Chapter 19: Don't Say I Didn't Warn You

Josh and George took turns doing what most of the others assumed was 'trying to break the world record for longest time spent in the shower'. By the time the two of them had finished emptying out Sally's tanks of hot water, Alda had already bought coffins, and booked the next flight from Logan to Alberquerque.

Even in the afternoon, the early October's wind felt like ice: biting and nipping at their doors like dogs. Mother took care of Hope and Thom's disposal, the vampire network glossing over the gory bits, and officially coining their death to a horrible motorcycle accident. George doubted anyone would be fooled, and the thought of the vampire cover-up just riled him up more.

"They're just saving their own skins," the werewolf grumbled, as Mother's right-hand associate loaded some of Josh's things into the back of the car. "She makes thi big deal about showing kindness but really she just was saving her own skin; making sure a couple of supernaturally murdered kids go home without so much as a police report."

"Uh, yeah," Mitchell replied, "The same thing goes on in Bristol too. Our worlds are not as different from theirs as you may think."

"Get me past the part again: where your whole goal of this trip was to steal something from a four-thousand year old native American."

Mitchell rolled his eyes at Annie, now that the crisis was over, he was back to being scrutinized for his vampire duties as if he were caught shoplifting chewing gum from the penny story. "It was not my idea: it was Snow."

"One doesn't just get up and say, 'Hey Mitchell, be a chap and rob my equally old brother of some artifacts for me please'."

He hid his face in shame, and only said, "You would if that One were Snow." He thought about the blood on his hands and said, "He has ways of being convincing."

"Are you scared of him?" Annie laughed and Mitchell frowned deeply at her mirth. "You are! I thought no one could scare the great John Mitchell. Oh, I so would have liked to meet him!"

"I, for one, am glad you didn't," Mitchell countered roughly, "And for your sake, I hope neither of you ever will."

"There's always next time," George laughed, draping his arm over his broody flatmate. He said so to cheer the mood, but Mitchell couldn't help but continue to be thankful neither of them had lain eyes on the monster. If there was one thing to go right for him, it's that Snow didn't know his family's faces.

George's laugh died down when Alda approached them from the foyer.

"Well George, it's not too late to change your mind."

"Thank you but no thank you," and before she could bring it back up again, George said, "I'm sorry for your loss. I only sort of fought with her, but it was enough for me to know Hope was an amazing thing."

"George, any Evebringer who doesn't raise their child right will be responsible for the end of the world. If that happens—"

"Not now, Alda," Annie cut in. And the old woman looked ruefully at her, "Thom said you could be convinced to let him go."

She did not comment about this and instead continued her warning to the ghost. Mitchell led George to the door, hoping this would encourage the old wolf-woman to do the same.

"Listen to me Annie. Out there, George cannot have children. And whoever he brings into the world without a pack and without supervision would be the end of all things. If he lives with us, he can be protected in a community without being isolated and afraid of what he could do."

"Now that's not fair," Annie retorted unhappily. "You can't expect him to leave us to live with you. We've seen how you can raise a what-cha-ma-bringer. And I bet that didn't quite work out the way you planned."

Alda pursed her lips dangerously tight, but Annie was not going to let up. So Alda replied: "You think you can do this, Annie. But it's impossible to raise a first generation purebred in a big city. And it's almost just as difficult for a high ranking legacy. They'll be wild, hungry, restless—all of the time. And if at any moment, their self-control snaps, all the wolf energy will take over and lives will be destroyed. Even at regular packs, some of the deeply afflicted ones need to be put down."

Annie gave her a defiant look, "We're not talking about any child here. We're talking about a child of the most mild-mannered man on earth."

"But can you honestly promise me that any child will never experience fear, pain, or simply have a temper tantrum? Hope had to keep every emotion in check, or else she could turn wolves during a new moon, and control them. And we helped her there. Out in the world, there would be no one to show that kind of support- and that's no way to treat any child, cursed or not."

"You're not taking George." Annie stated, her mind set.

Alda knew a thing or two about women when they got this way, so she sighed and then put her bonnet back on. Gathering her bags and the long black portfolio, she turned to step out of the door. The British trinity waited anxiously at the vestibule as if they didn't trust her to simply leave, and the Americans waited patiently at the car. To Mitchell, then to George, then to Annie, Alda said sternly:

"Very well, Annie. I must trust you to take care of the matters should there be another Evebringer Legacy. But you must know, even if you do everything you can to raise the child properly, there is the possibility that it will bring on a horror worse than you could ever imagine. And if it does, you will be the one responsible for making the hard decisions."

"I will never kill a baby," the ghost hissed.

Alda hobbled down the stairs and replied sincerely, "I really hope you're right."

George could not close the door too soon, and when she finally disappeared down the road with Aiden and Josh, Annie instantly started shaking. Mitchell approached his love's side, and took her hand gently. And from that touch, she exploded:

"The nerve of that woman!" She said, outraged. And Mitchell folded her in his arms. She was starting to glow in fury. "Can you imagine?"

- - - - {Elsewhere}- - - -

At the airport, Alda had to separate from the rest of the trio to check in the coffins. There were questions, inspections, CDC red-tape, etc.. But the old wolf didn't mind; Aiden, Josh and Sally needed time to say goodbye before Josh joined Nora on the reserve for the baby's birth the next week. He would be gone for over a month. They were a sweet family; even Alda had to say they cared about each other. It almost made her sad to think Nora had stay away from them for so long.

She watched them from a distance when the vampire gave Josh travelling tips, and the ghost girl laughed a clean and pleasant laugh. When it was Josh's turn to stand at the ticketing counter, Alda was given the green light by the Transport Authority and she rolled her wheeled bag to the window. There she could wait for the trio in their sight, and they would be in hers.

Some distant airport announcement rang, and Alda remembered, pulled open the black portfolio, and took out her cell phone. It only took a few seconds before the intended recipient picked up the phone and exchanged greetings.

"Yes, it's done." Alda said obediently, "No, we didn't convince him to come. But he wouldn't have cooperated for long either way." After a respectfully pause, Alda sighed, "Yeah. Well one out of two is not bad."

Josh and Aiden lifted the bag to the weighing machine and Alda knew she didn't have a lot of time. "No, the mission was a success. Though you could have warned us before we went there. It may have saved us some grief."

"…"

"Of course you know, I just meant—"

"…"

"Yes Ma'Ma. I understand." And as if she had a last moment's thought, "Oh-" Alda reached into the portfolio, through the carefully protected human skin, and into the side pocket where she drew out the envelope addressed to 'the Great One': "and Mother wrote you a letter to accompany her gifts. Though she said she trusts you know what to do from here."