AL knows people. Michael J. Fox just might be one of them. XD

Chapter Twenty: Epilogue

It had taken Gary practically all the time Lisa and Ben were gone to explain to a very distraught Marissa what had happened and what was yet to happen. Lisa had given Gary permission to tell her whatever he felt was necessary for her to understand the situation. The blind woman didn't really know whether to believe him or not, so she gave him the benefit of the doubt until they returned.

While she could not see the flash of light, the crackle of the teleportation energy could be clearly heard.

"What was that?" Marissa asked.

"That, Miss Clark," said Lisa, "was me."

Gary practically leaped off the couch to embrace her. He was feeling much better now that she was there with him. "Oh, Lisa…how'd it go? What did you do? What happened?"

"Easy, Gar," Lisa said, gently making him sit again. "I'll explain everything. Just relax."

The wee hours of the morning were sneaking up on them when Lisa had finally finished. She not only had to explain what had happened at the Institute, but also explain to Marissa that she was, indeed, just what Gary had said she was: an alien life form. She let Marissa feel her wings and her double pulse as proof, lest she think Lisa was an angel.

"So," said Marissa, "this…mad scientist truly will leave you alone?"

"I can only hope," replied Lisa. "Gar, do you have the paper on you?"

He shook his head. "It's gone. I don't know if we left it on Alnilam or it just disappeared. We'll have to wait 'til morning to find out what happened."

Ben shot them a curious look, but Lisa rounded on him, finally able to say, "Okay, I'm in the clear, now, so get lost. I don't need you anymore and I want you out of here."

"Are you positive that Von Braun's not going to try anything?" he countered.

This made Lisa mad all over again. "Dammit, just leave!" she snapped. "I'm sure he won't do anything fishy, and, if he does, I'll just make him regret it, that's all. You're not needed here, anymore, so I suggest you beat it before I make you regret something, too."

Ben knew that was a rather empty threat, as there wasn't much Lisa could do to get rid of him and she knew it. Ordering him to leave was just about the extent she could get to. The only other way was to leave the planet herself, and, since she now had Gary, she wasn't about to do that.

"All right," he finally relented. "I'll go. Gary, nice meeting you." He shook Gary's hand and took Marissa's. "Miss Clark."

"Goodbye," she said, gently shaking his hand.

He glanced at Lisa once more, a look in his eyes that she didn't like but could not name, he left the apartment and shut the door behind him.

Relieved, Lisa collapsed beside Gary on the couch. "Finally," she sighed. "I thought I'd never get rid of him."

Rather than go home, Marissa invited them both to stay the rest of the night, which they heartily agreed to. The couch in the living room could be converted into a bed, so Gary and Lisa shared that.

The next morning, at 6:30, right on schedule, there was a "Meow!" and a thunk outside the door. Groggily, the couple went to get the paper as the cat ran in and leaped onto the bed.

"I guess you guys made it home safe and sound," he said.

"So did you," Lisa replied. "Gary, anything about me in the paper?"

He was already looking, and a grin spread across his face when he found it.

LOCAL SCIENTIST CALLING IT QUITS AFTER FORTY YEARS OF WORK

Dr. Walter Von Braun, head of the Chicago Institute for Extraterrestrial Life on Earth, has reported to our offices that he'd like to retract all previous mentions of an alien female escaping from his facility.

"I'm dropping the charges," he says, "and going into retirement. I'm really too old to be cavorting around the world, searching for aliens. I'm destroying my research, and donating my building and all its equipment to the…to help find the cure for Parkinson's disease."

When asked about his sudden change of heart, Von Braun just offered a "No comment".

"He actually did it," said Gary. "You did it, Lisa! You got him off your back!" He looked closely at the article. "Parkinson's disease? What brought that on?"

Lisa smiled a little. "I know a couple people with that disease. I thought it was only right."

Their celebrating woke Marissa, who was, also, overjoyed at the news. She said, "Maybe, now, things can get back to normal."

Lisa smiled. "Or as normal as things can get, for a guy who gets tomorrow's news today."

"And," Gary concluded, placing his arm around her shoulders, "his out-of-this-world girlfriend."

The End