Virtual Season - Ending the Old Year With a Bang, Part II

Virtual Season I

Episode 13

"Ending the Old Year With a Bang"

Cole stared down at Mel in concern, not liking the surprised, unhappy look on her face one bit. "Mel, is something wrong?" he asked gently. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Cole." Mel shook her head. "I just... oh, damn!" she added as tears began falling.

He had said he loved her! Of course, he had been dead drunk and in a decidedly off-kilter mood all evening, so she had no real way of knowing if he meant it or not. More confusing was the fact that she could not decide if she wanted him to mean it or not. He loved her -- maybe -- and the thought was a comforting one but, at the same time, when they could not have the kind of relationship they both wanted, could the knowledge that they loved each other really do anything but compound that pain?

Cole stared, distressed. He hated to see Mel cry, hated it more than anything. "Mel, please. Don't cry," he whispered, gathering her into his arms. "What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong and I'll take care of it, just don't cry..."

Mel nodded and composed herself. It was no fair to Cole to start crying at him like this. "Nothing's wrong," she assured him as he dried her cheeks and looked into her eyes with so much love and concern. "I'm emotional, that's all. It's the bubbly, I think." At his confused look, she explained. "I've just had WAY too much to drink tonight and it's playing games with my mind."

For once in her life, she did not feel even a little bad about lying to Cole.
She smiled warmly up at him, managing to stifle the last of the feelings that had led to the tears in the first place. All those years of emotional repression, it seemed, had finally paid off. She took his hand in hers and changed the subject before Cole forgot his distress over her tears and remembered what they had been talking about.

"We can't watch the fireworks from here, Cole. Come on." Smiling, she pulled him to a better location, almost the center of the roof. They were close enough to the lakefront that, from here, they could look in any direction, including straight up, and see the display. "You're going to love this," she assured him, smiling.

She shrugged and grinned faintly. "Then I must have meant it, huh? It's great, Cole. Very emotional and moving." She did not bother adding that fireworks always put her in a romantic mood. Actually, 'romantic' was probably not a strong enough word, come to think of it.

"No, Mel." He shook his head. "Cirronians frequently use lights and colors to communicate and evoke different emotions."

"Really?" Mel smiled curiously. "Well, since this year's a patriotic theme, why don't you tell me what red, white, and blue mean for Cirronians?"

"Red, white, and blue, Mel?" Cole asked, regarding her with an amused expression.

"Yeah, Cole. Why are you grinning at me like that?" she asked, smiling uncertainly.

Cole shook his head, smiling gently at her. "Red, white, and blue... These correspond to passion, sensuality, and... physical pleasure, Mel."

"Oh!" Mel covered her mouth with one hand, giggling in embarrassment. "Is this... is this going to be something you're comfortable watching, then?" she asked gently.

He nodded unabashedly, smiling. "Of course, Mel. I'm sure it will be very pretty and... emotional."

"Oh, it's starting," Mel told him as she heard the first one going up. "It's noisy, too... I forgot to mention that earlier, but you get used to it fast."

He nodded but was still startled to hear a loud explosion. Surprise faded as a white star-burst filled the sky over his head. "Oh, it's very beautiful, Mel..." he whispered, staring rapt as a second star-burst, this one blue, joined the first.

"Yeah," she agreed in a whisper, standing next to him with her eyes fixed on the display beginning to unfold overhead. When his arm sought her waist, she let him wrap it around her and easily moved closer, leaning into him as she watched the display. She looked up at his ragged breathing, startled by the look in his eyes. It was hard to describe, not something she could immediately place. "You okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Yes, Mel." He nodded and pulled away long enough to strip off his jacket and coat. "Little warm, but okay."

Mel started to protest that the temperature was sub-freezing and the winds were making it seem a hell of a lot colder, but then she realized that he was right. It actually WAS kind of warm up here. Shrugging, she pulled her own coat off and dropped it on top of his.

"Better," she said, nodding and returning her full attention to the beautiful light-show unfolding overhead.

Cole reached out and absently caressed her now-bare arm. "Yes, Mel," he agreed. "Better." He pulled her gently into his arms without once taking his eyes off of the fireworks display. "Much better."

"Much better," she agreed, nodding, as he gently kissed her. Neither of them closed their eyes, not wanting to miss a moment of the fireworks. "What are you doing?" she asked quietly when he broke away.

"Oh, okay." Mel smiled and nodded. "Practice makes perfect," she pointed out as he bent to kiss her again.

"What are you practicing?" she asked when Cole was done 'practicing' with her a second time.

"Midnight, Mel. The kiss. It's a very important tradition and I want to do it properly."

"Oh. Makes sense." She smiled and rested her head against his chest, watching the fireworks for a moment. "I don't remember telling you about the kiss at midnight, Cole."

"Gail explained the tradition to me." He gently took her chin in his fingers and raised her head, kissing her again before he continued. "She says it's the most important part of the night. Mel, why didn't you tell me about this tradition? Were you shy?"

"Yeah, Cole." Mel nodded. "For some reason, having you kiss me tonight seemed like a very bad idea. Can't imagine why." She shrugged and pulled his face down to hers again. "You're very good at it." Smiling, she added, "But you can never have too much practice..."

Cole smiled and cheerfully resumed his 'practice session' with Mel. "You're different tonight, Mel," he observed after a few moments. "Normally you are much more shy and reserved..."

"Then stop complaining," she suggested with a smile, wondering how strongly he would protest if he tried to get his shirt off. Only one way to find out, she decided, reaching for a button and easily undoing it.

"Mel, the fireworks," he told her gently as she reached for a second. "I can't concentrate on them when you're doing that."

Mel shrugged and desisted. "Time enough later, I guess. Kind of crowded up here anyway."

Cole moved to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Very crowded," he agreed placidly, pulling her against his chest and returning most of his attention to the fireworks. "Although no one really seems to be paying much attention to us right now."

Mel shivered at the feel of his breath against the back of her neck as he spoke. Her Cirronian heritage struck again. She blinked, her contented smile fading. "Cole, do you think the fireworks could be affecting us?" she asked in a low voice, remembering what he had said about different colors evoking different emotions for Cirronians.

"I don't know, Mel." Cole shrugged and moved aside her hair, planting a gentle kiss on the nape of her neck, smiling at her gentle moan. "I do know that I've wanted to do this for a very long time, though..." he added, repeating the gesture. "It's like the camping trip, isn't it, Mel?"

"I don't recall you doing anything like that on the camping trip," Mel pointed out, smiling and half-closing her eyes.

If he had, it must have been while she was asleep, in which case he was a very bad boy and she was just going to have to give him a spanking. She blinked, wondering where that bizarre little thought had come from. Shrugging, she decided it did not really matter, a determination that was a lot easier to make because Cole was kissing her neck again. If she ever did manage to get his pants off, she would be able to think of better things to do with him than spanking him, that was for sure. Mel shook her head, trying to shake that line of reasoning. Seemed so logical, though...

"Nothing at all," she replied, smiling. "We're both going to catch pneumonia, Cole, you know that?"

"No we won't." He spun her in his arms and smiled adoringly down at her. "We're keeping each other warm. Like on the camping trip, Mel. Remember?"

"How could I forget?" she laughed, shaking her head. "Except for the hypothermia, it was actually pretty fun."

Cole's smile faded slightly and he gathered her back into his arms. "The doctors said we must be careful in the future not to let you get too cold again, Mel. You should put your coat back on now, and I will hold you like this. Then you won't get cold."

He quietly hushed her and bent to retrieve her coat and his own, draping both of them around her shoulders before pulling her close again. "It's very important that we keep you warm, Mel. The doctors said so."

"You were doing a GREAT job of keeping me warm before," she sighed, resting her cheek against his chest and watching the fireworks.

Cole frowned faintly for a moment, then smiled. "Will you still need help staying warm after the fireworks are over, Mel?" he asked hopefully. "After we're inside?"

Mel stared up at him with a wide-eyed smile, nodding quickly. "Definitely, Cole."

"I like keeping you warm, Mel," he remarked absently as she nestled more firmly against his chest.

"Me, too," she told him with a quiet laugh, patting his chest gently. She glanced at her watch. "Ten more minutes until midnight," she told him with a smile.

Mel looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with laughter. "Practice makes perfect," she reminded him solemnly.

Masyn managed to keep the laughter out of her voice until she hung up the phone, then the entire warehouse resounded with it in spite of the blasting going on. Lana looked up from her conference with the explosives expert and muttered a few words to him before moving to join the Enixian.

"Certainly SOUNDS as though things have begun to get interesting," Lana observed quietly as the Enixian composed herself.

"Oh, definitely, Doctor." Masyn smiled and shook her head. "A little over five minutes ago, they both took off their coats. They spent the next several minutes kissing." Masyn laughed again, shaking her head. "A few moments in serious conversation about the hybrid woman's likelihood of suffering from hypothermia. She is now wearing her own coat AND the Tracker's. And now they're kissing again. Oh, also several comments about 'keeping each other warm' that I can safely say have VERY little to do with the cold weather. He offered to keep her warm after they went inside for the night."

Masyn shrugged defensively. "She accepted. Looked like a little girl on Christmas morning, according to my source." Masyn shook her head. "Something tells me that, by the time she recovers from the Cirronian's... enthusiastic attentions, Doctor Zin will be back in our midst."

"Between the fact that he's already intoxicated and the electrochemical changes the fireworks are causing in his brain..." Masyn shook her head. "I'll be surprised if he's not unconscious for 24 hours or more once he... finishes."

"Is he going to make it as far as her bedroom?" Lana asked. "She needs to be occupied, too. She's been getting a bit dangerous just lately."

Masyn nodded placidly. "Imagine that someone has just fed subject 'A' a large quantities of aphrodisiacs followed by a shot of adrenaline to the heart," she suggested. "Whether subject 'A' is a rat, human, Cirronian, or pretty much anything else, subject 'A' is only going to have one thing on his mind..." She shrugged again. "Not that men generally have anything else on their mind," she added with a malicious grin. "But the... drive will be far stronger."

"You worry too much," Masyn informed her gently. "Have you been doing those affirmations I gave you?"

Lana's hand shot out and wrapped itself firmly around the Enixian's throat. "How much stronger?" she repeated in a gentle voice, squeezing slowly. "There is no room for error here, Masyn."

"About 750 times stronger than they would be under the influence of alcohol and pheromones alone," Masyn supplied as casually as if Lana had not been slowly crushing her windpipe. If the Vardian wanted her dead, she would already have been dead and they both knew it.

"751.28315, Doctor," Masyn supplied cheerily. "Give or take a couple millionths."

Lana considered for a moment, then nodded sharply, releasing the Enixian. "No room for error," she repeated gently, straightening the Enixian's mussed collar.

Lana nodded. "We will be in the basement of the Watchfire a few moments after midnight. If the Cirronian has somehow managed to block that access to the vault, further tunneling may be required. This makes it vital that they remain preoccupied with each other for some time..."

Masyn nodded her understanding. "The amount of willpower and self-restraint that would be required to ignore or overcome such a strong triggering stimulus is... I seriously doubt it exists anywhere in the universe. Cirronians are not really that different than any other Migar species in one important regard. They like things that feel good. He'll have trouble tearing himself away long enough to get her inside, I promise you."

The Enixian inclined her head politely. "Well, I am pleased to be able to deliver such news to you, Doctor. Can I get you more tea?"

Lana nodded and handed her the empty cup before returning to her consultation with the explosives expert. "Sorry for the interruption," she said absently. "News of the Cirronian fanatic and how he is not going to be a problem tonight."

He nodded. "Yes, Doctor Lana. They're very high-yield, but also incredibly focused. The net result is that, instead of displacing earth and other matter, they simply render it into a fine powder. Then the engineering crew moves in, reinforces that section, and the next section is blasted out. Saves time over drilling in all but the most seismically active areas, where any explosions can set off fault-lines, and is safer than traditional explosives for use in tunneling."

"Yes, but how NOISY is it?" Lana asked, shaking her head. "If we get into the basement-level of the Watchfire and find that we have to reopen the Vault access, can we do it without drawing unwanted attention?"

"By the time this holiday is over and people actually started paying attention to the sounds of explosions again, we would be too far beneath-ground to be heard even from the main floor of the bar itself," he assured her.

"A few hours at the outside, Doctor Lana, assuming that the Tracker has completely sealed the passage, which I think is unlikely. More likely, he's just thrown up a wall or two."

She nodded sharply. "Good. Let me know when we break through. I want to be among the first in the basement level, and definitely the absolute first into the Vault."

"It won't be long before we're in the basement now, Doctor. We're making good time, and the initial estimate of a few seconds after midnight seems to be pretty much spot-on."

Lana nodded, giving Masyn a half-smile as the Enixian approached and handed her a cup of tea. "You know, something tells me that this is going to be a very good year indeed."

"Why don't we kiss more often?" Cole asked Mel absently as they stood in each other's arms watching the fireworks.

They both fell silent then, watching the finale unfold above them. Cole gasped abruptly, taking a judicious step away from Mel, his expression a mixture of cautious and confused.

"Something wrong?" Mel asked anxiously. She pulled him back into her arms and abruptly had her answer. "Oh!" Giggling, she buried her face in his chest. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," she managed between fits of laughter.

Cole gave a half-shrug. "Okay, Mel." He paused for a moment then, remembering the camping trip, asked, "Normal in response to what, exactly?"

"Um..." Mel giggled for a moment. "You know... stimulation... um..." Closing her eyes, she whispered, "It's a human thing, Cole. In response to, um... mating type things."

"Oh." Cole nodded, looking and feeling a little dazed. Mel's proximity was not helping matters in the least and he could not have cared less. "It's..." He shifted slightly. "Nice," he decided.

Mel laughed and shook her head. "Like I said, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," she told him, her eyes shining with suppressed laughter.

She giggled helplessly at that question. "Tell you what, Cole. After you kiss me at midnight, I'll take you inside and we can... discuss it," she teased.

"Discuss it?" he repeated, feeling faintly disappointed. "I don't feel very much like talking right now, Mel."

Mel laughed again. Poor Cole, once again completely clueless. And so damned hot! "What do you feel like doing?"

He nodded. "Yes, Mel. I want to touch you and I want you to touch me." He bent and gently kissed the hollow of her throat. "And I do NOT want to talk about anything, Mel. I want you to show me. Okay?"

Mel closed her eyes and swallowed hard, nodding. "I... I really do think that can be arranged, Cole," she whispered, her voice shaky. She looked up and into warm brown eyes. "What the hell are we still doing up here, Cole?" she asked.

"Waiting until midnight so that we can kiss. It's a very important ritual, Mel. Gail says so."

"Yeah, I'll bet she does," Mel agreed, nodding. She gratefully accepted the glass of champagne that Gail pushed into her hand for the midnight toast. Ignoring protocol, she drained it immediately.

"You can have mine, Mel," Cole offered, handing it to her. "I don't like the taste very much anyway."

She watched Gail and the others passing out drinks and made a mental note to have a long talk with the young woman about telling Cole about that particular New Year's custom. Or maybe just buy her flowers. Gail saw Mel looking at them and gave her a little smile and a wink. Mel shook her head and returned her attention to the fireworks and the Cirronian in her arms.

"Okay, Cole," she told him. "When everyone starts counting backwards from ten, you just--" Mel was cut off as Cole gathered her more tightly into his arms and began kissing her again. She pushed away long enough to drain her glass and smiled up at him. "That works, too," she agreed with a nod, pulling his face to hers again.

"How much have they had to drink?" Jonas asked Gail softly. "Because I don't think I've ever seen either of them even HALF that affectionate." He frowned faintly. Mel, especially, was not acting at all like herself.

"Mel is three sheets to the wind," Gail told Jonas, nodding. "I lost count hours
ago. Cole... half a glass of bubbly."

Gail shook her head. "Maggie says he's funny with alcohol, though. Sometimes he can drink like a Marine and it doesn't show. Then sometimes he hardly needs to drink anything at all." She shrugged. "They make a cute couple though, don't they?"

Jonas smiled and shook his head. "You put him up to this, I suppose?" He had not missed the sly, mischievous look on Gail's face every time she had witnessed some new display of affection between the two.

She shrugged. "I thought they might need a little nudge. You know how Mel gets. Not my fault he seems to have missed the 'wait until midnight' portion of my little chat."

Jonas shook his head, then glanced cautiously at her. "Mel tells me you have your eyes on me for the kiss this year?"

Gail shrugged and winked at him. "You're just going to have to wait and find out, now, aren't you?"

"What would I want with a YOUNG one?" she laughed, looking up as the counting started. "Ten, nine, eight." She raised her glass to Jonas in a toast. "Seven, six, five, four."

Jonas shrugged and tapped his glass lightly against hers. "Three, two, one," he counted with her.

"Happy New Year, Gail," he laughed, hugging her. He glanced over to where Mel and Cole were still completely absorbed in their kiss. "You start herding people downstairs, Gail. I'll suggest to those two that they move it inside before they both freeze to death."

"Thanks." Gail nodded and joined the other barmaids to start getting people down the ladder in one piece.

They pulled apart reluctantly, only far enough to turn their heads and look at him, their eyes questioning, if a little irritated.

"It's getting cold up here and the fireworks are over. Why don't you two bring it downstairs?"

Jonas bit his lower lip and chuckled softly. "Upstairs, then. Just, inside somewhere. Okay?"

Mel nodded, smiling at him. "You're right, Jonas. Thanks for the wake-up call. Guess we were a little... preoccupied." She gave an embarrassed laugh, and her embarrassment only grew as Cole surmised that her conversation with Jonas might take awhile and began nuzzling her neck in the interim.

Jonas smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, well. I'm going now. I'll see you two kids tomorrow. Happy New Year. And don't stay up here all night."

"We won't," Mel assured him with a grin as he walked off. She shook her head. "Cole, I need you to stop for one second," she told him gently.

Cole nodded and eagerly kissed her. "And when we're inside?" he asked, breaking away. "We can kiss some more?" he asked hopefully. "And hug each other like this?" He reached up and gently caressed her throat. "And touch each other?" he whispered.

Mel swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah, Cole. Definitely." She reached up with both hands and caressed his throat. "Whatever you want."

"Will you touch my chest?" he asked hopefully. "That feels good, but you haven't done it for a very long time."

Mel smiled indulgently and nodded. "Anything you want, Cole," she assured him, slipping her hands under his shirt and gently caressing his chest. "Like that?" she asked quietly.

"Hey, hey," Mel soothed, smiling and shaking her head. "We have time, Cole. Let's go inside now."

"Can I kiss you again?" he asked eagerly. "And can you keep touching me like that?"

"Okay, Cole, but just for a second. It's cold up here and WARM inside," she reminded him gently.

"You keep me very warm, Mel," he assured her before dropping his head to kiss her again. As Mel's hands moved aimlessly over his chest, he broke off the kiss, burying his face in her throat and giving himself over to the sensation. It felt so good, so right, so perfect... His eyes drifted shut and he relaxed against her as the caresses continued for what seemed like beautiful hours. Beautiful, uninterrupted hours, free of guilt or anger or worry. So much like being with… "Nallia…" he breathed.

Mel's eyes widened and she dropped her hands immediately. It was like she had been splashed with ice-water. She knew that it was not something he had done intentionally, using his wife's name like that, but it did not HAVE to be intentional. What the hell had she been thinking?

"Mel, what is wrong?" Cole asked uncertainly, startled by her sudden shift of behavior. "Did I do something wrong?"

Mel blinked. He did not even know that he had said his wife's name. "Oh, God," she whispered, shaking her head. "Cole..."

"What's wrong, Mel?" he asked gently, moving before her and caressing her throat.

"Nothing," she lied. "Just getting cold up here. Let's go inside and have that discussion now."

"You said we didn't have to talk," he pointed out, kissing her throat. "You said we can keep kissing and touch each other."

Mel nodded, giving in. She had denied herself for long enough, damn it. Cole loved her and he wanted to be with her. So what if he still loved his wife? He was more than entitled. He could love them both. He DID.

"I did say that." She nodded. "Come on, Cole. Let's get inside." She took his hand and walked him to the fire-escape. "I need you to go first so you can catch me in case I slip again."

"Okay, Mel." He kissed her swiftly then grabbed on to the ladder and slid down. He smiled up at her. "You can come now. I'll catch you if you fall."

"Okay." Mel smiled and shook her head, climbing onto the ladder and starting down cautiously. Near the ground, strong hands wrapped around her waist and Cole gently lifted her from the ladder and placed her on the ground, pulling her into his arms and kissing her again.

"Inside," Cole agreed, nodding and taking her hand as he started towards the apartment's back door. He paused abruptly, looking around the alley and pulling out his Collector.

"Damn," Mel whispered, pulling out her own. The fact that the alley APPEARED empty meant nothing. Angry at the interruption, she zeroed in immediately on the Dessarian as he began to move and grabbed him by the scruff of the shirt, slamming him into the wall and raising her Collector. She nearly went through with the Collection, too. Knowing that Cole would disapprove, though, she satisfied herself with an angry shout of, "NESTOV!"

Nestov gave a startled squeal and regarded her with wide eyes. "Cole, don't let her do it, man!" he gasped. "I mean, you know, whatever I interrupted, I am really sorry, but... This is important!"

Cole sighed, feeling more than a little inclined to let Mel take his lifeforce so they could get on with what they had been doing. He shook his head, knowing that Nestov was more useful to them free. He walked up to them and gently kissed the nape of her neck again.

"You should let him go now, Mel," he suggested gently, toying with her hair as he spoke. "I'm not too happy with him either, but we should listen to what he has to say. It could be important. Nestov has helped us greatly in the past," he reminded her, sighing.

"I don't care. I say we Collect him and worry about it when we're done. In three or four days..." She sniggered and released her hold on the Dessarian. "You are very lucky that I am so toasted right now, Nestov," she informed him flatly. "Because if I were even a tiny little bit more sober, I would not have listened to Cole's advice. Now get on with it!" she hissed, returning her Collector to her pocket.

Nestov took a judicious step away from her before he began. "It's Lana again..."

"Of course it is! Isn't it always Lana?" Mel snapped, slamming her palm into the alley wall.

Nestov winced. "She's got a lot of us at a warehouse near here and the word on the street is that she was using the fireworks as some kind of distraction to cover the noise of the digging and blasting..."

Cole inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. So much for his plans with Mel. It was not just that the news was incredibly frustrating, either. "You're not telling us everything, Nestov. Maybe I should let Mel Collect you now."

Nestov shook his head rapidly. "Um... for... some reason, people seemed to think that the fireworks would keep you from... being interested in interfering." Nestov gave an anxious grin.

Mel slammed her palm into the wall again, cursing. "I told you it was the fireworks," she muttered, shaking her head.

"None of your damned business, snitch!" Mel shot back. "Tell us where the warehouse is or I will NOT let Cole stop me from Collecting your sorry life-force." She pulled out her Collector again and backed him into a wall, her expression almost feral. "Start talking!" she snapped.

Mel nodded and released him. "Oh, I am going to kill Lana," she hissed, shaking her head. "Cole, upstairs!" she ordered.

"But, Mel... Lana," Cole protested as she walked past him to unlock the door. He absently rearranged her hair, then bent to kiss her throat again.

Mel stepped out of his way. "We'll go after Lana just as soon as we get some lemon juice into you and you take a cold shower."

"I don't need a shower now, Mel," he protested, staring at her in confusion. "I bathed this morning."

Nestov laughed and immediately found himself being stared down by both of them. "I'll just... be going now," he suggested.

"I still don't think this is a good time for a shower," Cole protested as Mel marched him up the stairs and into the bathroom.

"Cold shower, Cole. It's a human thing. Hopefully it'll make my throat a little less appealing to you..."

Cole stopped undressing to stare at her, dropping his shirt onto the floor. "Mel, your entire neck is always VERY appealing to me," he informed her gently, reaching to caress it.

"Not now!" Mel snapped. "Get your clothes off, get in the shower. Turn on the cold water. Only the cold water. Turn it up all the way and just STAND in it until I come back!" Shaking her head in frustration, Mel stomped off, badly in need of a cold shower herself. Alone in the kitchen, she cursed fluidly as she brewed a pot of coffee and pulled a bottle of lemon concentrate from the refrigerator. "Focus, Mel," she muttered, shaking her head. Turning on the tap, she plunged her head under the stream of cold water, trying to sober up that way. "Damn it!" she shouted again when it failed to work. Remembering that Cole was probably rapidly turning into a Cirronian freeze-pop, she poured a large glass of the lemon juice for him and walked into the bathroom with it, careful not to look in his direction. "Feeling more like yourself?" she asked, sighing.

"Then get out, get dressed, and drink this. I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready to go." Shaking her head, Mel left the bathroom. Shivering, Cole gratefully stepped out of the shower. Instead of dressing immediately, he stood in the chilly bathroom drinking his coffee, letting the cold air assail his bare skin. It was not doing anything for the emotions he was feeling, though, so he gave up, pulling on his clothes as he forced himself to finish the glass of sour liquid. He walked into the kitchen and found Mel working on a cup of coffee. "Ready to go?" she asked, rising.

Mel sighed and shook her head. "Whatever it takes, Cole," she murmured apologetically. "When we get home, we are going to finish what we started, but until then... no distractions."

Cole nodded again, bowing his head and repeating firmly to himself, "No distractions."

They left via the back door, knowing that the party would probably still be underway downstairs and not wanting to be seen.

Masyn sighed deeply as she hung up the phone. "This is what you get for letting a human do a Dessarian's job," she muttered, shaking her head. The idiot Private Investigator had lost track of them! Of course, considering the pose they had been in when he had last seen them, the odds were good that they had gone into the hybrid's apartment via the back door. She would have wagered good money on it even without the Investigator's report. If they had even made it down off the roof.

Definitely no need to trouble Lana with it at this stage. She would already be in the Watchfire's basement by now. Shrugging to herself, Masyn poured another cup of tea, half-draining the tranquilizing liquid in a single sip. It was wonderful stuff, her own private blend, a mix of some of the nicest plants on this little ball of dirt, blended in such a way as to trigger a chemical reaction that produced, as a by-product, a chemical that made human drugs like Xanax seem like so much warm milk. Definitely took the edge off of life with Doctor Lana. Very little phased her after a cup of this tea.

"Better living through botany," she muttered with a quiet laugh, wondering how Lana would react to the blend. "Hell, maybe I could even get a genuine smile out of the Vardian whore..."

"I wouldn't count on that happening any time soon," a low voice announced from the office door.

Masyn looked up, momentarily confused until she recognized the hybrid's face. When the realization hit, she jumped clumsily out of the chair sending it flying, upsetting papers on the desk, and spilling tea everywhere. She cursed and backed into a wall.

"Hey, come on... no need to look so... pissed." She gave a nervous smile and a slight giggle.

"I'd be less pissed if my evening with Cole hadn't been interrupted by the news that you SCUM picked this one night to try to get into the Vault again."

Masyn stared at her in momentarily uncertainty, then her face broke into a wide smile. "So the fireworks DID have the effect I had predicted?" she asked eagerly, smiling widely. "Oh, that's wonderful! Tell me, was it more like... euphoric bliss with a sexual undertone or just... blind lust?"

Mel let out an outraged howl and quickly Collected the Enixian. "Kind of a... REALLY nice combination of the two," she muttered bitterly as the body slumped to the floor.

"Mel, are you hurt?" Cole asked anxiously, appearing at the office door. "I heard screaming."

Cole nodded slowly. "There were not many, Mel. I think the rest may already be in the tunnel and..." He frowned, sighing deeply. "If that is the case, they may already be in the basement of the Watchfire."

"We should use the tunnel," Cole suggested, stopping her. "They'll be trapped between us and the door that way."

Mel nodded and changed directions. "You know, I am getting damned sick of these people," she muttered as Cole gave her a hand down into the tunnel.

"Me, too, Mel," Cole grumbled, following her. He stopped long enough to yawn widely. "They are just so... so annoying," he yawned.

Mel stared at him with wide eyes. "Oh, God, Cole... NO! Don't you DARE fall asleep on me!" she ordered. "I've got Lana in my basement," she reminded him. "I kind of need you on this one."

Cole nodded, shaking his head. "Lana. Collect Lana, then we go back upstairs and kiss some more, right, Mel?" He smiled hopefully at her.

Mel shook her head, sighing. "Whatever. Come on." She raised her Collector and started down the tunnel. "I swear, I am going to make that Vardian bitch PAY..." she grumbled.

His smile widened and he raised his own Collector, following close. "Mel, you are glorious when you are angry..."

Mel just shook her head and kept walking through the tunnel. "Yeah, Cole. If you say so. Come on." Not that the last was strictly necessary since Cole was following her like... well, like a libidinous Cirronian.

As they crept quietly out of the tunnel and into Mel's own basement, they saw a group of fugitives huddled around the door Cole had installed to block access to the Vault.

"No, Doctor, we're going to have to set some charges to take this thing down," one of the fugitives was saying to Lana.

"Um, I don't think so," Mel said softly, shaking her head and raising her Collector.

Cole stepped next to her and smiled serenely at the assembled fugitives, holding his own up. "Who's first?"

"Mel!" Cole protested, shaking his head and following her into the fray. The fugitives scattered, most heading straight back for the tunnel. Lana cursed and barreled up the basement stairs, not even slowing down for the locked door, which burst outwards at her impact. Cursing, Mel ran after her, followed closely by Cole.

Maggie and Joe were sitting on a couch along the bar's far wall, talking quietly to each other now that the last of the bar's patrons had gone. The other barmaids had all gone home as well, and Joe and Maggie were planning on following suit as well in just a few minutes. As they rose to pull on their coats, there was a commotion from the basement.

"What on earth?" Maggie wondered, taking a step in that direction but jumping backwards as the basement door came exploding outwards under the weight of a tiny woman.

Lana did not even spare Maggie a second glance, pelting across the bar and out the door.

Maggie stared with wide eyes as Mel was joined by Cole. "Outside, Mel," Cole told her, running in that direction.

"I'll explain later, Maggie," Mel called over her shoulder as she ran out of the bar.

Joe stared after the two with a quizzical smile. "Interesting friends you have, Maggie," he chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Who was that woman?"

"Don't ask," Maggie suggested. Shaking her head, she walked towards the basement door. It had been ripped off of its hinges and lay on the floor now.

"I can't believe we lost her!" Mel snapped with disgust, following Cole back into the bar.

"I know," he sighed, absently stepping around Maggie. Shaking his head, he picked up the door and rested it against the door-frame. He turned and gave Maggie a glassy-eyed smile. "Hello, Maggie."

Maggie smiled back, a little uncertainly. "Cole. Mel. Um... Joe and I were just going. Happy New Year." Nodding, she turned and hurried back to Joe, grabbing their coats and shooing him out of the bar.

Mel sighed and locked up after them, wondering what Maggie's friend had made of the bizarre happening. "That could have gone better," she sighed, shaking her head.

Cole sighed and nodded, resting one hand on her shoulder. "At least you weren't hurt."

"Yeah. I took on one fugitive, Cole, and she was more trashed than I was." Mel groaned and leaned against the wall. "And my basement has another hole in it..." she sighed.

"Mel, you go upstairs and get cleaned up, and I'll go back to the warehouse and collapse the tunnel."

"Not alone, you don't," Mel told him, shaking her head. "I don't want to take any chances."

Cole nodded and moved the door away from the door frame. "I'll fix this tomorrow, Mel," he told her as they started down the stairs.

"What is it with us and explosives these days?" Mel sighed as they returned to the Watchfire from the basement.

"I don't know, Mel." Cole shook his head. "It is turning into a pattern, though."

"Like I crawled through that tunnel six times instead of three. Every muscle aches, I'm dirty..." Cole shook his head. "And I feel very strange, Mel. Like... I'm floating or something."

Mel, who knew exactly how Cole was feeling because she felt exactly the same herself, nodded. "Let's go upstairs," she suggested with a sigh. "You can shower first," she offered.

She shook her head. "Go ahead, Cole," she told him. "I want to get another drink now. You shower first..."

Cole nodded reluctantly and walked into the bathroom. Shaking her head, Mel walked into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of cold coffee, adding several shots of brandy to it.

"Not exactly the romantic evening we were hoping for, was it?" she sighed, draining the mug and making a face at the taste. Putting the mug in the dishwasher, she grabbed a glass and filled it with more brandy. Cole's half-full box of chocolates sat on the counter, and she helped herself to one, sighing.

"All yours, Mel," Cole called to her, emerging from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

He immediately walked into the war-room and changed. Shaking her head, Mel entered the bathroom and quickly showered away the grime before returning to the living room. Cole was sitting on the couch with the box of chocolates in hand, his chin touching his chest and his eyes closed. She sighed and gently removed the box from his hands.

"What a night," she whispered, shaking her head and gently shifting him into a more comfortable position.

"Long night," she said gently, taking his hand in hers. "Come on, Cole. I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch after the night we've had."

Cole nodded and obediently followed her into her room. He sat on the edge of the bed, nodding in and out of consciousness as Mel tugged off his shirt. He looked up at her, his expression sluggish.

"I know I'm very tired, Mel, and that you must be, too, but can we still do what we were discussing?" he asked quietly. "Kissing each other, and hugging, and... touching each other, Mel? I like the way it feels to touch you. Can we?" he asked hopefully, reaching for her throat.

Mel caught his hand before it could reach her throat and gently kissed his fingertips before pushing his hand away. She smiled sadly at him. He would be himself in the morning and one more opportunity would have slipped away. "Sure, Cole. Just not tonight." She tenderly kissed his forehead. "You need your rest now."

"If you say so, Mel." Cole nodded and stretched out on the bed. "Good night, Mel," he murmured.

Mel sighed and shook her head, watching as he quickly drifted into sleep. Or maybe it was more like unconsciousness. Sighing again, she quickly changed into a pair of heavy pajamas and crawled into bed next to him, turning off the lights. She rolled onto her side, facing him in the darkness. "You know, just once," she sighed. "If you could say those things one time without being drugged or drunk or under the influence of fireworks..." She trailed off, aware that there were tears in her eyes. "Well, for what it's worth, I love you, too, Cole. Sleep well." She leaned across the bed and gently kissed his cheek before returning to her side and falling into a dreamless sleep.

Cole's first conscious awareness as he woke was of pain. Lots and lots of pain in his head, stomach, everywhere in fact, as if he had just been on the receiving end of a bad beating. Nausea too, he realized, and cottonmouth. He groaned softly, trying to remember what had happened.

"Hey, look who decided to rejoin us in the land of the living," Mel's gentle voice laughed. A cool washcloth brushed across his forehead, easing some of the pain there. "Thirsty?"

Cole nodded weakly and tried to sit up. Bad move, he realized, retching. Mel helped him lean over and pushed a trashcan into his hands, murmuring reassuringly until he was done emptying his stomach of whatever had put it in that state. She handed him a glass of water then and helped him take short sips.

"The universe's nastiest hangover," Mel told him gently. "What did you expect the way you went at those chocolates after I got into the shower?"

"Chocolate," Cole repeated, shaking his head. That explained it. Although no amount of chocolate had ever left him feeling quite this horribly. He must have really gone overboard. "How much did I eat?"

"Little over three quarters of that box, total," Mel told him. "Mostly after we got back."

"Back?" he repeated, shaking his head and gazing fuzzily at her. He took a few minutes to think. "Fireworks? The fireworks were last night?"

"They were gorgeous," Mel supplied absently. "And they... did something to you," she added.

"Yeah, like a drug or something," Mel explained. "You were telling me about lights and colors and how they convey emotions and then you... it was like you had taken something. I think I got it, too, but not as bad as you."

"Sometimes they can subtly alter brain-chemistry, I think," he murmured. "Like alcohol or a drug."

"There was nothing SUBTLE about this," Mel told him. "You... you really don't remember anything?" she asked.

Cole shook his head, wincing as that only intensified the pain. "What happened? How was I behaving?"

"I guess because you were ticked that we... lost Lana." Mel sighed and explained, "We confronted Lana, Cole. She got away again."

Cole opened his eyes and stared up at her. "Mel, I'm so sorry," he whispered, struggling into a sitting position and wrapping his arms around her. Bare arms? Why were his arms bare? "Mel, where is my shirt?" he asked cautiously.

Cole looked around, finally taking in his surroundings. "Why am I in your bed without my shirt?" he asked, not sure if he should be worried, pleased, or angry that he could not remember anything.

Mel chuckled at his tone of voice. "Okay, Cole. For future reference, when you wake up in a woman's bed, if your pants are still on, the odds are good that nothing happened."

"We were both drunk and tipsy from the fireworks, we went after Lana, lost her, came up here, showered, changed, and collapsed into bed. You were out before your head hit the pillow. Took me about five seconds longer."

Mel swallowed. Damn, like their relationship was not complicated enough already. "Do you remember?"

He shook his head. "I just know I was supposed to kiss you at midnight. Gail said it's very important. Did I kiss you, Mel?"

"I liked it very much," she assured him quietly, patting his shoulder. "You feel like getting up now, or do you want to rest some more?"

Mel could not help but laugh. "Okay, Cole. No more fireworks," she promised. "I'll be in the bar if you need me." Shaking her head, she walked down the stairs.

"How is he?" Vic asked, rising as soon as she reentered the bar. He had gotten the whole story from Mel that morning. Or, more accurately, a highly abridged and censored version of the whole story.

"Awake, finally," Mel told him. "And he remembers absolutely nothing." Of course, she had not told Vic that there was anything to remember other than going after Lana, and she had warned the others not to say a word about it in either his presence or Cole's. She had not had the heart to lecture Gail on her role in things.

"Whoa." Vic blinked. "He must have been pretty messed up."
"He's STILL pretty messed up." Mel shrugged and glanced towards Joe and Gail. "They buying that it was some kind of weird food allergy making him act funny?"

"Good." Mel nodded. "Since technically it was. Cole and chocolate do NOT mix..."

Vic chuckled and nodded his agreement. "No, they really don't." He looked up as
Cole gingerly entered the bar, looking like death warmed over, only worse. "Take it easy, there," he suggested, moving to Cole's side and helping him into a seat. "How you feeling?" Dumb question to ask a guy who looked that bad, he decided.

Vic laughed and shook his head. "After the night Mel tells me you had, I can't say I blame you."

Cole smiled weakly at him, looking up as Joe crossed the bar to join them. "Hello, Joe."

Cole glanced at him in confusion for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. I think I need to be more careful about what I eat," he said honestly. What and how much.

Cole glanced over at Mel, who was busy admonishing Maggie and Gail about something, then nodded. "Yes, Joe. That would be very nice."

"Okay, Vic, what's going on?" Mel demanded as he half pulled her across the almost-empty bar. Maggie, Gail, Jonas, Cole, Vic, Joe, and Mel herself were the only people still lingering. "I've seen that look in your eyes before and it worries me."

Mel dug her heels in and began shaking her head frantically. "No, Vic! No way! Absolutely not!"

"Cole, she says no!" Vic called across the bar. "We may have to pick her up and carry her," he laughed.

Mel looked around the bar and realized that Cole had obviously enlisted everyone there in this conspiracy. Shaking her head, she glared at him. "Oh, you..."

Cole smiled brightly at her. "We all want to hear you sing, Mel," he told her simply.

"Sorry, Mel." Jonas gave an absent shrug. "I think it'll do you good. Come out of your shell a bit."

"Public humiliation for fun, Mel. You were telling me all about it the other day," Cole pointed out gently.

"Yeah." Mel sighed and shook her head. "One song to shut you up," she agreed with a sigh. "And that's IT."

"Whatever." Mel sighed and sat down on a couch between Vic and Joe. "What embarrassing Karoke favorite am I stuck singing? YMCA?"

"Bridge Over Troubled Water, Mel," Cole told her with a smile, sitting on a small end-table across from her. "And we will all sing with you so you don't have to be shy."

"Oh, don't listen to her," Maggie laughed, shaking her head. "We'll have her singing in no time."

Mel stared at him with wide eyes. "What... makes you think I sing in the shower?" she asked in a low voice, looking around uncertainly.

"I've heard you." Cole smiled brightly. "Not very well because of the door and the water, but I have heard you."

Mel groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Yeah, Cole, well... thanks so much for sharing that with all of my friends."

At her nod, he smiled and started playing. Mel's voice was tremulous at first, but the voices of the others combined to cover that fact. She was relieved to realize that their singing virtual drowned hers out, especially Cole's firm voice. As she grew in confidence, her voice grew first more steady, then louder. This was not so hard, after all, she realized, smiling as she sang. In fact, it was kind of fun. She looked over, startled as Vic tapped her shoulder. He smiled and gestured for her to fall silent.

Bemused, she did. And was startled to suddenly hear everyone else in the bar singing.

Sail on silver girl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
When you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

As she finished singing, Cole smiled widely and fished his list out of his pocket to cross off that item. He frowned as he noticed a new item scrawled unintelligibly along the bottom. He stared at it for a few moments before shrugging and realizing that he was never going to be able to read it. Instead, he returned his attention to the beginning of the list and neatly scratched off the first item.