When Ella opened her eyes they had left the forests of Canada and had returned to the scattered trees at the edge of her neighborhood. “Well… here we go again.” She muttered to herself. One wonderful afternoon of magic, euphoria and playing with puppies and the world was back to being terrible.

As they started walking, Jana tried to think positive. “Hey it’s ok! I’m sure Karen can’t be as bad as last night every day.”

Ella shook her head, “No, you’re right. Half the time, she’s worse. I’m sure she’ll have found, like, a sliver of egg shell that missed the garbage can from breakfast and she’ll make me wash the kitchen floors before and after dinner as punishment.” 

“Well if she does, you’ll have me to help.”Jana said, smiling at her friend. “Hell, if they don’t watch you do it, we can just use magic and skip the whole thing.”

“Thanks Jana. I think this house might actually be bearable with you…” Ella stopped mid-sentence. The Grant house was in sight, and there was a large pile of trash out at the curb. The girl’s face fell. “She didn’t… She didn’t!” Ella took off at a run to close the distance and found just what she had feared. All of her art supplies had been thrown out on the street. Bags stuffed with brushes and rollers, a trash can full of sketchbooks that seem to have had a can of black paint poured over top of them, even her easels and canvases had been broken into pieces. Ella stood looking at the carnage, her entire body quivering with anger and disgust. 

Unknown to either girl, Jerry had been watching from the kitchen window. He saw Jana and a pretty young girl with dark hair walking towards the house. It took him a few moments to realize that the girl was his own child! It wasn’t just the dress or the longer hair, but he had not seen Ella looking so happy in years! Then he saw her face fall. The horror and anger on her face as she ran towards the house.

 “Honey… They’re back.” He called nervously into the living room just as the girls slammed the door open and went running into the house, making a direct line to the basement to see how much damage had been done.

“What… was that.. he was wearing…?!” Karen said in a growl, as she got up from her seat and slowly followed the girls to the basement door.

Ella ran into her room, taking the steps two at a time. She was prepared for something horrible, to see her hard work ruined yet again, but she still hadn’t seen… this coming. She entered her room, and had to hold back a scream when she saw what her mother had done.

Instead of the usual thick base coat of solid white or black covering her art, the walls, and even the ceiling, had been covered with an ancient discolored wallpaper featuring cracked and faded pictures of sporting equipment; clearly a pattern for infant boys. It had been done very sloppily and slap dash. Creases and tears were all over the walls and the room still reeked of the liberally applied paste. The glue had even dripped down the walls and from the ceiling in some places, ruining some of the furniture that Karen had decided to let Ella keep. Her art was gone, her blank space to create was gone, her books were gone, everything under her bed was gone... 

Ella was briefly broken out of her shock, when she ran to check the closet. To her relief, the magic lamp was still there, hidden behind all the boring old boys' clothes.

They heard the door at the top of the stairs open. “Do you like the new design? More personality than the blank slate look don’t you think?” Karen began making her way down the stairs. She was about to make a comment about how much the room had opened up with everything she had gotten rid of when she got her first proper look at Ella. “...As if you weren’t enough of a disappointment as a son… You had the nerve to walk around the neighborhood wearing that!”

It was only in this moment Ella or even Jana had realized Ella was still in the dress the fairies had gifted her. It had felt so natural, so right, that neither had thought to change. Karen continued as she reached the bottom of the stairs, “I searched your room expecting to find piles of bras and underwear you wear to get off. I was relieved to not find any, only to see you dressed like this for all the world to see, like the sick twisted deviant you are!” 

“Don’t you dare talk to her that way, you bitch!” Jana stepped between the screaming mother and the daughter on the edge of tears. She tried to channel her Viking war face. It was all she could do to stop from turning this woman into a cockroach.

Karen met the gaze, surprised by the intensity, but matching it. “You stay out of this if you want to keep that room.”

“What kind of crazy person would want to stay in a house with someone that treats their own family like this! Toss me out! I don’t care! But you will not speak to her like that!”

Karen looked ready to slap Jana, “I don’t have to listen to you. Get out. I have to talk to my son.”

When Jana refused to leave she began screaming horrible things at both girls. Ella was secretly glad that she allowed herself to black out when it began. She only caught snippets of Karen’s poisonous words. “Freak!” “Sicko!” “No son of mine!” Many repetitions of her dead name, and so much worse...

“Are you even listening to me, you broken down queen! Take that stupid wig off and pay attention!” She broke Ella out of the relative safety of the black out by grabbing Ella’s hair and pulling with all her might, only getting a scream from the girl.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Jana shouted and Karen felt a powerful shock to her hand and let go. The older woman looked at her hand in wonder, then to the girl rubbing her hair and sobbing in pain and mortification. The hair was real? But how? It was so much longer than last night!

Her mind adjusted quickly to the confusion. Just a static shock and hair extensions connected to the real hair. Yes that had to be it. “Take off those clothes, fix your hair and wash off that trashy makeup. Come up stairs when you’re back to normal and we will continue this.” She gave one last glare at the pair and stomped back up the stairs, slamming the door behind her.

Once they were alone, Ella finally allowed herself to cry. Neither said anything. Both girls just held each other tight, Ella letting her grief out, Jana keeping her anger in.

Only when the sobs had died down and Ella had regained her breath did Jana speak. “No more. This is the last time that monster will dare speak to you that way. I am getting you out of here tonight Ella!”

She was surprised by the passion in the genie’s voice, “But… but where would we go? I have no real friends, no family besides my brother and I don’t know where to find him…”

“What does that matter right now? Anywhere is surely better than this! If you just used one wish you-“

“No! No wishes!” Ella cut in. For the briefest moment Jana remembered her time with the Olsen family and feared Ella might be hoarding wishes too, but those fears were quickly destroyed. “I made you a promise Jana. I promised to give you all the freedom that our time together allowed. I can’t… I can’t even use one wish… it means I’d be so much closer to losing you…”

The girls were quiet for a few long moments before Jana spoke. “You… you’ve been saving your wishes so I wouldn’t have to go?”

Ella nodded and spoke softly, “I haven’t had a friend in a long time either Jana. I liked you. I loved spending time with you…” she felt she could have said more but she stopped herself. “I don’t want to lose that.”

“Odin’s eye…” Jana swore under her breath. Only Sofia had ever treated her with such kindness. She couldn’t bear to see a girl so sweet in so much pain… “Ella, I think I should be honest with you. There’s one quirk to my magic I haven’t mentioned yet that most don’t know about…. there is a way to get more wishes. In fact right now you are up to eight wishes and counting.”

“Eight?” Ella repeated with a sniffle “But how? I haven’t done anything.”

Jana took hold of Ella by both shoulders, “But you have! You’ve done something that no other master of mine has done since little Sofia. You were kind to me. You thought of my happiness over your own! Each selfless act towards me has earned you another wish… Can you see why the stories never talk about this rule? Most masters treat genies like slaves, they don’t deserve any more than what we have to give them… and generally we don’t tell them about the rule because we want to get the job done and away from them at all costs...But you are different...” 

Jana began to tear up as she spoke, “You had the magic to do anything in the universe right in the palm of your hands, but you didn’t use it; first for my happiness, then for fear of losing me as a friend…” her voice cracked with emotion “I haven’t felt so human in decades Ella! And I love you for it, but please make a wish! I want to help you but this is the only way I can! Please stop suffering for my sake!”

Ella was quiet for a long moment, before wrapping her arms tightly around her friend. She spoke softly in Jana’s ear. “Ok… ok Jana. We’ll get out of here. Tonight.”

The genie smiled and squeezed her a little tighter. “Get what things you want to take with you together and meet me outside. You can make your wish there… I’ll distract the dragon woman while you get ready.” She said distract, but she really meant scream at. Jana wasn’t going to turn down a chance to chew out this bitch and slam the door in her face! Karen deserved so much worse than that, but until karma or the gods caught up with her, Jana would give her a taste of fear…

____________________________________________________________________________

A moment later Jana was making her way back upstairs. Sure she could just teleport them both out of the basement, but why miss an opportunity for something like this? 

The genie hesitated in the hall, hearing voices from the living room. “Karen don’t you think this is going a little too far? I know we never liked his art as a career but I always thought it was harmless as a hobby.” Jerry seemed hesitant to disagree with her even on this level.

“We’re his parents. We have to be firm and stamp it out altogether or he’ll up some…” she paused trying to think of words strong even to get her point across, “Some good for nothing sponge on society!”

“But it’s the only thing that makes her happy-“ he realized his Freudian slip the moment it was out.

“Don’t you start on that garbage too!” She growled out in a way that would have impressed the wolves.

“Excuse me.” Jana called attention to herself and entered the room. “Mister Grant,” she nodded with a modicum of respect at Jerry, “Karen .” She smiled at her light insolence making the woman’s eye twitch. “I’m sad to say I won’t be staying with you any longer. The atmosphere in this house isn’t good for my state of mind.”

Karen glared at the red head, “Whatever. Take your money and get out.” She pulled out the check from the night before, balled it up and chucked it at the redhead.

“I plan to.” She said with a wide smile, catching the crumpled up check out of the air before it hit her, “And I’m taking Ella with me.”

“Like hell you are! My son isn’t going to have anything to do with you and your pagan nonsense!”

Jana just continued to smile “Oh yes, my gods are nonsense. Do tell me more about your friend, the magic carpenter that bleeds wine. But putting our beliefs aside, what can you do to stop her? She’s over age. She has only stayed this long because she had nowhere else to go! But now she has me, and you can’t stop us from going!” 

As Jana continued she grew angrier, and louder, daring for Karen to even think about interrupting her. “I’ve seen my fair share of the worst of humanity. Pride and greed, death and blood, bigots and monsters of every size and shape. Even amid all of them, you are one of the worst human beings I have ever met.” Her eyes momentarily glowed with power, “And if you ever lay a finger on Ella again you will regret it the rest of your fake pretentious life!” The room shook with the sound of thunder and only then did Jana calm down, conscious that she was overplaying her hand.

She took a deep breath, calming herself down. “Eat shit and die trash.” On that note, Jana flipped them off, turned her back on the stunned couple, and stormed out of the room. She was pleasantly surprised to hear Jerry saying “What did she mean lay a finger on her?” before she slammed the door. Even after witnessing something he couldn’t explain, his big takeaway was concern for his child. Maybe there was hope for that one.

Jana found Ella waiting for her by the garbage pile of her old possessions with no luggage but a small backpack and the dress on her back. “Sorry to keep you waiting. You now have 9 wishes for letting me do that.”

“You’ll have to tell me what you said later. I just want to get out of here…” she took one look at the house and saw Karen glaring at the pair through the window. Very deliberately, Ella spat on the yard and turned her back on her mother, walking away from the house that had been her own personal hell.

They got a few feet from the house when Jana stopped “Oh crap… you grabbed the lamp right?” Ella’s frightened expression was enough to show she had forgotten it. “It’s alright. I can fix it.” Jana spoke quickly to calm her down and snapped her fingers.

____________________________________________________________________________

Back in the house, Karen was avoiding her husband’s questions. She went down to the basement room just to see if anything else had been taken. Maybe they could claim the pair of freaks had robbed them. The cops could lock the ginger up and bring her son back.

Unfortunately for Karen, there was very little missing. One thing that did stand out to her was a strange lamp sitting on the floor. She was reaching for the lamp, trying to think where the boy could have bought this piece of junk... when the lamp disappeared in a quick blast of light before her eyes.

Any other day, Karen would have thought she was going crazy… but today… A strange girl from nowhere, a new look for the freak boy, the shock, the eyes, the sudden thunder, and now a lamp… the pieces were forming a seemingly impossible picture… but maybe...

____________________________________________________________________________

The lamp appeared in Jana’s arms, neither girl aware of how close they had been to disaster. “Much better. Lead the way!” Jana called enthusiastically.

They walked in silence for a moment before Ella started laughing. She laughed long and hard for a while before she offered any explanation, “I’m sorry. It’s just funny to me! I’m finally out of that snake pit, truly free for the first time in my life… and I have no idea where I’m going or what to do first!” Her voice was already cracking with joyous laughter before she had even finished her sentence.

The laugh was so happy that Jana couldn’t help joining in. After a moment the genie spoke “Well if that’s your concern I think I have a suggestion. We need a place to stay, at least for a while right? I know just the place.”

Now the genie walked ahead of her master. To her surprise Ella found herself being led back to the huge house with the estate sale from the day before, a for sale sign in the front yard.

“This house?” Ella asked, looking up at the huge aging eyesore, “A bit much for two isnt it?”

Jana smirked “It was a bit much for one dirty old man and a genie left in the empty wine cellar. But it’s a huge space, it’s available, and we don’t need to create something new here. We could even keep the outside looking like this so we don’t draw attention to ourselves.”

Ella nodded in thought. It was a bit too close to her old home, but it would serve their purposes. “Alright then… wish time I guess…” she tried to mentally prepare herself for what this might do, “I wish that I owned this house and that we could do whatever we want with the inside .”

“Coming right up!” Jana cracked her fingers as if preparing the magic before pausing. “What WE want?” She repeated as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Of course. As long as you are here, this is your home too.” Ella smiled but couldn’t help but blush a little.

“Well now… by being the nicest girl on earth you just got yourself a free mansion! Earn a wish, use a wish! Still got 9!” Jana laughed before pausing again. “Oh! Decor! Ella… this might sound odd but… could I please take a look in your head for art and design ideas?”

“... I’m sorry what?”

“I know it’s weird. But you won’t feel a thing and I promise to limit myself to art and color schemes.” Jana even crossed her heart to emphasize the promise.

“Well… ok then.” Ella had to admit having a pretty girl inside her mind was an unnerving thought… she really hoped Jana didn’t look too deep. Especially because of some NSFW imagery her brain tried to present her with after the thought “pretty girl inside her” passed through her head.

Jana gently put a hand to Ella’s forehead and held it there for a second. “.... Aaaaaand got it! That should do it for a rough draft.”

“That’s it?” She really didn’t feel a thing from that.

“That’s it! Time for me to get to work!” Jana snapped her fingers with a loud crack. A bright light flashed inside the windows of the house and from behind the high fenced back yard. She waved her hand and the deed appeared from the air. “One house, purchased in my name and transferred to yours, fully paid off and furnished! A proper castle for a princess!” Jana bowed playfully as she handed a beet red Ella the papers. “Shall we explore your new kingdom?” She held out her arm, which Ella took, and led her through the magically unlocked door.

Ella was immediately surprised once through the door. Though the outside hadn’t changed, the inside was fresh smelling and clean with new carpets on the floor and fresh white paint on the walls.”Here we have the foyer,” Jana spoke like a tour guide “I kept this simple for now so company isn’t overwhelmed by style right away, but you can paint the walls to your liking any time.”

She led her into a spacious kitchen with a huge fridge, a ton of fun or useful gadgets, a collection of cookbooks on a shelf below a window, and a small table with four chairs. “Fully stocked gourmet kitchen complete with little breakfast nook.” The kitchen walls were painted with a bright colorful orchard of fruit trees.

“This is amazing! And… familiar…” Ella moved closer to the walls to examine the trees “This… these are from my room! The painting I did last year!”

Jana nodded “It seemed the most fitting for in here.”

“But how…” Ella couldn’t express how happy she was to see this piece she thought lost to her.

The genie smiled and wiggled her hands in the air, making them spark and glitter “Magic Ella. Magic and your own impressive imagination and skill.”

Ella could have been more than happy with this kitchen and a cot to sleep in, but there was much more to see. “Next we have the dining room, which I don’t think we’ll use much outside of maybe a party or board games.” Jana quickly walked past the large table set with crystal candlesticks. The living room was much more Ella’s style. The walls had been done with one of her favorite paintings: a completely underwater world featuring fish of all shapes sizes, sunken treasure and a mermaid perched on a rock at the very top of the waterline. The furniture matched the paint work in colors of blues, greens, and weathered wood. The thing that was most out of place was a huge flatscreen tv and a fully loaded media cabinet full of games, movies and systems.

“That’s mostly for me.” Jana gestured at the media center a bit sheepishly. “I’ve played a ton of video games and watched every movie known to man while stuck in the lamp. It’s a hobby that grows on you… also I’m really looking forward to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Can’t miss that.” They laughed and continued onward. 

“Next we have the backyard,” Jana led her through a back door. “Nice high fences to give us privacy, some gardens for me to work in and-“

“A pool!” Ella cried out happily, fighting the urge to jump right into the water, especially since there seemed to be a beautiful mosaic of another mermaid along the bottom that she wanted a closer look at.

“Dang right we have a pool! I wanted to give you a reason to wear that cute bathing suit again.” Jana covered her mouth and blushed when she realized how forward she had just sounded. Ella didn’t respond to the comment, only answering with her own deep blush.

“Let’s… let’s keep going.” Jana motioned for them to go back inside and led Ella to a basement that had changed from a dark hole to store unwanted things to a personal gym with a bright vibrant beach scene on the walls. “After years stuck down here as a dusty nick-knack I wanted to give this space lots of light and energy.”

“Good choice . Not that you need to use any of this stuff.” Ella said, inspecting a treadmill.

“It’s true, with magic I can look however I want.”

“No… no I meant it because your body is perfect. It’d be criminal to change anything.” Her voice cracked from nerves as she tried to be smooth and flirt back, only making her blush harder.

Jana smiled, her cheeks very pink. “You are too sweet Ella!” 

They returned upstairs and Jana took Ella to the second floor. “Here we have the guest room, my room, the library and studio. The master… the mistress bed room is on the 3rd floor. Which would you like to see first?”

Ella wanted to playfully ask to see Jana’s bedroom, but the comment was cut short “Well I- I HAVE MY OWN STUDIO!? Which is it!”

She ran and began checking behind doors finding a bathroom, the spare bedroom, a linen closet and the library before stopping. “It can’t be….” She walked into the library. Among the bookcases and comfy chairs, there was an electric fireplace with a bizarre painting of a tiny island out in a vast ocean hanging above the mantle.The picture was a strange blend of clashing colors that each stood out as distinctly as if made from shards of stained glass, but it was still clear what the artist had tried to create. “Old Nana’s painting…” Ella said after a moment of silence, “how is this here?”

“Well when I was in your head I tried to find favorite paintings to decorate the house with. That… interesting piece kept coming up.” Jana said, unable to hide that this painting wouldn't have been her first choice for decoration.

Ella laughed a bit, “Yeah, interesting is one word for it… It belonged to my dad’s grandmother. Rich old woman with odd taste. She kept this piece of work in her office. As a kid I was the only one who liked it. In fact my very first painting I can remember doing I had tried to replicate it. When she died I asked if I could have it. It was the only thing of hers I wanted. Everyone was fine with that… until they took it off the wall and saw from the artist’s signature on the back it was a rare original worth thousands! Suddenly the odd painting that the small child wanted for sentiment was the hidden treasure the entire family was fighting over!” 

She started laughing and hugged Jana tightly, “I know it’s strange but it’s a great conversation piece! Thank you so much Jana! It means so much to finally have it in my own home!”

Jana smiled and hugged Ella back, looking at the picture again over the girl’s shoulder, “You know… I think it’s already growing on me.” She chuckled and took Ella by the hand, “Come on, let me show you the studio now.” 

They walked hand in hand into the room next door. It was more than a studio though; it was also a gallery. Along the walls were dozens of Ella’s paintings, hung and framed with a little placard below them. Jana felt Ella’s grip tighten on her hand as they walked through the testament to her art. “You… you saved the ones Karen destroyed?” Her voice cracked as she recognized pictures that had been broken and torn in the trash just minutes before.

“Of course I did Ella. Your work is wonderful! I couldn’t bear to see any of it ruined.” She led Ella through a door on the far side of the gallery and into the true studio. Ella couldn’t help but start crying again. It was a simple space, but it was hers. A pile of canvases of every size, a whole cabinet of paints and brushes, there were even woodworking and pottery tools; art forms she knew nothing about but had always wanted to learn how to use. She even found in the corner of the room the same battered old bookcase full of her many notebooks and diaries, still looking just as worn and well loved as ever.

Ella bit her lip and let out a loud sob. Jana turned to her concerned, “Ella? Did I do something wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Before the genie could blunder forward with a string of apologies, Ella had wrapped her arms around the taller woman and pulled her head down into a kiss. Tears continued to stream down Ella’s cheeks even as their lips met. The world seemed to stop in that kiss. Ella had done it without pausing to think. Even now as her heart sored, her mind began to panic that she had gone too far. Once they finally broke apart Ella spoke softly, voice still cracking. “You could never upset me Jana. Never think that please… I’m just crying because… This is everything I’ve ever wanted in life… It was too much… I couldn’t take it! I don’t deserve it! I’m not worth all of this!” 

“Ella!” Jana finally spoke, stopping the dark haired woman before she said anything else harmful about herself. They were silent for a moment, Jana gently wiped away her tears, “Never say things like that please. You deserve the world Princess… You’ve been through so much… I never want to see you hurt again… I only want to see you happy… I…” starting to tear up herself and at a loss for words, she pulled Ella in close to her body and kissed her again. Both women who had known loneliness and pain taking comfort in the embrace and compassion of the other…