"Okay, you have our attention. What?" Yawn escaping me, arm draped over the back of Lauren's chair as she leans against me. The rest of the group looking up at Evony through tired eyes with just as much confusion.
"Me and Theo were talking, well he was talking. I usually appreciate the sound of my own voice, but there's something about his accent. Anyway, he mentioned when this was all over taking me back home. Back to White Lake Falls."
"You are having commitment anxiety?" Lauren's eyebrow raises, smirk wavering through a yawn.
"Seriously?" She looks around the room, I think frantic. I've never seen Evony frantic but I'm gonna run with it. "To the actual adults in this room, no bells ringing?"
"What are you on about?" Vex asks, looking between two bottles of vodka.
"Should it?" Dyson nearly speaks over him.
"White Lake Falls. The place nearly two hundred miles from here. Very small. Secluded. Hard to get to unless you know what you're looking for. Isn't really on most maps. Are you not seeing where I'm running with this?"
"No," Shaking my head, eyes falling to Lauren's hand on my thigh. Small smile on my lips. "Really not. Sounds ideal, which is how we ended up there."
"Well big ass newsflash to the clueless, White Lake Falls used to be known as Devil's Falls. Have to love human's lack of imagination. If it's scary and death riddled automatically go to the devil or hell." She pauses. "And I'm insulting my own kind, forgot I was human for a second."
"Um, excuse me?"
"Oh no, conversation for a much better time." She smiles down at Theo uneasily, Kenz rolling her eyes.
"Wait, wasn't Devil's Falls the second name for that place," Vex snaps his fingers a couple times. His thinking face on, he looks like he might actually be hurting himself thinking so hard. "Damned Lake?"
"Lake of the Damned." She snorts. "Again, humans not the most creative, especially the further back you go. The lake there was notorious for people, human and Fae drowning. A group of settlers we'll call them stumbled upon the lake just as others have. Somehow thirty of the thirty-one settlers ended up in that lake. The sole survivor, a light Fae, explained that they found eight other bodies before strange things started happening."
"Oh come on, this is a Fae scary story." Mark snorts, laying his sleeping bag down.
"No, it's not. The then Ash went to investigate. He never returned, nor did eight men he took with. His successor was the only one to return and deemed it condemned. Something wrong with the land. Probably a covenant with the land gone wrong. Even tried to blame the Dark but no one would take responsibility."
"So how do we go from Lake of the Damned to Devil's Falls?"
"Years came and went and humans procreated at alarming rates. A desire to conquer everything. Four settlements failed-."
"I thought it was six." Vex cuts her off.
"I heard it was four."
"Whether it be four or six isn't the point." Lauren cuts their bickering off, sitting up straight. "I don't remember this history. While enslaved I brushed up on every bit of history I could, particularly the Light Fae history."
"You wouldn't, this would have been hidden. Trick may have been one of the only living Fae to have heard about it still living in the area." She looks at me, guilt creeping over her features. "I'm sorry Bo, it was a poor choice of words. I just meant-."
"It's fine. I get how you meant it. So we got the backstory to this Fae horror story, what's the big deal? I mean it's all horrible but so is pretty much every story of how cities and towns came to be. If something happened with the Bohsee ahn talahv," Smirk coming as I glance at Lauren. "Yes I remember, I expect impressive points for that later." Attention shifting back to Evony. "It died out because when we were there we knew third generation families. The name Davil's Falls never mentioned once."
"First of all, if a Bohsee ahn talahv is damaged, it doesn't just repair itself. Second of all, you don't get it. No Light or Dark has ever claimed responsibility for this. That is what makes it scary. No one even tried. And third of all-."
"Evony is slowly getting at the whispers we've heard that there is a hidden entrance to Diyu. A hell dimension that makes your father's hell seem like an after school program for kiddies." Vex puts his drink down.
"There you go Vex, finally helpful for once."
"Bite me."
"Blow me."
"You wish I would."
"Hey! Timeout in the horrible image department. Be kind and rewind back to the entrance to a hell dimension."
"Diyu is or was popular in Chinese mythology. I couldn't tell you if it is now, I've been out of the game for a while. Thank you Lauren." She pauses for effect, staring at Lauren who tries not to chuckle. "I didn't concern myself with hell dimensions and the intricacies of certain things. Your grandfather did that. I paid attention to the here and now. What benefited me. But if I remember correctly it is a very different dimension that what Hades runs."
"Well who runs this nightmare then?"
"That's the thing, no one knows."
"I don't mean to be a bitch here, but you're running around like Chicken Little over some Fae mythology? What does this have to do with getting my Dagny back? That's all we should be focused on right now."
"Unless," I trail off, thoughts running away from myself. "That is the point of this."
"What are you thinking?" Lauren shifts to the edge of her seat, hand dropping to my knee.
"What if the whole point of this, of it all was to get to that door?"
"That's a pretty big leap Bo." Dyson's skepticism clear, but he sits up none the less.
"Theo what you said to me earlier about a string of coincidences in our favor can be applied to this. We're looking at this situation like it's in a neat little box and we just have to figure out how to close it. Put it on the shelf with all of our other victories."
"What's wrong with that?" Mark looks between me and his father.
"The first time we faced Jack he had been manipulating circumstances since before I was born. Why would this be any different? This didn't start when Kendra died or even when what happened in that alley. This is planned."
"I'm thinking that's a pretty big stretch." Ayesha adds.
"No, its really not if you think about it as a whole."
"If he was looking to avoid a fight with us before getting the dimension open he would need to lead us away. Bringing the fight to us was too much of a risk, especially operating on the assumption that if we called, everyone would assemble more than if Dyson did."
"Exactly." Small smile at her, our mind-meld is back on.
"That would also explain why the infected army was so small." Theo jumps in. "If this guy was smart enough to change Lauren's research then he could have easily made it infectious, right? The only time they came up was to drive you away. Or to protect him back in the woods."
"The real question is what Jack wants with another hell dimension. If we were talking about earth then hey sure, but another hell dimension?"
"Unless this isn't your father at all." Lauren stares at me. That look on her face that says her mind has caught a scent. Kinda like a dog after a bone. "Bo, why didn't he ever step outside of the church?"
"Um, I don't know. I was a little busy with the brother from hell."
"Oh, oh I see what you're getting at." Vex snaps his fingers, nodding.
"Care to let me in on it?"
"What if this isn't Jack's game?"
My lips part going to tell her she's beautiful but crazy, then the funniest thing happens, it doesn't seem all that crazy.
Just…scary.
.
Baltic Woods-South End-9:36 a.m.
.
"I really wish you would have stayed," I glance over, eyes running over her body. "You needed more than thirty minutes of sleep. And you should have dressed warmer."
"You are going to be an amazing mother." That warm smile she gets from time to time shines. Her eyes glistening in an overpowering sun. Or maybe they're glistening because in that moment she isn't in the death woods going to talk to her psycho future father-in-law about her psycho future brother-in-law, but rather in a future where it's just me and her and this baby. I think I like that thought the most. "Very protective, but amazing."
"I'm going to be the fun parent, thank you."
"Hm, I never would have guessed."
"Hey!" Our laughs entangling as she leans against me. Each step taken making it just a little harder to smile. Arm wrapping around her waist, eyes finding a home on Theo's back as he walks a good thirty feet ahead of us. Was he the best choice to bring considering everything? Maybe. Maybe not. But after last night, I can't really think of someone else I'd want out here with us.
"They didn't tidy up for us, I'll tell ya' that much." He comes to a stop, looking around at the scattered bodies. Some of the infected already beginning to liquefy. I know it's an ass thing to say but I seriously think I prefer regular zombies. "Horrible hospitality."
"That's daddy for you." Snorting as I pat him on the back, stepping around him as my arm drops from her waist. "Lauren stay out here with Theo."
"How about you stay out here with Theo and I'll go in?"
"Lauren."
"Bo."
"Should I be offended neither of you want to stay out here with me?" Grinning, he tilts his head towards his shoulder. "I don't smell and I bite far less than out non-zombie, zombie friends."
"I wouldn't be too sure about the smelling thing." I flash him a half grin, eyes moving back to Lauren who just stares at me with the look that means I've already lost. "Sure. Fine. Why not? Not like you have any extra reason to be cautious."
"Such an ass." She laughs softly, shaking her head already making her way up the stairs.
"First," Hand slamming against the door keeping her from pulling it open. "Sign of trouble and you're hightailing it out of here."
"Hightailing?" Curious grin of her own peeking. "Bo, first sign of trouble and I will do my best Peregrine Falcon impression."
"Um?"
"Sail Fish?"
"W-what's happening right now?"
"I was attempting at being whimsical in my agreeance that I would run if something happened."
"How is-what?'
"A Peregrine Falcon is capable of reaching speeds of up to two-hundred miles per hour while at a dive and a sail fish can reach up to sixty-eight miles per hour."
"Okay, so for next time babe, just reference a cheetah and then everyone will know what you mean."
"Well one a cheetah is actually slower than the Peregrine Falcon and sail fish."
"And two?"
"I'm finding myself slightly partial against cheetahs."
"I-why?" Brow raising, completely confused. "When did this happen? You have a stuffed cheetah at home from the zoo."
"Mr. Cuddles isn't a part of this."
"You named a stuffed cheetah Mr. Cuddles?" Theo snorts his laugh, hand going over his mouth.
"I have a problem with Chester."
"As in Chester Cheeto with the sunglasses and whiskers?" Theo sounds genuinely interested now, as if this entire conversation isn't insane.
"I am really not sure what to say to that." I find myself biting my lip to keep from laughing, hand falling from the door as I stare at her. "Um, yeah no I just don't know what to say to that."
"I saw a Cheetos commercial and found myself highly annoyed with his antics. But to be fair the next commercial was the ASPCA one with the horse and I couldn't stop crying for five minutes. I think the," She stops herself, glancing over at Theo. "Injections are having an unusual effect on my hormones."
"I wouldn't feel too bad, the ASPCA commercials make everyone cry." He nods, features scrunching.
"This has got to be one of the weirdest conversations I've ever been a part of." I laugh to myself, not even sure why I'm laughing as hard as I am, but apparently I'm not the only one as they join me.
"We shouldn't be laughing."
"No."
"Sleep deprivation has its perks." Theo just laughs to himself, starting to walk away from us. Leaning down when he reaches the nearest guard, patting him down.
"Robbing the dead?"
"We're low on ammo," He glances over his shoulder. "Not all of us can puppet master people…or use a kickass sword."
"Boys and their toys." Lauren smiles, hand on her stomach. I don't even think she realizes she's doing it.
"You think it'll be a boy?"
"I don't know." My question seemingly caught her off guard, hand dropping to her side. "Come on, we need to find out one way or another."
"Okay." I nod, allowing her to pull the door open, but I'm careful to make sure I'm the first one in. And apparently it's a smart decision.
"Mr. Cuddles, interesting." Jack says flatly, perched up on the lectern near the gaping hole in the floor courtesy of us. Clothes from last night still worn, dried blood over his hands and face. "Wouldn't have expected that from you Lauren. You seem above such sentimental things."
"Go." Order a whisper, hand reaching out, coincidently finding her stomach.
"Do you care to know what it is?" He nods toward her. "I can tell you."
"Where is Dagny?" Lauren asks.
"Well," He looks around. "Not here."
"Don't play games with me Jack. Where is she? And before you…"
"White Lake Falls."
"Try to give us the run around remember…wait…what?"
"Your sister, she's in White Lake Falls with your brother."
"Okay, that was easier than I expected." Shrug sort of escaping as my hand falls back to my side, but I'm careful to make sure I stay in front of Lauren. "Does this mystery brother of mine have a…?"
"Kostas."
"Just not going to let me finish a…?"
"Sentence? No." He shakes his head, chuckle drowned out by a groan, hand going to his stomach. "Sorry, bit of humor."
"You can quit the game Jack, I'm onto it."
"My daughter too farsighted to ever see what's going on right in front of her. Too nearsighted to ever see the bigger picture."
"And to think I almost felt bad about not getting you anything for father's day."
"I don't want your brother to have Dagny any more than you do."
"Bullshit. If Kostas has her that means you have her."
"You're right, I have her. That's why I'm here and they aren't."
"Bo." She whispers, hand on my back as she takes a step out from behind me. "He injected you."
"What?"
"Beauty and brains, shame you're human."
"It's impossible. There's no possible way what I made was strong enough to turn you."
"No, but Kostas is brilliant. It's enough to keep me docile."
"And when it wears off?" I ask, hand on her forearm keeping her from taking another step.
"We'll all find out." He shrugs, almost defeated. "If I last that long."
"Please, save the pity bullshit for someone else. IF I believe this and that is a HUGE IF, how did this happen?"
"It was a contingency plan. Kostas had been following you Lauren before you were ever my daughter's obsession. Happy coincidence you two would find one another. You had broken roadblocks he never could. He took the research, played with it, managed to turn himself Fae. We were all heading for a big family reunion, but you managed to outplay me." He fakes applause. "Kostas continued to tinker, made himself more powerful. Managed to free me, only to lock me in another prison."
"So mystery brother is just power hungry?" Glancing at Lauren. "That's easier to handle than expected."
"We'll see if you're saying that when he opens the gates to a dimension unlike any nightmare you could conceive."
"Where does my sister fit into this?"
"I honestly don't know."
"That's hard to believe." Lauren tilts her head, trying to assess his wounds from here.
"I really don't. I know why I want Dagny, why I wanted you. Same reasons I thought he did. But then he decided to imprison me. He didn't exactly give me a blueprint to his future plans."
"How convenient."
"I would have said smart, in case a situation as such presented itself."
"You said imprisoned." Lauren cuts me off from making a smart-assed comment. "You can't leave here, can you?"
"Ding. Ding. Ding."
"Wow, if he wasn't trying to open the gates of hell and kidnapping my baby sister I might actually like him."
"What Kostas wants is far worse than anything I ever did Bo."
"I'm sorry, I distinctly remember lots of death to innocent people with you. It doesn't get much worse."
"Death was near instantaneous. What your brother wants is careless and brutish, much like your approach to everything in life. He wants to rule Diyu, but opening the gate as he plans to will let anything and everything overflow into this world. I would pat him on the back for aiming so high if it was actually a plan."
"He's not gonna be able to control it."
"No, he isn't. He hasn't thought this through, like your joke of a rebellion. It's cute in theory, but will never work. That boy will be eaten alive before the first wave even makes it out from the lake."
"So, if I've got this right, you're temporarily human and trapped here?" Eyebrow raising, eyes running over him with an unusual predatory feeling nagging at me. "And you have absolutely no further value to us?"
"Bo, we should go."
"You're not going to do it Bo."
"No?" Eyes dropping to guard a few feet to my left, hanging over the back of what was once a pew.
"You still feel guilty about humans you killed before you learned to control yourself. You expect me to believe you plan to kill me, your father?"
"See the thing is Jack, you're not my father. Your just kinda a sperm donor, my father is dead."
"Bo," Her hand rests on my shoulder, turning to face me. "Let this go."
"We have a chance to finish this, right here and right now. No more Hades. We won't have to worry in another five years about him having a psycho third cousin of mine stashed away somewhere."
"Even if he was to die in this state, we don't know what that means."
"It's worth the risk."
"Is the risk worth your soul?"
"Lauren, do you seriously think this world is better with him in it?"
"No," Her hand cups my cheek, keeping my eyes on her despite him rambling in the background. "But he's trapped, defenseless and in likelihood will die on his own."
"Lauren-."
"Bo, this isn't you. You've never taken a life that wasn't necessary, this right here, him, not necessary."
"My daughter on a leash." His laugh pulls my attention, another brick of anger to add to my already wobbly wall, but it doesn't matter now. She's right, as always. I had no business thinking about doing that. Not like this. It's not me. He poses no threat. At least for now.
"Jack," Her voice stopping me at the door, turning back around to find her staring him down. "If you come near us again, I won't stop her."
Damn, sometimes I forget how badass she can be.
"Bout time, I was getting' bout as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs."
"We're good." Lauren answers with a half-smile, taking my hand in hers. "Right?"
"We are." I nod, keeping her hand in mine as Theo leads the way back. "It all makes so much sense, but at the same time…"
"It doesn't?"
"No. I mean it's like the pieces fit but they're just of a different picture than what was on the box."
"As they say, never judge a book by its cover."
"Just I can never figure out why I can't have a normal family. The closest to normal was Trick and Dagny and look how that turned out. Trick is dead and Dagny, I don't even know her."
"You can't choose the family you're born into, you have no say over that, but what you do have a say over is this family. You, me and this baby. We can't erase what's happened, but we make sure that history never repeats itself. And that's something, isn't it?"
"No," She looks over at me, eyes narrow with this look of shock deep in her eyes. "It's everything."
.
The Dal-12:06 p.m.
.
"Are you sure about this?" Kenz stares me down, hesitation written all over her.
"Yeah." I nod, looking over the small group. "Ayesha, you good?"
"I'm good, just don't like being backup."
"You're not backup, you're a second assault and in some ways a first. I know this seems crazy to send so much firepower together, but the chances are higher of you running into trouble before us. Vex, Mark, Dyson, Kenz, Ayesha get to Dimitri's and burn it down. Leave nothing. So far this infection hasn't been infectious, but we can't be sure."
"This will be seen as a declaration of war." Dyson adds in, closing the trunk of Mark's SUV.
"I'm pretty sure me killing Dimitri was the declaration of war, this is just kinda a screw you to them now."
"Are we supposed to evacuate it first or?" Mark master's his father's skill for skepticism.
"Whatever Ayesha feels comfortable with, the family in there are far from even decent people, but with something like this, I won't make that call. Once you're done there, get back to the woods. If Jack is alive, pile the bodies and burn them. He won't be a threat. And if he isn't, just burn it all. We can't leave them rotting nor the risk of someone running into them. Then head after us. We'll be far enough apart that if we fail, if we get into trouble you'll be a rescue party, a second assault."
"Kostas is insane, possibly unstable, but he is very smart." Lauren cuts in. "He thinks he knows us. What we'll do. He might not even known about Bo healing us, but for however many of us survived that he knows of, he'll be expecting us to attack all at once again."
"What about three waves?" Theo asks.
"How do you mean?"
"We have enough vehicles and there is two ways to get into White Lake Falls. You're saying he won't expect us to pull a one-two punch. I'm saying we go for a double jab followed through with a hook. We stick to your plan. We come up the main route. Then we have Ayesha, Dyson and Kenzi come up the second route as the second wave. But we have Mark and Vex come up the main route a reasonable amount of time after."
"Actually that's a pretty good idea Bo, he might be smart enough to expect a split up, but not three times."
"Babe, I don't know. That's stretching us pretty thin."
"Dyson is a capable leader and a good fighter along with a shifter. Ayesha is highly powerful. Kenzi would be safe with them and as always an excellent addition to whatever team she's on. Vex is the third most powerful, I'm sorry Vex, I love you, but you come in third."
"Who's first?"
"Really?" Several of them let out collectively.
"Fine. Fine. I'm third."
"And Mark is a shifter, decent fighter." I nod. "It's crazy enough it might work."
"Shouldn't we take a human?" Vex shrugs. "We have too many to divvy evenly, but Team-Two has Kenzi. You'll have Lauren. Shouldn't we get one?"
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"What? Just because Mother Time over here is cradle robbing, she gets special treatment?"
"Still can never see the bigger picture can you Vex?" Evony leans against the truck, arms folded. "Theo and I have the least attachment to Dagny and the most attachment to Lauren. Theo knows the town in and out, has been pretty impressive fighting and had proven to put Lauren above himself. Or at least his arm. And I'm pretty scrappy for my predisposition. Oh and if it came to the doctor here or Dagny, I wouldn't even need a second to choose."
"Always great to have you on the team." Kenz glares her down.
"You hate me for saying the truth all you want, but the world's tamest succubus here is the one who came up with the plan. I just have the balls to say it aloud."
"Are we doing the three or two plan? Because I don't really give a damn, I just want to get moving." Ayesha shifts her weight back and forth. I can't really fault her recent plunder into bitchy-land, if it was Lauren taken I wouldn't be able to think straight either.
"We're gonna do the three. Remain together until a few miles out. Let Team-Two go and then after a thirty minute wait, Team-Three has the green light."
"Should we be talking about what to do with the civilians?"
"No."
"But sheriff these-."
"She doesn't think they'll be any." Evony says quietly, hand on his forearm as she turns to open the passenger side door.
"Oh."
My eyes falling to his boots, Lauren's hand on my back for a moment before she brushes past to get into the back of the truck. I should have spoken up, told him that most likely a good portion of the town would be infected, after all Kostas doesn't exactly seem big on the one-on-one approach. But there's something about saying aloud that nearly everyone we knew, everyone from a life from just days ago is probably gone.
.
199 Miles from White Lake Falls
.
"I don't want to alarm anyone, but this really does feel like a march to our death." Evony sighs, looking into the backseat at us. "Someone speak for the love of god!"
"Do you have a topic in mind or?" Lauren yawns, leaning into the corner between the seat and the door.
"Anything that isn't this silence that is only broken by the sound of your girlfriend's excessively heavy breathing."
"It's allergies."
"You're a succubus, you don't have allergies."
"I so do."
"You do not."
"Succubuses don't get allergies?"
"Succubi!" The three of us let out in union, a heavy laugh escaping us all.
"Tomatoe or tomato."
"You owe another dollar in the jar." Lauren smiles, eyes at half mass.
"What is the story of this jar?"
"It's like a swear jar only because Theo has a habit of making up words he has to put money in every time he does."
"Not just me, Sheriff Sneezy Succubus here does too."
"Has Lauren ever had to put anything in?"
"No!"
"Lies!" I can't help laugh, starting at her in disbelief.
"They just heard me wrong."
"We did not, I can't believe you're lying about this again babe."
"And what did they hear wrong?"
"The brilliant love of my life here decided to pronounce the S on the end of Illinois."
"Oh! Lauren, that's bad."
"I didn't, I told you already they heard me wrong."
"Mm-hm." Smirk firmly on my lips, shaking my head at her as she tries not to laugh. "You so did."
.
143 Miles from White Lake Falls
.
Eyes slowly opening to the sound of giggles, slightly disturbed to realize its Theo and Evony. He keeps reaching for the volume nob only to have Evony swatting his hand away. Yawn escaping, eyes fluttering closed once again…for a moment. Eyes opening right back up at the sudden catchy pop beat filling the truck. Chuckle escaping me before I can stop it. Theo glancing back, laughing like a teenager.
"A little Tay-Tay for the doctor."
"I hate you all." She tries not to smile, eyes never once opening. "Each and every one of you."
.
120 Miles from White Lake Falls
.
"I want to play." Evony whines.
"No."
"I want to play."
"We heard you the first fifteen times." Lauren groans, looking out her window. "No. No. No. And no."
"You two are like a couple in their nineties."
"I'm beginning to think I should have shoved Evony in with Vex and Mark." Eyes meeting Lauren who just smiles. I keep forgetting Evony is Lauren's friend. How? Just how?
.
100 Miles from White Lake Falls
.
I nod down toward her lap, shaking my phone in my hand. She gives me a little laugh, but indulges me.
ME: This is DISTURBING. (2:34 p.m.)
LO: Leave them alone. Lol. (2:34 p.m.)
ME: I will not! He's like Barbie being led into the woods by a hunter! (2:35 p.m.)
LO: Um…? (2:35 p.m.)
ME: Bambi…Stupid spellcheck. (2:36 p.m.)
LO: Well to be fair, a hunter leading Barbie into the woods is pretty scary too. (2:36 p.m.)
ME: I. HATE. SPELLCHECK. (2:36 p.m.)
LO: We're getting close. (2:37 p.m.)
ME: I think we still have like two hours, give or take. (2:37 p.m.)
LO: I know, just the air feels different. (2:38 p.m.)
ME: Must have snowed. (2:38 p.m.)
LO: Must have. (2:38 p.m.)
ME: Are you feeling okay? (2:38 p.m.)
LO: Heading toward gates of a hell dimension, sure. I'm excited. (2:39 p.m.)
ME: Little snippy this afternoon Doctor. (2:39 p.m.)
LO: I am. Lol. I think I'm just hungry. (2:40 p.m.)
ME: We can stop. (2:40 p.m.)
LO: No, it's okay. I'll just starve. (2:40 p.m.)
ME: You're such a martyr. (2:41 p.m.)
LO: Martyr. Doctor. Genius. Saint. I'm a woman of many traits. (2:41 p.m.)
ME: You are so NOT a saint. Lol. (2:42 p.m.)
LO: I could be. (2:42 p.m.)
ME: You may have the patience of a saint, but I can recall some things you've done that would disqualify you. (2:42 p.m.)
LO: ….. (2:42 p.m.)
ME: Exactly. (2:42 p.m.)
.
86 Miles from White Lake Falls
.
LO: If we survive I say they go all the way. (3:18 p.m.)
ME: IF? (3:18 p.m.)
LO: Okay, when we survive. Lol. (3:19 p.m.)
ME: All the way…really? I can't see it. (3:19 p.m.)
LO: Why? (3:19 p.m.)
ME: They're SO SO SO SO different. (3:20 p.m.)
LO: People have and probably still do say that about us. (3:20 p.m.)
ME: Yes, but they're wrong. And stupid. And we're SO not them. (3:20 p.m.)
LO: That was very articulate argument. (3:21 p.m.)
ME: What can I say, I'm a word master. (3:21 p.m.)
LO: What? (3:21 p.m.)
ME: That's right. I am the master of words. Bow before me. (3:22 p.m.)
.
She looks over at me as I look away, trying desperately not to laugh.
.
LO: Bow before you? (3:22 p.m.)
ME: Mm-hm. (3:23 p.m.)
LO: Really? Here? In front of them? (3:23 p.m.)
ME: What? (3:24 p.m.)
ME: Oooh! Lol. Naughty Doctor. Lewis. (3:24 p.m.)
LO: That's my official title. (3:24 p.m.)
ME: I had an inkling. (3:25 p.m.)
.
43 Miles from White Lakes Falls
.
"Is it, blue?" Lauren asks, indulging Evony.
"No."
"Is it white?"
"No."
"Is it red?"
"No."
"Is it green?"
"Yes."
"Evony, I swear to God if you say it's a tree I'm going to climb up there and strangle you."
"Is that supposed to detour me or spur me on?" She glances back, smirking.
"Yeah, okay. Cut that out." I snap, looking between the two of them.
"Touchy. Touchy. Yes, it's green keep going."
"Grass? Trees?"
"No and no."
"Is it in this car?" Theo yawns.
"Yes."
"Is it," I trail off, looking around. "Theo's Green Lantern boxers?"
"Hey!"
"Not my fault you left your bag open."
"That's a good one, but nope."
"I give up." Lauren sighs.
"If it's not the boxers, I don't know."
"Theo?" She smiles at him, giving him that a 'you already know' look.
"Oh God, is it something pervy that's going to disturb us?" I can't help making a face.
"Oh! I know. Clever woman."
"What is it?" Lauren sort of snaps, God she hates to lose. It's so cute.
"In the back, there is a green and fuzzy Oscar the Grouch."
"Um, that's very specific and a little weird." I can't help awkwardly laughing, Lauren shrugging.
"It's for the baby from me and Theo."
"W-what?" The two of us letting out in union.
"We're not blind and Vex isn't exactly a ninja."
"Does anyone else know?"
"No, just Vex and us."
"Why the Grouch?" Lauren asks, small smile on her face making it impossible for me not to smile.
"Elmo terrifies me. And Evony feels Cookie Monster would promote self-indulgence."
"Of course you do." Lauren just laughs, letting her head rest against the headrest, leaning toward me. She's just smiling, hand sliding over the seat until reaching mine.
.
33 Miles from White Lakes Falls
.
ME: Theo being Godfather, pretty much without competition. BUT EVONY? (3:58 p.m.)
LO: Why not? (3:58 p.m.)
ME: Because….I mean….Because! (3:59 p.m.)
LO: Yes, that explained it perfectly. Lol. (3:59 p.m.)
ME: It's self-explanatory. (3:59 p.m.)
ME: Isn't it? (4:00 p.m.)
LO: No! (4:00 p.m.)
ME: What's all the yelling? (4:01 p.m.)
LO: I don't know. Lol. You were using a lot of question marks so I figured why not. (4:01 p.m.)
ME: I see. (4:01 p.m.)
LO: She has my vote. And the baby's vote. (4:02 p.m.)
ME: She has the baby's vote? (4:02 p.m.)
LO: She just bought him or her a stuffed Grouch. Of course. (4:03 p.m.)
ME: Our baby cannot be bought! (4:03 p.m.)
LO: Pfffft. (4:04 p.m.)
ME: This isn't over….. (4:05 p.m.)
LO: That's what you think. (4:05 p.m.)
.
20 Miles from White Lake Falls
.
"Hey." Hand falling to his arm, pulling him to a stop. Attention shifting from him back to the pumps where Lauren is taking a bag of chips from Evony.
"I really hope you washed your hands." He chuckles.
"This coming from you?"
"Me? I wash my hands thank you very much."
"No man washes his hands."
"What the hell kinda men you been talking to?"
"Next question." Smile fading, glancing back at Lauren for a moment. "So you knew about her being pregnant?"
"I did." He nods. "Don't understand the mechanics, but hey with everything I've seen the past two weeks this is probably the most normal thing."
"And I'm guessing you knew what Evony was talking about then before we left."
"Yes ma'am." He nods.
"I'm gonna ask you a question Theo and I need you to answer truthfully. The third car, Mark and Vex, was that really about having a third attack or was that about having a backup plan if you three needed to retreat?"
"Well see the thing is," He nervously chuckles, looking back at Evony and Lauren. "If we're doing even decent, they'll be a third attack. But if we ain't and a retreat is in order well, it's not gonna hurt knowing where the getaway car is with some decently powerful…Fae."
"You continue to amaze me Theo."
"Southern gentleman ma'am, all in our job description."
He flashes me that grin of his, tapping my arm as he heads for the bathroom. My eyes staying on his back, my own smile gradually fading. He reminds me of Kenz back in the beginning, the loyalty and bravery. He reminds me of Hale back in the beginning, the humor and chivalry. He reminds me of Dyson in the beginning, the fight and nobility. He reminds me of me in the beginning, hopeful and desperate to do the right thing. He reminds me of a better us, a better way, what we need to strive for if we make it through this. No, when we make it through this. He goes to push the door, sort of running into it. This chuckle as he shakes his head to himself, at himself before pulling it open.
Please don't die today.
.
0 Miles from White Lakes Falls
.
"Is it just me or like fifteen minutes ago there was still sun?" Theo begins to slow as we take another turn.
"Did you ever hear of this thing called streetlights?"
"We have them, not many but still." I trail off, rolling the window down as we turn onto Main Street. They haven't plowed in a day, maybe two.
"No plowing. No streetlights." Lauren sighs softly, meeting my eyes. "Kostas is certainly here."
"Stop here, turn the brights on." He does as he's told, the four of us jumping out of the truck.
"Not to be a bitch, but by the looks of it, we're a little late." Evony walks out in front of the truck to meet us.
She's not wrong. Staring down what was once probably the busiest streets in town now illuminated by nothing other than truck brights and moonlight. Populated by exactly four people. Snow a good two inches thick, maybe a little more. Walking to the edge of the light that stops just a few steps short of the sheriff's office. Another building seemingly just as deserted as the rest.
So much for life as we knew it.