Knighties: A CALL TO ARMS, 2001 [2/2] By: the Knighties Place: Hither and Yon: the Knighties' homes Time: July 5, 2001 after initial war post drops War, the call from Eowyn had shocked Katrinka. It had been so long since there had been a war, she was sure that the threat of war was long gone. How wrong she had been. Katrinka had spent most of the afternoon packing and making flight arrangements. She thanked the stars for her rich uncle. He had given her round trip tickets to anywhere in North America, to be used any time. When Katrinka told her husband the news. He panicked. "Who would take care of Lex? I can't work and take care of our son!" "I've called my nephew Bray. He's been chomping at the bits to earn the money for a car." Katrinka said with a smile. "He arrives this afternoon. You know he's the best babysitter we've got." "But a seventeen year old boy?" Jeff said warily. "He'll be up all night talking to his girlfriends on the phone." "Don't tell me you never called girls when you were seventeen." "He's got long hair…" Jeff said trying to fish for any excuse to make his wife stay. "And a tattoo." "He'll be fine Lex adores him." "Are you sure you have to go?" "I must. Nick needs every Knightie had can get." Katrinka grabbed her bags. "Got to get going, my flight leaves in two hours." ----------- Katrinka@flash.net NICK NEEDS YOU! 21C of the Knighties in charge of Mayhem :) ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ Perchance to Dream by Knightie Gemsong time: as the call to war is heard Knightie Mindy used with permission Knightie Gemsong was enjoying the summer. She sat now, watching Ladyhawke and daydreaming about her 30th birthday, when she and Nick watched this special DVD along with the other Knighties. A twinge of guilt gave her pause, as she remembered how melancholy Nick had been that night. Surely he was thinking of his own circumstance and how that kept him from his love. Gemsong wondered how the knighites were doing and decided to call a few of them up, as soon as Ladyhawke was over. The ringing phone jolted her back to reality. "Hello," Gem said as she picked up the receiver. She was surprised to hear Mindy's voice on the other end and was about to tell her friend what a wonderful coincidence it was that she called, but Mindy was talking so fast Gem had a hard time keeping up. "Slow down, I can't understand what you are saying" Gem said. Mindy took a breath and tried again, "Sorry Gem, but what I was trying to tell you is that there is another war going on and we need to get to Toronto, ASAP." "Pack your stuff, get to the airport and I will see you at the loft. I think Nick took care of the plane tickets. Can't wait to see you again, you still a redhead?" Mindy added as an afterthought. "Of course I am," Gem replied. "Proud member of Club Red, two years running. I'm dying to see you too. I have missed you guys so much. See ya soon, gotta go pack." Gem hung up the phone and turned to her family. "Gotta go guys, Nick needs me." After packing at a pace that made her head spin, Gem headed to the airport for the long flight to Toronto. ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ As the answering machine finished playing it's message, Beth turned to her husband. "I can't believe it's happening again," she sighed. "What's that?" came the response. "I've got to go to Toronto. Now. That was Chris. There's another war brewing, and the Knighties need me." "You mean you're going to leave me here alone with the kids? Again? Do you have to?" "I think you and the kids will survive without me. You've done it before and you can do it again. Besides, they're getting older, *they* can probably take care of *you*. Don't worry, I'll take the computer, I've got work I can do, but I can't help the Knighties from here. I need to call Sue, book a flight...." He wasn't sure what else she was saying after that, as the sounds were muffled from the closet where she was tossing out clothes to be packed. ----------- Beth bkbva@aol.com ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ Ring, ring…..ring, ring, Tracey's eyes flew open, 5 am, read the bedside clock. Who was cruel enough to call at this time of the morning she wondered. As a rule, when it was –8 degrees outside, and she was living in a house with no central heating, she refused to get out of bed before 9am, especially when she was on holiday. But whoever was calling was certainly persistent. "Hello" she heard Matt answer the phone sounding particularly perky. Silently she sent up a prayer thanking anyone who might be listening for giving her flatmates who were morning people. She snuggled back down into her warm bed, already drifting off to sleep when Matt pounded on the door to tell her the phone was for her. `%*(^$)#' she swore as she stumbled into the hallway, dragging her blankets with her. "I hate mornings, I hate winter, and chances are that it's my mother on the phone asking me if I'm eating my veges." She muttered. `Someone had better be dead' Tracey growled into the phone. `Gee, you're cheerful today' said a female voice. `It's 5am, it's snowing outside, and I haven't had any coffee yet' replied Tracey, trying to place the familiar voice. Then came the words that made her heart jump. "Nick needs us." Said her mystery caller. "Huh, Nick needs us for what?" Tracey asked, finally beginning to wake up. "There's a war brewing in Toronto, all the knighties need to get here ASAP, including you." She was told. "But that is 23 hours of flying, New Zealand is not that close to Canada, I'm not good with flying". Said Tracey, with a hint of a tremor in her voice. "But Nick wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important" replied her caller. "Hold on a minute" Tracey said with excitement in her voice. "It's summer in Toronto at the moment isn't it?" "yes, why?" asked her caller, sounding slightly confused. "Fantastic" Tracey said with a huge grin on her face, "I'll be there as soon as possible, I'm still on holiday, and missing a couple of weeks of lectures shouldn't put me too far behind, I'll see you in a couple of days, bye". Tracey hung up before she realized she still had no idea who she had been talking to. Shrugging her shoulders she decided it didn't matter, she would find out eventually. After dumping her blankets back on the bed, she started to ransack her closet, looking for summer clothes. ----------- Tracey trayner@paradise.net.nz ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ Departure by Sandra Gray Place: Weyers Cave, VA airport Time: Thursday, July 5, 2001 Sandra settled into her aisle plane seat. But while the plane was still on the ground, she looked out the window, trying to get a glimpse of her husband and daughter. She couldn't see them. Neither of them had been thrilled that she was going to Toronto. *Nick needs my help,* she told herself. At least her daughter was old enough to stay home alone while her father worked. Which still didn't mean she wouldn't worry about them. She sighed. Maybe she wouldn't be needed for long. Maybe she'd even be able to get back for the Shore Leave convention next weekend. The plane started to move. She took a paperback from her purse and opened it, wishing she wasn't afraid of heights.