Who: Wesley Wyndham-Price, Marsha Clellan, Edna What: Wesley says goodbye to his new friends and gets ready to return to his old friends When: Day Two, Week Five Where: Clellan Estate and limousine Status: Complete
Maricha had been watching Wesley closely. He was completely healed, now, both from the belly wound that had killed him and of the tremors and of anything else that had come from his abrupt return to the land of the living.
But she'd never let on that he had died, merely that he had been seriously injured, left behind because of the presumed mortal injury, and rescued by a friend of Marsha's. Wesley believed that they had been staying together for the last six months, private doctors and everything, because Marsha Clellan was a friend of the friend who'd found him.
Waving her hand over the wall panel, it opaqued and she turned to her friend. "So, Edna? Was I right? He's ready to go?"
A smile crossed Edna's face as she put down the magazine. She about bounced out of her seat, heels clacking as she made her way to her friend and cohort. "If you ask me, honey, I think so," She couldn't keep the slightly crooked grin off of her face, tilting her head. "As long as you don't put him out on his lonesome and as long as you make sure we can watch him, he's free as a bird."
Maricha made a moue of dissatisfaction. "Oh no. I'm not leaving my little puppy alone by the side of the road. We're dropping him off on his front doorstep, in fact, you and me together." A smile at her friend. "Because a little birdie told me you've got a few presents for our friends over at Protection is Our Destiny." Another face. "I'm going to miss our little puppy."
"Well, with a name like that, how could I not want to give them something?" Edna smiled and patted Marsha's hand. "Don't worry about the dear. He'll be fine, as long as he snatches the rug from under them in enough time, hmm?" She moved away from Marsha, pulling out a stack of neatly folded clothes, most of them dull colors that made Edna twist her mouth a little. Well, as long as they got someone to wear them... "Have a look." Edna offered them up, eyes glinting.
Maricha's mouth twisted into an unpleasant smile. The clothes were gorgeous, because they were from Edna's line, but it was the special enchantments on each garment that made her fingertips tingle. "Edna, Edna, Edna. You are a dream come true, but you've always been that to me." She gave the other woman a kiss on the cheek. "Make sure these are packaged up and properly addressed. Puppy can drop them off to his new friends. And speaking of, I need to go talk to Puppy and make sure he's all housebroken and ready for his triumphant return. You're coming with us to the building, right? I may go in with Wesley and take a look around the new playpen."
Nothing like your cohort to appreciate something you've done. Edna gave a peck of her own, about twirling as she set about getting the clothes in their right place. A scarf there, a hoodie there.... Her head tilted at Marsha's remark and she almost beamed beneath her head of blonde hair. "Well, I have to drop these off, don't I? I think they'd like it if I came in and gave it to them personally." She didn't say that she also wanted a peek at just where they were placing him. That would sound concerned for his well-being and not his function. "As long as we get in and out, I'm sure we'll be fine leaving him there."
"Oh yes. We'll have no problems there," Maricha agreed with a smile. "Marsha Clellan and Edna like to wander the city together, and if we're dropping off a dear friend, why, that's just all the more reason we might be able to talk him into a tour," she said with a giggle. She had grown fond of Wesley, as much as an owner might grow fond of an affectionate dog or kitten. "I may have to find another pet once we've placed Wesley," she said with a bit of a pout.
"Another?" Now Edna was definetely interested now. She knew they weren't stopping at one, but so soon? "Now, Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. You can't have picked out another human so fast without having thought about it first. Just who do you think you're going to pluck up next?" Marsha had her full attention now, that was for sure.
"Well, he's not entirely human," Marsha said with a grin. "He's half Brachen demon, and he's been touched by the Powers That Be. Visions. He was one of little Angelus' favorite people before he died so heroically, sacrificing his own life to stop the Scourge. I imagine he'd balance his own life requirements to bring him back. He's in the Book that I was given, a list of all of Angelus' old associates. I'd love to play with Angelus himself, I truly would. He was so delicious and evil. But in lieu of that, I'll just play with all of his other little friends."
Not entirely human and possessed of visions? Edna threw her arms around Marsha, kissing the cheeks of the much taller woman, squealing almost. "That is the best idea you've had so far, your darling puppy aside. But, I have to say," here Edna smirked as she slid down, "if you do get him and his Visions, what's to stop him from seeing we're not as good and generous as he thinks? That's the hardest thing about pets, after all."
"Well, that's the thing. Before he died, he passed his visions on to another of Angelus' little toys. So when we bring him back, there's a huge chance that he may not even have the Visions anymore, and if he does, then we'll have to see what happens," Marsha pointed out. "But he's only the front-runner as far as my new pets go. There are others, but pretty little Doyle is my favorite." A pout. "Maybe we can manipulate the Visions with some heavy lifting of our own."
Edna considered it for a moment, pursing her lips, fingers tapping at her cheeks. "Heavy lifting on your part? Hmmm. It's doable. Complicated, but doable. I think it'd be fun at least." She turned, raising an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me just how many pets you intend to bring, love? Or would you rather it be a surprise on the way?" Knowing was one thing, but not was so much more fun for Edna.
"I don't know yet," Maricha said honestly. "I get so bored so easily, and I can't keep bringing home the homeless like that." A pout. "And the ones in charge don't like it when I do things frivolously."
Edna nodded, understanding, at least. She was one to take her pets home and eat them more often than not, but still. "Well, they are our proverbial parents, darling. Uptight and don't know what to do with themselves when things go a teenie-weeny off the script. As long as you don't bring home something that makes a bigger mess than it makes a profit, you won't hear a peep from these lips."
"They are, and Mommy and Daddy don't like it when we throw wild weekenders," she sighed. "I keep expecting them to send a big brother along to keep me in line, although I suppose that so far, I've been behaving." Another face. "I miss Marcus." Reaching into her purse, she picked up her phone and made a quick call. "Yes, this is Marsha. Have the Jaguar brought round and the trunk opened. Also have the driver ready to help Mr. Price load his luggage." She looked back at Edna. "Big moment, darling. Wish me luck!"
Edna watched as she called up the limosine. Personally, she hadn't really known Marcus enough to have a view on him, but a big brother? That made her pull a face. Picking sides so early was so tedious. She gathered up her packages, taking a glance at herself in the mirror before smilling at Marsha. "Wish us both luck I should say. I'd be sad if my presents weren't put to good use." She stood up, hefting the packages, smile on her face, betraying nothing but a simple need to give out a present.
"Well, let's make a little bit of extra enchantment on them; make them irresistible to whomever they're addressed to. That way, as soon as they get their little presents, they won't be able to help themselves."
A laugh came from Edna, an amused, happy laugh. "Why did I never do schemes like this with you before?" She smiled widely, more than impressed with Marsha. "If it works well enough, I might stick around and watch what they do."
Maricha left Edna plotting over her clothing, and composed herself enough to look vaguely worried as she knocked on Wesley's door. "Wesley?"
Inside, Wesley was just closing his journal. He'd spent the last few minutes writing in it, trying to recapture the last dream he'd had, and tucked it into the suitcase. He heard the knock on the door, and opened it quickly. "Marsha! Come in, please." He stepped back, holding the door open for her.
Marsha smiled. "Thank you, Wesley. I was actually just checking to make sure that you'd gotten all your things together, because I've just called the car. Are you certain you feel strong enough for this?"
Wesley gave a firm nod. "Certainly. Over the last few weeks you've been nothing but kind, but my memories have sharpened quite a bit as I've worked to retrieve them. I have a job to do, friends to return to. I can't shake the feeling that I'm desperately needed."
Of course he couldn't. Maricha had set that up herself in his psyche, to make sure he'd want to return to Angel's clutches and wade right into what was going on. "Well, then, we won't hesitate any longer. Edna is packing up a few presents for you to take to your friends, sort of a welcome home in reverse, the driver will be in for your bags shortly, and we'll be dropping you off to see your friends." She wrote down a phone number for him, and handed it over. "If there's anything you need, you must call me. A place to stay, if you start feeling under the weather again, anything at all. Don't hesitate. I'd like to hear from you, Wesley. I've gotten used to having you around, and it's going to be terribly dull without you here. Poor Edna will have to entertain me." She made sure she looked appropriately pouty, but still happy for him.
Wesley smiled. "I think somehow you will find a way to manage without me," he said in response to the pout, but he did open the new leather wallet that he'd been given and put the card with Marsha's phone number in it. "I promise, I will call you and let you know everything that is going on."
"Excellent," Maricha said with a knowing smile. "Oh, there's the driver for your bags now." She slipped her arm through his elbow. "Come, let me walk you out to the car one last time. And tell me about your friend... Angel, is it?"