Comeback Star

One last story from the 'Star' series. I don't think I can do much more with them, but who knows!



Interviewer: I’m once more at the home of Dave and Karen Gerrard to discuss Karen’s comeback film, a spy spoof called ‘Jane: Blonde?’. To start with, I must say it’s been a while since all three of us were together.
Dave Gerrard: Well, you and I have met four times in the past two years.
Interviewer: Yes, for each of the films you have directed since ‘Emily’. Each one better than the one before, I thought.
DG: Thanks. It’s been a steep learning curve for me. And I felt wrong being on set without Karen for the first two.
Karen Gerrard: (Laughing) I was going to say that it was unavoidable, but I suppose it wasn’t.
Interviewer: Where is young Clint?
KG: His nanny, Maria, is reading to LC upstairs.
Interviewer: LC?
DG: ‘Little Clint’.
Interviewer: I take it he is named after your late friend and mentor?
DG: (Nodding.) My fault. When I first saw him he was bawling and waving his arms about. I said he looked like Clint with a bad actor, meaning myself.
KG: I just burst out laughing, but I knew that he’d always be Clint from that moment.
Interviewer: (Laughs). So, tell me about how you came to decide on a comedy as your comeback film after nearly three years away to have Little Clint.
KG: I just wanted to do something different. There had always been elements of humour in the films I’d made, especially the ‘Dirty Work’ series, mostly down to Dave getting jokes put in.
Interviewer: I remember you telling me.
DG: I think I’ve said before, bin men can’t be serious for too long. (Smiles)
KG: How long before you give up on the ‘I’m still a bin man’ thing? (Laughs)
DG: It’s just a mindset that helps me, you know that. It keeps me grounded.
KG: Anyway, I thought that maybe it was time to give comedy a chance. Drama is all I’d done previously.

Karen and I were eating breakfast. Little Clint was nearly eighteen months old now. Karen had wanted to wait until he was walking and talking before hiring a nanny. She had finally found one she liked who got on well with all of us. Maria fitted into the family smoothly, slowly taking over running the household from Karen. I could tell Karen was building up to asking me something by the way she fiddled with her glass of juice. “Come on, get it out Karen. You’re wearing a hole in the table. What is it?” She jumped.
“Well.” She looked down at the table and then back up at me. “I was thinking that maybe it was time I started to look at some scripts. Clint and Maria get on fine and, and…” She tailed off as I stood up and began to walk towards my office, beckoning her to follow me.
“Six months.” I said over my shoulder as I reached into the only purposely locked drawer on my desk.
“What?”
“Six months after we hired Maria before you got restless. I thought it’d be less.” I dropped a script onto the desk in front of the bemused Karen. “I’ve been holding onto this for nine months. See what you think.”
“What is it?”
“A script. Remember them?”
“Idiot! What is it about?”
“A female spy. ‘Jane Blonde’.”
“That sounds silly.”
“It’s supposed too. It’s a spoof. I know we talked about doing a comedy before Clint was born and this is what Douglas and I came up with. See what you think. If you don’t like it I’ll get in touch with our agent and see what she can come up with.” Karen took the script and began to read.

Interviewer: So I take it you liked it?
KG: I did, but I have to say that I didn’t really read it properly. I thought that if Dave was satisfied that it was good enough for me, then it was.
DG: Unfortunately when we went to get backing for it, not many people were convinced that it would work.
Interviewer: Really? Did they say why?
KG: Most of our usual backers either didn’t think it was a role I could play or that I had been out of the public eye too long and they wouldn’t see any return on their investment.
Interviewer: So how did you get the backing?
DG: We talked a couple of them round, found one or two new investors and then did what we had done before; put up the rest of the money ourselves. I had confidence in the script and in Karen.
KG: I wasn’t as confident. Having Clint and then looking after him had been the longest break between films that I’d taken. I wasn’t sure I still had the spark.
DG: (Cuddles her.) I couldn’t believe that for a moment. It was the opposite of everything that we had done together previously. For a change it was me having to reassure her about her ability.
Interviewer: So, you got together the backing, and then what? Any training this time?
KG: (Laughs) Well, I had to get super fit quite quickly, and learn all sorts of martial arts to play Jane convincingly.
Interviewer: You seem to have pulled that off if I may say.
KG: (Blushing.) Thank you.
DG: When it came to the filming, things didn’t go quite to plan though. My plan anyway. I suppose I’d got used to doing things my own way.
Interviewer: I did hear rumours about dissent on the set.

We were two weeks into the filming when it happened. Looking back at it, I suppose I could have handled it differently, but I wasn’t used to actors directly questioning my methods, and the fact that it was Karen only made it worse. I should have spotted that she was unhappy with something, but unfortunately I attributed her unease to her nervousness about making a film again. Then again, she should have just come to me and asked why I was doing things the way I was and I would have explained everything to her. As it was, half way through a days work, she just stopped and turned to look at me. “Why am I the only one in this film who doesn’t get a laugh?” She asked loudly, her hands on her hips, a pout on her lips.
“It explains everything in the script. You told me you’d read it, that it was fine. So what’s the problem now?” I answered, in a much more high-handed way than I’d intended.
“Everyone else plays their roles for a laugh, I have to play my role straight. You said I was doing comedy!”
“You are doing comedy.”
“Well it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like less fun than doing a drama, and I want to be funny. I’m going to see Clint.” Her last statement confused a few people on the set for a moment, until they remembered Clint was our son. I let her storm off. If I’d gone running after her like she expected my credibility as director would have been shot to pieces. Instead I calmly called a break in filming and told everyone to go home and come back tomorrow. I waited until everyone had left before I called Maria up on the intercom and asked her to ask Karen to come back onto the set.
“Are you sure sir? She seems pretty upset.”
“I know Maria, it’s my fault. Please tell her I asked nicely.”
Most of the lights were turned off now. I sat on the darkened set for nearly twenty minutes waiting for Karen. Eventually she tiptoed back onto the set and sat beside me. I could tell she had been crying, her eyes looking reddened even in the gloom of the studio. “Why the drama queen scene sweetheart?” I asked her quietly. “I’ll always listen to your concerns or ideas if you come to me, but I can’t have you shouting at me on set, and I can’t go running after you. If I do it’ll ruin my credibility with everyone else, you understand that?” She nodded, tears still in her eyes. “Then tell me what the matter is now. I’ve sent them all away until tomorrow; we’re the only ones here, plus Clint and Maria of course.”
“I’m sorry Dave.” She sobbed. “I should have read the script properly, but I thought I was going to be clowning around like everyone else, but I’m the only one who doesn’t crack a joke, fall over something, break something or pull a funny face. It doesn’t feel like a comedy to me.”
“Seeing as it’s you, and I can’t do this film without you, I’ll try to explain my and Douglas’s reasoning.” I took her hand and kissed it. “Jane, your character, is the only competent member of staff at a spy agency, and she’s only a secretary. However, she secretly runs the agency and helps her staff by covering their backs, surreptitiously going with them on missions, rescuing them if she has to.”
“I understand that.” Karen looked at me with still teary eyes. “But why do I have to be serious all the time?”
“Because that emphasises the chaos around Jane. Everyone else is being silly, accident prone, and you aren’t, it shows up the humour and the serious sides of the agency.” I saw a light dawn in her eyes.
“So, it’s not because you don’t think I can be funny?” She looked really worried now.
“Why would I think that? I KNOW you can be funny, but we have to make everyone else realise it too, and I think this is a nice subtle way to do that. The next film we do, you can be a complete clown if you want, but for this one I need you to be ‘Emily’ or the scholarship girl.” I brushed her hair from her face.
“Okay, now I understand. I’m really, really sorry about the strop: I don’t know why I didn’t just come and ask you.” She bowed her head in shame.
“I think LC has been rubbing off on you.” I laughed. “What he wants, he gets. From both of us. Just remember, on set, I’m in charge; off set you are, or LC.” She grinned at me. I took her hand and we went to find Little Clint and Maria.

Interviewer; It seems to have been a really serious misunderstanding between you?
DG: Our first argument in a long time. (Cuddles Karen.) I should have seen she wasn’t happy about something and asked, but in all our work together Karen had been such a professional I’d assumed she ‘got it’ from reading the script.
KG: It wasn’t just that. I was really nervous about being in front of the camera’s again and stupidly I hadn’t read the script properly. I knew in my heart that I should have just told Dave quietly about my worries but I didn’t. I did something I never would have done with Clint directing. So when I thought about what I’d done later I was totally embarrassed. I’d shown Dave and myself up. It made the next morning very tense.
Interviewer: So what happened?
KG: I just stood on the set and apologised to everyone.
DG: (Hugs Karen.) It was very brave, but exactly the right thing to do. I suppose it helped that she, we, had known most of the crew for a long time. Some of the other cast members were a bit surprised I suppose, but if anything it served to bring us closer together. We were all on the same page from then on.
Interviewer: But from what I gather, that wasn’t the last of your problems?
KG: No, something from our past came back to haunt us. Well, me particularly.

The filming had almost finished, just one or two scenes to complete before we went to the editing, when I saw Karen looking moody, or upset. Not wanting to repeat the earlier incident I took her to one side and asked what the problem was. At first she said nothing was wrong, that she was fine, but I persisted and she broke down and told me. “It’s my former manager, you remember him?”
“I’m not likely to forget the man who almost broke our marriage, who did force us apart.” I said.
“Well, he…He sent me a message this morning.”
“And?”
“Dave, there’s something I didn’t tell you back then.” She looked down at the ground for a while. I waited patiently until she spoke again, looking back up with tears in her eyes. “I told you a huge lie back then, about that first picture that was taken of me with that guy. I said it was all my manager’s idea, but that first one wasn’t, it was mine. I was hurt and I wanted you to feel the pain I had felt.” She burst into tears. “I’m sorry.” She sobbed. “I didn’t expect you to come out to see me, and, and, things just got out of hand after that.”
“But only that first picture?” I asked as kindly as the shock would allow me. “Everything after that was him?”
“Yes.” She nodded, still crying. “He arranged all the other escorts after I told him I would never divorce you. He thought he could get you to divorce me.” She looked at me, fearful of how I was going to react. She reached up and brushed my cheek. “I swear Dave; I never realised what would happen. I was going to call you after a day of you feeling like I had, but you came out and we argued and then…”
“And then I disappeared.” I took her in my arms and held her close. “Both our faults I suppose.” I kissed away her tears. “Doesn’t matter now. It’s long forgotten.”
“But not by him. He wants money or he said he was going to tell you about my lie.”
“You’ve just told me yourself, so he can go and take a running jump.”
“I all ready told him I’d meet him tonight, and…”
“Forget it. You are not going, I am. And don’t try and stop me.” I looked into her beautiful but tear-stained face. She gave a watery grin.
“All I was going to say was, don’t forget you’re not as young as you were.”
“Meaning? You cheeky madam.”
“Meaning, don’t swing a punch again.” She grinned.

Interviewer: So you went to meet him instead of Karen?
DG: (Nodding.) I did. I told him I knew about his little scheme, and what he thought I didn’t know and if he pushed off now, I was prepared to let him.
Interviewer: And that worked?
DG: Not exactly. He intimated that others might be interested in paying for proof that the ‘pure’ Karen Carragher was a liar.
Interviewer: Others?
DG: I presumed he meant the scandal sheets.
KG: Dave came back and told me what the bastard was planning on doing, but he had an idea to pre-empt him, if I was willing to go through with it.
Interviewer: That extraordinary press conference? (They both nod.)

I sat with Karen in front of the gathering pressmen, holding her hand. She looked worried. “Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked quietly.
“It’s the only way.” She replied. She took a couple of deep breaths, steeling herself and then stood up. “Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon, thank you for coming at such short notice. You may be wondering why Dave and I called this conference, so here goes. There is a rumour concerning an incident in our past.” The assembled hacks looked at each other, some puzzled, and a few others more knowing. “The rumour is that I told Dave a huge lie. I’m ashamed to confirm that this is true, I did. I told him that the first picture taken of me being escorted from a party by someone else had been organised by my then manager, when in truth I had organised it myself. I had been planning to tell him fairly soon afterwards, but events overtook us and I never did until yesterday. Dave was very magnanimous and forgave me instantly. We both realised that we were both acting foolishly at that time, neither of us thinking too rationally. But someone else knew and is trying to trade in this knowledge for money. He approached us first and when we refused to buy his silence, said he was going to sell his story to one of you. This announcement is to forestall that. You have the story and you didn’t have to pay for it, I hope that will be enough. I just want to apologise to all of you and again to Dave and hope that none of you think any the less of me for my admission.” A hand shot up near the front and the journalist asked pointedly.
“Are we talking about your former manager as the other person here?”
“We are not willing to confirm or deny that.” I spoke for the first time.
“What are your feelings in this Dave?”
“My feelings have not changed towards Karen.” I stood up beside her and took her hand. “I loved Karen before she told me, and I love her even more for having told me now.” I kissed my wife. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a film to finish.”

Interviewer: At the time, still now in fact, many of us wondered why you didn’t just issue a press release instead of forcing yourself to stand up and admit to the truth in that way.
KG: I, we, just wanted you all to see that I was sincere in my apologies. Although it was Dave who suggested it, he wasn’t sure that I should do it, but as soon as he mentioned it, I knew that would be the best way to confess. It was the scariest thing I’d ever done at the time, but it felt good to finally get it out in the open.
Interviewer: You’ve done something scarier since?
KG: (Laughs.) I have, and that was all my own fault too.
DG: After the press conference, I asked her if there was anything she wanted to do in the film, other than crack a joke. What she suggested really surprised me.

“You what?” I said.
“I think I should have a couple of scenes where I’m not wearing much.” Karen was deadly serious. “All the spy films have them. You know, manly chests, scantily clad women, and long suggestive kisses.” She kissed me to illustrate what she meant.
“I suppose you’re right.” I muttered.
“So, shall we do that?”
“There are one or two scenes we haven’t filmed yet that we could adapt I suppose.”
“That’s a lot of supposing.” She grinned.
“Are you sure? I mean, you’ve never really done any scenes like that before.”
“I did some bikini scenes for the Scholarship girl.”
“Those were on a beach.”
“I knew that if anyone remembered them, you would.” She grinned again, teasing me. I shrugged. If she wanted to do this, it would almost certainly help the film. I deliberately hadn’t written any scenes like that for two reasons. The first and major reason was that I didn’t think she’d want too. The second and more selfish reason was that she was my wife, and I wasn’t sure I wanted everyone on set ogling her, let alone all the audiences.
“All right.” I sighed. “I’ll start the rewrite tonight, but I’ll have to check with Douglas that he doesn’t mind.”
“Can I help?”
“Just let me know how far you’re prepared to go.”

Interviewer: So those sexy scenes were a last minute addition?
KG: (Grinning.) Yep! And doing them was the scariest thing I’d done. I was worried that maybe I was a bit old to be doing this now, that maybe I wouldn’t be sexy enough any more. (Dave bursts out laughing.) Dave! (Punches his arm.)
DG: Sorry, but how on earth could you think that? You’re only thirty or so.
KG: And a mother don’t forget. It was very nerve wracking.
DG: And your idea, don’t forget that. All I did was write the scenes slightly differently and then direct them.
KG: You also made sure that there was almost no-one on set when we filmed them. Don’t think I didn’t notice. But it helped; I’d never been filmed in sexy underwear before that.
DG: (Laughing again.)Fibber!
KG: (Going red.) For other people, I meant.
Interviewer: Would it help if I said you looked gorgeous?
DG: (Mutters.) It doesn’t help me much.
Interviewer: Sorry, I forgot. I’m blushing too now. (We all laugh.) Anyway, the film seems to achieve all its objectives. You proved Karen can be funny as well as still being quite beautiful, and that Dave is a very capable director.
KG: Thank you for the compliment.
DG: Yes, although I still think I have some things to learn as a director.
Interviewer: I think Clint, Big Clint, would be proud of you. Thank you for your time.

I sat back down next to Karen after he had gone. “I like doing interviews with him; he seems to understand what we mean.”
“He’s a sweetie too. Did you see him blush when he remembered you were my husband?”
“I did. Now what shall we do? Got any more surprises for me?” I joked.
“Actually, I do.” I looked at her in astonishment, her eyes shining with suppressed devilment. “While you were doing the editing for ‘Jane’, I was pitching an idea to Douglas. Well, getting him to write something for me.” She pulled a script from beneath the sofa we were sat on. “It’s the comedy you said we could do next, with me being the funny one this time.” I took it from her and scanned through a few pages. There seemed to be a lot of scenes where Karen kept losing items of clothing in various amusing ways.
“You seem to be undressed rather a lot.” I said mildly.
“So?” She frowned at me.
“It worries me that’s all.”
“What, me taking some of my clothes off?” She began to unbutton her blouse. “It doesn’t bother you all the time does it?” She breathed sexily into my ear.
“No, just…” She put her hand over my mouth.
“LC and Maria have gone out for a while…” She left the suggestion hanging. I swept her into my arms and picked her up, kissing her.
“Let’s go and rehearse shall we?”

Bad Reputation

Another Story from the Space Colony. Seem to have run out of characters now though.





Maggie Bartowski looked up from checking the corn in her father’s fields as the government transport made a perfect landing in the yard in front of the farmhouse. Her older sister, Stella, stepped from the craft and, seeing her, waved. Maggie trotted back towards the house. Stella had been a government official for nearly nine years now and this was her latest official errand. The township had advertised in the colony for some young men to come and help the farmers throughout the summer and the autumn harvest. There was an odd imbalance in the gender of the children on this planet. The colony had more boys than girls, and the opposite was true here in ‘Sideways Landing’, which was leading to a few difficulties as the original farmers aged. Stella was dropping off the fifteen or so volunteers who had recently arrived at the places who had asked for assistance. “Hi big sis.” Maggie said as Stella came back out of the house.
“Hiya little sis.” Stella smiled back. “Brought you some help.”
“I was coping you know.” Maggie pouted.
“I know Mags, but dad didn’t want to wear you out. After all, you’re only just sixteen, and you work harder than some of the older boys.”
“I wasn’t complaining.” She still pouted. Stella grinned.
“All right, you can do it all. But you’ve got some help now.” A frown crossed the older girl’s brow. “How much I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, this guy, he seems a bit…wet and weedy. That reminds me, Eve says you are not to torment him too much, she doesn’t want a bad report about the town going back to the scheme HQ.”
“WHAT! I can’t tease him?”
“Maybe a little bit.” Stella grinned. “I know how hard restraint will be for you.”
“You can talk.”
“Hey! I’m allowed to tease my husband, and D and Eve expect it. I’ve stopped with everyone else.”
“Except me apparently.”
“Well, you’re my cute little sister.”
“I’m not little!” Maggie said angrily and then stopped. They both burst out laughing. “We should talk more often Stells; we seem to be the only ones who enjoy winding each other up.”
“You’re right Mags.” She hugged her younger sister. “Now, I gotta dash. Coming to the dance next week?”
“Probably. There is some serious tormenting to be done…”
“…And we’re the girls to do it!” Stella laughed over her shoulder as she entered the transport.
Maggie waved her sister off and then went inside to meet the new arrival. Her father was talking with a boy of about her age. “Margaret, this is Mark. You are not…”
“Yes, yes. I know dad. I’m not to pick on him. Stella told me already. So I promise.”
“Good girl. He’s going to be in the spare room, your old room. So get him settled in and then show him the farm.”
“Yes sir.” She turned to the boy, who was looking at her with amused interest. “This way, Mark wasn’t it?” He nodded and followed her as she led him to the room at the back of the house.
“What was that all about?” He asked when they were out of earshot of Mr Bartowski.
“What? Oh, the warning.” Maggie sighed. “I’m afraid I have a bit of a bad reputation for teasing and tormenting people. I suppose I’m the nearest thing to a tearaway in ‘Sideways’.” She sighed again. “It’s all my sister Stella’s fault.”
“The police pilot who just dropped me off? How?”
“My big sister was all set to be the chief delinquent until she decided to rebel and become the law instead.”
“So how does that promote you?”
“Well, we’re very alike and when she went to the academy she left me a detailed list of how to wind certain people up. I’ve never looked back since!” A huge grin spread across her face. “In any case, you look like you wouldn’t be much of a challenge, no offence meant.”
“Oh yes?” Mark smiled. It made him look kind of cute Maggie decided. “Like to try anyway? I might surprise you.”
“I can’t, I promised. You heard me.”
“I won’t tell if you won’t.” He grinned wickedly. Maggie grinned back.
“Okay, you’re on. I can’t resist a challenge.” His smile made Maggie feel different about him than the local boys. “Just remember, you asked for it. But you’ll have to say if I go too far, I don’t want to upset my dad, or Eve.”
“Agreed.” He stuck out his hand and Maggie shook it. “Who’s Eve?”
“The first born, and like a big sister to all of us born out here.” She shook herself, she was talking too much. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the place. And I’ll warn you now to be on your guard at all times; you don’t know when I’ll strike!”
“I’ll be watching you.”

After a week Maggie was feeling a little frustrated. Mark seemed immune to her verbal sallies and mild insults and she was wondering how. He just smiled benignly, and that was the problem. She so loved the smile she couldn’t get mad at him. None of the boys she grew up with had a smile like it, not that any of them smiled much when they saw her. Usually they tried to hide, such was her reputation. Perhaps she was losing her touch she mused. But tonight was the night of the dance, there would be plenty of opportunities to rediscover her mojo.
Mark knocked timidly on her bedroom door. “Margaret, are you ready yet?”
“Just a second, and don’t call me ‘Margaret’, only mom and dad do that.”
“But it is your name.”
“Everyone, even my sister, even Mr and Mrs Lynton, calls me ‘Maggie’.”
“All right, if you insist Maggie. Why do we have to get there so early any way?”
“I want to see Stells or Eve about something before it gets noisy.”
“Fair enough. I wouldn’t mind talking with some of the other colony lads, to see how they’re getting on.” At this point Maggie opened the door and stepped out. “Gosh!” Mark exclaimed, staring at her.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing, nothing at all. That’s a very pretty dress if I may say.”
“This? It used to be a bridesmaid dress, when I was seven and then when I was eight.”
“You must have been extraordinarily tall for your age.”
“Don’t be silly.” She giggled. “Me and mom have been altering it ever since, though it’s getting a bit short now.” She looked down at the hemline half way up her thigh and sighed. “It used to reach the ground.”
“It suits you. You look even prettier.” She blushed deeply at this.
“How come you can wind me up with such simple statements, and I can’t get at you no matter how hard I try?”
“Beats me.” He shrugged. “Let’s go to this dance shall we?”

“Stella! I need to talk.”
“What’s up sis?” Stella was stood outside the door of the village hall, waiting for her.
“It’s Mark. He makes me feel…funny. And I can’t wind him up!”
“You’re not supposed to, remember?”
“He wanted me to, honest.”
“All right, ignoring that, how does he make you feel ‘funny’?”
“Well, just…funny. Not like usual. You know normally I have no trouble winding someone up? Well, with Mark, it’s a real effort to try. He looks so timid, but he’s withstood everything I could think of and, and he teases me without trying, and his smile is soooo cute.” Maggie looked at her sister who was giving her a laughing look.
“Oh dear! It sounds like you’ve finally fallen.”
“What!?”
“Mags, it sounds like you’ve met your match at last, like me with Mikey.”
“Don’t say that! I hardly know him.”
“I think I’d better post a notice saying that everyone is safe, the reign of teasing is over. Mighty Maggie has fallen.” Stella laughed.
“Fallen?”
“In love dopey.”
“I have?”
“Sounds like it to me. Listen, you know how alike we are?” Maggie nodded. “Well I needed someone to withstand my teasing and I got Mikey. All the other boys crumpled. It looks like the same thing with you. All the locals couldn’t take it, but you’ve found someone who can.”
“Oh.” Maggie went bright red. “Don’t tell anyone, especially him. I want to know how he feels first.”
“All right Mags. I won’t even tell Mikey or Evie. Come on, let’s go in and find someone to tease.”
“I don’t know if I still can.” Now she looked unhappy.
“Course you can, if you want to that is. It’s a knack we have.”
She still had the knack she soon found. After an hour or so Maggie decided to find Eve and ask her the same thing she had asked Stella. Eve had apparently gone outside for a breath of fresh air so Maggie followed. Before she found Eve though she came upon three of the colony boys talking and drinking around the dark side of the hall. She stopped and listened, a bad habit. “These country girls are so simple.” One of them was saying. “They believe anything you tell them!” The other two laughed in agreement.
“Yeah! It’s gonna be easy.”
“Too right, we’ll love ‘em and leave ‘em.” All three laughed. That was too much for Maggie. She stepped out in front of them.
“Not a chance. I’m telling them all what you said.” They looked at her and smirked.
“Who’s gonna believe you! I know you, the so called ‘terror of Sideways’. No-one will believe you.”
“Maybe not me, but they’ll believe Evie.” She said skipping away from a desperate lunge from the lad closest to her and running off to find Eve.
“You’re sure that’s what they said?” Eve asked.
“Honestly Evie. I’m not making this up.”
“Okay, I believe you, though I wish I didn’t. I’ll warn all the girls and get D to keep an eye out. Could you recognise which three boys it was?”
“Sorry, it was dark.”
“That means we have to suspect all of them I’m afraid.”
“Even Mark?”
“Even Mark.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe he could be one of them.”
“Why not?”
“Because of his smile, Evie. He just…” She tailed off. Eve just smiled in understanding.

Maggie and Mark were walking slowly back to the farm. Both of them quiet, lost in their own thoughts. Mark because that was how he was; Maggie because she was worried that she had spoilt the evening for everyone. But she couldn’t let her friends be taken advantage of could she? Suddenly three figures stepped in front of them, blocking the way. “You interfering little country bumpkin. You ruined our fun and now we’re going to take out our frustrations on you.”
“Guys, what’s this about?” Mark stepped between Maggie and the three. “It looks like you had too much to drink.”
“You keep out of this college boy; this is between us and her.” All three jumped at once. One clubbed Mark to the ground, the other two grabbing Maggie. She tried to get free but they held her tightly. Mark tried to get up but was kicked in the head. The last thing he saw before blacking out was a screaming Maggie being carried off.
Mark wasn’t unconscious for long, but there was no sign of anyone around when he came round. He had to find help, he knew. He turned and ran as fast as he could back to the town. The first person he ran into was Stella. He managed to gasp out what had happened to Maggie. Stella went white with rage. She managed to control it with difficulty and called D, telling him what had happened and that she was going on ahead. “Now show me where.” She ordered Mark. He took her back to the ambush spot and she began to look around. As she found a torn piece of Maggie’s dress, D, Mikey and two other locals Mark didn’t recognise arrived. “This way.” Stella said. They found another fragment of cloth a minute or so later.
“Good girl Maggie.” D breathed. “She’s leaving us a trail.”
“Well, we’d better be quick. There wasn’t much left of that dress to start with.” Stella said, plunging on.
“Over there!” Mark suddenly said. “A campfire.” There was a small glow about two hundred yards away.
“Stella. You stay here with Mark.” D ordered.
“That’s my sister.”
“That’s why you’re staying here.”
“NO!” Stella ran towards the light, the others following her quickly.
There was no need to rush. The three colony lads were all asleep; their alcohol intake had been too much. Maggie was tied to a tree but apparently unharmed, although she was crying. Mark ran over to her and set her free. He held her close, stroking her hair, soothing her. D and Mikey roused the slumbering miscreants, cuffing them as they did so. Stella was seething now, she drew her night stick.
“Stella, put that away!” D ordered.
“WHY!”
“Because I say! We uphold the law; we DO NOT take it into our own hands and mete out punishment.”
“But…”
“STELLA!” Mikey said warningly. “Put it away love.” She slowly obeyed.
“But she’s my little sister.” She started to sob.
“She’ll be fine.” D said quietly. “Take her home, and Mark too. He’s a brave lad.”
“Yes, yes he is. Thank you Mark.” Mark looked up from where he was holding Maggie.
“She won’t blame me for this will she?”
“Ask her.” Mikey said, noticing the look Maggie was giving the boy.
“No Mark. You stood up for me. Nobody but Stella ever did that before. Take me home please.” She passed out. Mark swept her up in his arms and with Stella following, started back towards the farm.
“What happened to Rob and George?” Mikey asked, spotting the absence of the other two locals.
“I’m afraid they’ve gone back to the town. We may need some help here.” He took out his radio. “Evie, are you listening?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Get your dad to go to the transport and get her started. I need to get these three out of here quickly.”
“How’s Maggie?”
“Unharmed, but shaken up. Go get your dad.”
“Doing it now.”
“Come on you three. The quicker we are, the more chance you have of getting out of here alive.”
“What do you mean mister?” They were frightened now.
“Maggie may be a pain sometimes, but she’s ours. Despite what you might expect, most people here are fond of her. There may be a party waiting that you won’t want to attend. So shut up, get moving, and do it NOW!”
“Mark, you need me to spell you carrying Mags?” Stella asked.
“I can manage thanks, but you might want to run ahead and warn your folks. It might not look too good just arriving like this.”
“Brave, strong and smart; I can see why she likes you. I’ll go get some help.” With that she ran on ahead. Maggie came round and looked up into Mark’s determined face.
“Mark? I…need to… ask you something.”
“Go on.” He said, getting out of breath.
“Do… do you like me?”
“Of course, you’re a very nice, very pretty girl.” He replied, a puzzled look on his face.
“Is that all?”
“What do you want me to say Maggie? I’ve only known you a week after all.”
“So you just like me?”
“I like you a lot. But that’s all I can say at the moment. Why?”
“Nothing, nothing at all, just something Stella said earlier. It’s not important really.” She looked away so that he couldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes. Mr Bartowski appeared out of the night breathing hard.
“Is she all right?”
“They didn’t touch her sir, I promise.”
“Pretty much thanks to you I hear.”
“Possibly, but if I’d have been a better fighter it would never have got that far.”
“Not your fault son, I promise.”
“Thank you for that sir.”
“Now run on ahead and get your head looked at.” Mark nodded and went on ahead.
“Oh daddy, I think I love him, but he doesn’t seem to love me. What am I going to do?” She sobbed into her father broad chest.
“Give him time princess, he’s only just arrived. Just give it time. You do know he might not know himself?”
D and Mikey had arrived back at the transport and there was indeed a ‘welcoming committee’ waiting. They stopped with the prisoners in the dark on the far side of the vehicle and tried to decide what to do. Then Dave Lynton stepped out of the transport and stood and looked hard at the gathered crowd. “I know why you’re all here.” He said. “And I’m afraid you’ll all be disappointed. Officer D is taking those lads back to the colony to receive their punishment. That is what he is supposed to do. Although in one way it’s good that you all feel so strongly about Maggie, strong enough to contemplate this…this stupidity. You should all be ashamed, I know I am. I thought I knew you all better. No go, before our lawman has to start arresting you as well. Go on, back to your homes. NOW!” It was a long time since anybody had seen Dave so angry and the crowd began sheepishly to break up. Dave let his head slump. When he looked up there was no-one about, the mob had dispersed in the night. D and Mikey brought the three by now terrified lads to the transport’s hatch. As Mikey took them aboard D put his hand on Dave’s shoulder and nodded his thanks. “Just get them out of here.” Dave said. D nodded again and boarded the ship.

No-one mentioned the events of that night again. It was referred to darkly as ‘the incident’. Most of the settlers, when they remembered it, were ashamed of their actions. They made efforts to treat the other lads from the colony as if they were members of their families. The lads in return worked harder, covering the work of the boys who had been sent away, and helping each other if they needed it. Things between Mark and Maggie were strained and Mark couldn’t understand why. He did think it was something to do with ‘the incident’. Perhaps she held him responsible. He just didn’t know. He did miss her attempts to tease him; she wasn’t teasing anyone at all. It didn’t seem natural, Maggie not teasing. So he’d shrugged and left it alone, left her to sort out whatever it was that was bothering her.
And now it was time for him to leave. The harvest was in and the ‘contract’ was up. Mark would be sad to go, all the lads were, but there seemed to be nothing more to do. He picked up his bag and went to the door. Mr and Mrs Bartowski thanked him and wished him well, hoping he could come back again. For some reason he blushed. “Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed working here. Can I say goodbye to Maggie?”
“You could if we knew where she had gone Mark. I’m sorry.” The older man sighed. “I’m also sorry for the way she’s been for the past couple of months. I think I know why, but from the look you’re giving me, you don’t.”
“Is it something I’ve done?”
“Actually, I think it’s more something you didn’t do, or more specifically, say.” He lapsed into silence. Stella came in.
“Hiya Mark! Thought I’d walk into town with you and Mags.”
“Maggie isn’t here. And I did want to say goodbye.” Stella looked thoughtful for a moment.
“I can find her. You go into town and go and see Evie. She has something she wants to say to all of you boys. I’ll catch you there.” With that she shot out of the back door. Mark shook hands with the Bartowski’s and began a slow trudge into the town.
Stella ran down to the edge of the lake. A quick look was all she needed to realise that Maggie had taken their secret canoe to the island. Luckily her father had a rowboat further along the bank. She jumped in and rowed her way to the island. The old camp wasn’t used so much these days, but it was still there. Stella was reminded of the day Eve had run away to the island; it seemed to have a pull for unhappy girls. She made her way to the camp and found Maggie sitting on her own. “Mags? Are you all right?” Maggie span round, saw it was Stella and burst into tears. “Maggie, tell me what’s wrong, maybe I can help.”
“I can’t get anything to happen the way I want it too.” Maggie sobbed. “You were supposed to be Mark.”
“Oh! Sorry. You thought hiding on the island like Evie did would bring Mark here like D?” The younger girl nodded sadly. “But Mark doesn’t know about the camp. It was you that told D where to find Eve.”
“It should have worked.” Maggie bawled. “Love will find a way.”
“Only if it knows what it’s looking for. You’ve got him confused. He doesn’t know why you’re avoiding him. If you’d told him, maybe he’d have come.”
“Boys are stupid.”
“Yes. But you have to at least hint.” Stella took her sister’s head and held it close. “If we hurry, you’ll have one last chance to give him one last chance.”
“I don’t know if I’m strong enough. What if he rejects me?”
“Then you’ll never see him again.” She paused, a wicked grin crossing her face. “You’ll become an old maid, withering away.”
“STELLA! How can you say that?”
“Call it a knack.” She looked into Maggie’s face. “I have to wind you up. Big sis, remember?” She grinned. “Look, you have to know. If he goes, you can forget him and find someone else. I’ll help you, I promise.” Maggie stood up, a determined look on her teary face.
“Come on then, let’s go.”

Mark opened the door to the post office. The rest of the lads were there all ready. Eve smiled at him. “You’re all here, good. I want to thank you all for your hard work; you’ve been a credit to the scheme. If any of you want to come back next year, you will be welcome.” Mark looked at the others and they all nodded.
“Miss Eve, none of us actually want to go. We’ve all enjoyed working here; people have welcomed us, made us feel at home. Isn’t there some way we could stay?”
“Miss Eve? I’ve been married ten years now.”
“Sorry, but I’m not sure how to address you.”
“Eve will be fine.” The first born smiled. “As for staying, there may be a way.”
“How?” There was the sound of the big transport arriving.
“I need to get in touch with the colony, I won’t be long.” She bustled out and crossed to the station.
“What should we do?” One of the others asked Mark. He shrugged.
“How about some work? We could unload the transport.”
“Sure, why not?” They trooped off to the landing site.
Minutes later Stella and Maggie rushed into the empty post office. “Damn! Missed them.” Stella panted.
“Maybe not.” Maggie gasped. “The transport hasn’t left yet, we’d have heard it.”
“Right! I hope you appreciate me running around for you.”
“Makes a change from me having to clean up after you!”
“Cheeky. Come on then, another dash.” The sisters turned around and ran into Eve.
“Where are you two going in such a hurry?”
“We have to get to the landing site so Maggie can say something to Mark.”
“Finally” Eve smiled. “I’ll come too; I have some news for the boys.”
“You do?”
“Yes, so let’s go. No, wait. I have a better idea. Maggie, come with me. Stella call D and tell him not to let the transport take off.”
“Good thinking FB. Now go!”
Eve and Maggie arrived at the landing site out of breath and looking very red. A quick look told them they could have strolled. The boys had only half emptied the transport so far, their hearts not really in it. Mark saw the two of them panting for breath and came over to them. “Are you two all right? You look done in.”
“Long time since I had to run so far so fast.” Eve gasped out.
“I just had to get here before you left Mark.” Maggie wheezed.
“Just take your time both of you. Take your time and breathe in deeply.” They both did what he said and began to breathe more easily. “Water?” They both nodded so he went and got two small bottles of water. “Now what’s so important that you nearly kill yourselves?”
“Maggie, you go first.” Eve said, still gulping in air. Maggie controlled her breathing and took Mark’s hand.
“I want to explain why I’ve been…well, a bitch for most of your time here.”
“Is it something to do with ‘the incident’?”
“Sort of. Do you remember me asking you if you liked me that night?” He nodded slowly. “Well, you gave me some wishy answer about hardly knowing me.”
“I remember.”
“What I was trying to tell you was that I loved you.”
“But you don’t know me.”
“Eve, tell him about when love hits you.”
“She’s right Mark. It can hit you moments after you meet someone or it can take months. And sometimes it has to be pointed out to you, if you get my meaning.”
“Actually I do.” He looked down at the ground. “That first week was one of the most fun times I’ve ever had, Maggie trying to get me to bite and getting wound up because I wouldn’t. And getting wound up or embarrassed when I said something.” He sighed. “I just couldn’t believe a girl would try so hard to impress me. And then it all changed, and I wanted her to try again, but she didn’t. I thought she was bored with it.”
“No! No, I wasn’t bored, but I thought you were, that my teasing was making you dislike me.”
“I told you I liked you, I told you that.”
“But that’s all you told me. You didn’t give me any hope that…that you might love me. I’ve never been in love before; I didn’t know what to do.” Mark took her hand.
“Well, nor have I, so I didn’t know either.”
“You silly pair, why didn’t either of you say something. I am supposed to be everyone’s ‘big sister’. I could have helped, or Stella, or even D or Mikey. Even my mom and dad, any of us would have been glad to talk things over with you.” Maggie burst into tears.
“Oh Mark, I’m sorry. We only had these short months and I ruined it. Now you’re leaving and going back to the colony.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Eve smiled. “I got in touch with the scheme, and proposed something different. They agreed to it. If any of you boys want to stay, you can.”
“We can?” One of the others asked.
“Yes. What I proposed is that you form a group workforce. When you’re needed you help out on the farms. The rest of the time you do civil works. You know, build roads, clear ground, work here loading and unloading the transport, and maybe put up the odd building.”
“They might be a bit odd if you just turn us loose like that.” Mark grinned. Eve laughed back.
“I think I can talk some of the experts to give you some training and supervision for a while. So, what do you think?”
“Well guys, who’s for staying?” Mark asked. There was a unanimous show of hands. “It seems we might need to borrow the radio to call our folks and tell them what’s happening Miss Eve.” She gave him a look. “Big sis?” He tried again.
“Not a problem. Finish here and then we’ll go and see D.”
Stella had wandered up by now. “What’s happening?” She asked Maggie as she saw the now happy gang of lads bend to the task of unloading and then loading the transport with renewed vigour.
“Stells, they’re staying!” Maggie said, her eyes shining brightly.
“Does that solve your particular problem?”
“Well, no. But it gives me time to work on a plan.”
“Or you could just ask him.”
“I tried that before.”
“Try it again, while he’s in a good mood and has forgotten how annoying you can be.”
“Stells!”
“Big sis leg pull.” Stella smiled. “Just ask him.”
“Okay, I will.” She strode up to Mark. “I’m going to say this quickly. I love you. Do you think you can love me?”
“I don’t think so.” Her face dropped. “I know so.” He grinned. “Wind up complete.”
“Hey! I’m supposed to be the teaser.” She thumped him on the arm.
Stella was stood with Eve. “Tell me Evie; was I as bad as that?”
“NOOooo! You were worse.”
“Evie!” They both burst out laughing. “When did you start winding people up?”
“Only recently. It must be being exposed to such bad influences as you and Maggie for so long, it’s rubbing off on me.” Maggie and Mark came over to them.
“Thank you both.” Mark said. “Eve for making it possible to stay here, and you, Officer Stella, for making Mags talk to me.”
“Hey! If I’d known that weedy kid I dropped out to our farm would become so hunky, I might not have trusted her with you.” She turned, blushing, to Eve who was laughing. “Did I just say that? I’m so embarrassed!”
“I haven’t changed that much have I?” Mark asked, also reddening.
“Let’s just say, you’ve filled out nicely.” Eve grinned

Mark and Maggie were walking arm in arm back to the farm. “Have I really changed that much physically Mags?”
“I don’t think you’ve changed that much. But then again, I fell in love with the original you, the muscles are a bonus.” He blushed again. “Hey! I did it! I made you blush at last.” She laughed gleefully.
“Caught me unawares.” He grinned back.
“How come I couldn’t before?”
“I have an older cousin who teased me from when I was three or four. I became able to not react.”
“Unless you were surprised?”
“Right.” He paused, not sure whether he should ask this next question. “That night, they…they didn’t do anything did they?”
“You know they didn’t, they were all too drunk.”
“So, no…no fondling or…kissing?”
“Nope. Why are you so worried about that now?”
“Because I want to be the first to do this.” He took her in his arms and kissed her full on the lips. She kissed back with a passion.
“That was worth waiting for. You haven’t been practicing with someone else have you? You’re quite good.”
“And how do you know the difference?”
“I had nine years watching Stells and Mikey perfecting kissing, and my mom and dad I suppose. So I’m quite an expert.”
“An expert with a bad reputation?” Mark laughed. “Shall we practice some more?”

From The Stars

Thought Stella (From First Born Colonist) deserved her own story. So following immediately on from there.


Stella found Mikey where Eve had said he would be; at his favourite night fishing spot. He was laying back, hands behind his head with his shirt open and his fishing rod in the crook of his knee. ‘He is kind of cute now’ Stella thought ‘when did that happen?’
“Hiya Mikey! Caught anything or are you just drowning worms as usual?” She said, dropping to the ground beside him.
“Oh, it’s you Stells.” He said, opening his eyes. “Bored with the wedding talk already?”
“Yep!”
“So you thought you’d come and torment me.”
“You’re on form Mikey boy. I thought you’d like to know you’re my number one target now.”
“I thought I would be.” He sighed. “Couldn’t you have left it a couple of days?”
“No time like the present.”
“Why me? Isn’t there someone more your age you could pick on?”
“Where’s the fun in that? Besides, you are my age.”
“I’m a year older than you.” He said, sitting up.
“Eleven months actually.” Stella retorted, attempting to pinch his arm and failing. “Ooo! Eve was right, you are muscley now.”
“And YOU are still a pain.”
“I know, I know. I don’t know why you put up with me.”
“I have a choice?”
“Not really.” She tried to pinch him again, on the stomach this time.
“Will you stop that?” Mikey said, grabbing her wrist.
“No!!” Stella said laughingly. She sat across his chest.
“Get off!”
“Nope!”
“Then I’m forced to do…THIS!” He suddenly rolled to the side and pinned her down with one hand and tickled her with the other.
“STOP!!! STOP!!!” She gasped between laughs. “I’m sure there’s a law about tickling a government official.”
“There probably is. But YOU are only a temporary deputy.” He continued his assault. “So it doesn’t count.”
“Stoppit, stoppit! I concede, I concede.” She giggled. Mikey obligingly rolled back off her and resumed his laid back fishing. Stella looked at him sideways.
“Mikey, would you miss me if I went away to be trained properly as a government official?”
“Yeah! I’d really miss being teased all day by a nutter.” He opened his eyes again and looked into her face. “Any way, that’ll never happen.”
“Why not?” She pouted.
“Face it Stells, you’re just to wild to become an official.”
“I am not! And I’ll prove it too!! Tomorrow I’m asking D if he can get me onto the government training course.” She crossed her arms huffily.
“Never gonna happen Stells. You might have the brains, but not the temperament.” He grinned smugly. “Everybody knows that.”
“I HATE YOU!” She screamed, getting up and stomping away. “I’LL PROVE I CAN DO IT, TO YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE!” She shouted over her shoulder as she stormed off.
“That was easy.” Mikey mused. “Maybe I should have tried that before.” He closed his eyes again.

Stella knocked on the station door even earlier than usual. D opened it looking bleary-eyed and half-dressed. “What’s the matter Stella? Couldn’t it wait for an hour?” He asked yawning.
“Maybe it could, but I want this done as soon as possible.”
“WHAT do you want done?”
“Well, I was up all night…”
“You do look tired, or are those the remnants of tears?”
“I was up all night looking through my deputy handbook.” She ignored the question. “If you recommend me as your permanent deputy, I can go to the academy on a one year course straightaway. Then when I pass I’m guaranteed to come back here to work for you!”
“And that’s what you want is it?” D sighed. “All right, come in and I’ll start the ball rolling.”
“Thanks D!” She pecked him on the cheek and followed him to the radio in the main cabin. “Morning Eve!” She called as she passed the sleeping quarters.
“Stella! What are you doing here so early?” Eve asked incredulously as she came out of the bunk room, a sheet wrapped around her.
“I want D to send off my application to become an official government official as soon as possible.” The years of teasing Eve proved too much. “I don’t need to ask why you’re here so early, or is it so late?” She asked slyly. Eve went red and ducked back into the sleeping quarters.
“I thought you were going to stop teasing her?” D called from the radio.
“Sorry, but that was too good too miss.” She came up behind D. “Have you sent it yet?”
“No, the radio is still warming up. What’s the big rush anyway?” He asked.
“It’s Mikey’s fault.” Stella declared. “He said I’m not the right sort of person, and then he laughed.”
“He laughed?” D said disbelievingly.
“All right, he smirked in that annoying way of his.” She admitted.
“So?”
“So I want to prove him wrong. Nearly everybody thinks I’ll fail anyway and I want to prove them all wrong.”
“I believe in you, Eve believes in you, your parents and Dave and Lisa believe in you.”
“But that’s all! Everyone else thinks of me as the wild child, the rebel without a cause, the girl who shuns responsibility. I’m growing up now; it’s time I did something sensible.”
“All right, I’ll do it. As long as it’s not some knee-jerk reaction to yesterday and you’re really serious.”
“I promise I’m serious D. I want you and Eve to be proud of me. She’s been like my big sister, everybody’s big sister and I want to pay her back by lightening the load for you. It’s the best way I can think of.” The radio hummed as it came to life finally.
“Here we go then.”

Ten days after the last small transport had visited ‘Sideways Landing’ another one was waiting on the landing site. Stella had been approved and was to report to the training academy. Her parents and Eve and D were saying their farewells. “I won’t be long, so don’t all look so sad.” Stella said. “Mom, tell Maggie she can have my room. I’ve left her a few things. And tell her she’s to be Eve’s bridesmaid now, her other big sister.” She turned to D and Eve. “I’m sorry I’ll miss the wedding, but this is important to me. I have to do it, you both understand?” They nodded. “Tell Lisa I’m sorry too, but Grace will be just as good as me as a bridesmaid, and she’ll good with the class too. I never was, they all saw me as their naughty older friend. Perhaps this will change things.” Eve hugged her, she couldn’t say anything. D shook her hand, and then pecked her on the cheek.
“Things will be dull without you.” He said.
“Maybe.” Stella grinned as she boarded the transport. “Maybe not!” Then, with a last cheeky smile and a wave she was gone.
“What did she mean by that?” D mused.
“I have an inkling.” Her father said. “I suggest you keep an eye on Maggie.”
“Sweet little Maggie? Why?”
“Just a feeling. I do know both of my daughters and they are more alike than you think.” He said darkly.

Mikey was watching the departure from a distance. He had really confused feelings. He tried to tell himself that he wouldn’t miss his daily teasing from the effervescent Stella, but he knew he would. He knew she was doing this to prove him wrong, the whole village knew, but he hoped going away wouldn’t change her. He loved her free spiritedness. His thoughts crashed to a halt. That wasn’t all he loved! He suddenly realised that he loved Stella and that he had to tell her before she left. He began to run towards the transport but he’d left it too late and it took off before he could get there. He arrived, out of breath, amongst the others. “Damn! Damn! Damn!” He shouted, kicking viciously at a fence post.
“What’s the matter Mikey?” Eve asked quietly.
“Sorry.” He apologised. “I just realised that there was something I needed to say to Stells, but I’ve blown it.” He sat down heavily, a look of defeat on his face. “How does she do it? She even manages to wind me up when she’s not here.”
“I think it’s just a knack in your case son.” Stella’s father said, a knowing look on his face. “Don’t worry; she’ll be back before you know it.” The older man patted him on the back.
“But I’m going to be so bored. I spend half my time looking out for her next trick.”
“Then I think you’d better keep an eye out for Maggie now too.” D said. “Come on everyone. There’s still work to be done.”

The year passed at different speeds for everyone. For Stella it flew by. The course was intense but she buckled down, possibly for the first time in her life, and enjoyed the strictness of the regime. Being Stella, she let off steam in her own inimitable way and soon gained a reputation as the academy’s clown outside of the classes, but once inside the classroom she also got the respect of the tutors for her willingness to learn. Back at ‘Sideways’ the time went in spurts for most of the villagers. Before the two weddings it sped past, afterwards it slowed to its normal pace. The only person who felt the whole year seemed never-ending was Mikey. Even the teasings he got from Maggie, who had taken on her sister’s role as tormentor for the village, didn’t make up for the fact that he was missing Stella more than he thought possible. He completed his work without comment, and then went to help someone else, anyone else. He had to fill each interminable day to the fullest to ease the ache he felt. The only time he allowed himself to think about his loss was when he went night fishing. While his line was in the water he determined that he would have to say something to Stella when she came back, if she came back. He had a nagging feeling that being away from the small settlement would change her and either she wouldn’t come back or she would be like someone else, not the fun-loving free spirit he had fallen for.

“This is transport 737K requesting landing clearance.”
“Sideways Control. Clearance granted.” D replied.
“Thank you Sideways Control. Landing in about ten minutes. Out.” The voice over the radio seemed oddly familiar to D. It was cool and precise, but there was a hint… Suddenly he knew. He raced from the station over to the newly built post office run by his wife.
“Eve! Eve! Come quick. Stella’s coming back. She just called up for clearance.”
“Well, her year is up, I suppose it could be her.”
“It is I tell you! Is Mikey about?”
“No. He’s on the island building a proper clubhouse for the youngsters.”
“Might be for the best.” D said thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, he’s always been convinced that she won’t come back the same, and I have to admit, she did sound different on the radio.”
“Then we’d better go and see hadn’t we?”
The transport touched down in a perfect landing. It looked fairly new too. Eve and D waited impatiently as the pilot finished all the checks before opening up. The hatch opened agonizingly slowly and then someone in a sparkling new official uniform stepped out. “Officer Stella Bartowski reporting for duty sir!” She said, snapping off an immaculate salute. Both D’s and Eve’s hearts dropped. It looked like Mikey had been right; Stella had changed beyond recognition. D managed to half-heartedly return the salute and then stepped forward with his hand extended.
“Welcome back Officer Bartowski.” He managed to say. Suddenly Stella burst out laughing and ran towards him.
“Oh the looks on your faces. You expected me to be different didn’t you?” She hugged a bemused D and then ran to an equalled shocked Eve and hugged her too. “All I’m going to say is ‘Gotcha!’” D found his voice.
“You teasing little minx! Why didn’t you call ahead?”
“No fun in that is there!” Stella took a step back from Eve. “Hey ‘FB’, are you putting on weight?” Eve blushed and looked down.
“Sort of.” She mumbled. D looked embarrassed too. Stella had a sudden insight.
“You mean I’m going to be an auntie!! How wonderful!”
“Stella, slow down a bit.” D said. “You’ve only been back five minutes and you’re already annoying again.”
“Sorry about that. I’m just glad to be back. It was great at the academy, but this is home. This is where I belong. Don’t tell me you didn’t miss being teased?”
“Actually we didn’t. It seems your sweet little sister Maggie ‘found’ someone’s notes on how to wind everybody up and is now the most feared seven year old on the planet.”
“Ah.” Stella looked contrite momentarily. “Hey! Come and look at our ship.” She said brightly.
“Our ship?”
“Yeah. They thought we might need one now, so I took pilot’s lessons for an extra credit. She’s built from parts of the hulk of the colony ship. I had something special built in. Come and see.” The bubbling new officer led D and Eve inside the small craft and pointed to the partition behind the pilots’ seat. It wasn’t painted like the rest of the ship, it was still in the colours it had when it was part of the colonisation vessel. Stencilled on it, faded by time but still readable, was the designation D42. “I thought you might appreciate it.” Stella looked worried that she might be wrong until D grinned and kissed her.
“Thanks, I love it.”
“Good. Come on, let’s get to the village. I want to meet everyone again.”
“Everyone? Even Mikey?” Eve asked.
“Especially Mikey. I did what I set out to do, so now he can say sorry.”
“Don’t be hard on him Stella; he’s had a rough year. He’s been moping around looking lost and lonely most of the time.”
“Okay big sis, I won’t rub it in, I promise.” She stopped suddenly. “I’ve just thought, where am I going to stay? I gave my room at home to Maggie.”
“You can have the station, we’ve moved into the post office.”
“A post office? Anything else new?”
“You’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Go see your parents and then you should stop at the hall with Grace and the class. They’ll be thrilled to see you.”
“Okay, let’s go.”

Mikey had set up his rod at his favourite spot for night fishing. He had seen the transport pass overhead earlier but thought nothing of it. There had been an increasing amount of smaller craft coming in and out recently and he had so lost track of the passing months that he didn’t connect it with Stella. In any case he had convinced himself that she wouldn’t be coming back. Some time back he had come to terms with never seeing her again. He closed his eyes and laid down on his back into the position her normally assumed when fishing. After a while he sensed someone come and stand beside him. “Have you got a permit to be doing that?” An obviously female voice trying to sound deeper said.
“Buzz off Maggie; I’m not in the mood.” He said without opening his eyes. He felt a gentle kick in his side.
“Who do think you’re calling Maggie? I go away for a while and you forget me. I’m very disappointed in you Mikey.” His eyes snapped open.
“STELLA!!?”
“Still as sharp as ever Mikey. Missed me?”
“Since you set your sister up to torment me when you left, no, not at all actually.”
“Liar! Eve all ready told me about you moping about.”
“Co-incidence.”
“Liar!”
“Have you just come back specifically to annoy me?”
“Yes. Now tell me the truth.”
“Oh, sit down Stells, you’ll scare the fish.”
“I’ll sit down if you tell me the truth.” She pouted.
“Just sit will you.” Mikey swung his arm round and knocked her feet from under her. Stella landed hard on her bottom.
“Oww! That hurt! And watch the uniform, it’s brand new.”
“Sorry. And yes, I missed you. I couldn’t have a decent argument with anyone.”
“That’s sweet. Well, sort of.”
“What about you? You miss me?”
“I suppose. Teasing other people wasn’t the same and they only argued about sensible stuff. Nothing like the silly things we argue about.” She smiled. “But now I’m back we can just carry on where we left off.”
“In that case…” Mikey reached over quickly and started to tickle the newly appointed officer.
“Stoppit! Stop!!” Stella giggled between breaths. “Please stop, I haven’t been tickled for a whole year.” Reluctantly Mikey stopped.
“I suppose you’ve found out the correct punishment for tickling a government official now?” He asked.
“Yes.”
“And it is?”
“You have to be severely kissed. Like this.” Stella declared, rolling over and planting a kiss full on his mouth. He held her and kissed back.
“Stells, you haven’t changed a bit. I’m so glad.”
“I have changed in one way. I realised something while I was away.”
“What?”
“I realised that…” She faltered.
“Shall I go first?” Mikey asked kindly. “Because I realised something too, the day you left. Officer Stella Bartowski, I love you.” He said it matter of factly, looking deep into her eyes.
“I love you too Mikey.” She kissed him again and then stopped. “Wait a minute; you’ve been teasing me the whole time?”
“Yes.” He grinned.
“Another kissing offence I’m afraid.”
“Do you know, I reckon you’re making this up.”
“Disbelief, anther kissable offence. You’re really racking them up here.” She laughed.
“Guilty as charged.” Mikey threw his hands up. “Carry out the sentence.”
“STELLA!” The radio crackled with D’s voice. “You do know that your radio has been on the open channel for the past half an hour don’t you.”
“WHAT!!?”
“Interesting and instructive as this has been, Eve says I’d better tell you before you get carried away. There may be children listening.” She could hear the suppressed laughter in his tone. She quickly turned the radio off and then turned around to see Mikey hysterically laughing.
“And laughing at an official is definitely punishable by…” Before she could finish Mikey had kissed her again.
“Yes, I’m a terrible lawbreaker.” Another kiss. “I think I’ll need constant supervision before I’m able to reform.” Another kiss. “Will you be able to help out?” Kiss.
“It’s my duty to help you overcome your lawlessness.” Kiss. Kiss.
“Good.” They melted into each others arms, thinking only of each other. The care of the new uniform and scaring the fish completely forgotten.

First Born Colonist

A sort of sequel to 'Space Wreck'.


This settlement had been here longer than the first colony. The two original settlers crashing here in a damaged escape pod more than a year before the colonisation ship arrived. Over the years people who wanted an even simpler life than that in the new colonies had heard of it and made their way here and asked if they could set up home nearby. Dave and Lisa had just waved their arms wide and said ‘pick somewhere’. So now there was a small but tight-knit and self-sufficient farming community that had built up over the last twenty years. I was approaching it for the first time, leading a pack animal, a six-legged beast called a sextoped, that carried the tools of my trade and my personal belongings. I was to be their new lawman. Until now they had handled their own problems, but with the settlement increasing in size the townspeople had asked for an official peacekeeper to be sent out and I had volunteered.
It had taken a week to get here walking and riding. There were only a few of the hover transports and the next one scheduled to come here to ‘Sideways Landing’ wasn’t for another month, so I had said I’d go and make a start and the rest of my stuff could follow. I had barely got past the first outlying farm, waving to someone working in the field, when I saw an older man and a young woman coming towards me down the track. We got closer together until I could call out ‘good morning’. The two people replied in kind and stopped and waited for me to reach them. The man held out his hand. It was a hand that been used to work hard, but now showed signs of softening. I took it and we shook. “You must be our new lawman?” He said with a smile.
“I am sir. And you are?”
“I’m Dave Lynton.” He said simply. My eyes widened: It was him! One of the original pair who had landed here in an escape pod.
“It’s an honour to meet you sir. I’ve read such a lot about you.”
“A lot of it is inflated out of all proportion I’m sure.” He laughed. The laugh of a man who’d heard it all before. “This is my daughter Eve.” He indicated the girl stood beside him. She smiled at me and shook my hand as well. It was a very pretty smile and it lit up her eyes even more than the rest of her face. “We worked out that you’d be along this road sometime this morning and thought we should meet you.” He saw the question on my face. “You’ve been passing the farms of our friends for two days now.” I nodded in understanding. One or two people had passed me on my way here.
“And you are?” Eve asked. Her voice was as pretty as her smile.
“Oh! Sorry. They call me D.42.” I saw the look on their faces. “It’s a long story that I’ll tell you sometime.”
“But that’s not a name.” Eve said. “That’s just an initial and a number.”
“Evie!” Dave said in mild rebuke.
“No sir, she’s right, but it is my full name. Like I said, it’s a long story.” I smiled back.
“Come on then Officer D.42. We’ve about an hour and a half of walking ahead of us. You tell us your story and I’ll answer any questions you have about ‘Sideways Landing’.”
“The first one that springs to mind is why ‘Sideways Landing’?
“Easiest question to answer!” He laughed. “Because that’s how Lisa, Evie’s mother, and I came in, sideways across the landscape.”
“That must have been scary?”
“Didn’t have time to be scared, and Lisa didn’t know enough to realise how close we came to …” He tailed off as he remembered his daughter was listening too.
“Tell me about your name Mr D.42.” Eve asked, spotting her father’s sudden hesitation and deliberately butting in to cover for it.
“I suppose that’s simple too in a way. That was what was written on the bulkhead where I was found.”
“What?” They both asked in surprise.
“I shouldn’t have been on that colony ship.” I shrugged. “I was discovered moments before departure by one of the crew, next to bulkhead ‘D42’. All the settlers were in hibernation and no-one claimed me after we landed. The primary flight crew took care of me until I was old enough to be put into hibernation as well.”
“How long was that?” Eve asked.
“Well I was about five when we landed, so, about five years.”
“The alternating crews all took turns caring for you then?” Dave said.
“That’s what they tell me.”
“You don’t seem worried that you have no parents.” Eve seemed concerned.
“But I have. The whole flight crew adopted me. I have so many parents that it’s impossible to follow all their advice. Luckily they all understand that too.”
“How utterly fascinating.” Dave said. “How does that qualify as a long story?”
“There is more to it than just that sir. Call this the edited highlights.” We all smiled. “Can I ask why you decided that you needed a lawman sent here?”
“That’s not very complicated either. As you’ll have noticed, there is a bit of a generation gap on the entire colony. There are almost no adults between the ages of twenty and forty.”
“Except me.” I nodded.
“And me.” Broke in Eve.
“Both due to exceptional circumstances.” Dave grinned. “Anyway, all of us at ‘Sideways’ agreed that we were probably getting a bit old to double up on jobs.”
“Dad! You’re not that old!” Eve exclaimed. Dave smiled.
“Anyway, none of us felt able to take on the peacekeeper job and our normal work in the fields or, in my case, in the store. So that’s why you’re here my boy.”
“There can’t be that much for me to do?”
“Well, not in the crime department maybe, but there other things you can do for us as a government official. Mediate perhaps, be responsible for arranging the transport flights in and out, and I believe you have some medical training?”
“Some, certainly, but I couldn’t act as a doctor.”
“Enough to keep someone alive long enough for one to be sent out?”
“Maybe. But I can’t give you any guarantees.” He could see the doubt on my face.
“But that would be one less responsibility for one of us. It will help everyone more than you think.”
“And I don’t think I’d be much good at a childbirth.” I was really dubious about that.
“I wouldn’t worry about that too much.” He laughed. “Most of the women won’t want you there either!”
We went on like that the whole way back to the main settlement of ‘Sideways Landing’. Me asking questions about what was expected of me, Dave filling me in on the layout of ‘Sideways’, and Eve making the odd comment here and there. She was an intelligent girl and what you could call ‘interesting attractive’ from what I could see. The clothes she wore made it difficult to tell. They were obviously made for comfort while working more than anything else.
As we came upon the lake there were more signs of habitation more frequently. Barns and outhouses, and then farms. As we approached what was obviously the centre of ‘Sideways’ there were what seemed to be half-finished buildings. Dave noticed my interest in them. “Those are going to be the retirement complex.” He smiled. “Most of us older folks are building them bit at a time against the time when we can’t really work anymore.”
“It’s an interesting idea.” I mused.
“It’ll keep us old un’s in one place. Be easier for you to find the troublemakers.” We both laughed. Eve didn’t though; if anything she looked annoyed or worried. I couldn’t tell which. Dave stopped at a junction in the track. “Eve, can you show Officer D to his station? We’ve been gone a while and I think I should go and help your mother in the store.”
“Sure dad. Shall I stay and help him settle in too? Then I can bring him over for dinner tonight; that’s if he wants too?”
“That’ll be fine love. Is that all right with you D?” I nodded. He kissed his daughter and turned toward the row of buildings that included his store as well as the community barn and what looked like a village hall.
“Come on then Mr D. This way.” Eve shyly took my hand and led me to what was to be my new home and place of work.
When I saw it I was dumbstruck. It was the original escape pod Dave and Lisa had arrived in! “What’s the matter?” Eve asked.
“But this is a piece of history, you shouldn’t just be handing it over to the likes of me.”
“It’s the only thing around here with a solid locking door, and nobody uses it anymore. With the radio and everything it will be a perfect police station.”
“Yes, but…”
“Don’t get hung up on what it was. We use whatever’s available out here.”
“I suppose you’re right.” I sighed, seeing the logic.
“Come on, I’ll show you where everything is and how it works.” Eve skipped on ahead of me and opened up the pod.
The pod got its power from a windmill and a waterwheel, the power stored in the original batteries. Most of the flight controls had been removed to make room for furniture. The bunkroom and galley had been left untouched. “It feels nice.” I said.
“It gets a bit warm in the summer.” Eve replied. “But it stays warm in the winter too.”
“I’ll get my stuff.”
“You haven’t brought much, have you?”
“Most of it will come in on the next transport. This is just enough to get started. For the next month I’m going to have to get around on foot until my bike arrives.”
“You could try riding the sextoped.”
“Doris? I don’t think so. She’ll have a nice easy life until I can arrange for someone to take her back.”
“There are a couple of newer farms that would be grateful to offer her a home.”
“I’d have to check that would be okay, she is colony property, but thanks.”
We spent the rest of the day putting my few belongings away and re-arranging the rooms to my liking. We didn’t talk too much other than asking each other questions about where stuff should go or where something was. I spent more time than I should have watching Eve; she intrigued me somehow. Probably it was because she was the first female I’d ever met that was close to my own age, or maybe it was that she was the first-born, the first child born on this new planet. Eventually she noticed my stare.
“Why are you watching me like that? It’s very off-putting you know?” I didn’t know what to say, I didn’t really know why myself. “It’s because of who I am, or rather what I am, isn’t it? I get it all the time, the…the reverence. The first-born!” She spat out the words like they were a curse, and then looked as if she was about to sob, but no tears came.
“Eve, Miss Lynton, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been staring. And you’re only partly right. I do feel a certain ‘reverence’ as you put it; but most of it is something else, something I can’t describe. The only thing I can say in my defence is that I’ve never met a girl close to my own age before, so I don’t know how to act. Please don’t cry and please, please forgive me. I’ll never do it again.” She sighed deeply.
“All right, I believe you.” She looked out at the setting sun. “We’ve just got time to clean up before we go to dinner.”
“Where?”
“Dad set up a sort of shower for Mom under the waterfall out back. I’ll show you.”
The meal was nice and homely, and delicious. In addition I finally got to meet Lisa. She was still really pretty and blushed when I said so. It was no surprise that Dave had fallen in love with her. He just laughed and Eve scowled slightly. I wondered if they knew the pressure their daughter felt she was under. But the way they still looked at her, they knew, I decided.

I soon settled in and was readily accepted by the people of ‘Sideways’. I soon found that I had a lot of spare time on my hands, the only crime as such being a spate of underage drinking amongst the older teenagers. That appeared to stop when I came upon them one evening, but I felt they had just found a better hiding place. In any case it wasn’t serious, and they had been causing no trouble other than appropriating the bottles of wine from their parents. With all this time on my hands I decided to help out as much as possible. Eve had set up a nursery-cum-school for the younger children, who were delighted when I took over the class every so often. There was a Book Exchange as well and I took over the organisation of that. If anyone needed a hand and my official duties allowed me, I would pitch in and help; from stacking in the store to helping any farmer who needed a little extra hand. But mainly I helped Eve. I liked to be around her and I didn’t know why. She was the central point for the youngsters who all adored her in one way or another. It was here that I first met Stella (‘because I’m from the stars’ she laughingly told me.) She was sixteen and the next oldest girl in the village. Stella was a happy go lucky spirit who would have been a rebel if there had been anything to rebel against. In general she and Eve got along, but they did seem to rub each other up the wrong way at times. Stella kept calling Eve ‘FB’ (for ‘first born’) to wind her up. I asked them individually what the problem was. Eve said that she got annoyed with Stella because the girl took nothing seriously and was able to do whatever she wanted. Stella in turn just shrugged and said that all she was doing was trying to get Eve to loosen up a little, that she took everything too seriously.

Over the next year or so things didn’t alter much. I had my first medical call out when one of the farmers had a huge sliver of wood go through his leg while he was cutting firewood, but it turned out okay. I appointed Stella as my deputy, mainly because she said she was interested in going to the main colony to learn about becoming a government official like me. She also started to flirt with me. I had a feeling that this was just another way to wind Eve up, especially as I had recently asked her to stop calling Eve ‘FB’. It stopped as suddenly as it started; someone had had a word in her ear and I thought I knew who.
There were rumours starting to go around that there was going to be a big celebration in two years time for the twenty-fifth anniversary of ‘Colony Day’, the approximate date of Dave and Lisa’s accidental arrival on the planet. The rumours seemed to make Eve more down than usual. Things came to a head when Dave and Lisa were invited to the colony to discuss the early preparations for the big day.

After my usual check to see whether there was going to be a transport arrival, I went over to the store to give Eve a hand while her parents were away. There was a small crowd milling about inside. “What’s happening?” I asked. “Where’s Eve?”
“No-one’s seen her since last night.” Stella said.
“You weren’t winding her up again were you?”
“No, honest. We had a couple of glasses of wine and then I left. She seemed her normal self. For these days that is.”
“So where is she? Where did she go?” There was a muttering amongst the crowd, but it was obvious no-one had seen her. “Well, we’d better get organised. Stella, you’ll have to run the store today, the school will have to be cancelled for now.”
“I can run that sir. You don’t need to stop it.” One of the other teenage girls piped up.
“Thank you Grace. Right, if that’s sorted, I’m going to look for Eve. If any of you see anything, get in touch with Stella. She can contact me on the radio.” There was a murmur of assent. One of the older farmers spoke.
“Shouldn’t we get in touch with Dave and Lisa?”
“No! I don’t want them unnecessarily worried. I can cope.” I said it with more conviction than I felt, but this was the reason I was here. If I couldn’t find one missing person, what was the point?
I ran back to the station, grabbed a radio and stuck a first aid kit into a back pack. As an afterthought I stuffed a warm coat in as well, it had been raining last night. Eve might be cold and wet. As I was about to leave, but with no real direction in mind, there was a timid tapping on the door. “Yes Maggie?” I asked the little girl who stood in the doorway after I had opened it.
“Stella said I should come and see you Ossifer D.”
“I’m sure she did. Why?”
“I saw something.”
“And that was?”
“Well, the rain woke me up last night. When I looked out of the window, I saw the light of a fire on the island in the lake.”
“No-one lives there do they?”
“No. But the big kids have a play camp there.” A ‘play camp’. I thought. So that’s where they go for a secret drink now.
“Thank you Maggie. Run along back to the class now, and thank Stella for me too.”
“Okay Ossifer D. Bye!” The little girl waved as she trotted back to the village hall. I jogged down to the lakeside boathouse and peered inside. Sure enough there was one canoe less than there should have been.
“Well, there’s someone on the island then.” I said to myself. I pulled a second canoe into the water, climbed in and began to paddle towards the island.
The missing canoe was pulled up onto a tiny beach. I grounded my craft next to it. Spotting what was obviously a path to the secret camp I made my way down it. The path ended in a clearing at the centre of the small island. The clearing had a home-made camp occupying most of it and there was Eve! She was laid back with her hands behind her head. At first I thought she was ill or injured until I saw something that had been missing for weeks; her smile. “Eve?” I called out softly. “Are you all right? Everyone has been so worried.” She jumped a little and then turned to face me.
“Oh! D, it’s you! I didn’t mean to upset anyone, but I had to get away, to have some time by myself to think. It so peaceful and quiet here that I was able to forget all my troubles, but I didn’t realise it was late.”
“Eve, what’s troubling you? You can tell me. I, more than anyone, know how you feel.”
“No you don’t. No-one does. There’s only one first-born and unfortunately it’s me.”
“I do know. I’m one of kind too, don’t forget. You’re letting this ‘first-born’ thing get on top of you. It’s only a description; it’s only WHAT you are, not WHO you are. Once you can get over that you’ll be fine.”
“But I CAN’T get over it. As soon as I manage to forget it, something pops up to remind me, like this damned anniversary.” She rolled over and began to cry into the grass. I was at a loss as to what to do next; my training hadn’t covered dealing with crying females, and neither had any of my many parents. I sat beside her and began to stroke her dark blonde hair.
“Come on Eve; let someone know how you feel. There are only the two of us here and I promise not to tell. Why are you so sad?”
“I should have been a boy!” She said, her voice muffled by the grass. “If I’d been a boy I wouldn’t have this problem. Boys cope better.”
“Well, as a boy, I can tell you, we don’t. We bottle it up even more than you have. Sorry.”
“I’d have been more help to Mom and Dad as a boy!”
“That’s ridiculous. Who is it that lets all the mothers work on the farms by looking after the children? Who is it that teaches those children something more than just how to read and write? That’s more help than any amount of sawing wood or ploughing fields. And if you’d been a boy I suspect you’d have eloped with Stella by now.” She turned to look at me, a puzzled expression on her face.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you’re so alike. The reason she’s able to bug you is because she knows what bugs her. I know she wants to be a rebel, and I think you do too. The pair of you express it in different ways though. She lets it out, you bottle it up.”
“At least the ages would have been right.” She sighed.
“What do you mean?”
“All the older men are already married and all the boys here are younger than me, so if I wanted a boyfriend he’d be more immature than me.”
“Nearly all boys are more immature than you are Eve. You grew up quickly.”
“I know.” She wailed. “I scare them all, and it’s because they all know that I’m ‘first-born’.” She sat up and looked deep into my face, my soul even, with her tear-filled eyes. “I’ve never even been kissed you know.”
“Do you want to be?”
“YES!! Yes. I want to be kissed. I want you to kiss me.” Suddenly I wanted that too. I wanted to kiss this lonely, beautiful young woman. I took her head in my hands and gently pulled her face towards me. I kissed her on the forehead, and then kissed away her tears before kissing her properly. Our lips met and I knew I had been stupid in trying to deny my feelings for her. I loved Eve, and had done since the moment I’d first seen her.
“Eve, I have a confession to make. I’m guilty of the same thing all those boys were. Because you are the ‘first-born’ I’ve been scared of my feelings for you. I’m sorry. Let me put it right now by saying I think I might be in love with you.” She looked at me in shock.
“You do?” I nodded. “That’s lucky then.” A huge grin, a smile like I hadn’t seen since that first day, spread across her face. “Because I know I love you. I got really angry with Stella when she was flirting with you.”
“I thought it was you that warned her off.” I grinned back. “Can I kiss you again?” In answer she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me as hard as she could.
“Wow! Now I know what I was missing, I really wish I hadn’t been so stupid.”
“You mean that?”
“Of course I do. But we have to get back to ‘Sideways’. Stella is having to run your Dad’s store and Grace is looking after the children. Plus everyone is worried about you.”
“Did anyone call Dad?”
“I asked them not to, but I’ve been gone so long they might have by now.”
“Then you’re right, we’d better go. I don’t want to worry my parents.”
We walked slowly back to the village hand in hand. As we did, I spotted a small hover transport approaching the landing site. “That’ll be your Dad.” I said, pointing.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Nothing was due in today.” I shrugged. “Somebody has blabbed. Sorry.”
“It’s my own fault. I should have organised someone to open the store before I ran off.”
“Will they be upset?”
“I don’t know. Dad might be angry. Mom will certainly be worried.”
“I did try to stop anyone getting in touch with them.”
“I know. Thank you for trying.”
“I think I’d better call Stella and tell her you’re all right. She can pass it on.”
“I suppose.” A frown creased her lovely brow. “I’m scared D. I don’t know what to say to them.”
“Just tell them the truth. They’ll understand that. And I’ll be there with you.” She squeezed my hand gently.
By the time we reached the store Dave and Lisa had met Stella and were waiting for us inside. As we entered everyone else came out, shepherded by Stella, who gave us both a sly wink as she passed us. Eve looked down at the floor as she was pinned by her fathers stare. I took her hand again to reassure her. Lisa hugged her daughter, not saying a word until she hugged me too. “Thank you for finding her.”
“It was little Maggie who gave me the clue, though I suspect Stella had a hand in it.” I reddened, unused to such shows of affection. Dave finally spoke. He sounded a little disappointed and angry.
“Eve, exactly what were you thinking? Your mother was frantic.”
“I’m sorry daddy, I wasn’t thinking at all.” She was on the verge of crying.
“I did try to stop anyone calling you and causing you to worry sir.” I spoke quietly, not sure if admitting this was good or bad.
“Thank you for thinking of us. It was more than Eve did.” That did it, Eve burst into tears. I held her close and stroked her hair once again. Dave gave in and pulled her to him and hugged her. “Oh, Evie. Why couldn’t you just talk to us about this?”
“Sir, I can’t help thinking that I’m partly to blame for all this.” He looked at me with a questioning eyebrow raised. “If I hadn’t been so reticent to tell Eve how I felt, then I feel this would never have happened.” Lisa smiled.
“So the pair of you finally realised what was going on?”
“Eventually. I grew up without any women close to my own age around, so I’m afraid I’m a bit dim when it comes to dealing with them.”
“You and me both son.” Dave smiled. “We need to sort a few things out I think.” He paused. “Tell me, as a government official, can you perform a civil marriage ceremony?”
“DAD! We only kissed you know!”
“I didn’t mean for you sweetheart.” He laughed now. “How can he marry himself? I meant for your mother and me.” He saw the look on both our faces. “There was no-one to do it before. And we thought we should set an example.”
“You…You weren’t married before you came here.”
“I’d never even seen Dave before he dived into the escape pod. And things weren’t easy to start with; he didn’t seem to like me at all.” Lisa joined in. “In fact I almost had to demand he kiss me.”
“I just did that!” Eve exclaimed.
“It looks like there might be two weddings on the horizon.” Dave said.
“I…I haven’t got as far as asking Eve about that yet sir.”
“But you’re thinking about it?”
“It has crossed my mind in the last hour, I have to admit.”
“Eve?” He turned to his daughter.
“I’ve thought about it every day since I first met him dad. When I thought he wasn’t interested it made everything seem even worse. I knew the ‘first-born’ thing was getting in the way.”
“Don’t blame D for that. It bothered me sometimes too. How should I discipline such a famous child?”
“Even you daddy? And mom?” Lisa nodded sadly. “I was right, it is a curse.”
“Eve. Darling Eve.” I turned her around and looked into her pretty, tear-filled eyes. “I’ve tried to tell you all day. It’s just a description; it doesn’t define who you are. If we try we, all four of us, maybe everyone, can get over this. Look at how Stella treats you. She doesn’t put you on a pedestal; she treats you as an equal. All this time she’s been trying to get you to put this nonsense aside and be human, not some mythical, mystical creature that only exists in peoples minds, particularly yours. Let it go.”
“He’s talking sense precious.” Lisa said.
“I love you Eve. There, I’ve said it. I should have said it properly before, so I’m saying it now. I love you so much that it hurts when I don’t see you. And this morning, when you were missing, I knew I had to find you, even though I didn’t know why. I do now and I know that I want to be by your side whatever happens. So.” I got down on one knee and held her hand. “Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife as soon as possible?”
“A double wedding!” Lisa exclaimed, clapping her hands.
“We’ll have to get someone in to perform the ceremony.” Dave mused.
“Oh, I don’t think anyone at the colony can deny the first-born anything.” I said slyly. Eve batted me around the back of the head.
“I think a celebration is in order.” Dave got an old bottle of wine from behind the store counter. “I’ve been saving this.”
“In a minute dad, I have to go and tell Stella.”
“Who do you think has been listening at the door on the pretext of stopping everyone else from eavesdropping?” Dave smirked. “Come in Stella, you’ll get splinters in your knees out there.” He called out. The door opened slowly and a bright red Stella came in, embarrassment dripping from every pore. “Do you think you can handle double duty as a bridesmaid?”
Eve, Stella and I were sat outside my station, the escape pod, watching the moons rise, sipping on the last of the wine, when Stella spoke. “I’m very happy that you two have finally sorted this out, but what am I going to do now? Teasing you was the only enjoyment I got.” I kissed her on the top of her head.
“You’ll have to find some boy or other instead.”
“Yes, you will.” Eve said. “What about Mikey? He’s nearly eighteen now, and looks very muscular.”
“You’re teasing me now! You know we argue all the time.”
“But he, and you, keep coming back for more.” Eve laughed. “And I happen to know he’s down by the lake fishing, he came in for some bait. Why not go and make a start?” Stella looked dubious.
“I don’t know whether I should.”
“Go on. Live a little. Take your own advice.” I smiled. “Rebel against being a rebel. I dare you.”
“All right! I will.” She got up and strode off towards the lake.
“She won’t do anything daft will she?” I asked Eve.
“Probably, knowing Stella.” She smiled. “Besides, I’ve got you to myself at last. I want to kiss you again.”
“Getting pushy aren’t you?”
“What the first-born wants, the first-born gets.” She grinned. I gave in and kissed her. A long kiss, lasting forever.

Shooting Star

A fourth in the 'Star' series. Well, it looks like a series now. More to follow maybe?


Interviewer: With the surprise release of a third ‘Dirty Work’ film, called ‘Emily: Not So Dirty Work’, I’m once again at the home of Karen Carragher. I suppose the first question should be ‘where’s Dave’?
Karen Carragher: (Smiles) I told him you’d ask that! Dave thought that as he only makes cameo appearances in the film I should be the one interviewed. He keeps telling me it’s my film this time.
Interviewer: I seem to recall he said that last time too.
KC: (Laughs) I think he’s embarrassed that he keeps getting better reviews than me when he claims he can’t act.
Interviewer: Any chance you can get him to change his mind and join us? I mean, he doesn’t just have acting credits for this film does he?
KC: No, he doesn’t. If you give me a moment I’ll try and get him to come in. (At this point Karen makes a phone call and after five minutes or so announces that her husband will join us shortly.)
Interviewer: While we wait, I’d like to ask why you use your married name in the producer credit.
KC: I wasn’t sure many people would notice that! As an actress I use the name on the ‘Equity’ register, but I can use my married name ‘Karen Gerrard’ as producer. I wanted to show what Dave means to me, so I use OUR name for that credit.
Interviewer: You surely don’t need to prove anything after all the two of you have been through.
KC: Not prove as such, but acknowledge. Definitely acknowledge.
Interviewer: In our ‘More Dirty Work’ interview it seemed that you weren’t planning on carrying on with Emily’s story.
KC: To be fair, we weren’t. But as I said at the time, if the right storyline came up and it fitted, we might
Interviewer: And it did?
KC: Strangely, considering he was the one who was certain we wouldn’t make another one, it was an idea from Dave that started the ball rolling.
Interviewer: Again? He keeps surprising us with his talents.
KC: (Laughing) He does. That’s why I always have it written into my contracts that he’s on set with me. Dave has a way of spotting things that can make a film better. Sometimes it’s only a little thing like a small joke, or a big thing like the ending to ‘More Dirty Work’. Besides which, it’s always nice to have him around. He buoys me up if I’m feeling down and keeps my feet on the ground if I’m getting full of myself. (At this point Dave comes in.)
Dave Gerrard: Who’s that? The coffee man? (They kiss.)
KC: If you must know, we were talking about you.
DG: I thought my ears were burning. (He shakes my hand.) Karen said you’d like to interview me as well?
Interviewer: Especially as it seems the original story came from you.
DG: It surprised me as well! I was the one who thought we shouldn’t do another!
Interviewer: Can you tell us about it?

I was having one of those nights when I couldn’t drop off to sleep, my mind was buzzing. For some reason I kept thinking about the ending to ‘More Dirty Work’ and wondering what would happen to Emily, what the big plan she and Pops had come up with was, whether it would work. As I lay in the dark, ideas began to come to me, about their plan and beyond. Things started to fall into place and I felt the need to make some notes. I slipped out of bed, carefully avoiding waking Karen up and quietly padded downstairs to the study. Still unsure this story would work; I began to make notes on the computer about my ideas. I must have drifted off to sleep at some point as the next thing I knew was Karen gently shaking me awake, a cup of coffee in her hand.
“Anything wrong?” She asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
“No, I couldn’t sleep and then I got an idea that I needed to write down.” I took the coffee from her and sipped it. “Thanks.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And can I see this idea?”
“I don’t know that I should show you yet, it’s not fully formed.”
“A hint then?”
“I’ll just say it’s something I thought we’d never do.”
“You had and idea about ‘Dirty Work III’?” She caught on quickly. “Let me see.” She woke the computer before I could stop her and quickly scanned my notes. “This could work!” She looked at me with shining eyes. “I’m going to call Clint and Douglas.”
“Are you sure? I mean it’s barely an outline at the moment.” Karen looked at me softly and kissed me on the forehead.
“Let’s find out shall we? Pass me the phone.”

Interviewer: And what was their reaction?
KC: Well Clint was out of town, but said he’d be round in a couple of days. Douglas had shut himself away writing, but when he got my message a day later he said that he’d co-ordinate with Clint and they’d both come and see what we had before the weekend.
DG: Douglas always has either too much work or not enough. (Karen nods.) He’s either trying to complete three screenplays at once or wondering where the next one is coming from. We happened to catch him at the end of one of his busy cycles this time.
Interviewer: But what did they say about your, well, synopsis?
DG: By the time they saw it I had had a few more ideas, even down to snatches of dialogue, but it looked messy. I had no notion about how to present it to them.
KC: Which was where I came in. Although I’ve never written anything…
DG: Neither have I!
KC: No, but you keep having ideas. Stop interrupting. (Smiles.) So, although I’ve never written anything, I have seen how a synopsis look’s. I just rearranged things on the computer until they made sense. Or a sort of sense.
Interviewer: Only ‘sort of’?
DG: That was part of the problem. Every time I looked at it, I thought of something else and added it, usually in the wrong place. By the time Clint and Douglas got to see it, the story had grown.
Interviewer: They liked it though?
KC: Clint loved it, and Douglas started trying to pick Dave’s brain about how it should start straightaway. It was obvious from the beginning that we were going to make number three.

“Dave, I think that’s a cracking idea.” Clint said. “Setting up an RCV hire company is just what Pops and Emily would have thought of, so having Emily start it by herself fits in with the end of two.” He sat back. “But where’s the drama going to come from?”
“I’ve thought of that now.” I said. “I just haven’t had time to put it down anywhere.” The other three all looked at me expectantly; suddenly I wasn’t so sure about this. It was one thing suggesting changes to someone else’s story, but something else entirely to come up with a storyline that could work. Karen sensed my discomfort and clasped my hand, nodding at me. “Well, you remember the girl that Pops saves? I thought that she could come looking for Emily and they could end up working together.” They looked at each other and considered. Another thought hit me. “Her arrival could trigger a few flashbacks for Emily, of Pops.” Clint’s face lit up.
“That’ll do it.” He turned to Douglas. “How soon can you and Dave get a screenplay together? I want to start to get the backing for this.”
“A week, maybe two. I have nothing else at the moment so I can concentrate on this.” I nodded. Karen spoke for the first time in ages.
“Clint, don’t worry about the backing. We can call in a few favours; put some money in ourselves, like the first film.” Clint subsided for a moment, and then sat forward again.
“Dave, how much does it cost for a course of HGV lessons?”
“Something over a grand I think, maybe a grand and a half by now. Why?”
“I just thought it might be helpful if Karen could do her own driving.” I could see the sense in what he was saying. In ‘Dirty Work’ things had been simplified because I could drive the RCV.
“Hey! Wait a minute! Why do I need to drive the RCV?”
“You know you don’t need to darling.” I said soothingly. “But if you took lessons and a test, it would be research. It would make it easier for you when we filmed the test sequence for the pre-titles.” My mind was racing now, all sorts of possibilities coming up. Douglas was making note after note, even messier than mine had been. Karen looked at me sharply.
“You just thought of that too?”
“Yes. But it will work, right?” They all nodded, Karen a little reluctantly.

Interviewer: So this film had a different birth to the others?
DG: In a way. Once Douglas and I settled down to actually write the story and then the screenplay not much changed, whereas before we kept adding bits or changing them, this time the original screenplay is pretty much what appeared on film.
Interviewer: How was the driving Karen?
KC: I was terrified most of the time! Dave got in touch with the people who got him through his HGV test and booked me a full course and test. The medical was no problem…
DG: I should hope not too.
KC: And the theory and hazard perception I scraped through…
DG: That was amazing considering how little time we’d given you.
Interviewer; And the actual lessons?
KC: Like I said, I was terrified. Dave had always made it look easy, but a HGV is a lot of machine to be in control of, even more so for someone like me who doesn’t drive that much, but I persevered and began to actually enjoy it.
DG: It can be fun can’t it?
KC: Stop interrupting Dave!
DG: (Shamefaced.) Sorry beautiful, carry on. (Kisses Karen.)
KC: I found the reversing exercise difficult to start with. Again, that was because superman here always made it look easier than it was. The actual test at the end of the course had me scared stiff, but I passed first time. I was so happy I hugged everyone, the examiner, the instructor, the other guy taking his test.
DG: I never told you before, but it took me five tests to pass.
KC: But you make driving an RCV look a doddle!!
DG: Well it is now, but it wasn’t then. I told you that you’re more talented than me.
Interviewer: So, with all the elements in place things went well when filming started?
KC: Pretty much. This time it was my turn to make a minor tweak that made things work.
Interviewer: How so?
DG: In our original story Lucy, the girl I, sorry, Pops saved was a mechanic. Karen pointed out she would still be a little young for that, so we made her an organisational genius instead. She takes over the paperwork which Emily has been having problems with and makes the firm run better.
Interviewer: And no problems with Pops this time Dave?
DG: No. Not at all. He only appears four or five times, total screen time about ten minutes, so I wasn’t worried about screwing the whole thing up. I left it to the professionals.
Interviewer: A big change for you then. (Everyone laughs.)
KC: We were a very happy crew until… (She looks away suddenly sad.)
Interviewer: I suppose this is a good a time as any to ask about the tragedy towards the end of filming.
DG: Yes. Clint’s sudden illness came as a big blow.
Interviewer: How did you hear about it? (At this point Karen asks to be excused for a moment and she runs from the room.)
DG: Karen still finds it difficult to talk about. We heard when we were on our way home from her nephew’s birthday party.

Karen looked across at me as we drove home. “You seem to be deep in thought. What about?”
“Sorry, I was thinking about the party. The fun the kids had.”
“And what else?” I looked across at her. “Come on Dave, I can tell there’s more to it than that, I know you too well by now.”
“Actually… No, I can’t tell you.”
“Come on. Talk.”
“If you must know.” I sighed. Karen nodded her head. “I was wondering about what it’s like to be a parent. To be responsible for the upbringing of a child. It’s something I feel I’ll never know.”
“You’ve never said you wanted to be a father.”
“I didn’t want to put that pressure on you. It would be your career that went on hold for a while, and I couldn’t ask that of you.”
“But we’ve never really discussed it.”
“Like I said, I wouldn’t put that pressure on you. I still won’t. You’ve given me more than I could have asked for, and I’ve never really thought too much about it.”
“Until now?” She asked. I nodded, wishing I hadn’t started this now. “I’ve not thought about it either. Maybe I should.”
“Karen, you know I love you, but I’ll never ask this of you. It has to be your decision.” At this point her mobile rang. “Who is it?” I asked. Then I saw her face fall. “Karen, what’s wrong?”
“We have to get to the Alexandria Hospital quickly. It’s Clint; he’s in a bad way.” I put my foot down while she reset the sat-nav.

Interviewer: Clint had suffered a heart attack?
DG: He had; a massive one. (Karen comes back in.) Are you all right sweetheart?
KC: (Nods.) Just felt a bit queasy. (Dave looks a little puzzled.)
DG: We got to the hospital as quickly as possible, but no-one would let us see him.
KC: It was only when they realised he had no family, that we were the closest thing to family that he had, and that he was asking for us, that we got to see him one at a time. I was first. (Karen pauses, putting her hand to her mouth.) He looked terrible. (Karen looks down, tears forming in her eyes.) I’d known him since I was ten, my first director. He’d always treated me like I was his daughter. I sat next to him and held his hand. He looked across at me. He told me that Dave was meant for me, that we were the most perfect couple he had ever seen. We made him happy. He said I must carry on, finish the film, that my career was still ahead of me. (Karen stops, tears freely flowing from her eyes. Dave puts his arm around her and rests her head on his shoulder.) I’m sorry. Remembering that night still upsets me.
Interviewer: No, I’m sorry for reminding you.
DG: He said much the same to me, but he told me that it must be me who directed the last few parts of filming. He knew he was close to the end and wanted to bequeath his film crew to me, to carry on his work.
Interviewer: And you will?
DG: Yes. I already have a directing job lined up on Clint’s recommendation.
Interviewer: It was you who gave the eulogy at his funeral too.
DG: (Shrugs.) It was in his will, but I wanted to do it anyway. He brought so much out of me, things I didn’t know I could do. Speaking at his funeral hardly made up for that, but it was the only way I had to thank him.

I wasn’t comfortable with making a public speech, but it was for Clint and in a way for Karen and was something I was going to have to get used to. I cleared my throat.
“We all knew Clint in different ways, but he was in essence a wonderfully simple man. He liked who he liked and wasn’t worried by who he disliked. I was lucky I suppose, in that he liked me from the moment we met. Looking back, I suppose it was because I was new to the business of film-making, I had a different, and to him interesting, outlook to everyone else on the set. It gave him a different stimulus. We quickly became good friends. And when Karen and I had our dark period he never doubted me when even Karen I suspect wasn’t certain. He kept in touch with me, offering me small parts or jobs, but never questioning me or judging me. He knew long before Karen or I that we’d be back together. He was the perfect friend and mentor. It was towards the end of those dark days that he said something to me when I thought Karen was going to end things that stays with me to this day. He told me ‘The Dream is never over’. It was a creed he lived by. ‘The Dream is NEVER over’. I try to live by it too now. It is the perfect epitaph for a wonderful human being, because even though he has gone, his dreams live on in all of us and in his many films.”
I sat down next to Karen. She put her arm around me. “That was perfect. I’m so glad I found you.”
“Thank you. I should never have left you that time. We could have worked it out. It was a stupid decision brought on by shame.”
“Shame?” She looked at me quizzically.
“I lifted my hand to you.” I shrugged. “I’ll never forgive myself for that.”
“You should. I have. But I should never have let you go; Or I should have looked for you. Like you say, we could have worked it out.”
“What if’s.” I sighed. “It doesn’t matter now, we’re together still and mainly thanks to Clint. That’s the important thing.” I kissed her gently. “I’m going to miss him.”
“We’re all going to miss him love.”

Interviewer: Am I right in assuming that Clint’s death was the reason for the delay in the release of ‘Emily’?
DG: Partially, but not in the way you might think. We, that is the whole film crew, wanted to make sure that everything was right for Clint’s last work. That included the editing. We also went back and re-shot a couple of the later scenes that we had filmed after his death.
KC: None of us were at our best for those scenes and it showed. Dave was unhappy with his direction for the scenes too, so we recalled the crew, they were all happy to come, and remounted I think it was three scenes.
Interviewer: I must say that I for one couldn’t differentiate between the scenes Clint directed and those of Dave.
DG: I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you.
Interviewer: So what does the future hold for the pair of you and the franchise?
DG: I think that the franchise has run its course. (Smiles) But I’ve said that before. As for me, well I’m going to be trying to live up to the directorial standards Clint set.
KC: (Puts her hand on Dave’s knee.) I know you’ll do just fine. You always do yourself down too much.
Interviewer: And what about you Karen? Any films in the pipeline?
KC: Actually I’m thinking of taking a break from films for a couple of years or so. There are some things I want to do before it’s too late.
Interviewer: Isn’t that a bit of a risk? People may forget you.
KC: (Laughing.) Well I can think of one director who will still employ me!

I saw the journalist out and went back to Karen. She looked at me sheepishly. “What was that about?” I asked mildly. “This ‘break’. You haven’t said anything before. I thought we were looking at doing a school comedy.” I smiled wolfishly. “I always liked you as a schoolgirl.” She grinned back.
“You old Perv, you.”
“Seriously, what are you up to?” She looked sheepish again.
“Well, I suppose I should have mentioned it earlier, but I only got confirmation this morning. You are going to be a daddy in about six months.” I sat down stunned. Since the conversation before Clint’s heart attack neither of us had talked about having children. After several moments I asked.
“What made you change your mind?”
“I didn’t change my mind. I told you before, I just hadn’t thought about it. And then I was thinking about how alone Clint had seemed, and how you are around kids, and I realised that I did want a child. I want to see you with our child.” She looked down, her face reddening in embarrassment.
“But why didn’t you tell me that’s what you wanted?”
“And spoil the surprise?” Now her eyes glittered in wicked amusement. “Besides, I knew if I said anything your natural worrying would kick in, so I decided to let nature take its course.”
“You are a scheming, devious minx, but I love you anyway.” I pulled her to me and held her close, kissing her long and hard. “That’s the schoolgirl comedy gone then.” I said when we finally broke the kiss, needing air.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, however good an actress you are, I can’t picture the mother of my child as a mischievous schoolie.”
“Sorry. You’ll have to come up with something else then, but you have got a couple of years to get it right.” She grinned that grin. The one I had fallen in love with before I even met her. I kissed her again.
“Why do you put up with me?”
“Apart from your great kissing? Because even when you’re wrong, it’s for the right reasons. Now kiss me some more.” I was happy to comply. I was always happy when I was with Karen, my soulmate. The Dream Is Never Over.