A Girl's Guide to Guns and Monsters - Martin Harry Greenberg [55]
She found Janice sitting in the old recliner, chewing the cap of her pink highlighter as she pored over her books. Despite her pain, Lena warmed at the sight of her.
“Did you find them?” Janice caught her breath as she saw Lena. She slammed the book shut. “What happened?”
“I’m all right.” Lena caught Janice, holding her back. “Don’t. I’m still bloody. You don’t want—”
“I don’t care about that.” Janice bit her lip as she took in Lena’s injuries. “You’re bleeding.”
“Only a little.” Lena winced as she stripped off her jacket. “I found the Z dealers.”
“You said you could handle them,” said Janice.
“No, you said that.” Lena sighed. Now that she was here, she wanted to forget the whole thing. Let someone else handle the remaining monsters for once while she snuggled up with Janice to watch The Daily Show. Or not watch, depending on how things went. “It’s all right, Janice. You want a real life. A real partner.”
“I want you,” Janice said. “I always have. Even before you saved me back in Michigan.”
“I know.” Lena smiled and kissed her hands. “But you don’t want a superhero. You want something stable. A woman to grow old with. You think it’s coincidence I’ve been so domestic lately? Cooking meals that don’t come in a box, cleaning—”
“I never asked you to—”
“That doesn’t matter.” She shrugged. “I enjoy cooking, actually. Despite the lasagna disaster.”
“But this world needs you.” Janice pulled away. “Look at how much you’ve done, how many people you’ve saved. Just because some selfish part of me wants something different, that doesn’t mean you should change what you are.”
“That selfish part is the only one that matters,” Lena said. She could feel Janice’s conflict reflected within herself, the part of her that longed for peace warring with the need to fight the darkness most people couldn’t even see.
“What do you want?” Janice asked softly.
It was a question with no answer. Lena kissed her, loosening her normally tight control until she felt Janice respond. She slid a hand up Janice’s back, beneath her shirt, nails sliding over skin. Janice’s arms tightened around her.
Pain exploded in her side, and Lena pulled away, gasping.
“I’m sorry,” said Janice. “I didn’t mean—”
“Not your fault.” Lena drew a deep breath. “Looks like my body isn’t ready for what I want. But give me a night to rest, and I’ll give you a wake-up call you’ll never forget.”
“I love you.” Janice kissed her with nymphlike passion, almost enough to make Lena forget about the night’s defeat.
“I love you too,” said Lena. “First and always.”
“Good.” Janice spun her gently toward the door. “Now get out there and get your sleep. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Lena glanced around as she crossed the small open area behind the building. Barbeque pits sat to one side of the parking lot. Beyond stood a row of young palms and a burnt-out street light. Maintenance had long since given up on that particular light. No matter how many times they worked on it, the roots kept destroying the wiring.
Lena smiled as she crossed into the darkness, glancing back at the windows to make sure nobody was watching. She saw only Janice, staring down from their window.
Lena blew her a kiss, knowing she was just a shadow to Janice. She turned and touched her hand to the largest of the palm trees, pressing the scalloped bark until her fingers penetrated the wood.
Moments later, she was gone.
“Change is normal,” Father Castelo said, taking Lena’s hand in his. “I’ve seen it with many couples. People grow and change. Over time they discover their partner is no longer the same person they married.”
“I like who I’ve been.” Lena bowed her head. “I remember my former lives. Before Janice, I was a prepubescent Chinese girl who couldn’t speak English. Before that, an improbably endowed blonde with an I.Q. of seventy. But with Janice, everything was different. I was stronger. I could protect myself, protect her. I always knew what to do. But now . . .”
“Nothing lasts forever, Lena.”
“The monsters do.” Lena dug her