The next morning Lori carried a tea tray upstairs, not stopping until she had reached Judy's room. She listened, but heard nothing. She sighed a bit and shifted the tray to her other side, kncking on the door. She heard a muffled, 'Come in'. Judy had asked her to let Merilee stay until she felt better and can figure out what to do. Lori loved her sister as much as Judy did and could never have the door be closed to her, especially not after what her boyfriend…ex-boyfriend now...had put her through. 'Good going, Robert Redford,' Lori thought as she pushed open he door and set the tray upon the end table. "Good Morning, meri," she greeted her. "I've brought you your favorite breakfast, cinnamon French toast, maple sausage, tea, and some more tissues."
Merilee sat up in the bed, her nose bright red and her hair messy and standing out every-which-way. She reached for the tissue box and blew her nose into it, pitching it into an already-full wastebasket. "Thank you, Lori," she sighed.
Lori moved around the room, trying to keep up a sunny disposition. She pulled up the shades and opened the windows. "You need some fresh air and sunshine," she told Merilee. "It's not good for you to be shut up like this." She moved over to the bed and sat down upon it. "Meri, why don't you go into the bathroom and take a nice, long, hot shower? That always makes ME feel better."
Merilee managed a small nod of her head, but her bright sea-green eyes looked at Lori as if to say, 'Everything in my life is wrong.' She sighed a bit. "I just feel too bad right now for anything to help, Lori...but thanks." She fell back down on the pillows. "The only thing I really want…" she continued in a shaky voice. "Is to wake up right now and have this all be a dream…it didn't happen.." tears broke from her eyes again. "And Butch still lo…lo…..loves me.." she rolled over on her back and cried into the pillows. "How…how can he just flirt with all those other girls…right in front of me!! He did that right in front of me!! I've been faithful to him….never even looked at another man! But when those pretty agents..lovely fans….it's like I'm not even there!!" Lori held Merillee tightly and let her cry into her shoulder. She knew ending such an important relationship was hard on anyone...and it was just killing poor Meri up inside.
"Look, Merilee," Lori began. "Why don't you go for a bike ride with me and Judy today….right after we do our interviews for the magazine? It might do you good to get out in the fresh air.."
"Thanks, Lori…but right now, I just wanna go to sleep and not wake up for twenty years, if ever," Merilee said, beginning to cry again. Lori stood by her, helplessly. "Cassidy, you have DONE it now!! What a loser! He has the prettiest, sweetiest girl around,,and STILL that's not enough for him! She HAS to stop crying, she'll make herself sick! Poor Meri..I just wish there was more I could do.."
"I could KILL that damn idiot!" Judy said later on that day. She and Lori were sitting on the patio writing up their interview on their typewriters which they had set up next to the pool, on the patio furnature. A pitcher of lemonade was next to tem and they were finishing what was in their cups. "I mean, if I could just SHOW him what he's done to my baby sister….GOD, I could kill him!"
Lori sighed. "I know what you mean, I feel so sorry for her. I got up in the middle of the night and went down to the kitchen for a glass of water. I passed by her room and she was still crying!"
Judy hit a button on the typewriter as hard as she could. "I just feel so helpless. My own sister's been hurt, and we can't do anything about it."
"No, we can't," Lori agreed. "She had this big, important relationship with Butch…she can't turn it off like tap water. She's gonna be hurting for a while."
"Yeah, and we have the big, strong, fearless leader to thank for that! I swear, what IS it with men, they're never satisfied?! Couldn't he see what a treasure Meri is?!"
Lori looked out and nodded to Judy. Judy looked up and saw her sister coming out of the sliding back door in her bikini and carrying a white towel. "Hey, Merilee!" she called out, standing up and waving to her. "Come on over and sit in the sun, I'll fix you a spot." she pulled over one of the white chairs.
Merilee shook her head. "Thanks, guys, but I think I wanna swim for a while, then I'll sit in the sun." She laid her towel on the patio and dove into the pool. Lori looked at Judy and shrugged. Merile swam lap after lap, churning the blue-green water in the pool. Judy looked at her sister with concern, she was overdoing it a bit. Finally Merilee came out of the pool, her cheeks red and flushed, and gasping for breath. She sat down gratefully as Judy poured a glass of lemonade for her. "Meri Sunshine," she said, using the nickname she had called her when they were kids, because of her hair color, "I don't think you should be overdoing things like that."
"You should take it easy," Lori agreed.
Merilee nodded. "I know, I know, I just wanted to do something that would help take my mind off..things.." she felt her eyes filling with tears again. "Oh, God, wat do I do now? I thought I had my whole life planned…now I don't know what I'll be doing tomorrow!" she covered her face again as Judy put her arms around her.
"It's OK, Meri Sunshine, just let it out! Look, little sister, I know it's very painful for you right now..but you'll find someone else!" Right, Lori?"
"Of course!" Lori agreed. "Pretty Lady like her? The guys'll be breaking the door down!!"
I don't know if I even want that!" She gasped as Steffy's question came back to her again. "The really awful thing is…I still love him! I love him so much!!" Lori and Judy exchanged looks of anguish. "I'm sorry," Merile said quickly. "I didn't mean to come out here and spoil your afternoon…."
"It's alright," Judy said quickly. "Meri Sunshine, with you, the day is never spoiled!"
"No way," Lori agreed. "So, how about that bike ride after dinner? Ust enjoy the sun..get away from it all.."
Merilee gasped a bit. "OK," she agreed.
Steffy paced around and hotel room, wodering what on eart they were gonna tell Mr. Socrates!Butch had not even come out of his room, Wally was just sitting on the couch, petting Elvis, who was curled up at his master's feet, whining softly. He had been whining ever since Merilee had left. She exchanged a worried look with Wally.
"Do you ave any idea what's he's doing in there?!" Steffy asked.
"Ah, if I know him, probably bawling his eyes out over this! Butch nevr likes anyone to see him cry or get upset."
Steffy resumed pacing angrily. "'Nevr likes to see anyone seeing him do that' is what got him INTO this mess! Oh, Wally, what are we gonna do?! I mean, how are we gonna break it to Mr. Socrates?!"
"Well, we better think of something real quick, Steffy, I don't think he's gonna like it when he finds out we had to cancel our last leg of the tour!"
"Even worse, Wally, what happens if he needs us for a mission and we have to report to him without Merilee!"
"What are you worried about what he'll do, he'll pair us with someone else. I'm more worried about his overall reaction! How are we gonna explain to him that she quit the band due to Butch's inability to commit to a relationship?!"
Steffy glanced away, completely worried. She didn't WANT to go on a mission with someone else, she wanted MERILEE! Merilee was the best friend she had in the CIA, it was almost impossible to go anyplace without hr bright sunny smile and her willingness to go out ad face danger. She knew she would miss the clever disguses she had and the way she sang backup in the band. Near tears again she sat dow on the couch next to Wally. Wally without even blinking reached over to the tissue box on the table and gave her one before blowing his nose loudly. Ust then the door to Butch's room opened and slowly he came out. He had one hand in his pocket and went over to stand by the window. His head was down…but it was obvious Wally was right…he HAD been crying. Even Steffy couldn't believe it. Steffy stood up ad went ove to Butch. "Butch?' she asked carefully, feeling unusually scared of him..for she had never seen him cry. She had seen him get angry, or frustrated..but never, EVER cry!
"I can't believe…she's gone…I mean…she's gone…the girl I love is gone..Oh, Steffy..how..I am SUCH an idiot! " He slammed his fist upon the edge of the window. "I've been so stupid, .."
"No argument here," Wally mumbled quietly. A look from Steffy shut him up.
"Butch, " Steffy asked carefully. "Why did you do it? I mean, you know Merilee is insecure and a bit sensitive, you should have known better."
"believe me, Steffy, I've been telling myself that ever since she walked out," Butch reassured her, sitting down upon the chair. Steffy gaspedd, he wasn't wearing his ring!
"Butch, where's your ring?"
"It's in my room."
"You're not gonna wear it?"
"What for? I..I feel like it doen't matter…nothing matters..nothing unless merile comes back."
Wally looked at Steffy, knowing now that Butch felt what they had all felt, but even more so. Butch was in love..really, truly in love with Merilee. Only it took loosing her to really make him discover it..
He discovered it too late.
Wally jumped up just then. "Hey, Butch, Steffy, what are we just standing around here for? We gotta try to find out where Merilee is..we gotta get her back!!"
Steffy jumped up. "Yes, yes, what are we waiting for, Butch, come on we have to find her!"
"Yeah," Wally agreed. "And we have to do it now, before.." a loud beeping sound came from Butch's room. Everyone paused and looked at each other. "Before Mr. Socrates calls us."