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]

The chair has a note scratched in it.

Did you know children turn faster? ❤

[cross_and_bow]

Bella flicks her knife out and cuts a furrow into the words until they're illegible.



She waits, a minute, before saying:

"Soph, can you fix your ankle or do you need to go to a doctor?"

[keyed_up]

"I - I can probably do it but I'll need to look something up."

[older_and_wiser]

At the reminder that they might leave, Tamara visibly tries to pull herself together. It doesn't work very well. But after a few gulps, she at least manages to choke out, "Soph, I- do you- a container?"

[keyed_up]

"Uh - Bella - back of the car the jar just dump it out it's fine -"

[cross_and_bow]

"On it."

Bella goes. Bella comes back with an empty jar.

[older_and_wiser]

Tamara very, very carefully gathers the dust pile into the jar.

[cross_and_bow]

The sisters wait.

"Do you want - Soph, can you drive right now -?"

[keyed_up]

"Uh, no, but you could drive Tamara home and I could call Dad."

[older_and_wiser]

Tamara doesn't respond to their logistical questions. She finishes collecting her dust into the jar Soph gave her. She screws the cap on carefully, carefully. Still kneeling, looking down, she says quietly, brokenly, "Tell me you killed him."

[cross_and_bow]

"He's dead. Burned up. I stayed to make sure he didn't put himself out."

[older_and_wiser]

"Good." She doesn't say anything else. She's holding herself wrong, somehow, all stiffness and awkward and rigid angles. As though she might shatter at any second.

[cross_and_bow]

"Let's get you home," suggests Bella in a low voice.

[older_and_wiser]

Tamara nods jerkily, and manages to haul herself to her feet despite her unsteadiness. She wraps her jar carefully in her arms and- waits. Silently, with noiseless tears running down her cheeks.

[cross_and_bow]

Bella puts a hand on her elbow and leads Tamara to her own car. "Let me have the keys, I'll drive."

[older_and_wiser]

Tamara digs up her keys, wiping her eyes on her sleeve as she does so. This has no real effect except to make room for more tears. She unlocks the car and then hands the keys to Bella, settling herself stiffly into the passenger seat.








my baby, my baby

[cross_and_bow]

Bella drives. She doesn't try to talk to Tamara.

[older_and_wiser]

For the remainder of the car ride, Tamara tries futilely to dry her face, and holds tight to the container in her lap. Every so often she shudders, carefully readjusts it, and then shrinks back into herself.

[cross_and_bow]

Bella parks.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" she asks softly.

[older_and_wiser]

Tamara has to take a few minutes to piece together her thoughts well enough to answer.





My baby, my baby





"Thank you, but- no, I- I have to- say goodbye," she manages finally.

[cross_and_bow]

"Okay. Call if you need anything. I'm so, so sorry I didn't find him in time."

[older_and_wiser]

"I don't- he wasn't-" Tamara starts, tries, then takes a breath and starts again. "He must've- right when he was taken- there was nothing you-"

And then she starts crying again, and the rest of her words get lost.

[cross_and_bow]

That wasn't what Bella meant, but she's not going to argue the point. She goes around the car and opens Tamara's door for her and sees her inside. And then she jogs home.