LES MUSICIENS

2006

A CROSSOVER STORY

This is the final chapter for this leg of the saga. A notoriously difficult part of the story that forced me to strip down and lay out the bare bones and the messiness of real life as best as I could. Both challenging and frustrating, when I wanted to put more action or heroism, but that would have diverted this leg of the saga. It was more about establishing the characters, all of the important characters for the up and coming '2007'. I don't know how I pulled this off, even after planning and adjusting arc two ahead of time, while finishing a side story for this saga. As the saying goes, "No rest for the wicked."

For this chapter, the same number of music pieces inspired the writing process for this chapter. The first is "Fortune Cookie" from the soundtrack to the film "Stay"; the second is from the "Gnossiennes called 3. Lent", composed by Eric Satie, and the third is "Prayers" from the soundtrack to United 93. The third track is for the last two parts to this chapter.

And that one little bit involving the Campa boy, and when he finds out more about his past.

As a young man writing this chapter, I had to ponder and ask a few women I know personally this particular question: What does it mean to be a young woman? A difficult question to answer I know, since I am a young man whose references are vastly different. But I figured as long as I kept this in the real world, while revealing their extraordinary abilities in tuned to their pasts, I might pull it off.

CHAPTER SEVEN

NOVEMBER 2006, WEEK FOUR

Asuka and Eda exited their high school and felt the cold air outside, "Schließlich kommen einige kaltem Wetter. (Finally, some cold weather coming.)," Eda said as she shivered slightly, "Danke globale Erwärmung für die Verlängerung der Sommer und Herbst machen redundant. (Thank you global warming for prolonging the summer and making autumn redundant.)," Asuka sarcastically said. Eda laughed a bit as she adjusted her blue scarf.

"Will dahin etwas zu essen bekommen? (Want to go get something to eat?)," Eda asked Asuka, "Sicher, aber ich kann nicht bleiben zu lange heute. Ich habe bis zum Ende Auspacken meiner Sachen in meinem neuen Zuhause. (Sure, but I can't stay out too long today. I have to finish unpacking my things at my new home.)," Asuka said as she too adjusted her burgundy scarf as well.

"Endlich! Sie wohnen in der Nähe, anstatt den ganzen Weg in Harburg! (Finally! You live close by rather than all the way in Harburg!)," Eda said happily, "Ich kenne und für meine Mutter und Pascal, es tut mir leid, Papa, die kürzere Fahrten zur Universität bedeutet. Sie sollten kommen einige Zeit, seine ziemlich nett. (I know and for my mom and Pascal, I'm sorry, dad, that means shorter trips to the university. You should come some time, its pretty nice.)," Asuka said with a grin and Eda wholeheartedly agreed.

The two walked for another three blocks, talking and cracking jokes about certain guys at school when they try to accentuate their penis size while wearing speedos for indoor swimming. Asuka and Eda usually ball bust the boys, who in return, surprisingly liked it whenever the two tease them, especially when it comes from two hot girls in their swimming class.

HAMBURG, GERMANY

EIMSBÜTTEL BOROUGH, MONDAY, 3:34PM

The two were on the tram heading for their favorite shawarma joint to grab a bite to eat. Eda, due to the cold weather wore a leather jacket with a white turtleneck sweater underneath, and sported dark blue jeans with Vans sneakers. Meanwhile, Asuka sported a black long coat with a navy blue turtleneck underneath, a knee length skirt with black leggings and low black heals. She dressed very classy today for a specific reason; she was meeting her former Turkish guardian. This arrangement was set up when the former Children's adoptions were finalized when they arrived in their respective countries. Their Turkish guardians would come around November or December to check up on their progress, both mental and emotional. So despite her reservations, she decided to dress up for the day, which she did get some looks and remarks from her friends, in particular from Eda.

"Ich kann immer noch nicht glauben, dass Sie sich als Sekretärin gekleidet heute. (I still can't believe you dressed up as a secretary today.)," Eda commented as she took a swig of her Coke, "Ich habe dir gesagt habe ich früh nach Hause sein. Meine ehemaligen türkischen Wächter kommen, um Check-up über meine Fortschritte. Und natürlich entpacken. (I told you I have to be home early. My former Turkish guardians are coming to check up on my progress. And to unpack of course.)," she said, she remembered how she revealed certain things about her past and her abilities to Eda and to her family. But for now, both were not going to dwell on it, instead, they will just act normally as best as they could.

Asuka snorted at her, "Zumindest habe ich noch von den Jungs bekommen aussieht. (At least I still get looks from the boys.)," she said with a grin and Eda laughed, "Auch wir beide in Säcken gekleidet, werden die Jungen an unserer Schule wollen noch Knochen uns! (Even we both dressed in sacks, the boys at our school will still want to bone us.)," she said and Asuka laughed, "Oh Gott, nein! (Oh God no!)"

Eda chuckled and as she was about to take another bite of her shawarma, but caught the glimpse of a boy from their homeroom, "Hey aussehen. (Hey look.)," she told her and Asuka turned around and noticed him as well. Both waved and he waved back, which prompted him to enter.

The boy in question was Bernhard Gottlieb, who sported black hair, cool blue eyes that has a dark hue surrounding it, fair skin, strong jaw line, full lips, broad shoulders and well-built physique due to his participation in wrestling. However, the one thing he's been doing longer than wrestling, which he only has been doing for four years, is being a musician. He's the leading pianist for the school's orchestra and an excellent soloist when he does perform. Today, due to the cold he sported a dark blue coat, a dark green sweater, grey scarf, khaki pants, brown Puma shoes, and he carried his messenger bag on his left shoulder with his douffle bag on his right that carried his wrestling and his typical workout clothes.

"Hallo meine Damen, wunderbar, fangen Sie zwei hier. Gerade du Asuka. (Hello ladies, wonderful to catch you two here. Especially you Asuka.)," he looked down at her and gave his smirk of a smile, in his attempt to flirt, "Sorgfältige Bernhard, könnte deine Freundin vermute etwas. (Careful Bernhard, your girlfriend might suspect something.)," she casually remarked and took another bite of her shawarma.

He chuckled a bit, "Oh, sie hatte und ich ein Argument heute früher und ... na ja, Sie wissen, wie die Dinge sich herausstellte. (Oh, she and I had an argument earlier today and…well, you know how things turned out.)," he hinted and the two ladies immediately caught on what's going on, "Typisch. Gymnasium Beziehungen dauern selten. (Typical. High school relationships rarely last.)," Asuka, as she brushed her hair around her left ear, commented after taking a swig of her soda.

"Vereinbart. Aber wenn man amerikanischen Programm zu sehen, sie buchstäblich schieben diese Idee von "High School Sweethearts 'down nicht nur ihre eigenen Kehlen, sondern auch unsere. (Agreed. But when you see American programming, they literally push that idea of 'high school sweethearts' down not only their own throats but ours as well.)," Eda voiced her opinion and Bernhard snickered.

Bernhard then took a chair from an available table and sat with the two girls and now focused on Asuka, "Welche Stück werden Sie die Durchführung am Freitag? (What piece are you performing on Friday?)," he asked with his hands folded together on the table and had a flirty glimmer in his eye, but she paid no attention.

She took another bite of her shawarma and motioned Eda to answer for her, "Sie wird durchgeführt Serenata di Moritzburg, Sonata A-dur Seibel 208, und schließlich Konzertsatz c-moll Seibel 240. Alle drei von Johann David Heinichen komponierte. (She's going to perform Serenata di Moritzburg, Sonata A-dur Seibel 208, and finally Konzertsatz c-moll Seibel 240. All three composed by Johann David Heinichen)," she said and then added a funny but expected tidbit for the upcoming performance, "Der einzige Komponist für ein Bier verwechselt. (The only composer mistaken for a beer.)"

"Oh Gott nicht wieder. (Oh god not that again.)," Asuka said with a dry smile and added something for the upcoming performance, "Und bevor ich es vergesse, ich bat um eine besondere Leistung rund um die Feiertage, um Mohammad Moradi. (And before I forget, I requested a special performance around the holidays to Mohammad Moradi.)," she revealed and the two looked forward hoping for her response, "Wirklich? Was hat er gesagt? (Really? What did he say.)," Eda asked, hoping for some good news.

Asuka smiled, "Er sagte, dass das Orchester hier ankommen in Hamburg rund um den Urlaub zu erfüllen und Ihnen zusammen mit Bernhard hier teilnehmen zu können. (He said that the orchestra will arrive here in Hamburg around the holidays to perform and you along with Bernhard here will be able to participate.)," she said and Eda yelled ecstatically and Asuka along with Bernhard cringed slightly from her yelling, "Mein Gott, ich kann es nicht glauben! (My God I cannot believe it!)"

Asuka laughed and grinned, "Nun glauben Bitch! (Well believe it bitch!)," she said loudly and Eda hugged her and Bernhard just sat there, absorbing the wonderful news and smiled at her.

3:58PM

Asuka bid goodbye to Eda as she took a bus home, leaving her with Bernhard who lived, coincidentally a few blocks from her new home. With the cold air still a factor, they put on their gloves and continued their conversation as they walked.

"Wann ist Ihr nächstes Wrestling wieder übereinstimmen? (When is your next wrestling match again?)," Asuka asked, "In zwei Tagen. Ich bin ziemlich zuversichtlich. (In two days. I'm pretty confident about it.)," Bernhard replied with a certain look on his face, "Und Ihre Klavierabend? Was ist damit? (And your piano recital? What about that?)," she asked.

Bernhard coughed to clear his throat, "Ich Durchführung verschiedener Chopin Nocturnes, sowie die Don Giovanni Variationen von Franz Liszt. Was ich mir Sorgen mache ist meine Pedale. (I'm performing various Chopin Nocturnes, as well as the Don Giovanni variations by Franz Liszt. What I'm worried about is my pedaling.)," he said but Asuka brushed off his worries, "Das ist nicht das Hauptproblem mit Ihrem Spiel. Seine mehr über die Farben in Bezug auf die Stimmungen der Stücke, die du spielst. (That's not the main issue with your playing. Its more about the colors relating to the moods of the pieces that you're playing.)," he looked at her.

Asuka took this as the cue to continue, "Da Sie seit Jahren spielen jetzt haben, ist die wichtigste Sache zu arbeiten setzen mehr von Ihrer eigenen Emotionen in das Stück, sondern als nur mit perfekter Technik spielen. Vertrauen Sie mir, es ist etwas, was meine Freunde und ich arbeiten ständig an. (Since you've been playing for years now, the main thing to work on is putting more of your own emotions into the piece; rather than to just play with perfect technique. Trust me, it is something my friends and I are constantly working on.)," she explained and revealed her own situation.

"Aber Ihr Repertoire ist weit von meiner eigenen. Barock und Romantik Musik haben wenig gemeinsam. (But your repertoire is far different from my own. Baroque and Romantic music have little in common.)," Bernhard said and Asuka scoffed, "Aber ohne die Barock, Romantik Musik würde nie existiert haben. (But without the Baroque, Romantic music would never have existed.)," she retorted and he resigned from debating music with her.

The two then stopped in front of Asuka's new home, a three-story home that was built back in the 1930s, fully restored by its previous owners. Her bedroom was on the second floor, along with her parents' room. Her practice room was located on the third floor, with the other rooms converted into studies for her mom and her now, new father.

"Ich werde mit dir reden später. (I'll talk to you later.)," Asuka was about to open the gate leading to the small yard and front door, but Bernhard stopped her, "Warten. (Wait.)," she turned around, "Ich frage mich, ob Sie in der Lage, es zu meinem Erwägungsgrund machen noch in dieser Woche? (I was wondering if you'll be able to make it to my recital later this week.)," he asked, which in reality, he just wanted her in the audience, hearing him perform. He has a crush on her after all.

She smiled, "Natürlich. Später. (Of course. Later.)," she walked up to her front door and closed the door behind her. Inside, she took off her coat and scarf as she walked to the living room where her mom was sitting down on the sofa, across from one of her former Turkish guardians from last year. She sets her things down on the floor next to the available chair she sat on to face her mom and the Turk, "Nun, wo soll ich anfangen. (Well, where do I begin.)," Asuka said in a light mood, but hampered by her attempt to end the meeting quickly, in a patient and polite way of course.

4:15PM

After fifteen minutes of talking about her year, including the incident involving Lebanon, her former guardian decided that there would

be four more annual meetings like this, with the last one to be scheduled around 2010. After she bid Asuka and Angela goodbye, Asuka spoke up, "Wann ist Pascal ... Ich meine, wenn Papa kommt nach Hause? (When is Pascal…I mean, when is dad coming home?)," she asked, finding her updated family status a bit weird to grasp, wonderful to acknowledge.

Angela smiled, "In einer Stunde oder so. Ich werde zum Abendessen kochen so sauber und wenn Sie fertig sind, komm herab, so dass Sie mir helfen können. (In an hour or so. I'm going to cook dinner so clean up and once you're done, come down so you can help me.)," she said as she went to the kitchen to start the prep. She and Pascal rotate dinner preparations during the week, depending on their schedules.

Asuka nodded, "Okay, ich werde in ein wenig. (Alright, I'll be down in a bit.)," she went upstairs to her bedroom so she can change out of her secretary-esque outfit. So she changed into a white tank top with black sweatpants and sported blue sandals. She looked at herself in the mirror, admiring how she changed quite a bit since last year, and especially since meeting Shinji on board the aircraft carrier. Due to her near daily workout routine involving her skills in Kali and Krav Maga, she has toned legs and her arms revealed strength. Her curves were also something she sported, but in a subtle manner, as to not draw attention to herself and her face has begun to show signs of her becoming a young woman. She tied her long reddish, brown hair into a messy bun and let her bangs frame her face.

She then went downstairs to help out her mother with dinner, "Okay, was soll ich mit der ersten Hilfe? (Alright, what do I help with first?)," she asked, "Schneiden Sie diese Karotten und Kartoffeln zuerst einmal getan sie in den Topf. (Cut those carrots and potatoes first, once done put them in the pot.)," Angela instructed and Asuka silently complied by chopping up the vegetables. To think, there was something beautiful about normalcy for Asuka, a quality of life where, yes things are hectic in the city, but overall, manageable when compared to her past life involving the Angels and the EVA.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

ÜSKÜDAR DISTRICT, TUESDAY, 4:45PM

Fatma was dressed in white sweatpants and a black hood sweater and black sneakers as her Krav Maga lessons were over. She checked her text messages to see if she missed any during the lesson, no new text messages. She sighed and prepared to cross the street, until a boy her age called out her name, "Fatma, bekle! (Fatma wait up!)," he yelled as he ran downstairs, dressed in a grey hooded sweater in black sweatpants with white sneakers.

His name is Erdoğan Demir, a tall, tanned young man with thick black hair and chocolate brown eyes who is the object of many girls' fantasies in school. At 5'10'', he has a lean and athletic build thanks to Krav Maga and has been trying to have a date with Fatma for nearly a year. She's turned him down, due to her busy school schedule, and now part of LES MUSICIENS, she hasn't had much of a social life outside of school, except during school and on the weekends.

"Nereye gidiyoruz? (Where are heading to?)," he asked, "Ben ablam Marjan kontrol için eve gidiyorum. O grip korkunç hasta oldu ve en geç yarın ya da Perşembe gününe kadar okula geri dönmeyecek. (I'm heading home to check on my sister Marjan. She's been terribly sick with the flu and won't return to school until tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.)," she said and the light turned green. She and Erdoğan crossed the street, amidst the noise of traffic.

"Eh bu çok kötü. Bu gece sinemaya gelmek istiyorum acaba diye mi? (Well that's too bad. Because I was wondering if you would like to come to the movies tonight?)," he asked and she internally looked at him and noticed a hint of desperation, "Biliyor musun, bir süredir bana bunu soruyorsun oldum. Neden başkası alamaz? Sadece seninle çıkmak daha yapacağız okulda sürtüklerle bir yeri vardır. (You know, you've been asking me this for a while now. Why not take someone else? There are a lot of skanks at school who will do more than just go out with you.)," she said with the subtext of those who only like hot guys for one thing.

"Iyi ben için ... böyle birini aramıyorum Evet. Ben güzel, tahrik olan birini arıyorum, ve Krav Maga benim dövebileceğimi. (Yeah well I'm not looking for…someone like that. I'm looking for someone who is driven, beautiful, and can kick my ass in Krav Maga.)," he said with a wink and she chuckled, "Peki, size laçka veya sınıftaki diğer kızlarla flört zaman kıçını tekmelemek bir nokta var. (Well, you do have a point in kicking your ass whenever you slack off or flirting with the other girls in class.)," she said with a smirk and he laughed abashedly.

She thought about it for a few more moments and ultimately made a decision that was neither herself, nor foolish, "Tamam, sıra sende. (Alright, you're on.)," she said and he looked at her confused, "Huh," he asked and she had to spell it out for him, "Ben ... gidersiniz ... dışarı ... ile ... sen ... bu gece. Bu senin için yeterince açık mı? (I'll…go…out…with…you…tonight. Is that clear enough for you?)," she playfully asked with a smirk and of course, he smiled like a goof.

"Wow! Israrımı ödedi gibi görünüyor! (Wow! Looks like my persistence paid off!)," he said happily, "Peki sizin için gidiyor bir şey var. (Well that's the one thing going for you.)," she said nonchalantly and he chuckled.

5:12PM

Fatma arrived home after saying goodbye to Erdoğan, promising him again that she'll meet him at the local cinema for tonight around eight or so. She went up to her sister's room to check on her, "هیمرجان،چگونهشمااحساس؟(Hey Marjan, how are you feeling?)," she sat on the edge of the bed and checking the forehead, "بهتراست،امابدنمندردزیادیمیباشد. (Better, but my body aches a lot.)," Marjan said tired as she sat up on her bed with her hair disheveled.

"اینطبیعیاست.عجیبوغریب،شمامعمولااینکاررابیمارمیکنید. (That's normal. Strange, you usually don't get this sick.)," Fatma then starts to caress her sister's hair, "درستنیست.بهیادداشتهباشیددوسالپیشدراطرافماهدسامبر؟(Not true. Remember two years ago around December?)," she asked and Fatma nodded knowingly, "من،وکهجدیآنفولانزابود.اینیکیچیزیاستکهدرمقایسهبا. (I do, and that was a serious flu. This one is nothing compared to that.)," Fatma said, "اماهنوزبمکد. (But it still sucks.)," Marjan added with a small chuckle.

Fatma laughed and went to Marjan's computer desk to fetch the medication, "آیاشماهرچیزیخورده؟(Have you eaten anything?)," she asked as she handed her sister the medication and the glass of water, "هنوزرتبهدهینشدهاست. (Not yet.)," she responded, "منشماراچیزیبهسرعتدرحالحاضر.وقتیمادربهخانهمیآید،منقصددارم... منتاریخعضویت: ظاهرا. (I'll make you something quickly right now. When mom comes home, I'm going out…I have a date apparently.)," she said and Marjan smiled.

"کهسرداست.چهکسی؟(That's cool. Who with?)," she asked, "Erdoğan Demir," Fatma said and Marjan rolled her eyes, "مناورادوستندارم.اوبیشازحدازیکلاسزدن. (I don't like him. He's too much of a flirt.)," she expressed her indifference, slight dislike of the guy.

"منمیدانمکهاولاسزدن. امامنتصمیمگرفتمبهاویکشاتمیدهد.اگرآنکارنمیکند،آنکارنمیکند. (I know he's a flirt. But I've decided to give him a shot. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.)," Fatma said as she took off her hooded sweater, "کهچگونههمهچیزدرحالحاضر. (That's how things are now.)," she added as she conjured up a flame in her right hand and proceeded to have it envelop her sister's head and made its way down to her torso. An old way of healing, and at one time, she nearly burned herself, and not in the physical manner.

Marjan then said something Fatma didn't expect, and didn't know if it was the result of the fever or the healing process, "دفعهبعدهمکهشمادرگشتبینالمللی،بیرونرفتنبادانته.مناورادوستدارمومنلعنتیمطمئنشویدکهاوشمارادوستداردبیشازحداست. (Next time you go on an international excursion, go out with Dante. I like him and I'm damn sure he likes you too.)," she said and Fatma turned around and faced her with an unreadable, if slightly abashed expression, "احتمالا. (Probably.)," Fatma said and before Marjan could say anything else she left the room and headed downstairs.

Fatma went to the kitchen and as she took out some vegetables and herbs from the refrigerator, she thought about what her sister said. She did like Dante, a lot. But when Dante said he went out with a girl last month, shortly after her telling him she went on a date, she thought he found himself a girlfriend. But afterwards, she found out that he did went on a few date with that girl, but then the two stopped. Fatma didn't know whether to feel relieved or just nonchalant. She shook her head and resumed to cook something small for her sister.

8:12PM

Fatma waited at the café across the street from the local cinema. She was dressed in dark blue skinny jeans, with her dark brown hair in a bun, sported a black tank top with a blue sweater over it, wore some low heels and did put a little make up on. Some chap stick on her lips and did her eyelashes, and that was it. She wasn't the type to wear that much make up, whether she was with friends or by herself walking around doing house errands.

Then she spotted him coming from across the street, dodging the traffic. Erdoğan sported a black sweater with a white shirt underneath, blue slim fit jeans, and white Puma sneakers. He looked good, she had to give him that.

She got up from one of the sidewalk tables and greeted him, "Sen iyi görünüyorsun. (You look good.)," he commented, "Yani yapmak. Gitmeye hazır mısın?Film on dakika içinde başlatmak için gidiyor. (So do you. Ready to go? The film's going to start in ten minutes.)," she mentioned.

He nodded in agreement and both crossed the street when the light turned green, but that didn't stop some motorists whizzing passed them in their scooters and small cars. As they entered the cinema, they went to their theatre and watched whatever was showing, in this case an American film. Inside, as the two watched, Fatma was focused on the film, but Erdoğan shifted slightly in his seat. This was his first time being on a legitimate date with a girl like Fatma. She, to him was something like a huge impregnable wall, something that required a lot of work to get through to see paradise on the other side. Usually for other girls, they would open up quickly so that they could see if they could get some hot action from him. He wouldn't respond and has grown tired and frustrated with that sort of behavior. Fatma was one of those girls who never opened up to him and would always ball bust him in a playful way; something he enjoyed a lot. She kept him on his toes and after nearly a year of persistence, it paid off for him.

Fatma on the other hand, while watching the film, took brief glances at Erdoğan to her right. She had to admit, she felt a bit glad on accepting his offer for a date; she did have a small soft spot for him. He was respectful towards her and her friends and when he was approached by some of the school's skanks, she could tell he didn't like it that much. So when he started to ask her out, she didn't take him seriously, teasing him a bit to see how far he can really pursue her. So now, she decided to give him a chance. But she didn't know how far this would lead, especially since she's very wary of relationships starting in high school. However, she, like so many in Turkey and in Europe, knows that relationships often portrayed in American cinema are highly unrealistic and heavily preachy. As if to say, one must follow these guidelines in order to live a normal teenage life…she's very critical about this along with her friends, and thankfully her friends in LES MUSICIENS.

9:48PM

The movie ended and the two headed out, "Peki bu iyi oldu. (Well that was good.)," she said and he agreed, "Öyleydi. Peki biz yiyecek bir şeyler bulmak? Benim zevkim. (It was. How about we find something to eat? My treat.)," he offered and she agreed.

As they walked down the street, Fatma could tell Erdoğan was nervous around her so she spoke up, "Dinle, benimle konuşmaya çalışın böylece ısırmaya gitmiyorum. Gerçekten hakkında bir şey. (Listen, I'm not going to bite so try to talk to me. About anything really.)," she said, "Biliyorum ... sadece iyi değil ... ne tür beni korkutmak. (I know…it's just, well…you kind of intimidate me.)," he ultimately said.

She eyed him and she softened a bit, "Eh, ben istemem. Sadece bilmeni. (Well, I don't mean to. Just to let you know.)," she said and the two kept walking.

After a few minutes of walking, they stopped at a simple eatery that served typical Turkish food. Tonight, the owner's daughter was playing music from her iPod over the restaurant's stereo system. The song was "Anti War Dub (featuring Spen G) by Digital Mystikz".

The two ordered their food and as the two, Fatma received a text from Dante. She politely excused herself and headed outside to read the message. It went like this:

[Fatma. Just texting to see how are you. I'm fine. Went on my last date with Clara. It wasn't going to go anywhere. But that's how it goes sometimes. Don't forget this Friday's performance and I cannot wait to see you in the coming weeks in Hamburg ;)]

She smiled at the text and at herself. So she began to reply back quickly, she liked talking to Dante, but didn't want to be rude to her date either. So her response went something like this:

[I know. I don't need a reminder about Friday :P Anyway, I'm on a date. Nothing serious, just want to see if the guy's for real or not. I'll talk to you later. Bye]

She sent the text and closed her cell phone and headed back inside to her date. For the rest of the evening, both enjoyed each other's company and at the end of their date, Erdoğan accompanied her home. The two live within close proximity and as Fatma headed back inside, heading for her room, she forms a flaming ball of light in her left hand and lit up the hallway. She headed inside her room and closed the door behind her, illuminating the room in an orange glow. She glanced at the photo on her desk, with her standing next to Dante at the beach back in Beirut. She smiled briefly and started to undress and headed for bed.

SALVADOR, BRAZIL

PERIPERI SUB-DISTRICT, WEDNESDAY, 3:50PM

Cecilia supervised the capoeira class while her father was making an important phone call with Mohammad. She was scheduled to go and to be honest, she was a little nervous about traveling again since Beirut. However, since all of her other friends felt similar to her about what went down and dealing with its ramifications. But in addition to her nervousness, she was glad she was going, she was going to see them again and in particular, Wilfredo.

She and he have gotten along well while chatting with each other, either online or via text messaging, or the occasional phone call. He told her that he and Alberto both had crushes on her since knowing about her last year, and she admitted that she knew it all along. But she always had a curiosity about Wilfredo, especially when she overheard Zane and Wilfredo about something that happened to him once before out of earshot. Since then, he peaked her interest as someone more than a cellist, or even someone who's a practitioner in Filipino Kali. She knew he was also a medium, but a medium with a different sort of classification, maybe a budding mystic like herself or Fatma, whom she also conversed and discussed these things during their chats.

She instructed one of the younger students, a girl no more than eight years of age and as she corrected her stance, her father returned and the class resumed its usual session.

4:30PM

The walk home with her father was good. She told him about her day at school and how her new arrangement was fitting well with her involvement with the orchestra. He headed for his room to change and do the bills in the kitchen while Cecilia headed up to her room and puts on "Ren 2" by Photek on her iTunes library. She took off her capoeira uniform and changed into some denim cut off shorts that stopped at mid-thigh and a yellow blouse. She also undid her ponytail and let her curly dark brown hair fall down to her shoulders. She puts on her blue sandals and sat down at her computer desk to start her homework.

As she read her history book, her cellphone rang and it was her friend from class, Jacqueline "Jackie" Lopes de Pilares, another Afro-Brazilian like herself, except not adept in capoeira, but she is the best football player at their high school, beating out the boys at their game.

She answered, "Está? Ah, Jackie! Vais agora para o trabalho? (Hello? Ah Jackie! Going to work right now?)," she asked, "Sim... ser uma empregada doméstica consome muito do meu tempo, pouco me sobra para chegar a casa a tempo de comer e estudar. (Yeah. Being a housekeeper really eats up my time. I barely make it home in time to eat and study these days.)," Jackie replied over the phone, "Mas disseste que precisavas do dinheiro.(But you said you needed the money.)," Cecilia responded and she heard her friend sighing on the other end.

"Eu sei que preciso... mas não me parece que consiga aguentar este emprego. É muito cansativo. (I know I said that…but I don't think I can handle this job anymore. It's very tiring.)," Jackie said and Cecilia listened. She thought of something, but she needed to talk to her dad about this, but she offered anyway, "Bem... tu podias, uh... ajudar-me na escola de capoeira do meu pai. (Well…you can I guess…help me out at my dad's capoeira school.)," she offered and Jackie was surprised.

"A sério? O teu pai não se ia importar? (Really? Your dad won't mind?)," she asked, "Não, mas tenho de falar com ele para ter a certeza. Ou tu própria podes falar com ele. (No, but I might have to talk to him just to make sure. Or you can talk to him yourself.)," Cecilia said and after a few seconds of silence, Jackie responded, "Ok, vou falar com ele amanhã. (Okay I'll talk to him tomorrow.)"

Cecilia was smiling, "Isso é óptimo! Ia ser bom ter-te por perto. Ultimamente tem sido movimentado, e muito chato ter de aguentar com as tentativas de engate dos rapazes mais novos. (That's great! It would be fun with you around. Lately it's been busy, and annoying with the younger boys trying to hit on me. Christ. I already get enough of that at school.)," she said with a sigh.

Jackie decided to poke some fun at her friend, "E o Wilfredo, nos Estados Unidos? Ele é giro e parece-me que quando vou a tua casa, tu estás a meteres-te com ele no video chat. (And what about Wilfredo from the US? He's cute and there are times when I'm over at your home, you're flirting with him while video chatting with him.)," she said and Cecilia felt her face heat up a bit.

"Eu não me meto com o Wilfredo, Jackie. (I do not flirt with Wilfredo, Jackie.)," Cecilia defended herself, "Oh, vá lá Cecília! Eu vi as fotos da tua viagem ao Líbano. Pelo que vi da vossa viagem À praia, vocês os dois pareciam que estavam a um comentário de se meterem na marmelada.(Oh come on Cecilia! I've seen your pictures from your trip to Lebanon. From your trip to the beach, you guys were practically one flirty comment away from making out.)," Jackie however called her friend out.

Cecilia rubbed her forehead and instead of yelling in defense that nothing is going on, she just casually replied, "Pois, como queiras. (Yeah whatever.)," and she heard Jackie laughing.

She then looked at her computer and then on her work, "Olha, eu depois falo contido. Se não acabo esta merda, o meu pai vai-me consumir a cabeça outra vez. (Listen I'll talk to you later. If I don't get this shit finished, my dad is going to run me over in the ring again.)," she said tiredly and Jackie understood, "Ok, até logo Cecília. Diz olá ao Wilfredo! (Okay then, later Cecilia and say hi to Wilfredo.)," she said with an almost giggle to her voice, emphasis on almost.

Cecilia rolled her eyes, "Ok, eu digo-lhe olá por ti. (Yeah, I will.)," Jackie hung up and so did she. So after a moment or two she returned her focus on her homework and ultimately on the music she will perform in a few weeks time in Hamburg.

5:14PM

"Cecília! Vou começar a preparar o jantar! (Cecilia! I'm going to start cooking dinner right now!)," her father yelled from the bottom of the stairs, "Ok! (Okay!)," she loudly responded.

She sets down her pencil and looked at her Photos library on her computer, clicking on the file with all of the pictures she took and those sent to her from their time together in Beirut. With "Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson playing from her iTunes library, she browsed through the photos.

There were some photos of Dante with Fatma talking and laughing, Asuka teasing Shinji who shows his abashed amusement, and of course her other friends; Zane, Gilberto, and Alberto. Then came Wilfredo and herself on the beach. At the time, she wore a yellow bikini she brought over from Brazil while Wilfredo wore black shorts with two vertical red stripes on both legs. There were photos of the two of them racing on the wet sand pebbled with small stones, even a few funny ones with him trying to get a piece of glass off; nothing serious. Then were those she really liked, when the two were sitting on the sand and talking.

"Obrigado Zane. (Thank you Zane.)," she muttered quietly, chuckling at the memories, prior to the shit going down involving Hezbollah and the Israelis' reaction to the whole thing.

She also remembered the moment when he demonstrated the bit he could do with his abilities. She remembered how his aura glowed a robust blood red and how it literally dripped from his hand during his demonstration. It told her how much he was actually holding back and somewhat fearful of what he could do. But at the same time, she could tell he's done some things he has regretted. And it wasn't just him, she also observed Dante, Asuka, and Shinji whenever they were together talking in Japanese. She could tell how much scars they've got and how much hurt and horror they've seen in their lives. She would never say anything out loud, but it was something she observed and her own aura detected it.

She also remembered demonstrating to him her own abilities to Wilfredo, after he stepped on a piece of glass. She remembered helping him to sit down on the sand and used some seawater, infused with her aura to heal the wound. He winced from the salt, but after a few moments the wound healed completely. He was surprised, and told her how he once thought that aural abilities like theirs and Fatma could only heal spiritual wounds. She remembered telling him that it all depends on not only the individual, but also how a group of people with different cultural histories can influence on the usage of said abilities. Her father had told her that when she was 13, but even that explanation for her doesn't suffice, but it was convincing when she met Wilfredo and Fatma.

The three former Children however were a still a mystery to her.

5:27PM

Cecilia was nearly done with her homework and went to the bathroom to wash up for dinner. She rinsed her face and put up her curly hair into a high ponytail again while her phone was ringing in her room.

"O teu telefone está a tocar, Cecília! (Your phone is ringing Cecilia!)," her dad yelled from downstairs, "Eu sei! (I know!)," she responded loudly so she could hear. So she rushed to her phone, but was too late so the call went straight to her voicemail. She heard the message and instantly groaned…

She went downstairs and helped her dad with the plates and eating utensils. Her father poured himself a glass of cachaça, for unwinding after a long day. He also prepared some fruit juice for himself and his daughter due to their health regimen that revolved around their lifestyle.

As the two began to eat, João asked his daughter about her recent phone call, "Quem é que te ligou? (Who called?)," and she looked at him with an annoyed look, "Era aquele rapaz das aulas de Capoeira. (Just that guy from capoeira class.)," she mentioned and continued, "Ele tem insistido demais em sair comigo e levar.-me a uma festa hoje à noite. Eu quero ir, mas não com ele.(He's been too persistent about taking me on a date and go to a party later tonight. I want to go, but not with him.)," she said as she took a bite of her dinner.

Her father looked at her concerned, "Será que tenho de falar com ele? (Should I talk to him?)," he asked, feeling a bit protective about his daughter. She chuckled and brushed off his concerns, "Não, eu consigo tratar dele. Para além disso, se ele for muito agressivo, eu posso deixar o meu ponto bem claro.(No. I can handle him. And besides, if he does get too aggressive, I can always use be forward about my response.)," she fiddled with her glass of juice and manipulated the liquid with her hands.

João looked at his daughter and sets down his fork and knife, "Cecília, eu gosto muito de ti, mas se tu te pões a fazer esse tipo de coisas de novo, vais acabar naquele buraco mais uma vez. Já te esqueceste do que se passou quando tinhas oito anos? (Cecilia. I love you, but if you ever do that sort again, it will just drag you down into that void again. Or did you forget when you were eight years old?)," he reminded her and she looked at him as the liquid settled back into the glass.

She loved her father, but sometimes she would wish he would calm down a bit, "Eu mudei pai. As minhas abilidades desenvolveram-se muito desde essa altura e eu não tenho feito nada desse género há anos. Tu sabes disso, porque é que trouxeste esse assunto ao de cima agora?(I've changed dad. My abilities have grown a lot since then and I haven't done that sort of thing for years now. You know that. Why bring it up now?)," she pointed it out and he sighed.

"Só estou preocupado, é só isso. (I'm just worried that's all.)," she looked at him and sighed, "Sim…eu sei. (Yeah…I know.)," she replied and the two continued to eat dinner, talking about other things, sharing some laughs and discussing certain important things. They're close and even closer in understanding when the subject of their semi-mystical properties comes up in their talks.

8:45PM

Cecilia got off of her short bus ride and walked down the street, with other guys her age passing her to a party that was announced last week. Dressed in leg fitting jeans, a black tank top with the symbol of a condor on her chest. Her hair is let down, with her hair band on her wrist for later. She sported her yellow sandals to walk, not really to impress anyone, but she was the object in a few guys' eyes. But she didn't care, she cared that Jackie was there with her boyfriend Eduardo, a guy from their high school and of white Portuguese descent. As the three exchanged greetings in hugs and kisses, some funk fusion began playing.

"O nosso pessoal está no palco! (Our guys are on stage!)," Jackie exclaimed and Eduardo along with Cecilia looked and grinned happily, "Vamos vê-los, então. (Let's go and watch.)," Eduardo said and Cecilia followed the two through the crowd.

PHILADELPHIA, PA, US

AMITY DISTRICT, THURSDAY, 12:34PM

In Amity High, the students were just getting in line to get their lunches and a few of them were discussing on what to do on Friday and for the weekend. Sam sat at a table with Valerie and talked while eating their bagged lunches. Because of the weather outside, Sam wore warm black clothing like a black wool sweater and black jeans. Her scarf was gray with symbols of her band Cannibal Corpse and wore black boots. Valerie wore a gray wool sweater, black scarf, blue jeans with a long underwear underneath and red snow boots.

"Are going to the performance tomorrow night," Sam asked Valerie as she ate her organic vegetable salad, "Yeah, and Tucker is finishing the upgrade on the orchestra's website today. So they'll be able to post their latest performance tomorrow night," she said as she took a bite of her turkey sandwich.

"That's cool, but the one thing I have to deal with tomorrow is Danny struggling not to kick Wil's ass," Sam said and took a sip of her water, "Let me guess, they got into another argument again about their powers," Valerie asked as she chewed on her sandwich.

Sam nodded a no, "Not exactly. Wil just called out on Danny's arrogance. Saying that that type of attitude will get him killed," Sam took another bite of her salad and continued, "I agree with him. I mean, I love Danny, but there are times his attitude just pisses me off," he revealed and has a clear expression of annoyance on her face.

Valerie breathed out of her nose, and thinking that she was right, "I know. Lately he's been too aggressive and too cocky. But when is he never like that. Somehow that works for him," she said and Sam looked at her, "I know. But I think what Wil meant was that since we are high school juniors, he should learn more and adapt his style of fighting of ghosts. Be more…mature about it," Sam said and this somewhat surprised Valerie. Sam was siding with Wilfredo.

But on the other hand, she was expecting this. Wilfredo, despite his reluctance and limited experience with their ghost battles, somehow was the go to guy in case the ghost was too strong or too complicated to solve on their own. His style was more covert, more thought out, while at the same time bull dozing through the ghosts while trying to find out the reasons for their attacks.

Valerie shifted in her chair, "Well…it's not that surprising. More or less, he has more experience. Remember when he fought Vlad two years ago? He has power so well hidden, we probably haven't seen half of what he can do," she said and Sam rubbed her black hair back.

She breathed in and out, "And that's the scary part. What else is he hiding? How powerful is he? What is his connection to these ghosts? And here's something to think about Val. If he's a medium, why are his powers so intense? Usually for mediums, they aren't this strong nor dense in power," she mentioned the strangeness of their friend. Valerie saw the point of her question and bringing it up.

"Who knows? Perhaps Tucker can find out more later," she said and looked back at Sam, "And Danny? Did you tell him about this," she asked and Sam nodded a yes, "I did. But he told me that Wil isn't much of a problem but more of an annoyance. And that pissed me off and I told him that," she revealed. For a few days, Sam and Danny didn't talk to each other and she gave him the cold shoulder, feeling that her opinion was belittled.

Valerie shook her head at this, "I like Danny and all, but seriously, he needs an ass whooping. And he hasn't got one in a while, and I mean a real good one. To remind him that he's not the best and he needs to be humble about what he can do and whom he should listen to," she expressed herself.

The cafeteria got louder and louder with conversations and Sam along with Valerie looked around, "Where's Danny and Tucker anyway," Valerie asked curiously, "They're on their way. Probably fighting traffic," Sam said with as she began eating again.

Valerie chuckled at the thought. Then another thought came to her head, a nearly forgotten one but still potent, "Have you ever found out anything about that boy from two years ago and from last year…the one with the black butterflies?"

Sam stopped eating and looked at her, "Oh man…I wish you didn't bring that up. Danny is this close to being obsessed in finding out who that kid was," she emphasized her two fingers with an inch between them, "But so far, we only found out that kid's last name, Campa," Sam revealed.

And this made Valerie curious, "Okay and how did you find that out," she asked and Sam hushed her voice a bit, "Danny snuck into Wil's room and found a letter written in Portuguese. We didn't understand it at all, but the name Campa came up and we figured out that maybe…" but Valerie interrupted her.

"You went into his room? Are you crazy," she asked all surprised, but under the same hushed tone as Sam, "What if Wil found out? He would have kicked Danny's ass from here to next week!"

"I know, but we finally figured out that boy's last name," Sam said and Valerie ultimately asked, "When did you find this out," and Sam wasted no time in answering, "Two weeks ago."

"And do you think Tucker will be able to find out who he really is," Valerie asked and Sam's expression became a bit more serious and another mixed in that indicated confusion, "You see that's the weird part."

Valerie motioned her friend to continue, "The records are written in Catalan, not Spanish. We tried to do it ourselves, but we couldn't read one single sentence," she revealed their own frustrations.

"And I suspect that you thought of planning to ask Wil for help, but if you do that…" Valerie started and had Sam finish the obvious thought, "We would have to confess that we violated his trust. Jesus."

Then Sam added something else to the mix, "But we did find something that was true about Campa. He did die in 1938, around May or so," she revealed, "But all it said was that a village was wiped out by the soldiers in league with Franco. Nothing on who died or the names either."

Valerie then asked, "Was it because it was a small town or what," but then Sam shrugged her shoulders, "Possibly. But that would mean another set of records we don't have access to. Even Tucker is finding it hard to search through documents written in a language we don't understand."

"But if you somehow get Wilfredo involved, do you think he'll understand Catalan," Valerie asked, "No, I don't think so. The only way is to find Campa, but he's in Spain in the Catalonian Region. God knows where he is exactly," Sam expressed her frustration and now seeing why Danny is so annoyed with Wilfredo. There are a lot of things they didn't know about what went down last year or even the year before.

DECEMBER 2006, WEEK ONE, MONDAY

CATALONIAN REGION, 15 MILES OUTSIDE OF BARCELONA, 2:34PM

With only a month to go before the year ended and 2007 begins, the Campa boy packs a slice of cornbread, a handful of olives and dried figs in his bag. He grabbed a stick to fend off canine attacks and then off he went. The cold weather was biting his skin, so he dressed in brown pants with a forest green jacket with a thick brown scarf. Underneath he wore a simple buttoned long sleeved white shirt with a brown vest over it.

He settled in the area close to the old man who knows his past. He took along the hunting dog as he trekked through the bush and heading up a hill covered in trees. As he walked up hill, not minding the exertion at all, he noticed an old farmhouse with acres of property for horses. He noticed a young wealthy family leaving for the city on a paved road. For some reason, he decided to check it out, calling his dog to come along.

Five minutes later, he arrived at the ranch and the home. Walking through the pasture and levitating over the wooden barriers to house the horses and their young and no sign of anyone watching the property, well, not the ones that mattered to him, he unlocked the door and headed inside the home. As he walked inside, a sense of unease enveloped over him. He had the dog stay outside, to bark in case the owners returned. He climbed the stairs and headed for the attic and once there, he noticed boxes and boxes of papers. He picked up a note, no more than a few days old:

Ha donar a la biblioteca d'aquesta ciutat en el pròxim mes.

(Must donate this to the city library within the next month.)

He opened one of the boxes and picked out a random file, but to him, it felt automatic. As if he knew which one to pick up and read. He opened the aged file and smelling the mold off of the papers, he found a series of documents that described the suspected people believed to have harbored communist sympathizers. One of the villages was named and he instantly remembered, but along with the names of the families, one family came out: CAMPA.

It only described a family with a father, a mother, two older daughters, and one son. He read the name of the son…it was his own: JORDI CAMPA.

"My name…my actual name…so now what? What am I to do with that man from last year," he asked himself and decided to smuggle some of the papers relating to him into his bag and headed out of the attic.

Once downstairs, he called his dog and headed back for the hill. He was one step closer to closure, but felt something that Wilfredo will not be able to help him…it was something he had to deal with on his own…at least for the time being…

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Thus ends 2006. I hope the ride wasn't too long and too realistic for many of you. Okay, in the end, when I had Campa discover his name, I wanted it subdued and foreshadowing to something I had already written in my already completed side story: Six Degrees of Separation. In addition, I had the Philadelphia bit a tad shorter than the others due to the fact I wanted the girls to be frank about their two friends.

Again I would like to thank HolyDragoon for his help with the Portuguese bit and giving me advice on how to handle certain ideas in this story. Albeit, it doesn't have a style of speech that might be spoken in Salvador, but he did his best and that's all I can ask for.

Read, review, critique, and I'll see all of you in the final story for arc one, 2007. Take care.