Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 20:31:35 EDT
From: FishofHappiness@aol.com
Subject: Remembering Petticoat Lane, Epilogue

	Hey, everyone. Here it is, the epilogue. I promised it would come.
It's not very slashy, but I like to think of it as empowering.  Thank you
to everyone who has written about this story. I hope you all enjoy this
final piece.

	I don't normally do this, but hell. Why not? Props to those of you
who have kept me sane the past few months. Cele, Em-ling, Justin, Kelly,
Colleen, Em (the other one!), Daralynn, Sammie, Sammy (the other one, too!),
Dayse, and just... everyone else. Thank you.

	Whoo! I know no one and nothing about anyone or anything. The title
of the Epilogue is from the Counting Crow's "Have you seen me lately?"

And, I promise this'll be the last thing I say before (or after) the story...

"Say goodnight, Gracie."

"Goodnight, Gracie."



Remembering Petticoat Lane
Epilogue: "Sometimes when I hear myself on the radio...
                                   Have you seen me lately?"

	There were five young men sitting on silver, metal stools in the
middle of a stage. Four of them were dressed in all white, and they shone
like innocents, like angels staring back at the audience. The fifth, who sat
in the middle for once, was garbed in black, stylishly baggy pants and a
silver turtleneck-style shirt. Further down the stage, at a podium, stood a
woman who didn't fit the normal definition of beautiful, but garbed in a
long black and silver dress, she exuded a sense of strength, of power.

	The audience was a different one then the five were used to
performing to. They were mostly celebrities and Hollywood bigwigs. There
were no "I want to Marry You" posters, there had been no wilds screaming
during and after their last two songs, just polite, if enthusiastic,
applause. The cameras present were broadcasting the performance on cable TV,
Lifetime to be exact about it. The cameras focused on the woman spoke with
confidence, and clarity. "Hello. I am Tori Amos, and welcome to the RAINN
Annual Benefit concert. I would like to thank every one of you for coming,
every viewer for watching, every sponsor for donating money, and every band
and singer for singing. In fact, thank you to our first musical guest, NSync
for opening the show up for us. We actually have a very special performance
by one member of NSync coming up next." A audience member, comedian by
default, screamed out Justin's name, to which the majority of the stadium
shared laughter. Justin reached up to pull a mike to his face, he was just
to the left of the figure in black, and his voice was warm but firm when he
spoke.

	"Nope. Sorry, it isn't me."

	Lance, the one dressed in all black, reached forward and took his
mike in hand. "Actually, it's going to be me, and I have a small intro
prepared... According to the Bureau of Statistics, 90% of all sexual crimes
are commited on the female gender, but these crimes affect males, too.
Studies have indicated that up to 1 in every 6 boys has been sexually abused
by age 16, and that that is probably less then one third of the actual
incidents that have occurred. I, myself, am a victim, and I am a survivor."
There was a small stint of applause then, and Lance smiled to the audience.
"Thank you. Tonight, with the permission and accompniament of Tori, I am
going to sing a cover of "Me and a Gun". Um... Some of the words have been
changed, partially because I don't think any of you would like to hear about
me wearing a slinky red thing," More laughter. "But Mainly in order to make
it.. well, more personal I guess." Lance half-smiled then, and he looked
nervous. He didn't often sing on his own, and this was probably going to be
the most emotional performance of his life. He also knew that by the time
this concert was over, every major newspaper and tabloid in the world was
going to have this story, but that was okay. He was ready. The lights on the
stage dimmed to a deep blue, and a spotlight highlighted Lance's figure on
the stool, and Tori at the piano. Tori had performed this piece A Capella at
some of her concerts, but Lance had opted to have a piano part. He thought
that maybe it would keep his voice from breaking over the words, but he
couldn't be sure. The soft, deceptively quiet melody started in the
background, and Lance's voice soon joined it.

o/` 5am friday morning, thursday night, far from sleep
I'm still up and driving, can't go home obviously
So I'll just change direction cause they'll soon know where I live
And I wanna live
Got a full tank and some chips

It was me and a gun and a man on my back
And I sang "holy holy" as he buttoned down his pants

You can laugh, It's kind of funny the things you think times like these
like I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this

Yes I wore a bright red shirt, does that mean I should spred
for you, your friends, your father, Mr. Ed

It was me and a gun and a man on my back
but I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this

And I know what this means, me and Stacy a few years back
Used to hang and she said "It's your choice kid, just remember
I don't think that you'll be back in 3 days time so you choose well"
Tell me what's right, Is it my right to be on my stomach of Fred's Seville

It was me and a gun and a man on my back
But I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this

And do you know Carolina where the biscuits are soft and sweet
These things go through you head when there's a man on your back
and you're pushed flat on your stomach, it's not a classic cadillac

Me and a gun and a man on my back
But I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this
I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this o/`

	The song ended, almost abruptly, and for a second in the stadium,
there was silence. But then, after a pregnant second, there was applause.