SURVIVAL OF THE MISFITS

Chapter Nine

Here is the final chapter. I hope you enjoy reading this tale as much as I enjoyed writing it!

I went to see Craig the next morning. He was groggy from a gig the night before – his band had played some corporate function – but he had time to talk. He told me his shift at the packing company didn't begin until noon. I helped myself to some coffee without waiting to be offered. He was not in a good mood.

"What's eating you?" I asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "You look like shit."

"I was about to say the same thing to you," my brother replied. "Except I got a pretty good idea of what's bothering you."

I shrugged, "Oh, getting arrested, living somewhere where you can basically get thrown in jail at any time, and all you can do is hope that something will happen and free you – who'd be upset over that?" I spread on the sarcasm pretty thick. Craig's raised an eyebrow or two, I guess because sarcasm's not my normal style.

"So you have no idea how you guys got out of jail the other night, huh?" he asked.

I first told him about how I was able to pass the blood test, and then briefly went over yesterday's meeting with Jem and the Holograms. "They basically told us nothing," I concluded. "And speaking of people who look like shit, Aja looked pretty miserable at that meeting too."

"She did?" he asked, in a way that told me everything.

"Yeah. So, what's going on? Did you guys…" I narrowed my eyes at the realization, "did you break up?"

He sighed, and then got up to pour himself some orange juice. "We had an argument," he admitted, his eyes on the glass. "I confronted her. I want to know what happened, everything – how exactly they got you all out of jail, what happened at the benefit concert. All these secrets her band has. But she refused to tell me anything. She left."

"Oh," I said. I was momentarily speechless. I'd never been in a relationship myself. How could I know what he was going through? And he was so obviously devastated.

"She said she wanted to tell me but she couldn't," he continued. "I just don't get it. Whatever secrets her band has, we need to know them. Times have changed and I can't just sit around all day worrying about her and not able to do anything about it."

Craig sounded really frustrated. I sipped some of my coffee and then realized that I did have something to contribute here. "I don't know a whole lot about relationships, but I know a lot about secrets. Sometimes there are good reasons for keeping them." My thoughts became lost in memories of my confusion over my sexuality and the way I hid it, my heart full of shame, from my bandmates. And the others had had their own secrets too – illiteracy, a mother who had walked out, an uncle, a past she wanted buried. "But sometimes it is better to get it out into the open."

My brother listened and nodded. I continued on.

"You know, I bet she did want to tell you – like you said." I paused, lost in more memories. Then I asked, "Did I ever tell you one of the reasons why I didn't want to join Jem and the Holograms when they offered me the chance?"

"Well, you told me a few different reasons…" he began, sounding perplexed that I wanted to pick at that old scab again.

"One of the reasons was that Jem and the Holograms aren't any more of a democracy than the Misfits are," I said firmly. "Whenever Jem's around, she makes the decisions. Jerrica's the same way, if not worse. They may make their requests with smiles and politeness, but they rule the roost there. Pizzazz did the same with the Misfits; she was just more blunt and rude, though at least you always knew where you stood with her. She's changed for the better anyway." I took a breath and then added, "But that's why I think Aja really does want to share with you. She's just been ordered not to, I bet."

"I've been wondering if Jem and Jerrica are the same person," he admitted.

"They can't be," I shook my head. "I've seen them together several times. Yesterday, in fact."

Craig continued on as if I hadn't spoken. "I really need to figure out if I can live with that. With all these secrets Aja has. It drives me crazy that she can't open up."

We were silent for several moments, just sipping our drinks. Craig got up and started pouring out a bowl of cereal, asking me if I wanted some. I got up to open the refrigerator to see if he had any berries I could top the cereal with, but there was hardly anything in there. He was out of milk so I doused the cereal with the last of the orange juice.

"Hey, Craig," I began anew, once we were seated and munching on our Cheerios. "There's something I came over here to tell you."

"What is it?" he asked. As he looked up, his face had paled by a shade or two. He knew from my tone that this was going to be really serious.

"I have to leave the country," I said. "I can't stay here anymore. I just can't live under the threat of getting thrown in jail, and I can't live being treated like a social disease. It's too dangerous here. So I'm leaving."

"What?" he asked, nearly dropping his spoon.

"Nothing you can say or do is gonna change my mind. Like you've said a dozen times, it's really dangerous here. I can't stay here and take the risk of getting arrested again."

"B-but Mary," he stuttered." What about the hidden room that Aja and I are building? If worse comes to worse, you'll have a hiding place. Er – if Aja and I ever get together and finish it."

"Whether or not you do, that's not the point," I said, shaking my head. "I can't live my life cooped up in a room, in hiding. That's probably just as dangerous as leaving the country."

"Okay, but then why do you think things would be any easier in another country? I mean, are Canada or Mexico treating gay people any better?"

"Yes. I talked to some of the other inmates in jail. And Tech Rat compiled some information too. Right now, nowhere else is rounding up…people like me and putting us in jail."

"That could change," he cautioned.

"And it could also change and continue to get worse here," I countered.

He took an exasperated breath. "But how will you support yourself?"

"I've got plenty of money saved. And I can always earn more busking. Or doing whatever job I need to take, whether it's washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms."

"But what about your safety?"

"Enough of that! Come on, Craig, I am a Misfit -- remember? I can take care of myself." I paused and then said, "You have no idea what I've been able to do."

For a second he got a faraway look in his eyes. He said, "I've got no doubt about that."

Craig then kept trying to convince me not to leave. When he saw that my resolve was as firm as my keyboard case, he insisted on coming with me.

"Fine. But I can't allow you to do this alone. I'm going with."

"It's not necessary," I said, though half-heartedly. Despite my blustering about being able to take care of myself, I sure wouldn't mind his company on this either. "When we were younger, you went off busking in Europe and left me here."

"Things were a lot different then," he insisted. And he was right. "If you're going, then I'm going. Period."

That debate ended there. Pretty soon Craig had to leave for his job. We decided we'd start making plans soon.

My next challenge would be to discuss this with the other Misfits.

Kimber approached her sister early that morning after a late night consultation with Synergy. She had a case to make and knew she needed facts to back it up. The computer/surrogate mother had armed her with the information she needed.

"Jerrica, I think we need to take a public stand against the Morality Office," Kimber stated.

Jerrica nearly dropped her mascara as Kimber continued, "I mean, look at what happened to us. None of us did anything wrong and we got arrested. We spent a day in jail. We can't let the Morality Office kick us around. We have to publicly come out against them!"

Jerrica was quiet for several seconds. She looked at her sister and began, "Kimber, I know your heart's in the right place. But we can't fight them," she said, sorrow in her voice. "This isn't like the old days when we could just do a fundraiser for Haven House and solve their crisis for the fiscal year and the problem's taken care of. This is a government agency that is extremely powerful. We take a stand at them and we'll just end up in jail, and probably for a much longer period of time."

"I know you're scared," Kimber said. Her voice was nearly a whisper. "I'm scared too. But we have to do the right thing."

Jerrica noted that Kimber's voice was soft and compassionate, without any of the shrill childishness Jerrica had become accustomed to hearing over the years.

Kimber continued, "I'm not going to just sit around and hope that we don't get arrested again. Doing nothing is no guarantee that we'll be okay. It's no guarantee that we won't get arrested again. And it sure as hell won't make the Morality Office go away!"

Jerrica sighed. "I know, Kimber. Trust me, sis. This stuff keeps me awake at night. I worry about how we'll get our next album through the censors. I wonder how we'll be able to support the Starlight Girls. But we just can't fight the government. I mean, they control the media too. How would we get any support?"

"Well, I have a plan," stated a confident Kimber as she whipped out several pieces of paper.

As Kimber spread the papers on Jerrica's dressing table. As the sisters reviewed them, Jerrica could not repress a slight smile. Kimber's idea was foolhardy, likely to end them up in jail again. But the girl had done her homework! With Synergy's help, she uncovered groups of people working against the Morality Office, some of them even infiltrators into the organization's highest ranks. She had found a few media outlets that criticized the Morality Office – and were still in business. She had even uncovered a poll taken in the Morality Office's early days which found that 70 of Americans had opposed them.

Kimber and Synergy had also discovered more disturbing items. Several leaders in the Morality Office openly espoused racism and plans to "separate the races." As Kimber read the highlights of the article, Kimber said, "Look, Jem and the Holograms will be out of business if they keep gaining power. They want to break up our family!"

Jerrica's eyes grew hazy with anger. She heard her mother's voice echoing in her ears as thoughts of being separated from Aja, Shana, and Raya – and half the Starlight Girls – terrified her. The band would be finished and she would be barred from those she loved the most. How dare they! What would Jacqui and Emmett say?

Kimber perhaps sensed her sister's thoughts. "We can make a difference," she said. "Mom and Dad taught us that – that we can change the world for the better. There are lots of people who do agree with us too. We can use our reputation as Jem and the Holograms. We do have a spotless reputation. Heck, people refer to us as the 'goody-goodies of the rock world,'" she added, with a small laugh. "And we have power – we still have so many fans who would back us up. We have to think of their welfare too, and the Starlight Girls. Let's make the world a better place for them, not a worse one."

Jerrica found herself giggling now with joy over her sister's determination and research. "Alright, alright. I think this is crazy and we're gonna get in big trouble, but alright. Let's talk to the others."

Kimber smiled. With Jerrica's agreement, it was a done deal. Aja would readily agree too as she despised the Morality Office. Raya would support whatever the majority wanted, if her parents didn't give her too much grief and worry over it. Shana might be the hardest sell; she had a lot to lose with her wedding coming up so soon. But she was rational and she had a sensitive heart -- she had to know in her gut that it was the right thing to do.

Before I left Craig that morning, he and I decided to get together again soon to discuss details of our exodus. I nodded mutely, my heart breaking at the thought of my next task.

When I reached the mansion, Roxy and Jetta were still in their rooms, asleep presumably. I actually found Pizzazz in her office, a modest and understated room she rarely inhabited. She had her computer on and was reading contracts. My mouth remained open at the sight of the brash singer working diligently in this sedate setting.

"I'm gonna call the producers at 'Friday Night Rock' today," she said. "We were supposed to be on that show but we missed it 'cause of our arrest. They're gonna have to get us on there next week then."

"I hope they can do it," I said. I looked at Pizzazz, at those eyes I once thought so frozen and unfeeling. "Thanks again for agreeing to sing the lyrics of 'Ain't Changin' Me'."

I think I took her by surprise with that comment. Maybe the awkwardness of her receiving a sincere thank you disturbed her, but I saw her try to relax and even break a smile. "You always write the best hits," she said.

I swallowed the lump in my throat at the rare, and appreciated, compliment.

We later had lunch with the others, Pizzazz and Jetta excitedly talking about their plans for reestablishing Misfits Music. I only half-heartedly listened and picked at my food. My appetite had vanished, thinking of all that lay ahead of me.

Roxy then wanted to play pool. In the rec room, we formed doubles and I ended up being Pizzazz's partner for the game. I could barely keep a steady grip on the pool cue or remember whether we were stripes or solids. As poorly as I played though, Pizzazz said nothing derogatory about it. It was no surprise when Roxy shot the eight ball into the side pocket -- she and Jetta had easily defeated us. The two happily high-fived each other in victory.

Pizzazz just snorted and said, "I think we need a rematch."

Before the others could agree, I spoke up. My voice was already quivering. "Hey guys. Wait a sec. I have something to tell you."

My three boisterous bandmates were instantly quiet. I even saw a passing look of fear on Roxy's face. I heard the chirping of one of the arcade games in the background.

"I've made a decision," I said. "I'm leaving the country. I don't want to, but I have to for my own sake. It's too dangerous here."

Pizzazz's face went pale and her eyes looked alarmed and reproached. None of us said anything or even moved for several seconds. I went up to the singer and put my hand on her shoulder. "Pizzazz, I'm not leaving you. I'm not walking out on you," I said quietly, my voice just a notch or two above a whisper. "I need to do this for my own safety."

At some level, it seemed to me that maybe she understood. She still looked petrified though. I was both pleased and disturbed at the level of power I held over her.

Jetta spoke up, "But Stormer. What about the secret room that Aja and Craig are going to build?"

"Yeah," Roxy said, "and what about what Techrat found out? We know how to fool the blood tests now."

I took a breath and said with all the firmness I could muster, "I refuse to hide under a sink, gulping down cold pills. It's no way to live a life. I'm sure it's a matter of time before they figure out a way around the cold pills anyway. And if they ever really want to find me, they could tear up the mansion and discover any hidden room."

They then hit me with a barrage of questions: 'Where will you go?', 'You really think you're gonna be safer in Mexico or Canada than here?', 'Is Craig going with?', 'When are you gonna leave?'

I answered their questions best as I could and then steadied myself for the next bit. This time my voice couldn't shake. I had to be firm as concrete and give them no time to suggest otherwise.

"I don't expect you guys to come with me," I said. "In fact, it's better if you don't. It'll be a hard life – no glamour and fame, no servants and mansion. You'd hate it and you'd grow to hate me too. Besides, it will be easier for Craig and I to disappear if it's just the two of us. So I gotta insist that you guys stay here."

Pizzazz stood next to me and I impulsively took her hand. "When times get better, I will return," I continued. "Heck, I'm still gonna write music when I'm gone. Who knows? Maybe it'll just be a year or so before the Morality Office is gone and censorship is no more. Then I'll come back and have a ton of songs for us too. We'll have a reunion tour the world will never forget and once again we'll be on top of the charts." I gulped and I knew my eyes were wet. "And while I'm gone, the three of you will be in my heart all the time."

My bandmates were silent and still looked stunned.

Roxy said, her voice small and quiet, "It looks like nothin's gonna stop you."

"You're right," I said. And then I added, "I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to leave. I really wish things were different."

I don't even remember what we did the rest of that day, or what we all said to each other. Just that the others looked miserable and weren't trying to hide it, and we didn't leave the rec room until nightfall.

Kimber sat facing Stormer, blinking and not believing her ears. Stormer had requested that they meet at Starlight House; she did not want to risk being overheard in a public setting. The two friends sat opposite each other on Kimber's bed.

"I- I just can't believe that you're leaving the country," Kimber stammered.

Despite all the reasons Stormer had for wanting to go into hiding, it still shocked and hurt Kimber.

"I mean, I told you what Jem and the Holograms are gonna be doing to work against those Morality Office losers," Kimber added hopefully.

"I know," Stormer said. "And I think what you'll be doing is awesome. But we won't see change right away. It's going to take time."

"I guess you're right," Kimber admitted. She looked down at her folded hands and nodded. It wasn't as if she saw Stormer often. The two normally went for months at a time with no contact. But the thought of Stormer going into hiding, of possibly never seeing her again made Kimber feel ill.

"I wish you guys the best of luck though." Stormer paused, and then said, "Kimber, since Craig's going to come with me….well, he won't be around anymore either."

"I know. I can't believe he and Aja still aren't speaking to each other," she answered, glumly. "Actually, I can believe it. I just wish they weren't both so stubborn and one of them would pick up the phone and call the other."

"Craig did tell me that he misses her a lot." Stormer smiled and then added, "And he didn't put me up to saying that."

"Well, even if he did," Kimber began, with a shrug, "who cares? Aja's been dying to call him and wishing he'd call her."

Stormer's eyes twinkled as she said, "Maybe I'll just mention that to Craig. He's been so down in the dumps since their argument."

"And I could do the same with Aja," Kimber added mischievously.

Stormer then asked Kimber if she could keep an eye on the house for them while they were gone, as neither of the Phillips wanted the house to appear abandoned. Kimber readily agreed to stop by several times a week.

Before she left, Stormer reached for her purse and began to rummage around in it. "I was at my family's house earlier today. I was going through a few boxes I store there and I found this."

Stormer's hand cupped a tiny crystal trinket. Crafted in the shape of a piano, it caught the light and sparkled. It looked so delicate, surrounded by Stormer's strong hand.

"My mother gave me this," she said, looking at the precious ornament. "She loved music too." Stormer reached for Kimber's hand and placed it inside her palm. "I want you to have it. As something to remember me by."

Groping for words, Kimber finally said, "Stormer, thank you for the gesture and I'm honored that you want to give me a going-away gift. I will hold onto this while you're gone." Her voice was full of resolve and power. "But I'm giving it back to you as soon as you come back, and if I have anything to do with it, you're gonna be back here really damn soon." She concluded, emphasizing every word, "I'm going to fight the Morality Office with everything I've got."

The two friends spontaneously pulled each other into a warm hug and remained holding each other for several moments.

As soon as Stormer left, Kimber went to find Aja.

Aja's driving was on fire this time, though her mind was at its most focused and steady. She expertly guided the vehicle through traffic, her thoughts squarely on reaching her destination safely.

As soon as Craig answered the door, Aja's heart melted at the sight of her beloved's face. He didn't even hesitate before pulling her into a hug.

"I missed you so much," he breathed against her ear.

"I missed you too," she said, her voice unsteady and emotional. His strong arms were tightly wrapped around her. They remained standing in the doorway, lost in their embrace -- and then a warm, lingering kiss -- before finally making their way inside Craig's place.

Despite the silent days that had passed since their argument, Aja felt no awkwardness. It was almost as if no time had gone by at all. She found herself leaning against the small kitchen's wall. As Craig reached into the refrigerator for a couple of beers, Aja took her eyes from Craig to glance around the house. Several boxes were stacked against walls and two worn suitcases sat on the living room floor. They were older suitcases which perhaps had belonged to Craig's parents.

"Kimber told me that you and Stormer are leaving," Aja said as he handed her a drink.

"I have to do it," he said with determination. "I have to help my sister – I can't let her go into exile by herself. She needs me."

"I didn't come here to try to persuade you to stay. I know nothing could keep you from your duty to her. I just couldn't let you go with things like they were between us."

"I'm glad you came," Craig admitted, a slight blush on his cheeks. "It's uncanny. Just as I heard the car pull up, I was heading for the phone to give you a call."

"Really?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes," he answered, sincerely. "I've really missed you."

"I've been thinking about you all the time," Aja confessed. She had not drunk from her can of beer. She instead moved closer to Craig. "You don't know how long you'll be gone, do you?"

He shook his head. "It depends on when things get better in this country. If they get better. It could be a long time," he said glumly. As overjoyed as he was at Aja's initiative in patching up their conflict, Craig felt equally despondent at thoughts of possibly not seeing her for years.

Aja then told Craig of Jem and the Holograms' plans to publicly drum up support for a movement to counter the Morality Office. "But even if we are successful," she continued, "it could take a very long time too."

"It sounds risky, Aja," Craig breathed. "I think it's the right thing to do, but please be careful. Or….use those special resources you have to get out of any scrapes you encounter."

"That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about," Aja said. She swallowed and then looked directly into Craig's blue eyes. "That night we…had our fight? I've been thinking about it a lot since then. I do love you, Craig and I do trust you. I've decided that I want to tell you…our secrets. You deserve to know." She paused, and then continued, "After our argument, I did ask Jerrica for permission to tell you everything, and she said no. She said that the secrets have to stay within the band. But I've decided to go against her wishes. I know I can trust you with our truth, and trust you not to reveal this to anyone."

Despite his curiosity and desire to hear the entire story, Craig gently touched a finger to Aja's lips. "No, Aja," he said. "I am very honored that you realize you can trust me. But I don't want to come between you and Jerrica or the others. I've been thinking about this since you left that night, too. You told me a while ago about the vows you exchanged with them, and I'm not gonna be the cause of you having a rift between you and your sisters."

"Really?" Aja asked, stunned.

"Just like you said that you trust me and feel like you can share your secrets with me, I want you to know that I trust you, too. Even if that means that I don't get to know of everything and even if it means that I have a lot of worrying to do."

"Oh Craig!" Aja exclaimed. She nearly jumped into his arms. She reached for his face and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

Moments later, Aja found herself on the sofa with Craig. Her mind had gone hazy and she didn't know, or care, how much time passed. They still kissed fervently and still felt delight at their reunion even though they both knew it would only be a temporary one. Aja's mind swam with joy at the feelings Craig stirred up inside her and despair at his impending departure.

"I love you, Aja," Craig whispered, before he brought his mouth to one of her ear lobes and began to gently nibble on it. Aja forgot to attempt to stifle a guttural moan. Her body began to throb with urgency.

She reached her hands up inside his shirt, feeling his hot chest with her fingertips. Every nerve ending of Aja's seemed to buzz with excitement. She placed a trail of excited kisses along his chin and neck before reaching again for his lips. The feel of his tongue against hers sent tingling waves of happiness through her system.

"Do you want to take this into the bedroom?" Aja whispered confidently. The very idea felt so intoxicating and so very right.

"Yes," Craig responded, without hesitation.

Hesitantly breaking off this embrace, the two scrambled to their feet and eagerly walked down the hallway.

Later that evening, Aja and Craig snuggled together under the covers. Her body was covered in sweat and her heart rate only beginning to return to normal. Inside she felt both contented pleasure at their love and agony at the thought of Craig's upcoming departure.

The feel of Craig's hands on her body was mesmerizing. She sighed happily as she felt him again begin to caress her gently.

Although Aja was slender and not at all curvaceous, Craig found himself enjoying running a hand along the outline of her hip, down to the dip of her waistline and up again towards her chest. He continued to touch the smooth skin.

"How many days till you leave?" Aja murmured. "And can we spend them all here?"

Their lovemaking had been exquisite, wondrous. The awkwardness had certainly been there too, but it was manageable because they loved each other. The evening had also been bittersweet with both of them knowing that Craig would soon be leaving the country.

"I wish I could stay here with you," Craig said, sorrowfully. "I'd give anything to be able to. But I…."

"I know. You have to stay with your sister. She can't go into exile alone."

"I wish things were different."

The following day, the Morality Office caught the Stingers at a most inopportune time. The Office had decided to conduct random investigations of anyone considered suspect, and all rock stars automatically fell into that category. Riot's friend within the Office had recently been demoted and was unable to take action to protect the group.

The Office entered Riot's penthouse apartment late one evening and found the three members of the band in a comprising position. They were allowed to dress before being arrested and taken to jail. Although blood tests of the band checked out, the activities they were partaking in at the time of their arrest were considered unacceptable, and their jail stay would be of an indeterminate length.

On the day of my departure, I rose long before sunrise. I hadn't slept much the night before anyway. I grimly finished packing, putting my toothbrush and make-up bag inside one of the cases, and hauled all my suitcases down the main staircase. I waited for Craig; he was going to come with the car to pick me up and take me away. I checked my purse to make sure I had all the ID, money, and cold pills that I had crammed in the night before. Extra boxes of cold pills were stashed in my suitcase and my keyboard case, and I had begun taking them several hours ago just in case our escape was foiled.

Suddenly overcome with fatigue, I sat myself down on one of the steps and rested my head on my hands. Any fears about my upcoming departure were snuffed out by sorrow.

I am such a liar. I lied to my bandmates when I told them that they didn't need to come with me. During the last few frantic days of packing and tying up loose ends, my heart slowly broke. Pizzazz, Roxy, and Jetta were always around but kept me at a distance. It was understandable. They were going to lose someone they cared about and were therefore already starting to keep me at arms' length. My leaving was hurting them but they didn't want to admit it. They did a lot of acting up like before, though wisely they kept their antics inside the mansion and not on the town. I'd learned over the years that making mischief is one way they deal with pain.

I kept hoping that, during our farewell dinner last night, the others would make another attempt to convince me to stay. But they hadn't. We drank our margaritas and gobbled the pizza down in relative silence. I hadn't expected any tearful pleas that I remain but still craved them. Every fiber in my body told me that cutting off an arm would be less painful than separating from the others. I left the dinner table while the others were eating their slices of chocolate cake, my appetite having been diminished for days. I knew that no one desired a sobbing goodbye, so I rose from the table and awkwardly hugged each one of them before trudging up to my room, supposedly to get a good night's sleep. During the night I put my headphones on and listened to music. I could vaguely hear the others puttering around but I doubt I got much sleep.

My dreary reverie was interrupted by sounds of struggle. I whirled my head around to see Pizzazz trying to lug several suitcases.

"What the -- ?" I began, as I noticed Roxy and Jetta following after her. They were also carrying luggage.

"Did you have to have him pick you up this early?" Pizzazz demanded.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked, jumping to my feet. I had both of my bags with me, so why would they be awake at this hour and hauling more luggage down the stairs?

"Comin' with you, if you couldn't tell," Roxy answered.

"What?" I asked, trying to push my hopes back down.

"Stormer, the three of us had a long talk last night," Jetta began.

"And we decided that we're comin' with," Pizzazz concluded.

"I…you…come on, you guys," I stuttered. "You don't have to."

"Yes we do," Roxy said. She stood next to me and pulled me into a warm hug. It was much better than the stiff one we'd exchanged last night. I love her so much. "We do need to."

Pizzazz stood on my other side. She nodded at Roxy's words. Jetta came up next to her and smiled beautifully at me.

"You guys…this isn't gonna be easy," I began, though my heart was already singing with happiness. "It's not gonna be much fun and it's definitely not gonna be like our trip to Cancun or anything like that."

Our last vacation took place a couple years ago, before the economy had crumbled. Our days were full of swimming in Cancun's brilliantly clear blue water, lying on white beaches, and visiting clubs where we danced and drank till sunup. My bandmates had spent their nights with some of the many available males too.

"Yeah, we know. But we're comin' anyway," Pizzazz said. She said it in her, 'this-is-final, cross-me-and-you-die' tone. I smiled.

"Are you sure? I mean, you can continue on without me. Start up our own music company again like you talked about, make progress on songs."

"Without you…there's just no point," Pizzazz said.

I bit my lip to stifle the tears of happiness. I finally just said, "Thank you," and lowered my eyes.

When Craig showed up, he saw that I was going to be in good hands. He finally understood. It didn't take too much convincing on my part to get him to agree that he'd stay here with Aja, the woman he loved. The last couple of days since their reunion, it had been hell for him to work on our preparations for leaving the country when he so desperately wanted to be with her. We embraced each other for the longest time before he kissed my cheek and let me go.

"You guys take good care of her," he demanded of my bandmates, though he sounded like he knew they would.

"Don't worry. We're the Misfits – we take care of our own," Pizzazz said.

The four of us we drove past the gates of Gabor mansion, not knowing what awaited us. We only knew that we had each other, and we would survive.

THE END

A few final notes from the author:

Please leave your comments and feedback – I'd love to hear if you liked it or not. Thank you to everyone who has left a review.

At this point, I don't know whether I will write a third book and make this into a trilogy. It's definitely possible since I've had a blast putting this together. I do have a different Misfits fic in the works but I'd love to re-visit this world someday too.

I do want to mention that this story would not have been possible without my two beta testers, Denisia and Severine. They read every draft, fixed numerous errors (though any errors that make it into the final version are my own!), created several ideas to flesh out the characters and scenes even more, and allowed me to bounce countless ideas off of them. I could not have done this without them and I wish to thank them both again. You both are awesome, Denisia and Severine!

And finally, there is one scene that I am not posting to ffnet. I have an extended version of the Aja/Craig scene. (Do you really need to ask "which one?") The scene is rated somewhere between NC-17 and R, and thus is too explicit to be posted here, so if you'd like to read it, just send me an email (and please let me know that you're 18 or older).

--Stormkpr