Virtual Season - Ending the Old Year With a Bang Part 1

Virtual Season I

Episode 12

"Ending the Old Year With a Bang "Part 1

Lana rubbed her forehead as she looked around the warehouse. Her head was killing her, a fact not helped by the noise and bustle in the area or by the incompetence of her staff. There had been a notable drop-off in the quality of workers Haag had been sending her since the gentleman's club fiasco and it was beginning to tell on the young Vardian. The tension headaches were really starting to get to her, and the physician that Haag had sent at her request was like some kind of joke.

"Here, drink this," said physician advised helpfully, appearing at her elbow with a steaming cup.

Speak of the devil. "Unless it has a painkiller in it, Masyn, you can..." Lana trailed off, inhaling deeply. "Well, now, this is new. An herbal tea that actually smells palatable."

The Enixian shrugged. "Well, obviously the mugwort and the feverfew weren't agreeing with you. This is chamomile, mint, and lavender. Might be more your speed."

Lana shrugged and took the cup. She was thirsty anyway. "You know, most doctors would tell me to take two aspirin," she pointed out, shaking her head.

"Aspirin?" Masyn scoffed. "Those things are poison, Doctor Lana. Have you seen what they can do to the human stomach?" Shrugging, she held up a small bottle. "Lavender oil. Very useful for headaches. Smells pretty, too."

"If you weren't Enixian and, therefore, something of an authority on headaches..." Lana muttered, grabbing the small bottle.

Masyn shrugged. "Of course the real trick is to prevent the headaches before they start."

"None, Doctor. I'm going to teach you self-hypnosis and how to meditate." Not at all daunted by the look the Vardian was giving her, she smiled and shrugged. "Works for me. When's the last time you saw me wearing sunglasses or earplugs?"

Lana looked at the Enixian, standing in the center of the noisy, brightly lit warehouse without earplugs or sunglasses, in a new light. "Valid point." She sipped at the tea. "This is good. Get me more."

"Yes, Doctor." Masyn smiled and inclined her head in a half-bow. "I'll have orders for it to start being available at your office as well."

Lana nodded. "And how much of this do I drink?" she asked, holding up the lavender oil.

"None unless you particularly want to end up in the ICU." Masyn took the bottle from her and quickly applied a few drops to the Vardian's temples and the back of her neck. "Back shortly, ma'am." The Enixian half-skipped off, singing, "So, I'm a little left of center, I'm a little out of tune. Some say I'm paranormal, so I just... bend their spoon..."

Lana just shook her head. A personal physician in the body of a new-age, neo-hippie, alternative lifestyle, alternative-religion, herbalist. And, instead of dismissing the human host's beliefs, the Enixian had taken so many of them to heart that Lana's office was now littered with crystals, potted plants, and wind-chimes. She was going to kill Haag just as soon as she thought of a suitably painful method. Shaking her head, she drained the cup of tea. At least the lavender smelled nice she reflected with a shrug, grabbing her engineer by the scruff of the neck as she bustled by.

"How's it coming?" she asked mildly, aware that the tea had, in fairly short order, not only soothed her headache but calmed her ruffled nerves.

"J... just finished running the... projections and... computer models and... simulations, ma'am..." the Dessarian stammered.

"And... the decibel levels will definitely be loud enough to drown out the blasting." This news was delivered with an anxious smile and a nervous nod.

"I see." Lana nodded shortly, her voice not betraying her pleasure. "You may go."

"Thank you, ma'am." The Dessarian scuttled off, relieved as always to escape Lana in one piece. It was not that any actual violence had been used against her by the Vardian. Yet. It was just that Lana was... scary.

"Happy New Year!" Lana called after the excitable woman, chuckling to herself.

"Oh, it gets better," Masyn announced in a cheerful voice, appearing at her elbow with a fresh cup of tea.

The Enixian was attentive, Lana had to give her that. "How could it possibly?"

Masyn gave her a whimsical smile. "Was thinking back to my medical school days, something I once learned about Cirronians..."

Masyn nodded. "Mmm-hmm. Seems that they've been known to have certain strong... physiological and emotional reactions to strobbing lights."

"Is that so?" Lana asked, smiling faintly. There was definite mirth in the Enixian's tone, and very little good-natured about it.

"Mmm-hmm." Masyn giggled. "So I checked on the color and pattern of the fireworks that'll be set off and... oh, Doctor, you are going to LOVE this."

Lana looked at the Enixian whose entire body was shaking with laughter. "Yes, I really do think I am. Share, child..."

Masyn shook her head, composing herself before speaking again. "Let's just say that Daggon is going to be more than a little preoccupied. Seems we're ALL going to be ending the old year with a bang, Doctor. This is one rescue-attempt that he is not going to be even slightly interested in interfering with."

"How's the list coming?" Mel asked cheerfully, plopping down next to Cole on the couch against the bar's far wall as soon as the lunch crowd lightened enough to allow Maggie and Gail to handle things by themselves.

"I have... one," Cole told her, shrugging and sighing. He shook his head. "I don't know, Mel. I think I might be missing the point..."

Mel frowned sympathetically. "Can I ask what it is?" At his confused look, she explained. "Some people like keeping their New Year's Resolutions a secret."

"Some people are superstitious about it." She shrugged. "And sometimes they're just too personal to share with others."

"Collect all the fugitives," Mel read, smiling and shaking her head. "Yeah, Cole," she laughed. "Kind of missing the point."

"Here." Mel smiled and pulled her own list out of her pocket, handing it to Cole.

Mel sniggered. Trust Cole to immediately zero in on the most embarrassing one. "Karaoke. It's a human custom," she explained, smiling. She had added 'go to a Karaoke bar and actually sing' to the list on a whim, not really expecting to do it. Or for anyone else to see the item. "Um... you... sing in front of other people. It's kind of humiliating, but... fun, too."

Cole blinked. "Public self-humiliation for fun?" he asked, frowning. "This is a STRANGE holiday, Mel."

Mel laughed. "Um... It's not ALL about self-humiliation, Cole," she explained, smiling at her poor, bemused friend. "Um... the resolutions are supposed to be... they're about self-betterment and expanding your horizons."

"Do you even enjoy singing?" Cole asked, tilting his head at her. He had certainly never heard her singing in public before. Of course, he had heard her singing in the shower more than once, but NEVER in public.

"Well, see, that's the thing." Mel shrugged helplessly. "I enjoy singing, but... it embarrasses me, too."

"But why, Mel?" Cole asked. "You have a very lovely speaking voice. I'm sure your singing voice must be beautiful as well." Even through the closed bathroom door he was able to tell that much.

"That's a bit of a stretch. Besides, this is a discussion of New Year's Resolutions, not singing."

He shook his head. "I've read about them. They're supposed to be quite lovely."

"Add them to the top of your list," Mel told him with a smile. "I am dragging you up on the roof on New Year's Eve, and you are looking at the fireworks."

"Well, I'd suggest you make a list of books you've never gotten around to reading but would like to. I did... but I guess you probably don't have any of those."

He smiled faintly and shook his head, looking over the list again. "I think you'll especially like this one, Mel," he told her, pointing. "Jane Austin is very talented."

"I could come to the Karaoke club with you," he suggested, smiling widely. His eyes softened as he regarded her. "We could sing something together..." he suggested quietly.

Mel blinked at his almost shy expression as he made the suggestion. "That would be very nice, Cole," she said softly, smiling at him.

He reached for her throat, dropping his hand as the front door opened. Mel always got nervous about displaying affection around others so Cole had learned to restrict himself accordingly. "Hello, Vic," he said, smiling up at the Detective.

Mel shook her head. "New Year's Resolutions," she told him, grinning. "Make your list yet?"

"Wrong holiday," Mel told him, laughing and shaking her head. "Come on, what's wrong?"

He shrugged. "Like I'm going to argue with double-time-and-a-half. Least I'll have a good view of the pyrotechnics."

Mel regarded him curiously for a moment, then broke into a wide grin. "You put 'be more positive' on your list again, didn't you?" she teased.

Vic laughed loudly, shaking his head and pointing at her. "You know me too well, woman." He smiled and sat down. "So, what you guys have so far?"

"The usual," Mel told him, shrugging. "Books I won't have time to read, foods I'll never have the courage to try, be more serene..."

Vic grinned and shook his head. Yup, Mel's usual. She really DID try, but she was always either so wound up or so timid that she never really managed very well. Not that there was much about Mel that he thought really needed to be changed. He shrugged and glanced at Cole. "What about you?"

"I'm going to see my first fireworks. Mel said I should add that. And I'm going to a 'Karaoke bar' and singing with her."

Vic blinked, taking a moment to process the last part, then began laughing again. "Yeah, like you're EVER going to get Mel to sing in front of other people..."

Vic had once brought her to one of those places, gotten her hammered, and tried to get her up on stage without luck. Well, actually, she had made it as far as the stage. About five seconds before losing her nerve and running to the door, probably breaking some sort of land-speed record in her effort to get out of the bar without humiliating herself further. Vic had found her hyperventilating outside.

Vic laughed harder, shaking his head. "Yeah, and 'be less cynical' is on mine, but you're still never going to get Mel to sing in public..."

Cole frowned uncertainly and hesitantly pointed out, "That sounds like a very cynical reaction, Vic."

Vic's entire body was shaking with laughter by this point. He took a few moments to compose himself, not looking at Mel who was still laughing and only would set him off again. "Cole, New Year's Resolutions are only seldom attainable," he explained, shrugging. "It's the effort that counts, but half of them get broken in the first week."

Cole frowned, trying to make sense of that. "It is a very strange holiday, Mel," he said finally, sending both humans into fresh gales of laughter. He shrugged. "We will overcome Mel's nervousness this year," he announced firmly, nodding and ignoring their renewed laughter. When neither human seemed inclined to stop any time soon, he shrugged and left them to it, walking to get himself another cup of coffee.

"New Year's Resolutions?" Maggie guessed with a smile, joining him at the coffeemaker.

Cole nodded. "Yes. They seem to find the items on each other's lists very amusing." He shrugged absently, pouring sugar into his coffee. "May I ask what items are on your list?" he asked, remembering that Mel had said that some people were superstitious about sharing and some items too personal to share anyway. "I'm having trouble with my list," he explained.

Maggie grinned and shook her head. "Why bother? You're only going to end up breaking half of them."

Cole's frown deepened. "But Mel says all h... people here make these lists..."

Maggie's smile widened. "In case you haven't noticed yet, Cole, our Mel is just a bit of an idealist."

Maggie grinned and shook her head. "I'm sure you do, but it's not a really realistic world-view."

Cole frowned. "I think it's very nice," he repeated more firmly. "It's a part of what makes Mel... Mel."

"Yes, it is," Maggie agreed, smiling up at him. "And she's a sweet child, certainly, but..." Maggie shrugged. "She has an awful lot of her grandfather about her, Cole, and she's not always realistic..."

"Realism is highly overrated," Gail contributed, joining them. "Made your list yet, Cole?"

"Working on it," Cole shrugged. "Having some problems coming up with items that are... appropriate."

Gail's smile widened and she wandered off, making a beckoning gesture to Cole. He glanced at Maggie who was shaking her head in obvious amusement, then shrugged and followed Gail into the alcove.

"Maybe she should put 'be less cynical' on her list like Vic," Cole suggested. He frowned and shook his head. "No, it does not seem to work for Vic..."

Gail laughed. "Okay, Cole, here's how it really works. It's true that you're probably not going to make half the resolutions on your list. But you can't let it stop you. It's a wish-list."

Gail nodded. "Not things you're necessarily GOING to do, just... things you'd LIKE to do."

Cole nodded, beginning to grasp the concept. "Convince Mel to sing at a 'Karaoke bar'..."

Gail laughed and nodded. "Exactly! I mean, good luck and everything, but it is not going to happen."

"It will," Cole told her with quite assurance. "Mel will sing and I will sing with her."

Gail grinned. "A girl could have worse partners than you," she noted, winking.

"A man could have worse partners than Mel," Cole told Gail honestly, not entirely sure why this comment made her laugh.

Gail just shook her head. "Let me know if you want help with your list," she said, punching keys on the jukebox. 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters' came on.

Cole nodded, listening to the song. "Yes..." He nodded, his eyes shining. "This song, Gail. Mel will sing this song and I will sing it with her." Having made this pronouncement, Cole walked off to inform Mel.

Gail laughed softly and shook her head, walking back over to Maggie. "He thinks he's going to get Mel to do Karaoke with him," she told the older woman gravely.

"And I'm sure you did nothing to change his mind?" Maggie asked with mock disapproval.

Maggie's smile faded slightly. "I'm not sure I like where this conversation is going, Gail. What are you going to do?"

She shrugged. "Just going to tell him about the all-important American tradition of... kissing at midnight."

"Exactly. Of course, knowing them, you and I are going to have to make sure they're standing about five inches away from each other during the count-down..."

"I think that can be arranged," Maggie agreed, nodding. "Just be sure to impress on him exactly how important that part of the festivities really is..."

"Oh, yes." Gail nodded, her eyes twinkling. "Probably the most important part of the evening..."

"She's going to fire us both when she finds out," Maggie pointed out, grinning.

Gail's smile widened. "Who said anything about Mel finding out?" she asked innocently.

"Really?" Cole asked Gail, blinking as he absorbed the information she had just imparted on him.

"Definitely." Gail nodded. "The midnight kiss is very important. In fact, many people consider it the most important part of the celebration."

"I see." Cole nodded, not about to complain about an opportunity to kiss Mel. Besides, who was he to argue with tradition? "I'll have to ask Mel if I can be the one she kisses," he murmured to himself, not particularly keen on the idea of kissing anyone else. Or of watching her kiss someone else...

"Oh, no!" Gail shook her head firmly. "You can't! It's... It's not allowed!"

Gail shook her head, struggling to keep her face straight. "Nope, definitely not allowed."

"This tradition requires me to kiss a female without permission?" Cole asked, frowning. As much as he liked the idea of kissing Mel, he was less sure about doing so without her consent.

Gail broke at that point, laughing. It sounded so goofy coming out of his mouth in that way. "I'm... I'm sorry, Cole," she apologized, composing herself. "Um... it's not exactly without permission... I mean, it's expected that you kiss... someone, and I really don't think Mel will mind very much." The last was delivered with a laugh.

Cole considered. "No. I don't think she's ever minded when I've kissed her in the past."

Gail blinked. "You've kissed her in the past?" she asked, looking ready to start taking notes.

Cole nodded. "Yes, but only twice. Come to think of it, I did not get her express permission either time. I don't think she minded very much..."

Gail smirked. Gee, wonder why? she thought. "Well, there you go, then, Cole."

"Jonas if I can get him cornered this year." Gail smiled slyly, already planning her strategy.

Cole nodded as if he understood ever word she had just said. He was fairly certain that he had the gist of it, except possibly the part about Gail cornering Jonas. The tradition itself seemed simple enough. Stick close to Mel and kiss her at midnight. That seemed easy enough.

"Well, I need to get back to work," Gail told him, smiling. "Let me know if you need any help with your list," she reminded him over her shoulder as she hurried off.

Cole nodded and smiled after her. She really was a very sweet girl, helping him with his list and explaining all the traditions of the holiday to him. His smile faded slightly as he wondered why Mel had not mentioned that particular tradition to him, but he shrugged that off, assuming that it was just her natural shyness over such matters. He keyed up 'Lily Was Here' on the jukebox and returned his attention to his list as the light jazz strains filtered through the bar.

"What were you laughing at?" Maggie asked, grinning, as Gail returned to her place behind the bar.

"'This tradition requires me to kiss a female without permission?'" Gail quoted, grinning.

Maggie raised an eyebrow and stared at Cole, bent over his list, his face a mask of concentration. "He actually SAID that?" she asked, grinning. Even Allen had never come across as quite THAT clueless about matters between men and women...

Gail nodded gravely. Her eyes sparkling, she added, "He also said that Mel didn't seem to mind much the last two times he kissed her without permission."

"Yeah. He's getting in from Seattle today and staying through the new year."

As if on cue, the front door opened and a man with white hair and a grizzled beard walked in, smiling widely. "Someone's got great taste in music," were the first words out of his mouth as he took in the tune on the jukebox, nodding his approval.

"I know it can't be you because your taste in music isn't nearly that good," Joe laughed, hugging her tightly back.

"Awful taste in music," Maggie agreed gravely. "I mean, I even like your work."

"Maggie, that hurts!" Joe laughed. "Good to see you again, sweetie," he added, giving her one last hug before releasing his hold on her.

Maggie laughed and shook her head. "Cole would be our resident music connoisseur. Get you a drink?"

"Ah, please." He nodded and followed her back to the bar. Cole, Mel's strange boyfriend. Maggie talked about the man constantly, so Joe was eager to meet him.

As she poured him a beer, she introduced him to Gail. "This is Gail. Mel's not here right now, and I'll introduce you to Cole as soon as he gets his nose out of that list he's writing!" she said, raising her voice when Cole's name came up.

"I'll be there in one minute, Maggie," Cole assured her without looking up from the list he was diligently bent over. "I really should get this finished before Mel gets back."

"Forget the list, Cole!" Maggie laughed, explaining to Joe, "He's been absolutely obsessed with his damned New Year's Resolutions. Cole, come meet Joe!" she ordered.

"Okay, Maggie." Cole shrugged and rose. "But Mel says that the list is very important." He walked over to the bar and extended his hand and smiling. "Hello, Joe. It's very nice to meet you. Maggie has spoken of you very frequently."

Joe stared, not accepting the proffered hand. "Mac?" he whispered, startled.

Cole frowned uncertainly and shook his head slowly. "My name is Cole. Maggie says that she has mentioned me to you..."

Joe shook off his shock and accepted Cole's hand, shaking it firmly. "I'm sorry. It's just that you look... just like this friend of mine." He shook his head again, smiling up at Cole. "Voice is different, but you really do look just like him. Threw me for a second," he explained.

"Oh." Cole nodded slowly and gave Joe a gentle smile. "I've been mistaken for someone else before," he offered by way of reassurance to the seemingly rattled man.

"Yeah, model by the name of Troy Montana," Maggie agreed, nodding. "So... there are three of you running around now?" she asked, smiling widely.

"Maybe you're, like... triplets, separated at birth?" Gail suggested, grinning.

"I don't think so," Cole and Joe said at the same moment. The two men looked at each other, a little startled, as Maggie and Gail looked on uncertainly.

"I'm not from... around here," Cole explained in response to Joe's questioning look.

"I don't know about that," Cole responded with a soft smile. "I'm a little older than I look..."

"So is Mac," Joe told him with a cautious smile. "Maggie, where's your payphone? I need to make a call."

"Private." Maggie shrugged and nodded, pointing. Joe had always been a little secretive about certain aspects of his life. She was used to it.

"He seems nice," Cole said absently, wondering exactly how many people on this planet looked like he did and what the odds of such a phenomenon were. It seemed an unlikely sort of thing.

Joe dialed quickly. Ten rings later, the phone was answered. "Yeah, hello?" a panting voice asked.

"Yeah, well, I was just having a friendly duel with Mac. We didn't hear the phone right away."

"You learn something new every day," Methos chuckled in response. "Okay, so actually it wasn't that friendly and I was kicking the boyscout's ass."

Joe smiled as he heard Mac's laughing protest over the line. "So he is there with you?"

"No. I'm just hanging out at his place having a sword-fight with myself, Joe. Why?"

"Because I'm standing about five feet from a guy who looks exactly like him..."

Joe heard Methos say, "Mac, get on the phone and tell Joe that you're not in Chicago."

"Um, Joe, I'm... not in Chicago..." Mac said slowly as he got on the line. "Why does he think I'm in Chicago?" he asked Methos.

"Never mind, Mac. My mistake," Joe told him, giving Cole a sideways glance. "Weird..." he muttered.

"Oh, guy here looks just like you. Very strange." Joe shrugged. "Not important. Sorry to interrupt your practice. Try not to lose your head." Shaking his head, he hung up the phone and rejoined Maggie and the others at the bar.

"You don't usually put things you do on New Year's Eve on the list," Gail told him quickly, not wanting to chance Mel seeing it.

"Mel says I should put seeing fireworks for the first time on the list even though that will be on New Year's Eve..."

"You've never seen fireworks before?" Joe asked, surprised. This guy must have spent the last forty years or so living under a rock inside of a cave somewhere. "What planet are you from?"

Cole opened his mouth to answer honestly that he was from Cirron 17, but caught himself at a poke from Maggie, smiling politely instead and remaining silent.

"And how are we feeling today, Doctor Lana?" Masyn asked, walking into the Vardian's office with her bag of medical supplies.

"This human body really is incredibly simplistic. Your mind-control techniques actually work on it." Lana gave a sharp nod of approval.

"Wonderful to hear, ma'am," Masyn said, fitting a blood-pressure cuff around Lana's arm. She lapsed into silence as she took the Vardian's vitals, not wanting to disturb her reading. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Lana was reading her own report on the likely effect of the fireworks on the Tracker. "Better than pay-per-view, isn't it?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Well, it certainly does promise to keep him... occupied," Lana replied, smiling up at the Enixian. For some reason, she actually found her almost tolerable today.

"And we can expect that to keep his woman occupied as well." Masyn could not help but chuckling at the thought. "I almost feel sorry for them." At Lana's raised eyebrow, she shrugged. "I said 'almost'. I mean... won't they be embarrassed in the morning when they find out what they were... occupied during?"

"I was hoping more for abject terror than humiliation, actually," Lana replied mildly.

"Oh, I'm sure there will be a healthy measure of that as well." Masyn shrugged. Lana had the art of inspiring terror in others down to a science, and the woman was the Migar equivalent of a Nobel Laureate... "Among other thing that they will no doubt be feeling. Self-recriminations tend to have such a negative affect on the Chi," she added with mock regret.

"Do you actually believe this human mumbo-jumbo you're constantly spouting off?" Lana asked curiously.

The Enixian shrugged. "Who am I to argue with what works?" she asked mildly. "Besides, he's Cirronian. For him it really IS all about energy fields..."

"Valid point." Lana nodded. "This information you have uncovered is... interesting as well as elucidating. I want you to keep an eye on this situation. If your assessment proves accurate, I am going to have to reward you." Smiling gently, she inquired, "Any incentives spring immediately to mind?"

Masyn dropped into a crouch next to the Vardian's chair, nodding. "I want the woman," she whispered.

Actually, the mongrel women was exactly the Enixian's type and Lana knew it. Masyn had been sentenced to life on Sar-Top for some VERY questionable medical experimentation on sentient subjects. They had not always survived and, when they had, it was not always for the best. Masyn liked nothing more then fresh fodder for her physiological research, and after her arrival on Earth she had vivisected almost a dozen humans before declaring that she had learned all there was to know about the primitive species. A not-quite-human would certainly make a nice change for her.

Masyn shrugged helplessly at Lana's comment. "Just interested to see what makes a human/Cirronian hybrid tick," she said absently, confirming Lana's suspicions. "Actually, I've never worked with Cirronians before, either, but I'm assuming that you and Doctor Zin already have plans for the Tracker."

Lana reached down and touched the Enixian's face, her expression that of an indulgent parent. "Doctor Zin may have plans for her, but I will certainly intercede with him on your behalf."

Masyn's smile widened. "Thank you, Doctor," she murmured, anticipation making her voice practically a purr. "I think I'm just going to go sharpen my scalpel now..."

"Nope." Mel shook her head. "I am absolutely positive that Cole has no relatives in Scotland," she told Joe.

Joe shrugged and glanced over his shoulder at the man again. "Very strange..." he muttered to himself.

"Trust me when I tell you that his resemblance to your friend is not the strangest thing about him." Mel smiled faintly, shrugging. "Just one of those things, I guess."

"Must be," Joe agreed, nodding and dismissing the thought from his mind. "So, Maggie says we'll have a good view of the fireworks from your roof?"

"The best." Mel nodded, smiling. As Maggie rejoined them, she nodded politely to Joe and walked over to Cole, giving the two some privacy. "You still working on that list?" she asked, amused.

Cole nodded and handed her three pages tightly packed with his small, neat writing. There must have been hundreds of items on it.

"Gail said I should include all of the things I would like to do in the next year," Cole told her. "I still have several more to add, but... this is most of them."

Mel could not help but smile. "Well, Cole, I'm sure you were your same... thorough self."

"You missed one," Mel told him with a sly smile after looking over the sheets for a few moments. "I don't see Lana's name on her anywhere..."

Cole smiled back. "Well, she was number two on your list. I didn't want to steal."

Mel looked up at him, momentarily surprised until she realized that he was teasing, then she grinned more widely, shaking her head. "I guess she's kind of covered in 'capture all the fugitives' anyway."

Mel gave a noncommittal shrug and kept reading. "Find a flavor of ice-cream you like that doesn't include chocolate?" she laughed, shaking her head.

Cole nodded. "So I can eat ice-cream when I'm Tracking. I like ice-cream, Mel."

Mel laughed. "You sure about that? Maybe you just like chocolate." She grinned. "Which reminds me, I bought you a little box of chocolates for tonight." At his uncertain look, she explained, "Humans drink champagne on New Year's. I... thought that you might like to indulge in a few chocolates, since alcohol doesn't really effect you the way it does humans. They're the filled kind, so it's mostly caramels and nuts wrapped in a chocolate shell. Not MUCH there, but enough for you to have the taste."

"After you had that discussion with Vic, I thought you might need some encouragement," he explained.

"Encouragement?" she repeated. "That means you're going to nag me, doesn't it?"

Cole nodded serenely. "Yes, Mel. You have a very pretty voice. I would like to hear you sing."

"When does the celebration start, Mel?" Cole asked, not hearing the whisper.

"People should start arriving soon. It's pretty much an all-day kind of thing."

Cole nodded and smiled at her. "Okay, Mel. Will you need my help tending bar?"

She nodded. "Probably, yeah, even with everyone working and Joe helping out. It's a very busy night."

Cole smiled, pleased by this intelligence. Large crowds always made Mel happy. "If we're tending bar, how will we watch the fireworks?"

Mel smiled. "About 11:15, 11:20, everyone who's sober enough goes up on the roof. The view's great from up there. I used to go up with my grandmother on New Years with the customers. And on the Fourth, she'd close the bar altogether and we'd go up and watch the fireworks alone. Oh, you'll love them, Cole," she told him in a low voice. "They're so beautiful and... emotional." She smiled fondly. "You'll love them."

Cole smiled and nodded. "I'm sure I will, Mel. Everything I've heard makes this sound like a very fun celebration."

"The best," Mel told him, her eyes shining with anticipation. "Look, I'm going to run upstairs and get the chocolates before we get swamped. They'll be behind the bar when you want them."

Cole smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Mel." He watched her go, smiling to himself. Chocolate, a beautiful light-show in the sky, and an opportunity to kiss Mel. It was going to be a VERY good evening.

"Party-hat!" Gail announced, walking up to him. She was already wearing a very brightly-colored party-hat of her own and she offered a slightly more subdued one to Cole.

Cole smiled and accepted it, turning it over in his hands and tugging at the elastic string curiously. Gail grinned and relieved him of it, helping him into it.

"You still working on your list?" she laughed, seeing the half-full sheet of paper in his hand.

Gail smiled faintly and nodded. "Um... yeah... I'd have to say that's enough." She looked up, grinning as Joe pulled out his guitar. "Ooh, he's going to play something!" she chirped, bouncing over to join Joe and Maggie.

Cole smiled and quickly added 'go camping with Mel someplace warm' to his list before folding the papers together and tucking them into his wallet for easy access. He wanted to be able to have the list on hand so that he could cross off each of the items as he completed them. Shaking his head, he pulled the list out again and added 'two sleeping bags' to the camping item before replacing the list in his wallet. Smiling curiously as Joe tuned his guitar, he rose and joined them.

"His taste's kind of eclectic," Gail provided by way of translation. "Little bit of everything from Mozart to Three Doors Down."

Cole nodded confirmation. "Do you sing as well as play?" he asked Joe eagerly.

Joe smiled back at her, shaking his head. "Ignore her, Cole. She's highly biased."

Cole smiled and settled back to listen as Joe began playing. "You aren't biased," he whispered to Maggie after a few minutes.

Maggie smiled and nodded before returning her attention to Joe, who was playing but not singing. "He's very gifted," she told Cole, her eyes sparkling. "Your hands are magic," she teased, earning laughs from Gail and Joe and a confused look from Cole.

Mel smiled as she came down the stairs, wondering what everyone was laughing about. She beckoned to Cole, holding up the box of chocolates for him to see. Smiling, he left the others and went to join her.

"Here." Mel popped a chocolate into his mouth and then walked over to the bar, followed by Cole who was grinning widely. "What was everyone laughing about?" she asked absently as she tucked the box away behind the bar for safekeeping.

"Maggie was teasing Joe, I think." Cole shrugged, his expression clearly indicating his lack of understanding. "Something about his hands being... magic." He shrugged absently, smiling as Joe started playing again. "He really is very good, Mel," he observed. "He reminds me of Nallia." His smile flickered at the mention of his wife.

Cole nodded. "She played several instruments," he said softly, smiling faintly as Mel handed him another chocolate. His smile widened as Joe began plucking out another song. "When I came here, it was very comforting to see how much appreciation your society has for music," he told her.

Mel smiled and nodded. "Music's very important, I think, to a lot of people. And it's pretty much everywhere." She paused, listening to Joe for a few minutes, her smile widening. Maggie had NOT been understating his talent. "Want to dance?" Mel offered Cole, extending her hand.

Cole smiled and nodded eagerly, accepting the proffered hand and leading her out from behind the bar and to the center of the barroom. This holiday just kept getting better and better. Gail smiled as she caught sight of them and nudged Maggie, nodding in their direction.

"Don't know, Maggie. Something tells me that we're spending way too much time on this kissing project," she whispered. "They seem to be getting there themselves."

Maggie smiled and shook her head. "Men tend to need a nudge," she pointed out, smiling. "So does Mel most of the time for that matter," she laughed, shaking her head.

"Eventually?" Gail laughed. "When she's through with Cole or when she's through with US?" She grinned and shook her head. "Because she is NOT going to be happy when she finds out what we've put him up to..."

"I don't know about that." Maggie glanced at them swaying together in the empty bar, the other three people there forgotten as they stared into each other's eyes. "Something tells me that our boy can be very... persuasive when he's of a mind to be."

"Yeah, Mel certainly seems convinced..." Gail laughed. "Not that I can blame her. I mean... whoa..." She grinned and shook her head. "Too bad he's only got eyes for her, that's all I can say."

Maggie smiled and shook her head. "No, those two are meant to be. Like Adelaide and Allan were. Those two... I don't think I ever saw as attached a couple as them before, and I definitely never thought I would after, but our Mel and Cole are definitely getting there." She smiled fondly.

The front door opened and Jonas Carr walked in. He took a few moments to observe Cole and Mel dancing, smiling and shaking his head. Young love could be a beautiful thing. He pulled his coat and scarf off and hung them up before walking over to the bar. Maggie quickly introduced Joe and Jonas to each other, and they shook hands and began talking.

Mel looked up when she became aware that the music had stopped. "Oh, hi, Jonas!" she called cheerfully. She felt like adding 'when did you get here', but did not quite want to admit that she had been so wrapped up in her dance with Cole.

Jonas smiled back, shaking his head as he noticed Cole's party hat for the first time. "So I see," he laughed, nodding. "When do I get a hat?" he asked, smiling.

Gail quickly produced a hat and handed it to Jonas, grinning widely. "Get you your usual?" she offered.

Jonas nodded. "Thanks, Gail." He looked up at Mel and Cole. "Don't let my arrival keep you two from your dance," he told them gently.

Cole smiled and reached for Mel's hand again, but she flushed and shook her head. "We really need to finish setup," she announced. "We're behind as it is and it is going to be a busy night."

Cole frowned but nodded acquiescence. "Very busy," he agreed. "But also very fun." He smiled widely as he moved behind the bar to help with setup.

"Oh, yeah," Gail agreed, smiling innocently and nodding. "Definitely going to be a fun night. Interesting, too..."

"Open your mouth and close your eyes," a cheerful voice suggested in Cole's ear as he finished serving a customer.

Mel had been right and they really were incredibly crowded. He turned around and smiled curiously down at her. "Why?"

Cole shrugged and complied, smiling widely as Mel popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth. He opened his eyes and smiled down at her as he chewed. "It really is very good chocolate, Mel," he told her, smiling. The fillings were nice, too, actually, only enhancing the natural flavor of the chocolate.

"I'm glad you like it," she said, popping another piece into his mouth and handing him a glass of champagne. "I'm going to bring Joe another beer," she told him, nodding towards the corner where Joe sat playing, much to the delight of the patrons. "Any requests?"

"Something good for dancing!" he called after her as she wove her way through the crowded bar. He looked down at the champagne and took a cautious sip. It was not bad, but it was not as nice as the chocolate, which already had his head swimming pleasantly. He was going to have to be careful or he would start glowing soon. Not much caring for the taste of the drink, he put the glass aside and turned to help another customer.

"Here's your beer, Joe," Mel told him with a grin, handing it over. "And Cole has requested that you play something people can dance to."

"Ah, thanks, Mel." Joe smiled at her and accepted the beer, taking a long sip. "Throat gets dry after a few sets."

"Ah, I see." Joe nodded knowingly. "So, Maggie says the fireworks start at twenty 'til?"

Joe nodded, absently tuning. "Maggie and I talked, and we'll stay down here and keep an eye on things," he offered.

Mel smiled widely. "That's great. Thanks, Joe." With another grin and a nod, she turned and walked across the bar again, bumping into Cole. "Oh, sorry, Cole. Guess it's time to lay off the champagne," she laughed.

Cole smiled down at her, his eyes bright with amusement. He felt absolutely wonderful, serene and at peace and warm all over. And he felt ready to start glowing. Although he was not in the mood to laugh, Cirronians DID glow for other reasons. And Cole definitely felt like glowing tonight. Preferable with the lovely woman before him. He gathered Mel into his arms, just wanting to touch her, to hold her. To glow with her.

Mel hesitated for a split-second before nodding. "One dance, Cole, but then we really need to get back to work."

He smiled and pulled her into his arms. "I like dancing with you, Mel," he whispered as they moved together with the music. Holding her like this, it was almost possible to forget about the weight of the universe on his shoulders.

"I like dancing with you, too." She smiled up at him, not wanting the moment to end. She glanced up and saw Maggie and Gail both grinning at them. Shaking her head, she gave Cole an apologetic look. "We should get back to work. We can do this another time."

"I'll add it to my list," he told her, touching her throat for a moment before reluctantly releasing her. It was really just as well that Mel had put a stop to things. No matter what he might have felt like doing, the last thing he needed was to start throwing off an electric blue-white glow in a barroom full of people. Now upstairs afterwards... He smiled faintly and repeated, "I'll add it to my list."

Mel grinned and nodded. "You do that, Cole. You have until midnight to make changes!" she called over her shoulder as she returned to the bar. "Stop staring at me," she added to Maggie, shaking her head and helping herself to another glass of champagne. "It was just a friendly dance..."

"Oh, it looked friendly all right," Gail contributed with a laugh, walking by with a fully loaded tray.

Mel flushed and shook her head, embarrassed. "You two..." she muttered to Maggie, sliding past her to help another customer who had just stepped up to the bar.

"US two? What about YOU two?" Maggie laughed, shaking her head as she bustled off in another direction.

Mel sighed and rolled her eyes before smiling brightly at the customer. "Help you?"

Lana looked up from the report she had been reading over with a sigh before spotting Masyn. Shrugging, she shoved the report back into her engineer's hands and walked to meet the Enixian. The Dessarian heaved a sigh of relief when the Vardian strode off. She was in an unusually serene mood lately and it had everyone else on edge.

"So too are the Tracker and his mongrel pet," Masyn said with a shrug, handing Lana a cup of tea.

"Doesn't seem to be slowing them down at all," Masyn told Lana with a grin and a shrug. "One of my people just phoned from the Watchfire. They haven't gotten TOO friendly yet, but it's only a matter of time. Right now, they're just dancing, although she was... feeding him earlier." Masyn shrugged, grinning and shaking her head. "My man reports that the Tracker appears mildly intoxicated."

Lana blinked, then smiled. "He's been spending far too much time with these humans..." she observed.

"Indeed no, Doctor Masyn." Lana smiled and nodded. "Is your operative safe there? Will he be noticed?"

"A private investigator I hired for the evening. As far as he's concerned, I'm a jealous ex." Masyn gave a whimsical smile and a half-shrug. "You DID say to monitor the situation."

"I know. What guy in his right mind would leave me, of all people, right, but I had to tell him SOMETHING..."

"There are times when you talk far too much, Enixian," Lana told her gently.

"You just continue monitoring this situation, Masyn," Lana told her quietly, patting her shoulder. She looked around for the engineer, her smile turning predatory as she saw the woman struggling to be inconspicuous. "Keep me posted," she said as she started off. Over her shoulder, she added, "And be sure to let me know when things start getting... interesting."

"Poor Cole," Mel murmured, shaking her head, a Cirronian in Chicago in the winter. What a horrible place for him to land. He would have been so much happier in LA or Phoenix... Not that she had any complaints about having him here. She looked around anxiously as Gail gave a shout, but the girl had a wide smile on her face as she herded the more sober patrons out the door. "How much has she had to drink?" Mel asked Maggie in a low voice, concerned.

"Not a damned thing," Maggie laughed, shaking her head. "No doubt she'd tell you that she's high on life."

Mel shook her head. "So long as life's the only thing she's high on..." she muttered. "Maggie, thanks so much for holding down the fort down here while the rest of us watch the fireworks. Same goes for Joe."

"No problem, Mel." Maggie smiled at her. "See you next year, sweetheart. Enjoy the fireworks."

"Thanks, Maggie." Mel patted her shoulder, waved to Joe, and followed the others from the bar. Gail and the others were keeping things orderly as the patrons climbed one at a time up the fire-escape.

"Brought my boom-box," Gail told Mel as she joined her. At Mel's faintly alarmed look, she grinned reassuringly. "Relax. No acid metal. I'm just going to tune in to Dick Clark's broadcast. Oldies but goodies."

"Yup," Gail agreed, shouldering the bag with the radio. "Coming?" she asked, accepting a hand-up onto the fire escape from Jonas. "Thanks," she told him with a smile as she quickly ascended.

Jonas smiled after the girl, offering Mel a helping hand as well. She smiled but shook her head. "Think I'm going to wait for Cole, warn him that the fire-escape can get slippery."

"Oh, that's okay, Jonas," Mel assured him, smiling and shaking her head. "You go up and enjoy the celebration. He'll just be a second. Getting his coat."

Mel nodded. "Yeah, but, um, be warned. Gail's got her eyes on you for the midnight kiss..."

Jonas chuckled softly, shaking his head. "We need to find that girl a boyfriend, Mel."

Mel nodded. "Uh-huh. Last week she was chasing you around with mistletoe, tonight..." She shook her head, smiling at Jonas' blush. "Not that I blame her. You're actually kind of cute..." she teased.

"Help! I'm surrounded!" Jonas laughed, shaking his head and retreating up the fire-escape.

"Is something wrong with Jonas, Mel?" Cole asked. He smiled questioningly in response to her own smile, admiring the way her laughing eyes sparkled in the streetlight.

Cole nodded. "Okay, Mel." He glanced at the fire escape "You should go first, Mel, in case you fall."

"Cole, I've been climbing up and down this thing my entire life and haven't fallen once yet." She laughed and shook her head.

Smiling and shaking her head, Mel grabbed onto the ladder and started climbing. About ten feet up, one of her flats skidded on the icy rung and she flew backwards with a horrified yelp, grabbing frantically for another rung and completely missing it. Fear was quickly swept away, replaced by stunned surprise, as she landed squarely in Cole's outstretched arms.

Gasping, heart pounding, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. "Oh, God!" she gasped, staring up at him with wide eyes as he cradled her tenderly against his chest.

"I'm... a little shaken, but not hurt." She gave a nervous giggle. "Glad you made me go up first."

Mel gave another twitter of laughter. "Yeah, well, why don't you put me down now so we can go up on the roof?"

"Maybe I should carry you up, Mel?" he suggested gently. "So you don't fall again?"

Mel grinned. "That's okay, Cole. Really. That fall pretty much sobered me up." She looked up and saw Gail and Jonas leaning over the edge, grinning down at them. They were not the only ones either. "Plus, I think we've given the others enough of a show for one night," she added, shaking her head.

With a reluctant shrug, he gently returned her to the ground. "After you, Mel."

"Yeah." Nodding, Mel grabbed on to the ladder again and carefully made her way up. She reached the top and turned to call down to Cole to come up, nearly colliding with him. "Oh!" she yelped, taking a startled step backwards. "Clumsy tonight," she laughed, shaking her head.

"That's okay, Mel," Cole assured her with a smile. "I'll just stay close by so that I can catch you if you fall again."

Mel shook her head, irritated. "How did you think I ended up in Cole's arms?" She bit her lip, regretting the question as soon as it was out. "Don't answer that, young lady!" she ordered, pointing at Gail and shaking her head.

Gail shrugged and retreated, turning up the radio and busying herself with the patrons.

"You okay, Mel?" Jonas asked gently, more concerned than amused. "You didn't hurt yourself, sweetie?"

"No, Jonas." Mel smiled and shook her head. "Probably would have broken every bone in my body if Cole hadn't caught me, but as it is the only thing bruised was my pride." Her smile faded slightly, good cheer replaced by a sudden, intense sense of foreboding. "Of course, the night's young," she added, ignoring the confused looks Cole and Jonas gave her over the comment. "I need a drink," she muttered, wandering off to find one.

She emptied her glass and nodded. "Yeah, Cole. Sorry for that. Just still a bit rattled from the fall, I guess."

He nodded, cupping gloved hands in front of his mouth and blowing. "You'll feel better in a few minutes, Mel," he assured her, pulling the box of chocolates from his coat and offering it to her.

Mel grinned and grabbed two, popping one into his mouth. "Humans have a saying, 'chocolate cures all'."

Cole smiled widely, enjoying the chocolate and enjoying being close to Mel even more. Impulsively, he stripped off his gloves and pulled her into his arms, sliding his hands under her jacket.

"What are you doing?" she asked quietly, eyeing him uncertainly as she felt his cold hands slide under her shirt and rest against the small of her back. It felt GOOD, but it was a surprising intimate gesture for him to be making spontaneously and in public.

"Conserving body-heat like you showed me during the camping trip," he told her with a grin. "Skin to skin contact." His smile faded slightly as he realized that she was uncomfortable, and he decided that it was probably time to ease up on his chocolate consumption. "Should I stop?" he asked quietly, hoping she would say 'no'.

"No," she whispered, sliding her arms around him and resting her cheek against his chest. "Definitely worse ways to stay warm," she murmured.

The chocolate and her proximity were combining to make it nearly impossible to think of anything but the warm, wanting glow suffusing him. Not an actual glow yet, but not far off, either. Just as well that there were several layers of thick fabric between them. He felt her shiver as a particularly cold gust whipped across the roof. Having Mel cold would not do at all. The doctor had been adamant after the camping trip that she stay warm, so he maneuvered her until she was standing against a wall, shielding her from the wind with his body.

"Mmm-hmm," she whispered, not looking at him. She was feeling unaccountably shy for some reason, which she told herself firmly was absurd. He was just trying to keep her warm, after all. "Thank you," she told him, smiling.

He smiled and nodded. "You're welcome, Mel." He absently brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, enjoying the sensation of his bare fingertips brushing over her flush skin. He repeated the motion, and she shivered. "If you're still cold, we can go back inside where it's warm," he whispered. "We could talk and watch the fireworks on the television."

"Talk?" she repeated, swallowing hard. She could not recall ever having seen him as affectionate as he was tonight. Had the chocolate been a bad idea? Or a good one? "Talk about what?" she whispered.

"About anything you want to, Mel," he told her gently, caressing her throat. "Where it's warm and... where there are no other people."

Mel stared down at her feet, coloring. He was completely gone, worse than she was. "Cole," she sighed, shaking her head. "I know from experience that heart-to-heart talks don't work very well when both parties are intoxicated." At his uncomprehending look, she sighed and explained. "Things seem like a good idea when you're intoxicated that... don't necessarily when you're sober."

"Write it down," Mel suggested quickly, cutting him off. "Put it on your list and, if you still want to talk about it tomorrow, we will."

Cole nodded reluctantly and pulled out his list, scrawling a note along the bottom of the fourth page. "It won't change," he informed her with a little shrug, putting the list away. "I'll love you as much tomorrow as I do tonight."

As Mel stared at Cole, stunned, Gail bounced over to them, oblivious to what she had just missed. "Guys, the fireworks start any second!" she announced before rushing off to tell the next person.

No, they started early this year, Mel thought, staring up at Cole, who was smiling hopefully down at her.