The Kreizler Institute | The Alienist + Mphfpc [Complete]

Chapter Nineteen | Dinner Interrupted

Jade's POV:

Three months passed before Jacob felt that I was ready to go hollow hunting. Not only did we train regarding my peculiar ability, but we also trained how to shoot crossbows and various different firearms. He said that we couldn't just rely on peculiar abilities only because wights use guns and many different varieties of weapons. Spring had quickly turned into summer in the present day. It felt like it was a thousand times hotter than the heat I had gotten use to in the time loop. That was probably due to all of the added humidity from the expensive pavement and skyscrapers, not to mention global warming. Time had really flew by; it was like just yesterday I arrived in New York to visit my uncle, yet it also felt like years had passed as well. A lot have stuff had happened in my life in just a few months. Sometimes I still wonder if all of this is just happening inside of my head. But I knew all too well that I wasn't dreaming.

"Do you think your friends will like me? I mean... Caleb seems pretty cool, but I couldn't really read Dr. Kreizler much when I met him." Jacob said as he caged his hollowgast. Today is my last day of training and the doctor suggested that I invite Jacob to dinner tonight. "I think they'll like you, although Stevie has a somewhat tainted imagine of you in his mind. I'm sure you can change that tonight though hopefully." I said. I really hoped that my friends would accept Jacob as one of their own, or at least as an ally. "I hope so. From what you've said about them they're all seem like great people." He replied with a small smile. "They are." I said with a smile of my own. We walked inside of his house to cool off in the air conditioning as we waited in Caleb to come pick us up. Jacob could have driven us to the cafe where the loop entrance was, but I preferred Caleb to take us instead. The two of us talked for a while about random stuff to pass the time.

I heard tires on the gravel driveway and I figured it was Caleb. I grabbed my backpack and Jacob got his overnight bag. We walked outside before the car was parked and Jacob locked the house behind him. "You can sit up front with me if you'd like. I'm sure Jade wouldn't mind sitting in the back." Caleb said. I was fine with sitting in the back; it allowed them some time to talk and get to know each other a little more. I looked out of the window and watched as the wooded scenery gradually turned into cityscape. Eventually we reached our destination and entered the 1800's once more. Jacob was looking around to take everything in, much like I did when I first entered the time loop. "I've been to so many times in history, but there's something very magical about this place." He said. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I looked around also. The sun was a bright red-orange strip on the horizon, giving everything a lovely glow. He was right, there was something magical about this place.

When we reached the doctor's home we entered the front doors and the aroma of delicious food met my nose. My mouth started to water and my stomach growled a little as well. John and Sara were helping Trinity and Stevie in the kitchen. So I introduced Jacob to Cyrus, the Isaacson brothers, and Dr. Kreizler. The group asked the young man questions about how he discovered he was a hollow hunter and whatnot. "I'm going to see if they need help in the kitchen." Caleb said and I nodded in reply. I sat down in my usual seat and listened to them talk, but I couldn't quite keep my eyes off of Laszlo. My feelings for him have only grown and I wondered if I should tell him how I feel. There area few things holding me back from doing so. One of them was the fear of ruining our friendship. The other is the fact that he probably still has feelings for his lost love, Mary Palmer. I didn't want to seem rude or insensitive to his loss. Especially since they had confessed their love for each other not long before she was brutally killed.

'I should just wait until the right time.' I thought inside of my head. But then again... I didn't want to wait until it was too late. 'You'll know when it's the right time.' I said inside of my head. A few moments passed before dinner was ready. Another round of introductions were made before we dug into the delicious meal that was prepared for all of us. We talked about my training as well as many other things. Stevie seemed like he was warming up to Jacob a little. I think the fact that Jacob's parents didn't accept him after finding out he was peculiar did the trick. That was something Stevie could kinda relate to, especially since his mother used him to get drugs and money before he ran away from home. When we finished eating we helped clean up. Trinity put Jasmine and Elijah to bed before heading out cups of hot coffee to everyone. We were in good spirits until someone knocked heavily on the front door.

We all looked at each other with wide eyes and slightly confused expressions. "Who could that be?" John asked with furrowed brows. "I'm not sure." Laszlo replied. Cyrus offered to check and see. The Isaacson brothers and Sara had their fire arms at the ready in case things went south. But there wasn't any commotion or sounds of alarm. Our tall friend came back in with Miss Peregrine by his side, which kind of surprised us all a little. Mostly because no one was expecting here. "I think I have some things I need to share with you all. I hoped that they could wait until morning, but that isn't possible." She said as Cyrus pulled up a chair for her. Trinity offered her a cup of coffee, but she asked for something stronger. John poured a glass of bourbon and handed it to her. After she had taken a few gulps of the liquid she started telling us why she had come at such a late hour.

She told us that they had located where the wights and rouge silver bird members were keeping the escaped hollowgast. Apparently they were hiding in a loop and that's why there weren't any new dead or missing children cased in the present day. "We should go get them then! What are we doing waiting around?!" John said. "Because Jacob and Jade will have to come with me... alone." Miss Peregrine said with a look in her eyes that I couldn't decipher. My friends made protests but Laszlo stopped them. "She's right. We won't be able to go with them; we'll age forward and then we won't be of much use." He said, which made the others get very quiet. "When do we need to go?" Jacob asked, breaking the silence. "First thing tomorrow morning I'm afraid." Miss Peregrine replied. There were some more protests from my friends, most of which were from Sara.

But I made it clear that Jacob and I had to do this. It wasn't their fight to get involved with. I didn't want them getting hurt. I didn't want them to come along and have to watch them age forward to inevitably cease to exist. They were safe in their loop. And if any wights did enter the loop they could fight them off. Everyone's moods had changed drastically when Miss Peregrine left. Jacob was shown to a bedroom he could sleep in for the night. I went to my room as well, but the sound of a light knock on my door caught my attention. "Come in." I said. The door opened and Laszlo stepped inside. "I hope I'm not being too forward when I say that... I'd... I'd very much like it if you would spend the night with me." He said shyly. Since I was already changed into my pajamas I followed him to his bedroom and climbed underneath the soft covers. He switched off the lights before he joined me. When we found each other I snuggled into his side and wrapped my arms around him. It didn't take me long to fall into a deep sleep.

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