"Leprechaun's Agreement..."

Summary: A generation after their clash with the leprechaun Lubdan, Rory and Emily and their daughter face the consequences of their truce negotiations.

Part I…

2026…

Morewell College coed dorms, Capital City…

A mix of standard dorm rooms and full apartments catering to students with parents willing to pay that extra to ensure their child's comfort away from home.

Late evening…

"Lise..." plaintive cry. "Come on, let in..." knock on one of the standard dorm room door…

"Lise..."

"Hey, son...Mayor's daughter's givin' you trouble? Don't get her riled, she's got the police workin' for her dad." chuckling voice passing the tall young man knocking. He looking to see a couple of male buddies passing in the hall, one chubby fellow in a "Discovery 2018-26 Rules" T shirt giggling at the other's remark.

"Get along, chumps..." he frowned. They laughing. He turned back to the door… "Lise...Blair Lise..." he tried the full and formal name.

"Come on, honey. I'm sorry. I'm not interested in anything but..." The door opened and the tall man faced a tall, slender young beauty...Short cropped hair, piercing eyes fixed on him with an angry expression on the lovely face, much similar to her mother, Emily's. She in sweatshirt and shorts.

"Hey, at last..." he tried to grin at her. "Thanks for not using the holograph…"

"Anything but my dad being the mayor..." she eyed him.

"Aw, Lise...Don't be like that." he sighed. "Georgie and those idiots don't know what they're talkin. about, honey."

"They sure as hell knew enough about you!" she insisted. "Get away from my door or I'm calling the police!"

The boy sighing…But a moment's later pounding brought her call…"Calling the police!"

A holographic image of a female police officer appearing in the hall immediately… "Officer Morton, College Police. What's the trouble here?"

(A girl of spirit...Ah so, like her mother...The thought audible only to us from a just cracked open door down the hall. "Be she a friend of yours, lassie?" hissed back.

The addressed "lassie" being a medium tall, slender Arabic girl of about twenty, standing blank in robe, wet hair dripping on said robe and floor...The most odd feature being her glowing green eyes...

"She's the mayor's daughter…But I don't know her except to say hello."

"Really? I hope she's not the stuck up type. Her mother isn't like that at all..." shake of hoary head.

"She always seems nice, when I've seen her…I don't know her."

"As you said, as you said, miss. Well, you'll be getting to know her soon enough." Nod, appraising look... "You'll make her a fine handmaiden...She'll be needin' one I can trust. And now, I'd say I can trust you, can't I?" smile.

"Yes." the girl nodded. Green eyes fading to brown…

"Good, good. Well, you be off about your school work and bed whilst I observe me prize a bit closer. Off with ye, missie but be ready to come when I call you."

The girl nodded and went to a door across the room...Stepping lightly over the body of a young man, likewise Arabic on the way, tripping just a bit…

"Oh yes, the boyo of yours...Wait a mo, girl." the voice now took flesh, hideous flesh as the figure it issued from stepped out from a darkened spot by the corner to the far right of the girl. She halting at the door to the other room, a second bedroom currently used by her as a study.

"We'll need to be dropping him into the nearest dumpster, when more are abed." The figure had crept by the body, eyeing the hideously fearful expression on the face. "And, me sweetheart? You may as well write a little note for later. How he tried to rape you and, as a nice Muslim girl you couldn't bear the shame and killed yourself after you managed...Rather effectively, it seems…I'd said it was the adrenalin from the fear-flight reaction...To kill him." The raspy, chuckling voice issuing from the short, rotund figure dressed ludicrously in old-fashioned green coat and short trousers, black shoes with gold buckles…Hands with long crawed fingers. "Perhaps we should carve the note on him, actually. Make you a regular Lisbeth Salander…Yes…" he nodded, eyeing the girl. "My dear one's handmaiden should know how to protect her queen. We'll have you get yourself signed up for those self-defense things on campus. A little tai-kwon –do…" it took stance of martial arts master. "Karate…I know a few moves meself, I can teach to you." Chopping motion with hand. "Maybe even give you a dragon tattoo, from the neck to the foot, and all in beautiful Celtic green." Smile. "Well, we'll see… Hope it wasn't a true romance, by the way?" Cocked head, questioning smile.

"This would have been just a blind date. He was just the son of a man who worked with my father back home." the woman shrugged. "I wasn't expecting him till eight."

"Sad case of the early bird not getting the worm…Or rather, the worms gettin' him, eh?" lewd chuckle. "Well, there's a comfort...And thank me gods you've not some troublesome roommate always playin' music and making too much of a racket all the time. I've no great desire to have to dispose of a sizable percentage of the student body just now. Well, go take down your shower curtains and wrap yon fellow up in them, get him under your bed till we settle him, clean up the bit of blood on the floor, and then as I said, get to your work. I'll be wantin' your life to seem as routine as possible for a day or two yet before your mysterious and oh, so tragic, disappearance. Oh, and don't forget the note…We might be needing it in a day or three."

She nodded, hurrying over to bathroom…Pulling shower curtain down…

"And remember…" the creature called as it pulled a hand slowly over its form, turning itself back into the form of the lovely young black woman, Lubdan, who'd encountered Emily and Rory a generation before, now dressed in green silk bathrobe and lingerie…It's…Her voice now warm and friendly. "I'm your new roommate, Lubdan…No, ah! We need a new… Ah, I have it. Dana…Yes…Lovely that…Dana…O'Reilly. I'll see to the records tomorrow, so alls legal and nice." She looked around and opened the door to the second bedroom, calling back from the door as the other woman brought the shower curtain out and laid it flat on the floor beside the both early and late blind date... "You'll be needing to move all this of yours back to your room. And best you get me a new bed and a clothes dresser as well…Can you really order such things on that wonderful Internet nowadays? And they really get here by tomorrow?"

"Yes." The girl, dragging the wrapped body into her bedroom, replied.

"Will wonders never cease?" "Dana" shook lovely head. "Well, you order something tasteful tonight and see if we can get me settled in here quick. Starting tomorrow you can just tell folks if they ask, that your parents were concerned you shouldn't be alone here and you were feeling lonely yourself, so you applied for a roommate. Such a pity I wasn't here when that brute showed…I'm sure two empowered young women would have been able to restrain the fellow. And you'd not have been so foolishly fearful as to try to conceal him." Smile. "But I know till we either leave or the police discover the body and arrest or kill you, we'll get on just fine, eh, roomie?"

"Yes, Dana." The girl called, wanly as she began scrubbing the living room floor with a wet towel…

"Well, you finish up, I'm going to use the common bathroom to wash my hair…Seein' as I'm not the type to impose on my new roomie for use of her private bathroom and I'd like to meet the neighbors…Especially me own darlin' Blair…" ... "Er, girlfriend?"...Dana called. "Can I borrow some shampoo? What is your name, anyway, sweetheart?"

"Yes. Gemma Raghadi…"

"Lovely to meet you, Gemma. I sense the start of a beautiful friendship."

…..

Knock on dorm door…

A frowning Blair Jackson, the same girl who'd chased off her erstwhile caller…

"Troy! I meant what I said!"

"Hello…" a pleasant female voice. "I'm from down the hall, I left my key and phone behind and my roommate's either out or asleep. Could I use your phone?"

Blair went to the door, opening to reveal Dana in robe…Beaming…

"Sorry…This is so embarrassing, but I just moved in today. With Gemma Raghadi, down the hall? If I could just call her…?"

"That's ok…Come in." Blair opened door. "I'll get my phone."

"Really…Thanks so much." Warm tone…Dana stepping in…As Blair went to her bedroom…

"You have a nice place…" she called.

"Thanks." Blair had returned from her bedroom with cell phone which she tapped on.

"I see neither of us is into arm tattoo phones…" Dana smiled.

"No, havin' something drilled into my skin isn't for me...And the slap on always falls off." Blair shook head. "All set, here." She handed phone.

"Thanks." Dana took phone, dialed. "Hey, Gemma? Yeah…I locked myself out. Are you on your way home? Oh, you're out at the grocery store? Well, when you get back I'll be waiting in the hall. No, don't rush, get your groceries, yes…A corned beef and swiss on rye with tea for me, thanks hon. Well, thirty minutes is fine. No, no, it was my fault, I'm a total klutz." Smile to Blair who returned. "Really, sorry, roomie. Thank you." She closed phone and handed back to Blair.

"Thank you so much…I'll just go wait…"

"You can wait here if you like." Blair offered. "It's a little cool in the hall for just a robe and such."

"Yes, it is…I didn't want to impose." sheepish smile… "But…Thanks." Sigh.

"Just have a seat…Can I get you anything?"

"A glass of water would be fine, thanks. It's really nice of you to let me in like this." Dana took a seat on the living room couch. "I'm Dana O'Reilly, hi."

"No problem…O'Reilly?" Blair grinned.

"Part Irish, part black, all American now, though I actually was born in Eire." Dana smiled.

"Wow…I do think I hear it in your voice. Blair Jackson…Let me get that water." Blair headed for the small kitchen.

"Yes, I know…Daughter of the new mayor…" Dana nodded. "Great to meet you…"

"God, I'll never live that down…" Blair, chuckling sigh from the kitchen.

"Sorry…But my roommate Gemma was curious about you. She's a bit of the fringey sort…One of those 'it's all a conspiracy' types?" shrug as Blair returned…

"Really?" Blair handing her a glass of water…Thanks, Dana took it.

"I can't see my dad as part of anyone's 'conspiracy theory'." Blair taking a seat on a chair across from the sofa where Dana sat.

"Well, Gemma saw something on You Tube about strange goings-on in your home town when your dad lived there, about twenty or twenty-five years ago? Apparently the crazies claim magic and demons were involved." Dana grinned. "I'm afraid she's a bit into that…Though it's nothing to do with her being from the Middle East…She's very strong on women's rights and empowerment." High-minded nod.

"Yeah, well…" Blair sighed. "I've heard a few people saying crazy things but our home town was in rough shape back then. Even my dad was into some rough stuff for a bit..."

"'Former drug dealer turns community leader and philanthropist'?" Dana smiled. "I have read a little about him. He seems to be an amazing man. Your mother, too."

"You're not the first to be a fan of them. Well…He's ok…" Blair looked a bit down… "Very busy guy nowadays… And he did have a past. But no real demons in his closet, then or now, tell your friend."

"Roomie, not friend…Yet. Though I keep tryin'." Dana sighed.

"Not always easy…I get it." Blair nodded.

"She seemed pretty easy going when we met in class at State last year and decided to room together here when we transferred but something happened to her over the summer or something." Dana shook her head.

"I think she met someone who hurt her…But she never talks about it. Just avoids men."

"Well, sometimes girls from her part of the world are taught to be really cautious with guys. Could be cultural shock or something." Blair noted

"I dunno." Dana sighed. "She seemed to get on fine with guys last year...And she wasn't so…Dark, you know? Well, maybe something as you say."

"I don't know her, of course…" Blair began…Hesitant. "But everyone's heard…"

"She's only been here at Morewell a week or so and I just got here, so natch…But…" Dana smiled. "She is, it's true…A princess and with family rich as Croesus, she's told me and I've seen proof of it."

"She did look it, when I saw her last week…Her clothes must've cost a fortune…But I thought she lived alone."

"Only till I got here. Her parents worry when she's alone and we were in classes at State while she worked on her English last spring before we transferred. So they trust me to act as a sorta chaperone. I've got no one now so it's fine and frankly they help with the tuition which is really fine. But she is creepin' me out with these personality changes."

"Maybe you should talk to the parents…" Blair suggested.

"I will, when they call. But for me, it would cost a fortune to reach them. I'll be writing them though. Maybe it's nothing but I worry…She's gone all about martial arts and 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' and what's that new girl power hero in the holos? Mistress Li? 'The Mistress Who Masters', did you catch that on holo?"

Hmmn…Blair blinked…

"Yeah, a cool one. But she sure didn't seem all that 'Girl' or 'Mistress' when I saw her that time."

"Probably meeting relatives…" Dana noted. "She still dresses for them."

Blair nodded.

"Say I hope I wasn't out of line, about your dad." Dana sighed. "I'm sure he's a fine man who just had a hard start. The papers say he'll be a great mayor if he does as well as he did developing downtown. And your mom sounds amazing too." Beam.

"Yeah, Mom's terrific. She's a city planner now." Blair nodded. Eyeing the lovely Dana who seemed a bit down…

"But you said you don't have family?"

"My mom died bearing me…" Dana sighed. "My dad…Well, long and kinda awful story."

"That's rough. You had no one after…?"

"Uncles, aunts, and family friends…It wasn't all so bad. Dad left me quite a pot and I had a lot of fun on the way." She smiled. "But now I'm trying to settle in and get my life on track. You?"

"Trying to do the same…I'm majoring in music and music production…"

"Oh…Wow…" Dana nodded. "That's terrific. Music…Do you sing? Play?" Careful stare…

"Try to …Sing. Play, eh…Some piano and guitar." shrug.

"Modern stuff or classical?…I may not look it but I'm actually into some pretty old stuff…Folk, classical. Though I can't sing a note of anything worth a stage, I do love it." Warm smile.

"Actually I'm kinda torn…" Blair sighed. "I like the popular stuff, right up to techno holorapamatic and all that but I've always felt drawn to the classical…Even…Don't laugh…Opera."

"Oh, I think that's wonderful. Girl…We need more black women in the classics." Dana, high-mindedly. "Though give a mind to the old ballads as well."

"Right, I might well end up a Celtic Woman." Blair grinned.

"You might…" smile. "You might very well indeed."

"Oh, there's my phone…Ah, she's going holo...Hi, there." Blair spoke to tiny hologram of Gemma hovering over the phone's emitter. Gemma's image, now in leather jacket, bag in arms, peering round.

"I'll be out in a sec, Gemma. Thanks for coming so quick." Dana called. The image nodded, and faded out.

"Wants to make sure you're in one piece and I'm not a deranged killer." Blair joked, covering microphone. Dana, laughing lightly in agreement.

"She's on her way." Blair spoke to phone, then closed it.

"She does worry too much these days…Well, it was great to meet you, Blair." Dana rose. "I hope we can hang out. I'm actually a history major, so my classes are close to the Music School."

"I'd like that…" Blair nodded.

"Great…Oh…" Dana paused, apologetic smile. "Is it ok to ask? Was that your boyfriend earlier, at the door?"

"He was hoping to be…The mayor's daughter's boyfriend." Blair grimaced. "And hoped I've give him a nice entry to politics. But I sent young black FDR packing tonight."

"Oh…Sorry to pry. Gemma heard him and was all…Gemma." Smile. "Sorry the guy was such a jerk, any chance it might work out?"

"I doubt it." Blair sighed. "And I've a long list of ambitious guys who'd like to meet my dad and his friends."

"Oh…" Dana, sympathetic shake of head. "There are a lot of jerks around. Still, he seemed persistent."

"Yeah, he's sure to be president one day. But I'm not looking to be his Eleanor. Or put up with his bull…" frown.

"Sorry…I'm sure you'll find someone who suits you better soon. Well, I should go…" pause at door… "But maybe we can get together for lunch or dinner soon?"

"Sounds good." Nod.

Phone buzz…

"It's my dad." Blair, apologetically.

"I'm out of your way. Please give him my best." Warm smile. "And I hope to meet both your parents someday soon."

Blair waving… "Hey, Dad." She told phone. "No, just settling in…"

Nice to know Rory keeps a close eye, even considering… "Dana" thought as she left, closing door and smiling to the waiting Gemma who stood in the hall, calmly regarding her. Now in leather jacket, hair cropped back a bit, the wisps of a huge dragon tattoo visible on the exposed areas of her wrists and hands, a tiny bit of the head's horns visible from her exposed neck running from her dark green tshirt collar on chest.

"Thanks for coming so quick, Gemma. Lets get in."

Yes, indeed, a fine lass, she thought…Her mother's girl, no question. And it seems all those years of music lessons stuck with her. Can't wait to hear her.

Yes…A rare prize…My very own other self, a true and fitting Queen.

…..