Fighting For A Goddess

Bedtime Story

When they arrived back at the house, Aidan was waiting outside with Xander and Monica. Aidan ran up to Jade as soon as she jumped out of Xander’s truck.

“Jade! You’re back! Can we go now?” he asked excitedly. Jade laughed at his enthusiasm.

“Yes, but first you need to get out of your pajamas and brush your teeth,” Jade answered. Max walked up behind her.

“The kid likes space that much, huh? He asked.

“Yeah, he’s kind of obsessed.”

Max nodded and started pulling their stuff out of the back of the truck. Jade grabbed a few boxes. Xander and Eric grabbed the rest.

Jade quickly dressed Aidan and was helping him brush his teeth when Monica walked into the bathroom. She was dressed like she was going out to a dinner party.

“I hope you guys don’t mind if I crash your date?” her tone wasn’t friendly.

“It was not a date, and yes, please join us. I’m sorry if it came off that way. I don’t want to cause any problems between you and Xander.”

Monica’s demeanor softened, but she was all over Xander the entire 2 hours they explored the planetarium. Jade felt bad that Monica was putting so much effort into staking a claim on Xander. Jade wasn’t a homewrecker, so Monica’s behavior was unnecessary. Seeing Xander all loved up with someone still made her heartache a little, but thinking about Max made her feel better.

Aidan was having the time of his life. Jade couldn’t help but smile while she watched him. She followed Aidan around closely, while Xander and Monica walked further behind. After they looked at everything there was to possibly look at, Xander had stepped outside to make a phone call.

“What do you mean you haven't interrogated him yet? Max, the whole point of getting them out of the house today was so that they wouldn’t be anywhere near the basement,” Xander fumed.

“I had something more important that I needed to take care of. Just take them all to lunch. While you’re at it, take them shopping. Jade and the kid have nothing. What we brought here was literally everything they own except their f*****g mattresses. Get them some nice clothes. I’ll pay you back.”

“You don’t need to pay me back. I said I would take care of them,” Xander grumbled.

“Whatever,” Max said impassively before he hung up the line.

Xander walked back into the building and saw that Monica was still being cold towards Jade and Aidan. She was still pretty upset with him.

“Let’s go to the mall and grab lunch, maybe do a little shopping,” Xander announced.

Shopping definitely put Monica in a better mood. They ate pizza at the food court, which Aidan scarfed down. Xander noticed that Jade only picked at her food. They walked around a few shops, but Xander could tell that Jade was uncomfortable buying anything.

“How about we split up? Aidan and I will hit some guy shops and you ladies go do girly stuff?” Xander said as he winked at Aidan.

“Yeah!” Aidan exclaimed. Xander picked him up and put him on his shoulders. He reached into his wallet and handed Monica his card.

“Go pick out a new wardrobe… both of you.”

“Is the big, bad wolf trying to make nice with me?” Monica chuckled.

“Yes. If it’s working,” Xander smiled.

“Yep!” Monica said. She grabbed Jade’s arm and Xander couldn’t help but chuckle at the look of pure terror on Jade’s face.

An hour later, he had a sleeping Aidan in one arm and 4 bags of kid’s clothing in the other. They’d found a few items that were space themed, but Aidan was otherwise very disinterested in clothes shopping.

Xander wandered around looking for the girls. He found them walking out of Victoria’s Secret, they both had several bags from different shops in their arms. He locked eyes with Jade as they approached. She gave him one of her gorgeous smiles, making his heartbeat hard in his chest.

“You ladies got everything you need?”

“Yeah, I think I’m done torturing Jade for the day. She hates shopping almost as much as you. Making her buy stuff was like pulling teeth,” Monica laughed. Jade elbowed her lightly.

“I think Aidan’s ready to go back,” Jade laughed as she eyed the spot of drool Aidan was leaving on Xander’s shoulder.

………

Max picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from his brows. He’d been at it for close to an hour with Mr. Pierce and he’d barely gotten a word out of him.

He had Jade’s father tied down to a chair in the middle of the cell.

“Alright, Mr. Pierce we can keep going. Since you clearly don’t want to answer any of my questions, just know that I am enjoying hurting you almost as much as I’d enjoy you being cooperative. I’m prepared to do this with you for a long, long time. I’m guessing you’ve been hurting Jade for years, I’ve got a lot of pain to deal back.”

Max took a step towards him and the demon finally came forward to take control of Pierce’s body. The temperature in the already cold cell dropped so low Max could see his breath. The light hanging above him began flickering and swaying. The demon sat up in his chair and smiled with his glowing red eyes.

“I didn’t spend decades trapped in this skin bag to have a mutt ruin my plans. Master will come for me. He’ll release me from this body and this cell.”

The hairs on the back of Max’s neck were standing straight up but he kept his composure.

“Thank you for joining us. But, I actually don’t care to speak with you. I want to chat with Mr. Pierce. I want to know how he could let his own daughter get hurt so much, just because he couldn’t control a harmless little demon like you.”

The demon growled and Pierce’s face contorted in a way that no longer resembled a human.

“Stupid mutt!! You don’t know anything! That bullshit isn’t going to work on the human. Demons can’t possess innocents. His soul was already black, that’s why a greater demon like myself was able to inhabit him for so long. The girl never meant anything to him. He was paid to take her in and keep her alive.”

“I don’t know if I believe you’re a greater demon. Sounds like to me you’re just a glorified babysitter. I don’t think your master’s going to come for you. But, don’t worry. We’ll keep you nice and cozy. Lots of sunlight. Some church hymns.”

“f**k you! The last thousand years would have been a waste if I hadn't completed my mission. No one knows what she is and Master’s almost ready. He’ll come for his bride and claim his new kingdom. Then I'll be the king of Hell."

The demon let out a deranged laugh... it was lower than any human voice could go, and it shook the room. "You're all going to burn and I’ll drink the tears of Hades and Selene as they weep for their children. It'll be your kind's just punishment for helping them imprison us all this time.”

“Well, thanks for that lovely bedtime story. I can see why you were chosen for babysitting,” Max locked up the cell and walked out of the basement as the demon hissed, the basement shook, and the lights flickered.

“Love the stage effects!” Max yelled as he shut the door behind him.