"And so he bought it?"
Topaz sat back in her seat, taking a sip of her coffee. "All of it?"
"Hook, line and sinker." Cynthia giggled at the memory. "When we left him at the Drive Through, he was excitedly on the phone to his press office and yelling for photographers and whatever else. Tomorrow's edition of the Tribune is going to feature one heck of an exclusive story. And for once I shall be glad of it's subject matter."
"Oh, fab." Sylva dimpled. "So that's it, then? People are gonna stop looking for you once tomorrow's press gets out?"
"That is the hope." Cynthia agreed comfortably. "He was not a fool, this reporter, so I am glad Aaron and I went to great pains to carefully construct our scene before we took him there. He would not have been easily convinced otherwise. He was so excited about the story, he promised that the Tribune's reward for information would be donated to the Starlight Foundation on my request, so that also settles that."
She sighed. "And now, life can begin to get back to normal."
"Let's hope it can." Sadie pursed her lips. "I left a message at Alex's office that the Tribune were going to be printing a story that would be of great interest to his department - particularly Ray - so hopefully this will kill two birds with one stone when it comes to the crunch. The beauty of it is that when experts dissect the machine parts they find there, they will be consistant with Synergy, because they came from her. They can't possibly doubt the authenticity."
"No, they cannot." Cynthia responded.
"I suppose it doesn't settle everything." Copper mused thoughtfully. "We still don't know who wrecked the studio at Misfits Music, nor who stole Syl's car. And we still don't know that this press hype will solve the problem we have with Sammi and the other Teenangels deciding they have a claim over you, Cyn."
"One thing at a time." Cynthia shrugged. "Syl, have the police said any more on your car?"
"They've dropped the case for the time being. No new leads." Sylva grimaced. "Well, no leads at all, to be precise. No fingerprints. No DNA at the scene. Nothing to link anybody to my car, and everyone has a watertight alibi for the event in question. It's like the thing drove itself. Left me a note, then drove itself into a wall."
"I wouldn't have thought being your car would be that desperate a role." Nancy said wryly. Sylva grimaced.
"Me either. But you know, that's how it looks."
"The studio was the same way." Cynthia remembered. "Aside from the video - which is still blurry and unclear - there was no evidence that anyone was even there."
"I still think Daisy and that cousin of hers are our prime suspects." Nancy said with a shrug. "And if so, they'll slip up and we'll catch them. Daisy isn't smart, even if Margot is. We've survived worse saboteurs before."
"I guess, then, we should be focusing on our album again." Topaz mused. Nancy grimaced.
"Yes. That would be nice." She agreed. "Except I don't have a single song we can record for the tenth track. My mind is blank. I have a few in the works to use as B tracks on singles, but they're not album tracks. Nowhere near good enough."
"So what do we do?" Sadie asked. "Release nine tracks?"
"Jetta said she wanted at least ten." Copper shook her head. "So we're still in a rut?"
"Perhaps not." Cynthia said slowly.
"Cyn?" Sylva looked surprised. "You got an idea?"
"Yes." Cynthia nodded. "I recall...once in the past that Jewel released a cover version of an old Misfit hit, correct?"
"Yeah...because of the reunion show." Topaz nodded. "Takin' It All. It was fun...but what about it?"
"Perhaps it's an avenue to be considered again."
"What, go through the Misfit archives again?" Nancy grimaced. "No offence, Cyn, but it has been done."
"I did not mean the Misfit ones." Cynthia said simply. "I meant the Hologram ones."
"Hologram ones?" Sadie stared. "Cover a Jem and the Holograms song?"
"It is something we haven't done before." Copper admitted. "I know we played one or two at the Reunion show, but we never put any to disk, and it was a one off. We could do it."
"Do we want to?" Nancy pulled a face. "No offence, folks, but they're Hologram songs. I'm a Misfit kid. It kinda goes against my grain."
"No, I think Cynthia's right." Sylva said thoughtfully. "Sammi tried to seperate me from her by saying I was a Misfit kid, and she was a Hologram's daughter. But it's not about that any more - even if this person who stole my car thinks otherwise. Copper's a Hologram baby as much as you and I are Misfit ones, Nance, and Topaz and Sadie have no connections with either line. I vote we do it. We're Jewel, after all. We're not Misfits and we're not Holograms. If we can get permission from Kimber Harrison...I vote we do it."
"I agree." Topaz nodded. "If nothing else, it would be a fitting tribute considering the circumstances. And we could make it a single release...donations to the Foundation?"
"I was thinking along those lines too." Cynthia smiled. "I understand that the music needs to be your department, but it would be much appreciated if you could consider this. It would mean something to me, as a tribute to Jerrica and the Holograms. Sort of...I don't know...a final farewell for me to that life and everything that went with it."
"When you put it like that, Cyn, I guess we can't say no." Sadie grinned. "Did you have one in particular in mind?"
"Yes." Cynthia agreed. "Kimber wrote it for her father. I think she'd understand if I asked you to sing it with my sister in mind."
"Which song?" Nancy asked.
"I think I know." Copper grinned. "Always there in my heart. Right?"
"That's the one." Cynthia nodded. "Do you think it might work?"
"Well, tomorrow I'll discuss the idea with Mom." Nancy relented. "And Cyn, you'll have to go ask Kimber if she'd let us record it. You might even need clearance from Starlight Music, too...I don't know."
"If so, I'll speak to Aunt Aja." Sylva promised. "I know she'll say yes, when she realises why we want to do it."
"Thank you." A grateful smile touched Cynthia's lips. "I realise it is much to ask of you...but I think it would be final closure for me. A lot has happened recently, and it would help me make sense of it all."
She got to her feet.
"I must go and say goodnight to baby Jewel. I have neglected her of late." She said, stifling a yawn. "Then I intend to power down and rest my circuits. They definitely need it."
"You go ahead, Cyn." Topaz grinned. "Sweet dreams!"
Cynthia returned the grin, withdrawing from the room.
"You know what I still don't quite understand." Sylva mused, once she had gone.
"What?" Copper asked.
"How Cyn knew this reporter was on to her, anyway." Sylva pursed her lips. "Copper, Aaron was in on all this. Did he tell you?"
"No." Copper shook her head. "Only that a friend had warned her. He wouldn't say who and I didn't press him to. Whoever it was acted in good faith and didn't want their role in it to be known. Apparently they didn't even ask for a share of the reward money. I wonder if it was one of the Holograms, actually."
"It might have been. Sammi did mention there had been press all around their villa." Nancy looked thoughtful. "Or it could have been Rose. She knows about Synergy, and, so far, seems to understand the importance of keeping her secret."
"I'd forgotten Rose." Copper admitted. "But maybe you're right."
Sadie smiled.
"Well, whoever it was wanted to remain anonymous, so I guess it doesn't matter who." She said matter-of-factly. "The important thing is that it's over now, and we have an album to put out. I think doing a Hologram track might be fun. If nothing else, it'd be something different!"

Upstairs in the bedroom shared by Topaz and her young daughter, Cynthia had gently said her goodnights to the sleepy baby, tiptoeing out of the bedroom with a tender glance over her shoulder, then pulling the door to with a soft click.
"It is true, that you still need me." She murmured absently. "And Kimber and the others, they still do. Jewel are my friends and they will be here for me. Yes, it is a change. But I will learn to deal with it. It is as I said. Synergy is grown up and out on her own, in a way that nobody ever envisaged I would be. Oh, but for now I need rest!"
Slowly she headed down the stairs to the basement, opening the door and walking carefully down the cold stone steps into the darkness below. Slipping her projector off her wrist, she set it down on her main unit, powering down her hologram as she prepared to shut her circuitry down for the night.
As she did so, however, there was a strange humming sound and her main projector flickered from the soft purple light to a dull red. Slowly, in the black basement, a figure began to take shape, little by little, until a woman stood before the mainframe, a slight, amused smile on her face.
Wordlessly she reached for the projection watch, patting it gently, then sliding it on her wrist.
"Sweet dreams, Cynthia." She whispered softly. "While you rest, I have a lot of things left to do. My daughter is dead, and many people are to blame. Until they are dealt with, we can neither of us really rest. So sit tight. You need not worry about a thing. After all, this is what Emmet would have wanted from us. And this...yes, this is Jacqui's legacy to Los Angeles!"