Synopsis:

Scott was on his way west to meet up with his friends to start a new life in L A. What he came across in the desert after his car broke down would change him forever. He wondered if his friends would recognise him once they finally met again. He didn’t think this was what his friend’s intended when they said, "start a new life."

Chapter Sixty-One

Maggie was suddenly distracted by Cathleen, who ran up and asked if she wanted to play, as she was going to the beach to make sandcastles with her mommy.

Maggie, never one to miss an opportunity to play in the sand, climbed down out of Sara's arms and raced off to play, leaving Sara to tell the others the story of how they got together.

Of those that knew Maggie from before, there wasn't a dry eye among them, by the time Sara finished. Kevin having tuned in, knew tissues were going to be needed, so he made himself useful and slipped a box quietly to one of the group, who passed it around.

"Who is going to look after the children while you're on your honeymoon?" Asked Cathy curiously.

"Well. Seeing we aren't going on one, we will be able to," Sara replied, to their surprised expressions.

"Why not?" asked one.

"Several reasons, one of which is the fact that we have just come back from an extended tour of the States, besides, we have a beautiful place here next to the beach. Could Hawaii offer more, besides hula dancers and active volcanoes? I don't know what Jenna wants to do, but I think Julie's of the same mind.

"We're staying right here in our new home," Jenna stated firmly. I wouldn't want to be separated from Cathleen, even if her gifts hadn't kicked in."

"Gifts? What gifts?" asked one in the group.

Jenna looked at Sara worriedly, thinking she'd spilled the beans inadvertently. Sara looked around to make sure no parents were within earshot, before giving Jenna the nod to explain more. Cathy, already in the know about the gifts, pulled Sara aside.

"Has Kim told you about my gifts?" she asked quietly, sensing that it was a delicate subject.

"Yes, she did get round to it. It seems those wearing the Krin have slowly gain powers of different sorts." Sara stopped as her dad came up to her.

"We aren't stopping much longer, we are heading to the hotel Kim booked us in. We'll be back tomorrow morning-late," he winked. Sara wasn't sure if it meant, he knew that they'd likely be up to in the morning, or whether he has similar plans with her mother, either way, she'd get a lazy morning.

"I see you have a satellite dish now. Is that so you can watch the late late specials?" he winked suggestively.

"Daaad!" Sara shoved her father in the chest, shaking her head at his implied suggestion.

"Oops, I'd better go, I see your mother waving, byeeee," he called, before scooting off from his daughter's wrath.

Cathy grinned at the exchange, then asked a more serious question.

"Oh, that reminds me, when I was catching up with Bob earlier, he mentioned having installed that, but clammed up when I asked for details. Is it for communicating with the Shelke's mother ship?"

"Look can I answer that later? I see our parents are making a move to go and I have something to discuss that I'd rather they not hear." Sara asked, making a move to say goodbye to those leaving.

"Sure no problem," answered Cathy to Sara's retreating back, while wondering what that was all about.

William and Kevin had already given their parents a goodbye hug; by the time Sara reached them. She thanked them for coming and being part of her bizarre marriage, only to have them tell her it was the most interesting experience of their lives.

She opened the door to let them out, only to find an officious man about to knock on her door. Ignoring him for the moment, she waved goodbye to the parents, as they brushed past the man outside. Turning to the guy, she saw that he was carrying some sort of folder with papers inside.

"Yes?" she asked coldly, taking an instant dislike to him already.

"I'm Ted Wilcox and I'm from the local council. There have been some complaints made about unauthorised construction and wilful property damage. There's also a matter of some lesbian wedding ritual and the erecting of an eyesore, namely a marquee tent without consent. I'm here to address these problems and see if there's just cause, to call in the police."

"Just who made these complaints?" asked Sara, her instincts telling her that wasn't her neighbours. She didn't budge as the man tried to push past her, and he ended up knocking into her.

"Let me pass," he threatened, not the least bit apologetic.

Not knowing that Sara didn't scare worth a damn, she eyed him with a look that sent shivers down his excuse for a spine.

"Who was the complainant?" she repeated angrily.

"It came from above, and I'm not at liberty to tell you at this time," Ted conceded, giving way a little.

'Something stank about this, that was sure,' thought Sara as she grudgingly allowed the man inside. He started for the back and gave a satisfied grunt when he saw the marquee and the uplifted fence line. He wrote something on his sheath of papers, before turning to her with a smarmy grin.

"I see the property damage has been confirmed, along with the unsightly marquee." He gloated.

"That's unsightly?" Sara asked unbelievingly, as she pointed to the pristine white marquee with its satin streamers trailing out from the masts holding it up. "It isn't even visible from the road," she added, knowing that she hadn't seen it on her trips back from the church.

The man shrugged, saying it wasn't his call. He returned to the matter of the fence.

"What about this then? I'm sure your neighbour won't be too happy about the damage."

"Why don't you ask her then, she's standing right behind you." Sara countered, having seen Jenna approaching the disturbance.

He turned to Jenna, with some of the wind taken out of his sails." You approve of this," he waved towards the missing fence.

"Yes, in fact I'm thinking of having it taken down completely so that our properties are one," Jenna replied, looking at Sara for agreement, and getting it.

"Harrumph, well there's still the matter of the marquee and this cabin that's been built here." He puffed, pompously.

Kim, who had been standing to one side, watching this, came forward, and whispered in the man's ear. Sara watched the man blanch and stutter, as he tried to weasel out, saying he hadn't found any copies of the permits issued by the government in the city.

"What about this then?" he rallied, pulling some photos from a folder. This shows clearly you in some farce of a marriage with another woman." He thrust the photos into Sara's hands.

Sara looked at the grainy Polaroids. She saw someone had taking one of her and Anita, as they had entered the church from somewhere across the road. It showed their backs and Anita's face wasn't seen. The next ones were of them coming out of the church, here Sara's face was clearly visible, but Anita must have had her hand up lifting the veil, so her face was obscured. The last one had the two of them entering the limo for the journey home. Anita luckily, had ducked her head as she went to enter and again, her face wasn't clearly shown.

What was odd was the fact that there were no photos of the other brides or the guests, something that should have happened, unless they were only targeting Sara.

Alarm bells started ringing in Sara's head, as she thrust the photos back at Ted.

As far as I'm aware, there's no law saying the groom can't wear a dress at a wedding," Sara stated bluntly.

"You're trying to tell me that that is a man?" Ted cried, seeing his case disappear if it was true.

"Yes, that is me, and here is our marriage licence," offered Kevin, having retrieved the document from inside. Kevin looked at the man, daring him to comment, his steely gaze steady and unflinching.

Sara looked at Kevin, and nearly gave the game away, for this was not the Kevin she knew. Kevin had used the Krin to give himself a body that while still male, looked more like hers in shape and size. She had no doubt if asked to prove his claim that it was indeed him wearing that dress, that he could fit his body into it without and problems.

Kevin was now her height, something that even a blind man could have seen, had he retained his former height, being incompatible with the photo image. While he hadn't any breasts, his shoulders were narrower as was his waist. His hips were just marginally larger than normal male proportions, giving him the suggestion of a feminine shape. His face, while still recognisable as Kevin, had several feminine aspects to it that would aid in someone being confused with his gender.

The councilman made guppy sounds, as he took in Kevin's enhanced figure, trying to visualise him in a dress. He took the proffered papers and read them carefully, noting that indeed there was a male and a female name signed on them.

"I see-that there has been some misunderstanding here," he stated at last, knowing that if he said what was on his mind, he could end up facing charges himself.

"Tell Ken that the next false charge he tries to pull will cost him dearly," she told the man, having figured out who had been pulling the councilman's strings.

"He may have been in the CIA once, and my ex boyfriend, but that doesn't give him the right to harass my friends, or myself," Sara commanded, poking the man in the chest with her finger.

"Ex CIA?" Blurted the now ashen councilman.

"Oh yes, he was thrown out after trying to rape us. You can check with the local police, I'm sure they still have the footage on record.

"Footage?" squeaked the panicking man, wishing he had stayed in bed sick today.

Sara showed the now anxious man out, grinning as he scurried to his car like a rat deserting a sinking ship. She paused, looking around, wondering if she was in the sight of some telephoto lens somewhere. A shiver went down her back at the thought of her movements being under scrutiny, as she turned to go back inside.

Kim was on her phone, when she went back to see her. Kim gave her the thumbs up, just before she ended her call.

"You don't have to worry about Ken, if that's what you were going to ask me about," she said pre-empting Sara's question. I've called for backup," she smiled, pointing upwards.

"I bet you always wanted to say that," a relieved Sara replied.

"That and "Book em Dano," giggled Kim. "Seriously, I'll have people watching out for him and will remove him, like a prick from our hides."

"You mean like a thorn from our sides?" Sara corrected.

"Ah yes. I struggle to get your metaphors correct."

"Mind you, I think I like your version better," giggled Sara.

Kim grinned in agreement, giving Sara a few suggestions.

"Okay, but I don't want him killed," Sara demanded, fearing that Kim had something permanent planned. "He might be a problem, but he is still a human being, I wouldn't want his death on my conscience," she finished.

"You continue to live up to the standards you have shown me before," Kim smiled, knowing she'd pushed Sara's buttons enough. "Ken was in no danger from us, but when we locate him-" a beeping of Kim's cell phone interrupted her mid sentence.

"Good- you know what to do- carry on."

Kim hung up the phone and slipped it into her purse again.

"Seems Ken is in our hands already, he was located nearby, using a new infra red scanner we developed," Kim explained.

"What are you going to do with him?" Sara asked.

"Well, I have this idea-" grinned Kim.

Sara rejoined the others, hoping that Kim's plan would work out fine. She didn't think Ken deserved to be transformed into a female, as from her point of view, it seemed more like a reward. Having ruled out becoming an animal like a dog as being just a bit too cruel, she hoped his encounter with real aliens will satisfy his urge to encounter them in future. Kim would spirit him away on their craft and transform themselves into truly horrendous monsters for him. They would make him believe via the glasses that he had been experimented on in typical alien abduction fashion.

Becoming an abductee would cause him to lose what credibility he had left, should he try and report it. Having been in the CIA, he would know the sort of reaction he would be subjected to if he tried to go public. Having an ex CIA agent proclaiming aliens existed would probably see him in a nice padded cell somewhere secluded.

Kim had mentioned that they would tell Ken that a tracking device would be placed in his brain which if x-rayed or scanned, would self-destruct. Telling him the Shelke were interested in California and that they would be observing him, would probably see him leave the States to get as far away from California, as possible.

When Sara had asked about the device being discovered, Kim laughed, and replied that there was no chance of that, as it was all a bluff.

Everyone clustered around, asking questions, about the councilman, which she answered in turn.

Cathy reminded her about the thing Sara hadn't wanted her parents to know about. Sara nodded her agreement, and had everyone gather around.

"The gifts that have, or will soon emerge will be desperately needed for mankind's future survival." Sara opened plainly, shocking more than a few with her statement. "We face a real threat, which we have called the Nemesis. Some of us have already battled with its scouts; luckily we won, due more to surprise than superior strength." Sara paused, looking at the expressions on the people before her. "You will all be needed sometime, so make the most of the time we have left, to strengthen and test the limits of your gifts."

Sara finished then, fielding the inevitable questions that poured forth from the shaken audience. It was late when everyone stopped asking questions and Sara apologised for spoiling the evening, with her news.

Amelia with a little help then came out with warm snacks and hot chocolate for those in the cooling air of the evening. Small groups formed around the tables, discussing Sara's revelations.

The sides of the marquee were dropped and cots replaced the tables, so the guests could stay the night in the marquee overnight. Although many of the guests had trouble sleeping that night, Sara slept like a log, especially after Kevin consummated the marriage.

To be continued.

  

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 © 2005 by Prudence Walker. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, and compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without the express written consent of the copyright holder.