Chapter Eight
The car ride was awkward and silent. Lucy sat there and looked at her mother before falling asleep on her shoulder. Once they were dropped off, Katherine gently woke Lucy and took her into the house. Luckily Lucy lived out of her suitcase so Katherine let her rest in her room. The couch would be too uncomfortable for Lucy so she was letting Lucy sleep in her bed while Katherine focused on packing. "Mom? What are you doing? Where have you been all day? I saw broken glass and I called the police." Dylan told her. "We need to leave...and don't wake up Lucy." Katherine told her. "Oh my god! What happened?" she said as soon as she saw Lucy's mangled body.
"Shhhhh!" Katherine said to her. "I'll explain, but quietly..." Katherine added. So Katherine explained exactly what had happened and why they were gone all day. "Why do we need to leave? You said Mike shot him in the head several times." Dylan asked her. "That bastard seems to be able to rise from the dead, and besides that woman is still out there, I can't lose her Dylan...not again." Katherine replied. "Mom, he's not going to come back...and as for that woman, we'll get the neighborhood watch to look out for her. If they come back and something bad happens then we will leave...but please, Lucy should have a stable home." Dylan told her before she left the room.
But Katherine wasn't going to give that a chance. She continued to pack her things until there was a knock on the door. Katherine went downstairs and saw that it was Mike. She set the suitcase down to the side and cracked open the door. "Not a good time Mike." Katherine told him before trying to shut the door on him. Mike stopped her and came in. "I came to check on Lucy, how is she doing?" Mike asked her. He then noticed the suitcases by the door. "Going somewhere Katherine?" he asked her. "Like I said, not a good time." she replied as she took the suitcases outside to put them in her car. "You're leaving just to keep me away from Lucy? Damn it Katherine after all I've done?" Mike asked her angrily.
"It's not about you Mike...just drop it." Katherine said as she shut her trunk. "Then what the hell is going on?" Mike asked her. "Is this about what happened today?" he asked Katherine. "Marina Russo is still out there...and I don't trust Wayne not to rise from the dead again." Katherine told him as she went back inside. Mike followed her inside and sighed. "The police are looking for her, you have nothing to worry about. Wayne is dead, he had no pulse." Mike said to her. "I can't lose her! Not again!" Katherine said to him loudly. Lucy heard the yelling and got up and made her way towards the stairs. "Mom...what's wrong?" she said, guessing that the person downstairs was her mother.
"It's nothing Lulu, go back to sleep..." she said to her. "No Lucy stay..." Mike said. He walked up the stairs and examined Lucy's wounds. "How are you feeling Lucy?" he asked her. "Who is that?" Lucy asked. "It's your father Lucy..." Katherine said to her. But Lucy didn't jump, she didn't leave, she just stood there. Lucy had gotten used to him, because he's the one that saved her life. "Everything hurts..." Lucy admitted. Mike noticed that she wasn't really fearing him anymore. He then noticed there were some bruises on her thighs, hand prints. He knew what that meant, he knew why Katherine was so afraid and why she was trying to leave town.
"Lucy you can go back to bed now, your mother and I need to talk." Mike told her. Lucy nodded and went back to her mother's room and fell asleep again. "He did it again...didn't he? That's why you two kicked us out of the room when Julie was in there." Mike surmised as he looked at Katherine. "Now you know why we need to leave. Lucy is not safe here." Katherine said with a few tears streaming down her cheeks. "We'll get cops to stay outside. Just don't run, don't take Lucy away." Mike told her. "Okay...we'll try it your way, but if something happens to Lucy I will never let you forget." Katherine said to him. Mike left and Katherine decided to go to bed, she was willing to try it his way for now. She kept checking on Lucy in the middle of the night. To make sure she was still breathing, to make sure she wasn't having a seizure, to make sure that no one else had broken in in the middle of the night. Katherine put her arm around her daughter and fell asleep.
While they slept Lucy was tossing and turning. She was having a nightmare of her step-father chasing her to attack her, about him on top of her and what he was doing caused Lucy to jump up. "Lulu? What's wrong?" Katherine asked her half asleep, but Lucy didn't answer. She just got out of bed and tried to run. "Lulu?" she said as she saw Lucy running. She ran to the nearest window and opened it, trying to jump out of it. Katherine jolted out of bed and pulled her back in before she jumped. "Lucy Mayfair?! What are you doing?!" Katherine exclaimed, but Lucy didn't answer. "Lulu?" she asked as she waved a hand in front of her, but Lucy wasn't reacting. "Lucy!" Katherine said as she woke her up. "Mom? Why are we on the floor?" Lucy asked sleepily.
"I think you have night terrors..." Katherine informed her. "Again? I thought I was over that..." Lucy told her. Katherine turned on the light. "When I asked you if there was anything else I should know, you never told me you used to have night terrors." Katherine told her. "Well, because it happened when I was little, and you asked about medical stuff." Lucy said as she rubbed her eyes. "Okay, Lulu, you need to tell me, is there anything else I need to know about? Because you attempting to jump out of the window is kinda important to know." Katherine asked her.
"I used to have night terrors and sleepwalk...when my grandparents took me away from there...the man I thought was my father told me he didn't want me, that I wasn't his, and that he knew it. He used to ignore me all the time, only playing with Amelia. Said he wouldn't play with my mother's bastard..." Lucy started. "One night, the night terrors got so bad that I went out the window and onto the roof and jumped...I was in the hospital for over a month. I have an eidetic memory, you remember what that is right?" Lucy asked her. "It's what used to be called a photographic memory, I remember." Katherine told her.
"Because of that memory I can memorize every detail, so I remembered what my step-father did so vividly, every single time. How he would touch me everywhere...how it felt when he was inside of me. Him beating me if I ever cried, taking a gun to my head or a knife to my throat. Him telling me that no one would ever love me and that I was doomed to always be alone." Lucy told her as tears streamed down her face.
"I remember the day that my grandparents rescued me. They came over to see me, but saw that I was bruised everywhere. Usually my mother would make sure everything had healed before they came over, but they surprised her. He wasn't home that day, he was at work...they saw me and told her that they wouldn't let her slap me around anymore. They never learned what he did...the only person that knew was my Aunt Lily, she was the only person I ever told...because I knew that she would understand..." Lucy explained to her.
"Lulu..." Katherine said before she hugged her tightly, Lucy hugged her back and tried to stop crying. Katherine explained everything about her first marriage and what came after. They talked until morning about everything, knowing that they could trust each other. Even after almost a week of being together, Lucy knew that she could trust her with anything, and that she loved her more than anything else in the world.
That morning the moving people came with Lucy's things. Once they placed everything in Lucy's new room, right next door to her mother's. Katherine wanted to make sure that she could always hear Lucy or Midna. They were both pretty tired, and Lucy was in a lot of pain, so Katherine helped her unpack her things and put them away. "You'll have to put your own computer together Lulu, I'm afraid that this is a bit more complicated than I know how to do." Katherine said as she looked at the back of the desktop computer.
"No worries mom, I've got it. It's actually pretty easy, everything is color coordinated...and the things that aren't really only go in one hole." Lucy laughed as she showed her how to do it. "Wow...that was easy." Katherine laughed as she helped her put the PC under her desk."So...Lulu...what exactly is this?" she asked her as she picked up her headset. "Oh, that's my Quest 2. It's a VR headset." Lucy told her. "VR?" Katherine asked her. "Virtual reality." Lucy laughed as she placed the headset on Katherine. Lucy then placed a controller in each hand and put the wrist straps on her. She made sure her mother chose Five Nights at Freddy's without telling her exactly what it was. "Okay play night two on the first game." Lucy told her with a smile.
"Okay Lulu, what am I supposed to do?" she asked her. "Use the controllers to press buttons, you don't actually have to press any buttons on the controllers, they react when you get near them. Oh and make sure to look out the doors while looking at the security cameras. You can shut the doors too." Lucy told her. "Okay..." Katherine said as she started to look out of there by leaning her her body out the door to look. "Wait...what do you mean they're active? Who's active?" Katherine asked her. "Animatronics? Like those things at Chuck E. Cheese?" Katherine asked. Suddenly Chica came by and stood outside of the window. Katherine screamed and shut the door. "Okay what is that?!" Katherine asked as she panicked.
"That's Chica...she just wants to say hi." Lucy said with a slight giggle. "Why are you giggling Lulu?" Katherine asked her. Katherine opened the door, but Chica was standing outside of it and jumpscared her. Katherine screamed and quickly took off the headset, but when she did she saw Lucy laughing she couldn't help, but smile. "You think it's funny Lulu?" she said as she came over to Lucy and tickled her, being careful of her injuries. Lucy was extremely ticklish. "Is this funny?" Katherine asked her as she tickled her. Lucy started laughing uncontrollably while her mother tickled her. Dylan walked past them with Lila as they started to take the Christmas decorations down to the living room.
Someone knocked on the door while they were upstairs and Dylan answered it. "Hey, is Lucy around?" Mike asked. He heard Lucy laughing and looked at Dylan. "Mind if I head up Dylan?" he asked as her. "No, go right ahead." she said as she started to put up the tree. "Thanks." he said as he headed up to where he heard all the laughing. "You'd better apologize Lulu." Katherine teased her as she tickled her. "N-No way..." Lucy laughed. Mike knocked on the door and Katherine looked up and stopped immediately.
"Busy torturing our daughter I see?" Mike said. "I kinda deserved it, I made mom play a horror game in VR." Lucy told him. "Tricked is more like it." Katherine told her as she helped her up from the bed. "VR?" he asked her. "Virtual reality." Lucy informed him. She winced in pain from her ribs. "Wow, your room looks great." Mike said as he looked around. He noticed the shelves full of instruments and the stands for the guitar and bass. "Wow, you play?" Mike asked her. "Yeah, I play fourteen different instruments." Lucy told him. "Wow that's impressive..." he said to her. He then noticed her framed artwork on the walls. "You drew these? Wow, they are amazing." Mike complimented her. "Thanks." Lucy replied.
"Is there some reason you're here Mike?" Katherine asked him. "Oh yeah, I just wanted to check up on you two. How's your eye Katherine?" Mike asked her. "It's fine..." Katherine told him. "We never got a chance to thank you...for saving us...thank you." Lucy told him. "You're welcome. How are your injuries Lucy?" he asked her as he examined her. "They hurt, but...I'm fine..." Lucy told him. "Anyway I have some cops outside of your house around the clock to make sure nothing happens." he said. "Lucy, once your feeling better we should play together." he said, referring to the guitar. "I'd like that." Lucy told him.
"I'd better get going." he said. "Oh wait. Before you go I have something for you." Lucy said as she went downstairs to get the cookies she and her mother made the day before. "I haven't had a chance to bring these over. These are for you guys. I hope you like them." Lucy said to him. "Wow these look great." Mike told her. "You mind if I have one?" he asked. "No, go for it." Lucy laughed. Mike took a cookie and took a bite. "Wow, these are amazing. Your recipe Katherine?" Mike asked. "No, Lucy's." Katherine replied. "Wow, you really are like your mom. These are great Lucy." Mike told her. "Thanks, but I had help. Lucy smiled and looked up at her mother who was hugging her from behind. Lucy hadn't been that happy in a very long time.
"I'd better get going, thanks for the cookies, I'll be sure to share them with Susan and MJ." he said before leaving. Once Mike got home he placed the cookies on the counter. "Ooooh cookies!" Susan said before taking one and taking a bite. "Oh my god, these are the best sugar cookies I've ever had..." Susan added as she ate the cookie. "And they're so cute...alright is this Katherine's way of saying thank you?" Susan asked him. "Actually Lucy's..." Mike told her. "Lucy made these?" she asked. "Yeah. Great aren't they?" Mike asked her. "Like eating a cloud of sugary goodness." Susan said to him.
"Are you still mad at Katherine?" he asked her. "No...I can't stay mad at her...it happened when you guys were still together right? Then it's no one's fault. And I want you to have a relationship with Lucy. She's such a sweet girl, and what happened to her is awful. She deserves a man in her life that won't treat her the way she's been treated. Maybe you can help her work on being around them? Look, all I know Mike is that girl really needs a father around to protect her, because she has been through a lot and she's only thirteen." Susan told him as she hugged him.
"What do we tell MJ?" Mike asked her. "The truth...it's best he hear it from us." Susan told him. "Tell me what?" MJ asked as he came down the stairs. "Sit down MJ..." Mike said to him as he pulled him up a chair. "Why are you so serious?" MJ asked them, gazing at his parents. He sat down and looked up at them. Mike started to explain what happened with him and Katherine thirteen years ago and that he had a sister, that she had been treated horribly and that she really needed a father. MJ was rather angry. "So you cheated on mom?" MJ asked him. "No, this happened when we were still divorced." Mike replied. "Look I don't want to see her, I don't want to know her." MJ said as he ran back upstairs. "That could have gone better." Mike said.
Lucy was downstairs working on something she had been trying to master for years, but was never able to do so. Every time she tried she either burned herself or it stuck to her hands. But Lucy was determined to not let it beat her this time. As Lucy got the sugar nice and molten she grabbed a whisk and continued to try to spin the sugar. She was going to get it this time. She needed to learn it in time for Halloween next year as she was going to make it look like a spider web on top of a cake.
Katherine came into the kitchen to see what Lucy was up to. "Hey Lulu, what are you doing?" she asked Lucy. She jumped and accidentally got the sugar stuck in her hair. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you." she said as she watched Lucy try to get the sugar out of her hair. "Oh here, let me help." Katherine said as she walked over to her daughter and helped her get the sugar webbing out of her hair. "Thanks mom." Lucy said to her. "Ugh, I'm never going to get this." Lucy said in an annoyed tone. "What were you trying to do?" Katherine asked her. "Okay, I've been trying for YEARS to get this whole sugar webbing thing, but I've never been able to do it, so my Halloween cake has always been a bust." Lucy explained.
"It's Christmas, not even close to Halloween." Katherine told her. "I know, but that gives me many months to completely fail at it once again." Lucy replied. "Alright, well you happen to be talking to an expert in the art of sugar spinning. I'll teach you." Katherine smiled at her. "Thank you so much." Lucy told her. "You are so welcome. Now the key is to use this." Katherine told her as she took out a special whisk. "You heat up the sugar." Katherine told her. She then showed her how to do the sugar webbing once the sugar was heated perfectly. "Here, now you try." Katherine said as she handed her the whisk. Lucy took the whisk and did everything her mother did. "Great job Lulu." Katherine told her. "Now you take the webbing and apply it like this." Katherine said as she began to show her the process. "You're turn Lulu." she smiled as she had Lucy try her hand.
Lucy took a deep breath and remembered every move her mother made and applied the webbing perfectly. "Excellent job Lulu!" Katherine said to her as she hugged her. "Thanks, you're a great teacher you know that?" Lucy said as she hugged her back. "Well you are an excellent student." Katherine told her as she kissed her forehead. "I've got to go to the test kitchen in a bit to prepare for the neighborhood Christmas party and we could really use your decorating skills. Would you like to come? That way I can make sure you aren't home alone and having a seizure." Katherine told her with a smile. "I would like that." Lucy told her. "Let's clean this up before we go." Katherine replied. They started to clean up and once they were finished they both got ready to head to the test kitchen.
"I know we're short handed Bree, but look I brought the cavalry." Katherine smiled as Lucy walked in. "Lucy! Oh my goodness I heard what happened to you from Susan. Are you two alright?" Bree asked with a worried tone in her voice. "We're okay." Katherine told her. "Oh and I tried those cookies Lucy, they were exquisite. May I trouble you for your recipe?" Bree asked her. "Careful Lulu, she's quite crafty." Katherine told her. "First you trade recipes as a sign of good faith, then she's adding them to her cookbook without giving you credit for things she doesn't even know how to make." she added.
"Katherine, you're not still angry about that are you? That was years ago and I apologized. I dedicated my book to you after all." Bree told her. "Not angry, just thought Lulu deserved a friendly warning." Katherine told her with a passive aggressive smile. "I'm sorry Mrs. Weston, I'm afraid I'm not willing to share my recipes with anyone except my mom. It took me a long time to develop them, I hope you can understand." Lucy told her. "Are you sure? I could trade you one of mine." Bree asked her desperately. "Yes, I'm quite sure, thank you for the offer though, the fact you enjoy my recipe is a huge compliment." Lucy replied politely.
The three of them went to work making things for the neighborhood Christmas party, but Bree was thinking about how she could get her hands on Lucy's recipe. She couldn't think of why her recipe was so much different from her own. Once they were finished, Bree tried to bake Lucy's recipe, but she failed at every turn. "Trying to outdo those sugar cookies Katherine's daughter brought over?" her husband Trip asked. "I'm trying to replicate her recipe, but I can't figure out why her cookies are so different." Bree told him. "She wouldn't let you see her recipe I take it?" he asked her with his arms crossed. "No..." Bree said defeatedly. Just then Bree had an idea, if Lucy wouldn't give her the recipe willingly then Bree would have to steal it.