Author's Note: Did I? Yes I did. I updated. It's a miracle! I blame many things on this delayed chapter. Starrshyne's CSI NY story, and Axiella's CSI NY story.Which I am hinting at to read. Glory Days, a miracle story, and another miracle story that I am forgetting the name of... it's about two interns. The paper that was due back in May. And watching many episodes of CSI on DVD. Plus... Avery and Ralph just didn't want me to write. Writer's block sucks. Please read and review.

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

The sounds of keys being punched rang through the apartment. When the typewriter was at the end of the page, Avery shoved it back to the beginning and rolled the paper up to start the next line. She sighed and went back to typing. The assigned project that Avery's class had to do was a lesson plan. The class was United States History to 1865 and she had to write a script out of a chapter of how she would present it to a class. Then she had to do handouts, worksheets, tests, and examples.

Avery stopped after the last sentence and read what she wrote. Picking up a cup next to her, she took a sip of the liquid a couple of times before going back to work. The project was due in a week and she felt she was a little behind. Ralph and the team were out of town playing other teams. They left four days ago. Avery deep down was panicking, feeling a little stressed.

There was a knock on the apartment door, and Avery looked up at the clock. When she got up, she took her cup with her. "Hey Mickey," she greeted the visitor when opening the door.

"Hey Avery," the red haired girl said before walking in.

"How was the drive?"

"You know, t he usual," Mickey replied when sitting down on the couch. "How are your classes?"

"You know the usual," Avery said smiling back at her. "I'm trying to get a project down. I just feel like I'm behind."

"Another project," Mickey said slowly, "aren't you tired of doing projects? I don't think I can do another paper."

"We're almost done," Avery replied.

"I heard you're dating someone," Mickey said.

Avery took a sip of her drink before answering, "That I am."

"Good for you. What's he like?"

Avery described Ralph to Mickey saying that he was nice, a gentlemen, where he was from, what other qualities he had.

"New Englander? I'm impressed that you didn't fall for a guy from around here."

Val opened her door right when Mickey said that and walked out. "Hey." She smiled at her.

Mickey and Avery looked over and smiled back. Mickey got up, met Val halfway. Avery wasn't shocked when the two girls kissed; she was used to Val and Mickey. Now if Julia, Liz, Holly, or Angie were there, they'd be in shock. Only Avery knew she was lesbian, her parents didn't even know.

"Have fun you two," Avery said when standing up from the couch.

Mickey called out, "Avery, do you want to hang out with us tonight?"

Avery stopped in the archway of the kitchen and turned back around. "I have the project, thanks for asking. You two go on and have fun. Mickey, you live in Duluth, you never get to see her."

Val tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "We would love to have you come along."

"You guys know that gay bars aren't my scene," Avery replied.

"We're not heading to one. Gwen mentioned that she went to this psychic that gives her readings from the pulse in you're wrist," Val told her. "I made sure to call ahead and I told her three."

"It sounds fun," Mickey countered back at her, "a lot more fun than doing homework. It'll be a fun study break."

Avery stood there contemplating about the offer. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You're not. We asked you," Val replied while pointing to them than to her.

Mickey smiled. "You could find out if this guy you're seeing will be in the future."

Avery made a face like she was still thinking about going. Homework or getting a fortune? She was torn.

"You know what? You're going," Mickey said opening the apartment door. "Let's go. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

Avery chuckled, gave them the one second sign, and placed her cup in the kitchen sink. She grabbed her purse and they left. Avery always wanted to visit a psychic, just to see her future for fun. She believed in them, just like how she believes that people who see the dead actually do see them. Half an hour later, they walked into the occult store. The psychic was standing by the register.

"Hello ladies," she greeted. The three girls said hi. "Here's how it works, you can be in the room all at once or one at a time."

"I like one at a time," Val said. "No distractions."

"Me, too," Avery replied.

Mickey smiled. "I don't mind."

The psychic took Val first. Mickey and Avery looked around the store waiting for their turn. They looked at potions, looked at books, looked at stones. About half an hour later, Val emerged from the room with a smile on her face. She told Avery that she was next and so Avery went in.

"Please say your name three times," the lady told her after she sat down and took her arm.

"Avery Lucas, Avery Lucas, Avery Lucas." Avery was curious about how her name was going to bring the fortune.

After a minute, the lady finally asked, "What would you like know?"

Avery wasn't sure. "Oh! Um… I guess… where am I teaching?"

"High school and college, but not anywhere you wish to teach," the reply was.

"Where exactly?"

There was a pause. The lady was looking for an answer. "Not out west and not in the area. You will be successful and happy. Students will come to you for help."

Avery smiled a little. "That's cool."

"You'll be complete in that part of your life."

Avery decided to ask about marriage. "Will I be complete in… you know marriage and kids?"

"You will. You'll be sad for a while, but eventually the sadness turns into happiness."

Avery found that interesting. "Sad? Why will I be sad?"

The psychic didn't say anything right away. "You will be sad because you'll be apart from your love."

"Why is that?"

The psychic said, "He'll be traveling around a lot."

The one thing that came to Avery's mind was Ralph. She hesitated before asking her next question. "What will he be traveling for?"

"I am not quite sure. It'll be for work… maybe a traveling salesman." Avery didn't ask anything else. "You'll be getting a visit soon from loved ones."

Avery nodded her head. "I was expecting that."

The lady smiled. There was a couple of seconds before she spoke again. "You'll be seeing a friend soon. A friend that you had a falling out with."

"Drew? What should I do?" Avery asked.

"You need to decide on that. I can't tell you. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Avery thought about it. "My grandparents that live in Florida…"

"They live a healthy life. There's no worries there."

Avery sighed and smiled. "What about my sisters and my brother?"

The lady took her time. "The one in college, she'll met someone soon. The younger one… she'll get into trouble with your parents in a few years. It's nothing too serious, only the cause of being a teenager. Your brother is going to go on a trip with friends."

Avery stayed in the room another five minutes. She was pleased with the outcome of her questions. When Mickey went in, Avery looked around the store some more. After, the girls went out for dinner, not discussing what the lady told them. They figured it was their own secret to keep and why tell. The rest of the night went fast and Avery was glad for the little break.

vvv

"You told me the shark was caught. And I, I heard it on the news… I heard it on the Cape station."

"They caught A shark, not THE shark. Big difference. Not the shark that killed Chrissie Watkins… and probably not the shark that killed the little boy… which I wanted to prove today by cutting the shark open."

Jaws, one of the best 70s movies around. Avery and Ralph were at the apartment. It was a Thursday night. They got some pizza, and decided to hang out. The team got back two days before and Avery already heard about the trip, especially one thing in particular about the plane running into a moose. She laughed when she heard, told him a moose is a big animal, bigger than an Elk, and it's probably in a bush somewhere telling his friends what happened.

Avery leaned forward and took another slice of pizza. It's been a couple of years since she saw the movie, but everything came back when the lady in the water got kissed in the first few minutes. Picking up her glass, she took a sip before looking over at Ralph. "Worried that the moose is on the side of a road somewhere dead?" she asked when she saw the deep thinking look on his face.

Ralph looked over at her quickly. "What? No. Why?"

Avery half shrugged. "You seem distracted. You were the one wanting to watch Jaws."

Ralph sighed. "I'm just thinking about practice."

Avery nodded her head. When Ralph didn't say anything else, she asked, "Want to talk about it?"

Ralph sighed again. "It's no big deal."

Avery raised an eyebrow. She put a hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze. "Ralph, you're sighing. Something's obviously on your mind and it's troubling you."

Ralph started to scratch his chin, more like rubbing it. To Avery it looked like he was buying time to think what he wanted to say or was wondering if he should say something at all. Finally he started to speak up. "Well, today we had a meeting in the locker room to watch some footage of the Russians. Herb just wanted to show us what we were up against, but I just… felt really intimidated. After seeing the film and listening to Herb, I just thought of one thing…"

"What was that?"

"Would I be able to help the team out to beat those guys?"

Avery let out a quiet, "oh" before sighing herself and biting her bottom lip. "Ralph… you wouldn't be here if Herb didn't believe in you."

Ralph nodded a little. "But still…"

Avery put a hand over his mouth. "Hey! You wouldn't be here if Herb didn't believe you could help the team. You would have been out of here a long time ago."

Ralph shrugged. "True." He looked like he was having a hard time accepting what she told him.

"Fine," she said, "Must not know what I'm talking about." She went back to watching the movie.

"No. I understand."

"Do you?" she asked before looking over at him. "Because… apparently you're good. I know I haven't seen a game yet, but I believe you are. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here."

Ralph smiled. "Yeah to both."

Avery smiled, leaned over and gave him a kiss. "I know something that could really cheer you up or at least get your mind off of what we discussed."

Ralph made a noise like a horse.

Avery smiled, actually ready to laugh. "Ah… get your head out of the gutter. I didn't mean that." She lightly hit his arm. "There's this party at a friend of a friend's house tonight. You… don't have to say yes."

"You… party? I…"

Avery put a hand over his mouth again. "Do I have to go over this again? I'm shocking myself by asking you if you want to go to a party."

"Well, I say let's go," Ralph said muffled by her hand.

Avery nodded. "Ok." When Avery got up, she mad a face. What did she get herself into. The party was friend of Julia's. Even though she knows that her friends are there, she wasn't sure if this idea was a good one. She hasn't been to this a party of this person's since she dated her ex.