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Downtown Parodiopolis.
The local offices' of the Federal Meta-Human Resource Center.
One of the upper floors of the building, one that is off limits to the public except to those who work for the Organization.

At the end of a long hallway, two art deco styled doors of an elevator open. There inside is the elevator's soul occupant. She exits shortly before the doors close behind her. She dressed in a pale pink blouse, a dark chocolate brown cotton skirt that went to her mid calf. Under that are a pair of nude colored nylons & a pair of sensible leather pumps on. Her mousy brown hair was styled in a partly messy fashion. Slung over her right shoulder is her imitation designer handbag that she got at a street fair a few year ago.

Jane Tarzania walks down the hallway to her desk, she notices that there is someone that will impede this action. It's her boss, Acting Director Ruben Holcomb. The large black man was standing in front of the doors that lead into the waiting area outside his office where she has her desk. Acting Director Holcomb is wearing his normal set of attire: a deep purple colored suit with a black dress suit. His tie matches the color of the shirt. His black leather shoes are buffed to a shine. His black hair is cut short & slicked back. The look on his face is one Jane has seen before. It's normally reserved for other people, it's only been directed at her once or twice.

As she stood before him Jane took a big breath & then said. "Can I help you with something, Director?"

"Yes. Yes, you can." He said in his normal deep & booming voice. There was no hint of anger or another ill feelings in it.

"You have served the company well."

"Thank you, sir."

"Early on I thought we had come to an understanding."

There for a moment of silence between them. He just looked at her, she wasn't exactly sure what he was talking about.

"You know how I feel about having your…" He paused for a moment. I looked to Jane like he was searching for a word. When he found it, he continued. "..your friends show up at the office unexpected, don't you?"

"Yes, Sir." Jane said. She wasn't sure why he was speaking of this now. She had not had anyone visit her unexpectedly for years, not since Chad & Ronnie went off to who knows where.

"Good. Try to have this situation resolved by the time I get back." He said & then started to walk away.

This just left Jane standing out there in the hallway. What was beyond that door? Who was in there? Who would be visiting her here?

Jane took a deep breath & then open the left door to enter the waiting area.

There seating on the couch near the large bay window were two men. The taller of the two of them was dressed in a mustard yellow/sangria red striped knit sweater vest. Under the vest is a mustard yellow dress shirt & his fire egging red bow tie was tilted to the left a bit. He had a pair of high water burgundy red tweed slacks with a black plastic belt. He sat with one leg draped over the other & she could see that on his feet were a dirty pair of yellow Chuck Taylor All-Star tennis shoes. On his feet, inside the shoes were a pair of red & yellow striped knit socks. Beside him draped over the back of the couch was a bright neon yellow knee length trench coat. His hair was a maroon colored messy attempt at a pompadour. He also had on a pair of glasses but they were the kind that would would get at movie theaters if you were going to see a 3-D movie. He was looking through one of the magazines from the coffee table. She could just make out something he said. "That'll never work. He's gay & she's an Alien."

Seated next to him was a man, he was the closer of the two to her. He was dressed in a pair of navy blue canvas Chuck Taylor All-Star tennis shoes & on his feet were a pair of argyle socks. He wore a well-worn, ripped in places, pair of blue jeans. He had an unbuttoned red & black flannel shirt with his dark grey t-shirt on, it had a bright pink something on it. He had messy, dark brown hair & a pair of black horned rimmed glasses which were slight askew. On the floor, beside the couch next to him was an Accordion. He was also looking at a magazine.

In a chair next to the couch but facing Jane was another person, a woman. Her feet were up on the coffee table. On her feet were navy blue Chuck Taylor All-Star high tops & argyle socks. Her pants are a well worn, ripped & torn pair of blue jeans. She also wore a greying black hoodie. It's not zipped up & open. You could see her black t-shirt that it read "Waffles United" in large white text. On her wrists were a few too many bracelets & a couple of wrist bands. On her left wrist is an old calculator watch. A few of her fingers had some rings on them, On her right ring finger looked to be a silver Waffle ring. She had black nail polish which was cracked & chipped in places. She had short sandy blond which was pulled back & into two small ponytails, one on each side of the back of her head. She was wearing a pair of black plastic glasses. On the floor next to her chair was olive drag colored messenger bag. She was looking at what appeared to be a comic book.

On the coffee table in front of them there sat on a pile of magazines a small calico colored hamster eating a jelly bean. It took Jane just stood there for a moment with a look of shock on her face. The woman reading the comic book looked up first & smiled.

"uh…" was the only thing that Jane could say.

The man in the 3-D glasses looked up & said with a smile. "Hello."

"What? How?" were Jane's nest two words.

"They're back!" the woman with the comic book said in a sing song manner.

The taller of the two men put down his magazine, got up & walked over to Jane. Once he was about a foot or so apart from her, he opened his arms for a hug but what he got was slap across the face.

"ow. That hurt." He said rubbing his cheek.

"It should. I've been wanting to do that for a 3 years." Jane said angrily. "You do not do that."

"what?" The man said still rubbing his cheek.

"Disappear on me."

"I've done it before & you seemed ok with it."

Jane started to say something but paused. Then started again. "That might be true but you in the past you've called."

"Didn't think I could."

"Why?"

"Yes. Why don't you tell us all why you couldn't call?" said a voice from behind hear.

Jane turned her head to see who said that as the rest of the group looked over.

There standing in the doorway was who asked the question. He's a tall man of medium build with a pale complexion. He wore a three piece grey houndstooth suit. Under the suit jacket was a crisp white button down shirt, a matching grey houndstooth vest & a pitch black tie. His shoes were pitch black. His brown hair was cut short & was balding up top with only a few wisps of hair on the top of his head. He has a some what evil looking smile on his face.

Behind him was a small group of men behind. Six of them in grey suits. They look identical to each other. Dark grey suits, white dress shirts, dark grey ties, shined grey leather shoes & dark grey sunglasses. They all have crew cuts. The hair color of the group is either dark brown or light black. None of them had an expression of their faces. They all stood in triangle formation.

Jane looked back at the man in front of her & then asked angrily "Is that who your scared of? Mr. Belvedere over there?"

"oh… Nice reference, Jane! A bit dated but still a nice reference!" The women with the comic book said with a smile on her face.

Jane didn't respond to Catherine's comment.

"What's your problem with Hudgens?"

The man before her looked shocked that she knew that name.

"Yeah. I know about Hudgens." Jane said, now even more angrily.

He just stood there.

"Who is he?"

He didn't say anything.

Jane slapped him across the face once more. "Tell Me! I've put up with your BS for years so I have the right to know who in the hell Hudgens is?"

"Uh.." Catherine interrupted, before he could say anything.

Jane angrily looked over at her.

"We've known who he is for years. We've known from Day 1. Well.. Not Day 1 Day1 but since we've know that Chad & Ronnie when missing we've know who Hudgens is. It was right on the card he gave me."

Jane thought about it for a moment & watched as she reached into her wallet pulling out a card & read "Clive Hudgens. Personal Assistant to the Beeslyhuxtoy family."

"Yes." He said sadly, avoiding Jane's gaze. "Hudgens works for my parents."

This shocked Jane, she's not sure why. She had suspected that since she met Hudgens but to actually hear Ronnie admit that was shocking.

"you.. you.. have parents?" Jane asked.

"yes." Ronnie said a bit offended as his eyes once more met Janes'. "We all do."

There came nods from the people seated behind him.

"Uh.. Jane. You've met my Father!" Catherine said.

"Why has Hudgens been looking for you?"

"What else do you do when someone goes missing?" Hudgens said interjecting himself into the conversation.

Jane turned her head once more to look at him "But.. Ronnie's not missing. Well.. not anymore."

"no." Ronnie said with with some sadness in his voice. "According to Hudgens & my Parents I've been missing for years. I had hoped that by now he had given up on the search but that does not seem to be the case."

"When we met Hudgens a few years ago, He did say Ronnie had been missing for at least a decade." Catherine interjected.

Jane wasn't sure what to do. She's had 3 years to think of what she'd do in this situation: when Chad & Ronnie would just come waltzing back into her life. She didn't quite expect it would be at work but that didn't surprise her that they did. Catherine seemed to be quite ok with them being here, Jane assumed that they met up with her first given the appearance of Little Cat on the coffee table.

"How long had you been missing when we met?" Jane asked.

Ronnie thought about it for a moment. "We met at a party."

"yes. New Years Eve 2001."

"Was that going into the year 2001 or coming out of it & into the 2002?" He asked.

"into."

He thought for a moment & then said. "Then I had been missing according to Hudgens & my parents for only a few months."

Jane was a bit shocked at this. "really?"

"yes." Ronnie said with a nod affirmative nod & a smile.

"One thing that has puzzled me for years is how did you find the party?"

"You weren't all that quite with your party & your security on your building was extremely relaxed that night. We just walked up to the front door, asked if we were there for the party. We nodded & they let us it. That's how we get into many things: we just look like we belong there & no one questions why we're there." He said with a smile.

"Alright. Alright. Alright. Enough of this." Hudgens said interrupting. "This search has gone on far too long. It's time for you to come home, Mister Beeslyhuxtoy."

Hudgnes & his pack of men in grey suits started to make their way towards Ronnie. Jane turned around fully to face them & said "No!"

"What?"

"I said no. Your taking him to god knows where."

"England." Ronnie interjected.

"Ok. Your not taking Ronnie to England."

"You have no say in this matter."

"Why not? I'm the girlfriend."

Hudgens' left eyebrow raised. "I thought you were the ex-girlfriend?"

"Doesn't matter! I still care about him so I have a say in the matter."

"Yeah!" Catherine said standing up. "We all have a say in this matter. Ex-Girlfriend, Best Friend, Pet, Girl He puts up because they are a friends with his Best Friend!"

Catherine picks up Little Cat & walks over to Ronnie. Once she is close, Little Cat jumps up onto Ronnie's shoulder. Chad gets up from the couch, picks up his accordion & walks over to Ronnie. He is know surrounded by people.

"Yeah!" Jane said somewhat forcefully.

"You do know that we outnumber you?" Hudgens said.

"Not by much." Said another voice.

Seemingly out of nowhere a tall, slender man walked over to join the huddle around Ronnie. In his right hand, he carried a grey Umbrella which he held like a cane. He wore a plain looking three piece slate grey suit. Under the suit jacket was a slate grey button down shirt, a slate grey vest & a slate grey tie. His shoes were pitch black. His dark brown hair was cut short & was slightly balding. He had a neatly trimmed, well groomed Goatee.

"Hey Spooky!" Ronnie said.

"Greetings, Mister Beeslyhuxtoy."

"It seems like we are at a standstill." Hudgens said.

"Yes it does." Ronnie said.

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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Footnotes

This story references a lot of past stories.

- The Federal Meta-Human Resource Center (FMRC) was mostly featured in the Semi-Transparent Lad stories but did feature from time to time in the Chad & Ronnie stories as it has been established that Jane did work there. Ruben Holcomb is the acting director because the former head of the organization (Herbert Garrick) has gone missing. This story marks the 3rd meeting out in the hallway that Jane & Holcomb have shared. The "Understanding" Holcomb mentioned was put in place after the 2nd meeting when Catherine had come to visit. The "Understanding" was that she was to not have an visitors ever but this fact did not stop Catherine from coming by during the "Chad & Ronnie: Fugitive" storyline & but it was mentioned.

- Mr. Belvedere is an American sitcom that aired on ABC (The American Broadcasting Company) from 1985 to 1990. It featured the title character as the English Housekeeper to the Owens family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The character is based off the title character of the 1947 novel entitled Belvedere. In the few times that Jane does make a pop culture reference it is one that is at least 20 year out of date.

- Clive Hudgens first appeared in the Prologue to the "Chad & Ronnie: Fugitives" storyline & it was established that Ronnie's parents did live in England, before that is was only a possibility (Jane had found a Beeslyhuxtoy that lived in England via a Internet search once). The pack of Men in Grey suits had at least one story appearance many, many year ago before their appearance in the Fugitives storyline.

- Jane had met Catherine's Father before & it there at the FMRC. He had a meeting with Mr. Holcomb, as presented in the story "Thursday Morning Meeting".

- The first meeting of Chad, Ronnie & Jane at that New Years' Party was presented in the story entitled "How Chad & Ronnie met Jane".