"They came!  They came!"

Perched on a ladder inside of her mansion, Hannah Donnenfield looked at Sari James to see what all the commotion was about.  The thritysomething year old strawberry blond, was singing and doing a little tap dance.

Hannah climbed down slowly, setting her paint brush aside.  "What came?"

"Julie came through for us!" she said full of excitement.  "We've got the patent for the drug."

Hannah smiled to herself.  In spite of Julie Parrish's illness, she had proved herself to be a remarkably gifted
researcher.  In the four weeks since her arrival, she had managed to complete the research on Visitor conversion
victims and create a drug that seemed to show signs of hope. Sari was happy because the drug had just been approved by the FDA.

"Does Juliet know?" Hannah asked, checking herself in a mirror and seeing the spot of white on her nose.

"No.  She had to go see Pete again.  He's running some more tests."

"Poor dear."  The old woman frowned,

"Who's helping you?  You shouldn't be doing this alone?" Sari questioned, worried for Hannah who was in her
mid-seventies.

Hannah chuckled.  "Would you believe it if I told you Mitchell?"

"Mitchell Loomis?"  The girl could not contain her sarcasm.  "Our very own Pilsbury Doughboy doing some real
work?  Oh, stop, Hannah."  She doubled over with laughter.

Chubby Mitchell Loomis poked his head out from one of the corridors, gazing at her through thick glasses.  He wore a white v-neck teeshirt and old tattered blue jeans that were stained with paint.

"I heard that!" he snapped.

Hannah shook her head, begging Sari, "Try not to be mean to Mitchell.  He isn't having a good day."

"Well," Sari grinned back at him, "Maybe the work will help with that gut of yours.  I'm sure going up and down a
ladder could have a positive effect on a man of your...hmm?

"Ha. Ha.  Very funny," he replied childishly.  "Let me see you pick up a paint brush."

"Yes.  And I know where I'll stick it too.  Don't bend over, Mitch--"

"Sari, please?!" Hannah begged.  "Tell me more about the patent."

In her elegant kitchen, the old woman poured them each a glass of tea.  Sari took a seat at the table.  But Hannah
reverted to the subject of Mitchell, concerned that he had been hurt.

"You really need to be careful what you say to him, Dear," she scrutinized.  "He's so sensitive."

"Oh, for Pete's sake! He's as old as me.  When are you going to stop babying him?"

"When I stop babying you, Dear."

A soft whining noise coming from above got Sari's attention.  "Stupid airport lets their planes reduce altitude too close to the laboratories," she muttered, getting up to look out the window. "I swear.  One of these days a planes gonna land on your house!"

"Don't say that," Hannah chuckled.

"It's too close, Hannah.  I'm going outside.  I wouldn't want to hear that a plane crashed in the Sound or anything."

"All right," Hannah giggled.  "I think maybe I'll take my cat nap.  Let me know if it did crash."

With a blank look, Sari made her way outside again.  And once there, she recognized the sound.  It wasn't a plane
after all.  A Visitor spacecraft had parked on Hannah's front lawn.  She ran to greet the Visitor.

"Sari, are you crazy?" called Mitchell from an open window.

One scraggly looking passenger exited the craft.  But with a full grown beard, Sari hardly recognized Mike Donovan.  He was skinny.  The red uniform he wore was stained and stretched out.

"Donovan?" she said offering a warm embrace.

He looked at her through narrow, blood shot eyes.  "Not too close?"  Donovan knew that he neither looked or smelled good at this point.  "Do you know where Julie is?"

"Maybe home now?"

"Home?" he asked, feeling hot and sticky as the hot sun beat on him.

"She stays with her mom.   She's moving into a cottage tomorrow though."

Donovan wasn't surprised to find that Julie had found work in New York.  He was glad for her at that.  But he still
wondered how she had got on with Sean in his absence.  Ann had given him sketchy details.

"Do you know how my son is?"

"I hear he's cocky like you," she teased.  "You must be anxious to see him."

"Not like this," he said self-consciously.  "Do you think Hannah would let me shower at her place?"

"You can use mine," she volunteered.  "If you want your hair to smell like fresh strawberries."

"Thanks," he grinned.  "I owe you one."

"I'll even take you to Sean when you're done," she added.  "Do you have any human clothes?"

"No," he answered.  "I uh dropped everyone off in L.A. and came straight here."

"I can get you some.  What are you?" she looked him over, "about a thirty-four?"

"Maybe thirty-two, thirty-two."

"So," she said as they entered her apartment.  "What kind of food did you get to eat on your journey?"

While Donovan showered, Sari went and fetched him some clothes then took him straight to Constance Parrish's house.
 

With bandaids firmly attached to both of her inner-elbows, Julie Parrish got out of her mother's car feeling dazed and weakened.  Her body was beginning to show the scars of her illness. She'd lost thirteen pounds since it had all began.  Walking up to the door, all she could think of doing was sleeping.  She'd spend six hours at the hospital
after a near-miscarriage.  Pete had put her on a medication to hopefully stop it from happening. But Julie didn't
put much faith in it as she worried for her baby.

Constance gave her a soft pat on the back as she unlocked the door.  "Why don't you go get some rest?  I'll deal with the boy."

"No," Julie gasped on the verge of tears.  "I'll tell--"she broke off, stepping into the house and seeing Donovan
laying on the couch sound asleep.  "Mike?"

Sean smiled up at her from playing his Atari 2600.  "I tried to make him wait for you.  He said he just flew straight in from Los Angeles."

In spite of herself, Julie sat down on the edge of the couch and traced her fingers down Donovan's beard and smiled.  Her voice cracked as she called his name again, ever so softly.

He stirred and said "Hi."

"What took you so long?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

He gave her a once over, seeing the hideous bruise on her temple and whispered in her ear, "Did Sean do that to you?"

"Huh?" she asked, not catching on at first.  "No.  I fell.  You didn't answer my question."

He wondered if she was still angry and muttered, "I will," then yawned briefly.  "I'm sorry.  I guess I'm not fully awake yet."  He saw the bandages and asked, "Are you sick?"

"A little," she lied.  "Did you ever find Kyle?  What happened up there?"  She thought that changing the subject
would be a smart move.

"Yeah," he said.  "It's a long story.  Kyle, Elizabeth, Ham, Willie and Felma are all safe and sound in L.A."

"What about Diana?"

"Dead," he smirked.  "So you decided to find work here?"

She nodded.  "Are you mad I brought Sean?  We didn't know when or if you were coming back."

"No.  Are you uh, still mad that I went away?"

She returned the grin.  "Can we talk about that later?"

Constance lingered in the foyer, waiting for an introduction.  "Shall I get your friend something to eat, Juliet?"

"Mmm...please," Donovan answered for her and yawned again.

"Have you had much sleep lately?" Julie asked him, seeing her mother vanish into the kitchen.

"Not for two days.  Sari said you have an apartment over there but the electric wasn't on?"

"They were supposed to come this morning.  But I had an appointment."

"Donating blood?"

"Yeah."

"Can I uh... hang out at your place until I get the engine work done on the skyfighter?" He asked while munching on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich moments later.  Constance put a glass of milk in front of him.

"And then what?" Julie said feeling a bit hopeless.

"I'll take Sean back to L.A."

"What's in L.A.?"

Brushing some bread crumbs out of his beard he grinned and asked, "What does that mean?"

Gabby and her brother Pierre came in bickering.

"I didn't say you could keep it forever, dork," Pierre muttered, yanking a cassette out of her hand.

"C'mon," she begged.  "I'll let you borrow my Madonna album."

"No way," he laughed, bidding Mike Donovan a quick, "Hello, Julie's boyfriend," and ran up the stairs.

It was Gabby's turn to address her sister.  "How is Ms. 'rexia doing today?"

Julie just sat there looking stunned.

"Don't you have a boyfriend to go make out with?" Sean asked her, not wanting to see Julie get upset with her
anymore.  Julie giggled but Donovan wasn't amused.

Gabby glared at Sean mouthing, "You are such a brat!"  She marched upstairs to go pick on Pierre some more.

Julie tapped Donovan's arm saying, "There's no furniture in the apartment yet."

"How about a blanket and a pillow?"

"I think we can work something out for you."

In her heart, she wanted to fling her arms around his neck and tell him how glad she was that he was back.  But she
knew that it wasn't time for that.
 

Chapter Eleven:  Just Like The Good Old Days
 

After a dozen hours of sleep, Donovan awoke the next morning feeling revived.  In Julie's tiny two room cottage,
he could hear Sean puttering around in the kitchen and went out to give him some daunting news.

"There's no food here."

"Yeah, I can see," Sean said bitterly, gazing into an empty freezer.  "This sucks.  I wish I was at Pierre's house."

"Julie gave us some money.  There's a cafe down the street," he said reassuringly.

Sean scrutinized his father.  "Isn't that what you had on yesterday?"

Donovan tugged at his own tee shirt.  "I don't have anything else, Kiddo."

A ringing telephone got his undivided attention. He found it in the family room and answered with a bright, "Hi ya,
Doc."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Gooder," said Ham Tyler.

"Hey, Tyler.  Sorry I didn't get back to you earlier.  I was tired."

"Robin's asking when you'll go get her and bring her out to Elizabeth," Ham explained.

"I don't know."  Donovan paused for a beat, feeling annoyed.  "When I'm damned good and ready!"

Ham snickered.  "Should I tell her that?"

"I couldn't care less what you tell her, Tyler.  The skyfighter's trashed!  The engine needs an overhaul!  And I'm sick of flying!"

"How's your kid?"

Donovan was surprised to find that Ham actually cared.

"I don't know.  I haven't figured that out either.  We were just on our way out for breakfast."

"I won't keep you, Gooder.  Just give Robin a call when you get it straightened out."

"Fine.  Goodbye."
 

The afternoon meeting at Brook Cove was filled with more hellish boredom than what Sari James could bare.  Her spirit ached with impatience as Mitchell Loomis, also known as "The Computer Whiz" rattled off the details of this year's stock report and finances.

"Forty thousand on business trips alone," he complained.

"But the gas prices were high because of the Visitors," said another young girl by the name of Meg.  She wasn't as
well liked by Hannah Donnenfield as the other board members were and knew it.  Still, she did all she could to fit in.

"Our stocks were lower too," Sari James noted, jotting some of the figures on the black board down with a pencil.
She wanted to go over it with Hannah.  Then she added, "Since a certain competitor  got major holdings in red dust
production."  She elbowed Julie who was sitting next to her.

Julie understood that Sari was referring to Nathan Bates financial gain from the ordeal.  "Hey, I was strictly the
research department," she grinned.  "I'm innocent."

"Yeah," snorted Mitchell.  "And I'm Santa Clause."

Everyone laughed except for Julie as her stomach gurgled in turmoil.  "Can we...get back to business?"

"Th-that's all, folks," Mitchell muttered.  "Now the floor is open to suggestions."

"I suggest we go have a drink," said Sari.

"I second the motion," Meg replied.

"Julie?" they both said simultaneously.

"Thanks.  But I promised Mike that I would drop by after work and I'm two hours late."

"So that's where Sean is today?"  Meg wondered.

"Are you going to miss him?" asked Sari as they headed out the door.

Julie didn't know how to answer because somewhere in her heart she thought about convincing Donovan to stay in
New York.  "Uh-huh."

They passed through a long, narrow hallway and out into the bright, afternoon sun.  Sari thought she saw a tear in
her friend's eye and asked.  "What's wrong?"

"I don't know.  I guess I'm just tired."

Sari looked back to see if the others had followed, but they had not.  "What did Pete say to you?  I've been worried, you know."

"You can't say anything to anybody," Julie warned.

Sari crossed her fingers.  "I'll pinky swear."

"I'm pregnant."

The girl giggled.  "That's a shock."

"Yes, it was."

"Is Mike happy?"

"He doesn't have a clue.  Sean promised not to say anything.  I've been having some medical problems.  I'm taking a two week leave."

"Oh, Julie," she sighed.  "You have to tell Donovan.  I just ordered the part to fix the engine."

"I know.  That's why I'm going home now."

When Julie got to her apartment, she didn't find Donovan there.  But a note stating that he'd waited as long as he
could.  And that Pete Forsythe had taken them to a baseball game.  Julie wadded it up and threw it in the trash.
 She wouldn't see him again until the celebration party the next day.
 
 

With sparklers in hand, Pete Forsythe lit each one, sending an array of pretty colors about.  He gave one to
each of his daughters, and one to Sean Donovan.  And watched with concern as they made their way over to a baseball diamond.  He didn't like the way that Sean Donovan had been eyeing his older daughter.  Running a
hand through his curly blond hair, he replaced his baseball cap and grabbed a bat from the heap on the ground.
He swung at nothing, reminiscing about the good old days.

Seated on a picnic bench nearby were Pete's fiancee, Lauren Stewart; CBS Anchorwoman, Deniese Daltrey; and
ex-Newsman, Michael Donovan.

Donovan slapped a mosquito away, thinking that the lack of those pesky things had been a highlight of the time he spent of the home planet.  His stomach growled impatiently.

"When will those ribs be ready, Master Pete?"

"Give em another hour."

Lauren grinned at Donovan dubiously.  "I take it that they didn't have a barber shop up there?"

"Actually, I was trying to relive my youth."

"Make love. Not war?" asked Deniese, giving his back a gentle rub, making him feel uncomfortable.  He was grateful that Julie wasn't around to witness it.  "I covered the protests straight out of journalism school," she continued.

"Yeah?"  He got up, grabbing a can of Coors from the cooler and popping its tab with a loud Kssh sound.  "I was
in Nam."

"I didn't know that!  When did you meet the uh... former Mrs. Donovan?"

"At U.C.L.A., after I got my Masters."

Lauren got up and stretched, pulling a wisp of black hair away from her mouth.  "It was awful sweet of Julie to
volunteer to watch Sean while you were away.  Where is she?  I thought she was here a bit ago."

"I don't know," he admitted.  "I think she's avoiding me."

"You mean you haven't talked to her?" asked Pete, stuffing a red Bic Lighter into his pant pocket.

"Just when I got back."

"Maybe you should."

"No," he frowned. "It's not like that anymore.  I don't even know if we're still friends after I left Sean with her
against her will."

"When were you more than friends?" Deniese wanted to know.  "She can't be more than thirty."

"Twenty-eight," Donovan corrected, sounding just as annoyed with her as he felt.  "I guess I'll uh... go look
for her."

"Good idea," said Pete.
 

A cool breeze swept in from the harbour sending a chill  down Julie's spine.  She pulled her navy blue cardigan on
and fastened a few buttons while taking a seat on the bleachers within the baseball field.

"We were beginning to worry about you."

Startled, Julie looked up to see Donovan and smiled.   "H-hey, Mike.  You scared me."

"Sorry."  He took a seat on the bleacher just below hers.   "Why are you here?  The party's over there."  He pointed in the direction of the others.

"I guess I'm just not much in the mood for partying."

He handed held out a wine cooler saying, "I guess you don't want this then?"

She shook her head.  "How is Sean?  Is  he treating you okay?"

"Okay for a teenager."

She eyed the boy who was playing keep the baseball away with the girls.  "I see he's made friends with Pete's
daughter.  Did you have the talk with him yet?"

"Well I thought maybe you did.  Julie, in spite of our differences, you don't know how much it meant to me to come
back and find out that he was okay and that he's normal.  Want to share the secret formula?"

"I don't know," she laughed, forgetting about her problems momentarily.  "I guess I just tried to make him feel
normal.  I don't know how much you approve of that method.  But it works."

"I know I owe you something.  When I get settled in L.A. I'll--"

"You're really going back?"

"Well, I have to start over sometime."

'Start over with me,' she thought in her heart but didn't dare say it out loud.  "You could look for work here."

"Why?"

"You can stay with me," she said softly.

"Why?" he asked again, looking her in the eye this time.

"Sean's happy here.  He's made friends."

"Yeah, I know.  Problem is, he may be too happy here."

"How can you say that?" she demanded.  "A minute ago, you were glad."

"I am.  And all I meant by it was that I need to repay you.  What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Give him a choice," she said matter-of-factly.

"Why?!" he snapped.  "What the hell do you care?  He's my kid.  Not yours."

A part of Julie wanted to get up and leave, another part wanted to slap him for being so insensitive, but the part of
her that took over was her heart.

"Yes, I know that, Mike.  We've had this discussion before.  And I care.  Sean and I cried for you. We thought you were dead.  How can you expect--" she cut herself off.  "Never mind.  I don't want to talk about it.  I'm going back
to my mom's."

She started to get up to leave but he caught her wrist insisting, "No!  We have to talk!"

"Oh?  You just can't wait to stick your foot in your mouth again?"

Donovan laughed, remembering how their heated arguments used to fuel their passion for one another.  "What was that you said.  Did I hear you correctly?  You cried for me?"  He took her hand gently in his own, understanding that she wasn't ready to give him up after all.  "Sweetheart, if I stayed, it would be confusing for us and for Sean.  He already seems to think that you and I are still--" he broke off.  "You understand why I can't stay?"

"You don't like cold winters."

He wanted to kiss her but refrained, moving his hand away from hers instead.

"I know I was angry at you," she said.  "You have every right not to trust me."

"It's not that," he reasoned.

"Well then what?!" she cried.  "I thought you loved me.  You said you did!"

"Funny you brought that up, Julie.  Because last time we were together, you were distant.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that I realized then that you didn't love me anymore.  That it was over!"

"Your son was recovering from surgery in the next room!"

"You weren't thinking about Maitland?"

"I don't know," she sighed.  "It was just weird."

"Great.  I have weird sex!"

Julie snickered, asking again.  "Do you trust me, Mike?"

"I trust you for a decent haircut.  And I'll give Sean the good news."

"Oh, I have a feeling that isn't necessary."

"You're right," he teased, seeing that Sean was still within view and would look up and watch them every now and
then.  "Especially if I do this."  He kissed her on the mouth.  Julie jerked back, feeling nauseated.  "NOW WHAT?!" he demanded.

"Sean," she swallowed, "doesn't have to be told or shown anything.  He already knows you're staying because I told him that I'm pregnant."

"What?" he gasped.  "When?"

"When I was distant."

He pulled her near again, but she was overcome by dizziness and passed out.  He pushed her away, seeing that her eyes were now closed and her body was limp.

"SEAN!" he screamed.  "GO GET PETE!"
 

Chapter Twelve: How To Be A Wantu

 
The fleet of motherships drifted out into the cosmos. And one by one, the remaining Visitors learned that the home
world no longer existed.  Lydia was saddened by the news and took command over all the ships.  The fleet set their course for the new world near the Andromeda galaxy.  But by the time they arrived, they found that all of the inhabitants were dead.  They would have to start over again and create a new civilization...

With each passing week, Julie got better.  Donovan accepted a position with CBS.  But no plans were set for a
wedding date.  In fact, he'd never proposed to her, afraid that such a decision might cause her more stress.  Julie was monitored by her physicians carefully.  She was now well into her fourth month and had gained some of the weight back that she'd lost.  For her, it seemed that morning sickness was now a thing of the past.  And at today's check up, Pete told her that her risk of miscarriage was low and that there was no longer any need to worry.

Looking at her own reflection in the vanity mirror, she saw the swelling that had begun to take place in her
abdomen and realized that a trip to Motherhood Maternity store wasn't far off.  But the thought of "getting as big as a house" disenchanted her.  Somehow, she managed to squeeze herself into an old negligee that Donovan had purchased for her, that she had never had the opportunity to entertain him with.  But tonight, she felt like celebrating!  Hearing him come in the front door, she threw on a terry-cloth robe and greeted him in the living room with a warm embrace.

"How was work?"

"Good." He kissed her on the cheek, then hung his sport coat up in the closet.  "How was the exam?"

Julie reached for him again.  "Enlightening.  Can I have a real hug?"

He obliged, "You missed me that much, eh?  Where's Sean?"

"I got rid of him."  She tried to steal a kiss from him but his shocked expression made her think twice.

"You'd better not do that."

"Why not?"

He put his hand on her stomach.  "Because, some things are more important than sex."

"Yeah?" she murmured.  "Pete told me that it won't hurt the baby.  So I thought, why don't we be selfish and take
a few hours for ourselves, and not think about the baby?"  She reached for his face and kissed him again.

He only cooperated for a minute, complaining, "What about dinner?  Do I have to skip the main course?"

"You are the main course.  I have something that I think you might find interesting."

"A bottle of wine and a Neil Diamond record?" he guessed.

"Mmm, close," she smiled back at him, then stepped back and dropped her robe muttering. "Look familiar?"

Donovan decided not to be rude or tell her that the navy blue negligee was a bit too tight.  He offered her his mouth, pushing her gently down onto the couch.

By his quick pace, Julie guessed he thought that they were pressed for time.

"Slow down!" she giggled, feeling his cold, wet lips against her neck.

"When's Sean coming back?"

"Tomorrow."

The doorbell interrupted a rather heated moment.  Julie pulled away hastily.  "If that's my mom, I'll kill her."

He pulled her to her feet.  "Go wait for me in the bedroom.  I'll get rid of whoever it is."

"Don't take too long," she warned, grabbing her robe, and going away.

"Hi ya, Gooder," said Ham Tyler when Donovan finally got to the door.

Seeing the familiar faces of Chris Faber, Maggie Blodgett, Kyle Bates, Willie, Felma, and Robin and Elizabeth Maxwell, Donovan stepped back, letting them in.  Turning towards the hall, he shouted.  "Hey, Julie!  You have company."

"Just a minute!" she called back, sounding annoyed.

Robin Maxwell took a seat on the couch asking, "What's the matter with her?"

"How long are you planning on staying here?" quipped Kyle.  "At this rate, you could've bought a plane ticket and
been back by now.  Where's your kid?"

"Out for the evening," Donovan said.  "Anyone want a beer? 'Cept for you, Tyler."

"Ha Ha," said Ham.

"Oh, my gosh!" exclaimed Julie, coming out of the bedroom dressed in one of her sun dresses.  She gave Maggie a hug first.  And Maggie thought that Julie looked different, but couldn't place it.

"Why didn't you guys call?" Julie asked with tears in her eyes.

Ham gave Donovan an accusing stare.  "What did you do to her, Gooder?"

"I don't know.  I think she's happy to see you."  He ventured off into the kitchen to retrieve beverages.

"Weird," Robin said.

"Do we have any wine?" Donovan shouted, staring down at a twelve pack of beer that was tucked in the rear of
the ice box.

"Now why would we have that?" Julie answered.

He delivered the beer, a can to Ham, Chris, Kyle, and Willie who shook his head and refused it so Donovan kept it
for himself asking, "What brings you all to town?"

"Felma's expecting," Kyle snickered.

Donovan looked to Willie who bashfully smiled.

"Wow, Willlie!  That was quick!  Did you get married in Vegas like we discussed?"

"It was a beautiful wedding," Felma reminisced.

"We want you to be the Wantu, Mike," Willie explained.  "I have reported to her what a great...citizen you are."

"You must be present at the birth in order to attend the ceremony," Felma explained.

 Donovan took a seat next to Julie on the couch asking, "When's it due?"

"We will hatch in late November," Willie explained.

Chris and Ham laughed at the notion.

"And what will I have to do, go to L.A.?"  Donovan asked.

"No," Julie answered for them.

Willie gave her a hurt look.  "I do not offend?"

"Comprehend," Donovan said softly, not wanting to guess at Julie's thoughts.  "Why don't you bring your baby out here?"

Kyle Bates began to put two and two together and said, "You aren't coming back to L.A. at all, are you?"

"I work as an anchor for CBS local in Manhattan."

"What is an anchor?" asked Felma, feeling stupid for not knowing much about human life.

"He's a news reporter," Maggie told her.

"That must be very interesting," Felma smiled.  "Maybe we can have the ceremony for our hatchling here then."

Chris shifted with discomfort and sat down on the recliner while asking, "What is it?  A duck?"

Ham laughed aloud.  Felma found herself growing agitated with the pair and weary of her disposition as the butt of
their bad humour.

"Maybe you can exchange mothering pointers with Felma?" Donovan whispered in Julie's ear.

"I'm going to kill you, Mike," she replied.

"Mmm, I doubt it.

"I have my gun," Ham Tyler offered to Julie even though he didn't understand her annoyance.  But then a thought
occurred to him that he didn't like.  "Do you live here with her, Gooder?"

Donovan took the defensive demanding, "What are you getting at, Tyler?"

With a hand over her mouth, Maggie murmured, "Are you -- dating?"

"I don't know what you'd call it," Julie shrugged.

Donovan gave Willie a frown.  "Sorry to let you down, Old Buddy."

"We will come here," the alien said reassuringly.

"Maybe after New Years?" Julie yawned.

"I was wondering how long you would last," said Donovan, realizing that she'd missed her evening nap.

"And how much longer can you keep your mouth shut?" she grinned.  "I have ten dollars that says you won't last
another five minutes.

"Are you guys-" Maggie started to say.

"Engaged?" Kyle finished the sentence.

"Not yet," Donovan answered.  "I'm sworn to secrecy for the next five minutes."

Elizabeth Maxwell was the one to guess the right answer. She had sensed it from the moment they'd walked in the door.  "You are having a baby too?"

Donovan made a motion like he was zipping his lips.

"I don't believe it!" Ham protested, feigning horror and demanded of Julie, "How could you?"

"I'd tell you," she smiled, "but I don't think you would appreciate it, Ham."
 

Chapter Thirteen: Elias And Amanda

 
Through the Central Park Trails, Amanda Donovan rode on a white horse with her brother leading the reins.  Her brown braids flapped in the wind.  She had received Sandy as a gift from her Uncle Ham in honour of her tenth birthday.  She loved her horse.  And like brother Sean, she loved baseball.  She was a classic tomboy!

"Keep your hands on the reins," Sean told her.  "Dad'll kill me if I let you fall."

"Promise?" She gave him one of her evil grins as they approached the picnic area.

Sean smiled back at her.  "No.  I'm the firstborn.  He loves me more than he loves you."

Amanda shook her head in denial.  "I think he loves Ellie more."

Ellie Donovan was Sean's eight month old daughter with the woman he'd met in college four years ago.  Ellie was short for Eleanor Marjorie Donovan, named for the two women who had meant so much to him during his growing up years in San Pedro.  Sean smiled with pride as he thought about how one day he would tell his daughter about them.

"What took you so long?" asked Julie when Sean returned to the pavilion with Amanda and helped her dismount from Sandy.  "Your dad's been looking for you."

Sean put his hands on Mary's shoulders as she sat feeding the baby and smelled her perfume.  "Is she p.m.s.-ing
again?"

Julie smacked him playfully seeing some familiar, but long since seen people approaching.  "Robin, Elizabeth!" she
cried excitedly and ran towards them with open arms.  They both hugged her in turn.  Elizabeth hadn't changed much.   Except for the fact that Kyle and she had tied the knot and gotten a surrogate mother to bear their offspring.  They had twin boys, four years of age.

"Where are the kids?" Julie asked, inviting them into the pavilion.

"Kyle and Willie got stuck in traffic, Grandma,"  Robin explained, eyeing the baby. She never had another one of
her own.

Julie smiled as Amanda came and put her arms around her.

"Sean's being mean again," the little girl complained.

"She started it," he said defencelessly.  "I was just minding my own business."

"Where's Aaron?" asked Robin, accepting a can of soda from him.

"With their Dad," Julie said, taking a seat by Elizabeth.  "Sean and Amanda-Beth decided to take Sandy out on
the trails and didn't come back when they were supposed to!"

From her swaddling position, Ellie peeked at Julie with her blue eyes and reached for her.

"Do you want to see Grandma?" Julie asked excitedly and took her from Mary who leaned back on Sean affectionately.

In spite of having a new baby to care for, the couple still seemed to be in the honeymoon phase of their marriage.
Sean acted like Mary was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Family reunion?" asked Maggie Blodgett-Faber who was climbing up the grassy hill to join the group, toting her
precious little boy C.J.  Ham Tyler and her husband Chris Senior followed.

"Where's Gooder?" asked Ham, waving at Amanda.  She reminded him so much of the little girl he'd once had.

Amanda ran up to him and slammed into him with a bear hug.  Her green-blue eyes filled with tears as she
proclaimed... "Uncle Ham.  I thought you weren't coming?"

"Surprise." He pressed a kiss to her cheek then pulled some tickets from his shirt pocket and gave them to her.

She beamed with joy. "Tickets to see the Dodgers and Yankees?"

Sean gave her a quizzical stare.  "I hope you know who to root for."

She tossed her pigtails and flippantly said.  "New York!"

"Great," Sean said mock-scowling.

Ham saw Donovan approaching with the other child perched on his shoulders.  Aaron Donovan was the spitting image of his mother with fine, blond hair and the sweetest blue eyes.

"Did you know that your daughter's a Yankees fan?" Ham demanded.

Mike looked at Amanda and wistfully said, "Pete brainwashed her.  She's a lost cause.  Maybe we can convert
Aaron here though."  He put the three year old down.   Overcome with shyness, Aaron fled to Julie, but was jealous
to find that Ellie was monopolizing her affection.  Ellie reached out and yanked the little boy's hair.  He pouted and
hid under the picnic table.  Sean scooped him up, giving him a tickle attack.  Aaron broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Speaking of lost causes," said Elizabeth, gazing at Willie, Kyle, Felma, and the little ones as they approached.

Willie and Felma's boy, Elias, was a sight to be held. He'd been fitted with handsome pseudo skins, looking
something like a Visitor version of t.v. star Jonathan-Taylor Thomas.

"Amanda, wanna play?" he asked with a mitt and ball in his hands.

"Sure," she quipped.  "Sean can be the bat boy."

Sean got up, following them over to the mound.  Kyle and Mary joined them.  Young Aaron walked over to Ham Tyler, wanting to be held and Ham obliged.

Kyle's boys tried to persuade him to play with their trucks.  But he wouldn't budge.

"Aaron," Ham frowned.  "When are you going to be like Amanda?"

"She's a bwat," he insisted.  "I don't wike her."

Julie smiled in spite of herself.  Little Aaron had been born three months prematurely and suffered some
developmental setbacks.  She had babied him.  Maybe too much.  But she knew that he would be her last child and
treasured him all the more.  After his birth, Pete had strongly suggested that she and her husband not try for any
more children.  So Mike and Julie were really ecstatic when they learned that Mary would bear their first Grandchild.   Julie began to rock little Ellie, lulling the baby into a deep sleep, knowing that all of these children would grow up in a free world.
 

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Authors Notes:

15 long years have passed with no proper ending to the saga that touched our hearts and lives.  Having read the synopsis for "The Attack" and other proposed endings for "V" I think I just might understand why they were rejected...

Could anyone ever let go and say goodbye by presenting a story that would say... "Here is the ending for V"?  In our hearts can we envision Marc Singer riding off into the sunset on that white horse, as the daring hero of the resistance...the man responsible for saving the world?  Can we see the Visitors defeated?  Maybe not. Because as much as we hate to admit it, we loved Diana for the stubborn villain that she was.  We couldn't bare to see her killed.  Because maybe we would have to admit that V was complete.  And we very much want to keep it alive!

The story you've just read was the first idea I conceived as an ending for "V" some fourteen years ago.  As a twelve year old, I couldn't find the words to put it onto paper. Then, after reading Death Tide, I got caught up in the Donovan and Julie romance and wrote "Romance And Hell", a novel that isn't true to V the television series at all. I'd like to say that I'm disappointed in myself for writing that story.  But I'm not.  It was my first attempt at novel writing and very good practice for an amateur!  Now that I go back to school and learn how to write professionally.
Everything you've seen thus far I learned by emulating favourite authors Howard Weinstein, Ann Crispin, and Deborah Marshall.   In my heart I will always be grateful for the sources of my inspiration...  Many heart felt thanks go out to the creator, Kenneth Johnson, the producers, directors, writers, crew and especially the cast who brought the characters to life and made them real for us!  --Tamie Kwist  August, 2000