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It had been a long time since he had seen anything or did anything around Destiny City and going to a meteor shower would be a good way to ease his way back into how thing worked around the city. He stretched and zipped up his jacket with his hands in his coat pockets and he looked around the area for a good spot to watch the meteor shower. If he decided to sit or stand he would still be craning his neck. He tapped his chin with a finger and weighted out the options.

Thinking about what to do was a waste of time, the meteor shower was going on and here he was deciding whether or not to sit or stand. He shrugged it off and decided to stand but he would be sitting too at one point during the night. He took a breath in and blew it out with a smile and he watched the lights shooting across the sky. He tilted his head and silently and mentally made a wish as they came down. He smiled a little and once he was done he continued to watch them shower the night sky. After all it was a beautiful evening for a meteor shower.

Sheldon had felt obligated to come to an event dealt with astronomical events. Especially that his mother was milling about and asked him to come, his father wasn't much for the physical sciences like a meteor shower and felt more comfortable at home. But with the prospect of telescopes - even if they weren't as high powered as the ones she could normally work with, of course she would be with the masses during a beautiful event.

Beverly had gone off to her own doings, leaving her son on his own. He had gotten himself a little bit of food and was slowly making his way through his plate as he milled around, wandering through the few groups of picnic goers. Like usual, didn't really know anyone and stuck with chewing on his food.

When the shout came through the crowd, the green haired youth turned his attention to the skies, looking for the bits of rock that were hitting the atmosphere as he chewed on his hamburger.

A wish never crossed his mind even knowing the little tradition with falling stars. Well, not a right out one that one would typically wish for in such situations, he had wished he had gotten some mustard on his hamburger really.

Kat was beginning to get lost in the show that was playing high above the trees. She'd taken control of the cash box with the hope that once the meteor shower truly began she'd be able to slip away. She didn't want to be stuck minding the table forever. Thinking that thought though brought a frown to Kat's face. She'd been looking forward to helping the DCAC and now she wanted to shirk her obligation. It wasn't going to happen on her watch.

Kathryn tucked her book away as she noted Regina's approach. She accepted the money that was passed her way. "Everything's fine Regina. It hasn't been too busy yet and I think that since the show's started ... it'll be slow for a while." Kat turned her gaze to the sky again as another meteor streaked across. She sighed wistfully before looking towards the woman who had organized the event. "If you don't mind ... I would like to take in a little of the show myself. Once things tend to die down I could come back here and continue my task."

As she waited for Regina's reply she caught a flash of light out of the corner of her eye. Did making wishes count if it wasn't on the first shooting star or could you wish on any? She might have been an adult but sometimes her thoughts were that of any other kid. Kat clasped her hands behind her back and silently made a wish.

I wish that I could understand more of the weirdness that goes on in Destiny City. I feel like I'm missing everything and Tallulah only tells me so much. How can I go on knowing only one side of the story?

It was warm inside of Ainsley's jacket. Cora was resting it's head againgst the girl's chest, relaxed like a sleeping baby. In fact, the cat had fell asleep in her owner's tender embrace and soothly rocking walk as they approached to the natural park where the picnic and meteor shower viewing was going to be held. Apparently the dream was a pleasant one since the cat's body was trembling and sounding like a soft small engine. In other words she was purring.

"Oh you big hot kitty..." Cora mumbled in her sleep silently into Ainsley's dress just before the girl's voice reached in her sensitive ears and woke her up. She let out a silent, surprised meow voice. Oh shoot, I did fell asleep! I hope I didn't talked in my sleep and blowed our cover.... The dream felt so real....

The feline's little head reached upwards to examine the surrounding area by her gaze. Around her neck and shoulder was not her usual white silk cloth with golden lace. Oh no, she and Ainsley had decided to play safe since some disguised negaverser might recognize her from that. Instead, Cora was wearing dark navy ribbon with golden lace decoration which matched perfectly with Ainsley's own dress. Besides, who really said that guardian cats couldn't play dress up too?

Suddenly, she saw the light flying above her. A shooting star? Oh yes it was. The meteor shower had started. Everyone around them were making wishes. And so did the cream coloured guardian cat closed her pink eyes as well and wished.

I wish I could protect you better, Hypnos...



Jade didn't get get sick often. She had a healthy diet and exercised in regular basis. She knew the power of fruits and berries and vitamins they contained. But in last week, she made a mistake. She had gave in for Karen's crazy ideas and ended up on streets in way shorter dress than she had used to. Couple days after it she found herself sneezing and coughing and having fever.

Fortunately, it wasn't long-lasting illness. Jade had been worried that she would miss this event and this opportunity to show her cooking skills to people. Which was why she was here tonight. She was a little late though as her ride had been late. It's already starting, Jade thought in her mind as she hurried towards food tables. She had baked 6 carambola upsidedown cakes for the event. There probably was not enough for everyone that had gathered in the park but Jade hoped it was enough to impress at least someone.

As she was setting the table, she heard someone talking about making a wish. Jade glanced at the sky for about a second before shrugging her shoulders and continuing her task. Wishing for stars seemed pointless but in the same, it couldn't hurt, could it? So, Jade closed her eyes for a brief moment and thought:

Well, I would need a job.

Gigi laid her rug out alone, and stretched full-length on it, groaning to herself at yet another failed plan. It had been a decent one, too – family picnic, how could it lose? But so soon after the Valentine’s Day episode, her mother had flat-out refused to leave the house when she saw dad’s car pull up. Then no sooner had they arrived at the park than her father got a call about their aunt, and rushed off to the hospital. Which was an inarguably good excuse, and she’d asked to go along too, but he’d handed her food money (which was going to be relabelled coffee money any minute now), told her not to worry and left her to enjoy the show.

So everything was a fail except for the pretty meteors themselves. They were kind of awesome. She heard the kids next to her discussing wishes, and couldn’t resist making her own. She fixed a falling star with an intense stare, till she could close her eyes and still see it there. It was a very serious wish, the same one she’d been wishing for far too many years now, but she couldn’t give up.

I wish things would go back the way they were, and we could be a happy family again.

The thought of it brought the smile back to her lips, only a little wistful, and she opened her eyes to watch the rest of the sky fall down like glitter in the dark.

*

Elsewhere, an innocuous orange alley cat stalked the edges of the gathering, attracted to the tables piled high with food. The humans carrying blankets and baskets had suggested some kind of outdoor entertainment was on offer, and following them in, he hadn’t been disappointed. It was dark, the tables were only sparsely manned, and all eyes were turned upwards. There was nothing to stop a hungry kitty making off with quite a feast – except Tomlin couldn’t resist the lightshow either.

The guardian leapt up onto the nearest table with a soft thump, dislodging a packet of chips but otherwise leaving the food alone for now as he cocked his head to survey the scene. From this higher vantage point, he could see the people spread out on their rugs across the field below, familiar and unfamiliar, while the stars stretched above, better than any fireworks display.

A wish?

Keep them safe, he thought. His Callisto, their team, all of the innocent lives around them. If there was any power in the stars, let it keep them safe.

As the moon rose higher and higher in the sky, the stars started to shine brighter. The night was growing later and later, and while most people would be slowly getting tired, Candice had taken a nap right before the sun set to be prepared. She had spent so much time studying to get into the best school and classes, Candice had missed all the previous meteor showers that had happened. "They don't happen very often and I'm not willing to miss anymore," Candice thought to herself as she stared up at the stars with a determined look and a smile.

She wore a thick coat and some comfy walking boots as she walked to the highest point that she could find to get a better view of the sky. By her side, her little American Eskimo puppy, Cotton, walked alongside her, happy to be out and about despite the cold. She would walk towards some groups and let out a few barks while wagging her tail, but Cotton always came back to around Candice’s feet. The people that she walked by seemed to enjoy themselves despite the puppy’s noise. Having added Cotton to her life, Candice made herself go out more, needing to give the energetic puppy as much exercise as she could.

When she finally got to a patch of grass that she felt would be enough space for Cotton to play without disturbing others, she unwrapped her blanket, holding another two smaller blankets inside, some toys for Cotton, and a thermos with hot chocolate inside. Candice sat down and gave Cotton’s leash more length as the little puppy dug into her favorite toys. As Cotton played, Candice sat there and wrapped one blanket around her shoulders, the other blanket on her lap for Cotton when she was ready for some warmth.

Candice gasped as she saw the first ball of light shoot across the sky. One by one, there came more and more meteors just flying by. By this time, Cotton had cuddled into Candice’s lap and lay with her eyes partially closed, tired from the long day. Candice wrapped the blanket snug around the little puppy as she stared up into the sky, just constantly watching the little lights zoom across the sky. For some odd reason, she felt really happy to see them. She picked up Cotton and the blanket and got a little kiss from the puppy.

She had heard someone in the crowd tell someone else that making a wish on a shooting star would come true. Candice knew that she was happy with her current life, and there were so many things that she could say that could help others… So what did she want to wish for?

Her memories zoomed back to the Surrounding. Sure, that time was a little while back now. They didn’t sting as much as before, but they were there in her mind still, something that she didn’t want to remember but knew that she couldn’t forget. She had seen death, even the death of herself. Coming back from the Surrounding a live was the reason why she chose to be a doctor; she wanted to be able to help out people, protect them if she could. Candice looked up at the sky and made a wish inside her heart. “I really want to be able to help people…. To save them if I can. I wish to be successful as a doctor.”

Candice closed her eyes again to let the wish sink in. She opened up her eyes again and looked down to see Cotton yawning in her lap. She smiled and kissed the little dog’s nose. “I also hope that Cotton here will grow up strong and healthy!” She cuddled the dog again as she got another kiss.

Haven Sinclair had been waiting for this meteor shower all week. She’d read books and newspaper articles about it, she’d watched programs about it on the TV, and she’d looked it up on the internet to find all the information about it that she possibly could. She’s even done a presentation about it at school, which had earned her another A to add to her ever-growing collection of excellent grades.

Nothing could possibly ruin her night.

Of course, that was before she realized her parents couldn’t take her and she had to depend on her older brother who couldn’t drive, thus they were stuck relying on public transportation, which inevitably caused them to show up some minutes after the event had already started. Haven was gravely disappointed and let her brother know this with a set of crossed arms and a pointed glare, but he didn’t seem to care at all and went off to find a secluded spot to read a book.

Then Haven was on her own, standing stock still and craning her head back to look up at the sky. She didn’t bother to make a wish because she already knew it wouldn’t come true. It was cool enough just watching anyway, and after a few moments she lowered her gaze back down to Earth to look around for the telescopes she’d heard would be provided, hoping she could grab one before anyone else decided to hog them. Seeing them, she began to make her way over, wending through people with a few “excuse me”s and “coming through”s.