? What will we need to do over the next twenty years?" The redhead chuckled. "Even think longer term, and consider what we might need a hundred years from now. It's open season, ladies, so good hunting. I'd like us all to meet again tomorrow; starting just after lunch, to at least start working on the questions and answers." The discussion was interrupted briefly as David and his daughter returned; the group recapped the topic, and all agreed to meet here again tomorrow afternoon, at the hotel on Monday, and then at Amelia and Trish's on Wednesday evening. ***** Connie sat back in the lamp-lit room, studying the recruiter's materials. He hadn't quite said that memorizing the material was required before reporting, but she could take a hint. Every spare moment was a chance to review something, or run, or work on her employer's weight machines. She didn't resent the heavy exercise, as it helped ease the stress she felt. Even when the young woman found herself weeping quietly from sheer loneliness in the middle of the night as she started awake from a nightmare, she found the workouts helped purge the leftover adrenalin from her system. It would have helped to have someone she could really talk to, but she didn't have much of a social life; the men in the office were either contemptuous or they seemed frightened, and there were strong hints that she shouldn't waste time trying for any dates. Each day ended with her muscles weary, and her emotions equally worn. If it hadn't been for Rod and a couple of other men, she'd never have been able to manage. ***** Miriam was bathed and had snuggled down in bed. She'd enjoyed the playtime with the adults, but still wasn't used to the time change. Her rabbit was securely nestled in her arms as Judith pulled the door partially closed. She dropped onto the sofa beside her husband as the excitement of the day gave way to fatigue; it wasn't yet time to relax, she decided. It was best to relate Nicole's story before she forgot the details. "David, after you went out with Miri, Nicole told me something she thinks we both need to know." She repeated the tale that Nicole had shared about her true history, and watched with some amusement as her husband's eyebrows inched toward his hairline. She just watched him after she finished. She knew, with no shade of doubt, that the tale had been true in every detail; the cascade of emotions from Nicole had been too raw and intense for any falsehood. It was a story worthy of the Brothers Grimm, or Hans Christian Andersen, and yet it was real. David's face reflected the struggle to accept this latest twist. It was hard to accept the idea that the ancient Amazons were real; it was harder yet to process the concept that the tall, slender redhead was the miraculously strong queen of the reborn nation. The notion that less than six months ago Nicole had been a fifty year-old man was incomprehensible. "I just can't understand how anyone could do what she did. There's no sign that she's been anything other than a woman." Judith snorted. "Not to you, perhaps. To me, and I suspect to the others as well, it explains some odd things she does at times. Kate was the first to know Nicole, and she says there has been a lot of change over the last three months. The signs are subtle, but if you know what you're looking for, it's clear." ***** The cats had practically bowled Amelia and Trish over as they carried the gear in from Trish's truck, and the women sat on the sofa to rest and give the felines their due. The kitties slowly settled in, stretching out on their human's legs as the conversation wandered from how Trish's sets went, to some of the new, local performers, to some of Trish's friends from out of town who'd performed. "They were really surprised at some of the new riffs today," Trish said. "There have been some that I've had in my head for a while, but never had the strength and quickness to make them sound the way I wanted." "So what did you tell them? 'Oh, I'm an Amazon, now, so my fingers and hands are strong enough to do anything I want?'" The musician snorted. "Right. They'd never believe it, and Nicole would hang me by my thumbs, cover me in catnip, and turn these critters loose. What do you think of Judith and her family?" They talked about their new sister, and the calm, sedate manner with which she carried herself. David, too, seemed to be a delightful person. "You really are taken with Miriam, though, aren't you Mela?" The blonde blushed a little, but smiled as she nodded. "You know how much I love children, and she's such a bright, sweet child." Her partner reached over and took her hand. "I know you want children, and so do I. We'll start looking at our options when things settle down just a little." The cats fussed quietly when the two leaned together for a kiss. ***** Nicole had wanted to talk with Kate about the events of the day, but the ride home was short. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Angela had left a note on the whiteboard that she'd be in late. She had a date that evening to see the St. Patrick's Day performance at the Kennedy Center. They cleaned up and changed into sleepwear, before settling into the living room for a comfortable review of what had happened. "I think I like Judith," Kate began. "She seems to be so calm, and yet even before she was empowered I could feel her warm personality. She just radiates 'Mom.'" Nicole nodded. "She reminds me a lot of your mother. I wonder if it's a result of having a baby, or if it's a woman thing?" The young woman grinned at her friend. "Judging by your reactions, I'd say it's a woman thing." Nicole's mouth opened to retort, but she stopped before a sound came out. As much as Tom had wanted children, she knew that her reactions were different now. She closed her mouth, smiled a little, and shrugged. Later, the redhead was lying on the edge of sleep and listening to the soft, steady breathing of her sleeping friend. So far, the weekend had gone as well as she could have hoped. She found herself grinning a little as it occurred to her that she'd started her period on Friday. She'd dealt with it all so automatically that it hadn't even registered. Kate woke during the night to make a trip to the bathroom, and as she returned to bed, she wondered about the slight smile on her friend's face. ***** Sunday, Mar