Chapterless

"burkie!" marian looked up from her laptop and waved at the latest customer to walk into Poor Yorick's Pub.

burkie tipped his hat and muttered, "ma'am," on his way to the bar. "hey, danny. i'll take a guinness. what's on the menu today?"

"peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," blake replied as he poured the draught.

burkie rolled his eyes. "you're kidding. you actually found a recipe for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on epicurious? hell, i think even sierra could make that without a recipe."

blake shrugged. "this is your blog, big guy, not mine. you wanted peanut butter and jelly today."

"but that's because i was sick. i'm having a guinness now, and i don't want peanut butter and jelly with it."

"don't knock it 'till you try it. it's that or nothing."

"fine, fine, i'll take it. but at least put it on wheat instead of white."

"you got it, boss." blake turned around to make the sandwich and burkie walked over to the assembled usual suspects. "what's up, guys?"

cardigan retorted, "you tell us, hotshot. you're holding the strings." he put his hands up and made them move around jerkily.

"i understand how you feel, but i think we made some good decisions in Chapter 11. you guys can be your own person much more easily now that i'm not putting you in contrived situations with no forethought."

sierra broke in. "but what about my dog? and livermore?"

"i saw your grandfather today, sierra, and he's fine. he said to tell you hi." burkie bit into his sandwich. "as for livermore, cardigan will have to fill us in."

cardigan answered, "the police tell me that the bullet that killed livermore is a match to one that was used in a drug-related murder in miami several months ago. so it looks like that police know what they're doing. they don't need us."

"good," burkie nodded. "his purpose was to bring cardigan and sierra together, so we don't really have to spend much more time on him. even sierra wasn't emotionally invested in him, were you?" he turned toward sierra, scowling as he sees her bite into the hitherto untouched half of his sandwich.

"nope," she mumbled. "he was a bad kisser."

marian asked, "why isn't this Chapter 12?"

"oh, that. well, since i'm changing the format of this little exercise to that of a meeting place rather than a linear story, i'm going to give the chapters names rather than numbers."

"is that all we are to you? just an exercise?" sierra was indignant.

"no, not at all." burkie said defensively. "that's why i changed the format to make you guys the focus rather than a dead guy. you're much more interesting."

"i agree," concurred marian. "we are much more interesting." she looked at burkie. "have you finished "The Time Traveler's Wife?"

burkie shook his head. "no, not yet, but the end is near. i am enjoying it. it's very...human."

"but you don't like humans," sierra pointed out.

"that's true," burkie admitted, "but they're fictional humans--like you guys, and i enjoy you, too. i enjoy books with good characters, which is why i tend to enjoy serial fiction as the characters can be more fully developed over multiple books. the nice thing about 'the time traveler's wife' is that while the book has a clever premise, it serves to develop the characters and enhance their relationship rather than steal the spotlight from them."

"maybe i can be a time traveler, too," sierra piped in, "so i can help develop our characters further."

"no!" they all said in unison.

"but," marian grinned, "maybe you could date a time traveler. they're probably better kissers than dead guys."

"he wasn't dead when i kissed him!" sierra made a face. "and i don't want to date a guy who just pops in and out all the time without warning."

"plus, he arrives naked every time he time travels," burkie pointed out.

"eeeuw, definitely not." sierra shuddered. "can i date an independently wealthy vampire?"

"no!"