Couple Of The Year

[JosieTash]

WAAAAAAAAAY thanks to Sarah, Red and pembie for your TREMENDOUS comments!!!

CHAPTER 41 !!!!!

EVERYONE in the room can’t believe what Leah has just said …….and it seems to be FOREVER before the next person speaks …… such is the collective ATONISHMENT!!!!! …….

It’s CLEO this time, with her INSATIABLE thirst for goss, who breaks the silence ……

Cleo “So, don’t leave us hanging. We ALL want to the who/how/what/when and why? [she looks around to see that everyone else is STILL in a state of SHOCK, especially Gypsy] Well, maybe it’s just ME that wants to know.”

Leah knows that she HAS to come clean now, but it’s still not easy for her ……

Leah [after a VERY deep breath] “Gyps ……when you got pregnant with Lily, you were SOOOOOO excited. Having a baby with your then soul mate and b/f Will. Well, I wanted that too.”

Gypsy, and the rest of the room, expects Leah to continue ….but she can’t, as she’s just BURST into tears!!!!

VJ [after HUGGING his mum] “Mum, you can tell us. Tell ME. Whisper it if you want. Whatever is best for YOU.”

Leah [as she tries to ease her tears] “No, son, I really should reveal all about this. Get the secret of my chest.”

Leah steadies herself, with VJ still hugging her …..which she muchly likes, and is kinda surprised about …..

Leah “Vinnie and I had tried sooooo hard to get …. for me to get preggers, but it’s just wasn’t happening …..and then Vinnie discovered he had cancer.”

Leah sees the looks of understanding begin to appear on the faces of Charlie and the others, and ……

Gypsy “I never realised. You never …… I never suspected a thing.”

Leah “Vinnie …..he didn’t want ANYONE to know …AND it was HIS idea for us to go to a sperm bank, cos he couldn’t……we couldn’t ………. He saw how excited you were, being pregnant and all, and he KNEW that I wanted that too …… we didn’t want to know for starters who the donor was …….. it’s only AFTER Vinnie was supposedly killed in jail that I decided to find out who is VJ’s biological dad.”

Leah breaths deep. Several VERY deep breaths ….. all the time wondering what everyone, but most especially VJ, will think of her news ……

And she gets her answer very quickly ……. VJ hugs her TIGHTER whilst rest of the room [aside from Angelo] is in tears!!!!!!

VJ [after he slightly releases the tightness of the hug] “Mum, I never REALLY knew Vinnie, but you ALWAYS made me feel that he’s my dad, so MUCHLY thank you.”

Leah [as she cries happy tears] “Veej …….you’re just ……just AMAZING. Vinnie would be sooooo proud of you.”

Gypsy, Charlie, Bianca, Emma, Rikki, Cleo & Bella are ALL in tears at what’s happened, as is VJ …..whilst Angelo, unsure of what will happen now, exits the house. Part of him hoped that VJ or Leah would come after him, insisting that he stays ……but they don’t, so he continues to walk away. Maybe VJ will in the future, maybe even soon, but certainly not now.

+++

Angelo heads to the restaurant that bears his name, and when he gets there, he stops at the top of the stairs. He sees that his new employee Rosie seems to be getting on well with her new workmate. He sees that there’s only a few customers, which Rosie and the other worker can easily take care of ….. so he decides to head straight to his office ……after exchanging quick pleasantries with the person who manages this place when Angelo isn’t around AND also with Rosie [including a HUG with the family friend of his] …………..

Rosie “So, I KNOW that Angelo just hugged me, but is he always sooooo …….. “ [she searches for the right word]

Tamara [who’s in her mid 20s] “Tense.”

Rosie “Yeah, that’s it.”

Tamara “ It’s just …… we’ve …… this place …. It could go under IF things don’t pick up.”

Rosie “I HOPE it doesn't. I ALREADY love it here. Met a new friend. Girl named Sasha. You know her?”

Tamara “Everyone knows EVERYONE here. You’ll learn THAT soon enough. I don’t have much to do with her, but we’ve “hung” together occasionally.”

Rosie “I think she just the BEST. Made me feel right up home as soon as I met her.”

Tamara “Sounds good for you.”

Rosie “It sooooo is.”

Rosie muchly pauses as she thinks about her next move. Tamara seems VERY nice from the chats they’ve had so far since she first got to Angelo’s, and now Rosie’s heart is skipping a beat. She knows that she’ll only ever be friends with Sasha, as she doesn’t sense ANY kind of girl on girl vibe from her new bestie, but ……..

Rosie “Tamara ……. I know that I’ve haven’t got anyone special in my life right now, but …..what about you?”

Tamara “No one right now. This town’s …it’s not so good at the mo, but who knows. things could pick up.”

Rosie LIKES the slight sparkle in Tamara’s eye. Maybe ……..

Rosie softly places her left hand on Tamara’s cheek, caressing it, before she steadily moves her face and ESPECAILLY his lips closer to Tamara’s face …… but …….

Tamara [slightly shocked] “Hey. [she turns the front of her face away from Rosie] I’m NOT into girls. I want to be with a special someone but, for me, it’s NOT gonna be a gay thing. To tell you the truth, I’ve ………. “

Rosie backs away, removing her hand from Tamara’s face - before she turns around and starts to walk away, but …..

Tamara [after she thinks about how she hasn’t yet had the courage to ask out another recent addition to the town, Zac] “Don’t go. SURELY we can WORK together. I like you ….[Rosie turns around] as a friend. Be good to have a friend like you. You seem VERY nice. [Rosie STILL doesn’t look convinced, having EMBARESSED herself tying to kiss Tamara] Hope you like the beach. I LOOOOVE it. Go surfing EVERY morning.“

Rosie [who likes living by the water, but REALLY likes the sound of being able to ride the waves] “Would you …… you be able to ………. “ [Rosie’s too embarrassed and nervous to speak further]

Tamara [cutting in] "Teach you? [Rosie nods] ONE condition.”

Rosie “ANYTHING.”

Tamara [seriously, but not SO serious that Rosie scampers away in tears] “NO more trying to KISS me.”

Rosie [slightly cheeky voice] “Deal. Yeah, my lips are TOTALLY sealed.”

Several customers, Baysiders of course, enter Angelo’s so ……..

Tamara “Better get back to it.”

Rosie “Yes, [smily voice] boss.”

+++

Whilst Tamara and Rosie get back to work, Alf & Irene are chatting in the Diner. Alf is worried that he’s had a recurrence of his brain tumor ……he doesn’t say anything to Irene about his thoughts, but he IS thinking of going to the hospital, or at least TALLKING to Sid about this, but then 2 people enter the room …….

Alf [shocked voice] “Irene, tell me that you see TWO people right now. Arm in arm. Sasha and a boy.”

Irene “Of course, I can. I’m not blind.”

Sasha sighs as Blake sits a table just inside the door ……

Sasha “Mr. Stewart, do you ……. KNOW this boy?”

Alf “I …….used to, I think. Boy, is your name REALLY Blake Dean?”

Blake “You told me NEVER to lie about important things, and this is IMPORTANT …..and ……. I don’t know WHAT’S going on.

At that moment, 3 people run into the room …… Ruby, Billy & Lottie ……

Ruby [panting as she talks] “Blake, I can ……….. “

Ruby STOPS dead in her tracks …… she’s TOTALLY a deer in the headlights!!!!!!, as she realises that Alf and Irene are also in the Diner as well……..

Alf [VERY sternly] “Better start talking right NOW, Ruby.”

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

[JosieTash]

WAAAAAAAAAY thanks to Red, Sarah and pembie for your MARVELLOUS comments!!!

Re Rosie trying to kiss Tamara, let’s just say it’s a nice way to reveal her sexuality …..and Tamara won’t be the only girl she tries to “score” with !!!

CHAPTER 42 !!!!!

With seemingly the eyes of the whole world [but really just Alf, Irene etc] on her, Ruby is a combination of shell shocked and deep in thought as to what she will say/how she will explain this, but ……..

Sasha [annoyed voice] “What a GIGANTIC surprise. Ruby’s in the middle of ANOTHER big mess. Doesn’t tell her bestie a MASSIVE secret, goes topless on the beach. [looks directly at the boy beside her] Blake, do yourself a favour. Steer clear of Ruby.”

Blake still is in a daze about everything, but because Sasha has been kind to him, he nods in agreement, but that doesn’t stop Ruby from making her next move ……

Ruby [slightly tentatively] “Sasha, I KNOW I hurt you ….and that I wasn’t honest for a LONG time about Billy, but PLEASE, can you answer my next question TOTALLY honestly. [deep breath] What do you think of Blake? Like him? Hate him? Whatever comes into your head.”

Alf “What’s THAT got to do with ANYTHING, Ruby?"

Ruby [as Alf continues to sternly look at her, demanding answers] “I’ll answer that question VERY soon, but I just need to know what Sasha’s thinkin’”

Blake, as he listened to the quite intense chat going on ‘round him, steadily actually takes the information in. He has NO idea who this Ruby is, but ……..

Blake “I agree with Mr. Stewart. I’m TOTALLY lost here, and sounds like YOU have the answers.”

Lottie [feeling guilty cos of how her declaration of love affected Billy when he set the coordinates] “I think we could tell them.”

Alf [sternly] “Tell us WHAT?”

Billy just knows that under Ruby’s steely exterior that she IS coming close to buckling under the pressure, but he also knows that Ruby knowing she got things right is sooooo important here …….

Billy “Blake, I KNOW you’re stressed and confused, do you have EVERY right to be, and Rubes & I will reveal all soon ……but what do you think of Sasha? [blake has a quite confused look on his face] 1st impressions even.”

Blake [quite bewildered, and wanting answers – so he decides to respond to Billy] “You promise you’ll REALLY talk if I do about Sasha?”

Ruby “Scout’s honour. [trying to lighten the mood] Not that I was even a Girl Guide when I was younger.”

Blake [after he sighs] “Well …..Sasha ……she’s VERY caring. I have NO idea WHAT’S going on, but she’s keeping me ……well, sorta calm.”

Ruby sees the admiring way that Blake is looking at Sasha. Sure it could be just the Florence Nightingale Effect, but its’ good enough for her. The way that Sasha is looking at Blake, like she doesn’t want any more harm to come to him also helps ……..

Ruby [after she steadies herself] “Blake, I KNOW you don’t want to talk about this ….but what happened 2 days ago?”

Sasha [annoyed voice] “Ruby, what kinda question is that? You’re SUPPOSED to be filling us ALL in. “

Irene [trying to keep the peace, as she realises that Blake – that name, that face – looks a little familiar] “Just let the boy speak. Sounds like Ruby knows where she’s headed with this.”

Blake [after he runs his hands thru his hair, and tries to hold back tears] “I …..I …..no, just ……… “

Alf [sternly, as he begins to realise just what’s going on] “Ruby, Billy. WHAT have you done?”

Ruby and Billy look at each other. THEIR love is solid as ever, and hoping Sasha & Blake, in time, will have those kinds of feelings for each other ……..

Ruby “Blake, [deep breath] it’s …..the year is ……………. “

Alf [cutting in] “I think it best if I take over here.”

Blake [stressed voice] “Could someone PLEASE tell me what’s going on?”

Alf walks over and sits next to this teen seemingly from his past ……

Alf “Blake, I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’ll just come out and say it. It’s 2013.”

Blake [shocked vice] “WHAT ?????”

Sasha [death stares Ruby] “WHAT have you done?”

Ruby looks once more at Billy, her rock, and …….

Ruby [as calm as she can be, looking at Blake] “Blake, Sasha, everyone. I wanted Sasha to have the BEST b/f EVER and that is YOU.”

Billy [knowing that his beloved can use a hand] “We know that you think it’s still 1992, but Mr. Stewart’s right – its 2013.”

Blake [harrowing voice] “How on Earth …….what happened? Have I ….. been ……was I in a coma or something?”

Ruby “This is gonna sound REALLY out there, [soothing breath] we bought you here for Sasha ….using time travel.”

Although Alf thought that MIGHT have been the answer, given where Billy is from, Irene, Sasha and Blake are DUMBFOUNDED ……and Blake, as much as he tries not to, starts to cry again. ALL his friends and family are gone ……..well, Alf's still here, but he’s TWENTY years older.

It’s ALL too much for Blake ……..who RUNS from the diner, and ……

Alf “I’ll go after him. [sternly] Ruby, you’ve got a LOT to answer for.”

Sasha can see how worked up Alf is, and knows how stressed Blake was when he bailed ……and although she’s mad at Ruby for doing this, she also is flattered and amazed that her former bestie did THIS for her …….

Sasha “Mind if I go, Mr. Stewart. We REALLY seemed to connect before.”

Alf ”Ok, go. [sternly, after Sasha exits the room] You lot, what on EARTH possessed you to do this? And why is Lottie here?”

Ruby [passionately] “That’s EXACTLY what. There’s no one on EARTH right now who’s good enough for Sasha.”

Lottie “And I wanted to help Rubes & Billy.”

Ruby “Yeah, she’s TOTALLY the brians of the operation.”

Alf [VERY sternly] “This better work out – or I’ll run ALL of you out of town.”

Ruby IS worried about Alf’s anger, but the way that Sasha is behaving right now - REALLY wanting to be there for Blake - is VERY encouraging !!!!!!

+++

In the country town of Bathurst, April & Joey are both by Dex’s hospital bedside – with Joey's bestie Leanne looking after the triplets. Dex, April & Joey had been chatting, but Dex could clearly see/hear that something “off centre” tween the 2 [non baby] women in his life …….

Dex “Come one, guys. Why did you fight? [both April & Joey are surprised that he knows, as both girls had disguised or hid their injuries] Nurse Julie told me. Now, come on. What’s up?”

Joey, now that Dex is aware of what occurred in his room, steadies herself. Time for her next move …….

Joey [heartfelt voice] ”Dex, I’m in love with you [VERY serious tone] and if you DON’T choose me over her [she nods at April], I’m taking the kids and you REALLY will NEVER see them again.”

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

[JosieTash]

MUCHLY thanks to Sarah, Red and pembie for your MAGNIFICENT comments!!!

CHAPTER 43 !!!!!

For Dex, it seems like FORVER has passed since Joey’s ultimatum, especially since she’s taken their kids with her and ran before …..

Joey [sternly] “Your decision, Dex.”

At that moment, Joey in particular gets a surprise ……

Nurse Julie “Girls, visiting hours are over.”

Joey “But ………… “

Her voice trails off, as she doesn’t want to blurt out her plans, whilst she can see that Dex AND to a lesser extent April are relieved …..

Joey [somewhat sternly] “Dex, when I come back, you BETTER have made the right decision.”

Dex [who quickly thinking of a plan] “Actually, nurse, could I have a brief moment alone, before the girls then come back into my room to say goodbye for now?”

Nurse Julie [curious voice] “OK …..but all of this better happen quick. ESPECIALLY after the …..disagreement April & Joey had in this room before.”

Nurse Julie gestures for April & Joey to bail from the room, which they do …..with the nurse following them …and whilst Joey is annoyed, and Nurse Julie is intrigued, April isn’t sure how to feel. It’s like, what EXACTLY is her b/f thinking? She knows that he NEVER wants to have his daughters taken away from him again, but surely THEIR love is strong enough that he WILL choose her.

As the 3 women outside his room are having various thoughts, Dex ONLY has one in mind. There’s only ONE way to keep those he loves in his life. Dex breathes deeply and calms his mind ……….. before, a minute or 2 after she was ushered out of the room, Joey re-enters. She’s done waiting, but is intrigued when she sees Dex looking quite, well, serene………

Joey [sternly] “So, have you made a decision YET?”

Dex “Yes, I certainly have indeed. But I’ll need April in the room to tell you both what’s ….. what my decision is.”

Joey quickly gestures for April to enter the room. Joey’s a tad concerned. Why would Dex need April in the room when he’s sure to choose Joey??? Even if only for the triplets, but if that’s the case, Joey doesn’t care. April is sure to vamoose when Dex doesn’t choose her …….

Joey “Now, Dex, when you choose me, SHE can’t stay around. I want you all to myself.”

Dex smirks a little at what Joey’s just said, which worries Joey. It’s like, MAYBE Dex has chosen his g/f over the mother of his children. And whilst Joey is thinking these things, Dex LOOOOOVES that although his book of spells is in the hands of Indi & Heath, he’s committed EVERY spell in there to memory. Better than that, he’s – like the modern text message and the like loving teen that he is – allocated a SINGLE word for each of the magic incantations, so he can perform the spells by saying just ONE word ,,……..

April liked Dex’s smirk, it give her hope that she’s not going to be cast aside, but until Dex actually says anything, she’s still on tender hooks. Same deal with Joey ……

Joey [firmly] “Well, make your call. ME or [disdainfully] HER.”

Dex further calms himself. He’s got to be in the perfect frame of mind for the spell to work, and ………..

Dex [bordering on nonchalantly, despite what he’s about to do] “Tuvix.”

Dex, whose never actually performed THIS spell before, watches in COOOOOOL amazement as mystical swirls of energy charge toward both April & Joey. It envelops the 2 woman and quickly pushes the two of them together, before it MERGES !!!!!!! them!!!!!!

When the magic has subsided, just ONE girl is by his bedside. An intriguing combo of the 2 that were there moments ago. The merged new person has April’s hair, forehead and eyes ……….with Joey’s nose, mouth and chin. Dex looks at his handiwork in awe …….as his creation is wearing April’s quite cleavagy top [and clearly has April’s boobs], but is also wearing Joey’s denim jeans!!!!!

April & Joey’s consciousness and brains are both inside Dex’s creation. They are BOTH overawed. The Joey part of the new merged girl, in the middle of ALL of this, is intrigued/pleased that she has bigger breasts again - like when she was preggy with the triplets [even if they ARE April’s]……..and after briefly looking around at their surroundings, at their combined body. …….it’s TOO much !!!!! ……

The merged girl COLLAPSES !!!!!

Dex should have expected this, but it’s the one part of the outcome of the spell that he forgot. It's like, EVERYONE [including the triplets], as an result of the magic that Dex performed, has it now in their brain that Dex’s creation – the merge of April & Joey – ALWAYS existed !!!!!! ….but the three people who still know the truth are Joey, April and Dex himself.

Dex quickly hits the nurse’s buzzer beside his bed, and when Nurse Julie enters not more than a minute later, she sees the girl unconscious on the floor ……….

Nurse Julie [a little surprised, but keeping her professionalism as much as possible, voice] “What happened to AJ ?”

Dex thinks about how, although HE calls his g/f April-Josephine [her full name], most other people call her by the muchly shortened nickname that Nurse Julie just did. He also LOOOOOVES that that - Julie totally accepting the merged woman as having ALWAYS existed - occurred, but ..............

Nurse Julie [with a raised voice] "Dex."

Dex [after "waking up" from his own thoughts] “Sorry, I ………it must be ……all the ………….. “

Nurse Julie [cutting in, as she tends to April-Josephine] “Stress she’s under. Yeah, totally. You in hospital with a gunshot wound. Having to deal with the triplets on her own.”

Dex [worried voice] “Is she …… gonna be OK?”

Nurse Julie tries to wake this girl who’s both Dex’s g/f AND the mother of his children, but …….

Nurse Julie “She’s not responding. Musta hit he head really hard. Mind having your g/f as your roomie here in hospital?”

Dex “Well, I guess we do ………….. “

Dex decides against verbalizing that he & April-Josephine share a bed at home, but ……..

Dex “Could you contact Leanne Tander? Tell her the news ……cos she’s looking after the triplets right now. As well as her OWN two kids.”

Nurse Julie “We’ll get AJ in a bed, establish her vitals and the like 1^st. You’re training to be a nurse. You know the drill.”

Dex “Totally. Then you’ll contact Leanne?”

Nurse Julie “Of course.”

As Nurse Julie calls out for help to deal with April-Josephine, Dex – as much as he LOOOOVES that his spell worked - is concerned bout how things will work ......'ship wise amd the like, when this merging of the 2 most important adult women in his life wakes up.

+++

In Summer Bay, Sasha continues her search for Blake. It’s like, where could he be? And how fast can a disorientated 1990s teen run? Sasha briefly runs her hand through long, partly purple streaked, hair ………and realises that she doesn’t know much about this boy she likes and is trying to find. Sasha takes her smart phone out of her pocket and googles Blake Dean. She inputs as much info into the search engine as she can, as she KNOWS that there might not be much about a perhaps average Summer Bay teen. She wonders what this 90s boy is up to now. Like, is he married? …….which leads her to think of Ruby’s plan to get Blake and Sasha together. Like how ARROGANT Ruby is for doing so …….

But then she finds something she REALLY wasn’t expecting. She looks at the births, deaths and marriages site …….and finds not that Blake is alive and kicking and married, but DEAD !!!!!!!!!!!

Sasha can’t help it. She immediately vomits!!!!

She stumbles to the ground and starts to cry. She’s sooooo overawed by what she’s just found out. ESPECIALLY that he died in the early 90s!!!!! …..not that much older to the way he is/was when Ruby and her friends bought him through that time rift!!!

Sasha’s head is all over the place, but she KNOWS that it’s not just her who’s in a spin here. She slowly steadies herself, and makes a phone call …….and after Alf answers and wonders about Blake…….

Sasha “Mr. Stewart, no sign of him yet. Did you ……. “

Sasha just can’t say THOSE words, but …..

Alf [with a heavy heart] “Yeah, love. I know that Blake ………passed away.”

Sasha “This is soooooooooo HUGE ……[sasha steadies herself] but I need to know ……what Ruby was talking about? She asked Blake about 2 ......2 days ago. I couldn’t find anything online.”

Alf “It’s ……not easy to talk about this, but Blake, the love of his life ….SHE passed away. Blake NEVER got over that.”

Sasha hears the heartfelt emotion in Alf’s voice. She once more doesn’t WANT to ask, but ………

Sasha [starting to cry again] “Mr. Stewart …….when did the …….[deep breath, as she tries to steady herself] What ….what was her name?”

Alf just can’t do this …….which Ruby can see, so she gestures to take the phone from him. Alf doesn’t resist, despite being as stoic as he can be ,………..

Ruby “Sasha, it’s Ruby. The girl is Meg Bowman. She died ……. just three days before Blake.”

Sasha [shocked voice] “WHAT !?!?!??”

Ruby [with high emotion in her voice] “Sash, you gotta find him. I know all of this has gone sooooo wrong so far, but YOU'RE our best chance at getting him ………. “

Her voice trails off, as Ruby doesn’t really know what she’s trying to say. Or not trying to feel TOO good at how well Sasha has already connected with Blake.

Sasha “I’ve been looking anywhere that I can think he might have gone, especially our beautiful beaches but I’m “tapped”. I’ve got NO idea.”

Ruby tries to think of an answer, but she really doesn’t know. It's like, she only really cared about knowing what kind of person Blake was, if he'd be THE ONE for Sasha, not where he "hung out" in the 90s……..until Alf hands her a piece of paper with an address on it.

Ruby [positively, as this looks like good news for once] “Go to Brock Street. It’s …….. it’s in the abandoned part of town.”

Sasha “Never heard of it. Why go there?”

Ruby [emotionally] “It’s where Blake lived before he ………… “

Sasha [cutting in] “Gotcha. I’ll find him. Catch ya later.”

Sasha ends the call and looks for this Brock Street on her mobile. The search engine quickly locates the street …..AND its history. She sees that Mr. Stewart’s old house on that street was destroyed in a landslide at the turn of the century. Sasha immediately starts to RUN!!!! She HAS to find Blake ……..but when she does, just HOW does she tell him the truth???

Sasha can’t REALLY think about that now, as her whole body and mind focuses on the task at hand …….finding Blake Dean!!!!!!!

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

[JosieTash]

MANY thanks to Sarah, Red and pembie for your WONDERFUL comments!!!

CHAPTER 44 !!!!!

Sasha has quite a determined demeanor as she makes her way towards where she hopes Blake has gone to …the house where the likes of Alf and Blake used to live. Sasha gets the abandoned area of the town, a place that NO ONE has been to since the BIG landslide which destroyed SEVERAL houses. Sasha almost can’t believe it. The area, untouched by ANY humans in over a decade, is totally overgrown with long grass and the like ……and that includes the streets of the area. All this reminds Sid’s daughter of a documentary that she saw in school ….a doco called LIFE AFTER PEOPLE.

Sasha IS pleased that at least, somehow, some of the street signs are still standing …..as they “back up” what the map on her Net connected mobile is telling her ….. so as Sasha makes her way through the VERY long glass, she feels a little like Lara Croft, only the treasure SASHA is looking for is Blake Dean.

Sash, as she trudges through the VERY long grass, is kinda worrying all the time about what lies within this terrain. It’s not like she thinks there’s gonna be a lion or the like in there, but with the Bay being currently inhabited by mermaids and alien shape shifters, who knows …….

Sid’s daughter is surprised when she enters a small clearing in the middle of all the lost world like terrain. Even better that Blake is towards the edge of the clearing. Sasha smiles when she sees that where she is now is close to where Blake’s old house was. She runs towards him, but Blake is too lost in his own thoughts, as he’s slumped over in tears, to notice her approach. Sasha finds it interesting that Blake is just like he was when she 1^st met him near the surf club only an hour or so ago. She stops running when she gets kinda close to Blake and, after slowing to a walk about 10 meters before where Blake is, Sasha once more sits beside the boy she already feels quite protective of ……

Sasha [as confidently as she can] “Things WILL be OK.”

Blake, who’s clearly been crying, looks up. This dark with purple streaks haired girl seems to somehow always be there for him, but ……

Blake [bordering in harrowing] “HOW??? My whole old life is GONE. All my old friends 2O years older now …… [more than slightly confused] and this, it looks some ..….big experiment. Trying to getting together a 1990s guy with a 1960s girl …..in the 21st Century !!!!!!"

Sasha’s slightly taken aback by that but, given that Blake doesn’t REALLY know her from a bar of soap, she guesses his logic mostly makes sense ……

Sasha “I’m not from the 1960s. Was born in the late 90s.”

Blake “Your clothes, you look. They beg to differ.”

Sasha [after she sighs, and thinks of her look’s inspiration] “They’re a …….it’s all cos of my mum. She ADORED the 60s, the era, the clothes. Will admit that I was never exactly a fan of that period of time but she and I were ALWAYS close ……..but then ……when she …….[deep breath] passed away, and I was sent here to live with my back then estranged father, I really wanted to have something to remember her by, and what better than her look. Started out as just a tribute, but I realised she was sooooo right. The 60s, it TOTALLY rocks.”

As weird as it sounds, even though he knows that Sasha isn’t from the past, her look IS helping him deal with this weird time travel sitch that he’s in now, but …….

Blake “So, I guess they’ve made the tech from BACK TO THE FUTURE real now. I wonder if when I meet my 2013, grown up self if I’ll faint like Marty’s g/f Jennifer did in the sequel.”

Sasha [as she wonders just how to tell Blake what’s happened] “That’s …..not ………. “

Blake [cutting in, as other thoughts rush into his head] “Hey, even if we faint at 1^st sight, I could, like, be adult self’s son.”

Sasha wonders just how ….. or maybe even IF she’ll tell Blake what’s happened ….that if Ruby & Billy didn’t do what they did, that Blake would now be a LONG time dead. Blake picks up on her unease …….

Blake “If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’m gonna run ……to a place that you actually WON’T find me.”

Sasha [after she smirks, and thinks on her feet] “OK. I WILL tell you …..but you gave to PROMISE me that you don’t run when I do.”

Blake “I PROMISE not to run.,……….[blake shakes his head in disbeleif at his sitch] I’m sooooo lost right now. My soul mate Meg, she …..died in my arms. EVEYTHING has changed, but the ONE constant in my life right now is YOU. You’re my guardian angel.”

Sasha is TOTALLY taken by that AND it makes her decision to tell Blake the truth …..somewhat easier ……

Sasha [hesitantly] “Blake, I …………… “ [her voice trails off]

Blake “Come on, Sash. [blake decides that some honesty of his own might help Sasha reveal her goss] Before those people bought me here, I was feeling so lost ……so alone …..so like life WASN’T worth living. I ……… “

Sasha [cutting in] “I, I know. [she sees the look of surprise of Blake’s face] Ruby & Billy, they bought you here …..cos if they didn’t, you would have ……. Take a look at this.”

Sasha takes her smart phone out of her pocket, and braces for Blake’s reaction to showing him the now uploaded to the Net front page of the Summer Bay Courier, dated April 7 1992 …………..

Blake [as he sees the headline about his own death] “WHAT …….How ……….. I can’t …… “

Blake knows in his heart that he was feeling REALLY down, but to actually SEE that he ended his own life IS still quite SHOCKING ……and it also seems weird that the headline remains. It’s like, all the time travel films and the like he’s seen, the headline would have changed by now, given that that timeline now longer exists, so Blake starts laughing !!!!! which takes Sasha BEYOND surprises Sasha ……

Sasha [astonished voice] “How can you …………….. “

Blake MUCHLY hugs his guardian angel and kisses her on the right cheek, before Sasha reciprocates the hug …..holding this amazing time travelling boy tight in her arms. Seems like a WONDERFUL eternity before Blake eventfully removes himself from the embrace …….

Blake “How …….. sounds like no one’s actually got a time travelling Deloran in this town, so how did I get here?”

Sasha [as she shakes her head at how calm Blake is] “How ……I know you’re alive when you shouldn’t be but how can you be so …….. “

Blake [cutting in] “Calm? Easy. I’m NOT dead AND cos YOU’RE here with me ……but REALLY how DID I get here ……into YOUR timeframe though?”

Sasha “Well …….. “

Sasha pauses as she thinks about how she will explain that the Bay currently has a shape shifting alien amongst its residents, not to mention the 4 mermaids, but how to tell Blake that suddenly become the least of her problems …….

…….as MASSIVE boa constrictor emerges from ALL that long grass. Sasha sooooo doesn’t do snakes ……so she and Blake quickly gets to their feet and runs away from the BIIIG reptile ..............which EAGERLY pursues the looking VERY tasty humans.

Blake & Sasha, who are side by side as the charge through the taller than either of them long grass, sense that the creature is still hot on their heels. After all, since NO humans have been in this part of the Bay for a decade, the boa constrictor wouldn’t have had a meal THIS big in ages. Both Blake & Sasha know that it won’t be much longer, as this speed, til they get beyond this abandoned part of town. Sasha, MUCHLY sweating and panting as she runs faster than EVER before, looks over her shoulder to see just how far the snake is behind them…….

…..but as she does so, Sasha trips on one of several tree routes that are virtually above the surface of the ground [from a nearby jacaranda tree]. Sasha CRASHES to the ground, hitting her head as she does so. Blake hears the commotion and quickly stops …….but by the time he has, the HUGE boa constrictor has already started to wrap itself round Sasha’s seemingly lifeless body. Blake hopes that Sasha is only unconscious as he wonders, without any weapons or knowledge about how to defeat such a creature, how he’ll save his guardian angel.

Blake can’t help it …….

Blake [screeeeeeeeeeeeeeamed, in a harrowing cry] “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP !!!!!!”

Blake hoped the SCREEEAM would startle the BEYOND massive snake, but it doesn’t affect the beast AT ALL as it continues on its mission to KILL its latest prey, the beautiful and ALWAYS feisty - when conscious - Sasha. Blake’s plea for help, however, is NOT in vain !!!!!!!!!!!!

++++

Meanwhile, AJ slowly wakes. She’s still MUCHLY groggy after hitting her head when Dex performed THAT spell. AJ, whilst she is still lying on her back in the bed, looks around. She sees Dex, the person who did THIS to her. Both the April part AND the Joey part of the newly merged girl are soooooooooooooooo ANGRY with Dex right now. Its like, how could he do THIS to the 2 people …..well, the 2 adult people …who are most important to him ????…….

…..so inside AJ’s head …….

Joey “April, do you know what’s going on?”

April “Being stuck in the SAME body or………….“

Joey [cutting in, REALLY annoyed] “NO. Why are we in a hospital bed? You’re the med student. YOU should know.”

April [trying to keep her calm, despite the freakiness of the sitch] “We passed out after HE put us in this GODFORSAKEN merged body. One of the nurses musta put us in a bed. Now, I ………”

Joey [cutting in] “You REMEMBER us passing out, cos I don’t. Strange.”

April “What you just said adds to what I’VE been thinking. I don’t know about you but, as much as I still mostly like Dex, I wanna teach him a lesson.”

Joey [annoyed “voice”] “ENGLISH please, April.”

April [more than slightly malevolently] “Use your MERMAID powers on him.”

The Joey part of AJ’s brain oh so gently raises her right arm, so Dex won’t detect what AJ is doing and ………….

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

[JosieTash]

MANY thanks to Sarah, Red and pembie for your AWESOME comments!!!

It’s kinda been a while since the previous chapter …..things are busy in my world ……so I REALLY hope you enjoy my latest !!!!

CHAPTER 45 !!!!!

AJ focuses on the half full jug of water that is beside Dex’s bed. She’s VERY pleased that he appears to be asleep at present. AJ uses her mermaid powers to multiply the liquid ……it steadily expands to the top of the jug, before AJ REALLY ups the ante ….by COMPLETLEY enveloping Dex’s bed [with him in it of course] with the ever expanding water.

AJ LOOOOOVES her handiwork, but now for the finishing touch. She changes from minute movements of her hand – when she was maneuvering and expanding the water – to having it like a stop sign. ALL that water FREEZES in an instant!!!!!!!!!!! ……….. which AJ adores, as now, Dex and his bed are now covered in a 5 centimetre thick sheet of ice !!!!

….which AJ believes Dex TOTALLY deserves. It’s like, he just CAN'T do this. Merge two people into one. Especially when the 2 of them both are in LOVE with him …and think they are a better match for him than the other. The temporary truce inside AJ is MUCHLY distracted when the glass jug finally can’t the strain of the expansion and freezing of the water …..

The jug breaks in several BIG pieces, and the commotion of ALL the pieces CRASHING to the floor is heard at the nearby nurse’s station. Nurse Julie, who’s pleased that there are some familiar faces her in town, quickly makes her way into the room containing AJ and Dex. She can't believe what she is seeing, ESPECIALLY when Dex could die AND that AJ is risking a LOT ……like, what if someone OTHER than Julie responded to the commotion. A someone who doesn’t know that AJ is a mermaid. A someone who might start asking all kinds of questions …..

Nurse Julie [trying to keep as calm as possible] “AJ!!! You can’t DO this. You’re NOT in Summer Bay anymore.”

AJ [confused, with April’s voice – but with Joey’s intonations] “Who’s this …….AJ?”

Nurse Julie [mostly to herself] “That bump on the head must have affected you more than I thought.”

AJ “Nurse Julie, what’s going on? REALLY, who is AJ?”

Nurse Julie “Before I say ANYTHING, you NEED to FIX what you did.”

AJ “OK, [under her breath] but he deserved it.”

AJ raises her right arm and rapidly balls her fist …..TOTALLY evaporating ALL that water!!!!

Nurse Julie finds it amusing that Dex is STILL sleeping, but .....

Nurse Julie “You obviously remember that you’re an “angel”, but what else?”

AJ “Well ……I take it you just want the BIG things, and not that I fell off my bike kinda BIG time when I was seven?”

Nurse Julie had an “obviously” look on her face, so inside the merged being …..

Joey “Think we should go with MY life story. Makes the MOST sense of how we all ended up in Bathurst. ”

April [slightly surprised tone] “For once we ACTAULLY agree.”

Joey “Good.”

Nurse Julie is getting worried. What if the mermaid powers are REALLY the ONLY thing AJ remembers about her old life ……

Nurse Julie [compassionately] “Anything at all you can remember will be OK.”

AJ “Let’s see. I married Charlie, and became a you-know-what. Then I got moonstruck, cheated on my beloved and she divorce……….. “

Nurse Julie [cutting in] “Good that you’ve retained your memories. That means we’ll just keep you in for observation for now. [stern voice] But NO more doing ANYTHING to Dex OR with your you-know-what. You got me?”

AJ [genuinely] “Sorry bout that. We, I mean I wasn’t thinking …..waking up in hospital and all.”

Nurse Julie “I’ll leave you to it. Suggest you get some rest.”

AJ “OK, but does Leann ………. “

Nurse Julie [cutting in] “Your friend knows the sitch. She’s totally OK with looking after the triplets for as long as you and Dex as in here.”

AJ “Thanks, nurse.”

With that, Nurse Julie exits the room - whilst inside AJ…….

April [curious “voice”] “Dex musta cast a spell on us ……[happy tone] and hey, AJ. A-J. It’s MY name 1-st.”

Joey [annoyed] “That DOESN’T mean he love YOU more.”

April “REALLY think we should just find a way of getting Dex to get us back to the way we were. Two SEPERATE people.”

Joey “But I still want him to myself. For ME and the kids.”

April “Let’s deal with THAT when we’re LITERALLY not in each other’s heads.”

Joey “OK, but he’s still MINE.”

April likes Joey as a friend, and sharing a flat with her is OK, but being in the same body as her is waaaaaaaay too much.

+++

In Summer Bay [the Chanca house to be precise], Bella is talking to her beloved Cleo when she stops mid sentence ………

Bella [worried voice ……with Rikki, Emma, Charlie & Bianca nearby] “Did anyone else hear that?”

Cleo “Hear What?”

Bella “That CRY for help.”

Charlie “I didn’t hear ANYTHING like that.”

Bella ”Sounded like a voice I’ve NEVER heard before, but whoever it is is SOOOOO in trouble. In the abandoned part of town.”

Emma “I don’t …….. HOW can you hear that? KNOW all that?”

Cleo [after she softly kiss Bella on the lips] “My Cougar. She’s been an “angel” MUCH longer that the rest of us. MUCH more in tune with nature and the like.”

Rikki [somewhat urgently, whilst Bella blushes at Cleo’s comments] “Let’s get to it then.”

Bianca “The abandoned part of town. No way to get there by water. Better ………..”

Charlie [cutting in, with a rushed voice] “I’m on it.”

Charlie already has her mobile in hand. Dialing the most appropriate phone number …….

Charlie [anguished voice] “Ruby, pick UP.”

In the Diner, Ruby’s phone is indeed ringing …..

Ruby ”It’s Mum. I better take this. ……. [Ruby answers her phone] Mum, what’s ……….”

Charlie [almost panic’d voice] “Is Billy there with you?”

Ruby “Yeah. What’s up?”

Charlie [as quickly as she can] “He’s gotta get to the abandoned part of town. Like, right NOW.”

Ruby “Why? What’s …… “

Charlie [cutting in] “Is he moving YET?”

Ruby can’t believe how …..not quite scared, but along those lines, that Charlie is ….. but she also knows that Sasha is heading that way AND that Blake might be there ……

Ruby “Billy, head for my car ……near the surf club. Sounds like someone’s in trouble in the abandoned part of town.”

Billy thinks quickly bout the sitch, and ……

Billy “YOU head for your car. Meet me there. I’m going to……. “

Ruby [cutting in, knowing what he is going to say] “God, I LOOOOOOVE that my man can “Jazz.” [billy exits the Diner] Mr. Stewart, I gotta go. Sounds like Sasha or Blake are in trouble. Laters.”

Ruby also bails form the Diner, and as she does, she sees Billy morphing in to a kookaburra. She sees him heading for you know where, before she complete her phone call with Charlie [finding out how her mum knows what she knows].

Ruby then head for her car, whilst Billy quickly wings to where someone is DEFINITELY in trouble. He flies over the overgrown area, and not only hears Blake calling for heeeeeeeeeeelp but he also SEES Blake trying to distract the DEADLY snake …..by doing things like throwing sticks and stones at it. The boa constrictor doesn’t flinch ….as it continues to CRUSH the life out of the unconscious Sasha. Billy thinks quickly about all the various Earth animals he’s researched especially since Heath escaped from jail and recommenced his threats to Ruby. He KNOWS that there’s NOT a creature on this world that will have the speed, agility and attack strategies to save Sasha …….

….so as soon as Billy descends to close to the ground, he changes into the MOST fiercesome aminal he’s EVER encountered …..the scorpion tailed, white furred, panther like ABIRAC ….from Billy’s own home planet, Drahnrae.

Abirac Billy CHARGES towards the MASSIVE snake, which moves to try and BITE the unusual creature with its poisonous fangs …but all the while keeping its tightening grip on Sasha. The Abirac, being somewhat larger than Sasha, sensed that the boa constrictor would go for the larger prey. The snake eagerly tries to BITE Abirac Billy, the Drahnrae native is too quick AND waaaaaaaaaay too cunny for that.

Blake almost can’t believe when the white furred beast STINGS the snake MANY times with its scorpion like tail. Blake watches in awe as the Abirac sees the snake release its hold on Sasha …..as the reptile DIES from the Abirac’s fast acting poison.

Billy, in his alien beast form, keeps his distance from the snake AND Sasha…..allowing a still quite stunned Blake to race over to the 1960s loving girl.

He checks for a pulse.

NOTHING !!!!!!

Blake can’t think about the strange beast that’s still nearby …..as ALL he cares about is saving Sasha, so he MUCHLY begins performing CPR on her !!!!

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

[JosieTash]

MANY thanks to Red, Sarah and pembie for your BRILLIANT comments!!!

CHAPTER 46 !!!!!

“Sasha, you NEED to come back to me. I’ve already lost the love of my life. I CAN’T lose you too.” …….

…PLEADS the very anguished, distressed Blake in tween performing mouth to mouth on the amazingly kind, beautiful, 1960s lovin’ Sasha.

Blake is DESPERATE to revive Sash …as he knows that whilst there as nothing he could do to stop his spirited soul mate Meg Bowman from dying of leukemia, he CAN do something for Sasha. It’s TOTALLY in his hands to save her. Blake muchly puts into practice ALL of the training he learned as a life saver, especially all the knowledge he gained going for his coveted Bronze Medallion. Blake soooooo regularly switches tween giving Sasha mouth to mouth and compressing his hands against her chest ….eagerly hoping, praying that it will revive her.

Blake knows that he was BEYOND in a dark place prior to being bought into the 21st Century by Ruby & Billy …..AND he also knows that if he can’t save Sasha, his OWN life once more WON’T be worth living.

All the while, Billy has not moved. He’s keeping a short but steady distance away from where he UBER stung and killed to the boa constrictor. Billy also hasn’t morphed from being the Abirac he was when he stopped Sasha from being crushed by the giant snake ……as he doesn’t know how Blake would react to seeing an alien shape shifter in the middle of ALL of this chaos. Ruby’s man DOES know that if Sasha isn’t revived soon ……well, let’s not really think about something THAT potentially dire. Especially since ALL of this is Billy’s fault. If he had just typed in the correct coordinates ………

Billy sees Blake trying his heart out to revive Sasha. He wishes that a fairytale true loves kiss would do the trick …..but, as part of the whole mouth to mouth/CPR thing, Blake’s “kissed” Sash MANY times since he started trying to revive her ……….so Billy decides its time for a different approach. Blake doesn’t even initially notice the weird, literally not of this world creature approaching, but when he does …………..

Blake [shocked voice, as he continues to compress his hands against Sasha’s chest] “Hey there .…….whatever you are …………………… “

Blake can’t finish that sentence …….as he is STUNNED and kinda bemused when the creature starts licking Sasha’s face. Not aggressively in any way …..very tenderly in fact. It’s VERY clear that the white furred animal doesn’t AT ALL see Sasha as its lunch. Abiric Billy thinks that maybe the totally foreign sensation of having an alien creature lashing her face with its tongue might be enough, but even Blake performing CPR at the same time has NO affect on the still lifeless Sasha.

Blake, in the middle of ALL to franticness of trying to revive the purple-streaks-in-her-hair girl, can’t help but think of where on earth the beast beside him has come from. Its like, have scientists discovered this creature in the 20 years that Blake lost in the time rift? OR maybe even, have they gone all Frankenstein and CREATED this cross tween a panther and a scorpion? ……..or is it even native to the abandoned part of Summer Bay?

Blake’s train of thought once more muchly goes out the window when the creature ROARS extremely loudly ……virtually straight into Sasha’s ear. Blake eagerly, quickly blocks his own ears as the creature continues to mightily GROWL !!!!!!

Despite the seemingly defining roar, there’s NO response from Sasha ……………….BUT ……

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

[JosieTash]

MUCHLY thanks Red, Sarah and pembie for your FANTASTIC comments!!!

CHAPTER 47 !!!!!

Blake moves to recommence giving Sasha mouth to mouth when he sees several tiny movements from beneath her closed eyelids, and ………

Sasha [groggy, sleepy voice] “Beatrix ……just 5 more minutes …….. then I’ll get up and ……….feed you.”

Blake can’t believe it ……AND he has NO idea who this Beatrix is. Hey maybe Sasha, and EVERYONE on Earth/the Bay knows who/what the white furred creature is ……. but Blake really can’t worry about that. He has to get Sasha away from here ……to a hospital …….

Blake [mostly relieved voice] “Sasha. Thank GOD you’re alright ……but ….can you open your eyes ….or more your hands. Just so I know that you’re OK.”

Sasha CAN hear Blake, but her hearing isn’t 100% ……. and she realises something else. She tries to move her legs …..but she CAN’T !!!! Sasha is quite scared. Her heart races once more ………….to the point where Blake can physically see her chest rise and fall rapidly as she breaths VERY quickly ……..

Blake [soothing voice] “Sash. We’re gonna be OK. The snake is dead. …………Just open, blink, whatever your eyes.”

Sasha IS muchly worried about her legs, but she KNOWS that its sooooooooo the right thing to do to show, tell Blake that she’s mostly OK …..so she starts to move the top half of her body. Sasha places both hands firmly, with palms down, to the ground. She’s virtually not even opened her eyes as yet, but at least she seems calmer …..now that she IS moving.

Sasha slowly makes her way to be sitting upright, but she’s not that keen right now to say anything about her legs. THAT, telling Blake, would make it REAL ……and he could blame himself for it. Sooooooooo NOT what Sasha wants this amazing time travelling boy to worry about ,,,,,,, and besides, something ELSE has caught her eye.

Before she gets her brain into gear though ………

Sasha [as she REALLY pays attention to the Abirac] “That’s a new look for you, Billy.”

Billy doesn’t respond in any way. No movement whatsoever..as he knows that this isn’t the best way in the world for Blake to find out Billy’s otherworldly secret, but ………..

Sasha [who was/is slightly concussed by her ordeal today, and muchly isn’t thinking straight] “Come ON, Billy. You bought Blake through that time rift …… AND you look right now like NO other animal that I’ve EVER seen in my life. Not even in movies.”

Sasha kinda KNOWS that she dumping Billy right in it, but she also knows that she BEYOND doesn’t want to deal with the total numbness in her legs ………and …….

Blake [confused voice] “Sash ……what …..what are you talking about?”

Sasha is about to respond. About to TOTALLY tell Blake about Billy’s deal when she & Blake both her what sounds like a car engine not that far away. With the slight squeal of brakes the car stops. They hear a car door open and shut ………which Abirac Billy takes as his cue to bail. Blake and Sasha are intrigued, Blake especially, as the white furred beast SAVED Sasha.

Moments later, Blake and Sasha see RUBY enter their circle of flight ……

Ruby [worried voice] “Sash, what happened? Where’s Billy? Are you both OK?”

Blake [whilst Sasha starts to regret what she said to Blake about Billy] “Ruby, Sash said something weird before …..about Bil …….”

Sasha [cutting in, quickly] “I’m ALWAYS doin’ that. Saying weird things. Aren’t I, Rubes?

Blake [quite insistently] “NO. Something IS going on here.”

Ruby has no idea quire what’s happened, but sounds like Blake REALLY knows SOMETHING about Billy’s alien origins ……whilst Sasha decides to make HER next move ……..

Sasha [slightly panic’d] “Guys, I CAN’T move my legs !!!!”

+++

Elsewhere, a despondent Lottie walks up the stairs and enters Angelo’s. She knows that Ruby & Billy, the annoying lovebirds that they are, are off rescuing Sasha and/or Blake. She also knows that LOTS of people, ESPECIALLY Billy & Ruby, won’t want to speak to her again …….after her confession of love to Billy. It also doesn’t help that she’s only in the Bay cos her mum prefers her new b/f over Lottie.

Lottie slumps down at one of the tables, and her lack of a good mood has caught someone’s eye …………….

Rosie [to a person close by – as she subtlety gestures towards Lottie] “Hey, who’s that? She’s pretty HOT.”

Tamara [surprised by Rosie’s forwardness once more] “That’s …erm ……Lottie. Recently returned to town.”

Rosie “How can you look THAT down in the dumps living in a place like this. I’m gonna go take her order …..[hint of a sexy voice] AND see what’s what.”

Tamara “Just warning you. I think she’s like me. Straight as.”

Rosie [slightly pouty voice] “Come on. Don’t ruin my fun. [happy voice] I’ve met a GREAT new friend today. Sasha. And yeah, if I can find someone to kiss and cuddle an …………..”

Tamara [cutting in] “Yeah, I soooooooo get that you want what I want with Zac.”

Rosie “I say that you MAKE it happen. Next time he comes in here OR before that even ………Anyway, I’m gonna chat to Lottie.”

Rosie indeed moves from behind the bar [where she and Tamara are] and heads quickly in Lottie’s direction ……

Rosie [chirpy voice] “Hi. How’s it going? Can I get you a drink or anything?”

Lottie [as se truly pays attention to the girl see saw approaching her] “You’re ….. I’ve not ……… “

Rosie [happy voice] “Seen me before No. I’m new to town. Angelo’s a friend of the fam.”

Lottie “Right. Well, new girl ……can I …..tell you something …that will just be tween you and me.”

Rosie “I’ve heard that’s IMPOSSIBLE in a small town but I’ll give it a shot.”

Lottie “Well ………. “

Lottie realises that even talking to a stranger maybe isn’t the best way of dealing with ALL she is going through, but ……..

Rosie [supportively] “You can tell me. I know that I won’t be a stranger for long, but, yeah, give it a shot.”

Lottie thinks quickly, and decides to talk to the newbie ,,,,,

Lottie “I like this guy, and I even told him that I LOVE him …….but LOTS of things were going on when I did …AND he has a g/f.”

Rosie “Can see why things are heavy for you. Do ya think this …the person you asked WILL reciprocate? Tell you that they love you.”

Lottie doesn’t really want to admit to herself that she thinks Ruby/Billy are indeed MUCH too “tight” to be broken up, and Rosie senses that Lottie ………… MIGHT be keen where Tamara was not ……..

Rosie [enthusiastically] “Sounds like this BOY doesn’t deserve you. [Rosie sits right beside Lottie and looks deeply into her eyes] Lottie, have you ever KISSED a girl. Like REALLY kissed. Not just a bff kiss on the cheek?”

That came outta left field, Lottie thinks. Who IS this new girl? HOW could she have heard about THAT kiss with “Anne Hathaway” ???

Rosie senses …..confusion, but at least it looks to her as though the idea of being with another girl isn’t repulsive …..AND, through talking to Tamara, Rosie knows that there’s already several same sex couples in the Bay. Yeah, Rosie was most encouraged when her co worker told her about policewoman Charlie being married to school teacher Bianca.

Lottie meanwhile has all kinds of thoughts racing through her head AND her heart. Looks like Billy isn’t going to be hers AND that Rosie IS keen on Lottie. It’s good for SOMEONE to be that way. After all, her former love Dex is off in another town with AJ, his g/f and mother of his children …..and then there’s being dumped here to the Bay by her mum who preferred her new b/f to Lottie.

Rosie sees LOTS of vulnerability in Lottie, and tries to reassure her. She runs her hand gently through the right side of Lottie’s hair, tucking it behind Lottie’s ear ……

Rosie [very tenderly] “Lottie, the MOMENT you walked in the room, I just ….. my heart WAAAAAY started beating faster. I like you. Like, REALLY like you. What do you think about me?”

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

[JosieTash]

MANY thanks to Red, Sarah and pembie for your SUPERB comments!!!

CHAPTER 48 !!!!!

The sun rises over the Bay the day after a tumultuous 24 hours where [amongst many others things] Ruby, Billy & Lottie bought Blake into 21st Century AND Sasha was taken to hospital after being attacked by a giant boa constrictor ……she is currently awaiting test results to see if the loss of movement of her legs is permanent or not.

At the caravan park house, Roo, Alf & John are eagerly awaiting/prepping for the Australian launch of the new STAR STUDDED Summer Bay advertising campaign. They are EXTREMELY encouraged that the town’s tourist bureau has received MANY enquires form people WANTING to visit the town again. This occurred in no small part to a big announcement …….one which the world’s media and many many fans around the world have been waiting a very LONG time to hear …….

…..the engagement of UBER loved up couple [and totes darlings of the media] Shannon Reed and Mandy Thomas!!!!!! …..

….a duo who got together in the Bay in such a memorable fashion …….indeed, the media accused Mandy at the time of plagiarizing some of Shannon’s work, as BOTH of them had used the moment they got together as the basis of an intense scene in their respective novels !!

The newly engaged weren’t the only former Summer Bay success stories to be involved …….as whilst they announced their engagement at the European launch, the likes of environmentalist Tasha Andrews, philanthropist Angel Broadhurst and multiple word surfing champion Mink Carpenter told the assembled media and crowd the heartfelt, inspring stories of how THEIR lifes were MUCHLY turned around by the time they spend in Summer Bay. Tasha, Angel and co. did so at the American premiere of the MEGA ad campaign ……

………and whilst Roo is MUCHLY pleased by the response so far to the overseas launches, her mood AND that of her husband’s is being tempered by the fact that Lottie didn’t come home last night ………….which is soooooooo not like Harvey’s somewhat straight laced daughter. They KNOW she’s not at the hospital – where Ruby, Billy and Blake are by Sasha’s bedside – so Lottie’s whereabouts are something of a mystery …..

…and Lottie’s sitch isn’t the only one they have to deal with ……as Alf is TOTALLY racking his brain. Not only trying to come to terms with the fact that Blake is back is his life, but also HOW to explain it. Alf knows that there’s more than a few BIG secrets that the people in the Bay are keeping …the mermaids, Billy ….. but how on earth do you explain someone being bought back from the dead …..especially when Blake died 20 years ago AND looks the same as he did back then. Alf knows there’s bound to be a viable option, but what that is [right now at least] is a big a mystery as where his step granddaughter spent the night.

++++

At the hospital, Sasha is asleep in her bed, as is Ruby by her friend’s bedside. Billy & Blake, along with Ruby, stayed by Sasha’s side the WHOLE night …….all BEYOND hoping that Sash WILL be able to walk again. Blake is also thinking deeply about all that occurred yesterday – bought through the time rift by Ruby & Billy, being chased by a boa constrictor, seeing a mysterious creature KILL that giant snake. Most of all, Blake is intrigued by what Sasha STARTED to suggest ….before she revealed the sitch with her legs.

Blake only got the occasional bit of sleep lat night. His head is sooooooooo spinning about many things, especially that he wants his guardian angel Sasha to come through all of this intact [her legs 100% operational] ……but MOSTLY Blake is thinking about the other teenage boy in the room. Blake knows that Sasha was all muddled when she woke after being partially crushed by the boa constrictor, but there’s only so far a muddled mind can go from the truth of the matter. Indeed, Blake thinks that the injured Sasha must have dropped her guard there a bit ….revealing to him inadvertently an even BIGGER secret than Billy being able use time travel to bring Blake into the present day. Blake thinks about saying something to Billy, to make the other teen aware than Blake KNOWS ……but how, especially given ALL that’s occurred, do you SAY something like that …..or even INFER it? Especially when part of Blake is TOTALLY freaking out that there’s arguably a NON HUMAN, or a VERY advanced human, beside him.

Blake weighs it up in his mind a few more minutes [with Ruby and Sasha still asleep] before he decides to go not with a comedic acknowledgment of Billy’s abilities like he was initially thinking of doing, but with …………..

Blake [totes heartfelt] “Thank you, Billy …for saving me and ESPECIALLY for saving Sasha.”

Billy isn’t really surprised that Blake has figured it out ……given all the research Ruby did [which suggested that Blake has quite a habit of being “on the ball” most times] ……. so Billy responds with a smile, which Blake replicates

Blake contemplates talking, even in code, to Billy about the latter’s amazing abilities, but he decides against it for now ……especially when Ruby stirs soon after and starts talking to Billy about how worried she is for Sasha.

+++

Elsewhere, Lottie awakes ……in a bed that’s not her own. This muchly disorientates her …….and it takes a little while before she realizes she is ONLY in her bra and panties. Soooo not the way she is usually attired when she goes to bed. Lottie also realizes, whilst currently laying on her side, that her back AND her rear are pressed against the back and bum of someone else.

THAT really wakes Lottie up!!!!!!

She quickly remembers talking to Rosie last night at Angelo’s, but at lot of it seems to be a blur. After all, Lottie’s never been “hit on” by another woman before. Lottie doesn’t recall drinking any alcohol, or even being offered it by the quite attractive Rosie.

Lottie slowly moves, as she doesn’t want the other person …..the one she was, moments ago, cheek to cheek with ….to stir. Harvey’s daughter gently exits the bed and stands up. MANY many thoughts are going through her head, like does she want to know who she was in bed with? what house is she at? where are the rest of her clothes? … but …..

Rosie [chirpy voice] “Good morning, luscious babe.”

Lottie twists her body to the left, to look a little way behind her. She sees Rosie in the bed. The new Baysider is under the covers mostly – but Lottie can see ALL of Rosie’s shoulders AND her upper chest …..so she must be wearing either a strapless bra or ………

NO bra at all !!!!!

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

[JosieTash]

MUCHLY thanks Red, Sarah and pembie for your LUMINOUS comments!!!

CHAPTER 49!!!!!

A million thoughts are racing through Lottie’s brain. Most especially her own state of undress AND the possibility that Rosie is topless !!!! under those covers. After all, who wears a strapless bra to bed anyway ???

Lottie still can’t remember a thing, which still makes her wonder just what DID occur. She hopes that Rosie didn’t do something as vile as drugging her. From what she DOES remember of last night, Rosie is such a confident girl. But maybe that’s not a good thing …..what if Rosie was TOO confident, and wanted Lottie as the latest notch on her belt no matter what …..

Having "said" that, Rosie also thinks of how BREATH TAKING it was for Rosie to call her LUSCIOUS!!!! Lottie’s NEVER been called luscious before …..and waking up bumper to bumper with someone – especially someone as attractive as Rosie – is NEVER a bad thing ……and from what Lottie DOES remember of last night, Rosie seemed quite “into” her.

It’s ALL soooooo confusing, but at least Lottie’s glad ALL of these thoughts are QUICKLY going through her head, so when she does respond it won’t be too long after Rosie said that AWESOME comment ……..

Lottie [as happily as she can] “Luscious, eh? LIKE the sound of that. Yeah. Luscious Lottie. [short pause] I REALLY enjoyed myself last night.”

Rosie smiles, and thinks of what DID occur tween the 2 women last night ……lots of talking, some dancing, a splash of karaoke, even MORE talking …….so much so that it was waaaaaaay too late for Lottie to contemplate heading for home, so Rosie suggested that Lottie should stay that night with Rosie – in Rosie’s new bedroom which is behind the kitchen area at Angelo’s.

Rosie also has another thought about last night ……..

Lottie [looking at Rosie, with them both beside Rosie’s bed] “It’s gonna feel sooooooooo weird sleeping in my clothes. LOOOOOVE my PJs. [disappointed voice] Oh well, 1^st time for everything.”

Rosie [slightly nervous, kinda sexy voice] “Have you ever ……ever slept in just your undies before? An option …..if you don’t want to sleep in your clothes.”

Lottie [nervous voice] “Do you …….sleep in just a bra and the like?”

Rosie [cheeky voice] “Maybe.”

Rosie exits the bed, but with a bed sheet wrapped around her ……as she’s still not entirely sure where she stands with Lottie. Felt REALLY good to be naked, like always, when she slept …… with the BIG bonus of Lottie in just her bra and panties ……...

Lottie [trying to not sound too surprised] “So……you sleep ….naked. That’s …..cooooool.”

Rosie “We had such a GREAT night. I could you tell you didn’t mind …..especially with you in YOUR undies AND what a great time we had.”

With that, Rosie heads into another room, and shuts the door behind her. Lottie notes that Rosie was headed in the opposite direction to that of the kitchen of the restaurant ……to a bathroom or the like Lottie guesses.

Lottie sees her clothes folded on a stool at the end of the bed, but before she worries about putting them on Lottie decides to look around for clues as to what happened last night. She sees some bedside drawers beside the side of the single bed that Rosie was sleeping in. Lottie quickly walks to the drawers. She carefully opens the topmost of the 3 drawers and ……………..

+++

At the hospital, Sasha is now awake. She loooooooves that Blake was by her bedside AND even liked that Ruby and Billy are too. Well, she did once Blake explained how instrumental they were in saving her. Sasha almost can’t believe that Billy gave up his MASSIVE secret just so Sasha would live AND that ALL of this [blake being bought into out time] was Ruby’s idea ……..

Sasha [shocked/ecstatic voice] “Rubes, I TOTALLY, publicly and everything, have been COMPLETELY dissing you …..and you STILL kept on trying to find me a b/f. How …..you’re just AMAZING.”

Ruby [as she hugs Sasha] “You’re BEYOND worth it. Just like getting topless on the beach was worth it. ESPECIALLY now.”

Blake [shocked, yet pleased voice] “You went …..you know …….on the beach? BRAVE girl.”

Billy “’Blake, my Ruby, she is the BEST. No offence to any other b/f or g/f in the universe, but, yeah, Rubes is REALLY out of this world.”

Sasha [cheerful voice] “Thought that was YOUR job, Billy boy.”

Sasha, despite her injuries, starts to laugh at what she and the others have been saying, but she suddenly goes all serious again when Sid enters the room …….

Sid “Hi, Ruby, Billy, and ……err ……… “

Sasha “Dad, this is my new friend, Blake.”

Sid [genuinely, especially since Sasha been VERY “out of sorts” of late] “Pleased to meet you.”

Blake [as they shake hands] “The pleasure’s all mine. Your daughter, she’s a VERY caring soul.”

Sid “Always good to hear GREAT things about my kids, …….but I’ll have to ask the 3 of you to leave for the time being. Important things to discuss with the patient.”

Ruby “We totes get you, Dr Walker.”

Sid “You’ll be able to see her again in no time.”

Blake [as he, Billy & Ruby head for the door] “Thanks, Doc.”

With that, the trio exit and Sasha looks pensively at her dad. She still can’t move her legs …….

Sid “Sash, the preliminary tests have come back. There’s still too much swelling around the injury to tell which way things will go.”

Sasha [slightly annoyed] “So, you can’t tell me if I’ll get feeling back in my legs.”

Sid “I’m sorry ….but not yet, no."

Sasha realises that as much as she COULD be negative about this sitch, it’s MUCH better – given ALL she's been through, especially being saved by her bestie’s in-alien-animal-mode b/f – to look at things differently …….

Sasha [determined voice] “Dad, I just KNOW that I’m gonna walk again. You just WATCH me.”

Sid briefly smiles at his daughter. He likes her positive attitude, but hopes that she isn’t setting herself up for a fall. He sooooo prepares to wait for further tests AND time that will tell them about how bad, or good, Sasha’s injuries.

+++

In a cabin in bushland surrounding Mangrove River, Heath & Indi continue to plot against the Bay, ESPECAILLY Ruby ……but Heath isn’t sure EXACTLY how Indi’s latest idea will help them ……..

Heath “Babe, as much as I LOOOOOOVE catching disaster movies like “Independence Day”, “Arctic Blast” and “Mars Attacks” end on end, how on EARTH is it gonna help us DESTROY the Bay?”

Indi [seductive voice] “Simple, honey. Gets YOU in the mindset of MEGA destruction ……and now for the piece de resistance, time to watch “Godzilla” !!!!!!!!

Indi laughs manically …….and LOOOOVES it when Heath joins in !!!!

+++

Whilst Sid talks to Sasha, it starts to "sink in" to Ruby that they've somehow got to find a way to create a believable, water tight scenario as to how Blake is not only alive after ALL these years, but how he’s still a teen ……….

Ruby “Blake, 1^st of all, part of me is REALLY sorry that we put you through ALL of this.”

Blake “Hey, the way I see it ……is that I’d be ……well, you know, if you guys DIDN’T intervene. I MIGHT “kill “you both one day for it …..when EVERYTHING sinks in, but right now, I’m “good “ with it.”

Ruby [hesitantly] “But ……… “

Billy “What’s up, Rubes?”

Ruby “We’ve GOTTA brainstorm. Like, how IS Blake the way he is?”

Blake [TOTES in jest] “The car I crashed …..it crashed into the fountain of youth …..so here I STILL am. Still looking like a HUNKY teen after ALL these years.”

Ruby [happy voice] “If you do say so yourself ……….. [excited voice, after a thought suddenly comes into her head] Hey, I just thought of the BEST plan, and Billy, I sooooooo need your help.”

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

[JosieTash]

EXTASTIC !!!!! thanks to Red, Sarah and pembie for your AMAZING comments!!!

And now for the landmark [i don’t think I’ve EVER reached the half century before with one of my fics] …….

CHAPTER 50 !!!!!

Lottie – who is fully dressed now - sits on the bed, looking ……concerned. She can hear, through the partially open bathroom door, that Rosie is showering. Lottie is on edge about what she saw in the drawers beside the bed. She knows that Rosie is definitely 100% gay so, in ways, the discovery of a sex toy or two in the drawer shouldn’t be a surprise. But it DOES worry Lottie. She harks back to her lack of knowledge of what occurred last night …..AND how Rosie slept naked.

Lottie MUCHLY wonders what IF something really REALLY happned last night?

Lottie knows that she’s slept with boys before, so at least it's not like she’s a virgin, but she still MUCHLY wonders just what occurred. The intriguing thing about that is that she likes Rosie, and as she knows that Rosie likes her, it would just be easy to end her ‘ship drought, and loudly and proudly announce that she’s going out with the Bay’s latest resident.

Lottie realises, after being lost of her thoughts, that the water from the shower is now off …..so Rosie can’t be too far away from exiting the bathroom. Time to get anxious again. What if Rosie is keen for more girl on girl, hot and heavy action THIS very morning?

Rosie exits the bathroom ……in a two tone blue, front zip bandeau bikini. Lottie notes how the swimwear accentuates Rosie’s quite curvy body. Lottie isn’t sure how to read the way that Rosie is dressed exactly, but she makes her next move anyway …..

Lottie [as she pats the part of bed beside her with her right hand] “Hey Rosie, mind sitting beside me? I want to …… “ [her unassured voice trails off]

Rosie sees that Lottie seems pretty keen to talk, which is a surprise given many LOOOOONG and often they did so last night, but ANY time that Rosie can look into Lottie’s big soulful eyes, at her wonderfully cute face, is sooooo reason enough to sit down ……so she does.

Lottie [trying to be assured, as she wants to KNOW if those sex toys were used on HER last night] “Rosie ……..what ……… “

Lottie RAPIDLY changes her mind. She doesn’t want to talk about last night. She wants the kind of action she thinks happened, so ……

Lottie KISSES Rosie softly on the lips !!!!!

Rosie IS surprised, but likes it anyway. Lottie’s lips are sooooo soft and tender against hers. Rosie gently puts her left hand on Rosie’s shoulder ….as they lightly kiss each other’s lips several more times …..before Rosie, keen that Lottie started this, starts to French kiss her new gal pal !!!!!! ………

…….but the feeling of having Rosie’s tongue invade her mouth is TOO much for Lottie !!!!!!

She pulls away for the kiss and ……..

Lottie [determined voice, with Rosie not knowing what’s going on] “I HAVE to know. WHAT happened last night? I can’t remember a THING. I want TOTAL details. Yeah, EVERTHING.”

Rosie, still basking in the afterglow of Lottie kissing her, DOES tell her new friend ALL that really happened last night …..the talking, the dancing, the karaoke ……and, after Lottie takes ALL that in ……..

Lottie “You mean we didn’t …….you know ……..You’ve got sexy toys next to your bed …..AND you were ……..naked.”

Rosie is surprised that Lottie actually thought that they’d got all CARNAL last night. She DOES like the THOUGHT of doing so with Lottie, but right now, she knows there’s more important priorities ………

Rosie hugs Lottie VERY reassuringly, and Lottie indeed feels the love and the tenderness of the non sexual, very “I’m muchly you’re FRIEND” hug that Rosie is giving her !!!!!

Rosie [when the embrace ends] “I’m sorry that you got the wrong idea AND that you can’t remember anything, but I will say that I REALY enjoyed our kiss. I like you. Like, REALLY like you, Lottie.

Lottie [nervous] “I ….I don’t know about ……….I’ve not been with another …..you know. I know there’s plents of gay couples here in the Bay, but I don’t know if it’s …“me”………if you know what I mean.”

Rosie gently puts her hands atop Lottie’s, which are resting in the bed ……and ……

Rosie “I can wait. [TOTES heartfelt, looking deeply into Lottie’s eyes] Luscious Lottie, my heart belongs to YOU.”

Rosie sees the girl she now ADORES smile a small smile at her. She at least knows that Lottie knows really KNOWS where Rosie stands now, so …..

Rosie [cheerfully] “Wanna cum for a swim with me? I looooooooove a dip in the ocean 1^st thing in the morning.”

Lottie “I ……don’t have any swimmers ………but I could go to the beach with you. Watch you in action.”

Rosie “Cooooooooooooooool. [she realises something] But .....suggesting you ring home. Wherever home is. I remember what MY parentals were like when I stayed out ALL night a few years ago ….when I was still at school.”

Lottie indeed looked stunned. She’d been sooooooooo caught up in ALL that’s gone on this morn, especially her confusion about Rosie and last night, that the thought that her parents will be worried hadn’t crossed her mind ……

Lottie [stressed voice] “Oh GOD !!!!!! Dad and Roo are gonna KILL me !!!!!! I’ve NEVER stayed out ALL night before. Better call ‘em. [REALLY stressed voice, as she frantically looks from side to side around her] Where’s my phone??? [even MORE stressed] Where’s my phone ???”

+++

In the forests near Mangrove River, Heath is wondering what Indi’s latest plan is …….

Heath “Why are we outside the cabin, babe? Sure the fresh air is great but ………”

Indi [kinda cutting in] “Time for the next step. I NEED to practice for the spell I’m gonna do ……for us to destroy the Bay.”

Heath “Well, call me when you’re done. I’m goin’ back inside.”

Indi [firmly] “The spell INVOLVES you.”

Heath [shocked voice] “WHAT ?!?!!?:”

Indi [getting frustrated at her not so brainy accomplice] “Heath, I knew you are kinda THICK, but I wasn’t expecting ……… “

Heath, muchly taking offence at Indi’s comments, grabs her by the throat and pushes her up against a nearby tree. Quite forcefully!!!!!

Indi [with Heath’s hands STILL around her throat] “H …..Heath.”

Indi realises the only way she’s going to get free …….so she knees Heath MUCHLY in the groin !!!!!! ,,,……and he drops to the ground !!!!!

Indi [sternly] “HEATH !!!! I’m gonna use my magic on YOU !!!!!! Make YOU a Godzilla like creature ….so YOU can totally RIP Ruby into teeny tiny pieces !!!!!!!!”

Heath, whilst still smarting from where Indi aimed her knee at him, starts to smile. He realises that he probably SHOULD have “got” why Indi wanted him to watch all the disaster films ……..

Heath [slightly winded] “Bring it on, witchy babe.”

Indi [moments after Heath totally gets back on his feet] “The plan is to, right now, make you a small version of the MONSTER who will DESTROY the Bay.”

Heath “Small ???? What’s the point in that?”

Indi “You’ll STILL be MANY times your size AND look like a monster …….but this will give me a chance to see if I CAN do this. I’ve only been all witchy since we stole Dex’s magic book. I’m not like my brother OR those pesky mermaids. They’ve been using magic FOREVER!!!!!!!”

Heath “No wonder you’re the brains of this operation.”

Indi hugs and muchly kisses the shirtless Heath ……

Indi [in tween kisses] “And you sooooo the AWESOME muscle, my man.”

When the kissing ends ……..

Heath “OK, babe. REALLY feel like DESTROYING something right now. [indi whispers in his ear] ALL the trees in this little bit of the forest. Sounds GREAT.”

Indi incants a spell to turn Heath a mini monster ……….a scaly Godzilla like beast, but one that “only” 5 times as tall as Heath !!!!!!

Monster Heath eagerly STOMPS towards a nearby VERY tall tree …………and swipes at it with one of his POWERFFUL front claws !!!!! The tree is SMASHED in half !!!!! The top half CRASHES to the ground !!!!

Heath, as quickly as his monster body will carry him, makes his way towards more trees. He smashes/fells them ALL !!!! Some with his powerful arms. Other by kicking them with his big, IMMENSELY strong legs ……or by whiplashing them with his muscular tail.

Heath waaaaaaaaaaaaaay GROWLS it his tree destroying success ………whilst Indi has the BIGGEST smile on her face!!!! She KNOWS that THIS will be the way she DESTROYS Ruby, her nemesis!!!!!!

+++

At the hospital in Bathurst, Dex and AJ are both well wake now. AJ is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay keen to confront Dex …..

TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

Rosie's blue, front zip bandeau bikini