Training Table Blues
Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time….).
This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.
You can read this without reading the background stories, but I would highly recommend (shameless plug) Black Hole Deep, version 2.0 and BE, S 1: Blue Eyes, Shining. You'll enjoy this story even more, and this story will make more sense if it's read in context.
To everyone who has read thus far and continues to read and review: thank you: your reads and reviews continue to fuel me.
A/N Forward:
Wade has gotten past his issues as he's learned what happened to Stephanie, but Joss opened the door to a question about an event from this past summer at the ranch.
Wade's parents learn one thing that their 14-year-old son did on his summer vacation in Montana besides overcome his agoraphobia and get engaged: hacked into a State Law Enforcement Network and almost get arrested.
Oops….
Wade's hacking into Montana DCI and the results are next: read this story in chapter four of Training Table Blues: Montana AG Blues.
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Chapter 4: Montana AG Blues.
(Information release authorized from the following sources:
· Archives and logs of Dr. A. Jocelyn Possible-Load;
· Diary of Dr. Rachel Nathan Load;
· Archives and logs of Dr. Wade Load;
· archives and logs from Montana DCI)...
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(Dr. A. Jocelyn Possible-Load)
Donna looked more than a bit confused.
"Joss, you said something yesterday that bothered me all last night.
"What are you and Wade doing for the Montana Attorney General's Office, and what does it have to do with providing drug intelligence information?"
I looked at Wade and grinned, and then I looked at his parents.
Wade hadn't told them everything we'd been doing, or that he'd been doing.
I looked at Wade again, grinned again, and got my kiss. Then I crossed my legs, and I grinned even bigger inside while Wade watched me, and then turned back to Donna, who was grinning, herself.
I began. "Well, Donna, it all started when Wade hacked into the Montana AG DCI's network and their email system…."
"Hey! It seemed like a good idea at the time…." Wade interjected.
-----
(Dr. Wade Load)
"It all started on Day 19 at the ranch last summer, and I was feeling cocky with the new Command Center now operational.
"I'd already been inside the AG network of other states ("I'll be nice and not tell you which ones; I have learned, Betty!" "Good." Was Betty's reply), but I hadn't tried Montana's network yet. I assumed that the network would cause me no problems, and I was right. I decided to send the AG and the Director DCI an email announcing that the Command Center was open for business, where we were and an offer for a tour, some ideas as to how we could help in the short-term, as well as some highlights on what we wanted to do long-term.
"That," I grinned, and Joss groaned, "in hindsight, was not the best idea I'd had or decision I'd made…."
-----
(Office of the Attorney General, State of Montana)
"We have a problem."
"We have an intrusion."
Both section heads stopped as they left their meeting and were blocked by one agent each from their team carrying a manila folder with a red tab across the top.
Red means trouble, and the section heads looked at each other and thought the same thing:
'This can't be a coincidence.'
"Conference room, now," and they all four went into the room that the section heads had just left, by now vacated.
"What do we have?" came from the first section head.
"We have a level seven full intrusion through the complete firewalled network. Whoever did this is good: it took 5 seconds from first contact to full breach."
"That's impossible!"
"Here's the track: through all seven firewalls like crap through a moose."
"What damage was done?"
"None."
"None?"
"None," and the agent grinned.
"What did the hacker do, then?"
"Sent an email."
"What?"
"Seriously: sent a fracking email."
"To whom?" The section head was a BA in English.
"That's the problem: The AG, the DCI director, and both of you," and the section heads' cells rang as if on cue, and they both looked at the ID, and they both mouthed 'Boss.'"
"You take the boss; I'll get the rest of the info," suggested the second Section Head, and the first Section Head went to a corner, flipped open the cell, and took the reaming.
"What's the point of origin?"
"We don't know."
"I do," the second agent stated as she opened the folder.
"How?"
"It's in the email: the name of the location and GPS coordinates."
"You're shitting me!"
"No, sir, I'm not. We've got a code name, what this hacker wants, when he wants to meet-"
"Meet?"
"Meet, and where the meeting should take place, and why."
"Where?"
"He gave us the GPS coordinates: they match the location that he gave in the top of the email. It's a ranch, the Lazy C, inside the State."
"O-Kay, and why?"
"You'll love this: he wants to meet with the AG and the DCI to discuss helping us in our war on drugs."
The section head sat down and laughed for a second, then stopped.
"What are the chances?"
"No way to tell: it could be a trap, and the ranch could have explosives on it."
"Could they be expecting us, and plan a different kind of trap instead of what we'd expect?"
"Don't be ridiculous: no one with a brain plans a trap on top of a trap."
"Well, that was fun," the first Section Head came back to the group.
"Boss not amused?"
"AG and Boss. We're going in full to find this hacker and make a point."
"We?"
"You got it: the AG wants both of us there along with folks from MATIC and Major Case."
"Someone's not happy," the second Section head commented.
"Nothing compared to what the hacker's mood will be when we pick him up."
"What's the hacker's penname?"
"Tornado." And the section heads called the other two section heads and got them into the impromptu meeting, and in 20 minutes had a full plan in place.
It would take the team 95 minutes from call to wheels up, 36 minutes for the flight, and 14 minutes after landing to get to the front door. They had their go for operation "High Wind" in 12 minutes.
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(Slim Possible)
I answered the front door and found four suits out front, and 4 black Subbies with Montana government plates. Another 10-12 were fanning out around the ranch.
"Kin Ah Hep y'all?" I asked, and the person in front flashed a Montana DCI badge.
"Melisandretti Claremore, Montana Department of Criminal Investigation, Sir. Are you Slim Possible?"
"Ah am. Do Ah need mah lawyah?" I asked and I punched a button (unnoticed, I hoped) on the door frame locking down my research facilities, including Tornado's 'corral.'
"We're looking for Tornado," Ms. Claremore said, and I laughed.
"What woul' y'all want mah horse?" and the agents looked confused.
"Are you from DCI?" Ms. Claremore turned and saw Wade, and I could tell what she was doing: speaker is a young, early-teen, African-American male, approximately 5'3, 135 lbs, with no obvious weapons in sight.
"Yes sir, we are," she replied, and the young man nodded.
"Good: you got my message.
"I'm 'Tornado;' My real name is Wade Load," and he stuck his hand out for her to shake, and four UziNaZas clicked and were trained on him.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please: I'm unarmed, I gave you the directions here in the email and let you through the gates, so why the weapons?" Wade had placed his hands slowly behind his head by this time. "Besides, you can't arrest me for EWB," he grinned.
"'EWB?" Mel asked, and Wade grinned even more.
"'E-mailing while black,'" he answered with a smile, and the one black agent in the group chuckled, but stopped when Mel glared at her.
"If you'd like, I'll show you the Command Center," Wade said, and Mel waved his hands down.
"Besides, you aren't anywhere close to being as dangerous as what I've already been through, this year," Wade added as he took them to the door of the Command Center.
"What was that?" I could hear them on a speaker (I knew that those hidden microphones would come in handy); I could tell that Mel, by this time, was curious, and I knew what she was thinking because I'd be thinking the same things in her shoes (but not her heels): this is no ordinary hacker or criminal, and what the hell is he doing on a working ranch?
"Diablos," Wade replied, and he opened the door to the Command Center, and I could see the light bulb go off in Mel's head. That was where she'd seen him before: on television, and that thought would stir up another question in her mind: What was Team Possible's Wade Load doing in Montana?
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"Daddy, what's goin' on?" Joss came down the hall after she saw the vehicles in the front drive.
"I don' know, Sweet Tea, but Wade's gone and done sump'n' strange, even for him, and DCI's here," I answered her, and Joss' eyes got big.
"Where are they?" she asked. I pointed at the bunker, and Joss took off in a dead run for the Command Center, grabbing her PosComm on the way out.
I pulled out my cell and punched in a speed dial code, and waited.
"Hello, Joey?"
Silence, then a laugh..
"Yup, Ah bet you got a big laugh outa sendin' your folks up here."
Silence.
"Yup: trust me: it's all good, and you're going to be 'berry, berry happy' when you get the call and the offer.".
Silence.
"Ah understand you're miffed, Joey, but that's mainly 'cause Ah didn't give you a heads-up: Ah didn' know how or when he wuz gonna contact y'all, but Ah suspected he would pretty soon.
Silence.
"Yup: you'll be gittin' a call from Betty purt' near soon, Sport."
Silence.
"No, Ah haven't married her yet! What gives you that idea?"
Silence.
"You're right about that: she is gorgeous, but she'd never be interested in me. Besides, she's got her work."
Silence, then a guffaw.
"Yea, that's right."
Silence.
"Well, come on down, then: Ah'm sure you're about to git an invite, and you've not had my latest 5-alarm buffalo chili, anyway."
Silence, then another guffaw.
"Yup, and you take me in poker? Right! Joey, you owe me so much now, you should be doing the cooking!"
Silence.
"All right…there's your call? Later, Joey. Semper Fi," and Slim cut the connection.
'This should be interesting…' I thought as I sauntered out the door and over to the Command Center.
-----
(Melisandretti (Mel) Claremore)
"You are Dr. Wade Load from Middleton?" I asked him as they went thru the doors into the waiting area, and Wade smiled.
"You're a smart one, Melisandretti," and I smiled and was surprised: he had pronounced my name perfectly on the first try, complete with the accents in the right spots.
We continued into the main center on the first floor, and the agents fanned out to check the room.
"Don't worry, there's no one in here, yet: we're not formally opened for full business, other than KP's website, that is."
"No one, except for me," a voice announced itself from a corner of the room. Two agents stepped into fire position as the young man in a GJ jumpsuit walked back to a desk and stood, pulling out a badge as he attacked the keyboard.
"And, you are?" I asked, pulling out my badge, and he flipped his open.
"Arnold Carlos, ma'am: Global Justice. I'm manning the GJ HAOC desk today from here," and I nodded.
"You're running Kim Possible's website from here?" I asked Wade as I turned back to him, and he nodded.
"Better than my bedroom: besides, the power company was not amused with the strain on the network.
"Can I show you a few things?" Wade walked over to his laptop and pulled up a map he appeared to have been working on.
"Here's where we are," and he used the pointer to show their location on the screen that had come out of the wall in front of them.
"Here's where your last drug bust was," and he pointed to a spot he'd highlighted in red on the map.
"And, here's where they moved the next meth lab to," and Wade pointed to a spot highlighted in yellow on the map.
"How do you know that?" Now I was now really intrigued: we'd just confirmed that location 2 hours before we received the intrusion alarm.
"Power consumption, vehicle traffic analysis, and chemical analysis from legally acquired air samples: these will stand up in court, because they're taken from Homeland Security's own air quality monitors," Wade said, and I was shocked at the amount of information that had been correlated: it had taken several agents days and weeks to pull all of this together, and this kid, this person, was doing it real-time!
"Before you ask how I know: my analyses have passed court reviews in cases filed by Global Justice," and I checked one item off my list, but I still had to break the bad news to Wade.
"Dr. Load, do you realize that your hacking activities are felonies under Montana law?" and Wade looked shocked.
"I'm sorry, but we'll have to take you into custody until we can resolve this. Dr. Wade Load: you have the right to remain silent," as I reached for the wrists of the very surprised Wade, and a young woman who had just run into the room had obviously heard my last sentence because she reacted rather vocally:
"NO!" she screamed.
"You can't take my Wade," she yelled and punched a series of buttons on her PosComm, and a monitor popped on above them.
"Global Justice Hot Agent – Jocelyn! What's wrong?" and Arnold Carlos' face popped into view. Joss had no way of knowing who was manning HAOC or where they were; it was a pure coincidence that Arnold Carlos was in the same room as her at that time.
"Arnold! We need Betty, stat! Montana DCI is about to arrest Wade!" and the screen split to darkness on the right side, and in moments the familiar eye-patched face of Dr. Betty Director, Head of Global Justice, popped into view.
"Wade! What did you do?" Betty had her 'mother' voice on, and one of our people chuckled.
"Betty, I just sent an email to DCI," Wade said innocently, but he wasn't grinning at all, now, especially he had almost been handcuffed and Miranda'ed.
"Did you send it on an open line?"
"Well," and Wade looked sheepish.
"Wade! Did you hack DCI?" Betty appeared to be trying her best not to laugh: so far, it was working.
"I just hacked to send the email," Wade whined, and I couldn't help but laugh now at the whining 14-year-old Doctor who'd just been caught with his hands in the cookie jar.
Betty sighed, then addressed the agents.
"Which of you is in command?"
"That would be me, Dr. Director: Supervising Agent Stephen Sondmare," and Stephen flashed his badge.
"Good. Supervising Agent Sondmare, we're about to contact the DCI head and the AG and I'm telling them that I will vouch, both personally and professionally, for Dr. Load; if my word's not good enough for them, I'll get the Federal AG on the line, as well."
'Oh, it's about to get real interesting,' ran through my mind, and I grinned inside.
"Aronld: patch into the commercial lines and set up the call for Supervising Agent Sondmare."
"Doing it now, Dr. Director," and Arnold popped on a new monitor in the Command Center, patched Betty's frame into the open monitor, set up a three-way screen, and connected that monitor to the DCI video network at the Montana All Threat Intelligence Center (MATIC). The monitor popped on, and the agent monitoring was surprised at the faces that came up.
"Agent Sondmare? I thought you were on location."
"I am. I need the Director and the AG, stat. I've got the head of Global Justice holding for them," and the agent monitoring dropped his large Slurpster onto the floor with a splash and muted the line.
"Wade? " Betty smiled, "we'll talk later," and Wade gulped.
'Yup: definitely caught with his hand in the cookie jar!' and I smiled a thin smile.
After a few minutes, during which Wade was professional enough to continue to explain his results to Stephen and me and the other agents, the AG and the DCI Director popped up at the same time.
"Elizabeth!" the Montana AG grinned. "Have you been wearing that 'little red dress' of yours again and not told me when and where you'd wear it?"
'Do all of these people know each other? I guess they'd have to, at that level.'
"Yes, Joey, I have, and like I told you before: not EVEN in your dreams," Betty replied sweetly, and Stephen and Mel and the DCI Director all laughed with Joey Barbersoni, my boss's boss's boss, the Attorney General for the Great State of Montana.
"You go, Betty!" and Deborah Susan Drop, my boss' boss, the Director of the Division of Criminal Intelligence for the Great State of Montana, laughed with Betty. "Betty, what's up? And who is 'Tornado'?"
"That would be me, Madam Director. Dr. Wade Load of Team Possible," and the agents that hadn't heard the front of the conversation hurt their jaws as they dropped open and hit the floor.
"Dr. Load: what in Heaven's name are you doing hacking into our network?"
"Well, I wanted to get your attention," and the Montana AG, DCI Director, and Director of Global Justice all laughed loud and hard.
"Well, you certainly did that, Doctor," Director Drop said after she finally was able to stop laughing.
"I'm sorry, Director. Please, send me the bill for your expenses, and I'll pay for all of them. Unless, of course, you take National Express?" and this time it was Wade's turn to laugh as the AG and DCI Director were more than a bit surprised when he pulled out his card.
I was a bit surprised, but not any more: this kid had his butt covered pretty well, except for the hack, and he wouldn't have been found if he hadn't told us where to go. I needed to speak up, and I did:
"Director? Agent Claremore here. Dr. Load, in two hours, replicated the work on operation Justin-1 that took us 3 months to complete; I'd strongly recommend that you and Mr. Barbersoni come out here and see what he's got that he's offering for us to use."
"And, the best part, Sir and Madam?" Wade added. "The only costs to you would be the cost of travel for your on-site personnel to and from the facilities: rooms and board are available, and I'll cover those costs, as well. The analysis that we do here will cost you nothing," and the price tag got their attention.
"Forgive me, Dr. Load, but why are you doing this?"
"It's a long story, Director; suffice it to say that I have a very dear friend who lost her mother to drug dealers, and I told her that I'd help her any way I could," and Joss smiled, and I caught the smile. Must be her mother, and she must be his girlfriend.
Lucky girl, I thought.
"Besides," Wade added, "the dealers aren't staying in the big cities, and I know that you're not getting the funding that the larger states are receiving, but the large-state problems are coming at you like stampeding horses, so why not get a little extra help in keeping the problems at bay before they gets completely out of hand?"
"Dr. Wade, I like the way you think. But, again, who's going to pay for this?"
"I am, Sir. The facilities are privately owned, and we've been equipped by several private organizations. I've also made a dollar or two off of my inventions, remote conferences that I've conducted, and consulting work for other agencies, and I'm using those funds to fund these operations. Like I said; I'm more than willing to use it to help," Wade smiled, and the AG smiled back.
"I'll be here for another four to six weeks, and I'll be more than happy to give you and the Director a tour of the operations here should you choose to come over and discuss the plans that we have going, as well."
"I'm not available for a trip, what with several issues on my plate at the moment, but I'd have no problems, Director, with you going down there for a quick tour. Are you available?"
"I can fly in today, if you'd like to tour while your agents are on-site," Betty Director offered. "I can bring one of my agents with me, in my jet."
"How about Will Du?" Director Drop suggested.
'Who the hell is Will Du?'
"Certainly. When?"
"How about next Monday, Betty? I can check on the results of Justin-1 and also look at any additional information that Dr. Load has obtained for the location in question and other possible locations."
"Very well," Betty concluded. "Will and I will see you Monday morning at 0900 hours."
"Very good, Betty, and thank you. Dr. Load, thank you, and I apologize for the misunderstanding," Director Drop added.
"No, Director, I should be the one apologizing: I really should have called first before hacking," and both Directors and the AG and all of us laughed, and Joss breathed a huge sigh of relief as she came over just outside of camera range.
"If we're done: Arnold," and the multiple circuits all dropped at the same time.
"Wade, my man, you were in deep kimchee for a bit there," Arnold grinned. "Let me know where you want your body sent when Betty finishes with you," and he laughed as he stood up and stretched, then sat back down to continue his HAOC monitoring.
"WADE!" and Joss ran over to him and hugged him, drawing more than one stare from the agents.
"My girlfriend," Wade said between the hair, and I smiled. I had him pegged, I thought.
"Lucky girl," I commented out loud, and Joss smiled at me.
"You have no idea," she responded, and Wade smiled.
"Let's look at some other options, Dr. Load," Stephen suggested when Joss released him and kissed him, and we all sat down and went thru several sets of analysis on the overhead monitors.
-----
(Dr. Wade Load)
Betty called me on my PosComm the next day, early in the morning, and explained to me what I'd almost done, and I was scared and mad at myself and truly sorry, but she hit me below the belt: She told me that she'd tell Joss about the battle suit fittings if I did it again.
"You mean, you did more than just Kim's battlesuit, Wade?" and Joss gave me the look, and not the good one.
She stared for a few moments, then burst out laughing. "Ah already know about Betty's, Wade, so don't worry," and I was able to breath until I looked at Mom.
"Wade, we'll talk when we get home," Mom said, and I knew I was in that same kimchee that Arnold talked about.
'Lucky, you and I will be seeing a lot of each other for awhile,' I thought.
"Rachel, don't worry: I was upset at first, but I realized that it was actually a good sign."
'Now, I was confused.'
"How?" Mom asked.
"If Wade was trying to get views of 'the girls,' at least he was developing like a normal 'tween; well, a normal one would be surfing the net for porn, not trying to get free shots of me undressed," Betty stated matter-of-factly, and my secret was partially out.
"Wade, we'll definitely talk when we get home," Mom said, and I knew I was in that same kimchee that Arnold talked about.
'Lucky, you'll be freer in your tank than I will be,' I thought.
"Anyhow, Director Drop came the day after Slim's party, so many people were moving slower after being up late the previous night," and I tried to retake control, and partially succeeded.
-----
"Hello Betty; Will," I greeted them when the jet wound down, and Betty jumped out of the cockpit and removed her helmet. Her hair still looked magnificent, and the jumpsuit….
BAD WADE!
BAM!
BAD WADE!
BAM!
BAD WADE!
BAM!
I was getting better at virtual head-banging.
Will crawled out of the rear seat, looking more than a bit rattled.
"Dr. Load: good morning," and he extended his hand like it was touching poison ivy.
"Agent Du: Good morning," and I shook his hand. No need to act like an arse, especially when I was sure he would do it to himself sometime later in the day.
"Breakfast?"
"Love some," Betty replied, placing her helmet back in the seat and striding towards the dining hall.
"I, uh, need to check on some things, Dr. Director, so I'll stay here, with your permission, of course," Will rambled, and Betty waved her approval as she headed for breakfast…or was she looking for Slim?
I grinned. I really wanted to do something to get them together, but I wasn't sure how they felt about each other. Joss and I had talked about the two of them, and we had agreed that they were perfect for each other. Joss had even given her a nickname: Momma2. I knew Joss must be serious if she was that willing to call another woman 'Momma' this soon after learning Betty's involvement in finding her mom, and that made me feel good.
That, and all of Joss' hugs.
I really liked her hugs.
-----
"Mornin', Betty; breakfast?" Slim was 'slingin' hash;' the rest of the world called it 'serving breakfast.'
"Yes, please, just some eggs and toast: I'm watching my figure," and Betty lowered her head and looked up thru her eyelash and smiled?
Slim had a wicked grin on his face; then, it was joined by the wicked gleam in Slim's eyes.
"Whah don't you have some bacon, and Ah'll watch that purdy lil' figure of yours for you?" Slim asked, and Betty almost dropped her tray and GIGGLED!
I don't need to do much; they're already dancing….
"I think I will have some of that bacon, thank you, Slim," and she TITTERED as she took her plate from Slim. Their hands touched for a second, and I'd have sworn that there were real sparks between them,. Then, their hands separated, and Betty took the plate and walked over to the table to sit down.
"Oh, mah goodness," Slim muttered to himself as he watched her walk away, and he dropped a plate of food on his boots. Betty heard the CRASH, turned and looked at Slim, and GIGGLED as she sat down at her table.
Slim hit the next plate, but after Betty sat down and leaned forward to take a bite of breakfast, Slim dropped his ladle on the floor with a loud CLATTER!
Betty looked up and TITTERED again!
I finally got my breakfast (Slim gave someone else the egg ladle).
'They've got it worse than Joss and me,' was my thought on the way to the table. 'Maybe I can help jump-start them,' came to mind as I walked up to the table. Betty was still grinning.
"Betty, how are you?" and I sat with her and grinned as she missed her mouth with egg while she tried to sneak another peek at Slim.
"Wade, you understand why I did what I did: most other governmental agencies won't be as polite as Montana DoJ if you hack them," and this time she hit the target and chewed.
"I understand, Betty, and I won't, again."
"Do it, or get caught?" she asked with a smirk as she took another bite of eggs.
"So, Betty, when are you and Slim going to get together?" and the eggs flew from her mouth and ended up on me.
Wrong color shirt to go with eggs.
"Wade, I'm sorry," and she handed me a napkin. I cleaned the egg off, sorta.
"Slim wouldn't want a career woman like me, anyway," and she took a bite of bacon with her eggs.
"He liked the career his eyes were following on the way to the table, so he seems to like careers," and this time I was wearing eggs and bacon.
"Sorry," and she handed me another napkin. She put her fork down and picked up her coffee cup, taking a drink.
"You and Slim: you'd be a great couple," and I went for the jugular. "Think of the cute kids you two would have," I added, and now I was wearing coffee, black and strong and more than a bit warm.
"WADE!" and people in the room turned, looked at us, chuckled, and went back to conversations and breakfast.
"Long story, Wade," she added with a tinge of sadness in her voice, and she was saved by Du-Duh calling her to tell her the Director Drop and others had arrived.
I needed a clean shirt.
-----
We walked out of the dining hall, and I almost fell.
Mel had come back with the Director and was standing behind her, and poor Mel was attempting to keep from laughing out loud.
I looked at the Director, and I knew why: she was suffering from a severe case of 'hero worship' with Will Du, and he was eating it up!
"Director," Betty spoke, and Director Drop looked away from Will and spoke, still smiling.
"Dr. Director," she replied, and they nodded.
"Director Drop: Wade Load," Betty introduced me, and I shook her hand.
"A little breakfast accident, Dr. Load?" Director Drop gave me a super-condescending look.
"Actually, that was my fault," Betty acknowledged, and Director Drop smiled. "Too many surprises at breakfast this morning," Betty added, and she smiled at Director Drop as if to say 'wrong assumptions will get you nothing from Dr. Load and Team Possible.'
"Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like for Agent Du to give me the tour, and for Agent Claremore to take the briefing," Director Drop asked, and Will crooked his arm, offering it to the Director, and she took it. "I trust Mel's judgment," and they started off on a tour of the Command Center, Will talking and Director Drop grinning like a schoolgirl; well, like Betty earlier at breakfast.
It must be in the air, and it only affected adults. I turned to Mel, and she was grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
"Let's see what other magic you've performed, Dr. Load," Mel requested, and she and Betty and I all headed for the Command Center.
-----
(Dr. Rachel Nathan Load)
Betty stood up, mumbled "ExcuseMe," and ran out of the room.
Wade looked at me and asked, "I didn't make her mad, did I, Mom?" as I went after Betty. I caught up with her; she had run outside to the back of Donna's house, and I could just see her in the light from the full moon and cloudless sky.
"Betty, what's wrong?" and I was shocked when Betty turned around and her face was glistening in the moonlight as the tears fell onto it.
"Rachel," Betty whimper-called, and she ran over and hugged me, crying and shaking.
I instinctively hugged her back, but I still had no idea why she was crying.
When Betty pulled back from me, she wiped her tears with her hand.
"I'm sorry, Rachel, but Wade's story hurt too much."
"Why, Betty?"
"Because, Rachel, your son understands me better than I do, than anyone I know understands me.
"Do you know how long it's been since I've been on a date?" and now I was surprised.
"Guys don't want someone as old as me, and they sure don't want the commander of Global Justice: I scare them off before they even get to the door!
"It's worse than my trying to date in High School, and my dad gave all of my boyfriends the 3rd degree when they would first come over; after awhile, Dad was revered by the other daughters' dads, and I had no boyfriends.
"Rachel, something clicked inside of me when I first took Wade to Slim's ranch," and Rachel now understood. "I saw my dead best friend's husband, and he looked SO FINE! I'm so embarrassed!
"And, when I brought Wade back to Middleton, he hit a little too close to home about my feelings about Slim. He told me that I deserved to be happy, Rachel. Your son told me that, Rachel, and no one's ever told me that before," and she started to cry again.
"Betty," I took her face in my hands, "I don't even pretend to know why you think that you don't deserve happiness, but you're wrong! You, more than anyone I've ever known, deserve happiness: you deal with the scum of the earth on a daily basis, and that doesn't even include Will Du," and that evoked a laugh from her.
"Sheri Nicole Possible is gone, Betty, and you haven't gotten over the loss of your friend. Until you do, you won't understand that she would never stand in the way of your happiness, if indeed Slim is the one for you."
"You know why I don't get mad at Wade, Rachel?" Betty asked. "He's the first male who's looked at me that way in a long time and told me I was beautiful: that's pathetic, isn't it?"
"Hey, he is a supergenius, Betty, but you've got to get that lower end of your age limit way up; besides, I'm way too young to be your step-mother," and that got a big laugh out of her.
"And besides, you'd have to fight with Joss for him, and I don't think she's gonna give him up without a fight," and I just realized how deeply Jocelyn cared for my son, and I was happy and concerned at the same time.
"And, I'd be Joss' step-mother, and I have no idea how she fells about that: me in that role, replacing her mother," Betty added, causing more tears to come.
"Betty, you're overanalyzing a sitch of the heart, and that'll never work.
"You're going to have to decide what you want, and it's not a decision to be made in one day, so you'd better get cracking.
"Make yourself a deadline, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, to either tell Slim how you feel or leave your feelings on the doorstep.
"I wouldn't ask Jocelyn, though: you'll only get her expectations too high; she already likes you a lot, and something going wrong there would not be good for either of you."
"Rachel, how do you know all of this?"
"Masters in Social Work, Masters in Psychology, and Master of Arts in Art: I was bored and couldn't decide if I wanted to paint or work with kids and / or adults. Now, I've ended up using all three degrees," I laughed, and Betty finally broke a smile and laughed with me.
"Are you ok, now, Betty?" I put my hand on her shoulder, and she put her hand on my shoulder.
"We're good, Rachel: thanks," and she smiled a real smile.
"Let's go back in," I suggested, "and see if my son's dug himself out of his hole yet," and we laughed together as we re-entered the room.
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"And you know the 'rest of the story,'" Wade grinned. "Mel's now our liaison with Montana DCI and spends the preponderance of her time at the Command Center, working with Arnold and Rebecca Jane, when she's not in classes, and Joss, when she's not at school."
"Mel and Ah git along real good, especially since she understands how I feel 'bout mah Wade," Joss drawled, and giggled.
"I'm working on getting' rid of my accent, and I do fairly well at school. My biggest problem is right here," she said as she pointed at, and then hugged, Wade. "He drives me to distraction so much, I forgit what I've learned, sometimes."
"Well, that's only fair, Joss: I've had to restart several sections of my latest dissertation because of you and those boots," and she held her skirt down and lifted her legs, showing Wade her boots, and he feigned a swoon.
"'It's cruel and unusual punishment, Warden, I tell ya,'" Wade complained, and was tortured even further by a kiss on the cheek Then, Wade looked up at Betty, standing over him and staring down..
"Betty, are you ok?" Wade asked her, and she smiled.
"Better than I've been in a long time, Wade; thank you," and she leaned over and kissed my son on the cheek.
"HEY! NO KISSIE MY BOYFRIEND, BETTY!" Joss exclaimed, and everyone laughed. "GET YOUR OWN!"
"I'm working on just that, Joss," Betty smiled, and I knew she would be ok and that she could make that decision. Now, if she would only follow-thru with it once she made it….
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chapter now complete….
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A/N afterward:
Preview:
Question: If you're Wade and Joss, who do you train with, and what do you start with for training?
Answer: D'OI! You train with the best. And, that's why, with all seriousness, Kim gave Wade a surprise Christmas present: she agreed to start training him and convinced Ron to start training Joss, as well.
Good news for Wade: he gets to spend personal, private time with Kim.
Bad news for Wade: it's time for his first lesson in 16 kinds of Kung Fu, and it's going to be a painful introduction….
Good news for Joss: she gets to spend personal, private time with Ron.
Bad news for Joss: Ron's going to introduce her to more Monkey Kung Fu that you can shake a big bunch of bananas at.
The good, the bad, and the monkey in chapter five of Training Table Blues: 16 Kinds, and Pek Kwar Blues
Thanks again for reading, and please review.
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