Fall From Grace (31 page)

"WAIT!" I scream and turn in a fast circle. "Ash STOP acting like an Ass!"

Ash rolls his eyes unfolding his arms, as the wind suddenly dies down leaving a thick cloud of dirt on the window panes. The outdoor adirondack chairs land with a huge thunk as they break into multiple hunks of wood. Dad leapt back about a foot, a mixture of confusion and fear across his face.

"What the... How?... Was that... Was that you?... How..." he trails off and walks over to the window in disbelief.

"Smooth Ash, way to give an old man a heart attack!" I snap, giving him a glare and walk over to stand behind Dad at the back window. I can see our reflections in the glass as he continues to stare through the grim.

"Um, Dad, sorry about that, it was a little harsh. But we really do need you to trust us on this one." I place my hand on his shoulder gently but it's as tense as a tightly wound coil. Gingerly I pull my hand back and clasp the two together, trying to figure out how to handle this one.

Dad's still staring out the window with his mouth hanging open. Perhaps I should worry about him going into shock?

"Dad? You ok?"

And just like that, he swiftly brushes past me, leaving the room in three strides. I hear him walk through the front room and up the stairs to his bedroom.

"Smooth move Ash, now my Dad is probably up there calling the cops on us!"

"Look Stella, I know you're pissed, but we really don't have time for this." His nonchalant attitude is irking me.

"Don't have time to try and make my Dad not scared of me? Of us? Don't have time to at least give him more then 20 seconds to processes this news? Don't have time? Really?"

I storm out of the kitchen and up the stairs, turning right at the top towards Dads room. The door is still open and I peek in to make sure he isn't brandishing a baseball bat.

He's actually in his closet pulling down clothes into a duffle bag.

"Uh Dad, are you ok? I'm sorry he did that to you, it was off side." I feel like a little kid standing before a scary adult, telling them they broke a family heirloom vase, or cheated on a test. I can tell he's feeling confused and scared, but I can also feel something else. Something more difficult to read, almost like I can sense the wheels turning in his head in some sort of self realization.

I move over to the bed and sit down on the edge, waiting for a response. As he looks at me from the closet he grabs his almost full bag, walks over and plops it on the floor and takes a seat next to me.

Before speaking he heaves out a big breath. "This has to do with your mother somehow doesn't it?" This shocks the crap out of me.

"Y-yes," I stammer.

"I'm not stupid Stella, I remember everything about her, and I wasn't blind to the fact that she was special somehow. I just... " he trails off, collecting his thoughts. "I just, didn't really want to know, you know?"

"I understand Dad, I do. There are so many things I have learned lately, I just don't know where to begin. I... " Dad cuts me off and grabs my hand.

"Hold up, ok, I get that there are some things going on, but I'll still not ready to hear it yet, not today. Listen, I believe you, but what it more important, are you in danger Stella? Like in
real
danger? Can I take you somewhere? I mean what can someone like me do to help you? You're my whole life and I can't sit back and do nothing."

"Honestly Dad, you just need to leave and stay safe, everything will be fine, I promise. This just has to blow over a bit and then I will explain everything."

"Are you sure?"

Lying never was my strong point, but I had to win this in spades if I was to keep him safe, and that is all that mattered to me right now.

"Definitely." I pull my lips into a smile and give his hand a squeeze.

"Ok, I'll head to Age's house, call me constantly though, no goofing off, and if this is actually still a ploy to have a party here while I'm gone, then I am so not letting you move to New York. I'll lock you in the basement if I have to."

I laugh a little and reassure him once more that partying is the last thing on my mind right now. I leave him to finish and head back downstairs feeling a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Just having my Dad know and not want to run screaming from me, gives me false hope that everything is going to be ok. That is until I see Ash's tense face when I re-enter the kitchen.

I'm not really sure what she's saying. Well, I can guess but it isn't a flattering picture let me tell you. A jumbled mess of expletives and major insults spewed in a foreign language (or two) that she is very thoroughly enjoying getting off her chest. Sitting on her bed while she paces in front of me, I know better then to move, look at her, or even breathe. Demons may be scary, but they don't hold a candle to this chick.

Driving over here after leaving home, while Ash took off in a huff to meet Hunter, took a lot of effort on my part. Ash was more agitated then normal and anxious to get moving so I hastily packed a bag for myself and took Murrie, heading over here in a subconscious effort. Seeing as how a price was put on my earlobes, I don't have any choice but to make amends with those I have hurt and that meant that I needed to apologize to Gabby.

Snapping back to reality I notice she's stopped yelling and standing in front of me with arms crossed.

"W-E-L-L? Are you going to tell me why you acted so retarded or not?" she spits at me.

"Ok, so here goes. This is probably something you won't believe and I don't blame you, but you have to listen to me and hear me out ok? No interrupting?"

She taps her foot and heaves a sigh. "Fine, fine, just spit it out
traître."
 

I deserved that. Sitting on the edge of her bed, leaning back on my hands in order to gain a little distance in case she wollops me, I tell her everything.
Who Ash is, what I am, what happened between us, what snapped in me to make me act that way. The whole she-bang. She never wavered once, never spoke, never even moved an eyelash; this terrified me even more. As I sidled backwards on the bed just a little further, I ended my spiel with an even bigger apology then I gave from the start, I need her to know I love her, even if she thinks I'm a tool.

"So, that's it, what you saw Ash do in that alley. You were bang on and crap is hitting the fan right now, so I came here to tell you that, that I love you Gabby, and I know this sounds pretty strange and odd and hard to understand, but it's the truth and I need you to know how very very sorry I am for treating you that way. It was unforgivable and awful and I hate myself for acting like that."

Looking up into her eyes, she is literally unreadable. She's just staring at me, no expression, not a flicker. Should I just get up and leave, can you say awk-ward?

Finally she breaks her stance and places her hands on her hips and widens her mouth into a huge grin. Uh-oh.

"Finally! The truth! I knew it! I knew it! You thought I was insane and totally made fun of me
idiota!" She leans forward to me as I instinctively lean back in shock over this reaction and envelops me in a big hug.

"Gabby, you're sorta freaking me out. You mean to tell me you believe me?
"

"Of corse I do bella! It all makes sense
now.
I knew what I saw, and you just couldn't have gotten this hot on your own, I can't believe I didn't think super natural to begin with, duh Gabby!" She slaps her forehead and steps back from the bed brimming with questions.

"So tell me more about what you can do? Oh this is so exciting! Can you like fly? Do your makeup with telekinesis? Make Francine get a tonne of zits or like vomit all over her new boyfriend, who I've got to tell you, I just don't like at ALL."

I cut her off before she makes me perform some voodoo on our senior class.

"Whoa Gabby, not so fast. I'm just learning about what I can do, but actually I came to tell you that I'm in a lot of trouble and I need your help.

"Certainly Stell, I am there for you! What a relief, I thought I was such a loser at Grad, no best friend, no one to make fun of people with, you were such a Bitch!" she says as she playfully slaps my arm and grabs her purse.

"You mean you'll come with me? Just like that? After what I just told you?" I stand up astonished and literally stunned.

"Of corse Stella, what are friends for?"

Her honesty and genuine response make me tear up and grab her in a fierce hug. My eyes turn into Niagara Falls as she hugs me tightly back, telling me everything is going to be ok. For the second time that day, I actually believed it. I hated being wrong.

ASH

Finding a spot that was secluded and deserted wasn't too hard; Spring in Vermont leaves chalets virtually empty until summer kicks in full swing and hiking replaces slaloms. We rented a little 2 bedroom cottage on the far part of the property to ensure privacy and get down to business. Helena gave me a call while at Stellas, with some not so great news. Keeping up a secret relationship with my girlfriends deserter mom doesn't make me happy, but it's the only way to ensure information flow that only a Register employee could access.

According to her sources, we have one thing to fear right now, which doesn't
sound
too bad, but if you knew anything about the third wick you'd shudder. Apparently word got out to many a folk and it spread to different demon dimensions which caught the unfortunate attention of an Ubiquatar demon who illegally portaled into Michigan about a day ago. Then word got out on his arrival and the rest of the earth wick demons went scurrying. I think that explains his bad assedness enough. Helena is sending over all the info they have on the guy in the next hour or two, so I start setting up the laptop in a mad huff.

"Whoa there bro, do I dare ask what that computer did to you to deserve that beating?" Hunter saunters in the front door carrying a bucket of chicken and 12 pack. Tossing the chicken on the counter and popping the case in the fridge minus one, he heads over to the round dining table that Ash has spread out on. Flipping a chair around, he sits down backwards and gives Ash a big grin.

"So I ask you to go get some food and you come back with a bucket and beers? Great job as always," I say with more edge to my voice then perhaps warranted.

"So now you're going to take it out on me, geez bad day princess?"

My anger was boiling at this point. Whether it had to do with Hunter or not, his attitude was my tipping point. "I guess this is your idea of a little fun eh Hunter? Get some humans killed and watch some horrible demon eat Stellas face off. Great entertainment I know." I turn back to my monitor and start downloading some files.

"Yeah well
Asher,
if memory serves, this might have been up your alley a few years ago too, so piss off."

"Well thankfully some of us grew up a little."

"You know, I'm all for helping you out. We've known each other for a few decades now, and I think we have a bit of history between us, seen each other go through some Shit, but seriously, this new you really sucks Ass." Hunter downs the rest of the beer in a swift motion.

I remain planted in my seat, trying to work out a plan, ignoring him is better then egging him on I am well aware.
As he gets up and heads back to the fridge he starts up again.

"And secondly, I don't even get why we are doing this? I mean, WE could be the ones to sell her off. We could make so much cash on this deal, it would be quite lucrative."

That's it, I've had enough. "What did you say?" I turn in my seat to face him, anger seething through me, nausea filling my gut with the thought of selling Stella myself.

"I'm just sayin'. Don't tell me the thought didn't cross your mind Ash. You might be 'turning over some self righteous new leaf' but I know you better then that." Opening another beer he tosses the cap in the sink. The clink sounds like a sledgehammer in my brain signalling me to attack.

Quickly the room starts to shake as items tip off the edges of the shelves in the kitchen, dishes crash to the floor and a wild wind whips through the living room even though no windows are actually open. I stand to face Hunter as he breaks out into a huge grin.

"Oh so that's how we're gonna play. I got ya, I get it." In a heartbeat a decorative dish that was placed on the coffee table comes whipping at my head. I dunk a second before it hurls past me and crashes into the wall to my right.
 

"You don't want to piss me off Hunter, I think even
you
know better then that." We are having a stare down as the room continues in hurricane mode.

"I would have thought you knew better as well Ash," exclaims Hunter as a dining chair is lifted into the air and thrust into my backside. Now this I wasn't as lucky to dodge. Hurling forward, I fall to my knees but jump back up to my feet, raising my hands as a mini twister forms around Hunter pushing him into the range and back against the wall, pinning him there.

"So high school." Hunter screams through the loud wind storm affecting only him. I turn around just in time to see about 15 pieces of cut wood coming towards my face. Dropping to the floor, my concentration is shot and Hunter breaks out of the wind and comes at me.