By Wouter Jaegers wo.jaegers@planet.nl

Part four in the "Trouble Walking" series.

Part one "Break out".

After the events of "Dye, dye my darling" Jane decides to leave Lawndale for a while and decides to hop on a freight train. She meets a fellow traveler, an Australian named Sparky and his dog Zippo. Eventually the train winds up in Canada and Jane and Sparky have to get out. The people of a local village aren't too pleased with their arrival and soon they are being chased away. Some boys from the village decide that chasing them away wasn't enough they go after them with shotguns and kill Sparky. Jane, wounded at her shoulder escapes them by jumping in a river.

Part two "Snow blind"

After being rescued from the river, Jane has to revitalize in a hospital. Friends from Sparky offer to take her in so she can get back to strength and be able to continue her journey. Meanwhile back in Lawndale is Trent facing homelessness as the IRS takes the Lane household due to unpaid mortgage bills. It turns out that his parents used the money intended to pay the mortgage with to finance their journeys. Trent finds temporary shelter in an old caravan until he has earned enough money to afford an apartment.

Part three "Fractured mirror"

After meeting up with her father in Canada Jane learns about losing the house, outraged because of the lack of commitment her father displayed at that faithful moment she leaves off again. Meanwhile back in Lawndale Quinn gets into an accident which does some serious damage both to her welfare as to her sanity.

Quinn couldn't grasp the situation as it unfolded right in front of her. There she was carried into the hospital with an infuse in her arm numbing the ever present pain which raced through her body. But the pain was not the thing that she was worried about, pain at least was reassuring her that she was still alive.

No, the real frightening aspect for her was the fact that she couldn't see what was happening. Ever since the crash, she heard people calling out to her and she felt them touching her, she smelled the odor of gasoline when the ambulance was arriving but without the image she couldn't piece the puzzle together.

She felt that she had her eyes open, but the image just wasn't there anymore. Quinn was terrified what was happening, why wouldn't her eyes cooperate when she needed them the most.

And then finally a familiar voice spoke up.

"Quinn, oh my baby what has happened?" Helen almost yelled when she and Jake had been given clearance to go and see her. Helen came closer but suddenly stopped when she saw Quinn's eyes. "Oh god, your eyes."

Quinn turned her head towards the origin of the sound and spoke up fearfully. "Mom, Dad are you still here?" Quinn began to quiver and her broken irises began to fill with tears. "Please don't leave me, I'm so afraid of all of this, don't leave me." She squeaked in desperation.

Jake took Quinn's hand but looked away from her face, seeing the eyes from his youngest daughter like this was more than he could handle. "Don't worry sweetie, your mom and I are here for you, we won't leave you." He said, trying to sound calm.

"What has happened to me dad, I can hear you, I can feel your hand holding mine and I can even smell your after-shave but I can't get my eyes to open and give me the reassurance that you're really there." Quinn sobbed "What is happening to me?"

Jake sighed and looked to his wife, they already had heard from the doctor what had happened, the impact of the crash had dislocated Quinn's spine at several places, in time she would fully recover from it. But the pressure it caused damaged the part of her brain that gave her sight, in short Quinn's eyes were shut off probably permanently, the doctors weren't sure. Jake couldn't get himself to tell Quinn.

Trent's car stopped in front of the hospital and he and Daria got out. Daria thanked god that Jodie had persuaded her to buy a cell phone, otherwise she hadn't found out about this for quite some time. As they made their way into the hospital they ran into the other fashion club members.

"Daria oh good, you're here. I…" Sandi began but couldn't continue her sentence, guilt overcoming her. Stacy walked up and finished it for her.

"Please don't get mad at her Daria, but it was because of a fight between Sandi and Quinn that caused the accident." Stacy winced as her arm made its presence known. "Sandi saw the corner too late."

Daria sighed, this was more than she needed to know. "So this is how it happened." She swallowed and turned towards Sandi. "Sandi tell me the truth. What was this fight about, you and Quinn are constantly competing but why?" Sandi didn't reply, tears made their way down her cheeks. "I see, you are happy when someone can disagree with you on some things since you usually get your way."

Daria turned away from the fashion club and continued her way to Quinn's room. "I'm so sorry…" Sandi sobbed, seeing her go.

Stacy hugged Sandi in an attempt to calm her. "It wasn't your fault Sandi, these things happen." Sandi cried on, the terrified looking empty eyes of Quinn branded in her memory. Would Quinn ever be able to forgive her?

Fairbanks Alaska. Jane walked into town when she and Zippo had arrived by train. Jane inhaled the cool polar air and sighed, happy to be in a normal city again. Her paycheck from Jack and Mindy would supply her with a hotel roof for at least a few days, so finding a job was top priority. Maybe she would stay here, the forests surrounding Fairbanks were of astonishing beauty and she wanted to put it all on paper. It would certainly take her mind off of things, since the last drawings she made were of her friends and people she left behind.

After checking in at a local Motel, Jane sat down on the bed and looked at the portraits she had drawn of the people she left behind. Jodie, Daria, Mack, Sparky, Mindy, Jack even Tom was immortalized and of course there was Trent. Jane let her head rest in her hands and sighed. How would Trent be coping with the situation he was confronted with? She reached out and got his portrait, she had drawn him as she remembered him, asleep on the couch.

She drew a heavy sigh and closed her drawing book, time to eat. "Come on Zippo, let's find a Pizzeria. One that at least remotely resembles the one from Lawndale." Zippo stood up and followed his mistress out, the prospect of being fed sounded real good to him. "At least eating something normal again will remind me of home." Jane sighed with a smile before closing the door. "A warm bath and a nap around the clock wouldn't be so bad either."

After a walk into the shopping district Jane soon found what she was looking for. Pizza, how heavenly it would melt on her tongue. As Jane ate she felt a reassuring feeling coming over her. Some how she knew that Trent and the others would make it through. Trent probably would have found a place to stay. Probably with the Morgendorffers, the prospect of having a free meal each night, made by Jake, would have been irresistible to him.

Jane finished off her pizza and went back to the motel, not paying attention to the brown car following her. Jane undressed, took a shower and went to bed dozing off seconds after closing her eyes. She never saw the dark figure peeping through a slit between the curtains.

Meanwhile back in Lawndale.

"Daria?"

Daria sat in the lessons but she didn't really pay much attention to what was going on, first the departure of Jane and now Quinn getting into a horrible accident. It was tough enough just to keep her sanity in all of this and then they expected her to pay attention in class too?

"Daria?"

Daria scribbled something in her notebook, she then realized that she'd seen her mother do that too at some occasions.

"Ms. Morgendorffer, WOULD you be so kind to TELL me what it is THAT makes you so absent MINDED?" Mr. DeMartino sneered. Breaking Daria's momentum.

"I'm sorry Mr. D I'm just feeling bad about my sister Quinn, she had a really bad accident over the weekend and is hospitalized because of that and I can't stop worrying about her." Daria sighed. "You'll have to excuse me that I drift off sometimes."

"OH, I'm sorry, I didn't know." Mr. DeMartino said backing off a little "How bad is it?"

Daria sighed, it was better to spill the beans. "Her spine has been dislocated at several places and her eyes are severely damaged, it's doubtful she'll ever see again."

Jodie looked at Daria in understanding, she got to know Quinn a little better over the last couple of months and found that once you look beyond her obsession with fashion there was a highly intelligent person. "Daria, I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do just say so."

Daria smiled sadly. "Don't worry you are doing more than enough."

After the class had ended Mack and Jodie met up with Daria in the pizza place. Daria told them everything she knew about what had happened, Jodie held onto Mack's shoulder while some tears made their way from her eyes.

"Nobody should endure something like that." she sobbed holding Mack tight. "Is there really no hope of her regaining her vision?"

Daria sighed heavily "The doctors don't know for sure, they say that it would take a very risky, not to mention costly, operation. But she'll remain blind for now. It's strange I never liked her obsession with fashion and looking good and all that but now that she's without vision, I can't imagine how she can pick her life style up again. She must be very strong to get back on trail again."

Mack put his hand on her shoulder. "At least she has a loving older sister who's there for her and that's a good start." Mack then looked at Jodie who was still wet eyed holding onto his shoulder "Come on my black queen, smile, your face looks so much more beautiful when you smile. Let me take you home."

Daria looked at their departure and then got out her cell phone and dialed the number that meant the most to her. "Hello Tom?"

Two weeks had past since her arrival in Fairbanks and Jane had to admit to herself that she wasn't doing badly. She applied for several jobs and worked in a supermarket as a checkup girl earning 5 dollars per hour, she soon had earned enough to rent an apartment. Zippo had proved himself to be a decent watchdog. Not that there was much to steal, Jane only had a bed, a couch from a pawnshop, a table made of a door and two wooden crates and a TV in there.

Jane had painted the walls, the space given worked on her muse. The three rooms' apartment was soon decorated with wall and ceiling paintings. Jane caught herself being influenced by her current surroundings having painted the living room like a big lake surrounded by a forest. She initially had planned on painting it in a wild, Pollock-like manner or a gruesome Goya-like scene from Armageddon but for some reason it turned out differently.

Jane didn't mind at all, watching TV in a forest surrounding was very relaxing. Jane found the inner peace she had been looking for. But was she ready to go back to Lawndale, back to the place she left because of the pain she had, was she ready to face the past?

Jane looked at the framed pictures of the Portraits of her friends, what would they say if she just came back, would they be glad to see her or would they feel betrayed that she just left them? Jane looked at the phone, only one phone call would provide her answer, would she dare?

Jane picked up the horn, brought her fingers to the dial board but stopped and laid the horn back into the cradle. Jane walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her hair had grown quite a lot, it now came over her shoulders, Jane was astounded to see that it made her look like a black haired version of her mother.

"No" she said to herself "Calling Daria is much too easy, you have chosen to do this the hard way Lane." Jane then walked back to the living room and turned on the TV.

"Are the members of the English rockband the Verve working on an album played entirely on Kazoos? 'Urban humms' next on Sick sad world."

Meanwhile back in Lawndale was another girl getting used to her situation.

Although Quinn was still in disbelieve at what had happened. She eventually got used to being blind, according to the nurses there were two weeks gone by since the accident. But even without knowing if it were light or dark, she could tell if it were night or day. At night she would hear the lights being turned off and all sounds that usually accompany a hospital grew faint, making way for a blissful silence. It was strange, Quinn always assumed that blind people wouldn't know what was going on around them, the current situation proved her wrong. Two weeks already without vision and yet she was fully aware what was going on around her.

She heard the nurses' clicking heels as they walked by, she even felt the vibrations they made through the floor. Quinn was still afraid, the doctors told her that her eyes were severely damaged and that it would take a complicated operation before she could see again.

Quinn's attention suddenly was taken by the sound of the door opening, the crackling sound of cellophane indicated flowers and the smell of roses confirmed that. Quinn knew there were a lot of flowers being brought in, she could smell them standing next to her bed. Even David had send her a bouquet. The person stepped closer.

"Hi Daria." Quinn spoke up before Daria could do.

Daria was at a loss for words, she looked at Quinn in amazement. "H… How did you…?" she managed to bring out.

Quinn brought up a smile. "I recognized you from the sound your boots make as you're walking by. Thank you for the roses, I heard the wrapping plastic crackle and recognized their smell."

"Man, you really are adapting to blindness pretty quick Quinn." Daria finally spoke while sitting down. Quinn began looking sad again. "Oh I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter Daria, I understand. Not being able to see is now a part of me. Until we can pay for this operation which would restore my sight I guess I just have to live with it." Quinn sighed. "The doctor told me today that my spine is healing up quite nicely it would be two or three weeks until I can try to walk again." Quinn fell silent, she heard Daria's breathing next to her.

"Daria, can you tell me which people I got these flowers from?" Daria perked up after hearing that.

Daria told Quinn how both of their aunts as well as both grandmothers send bouquets. Further ones came from David, from the fashion club members and from Joey, Jeffy and Jamie. But Quinn was surprised to learn about the white leather football with golden wired stitches. Quinn did recall Kevin and Brittany visiting and that since their visit there was a strong smell of leather in the room, this explained why.

"I heard them getting it on at the bathroom, I can even tell how far it went. You know Daria, even without my eyesight I'm able to see more than I did before." This comment made Daria ask the question that had been brooding on her mind.

"Quinn, tell me how do you cope with this, I mean sight is a requirement to the life you've been living. Watching fashion shows and pageants on TV and buying clothes that look good on you was what occupied most of your time. How do you think of picking up that lifestyle again after you can walk again? " Daria stopped and looked at Quinn afraid of hurting her with what she just said but instead Quinn looked thoughtful.

"To be honest with you Daria, I haven't thought of that aspect of losing my eyesight but you're right. All of this has no meaning without eyesight but what I lost is compensated to what I've gained. My hearing and touch have replaced what I used to see. I guess that I will never be the same but I will make it through." Quinn spoke soberly. "Daria, can you come closer?"

Quinn moved her hands to Daria's face and touched it, exploring it with her fingers. Daria didn't resist, she could understand what Quinn tried to do.

Quinn recognized the face of her sister, the face that she used to see so often but then she smelled an odor that wasn't Daria's "Daria, have you and Tom made up?" she then asked.

"Yeah we did, after the accident he has been so nice for me. But how did you guess?" Daria asked in total surprise causing Quinn to smile.

"Well…" Quinn began "It would be very unlikely that you would wear after-shave, wouldn't it?" Quinn smiled and let go of Daria's face. Daria was at a loss for words. "Daria, I know that you Mom and Dad are worried about me and I appreachiate that but I now realize that I will be fine, no matter if I'll be blind for the rest of my life or not."

Daria decided to keep quiet, everything she would have asked had already been answered.

Mean while at the pawnshop was Trent plucking away on a bass guitar that had just been brought in. Trent began to love his job, he would buy and sell stuff and be able to listen to all the secondhand LP's and CD's, while Paul now had the time to do the paperwork and being able to spend more time with his wife and daughter.

The other members of the spiral had noticed the change in Trent's musical directions. He suddenly made them practice to build up a swinging groove. Which resulted in audiences beginning to dance to songs that initially got no one up their feet. Nick had been practicing like a madman, listening to records from James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone and Bootsy Collins. Trent had no idea how he did it but Nick's bass playing seemed to improve with each jam session they had.

Trent was confident in this new direction, he finally had peace with what he really wanted to play. "Emmit Remmus" was the band in which he followed his heart and "Mystik Spiral" was the band in which he followed his rage. But now he could finally combine the two elements. Trent sighed, he did what his mother thought he would do. He made the best of the situation he was presented with. Although not in the way she assumed he would.

It was at that time that the phone rang, Trent put down the bass and answered it. "The Wooden mill, Trent Lane speaking, good afternoon."

"Ah Mr. Lane this is Sgt. Oldfield from the Lawndale police department speaking, we have a woman in custody who's been asking for you. Her name is Amanda Lane." The voice at the other end replied.

"My mother, why is she in custody?" Trent asked in disbelieve at what he was hearing.

"Apparently she had been caught breaking in at a house at 111 Howard Drive and was looking around in the basement. The inhabitants warned us about this and we could capture her without much of a struggle but she seemed to be very confused." The policeman explained.

Trent rolled his eyes, she must have thought that the house at 111 Howard Drive was still the Lane home. "I'll be down in a minute. I can explain everything." Trent laid down the horn and alerted Paul to tell him he was leaving.

When arriving at the Police Station Trent put on a wry smile when he saw Amanda sitting in a cell with a look of utter confusion on her face. "Hey Mom, how was the trip to San Francisco?"

Amanda looked up. "Trent, what is going on? All those strange people in our house, I just got home last night and all of a sudden the police came and arrested me."

Trent began to look serious "Remember how you and Dad financed your trips?" he asked with a soft but vicious edge in his voice. "111 Howard Drive is no longer the Lane household, the IRS took it two days after you left."

Amanda looked furious "What, you just let them take it, didn't I tell you to make the best of the situation?"

Trent retorted "And so I did, before the IRS took the house I have been selling everything just to have money so I could find a place to sleep and to afford to buy myself some food. How can you leave me behind in such a situation thinking that I will use a magic trick or whatever to get the money to pay the mortgage with, I did the best I could do."

Trent turned around and was about to walk away when Amanda stopped him. "Trent, wait I'm sorry, I was flaky. Please tell me how you have been doing."

Trent looked at her, sighed and sat down. This would probably take a while.

Five minutes later Amanda's voice suddenly was heard through the entire station…

"YOU SOLD MY KILN?"

Meanwhile in Fairbanks was Jane relaxing in the local grunge club. The last couple of weeks Jane had been checking out boys in clubs and found that wherever you went, people at grunge clubs looked the same, unisex style. Jane soon had her eyes on Howard Jones, lead singer for the local band "Decepticon". Obviously they had seen a lot of Transformers episodes.

Jane calmly sipped from her soda while Decepticon took the stage, Howard waved at her before strapping on his guitar and grabbing the mike.

"Hellooooo Fairbanks, are you ready to rock?" he began, the crowed cheered him on " Let's get it on then, this is an Ace Frehley song that will certainly get all you all to rock out. Let's all go TROUBLE WALKING!" He said before starting off the song.

Jane enjoyed herself again, she even let herself go out and pogo along with the rest of the crowd. She didn't pay any attention to the person observing her. Adam Moreaux didn't think he would encounter her again, he managed to escape the police who grabbed his buddies because of the murder of that Australian man and that Yankee bitch.

He had fled to Alaska they would never search him there. Adam looked at her with eyes of fire, he and his buddies assumed that she would never survive the fall, apparently they were wrong. Damn it all, he just had started a new live and just a few weeks back she suddenly emerged again. Adam had been following her ever since, sure to get his revenge. The wait was for the perfect opportunity.

That opportunity presented itself right now, Adam knew that the performance from Decepticon would last one hour so that would give him plenty of time to break into her apartment. She brought her dog with her so nobody would notice. Adam smiled to himself as he would wait for her to return. Adam took a last look at Jane and then walked out of the club. "Dance, you bitch, it will be your last."

Jane met up with Howard after the gig had ended. They made a trip to the local snack bar and decided to spend the night at Jane's. Jane couldn't tell if Howard would be the right guy for her but for now she didn't care, they had a lot of fun together and that was what mattered.

"I take it that you enjoyed our performance." Howard laughed while walking with Jane and Zippo to the apartment. "You really pulled off a Tazmanian devil act in the moshpit tonight."

"Oh yeah, nothing like kicking some ass while rocking out." Jane replied "When I go back to Conneticutt you'll have to come with me, I'll introduce you to my brother Trent, you will like him." Jane took out her keys and was about to open the door when she noticed something was wrong. "It's open? That can't be, I locked it thoroughly… Wait a sec…"

Howard saw it too. "Claw marks, made by a crowbar." He spoke softly while bringing out a paralyzer. "It seems to me that you've got a guest in here, better keep quiet. He might be still in." Howard whispered while Zippo began to growl.

Meanwhile in the living room was Adam getting nervous, what took her so long. To keep his nerve he checked his gun again. Long live sound dampers, nobody would hear the shots. "She will come… She will come…" He said to himself.

Howard gave Jane his cellphone "Call the police, I'm going in." He whispered while opening the door as silently as he could.

"Be careful." Jane whispered back while dialing 911 "Hello, can you get me the police station?"

Howard and Zippo tiptoed their way in, careful not to make a sound. Howard then saw the light at the end of the corridor. He send Zippo back and leaned against the doorpost and peeped in. Sure enough, there was someone there, he saw a boy, 19 or 20 years old, sitting on Jane's couch smoking a cigarette and inspecting a gun. Howard moved back, he didn't want the boy to notice him. But then the floorboard creaked under his feet.

Adam looked up, did he hear something?

Howard moved back a little, seeing that the boy had looked up. "Oh man…" he thought to himself while trying to make a silent retreat. But then he leaned on a light switch switching the light of the corridor on. "SHIT!"

Adam bolted up after seeing the light go on, in less than a second he had pulled his gun. "She's home!" it raced through his head while standing up. He then saw a shadow though the open door and smiled. He then fired, the thin walls wouldn't be able to stop the bullets.

Howard heard the click of the gun and ducked, not even a second after doing so he saw the bullets going right through the wall. Howard couldn't remember being so scared before but he remained cool. "He must have heard me fall down, let's play dead." He thought to himself.

Adam heard a thud and he saw the shadow change in shape. "I got her." Adam then walked through the doorpost and saw his victim. Damn it, it wasn't that Yankee bitch, it was the singer from the band that was playing at the club. Adam then saw the door opening.

Jane thanked god that the police station was only two blocks away from her apartment it took them less than three minutes to get there. She already told them to be quiet and that the intruder was still inside, the Police officers opened the door.

"That must be her." He gritted through his teeth while pointing the gun at the door.

Howard saw enough. "JANE LOOK OUT, HE'S ARMED!" he shouted. Before his attacker could shoot.

Adam acted in a reflex, shooting while turning around. The police officer who was opening the door was hit in his shoulder while Jane and the other officer could search for cover just in time. Adam looked at the boy he thought he just had killed in rage. "DAMN YOU, YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" He gritted while pulling the trigger.

Howard waited for the bullets but it remained silent, the gun had jammed. Seizing the opportunity Howard got hold of his paralyzer and waited for his chance.

"DROP YOUR WEAPON AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" The other police officer shouted. While drawing his gun.

The boy turned around while changing the bullet register from his gun. Howard knew that this was his chance, he jumped up, pushed the paralyzer in the boys' neck and activated it.

Adam suddenly felt two metal bolts in his neck followed by an all consuming pain. He then lost consciousness.

Howard felt how his attacker fell weak and pulled the paralyzer away from his neck. "It's okay, I got him!" he then shouted at the police outside.

Jane and the police officers walked in. Jane's eyes filled themselves with fear as she recognized the boy. "Oh my god."

Adam came around and stared right into the eyes of Jane, eyes filled with hate. "Aren't you a bit far from home?" Jane asked clenching her fists.

"Are you saying that you know this asshole?" Howard asked while cocking his eyebrow.

"He's one of the boys who tried to rape me and later tried to kill me when I was travelling in Canada." Jane growled "I thought you would be with your friends rotting away in prison."

"If Tanguy hadn't betrayed us we would have gotten away with it anyway. I could escape the mounties while my buddies were all incarcerated" Adam sneered "I had the chance to start a new life here, but noooo, you had to re-appear again and ruin it all."

"Thanks Mr. Moreaux, this will provide us enough evidence to give you back at the Canadian authorities added to the crimes you did commit on USA soil." The police officer said while pushing Adam in the patrol car and driving off. While his partner got medical attention in the ambulance that had just arrived.

Jane and Howard walked back in and looked at the damage Adam did. "I have to say that you've been really brave Howard." Jane said in admiration.

"I was scared to death and shitting myself but yes I was really brave." Howard laughed while pointing at the bullet holes in the wall. "Sorry about your house though."

Jane laid her hands on Howard's shoulders. "Oh don't worry about that. I was planning on a renovation anyway." She said before pulling him close and kissing him.

To be concluded in: Trouble Walking