If you want, we can go to Portland in a few days, but this is a little closer to home and they have a nice mix of stores. There should be some good st...ff there." That sounds great. I slept through most of the plane ride yesterday, but I'd rather not spend hours in a car again." Me either," Evan grumbled from behind my left shoulder.I whirled in surprise, I hadn't heard him come up behind me. A small growl escaped before I tightened down and convinced the wolf Evan was no threat. He took a step. But this has to be quick." Fine. Leroy, you just go and make sure her husband takes off, then get back here with her."I quickly exited the room and got back into the living room before Maria and Leroy came in. She looked quickly around and spotted me. Leroy stayed where he was. She came over, a smile on her face, though it was a bit strained."So, did you like what you saw?" I asked."What?" She froze."That guy over there said AJ was giving you a tour of the house. Did you like it?" Oh, yeah,. Jackie, Katy, and Eduardo all left when the movie finished, and would return on Sunday to spend the day with us.On Sunday, as soon as the usual gang arrived, we started planning the Halloween Party that we’d host the following Sunday. We agreed on a costume party and that everyone should bring a snack and something to drink. None of us was twenty-one, so we’d use my alcohol, but anyone who wanted to drink would kick in a few bucks to help replenish the stock when I went home at Thanksgiving. In. Explaining to Mary just what they were going to do she smiled, "As if you could keep Jim away from the machines, from what he told me this is all he has of his family now," Jim looked at Amber and quickly shook his head no, the action not lost on the ever alert Mary, she let it pass for now.A week later the station was almost at full capacity, after Jim got the fifth reactor going things went a lot faster. Amber ran the empire from the station a few, very few of her personal guards were brought.