It was a quiet few weeks without further incident as Lane settled within the Serpents who rose to the occasion and reluctantly adopted the outsider who had no one else. She was still no closer to finding answers and she was quickly losing hope she ever would, it was the last tie she had to her father and with that hope gone she felt lost all over again.
More often than sometimes at the very end of the day, no more than an hour before a new one began, Lane would still be on the couch with Tall Ball while the television mumbled. With his eyes growing heavy he'd look down at the girl who lay fast asleep with her head on his lap, and very gently he'd run a hand over her hair pulling it out of her face. Seeing so much of her mother in her.
The Ghoulies steered clear of her after that day, the boy having woken swearing he'd seen the face of the devil. Fangs couldn't let it go, no matter that nothing happened for weeks. He'd seen Lane's eyes and they hadn't been green, that hadn't been her smile, and none of it explained what the hell she'd done. He used it as an excuse to get close to her, to hang around her more, get to know her, make her like him. Which was all easier said than done because she was adamant about keeping everyone at arm's length.
Sweet Pea pretended like he wasn't curious, would outright deny it because he was still trying not to like her. She had a quiet intensity and a stubborn refusal to be nice, but she could be and usually was only to Fangs. And she was, without fail, down for any of their dumb plans. He liked her, but it didn't mean he had to be happy about it.
"Hey," Sweet Pea said getting Fangs' attention off the car he was working on. And he jerked his head toward where Lane stood talking to Tall Boy. "If you're gonna do it now's your chance." It was clear in his voice he didn't agree with this plan. Sweet Pea still didn't know much about her but he knew enough that if she caught Fangs snooping she'd be pissed, and he didn't think she was too big on second chances. It'd make watching out for her harder.
But curiosity had gotten the better of Fangs, because the other day he'd come in the office and noticed her internet browser up. And so the idea formed, today was the first day she'd actually left for more than the bathroom.
Checking to make sure Lane wasn't looking Fangs snuck into the office and plopped himself in her chair in front of the computer. As he waited for the internet browser to load he felt the anticipation swell. He didn't think he'd find all the answers on here, but he was hoping for something. Anything, that would explain her because it was driving him nuts guessing.
He pulled up her search history and scrolled through quickly, glancing up frequently to make sure Lane wasn't coming. Most of it was her looking for a number or where to find a specific part, work related. He'd just about given up when his eyes fell to the word demon. His stare didn't stray from the computer again as he began seeing, earlier in the month, more frequent searches regarding the paranormal. Different religions and cultures and their various demons, house fires in Greendale, witchcraft, house fires where no source had been found, rituals, rituals involving fire and someone burning alive, shadow creatures.
"What are you doing?"
Fangs jerked his head up looking at where Tall Boy stood glowering in the doorway. "I need a part ordered and Lane seemed busy, I was trying to find out who had it," he answered dragging the mouse over to clear the search history.
Tall Boy wasn't buying it, kid looked too guilty. "Leave her a note like everyone else and get back to work," he told him firmly, watching Fangs hesitate before grabbing a post it and scribbling something on it.
It was the last order Fangs had given her and she'd told him this morning it was being shipped. But he could answer that question when she asked, he skirted around Tall Boy seeing the man move to the desk to see what he'd been doing.
"Find anything?" Sweet Pea asked when Fangs returned to his station. Swallowing heavily Fangs shook his head, unable to make sense of anything he'd found. "Told you it was a waste of time."
His eyes flicked to Lane as she made her back to the office knowing something was going on with her. He found her at the Wyrm hours later sitting at a table nursing a stiff drink and reading, waiting for Tall Boy to tell her he was ready to go. "Hey," he greeted sliding in the chair beside her.
Without looking up she bid him a quiet, "hi."
She was forthcoming as always, only this time he was glad for it because it meant she didn't know he'd been on her computer. "Is that a good book?"
Her eyes rose from the sentence she'd been in the middle of and they narrowed as she turned to Fangs, who looked too innocent. "You're asking me if our class assigned reading is good?" What he didn't know is that she knew he'd been on her computer, she'd felt it on the mouse and she knew what he'd seen.
Crap, he thought clearing his throat. She was too smart for anyone's good and she pieced things together way too quick, she was gonna figure him out and there would be hell to pay. "I don't always know how to talk to you," he said shrugging it off, hoping she'd buy it.
But she blinked and her hard expression cracked a little. "I know I'm difficult."
"Crap," he said, his eyes widening as he realized how she'd taken it. "That's not what I meant. You're a little intense but I like you. I just," he sighed trying to find an approach that wouldn't make her feel bad, "I feel like I know as much about you now as I did when you first got here."
She shrugged saving her place and setting the book down, so far he was the only one she'd do that for. "I told you all there is to know." And she really kind of had, only leaving out the one thing.
He'd gotten that out of her pretty soon after she got there: her mom disappeared when she was young, she didn't know anything about her side of the family, her dad's parents didn't like her mom so they didn't speak to each other. "There has to be more," Fangs said with an open smile. And as he looked at her in the dimly lit bar, he wasn't thinking of demons or ghosts, he was thinking she looked very pretty in that lighting with a small grin curled on her mouth.
"I told you, I'm very boring." She had her elbow set on the table resting her chin on her covered hand as she looked at him, relaxed. Comfortable.
"Really?" he asked, because he thought her far too interesting to ever buy that. "What, not even some secret obsession with sparkling vampires?" he asked, trying to remind himself what he was really after.
She laughed lightly shaking her head. "Fraid not. I'm pretty vanilla."
"I don't buy that for a second." He saw the briefest flash of her teeth before she'd pressed her lips together, but he could see in the way the corners of her eyes squinted she was smiling. "Hey, there's um," he swallowed finding his throat suddenly dry, "there's a movie I've been wanting to see, and I thought maybe," he waved a hand as though brushing away his sudden nerves, forgetting he was supposed to be seeing it with Sweet Pea, "since I hurt your feelings, maybe I can make it up to you."
Taking a swig of her drink she nodded as though considering it. "I'm not really a movie person," she said hearing his soft oh before he looked away, scratched absentmindedly at a spot on the table. "But I admit," she met his eyes when he turned back to her, seeing them wide with something that looked like hope, "I'm easily swayed with popcorn." This time he smiled and she felt that look settle in her stomach making it harder to hide her own.
.^.
Sweet Pea stayed late to make up a test, his bike was the only one left in the lot as he walked out of the school. His boots hit the asphalt and a group of Ghoulies came out from behind a corner, their eyes shining as they glowered at the tall Serpent.
"Think we can take this snake?" asked the boy Lane had somehow convinced to knock himself out.
Another boy behind him sneered. "If we hold him down."
Sweet Pea's hand closed around the switchblade in his pocket feeling something small brush his back. And he watched the Ghoulies freeze, their eyes falling just below Sweet Pea's shoulder. He watched the leader of this group's face blanch.
"You won't always have that freak around," he spit trying to save face when the thing he feared was a girl barely over five feet tall.
As the group slunk away Sweet Pea turned to the girl beside him to see her face upturned to him, her features soft in the bright daylight. "I could get used to that," he said, always enjoying how quick the Ghoulies were to leave her alone.
Lane walked with him in the parking lot, glancing up at his surprisingly not closed off face. "Meaning you wouldn't mind if I stuck around?"
He sent a wry look down to her and told her, "I wouldn't go that far," seeing her smirk before he climbed onto his bike. She swung a leg over and he lost his breath feeling her body slide down his back as she settled on the seat behind him sneaking her hands along his waist. He wondered if she could feel the sudden heat pooling there. Clearing his throat in effort to clear her from his head he pulled out onto the road feeling her arms tighten around him as she rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't think he'd mind her sticking around.
.^.
Fangs could almost forget what he'd seen in the hallway, her dark eyes, the strange stomach-churning things she looked up. He had initiation to occupy his thoughts, and after he sat in Tall Boy's trailer letting her clean his bruised face. She dabbed gently at where they'd broken the skin, standing in the space between his legs, feeling his eyes heavy on her.
When she was done she tossed the rag on the counter and looked down at him seeing whatever he was thinking had his breathing deepening as his eyes fell from hers. His arms shyly snuck around her waist pulling her closer, and he pressed a soft kiss to her chest before resting his cheek over her heart feeling every swell of her breathing. And she stood with her arms held at her sides staring down at the top of his head feeling too much for this kind hearted boy who refused to move no matter how she tried to push him away. And with his skin against her she found he felt like summer rain.
The breath went out of him at the feel of her hands on his back, light at first and then heavier as she wrapped her arms around him drawing him further into her.
…
It crept up on him again. She was often too tired to want to spend hours at the Wyrm waiting for when Tall Boy was ready to go home, to make idle conversation with these people who were still trying to feel her out, to be polite. That night she sat not even wanting to read.
"You know if she is gonna stay she could try acting like she wants to be here," Toni commented casually, liking Lane well enough but she wasn't horribly impressed with her.
Fangs was about to say something when Sweet Pea's rough voice cut in, "I'm sure she'd rather be home with her dad, you know, if they hadn't both burned."
Toni's brows rose at how defensive he sounded. "Point taken, I'll lay off," she said lifting her drink to her grinning lips.
Fangs nudged him, seeing his eyes flick to where she sat every so often. "Why don't you take her home," he offered, thinking maybe if they spent more time together they might actually start to get along.
But Sweet Pea was cautiously aware of the way Toni was looking at him, of how quick he'd been to take her side. And he shook his head irritably responding, "you're the only one who likes her," before stalking to the pool table.
"Well that's not true," Toni said after he'd gone, finding it almost cute how obvious Sweet Pea could be. Then she turned to Fangs, who was even more obvious, and couldn't help but push him towards her out of nothing more than the curiosity of what was gonna happen between these boys and their strange girl.
Lane looked up at someone coming up beside her, expecting it to be someone else she only vaguely knew who wanted to continue to pry in effort to figure her out. Muted relief entered her eyes at seeing Fangs' sweet face. "Come on, I'll take you home."
"You shouldn't leave your friends for me," she told him knowing she wasn't worth it.
But he shrugged stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I like to think we're friends too," he told her, watching her blink surprised before a slow smile spread on her mouth.
He drove her back to Sunnyside and parked his bike outside his trailer before walking with her to Tall Boys, and they sat on the couch watching something Fangs found. It could've been a normal night, but he turned to her during a commercial and saw at some point she'd fallen asleep with her head on the armrest. He smiled for a moment just looking at her pretty face, but then his mind caught up and he turned to the room behind him.
He'd never been there with just her, Tall Boy had always been there. But now she was asleep and no one was here to know. Quietly he stood and crept to the room Tall Boy was letting her have, and he looked around to see the bed neatly made, and her clothes hanging in the closet with Tall Boy's. Normal. But his eyes fell to the shelf between the bottom of the closet and the top of the dresser to see the elaborately etched box Lane had set there. He remembered her holding it when she first appeared at the Wyrm, and he was filled with the insatiable need to know what was inside the only thing she'd grabbed from her burning house.
Peeking at where Lane still lay sleeping he gently reached for the clasp to open it, and he jerked his hand back finding it was scalding. He looked at his singed fingers and then at the box with a deep frown, finding it as curiously strange as everything about this girl was. A terrible thought crossed his mind and he stood for several long moments trying to convince himself to just drop it, that she'd hate him if she woke up. But his need to know her won out and he carefully picked up the box carrying it to the couch. Very gently he took her small hand and set it on the wood watching the metal clasp fall open, and he released an amazed breath before he sat back and opened it.
He stared opened mouthed and in awe at the inside of the box that was almost twice as big as its outside. It didn't make sense, but then again nothing about Lane did. He found a leather bound book, an old folded piece of parchment, and several things he didn't know enough to understand like crystals and bottles of what looked like herbs and string.
Glancing at Lane's peaceful face he felt a flush of guilt but not enough to change his mind. He reached for the old weathered paper first, that felt as delicate in his fingers as a butterfly's wing, and looked at the elegantly written words.
my dearest love
If you're reading this it means I'm gone, and I will never know a greater regret than that. I wanted only to keep you from this life, hoping maybe it would spare you. But you're more myself than I. And I hope you never learn what I've done.
That was almost enough to stop him, as he realized he was looking at the only thing she had of her mother. He returned the letter to the box refusing to let himself finish it, no matter how much he wanted to. Instead he reached for the book and traced one of the hand carved symbols wondering what it meant.
He flipped through page after page seeing words that shifted and quivered, not sitting still long enough for him to make anything out. Until suddenly the words pulled together into a black mass before it exploded outward on the page seeping through like blood. He dropped it running for the door, he got it open a few inches before it slammed shut in his face. Then the lock clicked.
His hands were shaking as he turned to Lane stood trying not to show he was scared, that he was scared of her. "Open the door," he told her sounding breathless as he nearly panted.
She lowered the arm she'd raised to catch the door and walked to him seeing his hand in his pocket. "You can let go of your knife, I'm gonna hurt you."
"Then why's the door locked?" he demanded as she moved to the top step leaving him cornered. He was too panicked trying to figure out if she was crazy or if he was for believing this might be possible.
Something in her broke at seeing his fear plain as any feature on his face, at knowing he was gonna leave her too. And it hurt. "You can't tell anyone."
"Tell them what?" he cried, his voice echoing in the empty trailer. "What the hell is going on Lane?"
In a broken voice she told him, "I don't know," and it quieted him. "I don't know what's going on, I don't know what killed my dad or how I'm supposed to stop it. I just," tears flooded her eyes and she looked away from his wide eyes that made her hate herself for what he now thought of her, "I don't know."
He felt the door unlock behind him but his eyes didn't leave her. At the first sign of tears it was like the air had been sucked out of him, and now he was left looking at what he'd done to her. He moved to the step below the one she stood on and almost timidly wrapped his arms around her, feeling her hands clench around his shirt. "I'm sorry," he told her softly, feeling her chest jolt with every breath as she tried to keep from crying. Resting his cheek over the top of her head he held her until her tears turned to quiet sniffling, waiting for when she was ready to pull away.
She wiped her eyes and returned to the couch letting him sit beside her before she grabbed the book and set it open in his hands. From the way his brows drew together she knew the writing was still dancing, and she reached under placing her hand over his with her fingers fitting in the spaces between his. It was like a shock that ran from her hand through the rest of her body, a loud buzzing that made her feel warm – summer rain. They sat so close she heard the breath he took at her touch, and she watched his face closely for the moment the letters arranged themselves into something he recognized.
With wide eyes he turned to her, so close his nose grazed her cheek. "Holy shit," he breathed realizing this was all real. She was a witch, he was holding her grimoire, and he was looking at a goddamn spell.
Brushing her hair behind her ear she nodded. "I only got it open last year." It was sometime after she'd turned sixteen, she'd been moving it to dust the shelf and the lock had snapped open. "I always knew what I was but there was a whole world my mother never wanted me to be apart of and I don't know what I'm supposed to do." He was the only one she'd said that to, it made her feel too close to him. Too aware of his heart.
Fangs nodded as though he understood, but he told her, "you don't have to figure it out tonight, or even tomorrow. You fit pretty well here." He saw her press her lips together and he nudged her with his shoulder. "So what's really with the gloves?" he asked, not buying what she'd first said about being a germaphobe.
She considered the answer, if she was going this far with him she might as well go all the way. "I feel things when I touch them, my mother was the same way. It's gotten worse since last year," she said feeling from where she touched his hand he was curious. "With people I can get a feel for what kind of person they are, I can get thoughts too if they're loud enough. Or, I'm touching them enough." Something about that excited him, but she couldn't tell much more than that. "Objects too, I can feel what someone was doing or why."
"So you knew I was on your computer," he said reading it her expression and he nodded uncomfortably, not sure if he should apologize. And then he was aware of her hand still held over his under the book and he looked to see her grinning and realized she'd just felt that thought. "Holy shit," he said again, this time in awe. "What do I feel like?"
She looked at his open face and told him, "summer rain. It pours sometimes but usually it's soft. And warm."
A rush of heat rose in his face and he looked away, knowing she'd probably felt it. His eyes fell on the book with the old looping writing thinking it looked like the writing in the letter, and he was glad for something else to talk to her about. "What does this one do?"
"If you read it you'll find out," she said, callous as always.
He shrugged not falling for it. "I wanted you to tell me." He watched the softest look enter her eyes before she dropped them to the page, but she couldn't stop that smile and he sat back pretty proud of himself for making her blush.
They stayed that way for what felt like forever flipping through the pages reading neatly scribbled words. She told him stories of when she first tried a spell, of making the coffee pot explode one time when she was angry, of accidentally misplacing her dad's hair – he'd been bald for a week before they finally found it buried in the litter box.
"No way," Fangs said, his voice choked by his laughter. "What'd you do?"
She smiled at the memory, raising a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Well we cleaned it, and I put it on him," she was stopped by the sudden giggles that shook her chest and she cleared her throat, "but I put it on backwards." She broke off and they laughed together with a faint tone of delirium from how late it'd gotten.
Her laughing settled before his, the more somber of the two, and she missed her father. Turning to the boy beside her she found him still grinning at her, his sweet brown eyes shining like she was the greatest thing. And she found it hard to look at him. "Thank you," she told him in a fragile voice "for not leaving."
From the quiet way she said it he didn't think many people stuck around for her. And he told himself then, feeling like she'd just given him her heart, that no matter what kind of crazy shit happened he was gonna stick around for her. "You're stuck with me now," he said, wondering if she could hear the promise.
But she was too far inside her mind and she replied, "I could've done worse."
With a rush of feeling he leaned forward pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, feeling the breath still in her chest and he pulled back looking for her eyes. She hadn't heard his promise but she felt it then in his lips, and it filled her with such a terrible warmth it left her breathless. They looked at each other with mirrored shy expressions in their shining eyes and they leaned into each other reaching the decision together. As their mouths molded together Fangs sat back pulling her with him and onto his lap, his hands gripping her hips while hers cupped his face.
They were so lost in each other they didn't hear the door open, but they did hear the thump of boots on the stairs and they jumped apart turning to where Tall Boy stood on the top step with heavy eyes on the guilty pair.
"I should go," Fangs said swallowing thickly, his eyes shifting awkward and uncomfortable.
Tall Boy gruffly agreed and waited as the boy shuffled out, stopping to give Lane a quiet goodbye. Then Tall Boy turned looking down at where she sat with her hands folded in her lap looking for all the world like she was innocent, and he shook his head at how much like her mother she was. Trouble included.
.^.
"Can you fly? Do you have a talking cat? Do you fly on a broom with your talking cat?"
"You have to stop," Lane said mildly annoyed as Fangs followed her around the back of the shop as she did inventory after work. Tall Boy offered to stay but Fangs jumped at the chance; he had enough time to sleep on it and come back with a whole slew of questions he'd been throwing at her all day.
He followed her around a shelf and wrapped an arm around her waist spinning her around to face him, he'd done it so fast she had to catch herself on his chest and it left them with no more than a breath between them. Her faced was upturned to she see him and he lowered his head letting his nose brush hers, seeing the small smile that curled on her mouth. And when he had her where he wanted her he asked, "can you read minds?" She was leaning into him licking her lips and she nodded slowly, her focus clearly on his mouth. "What am I thinking?" he whispered, his lips grazing hers with every word.
Her mouth caught his chin and she trailed wet kisses down his throat feeling the way he swallowed. "You're thinking," she kissed his jaw, "if I kiss you," the corner of his mouth, "you'll stop talking." She leaned towards him feeling him bend further to find her mouth, but she pulled away leaving him with only the ghost of a kiss on his lips.
He looked down at her shining eyes feeling the way he nearly panted and he shook his head thinking she was very good. "It is now," he said seeing a flash of her smile before he cupped the back of her head and pulled her mouth to his. He could taste the peppermint from her chapstick, then his knees buckled at the way her tongue scraped his teeth. Breathless and flushed he pulled away looking down at her greedy eyes. "One more question," he said and waited for a flash of irritation.
But she smiled faintly. "Yes," she told him, seeing the way his brows drew together in question, "you can take me to dinner."
"How'd you know, you're wearing these?" he asked grabbing one of her gloved her hands.
She leaned against him finding him very cute in his confusion. "I tasted it," she said stealing a quick kiss.
He'd just leaned into it when she pulled away again and he looked down at her thinking she was nothing short of amazing. But something occurred to him that had heat rising in his chest. "Does that mean you know I thought,"
"About holding me against the wall," she finished for him, seeing his cheeks darken, "yeah I got that too." She heard his mumbled apology and she showed mercy. "Come on," she said stepping back and tugging him by the hand she still held, "you're taking me to dinner."
He let her pull him toward the door and with a wicked grin he charged forward wrapping his arms around her waist lifting her feet off the ground. She laughed letting her head fall back on his shoulder as he carried her, feeling him kiss her cheek as he went. And she felt something she thought she might not get to again, happy.
.^.
Fangs convinced Sweet Pea to let Lane come to the movies with them. Or rather Fangs told him he'd casually mentioned to her they were seeing a movie before Sweet Pea suggested they invite her. "Yeah?" Fangs asked surprised not just that Sweet Pea agreed but that it'd been his idea. He wondered if maybe they got along more than realized, and he found himself not quite happy with the thought of that.
Sweet Pea shrugged not wanting it to be a big deal, Toni already teased him relentlessly about Lane. "Well she hangs around us enough."
"More like she does her thing and we're just along for the ride," Fangs agreed, seeing Sweet Pea's breath of a laugh as he shook his head.
She was the most forthcoming person he knew, didn't beat around the bush or leave subtle hints hoping he'd catch on – if she wanted something she'd get it and she'd only ask for help if she absolutely needed it. She was as difficult as he was, stubborn too, and he liked the hell out of it. He liked the hell out of her too.
Tall Boy looked between the two boys that stood outside his trailer waiting for Lane, both with their hands in their pockets scuffing their boots, a little more time spent on their hair and picking out a nice shirt. And because he knew her mother he knew exactly how this was gonna go.
She came out wearing one of Tall Boy's oversized shirts tucked into her jeans without a speck of makeup or care. And all three felt something twist in their stomachs at the sight of her.
"No later than eleven," he told them, getting a yes sir from the two he had he eye on.
Lane sat between them in the theater holding the bucket of popcorn, her gloves folded in Sweet Pea's pocket. Not long after the lights dimmed and the trailers started playing she felt Fangs' hand on her leg, his fingers pressing into the soft inside of her thigh that had her heart stuttering. And as he slid it higher, in a way that made her lose her breath, she knew he did it on purpose.
He left his hand there in place of his arm around her shoulder as the movie started, and within a few minutes she felt another touch. Softer this time, and she looked down at where Sweet Pea's hand rested on her other leg just above her knee. He felt so strongly she could feel it through the fabric, he was so nervous. Very slowly she reached for him lightly brushing her fingers over the back of his hand hearing the breath he took. And she found he felt like dark storm clouds rolling in front of the sun, and every so often the light broke through.
With a hand held over either boy's, the tub of popcorn untouched on her lap, she looked up at the screen with eyes so dark they were nearly black. Her mother's eyes.