4. A Night of Firsts (An Ambience of Resonance)
William woke up before Kim on Tuesday morning and let her sleep in, deciding that a bit of extra quiet and slumber would be the best thing for her, given the frustrations of the day before. He spent about a half-hour in his office, sipping on a cup of coffee and going through as many of the Monday editions of national newspapers as he could find online - all containing the same full-page ad inviting people to Eastgate Airport.
Initially, the idea of the airport made sense to William - except that there were no mirrors anywhere in the terminal that were large enough to fit the purpose of Kimi's Cross. And while the expanse of a runway would certainly be large enough to hold any number of people that might come to view the event, the logic immediately fell short with William as he remembered the conditions surrounding the opening of the Resonance Conduit; a quiet room and complete darkness. While quiet could conceivably be attained, how would the opening of the Conduit be shielded from the lights of the airport, let alone those of the city itself?
Tuesday, July 16th, 2019, 8:38 AM.
TFOC - 15 Hours, 22 Minutes
William wondered Marcy's thoughts since the discovery of the ad. He was just about to begin an email to her when he felt soft hands cross over his shoulders, a light kiss on his cheek, and the welcome treat of his wife's just-arisen warmth. "Morning baby," Kim said softly.
William turned slowly, bringing a hand to brush a fallen lock of auburn hair across his wife's face and looking into her pallid, slightly uneasy smile. "Morning…I tried to let you sleep in. How did you sleep?"
Kim's right hand remained on William's shoulder as she raised her other hand to caress the back of his against her temple. "Not so much," she said. "All through the night, I'd sleep for about an hour and a half…wake up for a little bit…then go back to sleep for a bit. I actually got up a couple times and just went out and sat on the couch…thinking…"
William turned the chair and brought Kim down into his lap. "Are you having second thoughts about this…?"
Kim said nothing for a second - then her head dropped. Her head remained lowered as she gathered the auburn cascade from her face to behind her ear and turned to look at William. "I've had so many thoughts, I don't know if I can even think anymore," she said quietly. "I've thought about this from my point of view…and I've also looked at it from Ki's." She took William's hand into hers. "Ever since the day that Ki found out about Cellers…ever since she and I had that long talk late that night…she's done about everything she could to help her friends and others understand about Cellers. And then, when I was kidnapped, she was willing to take on a squad of guards and even Shego, to rescue me."
Kim's gaze returned to the floor a few feet in front of her. "And then she took the ultimate step, William. There's no way she could have known if that portal she used to send Drakken and Shego back would affect her or not, much less draw her into it. But I think that even if she had stopped to think about what might happen to her, she wouldn't have let it stop her from using it to save me." Kim looked up at William again. "She put my life above hers…she did it not only for her mother…but for a Celler."
"She…didn't seem to be very distressed about suddenly being in the Celler environment," William mused.
"No, she sure didn't," said Kim, "and so soon after being dragged through the Resonance Conduit, too. She actually seems to be enjoying the whole thing…and I don't think I could feel better about that."
Kim then took William's hands into hers, turning more to face him. "That's why I've decided…and I think it would be better for me…and for others…if I put aside my apprehensions and just trust that Misty knows what she's doing. If she's got the belief and backing of someone like Mark…I mean, I don't think either one of them would put Ki through anything…that they weren't sure she could handle."
William flashed a warm smile at Kim's disclosure. "Quite the epiphany, compared to yesterday," he said. "You know Misty better than I do…and I certainly don't think Mark would do anything against Ki's best interests."
"There's only one thing that I'm really still wondering about," Kim said. "I hope Misty calls soon. I want to know who's going to recite the incantation for the Cross."
"If this Cross is supposed to be a newsmaker," said William, "it might make sense if it were someone close to the process…like Misty herself." He then added, "She might even ask one of us to do it, since it's our daughter making the Cross."
"If that happens…it would most likely be you. I don't know what would happen if a Celler gets too close to a Cross on the receiving end." Kim then got a smirk on her face, putting a finger to the tip of William's nose. "You, on the other hand, are well-experienced at this."
William gave a short chuckle as the memory of his "well experience" quickly came back to him. "I think that might work if they had a bed nearby for me to curl up and cower on."
Kim burst into a sudden giggle. She patted her husband on the shoulder and rose from his lap, taking his hand. "C'mon, Cowering Bed Boy," she tittered, "I feel like omelets for breakfast."
They went into the kitchen to cook their morning meal. As he sat, William caught sight of a box sitting under the small table in the living room, just off the hallway entrance. He retrieved it and brought it to the dining table just as Kim was warming up a skillet. "What's in there, hon?" she asked.
William noted a rather long slot on the lid of the box. He lifted the lid and peered inside. "Quite the eye for detail, Marcy," he said, turning to Kim. "It's three weeks worth of mail. She must have stopped by every day and brought it from the mailbox."
Kim took a container of butter and a carton of eggs from the refrigerator. "Keeping the house clean…minding the mail…" She got a small bowl from the cupboard and broke the first of four eggs into it for William's omelet. "Maybe we can thank Marcy for being so kind and helpful by letting her be the one to do the Cross."
William sat at the table, leafing through a few pieces of mail. "Not a bad idea," he said. "Marcy's like one of the family, with everything she's done for us over the years…and she's always had quite a bit of interest in Cellers and where they come from."
"I remember how she was at our wedding," said Kim as she chopped at a small bundle of green onions to put into the omelet. "She just met me and welcomed me without hesitation at all…she even offered me a job that day."
"William continued to glance at more mail. "For as long as I've known her, Marcy has always been like that…if I ever needed anything, she's always been in my corner…and when you became part of my life and she found out about you, to her, 'my' corner instantly became 'our' corner."
Kim poured the eggs into the skillet, listening for a second and silently counting the light sizzle as another welcome home. She turned to the refrigerator for a few slices of Swiss cheese, beginning to tear them into strips as she walked back to the stove. "Don't forget about how she helped your career path," she said as she laid a few of the cheese strips along either side of the center of the cooking egg mixture. "Not to mention mine," she added. Kim then glanced up at the wall clock. "I hope Misty calls soon so I can talk to her about Marcy."
With this, Kim took a spatula from the hanging rack over the stove and applied a slow sweep motion through the skillet to bring up one side of the omelet, which she folded over the other. William had put the mail back in the box and set it on the floor, and joined Kim in the cooking area after getting a loaf of cracked wheat bread from the breadbox on the cupboard and slipping four slices into the toaster. Kim got two plates from the cabinet and slid William's omelet onto one, then brought another four eggs from the carton to break into the bowl for her omelet.
While waiting for the toast to come up, William snuck a small bite of his eggs, letting the fluffiness melt into his mouth. "Mmmm," he moaned softly, "I sure know we're home now."
A wide warm smile and a slight enticing giggle from Kim met his compliment. "You mean Saturday and Sunday night weren't reminders for you?"
Even with Kim's cautious disclosure pledging her trust in Misty and intent of a lighter mood about the day, the rest of the morning meal was spent in relative silence and culinary delectation. While little was spoken, there was a mutual understanding between the couple as they sat, expressed either through a warm expression or a soft pat of the hand.
After the post-meal dishes, Kim and William spent a short time sorting through the rest of their clothes from their trip to Cairo. A bit before noon, there was a knock at the front door. Kim opened the door to two men in military garb, carrying Kimi's luggage and other things from her stay at the Air Guard base in Willow Grove. During their search of the Al-Hakim mosque, the sweep team even recovered Kimi's Escrima sticks. Kim called William to the door and they gladly invited the two Sergeants in to set the things on the couch.
One of the men then produced a manila envelope with "Ki's Research Kit" scrawled on it in Mark's handwriting. Kim took the envelope, and the second that she opened it and peered in brought forth a tear and a smile. Inside were Kimi's mini-disks which contained all the episodes of Kim's show, and the family photo she had taken with her. Kim slid the frame from the envelope and looked at it, her mind flooding with reminiscent thoughts of daughter and family - and how even after the previous tumultuous month, they were now moving steadily toward a return to normal life. William slid an arm around his wife's shoulder as she continued to look at the portrait of the three together.
Kim drank in the image of their family. She then turned to glance at the watch on William's wrist on her shoulder; 11:37. Her gaze then turned back to the picture as she brought her other hand up to join her husband's. A little more than 12 hours from now, she thought, it'll really be over. Our family will be a family again…together and whole, home and safe.
Kim and William thanked the Sergeants and William saw them to the door as Kim began to unpack Kimi's belongings. William returned, and the two folded Kimi's clothes into stacks as they brought them from the suitcase and backpack. They took them to Kimi's bedroom where Kim hung them up and put them away while William returned to their bedroom to put away the rest of their things.
After her task, Kim met William at the bedroom, and the two went to the kitchen for a light lunch of salad and fruit. Just as with the morning meal, the mood during lunch quieted to one of less verbally shared inner perplexity and still-lurking vexation over the evening's coming event. Kim's thoughts about her perceived evasion from Misty continued to fester in the back of her mind. William remained in his stand that it was understood between them that he fostered support in Kim's concerns, but that bringing them into conversation would only add fuel to the furtive fire of his wife's frustration.
4:23 PM.
TFOC - 7 Hours, 37 Minutes
At a request of William's curiosity, Kim had joined him on the couch to watch a program on Channel Animal concerning the care and feeding of small pets.
Kim had just settled onto the couch and against William's chest when the phone on the end table rang. She sat upright, then leaned to her left to reach for the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey Kim, it's Marcy. What are you doing?"
"Trying to keep from going straight out of my mind," Kim sighed. "What's up with you?"
"Just finishing up the paperwork for the day," said Marcy. "I wanted to tell you…I just got a call from home…are you handy by the TV?"
"Sure am…William wanted to watch a show about small pets."
"Do me a favor and turn over to Disney, can you?"
Kim leaned forward for the remote on the table. "Okay," she said, turning back to William as she punched a couple of numbers on the keypad of the remote. "Marcy wants me to see something over on Dis--"
Kim froze as the screen turned to a scene from her past - a scene from the third segment of an episode of her show, from more than ten years ago.
William leaned slightly forward, shifting his gaze back and forth from Kim to the TV, his mouth slightly agape. "They're…they're airing your show again? After all this time?"
"I…I guess so," Kim stammered, her eyes still fixed on the screen as Doctor Drakken slammed a cell door shut:
:There…that should be a good place for you. Guards! Make sure Kim Possible does not escape. Come, Shego…time to fire up the DNA re-compiler. With clones of the nation's best criminals, we'll be sure to do our worst! AH-HAHAHAHA:
"I've got it on here in my office," Marcy said over the phone. "Valencia came across this and called me from home…I don't remember this episode, though."
"It's 'Lockdown'," replied Kim. "It's from the fourth season. Drakken tries to track down and gather DNA samples from the nastiest criminals at Alcatraz Prison and bring them to life to make an evil army."
"So I guess I don't have to ask if you got out of there?" quipped Marcy.
The screen switched to Kim pulling a hairpin from a pocket of her cargo pants and working at the cell door's lock.
"You know me," Kim smirked into the phone. "I don't like to give endings away…but…there was a fifth season, you know."
The screen suddenly came alive with activity as Kim violently swung the door open, toppling a guard standing near it. As it opened further, she grabbed the bars at the top of the frame and threw her feet against another guard, sending him sprawling.
"I guess I should know better to ask," said Marcy, as Kim giggled in response. "I guess I should also ask if you think it's a little strange that your show is suddenly on the air after so many years."
"That would make three of us who think that, so far," said Kim. "The show has been over for at almost 12 years."
The TV came to the end of the episode, with Doctor Drakken being locked behind a cell door, and Kim and Ron standing nearby, their arms folded and triumphant smiles on their faces:
:There you go, Drakken: Ron uttered. :You wanted to hang out in a prison so much…now you have a cell aaall your own:
The screen then blackened and the closing credits scrolled up, voiced over by the announcer:
:Good things are never gone forever. Stay tuned for more as the special 48-hour Welcome Back Kim Marathon continues, right here on Disney Channel:
"All five seasons?" Kim's jaw dropped. "93 episodes and both movies?"
Kim was interrupted by a beep in the phone. "Hang on, Marcy," she said, her voice still with a tone of amazement, "there's the other line." She pulled the phone from her ear and pressed a button. It'd be nice if you were Misty, she thought as she brought it back. "Hello?"
"Hey Kim," a cheery voice replied, "It's Tina."
"Hey Tina…what's up?"
"How are you? Excited about tonight?"
"That's…one of the words for how I feel, I think," sighed Kim. "There are a few more that I probably shouldn't say over the phone."
"I can understand that today would be stressful for you."
"You…have no idea," Kim exhaled.
"Well," Tina said, "I sure didn't call to add to the stress. I just wanted to tell you that I picked up a coming-home present for Kimi."
"Oh? What'd you get?"
"I found the cutest little swan made out of pewter for her to put on the desk in her room."
"Aww," Kim cooed, her mood being temporarily derailed. "That sounds so cute! She's gonna love that, Tina."
"I was hoping you'd say that," Tina said. "I didn't even mind having to drive all the way to the next town to find it."
Kim raised an eyebrow. "The next town? You mean the House of Pewter in the Eastgate Mall didn't have anything like that? They usually have the market cornered on anything and everything made of pewter."
Tina's voice now came through the phone mixed with an expression of worry and surprise. "You mean you didn't see it on the news this morning? Well, I didn't either…but I did when I came back. Kim, Eastgate Mall has been closed all day."
Kim's head shot to her left, to William. "The whole mall?" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah," explained Tina. "I didn't watch the early news…I was going to go to the Mall about 9 this morning…and they had all the roads blocked off. Police cars, military trucks…there was no way to get anywhere near the place. On the way home, I heard on the radio that the Mall had been closed due to a chemical spill…something like that. And there were even roadblocks being set up on some of the streets away from the Mall. I don't know why that was…but it must have been some bad spill. Maybe it might have leaked into the sewer system."
Kim's expression began to sour into a scowl. "Thanks for telling me, Tina," she said. "Listen, I have to make a call. I'll call you tomorrow, when Ki's home."
"Okay," Tina said. "Look, Kim…I didn't mean to upset you by--"
"Oh, no," Kim broke in. "It's not you at all…I promise. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She hurriedly pulled the phone away, punching the "flash" button. "Marcy, I'm back…sorry."
"No problem," Marcy said.
"Marcy…did you hear about the Mall being closed all day?"
"Yeah…something about chemicals spilled somewhere inside during the night. The noon news said that even mall employees didn't have to report today…too dangerous."
"Dangerous…" Kim echoed, now not even trying to stem the rising current of her frustration. "Marcy…thanks for telling me about the marathon on TV. Listen…we'll either pick you up tonight, or have someone come by to take you to Ki's Cross--"
"I can't wait, Kim!" Marcy perked. "I'm going to get to see an actual Cross!"
Kim smiled for just the briefest second at her friend's enthusiasm, but her brow remained lowered. "Yeah…I'll tell you more later," she said, her mouth again inverting to a scowl, "but right now, I have to make a call."
"I'll be home waiting," Marcy said. "Bye-bye."
Kim brought the phone down from her ear and stabbed the "talk" button hard with her thumb, then turned to William. "The Mall has been closed all day," she fumed.
William raised an eyebrow. "How come?"
"A chemical spill last night," Kim said with an air of skepticism in her voice, "or at least…that's the 'story.' Tina tried to go there this morning to get something for Ki. She said all the roads going to the Mall were blocked by police and military vehicles." Kim sat for a moment - then rose quickly. "Misty probably had something to do with this, too," she huffed, pointing at the screen and the continuing marathon. She then turned for the hallway and William's office, still clutching the cordless phone. "Be right back…its time to get the story straight from the horse's mouth…or someone who could eat a horse."
Eastgate International Airport
4:41 PM.
TFOC - 7 Hours, 19 Minutes
Mark leafed through a few papers on a clipboard, scribbling a hasty signature onto a couple of them, then turned to a Sergeant standing by a Jeep, passing him the clipboard. "Get these back to Hansen in FieldOps…what's the status on the buses?"
The Sergeant took the clipboard. "The first group is due in any minute, Sir," he said. "They should all be in before 1730."
"That's cutting it a little close," Mark said. "If we're going to get all these people in place at the Conduit venue by 2330, we're going to have to start loading for transport about that time. Where are we on pre-screening?"
The Sergeant took a small, rather dog-eared notebook from the pocket of his fatigues and flipped it open. "As of 1600, we're caught up, Sir," he said. "Everyone in the perimeter is clear, and we're screening new arrivals as they come in."
"Tell Hansen to stay on top of that," said Mark. "Tell him to streamline the process any way he can without compromising security. It looks like there will be more coming right up to the cutoff point…and the closer it gets to 2000, the more frantic people are going to be about being turned away. The last thing we need is a clogged staging or screening area."
The Sergeant threw a quick salute to the Captain, and turned for the Jeep. Mark stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Matter of fact, tell Hansen to start loading buses ASAP, as they arrive. Have him alert security at the venue that the schedule is moving up. We need all the time margin we can get to ensure everyone is transported."
"Sir," the Sergeant nodded, climbing into the Jeep and taking off for a taxiway adjacent to the now-closed runway, and a tent complex about 3/8th of a mile to the north.
Mark turned and walked back to a blue Hydroja parked a short distance away, and a small table next to it, where Craig was seated. "The buses are going to start coming in any time now," Mark said as he took a seat to Craig's left. "I moved up the loading schedule to immediate status, as they come in."
"Not a bad idea," said Craig. "They're still coming." He pointed to the north in the direction of the main Eastgate terminal, and toward a sporadic but steady stream of people walking along a taxiway leading to a staging and screening area next to the runway.
Mark looked at the continuing line - then slipped a walkie-talkie from his belt and pressed the transmit button, turning his head back to several large hangars. "Bivouac, TFOC-MB."
The comm device sparked for a second. :Bivouac, go MB:
"Clear the fourth hangar and set it up," Mark said. "We still have people coming in…they'll be needing a bed for the night."
:Roger that: came the reply. :Actually, 2nd Lieutenant Mallory is one up on that, Sir. He ordered to start clearing the fourth hangar about 20 ago:
A smile crossed Mark's face at the forethought. "Well give Mallory a gold star and a cee-gar from me," he said. "Carry on, Bivouac. TFOC-MB out." He placed the walkie-talkie back on his belt. "You heard the man," he beamed to Craig. "They're already all over it."
"I guess Mallory has been watching the crowd," said Craig. He then slowly swept his eyes across the slowly disappearing runway, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. "…God-damn, that's a lot of people, Mark. You were right about req'ing two battalions from the 111th…I don't know how we'd be juggling everything at both places with just one."
Mark now joined Craig's scan of the growing throng. "Somehow, something tells me that even at this number, Misty was trying for even more," he said. "And part of the thanks for being able to handle this goes to Mayor Garello and the Eastgate PD. They jumped right in on mapping and isolating the quickest transit route so the buses won't be delayed anywhere along the way." Mark then stood, still looking out over the scene before them. "So far, so good…I just love it when a plan comes together and runs smoothly, don't you?" he said, directing the last to the Lieutenant seated at his right.
"Yep," Craig replied, "no snags or snafus so far--"
Craig was interrupted by the electronic hail from the cell in Mark's pocket. Mark pulled it out and flipped it open. "Broderson."
The tone of voice on the line that met him was curt, almost hissed. "Where-is-Misty!"
"…Kim?" Mark uttered with a hint of caution, reading the tone in his ear. "She's not here. I'm expecti--"
"Have you talked to her at all today?" Kim cut in as she emerged from the office, walking back into the living room.
"No…as far as I know, she's been busy going over the last of the preparat--"
"I've been sitting here all day, driving myself and my husband out of our minds because I haven't heard a thing about exactly what's going to happen tonight, where it's going to be, or even if I'm going to BE there."
"Well of course you're going to be there, Kim…" Mark said. "Why would you think otherwi--"
"Between the ads in the papers yesterday, the weird stuff on the TV today, and other things I've heard about, I can't even think straight anymore…and Misty hasn't even made an attempt to contact me or you?"
Mark began to brush his hand across his scalp. "She's had her plate pretty full the past couple days, Kim…we both have. I'm sorry if you're feeling out of the loop. That hasn't been my intention, and I'm pretty sure it's not Misty's either. It's been quite the task to set something like this up in such a short time…the last two days have been pretty hectic."
"…How's the Mall, Mark?" Kim asked, now with more of an accusatory tone.
"The Mall?"
"That's where you are, isn't it?"
"No."
"A friend of mine tried to go to the Mall this morning, and it was closed and blocked off. It's been blocked off all day. Are you sure you're not at Eastgate Mall, Mark?"
Mark's exasperation at the accusations began to trickle into his voice like an oil slick. "I'm at the airport, Kim…it's where the ads told the people to go."
"So you do know what the ads say!" shot Kim. "What else am I 'out of the loop' about? I'm starting to feel like I'm not even part of this thing anymore."
"Okay, Kim," Mark exhaled, "you need to stop this. You're not out of any 'loop.' That much I can promise you. You only have to be patient for a little bit long--"
"No," Kim cut him off again, even more of an edge to her voice. "No more patience…I've had e-nough of this secrecy--"
Craig's hand on his shoulder gathered Mark's attention for a second. He pointed past the Captain toward the tented staging area as a line of large buses began to stream in from the north. The sudden escalation of the moment and the continued frenzy of interruption and disbelief from the phone brought Mark to his point.
"--I'm coming to meet you at the Mall, Mark. If you and Misty won't 'put me in the loop,' then I'll do it--"
The forceful "KIM" that flew from the earpiece caused her to jump and jerk the phone away from her ear, looking at it for a second as if it had slapped her. She then slowly returned it up to her face. "Now-listen," Mark continued, "I-am-at-the-airport, like I said before, where the ads told people to go. Misty also told me to tell you not to leave the house until she gets there, which will be about an hour from now. She told me to put a detail outside your house, to make sure you wouldn't leave or try to come down here…but I didn't do that, Kim. I didn't because I put my trust in you that you wouldn't…just as I put my trust in Misty that she wouldn't do anything to harm you, or Kimi, or William, or anyone else involved in this…just as you should trust her for those same reasons."
Mark turned toward the table, picking up a clipboard and pen. "Now…the biggest part of my job tonight…the toughest part…is just about to start…and I have to go. My advice to you again is to just stay put, trust Misty and myself, and stop letting your mind run away with the situation for just a few more hours. She'll be there soon. See you later, Kim." He closed his cell, dropped it into his shirt pocket, and leafed through the notes on the clipboard.
"First snag?" asked Craig.
"Kim's getting restless," said Mark. "Nothing that hasn't been factored in--" he then rubbed his eyes for a second "--yet." He fished in his pocket for his car keys. "Let's go start loading those buses," he said. "More are probably right behind them, and we're going to have to keep things smooth all night tonight."
Kim had no chance to respond, as the line clicked dead at "later, Kim." Her arm went slack as she brought the phone away - then suddenly fired the phone against the back of the large cushioned chair near the front foyer. "Harsh-much, Mark?" she growled.
William came from the kitchen to the doorway at the sound. "…Nothing from the horse's mouth, I take it?" he ventured.
Kim turned and flopped onto the couch. "Sure…if yelling is 'nothing'."
William moved to the living room. "Mark yelled at you?"
"Well, not so much yelling…but he sure set me straight about what I'm supposed to do until Misty shows up--"
William raised an eyebrow.
Kim leaned onto the arm of the couch and her expression fell a little further, looking first toward her husband, then down to the floor with a wistful, glassy stare. "--which is absolutely nothing." She then looked up to William again. "Would you take a look out the front door for me?" she asked.
"Sure," William offered, moving across the living room. "What am I looking for?"
"I don't know," said Kim, "…military guys…a car…something that isn't usually there."
William opened the inside door far enough to peer out into the street and take a quick scan. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary," he said. "Why would the military would be out there?"
"Misty told Mark to put someone outside the house," Kim said, "in case we tried to leave before she got here. He told me he didn't do that, though…because he 'trusts me'."
"Well, judging by the view outside, I'd say he's telling the truth," William said as he closed the door. He then crossed to the couch, sitting next to Kim. "Did he say when Misty is supposed to get here?"
"About an hour," Kim sighed, "but with the way the last two days have gone, it wouldn't surprise me if she didn't show until 11 tonight…and by then, I'll be too much of a wreck to even leave the house."
William smoothed his hand across his wife's shoulders, and she moved to curl into his arms. He thought during the quiet moment they sat in each other's arms. During the years that had passed since the chilly December night that he met Kim, the concept of the "air of mystery" preceding the Cross became more and more common sense to William. Yet there was a large difference between that experience and this one. The strange verbal gyrations by Angelica during the encounters before that night were meant to introduce an "air of mystery" and to cushion somewhat the blow of a Flesher coming face to face with someone they had never met before - let alone the sudden realization that they even could meet. But now, this coming night's event involved two people who were already exposed to and well aware of the concept of a Cross. Why was such an "air of mystery" being enshrouded around people who well knew what to expect? Even a Flesher recipient knows where their Cross is going to be, thought William, but this is between people who have already been on both sides of a Cross…and the one crossing is a close relative! Our daughter! Misty had better have some good reason for keeping this so hush-hush from Kim. She's gone through enough already in the last month. We all have.
While he wasn't really thinking about food, William used the thought to try to defuse the mood a bit. "Feel like anything for dinner while we wait?" he asked.
Kim turned her head slightly at his query. "Do we have any of those raisins left?" she said softly. "I'll just do a handful of those."
William gained an expression of puzzlement and concern. "That's…not really 'dinner'…"
"That's dinner for me…tonight," came the reply.
"I can get those," said William, moving slightly forward, " and make some sort of a sandwich for myself,"
Kim sat up a bit, looking into his eyes. "William," she said in a low voice, "don't let my mood ruin your appetite, too…you have whatever you want for dinner."
William turned back to his wife, sliding the pads of his fingers over her cheek. "It's not," he said, "…but the last two days of all this strange action, and even Sunday evening…it's affected me, too. And I think I know how it must be affecting you…I can see it." He paused for a moment. "And after all, this is our daughter that all this is centered around. I'll be good with a sandwich. That's…dinner for me…tonight." He punctuated the last with a light kiss on Kim's forehead.
Kim gave a barely audible exhale as she leaned forward into William's chest. "I love you, Mr. Hodge," she whispered.
William slid his arms around his wife. "Mrs. Hodge," he said, "you've just fulfilled one of my wishes for this evening."
Kim slid back a bit to look into William's eyes. "If only everything could be so easy and automatic," she sighed.
Even though the front-most item on the immediate agenda was some form of sustenance, the Hodges remained on the couch for a good while, engaged in each other's arms. Soft talk, soft caresses - an unspoken reassurance of support during what both were beginning to think might be their last chance for such a moment for many hours to come.
Even in this chaos of secrecy, in the arms of this man, I feel so…calm and safe, Kim thought. So insulated from Mark's harshness on the phone…even though I should know that he's right. So removed from Misty's insistence on playing me about Ki's Cross…as if that event alone doesn't put enough on my plate today.
William slid a caress along Kim's shoulder as he rose from the couch. "Back in a minute with our dinner," he said with a slight smile.
"…Raisins," Kim reminded in a soft voice.
6:12 PM.
The emotional roller-coastering of the past three days, coupled with worry and uncertainty had left Kim in a vulnerable state - and the current quiet of the house only served to further open the current chink in the armor of her mental alertness.
Kim was slowly drifting through the fuzzy, disconnected haze of pre-sleep on the couch as the doorbell sounded a sudden electronic slap to her face. She jolted to her feet at the sound. "Mine," she blurted, stumbling slightly and throwing a hand to the arm of the couch to steady herself and clear her mind before hurriedly going to the front door.
The speed at which the door flew open threw a bit of a start into the smallish brunette standing before it, carrying a satchel and a large shopping bag with a flat clothing box inside it. She got another slight start at being greeted by Kim's expression, a mix of expectation tainted with frustration and a dash of anger. "Hi there," Misty perked as she recovered her composure. She looked to either side, visually accentuating her full arms. "Get the outside door for me?"
Kim's brow raised for just a second. "Well well, if it isn't AWOL Girl," she sneered, reaching for the latch and pushing the outside door open.
Misty took a cautious step over the threshold. "…AWOL Girl?" she echoed.
"Oh, like you don't know," Kim spat. "The past two days have been so the drama for me with everything I've been hearing…except from you…even Mark was playing Secrecy Boy with me. Is it too much to ask to be let into the know about something like this? I mean, it's just my daughter we're talking about here!" She then motioned to the packages under Misty's arms. "And what's all this stuff?"
Misty lifted her arms slightly. "It's…it's for you, Kim."
Without meaning to, Misty's simple statement disarmed Kim somewhat. She looked at the packages Misty was holding for another few seconds - then shifted her gaze a few feet to the left as some of the anger sifted from her face. "I…I appreciate the gesture, I guess," she said without the harsh edge to her voice, "…but I think you know that something in a package wasn't really the kind of 'gift' I was preparing for tonight." Her eyes now lifted to Misty. "And I don't think you'd think that any sort of bribe would work as an apology for leaving me hanging all this time on the details of Ki's Cross."
"You'd be right on both counts," said Misty. "I like to think that I know the gift you're waiting for tonight…and the second thought never even entered my mind." She motioned to the couch. "We should talk for a bit…and I promise…by the time we're through, you'll be all but caught up about the past two days…and tonight."
William emerged from the kitchen as the two women sat on the couch, with Misty setting her packages on the table. "Hi Misty," he said as he placed a small bowl on the table in front of Kim. "Kind of a last-minute appearance, don't you think?"
Kim read the tone of her husband's question, and turned back to him. "Misty was just about to explain everything," she said.
"Oh," William said, pausing for a few seconds, "…am I interrupting anything?"
"Not in the least," replied Misty. "You're just as much a part of this as Kim is." She moved down the couch a bit, motioning Kim to do the same to allow William room. "I mean…you're coming to the Cross too, I hope."
"Looking forward to it, actually," said William.
"Good," Misty smiled. "Kimi would be counting on you to be there, I think." She then noticed Kim plucking a raisin from the bowl. "After-dinner snack?"
"Dinner," Kim offered. "Just…not that hungry tonight. Nerves."
Misty's eyes fell a bit at the last of Kim's statement. "That's my fault," she said, "and I won't hide from that. I'm sorry." She took Kim's hand, looking down to it, then back into the Celler's large emerald orbs as she continued. "I'm sorry for your feeling left out of everything. That wasn't what I was meaning to do, by not calling you for two days."
Misty's eyes shifted a bit, seeming to become a deeper peek into her soul as she continued looking into Kim's eyes. "Remember a couple of days ago, when I asked how much you remember about Angelica?" Kim nodded slightly in response. "Well…me asking you that question that day actually made me begin to ask myself the same thing. It made me remember that Angelica didn't know the word 'no'. It also made me remember how easy it was for her to coordinate things, and juggle a tight schedule."
"She pretty much scheduled and coordinated every Cross from the beginning," Kim said.
"Not to mention hand-writing every incantation to activate the crystals," added Misty. "All while still meeting with most of the intended recipients and giving them the items for their Crosses. Angelica had such a gift for putting things together…" her gaze now fell a bit "…a gift I wish I had, to her degree. Even for something as big as tonight…she would have put it together and pulled it off without a hitch…and still would have found time to call and keep you up on the progress. I've found that, as much as I wanted to believe I did…that I don't have quite the talent that Angelica had…and I apologize to you both for not contacting you before tonight."
It was Kim's natural caring attitude that dismantled the rest of her inner anger after hearing Misty's apology. She reached to pull the woman into a hug. "It's not your fault," she said. "Actually…for an event that is supposed to bring Angelica's dream to reality…I'm not so sure I could keep from putting a bit of sensationalism into it myself, if I were planning it." She then pulled back a bit. "And come to think of it…I think Angelica would have done it the same way…the planning, I mean. The only thing I don't get is why you wanted to keep the location of the Cross so secret from everyone, including me."
Misty broke into a slight smile. "That's easy," she said. "Security. You remember that there can't be any outside light at the initiation of a Cross. That's why we had to keep security tight. Every single Flesher who is going to view the Cross…they all had to be screened to remove all sources of light…cameras, lighters, matches, even cell phones with cameras. If the location of the Cross hadn't been kept under tight wraps, we might have lost the ability to control those conditions. We couldn't risk anyone being at the location without first going through the screening procedure. Even the flick of one lighter, and the Cross would be rendered inert until the next lunar cycle…and no one there would be able to view it."
"So…this place you have picked out…it's dark…?"
"Trust me…it will be dark when it counts."
Misty then turned to the large bag on the table, pulling out the box inside and sliding it onto her lap. "I knew Angelica for about five years before you met her," she said, "and I had known how passionate she was about her dream for that much longer." With this, she began to lift the lid from the box, looking into Kim's eyes. "I like to think that I have a good idea how she would have wanted it to come about."
Kim's eyes widened as Misty pulled the lid from the box, letting it slide to the floor. She drew out a slow gasp as Misty reached past the tissue paper lining and pulled a pair of pants from the box, made of a light silken fabric in an angelic shade of white. She draped them into Kim's arms and reached into the box again, bringing out a blouse of an even lighter fabric, with a lace-lined collar and long, flaring, billowy sleeves. "I like to think that, if she were the one putting her dream together under these circumstances, she would want you to wear something like this."
Kim continued to stare at the outfit, her eyes drinking in the softness of the fabric. "This…this is…it's just beautiful, Misty," she drew out, "but…what would my wearing this have to with Ki's Cross?"
Misty lowered the blouse to look at Kim, her face spreading into a knowing smile. "Kim…you knew Angelica. One of her standards was 'pomp and dramatics'. Before every Cross, she extended the 'air of mystery' into a Flesher recipient's life. She wanted to make sure the recipient knew that the coming event would be a…first in their life. You think that she wouldn't treat a chance at turning a Cross into the Fall of Cynicism as a night containing as many firsts as possible?" She lowered the blouse back into the box and reached for her satchel.
"You were Angelica's closest Celler friend, Kim," Misty said as she pulled a small hardwood case covered with black leather from the satchel, presenting it between them. "And as such…I feel pretty sure that she would want you to have this honor…to be included in the firsts surrounding a night like this."
Kim's eyes grew wide as saucers and her jaw dropped slack as Misty slowly opened the case to her.
Inside, nestled in a bed of black silk, was a rolled parchment scroll trimmed in gold leaf - and the familiar vial-like shape of a crystal in deep azure blue, streaked with silver.
to be continued…
