DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and
owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by
Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement
is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on
plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from
Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books
and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments,
etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy
the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback
is welcome as well!
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN
By Kevin Haynes
CHAPTER 20
It's funny how something from your past can pop up again, and even though it's been years, you feel the same way you felt long ago. It's almost like the experience is brand new again.
That's how it was for Tia when she heard Dr. Gannon's name. The source of their trouble now was the same source of all the problems they experienced the last time she and Tony were among humans! She didn't know what to say . she just sat there open-mouthed as Kurt continued.
"The documents that Marty downloaded - which I now have on my computer and can show you - paint a picture of the AAAI as being nationwide. The vice- president of the organization is actually from North Carolina. His name is Travis Pluck, and he claims in one of the documents that he encountered an alien in the form of a human, and that the alien actually attacked him.
"Even worse, Dr. Gannon's writings name you and Tony. He doesn't have a last name for you, of course. And he believes that you two were aliens who simply adopted the form of humans. Some of his musings are pretty bizarre - he thinks you have transparent skin and green blood, and that you actually read the minds of all creatures. I don't know where he gets this stuff - I think he went off the deep end while in jail.
"I tell you, my blood ran cold when I saw his name. I wondered if Letha and her nephew - I think his name was Sickle - were involved, but Marty did some checking on a crime database. Dr. Gannon only got nailed for trespassing. I think he must have had a pretty sharp lawyer, because he certainly tried more than that. But Letha and Sickle actually attempted to steal that gold, remember? Dr. Gannon testified against them, and they went to prison for a long time. Letha died in prison - Sickle is unaccounted for. Dr. Gannon is still alive, but he's pushing 90, so I don't know how much longer he will actually lead the group.
"Marty also found that they have been collecting news clippings from different areas, mostly North Carolina, of UFO's seen, crashes reported, people found who didn't speak any known language, reports of activity on a place called Witch Mountain. They're really focused on that place - many of their documents were photos taken from the air or by satellite. They're not close-ups, and they're not very clear, but they have them.
"My concern now, Tia, is first of all, what do you tell Eric? How much of this can you report? And secondly, how do we stop Dr. Gannon and his followers from finding your people?"
Tia had been listening, but also thinking fast and hard. She was trying to suppress the gnawing fear that was raging inside of her. Being here with Kurt, hearing Dr. Gannon's name again, brought back the same fear, despair, and uncertainty she had felt when Tony first disappeared that day in California. She had to get past that to find some answers.
"I'm not sure. First of all, thank you, Kurt. You went above and beyond what you were asked, and you did it out of friendship, and I appreciate that so much. I'm going to talk with Tony and with some of my people tonight and find out what they think. My report will be based on that, as well as my decision on what we should do about the threat."
Kurt nodded, and got up to leave. "I'm going to have Marty keep on monitoring their systems - he said he can be alerted if they add or edit any of their documents. I don't know how he does it, but at this point I don't care! I'll keep you up-to-date."
Tia smiled. "Thanks, Kurt. I couldn't have done this without you!" He smiled back, and then opened the door and left.
Eric was going to be on the Senate floor most of the day, and if he needed her he would call. She decided to work on the report for Eric. She knew for sure that what the AAAI was asking for was not only dangerous for the Homedwellers, she believed that it would simply be bad for everyone. Dr. Gannon had never had a desire to help humanity, and if he was involved in this, then that meant this would only serve his purposes, and he wouldn't care who got hurt.
As Tia began assembling the pieces of the report - the history of the AAAI, the news clippings of supposed UFO sightings about the time her people were arriving, and other material Eric had suggested - she did her best to paint it in a negative light. She realized that she was walking a fine line and could be accused of editorializing the material, and if Eric thought that, she might be in trouble. But she couldn't simply leave it up to Eric- this was a bad idea, and she wanted to convey that.
And it wasn't too difficult. For almost every sighting of a UFO in the 1960s she was able to find top-secret Air Force documents about tests the government conducted around that time in that approximate area. It was enough to cast doubt on the sightings, at the very least. Regarding the AAAI, she was able to include some very radical quotes from their material (some of it on the website and some of it . well, not readily available, but in her hands thanks to Marty).
She was still mulling it over, trying to make a cohesive report from the mountains of data she had collected, when she felt Eric's presence. It caught her off guard - she could usually sense that someone was approaching, but it was rare that she would know who it was. She looked up, and sure enough, he was standing there in her doorway, smiling at her. She smiled back, somewhat self-consciously, and said, "Hi. Taking a break?"
He walked toward her, shutting her office door. As he leaned toward her, he said, "Yes, I'm taking a break . something that you never seem to do!" She laughed as she avoided his kiss and said, "Well, you see, I have this boss who's a real taskmaster! If I slack off for even one second, he lets me know about it! So I'm afraid I'm too busy to kiss you right now!" And she turned back toward her computer.
Eric stood up, walked back toward the door to see if she would stop him, and then said, "Fine! I'm going to go have it out with your boss, and by the time I finish with him, he'll let you do anything you jolly well want to!" And he strode out the door.
Tia turned around, not sure what to expect. She was teasing Eric, but she didn't think he would just leave. Did he take the joke wrong? She really didn't mind kissing him! Suddenly the black phone on her desk rang, and she picked it up. "Yes?"
He almost barked into the phone, "Get into my office now!" and hung up.
Now Tia was really perplexed . even nervous. She grabbed the notepad that she always had ready and went next door. She walked in, shutting the door, and sat across from him. He looked stern.
He said, "Tia, I just spoke with your boyfriend, and he seems to think that I treat you way too harshly! In my opinion he's just a romantic wimp, but, I value your work here, and I don't want anyone to think I'm unfair, so here's what I'm proposing.
"When you are in here, I am your boss, and I expect you to do what I say and work hard."
Then he abruptly got up, walked around his desk, lightly grabbed Tia by the arm, led her out the door, into her office, and shut her door. Then he said, "But when we're in here, I'm your boyfriend and you're in charge! If you don't want to work . don't! But you better work when you're in your boss' office, because he's definitely a workaholic!"
They both laughed as they embraced. For a moment they just held each other, then, as they stared into each other's eyes, they kissed.
It was sweet, romantic, loving . and Tia just couldn't enjoy it. There on her computer was the beginning of the report Eric wanted. He could joke about being boss and boyfriend, but would he joke when he learned she was from "outer space"? Would he give in to the AAAI or see her side?
Eric suddenly broke the kiss. He stepped back, and Tia looked bewildered. He looked confused as well, and said, "Tia, what's happening?"
She looked at him, confusion showing on her face, and said, "What do you mean? We were kissing - that's what was happening!"
He didn't smile. He said, "No, Tia. This was different. I've always been fairly perceptive, able to read people, kinda know what they were thinking or how they felt. But this was different. I really read you, Tia. I heard you, but I didn't hear you. You're scared. Something about the report I want you to write is bothering you, and it's so upsetting that you can't relax around me. You . you think I won't like you after I read the report! I won't accept you or love you. Tia, how could you think that?"
Tia was in shock. It was one of those moments when something clicks, when you know you're in the right place at the right time. Something began to dawn on her, and she had to find out . now.
"Eric, I need to ask you something. Please don't be offended, but I must ask you. Who are your parents . your real parents?"
He looked sad for a moment, then straightened and said, "I don't know. I've never known. I was raised by foster parents. I was told I was abandoned by my real parents, but I truly don't know. Why?"
As Tia tried to decide how to tell him what she suspected, she realized there was no way to do it without him thinking she was just plain crazy. She tried to speak, but didn't know how to start. Suddenly he spoke. "No! You really think that I am related to you? That just because you and your brother were raised by foster parents and found your people later, that I must be one of you, too?"
He stopped. "Tia . how did I know you were thinking that? You didn't say anything? .Tia, what's wrong with me? I am usually decisive and in charge - and now I feel like a lost little boy. I feel like I'm completely losing it! Do you know what's happening?"
Tia spoke without using her voice - her lips remained closed. "Eric, if you can hear me, then I can tell you exactly what is going on."
He looked like he had seen a ghost. "I can hear you," he answered back, also without moving his lips. "How?"
She smiled and stepped closer to him. She grabbed his arms and said, silently, "I'll explain everything. Just be patient. And . Welcome Home, Eric!"
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN
By Kevin Haynes
CHAPTER 20
It's funny how something from your past can pop up again, and even though it's been years, you feel the same way you felt long ago. It's almost like the experience is brand new again.
That's how it was for Tia when she heard Dr. Gannon's name. The source of their trouble now was the same source of all the problems they experienced the last time she and Tony were among humans! She didn't know what to say . she just sat there open-mouthed as Kurt continued.
"The documents that Marty downloaded - which I now have on my computer and can show you - paint a picture of the AAAI as being nationwide. The vice- president of the organization is actually from North Carolina. His name is Travis Pluck, and he claims in one of the documents that he encountered an alien in the form of a human, and that the alien actually attacked him.
"Even worse, Dr. Gannon's writings name you and Tony. He doesn't have a last name for you, of course. And he believes that you two were aliens who simply adopted the form of humans. Some of his musings are pretty bizarre - he thinks you have transparent skin and green blood, and that you actually read the minds of all creatures. I don't know where he gets this stuff - I think he went off the deep end while in jail.
"I tell you, my blood ran cold when I saw his name. I wondered if Letha and her nephew - I think his name was Sickle - were involved, but Marty did some checking on a crime database. Dr. Gannon only got nailed for trespassing. I think he must have had a pretty sharp lawyer, because he certainly tried more than that. But Letha and Sickle actually attempted to steal that gold, remember? Dr. Gannon testified against them, and they went to prison for a long time. Letha died in prison - Sickle is unaccounted for. Dr. Gannon is still alive, but he's pushing 90, so I don't know how much longer he will actually lead the group.
"Marty also found that they have been collecting news clippings from different areas, mostly North Carolina, of UFO's seen, crashes reported, people found who didn't speak any known language, reports of activity on a place called Witch Mountain. They're really focused on that place - many of their documents were photos taken from the air or by satellite. They're not close-ups, and they're not very clear, but they have them.
"My concern now, Tia, is first of all, what do you tell Eric? How much of this can you report? And secondly, how do we stop Dr. Gannon and his followers from finding your people?"
Tia had been listening, but also thinking fast and hard. She was trying to suppress the gnawing fear that was raging inside of her. Being here with Kurt, hearing Dr. Gannon's name again, brought back the same fear, despair, and uncertainty she had felt when Tony first disappeared that day in California. She had to get past that to find some answers.
"I'm not sure. First of all, thank you, Kurt. You went above and beyond what you were asked, and you did it out of friendship, and I appreciate that so much. I'm going to talk with Tony and with some of my people tonight and find out what they think. My report will be based on that, as well as my decision on what we should do about the threat."
Kurt nodded, and got up to leave. "I'm going to have Marty keep on monitoring their systems - he said he can be alerted if they add or edit any of their documents. I don't know how he does it, but at this point I don't care! I'll keep you up-to-date."
Tia smiled. "Thanks, Kurt. I couldn't have done this without you!" He smiled back, and then opened the door and left.
Eric was going to be on the Senate floor most of the day, and if he needed her he would call. She decided to work on the report for Eric. She knew for sure that what the AAAI was asking for was not only dangerous for the Homedwellers, she believed that it would simply be bad for everyone. Dr. Gannon had never had a desire to help humanity, and if he was involved in this, then that meant this would only serve his purposes, and he wouldn't care who got hurt.
As Tia began assembling the pieces of the report - the history of the AAAI, the news clippings of supposed UFO sightings about the time her people were arriving, and other material Eric had suggested - she did her best to paint it in a negative light. She realized that she was walking a fine line and could be accused of editorializing the material, and if Eric thought that, she might be in trouble. But she couldn't simply leave it up to Eric- this was a bad idea, and she wanted to convey that.
And it wasn't too difficult. For almost every sighting of a UFO in the 1960s she was able to find top-secret Air Force documents about tests the government conducted around that time in that approximate area. It was enough to cast doubt on the sightings, at the very least. Regarding the AAAI, she was able to include some very radical quotes from their material (some of it on the website and some of it . well, not readily available, but in her hands thanks to Marty).
She was still mulling it over, trying to make a cohesive report from the mountains of data she had collected, when she felt Eric's presence. It caught her off guard - she could usually sense that someone was approaching, but it was rare that she would know who it was. She looked up, and sure enough, he was standing there in her doorway, smiling at her. She smiled back, somewhat self-consciously, and said, "Hi. Taking a break?"
He walked toward her, shutting her office door. As he leaned toward her, he said, "Yes, I'm taking a break . something that you never seem to do!" She laughed as she avoided his kiss and said, "Well, you see, I have this boss who's a real taskmaster! If I slack off for even one second, he lets me know about it! So I'm afraid I'm too busy to kiss you right now!" And she turned back toward her computer.
Eric stood up, walked back toward the door to see if she would stop him, and then said, "Fine! I'm going to go have it out with your boss, and by the time I finish with him, he'll let you do anything you jolly well want to!" And he strode out the door.
Tia turned around, not sure what to expect. She was teasing Eric, but she didn't think he would just leave. Did he take the joke wrong? She really didn't mind kissing him! Suddenly the black phone on her desk rang, and she picked it up. "Yes?"
He almost barked into the phone, "Get into my office now!" and hung up.
Now Tia was really perplexed . even nervous. She grabbed the notepad that she always had ready and went next door. She walked in, shutting the door, and sat across from him. He looked stern.
He said, "Tia, I just spoke with your boyfriend, and he seems to think that I treat you way too harshly! In my opinion he's just a romantic wimp, but, I value your work here, and I don't want anyone to think I'm unfair, so here's what I'm proposing.
"When you are in here, I am your boss, and I expect you to do what I say and work hard."
Then he abruptly got up, walked around his desk, lightly grabbed Tia by the arm, led her out the door, into her office, and shut her door. Then he said, "But when we're in here, I'm your boyfriend and you're in charge! If you don't want to work . don't! But you better work when you're in your boss' office, because he's definitely a workaholic!"
They both laughed as they embraced. For a moment they just held each other, then, as they stared into each other's eyes, they kissed.
It was sweet, romantic, loving . and Tia just couldn't enjoy it. There on her computer was the beginning of the report Eric wanted. He could joke about being boss and boyfriend, but would he joke when he learned she was from "outer space"? Would he give in to the AAAI or see her side?
Eric suddenly broke the kiss. He stepped back, and Tia looked bewildered. He looked confused as well, and said, "Tia, what's happening?"
She looked at him, confusion showing on her face, and said, "What do you mean? We were kissing - that's what was happening!"
He didn't smile. He said, "No, Tia. This was different. I've always been fairly perceptive, able to read people, kinda know what they were thinking or how they felt. But this was different. I really read you, Tia. I heard you, but I didn't hear you. You're scared. Something about the report I want you to write is bothering you, and it's so upsetting that you can't relax around me. You . you think I won't like you after I read the report! I won't accept you or love you. Tia, how could you think that?"
Tia was in shock. It was one of those moments when something clicks, when you know you're in the right place at the right time. Something began to dawn on her, and she had to find out . now.
"Eric, I need to ask you something. Please don't be offended, but I must ask you. Who are your parents . your real parents?"
He looked sad for a moment, then straightened and said, "I don't know. I've never known. I was raised by foster parents. I was told I was abandoned by my real parents, but I truly don't know. Why?"
As Tia tried to decide how to tell him what she suspected, she realized there was no way to do it without him thinking she was just plain crazy. She tried to speak, but didn't know how to start. Suddenly he spoke. "No! You really think that I am related to you? That just because you and your brother were raised by foster parents and found your people later, that I must be one of you, too?"
He stopped. "Tia . how did I know you were thinking that? You didn't say anything? .Tia, what's wrong with me? I am usually decisive and in charge - and now I feel like a lost little boy. I feel like I'm completely losing it! Do you know what's happening?"
Tia spoke without using her voice - her lips remained closed. "Eric, if you can hear me, then I can tell you exactly what is going on."
He looked like he had seen a ghost. "I can hear you," he answered back, also without moving his lips. "How?"
She smiled and stepped closer to him. She grabbed his arms and said, silently, "I'll explain everything. Just be patient. And . Welcome Home, Eric!"