After finally getting Luna to calm down, Brandon encourages her to head up to the make-shift room in the attic to rest and to settle down for the remainder of the morning. She was half-way up the stairs when she hears the front door open and shut. She stops in her tracks and rushes back downstairs to see Jenny walking in, carrying a couple of bags of groceries.
Brandon: “Luna-”
Luna: “Grandma Jenny..!”
She smiles at her as she wipes the last of her tears as she walks to her and takes the bags.
Luna: “Here..I got it.”
Jenny: “Aww..thank you, dear.” *notices her eyes* “..Are you okay? Your eyes are red.”
Luna: “Huh..? Oh, that..it’s nothing to worry about..still getting use to not seeing my...family, I guess.”
She walks into the kitchen with the bags and starts to put things where they should go. Jenny looks over at Brandon, asking if she’s really okay and he shakes his head.
Brandon: “Unfortunately..I..I don’t think so..”
He takes her hand and walks over to the dining room with her and pulls out a chair for her. Jenny sits feeling confused and a bit concerned for what she’s about to hear. He sighs as he sits down across from her.
Jenny: “Brandon..what’s wrong?”
Brandon: “I..I think we need to have a talk with Serenity..about Luna.”
Jenny: “Heh..uh..why?” *smiling, nervously*
She wasn’t use to her husband being this serious about anything, so to see him like this was a bit unsettling for her. If he can’t even crack a smile about it, it has to be important.
Brandon: “Because..earlier I was having some small talk with Luna..and I didn’t mean to, but I brought up her mother and..she just..broke down in my arms..”
Jenny: *eyes widen* “Wh-What? Do..do you know why..?”
Brandon: “You’re not going to like it..but apparently Serenity’s been ignoring her own daughter’s existence...for..years now..”
Jenny: “N-No...” *covers her mouth, her heart aching* “Sh..She can’t be..”
She sits there staring at the table with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her own daughter was being just as neglectful as her own mother was. She could feel the tears stream down her face. Brandon wipes her eyes.
Brandon: “...I think she is..and you know the sweetest and saddest thing..is Luna still cares and loves her mother..she just wants her to return it.”
Jenny: “She does..?” *she looks over to see Luna’s left the kitchen as she’s wiping her tears, getting angry* “Dammit...I thought we raised her to be better than this! Where did we go wrong-”
Brandon: “Jennifer..calm down, please. We..probably did mess up somewhere, but what parent doesn’t. Trust me..I hate that she’s..like this..I do, but I think the best thing we can do is...try to talk to her and try to get some answers..”
Jenny listens as she takes a deep breath and calms herself down. She nods, agreeing with him. Brandon gives her a small, warm smile.
Brandon: “We aren’t failures..Serenity made her own choices..and this one..was definitely a bad one on her part..but we had no control or idea it was happening.”
Jenny: *returns his small smile, holds his hand* “I know..”
Luna’s setting up the table in the dining room as Jenny walks in with Brandon following behind and she looks at them, smiling.
“Hey, papa, how was your nap?” She asks, standing up straight. He smiles back at her.
“It was good,” he says to her, “But Jen tells me you made us lunch..and..I love food just as much as sleep.” He laughs, causing Luna to chuckle.
“Me too. Speaking of which, let me go get it,” she walks out of the dining room.
Brandon looks at his wife as she sits down by the window and asks her, “So, how was she feeling when she was cooking?” He walks to the chair next to her and sits.
“She seemed happy, which is good. Do..you think we should hire a therapist? Just in case?” she asks him. He takes a moment to think it over.
“While I think we should...we should also make sure that Luna wants us to. She is a part of this household now and her opinion matters,” he tells her.
She tells him, “I know it does, hun, especially for you, but this might end up being something we do for her ourselves..because most teenagers reject professional help..you of all people should know that..”
He sighs, but before he could say anything else, Luna walks in with the plate of mac ‘n cheese and sets on the table. She grabs herself a serving and sits down. Jenny grabs her plate next and then Brandon.
“So, I know I just asked grandma this, but I wanna hear it from you. How are you feeling, Lunie?” He asks her. Luna’s eyes widen as she looks at him.
“Lunie? You haven’t used that since I was little,” she smiles, “and to answer your question, I’m feeling a lot better.”
“That’s good-” He notices and realizes she’s been wearing a very familiar beanie and his eyes widen, “Is..that..momma’s old cap..?”
Luna looks at him, “Huh..? OH! Heh..you mean the beanie? I..guess..grandma told me it was your mom’s and uhh..well..I was gonna ask if I could keep it..?”
“Keep it?” He smiles big, “Of course you can, dear..it ain’t getting worn in that dusty ole attic heh. And..it’s really nice to see it again..”
“Oh, thank you so much, papa,” Luna smiles more.
And the three enjoy their lunch and spend the rest of the day talking about how to spend Luna’s last couple days of freedom before school starts up again. They were considering going out to the mall to try and let her express herself a little. Might also help distract her from the stress and anxiety caused by her mother and by the school.
‘Hi..my name is Luna Sullivan, I’m 16 years old and..recently, my mother kicked me out of the house and had me move in with my grandparents.’
She walks up the steps to wooden door and knocks.
‘Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my grandparents, they’re like the kindest people you will ever meet, but the reason why I was sent here was dumb and ridiculous.’
She gets no response and tests the knob to see if it was locked or not and lucky enough it wasn’t and she walks inside. “Hello?” She says as she places her backpack down beside her.
‘My mother’s ‘reasons’ were that I was apparently being ‘too difficult’ for her to deal with. Granted, she is dealing with my two younger siblings and has been trying to get a job as a veterinarian, BUT you see, I would try to help her not make things worse. But did she want my help? NO..she never wants my help and it’s because she’s never liked me..ever.’
She calls out again, “Hey, gramps, you home?” She hears another voice yell from the room over.
“I’m comin’, I’m comin’, kiddo, just feedin Sir Fluffington!”
A small smile curls on her lips hearing the name and remembering how ‘fluffy’Sir Fluffington really is. Her smile turns into snickers.
‘So..when she found the perfect opportunity to send me off, she took it. She made up an excuse and basically kicked me out of the house. Look, ‘mom’, I get I was a ‘mistake’..but seriously..? You hate me so much to the point to where I can’t even live with you..? Freakin’ best mom of the year..’
The two bats land in the center of the forbidden grounds on opposite sides of Vladislaus Straud’s grand statue and return to their human forms. Binnie peers around the corner of the statue, watching Peter as he stretches after being in the small bat form. After doing so, he puts his hands in his pants pockets and he looks up at the gothic manor on the hill. He takes a deep breath and heads up the hill.
Binnie comes from the other side of the statue and asks him, “Peter...why are you here?” His ear flicks to the sudden sound of her raspy voice and he stops.
“I could be asking you the same...” He mutters, staring down at the ground.
“Yeah, but..I asked first and I expect a good answer,” she tells him, crossing her arms. He tenses up and glances at her.
“Binnie..” He looks up at the gorgeous evening sky, “..this is none of your or anyone’s concern..”
During Tony’s transformation, Binnie takes the chance to keep a real close eye on Peter. As she’s watching, she sees him and Jennifer whispering back and forth. Feeling suspicious, her eyes narrow as she tries that trick Toby does and enhances her hearing.
She doesn’t do this often, so she only manages to gather bits and pieces, ‘...where...it’s no where dangerous...take me...can’t do..where then...I-I...’ is all she can mange before she loses concentration and shakes her head.
“Ow...” She mumbles pressing her hand on her forehead, “..gosh..”
“Binnie..?” Joey says, looking at her and placing a hand on her shoulder, “You alright?” She nods to him.
“Yeah..just testing out a trick Toby unknowingly taught me..” She whispers to him, “I don’t know how he does it so...easily.”
“Well..he has been a vampire for about two centuries,” he tells her. Then asks, “What..exactly were you doing?”
She gestures over to Peter and Jennifer with her head and continues to whisper, “I was..trying to see what I could find out..but I got nothing, besides the fact that Peter plans to leave soon..”
“You’re going to follow him...aren’t you?” He asks. She looks over at him.
“Yep. I need to..” She tells him.
“I know..but..couldn’t we at least tell Toby or Veronica? They could-” He suggests, before getting shut down.
“No..I’m not telling them..I need to do this on my own,” she tells him, “and I need to know that I can trust you not to tell anyone about this, alright?”
Joey sighs, “Alright..I promise I won’t, but just know...I still think it’s a dumb idea to chase after him. It could be dangerous..”
“I know..I’ll be fine,” she says to him, then she kisses his head. He gives her a fake smile to assure her.
He’s still extremely worried for her for when she does go after him. If he leads her to who she’s been suspecting..then..she may never come back to him..and that, right now, is his greatest fear.
“Uhh..” Vincent mutters, handing the rose over to Lorelei. She stares at it blankly, blinking, she looks back up into his crystal-colored eyes.
“What’s this fo-”
“Merry Christmas, Lorie!” He abruptly bursts out, his worried and nervous eyes shut. She smiles at him.
“What? But I thought your parents didn’t celebrate it?” She asks, delightfully curious. He opens one of his eyes.
“Heh...well, they..don’t, but I’m trying to convince them to..at least try it this year,” he explains to her, “Is that too pushy..?”
“Probably a little. Did you ever learn why they don’t celebrate it?” She asks him. He shrugs, sighing sadly being unable to give her a ‘yes’ answer.
“No..I was too busy thinking of what to get you to ask..heh,” he says, blushing of embarrassment with a nervous smile following behind. “..I didn’t just get you a flower though..this is just part of it.”
“Part of it..?” She asks, confused. It dawns on her, “Oh my gosh, Vinnie..are you spending money on me?! How much-?!”
He chuckles a bit as he lays his index finger onto his lips, hoping she’ll calm down and listen, “You told me a gift comes from the heart, Lorie AND that it doesn’t have be bought to mean something to someone..” He continues to explain, “I mostly spent my allowance on supplies...and on this little flower..”
“Aww...I love it,” she hugs him, “and I’m sure I’ll love what ever else you give me.” He smiles big and hugs her back, she breaks it and looks up at him, “I do have to ask..where in the world did you find a rose out in this weather?”
“Heh..well, uh..” He scratches the back of his head, “..to tell ya the truth..it’s fake..after getting all the supplies I needed..this was all I could afford..” He flinches, anticipating a rejecting.
He felt a light pressure on his cheek and looks to see Lorelei giving him a small peck on it. His heart beat races as he feels his cheeks getting hotter from the sweet surprise. He stares at her, stunned and blinking, as she stands back to watch him fluster.
“Thank you, Vinnie,” she says, holding back her giggles. His paralyzed expression transistions into a very merry smile.
