“Who–who are you?” asked Lizzie Jane in a frightened voice.

“Oh, just a traveling partner,” the voice answered. “I ride the rails often. How about you? Are you a run-away?”

“No — no — I was just trying to get in out of the rain.” Lizzie Jane replied, still with a nervous voice.

“Rain? The sun is shining, hon.”

“Well, it was raining.”

The man smiled. Lizzie Jane adjusted her eyes to the light. The man had on tattered clothing, a short beard and two front teeth missing. “You must be from North Alabama. I understand that it was raining cats and dogs up there.”

“I am from Carter’s Bend”, replied Lizzie Jane.

“Yep, know right where it’s at”, answered the man. “You are in South Alabama — a fer piece from Carter’s Bend. My name is George.”

“I am Elizabeth Jane, but my friends call me Lizzie.”

“Well, can I be your friend — Lizzie?”

“Well — I guess so,” was the young girl’s reply.

The Bonds were shown into the doctor’s office by his nurse, who told them, “You can wait in here for the doctor to see you. He shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.”

“Thanks,” both Dave and Jenny said at the same time, then as the nurse left the room they looked at each other and smiled. They each took a chair facing the doctor’s desk, and had barely settled into them when the door opened and the doctor arrived.

“Good to see the two of you.”

“Thank you,” replied Dave.

The doctor shook each of their hands, then circled around his desk and took a seat. “I imagine you’re anxious to find out the latest?”

“You could say that,” Jen blurted out, making no effort to disguise her anxiety...

The consultation with the doctor that afternoon was short and to the point. When Jen asked what options she had besides surgery the doctor was blunt. “I’m afraid surgery is our only option,” the doctor told her as she sat with Dave in his office.

“So when do we do this?” Jen asked.

“As soon as possible. If you’re ready, we could do it in the morning.”

“So, are the chances good?” Dave tentatively ventured.

“I’d say it’s maybe 50/50, but that’s better odds than if we don’t try.”

I’m not sure I’m ready for this, sending my children away to America for six weeks? It sounded like it would be such a great learning experience for them, but that was before everything with their mum came to pass. I know the kids sense it as well, but there’s something about this morning that can’t help but feel like the last time Drew and Jules will ever see their mum alive. God, it hurts just thinking about it. Yes, it’s early, and they’re barely awake, but I can see it in their eyes. Even as we all tell ourselves that she’s a fighter, and will never give up, there’s a cloud hanging over all of us casting an ominous shadow over everything. That cloud keeps reminding us that the prognosis given to her by the specialist said to expect six weeks. Ironic how she’s been given exactly the amount of time the kids will be away.
 

Well, this has been a right strange Christmas, to say the least, what with Jen being gone, and the kid’s lack of enthusiasm for the holiday…I never thought I’d see the day when my children weren’t up at the crack of dawn to open presents. No, this year, I even slept in a bit and was still first up. I guess it’s safe to say Jen’s absence has been the main reason for the strangeness. Thank God she’s finally coming home. I can only hope she’s going to drop this charade and tell me what’s really going on. I have to say I hope I’m not correct, frankly, but I think I have a fair idea what’s coming. We shall see…

“Wish I'd been there” Mad mentioned
“Well you can see it tomorrow, I'm sure Gran'll put it on, eh Dad?”
“Sure she will” Dave mentioned from up front as they skirted Uttoxeter on their way over to the kid’s Gran's near Nantwich.
 

Reintroducing our cast of characters. Donnie/Donna, Jerry, Donnie's best friend. Martin and Janet, Donnie's parents. Fred and Annie, Jerry's parents. Claire, Jerry's younger sister. Debbie, Donnie's girlfriend. Cindy, Jerry's girlfriend. Paul, a private eye. And introducing two new characters, P.I.'s Terry and Pete, Paul's friends/associates. Dr. Fine. Inventer/reverse engineer of the suits.

PART THREE In which we get some answers, finally, and our heroes(ines) come to a parting of the ways? By the way, I placed some movie quotes in this part. the first one to find them all gets a slightly used, but in great condition, no-prize!

Here we go!

This story is a fanfic based on Maddy Bell's Gaby series and has been available on Maddy's website for a while now, but I haven't really been able to get a feel for what readers thought of it. So I've decided to post it here and hopefully there will be a few souls willing to share their opinions. I'll be posting the subsequent parts daily until it's done. Thanks.

Acidalia XI-A
By Amanda D

San Francisco Monday August 7. 9:22pm

The testing center was packed full of perspective patients waiting as patiently as could be expected for their turn to be poked and prodded. Their faces, for the most part, were plastered with looks of a combination for boredom and anxiety. If one listened closely enough you could almost hear the hum of frayed nerves behind the constant onslaught of crying and coughing.

College Girl
By poetheather
Chap 19

After everything that had happened so far, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I was a bit nervous about the semi-formal. Alison and I had gotten dropped off at the House with several other girls, maybe twenty in total. We were a bit of a mob and that really didn’t help. I was worried that they might see right through me, even though I had been assured time and again that it wasn’t likely to happen.

Synopsis:
Jamie talks to Julie and Samantha about his trip to the salon, goes shopping with his grandmother, and meets a new friend.

Chapter 5

"Jamie, I think you hurt your grandmother's feelings."

My mother and I were sitting in the car outside our house. I didn't talk to my grandmother much after we got home from the salon. I told her I hated getting a manicure and pedicure and that I never wanted to go to the salon again. I must have sounded like a little boy having a fit.

"I'm sorry. But it wasn't fair to take me there and not tell me what they were going to do to me."

The Chalice and the Wand
poetheather
Story ideas by poetheather and Wintermoon3
Beta by Redpiratemel

Chapter Four

“Well, Miss Weasley, it does rather seem that the magical leakage from the items is responsible for your current condition.” Eithleen put her wand away and started returning some of her magical tools to their places.

Team Stryke is a multi-national para-military army dedicated to promoting peace world wide. The team is supported by the United Nations, bank-rolled by special interest groups dedicated to maintaining world peace even at the cost of human rights.
The team is trained in a series of skills that compose both military and civilian needs.
The technology used by the team is cutting edge, developed from U.F.O. technology found in various crash sites. ________________________________________________________________

College Girl
By poetheather
Chap 18

I awoke, my body sore and a desert in my mouth. I groaned as I sat up. I was in my room, with my teddy bear, posters and there was Gwen in her bed sound asleep. I was home.

I got up and headed to the bathroom. My bladder was more awake than I was and insisted that I get moving. I grabbed my shower caddy and left the room. There was no one in there, which was a bit odd, but I figured that it must be early in the morning. I had no idea what the time was as I hadn’t even looked at my clock.

In this, the twins arrive in Seattle, and make plans. And so do their pursuers. But now the twins have a chance to take a breath, and to plan for the future. Only time can tell if their ingenuity can overcome the forces arrayed against them.
For the rest of the universe, go here.

THE TALE OF JET & QUARTZ

By: Darian Deamos

Chapter Five: Finding Center

College Girl
By poetheather
Chap 17

I was nervous. This whole situation was fairly unreal. I mean, I wanted to go back to this, to being a girl and I didn’t know why. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to explain it if asked and that didn’t help matters. I just felt like I wanted to complete this. Sure part of it was my pride and my sense of honor, but not completely. Hell, part of this I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell Meredith. Would she even understand?

What if the only possibilities are equally impossible?

Mystery of Sawnerve Island Chapter 3 - Occam's Razorburn by Jijillian and Kyosuke

Acidalia X
By: Amanda D.

Monday July 31 10:15am EDT:

College Girl
By poetheather
Chap 14

The alarm rang and I got up, still a little groggy. Rush was going to be starting today and I did want to get a good idea of what this whole Sorority thing was all about. The first meeting was at noon, some sort of lunch meeting that would explain the whole Rush process and get us started on our ways to the first activities at 6 tonight. What was I going to wear?

After Meredith left, I smirked and turned to look at my pretty large wardrobe, thanks to the girls. What was I going to wear? I didn’t know what to wear for something like this. I guess I could wear that little black dress that they had insisted I buy. It clung to me tightly and showed every curve and yet still managed to look good.