Ricky and Sascha had found a park bench, and settled down on it with
matching cans of Coke. There was an overall awkward feeling, and it made
Sascha uncomfortable.
"So," Ricky began. "What do you want to know first?" Sascha looked at her feet, and played with the straw in her drink. "Why did you give me up?" Ricky exhaled heavily, and looked up, then to his daughter.
"Karen wasn't happy with me. I knew it, she knew it. So she left, and I didn't want you to have one of those bogus weekend dads. I wanted you to have a real, solid family. And I figured that Frank could be a lot better father than I could. I was just a kid," he said. "Okay, I can see that. But wasn't it weird, seeing somebody else with your baby? I mean, didn't it bother you at all?" Sascha asked.
"Well, that's the other thing. I didn't hang around after Frank adopted you, specifically for that reason," Ricky replied. "So where did you go?" his daughter asked with sincere interest.
"I went everywhere," he replied cryptically. Sascha cocked her head, confused.
"I toured with my band for about four years." "Your band? You're in a band?!" Sascha exclaimed. Ricky laughed. "Yeah. Well, I was. You ever hear of 3 Link Chain?" Sascha's jaw dropped.
"No way! You were in 3 Link Chain? I used to listen to them when I was little! My parents never told me you were in that band! What did you do?" "I was the drummer," Ricky laughed.
"No wonder my parents never liked that CD," Sascha joked. The two of them burst into a fit of giggles, and Ricky looped his arm around Sascha's shoulders. "So what else do you want to know?" he asked. "Everything."
*
The doorbell rang at the Lighthouse. Lucy jumped up from the table, where she and Raven were finishing lunch. Raven was surprised that she could even eat, she was so nervous. Ready, but nervous. "That must be your mom. I'll get it," Lucy said, strolling through the kitchen door. Raven followed close behind.
"Hey," Lucy said as she greeted Alison, Jamal, and Livvie. They all came in. "Hey Lucy," Alison said. "Livvie is staying with Jamal and me. We figured she'd be safer with us for the time being."
"I couldn't agree more. How are you doing, hon?" Lucy asked, hugging her step-daughter. "I'm as good as I can be, considering that my husband and son have disappeared into oblivion," Livvie said.
"Well, I'm going to get them back for you, Livvie," Raven said, approaching them. "Hi, baby," Alison said, throwing her arms around Raven and kissing her cheeks. Everyone sat down in the living room, and Kevin joined them, sitting next to Livvie and taking her hand in his. "I brought something for you, Raven," Alison said. She held out a tattered, leather-bound notebook.
"It was your father's. A sort of, 'Slaying Vampires for Dummies,' if you will. Not that you're dumb or anything, but I just thought that his notes might help you along the way," she said. Raven took the worn book in her hands, and ran her hands over the soft cover. Her eyes filled with tears.
"Thanks, Mom," she said, and hugged her again. Just then, the big grandfather clock struck six. "Raven," Lucy said gently. "It's time to go." Raven gulped nervously as she felt her stomach start to do back flips. She tried to appear confident to console Alison, Jamal, and Livvie.
"But how will I know where to go, to find him?" she asked in a tiny voice. Lucy put her hands on Raven's shoulders and smiled at her. "Trust me, dear. You'll just know," she said, and kissed Raven's forehead.
"Remember everything I taught you, okay? You'll be fine. We'll be through this before you know it," Lucy said. Raven nodded, and then hugged Kevin and Livvie and Jamal. "Take care of yourself, kiddo. Kick some vampire butt. I love you," Jamal said, embracing Raven. Raven brushed a tear off her cheek and nodded again.
Then she came to Alison, who's big blue eyes were shimmering with tears. She fought them as best she could, and pulled her daughter into a strong embrace. "Please be careful, Angel. I love you so much," Alison said into Raven's hair. "I will, Mom. I promise. I'll have Dad with me the whole time," she said as she tucked the journal into her jacket.
"And you'll have me, and Jamal, and Lucy, and everyone else who loves you. We'll be praying for you here," Alison added, hugging Raven one last time. Raven went to the door, and put her hand on the knob.
"I can do this, I know it. And when I come back, everyone will be right where they belong. Jack and Eli will be safe with me, and Caleb will be burning in hell, for good this time."
"So," Ricky began. "What do you want to know first?" Sascha looked at her feet, and played with the straw in her drink. "Why did you give me up?" Ricky exhaled heavily, and looked up, then to his daughter.
"Karen wasn't happy with me. I knew it, she knew it. So she left, and I didn't want you to have one of those bogus weekend dads. I wanted you to have a real, solid family. And I figured that Frank could be a lot better father than I could. I was just a kid," he said. "Okay, I can see that. But wasn't it weird, seeing somebody else with your baby? I mean, didn't it bother you at all?" Sascha asked.
"Well, that's the other thing. I didn't hang around after Frank adopted you, specifically for that reason," Ricky replied. "So where did you go?" his daughter asked with sincere interest.
"I went everywhere," he replied cryptically. Sascha cocked her head, confused.
"I toured with my band for about four years." "Your band? You're in a band?!" Sascha exclaimed. Ricky laughed. "Yeah. Well, I was. You ever hear of 3 Link Chain?" Sascha's jaw dropped.
"No way! You were in 3 Link Chain? I used to listen to them when I was little! My parents never told me you were in that band! What did you do?" "I was the drummer," Ricky laughed.
"No wonder my parents never liked that CD," Sascha joked. The two of them burst into a fit of giggles, and Ricky looped his arm around Sascha's shoulders. "So what else do you want to know?" he asked. "Everything."
*
The doorbell rang at the Lighthouse. Lucy jumped up from the table, where she and Raven were finishing lunch. Raven was surprised that she could even eat, she was so nervous. Ready, but nervous. "That must be your mom. I'll get it," Lucy said, strolling through the kitchen door. Raven followed close behind.
"Hey," Lucy said as she greeted Alison, Jamal, and Livvie. They all came in. "Hey Lucy," Alison said. "Livvie is staying with Jamal and me. We figured she'd be safer with us for the time being."
"I couldn't agree more. How are you doing, hon?" Lucy asked, hugging her step-daughter. "I'm as good as I can be, considering that my husband and son have disappeared into oblivion," Livvie said.
"Well, I'm going to get them back for you, Livvie," Raven said, approaching them. "Hi, baby," Alison said, throwing her arms around Raven and kissing her cheeks. Everyone sat down in the living room, and Kevin joined them, sitting next to Livvie and taking her hand in his. "I brought something for you, Raven," Alison said. She held out a tattered, leather-bound notebook.
"It was your father's. A sort of, 'Slaying Vampires for Dummies,' if you will. Not that you're dumb or anything, but I just thought that his notes might help you along the way," she said. Raven took the worn book in her hands, and ran her hands over the soft cover. Her eyes filled with tears.
"Thanks, Mom," she said, and hugged her again. Just then, the big grandfather clock struck six. "Raven," Lucy said gently. "It's time to go." Raven gulped nervously as she felt her stomach start to do back flips. She tried to appear confident to console Alison, Jamal, and Livvie.
"But how will I know where to go, to find him?" she asked in a tiny voice. Lucy put her hands on Raven's shoulders and smiled at her. "Trust me, dear. You'll just know," she said, and kissed Raven's forehead.
"Remember everything I taught you, okay? You'll be fine. We'll be through this before you know it," Lucy said. Raven nodded, and then hugged Kevin and Livvie and Jamal. "Take care of yourself, kiddo. Kick some vampire butt. I love you," Jamal said, embracing Raven. Raven brushed a tear off her cheek and nodded again.
Then she came to Alison, who's big blue eyes were shimmering with tears. She fought them as best she could, and pulled her daughter into a strong embrace. "Please be careful, Angel. I love you so much," Alison said into Raven's hair. "I will, Mom. I promise. I'll have Dad with me the whole time," she said as she tucked the journal into her jacket.
"And you'll have me, and Jamal, and Lucy, and everyone else who loves you. We'll be praying for you here," Alison added, hugging Raven one last time. Raven went to the door, and put her hand on the knob.
"I can do this, I know it. And when I come back, everyone will be right where they belong. Jack and Eli will be safe with me, and Caleb will be burning in hell, for good this time."