It was almost two years ago that Ethan, Benny and Sarah had wrecked Jesse's plan to bring back his un-dead "flock" of evil vampires. Yet there was something about that night that Ethan brooded on from time to time. Benny's grandmother, Evelyn Weir, had, back then, reassured the heroes that "good was more powerful than evil." What did that really mean?

Was it just boilerplate, a nice thing to say but meaningless so far as Ethan's personal battles against the dark side went? Did it mean that good, aka Ethan, would always win no-matter-what? That would be awesome. However, given the casualties good suffered on that first go-round versus Jesse, it wasn't likely. Or what happened that second time either.

Was it something like home ice advantage, something a hockey fan like Ethan appreciated. Appreciated, but home ice was largely unquantifiable. Maybe it was more like video games? Starting off with extra points, a lower level of difficulty? Maybe extra lives even?

Ethan grinned. Extra lives. That would explain how the fallout from the lucifractor's detonation, the dark energy drain, destroyed Sarah, Rory and Erica's un-death and restored their full human lives. Of the trio, only Sarah was initially happy with the cool turn-of-events. Rory, after some sulking, realized it was way better to alive than undead . . . once Ethan and Benny showed him how much being a vampire sucked. And then there was Erica. Well, hopefully she'd smarten up. Eventually.

But it was great to have his girlfriend Sarah, second-to-best friend Rory, and, uh, well, friend of a friend Erica human again. "Team Sabre", as SArah, Benny, Rory and Ethan now called their strike force against supernatural evildoers, was stronger than ever. Thanks to Ethan's increased seer powers, Benny's (slowly) improving magic, and Sarah and (even) Rory's becoming full partners.

Man, it was great to have everyone human again! Good had won over evil. Yeah, but what did good is stronger than evil mean for Ethan, specifically.

But why was Ethan thinking about that now? It was a sunny, Wednesday morning in July, and the lucifractor had exploded weeks ago. Maybe it was because old Mrs. Weir was gardening in her back yard, and Ethan was looking out his window? Earlier, she had given a friendly wave to Ethan. Ethan, of course, had waved back. No, it was simpler than that.

Ethan was just procrastinating.

Ever get a very large, sort-of expensive present you didn't really want? And were stuck with? Well, Ethan's uncle, his mother's brother from Hamilton, had Ethan delivered an oversized executive desk. Almost five feet long, and three feet wide. What the frack was Ethan going to do with that?

Well, there wasn't much Ethan could do. Send a email thank-you card to Unc. Have his old, student desk taken upstairs to the attic of the Morgan's Victorian home. And put together the new behemoth, which came assembly required. Right now, all the cut lumber, screws, hinges, wedges, bolts and handles were stacked up all around Ethan's room.

There were a few benefits. More room on the top for Ethan's stuff. And lockable drawers for Ethan's really awesome things. Not really good locks, but it was better than always storing them under his pillow or under his bed. That is, if Ethan ever got the fracking thing together.

It would be different if it were some cool device for gaming or for fighting evil. It would even be different if Ethan were working with anything electronic or wired. But this was so boring! Thirty different steps in which Ethan put together Part A with Part B by way of six half-inch Robertson screws marked Part 35X.

At least Benny had volunteered to help him. Ethan's dad was at work and his mom had took Jane out for the day. Anyway, Ethan would sooner have died than asked his mom and little sister to help him with anything tool related.

But Benny had wasted a hour playing a new video game based on the original Battlestar Galactica. Then, once the two finally got the desk out of the box, Benny and Ethan had argued about what type of screwdriver they likely used in the Galactic Republic (if they even used them in Star Wars). Patriotic Benny had insisted on the Canadian-preferred Robertson while Ethan thinking the Philips more-likely. Only after agreeing to disagree did the two get along to the instruction manual, which recommended that if you had a friend helping you, he get some snacks. Seriously! Benny took the advice to heart, and had been raiding the Morgan refrigerator for the past ten minutes.

"I'd better get started" groaned Ethan, as he looked around his room at what seemed like several hours work.

Author's Note

This story is the third in a series starting from "The End of the Beginning" (which takes up the moment where "The Date to End All Dates Part II" leaves off) and "Ethan to the Future" (the immediate sequel to "The End of the Beginning").

Thanks to everyone who had read or added these stories to their favourites or follows list. Any and all reviews are greatly appreciated.