To My Reviewer: (Yes, only one – ain't it sad? *hint-hint*)
Well, I already told you this (sort of), but I might as well say it for the record: the "nice guy in the park" will "come to light" later. The pillow fight was fun to write (HA! that rhymed!), and the best part was the two winding up for the next round when Mira walks in on them. Lol! …You and your sis's fight for the remote? …Wow. ;-) Thank you as always, and I'm sure you'll enjoy this new chapter!
==Chapter 6==
The Other Side of Time
I do, I do emeregere dal fondo per lottare e poi (I do, I do emerge from the depths to fight and then)
Salire in alto più che mai (Rise higher than ever before)
I do, I do guardare nel futuro e sorridere (I do, I do look towards the future and smile)
Con una nuova identità (With a new identity)
- "I Do," Yoko Kanno / Ilaria Graziano (Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 2nd GIG)
Women's apparel store Galaxie Chic!, Capital City; 2:46pm CCT, (Saturday) 4/6/3009
"Erin, how 'bout this?"
Erin stared hard at the little 'bot. "XR, there is no way you ever going to see me wearing something that skimpy."
Undeterred, XR held up another dress. "Okay, how 'bout this?"
"Over my dead body, XR."
"Fine, fine! Picky, picky, picky!" XR huffed, crossing his arms over his chassis.
"Remind me again why we had to bring him along?" Mira muttered under her breath.
"'Cause he would have been bored to death otherwise at Star Command," Erin muttered back.
"Better him than us," Mira retorted, still quietly so that XR couldn't hear.
"Can I help it if I have fashion sense?" XR protested, not hearing the girls' exchange.
Erin rolled her eyes. "Oh, you have fashion sense, all right – the wrong kind."
Mira sighed. "Just ignore him."
"Ignore me??"
"How can I?" Erin protested. "He's being an absolute pain!"
XR reared back. "I resent that!"
"I resent you!" Erin expostulated.
Mira realized that a nasty retort was going to be coming next from XR, and she hastily intervened. "Hey, guys, guys! Chill!"
"But he –"
"But she –"
"Ah-ah-ah! Not. Another. Word," Mira warned. A beat passed, and then: "XR, whatever Erin picks her decision, not yours. Erin, I suggest that you get used to XR. Okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," XR mumbled, deflated.
"Yes, ma'am," Erin nodded in a tone just as defeated.
"Thank you." Mira sighed, rubbed the bridge of her nose, and reached for a dress on the rack. "Erin, what about this one?"
Erin studied the pale blue floral dress. "Mmm, it's pretty, all right, but… I don't know, floral's not really my style."
"Are you sure?" Mira gave the dress a once-over. "I think you'd look really pretty in it."
Erin shook her head.
"Mm, all right." As Mira returned the dress to the rack, a thought struck her. She searched for the next size up and pulled it out. "I think I'm going to get myself this one."
Erin laughed. "Fine by me."
XR wheeled over, turning his head up and down to inspect. "Ohhh… yeees… very nice, Mira. Excellent choice – you'll look gorgeous in that, reallybringsoutyoureyes."
"Thanks, XR," Mira smirked in amusement.
Erin perused the racks further and pulled out a black leather, short-sleeved jumper. "Mira, what do you think?" she asked, holding it up to herself.
XR whistled.
"Oh, definitely!" Mira agreed. "That really brings out the brown in your hair."
"Yup." Erin carefully draped the dress in the hover-buggy, then turned to XR with a knowing smile. "So glad you approve, mi hermanito."
"Ermoneeto?" XR echoed.
"Hermanito – my little brother," she grinned. "That's who you remind me of – my brothers."
Mira giggled at the rare sight of her robot teammate left speechless.
Erin simply moved on to another rack.
Perelandra Park, Artemis District, Capital City; 8:59am CCT, 4/8/09
Come Monday morning, Mira had to go back to work, and Erin was absolutely alone for the first time since she'd… arrived here. At first, she put the dishes in the dish-cleaner and put them away, but that took only about half an hour. She could go web-surfing, but she was in a restless mood this morning, and kept wandering the apartment. Finally, she grabbed her keycard and left.
She found herself heading back to the park that she'd visited just two days ago. All around her, the signs of spring were growing stronger. One fenced tree was just starting to blossom – she made a mental note to take a snapshot of it when it was in full bloom.
She shoved her hands into the pockets of her black hooded pullover and began to jog. In a few minutes, she reached the spot where she and Hayden Shaw had met, and stopped, trying to catch her breath. It felt good, though, to feel breathless like that. The air was so fresh here, in this little oasis of greenery.
As she scanned the area, she spotted a piece of paper taped to a tree branch. Curious, she pulled the paper down and read it.
Hi, Mara…
"Hayden?" she frowned.
After we split the other day, I realized that I had been pretty forward, and I'm sorry. You're a nice kid – you deserve better than that. So I won't try to meet up with you. If you want to keep in touch, here's my email address: luv2sh00t () galaxy (dot) net. If not, I understand.
Sincerely,
Hayden Shaw
Erin pressed her right hand to her cheek as she finished reading. "Oh wow…" She stuffed the note into her left pocket and sighed, looking out at the view. Somewhere behind her, a bird trilled.
"'Love to shoot,' 'galaxy-dot-net,'" she said quietly. "Mr. Shaw, you're turning out to be quite an interesting man." Get myself an email, don't use my real name… yeah…
If she hadn't been curious about Hayden Shaw before, she was now.
Mira's apartment, Capital City; 3:33pm CCT
Earlier, Erin had set herself up with a new email account on and had sent Hayden an acceptance of his apology. Now she was reading his fast reply – sort of. It was just a short note, and what she was really looking at was the photo of himself that he used for his avatar.
For one thing? His eyes were hazel rather than brown. For another? He was seriously, ruggedly cute – reminded her of Harrison Ford in his Han Solo/early Indiana Jones days… right down to the lopsided grin.
O be still, my heart, she told herself wryly.
Cosmo's Diner; 6:02pm CCT, (Tuesday) 4/9/09
Buzz shoved a printout sheet over the table in Erin's direction. "What's this?" she asked, picking the sheet up and scanning it.
"I checked with Dr. Animus to see if he'd have some kind of list of questions about life and goals," Buzz explained, "and he gave me this. I thought it might help you with your, ahem, career decision."
Erin nodded as she studied the questions.
What makes me happy?
What activities, possessions, daily actions – however trivial – delight me, make me feel energized and optimistic?
What actions make me feel as if I count in my own eyes?
Similar questions filled both sides of the sheet. "Maybe it will," she mused. "Thanks, Buzz."
"No problem."
At that moment, Cosmo appeared at their table – all five hundred-odd pounds of him. "Hey-hey, there, guys!" he greeted them jovially. "And who is pretty new girl?"
Erin was pretty sure she was blushing again.
Buzz smiled widely up at the saurian alien. "Cosmo, I'd like you to meet my newly adopted sister, Erin Frame."
"Ah, Erin! Welcome to Cosmo's!" Cosmo smiled.
"Thanks, Cosmo," Erin smiled back. "It's nice to meet you."
"Now then, what'll orders be for de dinner?"
While Booster, Buzz, and XR placed their orders, Erin turned to Mira, who sat beside her. "I don't know what to get," she whispered.
Mira thought quickly. "Fried chicken platter," she whispered back. "It's really good."
"Okay."
Erin was not disappointed – Cosmo's fried chicken tasted like good old KFC. But while she was still enjoying her dinner, XR popped a question that had been bothering her. "So, Erin, if you go to college, how are you going to pay for it?"
Glancing at her brother, she said slowly, "I… I'm not sure."
"I'll pay for it," Buzz said firmly.
Erin stared at him. "But, Buzz, you said you didn't –"
"That wasn't strictly true," he interrupted, "but I'd rather not discuss my finances right now." His tone brooked no argument. "I'll fund you, but once you start coming home with your paycheck – whatever you decide to do – I cut support. Deal?"
"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" Erin replied, quietly dry. "Deal."
"The big problem is transportation," Mira pointed out. "I mean, I use my car to drive to Star Command, so that's out."
"It's not like I could use it, anyway," Erin muttered.
Buzz heard her. "What was that?"
Shoot. "I just, um… I mean, even if I could, I couldn't do it, um, legally," she faltered.
"Do what legally?" Buzz pressed, blue eyes narrowing. Erin had noticed that his eyes seemed to shift shades with his mood.
Erin sank as far down into her seat as she could. "Drive," she winced.
"You don't know how to drive?" Buzz asked, astonished.
"No! I don't know how to drive!" she burst out. "My dad never got around to teaching me, okay?"
"We just didn't know, Erin," Mira said soothingly.
"Yeah, I know, I know. It's just… it's kinda embarrassing."
"I'll bet," XR commented.
"XR!" Mira and Booster chided.
Buzz slowly blew out a breath. "All right, then, Erin – a week from this Saturday, I'm gonna start teaching you how to drive."
Erin slowly raised her hand to her forehead in casual salute. "Yes, sir."
"How's she going to get to wherever she's going, though?" Booster asked.
"Well, if it's not that far, I could drop her off in the morning and pick her back up later," Mira offered. "Just until she gets a license – then she can rent a car or something."
Buzz mulled that over. "Hopefully, she'll have her license by then; but, yeah, I guess that'd work. You'd probably have to get going earlier though – both of you."
Erin grimaced. "Why'd I have to open my big mouth?"
(Friday) 3/13/09
Not all small towns in America – or even on-planet, in general – had been swallowed up by the big cities. The Southwest Michigan town of Paw Paw – Erin's hometown – still existed, even in the size Erin had known. Some towns simply remained more or less the way they had always been.
Technically, if one were driving from Capital City to enter Michigan through its southwestern corner, it would be going the long way. But they were entering by the only route Erin knew, and Mira preferred that they rely on Erin's memory rather than Buzz's less-than-stellar planetary navigational skills.
And Erin preferred going that way, so that settled it.
Team Lightyear plus Erin were packed into the team's fuchsia-colored van, and Buzz drove. Erin sat in the passenger seat, while Mira, Booster, and XR were rather awkwardly packed in the back.
Despite Mira's discomfort, she felt as if they were taking a journey back through time.
Erin was quiet through most of the drive, and didn't point out any directions until they had actually entered the area with which she was familiar. But once they crossed the Indiana-Michigan borderline, Erin leaned forward in her seat, drinking in the sight of her home state, the only world she had ever known until now.
The town of St. Joseph was still there, merged now with Benton Harbor. The St. Joseph still fed into Lake Michigan, and barges and tugboats still docked at the river mouth. The part of Benton Harbor that had had a distinctly suburban flavor in Erin's day was now all city, and the suburban district was now further from the river.
But as much as the land had changed, the lake remained constant, ever as wild, beautiful, and untamed as the ocean itself.
Driving on old M-63 parallel to the lake, Buzz noticed Erin humming something. "What're you humming?"
"Huh? Oh. Just-just a song from a movie called Gods and Generals. It's about the beginning of the American Civil War. Seeing all this new scenery on old ground made me think of the first verse of the opening song."
"I think I've heard you hum it before," Mira interjected. "Would you mind singing it aloud?"
"Uh, I-I… I guess not," Erin said slowly, more than a bit self-conscious. "Buzz, do you mind?"
"Nah, go 'head. I'd like to hear it, too."
"Okay." Turning back to her window, Erin took a slow deep breath and began to sing.
They say there's a place
Where dreams have all gone
They never said where
But I think I know
It's miles through the night
Just over the dawn
On the road that will take me home
Her voice grew deeper and richer as she instinctively imitated the original singer, Mary Fahl…
I know in my bones
I've been here before
The ground feels the same
Though the land's been torn
I've a long way to go
The stars tell me so
On this road that will take me home
~*~
Love waits for me 'round the bend
Leads me endlessly on
Surely sorrows shall find their end
And all our troubles will be gone
And I'll know what I've lost
And all that I've won
On this road that will take me home
Erin stopped to point out the turn for Buzz: Red Arrow Highway, which would take them right into Paw Paw. Then she hummed the interlude to keep her timing right. Her next lines were hushed and soft.
And when I pass by
Don't lead me astray
Don't try to stop me
Don't stand in my way
I'm bound for the hills
Where cool waters flow
On this road that will take me home
Her voice grew thick, and Mira thought she could hear generations, even centuries of love and grief in the voice of one eighteen-year-old.
Love waits for me 'round the bend
Leads me endlessly on
Surely sorrows shall find their end
And all our troubles will be gone
And we'll know what we've lost
And all that we've won
When the road finally takes me home
I'm going ho-o-ome
I'm going home
I'm – going home
Erin's voice faded away, and no more words were spoken for a while.
State of Michigan: Paw Paw Township; 11:02am CCT
"Do you recognize any of this?"
"Buzz, it's literally been a thousand years. The old trees and buildings are gone and replaced – there are no landmarks for me to recognize!"
"You said your house was on this side of town?"
Erin tilted her head. "Yeah – it wasn't far from this road."
"Okay," Buzz nodded. "Just… let me know when I'm getting close, okay?"
"Right. At least the roads are more or less unchanged – that's a relief."
They turned onto 84th Avenue, and before long, Erin saw the road that intersected her own very near her old home. "This is it!" she said excitedly. "Slow down, slow down!" Buzz complied, and they rounded a bend…
…And saw it. The house was gone. There was just…
Nothing.
Just a clearing in the trees.
Erin had had a funny feeling the whole time, but actually seeing it… it was like taking a punch to the gut.
Everyone turned to her, eyes sympathetic.
She tried to swallow and couldn't manage it past the lump in her throat; took a deep, shaky breath, instead. "The… the driveway's… the driveway's still there," she managed to choke out. Overgrown with years and years of weeds, the driveway was still there. "Take us in?"
Buzz nodded wordlessly, eyeing the girl.
The van pulled into the long, weedy driveway and stopped at the end. Erin stepped out, slowly.
"That's where the patio was," she said, pointing straight ahead. "It was cement, I think. And that's where the maple tree outside the window was – mama and daddy robin used to nest there. And alongside of the driveway there is where the gardens used to be." She shook her head as if to clear it. "There was only one real floor, with a basement beneath. They built an artificial hill around the basement – it was great for sledding in the wintertime." The artificial hill was gone now, crumbled when the house had been demolished – or whatever had happened to it.
Then she spotted something, and joy stabbed through her heart.
Snowball bushes!
"They're still here!" she cried, running to the brush just outside the woods. "The snowball bushes! We planted them when I was nine or so – their descendants survived here for a thousand years!"
"Wow! That's amazing!" Booster grinned.
"Sure is!" Erin grinned back, her vision starting to blur. "Oh great – I'm gonna cry."
Booster, instantly sympathetic as ever, grabbed her up in a big hug. "Aww, you'll be okay, Erin! After all, you've got us as family!"
Erin laughed past her tears. "That's not it, Booster, and would you – ack! – let me down before you crush me?"
"Oh. Heh." The Jo-Adian gently lowered Erin to the ground. "Sorry."
"S'okay." Chewing the inside of her cheek, she wandered forward a few paces, thinking. "The city archives," she said slowly, then turned back to the team. "Guys, that's where we should look – the city archives!"
Buzz swung his keychain once around his finger. "The archives it is, then. C'mon, team – back in the van."
Mira groaned, not looking forward to another squished ride, however brief.
Paw Paw City Archives; 11:10am CCT
A young woman – no older and a bit smaller than Mira – stood behind the counter. She had long, soft brown hair and amber brown eyes; and a pin with the name Alice was attached to her ivory blouse. "Good morning!" she smiled at the group. "May I help you?"
Erin took the initiative and walked up to the counter. "Yes. I was wondering about an old home – it was demolished, I think – on 84th Avenue?"
"Mm," Alice nodded knowingly. "A lot of old houses on that road have been demolished in the past two centuries. Do you know the address, or who used to live there?"
That was like asking a fish if he knew how to swim. "94630," Erin replied promptly. "The Frame family."
Alice stopped short. "The old Frame Place?"
There was no mistaking the capital P in Place. "You know it?" Erin asked surprised.
"Know it??" Alice laughed. "I'm a Frame on my mom's side!" Erin shared surprised looks with the team, and Alice saw it. "Why? Are you a Frame, too?"
Erin looked to Buzz as if wordlessly requesting permission. He just shook his head and said, "It's your call."
Erin turned back to Alice and extended her hand. "I'm Erin Frame."
Alice took the proffered hand and shook it, her smile genuine and friendly. "Alice Donovan. So, you're named after the girl that disappeared?"
Wow. Her disappearance apparently made quite the family history. Erin said slowly, "I am the girl that disappeared."
Alice's face froze. "Excuse me?"
Erin nodded. "It's true." She gestured behind her at Buzz. "Captain Lightyear can back me up on my story."
Alice looked past the girl at the Ranger. "Captain Lightyear?"
"At your service, ma'am," he nodded.
Alice looked back and forth between Buzz and Erin, finally saying, "I think I'd like to know what's going on. Are you serious?"
"One hundred percent," Erin said firmly.
"If you want to know the story," Mira interjected, "it could take some time. Would you like to go out to lunch? We could tell you the whole story."
Uncertain but curious, Alice nodded. "Sure. Just a sec and let me get Rob to fill in for me." She disappeared into another room, and reappeared a minute later. "Okay – let's go."
Burger King; 12pm, CCT
It was nice to discover that the restaurant was still in operation.
Four Grilled Cheese Specials, three Whopper Burgers, seven Jumbo Fries, eight Jumbo Pepsis, and two cans of oil later – don't forget that Booster was there, too – Alice knew the whole story. "Wow," she breathed, awed by it all.
After a few moments, Erin asked, "So what happened to my home?"
"Well, the clan added on to it over the years; in its heyday – about seven centuries ago – it was a huge mansion. I have some pictures I could email you," Alice offered.
Erin grinned at the thought of her old home being a mansion. "I'd like that."
"Yeah, it was a real beauty," Alice said dreamily. "Then the clan started drifting apart, mostly because of the Tangean War in the 2500s. By 2800, it was abandoned, and even though the clan regained its unity, it didn't regain its old home. In 2890, the building declared unsafe and had to be demolished. One of the families bought back the land from the city, but no one ever had the heart to rebuild."
Erin nodded slowly, digesting the information. 2890 – exactly nine centuries since her birth. The house would've been 894 years old then, because she had been nearly six when it was first built. "Do you know who owns the property?"
"I'd have to double-check back at the office."
"Mm," Erin nodded. "So, which part of the family are you from?"
"You mean, which of your siblings do I hail from?" Alice grinned. "Two, actually, 'cause my maternal grandpa is descended from Paul, and my maternal grandma is descended from Joyce."
Erin gasped. Her baby sister…
"Erin, you okay?" Alice asked, concerned. Buzz and Mira were also eyeing Erin, worried that this was just too much for her.
Erin shook herself. "Yeah… No, really, I'm all right."
"…Do you know what your family did during the Earth War?" Alice ventured.
Erin shook her head. "Nope. I get little pieces here and there, but not the full story."
Alice nodded. "There's actually a trilogy that Paul and Joyce collaborated on that details their story. It's called Beyond Home – it's an incredible story. I'll have to find that for you."
Eyes wide, Erin nodded. "Yeah, I'd really appreciate that, thanks."
"No problem!" Alice checked her watch. "Ah craters – I'd better get back to work, or Rob's gonna have my hide."
"Would it help if I talked to him?" Erin offered.
"Nah, s'okay. Rob's my cousin," Alice grinned. "Hey, around here we say that you can't throw a stone in any direction without hitting a Frame – we're all over the place."
Erin grinned back, handing Alice a slip of paper. "Here's my email address. Thanks for everything, Alice."
"And here's my email. I'll send you a bunch of stuff about the family as soon as I can. Thank you for solving a thousand-year-old mystery for me. And, hey, stop by my place sometime and we can talk some more. I'd love to hear about the original family, and it's not everyday I get to meet my great-aunt a million times removed."
Erin laughed. "I think I'll take you up on that – Niece."
"Yeah, heard that one coming," Alice laughed. "Bye, Erin! Bye, Captain, Mira, Booster, XR! Thanks for lunch!"
"You're welcome," Buzz smiled.
"Bye!" the rookies chorused.
"Bye, Alice!" Erin called, then turned to the team. "And thank you guys for doing all this for me."
Buzz grinned and shrugged. "Hey, that's what friends do."
"Nuh-uh," Erin countered, shaking her head. "I think you went above and beyond the call of duty." Then she threw her arms around Buzz and hugged him tightly.
He laughed and hugged her back. "Beyond the call of duty for a big brother?"
She laughed, too, and pulled back slightly. "Now that you mention it… nope." She grinned.
"Hey, don't we get hugs?" XR protested. "We're the ones who got dragged around all morning!"
Erin laughed again and immediately wrapped XR up in a bear hug. "Well, thank you for putting up with it," she replied, and kissed him on his helmet. Then she turned to hug Booster and Mira. "Really – thanks for everything, guys. It means so much to me."
Booster was wiping moisture out of his eyes. "Aww, you're welcome, Erin!"
Mira just grinned and squeezed Erin's arm. "No problemo, amiga."
Erin grinned back, then snapped her fingers. "Aw shoot – I forgot to ask her about the stuff the family said they'd stash for me! Oh well, I guess I can email her about it and see what she knows."
"Yeah," Buzz agreed, wrapping his arm around Erin's shoulders and directing her out of the restaurant. "I think you've had enough for one day. Take things in moderation, y'know?"
"I guess."
XR checked his arm chrono and said, "Hey, it's still just midday – what say we get back to the capital and find a good movie theater? There's a new movie out called Till I Wake, and the trailer looks really good."
"Till I Wake?" Buzz echoed, arching an eyebrow. "What kind of title is that?"
"Oh, I've seen that trailer!" Mira nodded. "It's about this guy that has all this bad stuff happen to him throughout his life, and he has this imaginary world that he's had since he was a kid, in which a lot of good things happen. I saw some reviews, though, and it's supposed to be kinda sad."
"Really?" Erin asked, looking at her. "I'd like to see that – it sounds good."
Buzz shrugged. "Fine by me. How 'bout you, Booster?"
"Sure!" the farmboy grinned. "We haven't gone to the movies as a team in a while!"
"All right then!" Buzz opened the van and gestured inside. "All aboard for the Theater Express!"
The rookies and Erin grinned and saluted, "Yes, sir!"
That night, Erin flopped down onto her bed, holding Buzz's questionnaire and a pen.
What makes me happy?
Being with my family and friends; the sense of accomplishment of having made something; making a difference. She could have written paragraphs for that simple question, but she decided to stick with just a few answers.
What activities, possessions, daily actions – however trivial – delight me, make me feel energized and optimistic?
Singing, getting email from friends, writing, my laptop, some of my clothes, my favorite books and movies, cooking dinner… She stopped, another answer occurring to her. It was a new concept to her, true, but she had the feeling that it was going to become more important to her in the days ahead. …taking walks.
What actions make me feel as if I count in my own eyes?
Cooking, writing, helping people… The sad thing was that, when it came right down to it, Erin didn't really have a lot of self-esteem. She had a lot of faults – laziness and bullheadedness among them – and she was well aware of the fact. The biggest problem was that understanding all that only served to depress her, make her feel helpless to change.
"I have a plan for you here, a future. It will not be easy, Dearest, but there is always difficulty in following My will… The question is: will you be closer to Me, Erin. It is your choice."
"I want to be."
"Then do so. I am always waiting for you, Erin – even when you think I am far away, I am always here."
Her face hardening with resolve, she skipped over the other questions for the time being, flipped the sheet over and wrote on the back.
God has a purpose for me here, big enough to pull me into a time that's a whole millennium after my birth. I've got a job to do, and I doubt it's anything that comes as easily to me as writing.
I'll rely on God, and I'll do whatever it takes – whatever "it" is.
She raised her head just enough to look out her window at the glittering skyline.
I have my orders now. If I wasn't sure before, I am now. It's not just me wanting to do it – I feel like I'm being pulled in that direction. Maybe it should've been obvious from the start – I don't know.
The next morning, she handed Buzz the sheet and flipped it over so he could read her jotting on the back. He skimmed over it and looked up from the sheet, blue eyes solemn. "You're absolutely sure about this?"
"Uh-huh," she nodded seriously. "I'm going to be a Ranger."
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes, till I touch the sky
And I'll
Make a wish, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
~*~
Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I love
I'll
Take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway
- "Breakaway," Kelly Clarkson
Author's Note:
I finally used the title song! Yay! …Honestly, I love "Breakaway," and it's so incredibly perfect for Erin.
I might actually take the story idea for the movie and turn it into a novel – what do you think? I think it sounds like it could be really good.
I'm glad I extended the clothes-shopping scene, 'cause that was really fun. Can't you just see XR in your head? I sure can. =)
Those questions are not originally my own – are you kidding me? I'm not that good! Lol. Nope – they're from a Star Wars fanfic: a question sheet given to Anakin Skywalker in an AU of RotS, believe it or not.
I love Cosmo's broken English.
And I actually used the "return-to-Michigan" bit from the original Chapter 6 in the new Chapter 6! That's cool! It was actually that part that held up the rewriting on this one – specifically, the scenes with Alice. In the end, I kinda forgot what all I was going to do with those scenes and ended up just doing a better version of the original. Which is okay, 'cause like Buzz said, "Take things in moderation." We'll find out more about Erin's family and her stuff later.
HERE I GO WITH MY PLEA FOR REVIEWS. I'M NOT SURE ANYONE BUT KJ LISTENS TO ME ANYMORE, BUT I BEG ANYWAY. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!