Checking her reflection in the rearview mirror of her silver-grey '99 Ford Windstar Van, Kim retied her long semi-curly copper-brown hair behind her head and turned off the van to quickly get into work. She was ten minutes late. "Why are there no lights on at all? Weird," she pondered, humming the theme to the 'Twilight Zone', pulling out the keys to the front door and entering the building.

Still wary of being alone, Kim went to the security office and began turning on all the lights in the place. She told herself to just forget about it. "Just do your job and shut up, Drama Queen." She heard a very familiar snicker. "Chris is not here, that's just wishful thinking," Kim found a stack of pictures that needed labeling for a new exhibit starting the next week so she got to work. A few minutes later, deep into the stack she saw a very bright red thing pass her desk.

"Okay. That's it. I'm scared now. You happy?" she hollered, determined to extract the vermon from her territory. Relying on the bravado she uses to protect herself, Kim got up from her desk as 'Mary Had A Little Lamb' drifted into the air. She immediately recognized the voices. "Those bastards. I'm gonna fix them good," she grumbled walking toward the sound. It came from the "Discover Virginia" room. She followed it until it ended inside the replica of a covered wagon. She found nothing but a note. "We're playing Hide N Go Seek...you game?" she read aloud.

"This could take hours...Might as well close down," she grimaced. She became livid at the thought of them running rampid around all the expensive portraits and exhibits. They could cause serious damage. Afterall, *NSYNC were all a bunch of four year olds.

After what seemed like hours, she ran into JC. "Hello, Crackhead," she greeted him. He spun to face her.

"Don't let that get out," he growled.

"Then I suggest you take your boys and you leave," Kim answered snidely. When JC's eyes flashed with anger, Kim decided not to take any of his shit that day. He lunged for her but Kim jumped back and socked him in the stomach. He took her by the shouloders and they proceeded to wrestle around.

"It's WWF Smackdown in the museum," Justin flashed his 100 watt smile while the four of them watched the brawl.

They wrestled for a good ten minutes until Kim got the advantage. She landed a swift open-fisted hit to the family jewels and *POOF* he shattered into a million shards of JC, like a mirror.

As the last shards of JC disappeared, Kim found herself alone. She began to walk back to her desk, satisfied that the rude interuption was over.

"KIIIMMIIIIEEEE! Howsabout a little game of strip poker? I'm in the old 50's diner part. Put on the dress you'll find on the way," she heard Lance's deep distinctive drawl rumbled over the P.A. system.

Of course, Kim immediately dropped her task for that day and journeyed to the Diner. On the way there, she found a dark green, off the shoulder lacy gown that dated back in 1860-something. Along with it was a corset and a petticoat. "How did they do this all the time? This is impossible to wear!" she seethed, settling into the clothes.

Silently she picked up the skirts of the flowing dress and walked to the Diner. Her breath caught in her throat. She now sees what Olivia sees in him. "Hello. It took you long enough. I hope you like the dress I picked out for you. It reminded me of the curtains Scarlet made into a dress in 'Gone With the Wind'," he spoke, his back to Kim. Lance wore the grey and gold uniform of the Confederate army.

"Miss Kimberly. Tsk. When a man is speaking to you it's only polite to respond to him. Oh I get it. You like what you see, huh?" he smiled dryly.

The thick Missippi accent, so different from her Virginia one, momentarily incapacitated her. How dare he grow an ego? Glaring at him, Kim found her voice. "You win, Pretty Boy. Let's get this game over with".

In silence he dealt the cards, an amused smile curving his lips. He knew he had gotten under her skin. Kim had a really crappy hand. "Okay General...whatcha got?" she asked, her bravado returning.

"Royal Flush. Beat that."

"All's I got is two pairs: fives and eights. What do you want?" Kim conceded, wanting to end the game as soon as she could. "Be nice. You're a chivalrous guy," she warned, knowing he was contemplating what to make her remove.

"Just because I'm from the South... No, you're right, I am. The hair, let it down," he tried to fake her out but decided against it.

With a sigh of relief, Kim removed the clasp holding back her hair. The next hand was better for her. She bluffed him on a really shitty card and he muttered "Beginner's luck."

"Yeah, whatever. The sword...gimme the sword."

"You want the sword, huh? Come get it."

When they were both only in underclothes, they heard a horse neighing nearby. "A horse in the museum? Bye bye job," Kim grimaced, adjusting the last petticoat she wore, then rising to her feet to investigate.

When they located the horse they also found the other guys. Chris reminded Kim of Gene Kelley in the movie "On the Town." He wore the white sailor's uniform and cap. "Chris! You've been hiding from me," she greeted him with a hug.

In response to her greeting, Chris launched into a song from the musical "Anchors Aweigh." Kim fell back into Lance, in a fit of laughter. This was too much.

Out of nowhere, Justin appeared. He wore Army Fatigues from the Vietnam War. "Make him stop! That's it! I've had enough of you. You gotta die, now," Justin yelled, removing the pin from a grenade and tossing it at Chris who was still dancing by himself.

Letting out a tortured scream at the loss of Chris, Kim began crying uncontrollably. Pretty soon they were swimming in her tears. As Chris disappeared in smoke, Joey appeared in his place. He was mounted on the horse Kim had heard earlier.

Unfortunately for Justin, the horse became upset about the water and was struggling near him. Justin ended up getting trampled by the horse.

Before she knew what was happening, the three of them who were left stood at the entrance to Hollywood Cemetary, the location of most of Richmond's Dead Old Money. Joey, in his Union General Uniform, was a sitting duck for the ground to swallow him up. With his sword in his hand, Lance opened the gates and demanded that "the good sons of the South, get up and keep defending the noble cause against this Yankee scum."

Kim might have been from the South but this "Noble Cause" meant nothing to her. The last thing she wanted was Joey's death. For some reason, seeing him on that horse made Kim reconsider her previous notion that all Yankees were evil. How could anything that strong and virile looking be evil?

Lance turned to approach Joey with his Rebel Zombie friends, rising from their graves to join him in the pursuit.

She had to run to catch up with them. Kim wasn't about to let Lance intimidate this lone soldier, no matter what side he was on. Kim caught up and threw herself between the two warring parties. Joey had stood his ground so it wasn't that far away. "Lance. You're acting like a bully. Stop this and take me instead," Kim suggested breathlessly, pressing against his bare chest. 'Where did all this desire for Lance come from? I need to make up my mind. I can't have both... Well THAT'S an idea,' Kim thought to herself as the noise rose from the approaching soldiers and Joey disappeared.

The emerald gaze that held Kim captive approached quickly. Without saying a word, he took posession of her soul when his mouth crushed hers in a powerful, heated kiss. A thick fog, came up around the two as they lost themselves in the moment.

After what was left of their clothes had been removed, he spoke again. "Getting you in bed was as easy as when we took Fort Sumter."

A while later he was gone and Kim was left alone. "Why did I let myself do that? I'm so stupid," she sobbed, wrapping the blankets firmly around her and crying. Kim heard something bound the long staircase that lead to the room she was in, then looked up in time to see the horse from earlier, this time without Joey.

"Stop that! He's not worth crying over. You allowed him to use you so it's no wonder he's gone now," Kim heard Justin's voice coming out the horse's mouth.

After she stopped crying, the horse stood beside the bed until Kim was on his back. He carried her out of the house and into the grove of Magnolia trees in the front of the house.

When Kim was out of the way, Joey appeared, carrying a torch. He threw it into one of the front windows and walked away from the house as it went up in flames. It was quickly engulfed.

The only home Kim had ever known was disappearing before her very eyes. "Yankee piece of shit," Kim growled when he was within ear-shot.

"Now, you know you don't mean that. It's all over your face. Why else would you have jumped between me and the rebels?"

"Temporary loss of my mind. What are you doing, Sir?" Kim gasped as Joey pulled her off of the horse, holding her close to him. "If you don't let me go...I'll scream so loud...everyone within four states will come running," she warned when he didn't let her go. In fact his grip got tighter as Kim spoke.

"One thing I'll give you rebels. You grow them well down here. I've never seen any woman as beautiful or as challenging as you," he smiled broadly, bringing his face closer to hers.

"That won't work, you know? I'm a lot smarter than that, you Ape."

"I'm better than an ape, aren't I? At least a neandrathol. You know you want me," came the reply. Before Kim could protest, he kissed her, burning every memory of Lance out of her head forever. The War was over!

THE END

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