Fic: Thirteen Hours (Halloween Part 7)
The smoke started to clear, revealing a stairwell, and anxious faces.
“Amelia!” Peter peered into the smoke to find Ben, and the others, too.
“VINCENT.”
He turned to find a very angry young woman in a dinosaur costume. “Anya!” He opened his arms to hug her.
“Daddy?” Amelia looked toward his voice.
Ginny ran into the middle of the crowd as the smoke dissipated. “You’re back.” She was breathless.
“Ginny...” Ben blinked. “We’re back!”
Jamie grabbed Ginny’s arm. “How’d you get here?”
“Lulu found a door.”
“...Seriously?”
“How’d you get here?” asked Trick.
“Henry and his sister,” answered Lindy.
Ginny frowned. “Henry has a sister?”
Jamie nodded. “I know right? Why does everybody have a secret sister?” She glanced at Lindy. “No offense.”
Lindy blinked.
“Where’s Bobby and Lulu?” asked Norma.
“They took Lucy trick-or-treating. To make up for the party being...” Trick shrugged. They peered around the room full of people, half more than happy to return to the party, the other half looked ready to flee.
Anya clapped her hands. “So. Time for movies!” She started to usher the crowd into the other room.
Rikki turned to Peter. “They’re back.”
He crossed his arms. “I’m still cancelling Halloween forever.”
“I agree,” said Ben.
Peter turned to his son. “What happened?”
Ben had no idea where to start. He took a breath but before he could begin Henry’s sister appeared before him. “By the way! Thank you!” She kissed him full on the lips and bounded away. Ben and Peter stared after her.
“Who was that?” Peter was amazed, and confused, by the number of girls that seemed to be interested in Ben -- but he was pretty sure he’d never seen this one before.
Ben took another breath. “Henry’s sister.”
Peter frowned. “Henry has a sister?”
“Of course he does, Daddy. It explains everything.” Peter shook his head. It explained nothing! But Amelia continued, “I want to go home.”
Looking at his daughter, Peter’s annoyance turned to worry. “Okay.” She pulled her lips in over her teeth and went to say her goodbyes. Peter turned to Ben. “What. Happened.”
Amelia found Henry and his sister by the stairs. They fell quiet at her approach. Amelia held a hand out. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Amelia.”
“Rose.” She grasped Amelia’s hand, grinning.
Amelia smiled. Of course. “I look forward to getting to know you, Rose.” Impulsively, she gave the other girl a tight hug. “We’ll talk soon.” She met Henry’s eyes as she pulled back and let go. “Soon.” He nodded. Amelia moved away to find Jake.
“I’ll come with you.”
She shook her head. “I’m tired. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jake frowned, but nodded agreement. “I’ll make this right. I promise.”
“I love you.”
“I know.” She kissed his cheek. “I love you, too.” She took a deep breath and turned away. She wanted to talk to Jamie, and Vincent, and... but it was a party. There would another time. She returned to her father and brother, both watching her with concern.
“I should come too,” said Ben.
Amelia shook her head. “Don't be silly. I'm going with Dad.” Ben pressed his lips. “You always put me first. Stay. With our friends, with...” She pulled him into a hug. “You should stay. I'm okay.”
“Okay. But...”
She drew back to meet his eyes. “We'll talk in the morning. First thing.”
Ben sighed. “Okay.”
Peter put his arms around his daughter and they left the mansion.
Anya poked her head into the foyer. “Ben? We’re watching Monster Squad...”
He turned away from the door. “Coming.”
“Amelia!” Peter peered into the smoke to find Ben, and the others, too.
“VINCENT.”
He turned to find a very angry young woman in a dinosaur costume. “Anya!” He opened his arms to hug her.
“Daddy?” Amelia looked toward his voice.
Ginny ran into the middle of the crowd as the smoke dissipated. “You’re back.” She was breathless.
“Ginny...” Ben blinked. “We’re back!”
Jamie grabbed Ginny’s arm. “How’d you get here?”
“Lulu found a door.”
“...Seriously?”
“How’d you get here?” asked Trick.
“Henry and his sister,” answered Lindy.
Ginny frowned. “Henry has a sister?”
Jamie nodded. “I know right? Why does everybody have a secret sister?” She glanced at Lindy. “No offense.”
Lindy blinked.
“Where’s Bobby and Lulu?” asked Norma.
“They took Lucy trick-or-treating. To make up for the party being...” Trick shrugged. They peered around the room full of people, half more than happy to return to the party, the other half looked ready to flee.
Anya clapped her hands. “So. Time for movies!” She started to usher the crowd into the other room.
Rikki turned to Peter. “They’re back.”
He crossed his arms. “I’m still cancelling Halloween forever.”
“I agree,” said Ben.
Peter turned to his son. “What happened?”
Ben had no idea where to start. He took a breath but before he could begin Henry’s sister appeared before him. “By the way! Thank you!” She kissed him full on the lips and bounded away. Ben and Peter stared after her.
“Who was that?” Peter was amazed, and confused, by the number of girls that seemed to be interested in Ben -- but he was pretty sure he’d never seen this one before.
Ben took another breath. “Henry’s sister.”
Peter frowned. “Henry has a sister?”
“Of course he does, Daddy. It explains everything.” Peter shook his head. It explained nothing! But Amelia continued, “I want to go home.”
Looking at his daughter, Peter’s annoyance turned to worry. “Okay.” She pulled her lips in over her teeth and went to say her goodbyes. Peter turned to Ben. “What. Happened.”
Amelia found Henry and his sister by the stairs. They fell quiet at her approach. Amelia held a hand out. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Amelia.”
“Rose.” She grasped Amelia’s hand, grinning.
Amelia smiled. Of course. “I look forward to getting to know you, Rose.” Impulsively, she gave the other girl a tight hug. “We’ll talk soon.” She met Henry’s eyes as she pulled back and let go. “Soon.” He nodded. Amelia moved away to find Jake.
“I’ll come with you.”
She shook her head. “I’m tired. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jake frowned, but nodded agreement. “I’ll make this right. I promise.”
“I love you.”
“I know.” She kissed his cheek. “I love you, too.” She took a deep breath and turned away. She wanted to talk to Jamie, and Vincent, and... but it was a party. There would another time. She returned to her father and brother, both watching her with concern.
“I should come too,” said Ben.
Amelia shook her head. “Don't be silly. I'm going with Dad.” Ben pressed his lips. “You always put me first. Stay. With our friends, with...” She pulled him into a hug. “You should stay. I'm okay.”
“Okay. But...”
She drew back to meet his eyes. “We'll talk in the morning. First thing.”
Ben sighed. “Okay.”
Peter put his arms around his daughter and they left the mansion.
Anya poked her head into the foyer. “Ben? We’re watching Monster Squad...”
He turned away from the door. “Coming.”