A bout of dry coughing alerted them to Ryan’s return to consciousness.

“Oh! Oh!” Hannah straightened in her chair and took her husband’s hand.

Zaira couldn’t help but smile as she saw Ryan’s eyes open and look at his wife. Half-closed, heavy but sparkling eyes.

He squeezed Hannah’s hand, though there wasn’t much strength there.

“I wasn’t quite ready to leave you.” His voice was rough and barely audible.

“Oh love.” Hannah kissed his forehead.

The older couple stared at each other for a moment before Ryan surveyed the room, he was in.

He spotted Zaira returning from the hallway with a cup of ice chips in hand.

“It’s nice to see you awake.” She said as she handed Hannah the cup and a spoon.

He gratefully accepted a couple of small spoonsful of ice chips.

“I told the man at the nurse’s station that Ryan was awake. I’ll leave you two alone for a bit.” She touched Hannah’s shoulder. “I’m going to the cafeteria. Do you want anything?”

“Some toast when you come back?”

“Yes, mam. I would offer to get something for you,” she said as she looked at Ryan. “But I don’t know what you are allowed to eat.”

Ryan gave her a small, tight, smile.

“It’s ok dear. Go have breakfast.” Hanna said.

With that, Zaira headed down to have breakfast with Callie. Or rather have breakfast while nursing Callie.

She was just tossing out the trash when she heard:

“Are you Zaira?”

The demon in question turned to the unfamiliar voice. She recognized the man instantly. Dirty blonde hair with looks leaning more towards Hannah’s rather than Ryan's.

“Julian. About time you showed up.”

Julian’s face fell and he looked at the ground. But unlike Arthur, she found this boy looked genuinely upset.

“I’m sorry, I…” He shuffled on his feet, face reddening. “Mum told me I didn’t need to come, that you were taking care of them but, he’s my dad you know?”

“I’m sorry but, you didn’t need to wait until he was sick to see him. They miss you. They miss their grandkids.”

“I know…” He kicked at the floor. “Would you mind telling me where my dad’s room is? I promise to get out of your hair shortly.”

“I don’t want you out of my hair, I want you to start repairing your relationship with your parents.”

Julian finally looked at her, revealing eyes filled with tears.

“I can’t be a part of their life.” He nearly whispered.

Stolen story; please report.

“Why?”

“If I tell you, will you get off my case? Just... don’t tell my parents… Please?”

Zaira pursed her lips and nodded her head.

“I’m gay.”

Zaira’s heart fell. She was shocked. That was the reason for his absence?

Julian took a step back. When Zaira didn’t say anything, he continued. “I left Abigail. We are on good terms though. I’ve been with my boyfriend for three years… The kids are ok. But I really don’t think my parents would want to keep…”

Julian’s sentence was interrupted when Zaira wrapped her arms around him.

“Your parents love you. If it means having you and the grandkids back in their life, I’m sure they’ll be ok with your new beau.”

Julian returned the hug. “Are you sure?” He whispered.

“Yeah, I mean, it may take some adjusting but… Where did you get the idea that your parents wouldn’t be ok with this?”

Sure, Zaira hadn’t talked about this subject with his parents, but she didn’t get the feeling they would react that badly. Well, Hannah wouldn’t. And after the whole ‘demon’ thing, even Ryan would probably readjust his views if needed.

“Well, they are typically a bit more old-fashioned… And Arthur said-”

“Arthur’s a dick.”

Julian snorted. “Yeah, he is.”

“Now, I must warn you. We have talked about…the LGBT community before. And they have avoided the topic, but they’ll come around, I’m sure.”

“What if they don’t accept me?”

“Don’t worry they will.”

“How do you know? Did you come out to them or something?” The second question was asked jokingly.

“Well, sort of.”

“Oh.” Julian blinked in surprise. “Oh, good.”

Well, that was going to come up later.

“Come on.” She turned him around with a light hand on his shoulder. “Let’s bring you to your folks. Oh, and if coming out doesn’t go well, don’t give up, K? I’m in your camp.”

“Thank you.” He smiled at her.

Zaira brought him to Ryan’s room. As he walked into the room, she sent up a little prayer that she hadn’t misguided him. Granted that topic may not even be covered during this visit.

Zaira went to this section’s nurse’s station and asked them to tell Hannah that she’d gone home for a nap but to let them know not to hesitate to call if they needed her.

She flew back home this time. The street was empty.

Zaira was exhausted from two sleepless nights. Callie on the other hand was full of energy and ready to crawl around and get into trouble. She’d done so much napping at the hospital. Zaira set her up in her playpen with her toys before she crashed on the couch.

She’d at least dozed off, if not slept when the ringing of the phone yanked her out of blackness.

Zaira rushed to the phone, it was probably Hannah.

“Hello, Zaira.”

Zaira blinked. “Arthur?”

“You should listen. These jail phone calls are rather short.” He sounded like he was whispering into the receiver.

There was quiet on the line as Zaira waited for him to continue

“I didn’t do it.”

“Bullshit.”

“Well, I didn’t do it the first time. That was you, wasn’t it? I’ll make sure you go down for this as well.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I don’t know how you did it, but I know you poisoned him at the house. I was only trying to finish what you started.”

“You are fucking crazy, you know that?”

“Nah, I know about the new will. They put you on it. You just wanted a piece of the pie.”

“I’m not crazy enough to kill someone over a fucking will. Unlike you apparently.”

Arthur laughed. “You are just happy I’m taking the fall for it.”

“And you are a fucking idiot. These calls are recorded. If they didn’t have you before, they do now.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll be coming for you next.”

“Fuck off and rot Arthur.”

Zaira slammed the phone back down on the receiver. She growled. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Waited for some semblance of calm to return to her.

Something wet landed on her nose.

The fuck?

She opened her eyes.

Bubbles.

There was a cloud of bubbles around her. The cloud was coming from a trail, which was coming from the living room. She followed the trail all the way back to Callie. Her little hand was extended towards her mother, she wasn’t smiling, just sending bubbles her way.

Zaira let out a laugh. “You are such a sweetheart.”

She scooped up Calliope and peppered the little girls in kisses. Callie laughed and the bubbles ceased appearing. Zaira swung the girl around in a little dance and the baby squealed happily. More kisses were peppered on the baby before Zaira’s thoughts derailed and one came to the surface.

The pukwudgie. It didn’t have a hand in this did it? Arthur was just trying to rile her up with a lie about a second poisoner. Right? Probably. But she needed to check.

“You are a sweetheart.” She repeated as she placed Callie back down in the playpen.

Callie whined and lifted her arms to be picked up.

“Mommy would love to play with you. But mommy has to check something very quick. You stay here, I’ll be back very soon.”

Callie continued to whine, threatening to cry. She would have to wait for a bit. Zaira took out the baby monitor. Leaving one in the living room and taking one with her. She’d be quick.

Zaira made her way to the garage and did her best impression of a bloodhound, circling the building. The garage smelt of human strangers, likely the police. She was about to leave when the scent of wildflowers made its way to her nose. She was right next to one of the garage windows. She entered the building.

She circled the room, smelling the air. Her stomach turned. The smell of wildflowers was strongest near the box of extra windshield wiper fluid. The used bottle was missing, likely in police storage but this was enough proof for her. That asshole hadn’t been lying. He hadn’t poisoned Ryan the first time.

The Yulmuth stormed out of the garage and into the backyard.

“You do not kill people because they refuse to give you a plate of food!” She snarled.

Glamours down, wings extended, teeth bared, she clipped through the backyard hoping to find the little creature.

Some rustling to her left. Her head snapped in that direction. She couldn’t see it, so she stretched out her senses.

Her heart raced a little faster as she felt it just off to her right, getting closer. She lunged for it first. She felt its quills dig into the flesh of her arm and torso as she gripped the small creature tight. It dropped its invisibility spell.

She dug her claws into its arms, drawing blood. The creature screeched, its struggling only served to drive her claws deeper into it.

She leaned close to its ear and growled.

“You will leave this territory. If I find you here again, I will remove your head from your body. Understand?”

The creature stilled. And nodded.

“Make good on your promise or I will make good on mine.”

She dropped the Pukwudgie. It scrambled away and disappeared into the treeline.

There was crying through the baby monitor. Zaira swept through the surrounding area with her senses. No sign of the cryptid.

Zaira made her way back home to comfort and play with her little girl.