3.04 – The Scientist

Meditation is supposed to help. It’s supposed to make finding specific visions about specific people easier.

And it’s totally not working.

And as if Rhiner wasn’t already feeling pressured and down on himself…

“Any progress on finding Damon’s brother and sister yet?”

“No.” He says with a sigh, finally stretching his legs out. “Like I told you earlier, I saw that Damon was going to be an uncle. But nothing since then. I can’t figure out where they are for the life of me.”

Marie smiles at him. She isn’t disappointed.

“Well, I spoke to the friend who got you in touch with me, and she’s given me a lead. Keep in touch, and hopefully it won’t be too long until I get back.”

“And what should I do about Mira in the meanwhile?”

“I’d stay away from her until I’m back in town. I really don’t want to come back to find out you got yourself killed.”

—

Any plans Isidore and Janell had for easing their housemates into the news about the baby gets shot out the window as soon as Leya runs and tells Delia.

“As soon as I realized you were Jan’s ex I wanted to kick you out but I told myself to trust you. I never thought you’d betray me like this!”

Isidore knew this was a bad idea since the first time he and Janell kissed. But it isn’t until he sees the tears in Delia’s eyes that he realizes just how badly he fucked up.

“It wasn’t just him.” Janell interrupts, getting up from the couch. “I’m the one who betrayed you, not him. If you’re going to be mad at someone, be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at him,” Delia sighs, looking away from them sadly. “I’m hurt, I’m disappointed, and I’m fucking terrified.”

Janell is confused. “What are you terrified about?”

“You’re having a baby. Thats going to change everything. You’ll need a doctor, baby supplies, a way to keep him or her quiet… everything is going to be different now.”

Janell smiles. “We’ll figure it out together.”

That was the wrong thing to say.

“Janell, I’m not going to kick you and werewolf wonder out, and I’ll help you guys prepare for the kid because the chance to have kids is what we’re fighting for. Don’t make the mistake of thinking there is anything between us anymore. You’re dead to me.”

Leya won’t let her off as easy.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing at, bitch, but I’m not going to let you entrap my brother like some cheap whore. This conversation isn’t over.”

As soon as both girls are gone, Janell lets her mask fall.  “Well, that could have gone better.”

Isidore tries to cheer her up. “To be honest, I think they let us off easy. I mean, at least we’re not going to have to find a new place to live or anything.”

“Assuming your sister doesn’t kill me in my sleep.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

—

The next full moon finds Isidore up and scratching the furniture at 3 in the morning.

Leya’s so used to dealing with this her actions are basically done in a half-awake daze.

She spots one of Janell’s magazines on the couch and rolls it up.

She smacks Isidore with her makeshift weapon. To get his attention.

Normally, he turns back into a human as soon as he notices her. Not this time.

This time he turns to her and growls menacingly. Leya pulls back in fear.

As soon as he sees the fear in her eyes, something human triggers in his brain and a blue light engulfs him.

When he looks up at her, she’s still afraid.

He grabs his head in despair. “Shit. What happened?”

“You took a while longer to recognize me this time.”

“Did I hurt you?”

She shakes her head.

He goes to say something else but she brushes him off and walks away. “Anyway I’m going to go have some milk. Please remind your baby mama that its her turn to make breakfast today.”

—

“This is really good, Jan. Did you really make them yourself?”

This is the first time in months that Delia has taken the initiative to talk to her. Janell frets, trying to keep casual. “Oh, yeah. Isidore brought home a waffle maker a while back so I just had to try it out.”

Delia rolls her eyes. “Don’t be nervous, I’m not going to bite your head off.”

“Can we be friends again, then?”

Delia shrugs. “Eventually. But not yet.”

“Eventually isn’t never.”

Delia makes an amused face.

—

When Leya starts going out on her own, Delia volunteers as Isidore’s scavenging partner. With her ID card, they’re able to take their research to a whole new level.

It also grants them a whole bunch of extra spare time. Extra time that has let them become much closer than they were before.

“So, have you decided what you’re going to do after your baby is born?”

“Am I supposed to have this big plan or something?”

Delia looks at him like he’s crazy. “I mean, are you going to stay or are you going to go? Cause if you stay, you and Jan are going to have to figure out your relationship, whatever it is. And talk to your sister before she goes.”

“Leya’s going somewhere?”

He finds her in her room, a half filled backpack lies guiltily on her bed.

“Were you just going to go without saying anything to me?”

“I thought we had a better relationship than this, Leya. Were you going to just let me wake up to see you gone?”

“Are you seriously trying to guilt trip me? I’m not the one who knocked up the world’s worst human being, and I’m certainly not the one planning to give up on finding our family so he can propose to her!”

“You uh… you found the ring?”

She nods. “I found the fucking ring.”

“I was going to talk to you first. But you always walk away when I bring Janell up.”

“Gee. Maybe that’s because I hate her! What do you even see in her?”

“Janell isn’t the same girl she was back in high school. She lost everyone, just like we did. If you just took the chance to talk to her, I know you’d change your mind about her. And no matter how you look at it, she’s having my baby. I can’t leave them. I don’t… want to.”

“Don’t expect me to make that same decision.”

“I’m not.”

Leya is taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“I can’t stop you from leaving, I know that. But I wish you would at least try to get to know Janell and reconsider your decision.”

“I can’t promise I’ll change my mind.”

“But I will think about it.”

He pulls her into a hug. “Thank you.”

—

With Leya’s half hearted blessing, Isidore asks Janell if he can have a moment of her time.

The ring was a surprise. She has no idea how he managed to buy it and hide it without her knowing.

She says yes.

Leya feels a strange mix of unease when she sees them embrace. She hates Janell. Janell is the devil… but Janell’s whats made her brother happy for the first time in years.

—

While Isidore and Delia are out finding a blank passport for Leya, she takes the opportunity to try and make nice.

“Janell?”

Janell has to do a double take when she realizes Leya’s holding a brand new teddy bear under her arm.

Leya holds it out to her. “I uh, I got you something. Well, its more for the baby anyway, but I guess it’s for you in the mean time.”

Janell takes it with a thank you, and then makes a surprised face. “Oh, she’s kicking! Here, feel!”

Leya has no choice as Janell grabs her wrist and puts her hand to her belly. She’s about to pull away when she feels the small kick. “Oh. That’s weird.”

Janell smiles at her. “It’s weirder from the inside. Trust me on that.”

“I’ll take your word on that.”

“Don’t be like that. You’re going to be a great mom some day. And until you meet the right guy, you can totally use my baby for practice. I know Isidore won’t mind.”

“I’m not going to be here that long. Isi and Delia are out finding me a passport so I can go find my family. I’m full human so it’ll be easy for me to travel once I have a fake name.”

Janell’s taken aback. “So you’re really leaving? I didn’t believe Delia when she told me…”

“I’ll be back!” Leya assures her, bothered by Janell’s hurt expression. “I promise. As soon as I find mom and the brats I’ll be right back here for you, Isi and the baby.”

Leya goes to walk away, but gets no farther than the end of the couch when Janell’s quiet voice reaches her.

“That’s what Wanda said when she went looking for you.”

Leya stops dead.

She takes a seat on the edge of the couch, and after a moment, Janell joins her.

“I wasn’t alone when I got out of Moonlight Falls. It was me and Delia and Wanda. We were about a week out when Wanda got it in her head that since you called her from a land line to tell her about the attack, she could find you again. So she told me she would be right back when she found you, and then she left.”

Leya doesn’t say anything.

“I don’t think I was ever really in love with Delia, but she promised not to leave me and she’s yet to break that promise. Even after I hurt her.”

Leya sighs, and leans forward onto her hand. “I always assumed she didn’t get my message.”

“She got it.” Janell assures her. “She knew you cared about her enough to try and save her.”

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

“When we found you and Isi, and you weren’t with her, I knew she’d failed. The worst part of this has been not knowing, and I guess part of me was blaming you for never knowing if she was dead or alive.”

“You told me she was dead.”

Janell shakes her head. “No. I never told you that. You told yourself that.”

For a long moment, Leya is silent. And then, with a sigh, she gets up and pulls Janell into a hug.

“Does this mean you forgive me?”

Leya taps her on the back of the head, softly. “This means I’m willing to admit I was wrong. And that you may not be the worst person on the planet anymore.”

“Yay!”

Her mood is infectious. Leya can’t help but smile with her… but for another reason.

Wanda might still be out there. She might be okay.

Its not until there’s a knock on the front door that they break apart. Janell jumps away, hands to her belly as Leya takes out the small switchblade from her pocket.

This isn’t the first time they’ve had a visitor. As always, Leya motions for Janell to be quiet, while she goes upstairs to see if the visitor is another girl scout offering cookies… or an officer doing a random home inspection.

As Leya goes upstairs, Janell can’t help the feeling of dread as a sharp pain goes up her back. This is not the best timing for the start of her contractions…

Delia stops cold the second her feet pass he property line dividing their home with the neighbours. Their front door is wide open.

Isidore enters first, Delia behind him with her wand in hand.

Isidore runs to his sister’s side as Delia runs over to Janell. There’s no blood, but the stench of magic engulfs the room completely.

Delia puts her hand over Janell’s stomach to check the baby, only to recoil in disgust from the empty space. Her tears overcome her as she cries over her ex-girlfriend’s still form.

“They came for the baby.” Says the strange figure who followed them inside. She’s covered head to toe in protection from the sun. Helpful, seeing as she’s a vampire. “I had no idea they’d attack your sister as well. I’m sorry for that.”

As Isidore takes the moment to transform into his wolf form, Delia pulls herself together in order to cast a charm gluing the stranger’s feet to the floor.

The rolled up newspaper comes down onto his head like a brick. Paper should not be this hard.

“You little shit!” Marie spits, angry at being caught off guard. “If I’d done this do you really think I’d still be here? And if you even think of attacking me again, I’ll turn you into a puddle of blood. Damned by promise to your brother!”

Even Delia stops at that.

“My brother?” Isidore asks, still in his werewolf form.

“Damon.” Marie answers, tossing the makeshift weapon aside. “He said he’d join my cause if I brought him his siblings. I honestly did think I’d get here before the assholes came to steal your baby. Sorry about that.”

Delia speaks for the first time. “You know who did this?”

Marie nods. “It’s my intention to destroy them and everything they care about. Would either of you care to join me?”

Isidore and Delia don’t even have to answer.

—

ETA: Leya and Janell are dead. I was looking at incorrect notes while writing this chapter, so I totally forgot that I cut a scene where Mira finds victims in a similar state to what happened to Leya and Janell. Their bodies are still breathing, but they’re not recovering. Next chapter will have a time skip regardless of who wins, so both girls are for all intents and purposes dead. 

Okay so, originally Marie was supposed to run into Isidore and Delia while they were out on the town, and her outfit would make so much more sense cause she was hiding as a tourist (That friggin hat…). But then I cut the scene for being irrelevant and… yeah. This thing is like 70 pages. It was bloody long enough, okay.

HEIR VOTE RIGHT HERE, BABY, YEAH. YOU DO THAT THING. Heir vote ends Sunday night at 9 pm PST.

And since we probably won’t see baby Sari-Riverhaven for a long time, but she is drop dead GORGEOUS… here she is in her young adult form. She’ll likely be counted for Isidore’s generation once he finds her again. Assuming he finds her again. (She’s a half breed werewolf, so yes she has an ability).