Twilight

a UFO story by Amelia L. Rodgers © 2001 (sequel to Journey) Adult language and situations.
All rights reserved.
dedicated to Occupant with love : - )

This is the only story Commander Edward Straker was extremely reluctant to dictate to me, for reasons that will become obvious as you read it.

Twilight : the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night produced by diffusion of sunlight through the atmosphere and its dust

Margaret Fielding Straker sat in her empty living room, and shrieked at the phone.

"Damn you, damn you, Ed Straker! Answer your damn phone! Don't you ignore me!"

After a few more seconds of ringing, she slammed the phone down so hard that Ed's decorative alabaster egg rolled off his table and under the love seat. She got up, went into the bathroom, turned on the taps, washed her face. The doorbell rang. Relief swept over her. Idiot! Idiot left so fast, he forgot his keys! She raced out of the bathroom to get the door. Yetunde stood there brightly smiling, not her husband.

"Oh. I thought it was Ed." Mags sighed.

"Nobody can compare to Edward, but I thought you'd like some company, Margaret. Can I come in?"

"Just as long as you get something straight! Ed Straker is my husband. Mine. I don't care what happened in Africa, or that you're attracted to him. I know the two of you have a history together. I know you'd probably be more suitable for him, you understand his need for his damn Shado better than I do. But never think I will give him up. He's my husband, he'll always be my husband. Don't you even think about touching him!"

"Ah. Ah. Ah. What happened? Did you have a fight?"

"Is that any of your business?" Mags howled. "Why can't you leave us alone?" That ended the subterfuge of bravado. She broke down in hysterical sobs.

* * *

"We managed to retrieve two alien bodies from the UFO, Colonel. Both bodies seemed to be in a state of advanced decomposition. And one of our own from the mobile. Judging from the dental work, we've identified him as Myerson. Burned to death. Collier is missing, presumed dead. But there's something else."

Alec Freeman clenched his teeth and waited. Hard put as he would be to admit it, he didn't give a rat's genitals about Myerson, or the other operative, at least not at the moment. In the casualty area of Mayland, they were examining an unconscious Ed Straker. Unconscious and bleeding, and God knew what else. Boy, mother would be proud of you. First you place Ed in an ethical and professional crisis, on the mistaken belief that it would preserve his marriage if his wife knew what he did. Then to try and make things easier for him, you send him off alone into a dangerous situation, because you know if he felt he was needed, it would make things easier for him. And what does he do? He goes and deliberately exposes himself to the UFO without backup. Armed, my arse. Suicide prone was more like it. It was a reasonable possibility that the aliens had booby-trapped that ship or worse. It explodes, and knocks him down, and somehow doesn't blow him to smithereens with it. Great friend of yours I am, Ed. I managed to only make Mags believe you're the creature from the Black Lagoon, and not the fellow she married. And now I've just about gotten you killed. Great going, Freeman. Mags is going to kill you. And then Yetunde is going to kill you. Christ. I have to ring Mags, and tell her Ed was hurt. Damn, damn damn. Dogfights were a lot easier than this.

"What?"

"We found the corpse of a small child in the vicinity. Male. Badly cut up. We've notified the authorities. No organs were missing. May just be a police matter."

"Fuck. All right. I want Collier found. Maybe he can tell us something. Make sure that whole area is secured until we can get the evidence out of there. I'm going to go look in on Commander Straker. Oh, and get Nathaniel Zouri up here, will you?"

Alec didn't even wait for the obligatory 'yes sir'. He quickly went into the tunnel that led to Mayland, and reaching the area he wanted, he heard Ed before he saw him, and he broke into a great grin of relief.

"Why do people in your profession always say something is not going to hurt much, and it always does? Oh my head. Jesus! Hurry it up, will you?"

"You'll have to hold still, Commander."

"My profound apologies, but my instincts when someone comes at me with a contraption like that is not to hold still- Uhhhhhh. Uhhhhh. Get it over with, will you? Get it over with!"

"I see you're retiring the medical staff early by giving them all strokes, Ed. Really thoughtful of you. Hi Doctor."

"Hi Colonel." The doctor working on Ed with a medical staple insertion device grinned at Alec's joke. The nurse assisting the doctor ducked her head so she wouldn't laugh.

"How is our patient?" Alec asked the doctor sweetly.

"Alec. Where the hell were you and your promised backup when that thing blew me to Kingdom Come?" Ed turned from Alec to the physician. "Damn it, that hurts! Do I have to pay to get extra pain relief around here or something? That thing is a medieval torture instrument for crying out loud!" Ed snapped at the doctor.

"Our patient is, in the term we use in the profession, combative. Soft tissue damage caused by the impact of the explosion. Several abrasions and cuts all over, fairly deep cut on his forehead, which I cleaned and I'm about to finish stapling together. Patient's prospects for a complete recovery, good. Prospects for patient ever being grateful that we continually paste him back together after UFO incidents, bad." The doctor grinned.

"Prospects for Commander sacking the smart arse doctor for making jokes at his expense, good," Ed snapped. Alec chuckled, and watched the doctor gingerly place a bandage over Ed's forehead.

"Can I take him home?" the Australian asked.

"He should stay here overnight for observation, but in the interest of keeping my job so that I can feed my three kids, sure, you can have him. Keep a close eye on him, make sure he rests. Okay, Commander, there you go, you're all done. I've ordered some medications for you which you can pick up at the front desk when you sign out. They'll prevent infection, and help with the pain from the cut and the massive tissue bruising."

"I feel a little nauseated." Ed attempted a sitting position shakily, and didn't quite make it. "I think I may be sick."

"Nurse, bring that bowl over here."

Alec frowned as Ed retched into the bowl briefly, then lie back down, shaking slightly. He poured a glass of water for Ed and Ed sipped it gratefully. The Shado commander looked ashen.

"Ed I think they should go ahead and get your room ready for you. I'll explain what happened to Mags."

"Doctor, could you give me some privacy for a moment?"

"Of course, Commander."

Ed waited until they'd gone out.

"Alec, we had a fight. The marriage is over. I've asked her to not tell Frances and Angel for a while. They'd had enough to cope with this year. I know they'll be upset."

"Ed, look, I think you're drawing conclusions way too fast. She's understandably upset about what you did. I'll slip the drug to her, things will be fine, you'll see."

"Fine until the next crisis. No, Alec, I'll see to this business with Fielding, I'll make sure those kids are safe, and then I'll quietly petition for a divorce. I've done enough damage to her." Ed paused, looked into Alec's eyes. "And to you. I wouldn't--"

"I knew you wouldn't. But I confess I had a few bad moments there. I'd forgotten what a good actor you can be. The studio's made an impression on you." Alec grinned.

"You aren't angry?"

"I'll reserve the pleasure of yelling at you for later, Commander. Right now you look like hell, and I think I should wheel you up to your room. Then you and I will call that wife of yours. She won't let you have a divorce. I know Mags. She will tear my head off when she finds I sent you to investigate a UFO incident and you mangled that beautiful face of yours. I'll also try not to come to the conclusion you were acting so unprofessional at the scene, sticking your nose right in that UFO like that because at the moment you didn't care what happened to you."

"Alec, I love her. I don't know what I'm going to do without her," Ed said wearily.

"It's going to work out, Ed." Alec laid a hand briefly on Ed's shoulder.

"It never does, Alec. I should have known. I was just beginning to experience that elusive thing they call happiness. Happiness and me don't mix. No, I'll let her go. She's young, she'll bounce back, she'll find someone. Tell Paul Foster I'm cutting short my holiday and taking over again. San Francisco can manage without a couple of happy honeymooners." Ed took another sip of the water.

"Don't be an arse, Ed. You're in no shape to decide how to comb your hair, let alone take command, or start proceedings for a divorce. Here. Come on, get in the wheel chair. What's the matter? Feeling sick again?"

"I feel strange."

"You sound surprised. Have you forgotten that UFO blew up and knocked you around?" Alec said in fond amusement. Ed clutched his stomach and grimaced and the amusement was gone. "Ed?" Alec said in alarm.

"Alec--God. Get the doctor. Something--"

Ed's glass crashed to the floor, and his eyes rolled back in his head. As Alec watched momentarily in shock, to his horror Ed Straker's whole torso bent backward, and Ed's body convulsed sharply. Alec screamed for the doctor, and people came flying in to restrain Ed. His helpless body resembled some mechanical toy as it jerked around on the bed. A nurse drew the curtains, blocking the scene and Alec stumbled blindly toward the waiting area and fell into a seat. He pulled out his mobile phone. Nate Zouri came running up.

"I just heard. How's the Commandah? Sorry it took me so long to get here, I got stuck in traffic. Mon, what's wrong? You look just plain terrible!"

"I was standing there talking to him, and he started to convulse right before my eyes. The doctor said he just got banged around. Cut his forehead. Bruises from a fall. Nate, you don't get that sick from just cuts and bruises. I've got to get Mags over here."

"Yetunde was with her, they were talkin' about the Commandah. Missus Strakah ain't all that mad, she was just shaken, like we all was. Yetunde said they had a fight. But you and I know different, they are in love."

"Ed thinks she wants a divorce." Alec punched out Ed's home phone number.

"Bull shit, that is," Nate said, taking a seat next to Alec.

"Mags, it's Alec. Can I speak to Yetunde? Yeah. Yeah I know where Ed is. Yeah, Mags, yeah, look, I need to speak to Yetunde first."

He waited until Yetunde came on the line.

"What is it, Alec?"

"I called Ed and asked him to go out to investigate a sighting that got through defenses. The UFO was located, but there was an explosion. Ed was injured. At first it looked like he was not all that bad. You better get here, and bring Mags. It's pretty serious, Yetunde. Ed's having convulsions."

Yetunde gave an involuntary gasp. Mags had been cleaning up the glass dining table, wiping it after washing out two glasses. Now she turned to look at Yetunde. She came quickly up to her.

"Damn it! What is it? What was so important that he had to talk to you first? What? What's the matter?"

"Margaret--"

"Oh Jesus. It's Ed, isn't it? ISN'T IT? Oh my God! What's happened? Damn you, Yetunde, I have to know! He's my husband!" Mags brought up her fist to her mouth, bit into her index finger, trying to ground herself. I never should have let him go. Mags girl, you stupid moron, he was upset, you know how he gets when he's upset. It's all your fault! He thought you were going to walk out on him. So he walks out on you. Oh Ed!

"Ed's been hurt. Get your coat, he is at Mayland. Alec is with him."

"Oh my God, oh my God," Mags cried.

* * *

Ed Straker opened his eyes slowly, and focused his attention upwards. The all too familiar ceiling of the intensive care unit was not there. Instead he looked at a smooth white surface he had never seen before. A pair of eyes peered at him through a plastic visor, the eyes belonging to a petite woman wearing a surgical mask and gown. He could hear the familiar sounds of the medical telemetry machines behind him, and a single IV was in his arm.

"I'm Dr. Kincaid, Commander. How are you feeling?"

"Lousy. Where am I?"

"In the isolation ward of Mayland Hospital. Contagious diseases. You picked up a nasty strain of what we know now is alien bacteria. Colonel Freeman is waiting outside, as well as Dr. Yetunde. Would you like to see them?"

Alien bacteria.

Ed licked his lips, mouth suddenly dry. Ed tried to think. He'd been with Alec, and there had been that terrible pain, and then nothing.

"Yes. Wait! Has anyone else in Shado been infected? My God, the paramedics brought me in, and Alec-has he-?"

"The other doctors don't believe so. Initial tests on the bacteria indicate it is spread only through the bloodstream. But I'll let Colonel Freeman explain more to you."

Within a few minutes, Alec and Yetunde entered. Yetunde looked grim, removing her stethoscope from around her neck and planting it on his chest.

"I didn't know if I was ever going to see your ugly face ever again, Commander," Alec said, sitting down in the only chair in the chamber-like room.

"Yetunde never warms that damn thing, does she, Alec?"

"Shut up Edward, and breath normally."

"Breathe normally, the doctor says. I'm full of alien bacteria and I'm supposed to breathe normally? For God's sake! What does the doctor say? Why are you both not gowned and masked? Damn you, Alec, tell me what's happened!"

"Edward, calm down," Yetunde said.

"I will not calm down! Alec, tell me what's happened. I want to know NOW."

"All right. When we got to you, you were unconscious. Lieutenant Jim Myers was burned to death in the mobile. We're pretty sure the UFO fired upon it at some point. We found two alien bodies in the remains of the exploded UFO. They were in an advanced state of decomposition, Ed. And the autopsy showed their bodies were riddled with a type of bacteria very much like the one you've been infected with. Traces of it were all over the UFO, only it was dead. We think you were hit by shrapnel from the UFO when it exploded, and one piece of shrapnel had live bacteria on it, and it entered your body through the cut on your head. But there's more, Ed. Initially, Nick Collier, the other Mobile Eight driver, was believed missing. We didn't understand we'd found him until later."

"I'm not following you, Alec. Either you found Captain Collier or you didn't."

"They found a dead child, Edward. A male child. Badly cut up. He looked to be about age 6. None of his organs were gone, but a later autopsy showed severe internal damage. He later started to decompose at a rapid rate just like the aliens. You could just make out that his left foot was missing a toe." Yetunde pointed out.

"Wait a minute. Missing a toe? But that's--"

"The same as Nicholas Collier. That's because it was Nicholas Collier, Edward."

"But that's impossible! Captain Collier was in his early twenties!"

"Ed, we know the aliens experimented with ways to turn around the problems of the advanced aging that occurs when they are exposed to our atmosphere. You know in particular that they did something to Catherine Fraser, that young woman you accidentally struck with your car," Alec replied. "The way they speeded up her aging to supply her friend Tim with the necessary years that served their purposes."

"Go on," Ed said, uneasy.

"We think they successfully developed a bacteria that reversed aging but something went horribly wrong with it. It may have mutated. The bacteria in your system may be the resulting final stage. Or it may mutate again."

"So how do we kill it? And how do we prevent anyone else from being infected?"

"Placing you in here was just a precautionary measure, Edward. We've established for certain that the bacteria is spread only through blood. And nothing else. Not even body fluids like saliva. We've never seen anything like it. But we have problems." Yetunde sighed.

"Define problems," Ed replied grimly.

"They haven't found anything that kills it, Ed. They've tried everything."

"Alec there has to be something that will kill it! Radiation. Heat. Light. Another kind of bacteria. Something has to work. You have to find some kind of antibiotic. I can't be stuck here in Mayland indefinitely, I have an appointment with Adam Fielding that's long overdue."

"Edward, you have been having seizures, so far we're using an drug normally used for epilepsy to control them with fair success. As the bacteria spreads through your body, and feeds off your healthy cells, there will be pain again, and probably the seizures will get worst. Edward--"

"It's killing me, isn't it?" interrupted the Shado commander.

Yetunde sighed. Alec looked at her, then back again at Ed.

"Yes. The doctors think you have about a month," Alec said. Ed nodded, looked off in the distance.

"Edward, we will not give up. You know we won't. We'll find something. I promise. I've already called half a dozen of the best people to consult with, and Dr. Kincaid is one of the top names in contagious diseases."

Ed looked at Yetunde and smiled. He pointed at her.

"If I die, Alec, remind me to fire her."

"I'll do my best," grinned Alec. "Listen, Ed, Mags is worried about you. She's in your room, she pretty much moved into it. She's been there for two days, waiting for word on you."

"Two days? I've been unconscious for two days? No. I don't want to see her. She's been through enough already. I'm not going to torture her anymore."

"So you say you want to see her? I'll go get her. She'll be so relieved to see you. I'll be right back." Yetunde said brightly. Alec laughed.

"Damn you, Folsade!" Ed yelled at Yetunde's back as she stepped through the door. "Alec, can't you do anything about that woman?"

"You feel up to being moved? Everybody's pretty sure you could be taken to your private room if you wanted it." Alec smiled. "With the usual precautions, you're safe to be around. And they can do all the tests on you from there."

"If there's nothing anyone can do for me, and I'm going to die in a month, I sure as hell am not going to spend my final hours in that place," Ed complained. "I'll go home. If I still have a home. And a wife. Do I have any clothes around here? Or do I have to walk through hospital corridors stark naked under this blasted gown?"

"Ed, we still haven't told you everything," Alec said quietly.

"Oh why do I think I'm going to hate this? Christ! What now, Alec?"

Alec bit his lip. Then he stuck his hand in a pocket of his jacket and drew out a hand mirror, and offered it to Ed. Ed stared at it, puzzled. Oh Christ, Ed thought. The bacteria must have scarred me somehow.

"What has the bacteria done to me? I can't let Maggie see me like-Jesus!" Ed gasped, catching his reflection in the mirror.

Alec nodded.

"The boffins are guessing about six, seven, maybe even ten years, Ed."

"Collier. It happened to Collier." Ed went on studying his reflection in the mirror, pushed back his hair to see that the scar from his cut was faded. Ed gently touched his skin, a look of disbelief on his face.

A face that looked at least ten years younger than his true age of fifty-three.

* * *

Mags sat on Ed's bed in his hospital room and picked at her salad. Finally she threw down her fork, and it clattered across the floor. Oh Ed, Ed. They won't even let me see you. They've been telling me weird stuff, saying some space bacteria is eating you up, and you're getting younger but you're going to die if they can't kill the damn thing. And now they tell me you finally woke up, but for me to not get my hopes up because you're having convulsions and you're in pain. Ed, I was supposed to start a new job today. Instead I have to wait to see if I still have a husband. Yetunde says you might not make it, and that I can't let you see that we're all worried about you, that it would upset you. Ed we were supposed to go on our honeymoon. We were supposed to live happily ever after, Ed. But then your Shado got in the way. That's what you most feared, wasn't it? You ran off on me before I could run off on you. But it's going to be okay, Ed. Don't die Ed. Yetunde says I have to be strong. I'm not strong, Ed. I need you Ed. How could you possibly think I'd ever want you to go? You aren't getting rid of me that easily.

Mags' thoughts were interrupted by the door opening.

"Thank God! Is Ed all right?"

"Margaret, come on, he says doesn't want to see you, but I am bringing you in anyway." Yetunde chuckled. "Edward would not know what was good for him if it bit him on the leg."

"I don't want to upset him, Yetunde. If he really is reluctant to see me, maybe I-"

"Ah! Ah! Ah! The two of you are like twins. Both morons. The best medicine for him now is you. He will not let us see that he is scared. But I know that he is. Come on, hurry up. Oh wait, Margaret, Alec did tell you that Edward looks different, didn't he?"

"He said Ed was growing younger."

"Yes, the sad fact is that the same bacteria that is causing it is also slowly killing him."

"Is he in pain, Yetunde? My God, is he in pain?" Maggie broke down in tears.

"We are taking good care of him, Margaret. We won't let him suffer. We won't let him die. He has a powerful will. Edward won't give up if we support him. And there are a lot of people who depend on him. Stanley and Frances. Beryl and her little baby waiting to be born. And that disgusting little Devon."

Mags laughed, she couldn't help it.

"He still thinks Edward is something out of X-files. If he knew Edward was infected with an alien bacteria it would thrill him. Ed thought you were a security risk. Wait until he has to deal with Devon." Yetunde rolled her eyes.

"Yetunde, you like that little kid. Don't try to pretend you don't," Mags insisted.

"Yes I like him. Between two slices of multigrain bread with lettuce, tomato and plenty of mustard."

* * *

"Alec, when are you going to marry Yetunde?"

"As soon as I get up the courage to ask her. Uh I mean..what makes you think I'm even going to ask her, Ed? You know how confirmed a bachelor I am."

Ed Straker smiled.

"I suggest you get up the courage soon, because you'll need a best man, and I may not be around too long. And Alec, I couldn't be happier for you both. She's a very special woman."

"Don't be ridiculous, Commander, you're going to be around long enough to bounce my great-grandchildren on your knee." Alec helped Ed into the wheelchair, and arranged his IV on the pole attached to it. He tried not to notice the fine sheen of sweat on Ed's forehead, or the fact Ed was beginning to look practically the same as he had when Shado finally had become operational. Those two things reminded him that Ed was dying.

"You haven't proposed yet and you're planning on great-grandchildren? Does Yetunde know about this?" chuckled Ed.

"Does Yetunde know about what?" Yetunde said coolly as she came in. Mags came in after her nervously. She stopped when she saw Ed, and gawked. Ed looked nervously at her, and then away, and then drew his lips into a thin line, and scowled, and then looked at her without saying anything. Then he lowered his eyes again.

"I'll tell you later, Yetunde. Let's give them some privacy," Alec said, and slipped his hand around Yetunde's waist and led her out.

"They told me. But they couldn't have prepared me for this!" Mags finally said.

"Not every man gets to relive his youth," Ed shrugged. "It wouldn't be half bad, if it didn't have such a high price tag attached to it."

"You aren't going to die, stupid. I won't let you." Mags pulled the chair over closer to Ed's wheelchair, and sat in it.

"They said you moved into my room," Ed said quietly.

"I got tired of being in the flat alone. This way, I could be closer to you. Ed, aren't you even going to look at me?"

"Maggie, if you left me, I wouldn't blame you."

"I should leave you for you just thinking I'd leave you, sourpuss. Okay, so I admit I hate playing second fiddle to your horse piss job. If it wasn't for your horse piss job, you wouldn't have those damn outer space germs in your body. Why couldn't you have a normal job, huh? Like a lawyer. A doctor. Something that didn't get you hurt every five seconds."

Ed smiled ever so slightly.

"Teacher. For a while, I thought I might be a teacher. That seems so long ago. It seems impossible that I ever even entertained that idea."

"I can't see you as a teacher, Ed."

"Maggie, I'm serious. You know that Yolanda and Nanette and Chloe would love to have you stay with them in San Francisco. There's no reason for you to be forced to stay with me and watch what happens to me. I wouldn't be alone. I'd have Alec and Yetunde, and Stanley and Frances. You could get your old job back."

"Are you throwing me out of your place, Ed?"

"If I have to. I seem to have this curious capacity for hurting the people I most love."

"And you think I fall in that category, do you?" Mags reached over and took his hand.

"Yes," Ed said. It wasn't more than a whisper. Ed's hand pulled away, but she took it again and held it firmly.

"You are such an idiot, Ed. Big, self-sacrificing idiot. What makes you think you can get rid of me? You're such a jerk. You really are. Quit looking at me like that, with those sorrowful basset hound eyes, you poor excuse for a husband. Everyone makes such a big fuss about you. People act like you sprung full grown from the womb of Athena or something."

"The Goddess Athena was a virgin, Maggie," Ed corrected her calmly.

Maggie ignored him and babbled on. "Nate can't even call you Ed. I guess he thinks the world would end or something if he ever called you by your name. That damn Yetunde has a thing for you, and that damn bitch Astrid goes and kisses you behind my back. I'm gonna knock her flat on her ass next time I see her, Ed. Maybe even both of them. Maybe even Alec for not telling me right away you'd been hurt. Who does he think he is, sending you after that UFO all by yourself? Jerks. All of them."

"Did you always have these violent thoughts about my operatives?" Ed said, not fighting his amusement.

"You're gonna be next, Straker. You run off like that again and I'm going to give you pain you never dreamed of."

"Maggie, threatening me is rather counter productive, since I'm dying. As for pain, believe me, lately I have quite enough of it on my own."

"You quit saying you're dying, you pip-squeak. Horse piss!"

"Have I ever told you I never liked the way you talk to me? Don't you know who I am?" Ed's fingers relaxed in Maggie's hand as she stroked them with her other hand.

"Know who you are? Sure I know who you are. You're the guy with a brain the size of a pea that I married. The one who thinks he can divorce me. Big dummy that's supposed to have gone to MIT. Astronaut, big hero. You get my trophy for most stupid bird brain husband of the year. Happy now?"

"Sure, I always dwell in perfect bliss while my wife is doing a character assassination on me."

"Oh so now I'm your wife again? To what do I owe that privilege, famous Commander, oh great Shado leader?"

"Maggie, wife dear?"

"What, dummy husband?"

"Shut up and hold me, I'm scared." Ed's voice wavered a little. His eyes were full of tears.

"It's about time you asked me to hold you, dummy."

Ed leaned forward and rested against her, as she held him tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly against her own tears.

"I don't want to die, Maggie."

"I won't let you die, darling."

"Maggie?"

"What?" She stroked his hair tenderly.

"Promise me you will never leave me. Promise," Ed said fiercely. "I couldn't take it if you left me. Promise. Promise, damn you."

"What if some stupid , overbearing, arrogant, stubborn Shado commander who thinks he's dying insists he knows what's best for me, and tells me to go back to San Francisco?"

Ed chuckled low in his throat. "Don't pay any attention to him. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He never did. He's just good at impressing everybody and making them think he's ruthless and fearless. His bark is worst than his bite. "

"I figured as much," Maggie said with a grin.

"Maggie."

"What, darling?"

"Do you forgive me for what I did?"

"Hell no."

Ed chuckled.

"I figured as much." Ed echoed. "Do you have any idea how much I need you?"

"Oh horse piss yes. You're the most helpless little mixed up, dedicated little twerp I ever met."

"Don't hate me because I'm dutiful," Ed said. Maggie held him at arm's length.

"That was worst than the bear clause pun, Ed." she giggled.

"I can't help it if I watch American commercials," Ed joked. Suddenly he winced in pain.

"Ed! Shall I get the doctor?"

"No. It'll pass." Ed said. Then his eyes glazed over, and he passed out, falling heavily against her. Maggie screamed.

* * *

"You want me to what?" Major Graham said to Nate Zouri.

"You can do it, mon. They'll never get there otherwise," Nate scolded.

"And when am I supposed to have all this ready?"

"Couple of days. Come on, Louie, this would mean a lot to the Commandah, and his wife, you know it would."

"There's talk he's going to die. There's talk they can't kill that thing he has inside him," Louis said in disbelief.

Nate sighed, nodded. "Yeah, he passed out yesterday, and when he woke up he had a seizure. You know how he is. He is gonna go see Fielding anyway. He's crazy."

"Yeah he called me, Project Sakura's final phase takes place tomorrow at one. Nate, you really think his luck has run out?"

Nate was quiet for a moment. Then tears ran down his face.

"You leave it to me. I'll handle the special effects for Project Sakura, and then give me two days, and I'll have what you want, right here on the set. The western on stage eight can wait."

"Thanks, Major. I will remember this."

* * *

"This place never looked so good. Now, Frances, you stop crying like that." Ed smiled.

"Welcome home, Q-tip. Frances baked you a bunch of your favourite foods, and Dr. Yetunde and Alec are coming to join us all for dinner. Frances, cupcake, you stop crying!" Stanley urged.

"Oh Stanley, I can't stop, Edward is such a dear man, with more than his share of grief, and now this sickness."

"Frances, I just want tonight to be a nice evening with my friends, no tears," Ed said.

"I'm inclined to think I know the real reason Frances is crying," Mags said, helping Ed to the sofa. Beryl was sitting in a rocking chair, and Ed smiled at her. She stared at Ed.

"Hiya Beryl."

"What happened to you?"

"Ed isn't well, that's all. Where's Devon?" Mags asked, handing Ed a cup of coffee the way he liked it, and taking his jacket.

"You have makeup on or something? You look younger, how come?" Beryl remarked.

"No, its the clothes. New clothes, I dropped some weight, and Maggie picked up some new outfits for me." Ed looked at his jeans, his white sweater and his black leather jacket, which Maggie draped over a chair. "Where is Devon?"

"In Neil's room. Here, let me hang this jacket up, my, you look dashing, Edward." Frances smiled, trying to put on a brave face.

"All of which confirms why Frances is crying," Maggie said, sliding into Ed's lap. He looked up at her and smiled, and she took his coffee, and sipped it, and he made a face. Angel laughed.

"And why might that be, Margaret?"

"Because lately, Ed is looking so divine, Frances is upset that she married you and not him. Everyone knows my husband is hot."

Frances and Angel laughed, and Ed looked innocently up at Maggie.

"That isn't very Christian of you, wife."

* * *

A little later, Yetunde and Alec came in, went through the procedure of hugs and kisses on the cheek, and glad to see yous, but Maggie noticed that Alec kept his eyes in Ed's direction all through it. Frances set the table, and Yetunde headed upstairs to get Devon, but Ed grinned and winked at Yetunde and said he'd do it.

Halfway up the stairs, Ed looked behind him, and several heads that had been watching him with worried expressions, quickly swiveled back. Ed rolled his eyes, sighed and continued up. Devon was curled up on Neil's bed, watching a video on a laptop computer.

"Hiya Devon. Time to eat."

"I'm watching X-Files. It's the one where Scully's doggie gets eaten up." Devon didn't turn toward Ed.

Ed picked up the mouse and closed the Quicktime player. Devon looked up at him.

"Even Scully had to eat," Ed said, folding his arms.

"They said you were sick."

"It's nothing to worry about, Devon." Ed sat beside the boy.

"You look weird."

"Close down the computer, and come eat."

"Is that black lady downstairs?"

"I'm afraid so." Ed chuckled. "Hey, hey, there now, why the tears? Is Yetunde picking on you too much?"

"I miss Neilly. I miss everybody. Nobody's around now. Victor got a job, Simon and Lee went away to school, Beryl's gonna go off and have a baby to take care of, and I'll be alone."

"Stanley and Frances, do you like them?" Ed said, turning off the computer.

"They're okay." The little boy shrugged.

"They've been talking to your parents about adoption. You understand adoption, don't you?"

"Yeah. They want to be my mum and dad."

"Neil wrote in his journal about how your own parents were too busy to look after you, how they had nannies and house staff to do it instead."

"Yeah. They don't play with me. Neil used to play with me, and read me Greenteeth stories, and make them up. He used to say you were secretly Greenteeth. Ed?"

"Hmmmm?"

"You have any kids?"

"I had a son who died," Ed replied quietly.

"Like Neilly?"

"Younger, but yes. Closer to your age, actually."

"Do you like me? You like me, right? You brought me soda. You're nice."

"I was hoping to make friends with all of you. I wanted to gain your trust, and I didn't have much time to do it in. It was Neil's fondest wish that you all be taken care of. Now it's my wish too."

"So why don't you be my dad?"

"What?"

"You like me, why can't you be my dad? That Maggie, she's cool, she'd be a good mum. She'd play with me, wouldn't she?"

"Devon," Ed said quietly, trying to find a gentle way to explain no to a unloved child.

"A bad thing," Devon sighed.

"What?" Ed reflected that there was more than met the eyes to the little kid curled beside him. How could his parents not see how special he was?

"All the time I ask my mum and dad to play with me, they say my name like that. The no way. Always a bad thing. Then I don't see them for a long time. I get pressies and everything but it's not the same, Ed."

"You're very wise for a nine year old. No, no it isn't the same. A son should be played with, and hugged, and taught how to play ball, and learn the constellations, and catch a tadpole, and slide down a grassy slope, and watch bugs, and dream about growing up. And how someday, he'd fly jets, and go into space, and be a hero," Ed said knowingly.

"So how come you can't do all that stuff to me?"

"I'm sick, Devon. Besides, you think I'm like the bad guys in X-Files." Ed smiled.

"I think you're sad. I think you cry all by yourself when no one is looking. Neilly said it's okay to cry that even Greenteeth cried when his girlfriend was killed dead by the evil warlord. I think you're sad. I don't want to see you sad, Ed. Neilly really liked you, he used to come and tell us wicked stories about you. Ed?"

"Yes, Devon?" Ed drew a hand fondly through Devon's unruly blond locks.

"Did it hurt Neilly to die?"

"The smoke put him to sleep, so he didn't feel anything. So no, it didn't hurt."

"Do you think he was scared to die, Ed?"

Ed drew his mouth into a slit, and shook his head. He parted his lips, and took a deep breath. "He didn't know he was going to die, Devon. He wanted to help his dad. So the fire didn't scare him. He didn't have time to be scared. Maybe if he'd had time to think about death, what it means, maybe then he would have been scared."

"Am I going to die?"

"Not for a long, long time." Ed managed to smile.

"Are you going to die?"

Ed stared at the little boy. He looked away, and at the wall for a moment. Then he looked back at the boy without seeing him.

"We should go downstairs. Frances has cooked a ham, and there's garlic mashed potatoes, and salad, and fresh bread rolls, and I think she made lemon cake with a drizzled lemon frosting. Aren't you hungry?"

Not far outside the room, Maggie stood, weeping. She'd come after Ed, practically having to fight for the privilege, and had heard everything. She pressed herself against the wall and tried not to be seen.

"You're sick," Devon said.

"Yes. But I don't want you to worry about it."

"Are you scared?"

"Not when I have my wife and friends with me."

"I used to get scared when I was all by myself in the house, and then I'd sneak out and go to our secret place with Victor and Beryl and Lee and Simon and Neilly, and Neilly would hug me and I'd feel better."

"Yes, being held helps, I'm sure."

Without a word, Devon put his small arms around Ed's neck, and after the initial shock, Ed engulfed the boy with a hug. Maggie heard nothing for several minutes, and then she went in. The two of them were still in their tableau when she entered the room.

"I hope both of you are clean, I came up here to make sure both of you cleaned your hands," Maggie announced, hoping they didn't see her reddened eyes. Ed reluctantly let Devon go, and Devon brightened.

"Hiya Maggie! Me and Ed was having a guy talk."

"You and Ed are late for dinner. Both of you guys are in trouble."

"Girls. Always ordering us around, huh, Devon?" Ed winked.

"Stanley says when you get married, you have to be ordered around all the time."

"Sounds about right to me," Ed agreed. Maggie folded her arms. Then she pointed at the stairs.

"You go, Devon. I want to talk to Maggie a while."

"Okay, I'll save you a piece of cake."

Devon jumped up and vanished down the stairs.

"He loves you, Ed. Everybody loves you, Ed. It took me a while to get used to," grinned Maggie, dropping beside her husband on the bed.

"He has quite a head on his shoulders. Wise beyond his years."

"Ed, you won't have to fight this alone. We'll win this thing together." Maggie suddenly gripped Ed's hand.

Ed was silent, letting his body melt against hers, holding on to her like a vise.

"Will I have to lose alone?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Maggie, I'm dying. It's time we faced it. Made plans."

"I can't believe you're giving up like this, damn you!"

"You've always been in denial. From the moment I met you, to now. You've never thought of me as the Commander. I've always been your husband. I've always been just the man you loved. You let me be me. You have to let me die the way I want to." Ed smiled.

"Stop it, damn you! Horse piss, I will not let you go like that!"

"Maggie, we both know the bacteria is multiplying, and that it's reached my brain. So far, all it's caused is seizures. And the strange reversal of the aging process. There's no telling why it's slower in me than it was in Collier. Maybe because he was younger to start out with, maybe because the heat from the explosion changed the bacteria before I was infected with it. Doesn't matter. But we know my luck won't last. We know I'll die, and then go into the advanced decomposition state."

"Ed, I don't want to hear this! Do you understand? I don't want-"

"How can I deal with it if you don't accept it? Maggie, darling, we've got to use the time we have, every moment. Listen, you've made me so happy. I was sure you were going to walk away after the debacle with the amnesia drug. I wanted you with me, so I made some bad choices. I'm so grateful you know. It's so tiring, to lie, Maggie. Some people think deception gets easier over time. It doesn't. And you're my lover, my partner, my friend, my treasure. I didn't want to lie to you. I know it isn't easy being my wife. I'm so sorry we'll never get to San Francisco."

"Oh stop, please stop, oh my Ed, my darling, oh stop!" Maggie sobbed. Ed gently kissed her hand.

"Ed? Maggie?" Alec said softly. Ed turned, saw Alec, sighed, dropped her hand. Yetunde stood beside Alec.

"Yes, yes, I know. Dinner. I'm not hungry."

"No it isn't that, we have some news to share with you." Yetunde smiled.

"I've asked Yetunde to be my wife, and she agreed." Alec grinned.

"Alec! Ah, that's great, just great. I guess I'll have to get out my tuxedo, have that tailor of mine work on it. When's the big day?" Ed smiled.

"That is wonderful," Maggie said, trying to show enthusiasm.

"Well we aren't planning on anything big. We're going to go to the registry office, you won't need a tuxedo. Just a suit, as my witness," Alec explained.

"So how does it feel to have caught the most confirmed bachelor in all the United Kingdom?"

"Edward, we Folsade women go chasing the prey all the time, absolutely certain that we will hang the head on the wall as our trophy. It is only a matter of knowing what spear to use," Yetunde remarked.

"That's the most romantic thing anyone ever said to me." Alec grinned at Yetunde.

"Why stick him on the wall? I've always felt he'd make a nice rug," Ed suggested thoughtfully. Ed rubbed his eyes. He looked ill and Maggie frowned at him.

"With friends like this--" Yetunde finally chuckled.

"Who needs enemies? Come on, Ponce de Leon Straker, your dinner awaits you downstairs," Alec said.

"I'm really not hungry. Matter of fact, I'm a little tired. Will you make my excuses to Frances for me? I think I'll go home early. I have that meeting with Fielding tomorrow."

"Edward, ah ah ah, you aren't looking well. That meeting can wait, Olorun knows that bastard has gotten away all this time and a few more days won't hurt. Besides. I'd like to check you into hospital to see what we can do for you."

"I told you. Drawing my blood is fine. Giving me those shots for the seizures is working. But I'm not spending one more second in that place than I have to. Maggie, will you drive me home? We can go out the back way, that way we won't disturb dinner. I couldn't be happier for you two, I wish you all the happiness in the world. Come on Maggie."

"But Ed," Alec began.

"Alec, go on, you heard him. Get lost the both of you. Can't a couple of-" began Maggie scoldingly, and suddenly Ed pitched forward onto her. "ED!" Maggie burst out.

"I'm just dizzy, no need to panic. I'll be fine when I get home. No, wait, what are you doing? Put me down, Alec," Ed said in irritation, as Alec lifted and cradled him easily in his arms.

"Mags, go get the car door open. Yetunde, give Maggie your car keys, keep a look out for anyone. Come on, upsa daisy. " Alec said.

"Alec, damn you, put me down." Ed's tone had no fight in it and he closed his eyes, sagging against Alec. Anxious looks passed between his friends, as they carried him downstairs, and out, Maggie quickly hurrying to open Yetunde's spacious van.

No one noticed little Devon, a huge piece of lemon cake for Ed clutched in his hand, secretly hiding behind a table in the hall, and mournfully watching them carry his hero out.

* * *

Maggie groaned, half awake and bunched the sheets around her, she was cold. He might be dying, that husband of hers, but he was perfectly capable of stealing all the bedding. She rolled over to draw closer to him to struggle against him for warmth. He could be such a pain sometimes. It had practically taken an order from the Queen to talk him into letting Yetunde take several more blood samples from him, which she'd asked Alec to take to hospital. Then both Yetunde and Alec had come back, and crashed on the sofas. It bothered her that they couldn't give poor Ed some time-

No Straker.

She shot straight up, hysterical.

"ED!"

No answer. Then she heard water. The shower, it had to be.

She noticed the bathroom door was open, and slipped through it, and sighed with relief, because he was sitting on the edge of the tub, his head in his hands. He was dripping, there was still patches of lather on him and he was naked except for a towel drawn loosely around his loins. Normally, the prospect of a naked Ed Straker would not flood her mind with worry, but something else entirely. However there was nothing remotely sexual about his terrible misery.

"Ed? Are you feeling sick? Darling you forgot to turn the water off."

"Go away Maggie, just go away."

"Ed, we discussed this. Now let me-"

"DAMN YOU! GO AWAY!" he spat at her. Involuntarily, she backed up and ran into the edge of the sink, staring at him. "That's it, you just do that. Go ahead, you stare at me like that. I've had enough, Maggie. I spent at least a half hour last night having Yetunde stick needles in my arm, and for what? Pointless! Pointless! They can take all the blood in the world and it isn't going to stop this! I'm a freak, that's what I am! That's it you go on staring!"

"Ed. Damn you, stop feeling sorry for yourself! You're supposed to go to Fielding today, have you forgotten that? You owe my mother, and me and Neil. It's what you wanted."

"What I wanted? When have I ever gotten what I wanted? I wanted a wife and a child and I lost both. I wanted a life with you and now I'm just a freak, a biological oddity, just waiting to die. I've given and given, and never gotten anything in return. Last night I had to refuse Devon. Do you know what that feels like? Do you know what it's like?"

Maggie tried to find an answer, but all she could think of was how he looked, the stranger across from her, the man that was her husband, and then to make matters worse, Alec padded in sleepily, followed by an unruly Yetunde. Neither of them looked rested.

"I swear. The guy never sleeps. Look, the least you two could do is not scream at-oh my bloody Christ!" Alec exclaimed, seeing Ed.

Ed swerved around, looking for something to throw, picked up a porcelain soap dish and hurled it at Alec. Yetunde pulled Alec sideways so it wouldn't hit him, and the dish splintered into fragments all over the bathroom carpet.

"If you had hit your friend with that heavy thing, I wouldn't have a husband. Now can we discontinue this temper tantrum and will you let me examine you? Maggie is right, you have Fielding this afternoon, and no amount of my arguing is going to change that, so I better get you reasonably healthy enough to go. And Edward? You are naked, you dropped your towel. Now it isn't anything I haven't been privileged to see before, but always you were a gorgeous man, and now you are stunning. Why we haven't all been turned into pillars of salt by glimpsing that spectacular body and face, ah ah, I do not know. Alec, be mindful of the glass, and get my bag for me."

"For God's sake, Yetunde, I can't take it anymore, I just can't take it anymore. I can't stand it. I can't do something as simple as shaving without something happening! I lathered up, and I saw my face in the glass--"

"Yes. But could we please have this conversation with you dried and covered up? A poor Nigerian doctor has only so much resistance. You are turning me on! Ah Ah Ah!"

"Hey! You're engaged to me, have you forgotten that already?" Alec whinged, entering and carrying Yetunde's medical bag.

Ed began to alternate between chuckling and sobbing.

"Here I thought you were a tough guy, Commander. I can't say I'm happy about finding out you're a softy." Alec handed Yetunde the bag, and then kneeled down and gathered up the pieces of glass, and threw them in the rubbish, then pulled the carpet up and set it aside. " Go ahead and get cleaned off, Ed. You've got lather still on you. And I don't know what you wanted to shave for, you look like you should be on curfew."

"Stop teasing him, the both of you!" Maggie seethed. But Ed chuckled.

"How the hell am I going to confront Fielding looking like this? Hell, I look like I did when I was 30!" Ed sighed, got into the shower and used the spray to wash off the foam.

"More like 25, You've lost some body mass, so you'll have to wear padding, but with a little makeup, trim that hair of yours, sunglasses, we'll manage with you. I can get Nate to bring me something from the studio, I have seen how they age people in the makeup department, one Halloween they did it to me so I could go to a party. I think I could do it to you. Get him dressed, Maggie, Alec and I will take care of everything."

"Alec," Ed said, allowing Maggie to wrap him in his terry robe. He applied deodorant and cleaned his teeth.

"Yeah Ed?" Alec said, using a wet rag to pick up the last of the glass. He followed Ed and Maggie into the bedroom, carefully carrying the rolled up carpet.

"About that soap dish."

"It's okay, I know you have to let off steam. I don't know how I'd handle all this if it were happening to me."

"I'm sorry I missed."

Maggie chuckled. Yetunde giggled. Alec sneered, and Ed grinned widely. He watched them go, and he closed the door behind them, sagging against it.

"Why do you even put up with me? I'm falling apart."

"Why does that black hussy have to describe your body like that, for crying out loud?"

"I'm dying, and you're jealous." Ed groaned. "They're trying to make me laugh, for God's sake. They know what I'm going through." Ed came up to Maggie and played with a lock of her hair. It was almost chin length now, he noticed with surprise.

"Jealous? Who's jealous? I'm the one who gets to go to bed with you, who's jealous? Arrrgh! Horse piss! Oh get dressed. Go out and risk your ass to prove a point to my father. Go do what you have to do. And quit thinking you hurt Devon, he's just glad to have you around. And don't tell me to just let you die in your- Ed what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking off my robe."

"You're throwing it on the floor."

"So? Maggie, how old are you? "

"What is this all about? Ed, you're supposed to-eeeeeeeee!"

"That feel good? Ummm, you smell nice. And you don't have any panties on, I approve of a woman who makes that kind of decision--there, we'll just dispose of that gown, like that, ummm, yes, that's a whole lot better." Ed began calmly kissing Maggie's thigh.

"Horse piss Ed! Alec and Yetunde are right outside that door! Ed we can't-OHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh EDdddddddddd--no! No! No! Don't stop!"

"I could invite them in, we could make it a foursome--"

"EDWARD STRAKER!"

Ed laughed.

"I didn't think so. Damn. You know, Yetunde is always talking about her young Nigerian dreams about me. I wasn't all that much older than this when I first met her. Something awfully sexy about a woman swathed in that bright material, don't you think? I remember suffering from the African heat when I saw her--sadly she wasn't naked to the waist, some tribes are naked to the waist--"

"You're starting to piss me off, Straker." Maggie grinned at him. "And you're starting to arouse me, babe."

"Really? You don't say. And what are you going to do about it?" Ed led her to the bed, pushed her down on it, let one of his fingers probe her moistness gently, and she grunted, reached for him and closed her fingers over his swelling, and pulled it closer. There was something to be said for African heat, Ed thought, as he brought himself down sharply upon her, drawing a gasp, and adding his own to it.

Even in the south of England.

Outside the door, hearing groaning, Yetunde and Alec looked at one another with twin grins.

"That was rather unexpected."

"Not all that unexpected. Why shouldn't his libido change while he does? But the emotional lapse, the temper, the weeping, it worries me, Alec. What if he starts to lose control more and more? We don't exactly know what that bacteria is doing to his brain. And tests have shown its mutated all right. It isn't reacting to anything we do to it."

"We're losing him. I know." Alec sighed.

"When are we going to tell them?"

"I thought we'd made it clear, Yetunde. We don't say anything. He's got enough to worry about. "

"Alec, I truly am sorry."

"I am too. I can't imagine a world in which there is no Ed Straker to worry about."

"Not about that. About us. About me saying no to you when you wanted me in bed."

"Taught me a lesson. I can't take anything for granted."

"Alec, too much is going on, we can't think of how we feel about one another, not while Ed is so ill."

"It's hard, Yetunde, it's hard to watch Ed go like this. But I figured that if he thought we were going to get married, he'd have something to look forward to."

"I do care about you Alec. How could I not? I do love you."

"I don't know about that, Yetunde. Sometimes I think you stay with me because that's the closest you'll ever get to Ed." Alec grinned.

"No Alec. I do find him irresistible, what female wouldn't? But I have grown fond of your brown eyes, and the smell of you, the way you look at me. I guess I am just one of Alec Freeman's female victims."

Both of them looked toward the bedroom door as the groans coming from it intensified.

"Ed's going to come to his senses, you know," Alec said. "He's too much of a puritan to enjoy that for long. It's going to slowly occur to him what he did. Then he won't look us in the face."

Yetunde giggled.

"And realise that he seduced his wife with his two best friends outside the door listening?"

"Yeah. It'll be worth it just to see his face." Alec grinned.

* * *

Ed Straker stirred, slowly awakening, but gasped when he heard the sound of Nate honking his car horn.

"My God, Maggie, why didn't you say something? It's twelve forty! Maggie, are you awake?" Ed shook her. She groaned and vanished beneath the fur throw.

"Awake? I'm not even alive. I don't think I'll ever be able to walk upright ever again."

"Yeah, I did kinda get carried away." Ed chucked low in his throat, jumped up and threw open his wardrobe desperately. Maggie sat up, clutching the fur throw to her body.

"Carried away? Carried away? Ed, you made love to me five times in succession this morning. Since when were you going for the Guinness book of world records title in sex? Or are those alien bugs in you a bunch of horny little devils?"

"Shut up and help me find something to wear to disguise my weight loss. Where the devil is Yetunde and Alec? God have mercy! Yetunde and Alec! They were here all the time! Oh my God! Oh please, please--tell me they didn't hear us--"

The door opened a crack, and Alec peered at Ed. Ed turned beet red.

"Nate's out there, you know. I asked him to go honk and see if that woke you two up. Not that I want to be the bearer of less than glad tidings. Or interrupt your love life. I never knew you had it in you, Ed. Or maybe I should say that to Maggie? Oh. Whoops. Uh, Yetunde's got the makeup and everything--oh and Commander, you have nothing on."

"Get the hell out of my bedroom, Colonel!" Ed yelled, trying to sound authoritative as he made a grab for his robe and Alec threw Maggie's flimsy negligee at her. Maggie turned as red as Ed, but dissolved into giggles as she disappeared underneath the bed throw to get into it. She could just make out Yetunde's high pitched giggling and Nate's laughter outside the door as she let him inside again. Then something occurred to her as she finally got dressed, and Alec closed the door, in hysterical laughter.

She was now the older woman.

"Ed? Sweetie?"

"Don't sweetie me. My God, how could you allow me to behave like that in front of my operatives? Why didn't you say something to me, for pete's sake? "

"Horse piss, Ed Straker! I did! You just kept sticking your-"

"I don't want to hear it! This is bizarre! I behaved like a sex crazed character in a script for one of our crappy movies!"

"We made movies? You mean Alec and Yetunde filmed us?" she asked innocently. Ed stopped, chewed on a grin and picked up his pillow and aimed. He wasn't a marksman for nothing. Maggie got a face full of pillow. She threw it back to him, trying to keep the idea of grabbing him and going for a sixth turn out of her mind, but it was tough when Ed was experimentally trying to see if his y-fronts still fit.

"I could totally see you as a British gigolo, Ed," she said thoughtfully, watching him go through his drawers for a shirt. "Richard Gere has nothing on you."

"I can totally see divorcing you if you don't shut up, Maggie."

"Oh that's so typical of you younger men that take advantage of us poor older women. Love them and leave them. No not that old thing. Wear the blue shirt, Ed, and those black pants. No wait, the white ones. Oh, anything by Armani, hell, it worked for Richard Gere."

"To hell with that, I'm wearing my jumpsuit, sweater and jacket. Oh Christ. They're hanging on me. Maggie, help! And quit laughing."

* * *

Some time later, Ed Straker, looking somewhat like his original self with the help of makeup, his body hidden by his Burberry trench coat, adjusted the earpiece in his ear, and took a deep breath. He looked at Nathaniel.

"I look okay, Nate?" Ed whispered. The two of them were outside Adam Fielding's office complex. The afternoon sun made the rim of Ed's aviator sunglasses sparkle as he adjusted them. He held a carryall slung over one shoulder.

"You look great, Comman-" Nate hesitated. Ed twisted his lip in alarm.

"What?"

"You look great, Ed."

Ed slid his glasses down, and appraised Nate coolly. Then he slid them back in place.

"Address me that casually again, and you can consider yourself fired." There was a definite playfulness in his voice.

Nate chuckled.

"Yes Commandah sah."

"Am I coming in okay, Major Graham?"

"Loud and clear, Commander. By the way, we'd completely understand it if you fired that useless Lieutenant Zouri for that obvious breach of protocol."

Ed grinned in Zouri's direction. He could hear one of Graham's team over the earpiece laughing at his boss' remark.

"I'll take it under consideration. Is the equipment operational?"

"Everything's ready to go. Oh, tell Nate that project Straker on stages eight, nine and ten are go for this afternoon. And then he owes me big time. I didn't get any sleep last night so that I could complete the details. And I managed some last minute surprises as well."

"Project Straker?" Ed said, baffled.

"Commandah, we better go. We're almost a half hour late."

"Project Straker, huh? You better have a good explanation."

* * *

"The bastard is a half hour late! He better have a good explanation. Who does he think he is, making me wait this long?"

"Mr. Fielding, Sir, they're coming into the building now."

"They're? I told Straker I would see him alone. Who's with him?"

"Real tall, muscular black guy. Dreadlocks. Leather jacket and jeans. Knitted cap." Fielding's new male executive secretary Sorenson said.

"He's bringing some niggar with him? What kind of idiot did my daughter marry?"

'I'm so tired of this job,' he thought. 'I don't care how much this guy pays me. I can't take him any more. If he knew how many people hated his guts, he'd throw up. Press darling, my arse. He's just a bigoted son of a bitch. No wonder the damn horse threw him and screwed up his face. Animals know people and their true faces. Hell half his employees are sick and tired of being like janitors and cleaning up after him as though he were one of his horses in a stable. And that idiotic BBC man followed him around and wrote about him as though he were God. What was his name? Ford something, wasn't it? I wouldn't be surprised if he arranged that gas leak so he could snoop around here. Guess not though, he's supposed to be still in hospital. Least the horses are okay. That scared the hell out of me.'

"When that bastard Straker gets up here, keep him out there for ten minutes and then send him in. And keep that black out. All his type is good for is shoveling horse shit."

"Yes, Sir." Privately he thought, 'sod yourself, you old prig. I wonder what you'd do if you ever really knew what your people think of you? Fire everyone? Fire the whole of England?'

* * *

He'd been writing for a few minutes when Straker came up.

"Mr. Mark Sorenson? I spoke to you earlier this month. I'm Ed Straker, Margaret Fielding's husband. This is my associate, Nathaniel Zouri. I'm afraid we're late for our appointment, but I got tied up at the studio. Please tell Adam I'm here."

'He remembered my name. Sod Fielding. A little decency goes a long way.'

"Go right in, Mr. Straker, and it's Mark." Sorenson grinned. 'Mark without a job, that is. Oh well,' he thought with great amusement. 'Time I stood up to that bastard. Grew balls.'

"Thanks, Mark."

"Mr. Straker?"

"Hmmm?"

"Any openings at your studio? I may need a job really soon."

Ed furrowed his brow. Then he grinned.

"Don't tell me, let me guess. Mr. Fielding wasn't so happy about me showing up tardy, and told you not to let me in. And you are anyway."

"Pretty close." Mark grinned.

Ed reached for his wallet and took out one of his studio business cards. He dropped it on Mark's desk.

"Consider yourself on the Harlington-Straker payroll. Now, why don't you go take a look at the foals? It's a lovely afternoon, shame to waste it."

Mark shoved it in his shirt pocket got up and grabbed his jacket. He grinned and waved. Ed smiled.

"Come on, Nate."

* * *

"What the bloody hell?" Fielding complained when Nate threw the door open.

"Good afternoon to you too, Adam. This is my associate, Mr. Nathaniel Zouri. He occasionally serves as my personal driver and bodyguard. I asked him to accompany me today. Nate, lock the door behind you."

"What the hell are you playing at, Straker? And what gives you the right to breeze in here like you own the place?"

"I may soon own it."

"What? That's absurd!"

Ed took a piece of paper out of his pocket and tossed it on Fielding's desk. "I have a signed statement from Neal's father acknowledging that Neal was your son, and that you had her killed and made it look like a suicide, and paid off certain people in the police department so that they wouldn't investigate her death further. I also know that you set up and then tormented Miyako until she killed herself, and that you harassed Yolanda Belser for years because she was a lesbian living with Maggie. In turn, I know that Maggie is your daughter, and that you know she's your daughter."

"You've gone mad!"

"Up to now, nobody's stood up to you while you hid behind your facade of being a poor victim, just a respectable executive in racing that had a run of bad luck. Why did you really get thrown by that horse, Adam? Was it an accident, or was it simply because you ran the poor creature ragged and beat it until it bled? They put it down didn't they? Just another good thing in your life you've destroyed."

Fielding reached into his drawer and pulled out a pistol.

Ed didn't react, neither did Nate.

"My daughter's big shot of a husband. Think you have the upper hand, Straker? Watch this!" Fielding jabbed the intercom button. "HELP ME! Call the police! Straker's gone mad! Help! Help!"

"Impressive. Might even work. Except Mark Sorenson quit your employ about two minutes ago. Nobody hears you, Fielding. There's nobody on the other side of that intercom. And if you check your telephone, you'll find the lines are dead. Oh and that pistol? Someone who works for me was in here last night, substituting for your regular char. They emptied that gun of bullets. So if you were thinking about shooting me in so called self-defense, claiming I'd gone insane, I hope you have a plan B."

Fielding aimed the gun at Ed and pulled the trigger repeatedly. Nothing happened. He tossed it aside in frustration.

"You fucker! You think you can manipulate me like this? Who do you think they'll believe? Coates was an alcoholic. He burned to death with that no-good son of his." Fielding grabbed the piece of paper and tore it up. "You think they'll believe anything he wrote? Everyone knows all he thought about was booze."

Nate bared his teeth in genuine rage, but Ed remained calm. He looked thoughtful. He took the carryall from his shoulder. A fine sheen of sweat showed on his forehead.

"You killed Miyako Usami. And Beverly Coates. And you are indirectly responsible for the death of Neal Coates. He came to me, begging me to help him. And now you're going to pay, Adam. Ever see one of these?" Ed withdrew the scabbard from the carryall. He eased the sword out of it slowly.

"Where did you get that?" Fielding stammered. He got halfway up out of his chair. He moved over to the window, where a breathtaking view of the entire Fielding complex could be seen.

Suddenly in Ed's ear came heard Louis Graham's frantic voice. Ed's heart sank.

"Commander, stall him! The power just went down, something wrong with the circuitry! We're working on it, we'll move as fast as we can, but the hologram projection of Miyako Usami isn't going to work. Acknowledge that you hear me."

"Yes," Ed said. "Yes, I can understand why you would ask me such a question. And I can appreciate that it might take some time for justice to be done now. I acknowledge that we have a problem."

"Commander, stand by, I promise you we'll make it happen. Graham out."

"What the devil are you talking about, Straker? You have gone mad! What do you think you are doing with that antique artifact? It must be worth millions of pounds, how did you get it?"

"Miyako Usami committed ritual suicide, to somehow salvage what she'd done in letting her daughter go. Tell me, Fielding, are you a superstitious man? There are legends about this particular blade. It compels the person that wields it to draw blood to do justice, to restore honour to those to have had honour taken away from them. And that's what I'm going to do, Fielding. I can assure you you'll feel nothing. The blade is very sharp, and very deadly. And I'm going to make it a offering of your head."

"You're insane! You'll never get away with this! You'll be put away for the rest of your life!"

"Oh I'll get away with it. The same way you got away with what you did to my friend Neil's mother. The same way you drove Miyako Usami to her death. Their souls cry out to me, Fielding. They cry out from the grave for vengeance." Ed swung the blade around in a experimental arc. Fielding looked at Nate for a glimmer of sanity, but Nate leaned casually against the wall next to Ed, hands in his jacket pocket, with a lazy expression on his ebony face.

"For God's sake, Straker! Don't do this! I'm a powerful man! I'll give you anything you want!" Fielding flattened himself against the expanse of window glass in terror for his life.

"I might be inclined to put this sword back in the scabbard for a price," Ed said quietly. Fielding fumbled in his jacket for his chequebook. Ed smiled with a smile about as sharp as the sword he held in one hand.

"Put that away, Fielding. There's no amount of money that could pay for what you've done. The price I was talking about is a confession."

Nate casually withdrew and switched on the miniature tape recorder that had been hidden in his jacket pocket. He leaned forward and set it on the desk in front of Fielding. Fielding stared at it as if it was some obscene object.

"Oh I know that you'll probably get some barristers to tie the case up in court for an indeterminate amount of time. However that won't prevent you from being put in prison, and everyone knowing what you did. Because I'll make sure copies of the confession are distributed. And don't think that anything will happen to me for threatening you. I have influential friends in high places as well. Places like the old Bailey and New Scotland Yard. They'll look the other way if you're found without your head. Fielding, Fielding, you look a little upset. You look as if you might faint. Now we can't have that."

"You can't do this to me! You're not a cold blooded killer, Straker! You don't have the balls!"

Even Nathaniel couldn't foresee what his Commander did next. Ed practically jumped over the distance between him and Fielding, grabbed Fielding by the collar, tightening around his neck and held the edge of the sword only fractions of an inch away from his exposed throat. Ed's eyes blazed in a crazed way.

"Don't I?"

"Sir--" Nate said quietly. It suddenly occurred to him that in his present, unpredictable state which was due to the alien bacteria, Ed Straker might actually go through with the threat to separate Adam Fielding from his head instead of merely using smoke and mirrors to force a confession out of him, like they'd originally planned Project Sakura to accomplish. What was the matter with Louis? Where the bloody hell was the hologram of Miyako? Why the delay? "Sir." Nate raised his voice desperately.

"You killed Neil's mother. You killed Miyako Usami. You deserve to die. Do you really think I wouldn't do it? You don't know me, Fielding. You don't know what I'm capable of. Don't make the same mistake twice. You don't know what a pleasure it would be to watch you die." Ed pulled Fielding around by the shirt collar with his free hand, while Fielding coughed and strained, eyes bulging, and Ed dropped him back in his chair. Fielding wheezed, and tore at his collar, loosened his tie, gasped. Ed stood near the chair, looked at him with no more compassion than he'd feel before killing a poisonous snake.

"You can't make me do it, Straker! You can try and scare me as-"

Fielding screamed.

Well it's about time, Louie, Nate thought. From his vantage point by the door, he couldn't see the promised projected hologram, but from Fielding's expression, and Ed's slow relieved exhalation of breath, they could. Fielding pointed wildly to the left of Ed. His face had gone completely white. Wait until he heard the voice from beyond from the speakers that the Shado tech team had hidden in the office along with the hologram projector. That should be enough to make him soil his pants, Nate thought with satisfaction.

"Trick!" Fielding managed to blurt out hoarsely. "Trick! Trick!"

"Trick? What do you think you see? Or maybe Miyako Usami and Beverly Coates have returned from the dead to do my work for me?" Ed said softly, looking at the spectral woman who glided effortlessly beside him, thanks to the expertise of his special effect men. Leave it to Major Graham to come through for him. She smiled at Ed. The ends of the sash encircling her waist floated in the air, as if she were submerged underwater. Cherry blossoms decorated the silk of her kimono. Ed shivered a little, remembering his dream, and he almost expected them to fly off, the way they had in the remembered imagery.

"Doumo arigatou gozai-masu, Edward sama." she whispered in a musical voice. Thank you. Ed bent his head in reverence. To have the image of Miyako thank him was a nice touch, and he saw that it had the necessary effect on Fielding. He smiled at her. She seemed so very real. He had to fight the urge to touch her, to undo the blue black coiffure, to kiss the ivory lips. She looked so much like Maggie, that he ached with loneliness.

"Dou-itashimashite, Miyako sama, Kochira koso." You are welcome, the pleasure is all mine, Ed thought.

She said something in Japanese that he didn't understand, it seemed garbled somehow, and he realized with horror that the transmission Graham was using of her voice, which Ryoko had done for them, must be breaking up. He reluctantly tore his eyes away from her, and looked at Fielding. Fielding seemed absolutely scared out of his wits. Then Ed felt the sword vibrate. No, it wasn't the sword, but the entire room! He blinked. What the hell? There was a glassine like humming in the room. The hairs on Ed's forearms stood straight up. Goosebumps! What a curious thing to happen! He'd have to raise Graham's pay after this, he thought with great amusement. It was all truly impressive. He looked over at Nate for a reaction. Nate smiled at him but seemed unimpressed. Man has no imagination, Ed thought, chuckling to himself.

There was a loud shriek from Fielding and Ed turned toward Fielding just in time to see him pick up his office chair in a bizarre feat of strength, hurl it at the glass window behind him, resulting in an ear splitting crash and flying fragments of glass and fly through the hole it made, screaming, no, screeching all the way down.

"Jesus Christ!" Ed managed to blurt out, and Nate joined him and stared at Adam Fielding's crushed and misshapen body on the pavement, several floors below.

"May the devil take his black soul," Nate said.

"Sayonara, Edward sama." Miyako's voice said from behind Ed. Ed turned, a little shaken.

"Sayonara, Miyako sama," Ed whispered. Miyako smiled at him, again reminding him of Maggie. Then she wasn't there.

A voice crackled in Ed's ear.

"Commander, I'm sorry. We tried. We can't get it to work at all. It just doesn't make sense. Everything was operating fine before, but then we suddenly lost power and the laser went dead. You'll have to come up with some other way to scare him. Do you acknowledge?"

"What?"

"Commandah, you okay?" Nate was saying.

"Major Graham, you're joking, right, please tell me you're joking," Ed pleaded.

"Wait, Sir, I'm getting a call-Sir, I just got told Adam Fielding jumped to his death, are you okay?"

Ed looked into the air, where only moments ago, the spectral image had appeared. Or had it? He shook his head, like a man trying to revive out of a deep sleep.

"Major, let me see if I understand you right. You're saying there was no hologram projection? None at all? At any time?"

"That's right, we couldn't get it-"

Ed yanked the earphone out of his ear and stared at it.

"Commandah?"

"Nate, you saw her, didn't you?"

"I couldn't see a thing from where I was. Must have been mighty scary to make him do what he did."

"You felt the room vibrate, didn't you? Tell me you did!"

"Sir?" Nate said in a worried tone.

"God damn you, Nate! I am not hallucinating due to the bacteria! I know what I felt!"

"Sir, its been a long day. I think I better take you home pretty soon. Besides I got a surprise for you and the Missus."

Ed looked at the sword. Reverently, he slid it into the scabbard. Then he followed Nate out without speaking a word.

When Ed and Nate finally got to Ed's flat, there was a note on the door telling them to come to Angel's house. Ed sighed. It had taken him several minutes to give him statement to the police who arrived, and finally his contacts within the department had cleared him, and allowed him to leave with Nate. Nobody seemed particularly grieved about Adam Fielding, as a matter of fact, several of his employees looked downright pleased about it. Ed looked at the track, and it suddenly occurred to him that Maggie, as Fielding's only living heir, very well might stand to inherit all of Fielding's stocks, monetary worth, and property. That idea tickled him. 'I won't be alive long enough to see what wealth on this scale does to her,' Ed thought sadly. 'I'll be going where ever Miyako is. There has to be a world beyond this one. I saw her. That was Miyako. I know it. Fielding had to have seen her. But because of this blasted infection, nobody's going to believe me. Maybe Ryoko will. I've got to call Ryoko, try and get her to translate whatever it was that Miyako said to me.'

"Okay, let's go, Nate."

The two of them went to Angel's door, and knocked. A little girl answered the door.

"Chloe!" Ed exclaimed in shock.

"Hiya Ed! Mummy and Yolanda and me flew all the way here to surprise you! Look! I have some hair back!"

Ed bent over and delightedly picked the little girl up, and kissed her on the cheek, then set her down. Then he hugged Yolanda and Nanette.

"It figures. She shows up and you're cheating on me already, Ed," Maggie teased. "Just don't stand there. There are more surprises to come."

"Maggie, sweetheart. Did they tell you? About your father?"

"I heard, yes. From Alec. We'll talk about it later."

"Are you going to be all right?" Ed said.

"Does it not surprise anyone that my Edward is unwell and yet he is worried about her? Silly man. You are always so silly, my Edward."

"Lily? What in the--"

"Margaret called me. She said you were not well. So I came with some crystals for you. And later I will see what the cards say. Do you think I would not come, my silly Edward?"

"She is right, you know. Leave it to my stupid granddaughter to pick a man who doesn't know what is good for him."

"Ryoko!" Ed chuckled. "It's beginning to seem like a family reunion."

"Horse piss. Grandmother's been driving us all crazy saying you were going to have a vision of mother."

"Stupid granddaughter! When will she learn to trust me?"

"Edward always has had the sight. He does not use it because he fears it. This little one also has the sight." Lily pointed to Devon, who ran up and hugged Ed's leg happily.

"Hiya Ed! Do you feel better? I saw Alec carry you out and I got real worried."

"You what?" Ed asked, head spinning. Alec gawked down at Devon, who looked very proud of having the sight. Not that he knew what it was.

"I hope you bothered to clean your hands before you soil Edward's Burberry coat. Ah ah ah! Someone has to teach you some manners."

"Yetunde, leave Devon alone," Ed said menacingly, and scooped up Devon in his arms. The boy beamed at Ed and Ed grinned back.

"I will when he learns to use soap!" Yetunde retorted, folding her arms. Alec chuckled at her. Devon stuck out his tongue at her. Naturally, he did it in the protective custody of Ed.

"Now Devon, that wasn't very Christian of you. Say you're sorry to Yetunde this minute," Frances said, and then she smiled at Ed. "Edward, are you hungry? I made a big lunch for everyone."

"That's an understatement. She cooked enough food for the entire United Kingdom. Hi Q-tip, you're looking much better than you did when I saw you last." Angel smiled at Ed.

Devon furrowed his little forehead at Ed.

"How come he calls you Q-tip? Oh I know! It's your code name!"

Ed squinted, looked to both sides of him and leaned closer to Devon's ear.

"Shhh. Only Agents Mulder and Scully are supposed to know that."

"Makes you wonder which one the little boy really is. Devon or Edward. Edward, dear, are you going to wear that coat all day?" Frances complained. "Let me take it, sit down and relax and enjoy yourself."

"Actually, Mistah Straker and Missus Straker have someplace I gotta take them, Frances. I promise to bring them back. I'm going to run them up to the studio to show them something." Nate smiled.

"Can I go, Ed? Can I please go?" Devon begged.

"Maybe some other time, Devon." Maggie smiled.

"I'm taking him." Ed said defiantly.

"Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy." Devon cheered.

"So much for my private time with my husband," Maggie grumbled.

"Maggie?" Ed said.

"What?"

Ed stuck out his tongue at her.

* * *

"WOW! It's a real movie studio! "

"Of course it is. Did you think Neilly was just making up more stories about me when he told you I owned a studio?"

"No, but I never been to a real movie studio before!"

"Someday I'll give you a tour of the entire studio, but for now, Nathaniel wants to show me something."

"We're coming up on stage eight," Nate said, his grin wide.

"Isn't that where that western's being shot?" Ed asked.

"You'd make a good cowboy, Ed." Maggie teased. "Anyway, Nate, what is this all about?"

"What's it all about? That."

Ed, Maggie and Devon looked in the direction that Nate pointed.

And watched in amazement as Nate drove the limo over the Golden Gate bridge. Or more accurately, a smaller model of it, complete with lights.

"Welcome to San Francisco, Harlington-Straker style. Now you and Missus Strakah can have that honeymoon. We got everything here. We even had Nanette and Yolanda bring us some authentic crab and fresh sourdough bread."

"Nathaniel," Ed said softly. "I don't know what to say."

"Oh horse piss, Nate, I'm gonna ruin my makeup and cry now," Maggie said, holding on to Ed tightly.

"I asked Louie Graham if he'd recreate San Francisco on three sound stages for you guys, and they got just about everybody to pitch in with some money to build everything so it wouldn't come out of the regular budget. They worked without stoppin' to get it done. People A lot of people care a lot about you, Mistah Strakah."

"Hey this is wicked! Does it have cable cars, too?" Devon said excitedly.

"One. It doesn't operate on a cable like the real thing, but it looks pretty good. Shall we all go for a ride- Mistah Strakah, you okay?"

Ed was ashen, and he was shaking as if he had chills.

"Ed?" Maggie said worriedly.

"I'm okay, just a little pain. Maybe we better save all this for some other time. I'm feeling a little tired."

"I'm gonna take you to Mayland."

"No, Nate. I'll be fine. Just take me home."

"You belong in hospital," Nate insisted.

"Nate, don't argue with him, take him home. Give me your phone, quick. I'll have Yetunde and Alec meet us."

"Ed? Ed? Don't be sick, please. Nate, call that black lady and tell her to come, O.K.? She's a doctor."

"Devon, it's okay, I'm okay."

"Nate, please. Drive fast. Take Ed home." There was an strangely adult urgency in little Devon's voice. Nate had gotten out his mobile phone and he handed it to Maggie. Ed leaned back in his seat, clutching his stomach, his eyes shut.

"Frances? Oh God, please, quick, Ed's sick, get Yetunde on the phone. Hurry! Tell her to get to Ed's place, tell her to have Alec get her to Ed's place and bring her bag. Tell her he's having an attack. Tell her to hurry!" Maggie tossed the phone aside and put her arms around Ed. Ed opened his eyes and smiled at her, although he looked terrible.

"I love you, Maggie," he whispered. His voice was weak. At this point Nate had flown out of the studio entrance, and screeched onto the road that would take them to Ed's flat.

"Ed, we'll be there soon, just try and relax," Mags said soothingly to him. He closed his eyes and leaned against her. Devon sat looking on, eyes wide, terrified.

"Bad thing. Bad thing," the boy recited.

"Be quiet there, Devon. Let Mistah Strakah rest."

Nate pushed the car's speed to the limit, but it still took him several minutes to pull up in front of Ed's place. Yetunde's van was already there, and Alec stood in front, grim faced.

By the time Nate came to a complete stop, Ed had blacked out and was already starting to have a seizure. Maggie managed to pull herself together enough to help Nate carry him into the flat, and they laid him down on the bed. Yetunde was already ready with an alcohol swab and a needle and syringe. She injected him deftly in the arm, and the jerking started to die down. Ed's breathing quieted. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes.

"How do you feel, Ed?" Maggie said, frantic. Ed smiled at her. He reached for her hand and she held on to his tightly.

"I'm going home now," Ed said quietly.

"Ed, you're already home. You're okay. You just had another convulsion and had us all worried again," Alec said.

"Alec." Ed's voice seemed serene.

"That's right. I'm right here. Try and get some rest."

"Home," Ed said, in what could be described only as a joyous tone.

"Yetunde, could he be having-" Alec began, but Ed's eyes partially shut and he started having another convulsion. Yetunde started to fill the syringe again, but the convulsion suddenly died down, and Ed gave a little sigh, and his eyes opened, and sought Maggie's. And then without warning, his head rolled slightly to one side, and Ed was completely still.

Yetunde grabbed her stethoscope, pushed up his sweater and listened to his heart. She said something in her native language, and started CPR. Nothing happened. Alec covered his mouth with his hand.

"Yetunde?" Maggie said, not understanding. Yetunde didn't respond, she just kept counting, and doing chest compression.

Nate turned around, faced the wall and sobbed.

"Yetunde. It's no use," Alec said softly. "We've lost him. Mags, we all have to be brave now." Alec's voice broke, and he started to sob. "He's gone."

"What are you saying, Alec? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? He can't be gone. He can't be!" Maggie screamed.

Yetunde gave a high pitched wail and then was silent.

Maggie looked at Yetunde and then back at Ed.

"Ed? Horse piss, Ed. This isn't funny. This isn't funny at all. You can't leave me, Ed. Do you hear me, Ed? EDDDDDDDDDDDD! EDDDDDDDD!"

Devon, forgotten by everyone in the room, watched silently.

Alec bent over Ed, and gently closed his eyes. Then he planted a light kiss on Ed's forehead, and smoothed his hair into place.

"Edddddd, damn you, you can't leave me!" Maggie cried hysterically.

"Mags, love, we have to get his body to Mayland," Alec said. "We have to do it right away." Tears were streaming down his weathered face.

Maggie wailed like a wounded animal and Alec held her against him helplessly.

"Alec. The boy," Yetunde said listlessly.

"I'll take care of him. Come on, Devon," Nate said.

"I want to say good-bye," Devon said. "I didn't get to say goodbye to Neilly."

"Devon, oh Devon. Of course you can say goodbye," Yetunde wept.

"Bye bye, Ed. Tell Neilly hullo for me in heaven."

"Oh my poor little thing, my baby Devon. Come, let Yetunde hold you."

"Maggie, Mags love, I'm sorry to have to do this to you, but we have to take Ed's body back to Mayland right away. Do you want some privacy for a moment? To make your final good-byes?" Alec asked.

"It's too soon, Alec ! It's too soon! Oh my darling, my sweet darling, it's too soon. Oh Ed, Ed, Ed, what am I going to do without you? Oh my husband. Yes, all right, thank you Alec."

Maggie waited until everyone had gone out of the room. She looked at his face. His lips were slightly parted. He looked like he was merely asleep. She bent over him and pulled him up and held him against her, and rocked with him, as if he were a child. He was still warm. Hadn't it been that very morning when he'd joined his lean, agile body to hers, and flashed those ice-blue eyes, and seemed to have an passion that went on forever? Those soft lips against hers. His urgent, animal moaning. His laughter. His merciless teasing, and the horrible puns that seemed to come out of nowhere. The way he had gone after Alec when everyone else had given him up for dead. The stubborn way he had gone on that treadmill when he thought nobody else was looking. That unmistakable voice. His terrible sorrow at losing his little son. How many times had he gotten up in the middle of the night, and looked at the framed picture of Johnny and wept quietly, so that he wouldn't wake her up? The way he had pleaded for her to never leave him. How could he have done this to her? Oh my sweet angel, my Ed, oh God. Let this be a nightmare, let me wake up. Oh I'll give anything. Oh God, God, God! He couldn't be gone. He was Commander Edward Straker! How could he be gone? That bacteria had consumed him, stolen his life. The bacteria. She laid him back down gently, and looked at him. It would only take a small cut on his finger. She could be with him then. She looked over at Yetunde's discarded needle. And then she looked back at Ed. No. She couldn't do it. She had to be brave. She wasn't Margaret Fielding any more. She was Margaret Straker, Edward Straker's widow. She would be as much like Ed as possible. They all would be broken hearted, all of them. They'd need her. She stifled a new sob. It's all right, Ed. I won't make you worry about me. I'll take care of them. All of them. I'll raise Devon as my own, there's no reason now that I couldn't. I know you'd want that. I'll take care of Alec for you. Alec's going to grieve for the rest of his life, Ed. He loved you, you know. We all love you, my darling. I know you're all right, you're with your Johnny now, and with Neil, I know you're safe and happy.

"I'll be brave, my darling. I promise to be brave." Maggie sobbed.

She looked for one more time at his sweet face. She kissed his hand. He was wearing his wristwatch, and she carefully unbuckled it and placed it on her own wrist.

"I will always love you, Ed. Good night, my precious darling. Sleep well."

She bent and placed a kiss on his lips. Then she got up and went to tell Alec it was all right to take him.

Outside, in the crisp spring air, it was twilight.

* * *

At Mayland hospital, in the morgue, the doctor on duty got the call that an ambulance was coming in and prepared a stainless steel trolley to hold Commander Straker's corpse. Dr. Kincaid had given standing orders upon Straker's death to move his body straightaway into a separate cold storage chamber in an attempt to stave off the advanced decomposition that was the result of death in the victims of the bacteria. She wanted to do the post mortem as fast as possible. And sure enough, two orderlies rolled in a regular stretcher with a figure concealed by a body bag on it, which was marked by a quarantine sticker. With their assistance, he lifted the bag onto the trolley. They left, and he used the phone to call Kincaid. She seemed very excited, and said she was on the way. Then he peered at the bag, and unzipped it halfway. So that was Straker. Looked like just another of the hundreds of bodies he'd gutted in the interest of science. It was the bacteria inside him that no doubt would prove more interesting. He zipped up the bag.

The End

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