Episode 4
Spike was having a nightmare until the voice woke him up.
“What?” He sat up and asked, but he realized there was no one in his bedroom.
“I said: The part of Jessica Bennett will now be played once more by Mary Elizabeth Winsted.” Repeated the disembodied voice.
“Oh.” He laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. “What?!” He shouted as he sat bolt upright.
No answer.
Then he remembered that Jessica was what his nightmare had been about. In it, he had gotten her addicted to drugs and then made her walk the streets as a prostitute. While she slept, he had killed any john she managed to pick up, and made her believe she was responsible for the killings.
But that’s not what had happened in real life.
Yes, that’s exactly what Alistair Crane had originally hired him to do. But the Jessica Bennett he had met was far too self confident a young woman to be led down that path. The girl from his nightmare seemed like a completely different person.
Yes, she had been disappointed that her father had not put up more of a fight when her mother left the country with David Hastings and she had moved out of the Bennett house. She didn’t however wallow in self pity. She and Simone Russell had gotten jobs at the Book Café and moved into an apartment together. When Simone had met Rae, she moved in with them as well.
Thinking of all this had led him back to the problem he had been wrestling with since the end of the summer:
Where, was Alistair Crane?
The last time he had seen Alistair was when A. C. had left Marty with him on the platform in Rome and boarded the train. He had assured Spike that a way had been devised that would get him off the train in time. He never saw Alistair again. Could it be that the Old Man had finally out foxed himself and died at the hands of his own missile? Spike had no way of knowing.
What he did know was that after Theresa Crane had hired Jared Casey, he had discovered the accountant who covered all of the Old Man’s black ops and booted him out of the company.
Up until now, Spike had been able to cover the payroll of Alistair’s hirelings with an account that was so far off the books, even Casey could never find it. But that resource was almost tapped out.
“Well I guess I know what I gotta do.” And with that thought he drifted into a sound sleep with no nightmares.
Meanwhile deep underground, Heckuba is still giving the Demon Elf the grand tour of the Darkside’s new HQ in Harmony.
“So, let me get this straight: Sarah is Ethan and Gwen’s child but you called her your daughter?”
“Because I carried her in my womb and gave birth to her. Adam wasn’t the only one meddling with events here in Harmony during the time shift. I went back to that time in LA and magically transferred Sarah’s embryo into my womb right before Theresa and Gwen began to struggle on the walkway. So, when Gwen fell, everyone still believed she had had a miscarriage.
“So, you raised her?”
“Yes, in real time relative to the time shift; hidden all this time right here in the abandoned mines outside of Harmony. Naturally she absorbed magical energy from me.”
“Then she’s a witch?”
“Indeed and a very powerful one, I have trained her well. In fact that’s really the biggest reason the Boys changed their plans. They feel- - We feel Sarah could be just as powerful as Endora; if not more so.”
As they talked, they had been walking around the huge complex and now they found themselves back in front of the door to Heckuba’s chambers.
“So, what’s our next move?” Asked the Demon Elf.
“Well, my next move is to get some sleep, contrary to popular belief; there is rest for the wicked. As for Sarah, the time has come for her to see the world beyond these mines and to meet her real mother. Well her mortal one at least.”
“But how do you plan to…?”
“Good night Eustace.”
“Good night Madam.”
Fox was slumped crestfallen at the kitchen table over a bowl of Rice Krispies when Essme came bounding through Tabby’s back door.
“Hello everyone I have returned. Fox you’re alive.”
“That’s what people keep telling me.”
“Aw, why so glum chum?’
“You’re Essme right? Fancy’s friend.
Essme sat down at the table and saluted. “Present and accounted for sir.”
“Well apparently, I no longer have a fiancé because Kay found out about all the schemes I’ve been using to hold on to her and tomorrow when Tabitha finds out about it I won’t have a place to live.”
“It could be worse: You could be dead but don’t worry you’re not going to get shot this time.”
“Shot…this time…What?”
“You should only listen to about 40% of what I say. “It’s either because I’ve had too many meds or too few. I can’t remember which. That’s probably the problem.”
“I suppose I could go back to mansion to live.”
“Or you could come upstairs to my new room and make love to me.”
Fox dropped his spoon into his bowl.
“You’re serious?”
“Sure it will be refreshing to wake up to someone who’s still alive in the morning.”
“What?!”
“It’s that 60/40 thing again.” She started up the back stairs and turned back to him. “You coming?”
Fox hurriedly put his bowl in the sink and followed Essme to her bedroom. For the rest of the night Kay was the last thing on his mind.
In the living room, Kay and Miguel had finally exhausted all the questions they had for Adam and gone up stairs for a much deserved rest, leaving father and son alone again.
“Two more things dad and you can get back to your ski trip.”
“Very well, I take it you have something to show me.”
“First, this is a replica of Sam Bennett’s video camera from the alternate timeline. On it is a confession by Gwen and her mother of all of their crimes. And this is JT Cornell’s USB stick” As he spoke Adam brought the devices out from under the table. “I got it off him while I was impressing on him the need to leave town. I hear that he’s taken a position in a town called Springfield”
“And you did that for his safety no doubt?”
“Well technically he’s no longer in any danger now that Vincent isn’t a threat. I just didn’t think he had to know that.” Adam dropped the storage device on the floor and ground it under his heel. “And now Gwen and her mother won’t be able to find out about Juanita Vasquez and her connection to Pillar.”
“Son, I understand why you feel such a connection to Vincent: Both of you had such a bad relationship to your parent’s growing up.”
“Dad! You saw me as much you could even Mother popped in from time to time. Vincent never knew who his parents were.”
“Thank you for saying that son, but right now I’m more concerned with your involvement in this other mortal’s life.”
“Theresa? I just feel sorry for her.”
“If that’s all it is.”
“What else would it be…? Oh, Dad.”
“I’ll leave you with one more thought: During the timeshift, you had the chance to make sure Ethan found out the truth about Gwen and you didn’t do it. Why is that…? Just be careful son. You could be playing a dangerous game.”
“I love you Dad.”
The two men hugged and said their goodbyes. Adam covered the bowl, destroyed the remains of the USB device and took the video camera upstairs, finally ending his first night in Harmony.
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End of Episode 4
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