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“Well that did not go as expected. Carmilla is-” Laura's voice hitches, “Carmilla is gone.”
Not knowing what else to say, she heaves a sigh and backs away from her computer. She wasn't quite sure how it had escalated so quickly. One moment she was positive that she and Carmilla were on the same page (well maybe not the exact same page, she wasn't completely oblivious, but she at least thought they were reading the same book), and in the next she felt the rug being pulled out from under her. She just didn't understand.
They had argued. Loudly and intensely enough to send Danny, Laf, and JP scurrying to safety in the the upper levels of the house. Back and forth they had gone, until finally Carmilla threw her hands in the air and stormed out. After giving them both a few minutes to catch their breath Laura decided to follow, only to discover Carmilla sitting on edge of the bed with her head in her hands, next to a packed bag.
“Carm?” Laura questioned hesitantly, causing the vampire to look up. “What's going on?”
“I can't do this anymore, Laura.”
“Can't do... this?”
“I don't know how many times I have to tell you I'm not the hero of this piece. You are, you just can't see that.”
“Carmilla, I-” Laura tries, but is interrupted.
“So I'm going to go.”
“Go?” Laura questions weakly. At Carmilla's nod she asks, “But you're coming back, right? Just after you've had a bit of space?”
“No, I'm leaving the country. I- I love you, Laura, I just can't- I can't be what you need. And you deserve better. You deserve everything.”
Laura is openly crying now, and it takes everything in Carmilla to not break down as well. She quickly stands, grabs her bag, and takes a step toward the doorway. Before she leaves, though, she hesitates for a moment. She presses a soft, lingering kiss to Laura's cheek as Laura whimpers slightly and closes her eyes, then she is gone. It had only taken a second for Laura to regain her bearings and go chasing after the vampire.
“Carmilla, wait!” she shouted, but it was too late. “I love you, too,” she whispers as she collapses into her computer chair.
*******************
“Hey,” Danny says quietly, walking up behind her. “You okay?”
Laura just shrugs.
“Listen, Laura, you know that Fangface and I don't really see eye to eye, like ever... but I can see where she's coming from. She's stuck-”
“No!” Laura interrupted, feeling her anger rise. Given the choice, she'd rather be angry than sad. It's easier that way. “She told me that she would do whatever I needed. Be whatever I need... those were her exact words. She told me that she-” Laura breaks off, her voice cracking. She shakes her head a bit, as though she's clearing the thought away before she continues, “Then the moment I asked her for something, she runs away. So much for that.” She finishes with a huff.
Danny looks at her with compassion in her eyes. “Look, I get all of that. I'm just saying that Mattie is her sister. Has been for hundreds of years. If anyone gets the bonds of sisterhood, I do. And you're being kind of intense right now. Like I understand you need to know the truth, we all want that. But forcing Carmilla to betray her sister isn't going to bring those newspaper kids back.”
Guilt is now creeping past Laura's anger. She knows that sometimes she can get a little too wrapped up in things, and that not everyone necessarily shares the same strength of feelings towards certain things. She knows that she can become pretty fervent about trying to do what she feels is right. She knows that maybe she's a little too used to getting her own way, and that because of that she might say things she later regrets if she doesn't. She absolutely knows that she was completely in the wrong to expect Carmilla to gladly stand against her sister, especially without proof.
Laura slumps. “What do I do now, Danny?”
“She'll be back. She fought too hard for you to just stay away.”
“That's just it, though,” Laura explains. “She said she's leaving because she thinks that's what's best for me. That I deserve better than her.”
Before Danny can even begin to formulate a response to that, they are interrupted.
“Fraulein Hollis, are you in?” Baron Vordenberg asks as he hobbles through the door. “I hear that Fraulein Karnstein shall be joining the Board as the Student Representative.”
Danny, rather than Laura answers, “Yeah, I don't think that's going to be happening after all. Carmilla's not here.”
“The Countess has vacated the premises? When will she be returning?”
“She won't be,” Laura responds. “She has decided to leave Austria.”
“Oh no, no, no... this will not do,” The Baron says, suddenly straightening and raising to his full height. “I have waited many, many years for the opportunity to exact my revenge on the Countess, and I will not lose it.”
Horrified, Danny and Laura jump to their feet. Suddenly, the Baron tosses his cane up catching the bottom, and swings it around striking Danny hard in the the side of her head with the heavy handle. Laura is in shock as she watches the taller girl crumple to the floor. She barely had the time to let out a short shriek of surprise before the Baron had advanced on her as well.
Having heard Laura's yell, Laf and JP cautiously descend the stairs. They don't know what they're going to be facing, and they don't want to just barge in. Peeking through the doorway, they see a most surprising sight. Baron Vordenberg... sweet, old, feeble Baron Vordenberg... has both Danny and Laura tied up on the chaise. Danny is completely knocked out, and Laura is awake, but groggy.
Laf turns to JP, “Quick,” they say. “Go find Carmilla. I think we're going to need her.”
“I'm not quite sure-” JP starts.
“You can do it, Jeep, just try and tap into your vamp senses,” Laf encourages.
“Very well, I'll give it a shot,” he responds, and is off.
*******************
Carmilla is sitting in the windowsill staring broodily at the stars, until Mattie disturbs the silence and her introspection. “Not that I'm not enjoying the mere presence of my favorite sibling, but is there any chance that I might get some semblance of conversation out of you tonight?”
“What is there to say? You were right,” Carmilla replies sullenly.
“Of course I was, ma chérie, I generally am. What about this time, might I ask?”
“Me. And Laura. And how I'm not good enough for her.”
“Now wait just a second there, sis. I did not say that. In fact, I specifically remember saying that it is she who is not good enough for you.”
“I'm a monster,” Carmilla continues, as though Mattie never spoke up, “and she is everything good, and light, and pure in the world. She is just... everything.”
Mattie is studying her closely. “You really are in love with her, aren't you?”
“Words don't exist to describe the extent of my love for her,” Carmilla answers in a desolate tone.
“Carmilla,” Mattie reaches out and grasps her hand. “You're the only one of my siblings who I love. And I know I was giving you a hard time earlier, but I just want so much for you. I want you to have everything, and to be happy... and if the cub reporter is that for you, then you must know there are ways-”
“Miss Carmilla!” The door bursts open and JP comes flying in. “Apologies for the intrusion, Miss Belmonde, but Miss Carmilla you must come at once! Laura is in trouble.”
Carmilla jumps to her feet. “What? I literally just left her!”
“I know, but the Baron. He's got her, and Miss Danny as well, tightly bound.”
“The Baron?” Carmilla questions. “He's a harmless old man, what could he possibly want with Laura and Xena.”
Mattie pipes up, “It looks like the Baron still hasn't let go of your little thing. Men have such a hard time moving on,” she drawls.
“Our thing? You can't possibly mean-?”
“Indeed. Mother discovered many years ago that the Baron had found the answer to his quest for immortality. Of course, it had taken him so long that he was already an old man before he could benefit from it. Still, there was the possibility that some day he could pose a threat, so Mother put him on the Board in order to keep an eye on him. She wanted to be the first to know if he ever got it into his head to come after her glittering girl. With Mother gone, and an obvious vulnerability presenting itself, clearly he's decided to make a move.”
“We need to go. Now!” Carmilla shouts as she's out the door in the blink of an eye.
*******************
Laura is slowly gathering her wits about her, and realizing just how much trouble she's likely in. Danny is still knocked out, and the Baron is sitting stiffly at her desk. He's holding a dagger, tip down and digging into the wood, just pivoting it back and forth. Back and forth, like he's waiting for something. The curiosity is killing Laura, so of course she asks, “What's really going on here?”
Vordenberg chuckled, “In a word, fraulein: vengeance.”
“Vengeance?” Laura asked, scrunching her face up. “Not to be all insensitive or anything because I know that was your family, but that happened over 300 years ago. Don't you think that's a little long to be holding onto a family grudge. I'm sure Carmilla's sorry for what she did to your ancestors.”
Again he chuckles, “Such innocence. I'm sorry you became caught up in this, truly I am. This is deeper than what the Countess may have 'done to my ancestors' though.” He pauses before continuing, “The Countess Karnstein was my betrothed.”
Laura was confused. “Your betrothed? But that would mean-”
“Long time no see, Vordie,” Carmilla interrupted as she strolled into the room. “Sorry I didn't recognize you, you've put on a few years since we last met. Now why don't you let the children go? This is between you and me.”
The Baron quickly positioned himself next to Laura, the dagger at her throat. “Ah, Mircalla. I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence. Since we had yet to be happened upon, I assumed one of the other members of the household discovered the plot and alerted you to my presence. No doubt the science one sent their baby vamp to retrieve you.”
“Very good, I'll give you your prize once you've let them go,” she snarks.
The Baron presses the tip of the dagger into Laura's throat. “You know, I've envisioned this moment many times over the years. Now that we're here, I'm not sure that I wish to follow through with my original course of action. Clearly you care much more for this girl than I ever dreamed possible. Perhaps I should just dispose of her, and let you live eternally, once again knowing that the price of your love is death.”
“I won't let you hurt her,” Carmilla snarls, crouching. She's sure that she can shift and close the distance fast enough to get him off of Laura. The dagger doesn't worry her. She's been stabbed before, and aside from having to take it easy for a bit she knows she'll be just fine. Her only concern right now is getting to Laura, because it will take much more than a few days rest for her to be able to walk away from this unscathed.
“Neither will I.” Mattie appears, seemingly from nowhere and lunges towards Vordenberg. Caught completely off guard, he instinctively releases Laura and thrusts the dagger into Mattie's stomach. Carmilla quickly grabs both Laura, and Danny, and pulls them to where Laf and JP are hovering in the doorway.
“Untie them, I need to go deal with Vordie.”
They nod, and as Carmilla turns back towards her sister, Laura speaks up, “Carm, please be careful.”
Carmilla stops for a second before rubbing her cheek on Laura. “Of course, Cupcake,” she says before dashing off towards Mattie.
She's surprised by what she sees when she crosses the room. The Baron is slightly out of breath, but standing victoriously over a sputtering Mattie.
“Oh Matska, how little you understand. Do you think I would've spent all these years plotting against Mircalla without having devised the perfect way of killing her? What you thought was a simple dagger, is in fact the Zuiveraar. What you're feeling in this moment is your vampirism slowly being leeched out of your system. You'll make a brief stop at human before you succumb to your injuries.”
Anger washes over Carmilla. Her sister is dying. The only person in this world that she loves other than Laura. The only person in this world who loves her. In her rage, she shifts and has the Baron ripped apart before she even realizes she's doing it. She continues tearing him apart, until she feels a hand on her shoulder. Snarling she turns her head. She sees Laura holding her hands out in front of her hesitantly.
“Carm...” Laura says quietly, “He's dead. But Mattie's not,” she doesn't add the yet, “can you please shift back so we can see what can be done for her.”
The haze clears, and she shifts back. “Oh my god, Mattie.”
She rushes to her side. Laf and JP are already there, having a rapid conversation in whispered tones. Mattie is lying with her eyes closed, and Carmilla fears the worst. She reaches out and strokes her cheek.
“I am so, so sorry Mattie. Please don't leave me, I-”
“Oh hush. I'm not gone yet. Just trying to block out the annoying drivel the infants are spouting. Apparently Dr. Frankenstein and their monster here have a plan.”
“A plan?” Carmilla really shouldn't be surprised. They always have some sort of plan.
“Umm... yeah sort of,” Laura answers. “The Baron mentioned the Golden Apples of Hesperides once in passing, and we think that he actually did find them, and that's how he was still here 300 years later. JP thinks he might know where to get them.”
Now JP chimes in, “Yes, I came across some information regarding the Golden Apples once in my research. It seems as though they may be located in the Atlas Mountains in present day Morocco. In fact, I am quite certain that is indeed where they are. It's only about 3200 kilometers from here, and it'd be quite simple to be there and back in less than a day. I'm sure Miss Belmonde will be able to hang on until then. Laf has given her a serum they developed while they were figuring out how to reanimate me. It slows-”
Carmilla waves off his explanation, uninterested at the current moment. “You're sure of the location?” she questions.
“Definitely,” Laf answers. “Mattie will be fine until you and Jeep can get back with some apples. Although, depending on how quickly we can get the cure, she may end up not being a vampire anymore, just an immortal human...”
“Well then, let's go Tadpole. We'll be back Matts, just try and relax.”
Mattie tolls her eyes, and JP looks at Carmilla in confusion, “Tadpole?”
She shrugs, “I don't know what a baby leech is called...”
They laugh as they start to head out.
“Carm wait,” Laura calls out. “Before you go... I just don't want you to leave without knowing that I love you. And I know we have a lot to talk about when you get back, I just-”
Carmilla kisses her, cutting her off mid sentence. “You know, you do that a lot,” Laura says, and Carmilla just laughs and kisses her again.
There's a groan as Danny comes to. “Ugh... that is so not the first thing I want to see when I wake up,” she says, though it's obviously playful.
“I'd be happy to knock you back out, Clifford,” Carmilla responds.
“Whatever. I told you she'd be back, Laur. She's like a weed... you can never get rid of them.”
Before either girl can generate a response, there is a shriek from the doorway. “What in the name of Mother Hubbard happened in here! Look at this mess!” Perry screeches.
“Would you look at that, we need to be getting a move on,” Carmilla says. She pecks Laura on the cheek one last time, grabs JP's hand, and rushes out the door.
Perry looks at each of the remaining occupants of the room in turn. Mattie just sighs and closes her eyes. Danny says “Don't look at me, I was knocked out.” Laura looks wide-eyed to Lafontaine, who shrugs and starts, “Well... you see what happened was...”