Update
We clamber into the car. Dishes unwashed. TV still on. Probably forgetting a million things. But still we remember each other. Shane's hand is tight within mine, as Michael and Eve whisper in the front. We drive out of the garage, just turning off Lot Street when Michael breaks the almost mournful silence.
"Claire you never finished."
Quizzically looking I can't remember the last few moments have swam around my brain; they have left me worn and most of all frightful of my safety. It's not the vampire. It's the human girl… since when has having fangs made a difference.
"Claire you didn't, back in the house you said something like…" Shane tries to think back, trying to remember my last words.
But it's Michael who remembers.
"You said 'Yeah. I never thought. The perfect plan. But' but what Claire?"
All three sets of eyes are trained on me, watching me breathe in, watching me breathe out. I lick my lips, just for something to do.
"But why now? Guys she's had years but she just happens to come back when Bishop has infected a great bunch of vamps… it's too perfect before Amelie called I was thinking this but now, well I think Amelie is right- this isn't just revenge, it's century old revenge."
No one can disagree. They all know it's the truth. Without sugar-coating. It's the sort of thing Bishop would do. To infect Amelie's people whilst taking none of the blame himself. Pretty clean.
"Yeah I get that but why would he choose her?" Eve's question finds the fault in my thought. I don't know. Just as I shake my head, Shane finds the answer. Just as Shane always finds the answer.
"Because the hatred is already there. She already blames Morganville for her losing her family, her life. So Bishop easily could have persuaded her to do something, she is already considering. This isn't him overpowering her; it's him finding a mortal equal. It would have been me, a couple of years back."
The car is in silence. I move closer to him. snuggling my face to his chest, his hand holding my head for comfort.
It's right.
Bishop and Louise.
"But they have different motives!" I blurt this out without even really thinking. But as I say it I know it's true. Weird as it sounds. The guys look at me thinking I haven't heard the previous conversation but Eve's nodding- she gets it.
"Bishop wants to hurt Amelie and doesn't care who gets hurt as long as she is pained by it; whilst Louise… she wants to hurt the vamps- but she cares, something in her cares about what will happen to the others."
And we stay silent, all the way through Morganville, through the gate of Founders square, into the underground parking; all the way up to Amelie's office –I'm clinging to Shane's hand like a life raft- that's when we pause look at each other and knock.
Are we even doing the right thing?