Mile High with a Vampire - Episode 12

Who doesn't love a shopping montage? Well, I don't for one. This time around we have two mysterious dog walks (you'll see when you listen) and a shopping montage that ends in a cliffhanger. 

Will Jet and Quinn ever have sex? Will Francis ever get recognized for the work he's done? Will Russel ever admit his gruff exterior is because deep down he has a fear of communicating with anyone beyond barbaric grunts?

We'll never get answers to most of that. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to Storytime with Uncle Beanbag Mile Hive the Vampire, episode 12, Chapter 12. I'm in a little bit of a different setup today. Unlike my normal trailer recording place. I'm at my sister's, so there's a little bit more echoey to it. Same microphone, different computer. So I'm going to try to clean up the audio and make it match as best as I can to the other ones if it's really off. I've been doing some testing first to try to get it as close as possible. I think I'm there, but we're going to get an echo-ish that I can't really eliminate, so maybe I'll go back through the edit and eliminate that. Maybe I'll just keep it. You're awfully quiet this morning. Quinn glanced up at the comment from Jet and managed to smile. Sorry, I was just thinking about what? Quinn looked out over the yard. They were walking. Her thoughts swooping and diving in her head. She'd been thinking about a lot of things, one of which was what he was thinking. They hadn't spoken since the plane. He and the other men had just been coming in the back door as she'd entered the front with Bailey after her walk. Unsure of how he would greet her after their disagreement on the plane, Quinn had found herself eager to avoid him, so she popped her head in the kitchen and announced that she thought she might like to lie down. Sam immediately jumped up to show her which room she was to have while at the enforcer house, and Quinn said goodnight to Marguerite and Mary and followed Sam quickly upstairs just as the men had reached the front hall. She'd been able to feel Jet's eyes following her, but hadn't turned to offer him a good night. Once alone, Quinn had immediately gotten ready for Once alone, Quinn had immediately gotten ready for bed, brushing her teeth, washing her face, and changing into the white cotton nightgown. I don't know why I was gonna say nat gown. Sam had already sat in a room for her to use, but she hadn't slept well. Her mind had been busy spinning out copies of the conversation she had with Marguerite, Mary, and Sam downstairs earlier, followed by her different interactions with Jet. It had almost been a relief when morning had come and she could give up trying to sleep and get up, but there had been no one around when she made her way downstairs. It was only then she realized that the other immortals probably kept night hours as opposed to her day hours. That was one thing Quinn had insisted on since being turned. She refused to sleep during the day and be up all night like some hormone driven teenager or vampire. Typically I keep night hours too, which really kind of sucks with the job I've got, because I gotta get up at 5 30 every day. I would much rather prefer to go to bed by about like seven or eight o'clock instead of getting up by then. Kinda sucks, but that just comes from doing graveyard shift for a very long time. Just got used to it. She made Parker keep normal hours too, waking him in the morning to have a healthy breakfast and then start on his schoolwork. She'd homeschooled him these last four years. There really hadn't been a choice. He hadn't been allowed to attend immortal school for fear of it somehow being discovered that he was an immortal. Besides, apparently the only place they had a school that immortal children could attend was in some small town called Port Henry, which she'd been told was three or four hours southwest of Toronto in Canada, with traffic. Since they'd been in Italy, commuting hadn't been a possibility. Quinn hadn't minded. Homeschooling Parker had helped build the time. Although it had been harder than she'd expected, it hadn't been the schoolwork itself, that had been fine. She just imagined homeschooling one's child was like teaching them to drive. It took a lot of patience and discipline to keep them on track. Fortunately, they'd finished out that year's lessons before she left for Canada. Thoughts of him made her call her son to check in and see how he was doing. Parker was spending a set his summer break with Aunt Pet and Uncle Santo. Oh, okay. For some reason I was thinking that Petronella was married to Tommaso. No, it's Abigail that's married to Tomasso. Trying to keep all this fucking lineage is so fucking difficult. Petronella's the one who is the life mate to Santo, who is over 3,000 years old, which we talked about in the last episode. And then talking about life mates too, just kind of a brief aside, I didn't even mention anything like, you know, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, or they're transsexual nanobot vampires? There's gotta be. There's transsexual people. So statistically speaking, there has to be transsexual nanobot vampires. But what if you're homosexual, but your life mate is not um that the same sex as you? Does that work out? Do you just drop being homosexual completely for them? Do you just become bisexual for them? Which in itself is okay in a certain way, but it's also kind of like if you are strictly homosexual and you're not bisexual, then that's kind of like against you. You don't have a choice in that. So fucking confusing just to think about all the ramifications about it. She called this personal cell phone and they chatted briefly, but she noticed that his voice had rough quality to it often when he'd just woken up. It was six hours later in the day in Italy, though, well past noon, and she suspected he was probably sleeping all day and all night while she was gone. Quinn had been fretting about that while she made copy when Jet entered the kitchen. She supposed now that she shouldn't have been surprised to see him up so early. He was mortal after all, but she had been surprised and a little flustered, however, he'd apparently gotten over his irritation and acted like everything was fine. They'd worked together to make breakfast, well, she'd act more as a supporting cast, setting the table and making him copy while he'd made them a breakfast of French toast and sausages, assuring for her as he did that Sam had said that they had that Sam had said to have whatever they wanted for breakfast if they were up for before the others. The French toast was as good as the omelet he cooked for had been. They chatted about what life was like for him as a pilot and her homeschooling Parker. While they'd eaten and set over coffee afterward, it had been nice, easy. So when he suggested a walk after, she agreed. They were just headed out the door when Bailey had come running down the stairs, barking excitedly to ensure that they didn't leave her behind. Spotting Dante just staring down the stairs behind the pup, his long hair a tangled mess around his sleepy face, Jethead chuckled and suggested he go back to bed be and have a sleep in, saying he'd look after Bailey and feed her for them. But when they come back inside with Bailey fifteen minutes later, it was to find Mary up, Bailey's food ready, and Mary with two cups of coffee in hand and determination on her face. Time for your first official counseling session, she announced, and Quinn had found herself following the woman into a small office up the hall that Sam apparently used for work, but had said they could take over for her counseling. What had followed was some of the most exhausting work Quinn had ever experienced. I don't really have too much to say right now, because there was just there's no dialogue and they're just going through with what's good well, I mean, aside from time for his counseling experience. But there's really nothing to interject here for these last you know couple pages. Who knew that delving into your life and past could be so wearing? Emotionally she'd been put through the ringer, anger, pain, resentment, grief, and countless other emotions that have kept her on a roller coaster ride for the next three hours. Quinn had once performed surgery on a patient with poor cardiac function, and who had needed two vows replaced and had complications that included needing several arteries bypassed, as well as an aneurysm in the aortic arch. Whatever the fuck that means. I know what it means. I'm not stupid, but I just think that's an awful lot of information to put in there. She came out of that ten hour operation feeling less exhausted than meeting Mary. Then her meeting with Mary had left her. Quinn? Oh sorry, she upper Jetta smile and shrugged admittingly. Wait, what the fuck? She upper Jetta smile. Hold up. What? I'm going back to the what the fuck is going on? Okay. What? It's really super confusing because it started out with Jet asking her stuff. And then they were walking, but then it went to the waking up in the mornings. Jet was there, they did the stuff, they went for a walk with Bailey, came back 15 minutes later. Mary did a three-hour session. Are they walking again? Is she around Jet again? What the fuck's going on? Why is she offering a smile to Jet? And shrugged a meeting. Mostly I was thinking about my session with Mary. Okay, so they're going for another walk. But why aren't you telling me that they're going for another walk? You said they started walking, and then you went through all the other rigmarole, and now we're back to walking a second time after the session. Did I just misread I mean I read on the page how it is. Did I just fucking completely misread what the intent was there? That's so weirdly put to me. I get what Lindsay wants to convey, but the way that she fucking did it makes no goddamn sense to me. You two were in there a long time, I was expecting an hour. You were at it for three, he pointed out. Did it go well? I think so, she said slowly debating what she was willing to share with him. In the end, she shared it all. Actually, we got a lot more done than I expected. Oh, he sounded hopeful. Mostly it was about my marriage, she admitted. Mary made me see that I was viewing it through a myopic lens. Jet raised an eyebrow, but he didn't comment, merely waited. I've been blaming Patrick for a lot of stuff that maybe wasn't his fault, she explained. Like what? Jet asked softly. Well, we kind of fell into a pattern where he made decisions and I was either fine with it or resented him for it, but never said anything. Hmm, Jet murmured. The worst part is I realize now that I kind of set it up that way, she muttered with a little irritation. How's that? Jet asked. Well, we kind of split chores and decisions between us at first after we were married, but then when Parker was born, she shook her head. Hours were an intern rough and crazy. The most hours I booked in a week was one hundred and thirty six. That's a lot of fucking hours, holy fuck. But eighty hours was the usual, so I'd come home from a twelve or sixteen hour shift, pump breast milk for the nanny to feed to Parker the next day, spend what time I could cuddling him and listening to Patrick's talk, then stumble to bed only to pop up at four the next morning to start over. Unfortunately, oftentimes what Patrick was talking about were the things that he felt needed doing or wanted us to do, and frankly most of the time I was too tired to even listen. I can't tell you the number of things I agreed to without even realizing just because I was half asleep and mumbling, uh huh, or yes, dear, so that he would stop making me think or distract me from sleeping. Ah, Jet said with understanding. And eventually that turned into his just making the decisions rather than pestering you about it when you were obviously exhausted. Yes, she breathed, glad he understood. But how did you guess? How do you fuck do you think he guessed? God damn it, Quinn. Because I probably would have done the same thing or tried to take some of the burden off of you, he admitted. I think most men would. Oh, she muttered. Well, hell. What? Jet asked with concern. Well you're not an arrogant ass hat oncologist who thinks his shit doesn't stink, so why the fuck did you put that line in there? God damn it. So if you do it too, Jet chuckled at her disgruntlement, and then asked, wouldn't you have done the same thing for him if the roles had been reversed? I presume he'd I presume Fuck me. I presume he had finished his interning. Nope. He's not burying a corpse. God damn it. I presume he had finished his interning and was an actual oncologist with better hours by then. Quinn nodded. We waited until he'd finished and found a position right before having Parker. I put a right in there. I don't know what the fuck. There's no right on the page. Well, there you are. He had more time and probably more energy, and so was able to do more. Yeah, she agreed with a sigh. Maybe I appreciated at the time, but after my internships were over, my hours weren't so crazy he continued to make the decisions. It'd become a habit, Jet suggested quietly. Quinn nodded, and rather than say anything, I just resented him for it. Ah, Jet said again. I guess I wasn't very good at communication or speaking up for myself, she confessed unhappily. And then to compound it, I blamed him for continuing to do so what he'd done for years. Hmm, Jet murmured. They were both silent for a minute, and then Quinn said, Mary thinks Patrick turned me and Parker because he loved us. Jet hesitated and asked, What do you think? Now before I read on. This is also kind of why I'm thinking that Parker or not Parker, Patrick is still alive, and he's working with the Chinese guys to get back at Quinn. Cause I don't know for sure if they had a body, and uh it would make a lot of sense to me if he's working with the they're not the triad, what the fuck I called the brass circle. If he's working with them to get back at Quinn to get Parker back, because you now he resents Quinn for taking Parker away from him, even though she didn't really have a choice of the matter because it was the Arginos who did that and took them away. But now that we she's in a position where she's vulnerable to attack and they knew where she was gonna be, quite possibly, and then you know the Chinese guys have it for Quinn's stepfather and mother, who I still don't know if she was a vampire at any point or not. Probably if they were life mates or she was going to be turned. I I oh man, this whole fucking mess is so wack-adoo. But I do think though that Patrick he's a little bit more understandable now through this kind of I wouldn't say character development, but r realization on Quinn's part. Except for that Patrick did become a complete asshole and take over everything. So I sympathize with him a little bit more, but I still think he's a dick. Quinn sighed, then told him, she said that she had been told that Dressler turned Patrick and wanted him to leave with him when he realized that the enforcers were next door, but Patrick refused to go without Parker Emmy. So it wasn't just a complete wild rogue then. It was calculated. That's the story I heard too, Jet told her quietly. Where did you hear it? she asked, turning a glass to him with surprise. I don't recall for sure one of the enforcers who was in Albany, though, he said, and then when she continued to stare at him, he r reminded her I told you people like to talk to me for some reason. Oh right, she murmured, glancing over the yard again as Bailey chased after a squirrel with the enforcer guards what the fuck? With the enforcer guard dogs on her tail. Quinn had been nervous about bringing Bailey out with them after they come out to go for a walk once she realized that the guard dogs were out. Oh fuck, this makes no fucking sense. Are they still Cause she's already had the session? Did they take Bailey out again? What the fuck? 'Cause you took Bailey out in the morning. That's fine, because Dante had tangled hair because he'd been fucking Mary all night or some shit. You took Bailey out in the morning and then you came back and had breakfast and had the session. Now Bailey's out with you again, but there's no mention of Bailey going out with you again, unless I'm completely fucking retarded and missed it, even though I read it. But Mary had assured her the enforcer dogs and Bailey were old friends, and that was obviously true. She decided as she watched the beast romp around. So I guess Patrick is looking less like the bad guy to you, he asked. Quinn grimaced Yeah, I I guess. I mean he still had his faults. He wasn't a very good father to Parker, but who gets it right the first time? Probably wouldn't have been or I probably wouldn't have gotten good grades on my mothering either when I was interning, she shrugged. But he isn't the bad guy in our marriage. We both made mistakes. And is turning you? Jet asked. Gwyn felt the sting of her nails biting into her palms as she clenched her hands into her fist and forced herself to ease the hold. I wish he hadn't, she said quietly. And I wish he'd talked to me and asked me before doing it, but but wasn't that the pattern? He made decisions for both of you as a rule, rather than the exception by that point, Jet said quietly. I am so surprised there's no fucking solemnly in there. Quinn nodded. I think he was probably a little off his rocker by then too. I mean I was a little off my rocker when I woke up after the turn, and I had Marguerite and the others explaining everything in the gentlest, most patient way possible. I doubt Dressler was gentle or patient. Probably not, Judd agreed. I'm not as angry at him anymore, she admitted quietly. No, Jud asked. No, Quinn assured him, but then grimaced and added. Don't get me wrong, I'm still mad at him for turning Parker and me. She assured him and then shrugged. But it's not the same. A lot of the rage is gone. I haven't forgiven him yet, but I think I will someday, and that's something I never expected to say. I'm glad for you, Jet said seriously. And when she glanced at him in question, he pointed out, Well, your being angry at him doesn't really affect him anymore, does it? No, she acknowledged, just me. And Parker, he pointed out. Patrick is his father too. Went no buck. Patrick is his father, and while what happened must be confusing for him too, I'm sure it'd be better for him if you aren't a loathsome What the fuck? Oh, if you aren't loathing the man who contributed half of his DNA. She was frowning over that when he asked how is Parker handling all of this. It must have been traumatic traumatizing for him too. Gwynne snorted at the suggestion. That was my main concern the whole time I was away from him in Canada, but when I got to Italy, I found he was just fine, Pet says. Santo's mother Oh I thought she'd stop talking. Pet says Santo's mother spent a lot of time with both of them, helping them adjust and deal with things and teaching them what they needed to know. She says the woman is ancient, older even than Santo. Holy fuck. So is she a nanobot vampire too? Well, I suppose that's obvious, she added dryly, giving her head a shake. But anyway, I guess she's a pretty daunting lady. She's been a warrior, a countess, a businesswoman, all sorts of stuff. But Pet says she's surprisingly sensitive too and went out of her way to help Parker accept his new life. Do you like her? Jet asked. Is she the Aunt May to Parker's Spider Man? I haven't met her, she admitted. Pet wanted me to meet her, but I she shrugged. I was playing possum as Mary put it. Playing possum? He asked with amusement. Quinn nodded. Her description for retreating to my little cottage. I'd rendered and refused to see anyone. Ah, Jet murmured again. She could hear the laughter in his voice and feigned a scowl that died when the back door opened and Mary called. Marguerite's here to go shopping. Are you ready, Quinn? Oh yes, I'm coming. She called out and started across the yard. Shopping, Jet asked with concern, following her. For clothes, last night while we were talking, Mary mentioned that we lost our luggage in the crash, and the ladies decided we had to go shopping for new wardrobe, which is good. This is the second day wearing the t-shirt and jeans I have on. I don't relish another before they're washed. She stopped and called the Bailey. She wait what the f she stopped to call Bailey to them. And then glanced the jet as she started walking in. Maybe you should come with us. She'll need more clothes too, and I'm sure the women won't mind. I guess we're having some bodyguards along as well. They can babysit both of us. So I guess there's a time gap. Usually when there's a big paragraph break and stuff, it's another perspective. But it jumps, and then it says Oh my god, you are a goddess. Quinn flushed with embarrassment at that pronouncement from Francis. Who the fuck is Francis? What the fuck? Who Oh my god. And shook her head. Goddesses are tall, leggy blondes. I'm a short Chinese chick with black hair. Well, hair is so dark and brown it often looks black anyways, she added, turning to peer at herself in the mirror and noticing that the light overhead made her hair look more brown than black. Then you're a pocket-sized goddess with gorgeous dark hair, Francis said with a shrug. That dresses perfection on you. I don't know if Francis is a gay guy or a woman. My grandmother's name was Frankie. So having a name like Frankie, it could be either way. And my grandfather's name was Shirley. So you never fucking know. I mean my grandfather had the woman's name, and my grandmother had the male's name. So Quinn let her gaze drop over the royal blue gown as she wore that oh bloody fuck. Quinn let her gaze drop over the royal blue g no. I don't know why I keep wanting to put an L in gown. A clown. Quinn let her gaze drop over the royal blue gown she wore it and stared at herself in fascination. It was long satin gown with a sweetheart boatneck, fitted waist, and slit in the flowing skirt that only showed when she walked. Why why are you dressed in this? Are you going to a ball? It was stunning and it made her look feel b made her look and feel beautiful, but it wasn't something she was likely to need. So she shook her head with regret. It's nice, Francis, but I don't see myself going anywhere. I need a dress like this. It's kind of fancy. Yeah, that's exactly what I just said. It's an elegant evening dress, my dear, Francis corrected her. Yeah. Francis is a gay guy then, because it says as he walked around. I imagine a guy with some immaculately quaffed hair, a very stylish, like almost frilly shirt, with like pink cuffs, um, a bunch of eyeliner that makes him look really good and bring out his eyes, maybe a little bit of lipstick, and he does like the little, oh goodness, oh darling, oh that is fantastic type look. That's what I got in my head for this Francis character. And I'm assuming he's probably a vampire too. I don't know. Which brings to mind what about gay vampires? Are we gonna approach that subject, Lindsay? Because I know most of the romance stuff is heteronormative. But I'm not. And so I'm interested in the other shit. I'll just go back to it. It's an elegant evening dress, my dear, Francis corrected as he walked around tugging her skirt out so that it made more of a bell shape that emphasized her tiny waist. And I'm sure Jet would love to take you somewhere you could wear it, wouldn't you, Jet? Pausing in front of the pilot, he pushed the other man's back. Mouth closed and grinned before repeating, wouldn't you, Jet? Uh huh. Jet murmured his eyes, sliding hungrily over Quinn. Well, if he won't, I I'm sorry, this is another guy. Well, if he won't, I will. Tybo. Who the fuck is Tybo? Tybo, another one of the foreign forces accompanying them on this trip, Operative the Grin. Valerian. Another enforcer. Valerian. It just reminds me of the really like Valerian. What was it? The same guy who did the comic for Fifth Element did one. It's like Valerian and the The Thousand Cities or something like that. Where it's it's an alien world together, but it was just it wasn't very well done. It really sucks. I kind of wish they would have done it better. There was a good story in there somewhere. I watched it a couple times and I just can't make heads or tails of it, so I'm like, I am I'm done with it. But I really like his works. And the stuff that the fifth element was based off of was fantastic. Gave his opinion in more. We almost made it an entire fucking chapter. Why did you have Valerian of all people? Say solemn or have a solemn tone. Fuck, I wish we would have made it one fucking chapter. So far, twelve chapters in. Every single chapter has had at least one. It would be a shame for you not to buy that dress, Quinn. It's stunning on you. It is, Marguerite, Mary and Sam agreed in stereo. Russell Okay, the fourth enforcer merely grunted affirmative. Biting her lip, Quinn turned to peer at herself in the mirror. She was sure it was a foolish purchase. It would probably be years before she had an opportunity to wear it, if at all. But in the end, she couldn't resist a nod at Francis. Oh goody, Francis clapped happily. Okay, maybe my opinion of Francis isn't that high anymore. Then my work here is done. We have absolutely everything you could possibly need for a proper wardrobe. The best representation for an effeminate gay guy who's all about fashion is Hollywood for mannequin. Fucking love that character. This guy does not hold a candle to Hollywood. I gotta go watch that again. That was really good. That's a fucking fun movie. We have absolutely everything you could possibly need for a proper wardrobe except the pretty feminine bits, he added. But I shall leave that up to you ladies and take Jet to be properly outfitted. First though, Quinn, go slip out of that gown, we'll pay for it and your and your other selections while you get dressed, then Valerian and Tybell can take them up to the SUV while Jet and I go to a men's store, and Russell escorts you ladies to one of those expensive intimate apparel stores. No, Valerian said at once. We're supposed to guard Quinn and Jet, he added when Francis elbowed him to the side. And you will as soon as you finish moving the clothes to the vehicle, Francis responded soothingly. But that's why Russell and I are here too. Well uh oh okay, hold on. This is still Francis, I think. It's just it's another break for some reason. But that's why Russell and I are h here too, and I'll guard Jet while Russell guards Quinn. On top of that, Sam, Mary, and Marguerite will be with Russell and our sweet Quinn until you return. I'm sure the four of them can keep her safe for a few minutes. Valerian didn't look pleased, but didn't argue further. Instead everyone turned to look at Quinn, who was frowning at Francis, and not heading into the dressing room as instructed. I just realized I don't have a purse or anything, she ended weakly. The plane Yes, dear, we know, Marguerite said reassuringly, ushering her into the change of room. That's why Francis said we would pay. It's gonna it's going on the council credit card. But your luggage was lost in the plane crash. Insurance will pay to replace them and reimburse the council. It's fine, Marguerite assured her closing the dressing room door and quickly unzipping the dress. Are you sure? Quinn asked with a frown. It hadn't even occurred to her that insurance might pay to replace her clothes. Although she supposed if it had been a commercial plate, she w would have expected it. Of course I'm sure. Here, step out of the dress, dear, she instructed, drawing the gown off her shoulders and down for her to step out of. There we are, now I'll leave you to dress and take this out so the men What? Wow. My brain just can't process that sentence. It's written fine, I just can't read it right. There we are, now I'll leave you to dress and take this out to the men so they can take everything to the register. Marguerite was gone before Quinn even realized that she was standing there in nothing but a pair of panties. Shaking her head, she picked up the bra she had to remove when she was trying on the blue gown gown. I tried it again, I tried to say gloun again. What the fuck? Probably because there's a l in blue, so my mind immediately wants to put an Ellen gown. She quickly put it on and did it up, but her mind was on that elbow. Francis had thrown up Valerian before the other enforcers had added Jet's name. There have been several little incidents like that on this outing. Tybo's teasing comment that he was there to guard her body, and Jet's too, of course. He had added after Valerian had nudged him. That way Tibel, Valerian, Francis, and Russell had ranged themselves around her as they walked from the car to the shopping center, leaving Jet and the other women to follow. Why hadn't Jet been in the center with the men with her? Those are just a couple of examples. There had been more, and Quinn was fretted over them as she pulled jeans and t-shirt back on. Are they on the take for the brass circle? Are they gonna isolate them and tell Jet something? Or try something against Quinn? She was doing her running up shoes when she recalled Mary saying she suspected Mortimer had taken the men to the garage because they had some news about the target Oh, fuck me. About who the target might bomb. Uh about who the target of the bomb might be. Okay, so they're probably not on the take. They just know it's Quinn. So they're there. Then she speculated the two of them hadn't been included in the talk because the target was Quinn, and that they were concerned that she was too fragile to take the news as well. I don't think it's too fragile. I think they just don't know why it's you and they want to figure it out first before everything. That's my take on it, anyways. Because Quinn just keeps seeing it as like a pity party type thing where she's like, oh, they think I'm too emotionally weak. They think I'm too emotionally fragile. And it's not like that from a man's perspective. It's like if you don't need to know about it immediately, then it's it's only gonna stress you out, so I'm not gonna tell you because I still need to figure a couple things out before I present all the information. It's like in the middle of a crisis, and I've been in a couple where I do keep information from people, stuff that I know, or can see where it's going, until it's a hundred percent going that way, then I'll tell someone. Like with my parents dying, with my dad dying, he slipped into a coma and was in a coma for a couple days. But his breathing had become really ragged, and he had little microtremors that I could see, so I knew he was going to die that night. And I told my mom, oh you know, I'll take over because we were doing shifts, she was doing like 10 hours, and I was doing the rest of the time with my dad. And uh I'm like, oh, you know what, I'll take over early. Why don't you just go ahead and get some rest? And she did, and I think it was like two hours later, three hours later, something like that. He died, and I knew the second he died because his he made a little sound like and his body convulsed, and I went over and touched his wrist to see his pulse, and it was super high, like higher than it should be for anybody, and then nothing, he was just gone. So I was like, okay. I've I've been here before, I've seen this before with my grandpa. Kind of sat there for about five minutes just debating if I should wake up my mother or not. But there was stuff we needed to do, we needed to contact the the home and everything, and um the the mortuary, the funeral home. And also contact one of the nurses so she could come and verify that he had passed, and so I knew it was gonna happen almost a hundred percent, but I didn't know fully and I didn't want to stress my mom out, but I ended up waking her up anyways, and uh kept my shit together, you know, for like two or three more hours. People came in, the since they were Mormon, the local bishop came in, really nice guy, um and you know, kind of helped her with stuff, and they came and retreated the body. The nurse had me before that helped dress the body, and me and my dark sense of humor when uh you know she said he's gonna make and some noise because there's gas trapped in him. So when we sit him, I'm like, Yeah, I know. I I understand I'm aware of this. So she had me helping dress him into something else than what he was in, and uh set up a bit, and he goes, and I went, It's alive, you know, like in the Frankenstein movie, and she just stares at me, I'm like, I I know he's he's not alive. She's like, That's not funny, and I went, it kind of is to me. So all that happened, the body went out there, um, my mom went back to sleep. I sat down in the chair next to the bed, and it was quiet, eerily quiet for the first time in months. And then I broke down and I absolutely lost my shit. But it's it's a situation like that, where when you see what's happening, other people don't necessarily need to know unless it's fully turned that way. That's that's how I see this whole type of situation. It's been um eight years now. Two thousand eighteen, yeah. So it's been over eight years now. Call her paranoid, but she was beginning to be convinced that Mary had been right. The question was whether the other women had been let out or let in on it or not by now. She suspected Dante would have told Mary, but surely if that were the case, Mary would have shared the information with her, Quinn thought, and immediately frowned at the possibility that the other women had known and hadn't told her because that meant she too believed Quinn might not be able to handle it well. Nope. Mary is on your side. Everything I've seen about Mary and I really like Mary. She is incredibly sympathetic to you. And she wants what's best for you, so she would have told you had she known. I hope. Yeah. I hope Dante didn't keep it, you know, didn't tell Mary Mary kept it from her. Had her comment that the others didn't know how strong she was, just been something to build up her self-esteem. Or Quinn worried after learning who might be behind the attacks that had Mary agreed that she might not be able to handle it, and that she was that was a distressing possibility, especially when she considered that everyone in her previous life had thought her dead, except Pet and Parker, and they were the only ones in her new life aside from Pet's husband, Santo, but Quinn didn't think for a minute that one of them could be behind these attempts to kill her. Although she acknowledged she'd definitely have trouble accepting that either of them might want her dead. Shaking her head at the ridiculous direction her mind was going, Quinn decided rather than let her mind run off in crazy directions she would just wait and question Mary on the subject in their next session, which would be apparently in a couple hours. The thought made her sigh. She was not looking forward to another grueling three hour emotional roller coaster ride, and that had been taken by surprise. Oh, and had been taken by surprise when Marguerite had mentioned perhaps going to dinner in a movie after shopping. She hadn't known the second session was planned for that day, and was a little dismayed to learn there was. I think Mary's gonna talk to her about some important shit that maybe Mary does know. Quinn wanted to clear up the issues and move on with life, but hadn't expected to try to do it all in a week. Now that she was thinking about the incident, she recalled Sam catching Marguerite's arm and urging her away from her where Francis was holding up a blouse in front of Quinn to see if the color would suit her, and she'd watched with curiosity as Salmon whispered in the older immortal's ear, and now recalled surprise and concern on the woman's face, and then her murmured, Oh, I see, another time then, of course. Pondering that little incident, Quinn left the dressing room to join the women in Russell, who immediately positioned himself at her side and took an elbow took her elbow to escort her from the store. I thought he elbowed her for a second and then went to her side and then just jammed his elbow in her. Would have been funny. Tybo fucking hate Tybow. Tybo is the fucking exercise shit. Tabo and Valerian were just finishing up at the till as they passed them, and Russell stopped to get the council credit card from him. Then he urged the men to be quick at taking the bags of shopping to the vehicles before urging Quinn and the other women out of the store. The lingerie shop was at the opposite end of the mall, and the women talked and laughed excitedly as they made their way there. It soon became apparent to Quinn from their chatter that she would not only be the one leaving the shop purchases, she wasn't surprised to hear Russell's resigned sigh as he escorted them to into the store. The man followed her around like a guard dog, positioning himself a few feet away with his arms crossed and a foreboding expression on his face. Each time he stopped to look at panties and bras, that expression was enough to keep the two four sales girls from bothering him. But she suspected he used mind control on the other two when they approached to bat their eyes and ask if he needed help. Hopefully not. I fucking hate the whole mind control shit. Scientific nounbob vampires and mind control. Fucking no, do not like. Oh, this would look lovely on you, dear, Marguerite said, grasping a risk and t a risk. Grasping her wrist and tugging her into the next display table. Into what Let me try that again. Let's start over again. Oh, this would look lovely on you, dear, Marguerite said, grasping her wrist and tugging her to the next display table, where a red lace brawn panty set was on the model of a female torso. Quinn eyed the set dubiously. The bra was pretty, but the panties it's a thon, Marguerite. Yes, dear, she picked up a pair off the table and held them in front of Quinn's hips. Aren't they sexy? Quinn peered down at the scrap of red lace, pursed her lips, and then grimaced. Maybe, but wearing those thawns for any length of time can irritate your baj. This is the word that's written. Can irritate your vaj. At least they do on me, and this one is synthetic, she added, taking the thaw from Marguerite and examining the material. That's just an invitation for bacteria to camp out down there. The last thing I want is to have to take in more blood because my body is spiting bacterial vaginosis due to a thaw that isn't even comfortable. Oh, Marguerite said nonplussed. Snatching the thawn back, she dropped it on the table. Well, we'll find something else. What about this? Sam asked, holding up a pretty whitelist bra and panty set, turning it inside out. She indicated the strip of cloth at the crossing and said, I think the strip is cotton. Quinn walked around the table. She was at to reach Sam and took the set from her. It was pretty, probably sexy on, and the l probably sexy on. What the fuck does that mean? It was pretty, comma, probably sexy on, comma. May mean sexy wearing it? I guess. And the lace is long along the top of the panties, the only cotton where her skin needed to breathe to avoid infections. She nodded, this is nice. Oh good, they have them in several colors, she pointed out. I'll go see what else I can find while you pick out the color and size you want. Yeah, okay. Her bacterial vaginosis of a JJ comment. Does make a lot of fucking sense, but how long are you gonna be wearing frilly lacy panties and thong shit, Quinn? Because you're not gonna it's not gonna be an all-day thing where you're gonna be wandering around with it all day. It's gonna be a thing where you know you like take a shower, you put it on to entice a jet, and then the two of you fuck and then you take it off. It's sexy lingerie, not all day sexy lingerie. Thank you, Quinn murmured, and then quickly selected sets in white, pink, and baby blue. She raised her head to glance around the store, then hoping someone else would catch her eye but froze when her gaze landed on a man standing outside the door, staring at her through the window. One of the brass circle, I bet ya. He was tall for an Asian and extremely good looking, but for some reason Quinfear Quinfear, Quinn felt fear explode inside of her like Fourth of July fireworks. Every corner and crevice of her body was suddenly filled with the terror she didn't understand. It's probably the guy who killed her parents. And she wasn't the only one. Someone was screaming beside her, the sound loud and panicked, but there were other screams too. These ones just full of fear and tinged with agony. She began to tremble as a chill started to slide over her body like a willow of the wisp, following the terror coursing through her. Quinn, she's surprised to be able to hear Margaret call her name over the panic shrieking, but couldn't look away from the monster. She didn't dare. And then a shopper stopped at the table between her and the man, and he was briefly blocked from view. When the shopper moved, on a heartbeat later, he was gone. So he's probably projecting what had happened into her mind, so she's hearing all of this shit while staring at him, and everybody else is like, Oh, Quinn, what are you doing, Quinn? Because I don't think anybody else saw any of that going on. She was surprised to be able to hear Marguerite calling Oh, I've already read that. Quinn, Margaret was starting to sound alarmed. She noted in some separate compartment of her mind and wondered how long the woman had been trying to get her attention. And who was that screaming? Why wouldn't they stop? Quinn turning toward the woman now, approaching her with concern on her face, Quinn took a step forward and then suddenly dropped as every muscle in her body went limp. She felt the crack over her head slamming into the floor before the lights went out. Are you sure you don't want to try anything on? Jet, oh, I guess this is Frances, maybe. Are you sure you don't want to try anything on? This is another paragraph break, page break, whatever. Jet smiled and shook his head as they set the clothes Francis that helped pick out on the counter. Oh, let me just try this whole fucking thing again. Are you sure you don't want to try anything on? Jet smiled and shook his head as they set the clothes, Francis that helped him pick out on the counter. I'm good, Francis. We got everything of my size. Thanks for your help. It went faster with the two of us working. My goodness, yes it did, but that's only because you didn't balk at some of the selections like Russell and the other He Man Mortals would he Oh, fuck, Francis. You're one of those guys. It's their age, of course, he added with a little shake of his head. Every one of them thinks black is the height of passion. Jet granted the claim. What I meant by one of those guys is there's a group of I'm just gonna say it because they call themselves that, and I consider myself part of this queer people that I used to hang out with, that considered anybody to be overtly masculine as a he-man, woman hater type. I don't know if that's exactly what he was talking about. Maybe he just meant like he-Man is in like Conan of the Barbarian style. But I'm just gonna move on. Jet granted the claim but didn't counter the man's words. He saw a hell of a lot of people. Nope. He saw a hell of a lot of black on the plane at times. It often looked like he was flying a funeral procession around, but he said, After years of wearing mostly green or brown in the desert flight suits in the Navy, I like the color. And it looks good on you, Francis assured him, and then smiled at the woman who rushed up to start checking them out. She was quick and efficient and nearly done when Francis' phone began to ring. Jet raised an eyebrow when Francis pulled out his phone and frowned at the display. It's Russell. Here, pay for this while I take the call, Francis said, handing over council credit card. Nodding, Jet accepted the card and watched the man move toward the door of the store as he answered the phone and pressed it to his ear. Shrugging, he turned back to the woman as she announced the amount owed and smiled at her as he handed over the credit card. Does he have the sign or can you? The woman asked a moment later. I will, Francis announced, suddenly appearing in beside him. What's happened? Jet asked at once. The man's usual good humor was noticeably missing, his expression one of grim concern. I'm sure it's nothing, Francis murmured, forcing a smile for the catcher as he finished with her and they began to gather up the bags. Let's go. Jet helped with the bags and followed the man out of the store before asking him, What's happened? What did Russell say? It was Sam using his phone. Hers apparently is home plugged into the charger, she forgot it, Francis told him. Moving more quickly now that they were out of the store, he added, Quinn painted in the lingerie shop. Russell gave Sam his phone and told her to call us. Jet felt concerns slide through him at this news, and he asked, Was she low on blood or something? Sam didn't think so. She said she wasn't sure she what what had happened. Mm-mm. Sam didn't think so. She said she wasn't sure what had happened. She heard Marguerite call out Quinn's name and glanced up to see her rushing across the store toward her, and then Quinn turned, took one step and just collapsed. He explained and then added grimly. Apparently she hit her head when she fell. She must have hit hard because Sam said she lost quite a bit of blood before the nano stopped the bleeding. They're taking her back to the USUV and hope she'll be awake by the time they get there so she they can give her blood. I am stumbling all over words today. Why would she faint? Jed asked, trying to understand something that seemed incomprehensible to him. I've never heard of a mortal just fainting suddenly like that. I didn't even think that was something that you could happen that oh my god. I didn't even think that was something that could happen to you guys. Neither did I, Francis admitted. Shorter post life mate sex or being shot with a dart, immortals don't faint. You don't think she was shot with a dart? he asked with alarm. Francis shook his head at once. Russell would have made sure Sam Sam mentioned that. Unless he didn't notice the dart, Jet pointed out. Francis considered that briefly and then cursed, pulling his phone back out. A moment later he was talking to Sam again, asking if they checked for a dart. They're gonna check for one once they go to the SUV, he told him, and he put the phone away a moment later. Jet nodded but didn't comment as they began to walk a little more or swift blah blah blah blah. Jet nodded but didn't comment as they began to walk a little more swiftly, moving just short of a run. There they are, Francis said a few months later as they rushed into the parking garage under the mall. Jet grunted he could see the small group gathered at the back of one of those two SUVs they used to transport everyone here. All of them were there, even Valerian and Tybo. Either the two men had still been at the vehicle when the others had reached it, or they encountered the group on the way back inside and had returned to the SUVs with them. How is she? Jet asked sharply, pushing his way through the group, desperate to see for himself that Quinn was alright. She's still unconscious, Marguerite told him as he approached the woman, who sat sideways on the back bumper, brushing hair away from Quinn's face as she lay in the back of the SUV. Marguerite's voice was filled with concern as she added, I think we should get her back to the house and give her the blood using an I give her Oh my I think we should get her back to the house and give her blood using an IB. Nodding, Jet leaned past her, tossed his bags on the other side of Quinn and then scooped out the petite woman into his arms. By the time he walked around the back door on the driver's side, Valerion was there holding it open for him. Immediat immediately slid in and settled Quinn in his lap. Do you want me to do the seed build up for you? Sam asked as she got into the back next to him, with Margaret following. Jet started to nod and then said, wait, his gaze slid to Balerian and Tibo as they got in the front. Did you guys check the vehicles? Check 'em, Tibo said asked blankly. Well, they blew up my plane, he pointed out grimly. I wouldn't put past them too. He didn't bother finishing. Both men cursed after his comment about them blowing up his plane. They were already out of the car. You don't really think, Sam began with concern, but then jerked around with surprise as Margaret suddenly opened the door. It was only then that Jet heard Valerian barking, get out, get out, get out. Cursing, he turned towards his own door, relieved when Tibo opened it and he was able to scramble out of the vehicle with Quinn. Away from the car, Tibow. Okay, I guess he only said it this way, away from the car. Tibow muttered instead of shouted. Grabbing his upper arm and urging him quickly back towards the elevators, they'd taken down to the parking garage, clasping Quinn tight to his chest. Jet glanced over his shoulder to see Valerian, Francis, and Russell hustling the women after them. That is chapter twelve. So I stumbled quite a bit, but it looks like because of how fast I'm getting through this now, the chapters aren't over an hour anymore, which is fine. And the next one is about 17 pages long, so I'll probably be about an hour-ish. So, thoughts so far. Apparently they went on T Walks with Bailey. I have no fucking idea how, because they didn't set up the second walk, they set up the first one, but they just kind of condensed all the information into one. I'm gonna have to go back and re-listen to this. If I completely missed it, then I will put it here as an addendum before publishing this episode. But if I didn't completely fucking missed it and I read what I read, then I have no idea what the fuck Lindsay Sands was trying to do because she totally forgot to set up that they were on a second walk after the the counseling session and everything. Introduced to a bunch of new characters, one of them probably a homosexual vampire. I would like to see more in depth about how that works with the whole Life May situation. Um talked about my father dying, so you can have that one. And then I'm still thinking Patrick's alive and is working with the brass circle. But I've been pretty wrong on a lot of the stuff in the beginning of the series, and so it's a feeling I've got there's no concrete information to that yet, but I think it might be there. So I guess we'll see you in the next episodes. Thank you for listening to Storytime with Uncle Beanbag, Mile Have the Vampire, and tune in next week. Tune in next week. Am I a fucking radio show?