St. Clair Ch. 02: Witch

The tumor may have been affecting her for five or more years, getting worse and worse over time. How many people could have stumbled into her path? Cut her off in traffic, given her the wrong change at a store?

There were 53 sugar skull tattoos. TJ had a very bad feeling about that.

Angie would never see trial - the tumor would almost certainly kill her within the next year. And if not, she'd certainly never be considered sane enough to stand trial. For everyone's safety, she was in the State's high security psychiatric facility. She was in kept in a solitary cell, but could still have visitors. As long as there was a one inch piece of bullet proof glass between them and her.

They went through the in processing, left the keys and went to the high risk visiting room. TJ and Jenny were locked in on one side and Angie was chained to the single, bolted-down chair at a small table on the other side of the glass. Despite the cast on her arm, and the pronounced limp, she actually looked remarkably good.

Not like a malignant sociopathic monster at all.

"Hey, Angie."

"Hey, Jenny."

TJ gave a slight smile. "You were right Angie, you really do look good in orange."

"Damn good." She gave her hair a flick. "Not everybody can pull this off, but I make it look easy."

She shifted her attention back to Jenny. "So you finally decided to visit."

"Spent a little while recovering from a Ketamine overdose."

"Dose is hard to judge, you're a bit bigger than a cat. And I went with 'P' for plenty since I wasn't planning on you waking up anyway. Gave Swede enough to bring down a tiger. Where is he by the way? Doesn't he want to see his girlfriend?"

"He drove up here with us, but I don't think he really has anything to say to you right now. He stayed at the hotel, he's still on crutches."

"Probably tightened that cargo strap a little too hard. What can I say, I'm just lousy at relationships."

"Try not killing and eating them."

"That would take all the fun out of it. But, Jenny, really, you're kind of the last person to be giving relationship advice. What are you here for anyway?"

"Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Dying. That's pretty much all they'll let me do." Something flickered across her face.

"Sorry about that."

"You're sorry. I'm sorry. Everybody's sorry."

Angie turned her head just slightly. It wasn't a human gesture. She moved the way a lizard turned its head to focus on prey. Not human at all.

She looked at TJ. "Not you, though. You're not sorry at all. You're no better than me. You wanted a piece of Tammi's perky little ass, you busted in and beat Andy to a pulp, then sent him to prison to get him out of the way. Get to keep little Miss Sugartits all to yourself."

She smiled a mirthless smile.

"That's your friend Jenny. Just another monster. Like me. Takes what she wants, when she wants. Who knows, you could get lucky; she may get a taste for 'hot chocolate' and throw Tammi out."

TJ stared at her, expressionless. Jenny didn't flinch at all.

"Enough with the cheap Hannibal Lector imitation." Jenny shook her head. "You know, I never believed in all that second sight bullshit my Maman kept preaching at me. But I can feel something. There's a sunken spot on the north side of that old twisted black oak by the Holloway house. Doesn't feel right, doesn't look right. I really wonder what would happen if I took a shovel to that?"

Angie shifted to fury. Her face paled, dark rings stood out around her eyes and she bared teeth suddenly yellowed against her paled skin. She hissed incredibly loud. Angie was simply gone, replaced by... something.

The nightmare thing that Elvis had warned about.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH! STAY AWAY FROM HIM! YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!"

She jolted against her chains, then began pounding her head on the table. Screaming. By the time the guards got the door open and subdued her, blood from her nose had sprayed the table and the glass. It took four of them to get her under control. She shrieked continuously as she was dragged from the room.

TJ walked Jenny out. Jenny hid it well, but she was trembling.

Tammi was perched on the hood of the car waiting for their return.

"You get what you came for?"

TJ relayed the entire conversation, word for word.

Tammi shivered. "You were right about that spot on the by the oak then. I guess that's where we'll find Buck."

TJ nodded. "We'll find something... someone she thinks is special anyway."

Tammi was silent for a long moment, then reached over and squeezed Jenny's hand.

"Let's get back to the hotel. We can embarrass Swede by accusing him of pawing through your underwear.

"Got some interesting news from Angie myself."

Swede stared her in shock. "Is she sure?"

Tammi nodded.

"It's mine?"

"She says it's just the timing of it. Had to be you. We'll get the baby tested to be sure, but she knows that. No reason to lie."

Swede leaned back in his chair with his mouth set in a grim line, but Tammi cut him off before he spoke, blue eyes blazing.

"Don't you dare, Danny Sorenson. It ain't the baby's fault."

Swede relaxed a little. "Why are you willing to go along with her?"

"Because she asked, and Angie's always been my friend."

"Mine too, until she tried to kill me."

"She tried to kill all of us, but that wasn't Angie, that was the whatever-it-is living in her head now. But she's still in there somewhere."

Tammi knew that wasn't the whole truth. Angie had never even threatened her and Tammi was certain that no matter how sick Angie was, she'd never harm her.

"Sure."

"That's why I go to see her alone. It's the only time I get to see Angie. She won't come out if anyone else is there. And that's why I have them record everything, so you guys will be able to see the Angie I do."

"You that sure she isn't putting you on?"

"Not completely. But I don't see what she can get out of this that harms anyone in any way."

"If I go along with this, she makes it easy, if not, she makes it as hard as she can."

"Yes. If you agree in advance, she'll put your name down on the birth certificate as the father. If not, she puts 'unknown'."

"So you and TJ basically get parental rights along with me, or it becomes a big mess with Child Services, the State and everyone involved?"

Tammi's eyes softened. "You know we'd never keep you from your baby Danny."

Swede stared down at his hands. In some ways he wished it'd been different. He'd never seen Angie as a wife, but still.

"What was her plan if I didn't want anything to do with the baby?"

"I know you wouldn't do that, Danny. But if you did, she'd make the father 'unknown' and give the baby to me and Tina."

"So how does TJ feel about it?"

A smile lit Tammi's face. "You ever see how she is with kids?"

Swede nodded, remembering the hours-long Space Pirate game at the picnic.

Tammi looked down. "I've only ever seen TJ cry twice. She just isn't that kind. Last night when I told her about the baby was the second time."

"So you're willing to do the whole 'Heather Has Two Mommies' thing?"

"It's going to be 'Heather Has Two Mommies and A Daddy'; don't think you're getting away from any responsibility. With the jobs we have, it'll take all three of us. It'll even give you to time to work out whatever you and Jenny seem to be starting."

He sat back in the chair. Damn knee was aching. "We're just feeling each other out. Been a rough patch for both of us. But there may be something there."

"Jenny's really a good person. She'd just as screwed up as the rest of us, but she could use a guy who isn't an asshole, at least for a while."

"We'll see how it works out. First time I met her, I arrested her and she threw up all over me, so we can only go up from there."

Tammi glanced out the window. "That's true." She looked down at the floor. "The baby... Danny, that's the one thing I was afraid to talk to Tina about. I was afraid I'd want a baby and she wouldn't. I was afraid to ask her about it."

"But she's okay with it."

"She laid in bed half the night talking about how to decorate the baby's room."

"You guys have the extra bedroom at the cabin on your end, I guess I'd better get the house finished so I'll have one."

***

She sat staring the two way mirror, trying to feel it, trying to feel the life growing in her. She ran her hands over her stomach, feeling content for the first time in a long while.

Everything had worked out for the best after all. She knew she hadn't handled the news from the Doctor back in LA very well. She wondered, just for a second, if his body had ever been found.

Swede had been the obvious - the only - choice, when she decided to have a baby before she died. And Tammi had been the only one she would ever truly trust to raise that baby.

She was even glad she'd failed to kill TJ - she'd been wonderful with the children at the picnic.

And so beautifully fierce and brave on the dam.

Angie's baby would have Danny's strength, and be raised with Tammi's determination and Tina's fearlessness.

Angie smiled at her reflection. Maybe, just maybe, the baby would have her hunger.