Vee's frown deepened as she scrutinised Luz's photograph, trying to make sure that every single contour of the girl's cheeks was burned into her mind. With a sigh, she released a small slither of magic to alter her own cheekbone, attempting to match it to the real Luz's. It was an improvement, but it still just was not perfect. Her nose crinkled in irritation as she shifted her gaze to the hair. She tried her best to align her own hair to the photograph, but it was a battle she knew she would lose. She was not gifted with the ability to make hair flow naturally, and she was thankful that humans rarely seemed to care about the accuracy of her unruly locks.
She awkwardly brushed the hair back, desperately trying to make it lay correctly, but it was a fruitless effort. No matter what she did, the rebellious lock of hair always seemed to curl back behind her ears, causing her to shoot an irritated glare at the stubborn strands. Vee knew that it didn't matter all that much, Camila had been quite open about how much a human's form could change over time, but she still wanted to be perfect. She felt an immense debt to Camila for all that she had done for her, despite Vee being nothing more than a pale imitation of her real daughter.
Even if it didn't actually matter, Vee still wanted to make her Luz impersonation flawless, as it was the only way she could truly give Camila her own daughter back.
"It must be perfect," Vee muttered bitterly to herself, moving on to desperately try to get the eye colour to match Luz's own. But no matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Camila's voice.
"Vee, didn't I say you were doing a fantastic job already?" Camila asked gently, pulling her away from the mirror. "If this is all too much, I don't think it would matter if we had 'Luz' take a few days or weeks off sick. I know that you've been through a lot these past few weeks."
"No, I'm good at this," Vee exclaimed, frantically turning back to the mirror and flashing a few different shades of brown in Luz's pupils before groaning as she realised that none of them were even close to the right shade.
"I am sure you are," Camila said, pulling her into a hug. Vee practically melted into the embrace, enjoying the warmth that surrounded her. However the warmth had a bitter aftertaste, no matter how often Camila hugged her, Vee always knew deep down that one day soon she would get her last hug when Luz returned. "However, you're not here because I need a Luz stand-in, you're here because I want you to have a home. Okay?"
Vee stuttered, her voice trembling as she spoke, "I know, m-Camila." She was careful not to call Camila her mother again and make things even more awkward between them. "I just wanted to give you a chance to pretend that Luz is here, I know you've been missing her so much."
Camila sighed, loosening her embrace just enough to look down at Vee, though Vee kept her eyes fixed on the floor. "I have been missing my other la mija," she said. "But that doesn't mean that I don't want you here. You know you have a place here and you don't need to keep Luz's form if you don't want to."
Vee nervously asked, "Would you prefer it if I didn't look like Luz?" Her true form's ears accidentally appeared as she fretted over Camila's opinion of her. "I can look like anyone else you want me to look like if you don't like it."
Camila spoke sweetly, her voice gentle and reassuring. "I want you to take on whatever form you are comfortable with. Whether that is Luz's form, your natural form, or something else entirely. I just want you to feel comfortable here."
Vee silently nodded, unable to trust her voice to speak, as her eyes began to well with tears. Camila had been the most kind and supportive creature she had ever met, and Vee had no idea how she was going to cope when it was all taken away. In her heart, Vee knew that Camila probably only liked her as a surrogate for her own daughter, and that Vee's kind were nothing more than a problem to be eradicated. Yet, if Camila was prepared to pretend to care for her, Vee was willing to pretend to believe it. Despite knowing that Luz's return would mark the end of her time with Camila, Vee still wished for her return. She loved living with Camila, but she also didn't like Camila's pain at missing her real daughter.
"It's alright, Vee, I'm here for you, I promise," Camila declared, pushing back a bang of Vee's hair so she could properly look her in the eye. "So how about we dry those tears, you take on the form you're most comfortable with, and we can sit down and have a nice dinner together? Does that sound nice?"
"Do you want me to not be Luz?" Vee asked weakly, rubbing her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She wanted to be Luz for Camila, but another part of her did like the idea of relaxing back to her normal form. She winced as she felt her face slightly change as she lost a little more control over her morphed form, her natural ears shifting back before she could stop them. "Are you sure that you're okay with my other form? I know it's not normal."
"I am more than okay with the true you," Camila assured her, giving her cheek a gentle pinch. "I'm going to get started on a nice dish I've wanted to try out."
Vee nervously let herself relax and transitioned back to her basilisk form, biting her lip nervously as she waited for Camila's reaction. But all Camila did was give her a warm embrace, and even as Vee changed into her true form, Camila never let go. Admittedly it was far from the first time Camila has seen her natural form, but Vee had tried to still limit how often Camila needed to put up with her weirdness. It was still nice to know that she didn't entirely dislike Vee's form.
After a few moments, Camila finally released the hug and gave her a smile, ruffling Vee's navy-blue hair. "Come on, dinner isn't going to cook itself and I would love a hand from you." Camila told her quietly as she led Vee out to the kitchen.
However this was her first real obstacle, Vee felt exposed before she even entered the room, but with Camila's coaxing she cautiously crept into the kitchen, ready to retreat at a moment's notice. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw the wide-open blinds, letting anyone outside catch a glimpse of her true form. "Maybe I should stay in Luz's form," she muttered, her words barely audible.
Camila's hand on her shoulder was a comfort, and she felt her anxiety ease as Camila softly spoke. "It's alright, the kitchen window just faces into the forest. You should feel free to be yourself in our home," Camila said, giving Vee a gentle nudge forward.
"It's still a risk," Vee said, her voice quivering with fear. But Camila's presence was enough to convince her to take the plunge, and she stepped into the room with a newfound courage. Although she still felt exposed, she knew that with Camila by her side, she was safe.
Camila's voice boomed as she spoke with a twinkle in her eye, "I'm sure that if anyone saw you they would explain it away as an elaborate costume or something. We tend to see what we want to see. Now, are you up for helping me get some of those carrots properly diced?" She gestured towards the vegetables waiting on the kitchen counter, and Vee reluctantly pulled herself up to the counter, eyes wide with trepidation as she glanced at the open window.
Vee eventually relaxed. However that faded as she felt a feeling of slight confusion settle over her as she carefully diced the carrots into little strips, puzzled that Camila had taken her monstrous form so easily. "Every witch that saw me mostly screamed," she muttered, her voice heavy with surprise. "But you're taking this all suspiciously easy."
Camila sighed as she settled a large pot on the hot plates, a light frown flickering across her face as if she were recalling an unfortunate memory. "If we had met in any other way, maybe I would have had more reservations," she said, her voice heavy with emotion. "But, seeing you in that cage a few weeks back, looking so miserable, told me everything that I needed to know."
"What, that I could be easily trapped?" Vee asked, her voice a mix of bitterness and fear as she paused in her food preparation.
"No," Camila said, her voice gentle as she rested her palm on Vee's shoulder. "I saw a young girl who needed my help and protection. Nothing else mattered to me, I just knew that you needed help."
"So you just get to pretend that I don't look like a horrifying monster just because I needed help?" Vee asked cautiously, though she couldn't help frowning.
Camila laughed, "Vee, mijita, you are far too adorable to be scary to me." She wrapped Vee in a quick hug before releasing her and returning to preparing their dinner. "So don't you worry about any of that, just be who you want to me and I'll support you, okay? I hope that these last two weeks since I found out have not been too distressing for you."
"They have been a dream, thanks, Camila," Vee quietly murmured back, her heart swelling with gratitude as the warmth from Camila's embrace sunk deep into her. A small part of her wished that she could go back to calling Camila her mom, but Vee knew that she needed to be a little more cautious now that Camila knew the truth. She was entirely dependent on Camila's good graces and she didn't want to do anything to threaten that, and she also just didn't want to make Camila unhappy.
"Vee, your assistance is truly appreciated," Camila said with a grin, as she carefully tipped the last of the carrots into the pot. The tantalising scent of the stew began to waft through the kitchen, and Camila chuckled, "Luz never was one for cooking, so it's a nice change.
Vee let out a deep sigh not wanting Camila to remind her of how poor a job she had done imitating Luz. She would never understand how Luz could ever bear to not spend every second of the day with someone as kind as Camila. Vee moved over to the dining table and struggled to find a way to sit in her current form. With a frown, she pushed the nearest chair away and instead rested her elbows on the table, her head in her hands. Exhaustion was beginning to take over, and she was struggling to keep her eyes open. It was an impolite way of waiting, but she was sleepy.
Vee was just drifting off when a loud knock at the door jolted her awake. Camila shot her a confused look, before eyeing up the hallway cautiously. "Just wait here, I'll see who it is." Camila said, lowering the heat to barely a simmer. "Can you keep an eye on this?"
Vee just nodded, taking a hold of the ladle and carefully giving it a stir as Camila went to check who was at the door. But as soon as Vee heard the door open, she froze in terror at Camila's surprised gasp. She had barely managed to set down the ladle before she heard a second voice, one that sent chills down her spine.
"Hey mom, I'm back," Luz's subdued voice rang out from outside. Vee jumped towards the hallway and peered down towards the front door, her heart pounding as she feared what she would see. She didn't know what scenario was worse, to know that Luz was there, or to find out that she was not.
Vee's eyes widened in shock as she saw Luz pulled into a tight embrace by Camila, their eyes both brimming with tears. Vee felt her own eyes grow damp and fought to keep her composure, knowing she must be the one to remain emotionally stable. She slithered over to the door, noticing the four others standing back, all of them looking equally disoriented. She opened the door and welcomed them inside, guiding them to the dining table.
"Are you all alright?" she asked, her eyes scanning them for any signs of injury. The older girl with the purple hair seemed unable to respond, so Vee took her hand in her own and patted it gently, which seemed to soothe her. After a brief glance, Vee was relieved to see that the other three only had minor scratches, meaning she wouldn't have to put her limited veterinary skills to use.
Vee did not feel all that comfortable in her true form around the four before her, but she knew that transforming into Luz or Camila would likely do little to make them feel safe, so she pushed aside her own feelings and remained in her basilisk form. "You four can just sit there, I'll see if I can get us some food. You all look like you need it."
"It was a long walk from the portal," the blond haired boy admitted tiredly, "Are you sure we can eat human food?" Vee could tell that he had another question he wanted to ask, likely about what a basilisk was doing in the human world, but he thankfully seemed to choose to leave the question unasked for now.
"Of course you can eat the food. If it's safe for Camila and me," Vee replied gently, grabbing out some more plates and carefully ladling out a large serving for each, "it should be fine for you."
By the time she was done, Luz and Camila had entered the room, both of them drenched to the bone and not caring. Vee knew she was likely going to be spending half the night mopping up the excess water, but she didn't mind. Camila having her real daughter back was more important. Luz did her best to quickly introduce her friends, letting Camila and Vee put names to the tired faces before them. Vee tried to introduce herself, but she knew that they weren't really in the right mindset to pay attention, so instead she just set out the plates of food in front of each of the guests.
The dinner was painfully silent, with Luz and her friends sitting in a state of unease as they slowly ate. Camila had no appetite and made no attempts to start a conversation. Vee noticed the haunted look in Camila's eyes, believing that she was struggling to believe that the daughter before her was the real Luz and not another shapeshifter.
In a hushed whisper, Vee tried to reassure her, "She's the real Luz." Willow gave Vee a questioning look, but remained silent.
"I know she is," Camila responded, but her expression was still wrought with worry. Vee couldn't comprehend why Camila wasn't elated to have her daughter back. Surely it was nothing but good news?
The next few minutes passed in agonising silence, broken only by the faint clinking of cutlery. Vee's eyes were drawn to Luz, who was jabbing at her food with an almost violent force. She remembered Camila's warning about not breaking the plates, but she knew better than to speak out in the current state Luz was in. Her worries were for naught, however, as Luz suddenly threw down her cutlery, her head dropping into her hands with a heavy sigh. Camila quickly moved to Luz's side, her arm wrapping around her daughter in a desperate attempt to offer her some solace.
Vee watched the two embrace, her heart aching with a pang of envy. She glanced over at the witches, who were still mostly oblivious to their surroundings as they quietly ate their meals, seemingly without tasting them, lost in their own thoughts.
Vee sighed to herself as she looked down at her now empty plate. She knew she should be useful, so she carefully took the mostly empty plates from the three witches, not wanting to interrupt Camila and Luz's embrace. As she carried the four plates to the kitchen, Camila stopped her.
"How about you go prepare Luz's bedroom so that Willow and Amity can stay there as well?" Camila asked, her voice gentle and her eyes tired as she took the plates away from her. Vee nodded wordlessly, and headed up to Luz's room to prepare it for two more guests.
As Vee dragged out the fold out bed, a dilemma dawned on her: Camila had instructed her to prepare the room for two witches and Luz, but had she meant for Vee to give up her bed and let Luz reclaim her own? Vee glanced at the lower bunk bed, the one she had always slept in. Was Camila expecting her to surrender the room to Luz? Vee could feel her heart racing as she tried to figure out what Camila wanted her to do. Should she set up the second fold out bed, or not? If she did, and Camila didn't want her to, she'd be disappointing her. But if she didn't, and Camila did want her to, she'd also be disappointing her. Vee didn't know which to do, but she knew she had to make a choice.
"What would mom want me to do?" Vee muttered to herself, then immediately slapped her forehead. She had accidentally called Camila her mom again - she had to stop doing that or Luz would surely get annoyed if she heard it. With a deep breath, Vee knelt down to prepare the first fold out bed.
Setting up the bed was a difficult task, with the metal bed frame being extremely heavy and awkward to move around, even in her more powerful basilisk form. Vee reluctantly accepted that Camila only wanted one bed set up, and while she was aware that this was just the beginning of the metaphorical walls that would soon form between her and Camila, she was still relieved that she didn't have to struggle with the second bed frame.
She worked quickly to remake both of the bunk beds as well, knowing that Luz wouldn't want to sleep in Vee's old bed sheets. Her more flexible basilisk form made it easier for her to slither up to the top bunk and insert the new sheets and bed cover, and soon enough, there were three freshly prepared beds in Luz's bedroom. Despite her efforts, Vee couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as she made her way back downstairs and saw Amity trying to prepare tea for Camila while Gus used magic to clean the dishes. She didn't have the best history with magic, and now she could see it infect what was once her home.
Vee frowned, as she was aware that a large part of her escape to the human realm was to get away from magic, yet it was obvious that the witches wanted to use their magic to make their lives easier. So, no matter how much she disliked magic, it was clear that Luz's friends were going to use it around her anyway. Taking a deep breath, Vee steeled herself to be around magic again.
Camila didn't complain about Amity's failure to even put the teabag in the mug, but Vee knew that she would have to talk to the others later about how to properly help Camila. She knew that with the additional children in Camila's room, it would certainly put a strain on her. The food news was that Vee was already seeing signs of progress - Willow was even attempting to figure out how to seal the juice carton and put it back in the fridge.
"Ah there you are Vee, I hope it wasn't too difficult fitting both of the fold outs in the bedroom." Camila called out cheerfully as she placed the kettle on the hotplate and turned it on. Vee inwardly cringed as she realised that she had failed to understand what Camila wanted, a pattern that had already begun to emerge with Luz's return. Vee knew that she had to make an effort to be a better, more perfect secondary daughter in Luz's absence.
"I only had a chance to do one," Vee replied sheepishly, hoping that Camila wouldn't ask why she hadn't completed the second. "However the second shouldn't take too much effort to fit."
"Leave it for now, let's all sit down and talk about what has happened," Camila suggested, and Vee knew that this was something she would miss. Camila's soothing voice was heaven to Vee, and she could see that even Luz had been comforted by her mother's mere presence.
The seven of them gathered around the dinner table, and Camila nursed her cup of tea as Luz began to recount the events of the past few weeks from the demon realm. Every second of the retelling was excruciating for Vee, as she was reminded of the close call when Emperor Belos had almost drained everyone's magic. She felt a pang of guilt knowing that it was her and the other members of her species who had allowed him to learn how to do it in the first place. But it was even more terrifying to learn that there was another villain who was even more powerful than Emperor Belos.
Vee could tell that Luz was lying about the collector's origin, but she knew it was not her place to call it out. After all, Vee had been lying since she arrived in the human realm - she was the last one to complain about deception and lies. She also really like was not in the position to be the one causing issues when her ability to sleep inside in a comfortable bed relied on their good will.
Vee wearily propped her head up on her elbow, her eyes drooping as she attempted to pay attention to the last of Luz's story. The late hour was weighing heavily on her, and she was desperate for a chance to rest. However, her slumber was interrupted when Camila began to speak, her voice settling over them like a comforting blanket. Vee was suddenly brought back to attention, her sleepy mind quickly catching up with the conversation.
"For now, you should all rest. You're safe here," Camila said, her voice full of reassurance. She placed her tea down on the table and turned to Vee. "Vee, could you show the girls where they will be sleeping tonight? I'll be right up there to help with the second bed frame after I get the boys settled in."
Vee nodded, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten as she rose to her feet. She was determined to make sure the girls were comfortable, and that they would have a safe place to sleep. With a gentle smile, she gestured for them to follow her, and began to lead the way up the stairs.
Vee gestured towards the staircase, her voice thick with tension. "I suppose I don't need to show you where your room is?" She asked Luz, her awkwardness palpable.
Luz let out a small chuckle. "I'm sure it's still the same as it always was, the first door on the left," she replied.
Vee attempted to make a joke, but it came out more bitter than she had intended. "It's almost like you know better than I do," she said with a forced smile. She stopped at the top of the stairs, waiting for the two witches to join them.
"So this is Luz's room," Vee began, her voice still heavy with tension, "and the bathroom is the next door down the hallway." She gestured down the hallway, her awkwardness still present.
Vee pushed open the bedroom door, beckoning them inside. She tried to ignore the awkwardness of Luz's gaze lingering on the pictures that lined the hallway, but her heart sank as Luz's eyes fell upon the two newest photos. They were of Vee, pretending to be Luz, before Camila had discovered the truth. She had intended on getting rid of them, but Camila had been oddly insistent on keeping them displayed prominently. Thankfully she was saved from having to explain herself as the other two witches entered the bedroom, forcing Vee to give them her attention
"This is where Luz used to sleep?" Amity murmured, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Did she always have a bunk bed?"
"Probably better you don't ask. It's a delicate subject for Luz and Camila," Vee said, her face contorting in pain as she remembered the uncomfortable exchange between Camila and her after she had the misfortune of asking the same question. Camila had shared a few details, but it was certainly not the right time to discuss such a sensitive topic. "But this is a typical teenage bedroom," she added, her tone a bit more hopeful.
Willow stepped closer to Luz's laptop and asked, "What's this?"
Vee shrugged and said, "That's a computer. There's no way I'm going to try and explain that. I'm just gonna leave it up to Luz or Camila to teach you about the internet." She scanned the room for something easier to explain and noticed the alarm clock. "But this," she said, pointing to it, "I can explain this."
Vee lifted Luz's old alarm clock, her voice full of apprehension. "It looks just like mine," Amity observed, her eyebrow arching as she sat on the floor in front of Luz's bunk bed.
"It's similar," Vee agreed, "but in the morning, instead of screaming, it'll do this." She pressed the alarm button and held it up to the two girls as it buzzed loudly. But instead of amusement, Amity and Willow reacted with horror. In a flash, Amity had sent the alarm clock flying and Willow had smashed it with a magically conjured vine.
"Uh…. thanks?" Vee stared at the debris of the destroyed alarm clock, too stunned to speak further. She couldn't blame the two girls for their irrational actions; clearly they had been through a lot and the alarm clock had seemed like a threat. She pushed the broken pieces into the corner, knowing they would become her problem tomorrow. Hopefully she had saved enough pocket money to buy Luz a new one.
"So quick question, are we all sleeping in here tonight, there's only three beds?" Willow asked hesitantly.
Vee wanted to reveal the truth, but pushing her worries onto the two of them was not an option. So she relied on the tried and trusted method to avoid all awkward questions, by blatantly lying. "Yeah, I miscounted. Camila is going to help me set up the last one. I'm guessing Luz is going to have the bottom bunk so you two can choose whichever you want."
"Cute, I guess she wanted to always see the stars even when it's cloudy," Amity lay back on the bottom bunk, admiring the glow in the dark stickers Luz had placed all over the bed frame. "You're on the top bunk?" she asked.
Vee shook her head, wringing her tail nervously. Normally she was on the bottom bunk, but she knew that Luz would almost certainly want her own bed back. "I'm okay sleeping anywhere," she told them softly. "I can even sleep downstairs if you are more comfortable with that."
Willow spun around in the desk chair, studying Vee's expression. "Isn't this your room as well now?" she asked. "We're not about to kick you out of your own bedroom."
"It's more Luz's room…" Vee's voice faltered as she trailed off, her eyes uncertain. "This isn't about who owns the room," she insisted, her voice a little stronger. "I understand that you three want to be comfortable, and having to share with a basilisk like me isn't going to make that any easier. So it's alright, I'll find somewhere else to stay."
A heavy silence hung in the air as Vee's words sunk in. She offered a weak smile, her gaze still uncertain. Vee felt her chest tighten as she tried to stop the sudden rush of emotion. But before she could panic herself any further, Amity stepped closer to her, making her pause and raise an eyebrow at her actions. Amity then sat down closely beside her, her arm reaching out and pulling Vee into a side hug.
"Don't you want to stay here?" Willow asked gently. "We're okay with you being here, if Luz trusts you then we can trust you. Besides, you seem to know a lot about the human realm. We'd love for you to teach us about it."
Vee hesitated, feeling a sudden wave of emotion rise up in her. She had been using this room as her own personal sanctuary, and the thought of letting it go filled her with fear. But the warmth of Amity's hug and the kindness of Willow's words made her reconsider. "I… I guess I could stay," she finally said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"I'm glad that is all sorted out," Amity told her sweetly as she released Vee from the embrace, her eyes sparking with curiosity. "We'd love to hear how you ended up in the human realm. I'm assuming shapeshifting Basilisks are quite a rarity here?"
"Yep." Vee admitted, attempting to end the conversation, feeling uneasy about telling them any more information. "But it is a boring story of how I arrived here."
"Oh, come on," Amity implored, doing her utmost to look irresistibly cute. Vee yielded.
"There's not much to tell. I saw the portal and was curious about where it led, I was rather surprised when I wound up here," Vee confessed hesitantly, omitting the fact that she had been fleeing for her life from Emperor Belos' guards when she stumbled upon the portal. If they were to discover she had escaped prison, they would instantly think of her as a threat and she needed all the support she could get if she was to establish a new life.
"I kind of took on Luz's form in a panic," she continued, her words weighted with regret. "Camila saw me and, because Luz is so openly...imaginative, she thought I was being a bit goofy and let me into her life."
"It was the best choice I ever made," Camila proclaimed from the entrance, as she and Luz lugged the heavy fold-out bed into the bedroom. Camila used the opportunity to mess up Vee's hair, and Vee basked in the attention. In no time, the bed was set up, and Camila tucked them all in. Willow and Amity didn't even consider the bunk beds, instead opting for the fold-out beds, much to Vee's immense relief.
As Vee lay on the top bunk, staring down at the three sleeping girls below, her mind raced with thoughts about what Luz's return meant for her. She knew that Luz and the other girls accepted her presence, but a nagging voice in the back of her mind told her it wouldn't last. She couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't belong and that it was all going to come crashing down. Camila didn't need her now that her real daughter was back. She wouldn't even be able to give in Luz's form anymore, instead Camila would have to deal with having an actual basilisk in the house.
Tears threatened to fall as Vee thought about leaving the only person who had ever cared for her. She didn't want to go, and she knew Camila would probably ask her to stay, but she also knew she was a burden on the family. Everytime to saw her it would just be a reminder of what she was, and she didn't want to put up with them merely tolerating her presence. Besides she was an extra mouth to feed and a shapeshifter who could bring unwanted attention to the family if she lost control, why would they even want her to stay around.
But as Vee lay there, a plan began to form in her mind. She knew she could be more than just a liability - she could be an asset. If she proved herself to be useful, they would want to keep her around. She could take on Luz's form whenever she didn't want to go to school, or Camila's form to deal with the DMV. Maybe if she stayed away from them most of the time, got some sort of job to cover her own expenses, and made sure to remain useful then they would actually want her to stay despite what she was. With a weak smile, Vee silently began working on a mental plan to turn herself into a valuable tool instead of a burden.
She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was determined to do whatever it took to earn her place and make sure they didn't regret keeping her around.
She didn't sleep very well that night.