[Despayre]

 The old Victorian manor was tall, two stories, not counting the third level which had to be an attic. It was in blatant disarray, in need of obvious repair and judging by the looks, had been uninhabited for many years. Boards along the walls and on the front porch were worn in misuse and broken, the victims of either teenagers using the spectacle for fun or vandalism. Dust caked the windows that were tinted a sickly green and where there was no glass, more boards had been pounded diagonally across the windows frames, the better to block out the cool chill of the air at this untimely season.

Time itself was the enemy of what you see before you.

Trees could be seen spaced sporadically in the yard, but they, like the house itself, had lost the battle with the ages, as no leaves were seen sprouting from the bark and limbs that stretched out, dead, as if to reach for any that might dare pass this way and seek an audience of whoever, or whatever, called this once proud estate -- home. And along that path was a pave way crafted of old brick, worn and broken with weeds poking up from the many cracks in between the low blocks and up from the holes .

The only sign that this abode could be even remotely occupied was the upstairs window, where the glass was missing entirely, and ancient draped flapped in the wind, flickering both out of the frame and back inside of the house again, and past that very window, was the movement of a candle's flame, its illumination dancing on the interior of the very room within.

Above this house, dark clouds had slowly gathered throughout the night, blocking out all visual access to the stars in the heavens above, and only the faintest glow of the moon could be seen had anyone tilted their head back far enough to glance upward. The wind picked up, casting the clouds into a slow movement overhead, and there was the distant flash of lightning from within those dank clouds, followed by the tell-tale rumble of the thunder clap that would soon follow. The pelting sting of the following rain was a mere formality as the heavy downpour washed away all semblance of what would be a calm night, striking at all beneath the dark sky.

"Indeed it was a dark and stormy night for what would soon be heard of a freakishly terrible tale of woe."

"Why is it always a dark and stormy night?"

"Beg pardon?"

"Well it's just that every time a scary movie or ghost story kicks off, it always starts off with 'it's a dark and stormy night'. I was just wondering why they always hafta start off in such a gloomy way."

"It's a scary story. What were you expecting? Unicorns dancing across the sky and farting rainbows?"

"No, but I sure bet Melody would get a kick out of that!"

"Yes, well, she has her own tale to tell. This one is yours. She can tell hers however she wants, but there is an art to a good scary story."

"Sorry."

"Quite alright."

"I'm just worried we might scare away underage readers who might otherwise enjoy a scary tale."

"You of course understand the irony of that statement?"

"No. Theresa always does the ironing in our house. You know that."

".... Fiiiiiine!"

The Build-A-Bear workshop, where best friends are made, was located in the lower South-Est corner in the Mall of America, perhaps one of, if not THE largest shopping malls in the United States. Several stories high with everything from night clubs to movie theaters, four star restaurants and even a freaking ROLLER COASTER, were all reasons for the small detour of this the stable known popularly in the professional wrestling community as the Seven Deadly Sins.

On their latest tour in the Minnesota area before heading for their home territory in Las Vegas, Nevada, the gathered group of wrestling stars decided a trip to this spectacle of consumerism was too good to be simply passed by. Plus. there was a special intended stop by the youngest member of their group; Despayre.

Now please try to understand that ever since he had been released from that haunted hospital known as Broodmoore, Despayre had been carefully cared for by his father, Synn, and the rest of their group, especially that of Gabriel who had come to think of the young but disturbed Despayre as a little brother. The feeling was indeed mutual between the two, and Gabriel was even the very one who had coined Despayre's given affectionate nickname of 'Despy'. Yet as loving and supportive as the Sins had been to him, Despayre felt there was something missing in his life. A little piece of himself that was no more. A void that need be filled.

Hence, the trip to Build-A-Bear. Despayre wanted to build for himself a friend. One who could protect him in the dark recesses of the night when all of the others were themselves either sleeping or indulging themselves in those episodes of naked leapfrog. Though to date none of them were willing to explain satisfactorily why Shipman needed to wear one of those weird ball gags in order to play leapfrog. Anyway...!

"Hi!" The perky young blonde smiled as she skipped up to greet the trio of Gabriel, Synn, and yes, Despayre. She was one of those sorts who would be perky from the moment she woke up early in the morning, right up until you were at the point you just wanted to drive an ice pick through her skull for being a morning person. She said, "Welcome to Build-A-Bear! How can we help you today?"

"Well you could lay of the caffeine for one." Gabriel said and was rewarded with a sharp cuff to the arm, courtesy of Synn.

Synn then took Despayre by the arm and guided the shy young man up to speak to the clerk himself, the better to help him get used to being around people outside of the hospital setting in which he spent most of his young life.

"Joshua?" Synn directed him. "What do you say?"

Despayre fidgeted, stuffing his hands deep into his jacket pockets, looked seemingly everywhere but at the clerk as he said aloud, "I-I would like to build a friend."

"Of course!" She smiled brightly, but an ugly light cast in her eyes as she played her role perfectly. "All you have to do is select which bear body you'd like to stuff, then we'll take it from there."

"Thank you." Synn said and a guiding hand directed Despayre around toward the row of different teddy bears in many a color and style with Gabriel in tow.

None of the three saw the girl roll her eyes and blow a gust of air between her pursed lips. "Freak." She muttered beneath her breath.

Synn and Gabriel stood back and allowed Despayre his time and space as he searched stoically along the many different types of teddy bears the store had to offer. White ones, brown ones, rainbow colored ones... they had a little bit of everything to offer and Despayre knew he had to take his time because this was a very important decision for any young person to make. He then paused as he looked at the finished product of a cream colored teddy bear perched on a pedestal above a small bin filled with the empty 'skins' of the same style. Despayre then started to rummage down around the bin's contents, searching. he would pull out one, look at it carefully, then tucked it back down with care.

(Even empty teddy bears were people too, you know!)

Despite what anyone might think, the similarities aside, they each looked different to Despayre's eyes, and he would know the right one when he saw it. He then took up one particular little fella under the paws and looked hard into the eyes, and whatever he saw, satisfied him.

Synn said, "Decide on that one did you?"

Despayre shook his head, contradicting this, and instead said, "No. He chose me."

"Ahh." Synn nodded. "I see."

"Well c'mon, Despy." Gabriel said, patting his 'little brother' on the arm. "Let's go get him filled up." Gabriel then played along a little further and leaned in to whisper, "It is a boy, right?"

Despayre just nodded, eyes wide. How could he be anything BUT a boy? Despayre was then led over to the machine where the teddy bear would be filled up and have their own loving heart added to their small, plush bodies. And it was the same young woman who waited on them at the filling station, who continued with her personal 'charade' that the customer was always right -- at least until their backs were turned. Despayre did everything he was told in order to help bring his new 'bestie' to life. She had his rub the heart briskly between his palms to warm it up. She had him hold it to his own heart and make a wish while dancing in a circle on one foot. After Despayre picked himself back up off of the floor, she then had his make a muscle to give the heart strength, then finally, kiss it to fill it with love. All part of the corporate process to bring each and every teddy bear to life.

And the more foolish you made a customer look, the more fun she had. Wicked! Isn't she?

Once the heart had been sewn into the teddy bear's body and he had been dressed in a little sailor suit, Gabriel sat down at the computer stand to fill out the teddy bear's birth certificate for Despayre as he was prone to causing computers to crash with his random typing.

"Plus there was also the time he caused Nick Jones's flight to get changed to somewhere over Africa."

"Boy you're never going to let that one go, are you!?"

Dubbed Angel, Synn paid the necessary adoption fees at the counter, and Despayre walked out as happy as a camper, forgoing the usual blue and white box so he could carry his new guardian from the very get go.

"Thank you!" Despayre called as they left the store. he held up Angel and nuzzled his little black nose, saying "Boy! We're going to be friends to the end!"

The employee watched them go and sighed a disgusted breath, saying, "What. A. Retard."

"Here's a fun little fact for everyone out there. Did you know that, despite the fact each teddy bear is a sworn protector to a single person, that as a unit, they protect the happiness and welfare of all as a unit?"

"What does that mean?"

"Don't insult a teddy bear's charge where another teddy bear can hear you!"

Closing time came to the Mall of America, and each store was beginning its process of shutting down to prepare for the next day. Of course, all the young woman inside of the Build-A-Bear work shop cared about was the fact that she had the weekend off and was planning to go out and get completely wasted. Nothing else mattered! Elsie, because that was her name, finished locking the door and was about to leave by the store's back exit into the parking garage when she noticed her keys were no longer laying on her purse.

Frowning, Elsie looked on the floor in front of the counter but the keys had not fallen there. She then glanced around and then found the keys clear across the store, just under the machine that was filled with stuffing for the teddy bears. How had they managed to get all the way over there? Grabbing her purse, Elsie walked over to the filling station and bent down to retrieve the keys, when she hard a shuffling noise above her head. She just managed to look up where a hammer swung down and cracked her right in the forehead, sending her flying to the floor! And right after that, the sound of several soft feet on the carpet floor was heard, all running in her direction....

Several moments later, Elsie was bound by the cord of the vacuum cleaner, lashing her to the immobile wheel of the cart. Two small black paws shoved one end of the station's hose into the machine itself, tightening it. Another set of white paws pushed the other end into Elsie's mouth and held it there. Then a rainbow set of paws pushed down on the pedal that started the motor and the cotton contents of the station started to get sucked down through the hose and right into Elsie's mouth...

The following morning...

The manager of the mall's Build-A-Bear workshop, Justine Glade, unlocked the back door in the parking garage and set foot inside. Turning off the alarms before she set foot into the interior of the store itself, she had a sip of her coffee and begun the process of starting her day. She shrugged her coat off and tossed it on the back of her desk chair and walked into the store to get the opening duties started when she came to a shocking halt in her footsteps, and spilled her coffee... She then screamed at the sight of Elsie strung up to the filling station, stuffing spilling out from her lips and various teddy bear accessories attached to her dead body!

"See what I mean?"

"I had no idea!"

"Well now you do! Teddy bears are very ferocious protectors of their charges. They don't just lurk near the shadows of closets and the under bellies of beds to bear the creepy beasties back to where they came from. Oh no! They also see it as a personal affront when their friend is hurt physically or mentally. Do anything to bring about unhappiness, and you begin a path that might become very treacherous indeed!"



"Please excuse me for this most untimely of interruptions, but in accordance with the law, all stories must have a commercial break. Whatever would we be without our sponsors? We'd lose a match, that's what!"

"I understand that this is a grand opportunity for the man known as the 'Dark Tiger' aka Sebastian Hardin. To set foot inside of the ring, one on one, with one-half of the SCW Tag Team Champions, is opportunity in itself. But should you manage to defeat that champion, well that will mean even more, won't it? Of course, the win or loss is a mere formality in itself. You and your partner in the 'Big Tiger' Jeremiah Hardin are already guaranteed to receive a rematch for the championship gold in just a matter of weeks at High Stakes IV. But if you could manage to gain a win over Despayre, it would give you one HELL of an advantage going in to a championship encounter. Not only would you have momentum on your side, but possibly a mental edge as well. After all, only once has Despayre's shoulders ever been pinned to the mat for a count of three in his entire career. That victory belongs to none other than Despayre's best friend and former championship partner in Gabriel. If you could manage to become the second man to do so? Well! It would certainly cement your status as a competitor inside of the ring."

"In fact, many believe that the win, no matter what type of match this turns out to be, is a mere formality. After all, what is Despayre to be able to accomplish when he is at such a staggering disadvantage in height, weight, and power alone? Well, if you paid attention to his past... a great many things!"

"You see, Sebastian, you are not the first giant that Despayre has found himself inside of the ring against. True, to date you might be the largest of the long list, but certainly not by much. Take Casey Williams for example. A fierce giant of a man. Not that much shorter than you, and admittedly quite a bit heavier. Yet he had numerous matches against Despayre in years past in both singles and tag team matches, and yet each and every time, Despayre walked away with his share of the winner's purse. Casey was a beast. He pounded every opponent that happened across his path into mulch. He was a champion many times over in his prime, yet if one his caliber was unable to best Despayre, it speaks volumes on the monument of the given task at hand."

"Despayre is not even six feet tall. He is a mere 5'7" and 170 pounds at most, yet the fighting spirit he displays is beyond measure. True, at times he throws all he has learned out the window and simply fights by animalistic instinct alone: biting, punching, kicking... it is what any might do when fighting for survival. He is a talented young man as you yourself have acknowledged. Trained for the best, but capable of the worst. Should he resort to said tactics, take no offense."

"I do not want you to hold what Chris Shipman did against Despayre. I admit that Chris can be a handful at times, but your opponent this coming Sunday is not to be held accountable for the actions of another whom he deems a friend. Respect is accepted where you are concerned, and it is freely given. Despayre will do whatever he feels he has to to in order to not only be victorious, but in his own mind, survive."

"It is simply the nature of the beast."



Las Vegas, Nevada...

It was the early morning in the fabled City of Sin, and in the spacious abode that Despayre and his father called home, the residents of the household were already on the rise, preparing to begin a new day as the season of Halloween slowly drew to the excited climax.

"Gooooood mooooorning!!!" Despayre called aloud as he charged into the kitchen, finding his father at the island counter with a newspaper in his hands and a half empty cup of black coffee on a saucer in front of him. The plate before him had the remnants of toast and eggs, a light breakfast for this man in order to start the day for new things, the better to benefit his son and those who follow him in trust and friendship.

"Good morning, Joshua." Synn looked over the top of his newspaper as the young man slid onto a stool on the opposite side of the counter. "Sleep well?"

"Not really." Despayre shook his head. "I kept having dreams of blueberry pancakes, and it kept waking me up. I thought I was smelling them in my dreams." Despayre looked over happily at Theresa who was busying herself at the stove, preparing his own breakfast as she cracked an egg into a skillet to allow it to fry along with the strips of bacon she dropped into the hot plate. Despayre said, "Angel told me that you'd make me blueberry pancakes."

"Well Joshua, this time Angel is wrong." Theresa mused with a smile. "We're all out of blueberries after that little late night raid you had on the refrigerator."

"But Angel is never wrong." Despayre muttered miserably. "And my mouth was all ready for blueberry pancakes."

"Maybe tomorrow." Theresa said as she slid his breakfast from the skillet and onto a plate that she set down in front of him. "Right now I have to get everything together for your dinner party tonight."

"Our dinner party." Synn corrected her. "You are expected to attend to."

"Ohhh!" Theresa smiled in good humor. "I'm already swooning." And she exited the kitchen as Despayre looked pitifully at his unwanted breakfast, then at Angel who seemingly stared back into his eyes.



"Joshua, where's Angel?" Synn asked as he sat across from Despayre at the restaurant where they had chosen to meet the rest of the Sins for lunch while Theresa handled the affairs of the dinner party that evening herself so they would not get in her way.

"At home." Despayre said as he attempted for the third time to lift a chunk of honey sesame chicken between his chopsticks and for the third straight time, sent the food flying across the table, this time landing in Rage's beer! The surprise of this caused Rage-Face as he was nicknamed by Melody and Odette, to jerk his hand and knock over his mug and caused it to splash over the edge of the table and down along his pants.

"God DAMN it!" Rage roared, jumping to his feet and wiping the beer as best he could with a napkin. He glared at Despayre whose eyes were as wide as saucers, and Rage snarled, "Use a damn FORK next time Desp! You're dangerous with those things!"

A waitress hurried over with a bus boy to clean the mess as Rage headed for the bathroom to clean himself up. Despayre followed his movements, his bottom lip quivering and he sucked in a haggard breath before he put down his chopsticks and looked straight down to his lap, avoiding all eye contact.

"Aw don't let him get to you sweety." Odette caressed his shoulder with her hand. "Rage is like that with everybody. You keep trying with those chopsticks. You'll get it one day."

Despayre looked up at her smiling face and he sniffled back a tear and smiled in return.

"Why did you leave Angel at home, Despy?" Gabriel asked, curiosity eating away at him. "You told me once teddy bears were voracious for good Chinese food."

"They are." Despayre nodded. "But that's Panda Express. This is the Hu Flung Pu Garden." He shook his head. "It's just not the same. Besides, he said it wouldn't be fair for Theresa to do all the work so he stayed behind to help. I offered to but she said no."

"Well," Synn started to say. "She doesn't want you tiring yourself out before the party even starts."

Despayre just nods.

Meanwhile, back at the Synn and Despayre household, Theresa was busying herself in the kitchen, preparing a feast to delight the taste buds and dazzle the senses! It was truly amazing what this woman was capable of accomplishing in the kitchen in such a relatively short amount of time. It also helps when you do those time skips in these promos so more time has passed than you might let on. All of the food she had prepared thus far was on full display on the kitchen counter, as well as being held in storage inside of the fridge in the kitchen. Still not finished, Theresa prepared for the most important snack to munch on during the party: crackers with Cheese Whiz! Mm mm!

The housekeeper set a large platter of silver onto the kitchen counter and opened up a box of Triscuits, dumping them out onto the platter and spreading them around carefully. She then turned around and opened up the cupboard door in the corner of the kitchen, revealing the carousel shelving unit that she turned around in a circle to find the can of aerosol cheese spread, when a certain plush form came into view on one of the shelves as it passed by her.

Theresa glanced up just as a long stick of Genoa salami came swinging down toward her head....

...

"We're home!" Synn called as the group set foot inside of the house's foyer, hoping to alert the housekeeper that she could end what she was doing with her preparations and hurry and go upstairs to get ready herself. "Theresa?"

"Well while she's getting ready, I'll just hurry up and finish setting my hair." Odette gave her husband Gabriel a peck on the cheek and hurried upstairs to the guest room she and Gabriel would frequent on any overnight stays.

"Try not to take too long!" Gabriel called after her. "The party starts in an hour!"

"Oh how very amusing!" Odette called from upstairs and the sound of the guest room door closed behind her.

Gabriel sighed and turned to Synn. "I'll be damn lucky if we see her at all through the night." The rest of the group chuckled and Gabriel shook his head, "I swear if she says 'Be ready in a minute dear!' one more time..."

"Calm down." Synn said as he left his jacket on the hook of the coat rack and walked off in the direction of the kitchen. "Odette will be ready in due time and the party will be a smashing success."

"Wow." Shane said as he looked about the dining room table that was set up with enough food and decor to make even the hardiest of critics silent. "She really outdid herself!" There was everything from shrimp cocktail on ice to oysters on a half shell and even goose liver pate' in the shape of a swan on a plate.

"Yeah. Great." Rage turned and walked away, saying, "I gotta drop a few timbers."

"Charming." Fantasia huffed as they entered the kitchen. "That man wouldn't know class if it hit him in the head."

...

Speaking of which, Rage was rifling through the magazine in the bathroom, paying no mind to his surroundings when he had a seat on the can when a rustling was heard from behind the curtain...

...

"I don't see the crepes, do you?" Fantasia said as she looked around in the refrigerator, but seeing only the rest of the prepared foods and not her own personal favorite.

"Maybe she kept them in the freezer." Shane said and he walked over to the large double door freeze and pulled it open...

"JESUS HOLY HELL!!!" Shane bellowed and staggered back. Fantasia looked inside and gasped.

Inside of the freezer, suspended on a meat hook, was the aforementioned housekeeper, with a salami shoved down her throat.

"OH MY GOD!"

"Who would do such a thing!?"

"Why Theresa!?"

"Who the hell will bake the brownies now!?"

Everybody turned their heads to look at Gabriel who shrugged helplessly. "What?" he asked. "They're just really good brownies is all!"

...

Inside of the bathroom, Rage tossed the magazine aside and went to stand up, but found he was unable. He was stuck, literally STUCK... to the seat!

"What the fu...!?" he growled and continued to try to pull away but found he was unable. "What the hell is...!?" He struggled and pulled and was about to rip the seat right off of the john itself, when something on the floor, between the porcelain and the bath tub itself, attracted his attention.

"What...?" He extended his arm and grasped the tube, and found it sticky. he lifted it up to eye level and read, "Bulldog Cement Adhesive... bonds anything for li... FOR LIFE!? SONOFA....!!!" And a fresh wave of struggled ensued, and in such a fervor was he that Rage did not notice the medicine cabinet above his head slowly open, revealing a familiar plush form.

Rage really should have kept the bald look going because a plush paw grabbed a handful of his hair and jerked his head back...


"Wha...!?" He started to protest when a canister of shaving cream was shoved into his mouth and the handle pressed down on...

"MMMRRRGGHHH!!!"

...

"Okay, what are we going to do?" Fantasia asked. "The party is about to start and we have a dead body in the freezer!"

"Say when DID you lot get a walk in freezer anyway?" Gabriel asked out of idle curiosity, leaning against the kitchen counter. Again, all eyes turned to him and he looked around before asking hotly, "What!? Oh like you all weren't wondering the same god damn thing!"

They all shook their heads at the line of reasoning by the resident magician of their guild and in answer to Fantasia's question, Synn slowly shut the freezer door and turned away, leaning back against it.

"It is very simple what we are going to do." He said. "We are going to go ahead with the party, as planned. Theresa worked very hard to throw everyone a fun filled evening with good decor and good food. Let's not waste her efforts."

"Synn?"

"Yes Shane?"

"There is a DEAD BODY in your house!"

"Oh it's only the one! Call me when he have a second!" Shane set his hands on his hips and stared Synn down. "Oh fine!" their leader growled and he flung the freezer doors back open and started to reach inside. "Give me a hand then, will you? We can store her in the basement until the party is over."

Shane stepped into the freezer and started to assist him, saying, "I thought you didn't have a basement."

"Yeah well you thought we also didn't have a walk in freezer and look at us now!"

Gabriel rolled his eyes and walked out of the kitchen, needing to get away from this grisly scene. he stepped into the foyer at the base of the stairs and he called up, "Odette! You almost done!?"

"Be ready in a minute dear!" Came the answer from upstairs. Gabriel turned around and shook his head at the others who watched on.

...

Upstairs in one of the many guest rooms, Odette sat in front of the vanity mirror on the dresser, putting on a fresh coat of lip gloss. There was a slight thumb emanating from downstairs and she thought she heard her husband say something in a loud voice. Not paying very close attention, she assumed that he was calling for her again.

"Be ready in a minute dear!" Odette called while absently opening up one of the dresser drawers and rummaging in the contents blindly.

"Now where is that hair spray?" She wondered to herself when a cream colored paw reached from behind the mirror and held up a can of Vidal Sasoon hair spray and she happily accepted it.

"Thank you." She smiled and started to give her hair a final spritz.

"You're welcome."

Odette smiled for a brief moment, then frowned as she looked around but there was nobody else in the room. She turned back to look at the mirror when it swung downward...

...

"There!" Shane said as he and Synn emerged from the door that led to the basement. "That's taken care of."

"We'll alert the police after the party has dispersed." Synn followed up.

"Question." Shipman held a forefinger up to draw a point. "Wouldn't it make more sense to call the police now instead of waiting?"

Gabriel countered. "Wouldn't it make more sense for the dumb blonde in a horror movie to stay inside behind locked doors as opposed to going outside to retrieve her underwear from the clothesline with a killer on the loose?"

Shipman started to make a nasty retort when he paused, mouth open, then he looked at Synn and said, "Shit. That actually makes sense!"

"Frightening, isn't it?" Synn said and Gabriel made a mocking face.

"Oh ha ha!" Gabriel muttered and left the dining room and headed for the stairs. "Damn it, where's O? Odette!" And he hurried upstairs while Despayre reached for a cheese snack on the table and Fantasia pulled it out of his fingers.

"Not yet sweety." She said. "Not until the guests have arr..."

"OH MY GOD!" Gabriel's cry came from upstairs. "ODETTE!!"

The anguished cry alerted everyone else and they ran upstairs to find out what had caused such an outburst from their stoic Gabriel whom was seemingly bothered by nothing and nobody! Despayre, of course, took this time to snitch a finger sammich from one platter and shoveled it into his mouth before he too hurried upstairs to see what going on!

The group, with Synn in the lead, walked briskly down the hall until they came upon the open door of the one guest room and walked right in.

Synn said, "Gabriel? What's the... WHAT THE HELL!?"

There, seated on the chair before the mirror, was Odette; her face heavily made up with garish amounts of makeup and an insane amount of hairspray in her lovely locks, making it stand straight out... and UP... as if she had been electrocuted!

"What... happened?" fantasia whispered as she set foot closer to the scene to examine the only other female in their little group.

"If I didn't know any better..." Shane stated. "I would say she was hairprayed to death."

"And not even a good hair spray." Despayre said as he looked at the contents of the aerosol bottles on the desk. "You can buy these at any ol' dollar store." He looked up at the mournful face of his best buddy and big brother, Gabriel, and sheepishly whispered, "Sorry."

"It... it's okay Despy." Gabriel responded. "She would have chosen to go this way."

"She would?" Shane arched an eyebrow.

"Sure." Gabriel nodded, wiping his eyes with the back of his heads. "She'd want to go out looking her best."

"That was her best?" Shane wondered aloud, earning him a sharp cuff to the back of the head from Fantasia. "OW!"

"Maybe now we can  alert the cops?" Fantasia said to Synn directly. "I mean, one dead body is one thing, two might be a buzz kill to even one of your parties."

"True." Synn sighed. "I suppose we will have to call the police and cancel."

"But we can't cancel!" Despayre protested. "If we cancel then the people won't bring their presents and I won't get to open them!"

"Joshua..." Synn said. "It's a dinner party, not a birthday party. You don't get presents at a dinner party."

"You don't?" The little guy asked, slightly crestfallen.

"`Fraid not bucko." Shane chuckled, clapping a beefy hand on his shoulder and giving it a brisk rub before he escorted him out of the guest room, with the others in tow.

...

Downstairs, a fuzzy set of feet skiddaddled across the tiled linoleum floor of the kitchen and hurried to the oven. A paw reached up and turned on the gas stove carefully, then turned on the broiling setting of the oven. The oven door was opened and a canister of Cheez Whiz was tossed inside and the oven door hurriedly slammed shut.

...

In the upstairs hallway, the group was walking down the hall to the stairs when they passed the bathroom door that was slightly ajar. The light was on so it was naturally assumed whoever had used the bathroom last must have forgotten to turn the lights off after them. (How very rude!) Synn brushed the door open and went to turn off the lights, when he stopped and stared.

Rage was still seated, glued to the spot, and tilted forward at the waist where his head nearly touched the floor and foam dripped from his lips. Synn, Despayre, Shipman, Gabriel, Fantasia and Shane all simply stared in the doorway, then just as silently turned around slowly and exited the scene.

"I guess you really can have a brain aneurysm doing that, huh?" Despayre was heard asking as they headed downstairs.

...

"Yes, officer. Three dead bodies." Synn said on the house phone and nodded. "Fine. Please get here as soon as possible. Thank you." And he clicked his thumb to the 'end call' button and set it back down in its cradle.

"So..." Gabriel said. "What now?"

"All we can do is wait." Shane observed as he pulled out a chair at the table and sat down.

"And eat." Gabriel leaned over at the edge of the table, examining everything on the various trays and platters. "Be a shame to let all this food go to waste."

"Well then somebody had best alert Despy." Fantasia said, reaching for a little paper plate to load up. "he's been wanting something to snack on since we got home."

"Boy is a human garbage disposal when it comes to putting away food." Synn said when he glanced up and frowned. "Where is Joshua, anyway?"

The others stopped raiding the buffet and looked around.

"Despy?"

"But I don't understand Angel!" Despayre said as he clutched the teddy bear tightly against his chest, hurrying to the end of the drive way the led from the house into the streets. "Why did you need me to take you outside for a breath pf fresh...?"

**Ka-<size=15>BOOM!!!!</size>**

The explosion rocked the entire neighborhood, sending shockwaves across the estates surrounding this high end cul de sac! Car alarms went off! The glass windows in houses and vehicles shattered! Dogs barked! Fire erupted from the shattered remains of what had once been the Sins household, but now was nothing more than a charred ruin billowing black smoke and flame.

Despayre slowly pushed himself up from where the shockwave had thrown him to the pavement, and looked in wide eyed horror at the site before him! What was when the first of many sirens sounded, and the first police cruiser swerved into place, surrounding the young man!

"Police! Freeze!"



Despayre's tearful pleas did no good in the court as he had been found guilty and the jury had opted to forgo the maximum penalty and instead be faced with the stiff penalty of life in prison with eligibility for parole in a week! Afterwards, he would be placed in the sole custody of his mother and grandmother.

Yes, you heard me! A week! Sometimes it pays to be adorable and fun I guess!

In the prison cell, Despayre sat huddled on his bunk with arms wrapped around his legs which were drawn up against him. There was the sound of a prison gate slamming somewhere in the distance, and heavy footfalls heard slapping against the hard floors.

"Young!" The guard barked as he arrived at the cell, holding an opened box in his hands. "Joshua Young!"

Despayre glanced up from where his face had been pressed down on his arms and his gray eyes stared at the guard.

"Package for ya, kid." The guard said and he opened the cell door just far enough to slide the box in before shutting it again with a heavy clang. The guard locked it and proceeded back the way he had come and only then did Despayre slowly slide off of his bunk in the individual cell and walk over to where the box lay. He lowered himself to his knees and flipped the lid open and peered inside...

"ANGEL!" He cried happily, reaching in and pulling his teddy bear out and giving it a loving hug! "Oh I've missed you! It's been terrible in here! They don't even have a menu for breakfast!"

"Awwww! isn't that sweet!" the gruff voice from across the prison block called with a mocking laughter behind his tone. "Da widdle baby has his teddy! D'awww!"

Despayre flinched at the mockery against him and scooted back toward his bunk carefully and pushed himself back up onto it, his eyes never leaving the gaze of the prisoner across from him who watched him with a nasty gaze in his eyes. Despayre held Angel close against him and pulled the covers up over him, the better to hide from the prisoner's sight, save for a corner of the blanket that was pulled down and only Angel's right eye was seen... aimed right at the prison cell where the tormentor was laying down himself.

Lights out!

The lights in each cell had been extinguished. All prisoners were to get to sleep immediately. There was no noise save for the sound of soft breathing, and what appeared to be a... hand saw?

(Hunh! I guess Despy really does snore!)

The previously mentioned prisoner was sleeping well enough until he felt a slight tug on his blanket, pulling it away from his shoulder.

"Hm..? Wha...?" The prisoner murmured as he was roused from his sleep. "Bubba, I am not in the mood right..." The prisoner opened his eyes and found two round black eyes on a cream colored plush body staring into his own.

"Freak-a-boo!"