A/N: Look at that, a timely update! During finals week! I amaze myself, although, you guys can eb the judge of that. Hope you enjoy!

Needless to say, school was cancelled. Police worked fast to get kids off the campus, taking over the traffic flow. Rob helped Hunter get back into the car, while Rich called his parents and Mr. Sands. Eleanor tossed her keys to Rob, gesturing to Natalie.

"Ladies, you need to follow me," a police officer said, guiding them into the main office. Principal Dermott paced nervously in the office, cell phone in hand.

"God, did you girls find the body?" Principal Dermott asked, raking a hand through his hair. "We need to talk to you, to help figure out who did this, and once we're done you two are free to go. Natalie, I've called you parents already, but Eleanor, I didn't even know you were involved, so while the officers ask you questions, I'm going to call your mother."

The questioning went by in a blur, but thankfully, the girls were questioned together, with some teachers with them. Mostly, they were questions about how they found David, whether they knew what he'd been doing this weekend, and the like.

Once the girls were released, they sat in the main office, waiting for their parents. Natalie took Eleanor's hand in hers, squeezing it tight.

"Thanks for being there for me," she said, voice thick with tears. "None of my other friends even bothered." Eleanor thought about the cheerleaders, pale and sickly, standing at the edges of the crowd like zombies.

"We're friends," Eleanor replied simply, squeezing Natalie's fingers back. They didn't speak after that, Natalie lost in the beginning waves of grief, while Eleanor floundered under the crushing weight of guilt.

This was their fault.

No, this was her fault. She didn't stake the vampire like she should've, and they hadn't made sure he was really dead. Everything Saturday night had been so stressful, full of panic and a sense of recklessness.

They hadn't thought the vampire would've been able to get up and walk around after what they'd done, much less orchestrate such a vicious and gruesome murder. Eleanor leaned towards Natalie, putting her head on the girl's shoulder. She responded by laying her cheek on Eleanor's head. Though Eleanor felt guilty taking such comfort from the poor girl, she couldn't help it, needing someone to cling to.

The doors of the office burst open and parents rushed in. To Eleanor's absolute and utter surprise, both her mother and father were there. Eleanor burst into tears at the sight of them, barreling into her father's chest. She cried in earnest, for David, for finding him, for Natalie, and for herself.

"Oh, sweetheart, it's okay now. I'm here," Richie murmured, rubbing her back. Eleanor peeked over his shoulder, watching Delphine sign paperwork and talk to the officers, tears dripping dramatically down her cheeks. She'd always been a pretty crier.

Both sets of families were escorted out, following police cars out and onto the streets. Eleanor sat in the backseat, feeling like a little girl. For a moment, she thought about telling her parents everything that had happened, including her foray into the supernatural world. They shared a panicked look when they thought she wasn't looking, and the moment passed. She had to protect them.

At home, Eleanor excused herself to go upstairs, desperately needing a shower. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw David, laid out on the school rock, dripping blood into the grass. She scrubbed at her skin until she was raw and pink. Once she was dressed, she steeled herself to face her parents.

"—can't let her stay here! Not now!" Her dad was yelling. Delphine lay draped on a couch, sobbing openly.

"How much more can you take away from me, Richie? Huh? How much? You obliterated my marriage with your little assistant, blasted my life apart, and now, you're trying to take my daughter from me!" She yelled, bracelets clacking together as she waved her hands.

"Guys!" Eleanor interjected, stepping into the living room. Both her parents fell silent, taking a seat on the couch. Delphine opened her arms, inviting Eleanor to step into them. She wanted to, for a moment, but there was work she had to do, things she wouldn't be able to if she was caught in the crosshairs of a custody battle.

"I'm not going anywhere right now," Eleanor started, ignoring the shocked looks and incredulous sputtering from her father. "My friends need my right now, dad, the community too."

She didn't mention that her friends and community needed her to help kill a bunch of vampires, but hey, that was life. Eleanor felt off-kilter but determined, like she was pushing hard on something that wasn't there all the way.

"Eleanor, listen to me," her father pleaded. "You can have your old life back, honey, I can keep you safe!"

"He left us, Eleanor, don't forget, just so her could bury himself in some girl barely older than you!" Delphine cried. Eleanor flinched at the implication, but charged on.

"I'm not going anywhere right now, dad, I already told you. I need to be here," she explained. "I don't need my old life."

"I get that you're punishing me—" Richie started.

"I'm not punishing you!" Eleanor yelled, losing her tenuous control. "Mom needed me, so I left! Now, I need this place, my friends, so I'm staying here!"

A stunned silence settled over the room, both parents looking at her with uncertain expressions. Delphine opened her arms once again, and this time, Eleanor stepped in, relishing the rare moment of order, of mother taking care of daughter, and not the other way around.

"Sweetheart," Delphine started. "I'm so grateful that you stayed for me, but I promise, from now on, I'm going to work hard and take care of you, like you deserve. I'm getting sober, I swear, but if you want to go, Eleanor, you can. It's all up to you."

Eleanor felt tears burn in the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them spill. What she needed to do now was to get to her friends, to make a plan. She sat with both parents for a few minutes, relishing the care and affection in the embrace.

"I have to go now," she whispered, pulling away. "I have to go check on my friends. It'll make me feel better."

In the name of Eleanor's healing, they let her go, Delphine going as far as to offer to take her to the Sands house, where her car sat waiting in the drive way. Eleanor promised her mother she'd be back in time for dinner and headed up to the door.

"Hey, Eleanor, honey, thank you so much for letting the boys use your car," Mr. Sands said as he opened the door. "You hungry or anything?"

"No thanks, I'm good." He led her upstairs to Hunter's room, where the boys were all huddled together, sitting cross-legged on the floor. There was a map if the town between them.

"Alright, everyone stop," Mr. Sands said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I have a horrible feeling you four know what happened this weekend. Start talking."

There was an uncomfortable silence, where they all exchanged panicked looks. Rob was the first to break.

"Okay, we're way in over our heads, Mr. Sands! This whole thing was our fault!" To everyone's surprise, his eyes went glassy with tears. Rich settled a hand on his brother-to-be's shoulder, a calming motion.

"I got this, Dad, it's my job to take care of things like this," Hunter said, stony-faced.

"Hunter, this isn't Transylvania! This is life and death, innocent people are involved, and you guys have some half-baked plan that's only going to get you hurt, or worse!" His face softened as Hunter's went ashen, and he knelt next to his son. "We're all on the same team here, but we have to stop involving the boys and Eleanor, they could get hurt. Let's call Jordan and the three of us can take care of it."

"No offense, Mr. Sands," Eleanor interjected. "You guys are going to need all the help you can get. Last time, they weren't expecting a Vukovic werewolf, so you guys had an edge. Now, they've had years to plan. They're expecting the three of you, but they won't be expecting us all."

"Dad, she's right," Hunter agreed, getting up to stand by Eleanor. "There's a full moon next week, we have to strike then."

"I don't like the idea of you kids getting hurt," Mr. Sands said slowly. "But I don't see another option. It's not like we can call the supernatural police."

"Dad, I'm going to take care of them, but we just need a plan," Hunter said, gesturing to the map. "Paulina's got to be close, and Eleanor has a theory that she's either recruiting or feeding at high school parties."

They all settled on the floor of Hunter's room, formulating a plan. It was nice to have Mr. Sands on their side, it made them feel like they were secure, somehow. At the very least, he always shot down the wildly ludicrous plans that wouldn't work. Jordan had been video-chatted in, and everyone got to see her boyfriend, who waved shyly. He too promised to help them.

Around dinner time, Eleanor, Rob, and Rich decided to head back, all having promised their parents to be home before the new, city-wide curfew.

"Hang on a second," Hunter said, once the boys had left. He ruffled his hair, frowning nervously. "Look, I just wanted to say thanks."

"Oh, about the car! It's no big deal, seriously, and I had to be there for Nat—" Eleanor shut up suddenly, when Hunter wrapped her in a tight hug, clinging like a little kid.

"Oh, Hunter," she sighed. "It's not your fault, I swear. You're not alone, we're all here to help."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me," he mumbled. Eleanor could feel hot tears drip onto her shoulder. She clutched him tighter, her mind inadvertently going to Natalie. "I already got someone killed."

"We have to fix this now," Eleanor told him, rubbing gentle circles on his back. "Before it gets worse." Hunter nodded into her neck, sniffling as he pulled away. He laughed a little despite himself.

"God, I'm such a mess," he said, ruffling his hair. Eleanor shook her head, smiling weakly.

"It's been a really messed up day," she said. "My dad came back."

"You never really talk about your dad." Before Eleanor could respond, Rich poked his head into the room, grimacing apologetically.

"I just got off the phone with my folks," he said. "They kind of want both of us back now."

"Me too," Eleanor said. "Let's go." Hunter walked with them, leaning against the door frame of the front door to watch them go.

At home, her father paced back and forth in the backyard, having some sort of argument on the phone. Music blared in the living room, and the carpet was covered in purple splotches of paint. Delphine moved like a hurricane, her brush strokes wild and unrestrained. Eleanor stood in the foyer, unnoticed, taking a moment to admire her mother's skill. For all her failings, Delphine was a true talent.

"Mom?" she said after a moment, settling on the couch. "What's going on?"

"He's leaving us," she replied, voice tight. "Again." Eleanor scoffed softly, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Now?" She'd assumed that he'd stay a little longer, maybe a few days while all the craziness settled down. Logically, she knew it might be safer for him to get back to the city before the full moon, but the not-so-grown-up part of her wished she could have her parents on her side for this. Hunter was truly lucky to have the dad he did.

Delphine stopped, setting down her paint brush. Her hands were smeared in paint, but Eleanor didn't care as she cupped her face.

"You can go with him if you want," Delphine said. "If that's what you want to do. Besides, I'll have gallery exhibitions in the city all the time! We can see each other as much as you want."

"New York and Minnesota are pretty far from each other," Eleanor said, leaning into the touch. "I want to stay here, but I need to see you try." Delphine pulled her into a tight hug, clutching like Eleanor was a lifeline.

"I will, sweetheart, I promise." Richie came back into the house then, running a hand through his already ruffled hair.

"Del, you're getting paint all over her," he said. "How do you feel, kiddo?"

"I'm fine, I swear. Being with my friends really helped." Richie sat down heavily on the couch, taking one of Eleanor's hands in his own.

"I have to be back at the office soon," he told them. "We have a big case coming up. I need you tell me what you need, honey."

"Dad, just because I want to live here doesn't mean I don't love you. Yeah, I was mad before, but I settled here. I don't want to move again. I'll come visit for holidays and birthdays and random weekends too." Eleanor felt lighter than she had while. She could save her parents and the town too.

"I'm a phone call away, alright," Richie said, leaning over to press a kiss to Eleanor's temple. "I have to pack." Delphine sat on the couch with Eleanor for a while, wrapped around her like a blanket. Eleanor wondered how she was going to save her mom.

They drove to the airport all together, and for a brief hour, Eleanor pretended her family was whole again, like her dad was just going on a business trip or something. The ride back was almost uncomfortably quiet, so they took a random exit, looking a restaurant for dinner.

It was the first time in a long time, pretty much since before the divorce, back when Delphine acted like a real mom, that the two of them got along so well. They talked tentatively through appetizers, and when dessert came around, they were laughing, enjoying each other's company for once.

Once Eleanor was back in her room, she called Natalie, snuggled up under her covers.

"Hello?" Natalie's voice was a rough, scratchy approximation of her usual bright cadence.

"Hey, I was wondering how you were doing," Eleanor said.

"I don't know. I mean, things with David were always rocky, you know? Like we were never really happy together, but we were never happy apart either. I feel so bad for Saturday night now," Natalie admitted.

"What happened on Saturday?" Eleanor asked.

"God, it was so stupid. We were having a good time, but then the boys wanted to crash my brother's bonfire or whatever, but I was like 'You're here with me, you should pay attention to me!' but David is David and he wanted to go with them. We got into this stupid fight and it totally killed the party. People left pretty fast after that."

"I'm sorry, that totally sucks," Eleanor said, thinking back to when she's seen the pair last. They looked happy enough, if a little drunk.

"I just want to know who would do something that fucked up to another human, like who would kill him like that and leave him there? It was like they weren't even trying to hide it! And the police kept asking about his enemies! He was seventeen, his biggest enemy was calculus!"

Eleanor laughed in spite of herself, a hysterical cackle that sounded strange to her own ears. Natalie laughed to, and suddenly, they were in hysterics. It took several minutes for them to calm down, and once they did, Natalie was crying softly.

"Thanks for calling," she sniffled. "It means a lot that you did."

"I'm here for you, Nat, whatever you need." Eleanor assured her. They said goodnight and Eleanor hung up the phone, ready to fall asleep. They were having a special assembly at school tomorrow, most likely for David.

Just as she was falling asleep, the phone rang again. Groaning, Eleanor answered it.

"Hello?"

"E, it's Hunter. Jordan's coming home in a couple day and I think she has a plan. Can you be at my place tomorrow afternoon? After school? We need to do research." Hunter sounded wired, like he'd had one too many cups of coffee before the phone call.

"What kind of research?" Eleanor asked, voice still gravely with sleep.

"Jordan's been hearing some rumors, I'll explain tomorrow," he said. "God, we could actually do this!"

A/N: Until next time folks!