Gary followed Karyn and the bejumpsuited woman, wondering exactly what he had wished himself into. The woman pressed a panel on the wall, and a door slid open. Karyn stepped inside; after a moment's hesitation, so did Gary. ONce they were in, the door slid shut and Gary felt a slight acceleration as the elevator sped up.
Gary fidgeted. He hadn't meant to turn himself into some kind of Secret Agent, much less one partnered with one of the people actually responsible for what happened to his son! On the other hand, maybe this was for the best - after all, it had been Jon Smith, now Jenny, who had really been responsible for Biff's change. Getting Karyn away from his influence could only be for the best. Besides, now not only was she an adult, she was a dedicated agent. Plus, she was his partner now - he watched out for her like she watched out for him.
Before he could say anything, Karyn surprised him. "I'm sorry about Biff."
"You are?"
"Yes. Really. Maybe Jenny and I should have found some other way to keep them from attacking us, but - I'm very sorry."
Gary thought about this, but before he could reply, the elevator stopped. The door slid aside, revealing a poshly carpeted office. One wall was filled with television monitors. Behind a desk sat a man of about 60, looking like someone's jolly grandfather.
This, then, was their boss. The Man.
"Agents Baxter and Meadows!" he boomed merrily. "Welcome back! Can I assume you were successful?"
"Yes sir," Karyn said, reaching inside her skirt pocket and presenting their boss with the stone.
The Man examined the stone with what appeared to be detatched interest. Gary, though, could almost see the wheels in the Man's head spinning. "Looks very unprepossessing, doesn't it?"
"That it does, sir," Gary agreed.
"Tell me, did you use it at all?"
"Um -"
"He had no choice, sir."
"I see." The jolly face cracked an inch, showing a man of shrewd concern underneath. "And what, exactly, did you wish for?"
"Sir, I - uh, I wished that Karyn was my partner."
"But you were already part- " The Man stopped as the understanding hit him. Then he laughed. "I see, I see. Well then, it all worked out for the best, didn't it?"
"It did at that, sir," Karyn said, handing him the stone with a smile. To Gary's surprise, she winked at him. To his further surprise, he winked back.
"Well, that concludes the search for this rock, I suppose," the Man said. "The boys in teh lab have figured out how to neutralize it, so it shouldn't trouble us again. Now, why don't you two take a week off and be back here bright and early next Monday? I'd say you very well earned it!"
