Beth was waiting for me when I came out. "What were you doing! Jay could have really hurt you! And who asked you to fight my battles, anyway! God, you...could have been killed!" Beth wailed as she clutched me tight. Like I said, I'll never understand female logic."Beth, not so tight! I'm okay. The nurse checked me out and other than a bump on my head and a sore belly, I'm fine. I was expecting a reaction from Jay, just not quite that much." You mean you were BAITING him?" Well, it seemed like a. For a moment I was sure she'd come toapologise, but instead she told me softly to shut off "that machine," andthen held out her hand for me to take."Mummy, we really need to talk," I said, but then immediately realised Ihad no idea what to say next."No," Mum replied, shaking her head, "we don't."She led me to the bathroom where, while I stood in silence and with about100 emotions fighting for prominence, she first had me brush my teeth andthen undressed me, before I was shooed into the warm,. Even the immortal need protection, especially from magic, and I had already had this conversation with Curse.Wendy (an unlikely seeming name for a Jotunnheim Dwarf, I thought) was on a self-imposed mission to festoon me with protective trinkets and doohickeys. I don’t usually wear jewelry, however her workings would protect me against additional curses, as well as averting the evil eye, preventing possession and thwarting all hex- so I found myself following her very solid ass as she led me off. " She hung up leaving me speechless. The morning of “the party” I was ready and waiting by my front door when Janeen pulled into my driveway. I rushed out to her car not knowing or caring if I had even locked my front door. Janeen was silent during the fifteen minute drive to Jill’s house. She parked in a circular drive in front of the entrance door. Astoundingly we were all gathered in Jill’s bedroom within minutes. They took turns telling me what to expect but I hardly listened, assured I.