The Home Improver Store Ch. 07

"Ya always gotta double tap the crazy ones... Oh, yeah, the Maou sent me to help you guys out." He said by way of explanation while pulling her up to her feet.

"About time that bitch did something." She mumbled, looking over at the remains of June.

He glanced at Angel, shocked by her words.

"Who the fuck are you?" She asked.

The stranger stared at her for a moment, then chuckled, "Well, the names-"

"Angel! Are you ok?" Called the voice of Michelle from the doorway.

"Yeah, I'm alright, June... she's dead. How's everyone else?" Angel called back.

"Get out here quick! Everybody's with us, but it's bad!"

"Thanks for the save, cowboy, but I gotta go." Angel said to him as she flapped her wings and flew over to the exit.

"Cowboy.... Huh...." He mumbled, watching her leave.

Walking over to June's body, the stranger gave it a testing kick. After waiting a moment with no signs of movement, he crouched down and dug his fingers inside the open, bloody cavity.

"I really don't get paid enough for all this crap." He said to himself, fishing through the carnage. Finally, after finding his prize, the stranger stood and turned to leave. Stopping at the discarded sword on the ground, he stared at it for a moment in recognition before picking it up from where it laid.

"Son of a bitch... Fuckin gramps leaving his shit everywhere."

Looking around, the stranger shrugged slightly to himself before taking the sword with him on his way to an emergency exit at the side of the building. He knew Molly would be waiting for him as he had something for her boss...

•••••••••••••••••••

Angel walked out to a nightmare. It reminded her of of an old war movie, with wounded bodies laying about being attended to by medics. Looking over she saw Karem and Diana with tears in their eyes trying to stop the bleeding on Edwards chest with a compress. To her right, Regina was wrapping Anon's face with gauze. On her left, Matt and Michelle doing the same with Kurt's upper body while both Jenny's held the massive man up. Further away, the twins wailed in grief as they held on to the body of Adam. Ignoring the feeling of her heart being torn to shreds from the scene around her, she walked over to Anon.

"Did... did anyone call 911?" Angel asked numbly with shaking hands as she took the gauze roll from Regina.

"Emergency services have been contacted and are in route." The Automaton answered, her voice distorted and crackled. Angel saw massive amounts of dents and gashes covering her frame. Taking a leaf from a satchel on her chest, Regina slipped it into Anon's mouth before painfully making her way to the others. The Succubus could see green blood dripping from wounds all over the Alraune's body.

Was this the cost of winning? Of doing the Lilim's dirty work? She asked herself as the sounds of approaching sirens screamed in the distance.

••••••••••••••••••••••

The Mantis maid walked down the mansions hallway with the stranger in tow. As they reached the end, she clapped twice at the studies huge double doors and opened them slowly while bowing deeply at her mistress.

"The Human, -"

"I need to speak to your mom." The stranger interrupted, striding past her.

Druella smiled at his rudeness. Since coming to this world, she had been regarded with nothing but fear and respect. This was the first Human ever to speak to her in such a manner.

Although mother was certainly correct in her description of him, she thought to herself as she let her robe fall further off her shoulders revealing her naked breasts.

Handsome, well-built, with a brash, fearless and quite unorthodox attitude... Maybe it really was time she should settle down...

"First things first, the shard please?" She asked sweetly, while holding out her hand.

The stranger fumed silently for a moment before finally taking the glowing stone out of his pants pocket and tossing it to her. True enough, the notes on him were correct, he really was special. The stranger was the one of the few in the world that could have safely handled such a powerful relic and not be affected in one way or another.

"Now then, why would you need to speak to her, when you have me right in front of you?" Druella asked while smiling and batting her eye lashes at him.

"Because she needs to send me back to my wife, who also happens to be your niece for starters, Miss Show n Tell."

Well, that wasn't in mothers diary, frowned the Lilim as she tucked the stone away in a shielded drawer of her desk.

"I'm afraid I can't do that..." She said to him.

"And why the fuck not?!" He yelled at her, slamming the side of his fist into the wall he stood by. Molly stirred behind him, quietly unsheathing her forearm blades. She was a diligent maid and bodyguard but Druella knew for a fact that the stranger wouldn't harm her, the notes on him were quite clear on that. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the maid.

"Mother is... unavailable. Hasn't been seen for quite some time actually. She was... is... the only one that has the ability to send you back." Druella said hesitantly to him.

She watched the stranger's face shuffle through emotions, then finally sinking to his knees in despair, a rarely felt emotion bubbled it's way up to into her heart - pity. The Lilim knelt down to comfort him.

"I'm sorry..."

•••••••••••••••••••••

4 Days Later...

"... Everyone is pulling together what extra money they have to donate for the funeral. It's still not enough but it'll work... Somehow." Angel said softly to Anon as she sat on the side of the hospital bed, holding his hand. Her spade tail was wrapped firmly around his upper arm, a comforting gesture for both of them. Anon's face was heavily bandaged and even with curative magic, it would still be a week more before the wrappings could be removed.

"I wanna go... I have to go." He said firmly.

"We'll see, Sweetheart, it all depends on what the doctor says," Angel replied, squeezing his hand lightly.

"How's baby, today?" Anon asked, referring to their daughter.

"She's good, keeps asking about when you'll be home. I tell her soon, you just need to get your boo boos taken care of," Angel sniffled, forcing a smile.

Anon nodded his bandaged head for moment before saying,

"Hey, what - whatever happened to that guy that shot... whatever June had become? Whatever happened to him?"

"None of us know. Diana, Karem's friend, said when she teleported back inside, he was gone. The sword that the Mantis gave me and even the stone that gave June her power was missing too. Everyone's assuming that he must have taken them both. All I know is he told me that the Maou sent him, but she hasn't been seen in years. None of it makes much sense, really." She frowned.

They sat in silence for a moment before Anon asked,

"How's Kurt and Edward?"

"They say Kurt still has to stay a few more weeks, he lost a lot of blood, had internal bleeding. The doctors had to go back and do another surgery to fix all the damage. Edward should be out in the next 4 or 5 days, maybe. I heard that Diana was going to move in with them, something about doing a 3 way marriage."

Angel didn't mention the massive amount of scars that would probably mark his chest for the rest of his life. She wasn't even sure how Anon's face would look once the bandages were off.

"Did you see Matt today?" She inquired.

"Yeah, he stopped on by when you were grabbing some food, we talked. They found a Gremlin that could repair Jenny's arm but it's not perfect. He said that she'll probably never be able to transform it again. He's here everyday checking on everyone, I'm just glad at least one of us made it out ok..." Anon trailed off, staring at the wall in front of him.

The doctors told Angel that all of them would suffer some form of PTSD and survivors guilt, it would affect them in one way or another for possibly their whole lives. She fought back tears as she squeezed his hand once again.

A knock startled both of them as they looked over to see Druella standing in the doorway.

"You got some real fucking ovaries, showing your face around here!" Angel said angrily, standing to confront the Lilim.

"I didn't come to fight, Angel, that's why I'm here alone, to explain what happened and why." She said calmly, holding her palms up in surrender.

"I don't give a shit about your explanations! Why don't you go tell it to Megan and Monica as they bury Adam? Or their daughters in a few years when they figure out that they don't have a damn father!" Angel shouted at her, barely containing her grief.

"I plan on to, that's where I'm going next. I'll be paying for the funeral as well as ensuring that they and their daughters are well taken care of. I also came to tell you that all the medical bills for everyone involved are being paid for, none of you will miss a paycheck and you will all have your jobs waiting for you when you're ready."

Angel snorted as she turned her head away, "You'll find that money and favors can't buy everything Druella, that includes forgiveness."

"I know..." She whispered quietly crestfallen, turning around to leave. It would have been pointless to try to explain to Angel why things had to have happened the way they did. There was too much grief, too much anger in her. Druella didn't blame her, the cost they had to pay was great. Ignoring the stares of the hospital staff, she made her way to the limo waiting for her outside. The Lilim spared a glance back at the hospital one last time before getting inside. No matter how many times she told herself that it had to be done, it still didn't make it any easier.

•••••••••••••••••••

2 months had passed since the incident and the funeral that laid one of their own to rest. Anon did have scars cross-crossing his face from June's nails, much to his appalment. However Angel declared, just before kissing him, that she didn't care what he looked like, as long as he was well and safe. She would love him no matter what.

To get their minds off what had happened as well as to make a special announcement, they decided to host a get together for all that was involved. That evening, everyone squeezed themselves into the apartment that Angel and Anon shared. It was a tight fit, but no one seemed to mind.

Angel found she enjoyed playing host as she placed platters of finger foods on the table and checked to see if she needed to put more sodas in the cooler. Many of them swapped nightmare stories of crazy customers and situations at work. It was a time of healing for all. Breaking out some champagne and plastic red cups, she handed everyone a drink as she called for the attention of the crowd.

"Everyone... Thank you for coming. I hope everyone's having a good time, and so far, I don't think anyone can beat Matt's story about the Anubis and the butt plugs." She said ruefully as everyone laughed.

"In the last few months we've become more then just friends, co-workers or acquaintances - we're a family now. A few days ago, I received a call from... Well, it really doesn't matter who... But, I was offered to be store manager of the Home Improver Store we all work at. It seems that Rayla got herself in trouble for a lot of things she wasn't suppose to be doing and ended up fired. I accepted the position as of today. Some of you, I know, were unsure that they wanted to go back to that store. I ask you to reconsider. Please come back and work for me. I promise that things will be better and... like I said before, we're all family. Let's stay together..." She said softly, ending the speech with her eyes misting.

As everyone looked at each other in thought, Anon starting clapping. Taking cue and making up their minds, everyone followed suit- cheering, whistling and promising that they would return for her. Angel herself couldn't help but cry a little while she was smiling and offering her thanks to everyone. It was a brutal ending to a chapter of their lives, they were battered but not beaten. Everyone would face the next tale with the strength and love found from each other.

-End