Chapter Twenty-one
Elvira had been looking for Donkey ever since the injured had been healed and he had yet to show himself. She now looked up at Crystal and saw that she was still busily talking to the brunette woman called Kitty, their lips moving almost as fast in conversation as the dragons' were. She also noticed that they seemed to be inching their way toward the living room, but a glance at Lorne told her that he was aware of her mother. She knew Crys wouldn't be able to do anything she shouldn't with Lorne watching her, so Elvira decided that it was time somebody went in search for Donkey.
The wolf started to leave the kitchen only to have Cindy call to her. "Where are you going?"
Elvira looked at her sister. She knew Cindy would disapprove, but she didn't care. Cindy hated all men and was blinded by that prejudice. It was rare that the lioness bothered to help any of them for any reason, and Elvira had not been the only one surprised when she'd rolled Carl and Paige out of the way of Piper's rising body earlier that morning. "Donkey's missing," she told her.
"So?" Cindy growled.
"So I'm going to look for him," Elvira announced.
The lioness shrugged her shoulders in a muscular roll. "Your loss."
Elvira sniffed and walked from the room, her head held high. She wondered where the best place to look for Donkey would be and decided to try to follow his scent from their bedroom. Thus, she headed back to their room and toward the bathtub where they'd spent the previous night. She froze as she heard something.
Donkey was lying in the bathtub on his back with his hooves waving in the air. He had been waiting most impatiently for some one to come to his rescue. The others had rushed off and left him behind, and when he had tried to get out of the tub, he had slipped and fallen and couldn't get up. He was extremely tired of laying on his back and singing to entertain himself, so he had finally given up singing and began to make popping noises with his mouth. He heard some one enter the bathroom. His voice was now a croak. "Help!" he managed to get out.
Elvira looked toward the tub with instant concern on her face. Her concern grew when she saw Donkey's legs waving helplessly in the air. "Donkey!" she cried, rushing over to him. She stood up on her hind legs, balanced her front paws on the rim of the tub, and looked down at him. "What happened?"
"I've fallen, and I can't get up! Can you get me help?" he implored, his teary eyes looking at her. "I thought no one cared! You were gone so long, and no one came to check on me!"
"Of course we cared," Elvira told him even while trying to figure out how to help him, "but things are just now settling down. There were dinosaurs in the house! Miss Piper and Ororo almost died!"
"Oh my Gods! They're gonna eat me!" Donkey exclaimed in a squeak. "Save yourself, Elvira! Run!"
"Donkey, they're gone! The others killed them! Captain Jack and Xena and Faith and Lex and Kitty and Clark and . . . Well, a lot of them."
"Darn, and I missed it! I'd have liked to have gotten a good hoof in there!"
Elvira looked at him with an even more puzzled expression. Somehow, she just couldn't see him as a fighter. She shook her head. "Well, let's just see if we can get you out of there now." She moved around the tub so that she could better maneuver herself toward his neck. She leaned over but paused to warn him, "This is probably gonna hurt a little bit, but I can't think of anything else." She then gently bit the scruff of his neck and started trying to pull him out of the tub.
"Ow!" Donkey hollered. "What are you trying to do -- eat my skin off!"
Elvira tried to answer him, but her words were muffled by his hair. She knew she was only trying to help, however, and pulled harder.
Donkey felt himself slide even as the pain caused him to click his teeth again. He tried not to holler. He wanted out of that tub so badly that it wasn't funny. He didn't like pain, but he was willing to endure some if it got him out.
When Donkey began to come, Elvira started backing up. Her teeth felt as though they were ready to break off, but still she continued to pull.
Just as Donkey thought he was coming out, he slipped again only in the opposite direction, pulling Elvira in on top of him. He now made eye contact with her as the slip had caused her to release her hold. "Gotta have help. Somebody gotta turn the tub over," Donkey told her.
"Well, I tried!" Elvira yipped in protest. She tried to get out of the tub, but her movements caused Donkey to slip again. This time, they rolled together, and she ended up on the bottom.
Donkey brayed. "M-M-Miss Elvira! Are you all right under there!" He was scared he'd squashed her.
Elvira had to wriggle underneath Donkey to get her mouth free. Finally, she was able to tell him, "I'm fine, Donkey, but you might want to hold your ears now. I'm going to call for help." Without a further warning, she raised her voice in a long, piercing howl.
Donkey had been about to ask her how he could cover his ears when her mouth flew open. It was a good thing he was laying down already or he would have fallen out. "Your melodious voice pierced my ears," he told her, "but thanks!" He brayed again, hoping Will would hear him and come to his rescue.
Crystal had been deep in conversation with Kitty when Elvira suddenly howled. Her head jerked up immediately, her ice blue eyes searching frantically for her lupine familiar. "Elvira!" She was answered by another howl. Without a word to any one, she dashed from the kitchen with Blue and Cindy right on her heels. The living room was still full of people, but she had to get to Elvira!
Kitty and Lockheed had followed. "Take my hand!" she told her.
"What?"
"Just do it!"
Lorne looked at Chong. "Be back in a minute with that blue dragon," he promised. "Meanwhile, I'm off to the rescue!" He ran out of the room so fast that the people who saw him thought he was flying right after Crys. He heard another howl even as he ran. He prayed there weren't any dinosaurs in their room but couldn't imagine what Elvira had found to howl about.
Crystal grabbed Kitty's hand, and Kitty was about to phase them when she saw Lorne running. She reached out for him.
Lorne took Kitty's hand and was phased through the rest of the crowd and into their room. The sounds were coming from the bathroom, and he let go of Kitty and headed straight there only to be met with a sight that made him laugh. Donkey was laying on his back, all four hooves waving in the air, and Elvira was under him, trying to crawl out. He wondered how she had managed to get in that position.
"It's not funny!" Crys told him as she ran to the tub. The humor of the situation failed her completely for all she could think was that Elvira needed her help. She grabbed Donkey and began trying to pull him off of Elvira.
"Easy, honey," Lorne told her. "I wasn't laughing at the situation, just at the look on Donkey's face. How in the world did you get in that position, Donkey?"
Donkey got the biggest grin on his face. "Just lucky, I guess."
Elvira had barely fixed Donkey with a Look and Crys was still trying to pull him off of her when Cindy entered the room. She took one look at the situation, growled, walked over, and swatted Donkey in the rear before any one could react.
Donkey brayed. "Stop that!" he screeched. "I didn't get this way on purpose!" One big tear dropped down his face.
"Then get off my sister!" Cindy started to raise her paw again, but Crystal caught it.
"Cindy!" Elvira and Crys simultaneously scolded.
It was then that Kitty poked her head into the bathroom. "Can I help, guys?"
"Maybe." Lorne looked at her and asked, "Is it possible even that you could reach out, touch Donkey, and phase him through that tub?"
Kitty walked over to the tub and felt her heart instantly catch at the sight of the poor animals. "If he'll work with me," she answered, kneeling beside the tub.
"I'll do anything!" Donkey pleaded. "Just please get me out of here and off of Miss Elvira! I'm afraid I'm crushing her!"
"Yeah. I wonder why when you're -- "
Cindy was broken off by a fierce growl from Elvira. "Cindy, if you hurt him any more, I'll -- !"
"Neither of you," Crystal informed them, "will do anything!" She released Donkey and backed out of Kitty's way, though her own gaze stayed firmly on Cindy and Elvira. All they needed now was a fight between the two of them!
Donkey was hoping there wouldn't be a fight. He didn't mind protecting Elvira, but Cindy had already caught him several times with her claws and he didn't relish tasting them again.
Kitty reached her hands through the side of the tub, gently touched Donkey, and phased him. She began to pull him towards her.
Lorne was trying to figure out how he could help but knew he couldn't, so he watched in amazement as Kitty pulled Donkey straight through the tub.
Elvira slunk out from underneath Donkey, then jumped from the tub. She hurried to sit out of the way behind Lorne.
As soon as Donkey was free of the tub, he made his way to his feet and shook himself all over. "Thank you, one and all, for your help!" He looked around to where Elvira was sitting. "Are you okay?" He hoped he had not hurt her.
"I'm fine."
"Thank you for coming to check on me." He went over and lowered his nose to hers.
Elvira smiled bashfully as Donkey's nose touched hers.
Donkey's heart went Thump! Thump, and he thought, Oh no! Here I go again, falling in love with a female who'll never give me the time of day!
Crystal could not help the smile that spread over her face, warming her features, as she looked at Elvira and Donkey. She could tell from the look on her lupine partner that she was beginning to have a taste of the same feelings Lorne had first began invoking in her.
Lorne looked over at Blue. "Guess we all need to get back and help Chong with breakfast?"
Blue cooed in agreement, but Kitty shook her head. "I'll . . . catch up with you guys later. I need some air right now." Lockheed looked over at his best friend and cooed gently; he knew she was thinking of those they'd lost.
"You can't go alone, Kitty. You need to take some one with you. You don't know what you'll find out there," Lorne reminded her.
"I'm just stepping outside for a bit, Lorne," Kitty assured him. "I'll be fine, and besides . . . " She stretched a hand out to Lockheed, and he perched on her closed fist. "I'm never alone."
"Aren't dragons wonderful things?" Lorne asked. "I thought they were only mythological, but now I know two of them and I'm glad to know both. See you later." He opened the door and waited for Crys to exit.
Crystal watched as Kitty and Lockheed passed straight through the bathroom wall and disappeared from their sight. She shook her head slightly. Kitty's powers were highly unusual, but she couldn't help wishing she had a touch of them. "Lorne," she spoke softly, "I'm not ready to go down yet."
Lorne looked at her. "You promised you wouldn't do anything, Crys, but I'm still afraid to leave you alone. I've only just found you and I don't want to lose you, but I need to take Blue back to the kitchen. Do you give me your word you'll be here when I get back?"
She nodded. "I promise," she told him. "I'm not trying to leave you, Lorne. I'm just . . . " She looked down at her booted feet. "I'm nervous."
"Angel and I will both stand with you when you're ready," Lorne told her. "You know we've always got your back." He smiled at her.
"I know," she answered, sighing softly as she sat down on the side of the tub. "It's just . . . " Her voice trailed off. How could she explain the feelings that were tearing at her when even she was ashamed of them?
Lorne could tell it was going to take a while and that Crys needed to talk. He looked at Blue. "Do you know where the kitchen is?"
Blue cooed and took off.
Elvira looked from Crys to Donkey. "I think we should go with him," she whispered to him.
"Good idea," Donkey told her. Reaching the door first, he opened it with his mouth and waited for Blue and Elvira to exit. He then followed them toward the kitchen after quietly closing the door.
Lorne knelt beside Crys. He didn't know what to tell her, but he knew she wanted to talk. Maybe listening would be enough? "Sweetheart, I'm listening if you want to talk," he told her, reaching out to take her hand in his.
She sighed again even as her fingers entwined with his. "I'm more than nervous," she admitted, feeling his concerned eyes on her and Cindy pressing gently into the side of her legs. "I'm . . . I'm scared, Lorne. Not just that he'll . . . you know . . . " She couldn't bring herself to say the words then. "But I also . . . I don't want to take you away from your family," she told him, "and I wish that there was some way that they . . . could become mine too without . . . without the danger . . . Yet I know that's selfish of me."
"They are your family, Crys, if you'll just let them in," Lorne told her. "And as for danger, we face danger every day of our lives. Jack goes into Hell, and we follow him. Yet somehow, we always manage to defeat the enemy. We get scars and scratches, and some have even died. But it never stopped us from following him. He is a fair and just man, and he will do what is right by you."
It won't be just Angel and me taking your side and standing with you; you'll see. Jack already knows what's going on and yet he wants to stand by you. You've got a family, Crys. You just have to let us all in, learn to count on some ones besides yourself and your babies." He stroked her hand and then leaned upward and kissed her.
Lorne's gentle kiss still stole her breath away, but after their lips had parted, her free hand lovingly stroked his cheek. "Lorne, I know Jack's determined, and so are Wolverine and Ororo. But they only found out last night just what they're getting themselves into, and their determination isn't because of me. It's because they think they owe me. Still, though," she reminded him, "it's not just his or our decision. Every one down there has to know what's going on, and if they were here . . . well, were a part of the crew before I came along . . . then it's only right that they stay and I leave."
"If you leave, Crys, I'll go with you. You are my family, now more even than Jack and the others." He pulled her up to where he could kiss her even more deeply.
She knew he would and that that would place him forever in danger, yet she nonetheless wanted him with her and never wanted to have to leave him. Still, she did not want to have to rip him away from the others, though she knew he'd come willingly. For now, however, she just let their kiss push her fears from the front of her mind. Her hand traveled his face, caressing every inch they came into contact with before reaching his horns. She lovingly stroked each of them, keeping her touch ever so gentle.
Lorne enjoyed his free moments with Crys and continued kissing her, oblivious to Cindy being in the room. He scooped Crys up and carried her to the bed where he began to make love to her yet again.
Cindy padded silently over to the bathroom door and peered out at the bed with a big grin on her face. Then hooking a paw around the door, she pulled it closed.
To Be Continued . . .
