Prophecy: Tome of Magic

2. The Way Back Home

It certainly hadn't been Lorelei's idea to retrieve Toby, but she knew the others would say and think all sorts of snide things if she didn't. Word had just come in, and there was a new job they needed to run-more demons that needed slaying. She was still the leader, that much she would not budge on, but she figured she'd best head over to his apartment and drag him out of bed to tag along. She didn't bother to knock when she arrived, kneeling down and picking the lock before pushing her way in and going straight for the bedroom, positive that was where she'd find him.

It had been a little while since he'd returned home, and even in that time he hadn't bothered in any attempt to reintegrate with the group, so she figured he'd be cocooned in a blanket, unblinking as he locked down inside his own mind. But the bed was empty, the covers strewn messily over the sheets, and she stared at it in wonder as she heard the bathroom door open, and he was suddenly behind her. With only a towel covering his lower region he shoved her aside, going into the bedroom and closing the door.

"What the hell do you want?" He sounded angry when he called from within, his breathing uneven as he no doubt wrestled into some jeans.

"I don't know if you've forgotten, with all that time away, but we still have a job to do." She matched his cadence with a temper of her own, putting her hands on her hips even though he was incapable of seeing it. She didn't need to be looking at his face right then to know that her statement had only done more to enrage him, and the door flung back open.

"Bitch all you want about it, but I'm not putting my ass out there on the line anymore. Not for you, and sure as hell not for any of those ungrateful bastards whose lives we're always saving." Toby growled, pushing her out of the way again as he went to where his shoes were, picking them up and then going to sit on the couch so he could put them on.

"Okay, you know what," in a surprising twist, it was Lorelei whose anger flared unreasonably, and she stormed over to where he sat, whining, and swatted the sneaker out of his hand. "Boohoo, get over it, I lost someone too. You are being selfish and you need to grow the hell up-the world is not going to stop just because you're sad and your feelings are hurt, so you need to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get it done."

"Get out of my apartment," he seemed almost level headed as he stood, in her face, pointing in the direction of the exit. It wasn't like he was surprised, it was easy for him to guess how she would be when they saw each other again after all that time. He had known, just like the rest of the group, that Lorelei was gone. Way gone. That after losing Dill, losing her baby, being unable to process either of their deaths, she had ventured beyond the point of no return. But he didn't feel like being magnanimous, like letting her walk all over him because she had changed. Maybe he was selfish for that, but all he knew was that he wanted to hurt her even more, and it was better for her to leave before that happened. And yeah, he was angry.

"Oh, that's it then?" She threw her hands up, laughing. Fine, so maybe she also knew a little bit about what was happening to her-but she didn't care. She didn't stop to think about it, to realize it, and she buried it, went on with the only thing she knew to do, and that seemed like the only way to her. She couldn't be bothered to find the way back home, and she believed the same of Toby-because what home was left for either of them now? But even though she had nothing, she was still trying to do something, to get it right, whereas he was selfish, and that burned her more than his fire ever could. She was back at him then, her finger in his face. "You're acting like a scared little bitch, sack up and quit pretending it's all about you-it's not."

"Get your ass out of my apartment!" He bellowed, so loudly that he actually managed to startle her. His face went red and the vein in his forehead showed, and he had to restrain himself before he did something that he might regret. But luckily Lorelei seemed to get the point this time, and after a disgusted look and a shake of her head she turned from him and gave up, leaving without another word. When she was gone Toby began to breathe heavily, looking down at his shaking hands as he clenched them into fists to try to steady them. He understood Lorelei was damaged, sure, but that was no excuse.