Part 22
Maria sighed heavily, laid her forehead against the cool glass of the passenger window. She felt Alex reach out and pat her hand reassuringly. She knew that he was at the end of his rope too, but they had complained already and it hadn't stopped it. Apparently nothing would stop it.
At this point, Maria's only hope was that when the finally got to Salisbury, Michael would be able to knock some sense into Ren.
It was like the shapeshifter had gone crazy. Everything he said was designed to make Jennetta mad. And Maria's daughter, with more than a hefty dose of her father's personality in her make-up, was more than willing to allow herself to be made so.
The trip across the Atlantic had been hell.
The bickering had started before they had even left Roswell when Ren had tried to pick up Jennetta's bag to put it on the scale.
"I can do that!" Jenny had snapped, wrenching the suitcase away from her bodyguard.
"You're a queen." Ren had told her, sounding impatient. "It's my job to serve you." He had snatched it back from her.
Maria had heard Alex sigh heavily. "I'll do it." He said. He had taken the bag from Ren, had hefted it onto the scale. Alex had grinned reassuringly at the woman behind the counter, who had been staring at them all like they were nuts.
Alex's smile had faded when he had caught a glance of the expression on Ren's face, however. Pissed off was the pleasant way to describe it.
But Jennetta's bad mood had disappeared instantly. "Thanks Alex." She had said, smiling brightly. This had only caused Ren's scowl to intensify.
Maria had grabbed Alex by the arm as they were boarding the airplane. "I think Ren is on the verge of losing it Alex. You need to try and leave Jennetta alone."
"Maria, I can't help it! They're both acting like loony-tunes! I'm not doing anything. I'm just being myself." Alex had sounded completely frustrated.
"I know, but Jenny's going through something Alex. She's trying to adjust to being half-human, half-Czech AND a queen. For some reason she's fixated on you, and you have to try and discourage her. It's making Ren really mad."
"Again Maria, I'm not doing anything! I don't understand why he's having such a hairy fit in the first place. It's not like I have any interest in Jenny. He should know that." Alex had been staring over at Ren, who was currently trying to hand Jennetta a bottle of orange juice. She was ignoring him.
"It'll be better once we're back with Michael and Isabel." Maria had soothed. "He'll see then. Just try and stay away from her until we get there."
And so Alex had. Even Maria had seen that it was virtually impossible. Every time he turned around, Jennetta was there. Maria had managed to make her daughter sit beside her on the short flight from Roswell to Miami, but it had been impossible on the Miami to London flight. The plane was packed and they had assigned seats…and wouldn't you know it? Alex and Jennetta were beside each other.
Maria had tried. She really had. But Jennetta had refused to move despite Maria's entreaties. It was at times like those that Maria was sure that Jenny was still a seven year old kid inside that young adult's body.
"But honey, please. You're upsetting Ren on purpose. Can't you just try and get along with him?" Maria had whispered urgently. She had seen the flight attendant starting down the aisle towards her, obviously on a mission to get Maria into her seat.
"No." Jennetta said calmly. "He has to learn that I'm in charge."
Maria had glanced at Alex. "Alex, get up. I'll trade with you."
But it had been too late. The flight attendant had appeared over her shoulder, had gently insisted that Maria take her seat.
"I'm trading with my friend." Maria had argued, Alex already half up.
"There's no time." The flight attendant had replied, politely but with an underlying note of steel that had caused Maria to listen. The last thing she wanted was to get thrown off the plane.
And so Maria had taken her seat beside Ren, determined that as soon as they reached cruising altitude, she would trade with Alex.
But every time she tried, Jennetta foiled her. First it was that she had to borrow Alex's CD player. Then it was that she and Alex were playing cards. Finally Jennetta had conveniently chosen to fall asleep on Alex's shoulder. Her daughter looked so peaceful, Maria had not had the heart to wake her by making Alex move.
She had shared a long-suffering glance with her best friend and had returned to trying to break through Ren's stony silence. He refused to listen to reason though. In his mind Jennetta was completely out of control and he was determined to make her behave as he thought she was supposed to.
"She's still really just a kid Ren." Maria had told him quietly.
"She's a queen." Ren replied stubbornly. "She might not know how difficult it is going to be for her on Illyria Maria, but I do. We cannot give the Dernians any reason to reject her and if she continues to behave like…like a HUMAN…they will."
"But Ren, she IS half-human." Maria replied. "It's what makes her the Chosen One."
"I know it Maria." Ren replied, shaking his head. "I certainly know THAT."
After that, Maria hadn't wanted to talk to him anymore. He was too annoying these days. Jennetta's humanity seemed to grate on his nerves more than anything. It was the one thing that seemed to be making HIM behave more humanly. If Maria had not met Ren on Illyria, had not known that he had been cleansed, she would have wondered if he was emotionless at all.
Because he certainly behaved as though he was being tortured by frustration, anger, despair, fear…
He was becoming erratic and freaky - MORE freaky than when he was emotionless. They now had ANOTHER reason to get to Illyria as soon as possible.
Ren was on the verge of a complete meltdown. They needed to get him home before it happened.
And, finally, it seemed like they were almost there. But, in the meantime, the arguing continued. In fact, it had gotten worse since they had arrived in England. They fought about everything - how Jennetta walked, how she spoke, how she had packed her carry-on luggage, how Ren scowled all the time, how picky he was, how often they stopped to eat…it went on and on until Maria was ready to tear her hair out. She knew Alex felt the same.
She could hardly wait to dump all of this on Michael's shoulders. While he had been enjoying an English spring in relative peace with Isabel and the Sheriff, she had been trying to reason with a child in an adult's body AND with a prickly, annoying shapeshifter.
It was his turn. She was done.
Plus she sort of missed him.
Maria smiled to herself in anticipation of seeing him for the first time in two weeks. It was the longest they had been separated in a long time. It had just felt wrong.
She had been disappointed that only the Sheriff had shown up to pick them up at Heathrow.
"Where are Michael and Isabel?" Alex had asked, clearly feeling the same way.
"They're back at the hotel." The Sheriff had replied, taking Maria's bag from her. "Neither of them has been getting much sleep. Isabel is having nightmares again I think."
Alex had tensed instantly. "What? She never told me that. I just talked to her yesterday."
The Sheriff had shrugged as he led them out to a rented van. "They aren't talking about it. I'm just guessing based on the circles under their eyes."
"So is Michael having the nightmares too?" Maria had inquired, feeling a little confused.
"You'll have to ask them yourselves…" He had trailed off, staring at Jennetta and Ren, who were about ten paces away, arguing. "Are they always like that?" He had asked, frowning.
"Unfortunately." Alex had replied, throwing his back-pack into the van.
It continued all the way out of the city. Maria had been trying to enjoy looking out the window, but the sound of her daughter's and the shape- shifter's voices were unavoidable.
"…can't just TAKE the Citadel Jennetta." Ren was saying now. "The Dernians won't allow it. They are going to have to see you formally judged first."
"Bah." Jennetta replied. "I'm the Chosen One. They'll accept it or they won't. It doesn't matter one way or the other." Maria turned to stare at her daughter. The way her eyes were gleaming - Maria could see that she didn't believe a word she was saying. She was just saying it to annoy Ren.
This was all Michael's fault. It was HIS personality Jennetta had inherited. She enjoyed driving people crazy, just for the sake of it, just like her father.
Maria reminded herself to give him a good smack after she had kissed him hello.
Alex was rubbing his head in annoyance. "Sheriff, please tell me we're almost there."
"Only a few more miles to go." The Sheriff replied. He pointed ahead. "Can't you see the Cathedral?"
It was still fairly early in the morning. Their plane had landed at around seven and Maria had been surprised at how misty it was when they had left London behind. The sun seemed to be caught behind a curtain of moisture.
Even so, the tall spire of Salisbury Cathedral was impossible to miss. It soared towards the sky, as though it reached for the Heavens themselves.
It reminded Maria that soon SHE would be soaring through the Heavens, back to a planet where she had known nothing but misery - but a planet that had also given her the person most precious to her in all the world.
Her daughter.
It was her last thought before the world suddenly fell apart.
Looking back, it seemed like what happened next happened in slow motion. One minute they were driving peacefully through the English countryside, the next the Sheriff had slammed on the brakes, sending them all flying forward against their seat-belts.
Even so, Maria felt them strike something so hard, it jolted her heart into her throat. She felt the van tremble briefly, than swerve off the motorway. It felt as though she was upside down and she smacked her head hard against the window.
She heard Jennetta screaming as she sank into unconsciousness.
Maria sighed heavily, laid her forehead against the cool glass of the passenger window. She felt Alex reach out and pat her hand reassuringly. She knew that he was at the end of his rope too, but they had complained already and it hadn't stopped it. Apparently nothing would stop it.
At this point, Maria's only hope was that when the finally got to Salisbury, Michael would be able to knock some sense into Ren.
It was like the shapeshifter had gone crazy. Everything he said was designed to make Jennetta mad. And Maria's daughter, with more than a hefty dose of her father's personality in her make-up, was more than willing to allow herself to be made so.
The trip across the Atlantic had been hell.
The bickering had started before they had even left Roswell when Ren had tried to pick up Jennetta's bag to put it on the scale.
"I can do that!" Jenny had snapped, wrenching the suitcase away from her bodyguard.
"You're a queen." Ren had told her, sounding impatient. "It's my job to serve you." He had snatched it back from her.
Maria had heard Alex sigh heavily. "I'll do it." He said. He had taken the bag from Ren, had hefted it onto the scale. Alex had grinned reassuringly at the woman behind the counter, who had been staring at them all like they were nuts.
Alex's smile had faded when he had caught a glance of the expression on Ren's face, however. Pissed off was the pleasant way to describe it.
But Jennetta's bad mood had disappeared instantly. "Thanks Alex." She had said, smiling brightly. This had only caused Ren's scowl to intensify.
Maria had grabbed Alex by the arm as they were boarding the airplane. "I think Ren is on the verge of losing it Alex. You need to try and leave Jennetta alone."
"Maria, I can't help it! They're both acting like loony-tunes! I'm not doing anything. I'm just being myself." Alex had sounded completely frustrated.
"I know, but Jenny's going through something Alex. She's trying to adjust to being half-human, half-Czech AND a queen. For some reason she's fixated on you, and you have to try and discourage her. It's making Ren really mad."
"Again Maria, I'm not doing anything! I don't understand why he's having such a hairy fit in the first place. It's not like I have any interest in Jenny. He should know that." Alex had been staring over at Ren, who was currently trying to hand Jennetta a bottle of orange juice. She was ignoring him.
"It'll be better once we're back with Michael and Isabel." Maria had soothed. "He'll see then. Just try and stay away from her until we get there."
And so Alex had. Even Maria had seen that it was virtually impossible. Every time he turned around, Jennetta was there. Maria had managed to make her daughter sit beside her on the short flight from Roswell to Miami, but it had been impossible on the Miami to London flight. The plane was packed and they had assigned seats…and wouldn't you know it? Alex and Jennetta were beside each other.
Maria had tried. She really had. But Jennetta had refused to move despite Maria's entreaties. It was at times like those that Maria was sure that Jenny was still a seven year old kid inside that young adult's body.
"But honey, please. You're upsetting Ren on purpose. Can't you just try and get along with him?" Maria had whispered urgently. She had seen the flight attendant starting down the aisle towards her, obviously on a mission to get Maria into her seat.
"No." Jennetta said calmly. "He has to learn that I'm in charge."
Maria had glanced at Alex. "Alex, get up. I'll trade with you."
But it had been too late. The flight attendant had appeared over her shoulder, had gently insisted that Maria take her seat.
"I'm trading with my friend." Maria had argued, Alex already half up.
"There's no time." The flight attendant had replied, politely but with an underlying note of steel that had caused Maria to listen. The last thing she wanted was to get thrown off the plane.
And so Maria had taken her seat beside Ren, determined that as soon as they reached cruising altitude, she would trade with Alex.
But every time she tried, Jennetta foiled her. First it was that she had to borrow Alex's CD player. Then it was that she and Alex were playing cards. Finally Jennetta had conveniently chosen to fall asleep on Alex's shoulder. Her daughter looked so peaceful, Maria had not had the heart to wake her by making Alex move.
She had shared a long-suffering glance with her best friend and had returned to trying to break through Ren's stony silence. He refused to listen to reason though. In his mind Jennetta was completely out of control and he was determined to make her behave as he thought she was supposed to.
"She's still really just a kid Ren." Maria had told him quietly.
"She's a queen." Ren replied stubbornly. "She might not know how difficult it is going to be for her on Illyria Maria, but I do. We cannot give the Dernians any reason to reject her and if she continues to behave like…like a HUMAN…they will."
"But Ren, she IS half-human." Maria replied. "It's what makes her the Chosen One."
"I know it Maria." Ren replied, shaking his head. "I certainly know THAT."
After that, Maria hadn't wanted to talk to him anymore. He was too annoying these days. Jennetta's humanity seemed to grate on his nerves more than anything. It was the one thing that seemed to be making HIM behave more humanly. If Maria had not met Ren on Illyria, had not known that he had been cleansed, she would have wondered if he was emotionless at all.
Because he certainly behaved as though he was being tortured by frustration, anger, despair, fear…
He was becoming erratic and freaky - MORE freaky than when he was emotionless. They now had ANOTHER reason to get to Illyria as soon as possible.
Ren was on the verge of a complete meltdown. They needed to get him home before it happened.
And, finally, it seemed like they were almost there. But, in the meantime, the arguing continued. In fact, it had gotten worse since they had arrived in England. They fought about everything - how Jennetta walked, how she spoke, how she had packed her carry-on luggage, how Ren scowled all the time, how picky he was, how often they stopped to eat…it went on and on until Maria was ready to tear her hair out. She knew Alex felt the same.
She could hardly wait to dump all of this on Michael's shoulders. While he had been enjoying an English spring in relative peace with Isabel and the Sheriff, she had been trying to reason with a child in an adult's body AND with a prickly, annoying shapeshifter.
It was his turn. She was done.
Plus she sort of missed him.
Maria smiled to herself in anticipation of seeing him for the first time in two weeks. It was the longest they had been separated in a long time. It had just felt wrong.
She had been disappointed that only the Sheriff had shown up to pick them up at Heathrow.
"Where are Michael and Isabel?" Alex had asked, clearly feeling the same way.
"They're back at the hotel." The Sheriff had replied, taking Maria's bag from her. "Neither of them has been getting much sleep. Isabel is having nightmares again I think."
Alex had tensed instantly. "What? She never told me that. I just talked to her yesterday."
The Sheriff had shrugged as he led them out to a rented van. "They aren't talking about it. I'm just guessing based on the circles under their eyes."
"So is Michael having the nightmares too?" Maria had inquired, feeling a little confused.
"You'll have to ask them yourselves…" He had trailed off, staring at Jennetta and Ren, who were about ten paces away, arguing. "Are they always like that?" He had asked, frowning.
"Unfortunately." Alex had replied, throwing his back-pack into the van.
It continued all the way out of the city. Maria had been trying to enjoy looking out the window, but the sound of her daughter's and the shape- shifter's voices were unavoidable.
"…can't just TAKE the Citadel Jennetta." Ren was saying now. "The Dernians won't allow it. They are going to have to see you formally judged first."
"Bah." Jennetta replied. "I'm the Chosen One. They'll accept it or they won't. It doesn't matter one way or the other." Maria turned to stare at her daughter. The way her eyes were gleaming - Maria could see that she didn't believe a word she was saying. She was just saying it to annoy Ren.
This was all Michael's fault. It was HIS personality Jennetta had inherited. She enjoyed driving people crazy, just for the sake of it, just like her father.
Maria reminded herself to give him a good smack after she had kissed him hello.
Alex was rubbing his head in annoyance. "Sheriff, please tell me we're almost there."
"Only a few more miles to go." The Sheriff replied. He pointed ahead. "Can't you see the Cathedral?"
It was still fairly early in the morning. Their plane had landed at around seven and Maria had been surprised at how misty it was when they had left London behind. The sun seemed to be caught behind a curtain of moisture.
Even so, the tall spire of Salisbury Cathedral was impossible to miss. It soared towards the sky, as though it reached for the Heavens themselves.
It reminded Maria that soon SHE would be soaring through the Heavens, back to a planet where she had known nothing but misery - but a planet that had also given her the person most precious to her in all the world.
Her daughter.
It was her last thought before the world suddenly fell apart.
Looking back, it seemed like what happened next happened in slow motion. One minute they were driving peacefully through the English countryside, the next the Sheriff had slammed on the brakes, sending them all flying forward against their seat-belts.
Even so, Maria felt them strike something so hard, it jolted her heart into her throat. She felt the van tremble briefly, than swerve off the motorway. It felt as though she was upside down and she smacked her head hard against the window.
She heard Jennetta screaming as she sank into unconsciousness.
