No Pairing
French Quarter, New Orleans
The Compound
Monday, January 15, 2011
7:19am
The twins slept in as Davina got up to go to school. Davina tried several times to stay home, but it wasn't happening. After she had no luck with Rebekah, she went to Marcel.
"Dad, come on. I can miss like one day. Aunt Freya and Keelin are leaving today. It's their last day. Shouldn't I be there to see them off and all? I'm not missing anything at school today?" Davina insisted.
"D., you're making me suspicious that there is a reason that you don't want to go to school. Do you have a test you didn't study for or something?" Marcel asked with a hint of amusement.
"No, it's Monday. They always pile on the tests on Friday. It's a nightmare. So I can stay home today?" Davina tried again.
"No, absolutely not. You've missed enough school. Now move, before you are late-again. Didn't they tell you that you were getting a detention if you were tardy one more time?" Marcel prompted.
"Another travesty! It's a crime to be late? Ugh, well, tell them I said bye. I'm being so rude by just leaving, but whatever...," Davina mumbled grabbing her backpack.
Marcel pointed to his cheek, "Put it there, Grumpy. I love you. I'll pass on your regards to your aunts. Be good." Davina exhaled loudly and then pecked Marcel on the cheek where he pointed and reluctantly smiled. He was hard to resist.
"Davina, get in the car now! We're late!" Rebekah shouted from downstairs. Davina rolled her eyes and stomped downstairs.
Marcel made a mental note to check Davina's grades. Her heart had skipped a little when he asked about the test. He suspected she did have a test or assignment she didn't do and wanted today to catch up. Rebekah had checked with her both last night and Friday to see if she had any school work to do and she had snapped that she didn't have homework over the weekend. Davina was a good student, but Marcel suspected if they didn't force her to go to school, she would have no compunction dropping out without another thought.
Freya came up to wake the twins up around 10am. Rebekah was going to take them around. She had stopped to do some errands after dropping off Davina at school. Then, she was going to get Freya and Keelin for brunch and a day of the sights and of course, shopping.
"Hey girls, we were going to do some sight seeing before we left. Do you want to join us?" Freya asked in a soft voice.
"No, thanks. I'm too tired," Dana said rolling back over.
Rachael groaned, "Me either." Freya wondered if they were upset about last night. Has she been too hard on them?
"Okay, girls. Call if you need anything. Don't leave without letting us know. Love you," Freya said kissing them both before she left. She couldn't believe she had to leave them here for at least a week longer, but she knew that her sister and Marcel would take good care of them. Freya pushed back Rachael's red hair. They both had them in braids and looked younger in their sleep.
Freya walked downstairs alone.
Keelin asked, "They didn't want to join us?"
"No, still sleepy, I guess," Freya said. "Unless they are pissed at me for last night?"
"Were you hard on them?" Keelin asked looking through her purse.
"Firm, I'd say. I used an old butter paddle that Marcel and Rebekah lent me that drove my point home. Plus, that salve should leave them feeling it a little this morning. I just hope they don't resent it and now we're leaving...," Freya drifted off.
"Babe, they are teenagers. They resent pretty much everything. I think they will have fun here with their fellow witch cousin. And the city, it's amazing. This house is right in the heart of the French Quarter. It will be a great experience, but they need to know that they can't be actin' like fools!" Keelin revealed.
"I told Rebekah I'd leave the paddle on the dresser as an incentive for them to behave themselves. She was skeptical. God, Keelin, I even put them in the corner. Maybe I was treating them like little kids? I just couldn't ground them and then leave Marcel and Bex to enforce it, right?" Freya fretted.
"Right. Hey, come here," Keelin said putting her arms around Freya. "You're second guessing yourself. It's hard to know what the right thing to do it. You're too easy, they become delinquents. Too hard on them, and they rebel. You haven't had them from when they were babies. Starting with 14 year old twins is tough. You can only do your best. Grounding them in this city when they are here to help a dangerous situation, in my opinion, would have been crueler than going to be with a few smacks on the rear," Keelin comforted her.
"Really, you think so? They seemed okay when they fell asleep, not mad. I wish I would have had them from the time they were babies, maybe I could have protected them? But hell, 14 years ago when I was awake, I was in the 10th century," Freya recalled.
"Yes, see? You've been through things that no one probably in history has suffered through. All we can do is our best. In my practice, I see a lot of adoptive werewolf families come together. Wolves are violent and die young leaving behind kids and teens. Like my own parents did. There are always pack feuds that can get out of control in a moment. It's not easy for those new families to find their rhythm," Keelin said carefully.
"What do you mean?" Freya pressed.
"Sometimes the parents are too harsh with the kids, and sometimes they try to make up for the death of the bio parents and spoil the kids. It's difficult to find that sweet spot of just enough. And Babe, sometimes, not every family is the right fit. But I've seen you with these kids, these siphons and they need you," Keelin said rubbing her shoulders.
"I need them, too. I guess in my mind, things would always be fun and games with them...Me teaching them new spells and how to handle their magic. Us laughing and smiling. I guess I wasn't prepared for the constant pushing back on the girls' part," Freya admitted a little teary eyed.
"Hey, you can't take it personally. It's not about you. It's about them learning how to regulate their emotions at the same time as seeking independence. It's normal. Their friends and peers are the most important thing right now. I know for you, being only with Dahlia, you didn't have these experiences, but I had them myself," Keelin shared.
"Really? You talked like this to your family? Acted like this?" Freya asked in surprise.
"Oh hell no, my grandmother would have beaten me to death! She did almost knock out my cousin's tooth one time for laughing at church, but that is another story. And that isn't healthy either. Old school wolf families are different, and not always in a better way. But my parents were killed in battle and my grandmother was protecting us in her own way," Keelin admitted.
"And you turned out okay?" Freya smiled.
Keelin returned the smile, "I may have become a doctor, Freya, but there are times where I blindly obey my superiors where maybe I should question them. Growing up like I did, makes it hard to assert myself...I sometimes let things built up until I explode. Yeah, that's not okay, but I'm working on it."
Freya met Keelin's lips in a soft kiss. "Thank you for coming with me on this trip. I know it's not easy for you to leave the clinic."
"I don't want to be away from you. I think your sister is home. Shall we?" Keelin said standing and offering Freya her arm.
"Yes, we shall," Freya said accepting.
Louisiana Bayou
7:38 am
Mary woke up the kids early. She was so glad to have Jack and Ollie back that she made them a big breakfast before they left for school.
"Whoa, can we eat like this everyday?" Ollie asked grabbing half the bacon before Jack slapped his hand and glared at him. Ollie put most of it back reluctantly.
"Sure, if y'all get your butts out of bed without me practically having to douse ya with water!" Mary laughed.
Jack yawned, "Sorry, Grandma. I slept like a rock or something. You remember Ollie and I have football now after school. Coach will get us a ride after practice."
"Are you sure you boys are up to it?" Hayley asked. "I mean, a day or two ago you were in a coma."
"We're out now and we have our memories back. Thanks to you," Jack smiled squeezing her slender hand.
"Well, it was the least that little...'witch' could do after what she did," Hayley griped. She would never really like Dana, but Hayley had let it go the best that she could.
"Josh invited me into town tonight," Aiden mentioned grabbing for a spoonful of grits.
"Into town? On a school night?" Mary questioned.
"Yes, ma'am. Is that alright?" Aiden asked politely.
Mary pursed her lips, Aiden never asked for anything. She knew he wouldn't argue if she denied him, no matter how disappointed he was.
"Sure, dear. But just make sure you ain't too late, okay?" Mary said piling eggs on Tommy's place. Tommy had been quiet lately.
"Thanks, Grandma. Josh will have been back at a decent hour. He wants to show me this art exhibit. Tommy, do you want to come?" Aiden asked.
"Nah, I gotta tend to the traps. You know I don't like that art crap, but thanks," Tommy said shoveling a huge forkful of food into his mouth.
"I'll go," Hayley offered.
"That would be nice. Josh said he wants to take me to this place called Rousseau's that he likes after the art exhibit. I think Davina and the twins might also join," Aiden shared.
"Cool. Grandma, I'll help you with the chores more tomorrow," Hayley promised.
"That's fine. You kids go out and live free. Full moon is coming up on the 19th, once we get them moonlight rings. Things will change. Just promise me, y'all will be careful around them siphon type witches. I'm not sure they know their own strength," Mary cautioned.
They finished eating and started to help Mary clean up, but she shooed them to the bus.
"Don't miss that bus. And here's some excuse notes for school to keep the law off for the days y'all missed. Behave and try to learn something. Remember, y'all is gonna be leading this pack sooner rather than later," Mary lectured. The kids took the attendance notes and gathered their backpacks and football gear.
Mary stood at the screen porch door and watched them walk off laughing and carrying on. Sometimes, she forgot what it was like to be young and have your whole life ahead of you. But Mary didn't envy them, so much as fear for them. For a Crescent, the future was fraught with danger, starting with the lies and secrets of the past.
French Quarter, New Orleans
The Compound
Girls' Room
11:09am
The twins woke up shortly after 11am.
"How'd you sleep?" Dana asked.
"Good. I guess. I don't remember my dreams. You?" Rachael replied.
"I was back at the facility. Penny and I were in this training area. I think they were testing our agility. They had given us shots to make us groggy and then...," Dana drifted.
"Then, what? Did this really happen?" Rachael asked picking at a thread in her pajama pants.
"I think. I'm not sure...But, if we couldn't complete the course, they would shock us. We'd do it over and over again with different injections. I think they also wiped our memories. Only little pieces of it come through in my dreams," Dana said sitting up and wincing.
"Your ass, too, huh? I think it's that salve...So it that why you never talk about it?" Rachael pressed.
"Yeah, it's just a jumble. I mean, I remember Penny and me in our room, but when they took us out and did things to us...it's a blur. Fuck that, it's over. Let's get out of here and go see the city," Dana suggested.
"Freya told us to call before we left. Plus, they took our money," Rachael retorted hotly. She didn't want to get in trouble again.
"Look at this place. You're telling me they don't have a ton of cash and credit cards around," Dana offered.
"Dana, shut up. What's wrong with you?" Rachael asked.
"I just need some air. Look, we're in this city. We can fed off of tourists and now one would ever know. We can be back before they even know we are gone!" Dana said getting up.
They heard a knock on the door and both looked at each other in surprise, they thought they were alone. Marcel opened the door.
"Morning, ladies. Well, afternoon. Freya asked me to check in on you," Marcel said.
"Oh, that was nice," Rachael said glaring at Dana.
"Look, I'm not going to pretend that I didn't hear the tail end of whatever you were talking about. Whatever you were planning, not a good idea. We are happy to have you girls here. We need you in case the Heretics come back and try to attack us again, but don't think y'all are going to run wild," Marcel said firmly.
"Sorry. She was just talking. We weren't going to do anything," Rachael added nervously.
"Good. Dana, Rachael, we can have a nice visit, but not if we can't trust you. Now, go ahead and get dressed and I'll take you out for lunch. We'll see if we can catch up with the other ladies. I'm sure Rebekah has them out shopping somewhere very expensive. Come on, you can't stay in this room all day. Ten minutes," Marcel said as he shut the door and tapped his watch.
"Good job, dumb ass! You almost got us busted. From now on, I'm the good twin," Rachael smirked.
"Good twin. Ha! That's a good one. Let's see how long that lasts," Dana intoned.
New Orleans
The Cauldron
Marcel picked up Josh and took the girls out to lunch in the Cauldron. There was a little cafe run by witches that he thought the girls would like. Then, he took them to Jardin Gris.
"Buy what you like, girls, as long as you don't buy a voodoo doll of me. They have all kinds of herbs, charms, oils, candles, and magical charms. Davina gets her magical stones at a another place. She can take you there later," Marcel said grandly.
"Oh nice. Thanks, Marcel. This is awesome. I wish they had a place like this in Mystic Falls," Rachael enthused.
"We could open one," Dana smiled as she started looking through spell books. She had a couple of ideas for spells. She also needed a new amulet to contain her magic.
Marcel called Rebekah to see where they were at, but she didn't answer her phone. But the time he got a hold of her, Freya had already got the call about Kai.
Marcel nodded to Josh to join him outside and whispered, "Penny freaked out and flipped her switch. They used the cure on her. She killed Kai and he turned. So now we have another siphon vamp in the family, but this solves the Gemini coven merge issue for now. I wonder if we should set up another meet with Lily and her creepy family."
"Maybe. But does Kai turning really change anything?" Josh wondered.
"I don't know. Lily didn't really seem to want him to turn. It's obvious she has feelings for the kid. Now that he's a siphon vampire, I wonder if she will want him for her family even more. It's so odd that she has two biological sons that she seems to care nothing about, yet her vampire children are so important to her," Marcel mused.
"Yeah, I know wolves have their packs and witches their covens, but I thought most vampires were solitary," Josh admitted.
"A vampire alone is not a good thing. It's too easy to flip your switch and totally lose touch with any trace of humanity. If you notice, a lot of vamps like to have humans around. They say they are to feed off of, but they often become more," Marcel explained.
"I'm supposed to pick up Aiden in a few hours for an art exhibit. Can I contact the Heretics tomorrow?" Josh asked hopefully.
"Sure, buddy. Believe me, I'm in no rush to meet with them again. The twins would have to be there. It is never safe for us to be around them without the girls. It's funny that we need to be protected by two 14 years olds," Marcel grinned.
"Speaking of, where are they?" Josh asked in alarm.
"Bathroom?" Marcel said going back to the table. Josh checked, the restrooms were empty.
"They ditched us!" Josh announced.
"Excuse me, they also ran up about $500 worth of items. They said you would pay," the shopgirl said. Marcel remembered when the late Katie, Thierry's girlfriend had worked here. It felt like a lifetime ago, but it was only months ago. So much had changed.
"Did they say where they were going?" Josh asked.
The cashier shook her head, "No, sorry."
Marcel's face colored as he paid. He hoped the story of how the King of New Orleans got ditched by two teens didn't make the rounds. Marcel also blanched as he realized he had to call Freya and tell him that the girls wouldn't be back to say goodbye to her. He heard himself make up an excuse and say that they were trying on clothes.
Freya replied, "Oh, okay. I just tried their cells and there was no answer. Marcel, are you sure nothing is wrong?"
"No, of course not. I know you need to go see Kai. I'll have them call you when they are free. Bye, now," Marcel sputtered.
Josh grinned, "Ya know, for the King of the city, you are kind of a terrible liar!"
Marcel growled back, "Shut it, Josh. Let's just find them before I have to tell Rebekah that I lost them. No good deed goes unpunished...I swear, when I catch them..."
Josh laughed behind his hand. It was slightly amusing to see Marcel in the hot seat for once. Marcel turned and glared at him and Josh cleared his throat.
"I'll get the car," Josh said soberly.
Marcel dialed Dana's cell again, but there was no answer.