Vera had almost convinced him to call the babysitter and tell her they were just staying home tonight because Theo was the hangriest child alive. She was too hungry to eat and too tired to sleep, that's just how Theo worked but eventually Vera had gotten her settled down enough for her bedtime feeding and luckily afterwards even if she was wide awake before she always passed out like an old alcoholic after last call. Hamish would have high fived Vera for being a damn miracle worker and turning Theo's full forced shitfit into straight up passed out bliss but he was a little terrified the noise would set Theo off again. Before they left Vera went over another three times what to do in case Theo woke up, sometimes the way she talked made it seem like Theo was a dangerous criminal and not a baby. 'Don't startle her, try to keep a calm tone, approach with caution'. Was Theo a 6 month old or a rabid German Shepard? A little of both honestly.
She also went over the emergency numbers again, doctors numbers, her number, Hamish's number, Gabrielle, Randal, jack, they sort of had a long phone tree to get to them in case everyone's phone died at once. Vera finally told the young teen that Maddox coils stay up and watch scary movies but not too scary and no gaming past midnight since 'creeps' tend to get online then. Also no pizza because it gave him weird dreams and just like that Maddox was officially another child she sMothered. Hamish waited for her to go through the long laundry list of do's and don'ts like she was leaving this girl with two Gremlins who would rapidly multiply in water and burn into demons if you fed them past midnight. Finally once she was finished Hamish grabbed her arm very selfishly dragging her towards the door because when did he ever have Vera to himself anymore?
He got a few hours tonight where Vera was 100% his again and it felt so good he hardly noticed he almost walked right into the closed glass door. There was a slight thunk as Hamish bangged his knee into it and stopped short. "Sh….ooot." Was Maddox still standing behind them? Yes, okay good save Hamish. He opened the door and walked out yoinking Vera because she had 'almost forgotten' no, hell no. She hadn't forgotten anything, she was just stalling for time. "I'm sure if she has questions she will call you dear. She has our numbers and the numbers of all our friends, relatives, and the neighbors." Who were really just college students, primarily under the friends category. Hamish was happy to break out his Tesla for once, it sucked he couldn't fit a carseat in it but he couldn't really just sell it either.
It felt like a short drive to the Den even if it was virtually on the other side of the campus and off in the woods. This place felt more like the werewolf frat house than a werewolf hideout these days but maybe it had to do with the fact that Hamish wasn't there keeping them all out of trouble. He'd thought about staying over a few nights a week but the thought of being away from Vera and Theo was troubling to him. Everyone could poke fun at him that he couldn't function without Vera but it was a little true. Not because he needed her to get through his day but because when he wasn't with her and Theo he worried too much that she needed him. Pulling up the long driveway he found an empty spot to park already hearing the obnoxiously loud Halloween themed music playing from inside. Getting out he had to admit their decorating job had been pretty nice, with the fake cobwebs, smoke machine, and foam tombstones all over the place it was looking like a truly creepy abandoned house out of a horror movie setting.
"I thought you said it was just going to be the wolves." Vera raised a brow as she stepped out of the car, that looked like more than just the wolves. In fact there were enough common students that Vera felt a little out of place as the Belgrave Chancelor. If they thought this party was going to be exciting it was about to die real fast thanks to her.
"I thought so too." Hamish shook his head. "Dammit Randal." Randal was always go big or go home. Speak of the devil, he caught him out on the porch dressed like Tony Stark, not Ironman mind you but wealthy playboy Tony Stark and in good order Gabrielle was pulling off the Black Widow look. Personally Hamish thought Randal should have been Deadpool but that was his opinion.
"Hamish." Randal held up a beer in the glass bottle, at least he wasn't drinking some cheap crap. "Or should I say Star Lord." He pointed at Hamish with a smirk, "Nice outfit." It took him a moment to notice Vera in the darkness, she was dressed in dark clothes with her nearly black straight hair. Really the only way you could spot her was the fact she was pretty damn pale and partially glowed in the dark. Once she got a bit closer though Randal had to admit, he wasn't a big fan of Vera, and the whole love potion thing had made things between them awkward since, that was pretty much their leader's wife but Vera was rocking leather pants and that low cut corset Gamora outfit. "Whoa." As Hamish and Vera walked up to the porch Randal grabbed Hamish by the arm, "Umm, is it just me or did Vera suddenly get really?"
"No, she's always been like that." What was up with everyone finally just realizing Vera was pretty damn hot? Maybe her intimidation factor was flickering out because she was a bit tired. As was expected once Vera went inside the house things seemed to go a little quiet until Jack dressed as Captain America came running up to them.
"Hey, I didn't actually think you guys would come. Good to have you around, Alyssa, Nichole, and Lilith are around here someplace. I was just getting Alyssa a drink if you guys want to join us in the back. It's a bit more quiet, we got a fire going."
Before Vera could follow Jack out to sweet sweet security Gabrielle snuck up on her, "Vera, can I just say first off, you look amazing. Second off, oh my god those pictures you posted yesterday were to die for. Sad I couldn't see Theo go to a pumpkin patch for the first time ever."
"The scarecrow made her cry." Hamish admitted. "And so did the pumpkin guts." They had carved a few pumpkins with Maddox and put them outside, little tiny baby steps. Vera still wasn't keen on decorating the whole outside of the house just yet. She'd at least had a lot of fun carving pumpkins even if Theo had touched the pumpkin innards and wretched. It had been both sad and funny seeing their baby try not to get sick because something felt so icky. "She also wasn't a fan of the overalls." Straps man, it was their child's weakness.
"Theo mostly just liked having Maddox pull her around in the waggon and holding onto the little pumpkins." She'd also enjoyed trying to put straw in her mouth and screaming at the little petting zoo because she wanted to touch a chicken but the chickens wouldn't let her grab them.
"Vera, I can grab us a few drinks and then we can go to the back with Jack."
"Oh, I'll have bourbon if it's here." As Hamish went off to fetch her a drink Vera started following Gabrielle towards the back of the house. "I have some pictures of Theo in her costume, she looked so cute but she was pretty crabby. I think her first tooth is coming in because she's biting everything and everyone and she's temperamental, more so than usual." Theo was in essence a diva by nature, and dramatic. "Hamish is also freaking out because I told him around this age that my other daughter was already crawling so now he's worried there is something wrong with her." It was hard for Hamish to accept that kids didn't figure things out on a schedule and they all developed at their own pace. It also didn't help that if Theo couldn't figure something out right away she would get frustrated and upset. At the same rate she was only six months old and knew ma and da so at least she was very brilliant for learning how to communicate that much.
Outside in the backyard Vera had spotted Alyssa and Lilith talking, there was something a little unsettling about it. Once upon a time the two had been best friends but in the end they had found themselves on opposite sides. Nichole was talking to another member of the Order, another student from the New Orleans chapter that had been transferred here. He was sweet enough, quiet, and did his best to avoid Vera. Finding a seat she sat down a safe distance from the fire. As far as flames went she was still getting over being set ablaze and almost killed. Gabrielle sat next to her going over pictures of Theo and her recent adventures trick or treating and the halloween store earlier that day. Hamish and Jack came over with a few drinks, Jack sat down next to Alyssa while Hamish sort of handed Vera her drink and realized there wasn't a spot for him to sit.
Rather than go get a chair elsewhere Hamish took the back of her chair and looked down at her. "Care to share a seat?" Did she want to get up? Not really, did she want to sit on his lap? That was debatable, he was wearing tight pants. Was she cold as hell and wanted to cuddle secretly? Very much so. Being cold and using Hamish as her own personal heating unit won out and Vera stood up not only having a drink in her hand but Hamish shrugged off his jacket and put it over her shoulders before pulling her down into his lap and wrapping his arms around her. He rubbed her arms and rested his chin on her shoulder pulling her closer to his chest while she shivered. "You want me to go grab you a blanket too Vera?" Lord, she acted like it was winter already.
"Nope." Taking a sip of the bourbon she hoped it would help warm her up more. "I think I'm fine." Once she felt a little more comfortable and pulled his jacket around her she leaned back into him. Hamish played with her hair a moment curling it around his finger before brushing it all over her left shoulder.
"So Hamish." Randal came up behind them sitting down next to Gabrielle while she surfed through her phone and checked her Instagram. She had to post a few more pictures of her at the party to let everyone know her social life wasn't dead just because she was seeing Randal. "How's married life treating you. We don't see you much anymore."
"Not married." Hamish reminded him. "Yet." Yeah, like, who missed Vera's engagement ring? "And I've been really busy at the Temple. Sorry. I'm happy to meet you guys around noon at the Chalice for drinks though. That's my break, just not on Fridays because I take Vera out to lunch on Fridays." Vera, Vera, it all came right back to his dark haired wifu.
"Speaking of weddings, I'm your best man right?" In the group he had known Hamish the longest. "I already have a speech planned out too."
"I don't…" Vera was trying to stop him before he started but it was too late.
"Hamish Duke, I told him to go fuck Satan once, I didn't think he'd take it literally."
"Wildly inappropriate." Hamish responded to Randal with a shake of his head.
"Wait, there's more." He interrupted Hamish, even with Vera clearly not wanting to hear the rest of this speech. "Vera Stone, she's hot, I'll give her that and she took my best friend away and I still can't decide if I hate her or not but most days it's the first."
"Randal, don't make me hurt you." Hamish continued.
"But, I'd like to be the first to say I saw it coming because for whatever reason they complete each other and together Hamish isn't a moppy sad alcoholic. I actually see him smile and laugh and he still drinks but not nearly as much as he once did. As for Vera, she's actually human, a hard case to crack but a very sweet and charming lady once you get to know her. Even though at first I secretly hoped they wouldn't work out, even was a little jealous. I was the first to actually cheer for them both because I realized how happy they make each other and how much they deserved that happiness." Randal raised up his beer to them. "So here is to you two crazy kids. I'd say go forth and make babies but you already have."
Hamish was pleasantly surprised towards the end, it was almost sincere. Did Randal actually like Vera now? That's what he got from it anyways. "Thank you Randal, for not having to make me decide if I was going to let Vera kill you or not."
"I mean apart you guys are both pretty lame but together you are fun people."
"Thank you?" Vera really didn't know if that was a compliment or not.
"Hey, pretty lady, listen, you are alright sometimes. I give you a hard time because I respect you."
"And call me pretty lady again and I'll make you fear me. It's Grand Magus Mr. Caprio."
"Yes Ma'am." Randal leaned over closer to Hamish. "She doesn't make you call her that in the bedroom too does she?"
Vera rolled her eyes and scoffed at the comment that Hamish really didn't appreciate. Yeah, no, Hamish wasn't about to say what he called her as a pet name in general because it would be humiliating to the dignified little queen on his lap. "You need to give Vera a two drink buffer before she loosens up."
"Excuse me? I don't think so." Drop her guard, that wasn't happening, ever. Not unless she was alone with Hamish then it was more acceptable.
"No, I get it, let's get Vera drunk." Randal had some pretty bad idea's but that was the worst one yet.
"How about we don't get Vera drunk or even talk about it when she's sitting on my lap."
And for a moment she was almost starting to like Randal. "Yeah, Vera isn't getting drunk." She spoke in the third person. "Vera has to get up in the morning and be a responsible adult with a baby and a 10 year old who still needs to go to school."
"Well, Vera can stop being such a party pooper and still have some fun tonight at least." Randal commented back. "Drink up Grand Magus."