sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood

[madskilled]

Comments

[kapiushon]

When my mother threatened I'd have kids like me, I thought she'd meant hard partying.

( But that's how he'd been when she'd threatened that with a smile. She always loved him, even when he was a cad. Give him a second and then he settles himself back into his chair and sets his phone down. )

[razes]

I think both of them are guilty of that too, if it helps.

[She reaches over and rubs his shoulders as he does, giving him a chance to settle in and relax.]

Is Mia okay?

[kapiushon]

She's -- ( He takes a big, long breath. ) Been activated. She's magic. A vampire slayer.

( So. Take that. And run with it because he is still wrapping his head around. )

[razes]

Oh. Oh wow.

[Not the words Laurel was expecting to hear today.]

That sounds complicated.

[kapiushon]

Just another set of circumstances I can't keep my kids from. William gets kidnapped ( or has these high profile break-ups ) and Mia gets activated. I thought she wasn't ready, to marry J.J. I wasn't ready for her to marry J.J., but. The world keeps happening to my kids. Is this what my mother feels like?

[razes]

Probably.

[She shifts in closer, brushing her thumb against the nape of his neck.]

But the world happens to everyone's kids. It just hits some people harder than others.

[kapiushon]

Yeah. I thought we only had the multiverse to contend with. Do you know anything about slaying?

( Is that what it's called? )

[razes]

[She shakes her head.]

But I could reach out to Sara. See if she knows what rock Constantine is hiding under these days.

[Do they have any other magic friends?]

[kapiushon]

Is he not still with them?

( That's Constantine for you.

He takes her hand in his hands, kisses it and rests his forehead against it. )

I owe William a call, but, if I speak to him, I may just drag him back myself. Both of them.

[razes]

I don't think he actually stays with anyone.

[But that being said.]

Then do you want to shake down the wizard, and I'll handle dealing with your oldest?

[kapiushon]

I don't shake people down, Laurel.

( ... Much. )

But, William likes you. You didn't let me ground him when I caught him at a club at 17.

( Oh but he wanted to. )

[razes]

Yes, well, I try to avoid letting you be a hypocrite in front of your children as much as possible.

[It's for the best that way. She leans in to kiss him softly before pulling back with a nod.]

You find Constantine, see what he knows. I will talk to William.

[kapiushon]

( That hurts. The truth hurts. Stop holding this gorgeous mirror up. )

And, if we don't agree with what William is doing, and Mia's part in it?

[razes]

They are adults and they have to stand on their own two feet. And while Mia did make some mistakes recently, I don't think William would let himself get tangled in something if it wasn't the right thing to do.

[Because that's important to remember too.]

We can offer to help, but we can't dictate their lives anymore. As much as you may want to fly off to Europe and drag your daughter home.

[kapiushon]

My daughter it barely 19. My son is - more sensible than to not call me. You would think with a penchant for getting kidnapped, he'd be more communicative. Tell you what, tell him, them, the both of them, that they can't drop off again. We believe in what they do. Or, we can give advice. But, they can't go and cut us out. As high profile as they are, I'd say I don't know how they disappear. But, I'm their father.

( They aren't supposed use what he taught them against him. )

[razes]

[She nods.]

I will tell him. And I'm sure they'll do better.

[Unless they run into Even Bigger Trouble.]

[kapiushon]

They better.

( Fine. He kisses her again, before getting up and setting his undrunk coffee in the sink. )

[razes]

[She smiles as he goes before reaching for her phone and sending William a text.]

Call me when you have a chance.

[She's not doing time zone math right now, but if he's up he can call her.]

[slavophile]

( It's about an hour and a half later, after he says goodbye to Cooper and plugs his number into his phone that he sees his stepmother's text. Shit.

He connects the call right away. How did his dad take the news, should he have really sent Mia away? Was she warning him? )

In my defense, I'm doing an entirely different thing.

[razes]

Fair enough.

[She steps out of the room, away from Oliver so he doesn't eavesdrop, not that he would.]

Want to tell me about it?

[slavophile]

I don't know, is dad sitting right there?

( Kind of. Kind of not. He sort of stumbled into his thing, and he hasn't accepted anything yet. Technically, this thing is over. )

[razes]

He is not.

[She closes the bedroom door behind her.]

He's busy being anxious about how much his children turned out like him.

[slavophile]

Also in my defense, I went after Mia, I just stumbled onto something else. Something that dovetailed into her thing. Mia did talk to dad, right? I'm not holding a grenade to my ear?

( He still needs to check. )

[razes]

Mia did talk to your dad. He's busy trying to track down Constantine to see if he can get more information about this whole Slayer thing.

[Which hopefully provides further proof.]

[slavophile]

Right, this whole once in a generation turned every girl activated once just one dies. ( She sucks in a breath. ) I did some light digging. It's the real deal. Untraceable, but there's been chatter about it going back over twenty years. Why do you think, Mia?