Emmett and Queenie, continued

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There was, in fact, an early Christmas party at the steakhouse the night before the Frankls departed for Australia. Not much need be said about it, except that:

-- Ghost finally did perform for an audience his version of bellydancing, taking Jessica's suggestion of adding a weapon to his routine. In fact, three weapons: knives, which at certain points he juggled. Not long afterward, Ghost found himself caught off guard under a sprig of mistletoe that Queenie had hung up...and was kissed by Jessica, which turned out to be the first kiss he had ever had in his entire difficult and dangerous life. Seeing the hardened fighter blushing caused even more friendly amusement than seeing him bellydancing.

-- Copperfox was there, and was shaken out of his pensive gloom by the unexpected appearance of "Loverble," the aspiring dancer who had been his partner for the dance exhibition which had opened the dancefloor to the customers. Not that their relationship was a romantic one, which their age difference made unlikely; but the old sailor enjoyed her friendship. The two of them danced quite a bit, and between dances the girl discussed with Copperfox various matters on which he could offer advice.

-- When Emmett and Queenie returned to the house after the party, there was little to be done, since they had already packed. Emmett shouted, "Mod-Cams, view at your own goldanged risk!" as he lowered the Murphy bed out of its alcove. Then he turned to Queenie with the look of mock anger which had become a regular feature of their amorous mock battles.

"See here, woman: I understand you've been tellin' folks we always agree on stuff. But you've left out an important detail: the fact that * I * agree with YOU even MORE than you agree with me! Such incomplete reportin' is an outrage!"

Queenie responded with a self-mocking parody of her former haughtiness. "The nerve of you to speak so, sir! I'll have you know that it is * I * who agree with YOU more than you agree with me!"

"Haw! I can out-agree you with both my hands behind YOUR back!"

"Humph! You want to fight? I warn you, I'll be surrendering to you so fast your head will spin, and your--"

Nothing more can be said to the delicate public of what ensued then, except to say that Queenie's hug-tackle of Emmett was countered by his getting on top of her and kissing her breath away. Things only grew more desperate and terrifying from there....
 
The Rabbit was able to appear on the Christmas party and Nessa had put a christmas hat on his head. The Hatter had decorated his head with some christmas decorations. It was a funny sight to see Ghost being so different. Trinity knew him for so long now but the sight of him blushing was the best part she'd ever seen of him. Jake kissed Trinity when she was standing under the mistletoe. Nessa put the Rabbit under it and kissed him on his hairy cheek. She did the same to the Hatter. And Eric waited till the Hatter was gone so he could kiss his wife dearly.

Jessica grabbed Ghosts hand and started to dance with him.

" No bellydancing and no bagpipes playing...just dance".

Copperfox was enjoying the talk with Loverble. She was a very smart, young girl who never felt afraid of hiding her emotions. And she and Copperfox enjoyed tapdancing. But Copperfox also helped her with the basics of some common ballroom dancings.

Eric and Nessa danced together while the Rabbit asked Carmela for a dance. The Veterinarian had fun dancing with the Rabbit.
 
The next day, Copperfox took the Frankls in his van up to Denver, where their flight to Australia would be taking off from the international airport. Letting them out at the dropoff point for the international-flights terminal, he wished them a merry Christmas. But a sour-faced woman just being picked up by a taxi heard them exchanging this wish, and loudly snapped, "That's hate speech!"

Copperfox suddenly recognized the abrasive woman as Cosmic Lugwrench, the womens'-studies professor he had exposed in her lies while he still had the powers of Grey Eagle. "I wonder what she's up to now?" he mused, even while he waved goodbye to his friends and pulled out into traffic.
 
Eric woke up when the Hatter came running in.

"Eric! Look! You are on the sports page of the newspaper!"

Eric grabbed the newspaper and saw a picture of himself kissing Nessa.

" What is former Hockeyplayer Lindros doing at the wedding of Emmett and Queenie? Is he going to be the coach of the youth in Horse-with-no-name ville?
And who is this mysterious woman he is kissing?"

Eric laughed. He showed Nessa the newspaper. Nessa laughed too.

" I'm used to these kinda stories. I never pay attention to them and I will not do it now. These reporters were clearly after Emmett and Queenie and must have found me instead. I was teaching the youngsters a bit and they must have assumed I was becoming the coach of a team. They don't know you are my wife".

The Rabbit and the Hatter went outside followed by Nessa and Eric. They were planning going to the mountains today.

Emmett and Queenie were going to Sidney. There was a lot to be seen and Queenie enjoyed it. Suddenly she turned to Emmett.

" Well darling, have you finally admitted I agree more with you than you with me?"

Emmett smiled. He knew all to well Queenie was after. He turned at her and laughed.

" Look Mrs Queenie Frankl, I'm not going to stop saying this unless you admit I agree so much more with you".
 
Flying first class, Emmett and Queenie had no third passenger there to cramp their style. They spent a great deal of their protracted flying time exchanging kisses and hugs, alternately long and short--which of course was really a furious argument over who agreed more with whom. ;) And, as Queenie's lawful husband in the sight of God and man, whenever the attendants weren't looking, Emmett's hands joined in the desperate battle in ways which were nothing but pleasing to Queenie...but which caused several remote Mod-Cam operators to spill their coffee and hastily redirect their cameras to watch a fluffy bunny hopping along a road.
 
The hockey couple and their wonderland compagnons walked into the forrest and were taking pictures of the snow and the forrest in general.
The sight was beautiful.

"Maybe we could try to reach the top over there. It's a relative small mountain so it shouldn't be that hard".

So they all went and walked over to the smallest mountain. There was a path which would lead them on a safe road.
 
Although deprived of his Grey Eagle superhero powers, Copperfox still had the surveillance and communication equipment Bat-Bat had given him; so he reported to the Winged Crusader his sighting of Cosmic Lugwrench, with his suspicion that she was going to be doing her obscene, God-hating, male-bashing "performance art" in the Denver area.
 
When they awoke, hand in hand, from a long in-flight nap, Queenie told Emmett, "I have a surprise for you." Pulling her carry-on bag from beneath the seat in front of her, she took out of it something she had ordered online with Trinity's assistance and without Emmett's knowledge: a traditional Australian hat with one side of the brim turned up. He scarcely had time to realize what it was, before she had plunked it onto his head.

"Why, sweetheart!" exclaimed Emmett. "Here I'd been figurin' to wait on buyin' YOU gifts till we were IN Australia; an' you go bushwhackin' me, jumpin' the gun like this. It's awful unfair of you to pull a trick like that, more so for havin' the nerve to give me such a PERFECT present! Y'all realize, I'm gonna have to take revenge for that by fightin' you extra hard for the whole rest of this vacation!"

His leaning over to kiss her was met by her arms already going as far around him as their seated position allowed. "I was counting on that, Emmett darling. Counting on an absolutely--" Serious making out prevented her from finishing her speech.
 
Bat-Bat's headquarters again became merry with the sound of yet another alarm triggered this time by a signal from one of his own transmitters. He zeroed in on the source and he saw that it originated from his most trusted friend and agent in the field, Copperfox.
Upon careful examination of the transmission and the real-time video taken with the same gadget, Bat-Bat saw the importance of keeping an eye on this public menace (not that the public cared if she was a menace or not).

Bat-Bat immediately reconfigured his eavesdropping devices and satellites to monitor Lugwrench's every move.
 
Cosmic Lugwrench started small, in the part of Colorado friendliest to her: the city of Boulder, known to some as the San Francisco of the Front Range. She headed for the same neo-hippie bookstore which had concealed the tunnel to Horse-With-No-Name-Ville (though Bat-Bat's seismic sensors found that the tunnel had been filled in since he and Grey Eagle had thwarted the chemical-weapon attack on the town). The store was going to have a Justice and Equality Winter Solstice party; and Ms. Lugwrench, being between semesters at her university, was to provide entertainment with her performance art.

Describing her act for the manager--the same hippie-alumna wommon who had admitted Grey Eagle to the tunnel in that superhero's farewell adventure--Ms. Lugwrench said, "In the course of a two-hour performance, I'll curse males 385 times for being male, religion 423 times for being religious, the armed forces 590 times for having weapons, and private enterprise 614 times for not being Marxist."

"Is that ALL?" the older wommon responded, sounding disappointed. "I was told you were a REAL progressive."

"I am," said Ms. Lugwrench in tones of wounded dignity. "I'm just moving to the center."
 
Emmett and Queenie finally arrived in Sydney. They checked in at their Hotel and were a bit tired. But it didn't stop them from continuing their hot discussion about who agreed more. And of course it ended -as usual- with shaking hands *cough*
The next day the couple got ready to go to the restaurant which was going to open. When Queenie arrived she saw many journalists and many people who all gathered to watch the opening. At first the former Sorcerer was afraid people still would hunting her and Emmett but to her relief she discovered everybody gathered to watch the opening of the restaurant. And as Queenie soon would discover, many people didn't seem to know her at all. They talked to her but nobody seemed to know who she was.

" Yeah, that's a pretty young lady yoiu got there Mrs Frankl".

But nobody asked questions. For Queenie it was a bit weird but she felt happy about it. She grabbed her husband's hand.

" Emmett, nobody seems to know me here. It's different than back home".

" That's because fame is short my young lass. People know ya but forget who you are. It looks like we can finally start a happy life without the press around us all the time. And when we go back people will have forgotten about us too".

This sounded like music to Queenie's ears. For long she wanted to be feared but since she changed into the woman she was now she didn't care about fortune and fame anymore.
 
The fact that Queenie's brief modelling career was being forgotten, did not mean that people meeting her in person were not utterly charmed with her. During their whole time in Australia, the only people encountering Queenie who _didn't_ instantly like her, were certain immigrants who chose to convince themselves that she was immoral because she was not buried inside a 300-kilogram burka.

After the successful opening of the new Gunslinger Steakhouse, its manager Miss Longwood told the Frankls about a live-stage theater in the area which was performing "A Christmas Carol." To this, Queenie said, "Thank you for telling us, but--only one carol? For Christmas, they should be singing ALL the carols they know."

"Excuse me while I kiss this gal," said Emmett to the manager. After he had done this for two minutes or so, he explained, while still holding his true love extra close:

"In this case, darlin', what Miss Longwood means is that there's a _book_ that's metaphorically _titled_ 'A Christmas Carol.' It was written by a Brit named Charles Dickens, who was more or less a contemporary of the 'Alice in Wonderland' author whose work caused the existence of the Wonderland you know. Anyway, the 'Christmas Carol' book's been turned into movies an' live-theater productions more times than Rosie O'Donnell's been obnoxious. And yep, I reckon as how y'all _ought_ to see that play..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Queenie brought to "A Christmas Carol" the same childlike freshness and enthusiasm, paradoxically mixed with deep intelligence, which Emmett loved so much in her. She cringed at the sight of Scrooge bullying Bob Cratchit, remembering how she had formerly bullied her own servants; but then she was cheered up by the unstoppable friendliness of Scrooge's nephew Fred. She gasped and clung to Emmett when Marley's ghost appeared; she understood that this was all make-believe, but she liked clinging to Emmett anyway, and he never discouraged this.

She wept unashamedly at the sad parts--especially the parts concerning Tiny Tim; then she wept _joyfully_ at Scrooge's redemption and the assurance that Tiny Tim "did NOT die."

That night at their hotel suite, Queenie told her husband, "_Now_ I understand why, back in Colorado at the party before we left, Jessica was kidding our Matrix friend Ghost about his being the Ghost of Christmas Present!" After sharing a laugh and several kisses over this, Emmett showed her the Bible story of Zacchaeus, who was redeemed somewhat like Scrooge, though with no need of ghosts.

After spending time in prayer, interceding for everyone they cared about, Queenie looked around the room and said, "If a Mod-Cam is viewing us now, you are warned: I am about to start _thanking_ my husband for the wonderful and enlightening experience I had tonight. This process will go on for a very long time, and will probably melt your lenses if you don't redirect your camera. You have ten seconds to comply," she finished, pointedly pulling off her sweater....

The Mod-Cam technicians hurriedly took their cameras off of the Frankls, to find and watch instead a fluffy kangaroo hopping along a bush-country road.
 
Several hours later, amid a steaming-hot darkness.....


QUEENIE: Emmett, are you awake?

EMMETT: Fmrrffglk--now I am. What's up, sweetheart?

QUEENIE: I was just wondering: did you ever do--what we do--with any other woman?

EMMETT: No, darlin', I didn't. I confess I wanted to, but the old West wasn't nearly so well supplied with unmarried womenfolk as them films make ya think. For one reason or another, by God's grace you received me brand new, still in the original packagin'.

(Pause. Emmett almost gets back to sleep.)

QUEENIE: Emmett...do you suppose all married couples enjoy their relationship as much as we do?

EMMETT: For a sad fact, beloved, I know that a passel of 'em don't ever come within a Sharps buffalo-gun shot of what we have. If they did, there wouldn't be nowhere near so much divorce an' cheatin'.

(Things other than talking OR sleeping go on for the next ten minutes or so.)

QUEENIE: Emmett, I love you, I love you more than I can say, and I used to make long speeches. I'll always, always love you. Will you always, always love me?

EMMETT: Well...actually, I must admit that I'll only love you at two times: when it's day, and when it's night.

(The peculiar, Mod-frightening noises begin again, and do not stop anytime soon.)
 
In addition to attending one church for Christmas Eve vigil and another church on Christmas morning, Emmett and Queenie spent some time discussing the content of the Christmas songs she had been learning.

Having studied with Emmett all the Bible passages about the first Christmas, Queenie wondered why there was a song "We Three KINGS," when Matthew's Gospel gives no cause to suppose that the wise men were kings. Emmett explained that casting the Magi as kings was a sort of wishful thinking, showing a wish to believe that earthly rulers would naturally take to Jesus without resistance. King Herod, in reality, was MORE typical of the response of earthly monarchs to the person and message of Jesus....
 
Back at the hotel Emmett was checking a phone book. Queenie of course was curious and looked over her husband's shoulder.

" What are you doing my love? Are you trying to find a good adress to dump me like a fishing company?"

Emmett was still reading. " Yes love, indeed I am.......NO! YOU SILLY WOMAN! YOU GOT ME THERE LASS!"

Emmett hugged his wife and kissed her. Queenie laughed loud and Emmett laid her down on the soft carpet while kissing her. Then he got up and checked the phone book again.

" Remember when I taught you how to catch a fish? And do you remember you told me you wanted to catch a really BIG FISH someday? Well....I'm goign to fullfill your wish my darling. I'm looking for an australian tourist trade company specialized in deep-sea fishing trips. These people know what they are doing. They are experts and can teach you all about fishing on deep-sea and they can help us to catch big'uns!"

Queenie was amazed. This was what she really wanted to do and now one of her dreams would come true.

" But I already catched a big fish...........one which will never be baked or cooked or even consumed. He is my special fish and nobody is going to take him away from me unless the Lord thinks it's time for him to return. But until that day he will be my most precious treasure in my life".

She kissed Emmett and started with his cheeks. Then she continued kissing him while she held her hand at the modcam.
 
A boat owner named Vic Flynn told them they were just barely in time for the last days of the marlin season; they would probably be his last marlin customers. Caught up in the excitement--which was NOT equal to the excitement they could generate between themselves, but was a different KIND of excitement--Emmett and Queenie hurried to put on what seemed the most suitable clothing for a warm-weather boat trip, and rode a taxi to Flynn's waterfront address.


TO BE CONTINUED
 
Back at the Horse-with-no-name Ville the hockeycouple and the Hatter and Rabbit where enjoying a long walk. They climbed a very small mountain because nobody was willing to climb higher in this cold and they didn't have the right equipment to climb higher mountains anyways. Suddenly there seemed to be a fog taking over but instead of a mean grey fog, it was white and kinda mystical. Two young people were coming their way to the four compagnons. A young girl and a young boy.

" Don't worry! We are not here to scare you. We are just here because we wondered about you".

The girl had big blue eyes and brown hair. She was slim and her face was a bit pale but this was more because of the cold. The boy had black hair and brown eyes. He was a bit taller than the girl and he was wearing a cap and a thick winter coat. He also wore a scarf around his neck. He too looked a bit pale because of the cold.

" Please don't worry! We are just two kids who are in no way meaning to do any harm to anybody. We saw you climbing this mountain and we were curious. You see.....we heard you entered Snowland".

The Rabbit stepped forward.

" Yes indeed. We entered Snowland a while ago. The Snow Queen left a trap behind and captured both Eric and his wife and Pippin. But Emmett and his brother rescued us".

The boy and girl looked at each other. The Hatter interrupted.

" Why do you want to know? Or HOW do you even know this?"

" I'm sorry....you see, my name is Kai and a couple of years ago the Snow Queen captured me too. But we heard rumors the Queen has changed".

Nessa looked up.

" Wait a minute!!! You must be Kai and Gerda! The Snow Queen captured Kai and Gerda crossed the whole country to find him back. He was having this splinter in his eye and this splinter made his heart cold as ice but Gerda healed him!"

Gerda and Kai clapped. They both smiled.

" Yeah! I'm glad you know the tale! But tell me....is it true the Snow Queen changed? And if it is, can we search for her?"

Eric laughed.

" Yes it is true. Queenie Lind is now happily married to Emmett Frankl and they are in Australia right now enjoying their honeymoon. I don't know where they are exactly but it shouldn't be too hard for you to figure it out".

The two children thanked the hockeycouple and their two wonderland friends and they disappeared
 
Ooc: This happens just before Emmett and Queenie are about to leave


Queenie was ready to go with her husband when suddenly she felt something. She looked around. Emmett was very busy with talking to her and laughing when he saw her face.

" What is it my lass? Is something bothering you?"

Queenie shook her head.

" No darling, not bothering but something is flying through my mind. It looks like there is something looking for me or should I say something?"

Queenie tried to get rid off this feeling and helped Emmett getting their things together. She didn't feel uneasy but she didn't feel relaxed either. Then after a while she forgot the feeling and went to the bathroom to get her hair done. She was just combing her hair when she saw a reflection in the mirror. She dropped her comb and her mouth felt wide open. In the mirror she saw a cloud and on it two kids. She didn't recognize the girl but she did recognize the boy.

" OMG! It's Kai! And the girl must be Gerda! I forgot about them!"

Emmett asked what was going on because Queenie's behavior didn't passed him by unnoticed.

" What is going on my lass? You look like you have seen a ghost!"

" Indeed I did Emmett...a ghost from my past. I forgot about the children!"

Queenie turned around and grabbed her husband's shirt.

" You see...a long time I once captured a young boy. You remember the mirror I told you about? This evil Hobgoblin made it and the boy got one splinter into his eye. The girl travelled through the whole country to find him and save him. Her sacrifice of love didn't go by unnoticed. The boy felt the love into this girl's heart and it made him cry. The splinter came out and they returned home. I forgot about them while they always left an impact".

Queenie turned to the mirror and looked into it. The two kids waved at her. They looked healthy and happy and in no way there was a mean look on their faces. Queenie waved back.

" We are happy to see you finally found love and turned into the person you should have become so much earlier. But everything happens on the right time. You will be blessed dear Queenie. And you thought you couldn't be much more happier? God has a lot of surprises waiting for you dear one".

Then the two kids faded and soon Queenie saw her husband's reflection in the mirror. He was standing behind her.

" Come on Emmett darling! I want to catch a fish......a big fish!!!"

She kissed Emmett

" Hey Lass! We should leave now!"

" We still have a little bit of time left darling"
 
Emmett grasped Queenie's meaning when referring to time. After the miraculous moment of Queenie receiving forgiveness from her former victims, it did not seem like a time for wild passion; but Emmett held and cuddled his bride for many tender minutes....
 
When they went out on Vic Flynn's deep-sea fishing boat, Queenie experienced for the first time the exhilaration of sweeping over the sun-warmed Pacific Ocean amid the roaring of waves and the cries of seagulls. On their way to the marlins' home waters, Flynn's men pointed out to them anything of interest that came into view, including the adorable sea turtles, just like the ones in "Finding Nemo."

Queenie, of course, was wearing an Arabic burka over a nun costume over a set of long overalls....and if you believe that, I have this bridge in Brooklyn that I'll sell you cheap.

Helped and instructed at each stage of the fishing, Queenie did in fact catch a marlin. Emmett didn't have marlin luck, but he did land two hefty sea bass which would make good eating when cooked over at the new Gunslinger Steakhouse back in Sidney.

Ocean birds were naturally attracted to the scene. But only when they were on their way landward in the late afternoon did one bird do something remarkable. It was an Albatross; it flew down very close to Emmett, and SPOKE--in the voice of Aslan:

"Emmett, My son, I will have a task for you and your bride to perform. Continue as you are for now; when the time comes, you will be told what you need to know."

Then the bird was gone; but the roar of the Lion was mingled with the roar of the ocean.
 
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