Begin Again : Chapter 35- Home Is Where The Heart Is (Part 2)

TIMING WAS EVERYTHING

"I'm sorry but... No"

"Excuse me?"

"Okay now I'm confused"

"Silence Belle! I'm speaking with my daughter!"

Leefah stood up angrily. "You are not my father!"

"Now now, No need to go into denial!"

"Perhaps I should speak?" said a familiar voice.

"Good Good, you talk some sense into her"

"Oh welcome back! I didn't think you'd return also!"

"What the hell....Why are you here!"

Joker looked over, "Why, I'm only returning to my master"

"But... you were killed.... and what is this master crap?"

"Now now Joker, It appears you never told her?"

"Leefah I hired him, to bring you home"

"This... This isn't my home, I burned that down when I left and when my real father left!"

"Talk about extreme issues, you can't even accept your father for wanting to see you again"

"That's it! I'm done!" yelled Leefah, who now was headed for the door.

"I wouldn't leave..." Belle suggested.

"I don't see anyone stopping me, You said I could leave after breakfast but I don't see any"

"Well maybe if you had some patience..."

"Leefah!"

"Return at once! I command you!"

"Screw you man!"

Leefah stopped at the door.

She then gasped and backed away as two people entered.

"Oh, hello. You must be a new servant then?"

"Wow! Miss Bitch-Who-Tried-To-Steal-My-Love is back, not surprised" Tophet said annoyed at the sight of Leefah.

Leefah backed away, "Whoa, why are you here Tophet? And who is this..."

"I guess you're Leefah then, My name is Ezra and I'm a demon hunter"

"Beleive it or not, Your daddy hired her to kill Atlas.... my love..."

"Way to ruin it! Can you send her back here now!"

"Oh of course master!... My love..." Tophet said happily, twirling her umbrella.

Ezra slid out one of her hidden pistols.

"Head back to the table please"

Leefah backed away now terrified, "What the hell! You people are all insane!!"

"I'm following orders, I want my pay check after all"

"Master Pierre commands, we fulfill... my love"

"Okay fine! I'll go to the table!!"

Leefah's mark flashed twice very rapidly.

Tophet noticed the flashes and smiled, but kept to herself.

"Good, I get paid early now"

"If she gets paid early so do I and Tophet!"

"Oh my god, you will get paid when I decide to pay! Now come over here!"

"Sheesh take a pill, I'm coming"

"Let's go too then"

Tophet twirled her umbrella silently and snickered to herself.

Leefah slouched in her chair.

Pierre was now fustrated at having her refuse to call him her father. "Why are you so stubborn! You were such an obedient daughter till your teen years!"

"Why are you such an awful father then, does that appease your hunger for my acceptance"

"She's so wise..."

"Belle, you shouldn't interupt" Ezra commented.

"Now you interrupted, My Love" Tophet pointed.

"All of you stop!" Pierre turned to Leefah, "I wanted you here for a reason"

"Uh... So?.... Why do I gotta come here... to this house, WHICH I DESTROYED"

"And It was a hassle to rebuild it!"

"I'm amazed at how fast this was rebuilt though" Joker complimented.

"Considering the timeline of events, It's almost like a coincidence" Ezra pointed out.

"There are no such things as coincidences, My love" Tophet said flawlessly.

Belle gulped, knowing something they didn't.

"What do you really want"

"I want..."

Someone knocked at the door, interrupting Pierre.

"Oh for christs sake, Tophet go get that"

"Ericka my love! Please go get the door, I'm busy listening"

Ericka ran out from cleaning the guest room, "Sure thing!!"

Leefah opened her hand and made a "5" handshape.

"Now then, As I was saying. I want you.... to marry one of the local boys here in Dragon Valley"

"Well said sir!"

".................What?"

Leefah's hand switched to a four.

"Well, you tired talking to her at least" Joker said glumly.

Leefah's hand changed to a three.

"I just want my money"

"Master, My Love, Should we paint her red and force her to marry"

"I'd rather not resort to violence..."

"Sir you shouted at her in a threatening way..."

"Hello?"

Leefah nudged her fingers into her dress's bra part and grabbed at her wand.

She whispered to herself, "One..."

Belle looked down, "Is something wrong?"

Suddenly, Ericka let out a painful scream.

"AHHHHH!"

Someone had kicked down the door and sent Ericka flying.

"What in the world! What happened!!"

Belle ran away and Leefah quickly slid her wand out, unnoticed.

Belle stopped and screamed out in horror.

Leefah jumped out of her chair and whipped out her wand.

"I refuse to do what you want me to do, 'Father', Therefore, I'm leaving!"

"Master, you best get down!"

Tophet and Ezra turned to Leefah angrily.

"Who would come for someone like you?" Tophet said, rhetorically as she knew the answer.

Ericka lay motionless on the ground, having been knocked out from the kick.

Atlas cracked his neck, "Excuse me... Might you direct me to my friend Leefah?"

Belle put her hands up and backed away. "I....I...."

Belle looked down at Ericka worriedly.

'She's just knocked out, Now please tell me where Leefah is"

"Comet Strike!!"

Leefah formed little sparks of Electricity and shot them towards Tophet.

Tophet shot out her umbrella and blocked the attack.

"Joker, my love, do something quickly!"

Joker looked over intensely.

"Right!!!"

"This should be good..." Leefah chucked forming another ball of enery to shoot at Pierre now.

Joker gathered a green ball of light.

"You wouldn't dare attack someone like me, your father, would you Leefah! Don't be a bad girl or you'll be punished!!"

"Card Storm!!" Joker shouted confidently.

His arm shot out a puff of smoke, but no cards.

"What.... The hell.... my love..." Tophet said annoyed.

"He's the worst villain I have ever met..." Ezra muttered.

Leefah tapped the ball of energy, splitting it into bubbles. "Sleep Spell, Influx!"

The bubbles flew out and popped in front of Tophet's face....

and Joker's....

and Pierre's....

"Now, Fall asleep!" Leefah commanded, waving her wand.

All of a sudden, Tophet, Joker, and Pierre passed out onto the floor.

Ezra looked around, "Uh..... I wasn't affected...."

"Oh.... Did you want to be?...."

"I didn't feel the need to attack really...."

"Wha....What.... Why...."

"Well.... I don't really know you.... I don't really have a grudge or anger towards you... So I didn't attack. It wouldn't have been fair to you..."

Ezra looked over and then back at Leefah.

"But..." Ezra began to speak but stopped. She was confused and impressed at the same time.

Atlas shuffled into the room.

"Well well Leefah, look at you all Witchified"

"About time you came! I was worried!" Leefah said emotionally.

"Yo....You!" Ezra said, grabbing at her sword, which was already stored away.

"yeah yeah, Leefah meet the girl who stopped me from getting to future when I was supposed to"

"Oh! You must be Ezra then? It's nice to meet you, I'm Leefah!"

Ezra gripped her gun annoyed.

"I know who you are but why didn't I get attacked! I'm... sort of.... well... I'm kinda bad... He hired me!"

"True but I easily beat you..."

"I was winning until I got called away by....

Suddenly, Atlas punched Ezra in the face.

"ATLAS!! BAD BOY!! You don't punch people!.... without me saying to..."

"You commanded me... plus she deserved it... I didn't want to listen to her complaining about not getting the equal treatment of getting attacked... Care to explain that?"

Ezra sat motionless against a chair.

"She didn't seem all that evil... Maybe she could be someone on our side?"

"A demon hunter.... on our side?..... You're crazy"

"Maybe so... But she didn't seem all that evil, you only pulled a gun on me"

"Because that so isn't an evil thing to do" Atlas said, rolling his eyes.

Ezra's head rolled to the side.

She wasn't passed out, but faking. She was surprised at Leefah's explanation.

Leefah sighed, "Can we go?"

"Whatever you want... But don't you want to say goodbye to your dad? This might be the last you see of him"

Leefah's eyes widened as she looked at Pierre.

She sighed. "I............. I hate his guts...."

"Wow!!! Not even an "I love you dad, might aswell say it since it's the last I'll ever see of you..."

"Atlas.. you can never say goodbye, because you never really leave"

Atlas was angry. "Stop hiding it...."

Leefah tried to hold in emotions....

But suddenly, She started crying.

"Let it out.... You need to..."

"I.... I thought he didn't care... And he doesn't still! He only wants me to marry some guy!!"

"Well you won't Leefah, you have your new life with CHAD and Chasity..."

"And you Atlas... You too..."

"Sure... Me too." he said reassuring her. "Now that you got that out of your system, It's time we get going"

Leefah wiped her eyes and turned around.

"Right.... Let's go..."

"Would you like me to kill anyone?.... Before we go?....." Atlas said, coughing and inching his finger at Tophet.

"Leave her, My dad should have some company.

Atlas sighed, "Whatever"

On their way, both stopped in front of Belle and Ericka.

"Uh.... Should I call an ambulance?"

"No No.... It's okay, she'll be fine.... You're friend said so..."

Atlas shrugged, "She should be..."

Belle looked at Ericka worriedly.

Leefah smiled politely but felt bad for Belle on the inside, "She's so sweet and innocent... I feel like she deserves better than working in fear..." Leefah thought sadly as she headed for the door.

"Don't worry Ericka, you'll pull through..." Belle reassured the motionless Ericka.

"You wanted to leave right?"

Leefah looked back silently.

She then turned and faced the house.

"It's.... Not over...."

Leefah's Mark of the Dragon burned her back with a little jab of pain, for the first time ever.

"What isn't over?"

"This.... My hope to Begin Again.... It's not over..."

"Of course it isn't"

"Well... huh?" Leefah was surprised.

She looked into the distance.

She smiled a little bit then walked next to Atlas.

"I'm ready..."

"Did I miss something?"

Leefah's mother watched from the bushes.

"Oh Leefah..... You've grown into a caring young woman....."

"Atlas?"

"Huh?"

"I wanted to ask.... If though I have my witch powers now... I was wondering.."

"Yes...."

"Your soul is still mine..."

"Oh.... Well... that's good to know but... I was gonna ask.."

"Are.... Are we still friends?"

"Ehh... I already knew you would get your powers back. It's not like a big reveal to me"

"That didn't answer me..."

Atlas sighed and chucked, then ran up beside her.

"Yes Leefah..."

"We're friends..."

Tophet blinked her eyes.

"What in the.... Why are you all sleeping! My loves!"

"it seems, she hit us with a sleep spell" Joker said annoyed.

Ezra pretended to wake up.

"That... That demon... He jumped me....I can't believe I never saw him coming..."

"Master Pierre, my love, What do we do now?"

Pierre was angry. "She.... She must be watched... If she won't come home by force, then fate will return her to me. I order Joker and Tophet follow her..."