Lory panted next to me, “I have to admit, I like hot springs.”

“Yeah, so do I, the candles are almost burned out. I think we gave someone scars.”

Lory chuckled, “Who do you think came to check on us before running away?”

“I am going to bet Funk.”

“You?”

“I think it was Bella.”

I laughed. “This hot spring is outstanding, I hope we did not ruin it.”

Lory bellowed out in laughter. “We do need some fun and time off on our journey, or it gets boring.”

“Oh darling, with you, it will never get boring.”

She looked at me, “That is good to hear.”

We both looked up while holding hands. “The stars look beautifully tonight.”

“Yeah, they do. What do you think is out there?”

I looked at Lory, “According to Abby, it is most likely parasites.”

Lory smiled, “Maybe there is another universe after all? We should hope they are friendly.”

“Yeah, who knows, we might visit it together one day. That would be amazing Lory. Perhaps, we need to go back to the camp. Let them know we did not drown in this hot spring.”

Lory got up, and I looked at the water dripping off her body, her tail looked beautiful in the moonlight. Lory wiggled it for me. She looked over her shoulder, “I felt you were looking.” She stepped out, and I followed her, giving her a towel, and grabbing one for myself. After drying myself, I got dressed, except for my blazer, I had to dry off a bit more. We walked back to the camp, hand in hand. When we got there, Funk and Haley sat next to a campfire.

We sat down on a log. Funk looked at me, “I heard you had the time of your life.”

I sighed, “Who came to check on us?”

Haley cleared her throat, I think it was Abby. “I think she is scarred for life.”

I shook my head, “It probably was not that bad for her.”

Lory leaned back, “Yeah, things like that can happen when you are out in the nature camping.”

Funk just stared at me, “It sounds like you and Lory had a great time in that hot spring.”

I cleared my throat, “Not in front of my daughter.”

Funk looked at her, “I think she knows, or we might know by some screaming sounds.”

I sighed, “Yeah, keep making fun of me, you don’t have a mate Funk.”

Lory chuckled, “He has a point.”

Haley cleared her throat, “Perhaps another subject would be nice?”

“Yeah, what is our plan for tomorrow?”

Funk sighed, “Bella has a map, she took it into her tent. If you dare to wake her, be my guest.” Funk looked at Haley, “I got a serious question for you. If you would rather not answer, then don’t. Have you ever, you know, done something with a man.”

Haley turned red, “Oh, I am sorry Funk, I am not interested in men, or insects.”

Funk turned red, I did not know he could do that. He waved his hands, “I did not mean it like that, I am much too old. For you, I mean, oh god Steve, save me.”

I leaned back, “Nope.”

Haley giggled, “Well, no, I haven’t found a woman yet that I got the tingle from, or just interested in. I messed around a bit.”

I coughed, “You, did you what? When?”

Lory looked at me. “Oh, sorry, I asked nothing.”

Haley looked around, “Is this campfire hot, or is it just me?”

I scratched the back of my head, “You could try the hot spring.”

Haley stared at me, “I’d rather not try the hot spring, at least, not that one.”

Funk sighed, “I might try it.”

Lory laughed, “This is fun.”

“Do you remember our Christmas, Lory? When Haley was fourteen?”

Lory laughed louder, “I do remember that.”

Funk looked at me, “What happened on that Christmas?”

“Well, we scarred Valentine.”

Haley hung her head, “Of course you did. What happened?”

“Well, we were going to have the home to ourselves. You went with Valentine and the others to the zoo, I think it was a few days before Christmas.”

Lory chuckled, “Yeah, we were cuddling like adults in the kitchen when Valentine came back home early to pick something up.”

Haley sighed, “Valentine went to pick up some cash for going to the nearby fast food chain. It explains why she wanted to leave so quickly.”

Funk laughed, “Yeah, it does.”

Haley smiled, “We did have a nice Christmas that year. I got the hoverboard!”

I sighed, “And who got her tail stuck in the engine again?”

Haley chuckled, “I did, That hurt.”

I nodded, “It took a while before the fur on your tail had returned to normal, we had to cut off a small piece. I remember brushing your tail for hours that day.”

Lory gave me her tail and a brush. “That is a good idea, Steve.”

As I started brushing Lory’s tail, I smiled. “Lory got the new dungeon master tools that year, Riley and I had gotten a new game. Moon Fantasy 3, remember Lory?”

“Yes, that installment sucked, at least the second game was decent.”

“Yeah, that is true, the first one was the best one, we played it before Haley was born.”

Lory smiled, “Megan got new toys for her guinea pig.”

Funk looked at her, “That is like the small thing that oinks, right?”

We both nodded. Haley smiled, “It was cute as heck! Valentine got a deluxe brush set with make-up.”

Funk shook his head, “Make-up?”

Haley nodded, “Females put it on their face to look prettier. Valentine would have died for it.”

I burst out in laughter, “Yeah, she would. And Bob got a new cat tree. The big one.”

Haley nodded, “It was bigger than I was!”

“Oh, Funk!?”

“Yes?”

“Let me see if it worked,” I dug around in my inventory and found what I was looking for. Then I pulled out Lory and I’s wedding photos.

Haley gasped, “I want to see it too, is this the one you had on your nightstand?”

“Yes, it is.”

Funk took it, “You look a bit different in that picture, that is a very classy suit. How did you get this photograph?”

“Well, I recreated it with my magic.”

He smiled, “You both look wonderful. Did you have a good wedding?” We both nodded. Funk seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. “I would give everything to look like you, Lory.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

When I looked at Lory, she blushed, “What, why? I mean, I have a bit of a muzzled snout on my face.”

I looked at Lory, “It only extends a little bit longer compared to humans.”

Funk sighed, “Being an Insectine, not many people are interested in me. You look a lot like a human Lory, you have beauty on your side, it is no wonder Steve likes your looks.”

Haley got up and sat down next to Funk and gave him a hug. Funk smiled, “Thank you, Haley,” he looked at me as he gave back the photo, “And do you guys want another baby? When this adventure is over, I mean?”

Lory and I stared at each other for a moment. Then I spoke up, “Yes, I would love that, now that I am young again, it feels like I am getting a second chance for that.”

Lory nodded, “Me too, if Haley does not mind having a little brother or sister.”

Haley looked at us, “I would not mind, I think. I am old enough to help take care of my new sibling.”

Funk smiled, “That sounds like a plan for the three of you. Get this adventure over with, then settle down after you find your friends. You are a good man, Steve, no, a great man. And you have a great woman by your side, along with a daughter who warms the hearts of the people around her. All of you are not scared to do what is needed when push comes to shove. I am sorry for misjudging you, Steve, when we first met. You just have plenty of demons you are struggling with.”

I nodded, “Thanks Funk, your words mean a lot to me.”

Lory nodded, “Yes, I feel as if you are a good friend.”

Haley smiled, “You are welcome to join my 19th birthday party!”

I got up, giving Lory her brush back. “Funk?”

“Yes?”

“I know you have secrets. It is alright, they are your secrets to keep. We all have secrets we want to keep to ourselves. Abby showed us that when the need is high, we can unveil those secrets if needed. Bella has secrets too, she has wings.”

Funk gasped, “Really?”

“Yes, I saw her the other day, working on the airship, she only wore underwear for some reason, her dress must have gotten dirty. She got the same incline stripes on her back like Haley has.”

Lory chuckled, “I guess that must make Bella some kind of angel. It would explain her strength in battle.”

“Yeah, perhaps, but she would rather not share it with us, that is alright. She is being stalked by the way, this woman with black wings, she is in the bushes now too.”

Funk looked around, “You are not fucking around?”

“No, her energy signature feels somewhat familiar. She is trying to hide it, but I have been on to her for a while. She has been following us since we left Brickton the first time around.”

Haley looked around, then she pointed, “There, in the shadows.”

A woman came out of the shadows, “Nicely done, but it took you a while.”

I turned around, “My name is Steve, but you probably know our names. What is your name?”

“You can call me O.”

Lory got up, “Holy moly, your power level is insanely high.”

O smiled, “Thanks, your power level is not too shabby either.”

She walked over to Haley, Who got up to look at our stalker. Haley stretched her wings, then she showed her tail before stretching her hand. O took it, “You can just call me O. When the time is right, I will reveal my name.”

Haley nodded, “I am Haley Rockwell. That is my dad, and there is my mom. Funk here is a good friend.”

O nodded, “Steve?”

“Yes?”

“Follow me.”

“Alright.” She led me into the bushes.

Lory called out, “Are you certain that is a good idea?”

“Lory?”

“Yes?”

“If she wanted us dead, we would all be dead.” She nodded.

O took me apart, “Alright, how are you doing, Steve?”

“I am fine, whoever the fuck you are.”

She sighed, “My father is Micheal.” She showed me her right arm and turned it into a demon arm.

I looked at it, “You must be the same thing that Robot Steve is, wherever he went. Lory told me about people like you. The one with the demonic arm that looked more like claws, the blue claws.”

O shook her head, “I have never seen him. I am here to follow Bella, but Abby, something is up with her.”

“Yeah, nothing going on there. She just has a parasite.”

O grabbed my arm and squeezed it. “You need to be careful with her. That parasite can lie very well.”

I grabbed her arm and removed it. “If that thing wanted me dead, it could have let me die. Instead, it, and Abby, saved me. If you want to stalk me, go right ahead. You have been keeping out of our way, I suggest you keep doing that.”

O sighed, “I was going to catch you, when you fell.”

I chuckled, “Easy saying that after the fact I almost died, and someone else saved me. Now, I have some family to get back to.”

I walked back to the camp. Lory looked at me, “What did she want?”

“She wanted information on Abby, I did not give her any, remember those tales you told me Lory?”

“You mean the one with the demon arm, like Robot Steve has?”

I nodded, “O has one as well, claims her father is Micheal.”

Funk shot up, “Holy fuck.”

All three of us looked at him. He scratched his insect shell, “What? I am not supposed to be threatened by that? Alice told me some things about Micheal, she knew him, they were lovers once.”

I scratched my nose, “That makes sense.”

“Lory?”

“Yes?”

“I hope you have not pissed him off.”

She nodded, “Me neither, let us hope, Micheal does not get the news I blew up his ex-girlfriend.”

Haley smiled, “And otherwise we will kill him.”

I burst out in laughter, “Kill Micheal!?”

“He will probably snap his finger, and we turn into jelly.”

Funk looked at Abby’s tent, “She might have a shot.”

Lory shook her head, “Micheal most likely has a way to nullify her parasite healing. We should just hope we never find Micheal.” As she said it, I saw a sly smile form, but she quickly hid it with a fake smile.

The voice in my head called out, “Yep, she is still hiding things, she knows a lot more than she is letting on, are you sure she will tell you when the time is right? Who knows what she did in her past, does she ever talk about?”

I answered in my mind, “Just, shut the fuck up, there is nothing wrong with Lory.”

Funk looked at me, then he nodded, “It is best to avoid Micheal.”

Lory nodded, “He must still be at his retreat, let us hope he stays there.”

Haley yawned and stretched. “This was an eventful day, and it is getting very late. Anyone else ready to hit the hay?”

I nodded, “Yeah, I am.”

“Lory? You tired me out.” I yawned, “Good night, everyone.”