Benson’s Cabin 11/1
Transcript below Cut:
KEAGAN
It was a brief drive from the station to the cabin... Or maybe she just floored it so her sister would stop asking her questions. Keagan was almost impressed she didn't run a light. She loved her sister but Lyra asked one too many question sometimes and their family was just a hub of gossip, Keagan wasn't going to fuel that.
When she pulled up on the street, she spotted a familiar car leaving the cabin. The deputy deduced that the Beta came over for Tomi but considering the pout the man was sporting, it clearly didn't went his way. "Behave Lyr." She muttered as she stepped out of the car when they got there. If her daughter said the word, Keagan would kick out her own sister.
"Hey girls, I'm home." She called out without announcing that she brought a guest."
LYRA
It wasn’t lost on Lyra that, regardless of whether she had meant the question rhetorically or not, Keagan had certainly opted to treat it that way and _not_ humor her with an answer. Granted, the younger Calvetti didn’t really get much opportunity to complain as her focus was drawn to the fact her sister was driving like they were after a perp, on ice and snow covered roads. To say she was clenching the whole way to the cabin would be an understatement.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she replied innocently as she followed her sister. “I am always the epitome of proper behavior.”
Almost as is to prover just _how_ sarcastic she had been, Lyra followed up her sister’s greeting to the household by waltzing further in and taking stock of the current inhabitants. “Oh, my favorite niece and her favorite ladies! I’m excited for my stay alrea- oh my…Why Ginger Snaps, I think your shifts at the gym are really _paying off_.” She walked over to the taller woman and poked her bicep, before turning back to the younger crew. “They’re real,” she stage-whispered. “Keep this up and I may take my dad’s advice and put a ring on it.”
SKYLAR
As much as she wanted to eavesdrop on Tomi, just to keep an eye out for her, Skylar decided not to.. and it wasn't only because Erin was very effective with her distractions. She was disappointed at their beta for making Tomi sad but there really wasn't anything she could do to help with this. This was all on him.
So instead, she happily let her girlfriend pulled her attention away. The girl was so infatuated with the other in so many ways that she didn't even register that her aunt and mother both came home until another redhead came into view.
"Aunt Lyra?" Sky would be lying if she wasn't nervous about her other aunt being here. She was a fun person for sure, but sometimes Lyra's actions were very questionable. And her girlfriend was here for this too. Her hold on Erin subconsciously tightened as she sported a small smile. "I.... Didnt know you were coming into town!"
LUKE
It had been an exhausting last 36 hours…or more…at this point she wasn’t really sure how long it had been since she last slept. Needless to say, having to act as a barrier of sorts between one of her best friends and the kid he’d raised, would’ve taken a toll regardless. But her priority in that setup was Tomi, and as hard as it was, she had to show Brax the door.
Luke didn’t really get a chance to relax though, as no sooner had she followed Tomi into the living room, than a familiar voice rang out from the door…followed an another familiar voice that had her instinctively go to stand where she could be between Skylar and her oldest friend.
“Thanks….I think,” she mumbles in response to Lyra’s comments before echoing Sky’s sentiments. “Yeah, we had _no idea_ you were going to grace us with your presence- I’m sorry did she say ‘stay’?”
KEAGAN
She dropped her keys into the little bowl by the entrance as she walked by, following Lyra albeit rather slowly into the living room where everyone else was. It was quite the sight to see dread creep up on *both* the redheads. "Lyra." She warned as she walked over to sit in one of the empty chairs. Maybe it was to save Luke, Keagan decided to divert her sister's attention even if it might only last a short while.
"You know Tomi." She nodded over at the kid before looking over at the girl who was sitting next to Skylar as expected. "That's Erin. Erin. This.. is my sister, Lyra."
She turned her attention back as she leaned against an elbow on the arm rest, "Yeah.. about that. My ever so curious parents want to know the latest gossip in town so badly that they decided to send their youngest daughter down, one who claimed to never really step foot in Fallcrest ever again, yet here we are. And I don't think you mentioned how long you're staying in town for."
LYRA
She turned her attention back to her sister at the sound of her name. Lyra couldn’t even say if it was conscious choice or just a reflex at this point to give Keagan her full attention when she used the ‘mama wolf’ tone. Either way, she made her way to stand by the older woman all the same.
“Of course I know Tomi! We had several months of solidarity in trying to figure out-“ she stopped short somehow managing to realize Seattle was probably not the best topic at the moment, “-a bunch of different stuff. Primarily how to work FaceTime from the best angles for me.” She gave the kid a wink and earned a small smile. Turning her attention to Erin, however, she just went ahead and bowed several times. “Tall Queen! I have to say, I am such a fan of your work. #TQTP all the way.”
She turned to Keagan with an exaggerated look of offense before turning the same look to face the others. “That is _so_ not the truth. Mom and dad were _concerned_ when they learned their eldest daughter -who has a high-risk job, mind you- was in the same town as their granddaughter and yet they had heard next to zero from _either_. …and they heard about last night, so they asked me to drop in.” At the question of how long she was staying for Lyra scrunched up her face and said, “I’m not entirely sure. Definitely less than two months though.”
SKYLAR
She was almost at ease when her mom managed to pull Lyra away but that relief didn't last long when her aunt opened her mouth. To be honest, when was she ever relaxed whenever Aunt Lyra had something to say? The woman was very unpredictable most of the time. "Why are you bo- oh my god." She groaned as she buried her face into her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her waist because of just how embarrassed she was with the younger Calvetti's antics.
"...They really got you to drop everything and come here the day after they heard about it?" Why was her family just so intense in so many different way? However, Skylar did feel bad for not reaching out ever since she got back into town. "... I'll facetime them later." She offered. Although she was probably going to be grilled by them later, Skylar was willing to tolerate it since she did unintentionally disappeared on them.
"Less than two months? Where... are you staying...?" Her eyes fleeted between all the adults in the room, gauging their different reactions to this.
LYRA
She did nothing to hide the satisfied grin at the kid's embarrassment, _especially_ when her instinct was to just hide her face using her new girlfriend which, of course, only confirmed that her OTP was _on_. "Well, between you and me...and everyone else here, there wasn't really all that much to drop, so... Honestly, they were just concerned about you and your mom...and Luke, since apparently both of you at one point looked like you were read to wring her neck....if you could reach it..."
At the question of where she would be staying, she wasted zero time in throwing Keagan under the bus. "Oh, I'll be staying here! Your mom was just _insistent_ that I do so, and honestly I think it's going to be the best way to spend some much needed quality time with you all and start working towards that engagement Pop-pop is *dying* to see come to fruition. What better way to test the waters than to cohabitate for bit no?"
SKYLAR
"Oh." That was fair. Although she shouldn't be surprised that they've already heard about what happened yesterday. Skylar learned at an early age to never question the Calvetti's way of knowing all that goes on in Fallcrest without physically being presence ever.
When she first heard it, Sky just thought it was a joke, but then her aunt said it *again* which got her very confused. Her brow furrowed when she peeked out. "...What is this engagement you keep talking about?" She switched between both her aunts before solely focusing on the shorter of the two, "Is granddad trying to set you two up...?"
LYRA
"You know, I totally just had this exact same conversation with your mom, shrimp. This is what happens when you get too busy to chat with our extended family kid! You wind up with little surprises popping up here and there," Lyra said with a grin. One glance at the ginger giant though had her reeling in her mischievous streaking just a tad as she continued to speak with the ginger mini.
She let out a small laugh and said, "It's just a running joke, Tiny. Your pop-pop seems to think that if Luke can be a good influence on your uncle JJ and your mom, then she'd be perfect to help simmer me down or whatever. Don't worry, of all the awkward things I'm likely still bound to put you through, having me marry your _favorite_ aunt, isn't one of them."
SKYLAR
"I don't ..think that's how it works.." The plan of just putting the two of them together through marriage just to have Aunt Lyra chill out a little just didn't make much sense to Skylar. Although, she may be a little sensitive considering the conversation she just had yesterday with her other aunt.
"I love you too, you know, Aunt Lyra." She will not deny that Luke was her favourite aunt. "This cabin really is becoming a fullhouse.. and the basement's not even done yet." She chuckled softly. "
LUKE
Luke shot Keagan a pointed look that was brief but, between the two of them, enough to get her point across: Your sister just barely managed to avoid being murdered. It had taken Luke quite some effort to get her niece to calm down and feel somewhat back at ease again after everything that happened the night before, the last thing she wanted was for Lyra's mouth to cause the girl more grief. "It's not, Jr." she agreed with the teenager. "There's nothing that crumbles faster when it's forced than relationships between people. I think everyone in this room can think of at least one personal example of that right about now so..."
As it became obvious Sky was at least up for some minor joking, Luke relaxed a bit and even reached out to bring Tomi in so she could wrap her arms around the kid's shoulders, knowing if anyone could use a little human contact, it was probably her. "Alright, well sounds like the second guest room will now be occupied so I would advise whoever is staying in the first one to be mindful. The walls aren't _that_ thick..."
KEAGAN
She watched her daughter glance between her aunts, and said nothing since it seemed to have resolved itself - and her kid wasn't actually upset by the end of it. Luke's look wasn't missed but the deputy could only look over at her younger sister and give *her* a look. Keagan did warn her beforehand so she was really digging her own grave if she provoked Sky any further about it.
Clearing her throat, Keagan got up from her spot, "Why don't I show Lyr where the guest room is?" Honestly, just to remove her from the room before she said anything else to anyone. "We'll have to go shopping later because she didn't bring anything either." While they were probably good with the necessities, they probably needed to pick up a few other things from the looks of it."
LUKE
Luke nodded as Keagan managed to guide Lyra up the stairs, only then realizing what was on the screen. "Aw, you guys started The Longest Halloween without me?" she whined, the only thing keeping her from possible actual tears was Tomi pointing out they were only four minutes in and 'Cackles' was playing Batman. She opened her mouth to protest, but was stopped short as the doorbell rang out, and everyone -MJ included- raised their head to look in the direction of the door.
Not wanting to add any more unease to the situation, she opted to keep things going as she said, "Fair, I guess," in a faux grumble, before dropping a kiss to the kid's head and letting her go rejoin the others on the couch as she herself made her way to the door. Once she heard the sounds of the movie being played again, she quickened her pace to the front door. Taking a look at the security pad, it was clear it wasn't any of the people they were trying to avoid, but her unease didn't let up as she didn't recognize the face either.
Opening the door slightly, she made quick work of asking who they were and what they wanted, then promptly held out a hand and told them to wait there as she closed the door again -all locks back in place, of course- and then made her way over to the stairs. Instead of taking the actual stairs, she jumped up and used her right leg to push off the railing so she could grab onto the second floor railing and just hoist herself up -habit more than anything- and called out down the hallway, "Cal! Door for you." She waited until Kegan was closer to add, "Someone from work -like the g-man level work- said it was urgent."
KEAGAN
No one would be surprised that Keagan had a few words to say to her sister when they were alone upstairs while trying to get her sorted out. Not anything Luke hadn't already mentioned earlier. The older sister had a habit of nagging when it came to her loved ones - especially one who ran a bit wild, meaning Lyra.
However, that conversation was cut short when she heard Luke's voice calling for her down the hallway. Confused to what that was all about, she left Lyra in the room as she made her way down the hall. She could only feel her confusion grow when she caught the short description from Luke as she made her way - normally - down the stairs.
She had not expected anyone to find her when she rolled into town. Everyone in her team knew better than to interrupt her down time with her family - in fact, she made it a point each time she had time off. Even if this time was different due to the job switch, Keagan still didn't think anyone would find her so soon after, so this 'urgency' better be an emergency.
Peeking through the peep hole, she frowned before opening the door so she could slip through and closed the door immediately after her.
"What are you doing here?"
HENDRIX
When he'd received word from their superiors that his partner had been reassigned, Hendrix had laughed in the Special Agent in Charge's face. It was just too unbelievable to be anything other than a joke....right?
Wrong.
Not only had he managed to make an ass of himself in front of the top agent, but had essentially guaranteed that he wasn't then given the now vacant Deputy Assistant Special Agent in Charge position that Kegan had left in their current assignment. None of that really mattered to him though...well, it _did_ and he would most certainly be vying for the position as soon as he could, _but_ he was also feeling a bit..._betrayed_.
After everything they'd been through, and Keagan had just up and gotten herself a new assignment -a **permanent** assignment, as he'd come to learn once at the Sheriff's department- and hadn't even bothered to loop him in? Luckily he was able to get an address by chatting with one of the deputies -which, honestly, the man seemed only all too pleased to provide it- but he'd be lying if he said it hadn't thrown him off to have the door to the cabin open and have to actually tilt his head back a bit so could look up to meet a very steely gaze.
To say he was nervous when he heard the door open again, would be an understatement, but it all washed away when he was able to look _down_ to meet the familiar gaze of annoyance only Keagan could make so appealing. "Hey! I'm so happy to see you too! It's been forever! You know, I uh, I thought this was supposed to be a vacation...not like, a _stay_cation..."
KEAGAN
To say that she was annoyed was an understatement. He was literally one of the last people she expected to show up in Fallcrest and even if he did, she did not want to be the reason for it. "What are you doing here?" She repeated. "Who gave you my address?" That alone was concerning and was something she was going to address first thing after she dealt with this because she did not appreciate having unexpected guests around her family.
"I'm sure the team had been informed by now that I've got reassigned, as abrupt as it was." Surely he had been notified so Keagan could not wrap her mind around *why* he was here. "If you had questions, you should have pointed them towards the higher ups, and not come here and somehow find my home address, Goodwin."
She wanted this conversation to be over with; she was sure Luke was most likely keeping an eye through the surveillance footage.
HENDRIX
Instinctively he took a step back, wanting to make sure that short legs couldn’t just easily kick out and bring him to his knees. Because of the look in Keagan’s eyes was anything to go by…”Foyer. Deputy Foyer. He uh, heard I was looking for you and when no one else seemed to want to help me out he said he could help.” He answered quickly, hoping it would be enough to simmer her anger down.
He nodded at each point she made, and then finally said, “Well, see, I didn’t really think that the questions I had would be ones that you would _want_ the higher ups being involved with…I mean, you definitely didn’t want them to know about what the questions pertain to,” he chuckled and grinned only to stop when he realized she wasn’t laughing along. “Come on, Keagey,” he almost whined. “You and I have been a team for years now! And in more than just the professional sense so…”
KEAGAN
Somehow it didn't surprise her that it'd be Foyer who disclosed her personal address at the drop of a hat just because someone *asked* for it. And from the looks of it, the others were around as well so did they not see this? So many questions were going to be asked tomorrow to *everyone* working under her.
The gall of this man to think she would be in a joking mood when she showed nothing to even hint towards it. Her eyes narrowed when he went ahead to imply something else aside from their professional partnership. Her hands went from her hips to being folded in front of her. Whether that was just to adjust their positioning or to keep herself from having her hands on him, she couldn't tell.
"You did *not* just come here for *that*." She growled as she took a step closer, causing her to look up at the man. The nickname alone was enough for her to want to kick him, "No. We are nothing more than two people who happened got assigned together. I made it clear then that it was *one* time, Goodwin. No attachments, no anything." What was with every men she encountered in her life*not* listening to anything she said?
+Cut just inside the cabin
LYRA
To say that Lyra’s curiosity had been piqued by the sudden visit, would be a massive understatement. Still, she did her best not to appear too over eager as it was already hard enough to get people to spill any good tea if they thought she was a spy for her parents. That being said, she managed to hold off a full three minutes before heading downstairs herself.
She spared the trio currently all cuddled up on the couch, with Sky in the middle and MJ laid out across their laps, but as their attention was on the TV, she just made a mental not to ask about _that_ sitch later. Continuing over towards the front door, she wasn’t surprised to find Luke standing off to the side of the door. As she got closer, she could see that the woman was keeping tabs on what was looking to be a rather intense conversation on her porch. “You know, Slenderlady, you can actually _listen_ to what they’re saying if you push this little button right-“ She stopped as her hand was clasped, firmly but not aggressively, effectively stopping her finger just centimeters from making contact with said button.
“I’m not looking to eavesdrop. Whatever’s being discussed is none of my business until I’m told otherwise. I just don’t like having people I don’t know milling around my house. It’s why I have a P.O. box and get packages delivered to the gym,” came the even response as Lyra felt her hand being let go off. Glancing up at the redhead she just said, “You are one scary motherfucker when you want to be…It’s kinda hot.”
“Lyra…”
“Sorry,” she said, before her attention too went to the screen. “…I am a rather good lip-reader though.”
+Cut just outside the cabin
HENDRIX
It was clear that this reunion wasn’t exactly hoping how he’d spent the drive imagining that it would. In his mind, he’d have at least been asked to come inside by now. “I mean, no. Not exactly. I mean not _just_ for _that_. My sister still lives here and I figured I’d drop by and see how she’s doing,’ he said, before caving and adding, “But it was _mostly_ for _that_.”
Sensing his physical being may be in impending danger, he held up his hands and took another step back. “Okay, you’re right. You did say all of those things. _But_ , since I had managed to convince you to make the ‘one time thing’ a ‘few times thing’ -though very far between, I know- I guess I just figured you were just saying that because we were still on assignment, and had to focus. I figured once we resolved the case and had some down time that we could, I don’t know, revisit things. You know, under different circumstances.”
He reached into his back pocket with one hand and pulled out a slightly crumpled t-shirt. Holding it out for Kegan to see he grinned and said, “See, I figured this might even be a funny way of introducing me to your kid.” The shirt read ‘World’s Most Passable Step-dad’. “Ha ha…”
KEAGAN
Keagan scoffed in his face when he tried to say that his *sister* was part of the reason why he's in town. There was a good reason why Blake was more of a family member than Hendrix was when it came to Hartley. Her eyes narrowed, "Don't bother Hart." Preferably, she wished that he didn't come bother anyone, including herself.
"No. There will be no revisiting things. Ever. What there *will* be is you leaving this place, and not ever coming back again. Goodwin. I do not like the fact that you came here, unannounced and uninvited. This is my home and that information was on a need-to-know basis, and you are not one who needed to know. What we were up to, is over. Has been over for quite a while now actually so I would *really* appreciate it if you stop thinking otherwise."
At the shirt, she lunged forward to grab the shirt out of his hands, "No." She growled as she scrunched it up and shoved it right back into him, pushing him back with force. It was only because she knew he was human that she held back her strength. "You will not meet my daughter." Even if it was a joke, Keagan clearly did not find this as amusing as he did. The audacity of him self proclaiming to be the new step-dad just fueled her blood. This day was getting way too long for this bullshit. "Get. Out." She enunciated each word with a shove. "Now." The final push had a bit more force behind it. Keagan was about to physically move him herself if he didn't walk out of here with his own two feet.
LUKE
Luke’s main focus was split three ways: keeping an eye on the situation outside, ignoring Lyra’s attempts to share the ‘tea’, and making sure the girls were still focused on their movie.
It was actually as she was looking back at the monitor from having glanced at the cuddling trio that Lyra reached out to grab her arm as they both caught sight of Keagan going into the man. “Fuck,” was all she managed to mumble out as she opened moved past Lyra and opened the door. It took less than five seconds to step outside, make her way between the two and look down at Keagan. “Hey, Cal, look at me,” said, not budging until she had the woman’s attention. “Sky’s inside. Whatever _this_ is,” she gestured vaguely behind her at the man, “It can’t possibly be worth it. Alright?”
Feeling satisfied that, if nothing else, she could physically keep Keagan at bay, Luke turned her attention to the man. “Look, my dude, I don’t _know_ you and I don’t _like_ you. Right now, regardless of your reason, you’re effectively trespassing on my property and I have every right to address my concern for my family’s safety as I very damn well see _fit_…ya dig? So, do all parties involved a favor and head back to the main road. This is a private drive.”
She didn’t move until the tinge of his break lights were gone. Only then did she realize the guy dropped something in his haste. Luke bent down to pick it up as she said, “Looks like he dropped his…shirt…”
LYRA
Lyra being lyra, she did not want to miss out on this and scrambled after Luke but damn her long legs, the youngest Calvetti took much longer and many mor steps to get out to where everyone was. Granted, she should have stayed back in case the kids came out but curiosity won - as always.
“Heyyyyy, exactly! Like, who is he even? Pft, not worth it.” she scoffed as if it was no big deal as she threw a glance at the man who seemed very thankful that someone had come inbetween her sister and him. Maybe because they prevented murder from the way it looked. Her latch on her sister was pretty loose because her intention was not to stop the fight. Besides, Keagan could handle herself and between Luke and her? Luke had a better chance at actually stopping her sister from wrecking the man. “I mean, I don’t know about you, sis but bloody man in the drive way is sooo not the aesthetic I think Slendywoman here is going for.”
The shorter of … well everyone here peeked out from behind her sister as she watched the man run off after the warning. Her eyes widened even further when she spotted what was written on the shirt. “Oh what?!. Was that your boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? Ex-fling? What *was* he? Wait, step-dad? Is he your fiance? You got engaged and you didn’t tell us? Mom and dad are going to lose their shit over this. However, I must say, I’m not sure if that’s a step up or step down from Richard.” She spoke the latter out to Luke from the side of her mouth with a hand barely covering to hide from Keagan.
LUKE
Luke was never more grateful for Lyra and her runaway mouth than she was at this very moment. Because even though she wasn’t entirely sure _how_ she felt about every different possibility that the younger Calvetti had just brought her attention to, the woman _did_ at least give her a tone to latch on to and mimic in her own response to all of this. “Honestly, I think a _opossum_ would be a step up from my brother at this point,” she said with a small laugh that held a mirth she wasn’t really feeling.
In a rare move, the universe decided to offer her a small kindness in the form of her watch going off with a text message. “Oh, shit. I forgot it was Monday. I have to go finish up some podcast stuff,” she said as she made her way back up the cabin steps. “Ladies, don’t forget to engage the alarm on your way in.” Luke stopped as she reached Keagan’s side and simply placed the shirt over the smaller woman’s shoulder as she said, “Might want to do something with that before Skylar sees it.”
Not waiting for an answer, she waltzed back over to the living room and was happy to find that the trio was still very much enjoying the movie -without her- and had been none the wiser…or at least she prayed that was the case. “Ladies! Who wants to join me upstairs in the recording studio to help me round out the Scarcast for this week? We’re going to do a ‘Let’s Not Meet’ ep, and it would honestly be absolutely fantastic if instead of just me and Hunter reading five stories a piece, we could maybe give the RedWolfPack and CopyPasta peeps amongst the BennieHolmies a special treat, eh?” she pitched. “…and also I could use the time you guys are recording to try and pick a song and start the process of choreo for tomorrow’s dance class at the gym because I’m an idiot and didn’t do that already.” As an extra incentive she said, “I’m not above offering to carry each and every one of you up there if that’s what it comes down to.”
SKYLAR
One would be lying if it didn't catch her eye that both her aunts were just hovering over the security cameras near the door - she assumed that her mom was out there. However, with both Tomi and Erin there, and MJ on her lap, Skylar didn't budge from her spot and paid attention to the screen the best she could. Besides, she couldn't even eavesdrop. At best, there were momemts of muffled voices, but that was all she caught over what's playing and trying to hear through the walls.
She was basically leaning into Erin with her arms looped with Tomi and all their legs were in a tangled mess by the time Aunt Luke returned, gaining all their attention. "Right now?" She looked between the two girls and shrugged, "I'm down." She said this even though she had no intentions of leaving such a comfortable spot - until MJ jumped off and a sudden coolness hit their legs. Groaning, the girl picked herself off the couch and made her way to the stairs. "You don't think Aunt Lyr would just randomly come into the studio, do you?" She wondered aloud as she disappeared up to the second floor.
LYRA
It wasn’t really much longer after her fiancé-that-was-growing-on-her had walked back inside that she herself led Keagan back in with a whispered, “My nipples are rock solid, Keg! And not in the good way!” Only this far north would they already have several feet of snow a day after Halloween.
She milled about next to her sister as she seemed to take a very keen interest in the security system all of a sudden, but didn’t fail to notice the goings on in the living room. “I heard that you baby carrott!” She called out after her niece, wolf hearing picking up on the snickering that ensued between the girls and Luke reassuring the kid the door had a lock.
Turning back the Keagan she simply said, “I’m sure I don’t have to tell _you_, what with being my hunk’s bff and all, but you know she did that on purpose right? Like, I’m sure she really does have work things and stuff, but she took the kids with her to avoid any conversations that might sully their innocent little virgin ears.” She nodded for emphasis before taking a breath and saying, “But _my_ ears are gossip whores, so I expect you to spare me not a single salacious detail. Who is he? Where did you meet? Did you put out on the first date or make him wait? I want to know everything about my possible future brother-in-law.” It was a miracle she kept her voice low, and only because she was sure that Keagan would kill her on the spot if the kid came doubling back to ask questions.
KEAGAN
She honestly would have still be outside if her sister didn't bring her back in doors. Whether to commit murder or just to run off some steam, she wouldn't be able to tell you. Her own heart fell when she saw Luke try to laugh it off and then proceeded to leave them out here. And when Lyra started shooting questions at her, Keagan just moved past her without a word towards the living room and in a fit of rage, she grabbed the shirt that was still on her shoulders and tore it in half before storming over to the trash to shove it as deep down as she could.
"He is not." She almost hissed so fast when Lyra referred to him as a potential future brother-in-law. The mother wolf retrieved her arm from the trash and went over to the sink to wash her hands and arm. This was most definitely a stalling tactic because she knew the youngest Calvetti would never let this go and she will eventually have to give some sort of answer. "You've never met Hart's asshole brother?" He was not one of her proudest moments. "We got assigned into the same team. Small world. Shit happens. But he is not, and never will be your -" She lowered her voice, "brother-in-law. Don't even mention any of that in front of Skylar, Lyra. I love you, but I *mean* it." Keagan was already concerned about how Luke was feeling about what just occurred and would love to talk to her about this if she could.
LYRA
The youngest sister did her best to keep up with the elder, but the woman's rage seemed to be giving her hyperspeed...either that or Lyra's legs were far shorter than she'd ever realized before. Regardless, what had started out as her usual curiosity, was now very solidly turned to genuine concern for her sister. Lyra herself could maybe see how it might be upsetting to have a surprise visitor, but the level of anger and seemingly _disgust_ that was emanating from the wolf mother as she destroyed the shirt...it was clear by her actions, if not her words, that this had been far more upsetting than Keagan was letting on.
She took advantage of Keagan finally standing still as she washed her hands to catch up to her, but as her sister wheeled on her and practically growled out the denial of this man being her partner, she really clocked the fact that this was serious....which was something that Lyra rarely caught onto nor bother to acknowledge even when she did, but it was clear this wasn't just any other moment. "Uh, no...I can't really say I ever had the displeasure," she replied to the question. Hartley's older brother was an asshat, and often made them feel like he had a superiority complex that honestly none of the younger gang wanted to deal with.
Lyra listened, unusually quiet and intently, as her sister provided what passed for a Keagan explanation of things. Meaning vague as hell, and with no room for further questions. She nodded in understanding and said, "Consider it forgotten." She then bit the bullet and reached out to give her sister what she felt was a much needed hug. "I don't know what it was that set you off, and I don't expect you to be up for sharing, but the last thing I will say on the matter is, if you plan on discussing this with anyone else? You'll want to use more words, because this was not exceedingly helpful."
KEAGAN
Although surprised by the sudden hug, Keagan leaned into her sister, draping her arms around the younger woman's waste. "Right." She muttered. With a heavy sigh, she adjusted her position a bit so she could hug her sister tighter. These two days felt so long that she couldn't believe it had only been *two* days.
"...Except I don't think the person I need to discuss this with wants to talk to me at the moment." She mumbled childishly - very uncharacteristic of her usual self - before she pulled away from her sister. Keagan had her hands slide up her sister's arm, holding the other by the shoulders, "Sorry, Lyr. I shouldn't have snapped at you. You didn't deserve that." She pulled away completely, going over to dining table to take a seat. The moment she sat down, she had her elbows on the table as she let out a sigh while running her hands over her face, then fingers through her hair.
LYRA
Keagan’s words were unexpected for quite a few reasons, not the least of which being how small and vulnerable she sounded as she said them. Clearly whoever her sister had in mind -which she was making a conscious decision _not_ to try and sus it out at the moment- meant quite a lot to her. Okay, so she wasn’t actively making a list, but mentally it did narrow down the possibilities to be aware Keagan cared for the person. It actually narrowed it down _a lot_… Focus!
“Awww, babe” she cooed, “I’m sure they’ll come around. If this little visit was surprise to _you_, it likely isn’t something they had on _their_ 2021 bingo card either, ya know?” Humor was her best asset. When Keagan apologized to her, she scrunched up her face. “Well…I may have deserved it a little. I mean, as far secret keepers go, I’d probably be giving Peter Pettigrew a run for his money considering how quickly my mouth tends to get away from me,” she admitted.
Lyra took a second to give her sister space before walking over and looking down at the older as she leaned on the back of a chair. “That pout is one of the few things that makes me certain that Mini-ginger upstairs actually _is_ your kid after all,” she teased.
KEAGAN
She looked up from her chair, contemplating for a second whether she should tell her baby sister. While the Deputy didn't quite get the reference, she figured that this Peter Pettigrew was someone who couldn't keep a secret. "Yes, well, she literally ran off with the kids just now." Her lips pursed as she thought about how Luke took the first opportunity to go to her studio with Sky and the rest because she knew Keagan wasn't going to interrupt their podcast.
"I don't pout." She denied without letting *another* sigh. How many times was that today? "Fuck." She finally swore, "I don't get why everyone decides to show up after I told Luke I have feelings for her. First Richard, then Hendrix when I clearly told both of them to stay away." She was not going to talk about the professor's arrival either because.. she will not. "And the audacity they had, trying to get involved with Skylar."
LYRA
Lyra’s brow furrowed slightly as she asked, “Wait, the person you want to talk to so bad is Lucas?” She didn’t really allow much time for an answer as she began to connect the dots aloud on her own. “Well, yeah. I guess that makes sense. I mean chick hates strangers around the property she doesn’t even get her mail delivered here, and you being her guest, brought a stranger to her door. And one that would’ve likely upset the kid at that. Yeah, no I can totally see the urgency now.” Opting to take seat now that she felt like she had more of a handle on things, she added, “I don’t think she’ll stay mad for long. I’ve known Luke since we were both the average height for our age group, and if there’s one thing that girl does well is moving on.”
She scoffed at the declaration and simply replied, “Yeah, and I’m a virgin.” The swearing was expected and Lyra almost went in for a joke, but had to put that on pause at her sister’s next sentence. She was more stunned at how much information Keagan was providing her with than the information itself, if she was honest. “Uh, hold up. In the words of Ludacris: take that, rewind it back. You told Luke what now? Like what kind of feelings are we talking about here, Keg, you’ve been back in town for less than a full week…” Then Keagan brought up her niece. “Oh wait,” she reached out to place her hand on Keagan’s and leaned in closer with a look of concern on her face, “Was it about them moving to Seattle? Were you mad she didn’t tell you?” It was as she was waiting for a reply that something struck her. “Wait, did you say you told her you had feelings _towards_ or _for_ her? I didn’t catch that…”
KEAGAN
Keagan didn't bother correcting what Lyra was saying when it seemed that she was misunderstanding the situation. Sure, part of it was to keep the kids from noticing, but that was most likely not the only thing Luke was upset about. The deputy didn't think it was a bad thing that her friend was good at moving on; what she didn't like was that Luke often put her own well being before others - especially if Skylar was involved.
She could literally see the moment when Lyra's brain caught up to her - sort of. "Wait, what? No. I told you that one was on Richard. I'm more thankful that Sky had her around when it happened. Honestly, without her, I wouldn't be surprised if Richard tried to go off the grid." Her eyes looked towards the windows, staying silent for a beat before quietly answering, "I said 'For her'. Lyra."
LYRA
Lyra just scoffed and said, "Yeah, I'm almost certain that was his plan, the rat bastard, but Slendywoman was on it. From the bits she and Sky have shared, Luke didn't give Ricky an option to deny her traveling with the pair. She just tossed her backpack in the truck and camped out in the passenger seat until he had no choice but to drive off with both of them." The visual of this made Lyra laugh a little. Ricky had always been miffed that Luke had outgrown him by an inch and it never failed to be an amusing sight when he tried to 'stare her down' while having to glance up. "You're ex husband's a total twat. Thank god you chose your job over having any other kids with him because whooo, can you imagine a mini-Dick?"
She took the time her sister looked out the window to regain her own composure, only to almost fully loose it again at the clarification she finally got. Her eyes were so wide, the only thing wider was her mouth as her jaw nearly hit the floor, but she was able to keep from making a sound not wanting to draw the attention of the youngsters. She was certain she was the picture of the blinking white guy meme crossed with a gaping fish out of water at the moment, but it was taking her a bit to process the _levels_ of implications here.
When she finally managed to find her voice, the leaned in and the first thing out of her mouth was a whispered, "Do you think mom and dad are aware they have _no_ straight children? Because, honey I'll tell you what, not being the only queer daughter is definitely news to me. Not like _surprising_ news, but still. Kind of like when you find out a close friend masturbates, like you know it's highly likely, but there's been definite sign until it's just said, ya know?"
KEAGAN
She always wondered if Ricky ever realized that she would have tasked people from her team to look for him if Luke hadn’t been there? Keagan turned to look at her sister as she explained what Luke did. Not that she was surprised because of course, Ricky wouldn’t want Luke to be there every step of the way, but Keagan didn’t expect her to have to camp out like that until he gave in. Her heart just ached, thinking about what the other had to go through just to ensure Skylar was safe from whatever her ex-husband was up to. Keagan should have been there - for both of them but instead, she was chose her job instead of staying home with them. Even now, if it weren’t for her reassignment, Keagan wouldn’t have the luxury of spending so much time with everyone without worrying. “It’s a good thing Sky doesn’t take after him at all.”
The older Calvetti just sat there, waiting for Lyra to process everything through - only looking away when her sister just gaped at her like a goldfish. Honestly, she couldn’t tell you just what Lyra was shocked about because knowing her, it literally could be anything. She was always the most spontaneous out of all three siblings.
“Maybe they knew? I don’t know. They never was happy with any of the people I brought home before.” She shrugged. “Or maybe it was just Luke. They’re always on about how well she did with JJ and I.” Keagan shrugged, “Lyra. That’s .. I did not need to know an analogy like that.” She sighed as she sat back against the chair, “Why is it surprising to you?”
LYRA
Blue eyes immediately shot up to meet her sister's look of confusion with a look of disbelief of her own. "Uh, excuse me?" she whispered furiously. This was honestly the first time she had been in this cabin and bothered to whisper, but seeing Keagan full mama wolf and Luke go full....uh...hot? No! Bad Lyra! _Protective_, that was it. It was enough to keep her on her best behavior where things that affected Sky were concerned.
"What do you _mean_ why is it surprising? For starters, of all the people you brought home -that you accurately pinged mom and dad never liked- none of them were girls, er, women. Whatever. Also, Luke made no point to hide she was a smitten puppy the moment she saw you back when I brought her home from school and we were six. _Six_, Keagan. **AND** you married her brother instead, and had a thing with Douche-win, like??? What part of this _shouldn't_ surprise me?"
KEAGAN
As if she had no idea why Lyra looked so shocked, Keagan simply shrugged without any intention to actually explain further than what had already been said. While she had never explicitly said that Richard *wasn't* Sky's biological father, this may be one of the few times that she said something close to it and it may still be as vague as usual that one could spin it in any way they chose.
"Just because I brought boys home doesn't mean I can't be gay?" Her own blue eyes stared back into her sister's, matching the disbelief the other had a moment ago although it shifted into a very displeased frown when Lyra moved on. "The thing with Ricky... was complicated." Although it was over with, Keagan still hadn't told anyone else the reason behind her ...relationship with Ricky in general." She didn't have an excuse for Goodwin. "Speaking of Goodwin.." She slipped her phone out of her pocket to message both her bosses. One to inform someone that they should really bring Hendrix back before she murdered his ass (not those words exactly). The other to inform that Foyer was going to get interrogated and if what she wanted to know was confirmed true, his ass was getting fired.
LYRA
Lyra narrowed her eyes and half-glared at her sister as she said, “No fucking shit, Keg. I’ve only been out as pan since ever. That wasn’t my point and you know it. Not to _mention_ that you haven’t addressed the fact that you gave no inclination that you even found Luke hot and now you’re back in town with feelings? I’m allowed to be surprised. And something tells me I won’t be the only one…”
It was taking every ounce of self-control she had -which wasn’t much to begin with- to keep her voice down through all of this, but her sister’s constant give-and-take with the info was starting to give her a migraine.
Lucky for her just as her sister took out her phone, her own phone went off. “Luke’s ordering pizza for dinner because she’s too busy to cook and she doesn’t want you to kill us. Should I just tell her you’d prefer _her_ slice now or later?”
KEAGAN
Her own steely gaze met her sister's. "What exactly is there to address? That I'm not blind!?" Her voice had been kept low all this time, but the sisters seem to go into 'yelling' whisper territory. "And what was I supposed to do even if I have feelings way before now? I was gone majority of the year - and pretty much off the grid if you don't remember . The time that I do get to spend here *barely *count up to a month per year. I didn't even see Sky as much as I wanted all these years."
She sighed, "And when I got the job here, I thought - hey. I finally got a chance to settle down a bit." She snorted, "But clearly life gave a very hard *no* to my face by having not one, but *two* of my exes show up within the span of two days." Keagan ranted before she came into a stop and fell silent as she digested her own words.
"I don't think Luke's in any mood for that sort of teasing, Lyr." She got up from her seat to toss her can into the trash. "I don't even know how I'm supposed to fix this." Not to mention, she was still holding onto a major secret from the other. A secret that *involved* Luke, but Keagan was terrified of revealing especially since it had been so long that it was almost second nature to keep it to herself.
LUKE
Luke managed to spend _zero_ minutes of the time the girls were narrating their assigned stories on actually thinking about her gym duties tomorrow. Regardless of the details of whatever had happened outside, it was obvious that Keagan was upset greatly by it. Although she didn’t feel she had the ‘battery’ required to handle any time of conversation nor did she feel Keagan had anything to answer to her for -other than a stranger at her door- Luke still felt the older woman could use with some easing.
As they began to make their way back downstairs she kept Sky back and said, “ Hey kiddo. I’m about to go pick up dinner, and I know you’ve been enjoying all sorts of cuddle time today, but I think your mom’s had a bit of a rough first day. So, if you could find it in your heart to do me a favor and go and smother her with all the love and affection, I promise I’ll pick up an extra meat lover’s pie just for you.”
SKYLAR
The podcast was great, listening to all the stories they were given to read. And before she knew it, time was already up. In all honesty, she was genuinely surprised Aunt Lyra didn't come up. Maybe her mom had her distracted. Or maybe her aunt was just very, *very* curious about whatever happened outside and was now asking about it.
When she was stopped by Aunt Luke, the girl frowned - or pouted - at the thought that her mom was having a really rough day. It was her first day on the job and sounded like she didn't have a very good one. Without skipping a beat - like Luke would even need to ask her - Skylar ran down the stairs and launched herself at her mom without a word, wrapping her arms around the older woman's waist.
"Hey kiddo." She heard so she looked up from her position. Her mom did look a bit tired, and that just had her even more concerned. "Are you okay, mom?" The question got a small nod in response before she was swooped up into a tight hug. The two Benson women just stayed like that until Keagan pulled away first. "I love you mom." She mumbled, and smiled when the other said it back.
"Were you two just sitting here the whole time?" Aunt Lyra? In one spot for this long? Something was definitely not right.
LYRA
She had been about to provide her sister with response just as biting as the one she’d received herself, but the genuine frustration on the older woman’s face made her pause. And then the sound of incoming footsteps had her packing everything away for another time.
“Well, believe it or not shrimp once you reach a certain age, sitting around for extended periods of time becomes a way to treat yourself.” There was an immediate ‘Speak for yourself’ that sounded before the homeowner came bounding downstairs….without actually using the stairs.
“Jesus!” Lyra exclaimed, “You have perfectly good stairs woman, stop showing off. Leave that for your clients at the gym…and all the groupies on your insta.” She was mid-laugh when she realized what she was implying, but it was too late to take it back. Besides, it would be weird if she _hadn’t_ said it.
As Luke excused herself to pick up dinner she turned back to the ladies left and zeroed in on her niece -so she could avoid her sister. “You! You little scamp! How could you leave your own flesh and blood to fend for herself in the fandom war trenches?”
PHOENIX
Of all the things that her mother had her skip out of work for, Phoenix did not think it was to come all the way to Fallcrest just to find out if Luke Benson was still alive because last they heard, her cousin took her to the back alley for a smack down. She had no idea why she would take *Luke* to the back if she was going to beat someone up. Phoenix would have thought her cousin would take Ricky instead. The man deserved it after all - or so she heard. Unlike the rest of the family, she was less nosy but her mother was not going to let her live in peace if she didn't get to the bottom of this.
Standing in front of the door, she rang the doorbell and waited until the door opened. "Hi" She laughed, "Surprise? I swear this wasn't my idea. Oh Lyra - you *are* here. Jesus. Why didn't you at least send a message to your mom? They thought you got lost along the way so they sent me instead to get the intel." She snorted as she stepped inside, saying a small thanks.
LYRA
As soon as the doorbell rang, Erin and Tomi both volunteered to get it but, Keagan shut that down quick. “I’ll do it,” Lyra said with a dramatic roll of her eyes, and a dismissive wave behind her as her sister reminded her to check the panel before answering. Truth be told her curiosity was piqued. Just how many people had this address and was Luke going to run this one off with a shotgun?
At the sight on the screen she exclaimed, “Are you shitting me?!” Opening the door, she didn’t even manage a word in before she was already made to feel offended. “I have an excellent sense of direction, _Fawkes_. Besides, it’s far more likely that my Uber had kidnapped me than me getting lost anyway. Honestly we never should’ve introduced our parents to the internet to begin with,” she complained as she let her cousin in and closed up behind her. “Keg! You’re favorite cousin is here…somehow!”
KEAGAN
While she would have been the one to open the door, Keagan didn't want to break the hug. Thankfully her sister did manage to check the panel first before opening the door. However her sudden exclamation had her wary for a second before she recognized the voice. "Phoenix?" Her eyes narrowed, "...Were our parents going to send everyone over here if they don't get an update on what happened?" Guess that was *another* call she had to make tonight. It wasn't reasonable to have the entire Calvetti family come to the cabin all at once.
"I guess you're bunking with Lyra if you're going to stay." She sighed as her daughter looked up at her. Even without asking, Keagan knew what the kid wanted and let go of her so Skylar could run up to give her aunt a hug. "Do I even want to know how you got this address?" And indeed she didn't. The woman mentioned that she ran into Ricky when she got into town and as much as she would have loved to whoop his ass, he told her where everyone was. Her ex-husband of all people. "If you'll excuse me.. I have some calls to make... " Keagan walked off to handle everything that's been on the list since Douche-win's visit.
LUKE
Luke didn’t run from her problems. She _parkoured_ her way out of their general vicinity. The drive back into town to pick up the pizzas, the small wait, and the drive back wasn’t enough time for her to completely forget everything like her brain was an Etch-a-Sketch, but it certainly allowed her to make up her mind on how to follow through. Which boiled down the usual: just make sure her girls are happy. The entire cabin-full of girls.
Her peace was short lived as she made her way up the drive and found there was yet another vehicle there that didn’t belong. Though she did enter with trepidation, Luke went inside safe in the knowledge that if anything had happened, Keagan would’ve been there to deal with it.
“Pizza’s here!” She called out, as she made her way to the dining table, a dozen boxes of pizza being held up by limbs that just barely made the cut lengthwise. Setting them down, she turned now able to see properly and stopped at the sight of the new visitor. “…yeah…I think I might consider moving.”
PHOENIX
She spent the time being introduced to the new faces and to her delight, one of them was the little nugget’s girlfriend! Though she hadn’t visited Fallcrest in a very long time, she thought she should take the opportunity to do so now that Keagan was home too. However, she had a feeling that Keagan wasn’t in the mood so she spent her attention on the other four girls. “Jesus, you’ve grown.. Well.. you’re my height now.” The women in their family weren’t known to be very tall as shown here.
At the voice, she spun around and found herself looking *up*. “Luke? How the - what on earth did you eat over the years. You’re - wow, you’re like a tree. A very tall.. *hot* tree. What the actual fuck.” She laughed as she spotted the boxes in her arms. “Oh! Did I come just in time for dinner? Perfect, I didn’t get the chance to eat either because you best believe momma kicked me out the door just to have me fly down and drive all the way here. I am starving like you wouldn’t even believe!” Her eyes narrowed playfully. “Why? Do you not like me being here? I thought you like me better than Lyra.” She threw an arm around said cousin, giving a side hug.
LUKE
Luke came very close to replying her body just took everyone’s disappointment in her and metabolized it to produce growth hormone…but she remembered Sky was in the room and just said, “A lot of veggies.” The comment on her being a _hot_ tree made her want to question how Phoenix viewed trees to begin with but, at least it was only words and she’d kept her hands to herself. It was one thing to have a friend you’ve known forever jokingly objectify you -she really hoped it was jokingly- and another to have their cousin you barely knew do the same.
At the woman’s playful words, Luke dropped her head and when she looked back up it was with a sheepish grimace and apologetic smile. “Sorry. To both of you, really. It’s been one heck of a 48-hour _long_ day and I think it’s just catching up to me. _But_, that’s no excuse for not having given either of you lovely ladies the proper greeting,” she said as she walked up to the duo and easily wrapped them both in a warm hug. Giving a quick squeeze, she pulled back and said, “Any member of the Calvetti Extended Genetic Universe will always have a great place in this cabin. So ladies, welcome _back_ to Fallcrest. Make yourselves at home.” With a wink, she turned and set off to set the table.
PHOENIX
In truth, Phoenix didn't even know much about the gossip. She literally came to visit her parents one day from work, and her mom turned her around and sent her off to Fallcrest. Yes, who cares if their daughter was visiting them? Figuring out why Keagan wanted to beat up Luke Benson was far more important. However, now that she was actually here - it seemed that she missed out a lot more than she expected.
Returning the hug, Phoenix snorted when Luke declared that everyone from the Cavetti family was welcomed. "Careful. Our family might take that as an open invitation - you don't want everyone here all at once." She laughed, "But thank you. It's been a long time, hasn't it? I've missed the little - well, not so little nugget." She then left her cousin's side to give her niece another hug before taking a place at the dinner table. "So what have I missed out lately? Lyra shared your channel with me but I must admit, I only saw a few videos here and there. But it looks like you guys were very busy considering how many channels she had me subscribed to." Since it looked like Keagan was handling the 'gossip control', Phoenix no longer had to ask about it herself - and besides, Luke looked *fine* so she figured the gossip was wrong.
LUKE
She let out a scoff of laughter as she said, "Bold of you to assume housing the entire Calvetti clan under my humble roof would be a new task for me. In case you forgot, the last _we_ saw each other, just so happened during one such gathering. A lovely little wedding out back, your late grandfather preaching the service. I still tend to the magnolias we planted back there specifically for that day." Well, she had planted them. Luke wasn't sure anyone else would've known that's what Keagan had always wanted for her big day...
Luke made quick work of sorting out the pizza boxes so everyone could help themselves. She'd had the kids come over after games and such so many times, it was honestly almost second-nature. She did make sure to set Mini-me's own large meat lover's pie in front of her, as promised.
She took a seat, but opted to hold off on eating herself until Keagan was back. At the question of their channels, she gave a small shrug. "Honestly, for all the hype I manage for the channels online, it's a lot harder to do it face-to-face," she chuckled. "Feels less like an 'about' section and more like a 'humble brag'. _But_, I'm sure Sky would be more than happy to loop you in. Especially given her big collab yesterday."
KEAGAN
The call to both her bosses were brief since the objectives were clear. Neither seemed to have any complaints about it either. The call to her parents on the other hand. Boy, did that take most of her time. It was mostly her mom going on and on about everything that occurred since Skylar's 'disappearance'. If she wasn't exhausted before then, she was definitely tired out by the time she hung up.
When she returned to the group, it seemed that the food was already here so she took her spot and reached out for a splice to set in her plate. However, she wasn't hungry at all - she was just tired above all - so she simply left it in her plate as she caught up to what they were talking about. They must be talking about the collaboration from the looks of Skylar's excitement. The girl explained all that happened down to the details. Keagan couldn't help the smile on her face when she saw just how enthusiastic Skylar was about it.
LUKE
She knew that shifting the ‘mic’, so to speak, to Skylar was the best option. It immediately drew everyone’s attention, thanks in small part due to how good of a story teller the kid was and of course, she was the only Calvetti in the youngest generation so…
It freed Luke up to keep an eye on the kid’s mom as she came back to join them, and it didn’t take long to note she wasn’t actually eating. Leaning over, not wanting to draw away from Sky, she quietly said, “Hey, if pizza’s a bit heavy for you, I have some leftover soup I can heat up real quick. It’s your favorite.”
KEAGAN
Keagan did try to give her full attention to Sky's retelling of her collaboration but she was too distracted by her own thoughts and tiredness that all she hoped was that no one noticed.
But of course, *Luke* noticed. The mother wolf gave a small smile but shook her head, "It's fine. I'm not that hungry anyways." She murmured quietly. Her eyes turned towards her friend, observing her for a moment. She wasn't sure if she should even ask but she really work things out. "Can we talk? Later. Obviously."
LUKE
Luke really, _really_ wanted to politely say no to the petition for talking. As a matter of fact, she was already half-way to convincing herself that it would be okay to be selfish this one time and do what she felt was best for herself.
But she couldn’t do it. Instead she grinned and said, “Tell you what, you eat something and we can do all the talking you’d like later. _But_, only if you eat. I know you’re probably tired, but I also know you can’t go around skipping meals if you’re going to keep the town safe, so….”
KEAGAN
While her friend grinned, Keagan pressed her lips into a thin line instead. Whether or not she read too much into it, the way Luke worded it felt like the other *didn't* want to talk. While she wanted to get to the bottom of it sooner than later, she also didn't want to push the other into doing something she didn't want to do.
So she decided to drop it.. for now. "You know what.. Maybe we should do a rain check. You're right, it's been a long two days.. I'll turn in earlier today." She smiled as she turned to pressed a kiss to Sky's temple, excusing herself for the night.
LUKE
Luke had really thought her chest wouldn’t have to face anymore sudden pangs as she literally felt her heart clench as a result of the people she cared about the most. But of course, the universe loved to prove her wrong.
As she was literally left sitting there -like an asshat- she couldn’t wrap her head around what hurt more: the fact she had been willing to offer up an olive branch of sorts and it just got tossed back in her face, the fact that yet again Keagan was the one leaving while she got left behind, or the fact that she may somehow be the one to blame for how upset the other clearly was.
Yeah, it was definitely the last one.
She sat there conflicted, the conversation around her just a dim in the background. Luke was conflicted. Which, happened to almost be a default when it came to matters of one Keagan Anna Benson. She wanted to follow after her, but she didn’t want to crowd the woman either. Not to mention it would certainly draw the attention of a few currently present and, Keagan was nothing if not a fan of discretion when it came to her personal affairs so…
A distraction. That’s what she needed. Picking her moment to jump in, she looked over at Sky and said, “I couldn’t settle on a song for tomorrow, so I think I’m going to have to just make one.” She lifted up a set of keys before tossing them over to the kid. “You want to give our guests a tour of the music room while I clean up?”
KEAGAN
When she headed back to her - Luke's room, the first thing she did was to take a quick shower. It was getting pretty late and she hadn't even realized just *how* tired she actually was. The wolf didn't even want to move much in the shower and leaned against the wall, letting the water hit her. And if she could, she'd let her mind run blank for the entirety of this shower but obviously, reality had other plans. All she could do was think about what happened, what might happen, and what will happen after tonight.
Sporting shorts and a loose t-shirt as sleepwear, Keagan came back into the room and slipped immediately into bed. However, once she was actually lying here, she didn't feel like sleeping just yet and so she pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her email even if her brain wasn't even there to register what she's looking at. She was already working on finding evidence and key witnesses so that if Foyer won't have any excuse to fight back once she did fire his ass. It wouldn't be hard to find anything considering how sloppy Foyer was - from the looks of it, Hendrix asked him in an open space where everyone else was.
Her mind then went back to Luke. What was she feeling when she spotted the tshirt? At this point, Keagan wasn't even sure if Luke knew she wouldn't do anything without consulting in Skylar first, that she wouldn't do anything that would even affect her daughter in the slightest negative way. Hendrix was a delusional asshole but she didn't know if luke knew that. To think she thought there wasn't anything to worry about and both her ex-husband and ex-fling decided to throw that back in her face. Just thinking about it all had Keagan groaning aloud in frustration about how the two days turned out.