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Frink was putting in later and later nights. He drew new designs and wrote up new formulas. At last he had gotten out of his slump and was on a roll. He was on the verge of a breakthrough, and about to solve the Thanos problem. Instead of trying to design cells he realized to base it on a special type of virus called a bacteriopahage. The word literally meant eater of bacteria. He worked hard under the microscope putting these together. The experience he had gained in college and while making Caroline's proposal was coming in handy now. He was constructing what he called an electrophage. It was made of extremely thin metal an atom wide and looked like an alien landing pod with six legs. The information was carried in the hexahedral head and passed on through the tube that it rested on to restore problems it came in contact with. They worked in theory but he had yet to make enough to test them out.

Owen paced back and forth in his office for he knew that Frink was close to solving the puzzle. He could not stand it. Frink had taken his woman, his place on the project and now he would get the glory for the discovery on the Thanos Project. He could not allow this to go on any further. All of it, he would not allow it. If he couldn't have these things then neither would Frink. He had searched his lab while he was away and could not find any notes to get ahead of him in the project. He remembered that back in college he hardly ever took notes as he had it all in his head. Frink never made anything easy for him. Owen thought back to Caroline, he was obsessed with the thought of her. He had the respect of his underlings and their loyalty but that didn't matter if he didn't have her. He sat up as a thought entered his mind. Could he do this? Had it finally come down to this? Many of his underlings knew of John Frink and shared his feelings, he'd imbued them with those emotions long enough. Their loyalty he had, so perhaps he could use that to his advantage after all.

Frink packed up his work, pleased with his findings. As he headed out the door he found a sheet of paper on the ground. It was written ransom style and addressed to him. It read: "Professor, stay off the Thanos project if you know what's good for you. Pursue this any further and you will be gravely sorry." Was this some kind of joke? Frink just crumbled it up and went on his way.

A few days later the Frink family was up bright and early ready to start a new day. Max shoveled down his cereal and rushed for the door.
"Woe slow down there, lightning bolt." Said Caroline as she grabbed him in mid run and swept him right off his feet. She tickled him and he laughed like crazy. She then gave him a good strong and long hug. "I love you Max. Always." He looked at her slightly confused. There was something different in her voice today.
"I love you too, mom."
"Ok now you may go." She said. Max walked out the door slowly this time and walked to the bus instead of skating to it. She turned to Frink and said, "I better get going. I'm going to be back late tonight. There's an unusual star cluster I need to look at."
"Oh sounds fascinating." Said Frink. She then gave him a very tender hug and a passionate kiss. Normally Frink would have melted like butter in her hands but something was different about this kiss and he didn't know what it was.
"I love you, John. More than anything and always. I wanted you to know."
"Oh, Caroline. I know you do, I certainly do and I love you too."
"Well like I said I got to go. I'll see you later. Good bye."
"Good bye." He said wiggling his fingers in a wave. She shut the front door and Frink found himself alone in the house. He didn't know why but he felt a little scared being alone. The house was so quiet. It was getting late in the morning and he didn't know why he was still standing around when there was work to be done.
"Floyd! Clean up this mess." He yelled at the robot. At least now there would be the sounds of an electronic Floyd buzzing about. "Yeah, that's good. I'm off to work myself. I expect the house spick and span when I return."
"Yes…Mas…ter." Responded Floyd as Frink left the house.

Caroline worked frantically all day. Genetics had become her forte and it was so nice to have her very own lab to work in. Back in college she studied cell biology it wasn't even called genetics. They had come such a long way since then. But she still enjoyed dabbling in physics and of course astronomy. How could she not now that she was in charge of the observatory. She'd waited all day for the night to come and at last she would point her scope up at the strange star cluster. It was very late and the last of her assistants walked into the domed room.
"I think I'm going to call it a night. Is that alright, Doctor?"
"No problem, Jenny. I'm staying behind though."
"Have a good night then."
"You too." Responded Caroline never budging from her eyepiece. That night Caroline saw some truly wonderful things. She almost lost track of time and if she wasn't careful she could have spent the whole night there. But she was getting weary and it was time to go home to her family. She shut everything down and closed everything up. It was fairly cold outside and the wind danced through the trees. The street lamps were on in the parking lot giving the place an eerie orange glow. She crossed her arms and walked against the wind, which pressed her hair back against her face. Half way across the parking lot Caroline stopped. Where was her car? She had parked it right here…hadn't she? She wasn't sure now. It was a quiet night and as she looked back over the hill she could see the entire city far below. This couldn't be happening. She knew that she had parked right at this spot. It was getting colder and she could see her breath on the wind. A rustling in the bushes caught her attention and she began to make her way back toward the building. Two figures stepped out from the shadows and walked slowly towards her.
"Well, well. What a pretty little doctor we have here." One of them said. Caroline turned to run but two more appeared behind her blocking off her escape route. Caroline tried running in the opposite direction and made it past them. She reached the wall and pulled on the fire alarm. No sooner had she done that when two of the strangers grabbed her and dragged her into the shadows under the trees. She screamed and kicked violently.
"Hitting that alarm wasn't too bright lady. You aren't making this any easier on yourself." The four had her surrounded.
"AAAAHHH, let me go! What do you want?"
"From you…nothing we are just doing our job. Blame this on your husband if you like."
"John? What have you done to him? What does he have to do with this?" She yelled struggling the whole time.
"Your hubby doesn't do what he's told so we have to show him a lesson and you are that lesson, doctor dear." One of them said.
"YOU BETTER NOT HURT HIM!!" She screamed.
"Oh we won't…for now. But if he doesn't listen well, we'll just have to come after your little boy next."
"NO!! DON'T YOU DARE HURT MAX!!!" She roared as she bit down on the hand that was holding her around her shoulders. She heard the man scream and felt his hot blood trickle down her chin. She spit out the vile fluid. He loosened his grip recoiling in pain and she jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow sending him to the ground. She knew the one directly in front of her would reach for her and he did so just as anticipated. She pulled back and planted a strong kick right in his crotch. He fell to the floor instantly with his hands between his legs. She swiftly kicked him in the stomach, leaped over his prone form and ran down the parking lot with the remaining two strangers on her trail. Caroline ran as fast as she could but they caught up to her. No matter how hard she pushed her legs she couldn't run any faster. She felt herself jerked off her feet as the man threw his arm around her chest and shoved her back into the arms of his partner.
"That was real stupid, and now we end this." He said.
"No please, don't. Please DON'T!!" She cried.
"Sorry, orders is orders." The man said as he jabbed his fist over and over into her stomach and a few times across the face. Blood trickled from her forehead and nose as she fought to stay conscience the whole time. A flash of sliver flew in the night as the thug pulled out a blade. He stabbed it into her chest and pulled it out rapidly leaving a three-inch gash on her left side. Caroline tried to scream but her voice was taken from her and only a gargle came out as bile and blood welled up in her throat, it poured from her mouth cutting off her air supply. He stabbed her two more times as she choked on her own blood and was thrown to the ground. The crimson blood pooled under her and she felt the hot liquid trickle over her body, steam rose around her in the cold night. She saw them disappear into the dark as her vision blurred. All she could think of as her life slipped away was Jonathan Frink. "I love you always, no matter what." Her mind hollered over and over. "Always!" Her last thoughts would be of her beloved one. When the fire trucks arrived instead of a fire they found a murder.

Frink sat alone in the living room with only a dim light on. He had sent Max to bed hours ago. Caroline said she would be late but this was getting ridiculous. It was nearly 1:30 in the morning. She had never been this late. He was getting worried, really worried. The phone rang and Frink jumped out of his seat and dove for it.
"Hello?…WHAT?…No it can't be…Are you sure?…No, no this can't this can't be. I'll be right over!" He hung up and went terribly pale. He had just gotten a call from the Chief of Police and it was the last thing Frink wanted to hear. He went upstairs quietly. Max was still asleep. Good he hadn't heard anything. Frink ran outside, hopped on his motorcycle and sped down the street into the dark and cold. He breathed heavy and broke into a cold sweat. The labs were so far he'd never make it at this rate. With a press of a button the fins on his motorcycle unfolded and he blasted off into the air. A drop splashed on his face then another and another. Light rain fell and he flew on through it cold and wet, his green coat flapping behind him. Frink approached the laboratory from behind and below he saw the blue and red flashes of police cars and ambulances. He landed softly and quietly then stepped down and ran through the muddy puddles toward the portly Chief Wiggum. The chief was very solemn. Frink had never seen him like this before, and Wiggum had never seen the professor so distraught.
"Where is she, Chief?" He asked.
"This way." He walked Frink to the ambulance and pulled back the white cloth that covered the body. Frink gasped at the sight. He had been hoping that it was someone he didn't know. "Is this your wife?" asked Wiggum.
"OH, CAROLINE!!" Screamed Frink as he threw himself over her. "What have they done? What happened? Don't leave me. Don't leave, I need you. I can't do this alone. I OH…" He burst out wailing his tears streamed down his face onto her chest and trickled down her neck. "Who did this? WHO DID THIS???" Yelled Frink turning his anger on Wiggum.
"Well we don't know but we are trying to find out. I assure you we are doing everything…"
"No you aren't, bwah hay! Of course you don't know because you are an incompetent pig!!" This job never got any easier for Wiggum. He just walked off and left Frink with her a moment.
"No, no no. Baby don't go." He cried again as he gently rubbed her bruised cheek with his hand. He then ran his fingers through her hair. He squeezed her bun, knowing that it would be the last time he would do so. As he did so he noticed the purple hair band she always wore. Gently he unraveled it and let her hair fall loose. He placed the bright hair band in his pocket. It would be something he would always keep with him.

"Professor?"
"What?" answered Frink as he turned to look at Wiggum who had returned.
"I think it's best if you went home. Who's looking after your son?"
"GASP! Max!"
"Don't worry, we'll take care of everything here." Frink nodded and gave Caroline her last kiss then he got on his bike. He rode the rest of the way home.

The rain let up by the time Frink arrived home. He walked upstairs and sat down on Max's bed. The little boy sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"What…what's going on?" He said all sleepy.
"Max we have to talk. Something really bad has happened." Max looked at his dad through hazy eyes. "Your mother…has just passed away."
"What? How can that be? It's not true!"
"I'm afraid it is. We'll get through this somehow." Said Frink as he got up and left the room. It was 3:00 AM now and Max had never been up this late. The sleepiness got the better of him and once again he was out like a light.

Sunshine poured into his room and Max got up before his alarm went off the following morning. The house was awfully quiet. He walked down the hall and saw none of the windows were open. He went down opened them and found Floyd waiting in the kitchen.
"Floyd? Where are mom and dad?" He asked. The robot lifted his arms curved in an 'I don't know' gesture. Strange he thought. Max headed back upstairs and made his way to his parents' room. He opened the door and found his father alone face down on the bed crying, still in his clothes and a mountain of tissues at the foot of his bed. Max gasped. It hadn't been a dream.
"It…it wasn't a dream. You coming in my room last night telling me about mom?" Asked Max.
"No it wasn't a dream though I wish it had been." Said Frink as he sat up and looked at his son. Max burst into tears as he leaned on is father. The two wept together for a moment when Max finally asked.
"What happened to her?" This was very difficult for Frink to explain.
"She, she was killed. I don't know how or why the police are trying to catch the bad guys. Oh glayvin."
"I want to stay home today." Said Max still not believing what he was hearing.
"We're both staying home today Max."

Half the town turned out for Caroline's funeral. All the mourners arrived dressed in black or grey and paid their respects to the family. Both Max and Frink looked so different in their ebony suits. The funeral was held out in the cemetery and was given by Reverend Lovejoy. Mrs. Simpson walked up to Frink, "I'm so sorry Professor. Caroline was one of my few friends. I recently visited her on a day off. I know she's a busy woman. I brought over a cake and we talked. I'm gonna miss her."
"Thanks Mrs. Simpson." Said Frink.
"Tough break there, Max." Said Bart. Max didn't respond to him.
"BART!" Said Lisa annoyed. "I'm sorry Professor. Max, I'm really sorry." She said putting her hand on his shoulder. "If you ever want to play the blues with me on your clarinet feel free to. It will make you feel better…for a short time."
"Thanks Lisa." Said Max, he remembered her from Mr. Largo's music class. The last to speak with them was Lovejoy himself.
"Do not despair my children. Caroline is at rest now. I must say though Frink, your family is one of the few that I married that kept the promise."
"What promise?" He asked confused.
"Why 'until death do you part'. Your marriage worked until the very end."
"Thirteen wonderful years that felt like a millisecond. It wasn't enough." He said looking down at the ground. He put his arm around Max and they went home.

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