Chapter Text
Elle was, understandably, a little wary when she stepped into the cabin and saw three more vampires. She kept a hand on the stake in her belt.
Legs grunted a hello at Scott, and Scott nodded back in kind.
Drift silently came forwards and wrapped her arms around the doctor’s middle. Legs gave her an appreciative pat on the head.
“Still keeping up your promise?” The doctor asked Scott.
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t,” Scott replied, winking at him, “Don’t worry, Doc. Sacrifice or no, I still owe it to you. And besides, I don’t want to end up like Owen.”
Legs winced at the mention of his sire’s name.
Drift withdrew from the doctor.
“You must be Elle!” Shelby turned to the half-demon, “Avid told me a lot about you. I’m Shelby.”
Elle seemed apprehensive at first, but accepted Shelby’s outstretched hand, and Abolish saw that she couldn’t help but crack a small smile.
“It’s great to meet you,” She said, blushing a little under Shelby’s bright eyes, “As tough as this situation is, it’s good to know that Avid wasn’t completely lost and alone without me. Thank you for being there for him, Shelby.”
Abolish was surprised to hear how genuine she sounded.
“So the thing that bit you,” Shelby asked, “The thing Avid might be turning into. It wasn’t… Bigfoot, was it?”
“Umm…” Elle’s eyes widened, taking back her hand slightly, her brief earnestness now replaced with a concerned look, “I don’t know… Maybe it’s been mistaken for Bigfoot in the past.”
“He’s definitely real. Did you encounter anything to do with him when you were hunting?”
“N… no…” Elle said, “Sorry.”
“Your horn is so pretty,” Drift whispered, wide-eyed, coming up to her.
“Oh, umm… thanks?
Abolish’s muscles tensed. He didn’t want Elle to bolt, and she was really looking like she was regretting this.
“Avid was your… partner, right?” Scott asked, tentatively.
“Yeah.”
“In what sense? Were you ever-“
“Romantic? God, no. No. I think Avid might’ve felt that way at some point, but I never- I’m not really… of that persuasion.”
Scott nodded, “Me neither. Not with girls, I mean.”
“Wait- did you and Avid-“
“I don’t know.”
“Yes they did!” Shelby interrupted, “Avid kissed him.”
“Briefly! And I never got a chance to figure out how I felt about it before…”
“Oof. That’s rough,” Elle sympathised.
“So I don’t know.”
“Well, Avid was like a brother to me. If we get him back-“
“I know. I know. You’re very hopeful. And that’s brave. More power to you.”
“No, I mean, if you manage to figure it out.”
“What?”
“Your feelings for Avid.”
“I don’t-“
“I’m a vampire hunter, you know. And I know you fancy yourself as this big almighty nobleman, but nothing gets to hurt Avid while I’m around, you hear? If you hurt him in any way- and I’m not one to make idle threats- I will be wearing your intestines as a scarf in the winter, do you understand, Goldsmith?”
“I’m 1400 years old, sweetheart, my body will turn to dust when I die. A good vampire hunter knows that. It won’t be a very fashionable accessory.”
“I never said you won’t still be alive when I take you apart.”
Scott smiled, “I like you. You’d fit in well in my brood.”
Abolish gently put a hand to his holster, “You choose your next words wisely, Scott.”
Scott rolled his eyes, “Relax, Agent Veylocke. I’m not doing the coven thing anymore,” he turned back to Elle, “Shame, though. You would’ve been a fine addition to the flock. Avid certainly would’ve been easier to control if I’d had you.”
Elle narrowed her eyes, “I second Abolish’s “choosing your words wisely” thing, Goldsmith,” She said, slowly, threateningly.
Scott laughed, “I’m teasing. Avid was a loose canon, and that’s what I liked about him. He wasn’t loyal to me out of fear like some of the others. I would’ve thought I’d hate his uncontrollability, but it was actually kind of a blessing. Really put things in perspective, y’know? You’ve raised a wild boy.”
“Thank you,” Elle said, with no actual gratitude in her voice.
A tense silence fell about the dilapidated cabin, and Abolish was suddenly very aware of how explosive things could get if he wasn’t careful. His eyes scanned the room.
A scared and desperate vampire-hunter half-demon, a millennia-old vampire with an ego the size of Abolish’s largest rifle, two powerful fledgelings who were still reeling at the news of their friend’s potential resurrection, and who were also blushing profusely at the pretty girl that was still scowling at the doctor, who was standing with a level of tenseness that Abolish didn’t like.
Abolish himself was more agitated than would be ideal. He needed to keep a calm, cool head.
“So, just to reiterate, nobody knows anything that could help us find Avid?”
Everybody shook their heads.
“But I take it you’ll all want to help find him?”
Shelby and Drift nodded, and Scott made a noise that could’ve been a yes.
Great. That added “keeping an eye on Goldsmith” onto his list of things to worry about on this mission, like his argument with Elle in the carriage wasn’t problems enough.
But Abolish understood, Shelby and Drift (and he assumed Scott as well) needed to know that Avid was okay.
“So, where next?” Drift asked.
Abolish sighed, “I guess we’re paying a visit to our old town.”
As they trekked back through the forest towards the carriage, Abolish fell in step with Elle.
“These vampires come along, and they think they know my Avid,” she muttered, bitterly.
“Avid trusted them,” Abolish said, “Genuinely,” he added.
Elle met his eyes, and he could tell that she could see he was right. Or at least, that he believed what he was saying. She kept her gaze locked on where she was putting her feet.
“I don’t think you… hmm-“ Abolish paused, thinking about how to phrase this, “What… what are you going to do if you find him and realise that he’s not the same person he was when he left you?”
Elle seemed to think for a moment, then scowled, and scoffed, and quickened her pace so that she was walking ahead.
“Well, that’s the end of that conversation,” Abolish remarked to himself.
He turned and glanced at Legundo, who was bringing up the rear of their little party, keeping a careful eye on Scott.
“How you doing, Doc?”
“I’m fine,” Legs said, his words clipped.
“Things got a bit heated in the carriage ride. Are you sure you-“
”She’s reckless. Inexperienced. It must bother you- you’re a hunter, too. I imagine you feel the same about her as I felt about Avid when I first met him. A mockery of the scientific method.”
“I…” Abolish pondered this, “I guess I just trust myself to do a good enough job that it shouldn’t matter what skills she has. I can keep a handle on everything.”
“A handle,” Legs said, “Because Avid wasn’t definitely flying off of that thing back in Oakhurst.”
Abolish shrugged, “Six people is easier than fourteen.”
“Six…?”
“Gotta keep watch on you and me, Doc,” Abolish said, with a smile, “And she’s not Avid.”
“She’s was raised similarly enough.”
“But you can see it in her eyes, Doc, she’s a protector. She’s like you.”
“I…” Legs’s voice trailed off. He huffed, and walked on ahead, leaving Abolish to bring up the rear.
So that’s how people were ending conversations now, apparently.
Abolish tapped his holster to check that his gun was still there.
The carriage ride to Oakhurst was going to be interesting.