the au where everything goes to shit

It was a sure surprise for the occupant of the little white house to see her twin sister at the front door that night, a max-size U-Haul behind her. The wind gently rustled the many trees of the quiet neighborhood as the full moon filtered through the leaves, highlighting the lawyer's odd eyes as she looked over the ginger before her.

“Zorana...? What are you doing back..?” Valeriya had assumed that her sister had been leading a busy life on the west coast by now, and didn't have the time to return.

“It's a long story... is the basement free?” Zorana looked toward the truck, in the front seat of which sat a copper-skinned girl nearly brought to tears.

“It's as empty as it was when you moved... what happened to that big job opportunity? You were gonna be the chief medical examiner out in Seattle, weren't you?”

“I was, yeah. We'll just say that something very major came up. I'm unsure I can safely take the liberty to explain, not here.”

“Who is that, anyway?”

“A friend, I guess one might say. Someone I met when I was out there. She's... well, she's like me.”

“Oh...” A glint of what seemed to almost be mistrust flashed through Valeriya's eye, though she soon sobered up. “I see.”

“She needed to move as soon as possible, as did I. I have whatever personal belongings we could stuff in the back with me. Among... other things.” Zorana looked away again, before very slowly turning her head toward her twin. There was a scent on the air around her. It was a familiar scent through this trip, the smell of blood on her person. It was unmistakable.

“Is something wrong?”

“...You've been turned.”

Valeriya stepped back a bit. “I- I can explain-”

“Save it Val. If you think I'm gonna come after you, I'm not. It doesn't matter if you're a vampire or not, you can tell me about it later. If anything I'm glad for it. It'll help you understand why I came back. The girl riding shotgun's a ghoul just as well as a wolf. It was an emergency. She was in danger, she and her sister.”

“But.. where is her sister?”

“In the back of the truck.”

“But all I see back there are boxes.”

“Exactly. Get inside, now. I can't risk their safety.” Zorana ushered Valeriya inside and closed the door, looking around for anyone else within. It looked just the same as she remembered it, which was comforting to her.

Valeriya looked her over with a brow raised. “What's got you so pressed that you're in such a hurry, then? Why are they in danger? Did they manage to piss off a Hunter?”

“No, but I'm fairly sure we have one from town tailing us. She's harmless. More concerned about money than about killing folks like us. Prefers to strike deals.”

“Ah, one of those.” Valeriya nodded along. “So if it's not hunters, then what is it?”

“Perhaps you're familiar with the Sabbat.”

Just hearing that word caused Valeriya to stumble backward. “The Sabbat?! You're lucky to be alive!”

“So's everyone else in the truck. They took Seattle. Staked the Prince and took his little buddies for slaves. I got wind by overhearing from someone who hid in the body freezers. Decided that if I was going to flee, I was going to save as many lives as I could in the process.”

“H-how many are in there...?”

“As many as I could fit into the appliance boxes. Wasn't hard to play the 'can't pay my mortgage' card. Really I just let that Hunter have at the things in my house. I don't need it. I have you to live with.”

“So... what's the plan, then...? What are you going to do with them all?”

“Gonna try to get them set up down in the city. Chicago's big, the whole area's big, they won't notice a couple more. The girl in the front's been crying the whole trip. I want to give her some time to cope. Think she's got some head problems. But I can't send the rest down tonight. Tonight I've been driving for twenty-four hours straight. The cooler full of bloodbags I stole from the Seattle morgue is gonna go funky soon. I need to get them all fed before someone frenzies. Need to let her have her monthly feed before the effects wear off. She's been rambling about it.”

“...You've come a long way since you left, you know.” Valeriya smiled a bit. “I'm proud of you.”

“I was just doing what I had to. I couldn't let them die... I wish I could have fit more.”

“Any is enough, Zorana. You've done good.”

“I heard talk some ran up to Victoria. Others went south to San Fransisco. Heard the Baron out there wants to send a part of her mob. They were desperate to run.”

“You're lucky the Sabbat didn't catch you... If they had...”

“I would have gone down fighting. I know you vampires don't like messing with us. I'd be willing to give them a reason to fear werewolves if it meant I at least played the distraction long enough for people to get away. Whatever the body count is, it's not mine to clean up anymore. I just hope I can get my old job at the Lake County morgue back.”

“Your buddies keep calling me and telling me to send you messages.”

“Heh... I'm glad to hear it.” About now, Zorana looked her over. “So... how long has it been..?”

“Hm? Oh... a while now. It's not so bad, really.”

“Mmm. And... what kind?”

“Brujah. Suits me fine, I guess. What else was I gonna be, a Ventrue? Hah, I don't belong with the ponces.”

“So is Grandma still the Prince around here...?”

“Yeah. Still runs these little towns like a well-oiled machine. The ponces say it's impressive for the rabble, but I don't think anyone's really gonna try to question Grandma. She had someone embrace me, actually...”

“I suppose I could see that from her. Glad it's working out for you.”

“It's been okay, yeah. I never liked going out in the day, anyway.”

“Guess there's a reason we called you what we did in high school, huh?”

“Heh... yeah. Anyway, we should let your refugees out of there. They'll be alright here. I've got some spare bloodbags of my own. It's an emergency so I think I can share. Not likely that the Sabbat's gonna tail you if it looked like you were just moving out. They've got no reason to suspect. Gods, I'm so glad you're safe...”

“What would it matter if I wasn't? You know I would have gone down fighting.”

“...I would have missed you, dearly.”

That struck a chord in Zorana's heart, as she reopened the door and stepped up to her truck. Thinking about it resonated with her, it echoed deep into her chest and it rattled her. She knew how closely she had brushed with death, this time.

The girl within looked up when Zorana opened the door. “Huh..?”

“We're here. You're safe now.”

“They won't follow us...?”

“No, they won't. We're going to get you all set up tomorrow night, me and my sister here.”

“She... she smells like-”

“I know. You're probably gonna be living under my grandma for the first couple days. We'll run you guys through her laws tomorrow.” The first of the boxes cracked open, and the refugees within spilled forward onto the small road, stretching out and looking around at their new surroundings as she opened up the cooler in the back seat and passed around the bags to them.

“This town looks absolutely tiny.”

“Yeah... there's bigger towns in either direction, but this is where we live. You're all gonna have to share the basement tonight. I think the windows are still blocked off, so it should be basically sunlight-proof. I don't know if this blood is going to last until then, but I'll try to get more.”

“And... what does that do for me?”

“We'll get some food in the morning. For now I think you should go to your sister and have your monthly feed. Sate the craving and get it done with.”

The other of the pair of twins spoke up to the rapidly amassing crowd of vampires. “If the basement is too crowded, that house, right across the street, is empty, and the one down the road's been for sale for years. No one checks on it. That should be enough room for everyone. You're all lucky to have gotten away and I'm sorry you had to be uprooted so... violently. But you'll be safe here. It's about two in the morning, so I don't think it's early enough that you can find some mortals before sunrise. We have enough to hold you all till tomorrow night. After that, I should be able to give you some maps of the area. Now disperse. Find where you're most comfortable and make yourselves at home. I'm very sorry that you all lost your homes.”

Though there were some questioning murmurs through the crowd, most of them took the rations they were given and went where they were directed, leaving only four left by the truck. Two of them, including the girl, looked as if they were a little busy, which left the twin sisters to themselves to talk.

“So... what now?” Valeriya watched the other pair as they did... whatever odd ritual they thought was necessary. The small one looked way too into that.

“We call Grandma, I suppose. Sure she'd like to know about this. All of it.”

“Mmhm... maybe not right now, though.”

“Why not?”

“You said you were driving for twenty-four hours straight to get here. You deserve to sit down and rest. I admit I don't quite keep food in the house anymore, but I'd be willing to run to the convenience store for you. What's the worst that happens, the Gangrel that works nights recognizes me? I'll make the call after that. You, relax.”

“That sounds like more of an amazing idea than it has any right to, honestly...”

“That's the spirit. Go sit down and relax.”