Classification: TRHA

Rating: PG

Summary: Happy New Year, folks. Sorry about the dead cat.

Spoilers: None.

Disclaimer: Property of 1013 Productions and Fox Television, but only because we're patient people.
 

"For now we shall make our life again, and it will be a better one. I was lucky. That I cannot deny."

Euripides, "Alcestis," Translation by Richmond Lattimore. Copyright 1955. Used without permission.
 

Besorah
 

December 31, 1999

"Fuck! We're running out of beer!" Michael shouted as he scanned the beer shelf in the fridge. Apparently he'd been sent to play houseboy by the rest of the office inhabitants, and he was not happy about it. "There's only 3 left in here, and there's four of us!"

"Don't blame us. We're doing tequila," I told him. "And there is more beer, downstairs. I'm surprised you haven't found it."

"Right. Like I'd really drink it warm. Not!" He stomped off in irritation to locate the beer stash.

"You could put it on ice," I offered helpfully.

He returned to the kitchen with a case of Corona. "Where's the cooler?"

"Probably in the office. Or in your room," I giggled.

He scrounged in the freezer. "Where'd all the fucking ice go?!"

"I think we might have been responsible for that part," Juliet informed him.

"So go get some more," I smiled at him.

"Where're the keys?"

"Beats the fuck out of me. Ask Langly."

He gave a loud groan of extreme long suffering and returned to the offices, three beers in tow. "I know who's not gonna get one this round! Me!"

Momentarily he was back, and looking more displeased than ever. "Langly says he's outta cash. Says to get it from you."

"That's nice, but he took the last of my cash, which apparently he doesn't remember," I dryly remarked.

"Here." Juliet fumbled for her purse and managed to dig out two twenties. "Lots of ice, Michael. And another bottle of 1800."

"Woo-hoo! Woman is treating us nice!" Anne saluted her.

"Hey, I treat myself nice. You're lucky I'm willing to share." We burst out laughing again for no good reason, other than that we were totally drunk.

Michael gave us a what-the-fuck-am-I-doing-here-and-I'm-getting-out-before-I-get-hurt look. He swore a few times and turned on his heel.

"Hey Michael!" I shouted to him before he could escape.

"What?!" He was clearly irritated at his nomination for errand boy, and delaying him was not improving his disposition.

"Who's your dad going out with tonight?"

"Some lady who's been cooking for him last few days."

"What's her name?"

"I dunno! I think it's Jo or something like that." He vanished at this point, not willing to become embroiled in any further conversation with us.

My face must have hit the ground. "Oh. My. God."

"What?" Juliet asked impatiently.

"I don't believe this!"

"Ally, you're supposed to share the good stuff!" Anne chided.

"I think-Frohike-is having dinner with my BOSS! Oh my God!" I shrieked.

"Your boss?" Juliet blinked. "Like is this so unbelievable? Is she an ogre or something?"

"Joanna? No, she's not an ogre, but...this is just so weird."

"No weirder than anything that's happened to any of us," Juliet assessed accurately.

"Yes, but she's my BOSS! And she's so...so..."

"Normal?" Anne offered.

"Yeah, in a way. But not in another...he's having dinner with her?!"

"Hey, how do you know it's her, anyway?" Juliet demanded, sensible skeptic that she was.

"You know why? Because her best friend was Frohike's nurse in telemetry when he was in the hospital. And she sent me an e-mail asking if he was single. That's why."

"Well, don't assume anything," Juliet warned.

"Isn't that little fuckhead back yet?" Langly howled as he entered.

"We just sent him a few minutes ago," Anne pointed out.

"Any more maggies?" He was examining the much-reduced contents of the pitcher. "Guess that answers my question." He set the pitcher back on the counter.

"Hey, Langly, guess what? I think Frohike's having dinner with Joanna!" I was giggling wildly.

"So? Like a guy can't ask a lady to dinner? Jesus, Ally, slow down on the maggies, would ya? You're beyond wasted." He rolled his eyes at me.

"Don't tell me you're planning to stay sober tonight," I laughed at him.

"I'm not. But I didn't start at lunchtime, either!" He turned to go in the living room. "I mean it, girl. Ease off. At least for a while."

"Actually, I'd probably better slow down myself. I've gotta get dinner working here, and I don't think people want the crème brulee poured over the tenderloin," Anne giggled.

"Want some help?" Juliet offered.

"No, when I cook, the kitchen is my kingdom," Anne told her.

"I feel the same way, so I'll just get out of your way, then," I told Anne. "Julie?"

"I'll head out and see what John's doing." She giggled herself. "I know what I'd like him to do, of course..."
 

I flung myself on the sofa next to Langly, who was watching CNN with great concentration.

"You're drunk, Ally," he commented absently.

"Give that boy a point for astute observation!" I was still laughing.

"Wouldn't take a genius to see it." He continued to stare at the screen, which to me was looking pretty fuzzy. He wasn't smiling.

"Why are you so pissed off at me?" I couldn't stop giggling in spite of myself.

"I'm not. I just think you should slow down for a while, okay? I mean, you're way beyond ripped." Implication: you're acting like an idiot. "I mean, unless the goal here is to pass out and puke on everything."

"Hey, I'm just having fun, celebrating a holiday."

"Yeah, well, the President's about to resign, so you might wanna listen up."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Gonna happen. Soon. Tonight. News conference at 7."

"I thought he was holding in his popularity ratings. It's just the Washington drones who want him out."

"Nope. Looks like they could make the rape charge stick. I think he's gonna get out before that becomes public knowledge."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

I could hear Michael and Jason coming in the kitchen, and it appeared that Michael had restocked us well.

"Okay, hope everyone's happy now!" Michael sneered. "Where's what's her name? I've got her change."

"She was out in the office with Byers, maybe they're still out there," Jason offered.

"Just her and John?" I asked my little brother.

"Uh-huh. Said they'd be in soon."

I grinned wickedly at Langly. "Think we should go pound on the door?"

Langly glared at me. "You are so tacky, Ally. If we're gonna barge in on 'em, we'll use the keys."
 

All of us were seated in the living room, including Anne, John and Juliet. I don't think anyone needed to ask what had transpired while John and Juliet were alone in the office, seeing as both of them were positively radiant when they walked back inside. Actually, bounced would have probably been a better choice of words; who would have believed that John Fitzgerald Byers could bounce? It was fun to watch. I burst out giggling again. Langly had a look on his face like, somebody do something about this woman.

"Mom! Can Shelby and me make virgin ritas?" Miranda called from the doorway.

"Yeah, and give one to your mom!" Langly shouted back. I glared at him and he smiled and put his arm around me.

"I'll take a virgin! Or not!" Juliet shouted to the girls, but she grinned at Byers. Byers turned crimson.

"C'mon, SHUT UP! It's starting!" Langly was not in a patient state of mind. All eyes in the room turned to glare at him. He shrugged and said, "Hey, I just wanna hear it, that's all."

"So put the closed captioning on. Or have Ally sign it for you," Jason suggested. He hadn't reached inebriation yet, but he was ardently working on it.

"Ally can't sign with her hands like that," Anne pointed out to him.

"Yeah, and I'd have no idea what she's saying, anyway," he added.

Langly apparently felt that it could be fun to play around with the closed captioning, and he finally did bring it up. So now we had audio and visuals.

"At least you don't have to buy decoders anymore," Byers mentioned.

"Hey, I could've done this without one," Langly boasted. "Hey, here he comes!" We waited for the president to begin speaking.

His speech was short-I think it was less than five minutes. And sad. And succinct.

He resigned.
 

We were all silent for a moment.

"Fuck me," muttered Langly.

Byers shook his head. "They've won." A worried scowl creased his brow. Juliet wrapped her arm over his shoulder.

"Who won?" Miranda turned to him.

"Whoever has a new regime in mind," he said softly to no one in particular.

I was sipping the virgin rita that Miranda had prepared; in spite of the lack of liquor, it was surprisingly tasty. "Guys, I hate to be a skeptic here, but maybe he just felt, if in fact this rape charge was true, and they could make it stick, maybe he knew he'd be impeached for certain, and he's just getting out while the getting's good."

"But that begs the question why," Byers indicated.

"No, I don't think so. He's charged with a crime, he's certain to be ousted."

"He hasn't been charged with a crime yet," Byers argued.

"He stays in office, he will be. They'd get him one way or another. Bet on it," Michael put his part in.

"Hey, for once we agree on something," Langly marvelled. "I think it's worse than that, though."

"In what way?" I think Anne stayed out of my younger brother's work, and she was not terribly political to begin with.

"Well, there's always been governments within governments. Shadow governments. The real power." Byers lapsed into professor mode. It looked good on him, though.

"Who's got the real power, then?" Juliet demanded.

"That's the question, isn't it? I think there are our old friends, of course, but I think there are even deeper circles there. I think they're on the political right, but I don't think the public personae are who're really doing the dirty work," Langly theorized.

"I think they did it just to make sure the Republicans win the next election," Juliet added to the discussion.

"Well, duh!" Langly rolled his eyes. I smacked him. He looked contrite, for a change. "No, I mean, you're right. Sorry." Then he glared at me.

"God, a whole year of paid political advertising. I can't wait," I stated sarcastically. "I just love election years."

"Any ideas on who they'll nominate?" Jason spoke up.

"Quayle," stated Michael firmly.

"I don't think an election with Quayle as their candidate is winnable," I argued.

"Don't bet on it," Michael was holding his ground. "I think he plays like this ditzy blonde 'cause he can use it to his advantage. He's dangerous. And my dad says so, too."

"He's only dangerous because of the people around him. Leave him on his own, and he's basically an idiot," Langly countered.

"Now take his wife. That bitch is scary," Michael was getting more animated.

"Well, she's smarter than he is, anyway," Langly concurred. "But let's face it, all women are scary."

"Hey, them's fightin' words," Juliet warned him.

"It's true," Jason maintained. "The most frightening force in the universe." Anne gave him a Look, but Langly high-fived him.

"My man!" Langly cheered him. "Byers, whaddya think? Women are scary?"

Byers began to squirm uncomfortably. "They are...extremely formidable, to be certain." This was said while Juliet never took her gaze off him.

"Hey, if it weren't for women, you guys wouldn't be here," Miranda claimed tartly.

"Yeah, who'd give birth?" Shelby interjected.

"Okay, who'd be responsible for insemination? It's a ridiculous argument," Byers, when nervous, could retreat into his teacher persona.

"You could conceivably have just a few sperm samples-" Anne began.

"Speaking of sperm samples, did you turn up anything that indicated deposition of semen or other stuff in checking this presidential saga out?" I turned my attention on Langly.

"Don't have a lot of particulars. Be interesting if they ever did a rape kit even."

"Just because there isn't anything formal doesn't mean it wasn't rape," Juliet indicated.

"True, but it's harder to hold up in court," Langly reminded her.

"I don't think he raped anybody," pronounced Michael. "I think he had sex with everything that walks and wears a skirt, but I think he did it with some girl and she changed her mind."

"I'd have to disagree," Juliet pointed out to him. "Rape is not something a rational woman accuses lightly."

"Ah, there's the mistake in your argument. You're assuming the woman is rational," Langly loved scoring points.

"Most women are," Juliet stated.

"That's because we have to be," I backed up her statement. "Imagine if we were just like you guys."

"Now that's a scary thought," Langly, Jason and Byers all grinned at one another.

Anne had disappeared into the kitchen after her last comment, and she appeared again in the doorway.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she said in a mock English accent, "dinner is served." She looked down at her jeans and sweater. "You don't mind I'm not wearing my tux, do you?"

"Annie, anyone that cooks like you can serve in your bikini if you like," I assured her.

"We wish you would, actually," Langly kidded her. I raised my cast up and he drew back.
 

Anne cooked her "simple" dinner to perfection, and we spent a long time at the table eating, drinking, arguing, and then eating, drinking and arguing some more. We'd had more people at Hanukkah, but I would have given the noise level equal run for its money tonight. Even the girls got heavily into the fray instead of eating and running for the dungeon. We rewarded
them by assigning them-and Michael-cleanup chores. Our prize was greeted by a loud, collective moan.

"They are SO ungrateful," Langly announced, watching them collect plates, silver, glassware and serving dishes as he leaned back in his chair, sipping a beer.

"I'll help them, I made the mess," Anne got up from her chair.

"Sit down, Annie. Let them do it," I told her, pushing her back in her seat.

"Fine. Be that way. I'll have another drink, then." She grabbed a beer from the cooler, the tequila long having become an historical relic.

"John." Juliet spoke softly to him as she laid her hand on his arm. She leaned over and whispered something to him, and he nodded in the affirmative. I don't know what the topic of the conversation was, but she had a smile on her face. He, too, grabbed another beer from the cooler. While he wasn't anywhere near Juliet's level of inebriation, he was well on his way to a better place. You could tell because, even if there had been no other indications, he tended to get red when he drank. His cheeks would pink up sharply.

"SHIT!" I heard a loud scream from the kitchen, in the form of Michael's voice. I jumped.

"Michael, what's going on?" I asked him as he came racing in the dining room.

"Al'son, it's Mu," he whispered. "I think she's dead." He looked like he was going to cry.

"Where?" I asked gently, taking his arm.

"On the floor in the pantry."

"Did the girls see her?"

"No, not yet, they're loading the dishwasher."

"Langly, c'mere." I motioned to him with my cast.

The three of us tiptoed out to the pantry. Lying utterly still, as if in sleep, was Mu. Michael was right. Mu had left us. I burst into tears, and I saw Michael wipe his eyes. Langly wrapped his long, sturdy arms around me.

"I'm sorry, Ally," he murmured. "Want me to tell Miranda?"

"No, I'll tell her. Fuck!" I sobbed harder. Mu had been my first cat with Eric. She was nineteen years old now, and she'd been ill in recent history. But to have her go like that...actually, it made sense. When animals know they're going to die, they look for a safe, quiet place. And Mu had found hers in the pantry.

"Mommy, what's-oh, no!" Miranda started to cry. Michael surprised me by going over to her and slipping an arm over her shoulder, and she surprised me by not telling him to fuck off. Shelby joined in the fracas, too, and came over by Langly and me.

I stroked my now deceased cat's fur gently. Rigor had set in. We were going to have to move her before she got rank.

"I'll wrap her up. We'll bury her tomorrow. It's cold enough out that she'll be okay," Langly said softly to me. I leaned against him, not quite willing to let him go yet. He acquiesced. "C'mon, let's you and me go outside for a few minutes." He went to grab our jackets.
 

We stood out in the cold moonlight. He was snuggling me close and I was leaning into him, still sobbing. The pain was visceral. One more loss. One more connection to my old life cut. He just held me for a few minutes, not saying anything.

When I'd calmed some, he ran his hand under my chin and touched my cheek. "Ally?"

"Uh-huh." My voice was chunky with tears.

"How does it go?"

"How does what go?"

"The prayer you say when somebody dies."

"Kaddish." I began to recite, and he recited with me. I felt myself calming down as I chanted the ancient Hebrew and listened to him make shockingly few mistakes in inflection and pronunciation.

We stood quietly after that. I stood on tiptoes to kiss him, and even in near-zero degree weather, he still had the warmest, softest lips I'd ever felt. (How does he do that?)

"Y'know," I told him. "Most kids don't sound that good after years of Hebrew school."

"That's my secret," he smiled. "I never went."

I hugged him as hard as I could with my disabled arm getting in the way. "God, I love you so much."

"Me, too. I mean, you," he laughed softly. He smoothed my hair. "Tell you what. Think you can get maybe back into the spirit of the ages? Just for tonight? We'll have a proper Jewish funeral tomorrow and all, but tonight, I'd like to celebrate, 'cause there's a lot to celebrate."

"Even with the political scene a mess and a dead cat?" I asked, half-laughing and half-crying.

"Especially with those. You gotta celebrate the good stuff."

"Well, we've got plenty of that, don't we?"

"Oh, yeah. Now c'mon. We've got company."
 

It took a while to calm the girls, but with some help from Michael, they were able to return to the guests, and after about an hour, they'd gone from subdued to normal (ear-shattering) volume again.

We received condolences from Byers, Juliet, Jason and Anne, and after toasting Mu, we returned to the spirit of the evening as it should be. I'd have to deal with grieving tomorrow, but tonight, it was a new year and a new millenium. This year would be the start of so many new things.

"I need a drink," I said to Langly as I reached for a beer.

"One. Until midnight. You'll be okay," Langly instructed. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine," I assured him. "Just let me sit up against you, okay?" We were sitting on the floor next to one another.

"Shouldn't be a problem," he said gently, drawing me against him. "Better?"

"Uh-huh. Much," I closed my eyes and just let his warmth and his scent wash over me.

"You okay, big sister?" Jason called out to me. He was in the recliner with Anne sitting near him.

"I'm okay." I felt dreamlike leaning on Langly's shoulder. "What time is it?"

"8:37," Jason announced. "Oops, Pacific time. Sorry."

"Shall we flip on Leno?" I asked Langly.

"Only if we don't have to turn the sound on," he agreed, grabbing the TV remote.

"That's cool," Jason decided. "How's about some tunes?"

"Whaddya wanna hear?" Langly called out.

"I know what I want," Anne shouted. "'Lights' by Journey."

"God, do we even have that?" Langly wondered aloud.

"Yes, we do. It's my CD," I told him.

"Where is it?"

"In the J's, genius." I wasn't as drunk as I was before, but I'd re-entered the silly zone.

"Right. I knew that." He set me back up and scrambled to his feet. I was amazed he could do it so rapidly, considering he had legs longer than the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

"If you're taking requests, I have one," called out Juliet.

"Okay, the deejay is in," Langly told her while perusing the racks of CD's. "What'll it be?"

"Van Halen, 'Right Now,'" she answered him. Byers looked a bit surprised, but she just grinned at him.

"Van Halen, we do have. Studio or live version?"

"Live version, please."

"Ally? Since this seems to be ladies' night, what about you?"

"Violent Femmes. 'Add it up.'" This seemed to amuse everyone in the room. "Hey, it's a great song!"

"Okay. Programming. Let's go with the Violent Femmes first, 'cause I'm a real sentimental kind of guy." He winked at me. "Then we'll do the Van Halen, and we'll bring it on home with Journey." He came back over and wrapped his long arms around me, kissing my hair. "You're so sentimental, girl. It's what I like about you. You gonna have them play the Clash for
the first wedding dance?"

"No, but I was considering AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck,'" I told him, kissing his whitish hair. He laughed.

John and Juliet were on the sofa, each sitting up with their feet crossed over one another's, shoes off. I wasn't sure, but I didn't think I'd ever seen Byers sans shoes. And damn, his socks matched. Okay, to be fair to Langly, his generally matched, but only because all of them were white...the two of them looked comfortable, familiar, and they couldn't take their eyes
off one another.

"Jesus, what is this, lover's lane?" Miranda squawked as she and Michael and Shelby entered the living room toting large bowls of popcorn. "What time is it?"

"11:48," Langly announced. "12 minutes to go."

"Hey, I can add, you know," Miranda chided, sticking her tongue out at him. He retaliated with a like gesture. Kids.

"Excuse me," Byers said to everyone in the room, but most particularly to Juliet, as he rose off the sofa. "I need to get something." He reappeared in moments with a bottle of Dom Perignon and a wrapped package. I gasped. Dom Perignon does not come cheap. And even I, unrepentant champagne hater, will sip some DP.

"Ally, Langly, this is for you. I'm sorry it's late...I was rather busy at my sister's..."

"Wow, thanks," Langly said, snatching it. We both ripped into the paper like vultures into carrion, destroying the immaculate wrapping job that in all likelihood had been done by Byers himself. We then attacked the box, then the mounds of wrapping, and we found...eight crystal champagne flutes.

"Whoa!" I could not believe the extravagance of the gift. I noticed that they were stamped "Waterford." Guy knows how to shop. "John, these are incredible!"

"Juliet helped me choose them," Byers smiled, blushing slightly, but it was a pleased blush.

"Thank you, Julie," I caroled. "You've got taste. You both do."

"We do, don't we?" She winked evilly.

"Byers. Wow, man. You went bust on these. Awesome." A guy's version of a heartfelt thanks.

"Those are beautiful!" Anne, who was concerned with details like china and crystal, picked up one gently and held it to the light. "Here, let me rinse them out, and we'll toast in them."

"We've got nine people, though," Jason pointed out. "It's cool. Give me something I can't break." We all laughed. Typical of my little brother to be a good sport.

"Time check!" Shelby called out.

"11:56," Jason stated. "I can add, too!" We laughed heartily; Jason had been a double major in electrical engineering and computer science. Addition was the least of his problems.

Anne handed Byers the wine opener-we don't drink it, but I guess I know now why we have a wine opener-and he perfectly popped the cork and poured everyone, the girls included, half a glass.

"How do you do that? You wouldn't believe how many bottles I've fucked up!" Anne shook her head in amazement.

"Just lucky, I guess," Byers smiled at her.

"C'mon! 2 minutes to go!" Miranda warned us; the TV was now indicating time remaining.

"I'd like to propose a toast," Byers said softly. "I was thinking about all I'd like to say, and we'd be here into the next millenium if I were to say it. But it all comes down to the same thing. Love and happiness."

"Love and happiness. For all of us," I said.

"Joy," Anne added.

"Hope," was Jason's contribution.

"I'll go for some luck," Langly put in.

"Everything good in the world," Juliet said happily.

"I think that covers it," Langly announced. We clinked. "L'chaim!"

"FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO...ONE...YAY!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" We got the blow by blow from the three junior members of the crowd.

I hugged Miranda and then Shelby, and then I embraced Michael, who actually gave me a peck on the cheek. He was smiling when I let go. I received kisses from my brother and from Anne, a bear hug from Juliet, and a kiss on the cheek from Byers. I saved my best one for Langly. I gathered him into my arms, both the working and the nonworking one, drew him into me, and just felt his breath fall into mine. We stayed that way for a while. I noticed the room had gotten considerably quieter, at least from the six senior members of the party.

"Ally?" Langly murmured into my hair.

"Yeah?"

"Any way we can kick all these people out?"

"Why?"

"Well...I was thinking..."

I turned to the others in the crowd. "Guys, I don't know about you, but we're going to bed. Happy New Year."

I saw Juliet wink at me as we walked down the hallway.

END OF PART 49