"Christ Amanda, it's only a head cold, you will live." Dr. Sandra Wilson looked down at her lover, sick in bed with a nasty cold. Kevin had been sick the week prior with it, bringing the virus home with him from the day care centre. Amanda had taken some time off work to stay with him and was rewarded with the cold herself.

"Sandy, I'm dying here." Cough, sneeze. Amanda blew her nose and tossed the used tissue into the garbage.

"If you love me, cure me, you're a doctor!" Amanda whined some more as she watched her lover getting dressed for work.

God Amanda thought, I must be sick. Sandy was just standing there totally naked and I didn't feel a thing. Argh!

Before Sandy left with Kevin, she did take pity on her poor partner and gave her a shot of an antibiotic. "This should help a little to ease the congestion and maybe you'll sleep too."

Amanda flinched as Sandy poked her with the needle in her backside.

"Big baby." Sandra laughed as she kissed Amanda goodbye and left.

"I'll call you later hon." Sandy left still laughing as she and Kevin were gone and Amanda was left alone with her own miserable thoughts.

With having no food in her stomach, the shot had worked quickly and Amanda was feeling rather light headed and "high."

"Wow!" She said to the four walls. "This is going to be one trip."

The smile washed over Amanda's face as she closed her eyes and started to feel herself drifting off to sleep. The face of her lover smiling at her brought back some old memories and she let those thoughts take control, as she entered into a dream world.

Beverly Hills seemed like a lifetime ago, when she had finally made detective and had taken a job with their police department. She had hated leaving San Diego, but there were too many bad memories, and it seemed just better to go for a change. Unfortunately Amanda's reputation had followed her and she never did fit in. She worked on her own, as no one would partner with her. The other officer's had heard about Amanda loosing her other two partners', and she was considered "bad luck." But that didn't bother her and neither did the cases, she was assigned. Sometimes it was just easier to deal with the "garbage" herself. One of the last cases she had been assigned was involving the actress Jennifer Cassidy. That one case had really bothered her. It seemed Jennifer's ghost, followed her everywhere, even after her case had been solved. There was something so haunting about this woman, Amanda couldn't shake the feeling. It felt like Jennifer was still trying to tell her something and no matter how much booze and how many women Amanda went through, that image would still be there in the morning, waiting for her.

Amanda's dream took her to yet another day. She had awakened with her head on fire from too many tequila shooters and beer. As her eye drifted open, it felt like sandpaper, she was so dehydrated. Turning her head was the face of a much younger woman and Amanda couldn't remember whom she was. Oh my God she thought, she looks like a high school kid. I've finally disgusted my self. Holding her head she got up and looked around for the bathroom. "Were the hell am I?" She asked a big teddy bear that was sitting in the corner. Receiving no answer, she finally saw a door that led into the bathroom. After using the facilities, Amanda grabbed a paper cup and proceeded to drink enough water to put some fluids back into her system. Taking a look in the medicine cabinet she found some painkillers and took three. Looking into the mirror, she saw a sorry sight. She was hung over, a horrible colour, and starting to look older then her years. She smelled of sex and booze and had bite marks on her breasts. This has got to stop she thought, I'm killing myself. She looked again into the mirror and expected to see Jennifer Cassidy's ghost standing there. "Hey Jennifer, am I that bad even for you this morning?" Amanda looked around, saw the shower and crawled in. She scrubbed the night off her body, found her clothes scattered throughout the bedroom, got dressed and left. The young woman called out to her, but Amanda just kept going. She didn't want to know who this woman was or why she was even here.

Amanda found her SUV outside of the building and couldn't remember driving here. In fact where was here, she wondered? Christ.
She found a coffee shop, ordered a large regular coffee and scooped up a newspaper. She took her time and let the coffee work it's magic and then finally left to make her way home. When she entered her apartment, she checked her mail, and any phone messages. The light was flashing and one message was on the machine. Amanda hit play and the voice at the other end, was the last person on earth she expected to here from. It was her old college lover, Sandra Wilson. Or should she say, Dr. Sandra Wilson. They had been lovers for a couple of years until Sandy had to return back home to New York to finish medical school. Her grandfather had promised to help her, but she had to come back home. He was a doctor himself and wanted her to follow in his footsteps as a surgeon and his old school was the first step.

Amanda herself was headed off to the police academy and although it broke both women's hearts to part, they had kept in touch with e-mails, letters and phone calls. Amanda had been lax in replying to Sandy since the Cassidy case and figured Sandy was just checking up on her.

She pushed the play button.

"Hi Amanda, it's Sandy. I hadn't heard from you in a while and wondered if you were ok? Listen, I can't talk long, I'm just on a break, but I want you to call me when you get a chance. It's important. I've got some news and want to share it with you. Bye Amanda."

Amanda pushed the play button again and just listened to Sandy's voice. It felt good to hear her old lover again and she wondered what news Sandy had.
She picked up the phone and hit the speed dial. After a few rings Sandy picked up the phone and the two old friends chatted for the next hour.
When the two women finally said their good byes and Amanda hung up the phone, she could only recall the one sentence. Sandy was moving back to San Diego. The rest didn't matter.

Jennifer Cassidy's ghost stood beside Amanda. "Ah, you're back I see. Where did you go to?" The ghost smiled and nodded. "Don't tell me, you where in New York arranging for this to happen?" "So, tell me Jennifer, is this an omen and I should go home as well?" Jennifer's ghost faded and Amanda knew she had her answer.

Amanda was there at the airport as Sandy's flight arrived. Amanda had already arranged for Sandy's belongings to be moved into the apartment that Sandy had rented. The two women had been in contact almost everyday for the past two months as arrangements had been made. Sandy had accepted a promotion at San Diego's La Jolla Beach area hospital. She would be one of the assistants to the head of the surgery department and couldn't wait to get out of NY. She was fed up with the winters and the people she worked with. Her grandfather had long since passed away and she had fulfilled his wishes. It was now time to live for her self, and that life she wanted was on the beaches of California. Hopefully she thought, with Amanda. She had never been able to have a lasting relationship with anyone. Until his death, her grandfather had kept watch over her activities. He had found out through Sandy's parents, about her lifestyle and had decided that his granddaughter was not going to be one of "those." He had bribed her to come back home and when she did, she realized it was a mistake, but one she would have to live with. She wanted to be a doctor and her grandfather had the means and money to help her. It was a cop out on her part, but somehow she hoped she could make it up to Amanda somewhere in life's travels.

Amanda's heart almost exploded through her chest as she spotted the long, red hair of her old lover coming from the arrival's gate. Sandy was even more beautiful than she had remembered and quickly she wiped a misbehaved tear from her eye.
Sandy spotted her and ran to be greeted by two long, strong arms and a kiss that melted her. The sparks between them crackled and sizzled and when they broke off the kiss, it was as if time had never parted them.

"You look even more beautiful than I remember Sandy." Amanda blushed as the words tumbled out of her month.

"Amanda, you look fabulous." Sandy hugged her.

"Come on, Doctor, let's get your suitcase and get the hell out of here. You're new home awaits." Amanda took her hand, found Sandy's baggage and left for the apartment.

The apartment was piled high with boxes. Sandy had ordered her new furniture on line and Amanda had made sure that the movers set up the bed, arranged the furniture and everything was ready as best as possible. She had stayed the week in the apartment, done some cleaning and had even gone out and bought some dishes and pots and pans. It hadn't been hard to arrange the week off work, from Beverly Hills. In fact her Captain had almost seemed happy to get rid of her for the time. While Amanda was back in San Diego, she had gone into the police station and talked with the Captain there. It was a long shot she thought, but she wanted to come back as well and be close to Sandy. Maybe wishful thinking on her part, but she hadn't felt this good in a long time, and was hoping that given time, maybe she and Sandy could at least be good friends, if not lovers.

When Amanda left at the end of the week to return to Beverly Hills, she didn't feel sad or depressed. One way or another she'd be back, or at least they could travel the distance between the two cities.

It was two months later and Amanda had received an interview with the San Diego Police Captain. Anderson was his name and during the interview Amanda found him to be a reasonable man and with a gut instinct she felt she could work with him. After the interview concluded he shook her hand, and told her they would be in touch. She had barely made it back to Sandy's apartment for the weekend, when the phone rang. It was for her and it was the good news. Amanda was rejoining the San Diego Police force.

Sandy was overjoyed when she heard the news. She had wanted Amanda to live with her, but Amanda had declined. "I want to find a place of my own by the beach. I made a pot full of money in Vegas a while back and I want a home." She had smiled at Sandy and said. "Maybe it will be something that you will like as well in the future." Amanda grinned and Sandy just gave her a knowing look and a swat on the arm. One of many swats Amanda would receive as the future would reveal.

Amanda and Sandy had found a nice house in the La Jolla Beach area. It was a short drive to her new station and only twenty minutes, depending on traffic, to Sandy's apartment. The Beverly Hills station wished Amanda luck, but wasn't unhappy that she was leaving. As Amanda took a last look around her apartment in Beverly Hill's a familiar face greeted her. Smiling and nodding Jennifer Cassidy's ghost was saying goodbye to Amanda. "I guess it's my turn to say thank you. Bye Jennifer, rest in peace."

The drive to San Diego saw Amanda smiling all the way. She drove to her new home and was greeted by an affectionate kiss from Sandy, Chinese food and candles. The two women ate dinner and talked all evening. Sandy stayed the night, but chose the guest bedroom to sleep in. Their friendship was something that both of them needed to rekindle, without the extra stress of sex. Time would tell where that would lead too and both women were patient.

On Monday morning Amanda walked into the San Diego station and was greeted by the staff sergeant and the Captain. They were happy to have her on board and wanted her to meet her new partner. Amanda frowned when they mentioned partner, but the Captain assured her, she would like this person.

A tall woman with long, blonde hair, blue eyes and legs that went on for days, walked up to Amanda. "Hi." She said. "My name is Mitchell Blake, you must be Amanda Ellis. Mitchell extended her hand and the two women shook. "Let me give you the nickel tour." Mitchell remarked and grabbed Amanda's arm.

Amanda could hear a noise that woke her, and realized that two little eyes were looking down at her.

"Momma, wake up." Kevin had been sent up to roust a sleeping Amanda.

Looking at the clock Amanda realized she had been sleeping all day. She sat up and gave Kevin a pat on cheek. "Tell your mommy, I'll be right down."

Amanda looked around the bedroom and realized she had been dreaming that whole time. She sniffed and found her nostrils were unclogged and she could breathe. "Wow, that stuff was powerful." Amanda said to a stuffed animal that lay beside her on the bed. Amanda got up, used the bathroom, washed her hands and face and went downstairs. She was greeted with a cranky lover who seemed to have the symptoms of a cold coming on. Amanda just laughed, gave Sandy a hug, and recalled her dream on how she had gotten from here to there and back to here. All because of a phone call.

the end of part 9.

Continued in Part 10