A Christmas Tail (20 page)

“I think we just added two more little boys to our family,” Barry stated just as Orion and Davis came up.

“Two boys. Good, we’ll outnumber the women then,” Orion teased, seeing Candy and Hale coming up next to them.

“Well, then I guess we need to get more clothes for you two also.” Betsy bent down and looked at each boy. “Are you sure you want to stay with us? We’ll be moving back to the United States and we are different,” she asked and both boys glanced up at him, then at Orion and Davis.

“Yes, you would have three daddies instead of one,” the boy named Doug said.

Betsy waited as they spoke with Jordon thinking their whispers wouldn’t be heard by them.

“Can they do things like me or Marty?” Doug asked and Jordon nodded his head.

“And more,” Jordon glanced back at him, and he smiled.

“We would like to stay,” Doug announced and moved up to Betsy. “But you won’t get rid of us when something weird happens?” he asked.

Barry held the growl back, kneeling next to Betsy. “No, once you are in my family, you are in for life. We will protect you and love you.”

The boy smiled big, his front tooth missing. “Then I’m staying,” he glanced back at Marty, and he nodded.

“I’m staying too.” As soon as the words were out, Jordon shouted and jumped up!

“Can we show them the big tree?” Jordon asked.

“Your fathers can, but it’s time for your mother to have her bachelorette party tonight. She’s getting married tomorrow! Now I’ve ordered dinner for all of you, and we are going to have four different Christmas movies playing in the smaller hall.” Dorothy said wrapping her arm around Betsy and taking her away.

“And no peeking!” Dorothy yelled across the room and Barry grinned.

“Where are they going?” Jordon asked and Barry ruffled the boys head, standing up.

“Well, first they’re getting their nails done, then they’re having lunch in the restaurant. After that, they are having massages and in the evening, I don’t know. All I know is they have one of the halls blocked off.

“
That’s because Dorothy has hired strippers for the event,”
Isaac snarled.

“What?” Barry stated out loud, drawing everyone’s attention. “
Who the hell allowed this?”
he asked moving the children towards the breakfast bar.

“
I did. You know how hard it is to get a damn word in with that woman. She actually gave me the eye!”
Talhrn snarled through the common path of their family.

Laughter busted out throughout the hotel, children and staff just stared at them like they’d all lost their minds.

For the next six hours, Barry, along with Akaos, Talhrn, Isaac, and his family sat watching movies with the kids while glancing at the clock the whole time.

“
So help me god, if another man’s scent is on my woman, I’m strangling you, Talhrn,”
Isaac snarled
.

“Jump in line,”
Barry grumbled
.

“Don’t you think I’m kicking myself in the ass. Barry you were the one that said the women needed to be with each other, well Dorothy played on that thought. For a human, or former human, she’s a clever one and I’m glad she’s on our side.”

They all looked up when the door opened and Zanger and Rhodes came in, both of them rubbing what appeared to be black dye from around their eye. “I swear I’m going to tan her hide.” Zanger snarled and all the children turned towards them and busted out laughing.

“
What did you do now?”
Isaac asked
.

“We just wanted to make sure our women were not hanging on these men so we looked through these little holes in the door. Well hellcat either could sense us or saw us because she picked up a bottle of blue power dye and squirted it in the holes. You should have heard them laughing and carrying on. Did you know there were four strippers? They were trying to teach the ladies lap dancing from what we heard.”

That was it, Barry stood and looked at Orion. “Watch the kids.” He wasn’t the only one who was exiting the hall where Christmas movies were playing. Isaac, Akaos, Talhrn were all right behind him.

“They’ll die,” Akaos snarled.

“I’ll give her a lap dance. She’ll be dancing in my lap alright when I tan her ass.” Isaac grumbled rounding the corner only to come to a complete stop.

Lacey, Betsy, Maya and Dee stood there with their hands on their hips glaring at them. “I can’t believe you actually believe we would allow someone to touch us!” Lacey snarled.

“Didn’t you ever think Opal planned everything that was said?” Betsy snapped. “Barry, you know damn well I wouldn’t allow anyone to touch me and to know you don’t trust me... maybe there shouldn’t be a wedding.”

“Now, now let’s not go that far, shall we,” Dorothy said coming up to Betsy and hugging her before stepping around the women and glaring at the men. “What would be so wrong if they were getting lap dances? Are they fucking them? No. They are together having a great time being women. Look at how much they have given you - children, homes, not to mention the danger you and your kind have put them in. I’m ashamed of all of you. You should know better.”

“
In over one hundred years, no one has made me feel so...”
Talhrn groaned.

“Oh god, she’s pulling out the big guns,” A
kaos said nodding to Barry’s mom, Davis’ mom, and Orion’s mom standing there giving them all the mothers’ eye.

Barry moved up to Betsy and brushed a piece of her hair back. “I’m sorry, I do trust you, but the thought of someone touching you...  I love you Betsy and I’d do anything for you, but I couldn’t stand to see another touch you. I’m sorry.”

Betsy sighed and slid her arms around his waist and hugged him. “Silly man, we were giving each other lap dances. The men were showing us how on those that aren’t joined like Opal and Abby.”

“What?” Rhodes snarled. “She knows damn well that she belongs to us!” Rhodes snarled.

“I, what?” Opal screamed in the middle of the lobby, coming around the women loaded with water guns and aiming them at Rhodes and Zanger.

They laughed, but stopped laughing when she drenched them in what looked to be watered-down honey. “You little...” Rhodes snarled and ran for her, but she was ready, throwing sneezing powered at them.

Betsy and Lacey were on the floor laughing so hard they had tears running down their faces. “Go Opal,” Lacey yelled, rolling past Maya and grabbing two other guns as did Betsy, aiming them at all of them.

“Let the games begin!” Maya shouted, hitting Akaos in the back of the head with a balloon filled with baby powder.

“This was all planned. Warriors arm yourself!” Talhrn said as water pistols appeared around them, but they weren’t the only ones playing. Children came out of the hall laughing and throwing water balloons at the men. Orion and Davis both had red water running down their faces, chasing after Hale and Candy, while the boys laughed their heads off.

“What the...” was all Barry got out before a water balloon hit him straight in the forehead.

“What’s wrong? A mighty warrior can’t have some fun?” Betsy teased, him giving her sister a high five.

“You my, kitten, are in major trouble,” Barry snarled and picked up two guns, running after Betsy, but once more he didn’t get too far. Their second line of defense was waiting.

Syrup! They had syrup-filled balloons. He stood there looking as the syrup dripped down onto his shirt as another ball hit him square in the chest.

“Aww, what’s wrong, baby? All sticky?” Betsy teased laughing and running around the corner followed by the other women.

He held up his hand as the children followed them. The men joined him. “They have another round ready for us. It’s time to turn the tables. Men, we’re warriors, this should be a piece of cake,” Barry said and moaned as cake dropped from the ceiling onto them.

They were a mess, cake, syrup and colored water covered each of them. But hearing the laughter from the children and the women was priceless. “Do you surrender?” Maya yelled out.

“Never!” Akaos said, earning him another hit in the head with a water balloon. “Maya, your butt is going to be red for a week!” he grumbled and squinted his eyes.

“Okay, they want to use their gifts. I say we pull off the gloves.” Akaos stripped down to just his pants as did the rest of them. The game had just turned and his kitten would pay.

****

Betsy heard the war cry and before she could start to move from her hiding place, a bucket of ice cold water was dumped over her head. “Damn!” she disappeared and reappeared at the base of operations. Every single one of the women were soaking wet.

“Well, we wanted it and we got it. Ready, ladies?” They all turned to look at the young girls who then grinned and started to limp to the lobby. At first nothing happened, then all of the warriors showed up, concerned about the ten girls. Just as they had planned, the girls plopped down on the ground right before the net fell on the men, trapping them.

Betsy ran out into the lobby, pulling the girls from under the edge of net as the rest of the women gathered the rope and stared to wrap it around the warriors. “It’s Christmas time and look what we got.” Maya sang.

“I do believe we have a group of warriors like no other, brave, kind and three hearts meant for us only.” Dee sang next.

Betsy moved around the group staring into Barry’s gaze. “You gave us hope, love and protection, but you took away one thing we can’t live without, each other. From this day forward let it be known we will not be separated ever again!” Each of them shouted and started to tighten the ropes.

Lacey stepped forward weaving her powers. “Feel the tightness of your group? Well, our bond is ten times this. As you would do anything for us, we will do anything for you.” Lacey stepped back as did Betsy.

Akaos’ mother and the man who had raised Talhrn stepped forward. All ropes disappeared as did the net. Each of the warriors knelt down, bowing their heads.

The man spoke, but in their heads. “
The women are right. You have miracles here. Look around you warriors, at the children that will be our future. They have given you the gift you craved, love and children, but they should not be separated for any length of time. They have suffered enough. Talhrn, you will still rule the planet, it will be a warriors’ training spot, but we were wrong keeping families there. As we have seen, too many have died, losing hope.
”

The man nodded to Akaos’ mother. “
Your father is dead and your dads have taken to a period of silence. Your mother needs her family Akaos, all of you. Isaac, let the hate be gone from your heart. Right now your family needs you
.”

Betsy thought for sure she would faint when the man turned to her. “
Your father will not, and cannot, come back here. But I thought you and your sister would like to know you have sisters out there who need you. Your search is not over. Maya, part of your family is still alive too. I wish I could give you more, but I too am not allowed to see so much. Enjoy this holiday because from here on the planet Earth will become will come to need you more than ever.”
With those scary words the man left.

At first, no one said anything and then Akaos and Isaac rushed to their Mother.

Barry, Orion and Davis went to Betsy as did the children, and she smiled. Her mother was right, the woman is the heart of the family where everyone relies on, even in a disaster.

“
Right on my little sister, right on. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Lacey said and headed towards the elevators as the mess in the room disappeared.

“Why do I feel something is coming and it’s not going to be good,” Betsy whispered to Barry, who shook his head.

“I don’t know, kitten, but for one of the
Tetraheros
to appear here, something big is going to happen. He was warning us the best he could. But for now, we will concentrate on the next few days. Come, let’s get the children cleaned up. We’ll have a family night tonight.” Barry guided her towards the elevator with the children in front of them.

“You need more cleaning then I do,” Jordon teased and she smiled as Barry grabbed him and threw him up in the air.

“Little warrior, you keep teasing me and I’m going to eat you up,” Barry proceeded to nibble on his tummy and Jordon yelled. Both Marty and Doug attacked him, pushing him into the elevator, making her laugh. The girls rolled their eyes, talking about boys. While Davis glanced back over the lobby, frowning.

“You okay?” she asked, placing her hand on his arm when he stepped into the small private box.

“I’m fine kitten, just worried. The sooner we get back to our home, the better I’ll feel.” Davis wrapped his arms around her and leaned against the wall.

“I have to agree with you. I think we should move our families there. The more of us, the better protected we’ll be. I still can’t believe they have protected this planet. To choose this world over all the others, that alone could cause trouble.”

“What do you mean?” Betsy asked when she noticed the girls listening. Betsy leaned over and kissed their heads. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine as long as we’re together.”

She looked up at Orion and he nodded, lifting both girls into his arms. They squealed and laughed as he nipped their necks, getting them dirty. “Just because we allowed our women to capture us, doesn’t mean we are not well trained to protect you. I promise you that.”

Barry laughed and looked at her. “See now, each one of us needs baths.”

Betsy moaned, realizing that Davis was now smearing syrup all over her. “Do you know how long it’s going to take to get this mess out of my hair? Not to mention the fact I’m getting married tomorrow night!” she growled and tried to get away from Davis but he held on tight.

“Oh no, you don’t, we’ll help clean you up.” Davis said and the girls giggled as the doors to their suite opened up.

Greeting them was some kind of strange-looking creature. It was like a dog, but it had a long snout and fangs protruding from its mouth along with orange eyes. “Okay, what the hell is that?” she screeched.