The Journal of a Connecticut Yankee Ch. 10

"No, I'm not. Devin might not be the best but, he was the only one that showed interest in me. I was never looked at in High School, no one wanted to date some one eyed girl when there were 'normal' looking girls to ask out. One eyes don't get much love..."

"Vicky..." I began, but she cut me off saying,

"It just seems like I have no chance, okay? There's the Suc-u-sluts, that jump on anything that has a heartbeat, the Anubutts that everyone loves, then there's the Cores' that some idiots on the web started calling "Mofucores" and spreading rumors that if you sniff them, you get high. Yeah, try that and see how many times you get the shit rapped out of you. Oh! Oh! Then everyone has this stupid fetish for catgirls! Total weirdos."

I raised my eyebrow to her last comment and she blushed in realization of what she just said.

"Er... Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it."

"But that's the thing! How's a girl like me suppose to complete with all that? I don't have any special powers or magic. I don't have a tail, or wings, or anything cool or sexy like that." She finished with a dejected sigh.

I shrugged and said, "Hey I did fall for your grandma. Your dad fell for your mom. It's not a contest out there for who's got the biggest tits, or the biggest ass, or tail, or who's the biggest whore."

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow to my last statement.

"Okay fine, for the Succubus's it probably is, but that's the thing, it's not about what can you do for some guy. It's about how they make you feel, it's about them genuinely liking you and respecting you. I know back in the day it was different for Mamono. You had to take what you could get, and hope you got lucky with a good guy."

I paused and bit into a couple of fries. Eh, they kinda tasted like Micky D's. Not enough salt though.

"I used to hear all these stories about Mamono bending over backwards to please their man and this and that. The thing is you didn't hear too many stories where the guy went above and beyond for them. In my opinion it always a give and take with Mamono but for the wrong reasons. They seem to give everything and take just one thing. I donno maybe I'm just a little pessimistic but I do know one thing for certain. You ARE brilliant, beautiful and so much more. You deserve better."

She blushed at my words and mumbled a thank you before stabbing a fry into the little cup of golden honey mustard sauce.

Suddenly her phone rang. Even without it being on speaker, I could clearly hear the angry voice of Didi on the other end.

"Put him on the Maou damn phone, right now!"

Wide eyed, Vicky mouthed the words "Oh fuck!" to me then answered,

"Uh... Who're you talking about aunt Didi?"

Atta girl.

"Niece or not, I can and will put you in jail."

My loyal grandaughter instantly passed the phone over to me.

Totally taking back that atta girl.

"I swear to the Maou, if I wasn't a federal agent and needed this job, I would put a bullet in you and they would never find your corpse. Do you know how much of a pain in my ass you are?"

Yeah, she's pissed.

"Hey, I left you a note, I'm safe, I'm with Vicky. What's the problem?"

"The problem is you're an escaped mental patient walking around with my niece like you're all on a Maou damn picnic! Did you ever stop to think of how it would look on Vicky if you got arrested? That the LEO's would take her into custody too? How her school might react to that?"

Her scathing words hit home to me. I never considered that all of this would be a risk to Vicky.

"...No" I answered softly.

"No. Because you only think about yourself. Because you don't give a shit about MY family, MY niece, MY sister, MY mother! I did you a favor by picking you up from the street where you-know-who left you and how do you repay me? By endangering Vicky. I should have left you to rot."

I didn't have any words to say. I was ashamed of what I did. For the second time today, I questioned my actions. I fucked up, didn't I?

I was well aware of Vicky staring at me during the conversation. She looked concerned. It just made me feel more like a scum bag.

"Where are you?" She growled.

"At a McDonald's... McSabbath's by her school."

There was a pause as she was probably checking her phone for where that was. I could hear road noise on the other end which told me she was driving while doing it.

"I'm an hour away. Stay there, tell Vicky to go back to school and if she's still with you by the time I get there, you will regret it." She threatened.

It became clear to me that I wasn't going to get my wish. That reconnecting with them was just a pipe dream. I was a danger to them, to Vicky. I was disease, a cancer to Victoria's family. It was in that moment, I made a decision. Druella was right, I was acting like a kid, fucking up, not taking responsibility for my actions. I didn't deserve to be a part of Vicky's life or anyone's for that matter.

"Druella." I mumbled.

"What?"

"Druella found me today. Offered to take me back to her place. Keep me away from everyone. Try to get me better. Find a place for me. I... I'm going to accept."

I saw Vicky bring both hands to her mouth in shock.

The call ended as soon as I said that and I gave Vicky's phone back to her.

"The hell you're going back with her!" She exclaimed causing a few looks in our direction.

"It's better this way Vicky. I'm not good for you, for anyone right now. At least if I'm with her, I'm not a danger to anyone." I sighed, disgusted with myself that I could have gotten her arrested or worse, expelled .

"You're not a danger to me! I finally found you! My grandfather that's been missing forever! One of the biggest mysteries of my family and that's it? You're going to go back to being some Lilim's pet?"

"And what's the alternative Vicky," I asked with frustration growing in my voice, "continue with what I've been doing? Messing up? Not knowing what the hell I'm doing? Keep winging it by the seat of my pants? It doesn't work anymore."

I put my hand on hers only to have her pull it away in anger.

"Things were different back in the other dimension. I was by myself, I didn't have to worry about anyone. Now I'm back here. Back home," I looked out a window to see the passing cars and Mamono students with their backpacks, "as home ever will be to me. Vicky, I did some bad stuff out of anger and fear, now I have to answer for that. Not only that, I also put you in danger for my own selfish needs. I'm lost and alone in this new place and I have no idea what the hell I'm doing..."

I stared down at my cold, half eaten food. A little voice inside my head said, 'Time to grow up, Donnie'.

"You're not alone. And you're not danger to me. I know we just met but, I know you're not." She said softly putting her hand atop mine.

"I am Vic..." I mumbled softly.

I don't know why I called her by the name I used to call her grandmother. Maybe somehow I thought was speaking to Victoria though our grandaughter. Clearing my throat, I spoke louder,

"Didi wants you to go back to class. She was pretty adamant on that."

"Few more minutes? Just to finish?"

I nodded in agreement with a sad smile and we ate our meal slowly, savoring the time left together. Neither of us cared that the food wasn't warm anymore. We just ate and talked, shared little stories here and there. It's funny, I never got to say goodbye to Victoria yet with our grandaughter, I would.

Ironic.

As we exited the restaurant, I saw a black limo waiting for me with Druella leaning against its side.

Let's get this over with.

I started to walk towards her but was pulled back by Vicky grabbing hold of my hand.

"Don't go... Please." She whispered. I didn't have the heart or courage to face her.

"I have to. It's best for everyone." I whispered back. Her grip loosened and I slipped out, beginning to walk again towards the Lilim.

"Even you?" She called after I took a few more steps. Her question made me stop. I wasn't sure. But it would keep everyone else safe from me.

"Anytime now, Donnie." Druella sighed loudly as she checked her diamond encrusted watch.

Bitch.

The wail of a police siren stopped everything as a black Dodge Charger came speeding into the parking lot. The brakes screeched and the scream of tires burning on asphalt nearly deafened us as smoke and it's stench washed over everything.

When the smoke cleared, Didi stood in front of the running car, much like the night when she picked me up from the street. Only this time her revolver was aimed at the Lilim as she positioned herself between myself and Druella.

"He's not going with you."