Angie accompanied Rollie down to the Rehabilitation Department.  Everyone else had wished him good luck and expressed their hopes that the tests would turn out well.  In Rehab, Rollie was first run through a series of tests to check his mental abilities and memory, all of which he passed with flying colors.  With that ordeal over with, he was handed over to the physical therapists.  Because of his injuries, they took things slow and easy so as not to overly tire him or cause undue pain.  Even so, by the time the tests were finished, Rollie was exhausted, and his chest was burning.

“So, how do I check out?” he asked the therapist.

“Well, from what I can see, everything appears to be normal, considering your physical condition.  I can see no indications of physical impairments due to brain damage.”

Both Rollie and Angie smiled happily.

“Then he’s okay?” Angie asked.

“As soon as he heals from the gunshot wound, he’ll be fine,” the therapist replied.  He looked at Rollie.  “You were extraordinarily lucky, Mister Tyler.  Considering the massive blood loss and the length of time you were in cardiac arrest, the odds of you suffering brain damage were extremely high.”

“Well, I guess it was finally my time to catch a break,” Rollie said.

He and Angie left Rehab in high spirits.  Along with the orderly pushing Rollie’s chair, they headed for the room that Rollie would be occupying until he was released.

‘Hey, Daniel.  Great news,’ Rollie announced silently to his brother.  ‘I passed all the tests.  The therapists have confirmed that there’s no brain damage.’

‘That’s fantastic, Rollie.  I can’t tell you how relieved I am.  So, are you on your way to your new home away from home?’

‘Yep.  Are you there?’

‘Sure am.  See you in a few.’

When they got to the room, they found the door closed.  Angie swung the door open and stepped aside.  As Rollie and the orderly entered, the Aussie’s eyes widened in surprise.  The room was filled with people, who all started clapping.

“What’s going on here?” Rollie asked with a grin.

“We all wanted to be here to congratulate you, pal,” Leo said with a big smile.  “We’d have yelled ‘surprise,’ but we didn’t want the nurses to come and kick us out for being too noisy.”

“What if I’d been coming with bad news?”

“Then we’d have been here to offer you moral support,” Daniel answered.  He came forward and gave his brother a hug, being careful not to press on Rollie’s wound.

Rollie looked around at all the smiling faces.  Besides Daniel and Leo, Frank, Sarah, Mangela, Dingo, Cliff and Bonnie were all there.

“Where are Alex and Dylan?” Rollie asked.

“They’re on their way,” Daniel replied.  “They had to stop and pick up something first.”

Sarah came forward with a hug and kiss for Rollie.  “I’m so happy you’re all right, Rollie.  We have been terribly worried about you.  I came to visit while you were in the coma.  It was terrible seeing you like that, and it’s wonderful seeing you looking so much better now.  The girls wanted to come today, but Frank and I figured that it might be best to wait until you’re a bit stronger.  After you get home, we’ll bring them over for a visit.”  She pulled out some watercolor drawings.  “They made these for you.”

Rollie gazed at the pictures with a soft smile.  The pictures all showed a childish rendition of him with the Gatti children in one form or another.  “Thanks, Sarah.  And give them all a big hug and kiss for me.”  He looked up at Francis.  “So, did you tell her?”

“Tell me what?” Sarah asked.

Frank grinned.  “No, for once, I actually managed to keep a secret from her.  I thought you and Angie might like to do the honors.”

Sarah looked that the two men in puzzlement.  “What are you talking about?”

Rollie glanced up at Angie, who was standing beside him.  “Well, you see, Sarah, you and Frank need to make plans for August to go to Washington for a little event.”

“What event?”

Rollie grinned.  “A wedding.”

“A wed. . . .”  Sarah gasped.  Her eyes darted back and forth between Rollie and Angie.  “Yours?”

“Uh huh,” Angie replied.

“Oh, how wonderful!”  Sarah immediately engulfed Angie in an embrace, then hugged Rollie again.  “You have no idea how long Frank and I have been waiting for this to happen.”

“Actually, I think we do,” Rollie said.  “By what Leo told us, you two have been seeing us as a potential couple almost right from the beginning.”

“Yes, we have.  The first time we saw you and Angie together socially, we thought you were perfect for each other.  We could never understand why you couldn’t see the same thing.”  She smiled brightly.  “But that’s all in the past now, and you’re finally going to be married.  But why are you having the wedding in Washington?   It is because Daniel lives there?”

“It’s going to be a double wedding,” Daniel explained.  “Alex and I are getting married at the same time.”

“Oh, how lovely.  I have always wanted to see a double wedding.”

Everyone else took their turns congratulating Rollie over the success of the tests and telling him how glad they were that he was going to be all right.  With his friends and family gathered around, Rollie forgot about his weariness and the ache in his chest.  Angie had wanted him to get into bed, but he insisted on remaining in the wheelchair, where he felt less like an invalid.

It was about twenty minutes after Rollie got to the room that Alex and Dylan arrived.  In Alex’s hands was a cake.  Both she and Dylan halted upon seeing Rollie.  Daniel was, at that moment, crouched beside his brother’s chair, and the sight of the twins together was a bit surprising for mother and son, even knowing ahead of time.  The feeling of surprise increased as both men grew identical smiles upon seeing them.

Setting down the cake, Alex came up to Rollie.  “Hi, I’m Alex.  But then, I guess you already knew that.”

Rollie’s grinned widened, mischief dancing in his eyes.  “Yes, we have already met, in a way . . . and with a hello kiss, too.”

Alex blushed, which made Daniel laugh.  Rollie started to laugh as well, but the twinge of warning in his chest halted it.

“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you face to face,” the Aussie said.  “Daniel talked a lot about you.”  His eyes went to the boy beside Alex.  He held out his hand.  “G’day, Dylan.  It’s great to meet you, too.”

Dylan shook Rollie’s hand with a bright smile.  “Hi.”  He looked up at Daniel, who was now standing, then back down to Rollie.  “It’s so cool that you guys are twins.”

“Well, I think so, too.  I need to teach Daniel how to speak with an Australian accent, though, so that we’ll be even more identical.”  He paused.  “Either that or I can lose the accent,” he said in a voice that sounded exactly like Daniel’s.

“Wow.  How did you do that so easy?” Dylan asked.

“Oh, Rollie’s had lots of practice doing all sorts of accents,” Angie said.  “Everything from Cajun to Elvis.”

“Oye, woman.  Why don’t you go bring that there cake here so I can take a look at it,” Rollie responded in the heavy Cajun accent he used when he tricked two armored car robbers into leading him to their stolen money.  Daniel, Alex and Dylan all laughed delightedly.

“Sure, Doll.  Whatever you say,” Angie said in the same New York accent she used when pretending to be Wanda, the ditsy girlfriend of one of the thieves.  She got the cake and brought it to Rollie.  It was decorated with flowers, the message, “Congratulations, Rollie!” written across the top.  Surprised, the Aussie looked up at Daniel.

“Alex and Dylan were waiting at the bakery for me to tell them the news,” the minister explained.  “As soon as I heard from you that you’d passed all the tests, I called Alex, and she told them what to write on the cake.”

Rollie grinned.  “Thanks, guys.  This was really nice of you.”

“We’re just all happy to have you with us, Rollie,” Frank said.  “Even if the news hadn’t been so good, we’d still be happy.”

Leo laid a hand on his best friend’s shoulder.  “We all care about you, pal,” he said quietly.

Rollie’s throat closed up.  Blinking away the tears that abruptly filled his eyes, he swallowed away the lump that had formed.  “It’s good to be here, Leo, here with my friends and my family.”

Angie gave Rollie’s hand a squeeze.  Then she turned to Alex.  “Okay, let me see the ring.”

Smiling, the redhead showed her the engagement ring.

“Wow, that’s gorgeous, Alex.”  Angie looked at Daniel.  “You did a good job picking one out.”

“Thanks.”

“So, did you work out a payment plan with Mitch?” Rollie asked his brother, studying the ring and mentally agreeing that his brother had chosen well.

“Well, there’s a bit of a story with that.  I got kind of a shock.  Mitch figured out who I was.”

“He did?”

“Yeah.  He saw a photo of me in some magazine quite a while ago, before he met you.  When he met you, he noticed the resemblance but didn’t say anything because he figured there couldn’t be any kind of family relationship.  When he found out that I was American, he got a suspicion about who I was.  When I told him my last name, that cinched it.  It turns out that he’s an organizer for a children’s anti-racism fair that’s going on this Saturday, and he wanted me to participate because it would bring in a bigger crowd.  Of course, what with us wanting to stay out of the eyes of the press, I couldn’t let myself be a media and people magnet, so I contacted Dad, and he’s going to do the fair, which delighted Mitch.  I’d still like to participate, but the chance that someone might recognize me would be a big risk.  So, I was wondering if it would be possible for you to do a bit of your makeup magic on me.”

“Sure, no problem,” Rollie said.  “If I get out of here on Friday, like I’m hoping, I’ll do the makeup myself.  If not, Angie can take care of you.”

The cake was cut and dished out to everyone.  The next hour and a half was spent in pleasant conversation.  Dylan, having heard so much about Rollie’s exploits, peppered the Aussie with questions about special effects and his work with the police.  Rollie took a great liking to the boy, seeing in him a keen intelligence, a fellow love for the technological fields of science, and a boundless curiosity and eagerness to learn.  Dylan reminded him of himself at that age.  In talking to the boy, he also saw another parallel, the fact that, like him, Dylan had all but lacked the presence of a father in his life, at least until Daniel came along.  It was clear to Rollie that Dylan adored Daniel and looked up to him like a father.

Finally, everyone agreed that Rollie needed to get some rest.  The Aussie hated to see them go, but his body had been telling him for a while that he needed to lie down.  Not wanting to be tired when Doctor Faraday arrived, he didn’t object to the party coming to an end.

Frank and Sarah were the first to leave.  Sarah had to get back home to relieve the babysitter.  She hugged Rollie.

“Rest and take care of yourself, Rollie.  You’re going to want to be nice and healthy when you walk down the aisle.”

“You got that right,” the Aussie replied fervently, thinking more about the wedding night than the wedding itself.

Leo left shortly afterward, needing to return to the precinct.  He shook his friend’s hand.  “Take it easy, Rollie.  I’ll come by tomorrow to see you.”

Cliff and Bonnie were the next to go.  Bonnie came up and gave Rollie a kiss on the cheek.  She looked him in the eyes.  “Thank you,” she murmured.

“For what?”

“For my son’s life.  You almost gave yours for his, and I will always be grateful to you for that.”

“He’s my brother, Bonnie.  I couldn’t have done any less.”

“I know, but that does not make what you did any less noble or self-sacrificing.”

Cliff gave Rollie a firm handshake.  “I want to thank you too, Rollie.  And I also want to apologize.  I found out about the problem you had with Doctor Pritchett.  Since I was the one who asked him to come in the first place, I feel responsible for that.  If he ever bothers you again or causes trouble for you, do not hesitate to tell me, and I will deal with it.”

“Thanks, Cliff.  I hope it won’t come to that.”

After the Coopers had left, Rollie turned to his father.  “So, Dad, are you going to start your new job tomorrow?  I’m out of the ICU.”

“Sure am.  I called Chet this morning.  Mangela here is going to quiz me on the drinks I’ve been learning how to mix.”

Rollie grinned.  “Is he actually going to taste the drinks you mix?”

“I am a brave man, Sonny Boy, but that would take more courage than even I possess,” the Aborigine replied, straight-faced.

The others laughed, all except for Rollie, who desperately stifled his laughter.

“Well, thanks a lot, old man,” Dingo said grouchily.  “Where’s your confidence in my ability?”

Rollie chuckled.  “Don’t take it too hard, Dad.  The truth is that Mangela doesn’t even drink, so he wouldn’t know if your drinks were mixed right or not.”

“Oh.  Well, okay, then.”

“You’re going to work at a bar?” Alex asked.

“Uh huh.  A friend of ours owns it.”  Dingo’s eyes lit up.  “Hey, don’t you own a tavern?”

“Uh . . . yeah,” Alex replied cautiously.  “It’s an inn, tavern and restaurant.”

“Then you know all about mixing drinks.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you dare!” Daniel said, knowing what was coming.  “You’re not going to use my fiancée to test all your drinks on.”

“Well, I just thought that she could tell me if I did anything wrong,” Dingo responded, a slight whine in his voice.

“Sorry, Dingo, but, though I do have a bar, I really don’t drink myself,” Alex told him, “except for the lightweight drinks, like strawberry daiquiris.  But I could help with your training, if you’d like me to.”

Dingo beamed at her.  “That would be great.”

“Okay, I guess I could help you for a little while today.”  Alex turned to Daniel.  “Can you and Dylan hang out while I’m helping Dingo?”

“Um, yeah, we could, but I was sort of planning on being here when Doctor Faraday arrives.”

“That’s okay, Daniel.  You don’t have to be here,” Rollie said.

“I can take Dylan,” Mangela offered.  “I think I heard him say something about wanting to go to the zoo.”

“We were planning on going back to the zoo this afternoon, but then we came up with the plans to have Rollie’s ‘getting out of the ICU’ party,” Alex explained.  “It would be too late to go to the zoo now.  They’ll be closing soon.”

“But it would not be too late to go to the park,” Mangela pointed out.

Rollie grinned.  “What are you planning on doing, Mangela?  Teach Dylan New York City bush lore?  Or maybe how to throw a boomerang?”

Dylan’s eyes lit up.  “A boomerang?  Wow, that would be so cool!  Could you really teach me to throw one?”

“I taught Rollie when he was younger than you were,” Mangela replied.

“Yeah, but you taught me in the outback, where there wasn’t much danger of clobbering a passing pedestrian,” Rollie reminded him.

“We could go where there aren’t any other people.”  Dylan turned to Alex.  “Oh, please, Mom?”

The redhead looked down into her son’s pleading eyes.  She gave a sigh.  “Oh, all right, but be careful, and don’t stay out late.”

“I will have him back before dark,” Mangela assured her.

Alex, Dingo, Mangela and Dylan all left together.  With a little help from Daniel, Rollie got out of the wheelchair and into bed.

“We should leave and let you get a little sleep,” Angie said.

“There wouldn’t be much point in me going to sleep now.  Faraday will be here pretty soon.  I’m okay.  I just need to rest in the bed a bit.  Besides, I haven’t had a chance to talk to both of you about some things.”

“What things?” Daniel asked.

“Well, there’s something I’m curious about.  What are your memories of those days that I was in the Dreamtime, working on healing myself?  I can remember that whole time, but what about you?”

“That time is really fuzzy for me,” the minister replied.  “I can sort of remember some things, but I really just had a vague sense of awareness during that time.  I could feel you, but I couldn’t sense anything going on around me.”

“I wonder if you would have gone into the Dreamtime like I did if you’d had more training.  That is something that we’re going to have to attend to when we have a chance.  The fact that you’ve already had Dreamings proves that you’ve got my talents, at least that one.  You should learn how to control it.”

Daniel sighed.  “I guess you’re right.  To be honest, though, the thought of being able to see the future terrifies me.  If I ever saw anything horrible happen, my ability to prevent it would be pretty limited, and the thought of not being able to stop it. . . .”  His voice trailed off as he thought about the guilt he’d feel at being unable to stop some terrible event he foresaw.

“Daniel, if there is anyone who understands what you’re feeling, it’s me,” Rollie said quietly.  “Every day, I’m afraid that I will foresee some terrible catastrophe, like a plane crash or a huge fire, and be unable to do anything to stop it.  But I guess we’re going to have to learn to live with things like that together.”

“Rol, I’ve got something that I should tell you,” Angie said.  “Ever since you got shot, I’ve been able to feel you, sort of like the way you and Daniel can sense each other.”

“You can?” the Aussie said in surprise.

“Yeah.  But it goes further back than that.  I think it really started after we were, um, together in the Dreamtime.”

Rollie’s gaze drifted away to the other side of the room.  “Since that night, I’ve noticed something, too.  Before then, since I was able to get through to you and Daniel while I was a prisoner, I’ve been able to sense your presence.  It wasn’t really clear, but it was strong enough that I could sense your nearness when you found the complex.  But, ever since that night, it’s been a whole lot stronger, strong enough that I can pretty much tell where you are at any given time.  Well, not your exact location all the time, but generally.  The closer you are, the more precise my, um, Angie GPS is.”

“Angie GPS?” Daniel asked, puzzled.

“GPS stands for Global Positioning System,” Angie explained.  “It’s a worldwide radio-navigation system formed from a constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations.  GPS uses the satellites as reference points to calculate positions accurate to within a few yards for most GPS units, to within less than a centimeter with the most advanced systems.”

“Uh . . . okay,” Daniel said.

“Think of it as a kind of electronic super map that can tell you exactly where you are at all times,” Rollie said with a smile, “except that it doesn’t show streets or landmarks, although they are using them in cars now in conjunction with computer maps that allow drivers to see where they are and how to get from Point A to Point B.  A GPS can be used both to determine position and for navigation.”  Rollie’s smile grew.  “I’ve got built-in Daniel GPS, too, and, judging by the fact that you were able to find where I was when I was in Cromwell’s complex, you’ve got Rollie GPS.”

Daniel laughed.  “Yeah, I guess I do.”  His expression changed to thoughtfulness.  “I wonder if, when Alex and I--” He broke off abruptly, his face coloring faintly.

Both Rollie and Angie grinned, knowing exactly what Daniel was thinking.

“That will be an interesting thing to find out, Little Brother,” the Aussie said teasingly.  “You’ll have to let me know if it works.”

Daniel’s flush deepened.  He chose not to reply.

Rollie’s smile faded.  “Actually, this does bring up a good point.  I’ve been with other women before, yet I’ve never developed anything like this with any of them.  What Angie and I have together is unique in my experience.  Mangela said that our songlines have always had a connection, that Angie is my lifemate.  I don’t think that I would have been able to take any other woman into the Dreamtime like I did Angie.  It’s because of our connection that it happened, and it’s because of that connection that we’ve developed this ability to sense each other’s presence.”

“So, what you’re saying is that it might not happen with me and Alex?” Daniel asked, feeling a deep sense of disappointment.

“I don’t know.  There is a whole lot that I still don’t understand about how this stuff works.  Mangela might be able to tell you.  He’s a lot better at reading songlines, though he’s told me for years that I could be as good as he is if I only tried.”

“Not to change the subject, but there’s something else you should know, Rollie,” Angie said.  “There was some guy from the government snooping around.  He belonged to some department I’ve never heard of, and he was very interested in you.  I guess those guys you did a number on in the complex talked about what happened to them.  He was also asking about your precognitive abilities.”

“Oh, great.  That’s just what I need,” Rollie muttered.  “Why can’t these people just leave me alone and let me live in peace?  Not that I ever actually lived in peace, but it sure would be nice if I could, at least every once in a while.”  He looked at his brother.  “Hey, Daniel.  Would you consider trading places for a while?  I think I could use the slower pace of a clergyman’s life for around a month or so.”

“No thank you, Rollie.  I don’t think I could survive being you for a month if it’s anything like what I’ve experienced over the last two weeks.”  Daniel smiled.  “Besides, if you became me, I’d have to ordain you, and I suspect that’s more of a commitment than you’d be willing to accept.”

“Hmm.  Reverend Tyler,” Angie said thoughtfully.  “Doesn’t sound bad, Rol.”

Rollie smiled wickedly.  “Hey, I could always convert to Catholicism.  Then it would be Father Tyler.”

“No way, Rollie!” Angie responded emphatically.  “I’m not letting you get away from me.  Besides, you wouldn’t last six months as a priest.”

“Hey, in case you’ve forgotten, Angela, I’ve been celibate for three years,” his voice and expression softened, “ever since I realized I was in love with you.”

Angie gave him a long, tender kiss.  “I know.  And that means a lot to me.  A lot of guys wouldn’t have done that.”

Rollie looked deeply into Angie’s eyes.  “I would have stayed faithful to you forever, Ange, even if you never felt the same way for me.”

Angie’s eyes filled with tears, and she gave her fiancé another kiss.  When the couple drew apart, they looked at Daniel, who was wearing a gentle, happy smile.

Just then, Doctor Faraday came in.  He shook Daniel’s hand.

“Looking at you, I certainly wouldn’t have guessed that you were on death’s door only a few days ago, Reverend,” he said.  “You’re looking very well,” he looked at Rollie with a smile, “and your brother is well on his way back to perfect health as well.”

“Yes, and I want to thank you for that,” Daniel said.

“Don’t thank me.  I had very little to do with it.”  The doctor pulled up one of the chairs and sat down.  “I spoke to the people down in Rehab, Rollie, and they told me that you did marvelously.  I couldn’t be more pleased.”

“You and me both, Doc,” the Aussie said fervently.

“Do you feel up to doing this now?  I know you must be tired after what the physical therapists had you do.”

“I’m fine.  Just a little tired.  I, um . . . I’d rather get it over with now.”

Faraday looked at him closely.  “Rollie, if you’re not comfortable in talking about this with me, I do understand.  I really don’t want to push you into something that you don’t want to do.”

Rollie looked up at Angie and saw an expression of pleading in her eyes.  He knew that she wanted him to talk to someone with some training in psychology about his ordeal.  Doctor Faraday was not a practicing psychologist, but Rollie actually preferred it that way.  Faraday was there to listen to him because he cared, not because he was being paid to listen.

“No, it’s all right.  I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I’m willing to do it.”

Faraday nodded.  “All right.  But, before we start, I want to let you know that nothing you tell me will leave this room, not unless you give me permission to talk to others about it.  Though I am not a licenced psychologist, I will follow the same rules of strict confidentiality.  Also, since I am no longer officially your doctor, how about if we dispense with Doctor Faraday?  My first name is Trent.”

Rollie smiled.  “Trent it is, then.”  His smile faded.  “Okay, I guess you could say that it all started around two years ago.  Actually, it started a long time before then, when Daniel and I were babies, but that story is one that we can’t get into.”

Thus began Rollie’s narration of how his life was changed by the reemergence of his paranormal abilities and what ultimately happened as a result of their return.  He found that it was no easier this second time around to talk about the harrowing three months as Cromwell’s prisoner than it had been the first time, but he managed to get through it without revealing the depth of his emotions.  He said nothing about Arthur Cromwell’s real identity or the story of Daniel’s abduction as an infant.  Trent Faraday listened to it all, asking only an occasional question to clarify things.  Angie held onto Rollie’s hand throughout the narrative, and Daniel remained by his side.  Their presence and silent comfort were a great help to the Aussie.

Rollie’s recount ended at the point where he was shot.  For a while after he stopped speaking, there was silence in the room.

“Rollie, to say that I’m overwhelmed by everything you’ve told me would be a vast understatement,” Trent finally said in a low voice.  “I should imagine that a lot of people would have a hard time believing in some of it, but I have always known that there is a lot more to the human mind than what most of us are aware of.  That’s one of the reasons why I had considered going into neurology.”  He leaned forward.  “But what you’ve told me about your psychic abilities is of secondary importance to me right now.  What you went through at the hands of those people, it. . . .”  He shook his head.  “There are no words to adequately express my horror.  I am so terribly sorry that you went through that.  But my feelings aren’t what matter.  It’s what you feel.  You could not have gone emotionally unscathed from your ordeal.  You need to talk about those emotions, let them out.”

When Rollie said nothing, Trent decided on a different tactic.  “I know what I’d feel if it had happened to me.  First of all, I’d be angry, enraged at the people who had done that to me.  I couldn’t help but hate them.  I’d want them to pay for what they did.”  His voice gentled.  “Do you hate them, Rollie?”

The Aussie remained silent for a few seconds longer, then, “Yes,” he replied in a low voice.  “Yes, I hate them.  And not just because of what they did to me, but also because of how Cromwell and the others hurt my family and my friends.”  Rollie’s gaze turned to Daniel.  “He destroyed a part of my life that can never be recovered.”

“Did you want revenge?”

Rollie thought about the question before answering.  “No, not . . . not revenge.  I wanted justice.  I wanted Cromwell and all the people who worked with him to pay for their crimes.  I didn’t want. . . .”  He closed his eyes and swallowed tightly.

“What?  What didn’t you want, Rollie?” Trent coaxed gently.

Rollie took a shaky breath.  “I didn’t want Cromwell to die.  I didn’t want what happened to him, what I did to him.”

“What happened to him?”  When Rollie didn’t reply, the doctor turned to Angie and Daniel for answers.

“He’s at the Neurological Institute,” Angie replied.  “The doctors don’t know what caused it, but he suffered significant brain damage.  He’s completely paralyzed, he can’t speak, and his ability to understand things is pretty limited.”

“The doctors may not know what caused it, but I do,” Rollie said bitterly.  He turned his head away, looking out the window.

“You?” Trent asked gently.

“Yeah.  Me.”

“It wasn’t intentional.”  The sentence was not stated as a question.

“No.  No matter how much I hated Cromwell, I would never have done something like that to him intentionally.”

“How did it happen?”

Rollie turned back to the doctor.  “It was just before I was shot.  Cromwell got the gun and was just about to shoot Daniel.  I had a sudden vision.  It showed me that, if I didn’t stop Cromwell permanently, he would seek revenge on everyone responsible for putting him in prison.  As long as he lived, the people I love would be in danger.”  He closed his eyes.  “I knew that I had to kill him.  I thought I had until Daniel told me otherwise.”  His gaze fell.  “I think it would have been better if I had killed him.”

“Rollie, I understand your guilt, but you made the right choice.  Any other choice would very likely have led to not only your death but also the deaths of others.  You need to look at from the viewpoint of a law enforcement officer.  Cops and federal agents are often forced to kill to save themselves or others.  That’s just the way it is.  And, even though you don’t wear a badge, your situation is no different.  You made a decision to protect the people you love.  Most people in your position would have done the same thing.  The fact that you did not kill Cromwell, but, instead, left him in the state he’s in was an unintentional and unforseen outcome.  Rollie.”  Trent waited until he was sure he had the Aussie’s complete attention.  “I want to make something crystal clear.  You may be the one who did that to Cromwell, but the true blame for it happening lies with Cromwell himself.  The decisions he made, the things he did--kidnapping and torturing you, kidnapping Daniel, and everything else--were what led to it happening.  He chose a life of crime, and he paid the price.  What happened to him is no more your fault than a bank robber being shot and killed is the fault of the cop who shot him.  The decisions we make in life have consequences.  For Cromwell, the consequences of his actions are to live the rest of his life with brain damage.”

“He’s right, Rollie,” Daniel said.  “Cromwell brought this upon himself.”

Rollie gave a soft, sad sigh.  “I know.”  He searched Trent’s face.  “You know, you’re taking the news that I could fry your brain cells pretty calmly.”

Trent smiled faintly.  “Well, ‘calmly’ isn’t the word I would use.  I’d have to be virtually brain dead myself not to be astounded by what I have learned of your abilities.  However, I also know that you are not the kind of person who would ever use those abilities to willingly harm others.  It’s not in your nature.”  His smile grew.  “So, though I know you have the ability to ‘fry my brain cells’, I also know that I’m in no danger from you.”

Trent’s smile disappeared.  “Rollie, you suffered though a horrendously traumatic event, and it is almost certain that that trauma will manifest itself in one way or another.  If you haven’t already, I would guess that you will experience nightmares, and you may also suffer flashbacks, moments when you feel like you are back in that complex of Cromwell’s.”

“You mean like Vietnam vets experiencing flashbacks of being in the war?” Daniel asked, deeply concerned.

Trent nodded.  “It is a danger in cases of extreme physical and emotional trauma and where a person’s life was in dire jeopardy.”  He returned his attention to Rollie.  “You may also withdraw emotionally, try to insulate yourself from the pain, though the fact that you are able to talk about what happened to you is a very good sign.  Many survivors of severe emotional trauma are unable to talk about it.”  The doctor looked at Angie and Daniel.  “It’s going to be up to you and the rest of Rollie’s family and friends to help him get through this.”  He looked back down at the Aussie.  “And you need to let them help.  Do not try to deal with this alone, Rollie.  If you ever feel like it’s getting to be too much for you, talk to someone or, at the very least, find a shoulder to cry on.  Do not bottle your feelings up inside you.  It is the worst thing you can do.”  He rested a hand on Rollie’s shoulder.  “And any time that you want to talk to someone who is perhaps more objective than a relative or close friend, please feel that you can come to me.  I can also give you the names of a couple of very good psychologists whom I think you’ll like.”

Rollie looked into the doctor’s eyes, seeing there genuine concern and compassion.  He had to admit that talking to Trent had made him feel better, though he still wasn’t ready to talk to a professional about his experiences.  “Thank you,” he said.  “For everything.”

“You’re welcome, Rollie.  I’m glad if I was able to help in some way.”  Trent looked at his watch.  “Well, I guess I should get home before my wife decides that I’m not coming and feeds my dinner to the dog.”  He rose to his feet.  “If you’d like, I can come by again tomorrow afternoon and we’ll talk some more.  If you decide you’d like to do that, leave a message for me with the hospital.”  The doctor pulled out a business card, wrote on the back, and handed the card to Rollie.  “My cell phone number is on the front, and I put my home number on the back.  Call any time.”  He shook Rollie’s and Daniel’s hands.  “Take care, Rollie, and remember what I told you.  You are not alone in this.”

They all watched the doctor leave, then Daniel and Angie turned back to Rollie.

“Are you feeling okay, Rol?” Angie asked, stroking his arm.

Rollie let out a sigh.  “Yeah, I’m all right.  I feel kind of . . . drained, though.”

“You should get some sleep,” Daniel said.

“Dinner will be arriving pretty soon,” Rollie responded.  “I’ll go to bed after that.”

“I’ll stay with you for dinner,” Angie stated.

“No, you don’t have to do that, Ange.  You’ve been spending virtually all your time here at the hospital.  You should go out or, at the very least, go home and be comfortable.”  Rollie looked at Daniel.  “Will you be staying at the loft tonight or with your parents?”

“Well, I know that Mom and Dad are probably expecting me to stay with them, but, now that I know about the situation with the press, it might not be safe for me to spend much time at the hotel,” the minister replied.

“What situation with the press?” Rollie asked.

“They found out about Dad’s presence here in New York and have been trying to learn why he’s here.  We’re going to use the fair on Saturday to throw them off the scent, let them think that it’s the reason for Dad’s visit.”

“Good idea,” Angie said.  “Well, if you decide to stay at the loft, you can have the room I’ve been using.  I’ll sleep in Rollie’s room.”

Daniel nodded.  “I think I will.  It would be safer.”

Rollie’s dinner arrived.  With his insistence, Angie and Daniel left.  They picked up some takeout and returned to the loft, where they found Dingo.

“I see that Alex is gone,” Daniel remarked.  “I assume that means your bartending lesson is over with.”

“Yeah, and she was a big help,” Dingo responded.  “I like her, Daniel.  She reminds me a little bit of your mother, not afraid to say what’s on her mind, but mindful of other people’s feelings.  Cini had red hair, too.  Well, everyone always called it auburn, but whenever I saw her standing outside, with the sun in her hair, it glowed like fire.”  Dingo’s eyes took on an expression of remembrance.  “She was a beautiful woman, your mother was.  Has Rollie shown you a picture?”

Daniel shook his head no.  Dingo fished into his wallet and pulled out a worn photo.  Daniel looked at the image of the woman who gave birth to him.  He could see the resemblance to himself and Rollie, mostly in the eyes, which were the same brown.

“She is beautiful,” he murmured.  “I wish I could remember her.”

“I do too, Son.  She was a good woman.  She’d be proud of how you turned out.  She would be proud of both her boys . . . just as I am.”

The rest of the evening passed quietly.  Mangela arrived back at the loft at just before 7:30.

“So, did you and Dylan have fun?” Daniel asked with a smile.

“We spent some good time together,” the Aborigine replied.  “He is a smart lad, a quick learner, like my Sonny Boy was when he was with the People.”

“I’m curious.  Why do you call Rollie that?”

“When Rollie came to us, he became like my own child, like one of the People.  Many times I called him Katja, which means ‘Son’ in the language of my tribe.  He was my boy, though my blood did not flow in his veins.”

“Do you have any kids of your own?”

“I have two daughters, and there are several grandchildren now.”

“Have you let your family know that you’re all right?  Wouldn’t they be worried about you?  It’s been four months since you came here.”

“It is not uncommon for me to leave for several months.  I often go on walkabout for weeks or months at a time without contacting them.  It is our way.  But I will have to be returning home soon.  My spirit is longing for my homeland.  Once Rollie is home, and I know that he will be all right, I will leave.”

“Can you come back for the wedding?” Angie asked.

Mangela smiled.  “Of course.  I would not want to miss that.”  He looked at Daniel.  “And, someday, you must come home to Australia, see the land of your birth.”

Daniel nodded.  “Yeah, someday, God willing.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

The eagle sat perched on a limb, its sharp eyes scanning the land below.  With a flurry of wings, another bird landed upon the limb, a huge black and gray eagle with a double crest of feathers on its head.  The first eagle looked at the new arrival, not knowing if it was friend or foe.  Making no threatening gestures, the black and gray eagle gestured with its wing toward something below.  The other eagle looked and saw a great shadow on the land, like an ugly stain marring the countryside.  The black and gray eagle turned back to the other eagle.  It held out a wing, as if in supplication, then again pointed at the darkness.  Uncertain what to do, the other eagle did not move, and the black and gray eagle finally flew away.  The other eagle turned back to the shadow and saw it grow a little larger. . . .

Rollie’s eyes blinked open, his consciousness rising out of sleep.  He turned to the window and saw that the sky had lightened into morning.  He then stared up at the ceiling.  This was the first time he’d had a Dreaming-like vision since his training had been completed.  Apparently, the visions he did not consciously bring on could still take that form.  But what did it mean?  Rollie recognized the black and gray eagle as a Harpy eagle, the largest bird of prey in the world.  But that didn’t help him understand what the bird represented.  The other eagle was him.  That Rollie was certain of.  In the Dreaming, the Harpy eagle did not appear to be a threat to him.  In fact, it seemed to be asking for help.  But what was it asking for help with?  What was the meaning of the ominous shadow?

Whatever or whomever the Harpy eagle represented, the Dreaming indicated that it would, sooner or later, come to Rollie.  He would just have to wait and see what happened.

Rollie looked at the clock and saw that it was only 6 a.m.  Angie would be coming to visit him before she went off on her bridal shopping trip with Alex and Bonnie.  When she told him about it yesterday, he had smiled at the thought of the three women hitting the New York bridal shops, going nuts over all the wedding dresses.

The thought of Angie buying a wedding dress made their upcoming marriage feel even more real.  For three years, he had thought about spending the rest of his life with Angie.  In all his past relationships, he had never thought about marriage, not even with Taya, though, if their relationship had continued, he might have eventually.  But, with Angie, mere days after he realized he loved her, he was already thinking about committing himself to her in that way.  He wanted that commitment and everything that went with it.  He wanted to have children with her, grow old with her, share his life, and his love, and all that he had and all that he was with her, and he wanted it more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life.

Rollie pressed the call button.  A few minutes later, a nurse came in.

“Good morning, Rollie.  You’re up early.”

“Yeah.  I went to bed pretty early.  Um, I was wondering if I could have several sheets of paper and a pencil or pen.  Lined paper, if you have it.”

“Sure.  I think we can accommodate you.”  The nurse left, then returned shortly with a notepad and a pencil.

“Thanks.”

Rollie raised the back of the bed to a more vertical position.  He stared at the notepad for a moment, then began writing.

July 13, 2000
 
It’s been quite a while since my last journal entry.  So much has happened in these past four months.  I am writing this present entry from a hospital bed after being shot.  But that is only one small part of what I’ve gone through.  To say that I’ve been through hell seems like an understatement.  But I’m not going to talk about that.  Instead, I’m going to talk about Angie since she is the reason why I started keeping this journal in the first place.
 
I finally did it.  I told her that I love her.  And you know what?  It was easy.  There was no fear at all.  After all that I’ve gone through, declaring my love for her felt so right.  What’s even better is that she told me she loves me, too.  I can’t remember ever being happier than I was in that moment.  Angie loves me.  Sometimes, I want to shout it out at the top of my voice for all the world to hear.  Other times, I want to hold the knowledge close to me and cherish it.  Angie loves me.  Wow. 
 
It’s been twelve days since the day that we declared our love for each other, and, in those days, I have come to love her even more than I did before.  When we shared our first kiss, I felt something unlike anything I ever have before.  I felt like we were sharing more than just a kiss, like we were sharing parts of ourselves with each other.  But that feeling was nothing compared to what happened later.  I made love to Angie in the Dreamtime, and it was the single most amazing, wonderful, indescribably beautiful thing I have ever experienced.  It was as if we became one person, a single soul.  We each felt everything that the other did.  It was as if I was both myself and Angie and she was both herself and me.  There really are no words to adequately describe it.  We have yet to make love physically, but I know that it will be at least as wonderful and extraordinary as what happened in the Dreamtime.
 
Angie and I are psychically linked now.  I can sense her presence and her songline.  I have an awareness of where she is at all times.  Yesterday, I was joking that I now have Angie GSP, but it’s no joke.  She has become a part of me, mind, body and soul, and, soon, we will make a public commitment to each other.  Yes, that’s right.  Angie and I are getting married.  Wow again.  How did I get to be so damn lucky to have someone as terrific as Angie agree to be my wife?  I know I don’t deserve her.  She could do a lot better than me.  But this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, so there is no way that I’m going to question my good fortune.  I’m going to revel in it and thank God every day for this blessing.

Angie and I have not talked about children yet, but I know that I want them, very, very much.  I want to have babies with her.  I want to see her belly all swollen with a new life.  I want to witness the miracle of the birth of our sons and daughters.  I want to watch our babies grow over the years, share their laughter and tears, their loves and fears, to see a little of myself and Angie in their faces.  Though they are yet unborn, I swear to them now that I will be the best father that I can possibly be.  I never want them to know the pain I felt growing up as a child with a father who was seldom there for me.

I also swear that I will commit all that I am to Angie, to the woman I love more than anyone or anything else on Earth.  The day I met her, I gave her a piece of my heart.  The day I realized the truth of my love for her, I gave her the rest of it, though it was a gift that remained a secret until twelve days ago.  And, now, I give to her my soul as well, and I promise to cherish her heart, which she has given to me.  It will be my most prized possession.
 
Well, I’m not used to doing this much writing by hand, and my fingers are getting sore, so I guess it’s time to close this journal entry, by far the happiest one I’ve ever written.  I’m hoping that my next entry will be written from home, the home that has become Angie’s home as well, our home together.  I am one lucky guy.

Rollie tore off the pages and put them in the drawer with the rest of his personal belongings.  Then he turned his thoughts to other, less pleasant things.  His conversation with Trent Faraday came first to mind.  Though it had not been easy talking about what happened again, it had made him feel better to talk with someone who could respond objectively, without a personal involvement getting in the way of him expressing his views.  Rollie knew that what the doctor had told him was what he’d really felt.  He didn’t sugar-coat it or say things just to make the Aussie feel better.

Rollie was trying to take to heart what Trent had told him, but he found himself still feeling guilty over what he’d done to Cromwell.  Part of the reason for his guilt was that what he had told Trent about not wanting revenge against Cromwell and his accomplices had not been entirely true.  During the endless weeks that he’d been a prisoner, Rollie had often thought about making his captors pay for what they were doing to him, to make them feel the pain that they were causing him.  That desire had stayed with him after he was rescued.  He had even expressed it to Angie.  But, deep down inside, Rollie had known that he could never do such a thing.  He could never bring himself down to their level and inflict that kind of suffering on another living creature.  That was the reason why he had resisted using his ability to physically affect the human body.  He’d been afraid of the damage he might accidentally cause.

In time, as Rollie attempted to put the horrors of what he went through behind him, his desire for revenge had changed to a need for justice.  He still wanted them to pay for what they did, but he wanted it to be before a judge and jury.  But Cromwell wouldn’t be appearing in any court of law.  He’d already received his punishment, and, unlike the suffering that Rollie went through, there would be no end to his torment, not until the day he died, perhaps not even then, if Hell really existed.

Rollie gave a soft sigh, trying to turn his thoughts back to more pleasant topics.  Instead, he began thinking about the cases.  There were still loose ends.  For one thing, what became of Doctor Brier, the man who was an accomplice to Daniel’s abduction as a baby?  Did Frederick Carfield, a.k.a. Arthur Cromwell, kill him too, like he’d killed Don Patterson and his girlfriend?  It was too late to ask him now.  And what about the man whom Cromwell had sent to his death, blown up in Rollie’s car?  They knew that it had been an employee of Cromwell’s, but, as far as Rollie knew, the man’s identity had yet to be learned.  Then there was the fact that not all of Cromwell’s employees and accomplices had been found and arrested.  Cromwell had said that he had paranormal testing facilities all over the country.  Only the one in New York had been discovered and its staff taken into custody.  How many other psychics who had aided Cromwell were out there, free?  Rollie knew of at least one.  Abel Striker, the man who had witnessed the incident with the bus and lured Rollie to the paranormal testing facility, had never been captured.  He was probably in another country by now.

As Rollie lay there, staring up at the ceiling, he thought about the events of the past four months, what he had been through and how his life had been changed forever.  If he could go back in time and keep it from happening, prevent his abduction and, therefore, all that happened as a result, would he?  If he was never kidnapped, then Angie wouldn’t have gone to Hope Island, which would mean that Rollie might never have learned of the existence of his twin.  Just that fact alone made what he went through worthwhile.  The joy of having Daniel in his life far surpassed the agony he suffered.  Then there were the other good things that came out of his ordeal, the fact that Cromwell and his accomplices were caught being a big one.  If Rollie had not been the one chosen by Cromwell, if some other unfortunate person had been taken instead, there was the chance that Cromwell might have succeeded in his plans.  What terrible things would have happened as a result?  Then there was the healing in the rift between him and his father.  Rollie doubted that would ever have happened if it had not been for his presumed death, which was the thing that finally woke Dingo up to the truth about his life and how it had affected Rollie and their relationship.

One thing that Rollie was certain wouldn’t be different was his and Angie’s present relationship, how it had developed beyond friendship.  Just before having the vision of his abduction, Rollie had finally made the decision to tell Angie about his feelings.  If he hadn’t had that vision, he would have told her the very next day.  Knowing as he did that Angie loved him too, there was no doubt about what her reaction would have been.  They would have become lovers over three months sooner than what they did.  But would the psychic connection between them have developed as quickly and strongly as it had?  It was Rollie’s increased paranormal skills that enabled him to bring Angie into the Dreamtime and make love with her there.  He wouldn’t have had those skills if he and, therefore, Mangela hadn’t been taken captive.  How would his and Angie’s connection have developed if it hadn’t been for that?  It was a question that Rollie would probably never know the answer to.  He just knew that he treasured the link that was between him and Angie, just as he did the one that was between him and Daniel.

Looking at everything, weighing all the pros and cons, Rollie realized that, even if he had the ability to do so, he wouldn’t change what happened, and with that thought, he felt a small measure of closure.  The ordeal he went through had brought more good things into his life than bad things, and he wouldn’t trade those good things for all the riches in the world.

When Angie, Daniel, Mangela and Dingo walked into the room about an hour later, they found Rollie with a soft smile on his face.  Angie came forward and gave him a kiss.

“Hey, you look pretty pleased about something,” she remarked.  “Did something happen this morning?”

“Well, let’s just say that I got to thinking about things, and I’ve developed a new perspective on what these last four months have brought.”

“Oh?  What’s that?” Daniel asked.

“Well, you already pointed out several of these facts, but, at the time, I wasn’t ready to listen and accept it.  I am now.”  He told them of his thoughts, leaving out only his and Angie’s lovemaking in the Dreamtime since Dingo didn’t know about it.  As he finished, Angie leaned over and gave him a long, tight hug, a huge smile on her face.

“Oh, Rollie, I am so happy that you’re feeling better about all of this,” she murmured.

“So am I,” Daniel said in relief.  “And you are absolutely right about what you said.  The blessings that you and the rest of us have received far outweigh the negative things.  I know that this was all part of God’s plan for us.  It brought us all together, and we are far richer for it.”

“You got that right,” Dingo said with feeling.

Mangela nodded in agreement.

“Um, there is something else that happened,” Rollie said.  “I had another Dreaming.”  He told them what he saw.

“Well, I’m like you, Rol.  I have no idea who or what the Harpy eagle is,” Angie admitted.  “But at least it doesn’t appear to be a threat.”

“Yeah, I really don’t need any more trouble right now.”  Rollie smiled sarcastically.  “Though I’m just so looking forward to seeing what delightful thing this black spider in Mangela’s vision will turn out to be.”

“What black spider?” Dingo asked.

Mangela repeated his recollection of the Dreaming he had years ago about Rollie.

“That doesn’t sound good, Rollie,” Daniel said, concerned.  “I admit that I’m a novice when it comes to these Dreamings, but I know that the images are symbolic, much like the visions that the biblical prophets had, and that the things or people the images represent have some kind of connection or similarity to those images, just like Cromwell, through his actions, bore a similarity to the vampire bat in my vision.  What kind of spider was in your vision, Mangela?”

“Let me guess,” Rollie said before the Aborigine replied.  “It was a black widow.”

“There are no black widow spiders in Australia, but there is the redback spider, which is much the same, except that it has a red mark on its back as well as on the underside of its abdomen,” Mangela responded.  “And you are right.  It was a black widow.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured.  The black widow and its relatives have the most notorious reputations of all spiders.”

“They’re highly poisonous,” Daniel remarked.

“Yeah, and the females have the lovely habit of sometimes eating their mates after the big event,” Angie stated.  “I guess that’s one way of avoiding any embarrassing scenes when the relationship is over.”

“So, if the spider was black, that would mean it was a female black widow, right?” Dingo asked.  “Does that mean that the person it represents is a woman?”

“No, a man can be represented by a female animal in a Dreaming if it is the female who has the appropriate characteristics,” Rollie said.  He grinned broadly.  “Isn’t that right, Mangela?”

Angie looked back and forth between them.  “What?  There’s a story here, isn’t there.”

Rollie’s smile grew even bigger.  “In the very first Dreaming I ever had, Mangela was represented by a wallaby, a female wallaby, pouch and all.”

“A wallaby?”  Dingo said, chuckling.

“The black-footed rock wallaby is my totem animal,” Mangela explained.  “That is how I always see myself in my Dreamings, just as Rollie sees himself as an eagle.”

“What kind of eagle?” Daniel asked.  “The one I saw in my Dreaming wasn’t like any eagle I’m familiar with.  Oh, wait.  You already told me.  A, um, wedge-tailed eagle, right?  Beautiful bird.”

“Yeah, it is.  It’s also an endangered species, which I sometimes feel like,” Rollie remarked.

“Aw, poor baby,” Angie said, giving her husband-to-be a kiss.

“All right, so the black widow could be either a man or a woman,” Daniel stated.

“Or it might be a group of people or not even a person at all,” Rollie told him.  “There’s no way to know.”

“So, all we really can know right now is that it’s a threat to you,” Dingo said.

“Yeah, I’m afraid so.”

Everyone decided that a change of topic was in order.  They chatted amiably until Alex, Dylan and Bonnie arrived.  The redhead immediately went to her fiancé and gave him a kiss.

Daniel put an arm around her waist.  “So, you girls all ready for your big shopping spree?”

“You bet.  This is going to be fun,” Alex replied.

“Yeah, it is.  So, what are you guys going to do while we’re gone?” Angie asked.

Rollie grinned.  “Oh, we’ll think of something.”

Angie’s eyes narrowed.  “Rollie, don’t you dare get any ideas about sneaking out of here for a cruise in the Caddy or some other dumb stunt.”

Rollie held up his hands.  “I wouldn’t dream of it, Love.  I want to get out of here on Friday.  I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize that.  I swear that I will not leave the medical center.”

“Well, I’m happy to see that you seem to have finally developed some common sense, Rol.  It’s about time.”

As the others laughed, Rollie adopted a sarcastic smile.  “Very funny, Angela.  Maybe you’ll develop some too one of these days and stop believing in little green men.”

“Hey!  There’s plenty of evidence that aliens exist,” Angie objected.

“Uh huh.  Sure there is.”

Daniel chuckled.  “I can see that you two have had this discussion before.”

“Oh, yeah,” Rollie responded.  “I’ll have to tell you one of these days about the big alien conspiracy that Angie thought was going on when one of her online friends was murdered.  It turned out to be nothing but plain, old-fashioned greed at the heart of the whole thing.  Nary an alien, green or otherwise, was in sight.”

“Well, it could have been aliens,” Angie said in defense of her erroneous beliefs about the case.  “Everything seemed to point to that.”

“Only in your mind, Love,” Rollie said teasingly, then gave her a kiss to soften the statement.

“I believe in aliens, too,” Dylan stated.

“Ah ha!  Finally!  Someone with an open mind!” Angie exclaimed in triumph.

“Angie, he’s twelve years old,” Rollie pointed out.  “Most twelve-year-olds these days know the life story of Darth Vader in intimate detail and can speak Klingon fluently.  Of course he believes in aliens.”

Bonnie smiled, amused by the couple’s banter.  It was very clear that they’d been friends a long time.  There was that air of easy familiarity between them that usually only developed after many years together.  That friendship would be a strong foundation for their marriage.

“So, shall we get going?” she asked.

“Yes, definitely,” Alex replied excitedly.

The two younger women kissed their fiancés, Daniel receiving a kiss from his mother as well.

“We’ll come back here when we’re done for the day,” Angie told the men.

“Okay, we’ll see you then,” Rollie said.

The women headed downstairs.  Angie was surprised when the other two women walked toward a black limo.

“We’re going in that?” she asked.

“Yes, we thought we might need the room,” Bonnie explained.  “And it will also give us privacy to chat.  The driver is very familiar with New York, so there won’t be a problem with finding the shops we want to go to.”

Angie shrugged.  “I guess it has its advantages, though I wouldn’t want to deal with weaving through downtown traffic driving something that size.  I hate it when we have to go downtown in the F/X van.”

“Well, fortunately, we don’t have to do the driving,” Alex remarked.

The driver got out of the car and opened the door for them.  The women slid onto the plush, roomy seats.  Angie looked around at the big, comfortable interior.

“On second thought, how many times do I get the chance to travel in style?  I think I could get used to this,” she said.

Bonnie smiled.  “Today is a day for all of us to enjoy.  It’s been a very long time since I last went shopping with girlfriends.  I am looking forward to it.”

As the driver drove the limo toward the first bridal boutique on the list Bonnie had given him, the women began to chat.  Not surprisingly, the first topic of discussion was Rollie and Daniel.

“So, you’ve known Rollie for a long time, haven’t you, Angie?” Bonnie asked.

The blonde nodded.  “Yeah, since I was a kid.  I was only eleven when we met.  Rol was eighteen.”

Alex smiled, thinking of Daniel at that age.  “What was he like back then?”

“In many ways, the same as he is now, though a lot more innocent in some regards.  Rollie was, well, less sure of himself back then, softer.  He’s gone through a whole lot of stuff since then and seen a lot of terrible things that have hardened him a bit.  He was still suffering a great deal of pain over his mother’s death when I met him, but then so was I.”

“You lost your mother at a young age, too?” Bonnie asked.

Angie nodded.  “I was nine when she died.  It’s . . . a long story.”  She didn’t elaborate, not wanting to ruin her good mood by talking about the tragedy of her mother’s death.  “Anyway, for all the ways in which Rollie was different back then, there are more ways in which he was the same.  He’d do anything, go through anything for the people he cared about.  He was the most brilliant, ingenious and courageous man I’d ever met.  And he was, and is, the best friend I’ll ever have.”

Bonnie smiled gently.  “I can see so clearly how much you love each other.  It’s a wonderful thing.”

Angie smiled as well.  “Yeah.  I know that a lot of people think it’s a silly idea, but I really think that Rol is my soul mate.”

“I don’t think it’s silly at all,” Bonnie said.

“Neither do I,” Alex agreed, thinking that she felt the same way about Daniel.

They soon arrived at the first boutique.  The sales clerks, having seen them arrive in a limo, were all over them, being so excessively helpful that it soon became irritating.  Not seeing anything that really interested them, the trio quickly left and headed to the next shop.  The staff wasn’t so overly helpful there, so the women stayed longer.  Alex tried on a wedding dress, but both she and the others agreed that it wasn’t quite right for her.  However, Angie did spy some bridesmaids dresses that she really liked, which were in a deep blue, a few shades darker than royal blue.

“Whatever you do, Angie, pleeeease don’t pick pink,” Alex pleaded.

Angie’s mouth quirked upward.  “Have something against pink, Alex?”

“No, not a thing, except for the fact that I hate it.  Of all the colors in the world that Molly could have chosen as the bridesmaids dress for me to wear at her wedding, she chose pink.”  The redhead gave a shudder.

Angie laughed.  “Did you tell her about your aversion to the color?”

“Um, no, I didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm at the time.  I did tell her later, though, just so that she’d know for future reference.  Actually, I could have sworn that I’d told her years ago that I hated pink, but I guess she forgot.”  Alex looked at the bridesmaids dresses Angie was admiring.  “But I do like these, and I know that Daniel loves blue.  His favorite of my dresses is blue.”

Angie nodded.  “Rollie likes blue, too.  He has this really nice royal blue shirt that he used to wear on occasion.  He hasn’t worn it in a long time, but it looks great on him.”

“Well, if you both got blue bridesmaids dresses, that would be one of the colors for the wedding color scheme,” Bonnie stated.  “If you wished, you could have blue as one of the colors in the bouquets and other floral pieces, and Rollie and Daniel could both wear cummerbunds that match the dresses.”

“That would be cool,” Alex said.  “I guess this is something that we should discuss.  Since we’re having a double wedding, are we going to try to match each other?”

“You mean the wedding dresses, as well?” Angie asked.

“Um, I don’t know.  What looks good on you might not work for me.  Our figures are pretty different.”

Angie nodded in agreement.  “Yeah, you’re right.  But we should probably avoid getting styles that are totally different from each other.”

“I agree,” Bonnie said.  “The dresses should complement each other, neither one detracting from the other.”

“So, shall we go on to the next shop?” Angie asked.  “I really like these dresses for the bridesmaids, but we might find something better later on.”

“Yes.  We can always return here if we find nothing better,” Bonnie agreed.

The women went on to the third shop, where Angie tried on a dress.  She liked it, but decided that she’d prefer to keep shopping.  The fourth boutique yielded nothing.

Deciding it would be a good time to break for lunch, Bonnie had the driver take them to a café where they could eat outside, it being a beautiful day.  After eating, they lingered a while over coffee.  Alex noticed a small smile on Angie’s lips and asked her what she was smiling about.

“I was thinking about how amazing this is, shopping for my wedding.  Only two weeks ago, I thought that Rollie was dead.”  The smile faded.  “I believed that I would spend the rest of my life alone, without anyone to love.”

Bonnie laid a hand over hers.  “Even if Rollie had really been dead, Angie, I’d like to believe that you would have found someone else to give your love to.”

Angie shook her head.  “No.  There would never have been anyone else.  Rollie’s it for me.  No one else could possibly make me feel the way he does.  Not a chance.”  Not even Daniel, whom she had thought she was falling for, could have made her feel the great depths of love that dwelled in her heart for her beloved Aussie.

Bonnie studied the younger woman’s face closely and thought that perhaps Angie was right.  Sometimes, a love came along in a lifetime that could never be equaled.

“I feel the same way about Daniel,” Alex said.  “I mean, I loved Dylan’s father, but it couldn’t compare to what I have with Daniel.  When Steve suddenly showed up on the island several months ago, I thought, for a while, that we might get back together.  He proposed to me, but something kept me from saying yes.”  She laughed.  “I even went to Daniel to get his opinion on it, which should have clued me in on the truth about my feelings for him.  Deep down inside, though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was hoping that Daniel would tell me not to marry Steve because he had feelings for me.  Later, something happened that showed me that Steve was still more interested in his career than in Dylan and me, and I asked him to leave.  Afterwards, I was talking to Daniel and said that my instincts about Steve and his love for his career were what had kept me from committing myself to him, but the truth is that that was only part of it.  Daniel had already captured my heart by then.  I just hadn’t figured it out yet.”

The three women left a short time later, heading to the next shop, their minds occupied with thoughts of the men they loved.

“So, Rollie, what is it that we’re going to do?” Dingo asked.

A big grin lit the Aussie’s face.  “Play baseball.”

The others all stared at him.  “Huh?” Daniel, Dylan and Dingo said at the same time.

Rollie’s smile got even bigger.  “Did you bring the stuff I asked you to?”

“Yeah, but I had to distract Angie while Dingo and Mangela snuck the stuff out to the Cadillac,” the minister replied.  “Which is something else I want to ask.  What’s all the secrecy about?”

“Because, if Angie knew what I was planning, she’d probably say it was too much for my physical condition and nix the idea.”

“Well, maybe she’d be right.”

“Don’t worry, Little Brother.  I’ll be taking it easy.  Just get the stuff and meet me outside in the courtyard.”

“Rollie, you promised Angie that you wouldn’t go anywhere,” Daniel reminded him.

“I promised Angie that I wouldn’t leave the medical center, and I’m not going to.  The medical center is more than just the hospital.  All the buildings around us are part of it, and so is the courtyard.  But if it will make you feel better, I’ll ask my nurse if it’s okay for me to go outside.”

Rollie did so, and was told by the nurse that, as long as he didn’t leave the campus, there was no problem with him spending some time outside.

“It will do you some good to get a bit of fresh air and sunshine,” she added.

“There.  See?  I have the blessings of the medical staff,” Rollie said after the nurse had left.

“Well, all right, but if you overdo it, I’m the one that Angie will skin alive,” Daniel told him.

“No worries, Bro.  I promise that your skin will stay intact.  If anybody’s going to lose any epidermis, it will be me.”

As Daniel, Dingo and Mangela got the stuff from the car, Rollie and Dylan headed down to the courtyard.  They waited for the others just outside the entrance to the hospital.

The three men returned carrying three large boxes and a laptop computer.

Rollie looked about the courtyard.  “Let’s set up over there.  That’s the biggest area.”

They moved over to the largest of the grassy areas in the courtyard.  The boxes were opened and the items inside taken out.  There were ten pairs of what looked like some sort of goggles, four white square plates, a baseball bat that was made from hard, black plastic and covered with electrode-like protrusions, and what were very clearly baseball gloves, except that they were also covered with the electrode-like objects.  The last items were several small electronic devices attached to velcro straps.

“Wow, what’s all this stuff?” Dylan asked, his eyes getting big.

“You’ll see,” Rollie replied.  He asked for the computer, which he booted up.  He loaded a program called VR Baseball.  “Okay, first we have to set the size of the baseball field.  We set the program up so that the field can be whatever size you want it to be since not everyone is going to have access to a playing area the full size of a baseball field.”  He looked out over the area that was going to be their playing field and judged how big it was, then entered that figure into the program.  “All right, what’s going to be the name of our team and the opposition’s?”

“Our team at home is the Hope Island Hornets,” Dylan pipped up.

Rollie smiled.  “Okay, the Hornets it is.  And what about the other team?”

There was a moment of silence as everyone thought about it.  Then Daniel got a big grin on his face.

“The Angle Dogs,” he suggested.

“Angle Dogs?  What in the world is that?” his brother asked.

The minister chuckled.  “I’ll tell you about it one of these days.”

“Um, okay.”  The Aussie typed in Angle Dogs as the name of the other team.  “All right.  Now, the number of human players.”  He looked at Dingo.  “Dad, are you going to play?”

“Uh, I don’t know.  I’ve never played baseball before.  I don’t think I’d be very good.”

“I can set the game for beginners level,” Rollie told his father.  “The pitches will be easy ones.  Come on, Dad.  It’ll be fun.”

“Well, all right,” Dingo agreed with a smile.

Rollie grinned.  “Great!  How about you, Mangela?”

“I have never played either, but I’m willing to give it a try.”

“Good.  Okay, that makes six players.”

“Six?  There’s only five of us,” Daniel pointed out.

“I’m not playing.  Angie really would skin me alive if I did, and I know that I am far from healed enough to even try.”

“Well, then--”  Daniel was interrupted by another voice.

“So, did we make it in time?” Leo asked.  He and Frank were heading toward them down the walkway.

“Sure did.  But where are the others?” Rollie responded.

“Uncle Rollie!” cried a trio of happy voices.  The Gatti girls came streaking toward the Aussie, Sarah running after them.

“Be careful!” she called.  “Uncle Rollie is still healing!”

Instead of launching themselves into Rollie’s arms, the three children gathered around his wheelchair, all of them giving him a hug and kiss.

“Are you getting all better?” Bethany asked.

“I sure am, sweetheart,” Rollie replied.  He gave her nose a little tweak.  “And seeing you three makes me feel even better.”

“Mommy and Daddy were really worried about you,” Jessica informed him.  “They said that you got shot and were hurt really badly.  We were worried, too.”

“Yeah, but I’m okay now.  I’ll be all healed in no time.”

“Did Daddy arrest the man who shot you?” the eldest, Natalie, asked.

Rollie paused before answering.  “Well, the man who shot me was hurt, too, so he’s also in the hospital.  But he was caught, and he’ll never hurt anyone else ever again.”

“Good.”

“I have to say that we were surprised when you called us last night and asked us to come play baseball,” Frank said.

Rollie chuckled.  “Yeah, so was Leo.  This was sort of a sudden idea of mine.  I knew that Angie and Alex would be off with Bonnie for the day, and I didn’t feel like sitting around, cooped up in that hospital room all day long.”

The Aussie introduced Dylan to the three Gatti children.

“So, how does this thing work?” Leo asked, staring at all the equipment.

“Well, a few years ago, Angie and I began working on a virtual reality game for a Japanese company.  It was a sci-fi game where you’d blast robots that would appear when you looked through a pair of VR goggles.  It was great.”  He turned to Leo’s partner.  “In fact, you’ve already been introduced to the software, Francis.  It’s what I used to get you out of that gold vault and pull us out of that nasty situation.”

Frank smiled.  “Oh, yeah.  The goggles you and the others were wearing did look a lot like these.”

“Uh huh.  Anyway, as I was saying, the problem Angie and I were having is that the company kept wanting the headsets to be smaller.  It got pretty ridiculous.  They were even talking about VR contact lenses!  Well, Angie and I got kind of tired of what we’d named the never-ending project, so we decided to . . . diversify.”

“What’s diver . . . diversify?” Jessica asked, stumbling over the word.

“In this case, it means that we decided to come up with some other VR games for other companies.  Our contract did not forbid us from doing projects for other companies as long as we didn’t use the same equipment that we designed for the Osaka Corporation or sell a competing company the same software.  So, we took one of the headset designs that they’d rejected because it was too big, made some alterations, and started working on some other games.  We figured that, by the time we had a headset that Osaka would be happy with, we’d already have several other virtual reality games ready to sell to other companies that weren’t so hung up on the size of the headgear.”

Dingo was grinning happily.  “I’m proud of you, Son.  I’ve said for years that, with your smarts and knack for the techie stuff, you should get into making games and toys.  There’s big money in that.  I had no idea you were doing it.”

Rollie smiled, amused by his father’s delight.  “Yeah, Dad, we got into that stuff quite a while ago.”  His smile quickly disappeared.  “But I am still not marketing Bluey, so don’t even think about it.”

“What’s Bluey?” Dylan asked.

Rollie’s smile was back in place.  “My dog.”

“Your dog?”

The three Gatti girls giggled.

“He’s not a real dog,” Bethany told him with another giggle.  “He’s a robot.”

Dylan’s eyes widened, and he turned back to Rollie.  “You have a robot dog?”

“Uh huh.  After I get out of the hospital, your mom will have to bring you over to the loft so I can introduce you to Bluey and show you all of my other gadgets.”

“It’s quite the place, Dylan,” Daniel told the boy.  “I was very impressed, and I didn’t understand what most of the stuff was for.”

“Mom said it was really cool, but she didn’t tell me what was there,” Dylan said.  “She said it would be more fun for me to see for myself.”

“She’s right.  It will be.  I’ll take you on a special tour of Tyler’s Land of Oz.”  Rollie returned his attention to everyone else.  “Anyway, this baseball game is one of the games Angie and I developed.  It’s a really big leap over the original design of the game for Osaka, one major improvement being that the headsets don’t have to be hardwired into the equipment.  It’s all wireless.  We had just gotten it to the point where we could approach some game companies with it when I was kidnapped.  We still need to do some streamlining and work a bit more on the programming, but it’s playable as it is.  How it works is that I program in all the variables of the game, playing field size, team names, number of players, stuff like that, into the computer.  Then I download the information into the headsets and program each one to show the field from the perspective of either a player, spectator or controller.  When you look through the headsets, you’ll see a virtual reality baseball field, complete with a stadium full of cheering fans.  Some of the players will be computer generated characters, like the umpire and the pitcher.  If you only have enough real people to play on one team, then the entire other team will be computer generated as well, and if you don’t have enough human players to make up a full team, the remainder will also be computer generated.”

“How does it work with the real players?  How will we see each other wearing those things?” Daniel asked, fascinated and in awe of his brother’s genius.

“The headsets don’t prevent you from seeing the ‘real world’.  The elements of the virtual reality world are superimposed over it.  Some of the elements, like the stadium, are translucent.  You can see through them.  So, each of the human players will be able to see his teammates.”

“But how can we play baseball when there’s no ball?” Dingo asked.

“The ball is computer generated.  Hand me the bat.”  Dylan gave the bat to him.  He pointed at the electrode-like protrusions.  “Inside this bat is a complex system of sensors.  It accurately records and monitors what position the bat is in.  When you swing the bat, the movement is detected by the program.”

“Hey, they have something like that at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle,” Dylan exclaimed excitedly, “except that it’s basketball.  You wear this glove, and the computer can tell where your hand is and will move the basketball on the screen in whatever way your hand moves.”

Rollie nodded.  “They’ve had stuff like this for a number of years, but this takes what’s out there now several steps further.  Okay, so, let’s say that you’re up to bat.  The pitcher will throw the virtual reality ball at you.  You’ll see it like it’s a real ball.  When you take a swing at it, the computer can calculate from the position of the bat whether or not you hit the ball, and, if so, what direction the ball will take.”

“That’s amazing, Rollie,” Leo said.

“Thanks.  That was one of the hardest things to program.  There were so many variables to account for.  There were some things that we couldn’t factor in, though, like the actual strength of the swing, so everyone, including Dylan, will have the same strength when it comes to hitting the ball, which, if you think about it, makes it easier for a family with kids to play.  The children won’t be at such a disadvantage.”

“What about the gloves?” Dylan asked.

“They have sensors as well.  If you’re trying to catch a ball, the computer will track the location and position of the glove in relation to the virtual ball and can tell if you succeeded in ‘catching’ it.”  Rollie picked up one of the white plates.  “If you haven’t already guessed, these are the bases.  They’re pressure sensitive and can detect if you touched them.  In other words, there’s no need for an umpire to determine if you’re safe or out.  The program will know.”

“And what about these?” Daniel asked, holding up one of the electronic gadgets attached to velcro.

“They, dear brother, are some of those GPS units Angie and I told you about.  Every human player wears one around his ankle.  In that way, the program can keep track of precisely where each player is, which is necessary for the interaction between the real players and the computer generated ones.  There’s also a chip in there that can be programmed with each player’s identification so that the program knows which person is where.”

Daniel looked at everything and shook his head in amazement.  “Rollie, I am the first to admit that I know nothing about technical stuff, but this is extraordinary.  But isn’t all this gear expensive?”

Rollie gave a small sigh.  “Yeah, well, that’s one of the problems we need to overcome, the production costs.  Obviously, producing in mass quantities will be cheaper, but the entire set still isn’t going to be something that the average person can easily afford.  We figured that each set would have equipment for four people, then extra units could be purchased separately.  Angie and I need to put our heads together and figure out a way to cut the cost of production.”

“Well, if you were able to figure all of this out, I have no doubt that you’ll succeed in that.”

Rollie grinned and clapped his hands together.  “So . . . shall we play ball, boys and girls?”

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Rollie resumed setting the variables.  “Natalie, you’re big enough to play.  Would you like to be on the team?” he asked the oldest Gatti child.

The ten-year-old glanced at Dylan, a shy smile on her face.  “Okay,” she replied.

“What about you, Sarah?” the Aussie asked.

Frank’s wife smiled and shook her head.  “No, I think I’ll sit it out, Rollie.  I’ll have more fun watching.”

“Okay, that makes seven players, then.  Only one short.”

“One?  There are nine players on a baseball team,” Leo commented.

“Yeah, but the pitcher is always a computer generated character, so that means one less position for live players.  Since we’ve only got seven live players, the eighth member of your team will also be computer generated.  That is unless you guys want to split up into two different teams, play against each other instead of against the program.”

Everyone looked at each other.

“I think I’d prefer us playing on the same side this time,” Daniel responded.  All the others agreed.

They decided on who was going to play what position.  Daniel took right field, Frank left field, and Leo center field.  First, second and third bases were taken by Natalie, Dylan, and Mangela, respectively.  Dingo was shortstop.  The catcher was going to be the computer generated character.

“Hey, there’s something I was wondering about,” Leo said.  “We’re playing against computer characters, right?”

“That’s right,” confirmed Rollie.

“Well, computer characters aren’t going to make mistakes.  I mean, they won’t drop balls or let a ball they should have caught slip by them, stuff like that.  Doesn’t that give them an unfair advantage?”

Rollie grinned.  “Actually, Leo, Angie and I thought of that, so we programmed the game to make the computer generated characters just as imperfect as humans.  When you have the game set for the beginners level, they’ll make all sorts of mistakes, just like amateur players with little experience.  The higher the playing level, the less mistakes the computer generated players will make.  Of course, even at the professional level, which is equivalent to a major league game, mistakes are made, so, no matter what level you play at, you won’t be up against a team that plays perfectly every time.”

“I have a question too,” Frank said.  “What happens if one of us catches a ball?  I mean, how are we going to know we caught it?  With a real ball, we’d feel the impact in the glove.  But it’s not a real ball.”

Rollie nodded.  “That was something that it took a while for Angie and me to figure out.  A player could look in his glove and see that the ball was there, but that would cost precious seconds.  So, we came up with an idea.  When a player succeeds in catching a ball, a slight vibration passes through glove.  It feels sort of like a cell phone or pager set on vibrate.  As long as the player is ‘holding’ the ball, the glove will continue to vibrate.”

“And how do we throw the ball?” Daniel asked.  “We’re not wearing anything on our throwing hands.”

“That’s one thing that Angie and I hadn’t figured out yet.  We were trying to come up with a glove that the players could wear on their throwing hands that would make it feel like they were actually holding a real ball.  It would make throwing a virtual ball easier.”  He reached into one of the big boxes and pulled out a small, flat box.  Inside were nine pairs of brown gloves made of a stretchy material.  Like the baseball gloves and the bat, they had the electrode-like devices.  “Until we can figure out how to do that, this is what we’ve got.  Like the baseball gloves, these will detect whether or not you’re holding the ball.  You won’t be able to feel the ball in your hand, but the program can determine what direction the ball will take once you throw it.  To hold onto the ball, you’ll just have to make a fist around it and pretend that you have a real ball in your hand.  It doesn’t matter if you close your fist all the way or not.  You just have to make sure to release your grip when you throw the ball.”

There being no other questions, Rollie finished setting the options, then began programming the headsets.  He programmed seven for players, two for spectators and one as controller, which was the one he’d wear.  It would allow him to change perspective and see overviews of the game.  Since they were short a headset, Jessica and Bethany were going to share one.

Rollie put on his headset, then instructed Daniel and Leo on the placement of the white pressure plates that were to be the bases.  Then, after getting some more instructions from Rollie, everyone else strapped GPS units to their ankles and donned their headsets, turning them on.

“Hey, this is great, Rollie!” Frank exclaimed with a look of childlike wonder on his face.

“It sure is,” Daniel said, and everyone else agreed.  They all looked about at the virtual playing field.  A stadium filled with thousands of spectators was off to the right.  The baseball diamond was before them.  The other team, which consisted entirely of computer generated characters, was already in position on the field.  They then noticed the eighth and ninth members of their own team, who were computer generated as well.  The “men” were standing a few feet away from the live players.  Though they were quite detailed and looked solid, not translucent like the stadium and some of the other things, they were not lifelike enough to be mistaken for real people.

“That is so weird,” Leo said, laughing.  He looked at his best friend.  “So, Rollie.  Do we, um, talk to them or something?”

The Aussie grinned.  “Well, you can if you want to, Leo, though I’ll warn you that they’re not much for conversation.  But you guys do have to decide what order you’re going to go to bat in, so you’ll have to tell Willie and Babe there when it’s their turn.”

“Willie and Babe?” Daniel said, laughing.  “Let me guess.  Willie Mays and Babe Ruth, right?”

“Of course.  Two of the all-time greats of baseball.”

The others looked at the computer generated characters, thinking that they didn’t even remotely resemble the legendary players they were named after.

The players quickly decided the order in which they were going to bat.  Daniel was chosen to be first.  He took the bat and went to home plate while the others stayed in the “dugout.”  It felt really strange facing a pitcher that he knew wasn’t a real person.

“Okay, Daniel.  Just try to forget that the pitcher’s not real,” Rollie said, startling the minister.  He turned and stared at his brother.

“Are you reading my mind, Rollie?”  His question was only half-joking.

Again, a grin formed on the Aussie’s face.  “No, I just figured that you’d probably be feeling strange facing somebody who isn’t really there.”

Daniel returned the smile.  “Well, you’re right.  It does feel strange.”

Rollie chuckled.  “It won’t feel so strange once he starts pitching those balls.  Believe me.  You’ll swear they’re real, though, if one ‘hits’ you, it won’t hurt.”

Turning his attention back to the pitcher, Daniel took a couple of practice swings, then got into position and waited, watching intently for that first pitch of the game.  When it came, he swung the bat at the virtual ball as if it was real, but missed it by a hair.  He actually heard the sound of the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt.

“Steerrrike one!” yelled the umpire.  There was the sound of cheers and clapping from the bleachers.

“Come on, Daniel!  You can do it!” called Dylan.  The rest of the teammates shouted encouragement.

Daniel took a couple more practice swings and adjusted his stance slightly.  He focused on the pitcher and waited for the second ball.  When it came, he swung as hard as he could--and hit it.  The sound of a bat hitting a baseball rang across the field.  Startled slightly by the fact that there had been no sensation of the ball’s impact on the bat, Daniel paused for a brief moment.  Then he threw the bat down and ran like crazy for first base.  The ball rocketed far into left field, pursued by the opposing team’s left fielder.  By the time the left fielder caught the ball and tossed it back, Daniel had made it to second base.  His teammates and the virtual crowd went wild with applause and cheers.

“Woohoo!  Way to go, Daniel!” Rollie shouted, clapping, ignoring the slight twinge he felt in his chest.

The next up to bat was Leo, who also missed the first pitch.  He hit the second ball, which sailed straight down the middle of the diamond.  The second baseman came a hair’s breadth away from catching it, but it got past him, and the center fielder went after it, catching it quickly and throwing it back toward second base.  Leo, seeing that he wasn’t going to make it to second before the baseman got the ball, stayed put on first.  Daniel had already made it to third and was considering a run for home, but decided against it when he saw that the second baseman had the ball.

The next person up to bat was Dylan.  With a huge grin, he took the bat and stepped up to the plate, accompanied by shouts of encouragement from his teammates.  Once he took up position, he grew serious, intently focusing his attention on the pitcher as if he was in one of the games at home.

The first pitch was a bit too far to the right, and Dylan missed it.

“Steerrrike one!” the umpire called.

“Hit the ball, Dylan!” Natalie cried, bouncing up and down and clapping.

The boy readied himself for the next pitch.  This time, it was a curve ball, and, again, Dylan missed.

“Come on, Dylan!  You can do it!” called Daniel encouragingly.  “Hit it out of the park!”

“Yeah, you can do it!” several other teammates called.

Dylan took a few practice swings, drew in a deep breath, and readied himself, his eyes narrowing in determination.  There was a pause as the pitcher read the hand signals being given to him by the catcher, shaking his head at the first, nodding at the second.  The pitcher wound up and threw the ball, another curve ball.  With all his might, Dylan swung the bat.  The thwack of it hitting the ball sounded in his ears.  As the ball shot off at an angle into left field, Dylan launched himself toward first base.  The left fielder went after it.  Daniel, speeding toward home, saw the left fielder grab the ball up off the ground and toss it toward home plate.  Knowing he wasn’t going to make it otherwise, the minister put on an extra burst of speed and then slid into the plate.

“Safe!” shouted the umpire.

All of Daniel’s teammates cheered enthusiastically as the clergyman scored the first point of the game.  Daniel got up with a grin and turned to see that Leo had made it to third and Dylan to second.  Everyone clapped.

And so the game went.  Soon, the live players were so wrapped up in the game that they completely forgot that the other players weren’t real.  Everyone was having a great time, players and spectators alike.  It hadn’t taken Rollie long, however, to realize that he had to keep himself from shouting and cheering loudly, which wasn’t easy . . . that is until something happened that began distracting him from the game, namely the crowd of live spectators that was quickly forming, attracted by the sight of a group of people playing the oddest game of baseball any of them had ever seen.  By the time they were twenty minutes into the game, a group of a dozen or so people had formed, some watching in puzzlement, others with fascination.  Rollie found himself being peppered with questions.  So many people asked if they could take a peek through one of the headsets, that Sarah graciously gave her headset to Rollie for demonstration purposes, saying she’d be perfectly happy just watching the live players.  Of all the questions being asked, the most frequent was where the VR baseball set could be bought.  When Rollie explained that he was one of the designers and the set wasn’t on the market yet, many people told him that they’d be eagerly awaiting the day it would become available.  Rollie grinned in delight every time someone said that, thinking that he and Angie might really have something big.

The game had been going on for a little over an hour when Rollie noticed a man standing off to the side, watching silently.  He might not have noticed if it hadn’t been for the fact that he’d caught the man watching him and what he was doing almost as often as the guy was watching the game itself.  When the man finally approached him, Rollie tensed slightly, wondering who the man was.  By then, a sizable crowd had formed, so Rollie didn’t think that the man could be any kind of threat, but there was no way to be sure.

“May I look through one of those headsets?” the man asked quietly, his sharp eyes appraising the Aussie.

“Um . . . yeah, sure,” Rollie replied.  He handed Sarah’s headset to the man and watched as he put it on.

“This is impressive,” the man commented.  “The virtual reality elements are quite detailed.  How does the program correlate the actions of the live players with the VR players and other elements?”

Surprised by the question, Rollie explained how the program worked.  The man asked a lot of probing questions, many of them quite technical, all the while keeping his eyes on the game.  He at last gave the headset back to Rollie.

“I don’t believe I caught your name,”  the man said.

Rollie paused before answering.  “Tyler.  Rollie Tyler.”

“Judging by your attire and the wheelchair, I’m assuming that you’re a patient here, Mister Tyler.”

“Rollie paused again.  “Yes, I am.

The man nodded.  “Well, thank you.  You’ve got quite a game there.  I’m sure it will be a success once it goes on the market.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have an appointment to keep.”

Rollie watched the man leave, even more bewildered.  The game soon regained his attention, however.

Everyone played the best that they could.  Daniel used his long legs and height to his advantage.  He was by far the fastest runner and could slide better than anyone.  Leo made the comment to Rollie during a break in the game that Daniel played a lot like the Aussie did.  Rollie grinned at the comment.

“Well, he is my twin,” he responded.

“Yeah, and he’s got the same mile-long legs.  You guys would have made great track stars.”

“Actually, I think that Daniel did say something about being on the track team in high school.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.”

Dylan turned out to be a very good player too.  During another rest break, Daniel told Rollie that the boy was one of the best on his team.  Natalie also showed a lot of talent, even though she’d never played before.  Daniel had noticed the smile she’d given to Dylan when he congratulated her after she made it to home base in the third inning.  Hiding his own smile, the minister guessed that the ten-year-old had taken quite a liking to the boy.

The biggest surprise to everyone but Rollie was how well Mangela was doing for his first time playing the game.  He was amazingly light and quick on his feet and could catch and then throw the ball faster than any of the other players.

“You don’t look surprised by how well Mangela’s doing,” Daniel said to his brother at one point.

“No, I’m not.  Remember, he was my teacher.  He taught me how to hunt, throw a boomerang, and survive in the outback.  I already knew he was quick on his feet and could move like a cat.  It doesn’t surprise me at all that he’s picking up baseball so fast.”  Rollie looked at his father.  “It’s a shame Dad’s not doing so well, though.”

Dingo was, indeed, not doing all that well.  As of the end of the fifth inning, he hadn’t managed to catch a single ball and had struck out three times out of five, and one of the balls he did hit was immediately caught.  All of the others knew he was getting discouraged and encouraged him all they could, cheering extra loudly the two times that he managed to hit the ball.

At last, they were at the end of the final inning.  The score was tied at six to six.  There were two outs, men on second and third, and the final player was coming up to bat.  The Hornets were all tense, knowing that the next pitches would likely win or lose the game.  Daniel’s tension was the highest.  The player who was coming up to bat now had shown a tendency to hit high balls off into right field.  Daniel, being the right fielder, knew the odds were good that it would be up to him to catch the ball.

The crowd was silent.  Even though they could only see the live players and were unable to see the movement of the ball, they had been keeping track of the score and knew that these next pitches were the ones that would decide the game.  They were all gathered close to Rollie, who, to his amusement, had found himself in the role of commentator.

Those who had headsets watched as the last man stepped up to the plate.  The Hornets all prepared themselves, watching the batter closely.

The pitcher wound up and threw a low fastball.  The batter swung and struck the ball.  As everyone had guessed, the ball shot off to the right, but this time, instead of going high, the ball speared through the air a mere three feet from the ground . . . heading straight toward Dingo.

Dingo saw the ball coming right at him.  Shocked and with no time to think, he tried to catch it, positive that he’d fail.  The ball was almost past him by the time he reached for it.  Thinking he’d missed yet again, he was puzzled by an odd vibrating feeling in his hand.  He looked down at his hand, dumbly staring at the ball sitting there in his glove.  Then it abruptly dawned on him that he’d actually caught it.

“I caught it?  Hey!  I caught it!”  He held the ball up, a huge grin on his face.

“Wahoo!” the rest of the Hornets cried.  They all ran toward Dingo, the men lifting him up on their shoulders as everyone else on the team and in the audience cheered joyfully.

“We won!  We won!” shouted Jessica and Bethany as they danced about.  They ran out onto the field and hugged their father.

Clapping and whistling, Rollie looked on, not even noticing the pain in his chest that the movement was causing.

Victorious, the Hornets all trotted up to the game’s creator.

“Did you see, Rollie?” Dingo asked excitedly.  “I caught the ball!”

Rollie beamed at him.  “You sure did, Dad.  You won the game.”

Dingo laughed.  “I did, didn’t I.”

The others clapped him on the back.

“Hurray for Dingo!” Daniel shouted.

“Hip, hip, hurray!” the other team members cheered.

Rollie smiled at the expression of sheer joy on his father’s face.

With the game over, the crowd slowly dispersed, several people again telling Rollie that they’d be watching the stores for the VR baseball game.

“This was great!” Dylan said.  “Will you really be selling it in stores?”

“Well, that’s the ultimate plan,” Rollie told him.

“I have to tell you, Rollie.  This could be huge,” Leo said.  “I haven’t had this much fun in years.”  He wiped perspiration off his brow.  “But, boy, am I beat!”

“I think we could all use some rest,” Daniel stated.  He looked at his watch.  “It’s lunchtime.  What do you say about us getting some burgers and eating out here on the lawn?”

“Sounds good to me,” Rollie said, and the others agreed.

As Frank and Leo went off to get the food, the others gathered up the equipment and put it all back in the boxes.  They then found a shady spot under a tree and waited.  The kids noticed some children playing on one of the other lawn areas and went off to join them.  The adults sat and watched them.

“How are you doing, Rollie?” Daniel asked.

“I’m doing great,” the Aussie replied.

“You sure?  You didn’t strain your lungs or pull your stitches or anything?”

Rollie turned and looked at him, a faint smile of amusement on his lips.  “What’s with the questions, Little Brother?”

“I just want to know ahead of time if you hurt yourself so that I can run and hide before Angie gets back.”

Rollie began to laugh, not even the pain it caused hindering him.  “Wow.  You’re even more afraid of her than I am.”

“Hey, I may not be a technical genius like you, but I’m no dummy.  I also have plans to live a long, healthy life with Alex.  I think my future wife might be a little perturbed if I got scalped by your fiancée a mere six weeks before the wedding.”

Rollie grinned.  “Well, you can relax.  I feel fine.  There is some soreness, but I tried to keep the cheering and shouting down to a minimum.  All the stitches are still right where they should be.”

Daniel breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief.  “Good.”

Everyone enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the courtyard, then sat around and talked, replaying the highlights of the game.

“Well, we need to get going,” Frank finally said.  “It’s my day off, and I’ve got tons of stuff to do around the house.  But this was lots of fun.  After you get well, we’ll have to play again.”

“Yeah, we’ll do that,” Rollie said.

Dylan came running up to Daniel.  “Natalie, Jessica and Bethany asked if I could come over to their house.  Can I?”

“Don’t you think you should ask Frank and Sarah if it’s all right with them?”

“Sure, that would be fine,” Sarah immediately said with a smile.  “We’d love to have him.”  Her husband agreed.

“Well then, sure.  I don’t see why not.  We’ll have to make arrangement to get you back, though.”

“I can bring him back,” Frank said.  “I’ll drive him over after dinner.”

Daniel got a sudden idea.  “Um, would it be a huge bother if you made it a bit later, like, say, around nine or so?”

“No, that wouldn’t be a problem.”

The minister smiled.  “Thanks.  I’d love to take Alex out to dinner somewhere nice.”

“How about if Dylan sleeps over?” Sarah suggested.  “Then you could really have a nice night out with Alex.”

Daniel smiled broadly.  He looked down at Dylan.  “Would you like that?”

“Sure.  That would be fun.  Natalie’s got some computer games I want to play, and Jessica has a telescope that we can look at the stars and planets through.  She says that she wants to be an astronomer when she grows up.”

“Well, it’s all settled, then.”  Daniel returned his gaze to Frank and Sarah.  “Thank you.”

The Gattis and Dylan left.  Leo took off a few minutes later, also having some errands to run.

“Well, I suppose it’s time we got you back to your room,” Daniel said to his brother.  He noticed a cloud pass over Rollie’s face.

The Aussie sighed.  “Yeah, I guess you’re right.  They’ll probably send someone to drag me back in soon if I don’t.”

The equipment was loaded into the Caddy, then Rollie, Daniel, Dingo and Mangela all headed back to Rollie’s room.  The minister did not fail to notice that Rollie’s mood, which had been so high before, had dimmed.  The Aussie said little on the trip back to his room.

“Do you want to stay in the wheelchair or get in the bed?” Daniel asked once they got to the room.

“Um, I guess the bed.  I’m getting a little cramped after sitting in this chair for so long.  I’ll sure be glad when I don’t have to use this thing anymore.”

Refusing any help, the Aussie got out of the chair and into the bed.  He rested his head back against the pillows and closed his eyes for a moment.

“Maybe we should leave and let you get some rest,” Dingo said.

“No, I’m okay,” Rollie insisted.  He smiled.  “But you know what would taste good right now?  Some ice cream.”

Daniel nodded.  “That does sound good.  I think they have soft serve down in the cafeteria.  Maybe you and Mangela could go get some for all of us, Dingo.”

“Sure.  What flavor do you want?”

“Chocolate for me, please,” Daniel replied.

“Me too,” Rollie said.

As the door closed behind Dingo and Mangela, Daniel turned back to his brother.  Rollie’s eyes were again closed.

“Rollie, are you sure you’re all right?”

“Hmm?  Yeah, I’m good.  Maybe just a little tired.”

Bugged by the feeling that his brother wasn’t being completely honest with him, Daniel watched him closely for a moment longer, then went to use the bathroom facilities.

“So, any more entertainment plans, Rollie?” Dingo asked as they ate their ice cream a few minutes later.

“Um, no, not really.  You know, you guys don’t have to stay here and keep me company.  I’ll be okay alone.”

“Yes, we know, but we want to be here,” Daniel said.

“That’s right,” Dingo agreed.  “Well, if anyone’s in the mood for more baseball, I think there’s a game being televised right now.”

Deciding that was a good idea, they turned on the TV and found the right channel, then they all settled down to watch the game.

Alex and Angie stood side-by-side, looking at the wedding dresses they were wearing.

“You both look lovely,” Bonnie said with a smile.

Angie smoothed her hand over the satin of the dress.  “It is nice,” she looked at herself and Alex again, “but. . . .”

“But what?”

“Well, the dresses are so different from each other.”

The other two women looked at the dresses from the viewpoint of seeing them together.  The dress Angie wore had three-quarter length sleeves and was mostly satin, only th