This story was a long time in getting out to the public. There are many, many reasons behind that, but I won't bore you with them. Suffice it to say, I have finally pulled it all together and here it is for your reading pleasure. I would not have been able to pull it together without the gracious help and support from a variety of people. In no particular order... Marnee: What can I say? Aside from being one of my best friends, Marnee served in many other capacities during the writing of this novel. She edited the whole thing (many scenes more than once), listened to me whine and worry countless times, told me countless times that I could so finish it, and no one was more excited than she was when I told her I had typed the last word. Thanks always for the friendship and support--they mean the world to me. Miriam: A greater source of support and a dearer friend I could not have asked for. Over the phone, she listened to me read parts of my story and offered sound editing advice, then, once it was complete, she listened to me whine on the phone many, many times about the horrors I was going through trying to edit and publish this piece. This novel would not be here to be read without her. Thank you. Kathy and Rachel: For introducing me to The Sentinel in the first place. And for offering to give my novel a home when I despaired of finding one. I truly appreciate everything they've done for me. Carol: For being one of the greatest friends I have. Not even into The Sentinel, she nevertheless listened to me talk endlessly about this story and was always encouraging even when I was deeply discouraged. Thank you. Jim Brickman, whose music saw me through many hours of writing. I highly recommend him to anyone who needs good writing music! And last, but by no means least, My Family: Who gave up many hours of time with me when I was working on this, despite not really understanding the whole "fandom thing." There are countless others who lent their support during the 5 years it has taken this story to get from my head, onto the computer, and out to you. I thank them all. And now, without further ado... on to the story.   Ruth Calkins Summer 2002 P.S. I would enjoy hearing comments from anyone who reads this. My e-mail address is: RCalkins27@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you! Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight