The Journal of a Connecticut Yankee Ch. 04

At seeing the stuff inside, the Demon gave me a quick hug and kiss on the side of my mouth.

"Fallen God help me, she's a lucky woman." She mumbled before running off after James and his daughter.

Huh, never heard of the Fallen God before. Must be some Demon thing. Oh well, least I could scratch that off as my good deed for the day, I thought to myself as I mounted Rudolf and we started our trip anew again. A good nights sleep, some food in my belly and I was feeling like a million bucks. Maybe my luck was finally turning around for the better.

•••••••••••••••••••••

January 27th.

Remind me to never tempt Fate again by saying anything about luck. Cuz that bitch has a pair of steel toes on and she will kick me in the balls for doing it.

Case in point:

I was ambushed. Sons of bitches shot an arrow through my shoulder and now I was surrounded by 4 archers and some asshole with a sword. Might have been a Knight, Paladin or Inquisitior, wasn't sure as the pain was the only thing I could really think about. I tried to reach Winona but was already too late as they all had their bows drawn and aimed at me.

I laid on the ground, against a tree, the arrow still in my shoulder as Rudolf stood near. He should have just ran for it but god damn he was loyal. Man's best friend might be a dog, but this horse would put Fido to shame.

"You've led us on quite the chase." The guy with the sword said conversationally as he approached. He stuck it's point to my chest as he smiled maliciously at my agony.

"A number of our brothers fell to your traps..." He pushed it deeper, the tip now just penetrating the skin.

"Too bad you weren't one of them." I growled through my teeth.

He pushed a little more and the sword sank deeper. I tried my best not to give the bastard the satisfaction of knowing what kind of pain I was in, but god help me it was excruciating. The best I could do was to grunt and growl, keeping my screams in.

"Colonel Faith said that we have to take you alive. That you were special. You and her came from the same place, did you not? Earn was it? No that's not right. Oh, Chief God what was that name..." He rubbed his chin in thought as I tried to make sense of what the hell he was saying to me.

"Earth!" He exclaimed with a smile, "Yes, that was it! You and her are from Earth. Some far away land, full of wonders, free from those slut monsters, a true paradise it would seem. A shame she said it was impossible to return to, I would have very much liked to see it." He said conversationally to me as if we were having a fucking ice cream social with his sword stuck in me.

Wait... Impossible to return?

"It must be Her divine will that brought the two of you together like this. And to have the holy relic with you as well? Truly you were both a test of will for us and a gift bearer."

I looked to him in shock. My thoughts fought through the pain as the realization hit me. That fucking bitch lied to me! The military wasn't here, nor was the US, there was no 'operation', just her bitch ass. She was just like me, some stranger in a strange land. Cept where I became a Merc, that cunt signed up with The Order.

"It's a shame that you died during pursuit and we could only retrieve the holy relic..."

My eyes met his own. He was going to kill me and take Big Boy. Then with it in her hands, GI Jane was going to do something horrible and a lot of people were going to die.

And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Damn it, I tired, I really fucking did try! But the odds, they just weren't in my favor this time. Sorrow grabbed a hold of the steering wheel as it drove me down the end of my road. The bitter taste of despair filled my mouth as he smiled down at me. The bastard knew exactly what was going on in my head and he was enjoying every second of it.

It's funny. Despite all my talk of religion, the fact that I celebrate Christmas, I wasn't exactly the God fearing, church goer some of you may think I am. For me, I just didn't really have that much faith in a higher power. Heaven probably wasn't in my cards. I've killed people, failed to bring peace to this world and now I'll be a post humorous accessory to thousands dying from a nuclear blast. Yeah, somehow I didn't think those pearly white gates would be waiting when I close my eyes for the final time.

"Farewell." He grinned as he put both hands on the swords hilt and readied himself to stab it through my chest.

Romie... I'm so sorry... I wish I could say I love you one last time.

A terrifying scream echoed throughout the forest as the surrounding four archers were suddenly engulfed in flames. The fire was so intense that they made no sounds and were only able to take a couple of steps before succumbing to the blaze.

We looked at each other in a mixture of fear and confusion before he was slammed into another nearby tree by a fiery red Cheshire.

A well-known hollow voice boomed from her,

"You DARE to threaten my love?"

Romie... no, not Romie. The other one...

My vision was starting to get blurry as I saw her take a claw and burn it straight through his chest in the very spot that the bastard stuck his sword in me. I could hear his screams, smell the burning flesh around me. I wanted to vomit so badly but my body just didn't have the strength. My eyes shut for what felt like a moment, but I knew it was longer then that as the next thing I saw was Red Romie cradling me in her arms. Her glowing eyes were full of concern and sorrow as they gazed into my own.

She had torn my shirt open and a paw hovered over my chest wound as she said in that haunting, echoing voice, "This will hurt, my love, but it is necessary."

I cried out as the paw came down and an intense heat seared the laceration, stopping the bleeding.

"Please," I begged, I breathed, as the rest of my energy left me and only agony remained, "No more...no more."

"There is one more left, my love. Please, be strong for me." Her hollow voice beseeched as she reached the same paw to the arrow lodged in my shoulder. I felt, more than saw, it disintegrate and another intense burning as she cauterised the hole.

Sweet, merciful unconsciousness finally came after as I slipped off into a sea of darkness.

••••••••••••••

I didn't know if I was dreaming or not as I floated in the blackness. What was real and just in my head? I couldn't answer that question as I heard the heart rate monitors again along with bits and pieces of conversations

"...ake up again?"

"... transferred to the Cal... she's interested in..."

"Don't worry... the best care possible..."

••••••••••••••

January 29th.

"A very merry unbirthday to me. To who? To me. Oh you. A very merry unbirthday to you. Who me? Yes, you. Oh, me."

I heard Romie singing softly, barely above a whisper.

"Let's all congratulate us with another cup of tea. A very merry unbirthday to you. Now blow the candle out my dear. And make your wish come true..."

My eyes fluttered open to see the face of an angel. I was laying down on the ground with my head in her lap. Romie was absently caressing my hair with a paw while she looked out to the forest around us. I could see that she had been crying as her eyes were still moist.

Not for the first time, I took a moment to marvel in her beauty and think of how lucky I was to have her.

"Hey beautiful."

Startled, she looked down at me. A smile grew on her sad face that was so contagious I couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey handsome," She said back.

"What was that song you were just singing?"

"Oh that? Just some silly little thing my friends and I would sing when we would have our tea parties." She sniffled with a smile.

"I like it... it's nice, catchy."

"Thanks," She giggled.

'You took her away from her friends, her tea parties,' a dark voice in the back of my mind said to me. Guilt weighed down as the more and more I thought about it. I then promised myself, when this was all over, I'd take her and I back to Wonderland. We'd settle down, if I couldn't find a way home then I would make my own with her. There were much worse ways to live a life.

"Romie, I love you. I love you so damn much." I said suddenly. The fact that I nearly died made me saying it even more important. I realized that I haven't said it enough to her. She really was my love.

She blushed at my confession then bent down and gave me an awkward upside down kiss. It was the best damn kiss of my life.

"You really saved my-"

"Shhh, its a wife's duty to defend her husband." She interrupted with a grin but it quickly fell as she added, "And I failed in that responsibility. If I hadn't been away for so long, you wouldn't have been hurt."

I pulled my self upright with her help, my chest and shoulder screamed in pain but I ignored it.

"You didn't do this to me Romie. Those bastards did. You just came to my rescue. Help me up please?"

"Are you sure? Maybe you should rest more?"

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"Two days."

"Jesus. Yeah, I need to get up, we gotta get moving. Who knows when more of those assholes will show up."

I looked up at the sky and estimated that it was close to afternoon. We could get at least a few hours of travel in before nightfall.

Grabbing on to her waist, together we were able to hoist myself up. My legs were wobbly, my chest and shoulder throbbed in pain but I could endure it.

"How's the girl?" I asked, trying to distract myself.

"I found a home for her!" She said proudly.

"Really?"

"A friend of mine, she's a wererabit. She always wanted a daughter but never got married. It took me a while to track her down but when I told her what happened, she couldn't wait to adopt her."

"Thats great! What was the girl's name anyway? She never said a word to me." I grimaced as I made my way over to check on Rudolf and Big Boy.

"Estephina."

"Huh, that's definitely a different name." I remarked as I saw that Big Boy was still securely strapped to the cart that held him. We placed some hay and blankets around to hide him. So far nothing looked disturbed. I gave Rudolf a good rub as he neighed in happiness at seeing me. Then I grabbed my cars first aid kit outta one of his saddle bags. It was well used but still had some precious 21st century items in it.

"Before we get going, I need you to bandage me."

"Oh, I already did that."

I checked the kit. Sure enough there were things missing from it. Looking to my shoulder and my chest, I found the wounds freshly dressed with clean bandages."

"You used the disinfectant and antibiotic cream from my first aid kit to treat the wounds?"

"Yep! It wasn't too hard to figure out what did what." Romie boasted.

"That's... That's pretty damn incredible."

It truly was if you figure she couldn't read English and our kind of medicine was a foreign concept around here.

"Hey I'm smarter then I look, you know," She said with a grin.

"No, you are absolutely brilliant, amazing and beautiful." I said as I fought to keep the emotion out of my voice.

She popped over and gave me a huge smile then kissed me deeply. Afterwords she whispered in my ear,

"I'm so going to rape you once you get better."

Wouldn't have it any other way.

••••••••••••••

February 6th.

It took us another week to reach the forest in front of Yenbren mountain range that Victoria called home. My injuries healed up decently although there were a few scars as well as a faint imprint of a paw mark on my chest, courtesy of Red Romie cauterizing the stab wound.

Oddly enough we didn't see anymore signs of GI Jane and her Order lackies. It made me nervous and forgive me if I quote an overused phrase but:

'It was quiet... too quiet.'

I finally worked up the nerve to explain to Romie exactly who it was that we were going to see. Understandably she had questions, which I truthfully answered. Then she asked me the one I had been dreading,

"Did you two have sex?"

Halting Rudolf, I sighed, hesitating slightly before answering,

"Yeah, the night before I left to find a way back home."

"How was she?"

I looked over to her. She had her impossibly huge grin aimed at me, so it didn't seem like she was mad?

"I'm not going to answer that." I said shortly, flicking the reins to continue on.

"What? Why?" She asked floating after me.

"It's in the past. Whatever feelings that may or may not have been there are gone. This is strictly business."

"Come on! I'm curious!"

Guess she never heard the story about curiosity and the cat.

"I really don't want to talk about it. You and I are together now and what's in the past, I'd rather leave in the past. Please?"

Romie didn't say anything after that but she had an extremely thoughtful look on her face.

The hike through the hundred acre woods was a bit nicer with Romie with me. No rapey woodland critters tried anything this time around. Guess they must have smelled her. I should actually say the real name of the place. It was called Yenbren forest just like the mountain range by it but I'll always know it by the other name. This was where I first woke up in this world, scared shitless and alone. I'll admit to feeling a certain amount of fucked up nostalgia as we traveled.

But look at me now, Ma. A gunslingin Merc tryin to save the world. Aient cha proud?

We took a worn, winding trail up the mountain to an exact spot that I knew. Picking up a nearby rock from the ground, I paused and looked over to my Cheshire. Well, no going back now. Leaning over, I kissed her and said, "I love you."

I then slammed it against the stone wall as hard as I could.

Knock... knockknockknockknock...knockknock.

Romie looked to me in confusion as I finished pounding on the side of the mountain.

"It's a secret code that her and I used. No one else but me knows it, so she should come pretty quick and open the door," I explained, tossing the rock away.

A few long minutes passed as I started to get worried. Fuck maybe something happened? Did I get the wrong area? Was she ok? Did something happen when I was gone? Did she move? That panicky feeling of the unknown started to engulf me as time passed by and my imagination ran wild with horrible possibilities.

Finally, to my relief, a large section of the wall pulled in and rolled to the side as a familiar one eyed, blue skinned figure stood in the entrance way wearing an old Connecticut Tigers baseball cap.

"Donnie...?" She breathed in confusion.

I wont lie, as I doubt anyone will read this anyway, I felt time stop as we stared at each other. For a brief few seconds that seemed to last an eternity, we were the only ones on that mountain pass, hell on the whole damn planet. I was taken back to a time, years ago when she nursed me to health after finding me almost dead near her doorway. When she taught me the ways of this world, what a Mamono was and what kinds were out there. When I discovered that I could be attracted to someone of a different species and developed feelings for her. To that one beautiful night when we made love, before I left to find a way home. It all came rushing back in a tidal wave of emotions and feelings that threatened to crush me.

She was the first to break the silence and end the moment.

"What are you doing here?" She asked bluntly. Straight to the point as always. One of the many qualities that I admired so much about her.

"Vic... I... We need your help..." I said slowly, unsure of what the hell to say to her, how to explain Romie, a nuke and... well everything that's happened in my life since I left her home those few years ago.

Victoria looked over to Romie as if just noticing her. Romie gave a grin and a wave back as Victoria pressed her lips together in annoyance.

Yeah, this wasn't going to go well.

•••••••••••••••••••

I introduced Romie to Victoria and vise versa. Romie was pretty friendly about it while Victoria remained politely stoic. Yeah, not exactly the reunion that either of us pictured. I did a run down over the What, Why and How we came to visit as we walked Rudolf to the stables.

Romie marveled at the glowing ceiling throughout the caverns we walked through. I remembered doing the same, my first time around. I later found out it was some kind of magical luminescence that permeated the mountain.

We ended up in a large open cavern that she used as a workshop, where we finally got down to business. Arms crossed, we stood there, around the large rectangular stone work table that Victoria always used for her larger projects. I was on the left, Victoria on the right with Big Boy between us. Romie was on the other side of the table, seated in front of it, watching silently with great interest as we talked.

"What is it called again?" She asked, staring at it.

"A thermonuclear bomb or nuke for short, I named it Big Boy though."

Victoria rolled her eye at me in mock annoyance as I pressed on,

"I'm not a hundred percent on the exact workings but from what I remember from back in high school, it works by breaking apart the atoms of a radioactive material called uranium thus creating a massive explosion. With this one, massive enough to probably take out a large town, maybe a small city if I had to guess."

She sharply looked up at me. I could see it in her eye, the same thoughts that went though my own and even Romie's as I finished my explanation. It was a device with a destructive power beyond the imagination of the people in this world and for the past month I was carting it around like a damn toaster oven.

"Look, before you say anything, I'm not proud that my people built this thing. And I would never willingly take this... weapon to you if it wasn't life or death. I- We need your help to dismantle it because I'm not the only one from Earth here right now. Evidently I never was, Romie's dad was also from Earth." I continued, as Victoria looked to Romie who gave her a large grin.

"A few years ago a... transport from my world somehow ended up here and crashed landed in Wonderland carrying our friend here," I pointed at Big Boy.

"It also brought with it some crazy bitch from my country's military who now wants to use it to take over the god damn world."

She sighed deeply and raised a hand up to massage her temples in frustration.

"Any other pleasant news you wish to bestow upon me this day?" Victoria asked sarcastically.

"You're the only one I know of that has anywhere near the mechanical skill to help me do this. I'm sorry, hate me forever after this is all done, but countless lives depend on us taking this thing apart so it can never be used." I begged.

Looking over at me, her expression softened as she said, "I could never hate you, Donnie," A small rueful smile grew on her face, "I just wish you weren't always so difficult."

"Just how I am, Vic." I shrugged with a smile of my own.

"But Donnie, this... This is well beyond my scope of ability. You told me once that your people are well advanced over a thousand years from us here. I have no where near the knowledge needed to help you disassemble such a device." She said sadly.

"Come on Vic, I've seen you in action! You know mechanics! You figured out how to make things with my car, hell how to make Winona here!" I exclaimed as I withdrew the revolver and placed her on the table, "You can do this! We can do this!"

"Donnie... You give me far too much credit." She replied doubtfully, looking to Winona then back at Big Boy.

"No Vic, you don't give yourself enough."

She sighed again, deep in thought as she continued to stare at the bomb. Finally she said,

"It's late. I'm sure you, I mean both of you, are tired. We can resume in the morning with a fresh perspective. You can stay in your old room if you like. I haven't disturbed anything in it from when you left."