Memento Mori

46

It was perhaps not the wisest thing to do, much like waking a hibernating bear in fact, to confront Liesel, because it would surely mean an argument. Erik was often quite stubborn, even if Liesel would say that was an understatement. In his head, several minutes of being in the house on her own, was enough time to cool off enough to regain control, and be able to talk.

He was ultimately wrong, of course. But sue him for being optimistic really. Erik wasn't too sure what he expected to find, or see, when he entered their house. Certainly he did not imagine for one moment that he'd see a suitcase open on the bed, all manner of clothes thrown into it, totally unorganised while Liesel was in the kitchen busying away at something, and Erik just stood dumbfounded looking between her and the suitcase, then back again.

"What is going on?" Was perhaps the stupidest question to ask, considering recent events. But Erik's mouth opened, and he spoke those words before he registered just what he actually said.

Liesel looked up, knife in hand from where she was cutting something up. Even as Erik took a few tentative steps forward, he could see she was seemingly making lunch. A small clip lidded plastic tub was nearby, a packed lunch would indicate not eating here. "We're leaving." Liesel said with a shrug, as if that was obvious. To her it was, a suitcase was a rather obvious sign of going elsewhere. As for the lunch she was making, it was gone midday by now and the girls needed to eat. Why not go visit their aunt and have lunch there? It sounded like a plan to her.

The look on Erik's face, if humanly possible, grew more withdrawn before realisation seemed to dawn on him. He frowned her way, he fidgeted with his hands before running them both through his hair, ruffling the brunette strands as he went before leaving his fingers tangled in amongst them. "You can't."

Liesel sardonically smiled his way. "I can do whatever I want. I also can do what I believe is the right thing, for my children."

"Our." Erik corrected, his voice as icy as hers. Liesel looked back at the chopping board and continued cutting up the vegetables before her. "This is your home, our home."

Liesel stabbed the knife into the board with more force than what Erik thought possible. He even flinched from the sheer anger she displayed, her eyes narrowing at him as she tilted her head to the side. "Was. It will be our home no longer, if you go through with this manhunt. Do you understand what I'm saying? You are going down a path, I refuse to follow you down again. This profits me none, it'll do you no good either. You follow Hank, who clearly wants you to do the deed, because he clearly cannot stand to get his hands dirty and kill Jean himself; you lose us, understand? Your past, my past, our pasts combined have been worked through, and literally been put behind us because we had something here, Erik. Truly, we had something here. You go through with hunting and killing Jean, you lose us. I'm not having that near the girls. You murder Jean, for Hank, for yourself, for whatever reason you want to pull out of thin air, we aren't going to be here when you get back." Liesel said while waving a hand in the air, her fingers simply looped around the knife handle and she pried it loose to continue cutting up the cucumber before her as if all was well.

Erik tempted fate and drew closer, Liesel watched him from the corner of her eyes. He could see her tensing with every step he took, it was like she was preparing to fight her way out of this house. And in truth, Erik would fight to keep his family here, the island was safe, but he was also rather selfish; he didn't want them not here, he didn't want them elsewhere and him not know where. "What would you have me do? He's come here for help-"

"So did Jean!" Liesel shouted and then winced when the knife slipped and cut into her finger. "Back off!" Liesel shouted again and tried wiggling her hand free when Erik darted to her side. He wasted no time in grasping onto her hand and tugging it gently in the direction of the nearby sink. Liesel wasn't thankful of the cold water washing into the cut, but needs must. "Erik, I would have you turn Hank away. Tell him that you are not that person anymore. Tell him you cannot go through with his plan, because of the girls. How would you feel, if Edie or Yuliya were ever in Jean's position, and two men were suggesting in hunting them out for some reason or another."