Chapter 46 – Home at Last

  “I have seen many a beautiful vista and savored many fine arts but coming home after a difficult journey is my favorite sight to behold.” - Kristi

  The four of them trooped through the breezeway after Kurt parked in the garage. Penny peeled off and went back to her office in the order. She said that she was going to take the next day off but to call if they needed anything. Kristi went straight for the bathroom, having needed it but not wanted to stop when they were so close to home.

  “Hey, come here.” Val said and led Kurt to the bedroom. She closed the door behind them after he entered. “Can I be really blunt with you?” She asked while frowning slightly and sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “Of course.” Kurt said. “It’s probably better that way.”

  She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. “I don’t like how you handled that. I know she was horrible and if they put up any struggle, we would kill them, and I wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep. But to make her die slowly while her father watched was… a lot.”

  Kurt nodded and was about to respond but Val kept talking. “I think I understand why but I am having a hard time coming to terms with it.” She looked like she was about to cry as her lip trembled and her breathing got heavier.

  Reaching out a hand, Kurt knelt in front of her. She took the hand and stared back at him. “I didn’t enjoy it either. I really wish they would have tried to fight, but they were a bunch of cowards that only showed strength to those weaker than them.” Kurt had several hours of driving to think about his position on the matter and accept what he did. He had always hated seeing innocent people become victims in something they had no control over.

  “I am not going to say it was the wolf’s fault but there was influence there. I am not going to say it made things better because those innocent people are still dead. The reason I did it was for vengeance. It was an act of pure and simple retribution. After seeing what I saw and th-their faces…” He had to choke back his own tears now. “I- I would have done it a thousand times over. I’m sorry Val, I regret you having seen…”

  Val’s hands grabbed at the sides of his head, and she pulled him into her, wrapping him in a hug as they both cried. The several tense hours of travel having built an emotional dam that finally broke. They ended up on the floor with her sitting in his p, just holding each other in a silence only broken by the occasional sniffle.

  Eventually Val pulled away and looked at him. “I understand.” She ran a hand down his cheek, wiping some of the moisture that lingered there. “I still don’t like it, but I accept it.” She paused and he could see her chewing at her lip. “I accept you, Kurt because I love you.”

  There it was, the words she had been feeling had bubbled up to the surface and spilled out after a stressful and emotional breakdown. She was expecting a reaction from him, something like rejection or deflection. But he didn’t do anything of the sort. He just smiled back at her and swallowed hard, clearing his throat.

  “I am so gd you said it first.” He half ughed. “I love you to Val.” He then leaned in and gave her a kiss. One of their chaste kisses that had more emotion and meaning than just lust.

  “Oh, my god I’m so gd you said it too.” Val’s tears had returned and she once more pressed herself against him. She squirmed in his p, rubbing against his neck and exposed skin like she was trying to get his scent on her.

  For a few more minutes they sat there, just holding on in the sudden emotional void after venting their feelings to each other. Kurt noticed that the emotions felt more real with Val and Kristi than his st girlfriend. He wondered if it was because of them being supernatural creatures like him or if it was something else.

  He briefly compared them to his st girlfriend, something he hated to do given the situation. While there was emotion there, it was muted and hollow. She had what he thought was a great personality, full of life and energy. But he could never really click with her, and everything seemed less real, more calcuted like following the steps in a recipe.

  Kurt gnced up at the clock on the wall and saw it was after four in the afternoon. “Val, I think we need to get up.”

  “Just another minute.” Came the muffled reply as she was rubbing her face and neck into his chest.

  “We just left Kristi out there…”

  Like someone had hit her with a cattle prod, Val jumped up. She quickly straightened her clothes and wiped her eyes. After a moment she opened the door and poked her head out. Kurt could see her head tilting back and forth as she swiveled her ears.

  Pulling her head back into the room she looked at him with a sly grin and a saucy wink. “This isn’t over, lover.” Then she walked out, closing the door behind her.

  “Lover?” Kurt shook his head and stood up with a silly smile. He then noticed that he had to wait a minute before following Val out into the hall. All the squirming she had done on his p came with biological consequences.

  After more than a single minute, Kurt was able to calm down enough to head for the living area. The door to Kristi’s room was open and he saw the little copper dispy set up on her dresser, proudly dispyed where a passerby might see it.

  He emerged into the kitchen a moment ter to find Kristi at the isnd and Val digging through the pantry. He briefly wondered what she was up to when she turned and noticed him.

  “Kurt, do we have that soup?” She asked.

  “What soup?”

  “The red one that you made with the little cheese sandwiches.” Val said. “Kristi mentioned your promise to make some comfort food and I thought that would hit the spot.”

  “So, you want grilled cheese and tomato soup?” Kurt was confirming what he heard. “I think we can make that happen.” He walked over and moved some things around, having to shift Val’s precious stash of whiskey to get the case of Campbells he had in the bottom of the pantry.

  He set it on the counter and went back to get a loaf of bread before turning to the girls. “So, what do you want on your sandwiches? I can do cheese, ham, turkey and any combination of those.”

  “Just cheese for me.” Val said. When Kurt raised an eyebrow, she shrugged. “I like the cssics.”

  “Umm, whatever you think is best for me then.” Kristi said.

  Kurt just decided to make a spread like he did with Val and Penny the st time. It would be an early dinner but that was fine by him. Their day had started early, and they had stopped for lunch early. He briefly reminisced about the bridge crossings and the hirity that ensued both times.

  For the uninitiated, crossing the Mackinac bridge can be a harrowing experience. Due to its design, the road surface is actually a metal grate what allows passengers to look down through the surface to the water a hundred and fifty feet below.

  The grating is supposed to help with the winds and the bridge flexing, but Kurt was certain its main function was to scare the crap out of people who were afraid of heights. Penny was one such person. She had closed her eyes and prayed after getting a look at the drop. Val was curious but after looking down suddenly became much more focused on the inside of the car.

  Kristi had been the only one that seemed unbothered by the experience and actively commented on the sound of the grating and the sight of the waves below. She seemed to take a little joy in teasing Penny as they made the crossing. The return trip had been much the same except Penny’s praying started before they even paid the toll.

  When he finished warming the soup and making the sandwiches, Kurt proposed a novel idea. “Hey, how about we take this downstairs, put on a movie and eat off the coffee table?”

  Val agreed wholeheartedly, and Kristi seemed to be fine with the idea. They brought their food and drinks downstairs, and Kurt loaded up the movies. He decided that it would be comedy for the foreseeable future, not having the pate for action or thrillers after their mission.

  They ran a double feature of both Airpne! movies while they ate and drank long into the night. Both the girls were snuggled up on the couch with Kurt on the far end and Val being in the middle. They shared a big cozy bnket and slowly drifted off to sleep, nobody really wanting to part ways for the beds upstairs.

  *****

  Kurt awoke with a tickling sensation in his nose and immediately guessed the suspect. Val’s tail was just brushing his face, the very tip gently tickling back and forth on his cheek as their breathing slightly shifted them around. He cracked an eye open and took a look at the scene before him.

  Kurt was still on the chaise part of the couch, with his legs sticking forward and being mostly reclined with the back cushion making him sit up slightly. Val was ying half across his chest, face toward his feet and her legs pulled up slightly. Kristi was using her hip as a pillow, arms wrapped around her thighs like she was clutching a stuffed animal.

  Now that he was awake, he could observe the slight movements that led to him being awake and wondered how they ended up in this cuddle pile. He briefly remembered the middle arc of the second movie but couldn’t pce when he became a body pillow or even when he fell asleep.

  Reaching over, Kurt pulled a pillow up from the floor, doing his best impression of Indy and swapped himself for the pillow, gently resting Val’s head on it while he slid out. He looked down at his watch and saw that it was a little before sunrise as usual. He carefully made his way up the stairs and started coffee.

  Apparently, his escape wasn’t as foolproof as he thought because he heard feet on the floor after pouring the heated water into the French press. Kurt turned to see Kristi stumble her way across the living room then to the hall and into the bathroom. She didn’t even acknowledge his existence until after she emerged as she waved briefly before yawning and plopping down on a bar stool.

  “Morning.” Kurt said in a low voice.

  “Ahh. Morning.” Kristi replied after a long yawn that she couldn’t stifle. Her hair was mussed, and she still had the imprint of Val’s waistband on her cheek, but she was mostly awake and alert.

  They sat in silence for a little while until the coffee was ready. Kurt poured two cups and poked his head out the door. It was a little chilly, which wasn’t exactly a surprise, being mid-October. “Coffee on the porch or inside?”

  Kristi saddled up next to him, getting very close as she repeated his action of sticking his head out. “I want to sit out there but it’s a bit chilly.” She shivered slightly, emphasizing the point.

  “Hang on.” Kurt said and went to retrieve a quilt from the hall closet. “This will help.”

  They walked over to the bench on the east side of the house and Kristi waited for him to set the bnked down. He held it while she sat before he sat next to her, and they both wrapped the loose ends over themselves and snuggled up.

  They sat in silence, only the sound of the occasional slurp could be heard as the sky began to turn pink. Kristi hummed in appreciation of the spectacle. That day, the slight cloud cover cast the morning rays in a very colorful dispy that seemed to stretch over them longer than normal.

  With their cups drained, they sat and waited for the sun to break the horizon before they stood and went back inside. Kristi kept the bnket wrapped around her, finding it easier than folding it up on the porch. Kurt opened the door to see Val sitting in a chair in the living room with a tablet in her hand and her own coffee on the table next to her.

  “Morning, stud.” She said with a wink. “Did you two get snuggly on the porch this morning?”

  Kristi blushed heavily and worked her jaw while trying to think of a response the wasn’t pying into the game but wasn’t admitting to something more. Kurt just walked over and gave her a good morning kiss as he passed to get another cup of coffee only to find it empty.

  He frowned at the sight since he had used the st of the grounds to make that pot. “Shit.” He said as he looked around. “We need groceries.” He said after opening the fridge and seeing it was pretty cleaned out. He didn’t have much since they hadn’t known how long their little trip was going to st and didn’t bother buying food that would just sit.

  “Hey, how about we do breakfast at Captains? We can get groceries after that and be back before the weather turns to shit.” Val said after hearing his comment.

  “What about the weather?” Kurt asked. He turned to see her handing over the tablet with the weather app pulled up. “Looks like we will be getting a front pushing through and it’s going to rain until Friday night.”

  “Ugh, that’s gonna suck.” Kurt said and handed the tablet back. “Good pn. I am going to shower then we can get going. Unless you two want to as well?”

  “Yeah, I’ll take a shower with you!” Val said, completely twisting his words. “Kristi, are you in?”

  “Umm, I-I will take one on my own, thanks.” Kristi said with another blush. She struggled to keep eye contact with them but it only sted a second before she gnced away again.

  Kurt facepalmed. “That is not what I… ah fuck it, let’s go.” He gave Val a swat on the butt as she tried to skip past him. He gnced back over his shoulder, seeing Kristi had taken a half step forward and was biting at her lip. He tilted his head with a questioning look at her, but she just shook her head after a moment of deliberation.

  He nodded and followed after Val. He wasn’t going to push her into anything but was aware that the paranormal community had different standards when it came to personal space. He opened the door to see Val standing there, completely naked and halfway in the shower.

  “She didn’t come?” Val asked, disappointment in her voice.

  “No.” he said and started stripping out of his clothes.

  Val frowned. “Too bad. I wasn’t trying to get freaky or anything, but she is welcome to share in some bonding time.”

  Kurt followed into the shower. “Just make sure she gets some.” Kurt said and started the water. “I know she might not be comfortable around me in every situation but just let her know we are both fine with it.”

  Val helped Kurt wash, surprising him with being completely professional about it and keeping the games of grab-ass to a minimum. After he rinsed, she gave him a kiss and kicked him out.

  “Swap with Kristi.” Was all she said before closing the shower door and leaving him dripping wet in the middle of the bathroom.

  Kurt just shrugged and dried off with the rock before putting on his robe and walking out. He was not expecting to nearly run into Kristi as he did. “Oh, hey. Val says you are going to join her.” There wasn’t any option given, just stated as fact.

  “Ah, um. Thanks.” She hesitated. Kurt noticed that she had been standing right at the door like she was trying to psych herself up into walking in.

  “No problem.” Kurt said and rotated around her before giving her a little shove through the open door and closing it behind her. He pretended not to notice the conflicted look on her face the entire time and just fshed what he thought was a friendly smile. He went to get ready while they finished their showers.

  Less than an hour ter, they had all piled into the car and were in route to the coffee shop. Kurt noted that he had caught Kristi staring at him more than once. He didn’t react at all but also didn’t try to hide the fact that he had noticed. Every time their eyes met, hers darted downward and she turned away.

  Val was less than helpful about the situation and only grinned slyly at his questioning looks. The whole situation made him think he was missing something despite having a good idea of what was going on. They pulled into the coffee shop and found it nearly deserted, which suited them just fine. The st customer was actually stepping out as they stepped in, doing the cssic mid-western ‘Ope’ as they almost bumped into each other.

  Apparently, their entrance hadn’t been noticed since they heard some familiar voices talking from behind a half wall in the far corner of the dining area.

  “…if they come after us? I want to help but we also have our own lives to think about here.” Jamie said.

  “That’s why its discrete, just a small sticker that you would have to look for and know what it is.” Kate said back.

  “Ok, ok, fine. What do we do if one of them asks for help? We can’t just call him up and say, ‘Hey Kurt, got time to help a complete stranger?’” Jamie argued.

  Val had been listening into the conversation and shot Kurt a look. “Think it’s the same Kurt?” she asked, her voice just loud enough for the other two to hear.

  A head popped around the corner and Jamie forced a smile on his face. “Morning ‘Kurt’” He said his name with a little extra volume, and they heard a small ‘eep’.

  “Morning Jamie, are we too te for breakfast?” He was going to py it cool and just hope he didn’t get dragged into something else he didn’t have time for.

  “No, no of course not. If mom and dad heard we didn’t make time for their favorite son they would disown us.” Kate said as she stepped out from behind the half wall. “Oh, new friend?”

  Kurt motioned for Kristi to step up. “Jamie, Kate, this is Kristi. She's a friend of ours that is staying with Val and I.” He noticed her eyes darting between the three of them a few times as she greeted Kristi.

  They pced their orders and went to sit at the corner table while they waited. Kurt was going over his shopping list while the girls chatted about meeting his parents in a few days. They all stopped and looked up as Jamie brought out their ptes heaped with food.

  “Here you go, let me know if I can get you anything else or if you need a refill.” He smiled. As he turned around Kate hissed at him and pointed.

  “Ask him.” She mouthed. Jamie shook his head and Kurt could see his mouth moving as they had an almost silent argument.

  Finally, enough was enough. “Ask me what?” Kurt said and watched as Jamie stiffened, clearly too engaged in the long-distance whisper war to remember that the subject of conversation was in the room with him.

  “Nothing, it’s just a-a… umm.” Jamie stumbled as he looked at Kurt.

  “Coward.” Kate said after she rounded the counter and walked over. “Kurt, we need your opinion.” She held up a sticker that was a bck outline of a humanoid face with one side being normal and the other having clearly elven features. “What do you think about us marking the shop as a para-safe space?”

  “And why do you need my opinion?” He was curious and noticed the girls both focus on the siblings too.

  “Umm…” Kate said, using that tone that kids used when admitting to not doing their chores. “Because you are paranormal?” Seeing Kurt stare at her she suddenly looked nervous. “Wait, I didn’t mean to out you or anything. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” Her voice was a whisper like someone in the empty shop would hear.

  “What makes you think I am para?” Kurt asked, trying to keep a poker face and feeling like he did a pretty good job.

  “Well, that’s what mom told us…” Jamie answered mely.

  Suddenly Val began ughing. “All that ‘I want to keep it under wraps’ mentality, and they knew. Hahahaa. How long have they known?”

  Kate, fussed with a strand of hair, twirling it in her fingers and answered. “After a month of knowing him? At least that’s about as close as I can get. Dad said he figured it out when you burned yourself on the oven while helping with a leaking pipe.”

  “Shit.” Kurt muttered. “He probably noticed my arm wasn’t burned for long.” Kurt had been fixing a leaky pipe near the ceiling when he brushed against the oven and burned himself. Don had seen it but must have noticed that it didn’t stick around.

  “Yeah, pretty much.” Jamie said. “Mom said they didn’t say anything and figured that if you wanted to tell them then you would.”

  “They are soooo sweet.” Val said making a squinty face. “So, what was it you wanted to ask him?”

  Kay_Ship