So sorry for the delay, I had entirely too many exams to manage… now I have all of the free time in the world and I'm finishing this one, I promise!
Now, on with the story.
CHAPTER 45: THE GUEST
-Breathe slowly. Keep up the position…-, Vera instructed the crowd, carrying out the figure herself. Half a minute later, she let everyone relax their muscles. Casting a quick glance at the plastic watch on her wrist, she clapped her hands once to draw the general attention.
-That's all for today. See you next week. -, she proclaimed, hands dropping to her sides. She lost interest in the crowd then, she hated being late, especially when Ray was concerned; she still had to do some grocery shopping and a shower was in order, her hair was still damp from the previous course, and too little time to do all that.
Throwing the white towel over her shoulder and picking up the now empty bottle of water, she made for the shower stalls, but voices raising behind her back had her stop.
-Leave me now! I don't want to go out with you!-, a young woman with blonde hair told the brown-haired man in front of her, struggling to get him release her wrist. The man sneered, drawing her closer to his chest regardless of her resistance.
-Oh, come on! What does it cost you?-, he said in a singsong voice, smirking at her futile struggle. Vera deemed it best to approach the couple.
-Is there something wrong?-, she asked in her most authoritative voice, trying to intimidate the young man. When he dismissed her with a nonchalant wave of his free hand, though, she efficiently grasped his shoulder, digging her fingers in his flesh until he released the girl due to the pain in the arm which was blocking her.
-What the fuck…?-, he started to protest, swinging a punch aimed at Vera's head. She ducked easily and with three well practiced moves had him pinned to the floor, a forearm across his back to keep him firmly there. Several gasps of surprise and awe rose from the people around her.
-If you want to learn how to deal with a unwanted pursuer, join the self-defense course. I hold the lessons once a week, Wednesday afternoon from five to half past six PM. Dismissed. -, she barked, dragging the annoying man to his feet and pushing him towards the exit door of the gym, fully intending on seeing him out. The man was wise enough not to struggle while she was effectively throwing him out, and as soon as he was free he put as much distance between himself and Vera as he could, starting the car with a rumble and speeding away in a screech of tires.
Vera chuckled as she watched the felon run away from her, then cursed at the time. That was how she missed the man approaching her.
-Troublemaker?-, Jesse wondered, chuckling as the girl gasped and held a hand in front of her, as if ready to throw a punch at him.
-Jesse, you scared me. What are you doing here?-, she wondered, ears twitching madly over her head.
-Lil' ole me scared you?-, the dark haired man teased her, then, noticing her fingers curling into a fist, held his hand up in surrender.
-How did you find me? What do you want?-, she asked him aggressively, wandering inside the gym to retrieve her things, inwardly sighing at the missed opportunity to take a shower.
-I overheard you talking to Ryan earlier today. Vera, we need to talk. -, he replied seriously. Taking deep, slow breaths to calm herself, Vera managed to reply in a normal tone: -Fine, but you'll have to accompany me, my tasks for the day are not finished yet. –
-Whatever. Lead the way. –
-Horatio? It's Vera. Would it be a problem if we have a guest tonight, for dinner?-, Vera wondered on the phone, casting a quick glance at the driver. Jesse feigned being concentrate on the traffic, but she knew better.
-Who is it?-, the vampire wondered curiously. The girl sighed.
-CSI Cardoza. -, she replied, carefully ignoring Jesse's dirty look. Horatio chuckled.
-It's alright, then. Are you sure you two are gonna behave?-, he wondered humorously. The girl rolled her eyes at that.
-Sure. If he misbehaves, I'll tell your nephew to bite him. -, she bit back cheekily before ending the communication. Jesse chose not to say anything.
-Vera? I hate fish…-, Ray lamented from the kitchen table, observing the girl's movements as she cut the raw fish neatly in tiny stripes.
-Ray, you can hate one kind of fish, even a couple, but you can't hate fish in general. It's good for you. Don't you want to become as clever as your uncle?-, the girl reminded the boy, and Calleigh had to stifle a laugh at the crestfallen expression on his face.
-Yes, but…-, he tried complaining, but before he could complete the sentence, Vera handed him a piece of tuna, red and plump.
-Eat. Chew. Swallow. -, she instructed. Reluctantly, Ray took the proffered item in his hand, scowled at it for good measure, then popped it in his mouth. He chewed it comically, as if unsure whether he really disliked it or not. He gulped rather loudly.
-Passable. Still prefer burgers, though. -, he said dramatically. Calleigh burst out laughing as Vera and the boy made faces at each other.
From the living room, Horatio smiled warmly as his lover's laughter resonated through him, as if his body was a diapason. The third mark linked them so that they were able to influence each other's moods; he was not sure whether that was a good or bad thing for Calleigh, since he knew himself to be rather broody at times, but it was definitely marvelous for him, seeing as she was one of the sunniest person he happened to know.
Jesse, insensitive to his boss's moment of happiness, kept scowling at the floor.
-So you have figured it out once and for all?-, he questioned the vampire again. Horatio shook his head yes.
-Yes. The other candidate, now the only one, for the position of Master of the City helped Yelina with her plans about Calleigh supplying her with were-animals to launch at her. He wanted Raymond out of the picture, but in order to do so, he needed my help. I fit perfectly in his game. -, he explained.
-Are you gonna do something about that?-, Jesse inquired, looking squarely at his boss, head still bent on his chest.
-No. He didn't incite my brother and sister-in-law to evil, and I'm in no position to declare war to him. He only hastened what was inevitably to come. -, the vampire replied wisely.
Just then Ray Jr. and Vera came running towards them, unaware of the heavy topics being discussed by the male adults in the room, laughing and making faces at each other. The boy stopped long enough to throw a piece of raw fish at the girl, hitting her squarely in the face; giggling hysterically, he paused to watch her sweep the offending item away from her forehead, then dashed past his uncle's knees to escape Vera's wrath.
Calleigh came out from the kitchen chuckling at the two youngest people in the house, exchanging a warm smile with her lover before coming to sit across his lap, nestled between his hard frame and the corner of the couch. She stretched her neck to place a quick peck to his lips, then brushed the palm of her left hand against his chest, her attention shifting to Jesse. It was then that she noticed his grim expression.
-No one told him about his parents, right? He doesn't know that it's been Vera to kill them. -, he whispered, a statement more than a question. Horatio nodded, confirming his suspicions. The dark haired man sighed.
-I hope she knows what she'd doing. -, he mumbled to himself.
-Vera, you cheated! This is not sushi, it's sas…sush… arg!-, Ray struggled to find the right word, thus ruining his serious complaint.
-Sashimi, Ray. -, his uncle supplied, chuckling. –He's right, I've never seen them serve sashimi and chard. -, he added then, amused at Vera's pissed expression.
-It was the closer to seaweeds I could think of. -, she defended herself, raising from the chair and approaching the freezer. –But now I'm gonna settle the matter. Who's not satisfied with my dinner won't have ice-cream. -, she proclaimed with a smirk, showing her fellow diners the cold goodie for good measure.
-Have I ever told you that you're the bestest cook on the planet?-, Ray Jr. piped up, smiling innocently at Vera. The presents burst out laughing, the girl shook her head but provided the boy with a generous amount of dessert anyway.
When Jesse's turn came up, she put her hands on her hips, waiting for him to speak his mind.
-Everything was delicious. Thank you very much. -, he told her, looking into her greenish eyes. She nodded tightly and served him his portion.
