"no media," loup interrupted her. "i don't want a big scene. i just want to see everyone, you know?"

"yeah, i do. sorry, i kind of got used to thinking about how to do everything possible to keep your story out there while you were detained. no media."

"thanks. pilar... there's something i need to try to do before we leave here."

"you want to talk to that johnson guy." she smiled at loup's surprised expression. "i figured you would."

"you know me pretty well, huh?"

"yep." pilar kissed her. "you think there's a chance? after all, no one was allowed to see you."

"abernathy thinks so. something to do with extraordinary circumstances, the image of the military, and the fact that i've already been inside the detention center... i dunno. he said he'd call within a day or two."

"okay. you want to meet with geordie to talk about the movie deal?"

"sure." loup nodded. "guess we need to talk about our contract with kate, too."

"true," pilar agreed. "they're being cool about it, but i know they'd love to have us tour with them in north america this fall."

"it is kind of fun. and we owe them."

"oh, they came out of it okay, believe me." pilar's dataphone rang. "hello?" she beamed. "magnus, hi! yeah, thank you. oh, believe me, we're delighted. yeah, she's right here." she passed the phone to loup.

"hi, magnus! thanks, thanks so much." she listened, smiling. "yeah, we've got some things to take care of, but we'll keep it in mind. thanks, i appreciate it. say hi to sabine, will you?" she listened some more, eyes growing wide. "no kidding! wow, well, congratulations. that's wonderful. i'm sure we'd love to come. you don't think sabine's head would explode?"

"no!" pilar breathed. "they're getting married?"

loup nodded vigorously. "okay, well, thanks again for everything. take care." she ended the call.

"seriously?"

"yep." she grinned. "and magnus wants to invite us to the wedding."

"ohmigod! sabine will have a fit."

loup shook her head. "he said he thinks she's come to bear a-a certain grudging respect and perhaps a soupcon of affection for us."

"soup's on?" pilar said, bemused. "what does that mean?"

"i think it's french for 'i no longer consider you a guttersnipe' or something." she flopped back on the bed. "god, this is all so bizarre! we went from being stuck in outpost and having no futures at all to having all the possibilities in the world open to us."

"you deserve it." pilar sat cross-legged, settling loup's head in her lap and stroking her hair.

"you too." she gazed at the ceiling. "and so many people to thank, you know? senator ballantine and all of his people in their reform caucus, that mr. sandoval, abernathy, magnus and sabine... jesus, clive and addie!"

"ms. coxcombe."

"yeah." loup smiled. "you were right, those deportment and elocution lessons did come in handy. that's why you were so good on the stand."

"mm-hmm." pilar kissed her forehead. "and then there's randall and the boys..."

"all the kate fans..."

"all the soldiers..."

"christophe," loup said wistfully. "t