I sat in my house, just reading a book about wood and metals from other realities. The battle had drained me quite a lot. I have no clue what Alice is going to do in the forest. Maybe I should have killed Alice. Oh well, this will have to do. Oh, this is a new kind of metal, I wonder if anyone made a house out of it. After reading for a while, the ground started to shake. “What the fuck is going on?”

I ran outside, and looked up, there was a rocket going into space. Then I saw Lory, Haley, and two other women near them. While looking at the rocket, I ran over. I also saw other people look at the rocket. “Lory? What is going on?”

She pointed up, “We are going to have a beautiful sun explosion.”

I looked up, and indeed, the rocket exploded into a sun like figure. “What did I miss? Can’t a guy just read a book for a while?”

Other people started to gather around us. Funk walked over, “What is up with the fireworks?”

“I have no clue, have you turned a hundred yet?”

Funk chuckled, “Nope, that's not it.”

Lory walked over, “Oh yeah, we might have stuffed Alice in that rocket before it went into space.”

“You did what!?”

Lory shrugged, “I heard her talking in the forest to herself, or to the other being inside of her. They were talking about how they were going to wipe out Brickton. I am unsure if that bullet would have even killed her. But, this will have killed her.”

Funk looked up, “Holy fuck, you murdered Alice?”

Haley walked over, “I helped.”

“You did what!? Lory, how can you not include me in this? And drag Haley into it.”

She raised her hand, “I volunteered.”

Abby walked over, “Holy cow, Alice is dead?”

Paul ran over, “What is the big deal with killing her? She tried to change.”

Lory shrugged, “I guess, we will never find out for real. Alice was going to get all of us killed anyway.”

I sighed, “Well, it is not like we can do something about it, she is dead. Are we going to make a grave for her?”

Bella also stood here, and she shrugged, “I am not certain, she had some good qualities. I never expected her to die like this. There is no coming back from that.” It seems she was hiding a lot of mixed emotions.

Abby looked at the sky, “I would come back from that.”

Bella looked at her, “Seriously?”

Abby nodded, “Yeah.”

I sighed, “Wasn’t there some kind of party tonight?”

Funk looked at me, “Oh yeah, I am eagerly awaiting that. Want to drink a beer together?”

I smiled, “I am excited about that. Lory, are you up for a party tonight?”

She nodded, “My mom, Haley’s grandma, is coming by. I have not seen her for a long time.”

Bella looked up, “So, we are just going to ignore the fact that Lorraine just blew up Alice?”

I looked at Bella, “Yes, basically.” We saw the two unknown women step through portals, their mission completed, which was probably murdering Alice.

Abby smiled at me, “A party tonight sounds great!”

I looked at her, “Is Mimic coming too?”

Abby shook her head, “I don’t think so.”

Paul shook his head and sighed, “You are all a bunch of psychos. I know Alice was not the most kind woman around, but she did not deserve to get blown up in a rocket.”

Abby looked at him, “She interrogated Square, and made him feel threatened. He, in fact, thought she was not gentle enough while cleaning him.”

Funk looked at her, “Have you been home yet?”

“No, why?”

Funk stared at her, “Then how do you know she went to see Square?”

Abby smiled, “He told me.”

Funk raised his hand, “But, you just said, you did not see Square yet.”

Abby grimaced, “Good luck figuring that one out, Funk.”

I chuckled, “She probably uses energy to communicate with him.”

Haley took me apart, “Hey munchkin, what is going on?”

“Do you know someone named Micheal?”

I shook my head, “His name has dropped a couple of times.”

Haley nodded, “Do you know, Funk is lying?”

“What?”

“Yeah, when I was in the void’s womb, I could feel and sense some things from the void. That woman, she spoke with Funk. The words are a blur, but Funk had a friendly chat with the void, like us, and Alice was there as well. Where is Yuna?”

“Who?”

“The two-headed worm?”

I shrugged, “Probably in the void?”

Haley shook her head, “That is Alice, her pet.”

“Okay, now things are getting complicated, Munchkin. Funk will come clean to me when the time is right.”

Haley nodded, “Then, let’s get things ready for the party tonight.”

“Can I drink alcohol?”

“No, you are not twenty-one yet.” Haley let out a disappointed sigh.

Later that night, the party had started. There is music, a big bonfire, a huge frigging barbecue, a lot of meat and beer. As I took two beers and walked over to Funk, I saw Abby grab some spareribs, raw. She walked into an alleyway, I stared at her for a moment. She opened her mouth, it grew larger, with big fangs. Abby let the spareribs fall down into her mouth and swallowed them whole. She suddenly looked at me and blushed.

I just gently waved while shaking the two beers, they clinked in my one hand. She smiled and waved back. I gave her a thumbs up. She beckoned me over, I walked over. “Were they good?”

She nodded, “Yeah, sorry, you should not have seen that.”

I shrugged, “As long as you enjoyed them, I am fine with it. Just, don’t eat people.”

Abby let out an awkward chuckle, “of course, I would not eat people.”

“Abby?”

“Yes?”

“Did you eat someone?”

“No.”

“Alright, then it’s good. I am going to check on Funk and drink a beer.”

Abby nodded, “I will mingle.”

“Alright Abs!”

She smiled and walked away. Then I walked over to Funk and sat down on the bench next to him and handed him a beer.

Funk looked at me, “Is something up with Abby?”

“Oh yeah, I have no clue what, though. How are you holding up, Funk?”

“Oh, decently. How are you, with being back and all?”

“I miss my family, but the intent is to get them back.”

Funk smiled as he took a sip from his beer. “Tell me something.”

“Alright, well, you have seen Haley. I also had a friend named Riley, we were best friends. Or are if he is somewhere. We played video games together, and also Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. Lory is the dungeon master. He had this huge grin on his face, he is good at teasing people. But he has a big heart. We also have Valentine, Lory’s sister. She has a blue tail, and ears. Valentine and Riley were an item, they were my family. I love them a lot. We also have Megan, a vet doctor, she started out as a work friend but, well, she turned into a family friend. We also have Bob, a speaking cat.”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Funk laughed, “You idiot, if an animal talks, then it is a dream.”

I laughed, “Lory is a wolf, she can speak.”

Funk nodded, “True.”

I looked at Abby, she took more raw meat into an alleyway. I sighed, “She is hungry.”

Funk laughed, “She could eat the whole damn barbecue.”

“Maybe she is taking something to that strange boyfriend of her.”

I laughed, “Or she lied about him, and she is the creature.”

Funk laughed, “Beer is not good for you! Abby, a creature, that is a good one.”

Haley walked over, “Hello, dad, what are you talking about?”

“Oh, we are wondering what is going on with Abby.”

Haley looked her way, “Don’t tell me she tried to eat someone again?”

I coughed and spit beer on the ground. “What?”

“Oh yeah, in Goldia, she snuck outside and prowled the streets. She found a human and ate him. I told her she can’t eat people, even if she kept saying she was not going to kill him, just drain him of energy. She spit him out, all good, right? Now she just eats the sheep.”

Funk hung his head, “Haley?”

“Yes?”

“Could you not have mentioned it before?”

She shrugged, “It did not seem relevant.”

I sighed, “We should just let her be, she is probably struggling with her powers.”

I saw Talia walk into town, “Oh look Haley, your grandma is here. Funk, do you mind?”

“No, not at all pal, go say hi to your mother-in-law.”

“Funk?”

“Yes?”

“You are a good friend.”

He smiled, “Thanks, you too.”

Haley and I walked over to Talia. She looked at me, “You’re not dead yet?”

“Thanks, Lory asked you to come here?”

She nodded, “She, however, did not tell me why.”

Haley walked forward, she stretched her demonic wings, then she showed her tail before stretching out her hand. Talia walked over and showed her tail. She took Haley’s hand. “My name is Talia Moon.”

Haley smiled back, “My name is Haley Rockwell, this is my dad.”

Talia looked at me, “And where is your mom?”

Haley turned around and pointed at Lory coming our way. Talia looked at me, “I thought you would protect my daughter, not impregnate her with hell spawn.”

I scratched my head, “She can hear you, and your grandchild could not wait to meet you.”

Lory smiled while showing her tail, “Is everything alright?”

“No, she offended Haley.”

Haley shrugged, “It is alright, I do have demonic wings.”

Talia looked at Lory, “What kind of sick prank is this? You are gone for a few weeks, and you expect me to-” Lory flew into her arms and hugged Talia.

Lory started sniffling, “It is good to see you again, I love you mom.”

Talia hugged her back, “I love you too, peanut.”

Lory grabbed her even tighter. “I missed you so much. This is my daughter, Haley.”

Talia looked at me, then at Lory as she did a step back. “What is going on?”

I sighed, “We have been gone for about 48 years.”

Talia looked at Haley, then at Lory. “You are not kidding?”

Lory nodded, “Steve and I are married.” We both showed her our rings. Talia walked closer and grabbed my necklace, then she looked at Lory who nodded.

Talia looked back at me, “Steve?”

“Yes?”

“How am I going to say this nicely?” She took me apart, “You are not allowed to procreate!”

“What? I can decide for myself if I like to do that. Lory and I decided together we wanted a baby.”

“Yes, but your race, it cannot live on. It is bad enough there are two of you, the other redhead is the same thing as you. Alice or something?”

I looked at Lory, “Your daughter murdered her.”

Talia smiled, “Good!”

I looked at her strangely, why was she not even phased by Lory killing someone? “Please Talia, your grandchild, she wants to meet you. And, there is something else you need to know.”

Talia looked at Haley, then at me, “Yes Steve, how much worse can it get?”

“Haley is voidborn, she has been grown in the void’s womb, hence the purple attributes. And, I have seen your other daughter. Valentine, the blue one. We lived with her for a long time, she helped us raise Haley.”

Talia fell down on her buttocks, and landed on her tail. “What? You saw Val?”

“Yes, she is a very nice person. I intend to find her, and bring her back to you. I love her, as family. She had a special someone as well, his name was Riley. They got lost when we came to this side.”

Talia looked at me, “How did you meet her, wherever you were?”

I sighed, “She shot me with a magnum.”

Talia chuckled, “That sounds like her.”

I smiled, “I am a secret agent, or well I used to be in that reality.”

I showed Talia my gun, she took it. “Oh, this is a nifty design.”

“Talia?”

“Yes?”

“If anything actually happens to Lorraine, then I will scour the whole existence, even if there is another universe, until I have found and brought her back again.”

Talia nodded as she got up. “I am going to keep you to that. Now, I am going to the bonfire with Haley and chat with her.” She hugged me, “thanks Steve, for taking care of Lorraine and Valentine.”

“You are welcome, Talia. You are my family as well.” She smiled and gave me a kiss on my cheek. As she passed me, she brushed my leg with her tail. Something that wolf people do with their family. Lory walked over to me as she saw Talia take Haley to the bonfire.

Lory looked at me, “What did you say to her?”

“I have told her the truth.”

Lory looked over her shoulder, “She even brushed her tail against you. She does not just do that, Steve. You won her over.”

I smiled, “Well, that is good.”

“We should enjoy the party and mingle.”

Lory nodded, “Did you see Abby hiding in the shadows?”

“Yeah, she is stealing all the spareribs. Haley mentioned she tried to eat a person in Goldia.”

Lory looked at Abby, “Something is up with her, she will come to us when she feels ready.”

I nodded, “That is what I am hoping for. After this party, things should be calm in Brickton, are you ready for an airship adventure?”

Lory nodded, “That sounds like a plan, once we save this reality, we are done.”

I smiled back, “Yes, just finishing up and then we are done.”

“I am going to mingle a bit and talk to people, is that okay with you?”

Lory nodded and gave me a kiss, as I walked away. I swear I could hear her mumble, “Thank you, mom, for not telling him what I did to Val.”