Pumpkin Pie 13
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Pre-NIEE: Real World AU
Challenges: Pumpkin Pie 13 (full moon), Green Tea 20 (early), Papaya 21 (on second thought…)
Toppings & Extras: Whipped Cream (Vlad’s 18, Sorin 16, Ani 13), Chopped Nuts (RWAU), Sprinkles (Vlad), Gummy Bunnies (Origfic Bingo: AU: Alternate Genre), Malt (Pot Luck: sonechko_td: 1) Lean on Me- Bill Withers)
Word Count: 1,099
Rating: PG
Summary: Vlad finds some unexpected help.
Notes: Spring 2008. About three hours after Pumpkin Pie 8 (aka Edward’s death).
Vlad tilted his head back, taking a deep breath of the fresh night air. The full moon, on its downward descent towards dawn, added an eerily illumination to the night that was somehow fitting. Earlier, there had also been flashing lights - the two ambulances, one of which had taken Edward, the other his sister and brother off to the hospital and all the police cars. At least they hadn’t blared the sirens and woken up the whole neighborhood. For the moment, it was still a secret, the place quiet. A death that wasn’t due to sickness or old age was a pretty big deal in their generally sleepy town.
Now, the night was quiet. Most of the policeman had left. The two remaining officers sat on the porch with him, waiting for his answer.
“Are your siblings telling the truth?”
Honestly, Vlad wasn’t sure. Both of them were obviously in shock still, but they were also so very smart. Still, he had detected no lie in their face hours earlier upon his arrival home. His own innocence was still up in the air, but a call to his college had confirmed his departure time and a glance at his cell phone’s log backed up the story of the panicked phone call. He was fairly certain that as soon as they ascertained a time of death on his father, he would be fully cleared.
In the meantime, he had a question to answer. He glanced again at the moon, letting its reflection wash over him. “I think they are, but it shouldn’t matter either way. Even if it wasn’t an accident, it sure as hell was self-defense.”
“How long had your father been abusing you?”
“As long as I can remember, but it got a lot worse after our mother died, a couple days after Ani was born.” He had only been six, but he remembered it as clearly as that moon.
“Why didn’t you ever report it?”
Vlad ran a hand across his eyes, utterly exhausted. “Can’t I answer these later? I need to get to the hospital.”
“Son,” one of the officers said gently, he thought maybe the man’s name was Jenkins or Johnson or something starting with a J. The night was starting to blur. “I don’t think you should be driving. Nor should you be staying alone or here for a few days, at least. Is there anyone you could call?”
At five a.m. on a weeknight? None of his friends from home’s parents would even probably answer the phone. “I don’t know.”
“Any family friends? Or family?”
“We didn’t have family friends or living family,” Vlad said. “Father has business associates and we had school…” he trailed off as someone did occur to him. “Maybe the Highcastles. They’re our neighbors down a few houses,” he said, not even realizing he gestured in the wrong direction. He really wanted to sleep, but knew it might be days before he got to do that. So much to do. He rubbed his face again, not noticing one of the officers get up and then return with the phone, pressing it into his hand.
It took Vlad’s tired and shocked mind a minute to recall the Highcastles’ number. It was picked up on the second ring by a sleepy sounding Patrick. “Hello?”
“Hello, sir, it’s, um, Vlad Opalin. I…need a favor.”
He could hear another voice and then Patrick saying, “It’s Vlad, Elizabeth, wait a minute.” Then he spoke into the phone again. “What can I do for you, Vlad?” he asked, sounding much more awake.
“I...” Vlad glanced at the policeman, not sure what to say. “I…”
Jenkins or Johnson took pity on him and held out a hand for the phone. “Hello? Mr. Highcastle? Yes, this is Officer Jenson.” Right, Jenson. “Yes, there was an accident. No, the kids are mostly all right. The younger two are at the hospital getting checked out. Mmhmm. Yes, an accident,” he repeated.
Vlad barely heard him, slumped in his seat, watching the moon dip and the light start to spread across the horizon.
He started when Jenson placed the phone back in his hand. “He wants to talk to you.”
“Hello?”
“Edward?” Patrick asked without preamble.
“He and Sorin fell down the stairs. He didn’t make it.”
“Are Sorin and Ani okay?”
“I think so. They’re at the hospital and the police don’t think I should drive or be by myself.”
“Have you slept?” he asked gently.
“No.”
“I will be there in ten minutes, okay?”
“Thank you,” he whispered and then hung up. At Jenson’s expectant look, he set the phone down. “He’ll be here in ten minutes.”
Vlad seemed to blink and then Highcastle’s van was pulling into the driveway. He wondered absently if he’d fallen asleep.
Patrick hopped out and hurried over as Vlad forced himself out of the chair, not sure what to do or say. Patrick gently put a hand on his shoulder and turned to the officers, offering his other hand. There was a round of introduction and some other conversation that Vlad barely noticed in his urge to get to the hospital. Then Patrick was steering him down the steps and to the van. “You, Sorin and Ani will stay with us for a few days until you get things sorted,” he said.
“What?” Vlad asked, those words clicking in. He’d barely spoken to any of the Highcastle boys in well over a year and here… “Why?”
“Because you need a place and time to regroup. You and Sorin can share with the boys and we’ll give Ani the guest room. Even if I wanted to do otherwise, Mick would never allow it.”
He wasn’t sure he’d heard that correctly. “Mick?” he repeated, wondering why in the world the quiet boy would have an issue with that.
“We adopted Mick out of an abusive household,” he said matter-of-factly as he got behind the wheel.
“Oh.” Vlad leaned back in the seat, automatically buckling his seatbelt. He knew he should protest the kindness harder, knew he should apologize for getting Patrick out of bed, knew he should probably feel more guilty for most likely making the man miss work, but in that moment, he just let himself appreciate all of it. Instead, he said, “thank you.”
“I told the officers that you would be staying with us and gave them our address. They’re going to come back later to talk to you and hopefully Sorin and Ani, okay?”
“Okay,” he said and then hoped that Patrick didn’t say anything else because he fell asleep.
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Pre-NIEE: Real World AU
Challenges: Pumpkin Pie 13 (full moon), Green Tea 20 (early), Papaya 21 (on second thought…)
Toppings & Extras: Whipped Cream (Vlad’s 18, Sorin 16, Ani 13), Chopped Nuts (RWAU), Sprinkles (Vlad), Gummy Bunnies (Origfic Bingo: AU: Alternate Genre), Malt (Pot Luck: sonechko_td: 1) Lean on Me- Bill Withers)
Word Count: 1,099
Rating: PG
Summary: Vlad finds some unexpected help.
Notes: Spring 2008. About three hours after Pumpkin Pie 8 (aka Edward’s death).
Vlad tilted his head back, taking a deep breath of the fresh night air. The full moon, on its downward descent towards dawn, added an eerily illumination to the night that was somehow fitting. Earlier, there had also been flashing lights - the two ambulances, one of which had taken Edward, the other his sister and brother off to the hospital and all the police cars. At least they hadn’t blared the sirens and woken up the whole neighborhood. For the moment, it was still a secret, the place quiet. A death that wasn’t due to sickness or old age was a pretty big deal in their generally sleepy town.
Now, the night was quiet. Most of the policeman had left. The two remaining officers sat on the porch with him, waiting for his answer.
“Are your siblings telling the truth?”
Honestly, Vlad wasn’t sure. Both of them were obviously in shock still, but they were also so very smart. Still, he had detected no lie in their face hours earlier upon his arrival home. His own innocence was still up in the air, but a call to his college had confirmed his departure time and a glance at his cell phone’s log backed up the story of the panicked phone call. He was fairly certain that as soon as they ascertained a time of death on his father, he would be fully cleared.
In the meantime, he had a question to answer. He glanced again at the moon, letting its reflection wash over him. “I think they are, but it shouldn’t matter either way. Even if it wasn’t an accident, it sure as hell was self-defense.”
“How long had your father been abusing you?”
“As long as I can remember, but it got a lot worse after our mother died, a couple days after Ani was born.” He had only been six, but he remembered it as clearly as that moon.
“Why didn’t you ever report it?”
Vlad ran a hand across his eyes, utterly exhausted. “Can’t I answer these later? I need to get to the hospital.”
“Son,” one of the officers said gently, he thought maybe the man’s name was Jenkins or Johnson or something starting with a J. The night was starting to blur. “I don’t think you should be driving. Nor should you be staying alone or here for a few days, at least. Is there anyone you could call?”
At five a.m. on a weeknight? None of his friends from home’s parents would even probably answer the phone. “I don’t know.”
“Any family friends? Or family?”
“We didn’t have family friends or living family,” Vlad said. “Father has business associates and we had school…” he trailed off as someone did occur to him. “Maybe the Highcastles. They’re our neighbors down a few houses,” he said, not even realizing he gestured in the wrong direction. He really wanted to sleep, but knew it might be days before he got to do that. So much to do. He rubbed his face again, not noticing one of the officers get up and then return with the phone, pressing it into his hand.
It took Vlad’s tired and shocked mind a minute to recall the Highcastles’ number. It was picked up on the second ring by a sleepy sounding Patrick. “Hello?”
“Hello, sir, it’s, um, Vlad Opalin. I…need a favor.”
He could hear another voice and then Patrick saying, “It’s Vlad, Elizabeth, wait a minute.” Then he spoke into the phone again. “What can I do for you, Vlad?” he asked, sounding much more awake.
“I...” Vlad glanced at the policeman, not sure what to say. “I…”
Jenkins or Johnson took pity on him and held out a hand for the phone. “Hello? Mr. Highcastle? Yes, this is Officer Jenson.” Right, Jenson. “Yes, there was an accident. No, the kids are mostly all right. The younger two are at the hospital getting checked out. Mmhmm. Yes, an accident,” he repeated.
Vlad barely heard him, slumped in his seat, watching the moon dip and the light start to spread across the horizon.
He started when Jenson placed the phone back in his hand. “He wants to talk to you.”
“Hello?”
“Edward?” Patrick asked without preamble.
“He and Sorin fell down the stairs. He didn’t make it.”
“Are Sorin and Ani okay?”
“I think so. They’re at the hospital and the police don’t think I should drive or be by myself.”
“Have you slept?” he asked gently.
“No.”
“I will be there in ten minutes, okay?”
“Thank you,” he whispered and then hung up. At Jenson’s expectant look, he set the phone down. “He’ll be here in ten minutes.”
Vlad seemed to blink and then Highcastle’s van was pulling into the driveway. He wondered absently if he’d fallen asleep.
Patrick hopped out and hurried over as Vlad forced himself out of the chair, not sure what to do or say. Patrick gently put a hand on his shoulder and turned to the officers, offering his other hand. There was a round of introduction and some other conversation that Vlad barely noticed in his urge to get to the hospital. Then Patrick was steering him down the steps and to the van. “You, Sorin and Ani will stay with us for a few days until you get things sorted,” he said.
“What?” Vlad asked, those words clicking in. He’d barely spoken to any of the Highcastle boys in well over a year and here… “Why?”
“Because you need a place and time to regroup. You and Sorin can share with the boys and we’ll give Ani the guest room. Even if I wanted to do otherwise, Mick would never allow it.”
He wasn’t sure he’d heard that correctly. “Mick?” he repeated, wondering why in the world the quiet boy would have an issue with that.
“We adopted Mick out of an abusive household,” he said matter-of-factly as he got behind the wheel.
“Oh.” Vlad leaned back in the seat, automatically buckling his seatbelt. He knew he should protest the kindness harder, knew he should apologize for getting Patrick out of bed, knew he should probably feel more guilty for most likely making the man miss work, but in that moment, he just let himself appreciate all of it. Instead, he said, “thank you.”
“I told the officers that you would be staying with us and gave them our address. They’re going to come back later to talk to you and hopefully Sorin and Ani, okay?”
“Okay,” he said and then hoped that Patrick didn’t say anything else because he fell asleep.