This story was originally posted to the Erinsborough .com forum and later housed on Neighboursfans .com. It's set in late 1999 with the small continuity change that Amy/Damien happened a few months earlier, so Lance was dumped sooner.

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Part 1 (written 20th February 2004)

Number 26, Ramsay Street.

Steph flips through the pages of a magazine in her room. To anyone walking in, it would appear that she's engrossed in the latest edition of Cycle World. Everyone knows she's a bike nut... or thinks they know. In reality though it's all a little different. Okay, she enjoys riding them and has learnt enough to bluff her way through a conversation about them, but ask her anything in-depth and you'd soon discover the truth. Her sisters aren't interested in bikes, so they wouldn't think of looking at the magazine. And even if they did, they'd never consider that they might find a copy of Frontier hidden within it.

Yes, Steph Scully is a self-confessed sci-fi nerd. Confessing the fact to others, that's been the problem. It's altogether easier to let them believe the biker-chick cover than tell the truth. She's sad enough already, twenty years old and still living with her parents. Why ruin what credibility she has with something no-one else would understand? That's how she rationalises hiding this part of her life anyway. Out of everyone, only mum and dad knows the truth and so far they've respected her desire to keep this from everyone, including her siblings. God, she can just see Flick's face if she found out. She's family and Steph loves her as such, but she's such a brat at times. Shallow, superficial, self-centred... Steph only hopes she'll grow out of all that.

Her eyes are drawn to an advert in the magazine. 'OzTrek '99! December 3rd - December 6th. Meet the stars of TV's Star Trek at the Radisson Hotel, Sydney. Special guests include John DeLancie, Denise Crosby, Colm Meaney, Nicole de Boer and Robert Hewitt Wolfe.'

Steph smiles to herself, knowing that she's going to be at that event in a few short days. She'd booked as soon as tickets went on sale. She even has a costume to wear thanks to mum. At conventions she doesn't have to hide who she is. She can be herself without fear of anyone recognising her and laughing. It's going to be so cool.

Number 30, Ramsay Street.

"Toadie! Have you ever dressed in a silly costume and got blind drunk before?" Lance asks as he walks into number 30.

Toadie turns his attention from the usual cartoons on television and raises an amused eyebrow. "You obviously weren't paying attention during my medieval phase."

"Ah, but have you ever done it in a hotel, surrounded by celebrities?"

"No Lance, I can honestly say that's one of the few things I haven't done."

Lance takes two tickets out of his pocket and waves them in front of Toadie's face. "Well you're gonna get your chance. As of Friday, you and I are going to OzTrek." He grins, proudly.

"OzTrek..." Toadie fishes.

"The Star Trek convention in Sydney."

Toadie's blank expression doesn't flicker.

"The one that I tried to buy a ticket for in the summer, but it sold out in two hours."

"The one you tied the phone up for two hours for, making me miss out on an extra shift at the pub?" Toadie innocently enquires.

"No, that... was a different one" Lance replies unconvincingly.

Toadie lets it go. "So where did you get these from?"

"Ah, there's this girl who works at Another World. We chit-chat sometimes when I go in for my order," Lance explains. "Anyway she was planning to go, but has to stay behind to look after her sick flatmate or something. I offered to buy the tickets from her and she gave me a good deal."

"Right, and why am I going again? I don't watch science-fiction."

Lance's demeanor becomes subdued. "Well I can't exactly take Amy now, can I."

Toadie pauses at the rhetorical question, remembering the bombshell that had very nearly crushed Lance. For all the time Lance and Amy were together, Toadie had never really trusted her. Not completely anyway. He supported Lance of course, but he'd been burned too many times himself not to recognise her 'type'. For a short while, it actually looked like he might be proved wrong, but then the little tart revealed her true colours, admitting that she was engaged to a colleague called Damien and having his baby. She didn't even look that sorry about it.

"It's okay," Lance murmers, looking away from him. "I'll ask someone at uni maybe."

"Dressing up in a silly costume and getting blind drunk, eh? Sounds like my kind of caper. You've got yourself a travel companion." Three months ago, Toadie had told Lance he'd be there for him. to help him get over this. He intends to honour that promise.

Lance turns back to him, brightening up. "Thanks Toadie, you're a legend." He moves off towards the kitchen, then turns around thoughtfully. "Ever thought about how you'd look in a pair of Spock ears?"

"Don't push it!" Toadie exclaims, turning back to the machinations of Pinky and The Brain.

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Part 2 (written 6th January 2005)

Number 26, Ramsay Street.

Steph carefully places the costume she plans to wear in her rucksack, pleased at how it came out. Her first thought had been to go as a Starfleet Officer, but she quickly rejected that. There are going to be more than enough Fleeters around as it is. How many Ocampa are likely to turn up though? Given how obsessed most fans are with Barbie of Borg, she wouldn't be surprised if she was the species' sole representative. It's just a pity that Jennifer wasn't booked for the con. She would have made the lineup just about perfect.

She leaves her room, careful to lock the door behind her lest Flick start raking through there the minute she's gone. Her younger sibling had once said - albeit during an argument - that she wouldn't be seen dead in any of her "skanky leather gear", but Steph doesn't want to tempt fate. Who knows what else she might find?

"Are you off, love?" Lyn asks her, stepping into the lounge.

"Yeah. I'll probably ask Stanno to keep the bike at his place 'til I get back."

"Does he know?"

Steph shakes her head. "He's probably curious as hell, but he knows not to ask questions."

Lyn still doesn't know why Steph feels so strongly about hiding this part of herself, but knows she has to let her daughter resolve the issue in her own time. "Well, I hope you enjoy yourself Stephie."

She smiles. "Definitely. Thanks for everything, mum." Giving her a quick peck, she heads out the door to the garage. As she pulls her bike out, she takes a look around Ramsay Street. The sun is only just peering over the horizon, everyone's probably still sound asleep. She needs to leave this early though if she wants to make it to the airport in time, especially with the detour. Climbing on, she revs the engine, aware that she's probably just woken the Bishops and the Kennedys, but that there's little she can do about it. With a wave to her mum, she kicks back the struts and the bike glides out of the cul-de-sac.

Number 30, Ramsay Street.

Toadie yawns and pops the bread in the toaster. As he hears the rev of an engine outside - obviously Steph's bike - he idly wonder where she's off to so early. Oh well, who knows what bikers do on a Friday? He'd had a passing attraction for Steph when he first met her, but it quickly faded. Who wants to get involved with that family anyway? Especially with Joe Scully wandering around looking like an extra from Deliverance. Mess with any of his daughters and he'd probably feed you to the crocs. Definitely a no-go.

"What do you think?" Lance pipes up as he enters the kitchen, smiling.

Toadie looks skeptically at him. The two piece maroon and black outfit looks like a set of pyjamas. "I thought you were changing into that after we get to the hotel?"

"You need to get into the spirit of things, Toad, or you're gonna have no fun on this trip at all."

Just as well I packed the 'I'm With Stupid' t-shirt, Toadie muses. "When does our plane leave again? Eight, right?"

Lance pulls his jacket down. He's starting to realise how Patrick Stewart felt about wearing this. "Nine actually, I had to book a later one."

Toadie pauses. "You mean I got up early for nothing?"

Lance looks back up, the smile dropping off his face. "Um... Well... I er... I'm just going for some milk. Be back soon."

Toadie's glare chases him out of the room. Waiting until he hears the door close, he opens the fridge door and plucks the carton of milk out of the side compartment. Might as well finish this one off then.