Chapter 12:

Kim guided the Sloth down the residential streets, paying close attention to the road despite the gossip flowing around inside the car. Tara had just gotten back into town a few hours earlier, prompting a get together with her, Kim, Cindy and Monique. Since Kim had the largest car, with four wheel drive and a sophisticated climate-control system, she did the driving. The four girls had made a reunion day of it. While Kim and Cindy were going to school with their boyfriends, Tara and Monique weren't. Josh had gotten in earlier that day and the other three girls had decided that it would be a good idea to drag the platinum blonde off on a 'girls day', in order to building her boyfriend's anticipation a little. While the other three girls didn't have a spy around Josh to see if it was working, they did know that Tara's anticipation was building at an impressive rate.

Of course, they didn't waste any opportunities to kid her about it.

Still, the four girls had had a good time, doing some last minute shopping, commenting on the holiday decorations and catching up with each other. Still, it was a relief for Kim to get out of the holiday traffic and back on the residential streets. She only half-paid attention to the conversations going on, keeping an eye out for the kids that had a tendency to suddenly run out into the street.

"So why are we heading to Ron's place anyway?" Tara grumbled. "You've been giving me grief all day about wanting to get back to Josh but you two sure don't seem to have a problem getting back with your boyfriends, and you've spent all semester with them."

"Hey, wheels is going to be there too," Monique told the blonde. "Don't you want to see everyone again?"

"Of course I do," Tara harrumphed. "They're my friends and I want to see them but I don't see why I can't spend some time with my boyfriend first."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Cindy teased her. "Besides, you'll have him all to yourself the day after Christmas. The rest of us are going to be catching the parade while the two of you rub shoulders with the cultural community."

"What's this?" Monique asked.

"Josh wants to go to a cultural exhibition that evening," Tara told her. "It's a gathering of artists, poets, musicians and authors. It's really exclusive and it's a big honor for him to get invited."

"Sounds nice," Monique commented. "I bet you're excited."

"Well, I guess so," Tara mused.

"What do you mean you guess so?" Monique demanded. "Girl, you have the choice between hanging out on a cold street or putting on something sleek and stylish and rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers. That doesn't seem like a very tough decision to me."

"I like the parade," Tara replied. "I like bundling up warm, seeing the floats and hearing the bands. I like running into old friends and their parents. I was looking forward to bringing a blanket and…" she suddenly stopped, blushing.

"You wanted to do some cuddling while watching the parade?" Cindy asked. "What's so embarrassing about that? Actually, thanks for the idea."

"I still don't see your problem," Monique protested. "I mean, getting into that cultural exhibit…that's something special."

"And spending time with the people you actually know isn't?" Tara countered. Then, realizing that the conversation could be trending towards an argument, she changed the subject. "Will Mat be showing up for the parade?"

"Yeah, it's a tri-city thing so he'll be there." Monique replied. "Of course, I should be getting to see plenty of him before that. His parents have invited me to their place for Christmas dinner and I've accepted."

This piece of news received a round of Oooh's from the other three girls.

"Calm down everyone," the fashion maven protested. "It's just meeting the 'rents, not like he's popping the question. Speaking of that, Kim, are you going to be wearing some new jewelry after this holiday?"

"I don't think Ron's planning on asking the question just yet," Kim replied, still keeping her eyes on the road. "But he does like to surprise me now and then."

"If he does, are you going to say yes?" Tara asked.

"Of course," Kim answered, with a contented smile. "I just don't know if I want him to ask the question in front of our families or if I want him to ask it in private."

"Sounds like someone's so sure that he's going to ask the question, that she isn't wondering if he's going to ask." Cindy commented.

"Be real," Tara snickered. "Those two are going to the altar and their parents couldn't be happier. I'm willing to bet that all four 'rents are going to be demanding grandchildren within two months."

"So you really don't know if you want the question in private or in front of the fams?" Monique quickly asked, covering the awkwardness that arose from Kim's potential problem. "Me, I'm all for the private, romantic setting."

"Yeah, but I know the 'rents are so looking forward to it," Kim replied. "Although the 'tweebs are sure to make some really nasty comments."

"Let's get back to the day after Christmas plans," Monique declared to the other three girls, now that she had diverted the 'future family discussion'. "Tara, I still can't believe you'd rather make the parade we've all been seeing since…well…since I've been in town. I mean, that cultural exhibit sounds like something you don't get a chance at very often."

"I've been to a few of the artistic types' get togethers," the blonde retorted. "And they usually aren't all that fun. Sometimes they're pretty cool but most of the time they look down at anyone who isn't some sort of artist or activist. When they find out that I'm a cheerleader…" the blonde just shook her head. "I'd rather spend some time with the people I know."

"I still say it sounds interesting."

"Do you want to trade for the night? You can go to the exhibit with Josh and I'll catch up with you later, at Bueno Nacho."

"Whoa, Tara girl! I'm not so interested that I'm going to poach your boyfriend!"

"It isn't a date, it's just an exhibition. Think of it like going to a lecture in school. Just because you go in with a boy, who's a friend, doesn't mean he's your boyfriend. It just means that he's a friendly face to hang with during the lecture."

"Girl, I just might have to take you up on the offer."

"Well, we're almost there," Kim interrupted. "I'm kind of worried about what we might find. Ron, Oscar and Felix being together without any proper supervision can spell trouble."

"Are you sure they'll be home?" Cindy asked.

"Yeah, Ron was looking after Hanna, giving his 'rents some free time. It's a little cold for those three to take Hanna anywhere so…"

Kim slowed the Sloth to a stop, nearly a block away from the Stoppable residence, so that the four girls inside could gape in shock at the spectacle in front of them.


The foe and the background had changed, but the mission remained the same, to defend Stoppable Manor against all assailants. So, when a couple of young men, in their late teens, arrived, Lady Hanna Stoppable rode again!

Her first opponent had been Felix Renton. The young man, realizing that he was outmatched, fled in terror but her trusty steed ran him down. He had made it out of the living room and almost all the way up the stairs before falling to her trusty, cardboard lance. However, a knight's duties were never done; no sooner had she vanquished Felix than Oscar Williamsen challenged her.

Ron, her faithful steed, wheeled about, despite being on the stairs, and charged down to meet the next challenge. The newest opponent was more resourceful, vaulting completely over the couch and fleeing for the kitchen with Lady Hanna in hot pursuit. The foe was clever, running around the kitchen table, over and over, while Lady Hanna urged her steed on to greater speeds. Finally, the dastardly foe's courage failed him; he broke off the circling chase and fled back towards the living room. There, in front of the television, he fell to the ladle at the end of Lady Hanna's lance.

Lady Hanna was a little disappointed, she didn't think a vanquished foe was supposed to keep giggling after being defeated.

Ron, seeing the mayhem they had just unleashed inside the Stoppable abode, decided that additional such activities would best be taken outside. The three teens, under the supervision of a toddler and a naked mole rat, straightened out the house before bundling up and taking the activities to the front yard.

Once outside, the warmly bundled Lady Hanna found herself facing her tormentors once again. Again, she first faced Felix Renton. The young man fled the oncoming knight, vaulting over snowdrifts that the trusty Ron had to plow through. Still, the valiant knight maintained her pursuit, not stopping until her foe had received a powerful thrust from her ladle of doom.

Felix remained on the ground, flailing and groaning theatrically, as she turned to face her remaining foe. Oscar Williamsen took advantage of his ape-like build and climbed up a tree in the Stoppable's front yard. Unfortunately for the cretin, the faithful Ron was not your typical steed. Hanna discarded her pot cover shield, got a good grip on Ron's collar, and urged him to climb the tree after Oscar.


"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Monique asked from the front, passenger's seat.

"Three knuckleheads entertaining a cute little girl?" Cindy asked.

"Yeah, that's what I think I'm seeing."

"I'd say that's what's really happening over there."

"Okay, I get the 'entertain the little one' motivation," Monique chuckled. "But do they have to be such clowns while they do it?"

"It seems to be working," Kim chimed in. "Look at Hanna."

While the action was too far away for the girls to be able to hear what was going on through the car's body, the little girl in question was clearly laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"Kim, Cindy, this isn't meant to put down your BF's," Monique told her friends. "But can't they find a more dignified way to entertain Ron's sister?"

"Why should they?" Tara chimed in. "Those three nuts are enjoying it just as much as she is…look at that!"

The four young women watched as Hanna managed to tag Oscar with her lance. The wrestler went into a slow motion, dramatic tumble from the tree; he hooked his feet onto a limb and dropped, to hang upside down. From this position, he grabbed a limb below him and dropped again, to hang right side up and catch another limb with his feet. Doing this, he slowly somersaulted out of the tree, where he lay, quivering, in the snow.

"I don't know if that boy is gonna break his neck or catch pneumonia," Monique commented.

"I think it's kind of cute," Tara countered, as Ron started to climb down, out of the tree.

"Isn't it kind of embarrassing…wait! Look at the picture window. Is that Rufus doing the moonwalk?"

"Yep," Kim laughed. "When Hanna dresses up as a knight, he usually dresses up as her squire. He doesn't like going out in the cold so he's showing his support."

"You mean you know about this act?" Monique asked.

"I got the 'Lady Hanna, bearer of the ladle of doom' treatment when my family visited the Stoppables, last night."

"Didn't your BF embarrass you in front of your folks?"

"They thought it was hilarious."

"What did your brothers do?"

"What do you think? They got in on the act, letting Ron and Hanna chase them all over the house."

"Doesn't it bother you when your BF acts like such a kid?" Monique shook her head.

"Not really," Kim shrugged. Now, do you want to embarrass the three of them?"

"Sure!" The three passengers agreed, with devious smiles.


Ron reached the ground and pranced to a position where his rider could look down upon her fallen foes. He reared up, lashing the air dramatically with his hands while Hanna raised her lance in a posture of glorious superiority. Applause from down the street interrupted Hanna's moment of triumph.

Ron, Hanna, Oscar and Felix stared down the street to see the four girls clapping, whistling and cheering the spectacle. Moments later a handful of neighbors, who had also been watching, stepped outside to join in the applause. The four girls were rewarded, moments later, with the sight of three blushing boys rushing back into the Stoppable house.


"No hammer swinging piece of cheap tin is going to take out The Mullet, seriously!"

Motor Ed deftly steered his fighting robot out of the descending hammer's path. The weapon actually took a chunk out of the arena floor. The other operator backed off, raising the weapon again. Ed, wanting to get a feel for the other robot's timing, backed his robot away, as well.

The crowd roared its approval as the two robots closed in on each other again. Ed charged his opponent then reversed suddenly, avoiding the descending hammer once again. The big man drove his robot forward once again, counting on the superior handling and traction he had built into the machine. His superior handling paid off; he had his robot contacting the opposing machine before the other robot could bring the hammer into position for another swing, and triggered his cylinder weapon.

Direct hit! The piston drove completely through the other robot's armored skin and must have hit something vital. The hammer froze partway up and a shower of sparks burst from underneath the machine. Ed withdrew the piston and reversed again, getting his robot clear from the other machine. This was a good move, since the other machine burst into flames.

"Just like a mullet," Ed sang out, as the judge declared the match over. "You just met the business in the front."

Ed shook hands with the other robot's owner and wheeled his machine to the maintenance area. The match had been a quick one, so there wasn't much maintenance needed. Still, the big man gave his machine a thorough once-over; he hadn't come all the way to Middleton just to lose. Once he was convinced that The Mullet was ready for the next round, he locked it up and returned to the arena to enjoy the show. It was a lot different than the stage back in Canon City.

While Robot Rumble held its Canon City contests in a temporary arena at the Civic Center. The Middleton Robot Rumble took place in a large, dugout arena located in an underground labyrinth. It was much larger than the Canon City arena, so it made sense to hold the regional contests here. Ed found a seat and watched a match in a lighter weight class. Ed was impressed; the winning robot launched some sort of electrical net that first tangled up the other robots drive and weapon, then unleashed a powerful, electrical discharge. The robot's operators, a pair of twins that looked a little familiar, wheeled their machine off for some post-fight maintenance, accompanied by an older dude who had to be their father. Ed struggled to figure out why all three of them looked familiar until another sight demanded his full attention.

Oh, was she ever a babe!

Ed completely ignored the ongoing action on the arena floor, staring at the hottie instead. He had always considered the green babe, who worked for his cousin, to be a real looker but this gal was a serious wow! She was on the walkway above the seating area, cheering for one of the robots now on the arena floor. Not one to waste any time, Ed immediately strutted up to her.

"Hey doll," he said. "You come here often?"

"If you know may name's doll, shouldn't you know how often I show up?" She snorted back.

"Okay, sorry," Ed apologized. "It's just that you're so seriously good looking that I couldn't help myself."

"I get that all the time," she actually smiled, which encouraged Ed.

"I can seriously see why," he said. "Anyway, do you come here often?"

"Every chance I get. I really love the rumble."

"Seriously? I just got into it myself."

"I know, you're the middleweight winner from Canon City and your robot's name is The Mullet. That was an impressive win."

"I know, seriously," Ed replied. "You should probably know, that's not the only thing impressive about me."

"Are you hitting on me?"

"Seriously!"

"I have a boyfriend."

"Sure," Ed scoffed. "Some techno-geek. Seriously, a hot babe like you should be paired up with a fine specimen like me!" Ed punctuated his statement by slicking back his hair and puffing his chest.

"Oliver!" The woman shouted. "Some guy's bothering me!"

Ed Lipsky wasn't used to feeling outsized but the nerdy dude who approached was one of the biggest guys he had ever seen.

"Who is it, Vivian," the man-mountain asked. "This little guy?"

"Whoa, bro!" Ed declared, holding up his hands in a pacifying manner. "I don't want any trouble. I didn't know she was hooked up, seriously. I just saw a seriously hot babe up here on her own, y'know?"

"We'll see about that," the nerdy giant stepped even closer, looming over Ed.

Most bystanders would assume, from Ed's habit of listening to heavy metal music and his love of loud engines, that his hearing wouldn't be terribly sharp. To be truthful, his ears weren't that great for most sounds but they could be incredibly sharp when mechanical noises were involved. In this case, Ed picked up the unmistakable sounds of servos and actuator arms coming from…Oliver? While Ed wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer with most things, he was a near genius when it came to mechanics so he quickly came to the proper conclusion.

"Dude! You're seriously mechanical, aren't you?"

Oliver and Vivian both froze, staring in amazement at the blonde man.

"How can you tell?" Vivian demanded.

"There isn't much that's mechanical that gets by Motor Ed," Ed boasted. "But seriously dude, you've got some amazing control! What kind of stabilization system do you have?"

"A sealed liquid chamber," Oliver replied. "Much like your own inner ear."

"Dude, that is some seriously intense engineering," Ed marveled. "And your movements are so smooth and fluid! That must be a serious controller you have working your locomotion!"

"One of the finest microcomputers money can buy," Oliver confirmed.

"You know, most people freak when they find out Oliver's mechanical," Vivian commented. "You've just sort of taken it in stride."

"I just like to see anything that's really well made, seriously," Ed shrugged. "Speaking of which, who built…you did! You seriously built the big dude, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Vivian admitted.

"You must be one seriously brainy babe!"

"Well," Vivian stammered. "I-I-I'm a robotics expert at the space center."

"That must one gnarly job! I mean, all those rocket engines and the precision machinery; a seriously brainy babe like you must be putting together some seriously wicked machines!"

Vivian Porter was used to guys drooling over her looks but Ed suddenly seemed more interested in her intelligence. Almost against her better judgment, she found herself enjoying the conversation about her career. While the big, blonde guy was most interested in the brute power aspect of mechanics, he was at least interested in the finer points presented by robotic control and manipulation. He actually understood her when she talked about servos, actuator arms and feedback monitors. She actually regretted it when his next match came up.

Ed was having a great time. Not only was he trashing the competition with his mullet-clad machine, he managed to have a seriously alriiiiiiight talk with a completely hot babe! Still, it was business time. Ed had already checked out the competing machine; it had an arm with a hydraulic claw that could seriously punch through The Mullet's armor. Ed would have to be careful and violent at the same time.

Just the way he liked it!

Out of the corner of his eye, Ed spotted the hot babe talking with the twins and their father. Ed started to bristle a bit but he realized that while the older guy seemed to know the babe, he didn't seem to be interested in her the same way that Ed was. The twins were talking with the big robot, Oliver, who seemed to be enjoying the conversation. Ed couldn't quite place why the twins seemed so familiar before the match started, demanding his full attention.

A small, skinny, redheaded teenaged dude ran the other machine, which he called Grabs. Grabs and The Mullet closed in on each other. Ed fired his piston weapon just as Grabs dodged to one side. Ed beat a hasty retreat, resetting the piston, barely dodging the grasping claw.

"Okay dude," he muttered to himself. "You have some serious dodging speed but not much for flat out running. You're pretty good, but nobody messes with The Mullet!"

Ed jammed The Mullet into forward again, trying to bring the piston to bear on his opponent. Grabs skittered out of its path once again and Ed was too smart to try to turn with the more agile robot. Ed kept going, outrunning Grabs' attempt to catch The Mullet. Ed made two more passes, unable to line up on his shifty foe and too fast for the foe to get a grip on him. The crowd started to get restless and the big man was sure that the judges weren't very impressed right now. Suddenly, inspiration hit.

Grabs was fairly close to one of the walls so Ed lined The Mullet up, once again, and charged. As he expected, Grabs slipped out of the way, once again, and The Mullet crashed into the wall. Ed made a show of it, acting like his robot was disabled. The redheaded kid smiled, guided Grabs behind The Mullet, and extended the claw.

"Bad move bro," Ed chuckled to himself. "You've seen the business up front, check out the party in back."

Ed simultaneously activated his piston and jammed The Mullet in reverse. The Mullet, which hadn't been harmed by the collision with the wall, accelerated backwards, propelled both by its drive system and the piston's impact with the wall. Grabs couldn't get out of the way in time.

The Mullet's rear section was sloped and its tail end consisted of a scooping ram. Grabs' claw brushed off against the oncoming rear section, lifting the robot slightly and allowing the scooping ram to slide underneath. The crowd, which had been restless before, now cheered as Grabs was sent tumbling across the arena. Before the redhead kid could use the claw to right his robot, Ed twirled The Mullet around and rammed Grabs. Just to make sure there could be no escape, Ed pinned Grabs against the wall before activating his piston weapon again.

The crowd leapt to its feet when the piston punched completely through Grabs, releasing a burst of sparks from the impaled robot. Ed backed the Mullet off, ready to continue the contest, but it quickly became clear that Grabs was incapacitated. The judges declared The Mullet the winner and Ed shook hands with his opponent, who had a high-pitched, whiny sort of voice. The big man was very happy; he had just won his weight class, earning a trip to Vegas in thirty days, for the national rumble.

It didn't take Ed very long to find his way back to the blonde babe, who was still talking with the older, kind of familiar dude.

"So what did you think of The Mullet, seriously?" Ed asked as he approached the small group.

"Wicked!" One of the twins exclaimed.

"I really liked the way you used that piston," the other added.

"We can see why our sister had so much trouble with you!" They said, together.

"Sister?" Ed asked. "Whoa, dudes, seriously! I seriously meant to call her the next morning!"

"What?" Both twins asked.

"Uh, just who is your sister?" Ed asked.

"Kim Possible," they chimed.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously!"

"Maybe I should make some introductions," the babe giggled. "This is Dr. James Possible, my boss, and these are his sons, Jim and Tim." She looked at Ed. "And you would be…?"

"Edward Lipsky," Dr. Possible answered, with a scowl. "Also known as Motor Ed. Vivian, this young man tried to eradicate my Kimmie-Cub."

"But he helped her and Ron later, on Loward's Island," Tim reminded his father.

"Yeah, he took a beating to give her and Ron time to save the world," Jim added.

"Perhaps you're right, boys," the doctor nodded. "Edward, perhaps I was a little harsh. The Colorado Department of Corrections has been giving me regular updates on your status and it's clear that you are trying to rehabilitate yourself. Allow me to apologize for my attitude; I should be encouraging you to succeed."

"Whoa, you're Red's father?" Ed gasped. "Seriously?"

"Seriously and her name happens to be Kimberly, not Red," James pointed out.

"I've never been that good with names," Ed admitted. "How's she doing? I mean, I don't have any harsh feelings for her, seriously."

"She seems to be enjoying college life…" James began, only to be interrupted by a loud horn.

"They're getting ready to shut down the arena," Tim told his father.

"They have to get ready for tomorrow's fights," Jim added.

"Well, I wish that I could say that it's been nice meeting you, Edward," Dr. Possible told the big blonde. "But I'm not that ready to forgive, at least yet."

"Yeah, I can dig," Ed nodded to his would-be victim's father. "For what it's worth, I'm seriously sorry about what I did."

Dr. Possible hesitated for several seconds, clearly trying to make up his mind about something. Finally, he spoke again.

"We've started a bit of a tradition," he told the younger man. "Myself, Miss Potter and several other builders and programmers have our own little celebration after the robot rumble events are over. Perhaps you would like to join us."

Ed was completely down with the suggestion, especially after hearing confirmation that the babe was a Miss.

Ed was surprised about how well he got along with most of the highbrows at the gathering. While he wasn't into the programming and control systems that some of them talked about, he really dug talking to the power types, the ones who dealt with rocket engines and heavy hydraulics. Dr. Possible was a seriously okay type of guy and of course the babe had a seriously gnarly mind as well as a body that just wouldn't quit. Caught up in the moment, Ed did something he had never done before.

He fell completely and hopelessly in love.


"Marla Agile," Marla answered her phone at her temporary desk.

"Marla?" A familiar and hated voice sounded over the phone. "I'm going to get you out of Wyoming."

"Rita," Marla grumbled back. "You have some nerve calling me after leaving me to the wolves like you did."

"That's the business; if I would have tried to back you up, I would have gone down, as well and that wouldn't have done either of us any good. Now, I've got some great leads out there and I need a reporter to go get me the stories."

"I don't think so," Marla snarled back. "I've gotten wise to you. All you want is a fall girl; someone who you can claim doctored the facts in case the truth comes out. You've already burned me once, what makes you think you'll be able to burn me again?"

"Didn't you think you would take a few shots on the way to the top? Now, there's big stories breaking! Surely you've heard of the Club Banana model being assaulted in Madrid! She was a cheerleading teammate of Kim Possible's and there's a drug angle. We can swing this and bring Kim Possible down!"

"So what does that do for me?" Marla demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said! How does tearing Kim Possible down build me up?"

"Marla, you've lost your fire! This is how reporters get famous, by exposing the famous and powerful!"

"And what happens when the famous and powerful get tired of the cheap shots we deliver? They hit back and someone goes down! I've been that person, remember."

"Okay, fine!" Marla could picture Rita's eyes rolling on the other end of the line. "There's more than just the Club Banana scoop. Dr. Bofox, the quack who gave Camille Leon her shape changing abilities, has vanished! Wouldn't you like to be the investigative reporter who tracks him down? I'm sure he's performing his procedures, right now! Imagine the uproar when you reveal the celebrities that have undergone his procedures to pursue looks and youth!"

"And imagine the lawsuits when I listen to you and suggest that a few more have done so, even though they haven't."

"You don't become famous without stepping on a few toes."

"Yeah, but those toes step back at times."

"Marla, lets be honest here. You're stuck in Wyoming, away from all the action. What was the temperature there last night?"

"A little under five below, why do you ask?"

"It's nice and sunny in Madrid! Imagine following the Club Banana fashion tour throughout Europe, exposing all the dirty little secrets!"

"Rita, let's really be honest here. What I'll wind up doing is trailing along while some vindictive models use me to take cheap shots, via the press, at their rivals. No thanks! I'm back to covering legitimate news."

"Like what?" Rita scoffed. "The state fair or the local fishing derby? While you're interviewing Farmer Brown, who's prize cow just won a blue ribbon, someone's going to be getting the inside scoop about how Club Banana gives its models amphetamines to keep them slender!"

"I've interviewed a Farmer Brown," Marla shot back. "And he turned out to be a pretty nice guy. Two days later, when my tire went flat, he stopped and changed it for me. Would any of your 'inside scoop people' return a favor like that, for you?"

"Fine! I thought I'd give you another chance but now I see that you just don't have what it takes! One little setback scared you off. Stay out there in Nowheresville for the rest of your life if you want!"

Marla Agile never thought that hearing a phone hung up on her could sound so welcome. Certain that she had heard the last from Rita, she started going over her schedule for the upcoming basketball and wrestling tournaments.

Rita sat and stewed for several minutes after hanging up on Marla. The younger woman, now trapped in the intermountain west, had come very close to the truth. It had taken a great deal of time but Marla had finally clawed her way to a position where she didn't have to directly expose herself to cover scandal stories. She had taken her chances, covering stories and being the sacrificial lamb for other reporters, for years. Now, she was the one who employed the sacrificial lambs. The only problem she had was that after Marla's downfall, very few up and coming reporters were willing to put themselves on Rita's altar.

After a few minutes of thinking about the situation, Rita called her personal assistant and instructed her to prepare for an extended trip to Europe after New Year. She had decided that she would personally cover the Club Banana story. Her own status would lend weight to the accusations and, like she told Marla, Spain was nice and sunny.


A/N:

Once again, I must thank everyone who has read, reviewed and/or sent me a PM. The encouragement makes it a lot easier to write. As always, my biggest thanks go to Joe Stoppinghem, for his beta efforts, even while writing Bonnie, Books and Candles. It's a good read and I suggest you check it out.

Until my next posting, best wishes;

daccu65