Bump in the night.

Chapter Seven: Grams

I was given the day off on Monday, to drive Grayson and Ben to the airport in Callaway.
Cindy had to cancel coming with me, taking a morning shift at the cafe she worked at. I had half expected it, having already sorted my playlist and snacks for the drive.
I picked Ben up from the apartment building across town from the museum, picking Grayson up on the way as he had to sort the last of the paperwork before they left.
We drove the hour in a gentle chatter, the Slayers mostly talking about the last time they'd been in London.
"An actual troll?" I gaped at Grayson as he chuckled. "You killed a troll, over a necklace?"
Ben laughed. "It was an amulet, enchanted to give the wearer unnatural strength. On a human, that's easy to deal with, on a troll..."
"It's like Kong and Godzilla have a baby." Grayson finished for him.
"If he was that strong, how'd you manage to stop him?" I asked. We were in the heart of the city of Callaway, passing through the business district to get to the highway for the airport.
"Well," Grayson scratched the back of his head. "Being strong, doesn't make you smart. Trolls can't swim."
"You didn't." I stared at him, thankful we were at a red light.
He chuckled and shrugged. "The Tames River is very cold and, factually, big enough for a troll to drown in." I laughed at that, having read some of the books about trolls and their enormous size, I felt a little bad for laughing.
I parked and walked Ben and Grayson to the front doors of the airport, Molly following beside me.
I hugged Ben, he grabbed the bags and left Grayson and I alone.
He pulled me in for a hug, kissing my hair.
"I know you're up to something." He said when he leaned back, his brow raised and a smirk dimpling his face.
I rolled my eyes.
"Grams lives half an hour out of town, I'm going to pay her a visit." I admitted.
His brows pulled together, confused.
"I thought your Grams was dead?"
I laughed a little. "She likes to pretend she is to everyone. No, she's alive and kicking, doesn't call much but I still see her at least once a year."
"Does Cindy know?" He watched me when I hesitated, nodding. "You're going to talk about your mum."
I nodded. "If my dad really killed her, Aunt Laura and Uncle Pete, I don't want Cindy to find out that way. Not from my Grams who barely acknowledged her."
He titled his head slightly at that.
I sighed.
"Grams loved us, don't get me wrong. She did right by us after our parents died, but she'd always been different towards Cindy than me. I guess it makes sense now." I shrugged. I checked my watch around Grayson and leaned up on my toes, stealing a few kisses before pulling away.
"You'll be late for check-in." I smiled, a little sad.
He gave me a half-smile that melted my heart, stroking my cheek.
"I'll call you tonight." He promised, ducking to give me another kiss, this one a little more passionate and determined. He patted Molly, telling her to take care of me and left, waving through the glass door.
I smiled for the rest of my walk back to the car and half of my drive to Grams, it only falling when I pulled up to the gate of her property.
Grams lived buried in the thicks woods of the Callaway Mountain Trail, if I didn't have a special tag, I wouldn't be allowed to drive near this area.
The ranger gave me the usual warning of bears and wolves, I showed him my gun license and the handgun I had stashed in a carry box under my seat.
Grayson didn't know I carried a gun, I very rarely needed it, but coming to Grams house, it was handy to have.
I opened the gate, driving the car in enough before having to get out and close it again.
I drove through the wind of trees that hugged the dirt road until the area opened to a flat lot of land.
Her house was enormous, a Victorian styled estate with something like ten bedrooms. I never understood why she needed so many, nor why she'd occasionally 'rent' the rooms out.
It made sense now.
I parked hear her ornate hedges that were trimmed into perfect circles.
Molly bounced out of the car, realising where we were.
A young man watched me from across the carpark, he'd come out of the woodshed when I'd arrived.
I gave him a brief nod, which he returned but stayed watching me while I walked up the marble steps to the grand front door.
The lion head door knockers where huge, but always fun to use.
I lifted one up and let it fall, creating a hollow gong like sound through the house.
"I swear! If that's not.....Penelope!" Grams had started to shout, swinging the door open and smiling at me.
She was a gorgeous woman, even for her age of sixty something.
Silver shirt hair, a soft lovely face with grey shimmering eyes. She always dressed in flowing log sleeved dresses, today was a pastel blue one with puffy cuffs and a high neckline.
She opened her arms and pulled me in for a strong hug.
"Hi, Grams. I see you have a new roommate." I said, gesturing to the man watching us.
Grams giggled like me, her voice young and delightful. She waved at the man who waved back and finally went back inside the woodshed.
"Don't mind, Fynn. He's still learning." She chuckled, she crouched down to greet Molly happily, looking around for Cindy.
She stood up, looking at me curiously.
Folding her arms across her chest, she raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"So, you've finally heard something." She sighed, waving her hand for me to follow.
Molly and I did, letting her lead us through the large chandelier room with winding steps.
We curved through the loungeroom and into her back sunroom, filled with antique couches and rare plants.
She called for her butler, George, requesting tea and some lunch. He nodded, smiling at me before he left.
I sat across from her in one of the chaise lounges, Molly sat at Grams feet.
I waited until George returned with tea and finger sandwiches, bowing at Grams before he left, closing the door.
Grams stirred sugar and milk into one of the teas and put it in front of me.
"Out with it, child. You know I hate time-wasters." She gave a hard look.
"Did my father kill my mother?" I watched her stop for a moment as she brought her tea to her lips, she regained her composure quickly, sipping and putting the tea down.
"Yes. What else have you heard?" Her demanding tone usually scared me, this time it enraged me.
"Well," I leaned back, crossing one leg over the other and straightening my dress. "Mum was a Slayer."
"Do you know what that is?" She asked lightly, sipping her tea and resuming her carefree air.
My mouth twitched with a smile.
"I'm very...familiar with Slayers. Grayson Novak has helped me, quite a bit." I gave her a steady look as I saw the recognition of his name flash in her eyes.
She took a deep breath.
"Stop playing with me, Penelope. I may have kept secrets from you, but I'm still your grandmother." She snapped finally when I stayed silent.
"Fine." I scoffed, scooting forward in the seat and looking at her.
"How's this? A month ago, I met a man named Grayson, soon after I'd started working at the History Museum with Dr. Hyde." Recognition flashed again. "I had a nice encounter with a vampire delivery boy, which ended in three weeks of stalking and their hoard leader kidnapping me from the ranch, Cindy saw it all, by the way." I pinned her with a hard stare that made her dodge my eye for a second.
"The best part was," I continued, getting her attention again. "He told me about my fallen angel father, my Slayer mother and human aunt and uncle. How my dad beheaded and burned them all, in hopes that he could then take me and start selling me to any Dark One who paid well enough to carry their reborn lines."
Grams listened, her eyes widening at my story. I could almost believe she didn't know about it, but I wasn't that blind, not anymore.
"How long have you known?" She asked after a moment.
"About Slayers? A month. My parents? Two days." I snapped at her.
Her head shot up, anger in her eyes.
"I wanted to tell you! Your mother came home pregnant one day, she was already a fully fledged Slayer! It was impossible until I met your father. He wasn't fallen then, at least, I didn't know he was. He disguised himself as another Slayer from Germany." Grams yelled at first, rising for her seat, until she spoke of dad. Then she fell back in her chair, her voice broken.
"I didn't question it, I was just so happy for Melissa." My heart tore hearing her say mum's name. "It wasn't until the...the night your mum died I even realised who he truly was."
"How'd you find out, Grams? Why'd you hide this from us? Why wasn't Aunt Laura a Slayer?" I wanted to feel bad asking her so many questions, but I felt the right to answers.
"How about I start at the beginning?" She smiled, patting the open seat beside her.
I gave her a small smile and went and sat next her, letting her grab my good hand.
She looked at the cast with a sad look.
"I'll have George get something for that before we start." I didn't get to protest before she was calling for George.
He hurried into the room, the poor elderly man slightly out of breathe.
"George, be a dear and get me the green vial from the Mixing Room." She said to him in a flat tone.
George nodded and dashed off.
"You have a Mixing Room?" I asked, Grams chuckled at me sweetly, patting my hand.
"It was the old Bar Room, but since I have very few guests, I upgraded it for other Slayers." She said simply. George was back with the green vial and small circular saw that made me nervous.
Grams poured the liquid into my tea and stirred it, tapping the spoon and throwing it into the small trash can beside her.
She made me drink the whole thing, despite the burn of the tea. My arm started to tingle and I squinted at the sensation that I felt through my bones.
It stopped after a minute and George started the saw, expertly cutting the cast off and leaving with it.
I stared at my healed arm, clenching and opening my fist gingerly while the sensation flooded.
I gave an approving thumbs up to Grams, making her giggle and sit back in her chair.
"So," she began. "I was raised by Slayers, given my Trial at 18. Shortly after, your grandfather and I met, he was another Slayer from England, lovely man, I do miss him."
I rolled my eyes. "He's in Seattle, Grams, not dead."
She gave me a cheeky look. "He's actually in Romania at the moment, dealing with some kind of gargoyle business."
I gaped at her but she waved at me, we were getting off topic.
"Your grandfather and I started this place," she gestured around. "We fostered a few children, Slayers all of them, we trained them and passed them through their Trials, many leaving shortly after for the Slayer Council. Only your mother and Aunt Laura stayed, we adopted both girls just before their 18th birthdays, even though Laura had failed her Trials, she refused to give up, they travelled together, Laura helping Melissa, which is when she met your father. When Melissa fell pregnant, we were all excited, we kept it hidden from the Council, claiming you were adopted. You showed great potential, but your mother refused to even allow another Slayer to know about you. Her and Laura moved to Carson City, where Laura met Pete during her training. She had postponed her Trial until she had had Cindy and she was old enough." Grams took a shakey breath, sadness lowering her voice. "The night my daughter's died, they were coming here, for Laura's Trial. They'd stopped to pick up your father from the ranch, I didn't hear from them after that until I had police at my door, telling me you'd already taken custody of Cindy and my daughters were killed in a car accident."
"How'd you find out about dad?" I asked, my voice strained.
"He arrived shortly after the police had. Apparently, Melissa had never given him your new address when you moved to Callaway that year." She stood from her seat and started to pace slightly, I knew she did that when she was uncomfortable. "He was wild, saying he needed to find you but wouldn't tell me how he survived the crash, the police had told me they identified his body. He just kept getting mad until he attacked me." Grams watched me carefully, I didn't react, knowing she'd stop if I didn't look okay to her. Thankfully, she continued. "Fallen angels are very similar to Slayers, our veins run with the same angel blood. But, they transform into demon-winged beasts if you can break their charm."
I thought about the items the police returned to me after the crash.
Mum and dad's wedding rings, only dad's was broken in half. It had been enchanted to keep his fallen side hidden.
I must have spoken out loud, Grams gasping slightly at me. I looked at her confused.
"I see Dr. Hyde has been teaching you well," she smiled, chuckling slightly. "But, yes, without his ring, he transformed. He didn't expect I would be able to hold my own, that stupid man always underestimated me."
I giggled a little at her insulted tone. Her and my dad had never gotten along from what I'd remembered.
"Anyway, I managed to hold him off, some of the other Slayers I had staying here assisted me, I had hoped he died of his wounds." She sounded disappointed. "But, if Dark Ones are hunting you now, I'd say he's alive and hunting."
The words made me shiver, Grams noticed and sat down beside me, grabbing my hand.
"Don't fret dear, you can stay here until we find him." I pulled my hand out of hers and stood.
"No, I'm not hiding." I snapped.
Grams set me with a serious face, raising and folding her arms.
"Penelope, you are a human. You can't possibly think you can stand up to your father?" She looked at me like was crazy.
I looked away, angry and annoyed. My heart my breaking at the thought of my dad, a man I thought who loved me, out there hunting me.
I looked at Grams again, taking a deep breath.
"I know I can't." I admitted, her eyes softened. "But, I am a Slayer, aren't I?"
Grams gave me a curious look.
"Technically, yes. You showed the ability to use Slayer weapons and, if triggered, can access the strength and speed." She looked lost in thought at the memories I didn't recall.
"I don't remember any of that." I whispered, sad. Maybe I wouldn't be so scared all the time, if my mum had told me the truth.
"Your mum would give you memory eraser potions after your Slayer days with me, she didn't want your childhood tainted with my bad influence." She gave a slightly mocking tone as she talked, making me giggle. But the thought of a white glittering powder flashed into my head, I shook the thought away but not quick enough that Grams noticed.
"Are you have memory flashes again?" She asked, I raised a brow at her and she rolled her eyes. "Is your brain showing you strong memories you don't recall?"
"Oh, yeah, I think so, but not about my childhood. It's more recent than that."
Grams disappeared for a second, using her Slayer speed opening around me for the first time, though I'd had my suspicions when I was younger that she was a track-star, chuckling now at how wrong I was.
She came back with another vial, this one with a yellowish thick liquid. She used a dropped to squeeze some onto my finger she instructed me to hold out. She told me to suck on it, which I did, tasting an odd honey and lemon kind of flavour that made my tongue numb.
My brain felt fuzzy then, making me close my eyes from the sensation.
Doing so, my mind twitched and I was flooded with the locked memory of my 25th birthday.
Cindy taking me clubbing.
Seeing Grayson and a brunette named Juliette in the VIP.
Cindy doing cocaine in the bathroom.
The alleyway where we were attacked by a vampire.
Cindy injured and Grayson killing the vampire.
He and Juliette taking us home and almost dying. 
Juliette throwing the white powder at me  and her threat to forget everything.
I finally remember Grayson saying happy birthday and kissing me before I forgot everything.
I couldn't stop the panic attack that rocked me, Grams was beside me, handing my clenched hand and rubbing my back.
"It's okay, Penny. You're okay." She cooed.
"That's why I knew his name." I realised, standing up. A smile spread across my face and Grams raised her brow.
"You realise you're not crazy?" She joked.
I rolled my eyes but nodded.
I spent the rest of the day with Grams, telling her how I met Grayson, both times. Leaving out the kissing and dirty details too embarassing to tell my grandmother.
She'd pieced together we were dating from my blushing, making a note of her disapproval.
We were walking around her horse paddock, the two white horses she currently owned prancing around us.
"You haven't met him, can't be hate him already." I frowned.
She gave a hearty laugh, wrapping her arm around mine.
"Oh, I'm very familiar with Grayson Novak. I trained him for little bit." I stared at her in surprise.
"When?" I squeaked, making her laugh again.
"A few years ago now, he had just started for the Council at the museum, needed a bit of training in artifact handling." She smiled, leading me to the barn.
We sorted some hay and feed for the horses and then headed through her greenhouse, filled with blossoming plants despite the freezing weather.
"I'm a little surprised he didn't recognise your name." She mused.
I felt a little pang of guilt.
"That's because Cindy and I only use Wayland, not Wayland-Everlight." I admitted. Grams gave me an angry stare, but seeing my expression of guilt and sadness, she soothed and chuckled.
"I take it, after all this, you might reconsider." I had considered it, but I had to know the full story.
Finally, I nodded at her, agreeing that we could use the change.
She asked why I hadn't brought Cindy.
I sighed. "I haven't told her about her parents. I don't know what to say, I'm scared she'll hate me." I breathed back tears as I spoke, the thought of Cindy leaving again broke me.
Grams hushed me, pulling me into her shoulder and swaying with me lightly, like she did when I was little.
It soothed me, she talked some sense into me, Cindy was an adult and I had no idea, just like her. We were in this together, she was still family.
Grams gave me some family notes and a Slayer books of the Everlight name, and some secrets about the ranch since it had been renamed after my parents got married. It was actually a Slayer safehouse from the 20's.
The 1820's.
With all the new information and a tight hug from Grams, I battled the afternoon traffic back through Callaway.
It took an extra two hours to get home, but Molly and I stopped off at one of the lookouts to answer a call from Grayson.
I told him enough to keep him calm and in London, everything else we'd talk about when he got home.
I was a bit sad hanging up with him, wishing he was back already.
I got back home before the sun had fully set, but snow had darkened the sky, making me a bit slower than I'd have liked as I parked next to the Jeep.
Molly and I ran inside, calling for Cindy.
"Upstairs!" She yelled back, music from her room guiding me to her closet where she sat on the floor. She was surrounded by shoe boxes and half her clothes were in bags.
"What're you doing?" I laughed, looking at her distressed face.
"All my clothes are......." She didn't answer with words, just a series of growls and disapproval.
"Why are you suddenly hating your favourite part of your life?" I sat down next to her, taking the sequin pink top from her and folding it up.
She gave me a defeated look.
"Ben asked me to dinner when he gets back." I barely heard her mumble, having to make her repeat it.
I smiled brightly at her. "That's great! Wait...not great?" I was confused.
She groaned, throwing herself back onto the floor and half out the doorway.
"He's all business and fancy car and I'm... mini skirt and cowboy boots." She kicked her favourite red boots that were in a box already.
I laid down next to her, resting my head on my hand to look over her and smile.
"And you don't think Ben likes that because?" I raised a brow at her.
She rolled away from me, groaning again.
"He might now! But when he realises I'm nothing like the other girls I'm sure he hangs around, he'll be bored! Could you imagine what they'd be like in bed?" My mind flashed to Juliette and the way Grayson had been holding her the night we met, I shook the thought and rationalised with her, like I had myself.
"He's an adult, Cin. He's gonna have his own baggage, sexual or otherwise. But if he likes you and you like him, I don't see why you can't try." I patted her shoulder then, rolling and standing.
I looked down at her as she rolled onto her back, folding her hands over her stomach while she thought.
Molly came in to give her a comforting kiss, making her laugh and sit up.
"Okay, okay," she laughed, pushing Molly away slightly before she got to her feet and turned to me.
I gave a smile and opened my arms for her, she smiled back and stepped into hug me, letting me sway her side to side and pepper her cheek with kisses until she laughed.
"Alright, geez mum, get off!" She laughed, pushing me away.
I tried to keep the smile on my face, but she saw the flash of sadness that I couldn't hide.
Her brows furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Her voice was serious and worried.
I squeezed her hand.
"I...I learnt some things about our parents." I started slowly.

We'd made our way up to the attic, spending the next two hours talking about what Grams, and the vampire leader, had said to me.
I'd found one of the secrets Grams had told me about.
The old stained glass lamp I used almost every night for reading, had a hidden switch near the bulb base.
When it was flicked, it opened a concealed wall beside the attic door that led into an old training room.
The floor was padded, a mirror took up one side wall, reflecting the wall of Slayer weapons on the opposite side.
A few training dummies were set up in a row.
We found ourselves sitting in that room, finishing our talk.
"I always knew your dad was an asshole." Cindy finally muttered, making me laugh, even though the words hurt me.
I'd loved my dad, he had been so sweet and caring to me, but looking back.
I saw how manipulated I was, even at points to have turned on my mum for his benefit.
I wished I could talk to her again, tell her I was sorry she had to die because of me.
Cindy suddenly grabbed me, hugging me tightly.
"Woah, you didn't cry this whole time! Why now?" She sat back and looked at me, wiping the tears from my face.
I shook my head.
"It doesn't matter." I sniffed back tears and stood up, looking at the wall of weapons.
I had one more secret to show Cindy.
She stood up and watched me take two of the familiar short swords off the wall, I handed one to her and faced the mirror.
She looked at me confused but copied me.
I took a deep breath, feeling my hand grip the sword and it started to glow.
I smiled and swiped it towards the mirror in an X swing.
"Comumiato Everlight." The mirror glowed with a gold light for a moment before it dimmed around a figure.
Grams smiled at us.
She held her hands open and looked at Cindy.
"Hello, my grandbaby." She smiled softly at Cindy, waiting for her to reply.
Cindy and Grams had had a bit of a strained relationship, I planned to fix it.
Cindy smiled.
"Hey, Grams. I miss you." Her voice choked a bit and I grabbed her wrist, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I'll be coming for dinner on Sunday, for now, let's do some training shall we?" She produced a similar blade to us and stepped out of the mirror, the glow sticking around her with magic to make her solid for an hour or so.
We spent the rest of the night until Cindy and I were so exhausted, we made it as far as the wicker furniture.
I closed the training room door and fell asleep with my arm still extended.