Pandora is Back! Short Story 02 of 02

Hello!

I was asked by a fan who my top three characters I've created (which is harder than selecting my top three children.)Since I have hundreds of characters and only three sons.

I'll give all of you the same answer (as I list them today) below the story. Enjoy!

Part 01 is here: https://michael.beehiiv.com 

*** WARNING - NO OPEN  DOOR SEX - BUT PLENTY OF ADULT HUMOR AND DISCUSSION... And CURSING... LOT'S and LOT'S of CURSING and ANNOYANCE AT SOAP OPERAS.

Tentative Friends

Short story during the time of Torn Asunder - Book 01 in the Protected by the Damned series.

CONTINUED from Part 01...

What are you looking for? Pandora asked as the two of them went through the grocery store.

Katie tilted her head. “I’m not sure. I have an idea, but I don’t know how well it will go down with Korbin, Calvin, and Derek right now.”

Then you should definitely go with it.

“You would say that.” Katie hesitated. “You know what? Fuck it. I’m doing it. It’s not like I can’t afford to go a little crazy on impulse.”

That’s my girl, Pandora enthused. Nothing says badass bitch in charge like…sweet potatoes? What the fuck?

Katie snickered as she put the bag in her cart. “You’ll see…”

***

Katie returned to base and unloaded her haul without any of the guys seeing what she’d bought. She dropped Calvin’s crullers off, along with the threat that anyone who came into the kitchen for the rest of the day would be leaving a testicle short of the full set, then got to work.

Derek came by looking for coffee and found the machine outside the door with the cord wrapped neatly around it.

Calvin and Korbin met Derek in the dining room, and they huddled around the table with their bellies growling in response to the smells wafting through the base.

“Is she torturing us?” Derek grumbled. “Is this torture?”

“Of the worst kind,” Korbin agreed gravely. “But what can we do?”

“We could storm the kitchen,” Calvin suggested. “Show her who’s boss around here.”

Korbin considered it for a moment, then shook his head. “I like my boys right where they are. We’re just gonna have to settle in and wait.”

***

Who taught you how to do all this? Pandora asked as Katie rolled crushed pecans and sugar into the pastry crust.

“My mom.” Katie stepped back and grabbed a paper towel to mop her brow. “We might not have had much money while I was growing up, but she made sure we celebrated the occasions that meant something.”

You know that bird is going to take forever to cook.

Katie shook her head. “Nope. These ovens are top of the line. Everything is going to be perfect, and your cynicism can take a damned hike.”

I’m not cynical. I’m realistic. You should let me help.

Katie raised an eyebrow. “Help, how? What’s your angle?”

Pandora chuckled. No angle, I swear. Open the oven door.

Katie hesitated to trust her. “If you mess this up, I’m going to recreate some Sixties-style feminism.”

What do you mean?

“I mean,” Katie stated, “that if you fuck up my turkey, I’ll make a bonfire with all the pretty lingerie you like so much.”

As if I would! Besides, that would hurt you as much as it would hurt me. You trash the bras, and you’re going to get black eyes from your titties swinging free during training.

Katie shrugged. “It would be worth it to get you back for ruining my effort to bring everyone closer together.”

You’re going to have to learn to trust me, you know. I can see this is important to you. You don’t have to threaten my bras.

“I’m not just threatening the bras. I swear I’ll buy the ugliest, most practical sports bras and wear them forever.” Katie opened the oven door. “How the tables turn… Okay. I’m trusting you.”

A giant hand emerged from Katie’s chest and wrapped itself around the turkey. Katie coughed as the smell of brimstone overpowered the more pleasant smells in the kitchen for a moment.

Pandora retracted her hand, leaving behind a perfectly cooked bird with crisp, golden-brown skin. See? All good.

Katie waved a hand in front of her face as the vent fan kicked in. “If you like sulfur as seasoning.”

So the meat will have a little kick to it. At least it won’t land you all in the hospital with food poisoning.

“Can I still get food poisoning, being Damned?” Katie pondered. Pandora made a noncommittal noise.

“Have you exceeded your limit of doing good for today?” Katie teased as she pulled the roasting pan out and set it on the side to rest the meat while she fixed the sides.

For the week, more like, Pandora admitted. I feel all icky.

Katie smiled. “Well, I appreciate you going outside your comfort zone. You can go back to being a monumental bitch now.”

It’s hardly fun if I have permission, Pandora snarked. I think I’ll just stay here and observe these strange customs you people have. Imagine a whole day devoted to gratitude. Ugh.

***

Katie opened the hatch between the kitchen and the dining room and leaned out on her elbows. She burst into laughter at the sight of the guys. “I’ve never seen a sorrier bunch of men in my life. You can all stop sulking. Dinner is served.”

She smiled as all three men jumped to their feet to help her with the dishes, their hangdog expressions vanishing with the prospect of food.

Katie brought out one last covered tray after the rest of the meal was laid out on the table. “Can’t have dinner without something to wash the food down.”

Korbin, Calvin, and Derek plastered polite smiles on their faces. “Goody,” Calvin murmured. “Tea for four.”

Katie snickered and pulled the cover off the tray, revealing the frosty-cold bottles beneath. “Hell, no! Beers are on me, guys.”

As the turkey was carved, everyone helped themselves to mashed potatoes and gravy. Katie raised an eyebrow until everyone stopped ignoring the green bean casserole in favor of the fresh-baked bread rolls.

“Okay, I admit it,” Calvin said. “This was worth the wait. What made you think of doing all this, Katie?”

Katie looked up from buttering her roll. “It seemed like we needed a taste of normality. Nothing more normal than getting together over Thanksgiving dinner and sharing what we have to be grateful for in the world.”

Calvin paused with his ladle in the gravy. “Let me start with how grateful I am that the wait for food is finally over. I thought we were all going to starve to death, and you should have heard our demons bitching the whole time you were in the kitchen.”

Korbin lifted his chin. “I’m grateful Katie took the time and made the effort to provide this amazing meal. I'm regretting you missing your true calling.”

Katie narrowed her eyes at him. “If this is some ‘women belong in the kitchen’ bullshit—”

“No, no,” Korbin said quickly. “It’s a ‘you’re an amazing cook who could have made it as a chef' comment.”

Katie sat back in her chair. “Not that housewife isn’t a valid aspiration, but it was never mine.” She picked up her beer and took a long sip. “I guess I should add getting the opportunity to do good in the world to my list of things to be thankful for.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Calvin agreed, touching his bottle to Katie’s.

“Me too,” Korbin and Derek chorused.

Katie didn’t miss the look that passed between the guys. “What am I missing?”

“It’s been a long time since we’ve done anything like this.” Korbin shrugged and drank his beer.

“You had a woman on the team before,” Katie responded. “Not that I’m gonna judge, but didn’t she do anything to help bring you guys together as a family?”

“Does kicking our asses in training count?” Derek asked.

That brought chuckles from everyone around the table. Katie shook her head. “Well, yeah, but I’m talking about doing more together than nights in the bar watching while the furniture got trashed by drunken assholes with too much testosterone and not enough manners.”

“We go to the movies all the time,” Derek protested.

She waved her knife. “You know what I mean. Home-y stuff. Family time. We’re all any of us have in this world. We have to take time to appreciate that every now and again.”

“This is what you were talking about, right?” Calvin murmured to Korbin.

The grizzled veteran nodded. “What else are you thankful for, Katie?”

Katie tilted her head as she sought the words. “For a start, I’m grateful I’m not strapped to a research table. I’m thankful I ended up with the best team. You guys are fun to live and train with, even if Derek does completely fucking suck at surveillance.”

“Hey! We got a pretty cool afternoon out of my piss-poor tailing skills,” Derek reminded her.

Katie laughed. “We did.” To Pandora, she said, I’m thankful you stepped up to help me. Not just with the commune op and Garrett, but today.

Puh-lease! If I could vomit right now, I would. This kumbaya shit is too much. Pandora’s tone belied her words. Eat your damn turkey and quit being so sappy.

Katie’s nose twitched as a whiff of burning pastry hit her nostrils. “Oh, shit! The pie!”

Everyone followed her into the kitchen and stood by as she retrieved the cremated pie from the oven. Katie dropped the tin onto the counter with a sigh. “Sorry, guys. Guess today didn’t turn out perfect after all.”

Korbin put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t sweat it. I’m not much of a nut guy anyway. How about we finish this by going out for ice cream instead? My treat.”

Katie swallowed her disappointment. “That’s not the worst idea. I’ll get the dishwasher loaded and change real quick.”

“We’ll take care of the dishes,” Calvin told her, gathering her into a one-armed hug.

Derek added an arm to the embrace. “Yeah. We’ve got you.”

Korbin rolled his sleeves up. “Getting our hands dirty is kind of our specialty.”

Katie sniffled as she leaned into the warmth of the hugs. “You guys.”

Fuck my life. This is too much. Call the exorcist.

Katie stepped back. “Shit. I almost forgot! Can someone text Damian? Make sure he gets the plate I set aside for him.”

That’s not what I meant, Pandora grumbled.

Katie ignored her. Her hand went to her flour-streaked hair. “I could use a shower. I’ll meet you back down here in twenty minutes.”

***

Katie collapsed onto her bed, feeling full and warm. “I changed my mind. I’m going with option three.”

Did you give yourself a permanent brain freeze? Pandora asked. I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Katie closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her face. “Mata Hari.”

Not that I’m going to confirm either way, but what brought you to that conclusion?

“You’re not like other demons.”

Ooh, get Princess Prissy Pussy, reworking that toxic mindset to fit me. Maybe I have a chance of corrupting you after all.

“You can deflect all you want, Pandy.” Katie’s smile widened into a grin. “I told you I was going to figure you out. Maybe you were Anne Boleyn, but I think you helped Mata Hari, too. What I haven’t decided yet is whether you did it because you are good beneath that bitchy exterior, or whether you do good things because you get your kicks from subverting the will of hell.”

How dare you accuse me of being good! If you must know, both of those were lies.

Katie sat up. “Nice try, but nope. Not buying it. I’ve read about the fall of the Roman Empire. It happened because they stretched their resources too far. You might be powerful, but you are only one demon. There’s no way you could have orchestrated the outside-in collapse of an empire that spanned continents.”

Okay. All three were lies. I’m a demon. I’m evil. It’s in my nature.

Katie laughed. “Mmhmm. Sure.”

I hate you.

“Love you too, Pandora.” Katie picked up the library book she’d brought to her room to read during her downtime. “I trusted you. You’ll learn that you can trust me with your truth.”

Not in this lifetime or the next.

Katie felt the demon withdraw. “Trust is a two-way street, Pandora.”

How is trust working out for you so far? Pandora snarked. You trusted Trevor and look where it got you.

“Ouch! You really went there?” Katie furrowed her brow as she considered the events that had led to her becoming part of a demon-hunting team. “Unlike you, I’m not going to lie. That stings, but I’ll take it.”

You’re supposed to snap at me and end the interrogation.

Katie shook her head. “It’s not an interrogation. I want to get to know you is all. You and I are stuck with each other. We might as well be honest.”

Honesty is for chumps, Pandora stated coldly. This world is a mess.

Katie shrugged. “If it makes me a chump to see the best in people, then so be it. I’d rather view the world with hope than find myself locked in cynicism, unable to see the beauty in the smallest things. Like seeing Garrett reunited with his wife and those gorgeous boys of his. That was one of the best moments of my life. We did that, Pandora. You and me.”

Do you ever quit with the chirpy shit? You were drugged and had a demon forced into your body. You’ll never see your mother again. You’re stuck with a bunch of—admittedly hunky—men whose only goal in life is to reduce the demon population one deathmatch at a time. I derailed your whole life, and you want to be besties?

“We’re not given anything we’re not supposed to get,” Katie answered with conviction. “What you said this morning struck a nerve, for sure. Maybe I was naïve to trust that prick Trevor, and yes, I miss my mom every day. But if I hadn’t trusted him, I wouldn’t have been put on this path. I might not be able to see my mom, but I can finally take care of her, if only from a distance.”

Katie sighed, her fingers brushing the book on the bed beside her. “I was called to this life for some reason.”

This sounds like a conversation you should be having with the priest.

“I will at some point,” Katie agreed. “There’s something the guys are holding back from me, and I want to know what it is. But right now, the biggest mystery in front of me is who I’m sharing my body with. I get that you’re not ready to open up to me yet. I hope that changes.”

Oh, I’ll open up—when hell freezes over. I don’t think you understand how this works, sweetheart. I possessed you. I’m running this show.

“Sure you are.” Katie chuckled. “And there’s ice skating every Saturday night in hell.”

She picked up the book and opened it at the page she’d left off on the night before. “You’re off the hook for now. I seriously need to get my head around this demon lore shit if I’m going to keep feeding the team information from you without them getting suspicious.”

If you want to distract them, just say the word. I’ll make your tits so large they won’t be able to think about anything else or look anywhere else. They are men. It’s not difficult to divert their attention by placing a well-rounded set of bouncy boobs in their line of sight.

“Pandora! Leave my body the hell alone!”

You don’t bitch when I’m making changes that help you beat them in training.

Katie’s face burned. “That’s…different,” she mumbled.

Mmhmm.

Katie groaned. “Just let me read in peace. Please?”

Pandora gave her the mercy of shutting up, and Katie opened her book again. She’d only read a few pages when a soft knock on the door distracted her.

Katie wondered if it was Damian, come to thank her for the late supper. “Come in,” she called.

Korbin put his head around the door. “I hope you don’t mind me disturbing you in your room so late?”

Katie smiled as she replaced her bookmark. “You’re not disturbing me. Come on in and grab a seat. What can I do for you?”

Korbin took in the changes Katie had made to create a homey environment in her personal space with his appraising eye. “I like what you’ve done with the place. Noticed some changes in the communal areas, too.”

Katie let the silence stretch, waiting for him to reveal the reason for his visit. Korbin flashed a wry smile as he realized her tactic. “Not one for small talk, huh?”

Katie rubbed her stomach. “I kinda overindulged this afternoon, and it's left me feeling a little sleepy. I came up here to stretch out and digest the monumental amount of food I ate today.” She waved her book. “While researching.”

Korbin chuckled. “The dinner was a nice idea. Might have overindulged a bit myself.”

“If Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t leave you regretting your choices, you’re not doing it right.” Katie laughed. “Come on, Korbin. I know you didn’t come up here just to chat.”

Korbin shrugged. “Actually, I did. I wanted to check in with you while things are quiet. You had a rough introduction to this world, and things haven’t let up all that much since your intake. It's my responsibility to make sure you’re coping okay.”

Katie dropped her book on the nightstand and crossed her legs on the bed. “Surprisingly, I am doing okay. More than okay. Funny you got the urge to talk about it. I was just thinking about everything that's happened since you guys picked me up in that parking garage. I think it was meant to be.”

Korbin’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “You do?”

Katie nodded. “I feel like I belong here. A lot of that has to do with how welcome you and the guys have made me feel.”

“Well, you’re certainly progressing quickly with your training.” Korbin smiled. “I haven’t seen many recruits, if any, who have taken to this as naturally as you.”

Katie took the praise in stride. “I’ve still got a long way to go. There’s so much I don’t know, but I’m here, and I’m willing to pour everything I’ve got into making sure my team doesn’t lose anyone else.”

That familiar sadness returned to Korbin’s eyes. “It was a beautiful thing, what you did for Garrett. Losing people is the worst part of this job. It can have its rewards, too, though.”

Katie waved a hand around her room. “You’re telling me. I could never have afforded to make my space so…mebefore. I’m still getting used to being able to spend money without feeling guilty.”

Korbin smiled wide. “I know you’ve been sending your mom money as well. That’s got to feel all kinds of good, right?”

“You bet your ass it does,” Katie agreed. “I’m glad we had today. It was good to spend time with you and the guys. It reinforced what I’ve been feeling about the team.”

“What you’ve been feeling?” Korbin asked.

Katie nodded. “Yeah. That family isn’t just the people you share blood with. It’s not even always the people you choose. Sometimes, your family is the people fate throws you together with.”

Korbin regarded her with curiosity. “How'd someone so young get so wise?”

“What can I say?” Katie winked at him. “I’m special.”

Korbin burst out laughing. “You’re not wrong. You are special, Katie. Very special. Time will tell whether you can unlock your full potential, but I have faith that you’re going to get there.”

Katie sat in silence for a few moments after he’d left the room.

He’s right, you know, Pandora piped up.                                                

“Everyone is special in their own way,” Katie murmured.

Yes, but not everyone could resist my attempts to take over, and believe me, I’ve been trying. There is something special about you, Katie Madison. Something none of us understands yet.

--------------Ok, as promised, my top three characters so far are:1) Bethany Anne - The Kurtherian Gambit.  She is my original creation, the first that built an empire... how could she not have #1 in my heart?

2) Stephanie Morgana - Witch of the Federation.  Stephanie was my second major effort (after James Brownstone) to 'go big or go home.'  The reason I put her second is that I really like the interaction of all of the support team she has (similar to Bethany Anne, above.)

3) "KatieDora" - Protected by the Damned Series. Pandora is that friend I always wanted to have when younger. Someone who says it exactly how they want it... and you knew you might get into trouble, so you had to be careful. Katie is her perfect foil and listening to the two of them bicker is one of my favorite things when reading the series. This series already has all of the short stories in them. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can binge them all now. However, if you re-read the stories it might make a bit more sense (if you have forgotten the details.)

In my personal communication, I had #3 different.

Special Consideration - New character you haven't seen yet - Valarie Kearie - Smart ass woman who gets pulled into a bit of International Intrigue ... and more.  First book reads like a conventional thriller - but there are whisperings on the wind of things that are about to change.

Special Consideration - Tabitha Nacht - The Kurtherian Gambit. Tabitha is that smart and smartass lady who is everything Salma Hayek plays in The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. Strong, sexy and a mouth that will strip paint off the side of a Navy Destroyer.