E.X.T.A.S.Y.

Chapter 1 : Microphonix

-Everything here seems too familiar. Karen sighed

    The year following Joe's encounter in Houston, in 1993, Karen and her family moved to San Francisco for a short while, Ian had a mutation in Miscrosoft Corporation San.F., it led him and his family to California. They expected to stay here until 1995 and then move back to New York, since Karen didn't really like San Francisco for her memories there, hidding from Joe, from people, just for hollidays, back in 1988 or 1989. They found a nice apartment in the center of the city, big enough for the kids, with a school in the same district. The Jacobs family had everything to live a nice life in California, everything.

    Karen watched the city from the terasse and gently walked away. She had so many projects here, and already had several meetings with Cameron on the way to talk about the new prototypes, virtual mailboxes and a possible partnership. On her way, the redhead wanted to spend more time with Joanie and Haley, who were already teenagers. She couldn't believe that these two little girls she used to babysit nine years ago were about to enter in high school . Haley was thirteen, Joanie was fifteen. Both of those two kids she used to love were now almost turning like here. Donna and Gordon divorced, Cameron's husband Tom Rendon left her, so she wouldn't come back to Japan. From such a wave, Karen was the only one who had a "normal"life.

-It's still a nice city,  isn't it ? Ian asked, getting to his wife

    The redhead had everything to be happy. She had a husband, had children, had a job. Everything for her, and however she missed something. She missed the freedom she once had. When she was dreaming about this old time, about a decade ago, when she used to enjoy her life, she always told herself the same thing. Only one clear sentence that was making her go back to the reality of being a mother, and a fullgrown woman.

" - We're no longer children. "

    Ian wrapped his arm around Karen's shoulders, they watched the city, closing their eyes, barely listening to their children who were fighting to have the TV program they wanted. They kept quiet, breathing a little, relaxing. The soulmates dreamt of freedom. Ian had the same desire, being free, even just a hour, rediscover who he once was. However, everything made those two souls turn back to the reality. If they only tried to get drunk once again, just like they were a long while ago, they would end up on their bed for three or four days with a terrible hangover. If they wanted to skip a night walking around the city all alone, they would need two days of sleep just to feel awake. They weren't old, but they knew they were slowly getting to that point where having fun was just sitting on their sofa and sleep.

-Have you got some plans for the week ? Ian asked, placing his head over Karen's

-I gotta meet Cameron and Donna's girls. For now, at least, that's all I have to do.

-And what about the beardie psychopath ?

-Ian, for the love of god, last time you saw Joe, it was okay. I have to meet him soon just to go to the girl's prototypes exposition, that's all.

-You know I don't trust Joe.

    Karen grinned a little. She had to go and visit Haley and Joanie at their respective school to assist to their exposition, where they would show their own creations. The Clark sisters paired to make a new computer and create a mailbox they called Microphonix, which called Joe's attention. So, on the way, he contacted Karen to come with him so they would judge the two girls. She then thought about Gordon and the way he would greet her once he would see her again. She didn't really like Katie, Gordon's new girlfriend, mostly because she wasn't the woman she expected for the guy she treated like a brother. Karen knew Katie a little, and there was no real feeling of love for her when she met her for the first time, and there was even less sympathy from the redhead when she saw her again, screaming on Gordon about some food. She expected nothing from this woman, just someone that would make Gordon happy although his illness and his current situation with Donna. Gordon was happy, Karen had nothing to say about it.