caveat uxor

[older_and_wiser]

Tamara is beginning to be concerned.

There's a pattern here. She knows there is. But it's subtle, it's so subtle she thinks she might be imagining it. A flyer appears on the wall of the coffee shop, announcing that his band has a show there that week. There's so few details that she thinks she must be mistaken, someone else here must have decided to use that same band name, it wasn't that creative- but she goes back to look again the next day, just to see, and it's gone.

She finds a jelly doughnut left on the hood of her car while she's out shopping. They're Kevin's favorite, and she has to talk him out of eating it- they don't know where it came from, it can't be safe, just throw it out, see how someone's already cut it open? It's oozing red jelly out over the roof of the car.

Little things, one at a time. Spaced apart enough that she's never quite sure they're related to each other. A week before something new happens? Two? Once there's two incidents in three days, then nothing for almost a month. She could be imagining it.

...maybe.

She finds a stuffed dog in their front yard. It's very generic, one of those silly plush dogs you can get at any store for a few bucks, and it's arguably, plausibly, a dog toy. But the tag on the dog's collar says 'Tammy'. And it's been torn almost to shreds, viciously. And none of her neighbors have dogs.

Tamara calls the Watcher's Council. And then she calls Bella.

Comments

[marrinikari]

"I just haven't figured it out yet!"

[keyed_up]

"What've you tried?"

[marrinikari]

He frowns. "I just... think about it really hard? And ask my mum. I don't wanna be flown at a plane."

[keyed_up]

"Well, if you figure it out, let me know, it sounds very interesting."

[marrinikari]

"Okay!"

More DDR ensues. At some point the Incredibles is brought out and rewatched. There is not, probably to Soph's relief, a repeat of the flour incident.

[keyed_up]

That's indeed very convenient.

Soph does some summer reading and she makes lunch and plays DDR with Kevin and provides tech support on the watching of movies.

[marrinikari]

Kevin approves of all of these activities. Even the reading, because it means he has time to explore by himself! He doesn't get into too much trouble, at least.

The summer progresses much as it began, with little deviation. Kevin's mother goes to work, he stays home, and he hangs out with Soph. He decides she is probably okay, unthaws a bit more and introduces her to Paddington, his bear. DDR happens, in spades. Art projects and cooking projects happen (Kevin sulks at being forbidden to use the oven by himself, but is very pleased when he can use it under supervision.) Before he even really notices it, a month has gone by. And in all that time, his mother has come home looking worried and tired once, and only once. He approves of this trend. She was looking too stressed. Less is better!

Until the day a couple weeks later, when Kevin's bed can be found to be empty of its usual occupant in the morning.

[older_and_wiser]

And Bella's phone rings, at six in the morning.

[cross_and_bow]

Groggily:

"Yeah?"

[older_and_wiser]

Tamara is not very coherent at the moment. "Kevin's gone, someone broke in and took him, his window's open, I don't know how Charles did it, he can't get in, but Kevin's still gone-"

[cross_and_bow]

"Hired a goon, befriended a demon, something," says Bella. "Okay, I'm going to wake Soph and my dad, chug a Mountain Dew, and go looking. Anything else besides the open window to go on?"

[older_and_wiser]

"I- I'm not sure, I haven't looked yet, I just called you, I don't know what to do or not to touch or, or, or-"

Tamara is normally very reserved. This is not a normal time. She starts to sob.

[cross_and_bow]

"I'm going to send my dad to your house, he's a cop, he knows - cop things," says Bella. "He'll check it out and call me."

[older_and_wiser]

Tamara does manage a "thank you." Then mumbles something that is probably a goodbye and hangs up to wait for Charlie.

[sundayfish]

Charlie's there in ten minutes; there is a siren involved. He goes in the house without an invitation and checks out the room and calls Bella. He hasn't gotten a lot of information from the room.

"You having better luck?" he asks her.

[cross_and_bow]

"Soph's halfway through a finding spell. One of Kevin's socks somehow wound up in her purse yesterday so she didn't have to make a separate trip."

[older_and_wiser]

Tamara is sitting at the table in the kitchen, trying very hard not to get in the way and systematically shredding paper towels into tiny, tiny pieces.

[marrinikari]

And the sock is being a sock.

[cross_and_bow]

"Spell's done. We're heading out now."

[marrinikari]

The sock has now graduated to compass-sock.

[older_and_wiser]

"Where?" Tamara asks instantly. "Bella, please- it's Kevin-"

[cross_and_bow]

"It's - are you sure you want to be there?" Sound of doors opening and closing as the sisters pile into their car.

[older_and_wiser]

"It's better than sitting here not knowing!"

[cross_and_bow]

"All right, fine - the sock aimed at Walsh and Maple, but don't make yourself a target and distract the fighters, okay?"

[older_and_wiser]

"I won't get involved," Tamara agrees immediately. "I just need to- not sit here and wait. I'll meet you there."