[sakari09]

We got back to his car shortly after 1 a.m. I knew Grandma would be by the window when we got back. She didn’t like me hanging around in Lavaria after dark. But she didn’t mind Will staying over so we were good.
I got in the passenger side after Will and we took off back home. He didn’t say much on the ride back but I could tell that a lot was on his mind. Vamps do that a lot; they space out all of a sudden and can remain like that for a heck of a long time. Will was really good at it by now.
“Gram’s by the door Kari. I think she gets the hint that I might be staying or something like that…if you want me to that is.” Will made an effort to come out of his happy place.
I opened the car door but didn’t get out, “I’d like it if you stayed Will. I’ll be worrying all night if you don’t.” I knew he would get out and follow me so I didn’t wait for him to reply-then again I didn’t really care if he did go home, I just wanted a good night’s sleep.
He was right about Grandma, she was right by the door to ask the general “where have you been all night long?”. I tried not to scream at her face. Will put a hand on my shoulder to keep me from collapsing.
“Well?” She looked at me solemnly, “What’s the excuse? Did you get your license renewed?”
I nodded, “Yeah…well, we met one of Will’s old buddies so we decided to chat at a café around the castle for a while. It got later than we thought, sorry.” I tried to make it as painless as possible for her.
Will nodded as if to back up my story. Gran still looked skeptical though. I guess she’s heard just about everything considering her age.
“Ok. Will you’re staying right? Don’t want you driving like that. You look like hell you know?” She moved her attention to his bloody lip.
He wiped it off absentmindedly, “It’s nothing to be concerned about. I’m fine now.”
She raised an eyebrow and turned for the kitchen waving for us to follow her. I guess we were in for it now. I could never get away with anything growing up; trying to come up with a good lie was really hard so I had to bend the truth.
“Kari wipe his face with this rag. He looks terrible with that nasty, dried blood covering his face like that.” She seemed to be somewhere else when she said that.
I did as asked and lightly brushed away what remained of Will’s and Vincent’s little spiel. He was frowning as I did so.
“I got a phone call from the Order tonight before you both got home.” Gran started.
I gasped thinking that they’d seen the fight and were reporting us.
She raised her hand, “Don’t worry nothing too serious. They said that Will went a little crazy in light today. Is this true?”
I felt the air around me sizzle; Gran had cast a truth spell over me. I guess she didn’t trust me as well as I thought. I felt loved.
“Yeah…but nothing went wrong I promise Grandma!” I tried to save my ass.
She turned to look at me and raised my chin to glance at my neck, “Ok. Will I have something that you should take.” She turned to walk over to the microwave.
When she came back, Gran had a small pint of O+ blood-which I was assuming-was for Will. I looked back at his expression that had turned sour.
“You know that I don’t take that anymore Cecilia.” He pointed out darkly.
She squinted her eyes at him, “Oh. I remember when you took that oath young man; but there’s something deep inside you that needs calming and this will calm it. Take it.”
I looked back and forth between them. I had never seen the two so tense before. I thought that a war was going to erupt in that small kitchen.
Will looked down at me and sighed, “Para ella.”
Gran seemed happier and handed him the bottle, “Bottoms up!”
He downed it in two gulps and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. I thought I saw his eyes get redder but I couldn’t have been sure. After he got done he looked back at Grandma once more.
“Where am I crashing this evening?” He asked kicking off his shoes.
Gran tilted her head to one side confused; “I thought you’d want to stay with Kari like you used to when you were kids?”
I gagged, “Grandma!!” Will looked surprised.
She shrugged, “Wherever suits you Will.”
Without another word he went upstairs to the shower and locked the door. I made a mental note to lock my door. Seeing Will take that blood down had freaked me out. I kept forgetting that he was a vampire and no longer human; I began to wonder what he would be like in the morning.
I pray that he’ll never change…I thought to myself and I bid Grandma goodnight and retired to my room, Will in the bathroom across the hall.
…

It was early morning when I heard it. Will’s screaming; it almost made the whole house shake. I knew Gran was on her way up, so I decided that I should help out. Getting my robe from the back of my computer chair I threw it over my tank top and sweats. Now wasn’t the time to look my best.
I opened the door and headed toward the screams. To my surprise they were coming from the bathroom where I remembered him being last night. Gran was outside the door.
She looked at me sadly, “He won’t let me in Kari…I don’t know what’s wrong. I can’t even comfort him by magic.”
I nodded and put my hand on the door, “Will! Open the damn door!”
He stopped wailing and turned the knob, “I’m sorry.”
“For what? You’ve been apologizing way too much for you own good you know.” I sighed and opened it further.
To my surprise Will sat hunched over on the edge of the bathtub, shirtless with a towel over his head. He looked pitiful. I couldn’t find another way to describe it. I felt Gran’s gaze over my shoulder; she must’ve thought the same thing.
“Was it the Banshee that was driving you crazy dear? I’ve been hearing her carry on for the past few nights now.” Gran shoved past me to knell at Will’s side.
I saw his eyes when he turned to face her, they were a mix of red and gold, “I should’ve stayed home, but I had to make sure that they wouldn’t come after her Cecilia.”
“So the Order is back up and running again even with you gone?” Gran asked softly, probably talking more to herself than anyone else in the cramped room, “What on the Great Earth have you two gotten into?”
I rolled my eyes at her, “It’s fine Grandma. Nothing major happened without you. I didn’t die, look at it that way.”
She didn’t laugh, instead she looked at me sternly, “I’m going to have a little chat with some of my old council members. I’m sure that they’d want to know all about the uprising of the Vicari Order.”
Will and I nodded as she got up and left the room without another word. I got the feeling I’d be hounded later and not for Will staying over. Then again, if I had lived with my parents, they definitely would’ve striked me dead.
Will started to brush out the knots in his hair (might I add with MY BRUSH!) and said, “Do I need to go out and get some Tylenol? You must have a tremendous headache.”
I leaned against the doorframe for support. The little sleep that I got, before Problem Vamp started having an emotional breakdown, didn’t help me gain a lot of my strength back, “No. I’m not that big of a wuss you know. I stood up for myself before you came along.”
He chuckled, “I remember when you came running into my house to hide from those girls, who were picking on you and threatening you with water balloons.”
“I didn’t need your help back then. I was just borrowing you house for a bit of cover that’s all.” I pointed out smartly.
He got up and walked past me, “Whatever you say. I’m jacking your computer for a while, I hope you don’t mind.”
Before I could say anything more, he had disappeared into my room and slammed the door shut. I heard the deadbolt click into place and silently cursed him for locking me out. I had my school clothes in there…ass.
I looked into the misty mirror. I didn’t hear Will taking a bath…or if he did I must’ve been dead asleep. My reflection was blurred, making me seem like some white-haired teen pop star. I had my Dad to thank for that. I could see him now, just staring down at me with that stupid, “I love you sweetie” look on his face. He was the one that I missed most since he died. Mom was a whole other story.
I turned and went over to my door and knocked twice, “Will, it’s my room so open the stupid door!”
He probably laughed but it slowly opened without him getting up to get it. He can do things like that. Sometimes he even likes to make you levitate above your bed in the morning so when you wake up you’ll fall on the floor. I hate him for it. All I can do is make all that lovey-dovey crap with people.
All of a sudden, I didn’t really care what he was doing to my new computer (courtesy of Gran’s superpowers.) I collapsed on my bed and gave Will one last look.
“Turn that thing off when you’re done and leave me the hell alone. I have school in a couple hours.”
He didn’t say anything; I wasn’t expecting him to. After I’d fallen into REM sleep, my floating alarm clock went off above my head. When I reached to get it, I got something else instead; something that was dark and furry that purred. When did we get a cat?
I picked it up and held it out so I could see it more clearly. It was pure black with a streak of blue going down the side of its face. It seemed for familiar than it should…wait…oh my God! It was Will!