Violet's Return

Grandpa Stilinski

"Where are we going?" Maggie sits on her bed with her arms crossed, watching me pack her clothes.

"Home." I smile widely at her.

"We're going home." I finish with her bag and move on to Miles'.

"What about Sofia, is she coming with us?" Maggie is quite displeased with me waking them up in the middle of the night to tell them we're leaving.

"No." I don't feel an ounce of guilt for killing Sofia, but I wish Maggie hadn't gotten so close to her.

I don't explain further and Maggie huffs, getting off the bed and stomping dramatically out of the room.

"Sweetie, where are you going?" I yell after her as I sling their bags over my shoulder.

She doesn't answer and I pinch the bridge of my nose, agitated that she's got such an attitude on one of the best nights of our life.

We finally get to leave, free to go home to Beacon Hills and she's upset.

Miles walks to my side and takes my hand, clutching his teddy bear in his opposite arm. He's still half asleep, hair disheveled.

I smile down at him and squeeze his hand affectionately. We head out of the room and I see Maggie leaving Sofia's room at the end of the hall.

"Where is she?" Her arms are folded again and she taps her little foot with impatience.

I sigh and lead Miles to Maggie's side, taking her hand as well as I squat down in front of them.

"Look." I look at Miles, then Maggie.

"Sofia was not a nice woman." This earns a dramatic eye roll from my daughter.

"She is nice." Maggie insists.

I take her cherub face in my hands, and lightly shake my head.

"No baby. She was just pretending." Tears gather in my eyes at the dissapointment in Maggies face.

"She was not nice to mommy. She stole me away from daddy, when you guys were still in my belly." I sniffle, hugging them both close to me.

"But now she's gone, and we're free." I kiss them both on the head and stand, taking their hands again.

"Come on, let's go home."

I toss their bags in the trunk of the suv to join a few others and get them buckled in. I get behind the wheel and we hit the road. It doesn't take long for Miles to fall back asleep but I see Maggie staring out the window in the rearview.

"Hey, mom." She turns her attention to me.

"Hm?" I make eye contact with her in the mirror.

"Sorry I liked Sofia, I didn't know she was mean to you." She tugs at a curl that's escaped her ponytail.

"I appreciate that honey." I smile at her and she looks down at her lap.

"But its okay if you miss her. She was different with you, I understand."

She lifts her head and nods, returning her gaze to the passing trees.

***

Its been quite a car ride, over sixteen hours from our rural town in Colorado.

We make our last stop, right outside of Beacon Hills, the twins insisting they need a potty break even though we only have twenty minutes to go.