Turnabout

they were discreetly holding hands. Kyle stood near Ava, who had changed her hair to a reddish color, and had lengthened it; now she looked even less like Tess than she had before. Several men with cameras busied themselves taking pictures, and Kal Langley presided over the small film crew he had hired to film the wedding and its aftermath. Suzanne Duff was also present with her life-partner, a feisty woman named Alycyn, and Brody and his daughter, Sydney, were in the company of Laurie Dupree. River Dog and his wife were there as well, as was Eddie, and the lawyer, Shelby Tremaine. Even Sean DeLuca had turned up, though he was keeping more in the background. Mr. Whitman stood in the back of the crowd near Sean, and Liz thought she saw someone else with them for a moment. But as she blinked, the young man who looked like her late friend Alex Whitman vanished from sight. Wishful thinking, Liz thought. Suddenly, Maria let out a sound that was a cross between a screech and a squeal, and rushed forward to hug Liz. Max began to laugh, and Liz did too. Jim Valenti left Amy in the company of Duff's partner, and pulled the FBI agent aside. «Glad you were able to make it, Suzanne,' he said. «I know it means a lot to Liz.» Duff grinned. «Well, I feel like I really don't quite belong since I've only known her such a short time, but I was glad that she invited us.» She surveyed the crowd quickly. «It's funny that we're the only fierce black sisters here though,' she said smiling. «Aw, I don't think it's tokenism,' Valenti said. «But I do know that Liz appreciated everything you did for us. You put a lot on the line.» He paused for a moment, then asked, «How have things shaken down for you at the Bureau?» «No problems I couldn't handle,' Duff said. «Since no one in the Special Unit quite knows what happened anymore, they can't implicate me in anything. As far as my superiors know, I had an emergency personal situation arise and I went off to take care of it. It helps to have friends in the Bureau as well.» She made air quotes with her fingers. «Langley got me in touch with a few 'special' agents.» Valenti nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. It had been a surprise to find out how many aliens actually did live amongst mankind, and where they had been «placed,' even though he had spent so much of his life looking for proof that had been all around him. «So, what's the word on the Special Unit?» he asked Duff. «The Special Unit is being erased very quickly,' Duff said. «The few files that weren't destroyed right after Langley's brain bomb went off are being classified or buried, and the agents associated with them are being questioned and debriefed as we speak. In a year or two, the stuff we gave Brody might be the only proof that the Unit even existed.» Valenti nodded. The news didn't come as a surprise to him, but it also didn't make him particularly happy. «So it's government cover-up time again?» «Such is the way of things in my line of work,' Duff said, a hint of resignation in her voice. «I've got mixed feelings about it,' Valenti said. «The purpose of the group needs to be erased, but it feels wrong covering up all the consequences of its existence. Just sweeping the Special Unit under the rug is sort of like forgetting about the Holocaust.» «Hey, you're preaching to the choir,' Duff said, holding up a hand and grinning. «Member of two minority groups here, remember? There's been a lot of oppression of both African- Americans and gay people over the years that will never make the history books.» She pointed over toward Liz and the others. «But it's them we're protecting, Jim. Not the government agents who tried to destroy their lives.» Valenti liked Duff's no-nonsense view of things. He was about to agree with her, when Kal Langley ambled over, eating what appeared to be a jelly doughnut smothered in Tabasco sauce. «Speaking of protecting,' Jim said, gesturing toward the producer. He was gratified to see that Langley had finally decided to take up his responsibilities in looking out for the Royal Four. He knew that Langley had initially aided them as a result of Max's commands; now he suspected that the trials of fighting the Special Unit had revived Langley's sense of duty toward his onetime charges. «What are you two plotting over here?» Langley asked with a smirk. «Nothing less than the deception of the government in exchange for a trauma-free future for these kids,' Duff said. «Deception. I like that,' Langley said. «I've been known to dabble in that myself from time to time.» «Speaking of which,' Duff said. «I imagine that the word about our abortive 'alien expose' has reached some of your human media contacts. They must have been curious when the story didn't go anywhere. What did you tell them?» Langley pointed around the crowd toward some of the members of his photo and video crew. «Well, a few of them were already 'in the loop' and knew the score. Those who weren't… well, I am a big-shot Hollywood producer. It just so happens that I was also filming a strange combination between a science-fiction pilot and an improv reality show.» He raised an eyebrow, and added, «The real-time special effects were pretty intense, but I think we're gonna scrap the footage anyhow. Wasn't quite what I wanted.» Valenti laughed. «Guess my craggy mug isn't exactly close-up material.» «Au contraire, Deputy,' Langley said. «I think your craggy features are quite handsome. And you know, I might have a role for you in this upcoming show I'm thinking of doing.» He held his hands out to either side with thumbs up, as if framing the vista in front of him. «I'm thinking of pitching a series about these alien kids who are stranded on Earth. They look normal, but because they're part alien, they feel different from all the other kids. It's kind of an alienation thing, so all the kids who feel different can identify. And there's this sheriff who at first is trying to chase them, and then becomes the protector that they should have had from the beginning. I figure either the WB or UPN would be a lock for the series. Whattaya think?» Valenti cocked an eyebrow. «So you'd want me for the part of the sheriff?» Langley patted him on the shoulder. «I don't even know if you can act, Deputy Valenti. I was more thinking of you as a technical advisor. Now I think Michael Guerin, on the other hand, has a real future as an actor. My people are already talking to his people, as they say.» Duff and Valenti laughed heartily, and moments later, Langley joined in. Maria brought a piece of wedding cake over to Sydney and Brody, then sat down in one of the plastic lawn chairs that had been set up on the sidewalk. It felt funny to be serving someone food in front of the Crashdown, rather than inside. And it seemed that an eternity had passed since she had spent her days there, waitressing in that awful limegreen dress with the silver alien apron and the bobblingalien-antennae headband. «Here you go, Sydney,' Maria said, handing the girl the cake. «I got you a piece with the biggest pink rose I could find.» «Thank you, Auntie Maria,' the little girl said, beaming, then sat down in the chair to consume the sweets. «Yes, thanks,' Brody said, accepting his piece of cake from Maria. «I was getting a mite peckish myself. You wouldn't want to get me a Blue Moon Burger and some Orbit Rings, too, would you?» «Don't push it, Brody,' Maria said with an evil grin. «Your charming British accent can charm a girl only so far.» Brody smiled at her and took a bite of cake, then surveyed the crowd. Maria watched his gaze, and saw the UFO Center was behind where Max and Liz and some of their friends were standing. «So, how are you feeling?» she asked, lowering her voice. «You know, about knowing the truth now?» Brody screwed his mouth around to one side, then the other, and finally shrugged. «It's funny. It's been inside me for so long, the knowledge that all this alien business is real, that the things I've pursued and been afraid of and dreamed about are all real. And now that I know it, I'm not scared of it anymore.» He paused for a moment, then added, «And I'm not even sure I want to pursue it any longer.» «What do you mean?» Maria asked. «Well, now that Max has blocked me off from being 'abducted' by Larek ever again, I can go back to wondering and exploring. The mysteries of the universe offer far more possibilities than the established truths. But even closer to home than that, the mysteries of this world offer many possibilities as well. And I think I want to go explore them.» Maria smiled, gesturing with her fork over toward Laurie Dupree. «With Laurie?» Brody seemed only a little surprised at the question. «Is it that obvious?» Maria shook her head. «Naw. But when you're one of the few people who's been dealing with this mess as much as I have, you learn to pick up on these things. The Czechoslovakians have changed all our lives,' she said, using the pet code-name that she and Liz and Alex had always used for discreet reference to their half-alien friends. «It makes sense that you'd go for a smart woman who's not going to think you're crazy. And since I'm not available, you'll just have to go with Laurie.» «Auntie Maria, look at this!» Sydney was balancing the rose made of frosting on her fork, eyeing it as if trying to determine whether the whole thing would fit into her mouth. Brody reached over and squeezed Maria's hand. «Thank you,' he said simply. Liz bent forward slightly and tensed her arm. She hadn't gotten to do this when they'd been «married» before, since the ceremony had been done so quickly, and because they'd had to fudge a few of the legal details while the Special Unit had been on their tails. But now, here she was, on her «real» wedding day and about to partake of a ritual that she always dreamed about. And then, abruptly releasing the tension in her arm, Liz threw the bouquet of flowers over her shoulder and high into the air. She turned quickly, a smile on her face, to see who would catch it. Her friends and family were gathered around, with all of the unmarried females reaching up to catch the flowers. Even little Sydney Davis was jumping as high as she could. The bouquet bounced off of Maria's hand, and went sailing over Laurie Dupree's head. A squeal of delight rang out, and the crowd parted to reveal the lucky woman who had caught the bouquet. Amy DeLuca. Maria was the first to laugh, saying, «Now maybe you and Valenti can stop living in sin, Mom!» Nearby, Kyle laughed heartily as well, and others joined in. Liz saw Jim Valenti separate from another knot of wedding guests and move toward Amy. As always, he had on his cowboy hat, but this time he was also wearing a big smile. Valenti dropped to one knee in front of Amy and doffed his cowboy hat. He fiddled inside it for a moment, extracting something, and then took Amy's hand. «Amy DeLuca, I would be most honored if you would consent to be my wife.» He held up an engagement ring, and smiled up at her. Amy smiled and crouched next to him. «You know, it's been my policy for the past few years