Author's Note: So I left it on a dramatic cliffhanger but not to worry chapter 28 is here. So will Carmilla run again or will she finally tell Laura the truth? How will Laura respond? Hope you enjoy the chapter! :)


'My Mother.'

Carmilla couldn't stop the tears from falling as she spoke, her voice fragile and broken. Danny's face went pale as she took in Carmilla's words. It was then that Laura came round the corner, falling to her knees and their eyes met both wide with fear and sadness.

...

Laura looked up at Carmilla, her eyes swimming with conflicting emotions as she stuck her hand out reaching out for Carmilla. Carmilla looked terrified jerking back as her eyes flicked between Laura and Danny. Danny stood shell shocked, cursing as Carmilla started towards the door, tears streaming down her face.

Laura was shaking all over as she took in the brunette, quickly rising as she watched Carmilla making her way to the door. In two strides Laura had crossed the room, grabbing Carmilla's arm as she began to open the door.

'Don't you dare leave me alone again!' Carmilla took in a breath slowly turning around as she faced Laura's angry glare. She couldn't help but flinch under her hard stare as Laura spoke, her voice full of hurt and emotion.

'You can't just leave like that...you...you can't...why didn't you tell me Carmilla? I could have...you're, I never knew and you're here and...you're hurt. Damn it why didn't you tell me?!'

'Laura...I...I couldn't'

'I'm your best friend, we've been friends for nearly 10 years and you lied to me. We're supposed to tell each other things!'

'Laura, I didn't mean' Carmilla was cut off as Laura let out a scoff, angry tears splashing down her face.

'You didn't mean to what?! Shut me out, keep something so important from me?! I thought you trusted me, after 10 years you won't talk to me. You're supposed to trust me!'

'I do trust you, I...I...I...just...I just'

'Just what?! You yelled at me and told me to mind my own business and then you go straight ahead and tell Danny! I thought you could tell me anything but you clearly don't trust me.'

'Laura please let me explain.'

'There's nothing to explain. You don't trust me enough, you clearly don't value our friendship at all.'

'That's not true, I trust you Laura I just couldn't tell you, it's hard.'

'You had no problem telling Danny! Clearly she's good enough to talk to' Laura spat out the words, full of venom and hurt as Carmilla stared helplessly back at the blonde. Her face so broken and defeated as she tried to stop the tears from falling.

Danny watched horrified at the encounter, never had she seen Laura behave like this and she could see all of the resolve rapidly fading from Carmilla's body and she couldn't just stand there.

'Laura stop it. Stop making this personal, none of this was personal. I'm sure Carmilla had here reasons for not telling you and you attacking her isn't making this any easier on her. She must have had good reasoning for not telling you or else she would've done!'

Laura's face softened slightly before hardening again as she folded her arms, giving the brunette a pointed look. 'Humour me then, what are these reasons? Why couldn't you possibly talk to me?!'

'I didn't...Laura I couldn't tell you, I tried so many times and I felt sick every time I did. I couldn't put this onto you'

'Eugh how many times do I have to tell you that I want to help, why won't you let me? Am I not good enough to help you?'

'No! It isn't like that, I just couldn't tell you. I didn't know how to tell you and you'd want to help and I couldn't...I don't want your help.'

'Of course I want to help because I care about you but you don't care enough to let me help you!' At this Carmilla's face contorted, a fierce glint in her eye.

'Don't you dare say that I don't care about you! I do care about you, so much and I didn't tell you because I didn't want to upset you.'

'If you cared about me as much as you say you do then you would've come to me, I can help. I'm always there for you and you refuse to let me be. I want to help you Carmilla why do you have to be so stubborn?!'

'Oh I'm stubborn?! What about you huh? You can't even listen to me for one minute without accusing me of being an inconsiderate, lying bitch!'

'I never said that!'

'You didn't have to.'

...

They fell silent, looking at one another with intensity, jaws setting, lips pursed. Danny surveyed them both as she stood awkwardly in through middle. The tension rising with every ragged breath.

'Is there trouble in paradise?' Danny attempted to joke her face falling as she was met with two unimpressed faces, simultaneously glaring at her as she let out a nervous laugh.

'Not the time Danny.'

'I was trying to diffuse the tension.' Laura shook her head as Carmilla gave her a look that clearly told her to shut up. After another minute of awkward silence Carmilla turned her attention to Danny.

'Can you go away?'

'This is my house!'

'Danny could you just give us some space please? I want to talk to Carmilla for a minute.'

Danny nodded, looking at the brunette, waiting until she got a nod to let her know that she would be okay alone before leaving the room pulling the door shut behind her.


'Carm please just talk to me, I want to help you'

'You can't help me! You can't help this time.'

'You're only saying that because you don't want to admit you need help. I can be there, I'm supposed to be your person.'

'Then be my person! Stop trying to fix me and start fixing yourself!'

We're not talking about me, we're talking about you and how you are always pushing me away!'

'No, you wanted to make this personal so let's make it personal! Maybe the reason why you're so insistent on fixing my issues is because you can't fix your own.'

'I don't...I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Oh really?! When was the last time you got in a car?'

'...my dad drove me up here.'

'One that he wasn't driving?!'

'That's completely different, that's not an issue that's just routine.'

'Okay then, let's go break that routine shall we? Let's get Danny's dad to give you a lift home.'

'No. No we're not going to do that.'

'I thought it wasn't an issue, if it's not an issue then let's go, let's get in the car.'

'Stop it.'

'Come on Laura just get in the car, let's talk about that.'

'NO! STOP IT JUST STOP!'

'Stop what? I'm not doing anything.'

'I know you're only doing this to deflect your issues onto mine. You're trying to hurt me because you're hurting and you think that by yelling at me it will make you feel better. You need my help Carm.'

'Quit telling me what I'm thinking, you don't know what I'm thinking or how I'm feeling and I don't need your help. You can't fix this.'

'I can try if you just'

'No Laura. Listen to me very carefully. I do not need your help. I appreciate what you're trying to do and I know you're trying to help because you think that you can fix it and then I'll be okay but you can't fix it, let me handle it.'

'You're not handling it! This, this isn't how to handle it, you're...you aren't handling anything.'

'Laura please, I know this is hard for you to understand and I know that you want to help me and you just want to make it all go away, I know that and I love your endless amounts of compassion but I need to do this on my own. This isn't your battle.'

'It could be...'

'No it couldn't. I didn't tell you because I knew you'd get upset, I knew you'd internalize it and I couldn't do that to you. I didn't know how to tell you and I never wanted you to see me like this, so weak. I never wanted any of this.'

Laura's heart broke when she heard how fragile Carmilla sounded and she wanted nothing more than to take her pain away, there was so much of it and she hated that Carmilla felt this broken.

...

'I wanted you to think that I was okay and strong, I needed you to see me like that but instead I'm this...this mess. I just wanted to feel happy and alive. I tried so hard to protect you from this, I didn't want to burden you and I failed. I always fail and I can't stop this...this pain. I don't know how to stop it from hurting.'

Carmilla's voice broke and everything came crashing down. The walls she spent so long building fell down in an instant, her whole body trembling as she collapsed into a sea of tears. The pain and the memories clouding her mind as she fell against the wall, her cries echoing round the room. Laura didn't wait a minute before rushing over to grab Carmilla's face, cupping her cheeks as Carmilla struggled trying to flinch away, crying harder when Laura clung on.

'Carm listen to me, just close your eyes and listen to my voice.' Laura spoke softly, keeping her tone even as Carmilla let out another deafening cry. Carmilla tried to focus on the feel of Laura's gentle hands cupping her face as Laura started to speak again.

'You're okay, it's just me and you together. I know you're hurting now and maybe you're right, maybe I can't fix it but I'm here. I have always been here and I will always be here. I'm not going anywhere, when I was in the crash you never left my side so there's no way in hell or Hogwarts that I'm leaving you now.'

Carmilla blinked through her tears giving Laura a watery smile as through blonde pulled her closer. Laura stroked her hair, letting Carmilla cry into her shoulder as she whispered soothing phrases into her hair.

'I'm so sorry Laura, I never meant to hurt you. I told Danny because I couldn't bear the thought of you knowing and I knew she wouldn't freak out. I do trust you.'

'I know Carm, I know. I was just so scared for you and I lost it.'

'I'm sorry.'

'Hey stop it, stop doing this to yourself. It wasn't your fault.'

'Yes it was, it's all my fault. I'm useless.'

'No you are brave. I wish you could see yourself how I see you because who I see is amazing.'

Carmilla froze staring at Laura, her eyes so vulnerable but she smiled, that soft Carmilla smile reserved only for Laura. Their eyes meeting as Carmilla began to slowly lean in and Laura could feel her breath against her lips. The warmth of Carmilla's breath sending shivers down her spine as she moved closer, her arm moving to rest around Carmilla's neck as she tilted her head leaning in closer.

'Do you guys want some cake, my Mum made some?'

They sprung apart at the sound of Danny's voice, their moment lost. Laura sighed before making her way into Danny's kitchen, Carmilla closely behind watching Laura with a smile and for a minute her pain was replaced by the feeling she knew all too well: butterflies.