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Chapter 1 "Franco, the delivery truck is pulling around to the loading dock. The order is kind of big, today. Are you going to need any help?" "No, thank you, Miss Annie," Franco replied in his thick Italian accent. "I am fine." "Ok! Thanks, Franco. Let me know if you need anything, though," Annie closed the door and returned to her sewing and Franco opened up the delivery bay doors and got to work unloading the truck. Franco had been in the United States for just over two years. He'd moved here with his wife, Nina, and son, Tony. They had settled here because this is where Nina had grown up. The daughter of immigrants, she had gone back to Italy to find herself a husband and because her father had felt that her American friends were out of control, but, with the economic downturn reducing the opportunities in Italy, Franco and Nina had made the move to the USA. Very soon after he'd arrived, Franco took a part time job working for Annie as a laborer/handyman at her bridal shop. Just this past week, Annie had asked him if he'd be willing to come on as a full time employee. Franco was thrilled. Annie was great to work for and all the ladies in the shop were so nice to him, too. The ladies liked Franco's sense of humor and smile - and his fit, athletic body was a bonus! Then there was Emma, Annie's adopted daughter. Emma started coming to work with Annie about two months after Franco started working there. "Such an odd child," Franco had told Nina. "Such a beautiful little girl, polite and very intelligent, but very odd." When she first arrived, Emma was six years old, the same age as his son, Tony, but she seemed like an older person. She didn't laugh like a child, she always seemed to have office work to do - Annie called it homework, but it sure looked like office work to Franco - and she just spoke like a grown up all the time; called her adopted mom 'Annie' instead of 'mom' and Marco, who loved children and always became great friends with every child he met, could not make any head way with this one. This past weekend, Franco had attended the wedding of the daughter of Annie's friend, Marybeth. Franco had been surprised to get an invitation to the wedding - Marybeth's husband had been Annie's partner in the shop, but he'd died before Franco's arrival. He'd guessed that they'd just been being polite, but he and Nina had a wonderful time at the reception. Little Emma had been in the wedding, dressed in a beautiful replica of the bride's gown. Franco had pointed her out to Nina who watched the child with great interest. "You're right, Franco," Nina had said, "there is something different about that child. She is an older soul than we see. There is something magical about that little girl" Strangely, though, since Franco had been telling Nina how seldom he'd seen the child smile or laugh, Emma had seemed to enjoy herself more than he'd ever seen before. She was beaming when she was looking at the bride. The truck pulled up to the loading dock and Franco set about dealing with his job. Chapter 2 It was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon and Annie and the other ladies who worked at the bridal shop were very busy getting things caught up. The previous couple of weeks had been focused nearly exclusively on Kathy's wedding gown. When Kathy had been in school, she'd spent every afternoon in the shop with the ladies. She'd run into her father's office and do her homework as quickly as possible, then come out to the sewing area and help the ladies. They all felt like aunts to Kathy and all of her bridal party preparations had been labors of love - especially her gown. Now, little Emma had assumed Kathy's old role as apprentice and mascot to the ladies. One of the ladies, Arlene, had Emma sitting on her lap and she was guiding Emma through the process of embroidering a flower pattern into the bodice of a gown. Emma was an excellent student and had remarkable eye-hand coordination for such a sweet, little thing. "My word, Emma," Arlene said with sincere astonishment, "you learn things so quickly! What a smart little girl you are!" Emma smiled a little smile and kept working the needle and thread the way that Arlene had shown her. Arlene was giving Emma a kiss on the back of the head when the bells on the door rang indicating someone had come in. "Hi! Anyone here?" It was Marybeth. Annie stepped onto the sales floor and greeted Marybeth with a kiss on the cheek. "Well, long time, no see!" Annie's sweet and feminine peach colored dress was a striking contrast to the perfectly tailored skirt- suit that Marybeth was wearing. Marybeth was all business these days, but she laughed at Annie's little joke. Annie knew she was coming by on the way to the airport to say good bye to them. "Emma," Annie called back to the sewing area, "come see auntie! She's headed to the airport." Marybeth was headed to Los Angeles to be a part of a team of lawyers involved in litigation against a huge chemical company that had made an entire aquifer in California unusable. She was planning on being gone for at least a week. Emma appeared wearing a little, flowered dress, which was predominately peach in color, matching the color and shape as Annie's. Annie made most of both their clothes and reveled in mother-daughter dresses. Emma took Annie's hand, smiling up at Marybeth. Emma almost always held Emma's hand. Just a nervous habit, Annie guessed. If anyone had a good reason to be insecure, it was Emma. "So, I'll be gone for a week to ten days. No more than that." Marybeth said. "I'll see you guys when I get back," "Take care of yourself out there, ok?" Annie playfully scolded as she gave Marybeth a hug. Then Marybeth bent down to Emma's height and pulled her in for a big hug. "You are just beautiful, today, Emma." She ran her fingers along the beautifully braided plaits in the child's hair. "This must have taken Annie hours to do." She laughed and released the hug. She gave Emma a kiss on the forehead and held her face in her hands and took in every feature of the little girl's face. "Just beautiful." Emma smiled back. "Be safe, Mare. See you, soon." "Yes. I will and I will see you, soon, sweetie." She stood and gave Annie one more kiss before heading to the door. "I'll text you when the plane lands!" She called back to Annie and Emma. "Love you, both!" "Love you, too!" mother and daughter both called back. "She looks good," Annie said, watching Marybeth getting into the town car taking her to the airport. Emma smiled. "It's a pretty suit." Annie had designed and made the suit for Marybeth just a few weeks ago. "You dress her well." Annie let out a little laugh, "I dress everyone well!" She grabbed Emma and spun her around while holding her by her arm pits. "Look how pretty I make you, princess, and when I started on you this morning, you were a mess!" She continued to spin until she felt dizzy. The spinning stopped and Annie held Emma in a deep, loving, maternal hug. "I love you, baby." She said as she kissed her and put her back on her feet. Emma smiled back up at her as Annie patted her head. "Miss Annie?" Annie was startled out of her reverie by Franco's call. He was standing just a few feet away from them. He must have been watching because he had a big smile on his face. "Oh, Franco," Annie straightened her hair and dress, composed herself and gave Emma a little pat on the back, shooing her away to the other woman. "What's up?" Franco watched Emma leave. He smiled as he handed the bills of laden to Annie. "She's smiling a lot this week?" Annie looked at the paperwork, "Hmm? What?" "Little Miss Emma. She's smiling a lot this week." "Is that unusual?" Suddenly, Annie seemed concerned. "A bit. She's never really sad, just, well..." Franco struggled to find the words in English, "... just like a grown up and serious." Annie's brow furrowed as she looked to where Emma had been a few minutes before. "I told my Nina," Franco continued. "She says Emma is an 'Old Soul'. Maybe she's right. She also said that she sensed magic in that girl." At the word 'magic', Annie's head spun to look Franco straight in the eye. His handsome features showed no malice at all, but Annie felt a rush of heat flush through her body. "Magic?" "Are you ok, Miss Annie? Your face is pale." Annie shook off her concerns. Franco was a sweetheart of a guy, he didn't mean any harm. "Yeah. Well... Emma had a tough time before she came to me. She IS an old soul, I guess." Then, changing the subject, "It was nice to meet Nina at the wedding. She seems very nice. Very pretty lady, Franco! You're a lucky guy!" Franco smiled. "I am. Miss Annie, you know, my boy, Tony, and Miss Emma are the same age. Maybe they could get together some time. He's a nice boy. Does Miss Emma bowl? Tony goes bowling with friends on the weekends. She could join them." More heat rushed through Annie. She had protected Emma so well for the last 2 years that she had gotten comfortable with no one questioning their lives. The outside world had been kept at a distance. She couldn't explain this to Franco. "Umm, maybe. Yeah, maybe some time. Not this weekend, though, we have a... thing to do on Sunday and I need her here all day Saturday, so... thank you, Franco. I will... Umm... thanks." And she went into the office to file the paperwork. Franco returned to the warehouse with a smile on his face. 'Some time being with children and having fun. That's the thing that Miss Emma needs!' he thought as he went about his duties. Chapter 3 The courtroom was empty except for the team that Marybeth was joining. There were 12 lawyers on the team representing the plaintive, a small town that had lost their water supply due to the chemical company's negligence. Marybeth knew a couple of the lawyers from previous cases, but most were new faces. Marybeth was only there for the preliminary hearings and to help establish a strategy, then she was headed home. She'd return again as they approached the trial date. They were going over things when the opposing council team entered. Their lead attorney was dressed in a $3,000 suit followed by five men and one woman. They were surprisingly friendly and came over to Marybeth's team to shake hands and wish them luck. Marybeth was chatting away with one lawyer, when something about the woman on the other team caught her eye. 'I know her,' she thought. 'Who is that?' She went through the very reliable google-search-engine she had in her head, but nothing matched. This was a slight, blonde woman with small features, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Who was she? Before she had a chance to talk to the woman, the judge entered and the proceeding began. Chapter 4 Fridays were always busy at the bridal shop. Lots of last minute things to deal with before the weekend and the weddings! "Emma!" Annie called from the sales floor. The little girl appeared from the office and Annie waved for her to come over to where she was talking to a customer. "Mrs. Delaney, this is my daughter, Emma. Say hello, dear." "Hello, Mrs. Delaney." Emma said and shook the lady's hand. "Hello, Emma." Mrs. Delaney accepted Emma's hand shake with a broad grin. She looked back at Annie, "My, my. So grown up for such a young lady." "Yes, she is, indeed." Annie smiled. "Anyway, Emma, here, is the same size as your niece, so, in lieu of Brittany being able to come in for a final fitting, I could have you view the junior bridesmaid dress on my Emma. How's that?" "Wonderful!" Mrs. Delaney beamed. Then she looked at Emma, putting her hand on the child's shoulder. "Would you be willing to help me out and try this pretty dress on for me, sweetie?" "Sure," said Emma. She took the dress and headed into the dressing room. "She's so sweet!" Mrs. Delaney whispered to Annie. "She looks just like you. Her father must be a handsome fellow!" "I wouldn't know," Annie explained with a smile. "I adopted Emma two years ago. She is an amazing child, though." Emma emerged from the curtained dressing room in a miniature, white- lacy confection and she walked directly to the alteration platform. She'd been Annie's model a million times and knew that there would be a few minutes of poking and oohing and ahhhing before she could return to the dressing room and her own, comfortable dress. Annie approached the platform, talking all the way. "So, you can see that the lace on the bodice creates a somewhat more feminine curve and the petticoats give the skirt and wide, feminine..." She noticed that Mrs. Delaney's attention was focused well beyond Annie's head. She turned to see what had grabbed her attention and she saw that Franco had entered from the stock room carrying several, heavy bolts of material for the seamstresses. "Mrs. Delaney?" "Hmm? What?" Mrs. Delaney became conscious that she had been staring and blushed, just a bit before hurrying over to Annie's side. "I'm sorry, Annie, but... who is that man?" Annie looked again and smiled. Franco was a very handsome man, no doubt about it. Athletic, very well groomed and always deferential to woman in a very polite way. "That's Franco, our Jack-of-all-trades around here. He runs our warehouse and helps with pretty much everything." "He's gorgeous!" Mrs. Delaney whispered and giggled. "I couldn't keep my eyes on my work if I had him around." Emma giggled quietly to herself and rolled her eyes just a little. Annie heard her and gave her rump a little swat, then turned her attention back to the customer. "Yes, he is very handsome, very strong, very polite and very, very, very married to a very beautiful woman." She joked. "Now, about the dress." "Haha, oh, yes... the dress." Their focus returned to the dress and how it hung on Emma. Chapter 5 It had been a very long morning and Marybeth's team had not had things go exactly as planned. The judge seemed inclined to give the defense team the benefit of the doubt and that was making Marybeth's job a lot harder. When they broke for lunch, both teams ended up in a chain restaurant across from the courthouse. The chain, known for its moderately priced soup and breadsticks luncheon specials set up large tables for each of the legal teams at opposite sides of their dining room. About fifteen minutes into the meal, Marybeth excused herself and went to the ladies' room. When she entered, the small, blonde, familiar- looking woman from the defense team was sitting on a chaise and talking on her cell phone. Marybeth nodded to the woman and entered a stall. The phone conversation continued and Marybeth could hear the sound of the woman's California-tinged accent the whole time. The conversation was mundane; just arranging to meet a colleague after work for drinks and a brief discussion about another case. As Marybeth washed her hands and checked her face, the woman ended her call and then approached Marybeth. She stood about two feet behind Marybeth and waited until they made eye contact in the mirror. When their eyes met in the glass, Marybeth stopped redoing her lips mid-stroke. "Hello." "Marybeth Costello." The woman said. "Yes?" "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Marybeth relaxed and smiled. "So, I do know you? I thought so. I'm sorry. I'm usually very good with names and faces. I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with your name." "I'm not surprised," the woman continued. "The last time we saw each other, I was a bit heavier and you... well you hadn't gained all this - height." Everyone around Marybeth had gotten used to the height that she'd added two years ago when everything went wrong with Bob, but this was a very strange and rude thing for a casual acquaintance to say, wasn't it? "Excuse me?" Marybeth asked. "What are you, now? Six-feet? Six-one?" "You know, I am very confused. What is your name?" "My name is Rose. Rose Sanchez." Marybeth thought, but that name didn't help her at all. "...and we know each other?" she asked "I know more about you than you could possibly imagine." Marybeth returned her lipstick to her purse, closed it and started to the door, but Rose stopped her in her tracks when she said, "How's sweet, little Emma doing these days?" Marybeth's head snapped around to face Rose, but she wasn't Rose anymore. Her hair had gotten darker. Her body had gotten thicker and her eyes had gotten vicious. She had changed. She was Myra! "Oh, my God!" Myra laughed. "Oh, my God!" She mimicked. "You didn't think you were rid of me did you? I will always be just around the corner, you bitch." Marybeth was starting to shake. She needed to leave or call for help, but her fear froze her in place. Her brain was racing: 'She said 'Emma.' How could she know that name? Emma was 'Bob' when she left. No! She can't know about Emma! She can't!' "Obviously, I under estimated your stamina when I left two years ago. I thought I'd ruined you, but here you are - shaken and bent, but not broken. I need to fix that." The sweat was beading on Marybeth's forehead. "Myra, please. Don't..." "Don't what? Don't hurt 'me'? Don't hurt my daughter - the pretty newly-wed? I have to hurt someone, Boss? It's what I do, you know." Myra moved closer to Marybeth and pushed her face into hers. She was so close that Marybeth could taste Myra's lunch on her breath. "Don't worry, Boss. I won't touch your precious daughter. I always liked her. She seems much smarter than you." Marybeth breathed just a little easier for a moment. "...but I am a little disappointed in myself. I really thought I had destroyed Bob. He was kind of my masterpiece, but I obviously didn't go far enough. Here I find that you and sweet little Annie have worked things out and created a happy ending for that little girl. Well, there are no happy endings now, bitch. Now - there is fear! Are you afraid of me, Marybeth?" "Yes," she whispered. "Good. You should be because I think that your favorite mother and daughter are about to have a very bad day." With that, she stepped back, closed her eyes and smiled as if she were quietly having an orgasm. Then her eyes opened and she smiled and her face and body morphed back to Rose. Marybeth's knees weren't able to hold her up. She leaned on the sinks and shook to her core. Rose checked herself in the mirror and turned to leave. "Have a good day," she called back to Marybeth in her sweet California voice. The door closed and Marybeth grabbed her purse and dug for her cell phone. Chapter 6 "Thank you honey, you can get changed back into your own dress, now." Annie said. "When you come out, I will give you a nice tip!" Mrs. Delaney smiled as she pulled out a $10 bill from her purse to give to her little model. Annie waved the woman's offer aside. "Oh, no thank you, Mrs. Delaney. Emma is happy to help, aren't you, sweet heart?" "Yes, m'am," Emma smiled at Mrs. Delaney. "It is a very pretty dress. I enjoyed wearing it for a few minutes." That was not the truth. In fact, Emma had gotten very used to wearing her own dresses, but the junior bridal dresses were heavy and not all that comfortable. But, what the heck. Kathy had done the same thing for Annie when she was a little girl, too. It was just par for the course. Emma had taken 2 steps towards the dressing room when she suddenly when white a sheet and became as stiff as a board. "Emma?" Annie said with concern. No response. Then Emma's legs failed on her and she collapsed to the floor and began convulsing violently. "EMMA!!!!!" Annie screamed and ran to the child, but before she could reach her, Franco appeared out of nowhere and ran to Emma, lifting her to the counter. Quickly he removed something from around his neck and placed it around Emma's neck. The convulsions stopped immediately, but Emma was still unconscious, pale and wet with perspiration. Annie ran to the other side of the counter and took Emma's face in both of her hands. "Emma! Emma, baby, please look at me! Open your eyes, baby! Open your eyes!!!" Annie begged the child. Franco was working frantically to unzip and remove the heavy dress from the child. "Is she breathing, Franco!? Is she breathing!?" "Miss Annie," Franco said, "call 911." Annie was calling to Emma, again. "Miss Annie! 911, now! Please!" His large hands were moving Emma like a doll and soon he had her stripped to her flowered panties and tee shirt. He handed the dress to one of the ladies and laid Emma flat on the counter while he checked to be sure that Emma was breathing. "Your baby is ok, but, Miss Annie! 911, please." Finally, Annie was able to think again and she pressed the three numbers on the phone. The ambulance was there within moments. Emma was strapped to a gurney and rolled out of the bridal shop and into an ambulance. Annie tried to climb in with her, but the EMT said, "I'm sorry, but you can't ride with her. You'll have to follow us. We'll meet you at the hospital." And he slammed the door in her face, leaving her shaking and crying on the sidewalk. Franco pulled around the corner in his car. "Miss Annie! Come, now! Come, please! We have to go to the hospital. Come!" Annie leapt into the car and Arlene ran out of the shop with Annie's pocket book and handed it in to her. There was a tune playing in the distance. An obnoxious, digital tune that was palying over and over from some muted speaker. Eventually, Annie realized what the music was: Her cell phone was ringing. Chapter 7 "Pick up! Pick up! Pick up!" Marybeth was frantically whispering into her end of the phone. "Hello?" "Annie! Annie! She's here! Annie! She threatened to do something!" "Marybeth?" Annie's voice was thick with tears and fear. "I can't talk now. Emma's hurt. I think that... I can't even tell you what I think happened. Franco and I are following the ambulance... I have to go." "No! Don't hang up! What happened?" "I think... she had a convulsion. Like she did two years ago..." Annie was crying too hard to continue. Marybeth was running through the restaurant, past her team and towards the door. She held the phone to her ear while she jumped into a cab and told the driver to go to her hotel. "Annie! Annie! What happened? Myra is here. She said that.... Annie is Emma ok?" "I don't know. I don't know!" Annie wailed as Franco drove and glanced at her with concern. When Annie dropped the phone and buried her face in her hands, Franco picked it up and spoke. "Miss Marybeth? This is Franco." "Franco, what happened to Emma?" "Miss Marybeth! La bambina! Ella ? malata ? stato magic!" "Franco! In English!" "Miss Emma! She is sick! It was magic! I stopped it." The word 'magic' hit both women like a sledge hammer. "Magic?" Annie whispered. "Franco? You know about the magic?" Franco was still on the phone, but he spoke to Annie, now. "My Nina. She could see magic on the bambina and she gave me a charm to protect her. I was going to give it to her today, but she was so busy. When I saw her freeze like a statue then fall - I knew it was evil magic." "Oh, Franco! Thank you!" Annie said quietly, but with great affection. "May I have the phone?" She took the phone and explained everything to Marybeth, who was already at her hotel and hurrying to get to her room. "I will grab my things and head for the airport as soon as I can. I will be home as soon. I love you, Annie! I am so, so sorry. I will see you soon. Keep me updated, please! I am sorry, honey. I can't believe she was here." Franco took an illegal left hand turn and pulled into the hospital parking lot with a squeal of rubber and brakes. Both he and Annie were out of the car before it had stopped moving and were running into the emergency room. Annie ran to the nurse on duty at the admittance desk and cried, "My baby was just brought in by ambulance. Please! I need to be with her!" Chapter 8 "I can't tell you exactly what happened to her," The thirty-something- ish doctor told Annie. "She's still unconscious, but she appears stable. It's too soon to discuss the possibility of any kind of brain damage or on-going problems with seizure disorders, but I am concerned that she hasn't regained consciousness, yet. The longer she's asleep, the more concerned I am. It's been nearly six hours since the seizure and she's still unresponsive, but, let's keep thinking positive thoughts, ok?" Annie was clinging to Franco's arm and praying that her legs would continue to hold her and that her baby would be ok. She knew that Emma had only been her little girl for two years, but she could not possibly love her any more than she did. She was very, very afraid. The doctor left them in the waiting room, telling them that they could see Emma in her room in just a few minutes. Franco had been right by Annie's side for the last six hours and Annie didn't know if she could have made it this far without him. As he helped her into a chair, a beautiful woman and a handsome, young boy who could not be mistaken for anyone other than Franco's son, entered the waiting area. Franco's wife was as beautiful as he was handsome. Her long, dark hair was beautifully styled and she wore a very pretty, but frugal dress that showed off her curves. The little boy, Anthony, was the spit-and- image of his dad. He was the same age of Emma, but he was a lot taller and looked nowhere near as vulnerable as Emma. He was obviously uncomfortable in the hospital. Annie had curled up in a chair and waited to see Emma while Franco greeted his family. "Miss Annie," Franco's voice was comforting, now. Annie had grown used to his strong, quiet voice and sweet, Italian accent. "You remember my wife, yes?" Annie smiled and wiped the tears from her checks. "Of course, hi, Nina. It was very nice of you to come down. And this must be Tony." The young man shook Annie's hand in a very formal way. "Yes, Miss Annie. Very nice to meet you. I am so sorry that your daughter is ill." His accent was much less pronounced than his father's. Annie broke into a broad smile. When she spoke, it was almost like a sigh, "Oh, thank you, Tony. Aren't you the nicest boy?" Just then a nurse came out and called Annie into Emma's room. Annie stood and turned to Franco's family, "Would you like to come in with me? I'm sure that Emma would like to see you all if... when she wakes up. And... to be honest, I don't know if I can be alone right now." Nina came over to Annie and kissed her cheek in a remarkably friendly way. "We will be right in, but I need to talk to Franco for just a moment first, if that's ok?" Annie had just expected Nina to have an accent and the lack of one was a little odd. Nina took Tony by the shoulders and looked him right in the eye. "Anthony, I need you to go with Miss Annie for a few minutes, ok? She needs you to be strong and protect her right now, so you be a strong boy for her, ok?" "Yes, m'am," Tony replied with a serious look on his face. "May I join you, Miss Annie?" he asked as he took Annie's hand. He was so serious and mature, Annie could not help but smile as she felt a surge of warmth and affection for this little clone of his father. As he followed the nurse and led Annie down the hall, Annie turned and smiled at his parents and followed her brave, little protector. Chapter 9 Marybeth had caught a flight the moment she got to the airport. Before she'd taken off, she'd called her secretary and had her arrange for a town car to meet her at the airport when the plane landed. The driver was letting her off at the hospital and receiving instructions sending him to Marybeth's home where her secretary would meet him and take her luggage from him. When she reached the fifth floor, she hurried to the waiting room where she recognized Franco, Annie's hired-man, talking to a very attractive woman. Franco introduced the woman as his wife. Chapter Annie sat on the bed beside Emma and held the child's tiny hand in hers. She carefully inspected everything about the child. She looked the same. No younger than before. She could not count how many times in the last two years she had sat and looked at every pore on Emma's face. Nothing seemed changed. Thank you, Lord! "Emma. Emma, sweetheart. You have a visitor." No response. "Emma, a very handsome, young man is here to see you." She smiled at Tony and encouraged him to come around the other side of the bed. "Emma," she continued, "this is Anthony, Franco's son. We can call him Tony. He is a very nice boy and he'd like to meet you, sweetheart." Still no response. "Emma, please open your eyes and meet him." Just the sound of the beeping machines answered her. "She is very beautiful," Tony said. Annie smiled at the boy even as she cried over Emma. "Why, thank you, Tony. You really are a gentleman." Just then Marybeth came through the doors. The sight of Emma in the bed made her catch her breath. The women greeted each other and Tony shook Marybeth's hand. "Annie," Marybeth spoke very quietly, "Franco and Nina have an idea that may help us protect Emma. I think we should talk to them." Annie squinted at her and tried to figure out what she could possibly be talking about, but Marybeth was earnest and it was obvious that she didn't want to speak in front of Anthony. Annie took a deep breath and exhaled slowly - very reluctant to leave Emma's side. "Tony, may I ask you a big favor?" "Of course, Miss Annie." "Well, Marybeth and I have to go talk to your mom and dad for just a minute, so I wonder if you could just sit here and maybe hold Emma's hand and talk to her for just a couple of minutes? Can you do that for me?" The boy reached out and took Emma's hand in his and said, "Yes, m'am. I will stay with her." "Thank you, Tony. We'll be just on the other side of the door. If you need me, just holler and I will run back in." "Yes, m'am." Tony said with great seriousness. "May I read to her." "Yes, of course, you may, Tony. Thank you." As Annie stood up, Tony pulled a comic book from his back pocket where he'd had it folded. He quickly dragged a chair over and opened the magazine to the first page. Suddenly, his mature fa?ade was broken as his excitement to share the story with Emma turned him back into a little boy. "Emma, I think you will like this. It's my favorite. It's Iron Man. I like it a lot because Iron Man's real name is Tony. Look, it starts with a picture of a tall building and there is a helicopter landing on the roof..." Chapter 10 "Believe me, I know Myra. I have known her for a long time and there is no other way to stop her." Nina was telling Marybeth and Annie. "I grew up just a little way from here and when I was in high school, a friend of mine introduced me to a coven of witches. I learned a lot from Myra, but I knew she was evil right from the start." She looked directly into Annie's eyes. "The moment I laid eyes on your Emma, at the wedding, I knew that Myra's magic was on her. I don't know how or what she did to that baby, but I can help you stop her from ever hurting her again. The charm that I made and gave Franco will protect her for a while by making her invisible to Myra, but we have to take away Myra's powers if you ever want to feel safe again." "This is nuts. This is just friggin' nuts!" Annie insisted in a loud whisper. "How did I ever get sucked into this? I am a good person. I go to church. My best friend was taken from me by that psycho and now my baby! Why does this keep happening?" Annie wept helplessly into her hands. "I know, Annie, I know," Marybeth put her arm around Annie to try to calm her friend, "but I think that Nina is right. We can stop her. Nina knew how to make the charm that saved Emma, right? I think we need to listen to her." "I can stop her, Annie. I really can." "Please, just leave me alone!" Annie ran to a couch in the waiting room and collapsed against an arm and cried so hard she could barely breathe. Marybeth, Franco and Nina looked at each other. The women shook their head, but Franco held up his hands indicating that the women should wait. Then he walked slowly to the couch and sat next to Annie. He reached his arms around her and turned her so that she could bury her eyes in his shoulder. He let her cry herself out for a few minutes, then, quietly he said, "Miss Annie. Nina is a good woman. She moved to my country to get away from all this magic. We have a good life, but she sees things in Emma that scare her. She's a smart lady, my wife, Miss Annie. She will stop this witch if you let her. I will help her. I promise, I will protect you and Miss Emma the way that I protect my Nina and my Anthony. Nothing will hurt you. I promise." Annie slowly pulled away and nodded. She knew that she had no choice. Marybeth and Nina sat as well and Nina said, "Ok, let's start at the start. Tell me how you ended up being a target for Myra." Chapter 11 "'Tony, you can't save the world all by yourself,' Pepper said and see, in the drawing she's hitting Tony on the side of the head and his eyes are rolling because it's really loud in the metal helmet." Anthony was completely engrossed in the magazine and didn't notice that the little blonde girl next to him was starting to stir. "Hi," Emma said in a dry, dusty voice. Tony turned and looked at her with surprise on his face. "Hi." "Who are you?" "Oh, oh, I'm sorry. I'm Tony. My dad works for your mom. His name is Franco. Do you know my dad?" Emma smiled and nodded. "I know your dad, yes. Why am I in a hospital? Is Annie... my mom here? " Tony nodded and stood up, "I'll go get her. She's real worried about you. I don't know why you're here, but you were asleep when I got here. Your mom asked me to stay here and keep you company. My mom and dad and a tall lady that knows you are in the hall talking. I'll be right back." As he started to go, Emma grabbed his hand and gave it a soft squeeze. Her hand was small and cool and a little clammy in Tony's hand and it gave him just a little bit of a thrill to feel her touch. "Thank you, Tony. I heard you reading when I was waking up. That was a very nice thing to do for me." Tony's smile beamed. "You're welcome." There were a few moments of silence which may have been more awkward had Tony been older, but for children, it was just silence. "You're very pretty." Emma smiled just a bit and turned beet red as the door opened and all the grownups came in. "Oh, baby, Oh baby!" Annie called as she ran from the door to her beside. She sat on the bed and threw her arms around Emma and pulled her into a hug that nearly suffocated the child. "I'm so glad you're ok." Then the kisses started and Emma couldn't even think straight from Annie's affection-overload. Marybeth sat on the other side of the bed, maneuvering around Tony, and she patted Emma's head then put her arms around Annie and Emma and hugged them both and gave Emma a kiss on the back of the head. When Annie finally came up for air, she slowly raised her eyes to meet Marybeth's. Then she nodded and said, "Ok. Whatever we have to do." Nina came over to Tony and hugged him to her. "Ok." Chapter 12 It was a long hot Tuesday in court and Rose (aka Myra) was grabbing a drink with the rest of her team at a bar near the firm's offices. She always made it a point to drink like 'one of the boys' when she was out with colleagues, so she was just starting her third scotch when she spotted Marybeth across the room, sitting at the bar with a very handsome man. They seemed to be deeply involved in conversation. 'So, she's back, is she? I thought I had shaken her more than that. Well, we shall see.' Rose thought. She watched them while continuing to converse with 'the boys' and she tried to see if these two were romantically involved - if so, something would have to be done about that. Marybeth leaned in and nuzzled the cute guy. 'Ok! That's it!' Rose thought. 'I've seen enough of this. I guess I didn't make myself clear last time. I will make it VERY clear this time. When she's diapering this guy, she'll understand that she will NEVER have that kind of happiness again.' 'The boys' eventually headed home, one by one, leaving Rose alone in the booth watching Marybeth and her guest. Finally, Marybeth stood and gave him a deep kiss, then headed out the door. 'How lucky can you get?' Rose thought. 'I can take care of it all tonight.' Rose stood and had to take a moment clear her spinning head before starting the long walk to 'Mr Right-now'. He was even better looking up close. Strong, athletic and beautiful eyes. 'this is going to be fun.' All she had to do was get him alone for a little while, get him to drink the potion and send him on his way. This was almost more fun than she could imagine. She took the stool next to him and started playing the 'hook-up' game perfectly. First, not noticing him, then, the hair-behind-the-ear flip, then the casual turn to catch him staring at her. "Oh, hi." She said in her most sultry voice. As she grabbed hold of his gaze, she tried to use a simple spell that she knew to make him more... suggestible, but she couldn't seem to get it to work right. Too much to drink, she figured. He smiled and nodded at her while taking his time looking her over. 'Oh, yes. I got him!' "I was just having a drink with my friends , over there, and I saw you all alone. May I keep you company?" The man's smile broadened to a grim. He turned to the bartender and indicated to have two more drinks brought over. He turned to Rose and continued to smile at Rose. The bartender nodded that she had seen his signal and took her time pouring the scotch into the glasses. When the drinks arrived, he handed one to Rose. "To new friends." Rose smiled at him and held up her glass for him to clink his with hers. He raised his glass to hers and held it there for a moment before leaning forward and placing a soft, sensuous kiss on her lips. Then he pulled back, reassembled his smile and said, "To new lovers." "Oh, my," she sighed, genuinely turned on, "what a package I found! Tall, handsome, charming and a sexy accent to boot. Are you Italian?" Chapter 13 "Ok, kiddos," Annie said as the second NetFlix selection of the evening ended. Tony had chosen 'Kung Foo Panda', then Emma, Disney's 'Aladdin.' Annie had been glad to have Tony stay with Emma and her for a few days while Nina and Franco were off with Marybeth doing - well - doing what they needed to do. "9:30! Time to head to bed." It was interesting to watch Emma interact with Tony. Prior to this, the only long term interaction with other children was during the preparations for Kathy's wedding and, then, the actual wedding day. Emma had been a junior bridesmaid and she had to spend time with Kathy's younger cousins, but they were always very dressed up and all acting as grown-up as possible. This was more relaxed. When Emma first came to live with Annie - God, it was getting so hard to remember that Emma wasn't always a little girl. Annie had loved Bob and she missed him every day, but Emma was a whole different person, now. At first, she was like a middle aged man in a little girl's body, but eventually, she began to accept the changes in her life and the changes in her station in life. It was the daily changes that Annie noticed the most. Bob had always been quick to give Annie a comforting hug when she needed it and, at first, Emma's hugs were little versions of Bob's. Now, her hugs were huge, whole hearted, little girl hugs. In the last few weeks, her personality has really been changing. Franco was right the other day when he said that it was nice to see Emma smiling. It had been a long time since Bob had been happy and Emma really never had laughed all that much. She still had Bob's memories, knowledge and skills, but she was more of a little girl. If Annie turned on the news, Emma would sit and watch it and comment on it with her, but if Emma was alone and bored, she would usually look for something more juvenile to watch; the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, etc. Annie figured that it was all just a natural development. After all, Emma's body was going through the same developmental changes that any eight year old girl's body was going through. The fact that Emma had all of Bobby's experiences and intellect didn't keep her from still being a little girl. These last two days, with Tony visiting, Emma was enjoying playing children's board games with him, painting, running in the yard, laughing and really enjoying it. Quincy, their newly acquired puppy had been run ragged by these two lively children. There was laughter in Annie's house! How, wonderful! "Ok, Annie!" Emma said. The, she turned to Tony. "I will grab the game if you can put away the paints." "Ok," and Tony carefully closed up everything and returned them to the craft closet. Annie watched the two of them, Tony in his PJs and Emma in her pink night gown. They were so precious; so cute. They were so little and so grown up at the same time. They were ready in a few minutes and they headed for the bathroom to brush their teeth. There was an inflatable bed on the floor in Emma's room to accommodate Tony. When Annie came up stairs, she could hear the giggling coming from the room as she approached. Quincy ran ahead of Annie and leapt onto Emma's bed. He turned in three quick circles at the foot of the mattress, then curled up; ready to guard Emma all through the night. "Alright, you two, lights out, ok?" "Ok, Annie!" They said in unison and giggled again. Annie laughed, too and bent to tuck Tony in. She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Good night, Tony. Thank you for taking care of Emma and helping her recover." "Good night, Miss Annie. Thank you for letting me sleep over. Emma and I are having a lot of fun." Then she turned to Emma and she could see the childish joy on her face. She'd found friendship again. How wonderful for her. Annie tucked her in and sat on the side of the bed for a moment and just smiled at Emma. "What?" Emma asked. "Nothing, princess." Annie smiled back at Emma and gave her another big hug. "Sometimes, I just can't believe how much I love you. Sweet dreams, my sweet, one. I love you." "I love you, too, Annie." Emma smiled back as she gave Annie one of those wonderful, uninhibited, little-girl hugs, bringing a tear to the corner of Annie's eyes. Then Annie shut off the lights, took one last look and went down stairs leaving the children in Quincy's care. Then she sat in the darkness to await a call from Marybeth. Within an hour, the call came and Annie knew that things were underway. Chapter 14 The sun was beaming on to her face, painfully rousing Rose from her sleep. She raised her hand to shield her eyes and looked around the unfamiliar room to get her bearings. It was a nice, upscale hotel room, no doubt. How did she get here? She sat up and let the blood flow back into her head in the hopes that it may clear her brain. Think, think, think. She shook her head and thought about last night: Drinks with 'the boys' at the bar, then - MARYBETH! Now, she remembered! Marybeth had been there with that beautiful, Italian guy. 'Wait! I had him in the palm of my hand! Did I bring him here?' She looked around the room some more and saw her purse on top of a pile of her clothes on a chair in the corner. Next to the chair was an open suitcase with men's clothing in it. Rose looked down at her body and realized that she was only wearing a bra and panties. She got up and walked with great care to the chair and opened up her purse. Inside was an empty vial that had once held a small amount of a pink elixir that she had intended to get into the big Italian guy. 'Looks like my work here is done!" she whispered through her evil smile. She heard the sound of someone moving in the next room. 'Ahh, lover boy awaits!' She ran her fingers through her hair, pinched her cheeks a couple of times, took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped out into the main room of the suite to, maybe, get in a little nooky before saying goodbye. Sure enough, it was the 'Italian Stallion' sitting at a small table by the window looking out a beautiful view of the city. Rose strode sexily across the room. "Hi," she whispered as she approached. He turned to partially face her. "Buon giorno, signora giovane!" He smiled as he rose, invited her to sit in the other chair, took her hands and gave her a peck on the cheek. She had her sexiest smile on as she sat. "I know it's a clich? to say things like this, but last night was amazing." The man gave a few small, quiet laughs and looked a little smug about the whole thing. "Sono lieto che lei ha avuto un buon notto!" He said with that gorgeous, sexy accent. She smiled back, looked a little confused and shook her head. She giggled, "I'm sorry. I don't.." "Ahh... I am glad that you had a good night." He laughed back. "I think it was very good luck for me - meeting you in the bar, I mean." "Yeah. It was. I had a great time." Suddenly, Rose looked very serious and stared into the man's eyes. "Now, listen to me because this is very important. You will do as I say. You will not be able to tell anyone about me or what we did last night. Do you understand? You will not be able tell anyone about me or last evening until I release you from this command." The man looked blankly into her eyes. She knew she had him. She sat back and smiled, taking in his beautiful face. What a shame. The man watched her sit back, then let out a laugh, shook his head, picked up a piece of toast from his room service tray. "You have a funny way of pillow-talking, Myra." Rose sat at attention immediately. "What did you say." He hadn't said 'Myra' had he? She must have misheard because of his accent. He laughed some more, this time even harder and waved his hands as if he was a wizard in a high school play. "Ha, ha. 'You are in power. You will do as I command.' Ha, ha. You talk like you are in a bad movie. Ha, ha, ha!" Rose stood. Her face took on a look that was a blend of anger and fear. "Are you mocking me?" "Ha, ha. I guess I am!" "That's it! You asked for this!" She yelled as she pulled the small table easily to the side, then knelt in front of the man. She spread his legs, unzipped and unbuttoned his kakis and yanked them down exposing his ample manhood. She smiled up at him and said, "Well, look at that! Such a big boy! Let's do something about that, shall we?" and she grabbed his penis and started to stroke him. He stood quickly and pushed her away, then pulled up his pants. 'What the Hell?' Rose thought, 'the potion should have made it impossible for him to resist any woman!' As he rebuttoned and rezipped he said, "No thank you, Myra. You're not really my type." "Your type!? What exactly do you mean?" The man walked away and put on his sports coat leaving Rose on the floor adjusting her underwear. "Hmm... I like pretty women." She rocketed to her feet. "What! I am pretty! Hell, I'm beautiful! You ass!" "Beauty comes from within, Myra, and you are an ugly, hideous thing." "Why are you calling me 'Myra'?" "That is your real name - Myra. Rose is a beautiful name. I would soil it by applying such a beautiful name to such a perfectly horrid thing as you." Myra stood erect. Her face was flushed. "That's it! I don't think I'll wait for the potion! I hope you like wearing diapers and dresses!!!!" She started chanting in a strange language and began motioning towards the man. He voice rose in power and volume until she finally made a dramatic thrust in the man's direction. Nothing happened. The man laughed heartily. She looked confused and did the same thing again. Nothing happened. There was a knock on the door. The man opened it without looking to see who it was. In walked two women. Myra recognized each of them. The first woman came forward with a big grin on her face. "Myra! So, glad to see you. I must say, you have looked better." She laughed. Myra folded her arms and made a face of determination. "Marybeth. You are getting brave, aren't you? You will pay for this." "I don't think she will," said the other woman. The man was standing with his arms around this one. "Nina!? I thought you were safely out of the country." "I was, until a couple of years ago. When I'd heard that you had left the area, I figured it was safe to come back home. My parents sent me away because you were out of control and they were afraid that I would eventually die or kill someone while I was under your influence. They were probably right. I hid out in Italy where I met my husband; you've met Franco, right? I told him the truth about myself and he introduced me to some very powerful white-witches who helped me reform and gave me a whole arsenal of spells to combat evil - just in case you came back into my life. Funny how things work out, isn't it?" Myra gathered her composure and the anger came back into her face. "That's it. All three of you are dead! I will kill you - right here - right now!" Again the chanting started, only this time the sound of her voice became more guttural and lower in pitch. The tempo and intensity of the chant grew until the sound of Marybeth, Nina and Franco's laughing interrupted Myra's spell. "What are you laughing at?" Myra asked, but she already knew that something was wrong. "You can't hurt us, Myra. Look." Nina said as all three of them lowered their collars revealing three small, identical charms hanging on their necks. Myra immediately recognized them. They were powerful charms designed to protect the wearer from the magic of others. "Fine," Myra said, "if I can't hurt you, I can still get the ones you love. You will never be safe from me!" Then she broke into fit of coughing and had to hold on to the table to keep from falling. "You won't hurt anyone, ever again," Marybeth said. "Your days are numbered, old man." "What?" Myra asked with a look of disdain and anger on her face. "How many male witches do you know, Marybeth?" Nina asked. "Hmm... I have never heard of a male witch, Nina." "Franco, do you know any?" Franco made a show of rubbing his chin and thinking. "None." Nina walked over to Myra and stood directly in front of her, staring into her eyes. "You were going to do to Franco what you did to Bob, weren't you?" "Ha, ha. I was and I still will! Those charms don't last forever, you know, and he drank the potion." "Really?" Nina asked. "Franco, did you drink the potion?" Franco laughed, "Not me, mio amore. You put it in a drink and Myra drank it along with the potion that you gave me to give to her." The smile disappeared from Myra's face. "What?" "I think she's starting to get it now." Nina laughed. "I was very happy to serve as your bartender last night!" Myra's face became pale. Nina glanced down at Myra's waist. "Those are nice panties, you're wearing, but they don't seem to be giving you much modesty," she said as she placed her hand in the front panel of Myra's panties sending a very odd sensation through Myra. "And that bra is looking a little silly on your flat chest, too." Fear filled Myra and another fit of coughing nearly knocked her to the floor. Finally, she looked down at her body and saw her bra hanging uselessly from a flat chest and the tip of a penis sticking out of her lace panties. "What have you done to me!?" The coughing came back some more and harder this time. She held tightly to the table and took stock of her changed body. She was still thin, but her skin looked wrinkled and old. She pulled off her bra and saw the flat chest and useless nipples. There was a mirror over the couch, Myra headed for it, but her legs were stiff and her strength was gone. With great effort, she forced her feet forward. The smiles left the faces of Franco, Nina and Marybeth. This was getting very sad. Before them, over the course of the last ten minutes or so, Myra had changed from a healthy, middle aged woman into this weak, stiff, almost impossibly old man. Myra looked into the mirror and saw the wrinkled, wizened face looking back. She touched her thinning, grey hair and her mouth hung open revealing yellowed, loose teeth. "How did you do this?" "I didn't." Nina said with great sadness. "You did. The potion that you wanted to use would have stolen Franco's sex and age. The potion I added contained a spell to combat your evil. Whatever you tried to impose on another would bounce back on you and impose the exact opposite spell on you. Your spell was meant to make Franco a girl - it made you a man. Your spell was meant to make Franco very young - it made you very old. It was your evil that did this to you." Myra's coughing came back with a renewed power. Her legs could not hold her any more. Franco grabbed her as she collapsed and he helped her back into the chair. Between labored breaths, Myra said, "I will get all of you for this. You... will... pay... for..." but the coughing became too intense to continue. Marybeth walked to the room's phone. "No, Myra. You won't. I think you are a very sick, old man and I don't think that you will have the time, strength or concentration to ever hurt anyone, again." She picked up the phone, dialed the front desk and, when the clerk picked up, she said, "Hi, this is Ms Costello in 924. There is a very old man wearing only a pair of panties in my room. I don't know where he came from, but he seems to be suffering from dementia of some sort. He thinks he's a woman and he's ranting about witches. Would you please call the police for me?" She listened for a moment, then said, "Thank you. I am not comfortable here alone with him, so I am going to leave until the police deal with him. Thanks, again." She hung up and looked at the now ancient looking old man in the chair. "Good bye, Myra," and the three of them left the room. Chapter 15 The sun had only just started to peek over the horizon when Annie put the two sleepy but excited eight year olds into her minivan and started driving north. It was about a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the beach on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and Annie wanted to get there before breakfast so that the kids could have all day at the beach. Yesterday, Marybeth had called to say that everyone was safe, now. Myra had been taken care of. Annie did not want to know how, just that they were safe. They had celebrated afternoon going bowling. Annie knew that Tony loved to bowl. When Annie had told the kids to get ready for the bowling alley, Tony was ready in a heartbeat, but Emma had disappeared up into her room shouting back that she'd be right there. When she didn't come right down, Annie went to see what the holdup was and found Emma standing in her closet with at least a dozen dresses at her feet. "What are you doing?" Annie smiled, knowing full well what was going through her baby's mind. "I need something pretty, but I need to be able to bowl in it, too." "Emma, come on, you look fine the way you are." "Arrgh! All I have is work dresses! I need something less formal so I don't look like a geek to Tony!" Annie stifled the laugh that she felt coming and tried to look sympathetic for Emma's sake. "What should I wear, mommy?" 'Mommy?' Annie thought. The word had slipped out of Emma's mouth without a thought, but it had made Annie weak in the knees. She smiled and helped Emma find just the right thing to wear, a little yellow cotton dress that hung freely from her shoulders and tied into a bow in the back to give her some shape and it had a wide skirt short enough to give her some freedom, but loose and long enough, just to her knees, to not be revealing while bowling. Emma checked herself in the mirror and was satisfied. She smiled at Annie and ran down the stairs calling to both Annie and Tony, "All set! Let's go!!!" The kids had a great time. Tony won, of course, being the most experienced bowler, but Emma was in her glory! After every ball went down the lane, she would give a little jump-for-joy and then skip back to the scoring desk with a big grin on her face. Since the others would not be backroom Los Angeles for another two days, Annie decided to take the kids to one of her favorite places in the world: the Cape. After breakfast at The Pancake Man, they headed to beach. It was a beautiful, late summer day and the beach was not at all crowded, so they spread their blankets and looked out on the beautiful, dark-blue ocean. Annie spent her beach time on her blanket sketching out some simple 'play-dresses' for Emma while the kids swam for a while and played in the sand; building castles and knocking them down. By early afternoon, they were walking hand-in-hand and exploring the tidal pools; Tony picking up little crabs and explaining 'facts' about them that he only half understood himself. He was more than a full head taller than little Emma and, in her little bathing suit, she looked even younger than him. Bobby had been a bit of a nature geek as a child and Annie knew that Emma knew a lot about the creatures in the pools, but she watched with amusement as Emma would pick up another creature from the pool or a piece of sea weed and listen to Tony explain what each item was and how it came to land on this beach. Occasionally, Emma would offer information in the form of questions to help Tony with his lectures. "You sweet, little flirt!" Annie said to herself, watching Emma working her feminine wiles for the very first time. "This is a side of you I never - ever - in a million years - thought that I would see." Tony looked up and saw Annie looking at them and he waved to her. Emma looked up, too, then smiled the biggest smile that Annie had ever seen on that face and waved. "If you're flirting like this at eight, what am I going to do with you when you turn fourteen?" Annie said to herself. Tony pointed to Annie and said something to Emma. The two of them crouched in a racer's stance and they shouted out a count in unison. "On your marks! Get set! Go!" and they both ran full blast towards Annie. This all looked familiar to Annie. They reminded her of Bobby and her when they were little; so happy and full of life. No horrors. No witches. Just the magic of life and friends. The race was a tie. Tony fell on his blanket while Emma landed in Annie's lap. "Ugg," Annie let out as Emma's body landed on her lap. She hugged the giggling little girl tightly to her breast and joined in her giggles. The she rolled Emma onto her back and tickled her until Emma's laughter was uncontrollable. "Oh, my sweat little lady! What am I going to do with you?" "I guess you'll just have to keep on loving me!" Emma giggled and gasped. Annie hugged her tighter and buried Emma's face in kisses. "I guess I will."