"You know I can't lie. I swear it really happened," I insisted. "I'd heard someone had done it. I hadn't heard it was Sean," Kat confirmed. "But now that I know him, I can see him doing it." "So if I can make a shot like that, at age twenty-five, Kat should have no problem making the one she did at over a thousand. You are over a thousand aren't you?" "I'm not telling." "You don't know how old you are either, do you?" "Nope. I stopped caring once I became an adult. I kept track for a little while, but it was pointless." "Exactly," I agreed. "I knew mine as long as I did because I spent so much time in Denmark visiting my mom. Humans always asked." Connie shrugged. "Humans don't live so long. It matters to them. They count down their time from the moment they're born." "Hey, I don't like how that sounded," Roy protested. "Yeah," Lorraine agreed. "The elves are ganging up on us." The table we sat around was halfway through a passage Underhill so Connie could join us. "Have some wine, then you won't care," Kat offered. Lorraine shook her head. "Garner was drugging me every night so he could sleep. I'm staying away from all of that for a long time." She held up her can of Pepsi. "Need more?" I offered. "I'm good for now. I'll help myself when I need it. You know I'm not shy." Thompson laughed. "Yeah, she moved in without being invited. She's not someone you need to do for." "I can imagine what it was like for Garner." Roy chuckled. "I need you to help me rearrange the living room. We’re redecorating the bedroom next week." He imitated Lorraine's voice. "Hey!" She laughed. There was a knock. "Am I allowed to answer my own door now?" I asked. "Can you do it without falling?" Lorraine challenged. "How many beers has he had?" Thompson asked. "I can't get drunk from beer," I reminded him as I went to the door. "Add some of his wine," Roy suggested. Kara was in the hall. "I found your pants." "You left your pants at her place?" Kat called. "What did you do? Walk back naked?" Roy asked. "Would you put it past him?" Lorraine countered. "Wait, what?" Thompson looked at me. "They were on the roof. I left them there when I was worshiping the other day," I explained, taking the pants. “And I was not naked.” "You want to join us? We’re celebrating the end of the case," I told Kara. “And the Feds leaving,” Thompson added. To my surprise, she agreed. I tossed the pants into the bedroom. "What can I get you to drink?" "If you get drunk, you're staying the night," Kat said. "But now there are more women than men," Connie protested. "She can join me and Roy," Kat decided. "Excuse me?" Roy asked. "I don't remember agreeing to that." "I don't think so," Kara protested. "I'd say she can join James and me, but can she handle being Underhill?" Connie tousled Thompson's hair. He pulled away. "I'm married." "Guys, she lives down the hall. She can walk home," I pointed out. "Kara this is James Thompson and my construct friend, Connie. Kara lives down the hall and was kind enough to make sure I didn't freeze to death the other night." I offered her a glass of wine. She looked up at me. "I'm not spending the night." "It's human wine. My dad would make batches for my mom to take as gifts." "This is 600-year-old wine?" I checked the bottle. "About 750 years, give or take a decade." "It's good," Thompson assured her. Kara took the glass and pulled up a chair. "So you caught the guy, and everyone’s safe?" "We did. He still in the hospital, but we have guards on him," Thompson assured her. "I feel sorry for him," Connie admitted, looking into her glass of wine. "He lost everything and was so grieved, he tried to re-create it and lost it all again." "He's definitely got a good case for an insanity plea. And then he should get the help he needs," Thompson assured her. Connie nodded. "I worry about the kids," Lorraine said. "I figured out what was going on, but Robin and Julie had no idea until I told them. They played along because I told them that we would be rescued. Poor Julie thought she'd lost it when you four appeared in the living room." "Hopefully, they'll get help too," I said. "Is your shrink any good with kids?" Roy asked. I cringed as Kat demanded, “What shrink?" "Never mind," I waved it off and poured her some more wine. I'd taken a couple of bottles from my dad's best batch. If he ever returned, he was going to kill me for all the wine that was missing. "You're seeing a psychiatrist?" Connie pressed. "Why?" "Dealing with what the army did to me." "I'm sorry that happened," Connie said. It sounded like she regretted not stopping it, as if she'd even existed then. "I'll get over it." "You don't think Yesanith Wysanorin, Oberon's champion, and gods blessed would let a little captivity slow him down, do you?" Kat asked. "Stop calling me that," I insisted. "What? Yesanith? You want to be called Sean?" "Gods blessed. It sounds pretentious. The gods bless all of us." "Is that really your title?" Kara asked. "It's just what people called me. It's n…" I tried to say nothing but couldn't. Kat smirked. "It's not nothing. It's nothing to be ashamed of." "I'm not ashamed." "Then why hide it?" Connie asked. "I don't like making a big deal about it." "Why not?" Kat pressed. "It seems like it might be a big deal," Thompson said. "Is it ladies? What does it mean?" "Sean is Oberon’s champion. He's the best soldier in the army. He was the one to act as his bodyguard as needed. He also performed special tasks," Connie explained. "Rumor has it he never failed," Kat added. "I didn't, not once." "And that's why everyone called you gods blessed. Because you're better than any champion before you," Kat said. "I was?" I hadn't heard that part. "That explains a lot," Thompson decided and Roy nodded in agreement. Kara took my hand. "This is nothing to be embarrassed about." "I'm not embarrassed. I don't like a big deal being made. I'm nothing special. I just work hard. Look at Kat. She was just as successful as I was." "Not quite. I had a few failures. A few of my targets are still alive." "Maybe that's a good thing," Connie suggested. "But you've done well. And you're a fighter, like Sean." "You're getting awfully daring comparing me to a Seelie," Kat warned. "Don't be racist," Kara scolded. "Not all Seelie are the same." "It's not a race. It's closer to a nationality. And yes, the Seelie are all the same in most ways. And the Unseelie are too." "Which is not good," Connie said. "Oberon and Tatiana are too controlling. They need to let their people think for themselves. Why should all Unseelie be troublesome at all Seelie be benign?" "Why does any elf have to be troublesome?" I asked. "So you think all elves should think exactly alike?" Connie challenged. "Are you forgetting? Sean’s Oberon's golden boy. He's going to agree with anything the old guy says," Kat claimed. "Hardly. Oberon and I had plenty of disagreements. He listened to arguments though, unlike some queen." "Tatiana listens too," Kat insisted. "It's those around her you have to watch." "I don't think everyone should think and act the same. But I don't think they should hurt people for sport. I think we could learn a lot from the humans," I added. "Really? Like what?" Connie asked. I shook my head. "I don't think this is the time for this conversation." I figured it might make the humans feel awkward. Connie nodded as if she understood. "Sean, got any cards?" Kat asked. "We can play poker." "You want to gamble with the chief of police?" Roy asked. "Strip poker," Kat amended with a grin "No," Kara said quickly. "Not with you guys," Lorraine agreed. “Yeah, I’m trying to fix her up with a guy at the bar,” I added. “She needs to watch her reputation.” "And I'm still married and would like to stay that way," Thompson reminded her. "You humans are no fun," Kat pouted. "Some of us just met," Connie pointed out. "Give them time." "Yeah, ask me next millennia," Kara said. "Have some wine and then we'll see," Kat suggested. "Did you put something in it?" Kara asked. "No." "Did you switch it with Elven wine?" Roy asked. "No." "Did you in any way do anything that might get Kara drunk, aside from making suggestions?" I pressed. "No, I did not. But your dad's wine is stronger than what they drink here. I figured she get drunk on our own." "I can taste that it’s stronger. That's why I'm sipping it slowly," Kara assured her. Kara was a little tipsy when she left. Roy and Thompson were feeling it more. Lorraine drove them home. Kat left via Underhill. Connie promised to make sure she didn't stay in my house. I stayed in my apartment and slept alone. I said a final prayer of thanks to Shandalar that Lorraine was safe before closing my eyes. The End