Chapter 2
Rufus trained her with all the knowledge he had that first year.
It had been two years since they had taken down the werepire that had killed her parents. She almost got killed in the process and Rufus swore he wouldn't take her out on another hunt until she was more properly trained. Well up until about a year ago he was keeping her existence under wraps. Once he had no more to teach her, he couldn't exactly keep her from hunting. He would never tell her, but he actually considered her a very skilled hunter and a fast learner. She was starting to make a name for herself with other hunters but would keep her distance. Female hunters weren't frowned upon, but people took more of an interest in them. They were quite rare. So, the name Mickey would pass hunter's lips at bars and the stories would reach everyone. Rufus even got calls from Bobby now and then asking if he had heard of this Mickey. He lied of course, trying to keep the secret as long as possible.
The phone rang and he picked it up, "Who the hell is this?" he usually answered his phones along those lines.
"I want to meet him."
"Good to hear from you too, Bobby." Rufus chuckled.
"Rufus, dammit, you lied to me."
"When was this?"
"I'm sitting here with a damn security camera picture of the two of you, ya idjit."
"Who?" Rufus played dumb all too well.
"That Mickey kid. I can't make out a face but he's a very small kid, Rufus. How old is he? Twelve?"
"He's old enough for the job, Bobby." Rufus didn't know how to get out of this so he just slid along stalling.
"Then bring him by for a drink. Tomorrow. Bring the good stuff." And with that he hung up the phone.
Rufus slammed his phone shut and mumbled some choice swear words.
After about ten minutes, Aria came in the door, finding Rufus pacing the floor. She was used to finding him this way, but today she had some time to kill and decided to try her luck.
"What's going on?" She asked him and he paused and turned to her.
"Pack your bags."
"You're kicking me out? Did I do something wrong?" She asked with concern and she was a bit hurt. She had looked at Rufus as more of an unstable father figure than just another hunter and it would kill her to think she did something that would push him to throw her out.
"No, kid, we're taking a trip. To Bobby's." When he said that last part, they both sucked in some air as they knew what he meant. The jig was up.
"Well we knew this day would come. I'll get my stuff." She ran upstairs, paused on the steps to stuff her hair into her cap, the same one Rufus had given her a couple of years ago when they first ran into Bobby, as she did it, she thought maybe she should leave and spare Rufus the trouble of a fight with his friend. She thought better of it, he'd need her there if Bobby started swinging. She giggled to herself at that.
They took the night and most of the next day to reach Bobby's house. Rufus told her to keep her fake name "Mickey" and the story about her being the kid of his friend. She nodded along taking mental notes in case Bobby questioned her when they arrived.
They pulled into Bobby's and Rufus turned to her in his seat. He had a look of worry on his face.
"Kid, try to um, try not to get upset." He looked at her with concern like she would break like glass.
"Rufus, what the hell, have you ever really known me to be emotional?" They both thought back to the last time she got upset, it was when she first heard her parents died. He looked so scared of her. She knew he probably just had an issue with emotions, especially female ones.
He shook his head, "Not just sad emotions, kid, I'm talking anger, fear, you name it. Just keep yourself calm, okay? Bobby isn't going to hold back being angry with me but he's my old friend and I know he doesn't mean it. Got it? Don't hurt Bobby even if you think he's gonna hurt me."
"Rufus, what's going on?"
He ignored the question and got out of the car.
She followed him into the house, tightening her cap, like it would keep her hidden from Bobby figuring out she's female.
Before they could even knock Bobby swung the door open and stopped short when he saw her.
"Dammit Rufus, she's just a girl. Get inside. Now." He held the door open and gestured for them to come in quickly.
"Where's the fire, Bobby?" Rufus asked as he walked inside.
When she was passing Bobby on the way in, she said, "Hey, I'm Mickey, Rufus's friend's kid. You must be Bobby." She held out a hand.
"Bullshit." He said and ignored her hand.
Rufus locked the door behind them and continued boarding the windows as he was doing before, they arrived.
"Bobby, seriously, what's going on?" Rufus held out his arms, gesturing to the boarding.
"You bring her in here and expect me not to take precautions? You got another thing coming!" Bobby starts moving a dresser in front of the door.
"Bobby, listen, can we talk?" He eyes him and gives him a look to shut him up.
"Yeah…Rufus, let's talk." He grabs Rufus's arm and drags him upstairs.
Rufus yells down, "Make yourself comfortable, kid!"
She sits down. She watches the clock and flips through some old books. She realizes he has a lot of lore on the monsters they've hunted. They've called Bobby a few times over the years when they got stuck with how to kill something. Correction, Rufus has called Bobby. He would never let her talk even when they needed to know something while Rufus was in a sticky situation and she held the phone.
About two hours later with some yelling that she couldn't quite figure out what they were saying, the two men finally descend from the stairs.
"Everything okay?" She asks weakly.
"Uh, yeah, everything's…everything's fine, Mickey, was it?" Bobby reaches out a hand and Rufus nods at her.
She takes his hand and gives him a shake, "Yeah, it's nice to finally meet you, Bobby."
"I've heard a lot about you. You've made a name for yourself, kid." Bobby let's her hand go and forces a smile.
"Thanks, I hope they're all good things." She gave him a weak smile and looks to Rufus for confirmation.
"Shall we drink?" Rufus asks without looking at either one of them.
About an hour in and a few beers in for each of them, they're laughing their heads off. They start talking about the job and what crazy things they've seen, human and otherwise. The humans give them more laughs than the monsters do. Bobby tells the story about how once him and Rufus were on a hunt and they got caught hanging at a strip club by another fed. They thought they were busted but instead he joined them. He told her about this fed and how he spilled his life story to them, they were laughing about how his family grew up thinking he was gay and was actually disappointed when he had to come out as straight. This sent all three of them into fits of laughter.
They were laughing so hard that she dropped her bottle onto the floor with a crash and it hesitated slightly before it hit the ground. She swore and apologized.
"Kid, relax, it's fine." Rufus said but Bobby just stared at him.
"Clearly, it's not okay, Bobby looks practically mad with rage. I'm so sorry Bobby." As she spoke, she got some towels and the broom.
Bobby mouthed something to Rufus when her back was turned, and Rufus stood up.
"Kid, I think it's time we left. Bobby is exhausted." Rufus gestured to Bobby and immediately regretted it.
"Rufus is right. You can't stay here." Bobby didn't even look her in the eyes.
"Bobby, I'm sorry about the floor, I've got it though. You don't have to kick us out." She bent down to clean it up and Bobby raised her by grabbing her arm.
"Screw the beer, you need to leave. Now." He looked into her eyes and gasped.
Before they could say anything else, Rufus grabbed her and pulled her out to the car.
"Rufus, what just happened?" She yelled as they got into the car. She knew not to hesitate when they were in a rush with no questions.
He looked around for the keys and started the car. "Well, Bobby's about to have some visitors he didn't know were coming and it's best not to be here when they do come."
She didn't know how he knew that but asking Rufus anymore questions would just upset him, she knew this from experience.
They drove off and Rufus gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turned white.
"Rufus, what's wrong?" She looked at him and he kept his eyes on the road.
"Kid. We need to part ways." He kept his face steady and stared at the road ahead of him.
"Pull over. PULL OVER RUFUS!" She yelled with straight anger and frustration.
Before he could object the car skidded and he hit the brakes hard. They pulled into the next gas station.
They got out of the car and she slammed her door behind her.
"Kid, listen." He started.
"No. You listen. I don't know what Bobby said to you, but we've been doing well before seeing him. Why do you want me gone now?"
"Grab your stuff." He popped the trunk and went to the back of the car. He opened it and took out her two bags. It held everything she took from her house that night her parents died, and she never went back. People assume she's dead. He dropped the bags to the ground when she wouldn't take them. She saw the tears stinging his eyes and couldn't let him leave like this. He was heading to the driver's door, when she said,
"Rufus, wait." Her tone completely changed, she was calm now.
He turned to her and asked, "Yeah, kid?"
"Thank you. For everything."
No matter his reasons for leaving her now, Rufus had taken her in after what happened. He didn't have to care for her, train her, and make her feel like family, but he did all of that and more. He treated her with respect, and she owed him her life. Whatever the reason he has for having to leave her, she knows he doesn't want to. She can see it on his face how much he's struggling with leaving her here. Even though they never said that they loved each other they did. It would be in the way they would laugh together, he'd call her kid and they'd save each other's' lives. This is how they showed their love. It was said in the way they said the last two lines they would to each other for maybe ever. They both know that while he was getting her bags out, he stuck an envelope full of cash to help her get by. She knew this because she would do the same. He made her the hunter she is today and for that she would forever be in his debt.
And with that he got into the car and sped off.
