QUEST OF THE MUSKETEERS...

'Okay,' Shadoe huffed and puffed, 'do you have ANY idea where we are?"

Trace looked at the map, then up at Shadoe. 'Ummm...in Canada?" Aly giggled at the naive sounding comment from Trace, but Shadoe was not amused. They had been sitting on the side of the road, in frigidly cold weather, with snow falling at a fitful rate, trying to figure out where in the nubbins they were, for well over an hour. And Trace's comments, such as they were, were not helping to curb Shadoes rapidly mounting anger.

Sitting behind the wheel of her hunter green Taurus, Trace turned the map up and down, this way and that, trying to get her bearings. But, no matter how hard she tried, nothing made sense, or looked familiar.

Aly, seated in the passenger seat, turned to look at Shadoe, who was in the back. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest, anxiously chewing at her bottom lip. When Aly turned to her, Shadoe looked up, and Aly had to place her hand over her mouth. Clearing her throat to cover up the sound of her almost laughing out loud, Aly removed her hand, and smiled. Not in the mood to be consoled, Shadoe just glared out the window, tapping her foot in anger.

'Hey,' Trace said suddenly. Both Alys and Shadoes head snapped in the direction of Trace. Turning, to half look over her shoulder at Shadoe, and still being able to look towards Aly, Trace smiled.

'I have an idea,' Trace said cheerfully.

Shadoe snorted, and replied. 'What is that?' she bit out, 'get us even MORE lost than we are?'

Trace just smiled, and chose to ignore Shadoes comment. She knew that it was not her fault that they were lost, and it was not Shadoes fault she was in such a 'mood'. She had been suffering from writers block for well over three months, and it was beginning to stress her to the max. That was why Trace and Aly had decided to ask her along on their little 'quest' to find the ACTUAL location of Roy Dupuis' farmhouse. Now, with the way it was headed, what had been good intentions, were only furthering to cause undue stress and pressure on an already weary Shadoe.

'No,' Trace said, 'I was gonna suggest that we go back to that small station that we saw a ways back. Maybe they can help us.'

Aly nodded, smiling brightly. 'Yeah, that may work! At least, if they can't help us, maybe they can direct us to someone who can.'

Trace and Aly both turned, and looked to the quiet and agitated Shadoe in the back. After a few moments, she smiled wearily, and nodded in agreement. Turning back around, Trace started the car once again, and put it into gear. Making a U turn, and heading back in the direction in which they had come, she accelerated the vehicle.

Aly reached over, and taking out her new CD of the GOO GOO DOLLS, placed it into the CD player. As the sounds blasted from the speakers, and filter throughout the car, Shadoe placed her hands over her ears.

'GAWD!! Don't you two ever listen to country music?!' Shadoe cried out. Trace and Aly looked to one another, and smiled. Then, as the music continued on, both girls bobbed their heads in time with the beat.

But, unbeknownst to the intrepid musketeers, they were closer to their destination than they had originally figured, but mother nature had other plans...

~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~ After having to drive at a snails pace, the trio finally made it to the roadside station. The weather had taken a drastic and nasty turn, and the snow had really began to pile up. The visibility was reduced to just a mere few feet, and traffic was moving slow.

After having pulled into the parking lot, and turning off the engine, Trace removed her hands from the steering wheel. Her knuckles were white, from where she had been gripping the wheel so tightly. Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, she turned to Aly.

'Well, I am gonna go inside, and see if I can find out some intel. You all want to stay here?'

Aly turned and looked to Shadoe. Shadoe, who did NOT like traveling in such weather, didn't even answer. She reached over, opened the door, and climbed out. 'Well,' Aly said, turning to look back at Trace, 'I guess we are going with you.'

The trio exited the car, and quickly made their way into the service station. As they opened the door, a small bell overhead rang out, announcing their arrival. Once they got inside, the warmth enveloping them, they proceeded to stomp the snow off their shoes, and shake it from their coats.

'Hello there, you all are not from around here, are you?'

Aly turned in the direction of the comment, and smiled. 'No, wearen't, but how did you know?'

The cashier, at the counter, just hung her head, and shook it back and forth. 'Well,' she said, as if to keep from laughing, 'for one thing, we don't get too many people in here, this time of year, in that type of vehicle.'

Aly turned to look to Shadoe and Trace, and then they all turned to look outside at Trace's Taurus.

'Oh yeah?' Shadoe said, still in a slightly irritated mood, 'and what type of vehicle would you mean?'

The cashier, taking a defensive stance, the smile gone from her face, answered. 'I only meant, that this time of year, in this type of weather, most people are driving something with 4 X 4 or such.'

Trace, standing behind Shadoe, and to the side, shoved her slightly from the back. 'Shadoe,' Trace said in a low whisper, 'don't tick this lady off!! We need to find out where we are, and we don't need to get on her bad side...comprende?'

Shadoe turned around, and after a moment, nodded her head in agreement. 'Good,' Trace commented, 'I am gonna get me a DEW, and then find out exactly where we are. You guys want anything?'

Aly, who was meandering around in front of the potato chip rack, turned and looked up. 'I will go with ya. I may want a Diet Coke, or something. I'm hungry.' Trace only nodded. 'Shad? You coming?' Shadoe looked down, then after a few moments, moved back through the store with the other two.

Standing in front of the pop cooler, trying to decide what they wanted, the trio didn't really notice the sound of the bell on the door ringing, as three more customers entered the station...

~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~

'Is that all you want?' Trace asked, as Aly and Shadoe handed her their choices.

'Yeppers,' Aly said, and Shadoe nodded in agreement.

'Okay, just let me pay for them, find out where we are, then we will be on our way.' Trace said. Walking up towards the front of the store, Trace noticed the three new customers for the first time. She wasn't sure, but for some reason, she had the eerie feeling that she had seen these people before. As she drew near, Trace slowed her pace, and eavesdropped on their conversation.

'Just some Kerosene, and maybe some coffee today, Marie, thanks.'

The voice sound so familiar, and in the back of her mind, Trace was sure she had hear it before. The slight accent, and lilting tones struck a cord of familiarity in her. After listening a few more moments, she turned and headed back towards her friends.

'Hey, guys,' Trace said, as she grew close. Shadoe and Aly, who had taken a place in front of the magazine stand, each looked up from the magazines they had been leafing through. 'I think maybe I know one of those guys up there," Trace said.

Aly and Shadoe looked to one another, then back down at their magazines. 'Get a grip Trace,' Shadoe said, smiling, 'what are the odds that you would run into someone you know out here in GAWD knows where, Canada?'

Trace stopped for a moment, and glancing back over her shoulder, took in what Shadoe had said. But *no* she told herself, *I have heard that voice before, I am sure of it*.

'Listen guys, I am telling you that I know that voice. It was so distinctive, and so familiar.'

Aly looked up from her magazine and towards Trace. But, whatever she was going to say, totally left her mind. As her eyes grew wide, and her complexion became pale, Aly only stared. Not at Trace, but at something behind her.

Trace, suddenly frightened by Aly's change in appearance, stepped forward, and waved her hand in front of Aly's face. 'Aly, RAB...Earth to Monkey Girl... do you copy.. over.'

Aly only continued to stare. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her lips, and her whole face brightened.

'Shadoe, Uh... you want to give me a hand here?' Trace said.

Shadoe looked up. 'Sure,' she began, 'what's the...' Shadoes sentence trailed off, as the same look of astonishment and shock crossed her features as did Alys moments earlier.

'Geez, guys, what is with you two today?' Trace moved her hand in front of both of her friends faces, with no reaction and to no avail. As she was about to grab them both, and shake the ever lovin nubbins out of them, she heard soft footsteps approaching from behind.

'May I be of assistance?'

Trace spun around, with the intention of saying no. But, her reply, like Alys and Shadoes, suddenly became lodged in her throat.

For, standing before her, in a gas station, in GAWD knows where,Canada, was none other than the very object of her dreams. She was face to face with Bruce Payne.

As the moment passed, a resounding THUD was heard throughout the store, as Trace passed out colder than three o'clock in the morning... grinning from ear to ear, and drool glistening in the corners of her mouth.

~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~<>~~

Rising up from the darkness of unconsciousness, Trace slowly opened her eyes. She heard Aly and Shadoe, talking to her, asking her if she was all right. As she thought back, and remembered her last thought, she smiled.

'Trace, can you hear me cuz?' Shadoe asked, with a sound of worry in her voice. 'Trace, can you hear me? Do you know who we are?'

Trace only continued to smile. Then, with a little help, she sat up, and looked around. 'I had the best dream,' Trace said, 'I thought I saw...'

'Bruce Payne.' Aly finished for her. Trace looked at Aly, with a puzzled expression on her face.

'Hey..how did you know that?' Trace asked.

'Cause I saw him too...and Roy Dupuis....oh...and Gene Glazer.'

Trace placed her hand to her forehead. 'Man, I think maybe we have crossed over into the twilight zone.'

'That may very well be. But, you did see me nonetheless.'

Trace, moving her hand, slowly raised her head. As her gazed traveled upward, it finally came to rest on the most beautiful pair of blue eyes she had ever seen. *I am losing it here* she thought. But, when she looked past Bruce, she saw Roy and Gene standing behind him, both looking on in concern.

Bending over, and offering his hand, Bruce helped Trace to her feet. Then, after making sure that she was okay, he spoke.

'Listen, you are going nowhere in this weather. Marie said that you were lost, and might need directions and shelter.' Bruce offered.

'Marie?' Aly asked, as Trace turned to her, as if seeing her for the first time.

'Yeah, she is the cashier here. Why don't you come back to Roy's with us? You can figure out where you are, and maybe he can help you find the best way to get to where you are headed. Plus, with the way this storm is doing, it may be a while before you can drive anyway.'

Shadoe, standing to the side of Trace, nudged her in the ribs. When Trace turned to her, Shadoe was suddenly over her 'mood' and grinning from ear to ear.

'Okay, I guess that will be okay. That is very nice of you to offer.' Trace said, looking down at the floor.

Bruce gently took hold of Traces chin, and lifted her head up to look at him. 'It is nothing. What kind of gentlemen would we be letting three very beautiful women as yourselves have to seek out lodging on such a cold and dreary evening?'

At that very moment, Trace felt as if she were gonna faint. As Bruce smiled seductively, and turned from her, her knees buckled. Aly and Shadoe, seeing this, moved forward, and each took hold of Traces arms.

'Whoa...take it easy there CAT," Aly said.

'Yeah, we wouldn't want anything happening to you kitty,' Shadoe added. At the mention of the name CAT, Bruce turned back around.

'Excuse me, but I couldn't help but hear your friends here refer to you as Trace earlier, then call you CAT just now.'

Trace only smiled, and nodded. 'Yeah, my name is Tracy, but all my online friends call me by various versions of my screenname TraceCAT.'

A sly smile suddenly spread across his face. Then, stepping forward, Roy joined the conversation.

'You don't mean the same TraceCAT from the Covert Lovers Mailing list do you?' Roy asked.

All three girls mouths dropped wide open, and they only stared.

'Uh...yeah...I am...why?' Trace answered, slowly.

'Oh not much,' Gene chimed in, 'except these two read your mailing list ALL the time. They are ALWAYS commenting on what they see and read there.'

'You are kidding, right?' Aly asked, a tone of fear in her voice.

Bruce looked to Roy, and both of them smiled. Then, turning back to Trace, Bruce's smile suddenly disappeared, replaced by a serious expression.

'Too bad we don't have any ice cubes...huh Trace?'

All three girls looked to each other, then to their new made friends... and THUD!! They had all three fainted, dead away, big smiles on their faces, and drool glistening in the corners of each of their mouths....

THE END!!