Rewrite the Apocalypse dream (by Dee Cari) novel Chapter 289

Chapter 289 The Drunk Piper

Finished

The team immediately rushed over to Briggs, pulling him away from the wall to wash the thick yellow dust off his face and neck with cups of the healing spring water, just in case any of the mutant pollen was poisonous. Briggs stood stiff as a board, sputtering and shaking his head like a wet dog while Julian and Jake thoroughly scrubbed his ears.

Once they confirmed he wasn’t going to sprout leaves or dissolve from venom, the entire group gathered around the edge of the stone spring, looking down at the floating, drifting mass of vines.

“Well,” Jolie said, leaning over the water with a grin. “It definitely evolved again after devouring that massive core. It’s growing completely new purple veins along the stems.”

“Yeah, and it also developed a type,” Jake cracked, nudging Briggs with his metallic elbow. “Who knew the deadliest mutant plant in the valley was just looking for a tall, rugged lumberjack to settle down with?”

“Shut up, Jake,” Briggs grumbled, his face still bright red from the scrubbing.

“I don’t know, Briggs,” Julian added, his usual cold CEO persona completely melting into a smirk. “From a business perspective, the merger makes sense. You provide the physical security, she provides the automated perimeter defense, and together you corner the market on aggressive landscaping.”

“Don’t encourage it,” Briggs muttered, eyeing the bubbles rising from the plant’s roots. “It asked to make sprouts with me. I’m a soldier, not a botanical donor.”

Eleven-year-old Raven giggled, pointing a finger at the lazily floating vines. “Does this mean Briggs is getting married? Do we have to start watering him too?”

“Only if he starts performing photosynthesis,” Allen laughed, clapping Briggs on the shoulder.

RJ shook her head, trying to hold her laughter in. “I’m just glad my telepathy doesn’t let me read plant minds. I can only imagine the sheer, unfiltered romance novels running through her leaves right now. She’s probably dreaming of a nice greenhouse wedding.”

“I don’t know, RJ,” Julian chimed in, his tone deadpan as he flipped open a blank page in Fiona’s old notebook. “Based on her behavior, I’m pretty sure she’s already drafting a trilogy. I can see the corporate branding now.”

He cleared his throat, adjusting his jacket like he was pitching a new business strategy. “Volume One: The Thorn in My Side Wants My Body. Volume Two: Photosynthesis of Desire. And the highly anticipated finale: Rooted in Your Love: A Commander’s Cross-Pollination.”

The warehouse erupted into fresh shouts of laughter. Even Allen had to lean against a crate of rations to keep his balance.

“Don’t forget the holiday special,” Jake added, howling with laughter. “Stalking Her Soldier Under the Mistletoe.”

Briggs looked like he wanted the concrete floor to swallow him whole. “I am going to throw both of you into the generator fans,” he growled, though a reluctant crack of a smile finally broke through his rugged glare.

Joanna watched the floating plant, a rare, amused smile breaking across her face as the violet steam continued to hiss out of the water. “Well, whatever upgrade she got from that giant core, at least we know her allegiance is still firmly with us. Or at least, firmly with Briggs.”

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Chapter 289 The Drunk Piper

Finished

“I am never standing near the garden beds again,” Briggs announced solemnly, crossing his arms. “From

won, I am strictly on container duty.”

Joanna paused, her amused smile fading as a sudden realization struck her. She looked back toward the bubbling water. “Wait a minute,” she spoke up, her voice dropping into a serious tone. “Piper didn’t just project her thoughts this time. She spoke out loud. We heard her audibly.”

Jolie stopped dead in her tracks, whipping her head back toward the steaming pool where the giant vines drifted. Her eyes widened as the weight of the observation sank in. “You’re right, boss. Her vocal cords+oy whatever she uses to vibrate the air-actually formed real human words. The upgrade from that massive purple core must have changed her anatomy. She can literally talk now.”

They waited until Piper’s vines went slack and her bubbles slowed, then headed back through the pocke dimension to the main house. Briggs peeled off at his door with something muttered about nightmares and leafy ambushes. Julian walked Joanna to hers, the CEO act long gone, and kissed her quietly before disappearing across the hall.

She showered, locked up, and was asleep before she could think about any of it.

Outside the next morning, Piper had doubled in size. Thorny vines blanketed the stone threshold of the hot spring. The flowers had opened to the width of car tires.

Joanna recovered from her surprise and stepped forward. “Morning, Piper,” she called out.

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