was poking buttons on the watch, setting the time and date. She looked
up at the alarm clock, then pushed a button a few more times.
"Done," she pronounced. "Only time will tell if it'll still tell time. I
need to get moving, people. Cade, I'll turn you over to Andrea now and drop in
on you next weekend if I can't find time during the week. Andrea, he's all yours
if you're sure."
'Sure?' thought Cade. He'd thought it was a done deal.
"I wasn't absolutely sure before," said Andrea. "I'm sure enough now, I
think. Enough so to deal with him for a week, anyway. Besides, if I have to, I
can always dump him back on you and come back to Atlanta."
With a short laugh, Mandi said, "Oh, no. He's yours. I have to get an
antique missile base ready to receive guests."
She stood up and held out her arms. Andrea got to her feet and Cade did
likewise as she went to Mandi and hugged her.
"What?" asked Mandi, looking at Cade. "I don't get a hug from you, too?"
Going over to her, Cade said, "I just wasn't sure you'd want one from me.
I've been a bit difficult about things."
After she hugged him, Mandi held him at arm's length and met his eyes for a
moment before speaking.
"Ed, I was worried about having made a mistake by converting you right up
until you grabbed a stick and tried to save that woman. You kill people a little
too easily to suit me, but you're just as quick to put yourself in harm's way
for them. We'll work something out, I think."
Pulling him close, Mandi kissed him, then released him and turned into a
blur for a moment. The blur became mostly red and white before she solidified
wearing her uniform.
"You two stay put," she said with a grin. "I can find my own way out," then
she blurred to the door, opened and closed it in a split second, and was gone.
"It still amazes me how she does that," said Andrea.
"Yeah, she's quick," said Cade.
As he picked up his coffee and moved to sit on the bed, bolts of agony
coursed through his shins and thighs. When he leaned to rub them, more agony
shot through his chest. He froze for a moment to let the sensations pass.
Moving to stand in front of him, Andrea said, "I saw that. I'm not asking
you now, Ed. I'm telling you. I want to see how badly you were hurt."
Cade looked up into her eyes and got momentarily lost in them, as before.
She reached for his shirt buttons and he leaned to set his coffee on the night