Josette reads the letter again then carefully takes off her glasses.

"My.Life.Is.So.Fucking.Weird!" Josette yells and starts pounding her head against the outside door in her room. The others come in and she holds the letter over her shoulder, somebody taking it from her hand as Alan and Michael pull her away from the door.

"Somebody please pinch me and wake me from the damn nightmare this last month has been?" She whines. Alan pinches her ass with a grin and she moans. "Nope, not a dream caused by eating too much pepperoni pizza before bed. Damn it!"

She ends up sitting on the bed, all three of the cats purring in her lap or on her shoulder as David reads the letter out loud for the others. Susan wraps an arm around her. "Josette, how do you feel about this?"

"It actually makes sense." Josette sighs. "When I first met him in the library, I felt like throwing myself in his arms and letting him take care of me. And nobody's done that since my mom died."

"You think this is the truth?"

"Yeah, remember how Pat said the dress they put me in wasn't 'what she would have picked out for me'? Why would she be picking out clothes for me?"

"And Dr. and Ms. Savage were paying a lot of attention to you when we were in New York." David says.

Josette nods. "Well, this is . . .interesting. I'm going to have to get used to having family besides you guys again." Everybody hugs her again and she looks at the clock. "Let's go to dinner." David hands her her glasses and she puts them back on, walking down the hall with the others, everybody hugging her again.

Principal Madison looks over as the group enters the dining hall and he motions Josette over when she puts her tray down on the table. He says something quietly and she nods, smiling and throwing her arms around him.

"The judge gave us a restraining order against the university, any letters from the university must be sent to the school's lawyer. If they send us anything, we're supposed to take them and the copies of the restraining order to the police department to deal with. Normally just letters aren't considered enough to get a restraining order, but the sheer number of letters, along with the school's actions over the weekend, tipped the balance in our favor."

"Thank god," Susan sighs. "I was afraid to open my own mailbox anymore."

"So was I."

"So when are we supposed to fly into New York?" Abby asks.

"Six tomorrow morning since we don't have a morning interview." David says, looking at the notes on his I-Pad. "We're going to visit the statue of liberty early in the morning when the lines should be short and then head to CBS for the live interview on the Talk and taping an interview for the 48 hours show that will be airing Saturday. We'll be staying over at a motel, Friday we're going to be interviewed again on the morning shows and then we're finished."

"Thank you Lord." Josette looks up at the ceiling. "Josette, do you need any help in the laundry tonight?" Anna asks.

"I'll be fine, it will give me a chance to think about what's been going on. When I get home I'll open the boxes we got today and deal with those damn bags sitting on my table."

The others chuckle. They'd seen the disgruntled look Josette had given the bags when they'd helped carry her boxes into her room.

"If you're sure."

"I did two loads by myself alone the other night, I can do it again tonight. I brought the folder about the library job I haven't had a chance to look at yet." she nods at the bag on the chair, "I'll look at it while the machines are running."

Everybody eats ravenously and Josette heads to the laundry, punching in and heading for the back room. Two carts of laundry greets her and she starts on the boys first, shaking out sheets and towels and filling four machines, adding detergent and bleach before sitting behind the counter and opening the folder. Her schedule is first and she sees she's got two morning shifts and two afternoon shifts in the library next week before taking it over completely the week after that. Moving that page finds information on how to use the computer to check out books, including her sign-in information on the system, a section on how to add books and dvds to the system, a list of books that the teachers had requested be added to the library, there's a handwritten note on the page from Principal Madison that he'll give Josette the school credit card so she can order these and new dvds for the winter semester, she can even get some fiction books for the library if she wants because there aren't that many, and she puts the folder away in the bag as the washing machines are finished. Tossing the sheets and towels in the dryer she walks down the hall and cleans the other room, filling the supply dispenser and checking the emergency closet before shutting off the lights and coming back, tossing the girls sheets and towels into the washers and starts them running.

The dryers are finished and Josette dumps the first load of sheets into a cart and starts folding them, wrapping them in plastic when the second dryer is finished and puts them in the boys cart, folding towels next. The towels are folded and wrapped and Josette switches the girls laundry from washers to the dryers before walking the boys cart to their dorm through the tunnels before walking back to the laundry, starting folding the girls sheets when the dryers shut off. Cleaning the machines when she's done folding everything, she grabs her bag, punches out and turns off the lights before walking the sheets to the girls dorm and walking to their dorm, finding the building quiet as she walks down the hallway to her room.

Turning on her lights, she turns the coffeemaker on and sits at the table for it to brew the first pot as she looks first at the boxes piled near her desk and the bags sitting on her table. Grabbing a paring knife, she slits the tape on the first box, opening it and checking the paper on top. It's a copy of the classes she signed up for with the books listed for each class. Moving her textbooks from last semester to the top shelf of the bookcase she starts filling the shelves with her new books. The cardboard is flattened and put on her table for recycling and she drinks her first cup of coffee as she looks at the clock and opens the next box. She had five boxes of texts for her classes and the other three boxes are full of supplies that go in the drawers before she finally opens the first bag on the table, shaking her head as she sees the clothes she'd wore at the morning show including those damn high heels, a clip of the interview footage, from both the previous Saturday and that morning according to the notes on the dvds jewel cases, a check for her appearances on NBC and ABC Saturday night, another envelope of gift cards, she shakes her head in disbelief, and turns to the other bag, finding the other set of clothes she'd been wearing, a selection of makeup and hair care supplies, a selection of what had been talked about on the View that day, and she carefully hangs up the outfits and puts the shoes away in her closet, putting the envelopes of gift cards in her purse and shoving that in the bottom of the small backpack she pulls from the closet, it's not big enough to carry much but she can put her purse and camera in it, before she looks at the clock and decides to take a bath before Principal Madison comes to pick them up for the flight into New York in about ninety minutes.

Her checks are locked in her desk drawer as she strips off her clothes, shaking some bath salts into the water before she gets in and relaxes against the back of the tub. When the water turns cold she empties the tub and gets out, drying herself and walking out to the bedroom, shaking her head when she sees she's running low on clean clothes, all this running back and forth is making it hard to find time to do her laundry and she reminds herself to take them in to the laundry to run tonight.

Please god, let this shit be over soon. she thinks as she gets dressed and brushes her hair. A tap on the door makes her look over as Anna sticks her head into the room. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Nope, figured it was easier to stay up than get up." Josette says, looking at the clock. "Is it time to leave already?"

"Nope, but we're going to eat before we head into New York." Josette gets up and pulls the backpack over her arm. "Where's your purse."

"In the bag, along with a heavier jacket, we're going to be on the water after all and it is December even if we don't have much snow yet, plus a couple changes of clothes."

"Yeah, I hadn't thought of that." Anna says as they walk down the basement stairs. Michael is frying bacon while Alexander scrambles eggs and David pours glasses of juice. Abby is putting bread in the toaster and Anna opens the refrigerator and gets out the milk. Josette sees the styrofoam containers from Tuesday before the door shuts and everybody sits down and starts to eat as they talk. The door opens across the room and Principal Madison looks at them as they finish eating.

"Two more days." he says at their tired looks.

"Only if the idiots at Screw U don't do anything stupid. . .again." Josette mutters.

Getting into the news van, Josette settles against Michael's side as he checks his e-mail on the I-Pad before sliding it into his own backpack. Arriving at the airport, David runs over to the newstand to get the papers and they read them during the flight. The news that the state is trying to take over the university makes them nod, but the adminstration is fighting them makes Principal Madison shake his head.

"They're not doing themselves any favors." David says.

Principal Madison sighs. "No they're not, they're still convinced that this will all blow over if they just keep ignoring everybody."

The flight doesn't seem as long as the others, or maybe Josette is just getting used to flying back and forth and they find a van waiting for them for their use. Driving to the ferry, they get their tickets and float over to the island, Josette looking up at the statue as they get off and just smiling. Pictures are taken with everybody pretending to hold the torch and they check out the gift shop before heading back to the ferry. The lines are a lot longer to go to the island than it had been when they'd arrived and they smile as they head for the van to have beat all the congestion by arriving early.

Going to the studio they are shown to wardrobe, Josette just sighing and shaking her head when her clothes are deemed not good enough to go in front of a camera.

"I swear, these women must not have had enough dolls growing up, they have to play dress up with human beings instead." Josette thinks as she joins the others in makeup.

"Ms. Takahawa, how long have your ears been pierced."

"Less than a week."

"We can't replace the posts with different earrings then." The woman shakes her head as she fixes Josette's hair and they're shown to a green room, listening to the women of the Talk well. . .talk before the commercial and they're introduced.

"Ms. Takahawa, have you heard the news that the state of Massachusetts is trying to take over the university?" Julie Chen asks.

"Yes, we read that this morning in the paper. I wish the state well in their efforts to cut through the mess that the current administration has let grow with their seeming disregard for their students well-being by allowing the hacker to continue to mess with their records. . .and now their grades."

"Miss Covington?" Sharon Osborne asks.

"Yes?" both Anna and Abby ask. Sharon smiles and indicates Anna. "Is it true that you have been granted a restraining order against the university?"

"Yes, the sheer number of letters we've been receiving from the school has made us uneasy about opening our own mailboxes because we fear what the next demand from the school will be. Earlier this week Josette received a letter demanding she drop her suit against the school or she wouldn't be allowed to return."

"But hadn't you been asked to leave the school?" Sharon asks.

Josette nods. "I don't know if the left hand is truly unaware of what the right hand is doing but they seemingly cannot make up their minds about the students. Susan got a letter saying that if she didn't drop her suit, they wouldn't release her records if she ever wanted to attend a different school."

"You've all been accepted at other schools, haven't you?" Sara Gilbert asks.

Susan nods. "And they'd already released our 'transcripts' when they asked us to leave, or rather they'd released a list of classes we didn't take and grades we didn't receive. Josette was supposed to have been on the president's list this semester, instead she 'supposedly' failed all her classes and so the university had the right to ask her to leave."

Julie shakes her head. "And the lawsuit filed by those students who were arrested for protesting the false grades they'd received?"

"We're not part of that suit, though I wish them well in their efforts to get their grades straightened out. Especially those who would have graduated next semester."

"Very good girls." Principal Madison says as they leave the set. "Nothing said against the university and it's all the truth."

Susan grins. After the second interview they change back into their clothes and eat in the commissary before driving to a nearby motel where the studios put up guests.

"Go.To.Bed." Principal Madison orders his students. "We've still got to be at the studios early for makeup and whatever else we need to do, but after that we can go to Times Square, you all brought your gift cards, didn't you?"

The girls nod before they all quickly take showers and settle in the two queen sized beds, falling instantly asleep as Principal Madison settles in his room, calling the school and getting an update on what had been going on there by Druid.

The next set of interviews pass quickly and Josette puts her backpack on as they walk through times square, checking out the stores and going inside some of them. Josette uses some of her gift cards that day and they arrive at the airport around five that night.

"Thank you god that is over." Josette moans as they lift off.

"Yes," Anna moans. "Oh god yes. No more running back and forth, we can actually sleep at night and look forward to not going anywhere in the morning unless we want to."

Principal Madison nods. "Josette, you can do the last load of the boys sheets tomorrow, then you can get back to your regular schedules."

"Grammy Allie is going to e-mail us instructions for installing the rest of the programs on our new computers tomorrow." David says as he leans back in his seat. "Then we just start taking our classes the fifth of January."

"Does she still want your father and godfather to beat you for us going to the Bermuda Triangle for our vacations?" Josette asks with a smirk.

"Yes, yes she does. Which is why she's e-mailing us instead of me opening a tesseract, because if I did I'd be running for the safety of my ass across the campus. Shut up." he rolls his eyes as the boys snigger. "You know what I mean."

"It will be nice to get back to a regular schedule." Susan moans. "I don't know how anybody could do this for a living."

"They want their faces in front of a camera, we don't. We're in it because something happened to us, they're in it because it was their choice. There's the difference."

They arrive back in Boston at seven at night, Principal Madison calling for a school schuttle while Alan starts putting the items the pilot pulls out of the cargo hold into subspace before he walks the kids to a nearby restaurant for dinner. They all thank the pilot for flying them back and forth all week, he grins and says it was his pleasure. David grabs a paper and stuffs it in Josette's backpack as they go into the restaurant, emerging an hour later to find the shuttle waiting for them.

Josette whoops and does a dance in the middle of the front of the dorm when they lock the door behind them, checking their mail and walking down the hall to their rooms to check on the pets before coming back out when Alan starts taking bags and boxes out of subspace. Like he'd thought, there were more than the ones they'd purchased and the extras are marked with their names.

"And this is done too." Josette crows. She sighs at the new bags and a large box are carried into her room but just puts them on the table as she starts pulling off her clothes and drawing a hot bath. After soaking for a while and wrapping a ratty old bathrobe around her, she walks into the twins room. "so did you get both the autograph books filled for your mom?"

The grins on the twins faces make her laugh as she walks back to her room. Pulling on a nightgown and hugging the cats until they squirm away, she starts opening the bags she knows are her purchases, putting the books on the top of the bookcase to read and the cds and dvds on the desk for later. Then she turns to the bags that are from the studios. The outfits she'd wore for the interviews are shook out and put away in her closet, the makeup,facial and hair care products put in a box and pushed into the corner of the bathroom, she knows the others will nag her into using them but for now she's not interested in them. The checks for their appearances are put in the desk to deposit sometime next week. There's a note on the large box, the women on the Talk had been demonstrating some products and they'd gotten them since everybody in the studio audience had as well.

Soon everything is put away and Josette shuts off the lights and crawls under the covers, her cats waiting until they know the hugging monster is asleep before cuddling up next to her. They're cats, they want affection on their terms, not hers.

"Are you back for good now?" Druid asks as Josette comes into the dining hall for breakfast.

"Yes, thank you God." Josette says fervently. "I'll start the boys laundry after breakfast, since we've been running here and there all week, I haven't had a chance to do my own yet."

Druid smiles and nods as the others sit down at the table.

"You okay?"

"I've hugged the cats so much since we got back they're hiding from me." Josette grins. The others laugh and start eating. "The kids are in high spirits." Druid says as Principal Madison comes up to the table.

"They're glad all the interviews are over. So am I, even though I didn't really do anything. I was tired just watching them, so I know they're tired."

Druid nods. "Hopefully the state taking over the university will help things settle down."

"Have they done it yet? The last I heard was they were trying but the adminstration was fighting them."

"Not yet, but they have a court date Monday to get an order forcing them to turn the university over to them."

After eating three meals, Josette heads back to the dorm, grabbing her laundry and petting the cats when they come over. Throwing the bag over her shoulder, she heads to the laundry, punching in and throwing her laundry in an empty washing machine before she starts shaking out sheets and towels in the other room. Once everything's running, she goes to check on her laundry, transferring it to the dryer when the machine stops running and heading back to the other room. Tossing the sheets and towels in the dryer, she goes over to the other room, folds her laundry and puts it in the bag before going back. The morning flew by she thinks as she punches out, pushing the filled cart through the tunnnel to the boys dorm before checking her watch and heading for the dining hall and filling her bag with a makeshift meal from the snack bar before heading back to the dorm. The cats food and water dishes are filled and she puts her clothes away before checking her mail and walking back to her room. The twins, their brother, and the puppies come into the next room and Anna sticks her head around the door. "Get the laundry finished?"

"Yeah, I'm free until my regular shift tomorrow."

"Check your e-mail, we got the instructions to install the rest of the programs on the computer."

Josette nods since her mouth is full. Once she's finished eating she washes her hands and turns on her laptop, finding the instructions and printing them out before pulling the box from the closet and turning on the computer. The programs are installed and checked to see they're working perfectly, Josette getting an e-mail back that everything is fine, and she puts it away until classes start the sixth.

After dinner they open the boxes of decorations, Abby taping lights up around the glass of the front door and around the bank of mailboxes as the boys put up the tree. The puppies and cats are wandering around the room, being petted by everybody as they start decorating the tree. Looking at it, they nod in satisfaction as they start putting the gates up around the tree.

Turning off the overhead lights, they plug in the lights on the tree and around the door and mailbox before going outside, smiling at the sight before they go inside, turn the lights back on, and take pictures to take with the twins and Alan.

"Somebody remind me to get a tin of brass polish from maintenance, okay? I want to shine up the mailboxes."

"Sounds good." David says. "Susan, you want me to take you to Vegas for a couple of days? I know some of the casinos have betting rooms."

"Yeah, I can place some bets and win enough money to live on for a few months. And I still need to do some more Christmas shopping."

"Josette?"

"I'll go shopping this weekend since I'm off Friday and Saturday." Josette says.

"Michael, Alexander?"

"We've got to go over the last few details about the show opening with our soon to be former agent, who's still complaining because we didn't sign with her again. We'll go shopping after we're done."

Alan, Anna, and Abby head to their rooms to pack bags for the trip home, Alan getting the christmas tree photos off Josette's camera to show their family. It's about one when everybody settles in, David opening a tesseract after breakfast while Josette heads to her job at the laundry. Punching in, she checks the supply dispenser and emergency closet before pulling her laptop from her bag and beginning to check her e-mail. She grins as the first of the students comes in, the older ones know that they're going to be busy handing in projects, studying, and with finals so they need to get their laundry in now if they want clean clothes before they get their grades. Nodding, Josette continues deleting spam e-mails and answering a few from people she actually knows.

A few hours later Josette rolls her head on her shoulders and puts her computer in the bag under the counter as more students begin coming in. A teacher takes over so she can go to lunch and she takes her bag back to the dorm, finding the sunday papers on her kitchen table. The table seems mighty empty without the others at the table and she eats before heading back to the laundry.

Settling back behind the counter, she smiles as the machines fill up with students and there's a group waiting for the machines as they empty. Professor Druid comes in and she says something quietly in Josette's ear, she chuckles and Druid giggles before she leaves. Turning the computer on, she sends an e-mail to everybody, her phone is in her pocket and she sends everybody a text to check their e-mails.

Alexander looks at his phone and takes his I-Pad from his bag, opening his e-mail and sniggering when he reads Josette's message.

"Is this really necessary?" the woman sitting across the table from them asks snidely.

"Yes, otherwise Alexander wouldn't be on the computer right now. Your attitude is one of the reasons we didn't sign with you again, so rein in the bitchiness." Michael says, scowling.

She takes a deep breath to complain but slowly lets her breath out. "What's up?"

"E-mail from Josette, Ms. Sawyer is coming back with a crew this week, she's going to be filming a series about the school since there's been so many requests for information about it thanks to our interviews. A story is going to air on the news every night next week, with links to the full story and tour on the NBC website and the school's website.

"Ha, This time Principal Madison gets interviewed." Michael grins. Alexander sends Josette an e-mail back and puts up his computer. "Okay, where were we?"

"Tell me boys, aside from my. . . bitchiness, what's the other reasons you chose to sign with another agent?"

"Your insistence on big flashy shows where you can have your face in the spotlight as often as possible. We're your clients but it seems that sometimes you put us second because you're too busy talking about yourself and trying to get new clients. And then there's your complaints about having to work around our school schedules, we're artists, not robots. Unless you're one of those hermits who do nothing but paint or something else, we're all going to have outside interests, but you would rather us drop out of school so you can parade us around at your pleasure. One thing about our infrequent shows, we always have a large crowd and make a lot of sales."

The woman starts to say something but again takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. "You're right, I've been talking to a counselor and he's been telling me I'm too pushy. I *am* sorry for complaining about you going to school boys, he really lit into me about that when I called you two a pair of ungrateful brats when you signed with somebody else. He finally convinced me that my clients leaving might be because there's a problem with me, not you."

She gets a 'out of service' message when she texts David's phone, he must be on the island checking the garden she thinks. Probably dropped Susan off at a casino and went to check on the island since they'd been so busy.

Josette tells one student to use a commercial washer instead of two toploaders for his colored wash when it looks like he will need more than one washer, that way another student can use those machines. He nods, starts the machine filled with his whites, and moves to the commercial washers, filling one, adding detergent and keeping an eye on the two machines. She keeps the students cycling through, a teacher coming in and nodding in satisfaction as students empty one dryer and start folding their wash only to have another student take it over.

"The week before finals is always busy." Josette says.

"For students as well as teachers."

Josette nods. This week the students would be meeting with their advisor and deciding what classes they want to take, getting a provisional acceptance that becomes finalized after their finals. Finals would be Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays the tests would be graded, and Friday the students would learn if they were able to take the classes they'd picked for next semester, they'd sign up in the office, and then take their receipt to the bookstore for their next semester's books if they weren't first years students. Saturday and Sunday students who were returning home would be picked up or take shuttles to Boston to the airport,train station, or bus terminal while those who were staying at the school would start decorating their dorms for the holidays. The school made sure that students who were staying always had at least one present under the christmas tree.

Until Alice and Andrew Covington insisted their children invite first Josette and then the others home for Christmas, Josette . . .and later Susan, Michael, and Alexander had always stayed at the school over Christmas.

"Josette, the supply dispenser is empty."

"Sign out what you need from the emergency closet while I get in the supply closet. What's out?

Josette brings back the partial carton of detergent, filling the dispenser and putting the box in the bottom of the closet for now. Walking back to the closet, she gets a couple more boxes and fills other slots running low, shutting it and letting the students get into it.

At five-thirty she shuts the laundry to new students, thankfully the mad rush had already passed and she cleans the washers when the last load is taken out, the dryers are cleaned when the last load is finished and she punches out and shuts the door behind the last student, heading to the dining hall and finding David and Susan listening to Alexander and Michael tell them about Principal Madison getting tapped for interviews this time. They chuckle and Josette laughs as she sits at the table.

"Josette, you're going to the bank tomorrow, right?" Susan asks.

"Yeah, after breakfast. I don't work in the library until the afternoon. Need me to deposit something for you?"

"Yeah, I'll have an envelope ready for you in the morning."

"What are your hours tomorrow?"

"One to five Monday and Wednesday, nine to one Tuesday and Thursday. Then next week is nine to five all week since the library has shorter hours."

The others shake their heads. "Oh come on, you two work just as many hours when you've got a commission or are working on stuff for a show. And I work just as long Sundays at the laundry."

"True."

They all eat their fills, Josette getting snacks for later that night and they head back to the dorm. A police car is parked in front of the administration office and Principal Madison is talking with an officer.

"Thank you, I wasn't sure where I could take them. There's no room at the shelter. The back door of the car opens and two large st. bernards and a box full of puppies are revealed. Josette takes a picture and sends it to the others. "Should we?" is the only text sent. Less than a minute later her phone rings and she answers it. Anna is on the other end and Josette gives the others the story the police officer just told her.

"We'll take them." Josette announces, letting the male dog, then the female sniff her. The puppies are babies and she strokes a hand over their bodies, they wriggle and whine.

"Are you sure?"

"We have the entire dorm, the cats can be locked up until we figure out if they'll get along. We can put them in a room for the time being."

David carries the box of puppies into the dorm as Josette attaches leashes to the collars of the adults and walks them to the dorm, putting a couple of blankets on the beds for them for the time being.

"Petco is still open, isn't it?" Josette asks.

David looks at the clock. "Yeah, for another two hours." he opens a tesseract and they walk into the store, a clerk immediately helping them get everything they need for their new pets. Two hundred dollars in food and supplies later they leave the store, opening a tesseract and handing off everything to Michael and Alexander before taking the cart back to the store. David and Josette walk through and they lock the dorm down for the night before opening bags of food and putting them down for the dogs in the front by the mailboxes, talking to the dogs all the time. After they've eaten Josette and Michael take them for a walk before brushing them, the dogs leaning against them. Josette's cats come out of her room, the dogs sniff them but don't do anything, Susan's kitten is brought out and they seem to grin at it, everybody laughs. The door to their room is left open a crack so the mom and dad can check on their puppies during the night and Josette settles in a tub of steaming water in the bathroom after locking her back door for the night.

The next morning Josette crouches down and talks to the two dogs out in the front. "Guys, we have people who come into this room out here, they'll be going into this room or these two rooms. They're friends, if they try to come any further into the building then you can bark at them. There's three other humans who live her and three puppies, they're off visiting their family for a week but we'll introduce them and any other people who are allowed in our private areas."

The dogs seem to nod. "Good boy, good girl," she ruffles their fur and gets a sloppy kiss. She grabs her purse, and the envelope Susan handed her and heads to the bank after breakfast. Two deposits later, she drops off her library books and dvds, heading back to the school, pulling into her usual parking lot and putting the receipt on Susan's desk before looking at the clock and taking on the dogs before checking her e-mail. A wet nose pushes the door open and the male St. Bernard sits next to her desk. She reaches out and pets him as she cleans up her inbox.

"Sorry big guy, I'm going to have to leave in about an hour." She says as she shuts off the computer and looks at the clock. "We're all university students so in a couple of weeks we're going to be in front of these things for hours." She walks down the hall to check on the mail before looking at the clock, slides her library and laundry keys in her jacket pockets, takes the dogs for a walk, and lets them back in the dorm before walking to the dining hall after telling them to be good and that Michael and Alexander will be back in a couple of hours.

Punching into the library at one, and resisting the urge to rub her hands and cackle something about it being hers, all hers, she follows one of the teachers around learning where everything is before settling behind the checkout counter and looking at the list of books that are due today, learning that the school sends out reminder notices a couple of days before they're due, Josette never received any while she was in school because she always made sure to have books returned well before they were due.

Checking in books takes a few minutes and the teacher shows her where they belong before she has to head to her afternoon class and Josette is alone until a teacher comes in fifteen minutes later after her lunch is finished. Josette heads upstairs with a notepad, making a list of books and dvds she wants to order for the library, making a note to see if maintenance can get some new racks up there for paperbacks.

A strangled "Josette?" from downstairs has Josette coming down the stairs, grinning as she sees Ms. Sawyer and a camera crew in the library. The teacher gratefully goes into the office as Josette smiles.

"We're here in first floor of the school's library. With us is Ms. Takahawa, who's been involved in the controversy currently befalling University of Massachusetts, Boston where a hacker has been altering files and grades. Ms. Takahawa, it's good to see you again. Can I ask what you're doing here?"

"I'm going for a degree in Library Science, the school wants me to take over the library when I graduate since we currently have teachers covering it during their free time and student employees. Principal Madison asked me to take the library over next week since the teachers will be busy with finals. I agreed, since I'm going to be running it eventually, I should get used to working here."

"That's nice, does the library take up all three floors?"

"No, the school's computer lab and computer classrooms are currently on the third floor, I've been talking with our builder about plans for a new computer building as well as a new library. This will probably not be for a year or so, next year we plan on building a new boys dorm and a fine arts building."

The film crew, Ms. Sawyer, and Principal Madison leave after a few minutes and the teacher sighs in relief when they're gone, coming out of the office as Josette starts shelving the books that were returned this morning.

Principal Madison had given Josette the school's credit card and she gets online, ordering first the books the teachers had been requesting, then the books and DVDS she'd written down upstairs, sending an IM to maintenance about getting some new racks on the second floor for the books and her request for a tin of brass polish for the mailboxes in their dorm before she looks up as a student comes into the room. Looking at the clock she sees its already four and students should be getting out of classes. He's returning some books and she checks them back in, removing the note on the list of books that are due that day. At five Professor Druid comes in to get her and she clocks out, putting on her jacket and walking with her to the dining hall.

Sliding into her usual seat after filling her tray, she tells Susan her receipt is on the desk and then turns to David.

"So what's the poop on there possibly being a new computer lab and Library buildings?" she asks him.

David blinks at her. "Where did you hear that?"

"Principal Madison, he said it wouldn't be for a couple of years yet, since next year is the new boys dorm and fine arts building."

"News to me, I'll ask around when we get home. How far are the plans?"

"No idea, all he said on camera was he was in talks with the school's builder about plans. We need the room though, and so does the computer classes."

The others nod.

"Any news on when the school is going to be changing out blankets?"

"Next Friday probably, they seem to schedule it approximately halfway through the semester and at the very end of the semester. We'll probably be told the night before."

Josette eats four meals that night and heads for the laundry, punching in and starts shaking out sheets and towels, throwing them in the machines, adding detergent and dry bleach before turning them on then walking down the hall to the other room, checking the supply dispenser and emergency closet, checking and cleaning the machines, then sweeping the floor and heading back to the other room. Tossing the sheets and towels in the dryers, she looks at the clock and then at the door as Principal Madison, Dr., and Ms. Savage come in.

"What's up?" Josette asks. Pat just walks over and pulls her into her arms.

~ ~ ~

"Clark Savage." Doc had put down the paper he'd been reading and picked up his private line.

"Clark, it's Allison Blake. Did you hear from James?"

"Yes, last Tuesday. Josette is who he'd been talking about."

"Well then I guess that my news is confirmation. I have the DNA tests in my hands. Congratulations Grandpa, it's a seventeen year old."

"Thank you Allison." Doc ends the call abruptly and Allison smiles as she puts the test results down.

"Clark?" Pat asks when he comes into her office at Headquarters.

"Allison just gave me the results from the DNA test. Josette's our granddaughter."

Doc and Pat had flown out to Massachusetts, renting a car and driving out to the school. They'd parked behind the dorm the kids had taken over, walking around the front with Principal Madison. They find two large dogs coming down the hallway and Susan pets them, touching each of them on the arm and calling them friends. The dogs let them pass and they walk down the hall to Josette's room.

"Josette's at her job in the laundry of course, but you can look around her room if you want." Principal Madison says. The cats look at them from their spots on the bed as they come into the room. Pat immediately heads for the dresser and closet, looking over her clothes, mostly jeans, slacks, t-shirts and blouses. In one section of the closet are the clothes that she received from the interviews and she grins when she sees they're far away from the others, as if to keep from infecting her other clothes.

Looking further up, Pat sees the urn with Josette's mother ashes and touches it gently. "We've got her now Clarinda, you can rest easy."

//Thank you.// A voice says and a mist enters the room, rapidly forming into a figure familiar to all of them from the picture on Josette's nightstand. //Please, tell Josette she didn't kill me, my father's family finally found me. It was the ray that stole the people's minds that left me the way I was, if Josette *had* taken all of my memories she would have realized this. She just absorbed the cover identity I had created when I found myself pregnant, tell her the truth about me?//

"Yes Clarinda, we will." Doc says solemnly. She smiles and a white light surrounds her.

"Please tell Josette she didn't kill me?" Pat asks.

"Josette first came to the school after the Pasadena earthquake, she and her mother were trapped in their car for a couple of days until they were rescued. Josette's mutation to absorb knowledge became active due to the trauma. During the accident, she absorbed all her mother's memories and skills, leaving her mother in a persistent vegetative state, she died approximately eighteen months later in a nursing home in California, she never recovered. Josette was convinced that she stole her mother's life because of this. Her mother's memories seem to have faded over time, though her mixed martial arts training seems to be as fresh as ever. It took Josette months before she was comfortable touching anybody, she was convinced the same thing would happen again. There was an accident the summer after Josette arrived at the school, I have the ability to absorb and throw electricity but I'm not immune to it. I received a hell of a jolt and it stopped my heart, the school doctor was knocked unconscious, Josette had to absorb his knowledge of how to operate the defibrillator to shock my heart back into beating. He recovered with nothing more than a fancy new hairdo to hide the ten stitches in his head, a concussion, and one hell of a headache. Since then, she started to realize that she could let others touch her without problems." He looks at the spot where the ghost of Josette's mother had been.

"Does Josette remember anything of what she absorbed from your school's doctor?"

Principal Madison shakes his head. "They faded just like her mother's memories faded."

"Did you have any lasting effects from the electrical shock?" Doc asks.

"A pacemaker that will shock my heart back into beating if it happens again."

"Aside from being convinced that she had anything to do with her mother's condition, did Josette have any lasting effects from the earthquake?"

"Claustrophobia, that's why she has a dorm monitor room, living in a smaller room would have been . . .difficult for her."

Doc nods. He's seen one of the other dorm rooms and they do seem somewhat crowded.

"Good Lord, are those all the books for Josette's next semester of classes?"

"Can't be," Doc says, looking the direction Pat is at the full shelf of textbooks over Josette's desk.

"Yes it is, Josette always moves her books from the previous semester to the top shelf to make room for the books she's using that semester. The books on the top would have been from last semester."

"How many classes is she taking?"

"Nine," David says, leaning against the doorway. "When we were on the computer signing up for classes we had at least eight to choose from, more if we were going for more than one degree. Grammy Allie suggested we choose six classes from the list because it would still be considered a full load. Josette chose eight classes, then went back and picked up a ninth just because she could."

Doc and Pat shake their heads. Principal Madison just counts to ten. "Oh please," David snorts. "This is the same girl who was taking the full eight classes students are allowed from her freshman year on? When other students aren't allowed to sign up for electives until their sophomore year?"

Doc and Pat look at him. "Students normally take six classes a semester, all required. You have to prove you can keep your grades up before the teachers allow you to pick up two electives. With Josette's mutation to touch books and instantly recall everything in them, the teachers were comfortable allowing her to take eight classes a semester from the beginning."

"And all but her first semester, she was working in the laundry too." David snorts. He sniggers. "Professor Eppes asked how many classes Josette was taking last semster at the university, when he found out the university was only letting us take four classes, he said she must have been bored."

Principal Madison's lips twitch. "Did we get him back?" David asks him.

"Yes, he's packing right now, he's going to be arriving with a u-haul after the first of the year, he'll be covering some of the classes winter and summer semester so the students get used to him before taking over next fall. And thank you all for making him welcome back at the school."

"He was one of our favorite teachers, the least we could do was hug him when he arrived." David says. "Momma, Poppa, who wants to go for a walk first?" The female St. Bernard puts her head under his hand and he clicks the leash to her collar.

"New animals?" Pat asks.

"Yes, there was a fire outside of town yesterday, the homeowner got their dogs to safety and went back in for something when the roof collapsed. The police brought the dogs and their puppies out here because there wasn't any room at the town shelter. David, can I ask how you plan on. . . "

"Global Dynamics created an additive to pet food that chemically fixes them, there was a press release about it mentioned on the news last year. It's perfectly safe, it's been used in Eureka for years and if you want babies you just have to stop adding it to their food. It's being tested now and should be on the market in a couple of years. Grammy is sending out a supply of it out this weekend." David pats Momma's head. "We try to walk the dogs separately so there's one watching the puppies unless we're right by the building."

Patricia nods and pets the dog. "We should go see Josette and. . .figure out a way to tell her. . ."

"You're her grandparents?" Everybody stares at him. "She already knows, Logan wrote her a letter Tuesday morning after the interview, she got it the next day."

"How. . .How did she react?" Patricia asks, worried.

David sniggers. "After we pulled her away from where she pounding her head against the door screaming that her life was just fucking weird? And she asked if this last month hadn't just been a bad dream caused by eating too much pepperoni pizza before bed? She said it actually made sense. When she first met you Dr. Savage, she felt like throwing herself in your arms and letting you take care of everything. And she hasn't let anybody take care of her like that since her mother died." Principal Madison nods. "And why else would Ms. Savage have said the dress she wore Tuesday wouldn't have been what she picked out for her? Josette said she's going to have to get used to having a family besides us again. One word of warning though, if there's something that you want Josette to have or do that she'll argue about? Just do it. That's how we got her to attend Graduation when she planned on just picking up her diploma in the office the next semester."

Principal Madison nods. "Students are allowed to graduate at the end of winter Semester their senior year, you are allowed to go on and attend the summer semester afterwards if you want." He smirks. "So far Josette has been our only student to do so. Josette hadn't planned on attending graduation feeling that since nobody would be there for her, it was just a waste of time. Susan, Michael, and Alexander also planned on just picking up their diplomas in the office. I had other plans, Katrina and I ordered her cap and gown, almost literally picked her up by the elbows, pushed her into my car, and took her shopping for a dress and sandals to wear, took her to get her hair done, and the kids walked her onto the stage."

"D. . .did she have nobody in the audience?" Patricia asks. God, if only they had looked into James story earlier and found out about Josette before now.

"Noooo, all the employees stood up and clapped when Josette's name was announced and. . ." Principal Madison looks at David. "You sent out invitations to your friends, didn't you?" David nods and heads for the front of the building with Momma. "Your friend Mr. Wolverine and some of his friends also attended the ceremony."

"Take me to go see my grandbaby?" Patricia asks. Principal Madison nods. "Afterwards, I'll show you the dvd of graduation." he says. They leave the building, watching David and Momma walk down the sidewalk, students and teachers coming up and petting her. Principal Madison leads them to the laundry, walking into the back room to find Josette putting the sheets and towels in the dryer.

~ ~ ~

"David told us you know." Principal Madison says as Doc wraps his arms around them from the other side.

"I'm going to knock him down one day and let Dr. Stark and his father beat him." Josette grumbles. Doc's lips twitch.

"Not his godmother?"

"Dr. Blake wouldn't leave anything for the rest of us." Josette snorts.