Epilogue
Hillside City, Three Days Later
"Gerald and Helga!"
Rhonda said this as if everyone at the table had not already heard this news five times that day. She absently moved her arm to allow Harold to pick the hot peppers off her salad.
"I mean, honestly, Gerald! And Helga!"
"We've all heard it Rhonda. Can't we talk about something else?" Nadine smiled a bit at her best friend bemusedly.
They were having their usual lunch, and this time Arnold wasn't the only singleton present. Phoebe had finally been able to get away from her lab for a few hours to join them.
"I'm sorry Nadine, but it's just a lot to swallow, you know? I mean, it's just another change to deal with in our circle."
"Well I'm happy for them," put in Sheena unexpectedly, "But I know what you mean Rhonda. Ever since Curly ran off with that supermodel I just haven't known what to expect. I'm stuck in the past, thinking of him as having his closest relationship with Rhonda's hair." There were a few chuckles from around the table.
"That's true," Harold looked up from his peppers, "I still have trouble thinking of Phoebe without Gerald. Ow! What'd you do that—ow!" He glared at Rhonda, who had folded her arms and was glaring right back. Phoebe ducked her head towards her plate to hide a grin.
"Oh come on Harold, everyone knows about Phoebe and Edward," Nadine teased.
Now Phoebe laughed outright. "Actually that's over. Don't worry," she quickly assured the worried faces turning suddenly towards her, "It ended well. It's just that we -- well I really decided that I can't have a normal business relationship with Dr. Colic while I'm dating him, that's all. We're still good friends though."
Rhonda shook her head. "That's our Phoebe, head first, worry about the heart later. I never thought it would last long."
But Nadine had other thoughts. "So you're totally single now?" When Phoebe nodded, Nadine turned to Arnold with a wicked grin on her face. "So Arnold, seeing anyone?" Peapod Kid, who was sitting next to Arnold, caught his wife's eye and elbowed Arnold noticeably, making the table break out into scattered laughs again.
After lunch the group broke up to head to their various workplaces and homes. Nadine insisted that she had nothing to do and offered to walk Phoebe back to the lab instead of going straight home. They walked and chatted for a while, then Nadine became serious.
"You know Phoebe, I was only half-joking back there. I really think you and Arnold would be great together."
"I know you do. So do most of our friends. But it's not going to happen."
"Why not? Stranger things have. Look at PK and me." She smiled warmly. "We're almost completely different, and you know what? I couldn't be happier. Well," she confided, "I wouldn't mind a baby."
"I thought Peapod and you didn't want kids."
Her smile wavered slightly. "He doesn't, not yet. But I'm working on him." She winked and Phoebe smiled. Peapod had always had difficulty refusing Nadine anything.
They reached the door of Phoebe's lab, and Nadine said she should really buy some groceries and get home.
"But do think about Arnold, would you?"
"I do think about him. Just not like that."
Nadine sighed. "You know what your problem is Phoebe Hyerdahl? You're just not a romantic." She punched her friend lightly on the arm, waved and left.
Phoebe waved back and turned to go inside. Her smile faded a little and her brow furrowed as she entered the building. After several top secret meetings and a certain way-after-hours delivery of several glass tubes, Phoebe was finally ready to begin her research into the antidote for Hot Air in earnest. She still had the small cloud sealed in her lab, and she supposed that would be the best place to start. But this was going to be very challenging, especially as she wasn't allowed to ask anyone else for ideas.
At that thought she paused. She was right by Edw—Dr. Colic's office. Maybe she'd stop by for a second.
She knocked lightly but no one answered. She was just about to leave when the door opened. Dr. Colic stood there with a phone to his ear. Oops. Phoebe made signs to show she was sorry for disturbing him but Edward just shrugged, rolled his eyes and made talking motions with his free hand. She giggled.
"I'll be in my lab if you need me," she whispered, and he nodded, smiled and went back inside.
Nothing. Phoebe nodded to herself. Edward was just a friend. She'd made the right decision. She started walking upstairs. She loved both Edward and Arnold very dearly as friends, but neither was the love she was waiting for.
No Nadine, she thought as she walked, my problem is not that I'm not a romantic. My problem is I'm too much of one.
***************
Dr Colic shut the door and waited until he heard Phoebe's footsteps disappear up the stairs before he continued his conversation.
"Sorry, just my partner. So as I was saying, the next shipment—right. Yes. Yes that's correct. The situation was taken care of." The doctor smiled thinly. "Phil and I came to…an understanding. He won't be making any more mistakes. Quite sure." He listened for a while, nodding occasionally. "I'll get on that. Though I doubt any serious progress could be made with the substance before we—" He was cut off and listened for a few minutes more. He frowned. "You really believe they've discovered that much? Yes. Yes, well then I agree. It will not be easy to find out where they put it though. Our usual contact has come up with nothing and I can't risk—" He waited then said, "As soon as I can. Within the year if at all possible, but I can't promise more than that." He said his goodbyes, hung up and went across the hall to his personal lab.
There weren't many windows in this area of the building, but then he had chosen this room for that very reason. Dr Colic stood for a moment gathering his thoughts. Then he sat and continued working on a medium-sized beaker full of a dark green, almost black substance, putting his other concerns aside for now.
Several hundred miles away, someone else was thinking of Dr. Colic's concerns for him. A large man in a tiny, though relatively clean office was playing a recording over and over. He had memorized the tape long ago, but was hoping for a lead, some sort of inspiration to come to him. Two kittens played in the pile of scrap paper he had thrown towards the trash can but missed. Perhaps he was looking at this problem from the wrong angle. If he knew more about Ms. Pataki, he would have a much better chance of discovering one of her friends. But he knew almost nothing about her. It was a needle in the haystack operation. He knew he was missing something that would help him. He knew it. But what?
The kittens successfully overturned the trash and happily scattered the papers everywhere. The man only continued pressing buttons and adjusting knobs. Beside him on the table was his current project, just a note he had scribbled to himself weeks ago, and besides the recording, all he had to go on for the present.
Find Phoebe.
A/N: I'm sorry guys, but the bonus material I've been doing is taking considerably longer than I thought it would, so I'm posting this now and I'll put the bonus stuff up probably in the next week. I am now going to take a break from this series so I don't go insane. Some of my other stories desperately need worked on. But do not despair, I have already written the prologue to the sequel, Ice Water. (Btw, this is now officially called the Elements Series.) It will be posted without fail on January 20. That's a Monday, so I'll post it first thing in the morning when I come to work (about 9am EST). This will give me enough time to work on the bonus for Hot Air and my other stories in progress before I start this next huge thing, lol. Thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed this story, and especially to those who reviewed. Couldn't possibly have done this without all of you. ~PJ
SassyAngel: More to come! I personally think the next story will be better than this one.
DropsofJupiter: I fully expect to be hated for generations because of the Miles/Les death scene. Like I've said, it had to happen. I had no other choice, all I can say is that I'm sorry. Remember, I did say at the beginning of this that I may do some things people will hate.
Maxine: Epilogue granted. I rather like Gerald and Helga together myself. :)
Rachael West: I know just what you mean about the inconvenient timing of the Muse. Mine delights in bowling me over while I'm supposed to be drawing a ridiculously difficult building in AutoCAD. This leads me to draw impossible structures because I'm thinking instead of the new plot twist in suchandsuch a story. I think Escher came up with most of his stuff by accident in much the same manner. :)
Snow Lane: Two weeks! I can't wait either, lol.
Poison Ivory: Lol, don't worry, one of the main reasons I had Stella act that way was specifically to throw people off, grin. Well, she had a real reason too of course, in that she heard many stories about Helga as a child…but that's off subject. A rumble, eh? Bring it on, I owe you a few knocks to the head for not updating your Christmas story yet. Just kidding, (not like I'm one to talk lately) but really…
joe mama: Sure, I've read a few TC books. He's good, but I wouldn't want to read his books exclusively, I'd get a bit tired of it I think. Glad you enjoyed this. :)
Luvya: Two weeks, and I say it again, two weeks!
Hafae: Finally, here's the epilogue. But I'm afraid it may just dangle you off a cliff until the prologue to Ice Water, sorry…