WAR:  Talking to the Dead
Partly - Perkulators
Thurs.  8/1 - 11 pm

Partly waited in the darkness outside Tracy's old apartment.  Robin and
Kristina were stationed across the block, and the rest of the Perks were
left back at the hotel, blissfully unaware of what was going on.  Partly
had decided to do this with as little fanfare as possible, just in case it
*wasn't* an attack in the war.  She checked her watch.  Ten after.  Maybe
no one will show.  She reached down into the large bag she carried and
scratched Willow's ears.  The kitten had made such a fuss, crying and
wailing, that Partly was forced to bring her along.  Since she had arrived
this morning, Willow hadn't let Partly out of her sight.  She now sat
purring contently in a soft, warm carryall. 

Partly waved to her backups, sitting in the car.  Five more minutes, she
flashed the signal they had arranged.  She saw Robin's reply and settled
down to wait more. 

"I wondered if you would come alone."  A voice came from behind her.  "How
many did you bring?" 

Partly whirled around and stared at the figure, cloaked in darkness, who
was standing behind her.  The voice certainly sounded like Tracy.  "Who
are you?"  She demanded.  Partly could make out blonde hair under a black
hat. 

The figure looked toward the car.  "I see two.  They seemed to be unsure
about what they should do." 

Partly turned back to the street.  Robin had gotten out of the car,
Kristina was following. 

"How about if you all come in for a drink?"  The figure turned, opened the
door to the apartment building, and went inside.  She paused, holding the
door open.  "Are you coming?" 

In the light from the hallway, Partly clearly saw the woman's face.  It
was Tracy.  She fought for control for a moment, then picked up her bag
and went inside, signalling for Robin and Kristina to follow.  Tracy -- or
the Tracy look-alike -- was all the way up the stairs before the two Perks
got there. 

"What's going on?"  Kristina asked. 

Partly shrugged "She certainly looks like Tracy.  We'll find out.  She
wants to have something to drink."  She pointed up the stairs. 

Tracy's apartment looked much the same as the last time Partly had been
there, but it was missing something.  It took her a moment, then she
placed it.  There were no pictures or mementos, no little homey touches. 
Just a hotel room-like atmosphere.  Partly watched as Tracy got out
glasses and ice.  Even the kitchen looked half-stocked.  Tracy looked up
from the refrigerator at the three nervous Perks.  "Is wine, OK?"  She was
holding wine glasses and a bottle.  "That's all I have right now." 

Partly nodded, and noticed the refrigerator was empty except for bottles. 
She looked at Tracy again.  "Who are you?" 

Tracy smiled.  "I'm Tracy Vetter."  She poured three glasses of wine and
handed them to the Perks. 

"Tracy's dead."  Partly said.  "She was killed in the line of duty."  It
sounded corny but it was all she could think of.  Kristina and Robin
seemed willing to let her do all the talking.  Willow suddenly stuck her
head out of the bag and meowed.  Before Partly could grab her she ran
across the countertop and rubbed against Tracy. 

Tracy, as if it were natural to have kittens come out of her guest's bags,
casually picked up Willow and began petting her.  "Look at me.  Do I look
dead to you?"  Partly had to admit she didn't.  And if she were an
imposter, she was doing a damn good job.  "But I'll prove it to you.  Ask
me a question.  Ask me anything." 

The Perks looked at each other.  Questions they had.  They had gotten
together and thought up about fifty question that only Tracy would know
the answer to.  Partly asked the first one, then Kristina, then Robin,
then back to Partly.  A half an hour later, Tracy hadn't missed one. 

"Satisfied?  Any more?"  Tracy asked. 

"No.  YES."  Partly fingered her glass.  "I mean, how did you survive? 
And why did you let everyone think you're dead?"  She stared accusingly at
her friend.  "I went to your *grave*." 

"I can't tell you how I survived."  Tracy shrugged.  "But by the time I
was able to tell anyone, I didn't know how.  Nick and Nat had disappeared
and I didn't know what to do."  Tracy paused and refilled their glasses. 
"I was just going to leave town, when I saw some of Nat's out of town
friends going in and out of her apartment.  I followed them trying to find
out what happened.  Then, I decided to send you some mail, hoping that you
would come up here." 

"You know where Nat is?"  Kristina asked. 

"Not right now," Tracy said.  She looked at Partly.  "You knew Nick was a
vampire.  And Vachon.  And Nat knew too, didn't she?"  Tracy didn't wait
for answer.  "You knew all of that and you didn't tell me." 

"It wasn't for me to tell, Trace."  Partly said.  "I told you what I
could." 

Tracy nodded.  "I was so sure you all played me for a fool.  I was just
going to walk out and start over." 

"So why are we here?"  Robin got right to the point. 

"Because I have to find out about Nat.  I couldn't walk away with all the
loose ends that are here." 

"What about your friends?  Do we count as one of the loose ends?" 

"You're here aren't you?"  Tracy said.  She looked at the almost empty
bottle in her hand.  "Do you want the last?" 

Partly shook her head.  "You haven't had any yet." 

"I didn't want any."  Tracy said.  "I don't drink wine." 

Partly stared at her again.  Tracy met her stare evenly.  Partly looked
away first.  She suddenly thought of something.  "Do you know about
Vachon?" 

A look of pain crossed Tracy's face.  "Vachon is dead." 

"No.  He's not.  He's back at the church."  Partly was beginning to think
that there had been quite a few revivals this war.  "He didn't die.  And
I've heard rumors that Nick is around somewhere, too."  Tracy didn't say
anything, and Partly continued.  "If you are Tracy, you can't expect us
not to tell people that your alive.  What about your family?" 

"If my family would cared about *me* rather than their image of me, they
would have known that it wasn't me in the casket, don't you think?" 
Partly didn't have an answer to that.  Tracy continued.  "Have you seen
Vachon?  Are you sure he's all right?" 

Kristina spoke up.  "It's true the Vaqueros brought him back.  Something
about having removed the stake.  It was enough to bring him back to
normal, but not enough to destroy him." 

"Did Nick know that could be done?"  Tracy's voice held an edge of anger. 

"I don't think Nick knew."  Partly hoped he didn't, at least.  "It was a
slim chance at best, and one that already got someone hurt."  She thought
about Diane in the hospital. 

Silence reigned for a minute, only Willow's purring filled the room.  "So,
what do you want us to do?" Partly asked. 

"I don't know."  Tracy suddenly looked tired.  "If Vachon is alive--"  She
ran a hand through her hair. 

"Look, Tracy."  It was Robin who spoke.  "You've got two choices:  leave
or let people know you're alive.  You can't hide forever, even in Toronto. 
I mean, how do you manage to live here?" 

"I'm not here very often.  And I told my neighbors and the landlord that
my death was faked as part of an undercover operation."  Tracy shrugged. 
"It wasn't hard." 

Silence followed again and Willow left her comfortable spot by Tracy and
climbed into Partly's carryall again.  Then Tracy spoke.  "I've got to
think about this.  I'll call you in a couple of days."  She walked to the
door, picking up her coat and hat.  The Perks reluctantly followed.  While
Tracy's back was turned, Partly grabbed the wine bottle and placed it in
the bag next to Willow. 

Tracy locked up after them, and they waited for her to lead them down the
steps.  At the outer door they all stopped, wanting to say something, but
not at all sure what. 

"Don't tell anyone about me yet."  Tracy finally said.

"How could we?"  Partly said.  "We're not even sure...."

"That I'm Tracy."  Tracy finished for her.

"How can we be?  You won't even tell  us what happened to you."

"I can't."

"Or won't."   Partly challenged.

Tracy sighed.  "The last time you were here, you asked me to accept you on
faith.  That you just couldn't explain asking you for that same faith now. 
I can't tell you.  Please don't ask." 

Partly thought back to the last war, back when she was the only Perk and
when she managed to drag Tracy through all the war without have to explain
things she just couldn't explain.  She wasn't sure if she could do the
same.  But she would try. 

She stuck out her hand.  "I'll ask you no questions." 

"And I'll tell you no lies."  Tracy shook her hand. 

Partly had an eerie sense of deja vu.  Tracy smiled.  "Thank you." 

Partly, Robin and Kristina started back to the car.  They had just the
street when Partly turned back.  Tracy was gone.  She grabbed Robin's arm. 
"Where did she go?" 

They did a quick search of the area but they couldn't find Tracy.  Finally
giving up they walked back to the car. 

"She must have dodged into the bushes or behind a building."  Kristina
said. 

"Perhaps she just ran around the corner," Robin suggested. 

"Or she could have flown."  Partly looked at both of them.  "I mean, we've
only seen her at night.  And she didn't have anything to eat or drink when
we were there.  Maybe she *was* brought across." 

"If it was really her."  Robin said. 

Partly took the bottle out of her bag.  "Well, I got fingerprints.  We'll
know soon enough." 

They climbed into the car and drove away.