The Double Cult Cha-Cha: An Al Squires of the Protectorate Story (Book 1)

Ch. 14.2: Aunt Loraine's Lemonade

I do, in fact, own a few suits; and I do have a couple of suits that fit that description. But I only wear those for official and professional occasions. I mean, I'll wear that kind of suit whenever I'm undercover (courtesy of our Precinct extensive undercover wardrobe department); but I'm simply playing a role. The thing is that I just don't like to wear professional type of suits; they cramp my style. In my opinion, that type of suit is the symbol of convention and conformity; two of my least favorite words that start with 'c.' I better stop my little rant right now if we want to get on with the story.

For the sake of brevity, I'll give you the cliff-notes version of the next few steps:

I told Norah that my squad-mates would know something was up if they saw me in a suit, and that I couldn't get a suit from the undercover wardrobe department, or 'the Wardrobe' as we call it- without raising any red flags. So, we compromised (another c-word that I'm not crazy about). After breakfast, Norah went into the bathroom put on one of Ky's more conservative outfits that she offered her to borrow (with Ky in tow to help her apply enough makeup to make her look professional), while I checked on the progress on what going on in my workshop. When she was finished dressing and was all made up, Norah and I went through a portal to my Precinct; with her in a navy-blue pant suit and her pair of wedges, me in my preferred attire, and the one suit that says 'I'm a fed' more than the others in a special 'roomy' bag so it wouldn't get wrinkled.

I tried to ask Sylvie the designation of her and Norah's Earth, but she brushed me off. Norah gave it a go, and since Sylvie appeared to be sweet on her, she got it without any trouble. When Sylvie asked why I needed to know the designation and why did I had to bring Norah along, I simply told her that I was going to check out a possible lead on the case and I needed Norah's help me with it as well as keeping an eye on her. We then went on to one of the Division's portal making machines, set the coordinates to a remote place close by to her aunt's house, and stepped through. When we came to the other side, I went into the Still to change into the suit and put my clothes into the bag. Now that we have gotten through all of that, let's move on, shall we?

"Her house isn't far from here," Norah said as I returned from the Still in the suit and bag in hand. "We can walk to it."

"Lay on, MacDuff," I said as I made the 'lead the way' gesture with my hands.

Norah and I walked about a block on the suburban sidewalk to her aunt's house, when she noticed that I was tugging and realigning my suit.

"Will you stop that?" Norah quietly asked me.

"I can't help it," I said as I walked and pulled at the suit, "I never liked wearing this type of suit. They're unfashionable and the fabric has never felt right on my skin."

"Well, I'm sorry about that," she said in a firm tone, not sounding like she wasn't sorry at all, "but if you're going to pass as an FBI agent, you'll have to wear one. My aunt is very sharp. She'll know that you're not an FBI agent if you don't look that part."

"Oh? I asked coyly. "I seem to recall that it worked with you when I told you was an FBI agent at the hospital."

"That was different," she replied defensively. "I was still a bit groggy from being in stasis, and it didn't work for long."

"That being said," I said to her, trying to segue into another subject, "You're still going to have to lie to her. I mean, since the NDE won't let you explain to her what happened to you and what you've seen and experienced since got you out of stasis."

"Technically, that's not completely accurate," she countered.

"And how is that, exactly?" I asked with raised eyebrow.