Behind the Scenes of
One for the Road
by Denise Felt 2013
This story was written, not only to finish off the story that began in the first segment, One Night Stand, but as a challenge story for the SHADO Writers Guild. The first story was a challenge story for the Sci-Fi Forever Forum. It’s amazing what great plot ideas you can get from those writing prompts!
Chapter 1 – I didn’t want to start my sequel where the first one left off, and here’s why. I really wanted to show Straker as he comes to Romania with his own agenda, having no idea the havoc he is stirring up just by being there. I wanted the reader aware of it – but not our intrepid commander. Rather like a cat toying with a mouse, I wanted to draw out the suspense and play with it awhile. So I began this story as Straker is being driven to his hotel in Bucharest by the Foreign Relations Minister. I thought it was a low-key way to begin a story that was going to be fraught with tension. Did it work for you?
I don’t often take my characters to another country, but it was fun to research Romania (keeping in mind this story takes place in 1986) and picking out Romanian names for my incidental characters. Much has changed in the politics of Eastern Europe in the last 30 years, so I was pleased to find out Romania was still a Socialist Republic at the time this story takes place. I had fallen under the spell of the Romania written about in Elizabeth Kostova’s novel “The Historian,” and I wanted to visit there myself – even if only vicariously through my characters. (Incidentally, her novel is also about Dracula and portrays him in a much more terrifying way than I ever could.)
The first person we meet at the Dalco home is Buna, Rayna’s grandmother. Buna is actually the Romanian word for grandmother, so it’s not her name so much as just what Rayna calls her. My grandmother was the single most influential person in my life, so this little old lady is my tribute to her.
Rayna behaves very differently here in her family home than she did in England, hopefully making the reader wonder what has transpired since she last saw Straker? What game is she playing? Is she aware who is after him? I thoroughly enjoyed keeping her such a mystery in this series. Mysterious leading ladies are my favorite kind! She manages to break our beloved commander’s heart by her cold manner, and he returns to the hotel in Brasov in a daze of shock.
This isn’t the first story I’ve written where Straker on holiday picks up a bottle of expensive liquor for his friend Alec. I did the same in “About Face,” the second story in my Artist Series, except that then he was in Scotland. I got the idea from a story a friend wrote some time ago, and it struck me that it was just the sort of thing Straker would do. Alec is the only friend he really has, and he would value him enough to think of him while he was away and want to bring him home a gift he’d enjoy. In this story, however, having that expensive vodka sitting around comes in handy when he can’t deal with his own despair.
Chapter 2 – Now that I’ve set up the story and answered the question posed by this part of the series (What crisis would be heartbreaking enough to drive the commander to drink?), I return to our new friend we met at the end of the first story. Maldos, or the Prince of Wallachia as he is called here in Romania. Dracula. In this scene he interrogates Alexi Dalco, who was mentioned briefly in the last chapter. Naturally, Alexi has no idea who he’s talking about, since we find out later that he’s been missing for two weeks at this point, so he wouldn’t have known about Straker. But the commander’s actions have seriously worried the Prince, who sees him as a threat to his iron rule.
I don’t think I could have written this scene (or indeed any of the other scenes involving Dracula) without having first read Elizabeth’s novel. So I am indebted to her for my ability to imagine even this somewhat watered-down version of her cruel Prince. I am also indebted to Stephen King, whose Barlow from “Salem’s Lot” taught me as a teen that a suave and silky-tongued vampire is much more menacing than an out-of-control bloodthirsty maniac. My Dracula possesses the thoughtless cruelty so necessary to one who looks on humans as beneath him – mere pawns for his use in his centuries-long chess game.
He doesn’t get the answers he seeks from Rayna’s brother, who is left in despair for all that he’s been through at the hands of such a villain. For me, this was the hardest part of the scene to write, because I know that he will indeed die believing he failed everyone he loved (and there’s no despair greater than that.) Will he be avenged? Do you really have to ask?
Back at the Dalco residence we find Rayna in tears. When her mother confronts her about it, thinking that she’s crying over her brother’s disappearance, we find out that she’s also in despair – over the way she treated Straker. Her mother asks her an important question at the end of this scene, one that I have pondered often myself as a writer and as a person: “Isn’t it better that he live than that he love you still?” I’ve asked that question before in other stories, most notably in “Full Circle,” when Straker prefers to keep his exwife in the dark concerning the truth behind the problems in their marriage so that Security won’t eliminate her as a threat. It’s a difficult question to answer. Love is such a rare and precious experience that it’s very hard to let go – even when it’s in the other person’s best interests to do so. Where do we draw the line? When does it become selfishness instead to want to keep that love alive?
I give the reader this glimpse into the inner workings of Rayna’s mind so they will have hope when we return to deal with Straker’s despair. I’m not one who enjoys a lot of angst in my stories, even though some plots call for it. So when it’s necessary for the storyline, I tend to downplay it by putting most of it off-stage – mentioned in passing or implied by the character’s actions. And self-pity is the worst of all angst. I know firsthand, having wallowed in it enough during my teens to last several lifetimes. It’s self-destructive, and since Straker is a man who bridles his emotions, I don’t think he’d allow himself to wallow either. That said, when dealing with the loss of a loved one a certain amount of despair cannot be repressed, and this is shown in his feelings as he wakes in the morning. Life no longer seems worth living. For those who’ve never been in this place emotionally, that may seem like an overly dramatic statement, but for those of us who have experienced that kind of despair it’s really an understatement. In typical Straker fashion, he eventually throws it off and gets ready for his day anyway. And in doing so, he gets an idea.
I thoroughly enjoyed researching Poenari Castle and found many great touristy blogs that gave me inside tips on just how difficult it is to visit there. Which of course gave me ideas on how to use that info in my storyline. I don’t mention in this scene who the Romanian man is who speaks to Straker, but I hope my reader has some idea of who it is before the reveal at the police station. Their conversational topics alone should give you a pretty good clue – Dracula, immortality, vampires, etc. I have to admit that this scene played out beautifully between the two men, even though I wasn’t at all sure at first that it would. But once I put them onstage together, they just naturally played themselves (or at least, the way I envisaged them). And a powerful dialogue resulted. I truly think this is one of the best scenes I’ve ever written between Straker and one of my original characters (if Dracula can be called either mine or original here. It’s debatable.) And I think it displays my growth as a writer over the years that I was able to write it at all. So many nuances, so many hidden meanings. So much left unspoken or only hinted at.
And sooo much better than a stupid fight scene would have been!
Chapter 3 – As Straker heads back down the steps to the valley below, he sees Rayna coming to meet him. This scene was also very enjoyable to write, since it allowed me to give her the opportunity to vent all her frustration while he hasn’t a clue why she’d even care what he was doing. (Although even I was surprised at the end of it when he tells her to shut up. So Straker. So priceless!) *grin*
When Rayna explains to him (without really telling him anything, if you noticed) that her definition of vampire is different than his, I bring up another theme for this series of stories. And that is one of communication. I have heard it said in the past that language is one of the greatest barriers to true communication there is, and I believe it. No two people define their words exactly the same way (which is why “I love you” ends up being so ambiguous when it should be fairly simple to understand.) Actions speak louder than words, because words can be far too easily misunderstood. And we learn that Straker does trust Rayna, even though she broke his heart. Her actions in trying to protect him have shown him that she truly does care for him as he had first supposed. I hope the reader was properly appalled when he asked her if she believed in ghosts too. The man is too cynical for his own good!
Chapter 4 – On the drive back to the city, we get Straker’s take on his relationship with Rayna up to this point. And we learn what he was thinking when he met her, as well as when he first broached the idea of a one night stand with her. I truly believe that a man with the integrity shown by Straker in the show would be someone who didn’t play around, but was always serious in his relationships with others. Not that he wasn’t playful. That’s entirely different. But he would take his interpersonal relationships seriously and would deplore superficial affairs. It’s how the show portrayed his character, and in spite of fanfic stories that show him differently, I just can’t see him any other way. So of course when confronted with a woman who is so perfect for him, he would feel compelled to marry her. He wanted that true companionship that he sensed was possible between them.
Here I hark on another theme of these stories. In fact, I define my idea of what constitutes true companionship in this series. I call it “a soul-deep harmony of two minds and hearts.” It’s a difficult concept to describe, especially to someone who has never experienced it themselves. But I think my phrase works well, since the reader also has the example of Rayna and Straker’s connection that first night to help them understand what I mean. If you’ve ever had a friend who instinctively understood you and could finish your sentences for you, then you have an idea of what this kind of companionship can be. To me, there is no higher form of relationship possible between two people.
We also in this scene finally get the reasons behind Rayna’s actions during the two stories. And our mystery lady is revealed as someone very much like the commander himself – someone who feels deeply and doesn’t want to be hurt.
Then we return to the Prince. If anyone was wondering why he didn’t destroy Straker in their scene together, now we find out why. He too glimpsed something about the commander that made him consider the concept of a companion for his eternity. But his definition of companionship is as twisted as he is, so we can tell right away that it’s not an offer Straker would ever find agreeable. As a side note: I didn’t go into detail about how a staking is done because I find it entirely too gruesome, especially when I consider that he actually did this to people. If you want the deets, look it up yourself.
Chapter 5 – I liked creating Anton Dalco. He was the father I always wished I had – so wise, so protective. And I thoroughly enjoyed (with my tongue firmly in my cheek) explaining how the Romanian government protected its tourists from the dangers of Poenari Castle. *grin*
We see Alexi again (in a way.) And Straker finally understands what Rayna means when she says vampire. She means alien. For years I have noticed the similarities between the aliens in UFO and vampires. I don’t know if anyone else ever made that connection, but since I like both sci-fi and fantasy/horror, I was bound to make the connection sooner or later. So in this series I got to explore those similarities in a way I never have before. I had a great time! The question Straker asks himself at the chapter’s end is one where the reader already knows the answer. Once more, we know more in this situation than our beloved commander – who’s still in shock over what he’s learned about Dracula. Not only that he still exists, but what he actually is.
Chapter 6 – This story only has one love scene (compared to the first story, which has several back to back.) So I made it a good one, allowing them to make love in a chair. Not always the most comfortable place for sex, nonetheless a chair can be quite enjoyable with a little forethought and adaptability. Straker at least finds it rewarding, even though it leaves his legs numb. *snicker* He asks Rayna if she’ll return with him to England, knowing all the while that he can’t marry her. And she agrees, accepting the limitations of their different lifestyles without knowing all the reasons why. I don’t know if I could have done the same in her shoes, but then one of my greatest assets (failings?) is that I’m curious. And Rayna – with a lifetime of secrets of her own – wouldn’t be like me in that area.
The scene with Anton Dalco was one I had no trouble playing out in my mind beforehand, and indeed, it came down on paper very close to the original way I envisioned it. Once more, communication gets in the way of understanding when Straker realizes that the police chief doesn’t understand how something could be there and not there at the same time. Our commander surely knows, not just because of his strong physics background, but because he’s dealt with the time tricks of the aliens before. The chapter ends with them in total agreement on how to handle what they now know about Dracula’s whereabouts.
Chapter 7 – Most of my stories don’t go this long, but this story demanded shorter chapters, but more of them. So I bent my own rather rigid rules and went with the flow. It worked out well, I think. We get Alec’s reaction to the plan of blowing up Dracula’s castle – he’s as scandalized as we would be if someone suggested such a thing. And a complication arises when the police chief reveals that Rayna isn’t in the house and hadn’t slept in her bed.
The scene shifts to the Prince, who begins his day preening over his victory over the Dalcos. A note of caution comes in when he remembers that Straker is with them, but over all, he is sure of his superiority. After all, he has survived for centuries and Straker is only human. I never actually say whether or not Dracula is destroyed in this story. For one thing, I’m not entirely sure I won’t bring him back for another installment. He was an interesting villain to write about, so it’s always a possibility. And for another, he’s such a vivid legendary figure that it was more difficult than I can say to write the words that would spell his end. So I didn’t. I leave it to the reader to decide if he’s actually gone or not. The important thing for this storyline is that he’s done for now.
I didn’t want them to focus so much on their victory over Dracula, so it worked out well to have them more worried about Rayna than they were about defeating the Prince. But they soon find out that Rayna is still very much alive. Straker is so moved by the fact that she was okay that he can’t help but declare himself. But he knows it’s alright to do so, since she isn’t a security risk after all.
Alexi is avenged, since the family records their centuries-long battle as won by his ingenious scheme to cut Dracula’s power. And Straker heads home with Rayna as his fiancee, wondering how Dr. Jackson will take the story of his adventures in Romania. (This final remark has reference to a story a fellow fanfic writer once wrote where Jackson knew many obscure secrets about Eastern European folklore.) The reader is left to imagine that upcoming scene in any way they like. It is sure to be an interesting one, that much is a given. *grin*
This story was written, not only to finish off the story that began in the first segment, One Night Stand, but as a challenge story for the SHADO Writers Guild. The first story was a challenge story for the Sci-Fi Forever Forum. It’s amazing what great plot ideas you can get from those writing prompts!
Chapter 1 – I didn’t want to start my sequel where the first one left off, and here’s why. I really wanted to show Straker as he comes to Romania with his own agenda, having no idea the havoc he is stirring up just by being there. I wanted the reader aware of it – but not our intrepid commander. Rather like a cat toying with a mouse, I wanted to draw out the suspense and play with it awhile. So I began this story as Straker is being driven to his hotel in Bucharest by the Foreign Relations Minister. I thought it was a low-key way to begin a story that was going to be fraught with tension. Did it work for you?
I don’t often take my characters to another country, but it was fun to research Romania (keeping in mind this story takes place in 1986) and picking out Romanian names for my incidental characters. Much has changed in the politics of Eastern Europe in the last 30 years, so I was pleased to find out Romania was still a Socialist Republic at the time this story takes place. I had fallen under the spell of the Romania written about in Elizabeth Kostova’s novel “The Historian,” and I wanted to visit there myself – even if only vicariously through my characters. (Incidentally, her novel is also about Dracula and portrays him in a much more terrifying way than I ever could.)
The first person we meet at the Dalco home is Buna, Rayna’s grandmother. Buna is actually the Romanian word for grandmother, so it’s not her name so much as just what Rayna calls her. My grandmother was the single most influential person in my life, so this little old lady is my tribute to her.
Rayna behaves very differently here in her family home than she did in England, hopefully making the reader wonder what has transpired since she last saw Straker? What game is she playing? Is she aware who is after him? I thoroughly enjoyed keeping her such a mystery in this series. Mysterious leading ladies are my favorite kind! She manages to break our beloved commander’s heart by her cold manner, and he returns to the hotel in Brasov in a daze of shock.
This isn’t the first story I’ve written where Straker on holiday picks up a bottle of expensive liquor for his friend Alec. I did the same in “About Face,” the second story in my Artist Series, except that then he was in Scotland. I got the idea from a story a friend wrote some time ago, and it struck me that it was just the sort of thing Straker would do. Alec is the only friend he really has, and he would value him enough to think of him while he was away and want to bring him home a gift he’d enjoy. In this story, however, having that expensive vodka sitting around comes in handy when he can’t deal with his own despair.
Chapter 2 – Now that I’ve set up the story and answered the question posed by this part of the series (What crisis would be heartbreaking enough to drive the commander to drink?), I return to our new friend we met at the end of the first story. Maldos, or the Prince of Wallachia as he is called here in Romania. Dracula. In this scene he interrogates Alexi Dalco, who was mentioned briefly in the last chapter. Naturally, Alexi has no idea who he’s talking about, since we find out later that he’s been missing for two weeks at this point, so he wouldn’t have known about Straker. But the commander’s actions have seriously worried the Prince, who sees him as a threat to his iron rule.
I don’t think I could have written this scene (or indeed any of the other scenes involving Dracula) without having first read Elizabeth’s novel. So I am indebted to her for my ability to imagine even this somewhat watered-down version of her cruel Prince. I am also indebted to Stephen King, whose Barlow from “Salem’s Lot” taught me as a teen that a suave and silky-tongued vampire is much more menacing than an out-of-control bloodthirsty maniac. My Dracula possesses the thoughtless cruelty so necessary to one who looks on humans as beneath him – mere pawns for his use in his centuries-long chess game.
He doesn’t get the answers he seeks from Rayna’s brother, who is left in despair for all that he’s been through at the hands of such a villain. For me, this was the hardest part of the scene to write, because I know that he will indeed die believing he failed everyone he loved (and there’s no despair greater than that.) Will he be avenged? Do you really have to ask?
Back at the Dalco residence we find Rayna in tears. When her mother confronts her about it, thinking that she’s crying over her brother’s disappearance, we find out that she’s also in despair – over the way she treated Straker. Her mother asks her an important question at the end of this scene, one that I have pondered often myself as a writer and as a person: “Isn’t it better that he live than that he love you still?” I’ve asked that question before in other stories, most notably in “Full Circle,” when Straker prefers to keep his exwife in the dark concerning the truth behind the problems in their marriage so that Security won’t eliminate her as a threat. It’s a difficult question to answer. Love is such a rare and precious experience that it’s very hard to let go – even when it’s in the other person’s best interests to do so. Where do we draw the line? When does it become selfishness instead to want to keep that love alive?
I give the reader this glimpse into the inner workings of Rayna’s mind so they will have hope when we return to deal with Straker’s despair. I’m not one who enjoys a lot of angst in my stories, even though some plots call for it. So when it’s necessary for the storyline, I tend to downplay it by putting most of it off-stage – mentioned in passing or implied by the character’s actions. And self-pity is the worst of all angst. I know firsthand, having wallowed in it enough during my teens to last several lifetimes. It’s self-destructive, and since Straker is a man who bridles his emotions, I don’t think he’d allow himself to wallow either. That said, when dealing with the loss of a loved one a certain amount of despair cannot be repressed, and this is shown in his feelings as he wakes in the morning. Life no longer seems worth living. For those who’ve never been in this place emotionally, that may seem like an overly dramatic statement, but for those of us who have experienced that kind of despair it’s really an understatement. In typical Straker fashion, he eventually throws it off and gets ready for his day anyway. And in doing so, he gets an idea.
I thoroughly enjoyed researching Poenari Castle and found many great touristy blogs that gave me inside tips on just how difficult it is to visit there. Which of course gave me ideas on how to use that info in my storyline. I don’t mention in this scene who the Romanian man is who speaks to Straker, but I hope my reader has some idea of who it is before the reveal at the police station. Their conversational topics alone should give you a pretty good clue – Dracula, immortality, vampires, etc. I have to admit that this scene played out beautifully between the two men, even though I wasn’t at all sure at first that it would. But once I put them onstage together, they just naturally played themselves (or at least, the way I envisaged them). And a powerful dialogue resulted. I truly think this is one of the best scenes I’ve ever written between Straker and one of my original characters (if Dracula can be called either mine or original here. It’s debatable.) And I think it displays my growth as a writer over the years that I was able to write it at all. So many nuances, so many hidden meanings. So much left unspoken or only hinted at.
And sooo much better than a stupid fight scene would have been!
Chapter 3 – As Straker heads back down the steps to the valley below, he sees Rayna coming to meet him. This scene was also very enjoyable to write, since it allowed me to give her the opportunity to vent all her frustration while he hasn’t a clue why she’d even care what he was doing. (Although even I was surprised at the end of it when he tells her to shut up. So Straker. So priceless!) *grin*
When Rayna explains to him (without really telling him anything, if you noticed) that her definition of vampire is different than his, I bring up another theme for this series of stories. And that is one of communication. I have heard it said in the past that language is one of the greatest barriers to true communication there is, and I believe it. No two people define their words exactly the same way (which is why “I love you” ends up being so ambiguous when it should be fairly simple to understand.) Actions speak louder than words, because words can be far too easily misunderstood. And we learn that Straker does trust Rayna, even though she broke his heart. Her actions in trying to protect him have shown him that she truly does care for him as he had first supposed. I hope the reader was properly appalled when he asked her if she believed in ghosts too. The man is too cynical for his own good!
Chapter 4 – On the drive back to the city, we get Straker’s take on his relationship with Rayna up to this point. And we learn what he was thinking when he met her, as well as when he first broached the idea of a one night stand with her. I truly believe that a man with the integrity shown by Straker in the show would be someone who didn’t play around, but was always serious in his relationships with others. Not that he wasn’t playful. That’s entirely different. But he would take his interpersonal relationships seriously and would deplore superficial affairs. It’s how the show portrayed his character, and in spite of fanfic stories that show him differently, I just can’t see him any other way. So of course when confronted with a woman who is so perfect for him, he would feel compelled to marry her. He wanted that true companionship that he sensed was possible between them.
Here I hark on another theme of these stories. In fact, I define my idea of what constitutes true companionship in this series. I call it “a soul-deep harmony of two minds and hearts.” It’s a difficult concept to describe, especially to someone who has never experienced it themselves. But I think my phrase works well, since the reader also has the example of Rayna and Straker’s connection that first night to help them understand what I mean. If you’ve ever had a friend who instinctively understood you and could finish your sentences for you, then you have an idea of what this kind of companionship can be. To me, there is no higher form of relationship possible between two people.
We also in this scene finally get the reasons behind Rayna’s actions during the two stories. And our mystery lady is revealed as someone very much like the commander himself – someone who feels deeply and doesn’t want to be hurt.
Then we return to the Prince. If anyone was wondering why he didn’t destroy Straker in their scene together, now we find out why. He too glimpsed something about the commander that made him consider the concept of a companion for his eternity. But his definition of companionship is as twisted as he is, so we can tell right away that it’s not an offer Straker would ever find agreeable. As a side note: I didn’t go into detail about how a staking is done because I find it entirely too gruesome, especially when I consider that he actually did this to people. If you want the deets, look it up yourself.
Chapter 5 – I liked creating Anton Dalco. He was the father I always wished I had – so wise, so protective. And I thoroughly enjoyed (with my tongue firmly in my cheek) explaining how the Romanian government protected its tourists from the dangers of Poenari Castle. *grin*
We see Alexi again (in a way.) And Straker finally understands what Rayna means when she says vampire. She means alien. For years I have noticed the similarities between the aliens in UFO and vampires. I don’t know if anyone else ever made that connection, but since I like both sci-fi and fantasy/horror, I was bound to make the connection sooner or later. So in this series I got to explore those similarities in a way I never have before. I had a great time! The question Straker asks himself at the chapter’s end is one where the reader already knows the answer. Once more, we know more in this situation than our beloved commander – who’s still in shock over what he’s learned about Dracula. Not only that he still exists, but what he actually is.
Chapter 6 – This story only has one love scene (compared to the first story, which has several back to back.) So I made it a good one, allowing them to make love in a chair. Not always the most comfortable place for sex, nonetheless a chair can be quite enjoyable with a little forethought and adaptability. Straker at least finds it rewarding, even though it leaves his legs numb. *snicker* He asks Rayna if she’ll return with him to England, knowing all the while that he can’t marry her. And she agrees, accepting the limitations of their different lifestyles without knowing all the reasons why. I don’t know if I could have done the same in her shoes, but then one of my greatest assets (failings?) is that I’m curious. And Rayna – with a lifetime of secrets of her own – wouldn’t be like me in that area.
The scene with Anton Dalco was one I had no trouble playing out in my mind beforehand, and indeed, it came down on paper very close to the original way I envisioned it. Once more, communication gets in the way of understanding when Straker realizes that the police chief doesn’t understand how something could be there and not there at the same time. Our commander surely knows, not just because of his strong physics background, but because he’s dealt with the time tricks of the aliens before. The chapter ends with them in total agreement on how to handle what they now know about Dracula’s whereabouts.
Chapter 7 – Most of my stories don’t go this long, but this story demanded shorter chapters, but more of them. So I bent my own rather rigid rules and went with the flow. It worked out well, I think. We get Alec’s reaction to the plan of blowing up Dracula’s castle – he’s as scandalized as we would be if someone suggested such a thing. And a complication arises when the police chief reveals that Rayna isn’t in the house and hadn’t slept in her bed.
The scene shifts to the Prince, who begins his day preening over his victory over the Dalcos. A note of caution comes in when he remembers that Straker is with them, but over all, he is sure of his superiority. After all, he has survived for centuries and Straker is only human. I never actually say whether or not Dracula is destroyed in this story. For one thing, I’m not entirely sure I won’t bring him back for another installment. He was an interesting villain to write about, so it’s always a possibility. And for another, he’s such a vivid legendary figure that it was more difficult than I can say to write the words that would spell his end. So I didn’t. I leave it to the reader to decide if he’s actually gone or not. The important thing for this storyline is that he’s done for now.
I didn’t want them to focus so much on their victory over Dracula, so it worked out well to have them more worried about Rayna than they were about defeating the Prince. But they soon find out that Rayna is still very much alive. Straker is so moved by the fact that she was okay that he can’t help but declare himself. But he knows it’s alright to do so, since she isn’t a security risk after all.
Alexi is avenged, since the family records their centuries-long battle as won by his ingenious scheme to cut Dracula’s power. And Straker heads home with Rayna as his fiancee, wondering how Dr. Jackson will take the story of his adventures in Romania. (This final remark has reference to a story a fellow fanfic writer once wrote where Jackson knew many obscure secrets about Eastern European folklore.) The reader is left to imagine that upcoming scene in any way they like. It is sure to be an interesting one, that much is a given. *grin*