Greetings, readers! My apologies for the delay… again. I should never have quoted Bilbo Baggins on that last AN. I was as wrong as he was! _
Between the holidays and work things, DoS (which was AMAZING, btw) being a massive distraction, and crying over Matt Smith leaving Doctor Who… I have not been able to devote as much time to my writing lately. Plus this chapter is likely the most important one I have written in the series as it contains a MASSIVE amount of set up for the final installment of the trilogy. I had to really think through where I wanted to go in order to decide how I needed this to play out.
I finally just decided to split this chapter into two parts because it's sort of obscenely long otherwise, plus I'm eager to post it! The good news is, I'm nearly done with the second half of this one as well, so you should be getting back to back updates. ;)
Thank you so much for your patience! And without further ado, I present Part I of the penultimate chapter of Cold War…
Chapter 9: Give Me a Reason, Part I
Feed on me
You know I'm never far
Feed off me
Like a vulture on a deer hit by a car
I can only do so much
And of course it's never enough
I don't think that you see
Exactly what you're doing to me
Don't speak
Don't speak
Give me a reason to turn and run
Give me a reason to burn this house down
Give me a reason I wish you would
I wish you would
Wish you would
Give me a reason for disaster
And I'll be happy ever after
Give me a reason I wish you would
I wish you would
Wish you would…
- Give Me a Reason by Three Days Grace
When Mitchell opens his eyes, there is bright sunlight pouring in through the bedroom window. He sits up slowly, blinking against the light and finds himself alone in his room. From downstairs, he can hear a murmur of voices that tells him everyone else is up already. He swings his legs over the side of the bed, stifling a yawn as he stretches his limbs, and glances at the clock on the side table.
12:03PM.
Mitchell stares at the little red numbers in surprise. He can't remember the last time he slept so late. He gets out of bed and gathers a clean set of clothes- a pair of fitted black jeans, grey tank top, and a black button down shirt- and heads to the bathroom.
When he next emerges, the voices from downstairs have gotten louder and he can hear a clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen. He heads down the stairs, pausing on the last step, and can't help but smile at the sight that greets him.
Despite the late hour, the entire household has assembled in the kitchen to make breakfast with Annie overseeing the whole chaotic affair. Rory is on stove duty, a carton of eggs open on the counter beside him. Lucian is helping Annie set the table while she tries to find enough dishes for everyone, and even Nina is smiling as she and George make up a plate of toast.
"Mitchell!" Annie greets, her brown eyes bright as she catches sight of him hovering in the doorway. She sets down the stack of plates she's holding and crosses the room, pulling him into a hug. "I was beginning to wonder if I should send someone up to wake you," she says, releasing him. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, I did," he answers honestly. Across the room, he catches Lucian's eye for a brief moment and the older man suppresses a knowing smile, casually continuing his task.
"Well, come on, then," says Annie, looping her arm through his and pulling him further into the room. "Breakfast is almost ready."
She leaves Mitchell to help Lucian with the table and goes to supervise Rory's work at the stove.
"I think you need a bigger kitchen, Annie," Nina comments in amusement as the six of them set about their tasks while trying not to get in each other's way.
"I think this is nice," she answers. "A full house, all of us here together. It's sort of like a bed and breakfast." Annie looks thoughtful. "You know I think I would have quite liked having my own bed and breakfast."
"I could see you running a b and b," says Rory with a grin.
She laughs. "Yeah. If anyone wanted to stay at a b and b run by Casper."
He shrugs. "Well, who says you had to cater to humans?"
"Now, there's an idea," says George. "A b and b for supernaturals. Can you imagine?"
Annie scoffs. "Oh, come off it. How would that even work?"
"Hey, I think it's a great idea," says Mitchell. "We all get along just fine, so it isn't impossible. You'd have to find a bigger place, and probably set a few house rules, of course, but I bet it could work. You know, we're lucky. Most people like us don't have any place to go; anywhere that they don't have to hide or that they can belong. It'd be like a sanctuary."
"So, what would you call it?" asks Rory, grinning at them over his shoulder.
Mitchell shrugs. "'Annie's Place,'" he responds as if this is the most obvious answer in the world.
Annie blushes. "Alright, enough teasing," she says, suppressing a grin. "Your breakfast is going to get cold!"
Once everyone has eaten and the kitchen is somewhat back in order, the six of them reconvene to the living room. George takes a seat between Rory and Nina on the couch beside the television while Annie chooses to take up her perch on the adjacent armchair.
On the opposite couch, Mitchell sits beside Lucian, beginning to feel the sense of apprehension wash over him once more now that things are beginning to settle. He spares a glance at Nina, but she has seemed determined to pretend he doesn't exist since he came downstairs.
"So, what happens now?" asks George, breaking the silence.
"It's a waiting game, I suppose," Rory responds. "Right now, I think we just need to focus on getting through tonight."
"What about the Council?" George presses, turning to Lucian. "What have they planned to do about Wyndam?"
Lucian sighs. "As of the time I left, nothing. They didn't feel that Wyndam was a significant threat. I'll try and get in touch with them again, but it's a process. In the meantime, Rory's right. Let's focus on tonight." He turns to the blond. "Have you decided where you're transforming?"
Rory nods. "I found another spot in the woods that seems far enough from the last location, but, honestly, I'm not terribly confident that we won't be found there just as easily. I don't want to trap us all in a room together, but I don't think we should separate either. I just don't know what else to do."
Lucian nods. "Well, I've been thinking it over since last night and I think that I should go with you. Just to make sure you don't run into any trouble on the way. I'll leave just before the moon rises and return first thing in the morning."
"You think there's a chance we might be attacked?" asks George, tightening his hold on Nina's hand.
"I think it would be wise to be ready for anything," Lucian answers.
"Alright," says Rory. "Well, I guess we'd better start making preparations."
As the sun begins to set later in the afternoon, the four prepare to depart. Mitchell stands with his arms folded across his chest, leaning against the wall beside the stairs and watching Lucian intently as the older man pulls on his jacket. He finally catches his eye and Lucian makes his way over.
"I should be going with you," says Mitchell at his approach.
Lucian shakes his head. "No. We can't risk you being seen," he answers. "As long as Wyndam believes that you are out of the picture, we have an advantage."
Mitchell heaves a sigh. He knows there is no point in arguing because Lucian is right. Defeated, he simply nods.
"I won't be gone long," says Lucian, reaching out a hand and giving his shoulder a squeeze.
As he turns back to take his place beside the door, George takes a step towards Mitchell and wordlessly pulls him into a hug, lingering just a bit longer than usual before finally releasing him.
"Oh! I almost forgot," says George, reaching for the chain around his neck. He pulls the necklace over his head, dropping the Star of David pendant into Mitchell's open palm.
For a moment, he simply stares at it, weighing the object in his hand with a small smile. The pendant, Mitchell knows, is George's most precious possession. While he has struggled with his faith since he got the Curse, George has never gone a day without wearing it; only leaving it behind during a full moon so as not to risk losing it. Mitchell has always felt that his decision to leave the pendant in his care signified a deep level of trust and he has always taken it seriously. With all that has passed between them recently, he knows that this is George's way of saying that everything is ok. No words are needed.
"I'll look after it," Mitchell says simply, depositing the necklace in his pocket.
"We should get going," says Rory. "It'll be getting dark soon."
George moves to stand beside him and Lucian by the front door, Nina close behind.
Annie takes a step toward Mitchell, looping her arm through his. "You all be careful," she says to the departing group. "Look after each other."
"We will," Rory answers.
"You two behave yourselves," adds George with a grin, glancing between the pair.
Mitchell gives him a look and Annie relinquishes her hold on him, folding her arms across her chest indignantly.
The four file out, Lucian at the back, and step out onto the pavement. He pauses in the door way, turning back to face the pair one last time before giving a departing nod.
As he steps out after the others, closing the door behind him, Mitchell heaves a sigh.
"So, what now?" asks Annie.
"Now," he answers, "we wait."
Lucian escorts the group to a clearing in the woods without incident. In fact, if he is perfectly honest, he found the trip too quiet. They did not encounter a single soul on their way over and the whole thing has him on edge. He just can't seem to shake the feeling that something isn't right.
"Shouldn't be long now," says Rory, approaching the vampire. "You should probably head back." He pauses, frowning at the older man's expression. "What is it?"
Lucian shakes his head. "I don't like this," he answers. "It's too quiet."
The blond nods. "I thought so too."
"Listen," Lucian continues. "You three keep together. I'll be back at first light. If I'm not-"
"Lucian," Rory interjects, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be fine here. Just get back to the house. I'd feel a lot better knowing you were keeping an eye on things there now."
"What about Nina?" George cuts in. "We still don't know for sure if she'll Change."
Rory and Lucian exchange a sideways glance, which doesn't go unnoticed.
"So, you did know," Nina says evenly, looking at Rory accusingly.
Rory sighs. "Not for sure," he answers. "Not until-"
"Until I confirmed it," Lucian finishes for him.
"You?" she says, staring at him in disbelief.
"When you're as old as I am, you learn a few things," he says a little sadly. "I could tell the moment I met you."
"And neither of you thought to say so?" she accuses. "You just gave us false hope."
"Nina, I'm sorry," Rory responds. "I didn't-"
His words are cut short as he suddenly doubles over in pain, George and Nina simultaneously letting out a cry as the Change begins. Lucian reaches out a hand to steady him, but Rory waves him off.
"Go," he insists. "It's starting."
Lucian doesn't need to be told twice. With a simple departing nod, he turns swiftly on his heel and heads back the way they came.
When he reaches the pavement on the other side of the tree line, Lucian can hear the howling of Wolves behind him. He continues on at greater speed, disappearing into the night.
Mitchell is seated on the couch, staring at the opposite wall in silence. The television is on, but he pays it no mind. It's just background noise as he sits counting the minutes since the others left; awaiting Lucian's return. He understands why he couldn't go along with them, but it's still frustrating. If only because the alternative is to sit here and do nothing.
He rubs at his temples absently, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on, and tries to remember the last time he fed properly; sighing when he draws a blank. Honestly, though, he doesn't even want to think about the blood right now. He just wants this night to be over.
Mitchell lifts his head as the room falls quiet and spots Annie with the remote in her hand, having just turned off the TV.
She turns to face him, offering a small smile as she hands him a steaming mug before taking a seat beside him.
"I thought tea would do better than coffee on a night like this," she comments, folding her legs up underneath herself on the couch.
"Thank you," says Mitchell, taking a sip, and he feels himself relax slightly as the warmth seems to spread through his limbs.
"I imagine he's on his way back by now," Annie offers after a pause. "I wouldn't worry too much."
Mitchell only nods.
"I just feel sorry for Nina," she continues. "Poor girl. This must all be so scary for her."
"George and Rory will help her through it," he says encouragingly. "Nina's tough. She'll be alright."
She sighs. "I hope so."
For a moment, neither speaks; Mitchell sipping his tea in silence while Annie picks at a non-existent loose thread on the hem of her blouse. She glances at him sideways, studying him discreetly.
Mitchell sits with his elbows resting on his knees, clutching the mug tightly in his hands while he continues to stare, unseeing, in the direction of the front door. He is a little pale, she notices now, and his eyes look tired. He appears almost older to her somehow, or maybe it's just because of the frown he's wearing and the deep furrows in his brow. Then she realizes; it is the easy smile that she is missing, the brightness in his eyes that has been mostly absent of late.
But he's still Mitchell, she observes wistfully, staring at that stray curl that always seems to want to hang in his face and resisting the urge to tuck it behind his ear. He'll smile again. I'll just have to be patient. She sighs. If only there was something I could do.
Annie lays a hand on his arm and the touch seems to snap him back to the present. Troubled brown eyes turn their gaze on her curiously.
"I know this is difficult for you," she begins. "To have to just sit here while the others face potential danger, knowing there's nothing you can do to help them. Feeling useless…" She trails off and Mitchell gets the feeling that she isn't talking about him anymore.
"You're not useless, Annie," he says.
She gives him a look. "And how exactly have I been useful?" she demands. "What have I done to help you or George with anything that has been going on?"
"You take care of all of us," he answers. "Not to mention what you did the night we beat Herrick, that was no small thing. But it's more than that. Annie," Mitchell sets the mug on the coffee table and turns to face her. "When George and I first found this place, we were just looking for a place to land for a while. Neither of us really thought it would be permanent. Then we met you and everything changed." He reaches out and takes her hand between both of his. "This house, it's more than just a place to stay; it's home. And that's something neither of us had had for a long time. You made it that. I don't know what either of us would do without you."
For a moment, Annie simply stares down at her hand in his, feeling her cheeks darken as she remains at a loss for what to say. When she lifts her head, the corners of her mouth twitch up at the sight of the small smile on Mitchell's lips and the glint that has returned to his eyes. Well, she thinks, there's a start.
Before Annie finally opens her mouth to speak, they are suddenly interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone. She gives a start at the sound and Mitchell fumbles to retrieve the device from his pocket, staring down at the small screen with a frown.
"Lucian?" Annie inquires.
He shakes his head before lifting the phone to his ear. "Hello?" He seems to recognize the speaker. "Daisy? Daisy what are you-"
There is a pause and his brow creases as he listens to the voice on the other line.
"That's not what… Daisy, slow down. Where are you? …Alright, I'm coming. Just don't do anything until I get there, ok? …Alright. …Bye."
Mitchell hangs up with an exasperated sigh, rising from his seat and depositing the phone in his pocket. "I have to go," he says, heading towards the front door.
"What?" Annie scrambles out of her seat after him. "Why? What's happening?"
"It's Daisy," he answers, reaching for his jacket by the door. "She says she 'knows who killed Ivan' and that she's prepared to do something about it." He shakes his head, shrugging on his jacket over his shoulders. "I should have reached out to her sooner. She's grief stricken and she's not thinking straight. I have to find her before she does something stupid."
Annie moves to block his path. "Mitchell, wait. You can't go out there. You heard what Lucian said, what if someone sees you?"
"I don't have a choice, Annie," he answers.
"Well, at least wait until Lucian comes back. Maybe he can-"
"There's no time," he cuts in. "Look, I know Daisy. I know what she's like. Once she sets her mind to something there's little anyone can do to stop her, save Ivan, and he's gone now. I have to find her before she hurts someone."
Mitchell reaches for the door handle and pulls it open, taking a step out onto the pavement.
Annie follows after him and stands in the doorway. Knowing there isn't anything else she can do, she calls out; "At least tell me where you're going!"
Lucian walks purposefully through the streets of Bristol, the collar of his jacket turned up against the chill wind that has started to pick up. Vampire eyes scan the darkness for any threat, but he still has not encountered a single soul along the road. Suddenly, something catches his eye a little ways ahead of him; a familiar grey-clad figure with a hood drawn up over dark curls. A voice calls out to him in the darkness.
"Lucian!"
Annie jogs to meet him, looking relieved when they are finally standing face to face, and she pauses to catch her breath.
"Annie, what is it? What's wrong?" he asks, his voice tinged with concern.
"Mitchell's gone," she begins, her voice wavering as she confirms what he feared. "He got a phone call a while after you left; someone called Daisy. He said he had to find her; that he was afraid she was going to hurt someone."
He opens his mouth to respond, but before he can speak Annie continues.
"Look, I know what you're going to say, but I'm not going back to the house. I'm coming with you. I'm not just going to sit around and wait for bad news. I've waited enough. I'm not-"
"Alright, Annie," says Lucian, placing both hands on her shoulders in a placating gesture. "You can come with me. Now, tell me where he went."
Annie nods, grateful that she didn't have to waste time arguing her case. There is no way she is going to stay behind this time. "He said he was heading for the Box Tunnel."
Mitchell steps off the pavement and onto the grass as he approaches his destination, the sound of his feet crunching the earth amplified by his vampire hearing. He glances from side to side, seeking any trace of movement in the shadows, and finds nothing. Satisfied, he continues on.
The western portal of the Box Tunnel looms just ahead like a gaping maw, large enough for two trains to pass easily from opposite directions. He approaches the old stone structure warily, the darkness within nearly impenetrable if not for his unnatural ability to see in the dark.
Mitchell steps across the first set of tracks and makes his way down the center into the tunnel, keeping his steps as light as possible as he moves forward into the darkness. It is eerily quiet within the stone walls, the only sound he can hear being that of his own breathing.
He walks a long way without seeing anything and is beginning to wonder if he should turn back when a figure emerges from the shadows.
A low growl escapes his throat in recognition and he lunges forward, taking her by the throat and slamming her bodily against the stone wall. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear you apart."
Cara bares her fangs at him, hissing and sputtering as she claws at the hand crushing her windpipe.
"Now, now, Mitchell," chides a lilting voice as a second figure emerges from the shadows. "That is not how we treat our friends."
He fixes his gaze on Daisy as she steps closer, but does not relinquish his hold. "She's no friend to you and she certainly isn't to me. If you had any idea what she's done-"
"Oh, spare me the speech, Mitchell," Daisy interjects in a bored voice. "Now, let the little fledgling go so we can talk."
Mitchell glances back and forth between the two before finally releasing her roughly, and Cara takes refuge behind Daisy, giving him a deadly glare as she massages her throat.
"What is this about, Daisy?" he demands. "What are we doing here?"
"I already told you," she answers. "I know who is responsible for killing the vampires; for killing my Ivan, and I am going to take my revenge. I want you to help me."
"So, she confessed, then?" he responds, nodding at Cara accusingly.
"Who? Cara?" Daisy laughs. "Don't be ridiculous, Mitchell. Her fangs have barely come in," she answers, patting her head as if Cara were a stray kitten she recently adopted. "No this," she continues, "is the result of the same war that vampires have been fighting for millennia."
"What are you talking about?" Mitchell responds, still keeping an eye on Cara behind Daisy's back.
"The war against the humans."
His gaze snaps back to Daisy and he stares at her incredulously. "Is that what she told you?" he says, arms folded across his chest. "That it was, what, some religious cult group that bombed the mortuary? Daisy, I was there. She came back with Wyndam to the scene after the authorities cleared out. I heard the whole thing. They planted the bomb that killed the vampires, that killed Ivan. The humans had nothing to do with it."
"And I'm supposed to accept your word on that?" answers Daisy, boring into him with her gaze. "You who love the humans so much that you spend your days mopping up their messes? Oh, but Mitchell," she takes a step forward, standing very close to him now. "I thought you said that Cara was dead."
He says nothing, clenching his jaw and fixing Cara with a glare as she smirks at him over Daisy's shoulder.
Suddenly, he hears the telltale sound of a train approaching from the far east end of the tunnel and he can see a light in the distance up ahead.
Catching the sound, Daisy looks over her shoulder with a grin. She turns toward Cara, giving a nod, and the brunette moves in the direction of the train, stopping to stand on the railroad tracks.
"Now is your chance to decide, Mitchell," says Daisy, turning back to face him. "Either you are with us, or against us."
Mitchell glances from her to Cara and the oncoming train and back again, his eyes widening as he starts to put together the pieces of Daisy's plan. "Daisy, you are making a mistake," he says, taking her by the shoulders. "Even if the humans were responsible, you can't just take it out on innocent people. There's no sense in that."
"You're wrong," she answers. "It's long past time that we put the humans in their place. This is justice. Now, are you on our side or theirs?"
He shakes his head. "Killing those people isn't going to bring Ivan back!"
The words seem to jar her and for a moment, Daisy is silent, staring up at him with wide eyes, and Mitchell is hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, he has gotten through to her.
Then, just as suddenly, her countenance shifts again and a coldness creeps into her piercing gaze. "Then I suppose I have my answer."
Mitchell opens his mouth to speak, but whatever he was going to say is lost in a gasp as a sharp pain pierces his left side. He glances down just as Daisy jerks the blade free once more, his own blood dripping all the way up to the handle. She takes a step back from him and he throws out a hand to the wall behind him just as his knees start to give out, and sinks to the stone floor, clutching his side.
"Daisy-" he chokes out as he feels the blood seeping through his fingers and his vision starts to swim, but her attention has turned from him as the train approaches.
Mitchell can only watch as it draws closer, hoping that the train won't stop, but he hears the sound of the brakes from about half a mile down the tunnel and knows it's too late.
The train comes to a halt a mere ten feet from where Cara stands and Daisy turns back to face him one last time.
"This is your last chance, Mitchell," she begins. "You can stay there, bleeding out on the pavement if you like; or you can join us. Although," she glances down at the growing stain on his jacket with a sneer. "I'd be willing to bet that, once the fun starts, you won't be able to resist."
Mitchell is overwhelmed by a cold sense of dread as Daisy's words begin to sink it. He inspects the wound beneath his hand and confirms his suspicions. It isn't healing half as quickly as it should be.
I've gone too long, he realizes. I'm losing twice as much blood now because I've gone too long. How can I stay in control now? Oh, God… What have I done?
Daisy and Cara board the train car and within moments the screams of the passengers within fill the night air.
As the scent of blood threatens to overwhelm him, Mitchell can only close his eyes and hope that he doesn't lose himself to the monster within.
And so I leave you with an evil cliffy! Mwahahahaha! Hey, I haven't done this to you guys in a while. It was overdue. ;)
Expect Part II of this chapter in two days tops!
