CHAPTER 34
She simply stared at him for a few seconds, then tears started to flow, no fuss or noise as she wept. Neil kept his arm out to her, smiling in as gentle a way as I could ever imagine possible.

“That’s your name, isn’t it?”

Falco Special Effects, New York:
Emily examines the artificial wings she helped create. She managed to retrieve them after Teela was taken to the hospital. The ER doctor couldn’t cut through the harness that Teela wore when she used the wings. She was also relieved her best friend and business partner was okay.
The custom-designed stunt suit had protected Teela when she took a grenade to her chest.

Anna Smith and her twin brother John had just turned 13 when both her parents went to the Amazon on a research mission for 6 months. Their parents were lead researchers. They worked long hours before the mission, so the children were accustomed to being alone much of the time when they were not at their school. The youngsters knew how to have groceries delivered, had debit cards and could transfer funds around various accounts.

Nathan's heart raced with fear as he thought about the weight of expectations resting on his shoulders. The entire squad had their hopes pinned on him, and the thought of letting them down sent shivers down his spine. He couldn't afford to fail, not after acing the national level selections and being hailed as the youngest squad leader ever. Amber could see the worry etched on Nathan's face and tried to calm him down with her words. "Just do your best and leave the rest to destiny," she said, gently ruffling his hair. "If it's meant to be, it will be."

Jock to Joanne
The image is from Flonker on Deviant Art
By Maryanne Peters

“You know, the worst thing is that you look better than me,” said Rafe. “I have been cross-dressing for years and I finally get my old friend the big jock from school to dress up and … you’re simply gorgeous! I’m a bit envious.”

My head was about to burst. The pain was bad, and the thirst was worse than when I climbed Petit Dru’s southern wall without water. Had to drink… A lot…

I rose up somehow from the bed and started towards the bathroom, it was closer than the kitchen. Moving was a hell, and not only because of the throbbing head. My entire body felt misplaced, and I had the feeling that some slings are attached to my legs and arms, pulling them and changing my movements. Oh, God. Must warn Salazzo, this grappa is really bad, he shouldn’t stock it anymore. Never had a hangover before, this was the first time I ever got drunk. But it couldn’t be that bad, or nobody would ever get drunk for a second time…

I pulled myself inside the bathroom and lunged for the tap. Opened it and started sucking the water directly from it. How good the cold water felt!…

I don’t know how much time I spent drinking, but finally the throbbing subsided a bit and my head felt clearer. Drinking alcohol was a really, really, really bad mistake. Better jump from the roof than try that, I thought. What a lesson. I didn’t want to even think how I look now… Still, I lifted my head and looked in the mirror.

Introduction
A chance encounter presents a woman with the opportunity to shape a man into her ideal lover and husband. After they are married, a couple of events lead to a rekindling of her unfulfilled sexual desires from her college days. Unable to act directly, she drafts her unsuspecting husband into helping her live out those desires.

Rick lets Officer Wolfhart led her to a special worker from the city. The woman that Robyn took Rick too, was part of a new department. The department was setup to help people who have been exposed to the Blue Lace Drug and its derivative a new street drug called Venus.

Sasha watches as her daughter walks away with Rick. She now needed to find out who the magician was that changed Rick Jones and what that cabinet was. She waves goodbye to the people she knew and leave SWAT headquarters.

Accustomed
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

2002

James McAdam had been dating the girl for a while when she told him about the job opportunity that had amounted to nothing.

“It is a private nurse job for this super rich guy, but despite my qualifications and experience he rejected me when I met him earlier today,” she said. “It would be a great job, because is very rich, very old and very sick, and said to be very generous. But he is looking for somebody special, and it is not me. Perhaps you should apply. You don’t have a real job.”

New York offered us plenty of opportunities. However, we still had to be careful, as Manhattan had a large demon population. With all that money and power, it was a contract demon's haven.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for reading and writing. (Especially the writing part!) It's great to hear your opinions and how this affected you. I knew I was walking on thin ice here. But, it seemed like the right time. Excuse the mistakes in this portion. My spelling checkers, three, do not like slang and are always trying to turn my stories into business letters or dissertations. That's not how the Cats talk. So ignore the spelling or grammatical errors cause sometimes I'm 'toopid'

Raina hugged her knees and sobbed quietly at the foot of her bed. The pain of the black eye she received from her stepfather was still fresh and sharp.

“I can feel your pain… Your desire… Tell me, my dear, what is it that you want?” Raina’s head snapped up to see a naked woman with pointed ears and the lower body of a deer stride into her room. Behind her was a forest from another world. As she stepped further in, her lower body became human.

“I want, I mean I am… but…” Raina struggled to get the words out. “Make me a girl… please…”

Sergeant Hill had spotted Roberta leaving the HQ of AC-12 and challenged her.
He didn’t wait for her to respond to his original accusation.

Grounded for a week.

It wasn't the first time Genesis had been grounded. When Genesis was Gene, he'd been grounded a few times by his father Reginald. But she'd almost forgotten how much it sucked. Her parents only let her leave the house so she could go to school, but not to meet up with any friends or extended family. She couldn't even go out to do something fun by herself.

SWAT Headquarters, Los Angeles, California:
It didn’t take Sasha long to drive from hers and Susan’s place in Beverly Hills. She was wearing a nice pair of dress slacks, a matching pair of four-inch heels, and a nice blouse. Her red hair was loose and held by a silver hairpin in the middle. She had a plain black purse with her, that had several of her concealed weapons in it.

CHAPTER 33
I spent another couple of days in Bethesda, kipping in the bunkhouse, which wasn’t a problem, especially when Keith made sure I got the ‘private’ room, which would give some respite from the usual night music of the nasally impaired. Evening meals were taken in both houses as a sort of extended family, and each time we ate, Alys was in what was clearly ‘her’ dress. The morning after that first appearance dressed that way, Keith collared me after breakfast.

My ex wife lied and took everything from me, so I paid her back in kind.

Breathless
A Short Story suggested by Veronica
By Maryanne Peters