Lilac Valley

Life Choices

Con places his badge and gun on the captain's desk, along with a bag, which holds his uniform.

"You're sure about this?" the captain asks.

"Yes sir," he answers. "There's trouble back home and I must protect my community."

"You're a good cop," the captain says.

"Thank you, sir," Con says.

"You could have been captain yourself one day," he says.

"I could become chief of police in Lilac Valley," Con tells him.

"We don't have to worry about you," the captain says. "You have self-control."

"My job is to protect the city, protect the people," Con explains.

"You've never shot anyone before," the captain says. "How will you protect your town if there's trouble?"

"You know I go to the shooting range every week," Con says.

"You had real potential," the captain says. "I hope it's worth it."

~

"How do we tell them?" Autumn asks.

"Guess what guys?" Marty begins. "We bought a house! Like that."

"In Putnam Valley," Autumn points out. "I'm going to be teaching in another school district! It won't be the same."

"This is what you wanted," Marty says.

"I know," Autumn says. "It's safer. We're making the right choice."

"It's only twenty-seven minutes by car," Marty says. "And five minutes by flying."

"You're not turning into a bat and I'm not sprouting wings right now," Autumn says. "We'll have to look human all the time."

"We do look human all the time," Marty says. "I only transformed into a bat once...by accident. It was an uncomfortable experience. Sometimes I have fangs. Sometimes you have wings. We're not mermaids and mermen or werewolves, but Con looks human most of the time, too. As long as he takes the potion, he's fine. You'll still see our friends."

~

"Con!" Sabrina waves. "You're out of uniform."

"I quit," Con says. "I'm working for Lilac Valley now."

"I thought you loved the NYPD," Sabrina points out.

"I love the parades," Con says. "St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day, and nothing tops Macy's." Sabrina smiles. "I love patrolling the tree at Rockefeller Center or Grand Central during the holidays. Yeah, I've arrested people and that has a thrill too. There's something magical about working in the city."

"You always wanted to be a cop?" Sabrina asks. He nods. "Do you have time for coffee?"

"I can't do this," Con tells her.

"It's just coffee," she says.

They enter the first Starbucks they see.

"I hate this place," Con says. "Overpriced crap you can't even pronounce and weird sizes."

"You sound like such a guy," Sabrina says. "I'll take a grande caramel frapuccino and...what do you want?"

"Just regular coffee," Con tells her.

"A grande Americano," she continues. She pays and they wait.

"You didn't have to do that," he says.

"My treat," she says. "Conleth McAllister."

"How do you know my real name?" Con asks.

"I've been in your apartment," she reminds him. "Conleth suits you." Her name is called. She grabs their drinks and they find a table. "What's it like being the minister's son?"

"Oh no," he says. "I'm not going there. I'm not going to date you. I'm not going to sleep with you. I'm not doing that to Eddie ever again."

"It seems like you finally wised up," Sabrina says. "Then let's talk as friends."

"We're not friends," Con tells her.

"I don't understand why you and Eddie are best friends," Sabrina says. "Explain it to me."

"Fine," he says. "I'll tell you." She smiles. "I had this perfect life. Parents who loved each other and a sister I never fought with. We lived a middle-class life. I was the golden boy. I never went on a date. I was waiting until marriage." He laughs at the memory. "More like college when I was no longer under my parents' roof. Then my mom was killed and...there was something about Amber that I was drawn to. I had only liked one other person before that. I don't know why I did it. Actually, I do, but that's a story for another time.

"My mom was killed when I was fifteen. Eddie was there for me. He kind-of knew what it was like since his dad left. When I got to college, I wanted to break away from all the religion in my childhood. My sister is perfect. Married to a Christian werewolf at twenty-two, has a kid, pregnant with her second." He pauses.

"I was recruited for Ohio State. I always wanted to play professional football. Cop was my back-up. They found out I'm a werewolf and werewolves can't play on college or professional teams. Unfair advantage or something. So I went to John Jay School for Criminal Justice and became a cop."