The florescent lights burn brightly down on the white faux marble floor in the med center, so bright that it almost hurts the eyes. Three patients lie within the critical care center, two men and one woman. Outside the glass that separates the critical care center and the nurses station, several Stormwatch members stand and wait for news of their friends.

Slider stands with a tissue to her face as she dabs her tears. She leans her head upon Gwen's shoulder. Supreme stands upon the other side of Gwen, his arm around her holding her supportively.
Sero, The Iron Mountie, Duke, the Professor, and Thundergirl have long since left for the cafeteria to eat and to talk to the FBI that arrived earlier.

Gwen had started inexplicably shivering a short time after arriving here. She'd laughed and blamed it on her skimpy Rage-costume, but it was more than that and she'd known it. When she'd flown at Divis and fucked up grabbing him and then felt his hand close around her arm, she'd had a split-second where everything had slowed down and she'd believed she was going to die, and...she'd been OK with that because it would have been Divis, and no one would have looked down on her for being killed by someone who no one could kill.
Now she stands here and stares at three people Divis had tried to kill or hurt badly and she wonders if Divis had pulled the punch when he threw her-- like when he hit Damage-- or if her stamina had saved her life-- like with Umbra.

She glances down at Slider's head on her shoulder with a touch of surprise, and then...surprises herself by putting her arm around her in return. She watches the doctors hovering around Damage and gives a little sigh. If Damage had been killed, her heart would have gone out of Storm Watch. She's going to give him a big Pumpkin-hug when he wakes up!
Her eyes shift over to Bob and mist up a little. 'Bastard Bob...' she thinks sadly and fondly. She wonders if he'll remember her saving his life when he wakes up. Her throat closes up, so she quickly moves her eyes over to her future sister-in-law Umbra and frowns sadly.
"Pete's on his way..." she says in a quiet voice.

Slider looks at each of them in turn saying a little prayer. She feels so helpless right now. She feels Gwen put her arm around her and she looks up at Gwen and smiles thinly. "They'll be ok," Slider says. "They have to be," she says in a small voice.

"Divis Mal will pay for this, I promise you," Supreme says grimly.

"I think SOMEONE'S going to have an accident at the prison in Bahrain..." Gwen mutters darkly. "Fucking Confederate...damnit, I should have known that someone named after the South would be a traitor!" she says angrily, kicking the wall in front of them and making the plate glass quiver a little.
She glances down at Slider. "Don't worry...they made it to Denver...they'll be OK..." she says in a strong-sounding voice.

Slider nods along with her. "He'll never see the light of day. I swear! He had access to all those files, Gwen, and if he didn't he could have hacked into them at anytime. No wonder they know everything about us!" Slider says.

"That could explain how they keep so well informed. And here we thought it was someone human," Supreme says.

Gwen's face suddenly pales. "Oh god...Ethan? They had a file on you in there, didn't they?" she asks slowly. "As in, a file on Supreme with his real name...information about his powers...and his family?" she asks. "And same with Pumpkin! His real name and his powers are all in there! Probably a picture of him when he's not Pumpkin! And all that information about Sero that she's been trying to keep secret!"

Supreme nods darkly and holds Gwen tighter. "This whole thing has gotten out of control. Confederate has been a Team Tomorrow member for a year? Two? He has had plenty of time to research everyone."

Gwen slaps a hand across her eyes and groans, hitting her forehead lightly against the glass. "Lovely...just lovely..." she mutters. "And everyone always thinks *I'M* the bad guy! You know what? Divis got me alone back when I was a new Storm Watch member and wanted me to gather information on Aeon members for him. Did *I* say yes?? Did *I* turn traitor??" she asks angrily. "Sure, I'm stupid...but I'm not a traitor!" She stares hard at Bob and Damage's unconscious forms through the glass. "As mad as some people make me, I still love them..." she says with hurt eyes.

"He did?" Slider says looking over at her. "I'm not surprised...the bastard...he could have killed us all back there...why didn't he? Why did he leave us? Why did he let us live?" Slider asks.

"He's playing with you..." Supreme says. "He wants to scare you into joining him."

Gwen shifts her eyes up to Supreme. "SOME of us, maybe...others of us he's keeping alive because he 'intends to be there' when their baby is born." she says, her jaw tight. "Or so he said."

Supreme looks over at Gwen scowling. "I'll make sure he's nowhere near our child..." He sighs and looks down and nods to himself. This wasn't unexpected. "We'll have to hide him or her. When the time comes we'll hide the child."

Gwen exhales in frustration and throws her hands up. "We'll HAVE to, but then what's the point of even HAVING a baby, Ethan? We won't get to raise it? That'll KILL me! If I have a baby I want to HAVE a baby, you know what I mean?" Gwen rests her forehead against the glass again and closes her eyes. "And here you thought your biggest problem was going to be protecting your wife from the Teragen, back before we started dating!" She shakes her head. "If we had a baby and we had someone else raise it, wouldn't it grow up resenting or hating us? Wondering why we even had it in the first place?" Gwen exhales. "I'm sorry...it's just been a really...REALLY long week." she says rubbing her eyes. "Probably the worst week of my life, and that's saying a lot."

"We'll figure a way, Gwen." Supreme says holding her close to him. "We'll figure out what to do when the time comes. And I didn't mean hide the baby from us. Just someplace we could keep him or her until we're done with work..."

Gwen nods slowly, thinking. Then she looks up at Supreme. "It's a good thing I got that $80,000,000 back. I think we could use it to build our own 'Fortress of Solitude,' you know what I mean? Just not up at the north pole!" she smiles a tiny smile. "I don't think a baby would thrive in that climate. What do you think?"

"I think it's an excellent idea," Supreme says with a smile. "I know just the place," he says. "At our wedding I will show you and it's not far from the farm house at all." he says. "Just a quick jump and you're there."

"Hey! You two are getting married in a few weeks!" Slider says excitedly. "What are your plans? I don't think you told anybody the specifics."

Gwen glances at Supreme and smiles. "Well, we actually haven't had a chance to sit and plan it out yet! All we know so far is that it's going to be at Ethan's dad's farm, and we're going to wear our nova-costumes. That'll save me from having to pick out a poof-dress, and that means you guys won't have to wear bright pink poof-dresses, or something!" she grins.

"What if I want to wear a poof-dress?" Slider asks mischievously. I like dresses..." Slider says. "But the real question is who's going to be in your party?"

Gwen folds her arms and grins. "Oh you LIKE poof-dresses do you? Well I think I could arrange one for you!" she says with an evil glint in her eyes. "We're only inviting people we know we can trust. My family, his family, Stormwatch Prime, Storm Watch Bob, Caestus and his wife, the rest of Team Tomorrow Europe, Umbra...if they're going to be OK by then..." Gwen says, watching Brody, Bob and Umbra through the glass. "I don't think we're picking a best man or maid-of-honor or anything like that, if that's what you meant. What do you think, Ethan?"

Supreme smiles and shrugs. "I thought we were picking best men and maids of honor. I already asked my dad if he'd be my best man," he says. "Didn't you think of anyone to ask?"

Slider smiles, "Yes I would like a poof dress please. But make it a good color!" she says grabbing Aura's arm. "No peach or lime green or anything like that!" she says. "Aww your dad that's sweet. He must be a really nice guy."

Gwen glances down at Slider grabbing her arm and grins. "Yes, he IS a really nice guy. In fact, if you were his date I know it would make his day!" she winks. "Hmmm...you've got red hair...so I think...a nice...bright...lime green AND peach dress would look absolutely DIVINE on you!" she starts laughing.

"AHH noooo!" Slider screams. "No lime green!" Slider laughs happily, "This will be fun and sure I'll be his date."

Gwen laughs again, and then her face turns a little serious. 'Maid-of-honor??' she thinks to herself. "I don't exactly play well with other females! Before Caestus found me I didn't really hang out with girls!' She pauses a moment and glances at Umbra through the glass.
"Pete has meant the most to me in my life, but I don't think he'd like being called 'maid-of-honor,' and I can guarantee he won't wear a poof-dress. I always teased him about me being his 'best man' one day...I'd like it if he could be MY best-something..." She looks at Supreme and Slider for help.

"He could be your usher," Slider says. "Or the ring bearer. There you go...ring bearer."

"That sounds fine, Slider. What do you think?" Supreme says to Gwen. "He could be the ring bearer."

Gwen laughs. "Aren't those generally little boys?" She grins, imagining big 6'5" Pete wearing a little sailor suit or something! "Well...it's OUR wedding, so we can give people whatever titles we want to...right guys?" she smiles. "Speaking of that, let's call Bob "Grand Poo-Bob Mucky-Muck!" she laughs. She clears her throat and tries to be serious again. Whenever something sad or scary is happening, Gwen's first reaction is to laugh and joke and try to make people smile.
"Ethan...if you and I are just wearing our uniforms, what should all the other novas wear? And who will marry us? Hmm...maybe Caestus can..." she ponders.

"Well no, Caestus isn't a minister or anything. I want a wedding that's recognized by the state," he says. "The ring bearer doesn't have to be a little boy." Supreme says. "Besides it's our wedding and we can change the rules if we like on certain things."

"Exactly," Slider says nodding in agreement.

"Oh-- I thought Caestus might have some kind of state-recognized ability to marry someone...you know...like how a ship-captain can perform marriages? Something like that." Gwen ponders. "It would have to be someone we could trust completely...not just a random minister, or something, because they're going to be calling us by our legal names in the ceremony while we're dressed as our nova-personas, and it's going to be at the Crane residence." she ponders.
She turns back to Slider. "What should the novas wear? Would it look weird if me and Ethan are in costume and everyone else are in suits and dresses? God, I don't know the first thing about weddings! I'm starting to understand the Las Vegas-intrigue more and more!"

"Definitely have everyone wear costumes!" Slider says. "That would look so great! Yeah, won't they tie you and Supreme together if you have it at your dad's?"

"Good point...." Ethan says. He rubs his chin thoughtfully. "With that reporter about we could always find a different spot. Like a park or secluded area and have it there."

Gwen shakes her head, frowning. "No...no, if it can't be in your backyard then I don't think it should be outdoors at all. Same risk...same danger. It should be indoors...like in Stormwatch Tower. No, wait." Gwen smiles. "It should be at the center in Geneva! That's where we met! Not to mention a pretty romantic setting, don't you think?" she beams.

"That's perfect, Gwen," Supreme says nodding in approval. "It's settled. We'll have it in Geneva, and I can fly my father out for the wedding. He hasn't left the old homestead in ages." he says. "Well, unless you wish to call being cooped up in Denver going out," he says.

"Geneva is a wonderful idea, Gwen!" Slider says. She blinks and reaches into her pocket and pulls out her cell phone. She winces when she looks at the screen. "I have to take this," she explains and heads to the ladies room.

Gwen watches Slider leave, and then turns and wraps her arms around Supreme's neck. "Radar, too." she smiles. "He should be there, too, I mean. Actually, let's have HIM be the ring-bearer! Wouldn't that be great to have him trot up to us with the rings? I'm going to have Pete be the 'Man-of-honor!' How about that?" she grins.

Supreme chuckles, "Ok ok, you can have a Man-of-Honor," he says. "I think Slider was actually hoping you'd ask her," he says looking over his shoulder to see if the coast is clear. "She thinks very highly of you, Gwen."

Gwen laughs before she can stop herself. "What?? Me?? No way, Ethan! I'm the LAST person she'd think highly of! Seriously! I mean, here she's always giving to charity and doing public service and stuff, and then there's me. I can't seem to do ANYTHING right. Bob keeps trying to kick me out!" She pauses. "Why do you think she thinks highly of me?" she asks curiously.

"Oh I've spoken with her from time to time. She says you're like a sister to her, and one of the first people at Geneva to ever speak to her...nova-wise that is. She talks to you the most on the team and she's always asking you if you want to go somewhere with her." Ethan says.

Gwen stands there stunned for a moment. Slider looks up to HER?? But...but...secretly Gwen always thought that Slider must look down on her for not being as great and perfect as she is! Not just the charities and community service and everything, but also Slider's poster being the best seller over Gwen's...every fucking man on the planet EXCEPT Ethan having a huge crush on Slider and thinking she's the greatest and the cutest and all that...how could Slider NOT think she's better??
Gwen has to stop and think about this for a long moment! And she has to admit that Slider's just not the ego-type. In fact...if Gwen wasn't so busy being jealous and trying to compete with her, she would have noticed the very things that Ethan just pointed out to her.
She finally looks back up at Supreme. "Wow...maybe you're right." she says haltingly. "I guess I'm just not used to girls liking me. I'm used to them being competitive bitches, not friends!" She pauses again. "I'm worried that Sero might be offended if I asked Slider, but--" Gwen suddenly remembers back to how evil Sero was when she realized she had Gwen's goggle-footage of the stupid Herman Jr. fiasco...how she wouldn't give it back to Gwen or delete it...how it was Slider and Thundergirl who had come to Gwen's apartment to support her, not Sero. And she HAS known Slider the longest.
Gwen looks at Supreme again. "I'll give it some thought." she promises. Then she cracks a little smile. "If I DO ask her to be maid-of-honor, she's getting a poof-dress! I don't care if everyone else are in their nova-uniforms!" she grins.

Ethan laughs and puts his arm around Gwen. "I think she'll actually like that," he says. "She did ask for a poof-dress. Make it a shiny blue one. With that red hair it would be hard for her not to stand out," he says smiling. "She's just a teenager, Gwen, of course she looks up to you. She thinks you're powerful and strong and courageous, at least that's what she told me."

Gwen raises her eyebrows in surprise, and then gives a little smile. "Well...it was YOU she was telling that to! What ELSE would she say!" she teases. Then she looks at Supreme for a moment, her eyes serious.
"You know I'm an impulsive, dumb person, and you still love me, right?" she asks worriedly. "I mean, I may be stupid, and I may make stupid decisions and do stupid things from time to time, but my heart's in the right place...or at least *I* think it is...you know that, right?" she asks nervously.

Ethan shakes his head. "You're impulsive, that's true, but you're not stupid Gwen. And I know your heart's in the right place, but why do you think you're stupid? Who told you that?" he asks crossing his arms.

Gwen looks at Bob through the glass, and then looks down as her eyes get a little teary-- much to her embarrassment. "I got in a fight with Bob...I've been getting in a lot of fights with him lately...I'm not TRYING to, I think I'm just having an off-month. He didn't HAVE to say it...I could see it in his eyes." She looks back up at Ethan and now she CAN'T stop her eyes from filling with tears. "He made me quit the XWF." she says in a shaking voice. She goes quiet for a moment as she wrestles with her emotions. "Well...Divis burned our stadium down, so I don't know where we would be wrestling now, anyway..." she says in a strained voice.

Ethan holds her tightly against him. "Oh Gwen everything will be alright. You saved his life back there. If it hadn't been for you, he'd be dead now." he says. "I'm sure that when Bob wakes up he'll tell you how much he wants you to be in Stormwatch. And you know he doesn't think you're stupid."

Gwen looks up at Ethan in alarm. Did someone tell him she'd been kicked out of Stormwatch for a night?? What did they tell him?? He seems OK with it, though...maybe he didn't think what she did was such a big deal...or maybe they told him a white lie about it-- she doesn't know!
"But...I AM still in Stormwatch...thanks to Caestus...and probably Pumpkin-- although I can't say for sure because Bob always threatens to kick me out AFTER talking to Pumpkin!" she says with a wry smile.
She sighs, looking at Bob through the window again. "I could have been a really vindictive, evil person and just floated there and done nothing after everything he said to me...how mean he was to me...how he seemed to relish punishing me...I could have--" She rests her forehead against the glass again. "No I couldn't. No matter what he did to me. He's still my Bob." she sighs.

Ethan nods, "I know. He cares for you, Gwen. Maybe he's so tough on you because he knows you have so much good in you. And you do. You are different when we are alone, in private. There is so much good and kindness within you. Maybe you should let Bob see that."

Gwen turns back to Ethan with a little smirk on her lips. "I think that would hurt his head." she can't help but joke. She sighs and wraps her arms around Ethan.
"I know I'm different in private...I just started realizing that recently...but that's because I know I can be vulnerable around you and you won't tease me or look down on me for it. There's a real short list of people I feel comfortable being serious around. REALLY short. For everyone else I just smile and joke...can't let the cracks in the armor show, you know?" She holds him quietly for a moment before looking back up at him.
"I need to get grounded. Do you think you dad would mind if I crashed at his place for the week? After I make sure Pumpkin, Bob, and Umbra are going to pull through?" she asks hopefully.

"Absolutely. He'd love the company to be sure," Ethan says. He kisses her forehead and nods to her. "And I know Radar could use some exercise. Why don't you take him on a run each morning-- clear your head and make you feel better. He loves having you around. I think he's bonded to you more so than me," he jokes.

Gwen smiles a real smile, excited about going to the Cranes'. "Well, you always said he's a lady's dog! Now we just have to make sure not to tell him that I'm no lady!" she winks. "Plus it will be nice to have a male around the house who remembers to put the toilet seat down!" she grins, smacking Ethan's rear.

Ethan laughs and puts an arm around her. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asks. He laughs and digs in his pocket. "Hold on..." he says digging out his cell phone. He walks over to the hallway seats and sits down.

'Wow...everyone's getting calls but me! Nice change!' Gwen thinks to herself. Then she notices her reflection in the glass window-- the long red hair...the red and yellow spandex G-string ensemble-- and realizes that all her Aura-paraphernalia is back in the jet. And she thinks she'll leave it that way for a little while longer. She's probably going to have some interesting voicemails waiting for her when she finally gets to her phone! A noticeable absence will be from Raoul...unless he's figured out the new phone number Bob gave her!
And she definitely doesn't miss the headset! The silence has been heavenly. She glances back at Bob through the glass and swallows a lump in her throat. Maybe she wouldn't mind an annoying call from Stormwatch One about now...

The elevator opens and Pete walks out holding some flowers in his hand. His eyes are bleary from very little sleep. He stands by the glass and looks in to see Umbra. He sighs and looks at the flowers then her. He coughs a moment to keep his tears in.

Gwen blinks and looks beside her, and then gives an excited little yip and turns to Pete, hugging him tightly.
"Pete! I was wondering when you were going to get here!" she cries. "I'm so, so sorry...I was inside the stadium when Divis attacked her..." she says, her face falling sadly.

Pete recognizes the voice and blinks. "Gwen? Gwen? What are you doing in that outfit?? What happened to your old one?" he asks looking at her in that skimpy outfit.

Gwen glances down at herself, and then quickly pulls off her mask and red wig and grins at Pete sheepishly. "It's what I wear when I wrestle..." she explains, holding the wig in front of her cleavage modestly. "Ever hear of 'Rage?'" she asks, striking the Rage-pose on her XWF poster. Might as well let the cat out of the bag on this one.

"Rage...holy shit you mean Rage?? Yeah I've seen her...I mean you...wrestle. Oh my god Gwen," Pete says and hugs her tight. "They said she's hurt badly...were you there?? What happened, Gwen, tell me," Pete says.

Gwen puts her arm around her brother and glances at Umbra through the window. "Well, Bob told me I couldn't wrestle anymore because there are Teragen member in the XWF...it's a long story...so he and most of Stormwatch flew to Las Vegas with me to watch my last match. Turns out Divis Mal is Rage's biggest fan, so he came back to 'meet' me and try to talk me out of 'joining' Stormwatch...and there was Stormwatch in the locker room with me. So they had the expected exchange of unpleasantries, and Divis lit the stadium on fire."
"While I was busy punching holes in the ceiling so Sero and Thundergirl's storm could put out the fire inside, Divis went outside and starting killing every human that ran past him. Team Tomorrow American was sent in, and I didn't see what happened, but from what the others told me Divis just looked at Nick and Umbra and they suddenly fell down. Nick died...Umbra's still hanging on..." she says quietly. "And we found out that the Confederate was a spy for the Teragen this whole time."
"I came out and saw what Divis had done and tried to jump on him so I could try to suck his powers, but I fucked up and he grabbed me and threw me at Bob." she says, nodding her head towards Bob. "Then Damage tried to fight Divis and he fucked up Damage..." she says, nodding to Brody. "Then Ethan came and the two fought while the rest of us got the injured to safety. Divis pretended to fly away, and Ethan flew Damage here to Denver. That's where Divis came back. He picked up a building and threw it, and I used every ounce of strength I had to catch the building and stop it. After that my memory is a little hazy because I was so exhausted. I know that Ethan came back but Divis was gone...I think Ethan flew me here...I can't quite remember, but I remember Ethan helping me walk down here to the infirmary..." she says, her forehead wrinkled with concentration.

"My god...he's a monster Gwen. He needs to be stopped...if Supreme can't stop him who can?" Pete says shaking his head in horror. "She's in bad shape isn't she? Tell me the truth, Gwen. The doctors keep hedging around the subject." Pete says pleading.

Gwen's eyes narrow as she remembers back to what Raoul said...that Divis purposefully pulled his "punch" with Umbra because she was Gwen's future sister-in-law. Gwen clenches her jaw, wishing she hadn't pulled HER punch a little when she'd punched Raoul in the jaw!!
Then she realizes that Pete's waiting for an answer and she tunes back into the conversation. "Sorry about that." she says quickly. "The doctors say that Divis shot some kind of laserbeam into her chest, just missing her heart. She lost a lot of blood before we got her here...that's probably my fault. I should have picked her up and flown her here instead of trying to jump on Divis! My stupid hot temper! I think I was worried that if I moved her I might make it worse." she sighs.
"The doctors are giving her a transfusion, but they have to watch her aorta because it was damaged. If her heart-rate were to suddenly go up it might burst, and then there would be nothing they could do for her. If this transfusion goes through OK, they'll keep her in intensive care. It's going to take a long time for her to heal. I know she'll be OK though, Pete. Just don't let her see you until she's out of critical condition. I know just seeing you would increase her heart-rate immediately." she says with a soft smile.

"Jesus," Pete whispers looking into the room at Umbra just lying there with many tubes coming out of her. "God Gwen...how could he just do that...they are saying on the news he killed fifty people...they say if Stormwatch wasn't there he would have killed even more."

"Really? They said that on the news?" she asks, and then mentally smiles. 'Good.' she thinks. 'Let the anti-novas find a negative twist on Stormwatch now!' Then she pauses. 'Ah, but they'll just blame it on novas anyway since it was a NOVA wrestling event...' she thinks in frustration.
She gives Pete a little squeeze. "I don't know, Pete...he's like a woman with PMS. Some days you can give him every insult in the book and he doesn't blink. Other days you give him no provocation and he's off blowing everything up. But don't think that Supreme can't take him. Divis always flies off in the middle of the fight, so how can we tell?" she asks. "It's the Teragen way."

"Someone needs to kill him," Pete says. "They kill him they get rid of the Teragen...it's that simple," Pete says angrily. "Promise me, Gwen. Promise me that no matter what happens you'll always fight him."

Gwen looks Pete in the eye. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that. He's already made thinly-veiled threats that if Ethan and I have a baby he's going to try to get his hands on it. Ethan doesn't care...he still wants a baby...so we're going to have to build a secret home somewhere." she sighs. "I've been able to take Divis with a grain of salt up until now...I always found him intriguing and somewhat entertaining...but when you fuck with my family the gloves are off." she says. "Even if it means getting splattered into Bob-- or a wall or something-- the gloves are off."

Pete nods, "He's horrible," he says. "Threatening to take your baby...what kind of monster is this man? Why is he so powerful? What is it about him that makes him invulnerable. Has anyone checked?"

"He was born a nova...he didn't erupt when he was a teenager or in his 20s like the rest of us. He's like Ethan. That's why he thinks he and Ethan are brothers. I know there's something more to that, but Ethan doesn't want to look into it so I haven't...yet. But I think it's about time I did."

"Let me know when you do, Gwen. I want to know about this monster...got it?" Pete asks determinedly.

She glances back to see if Ethan's still on the phone, and then turns back to Pete in time to see a doctor approaching.
Gwen stops him. "How are they doing?" she asks, motioning towards the three in the infirmary. "No one's come out to talk to us in an hour! This is Umbra's fiancé, Pete...my brother."

"Oh I'm sorry. Hello," the doctor says shaking Pete's hand. "Well Umbra has a pierced aorta and lost quite a lot of blood. The operation went well, and we patched it up as best we can. Now it's up to her. These next 48 hours will determine whether she will make it or not..." he says.

Pete's face falls as he hears the news. Gwen knows her brother well enough to know he's about to weep.

Gwen wraps her arms around Pete and holds him tightly with a grim look on her face. None of the Nielsson children are particularly fond of crying in public.
"It's OK, Pete...it's nothing we didn't already know, right? She'll pull through...she wants to live because she loves you..." she says softly. She turns back to the doctor. "What about Brody and Bob?" she asks.

"Ah Mr. Tillmit will be fine. He took quite the beating but luckily for him his body is healing itself at an incredible rate. I expect him to wake up by the morning." the doctor says. "Mr. Wienstadt, however, is not so lucky. He took quite a hit to the spine. There was a lot of internal damage and right now we are waiting for his vital signs to stabilize before we operate again."

Gwen frowns hard and stares at the floor as this news hits her. She KNEW Pumpkin would be OK. But Bob is a delicate human...as superhuman as he'd always seemed to her. She can still remember back to her first few weeks in New York. She'd been frustrated that her boss was a human. She'd had trouble taking orders from Bob for the first little while...she'd even complained to Caestus and asked why they didn't have a nova-boss in charge of them. Poor Bob. At least maybe now-- if he makes it-- he'll finally get that rest he's needed for so long. She needs him back. Julie's OK, but she's no Bob. Besides...who will Gwen tease and exasperate without Bob there??
She realizes that the doctor's still there and she gives him a little nod. "Thank you." She looks at Pete. "Do you have any more questions for him?" she asks quietly.

Pete shakes his head mutely. "No," he murmurs.

Just then a buzzer sounds and a red light blinks on and off in the room over Bob's bed. The doctor scrambles in and suddenly several nurses and doctors come running down the hallway yelling about a code blue.

Gwen pales to white and she lets go of Pete and presses her face and hands to the glass, watching with wide eyes.
"Bob you bastard...don't you do this to me..." she mutters, watching intently. She watches two of the doctors pull out the defibrillators and hold them to Bob's chest, electro-shocking his heart. She watches his chest rise up in a jerk, and then fall, and tears run unnoticed down her cheeks. She pounds one fist softly against the glass, not taking her eyes from the scene.

Slider runs out of the women's bathroom and stops at Gwen's side. She holds Gwen's arm to her side tightly. "Oh no...oh no..." she says.

Ethan runs from the chair he was sitting on to the glass. He puts his arm around Gwen and watches on sadly.

Pete stands there mutely in anger and rage that burns white hot. 'Mal will pay,' he thinks.

The doctors struggle to save him and soon there is a heartbeat once more. They move Bob out of the room. "Pardon us," they say as the roll him by. One of the doctors stops. "We have to operate now or else he won't be coming back next time," he says.

Gwen leaves her support group and hurries to keep up with Bob's bed as the doctors push it quickly down the hallway to the operating room.
"Bob--" she calls, glancing at his unconscious form as she keeps up with his bed. "It's Gwen. Quit scaring me like that, Bob! I get it, OK? I get it! I'll be good! Just don't leave me, OK? What am I going to do without you? I need to know that you're in the apartment right above me in the Tower...like some kind of Bob-god! Don't leave us with Stormwatch Julie! Please Bob?" she calls, trying to use humor to disguise the fact that she's weeping openly. She reaches over and touches his arm for a moment as she runs beside the bed, and then finally falls away and watches the entourage disappear behind a set of swinging doors and into the operating room.
She leans against the wall for a moment, crying, and then realizes she's crying uncontrollably in plain view of anyone and looks around desperately for the exit so she can go hide somewhere. When she doesn't immediately see one, she squats down against the wall and covers her head with her arms. If Divis suddenly appeared in front of her right now she'd take his head off. Or die trying. Most likely die trying, that is.

Slider watches Gwen cry and weeps openly as well. She runs over to Gwen and kneels down and holds her tight. "He'll be ok, he'll be ok," she says to try and comfort Gwen.
Ethan watches for a moment and walks over to Gwen and Slider and sits down next to them. He puts his hand on Gwen's back and sits there...feeling hopeless. Pete still stands at the glass looking in at Umbra.

When Gwen realizes that Slider's holding her, too, she's overcome with humiliation. She never ever wanted Slider to see her crying. She continues sitting there hunched up with her arms covering her face, wishing she had that nifty teleport-power.
A few minutes pass and she finally grows still, and then lowers her arms and lifts her face. "Sorry..." she says in a quiet, embarrassed voice. "I've never had anyone close to me almost die on the table like that. I guess I just took for granted that Bob would always be there." She wipes her face and slowly stands. "I think I need some fresh air or something."

"Good idea," Ethan says. "There's nothing we can do here." he says helping her up. He gives her a quiet smile and a nod. "He'll be ok, Gwen I'm sure of it." he says.

Slider stands up as well and dries her eyes. "I'll stay here and if anything happens I'll come and get you ok?" she says. "You go get some fresh air," she says.

Gwen nods gratefully, feeling better at the thought that soon she'll be sailing above the clouds where she can think. "Thanks Slider. I appreciate it." She turns to Ethan and gives him a soft kiss. "Stay with Pete for me?" she asks.

Slider nods to Gwen and turns back towards the operating room. She walks down the hallway and sits on one of the waiting seats.
Ethan nods to Gwen sadly. "I will stay here with him. I'm sure he could use the support," he says and walks to stand next to Pete.

She gives them both a little nod, and then hurries towards the exit. As she walks away, black Eufiber covered with veins of white electricity slides up her arms, legs, and torso, and in moments her Rage-costume disappears under her Aura-costume. Then she turns the corner and is gone.

Gwen exits the center and immediately soars off into the sky. 'Up, up and away...' she thinks to herself. She flies straight up...higher and higher and higher...and then stops in mid-air and turns around and looks down at Denver...the research center...the Rocky Mountains...everything as far as she can see.
When she first discovered she could fly, this was all she wanted to do with her nova-powers. Just soar above the city...get away from it all. In Los Angeles and San Diego she could actually watch herself fly above the smog-line and into clean air, and it made her feel instantly better-- whatever was bothering her. She'd never believed that she had a "duty" to help mankind. And she still doesn't. What she DOES believe in is friends and family. It's all been fun and games up until now.
Gwen floats there for a while, and has a moment of giddiness where she wonders if Divis is secretly flying around up here...spying on the Denver center. She imagines her last moments of life being fought up here where no one can see it, and then her lifeless body falling out of the sky. Ah, but Divis wouldn't kill her. Not with the promise of a nova-baby on the horizon.
Gwen floats there, scanning the skies, but when no attack comes she finally relaxes and starts thinking about everything that has happened. A few minutes pass by, and suddenly Gwen gets that familiar look on her face that if Bob could see it he'd start groaning. She has an idea. She turns and shoots off into the sky heading southeast.

Ethan and Pete sit down in the waiting room with Slider, talking about the operation and how Umbra will pull through...Ethan and Slider giving him words of comfort when CNN begins to show the events in Las Vegas. Supreme stands up and watches with keen interest the events that happened while he was not there. When he sees Aura stop the building his eyebrows shoot up in surprise and then he smiles. "I'll bet you didn't see that coming Mal. One day she'll be able to stand toe to toe with you." he says to himself.

Gwen remembers the name of her destination from the papers she has in her secret safety deposit box. As she descends into Tennessee, her black Aura-costume suddenly retracts back into her skin, revealing her red and yellow latex G-string outfit. Her mask re-appears, complete with red wig. She smiles a little smile to herself. She promised Bob that she would be good, and she WILL be. But he'd never let her do this if he were conscious.
She flies up to the strip-club called Southern Comfort...the one where Herman Walker's daughter Brenda works. She alights onto the ground and walks confidently into the club, looking for the manager.

"Hey sweetheart," the bouncer by the door says. "There's a cover charge...unless of course you're looking for work." he adds looking her up and down. The club is dark with black tables with silver fringe on them. The stage is well kept and the whole place is full.

Rage smiles at the bouncer, looking him up and down. "I might be looking for work...just for one night. Personal fantasy of mine. Think you can arrange a meeting for me with the manager?" she asks, leaning forward and straightening his collar. "Tell him it's Rage." she whispers with a smirk.

"Holy shit the wrestler! Damn straight I will." The bouncer says. He gets up and walks over to the back of the bar. He whispers something in the ear of the bartender who then nods and hands the bouncer his rag.
"Hey," the bartender says. "I'm the manager here. You lookin for work then?"

Rage smiles. "Here's the deal. I don't know if you heard or not, but tonight was my last match in the XWF because I'm probably going to join Aeon Society and there's a stipulation in their contract that I can't work for them AND wrestle. So tonight's my last night as a free agent, and I've had this little fantasy about being a stripper for one night...and I know they sure as hell won't let me do THAT if I sign on! So...how about it? Fulfill a girl's fantasy and let her try out stripping for one night?" she asks in a low, purring voice.

"Oh hell yeah," he says. "Tell you what...I'll cut you a deal, just don't tell the girls. I'll only take ten percent off the top for your tips. Deal?" he asks, rubbing his hands together.

Rage grins. She has NO idea if this is a good deal or not, but hello? She's a multi-millionairess! "Deal!" she says, shaking his hand-- remembering not to squeeze TOO hard! "So where's the dressing room? And what should I wear? This?" she asks, turning around in a circle. "How much am I allowed to take off?" she grins.

"Full nude if you like. Dressin' room's past that door back there," he says pointing to a beaded curtain just past the stage. "You can get a costume there, any one you like. What song would you like us to play?"

Rage grins. Has to be Rammstein-- her signature band! She thinks for a moment, and then tells the manager which song she wants. Then she gives him a little grin and wave and saunters off to the beaded curtain, through it, and back into the dressing room.

The back stage is surprisingly clean. Three girls sit near the wall mirrors applying their make-up and fixing their costumes. One in particular strikes Gwen as looking familiar. She sits near the end of the mirror tying her boot laces. She looks up and sees Gwen and shrugs and continues tying the laces.

Gwen inwardly smiles. That's her all right. She knows her from the pictures in the file. Nice stroke of luck that she's working tonight.
Gwen surveys the room, and then walks over to Brenda. "Hey...Brenda, right? I'm just stripping here for tonight, and the manager said you'd be able to show me the ropes. I need to pick out a costume and all that stuff...think you could help me a minute?" she asks, trying to sound friendly while still bringing her performer-charisma into the way she talks.

"Yeah yeah," Brenda says finishing the laces. She stands up and sighs. She walks over to a closet and opens it up. "Here are the costumes. Try to find one in your size...that might be hard..." she says. "Over here are the shoes, and over here is the oil. You want to put the oil on first then get into your costume."

As Rage follows Brenda over to the closet, she reaches down the front of her costume and hits a button on her cell phone that will record sound. She doesn't know if she'll ever use the information she has in her lock box-- or this recording-- but Ethan told her that he'd tell her when it was the right time. They HAVE to have something over Herman Walker...something that would topple his empire the same way Jim Bakker's admission of infidelity toppled he and Tammy Faye Bakker's little televangelical cashcow.
'Ethan...oh shit...I've gotten this far and I haven't told Ethan about my plan! I'll get called up on the stage and won't get the chance to talk to him first! What should I do?!' she thinks to herself. Then Brenda starts talking to her and it interrupts her thoughts.
"Thanks Brenda..." she smiles brightly, and then notices the tired way Brenda carries herself...and how she sighs a lot and doesn't look happy. Rage looks at Brenda in concern. "You OK? You look like a girl who doesn't enjoy her job. Or maybe I'm just misinterpreting your body-language." she observes, trying to make her voice as caring and concerned as she can.

"I'm just tired tonight," Brenda says wearily. "So what's your story? Jorge hire you or are you with the bachelor party outside?" she asks Gwen looking her over and wondering if she'll have to compete with her tonight for lap dances.

"Bachelor party, eh?" Rage grins, rubbing her hands together as if this is great news. "Actually...neither!" she says in answer to Brenda's question. "This has been a personal fantasy of mine-- stripping on a stage-- and I'm considering taking a job where I could get fired if I did something like this, so I figure this is my last chance to live my dream. It's a one-night-only-thing." She looks at Brenda for a moment. "So tell me the truth. Is this a good job? I mean, ANY job could get tiring after a while, but stripping seems like a fun job!" Rage says sincerely.

"It pays the bills. If you like men ogling you trying to get their mouths on your tits or the fingers elsewhere." she says. "I hate it, but like I said it's good money. Shit like this can drive you nuts if you let it." Brenda says.

Rage looks at Brenda in surprise. "You should never do any job you hate for long...I mean...you may end up with a wad of money, but you start getting that dead look in your eyes, you know?" She starts glancing over the available costumes. "Why did you start stripping in the first place?" she asks over her shoulder.

"What the fuck is this?" Brenda says looking at Gwen again. "Why all the damn questions? Fucking mind your own business alright?" she says and starts striding towards the back door.

Rage raises an eyebrow and watches Brenda walk away. 'Whoah...definitely touched a nerve there!' she thinks to herself. 'I think I'm on to something!' She turns back to the costumes, wanting to take her time with Brenda. All her recently-botched private missions have taught her a tiny lesson in patience!
She searches through the costumes. Brenda was right...it's kinda hard to fit a 6'2" 220 lbs. woman with costumes normally worn by skinny girls! She finally patches together a devil costume using parts of other costumes. 'Guys always fantasize about the bad girls!' she grins to herself. Then her smile falters a little. 'Well...except for the guys in Stormwatch! They all seem to have a thing for the GOOD girls!' She rolls her eyes and concentrates, and suddenly the red and yellow Rage-costume seems to absorb right into her skin, leaving her completely naked. She palms her cell phone and then gets dressed in her costume and hides the phone down her top again. Then she walks over and sits in front of a mirror, next to one of the other strippers.
"Hi! How's it going?" she asks pleasantly. "Don't worry...I'm only here for one night." she adds.

"Whatever," the stripper says and gets up, closing her makeup bag and walking out to the front, leaving Gwen all alone...and Brenda's purse not five feet away...

Rage starts feeling the first sparks of anger that mean these girls are gonna pay for being so rude to her. Sounds like the best way she can do THAT is to completely out-dance them...out-entertain them...out-strip them. She has to completely win the crowd over to the point where the other girls look like chopped liver. And if that doesn't work? Well...
She grins, glances beside her, and then does a double-take. Brenda's purse. Hmmm. Rage would much rather get a taped interview right from Herman's daughter's lips than anything in that purse, but...hmmm...what could be in there?
Rage glances around, and then moves to where she can watch the purse and the door at the same time, and then levitates herself up so she can look down into the purse. She concentrates and starts levitating the objects in the purse one at a time to where she can see them.

Besides the make-up there is not much to lift up within the bag, however one thing catches Gwen's eye...a cancelled check from her father...

Rage raises her eyebrow and quickly levitates the check over so she can look it over closely.

The check is for $5,000 and it was cashed two days ago.

Rage's forehead furrows. 'Why would Brenda keep stripping if her dad's sending her this much money??' she wonders to herself. 'And holy shit-- why is old Herman sending her this much money? Hmmm...how much do abortions cost...' she wonders to herself suspiciously.
She glances at the door, and then quickly takes her cell phone out and takes a picture of the floating check. Then she levitates the check back down into the purse and hides her cell phone again, and flies back over to perch innocently on her chair again.
She poofs her hair a little with her hand and levitates a lipstick over and uses it. Nothing much else she can do with a mask on! Time to check on Brenda.
Rage walks over to the back door and peeks out.

Brenda is finishing up her song and picks up her tips and costume and runs off the stage. "Watch out." she says angrily. "Goddamn assholes," she says throwing her costume on the floor. "Fuckin jerks only tipped me fifty!" she says.

Rage stalks over to her and folds her arms. "I'll tip you fifty if you lose that fucking attitude!" she glares at her. "Looks like I'm the only friendly person here! You got a problem with me, or people in general?" she asks.

"What the fuck you come in here, ask me a bunch of dumbass questions and what we're supposed to be friends now? Fulfilling a dream, who fuckin dreams of being a stripper?" Brenda shouts. "You some kinda cop?"

Rage gets in her face. "Thanks a LOT, bitch! Make fun of my fantasy, hmm? You know, there are all types of fetishes out there-- which you SHOULD know if you paid attention to your customers! And I didn't ask you ANY dumb questions! I just asked how you liked your job and why you stayed in it if you didn't! What-- hasn't anyone ever asked you something obvious like that before, or does no one here gives a rat's ass about you?"
The Gwen within Rage is getting a little frustrated now. She sees yet another failed mission coming to a rapid close. She SHOULD have sent Slider in to do this. Slider probably wouldn't have minded stripping-- based on her antics during Truth or Dare-- and Slider could have charmed this girl in 5 seconds flat. Gwen inwardly sighs. Looks like it's time to stop doing "missions" on her own.

"No one does this kinda work without some reason to and it's not because they like it! Fuck you I'm calling Jorge in. He'll kick your ass out faster than you can spit," she says walking towards the beaded curtain. She waves Jorge from the front and then turns on Gwen. "I'm going to tell him you're a cop trying to get us to confess to some kinda prostitution thing. You better leave," she says with a smile.

Rage sits back lazily on the counter and puts one foot up on the chair-back in front of her, folding her arms. "Let's get one thing straight..." she says with a smile. "I swallow...I don't spit." she winks. She continues sitting back comfortably. 'This girl must have no idea who I am. Sad...this is the South, too. I thought EVERYONE knew wrestling here!' she thinks to herself in amusement.
She continues smiling wickedly at Brenda, tapping her fingers on her arms as she waits for Jorge.

"What's the trouble," Jorge says stepping into the dressing room.

"This bitch is a cop." Brenda starts when Jorge starts laughing.
"No way, Brenda she's that wrestler Rage from the XWF. She's no cop and if she wants to shake her ass on the stage I say let her." he says.

"What? She ain't no wrestler! I tell you she's a cop I got the nose for this," Brenda says. "Remember that time," she starts when Jorge suddenly crosses his arms and shakes his head.
"You know what Brenda you haven't gotten it up for any of my customers in weeks. You're fired."

Rage sits there feeling completely surprised by this event but not letting it show on her face. Leg still propped on the chair in front of her, she leans forward, looking at Brenda.
"Look on the bright side! Now you don't have to do a job you hate anymore!" she half-smiles. "Why don't you go move back home with the parents and do some thinking. And if it'll make you feel better, I'll even send you an autographed poster to prove I was who I said I was! What do you say? Let me give you a lift home?" she smiles, levitating herself up a little from the counter and crossing one leg over the other.

Brenda looks from Jorge to Gwen. Gwen can see the tears in her eyes. "But Jorge...I can do better I promise, please I need this money I need it!" she says begging.
Jorge chuckles, "Get on home now, we'll talk about it maybe in the morning...you know how to apologize properly...don't you?" he says.

Brenda nods, her face pales, and she picks up a jacket and her bag and runs out of the back.

Rage's eyes narrow into slits. She's a split-second away from grabbing Jorge and slamming him against the wall...when she remembers the fucking human laws that almost put her into a human jail the last time she lost her temper.
She grits her teeth. This isn't right. This isn't how it went in the comic books she read growing up! The hero could always grab the scumbag by the collar and slam him into a wall and deliver a clever threat in a low, gravely voice, and the scumbag would tremble in fear and beg for his life and promise never to screw up again! But in the REAL world the scumbag SUES the hero for 80 million dollars and the hero almost gets fired from the "Justice League" for having a "hot temper" or some other nonsense! And you know what? The hero could even join the Teragen and it STILL wouldn't prevent them from being sued or arrested and put into prison for something so minor! This is fucking ridiculous!! Why ARE the novas bowing to the humans?? What a joke!! This is NOT right!!
Gwen has to blank out her mind before she snaps and punches the whole building down into rubble. What's the point of being a "hero" if you can't save the victims because of all the red tape??
Rage floats up from the counter, glaring down at Jorge and breathing slowly. "This little confrontation has ruined my mood. Sorry Jorge. It would have been fun." she says carefully, trying to control her temper. She pulls off her devil costume while her Rage costume flows back over her skin. Then she flies up close to Jorge.
"I can't fault you for taking advantage of your employees. After all...it's a free country and they don't have to work for you, right?" she says in a controlled voice as images of her fist going through Jorge's face filter through her mind.

"What do you mean you're not going on?" Jorge says. "I already called the radio station. There's gonna be people from miles around coming to see you...tell you what 5%. That's all my take is 5% alright?" he asks hoping she says yes.

"Gimme a minute, OK?" she asks. She might be able to get some information out of him for that price...information that she might not be able to get out of Brenda, and she needs to salvage this mission!
She flies out the back door and quickly catches up with Brenda. "What the hell is wrong with you?? Why are you going back to him tomorrow??" she demands angrily. "As much as I dislike you, I can't let a fellow woman be so stupid! You know what I do all day? I go up against men who think I'm weaker than them because I'm a girl. I was the first woman to be accepted into the XWF. I break down barriers, teach men to respect their fellow women, and then I come here and watch you throw it all away!"

"So what?! You think you have it tough? I've got a mortgage and bills and...real life! You get paid millions to prance around in a silly costume for twenty minutes while I have to work two shifts just to pay the mortgage! Who do you think you are telling me how my life should be and what an example you are! You're a nova I'm not," she says getting into her car and slamming the door.

Rage floats just outside her door, arms folded. "I've only been a nova for a few years, you know. I think I know what 'real life' is. And what do YOU know about how hard my life is, hmm? Being a nova ain't no picnic, girl!" she said. "Especially with people like Herman Walker around who hate novas and want to make life miserable for us!" she says, saying the name "Herman Walker" without any special emphasis on it. She doesn't want to clue Brenda in that she knows Herman is her father.

"What did you say? You take that back! Now that I see what assholes novas are I can see why he's after you! How about you go ruin someone else’s life instead of mine, bitch!" Brenda says rolling down the window as she yells.

Rage starts to feel her fists shaking. "Excuse me?" she says, trying to keep her voice under control. "I'M a bitch?? Who's the bitch who was rude to a perfect stranger when the stranger was trying to be friendly? Or is that just Tennessee hospitality? Or maybe all humans are assholes, right? You're just like him, aren't you. Lumping all novas together and generalizing that they're all the same! How would you like it if I said all whores are bitches? Oh sorry, I meant stripper. And why the hell are you so protective of ol' Herman Walker, anyhow?" she asks, clenching her fists to try to get them to stop shaking.

"Fuck you!!" Brenda shrieks and starts her engine. She hits the gas and the car flies off down the street leaving Gwen in the dust...

Rage has a moment where she considers picking up the car and throwing it at something. And she has a mixture of fear and excitement when she realizes that if she hadn't told anyone that Gwen was Rage she very well could have done it.
She closes her eyes and breathes for a moment, and then flies up into the sky and starts following Brenda's car from a little distance-- the night sky concealing her from view.

Brenda is weeping inside the car. The bitch, no wonder her father hates them. She wants them all to die, too. Why is her life so shitty...why did her father disown her...why can't she just go back, she thinks. The car swerves, narrowly missing the corner and almost slams into a telephone pole.

Rage wonders what the hell is wrong with this girl, and then rolls her eyes, sighs, and holds out her hand-- using her mind-control to move the car to safety and stop it. Then she flies down and floats outside the drivers side of the car with her arms folded, just watching Brenda silently and making no movement.

Brenda sits in the car crying hard, tears falling to the plastic seats. She almost lost her job, and now she has to blow Jorge to get it back and, 'shit there she is!!' Brenda thinks looking out the window. Why doesn't she just leave her alone.
"Leave me alone!!" she screams.

Rage sighs and continues floating there and watching Brenda for a long moment. 'There is the potential for something to happen here that could change the future...' she thinks. Finally she clears her throat.
"Brenda...I want to help you." she says in a different-sounding voice...not the Rage-one she'd been using before. "I can take you out of here...get you a good job. Let me make it up to you. I know how it feels to be rejected by your father and have nowhere to go." she says in a soft voice.

"You don't know shit about me!!" she screams. "Just leave me alone..." she sobs resting her head against the wheel.

Gwen wishes for the 10th time that she had Slider here. Gwen is NO good at the shoulder-to-cry-on shit, and this is her enemy's daughter on top of it. She hates how every time she tries to be friendly to this weird girl that Brenda just screams at her. It's giving her a headache.
Gwen sighs. "I know you're Herman Walker's daughter. I know there's some reason why you're down here stripping instead of living the posh politician's-daughter-life. I know you hate your job, and I know that your boss is an evil man, and I know he's going to make you do something you don't want to do just to get a job back that you don't want anyway. And I know that I have a lot of connections that can help you get out of here and have a real life."

Brenda looks up at her. "How...how do you know all that stuff...what are you? Why are you trying to take me away?" she says. "Oh god...I heard about this...you're part of that cult...that cult of Michael aren't you??"

Gwen slaps a hand to her forehead and groans. She holds that pose for a moment, trying to calm down again so she doesn't scream at this girl. Finally she looks up.
"Hardly. Michael's in prison, if you hadn't heard. I helped put him there. And I'm not trying to take you away-- jesus! I'm used to flying everywhere so it was a figure of speech." She breathes again for a moment before continuing. "I have a friend who works for a number of cancer foundations...she could get you a job in one of her fundraiser organizations. I have another friend who could hire you on as a secretary...two friends who could do that, actually. That's if you want to live in New York. If you wanted to live in Vegas I could pull some strings and try to get you a clerical job with the XWF. I could even get you a job in Los Angeles." she says calmly.

"Really...?" Brenda asks. "I can type...I really can," she says. "Why do you want to help me?" she asks drying her tears.

Gwen lands on the ground. "Like I said, I know how it feels to not be able to go home...to be uninvited, as it were...to be estranged from your father. And I don't want you to hate novas. I'm not a good measuring-stick to judge all novas by, so I think it would be good for you to meet some who you'd probably like better. So...it sounds like you might be interested in one of the jobs? New York, Las Vegas, or Los Angeles?" she asks hopefully.

"As far from here as possible...and my father," Brenda says. "This ain't real," she says. "You're just sayin this to get me to talk and I was warned not to talk. I've been paid, you see. I see what's going on here. You can just tell whoever hired you that it didn't work and you got nothin from me." she says.

Gwen closes her eyes and shakes her head slowly. 'What a world...' she thinks to herself. "Brenda, no one hired me to come here. No one even knows I'm here. Well...maybe a lot of people know I'm here now thanks to Jorge. And I really DO have a fantasy to strip on a stage. I was the first nova to be featured in Playboy..." she says with a little smile.
"But enough about me. And you don't have to tell me anything else about you. The truth is that I came here to protect you. I overheard that the Teragen has an interest in you-- probably because of your father-- so I thought the best thing to do would be to help you re-locate to a city where you can be protected and have a good job." she says, using half-truths.

Brenda looks at Gwen for a long time. "Say I believe you," she starts, "How do I know you're not a Teragen. I've never heard of you before...who are you with?"

Gwen smiles. "That's the easy part! I'm not with anyone yet, but I'm probably signing on with Project Utopia after tonight. Did you watch the news about what happened in Las Vegas tonight? Divis Mal burned down the XWF wrestling arena...killed lots of people. I stayed and fought with Stormwatch and Supreme. Would you like to talk to Supreme?" she asks, pulling out her cell phone. "Or maybe with Slider? I have their phone numbers, and I know where they are right now. Supreme could be here in...oh...about 5 minutes if you wanted him to come vouch for me."

"Really?" Brenda looks at her incredulously. She opens the car door and gets out. "This is on the level right? You'll get me a good-paying job?" she asks hopefully, almost with a look of trust on her face.

Gwen smiles in relief and nods her head. "Yes, I will get you a good-paying job. Does New York sound good to you? I can call Dylan McShane tomorrow morning about a position there. He throws GREAT parties!" she grins.
Gwen WAS going to offer Ethan's law firm first, but then she realized that might not be a good idea...Ethan trying to keep his identity secret, and Ethan getting shot at all the time-- the killer walking right into his office. No, Dylan's office sounds MUCH safer!

"Really..." Brenda says. "You know Dylan McShane? I...I accept. I...thank you Rage. Thank you for this...I hope you're on the level...cause if you're not..." she says.

'If I'm not, whatcha gonna do??' Gwen thinks to herself with a tiny inward laugh. She can't believe how well this is going! She's almost giddy! Wait until Bob finds out--
Gwen's face goes a little sober. Poor Bob...
She nods to Brenda. "Not a problem. Now how do you want to move up there? You need a moving van, or can you fit everything in your car? I know Dylan could afford to move you up, but if you can fit everything in your car I could fly you AND your car to New York!" she grins, flexing.

"I can do that! I live in a trailer not far from here. I can pack up and move out within a day or two!!" Brenda says excitedly. "Ok I'll do it, Rage. Thank you," she says hugging her. "I'm sorry I was such a bitch!" she says.

Gwen laughs, feeling a little awkward, but finally hugging Brenda back. 'This is the weirdest situation EVER!!' she thinks to herself. 'I am standing here...hugging Hermie Walker's daughter! Who I had come SO close to killing just a little while ago!' she grins to herself. 'Oh Bob...if only you could see this!'
"It's OK, Brenda. I'm...sorry I lost my temper back there." she says, finding it almost painful to apologize, but feeling pretty impressed with herself for pulling it off!
"Why don't we exchange phone numbers so I can call you after I get off the phone with Dylan tomorrow morning. Then we can hammer all the moving-details out." Gwen says. She pats around on her costume. "Ah shit...my pen and paper is in my other suit!" she jokes. "You have a pen and paper by chance?"

Brenda turns and hops in the car. She opens her glove box and pulls out a pad and pen. She leans over and hands it to Gwen. "Here you go. I carry that with me all the time," she says.

Gwen smiles and writes her Rage phone number down. She'd had her phone programmed so that all her Aura calls AND Rage calls come in on the same phone...just with a different identifying ring. Then she gets Brenda's number from her and programs it into her phone.
"There! All set!" she smiles, clicking her phone shut and sticking it back down the front of her top. "I'm a little concerned about leaving you without a bodyguard, but I think the Teragen is a little distracted after their antics tonight, plus you have my number, so we should be OK. Call me if you need to." she says, giving her an encouraging smile.

"I will," Brenda says. "Don't worry about me. I can handle myself, Rage. I'm going to pack tonight! Big Apple here I come!!' she squeals and closes the door. She starts the engine and with a wave she drives off.

Gwen levitates back up off the ground and gives a wave back, watching the car until it disappears. Then she flies up into the sky and gives a triumphant shout of victory.
'Damnit Bob! Wake up! I need to tell you what I did!!' she thinks to herself with a mixture of frustration and excitement. 'Oh well! I can call Caestus and tell him! And just wait until Ethan and Slider hear that I did good for a change!'
Gwen flies back to the Denver center as fast as she can go, feeling giddy. She lands outside the building, and as she walks through the front door her hair changes back to blonde and her black and white Aura-costume flows over her Rage-costume like liquid. She almost runs all the way to the waiting-area with a big grin on her face.

Ethan and Slider are still in the waiting room. Slider looks as if she's been crying while Ethan has a deep concerned look upon his face. He sees Gwen and stands.
Slider jumps up and runs to her, hugging her in tears. "Oh Gwen..." she says.

Gwen feels the pit of her stomach drop out, and she looks back and forth between Ethan and Slider with wide eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asks in a low, nervous voice.

"Umbra was just taken into surgery as well. She started having convulsions and they took her right in. Bob is still there too," Ethan says. "It doesn't look good, Gwen." he says.

"It's so terrible. Your brother is in the bathroom, I can hear him crying." Slider says.

Gwen's face falls and her shoulders slump a little. "I should have been here..." she says in a soft voice, her recent triumph forgotten. "I need to go to him..." She gives Slider a hasty, distracted hug back and then carefully disengages from her and rushes to the men's bathroom.
"Pete..." she calls, giving a warning-knock on the door and then opening it and going in.

"Go away, Gwen!!" Pete shouts from within the bathroom. Gwen can hear to tears in his voice. "I just want to be alone right now!" he calls out.

"He wouldn't let me in there either." Slider says. "This is terrible...we've never had something like this happen before."

Gwen looks like she's been slapped in the face, and she almost trips as she backs out of the bathroom. She stands there staring at the door for a moment before her lips start trembling. She knows she shouldn't be taking it personally-- all things considered-- but Pete's NEVER talked to her like that before!
She frowns as she tries to blink back tears, and then goes and sits down in a chair, leaning down with her chin in her hands, staring at the floor. She has a strong impulse to call Raoul and scream at him, but quickly pushes it aside.

The doors open to the operating room and a doctor walks out. He walks up to the trio and pulls his mask off. "Your friend is quite a fighter. He's pulled through," he says. "He took some spinal damage, however, and he'll need some physical therapy. But he'll live. As for Umbra, she's doing well. Her aorta has been repaired. We have them both in post op, they should be out in a few hours," he says smiling.

Gwen almost slumps onto the floor in relief! She sits there stunned for a moment, and then jumps up and hugs the doctor so tightly that his ribs start to creak! She laughs sheepishly and apologizes, and then steps back from the doctor, grinning from ear to ear.
"I knew Bob was too mean to die!" she laughs, and then hugs Ethan and Slider tightly. "And I knew Umbra couldn't leave Pete behind...love is stronger than Divis..." she says, and then smiles at Ethan and gives him a little wink-- feeling back to her old Gwen self!

Slider jumps happily in the air and hugs both Ethan and Gwen. She sits down and start crying in relief.
Ethan smiles and breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank god. I was worried," he says. He turns to Gwen and smiles as Pete walks out of the bathroom.
The doctor walks over and explains the situation to him. Pete smiles and thanks the doctor and runs over to the group.

"Thank god, Gwen," he says and hugs her.

Gwen smiles and hugs him back. "Apology accepted!" she teases. "For yelling at me to get out! Oh don't worry...I know why you did it...I GUESS!" she grins, hugging him again. "See? I told you she'd be just fine! She must have caught a glimpse of you through the window and it got her pulse racing...that's all! I told you not to let her see you!" Gwen continues on light-heartedly.

Pete laughs and hugs Gwen tightly, feeling all the worry just bleed out of him. "I love you, Gwen. You're the best sister anyone could have." he says.

Gwen laughs and hugs Pete back tightly. "Aaaw! Thanks Pete!" she beams, genuinely touched. "I love you, too! And you already know you're the best brother on earth, so I don't have to tell you that! Oh wait...I guess I just did!" she grins.

Ethan watches and smiles as the two hug. He looks down at Slider and puts his hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be fine now. I'll get Mal one day, I promise."

Gwen and Pete continue hugging and smiling and talking for a while, and then Gwen suddenly remembers her good news!
"Ooh! You guys! Wait until you hear what I did while I was out! Oh wait...let me get Caestus in on this, too!" she says, pulling out her cell phone and dialing Caestus' number with a big smile on her face.

"This is Caestus, go," Caestus says into his phone as he sits up in bed.

The others look at each other and then back at Gwen...

Gwen gives a little laugh at how even when he's mostly asleep Caestus is STILL in commander-mode!
"Caestus...it's Gwen! I'm putting you on speaker-phone, OK? I've got Supreme and Slider here with me." she says, and then proceeds to tell the three about how she tracked down Brenda Walker at the strip club where she worked...how she engaged her in conversation...how it was bumpy at first, but then she was able to gain her trust...and how she's going to get her a job with Dylan McShane tomorrow!
"Keep your friends close, and your enemy's daughter closer!" she beams proudly. "Now Herman Walker's own daughter owes a nova for lifting her out of desperation and giving her a new life! She'll never hate novas now! At least not on a broad basis!"

"Excellent work, Gwen." Caestus says. "Excellent work, I will expect to hear about this woman's job as it progresses. We'll have you keep tabs on her," he says. "Keep me updated."

Gwen beams. "I will! I'm calling Dylan tomorrow morning! I thought it would be REALLY ironic and a nice touch if eventually-- after we knew we can trust her-- we got her a job in the Stormwatch building, hehehehe!" she grins. "But again...it would have to be after we knew we could trust her. She WAS a little defensive of her father when I told her he was making life hard for novas. So her father is a hot-button best left unmentioned for now. Plus he paid her off not to talk about him, or something. $5000. Cheap bastard."

Slider smiles at Gwen and nods her approval. She understands what Gwen is trying to do.
Ethan walks over and pats Gwen on the back approvingly. "Well done Gwen. Even if it is to keep tabs on her, you saved her from a life of degradation. That's the girl I know and love," he says.

Pete doesn't understand what's going but everyone seems to approve.

"Hmmm," Caestus says. "Well I'll leave it to you, Gwen, to decide when she has gained your trust. If Herman has paid her for her silence that's a good sign she and he do not see eye to eye. Good work , Gwen. Carry on, and I just heard the news about Bob and Umbra. This is a good day. You saved Bob's life, Gwen...be sure to remind him."

Gwen smirks. "Every day of his life."

Gwen stays with Ethan, Slider, and Pete until Bob and Umbra are out of post-op and stabilized, and then she tells them it's time for her to go.
"Look at how late it is already! If James is already asleep he's not going to be very happy!" she smiles. "Call me if they wake up, OK?" She hugs Pete and Slider again, and then turns to Ethan and motions for him to follow her outside where she tells him that she'd like it if he could maybe come to the farm after work instead of to Stormwatch Tower...and that she's sure James and Radar would like that, too.
The two say their good-byes, and then Gwen takes off into the night. She knows her way to this house like the back of her hand by now, but she still veers off and flies around in circles for a while...trying to confuse anyone who may be following her.

Finally she sets foot down just outside the front door, looks all around, and gives a quick knock. "James?" she calls quietly.

The door opens and Radar stands there, his tongue wagging happily. An image flashes in her head, flowers, the kitchen, a tornado suddenly dying, James in bed sleeping...
'Hel-lo' comes a voice in her mind.

'WOW Radar...hello back!' she thinks back to him, smiling proudly. 'You're speaking English now!' She squats beside him and pets his head. Then her face furrows. 'There was a tornado here? Is James OK?' she thinks to him quickly.

More images as she sees the tornado and then suddenly something flying within it. Something white and red and it's Radar!! He flew into the tornado!! He's flying against the wind and killing the tornado.

Radar yips and licks her face. 'Safe...' he thinks and she sees James in the bed sleeping.

"Hello?" comes a voice from the bedroom. "Who's here?"

Gwen's mouth falls open. 'You did that, Radar?? You...undid the tornado?' she thinks to him in amazement. 'And was that a cape you were wearing?' she thinks to him in a mixture of confusion and amusement. Why is she not surprised? 'Good boy!!' she beams proudly at him. She's about to ask him something else when she hears James' voice.
She stands quickly and moves over to James' door. "It's just me, James! Could I...could I crash here for the rest of the week?" she asks a little shyly, feeling like a wayward teenager rather than a world-famous adult nova. "It's been one of those weeks." she sighs.

James opens the door to the bedroom. "Howdy stranger, or should I say Lady Supreme," James says with a smirk. "Sure you can stay awhile. Help yourself, let me change the sheets on Ethan's bed, you can stay in his room." he says.

Radar looks up at James and wags his tail happily.

Gwen smiles and exhales in relief. "Thanks James. I told Ethan he should come here after work each day, so I hope he will! That would be nice, wouldn't it? Just living like a normal family for a while?" she asks, following James to Ethan's room. "Not getting into trouble...not getting yelled at in front of everyone...not having the stupid headset-thing going off every 5 minutes..." she sighs.

James laughs, "Oh pshaw, Lady Supreme, why you must have the life of luxury out there in New York," James says with a wink. "It's absolutely fine, Gwen. You are always welcomed here, and Ethan visits me a lot more than you think. I see him just about every other day." he says.

"Really??" She pauses, looking surprised, and then looking a little hurt. "He never told me that..." She pouts a little as she watches him change the sheets. "Here you both made it sound like you only ever have contact with each other on Sundays over the phone! I feel like I'm being left out...Grandpa Supreme." she adds with a little smirk.

"'Grandpa,' James says looking over his shoulder with a big smile. "Something you need to tell me, Lady Supreme? Or are you just hinting for the future?" he adds as he takes the bed sheets off and throws them on Radar.
Radar huffs and shakes the bedsheets off and rolls on the ground in them playfully.

Gwen laughs as she watches Radar, and then folds her arms and watches James. She knows better than to offer to help him!
"If Ethan had his way you'd be a grandpa already!" she grins. "No...no Baby Supreme yet. We've been a little wary about starting a family...Divis can read minds, so he knows what our intentions are, and he let me know that he's very interested in our future baby...in a way that makes us know we're going to have to hide it." She pauses. "We're going to find a secluded location close to you and build a fortress of some kind using my wads of cash that I've been socking away. We wanted to ask if you could be its guardian when we're out doing superhero-stuff..." she says, all in a low voice. She shifts her eyes to Radar and smiles. "And Radar, too."
'Especially Radar!' she thinks to the dog.

James turns around. She can see tears well up in his eyes and he nods, "Yes. I'll do it, Gwen. Absolutely, I would be honored," he says. "Planning to have the baby soon? Because I have a place where you can build your little fortress."

Radar looks up seriously into Gwen's eyes. 'Protect?" he looks around and stands up quick, 'Danger?'

Gwen looks back at Radar and gives a little nod. 'Yes protect.' she thinks to him, trying to figure out a way to explain this to him. 'Me and your master...want to have a baby. No danger right now, but danger after the baby's born.' She hopes that made sense to him.
She looks back at James in surprise. "You have a place? What kind of place? Where?" she asks in relief.

James smiles, "I'll fix the bed then show you," he says. He walks out of the room and opens the linen closet. He makes up the bed in no time. "Alright follow me to the basement." he says. He leads her through the hallway to the kitchen and the basement door. "After I bought this place I thought I could use the basement for a work-area you know...I had no idea," he says opening the door and turining on the light. He walks down the stairs. The basement is filled with shelves of cleaners, canned foor and a small wine rack. James points to the wine rack. "If you could move that for me, Gwen."

Gwen walks over to it, lifts it, and sets it aside carefully as if it weighed nothing. Then she steps back and watches James with wide eyes. She has NO idea what he's about to show her!

Behind the rack is a huge hole in the wall. James picks up a flashlight and he smiles at Gwen.
Radar runs down the stairs. Gwen suddenly gets an image of puppies. Then an image of her and Ethan holding a puppy, with Radar in front of them looking protective.

Gwen has to quickly clap her hand over her mouth and choke back a laugh when she gets THAT mental-picture!! She can't let James know that she and Radar have 'conversations' in their heads! She sneaks a grin at Radar and nods to him, and then sends him a mental-picture back of the puppy changing into a baby-version of Ethan, complete with platinum hair.

Radar blinks and huffs. He wags his tail happily. An image of a baby looking like her and Ethan on the floor with Radar standing in front, hackles raised and ready to protect, goes through her mind.

Gwen grins and gives Radar a firm nod. 'Yes! Thank you Radar! That's what we want!' she thinks back. She reaches down and pets his head fondly.

Radar huffs and then proceeds to check out the cave to make sure it's safe.

"Through here is a cave I found right after buying the place. It's huge. Twice the size of the house. No one knows about it, besides me. I never told Ethan because I was always worried he might come down here as a child and get lost."

Gwen quickly turns from Radar and her mouth falls open when she hears this news. "Are you serious?? This is the best news you could have told me! I've been tossing and turning, trying to figure out how any fortress would be safe against Divis-- no matter how much money went into it! This is the only answer! Let's see it!" she cries, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

The two walk into the hold and down a small incline. Gwen can see he's dead serious. The cave is huge, twice the size of the house...maybe more...and it's warm! Not damp like most caves. It's beautiful.

James smiles, "How about it? Told you it was big..."

Gwen just stands there, staring all around her. Then she suddenly looks at James. "This is really eerie...like it's meant to be." She pauses, getting mental-pictures of this giant, god-like couple with platinum hair purposefully sending Ethan earth to be raised by James and Jessica Crane after making a giant safe-cave under their house.
She looks at James. "James? Can I ask you about Ethan's history? He talks about it sometimes, but then clams up and doesn't want to think about it anymore. But I think it's important."

James turns back to Gwen and nods. "It's about time you and I had this talk. I know you've been meaning to ask." he says nodding sadly. "Come on upstairs. I'll fix us some coffee and we'll talk," he says. "Come on Radar!" he calls as he leads Gwen out of the cave.

Gwen looks worriedly at James when she sees that the topic has made him sad, and she follows him out of the cave.
"I'm sorry...I didn't meant to make you sad." she says as they climb the stairs. She sighs. "It's a wonder Ethan wants to marry me...all I DO is make people sad or pissed off!" she says, the weight of almost getting fired twice, getting yelled at by Bob, watching Bob almost die twice, listening to her brother weeping in the bathroom...it all finally settles into her and sends her into a depressed funk.

James shakes his head. "I'm not sad you asked, Gwen. I just don't want you to be scared by what I have to say..." he says. "And I want you to promise me anything I say doesn't get back to Ethan...can you do that?"

Gwen looks at James with big eyes. "Wow...sure, James. I promise. He'd stop me from telling him, anyway. He doesn't want to know."
'Damn...what would scare ME?' she wonders to herself. She sits at the kitchen table and waits quietly for James, tapping her fingers on the tabletop anxiously.

James makes some coffee and pours them each a cup. He sits down across from Gwen.
"It was twenty some years ago. I was in the field with the thrasher harvesting the corn when all of a suddenly from the sky came this great ball of fire, just a bit bigger than a basketball. It landed right there in the corn field. Well I stopped the thrasher and got out. There was this incubator just laying there where the ball of fire hit. Burned like it had been in hell fire. A baby was laying just a few feet away, not a scratch on him" James says. He takes a sip of coffee letting it sink in.

Gwen rests her elbows on the table and presses her hands together and rests her chin on top, as if praying, while she listens to James. After hearing this she laces her fingers together and presses her mouth to them, looking down at the table.
"I knew it...he's not from earth. He and Divis. Did the...incubator say anything on it?" she asks in a quiet voice.

"Wait on that...you haven't heard the rest of it." James says. He takes another sip and continues.
"I took the baby in and he and Jessica bonded right away. We talked about it all that night and decided to adopt him, telling everyone that Jessica's sister had died and we took the baby because the father couldn't be found. I thought about this for months after we found little Ethan. I did a little research," he says. He stands up and walk over to one of the cupboards. He pulls out a few pots and pans and then a folder. He lays the folder down and opens it up.
'Galatea explosion! Killing all four astronauts and their two children!' Screams the headlines.
"There's your answer, near as I can figure it, Gwen. He's one of those babies from the Galatea."

Gwen's mouth falls open. She'd never been one for reading the paper...just scanning the sports section. She pulls the folder over and stares at the article, and then starts reading it quickly. 'These are Ethan's parents!! And Divis'!!' she thinks to herself, her stomach feeling icy and numb at the same time as she strains to find the names of the scientists and babies, wondering if there are pictures of them anywhere.

The pictures in the newspaper of the four astronauts confirm what she is thinking. The two Americans, Efram and Lynn, and the two Russians, Pietre and Katherine. They are the parents! Gwen has no doubts now. These are Ethan and Divis' parents!!!

"I never told anyone about it. Not even Jessica, although I suspect she knew, but was kind enough never to mention it." James says.

Radar feels Gwen's confusion. He walks over his head low and lays his head on her knee looking up at her.

Gwen's head is spinning. Just looking at the pictures it's obvious that Efram and Lynn are Ethan's biological parents. She feels tears come to her eyes. She thinks about she and Ethan's future child...wondering if something happened to her and Supreme if THEIR child would one day look at pictures of them and think, 'Yep...those are my parents. I look just like them.' but know nothing about them other than what they looked like.
Even looking at the Russian scientists is obvious that they're Divis' parents. She has a moment where she actually feels bad for Divis that he lost his parents when he was a baby. She hasn't even HAD a baby yet and she's already getting more soft-hearted! This is no good!
She's silent for a long time as she looks everything over. Then she finally speaks. "This is so sad...I cannot believe it..." she murmurs. "How could anyone try to raise a baby in space??" She looks up at James. "So Ethan and Divis were in these incubators when the space station blew up...and the incubators landed safely on earth-- one in America and one in Russia? How? Were they programmed to go to those places? Was there any kind of...I don't know...computer wiring or anything on or in the incubator?" she asks, her mind trying to absorb all of this.

"I thought about that," James says. "But anything on that incubator was burned up in the atmosphere. I have a feeling the incubators were set to launch in case of an accident like that. Those two boys...now this is just theory Gwen, but it's been said they were born that way...you know...like you but not. Anyway, I think they were experimenting on those two babies..."

Gwen's mouth drops open and then she looks pissed. "Their PARENTS were experimenting on their own BABIES??" she says in a loud voice, and then closes her lips tightly. "That's just...horrifying." she says, trying to find the right words. "In that case I'm GLAD they blew up and Ethan came to you! Unfit parents..." she mutters, folding her arms. She glances at James. "How old was he when you knew he had powers? I know the story of when he saved your life in the cornfield, but...was he a really strong baby? Did he do anything...nova-ish when he was just a toddler? Something like that?"

"No...not really," James says thinking a moment. "It wasn't until the cornfield...I knew." he says. "Now you understand why I never told Ethan what had happened and how I found him. He sees us as his real parents and I'd like to keep it that way," he says.

"You ARE his real parents..." Gwen says, folding her arms again. "YOU'D never experiment on him!" she sniffs. She finally notices her coffee and takes a sip. Normally she doesn't drink anything with caffeine in it...part of her strict regiment as a teenager that she still clings to...but she's had one of those weeks. She'd even try Nova Beer about now if it were offered to her!
She sighs and sits back a little. "Honestly James...you ARE his real parents...no matter if he finds out about the Galatea or not. I'm sure Divis knows all of this. It's just a matter of time before he tries to tell Ethan, considering all the hinting he does all the time. I don't know why he keeps trying to insinuate that Ethan's his real brother, though. He's taken to calling me 'sister-in-law.'" she says with a wry smile.

"He's a psychopath," James says. "I've seen enough of him to realize that. These damn teenagers these days see him as some kind of Robin Hood outlaw. But the younger kids...they look at my son and they see a hero. It's going to come down to just those two one day..." he says.

Gwen raises an eyebrow. "I hope you don't mean that I'm going to be dead!" she teases, but with a glint in her eye that means she wouldn't be shocked if she went before they did. "I wonder why Divis turned out the way he did. Maybe he didn't get as good of parents as Ethan did." she muses.
She thinks about what James said about Ethan being a hero and plays with the coffee cup in her hands. "James..." she starts, and then looks down, unsure how to say this. She takes a deep breath.
"You...you don't think..." She pauses again. "I got in trouble with Bob this past week for taking matters into my own hands regarding a dangerous nova. No one died or anything, and I didn't think what I did was particularly bad-- in fact I thought it would probably be beneficial to Aeon and Bob would praise my forward-thinking! But Bob thought I was stupid and that I was going to tarnish Stormwatch's name if he let me stay in Stormwatch, so he fired me. For like 12 hours. Then Caestus persuaded him to hire me back, but Bob told me that if I ever screwed up again he was going to tell Ethan what happened. He said Ethan would probably leave me over it!" Gwen swallows.
"So after I got over my initial anger at Bob for threatening to ruin my life, I started wondering...WOULD Ethan have left me over it? And it made me feel so...incredibly lost. To think that Ethan might consider himself like Stormwatch...an entity that has an image to uphold that I could 'tarnish' with my mistakes...that he might drop me in order to maintain this wholesome, heroic reputation he has...that just by being myself I might drag him through the mud with me and no longer be 'good for the company,' you know? That he...that he might want to find someone else who's more 'up to standards' and would be a PROPER Lady Supreme on his arm..." Now Gwen lowers her forehead onto her arms and starts crying. She's been holding this in ever since Bob threatened to tell Ethan what a horrible person she is.

James gets up and sits down next to her. He puts an arm around her. "My son is very much in love with you Gwen. He wouldn't leave. Not over something like this. He would go to the ends of the earth for you. What this Bob said was very mean-spirited. Don't worry, Gwen. I know my son and he won't leave you." he says.

Radar jumps up to put his front paws on Gwen's leg and starts licking her face.

Gwen lets out a shaky breath and raises her tear-streaked face from her arms. "Really?" she asks in a thick voice. "Because I warned him...when we first started dating...that I wasn't the brightest of people...that I'd done things that would make people look down on me...and I told him everything about me and told him we should never have secrets from each other, and he still loved me...not that anything I'd done was THAT bad, but you know..."
She looks down at Radar and gives him a shaky smile and strokes his head. 'Thanks Radar...' she thinks to him.
She looks back at James and wipes her face. "I don't want to be bad for his image...I love him so much...I don't know what I'm going to do without being able to wrestle to blow off steam! Bob made me quit the XWF..." she says in a big jumbled rant, sighing and running her hands through her hair. She looks back at James. "Did you see my match tonight?" she asks hopefully.

"I did." James says with a smile, "You were great. They're calling it the fastest match on record. 12.8 seconds." he says. "Oh you're not stupid Gwen. You have a lot more wisdom than you think. Ethan knows that." he says. "Now cheer up and enjoy your time here. I'll make sure you'll feel better before you leave." he says.

"That's what I'm counting on!" she says with a little smile. "Thanks James." She pauses a second. "Divis threw a building and I caught it!" she grins, sitting up straight and flexing a little.
The two continue talking for much of the night, and by the time everyone retires to bed Gwen feels better than she has in a long time.

Gwen finds out the next day that they have the month off to do whatever they want to while Bob and Umbra are recovering. Pumpkin should be released from the infirmary that day, so that's good news.
She also calls Dylan McShane and is able to get work for Brenda Walker in their filing department, so she calls Brenda back and gives her the good news. Mission accomplished!
Gwen decides to stay at the Crane residence, but fly over to Denver each day to spend time sitting with Pete, Umbra and Bob. She also keeps track of where that Terrence Hauke guy is on his tour. After Bob is back to being Stormwatch Bob again, she's going to ask him if they can question Mr. Hauke regarding if he has a brother or something...she's not going to let this lead die! There has to be a reason that the man who visited Edgar Wright used the name Terrence Hawke when he signed in! AND has the same eyes as him!
She's also going to do what she can to make the prison put surveillance cameras around Edgar Wright's cell AND in the visitor-room!

Ethan comes to the homestead every night and the three of them spend entire nights talking. Every morning Gwen and Radar get up before James and Ethan and go for an early morning flight-- the men assuming that the two are out for a jog. Many nights Ethan and Gwen takes walks with Radar around the farm.

Towards the end of the month Gwen finally remembers to ask Radar where he found his eufiber. Radar shows her the closet with the incubator that Ethan was found in.

Finally Gwen and James show Ethan the cave. Ethan is thrilled and very relieved. This will be perfect to hide their child in should it come to that. Gwen and Ethan make plans on how they want to build inside the cave to keep the child safe.