In Love Through War - Book 3

Part 111

"What is this?" Al'Aeen asks looking around in the light green, going on blue, than going on purple haze around him.

"He expects the answers to come from you, Sandra," the child says calmly.

"Fine! I'm taking you and E to Earth."

"So you are Sandra, the witch?"

"Oh! My fame precedes me! How lovely! Would you like to pause the journey, and come by my place? My hands can do magic on that fine body of yours!" Sandra says, licking her lips.

"Right. No, thanks. So you are taking us home?"

"I don't know! Am I?"

"You just said we are going Earth!"

"Indeed we are."

"There's something wrong with you up there," he says pointing to his head.

"Takes one to know one."

"So why is this so different than the last time?"

"Your E wanted to give you the chance to ask me some questions. Much easier would have been to drop you there unconscious."

"My girls can tell you what to do? First Jena, then a child? What kind of strange witch are you?"

"The kind that falls in love with you! Stay with me!" she says jumping into his arms.

"No, you crazy woman! Get off!"

"I won't!"

"I was being polite."

While catching her had been a reflex, opening his arms to drop her is quite intentional.

Hitting the invisible floor only seems to bruise her ego though.

"You are such a brute."

"As I understand, everything is your fault. I don't think I like you much."

"Well, I don't love you anymore then!"

"So! Miss Bat-shit-crazy, why did you kidnap me from Earth?"

"Kidnap is such a strong word. Wrong too!"

"Fine. What would you call it then?"

"Relocating assets for the greater good?"

"What am I? A tank?"

"Hmm, big, heavy, crazy strong bear almost impossible to take down... you are a tank! Well, a live one at least. Can I touch your drive stick?"

"Hell no! And if you take one step closer, I swear I'm going to slap you!"

"Fine! Meanie!"

"So had the passage of time been the same here?"

"Odd question to ask."

"I'd like the answer to my odd question please."

"Three years."

"What? That's almost three times as much!"

"Oopsie?"

"You mean it's your fault? Come here, you bitch!" Al'Aeen runs towards her but Sandra turns ethereal so his fist goes right through her.

"You would have actually hit me!" she screeches.

"Too bad I failed!"

"Anyway, we're here. So you can't shift here at all and... well that's it. Bye!"

"Pick me up!" E says, pulling on his sleeve.

Seeing as the witch is already gone, he does, just in time for the space around him to materialize into a familiar back-alley.

He finds himself falling from the equivalent of the first floor, so he moves the child to his chest bracing for a drop and roll to the side like the skydivers did in that one movie.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

A nod comes as a response so he starts heading towards what he remembers as home and not five minutes later they are there.

After two minutes of buzzing the intercom, they get in the lobby when someone comes out and a quick check on the condominium' upkeep list on the line for his apartment reveals four people are now in residence.

"Four people? But there was only three of us and with your mother alone... Guess there's no point in loitering in the hallway. Better move on out before somebody calls the police. Maybe she moved away and rented or sold..." the words become too large, lumpy and overly dry.

On the alleyway cutting the parking lot in half, he could not help looking towards his former parking spot.

Coincidence or not, a shiny new car just pulled into it and the passenger door releases a beautiful woman, Al'Aeen's mind full of memories together.

From the back seat, she picks up a baby basket sporting the color of the sky.

The door behind the driver's seat opens next and a familiar girl around three years old jumps out.

"I told you to wait for your father! Other cars might be moving nearby!" the woman warns her.

Of course, the car doesn't drive itself so the last door opens next but Al'Aeen looks elsewhere quickly.

Oh, God! She remarried!