Yes, it's been months, I'm sorry. But here's the next chapter! For all the hardcore JARA fans, and I know that's hard to come by this days, apparently Joyrome is the new thing. On to the story!
Disclaimer: Yeah, no.
Patricia stepped confidently out from the bushes, tight lace tights and combat boots, she looked every bit the rebel. But her face betrayed her; dead serious.
"Patricia." Jerome said warningly, this wasn't the way he wanted Mara to find out.
"Oh, do you not want me to tell her the danger you're dragging a perfectly innocent girl into?" Patricia asked sternly.
"Patricia!" He begged. The blue of his eyes looked like tears as he begged.
"No, I will not allow you to bring someone into this who doesn't need to be, how dare you think that you have the authority to do this! You're not even in SIBUNA!" Her voice rose as she spoke.
"Hey, this is none of your business, Trixie! This doesn't have anything to do with your little club!"
"This is Mara we're talking about, you're putting her in totally unnecessary danger!" Patricia was in full protective mode, her auburn hair looked fiery to match her tone, her expression was one of righteousness and anger.
"Because I felt like it, you don't own everything to do with mystery you know!" Jerome had drawn himself up to his full height, and he was trembling with rage. Both Patricia and Jerome knew what Rufus could do, they had both been taken and held for days. Both had experienced unspeakable horrors, but it didn't have to do with this argument!
"She was free of this! She wasn't in danger!" Patricia cried.
"No she was just ignorant, but she's always in danger, as long as it's happening she's—"
Patricia cut him off, "Of course she is but—"
It degenerated into senseless noise for Mara, arguing about her. But she could feel the anger mounting.
"DOESN'T ANYONE WANT TO KNOW WHAT I THINK?" She broke in, pulling the two apart.
"Mara, you don't know what we're talking about," The two chorused. Patricia said it snarkily, but Jerome angered her more, he said it so kindly. He said it so condescendingly. How dare he look down at her like that? It didn't help how his blue eyes sparkled and how cute he looked as he said it.
"Well, you had better tell me then won't you?" she retorted "I'm done with this, stop looking at me like I'm so adorable when I ask about Rufus," they flinched, "stop telling me that I don't know what I'm dealing with, or that it's too dangerous. I'm already in it."
They had the grace to look ashamed, but both were hesitant to tell Mara of the horrors that she may face.
"Rufus was the PI I was talking about first term," Patricia began, "I thought his name was Rene back then…"
Patricia told her experiences with Rufus, glossing over the kidnapping and telling abridged versions of the things that he had said to her. But Patricia told her about the house and it's powers. Mara didn't know if she believed her or not.
Jerome told his version of the story, but he didn't bother to make the story of his kidnapping shorter or sweeter for Mara, not when she had been complaining about condescension. The way he told it was brutally honest. And though Mara was disturbed, she appreciated the effort.
"So, you're telling me that Rufus is a ninety year old man born to protect a woman who, because of some cosmic coincidences is the protector of the world, however, he looks like he's forty and turned evil with lust for eternal life?"
"Essentially." Patricia conceded.
"Alright, but by knowing this, I don't see how I'm in any more danger."
"That's what I was saying!" Jerome said triumphantly.
"Then why didn't you say anything earlier?" She asked pointedly. Jerome looked at the ground.
Mara marched back to the house, ignoring everything that Jerome and Patricia said to apologize she ran up the stairs to her room, slamming the door in their sorry faces.
She sat on her bed with a thump, let her hair loose and shook. She trembled with the weight that had just been put on her. It felt like her back was being walked on by someone who weighed more than the moon. Ironically, it was the fact that they thought she couldn't handle it that weighed on her most.
She hated this, she was small and sweet and smart, but she was just as tough as Patricia or Jerome. It scared her, she wondered if Jerome thought of her as powerful. She wondered if anyone thought of her as powerful.
Four knocks rang out against the door.
"What do you want?" She yelled.
"It's Alfie, Trudy just sent me up to-to tell you that dinner was ready," came the scared response.
"Crap, I'm sorry Alfie, I thought you were-"
"Jerome?" He said quietly, "yeah, I know, can I come in?"
"Sure," she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.
Alfie walked in slowly, cautiously, he walked up and sat next to her. He ran his hand over his forehead, as though there was hair.
"Are you mad that he didn't tell you? About SIBUNA I mean?" Mara shook her head.
"I just want someone to think that I can handle myself, I just wished he could do that."
"You know, I found out about SIBUNA first, before Jerome anyway, but he still tried to get me out of it, He doesn't like anyone to be in danger when he can stop it."
"Then why did he do this? He brought me into dangerous situations before, why are you qualified to deal with this when I'm not?"
"He couldn't stop me. And he knew that, I don't think he knows that about you." Alfie got up, "Let's go, it's time for food! I hope the aliens haven't gotten to it yet."
Mara smiled, "That's the Dalek's secret plan of course, poison the food."
"EXTERMINATE!" Alfie screamed and ran down the stairs.
Mara avoided the SIBUNA's gaze, which was hard to do as they were quite literally two-thirds of the dinner guests. And though she had loved Mick, he and Joy's conversation about health foods was far from scintillating.
She stared at her plate.
"Mara, you know, I um, we could talk." Jerome said awkwardly.
"Mm." Mara murmured.
"Please." Jerome whispered.