"Wuh - uh, I'm sorry sir," Gary said, "Did you say you were going to 'neutralize' the rock?"
"Exactly so," the Man nodded. "Simply encase the damn thing in acrylic, lock it in a secured container, and have it shipped to the underground facilities the nations maintain. Same as all the others - the coin, the ring, the lamp, that damned Medallion of Z-"
"But, but, wait a minute, what about my family?"
Just then, the doors slid open and Lorraine and Buffy entered. "Ah, here they are now," the Man said.
"Lorraine," Gary said, "Thank God. I need to explain all this to you."
Lorraine looked at him oddly. "Come on, Meadows, we've been on this case as long as you have. I'm just glad you finally got your hands on the thing. I'm sick to death of having to play Suburban Housewife."
"You think you had it bad?" Buffy said. "Try being Little Miss Bubblebrain all the time! Why do I always get stuck playing the cheerleader type?"
"It's your punishment," Lorraine grinned. "You want to go around looking like a kid so much, you got to live the life sometimes?"
"Agents Stuart and Mankiewicz, I was just winding up the debriefing for Meadows and Baxter here on the - Meadows? Are you all right?"
Meadows was not all right. In fact, Meadows was feeling as though someone had kicked him hard in the stomach. His wish - that he and Karyn become partners - was having much more profound effects than he had ever foreseen. "Wh- oh no. Oh God. Where's, where's Wesley?" he asked in a dry croak.
"Good point, Stuart," the man said. "Where is Agent LaGrange?"
Lorraine - Agent Stuart - just rolled her eyes. "You know how he is, sir. Once he got the word the mission was complete, he headed out for a drink and a smoke. Told me to tell you he'd be in tomorrow some time and, uh, not to 'get your panties in a wad'. His words, sir, not mine!"
"Arrogant little midget!" Buffy - Agent Mankiewicz - said with a wrinkled nose. "I'm glad I don't have to put up with him on a daily basis any more."
"He is quite a handful," the Man agreed, "But he's the best covert surveillance man we have. And he can play an 8-year old quite well."
"I guess, but... Meadows? Are you okay?"
Gary sat in his chair, hands covering his head, with a look of utter despair on his face. Nonono! he thought frantically. My wife! My kids! What have I done to them?!?
