Moonlight Nocturne

Elena has clearly not thought about that. Nick is the one she's met, who's been acting like an authority figure. So clearly he's in charge, right?

She mumbles softly in her sleep, burying her face in Nick's shoulder. She's exhausted, all the stress and sleep deprivation catching up with her, now that she feels safe. She'll sleep for a long time, tonight, cuddling Miri like a teddy bear, with her knife clutched in her hand like a talisman.

 

Nick grins, watching from the doorway for a minute before turning and smiling weakly down the hall. "...hey Nattie."

 

"Hey." Natasha Wilkins sighs, heading over to look past Nick into the room for a moment, smiling softly at the sight of the two girls - one still distinctly fluffy and canid - curled up and sleeping. "...she's asleep? Okay. Good. Did you let Gabriel know?"

 

"...yeah, I just texted him when you got in the door. Uhm. Is he... going to call her mom?" He nibbles his lower lip. "...she doesn't... really deserve to get in trouble. I mean..."

 

"Nick. This is my specialty." Natasha leans forwards to quietly pull the door shut, then leads her brother back down the hallway. "Just because I don't work with people and their parents for a living doesn't mean Gabriel and I don't know what we're doing. Don't worry. We've got it under control, and Gabriel will handle her mother. I'll take both of you over in the morning to talk to her myself, too."

She stretches, settling down at the kitchen table and quietly pulls off her nylons, stretching her body out - and out, blue eyes going gold and ears slightly pointed as she goes just a little wolf, enough to feel like a nice, comfortable stretch... but not to damage her nice clothes. "...got some bad news about that body, by the way."

 

"...bad news?" Nick stiffens. "What do you mean?"

 

"...I mean, someone either found it and got it picked up, took it home themselves... or it managed to get up and walk off on its' own." Her expression is serious and critical. "...take the time to rip it to pieces, next time, and grab a bottle of booze, throw everything in that dumpster you were right next to and torch the fucker to make sure he can't go after any more kids."

She groans. "...I lost the trail after about an hour. So. Watch your back."

She cuts off his attempt to reply, wiggling her fingers. "....now you, buster, had better get your tail into bed, just in case that little girl gets up bright and early. Got it?"

 

Nick lets out a plantive little whine, then sticks out his tongue. "Uuuugh, yeah, okay. Uhm."

He thinks better of the next question. It should... probably be fine to put shoes in the washer, right? Right!

He slinks off to grab Elena's dirty clothes, yawning wide as he gets everything in the wash, then heads to bed...

 

It's early afternoon when Elena is awoken by Miri letting out a low, hungry whine, ears perked up and attention focused on the bedroom door, tail wagging, as the scent of sausages, bacon, eggs, pancakes, and hashbrowns has more than saturated the room from the kitchen one floor down...

 

Elena startles awake with a sharp intake of breath, looking around wildly before she remembers where she is, what she's doing. Why she doesn't have her cleaver, and instead has her face buried in a dog's soft fur. Her fingers are white-knuckled on her knife as she rises, petting Miri's head carefully, with the awkward fingers of a girl who's never learned the proper way to scritch a dog.

She sniffs curiously, picking up the smell of breakfast. "... sorry. You got stuck in here?"

Nick could've let her out if she was too hungry, Elena guesses. But... she feels bad now, and she goes to the door quickly to let Miri out, before yawning and stretching, checking for new cuts and bruises that she'll have to hide.

(One bruised elbow and a goose-egg on the back of her head. Not too bad. Better than that time she fell off the roof and she had to try not to limp for a week.)

She doesn't remember going to bed, but... she was tired, she guesses. She must have stumbled in. Or something. She rubs her eyes, wandering sleepily until she finds the way to the kitchen, and breakfast. Her stomach is rumbling already.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

She bursts into the kitchen, eyes wide with panic. It's light out, Mom's up, she must be freaking out--

 

Miri yawns lazily and casually bumps her head against Elena's hands in answer, wagging her tail as she opens the door, and has vanished around the corner by the time she gets out of the room.

Natasha Wilkins has already set two fresh plates of food on the table as Elena walks in. "Good morning. Your mother knows you're safe. Have some breakfast. I'm Nick's sister, Natasha."

 

Nick gives Elena a guilty little look, hiding behind a massive stack of pancakes. "...Gabriel called last night, so she wouldn't worry... sorry..."

 

Elena freezes, looking down at her feet, still standing in the doorway. "... Is she really mad?"

Oh, no. She's going to be in so much trouble. She fusses with the knife in her pocket nervously, turning it over and over in her hand.

She's never going to be able to sneak out again. And now she'll never find Peter. She's working her way into a good panic, standing there in the doorway with the whites of her eyes showing.

"... I had a good reason," she says quietly, defensively.

She's in so much trouble. Suddenly, she's not hungry at all.

 

"She's upset, but we're going to talk to her again this morning. She was very tired last night - just like Nick says you were, too. It sounds like you two had quite the evening." She motions towards the table. "But that's no reason not to have breakfast."

 

"...they're going to talk to your mom about setting up the same thing they had me do when I was fifteen," Nick says quietly, going pink. "Uhm. Basically..."

 

"If you go out, it's with a responsible adult, your homework is done, and if you have school in the morning you're still in bed by ten." Natasha finishes, turning to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Nice to see you're awake, Miriam. Sleep well?"

 

"Mngh." There's a yawn from behind Elena. "Yeah. Slept just fine. Thanks for breakfast, Auntie."

 

Elena startles at the voice behind her, wide-eyed. She's usually jumpy, but it's even more pronounced today.

Miriam is pretty. Really pretty. She looks like the kind of girl who could beat you up, and who doesn't care what anyone thinks. Elena looks back down at the floor, cheeks turning pink. It hadn't quite registered that Miriam was her age, last night.

And she's really pretty.

Elena swallows, coming to the table obediently, and sits down with her back against the wall, hovering close to Nick. She likes Nick. He believes in her, and even though he's promised his family will help... Natasha is intimidating. Elena doesn't think she approves of her.

"... Okay. Is Nick a responsible adult?"

She's not sure whether Mom will really agree to this plan. But maybe, if they say it right...

 

Miriam gives Elena a thoughtful tilt of the head, watching as she scoots closer to Nick, then comes to a decision, flipping her ponytail over one shoulder. She hooks her chair with one foot, pushing it next to Elena's, and moves her own plate over, settling in elbow to elbow with the other girl before she digs into her breakfast like she's been starved.

"Yes," Nick replies earnestly, reaching forward and pouring Elena and Miri both a tall glass of orange juice.

"Arguably," Natasha says at the same time.

Nick gives her a wounded look.

"But he'll do," Natasha's lips curl into a slight smile, tone teasing.

 

Elena blushes harder, looking up at Nick with a panicked expression. Help, there's a cute girl on my shoulder. Help.

She tentatively scoots in, so that her shoulder brushes against Miriam's, before starting to pick at her own food. It means she has to eat wrong-handed, which is a little clumsy, but she really doesn't mind. At all.

She's going to be in so much trouble, but right now she's sandwiched between the coolest adult she knows, and a really cute girl. So ... so far it's a good day!

She swallows, looking up at Natasha. "... are you really going to help?"