"What were you gonna do?" she asked Kevin. "Could you really have closed the doorway, shut down that sphere?"
He shrugged. "I don't know."
Alex raised an eyebrow and gestured to the vial still in Kevin's hand. "Then what the hell is that?"
"Oh, this? It's actually a bomb, more like a grenade." He tossed it across the room, and Victoria and Alex shielded their eyes as Kevin's magic grenade destroyed a section of the wall, and part of the floor and ceiling. "Some water, honey, pancake batter, topped off with a little cinnamon—"
"You bluffed?" Alex asked.
Kevin merely smiled.
Alex shook his head and gestured to the cauldron. "What do we do with this? Is it safe to leave here?"
"I'm probably the only one who can really get use out of it," Kevin said. "What do you think? Kevin Mishnar, lord of the demons?"
Victoria and Alex glared at him.
"I'm kidding."
She kicked the cauldron, sending it on its side. The liquid blended with the rain water on the ground.
Kevin looked at his friends as they walked back to Anatol. They were both a bloody mess. Alex's nose was twisted. Victoria only wore a bra and ruined jeans, but the sight was hardly sensual with the blood and burnt skin.
"Cindy and Alicia?" Alex said.
"They're fine. They're not hurt." Kevin swallowed hard as they regarded Anatol. "What do we do now?"
Victoria readied a claw. "We cut off his head. You might want to turn around for this."
"No," Alex said. "I didn't come this far to close my eyes now."
She looked at Kevin as she leaned over the motionless Anatol. He nodded, and Victoria went to work.
CHAPTER 21
Jack smiled as Tiffany finally walked through the doors leaving the airport terminal. She was escorted by one of the many men he'd hired, and he wheeled her two suitcases behind him. Her eyes lit up when she saw her adopted father.
"Jack!"
Tiffany ran into his arms. He scooped her up and spun her around. It'd only been a day since they last saw each other in Paris, but she'd still missed him, and he her. She was one of the few things that brought a smile to his face.
Kevin watched as he stood with the rest of the group not far away. Victoria finally looked refreshed after going through most of her blood supply. Alex had his back against a support beam as Cindy leaned into him, his arms around her waist. All his injuries were healed, thanks to Kevin's magic. Leese stood next to Kevin, and he was happy enough simply to hold her hand.
"I can't believe he watches after Tiffany," Kevin said.
"I think I can," Leese said, smiling. "He saved my life, and Cindy's."
"Everybody's here!" Tiffany shouted.
Jack sighed. "Yeah. They all came with me. I told them they didn't have to. In fact, I begged them not to. Besides Victoria, I don't really like any—"
"Aunt Victoria!"
Tiffany dropped the stuffed animal she was holding and sprinted to the vampire as Jack set her down. Victoria dropped to her knees and embraced the young child. Jack gave his hired help a glance, telling him he was dismissed. Victoria looked up at Jack as she held his daughter.
"You know you love the company," Victoria said. "Besides, my house is being throughly scrubbed of DNA right now."
"I told you you could stay at our house," Alex said.
"Yeah, now there's a thought," Jack said. "Mister Demon and his wife here banging in the next room—"
"Jack!" Victoria said, glancing down at Tiffany.
Cindy laughed and held Alex's face. "Sounds like Jack is afraid of a little affection."
Kevin playfully covered Tiffany's eyes as Alex and Cindy kissed. Tiffany pushed his hand away and approached Alex.
"Can I see your wings?"
Alex's face turned red as he looked at the people moving around them. Victoria smiled as Jack rolled his eyes.
"Nobody cares," Jack said, then raised his voice. "Hey, everybody! We got a man with demon wings here!"
No one paid him any attention, except for the short, odd glance. Alex slowly relaxed as Cindy kissed him once again.
"Is anybody else hungry?" Leese asked.
"Not us," Jack said. "We really need to hit the road—"
"I'm starving!" Tiffany shouted. She pulled on Jack's hand. "Can we get something to eat?"
Jack lifted the corner of his mouth. "Apparently, we're hungry."
They drove in three separate cars to a restaurant Leese noticed on the way to the airport. Victoria rode with Alex and Cindy, to give Kevin and Leese time to themselves. They sat at a table for seven, and despite the fact that Victoria didn't eat or drink, she had a great time.
Life was so different for her friends from two weeks ago. She almost couldn't believe Alex and Cindy were married. She watched as they teased each other, him taking her fries away from her.
Kevin was laughing and smiling, even though he got stuck sitting next to Jack. He'd left his coat, now battle-tested, in the car. On his other side was Leese, and she didn't bother hiding her affection for the witch, constantly touching him. Victoria used to worry about the guys Leese dated, but not Kevin. A long distance relationship wouldn't even be a problem for them, not with what Kevin could do.
Kevin had to use the restroom during their meal, and Victoria watched him walk away as Cindy and Leese leaned closer to each other, whispering. They talked about what Leese was going to wear for Kevin later, and Victoria rolled her eyes as she heard every word. It sounded like her witch friend was in for a lot of fun.
Jack leaned close to Kevin when he returned, and Victoria once again overheard their conversation. Tiffany distracted everyone else with her tales of Paris.
"So, you have nothing for me? Nothing at all?"
"You mean a cure? No, Jack, I'm sorry. Look, I've got a few potions I think might kill you, but you said you didn't want that."
Jack playfully messed up Tiffany's hair. She scowled at him as she gave him a light punch in the side, before quickly apologizing and hugging him.
"No, I don't want that anymore."
For all the attitude Jack directed toward everyone, Victoria noticed it was he who insisted on staying for dessert. Near the end of their meal she noticed Alex staring into the corner, a small smile on his face. She asked what was wrong, and he simply took her hand under the table. She let out a quiet breath when she saw what he did.
Bradley was in the restaurant, watching them from afar.
He faded in and out, as he had trouble staying in the world of the living. Wearing his customary nice clothes, he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his eyes dancing with amusement. Victoria nearly stood. She wanted to go to him, to say goodbye, but she didn't get the chance. He waved before vanishing for good.
"Victoria?" Cindy asked. "Are you alright?"
She nodded, and managed to keep her tears inside.
Another sadness washed over her as they finished their meal and left the restaurant. The visit from the man she thought of as a younger brother was coming to an end. Jack and Tiffany didn't live far away, only a couple of hours in the car, but it was still sad to see them go.
"Well," Jack said. "This is goodbye. I wish I could say it was fun." He looked at Kevin. "Actually, it was fun to see you making a fool of yourself with the blonde here."
Kevin smiled, used to his attitude. Leese let go of Kevin's hand and approached Jack. He didn't know what to expect until she tossed her arms around him.
"Thank you for saving my life."
"Yeah, well, you can thank me by getting your hands off me."
Cindy laughed and joined her best friend in the hug. The look on Jack's face was priceless as the two women embraced him.
"Thank you, too."
"Okay, okay. You're welcome. Now, would you please back off—?"
He let out a rushed breath as Tiffany tackled him around the waist. Alex glanced at Victoria and Kevin, shrugged, and then joined his wife and sister in the display of affection.<
br />
Jack nearly snarled at Alex. "I'm gonna pull your wings off like a bug if you don't—"
Victoria and Kevin joined in. The large group hug drew laughs and stares from two families as they crossed the parking lot to the restaurant. Jack tried to get away, but wasn't successful.
"You idiots think you're funny, don't you?" Jack said. "I'm gonna count to five, and there'd better not be a single hand on me."
Everyone laughed as they split up. Jack couldn't get the scowl off his face. He held his daughter's hand as he surveyed the group, and had the feeling he'd see all of them again. His gaze rested on Kevin and Leese as she gave him an unexpected kiss that rivaled anything he'd seen from the half-demon and his wife. Kevin turned red.
Jack smirked as he pulled out his wallet. "I guess this is long overdue," he told Victoria.
He handed her a hundred-dollar bill. She had no trouble accepting it and shoving it in the pocket of her jeans.
"Hey!" Tiffany said. "Can I have money?"
"Nope. Give everyone a hug goodbye so we can get out of here."
He watched his daughter for a moment before staring at the remarkable witch.
"Kevin, remember what we talked about. If anything pops in that head of yours, call me. I'll make it worth your while."
Kevin nodded, not lost on the fact that Jack finally used his first name. "I will."
Jack hugged Victoria one last time, and Tiffany and he climbed in the car. Tiffany waved until they left the parking lot and disappeared in the distance.
The five friends stood outside the restaurant, silent for a moment.
"I think I might actually miss him," Cindy said.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure about me."
"So," Leese said. She turned to face everyone while clasping her hands together. "What are we doing tonight? I mean…what do supernatural people do when they save the world?"
Victoria smiled to herself, remaining quiet. None of her friends had any idea how often she had a hand in saving the world.
"Well, staying in last night didn't do us much good," Cindy said. "How about we go out to a club, do some dancing?"
"You can't go to a club anymore," Leese said. "You're married now. Married people don't party, and they don't dance."
Alex shrugged. "I never dance, anyway."
Cindy pulled him closer. "Don't worry, baby. I'll dance, just for you, and then later, when we get home, we'll have our own personal party—"
"Enough," Leese said, covering her ears.
Victoria glanced at Kevin, who was still watching the highway with a grin. He didn't participate in their banter.
"So, what did you do?"
All eyes went to him. Everyone glanced between the two of them, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Huh?" Leese said. "What's up?"
"Jack's perceptive," Victoria said. "But he doesn't know you like I do. So…what did you do when you supposedly went to the bathroom?"
Kevin said nothing. He wrapped an arm around Leese's shoulders and gently stroked the back of her neck. She loved the touching, and hugged him around the waist.
Alex held his hands up. "Uh, does someone want to fill me in here?"
Kevin wished he could see the look on Jack's face.
*****
Jack sighed in relief as he parked behind his truck in front of his house. He would have driven straight home without any breaks, but Tiffany needed to use the bathroom a few times on the way. He looked down at his wonderful daughter as he killed the engine in the rental car. Tiffany had finally fallen asleep an hour ago, and he took the moment to enjoy perhaps one of the best sights he'd ever seen. Erica riding him in bed was a sight he committed to memory, but Tiffany curled up in a ball on the seat, sleeping soundly next to him pulled at the few heart strings he had left.
She finally woke up, and glanced at him with one eye. She'd been a real trooper, dealing with the craziness of the past two weeks with great resolve. No doubt she'd have a ton of schoolwork to catch up on, but between he and Erica, they would take care of her.
"Are we home?" she asked.
"Yes, we are." He pointed to Erica's car in front of his truck. "And it looks like Erica's inside waiting for us."
"Awesome. I missed her."
He was in a good mood as he dragged their luggage up the sidewalk. Not even the sight of his neighbor cleaning his car brought him down. Ultimately, he didn't get want he wanted, but he helped Victoria. He helped kill a dangerous man, and in the end, that made the world a safer place for Tiffany and Erica. Everyone else could die for all he cared.
He unlocked the front door, and there she was. Erica lay on the couch, wearing a wonderfully minuscule pair of shorts with a loose blouse. The smell of chicken and steamed vegetables from the kitchen nearly made his stomach dance.
"Erica!" Tiffany shouted.
She ran into Erica's arms for a hug. Jack smiled as he set the suitcases down. Erica spun Tiffany around and kissed her on the cheek.
"I missed you so much," Erica said.
"I missed you, too. I went to Paris. Jack came with me for a while, but he had to leave for work. Still, it was so much fun."
"Was it? You're gonna have to tell me all about it."
Jack couldn't take his eyes off her. He loved technology, but seeing Erica in person was beyond better than talking with her on the other end of a video call.
"I'm gonna take my stuff upstairs," Tiffany said.
He approached Erica slowly, just savoring looking at her. She angled her face to hide her scar, a nervous habit of hers. She flashed him a smile, and he could feel his blood beginning to boil. He watched Alex and Kevin feel up their women all week, and he was getting sick of sitting on the sidelines with his own girlfriend.
"Hi," she said. She stood mere inches from him, one of only a handful of living creatures allowed to invade his personal space. "Miss me?"
He answered by kissing her. Erica sighed into his mouth, and she obviously felt the same. Jack took it as far as he could with his daughter not far away in her bedroom. He ran his hands under her blouse, felt her legs, kissed her neck. She whimpered quietly and gripped his shoulders, but had enough self control to push him away slightly. Although, she had a good idea of what they'd be doing later.
"You missed me," she said.
Jack laughed shortly as he stole one more quick kiss and backed away. "Just a little."
He admired his house, especially his open kitchen. It was a work of art compared to that hole in the hotel room they called a kitchen.
"The food smells delicious."
"I wanted to have a nice surprise waiting for you when you guys got back."
He admired her legs. "Those shorts are the best surprise ever."
She spun in place for him, and then trotted back to the kitchen. Jack admired her figure the entire time.
"I'd better not let this burn. Dinner will be ready soon."
"I'll go unpack. We'll be down in a few minutes."
Jack grabbed two out of the three suitcases and walked up the stairs. He stopped outside Tiffany's room and simply watched as she put away clothes. She had some song playing by a young artist he would never listen to, if he could help it. She made weird little dance moves as she glided across her bedroom.
He shook his head and entered his own bedroom. The tense feelings tried to surface, and he shoved them deep down. His bedroom was an illusion, a lie put together to give Erica and Tiffany the impression that he was somewhat normal. The bed sat there, taunting him, with covers that he intentionally kept messed up. Erica and he spent many wild nights in that bed, and for that reason he didn't hate it. But there were times he wanted to grab a knife from the kitchen and cut the mattress into little pieces.
He looked forward to the night, and the many things Erica and he would do to each other. But he wasn't looking forward to feigning sleep next to her, waiting for her to fall unconscious, before slipping away to watch TV in the living room.
He set a suit
case on the bed. At least it could serve as a stand. His eyes narrowed in confusion as he opened it and saw something sitting on his clothes he knew he didn't pack.
It was an antique pocket-watch, with a note taped to it. He pulled the watch from the paper, admiring the old craftsmanship, before reading the note.
This watch has nothing to do with the Wizard of Oz, but I did see the movie. It was signed by Glinda, The Good Witch Of The North (or maybe Virginia and Maryland).
Jack couldn't help but smile. "Cute. Real cute."
He flipped open the protective cover of the watch to see it wasn't even working. Every hand sat on twelve o'clock. He wound it a single time, and put it to his ear to hear the gears turning. The time was now at one o'clock, but something wasn't right. The second hand moved backwards.
"Nice, Glinda. I save your woman's life, and you give me a busted watch. Probably pissed about that cooking contest—"
He went quiet as a strange sensation overcame him. His eyes shut, and it actually took a large amount of effort to open them once again. He gripped the edge of the bed as his knees went weak. His mouth opened against his will, and an unusual sound escaped from deep within him.
"You little piece of shit," he said, his voice slurring. "I'm…dying." He gathered what strength he had left. "Erica! Tiffany!"
Tiffany burst into the room first, followed by Erica. Their panic turned to confusion as they stared at the odd sight.
"Jack?" Erica said. "Are you okay?"
She was answered by a loud snore.
Jack was half on the bed, resting his head on his arms while he knees supported his weight on the floor. The pocket-watch sat a foot away, near the suitcase, and continued to slowly count backward in time.
"Jack? Daddy?" Tiffany laughed as he snored once again. "How can he sleep like that? It doesn't look comfortable."
Erica rested her hands on Tiffany's shoulders at the adorable sight. "Come on. Let's tuck him in. We'll eat, and keep dinner warm for him."
They set the suitcase on the floor and pulled him into bed. Tiffany removed his shoes while Erica slipped a blanket over him. Erica grabbed the pocket-watch and placed it on the nightstand. Jack sighed from deep in his sleep and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He turned on his side and let out a small smile.
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