Brave New World

Two - I Slap A Lot of People

I nearly skim the ground by the time Taylor and Cas work together to catch me. I fall limp, and I feel a bit guilty for not helping them out, but after I vomit down into the forest, it passes. I pry open my eyes, squinting at the sight of the sun.

At the point that Taylor and Cas get me back to the ground, retrieving Dean and Sam from heaven and Lucifer after, I feel slightly better. If I were a Sim, I would still be ultimate frowning, though. Yes, I know it may surprise you, but I was a normal teenage boy at one point.

Anyway, I see Lucifer looking down at me with contempt. "Dylaan Peeteerson. Goooood morrniiing!" He says in a singsong voice as I come back to conciousness. It was morning, and I see Taylor fixing her wounds with Cas' help, while Dean and Sam are having beers in the Impala. I slowly rise, pushing Lucifer away when he tries to help me up.

"Taylor, you okay?" I ask, exchanging an awkward glance with Cas as he retreats from her, and I kneel down to help her up in turn.

"Yeah, I think so. Lucifer hit me pretty hard against that wall in heaven, though. I may have broken a few ribs."

"What happened to your healing ability?"

"I don't know. Maybe being a Shadowhunter and an angel have taken it over."

"Great. Let's go, I guess."

"Okay, but I need to do something first." She walks over to Lucifer. And, of course, she clocks him in the face. With her angelic power, she may have actually hurt him.

"My God, Taylor, we need to go."

"No, you don't." The Doctor says.

"What fresh hell is this?!"

"I don't know what you mean, but we need to tell you guys something. Come in the TARDIS with us." He takes my hand and practically drags into the box. Even though I've been inside it already, I'm always surprised by how big it is. Taylor is dragged in behind me, as the Doctor starts bringing up a hologram of Taylor.

"What is that?"

"Well, your girlfriend, but something's happened. Approximately 5 years ago. Do you know what I'm talking about, Dylan?"

"Yes." I answer simply.

"Taylor's Changing. And there's no way to stop it. She'll be full-fledged in weeks, maybe even days."

I look at him with apprehension, then realize what he is talking about. Taylor. A mermaid. How could this-

I take Taylor's hands, and hug her as hard as I could ever. "I'm so sorry." I start crying. Gods, I'm a wimp.

"Dylan- what are you talking about?"

"You're turning into a mermaid. The beach. Remember?"

The hot sun on our tan faces. The water glistening, beckoning us to come into it. The kiss. The look we exchange implies that she remembers it, too.

"Not to intrude, but- what happened on the beach?" Dean looks over at us with sudden interest.

"It was just a kiss; nothing to worry about." Taylor responds, while fixing her jacket over her bloody nerdy t-shirt.

"Gods, I'll remember to do something a bit more memorable next time, I guess."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I have kissed other guys before, and you just need to get over it." She looks at me with the most contempt possible, which starts to worry me.

"Fine." I storm into the TARDIS, slamming the door behind me.

"See, that's why I try not to get involved with that sort of thing." The Doctor looks at me over his computer.

"Oh, shut up. I don't need anyone's crap right now." I glare at him, and I immediately feel bad at the looks of resignation on his face. "Taylor, get in! We're leaving!" I yell at the top of my lungs. She walks in soon enough, and I set the dials for New York, NY.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

When we get to my small apartment that I share with my three cats, I grab my phaser, transmitter, rifle, shotgun, and salt. Lots and lots of salt. I'm gonna need it, I have a feeling. "Can you still make it to the Enterprise?" I ask Taylor without looking at her.

"No; my ribs are broken, and- wait, they're healed. Yeah, I guess I can. Grab on."

I grab her waist and we fly through the ceiling.

When we arrive at my ramshackle apartment, I grab a gun, a backpack filled with bananas and trail mix, and my Steelers football hat.

"Really?" She looks at me over the computer, where she was trying to find where Lucifer went after he escaped us after we fell from heaven.

"What? I can't keep a piece of home as we go around trying to save the freaking world?!" I put hte cap on and look at her, smirking.

"Yeah, sure, but if you drop it, we're not going back for it." She smiles.

"You might not." I smile back.

"Ha! Okay, you ready to go?"

"Where is he?"

"Boston, Massachusetts."

"All right. Do you want to fly or drive with Dean and Sam and Cas?"

"Well, flying would certainly be faster, and Dean and Sam and Cas are kinda sorta buggin' the hell outta me."

"Okay, then. Flying it is."

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Thud. I fall down while trying to get out of the bridge turbolift. Taylor gives me a look that is the facial equivalent of a facepalm. My  knee starts bleeding, but I just ignore it. It's not a problem right now.

We walk over to the bridge, where I look at the captain's chair, where I belong now. But I see the top of someone's kinda blondish ginger hair occupying it, and we both cock our guns and walk skeptically towards the chair, around either side.

I have to slap him. Just to make sure, you know. His smirk of condesention is replaced with a frown, and he holds out his fist for me to knuckle him back. I do, still looking at him with puzzlement.

"Dad?" Taylor puts her gun into her back pocket of her denim shorts, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Hey, Tay."

She starts to cry. And, to be honest, I do, too. Tears of joy, I swear to God.