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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.
older_and_wiser
older_and_wiser
Tamara has a number of pictures; she keeps them around the house for Kevin's sake. She retrieves one and offers it to Bella. "That's one of my newer ones," she says. "He shouldn't have changed much, except for... the obvious."
cross_and_bow
"Yeah." Bella studies it; she shows it to Minnie. Minnie nods and turns invisible again.
"You have crosses? For you, for Kevin? For the outside of the house, maybe. I could draw some on, doesn't have to be permanent if it'll annoy your landlord - pencil, maybe, I don't think a vampire could get close enough to erase a whole bunch of them."
"You have crosses? For you, for Kevin? For the outside of the house, maybe. I could draw some on, doesn't have to be permanent if it'll annoy your landlord - pencil, maybe, I don't think a vampire could get close enough to erase a whole bunch of them."
older_and_wiser
"Kevin objects to jewelry as a matter of several principles, but I put one on his belt. Mine's on my watch." Tamara displays it. "I'll be digging out my necklace as well. Just in case."
"And yes, the fire system's up to date. We checked it when we moved in. Unsettling thought, but a good point."
"And yes, the fire system's up to date. We checked it when we moved in. Unsettling thought, but a good point."
cross_and_bow
"Keep the windows closed, too, there's things that are not actively on fire which could be thrown in through an open one. Penciling crosses yes or no?"
older_and_wiser
"Yes. Yes to... most things. If you need to make decisions and I'm not here, assume permission. It's not just me here, I have Kevin."
cross_and_bow
"Right. I'd suggest you and Kevin haring off somewhere else while I try to track the guy down, but perhaps he's a great detective, and here you're within shouting distance of the Slayer, so. Is there any risk that Kevin will recognize him and be talked into inviting him into the house?"
older_and_wiser
"He's been told his father is dead. Which, as far as I'm concerned, he still is. I warned him about a 'bad man who looks like his father', but the risk exists, if Charli- Charles is persuasive enough."
cross_and_bow
"That's my dad's name, slightly awkward... anyway. I'll get you a holy water gun. If something happens to you but Kevin's okay where does he go?"
older_and_wiser
"Talk to the Council, I suppose. My sister might be able to take him, or maybe Charles' parents. Ideally he'd stay near you or the Council until someone tracks down that... thing. Moving halfway across the world didn't help the first time."
cross_and_bow
"I might be able to get Charlie - my dad Charlie - to finagle keeping him in my house as protective custody... I'll look out for him, anyway. Any idea why you're being stalked now, why it's becoming obvious now instead of a while ago?"
older_and_wiser
"Charlie is dead. I will call this thing Charles if I must, but not Charlie." She shakes her head. "Only theories. None of them particularly plausible. Perhaps he's upset we moved?"
She thinks for a moment. "I'll... look into naming the Andersons as his godparents. It gives you a better shot keeping him around if it... becomes necessary."
She thinks for a moment. "I'll... look into naming the Andersons as his godparents. It gives you a better shot keeping him around if it... becomes necessary."
cross_and_bow
"My dad's name is Charlie and I call him that and it's going to be hard for me to remind myself to call him Dad when he's not around being disgruntled about the use of his first name," Bella reminds her. "Okay, that works. I will try very hard to prevent it from coming to that but I had to ask. Okay... when and why do you leave the house during the day?"
older_and_wiser
"I have work, Kevin has school. We need to shop sometimes, or get deliveries if we can arrange it safely. That's all I can think of. I can tell the school Kevin has chicken pox, but work is less tolerant, and then I'd need someone to watch him." She doesn't know where to look, so she gestures vaguely. "Someone substantial, unfortunately."
cross_and_bow
"Once school's out for the year - and you could probably coast that far on chicken pox - I can bring you stuff, but I don't have a good way around your work requirements. Soph will babysit if you pay her, I'm probably better poised to be out looking for your ex. I'll have Soph look into spells for finding people, because I'm not exactly Batman here and I'm getting the impression that he's not going to make stupid mistakes."
older_and_wiser
"He was never stupid in life," Tamara agrees, rather glumly. Stupid would be easier. "Could you have Soph call me? We can discuss minutiae like times and rates."
cross_and_bow
"Yeah, will do. Pencil crosses, home to get water gun and tell Soph to call, then out looking for likely hidey-holes - if you do wind up sending Kevin to any more school maybe warn them that there could be attempts at unlawful custody seizure by a male relative, supply description. I can think of plenty of ways for a risk-tolerant vampire to get around during the day if they really wanted."
cross_and_bow
"You're welcome. Look after Minnie. Leave the TV on for her unless you need her on high alert."
Bella borrows a pencil, and goes out, and draws a long, long row of careful waist-high crosses all around the house. Then she goes home.
Bella borrows a pencil, and goes out, and draws a long, long row of careful waist-high crosses all around the house. Then she goes home.
older_and_wiser
"...in a week, then. There are other babysitters, I do not need to endanger your education. You must have exams, if nothing else."