"Good grief..."
It had taken two days enough food and other supplies to be delivered for the kitchen and pantry in Mattie's house to be properly stocked to Perry's satisfaction. LaFontaine was standing off to the side and watching as Perry set about putting the items from the last delivery in whatever places she'd assigned them. (Perry had a very specific organizational layout she preferred for her cooking spaces, if only so she didn't have to go looking for things when she needed them.) They'd offered - more than once - to help, but Perry had politely declined. LaF had been in her kitchen enough times to have a pretty good idea what might go where, but she liked doing it herself. Much like cooking itself, the act of restocking and establishing order had a zen-like quality to it that calmed and soothed her, sometimes even more than cleaning could.
Given the past year, they could see why that might be important to her.
Perry gave them an almost sheepish smile. "I know, it might seem a bit excessive, but... this is actually typical for a gourmet kitchen. I've just... never had to stock one almost from scratch, before." Rather than be upset about that, she'd been practically giddy the past two days, all but bouncing about with what Carmilla called a "Laura in a candy store" attitude. It might still seem almost like blasphemy (she'd been too distracted to think of what the non-religious equivalent might be) to her to let such a kitchen sit abandoned and mostly unused, but that just meant she didn't have to rearrange anything when stocking it exactly the way she wanted it. LaF had to agree with Laura's assertion that this room was pretty much nirvana for Perry - or "Perryvana", as Laura had taken to calling it.
To Mattie's evident mild annoyance, the name seemed to be sticking.
"So, now that you've got it pretty much up to specs... Now what?"
The obvious answer to that would be 'cook something', but the two knew each other well enough that Perry knew what LaF meant was 'what are you going to cook?'. "I've been thinking about that. You know the school year's almost over." She paused, looking contemplative. "Hard to believe, isn't it? So much has happened over this past year, a lot of it bad, but... Some good things, too."
LaF knew exactly what she meant. "I know. I'm kind of amazed that we even survived this year, nevermind helped make it so that Silas is a better - and safer - place than it's ever been before."
"Yeah. That's why Laura wants to have a dinner party at the end of term." Her lips twitched. "A non-alcoholic dinner party, though Carmilla might be able to talk her into allowing a few bottles of wine."
LaF had to chuckle. With the Charter still invoked, no one knew if Laura even could get drunk, and Vordenberg's beer had all been disposed of, but clearly that hangover she'd had that one time had left a serious impression on her.
"From what she said, it'll be a sort of combination Housewarming and 'Holy crap, we survived!' party," Perry continued. "And I did tell Mattie that if Laura and Carmilla ever had a proper housewarming, I'd bring something with me. She must have mentioned that, because Laura did ask me if I'd be willing to cater." She sighed, adding, "I had to talk her out of paying me for it. I love cooking for people, and the supplies are free, so..." She moved over to the counter to stir the beef stew she'd had simmering in the slow cooker while she worked. (The Crock-Pot seemed a little older than any of the supplies Perry had ordered, suggesting it had been sitting derelict in a cabinet until now.)
LaF, wisely, had eaten before stopping by. That was standard procedure for them before visiting Perry in the kitchen, otherwise the delicious smells they might encounter could be enough to make them feel like their stomach was trying to escape so it could get at the food directly. Even with that, they thought the stew smelled wonderful. "Well, you know Laura: helps others with no expectation of payment, doesn't get it when they try and do the same for her." Was that a result of being surrounded by people paid to protect or help her growing up? It was possible, they supposed. Laura hadn't told anyone but her closest friends at Silas who her father was, and even with them she clearly did not want to make a big deal out of it. (Though it was fairly likely the rest of the Board also knew by now, whether Laura had told them or not.) She loved her father, and she'd happily take advantage of any people or technology he offered to help keep the students and faculty of Silas safe, but she liked having friends who liked her for who she was, so she didn't really talk about her home life with anyone - except possibly Carmilla.
To be fair, though, no one really talked about their homes or families very often. Despite knowing them both for almost a year, Laura had been surprised to learn, when asking them if they had any big plans for the summer, that LaFontaine and Perry lived in Bern, Switzerland. None of them really had any idea where Danny was from (except possibly June, though she rarely seemed to volunteer such information)... or Kirsch, for that matter, but he wasn't always part of the core group, so that made a little more sense.
They privately resolved to ask Danny about her summer plans later.
"Well, if I know my sister, she'll be working to break her of that habit," Mattie announced as she swept into the kitchen, heading straight for Perry. As usual, she was more formally dressed than the rest of them - given that, as far as LaF knew, she didn't even have any business meetings these days, since her job didn't officially start until autumn, they could only conclude that she just liked fancy dresses and business attire.
Perry was considerably more relaxed with Mattie's presence than she'd ever been before. (Which LaF wanted to think was due to the soothing effect of the kitchen.) "Given how stubborn Laura is, she'll have her work cut out for her." She took the lid off the Crock-Pot just long enough to get a small amount of stew in the wooden stirring spoon, then proceeded to slip it into Mattie's mouth as she was about to say something. "Here, taste."
Mattie made a startled noise, which quickly changed to a pleasantly surprised one, then one of enjoyment.
LaF, from where they were standing out of the way, nodded wisely. "This is your first time tasting her cooking, isn't it?"
"Well, I made spaghetti the other day, but I didn't really have the proper ingredients to make it right," Perry admitted.
"There is a world of difference, alright," Mattie agreed. She slipped her arms around Perry's neck. "I'm not sure I want to let you go, now," she teased before pulling her into a kiss that started at a PG-13 rating, and swiftly began heading for R territory.
While Perry had told them how easily - one might even say eagerly - she responded to Mattie's kisses, this was the first time LaF had ever seen it themself. If anything, they decided, Perry had been understating things - that, or she wasn't even trying to resist, anymore. They coughed loudly.
Mattie and Perry ignored them. (Or Mattie did, anyway. Perry likely hadn't even registered the sound.) By this point, Mattie had Perry's shirt untucked.
They coughed again, louder, clearing their throat ostentatiously.
That got through, Perry jumping in surprise, breaking off the kiss and blushing furiously. Mattie turned and regarded them in a way that might have made them nervous had Mattie not agreed to go around murdering students she didn't like. (That Laura had actually needed to get her to agree to that said a lot, really.) "Oh, dear, that sounds like a bad cough," she said coolly. "You should go and get that checked out at the hospital. Immediately."
Perry, still red face buried against Mattie's neck, couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, that was subtle." She started tucking her shirt back in, and Mattie sighed.
"I don't feel any obligation to entertain a guest I didn't invite, or restrain myself in my own kitchen."
Which were fair enough points, LaFontaine supposed. Still, though... "I could make the argument that this is really Perry's kitchen."
Perry made a sound that was somewhere between embarrassed and ecstatic, and she fondly brushed an imaginary bit of dust off the counter, a dreamy look on her face.
It seemed to be that look, more than anything, that stilled Mattie's argument before she even began making it. "You're just using me for my kitchen, aren't you?" she asked instead, sounding amused.
"Not just for your kitchen," Perry said, her tone matching her expression. "Also for the really great sex." Mattie chuckled, shaking her head, giving Perry a fond look.
That was something LaF found fascinating. "I have to admit, I wouldn't have guessed you two would end up as a couple."
Perry jerked around to face them, startled. "We are not a couple!" she sputtered, sounding aghast.
Their eyebrows rose. "I know what I saw, Perr."
"Who... Who else has been saying that?"
"Aside from Laura and Carmilla - and probably Rebecca, given how she likes keeping tabs on things - I don't think anyone else even knows about the two of you." They paused, then added, "Though all they'd need to do is spend a few minutes watching the two of you together."
"We are not dating!" Perry insisted. "I think I'd know if we were! I..." She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, forcing herself to calm down. "I'm not entirely sure what it is that we have, but I know what it isn't. And it's not... that."
For her part, Mattie wasn't looking at all offended by Perry's assertions. "Really, nothing's changed except that you don't waste any of our time by pretending you don't want it."
"I tried resisting. I failed," Perry admitted with a shrug. "Now I'm just going with it." She regarded the slow cooker. "This calls for a red Bordeaux. I think I saw a bottle of 2012 Château Fantin Bordeaux Supérieur downstairs." She hesitated, looking torn.
LaFontaine could tell that part of her wanted to insist they stay for lunch, partly because they were best friends, partly to prove she didn't just want to be alone with Mattie... Even though being alone with Mattie was clearly exactly what she wanted. So they decided to make it easier for her. "Well, I should start packing up the lab, make sure there aren't any last minute experiments going on. I'll leave you two to your-"
"It is NOT a date!"
They blinked at her. "...I was going to say 'meal'," they said simply. "Nobody said the word 'date'."
"...oh. Well... Well, good." She hurried off toward the wine cellar, looking flustered.
LaFontaine regarded Mattie.
Mattie calmly returned their gaze.
There was a long moment of silence.
"So, I take it I'm about to get the 'if you hurt my best friend, I'll kill you' speech?" Mattie remarked softly. "I have to admit, I was wondering when that would happen."
"I was waiting to see if it was necessary, first," they replied, stepping closer. "Given how against the idea Perry was at first, she might just have called the whole thing off, herself. Since she hasn't, though..." They stopped just shy of arm's length away from her. "She's been through a lot this past year."
"True."
"Given that you were involved in some of that, and your 'mother' caused pretty much all of it, I'm sure you can see why I might find this kind of... twisted."
"I can."
"Whatever it is the two of you have... It's making her happy, right now. Just keep that up, and we won't have any problems."
"I was hardly about to just kick her out." She didn't say it, but the subtext that she wasn't about to change what she was doing to make them happy was loud and clear.
"Good. Because if you do hurt her..." They stepped closer and lowered their voice to a quiet, deadly serious tone. "...I decided, after Laura's surgery, to better familiarize myself with the sedatives and other such drugs the hospital has on hand. As such, I know exactly what combination would leave you paralyzed but fully conscious, and able to feel everything... So, unless you want to find out just what a full dissection and autopsy feels like, you'll make sure Perry stays happy. Otherwise, the next time we see each other, I'll be weighing your liver." They gave her a final glare, then turned and left.
Mattie stared after them for a long moment, then slowly smiled. "Well," she murmured, sounding satisfied. "Alright, then."
If there was one quality she appreciated among her sister's friends, it was their loyalty.
"C-5."
"Miss."
Danny put a white peg in the hole. "Where did you even get a physical game of Battleship?'
Vanessa shrugged. "I honestly don't know. It was just... there... when I woke up, this morning. B-9."
"Miss." Though just barely. "I can check with the nurses to see if any of them saw who dropped it off, if you want. H-8."
"Hit." Well, finally. She'd been starting to wonder if Vanessa had actually put any of the ships on her primary grid. "Don't worry about it. Someone deciding I needed something else to keep me entertained isn't exactly that big of a deal." She paused, then admitted, "Besides, I already asked. No one saw anything."
"Ah. Gotcha." Right. She had to remember, Vanessa wasn't one of the co-eds that needed someone looking after them. She'd been professionally trained, and just because she'd been manning the communications station didn't mean she wasn't fully capable of kicking ass if she needed to. (When not faced with super-powered vampires, anyway.) It was just that she looked so delicate, almost elfin, it was easy to forget that, if you weren't careful. At least she wasn't still wearing the loose-fitting, oversized hospital gown, anymore. That had only been making things worse. Since Vanessa hadn't really brought much in the way of clothing with her - the Corvae troops not exactly having much in the way of downtime (and there not really being anywhere around to go), she'd mostly stuck with variations of her uniform - Laura had told the hospital gift shop to see to her needs, assuring them she'd pick up the bill.
She was currently wearing a white Silas University T-shirt. Danny had no idea if that was a good sign regarding her accepting the security job there or not. "B-8," she said, the slight hint of a smile on her face clearly saying that Danny had given herself away earlier.
"Hit," Danny admitted grudgingly. She really needed to develop a better poker face, she decided. Maybe they should actually play poker, next. Given that she was on her last ship, the Battleship game wasn't going to last much longer.
Mental note: Do not challenge the trained commando to a game of tactics again.
"H-7," she tried. She might lose, but she wasn't going to go down without a fight.
"Hit," Vanessa said, sounding rather nonchalant about it. "You sank my PT Boat." Which explained why she was so unconcerned. Though, really, there were only so many free spaces left on the board for her ships to be in, so Danny knew she could find them, given time. "C-8."
Time she wasn't going to get. "Hit," she admitted with a sigh. "So, have you thought about it? J-6."
"Hit. The security officer position, you mean?"
"Yes."
"Yeah, I have. I'll admit, part of me just wants to get as far away from this school as I can. D-8."
"Hit. I get that, believe me. And the rest of you? J-5."
"Hit. Well, part of me feels like I owe the student body after what Corvae put them through."
"Don't be ridiculous. You had nothing to do with that."
"I know that up here," she said, tapping her head. "In here takes a bit longer to convince," she added, tapping her chest. "Anyway, safeguarding a school that no one knows exists does have a certain appeal."
It was the closest she'd come to acknowledging her former marriage - and that she'd run as far from her ex-husband as she could manage - in all the time Danny had been coming to visit her. This didn't seem like the right point to question her about it, though. "I suppose so."
"And... Well, I don't exactly have anywhere else to go, so why not here? E-8."
"Hit." Vanessa was peering at her over the top of her board expectantly. "What?"
"Say it."
"Really?"
"Come on, you have to say it," she insisted, just barely restraining a smile.
Danny sighed, then obediently announced, "You sank my battleship."
Vanessa giggled happily.
Even she was starting to wonder if she was just being paranoid.
Rebecca paused at the intersection of several of the tunnels underneath the school. If she hadn't already known who it was - and that she was suffering an eternal punishment even then - she'd have decided that whoever had made the gerbil maze from hell under Silas should be shot. Repeatedly.
Still, she had to admit, this was getting a little silly. They'd checked the tunnels carefully. They'd checked them again. She'd even gone through them all by herself a third time. They hadn't found any sign of a trap set by the former Dean. And yet...
Something just felt wrong.
She knew better than to ignore her instincts. If she hadn't already known that, being killed and raised by a vampire would have been enough to drive the lesson home. And something was telling her that her self-given secondary objective - keeping Laura safe - wasn't quite finished, yet. They were almost to the end of the term, yes... But that was part of what was bothering her. End of term. Graduation. Most of the school, gathered in one place, celebrating, ignoring everything else...
It would be the perfect time to spring a trap.
Well, if there was one, it wasn't there. She resumed walking, taking in all the details of her surroundings even as she thought.
Laura - her little Laura - in charge of a college. Dedicated to keeping everyone there alive and well. Getting married.
Married.
She'd casually mentioned it the other day when they'd spoken, presuming Rebecca had already known - which of course she had. They still hadn't worked out any of the details, but Laura had shyly admitted that, once a time and date were selected, she'd like it if her mother was there.
Rebecca, choked up, had needed a minute before she could say that yes, of course she would be.
Her schedule was very rarely a set thing, but for Laura, she would happily set the time aside. Laura had said she'd like it to be a small ceremony, just friends and immediate family. That, of course, would mean finding a way to sneak Patrick away from the prying eyes of the press (as well as the types of people who had made Laura need so much therapy over the years), so the more lead time Laura and Carmilla could give them, the better.
Because Laura wouldn't dream of getting married without inviting her father, and, whatever he might think of her choice of bride - even Rebecca wasn't sure about that - she didn't think he'd want to hurt his baby girl by not coming.
Which meant the two of them, at least superficially, getting along for the day. They'd done it before, for Laura's sake, but she knew they were both a bit out of practice.
Well, if he showed up for graduation, maybe they'd get a chance to work on that.
Laura was being fairly secretive about her plans for the summer, which told Rebecca that she wasn't going home like Patrick no doubt expected she would. Well, that would be his problem, wouldn't it? She might only be nineteen - twenty, come July 29th - but she was an adult, now. If she wanted to go spend some time alone with her fiancée (and June, most likely; bringing her along would forestall any concerns for her safety her father might have), that was her decision to make.
And speaking of whom...
Carmilla was being coy about it, but Rebecca knew she'd seen Laura's video of her speech to Lilith about motherhood, and it was clear to her that Carmilla didn't know how to react. Part of her seemed to want to approach Rebecca about it, but she didn't. That was fine, though. Given her history, it was only natural that this subject would leave her confused and conflicted. She wouldn't rush her. Better to let Carmilla slowly get used to the idea that she might have a mother who actually cared about her as a person, again... though hopefully she'd at least start making progress there before she had in-laws.
Rebecca allowed herself a small smile. A daughter-in-law. Her relationship with Laura had been rather strained - to put it delicately - by the time Laura had figured out she liked girls, so that was a thought she'd never really let herself have. That not only would she get to be Laura's mother, again, but that she'd be someone else's mother-in-law.
It was kind of amazing to think about.
But she needed to focus. She was getting closer to the Lustig Crater, and there were a number of crevices, tunnels that had given way, and-
And a tunnel that she was sure hadn't been there, before.
She paused, instantly wary. Had it been hidden behind some kind of magical veil? Or had one of the collapses revealed it? Impossible to tell. The tunnel itself certainly seemed stable, but she had no idea how far it went, or in what direction, ultimately. Unfortunately, the only autonomous surveillance device on campus was Laura's drone, which wasn't really meant for underground use. (It also didn't have a light.) She could go get one... but she didn't like the idea of leaving the tunnel unobserved, now that she knew about it. She could call Laura and ask her to send down June... but Laura wouldn't be able to leave it alone, and would come along, no matter how unsecured the area was. As much as she believed Laura could make her own decisions, she wasn't about to let her daughter march into a potentially deadly situation for no real reason if there was an alternative.
So she started down the tunnel by herself.
Her misgivings seemed unfounded, at first. The tunnel was just that: a tunnel. Just as full of twists and turns as any of them. It also had a definite downward angle to it. By her estimations, it was taking her underneath the Lustig Crater.
Her bad feelings came back in full force.
It ended at a sheer vertical drop, which she slowly crept up to and peeked over the edge. The tunnel let out at a point in the top of the wall of a massive cavern. She'd never seen the one where the sacrifices had taken place - none of the students involved had given a good enough description of it for her to make any estimations, either - so she couldn't say if it was bigger or smaller. It was, however, far more crowded.
It was full of the dead.
Not ghosts - of course it couldn't be anything that unthreatening, she thought sourly - but zombies ranging from peeling and flaky skin all the way down to just skeletons. Hundreds of them, if not more. Even as she watched, another skeleton was pulling itself up out of the ground. And at the center of the cavern was the massive corpse of... Well, she wasn't quite sure. It was about twenty feet tall, and looked almost reptilian, though it had decomposed enough that it was hard to tell exactly.
Well, she'd evidently found Lilith's plan. Now she just had to figure out what she was going to do about it.
And hope it wasn't already too late.
Author's Note: I know this is late, and I am sorry about that, but yesterday being my birthday, I didn't get much of any work done on this (or much else). I'm also sorry to say that, yes, I am reintroducing some plot into this story, because I've just about hit the limit for fluff. As close as they are to the end of the school year, there probably won't be all that many more chapters for this. (I know, I'm sad, too.) But since I can hardly ignore the question of, "But, what kind of wacky antics are they going to get up to over summer vacation?", there will be at least one follow-up story.
Also, since she's appearing more and more, I've finally decided to cast an actress for Vanessa: Amanda Seyfried. This means that the only OC who shows up frequently to not have an actress would be, ironically, the first of them, Rebecca herself. I just don't know who'd look somewhat similar to Elise, while still looking badass enough, to pull her off. I'll keep my eyes open, though.