Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 10:03:19 -0500
From: TJ <BiDadWriter@Yahoo.com>
Subject: Love For A Lifetime, Chapter 11

Disclaimers: The following is a work of fiction. Meaning, that, the people
and events are not real, and never happened, except in my mind.  All the
other usual stuff applies.  If you shouldn't be here, don't read it.  If
you don't like it, why are you here?  Comments appreciated, flames deleted.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Well, everyone, this part of the story is a little different.  Timmy has
been relating everything to you so far, but, this chapter is mine, more out
of necessity than anything else.

Steve and Marc were finally married, and, from what they told us later,
their honeymoon was everything both of them wanted.  They came to see us
the following weekend, and love was written all over their faces.  It was
great to see other people who loved their spouse the way Timmy and I loved
each other.

Life settled down for us after that.  Timmy started playing piano at the
hotel four nights per week.  I started my job, and our lives were pretty
full.  We helped out at the Gay Student Union whenever we could, but,
between classes, work, taking care of things around the house, and making
time for each other, our lives were pretty busy.

Spring semester ended, and the first summer session was getting ready to
start.  We had paid off the bills we needed to, thanks to our jobs, without
having to touch our savings.  Our anniversary was coming up, but we decided
to postpone an anniversary trip until fall break, mainly so that we could
save up a bunch of money and go to Disney in Florida.

We packed in as many classes as allowable, first and second sessions, and
worked as much as we could.  Unfortunately, we had almost no time for each
other.  Usually on Saturday mornings, we would sleep in, make love when we
got up, and then did only the minimum of housework that we could get by on,
and then got straight into homework.  The classes that we shared helped a
lot, since we could do the homework together.  If you remember correctly,
Timmy was an accounting major, and I was pre-law, but I had decided to go
into corporate law, so I was picking up all the accounting electives I
could get my hands on.

We only got together with Steve and Marc a few times, but they were both
doing well.  They were happier together than either of them had ever been,
and had bought a house together in Apex (near Raleigh, NC).  They had also
gotten a dog, a Labrador mix, that they both doted on!  Every time we
talked to them it was "Trixie this, and Trixie that."  I swear, they acted
like that dog was their baby!  It was cute, but sometimes, it got to be a
little much.  But, they were our friends, actually, our best friends, so we
paid it no mind.

Our first experience with death came that fall.  Timmy's granddad, on his
mother's side died unexpectedly one weekend.  He had not been feeling well
all week, and Timmy had gone to see them that Saturday morning.  I didn't
go because this was the granddad that had the most trouble with our
relationship.  He loved Timmy, and he tolerated me at family functions,
but, he was from the old school, and just never could work things out.
It's sad, because he was a really nice old man, and I just wish we could
have been friends.

He died that night, in his sleep of a massive heart attack.  Timmy was
devastated, and, I had to pretty much keep quite about my feelings.  I
mean, don't get me wrong, I was very sad that he had died, but I knew that
our life would be easier now, especially with Timmy's family.  It was a
rough couple of weeks.  His granddad had left his entire estate to his
grandma, which everyone expected.  Grandma let each of the grandkids have a
personal item of granddad's as a memento.  That was really nice.  Timmy got
his granddad's fishing hat.  He told me stories of him and his granddad
fishing when he was a little boy.  In fact, Timmy still has that hat, and
wears it every time he goes fishing.

We missed some school because of the funeral.  When you're taking 21 hours,
missing even one day is hard, but three...we almost didn't recover.
Between the missed classes, and dealing with granddad's death, we really
struggled that semester.  Up to that point we had both been pulling a 4.0.
After that semester, Timmy had a 3.85, and I had a 3.95.  Our grades were
still high, but, we had both hoped to graduate with perfect averages.  Oh,
well, we quickly learned that life sometimes throws you a monkey wrench.
Sometimes, they're big wrenches.

Timmy has told you all about our sex life, so there's no need in me telling
you how satisfying that part of our life has always been.  He's a much
better writer, and has the ability to say things better than me; he always
has.

We did make it to Disney for our 'anniversary', and we had a great time.
We were there for three days and two nights.  We drove down, stayed a night
in Savannah, spent the next day looking around there, then finished the
drive to Orlando that night (Sunday).  We spent Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday at Disney and Epcot, and then headed back north Wednesday night.
On the way back, we stopped in Charleston and spent a day walking through
the historic district, looking at all the houses, the museums, the shops.
We had a great time, but by Friday night, when we got home, we were beat!

Monday we started back into the grind again.  We finally finished that
semester, like I mentioned before.  We did a lot of relaxing at home over
the Christmas break, and only spent two days back home.  Steve and Marc
came over Christmas Eve, and we four went to a candlelight Christmas Eve
service, then came home for dinner and present exchange.  We offered for
them to spend the night, but, Marc told us that, as nice as that would be,
they really wanted to wake up Christmas morning in their own home.  We
understood.  We had sacrificed that our first year, but not this year.

Spring semester of 1984 was just like the fall of 1983, we were pressed.  I
guess, in retrospect, we could have taken it easier on ourselves, taken the
full four years to get our BA's, instead of pushing it into three.  Not
being able to spend the time on us, well, I'm getting ahead of myself.

We got through 1984 and 1985.  During the summer of 1984 we both realized
that we could not keep up the pace we were trying to put ourselves through.
We were constantly tired, we would get antsy and bicker.  Then we'd each
feel bad about the fight, apologize, and make up, but, we finally realized
that something had to go.  So, we both quit our jobs, and focused on
school.  That made Christmas REAL tight for us that year, but we managed.

Fred and Caroline got married in June of 1984.  We were both groomsmen.  It
was a beautiful wedding, and they made a beautiful couple.  Our
grandparents sent them to Cancun as well, and our folks bought them a small
condo in Raleigh, since they were both going to NC State.  We talked with
them a lot about trying to put four years of college into three years, and
told them that the best thing they could do for each other was to take the
full four years to graduate.  They followed our advice, and didn't have
near the problems that Timmy and I faced.

1985 and graduation finally arrived.  We had worked SO hard, and it paid
off.  We both graduated magna cum laude, with all of our family there to
see us.  It was a great day.  We celebrated with a trip to Gatlinburg TN
for the week following graduation.  We had earned the rest, and our folks
had paid for the trip for us.  We spent a lot of time getting reacquainted,
and falling in love all over again.  If we had not had that week, I doubt
our relationship would have lasted my first semester in law school.  As you
continue to read, remember, Timmy and I are still together, and have been
married for 18 years this June.

Timmy had done so well in school that he really had his pick of where to
work.  Several big name accounting firms had made him offers, and he took
one from a firm in Durham.  It was an old, established company, very
prestigious, and with lots of potential for Timmy's professional growth.
However, the first thing they had him doing was traveling to do onsite
audits.  That, in and of itself was no big deal, but he was also studying
to sit for the CPA exam that November.  He was always so busy, and I was in
my first semester of law school.  Talk about jumping out of the frying pan
into the fire where school is concerned!  I was reading my ass off!  And
law books do not have large type.  Before I got my degree, I had to get
glasses.  Timmy says they make me look distinguished, but I prefer the
contacts I wear now.  I just never liked the way my face looked with
glasses on.


Anyway, one of the classes I was taking required groups of four to team up
and do some paralegal work at the law library, researching a text book
case.  The four people on my team were Gary, Mike, Elizabeth and myself.
We were assigned as a group for the entire semester, which meant we had to
make sure that we could get along.  Elizabeth invited the three of us to
her place for dinner so that we all could get to know each other better.

Gary and Mike were already at Elizabeth's when I got there.  She had a very
nice dinner made for all of us, and we quickly became very comfortable with
each other, talking about our hopes, dreams, ambitions and whatnot.
Elizabeth finally brought up my wedding band.

"So, Jim, what does your wife do?"

"Well, Elizabeth, I don't have a wife.  My partner is a junior
accountant/auditor for,"
 and I told them the name of the firm he worked for.

"Partner?  You're wearing a wedding band. What do you mean partner?" Gary
asked.

"I'm gay.  My partners' name is Tim." I responded.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Do you guys have a problem with that? " I asked.  "Elizabeth, you're
obviously safe with me, but, Mike, Gary, I am completely in love with Tim.
I don't even look at other men.  You're as safe with me as your are with
your own father or brother."

"Nah, man," said Gary.  "My brother is gay, and he doesn't bother me.
Neither do you."

"Actually," Mike said, "you're the first openly gay man I've ever met.  I'm
not sure how to feel."

"I'm just Jim," I said.  "I'm an intelligent, funny, hard working law
student who happens to have committed himself for life to another guy.
That's all."

Elizabeth was very quiet during all of this.  "So you don't look at women
at all?" she asked.

"Not in a sexual way, " I responded.  "I notice the beauty a woman, or man,
has, both internal and external.  But only Timmy arouses me.  He's the only
person for me.  I have no interest in other people sexually.  But I'd
really like to be you guy's friend.  And, sometime soon, I'd like you all
to meet Tim."

They all agreed that would be nice, and the dinner party broke up fairly
soon after that.  I told Timmy about the conversation, and he was glad that
everyone seemed to be ok with us.

The four of us spent a lot of time with each other, and we did become very
good friends.  They were a great comfort to me when Timmy had to spend so
much time out of town.

The first weekend in October Timmy had me invite the three of them, and
dates, to our house for a cookout.  Gary and Mike each brought a date, but
Elizabeth came alone.  She said that she wasn't really dating anyone, but
that there was a guy that she liked a lot, but she didn't think that he was
aware that she liked him.  She also told all of us that she wanted to be
called Liz, not Elizabeth.  She wasn't that formal, and didn't want her
name to sound so formal.

The seven of us had a blast.  The girls that Gary and Mike were dating were
cool with Timmy and me.  They talked about how neat it was that as young as
we were that we knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives
together.  We pulled out our wedding picture album, and while we showed
them the pictures, we told them about the ceremony.

They were suitably impressed, not only with the ceremony, but that it was
what we had wanted, and that our families had helped.  I mean, in 1982,
being gay was a lot different than today.

The evening finally ended, and all of our guests had left.  Timmy and I
were cleaning up when he told me about his upcoming schedule.

"Babe, I'm going to have to be traveling quite a bit here soon," he said.

"I thought you had the CPA exams coming up," I responded.

"I do, and Mr. Martin (Timmy's boss) knows that, and he's giving me an
assignment that will be done a couple of weeks before the exam, which, this
year, is the week before Thanksgiving."

"How much traveling, babe?"

"Well, it's not so much how much, as how long."

"OK, what are you not telling me?"

"I leave Wednesday, and I get home Saturday the second of November," he
said quietly.

"That's like four whole weeks!" I said.

"I know, babe, but, there's nothing really that I can do.  I'm a staff
accountant, and if they need me to go onsite, I have to."

"Are you sure you can't get out of it?"

I don't know why, but that really set Timmy off.

"What?  You think I WANT to be gone for four weeks?" he almost shouted at
me. "Are you fucking crazy?  I hate being gone any length of time, and this
is really going to suck.  But I have to.  It's my job.  Something you
obviously have forgotten about."

I know he didn't mean to sound as condescending as he did when he said
that, and he immediately apologized.

"Oh, Jimmy, I'm so sorry.  That was unfair of me, and out of line.  I'm
sorry, babe."

I just sat there.  Where had that come from, I wondered.  Why had he gotten
so angry just because I didn't want him to be gone for so long.

"Are you tired of me, Timmy?"

"WHAT?" he said.  "What in the world gives you that idea?"

"I don't know.  Why did you get so mad at me?  All I wanted was for you to
be with me, and not be gone so long."

He came up to me, and put his arms around me.  He lifted my chin and looked
me right in the eye.  "I love you, Jimmy Lee Parson.  Don't ever doubt
that.  There's nothing you could do to make me stop loving you."

A tear dropped from my eye.  He reached up and brushed it away.  "Jim, I'm
sorry I got so mad.  Things at work are not as great as I had hoped, and,
I'm afraid part of it is because I don't fit their mold.  I'm gay, and I
think that Mr. Martin really has a problem with that.  There's that, and
just the stress of all the work I have to do, the upcoming CPA exams, and
just the thought of being away from you for four weeks.  I'm really sorry,
baby.  Will you forgive me?"

I looked at this man that I loved.  Of course I'd forgive him.  "I'd
forgive you of anything, Timmy.  I'm sorry that I provoked you."

"No, baby.  I'm the one at fault.  I was out of line, and I apologize."

Then he looked at me with a mischievous gleam in his eye and said, "So you
want to spank me for being bad?"

We headed to the bedroom for one of our most passionate love makings in our
lives.  But, even when it was over, and we were basking in the glow of our
love, I couldn't get that last comment out of my head "something you
obviously have forgotten about."  I kept coming back to that, wondering if
Timmy really did harbor negative feelings about having to support us.  My
trust fund money was almost completely gone, and I was probably going to
have to get loans to finish my law degree.  I just couldn't get that
nagging feeling out of my head.

We got up Sunday morning, went to church and came home.  Steve and Marc
were coming over for dinner, and we had a lot to do to get ready.  Two
dinner parties in one weekend was a lot for us!

All through the day, I brooded about that one comment.  I tried so hard to
just forget about it, knowing that Timmy had apologized, and all.  But it
just wouldn't go away.  Timmy even asked me about it that afternoon, but I
just brushed him off, and said I was preoccupied with something about the
project I was working on.

Steve and Marc finally got there, and we all had a really good time, but I
knew that Timmy could tell that something was bugging me.  I don't know
why, but I just couldn't get that thought out of my head.  "Maybe Timmy
resents the fact that he's having to support me."  I just couldn't let it
go.  I knew I needed to, but, it just wouldn't go away.

When Timmy asked me about it later, I told him I just had to work through
something, and for him to just drop it.

"But, Jim, I just want to help," he said.

"Dammit, Timmy, I said 'drop it'"!

He looked at me with hurt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Timmy.  Really, I am.  This is just something that I have to
deal with, ok?  Please trust me."

"You know I trust you, baby.  Why won't you let me help?"

"Because you can't, ok?  This is a Jim problem, and I'll be ok."

Timmy was still hurt by my yelling at him, but he reached for me to hug me.

"I love you, Jim."

"I love you, too, baby."

The next two days flew by, and suddenly, it was Tuesday night.  Timmy was
leaving for four weeks the following day.  We started packing Monday night,
and still had a lot to accomplish Tuesday night.  We talked a lot about not
getting to see each other, what my schedule was like, and what not.  He
promised to call from the hotel to give me his room number and what not.
We decided that I would call him every other night, because it was cheaper
for me to call him, than for him to pay the hotel long distance charges.

We got up Wednesday morning, and had breakfast together.  My first class
wasn't until 9, and so we took our time.  We made love slowly that morning,
enjoying each others company, needing each other like never before.  It was
and is one of the most tender times we have ever been together.  And yet,
for me, I was still trying to deal with my feelings about Timmy's comment.
It still bothered me as much that day as when he said it.

Our goodbye that morning was difficult.  I felt like a part of me was being
torn away.  I could see the tears in Timmy's eyes too.  Trying to lighten
the mood a little Timmy said, "Well, babe, just think, someday you'll get a
job being some big hot shot lawyer, and you'll be the one leaving me for
some trip."

I know he meant it to lighten the mood, but it just, to me, reinforced what
he had said the other day.  I masked how I really felt about what he said.
It had to be something wrong with me, I thought.

I kissed him, and told him I loved him, and to be safe.  I reminded him
that I had the project group meeting that night, and I wouldn't be home
until after 9.  He said he'd wait until around 9:30 or later to call me.
He hugged me one more time, kissed me on the cheek, told me he loved me and
got in the car and drove off.  Even though I was having a hard time with
his comments, I already missed him as he pulled out of the driveway.

I went to school, and then to the project meeting that night.  For some
reason, Liz seemed to be hovering around me, more than usual.  I didn't
really pay it much attention, but I did notice it.

Timmy called me that night, gave me the phone number and his room number.
We talked a while about his schedule, and mine.  Then it was time to hang
up.

I really missed him, and wanted him home so bad I could taste it.  He said
he felt the same way.  We had slept apart from each other for several of
his other trips, but those were always for less than a week. This was going
to be different.

We managed.  It was really hard the first several days.  I didn't sleep
well at all, and Timmy told me, on the nights that I called him, that he
didn't sleep well either.  His work was coming along slowly, and he was
afraid that it might take longer than the planned four weeks.  I told him I
hoped not, but he responded with, "Well, work is having to take precedence
right now.  Just wait.  You'll be low man on the totem pole soon enough,
you'll see!"

I know that he had no idea that comments like that were really bothering me
just then, but they were.  Even now, all these years later, I really don't
know why.  But, the comments really stuck with me.

Our project was coming along nicely, and time passed quickly.  Suddenly, it
was only five days before Timmy came home.  We were scheduled to present
our project that Wednesday, and, our group got the highest score!  We were
SO excited!

I had arranged with Timmy to call him that night, so he would know how it
went.  He was happy to hear that it went so well.  "See, babe! You just
proved to yourself you can do this!  Just think, if you keep this up,
making such high grades, like in your under grad work, you'll have your
choice of jobs when you get your license!"  Again, that barbed me for some
reason.  I just let it drop.

He told me there was a possibility that he might be able to get an earlier
flight, but he didn't know for sure.  If he could, he would try to call and
let me know.  I told him that Liz was having a special celebration dinner
at her place Friday evening.  He said he doubted he'd be able to get back
that early.  I told him I loved him, and would see him when he got home.

Thursday and Friday I really brooded over Timmy's comments.  By Friday
evening, I had really come to the point that I was just going to make
myself forget about it, and promised myself to talk to Timmy about it as
soon as he got home.  That settled, I got ready for Liz's party.

Again, Gary and Mike brought their girlfriends, but Liz and I were there
alone, so we teamed up.  We were having a good time, but they could all
tell that whatever had been bugging me was still there.

Liz had made a great dinner, and we had a bottle of red wine with the
dinner, and then beers afterwards.  Everyone was being careful not to drink
too much, because we all had to drive home.  That first beer tasted kind of
strange, but I chalked it up to being the first beer after dinner, and
didn't think anything else about it.

About nine, Gary and Mike and their girlfriends left.  I stayed behind to
help Liz straighten up.

"You sure have been out of sorts lately, Jim," she said.  "Is everything
ok?"

"Yeah.  Timmy and I had a fight right before he left, and , event though we
patched things up, and even though we've talked all while he was gone, I
just can't get this one thing he said out of my mind.  Compound it by him
making little remarks, innocent I'm sure, but, oh, never mind.  I've been
telling myself that I'm reading too much into it.  He loves me and I love
him, and it's all ok.

"Well, it sounds to me like Timmy needs to apologize to you," she said.
"Even if he doesn't know he hurt you so much, you really need to let him
know, and he needs to apologize."  She had reached over and hugged me
gently around the shoulders as she said this.

"I'm here for you Jimmy, you know that!"

"Yeah, Liz.  And thank."

"How about one more beer," she said.

"OK, but excuse me a minute.  I need to get rid of the last two!"  I said,
laughing.

I remember feeling a little light headed when I stood up, but I figured it
was just the fatigue and the excitement of the week, and Timmy's impending
arrival the following day.  I wondered to myself how early he would be able
to get home.

I went to the bathroom to take a leak.  What surprised me was how horny I
was feeling.  I knew that Timmy had been gone for four weeks, but, hey, I
had a right hand.  We had even jerked off talking on the phone to each
other almost every time we talked.  I really shouldn't be this horny, I
thought.  Oh, well, Timmy would be home tomorrow, and I knew that we'd take
care of each other!

"I'd better get my mind off of Timmy," I said out loud to myself, "or I
won't be able to contain this thing," as I shook the last drops off my
dick.

I went back to the living room as Liz called out to me, "It's kind of
stuffy in here.  I'll drop the heat back a little.  I usually keep it kind
of warm, since I sleep nude, but, I think I may have over done it tonight."

That comment made my dick throb.  I thought that was a bit unusual, and
figured I would need to leave soon.

"I hope you don't mind, but I had to get a little more comfortable," Liz
said as she walked into the room.

My jaw almost hit the floor.  She was wearing hot pants and a loose fitting
top, and the way her tits were jiggling, she had taken off her bra.
Normally, I wouldn't have even given what she was wearing (or NOT wearing)
a second thought, but, for the first time in my life, I was REALLY turned
on by a woman.

My mind was racing as fast as my pulse.  She looked so hot, but I love
Timmy, but I'm so horny, but Timmy is coming home tomorrow, my dick is so
hard, I can't do this to Timmy.  I couldn't even keep up with my thoughts.

"Jimmy, are you ok?" she asked as she sat down beside me. "You don't look
so good.  Is the heat getting to you?  Here, let me take off that sweater
of yours."  She leaned over, grabbed the bottom of my sweater, and started
pulling it over my head.

"Maybe you should lie down a minute," she said.

"I'd like to lie down and fuck your brains out," I thought to myself.  Now
where in the hell did THAT thought come from? I didn't say any of that out
loud.

"I don't think so.  Maybe I should just go," I said.

She leaned over, took my shoulders in my hands, and got real close to my
face and said, "I really think you should stay.  I really think you want to
stay."

My hormones were raging.  It was like I didn't have control of myself.  All
I could think of was how hard my dick was, and how badly I needed to get
off.

I tried again to get up, but when I leaned forward, l leaned right smack
into her mouth.

She pressed into my lips, and her tongue snaked its way into my mouth.  I
couldn't stop myself, and I kissed her back.  She kissed me hard and
fiercely.  She climbed onto my lap, straddling me, and tried to suck my
tongue out of my mouth.  Her kiss was so different from Timmy, even when he
was being demanding, but her kiss was driving me wild.  Unintentionally, I
realized I was grinding my dick into her crotch.

As soon as the kiss broke, I gasped for breath and said, "I really need to
go."

"This says otherwise," Liz said as she grabbed my hard dick.

As fast as lightning, she had my zipper down and my dick out, and then
without warning, she swallowed me whole.  I could only moan as my dick slid
down her throat.

"Oh, Liz...you've got to stop," I said.

She responded by sucking harder.  I grabbed at her head to try and pull her
off, but, before I could pull her off, she deep throated me, almost causing
me to blow my wad.  I could feel my nuts tightening up, and I knew an
explosion was near.

She kept sucking, and licking, and deep throating my dick.  I was moaning
like crazy.  I knew I had to stop her, but I couldn't.  Then, without
warning, I exploded.  She swallowed it all down.  I looked down, and she
had removed her hot pants, and as soon as I finished cumming, she jumped
up, and impaled herself on my dick like she somehow knew that it wouldn't
go soft. She started pumping my dick in and out of her slit like she was
born to fuck me.

"Oh, Jimmy, I've wanted this since the first day I met you!"

"But I don't," I said.

"You can't tell me this doesn't feel good," she said, still bouncing on my
surprisingly still hard dick.

"Yeah, Liz, it feels good, but this is wrong."

She shut me up by kissing me again.  I could taste my cum in her mouth.
That turned me on like I don't know what.  In a matter of seconds, I was
pumping a load of cum up her twat.  I felt her shudder, and she moaned into
my mouth as I climaxed.

As we both came down from the high, I pushed her off of me.

"I can't believe I just did that," I said.

"You know you wanted it," she replied, with a catty little smile.  "You
were hard when I came back in the living room."

"I had been thinking about Timmy...Timmy...oh my god!  What am I going to
tell Timmy?"

I zipped up my pants, grabbed my sweater and headed for the door.

"Liz, you knew I loved Timmy.  Why did you do this?"

"Because I want you," she said.  "You're the guy that I want to be with."

"That will never happen Liz.  Never!"

I ran to my car, and drove home.  The closer I got the more upset I got.
When I finally got home, I turned into the driveway, and there was Timmy's
car.  He had come home tonight.  I burst into tears in the driveway.  I
knew it was late, but I knew that he would have waited up for me.  I
couldn't face him right now.  I just couldn't.

Suddenly, the front door opened up, and Timmy came out of the house.  He
came over to my side of the car and opened up the door.

"Hey, baby.  You must not have missed me as much....Are you crying?"

I cried harder.  He pulled me out of the car and hugged me.  I couldn't hug
him back, and I cried harder.

"Jimmy, what's the matter babe?  Why are you crying?  Why do you smell like
Liz?"

I cried even harder.

"Jimmy, you're scaring me.  What's the matter?  What happened?"

"Oh, Timmy," I cried.  I looked into his eyes, those eyes that I loved.  I
knew what was getting ready to happen, or at least I thought so.

"Timmy, I don't know or understand how this happened, but I just had sex
with Liz."  I was sobbing so hard.  I was actually heaving.

"You Bastard!" was the last thing I heard as I felt his fist connect with
my jaw, then blackness.

____________________________________________________________________________

Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I got several comments from folks that the
story was getting lame.  Hope this is exciting enough for everyone.  Be
sure you read carefully.  I've already told you how the story ends...but
most of the fun is how do we get there?

TJ