From: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com (arfic-l-digest) To: arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: arfic-l-digest V1 #55 Reply-To: arfic-l-digest Sender: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk arfic-l-digest Saturday, November 3 2001 Volume 01 : Number 055 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2001 16:12:03 +1300 From: "Anne Olsen" Subject: (arfic-l) Where The Winds Blow (1b/04) This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01C16482.468175A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Where The Winds Blow (1b/04) by Anne Olsen Feedback to anneo@paradise.net.nz Disclaimers in Part 0 **** "Yeah sure." Kevin smiled. "I sort of guessed there was something on = your mind.besides Megabyte that is." Besides Megabyte. Yes, that comment = summed it up didn't it?=20 Even though Kevin had his silly side, which mainly seemed to show itself = when he got involved in one of Megabyte's 'schemes', he was someone she = felt she could talk to. She knew she could always go to Adam or Ami if = needs be, but.well Kevin was her own age, and for some reason she tended = to use him as a bit of a sounding board. He always seemed to know what = to say, to be able to reassure her. Kevin was dependable. The fact that = he and Megabyte were close friends too, helped. After all, these days it = was mostly Megabyte she talked about. Poor Kevin, sometimes she felt = guilty prattling on to him the way she did. "I've been dreaming," Jade began, then paused. No. Dreaming wasn't quite = the right word. As she hunted for how to get across what she wanted to = without it sounding too weird, she noticed the little pile of grass in = front of her seemed to be growing. If she picked much more of the stuff, = she'd be leaving a marker for the world to see where she'd been sitting. = "Dreaming?" asked Kevin. "Everyone dreams, Jade." He drained the last of = his juice and started to examine the shiny green apple in his hand while = he waited for her to explain. Sure everyone dreams, she knew that, but = this was different, way different. Jade felt a wave of frustration wash = over her as she realised this wasn't going to be easy to explain without = giving away details she'd rather keep to herself. "I'm not sure dreaming is the right word to use exactly. When I close my = eyes and go to sleep, it's more like I'm dreaming other people's dreams, = rather than my own." Jade frowned. No that wasn't quite right, either. = Come on think, how could she explain this properly so that Kevin could = get the idea she was trying to put across? "Other people's dreams?" Kevin looked puzzled. "What makes you think = that?" He put down his apple, and gazed at her intently. He was wearing = that look which meant his curiosity was piqued, and once that happened = Jade knew he wouldn't leave it alone until he worked out what was going = on. She wouldn't be able to change the subject now, even if she wanted = to.=20 "Last night I dreamed I was in the middle of a scene from that film = Megabyte likes so much." Kevin shuddered, rolling his eyes. "'Attack of the Killer Cucumbers'?" = Funny how mentioning that film seemed to invoke the same response from = all the Tomorrow People. Jade shook her head, resisting the urge to giggle. "I said dream, not = nightmare. No, the other one. 'The Matrix'." "Maybe it was because you sat through it with him six times?" pointed = out Kevin. "I warned you about that at the time. Remember?" She seemed = to remember him watching it with them at few of those times too, come to = think of it. However now probably wasn't the time to mention that.=20 Jade nodded. "I know you did, Kevin. Believe me, I know. No the weird = thing about it was that Megabyte was there." "And that's weird in one of your dreams?" Kevin stifled a laugh, then = tried to look serious after seeing the look on Jade's face. 'Thanks, = Kevin.' Just how much had he seen of that daydream earlier? Jade felt = her colour rise again, and tried to ignore her growing embarrassment. = "Sorry, Jade. Go on." Kevin took a bite out of his apple, the crunch = sounding loud in the sudden silence between them as Jade wondered if she = was really doing the right thing sharing some of her more embarrassing = secrets.=20 She swallowed and spoke slowly, trying to collect her thoughts into some = semblance of order. "It's not the first time either, Kevin." She felt = herself blush, and spoke quickly trying to get the words out before she = lost her nerve. "I've been finding that if I think about someone when I = go to sleep I dream about them, or rather see what they are dreaming. = And before you say that's impossible, the night before last I dreamt = about Batman." She watched Kevin intently to see what his reaction would be to that = statement. He sat there for a moment, his apple seemingly forgotten and = she could see his mind ticking over. Yes, she thought that particular = bit of information might get him thinking. It had certainly been the = decider for her that the situation had got out of hand, and into the = very weird. "Yes that does sound more like something Megabyte would = dream about, not you. Nasty mental image that. I'm not going to ask what = it was he was doing in this dream. Knowing Megabyte, that's a scary = thought, really scary." Jade shuddered, remembering what had happened in that particular dream. = Scary was an understatement. She still couldn't believe that Megabyte = would actually dream about stuff like that. Over active imagination was = an understatement, to say nothing of overactive. Mind you, she couldn't = talk considering where her thoughts had been wandering lately. She = noticed Kevin watching her again, and decided to answer before her mind = went off on one of *those* tangents again. "You don't know the half of = it, Kevin. Dreaming about 'The Matrix' last night, that was much easier = to handle." "You were dreaming about 'The Matrix' last night?" Megabyte's mind = brushed briefly against her own and then withdrew as she turned to see = him watching her, an expression of annoyance on his face. She glared at = him for a moment, as she tried to ignore the questions racing through = her mind. How much had he overheard? What had she been thinking when = he'd eavesdropped on her thoughts? The nerve of him, sitting there = listening and then reading her mind. Who the hell did he think he was = anyway? "I thought you were asleep." She met his intense gaze, and tried not too = successfully to glare back. She could still get lost in those brilliant = blue eyes so easily, even if he had invaded her privacy. She sighed. = 'Weston, you've got it bad, you know that don't you?' She shifted = nervously, trying to ignore the guilt growing steadily within. She = hadn't done anything wrong, she told herself. It wasn't her fault he had = weird dreams. "Like anyone could sleep through that. Right, Jade." Megabyte frowned as = he repeated his last question, suddenly becoming serious. Serious = Megabyte. Uh oh. Not a good sign. He'd definitely heard more of the = conversation than he should. "You were dreaming about 'The Matrix' last = night?" Jade knew she was blushing, and mentally kicked herself. No way was she = going to admit she'd make a mistake. It wasn't as though she'd done it = on purpose or anything was it? She let her gaze linger on him for a = moment. God he was cute when he was serious. 'Jade, keep your mind on = the subject at hand.' Getting sidetracked now was so not the way to go. = "Well it's not surprising the amount of times I sat through the thing = with you is it?"=20 "I don't remember you having an interest in Batman movies." As Megabyte = glanced between herself and Kevin, it was becoming obvious that he'd = been awake a lot longer than he'd let on. Had he been listening in = deliberately? Come to think of it, had he been asleep at all, or just = making out he'd been? Come on, Jade, you don't think he'd really do that = do you? The thoughts chasing each other through her mind suddenly came = to a resounding halt. 'He wouldn't, would he?'=20 "You were supposed to be asleep!" Jade felt her cheeks grow even warmer. = How much of the conversation had he overheard? "Enough to know something weird is going on," Megabyte retorted. She = knew it! Damn him. After all that time she'd spent daydreaming about = him, he had to go and ruin it with a couple of well-chosen words. Why = did she even bother? "I never said that out loud," Jade realised. "Didn't anyone ever tell = you it was rude to eavesdrop on other people's thoughts?" She could = forget the fact he'd listened in once, hell she even did that herself, = totally unintentionally of course, but twice? Get real. Like she was = going to let him get away with that amount of crap. Who the hell did he = think he was, just casually listening in to what she'd been thinking = like that? "Right, Jade. You were practically broadcasting. I'm surprised Adam = didn't hear you over in Australia." Yeah right yourself, Megabyte. Like = Adam would be rude enough to actually be listening in. He was missing = the point, as per usual. Like she would be stupid enough to broadcast a = comment like that anyway? "So how come I felt you in my mind before?" "You're dreaming, Jade. And it sure sounds like you've had lots of = practice at that lately doesn't it?" Jade decided she didn't like that = sarcastic tone in Megabyte's voice. What a nerve. Don't play the = innocent with me, Marmaduke Damon. Why guys always had to twist things = around to put the blame elsewhere was beyond her. No way was she putting = up with that today. He could get stuffed. Kevin coughed. "So how long have you been having these dreams, Jade?" = Jade turned and looked at him, feeling guilty that she'd almost = forgotten he was there once Megabyte had started in on her. Poor Kevin. = His dark eyes reflected how much the redhead's words to her were = upsetting him too. It was times like this that she was so pleased that = she wasn't empathic. The vibes coming from the American must be = magnified one hundred fold for him, compared to what she was picking up = on. Damn Megabyte for listening in, she thought again. How dare he? Jade tried to ignore the vibes she could feel coming from Megabyte as = she answered. Hopefully he'd picked up on those last couple of thoughts. = Serve him right for being so rude. What was his problem anyway? It = wasn't as though she visited his dreams *that* often. "About a week I = suppose, maybe two. Ever since I was shot, come to think about it." Kevin nodded, looking thoughtful. "I had a feeling you were going to say = that. I think it might be a side effect of Max healing you. We don't = know much about their powers, remember." She wished she could be as calm = and unflappable as Kevin seemed in these situations. He always seemed so = in control. Maybe one day she'd have to ask him what his secret was. Megabyte snorted, his brow furrowing as he rolled his eyes upwards. "So = if Jade has this cool new dreamwalking power, my privacy has gone out = the window. Great."=20 Jade felt her temper flare. "I'm sure I have much better things to do = than dream about you every night." What was his big hang up about = privacy anyway? It wasn't as though his dreams were *that* interesting. = Well, yes they were, but no way was she going to tell him at this point. = Overacting just a tad wasn't he? Sheesh. "So why don't you go invade someone else's dreams then?" Jade noticed that Megabyte's face was turning an interesting shade of = red. Good. Maybe he was finally getting the idea through his thick skull = that she was annoyed with him. Uh oh. From the anger radiating from him, = she got the impression he was way angrier than she'd first thought. Why? = It wasn't as though she'd done this on purpose. If she had she could = understand the reaction. Maybe. But she hadn't and she had to get that = fact across to him before she had any hope of him seeing sense. "I didn't mean to, Megabyte. Honestly I didn't. I mean how was I to know = that if I looked at your picture as I was." Jade's voice tailed off as = she realised what she was saying. Not the brightest thing to come out = with. Like that little snippet of information was going to help. If = anything she had the feeling she'd just made the situation worse. "As you were what?" asked Megabyte. The redhead had risen to his feet = and was glaring at her. His eyes were unusually bright and Jade knew him = well enough to know the danger signs. When he got like this there was no = reasoning with him at all. "Come on, Megabyte. Don't you think you're over reacting just a tiny = bit?" One look at his face told Jade that last comment had been a big = mistake. She hurriedly answered his last question instead of waiting for = his reply to hers. "If I look at someone's picture as I go to sleep I = dream about them." There the whole story was out. He'd just have to deal = with it. "You mean you *invade* their dreams. Get it right, Jade, why don't = you?" Jade hated that tone in his voice; it really grated at her. How = could she have had all those romantic dreams about him? She must have = been crazy. He was behaving like a pig. It was times like this when she = could sympathise with Millie's stories of what it was actually like to = live under the same roof with him. "I'm only learning about this, okay. Give me a chance. I mean it's not = as though I'm doing it on purpose, is it?" Jade knew how weak that = excuse sounded and that he wouldn't buy it, even before it was out of = her mouth. But how could she explain something she didn't even = understand properly herself? Surely he must realise that? "Aren't you? Sure sounds that way to me." Megabyte kicked Kevin's = dropped half-eaten apple and watched it sail towards the concrete gas = barbecue. He turned to look at her again, and she saw a momentary look = of worry in his eyes, a look that was gone so fast that she wondered if = she had imagined it. "What if I promise not to do it again?" Maybe that would help to = reassure him. He's wondering what else I saw while I was in his dreams, = she realised. Jade knew that everyone had things they'd rather not share = with others, but this was ridiculous. Everyone needed to share his or = her problems somewhere, with someone. She wondered idly whom Megabyte = confided in when he needed to talk things through. "What makes you think I have problems?"=20 "Stop listening in on my thoughts. It's rude." Jade stared at him in = disbelief. He still didn't get it, did he? Here he was going on at her = about not respecting his privacy and he didn't even have the decency to = practice what he preached. As she hunted for words to help reassure him, = she idly wondered why she was even wasting her time trying. He was so = convinced he was right that he probably wasn't interested in any excuses = she might come up with. Anyway why the hell should she be feeling she = needed to excuse what she'd done? He was impossible. "Besides I didn't = mean problems as such, just the stuff you don't talk about much."=20 "Well I sure have a problem now that I didn't before, you listening in = on my dreams. Now that's what I call rude." Jade wondered if she would = ever learn that getting into an argument with Megabyte was so not the = way to go. All that seemed to happen is they went round in circles while = she dug herself deeper into a hole she couldn't climb out of. Still he = had started it, not her. She hadn't done anything wrong. "Kevin, what do you think?" Kevin would be able to calm Megabyte down, = Jade was sure. After all he seemed to understand the American Tomorrow = Person better than any of them. How he'd put up with Megabyte all these = years and stayed so calm was beyond her.=20 "Kevin?" Where the hell was he? Jade felt a twinge of guilt for an = instant. He'd been trying to help her and Megabyte had driven him away = with his ranting and raving. Typical. "Megabyte, did you see where Kevin = went?" "Maybe he got out while he still could?" suggested Megabyte in the tone = she was sure he reserved for the times he deliberately wanted to get up = her nose. Don't even try and play the innocent here, it is so not going = to wash this time. "It's not safe around here if you want any sort of = privacy, is it? Not even while you're asleep." "That's not fair and you know it!"=20 ******** End of Chapter One - ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01C16482.468175A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Where The Winds Blow (1b/04)

by Anne Olsen

Feedback to anneo@paradise.net.nz

Disclaimers in Part 0

****

"Yeah sure." Kevin smiled. "I sort of guessed there was something on = your=20 mind…besides Megabyte that is." Besides Megabyte. Yes, that = comment summed it up=20 didn't it?

Even though Kevin had his silly side, which mainly seemed to show = itself when=20 he got involved in one of Megabyte’s ‘schemes’, he was = someone she felt she=20 could talk to. She knew she could always go to Adam or Ami if needs be, = but…well=20 Kevin was her own age, and for some reason she tended to use him as a = bit of a=20 sounding board. He always seemed to know what to say, to be able to = reassure=20 her. Kevin was dependable. The fact that he and Megabyte were close = friends too,=20 helped. After all, these days it was mostly Megabyte she talked about. = Poor=20 Kevin, sometimes she felt guilty prattling on to him the way she = did.

"I’ve been dreaming," Jade began, then paused. No. Dreaming = wasn’t quite the=20 right word. As she hunted for how to get across what she wanted to = without it=20 sounding too weird, she noticed the little pile of grass in front of her = seemed=20 to be growing. If she picked much more of the stuff, she'd be leaving a = marker=20 for the world to see where she'd been sitting.

"Dreaming?" asked Kevin. "Everyone dreams, Jade." He drained the last = of his=20 juice and started to examine the shiny green apple in his hand while he = waited=20 for her to explain. Sure everyone dreams, she knew that, but this was = different,=20 way different. Jade felt a wave of frustration wash over her as she = realised=20 this wasn't going to be easy to explain without giving away details = she'd rather=20 keep to herself.

"I’m not sure dreaming is the right word to use exactly. When I = close my eyes=20 and go to sleep, it’s more like I’m dreaming other = people’s dreams, rather than=20 my own." Jade frowned. No that wasn't quite right, either. Come on = think, how=20 could she explain this properly so that Kevin could get the idea she was = trying=20 to put across?

"Other people’s dreams?" Kevin looked puzzled. "What makes you = think that?"=20 He put down his apple, and gazed at her intently. He was wearing that = look which=20 meant his curiosity was piqued, and once that happened Jade knew he = wouldn't=20 leave it alone until he worked out what was going on. She wouldn't be = able to=20 change the subject now, even if she wanted to.

"Last night I dreamed I was in the middle of a scene from that film = Megabyte=20 likes so much."

Kevin shuddered, rolling his eyes. "'Attack of the Killer = Cucumbers'?" Funny=20 how mentioning that film seemed to invoke the same response from all the = Tomorrow People.

Jade shook her head, resisting the urge to giggle. "I said dream, not = nightmare. No, the other one. 'The Matrix'."

"Maybe it was because you sat through it with him six times?" pointed = out=20 Kevin. "I warned you about that at the time. Remember?" She seemed to = remember=20 him watching it with them at few of those times too, come to think of = it.=20 However now probably wasn't the time to mention that.

Jade nodded. "I know you did, Kevin. Believe me, I know. No the weird = thing=20 about it was that Megabyte was there."

"And that’s weird in one of your dreams?" Kevin stifled a = laugh, then tried=20 to look serious after seeing the look on Jade’s face. 'Thanks, = Kevin.' Just how=20 much had he seen of that daydream earlier? Jade felt her colour rise = again, and=20 tried to ignore her growing embarrassment. "Sorry, Jade. Go on." Kevin = took a=20 bite out of his apple, the crunch sounding loud in the sudden silence = between=20 them as Jade wondered if she was really doing the right thing sharing = some of=20 her more embarrassing secrets.

She swallowed and spoke slowly, trying to collect her thoughts into = some=20 semblance of order. "It’s not the first time either, Kevin." She = felt herself=20 blush, and spoke quickly trying to get the words out before she lost her = nerve.=20 "I’ve been finding that if I think about someone when I go to = sleep I dream=20 about them, or rather see what they are dreaming. And before you say = that’s=20 impossible, the night before last I dreamt about Batman."

She watched Kevin intently to see what his reaction would be to that=20 statement. He sat there for a moment, his apple seemingly forgotten and = she=20 could see his mind ticking over. Yes, she thought that particular bit of = information might get him thinking. It had certainly been the decider = for her=20 that the situation had got out of hand, and into the very weird. "Yes = that does=20 sound more like something Megabyte would dream about, not you. Nasty = mental=20 image that. I’m not going to ask what it was he was doing in this = dream. Knowing=20 Megabyte, that’s a scary thought, really scary."

Jade shuddered, remembering what had happened in that particular = dream. Scary=20 was an understatement. She still couldn't believe that Megabyte would = actually=20 dream about stuff like that. Over active imagination was an = understatement, to=20 say nothing of overactive… Mind you, she couldn't talk = considering where=20 her thoughts had been wandering lately. She noticed Kevin watching her = again,=20 and decided to answer before her mind went off on one of = *those*=20 tangents again. "You don’t know the half of it, Kevin. Dreaming = about 'The=20 Matrix' last night, that was much easier to handle."

"You were dreaming about 'The Matrix' last night?" Megabyte’s = mind brushed=20 briefly against her own and then withdrew as she turned to see him = watching her,=20 an expression of annoyance on his face. She glared at him for a moment, = as she=20 tried to ignore the questions racing through her mind. How much had he=20 overheard? What had she been thinking when he'd eavesdropped on her = thoughts?=20 The nerve of him, sitting there listening and then reading her mind. Who = the=20 hell did he think he was anyway?

"I thought you were asleep." She met his intense gaze, and tried not = too=20 successfully to glare back. She could still get lost in those brilliant = blue=20 eyes so easily, even if he had invaded her privacy. She sighed. 'Weston, = you've=20 got it bad, you know that don't you?' She shifted nervously, = trying to=20 ignore the guilt growing steadily within. She hadn't done anything = wrong, she=20 told herself. It wasn't her fault he had weird dreams.

"Like anyone could sleep through that. Right, Jade." Megabyte frowned = as he=20 repeated his last question, suddenly becoming serious. Serious Megabyte. = Uh oh.=20 Not a good sign. He'd definitely heard more of the conversation than he = should.=20 "You were dreaming about 'The Matrix' last night?"

Jade knew she was blushing, and mentally kicked herself. No way was = she going=20 to admit she'd make a mistake. It wasn't as though she'd done it on = purpose or=20 anything was it? She let her gaze linger on him for a moment. God he was = cute=20 when he was serious. 'Jade, keep your mind on the subject at hand.' = Getting=20 sidetracked now was so not the way to go. "Well it’s not = surprising the amount=20 of times I sat through the thing with you is it?"

"I don’t remember you having an interest in Batman movies." As = Megabyte=20 glanced between herself and Kevin, it was becoming obvious that = he’d been awake=20 a lot longer than he’d let on. Had he been listening in = deliberately? Come to=20 think of it, had he been asleep at all, or just making out he'd been? = Come on,=20 Jade, you don't think he'd really do that do you? The thoughts chasing = each=20 other through her mind suddenly came to a resounding halt.

'He wouldn't, would he?'

"You were supposed to be asleep!" Jade felt her cheeks grow even = warmer. How=20 much of the conversation had he overheard?

"Enough to know something weird is going on," Megabyte retorted. She = knew it!=20 Damn him. After all that time she'd spent daydreaming about him, he had = to go=20 and ruin it with a couple of well-chosen words. Why did she even = bother?

"I never said that out loud," Jade realised. "Didn’t anyone = ever tell you it=20 was rude to eavesdrop on other people’s thoughts?" She could = forget the fact=20 he'd listened in once, hell she even did that herself, totally = unintentionally=20 of course, but twice? Get real. Like she was going to let him get away = with that=20 amount of crap. Who the hell did he think he was, just casually = listening in to=20 what she'd been thinking like that?

"Right, Jade. You were practically broadcasting. I’m surprised = Adam didn’t=20 hear you over in Australia." Yeah right yourself, Megabyte. Like Adam = would be=20 rude enough to actually be listening in. He was missing the point, as = per usual.=20 Like she would be stupid enough to broadcast a comment like that = anyway?

"So how come I felt you in my mind before?"

"You’re dreaming, Jade. And it sure sounds like you’ve = had lots of practice=20 at that lately doesn’t it?" Jade decided she didn’t like = that sarcastic tone in=20 Megabyte’s voice. What a nerve. Don't play the innocent with me, = Marmaduke=20 Damon. Why guys always had to twist things around to put the blame = elsewhere was=20 beyond her. No way was she putting up with that today. He could get = stuffed.

Kevin coughed. "So how long have you been having these dreams, Jade?" = Jade=20 turned and looked at him, feeling guilty that she’d almost = forgotten he was=20 there once Megabyte had started in on her. Poor Kevin. His dark eyes = reflected=20 how much the redhead's words to her were upsetting him too. It was times = like=20 this that she was so pleased that she wasn't empathic. The vibes coming = from the=20 American must be magnified one hundred fold for him, compared to what = she was=20 picking up on. Damn Megabyte for listening in, she thought again. How = dare=20 he?

Jade tried to ignore the vibes she could feel coming from Megabyte as = she=20 answered. Hopefully he'd picked up on those last couple of thoughts. = Serve him=20 right for being so rude. What was his problem anyway? It wasn’t as = though she=20 visited his dreams *that* often. "About a week I suppose, maybe = two.=20 Ever since I was shot, come to think about it."

Kevin nodded, looking thoughtful. "I had a feeling you were going to = say=20 that. I think it might be a side effect of Max healing you. We = don’t know much=20 about their powers, remember." She wished she could be as calm and = unflappable=20 as Kevin seemed in these situations. He always seemed so in control. = Maybe one=20 day she'd have to ask him what his secret was.

Megabyte snorted, his brow furrowing as he rolled his eyes upwards. = "So if=20 Jade has this cool new dreamwalking power, my privacy has gone out the = window.=20 Great."

Jade felt her temper flare. "I’m sure I have much better things = to do than=20 dream about you every night." What was his big hang up about privacy = anyway? It=20 wasn’t as though his dreams were *that* interesting. Well, yes = they were, but no=20 way was she going to tell him at this point. Overacting just a tad = wasn't he?=20 Sheesh.

"So why don’t you go invade someone else’s dreams = then?"

Jade noticed that Megabyte’s face was turning an interesting = shade of red.=20 Good. Maybe he was finally getting the idea through his thick skull that = she was=20 annoyed with him. Uh oh. From the anger radiating from him, she got the=20 impression he was way angrier than she'd first thought. Why? It wasn't = as though=20 she'd done this on purpose. If she had she could understand the = reaction. Maybe.=20 But she hadn't and she had to get that fact across to him before she had = any=20 hope of him seeing sense.

"I didn’t mean to, Megabyte. Honestly I didn’t. I mean = how was I to know that=20 if I looked at your picture as I was…" Jade’s voice tailed = off as she realised=20 what she was saying. Not the brightest thing to come out with. Like that = little=20 snippet of information was going to help. If anything she had the = feeling she'd=20 just made the situation worse.

"As you were what?" asked Megabyte. The redhead had risen to his feet = and was=20 glaring at her. His eyes were unusually bright and Jade knew him well = enough to=20 know the danger signs. When he got like this there was no reasoning with = him at=20 all.

"Come on, Megabyte. Don’t you think you’re over reacting = just a tiny bit?"=20 One look at his face told Jade that last comment had been a big mistake. = She=20 hurriedly answered his last question instead of waiting for his reply to = hers.=20 "If I look at someone’s picture as I go to sleep I dream about = them." There the=20 whole story was out. He'd just have to deal with it.

"You mean you *invade*  their dreams. Get it right, = Jade, why=20 don’t you?" Jade hated that tone in his voice; it really grated at = her. How=20 could she have had all those romantic dreams about him? She must have = been=20 crazy. He was behaving like a pig. It was times like this when she could = sympathise with Millie’s stories of what it was actually like to = live under the=20 same roof with him.

"I’m only learning about this, okay. Give me a chance. I mean = it’s not as=20 though I’m doing it on purpose, is it?" Jade knew how weak that = excuse sounded=20 and that he wouldn't buy it, even before it was out of her mouth. But = how could=20 she explain something she didn't even understand properly herself? = Surely he=20 must realise that?

"Aren’t you? Sure sounds that way to me." Megabyte kicked = Kevin’s dropped=20 half-eaten apple and watched it sail towards the concrete gas barbecue. = He=20 turned to look at her again, and she saw a momentary look of worry in = his eyes,=20 a look that was gone so fast that she wondered if she had imagined = it.

"What if I promise not to do it again?" Maybe that would help to = reassure=20 him. He’s wondering what else I saw while I was in his dreams, she = realised.=20 Jade knew that everyone had things they’d rather not share with = others, but this=20 was ridiculous. Everyone needed to share his or her problems somewhere, = with=20 someone. She wondered idly whom Megabyte confided in when he needed to = talk=20 things through.

"What makes you think I have problems?"

"Stop listening in on my thoughts. It’s rude." Jade stared at = him in=20 disbelief. He still didn't get it, did he? Here he was going on at her = about not=20 respecting his privacy and he didn't even have the decency to practice = what he=20 preached. As she hunted for words to help reassure him, she idly = wondered why=20 she was even wasting her time trying. He was so convinced he was right = that he=20 probably wasn't interested in any excuses she might come up with. Anyway = why the=20 hell should she be feeling she needed to excuse what she'd done? He was=20 impossible. "Besides I didn’t mean problems as such, just the = stuff you don’t=20 talk about much."

"Well I sure have a problem now that I didn’t before, you = listening in on my=20 dreams. Now that’s what I call rude." Jade wondered if she would = ever learn that=20 getting into an argument with Megabyte was so not the way to go. All = that seemed=20 to happen is they went round in circles while she dug herself deeper = into a hole=20 she couldn't climb out of. Still he had started it, not her. She = hadn’t done=20 anything wrong.

"Kevin, what do you think?" Kevin would be able to calm Megabyte = down, Jade=20 was sure. After all he seemed to understand the American Tomorrow Person = better=20 than any of them. How he'd put up with Megabyte all these years and = stayed so=20 calm was beyond her.

"Kevin?" Where the hell was he? Jade felt a twinge of guilt for an = instant.=20 He'd been trying to help her and Megabyte had driven him away with his = ranting=20 and raving. Typical. "Megabyte, did you see where Kevin went?"

"Maybe he got out while he still could?" suggested Megabyte in the = tone she=20 was sure he reserved for the times he deliberately wanted to get up her = nose.=20 Don't even try and play the innocent here, it is so not going to wash = this time.=20 "It’s not safe around here if you want any sort of privacy, is it? = Not even=20 while you’re asleep…"

"That’s not fair and you know it!"

********

End of Chapter One

- ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01C16482.468175A0-- - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2001 12:04:59 -0600 From: Wendy Perkins Subject: (arfic-l) Grimm's Law - Part 00/10 - --=====================_8327764==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed - --=====================_8327764==_ Content-Type: application/octet-stream; name="GRIMM-0.TXT" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="GRIMM-0.TXT" /1dQQ0IDAAABCgIBAAAAAgUAAACpFAAAAAIAAHajIaZ0Ejt7AnIKYBe7Ayx+f8RBfQRaUdGrzzlX Vm2kucJ1tkpZsqZx0nSV6nwe78Z37lqJ68GE5iRkKuDQCheBDehWUelOWKkst7Wki0a++uJSNUGg VTpttC589nubCRcAiAB1bvx8Kb4ZvXoO1MiPjPSQxhuccCJzZ2RNQu0Qe2fRobZsH3fxdNfDYTvs 7oxgzGg+y4t0xXGFr4ElS8tO48ovXyEK+gHwLM8sBEoUdN+Nj+xZxCJcDg9+a7kbnnvEUfre/wLY J3bXab/wrom+v6X//W5IGah+9SA2CHs+1+po53sS/uuKZsPS+v2+S9hmgQy+ixOp8b4tjn0LBj9o o1NN4NH9ntk0inwUtYDpLADCBUHLMPOd8gFhC82Lzf5oabx2AEidPuP3bpkw8D0YFp/CjRXlCV7D cFTZ9ukjPNqUxqzIxRT+HGWww2quxxikIuzkh/DuiPszsfANI2rbyAzbJmd/+Bj+8sLFZBEE8wZS 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For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ End of arfic-l-digest V1 #55 **************************** - To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe $LIST" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.