This chapter has been beta read by my dearest friend Joy. Since it has to deal with Leia telling about how Leia and Randall met. Oops...gave it away. Anyhow, enjoy! I got a ton of chapters lined up!
Chapter 13 Aftermath
The group took the walk back to Randall and Sean's place. Randolph had to half-carry Randall the second half of the way as Sean and Leia helped everyone else.
(Errrk!)
The door opened and the fresh air entered the empty home. Randolph, with Randall, stepping in first, Sean coming in next, helping Joy.
"I'll just take him up stairs" Randolph whispered, getting Sean's nod. Randolph hoisted his brother up and headed upstairs.
Sean headed in with Joy, Mary behind her, and Leia with Caylin. Joy went over and sat on the chair in front of the T.V., a little tired, but not asleep.
Leia came over to the couch near Joy and placed Caylin in it. Midnight, free from the leash, plotted himself on the carpet, not wanting to move. Joy couldn't help but laugh at how Caylin was sleeping, having not seen him doing it before.
"Phew.....well it's over" Leia said, coming over and sitting next to Joy. "Yeah....they won't get us here" Sean said, looking up at the second floor. "I don't ever wanna see that guy again" Mary said, who was by Caylin.
"Who was it that did this anyhow?" Sean asked. "He said his name was.....Wraith....kept saying he wanted to get Randall......" Mary responded.
"Hmph Wraith?....well....he comes across me, he won't have a mouth to talk all big and mighty...." Sean said. Joy looked up at the second floor. "...You think Randall's ok?" Joy asked. "Yeah....he's just tired......" Leia said. "Yeah....but I'm sure he can handle it" Sean said, looking over to see Randolph coming down the stairs. "All in all, I think you better stay here until things cool down" Randolph recommended, stopping beside Sean. "I second that" he said.
"Well I did say I would be coming in my letter, so why not?" Joy said. "What about.....wait......who's that?" Randolph asked, looking at Mary. "Oh jeez...." Sean said.
"Wait a sec! That's the kid ain't she!?" Randolph yelled. "....Yes Randolph it's her...." Sean said. "And you're that monster that wanted to......" Mary began. The two walked up toward each other but were stopped by Sean's hands.
"Calm down you two!" Sean yelled. ".....Err! Fine!" the two said, turning around and folding their arms. "Now just make up whatever your mad at each other for" Sean said. "Fine...." they both said. Mary's right and Randolph's top left arm met and shook.
"Well then it's settled" Randolph began. "Yeah yeah.....you can have my room Randolph...." Sean offered. "Thanks". "Well good, come on, let's get some pillows and blankets for everyone down here" Sean said, heading upstairs.
".....? You ok Randolph?" Leia asked, noticing him a little wiped out. "Hmm....oh yeah....just tired from carrying all those doors" he replied.
With a grin, he took to the stairs as Mary began to look around the house for anything that caught an interest. "....So you're Joy?" Leia asked, finally asking. "Yep that's me". "Now I see why Randall and Sean were so focused on saving you..." Leia smiled. "Thanks Leia..." Joy responded, also with a smile. "You know it's strange.....but if I was a human....I think I would look just like you" Leia said. "Really?". "Yeah.....maybe that's why you look so familiar to me". Joy smiled at that.
"Just asking....how'd you get to know Randall?" Joy asked, not really knowing that. "Oh that well...." Leia began.
"Err..."
Caylin stirred a bit, twitching his tail. "What's going on?" he groaned. "Sssh Cay...girl talk" Leia said, patting him on the head. "Anyhow Joy....it was a couple years ago......before Randall got....you know..." Leia began.
*
"You see.....it happened about 2, or maybe 2 and a half, years after Randolph went missing".
"Missing?"
"Yeah....it was big news....no one knew what happened to him.....I don't get how Randall or Randolph even remember it....hmm...anyhow" Leia began. "At the time, I was working my way up by working in a flower shop, actually I was the assistant, being as I was "reptile" I couldn't head up the ranks. I was only just working there, I didn't know Randall at all. One day, he came in, I was surprised, never seeing him before.
*
(Ching)
The bell hitched to the top of the door sprang forwards and backwards. Leia, a couple years younger, was behind the counter, looking at him.
Randall was mid-way in before he looked around. He then looked at Leia. "I'm looking for some red roses...." he asked. "Uh yes sir...."she said, but then stopped. "......What?....Don't the monsters here pay you to actually do something?" Randall said. "Well they do but......are you Randolph Boggs?" Leia asked. Randall's smirk stopped as a saddened face came on. But he quickly switched back to his normal attitude.
"No I'm not....." he said, annoyed. "Oh...sorry.....it's just you look so much like him in the magazines" Leia said. "Spare me news about my brother" Randall said, seeming to not want to talk about it and getting frustrated. "Oh! He's your brother.....sorry about him m..." Leia began.
"Cut the talk!" Randall said, angered. "Well sorry" Leia said, getting a little angry herself. She gave up though and headed into the backroom. Randall went over to the counter and placed his top right hand on the counter, tapping his three fingers on it. "(I don't need to be reminded from some low budget worker!)" he thought.
About a minute later, Leia came back with a bouquet of roses. "Its about time...." Randall said, taking them. "You should really learn to control you anger....uh...." Leia began. "Randall....and do I tell you how to ruin......run....you life?!" Randall said, getting the money he needed from a wallet he had in one of his bottom arms. Leia only grinned. "So....Randall.....who are the flowers for?" Leia asked. Randall kept fiddling through his wallet, but kept his eyes on Leia. "They're for no one ok" he said. "Ok just asking...." Leia said. Randall stopped and pulled out a 50 monster bucks and handed it to Leia.
"Keep the change, I'm sure you could use it...." Randall said, picking up the roses. "You sure?" Leia asked. "Oh for the.....just take it!" Randall shouted. "Ok ok...." Leia said. Randall shook his head as Leia placed his 50 in the register. Randall went for the door. It opened in front of him to reveal a monster. He looked almost like Ranft from the floor, except bigger, and that he wore a trench coat. He also had ears and two eyes. He moved out of the way so Randall could exit. He then went up to the counter, right in front of Leia.
"What...can I get you sir?" Leia asked. The customer then threw a paper bag on the counter. "You don't mind opening the register?" he asked. "What do you...." Leia began. Just then, the customer pulled out a handgun, pointing it directly at Leia.
*
Randall, meanwhile, was at the sidewalk, thinking. "(Who does she think she is!? Bringing back those hurtful memories?! "you have to learn to control your temper" hmph)" Randall thought.
"I said don't move!"
Randall's tail twitched, but he decided to ignore the low voice. "All of it! All of it or I'll blow your head off!".
This one caught Randall. He turned to the glass door of the shop. He could see the robber having his gun at Leia, who was filling the back with the register's containments. "Ehh...." Randall said. "(Troublemaker!)" Randall thought, dropping the roses.
*
The robber took the back that container the shop's earnings. He kept his gun on Leia as he slowly backed toward the door. "Turn your head and you will find your head in pieces!" the robber said, moving back and pushing open the door. He continued to walk backwards, up until.....
(TRIP!)
The robber fell on his back onto the concrete street. He looked up to see Randall shutting the door and retracting his tail. The burglar raised his gun, but got a tail whip right in the arm. He looked up to see what had hit him, bit instead got a fist slammed into his jaw. He tried reaching back for his gun, but knowing he would, Randall bit right into the burglar's arm.
"AHHHHH!!!!" he yelled, just as another three fingered fist slammed into, right between his middle eyes. He had been knocked out cold.
About a second later, Leia came out seeing Randall lift himself up from the burglar, dusting his hands. Since Randall didn't use his full jaw pressure, ectoplasm wasn't on his teeth. ".....Randall?....." Leia asked. "Hmph...." he replied. He looked at her and folded his arms. "I didn't want my money falling into the hands of this idiot.....don't think I did it to save you" Randall said. "You....sure?" Leia asked. Randall just turned and picked up the bag of money that was lying on the street and gave it to her.
"I don't help out anyone...." Randall said. "Why are you like that?" Leia asked him. "....You don't need to know..." Randall said, walking off.
"!!.....Thanks....Randall..." Leia whispered. After a couple seconds, she turned to go back inside, but felt she heard some rustling. She turned and looked at the ground. She gasped as she saw the burglar had the gun back in his bruised hand. He moved the gun so it was pointed right below Randall's fronds.
"Randall!!" Leia yelled. He turned then froze. "Oh jeez....that's what I get for helping people...." Randall said, closing his eyes.
(POWW!!!)
His heart was still beating, and his head wasn't blown off. Randall was questionable about it. He slowly opened his left eye, then his right, surprised. Leia was on the ground beside the burglar, dropping the nose of the gun from her hand. Randall could see that she was bleeding from her right arm.
"!! What in....." he began, running over. He stopped and looked. He could tell what had happened. "Why.....did you do that?" Randall started, kneeling down next to her, "No one's ever done something like that for me" Randall said. Leia tried to get up, but Randall placed his top hands on her shoulders. "I owed you one remember?" she said. "You could've been killed!". "No...owww" Leia said, feeling the pain in her arm. "Eh...its not too bad luckily.....listen....I'll call the police and doctor...you just rest ok?" Randall said, picking her up and taking her inside, keeping and eye on the burglar. ".....Thanks...." Randall whispered.
*
"You saved him?" Joy asked. "Well yeah....we were even...he waited until the police and ambulance came....waited all night in the hospital...." Leia said. "Wow...". "We became friends afterwards...but then a couple months before he disappeared, we started to lose track of each other" Leia said. "Must have been when he was making the Extractor...." Joy said. "Oh...yeah...I saw the play....I didn't believe it at all....I couldn't believe that everyone who he worked with didn't like him.....Randall's too sweet to be a bad guy" Leia added. "That's a sweet story Leia" Joy said, seeing her smile. "....Say...how'd he meet Cay?".
"High School".
The two looked back at Caylin, who was already awake and was on his stomach, looking at them with an innocent face. "How long were you up?" Leia asked. "Since those wavy lines like those on T.V. flashbacks happened" Caylin said with a smile. "Oh Cay...." Leia said, tossing one of the couch's pillows at him. "Ow".
"Well, I'm guessing he saved Caylin's tail?" Joy asked. "No he.....uh...well ok he did" Caylin said, remembering.
"See...." Leia said.
The two laughed from catching Cay. The three stopped when they heard footsteps. They peered up at the stairs to see Sean coming down with pillows and blankets.
"Hey, its a walking rug" Caylin said, laughing. "Put a pillow in it Caylin...".
Another pillow, thrown by Sean, impacted Caylin in his face.
"Ow..."
Sean gave a pillow and blanket to Leia, Joy, and then to Mary. Sean then sat down in the chair beside Joy. "What about you Sean?" Joy asked. "I'm good...." he began, "...Well...congratulations everyone....the rescue was a success" he added, placing on a smile. "Cheers!" Caylin said. Sean, Joy, and Leia lifted their pillows. "No pillow bombardment!" Caylin yelled, covering his face. The four couldn't help but laugh.