TITLE: A Day in the Life of a Grim Reaper; Behind the Cloak and Sickle (Part16of30)
AUTHOR: trista
DISCLAIMER: these characters do not belong to me, they belong to MGM, Showtime, the creator of Dead Like me, and the actors who portray them, please don't sue me, not that I have any money or anything you'd want!
RATING: PG-13 (for language, but the kids these days…)
CONTENT: Reggie/Millie friendship, Mason/George romance
SUMMARY: We learn a little about Anika's past, and it's Reggie's wedding day!!
AUTHORS NOTES: this is the last part in this time jump folks!! Hehe… it's a little hard to write a fic when you kitty has decided to take residence ontop of the monitor, and insists upon hanging down and trying to catch the cursor. Thank you for all the kind words, keep 'em coming please, and on with the story!!!!! Insert kermit the frog style "yay!!" here!
"Fuck! I'm never going to make it there in time!" I exclaimed.
"Where' the car?" asked Rube.
"it's getting fixed," Mason replied.
"And here I thought whenever a car gave you trouble you just got a new one."
"Thanks, Rube, sometimes we like something enough to want to keep it. Besides we haven't had the car more then two months, so would we get rid of it."
"I can drive, you, if you'd like George, mine's not for another few hours," Anika offered.
"Thank you, I'd really appreciate that. At least someone around here is nice. I'll buy you your breakfast as payment for your gas."
She smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem."
A few minutes later the waitress came back, and I paid for both of our meals, and we got into her car, and she drove me to where N. Laroches was going to die. It was a pretty long walk, and I realized that I had not really talked to Anika since she joined us about six months ago. She had toned down her look a bit, she had taken out her labret and eyebrow rings, but still had a tongue stud. She kept the short spiked hair, and dressed a little less Goth. I know Rube was glad about the change. For the most part she was very nice, but when something go to her she could be a bitch.
"So George, we don't talk much do we?" she asked me.
"No, not really," I replied.
"I find that odd because we're the only two girls on the team, and we shouldn't be at odds with each other."
I shrugged. "I don't have anything against you, the opportunity for any real discussion has never really come up." "I think you still resent the fact that I took your friend's place. I know that you and Daisy were close, Rube told me."
I nodded. "Yeah, we were, I really miss her."
"That's understandable, but I don't see why because of that you're putting up a wall between us. Maybe you're not doing it consciously, but sub-consciously you are putting up barriers between us, and I think that we really should try to be friends."
I nodded. "Where do we start?"
Just then someone cut her off. "You little fuck!" She yelled out the window. "Learn how to fucking drive, and if you can't drive park your damn SUV!"
I looked at her, quizzically and a little frightened, she turned to me and smiled, and proceed to give the finger to the driver who had cut her off.
"I'm sorry, George, when someone pisses me off, I tell them that they have. I had to do that when I was growing up, so I always do now," she explained to me.
I nodded. "I understand I guess."
"I don't tell my life story to just anyone, but you seem trust worthy. I never knew my parents, they abandoned me when I was just a baby. I'm sure they had their reasons, and part of me wanted to find them and ask them why they didn't want me." "That must be horrible," I commented, and I was a rebellious teen cause my mother admitted she loved me, the world sure is fucked up.
"So I guess I really was un ugly baby and I lived at state children homes, which is just the politically correct way of saying orphanage. I suppose I could have grown up in worse circumstances, I was never abused while I was there, and I always had food and clothing. It's not exactly the most loving environment, but it teaches you to look out for yourself. I learned that less young and quick."
I nodded. "I never realized how lucky I was."
"When I turned nine they decided to start putting me into foster homes, which I guess is to show you what a loving family functions like, but for me it was like being pass around like a pet. At first everywhere I went with my new family there was a big fuss about me, then when that died down, they started to realize that I had some issues, and would ship me back to where I came from, where I would be placed with another new family."
"So did anyone ever want to adopt you?"
"There was this one woman, she was a young widow, who always wanted children, and since her husband passed, and she would not get remarried she decided to foster children. I was the first child she was set to adopt, but I guess the agency thought that at eleven I was a little old, and had a few too many problems for a young widow to deal with, and talked her into taking a younger child, who was a little easier to handle. I heard later that she adopted another child, and she was very happy, and the kids were very well rounded. After that whole idea of finding a family didn't seem very appealing to me, so I just gave up. Coming from that background you'd be hard pressed to find a person who wasn't a bit rough around the edges when someone rattled her chains."
"Was there anyone, ever in your life that you ever cared about?" I had always wondered why she didn't go to her own funeral, she had told me that she wasn't important enough to have one.
"There was one little girl, I call her my niece, she was my next door neighbor's daughter. A beautiful little girl, named Brooke-Lyn. She was born the day after I moved into my first place when I was sixteen. Her mom wasn't the most fit mother in the world, but she loved her, and would ask me to babysit so that I could have some money of my own. As the years went on we got really close, and I miss her a lot. She's so smart, she's going to make something of her life."
"That's quiet the story you've got there, it makes me feel like a spoiled little brat!"
She laughed. "You never know what you can survive until you live it."
I nodded, and we soon got to the spot where N. Laroches was going to die, just near a lake. This should be interesting. I went over to where the harbor master was. I smiled at him.
"Millie!" he exclaimed. "You haven't been here for a sailing lesson in ages!"
"I'm not here for a sailing lesson, sadly."
"That's a shame, you had quiet a knack for it."
"I don't have much time for sailing with school, work, and my fiancé."
"What a busy life you lead. So what brings you out on this lovely day?"
"I am supposed to meet with the Laroches, they were to be coming in and docking here for a little while."
"I've met them, a nice young couple. They came in last night, and will be staying for about a week. You're lucky they're planning on going off for a romantic tour in a few minutes, they're docked at number 12."
"Thank you, and when I have time I'll come by for some sailing, maybe I'll bring my fiancé."
"All right, I hope to see you soon."
I walked down to the dock with Anika. I went over to their boat, and admired it, it was a pretty nice boat, a pontoon, that they had painted black, and the seats were gray.
"This is a beautiful boat," I said.
"You like boats?" the man, who was no more then twenty five asked.
"Yeah, when I was a kid my dad used to take me and my brother fishing, taught us about all kinds of boats, and this here is one of the nicest boats I've ever seen!"
"I'm glad you like it, we got it custom made!" explained the woman, with a deep south accent.
"I'd imagine to get something like this you would have to. I'm Millie, by the way, and this is my good friend Ani."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Nat and this is Mike," she said.
I shook their hands taking her soul as I did. "This really is an amazing machine!"
"I know that we southerners are known for our hospitality, but we're just about to head out for a little trip, but you come back later tonight, and we'll talk some more."
"That sounds great! Thank you so much, see you later Mike and Nat!"
Anika and I walked away, and soon as they were out of sight Mike drowned her. I looked out onto the lake, and saw a staircase going into the clouds, at least she was quick to move on, and she seemed to be going to heaven. I smiled, and walked back to the car. What a day this was going to be, start it off at a beautiful marina, and end it up at church. I loved my sister, but I wished she had deiced to have her wedding outside after all. The weather would have been prefect for it.
"Anika could you do me a huge favor and drop me off at St. Mary's?" I asked on the way back.
"Yeah, of course, why are you going to a church?"
"A friend of mine is getting married today."
"Does Rube know about it?"
"Yeah that's why he gave me the post it he did." All right so I hadn't told him the whole truth, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Technically to Millie Reggie was just a friend, so I hadn't exactly lied.
"Oh all right, he just seems like the type of person that gets pretty pissy when someone sneaks around behind his back."
I smiled. "I've incurred the wrath of Rube before, trust me, I don't sneak around anymore."
She nodded, and on the way back we talked about my life, I thought it only fair since she had shared her life story with me. She pulled up in front of the church, and I ran into the bride's room.
"I'm so sorry, Reggie," I said as soon as I walked in.
"It's all right, all that matters is you're here, and you actually called me to tell me that you were going to be running late."
"Yeah, sorry, sometimes my job is just so stupid!"
"It's okay really, I'm really disappointed that Mason won't be here."
"Yeah, well he's got lots of stuff to do, plus he said he'd feel weird in place where he didn't really know anyone. He appreciated that you invited him though."
"I'm glad you told me to bring your dress now," Reggie laughed, handing me a garment bag. "Now go get changed, I want you all changed before you get to see my dress on."
"Where's your mother?"
"She's around. Believe it or not I think she's trying to calm down my father."
Strangeness abound! I hadn't seen my parents get along since Reggie took her first steps, but I'm told weddings bring out the best in people. I went into a subsection of the room and got changed. I looked in the mirror and I didn't look that bad in the light blue dress she had picked out. I came out, and all the other girls were grinning at me.
"You all look so good!" Reggie exclaimed. "My turn, Millie could you go find my mother?"
"I haven't seen her in ages, I doubt I'd recognize her!"
"Fine, fine, then you go please Lea."
"Sure," said the girl who must be Lea, and she quickly darted out of the room.Suddenly that Sesame Street song, one of things doesn't belong here, thing jumped into my head. I felt really out of place. All the girls were so much younger then me, though they looked older. I didn't know any of them, and what was an undead girl doing being a bride's maid at a wedding anyway? A few minutes later Lea came back with my parents.
"Is everyone ready?" Reggie asked.
"Yes," was the chorus.
She came out, and she looked beautiful. I almost cried, I still found it hard to believe that she was my little sister! I had to remember to react like a friend, and I kept my cool. The dress was long and flowing, with a long train, and sleeveless, which was handy with the weather being warm, and the church not being air conditioned. After a little while the ceremony started, and it was pretty typical of a wedding, save the candle lighting thing for me. That was really odd to witness cause I knew that the spirit of George was there. A few people shed tears at that part, but quickly regained composure till the end.
After the ceremony we went to this nice little park on the way to the reception hall for pictures. When it was all done I never wanted to see a camera again, and I wasn't in a lot of the pictures. I decided then that no matter how much I loved Mason I would never go thru all that shit, just to show off to our few friends that we were really in love.
The reception was a lot of fun, though I felt like a loser not dancing with anyone. I ended up catching the bouquet, which I'm pretty sure Reggie rigged, because she had been bugging me about Mason and I just living together almost since she had gotten engaged. After the reception she pulled each girl aside, because after the honeymoon they were moving right away.
"I'm going to miss you Millie," she whispered hugging me.
"I'm going to miss you too, kiddo, but it's what's best for you."
She smiled. "I know, it's just going to be strange not having you a phone call away."
"I still will be we just won't be able to meet."
She started to cry. "It's going to get some getting used to, I'm really going to miss our chats in the park."
I began to cry too. "Yeah, me too, but this is what life is all about Reggie. You are one of the best friends I've ever had, and I'm not going to let a little thing like an ocean separate us."
She smiled. "You always know the right thing to say."
"Now, stop blubbering before you ruin all your makeup."
She laughed. "I love you Millie."
"I love you too Reggie, now I think that Max is getting impatient, and wants you all to himself."
"Let him wait, he has a whole lifetime of me to himself, I'm probably never going to see you again."
"At least we will still be communicating."
"Always looking on the bright side."
"I looked on the dark side too long, and it nearly killed me, the bright side keeps me going."
She smiled. "I guess this is goodbye."
"I guess it is."
We hugged again, and then she got into her car with Max, and the two of them drove away, the car rattling from cans attached to the "just married" sign. I was upset, but I hadn't really lost her, and that made me feel better. I looked up, and across the street Mason was sitting in our newly fixed car, smiling. I walked over, and he got out of the car and opened the passenger side door for me, I smiled and got in the car.
"Do you want all that Georgie?" he asked me.
"I thought I did, but then I realized it's just too much hassle, as long as we know we love each other, that's all that matters."
He smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way. I love you Georgie."
"I love you Mason."
He leaned over and kissed me, and after a while sitting in the car we went home. I was glad to be home, and still found it a little quiet sometimes when I walked in. I didn't know how long it would take me to get over Daisy not living there. We went upstairs and on my bedside table there was a dozen red roses.
"I thought you could use them today, after being at your sister's wedding," he whispered. "I didn't think you'd come home with flowers of your own."
I grinned. "I like roses from you better then a fixed bouquet from a wedding any day," I told him pushing him onto the bed.
End
End notes: that was slightly shorter then I had anticipated, but I think it works for what I wanted to get across in the last part of this time frame. Next we jump another twenty years and we are introduced to Colt the lead guitarist for Purple Mist! I'm quiet excited about the new time jump, I hope everyone likes it too…. Hugz and kissez all!! Trista aka the Dustytiger!
AUTHOR: trista
DISCLAIMER: these characters do not belong to me, they belong to MGM, Showtime, the creator of Dead Like me, and the actors who portray them, please don't sue me, not that I have any money or anything you'd want!
RATING: PG-13 (for language, but the kids these days…)
CONTENT: Reggie/Millie friendship, Mason/George romance
SUMMARY: We learn a little about Anika's past, and it's Reggie's wedding day!!
AUTHORS NOTES: this is the last part in this time jump folks!! Hehe… it's a little hard to write a fic when you kitty has decided to take residence ontop of the monitor, and insists upon hanging down and trying to catch the cursor. Thank you for all the kind words, keep 'em coming please, and on with the story!!!!! Insert kermit the frog style "yay!!" here!
"Fuck! I'm never going to make it there in time!" I exclaimed.
"Where' the car?" asked Rube.
"it's getting fixed," Mason replied.
"And here I thought whenever a car gave you trouble you just got a new one."
"Thanks, Rube, sometimes we like something enough to want to keep it. Besides we haven't had the car more then two months, so would we get rid of it."
"I can drive, you, if you'd like George, mine's not for another few hours," Anika offered.
"Thank you, I'd really appreciate that. At least someone around here is nice. I'll buy you your breakfast as payment for your gas."
She smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem."
A few minutes later the waitress came back, and I paid for both of our meals, and we got into her car, and she drove me to where N. Laroches was going to die. It was a pretty long walk, and I realized that I had not really talked to Anika since she joined us about six months ago. She had toned down her look a bit, she had taken out her labret and eyebrow rings, but still had a tongue stud. She kept the short spiked hair, and dressed a little less Goth. I know Rube was glad about the change. For the most part she was very nice, but when something go to her she could be a bitch.
"So George, we don't talk much do we?" she asked me.
"No, not really," I replied.
"I find that odd because we're the only two girls on the team, and we shouldn't be at odds with each other."
I shrugged. "I don't have anything against you, the opportunity for any real discussion has never really come up." "I think you still resent the fact that I took your friend's place. I know that you and Daisy were close, Rube told me."
I nodded. "Yeah, we were, I really miss her."
"That's understandable, but I don't see why because of that you're putting up a wall between us. Maybe you're not doing it consciously, but sub-consciously you are putting up barriers between us, and I think that we really should try to be friends."
I nodded. "Where do we start?"
Just then someone cut her off. "You little fuck!" She yelled out the window. "Learn how to fucking drive, and if you can't drive park your damn SUV!"
I looked at her, quizzically and a little frightened, she turned to me and smiled, and proceed to give the finger to the driver who had cut her off.
"I'm sorry, George, when someone pisses me off, I tell them that they have. I had to do that when I was growing up, so I always do now," she explained to me.
I nodded. "I understand I guess."
"I don't tell my life story to just anyone, but you seem trust worthy. I never knew my parents, they abandoned me when I was just a baby. I'm sure they had their reasons, and part of me wanted to find them and ask them why they didn't want me." "That must be horrible," I commented, and I was a rebellious teen cause my mother admitted she loved me, the world sure is fucked up.
"So I guess I really was un ugly baby and I lived at state children homes, which is just the politically correct way of saying orphanage. I suppose I could have grown up in worse circumstances, I was never abused while I was there, and I always had food and clothing. It's not exactly the most loving environment, but it teaches you to look out for yourself. I learned that less young and quick."
I nodded. "I never realized how lucky I was."
"When I turned nine they decided to start putting me into foster homes, which I guess is to show you what a loving family functions like, but for me it was like being pass around like a pet. At first everywhere I went with my new family there was a big fuss about me, then when that died down, they started to realize that I had some issues, and would ship me back to where I came from, where I would be placed with another new family."
"So did anyone ever want to adopt you?"
"There was this one woman, she was a young widow, who always wanted children, and since her husband passed, and she would not get remarried she decided to foster children. I was the first child she was set to adopt, but I guess the agency thought that at eleven I was a little old, and had a few too many problems for a young widow to deal with, and talked her into taking a younger child, who was a little easier to handle. I heard later that she adopted another child, and she was very happy, and the kids were very well rounded. After that whole idea of finding a family didn't seem very appealing to me, so I just gave up. Coming from that background you'd be hard pressed to find a person who wasn't a bit rough around the edges when someone rattled her chains."
"Was there anyone, ever in your life that you ever cared about?" I had always wondered why she didn't go to her own funeral, she had told me that she wasn't important enough to have one.
"There was one little girl, I call her my niece, she was my next door neighbor's daughter. A beautiful little girl, named Brooke-Lyn. She was born the day after I moved into my first place when I was sixteen. Her mom wasn't the most fit mother in the world, but she loved her, and would ask me to babysit so that I could have some money of my own. As the years went on we got really close, and I miss her a lot. She's so smart, she's going to make something of her life."
"That's quiet the story you've got there, it makes me feel like a spoiled little brat!"
She laughed. "You never know what you can survive until you live it."
I nodded, and we soon got to the spot where N. Laroches was going to die, just near a lake. This should be interesting. I went over to where the harbor master was. I smiled at him.
"Millie!" he exclaimed. "You haven't been here for a sailing lesson in ages!"
"I'm not here for a sailing lesson, sadly."
"That's a shame, you had quiet a knack for it."
"I don't have much time for sailing with school, work, and my fiancé."
"What a busy life you lead. So what brings you out on this lovely day?"
"I am supposed to meet with the Laroches, they were to be coming in and docking here for a little while."
"I've met them, a nice young couple. They came in last night, and will be staying for about a week. You're lucky they're planning on going off for a romantic tour in a few minutes, they're docked at number 12."
"Thank you, and when I have time I'll come by for some sailing, maybe I'll bring my fiancé."
"All right, I hope to see you soon."
I walked down to the dock with Anika. I went over to their boat, and admired it, it was a pretty nice boat, a pontoon, that they had painted black, and the seats were gray.
"This is a beautiful boat," I said.
"You like boats?" the man, who was no more then twenty five asked.
"Yeah, when I was a kid my dad used to take me and my brother fishing, taught us about all kinds of boats, and this here is one of the nicest boats I've ever seen!"
"I'm glad you like it, we got it custom made!" explained the woman, with a deep south accent.
"I'd imagine to get something like this you would have to. I'm Millie, by the way, and this is my good friend Ani."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Nat and this is Mike," she said.
I shook their hands taking her soul as I did. "This really is an amazing machine!"
"I know that we southerners are known for our hospitality, but we're just about to head out for a little trip, but you come back later tonight, and we'll talk some more."
"That sounds great! Thank you so much, see you later Mike and Nat!"
Anika and I walked away, and soon as they were out of sight Mike drowned her. I looked out onto the lake, and saw a staircase going into the clouds, at least she was quick to move on, and she seemed to be going to heaven. I smiled, and walked back to the car. What a day this was going to be, start it off at a beautiful marina, and end it up at church. I loved my sister, but I wished she had deiced to have her wedding outside after all. The weather would have been prefect for it.
"Anika could you do me a huge favor and drop me off at St. Mary's?" I asked on the way back.
"Yeah, of course, why are you going to a church?"
"A friend of mine is getting married today."
"Does Rube know about it?"
"Yeah that's why he gave me the post it he did." All right so I hadn't told him the whole truth, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Technically to Millie Reggie was just a friend, so I hadn't exactly lied.
"Oh all right, he just seems like the type of person that gets pretty pissy when someone sneaks around behind his back."
I smiled. "I've incurred the wrath of Rube before, trust me, I don't sneak around anymore."
She nodded, and on the way back we talked about my life, I thought it only fair since she had shared her life story with me. She pulled up in front of the church, and I ran into the bride's room.
"I'm so sorry, Reggie," I said as soon as I walked in.
"It's all right, all that matters is you're here, and you actually called me to tell me that you were going to be running late."
"Yeah, sorry, sometimes my job is just so stupid!"
"It's okay really, I'm really disappointed that Mason won't be here."
"Yeah, well he's got lots of stuff to do, plus he said he'd feel weird in place where he didn't really know anyone. He appreciated that you invited him though."
"I'm glad you told me to bring your dress now," Reggie laughed, handing me a garment bag. "Now go get changed, I want you all changed before you get to see my dress on."
"Where's your mother?"
"She's around. Believe it or not I think she's trying to calm down my father."
Strangeness abound! I hadn't seen my parents get along since Reggie took her first steps, but I'm told weddings bring out the best in people. I went into a subsection of the room and got changed. I looked in the mirror and I didn't look that bad in the light blue dress she had picked out. I came out, and all the other girls were grinning at me.
"You all look so good!" Reggie exclaimed. "My turn, Millie could you go find my mother?"
"I haven't seen her in ages, I doubt I'd recognize her!"
"Fine, fine, then you go please Lea."
"Sure," said the girl who must be Lea, and she quickly darted out of the room.Suddenly that Sesame Street song, one of things doesn't belong here, thing jumped into my head. I felt really out of place. All the girls were so much younger then me, though they looked older. I didn't know any of them, and what was an undead girl doing being a bride's maid at a wedding anyway? A few minutes later Lea came back with my parents.
"Is everyone ready?" Reggie asked.
"Yes," was the chorus.
She came out, and she looked beautiful. I almost cried, I still found it hard to believe that she was my little sister! I had to remember to react like a friend, and I kept my cool. The dress was long and flowing, with a long train, and sleeveless, which was handy with the weather being warm, and the church not being air conditioned. After a little while the ceremony started, and it was pretty typical of a wedding, save the candle lighting thing for me. That was really odd to witness cause I knew that the spirit of George was there. A few people shed tears at that part, but quickly regained composure till the end.
After the ceremony we went to this nice little park on the way to the reception hall for pictures. When it was all done I never wanted to see a camera again, and I wasn't in a lot of the pictures. I decided then that no matter how much I loved Mason I would never go thru all that shit, just to show off to our few friends that we were really in love.
The reception was a lot of fun, though I felt like a loser not dancing with anyone. I ended up catching the bouquet, which I'm pretty sure Reggie rigged, because she had been bugging me about Mason and I just living together almost since she had gotten engaged. After the reception she pulled each girl aside, because after the honeymoon they were moving right away.
"I'm going to miss you Millie," she whispered hugging me.
"I'm going to miss you too, kiddo, but it's what's best for you."
She smiled. "I know, it's just going to be strange not having you a phone call away."
"I still will be we just won't be able to meet."
She started to cry. "It's going to get some getting used to, I'm really going to miss our chats in the park."
I began to cry too. "Yeah, me too, but this is what life is all about Reggie. You are one of the best friends I've ever had, and I'm not going to let a little thing like an ocean separate us."
She smiled. "You always know the right thing to say."
"Now, stop blubbering before you ruin all your makeup."
She laughed. "I love you Millie."
"I love you too Reggie, now I think that Max is getting impatient, and wants you all to himself."
"Let him wait, he has a whole lifetime of me to himself, I'm probably never going to see you again."
"At least we will still be communicating."
"Always looking on the bright side."
"I looked on the dark side too long, and it nearly killed me, the bright side keeps me going."
She smiled. "I guess this is goodbye."
"I guess it is."
We hugged again, and then she got into her car with Max, and the two of them drove away, the car rattling from cans attached to the "just married" sign. I was upset, but I hadn't really lost her, and that made me feel better. I looked up, and across the street Mason was sitting in our newly fixed car, smiling. I walked over, and he got out of the car and opened the passenger side door for me, I smiled and got in the car.
"Do you want all that Georgie?" he asked me.
"I thought I did, but then I realized it's just too much hassle, as long as we know we love each other, that's all that matters."
He smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way. I love you Georgie."
"I love you Mason."
He leaned over and kissed me, and after a while sitting in the car we went home. I was glad to be home, and still found it a little quiet sometimes when I walked in. I didn't know how long it would take me to get over Daisy not living there. We went upstairs and on my bedside table there was a dozen red roses.
"I thought you could use them today, after being at your sister's wedding," he whispered. "I didn't think you'd come home with flowers of your own."
I grinned. "I like roses from you better then a fixed bouquet from a wedding any day," I told him pushing him onto the bed.
End
End notes: that was slightly shorter then I had anticipated, but I think it works for what I wanted to get across in the last part of this time frame. Next we jump another twenty years and we are introduced to Colt the lead guitarist for Purple Mist! I'm quiet excited about the new time jump, I hope everyone likes it too…. Hugz and kissez all!! Trista aka the Dustytiger!