TBC Whenever I Write Part 83 LOL ;)

   Part Eighty-One Tricks And Treats

I Will Post Part 82 Tomorrow! ;)

SmilesAlways,

Suzanne :)

*Proud And Happy Also A Little Puzzled Fan Of Alexei Yagudin Always!!!!:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):);p*

SmilesAlways,

Suzanne :)

*Proud And Happy Fan Of Alexei Yagudin Always!!:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)*

The cast and crew were on the move again. Today’s stop was the nation’s capital , Washington D.C. . The bus rolled on , after they made a stop for lunch. Christy watched the scenery go by, then she looked at a magazine while Alexei played a game on his laptop. One of the skaters on her bus offered her a cross word puzzle to work on. She thanked them , and she spent some of the time finding the words and filling in the blanks.

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 She also looked up to see out the window , as the snow began to fall and danced on the road ways. She thought about her experiences that she had on the tour so far. She had been having fun , and of course happy to be with Alexei day after day. Although , she had to wonder what her next assignment with the crew was going to be. She really liked working with the lights and sound , and even helping out with setting up , along with helping the ushers.

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Alexander had also recently called her , and told her that he wanted to interview her about being with the cast and taking the part of a crew member . Alexander had also recently called her, and told her that he wanted to interview her about being with the cast and taking the part of a crew member . She agreed to let him interview her for his paper.  When they arrived at the MCI Center, Christy helped with unloading the equipment, costumes, and props. They carried everything inside into the venue. Christy waited for the crew, and Scott came up to her. He said, "Hello Christy, we have a special assignment for you tonight."

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She smiled and replied, "Okay, What is the special assignment ?" Scott asked, "Can you skate, or stand up in skates?" She gave him a funny look, and said, "Well, yes I can stand up on ice, and I can skate a little." Scott beamed back at her and exclaimed, "That’s great!" Christy was still very puzzled and she quickly asked, "Why?" Scott said, "Well, Christopher needs some help with the choreography , just the finale , the group number." Christy was speechless, then she finally answered back with, "Okay."

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Scott said, "Don’t worry, he will show you what do ." "His assistant had a personal problem, and had to leave , family matter to take care of." Christy followed Scott inside, still not too sure about her new assignment.  Scott lead her over to Christopher Dean and said, "Christopher, this young lady here is going to help you ." Christopher smiled at Christy, she laughed and replied, "Well, I will try." He said, "I saw you dancing in your chair during the last show."

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 She asked, "You did?"  He said in return, "Yes, I did and I thought you were very good." She smiled and replied, "Well, I was just sitting down and the music was too up beat for me to ignore ." He said, "You were having fun and I thought that you could help me in the next show." "What size of boots do you wear?" She asked, "Do you mean skates, or boots?" He said, "Sorry skating boots, skates."

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She replied, "I am an 8." He nodded his head and replied, "Let’s go see if we can get you an 8 then." She followed him into a back room, and he said, "Actually my assistant left her skates, and she wears the same size as you."  Christy gave him a smile then he told her that it was time to practice. She went out to the ice with him, after they laced up their skates. The cast members gathered around in front of them. He said, "Hey guys, we have a new assistant with us for tonight’s show." Christy waved to the skaters, and she said, "Hi."

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Alexei gave her an encouraging wink and smile. She smiled back at the group . The music to the finale , Can’t Stop began to play. Christy watched Christopher, as he demonstrated the choreography . She sat down and observed Christopher Dean and the skaters. Then after the fourth or fifth run through, Christopher had her join him. He said, "Okay, Christy you take the ladies and we will take it from the top." Christy briefly glanced over at Christopher and she followed his lead, as the ladies skated in a line to meet up with the fellows.

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Christy danced right along with them, and Christopher even used Christy to demonstrate a dip. He said, "Ladies , don’t be afraid to tip your heads back as you are being dipped." They all nodded their heads, as he said, "The fellows have you, and they won’t let you fall or let go of you, right guys?" The men shouted back, "Yes!" He said, "Okay , now twirl them dip , and stand up." "Good , good, now shake those shoulders, have fun , smile." "Great smile, Alexei." "Alright , now I want crisp arm movements no flailing allowed." "I want your arms to pop up , and stick it."

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"Like, Bam other arm boom." "Awesome work, now for the lined formation , and the fancy foot work , that we all can thank Alexei for sharing with us." "I really want to see the ice fly, your feet should be in constant motion during this." "Alexei will you demonstrate this for us please?" Alexei said, "Sure." Then in a flash, Alexei’s feet took off tapping into the ice, with lively dance steps . Christopher clapped and said, "Just like that." The skaters practiced the finale until Christopher Dean was quite satisfied .

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They had a ten minute break , then he wanted Christy to help him with something else. He asked her to stand in the black tunnel with the skaters, as they got ready to make their grand entrance. He yelled out, "Break time is over now, we are going to practice the opening act!" Christy lead all of the skaters back into the black tunnel.  Then they lined up one by one, and waited for the music and The Great and Powerful Oz to begin. Christy made sure everyone was ready to go out on their cue. She was happy when everyone went out in the right order, then she sat down and watched as the cast wove their special magic.

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Christopher had them run through their individual numbers. She finally had a chance to see the show from the first act to the finale. Christopher said, "Great job, everyone now I need a few volunteers to go shopping with Christy." "Any ladies interested and some of you guys maybe?" Christy asked, "Why?"  Christopher replied back, "As my assistant, you will attend the reception , and you will need a dress." Jamie raised her hand, Kyoko raised her hand , and Jenni held her hand up as well.

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Then Alexei said, "I ‘ll go", and Anton agreed to go . Christopher smiled and said, "The crew that is going shopping, head out to the bus. Then one of the members of the group suggested that maybe they should take a taxi, but then the person changed their minds . Once they realized how many taxi’s that everyone would have to take. The gang headed out to the bus, Christy was wondering how the dress was going to be paid for. Jenni announced that Christopher gave her an envelope with cash inside. Alexei was sitting next to Christy and he said, "Put that away, I will pay for the dress."

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Kyoko’s eye brow raised , as she gave Alexei a questioning glance. Christy spoke up and replied, "No, Alexei you don’t need to do that." He said, "Yes, I do and you need more clothes, we are taking you shopping , and I don’t want to hear any more protesting from you. She still felt that she did not need to be fussed over. The bus pulled into the parking lot of a mall that was five miles from their venue. Everyone stepped off the bus, and Christy reluctantly walked among them. Jamie pointed out the first store that held promise . The rest of them followed her in and she lead them back to the evening wear department of the store.

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Kyoko pulled out a poofy , wild, pink colored, with big black polka dots. She said, "Here , try this on." Christy sensed that Kyoko was not too fond of her. But, she just smiled and replied, "I don’t that dress is my style." Alexei just laughed at the dress. Jamie found a simple, black dress. She asked Christy, "How about this one?" Christy smiled and said, "Thank you, Jamie." Anton and Alexei picked out a red evening dress. Christy took both of the dresses and tried them on in the fitting room. Alexei and Anton whistled when she stepped out in the red one.

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Jenni teased them and said, "Down boys." She also told Christy that red was Christy’s color. Then the ladies went with her to select the perfect pair of red shoes. This time Kyoko picked out cute, little , red pumps . They found some in Christy’s size. She thanked all of them again, and they told her that she was more than welcome. Then the ladies and gentleman helped Christy find a few more pairs of jeans, some very cute and vibrant colored, sweaters, along with some long sleeved , solid colored shirts. Christy gave them all hugs , and they paid for the dress and shoes, with the cash.

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Then Alexei generously paid for the rest of the purchases. They all headed back to the venue , and Christy got ready for the reception . Jamie gave her a pair of hose to wear, and she told Christy that she had others. Jenni and Elena helped her with her hair and make up. Elena said, "You look beautiful , and all of the men won’t be able to keep their eyes off of you tonight."  Christy blushed and quietly thanked her. Jamie applied some red lipstick to Christy’s lips. She teased Christy by saying, "Alexei will certainly be pleased." She gave her a wink, Christy just smiled back at her.

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Later on that evening, Christy went with Christopher and the rest of the cast to the reception . Alexei stayed by her side, and he whispered, "You look very beautiful ." She said, "Thank you, Alexei ." She smiled as she met and shook hands with every VIP there, and she ate a delicious meal with the cast. She watched as the cameras flashed all around , and she felt very out of place. But, she knew that she could not just get up and walk away. When the reception was over, she changed back into a red sweater and some black jeans.

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The cast changed into their costumes for the first number . Then they all lined up as the lights went down, and the show began. Christy told them to have an awesome show, they thanked her and started to skate out on their cue. She heard the applause and could not believe that the first half of the show was already over. She helped the crew put away some of the props ,from the first act during the intermission.

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Christopher told them how wonderful they were doing.  The second act blew the crowd away, the cast were all very happy. After the show, everyone packed up and headed back to the hotel. Christy re-packed her suitcase before she went to sleep.  She also answered the phone and talked to Jenni. She was invited to the slumber party for the following night. Since , the cast had a few days off for traveling to the west for the next show in  Spokane , Washington .

TBC ;'o

Christy opened her eyes , and blinked them a couple of times to adjust to the bright morning light.  She noticed that the bus was still in motion, she looked over at Alexei , and she saw that he was asleep. She closed her eyes again and drifted back off to sleep. She did not know what time it was, all she did know was that she felt some one nudge her on her shoulder. She slowly opened her green eyes and mumbled, "Good morning." She rubbed her eyes and covered her mouth during an on coming yawn. Alexei smiled and said, "Good morning, we are stopping for some breakfast."

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Christy took a glance at the buildings they were passing by, and she wondered where they were. She asked Alexei, "Do you know where we are?" He asked one of his cast members , then he was told they had just entered the town of Pikesville, Maryland. He replied to Christy, "Pikesville , Maryland, a couple of miles away from our next stop." She said, "Okay," as she tried to stretch her arms , and legs. The tour bus pulled into a parking lot of a place for them to have their breakfast.

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All of the occupants on the bus, shuffled out into the cool, refreshing, morning air. Christy took a couple of deep breaths to take in the fresh air.  Then every one filed into the restaurant and waited to be seated. The hostess lead all of them back into a private room , where parties were held. The waitress came a long a few moments later to ask them what they would like to drink. Most of the crew and cast mates wanted coffee, while Alexei ordered some hot tea.

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The group got up to have a look at the breakfast buffet , where Christy’s mouth watered, and her stomach grumbled and growled. She had made her choice, it was the buffet with everything on it. The majority of the crowd also decided the buffet looked great. The waitress brought them their drinks, and she told the ones that ordered the buffet to go and help themselves. Christy did not need to be told twice, she headed over to the large buffet, and grabbed a glass plate along with silverware wrapped in a decorative napkin.

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Christy dipped the ladle into a large pan with steamy, creamy, gravy with sausage to pour over her flaky biscuits . She also added some fluffy, golden yellow, scrambled eggs , along with a piping, hot, slice of bacon. Then she found some fresh fruit, like red, plump, grapes , ripe, juicy , water melon, and fresh strawberries, and last but not least a few slices of banana. She returned to the table and said a silent prayer, as she bent her head down and folded her hands, while her eyes were closed.

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After she finished her prayer, she tucked her napkin around her lap, and smiled at the delicious food that was in front of her. She ate every single morsel of the food on her plate, and even made a second trip to the buffet.   This time around, she decided to try a few french toast sticks that had white , powder sugar sprinkled all over them. She drizzled some , sweet, sticky, maple syrup on top of each of them. Once everyone had their fill, and the bill was paid , they all headed back to the bus and continued on their way.

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A few hours later that morning, they came into Baltimore and the bus turned into the hotel’s entrance. After the rooms had been assigned , Christy went to her’s and did her best to change her clothes, since she only had a limited selection to work with. She was very thankful, because they all had some time to catch up on their lost sleep before they had to go to practice. She did not waste any of those precious minutes , as she snuggled under the covers and fell alseep. She was given another wake up call, only this time the telephone was used.

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 Kyoko called and informed her that it was time to meet in the lobby, and for loading the bus. Christy thanked her, and hung up the phone, then she quickly made the bed and checked her hair and make up. A few minutes later, she greeted every one and went out with them to the bus, for a short ride over to the Baltimore Arena. She wondered what she would be doing next , at this show. She knew that she would be finding out sooner than later. Another large venue came into view , it looked nice from the outside.

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The skaters and crew went into action carrying boxes, unloading racks that had various costumes hanging on them, and taking in the other equipment . She waited for the crew , to tell her what jobs needed to be done, once they were all inside.  She smiled at another man that seemed to be heading in her direction. She kind recognized his face, but she could not recall his name. He smiled back at her and said, "Hi, Christy, you are going to be helping me with lights and sound tonight." She replied, "Okay, I did have some experience with the spotlights, in my high school plays." He said, "Great, I have some things to show you though."

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 She followed him , as he lead her over to a huge, machine, like structure. She quickly discovered that there were a lot of knobs, buttons, and other controls. He said, "This is a very important job, the show would be the same with out the music and the corresponding lights."  She agreed with him and he added, "Oh by the way I am Charlie, now don’t get scared, because I am going to be with you." She chuckled and asked, "Do I seem nervous?" He smiled at her and replied, "Oh, just a little bit, and I don’t blame you this equipment can look intimidating." She said, "Yeah, it does ."

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Then he joked with her when he said, "But, it beats hanging out in those rafters." She laughed, even though she quite did not understand what he meant. He said, "Let me show you, with a twist of this red knob, the red spotlights are turned on and facing down." Christy was very impressed again, and she exclaimed, "Wow!" He said, "The skaters will have an extensive practice and that will allow you to get to know this beauty in no time ."   He continued on with his explanation as he said, "With a push of this button, the music automatically will play."

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Christy watched Charlie very carefully, as he told her about each dial, knob, button, and all of the other important details. Christopher Dean yelled out, "Practice time , come on everybody!" Charlie smiled and said, "It’s show time, okay Christy have a seat, and push that green button over there on your left."  Christy sat down next to Charlie and she obediently pushed down the green button. One second later, the opening number’s music began to play. All of the skaters went into their marked areas , and skated out one by one in the order they were given.

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Christy was able to watch some of the group number, until Charlie said, "Okay, Alexei’s up , the button on your right , that pink one, hit that for me." Christy pushed the pink button and the music changed from The Great and Powerful Oz, over to Alexei’s Born to be Wild. Charlie worked on the lights for Alexei’s number , while Christy studied his every move.  After Alexei finished practicing his first solo act, Christy asked, "Okay, now what button do I press?" Charlie said, "Okay, now you want to push that pale blue one." She did and was still amazed when the music instantly turned into a softer , more romantic tune.

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Kyoko and John worked through Bed of Roses, then Christy asked Charlie, "May I guess which one is next?" Charlie said, "Sure, what button do you think comes next?" Christy looked at all of the different colored buttons and then she asked, "Is it this yellow one?" Charlie looked at her with a look that clearly expressed pure shock, then he said, "Yeah, that’s it way to go , Christy." Christy was catching on, that each button was color coordinated with each skater’s costume.

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Except for The Great and Powerful Oz, that was just green , for some odd reason, but the rest of the buttons matched either the costume’s color , or the lighting’s color. She breezed through the rest of the practice and had every one’s music cued each time. Charlie seemed like he was very impressed , and he even said, "Great job , Christy ." She smiled and thanked him and felt pretty happy with her progress that she had made. The cast and crew had a nice , long , lunch hour, Alexei came up to Christy and said, "How about Mc.Donald’s? my treat."

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Christy jumped up and said, "I ‘ll see you soon , Charlie." Charlie replied, "Bye now, Christy have a nice lunch you earned it."  Alexei and Christy ran over to the restaurant that was conveniently located by the venue . Alexei pulled a base ball cap out of the pocket of his blue jeans, then he pulled it over his eyes. They went inside and were happy when they noticed that the place was not very crowded. Christy ordered a chicken mc. nugget meal, while Alexei got him a big mac with a large fry, and they both had chocolate milkshakes. Then they quickly headed back over to the venue with their food.

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He showed her where his dressing room was, well the guys all shared it.  They sat down in the comfortable, plush, red chairs, and she told him about her experience with the sound equipment. He swallowed his bite, then he said, "You did a great job, isn’t that machine cool?" She smiled and replied, "Very cool, that was a lot of fun, but a little over whelming at first."  He said, "Oh yeah, I am scared to touch it with all of those buttons, dials, knobs, and controls on it, I won’t even go near it." She laughed and finished eating her nuggets and fries.

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The two gathered up the wrappers, and boxes, and their cardboard , paper, cups . Then they tossed them into the large white bag. Alexei said, "Quick , Christy look and see if any one is coming." She looked out the door, and replied, "All clear , Lyosha." He said, "We must hide the evidence." She laughed and kept on looking out for any one coming. Alexei quickly buried the bag in the trash can , then he washed his hands in the bathroom. Christy just laughed and laughed , because of the way he was acting.

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They silently returned to the rink, and Alexei joined the rest of the cast. Scott smiled at her and she said, "Hello." He said, "I am so glad , you and SAL are getting along." She asked him , "What? Who is SAL?" He pointed to the equipment and smiled. Christy smacked her forehead with her hand and replied, "Oh , duh SAL or Sound And Lights." He laughed and said, "Yes, that’s our SAL." Christy smiled at him and replied, "That’s a clever name." She returned to her seat behind SAL, and Charlie said, "Alright, now for the second half, we are going to see how you do with the lights."

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He traded her chairs , and then he said, "Okay, the skaters are going to run through the second act of the show."  "Then they will take a break, we will go through the whole show again with you running the lights." "After that run through is over, you and I decide whether you will be in charge of the sound or lights."  She said, "Sounds good, let’s do it." She heard Christopher yell, "Back to work!" The cast immediately took their places . The guys had a boy’s night out and a showed off their moves , after all they were Studz.

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While Christy tapped her toes, and twisted the yellow knob that Charlie pointed to . That turned the gold spotlights on the sides of the rink, and the ones overhead. They faced down on the guys , then she turned the spinning dials and the golden, yellow, white, and orange lights danced and twirled across the ice’s smooth surface. After Studz , Christy got set for Katrina’s number, The Rest of Your Life. She turned another knob that was blue, and she turned on all of the dark, rich, blue lights , including the side lights. Charlie told her where to place each beam of the blue and white lights.

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She thought the effects of the blue lights shadowing the ice, were stunning, just like Katarina herself.   Todd skated out and the lighting for his number, Miserere began as blue with white, but then it changed into a lovely , bright, golden yellow , with a little bit of purple , then it went back to white and gold. Christy had to use both hands at times. Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur’s act had royal purple color for the lighting along with a white color , that slowly followed the majestic pair’s every move. Then she also turned the on the blue spotlights , so that the purple and blue could mingle with each other, and then pink had to be added into the mix.

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At the end, all of the blue and white lights flowed down over the two , as they pretended to bow and blow their kisses. Kurt came out and Christy really tried hard not to laugh , because she had to focus her attention on controlling his green lights. She also had to make sure that he never caught the white beaming light , that could quickly turn green at times. Then she had to let him finally catch the light at the end, and have the spotlights shine down on Kurt , as he bows and tries to grab onto the rope , that was tossed out as well.

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Anton and Elena’s Mme. T AfterHours had white and a little bit of light blue, then she had to activate the hot pink lights, and made sure the light gold lights were shining from the side. Jamie and David’s Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin, had a lot of hot red colored lights, that were both exciting and slow in motion , with little red spot lights lighting up the edges of the ice. While , white lights chased the two of them , and were followed up by gold , then ended up with more red highlights. Christy blew on her fingers to give them some brief relief , before Alexei came out.

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After Alexei came out, Christy had to manage white, red, and black light that shined down from over head, along with white side lights . All of the lights appeared as circles on the ice that scrambled in all kinds of different directions. Her fingers were going just as fast , as Alexei was skating on the ice. She was pretty happy when Racing was finished. The finale was very colorful, with yellow, pink, red, and hot pink circles, that had more bursts of yellow . Christy’s fingers could not stop moving even if she tried to stop them.

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She was thrilled when Christopher said they had a break . Alexei skated up to her and asked, "How are your fingers?" She quickly replied, "Burning, they hurt, that was not easy to do." Alexei gave her a hug and he said, "Poor thing, want a cup of ice?" She said, "Yes, please that would help." He said, "Okay, be right back." Charlie asked, "Are you okay, Hon?" She replied, "Well, my fingers are sore, that was very tough to do."  Alexei came back with a huge cup of ice. He said, "There ya go, I hope that helps." She smiled and dipped her left hand in. Then she replied, "Oh, this feels so good, thank you Alexei."

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He smiled and said, "You’re welcome, Chris." She pulled her left hand out and put her right hand in to the ice cubes. Her fingers felt so much better. When break time was over, Charlie asked, "Do you want to do the sound now?" She said, "I am sorry, but yes I like sound much better." He laughed and replied, "You don’t have to be sorry, you did a wonderful job." Christy said, "Thank you, Charlie , I hope so." He smiled at her and replied, "You’re welcome , now you remember the green button is for Oz, right?" She did not even respond , she just hit the green button , then smiled at Charlie.

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Charlie turned the blue knob and Christy watched the blue lights light up the ice.  He said, Great, now when Alexei stays out there on the ice , you hit that pink button."  She did and Born to be Wild played again. She glanced up once to see what lights were used, from her quick peek she saw three pale yellow lights shining on Alexei as he knelt down on his knees on the ice. She hit the pale blue button for Bed of Roses to start playing , and when that was through , she pushed the yellow button for Jamie and David’s Come Fly With Me . When Todd skated for his performance , Channel 1 Suite , Christy hit the light green button , and his music began .

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The moving song matched Todd’s powerful and graceful moves out on the ice. She also noticed that some of the lights matched the shade of green in his costume. However, she had to turn her focus back on to her task at hand. Because, Katarina Witt, Gorsha Sur and John Zimmerman , were patiently waiting for Blues in the Night , to play so that they could skate and practice their romantic comedy , Hotter than Blue. Christy paid more attention to the buttons , and after she hit the black button , she watched a little of Alexei’s Over Come . She thought he was brilliant , and she could not have been any more prouder of him .

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She had Jenni and Todd’s music cued , and ready to go, so she took some time to see them skate. She softly chuckled at the pair , as Todd showed off for Jenni in their practice of I’m Your Man. She had everything all set for Kurt, and helped Charlie with a few of the red spot lights during Kurt’s , How do you Keep the Music Playing .  Then she easily made the transition from Kurt’s thoughtful tune, over to Elena’s, Anton’s , Jamie’s , David’s and Todd’s song filled with jazz and upbeat music as they ran through , Power Play.

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The moment her finger pressed the purple button. Charlie grinned at her and said, "I believe that we are ready for tonight." Christy smiled and answered him back with, "Yes, I am ready, I love doing the sound."  Charlie laughed and said, "All of my partners say that, I can’t figure out why." He gave her a wink , and she laughed at him . He said, "Well, we better go get us some supper now, you can’t run sound on an empty stomach."  She chuckled again and replied, "You’re right, I am hungry time flew didn’t it?" He said, "Sure did, time always flies when we have these practices." The two went to one of the vendors with food , and bought two sandwiches , two bags of potato chips, and two bananas .

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After supper, Christy changed into her t-shirt with the cast on it, and sat with Charlie until the show began.  While the spectators found their seats, Christy was directed by Charlie to push some other buttons. Heexplained that those will play the pre show music, Christy also asked Charlie after the lights started to fade, "How will I be able to see the buttons in the dark?" Charlie replied, "Don’t worry, the panel will light up automatically, after the lights are completely out." She said, "Oh, cool, thanks , Charlie." He smiled and replied, "Don’t mention it my pleasure."   His walkie talkie made a beeping noise , and he said, "Yeah?"

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The garbled voice on the other walkie talkie replied, "The skaters are ready to go, all lined up in the tunnel." Charlie replied, "Got ya, will start spot lights now and music." He said, "Okay, Christy hit that green button and let’s get this show on the road." Christy pushed the green button and all of the cast members and music worked like clock work in, The Great and Powerful Oz.  Charlie gave her a thumbs up , and she hit the pink button , then Alexei strutted his stuff in his presentation of Born to be Wild, which was another crowd pleaser . The first act ran very smoothly and quite fast. Before Christy could have blinked her eyes, she was gearing up to play the songs during the intermission .  

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Then she was pushing the buttons for the second act. This time she was not only tapping her toes , but she bopped her head up and down, while she yelled out for the guys. Because, they all were certainly Studz. She quietly observed the next three acts that followed , and made sure that each piece of music was ready to play. She allowed herself to watch and laugh out loud at Kurt’s silly number, Slippery Side Up. She could finally enjoy the show more, since she had switched from to sound.

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After Elena and Anton finished their Mme. T After Hours, she even started to relax. The show had been a success so far, and she felt like letting her hair down.  She moved and grooved with Jamie and David’s Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin , and who could stop clapping their hands along with the pumping, heart pounding , thrilling , Racing? She certainly couldn’t and her shoulders did a little shimmy along with the cast's  in Can’t Stop. Charlie laughed at her at times, as the cast did their bows and waves. The lights came back on, while they waved one more time , and quickly went back into the black skating tunnel.

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Christy was overjoyed and Charlie gave her a hug and a hand shake, then he said, "You did a great job, Christy , thank you again for your help."  She helped everyone tear down and load everything back into the huge semi trailer . The skaters had a little celebration together back at their hotel, before they all got back on the bus and started on their way off to Washington , D.C.

TBC;p

The next morning, a knock on the door , awoke Christy. She yawned and stretched her arms. She noticed that it was very early , when she caught a glimpse of the time on the clock. She said, "Hold on, I am coming." She grabbed the robe hanging on the bathroom door and put it around her. She opened the door a crack, and she poked her head out for a peek.

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Todd Eldredge smiled a bright smile and said, "Good morning, Christy." She yawned and replied with a smile, "Good morning, Todd." He explained to her that he was the designated personal wake up call .  She laughed and said, "Okay, Well, I am up." He replied back to her, "We are all meeting in the lobby in an hour." She nodded her head and replied, "Got it, I will be there." He said, "Great see you then." She closed the door after giving him a friendly wave.

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Then she pulled her bag out and she changed her clothes. After she had changed into a fresh pair of jeans and another sweater , she straightened up her hotel room. Then she put her hair in a pony tail, she grabbed her belongings and headed out the door. She joined the others and they all greeted her with, "Good morning, Christy." She gave them all a friendly wave and replied, "Good morning." Alexei came to over to stand next to her, and he asked, "How did you sleep?" She smiled at him and said, "I slept very good."

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He smiled and said, "Good." She asked, "How about you?" He quietly replied, " I slept okay." She looked at the other cast members , she felt an awkwardness with Alexei. She was not too sure what the cast knew, or if they just figured she was more than his friend. She just did not know how to act, and from the way Alexei was acting she could tell that he had that same awkward feeling.   The other members of the cast were chatting with each other . Then they all filed out to go to the bus, Alexei stayed behind with Christy. He pulled her over to a secluded corner behind the hotel’s Christmas tree.

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Christy said, "I don’t know how I am supposed to be acting." Alexei gave her a hug and replied, "I  know, but only two cast members know about you being my girlfriend." "This is hard on me too, I wanted to give you a kiss ." Christy smiled at Alexei and whispered , "Me too."  He said, "Okay one quick kiss before we go out to the bus." She nodded her head , then his lips met her’s and he held her tightly against him. His fingers played with her pony tail, then he pulled away, and she smiled, as she wiped the lipstick off of his mouth.

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He said, "We better go, now or the driver will start to honk the horn." She said, "Yes." The two boarded the bus and found a seat . Christy watched the cars that they passed by , along with the houses. Then before she knew it the tour bus had pulled into their first stop. Christy’s eyes widened from just the sight of the big venue in the town of Huntington, West Virginia . The bus pulled into a secluded place inside the parking garage.

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All of the members of the cast and crew got off the bus, and Scott Hamilton came up to Christy and Alexei. He said, "Hi, Christy I am Scott." Christy replied, "I know , I used to watch you on the tv when I was younger." Scott smiled and said, "Aww" "Well, I wanted to introduce you to our crew, you will be helping out while you’re on the tour." She smiled and said, "Great, I am all your’s." "Bye Lyosha, I will see you later." He smiled and said, "Bye, Christy yes see you later."

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Christy walked behind Scott and then he suddenly stopped in front of a group of people. The skaters passed them and walked into the VIP entrance. Scott said, "Hey guys, this is Christy ." The group of crew members said, "Hello, Christy." Christy gave them a nervous smile and quietly replied, "Hello."  They said, "Follow us." She followed them through the same entrance that the skaters used. Then they stopped at the huge , black , skating tunnel. At first, she helped the rest of the crew and skaters carry in costumes, props, equipment, and other items that were related to the show.

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Once everything had been brought in, one of the crew members said, "Okay, Christy now we have to get the arena ready for tonight’s show." She looked at the stadium, and noticed the hard wood floor , where the home team plays their basket ball games. She said, "Okay," as she thought that the mission looked impossible.  However, she quickly became impressed when she assisted a fellow crew member with lifting a piece of the floor.  The floor fit together like a giant jig saw puzzle. She helped them carry the pieces one by one into a back room.

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Once the floor had been literally taken apart , a Zamboni assisted with making the ice. Christy did wonder why all of this had not been done before the skaters arrived. She asked, one the members named Tom, "Why did we wait till now to prepare the ice?" Tom explained, "There was a basketball game here last night , and it ran over." "We wanted to do this part last night." She said, "Oh , okay, I understand now." He smiled at her and said, "Okay, now that the ice is getting set, would you like to help the one of the ushers out?"

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Christy smiled and said, "Sure." Tom replied, "Wonderful, go over to Terri, she is an usher." Christy walked over to Terri, and asked, "What do you need me to do?" Terri smiled at Christy and asked, "Could you help me lay these coupons down on each seat?" Christy smiled and she grabbed a large stack of coupons for either jam or peanut butter and jam. She went around every section from the tippy top all the way down to the seats on the ice.

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Each chair was given a coupon for the lucky occupants , Terri was very impressed and she exclaimed, "Wow, you were fast!" "Would you like to help me pass out surveys to the spectators tonight?" "Then you would be a big help if you could also pass out the advanced ticket forms at intermission." Christy thought over what Terri had asked her then she finally said, "Well, that depends on if the crew will give me another job for tonight."  " I will have to go ask them first." Terri smiled and said, "No problem, you can let me know in a little while, Thank you so much for your help ."

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Christy smiled and replied, "You’re more than welcome, that was fun." Christy joined Tom, and she told him about Terri’s requests for her help that night. He rubbed his chin with his hand, and he said, "Sure, you can help her, we have everything else ready.""You sure were a big help today Sweetie." Christy smiled and said, "You’re welcome, thank you for letting me tag along." He smiled warmly at her and replied, "You’re always welcome to tag along with us." "We always need an extra hand."

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She smiled at him again , and then she hurried off to find Terri. Terri was helping with setting up the displays of the merchandise for the show. Christy smiled and stood quietly out of the way. Terri spotted her and instantly smiled . She said, "Hello, there , I am sorry but , I never asked you your name." Christy replied, "That’s okay, it’s Christy." Terri smiled and said, "Great to see you again , Christy." "Hey , could you help me place these t-shirts in these cases?" Christy said, "Sure, and I can help tonight too."

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Terri asked, "Really?" Christy smiled and , while she eagerly nodded her head. Terri said, "Wonderful, we don’t have any extra vests for you, but you can wear one of the t-shirts to help promote the sales of course." Christy said, "I would be honored to."  Terri said, "Great, just pick out your size and which one you would like to wear." Christy chose a white t-shirt with a picture of the cast on the front. Terri told her that she could go on ahead and change.

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Christy quickly went into the bathroom and changed into her t-shirt. Then she came back to the booth and she helped the two ladies finish stocking the souvenirs.   She looked at the time on the clock, it was close to six. She took a peek into the arena through the opened door.  From what she saw, the skaters were finished with their practice. She was sad that she missed their practice. But she had been busy helping with getting the last minute details completed. Terri said, "Now the skaters will have a reception and mingle with very important people.

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Christy laughed at Terri’s little joke. Her stomach grumbled, and she realized that it had been awhile since she had breakfast.  She really did not have any money with her, she was not expecting this sudden trip. She did not have time to exchange her money. She did not want to bother Alexei, but she was starving. Terri saw the worried expression on her face. She asked, "Christy, Honey what’s wrong?" Christy replied, "I am so hungry, I don’t have any money."

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"I don’t want to interrupt Alexei at the reception." Terri gave her a hug and replied, "Awww, Hon, I will buy you some food." "We can’t have you passing out on us." Christy quietly said, "Thank you, I will find a way to pay you back." Terri waved her hand at her, and answered with, "Don’t mention it, I will be happy to get you your supper." "You poor thing, you should have told me you needed to eat, sooner." Christy said, "Alyosha will lend me some money to pay you back."

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Terri’s face had a confused expression , as she asked, "Who is Alyosha?" Christy blushed and she said, "Alexei." Terri smacked her forehead with her hand and replied, "Oh, of course Alexei Yagudin." "Really, Doll, you don’t have to have him pay me back." "It’s my treat , now let’s go get some supper." Christy followed Terri to the nearest vendor with food. Terri asked, "Would you like to split a foot long?" Christy’s mouth watered and she said, "Yes, that sounds so good." Terri ordered a foot long with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and black olives. Terri also bought them two medium soft drinks and a bag of chips.

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The two walked around until they found a quiet corner to eat their meal in peace. Christy did not even care about the black olives, as she sank her teeth into her half. She never knew that a sandwich from Subway could have ever tasted so good. She devoured the rest of her sandwich , and her sour cream and onion potato chips. Terri said, "That sub was delicious wasn’t it?" Christy dabbed her mouth with her napkin before she replied, "Yes, Thank you so much again." Terri smiled and said, "You’re welcome, really it was my pleasure." "Because you have really been a big help today."

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She looked at her watch and said, "The doors will be opening soon." Christy said, "Okay, just tell me where you want me." Terri got up from their cozy spot on the floor and threw their trash away. Then she handed Christy a stack of surveys. She said, "Okay, you stand here and when the people come in , smile and say, "Would you fill out this survey please?" "You could win a trip to another Smuckers Stars on Ice event in any city of your choice ."

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Christy said, "Got it, and if I run out?" Terri said, "Then don’t worry about it, Oh and also tell them to return the survey to you." Christy smiled and replied, "Okay." She stood and waited for the fans and spectators to arrive. While she waited , she hummed along and tapped her toes to the songs that were played from the overhead speakers. The ushers opened the double doors and Christy passed out the surveys and the tiny red pencils, as she cheerfully repeated what Terri told her to say.

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She also thanked each person that returned the completed surveys back to her. She was tired, she also had fun. She straightened up the stack and handed all of them over to Terri. Terri smiled and said, "Fantastic, we are free until intermission." Christy’s eyes glanced at some of the empty seats, and she wondered what she would be doing during the first half of the show. Terri knew just by looking at Christy that she wanted to see the show. She said, "I bet you want to watch the show." Christy blushed and asked, "Was I that obvious?" Terri laughed and said, "Well, yeah you were." "I am not supposed to sit down, but you can sit and I will stand by you."

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Terri lead Christy down a couple of aisles , then Christy had a seat . She was happy to have the chance to see the show. She felt just as excited as everyone that filled those seats in the arena. Finally their wait was over, the music began and the cast kicked the evening’s event off with The Great and Powerful Oz. She thought that Alexei looked very good in his pink shirt. She was impressed with the jumps and the spins that all of the skaters performed with perfection. She even joined a few crazy fans, as they stood up and shouted, "We love you, Alexei!", when his name was announced.

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Then Christy was pleasantly surprised when Alexei was handed a black leather jacket.  She reminded herself to tell Alexei later, that he looked great in that black leather jacket. She could tell he was a crowd pleaser, especially when he ran and slid in front of two sections on his knees. She gave him another standing ovation, he was her favorite already and Born to be Wild was a hit.

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Then she was awed by Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman ‘s Bed of Roses. Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were very graceful , and Jamie did seem to be flying in his arms while they skated to, Come Fly With Me. She thought Todd Eldredge was very powerful in Channel 1 Suite. Then the number that followed was a mixture of comedy and flirtation, but she could not remember the names of the skaters.

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Alexei appeared on the ice again and she cheered for him as loudly as she could. She was so moved by his passion , his strong will, determination , and his dramatic expressions. She truly believed Alexei could over come anything he was faced with. She was so proud of him , and at the end she stood up and blew him some kisses. He smiled in her direction and winked. She laughed when Jenni Meno and Todd Sand did, I’m Your Man. During the next number , Terri and Christy had to leave to count the numerous bundles of advanced ticket forms. Terri divided them up between Christy and herself, while they worked Christy could still hear the music , and she recognized the song.

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During intermission, Christy was very busy handing out the advanced ticket forms to the people . As they were either leaving their seats, or returning to their seats. Then Terri asked Christy if she would fill in for the second half , in the merchandise booth. She heard the music and the screaming, and shouting , she was happy that the show was being well received . After the finale, the fans flooded her booth , she sold pictures of the cast, pictures of Alexei, autographed pictures of Alexei. T-shirts other pictures , anything related to Stars on Ice sold like hot cakes.

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Christy told each customer to have a nice night. She was exhausted and glad the rush of fans was over.  Terri gave her a hug once the building was empty again. She said, "You keep that t-shirt , you earned it."   Christy smiled at her and yawned before she replied, "Thank you, I had so much fun working with you, Terri." Terri’s hazel eyes lit up and she smiled, as she gave Christy another hug and said, "I enjoyed working with you too Christy." "Good luck in everything you wish to do." Christy said, "Thank you," before she left the booth and made her way into the arena to find everyone.

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Tom smiled as she walked up to him, and said, "There you are, they really worked ya tonight, didn’t they."  She laughed and said, "Yes, do you need any help here?" He shook his blond head and said, "Nah, the skaters are loading the bus." She went out to the bus and she slowly climbed up the steps. She scanned the seats for any sign of Alexei. All of the cast seemed happy, with the show and they were talking about it. Christy just wanted to go to sleep. She finally located Alexei, and he gave her a little smile.

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She thought he looked tired too. He asked, "How was your night?" She slid in next to him, and replied, "Busy." He yawned and chuckled then he said, "Well, that’s a crew’s life." She said, "Yeah, but I think skaters can be busy too." He laughed softly and said, "Yep, busy, busy, busy."  She laid her head down on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. She asked, "Where do we go now?" Alexei said, "Baltimore , Maryland." She said, "Let me guess, tomorrow right?"

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He laughed and said, "Yeah , tomorrow, but you have a long time to sleep." She yawned and said, "Okay, I really liked your pink shirt and the black leather jacket." He chuckled and gave her a small kiss , before he whispered, "Thank you," because she had fallen fast asleep.

TBC;0)

The plane touched down and Christy’s nerves kicked into high gear. Her stomach fluttered and did flip flops, she took a deep breath , and brushed her hand through her chestnut brown hair. She had a habit of doing that when she became nervous. The fasten seat belt sign was turned off , Christy stayed in her seat , as if she had sat in sticky, chewing gum. Alexei seemed very happy and relieved to finally be in West Virginia .

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He noticed Christy’s pale face and how she was biting her lip. He asked with concern, "Chris, are you okay?" She faced him and tried to appear that she was not scared to death. She croaked out, "I am fine, Lyosha." He frowned and said, "No, what is wrong?" "Are you nervous, or scared, homesick?"  She looked at the passengers as they slowly exited their seats , Alexei stood up and he tugged on the sleeve of her sweater. She finally stood up and he gave her a side hug, as he said, "Don’t be nervous, it will be okay I am here."

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She said, "I know, but these are your friends, what if I get in the way?" He shook his head and waved his hand as if he were making that thought vanish into thin air. He simply stated, "Nah, don’t feel that way, everyone will like you." "You could never be in the way, but we do have to get going now Sweet heart." He made a gesture with his hand to show her that the people in their section were moving out of the plane. She grabbed her bag from the overhead compartment, then Alexei and Christy patiently shuffled out with the other weary travelers.

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He said, "We made good time , it is the 26th, and the first show is on the 28th." Christy just nodded her head, they were informed of where their luggage could be located. Alexei said, "One of my fellow cast members has a cab waiting for us, and we have to find him." "I will look out for him and you keep an eye out for our luggage." Christy said, "Okay, sure that sounds good." Christy watched the never ending line of circling luggage . She spotted Alexei’s dark blue suit case and she snatched it off the moving belt. She over heard Alexei as he excitedly exclaimed, "Hey Anton!"

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 She turned around, after she found her bag. She saw a slightly taller young man that looked very European . She remembered that he was from Russia, and he had dark, hair that was kind of wavy. He said, "Hi, Alexei!" Christy noticed that his eyes were a warm , friendly brown or dark hazel. He gave her a bright smile , Alexei took his suitcase from Christy. She smiled at Alexei before Anton said, "Who is this with you, Alexei?" Alexei replied, "She is a very special friend of mine, I am helping her get back home to see her family."

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Anton said, "Nice to meet you , um Alexei you did not tell me her name." Alexei replied, "Oh opps , it’s Christy." Anton finished his statement with, "Nice to meet you, Christy." He shook her hand , and Alexei leaned over towards him . He whispered, "She is mine , Anton." Anton said, "Okay, Alexei no worries, let’s go the cab is waiting." Anton lead them out into the parking area, then he said, "The cast will be very happy to see you, Alexei." Alexei smiled and replied, "I am happy to finally be here, I thought I would have been stuck in Switzerland forever." Anton laughed and then he asked, "How was the show?"

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Alexei said, "Very good, thanks but I missed all of you." Anton said, "We missed you too, pal." Christy smiled , she liked Anton, he seemed very nice and easy to talk to. He helped them load their luggage into the cab’s trunk. Then the driver opened the door for them, and Christy stepped inside, where she was in the middle with Alexei on the right side of her, and Anton on the left side. She just sat quietly and observed the scenery that went by. She also listened to Anton , as he filled Alexei in with important information. According to what Anton said, the cast were staying in a near by hotel.

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Alexei and Christy will join them and then every one will ride on a private charter bus to their first stop on the tour , Huntington, West Virginia . The next morning, Christy was going to meet the crew members and help them with the props and other behind the scenes duties. She was a little worried about the ice, she hadn’t been on the ice since she was a teenager. But maybe, the guys would handle the on ice matters, she would just have to wait and see.

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The cab pulled up in front of a fancy looking hotel. She unbuckled her seat belt , and then she followed Anton and Alexei , as she slid out of the back seat. The driver helped them with pulling out their luggage from the cab’s trunk. Anton paid the driver his fare, and the three walked into a spacious lobby. Christy looked around and she noticed a group of people standing around the lobby. Anton walked up to them and exclaimed, "He made it!"  They all looked over at Alexei and Christy, Christy smiled and tried to push the feeling of being an intruder away. Alexei tugged on her sleeve and kind of pulled her over to the group.

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Christy saw some familiar faces , but a lot of new faces as well. She just remained standing there by Alexei , and she studied each cast member. A nice looking lady extended her hand to Christy, as she said, "Hello, my name is Jenni Meno and this is my husband , Todd." Christy smiled at the petite , woman with reddish brown hair, her hazel eyes sparkled , and she made Christy feel a little more comfortable with her cheerful , happy persona. Her husband Todd, gave Christy a firm hand shake, and she noticed that his hair was a sandy , blond color.

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He had laughing hazel eyes when he smiled. She thought that Jenni and Todd were a charming couple. She replied, "Hi, nice to meet you, I am Christy." Jenni smiled and asked, "Did you come here with Alexei?" Christy felt her cheeks become hot, and she tried not to blush. She quietly said, "Yeah, I did." Jenni gave her a hug and said, "We all consider ourselves a family so welcome to the family." Christy smiled a little brighter and said, "Thank you , very much Jenni." Jenni grabbed her arm and said, "Come on, I’ll introduce you to your brothers and sisters."

************************************************************************

Christy took a quick glance at Alexei , he was talking with a man she recognized from the previous shows. She went around with Jenni, Jenni came up to a young lady, she had dark hair and dark eyes. Jenni said, "Kyoko, this is Christy , she came with Alexei." Christy saw the young woman’s suspicious glance , and she explained to her, "Alexei is helping me get home to see my family in California." Kyoko’s expression relaxed and she said, "Nice to meet you, Christy excuse me." Christy said, "Same here, Kyoko nice meeting you." Kyoko made her way over to Alexei and she gave him a big hug as she loudly exclaimed, "Lyosha , you are finally here!" He hugged her back and said, "Yes, finally." She beamed at him and he smiled back, as Christy watched them she only thought that it was nice that they were friends.

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Jenni said, "Okay, this tall guy right here is....", Todd Eldredge interrupted her to say, "Hello Christy!" "How are you?" Christy smiled and said, "Hi Todd, I am good." "How are you?" He said, " I am great." She said, "Good to hear that Todd," he smiled and asked, "Have you met the rest of the guys?" Christy said, "Jenni is introducing me to them." Todd said, "Well, this man beside me is David Pelletier." Christy said, "Hello , I saw you and Jamie skate in the winter Olympic games last year, I thought you were amazing." David smiled and replied, "Thank you so much."

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Todd said, "This is Christy , Alexei is helping her get home to her family in California." David said, "That’s great the more the merrier."Then David said, "Hey Kurt meet Christy." Kurt said, "Why hello, there Christy, welcome aboard."  "Glad that you could join us, Gorsha this is Christy." Gorsha smiled warmly at her and said, "Hello Christy " with an unique accent. She shook his hand , and thought that he resembled Alexei. Gorsha tapped a guy on his shoulder and said, "John, this is Christy she came with Alexei."

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Christy could not help being struck by his good looks, of course Alexei had the complete package. John said, "Nice to meet you Christy have fun while you’re with us." Someone yelled out, "Good, since we are all let’s head out to the bus!" They all filed out to the bus, and safely stored all of their luggage in the compartment on the side of the bus. Alexei found them a seat and he asked, "Have you met everybody?"

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Christy replied, "I have met most of them, Jenni was very nice I like her." Alexei said, "Oh yeah, Jenni is very nice and cheerful." Christy said, "Yes, the other’s seem really nice too." Alexei said, "Well, I will introduce you to the rest." A young woman stepped up on to the bus , and Alexei called, "Jamie, I have some one I want you to meet."She said, "Okay , Alexei I am on my way." She came up to their seat and she said, "Hi, I’m Jamie." Alexei said, "Jamie , this is Christy a very special friend of mine." Jamie gave him a wink and then she said in reply, "Very nice to meet you Christy." Christy said, "Like wise , Jamie ."

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Jamie went to have a seat with David. Anton came on board , with Elena and Alexei said, "Elena , come back here please." She waited for Anton to have a seat , and then she walked back to Alexei’s seat. She said, "Hey Lyosha, what is it?" Alexei said, "I wanted you to meet Christy." Elena said, "Hello, Christy nice to meet you." Christy said, "Yes, Elena nice meeting you." She smiled and then she said, "I have to go sit with Anton now." Christy was introduced to Renee Roca and Katarina Witt. The bus driver came on and he started the engine and they hit the road to their first location.

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They arrived at another hotel where they would stay while they were performing in Huntington later on that night. Alexei hated to wake a very sleepy Christy up , but he did and she joined the cast to retrieve her suit case and she could not wait until she could get into a bed and fall fast asleep.

TBC;)

Once the plane landed, on a run way in the good old U.S. of A, Christy smiled while she stretched and yawned. Alexei smiled at her and said, "Good morning, Chris we are finally here." She looked out the window then she asked, "Where exactly is here Lyosha?" He replied, "We are in Connecticut, we will rest for a day and then take the red eye out to West Virginia tomorrow night." Christy continued looking out the window as she said, "Okay, well maybe I should fly out to California myself."

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Alexei frowned and quietly said, "You don’t want to be here with me?" She quickly said, "No, no that’s not it Alyosha, I was just trying to save you a trip." Alexei shook his head and replied, "My tour goes to California, like I said before it is not any problem for me." "I want to spend more time with you, before I get too busy." She gave him a hug and kissed his cheek , just as the plane came to a full and complete stop. She nervously chewed on her fingernails, a habit she gave up years ago.

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Alexei stood up and looked for their carry on bags in the overhead compartment. He said, "Chris catch!" She glanced up to see a blue bag flying at her. She reached her arms out and caught the bag. Alexei said, "Come on, the others are leaving now."  She realized that she still had her seat belt fastened. Alexei chuckled and said, "Okay, if you want to stay on this plane and fly off that is fine with me." She undid her seat belt and popped up out of her seat. Alexei gave her a look of concern as he asked, "Are you okay?" She nodded her head and said, "Yeah, I am fine."

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He said, "No, you are worried about something." She blurted out, "Where will I sleep?!" Alexei had a puzzled expression on his face. He asked her, "Huh, what do you mean?" He grabbed her hand and the two walked down the narrow aisle . The attendants cheerfully told them "Merry Christmas , have a nice stay in Hartford." Alexei smiled at them and replied, "Thank you , we will."  Christy pulled her collar up on her winter coat , as a chilling wind met them in the connecting terminal . As the two walked through the door of the air port , Alexei wanted to know, what she was concerned about.

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He asked, "Why are you worried about where you will sleep?" She replied, "I don’t know, I am just nervous." Alexei asked, "Are you worried that I am planning on seducing you?" "You are afraid of sharing a bed with me?" She said, "I am not afraid, I was just wondering that is all." "But , I am a little concerned that the temptation to take things further would be too strong."  Alexei squeezed her hand, and said, "Do not worry about that, you can have my bed." "I will sleep on the couch ." She replied, "No, I will sleep on the couch and you can have the bed." Alexei said, "Chris , this is silly we have shared a bed before."

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"We shared a bed in Salt Lake City, and in a hotel in Japan." "The temptation was there, and I honestly have thought about  you in that way." "But, I know how you feel , and I can wait , I love you and respect you so much." "I will only do what you want and will allow." "I am not bringing you to my apartment to put the moves on you." "I want our time, our first time to be a cherished memory, not forced." She smiled and said, "Oh Lyosha , you are right I am being silly." "I trust you and I know you love me." He gave her a hug and then they headed off to locate their luggage.

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Christy grabbed her green leather suit case , and Alexei cheered when he saw his bag coming towards him. In the cab ride back to his apartment , he told her the story about his bag with his skates inside it being put on another flight. How his skates just barely made just in time for his performance in a show. Christy laughed , and then she kissed his cheek. The taxi pulled up to his place and he paid the driver his fare . The two pulled their baggage out of the trunk, and he lead her to the door. He unlocked his mail box and pulled out his mail. Then he held another glass door open for her, and he showed her where his apartment was.

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He put the key into the lock and clicked the door opened. Christy walked into what she assumed was the family room. Alexei went over to the counter and dropped his mail into the messy pile. He smiled at her as he saw how tight she gripped onto her suitcase’s handle. He said, "Relax , have a seat on the couch." "I have to read all of this mail , so we will be here a while." She said, "Where should I put my bags?" Alexei slapped his hand on his forehead, and said, "Oh yes sorry come, I will give you a tour." "This is my small kitchen, and there is my dining room." She said, "Very nice, Alyosha." He smiled and said, " I had a decorator that was a friend help me."

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She stated, "I like the greens and the maroons and how they blend." She also liked the comfy and casual appearance of his apartment. He said, "Then you walk back here and you see my bedroom, and bathroom." "There is also a guest half bath across from it."  She said, "Okay, I think it is very homey." He said, "I am planning on having a house in the future." "I like to have my space and sometimes I feel like the walls are closing in on me." She nodded her head and told him she could understand and relate. He said, "You can put your bags in there," as he opened the closet door.

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She took a quick glance at the bed , it had a maroon comforter with two huge green pillows propped up. She said, "The bed looks nice." Alexei said, "Oh yeah, very comfortable , if you want you can take a nap."  "I have to read my mail and check my e-mail , I don’t want to bore you." She replied, "You aren’t boring me, Alyosha." "Although, I am sleepy, and do you have any drawers you want me to use?" He replied, "My drawers are your drawers, use any you want and need." She smiled and said, "Okay, I will." Alexei kissed her briefly , before he left her to her task. Christy unpacked what she had brought , and then she explored the room some more by looking at his pictures on the wall.

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She really liked the picture of him with his dog Lawrie. She stretched her arms over her head, and then she climbed up onto the bed. Her nose instantly picked up his scent that had become embedded in the pillow’s fabric.  She pulled the other pillow closer to her, as she snuggled down for an afternoon nap. Alexei had read most of his mail , and he decided to take a break by checking in on Christy. He tiptoed to his room and smiled brightly at the vision he saw. She was soundly asleep, and she cuddled his pillow , and he noticed that her chestnut brown hair spilled in waves over the pillow.

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 Alexei ached inside , because he longed to join her. However he knew that if he did lay down beside her , she would wake up.  He quietly walked over to the closet and grabbed a quilt , that his fans from his official web site had created for his 22nd, birthday. He had hung it on the wall for a while, until he discovered how warm the quilt made him feel. He tucked the quilt around her, and she stirred a little with a sigh. He could not resist giving her a tiny , soft, kiss on her forehead. Then he crept out of the room and allowed her to continue her nap. He checked his e-mail , and replied to the very important e-mails offering him promising deals.

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His stomach grumbled and he saw the time on clock was approaching 6pm.  When Christy opened her eyes, she saw the shadow of a tree outside, moving on the wall. She sat up and peeked out the window. She suddenly realized how late it was getting, as she noticed the sun as it dipped down leaving a faint trace of pale yellow and orange, followed by darkness. She sat back down on the comforter and peered down at the quilt, or what she could see of the quilt. She scooted her legs off the bed and stretched them , before her socks touched the beige carpet.

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Then she stood up and searched around his room for a light switch. She found one and flipped the lamp on, then she studied the warm, lovely, quilt. Alexei saw his light on and made his way to his bed room.   He smiled and stated, "I see you are up now." Christy was deeply involved in reading the messages to Alexei , and seeing what countries they were from, so when she heard Alexei’s voice she jumped with a start. She dropped it from her hands. He said, "I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you." "Did you have a nice nap?"  She yawned and had one more big stretch , then she replied, "Yes, I did , thank you Lyosha."  He smiled and said, "Good, I am glad, you’re welcome Chris." "

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"I don’t know about you, but I am hungry." She said, "Yeah, I am too ." Alexei said, "Well , it’s your Christmas eve, so I don’t know if the pizza man will deliver." "But, I will find out."   She replied back to him with, "Okay, that sounds good, I think he will." He dialed the number for the pizza place and he was happy some one answered the phone. He held  the phone  down  and away from him and said, "They are open!" He asked Christy what she liked for toppings on her pizza. She said, "Sausage and mushrooms." Alexei told the girl , that he wanted a large pizza with sausage, mushrooms, and onions on it. She told him they had a special deal for the Christmas season, that was an order of free bread sticks with any large pizza.

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Alexei smiled and said, "That is very nice, yes I would like my free bread sticks."  She asked him if he would like to have a liter of Coke with his order. He replied, "No, thank you I have plenty of pop here." "Okay, about an half an hour?" "Alright , that sounds fine ." Christy set the table with the plates and silverware and she poured some pop into two glasses . A  half an hour later, the pizza arrived and Christy grabbed some napkins before she sat down. Alexei brought the boxes to the table, and after he set them down Christy handed one to him. He had a seat in the chair and opened the lid to the pizza box and bread sticks.

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The two of them picked up a piping, hot, slice of pizza, and Alexei handed her a bread stick. Christy took a bite of her slice of pizza and laughed as the cheese made long, string that fell down her chin. Alexei smiled and wiped if off with his finger, then he said, "I always love this pizza." Christy smiled back and tried one of her bread sticks, she silently agreed , by nodding her head as she chewed thoughtfully.  She swallowed her bite , and replied , "Yes, I love these bread sticks , they are so soft and chewy." Alexei changed the subject when he said, "Maybe, I could buy us a little Christmas tree and we could put lights on it."

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Christy said, "You don’t have to Alyosha." He held up his hand and said, "I won’t hear it, I want to , because tomorrow is your Christmas and you deserve to have a tree." After Christy helped Alexei clear the table , she brushed her teeth and got her coat. Alexei put their plates, silver ware and glasses into the dishwasher.  Then he found his keys and he put his coat on, and the two walked out to his S.U V. He assisted Christy , by helping her get up into the seat, before he went around to his side. He drove into the town and they located a Target store , and went inside. The two browsed around in the Christmas area, and Christy pointed out a tree that was green, and close to 5 ft tall.

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Alexei compared the price of that tree to the others , and then they found the box and lifted it into their cart. Christy found a small wrap of silver garland , and she asked, "Is this okay?" Alexei said, "Sure, how about these bulbs?" Christy said, "Yeah , the blue matches your eyes." He smiled and carefully placed the carton into their cart. Alexei also found a strand of multi -colored lights , for a price that lit up his holiday. Alexei and Christy were happy with the choices that they had made. He looked around for a check out lane that was opened and free of other customers. He was very thrilled when he noticed that one was still opened and clear.

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He rolled the cart into the lane and greeted the cashier. The cashier was friendly and she interacted with them as she rung up all of their purchases. She told them that she was going home, and the store was finally closing. Alexei wished her a happy holiday and she wished them the same. They drove back to his apartment and Christy helped him carry their Christmas treasures inside.  Once they had everything in the family room , they selected a corner for the tree . Christy said, "Oh no, we forgot to get a tree skirt!" Alexei went to his small hall closet and he pulled out sky blue blanket , with pure white snowflakes dancing on it. She smiled and said, "That is perfect, look it matches the bulbs."

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He smiled , and he had to admit to himself that putting up a Christmas tree was fun. He had her look for a knife, so that he could cut the string on the box . Once the string was cut off the box , he sliced through the tape. She eagerly pulled the flaps open and she handed him the instructions . He dug around the inside of the box for Christmas tree stand, and read the instructions to assemble it.  Then she separated the branches by color and size, then she handed Alexei the bottom part of the tree , after he installed the pole into the stand. He pushed the medal stems into the holes on the pole. He also added the green, scratchy pole wraps to cover the bare areas and holes.

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Christy shaped the branches for the middle section and got them ready for Alexei to add. He called out for them , after he added more pole wraps. She helped him poke the branches into the middle part and spruced them up. Alexei placed the final pole wraps on and then he completed the top . He worked on the top branches of the tree , and Christy noticed that they had forgotten to buy a star or an angel for the top of the tree. Alexei asked, "Well , what is wrong with us?" "We need something for the top."

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"Let me see what I can find." He went to his room and came back out with a doll. He said, "I think this will be okay." He tied on some string around the doll’s neck , and then he fastened the doll to the top. Christy said, "He is cute and he looks familiar to me." Alexei said, "A fan made me this doll and glued my face onto it."  She smiled and said, "I like it and I am happy that the tree is still standing." He chuckled , and then he untangled the lights , and plugged them in. He announced out loud, "They work, let’s put them on the tree."

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They walked around the green tree, while they wound the lights around the branches. Christy added the silver garland and the final touches on tree were the sky blue and silver bulbs. Then Christy gently arranged the blanket around the bottom of the tree. Alexei said, "Now, let’s see how we did." He turned the light off , after he plugged the tree in. Christy was so happy that she had tears in her eyes. Alexei held her close , then they had a seat on the couch.

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Christy went to Alexei’s room and changed out of her clothes into the same sweats , Alexei let her borrow. Alexei changed into some gray sweats too in his bathroom , then he sat on the couch and flipped through the channels until Christy came back and shouted, "Lyosha , A Christmas Carol is on!" Alexei said, "Alright , we can watch this, then." Christy asked, "Should I make us some pop corn?" Alexei said, "No, I am full, but you want some?" She said, "No, I was just wondering if I should make us some." He replied back to her with, "Just relax and watch the movie with me." She smiled and gave him a kiss, and he pulled her close to him for a return kiss.

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Then they sat in the dark and watched Scrooge learn about the true meaning of Christmas and happiness. Christy clapped at the end as the credits rolled, Alexei gave her another kiss . She kissed him back, and when she pulled away she saw big snow flakes falling. She hurried over to his picture window and watched the wintery world outside. Alexei stood behind her and she said, "Lyosha , that is beautiful." He gave her a small kiss on her neck before he replied, "Not as beautiful as you are." She smiled and said, "Oh , Lyosha."  The two shared a very long and deep kiss , then they decided to turn in for the night. 

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He pulled the covers down, and removed the pillows.  They shared one more kiss, and then he laid down beside her and wrapped his arms around her and then he fell asleep.  He woke up early the next morning and set Christy’s Christmas present underneath the tree. Then he headed for the kitchen and went to work, as he made her breakfast in bed. She opened her eyes and looked at him in shock. He smiled and said, "Merry Christmas Christy." She smiled brightly and sat up as she replied back to him, "Thank you, Merry Christmas , Alyosha."

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She said, "Oh this looks so good , mmmmm scrambled eggs , toast , oh and sausage."  Alexei smiled , as she dug right in , then she asked him if he wanted some. He told her he already had his breakfast. When Christy finished her breakfast, and sipped her hot tea before she returned the tray. Alexei called out, "Come in here Christy!" She told him , that she would be there once she was dressed.  Then she went in the family room and she was handed a wrapped box. She looked down at it, Alexei excitedly said, "Open it!" She finally opened the box and exclaimed, "Alyosha , it matches my ring!" 

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He smiled and said, "Yes, I saw this necklace in Switzerland and I had to get it for you." Christy replied, "Oh, Lyosha it’s beautiful , but I did not get  you anything." He said, "Yes, you did , you are here with me." She gave him a slow, long , kiss before the two bundled up and spent Christmas day romping in the snow. Then they had to pack and get ready to join the cast , to kick off the Stars On Ice tour. Christy was nervous and excited for this experience she was given. That night , she sat on a jet and it was on it’s way to Huntington, West Virginia.

 TBC Soon ;)

The next morning was a very busy one for the two of them. The minute the sun came up, Alexei called the air port and he bought a ticket for Christy. Christy helped Alexei straighten up the room, and pack his suitcase. Then the two ate a heaping bowl of biscuits and gravy, that was very filling. Once they were finished eating , Alexei checked out of his hotel room , and he paid the bill.

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They waited for a bus , until they saw one coming. Christy stood up and helped Alexei with his luggage as they walked up the steps. She told the driver the name of her hotel. The driver told her how much the ride would cost and she paid him with a traveler’s check.  When the two arrived at her hotel, she quickly packed her belongings into her suitcase and then Alexei helped her check the room over to see if anything was left behind. Then Alexei called a cab, for them and she checked out of her room and paid for her stay.

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After she was finished with her business affair’s , the cab arrived and Alexei told that driver what air port they needed to go to. Once they made it to the air port, Alexei picked up the tickets that were waiting for him. He said, "Our flight leaves soon, so let’s just head to the gate after they check in our luggage." Christy said, "Okay sounds good to me ." They went through the medal detectors and had their carry ons scanned.

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They had a seat and waited for the boarding calls , once they heard that they handed the clerk their tickets.  Alexei located a seat on the plane for them and allowed her to have the window seat. The attendants served the passengers their lunch. Christy ate what she could , and then she took her pillow and snuggled back for a nap. Alexei laid his head on her shoulder and he fell asleep , until the evening meals were served.

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Christy switched him seats, because she thought there was nothing for her to see. Alexei described the stars to her and the pale yellow moon that hung over the clouds. She listened to his soft voice until her eyes drooped and closed. He whispered into her ear, "Tomorrow , we will be on our way home." She smiled and sighed a happy sigh, and mumbled, "Good night Lyosha." He smiled and replied, "Sweet dreams, Chris."

TBC;)