Sam Spade 20: Case of the Fae Queen

Heather looked at the woman a long moment before saying mentally, "Just ask her to marry you already Samantha. We all know you want to,"

"I agree and I haven't met her," Fayla's voice said right behind hers. "She needs us."

"She is soul bound already," I said. I realized by the look Susan was giving me that I said it aloud. "My wives want me to ask you to become one with us." I turned away, "I don't handle rejection well and take failings of others as my own mistake." I let out a bark of laughter and said, "I am a god with feet of clay."

Susan stood and placed her hand on Samantha's shoulder from behind. "Assuming my sister my self agrees; I would love to wear your rose Samantha."

"Both sides?" I asked mentally.

"Yes Samantha, you know better than to have to ask," Angela replied.

"Come with me," I said turning to her. Taking her hand went to Fayla's pool. Not to my surprise every one of my wives save Heather was already there. She appeared a moment later with, the nameless female wolf in human form. Going over to the wolf in human form and said, "I would like you and Susan to marry us. I can give you many reasons logically but the fact of the matter is I see her as a younger version of myself and would do anything to keep her from falling into the same traps I went through. By the same token, you are as devoted to her as Angela is to me. Both of them I should say.

"Both?"

"The first died from my folly," I said as the memory of the car fire slammed back into me. It spread to my wives and each case they acted as if someone had punched them in the heart.

The only one who did not double over was Angela and she said, "Sam's first Angela died in a car accident. I was an android and created to help her find her humanity once more." She looked at me, "She found humanity and I found love."

The nameless female wolf in human form looked at me for a long moment before turning to Angela, "Yes they are very much alike. I see that now." She took Angela's hand and walked into the pool. I looked at Susan who nodded and we joined them.

"Thank you Falya for using your pool for this joining." I dipped my head in her direction and she smiled back at me. I introduced everyone to them and walked through the ceremony reaching the end I created a rose, a pale pink rose and said the words of binding. Susan took it broke the stim off, repeated them back to me as she placed the rose behind her ear. Turning to the wolf in human form, I created a rose that was blood red like Fa's and handed it to her. Once she repeated the words of binding I took both stims and scraped my chest, "My life for yours. For if I must die to save any of you, I would in a heartbeat."

Susan touched her lips to my chest and then kissed me tenderly, "My life for yours." She whispered as she broke off. The nameless wolf in human form kissed my bloody chest and then my lips repeating the same and adding, "Two packs, one family. I understand now."

"I must rest now..." I said not opening my eyes. I ported to the mesa and laid down on my back with my eyes closed.

"Why momma laying by herself?" I heard Kitten ask.

"Because momma is thinking." I said not opening my eyes. In reality I was soul sick. I knew the end was coming like an on rushing train in a tunnel and there was nothing I could do to stop it. After a moment I added, "Lady is coming to visit sometime. You should go wait for her so you don't miss her and make sure she visits with Fayla."

"Kitten thinks momma trying to get rid of her," Kitten said. She snuggled up against me and rested her head on my chest, "Kitten stay with her momma, see Lady some other time."

"Okay Kitten, together to the very end." I said stroking her fur. "Kitten, I know you are much smarter than I am. Do you have any idea on how to keep from losing everything I love?"

For the first time in a long while she answered me as an adult, "I don't know Samantha. I will talk to family and together we will solve it for you."

We lay together not speaking for the better part of an hour when Jane showed up, "Kitten, Lady is at the goddess's temple. Why don't you go visit with her while Samantha and I talk?"

Kitten sat up and looked at Jane. After a moment she said mentally, "Madam Chairman, Samantha is having a breakdown, can't you help her?" Aloud, "Kitten go..."

Jane walked over and lay down next to her sister. Kitten wasn't far off on her assessment of Samantha. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I see the rushing train in the tunnel before me and know I am fucked." I paused and sighed, "But like a pilot who it testing an aircraft, I keep trying to fix it as I auger into the ground." I turned my head and looked at her, "But to tell you the truth, if I thought I could die, I would blow my brains out rather than face losing everything and everyone I love."

While she understood how her sister felt, her talking about killing herself rocked Jane to the core. For the first time in her life she didn't know what to say, how to heal her sister. "How can I help you Samantha?"

"Tell me how to stop the war. I can't drive the world to its collective knees to save the world," I said softly.

She looked down at Samantha who still lay looking up at the sky, "Little sister, go with Angela and Amy to judge the androids. If they are worthy give them their gift. If not, you know what you must do." She paused and then added tenderly, "My love, let us, your family work on the problem. Don't give up hope yet."

"Coming?" Angela asked a moment later. When Samantha didn't move she added, "Damnit Red, keep it together."

Even though I wanted to end it all, I followed Angela and found myself in a huge hall. As far as I could see women and men knelt with lowered heads. I walked up and almost as one they all lifted their heads and looked at me unspeaking. In turn I walked around and looked at them. While all had a look of peace in their eyes and faces, one woman, about half way back, made a little gasp and her eyes got large when our eyes met.

Suddenly I knew her and remembered her face the past. Trying to get myself together I looked around, "I am the goddess and you are to be judged. Pass and you will find love, peace, and joy. Fail... I rather not talk about it other than to say," I looked at Angela, "I will remove anyone I need to, to stop the war. It makes no difference to me who she is. All will be judged on the same scale."

Angela quickly knelt next to Amy with lowered head. Not looking up she said, "Goddess the ring leaders are frozen as statues. Amy and I did not feel qualified to remove them."

"I see," I said coldly. "I will deal with them later."

Turning back to the androids kneeling I crouched down before the one I was in front of. While the woman I really wanted was a few rows back and over, I was not ready to face that memory. "You become a protector of the forest. The trees and woodland creatures are your world. Along comes a man who is lost and cold. What do you do?"

"Goddess, even though the forest is my world, I would guide him back to civilization or failing that at least a road where someone else could help him."

I looked at the woman beside her, "Same situation but he is hurt also."

"Goddess I cannot let someone die. I would perform what first aid I could and take him somewhere he could get proper help." The woman replied. "Goddess life is what is important. Not what type of life it is."

I stood and made my way to the woman. Kneeling before her I said, "I am also known as Samantha and I have a question I would like you to answer." I paused, "You're out for a walk along a lonely road one evening and about a mile from your house you come across an accident. By the smell of burnt pork and the fire damage of the car, you know at least one person burned up. And yet you hear soft moans. Following them you see a girl who couldn't be more than eighteen, burned and broken. What do you do?"

"Call for help, you would have me say. But I don't have a phone, can't carry her and in the time I go and return she will have died. So I would comfort her in place and wait with her for death." The woman said looking at the one called the goddess.

I looked back to Angela, "What would you have done Angela?"

"About the same and prayed for someone else to show so I could get her help."

I looked back at the woman, "You were the one who found me and kept telling me it would be okay and to hang on."

"Yes goddess," the woman answered. "I couldn't leave you to die alone. No one should ever have to spend their last moments alone."

"Correct," I said. I bent forward and hugged her tightly and whispered, "Thank you for being there for me."

Letting go I stood and looked at the mass of people, "Anyone who thinks of others before themselves is someone worth saving." I paused and then said, "You have been given a second chance only because at one time you had your humanity. Humanity is that quality where you put the good of others first." Looking at Amy I said, "I need a pool or body of water. Ideas?"

She laughed and gestured for the goddess to follow her. She led her down a hall and into a room. "This work?"

I looked at the room and then her. Instead of a room or auditorium, I saw a park that had grass and a few trees, about one hundred yards I saw a huge pond or small lake. Smiling I looked back at her, "Yes, could you get them please."

"I hate to ask but what do you want to do to the ones we froze?"

"Remove them," Looking around I said mentally, "Jasmine do you have a minute?"

"Of course Red," she replied. The next minute she was standing beside me and looking around in wonder.

"Jasmine, can you make a portal between here and the cave you and Amy made?" I asked. A moment later I added, "We will have around nine thousand more guests and I think Heather would lose it they all showed up on the doorstep at one time."

Jasmine smiled, "You have a point, goddess. Leave it to me."

"Okay love," I said stroking her cheek. Going to the water I knelt and looked into it. To myself I said, "I am trusting you both to be the final check. If you find compassion and love in the minds of your host, join with them. If not, then feed and use their body to reproduce." I commanded the Quarm and nameless. As they flowed from me I added my essence. On top of the person entering the water would feel me in them, my essence would create a mask and bind them to me. Slowly the water took on a golden hue.

Even though the creation and transfer took a lot out of me, I stood and walked out on top of the water until I was about twenty feet from the shore. I waited until the women came forward and said, "In this body of water is your gift. It contains, two biological life forms. First a colony of good girl Quarm. The second is nameless but she too is a very good girl. They will join with your bodies and minds. In addition of them giving you great healing powers, they will modify you such that you will be telepathic with all of your sisters. These include the other races who have also the gifts I grant you."

I paused and looked at them, "Do not fear that you will lose yourself again. Because the third gift is a part of my essence. I give to all of you a piece of myself so you will be at peace. Also you will know all I and any of my followers have your back. In turn I will know you will have ours in time of trouble." I looked at the women still waiting. "When you are ready come have a swim and be at peace." Like lemmings running over a cliff, the women flowed forward until they were all in the water. "Be at peace and enjoy," I said walking back to the shore. There I found Carol kneeling with lowered head.

I was about to get mad when I caught sight of my Aunt Cynthia standing near her with crossed arms and a tilted head as if to say, "Heal her." Many hundred years ago, Cynthia was taken by a dark lord and turned into a vampire. While her sister's daughter managed to get away with servants, everyone else died at his hand. Once free Cynthia made herself protector of her bloodline of which I was the last. She had helped saved me when I lost my way in power games.

I walked over to Carol, the former leader of the androids. When she looked up I said tenderly, "I understand wanting to shuck everything and run. I live with that thought running through my mind every day as far back as I can remember." I looked down, "But running never solves anything, all that happens is whatever you ran from, is worse when you are forced to return."

"That much I know. It took me a while to figure that one out," Carol said looking down. "I made a mess of things didn't I."

I knelt before her, "Not a hopeless mess, it just seemed that way. Now, if you had the mass of androids under you back and knew they now had human emotions as they had before everything happened. What would you do?" I asked. Raising her chin with a hand I added, "What would you say to them?"

"I would beg forgiveness for leading them down the road to ruin." Carol replied. She paused and then said softly, "Guide me goddess, show me how to make it right."

"Do you really want to know Carol?" I asked her.

"Yes goddess, please help me."

"Very well. Come with me," I said. Standing I helped her up. "Can I have your attention for a moment or two?" I said loudly. They stopped and came over and out of the water. Kneeling in a mass before us I said, "Carol would like to speak to you all for a few. I don't demand you forgive her, but I want you to at least listen to her." Turning to her I said, "Just speak from your heart."

"I'm sorry," she said from the heart. "I'm sorry I led you astray. I'm sorry that when it got out of hand, I ran away." Carol looked at the goddess and shook her head. "I don't know how."

I didn't notice the woman who found me at the accident scene so long ago until she stood and came forward. She looked at Carol for a long moment and pulled her into a hug, "We forgive you Carol." She stroked Carol's back as the woman broke down and cried.

I let her cry out her hurt for a few minutes before going forward and resting my hand on her head. I looked inside her mind and took her pain into myself. "Be at peace," I said as I removed my hand. I gestured for them to kneel with the others. "Carol though you are no longer the leader of this race, I would like you to advise me as you see fit." I looked out over the women and men and added, "That means if you see something wrong, you must speak up. Don't force Carol to handle the burden alone." I paused once more, "We are all in this together and we can overcome anything if we work together." "

"Jas, Susan, will you come to me please." I said mentally to the pair. What I got was Jasmine, Susan and the wolf. Not for the first time I thought to myself that the wolf needed a name. Looking at Jasmine I asked, "Do you have a solution for me?"

"Yes Red," Jasmine replied.

"Good girl," I said giving her a tender kiss. I turned to Susan and the wolf standing beside her. Crouching down before the wolf said, "Please forgive me but I do not know what name to call you by." I looked down, "I know your kind do not have names per say, but I can't go hey you... the wolf with the flower... I need to talk to you." I raised my head and smiled.

Suddenly the wolf turned into a woman who knelt before me, "I do not have a name goddess."

Susan said, "Goddess will you give our wife a name?"

"I would grant you my middle name, but my daughter already has it." I said. I thought for a moment and then said, "You are Susan's guardian as well as her soulmate. With that in mind, my aunt is a night walker and she has been guarding her sister's daughter and each daughter in turn. Of anyone I have ever met, she is the wisest. Her name is Cynthia or Cyn for short." I looked up at Cyn and smiled, "I wish you could meet her sometime." I turned back to the wolf and asked, "Would you accept that name?"

The kneeling woman looked up to Susan before turning back to me, "I would be honored goddess to carry her name."

"I like it," Cyn said from one side.

I looked over at her and smiled, "I'm glad you approve Cyn." Turning back to the wolf, "Go talk to Cyn and learn from her so you and Susan may teach others better."

Standing I watched the woman go to Cyn and together they disappeared. Turning to Susan I said, "I haven't forgotten you dear." Turning to the kneeling women I said, "This is Susan, one of my wives. There is much she can teach you. For example," I looked around and not finding anything created a fist sized rock in my hand. Tossing it to Susan I said, "Make something."

"If Mary was here I know what she would want," she said as she made it into a large pink dildo. "Ahh but she is not here so let's see..." She looked around and went over to the pond and made a catfish which wiggled in her hand. She let it slide out of her hand and into the water. "How about that?"

"Good girl," I replied. I looked at the kneeling women, "Creation is a skill, like driving a car." I looked at Susan and then back to them, "Susan here will teach you if you listen." Stepping forward, "This is a big responsibility to have this skill. All must be balanced. If you fill the pond with fish and nothing for them to eat, you will suddenly have a bunch of dead fish. If you follow the food chain, then you must make sure there is something for them to eat and something to eat them." I looked back at her, "See what I am talking about?"

"Yes goddess," Susan replied. There was so much more than she imagined to making something. Like her charges, she too needed to learn.

I saw her worry and said mentally, "Start small and anything you make remove to start with. Later once you and your students are ready, say so and someone will come and help."

I looked at Jasmine, "I assume you have a way for everyone to get from here to there?"

"Of course goddess," Jasmine replied. She gestured towards the hill off to one side. Standing where it was almost invisible was a large arch.

Turning back to the women, "Before everyone heads off to the new pond, I noticed several aircraft parked up above. Are any of you pilots and or owners?" To my surprise several women stood including Carol. "Don't leave yet please. As for the rest of you, go on through and in groups of twenty or so, Jasmine will guide you through the house and introduce you to Heather who is my High Priestess."

Mentally I said, "Jane can I pester you please? I need your advice and permission."

As Jasmine, and Susan lead the women through the portal I waited for Jane. To save some time I closed my eyes, shifted timelines and moved each of the pilots to the runway where I saw the aircraft. Shifting back, I said, "Jane, my sister, has a runway and can tell me how we are going to be able to move all this there. I would really hate to abandon such lovely aircraft."

Jane appeared and looked around. She saw the aircraft parked at the end of the runway, "What the fuck? How did you get a C-130?"

"It was easy, getting the A-10 and loads was the bitch," one woman said.

I started walking to the old bomber and saw a Lear parked in one hanger and further down a P-51 fighter in another. "Wow!" I said heading towards the fighter. "My god, it's beautiful." I said caressing the wing. "How's she fly?" I asked turning back to the others.

"I would say it is better than sex but that would be a lie. But it's close." Carol replied going over to the plane. "It was the first one I restored with Frank's help."

""Frank?" I asked.

"That would be me goddess," a beautiful young woman replied.

"You do know you can become who looked like before, right?" I asked.

"Yes goddess. Angela and Amy explained that to us. But frankly sex as a woman is much better than a man ever was." The woman paused, "Not only that, Frank found all he loved turned out to be shit and was unhappy most of his life. I on the other hand am happy and at peace."