"It's not fair. I want to be a breeding pod."

Oskar calmly looks at Marianna over his forkful of vegetable lasagne. Somehow, she just can't shock him anymore, although the gods know she tries! "You want to be a breeding pod," he states, sarcastic by implication. "You want sixteen-some-odd children running around. Why?"

"Ach, I just want the..."

"Yes, you do. Promise me, though, that after this one, you'll stay on the pill."

"What, you don't like babies?"

"I love babies. Babies grow up into teen-agers."

"Just because you were angsty and depressive doesn't mean all teens are like that!" Marianna starts to clear the dinner dishes. "Look at Marina. Since she's got Doreen back to a semi-normal state, since she's the daughter again, she's such a happy, well-adjusted kid! And she's even getting along better with Inda, since Karina left."

Oskar doesn't respond, choosing instead to concentrate on the iced tea glass before him. He opens and closes the paper umbrella, swirls the ice with the straw, traces patterns in the condensation with his finger.

"Earth to Oskar!" He looks up, startled back onto Marianna's patio from whatever Universe he's been in. She laughs gently, a change from two months ago. Then, she'd been more likely to stay out partying, and her laugh was much more loose, more raucous... the war, the baby, and Oskar have managed to change her, and her laugh. Mari is feeling much more serious lately, and it's showing. "Are you alright? Come on inside, I have tiramisu for dessert."

"For a girl with no Italian blood, that's a damn good Italian meal!" He picks up his tea as he walks inside. "But what's with the tea, instead of a good wine?"

"It's got ginseng."

"Ah, ginseng... are you sure you need to be drinking it, then?"

"Yes. I like green tea." Marianna sticks her tongue out at Oskar, smiling, but quickly changes moods. "Sweetie, there's still something wrong, and I want to know what it is."

"Oh, it's nothing you need to worry about. I can take care of myself." He sets his tea glass in the sink and eases himself into a kitchen chair. "Where's my dessert?"

"Where's the man I fell in love with? Oskar, you've been increasingly moody lately, and I want to know what's wrong."

"Nothing. Well," he says, upon receiving a Look from Marianna, "I haven't been completely honest with you..."

"How so?" She raises one eyebrow in question, sits down at the table across from him.

"You are not the only person I work for. I also work for... well, who it is isn't important. But because of my work, I may have to move to Pennsylvania."

Marianna blinks. This is a surprise to her; she had expected some problem involving his mysteriously absent family, since they two were currently planning their own family. "Well... I suppose I could go with you."

Oskar sighs, and cannot meet her wide eyes. He stares at the wall above her head and plays with the ring he wears. "I'd need to become Amish, go undercover."

"Who the hell are you working for, anyway?!" Marianna is completely confused, and worried beyond belief. Undercover work? she thinks. I do not need to be marrying another spy!

"I really shouldn't tell you... you should probably just forget about me and move on."

"Oskar, I am carrying your child. I cannot just forget about you! I want to know what's going on... who are you working for? Please tell me you aren't a spy... I can't marry another spy..."

"I'm not a spy... I'm..." He chokes. How do I tell the woman I love, the woman I want to marry, that I'm a... mercenary? She didn't even like killing the frogs, and that was war... what I'm doing is not war, not in the least... it's personal vendettas... His face contorts oddly, mirroring his mind.

Marianna stands up and walks to the French doors. She gazes past the patio and the cluttered garden, watching the sun setting into the ocean." He pauses a moment, contemplating his situation. "I'm... a hired killer. That's my other job."

Marianna takes a deep breath. She doesn't want to believe this, she doesn't want to even react, but he's expecting at least shock. "Why? It's all I want to know."

"It pays well, I'm good at it, and it's always in demand."

"No... it can't be..."

"Do you remember Pez? He was wanted dead. I killed him that night, when you asked me to watch the door, to make sure nothing happened. I knew what was going to happen. I had been hired two weeks before. Since I was already a member of Layla:)n society, there was no problem with learning the territory, finding the... victim. I poisoned his drink, and when he got outside, all I had to do was trip him, so he would die there. I knew that that way, I would never be suspected."

"No!" Marianna says, whispering intensely. "You couldn't have... he died of alcohol poisoning, that's what the coroner's report said. That's what the official police report said!"

"He did die of alcohol poisoning, in a way," Oskar wryly smiled. "Marianna... accept it. I have done this many times... I will do it again... a criminal is hiding out in Amish country, and I've been hired to kill him."

"Is this where you go, when you disappear for weeks at a time? When you disappeared a few months ago, before the Frogs? Who were you killing then?" Marianna's voice has changed again, from frightened to flat. She lets no emotion show, and stands straight, pulling herself away from Oskar.

"Marianna... love... I promise this will be the last one." He moves in front of her, reaches for her hair, runs his fingers through it and caresses her cheek with his palm. "I promise to stop, if you'll just let me have these few months in Pennsylvania."

"It's not my decision to make," she says. "It's your own life, it's something I'm not involved in. It's something I don't care to be involved in. But how do I know you will come back?"

"I've come back before."

"Will you be here in November? For the baby?"

"I don't know. I don't know how long it will take."

"Oskar... I can't lose you now!" Marianna walks away again, into the living room, where she stretches out on the futon. "I need you," she whispers into a cushion. Oskar, still in the kitchen, doesn't hear.

"Mari," he calls. "Come back in here. Come look at this sunset. Marianna?"

She drags herself off of the futon. She doesn't want to see the sunset tonight, she doesn't want to sit on the beach, as they end up doing. She doesn't want to ignore the problems that have surfaced. She doesn't want to lose her first true love...

"It's a good thing we could convince Mari to take the night off," says Marie. "Especially since it's a Friday." She sets up another microphone on the stage Shoebox is making a special appearance, as is Karina Brono, in honor of the woman who had given them their first paying gig. They have flown back from Nashville for the show and to visit their families. A new group will also be performing- Boxoffice, consisting of Daniela, Coli, and a high-school friend of theirs, Chastity. This will be their premiere, and it promises to be great!

Unfortunately, Arnold has disbanded, and will not be performing. And since Marianna is the lead singer of the Trenchcoats, there isn't a planned performance for them... knowing Mari, though, there very well may be a spontaneous song! "So we have entertainment, decorations, and an entire kitchen's worth of food at our disposal!" grins Lynette. "I think we're set."

"But," says Priscilla, "we haven't decided yet whether customers have to pay tonight!"

"I think they should," says Dream. "I hate to do it, but if we don't, then Mari will lose money. That's not the kind of birthday present we want to give her, is it?"

"Of course not!" chorus the crowd. Besides Dream, Lynette, Priscilla, and Marie, the Club contains Shoebox and Boxoffice (waiting for rehearsal time!), Suki, Lisa, Doreen, Pollythene, Marina, Ellie, and Ivory. UPChuck, Inda, Dava, Cueball, and Neil are at the bar, probably talking about the strange obsession women have with perfection in decorations! Actually, Inda is installing a new web-browser for Marianna... "Well, actually, it's for my own convenience," says Inda. "The old one is a piece of crap."

"Yeah, it didn't even have frames. Nobody could check their mail on it!" says UPChuck. "Right, Cueball?" Cueball doesn't respond, he simply stares into his stein of beer. UPChuck exchanges two and a half glances with his companions, but they shrug it off. Perhaps Cueball is already drunk.

"Hey, Aunt Dream!" cries Polly, cupping her hand over the phone. "Can you come tell this moron at the bakery that we have to have a vegan cake or else?"

"Let me talk to him," says Daniela. "I can be... very persuasive." She smiles, moderately evilly. Neil nods in agreement. He has certainly had his share of Dani's type of persuasion. Daniela takes over the phone, and within moments, a proper cake has been ordered.

The decorations are up, the various performers are rehearsing... "Nothing can ruin Marianna's party now!" declares Dream.

"SURPRISE!!" cries the capacity crowd. The entire town of Layla:) has turned out to celebrate Marianna's birthday, it seems, or at least all of Calypso Beach. The food is good, the music is better, and everyone is happy- a rare occurrence, especially among Mari's close friends.

"You guys, this is great... oh, let me sit down a minute, my back hurts..." Marianna drops herself onto a couch and leans back.

"Mari, if your back hurts now, what will it be like in six months?" asks Doreen. "You'll be bedridden!"

"Oh, I just shouldn't have been moving furniture," she says, brushing off Doreen's teasing concern.

"Moving furniture?" UPChuck raises an eyebrow. "Oskar, you let her move furniture?"

Oskar shrugs. "I was mowing the lawn. When I came inside, the furniture was in different places. I can't stop her if I'm not there."

UPChuck frowns. This is still not right, and it's also not right that Marianna and Oskar haven't touched each other all night. It's definitely not right that Oskar is standing at the other end of Mari's couch. UPChuck glances at Dream, who has also noticed the distance between their friends.

Yes, there's something wrong. But she's managed to put a block up... I can't read her thoughts at all. And Oskar's mind... well, it frightens me... it's like a war movie or something.

A war movie? UPChuck asks silently. Well, it *is* his favorite genre...

It's not right, Uly, but let's just enjoy the party for now... I'll ask Mari later. Dream cat-stretches and turns to Lynette. It's almost time for the cake, and for some reason, the accident-prone Lynette has been chosen to bring it out from the kitchen. "Lynette," says Dream, "I think they might need your help in the kitchen. Now."

Lynette blinks, trying to remember what it is she's supposed to do in the kitchen. Then, a flicker of recognition plays across her face. "Be right back," she tosses over her shoulder to Marianna, then promptly trips over a low table. "I meant to do that!"

Marianna smiles. "Everything is just perfect," she says. "Everyone's here... well, almost everyone..." The group dwells on the fatalities of the Frog War, almost three months past, before Marianna returns them to a festive mood. "And everyone's acting like themselves again, and we're all happy, and I'm 23 again, so it wasn't connected to Mac after all, and pretty soon there'll be another little... whatever... running around."

Marianna isn't sure what last name her child will have. Since divorcing Mac, she's been using her maiden name, DeSka. The little boy is presumed to be Oskar's, but nobody knows Oskar's last name... part of the way he keeps his life under wraps. Sleeping constantly is another way, of course.

Dava senses Lynette's presence at the door and indicates to Shoebox to cut short their current tune ("Conic Island Baby," y'know, the one about hyperbolas?) and make room for Boxoffice at the mics. The ladies scramble onto the stage, sharing a popsicle between them (prevents sore throats, says Dani), and burst into song as Lynette enters the Club from the kitchen. o/Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!o/ they sing. Lynette manages to not drop the cake or lose a candle as she walks carefully across the room. o/Happy birthday dear Mari, happy birthday to you!o/

"You guys are so sweet... is that mocha frosting?" Marianna blows out the candles.

"Make a wish, make a wish!" shriek Polly, Marina, and Pandora (Mari's youngest sister, who will turn 24 in November), the token child-characters.

Marianna smiles at them as she makes her wish. I wish I could have that sense of security I hear so much about... She pauses over the cake as she quickly scans the room for mind-probes. Dream and Dava seem sufficiently destracted, and as far as she knows, she is the only other psychic in town. Then again, she didn't notice the psychic abilities of the Infinity Counselor or First Officer when they first landed in Layla:)... but for now, she is reasonably assured that no-one has heard her wish.

"Carob cake with mocha frosting? This is vegan? Y'all are spoiling me!" As Marianna says "y'all," Dream winces. UPChuck catches a glimpse of the wince, hoping it was a stray thought she's picked up from someone, and not the word Mari used... he doesn't like to think she is still in love with the Texan violinist, Sean. Then he turns his attention back to the cake, which Marianna is joyfully cutting with a large knife. "Who wants a flower?" she asks.

Immediately, a cry goes up from Pandora. "Me, me!" she cries. "And that's it, no cake for me, just a frosting flower!"

"Eww," says Polly. "All that mocha frosting by itself? I'd rather have it spread out on cake."

"Mocha is like chocolate, right? I like chocolate," says 'Dora. As Polly and her aunt expound on the virtues of mocha frosting, Marianna quickly divides the rest of the cake and serves it out.

"Marianna, you're not having any cake?" asks UPChuck.

"Nah... hey, Uly, could I ask you something?"

"Sure, you can ask me anything."

"If something happens to Oskar... will you help me raise Jamie?"

"Jamie?" asks UPChuck. "You've named your son?"

"Yes... Oskar doesn't know he's a boy yet, but I've named him... I don't think Oskar really cares..."

"Umm... what could happen to Oskar that you're asking me this?"

"I really can't say... I just need you to be there for me."

"Sure thing. I wouldn't desert my 'little sister,' would I?"

"Thanks, UPChuck," Marianna smiles weakly. "It means a lot."

By 11:30, Daniela has decided to DJ the rest of the party. She is subjecting the general population to her latest passion- Swing music. Thankfully, everyone is enjoying it, and of course, Dream and UPChuck are ruling the dance floor. "Those two, like, never dance," comments Dani, "but for some reason, they like swing... I guess it's just something everyone can like."

At the end of In the Mood, Dream decides she needs to cheer up Oskar and Cueball (who are currently sharing a table and a pitcher of beer in the corner). She leaves on her mission, and UPChuck decides to track down Marianna.

Mari, of course, is in the kitchen, trying to avert a crisis. Priscilla and Marie will have none of that, as the goal of the evening was to have Marianna relaxed. "No, I want to help, it's my Club, after all... look, if you'd just let me help..."

"Marianna, let's go out there and dance," says UPChuck, gently steering her out of the kitchen.

"I don't want to dance, I want to make sure everything is okay out here-" As they reach the door, UPChuck is thrown against the wall by some invisible force. "What happened?" cries Marianna.

"Dream-" he gasps. "I've got to get out there..." He jumps up from the floor and runs into the Club. Dream has sent a psychic scream for help...

Oskar has left the building, leaving Dream and Cueball alone together. Cueball, in his odd, half-drunk mood, has decided to come on to Dream- a little too strong. "Why don't we..." he starts to slur, when UPChuck flies across the room and slams him into a wall.

"Hey, outside!" cries Marianna. "You know the rules- kill whoever you like- outside!"

"Sorry, Mari," says UPChuck. He drags Cueball outside by the neck.

"Ack! Wait- Uly, don't hurt him..." says Dream.

UPChuck turns back for a moment. "He was hurting you... you've never screamed like that before, even when we were pulled through that whatever it was, into that parallel universe. I can't let someone hurt you like that."

"He wasn't hurting me... he just frightened me..." Dream is more concerned now that she has caused a problem, than that she had a problem a moment ago. "Don't hurt him... let's... go. Talk. Please?"

UPChuck sighs. He is very mad at Cueball, even though he's not sure what even happened. All he knows is that Dream screamed- to him- because of Cueball. "Whatever you want." He drops Cueball.

Just then, a commotion at the door attracts their attention. Marianna's jaw drops in shock, and she turns deathly pale- the reaction of most everyone else in the Club, as well. Christianne, who plenty of people witnessed being struck by lightning, has returned.

"Hey, you guys look like you've seen a ghost- oh. Sorry. Umm... I guess I'm not dead. See, it was explained to me... I haven't finished my work here on Earth, so I sort of had to have my body restored, and then they squished my soul back into it... I'm still a little uncomfortable, I don't think they got everything together quite right. My arms seem too long. Anyway, I'm back. Who wants to hear what the other side is like?"

A few people fainted dead away... well, not dead, it's just an expression... With the exception of Cueball, who actually *did* faint dead away. He had a heart attack right then and there, and even though people noticed and tried to help him, he was pretty much dead, with no chance of revival.

"Oh, dear. Did I do that?" asked Christianne. "That's okay, because while I was... up there... I met someone else who was being restored. His name is Marlboro. We're in love."

Which, of course, caused a few more people to faint, but luckily no one else died.

"Well. What an interesting turn of events." Marianna smiled at Christianne. "Did you know it's my birthday?"

"Oh, happy birthday!"

"You missed the cake."

"That's okay. Let's go mini-golfing. That'll be my present to you."

"Tianne, it's midnight!" The entire living, conscious population of the Club was now staring at the exchange in disbelief.

"I know a great little course that's open 'till two. Come on, Marlboro is going to pay. It'll be fun."

"Well, sure. Hey, did you know I'm pregnant?"

"Really? How much did I miss by being dead for three months?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how much..."

TO BE CONTINUED...