by Saless
Chapter 82

"That brings up a question." Mike said, turning to Mary. "What's going to happen to you when you return? Will Mr. Kinsley be angry with you for accepting Sarah?"

Mary smiled sadly, "He won't hurt me, if that's what you're thinking. We're going to have to have a long talk, though. Unless he can make amends with Sarah I don't see how I can stay with him."

"Oh no!" Sarah exclaimed. "I didn't want to cause you to break up!"

"Now you listen to me young lady!" Mary said sternly. "If your father and I get divorced it won't be because of you, it'll be because of him! His actions and behavior have been unacceptable! Unless he can convince me that he's not going to act like that anymore, I don't want to be around him! Do you understand?" Her voice softened at the end.

"Uh, yeah, I understand." Sarah replied.

"Good! Now, I believe you were telling me about some of the things you've collected from other worlds?" Mary said. Sarah nodded and led her into the back of the empty store to show her their collection. Erica picked up one of her guns and her sword while Jill collected the gauntlets and boots. Mike picked up his giant sword and Sarah got Tiffany to help her with her swords, bow, and quivers. After explaining what the other stuff was, that Vash had figured out, anyway, they went outside to show her what these weapons could do.

Mary was suitably impressed with Erica's explosive bullets and the way Mike's sword enhanced his various forms. Jill demonstrated her enhanced speed and strength and Sarah fired off a few arrows to show what they did. After that was a quick demonstration of the swords and how they became super heated and super cooled, respectively, and how they affected the objects they struck.

"You're quite the destructive lot, aren't you?" Mary said bemusedly. "But what do you need all this firepower for?"

"We need it for when we visit the more dangerous worlds, but at least some of it will also come in handy when magic gets stronger at home." Erica replied.

"What do you mean?" Mary asked.

Magic has recently gone through an awakening in many of the worlds we've visited, including your own. Magic is still rather weak in your world, but that will change with time. Eventually everyone will feel the effects to some degree. Vash replied.

"Even me?" Mary said.

Yes. In fact, from what I've observed, it's likely that your own magic will develop more rapidly than everyone else except for us here because you have traveled through one of Sarah's portals. That seems to trigger a much faster awakening. I suspect it also increases the power of that awakening, but I have no way to know for sure on that. Vash said.

"Does that mean I'll be like Sarah?" Mary asked.

No, Sarah is unique. You'll develop an ability like the others have, though, I'm sure. Either that or a physical transformation. Possibly even both. It's impossible to say until it happens. Vash replied.

"Oh no, I didn't think of that! I'm sorry Mom, I shouldn't have taken you through a portal without warning you about that first!" Sarah exclaimed.

Mary waved her concern off, "It sounds like it would have happened eventually anyway. This way I get a head start and will be used to it by the time everyone else starts using magic or whatever. If I'd known ahead of time I would have still come along, I think. Besides, what's done is done and can't be undone. So relax!"

Sarah looked doubtful but was distracted by a hug from Erica. "Is there anything else you'd like to see while we're here?" Jill asked Mary.

"No, I think I've seen enough. It'll still take some time for all this to sink in, I think, but I've seen enough to know it's real. Let's go back and have lunch." Mary replied.

They carried all their gear back to the storeroom and dropped it off before Sarah opened another portal and they returned to the living room. Mr. Kinsley was nowhere in sight still, which suited most of them just fine!

Sarah helped Mary make lunch while the others sat in the living room and talked. Mostly about Tiffany.

"So, Tiffany, we don't really know much about you. We know you work with Sarah, and you're a Shadowkin, but that's about it." Jill said.

"Well, I'm an orphan. I was raised by foster parents but we never really clicked. As soon I as I could I got a job and moved out. Then I met all of you." Tiffany said.

"That's it? You never went to college?" Mike said.

"No, I couldn't afford to do that and didn't know what I wanted to do, anyway." Tiffany replied.

"What about friends?" Jill asked.

"I…never did make friends well." Tiffany said awkwardly.

"You didn't seem to have any trouble with Sarah, she said you were pretty upfront about your desire to be friends." Erica said.

Tiffany shrugged, "I know, that was unusual for me. But I knew Sarah was having a hard time and I just wanted to make it better somehow. Being her friend was the best I could come up with."

"Well you did help her, believe me! She's never been so comfortable and even happy about her job before." Erica said.

"It's been more fun for me, too." Tiffany said.

Further conversation was delayed when Sarah came out to tell them that lunch was ready. Mary asked lots of questions while they ate. She was horrified to hear about the attempted rape and thanked Tiffany profusely for stopping it. Tiffany felt a little uncomfortable with that, especially since she'd killed John in the process.

"Don't feel bad about killing that man, Tiffany, he brought it on himself!" Mary said, reading her expression correctly. "I'm so glad you were there to protect my daughter!"

"So am I!" Tiffany said with a weak smile.

After lunch Jill asked Mary, "Do you want us to stick around when you talk to your husband?"

Mary shook her head, "No, he's not going to do anything. But thanks for worrying about me!" Turning to Sarah she said, "I'll call you after I talk to your father and let you know what happens. Try not to worry so much, okay?" Sarah nodded and they hugged goodbye with more than a few tears shed.

The others said their goodbyes and then they walked out to their cars. Tiffany didn't bother hiding, since Jill and Vash had assured her they weren't being watched.

Sarah was feeling a bit washed out from all the stress of the visit and was soon asleep with her head on Erica's shoulder. Erica soon joined her in slumber. Jill and Mike smiled when they saw them sleeping and leaning against each other like that.

The drive was uneventful and Mike was the only one who didn't fall asleep. He woke everyone once they'd arrived and soon they were seated on Sarah's couch. Tiffany arrived a few minutes later with the shadows once again pulled in around her so Marvin Garner would still think she was spying on them. "So, what shall we do now?" Mike asked.

"I'm ready for that chrysalis." Erica said.

Mike groaned, "You still want to do that?! I was hoping you'd given up on that idea!"

"No way! I'm more determined than ever!" Erica replied firmly.

"Sarah, can't you talk her out of this?" Jill asked.

Sarah shook her head, "I'm not getting involved, it's Erica's decision to make, not mine."

"But you're the one who has to open the portal!" Mike protested.

"So? It's still her decision to make. Just because I'm the only one who can get her there doesn't change anything." Sarah replied.

"But…" Mike started to protest, but Sarah cut him off.

"It's Erica's decision! It's her body, after all!" Sarah snapped.

Mike was about to protest again when Jill stopped him with a telepathic warning, Give it up Mike, I think she's equating this with her own desire to remain female. You're not going to convince her.

"Shall we go?" Erica asked when no more objections seemed forthcoming. Sarah nodded and opened the portal. Jill and Mike shrugged and followed Erica and Sarah through, followed by Tiffany.

The portal opened out in a lab full of people. Several technicians were processing a line of people waiting to get a chrysalis. The line was moving fairly quickly and Erica joined it. The others waited out of the way. They'd obviously been doing this for a while, as they kept things moving smoothly and went from initial sampling to implantation of the chrysalis in only a couple of hours. Before they knew it Erica was done and they went back through the portal.