That escalated quickly

chapter 8

It's finally here took me a while, but it is quite a long chapter so long I had to cut it in half, didn't realise how much I had done got away from myself.

so without further ado enjoy.

Her phone goes off as she gets to the front door. Stopping she grips the handle tightly as she answers. "Hey, dad." She winces at how tired she sounds, for sure they are going to show up now.

"Are you home now?" she can hear how worried he is, and tears up, she misses them both dearly.

"At the front door, haven't gone in yet, not sure I want to. Will he be awake yet or?".

"Not sure I only ever work on witches; they have better tolerances than humans." A pause, not quite a lull but not quite awkward either. "Annika, do you need me there?".
"No. Dad really I'm fine, it was just some baby vampires making trouble, I think I can deal with two-hundred-year-old vamps.".

He heaves a sign. "Fine but I'm not hiding this from your mother. And Anna don't be alone tonight."

"Only if she asks right dad," he can hear the smile in her voice, "and that is why you're the fun parent." laughing he hangs up telling her to call in the morning.

She stands outside the door, phone gripped in one hand and doorknob in the other lost in thought until Matt tears the door from her hand as he swings it open. Apologising at her flinch, he explains that Vicki had heard her come up and answer the phone but then it got silent, and they were worried. Laughing she points out that one human boy wouldn't be much help against a vampire or a witch.

Matt shrugs "Back up is back up, and I would never leave a man behind."

"You're a good man Matt, there aren't many of you left." She looks past him into the hall.

He moves to her side wrapping an arm around her shoulder "He's awake but groggy, he's been asking for you." She is out of his arms in an instant rushing up the stairs past the startled Vicki and into his room.

His smile is slightly off, but it's his smile and it makes her weak because he's here, he's not dead, he's here and he's smiling at her. A sob escapes her lips, as she rushes at him wrapping her arms around his waist burying her head in his shirt, tears falling freely.

She hears his grunt of pain but can't seem to move, not wanting any space between them. Jeremy seems to feel the same way as he is clinging to her just as tight.

She hears hushed voices in the hall Caroline and Matt letting her know they have Vicki; she can rest for the night they close the door behind them. It's ok her people are safe, she has them all together and safe.

After what seemed like an eternity, she pulls away reluctantly. Asking to see his wounds.

"No, I'm fine and we are going to sleep, you can check them in the morning."
She reaches for his shirt arguing that he could bleed to death. He laughs tugging the fresh shirt roughly off wincing as he goes. Look there is not even a scar can we go to sleep now.

He jumps as she runs a manicured hand over his abdomen looking up with teary eyes she whispers, "You almost died on me today."

He tugs her back into his arms trying to ignore the pain as best as he could so she couldn't feel him flinch. "I'm ok, Vicki is ok, let's go to sleep and everything else we can deal with in the morning." She burrows into his arms letting herself drift off.

{The next morning}

They are woken abruptly by Sheriff Forbes early the next morning. It's Matt's turn to take charge simply because Caroline is too embarrassed by her mother. All still in their pyjamas they join the Sheriff in the kitchen so they can have breakfast. She begins to question Vicki about her friends, unknown to the Sheriff they had already prepared for this, no compulsion, no problem teenagers are better at theatrics than most actors. Behind the sheriff's back the others make jokes in Vicki's direction. Vicki tells her the story they came up with.