"Damn Rosa," Fiona shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry kid, you must have been terrified."

  I suppressed a shudder as I nodded, "I'm probably going to have nightmares about that for a long time. And I can't stop thinking about what would have happened, if Harper hadn't showed up right when he did."

  "This is the intersection coming up," I added. "You need to turn right there."

  The biker girl nodded as she pulled to the right and started decelerating to make the turn. We'd just reached our little vilge and were only a minute or so from my pce. I was still in my magical girl form, and the two of us had been talking more during the ride, whenever there wasn't too much wind to hear each other.

  As we made the turn Fiona commented, "For what it's worth, the rings can't be stolen like that. That's not to say you can't be hurt in your civilian form because you can, as you well know. But the ring wouldn't let someone take it from you."

  "Odds are if he'd got the bolt cutters on your finger the ring would have responded," she expined. "You'd have seen a fsh of pink light, and the two bastards holding you down probably would have felt like they'd been hit with a mains-level jolt of electricity. Or a two-by-four upside the head. Either way they'd have been knocked clear, and you'd have been free to pink out or run away."

  I was surprised to hear that, but also relieved. And I realized it made a lot of sense, like otherwise it was a pretty gring weakness.

  "Turn right again on the next side-street," I told her. "And thanks Fiona, that's good to know. It might help me sleep easier anyways."

  A few seconds ter I added, "That's the house there on the left. That's Harper's pick-up out front. Huh, the others aren't here yet."

  "I'm sure they're on their way," Fiona said as she pulled onto the driveway. "One of the reasons I prefer a bike, it's usually faster travelling on two wheels than four."

  We rolled right up to the end then stopped, and she set the kickstand before killing the engine. I carefully got off first, then she did as well. And while she was pulling off her helmet I got my keys out of my purse and unlocked the door then led her inside.

  "Nice pce," the redhead commented. "Very much not what I expected for the daughter of a family of evil masterminds."

  I frowned at her, "I already told you my mom's not like that. She's a waitress, supporting two kids. She told me once she couldn't even afford this pce if she'd had to do it on her own, it took both her and dad together to buy it."

  "And the only reason we're still living here now is because dad's life insurance covered the mortgage after he..." I added with a sigh.

  Fiona turned and gave me a sad look, "I'm sorry kid."

  I shrugged quietly, then finally used the ring to switch back to my normal non-magical girl self. I ended up getting us a couple cans of soda, then just as we were sitting down in the living-room mom's car pulled up outside. My friends and family all rushed into the house, and they were as relieved to see me as I was them. A few hugs were exchanged, then my mom gave our other guest an uncertain look.

  "So this is the purple magical girl?" she asked warily.

  "Yeah," I nodded. "We kind of worked some stuff out between us, and now I guess we're tentatively allies, working towards maybe being friends?"

  I continued with the introductions, "Anyways this is Fiona. And that's my mom, my sister Amelia, and best friends Ellie and Harper."

  "Lindsay, Amelia, Ellie, Harper, it's nice to meet you all," Fiona greeted everyone politely.

  Ellie adjusted her gsses then frowned as she commented, "Strange way to make friends, swinging a giant magical axe at her head."

  I couldn't exactly bme my best friend for being unhappy with Fiona about that. I'd definitely want to have some words with anyone I saw trying to hurt her.

  "We weren't friends at the time," the redhead replied with a shrug. "Still not sure we're friends now. But we're not enemies anymore, and that's a start."

  Then mom spoke up, "While I'm gd that the fighting is over, perhaps Fiona you could expin what that was all about? I already know why my mother's sending people to harass us, why do I have you doing it too?"

  Fiona grimaced, "Short answer is I came to try and recover that pink ring. I can't go into any more details right now. I will say, I was definitely misinformed about you specifically, Mrs. Palmer. Bke told me you're not involved with the rest of your family."

  "We didn't even know we had a 'rest of the family' until today," Amelia grumped. She gred at mom as she continued, "And you keep finding excuses to not tell us the rest of the story."

  Mom protested, "It wasn't my idea to have my mother's henchmen turn up and threaten us, or to have another magical girl start swinging a battle-axe at your sister."

  "Well we're all safe at home now, and nobody's currently trying to kill or hurt any of us. So maybe we can finally get the rest of those answers?" I asked.

  When I saw the reluctant look on my mom's face I added, "If you don't tell us I'm just going to ask Fiona what she knows about our family history. I'll bet she can tell us at least some of the story."

  Mom gave me a look, then sighed. It seemed like she was about to relent, until she turned towards Fiona again.

  "I don't mean to be rude," she said, "And I'm gd you're not trying to kill my daughter anymore, but I did promise my children some answers. And I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable discussing private family matters in front of someone we've only just met. Especially considering the circumstances."

  Hearing that left me feeling torn. I didn't want Fiona to go yet since there was a lot more I wanted to ask her, but at the same time I really wanted to hear what mom had to say about our family history.

  Fiona didn't seem to mind though. She got to her feet as she nodded, "Understood."

  "Bke it was interesting meeting you," she said as she started for the door. "I'm sure we'll run into each other again."

  I got up to walk her to the door as I asked, "Where are you staying? Maybe we could exchange contact information?"

  The redhead smiled, "I'm just up the street at a little inn in Markdale, run by a pair of lovely dies. As for contact, I've got a local number that works for now."

  She gave me her number so I told her mine, and after we both made note of each other's info Fiona bid me and the others a good day. Then she headed out, and a minute or so ter she rode off on her stolen motorcycle.

  "So can we finally get on with the secret family history stuff now?" Amelia asked impatiently.

  "Very well," mom sighed. She went into the kitchen and put the kettle on first though, to make herself some coffee. So Amelia Ellie and Harper all grabbed themselves some sodas, while I still had the one I got earlier.

  Then when everyone was ready mom stated, "Like before, I'll ask you all not to interrupt me. Save your questions and comments until the end. And once again I'm expecting you all to keep this to yourselves."

  After we all agreed to her terms mom finally started, "The story as I know it began about a hundred years ago in Germany, with my great-grandfather. Or your great-great-grandfather, Jacob Weimann."

  She continued, "I don't know much about Jacob's early life, but I know he did well at school and went on to university where he studied physics. He remained in academia through the nineteen-thirties, and in the lead-up to the second world war he committed himself to serving the fathernd in any way he could."

  I couldn't help cringing at the thought of my family being on the wrong side during world war two, but I kept quiet and sipped my soda as I listened. I was on the sofa again with Ellie and Harper to either side of me, while Amelia and mom were on the two chairs across from us.

  "Your great-grandfather, my grandfather Heribert Weimann was born during those years," mom added. "That was in nineteen thirty-seven, while Jacob was supposedly working as a university professor in Berlin. In reality he was part of a secret German military research group, tasked with developing powerful new weapons."

  After a brief pause she said, "I don't know if Jacob became interested in the occult on his own before the war, or if some of his military colleagues introduced him to the concept. I do know that the German High Command was very interested in using the occult to help achieve their goals, and at some point Jacob was transferred away from Germany's atomic bomb project and assigned to their occult team instead."

  "We all know neither of those efforts paid off, thank goodness," she sighed just as the kettle started to whistle. Mom went and made herself a big mug of instant coffee, then sat back down in the living-room to continue her story.

  "After the war Jacob fled Germany with his son Heribert, and ended up spending a year in Engnd where he completely reinvented himself," mom expined. "I don't know if some form of magic was involved, or if he did it the hard way. However he pulled it off, Jacob Weimann became James Williams, his son's name became Herbert, and the two of them emigrated from the UK to America in nineteen-forty-six."

  She paused for a sip of her coffee then went on, "Posing as an English physics researcher, Jacob got himself involved in America's nuclear weapons program, while Heribert was raised as an American boy named Herb. By the nineteen fifties Jacob was overseeing some of the atomic bomb tests in the middle of the Pacific Ocean..."

  By that point I could actually feel Ellie vibrating with excitement. My best friend managed to keep quiet, but even mom could tell the cute tomboy was brimming with questions.

  "This is where Jacob's education and experience in both high-energy physics and the occult came together," mom stated. She continued in a quiet, serious, sombre tone, "He managed to modify an atomic bomb test such that it became part of an impossibly powerful magic ritual. On October thirty-first, nineteen-fifty-two, my great-grandfather used the detonation of a hydrogen bomb to tear a hole in the fabric of reality itself."

  Her voice remained quiet as she continued, "The rift was like a bridge to somepce else, and it permitted Outsiders to enter our world."

  "That's my family's word for them," she expined, "But most people would just call them monsters, or demons perhaps. Whatever you call them, they're the stuff of nightmares."

  "So Jacob opened the rift, but it was unstable. Only small, weak Outsiders were able to pass through, but they were still deadly. Then about eighteen months ter Jacob used another atomic bomb to power another ritual in the same location. In early April nineteen-fifty-four the rift was stabilized. That allowed rger, smarter, more dangerous Outsiders to enter our world."

  "The first sightings of 'magical girls' came in between those two events," mom added. "According to my grandfather, the military ignored the reports at first, then came to see the girls as a nuisance. But by the time the rift was stabilized the Americans had run into enough Outsiders and enough lives had been lost that they began to work with the magical girls."

  That had me practically buzzing with questions right alongside Ellie, but we both managed to keep quiet so mom could finish her story. Fortunately we didn't have to wait much longer.

  Mom had another gulp of coffee then sighed once more, "Herb enlisted in the army when he turned eighteen, and I'm sure strings were pulled to get him assigned to the Pacific Proving Ground so he could work alongside his father. The Americans never did realize that one of their lead scientists was the man who caused the rift, nor did they know one of their soldiers was there to serve his father rather than their country."

  "This secret war went on for another four years," mom continued. "There were more atomic detonations, the Americans hoped those would destroy the Outsiders and seal the rift. Then in early August nineteen-fifty-eight Jacob was preparing another atomic-powered ritual. That would have opened the rift even wider, and perhaps made it permanent. It would have allowed Outsiders to pour through in mass, which likely would have brought about the end of our world."

  "Fortunately the magical girls somehow figured out what Jacob was pnning, and they arrived at that location for a final showdown. My grandfather wasn't present and as far as I know the details of that final battle are lost to history. All we can say for sure is the rift was sealed and any Outsiders still present were destroyed," mom sighed.

  After a long pause she finished up her story, "I don't know what happened to Jacob, only that he didn't survive the final battle. Herb vowed to continue his father's work, and swore revenge on the magical girls. My mother was born a year or two ter, and as soon as she was old enough Herb recruited her to join him in continuing Jacob's pns. Heribert died in two thousand and nine, but my mother remains dedicated to her father's goals."

  "Neither Leslie or I were ever as committed to their pns as mother and grandfather were," she added with a frown. "I turned my back on the family, while my sister pays them lip service. As far as I know Leslie isn't actually helping mother in her cause though."

  Mom's story seemed to end there, she just sighed once more then had a deep sip of her coffee. And despite both Ellie and I being about ready to burst with questions, it was actually Amelia who spoke up first.

  My little sister blurted out, "Why?! Why would any of you people want to do any of that stuff?"

  Our mom took a deep breath then let out a much longer sigh as she admitted, "For Jacob, it was mostly about revenge. He wanted the world to burn, as punishment for defeating his beloved fathernd. For my grandfather though, it was about the power. I don't know where he got the idea, but he came to believe that the Outsiders would reward him for giving them our world. He was prepared to offer up everyone on Earth as sacrifice, so that he could rule over the ashes."

  "That's what your mother is working on this summer, isn't it?" I asked nervously. "She's going to try and finish her grandfather's work?"

  Mom gave me a worried look, then slowly nodded. "Yes Bke. That's what I'm afraid of."

  PurpleCatGirl