Part 1

Athena Valentine, eager young reporter, reviewed hopefully what she had just written.

"Sophisticated professional Miss Athena Valentine, only 18-years old and already a proven expert in the demanding field of child-care, watched with wondrous awe as the greatest metropolis of the mid-west, the sun-drenched city of Chicago, unfolded beneath her window, while the gleaming silver airliner made its majestic approach to O'Hare International Airport."

It sounded good, but she still wondered if this was how a nave teenager fresh from nanny school would really react to her first sight of Chicago? At least, that was what she hoped her alter-ego would think it would be like.

Athena looked down at her legal pad in disapproval and lined out her first paragraph. "A journalism major with a 3.8 grade-point average and I'm writing this shit," she thought with despair. Some Watergate this was turning out to be!

She had been working at the Free Press for less than a month when her editor called her into his office for a talk. He had been working on an idea that required some superb investigative reporting but had been lacking someone with the proper skills to make it a reality.

Her editor had made it sound so exciting. Her assignment would be to go undercover and blow the lid off of what he called the 'Nanny Racket'. He wasn't really sure what abuses would be uncovered by her efforts but he was absolutely certain there had to be something going on.

He told her it could be as dramatic as covered-up child abuse by poorly trained teenagers, or simply just another excuse to cause harassed parents to part with their money for more expensive schooling their daughters would never use. By following a typical nanny pipeline, attending school (there was even one in town!) and actually living for a time with a real family, she would be the first reporter ever to get to the truth of the matter.

Visions of a Pulitzer Prize had suddenly dazzled the normally level-headed Athena's mind as her editor continued.

Either way, he was convinced that the recent rise in the use of nannies by the wealthier members of society was sufficient cause for a job of investigative reporting on the same level that Woodward and Bernstein of the Washington Post conducted on the legendary Watergate scandal.

At the mention of her idols, Woodward and Bernstein, Athena's heart started fluttering. As her editor talked about the job, she could already see herself in the TV movie based on her exploits. "My God!" she thought. "After what they did with 'All The President's Men', God only knows who they would get to play me!"

"YES! Oh, yes!" Athena exclaimed, to the surprise and delight of her editor. If this worked out, perhaps she could get a job as the star reporter on a real newspaper!

After waiting in the boarding area for two hours past her departure time, she was beginning to wonder if she would ever get there. Outside the glass terminal hordes of mechanics swarmed over the plane to correct what was officially announced as a 'minor difficulty'. "Idiots. Who were they trying to fool?" she thought scornfully.

It had been a rough road, but at last she was here, ready to start her new undercover life as a professional nanny. It was such a fantastic opportunity, she could hardly believe it had happened to her. They were actually going to pay her to live in (well, near anyway) an exciting big city with a wealthy family, and do what she enjoyed best, playing the crafty investigator on her unsuspecting hosts. Of course, there was the minor fact that she would actually have to take care of little children, at least part of the time.

"Ugh!" she thought. It was a draw-back to be sure, as she didn't really like the little stinkers, but it was the only way she could uncover the secret world of the modern nanny.

One thing about modern nannies she had found out already: the pay was excellent. In fact, she noted with chagrin that she was making less as an undercover reporter on per diem for the Free Press than as a nanny on her first assignment. This was especially bad the way they kept referring at the paper to 'fringe benefits' in lieu of pay.

But, no matter how she looked at this assignment, it was perfect for her! Even her mother would have approved of it, if she had been able to tell her. Because her assignment was so secret, she couldn't tell anyone where she was going or why. She could only say that the paper's travel section was sending her out of town for a couple of months.

Now here she was at the airport, a very recent graduate of nanny school, or as it was officially known: the Miss Forthingill's School of Child Care for the Privileged. It was a terribly exclusive school to get into, the most expensive in the state. She had been very surprised to find that her editor, posing as her guardian and pulling some strings, had already submitted a false past for her and gotten her enrolled even before she had agreed to the assignment, the rat! She hadn't even applied and here she was accepted already!

While at nanny school, she found that her training, and a few other girls', had been somewhat different from the other students. They were always kept apart, and their training was much shorter, much more individualized. The one week of schooling seemed a bit perfunctory even to Athena, but they said that once they were assigned to their families, they would find that experience was truly the best teacher. They seemed to focus more on how they should always try to fit in with the lifestyles of their new families, no matter how odd or eccentric they might seem, rather than on the duties of actual child care.

Although her editor had warned her not to, Athena took covert notes like crazy in her journal and hoped to have time later to make sense of it all.

Surprisingly, she and the others of her special group were part of the few graduates for whom the school had obtained an immediate position directly following graduation. In Athena's case, it seemed the family was so eager to have her that they had even sent her an airline ticket for the first available flight.

Athena had wanted to spend some time at home with her family before going out on her first assignment, but they were in some kind of child-care crisis in Chicago and required her services immediately.

It was well after midnight when, at last, the boarding announcement was made.

Not sure of what to do and wanting to remain inconspicuous, Athena was one of the last passengers to board. She followed the dwindling line of embarking passengers down a long corridor and into the plane. After showing her pass, the girl was directed to her seat in the business class section.

She knew it was vital for her to be in character at all times, even in situations that had nothing to do with her assignment. Her editor had repeatedly warned her that she had to preserve her undercover identity at all costs, and to consider such things as nanny school and this plane trip as an excellent opportunity for practice.

"If you slip even once, it could cost you the assignment," he warned. "You must never leave your role as the innocent 18-year old nanny and become the sophisticated 21-year old college graduate."

"I can do this," she thought. "I can play the naive teenager, out in the world for the first time. I'll just pretend I'm my bubble-headed sister. Talk about easy!"

Athena considered her sister Alexis to be the pro- typical high school bimbo. If not actually retarded, she must have been very close. She was a real head-turner, Athena had to admit, but her lips moved when she read anything (which wasn't often). She hated the idea of having to act like that, of using her looks to get what she wanted. It was so demeaning, but this was her chance at the big time and she wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize it.

"Why, this isn't crowed at all," she exclaimed, acting as if she had never been on a plane before.

Scattered around the spacious cabin were pairs of plush recliners, each pair well separated from the others. The few business class passengers, having boarded much earlier, were all settled in and asleep by the time Athena made her way into the cabin.

She acted as if she found the numbers and letters on the cabin walls confusing, and she wandered about the cabin, waking the occasional passenger and asking them, "Is this my seat?"

When she asked a sweet-looking little old lady who was sitting alone, the woman took one startled look up at the beautiful apparition which had suddenly appeared as if from magic. She saw a breath-taking teenager with long straight blonde hair falling over her shoulders, button nose, delightful chest, shapely hips, and wide blue eyes.

The ancient crone glanced quickly about the cabin, then immediately croaked, "Yes!!" She gestured with a withered claw of a hand to the empty seat next to hers.

"Oh, goody!" said the reporter, trying to act like an excited teenager. "A window seat for my very first flight. How nice!"

Athena put her purse down and took off her Forthingill blazer. She reached up and tried to place the blazer in the storage compartment located over her seat. It was a reach, but she found that by leaning and stretching over the old woman she would be able to place her blazer in the compartment. She realized that this must be terribly inconvenient to her new companion and repeatedly apologized to her about it.

The giddy ancient would only respond with a kindly but strangely muffled, "That's all right, dear."

So intent was she on putting her blazer away and so nervous that she was finally on the case, Athena didn't realize that she was unwittingly pressing her jutting breasts tightly against the old woman's face.

Finally, Athena had made sure her blazer was neat and safely put away for the trip. She was ready to go to her seat now, and waited for the old woman to politely rise so that she could pass. Unfortunately, the woman seemed quite planted in her seat, and Athena knew that there was nothing to do but slide in front of her.

Murmuring a soft but pointed, "Excuse me!" Athena faced forward and, her hands on the seat in front of her, moved sideways in front of her companion. The woman violently sneezed just as Athena was directly in front of her and Athena felt the woman's head push right onto her pleated skirt, at a spot just centered on her firm buttocks!

"Oh!" the startled reporter cried. Mortified, Athena tried to move away but found the woman now held her by her skirt in a surprisingly strong grip as she continued to violently sneeze.

Not knowing what else to do, Athena could only wait until the old woman finished her sneezing fit. Each sneeze caused the woman to pull down tighter on Athena's skirt, until with a final monstrous "Ka-CHU!" the skirt fell to the cabin floor.

Stunned, Athena could only look opened-mouth in horror at her fallen skirt. The woman, after drinking in the pert behind thrusting from underneath the starched white blouse, placed her trembling hands on the blonde's waist and guided the shocked girl over to her seat. Next, she used her blanket to cover the woman's sculptured nylon- clad legs.

"Thank you!" Athena was finally able to say.

The old woman, terribly apologetic, said "I'm so sorry! I'm just a senile old fool. Please forgive me!" as she held the torn garment towards Athena in her shaking hands.

Touched by the very old woman's obvious sincerity, Athena could only say, smiling, "It's not your fault, really. I forgive you." She took her skirt and carefully inspected the damage.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" the old woman beamed. "I'm Mrs. Murphy, by the way."

"Hi!," Athena chirped automatically. "My name is Athena. Athena Valentine."

"Lovely name," Mrs. Murphy cooed.

"Thank you."

"Can it be fixed?" she timorously asked, as the frowning Athena kept looking at the skirt's fastener.

"Yes, it was just a few buttons. Do you have a sewing kit?"

"Of course, child. Listen, since this is your first ride in an airplane and since I've cause you more than enough trouble, let me look after you this trip. I've flown a great deal and know exactly what to do."

"Well," Athena said, hesitantly. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would really appreciate that." She knew that her sister was constantly on the look-out for people to help her, so her life would be easier by her not having to think for herself.

"Good. It's settled, then. So, why don't you lean back and take it easy and I'll have this skirt of yours fixed in about ten minutes. How about a drink, while you wait?"

"Yes, thank you. Any diet soda they have will be just fine, but only if it's not too expensive. I'm on a budget."

"Don't worry, child, it's on me," she said as she rang for the steward and, with voice lowered, ordered two champagnes.

"Thank you. You're being very generous."

"Not at all, child. Now, we must get you all fastened in," the old woman stated matter-of-factly as she slid her hands under Athena's blanket.

The old woman proved to be quite fumbled-fingered. It took her some time to locate the far half of Athena's seat belt. She had to run her hand continuously up and down Athena's upper leg and hip before she found it. Then, she kept dropping the metal end right between her thighs, and had to repeatedly reach after it. The cringing Athena again and again offered to do it herself as she fought to keep from protecting herself, but it was obvious to her that Mrs. Murphy was a proud old woman, because she wouldn't allow the agitated reporter to help her at all.

By the time her seat belt was properly fastened, Athena was feeling very flushed and embarrassed, in spite of Mrs. Murphy's good intentions.

Still, in exchange for all of her kindness and good intentions, Athena felt compelled to tell Mrs. Murphy all about herself as a new nanny and why she was going to Chicago. By the time their drinks had arrived she was feeling quite thirsty.

"Oooh, what is this?" she said enthusiastically as she could after she tasted the disappointing liquid in the tall, fluted glass.

"It's a special kind of soft drink they have in Europe. I understand it has very few calories."

"My, it tickles, doesn't it?" Athena giggled, after carefully sipping the poor vintage. "Now why," she wondered, "would this nice old lady want to slip someone champagne?"

"Oh, yes. It surly does. Now, here's your skirt. I had to use smaller buttons than usual, they were all I had, but otherwise it's good as new."

Athena moved to slip the skirt on under her blanket, when the old woman stopped her. "Oh, no. You certainly don't want to do that."

"I should go to the rest room, you mean."

"No, that's not it. You must leave it off, otherwise it will become terribly wrinkled."

"Oh, my! I couldn't do that! I just couldn't!"

"Well, okay. At least let me help you get it on, then."

"NO!" Athena inadvertently shouted. After seeing the terribly hurt look on the face of her aged companion, she softened her protest to, "No, I can do it myself. Really."

She opened her seat belt and, after looking guiltily around the cabin, pulled up her skirt over her legs as surreptitiously as possible. Raising herself slightly above her seat, she pulled it up over her hips. She tucked in her blouse and attempted to fastened her skirt.