108: Blast from the Past – Pt. 3

Victoria looked down at the necklace her daughter was wearing and then immediately her eyes moved to Future Derrick. “This whole time it was around Alyssa’s neck?”

“I—uh…well…” Future Derrick stammered.

“She’s had it this whole time and yet you’re taking us on a world tour of old haunts? You never intended for me to find it, did you, Derrick?” Victoria asked, anger searing her glare.

“Victoria, please, you have to understand…”

“Understand what, Derrick? That you were wasting time until our spell ran its course, forcing us to leave here empty-handed? What was the point of any of this?”

“I just wanted you to see—see where it all happened, know what took place that night and try to…try to avoid it.”

“Derrick…”

“Victoria, that night changed me; it changed everything. Your family, Mike, me…no one was ever the same after dealing with that grief. I thought that if you could leave here with all of this knowledge, you would be more mindful when you returned to your time. Maybe change fate.”

“Derrick, I don’t think you needed this runaround to get your point across. Besides, who’s to say things will be the same once we return and use the coin?” she said, moving closer to where he stood gazing down at the ground in defeat. “I know you’re scared. That you were hoping for a different reality. But just know this, we’re leaving here with information we didn’t have before and maybe with that, our outcomes will change.”

“Do you really believe that?” he asked, gently slipping his arm around her back and tugging her closer. “Do you really believe just being here somehow altered the course of our futures?”

“There’s always hope, right?” she asked. He nodded and gave her a chaste kiss before tightly squeezing her into his arms. 

“Well, now that that’s figured out, do you think we have time to do a little magic?” Alyssa asked with a hopeful smile.

“Yeah. I think we can manage that,” Victoria nodded.

Back at the house, Future Derrick cleared a place for Victoria and Alyssa to work. Bringing some boxes out of storage, both Derricks worked to create a mini magic room for Alyssa for future use. Meanwhile, Victoria looked through some of her old magic tomes for beginner spells for Alyssa to practice.

“Oh, this is neat: ‘Freezing spell.’”

“That’s a good one to start with. It’s fairly simple, only requires a candle.” Placing a cup of water on the table, Victoria lit a candle and motioned for Alyssa to chant the words.

“Aqua facient solida. Aqua facient solida. Aqua facient solida,” she repeated until slowly the glass of water turned into solid ice. “I DID IT!” Jumping excitedly, she wrapped her arms around Victoria’s neck, squealing with pride. (Make water solid).

“Nice job, Aly. You have your mother’s talent,” Future Derrick said with a wide grin.

“It’ll just take some practice to perfect but I have no doubt you’ll get there,” Derrick added.

“Oh, here’s one your dad would appreciate. It’s a protection spell to help ward off evil. If you practice without him present, it’s always a good idea to cast this beforehand,” Victoria said.

“Contego, servo, vindico, protego,” Alyssa’s nose scrunched up in a frown and she shook her head. “Why are all spells written in Latin?” (Shield, preserve, defend, protect.)

“It was the language used when most of them were created. Plus, it works best so you’re not accidentally causing chaos with everyday English. I mean, telling someone you’re going to turn them into a toad and doing it by just looking at them and saying ‘Toad’ would be insane and expose the word to things they shouldn’t know about.”

“I guess,” Alyssa sighed, turning the page as she continued surveying the hundreds of available enchantments. “‘To Cook Dinner?’ That is awesome!” she exclaimed, reading through the workings of the next spell.

“Yeah, it works like an internal microwave for the food. If you have a cold cup of coffee for example and want to get it back to warm or a frozen pot pie that you want to instantly prepare.”

“Still, this would be great when on the go,” Alyssa offered.

“Hey, I’ve taught you how to cook. You don’t need a spell shortcut for that,” Future Derrick pouted.

“Yeah but, Dad, your dinner prep takes FOREVER. Sometimes, a girl just wants a cheap burger and fries.”

“She’s not wrong. And while I absolutely adore all of the many dishes you’ve prepared me over the years, smelling dinner all day until it’s finally ready to eat is an awful torture I’d not wish upon my worst enemy,” Victoria agreed to both Derricks’ dismay. “Oh, don’t give me that look. You have no idea since you don’t actually need food to survive. Why do you think I snack periodically during your prep?”

“You never said anything,” Derrick said with a slight frown.

“Because I didn’t want to make you feel bad. You go through so much trouble just for me and I love and appreciate it. I didn’t want you to stop.”

“Well, I promise to be more mindful in the future,” he said, gently pecking her forehead.

“Mmm, in speaking of food,” Victoria smiled, “I am feeling a little peckish.”

“I’m on it,” Derrick nodded. “That is if you don’t mind me rummaging around the kitchen?”

“Go for it,” Future Derrick answered.

“Oh, can I help? Maybe see how the dinner spell works exactly?” Alyssa asked.

“Of course, let’s do this!”

Victoria closed the remaining spell books and placed them back in the box under the table. “I guess I should apologize now. You’re gonna have your hands full with that one,” she laughed, glancing over her shoulder at Future Derrick. “Looks like Victoria 2.0.”

“Well, I think I did a pretty good job the first time around. I have no doubt Alyssa will make a great student.”

Victoria finished cleaning up the evidence of her magic lessons and turned to fully face Future Derrick. He was smiling at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes and she smoothed her hands down her shirt, clearing away invisible lint and squinting at him as she tried to determine what that look was for. “Derrick?”

“I think I’m the one who owes you an apology,” he said, his voice low and gruff.

“For?”

“I love you, Victoria, and I never want to see you harmed.”

“I know that, Derrick. I don’t blame you for anything that’s happened.”

“No, but you might.”

“Derrick, what…?” Before Victoria could finish her question, Future Derrick lunged at her. Gripping her tightly in his arms, he quickly sank his fangs into the side of her neck, biting hard and deep. Blood spurted and Victoria let out a shrill scream as she tried to fight him off. Hades dropped into attack mode, seizing Derrick’s leg and chomping through to the bone, but it did little to stop the frenzied vampire. “DERRICK!” she shouted as his grip tightened around her.

The sounds of a struggle reached the other room and, in a flash, Derrick was there, tossing Future Derrick out into the hall and away from Victoria before he could complete his actions. Alyssa scooped up her mother and rushed her away from the brawling Derricks. “What the fuck are you doing?” Derrick growled as his future self charged toward him. He caught him mid-flight and slammed him to the ground before pounding his fist into his counterpart over and over again.

“Please, I have to…I can’t lose her again,” he snarled, pushing at Derrick to move him aside.

“Are you crazy? Stay the fuck away from her!”

“No, please. You don’t understand…”

“DAD!” Alyssa shouted. “Stop this! Mom is seriously hurt!” Only then did Future Derrick appear to arouse from his blood haze. He stopped struggling and pulled away from Derrick, his eyes on the ground.

Dropping to his knees he surveyed the room and the damage he’d caused. Victoria stood near the front door, her hand covering the large wound on her neck as blood gushed from between her fingers. Her eyes were wide with fear and he could hear the loud and erratic thumping of her heart. “Vic—Victoria I…I’m so—I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Keep away,” Derrick again warned as he moved to Victoria’s side to check on her. Pulling her hand away, he gasped at the huge gash Future Derrick had ripped into her throat and swiftly moved to feed her his blood to heal it.

“No,” she said, pushing his hand away. “Cover the wound, I’m not drinking that. If he makes another attempt…” Derrick nodded, understanding that his blood in her system would be a bad thing right now. He squeezed a generous amount over the affected area and watched the laceration seal shut.

Alyssa closed in on her dad who hadn’t moved from the floor. “What were you thinking?” she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to help him stand.

“I don’t—I wasn’t. Victoria, please, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m truly, very sorry. Please…”

“Derrick, what you did…I can’t believe you would try to take away my decision like that. Who knows the damage you could have done. We’re not from this timeline; everything would have changed.”

“I know. It was stupid. I wasn’t thinking.”

An alarm sounded in Victoria’s back pocket and she turned toward her travel companion. “The spell is ending. We need to go,” Derrick said in realization.

Victoria nodded and pulled her gaze away from Future Derrick. “Victoria…”

“I love you, Derrick. I always have. I always will but please, stay away from me. I’m gonna go say goodbye to Alyssa. We don’t have much time left.”

“I love you, too. And again, I’m sorry.”

“Well, this wasn’t the adventure I thought it would be when we started out,” Alyssa said as Victoria stepped in front of her. “But I’m glad I got the chance to meet you and spend time with you. You’re pretty much who I’d imagined you’d be.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“A tough as nails, take no prisoner, badass with a sharp mind and sharper wit.”

“Pot meet kettle,” Victoria smiled. “I see all of that in you as well, Alyssa. I love the person you are and I couldn’t be prouder of how you turned out. You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re gorgeous. And best of all, you know how to handle Derrick.”

“Dad’s easy. I’ve had him wrapped since day one,” Alyssa laughed. Reaching up, she unhooked her necklace and gently placed it in Victoria’s hand. “I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day with you and I hope you’re right and we’ll have plenty more of them later.”

Victoria pulled Alyssa into a hug. Alyssa closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, committing her mother’s scent to memory as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Ever since she was a child, she’d imagined being able to wrap herself in her mother’s warmth, indulging in the comfort of feeling fully loved and protected. And now that she was finally having her moment, she wasn’t sure she could ever let go. “I love you, Alyssa. Continue making me proud.”

“I will, Mom. I promise.”

As Victoria and Alyssa said their goodbyes, Future Derrick grabbed Derrick’s arm and pulled him off to the side. “Don’t let her go,” he said, looking his past self in the eyes.

“Excuse me?”

“This is not a future you want, trust me. It’s filled with guilt and heartache and misery and pain. Turn her now. This life is like a hell we’ve never known. I know what I did was thoughtless and stupid but…the things I do just to make it to another day; our life means nothing without her. Living each day without her is just so unbearable. If it wasn’t for Alyssa, I’d have staked myself years ago. This isn’t a life you want, trust me. Turn her now before anything happens or you’ll live to regret it. I did.” 

Future Derrick and Alyssa watched as Victoria and Derrick were pulled into a stream of bright light and disappeared. They landed back inside their present living room, everything just as they’d left it the previous night.

“Are you ok?” Derrick asked, looking again at her neck. “I can’t believe he—I did that to you.”

“It’s fine. I’m fine, Derrick. Who knew you had that much scary in you?” she laughed, trying to make light of the situation.

“I know. I don’t even want to think what would have happened had I been even a second slower or if Alyssa wasn’t there to rein him in.”

“It’s ok, Derrick. It wasn’t you. You’d never…you wouldn’t do that to me.”

“But it was me. I did do that. And to be honest, I can’t say I wouldn’t react the same way if I ever did lose you.” 

“Well, at least we got what we went for. This should make the Elders happy,” Victoria said, looking down at the necklace they’d recovered. The couple stood in silence a moment as they considered everything they’d experienced in the past 24 hours. “I’m gonna take a shower and get ready for bed. We can tackle this spell tomorrow,” Victoria said, breaking the peace.

“Victoria?”

“No, Derrick. If we’re about to have a conversation concerning the huge bombs that were dropped on our little trip to the future, can it wait until I’m not mentally exhausted from the whole thing?”

“I was just gonna say ‘I love you.’”

She sighed; her lips forming a tight line. “I love you, too.” Victoria collapsed as she let go tears she’d been holding back since meeting Alyssa and Derrick quickly scooped her into his arms, drawing her into his chest. “God, Derrick, I don’t want to die,” she sobbed against him.

“And you don’t have to, Baby. I can make you like me; turn you so that you and I can live out the rest of our days together forever.” 

“But what about Alyssa? We’ve met our daughter and she was perfect and…Derrick. She’d cease to exist if I became a vampire. You said it yourself; we can’t go messing with the future.”

“The future is yet unwritten. There are infinite possibilities all guided and dictated by our actions right now. We don’t know for certain what we saw today is cemented in stone. Alyssa can still happen. She can be the miracle baby of two very much in love vampires.”

“No,” Victoria shook her head, steadily wiping at the stream of endless tears. “You can’t know that. I don’t want to be responsible for our daughter…I just can’t, Derrick. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry,” he scoffed and pushed her back to look into her eyes. “You’re sorry? You’re perfectly fine with leaving me to rot in some loveless future. You heard what Alyssa said. I never got over you. And I know I never would. Victoria…please, say yes.” 

Victoria looked up at him, teary-eyed and whimpering as she thought over everything they’d seen and heard over the last day. Then her life flashed before her eyes; her life with Derrick. She couldn’t lose him, wouldn’t lose him if she could help it. He was the only man in her life that ever penetrated the walls she had so effectively built up. And she loved him deeply. With a voice that sounded too soft and weak to have come from her mouth, Victoria gave him the only answer she could. “Yes.”