fandomhigh | Fandom High Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2008, Saturday Afternoon (Part II)

After the last diploma had been handed out, the graduates were sent back to their seats, and Principal Washburn returned to the podium, to give her final speech and end the ceremony.

It was then that the rumbling started.

Odds were, if you asked the average citizen of Fandom to describe the town, they would tell you about the school, and the shops, and the beach and preserve, and all the areas of the island that existed above ground. But what they wouldn't describe was the island's biggest secret - beneath the ground, hidden from all of the town's inhabitants, was a city of ancient machines, designed to keep Fandom connected to every dimension it has ever touched, allowing people to continue to come from all over to live and grow on the island.

Although the existence of the underground city has always been hidden from Fandom's citizens - a safety measure, to ensure that none of Fandom's more power-hungry students or teachers try to use the machines for harmful purposes - it has not been a secret to everyone. During the night, fae and faeries of all sizes and power had come to make their way underground, and seize control of Fandom's machines, determined to have the unparalleled dimensional access for themselves. Although they were followed, the Wild Hunt had never caught its prey, and while the people of the town were occupied with graduation, the faeries struck, beginning to activate the machines.

But what the faeries didn't realize was that not all of the machines controlled access to dimensions. One machine in particular, one of the first to be activated, controlled the access to the city from above ground. As the machine chugged along, a section of the island lowered a few feet underground, allowing access to the city, the machines, and the faeries.

Of course, it just so happened that this section of land was where the platforms had been laid before graduation, and where the graduates had all been seated. As the platforms sank, a clear bubble covered the area where they'd been, allowing the audience to watch, but preventing them from being able to interfere or help. It was up to the graduates to defend themselves, and get rid of the fae.

[~~Wait for the OCD, please!~~ OCD is up! Have fun!]

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"God, yes. Her directing, Sam Carter going through backstage tech support hell. They'd both get a kick out of this." Parker grinned and added, "And hey, tell her congrats when you see her, on the wedding thing. Long time coming, and all."

"I'll pass that on," Angela promised. "I can't believe we're a year out and coming up on two married couples from -- were there even 20 people in our class?"

"Twenty two? I think?" Parker frowned, counting in her head ~~and checking the FH directory~~, then nodded. "Twenty-one, without Hamlet, now. God, life changes so fast. I can't *imagine* doing that any time soon." She paused, thinking about Veronica's news, and added, "Or anything like it."

"You know off the top of your head?" Angela said, impressed but somehow not surprised.

Also reminded again of Hamlet.

She eyed Parker carefully. "And what do you mean, 'anything like it'?"

Parker rubbed the bridge of her nose, and then carefully said, "Oh, you know. Handfasting or taking priest's vows or pregnancy or joining the Foreign Legion. Or something. Something that takes that much commitment. I mean, I admire Aeryn and John and Rory for doing this--" And she guessed she admired Veronica, but wow. Wow. "But I am so not ready for that."

Oh.

"Sometimes it just happens no matter what you think you're ready for," Angela said, then quickly backtracked. "Like, Rory and Anakin are getting married because her grandparents are insane and they want to get it over with."

"I guess?" She paused, considering that. "Yeah, I guess. If the alternative is being without him, or having to deal with more familial insanity... I can see that." Although getting married would probably precipitate World War III in Parker's family circle. "You just deal when you have to. And hey, presents, and a honeymoon. There are up sides." She cocked her head. "You think you and Marty will get married, after college?"

"And they've had enough drama already for about 15 lifetimes," Angela said, blinking at the question. "I don't know. It feels like we already are, in a way? But I don't want us to do it in a hurry and regret it. I mean, you aren't supposed to marry your second boyfriend ever, that's just weird."

"he did ask, though," she added softly. "I said not yet."

"Awwwwwwww!" Parker's eyes widened, and she looked around. "Who said that? Wasn't me."

She grinned, a little abashed, and added, "But that's so great that he did ask. Even if you don't feel ready for it yet. And..." She thought of Jarod, and all the guys after him, and how no one quite measured up. "I get exactly what you mean, I think. It's not supposed to be easy. Like you said, look at Rory and Anakin, and all they went through. Or John and Aeryn. Way more typical in our experience."

Angela's eyes danced. "Of course not, Maureen. You're all tough and hardcore and would not say 'awwww.' But it was sweet of him, even if he only asked because ..."

Her voice trailed off there.

"I am!" Parker insisted. "There is no fluffy here! And why--" She paused, looking worried. No, concerned. Yup, still hardcore. "If it's not a secret, why did he ask?"

Angela's shoes were suddenly very interesting. "Is there a word for 'it's not a secret but I don't want to talk about it yet'?" she queried. "Um. Anyhow. I'm having a baby around Halloween."

Parker's jaw-drop was only infinitesimal; the eye-widening didn't go past whoa into meep! Maybe that was the benefit of already hearing this kind of news from Bel. "Um. If there is a word for it, I'm assuming it's in a language I don't know. Soooo...." That's great? Congratulations? Holy cow? Omigod? "Whoa. That's amazing."

Yeah. That covered it. Good and weird alike.

"I wasn't happy at first," Angela confided. "But now? Yeah. Amazing."

Her face took on an urgent quality. "But seriously, Parker, I want people to hear it from me and I've only told, like, three people. Keep it quiet?"

Parker relaxed into a smile at Angela's agreement, then nodded vehemently. "They won't hear it from me. This is completely and totally your news to share." A slow smile started, and she grinned. "Wow. You, a mom. Around Halloween? Ooooo. I so have to get the baby a pumpkin outfit."

"Thank you," Angela said, very serious. "Not like I don't trust you, just ... yeah. It's private." Which, it occurred to her, was a reasonable simulation of the nonexistent word she'd been looking for earlier.

She grinned. "We have to dress him or her up, if it's here in time. Maybe even if it isn't here in time, just for the fun of it."

"No, I get it. Seriously. Rumors," she glared over at Bel, "get started in the worst ways, if you don't talk to someone directly." Which was good motivation to find Veronica, as soon as possible. "And besides, how can you miss out on the looks on everyone's faces when you tell them? Heh."

Parker snickered and said, "So, put a big jack-o-lantern face on your stomach, and maybe give it a bow, for Halloween? The Great Pumpkin has arrived?"

Angela made a face. "I so hope I don't have to get that fat."

She would.

Fandom High Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2008, Saturday Afternoon (Part II)

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