Disclaimer: I don't own Carmilla but lesbionest Carmilla owns my soul.


It's been a week since the "gas leak" explosion. Since then a variety of theories have popped up. Some are content with the gas leak explanation, but some people aren't. There have been accusations of it being a terrorist attack, or people have taken notice to the strange outcome of the blast and take it as a sign that the end of the world is once again around the corner. Some believe it was staged as a promo for a new movie coming out about radiation aliens. Others say it's a conspiracy covered up by the government. Some theories are more viable than others.

Of course none of them match up to the truth that Laura knows. None of them have any idea what's really out there, lurking in the shadows. Nobody has witnessed what she has – nobody except for the gang of misfits she fought beside back at Silas.

Too bad she doesn't really talk to any of them anymore, save for Carmilla.

"You know, you've had that far-off look in your eye for about the week now. It's starting to get old." Carmilla mutters, her fingers tracing the contours of Laura's arm. They're at home lounging on the couch together, the TV still on the last frame of a long-finished program they'd taped.

"What? Uh, sorry. I guess I've been in my head a lot lately." Laura sighs, shaking her thoughts off. No need to torture yourself with what you can't change, Hollis.

"And I thought I was supposed to be a broody one." Carmilla smirks, leaving a kiss on Laura's temple.

"You better catch up, then. Perhaps you should go to an empty field somewhere and look at the stars while you contemplate your existence." Laura teases. Carmilla almost purrs as she turns over to hover over Laura, her arms wrapping around her waist.

"I've found lately that I fail to do much stargazing when you're around, creampuff." She husks, leaning down to take Laura's lips in hers. Laura sighs, finding her tension start to melt away. Who knew the most comforting presence in her life would end up being a vampire?

"I don't know, last time we did that I certainly saw some stars." Laura murmurs into Carmilla's lips, which curl up into a small smile.

"Me too, cutie." Carmilla mumbles, starting to kiss Laura's neck. Laura's hands crawl up, clutching at Carmilla's shoulder blades. "You're my favourite constellation."

"Okay, Alice Walker." Laura tries to scoff, but her blush gives her away. Stupid vampire with her stupid poetic words that are stupid.

Carmilla hums a chuckle into Laura's skin. "Wish for nothing larger than your own small heart, or greater than a star."

"Tame wild disappointment with caress unmoved and cold." Laura shivers as Carmilla's hands start to brush the skin inside her shirt. Expect Nothing by Alice Walker. It was a poem Carmilla read to her shortly they finally deafeated the Dean, and it immediately became her new favourite. A new mantra to live by.

"Make of it a parka for your soul." Carmilla murmurs, finishing off the stanza. She hopes the words will sink into her veins, to remind Laura to take things in stride and not letting the letdowns of life harden her. Carmilla's still terrified that one day, Laura will become a dark abyss of nihilism like her. At least as she is now, Laura helps to balance out her contrived notions of the world.

Laura's eyes start to flutter shut as she grasps at the material of Carmilla's blouse, pulling her closer, her leg sliding in between Carmilla's…

So of course Laura's phone goes off.

In a blur Laura barely registers, Carmilla is up and has Laura's phone clenched in her fist before it can even finish its first ring. The look in her eyes in murderous.

"No! Bad vampire! Don't you dare! I paid for that with my own money!" Laura warns. Another ring passes before Carmilla's grip loosens with an exasperated sigh and she hands it to Laura. "Thank you." Laura huffs, accepting the call. "Hello?"

"Hey little nerd hottie."

Laura's hand goes to her mouth in surprise, and Carmilla looks up from her sulking state when her super-hearing catches the voice on the other end. It takes a moment for Laura to register, so the person on the other end rushes out a panicked response to the silence.

"Oh, dude, is this still Laura Hollis' number? I'm so sorry if it's not. That hottie thing, it's just a joke between us. I swear I'm more respectful to woman than that usually. I mean, I'm not perfect, but I'm working on it-"

"Kirsch." Laura breathes out finally. "Yes, it's Laura. It's just, it's been so long. I didn't expect to hear from you."

She hears a sigh of relief on the other end. "Laura! Thank god. It's… it's good to hear your voice again."

Laura's brow scrunches. "I'm happy to hear from you, too. It's been radio silence for a while. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, no, it's great. Well, sort of. Are you still working at that newspaper?"

"Yeah, I am. Why?" Laura questions.

"I'm in the city. I was wondering if… If we could meet. Well, you and Carmilla. I mean, if you're still together. I don't want to assume-"

"Yes, we're still together." Laura confirms in unison with Carmilla scoffing in the background. "Of course, Kirsch. We'd love to meet up."

"Great. Um, just one thing… I'm still on the move, so can you meet right now? I know it's last minute but I really need to talk to you guys…" Kirsch pleads, and Laura's mouth creases into a worried frown.

"Sure thing. We'll do a late lunch. Do you know Café Le Fanu?"

"I can find it. Meet me there ASAP, okay?"

"We'll be there. Don't worry." Laura assures him.

"Thanks, Laura. Seriously." Kirsch sighs.

"No problem. What are old friends for? See you soon." Laura expresses before hanging up. She looks up at Carmilla, who is giving her an unimpressed expression.

"He couldn't have waited a few hours?" She grumbles.

"He sounds really anxious, Carm. Besides, with what he's been doing the past few years… I really want to hear what he has to say." Laura urges. Carmilla rolls her eyes.

"I can almost guarantee that with what he's been doing, it's nothing but bad news." Carmilla states, leaning against the couch and looking Laura over with heavy eyes. "I can, however, guarantee a good time if we stay here…"

"Stop with the seduction eyes. We're going to see Kirsch. It's been too long." Laura huffs, walking past Carmilla with conviction. Carmilla lets out a defeated groan.

"It's these times I wish I had been reanimated as a succubus." Carmilla mutters, following Laura to the door.

"Tame wild disappointment, remember?" Laura smirks, leaving the apartment. Carmilla stands there a moment, scowling.

"Perhaps I do need to work on my game…" She mumbles under her breath, and then stalks through the door after Laura.


They didn't recognize him right away, mostly because of how much older he looked. Not in a matured vibe way, but in a physical attribute way. He had grown in a decently scruffy beard, and his cane used to support his right side certainly helped to age his look. But he still has that joyful smile and enthusiastic eyes when he sees them.

"Laura!" He exclaims, hobbling up out his seat and over to them, taking Laura into a hug first.

"Kirsch, you look good." Laura expresses, voice muffled by his large torso.

"Like a bona fide lumberjack." Carmilla interjects as Kirsch pulls away, and he touches his beard.

"Yeah! After Will- uh, J.P. grew in that beard, I kind of wanted to try it out. Sick, huh?" Kirsch beams.

"If you like that sort of thing." Carmilla drawls in a bored tone of voice, but Kirsch just laughs.

"Nice to see you haven't changed. I'm guessing you don't want a hug, too?" Kirsch asks.

"Not unless you want to lose your other leg." Carmilla mutters, and Laura gapes at her.

"Carmilla!" She snaps, but Kirsch looks unbothered.

"Nah, it's fine. I've gotten used to it." He taps his right leg with his cane and a metallic sound rings out. "I'm like that guy from the Forest Gump movie, right?"

"Right." Laura gives him a soft smile, but then grows serious. "So what did you want to talk about? You sounded a little… frazzled on the phone."

His face also falls and he gestures quickly to the table he had saved. "Uh, yeah. Come sit. We have a lot to catch up on."

"We sure do. It's been, what, three years?" Laura recalls, sitting down with Carmilla. Kirsch nods while taking his own seat.

"Yep. I mean, I know we've been sending e-mails every few months but we haven't actually seen each other since, you know… everything went down." Kirsch's frown increases and he gives Laura a careful look. "How are you doing? You know, after… everything."

"I'm fine. I've been way more worried about you. Those e-mails were always pretty vague. I was always just glad to hear you were alive." Laura says sincerely, although it was clear she quickly skimmed over the topic of herself.

"I know. I'm sorry. I tried to pop into internet cafés as much as I could, but I didn't have much change and, like, not enough time to really update you." He gives a guilty look.

"I liked hearing where you were, though. Spain, South Africa, Israel – even North Korea at one point. You must have been all over." Laura recollects.

"Usually coupled with a statement that you thought you were getting close. So, beefcake? Any update?" Carmilla raises her eyebrow, and Kirsch looks at his hands in his lap.

"Well, that's kind of why I wanted to see you guys." He mumbles, looking back up at them. "I found her. I found Danny."

Silence falls over the table. Carmilla looks expectant and waits for him to continue, but he seems too overwhelmed with emotion at the moment. Laura leans close, hoping to help him out.

"Wow, Kirsch. That's amazing. She must not have been easy to track." She says sympathetically, and Kirsch nods while wiping away a lone tear.

"She didn't make it easy. Three years." He chuckles to himself. "Three years of searching and I finally found her."

"How is she?" Laura asks gently after a moment.

"Kind of intense." He gazes off, looking preoccupied with the memory. "When I found her, it was in a graveyard. Kind of cliché, right? Finding a vampire in a graveyard." He relays, and Carmilla snorts. "She was fighting something. I have no idea what it was. Some sort of… big blob. It had like human limbs sticking out of it though. It was gnarly. But she beat it and then I stepped out. And it was like… she was expecting me."

"I'm surprised you're still alive." Carmilla states.

"Danny wouldn't hurt me." Kirsch affirms harshly. "I mean, not anymore. Not since the Dean got obliterated."

"I don't know. A new vampire without their sire? They're certainly a loose canon." Carmilla informs.

"What do you mean? She's not under your Mother's control anymore, right?" Laura questions, and Carmilla shakes her head.

"That's the problem. My Mother was basically the only control Xena would've had. For the first century or so, vampires have to fight against… animal instinct." She glances at Laura for a moment, almost looking embarrassed by this fact. "A sire helps to direct the urges in a more productive way. Why do you think I was so compliant with the supernatural con-game?"

"So it's, um, against your will?" Laura questions, looking at Carmilla sadly.

"You aren't really given a choice, no. I'm certain Lieutenant Dan is right that Big Red wouldn't have taken half his leg off had she not been under the sire." Carmilla's fingers curl over the surface of the table. "It's part of the reason I would never turn you. How would I know if what you felt toward me was genuine?"

Again silence falls over the table, and Laura puts a comforting hand on Carmilla's shoulder and squeezes.

"And what happens when the sire dies?" Laura inquires.

"Loss of control." Carmilla darkens. "At least until they start to gain their own control in their next century. Consequently that's also when the sire bond begins to fade, thankfully." She looks up a Kirsch, who has been listening intently. "But Clifford hasn't had that luxury. She's probably fighting the urge to kill constantly. Hence why I'm surprised you're alive."

"She did look a little… wild, but I figured that's because she just got done killing that big limb-thing, you know?" Kirsch explains. "But like, she didn't hurt me. Like I said, it was like she was expecting me."

"What'd you talk about?" Laura questions.

"We didn't talk long." He frowns. "I was just so happy to see her again, but then… she told me something big was going down, and that I was in way over my head and I should stop looking for her."

"Something big? Like what kind of something?" Laura asks, and Carmilla leans in curiously.

"I don't know. She said something about how humanity was in danger? And like, she's trying to stop it, whatever it is. Again, she was… intense." He mutters. "And then she… left. But it kind of freaked me out, you know? Like Danny is trying to fight limb monsters and stop the fall of humanity again, only this time she's all alone."

"I see where this is going." Carmilla rolls her eyes.

"I mean, you're a vampire. And Laura, you're super smart. Much smarter than me. I can't do much, but you guys can probably look into it, right?" Kirsch requests.

Laura bites her lip. "Kirsch, I don't know…"

Kirsch's face falls slightly. "Look, I know last time didn't go perfectly, but we did it, right? We saved the world, or something? We can do it again. It's what we do. Like that Buffy chick you always used to talk about."

"This isn't the Whedonverse, Kirsch." Laura sighs. "I'll think about it, okay?"

Kirsch gets a hard look, but it softens quickly. "I get it. I know you've been through a lot. I just thought I should update you that the next apocalypse is coming, or whatever. So like, maybe build a bomb shelter, or something." He leans back in his chair.

"I'm sorry, Kirsch." Laura mutters. He shrugs.

"It was still really nice to see you. And hey, Danny looked super badass while killing the monster. Maybe she can take care of this on her own." He muses, standing up. "But, uh, I'm going to find her again. I want to help, somehow. If anything I can be a morale boost." Kirsch grins.

"Careful, you still look like a literal beefcake to her." Carmilla warns, and Kirsch nods.

"Morale boost at a safe distance. Got it." He shoots Carmilla a thumbs up and then leans over to hug Laura. "We'll keep in touch."

"We better. Don't be a stranger." She whispers into his ear. When he stands up he gives them a teary smile and turns around quickly, stalking out of the café before his emotions could get the better of him. Laura's limbs fall to her side and her eyes become unfocused. Carmilla eyes her cautiously.

"You okay?" Carmilla questions.

"Yeah. Great. First the blast and now this. Just another end-of-times prophecy." Laura breathes, putting her head in her hands. "Carmilla, I- I know how you feel about it. I do. But I- I'm just so conflicted." She looks up at Carmilla, tears now in her eyes. "I don't know what I want. I love just living out a normal life with you, but this… this is so big and Danny's alone out there fighting it and I just-"

"Hey," Carmilla coos softly, reaching over to rub her shoulders. "You don't need to put the weight of the world on your shoulders. Maybe this isn't your battle."

"Maybe." Laura mutters, rubbing her temples. "I think I… I think I need a second opinion." She looks up at Carmilla, and Carmilla searches her eyes.

"Do you need to see your dad?" Carmilla inquires gently. Laura bites her lip and nods slowly.

"Yes."


Carmilla watches solemnly as her girlfriend kneels down silently in the grass, Laura's hands pulling out bunches of it absentmindedly. Laura never knows what to say. She relaxes a little when she feels Carmilla's hand on her back, rubbing slowly.

"Why don't you start with hi?" Carmilla suggests, and Laura nods, a shaky breath escaping her lips. Laura's hands reach out, tracing the bold, sculpted out letters on his name on the gravestone just above the words Beloved Father.

"Hi, dad."


Author's Notes: Poor bb Laura. Had to keep up my reputation of fucking over the most innocent characters, right? IT GETS WORSE (before it gets better). So is this it? Is this why Laura is so traumatized about three years ago, or is there something more? Keep reading~

You should see the long list of plot-points I have planned out for this story in the memos on my phone. And I keep adding to them. Yay, overwhelming myself. Also if anyone can send me hot water, that'd be great. I'm a Canadian in Fall with a broken water heater. That has nothing to do with the story, I just wanted to complain. K BYE.