Disclaimer: AL I own. Early Edition and Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye I do not. This can be considered the sequel to my own On the Side of Angels.
In-Jokes: "Stay With Me" is the title of a very beautiful Josh Gracing song. Nine months (plus three years to coincide with the air date of Sue Thomas) is how long after I met my husband that he joined the marines. Martina McBride was in the EE ep, "Play It Again, Sammo". Rascal Flatts is my favorite band; the song they're singing is "From Time to Time".
Chapter One: Another Day At the Office
It had been three years and nine months since Gary Hobson had met the girl who changed his life forever. Her name was Lisa, and she was an alien from the planet Alnilam. While attempting to rescue her from a mad scientist those three years and change ago, he fell hopelessly in love and, to this day, she's been helping him in dealing with getting tomorrow's news today.
"The scaffolding's gonna fall in less than two minutes, hurry up!"
Gary and Lisa rushed into the Chicago Performing Arts Center, country music filtering through the building. The place was being painted, and was open during the minor renovations. Unfortunately, according to the paper, the scaffolding being used wasn't secured properly and it collapses on top of the unsuspecting artists within, sending one to the hospital with major injuries and a concussion.
"This is almost like the time I had to save Martina McBride from a falling stage light…" Gary quipped as they ran to the main auditorium.
"Did you get her autograph?"
Gary gave his girlfriend a look, and she responded with a smile and shrug. Now that they were closer, the words to the song could be heard more clearly now.
"You'll always be…"
"You'll always be…"
"Oh, the one for me. I think of you from time to time and in between…"
Lisa and Gary burst through the door just in time to see the scaffolding teeter precariously. Three men were singing beneath it, oblivious.
Gary and Lisa exchanged glances. "Ready?" he said. "Go!"
Lisa raced to the scaffolding and immediately clamped her telekinetic powers onto it, struggling to hold it in place. "Gary, hurry," she said, strained. "I can't hold it…"
Gary ran to the three musicians and said, "Guys, this scaffolding's gonna fall. You gotta move or you'll get hurt."
"Whoa, how do you know?" asked one of them.
"Look how it's shaking," said Gary. "Come on…"
"Gary!" Lisa shrieked, the scaffolding wobbling dangerously. "I can't!" She, instead, focused on moving everyone else out of the way. "Look out!" she cried, and a short burst of her telekinetics was just enough to get them all moving, though accidentally throwing them to the ground just as the scaffolding fell.
"Whoa," said one of the musicians, starting to stand. "Wow, they saved our lives."
Gary helped Lisa to her feet, and that's when she finally got a good look at the group they'd just saved. The shriek that escaped her mouth this time was one of surprise and joy.
"Rascal Flatts! It wasn't kidding!"
Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney – better known as the country group Rascal Flatts – all looked at each other.
Lisa pushed on and pulled something from the pocket of her red jacket. It was a CD and a Sharpie. "I hate to ask, but could I have your autograph?"
LeVox said, "You saved our lives. I think it's the least we can do."
"Are you sure we can't do anything else?" asked Jay, handing her back the CD once he, LeVox and Joe Don had signed it.
Gary and Lisa looked at each other and smiled, and Gary repeated the same thing he'd said to Martina four years ago. "You could finish the song."
The three musicians grinned. "Hit it!" said LeVox.
"There'll never be minute of the day I won't think of you. My feelings are so strong in me; I feel it through and through. There'll never be a night that's so dark that we won't shine, or a dream that we've lost that we can't find. You'll always be, oh, the one for me. I think of you from time to time and in between…"
End chapter one.
