Author's note: This is the second fanfic I ever wrote. I am not quite sure of the date on it, but it had to be between 1987 ("Scott's Secret", my first fanfic) and 1993 ("A Change of Perspective", my third fanfic total and my first online fanfic), and was likely written before 1990. It was originally 'published' as a hard-copy stand-alone story, but my distributor wandered out of Starman fandom. The version posted here is (slightly) revised and reconstructed from a hard-copy printed-and-handwritten draft (the full final drafts for both it and "Scott's Secret" are missing). I am posting it for historical purposes only; as you can probably tell upon reading, I had a little bit to learn about writing....

Jewel of the Sea
by Selma McCrory
copyright 1999

Liz Baynes walked with quiet determination towards the stadium. One would have thought, just passing her by, that she had wanted to avoid the parking problem there by parking father away. She wasn't there, of course, to watch the game. In her years as a journalist, she had paid little attention to football. Nevertheless, she knew enough to pass as a fan in Chicago.

Hopefully, Paul and Scott would have enough sense to dress like fans. At least Scott would have the sense to try to make sure they dressed properly. She glanced over at Adler Planetarium, where the last group of visitors was wandering out.

If Paul and Scott had arrived earlier, they could have gone to the planetarium. She had wanted to see Paul's reaction to it, as well as still get the advantage of being lost in this crowd.

She spotted two familiar forms walking towards her. She slowly wandered over, at last stopping a small distance away from a knot of people at a bus stop. Paul and Scott were soon to join her. She need not have worried. SHE would have thought they were going to the game.

Liz glanced nervously at the group at the bus stop. At least the people looked nonthreatening. A teenaged girl about Scott's age gazed through glasses at a bus schedule while a dark-haired woman leaned against the bus stop pole. A young woman with long blonde hair sat meditatively on the grass nearby. While she was gazing at these people, Paul and Scott arrived.

"One of my contacts is supposed to meet us here soon. If we're lucky, we might catch Jenny before she disappears again," Liz said. She glanced at Scott, seeing the strain of being separated from his mother show up so clearly on him. The strain also showed on Paul, but to a lesser degree.

Liz, Paul, and Scott sat down on the grass a little ways away from the sidewalk and the bus stop. They chatted away while they waited for Liz's contact. During this time, the teenager with the glasses and the dark-haired woman left. Liz gathered from the bits of conversation she heard that they were Californians not used to Chicago's bus schedule and they were going to catch a bus somewhere else.

An hour of two later, all three were convinced that the contact wasn't going to come. They got up and stretched. The blonde-haired woman meandered up to them.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but would you three like a snack? You've been here a while," she asked.

"No, but thanks for the offer," Liz replied.

"Is this your first time here? I've never seen you three around here before."

"We're waiting for someone," Paul answered.

"What's your name?" the girl wondered.

"Paul Forrester. This is my son, Scott, and my friend, Liz Baynes."

"Oh, I've heard of you. You take great pictures. I'm Cordelia Attwater," she offered, and then stuck her hand out.

Paul shook her hand. "What are you doing out here?"

"Meditating. I like to come out here. It's a nice place to meditate. Occasionally I help people. I'm a real grease monkey, and I always bring something to eat so that people have something to eat in emergencies. Helps calm some down. I always come with a list of shelters, some tools, some food, and bus change. Always prepared."

Paul turned to Scott. "Grease monkey?" he whispered.

"Mechanic, Dad," Scott whispered back.

"I also like wandering alone the shore of Lake Michigan. There's a lot of people who need help there, too. I'm usually there, but tonight, because of the game, I can be useful here."

"Why there and not in the middle of the city?" Liz asked, to pass the time.

"I like water. I've liked it as long as I can remember. I like the sea the most, but Chicago is my home and I've got the lake to be near," Cordelia told Liz. She glanced at the crowd. "Excuse me, I think I see someone who needs my help."

As Cordelia left, Liz offered to take Paul and Scott back to their hotel room. They accepted, and had a semi-relaxing evening while wondering what was going to happen next.

* * *

Cordelia walked by the water of Lake Michigan during her lunch break. She loved meeting people.

Meeting people. Well, well, her upbringing had fit her for public service, but she felt more comfortable giving a hand out on the street instead of on paper. She got to meet many varieties of people, and she had quickly added the photographer, his friend, and the photographer's son.

Letting her gaze wander idly, she spotted a few familiar faces, including Paul and Scott. She meandered over to them. "Hello there."

"Hello," Paul replied. Cordelia had instantly warmed to him, as he seemed to like meeting people too. His son Scott, however, seemed to dart a little behind him, as if he was suspicious and wary of her.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes, very," Paul answered.

"What are you doing here?"

Waiting for someone."

She smiled. "Again?"

He gave a slight, but warm, smile back. "A different person."

"Uh-huh."

Paul was staring over her shoulder. "Excuse me for a moment. Scott, stay here."

Cordelia watched Paul wander off. She turned to Scott. "Where are you from?" she wondered.

"Lots of places."

"Travel a lot, do you?"

"Yes."

Cordelia noticed Scott's pained expression and changed the subject. "D'you like your Dad?"

"Yeah. He's a great Dad."

"Are you very close to him?"

"Yeah," Scott said, shuffling his feet. "He always listens to me."

"I wish me and my Dad were that close."

Scott shrugged. "I guess I'm pretty lucky."

Cordelia nodded, wistfully looking at her own family memories.

"He's a good judge of character. I think he trusts you. He would have taken me with him if he didn't."

"Had I known you guys were out here, I would have brought Peri."

"Peri?"

"My roommate. If I could catch her. She pretty busy. I don't see her much. Our hours are different. She works at a federal office and I'm an architectural drafter."

Paul returned at that moment with Liz. "Excuse us, please," he said. "We have to go."

"Bye," she replied. She watched them walk off.

* * *

Cordelia lay on the couch the next afternoon, quietly reading a book. She was waiting for Peri, who had gone on some errands. They had both taken a half day off so that they could be together. The phone rang, and Cordelia absentmindedly picked it up. "Hello?"

"Is Peri Smalley there?" a woman asked. Cordelia thought the voice was familiar, one of Peri's coworkers possibly.

"No, this is Cordelia, her roommate. Peri's out running errands at the moment, but I expect her back soon. May I take a message?"

"Hello, Cordelia. This is Mattie Magee, one of her co-workers. Could you ask her to call her office, please? I hate to have her come back in, but there's this gentleman who wishes to talk to her personally. Excuse me a moment, please."

Indeed, Cordelia could hear a high-strung male voice in the background. As she was waiting, Mattie put the phone down and went over to the two people nearby. "... need her address. You don't know how urgent this is, Ms. Brewer. Peregrine Smalley could be jeopardizing the security of this nation."

Maddie waited until he was done ranting. "Barbara, I have Peri's roommate on the line. She's not in at the moment. Any instructions I should give her?"

The other woman nodded. "Just tell her to come back in as soon as possible so that Mr. Fox's situation can be resolved."

Mattie nodded and walked back to her desk, aware of Mr. Fox's eyes upon her. "Cordelia, when she gets back, tell her to come in."

"I will."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Cordelia replied. She went back to her book. She was so busy she didn't notice quite some time had passed until the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi, Cordelia."

"Hi, Peri. What's up?"

"I have a last errand to do. I'll be back in a while. Any news?"

"Your office called," Cordelia answered. She told Peri about the call.

"Thanks, Cord," Peri replied, sighing audibly. "I'll see you later."

"Bye."

* * *

Liz, Paul, and Scott waited at Allie's Bakery in the Marriott hotel for the contact. They had ordered and had beverages brought to them. A dark-haired, rather unhappy-looking woman joined them at their table.

"Any news?" Liz asked.

The dark-haired woman looked defeated. "Yes, I have the information you want. Lotta good it's done me."

"What happened?" Paul wondered.

"I was found out, if you must know. Some guy with a high-strung voice, my roommate told me," she moaned.

While the woman spoke, Paul, Scott, and Liz exchanged glances. "Fox?" Scott whispered. Liz shrugged.

"Peregrine," Liz said softly. "We need the information. Please."

Paul and Scott exchanged glances at the name. Peri looked up. "This Jenny Hayden you're looking for... I found her name in a file. She was working as a volunteer in the state archives in Springfield."

Liz nodded while Peri went on. "I'm ruined. Absolutely ruined. Oh, how did I get into this mess?" she groaned. She started sobbing.

She continued sobbing for several minutes. Scott looked thoughtful, and then brightened. He turned to Peri. "What is your roommate like?"

Peri stared at him, startled. She had barely noticed him when she had come in. She was still upset, but his question had distracted her. "She's very nice... you'd like her... she's a great roommate... little absentminded, though," she snuffled and looked up at Liz. "Maybe you've heard of her? Cordelia Attwater, the Jewel of the Sea... she's called that by some people... perhaps you've heard of her? Always helpful. I met her at the stadium when my car broke down... I'm lucky to know her. She's a wonderful person...."

Liz replied, smiling, "We met her, yesterday."

"Figures," Peri said, stifling a sniffle while managing a small smile. "Where?"

"Near the stadium, like you did."

Peri nodded and wiped her eyes. "I'll tell her I saw you," she said.

Scott smiled at his success at cheering Peri up.

"We need to go, Peri. Do you need a lift?" Liz asked.

Peri shook her head. "No, I think I'll stay here a little bit longer, thanks."

Liz patted Peri's hand as she, Scott, and Paul got up. "All right. Don't worry about the drink. It's paid for."

"Thanks," Peri replied.

Liz, Paul, and Scott left to go to the hotel, when they got there, Liz waited outside while Paul and Scott packed their bags. She sighed. Paul, coming out, noticed her and asked her what was wrong. She answered, "I wonder if I pushed Peregrine too strongly. It isn't her quest to find Jenny and she was reluctant..."

A warm light shone in Paul's eyes. "Peregrine isn't alone. She has Cordelia to help her. Cordelia is a wonderful human being, with such a capacity to share."

"I hope Fox won't bother her too badly."

Paul didn't answer, and shortly after that Scott came out with the rest of the bags and loaded them in the car. Paul quickly returned the keys to the lobby, and then they were gone.

* * *

While all this was happening, Cordelia was receiving an unexpected visitor.

Barely ten minutes had passed after Peri had called when there was a knock on the door. Cordelia called, "Who is it?"

"FSA."

"Who?" she mumbled, while opening the door cautiously. A small man in a suit stood outside, a larger man hovering behind him.

"Ms. Smalley?" the shorter of the two asked, showing her a badge with an ominous card in it.

"No, I'm Cordelia Attwater, her roommate. She's out, running errands. May I help you?"

The man put the badge away. "Ms. Attwater," he said, with a fake smile, I'm George Fox of the FSA. Do you know where she was planning to go?"

Cordelia shook her head, noting that beyond the smile was a very tense, impatient man. "I don't know. She was supposed to be here by now - spring cleaning, you know. But I guess she had her own business to attend to, and didn't tell me what she planned to do."

"Do you know at all when she'll be back?"

She shrugged and shook her head again. "I'm not her keeper, Mr. Fox." That was all he was going to get out of her. She was rapidly becoming annoyed at this petty bureaucrat who was asking questions that she couldn't answer. She glanced at him and saw he was taking deep breaths.

"Has she brought anyone home? Any guests? Or introduced you to anyone?"

Cordelia attempted to be nonchalant to mask her irritation and uneasiness. "She introduces me to lots of people, but then, so do many of our friends. Why do you want Peri?"

"I can't tell you, Ms. All I can tell you is that national security's at stake. Now, did she introduce you to these two people?" he asked, retrieving two photographs from a folder.

Cordelia glanced at the two photos, which she recognized instantly as photos of Paul and Scott. She could just say no, for she had discovered them for herself. She wondered, for an instant, what Peri had to do with Paul and Scott.

Then she cleared her mind of the thought and decided what to do. After all, the friendly Paul and Scott were certainly not deserving of being questioned by this egotistical man. Nor was Peri. A line from one of her favorite plays came to her: "Love, and be silent." She would be silent, for Peri, and for Paul and Scott. She shook her head.

Fox sighed. "Thank you, Ms. Attwater."

A police officer approached Fox. She carried a notebook. "No such person have been seen on or near these premises, Mr. Fox."

"Thank you," Fox replied. He glanced in Cordelia's direction. "We'lll wait for Ms. Smalley to get home. Notify me if something comes up."

The police officer nodded and left. Cordelia's shoulders dropped in defeat. Fox was certainly a determined bureaucrat. He gestured her into the apartment, followed her inside, and settled down in a chair.

Cordelia sat down on the couch. She spent her time wondering what Peri, Paul, and Scott had to do with each other and listened to Mr. Fox grumble.

There was, after a long while, a knock on the door. Cordelia got up to open it, hoping Peri wasn't on the other side. She wasn't. Instead, the police officer who had been there earlier was standing outside, next to Mr. Fox's assistant. Fox slipped past her and spoke to the officer. "Yes?"

"We've found your suspects. They're in a hotel."

"Great!" Fox exclaimed, and rushed out the door. He stopped and looked at Cordelia. "Thank you for your time and help, Ms. Attwater."

Cordelia watched as Mr. Fox, his assistant, and the officer departed down the hall. She then closed the door and settled down with her book again.

* * *

George Fox stood in the parking lot, steaming. He'd missed them again, for the millionth time, while waiting at Ms. Smalley's apartment with her roommate. If only he knew where Ms. Smalley was and where the two had gone. Well, with luck, he'd find out. All he'd have to do was wait.

-end.