Chapter 8

Family Reunions

Without hesitation, Toni lifted her arms and blinked. Her clothes had changed from the harem outfit to a pair of boot cut jeans and a decorative blouse. Something she'd wear while lounging around her father's house or her aunt and uncle's. Leif's balance shifted as he took a step back. "Get ready." She warned just before she blinked a second time.

"Ready for what?" Leif responded, before he realized that the scene had changed. He swallowed as he fumbled backwards. A horn blared and Toni grabbed his hand.

"For teleportation," she answered.

"W-w-where are we?" he swallowed again. He could feel a tinge of a headache as he searched the area. It was obviously no where in New York City, and by the appearance of palm trees and other tropical flora he guessed they were in a warmer climate. Of course the sudden sense of sweat trickling down his back, between his shirt and skin awakened that sense even more.

"Cocoa Beach," Toni answered promptly glancing up and down the street as if searching for something.

"Florida?"

"No, Africa," her tone was sarcastic. Leif just felt confused. "Come on," she grabbed his arm and almost dragged him behind her as she headed for a small, old Florida style house. It had obviously been updated several times and been added onto, but Leif's secret admiration for architecture could easily determine the house's origins.

Without hesitation Toni strolled up the walk to the front door and rang the bell, still dragging Leif behind, who was trying to overcome the effects of his first trip via Toni's blink. He was not sure what he was expecting when the door opened, but he was sure that it was not the woman before him. She looked the right age to be Toni's grandmother, and there was a mild resemblance between the two women, but Glenda looked a lot more like her than Toni.

"Toni!" she exclaimed embracing her with the enthusiasm reserved to all grandmothers. Her bleach blonde hair was swept back from her face and twisted in an interesting knot at the top of her head. "Come in, come in," she gushed holding the door open further for both of them to enter. "Oh, Anthony look who's here!" she called out.

Toni seemed happy, Leif noticed, to be visiting them, though he could tell that she was being slightly reserved, something that her grandmother seemed to pick up on as the gentleman stood, folding up his paper. "Toni it's good to see you," he hugged her, giving Leif a sideways glance that he did not fail to notice. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming to visit?" he half admonished, but affection was in his voice.

"Well," Toni grinned, and looked down, studying her finger nails. Leif shifted uncomfortably as, whom he presumed was Colonel Anthony Nelson, studied him with great scrutiny. "I kind of have a problem." The elder couple exchanged glances, then Mrs. Jeannie Nelson, looked at him as well. He shifted again as realization shone in her eyes.

Their attention now rested firmly on their granddaughter and Leif couldn't have been happier. "I made the mistake," she began, taking a seat on the sofa across from her grandparents, Leif, tentatively, and with stiffness that he knew made him appear wooden, sat down beside her. But he did make sure that there was a proper amount of space between them. "Of…well, taking a nap in my bottle."

Toni sighed. She was embarrassed by her confession since she had said she would never, ever, get caught in her bottle, no matter what. "And the lid was placed on it. The next day, my co-worker, Leif Yahn," she indicated him with a brief nod. "Came by my apartment to check on me and opened my bottle."

Jeannie Nelson looked at both of them for a long moment. Nobody spoke, but her eyes shone sympathy towards her granddaughter. "I-I-I don't really want to be anybody's master," Leif felt as if he should say something. This seemed like the most opportune time. "Especially not Toni's," he knew that the latter admission, though in a low voice that only she could hear, was the wrong thing to say as soon as the words left his lips.

"Of course, you know how my feelings have been on the subject. I tried to explain, in general, some of the laws, but I didn't know how to explain what happens to genies," she looked imploringly to her grandmother.

Jeannie clicked her tongue, but smiled at both of them. "I wouldn't worry," she assured her before turning her attention to Leif. "Right now this is a very new thing for both of you, but as time passes you will both accept it as a reality."

"So this is something we get whether or not we want it?" Leif was critical.

"Yes," Jeannie nodded. "Now that Toni has a master, she may find that she could not live without one," her blue eyes twinkled at her granddaughter. "And after time you will not be so against it…unless I miss my guess."

"So what's my job in all this? What am I supposed to do?" he felt so lost. Usually he knew exactly how to tackle any situation, but this was way out of his league.

Tony smiled at him sympathetically. "It is sometimes hard to get used to it, but a genie around the house does grow on you." His words were not all that reassuring, but Leif tried to smile back.

Jeannie nodded as if affirming the words. "Now, have you two eaten?" They told her that they had not and immediately deliciously smelling food appeared on the table. Leif swallowed hard. What did "blinked" food taste like?

He discovered that it actually tasted quite good. He couldn't help but ask for seconds. "How…um…how is this food cooked? I mean, how does…?" he trailed off not knowing how to ask the question.

Tony seemed to be waiting for Jeannie to explain as well. "It is rather had to explain how it happens. It's just a matter of practice, and with it comes better and better tasting food." She smiled.

He wanted to ask how much Toni had practiced in this particular subject, but thought better of it. He wouldn't have had time anyway since someone walked through the back door shouting. "Hello! You'll never guess what…" whatever the man, wearing a plaid jacket, was going to say he stopped when he saw visitors. "Toni! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed and Toni jumped up to give him a hug.

"Uncle Roger, it's so good to see you." He grinned at being called uncle.

"Who's your friend?" he asked with a smile on his face.

"One of my co-workers."

"Well, you are working with the finest and prettiest paralegal in the business," he nodded his head.

"Thank you," Leif nodded, but by then "Uncle Roger" had turned his attention back to Toni.

"So what brings you down here? And why didn't I know you were coming to visit?" he looked accusingly at Tony and Jeannie.

"Bottle trouble," she responded.

His eyes grew round and he took a discrete glance at Leif. "Does your friend…?"

"He does now," she responded.

"Oh dear," he shook his head. "He isn't…?" Toni nodded. "And here I was hoping you'd let me take your bottle," he pinched her cheek playfully and with a fatherly affection.

"How's Mrs. Healy?" Toni asked as she passed a bowl to Leif.

"She's doing well, but she's had to slow down quite a bit lately. She still makes those silk flowers to sell," he scooted his chair under the table.

The rest of the meal was mostly centered on Roger's conversation as he told them about a fish that he had almost caught. When they had finished Toni blinked them home, or rather, Toni's apartment. They stood there for a few minutes in awkward silence. He didn't fail to notice that she had changed into her blue outfit.

"So," Leif finally broke the silence. "I think I just want to go home and sleep tonight," he sighed.

"Do you want me to blink you?"

"I suppose," he shrugged. There was no time like the present to begin to get used to that form of travel.

When he had gone, Toni wrapped her arms around her middle. A feeling if insecurity swept over her. Her usual sense of purpose and control of her life were gone. She was a dog on a leash. She hated the feeling. She simply hated it.

That night she tried to sleep, but every time she would doze, her mind would awaken her with a thought. It haunted her, plagued her. She could not understand the thought, but it continued. She felt as if she needed to be somewhere, but she didn't know or understand where. A knot had formed in her stomach and it only continued to grow and grow.

During the night it began to rain. She had gone to look out the window, watching the city below her. Car horns honked, lights were on almost everywhere. It looked pretty all gleaming with wetness.

In the morning it was still raining, but it had turned into a drizzle. Just after six someone rang her door bell. She listlessly got up from her spot on the couch and opened the door with a blink. She could sense that it was Leif. He glanced at her strangely; she was still dressed in her blue outfit.

"I was hoping it was a dream," he responded when she questioned him with a look.

"Hmm," she shrugged. "So did I. Are you hungry?"

"I'm going to get something from Dunkin' Doughnuts or Starbucks on the way to work," but before he had finished speaking a paper carton of a variety of doughnuts and a pot of fresh coffee appeared on the coffee table. He sucked in his breath.

"Then I guess I'll pick it up here," he muttered under his breath as he picked up a chocolate covered doughnut and took a bite. They were the best he'd ever tasted.

She walked back to the coffee table and sat down on the floor Indian fashion across from where he was seated on the couch. "I didn't sleep last night," he said in a confiding tone. "I kept telling myself it was a dream, but when I wasn't I kept thinking." He took another bite and wiped chocolate off his chin. "I've seen what you've done around the office the past several weeks. It makes more sense now that I know what you were doing, but you were doing good for other people," he paused, taking a sip of the coffee that was just right and just as he liked it. He couldn't help but make an appreciative sound. "I guess you could say that my first official order to you is…I guess my first wish is that I want you to keep doing that good work for people." She was studying her own coffee. "Now you'll have an ally."

She glanced up at him sharply. "Something's going on at the firm." The admission and abrupt switch of subjects startled him, but he looked at her curiously.

"What's going on?"

"Would you back me up if I investigated someone within the firm? One of the senior partners?"

"I guess so," he realized that this was somehow a direct link from his first 'command' of her. Still he was hesitant. "You think someone in the firm is doing something they should not?"

"I think Goldwyn sabotaged the tape. I know he sabotaged the new one. The colored one," she added. "He doesn't want the Johnson case to go through."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not positive, but I think I could blink myself to his office for a time," she trailed off.

He looked at her. Suddenly he realized why she had stopped. "Do it," he ordered. He had a lot to learn as a master. Why didn't they have a Law of the Masters? He wondered.

(To Be Continued…)