Champions of Serenity: Destiny Fulfilled

Chapter 4

Debra left Phil’s house before anyone else woke up the following morning. She left a note saying she would be gone all day, not to worry, and she would be back for dinner. Included in the note was the reminder that today they were to all begin rebuilding their own lives from the wreckage caused by the earthquake.

Walking along the nearly silent streets of downtown Los Angeles, Debra marveled at the amount of damage still needing to be repaired. She wondered if the Los Angeles most people knew and remembered would ever be like that again. Hoping that the city would rise from the ashes to be even better, Debra wondered where she would find her niche in this most marvelous of places.

Stopping for a short time at the gates of a theme park, Debra decided that finding an apartment wasn’t as much a priority as she had thought this morning. Slipping through the bars of the gate, she spent several hours checking out the different rides and shops, using a little magic to repair anything she found to be unsafe. She was discovered leaving, empty handed, and was let go, but the park was once again deemed safe and ready to reopen.

The next stop on her little tour of the city was the sign known throughout the world as belonging completely to Los Angeles. Landmarks would have to be returned to their glory for the city to once again claim its status as a world mover, shaker, and doer. An hour later, a little magic used and the Hollywood sign was better than new. Again no one really noticed the girl who stood staring at the crumpled sign until it was too late to identify her.

Debra giggled to herself as she enjoyed a double cheese burger with fries and a shake at another landmark she had helped restore in the greater Los Angeles area. For just a moment she wondered how everyone else’s morning had gone. Then she shrugged it off and went back to quietly helping restore the metropolis.

When Phil woke, he felt his home was rather empty. Not able to put a finger on how a house with seven other people it in could be empty, he went to the kitchen and found a large pot of coffee brewed and a note on the counter. His hand tightened around the paper, turning it into a ball as he tried to figure out where she might be. Los Angeles was a dangerous place, especially for those who didn’t know how to see the danger.

Jared was the next to stumble into the kitchen and seeing Phil upset and not seeing Debra, he wondered what was wrong this time. “Phil? Is something wrong?” Jer poured himself some coffee and waited, leaning against the counter.

“She’s out there in the city, alone, and she doesn’t have a clue what could be lurking there. I mean, even those who have been in the city a few weeks know where not to go, but she hasn’t had any time to learn what parts of town to avoid.” Phil answered, dropping the note on the table and watching as it relaxed into less of a wad and more of a ball. “She just had to prove she didn’t need us, didn’t she?”

Jared picked up the note and read it. Then he shrugged and set the coffee mug down. “I didn’t get that from this note, Phil. It sounds more like she wants all of us free to work on getting our own lives in order and doesn’t want us to feel like we have to baby-sit her. I don’t think she’s stupid, Phil and I’m sure she can take care of herself just fine. Trust her, Phil, as she trusts us to live our own lives.” Grabbing an apple from the bowl of fruit on the table, Jared left the kitchen to plan out his own day.

Phil shook his head, not wanting to accept Jared’s words, but knowing they were probably true. He threw his mug against the wall and felt nothing as it shattered and coffee dripped onto his floor. He wanted to protect her, to make her small and fit into his pocket so he could always know she was okay. Why did she have to throw in his face that when all was said and done, she really didn’t need them as much as they needed her?

Without saying anything to anyone, Phil left his house and drove into the city and to his office. If she wanted to prove she didn’t need his help, then by all the gods above and below, he would show her he didn’t need her. He worked tirelessly all day at his office and by the time it was dark, the building he worked in was declared safe and cleared to open for business the next morning.

Grant, Emily, and Karen were all coming down the stairs when Phil left and they turned to Jared to ask what was happening. Jared shrugged and told them Debra had left early to try to find an apartment and such and that Phil wasn’t too happy about it.

“Good grief, you’d think that Phil believed Debra to be made of glass. She’s a hell of a lot stronger than any of us and just because she isn’t built along larger lines doesn’t mean she can’t fend for herself. Personally, I’m proud of her. I just wish I had as much confidence to head out into a strange city and make a place for myself.” Karen said and then went into the kitchen and came out with a cup of coffee and a doughnut.

“Where did those come from?” Jared asked as he went into the kitchen. “I know they weren’t there earlier.” On the table were three boxes of doughnuts along with the bowl of fruit. “Hmmm, how did she know what we all like?” He asked no one as he picked out a lemon filled doughnut and took a large bite.

Mike and Darin joined them all in the kitchen a few minutes later and the remaining five gorged themselves on the pastries Jared had assumed Debra had sent to them. When they had all finished eating and getting ready, they split up at the door and promised to meet up again that night, each heading in a different direction.

Chaos chuckled as he brought the remaining doughnuts back to his home. He had been the one to send them and he wondered for a moment what would happen if they ever realized they had eaten food from his halls. Throwing back his head, he laughed even harder when he realized it really didn’t matter, the humans on this other world were even more chaotic than the humans on Sandeenai.

“What are you trying to do, my brother?” The voice was soft and not altogether unexpected.

“I’m just trying to help a little, my sister.” Chaos answered. “It just seems to me that this world of Lady Debra’s puts a lot of meaning into their meals and eating together. It seemed a good time to listen to them talk and learn more about them.” He turned and looked at Serenity, smiling innocently. “You know as well as I that my food and drink won’t affect them, not like it would a mere mortal. And we both know that there is nothing more I can do to them that will harm them, now that they have sworn to you.”

Serenity looked her brother over and decided that she would give him the benefit of the doubt. “Very well, but don’t let me see you doing it again. I would rather have them stumbling in the dark than figuring out that we can influence both Circles in both worlds just yet.” With those words, she left Chaos alone to ponder her meaning.

Debra was the last one to come home that night. When she opened the door, seven faces turned to her expectantly. “I, uh, brought pizza?” She offered, opening the door further to show a stack of ten large pizza boxes on a wagon.

“How was your day, Debra? Any luck?” Emily asked, the first to move and help Debra get the hot food into the house. Smiling at her one time pen pal, Em put an arm around Deb’s shoulder.

“My day was great, but I didn’t have any luck finding a place and to be honest, I really didn’t look that hard.” Debra answered and opened a box and pulled out a piece of a super combo pizza, taking a large bite. “But I had a blast visiting the sites. The Hollywood sign had fallen over, so I sorta picked it up. And several of the rides at the different theme parks were damaged so I kinda fixed them up as well. Then I helped some of the tower buildings get a nice firm foundation so that they could open tomorrow as well. I never really thought about how much life blood of the country came from this hamlet on the west coast. How did your day go, Em?”

Grant laughed and helped himself to a giant slice of Hawaiian pizza, cooling his mouth after taking too big a bite. “Sounds like you had more fun than any of us. Run into any trouble? And what happened to us not helping anymore and just working on getting our own lives in order?”

“Nope, not one reporter in sight all day, which made me happy. As for working on getting our own lives in order, I thought about it. And until things get a little more cleaned up down town and the more well-known areas, there won’t be any opportunities for me to get a job and find a place to live. So as long as Phil doesn’t mind, I’ll just stay here until something else comes up.” Debra answered, pouring out some root beer from a two liter she took from under the pizza’s on the wagon.

“I don’t mind, Debra. Thank you for asking.” Phil said and took a slice of sausage and mushroom pizza. “Well, my office is ready for business in the morning and if you want a job, I can always use more help doing research and such.” He had felt his anger brewing until he found out what Debra had done that day and then he couldn’t really be angry any longer. Besides, she had asked for help from him and he took that as a good sign. Maybe she wasn’t the kind that could be wrapped up in cotton and kept safe.

“Which reminds me, thanks for breakfast this morning, Deb, it was just what I needed to face the day.” Mike said as he took his fourth slice of pepperoni pizza.

“Breakfast? What are you talking about, Mike, I didn’t make any breakfast this morning.” Debra answered, taking a second slice of the super combo pizza.

Darin sat forward, setting down his third piece of pizza and wiped his hands on a napkin. “You mean, you didn’t send us doughnuts this morning? Then who….”

Debra narrowed her eyes and looked at everyone in the room. When she didn’t see anything wrong with them, she shook her head. “I don’t know, Darin, but there isn’t anything wrong with any of you. You all have healthy auras around you and none of you are acting strange.”

Chaos chuckled again. Trust Debra to check and make sure everyone else was okay first. It made Chaos yearn for her affection even more. Granted, he would never hold all of her heart, but if he could just claim one small corner, it would help him feel better about what had happened to her before the forming of her Circle.

“I think if someone wanted to harm us, they would pick something other than doughnuts to do it with.” Phil said and took another slice of his pizza of choice. “Since Debra already made sure everyone was healthy, let’s just let it go and see if it is repeated. If not, maybe we can thank one of the gods or goddesses.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me, Phil. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m beat. Good night, all.” Debra said and went upstairs and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

The next morning was a repeat of the day before, with the exception of the note and the doughnuts. Debra left before anyone was up and Phil was angry that she hadn’t at least waited to tell someone where she was going and what her plans were. Phil spent the day in his office, going over reports of the damage and how his company could best help in the reconstruction. He paused a moment when he saw a building that had been listing to one side straighten up and the broken windows appeared once again whole. His anger went through the roof of the thought of Debra doing something so obvious with no one to cover for her.

For her part, Debra spent most of the day visiting historical sites and museums and was nowhere near the building Phil thought he saw repaired by magic. Blissfully unaware of the anger brewing with her second in command, Debra enjoyed once again using a little discrete magic to repair damage to buildings that were borderline in danger of being condemned for unsafe foundations. She also enjoyed the sites of the Beverly Center and the La Brea tar pits.

Again, Debra was the last one home that night, and this time instead of pizza, she offered Chinese. Phil looked her over once as she came in the door, coldly refused her plan for dinner, and stormed out the back door.

“What did I miss?” Debra asked, picking up a set of chopsticks and a carton of almond chicken.

Jared whistled and Grant lifted an eyebrow. Karen shrugged and dug into a large carton of broccoli beef. Darin glared at Emily and she finally spoke up.

“It’s my fault, Debra. I was downtown, looking into some stuff for my dad, who by the way is glad we are all okay and is finishing his shoot in New York, when I noticed the building the law firm I’m clerking for this year was severely damaged. I didn’t think about it, I just sorta….well….fixed it. I guess Phil noticed it and blamed you for it. I’m sorry.”

Debra stuck her chopsticks into the chicken and looked at Emily and then thoughtfully to the back door. Then she shrugged and picked up the carton again and started to eat. After a couple of bites in silence, she shook her head. “I don’t blame you, Emily. If Phil wants to get his nose out of joint because you were doing what you thought best to get your life back on track, then that is his problem. I know he used some of his magic to stabilize his own building so I don’t see where he can get on his high horse over that. But somehow, I don’t think it’s just about fixing a building. I’ll have to think about it a little more.”

A silent sigh of relief was felt by everyone and conversation broke out as quickly as more chopsticks and cartons of Chinese food. Debra finished her meal with little more said and left quietly through the back door to track down Phil.

She found him overlooking the Pacific Ocean, leaning against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t look at her when she came to stand next to him. Silently they looked out at the black waves as they swept up and back from the pale sand of the beach below them. The salty tang that can only be found on an ocean beach surrounded them and taunted them to join the mysterious depths which created the unique perfume.

“What are your plans for tomorrow?” His voice was soft, not allowing his previous anger to show.

“I don’t know yet, Phil. I was thinking of going to some of the studios and that Chinese theater that’s famous for the stars. I also thought I would see how many residential areas I could help out, that way I would be better able to find an apartment. Why?” Debra said nonchalantly.

“No reason. Good-night, Debra.” Phil said, pushing away from the tree and going back inside his house. Debra watched him go and shook her head. He had to learn she wasn’t the kind of person who would just hang around and wait for things to happen.

“Interesting.” Chaos said as he watched them. Debra hadn’t seemed the kind to stand up for herself, especially after her introduction to Phil in Coeur d’Alene. She had appeared then to be the kind of person who would need constant protection. Then Chaos remembered the rest of Debra’s circumstances. She had lived alone, away from her family and was doing quite well making a living for herself. She had stood up to a criminal and put him in his place, dead. And she had rebuilt her life from the ashes of the crimes committed against her. No, she was definitely not the kind of person who would allow someone to wrap her in cotton and protect her from the world at large. Chaos wondered how long it would take Phil to realize this truly and stop being angry about it.

The next morning, Phil met Debra in the kitchen before she had a chance to leave. “Debra, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, Phil, anything.” She answered, fixing herself a cup of peppermint herbal tea and a piece of buttered toast.

“Why won’t you let me deal with finding you a place to live and why won’t you take me up on my offer of a job?” He truly was confused by her reluctance to allow him to do so small a thing for her, and it hurt him. He wanted to give her the world and make it so she would never have to fear anything ever again.

Debra thought about it while she threw away the used teabag and sweetened and lightened her tea. Then she took a small sip and nodded at the perfect blend of tea, sugar, and creamer.

“Well, Phil, I probably will take you up on that offer of a job, just not right away. Give me another week to get settled first. As for finding a place, I’ve been thinking about that. The house that Karen’s grandmother left her was destroyed and she really has nowhere else to go either. So I was thinking about asking her to room with me and start looking for an apartment together. I also know how busy you are and I don’t want you to feel responsible for me when you have so many other people depending on you. I’m a big girl and can take care of myself, Phil, really. I trust you to live how you wish without trying to second guess you, please allow me that same respect.”

Phil watched as she dunked a corner of the buttery toast into the tea and took a big bite. On one hand, he respected her for wanting to take the bull by the horns, yet on the other he wanted her to come to him for her happiness. It seemed to him that Airidon had it easy, getting Tris, who was ready to settle down right away.

“Okay, I can respect that. But if you can’t find anything within the week, please, let me help?” Phil said, pouring out a cup of coffee and taking a sip.

“Okay, Phil, I will.” Debra rinsed her cup, wiped down the counter, kissed Phil on the cheek and left for the day. Phil lightly touched where she had kissed him, sighed, and wished that it meant as much to her as it did to him. He hoped that one day, it would.

“Did you actually get to talk to her this morning?” Mike asked, stumbling down first and getting some coffee.

“What are you talking about?” Phil asked, caught off guard.

“It’s pretty obvious that you’ve been in a pissy mood cause Debra’s been avoiding you. Well, I wouldn’t say she’s been avoiding you, but she hasn’t been hanging on your every word like some women have done. And I would say that you don’t care to have her so independent when you have finally found someone that you want to have hanging around all the time. But that’s just me and I could be way off base.” Mike shrugged at the pole-axed look on Phil’s face and left him alone to think about it.

Scrounging through the cupboards, Mike grumbled about never having enough food in the house and made a note to do some shopping before coming back in the evening and then left to bug his cousin into waking up. Phil couldn’t believe it was Mike who made things so simple, he had always considered Mike to be the least serious of the group and the least concerned with what was going on as long as his belly was full and he had a computer to work on.

“What will happen next?” Phil wondered and left for his day in the office. From up in the room he was sharing with Grant, Jared watched Phil leave and shook his head. He said a silent prayer to Serenity to help Phil and Debra get together as soon as possible and then headed down to join the others in the morning rush to get on with their lives.