Seese 2 Exist - The Return

Author's Note:

If you have not read Seese 2 Exist - The Potion, you may want to read it first. Although in theory this can be read as a standalone story, it contains information that may leave you wondering what is going on or what has happened previously, as references are made to events from the first part.

As with the first part of this story, this is primarily a story of romance centered around the Fantasy side of Sci-Fi/Fantasy. It is primarily non-erotic, (though this part of the story comes closer to being erotic than the first part). This story also centers around a lesbian woman searching for love of her own, but it is more focused on the romance aspect as opposed to the act of sex between two consenting women, (again, with the exception of dialogue referencing such acts and one very brief "scene" between two women). As such, please read it as it is intended to be read.

I may still write more stories featuring Esmeralda, as that was my intent when I published the first part. However, as I wrote the first part, I already had ideas for this second part/sequel/conclusion to the Seese 2 Exist storyline.

In any event, comments are always welcome, either publicly or directly to me, and I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

JT

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Prologue

The Chamber, in which sat The Mirror of the Wronged, still felt warm. Esmeralda stood, smiling as she watched the scene of The Wronged and The Lock - Kelly and Michael - sing to each other. As with the final moments of her 273 previous successful assignments, the scene began to fade. The Mirror of the Wronged returned to what Esmeralda and the other members of The Bound thought of as its mortal form, nothing more than a large, ornate dressing mirror.

Lareth had left The Chamber only moments before, having tracked Esmeralda down and offered praise on behalf of The Council for her work on the assignment she just watched fade away. Esmeralda had, in Lareth's words, done exceptionally well, having exceeded The Council's expectations by formulating a potion that allowed The Wronged - Kelly - to begin righting the wrong, the mistake, perpetuated upon her at birth.

That assignment had been unusual in that Esmeralda needed to devise a way to physically change Kelly's birth sex; not simply her gender, as she been born a male and identified as such. No, the mistake Kelly faced wasn't that she felt as though she had been born in the wrong body, she actually HAD been born in the wrong body.

To make matters worse, Kelly the boy was in love with The Lock - Michael - and there was no way Michael was ever going to return that love to Kelly while she was a male. Esmeralda's potion provided Kelly with the chance to become the woman she was supposed to be, meant to be. But for the change to become permanent, Kelly had to find a way to make Michael fall in love with her. Only then would the problem be corrected forever.

Esmeralda's solution did not come without a price, however. As with all assignments received from The Mirror of the Wronged, The Wronged individual only had 72 hours - 3 days - to successfully right the wrong they had been subjected to. Failure came at a great cost, to be sure, for failure meant a complete erasure from existence, as if The Wronged had never been born.

Unbeknownst to Esmeralda until after the successful completion of the assignment, Kelly was safe the very moment she awoke after her metamorphosis from male to female. Michael was already in love with Kelly the woman she now was. The woman she had always been in the eyes of all but her. And thanks to the love of The Key, Kelly and Michael were now on track to live a happy existence with each other.

Not all of Esmeralda's cases revolved in The Wronged needing to find love in order for their destiny to be fulfilled. In fact, not all situations even involved humans. Oftentimes The Key or The Lock were mere inanimate objects that played a role in correcting a mistake. Or sometimes both, as had been the case Esmeralda handled before she was assigned to help Kelly.

In that case, a man, Elijah Daniels, had been wrongfully terminated from a job when an idea he had was stolen by a co-worker who submitted the idea as his own and falsely claimed Elijah was attempting to steal the idea. It was a simple case, really, and even though Esmeralda did not know the identity of The Key that would unlock The Lock, and would have been prohibited from identifying The Key if she had, she was able to give Elijah a hint by telling him to leave no stone unturned.

The 'stone' - The Key - in that case was revealed to be nothing more than an old manual typewriter. Under that typewriter was a sealed envelope - The Lock - addressed and mailed to Elijah from himself four years prior. He recognized it immediately and knew without opening the envelope the contents contained detailed plans of his idea. Upon taking unopened envelope and its contents to his former employer, Elijah was able to prove the idea had been his all along, for on the envelope was a postmark showing the date it had been mailed. Only after showing the postmark to his former employer did he open the contents and reveal the detailed plans. Elijah was given his job back and the co-worker terminated in his stead.

Now, Esmeralda found herself frozen in place, captivated by what was happening before her. As she continued looking at the Mirror of the Wronged, a sense of shock and bewilderment washed over her. Surely there had been a mistake. As quickly as the scene of Kelly and Michael had faded, a different scene from the same moment appeared, focusing this time on The Key - Lauren - the catalyst responsible for bringing Kelly and Michael together, thus permanently correcting the wrong thrust upon Kelly at birth.

And as quickly as Lareth had left her side and walked out of The Chamber, he was beside her again.

"I know what you're thinking, Esmeralda," he said, "and this isn't a mistake. The Mirror of the Wronged doesn't make mistakes. Although...." he said, a look of thoughtfulness appearing on his face as he circled the mirror, "I have never seen The Mirror issue a new assignment so quickly before."

"You mean focus on The Key," Esmeralda said, correcting him.

"No, Esmeralda, I mean The Lock. Lauren was The Key in the last assignment. She unlocked Michael's desire to profess his love for Kelly. The Mirror is indicating she is The Lock now. Never before have I seen The Mirror set focus on The Lock, always The Wronged, making the identification of The Lock known only after The Bound is called by The Door. I have never seen The Mirror issue a new assignment to any member of The Bound so quickly, let alone to a member who had just completed an assignment intertwined with the new one." He reached up and hit the side of The Mirror with the palm heel of his hand, as if trying to knock some out of place piece into position or, more likely, as if trying to knock some sense into it.

Esmeralda looked on with amusement, but remained silent. As a member of The Bound, it was not her place to question the words or actions of a member of The Council. She had come perilously close to crossing that line when she thought she was correcting Lareth. She knew the only reasons Lareth didn't berate her for it were because he didn't view her actions as being corrective, since they weren't, and because he was rather fond of her.

In the 308 years since Esmeralda began serving her sentence to The Council, she hadn't aged a day. She was only 26 years old when The Council "rescued" her from certain death during just before the Salem Witch Trials, and the figure of that beautiful 26-year-old woman had been preserved. Although Esmeralda did not know Lareth's true age, he too had maintained the 28-year-old body of the man he was at the time he came to serve on The Council, and when Esmeralda was brought before The Council for sentencing, Lareth did not hide his desire for her.

After judgement was handed down, The Council informed Esmeralda she would be given two options upon completion of her sentence. Her first option would be to return to any point immediately following one of her successful assignments, allowing her to remain connected with The Wronged she helped. That option would mean she would become mortal, losing her powers and living out a normal life.

The other option would see her released from her binding chains and become a member of The Boundless, a group of former members of The Bound who chose to remain immortal, forever living and serving The Council in other ways, but never able to interact with humankind again. This option would allow Esmeralda and Lareth to be together at last, for Esmeralda also desired Lareth. And physical relations between The Council and The Bound were prohibited, an act which would see both the offending members of The Bound and The Council relegated to The Damned, a group sentenced to serve The Council for all eternity.

Lareth's brow furrowed in frustration. "I must say, this is truly odd. The Mirror is not indicating who The Wronged is."

"How am I to know what to do if I don't know who I am being sent to help?" Esmeralda queried.

"Under normal circumstances, I would say the same thing I always say when The Mirror issues a new assignment; you will know what you need to do and how to do it when The Door calls upon you. But this is no ordinary case, Esmeralda, and I truly do not know."

Esmeralda watched as Lareth slowly extended his right index finger toward The Mirror. As soon as his finger made contact, the scene before her froze. Under any other circumstances, the image before her may have made her laugh, as Lauren had just leapt from a drum riser and appeared to be suspended in midair. But these weren't just any other circumstances, and Esmeralda felt sick to her stomach.

"That won't hold for long. I must confer with The Council. I will return momentarily."

As he had a few moments earlier, Lareth turned on his heels and left The Chamber, leaving Esmeralda to stare at the image of The Key - no, Lareth said she was now The Lock - before her. She was still staring at staring at The Mirror, admiring the beauty of the young woman - of Lauren - when Lareth returned a few minutes later.

"I'm afraid The Council is unable to provide guidance, Esmeralda. But we have an offer to make, so listen closely."

Esmeralda listened to Lareth as he relayed the offer The Council was presenting. Even with the great risk it posed, it took Esmeralda but a moment to accept.

"Are you sure, Esmeralda? Once The Door calls upon you, there will be no turning back. You will be stuck in the timeline, unable to communicate with us and unable to seek guidance until such time as you have identified The Wronged."

Esmeralda turned and looked at the mirror again, looking for a sign, anything really, that would provide a clue as to how would complete the assignment. She had no choice but to accept the assignment. She could accept it normally, and risk failure, which meant the addition of one more link to her binding chains - two if she chose to use another potion. Or she could accept The Council's offer, granted additional time, additional permissions to use magic, and the ability to make herself remain in the mortal world to provide guidance to whomever appeared when The Door opened. If she took The Council's offer, failure meant an eternity as one of the Forgotten, an existence without existing, and never the chance to be with Lareth.

"I'm sure, Lareth. I know the risk I take. I must do this for myself... for us."

"For our sake, I hope you succeed, Esmeralda. You know I will not be able to intervene in this assignment, or even see you while you work to identify The Wronged, hence the privileges that have been granted to you by The Council, but I will not sleep as I await your return."

As Lareth turned and left The Chamber once again, Esmeralda turned back to the mirror before speaking to the frozen image Lauren before her.

"I do not know the identity of The Wronged, the one whose problem you have locked away. Nor do I know how to unlock you, Lauren Seese, but you must help me, for you may very well represent eternal happiness for all of us."

-- Chapter One -

"My God, Honey! You look beautiful," I said to Kelly as I walked in to see if she was ready.

"Thank you, Lauren. You don't know how much I have wanted this," she replied. "And you don't know how much it means to me to have you as my Maid of Honor."

Kelly was about to walk down the aisle to marry my youngest brother, Michael. At one point, just over a year ago, I was still holding out hope Kelly would reveal herself to be a lesbian. I was hoping she would fall in love with me, for at the time, I loved her more than anything in the world.

I still love her, and I always will, but my love for her now is the kind of love that develops between siblings. For all intents and purposes, we practically were siblings, having been raised together, quite literally. Kelly was born one week to the day before me, and our parents were next-door-neighbors and best friends. Michael was best friends with Kelly's older brother Dylan, who was six weeks younger than him. It almost went without saying that Kelly and I destined to grow up to be best friends.

I have two more brothers, twins Spencer and Steven. Kelly's parents, Roger and Evelyn, had trouble starting a family and they had treated Spencer and Steven as their own children in the three years before Dylan came along. And they continued to treat Michael and me as extended family as well, even after finally having children of their own.

I spent most of my teenage years, into my mid-20's, in love with Kelly. Even though she was a tomboy while growing up. I saw potential in her. I knew hidden underneath that shell was a truly beautiful woman yearning to get out, the girly type I was, and the type I found most attractive. I didn't have anything against butch lesbians, and had even hooked up with a couple, but I just wasn't attracted to them on a grand scale. And with Kelly, despite being a tomboy, she didn't give me the vibe that she might be butch. In fact, she really never gave me a vibe she might be lesbian, I only hoped she would turn out to be one.

I first learned Kelly wasn't a lesbian on the night of our prom. Neither of us had dates. I had turned down several offers from several guys, but I already knew I wasn't interested in boys, and since I wasn't out yet, I really didn't relish the idea of going to prom with another girl and dealing with the glances and rumors that were likely to follow. Kelly didn't have a date, well, because she simply didn't catch the eyes of any boys due to the way she typically dressed and carried herself.

Instead, Kelly and I simply hung out together. We went and grabbed a pizza, then went down by the beach to watch the sunset and just talked. It was during this period of time while we were talking that Kelly admitted to me she had a crush on Michael. I was hurt, but I didn't think my reaction gave me away. I gently reminded her Michael already had a girlfriend, hoping maybe she was confused about her identity and would someday discover she was a lesbian, like me.

I didn't come out to Kelly as a lesbian until after we graduated high school. In the years that followed, I dated several women, but never felt the connection I felt with Kelly. In spite of this, I never tried to put the moves on her, holding out hope she would one day give me the opportunity to love her and return that love.

It wasn't until New Year's Eve a year and a half ago that I truly began to realize I was never meant to be with Kelly. Something triggered in her a couple of days before New Year's Eve, and she tossed aside the shell she had been hiding under for 23 years. She suddenly wanted to present herself in a more feminine manner, wearing more feminine clothes and makeup. I already knew I loved her, and seeing her finally come out of that shell and become the beautiful woman I always knew she was pulled my heartstrings even tighter.

That night, at a party co-hosted by my parents and hers at my parents' house, I realized why she came out of her shell. Kelly was still in love with Michael, and she knew Michael was planning on proposing to his long-time girlfriend, Meghan, just before midnight. Not long after Kelly admitted to still being in love with Michael did I finally come clean and tell her I was in love with her. Not only was I in love with her then, but I had been in love with since we were in high school.

My confession of my love for her triggered something else in Kelly. In a way I didn't understand then, and up until a year ago still didn't understand, Kelly was able to share unspoken memories with me. After I told her I loved her, a look of realization fell over her face, and she asked me to look deeply into her eyes and tell her what I saw.

What I saw was a confusing tidal wave of emotion as those unspoken memories transferred between us. Those beautiful eyes I was staring at shared a different reality, one in which Kelly had been born a boy. Those memories were largely the same as the memories I knew of Kelly the girl, the biggest differences being I wasn't a lesbian, and I was still in love with Kelly the boy, who thought he was gay and was still in love with Michael.

She explained what had occurred, having encountered a mysterious woman by the name of Esmeralda. She gave Kelly a potion that transformed her from a man to a woman, giving her the opportunity to finally have her love for Michael reciprocated. The problem was, she only had three days and, as I already mentioned, Michael was about to propose to Meghan.

It took her a few moments to fully explain the ramifications of Michael not falling in love with her. If it hadn't been for the extremely vivid memories she was able to share, the memories of her growing up to become a man instead of a woman, I might not have believed her. She explained if Michael did not fall in love with her by the time the 72 hours had passed since waking from her transformation, she would simply disappear, as if she had never been born. I wasn't sure if I believed her or not, but I wasn't going to take a chance on losing my best friend and the woman I loved.

I stopped Michael before he proposed to Meghan. Sacrificing my own love for her, I told him he couldn't marry Meghan, because someone far more worthy loved him more than he could ever imagine. He put two and two together and realized I meant Kelly, but not before Meghan had overheard part of the conversation. Long story short, it turned out Michael was already in love with Kelly and had been in love with her for as long as I had, and Kelly didn't simply disappear. Only after a long talk with Meghan, a talk in which she told him it would break her heart to see the man she loved pass on the chance to be with the woman he truly loved, did Michael finally tell Kelly he was already in love with her.

It wasn't until almost a year ago that I was finally move on. While I still loved Kelly, I was no longer in love with her. My love now was for the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. The woman who would be standing with me, alongside others, as one of Kelly's bridesmaids as she married the man of her dreams.

Kelly already told you her story of how she finally found love. Now, let me tell you mine.

-- Chapter Two --

"Here! Take your in-ear's. Give me your guitar! Quick!"

I could barely hear Kari over the intro music as she handed Kelly her in-ear monitors, then expertly swapped the plain guitar strap on Kelly's guitar to one with a wireless transmitter on it. Ten seconds later, I caught myself staring at my best friend's ass as she ran up the stairs to join the rest of the band on the stage. She hit her mark just in time, playing the first chord of the opening riff to the band's opening song, "Hammer Under Ice", just as the stage lights came up.

"I swear to God, that girl has her head in the clouds, sometimes. I would swear she was a guy with the way she lets herself get distracted by that guitar," Kari said, shaking her head.

"Oh, if you only knew," I said, laughing at Kari's statement. Kari had become a good friend to everyone in the band after being hired to become Kelly's full-time guitar tech. Things for the band had taken a much better turn, and neither Kelly, nor my brother Steven, would have the time to be doing their own work on their guitars, especially while they were on tour.

Although Kari Watson was an exceptional guitarist herself, and she knew her way around the equipment she would be maintaining very well, Kelly admitted to me the biggest reason she hired Kari was due to what Kelly described as her slight resemblance to the mysterious Esmeralda. Kelly said she shared Esmeralda's bright, emerald green eyes and her long, curly hair as black as coal. These features alone made them look enough alike in Kelly's opinion that she thought Kari could have been a descendant of Esmeralda, and she thought it was fate that brought Kari from her home in Orlando, Florida all the way to San Diego, California to apply and audition to become her guitar tech. The main difference between the similarities of two Kelly noticed was in their fingernails. Where Esmeralda had long nails painted as black as her hair, Kari kept her nails trimmed due to the fact she played guitar, while still being painted as black as her own hair.

Shaking my own head to clear the thoughts of Kelly's ass out of my mind, I headed to the other side of the stage. I was an unofficial 6th member of the band, Seese 2 Exist, which consisted of my brothers Spencer on drums, his twin Steven on guitar, and Michael Seese on vocals. Rounding out the rest of the band was our friend Bobby Gaddick on bass, and my best friend and future sister-in-law, Kelly D'Angelo, also on guitar. I played keyboards on two of their songs, mostly because Michael didn't have the coordination to be able to sing and play at the same time, and my keyboards were set up on the other side of the stage.

The second song on the setlist, and the first one I would be playing on, was an up-tempo ballad that turned into a head banging rocker mid-way through before returning to the ballad feel it started with. It was a love song, written by Michael to Kelly as a duet between them. Tonight was the first night of the tour and this would be the first time they sang it live for an audience. When they recorded it, they chose to do it in one shot, together, as opposed to each one recording their tracks separately then mixing the tracks into the completed song.

I could hear and see the love between them as they sang this beautiful song. And it stung me to the core, because I had been in love with my best friend and future sister-in-law since we were in the tenth grade. At least, I had in this reality.

I should have been thankful, because Michael's love for Kelly actually saved her life, and I was. But I was also jealous. I wasn't jealous because of the love between Michael and Kelly, I was jealous because reciprocated love seemed to evade me. Until recently, that is.

The tour continued on, with Seese 2 Exist alternating between the opening act and the headlining act with another band, Behind the Sorrow. Neither was truly an opening act or headlining act, as both bands played a full set every night.

As I was only needed for two songs each night, I got to know the members of the other band, plus their crew pretty well. We spent a lot of time together before, during, and after shows. I kind of felt bad when the bassist of Behind the Sorrow, Owen Quinn, announced he had broken up with his girlfriend a few weeks prior to the start of the tour and he expressed interest in getting to know me better. I had to tell him I wasn't interested because I wasn't into men, but he was cool with it. We still became good friends and we still talk regularly. He's a really nice guy, and even I have to admit he is very easy on the eyes. If I had been into guys, I could have definitely seen us together.

Kari was a different story altogether, though. She was all too happy to jump into bed with Owen after she found out he was newly single. It wasn't a situation where Owen immediately went looking for someone else after I turned him down, it was more the other way around. As I said, Owen is super cute, and when Kari heard Owen was single, she made it known that, while she wasn't looking for a relationship, she wouldn't mind sharing a bed with him. I actually thought it was kind of funny, because I also knew Kari was openly bisexual.

Even though Kari enjoyed being with a man, her preferences were still for women like us, femme lesbians who very much enjoyed wearing makeup, dresses, blouses, skirts, high heels, stockings - generally looking pretty when we could. But it wasn't like we had the chance to get dolled up very often while on tour. In spite of that, we had hooked up on multiple occasions before and during the tour, for no other reason than we were horny at the time.

Things between Kari and Owen didn't last long, though. He brought their mutually beneficial relationship to an abrupt end when Kari mentioned she had a fantasy of having a man and a woman at the same time and suggested they try to talk me into a threesome. Owen was nice about it, but declined, stating he had no interest in being with more than one woman, even if it was just a one-time thing. We found out later that his real reason for turning Kari and her fantasy down was because his own ex-girlfriend had come out as bisexual, admitted to having been with several women during their relationship, and had suggested the exact same thing.

Kari was the only one who knew I was still in love with Kelly. She often kidded me about it, but kept my secret to herself, instead encouraging me to move on and find someone who will love me the way I wanted to be loved in return. The problem was, being on tour with a band as it crisscrossed the United States didn't leave much opportunity to get out and meet women. As a result, while Kari often found herself a guy for the night in whatever city we happened to be in, we just as often found ourselves in the same bed in whatever hotel room we shared that night. While we both found each other attractive, I didn't feel a love connection with between us. A deep admiration, perhaps, and possibly even the platonic love two friends can have for one another, but I didn't feel like we were falling in love.

-- Chapter Three -

The midway point through the tour brought a 2-week break, a chance for both bands and crew members to head home to loved ones and recuperate, as the second part of the tour would see Seese 2 Exist and Behind the Sorrow joining a much bigger headlining band as co-opening acts in larger venues. While this meant shorter sets for both bands each night, it also meant more exposure to larger crowds due to the bigger venues, and the schedule would be more hectic, as the bands would be travelling more due to the longer distances between the bigger cities where the concerts were being held.

Kari headed back home to Orlando to see family and friends, letting us know she would join us midway through the break while everybody else headed back to their respective homes in Southern California. My home, and by that I mean our home, because it was a house I shared with Michael and Kelly, was the same house a few minutes away from our parents where Kelly and I had lived since we were college freshmen. It was a 4-bedroom, dual master suite, house bought by my parents and Kelly's parents collectively as an investment when Michael and Dylan started college, and Kelly and I joined them when we started college. The only difference between then and now was, after Seese 2 Exist's debut album was released - after Michael and Kelly had fallen in love - Michael made an offer to our parents and Kelly's parents to buy the house, and they accepted.

I take that back, Michael owning the house wasn't the only difference, it was just the main difference. In addition to Michael buying the house, Dylan and his girlfriend Nicole had finally decided to take their relationship to a higher level and purchased a condo together. They hadn't planned on getting married right away, but they had both talked about starting a family, so the rest of us believed marriage was in the not-too-distant future for them.

I moved from my old bedroom into the master suite formerly occupied by Dylan, and Kelly now shared the slightly larger master suite with Michael. Kelly's old bedroom was converted to a home recording studio, soundproofing and all, and we maintained my old room across the hall as a guest bedroom, which up until the start of the tour had been occupied by Kari ever since she became Kelly's guitar tech.

Three days into our mini break, I was sitting at the breakfast counter in the kitchen, enjoying what Kelly referred to as my morning cup of creamer with a little bit of coffee added in, when she walked in to prepare her own morning cup of coffee. I had been feeling down since we got home and, other than going to see my parents, hadn't really wanted to leave the house. I thought I had been hiding my feelings, telling Kelly and Michael I simply wanted to relax for a few days and enjoy sunning myself by the pool, but Kelly knew me better than that.

"Morning, Hun. What's on your mind?" she asked, as she leaned against the other side of the counter.

"Nada. Just chilling, trying to wake up," I replied.

Not missing a chance to give me a hard time about how much creamer I used in my coffee, she laughed and said, "You know, coffee is more effective at waking you up if you actually drink coffee."

I smiled at her. It wasn't the first time she had poked fun at me, and I knew it wouldn't be the last.

"Seriously, though. What's got you so down these last couple of days?"

I grimaced slightly, realizing she had picked up on my emotions. "I don't know. I guess I'm just missing having Kari around," I said.

Kelly's eyes lit up when I mentioned Kari. "Wait... are you guys an official...?"

"No," I said, interrupting her. "She's just a lot of fun to be around. And a lot of fun to have around, if you get my meaning."

Kelly raised her eyebrows and looked at me dubiously. "So you're saying you're just friends with benefits? No feelings toward each other whatsoever?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. We provide each other with mutual sexual satisfaction. That's it. It isn't my heart that misses her, it's my body." It was the truth. I was still in love with Kelly. But I knew Kelly was never going to give me the time of day, not in the way I desired. And considering she was engaged to my brother; I would never try to seduce her. Besides, I knew full well Michael had kept his own feelings for Kelly hidden for several years because he knew I was in love with her. Once it became known to him Kelly wasn't a lesbian and was, in fact, in love with him, I knew I wasn't going to stand in their way; I wasn't about to do anything to jeopardize their relationship.

"Why don't you just head out and find someone for the night? Or maybe a few nights, until Kari gets here?" she asked.

She meant well, and I knew it, but there were times when I felt she was so naïve about such things.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Because I don't want a one-night stand with someone. I don't even want a two, three, or four-night stand with someone. I don't want to run the risk of hooking up with someone who thought they had fallen madly and deeply in love with me after a couple hours of simple pleasure. Or worse, find myself falling for someone. Not until the tour is over and I have time to focus on developing a relationship."

"Who's to say it wouldn't work out?" Damn, she was being persistent.

"Seriously? Put yourself in my shoes for a minute, Kell. How would you feel if you started to date someone and one or both of you began developing feelings for each other, only to have to tell that person, 'Sorry, Babe, you rock my world, but I gotta go rock the rest of the world for the next 3 months? I hope to see you when I get back'. Knowing you as well as I do, I would venture to guess you'd feel pretty damn shitty. And so would I."

"Point taken," she conceded. "But tell me, how can I get my best friend to stop moping around the house?"

Raising my own eyebrows, mimicking the look she had given me only moments before, I replied. "Unless you can magically make the woman of my dreams appear and sweep me off my feet, pretty much nothing. But I'll try. My hands and fingers might get tired over the next week, but at least Kari will be here next Monday, and I can guarantee I won't be moping around after that."

We shared a laugh before Kelly changed the subject.

"Hey, I was thinking about going to look at wedding dresses today. I think I might need my best friend and Maid of Honor to be there with me to help me choose. What do you say?"

Did she just say what I thought she said? She wants me to be her Maid of Honor? She was my best friend, and I hers, but I had kind of assumed she would ask Dylan's girlfriend Nicole to be her Maid of Honor since Michael had already asked Dylan to be his best man.

"Did you just call me your Maid of Honor?" I asked, genuinely surprised. "Are you asking me to be your Maid of Honor?"

Kelly had a look of surprised confusion on her own face. "Of course. I kind of figured it was assumed. Outside of Michael and my own family, I love you more than anyone in the world. I wouldn't be the woman I am today if not for you. Literally and figuratively. I absolutely want you to be my Maid of Honor. I wouldn't have it any other way," she said, finally smiling.

I was still in shock. "I kind of thought you might ask Nicole to be your Maid of Honor. Dylan is Michael's Best Man, after all."

"I love Nicole to death, but you're my best friend," she said. "I can guarantee she expects me to ask you and isn't going to be offended even the slightest. Besides, I'm going to ask her to be one of my bridesmaids, anyway, so she'll still be involved."

"Then, yes! I would be absolutely honored to stand by your side when you and Michael get married. And yes, I would love to go look at wedding dresses with you."

-- Chapter Four -

Kelly and I spent a good portion of the day, from late morning into mid-afternoon, hitting multiple dress shops and the malls looking for her perfect wedding dress. Ultimately, we ended up going back to one of the first stores we visited, where she settled on an off-the-shoulder sculpting satin dress with a square neckline that accentuated her curves. It was simple - void of beads, lace, or tulle. It was her, and she looked gorgeous in it.

We also spent some time looking at potential bridesmaid's dresses. I liked, and she agreed, styles similar to the wedding dress she had chosen. Ultimately, she told me she would leave specific dress selection up to me and her other bridesmaids after she asked a couple of other people to be part of the wedding party. The only ground rules she set were it had to be purple, as purple was her favorite color, and we all had to match.

We were sitting and having a late lunch downtown, near a club downtown that catered to lesbians, when an idea struck me.

"Hey, Kell, any chance I could talk you into going to a club tonight? Just us girls. Maybe we can invite Nicole. Dylan and Michael can go do whatever they want." I asked, hoping she would say yes, even though I was afraid she would change her mind when I told her the club I had in mind.

"That depends. What is your goal in going to a club?" she asked. Then, holding up her left hand and wiggling her ring finger, "Don't forget. I'm happily engaged to be married in four and a half months. I really don't like the idea of having guys hit on me. Even with this rock on my finger, I still have guys hit on me occasionally."

"What if I can guarantee you won't be hit on by any guys?" I asked, perhaps a little too quickly.

Kelly narrowed her eyes, looking at me the way she did when she was either skeptical about something, or flat out didn't like the idea. "Lauren... what are you suggesting?"

I sighed and slumped my shoulders. "Never mind. Just forget I asked."

"Really, Sweetie... what are you thinking?" she asked, softening her look.

"I was going to suggest the Girlilla Bar," I said, a slight hesitation in my voice.

"The Gurrl... what did you say? Gurr Lilla?"

"Girlilla. Like gorilla, but with girl instead of gor. Girl Illa"

"Never heard of it," she said while shaking her head.

"You wouldn't have." I paused and looked at her seductively before whispering in a low, sultry voice. "It's a lesbian club."

"No way. Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen. I don't even like getting hit on by men who are either blind and can't see I'm wearing an engagement ring, or are total douchebags and just don't care. What the fuck makes you think I want to get hit on by women of the same nature?"

"Come on, Kelly. I swear on our friendship, I'm not going to let anyone do anything to you. I even promise to keep my hands to myself." I gave her about 5 seconds to think about it before coyly adding, "Unless I need to."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean, 'unless I need to'?", she asked, trying to sound indignant in spite of the smile that was giving her away.

"It means if I need to pull you close and gently caress your shoulder or thigh, or possibly even plant a kiss on your lips, to prevent some vulture swooping in and trying to pick up fresh meat, I will. But I swear I would only do it to protect you, not in an attempt to seduce you. And..." My voice trailed off.

"And?"

"And I want you there for my own protection. Protection from myself, not protection from anyone else."

"Sweetie, why would you need protection from yourself?"

"Because of what I said this morning. I'm not in the mood for a one-night-stand, and I'm definitely not out to either have someone think they have fallen in love with me, or worse, have myself think I've fallen in love with them. With you there, you can help me keep myself in check. I just want to check out the new scenery."

"New scenery?" she asked, confused as hell at what I meant.

"I want to see if there are any new girls hanging around the club. Girls I haven't met before. Maybe I'll see one I want to get to know better... AFTER we get back from the tour."

Kelly sat looking at me for what seemed like an eternity before finally speaking. "You promise you aren't going to let anything happen to me?"

"Honey, I swear, if anybody tries to pick you up, I'll hold up your left hand and show them your ring myself. And if you truly feel uncomfortable, you can leave. I'll take an Uber home. You don't even have to wear clubbing clothes if you don't want to."

Kelly looked down at what she was wearing, a crop top t-shirt, leggings, and vans. "Well, I won't be walking into a club looking like this, that's for sure. Nothing sexy, but something still appropriate. And if we can talk Nicole into going, at least I'll have someone I have something in common with. But I swear to God, if you let anything happen to m..."

Before I would let her finish I jumped up from my chair and hugged her tightly. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. I promise, I'll protect you. I know a couple of regulars that... how shall I say this... aren't into girls looking like we do. They'll be happy to help me look after you if I ask them."

I took great pleasure when I told Michael to call Dylan to figure out what they wanted to do that night, because I was going to introduce Kelly to the lesbian world after Kelly and I got home and.

"Like hell you are!" he responded while Kelly and I both laughed.

"Relax, Babe. I'm just going to make sure Lauren doesn't get into any trouble herself. She already promised she would look after me and make sure nobody tries to sweep me off my feet and convert me," she said before giving him a kiss to reassure him.

"Well, looks like I'm going to be all alone tonight, then," he said, plopping himself down on the couch. "I just talked to Dylan a little while ago. He and Nicole are going out on a date tonight."

"Looks like it's just us, then," I said to Kelly.

"Yeah. Just us." She smiled, but I could see in her eyes she was feeling a little apprehensive again.

-- Chapter Five -

Kelly and I got to the club around 8:00. That was considered early, as things didn't really start happening until 9:30 or 10:00. I spent some time introducing Kelly to some of the regulars, making sure they knew she was not only straight and off-limits, but she was also very engaged to my youngest brother. More than a couple of the women looked Kelly up and down suggestively or let their gaze linger for longer than I thought was appropriate, but none of them tried to put the moves on her.

When more people started showing up at the club later in the evening, I found myself having to fend off advances of other women for both of us. I could tell Kelly was starting to feel uncomfortable, and I didn't want to add to that discomfort by actually insinuating to the other women that we were together. Other than taking her by the hand as we moved from one area of the club to an area toward the back that was quieter and a little more private, I kept my hands off her.

It was after moving to this other area of the club that Kelly almost turned and bolted out the door. As we found an empty table and were headed toward it, a hand reached out and grabbed Kelly by her arm, spinning her around and pulling her in for a tight embrace.

"Kelly! Lauren! I never thought I would run into you two here together. Well... honestly... I never thought I would run into Kelly here, period. Oh my God! Did something happen between you and Michael?"

It was Meghan, Michael's ex-girlfriend and almost fiancée. We had all remained good friends after their breakup, and Kelly had even mentioned she intended to ask Meghan to be one of her bridesmaids. She was close to Meghan before the whole thing on New Year's Eve, and they had managed to become even closer friends after. Michael said, and Meghan even later confirmed, it was her idea for them to call it quits because of how she knew he felt about Kelly. But of all the people I never expected to see here, Meghan was probably number two on the list, right below Kelly. And if the look on Kelly's face was any indication, she was even more surprised to see Meghan here than I was.

"No, everything's good between them," I said, holding Kelly's hand up to show Meghan the ring that had originally been intended for her. "But what are YOU doing here?"

Meghan quickly looked around the club as if searching for someone before replying. "Do you mind if we sit and talk?"

We took a seat at the table Kelly and I had been heading for. We spent a few minutes catching up, with Meghan genuinely interested in hearing about how the tour was going, how Kelly's wedding plans were going, and how everybody else, including Michael, was doing. Kelly used this opportunity to ask Meghan if she would be willing to be one of her bridesmaids and to tell her she had just bought her wedding dress. They even made plans for Meghan to come along with us the next time she headed in for a fitting, as the dress needed to be altered a bit to accommodate her petite body.

It was nice catching up with Meghan, but she was acting like we hadn't seen each other in years, and it had only been three months. I repeated my question from right before we sat down. "Why are you here, Meghan? Aside from Kelly topping the list of people I never would have expected to be here, you're easily number two on that list. Hell, I would even expect to see Nicole in here before I ever ran into you."

Meghan gave us a look that was somewhere between nervous and relief before answering. "Well, the truth is, I was sort of relieved when I walked out to the patio on New Year's Eve and heard everything that was being said. I'm not sure things with Michael would have lasted."

"What do you mean?" I asked, completely torn between being relieved myself, or being angry with the woman my brother almost proposed to.

"What I mean is, I was curious. About my sexuality. And I probably would have said yes if he had actually proposed. But I don't know if the marriage would have lasted. Hell, I don't even know if the engagement would have lasted. Don't get me wrong, I loved him dearly. I still do. But I think we're both better off with the way things turned out." She stopped speaking and smiled at Kelly. "And I honestly mean it when I say I couldn't be happier that you are who Michael is ending up with."

I couldn't help but smile. This was a woman I loved like a sister, who came very close to becoming my sister-in-law, and who I never in a million years would have thought was into women. Before Kelly came out of her shell and started presenting herself as the beautiful woman she is, I would have put Meghan at the top of that list of people I wouldn't expect to see here. But here she was. And she was looking hot.

"Anyway, after Michael and I broke things off, I looked at it as an opportunity to explore the feelings that had already begun to surface. And I have come to the conclusion that I'm bisexual. I love men and how protected I feel when I'm in the arms of a man, but I also love the gentleness of a woman. In fact, I was supposed to be meeting someone I met online here tonight, but she was supposed to be here almost an hour ago and I'm afraid I've been stood up."

It kind of broke my heart to hear her say that. If I would have known she had these feelings sooner, I may have been able to warn her that she could be stood up by a woman just as easily as she could be stood up by a man. Lord knows I had been on both ends myself, having been stood up and also doing the standing up on a couple of occasions. But no sooner had she said she was afraid she had been stood up, and a very pretty Mexican woman walked up to our table.

"I'm so sorry, Meghan. There was an accident on the freeway. I tried calling and texting, but you didn't respond. I was afraid you had already given up on me."

Meghan reached in her purse and pulled out her phone. "Oh my God, Vanessa. I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't even know I had my phone on silent." She turned the phone toward us so we could see the icon on her phone indicating it was silenced, along with two notifications indicating missed calls from Vanessa as well as two text messages from her.

Meghan stood and she and Vanessa exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheek while telling each other how happy they were to finally meet in person. I thought it was kind of cute, but when I looked at Kelly, she was just rolling her eyes at the scene. I knew she didn't mean anything negative by it, because she had always been very supportive of me ever since I came out, and had other gay and lesbian friends. I think Kelly was probably just thinking the same thing many people think when they see two people showing public displays of affection - get a room, you two.

After Vanessa took a seat, introductions were made. She was amazed at the fact Kelly was not only straight, but had also become engaged to the man who had almost asked Meghan to marry him. She was completely befuddled at the fact Meghan and Kelly could even be in the same room with each other, let alone still be close friends.

"In the long run, I think things have worked out," Meghan said to Vanessa. "If Michael had asked me to marry him, then I probably wouldn't have had the chance to meet you."

As the four of us were sitting there, chatting over a cocktail, I had to fend off two separate women on behalf of Kelly. While Meghan and Vanessa were making goo-goo eyes at each other, making it obvious they were together, Kelly and I looked like we were simply along for the ride. To some of the women, seeing two friends together who obviously weren't a couple was like an open invitation.

Even though Meghan and Vanessa were continuing to check each other out, even sharing a kiss or two, they made it known Kelly and I were more than welcome to stay at the table, as they were both enjoying our company. But I could tell Kelly was becoming uncomfortable with the advances toward her that were being made by other women in the club.

Praying she would pick up on the hint I was about to drop, I asked, "Hey, Kell, didn't you say something earlier about having a meeting tomorrow morning with that exec at the record company regarding the timeline for your follow-up album?"

Like a champ, she knew exactly what I was doing and she didn't miss a beat with her response. "Yeah, at 8am." Then, looking at her phone, "Shit! It's already 12:30!"

"Hey, if you want to take off, I can just grab an Uber home," I said, continuing to lay the groundwork for her escape.

"Are you sure? It wouldn't be the first time I've had to get up after only a few hours' sleep."

"Oh, Kelly, if you have to leave, we totally understand," Meghan interjected. "Don't worry about Lauren, I'm sure we can drop her off on the way back to my place, it isn't out of the way." She looked at Vanessa, as if asking if that was okay with her.

"Absolutely. It was nice meeting you. Good luck with the rest of your tour, and congratulations on your pending nuptials," Vanessa said as she gave Kelly a gentle hug.

"I'm going to walk her out to her car. I'll be right back," I said to Meghan and Vanessa before grabbing Kelly by the hand and pulling her through the club.

When we got to the car, I apologized for talking her into coming out and putting her in an uncomfortable situation.

"Oh, Sweetie, don't worry about that. In all honesty, I did have a little fun. I really enjoyed seeing you run interference for me." She smiled, and I could see in her eyes she was telling me the truth, not just trying to make me feel better.

"Thank you."

"No, thank YOU for getting me out of here. That line about me having a meeting was genius."

"No, the real genius was you with how quickly you picked up on what I was trying to do. Now, drive safe and text me when you get home. Don't worry about me, I'm going to behave. I only saw one woman in there who really caught my eye tonight, and she's obviously enjoying her date and didn't even notice me. So I'll probably just go back and chat with Meghan and Vanessa for a while. I'll see you in the morning. Love you." I gave Kelly a hug and a quick, friendly kiss on her cheek, and sent her on her way before heading back into the club.

-- Chapter Six -

If Kelly was surprised to see Meghan in the club, then I can't even begin to explain the look on her face when she saw Meghan walk into the kitchen with me at 11:30 the following morning. And the look on Michael's face was just as priceless.

"What... the fuck?" he asked, completely dumbfounded.

"And good morning to you, dear brother," I said, planting a kiss on his cheek. "I take it Kelly didn't mention we ran into Meghan at the club last night?"

"No, she didn't," he said, giving her confused look.

"I didn't think it was any of my business. If Meghan wanted us to know, she would have told us herself when she was ready. Besides, she was there with that girl Vanessa." Kelly leaned her head to the side, as if expecting Vanessa to walk in behind us.

"Vanessa isn't here," Meghan said, somewhat sadly. "It wasn't going to work between us."

"What happened?" Kelly asked.

"Long story short, Vanessa's ex showed up with flowers and begged her to go back to her. Vanessa gave in and, well... here I am." Meghan said.

"So you two...", Kelly's voice began to trail off.

Meghan and I started to laugh, and before Kelly could ask what I knew she was thinking, "Hooked up? No. Vanessa brought me home from the club, like she said she would. It was 2:30 in the morning, she was upset with how things went down with Vanessa, and I offered her a shoulder to cry on. We talked for a while after we got here, but she slept in the guest room. Nothing happened between us." Then Kelly surprised me.

"Why not?" she asked.

Vanessa answered for me. "Because we already care too much for each other - as friends. Neither of us was willing to jeopardize our friendship over a quick fling."

"Not that we didn't consider it," I finished for her. "But she's right. We talked, and we decided we would keep our options open, but now wasn't the time to exercise those options. Don't forget, we're back on the road in just over two weeks, and a month after we get home, you guys get married, so I'm sure I'm going to be tied down helping Kelly with getting the wedding planned."

"Speaking of which, we need to get going," Michael said as he stood up. Other than his initial reaction when we walked in, he had remained silent. "We're meeting with a couple of caterers this afternoon, then we're going to order the invitations."

Kelly stood up with him and as they said their goodbyes, Meghan said she had to leave also, as she had to work a mid-shift at the hospital that day.

"I'll give you a call before we head back out on the road. We'll do lunch. You, me, Nicole, and Kari after she gets here. We can make a day of it and go look for bridesmaid dresses. I already have a couple of ideas that will look great on us," I said to her before she left.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll call you early next week. And Lauren... thanks for listening. It meant the world to me." With that, Nicole headed out the door and I was left alone.

I headed to my room, intending to take a shower, get dressed, then promptly plop my butt on the couch to watch some TV all afternoon. I entered my room and made the sharp right to my walk-in closet and "Wham!" walked face first into a door that wasn't supposed to be there. I normally left the door open, and I didn't remember closing it. In fact, I distinctly remembered looking into the closet as I walked out of the room just a few minutes earlier. But after rubbing my nose, which was now in considerable pain, I noticed it wasn't my closet door.

"What the hell?

"I need your help, Lauren. Please, open the door."

I heard the voice, but the voice sounded as if it was inside my head, not inside the closet.

"Who said that?"

"I did. Now open the door. As I said, I need your help."

"Who are you?" I asked. "And why are you in my closet?"

"Oh dear, is that where I've materialized?"

"Apparently. Now, who are you? And why are you speaking to me in my head?"

"Lauren, please, open the door. I assure you; you are not in any danger. But I am prohibited from opening the door myself nor can I speak to you directly until you have opened it."

I wasn't sure what was going on, but there was something eerily familiar about the situation. Didn't Kelly tell me a door had mysteriously appeared between Tony's Pizza and The Nightowl the night she met Esmeralda? Could this be her, sent to help me?

"Esmeralda?" I asked, tentatively.

"Yes, Lauren. The very same who was sent to help Kelly. Now open the door."

"Why did you appear here, and not the same place you appeared for Kelly?" I asked, unsure if I was dreaming.

"The Door appears at a time and place convenient to the one who must open it. I have no control over when or where it will appear. Just open the damn door!" Her frustration began to reverberate in my head. And the pain in my nose, although subsiding, was telling me I wasn't dreaming. I had actually walked face-first into the door now standing before me.

I reached for the doorknob, turned it, and hesitantly pushed it open. Before me stood one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Kelly was right when she said Kari looked enough like Esmeralda to have been a relative. She had similar, sparkling emerald green eyes. Her hair, as black as night, was long and curly, with curls draping the delicate features of her face. Her fingernails were neatly manicured and painted black, matching her hair.

"Thank you," she said as she stepped past me into my room. Instead of the closet full of clothes I expected to see behind her, all I saw was a small, dimly lit room, the only light coming from a small oil lamp on a table in the back.

"Kelly wasn't kidding when she described you," I said. "In fact, I would daresay you're even more beautiful than she described."

"Thank you, but there will be time for compliments later. For now, I must know what today's date is. And the time. I must know the precise time."

I looked at the alarm clock on the side of my bed. "11:42 in the morning on July 30th. Wednesday," I replied.

She did a quick calculation in her head. "11:42 on August 9th, remember that."

"What's significant about 11:42 on August 9th?" I asked.

Esmeralda took a seat at the foot of my bed. "Come, Lauren, sit. I have much to explain."

-- Chapter Seven --

I took a seat next to Esmeralda and she explained how some mirror she called The Mirror of the Wronged was responsible for assigning a group she called The Bound to assist people she referred to as The Wronged. She went on to explain how she was serving a sentence to a group called The Council, who had saved her from certain death. She finished by telling me this mirror always showed a sort of scene of The Wronged after she helped them, only when the scene of Kelly faded, it quickly reappeared, focusing on me. Except I wasn't The Wronged. I was apparently something she referred to as The Lock.

"So you telling me you weren't sent to help..."

"You?" she interrupted. "No, you are The Lock. Only you can be unlocked by The Key, and only when you are unlocked will the mistake The Wronged faces be corrected."

"So there is a person I need to fall in love with, but before I can understand I'm in love with that person, some other person needs to profess their love for me?" I asked.

"No. Maybe. I'm not sure. This is one of the problems with the assignment The Mirror has given me. I am merely saying you are The Lock. Someone or something, The Key, merely needs to unlock you, and when you are unlocked, The Wronged will be free of the burden they carry. So it may involve love, but it may be much simpler than that."

"Wait. Didn't Kelly tell me she only had three days to find The Key, me, that would unlock the lock, my brother? Why August 9th? That's 10 days from now."

"Under normal circumstances, yes, The Wronged only has three days. But because The Mirror did not identify who The Wronged is, instead focusing on you - The Lock - The Council made me an offer I could not say no to." As she mentioned the offer, a look of dread overtook her face and she paled.

"What was this offer?"

She sighed. "As I explained to Kelly when I was sent to help her, I was sentenced to wear a chain of 300 links. You cannot see it, but I assure you, it's there. For every time I have successfully helped The Wronged, a link has been broken, lessening my own burden. For every failure, and there have been a few, I have had a new link added. When I helped Kelly, The Council was pleased. They told me the potion I used was beyond anything they had thought of. And if I chose to use the potion again, even once, they would remove two links for that and every future success, even if I only created a potion one more time. However, failure would mean two links would be added. As a token of their good faith, they removed two links for my success with Kelly. I have but 30 links left until my sentence to The Council is fulfilled."

"So we need to figure out who this person is that needs your help so you can give them a potion, then find a key that will unlock me so I can save them?"

She smiled before replying. "You make it sound so simple, but, no. While using a potion may indeed end up being viable option, there is no need for it this time. And the offer of the removal of two links is no longer valid due to the new offer The Council made. My success, potion or not, will see the complete removal of my binding chain and my sentence complete. I will be given the choice to become a member of what is called The Boundless - a group of former members of The Bound - and continue to serve The Council in other ways. Doing so will mean I will never walk this earthly plane again, never to experience human contact.

"My other option, should I choose, would see me returned to any point following a successful assignment where I have helped a member of The Wronged. I could return here, for instance. However, my powers will be stripped, and I would live a normal life, aging, and eventually dying, as any mortal would."

I nodded my head as she spoke, beginning to understand how important it was for her to succeed. "And if you fail?" I asked.

"If I fail, then I will be doomed to an existence as a member of The Forgotten, a group of individuals condemned to experience nothingness for all eternity. Never speaking, never hearing, never sleeping, yet never awake. And never experiencing contact with any other individual, in this plane of existence or my own. I will essentially exist without existing, aware of myself without being aware of others."

I took in what she said, my own sense of dread forming on her behalf. Suddenly, realizing I had interrupted her, I spoke. "I'm sorry. I keep interrupting you. I didn't let you fully explain ten days instead of three, like Kelly had."

"It's quite alright," she smiled. "The Council has granted me privileges they normally do not grant. If they do, it is usually at the cost of additional links added to the chain of The Bound. Because this situation is so unusual, and The Wronged is unknown, The Council has permitted me to live in this plane of existence for up to ten days. If I am not able to successfully find and help The Wronged before those ten days are up, then I fail and I become a member of The Forgotten. But once I find The Wronged, once I have started them on the path to find The Key and tell them how to unlock you, I will be called back, unable to provide any further assistance."

"If you already know how to unlock me, then why not do so?" I asked.

"That's just it. Without knowing the identity of The Wronged, I don't know what it is about you that is keeping them locked."

Still unsure if I understood everything, I asked, "What about me? What happens to me if you fail? And everybody else?"

She caught me off guard when she looked into my eyes and smiled before reaching up to gently stroke the side of my face. I would be lying if I said her touch didn't send electrifying pulses through my body. "You are safe. As is The Key. If we are unable to determine the identity of The Wronged, or if we do and The Wronged refuses my help, then they are safe, as well. But if they choose to accept my help, then they will be bound by the same rules as all others, having only three days to find The Key to unlock you. Else, all traces of them will be removed from existence."

Regardless of the way she reached up to stroke the side of my face, I knew I had to be getting on her nerves with the way I kept interrupting and asking even more questions. But even though her answers were somewhat confusing, I still found myself fascinated by what she was saying and I wanted to know more. "Why didn't Kelly disappear? It was at least an hour and a half after her 72-hour mark before Michael actually told her he loved her."

Esmeralda looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before responding. "I'm afraid this may confuse you further, as I didn't even understand how the events played out myself, but I will explain if you promise not to interrupt while I do so." I nodded my agreement before she continued.

"I didn't learn this until after the fact, but apparently Kelly was safe from being erased from existence the very moment she awoke from her metamorphosis. When I provided Kelly with the solution to her problem, the ability to transform herself into the female she was supposed to have been at birth, I knew all those around her would have their memories altered. I believed it would be in such a way that would have them always knowing her as the girl she now was. I hadn't taken into consideration the possibility some of their own memories might be altered. Michael's memories of Kelly, and your own, became memories of a woman you both loved very much. So when I told Kelly she needed to make Michael fall in love with her for the solution to her problem to become complete, I didn't know he would already be in love with her. It certainly would have made things much easier for her to deal with."

"Why was I needed if Michael was already in love with Kelly? It sounds to me like he was already in love with her."

She smiled at me again, as parent would when a young child was trying to satisfy their curiosities. "At that point, you technically weren't needed. Kelly would have continued to live her life as a woman, hopefully finding happiness one day. But you still served as the catalyst that opened the opportunity for Michael to profess his love to Kelly. Sacrificing your love for Kelly so your brother might have the opportunity to confess his own is nothing to take lightly."

I didn't take it lightly. In fact, considering I was still in love with my future sister-in-law, it was something that weighed very heavily on me. "Trust me, I don't take it lightly. I'm still in love with her, although things are getting easier by the day, and in that regard, I'm healing in my own way."

"I'm truly sorry for the way things turned out. Had I known the potion would alter the memories of others the way it did, I would have taken precautions to prevent your own... preferences... from changing."

It was my turn to smile at her. "Oh, you don't need to apologize for that. Trust me, I'm not complaining. From the memories Kelly was able to share of her former self, I apparently very much prefer the company of women."

She was silent for a moment as she appeared to process what I had just told her. Then, after clearing her throat, "Do you have any other questions?"

"Just one. What if I refuse to help?"

She narrowed her eyes and stared, then smiled slyly before responding. "That is your prerogative, of course. But I am sure I can find some way to thank you for your assistance in this matter. As I said, The Council has granted me free reign, within reason, to do as I see necessary to accomplish this task."

With the memory of her soft touch, and the arousal it immediately brought, still fresh in my mind, I was already thinking of one way this mysteriously beautiful woman could thank me. Maybe it was the way she touched my face, or the way she reminded me of Kari, I wasn't sure, but I found myself drawn to her.

And the truth was, I wanted to help Esmeralda, whether she thanked me or not. She helped Kelly find happiness. And by extension, she helped my brother find happiness, too. Perhaps she would find a way for me to find happiness.

-- Chapter Eight -

Esmeralda and I continued to chat for a little while longer. She saw the fascination in my eyes as she spoke about her strange existence, and shared with me how she had been saved from certain death by The Council during the Salem Witch Trials. I had remembered reading about them as a kid, and had even watched a couple of documentaries about them as an adult. It was just one of those things I found fascinating, along with ghosts and UFOs. And here I was, sitting next to an actual witch who had lived through the trials.

I glanced down and saw I was still in the pajamas I had slept in. Remembering the reason I had originally come into my room in the first place, and I stood up and told Esmeralda I needed a shower and a change of clothes, and told her to relax, as I would only be a few minutes. I had no intention of going out, so I wasn't planning on putting any makeup on.

As I turned toward my bathroom, I caught the doorway of the closet out of the corner of my eye. The strange door from which Esmeralda had emerged was gone. I looked back to my bed, and she was still sitting there, appearing to be lost in thought. I decided I would ask her about it after I showered.

Esmeralda hadn't moved while I was in the shower. As I walked into my room and headed for the closet, I asked her about The Door.

She looked up, startled, before relaxing and answering. "The Door has served its purpose. I assume it will come for me when my mission is accomplished or my time is up."

Her eyes lingered on me for a moment as I dropped my towel and donned a pair of underwear and a sports bra, followed by a pair of scrunch shorts. She continued watching me with interest as I sat at my vanity and brushed my hair, then pulled it up into a high ponytail.

"Forgive me for being forward," she said, "but you are a very beautiful woman."

I smiled at her through the reflection in my mirror. "Thank you. You're very beautiful, yourself. You remind me of a close friend. Her name is Kari. She's Kelly's guitar tech. She went home to Orlando for a break, but she'll be here in a few days. In fact, Kelly hired her partially because she said she reminded her of you. Now that I've met you myself, I can see the resemblance. She has those same mesmerizing emerald green eyes and beautiful, long, curly black hair. Perhaps you'll get to meet her if we haven't found The Wronged yet."

"Why do I detect she is more than a close friend?", she asked, meeting my eyes through our reflection.

I blushed. "I guess you could say we're lovers."

"So you are in love with her?"

I finished putting a hair tie around my ponytail and turned to face her. "No, it's not like that. We are not in love with each other, we simply find a certain comfort in each other."

Esmeralda looked at me blankly, as if trying to comprehend what I had just said.

"We have sex with each other when the urge arises. Nothing more."

"Then you do not love her. She is merely an object of desire."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes and no. I suppose you could say I am very fond of her, perhaps even love her as a person. So I do not simply see her as an object of desire. But I am not in love with her. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Why not?" she asked, continuing to press me about Kari.

"Well, for starters, Kari lives on the other side of the country. She'll stay here when she gets here while we're prepping for the second part of the tour, but her contract only goes through the end of the tour, and I'm sure she will probably return home after it's over. There's always a possibility Kelly will opt to bring her back, but that may not be for a couple of years or more, depending on when their next tour is. She'll come back for Kelly and Michael's wedding, because I'm pretty sure Kelly is going to ask her to be one of her bridesmaids, but there is no reason for her to stay here permanently when her home is in Orlando."

"Are you not reason enough for her to stay here? Or is she not enough reason for you to go to her?"

"No. I have my life here, and she has her life there. And I already told you, we aren't in love with each other, we simply enjoy each other's company."

"I see," she said, simply. Then, while looking down at her own emerald green silk blouse and long, flowing black skirt and changing the subject, she asked, "Do you perhaps have something different I can wear? The Mirror was so quick to issue me a new assignment I didn't have time to change into something more appropriate."

Her question and statement caught me by surprise. I had assumed she always dressed in this manner, seeing as she was a witch. As if reading my mind, she continued. "I normally dress in a style I deem appropriate for the situation in which I am going to meet The Wronged. I do not always appear as a fortune teller."

"Sorry, I just assumed this was how you always dressed."

"Oh no. I am quite familiar with clothing and grooming styles of the eras in which I appear. I simply felt the manner in which I met Kelly called for what you see."

I nodded my head in understanding. "Gotcha. Out of curiosity, how old are you, anyway?"

"I was born November 26th in the year 1665. In your plane of existence, that would make me 359, almost 360. In actuality, I am 26 years old, for my aging stopped the moment The Council pulled me from this plane in May of 1692, just before the trials began."

"Wow. That's one hell of a fountain of youth. You would be the envy of every woman in the world. Probably the men, too."

"Oh, it certainly has its advantages, but there are drawbacks, too. There have been many instances where The Wronged did not take me seriously due to my youthful appearance."

"Yeah," I said, nodding my head. "I can see how that could actually be a problem. Anyway, clothes. Stand up, I need to get an idea of your size to see whether I have anything that might fit."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. Whatever you choose will conform to my body."

She saw the surprised look on my face. "I'm a witch, Lauren. Furthermore, The Council has granted me additional powers. I can do a great many things, including change my appearance if I see fit."

My look of surprise turned to amazement. "So am I looking at the real Esmeralda? Or is this simply the form you chose to take when you were sent to help Kelly?"

"Oh, this is very much my natural appearance. I would only change my appearance if I need to. I can also remain in my natural form to those I choose, but appear differently to everyone else. However, a mirror's reflection would show my true identity, so I would need to be very careful." To demonstrate, she waved her hand in front of her face while muttering a word I couldn't understand. Right before my eyes, her hair went from being deep black and curly, to wavy blonde, and her eyes went from being emerald green to a deep, sapphire blue. "Look," she said, pointing to my mirror. Staring back at us in the mirror was the Esmeralda I had met, hair and eyes unchanged.

"Whoa! That's insane!" She reverted to her natural appearance as I told her to help herself to anything in my closet, adding, "We can go raid Kelly's closet, also, if you prefer. Our styles are similar, but she does have a few things you might like."

"I'm sure you will have something appropriate," she said as she began to rummage through my closet. "Speaking of Kelly, is she here?"

"No. She and Michael went to speak with a couple of caterers, then look at invitations for their wedding. They'll probably be back in three or four hours, at the most."

"It is very important Kelly is alone when we let her know I am back. Not simply alone; there can be nobody else present who knows her and might hear her if she reacts the way I suspect she will. And we can't run the risk of her saying something that would give my true identity away," she said, the serious tone of her voice matching that of the look on her face.

"Don't worry about that. I can either get her out of the house to meet us someplace, or I can easily convince Michael to go pick up food or something and get him out of the house for a while. Whichever you prefer," I told her.

"It would probably be better to get Michael out of the house for a while. I don't want to risk Kelly fainting out of shock when she sees me. It shouldn't take long to talk to her and impress upon her the importance of keeping my true identity a secret from those around you."

"No problem. I can even send her a text in a little while to get an update on how their day is going to get a feel of when they might be headed home."

"Yes, that might work." Changing the subject, she held up a pair of shorts and a tank top. "How's this?"

"Perfect," I said.

I couldn't help but stare at her perfect body as she changed out of her own clothes and into the ones she had chosen. She appeared to be close to me in size. Perhaps an inch shorter, with ever-so-slightly wider hips and a bosom that matched my own. I was jealous. I worked hard to keep my body in shape, and I knew that over time, age would eventually catch up to me. And this goddess of a woman would be able to maintain her figure for all eternity.

-- Chapter Nine -

Esmeralda and I spent a good part of the afternoon sitting across from each other in the living room, discussing who The Wronged might be.

"There are over 8 billion people in this world, Esmeralda. How are we going to narrow down 8 billion to one individual?" I asked.

"Fortunately, we don't have to. You are The Lock, so The Wronged must be known to you, or will hopefully become known to you within the next 10 days. Not simply a person you have met in passing, The Wronged must be, or will be, someone you know well, not just an acquaintance."

Picking up a notepad in one hand and pen in the other, Esmeralda asked me to name the people in my circle family and friends, writing down names and my relationship with them as I went through the through the list of people I was closest to, from Kelly, my siblings and my parents, all the way through the members of the band we were touring with.

"I believe we can rule out Kelly and Michael," she said. "As well as the members of the other band you are touring with. Except for possibly, what did you say his name was... the one you mentioned you were closest to? Owen? But before I get ahead of myself, do you know of any problems any of your other brothers or your parents might be facing? Or Kelly's brother or her parents?"

I shook my head. "Not that I can think of. My parents and Kelly's parents are still very happily married. My brother Spencer's girlfriend, Nancy, went on tour with us. Steven is living his dream of being a rock star. Kelly's brother Dylan and his girlfriend Nicole recently bought a condo together, so I don't think there is anything wrong on that front."

"Remember, Lauren, the issue The Wronged faces may not have anything to do with love. It could simply be a decision they are faced with, a decision that will change the course of their life."

"I get that, but I still don't think any of them are faced with any issues. Our families are very close to one another, almost like we are all one single family, because essentially, we are." I completely understood Esmeralda, that the problem The Wronged had to deal with, or would deal with, didn't have anything to do with love. But if there was anything else, even something as mundane as trying to decide on which new refrigerator to buy, they would tell us.

"There is something about Meghan, though. It might be related to love, so don't crucify me for suggesting it and don't presume I'm not trying to think outside of the box."

"And that is?"

I don't know why I was slightly embarrassed to tell her, but I was. "She has discovered women - in an intimate manner. And last night she was supposed to have a sort of blind date with a woman she met online. Except before their date really had a chance to get started, this woman's ex showed up and begged for another chance, leaving Meghan basically high and dry."

Esmeralda looked thoughtfully at the list of names I had given her. "That might be it. Can you arrange for us to meet Meghan? The sooner, the better."

"I can certainly try. She's supposed to call me next Monday or Tuesday so we can set up a lunch date with Nicole. We're probably going to go look at bridesmaid dresses together."

"Is there any way you can set up an earlier meeting? It can be with Nicole, as well. There might be something I'll be able to sense about her, even if you can't think of anything." She was trying unsuccessfully to hide the urgency in her voice.

"Yeah, I can try. I know Meghan has to work until this evening, and possibly tomorrow, but I can see if she's available Friday or Saturday." I replied. I knew time was of the essence, and Esmeralda didn't want to waste five or six days waiting until we could talk with Meghan.

We continued discussing the remaining names on the list, beginning with Owen. I explained in more detail how Owen had split from his girlfriend before the tour started, then showed interest in me after we got to know each other better. I told her he and Kari had a brief fling, but broke things off with her after he learned Kari was bisexual and told him she wanted to have a threesome with him and me. I couldn't tell if the look on Esmeralda's face was one of fascination or confusion as I explained the relationship, as she sat with her mouth agape and her eyes widening.

"Remarkable," she said, finally. "I must find time to experience modern relationships on my own. I only had the opportunity to enjoy the company of men before I began my sentence, and truth be told, I have been looking forward to being able to spend eternity with one man in particular. But I must admit, relations between women, not to mention a woman and a man at the same time, sounds... intriguing, to say the least."

"Sweetheart, I would be happy to let you explore me," I thought to myself as I tried not to let myself become lost in her eyes.

"I don't want to rule Owen out just yet. When can you arrange a meeting with him?" she asked, causing me to immediately push the carnal thoughts of her from my mind.

"He'll be here next Tuesday. His band is coming down from Los Angeles for a couple of days to discuss some things with our band about set lists for the second part of the tour, but I don't think I can get him here any sooner."

"That will have to do. Hopefully you will be able to arrange something with Meghan before then."

"Kari will also be flying in Sunday morning, if that helps," I offered.

"Yes. It does." Esmeralda suddenly froze and held a finger up to her lips, signaling me to remain quiet. "I must hide. Kelly and Michael have returned." Before I even had a chance to ask her how she knew, she stood up and ran to my room.

-- Chapter Ten --

No sooner was Esmeralda out of site, hidden safely in my bedroom, and Kelly and Michael walked in the door.

I sat up on the couch and stretched, feigning as though I had been asleep. "Hey, you two! How did it go?"

Kelly's eyes lit up. "Well, we think we have our caterer picked out, and...." She reached in her purse, pulled out a small envelope, and handed it to me. "Tell me what you think of this. It's just a sample. I want to run the wording by my parents before I actually order them."

I opened the envelope. It was a mockup of a wedding invitation. It was beautifully designed, with purple, lavender, and white roses, and the wording,

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Everett D'Angelo

Request the pleasure of your company

At the marriage of their daughter

Kelly Taylor D'Angelo

To

Michael Robert Seese

Saturday, the Thirteenth of December

Two Thousand Twenty-Five

At half past Five o'clock in the evening

The D'Angelo Residence

9257 Southwest Normandy Way

San Diego, California

Cocktails, Dinner and Dancing

Immediately Following the Ceremony

I handed the mockup back to her and smiled. "I think they're beautiful, but tell me about the caterer. What are you going to be feeding me?"

Kelly and Michael both laughed. "Well, we're going with Italian food. Antipasto salad with a traditional Italian Wedding Soup to start, followed by either lobster risotto or spaghetti with Bolognese sauce, then your choice of either chicken piccata, Tuscan Salmon, or eggplant parmigiana. Dessert will be wedding cake, of course."

"Sounds delish. Of course, now I'm hungry for Italian food. Or even just a pizza," I said, planting the idea in their heads so I could try to talk Michael into going and picking up food so I could let Kelly know Esmeralda was here.

As if he was reading my mind, Michael spoke up. "You must be my sister. I was thinking the same thing. Something tells me marrying an Italian woman going to make me fat someday."

"Oh, please. My great-great grandfather came from Italy and promptly married an Irish woman. You're probably more German than I am Italian. In fact, I'm probably more Irish than I am Italian, given my mom's side of the family is almost entirely Irish." Kelly replied, laughing.

"Whatever," he continued. "What'll it be?"

Kelly and I looked at each other before turning to Michael and saying in unison, "Tony's."

Michael looked at his watch. "You know Tony's doesn't take phone orders and they make everything fresh. With the drive over, the time it'll take for the order to be done, and the drive back, we're looking at an hour and a half or so before we can eat, minimum," he protested.

"Yes, but you love us," I said. "Besides, it's only 3:30. That will be perfect."

"Yeah, I suppose I do. Although right now I think I'm leaning heavily toward 'strongly like' in your case," he said to me playfully. "Okay, you got me convinced. What'll it be?"

Kelly and I gave Michael our order and he headed out the door.

"Whew. That was close," I said as I closed the door behind him.

Kelly looked at me questioningly as she gave me an odd look. "What do you mean? What was close?"

Had I said too much already? Looking her in the eyes, I took a deep breath and asked her to follow me to my room.

As we were headed down the hall, I hesitantly began to speak. "Do you remember New Year's Day, when you told me you wished you could thank Esmeralda for what she did for you?"

"Really? How could I forget? I will never forget what she did for me," she responded.

"Well, here's your chance," I said as we turned the corner into my room.

Before I could say another word, I saw an instant look of recognition in Kelly's eyes. She pushed past me and ran to the woman who was now standing in the middle of my room.

"ESMERALDA! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she yelled as she embraced Esmeralda tightly. "I didn't think I would ever have a chance to thank you."

"Neither did I, Kelly. And I must say, you have turned out far more beautiful than I saw in The Mirror. Your happiness adds to your beauty, you know," Esmeralda said, smiling and returning Kelly's embrace.

"How are you here? WHY are you here? There isn't something else wrong with me, is there? Or Michael?"

"No. No, not with you."

Kelly looked at me. "Then...."

"No, not with Lauren, either. I assure you, both of you are safe. As is Michael. No, Lauren is The Lock this time. Come. Sit. I have much to tell you."

I sat with them, listening intently as Esmeralda filled Kelly in on why she was here. After she was finished, Kelly looked to me.

"You have no idea of who The Wronged might be? Or The Key to unlock you?" she asked.

"None. We have a couple of ideas, but beyond that, we're at a loss," I answered.

She turned her attention back to Esmeralda. "And we can't tell anybody about you?"

"We can, but we can't let them know my true purposes for being here. And how are we going to explain my sudden appearance and familiarity with you? You and Michael have quite literally lived next to each other or with each other your entire life. Not to mention your own brother. How would you explain the sudden appearance of this friend who, for all intents and purposes, they should have already known themselves?"

"Makes sense," Kelly frowned. Turning back to me, she asked, "You got any ideas?"

Before I could answer, my phone dinged, telling me I had a new message. It was from Meghan.

"Hey, I know I said next week, but I'm having a shitty shift and tomorrow isn't looking too good either. I'm gonna need to chill and unwind. You free Friday night?"

Before replying back, I looked at Kelly and Esmeralda, smiling slyly. "I didn't, but I think one just came to me." I quickly explained my idea to Esmeralda and Kelly.

"Yes. That will work. It will give me a chance to meet Meghan for myself, and if I show up with you afterward, Kelly and Michael wouldn't be too surprised."

"Are you sure you want to take her there, Lauren?" Kelly asked.

"I'm pretty sure Esmeralda can handle herself. And Meghan would be less likely to ask questions if she saw me with Esmeralda at The Girlilla than if she suddenly popped up with me somewhere else."

Kelly knew I had a point. If Meghan saw us at the Girlilla, she would just assume one of us had picked up on the other. If Esmeralda suddenly joined us for lunch, then she would want to know the details on how we had met. And if Nicole was there, too, that would undoubtedly double the number of questions.

Kelly nodded her head in agreement. "Valid point. I say go for it. The worst Meghan can do is say 'no', and if she does, we'll think of something else."

I quickly texted Meghan back.

"Sure. Kelly and Michael already have plans for Friday night, so I was thinking about heading to The Girlilla again. You game?"

She texted back almost immediately.

"Sounds like a plan. Maybe I'll actually meet someone who isn't going to go crawling back to their ex on a whim. Break is over. I'll call you later to set everything up."

"She's game," I said after sending her a quick text of acknowledgement. Then, looking to Esmeralda, "Now all we have to do is keep you hidden from Michael for the next two days."

"That should not be a problem. I should be able to remain in here, undetected, provided Michael does not wander about the house going into places he shouldn't be going without permission."

"No, he doesn't. I can't even remember the last time he was in this room other than when he and Kelly helped me move my things in here after Dylan moved out. Kelly is literally the only person who ever comes in here, and even when my door is open, she still knocks on the door jamb before simply walking in."

"Then again I say, it will not be a problem. I can simply put myself into suspended animation until such time as Kelly and Michael leave the house on Friday evening, and appear with you in the morning."

"You can do that?" Kelly asked, amazed.

"You should see the shit she can do, Kell. Show her that trick with your hair and eyes," I said.

"It is no mere trick, but I think I understand your meaning." There was a hint of annoyance in her voice and on her face, but it quickly vanished as she waved her hand and muttered her foreign sounding word. And again, right before our eyes, her hair and eyes changed, just as they had earlier.

"Holy crap! How did you do that?" Kelly asked, astonished.

"You already know. I am a witch. And The Council has granted me certain powers."

"That's not all, Kell. Look in my mirror." Kelly's eyes grew wider than I had ever seen them as she looked in disbelief at our reflections in my mirror and saw, true to her word, Esmeralda's natural face staring back at us.

"Wow! Just... wow!"

Esmeralda reverted back to her true self before asking if there was anything we had missed in the plans for Friday.

"Just one tiny little thing," Kelly said. "Michael and I were just planning on staying in Friday night. We don't have plans to go anywhere."

"You do now," I told her, matter-of-factly. Then, turning my attention to Esmeralda, "How will this suspended animation thing work? Do I need to check on you? Are you going to be comfortable?"

"You needn't worry about me. I will be perfectly fine in a standing position, as long as you don't knock me over. And even if that were to happen, I should be okay. While it will be a couple of days to the two of you, it will be but a blink of an eye to me. I will not even notice the passage of time. When I cast the spell, I will set the word 'awaken' to be the trigger to bring me out of it. When Michael and Kelly leave for the evening, Lauren can use the word. Then we get ready, and leave."

"You're amazing. You know that?" I asked.

"At the risk of sounding conceited, which I assure you, I do not mean to be, yes, I know," she winked and smiled at me. Turning to my closet, she continued. "I think your closet would be best. And just to be safe, it might be a good idea if you closed it, at least for the next couple of days."

I agreed. What she said made sense. There were parts of my room that could be seen simply when passing by, and if someone stood in my doorway and looked into the mirror above my dresser, they could see almost every square inch of my room. I had purposely set that, my makeup vanity, and the full-length mirror on my closet door in such a way that allowed me to see anybody in my doorway from any angle.

Esmeralda entered the closet and chose a place near the back. She waved her arms, and spoke more words I didn't understand, save for the word 'awaken'. When she was done speaking, she lowered her arms to her side, and froze in place.

-- Chapter Eleven -

The next two days seemed to drag by. More than once I found myself standing in my closet, admiring Esmeralda's beauty, imagining the two of us in a passionate embrace. One of those times, Kelly even caught me.

She knocked before entering, as she always did, but before I could tell her to hold on for a minute, she was by my side. "You like her, don't you," she said with a knowing smile.

I must have blushed six ways from Sunday. "Okay, I'll admit, I think she's a beautiful woman... and I may have fantasized about her."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed by, Sweetie. Just keep your head out of the clouds. She'll be gone in less than 8 days. Maybe sooner if the two of you can figure out who The Wronged is and set them on the track to find the key to unlock you."

Kelly's words, if anything, only added fuel to the fire I was beginning to feel inside where Esmeralda was concerned. Yes, I knew she was going to be gone, but I felt a desire for her like I had never felt, not even for Kelly.

"Do you think they're related somehow? Esmeralda and Kari?" Kelly asked as she looked at the still figure of Esmeralda in my closet.

"I don't know. I think the hair and eyes are purely coincidental. Other than that, when I look at her closely, they really look nothing alike. Different facial structure, different figure. I guess it's possible, perhaps, but I really don't think so." I answered. "Maybe I'll ask her about it after you and Michael leave. Where is he, by the way. I don't want him walking by and hearing us talk."

"He's in the shower. I was surprised when I asked him what he thought about going to a movie instead of just lounging around the house and he said that sounded great. Do you think maybe she had anything to do with it?"

I took a look at Kelly. She was already dressed and ready to go. Although the skater skirt and crop top she had been wearing all day were very casual and totally appropriate for a movie, she still looked sexy as hell. "No, I think it's more of a situation where my brother, as nice as he is and as good as he treats you, is still a man. And men like to show off their girlfriends and/or wives, especially when they're as hot as you."

She smiled shyly when I made reference to her looks. Even though it had been several months since she shed her tomboy look, she still got embarrassed when someone made reference to how pretty she was.

"Thanks, Hun. Now, stop staring at her. What if she's still mentally aware of everything going on, even though she's sort of frozen?"

"Shit! I hadn't thought of that," I said, pulling my eyes away from Esmeralda and closing my closet door.

I looked at the time. Almost 5:30. Kelly and Michael would be leaving any minute now to make a 6:15 showing of whatever movie they were going to see, and I had told Meghan I would meet her at the club at 9:00. I wanted Esmeralda and I to get there before her, so she didn't see us walk in together.

"I'm going to go ahead and start getting ready. If there is one thing I have already learned about our little friend here, it's that she doesn't have to go through all the motions. A simple wave of her hand and muttering some mumbo jumbo words and, boom, she's all set. You guys have fun tonight, and remember, act surprised when you see me walk out of my room in the morning with Esmeralda, but not too surprised."

Kelly laughed as she gave me a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Okay. You too. Have fun, be safe, and most of all, good luck." She started to walk away, then turning back to me she added, "I mean good luck with your search for The Wronged... not good luck with whatever desires might be running through that head of yours."

I rolled my eyes, then laughed to let her know my eyeroll was in jest. "I know. I know. I'll behave. I promise."

It was an easy promise to make to Kelly, I just hoped I would be able to keep the promise to myself.

By the time I got out of the shower, Kelly and Michael were gone. The promise I made to Kelly was at the forefront of my mind, but so was Esmeralda. I decided I was going to keep my promise and behave, but if by some unlikely chance Esmeralda felt the same desires for me, I wasn't going to put up a fight. I already knew the dress I was going to wear - a form fitting halter dress with sequins, very similar to the very first dress Kelly bought after her transformation. I would be able to wear it without a bra, and it was long enough I could comfortably go without panties and not worry about flashing every sex-hungry woman at the club. I wasn't sure how Esmeralda felt, but I was damned sure I was going to up my chances by looking my best.

I donned a pair of black thigh-high stockings with lace tops, and stepped into my closet to bring Esmeralda out of her suspended animation before selecting my dress and shoes.

"Awaken."

And just like that, she was back.

Esmeralda blushed when she saw me, leading me to wonder if perhaps I had made a mistake in not getting dressed before bring her back. "I'm sorry, Esmeralda. I suppose I should have finished getting dressed before bringing you out of your suspension."

"No, no," she said, as her flushed cheeks returned to normal. "I was merely caught off guard by your beauty. Your already beautiful face is rather stunning with your makeup, and the clothes I have seen you in thus far have not done your figure justice."

Then again, maybe I hadn't made a mistake.

"Thank you for the compliments, but really, it was careless of me not to be fully dressed or at least covered up," I said, trying to hide the fire I felt stirring inside me. Changing the subject, I said, "I wasn't sure how long it would take you to get ready. I didn't know inf you would be able to do your makeup with a simple wave of your hand and a magic word, so I went ahead and got mostly ready. I just need to put my dress and shoes on and put my hair up and I'm set."

"You learn quickly, Lauren. My only question - hair up or down?"

"Leave it down. I love how your gentle curls frame your face," I said, trying not to sound too... eager?

"Down it is. Now, if you happen to have another pair of those I can borrow," she said as she pointed to my thigh-highs, "I will get ready and let you finish getting dressed yourself."

"I think all I have left are nude thigh-highs, unless you want to wear a pair of pantyhose," I said. I was hoping I wasn't stammering. Most women I knew hated stockings and pantyhose, preferring to show off their bare legs. I wasn't most women. I loved the way they hugged my legs and made them stand out. And when I felt my own stocking-clad legs intertwining with my partner's stocking-clad legs, I was in heaven. I was beginning to think my promise to Kelly to behave myself was going to go by the wayside.

Esmeralda cocked her head, as if contemplating nude stockings versus a pair of black pantyhose. "Nude will be fine, unless you think I should wear black, in which case pantyhose will do."

I remembered what I told Kelly about pantyhose versus stockings the first time I suggested she wear one or the other after her transformation. She didn't seem too keen to the idea of a guy having easy access to her ultimate pleasure zone if she was wearing stockings. Of course, I didn't know until later that evening that the reason she wasn't keen on the idea was because the only guy she wanted near her was Michael. I ultimately sold her on the idea of stockings because it's easier to pee while wearing them, but for me, I was all about ease of access.

"Oh, no. Stockings for sure. And nude will look good with anything."

I grabbed the dress I wanted to wear and a pair of black suede platform pumps, then stepped out of my closet to my dresser so I could retrieve a pair of thigh-highs for Esmeralda. By the time I turned around, she was already standing beside me, naked and confident. She had my red bodycon midi dress in one hand, a matching pair of red patent leather four-inch stiletto heels in the other. And when she told me on Wednesday she was familiar with various clothing and grooming styles of the eras in which she appeared, she wasn't kidding. She had zero hair below her neck. Anywhere.

It was my own turn to blush. While I kept my own pubic hair mostly shaved, I still had a neatly trimmed patch at the top.

"There is no need for embarrassment. I'm a naked woman, and you've seen many naked women before, I'm sure." There was just a hint of haughtiness about her voice.

"Embarrassed? Hardly. What was it you said just a moment ago? 'I was merely caught off guard your beauty'?"

"Touché," she said as I handed her the pair of thigh-highs. She laid the dress over the chair by my makeup vanity as she sat on the edge of my bed. I watched her out of the corner of my eye while I stepped into my dress and pulled the neckline over my head. She began slowly pulling the thigh-highs up her legs, first the right, then the left. Was she doing this on purpose? Did she know how seductive she looked?

I stepped into my heels while continuing to watch her. She pulled my red bodycon dress over her head and down her body before slipping her feet into the pair of stilettos. I was so entranced I didn't even notice her wave her hand and speak as she magically did her makeup.

"Do you approve?" she asked, snapping me back to reality.

I could only nod, suddenly finding myself unable to speak, thinking to myself, "Damn you, Lauren! Why did you have to make that promise to Kelly?"

Shaking my head in a feeble attempt to clear the lustful thoughts running through my brain, I told her, "I think we better get going. I want to make sure we beat Meghan to the club. It will be easier for her to believe I just met you if she doesn't see us walk in together."

Esmeralda smiled brightly before saying, "Lead the way, My Lady."

Was I imagining things? Did she say that suggestively? God, I hope so.

C12

I had taken my time getting ready. As a result, we left the house just before 7:30, which would put us at the club just before 8:00. Not only would that put us there before Meghan, but since the club was normally still fairly quiet until 9:30 or 10:00, it would give us a chance to grab a table in a quieter area near the back.

Something felt off as we walked from my car to the club entrance. The Girlilla Bar shared a parking lot with another bar called Hannigan's which was situated between the parking lot and Girlilla. Normally we would have had 4 or 5 guys whistle and make comments about us as we approached, then passed Hannigan's before walking into The Girlilla Bar. Tonight, nobody even gave us a second glance.

It wasn't unusual for the regulars to ignore me when I entered The Girlilla Bar, even if I was with a new girl, but even after we found a booth near the table I had shared with Meghan and her blind date that left her hanging, none of the regulars came over to say hi. Not even Lucy and Gladys, a couple I had befriended who tried to look out for me on those occasions I showed up alone.

"Something feels... not wrong... but out of place," I said to Esmeralda after we had been sitting for about 30 minutes.

"Oh, nothing is out of place. This is precisely how it should be," she replied, matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean? This is nothing like how it should be. We normally would have been hit on by at least five guys between the parking lot and the entrance, and there should be a line of women standing here trying to win you over. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad none of that has happened or is happening, it just feels strange."

Esmeralda looked at me with a cunning smile. "No, Lauren, there shouldn't be a line of women. As I said, everything is as it should be."

Slowly realizing she must have something to do with the lack of attention, I asked, "What did you do?"

"The only thing that made sense when I noticed two young men leering at us as soon as we stepped out of your car; I cast a charm. I created a sort of invisible bubble around us. Everybody can see us, but if they break the walls of the bubble without our consent, verbal or otherwise, they will feel no desire to speak to us. Don't worry. You are expecting Meghan. Your silent recognition will be sufficient for her to enter the bubble." She sounded very proud of herself. "I did not think we wanted to be disturbed," she finished.

"I could have handled anybody who came over. I'm used to it. And some of these people are actually friends. Not close friends, but still people I like to talk to when I'm here."

She looked slightly hurt. "I can release the charm, if you wish." She raised her arms, but I stopped her before she could do anything.

"No! No. This is fine. It's actually kind of nice not having a seemingly endless line of people standing here. It'll give us a chance to chat about something Kelly and I were wondering," I told her.

"And what is it you and Kelly have been wondering?"

I pulled out my phone and brought up a selfie I had taken of me, Kelly, and Kari. "The one on my left is Kari," I said, handing the phone to her so she could look at the picture.

"Well, I would hope Kari wasn't the one on your right, as that appears to be Kelly, and you are obviously in the middle." She laughed at her own joke before I realized she was essentially making a 'Dad joke' and laughed with her. "What about her?" she asked, still holding the phone.

"Well, you can see from her eyes and hair why she reminded Kelly, and now me, of you. Do you think there may be any chance the two of you are distant relatives?

A sadness filled her eyes. "No, I don't believe so. My parents died when I was 16. I was their only child. Each of my parents was also an only child, as were their parents, and their parents before them. I come from a long line of witches and warlocks, and each pair limited themselves to one child. It was their belief that only having one child would do something to keep the bloodline pure. I would have to go back ten generations before we would find one of my ancestors who bore more than one child. And I did not bear any children of my own before The Council took me.

"So, while I suppose in theory it is possible to be related by way of ancestors from over five hundred years ago, I think it highly unlikely. I think the similarities between our hair and eyes is purely coincidental. She is very beautiful, though," she said, handing back my phone.

I took another look at the picture before putting it away. "Yes, she is at that." Changing the subject but keeping on the topic about her, I asked, "Why didn't you marry?"

"Quite simply, I had not been matched with a warlock. Matching was typically arranged between the parents of a witch and the parents of a warlock. When I was 16, my parents died when the wagon we were traveling in overturned. I barely escaped with my own life. But, as they died, so did my chances of being matched with a warlock."

"So witches and warlocks marry through arranged marriages? I don't think I would like that very much," I said.

"Oh, no. It was not as you think. We very much looked forward to being matched. We felt it was our duty to keep the bloodlines going and it was a great honor to be paired with a mate. Whether it was magic or real, I do not know, but witches and warlocks mated for life, and loved for life. But my own love for another was destined to be nothing more than a dream, until I was saved from certain death by The Council. A member of The Council, Lareth, is who saved me and brought me before The Council for sentencing. He made no secret of his desire for me, and he fought for a lighter sentence, but he was only a single vote among thirteen, and my sentence became what it was. Over time, I grew to desire him as well, anticipating the day we can finally be together."

"So you love him?" I asked, not sure I wanted to hear the answer.

"Is there a difference between love and desire?", she asked, innocently.

"You're joking, right?"

"No. I am not. Lareth and I desire each other, does that not indicate we love one another?"

"Oh, Sweetie... for someone who is 359 years old, you sure are naive. No, love and desire are not the same thing. While you can love someone you desire and desire someone you love, the two are mutually exclusive. You can desire to be intimate with someone, but not love them. Likewise, you can love someone, but not desire them. Take my brothers, for example. I love them, but I have no desire to be with them. I desire to be with Kari, but I do not love her, at least not in the way we're talking about."

"Then love is the emptiness you feel when that person you love is not around, and not just the passion you feel when that person is near. Is that it?"

I smiled. "I think you're catching on. Is that how you feel about Lareth?"

"No. It is not. When I am near him, I feel a fire burning within me. I long to be in his arms, for him to take me into his bed. But those feelings subside when he is not nearby. Does that make sense?"

Oh... it made sense alright. I had felt a fire burning within myself practically since the first moment I had laid eyes on Esmeralda. Did I think I was falling in love with her? No. But then, I hadn't been around her enough to actually miss her when she was gone. "Yes. It makes perfect sense." I was thankful the club's lighting was dim, for I was sure I was about as red as the dress she was wearing.

Before we could continue our conversation, Meghan showed up at our table. And she had a very pretty, very tall blonde woman with her.

"Hey, Lauren," she said as I stood and gave her a hug. "Meet Michelle. She's one of the Nurse Practitioners at work."

After Meghan introduced Michelle, I introduced Esmeralda to them. They took a seat in the booth with us, and I told Meghan that Esmeralda had caught my eye almost as soon as I walked into the club.

"I can see why. She sort of looks like Kelly's guitar tech. Speaking of which, Michelle is a big fan of the band."

It was easy to see why Meghan seemed to be attracted to her, for she was not only very pretty, but she had that metalhead look about her, which I knew was the type Meghan gravitated toward. Meghan was a heavy metal fan herself, which is part of why she became involved with Michael in the first place.

As if she knew I had judged her to be a fan of metal, Michelle held out her left arm and said, "Holy shit! You're Lauren Seese! Meghan is right. I'm a huge fan. I even have the band logo tattooed on my inner forearm." Sure enough, there it was, the S2E they used as both their band logo and a shortened version of their name.

"Michelle has kind of become my work bestie the last couple of days. She sensed I was upset Wednesday at work, and we got to talking. I told her about that Vanessa girl, and she took that as an opportunity to admit she'd had her eye on me, but was afraid to ask me out because she thought I was only into guys. Then, after I texted you to see if you were available tonight and you suggested meeting here, I asked her if she would like to come along. I didn't notice her tattoo until tonight when she picked me up and thought I'd surprise her with the fact I knew the band."

"It certainly is a nice surprise. Almost as nice as when I finally got over my nerves and asked Meghan if she would like to go out and she said yes." She smiled warmly at Meghan.

Esmeralda and I spent about 30 minutes chatting with Meghan and, by extension, Michelle. When the music changed from the jukebox to a DJ, Meghan and Michelle left us so they could go dance.

"She is not The Wronged," Esmeralda said as soon as they were out of earshot.

"How do you know?"

"You mean other than the fact I didn't sense anything? Look at her. She appears to be quite smitten with Michelle. And Michelle appears to be smitten with her. While it is possible she may have faced a problem, it was not a problem I was sent to help her solve. Besides," she said pointing, "it now appears if there was indeed a problem, it has worked itself out."

I looked in the direction Esmeralda pointed. There, in the middle of the dance floor, were Meghan and Michelle, arms wrapped around each other, making out to the cheers of several other women.

"How do you know Michelle wasn't The Key that unlocked me, and all that was necessary to unlock me was to give my silent approval of Meghan's choice in women?"

"Because, my beautiful but blissfully ignorant-in-these-matters friend, I am still here."

C13

Esmeralda and I didn't speak a word on the way home from the club. We had joined Meghan and Michelle on the dance floor for a while. II almost regretted not wearing panties, as Esmeralda seemed to get very into the role she was playing of a woman I had picked up at the bar. The way she stared longingly into my eyes while she grinded against me was almost enough to get me wet and almost put me over the edge. From the looks on the faces of some of the other women near us, she may very well have sent them over the edge.,

I made sure we took off our shoes before we entered the house. I didn't want the click clack of our heels to wake Michael and Kelly.

"Let me grab you some pajamas. I'll let you take the bed; I'll sleep on the floor. I don't think it's a good idea for you to sleep in the guest room. If Michael sees you, he won't understand why there's a strange woman in there. He would expect to see a strange woman in bed with me," I said, finally breaking the silence.

"Then why don't we?"

"Why don't we, what?"

"Why don't we share your bed?"

If my eyes could have literally come out of my head, I'm sure they would have. "Umm... okay'" I stammered.

She took a step closer to me. "Am I mistaken, or have you not felt the same fire burning within you I have felt burning within me?"

I could only watch as she slowly closed the gap between us, the pulses of an electric passion beginning to ripple through my body.

"I told you I would see if there is a way I could thank you for helping me in my endeavor to find The Wronged. I believe I have found that way. I want you to teach me, Lauren. Teach me what it is like to experience the gentle touch of a beautiful woman."

"Esmeralda, you don't have to thank me," I said, trying to control myself. "I am happy to help the woman who helped my best friend and my brother find love together."

"Yes, Lauren, I do. I must do it for myself, if not for you."

My promise to Kelly ran right out the door. I closed the small gap between us and drew her in for a kiss, feeling the excitement between us as we freed our mutual passion for each other at last. I broke our kiss only momentarily, taking the chance to remove my dress, then hers, before taking her in my arms again.

Naked but for the stockings we wore, I moved her toward my bed, taking care as I gently helped her lay down. I joined her, wrapping her legs with my own, losing myself in the feeling of our stocking-clad legs caressing each other. I became completely lost in this woman as she gave herself to me.

I was still feeling the effects of post-coital bliss when I awoke the next morning, my arms still wrapped around her body, holding her close to me. I gently caressed her side, experiencing the softness of her smooth skin, taking in the feeling of her perfect curves.

She stirred at my touch, lifting her hand to caress my own. She rolled over and gave me a kiss. "Good morning. Was that a sufficient way to express my gratitude?"

"More than sufficient," I said, recalling the way our bodies seemed to become one as we pleasured each other the night before. "Are you sure you've never been with a woman before?"

"Never. I have, of course, been with men. Never a married man, though," she added quickly. "It still would have been looked upon with almost as much disdain as adultery back then, an unmarried girl giving herself to a man who was in fact another woman's husband. In this day and age, I suppose enjoying such actions between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman are not all that uncommon, though I would never want to become known for having loose morals."

"Well, you certainly could have fooled me about never being with a woman," I said. "Your tenderness and grace were everything I look for in a partner."

She stroked my hair, looking at me for a long while, her bright, emerald green eyes seemingly piercing my soul. "I must say, I had a good teacher. I now find myself questioning why I never sought comfort in the arms of another woman. You took my body to places I never dreamed possible, Lauren."

Before I could formulate a fitting response, the smell of bacon began to waft through the air, immediately causing my stomach to rumble. Esmeralda giggled. "I see I am not the only one who is hungry."

"Saturday morning. Michael always makes breakfast on Saturday morning. Bacon, eggs, French toast or waffles, hash browns, the works. Come on. I have a robe you can wear, unless you want to wear something more modest underneath it."

Esmeralda looked down at her body. "Yes, I suppose we can't go out there looking like this. A robe will suffice."

"It might be a good idea to get rid of those, too," I said, pointing to the stockings she still wore as I began to roll my own down before removing them. After donning robes and making sure the belts were secure, Esmeralda and I joined Michael and Kelly in the kitchen for breakfast.

"Good morning, you two lovebirds," I said cheerfully.

"Good morning yourself, sleepy hea... whoa! And good morning to...?" Michael said as Esmeralda and I took seats at the small table in the breakfast nook that adjoining the kitchen.

"Michael, Kelly, meet Esmeralda. I met her at the club last night. And before you say anything about her slight resemblance to Kari, I know. Why the hell do you think she caught my eye?" I said as I introduced her to Michael.

Kelly just smiled at me, looking as though she suspected something had happened, but knew she couldn't say anything in front of Michael. I gave her my own smile, one that I hoped said I was sorry I broke my promise to behave, but not sorry I banged her favorite witch. She nodded slightly and narrowed her eyes, confirming she understood.

"So... umm... I take it you had fun, then?" Kelly finally asked.

"You could say that. Ran into Meghan again last night. Looks like she has hooked up with a tall, blonde nurse practitioner she works with named Michelle. And from the look in Michelle's eyes, I think she might have already been in love with Meghan," I said, trying to distract Kelly from thinking about the promise I broke.

"By the way, she's also a big fan of the band. She even has your logo tattooed on the inside of her left forearm. Meghan noticed the tat when Michelle picked her up, then surprised her by waiting until she met me to let her know she knew the band. So don't be surprised if Meghan wants to come by sometime today or tomorrow." There. That ought to make Kelly stop thinking about that broken promise.

"So, Esmeralda, right? What is it you do?" Michael asked.

Damn! We hadn't discussed a cover story.

"I'm sort of in the medical field myself. Specifically, I work in cyber security within the medical records industry. I'm only in town for a few days to attend a conference," Esmeralda replied effortlessly. "The conference runs all week, but I thought I would come into town a couple of days early and enjoy what I could of San Diego." She paused and looked at me. "And I must say, San Diego has certainly brought me more enjoyment than I ever imagined."

I made a mental note to myself to remember not to worry about anything regarding Esmeralda. With the way she answered Michael, she had obviously thought of everything and had it all under control.

"Lauren, Honey, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" Kelly didn't sound or look pissed, she looked concerned.

"Sure," I said as I stood up from the table.

As soon as we got to my room, Kelly closed the door behind us. "Lauren, damn it! You promised me you were going to behave!"

"I know, Kell, but it just happened. Besides, I'm a fucking adult. It was one night with a beautiful woman. And trust me, I know very well you aren't attracted to women, but even you have to admit that woman is a goddess. I would die to have a girlfriend like her."

"That's not what I was worried about, Lauren. I would love nothing more than to see you happy with someone."

"Then what are you talking about? Are you worried about what Kari will say? She'll be fine with it. You know we are basically just friends with benefits. There's no jealousy between us. She does her thing, I do mine. Sometimes, those things happen to be each other."

"No, I'm not talking about Kari. I'm talking about you!"

"What about me?"

"Lauren, Sweetie, I asked you to behave because I wanted to protect you. I've only seen you look at one other woman the way I have seen you looking at Esmeralda. Wednesday when you let me know she was back. Just now when you two came into the kitchen. Probably every other time you've been with her while I wasn't around, though I can't confirm that."

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Me, Lauren. I'm talking about me. The only other time I have seen that look in your eyes is when you told me you were in love with me. And you don't even realize you have already fallen for a woman who will be gone in a few days."

She was right. I didn't even think love at first sight even existed, but Kelly was right. I had fallen in love with Esmeralda the moment I saw her, and I had set myself up for yet another heartbreak.

C14

I don't know how I managed to do it, but I got through the rest of that Saturday. I didn't mention the conversation I'd had with Kelly about me falling in love with Esmeralda. I was doing what I could to get her out of my mind, and knowing she was going to be gone in a few days, I suspected she was likely doing the same thing, albeit having an easier time of it, since she didn't appear to have fallen in love with me as well.

Sunday came around and, although Kelly secretly expected it, Michael didn't even question the fact Esmeralda had stayed around and slept in the guest room overnight, nor did he question the fact she didn't have any luggage with her. I suspected perhaps Esmeralda had cast a charm on him, and my suspicions were confirmed while she, Kelly, and I were chatting by the pool. The only bright side I could see was the fact Kari would be flying in from Orlando the next day.

Monday morning, before I left to go pick Kari up from the airport, Esmeralda came to me in my room.

"Lauren, do you have a moment? I must speak with you."

"I have a few minutes. I'm about to head to the airport to pick up Kari. I can't wait for you to meet her," I answered.

"That is what I must speak to you about. It came to me as I slept. I still don't know all the answers - I still don't know the identity of The Wronged - but there is something about Kari that is The Key. Not Kari herself, but something about her. And something is telling me I cannot be around; else The Key will not make itself known."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I must leave. Do not fear, when The Key manifests itself, I should know the identity of The Wronged. I will return to bid farewell to you and Kelly before I set The Wronged on their path," she said. "Please, tell me you understand why I must be gone before you return. And please, tell me you understood the other night that I would not be able to remain in this plane with you."

With a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, I nodded. When I was able to speak, I did so in as even a tone as I could muster. "I'll make this as easy on myself as I can and say goodbye now. Thank you, and I wish you happiness with your Lareth." With that, I gave her a quick hug and turned to walk out my door. I looked back to see her one last time, but she was already gone.

I felt Kelly walk up beside me and put her arm around me. "It's better this way, Sweetie."

"She told you?" I asked, continuing to stare at the spot where Esmeralda had been standing not thirty seconds earlier.

"Yeah. She said it came to her last night. Something about Kari, but not Kari herself, is The Key."

"Yeah. Speaking of which, I need to get going. Her flight will be landing soon."

I wasn't sure if it was because her eyes and hair reminded me of Esmeralda, or because I didn't realize how much I missed her, but seeing Kari walk out of the airport terminal instantly lifted my spirits. As well as I had come to know Esmeralda in the last few days, it could very well have been because of her. She was certainly cunning enough to have cast some sort of charm on me to ease the pain.

The embrace and kiss Kari and I shared raised my spirits even more.

"I've missed you more than I thought I would," I told her.

"I've missed you, too, Babe," she replied as we loaded her luggage in my car.

Once we were in the car and I was pulling away from the terminal, I asked her how her trip to Orlando was.

"Fucking hot and fucking humid. You have no idea what it's like for a girl with hair like mine to live in that environment."

I laughed at her statement before she continued. "I'm not joking, Lauren. You have no idea how lucky you are to live out here. What is it... maybe 70 percent humidity right now? Try coming to Orlando, where 80 percent is a good day, and I have seen hundred percent humidity without a cloud in the sky."

"No thanks. You can keep it. My hair might not be curly like yours, but it's still wavy and can be uncontrollable."

We spent the drive back to the house chatting about the upcoming second leg of the tour, plans that needed to be made in that regard, and about Kelly and Michael's wedding. She sounded genuinely excited when I told her I Kelly's wedding dress and that I thought Kelly was going to ask her to be one of her bridesmaids. She was even more excited when I told her we would probably meeting up with Meghan and Nicole to go look at dresses and that I already had a few ideas in mind.

"Believe it or not, I love getting dressed up and looking elegant, in spite of the way you normally see me dress." She was referring to the way she normally wore jeans or leggings and t-shirts while the band was performing or while she was working on Kelly's guitars, even though she was currently wearing a white skater skirt and spaghetti strap tank top with a pair of white Doc Marten boots.

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. You obviously care about how you look, given your makeup is always on point, even if your hair is usually pulled back in a ponytail," I told her.

When we got home, after Kelly, Michael and I helped Kari get her luggage into the guest room, my phone pinged, telling me I had a text. It was Kelly, even though she was standing right next to me.

"Your room. Now."

I looked at her and nodded before leading her to my room.

When we got there, she quickly whispered, "Please tell me you didn't tell Kari about Esmeralda."

She looked relieved when I told her I hadn't. "Good, because I totally spaced out and forgot to tell you before you left, Esmeralda cast some sort of spell on Michael and anyone else she met other than us. They won't remember her, and that includes Meghan and her new girlfriend."

I made the motion of zipping my lips, letting her know my lips were sealed and we headed back into the living room. Kari and Michael were already in there, catching up on things that had happened over the last week.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Kari turned in a little earlier than the rest of us, feeling the effects of jet lag and the three-hour difference between Orlando and San Diego.

The next morning, I found Kelly lounging in the living room, laying on the couch while reading a book.

"Hey you, whatcha reading?" I asked as I passed through the living room to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee.

"Oh, just a book I picked up at the airport to read on the flight. "It's a fantasy novel. It caught my eye because the woman on the cover kinds of reminded me of myself. It's pretty good, you should read it when I'm done," she said, following me into the kitchen.

"Maybe I will. I used to love reading when I was a kid and into my teens. Haven't picked up a book in ages, though. Maybe I'll start again. It'll sure help pass the time on tour."

Kari grabbed me by the waist and spun me around before giving me a kiss that felt more passionate than any kiss she had ever given me before.

"I am always willing to help you pass the time on tour," she said with a wink and an alluring smile. "By the way, I'm sorry I crashed so early last night. That's the real pisser about the time difference. I was up at 4am Orlando time so I could get to the airport by 7:00, so with the time difference, I had been up since 1am."

"It's fine. Kelly and I just sat around chatting while Michael worked on a couple of things in the studio," I said, reassuring her we had understood she was tired.

"Well, maybe tonight I can make it up to you." She gave me another quick kiss before refilling her coffee and returning to the living room to continue reading her book.

"Hey, don't forget about the meeting with the tour promoters today. The guys from Beneath the Sorrow are all coming down later this morning. They're going to be spending the rest of the week here before we head out to St. Louis on Friday," I said as I joined her.

"Shit. I was thinking that was tomorrow. What time?" she asked.

"Well, the meeting is at 1 o'clock, but I think the guys are going to be down here around ten. Spencer suggested we grab lunch before the meeting." It was almost 9:30. Without another word, Kari tossed her book on the end table and took off to her room to get ready.

I sat on the couch in the spot she had just vacated. Curious to know more about the book she was reading, I picked it up. I froze when I saw the artwork and title.

On the cover was a woman with long, curly black hair, with bright, emerald green eyes. She wore a long black skirt and a silk blouse the color of her eyes. The title of the book was "The Bound".

C15

I set the book back down and ran to Kelly and Michael's room. The door was closed, so I knocked and simply said, "Hey, Kell, when you have a moment, can you come see me in the living room. I have a couple of questions about today's meeting."

She quickly opened the door. "Michael might be a better person to ask about the meeting," she said, looking back toward the bathroom.

"No, this requires a woman's opinion," I said as I grabbed her hand a pulled her out of her room.

When we got to the living room, I grabbed Kari's book. "Look at it," I said as I handed it to her.

Kelly's eyes grew wide when she saw the image of the woman on the cover and the name of the book.

"You think this is the key?"

"How can it not be? Look at the cover. There must be something in it. Kari offered to let me read it when she's done. From the look of it, with this bent up corner near the end, it looks like she only has a few pages left. I'll see if I can get her to finish it so I can start on it. Esmeralda only has until 11:42am on Saturday. It won't take me that long to read it, but the sooner I can start, the better."

"Yeah, and after you're done, I'll take a look just in case you miss something and we haven't figured out how to unlock you."

I set the book back down. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'm going to go get ready. We'll talk more later. I'm going to go start getting ready."

A little over an hour later we left for the restaurant. I took the opportunity to ask Kari about how much more she had to read in the book. I told her I had taken a look at it while she was getting ready and that it looked interesting.

"Oh, I finished it up while you were getting ready. I only had a few pages left. Feel free to grab it when we get home. I won't spoil anything, but it's really good."

Lunch was good and everybody had a good time catching up with each other, even though it had only been a little over a week since we had seen each other. The meeting was nothing more than a formality. We were bound by contract to have the meeting so we understood what we were allowed to do and not do as far as the headlining band was concerned. We weren't worried about anything, though, as the band we would be touring in support of had taken a liking to both bands and had treated us like longtime friends in the couple of chances we'd had to meet them.

Once we got back to the house, Kari locked herself in the studio to do some work on Kelly's guitars and some other equipment. We still had a few days, but she wasn't one to put things off. She wanted Kelly's guitars ready to go to her liking, with the only thing being needed was a likely re-tuning of the strings. Kelly spent time with her, testing the guitars and other equipment while Kari worked and, no doubt, to also talk to Kari about being a bridesmaid.

Michael was off with Dylan doing God knows what. I didn't blame him. They were best friends, just like Kelly and I. But unlike us, where I got to tour with the band due to the role I played with keyboards, Michael didn't have the luxury of bringing his best friend on tour with him.

I already knew Dylan and Nicole would be over for dinner later, but I took the opportunity to shoot Meghan a text to invite her and Michelle over for dinner as well, which would give us an opportunity to set up a day during the week so we could go look at dresses before we left. She texted back a few minutes later, saying they would be here and Michelle was already excited that she would get to know more members of the band.

Dinner with everyone was great. We all had a good time watching Michelle be a fangirl, asking to take pictures with me, Michael and Kelly and showing off her tattoo of the band's logo. She was disappointed Spencer, Steven and Bobby weren't there as well, but Michael made sure to tell her she would be number one on the guest list the next time the band played in San Diego, which made her day.

Kari spent that night in my room, and although it felt wonderful to reconnect with her in that way, my mind kept drifting to the book, which I had yet to begin reading.

The next day gave me plenty of opportunity to read, as Kelly and Kari worked together on a mini rehearsal. Kari handled switching Kelly's effects during the sets, and the timing had to be perfect. They would work again over the next couple of days as the band rehearsed their set, but it was much easier if they were already on the same page when the rehearsals started.

I took that opportunity to curl up on the couch with the book. From the very first page, I was completely engrossed. It read more like a biography of Esmeralda than a fantasy novel and was an alternate reality fantasy novel set during the Salem Witch Trials. It was a story of a young woman named Abigail and how she had to hide her true identity as a witch and the powers she possessed as dozens of others were falsely accused by several young girls of participating in witchcraft.

I was so caught up in the story I didn't even notice Kelly and Kari emerge from the studio four hours later. They asked if I wanted to go with them to grab some lunch, and when I declined, telling them I was so into the story I didn't want to put it down, Kari just laughed and said, "I told you it was a really good book." Instead, they offered to bring something back for me, as they were going to be heading right back into the studio to continue working things out.

Three hours later, I was nearing the end of the book. Abigail, the main character, had grown tired of being hunted. She sacrificed herself to spare those who were on trial and to redeem the souls of the innocents who had been found guilty and hanged for participating in witchcraft. She had been able to provide proof through the use of her own powers that the young girls had fabricated the lies about the others. She was sentenced to death by hanging.

As I got to the page and read the paragraph where Abigail was hanged, a strange sensation came over me. I suddenly felt the sensation of freedom, as if I had been released from some invisible thing holding me in place. As the sensation subsided, it occurred to me... Abigail's death by hanging was The Key, and by reading it, I had just been unlocked.

I hadn't even made it to the studio door when Kelly came bursting into the hallway.

"Did you just feel something?" she asked.

"Yes! Did you feel it too?"

"No, I didn't feel anything, but a sudden awareness of something unknown just fell over me."

"Come with me, I need you to read something."

Noticing Kari looking at us strangely, Kelly asked her to stay put, telling her she would be right back. Kari just shrugged and, putting her headphones back on, went back to listening to whatever track they had been rehearsing.

"It was a paragraph in the book. You're not going to believe this, but this entire book reads like it could be a biography of Esmeralda. This paragraph is where it begins to differ from what she told me. Here," I said, pointing to the page.

Kelly's eyes widened as she read how Abigail had sacrificed herself to save the innocents, dying by hanging for her crimes.

"Lauren, if this means what I think it means, then Esmeralda is..."

"The Wronged," I finished for her.

C16

Esmeralda was unprepared for Lauren's discovery. She was pulled into The Grand Hall of The Council so rapidly, so violently, her entire body felt as though she had fallen down a thousand steps.

She was slumped over on the floor, on her hands and knees, unable to move.

"How is this possible?," demanded Torrin, Head of The Council.

"I do not know that it is," replied Kaelin.

Torrin mumbled a few words Esmeralda could not make out before announcing, "Rise, Esmeralda. You are free to speak, as we must discover how you came to be The Wronged."

"I... I don't know, Great Torrin." Esmeralda was afraid. The last time she stood before Torrin was when he handed down her sentence over 300 years ago, and she knew him to be less than sympathetic.

Esmeralda looked around. Twelve of the thirteen members of The Council were present, Lareth being the only one missing.

"Relax, Esmeralda," Torrin said. "You are not here to be judged, but to provide answers, nothing more."

Esmeralda swallowed and nodded her understanding.

"It was Lareth who brought you here, is that correct?"

"Yes, Great Torrin. Lareth rescued me from those who hunted witches. I could have saved many innocents, but at the cost of my own life. I chose to keep my secret and let them die in my stead."

"You were sentenced to 300 links in your binding chain for your transgression, were you not?"

"Yes, Great Torrin," she answered, avoiding his gaze.

"And how many links remain?"

"I have but 30 links before my sentence is fulfilled, Great Torrin."

Torrin turned his attention to two men standing behind Esmeralda, The Keepers. "Find Lareth. Now. He should have come here by his own accord, but I think he fears what may come. Bind him if you must, but bring him to me."

Esmeralda could hear the menacing anger in his voice. What had Lareth done that could incite the wrath of Torrin she presumed would come.

Torrin returned his gaze to Esmeralda. "Do you understand what has occurred, Esmeralda?" His voice was softer, gentler than it was before.

"No, Great Torrin. I was searching for clues as to the identity of The Wronged in my assignment when I felt the sudden pull and found myself here, in The Grand Hall."

"That's just it, Esmeralda, you ARE The Wronged. It was written long ago that the only way a member of The Bound could enter The Grand Hall after beginning to serve their sentence was if they somehow became a member of The Wronged themselves. None of us believed it would ever happen, simply thinking it was a safeguard meant to keep The Bound away. Yet here you are," he said with a look of amazement.

Esmeralda finally met Torrin's eyes, wanting to speak, but fearful she would anger him.

"As I already said, you are free to speak. You will not incur my wrath, for I am not upset with you, I am merely intrigued by your appearance, and I want answers. Answers I hope you can provide."

"I'm sorry, Great Torrin, but I'm afraid I do not have the answers you seek."

"I do." It was Lareth, flanked on both sides by The Keepers, his hands held in front of him by invisible bindings.

"Explain, Lareth. How is it a member of The Bound is also a member of The Wronged and has appeared before us?"

Lareth hesitated before speaking. He knew his admission would certainly not bode well for him. "Because I am the one who Wronged her by bringing her here to be Bound."

Esmeralda looked at Lareth, not understanding what he meant. He had saved her from death, how was that wrong?

"Explain yourself, Lareth," Torrin said, controlling the anger boiling within him.

"Great Torrin, had I not intervened, Esmeralda would have tired of running from her hunters. She would have admitted to them those executed were innocent, and those still on trial were innocent. She would have revealed her true identity in order to provide proof. She would have been hanged as they had."

"You intervened?" Torrin's voice was cold and even. "You altered the course of history? For what? The desire of a woman?"

"Look upon this beautiful woman yourself, Great Torrin, and tell me you would not have done the same! 300 links was a small price to pay for the opportunity to be with a woman who should be walking among Gods" Lareth challenged.

"I would not! Our purpose is not to alter history. Our purpose is merely to right the wrongs perpetuated against those The Mirror of the Wronged deems fit. And you have done just that. You have altered history. How many more innocents were killed because you could not let this woman fulfill her destiny? This woman, Esmeralda was supposed to die, Lareth. Not become an object of your desires."

"Esmeralda has come to desire me, as well, Great Torrin. And you cannot deny she has done well in her assignments these 300 years."

Esmeralda disagreed. All those years serving her sentence to The Council, answering the call of The Mirror, breaking the links of her binding chain. For what? The chance to be with a man she now saw as a monster. All those calls from the mirror - those were calls that should have been answered by other members of The Bound, their own links being broken. Were they now among The Wronged as well?

"The Council does not exist to serve its own desires, Lareth. You know this, yet you have chosen to ignore it. As a result, you are hereby no longer a member of The Great Council, and for your crime against this woman, you stand to be sentenced. What have you to say for yourself?" Even though Esmeralda knew she was not the subject of Torrin's quiet wrath, she felt a shiver run up her spine when he announced Lareth would be sentenced for his crime against her. She looked at Lareth, a quiet confidence about him, wondering how he could be so calm at a time like this.

"If The Council determines I must be bound and serve a sentence in order to be with the woman of my dreams, then so be it. I have waited over 300 years; I can wait 300 more."

"Oh, Lareth. You underestimate me. Do you not understand I, alone, am responsible for the sentencing of a rogue member of The Council? It is done to avoid any conflicts that may arise due to any bonds that may have formed between members." Esmeralda thought she saw the corners of Torrin's mouth rise in a slight smile.

She looked back to Lareth, his face going pale as he realized the mistake of his haughtiness.

"Esmeralda, does Lareth speak the truth? Do you also desire him?"

Esmeralda continued to look at Lareth a moment more, his eyes pleading with hers.

"I did, Great Torrin," she said, turning her attention to him. "I desired him as he desires me. I believed this desire meant Lareth loved me and I him. But I have come to learn recently, there is a difference between desire and love. A meaning deeper than flesh. And I do not believe Lareth has ever loved me, nor I him."

"What are you saying, Esmeralda? Of course I lov...."

"SILENCE! You have been given the opportunity to speak on your own behalf. You chose to remain arrogant, assuming you would suffer a fate no worse than being Bound. There is only one punishment fit for your transgression, Lareth. I hereby sentence you to The Forgotten."

Lareth's eyes widened in horror as he heard the words escape Torrin's mouth. He didn't even have a chance to respond, nor did he see the look of horror in Esmeralda's own eyes. Upon the sentencing, his voice was taken from him, his eyes blinded. Lareth felt nothing, aware of no one but himself, as he faded from The Grand Hall to The Realm of The Forgotten.

Esmeralda looked back to Torrin, afraid for herself. She stood, trembling as Torrin looked upon her. Even as his eyes relaxed, becoming almost apologetic, she continued to shake, fearful of his next words.

"There has been a great miscarriage of justice against you, Esmeralda. A miscarriage The Council can never repay you for, I'm afraid." He paused as he looked around The Grand Hall at the remaining members. "I am prepared, and I believe my counterparts will agree with me, to offer you Lareth's seat on The Council. It is the only way I can express my sorrow and atone for what Lareth has done to you, for subjecting you to 300 years of servitude in order to fulfill his own desires. What say you?"

Esmeralda went from being fearful to being shocked in the blink of an eye. The man she feared like no other had gone from looking enraged, from actually being enraged, to being gentle and kind. And sorrowful.

Esmeralda thought for a moment before she spoke. She thought of Kelly and Michael, and the love she had witnessed blossom. She thought of Lauren, the one who taught her there was a difference between desire and love. The one who had been responsible for making her understand what love felt like.

"Great Torrin, I appreciate your generous offer, and the power that comes with it, but I do not wish to serve on The High Council. However, I believe there is another solution, one that would be sufficient to atone for Lareth's transgression against me and over 300 years of servitude. And, there is still the question of my binding chain," she said.

"What about your binding chain?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Great Torrin, but I am only to have links to my binding chain broken upon the successful completion of my assignment. And links are only to be added in the event I do not succeed, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct," he answered.

"I have neither succeeded nor failed in my assignment. It is impossible to correct what Lareth did and set myself back on my intended path, as we cannot travel back in time, and I cannot fail for the same reason, wouldn't you agree," she asked, looking around at all members of The Council. She noted all of them, including Torrin himself, nodded in agreement.

"Yet I am still bound by my chain. And I also understand I was to be given the option of maintaining my powers and joining The Unbound, continuing to serve upon completion of my sentence, is that also correct?"

"Is that what you wish, Esmeralda? To be released from your chain and continue to serve The Council?" Torrin asked.

"I do wish to be released from my chain, yes. And I wish for 300 links to be removed from members of The Bound you deem deserving. Had it not been for Lareth's interference, my assignments would have gone to others. Lareth not only robbed me of my destiny, he robbed them of the opportunity to break their own links," she said, beginning to feel surer of herself in his presence.

"It shall be done. And you wish to become a member of The Unbound?" he asked.

Esmeralda held his gaze, her confidence continuing to grow, as she told him exactly what she wanted.

C17

At almost the same instant Kelly and I realized Esmeralda was The Wronged, I felt a blast of warm air come from somewhere.

"Did you feel that?" I asked her.

"Feel what?"

"Nothing. Must have been my imagination. But that first thing a couple of minutes ago - the awareness you felt and the... I don't know... release I felt - do you think that was Esmeralda being made aware she was The Wronged?"

"I do," she said. "And I hope she is able to set herself on a path to correct the mistake."

Just then, my phone pinged with a text notification. It was a number I didn't recognize.

"Come to The Girlilla Bar tonight at 8. Your favorite table. Bring Kelly with you."

I showed Kelly the text. "Who do you think it is? It's obviously someone who knows us." she said.

"Or some deranged fan who somehow got my number and wants to stalk you," I said, only half-joking. "And what do they mean my favorite table? I don't have a favorite table; I sit wherever I sit."

"Thanks a lot. I don't even like the idea of going back in there, let alone going in there with the possibility of being accosted by some deranged woman having fantasies about me," she said, a look of worry on her face.

"Really? You do realize you voluntarily went there with me and I've had plenty of fantasies about you, right?" I asked, sticking my tongue out at her.

"In my defense, you pressured me into going. Besides, I know you won't accost me. And you're not deranged. At least I don't think you are," she said, returning the tongue gesture.

"Think we should ask Kari to join us? And maybe invite Meghan and Michelle? Safety in numbers?" I asked.

"Hey, you don't think maybe somehow Michelle got your number and is the one who texted you, do you?" Kelly asked, her look of worry becoming one of genuine terror.

"No. Michelle and I exchanged numbers the night we met. She also seems to be very into Meghan. And vice versa, for that matter. I really don't think it would be her," I said, trying to reassure her.

"Then go ahead and invite them. I think you may be right about safety in numbers. Maybe not show up as a group, but show up at close to the same time. If it is some deranged fan, I don't necessarily want to scare them off. I'll want to get law enforcement involved," she said, agreeing to let me invite the others.

"I'll set everything up. No need to dress like we're going clubbing. I don't intend for us to be there any longer than it takes to figure out who this person is," I said, noticing the look of relief on Kelly's face.

Kelly handled telling Kari, and I let Meghan and Michelle know what was up. This wasn't a situation where we were going out to have fun, and we only intended to be there for a few minutes. We were just going there to meet whomever sent me the text, then leave. Both Meghan and Michelle were game, and we agreed to meet outside the club at 7:45.

I was relieved when, at 7:45 on the dot, Michelle showed up with Meghan. I was only about 75 percent confident when I had told Kelly I didn't think there was any way Meghan could have been the person who texted me. It was true, we had exchanged numbers, but there was little part in the back of my mind that reminded me she was both a huge fangirl of the band, and was capable of getting a burner phone or adding a second number to her own.

We entered the bar and I stopped to speak to Lucy and Gladys while I explained what was up. They told us they would keep their eyes open and back us up if they needed to. If there were two things I knew I could count on at The Girlilla Bar, one would be seeing the two of them at them, no matter the time, no matter the night of the week. They were there so often I wasn't completely sure they weren't silent partners with the owner. The other thing would be their offer to look out for us. They had no interest in any of us. They were both butch and were very much in love with each other. They were also both much bigger than any of us. All of us were on the petite side, save for Michelle who was close to 6 feet tall, and I knew it would boost their ego to think they were protecting us. I was thankful to them for their willingness to do so.

Meghan and Michelle stayed at the bar to chat it up with Lucy and Gladys while Kari, Kelly and I moved deeper into the club. We were still unsure of what we were about to encounter, but Kelly reminded me the text had only said to bring her. We hadn't seen anyone we recognized, and nobody had given us a signal they were waiting for us, so I suggested to Kelly that Kari take a seat where she could see into the back area of the bar and keep an eye on us as we moved deeper into the club. She happily did as we asked as she smiled at a cute redhead who was already heading her direction. Kelly and I just shook our heads and kept moving.

And then they appeared. Those unmistakable emerald green eyes framed by that long, beautiful curly black hair.

Kelly saw her at the same time I did. She let out a squeal as she ran toward Esmeralda, embracing her in a hug. Tears formed in my eyes as I ran toward her myself, thankful for the opportunity to see her once again.

"I thought I'd never see you again after I said goodbye to you the other day," I said as I held her close. "Thank you for coming back to tell us goodbye before you have to go."

Esmeralda broke the embrace, smiling brightly. "Go? Where do I have to go?"

I looked at her questioningly. "A chapter in a book Kari bought unlocked me. Kelly and I were able to figure out you are The Wronged." Knowing the only way to correct the mistake forced upon her meant death, but ignoring it altogether meant a complete wipe from existence, I forced myself to ask, "Don't you have to set yourself on the correct path?"

She smiled and shook her head before answering. "There is much to explain, but The Council agreed my wrong could not be corrected. Come, sit, and I shall tell you what has occurred since I saw you last."

I gave Kari a glance telling her everything was okay, but to stay there. She nodded her understanding, smiling as she turned her attention back to the redhead she saw when we walked in. Turning back to Esmeralda, she told us everything that happened regarding Lareth interfering with her true destiny and bringing her to The Council in some sort of selfish attempt to be with her.

"So... you gave up a chance to become a member of The Council?" I asked when she finished her tale.

"My life should have ended prematurely, Lauren, but at least it would have been my life. Lareth took that from me, and there is no way to fix it. While The Council is very powerful, they do not have the ability to reverse time. Even if I were to have finished my sentence and opted to return to any moment after I helped another, time would have continued as it would have without me and the events in history would remain unchanged." She paused, giving me the chance to digest everything she had just told me.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, because I can't even begin to describe how happy I am you chose to return, but why? Why would you give all that up? Eternal youth, unbelievable power, the ability to guide and help countless others like Kelly... why would you do that?" I asked.

She smiled and looked me in the eyes before whispering a single word.

"Love."

Epilogue

Kelly and Michael postponed their wedding, but they had a very good reason to do so. During the second leg of the tour, both Seese 2 Exist and Behind the Sorrow became crowd favorites very early on. As a result, the headlining band asked both bands to continue opening for them on the European leg of their tour. Instead of the mid-December wedding they had been planning, they moved it to mid-June.

Dylan stole an idea from Michael and proposed to Nicole just before midnight last New Year's Eve. Everybody felt it was long overdue, as they have been a couple for almost 10 years. Plans for their wedding were already well underway, as they have opted for a New Year's Eve wedding this year.

Meghan and Michelle are still a happy couple and continue to frequent The Girlilla Bar. And Michelle is still Seese 2 Exist's biggest fan, having added another tattoo of the band's first album artwork to her right calf. The band even played a sort of homecoming show at The Night Owl Bar and Grill and, true to his word, Michael made sure she was number one on the guest list, getting to sit front row during the show and join us back stage.

Even though Kari did ultimately make the decision to relocate from Orlando to Southern California, it wasn't because of the cute redhead she met at the club that night. Kelly hired her to become her permanent guitar tech, even though that might not last. Not long after the tour ended, one of the guitarists for Behind the Sorrow had a falling out with the rest of the band. Kari auditioned, and is now one of their permanent second guitarist.

On that front, and as a direct result of joining the band, she got to know Owen, their bassist much better. He decided to look past her bisexuality and as her out, provided she kept things to herself and didn't suggest bringing another partner to bed... at least for the time being. They have officially taken things beyond simply being friends with benefits are now a couple. Kari has even sworn off women, being hell bent on making things work on a more permanent basis with Owen, although I'm pretty sure, like almost every straight guy I have ever known, he isn't going to complain too loudly if Kari does eventually try to bring another woman to bed with them.

My brother Steven and his girlfriend Nancy are expecting their first child, a boy due in September. Kelly and I are already hoping the baby will be born either on her birthday, the 11th, or my birthday, the 18th. Obviously she's hoping more for her birthday and I'm hoping more for mine, but we think either will be absolutely awesome.

My brother Spencer is still happily single, saying he doesn't want to get too tied down to any single woman, although he met a woman at one of the local shows named Susan that I think might just change his outlook. She's almost as big a fan of the band as Michelle, although she doesn't have or want any tattoos. We'll see. Spencer has always been the most free-spirited of my brothers, although he can also be the most uptight when it comes to scheduling.

That brings us to me. And of course, the woman I now love more than anything in this world, Esmeralda. While Kelly was thrilled to have her back in our lives on a permanent basis, Michael was less than thrilled when Kelly told him he needed to find another groomsman for the wedding, as Kelly wasn't going to walk down the aisle without having Esmeralda join Meghan, Nicole and Kari as one of her bridesmaids with me as her Maid of Honor. He didn't have a difficult time, though, as he had become really close friends with Behind the Sorrow while we were on tour, and since Owen was already one of his groomsmen due to his blossoming relationship with Kari, all Michael had to do was ask Jake, the lead singer of the band if he was also willing to be a groomsman as well.

Esmeralda's return certainly brought many more surprises than just the fact she was back permanently. She had requested, although the way she told the story it sounded more like she demanded, The Council grant her the powers she possessed before Lareth intervened. The way she put it was, The Council couldn't very well say no. Had Lareth not intervened, she would have maintained those powers until her death. She argued she wasn't asking for immortality, as she had been mortal even before Lareth's interference; she merely had powers very few other mortals possessed. In the end, The Council acquiesced and accepted her demands, granting her the powers she originally had. And those powers were considerable.

She couldn't do things like make herself invisible or freeze time or put others in suspended animation, but she did possess the ability to cast very powerful, long-lasting charms over others. She had done so for everybody close to me and Kelly, making everyone think she had always been a part of our lives.

She also still had the ability to shape shift, which lent itself to no small amount of jealousy on my part. That is until she showed me she could do my makeup and hair just as quickly as she does her own, with the mere wave of a hand and the muttering of a single word. It was something she shared just with me, except for today, when she said her gift to Kelly was to make her the most beautiful bride anybody had ever seen. And she did just that, because Kelly looked more beautiful than she ever had, and considering I was in love with her for as long as I was because I already thought she was the most beautiful person I had ever seen, that was saying a lot.

Esmeralda's shape shift abilities went way beyond doing simple makeup for herself or others. She could actually change forms, including mimicking other people. And although the forms were limited to humans, they weren't limited to female. She could also morph into men, which provided for some very interesting, and very fun, moments in bed. The only thing I asked her to never do was morph into Kelly. I was finally over being in love with her, and the last thing I needed was to have those feelings resurface. Besides, I knew it wouldn't have been the real Kelly, which would have probably ruined the illusion. But no matter who she morphed into, I still preferred and was always happy to have her back to her true self.

I walked down the aisle as Kelly's Maid of Honor, with Dylan as Michael's Best Man, and took my spot with the rest of the wedding party. With Esmeralda to my right and just behind me, as I watched Kelly's dad walk her down the aisle, I felt Esmeralda's eyes on me. I knew she was just as in love with me as I was with her.

And I knew at last, true love would no longer evade me.