Story: Flesh (AU Kiddy Grade) (chapter 13)

Authors: Vexed Fusion

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Chapter 13

Title: Real/Fake Love 5

[Author's notes: Oh my god it's been so long since I've written anything for this.  I've reread the other chapters but try to be forgiving of any continuity errors or slight shifts of personality.  Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things.  I've missed this story.]

Flesh

Chapter 13

Real/Fake Love

Part 12


“Do you truly believe you're not my partner?”

Caprice sat across from Liquide in a both at the only restaurant/bar in town. They parked the police car a few miles from town under some brush so as not to arouse suspicion and the brunette held back while Liquide went in to fetch her some clothes. When she returned she led the wolf to a bed and breakfast and into a small room where the two could wash up. After they finished Liquide announced she'd be getting food and marched her way out of the B&B with Caprice on her heels like a leashed but not yet broken dog.

“Why do you think otherwise?”

The blonde smiled and touched a finger to her lips before returning to peruse the menu. “I've never been kissed like the way you kiss me.”

A growled annoyance rose in Caprice's throat. She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest.

“You already know what you want? I can never decide... even with so few choices.”

“I don't eat human food anymore, unless its raw meat.”

Liquide frowned, “This won't be a very fun date then.”

The wolf rolled her eyes. “How can you even call this a date? Are you so ignorant and stupid to see that we're being chased by bloodthirsty wolves? What the hell-” Her rant stopped short when the teacher's hand pressed quickly against her mouth.

“I don't think that's something to discuss in public, do you?”

She pulled the hand off her mouth and glanced out towards the restaurant. A few people stared back while most ignored her. Feeling a blush rising in her cheeks the werewolf pouted and fell back into her seat. She turned her head toward the window adjacent to the both and gazed out into the sunny but very empty streets. Unlike California she found Midwestern towns to be boring and void of any life.

“Oh well, I think I'll just go with the chicken. I've never much cared for stew or beef.” Liquide laid the menu down in front of her and waved to the waitress bent over the counter flirting with some man in flannel. “You should get something... aren't you thirsty? Raoul used to drink lots of wine, so you can't tell me you don't drink either.”

Caprice closed her eyes. “We're not all alike, you know.”

“Who's not all like who?”

Before she could respond the waitress stepped up to the both with her notepad held in front of her diligently. “What can I get you two?”

“The roasted chicken dinner, please. And a lemonade. What do you want, Caprice?”

She opened her eyes and frowned the woman across from her. “Water.”

Liquide visibly sighed and then flashed a pearly smile to the waitress. “And a water.”

When the woman walked away the blonde leaned forward and tried to take hold of her hand. Caprice pulled back and rested them in her lap. They stared at each other for several seconds until breaking away towards opposite sides of the booth.

“I know you're not like him. I'm sorry I keep bringing him up, but I just... he was an important part of my life for a long time.”

She bit lower lip as the teacher talked and was thankful when the waitress brought their drinks over during the small lull after Liquide finished. The cool water quenched her lips and tongue and seemed to give her the right frame of mind she was looking for.

“Listen, it's not even that. I just have so many doubts at the moment and with those stupid jerks ready to rip open our throats at any chance they get I really don't need this added stress.” She looked at the blonde with the most earnest gaze she could muster. When the aqua eyes faltered slightly she felt she got through at least a little.

Stirring her lemonade with the striped straw the teacher sighed once again and leaned back away from Caprice. “Alright. I get that. There's a lot on your plate at the moment.”

The brunette nodded her head once. She knew all she had to do was lay down the law. Those stupid vampires at the prison were confusing her too much. All she needed was some time away from them to clear her thoughts. She wondered where Eclair was at this moment and hoped she was doing better than they were. It seemed odd for the wolf to be worrying about so many people. It wasn't that long ago she was by herself with no one else to rely on.

Liquide's observations back on the train about her being alone for so long stung her deep. She didn't want to admit anything about how lonely she'd felt for so long. Even before she was ousted by the clan, before she became a werewolf, before she even knew the meaning of lonely. In a crowd, among her family, Caprice always felt like an outsider. And it wasn't until she made that fateful choice of breaking away from the clan that she realized she craved a family who cared for and loved her. Now that she was so close, now that she found people she could connect with, she wasn't sure what she wanted. She wasn't even sure if Eclair would return. She'd go get the girl herself if it came to it. They shared a connection—even if it wasn't as partners.

“But there's no time like the present to discuss life changing things. Even if you tell me that you aren't sure I think you'll find me a rather patient person. How about we take this one step at a time?”

“Jesus Liquiy, I ask you to let up on me and you can't even do that for one second!” Caprice shook her head unsure of whether she should laugh or strangle the blonde.

“How was that me pressuring you? I was simply stating that I could be patient and that you could talk to me anytime.” The teacher actually looked as if she'd done nothing wrong.

“Okay then, how about it's always you having to have the last word? Can't you just let things be? Couldn't you just be quiet and let us both just enjoy each others presence?”

Liquide opened her mouth to say something but then quickly closed it. Her eyes shone with a frustrated glare as she sipped from the lemonade. The wolf stared and wondered how long this would last. It wasn't that long.

“I guess I'm just confused. Not just several hours ago you were ready to jump me and I was more than willing to be jumped!” Her voice rose the longer she talked and Caprice tried to shush her using her hands. The waitress and man lifted their heads clearly hearing them speak. If she wasn't embarrassed before, she sure was now. “And now, now you act like I've got some sort of disease or virus and you can barely stand to touch me. I know that's not the case, I can see it in your eyes. You want me as much as I want you. I don't understand what's so confusing about this and I don't like being told to leave it alone. And I really know you don't want to hear this but Raoul was a bit of a control freak and honestly, if you're going to be the same way, I'd like to know now so I can try to put a stop to it.”

Caprice long gave up trying to quiet the blonde. She had put her head in her hands and was gripping her hair tightly so that it pulled her scalp. There came a silence where she chanced looking up from the table. The blonde sat there glaring at the window.

“I'm not trying to control you,” she mumbled. Clearing her throat and sitting up Caprice decided to try to respond to all that. “It's true, I do want you. I love the taste of your lips and skin and your smell...” she shuddered slightly, “but when I thought about how much danger I'd gotten you into, I just felt like I...”

What could the wolf say?

“If you got hurt or worse I couldn't live with myself.”

Liquide turned and reached her hands across the table. Caprice didn't pull away this time, she felt like she owed that much. The soft warm hands engulfed her own. They felt so nice.

“Your hand is healed already.”

With a chuckle the brunette nodded and smiled, “Yeah. That was just a flesh wound. I should probably hunt after this to get my strength back up.”

When the blonde lowered her eyes she felt her stomach muscles clench. She hated making the woman feel guilty.

“I know I'm being irrational given the situation. On some level I know I should feel more afraid than I'm feeling. But, and you have to believe me, I haven't felt any fear since I met you. I didn't know I could feel like this. I want you to make physical love to me because I feel like that's the only way I'll get it. I feel like then it will make sense.”

At the sound of a throat clearing Caprice turned sharply to see the waitress standing with the plate of chicken next to them. The two women pulled their hands apart so that the meal could be set in front of Liquide. After she'd been served Liquide picked up a napkin and wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes that the wolf failed to notice had formed.

She ate quietly while Caprice mulled over what she'd said. Certainly she felt the same way, didn't she? She wanted Liquide probably as much as she was wanted in return. That's why she had to keep the woman safe. It was one thing for her to be killed by those wolves but for them to take the teacher as well, it just didn't seem fair. Why couldn't she feel as secure as Eclair and Lumiere seemed to feel about their own relationship? Those two met and were intimate within several hours. Then they up and went to Europe together on a whim. How was it so easy for them?

As the blonde finished eating Caprice suggested they go back to the B&B for some rest.

“We can return to the prison just before nightfall. It's not like I really want to be around those two any earlier than I have to.”

They walked along the short main street side by side. Caprice slipped her hand around Liquide's and the was treated with a smile. She felt her heart swell in happiness.

“Are you sure we won't be attacked any earlier?”

The brunette shook her head. “Not with all those police and then having to track the scents. We still have time. A little sleep will do us a lot better.”

The room at the B&B seemed a lot smaller than it had when they first entered it. Liquide seemed happier, too, which was good. Caprice would do anything to keep her safe. She felt bad for leading her on like this but it was the only way.

“I don't know if I can sleep with you so close, but I am pretty tired.”

Caprice smiled and when the blonde turned around she whispered, “I'm sorry,” just before knocking her arm against the back of the other woman's head. Liquide dropped onto the bed like a log.

“I think you take me for granted. I'm not as simple minded as people believe. At least if everything goes wrong you'll still be here. And now I can fight full force.” She tied the woman to the bed and made sure she'd be comfortable. “It's not like you'll be here for very long. I'll make sure the lady wakes you up in the morning in case I can't make it back... for whatever reason. She'll find you here and untie you.”

She used some duct tape she found in the cupboard of the bathroom sink to cover the blonde's mouth. Her threats of returning to prison played hard on Caprice's mind. She couldn't have that possibility on her conscience. When she was finished she placed a kiss on the blonde's forehead.

“I hope you can forgive me, when all this is finished.”


Part 13


Eclair set the cruise and leaned back into her seat. The highway was sparse being this late at night and the only other vehicles she'd seen for the last several miles were semis. Lumiere had her a GPS running on her laptop which sat on her knees and was directing the redhead. She became quiet now that they knew they'd be driving the highway for around 200 miles.

“Do you think my dream was just a dream?”

From the back came the pipsqueak's voice, “Duh. You're a werewolf. And Lumiere isn't that old.” Out of the corner of her eye she watched Viola roll her eyes and then return to the coloring book they purchased for her at the store before leaving the city.

Next to her Lumiere lifted her fingers from the keys of the computer and appeared to go into deep thought. A long moment passed before she opened her mouth to speak.

“I've been trying to sort this out—the length of my life, the length of yours, Tweedledee's message, and the closeness of our relationship—the most logical response given the evidence is that what you had was likely a glimpse of our past life. One of who knows how many.” A cool hand rested on her own which sat on the shifter. “Do you remember anything before becoming a werewolf that didn't make sense when it happened but could make sense now?”

The teenager racked her brain as flashes of memories spun around behind her eyes. She'd had a relatively normal childhood and normal parents. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for the life of a child who had to change cities every few years. For the most part she was happy—perhaps just a little lonely at times. What kind of happiness was that though? Just being happy to be the daughter of two loving parents and not having a care in the world? And now that she is a werewolf?

“I think before I met you that I was simply existing. Now I that I've met you I don't know how I lived before, actually.” The hand on hers squeezed tightly and it made her smile. She ignored the foreboding darkness that lurked in that dream. As long as she could be happy like this, she'd be okay.

“It was the same for me.” Lumiere's fingers intertwined with her own. “I wonder how we got started on this journey and why we're trying to change the fates of vampires and werewolves. I've been thinking that this must have affected us personally in some fashion. I also can't help but think that everything happening around us is not a coincidence.”

Out of the corner of her eye she watched as the vampire glanced towards the little girl in the backseat. A half vampire, half werewolf, and here she and Lumiere had supposedly been trying to find a cure for their species in another life.

“So what? You think this is all predestined?”

Lumiere shook her head. “I find it difficult to believe that this was all mapped out by some higher being. At best if this is a stage we're all ad-libbing. No, I think this is more due to the powers we possess. Like the planets circling our sun perhaps we have drawn others in who feed off our energies or can even benefit from the nearness in some manner.”

“I don't possess much in powers.” Eclair frowned as she recalled the desire to change and the inability to do so.

“I don't believe that. You aren't giving yourself enough credit. I believe in you.”

“But I can't change.”

“Becoming a werewolf shouldn't be your ultimate goal. Just focus on being you.”

From the back came Viola's voice, “Cessy is super strong even when he's not a wolf. But I like him best when he changes. He's so warm and soft. He's like a giant fuzzy pillow.”

The vampire chuckled softly and turned in her seat to face the back. “Well, I like Eclair regardless of whether or not she can change. But I'm sure that fur is nice.”

Eclair watched Viola look down and then heard a muffled cry from her throat. She turned her attention back to the road, however, as she came upon several cars.

“We're going to get Cessy, right? He's still alive, right?”

Her partner closed the laptop and reached back to clean up the pink haired girl's tears. “Yes, we'll find him one way or another, I can assure you of that.”

The redhead bit her lower lip and thought about her own parents. No, it was useless to do that now, what could she do? They were already gone. As much as she didn't want to believe Lumiere she knew the girl wouldn't lie to her. She just couldn't bring herself to question her partner, either, because something told her there could exist no lies between the two.

An hour later Eclair glanced to the back to find Viola asleep. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Lumiere. Didn't the girl just sleep all day?

“She's probably going through a lot of stress. Stressful times for children are even more tiring than they are for adults. I can imagine that it isn't easy being a vampire and werewolf, either. She could either be needing a lot more sustenance to feed both sides or be super strong because of both sides, or both.”

With a nod the teenager turned her attention back to the road.

“Eclair, we should talk.”

“What about?”

She heard the vampire take a conscious breath and put her laptop on the dashboard. “I'm... I wasn't a good vampire. You should know that I probably have a lot of enemies abroad. We captured and dissected without any remorse. I suppose because I lack a human soul, that I'm a demon, I just don't have the regret that others carry.”

The redhead stared at the road. She was unsure of what to say. Hadn't she showed that she didn't care back in the hotel? Whatever Lumiere was in the past didn't make her the person she was now.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you should know. I don't want to keep any secrets from you. I want to give you the option to leave—leave and save yourself the possible pain.”

She laughed. How could this not be funny? “Didn't we already prove that there is more pain when we're not together? Geeze, Lumiere, it's like I'm the only one who is aware of this connection that you keep telling me about.” When she finished there came an uncomfortable silence.

The truth was Eclair didn't want to think about that sort of thing. She still can't even fathom a world of vampires and werewolves, how could she fathom a soulless person, a demon who feels no remorse?

“Let's suppose what you say is the truth? Then how is it you love me now? How is it you feel now? Shouldn't you still be a demon, a soulless, remorseless being?”

She saw Lumiere frown. Her red eyes became sad again, like before when she talked about her past. Eclair's heart lurched in her chest. Stopping the car to hug the girl wouldn't be a good idea considering they were racing against time.

“I suppose. Oh, Eclair, I don't know. I know that I need you. When I'm with you I feel what I think is a happiness beyond any that I deserve.”

“What can you know what you deserve and don't deserve? Isn't regret a human feeling?”

“You're too kind.”

Sun be damned. Eclair pulled off to the side of the road and in spite of Lumiere's questioned glance got out of the car. She stood in the road and breathed the country air in deep. What did kindness have to do with anything? Her overwhelming feelings told her this vampire was her one and only and that if she didn't feel she was good enough for the teenager it was like a slap to the face.

“Eclair,” began the light blue haired woman. She quietly closed the car door and moved around the front of the vehicle. “Perhaps I've always had feelings and have shunned them this entire time. Demons do fall in love, the curse dictates it so. But I cannot deny the atrocities I have committed.”

“So you think you have the right to say I can't love you because of that?”

The vampire stopped in front of the hood and hugged herself. “No, I don't. But you should know.”

Eclair moved around to the front of the car and violently grasped Lumiere's head between her hands. She stared deep into those mournful red oceans which gazed right back unafraid of the wolf and her power. So many things came to her mind; so many words; so much to say. She pulled the vampire forward and pressed their foreheads together. She could feel the vampire's throat expand, inhaling the scent from her breath most likely. As Lumiere exhaled Eclair returned the favor. It made her light headed, but not enough to deviate from her purpose.

“You're mine as much as I'm yours. Whatever this is you won't insult me by saying you're giving me the option to leave. As far as I'm concerned there is no option.” If the smaller woman was surprised Eclair was even more surprised. She didn't know exactly where this came from but for some reason she knew it was exactly what she had been wanting to say all along.

They touched noses, gently at first, and then as if foreplay to something more, pressed into a harsh kiss. The redhead kept hold of her partner's hair and even felt her nails scratch the girl as they partook in this devil-like pleasure. Lumiere's hands slipped up between them and touched the teenager's cheeks, tentatively at first, and then held her tight. When they pulled away Eclair felt no shame. She felt something different.

An unconscious light shone upon a hidden power.

“I can think of thousands that we've killed. You're worried about a few?”

Lumiere's brow furrowed. “Eclair?”

She shook her head trying to clear the pointed fogginess which seeped into her brain. “Whoa, what was that?”

The vampire frowned and rubbed her thumbs over Eclair's cheeks. “What happened?”

“I'm not sure.” But she was sure that whatever it may be that it would help her delve further into their true selves. “Let's get back into the car and keep going. Okay?”

Lumiere attempted to respond but was cut off with another kiss.

“I do love you. If you want to tell me about your past I'll understand. But just so you know it won't change anything.” She loosened her grip on the smaller woman and finally let go to return to the car. A glance back at Lumiere told her the woman was trying to process her feelings with logic. Eclair smiled—analyzing the heart with the head would get a person no where.


Part 14


Un-ou's skin tingled at the memory of it. He hadn't felt that in thousands of years. Even with the current advances in technology it still couldn't replicate the actually sensation of being out there. And what made it even more sensational was that it could be permanent.

He had gone out in the sun. This demon delivered, surely. It was only for that moment, but it was enough to solidify what Un-ou and A-ou had to do.

“Tell me again, what was it like?”

The green haired man turned to his partner. He hadn't stopped smiling since it happened.

“Okay, but then we rest. We have to get going at nightfall. There are people to kill.”


Part 15


Eclair got the car to the camp site in four hours. She didn't know whether Lumiere got the estimate wrong or if she was speeding the entire way but she didn't way to find out. They woke Viola and began to search the area. Lumiere told her to use her abilities to pick up on Cesario's scent but she had no idea what to search for and so just tried to pick out anything that wasn't part of the rest of the forested mountain-side.

This lead them deep into the woods to a cabin. At first it looked abandoned but as they neared Lumiere said she sensed someone inside. She made sure to keep Viola to the rear and knocked on the cabin door.

“Coming,” came the voice from inside. In seconds the door flew open and they were face to face with a blue haired, green eyed, cheerful looking young woman. Her eyes wore a moment of surprise before she smiled and asked, “Can I help you?”

“Ah, well,” Eclair faltered slightly. This being a werewolf still took some getting used to. She knew this girl was a werewolf the moment she smelled her. “We're looking for someone. Perhaps you've seen him? He's a werewolf like you.”

The girl's jaw dropped but to her credit she picked it up quickly. “I don't know what you're talking about.” She almost closed the door except that Lumiere stepped forward.

“You know exactly who we're talking about. Invite us in, please, it is only considerate and I don't think you get many guests this far out in the woods.” By the way the vampire smiled Eclair wondered if she was influencing the girl with her powers.

“S-sure, c'mon in.”

Bingo.

The three entered the small one-room cabin with its sparse furnishings. Viola pushed past her protectors and ran to the bed where a stuffed rabbit sat. “It's cute! But not as cute as Dragon Papi.”

Eclair smirked and turned back to the strange girl. “My name is Eclair. This is Lumiere and that's Viola.”

With a hesitant smile the girl responded, “I'm Mercredi. I can't help but notice you're a werewolf, too. But those two...” Her smile faltered when she looked to the other two girls in the cabin.

“They're with me,” offered the redhead. She wondered where she got this bout of courage from.

“I see.”

Lumiere touched Eclair's arm and then moved towards the other werewolf who backed up. “When did you last see Cesario? It's important that you don't lie.”

This Mercredi stared wide-eyed and then ran a hand through her hair and sat down. “How do you know Cesario? Did you track him here to kill him? You should know he's not a bad person. Some vampires are after him and if you're one of them I swear I'd sooner die than tell you.”

With a nod Eclair's partner stepped forward and placed a hand on Mercredi's arm. In a moment the girl fell forward as though passed out or dead. The teenager raised an eyebrow.

“I put her to sleep. I read her mind. We have all the information we need.”

Viola ran forward and hugged Lumiere. “You know where Cessy is!”

The vampire smiled. “Yes. Let's go. The sun will be up soon and we need to find a place to sleep.”

As they made the walk back to the car Lumiere explained.

“It seems we're going to Europe after all. Cesario stopped here and told that Mercredi that he'd be going back to Italy. He did tell her to tell me because he figured I'd have Viola.” Her partner stopped short and frowned. “I wonder how he knew I would be near.” She shook her head. “Well, in any event, this works out well for us.”

Eclair helped Viola into the back seat and closed the door. “Seems rather convenient.”

Across from her Lumiere nodded, “Yes. And we're best to stay on our guard. But her memory didn't lie. It was Cesario. Still, something just felt off.”

“Lumiere,” Eclair began, “About earlier...”

The smaller woman lifted the wolf's hands to her lips. “I think it's good to know that you feel as strongly about me as I do about you.”

Eclair smiled. “Never leave my side.”

“Never.”

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