Disclaimer: "Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?" and the characters Ivy, Zack, The Chief, and Carmen Sandiego are not our own inventions. The original game "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" and all characters found in that game and its sequels are the property of Broderbund. The animated cartoon belongs to Dic and Fox. Yesterday's Hero By Ann and Misty "Hey, Chief. What's up?" Ivy asked, striding gracefully out of the C-5 corridor. Ivy was a pretty girl; standing five feet, nine inches,with a mane of fiery hair - to match her personality, her adversaries knew. Her usual demeanor was that of no worries, no nonsense, but she had changed lately. The dark circles under her eyes were a telltale sign. "What's up? What's up?? Crimenet's been trying to get a hold of you for hours, and all you can say is 'what's up?'!" Chief exclaimed, indignation painted all over his computer graphic face. "Woah, hold on, I've been ready to come in for hours. It was Zack!" Ivy replied, equally as indignant. "First, he wanted to sleep in. Then, when I finally got him up, he had to take a shower. Then he wanted to play his video game, then......" "Fine" Chief interrupted, "but where is he?'' "I'm here," a boy with a mop of blonde hair replied, coming in on a skateboard. "Chill, sis." Only Zack would enter the control room of the world's most prestigious, most technologically advanced detective agency in the world on a skateboard, and reprimand someone else. "See what I mean?'' Ivy asked the Chief pointedly. "Enough chit-chat, we need you," said the Chief. "Carmen just stole Joan of Ark's armor!" "What!" both siblings exclaimed together. "Why would she steal that again? The last time she stole it was when I was in the hospital, and Ivy had resigned from - " Zack trailed off, seeing his sister tense up. Zack looked at the Chief as if to say "See? I told you." Ivy had been acting unlike herself again lately, and he was starting to get worried. Zack had thought everything was better: Ivy had been her usual short-tempered, passionate, determined self again. But now he was starting to fear they would have to go through the whole, painful ordeal all over again.. Again. The unspoken word echoed through Zack's mind. He had been able to push those horrible times away, back to the deepest corners of consciousness, with the strength of the knowledge that it was over. Lee Jordan was in jail. Ivy was at Acme again, and would never leave. But still, the memories were there, of pain, hopelessness, and confusion.. Surely, Ivy and himself didn't deserve to go through that again. Chief was watching the whole scene with a sad look in his computer-generated eyes. He too had noticed a change, but was hoping it wasn't real. But he knew it was. Ivy did seem to be acting unusual, yes, but it was a different kind of unusual than before. Her demeanor seemed to be one more of bewilderment, confusion, hurt, betrayal maybe, but not like the one she had in the whole episode with Lee. He was getting worried and trying every-which way he could think of to help. He knew Ivy wouldn't tell him, Zack, or anyone else very readily, and she controlled her emotions and expressions enough to keep her problem, or whatever it was, a secret. The Chief shook his head slightly, thinking how similar she was to a raven-haired woman he once knew. Or thought he did anyway. Ivy herself was also lost in her own reverie at this moment. She saw the looks passing between the Chief and Zack, but tried to ignore them. She knew those who knew her best could tell something was wrong. She had been getting side glances from Josha, Armando, and Gia as well, and she knew what they were thinking. They weren't even close, but she wasn't going to tell them that. She was actually thinking about Carmen Sandiego. Carmen confused her. Ivy knew Carmen was a thief, and she was a detective - it was black and white. And yet, Carmen had been there for her when she needed a friend the most. Carmen - a friend? That wasn't right. Carmen was a criminal, was on the other side of the law. Perhaps this was the real reason Ivy couldn't tell a soul of her conflict. Shame. Respecting a criminal made one every bit as bad as that criminal… She could not think about the Carmen of today without thinking about the Carmen she idolized as a child, about her scrapbook, the one in the attic with pictures of a certain Acme agent and her partner. Also, how Carmen had helped her so much in the whole problem concerning Lee. Carmen had invited her to her home, risked being caught in the Smithsonian to make sure she was okay, inviting her and Zack in that Christmas, opening her home to them. How Carmen had betrayed her trust, after she had gone to great lengths to defend Carmen at her "trial". Why had Carmen done that? Wasn't this just more evidence that she was not to be trusted? Kidnapping them to make sure that they didn't get kidnapped like Mrs. D'Angelo had, and apologizing to her. Carmen apologizing... now that had been a surprise, which made Ivy even more distressed. She had so many questions she wanted answered. But she knew she would not get truthful, no double-talk answers, because, after all, Carmen and her were a lot alike. They were both passionate, determined, strong, could take care of themselves... And both could conceal their emotions quite well. Ivy would never in the foreseeable future tell anyone what she was thinking. How could they understand? They would say she was still stressed from the Lee Jordan ordeal, hurting from old wounds, which was almost correct. Zack and the other detectives didn't know about the scrapbook and her one-person vendetta. Chief was still dealing with his own confusion about Carmen becoming a thief, how could she dump her own ponderings on him? And Carmen...well, who knew what Carmen might do these days. "Ivy, Zack, we need you to C-5 over right away," Chief exclaimed urgently, snapping out of his reverie, and breaking into the two siblings thoughts. "We're on our way," Ivy said solemnly, jumping into the corridor, her personal problems forgotten for the moment. Zack followed her in and the C-5 closed after them. Though Ivy's problems left her mind for a short time, she would have to solve them sooner than she expected, and this was sure to change the way the way the young girl looked at life. But would the light of newly gained wisdom be harsh and painful, or would it soothe old fears, and bring resolution? * * * "This is the only evidence left at the crime scene?" Zack questioned a grumpy police officer. After years of chasing Carmen around the globe, he knew that a single, cryptic clue, intentionally left, would always be the "only evidence left at the crime scene," but he asked out of habit. He walked over to where his sister was examining the clue. "Any luck, sis?" Ivy shook her head and sighed. "I can't figure it out." She handed him the clue. It was a note. Charter a plane for a great trip to England. "'Charter' and 'great' are underlined, but why, Zack?" "I don't know, Iv'… What could chartering a plane, and something being great have to do with anything Carmen would want to steal?" Zack asked himself quietly. "What about the reference to England?" questioned Ivy. "Hey, wait a sec…Charter and great…Iv', what if we switch the underlined words around?" "Then we'd have "great charter"… "And "great charter" in Latin is Magna Carta!" "And King John of England was forced to sign it." " But, why is Carmen trying to steal the Magna Carta again?" Ivy could only shake her head in reply. * * * A tall figure entered the dark corridor and crept silently across the floor. The only sound that could be heard in the empty room was the clicking of heels. I love this, thought Carmen to herself, moving towards her prize. I don't have to wait in lines, I have the museum all to myself, and a few guards of course. I wonder when my favorite detectives will get here? She laughed a little as the thought of how much less of a small fortune this time around the heist would cost. And this time I don't have too use or trick anyone, she thought, becoming solemn. Why did I do that? Argh, that's not like me. Ivy was surprising, her truth and justice speech and then I did that too her. What were you thinking, Sandiego? she asked herself, irritated. Pushing her thoughts aside, she noticed she was now in front of the case that held the item she was creatively *borrowing* for herself. Just then she heard a noise behind her. "Taking another trip down memory lane, Carmen?'' a taunting voice questioned out of the shadows. Carmen turned and smiled at her determined adversary. "Yes, Ivy, but this one you can take with me.'' she replied, matching Ivy's taunting tone. Ivy paused momentarily, what did Carmen mean? "You're trapped Carmen, there's no way out," another voice shouted. "Ahh, Zack, you have much to learn. Lesson number one, there's always a way out!" With that she turned and fled towards the door. "Get her, sis" Zack's voice snapped Ivy back too attention. Ivy ran after Carmen, with Zack trailing behind. She caught up to Carmen on the roof. "Here's two clues, the first for just you, Ivy, and the second for both." Carmen said, putting on the taunting tone again. She tossed Ivy two objects and jumped onto the little platform waiting to take her to her hovercraft. She flashed one of her trademark smiles, and Ivy leapt to catch her, but missed. Just then Zack come running up. "She got away again, little bro," Ivy said, exasperated. "Yeah, yeah big surprise." Zack replied sarcastically. "Did she at least leave a clue?" "What do you think," Ivy snapped, annoyed Carmen had gotten away, especially leaving her after saying something like that. What did she mean, Ivy could go with her? "Woah, sis, what'd I do?" Zack asked taking a step back. "Sorry Zack, I didn't mean to be like that. Here it is," she replied, handing him the second piece of paper Carmen had given her. In Days Gone By and Years in the past, Poe and Water, Swirl and teams, Foes and Fears, Book and Log, "What in the world does she mean, " Zack asked, puzzled. "Uhh, what?" Ivy asked, thinking about the scene she had just witnessed. "I am so totally confused with this, she could be referring to any number of things." Zack said, looking at his sister quizzically. Ivy sure wasn't paying attention today. "Yeah," Ivy agreed, a little distracted. "You know, Zack, can you work on this by yourself for a little while? I have to do something. Don't worry," she added quickly, not wanting Zack to get suspicious. "From the looks of it you'll be here when I get back." "I resent that," Zack said, relieved that Ivy was still teasing him at least. "Bye, Zack " Ivy said, smirking. She walked down from the roof to the ground. After looking around to be sure no one saw her, she opened the package Carmen had given to her. Dear Ivy: No tricks or traps, this is important.. I want to talk to you. I promise not to steal anything. I can't just tell you where I am though, so here's a clue for you to solve. If you can... Carmen Sandiego Carmen will be Carmen, Ivy thought, a smile creeping across her face. I wonder what she wants. "She better not try to steal any thing," Ivy muttered, partly out of habit and partly because she didn't want to get off her guard. What if Carmen tried to get her to admit something? Ha, forget it. "There is no way on this Earth I'm telling Carmen anything," Ivy said to herself, thoughts of her scrapbook entering her mind again. She pushed them away "You don't have time for this, you have to figure out her clue," she admonished herself, opening the folded paper. The site of a Party, friends and food, revolts in three's. Nuts in dough, a place of craziness. "What could she mean?" Ivy asked herself. "The site of a Party. Well, that could be her birthday party, the Christmas party, or the Acme Technology Conference, but that wasn't really a party. Friends and food, well, that's pretty obvious. Revolt's in three's, and a place of craziness. Cool! That can mean only one thing! Player, C-5 me to the site of Carmen's birthday party, VILE headquarters, Paris, France. But do it without telling the Chief, he has enough on his mind." With that Ivy leapt into the C-5 portal, and it closed after her. ******* Meanwhile Zack was still working on Carmen's clue. "Chief, what could she mean? Days gone by, years in the past. Does she mean when she was a kid? When she was a detective? A thief? Man, why does Carmen do this? And then Ivy just up and leaves!" Zack exclaimed indignantly. "Uh, hu, where did she say she was going, uh, hu?" Chief replied, impersonating Elvis Presley. "Chief would you quite fooling around, this is serious!'' Zack exclaimed. "Where did I leave my skateboard? I think better on it. Player C-5 me to Acme Headquarters in San Francisco." Zack ordered, jumping in. "Hey, wait for me, where'd he go?" Chief asked, joining him in the corridor. ******** Meanwhile, in Paris, France, Ivy had just landed in a tree. "We have got to get the Chief to fix that," Ivy remarked, jumping down from one of the branches. "Now to figure out where I am. Why am I even here? I don't care what Carmen has too say, do I? "Yes, you do," she replied, forcing herself to be honest. "And whether you care to admit it, you do care about her. No! Stop it, I don't want to think about," Ivy shook her head, trying to get rid of these very uncomfortable thoughts. She glanced around, trying to figure out where she was. She spotted a building which she recognized as the V.I.L.E headquarters that had held Carmen's Party. Ivy walked silently through the deserted street, watching for any traps that Carmen could have set up. "Why am I being so careful, Carmen said she wasn't playing around," Ivy asked herself. "Oh, sure and what happened last time you started trusting her? She set you up, just to steal the Magna Carta," Ivy reminded herself, now in front of the building. Creeping inside she moved through the entrance to the darkened dining room. "Welcome, detective," Carmen's voice called from across the room. Ivy couldn't see anything, but could hear Carmen moving closer. As Carmen walked towards Ivy, she tried to calm her small case of nervousness. What would Ivy say, would she even listen? The last few attempts at apologies hadn't gone to well. Carmen reached for the light switch and flicked it on. "How are you, Ivy?" Carmen asked, as calm and collected as ever. "Fine, Carmen." Ivy replied coldly. "What did you bring me here for?" "Something important, but let's get more comfortable, shall we?" Carmen answered, hoping this went the way she had planned. She guided Ivy through the enormous building, leading her into a large room with a roaring fire in the fireplace. "Would you like some tea?" Carmen asked, referring to a silver pewter set sitting on a small end table. "Umm, sure," Ivy replied, relaxing a little. " There's some cinnamon buns there too, they're quite good, if I do say so myself." Carmen added, smirking a little. "You made them?" Ivy questioned, helping herself to one. "Yes, I did." Carmen replied, smiling. "So, what did you bring me here for," Ivy asked, breaking the momentary silence." I'm sure it wasn't just to show off your culinary abilities." "You are certainly right. I have something very important to say." Carmen said, forcing herself to stay calm. I wonder what, she sounds very serious. Ivy thought to herself, glancing at Carmen. " Do you remember when I used you and Zack to steal the Magna Carta?" Carmen continued, studying Ivy to see what her response would be. Ivy winced, not pleased with the memories Carmen's words were bringing up. Stay together, she willed herself. "Yes, I remember" she answered. "Well, it was a heartless and cruel thing to do and I wish I'd never done it. It was wrong to do and I felt -and still feel- really bad about it,-" "What are you saying, Carmen?" Ivy interrupted, not sure where Carmen was headed. " I'm saying, I'm sorry, from the bottom of my heart." Carmen said, her voice cracking for a split second. "You have a heart, Carmen?" Ivy asked, not able to help herself. Carmen had hurt her so much, who's to say she wouldn't do it again? "Yes, I do, detective," Carmen replied quietly, Ivy's words had cut like a knife. " And I know there is no reason on this earth for you to forgive me, but I'm asking anyway. Before you answer though, I have something for you." Carmen reached behind the armchair she was sitting on and pulled out the Magna Carta. " I'm giving this back to you to prove how sincere I am. I stole it because it fits in with my crime spree, and so this time I could do it the way I should have in the first place, without using you or Zack." She explained, waiting for Ivy's response. ********* Back in San Francisco, Zack was riding his skateboard up and down at Acme Headquarters. "What does Carmen mean?" he asked the Chief. "Let's read her clue again, maybe that will help." he replied. "Let's see, we know it's sometime in the past, but when?" Chief shook his head. "Let's forget that for now and work on the rest." " Good idea, Chief!" Zack exclaimed. "Hmmm, Poe and water. Poe is capitalized, info-scan on anything with that name. "Listen up, gumshoe, if you're talking Poe, and I think you are, we have a few candidates! Poe number 1, Edger Allan Poe was know as the father of the modern detective story-" "Freeze-frame, Chief," Zack interrupted. Remember when Maelstrom escaped? One of the clues Carmen left us was a clipping of one of his stories." "Exact-a-mundo, Zack! And you started working with Carmen after you went to the swirling water, otherwise known as a Whirlpool!" Chief exclaimed, bouncing enthusiastically around the room. "Right, but what would she steal? Wait-a-minute! Book and Log, what if we switched those words around? "You'd have Log Book" Chief answered. "And Maelstrom stole the Log Book from the Carpathia! That's where Carmen's going! Zack finished, looking like he would bounce around if he could. "Player, C-5 us there!" "What about Ivy?" Chief asked. "Leave her a note, we're outta here!" *********** What should I do? Ivy asked herself. I do forgive her, but should I tell her? Yes, you should. Fine, fine, I'll do it. Ivy drew in a breath and said, "Yes, Carmen, I forgive you. And thank you for giving back the Magna Carta. " As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she smiled. She knew she had done the right thing. Carmen smiled at her adversary, " Thank you, detective." Ivy got up and thanked her for the buns and tea. Resisting the urge to hug Carmen, she walked back down to the street. "I'm glad I came, but was this apology enough? Did it answer any of my questions? Did it help me come to terms with my feelings for her? I don't think so, I still feel betrayed, hurt, lost. Maybe I should have told her what I'm feeling. Don't be dumb, just because she apologized that doesn't mean I'm going to tell anyone, not even Carmen what I'm feeling. Player, C-5 me to Acme Headquarters, that's where Zack probably is." Jumping in, she tried to ignore the conflicting emotions she just couldn't get rid of. * * * Part Two Zack entered the control room, carrying two foam cups. "Hey, Iv'? I got us some coffee. I know it tastes like mud, but if adults swear by it, it must have some useful properties... Sis?" Ivy was sitting in a chair by the control panel, sound asleep. "Hey Ivy, wake up," Zack whispered in his sister's ear. "Hmm, what?" Ivy mumbled, and yawned. "Sorry, bro. I must of fallen asleep." It was no wonder she had; Zack and Ivy had slept three hours at the most last night. They had stayed up trying to figure out Carmen's latest clue, only to be alerted by the Chief at four a.m. that Carmen had already gotten away with the Hope Diamond. Zack grinned sympathetically. "Drink this. It's extra caffeinated." She took a sip and made a face. "Tastes like dirt." Zack took a seat next to Ivy at the control panel and pressed a button, which brought up a list on a small screen. "Okay, so far Carmen's stolen an ancient Egyptian make-up case, the Magna Carta, a Samurai sword, and Charles Dicken's inkwell. And we've only managed to get back the sword and the Magna Carta. "Carmen's only stealing things she has stolen in the past. But why? We've been at this for hours, and I am positive there is no connection between the things she's stolen." Ivy nodded her agreement, and rested her chin in her hands, thinking hard. "Uh-oh…" she finally spoke, after a long silence. "What!?" Zack and the Chief said in unison. "Zack, when Carmen stole the Magna Carta, I got to her first." "Yeah, and?" "Before you got there, she said she was taking a trip down memory lane. "If I'm right, Carmen is stealing the things that were most memorable to her - there's no way we can guess her next move; we just have to wait for the clue." Zack opened his mouth to object, but found that there wasn't any evidence to indicate that she wasn't right. "Oh man! You mean we've been practically banging our heads against the wall, trying to see a pattern, for nothing?" Ivy nodded grimly. "Hey, gumshoes!" the Chief began, "Carmen is hacking into Crimenet-" The Chief didn't have time to finsh his sentence; the monitor screen blinked a few times, and Carmen's image appeared. "Hello again detectives. You look a little worn out, you kids really should get more rest." She smiled mischievously. Zack and Ivy exchanged wrathful glances. "Parting is such sweet sorrow…Til next crime." "That's it? Where's our clue?!" Ivy whined. "Chief, we need some help!" "Okay, okay," agreed the Chief, popping back onto the monitor screen. The C-5 corridor opened, and Josha jumped out. "Oh…Um, hi, Ivy," Josha said softly, blushing. "Hey, Josha!" returned Ivy brightly. "We just received a clue. Chief, play back the message, please." Josha watched the monitor screen intently as the clue was played back for him. "Well, Carmen said 'parting is such sweet sorrow.' That's from 'Romeo and Juliet.'" "And we figured out that Carmen's stealing things that she's stolen before," Zack interupted. "So what has she stolen in the past that has to do with 'Romeo and Juliet'?" Josha flushed uncomfortably. "Juliet's balcony." * * * Carmen smiled in satisfaction at her henchmens' progress. Nearly all the hooks and cables were connected properly to the hovercraft - soon the balcony would be lifted into the sky, and flown to one of her hideouts, were she could enjoy it until she felt like giving it back. "You're under arrest!" Carmen turned to look in the direction of the voice, an amused expression on her face. It was detective Josha. "Why, hello Josha. It's nice to see you again," she replied, in a slightly taunting tone. Zack and Ivy appeared at his side. "You're not getting away this time, Carmen," the red haired girl announced. Just then a loud roaring sound filled the air; the sound of the hovercraft preparing to takeoff. "I'd love to stay and chat, detectives, but I've a balcony to steal." Smiling brightly, she ran to her craft. The detectives hurried after her. Three henchmen had not yet boarded the craft, and rushed upon them. Ivy easily took out two of them and proceeded, while Zack and Josha still struggled with the one that was left conscious. Ivy grinned from ear to ear as she forced the vehicle's door open. 'This is it,' she thought gleefully, 'Carmen's going to jail tonight.' She froze. Her signature charismatic smile faded into a look of shock and horror. The thought of Carmen Sandiego going to jail, and never getting out, and leaving Ivy to work on normal, boring cases suddenly hit home. Carmen Sandiego; her childhood idol. In jail. Would she miss her? 'No, no,' Ivy quickly reassured herself. 'I wouldn't miss her at all. I wouldn't feel bad about sending Carmen Sandiego to jail. I might get a little bored without such a challenging opponent, but…' But this opened up another topic that had been on Ivy's mind lately. 'I enjoy solving Carmen's crimes. Doesn't that make me as bad as her? I would be bored and disappointed if she was in jail, wouldn't I?' She felt sick with dread. 'I am glad that a criminal is at large, and stealing priceless, irreplacable artifacts.' Swallowing a few rogue tears that dared to betray her cool appearance, Ivy broke the door, and found herself in the cockpit, face to face with her adversary. The hovercraft, just set to autopilot, lurched, and rose rapidly into the air. She was unprepared for the sudden movement, lost her balance, and fell, tumbling out the open door. Her reflexes, trained by years of Karate and Tae Kwon Do, lead her hands to the rim of the of the door as she fell. Ivy was too startled to scream. Looking down, she saw that the ground was much farther away than it had been a moment ago. Her fingers began to slide. As the hovercraft veered left, following it's programmed course, the open door that she was hanging on to swung back and forth, shakinging her grip ever looser. It seemed to Ivy that an hour had passed, but all this really happened within ten seconds. And there was Carmen again, just as she had been several years ago, asking Ivy to take her hand. Almost despite herself, Ivy returned her pleas with a cold stare. "Ivy, this isn't my idea of 'taking a trip down memory lane'!" She couldn't see Carmen's face, but there were tears in her voice. "I-I'm afraid to let go," Ivy conceded. "I can reach your hand," she insisted firmly. "Give me your hand." Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, she took a hand off the door, and swung it towards Carmen. Moments later, Ivy found herself pulled back inside the craft. "See? You and Zack could have spared a whole airplane if you had simply done that a little sooner the first time." Ivy really didn't know whether to laugh or frown. * * * Having delivered a rather confused looking Ivy back to the ground, Carmen set the hovercraft for autopilot once more. 'I don't always understand that child,' she thought, unconsciously sighing. 'She said she forgave me, but I know there is something on her mind that she's not said. 'Can you blame her, Sandiego? After all, you're a thief. Put yourself in her position. 'I'm sure she's still hurting from that impersonation stunt I pulled, and embarrassed that I know about her family problems,' she thought, sadening. 'And wondering why I helped her. 'Why do I feel so empathetic towards Zack and Ivy? They aren't exactly friends; they would put me in jail as soon as any other detective, certainly.' But Carmen remembered the time she had faked her own death to determine her successor after she really passed away. Ivy's heartfelt words, and the simple gesture of placing a red rose on her snowy "grave" were still emblazoned starkly in her mind. And they always would be. 'Perhaps they mean more to me than I would like to admit to myself.' Carmen laughed a little as she remembered various chases with Zack and Ivy. 'Zack is a good detective, truly a worthy opponent. And Ivy. If I had a daughter, I would want her to be just like Ivy.' She had always felt rather maternal towards her. She knew how tough it was for a young female in law enforcement; Carmen couldn't help but feel protective. Her thoughts were interupted by a flashing light on her computer's screen, signaling an incoming message. She raised an eyebrow at what appeared. You're a star, all the way from Africa to London. No signature, no explanation. "It seems that someone else wants to reminisce with me." "Let's see, a star and Africa. Ah! That's easy, the Star of Africa. Not very clever." Carmen smiled, thinking how she had pulled that one off. And Ivy's clever move, substituting her magnifying glass. Carmen had kept it as a momento. 'Maybe I should give it back, but I'd call it an even trade. I gave her my trenchcoat.' That amused Carmen, knowing Ivy she had probably gotten rid of it the first chance avaliable. Then she remembered what she had recently been thinking about the clever detective. 'Maybe she kept it. 'Hmmm, perhaps Ivy's the one who sent me this clue. It wouldn't be the first time she has tried something like this. I'll find out soon enough, I'm off to England.' She switched off the auto pilot and changed her course for England, stopping to refuel the first chance avaliable. *** "Sis, you okay?" Zack asked, rushing over to her when she set foot on the ground. "Yeah, little bro, just fine"she replied, catching her breath. "Where's Josha?" "He's talking to the Chief. You ready to go home?" Zack asked. Ivy nodded. "Chief, Josha, are you ready to go?" Zack yelled, running over to them. "Already? I was just getting into the swim of things," Chief whined. "We're not swimming, Chief," Josha replied. "Player C-5 us otta here!" Ivy exclaimed, rolling her eyes at Josha's dumb joke.*** Acme Headquarters, San Fransisco,California, 2 hours later. "I have no idea what Carmen's doing!" Ivy said. She was tired; except for the 15 minutes she'd escaped from them an hour ago, Zack and the Chief had been grilling her about her time in Carmen's hovercraft. Josha was still there, but he hadn't said very much. "Look, I already told you she said she's going on a trip down memory lane. I don't know what she's doing or what she wants! I haven't a clue - literally!" With that, she stormed out of the room and out of the building, to the park nearby. 'I love Zack, but honestly! He and the Chief can go a bit overboard. Maybe I shouldn't have walked out like that, but augh, why can't they leave me alone?' she thought as she sat down on a little bench. She knew the answer to that, still steming from the Lee incident. 'They're worried about me. I should probably tell them what's really going on, but they'd never understand. I don't want them to worry about me any more than they already are.' A few tears filled her eyes. Everything had gotten so confusing… "Ivy?" After she had run out, Josha had gone after her; finally finding her here. "Are you all right?." It looked like she'd been crying. Ivy crying? "What? Oh, Josha it's you. Yeah, I'm okay, just tired of being interrogated, you know." Ivy answered, masking whatever she was feeling "You want to tell me what's going on?" If she had been crying, he couldn't tell now, but he could read Ivy too well. "What do you mean?" "You know what I mean." "Look, don't start on me too. If you're here for Zack and the Chief, just go away." But Ivy wondered if maybe he would understand. "I'm not here for them, don't worry. And we don't have to discuss it right now if you don't want to." he replied quietly. "Thanks, Josha, you're a good friend," Ivy smiled sincerely, hoping she hadn't hurt him. "Anytime," he replied, shyly giving her a hug. To his surprise, Ivy returned it. "We should head back, Carmen's probably stolen something already," Ivy said after a moment. "Probably," Josha laughed. "I'll race you back." "You're on!" "On your mark, get set-" "Go!" Ivy exclaimed, starting off. *** "Where are they, they've been gone forever!" Zack was on his skateboard again, riding up and down the width of the computer room in Acme. "We're here, don't have a fit, Zack," Ivy said, coming in with Josha. "Hot tip, gumshoes, Carmen's been spotted at the Tower of London!" Chief interrupted. "Let's check it out, fire up the C-5" Zack said. Ivy gave a tiny smirk. "What are we waiting for? Let's get out of here." They all jumped in the hole, wondering what Carmen was up to. Or did they already know? * * * Carmen looked quizzically at the beautiful jewel before her. It was every bit as beautiful as she remembered it, but where was her next clue? "Still reminiscing, I see." It was Zack, and Ivy and Josha were with him. "Yes, but that is not why I'm here, detectives," she replied, smiling calmly. "I received my own clue; it led here." She studied the detectives' faces carefully, trying to read their expressions. Was it Ivy? Zack? Or even Josha? "What?" Zack demanded. "Your own clue? Who sent it?" "I was hoping you could tell me." "We sure didn't send it. Carmen, do you think it could be Lee Jordan?" As Zack questioned Carmen, Ivy silently slid over to the case that held the Star of Africa. She placed a small piece of paper on it. Carmen saw all of this out of the corner of her eye. "We can figure out who sent it later, lil' bro, right now when have to send Carmen to jail!" Ivy interupted. 'Ivy will be Ivy,' thought Carmen. * * * Late that night, after escaping the detectives, Carmen returned to the Tower of London to retrieve her clue. She found it lying on the floor. "So Ivy did send me the message," Carmen whispered to herself. The piece of paper read: Go back to the beginning. Its simple words had a plain and clear meaning. "Go back to Acme," Carmen whispered to herself. Part Three It was 2:30 in the morning; Valentine's Day, and Ivy lay awake in her bed. After losing Carmen again, Zack, Josha, Chief and her had gone back to Acme to discuss the day's events. At 11:30 p.m., they had decided to call it quits, having gotten no closer to figuring out what she was up to. She and Zack had gone home and had played Scrabble for a while before going to bed. Their parents weren't home as usual, so they had the house to themselves. Now Ivy was thinking about the latest clue she had given Carmen, wondering if she knew who had sent it. Probably, knowing Carmen, she thought with a grudging smile. Ivy had selected Acme headquarters because she knew it would be empty. Acme was closing for two days, on account of Valentines and Presidents day. Zack was going to the movies with some of his friends from the agency, and since Chief got the time off, he decided to go with them. 'What if Carmen doesn't show? Then you won't be able to resolve your feelings about her. Yeah, so what? Who says I'm going to tell her anyway? If you're not, then why are you doing this? I don't know, everything is so confusing. I can't tell her, or anyone, they wouldn't understand. I don't even really understand myself. How do you know? Maybe they would. Yeah, well maybe they wouldn't and I'm not going to take that chance.' Ivy didn't know which was worse; that she was arguing with herself, or that she was losing. 'Well, whatever is going to happen will happen in a few hours. I should get some sleep, who knows how long it will take.' With that Ivy fell into a restless sleep, waking up at 7:30, nervous about the day's coming event, but partially looking forward to it. Zack was sleeping in late - as usual. Ivy showered and dressed mechanically, hardly aware of what she was doing. She was pouring milk over a bowl of corn flakes when she lost any and every bit of nerve she had. 'Am I crazy?' she questioned herself, truly awake for the first time that morning. 'I'm playing a *thief's* - not just a thief, the world's greatest thief's - game. Now I'm the one leaving cryptic messages in museums. What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Oh, admitt it Ivy, you wanted to prove to Carmen that you're as good as her; that you can play both sides of her game. You just have to be the best, don't you?' Ivy huffed sardonically as she realized that some would call her competitiveness her greatest virtue, while others would claim it was her worst fault. She glanced askance at her mother's coffee mug on the other side of the table. If she closed her eyes, she could almost see her mom, a blur of business suit and bleached hair, hurriedly sipping from it as she gathered her purse and computer bag, stepping out into the pre-dawn. Her father would be right behind her. Ivy chuckled bitterly, thinking that the half-empty coffee mug could be a monument, a tribute to Zack's and her own relationship to their parents. There were signs that two adults lived in the tall and narrow Victorian - small bottles of perfume, shaving cream, business attire - but they never seemed to actually be there. Ivy felt wetness on her wrists, and found she had shed tears. She heard a quiet sound on the stairs and looked up, to see Zack, his face mirroring her own feelings. He slowly walked to the table, pulled up a chair next to her. "Hey, sis," he said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. It was really all he could say. "Oh, Zack," Ivy whispered, hastily wiping away her tears, "I really miss mom and dad sometimes." "Is that what's been bugging you lately?" "Kind of," she began. It was time to tell someone of her feelings; she only hoped Zack would understand. "It's just that...well, Zack..." "What?" he demanded, starting to worry. "Well...do you ever think that Carmen is more like a parent to us than our parents themselves?" * * * Ivy smiled brightly to herself as she walked down the driveway to get the mail. After a long talk with her brother, the world seemed a saner, safer place. She hadn't told him everything; not about the scrapbook or about the meeting later this day, but somehow, knowing someone else felt the same as she did made her feel at peace. As she opened the mailbox, a small pink envelope caught her eye. It was addressed to her. Inside was a Valentine. It read: Dear, Ivy I wish I was a poet now, I wish I could express my feelings for you in such a way that would surprise or impress you, but I know I can not. So I will say plainly and bluntly what I feel. I like you a lot, and working with you on this last case has been great. Will you be my Valentine? Yours Forever, Josha Ivy's jaw nearly dropped to the ground and she blushed crimson. 'What am I going to say to Josha the next time I see him?' she wondered. She felt butterflies at the bottom of her stomach. She blushed again as she realized that she liked him, too, a lot. She felt a bubbling rising in her heart. Her old charismatic smile spread across her face as she burst into a fit of laughter. She wasn't crazy and she might be in love. The world could be such a beautiful place sometimes. * * * With Josha's letter in her backpack and her brother's words in her head, Ivy strode confidently into the closed Acme Headquarters. She realized that she didn't specify a time in her "clue" to Carmen. Perhaps she had missed her. She walked into the dark, empty control room. As she set foot in the room, motion detectors turned on a few dim lights. Ivy was the only one in the room. 'Where else might Carmen be?' she wondered. Her old office. She suddenly knew with grim certainty that she was in her office. Ivy felt her hands shake, and clasped them to stop the motion. 'Now what? I can just leave. Of course, that would be a whimpy, no-guts thing to do...' Inhaling deeply, she proceeded to Carmen's old office. She was there, just as Ivy knew she would be. Carmen was looking through an old photo album, her back turned to her, and she wasn't aware that Ivy was standing behind her. She wondered if Carmen missed working at Acme for exactly the ninety-second time. "Welcome back," Ivy said solemnly, breaking the thick silence. Carmen started. Ivy smiled despite herself; it was a ridiculously funny sight, a master thief spooked by a fifteen year old girl. "Why, hello, Ivy. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I already knew you were the one sending me those messages," Carmen replied warmly. "But why did you send them? You wouldn't be considering joining V.I.L.E, would you?" Ivy scoffed lightly. Raising an eyebrow, she said flatly, "Dream on." Carmen laughed. "Actually, um, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, Carmen." When Ivy said no more, a slight frown of concern touched Carmen's face. "Have a seat," she said, motioning to her chair. "Go on, Ivy. I'm listening." She bit her lip. How could she say this? 'A picture is worth a thousand words,' Ivy mused. She pulled a worn, old book from her backpack. "Here," she said quickly, handing it to the tall woman. Carmen slowly turned the pages, finding her ancient history on them. Newspaper articles about the cases Suhara and her had solved, pictures of her younger self and her wise partner, interviews she had long forgotten, front page stories of her "disappearence." On the very last page of Ivy's scrapbook was an article with a headline that read: World's Greatest Detective Turned To A Life Of Crime! Carmen felt a lump form in the back of her throat. She could almost see an earnest young Ivy, somberly cutting out the newspaper story. Now it was her turn to search for words. Carmen sat wearily down in a leather chair. Finally, she said softly, "I understand why you're angry with me, now." "But I'm not angry, I just wanted you to know about my book." Ivy shrugged and looked at her hands. "This is hard to say, Carmen; I see more of you than I see of my own mother. My parents have always been absorbed in their careers, and when Zack and I joined Acme it was the best thing that ever happened to us. You've been the best teacher I've ever had; you've certainly made me push my detective skills to their limits. You have saved my life more times than I can count. You were an inspiration to me; it is because of you that I am a detective now. And even though you could never understand how or why, you've been the closest thing to real parent, a real mother, I have ever had. I don't think it's enough, but I want to say thank you, thank you for everything, Carmen Sandiego." When Ivy finished speaking she saw tears in her adversary's eyes. Carmen gave her a trembling smile, and impulsively, she leaned forward and gave her an almost choking hug. "Ivy, I couldn't ask for a daughter better than you. I should be thanking you." * * * Ivy lay awake in bed for a long time that night. Her head was not full of conflicting thoughts, as it had often been in the past; her thoughts instead kept playing back the events of the day. On her dresser, she had placed Josha's letter. Every time she looked at it she was filled with dread and longing for tomorrow. What would he say? What would she say? She felt anxious and scared, and yet, the feelings were not all that unpleasant... And she thought, also, of the scrapbook back in the attic. Before Carmen had given it back she had written a message for her under the newspaper clipping on the last page. Always take the path you know is the best in life, my child, even if it is the path less traveled. What did she mean? Was she regretting turning to a life of crime? Ivy remembered how absorbed Carmen had been in the photo album. Only Carmen herself would ever know why she made the decision she did. If she ever regretted leaving the Acme Detective Agency, though, it was when she thought of the fiery young detective who might have someday been her partner.