My brother's keeper. [Heinrich] on At Home

Evelyn Stones

April 30, 2020 2:36 PM

My brother's keeper. [Heinrich] by Evelyn Stones

CW: Allusions to past crimes against child and PTSD, but nothing explicit here.

June and July had gone by in a whirl. Evelyn had started her summer at the McLeods, as she had for a few years now, but this was one of the first times her father had explicitly requested his daughter come home, and Evelyn wasn't sure how to say no to that. She knew how she supposed, and she had no doubt that any of the McLeods would be happy to help her practice that one, but it just felt . . . wrong. Evelyn didn't want to be like either of her parents and both of them were the type of people to give up on others, so Evelyn knew she couldn't do that. Plus, she really did miss her brother, even if he was only sort of her brother due and they had hardly any relationship at all. He was three now and had a personality and everything though, so Evelyn wanted to get to know him. And to check in on him.

While she was, on the whole, sure that her father would not treat her very magical little brother the way he had treated her, she couldn't actually know that beyond all doubt. Ms. Heidi had been kind enough to talk with Evelyn about how she was feeling before she arrived at her dad's house, and Evelyn had taken Professor Wright up on his suggestion to ask the social worker for some sort of trinket to help her sleep a little better. The woman had done one better and actually escorted Evelyn home, drawing an age-line at her door that kept anyone over twenty-five from coming in, exactly as Evelyn had suggested. They had talked about options, because they could've kept all males out, but that would exclude CJ, and Heinrich if he wanted to hang out in or see her room, and a line to keep out biological relatives would keep out CJ and not do much to keep out some of the other folks Evelyn was trying to avoid. It was comforting to know that if there were any signs that Evelyn should be worried about CJ, she could bring him in her room and no one unfriendly would be able to get in. It was a morbid comfort, but one that did help Evelyn sleep that first night.

Plus, Evelyn had been able to see Ms. Heidi. As it turned out, the woman had children of her own, and the oldest would be attending Sonora in the Fall. Evelyn was assured that he would not know who she was because confidentiality was a thing, but that Evelyn could feel free to approach if she wanted. She thought that if someone approached her with a 'hey I know who you are' as a first year, she probably would have thought they were crazy, so she wasn't sure whether she would do that. Still, it was fun to know about, and it made her feel old. She would be a fifth year in the Fall.

After having talked everything out with Kir, with Ness, and with all the other people Evelyn had sort of been backed into telling, she'd decided the first night that she was going to move her bed. This didn't have to be the same room that she had bad memories in, and shoving the meager furniture around would at least make it feel a little less darkly familiar. The deep impressions on the carpet left by her bed frame legs revealed that it was a recent change, but Evelyn had her own scars and thought it was an appropriate reminder.

Evelyn was staying for two weeks at the beginning of August. She thought that it would probably be a very long two weeks, although her first two days revealed that her father had about interest in her as ever and mostly left her to her own devices. She picked up her jogging routine again, and took advantage of the familiar forest, climbing much higher than she would have when she was younger. She was braver now, and the wind in her lungs high above the ocean made her believe it.

She also spent the first few days thinking about a bunch of things and cleaning and being generally anxious. Heinrich had agreed to come stay for a week and she was terrified. They'd had a lovely night at the Ball, but she wasn't sure yet how he felt about her. She was confident at least that they were good friends, and that was the important bit, but she wasn't sure what he was thinking or what he was thinking she was thinking. She thought of her conversation with Kir more often than she would have liked to, but it did help her get some perspective as she considered what she really wanted. Heinrich seemed unlikely to have ulterior motives or undue expectations, but Evelyn was still nervous. The last time a visiting man had slept on the couch . . . well, she didn't need a repeat. Of course, Heinrich coming was so different in so many ways that her only real concern in that regard was whether or not she'd be able to sleep with the sound of unfamiliar people in the house. She might not be able to sleep anyway, with her dad there, so she figured it wouldn't be any great loss.

Instead, Evelyn focused on the positives. She was going to get to show Heinrich the beach that she'd modeled that MARS room after all those years ago, and she was going to get to show him what movies were. There was a 1953 film called "Tumbleweed," but that seemed a little on the nose and she wasn't actually sure whether it was any good. So she'd decided that he could pick, probably based solely on the appeal of the covers, but still. She was excited and nervous and feeling all the things when she woke up on the morning Heinrich was meant to arrive. She'd been at her father's for four days so far, with no terrible things happening. Well, mostly.

Mathias Stones had, at first, seemed suspicious. He'd looked at her like he was waiting for her to say something or ask something, and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be asking. She wondered briefly at whoever Nathaniel's friend was, but she doubted a friend of his would be dumb enough to get in touch with her father after she told them not to, and her father hadn't brought it up so she certainly wasn't going to. He'd seemed more nervous than anything, though, and he and Ms. Heidi had exchanged terse looks but said nothing, so Evelyn didn't have a lot to go on.

As the days wore on, his demeanor changed to a bit more of his usual self. He was short-tempered, but not violent, and disinterested, if not entirely absent. There were no longer any signs around the house that Evelyn's mother had ever lived there, except a family photo taken with Evelyn when she was a toddler, with bright shining eyes. It was a Muggle photograph and didn't move, which Evelyn thought she probably preferred in this case.

Her father's tension didn't seem to have risen as hers did with the advent of Heinrich's arrival, and Evelyn had high hopes it would remain that way. She hadn't told him that Heinrich knew anything at all, or that she had asked if he'd like to come and just tried not to sound desperate to have someone there. She also hadn't told him that they'd gone to the Ball together, or anything other than the fact that they were friends from school.

Evelyn got out of bed, showered, and got dressed in a pair of jean shorts and an orange tank top, figuring she should be first and foremostly comfortable. She sat down for a breakfast of cereal as her father joined her in the kitchen. He dug around in the fridge for a moment before grabbing a jar of jam and making himself some toast.

"You know," he said his tone almost teasing. "I cleared Charles James' stuff out of your room before you got here so you could have some space." Evelyn wondered if he'd known she wouldn't let him in and childcare required better access to his baby. She watched him silently as he turned and leaned on the counter, smiling wryly at her. "Heinrich doesn't have to sleep on the couch if he doesn't want to."

Evelyn paused, looking at her father with a blank expression. What was he suggesting? She was torn between the feeling that her skin was crawling right off her body, and the sudden desire to have Heinrich sleep anywhere that meant she knew where he was for sure and that she was otherwise alone for sure.

"I want him to," she said, trying to think of what Kir and Ness would say. "The couch is fine."

Her father clucked his tongue and went about putting the bread and jam away. "You don't have to be such a prude, Lyn, I know what teenagers get up to."

Evelyn's face flushed red. She was pretty sure from his tone that he was trying to just have a normal conversation, but it only made her realize how little he understood about his impact on her life. "Heinrich is my friend," she said, pushing her half-finished cereal away and rinsing it in the sink. "I should wait outside so he can find it easier." She turned to leave but stopped when her father caught her wrist.

"Hey, I'm just joking," he said sternly, looking at her squarely. "You don't have to take everything so seriously. Go wait for your not boyfriend then."

He let go of her wrist and made for his own room back up the hallway, passing CJ as he toddled out, grinning. Evelyn forced a smile at her baby brother who didn't need to know what fear or discomfort was yet, and reached out for his hand.

"Do you want to hold my hand? We can wait outside for Heinrich."

"Up up!" he insisted instead.

"Okay," Evelyn said, smiling a bit more naturally now. "Up up." Together, with her brother on her hip, Evelyn made her way outside to sit in the front yard, where she was determined to teach CJ how to make daisy chains until her friend arrived, at which point smiling would be much easier.

22 Evelyn Stones My brother's keeper. [Heinrich] 1422 1 5

Heinrich Hexenmeister

May 05, 2020 12:28 PM

Uncle Karl declined that job by Heinrich Hexenmeister

Hilda had told Karl that Heinrich danced with Evelyn at the ball, and that it had been 'a date'. Karl had already been half-sure Heinrich Liked Evelyn, and between Hilda's ball report and Heinrich asking permission to visit her for a week in August, Karl seemed to have confirmed that idea in his head. This was why Heinrich had to sit through Karl telling him about social dating customs in both the US and Germany (Heinrich was reasonably certain this had only ever been academic knowledge for Karl), how gentlemen behaved toward women (which, Dark Wizard or not, was something Heinrich had more or less picked up less formally from watching his father), and a factual biology lesson on how babies were made (this had started innocuously enough in regard to breeding snakes, but then had sharply veered toward How People Were Different From Snakes) and that Heinrich should refrain from taking any of the initiation steps in that process when he visited his girlfriend this August.

Heinrich hadn't even known how to even begin to respond to any of it. Promising not to reproduce had been the easiest part, not least because he wasn't so sure that Evelyn even was his girlfriend. They'd used the word 'date' for the ball, but they hadn't ventured any further into that territory than that. The likelihood of reaching a point of reproduction in their relationship in just one week was slim to none, even if Heinrich thought that was a direction both of them wanted to go. At this point, he wasn't sure that either of them wanted that. Certainly not yet. They weren't even sixteen yet. He still had two more years at Sonora and Evelyn had three.

All too quickly, the summer passed, and it was August. Heinrich had his bag packed and it was time to go. A flicker of nerves fluttered through his stomach. He'd agreed to do this partly because he wanted to see Evelyn over the break. The other part was because Evelyn had sounded like she needed the extra support around her father, and Heinrich was more than a little concerned about the situation he was about to walk into. But he could and would do this for Evelyn.

"Ready?" Karl asked, and Heinrich nodded. "Next summer, this time, you'll be nearly old enough to do this yourself," his Uncle remarked. Heinrich nodded again. Karl looked over at Hilda and Hans. "You two are sure you'll be alright for an hour?"

"We'll be fine, Uncle Karl," Hans promised.

Karl repeated the inquiry in German, and Hilda's confused expression cleared. She nodded firmly, and made her assurances in their native tongue. "I'm fourteen, Uncle. I can watch Hans for one hour."

Karl looked between his younger wards one more time, then nodded, and the two elder Hexemeisters apparated away. When the world resolved around them again, they were no longer in a barren part of Utah, but a pleasant area of some coastal Pacific town. Even after only two months since leaving Sonora, the amount of greenery suddenly around him was startling. Karl looked at a map. "This way, I think," he said, and they walked down the road, making a few turns from the nearby public apparition point until they reached a residential street matching the name of the one they'd been told Evelyn lived on.

"Oh!" Heinrich spotted her first, sitting in a yard making daisy chains with a little kid who had to be younger than Hans had been when they moved to American. He'd known Evelyn's little brother was basically a baby when he first heard about him, but he'd still imagined the kid being, well, older. "That's Evelyn," he pointed her out to Karl, and they picked up their pace.

"Evelyn!" he called once they reached hailing distance. He smiled as he caught a look at her face. She didn't look particularly traumatized, and neither did her little brother, so he hoped that meant nothing too bad wolf had happened while she'd been here without him.

"Hi," he said, as they closed to conversational range. "This is my Uncle Karl. Uncle Karl, this is Evelyn." He looked between them, mildly worried about how they might change their perceptions of him based on each other. Uncle Karl, with his wild long hair and thin, scraggly, greying facial hair was about as far distant from Heinrich's fastidiously well-groomed and neatly trimmed appearance as it was possible to be and still share a minor family resemblance. Evelyn was . . . probably not what Uncle Karl was picturing for Heinrich's girlfriend either.

1 Heinrich Hexenmeister Uncle Karl declined that job 1414 0 5

Evelyn Stones

May 05, 2020 12:46 PM

That seems like a good choice. by Evelyn Stones

The sound of her own name in a familiar, friendly voice made Evelyn's heart do a whole bunch of flips. For one, she had become very focused on her daisy chains (her second one as the first one had become a crown and was atop her head), and CJ's quiet murmurings, and was startled by the sound. Second, she was all sorts of nervous for this week and her conversation with her father hadn't made that any easier. Hearing her name meant the week had begun, and her nerves decided to somehow increase - because it was real and it was happening and here was the week to find out whether Heinrich wanted to be her friend once he knew her better - and relax some - because everything was going to suck less now.

Evelyn extended her legs, rising from her criss-cross applesauce position, and gestured to CJ. This would be the one time in his life CJ ever did anything slowly. She resisted the urge to tell him to hurry and he finally got to his own feet about the same time Heinrich and a man who must be Uncle Karl - which the former quickly confirmed - approached.

"It's wonderful to meet you," Evelyn said, beaming at Heinrich's uncle and extending a hand to shake. She wasn't about to tell him how much she adored him, but for having raised three wonderful kids after a terrible thing happened and cared for and loved them like they were his own, she would never not adore him. He was good wolf rough and through. "And wonderful to see you," she added, smiling a little more softly at Heinrich. She couldn't help searching his face to make sure he was okay, and he did seem okay. He even seemed happy, if a little on edge perhaps. She understood that feeling well.

"This is CJ. Well, Charles James, but that's a mouthful. Say hi, Ceej," Evelyn said to introduce the toddler who had let go of her hand and decided to cling to her leg instead. She was surprised to find out that her brother was shy, but hadn't actually seen him interact with anyone but herself, her father, and Ms. Heidi. How often did he spend time with anyone else? Particularly since none of those three spent very much time with him. That was sad. "Do you remember me telling you that Heinrich was going to come visit?" she prompted.

CJ peeked out from behind Evelyn's leg, considering the faces of the two men he'd never met before. He seemed fascinated with Uncle Karl, which made sense since he'd probably never seen a beard before, but his eyes lit up with some semblance of recognition when he looked a little more closely at Heinrich.

"Fwiend!" CJ cooed, grinning and toddling towards the younger Hexenmeister, any shyness left behind him.

Evelyn laughed, surprised to see the change in her brother. Of course, she sort of had the urge to grin and bubble over to Heinrich as well. She glanced over her shoulder as another thought crossed her mind. Uncle Karl would probably want to know that he wasn't leaving his nephew in the hands of a girl and her brother, with no adult supervision for a week, right? That's what parents and things were supposed to do?

"My dad is inside," Evelyn said a little more hesitantly, a faint blush giving away her nerves. "If you'd like to meet him, I can have him come out? Or you can come in. I'm happy to get drinks for you both?"

22 Evelyn Stones That seems like a good choice. 1422 0 5

Heinrich Hexenmeister

May 05, 2020 7:02 PM

He thought so too by Heinrich Hexenmeister

Karl smiled and shook Evelyn's hand. "Glad to meet the person who finally pulled Heinrich out of his shell," he told her, his words accented, but only very mildly compared to the other Hexenmeisters Evelyn knew.

Heinrich did not think this was a fair statement. Karl lived like a hermit in the desert. Heinrich had seen him talk to one person who wasn't family in all the time he'd known his uncle (other than Evelyn right now; Evelyn doubled the number of non-family members Karl had made physical contact with in the last five years so far as Heinrich knew). Karl had no business criticizing Heinrich's early lack of friends.

The start of a frown that had been forming on Heinrich's face reversed into a pleased smile when Evelyn directed her attention over to him and said it was wonderful to see him. "You, too," he agreed. Karl nodded approvingly at him. They'd been working on getting Heinrich to sound more like a normal American teenager using conversational English this summer. Again, Heinrich didn't know where Karl got his authority on that subject, but he did seem to be solidly fluent in the language, and Heinrich hadn't been able to spot anything wrong with his teaching so far, based on his own Sonora experiences.

Someday, Heinrich thought, he was going to have to have a long conversation with his uncle about his first years in the States. The only reason he hadn't already was because he was afraid there might be mentions of his own parents, and he was not ready to face their ghosts in Karl's life yet. He was still dealing with their echoes in his own.

Evelyn introduced her brother, and Heinrich's eyes widened in mild alarm as the toddler rushed at him. If it had been six years ago with Hans, he'd have knelt down to catch the kid and hug him tight, but this was now, and this wasn't Hans, and Heinrich stood frozen where he was. As the little arms wrapped around his legs, he patted the kid on the head, and said awkwardly, "Hey, there, CJ."

"Good," Karl approved verbally, sounding very pleased. "Very good." The worst part was that Heinrich wasn't sure if he was talking about his English this time or not. Karl could be infuriatingly non-specific like that.

"Yes," Karl agreed, when Evelyn invited them in to meet her dad and get drinks. "Some water would be good before I apparate back to the desert. Thank you."

1 Heinrich Hexenmeister He thought so too 1414 0 5

Evelyn Stones

May 05, 2020 9:02 PM

I think it would be good for CJ if I kept him though. by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn smirked a little at Uncle Karl's comments about her having pulled Heinrich out of his shell. Whether or not that was true, it felt good to have confirmation that she'd had some influence on her friend's life. "I don't know," she teased. "Heinrich's made a name for himself in Quidditch and DnD. Maybe I was just around at the right time." Her eyes danced with humor when she looked at Heinrich again, both because she thought that he must be terribly uncomfortable and because he was being terribly cute. He was such a genuinely nice human and Evelyn couldn't begin to be like that. He was always himself, even when a toddler demanded his attention, and he was always polite, even when his uncle was subtly teasing him.

"CJ just turned three a few months ago," she said softly. Although Evelyn hadn't known that her mother was pregnant at the time, CJ had been born right around the time Heinrich and Evelyn shared a streusel at the fair during her first year. She wondered whether Heinrich would do the math on that. He knew she had a little brother and he knew her mom had left but he may not have realized that the very day they shared an accidental nap in MARS was the day Evelyn found out that her mother had left. All the little pieces fit together in a very messy, bittersweet puzzle.

She wasn't totally sure what it was that Heinrich's uncle thought was very good, but she thought it was very sweet of him to say so. He sounded so proud of Heinrich and there was no doubt that the man loved his nephew, even if neither the elder nor younger Hexenmeister were particularly demonstrative of such things. She thought of Heinrich's comment that she hugged better than Uncle Karl and had to stifle a smirk.

"Sure," Evelyn said with a practiced smile, gesturing for them to come up the walkway to the front door. They were going to come in and meet Evelyn's father. This was inevitable on Heinrich's side, as her dad would certainly be around over the next week, but it was a conversation she'd been hoping to avoid with Uncle Karl. Really, she hadn't even anticipated that it might be a thing to try to avoid. She reached out to CJ and pointed out the ground where they'd been sitting.

"Go pick up your daisies," she told him. "Then we'll go inside."

CJ's shyness truly seemed to have left him because he was perfectly chipper now and went to do as he was told with a smile on his face. She wasn't sure whether he really understood the concept of a week, but she was glad that he didn't seem to mind Heinrich at all.

When the toddler had finished, Evelyn took his hand and glanced up at Heinrich. She wanted so badly to ask him what Uncle Karl knew and she had to keep reminding herself that even if he knew everything Heinrich knew, neither of them knew what others knew. Ms. Heidi knew everything and she'd left Evelyn there, so it obviously couldn't be all that bad. If someone who knew the whole story hadn't seen fit to take Evelyn out of the situation - or hadn't found Evelyn worth the trouble - then Heinrich and Uncle Karl probably wouldn't find it in them to hex her father in his own house, right? She wasn't sure whether she'd mind if they did, except that it would be bad for CJ.

Evelyn led the way from beside them, never preferring to have people walking behind her if she could help it. The house was a simple beachy home with grey wood paneling and an angled roof. The sound of the ocean crashing on the other side emphasized the coastal location as well. The air here always smelled like salt and seaweed, and it was a comforting smell for Evelyn, despite everything.

She pushed open the front door and let CJ into the living room. Toys were put away with some degree of neatness in a basket at one end of the nearest couch, and the longer of the two sofas faced them, set up between the half wall into the kitchen. The kitchen was probably the only really large thing about the house, as the only bedrooms were Evelyn's and her father's. The television was set up in the corner of the room to the left of the door so it was visible from either sofa, or from the island in the kitchen. A door in the back of the kitchen led out to a small backyard and paths that led either to the woods or to the beach, and that was usually far more entertaining than movies, although Evelyn was excited for both this week. Her own room was to their right, one of only two doors on that wall.

"The bathroom is on the left," she said, pointing in case they needed to know where it was. Certainly Heinrich would. "Feel free to have a seat at the island," she added, gesturing as they entered the kitchen. They had a fancy fridge with crushed ice and water on the door, so Evelyn poured each of the guests a drink and then got a smaller cup for CJ and passed it to him. "I'll go get my dad," she smiled, still a practiced expression. She disappeared down the hallway off of the kitchen, in search of her father. She supposed the house could have been three bedrooms, as there was an office back her too, but it didn't have a closet so it really wasn't a bedroom. She was glad that her dad was there instead of in his bedroom.

"Heinrich and his uncle are here," she told him, after a short knock on the door frame. She leaned against the wall there and folded her hands together. "Karl. I said I'd introduce you."

Her dad rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure you were just so thrilled to introduce me," he said, pushing himself out of his wing-backed chair and crossing the room. "Does your not-boyfriend live with his uncle then?"

"Yes," Evelyn replied, bristling.

Her dad nodded, his business expression coming out. At least Evelyn knew that meant he'd be polite. "Why are you wearing flowers on your head?" he asked, eyeing the daisy chain. He seemed thoughtful for a moment, but didn't say whatever had crossed his mind. Somehow, it felt a little bit like a victory for Evelyn, and she almost wanted to ask what he was thinking.

Evelyn's dad led the way back to the kitchen, his daughter following behind. Mathias Stones wasn't an extremely tall man, but he was nearly a foot taller than Evelyn and it was irritating to her that he made her look even smaller. Of course, she was tiny next to Heinrich, too, but that was comforting and sweet somehow.

"Karl?" He smiled, holding out a hand to the older Hexenmeister. "I'm Mathias. Pleasure to meet you. You must be Heinrich," he added to the younger. His smile was sweet and perfect and exactly the reason no one ever listened to Evelyn about him. People who met him first thought she was probably making things up and Sonora had been a really nice change of pace in that regard. "Lyn's told me a lot about you, it's nice to have you stay with us."

Evelyn couldn't help raising an eyebrow and looking up at her father's back with some indignation, as she hadn't told him anything about Heinrich, even that they'd attended the Ball together. Her eyes went next to Heinrich to see whether he caught her expression. She really wanted to assure him that she hadn't told him a thing, since she was never here to tell him anything anyway. But she was quiet; old habits die hard.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her father put his arm around her shoulders, something she couldn't ever remember him doing. Her instinct was to shrink, but she was well aware both that Heinrich was there and she didn't want to seem like a coward to him, and that his uncle was there and she didn't want to give him any reason not to let Heinrich stay. Although, she was beginning to wonder if perhaps Heinrich's presence would only be fodder for her dad.

"She's a good one," Mathias said, smiling easily. Evelyn realized then that his business expression wasn't because he was trying to impress Heinrich and Karl, it was because he was trying to sell to them. "She's grown up so much since she first went off to Sonora. I swear she's getting prettier every year."

22 Evelyn Stones I think it would be good for CJ if I kept him though. 1422 0 5

Karl Hexenmeister

May 06, 2020 8:31 AM

Mine may have benefited as well, or I may have turned out worse. Hard telling. by Karl Hexenmeister

Karl watched as the little boy ran up to Heinrich and gave his legs a hug. Heinrich reached down and patted the kid's head, and spoke in casual dialect. "Good," Karl said, feeling like Heinrich's English had come a long way even since the beginning of the summer. The German accent wasn't quite as strong either, though it was still prominent. But what pleased him more was the toddler's obvious and unfiltered affection. It would do Heinrich worlds of good to be exposed to that for a week. "Very good." Hans was picking up bad habits from Karl and wasn't nearly as demonstrative as he had been a few years back. Humans needed touch, and Heinrich did not initiate.

Watching the two teens, he saw that his worries about a new generation of Hexenmeisters turning up nine months from this week was clearly premature. They did not jump into each other's arms. They didn't even reach for each other. If they were dating, it was still very early in the relationship, and he felt he could trust Heinrich's natural reserve enough to believe nothing untoward was likely to occur during this visit. His inability to break rules sealed any lingering doubts, and Karl had been clear about what was and wasn't allowed during this week away.

As premature as they probably were, Karl did not regret giving the boy those warnings. Heinrich was a good kid, smart and retentive. Karl would not be required to revisit that lecture with him, so it was relieving to have that done and over with. Only a few booster comments ought to be necessary from here on out, and those would be much easier and less awkward to deliver.

They headed inside, and Karl was more surprised than he probably should have been that the home was equipped with muggle technology. He tried not to goggle too much at the thing that spit out ice and water into a cup just by holding one inside the square inset.

Soon enough, Evelyn returned with her father, and Karl shook the man's hand. "Good to meet you, Mathias," he said. He was not terribly concerned with what Evelyn might have told her father. Heinrich was not one to share family secrets lightly, so even if he had shared details about his parents to his girlfriend, he would only have done so knowing she would keep his confidence. More likely she had talked about the Ball and Heinrich's other activities, like the Quidditch and Diandee (whatever that was; he should ask about it when Heinrich got home) that she had mentioned out front.

He did not miss the way Evelyn squirmed uncomfortably under her father's arm, and he could relate. Heinrich had not approved of hugs or casual physical contact from Karl either, though he had mostly chalked that up to Karl impinging on privileges reserved only for the boy's real father. Maybe it was just the age. Heck, Heinrich said they had the same birthday. Maybe it was the astrological sign.

"Heinrich, too," he agreed to the notion of children growing quickly, especially when they spent so much time out of sight at Sonora. "I barely recognize him from the boy who turned up on my doorstep when he was not quite eleven." Heinrich was giving him a dour look look again, but Karl could ignore it. The fact of Karl being Heinrich's guardian was not a secret anyone was trying to keep, only the circumstances of it.

1 Karl Hexenmeister Mine may have benefited as well, or I may have turned out worse. Hard telling. 0 Karl Hexenmeister 0 5

Evelyn Stones

May 06, 2020 10:10 AM

You're good wolf though. That's the important part. by Evelyn Stones

Evelyn's father nodded wistfully. "Ah, eleven seems like only yesterday," he smiled, letting go of Evelyn and leaning against the island opposite Karl. Evelyn remained on the side, between the Hexenmeisters and her father, nearest Heinrich. She wondered whether it was a protective instinct that put her there or the need to be protected that put her there. For her part, she tried not to think about being eleven. With her birthday coming up, it was five years ago right around this week that dad had gotten a promotion and she'd been required to stay home another year from Sonora. She would've started with Heinrich if that weren't the case, although she probably would have been more a mess than she was when she did eventually start the following year.

"It's good of you to bring Heinrich all the way out here. Lyn's pretty happy on her own, so anyone she wants to spend time with must be a good one," Mathias continued, his business smile still firmly in place. Maybe it would get stuck there. Evelyn decided not to point out that she'd been voted most friendly or some such one year, and that she was generally known as a social person. She was only on her own at home because there was no one else to be with. "I'm sure it'll be a fun week."

Evelyn remained quiet. During breakfast, it had been perfectly easy to be angry and defiant, although she knew her defiance was mostly small acts for her own sanity. Now, the anger seemed to have drained from her and she was just begging various pantheons to end this conversation sooner rather than later. Everyone was on such a different page and Evelyn was the only one holding the whole book; she didn't want the pressure of thinking of everyone right now. It made her hands feel tingly, the surefire sign of magic just brimming at the surface, ready to come out at the slightest provocation, and she balled resisted the urge to shake them out. Instead, she focused on breathing, just like Professor Wright had taught her.

CJ toddled back into the kitchen, his water cup empty, and giggled excitedly. "Fwiend!" he exclaimed. "Fun fwiend." He made his way around the island again, passing his sister in favor of Heinrich again. Evelyn was happy about that but also thought it was a bit rude that he was leaving her in the dust. At least they had a mutual favorite person. If CJ wanted to follow them around all the time though . . .

When Evelyn looked up from her brother to her father to see why he'd stopped talking, she found his face was partly slack and he looked surprised. "He's never done that before," he said thoughtfully. Then he shook his head. "Just further confirmation that you must be a good kid, Heinrich." He checked his watch, flashing the silver accessory a little more blatantly than was really necessary, although it was probably just habit at this point. "I've got another meeting in about ten minutes, but it's a pleasure meeting you both. Thanks again," he added the last to Uncle Karl before extending a hand to shake both Hexenmeisters' hands again and leaving back up the hall.

"He works a lot," Evelyn said by way of apology for her father's abruptness. "But he works from home, so he's here still."

22 Evelyn Stones You're good wolf though. That's the important part. 1422 0 5

Heinrich Hexenmeister

May 06, 2020 12:03 PM

We have to be. by Heinrich Hexenmeister

Heinrich didn't like Evelyn's dad. He was a bad wolf. Heinrich knew this because Evelyn said so. Seeing him look like a good wolf didn't prove anything. Heinrich's parents had looked like good wolves, too. He kept checking Karl's expression and body language to see if he was catching on, or if the disguise was actually good and it wasn't just Heinrich who couldn't see it. But Karl seemed friendly and unaware, so it must be a good acting job this time. Karl had seen through Dad's false guise, after all.

But Karl knew his own brother a lot better than he knew Evelyn's dad, so that wasn't an entirely fair comparison.

Heinrich narrowed his eyes as Mr. Stones put his arm around Evelyn, but held his peace because, even though she clearly didn't like it and he wasn't obeying proper consent checking before touching (a point covered by Cleo very directly and by Karl's Dos and Don'ts in not so many words but definitely implied), Heinrich didn't know that this was the right time to make a big deal about it, or if it even applied to Dads as well as Dates. He thought it should.

He was glad when Mr. Stones let her go and she came to stand closer to him.

"Heinrich also keeps to himself most of the time," Karl agreed. "I was glad when he finally started talking about one of his classmates instead of just his classwork." Karl smiled at Evelyn while Heinrich frown at him. This was not necessary to discuss. If Karl said anything about dating in front of Evelyn, nevermind her dad, he was going to die.

Fortunately the kid came running back into the kitchen just then, diverting attention to himself, and then dismayingly, to Heinrich again when he ran up like he was Hansel. Worse, it didn't sound like this was just CJ's normal behavior either. Heinrich was special. Though he guessed there were worse things than 'being a good kid' that he could be called out on. He still felt his face warm embarrassingly.

But then adults were clearing out, thank Merlin. Mr. Stones was going back to work and Uncle Karl was offering his gratitude (probably for the water, and possibly for inviting Heinrich over, he was being vague and non-specific again) and taking his leave, citing the younger Hexenmeisters left home on their own, and then he was gone, too, leaving Heinrich alone with the Stones siblings.

He sipped at his own water again, and then asked, toeing the blue luggage bag he'd put down on the kitchen floor next to him. "Where should I put my stuff that is less in the way?"

1 Heinrich Hexenmeister We have to be. 1414 0 5

Evelyn Stones

May 06, 2020 12:21 PM

We have to teach ourselves. by Evelyn Stones

If everything weren't so terribly uncomfortable with the four and a half of them in the kitchen, Evelyn would have thought it was very funny that Karl smiled at Evelyn and Heinrich frowned at Karl and Evelyn's dad glanced at Evelyn and Evelyn looked at Heinrich. It was a big curvy thing. But CJ was also looking at Heinrich and it somehow served to end the conversation which was fabulous.

Everyone said their goodbyes all politely and then it was just Evelyn and Heinrich and CJ, and Evelyn let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She wanted to apologise to Heinrich but wasn't sure what for in words, and wasn't sure she really needed to. He understood. He'd probably be upset if she apologised for being uncomfortable because he was nice like that and Ness always sort of seemed upset when Evelyn apologised for those things. Evelyn took the opportunity to get herself a glass of water and leaned against the counter opposite Heinrich.

"Oh, yes!" she said, completely having forgotten his luggage. It did bring up an awkward point though. "So my plan was to have you sleep on the couch, like I said in my letter. Again, sorry about that. Small house." She leaned away from the island and led the way into the living room, gesturing at the longer of the two couches, since Heinrich was giant. She paused and put her arms down, feeling silly. "However, my dad told me to ask you if you'd like to sleep in a sleeping bag or camping cot in my room instead." Her cheeks turned red. "If I don't ask, he will. And either way is probably fine."

She wasn't exactly sure whether she wanted Heinrich to sleep in her room or not. She was pretty sure she did not, but it would save any concerns over having her father come out to chat with him in the middle of the night. Plus if Heinrich needed anything in the middle of the night, he wouldn't scare her so much if he came to ask. "There's uh . . . there's an age line. So you could get in, CJ can get in, I could get in, but older adults can't." She pointed to her doorway, as if they might be able to see the charm Ms. Heidi had left. "So you can put your bag in my room, or by the couch." She smiled more easily, finding that she was feeling a bit like she always felt around Heinrich: comfortable. For all that everything was weird right now, it was nice to be comfortable. "And hey, thanks for coming," she smiled. "It's really nice to see you."

She gave him time to decide where he wanted his bag, where he wanted to sleep, and to settle for a moment before taking a breath and starting the first day of a week long foray into question mark land. "What would you like to do?" she asked. "We can go to the beach. We could watch a movie, but I thought that might be good after dark. We can go to the woods, or to town. Whatever you'd like."

22 Evelyn Stones We have to teach ourselves. 1422 0 5

Evelyn Stones

May 14, 2020 1:05 PM

The face of adversity. by Evelyn Stones

OOC - Co-written with Heinrich's author.
IC -

The week was coming to a close, which was really hard to believe. So far, Evelyn had shown Heinrich the beach that inspired the one they’d napped on, they’d watched several movies (which was very cute and very entertaining for Evelyn to witness), and they’d spent a lot of time walking around town and looking at the little shops. Evelyn’s favorite times were the simple quiet ones though. Heinrich was easy to talk to and they could just sit together on the coast and chat, or else in her dad’s kitchen, or wherever else struck their fancy. It was easy to enjoy their time together most of the time, and CJ was always excited when they chose to do so at the house or on the rarer occasions when they took him along with them. As much as Evelyn loved her brother, despite hardly knowing him, she didn’t necessarily want him around every moment she got to spend with her very handsome friend.

Since Mathias was generally a terrible cook anyway, Evelyn made their dinners for the week, usually taking a plate into her father’s office to avoid him needing to come out. Sometimes he did anyway, but he was only ever as weird as he’d been the first day the Hexenmeisters had come and Evelyn had taken to standing far enough away that he couldn’t put his arm around her again.

She was doing exactly that when he came into the kitchen as Evelyn was making grilled cheese and tomato soup for Heinrich, herself, and CJ. Her laughter cut off as Mathias stepped around the corner and leaned against the counter nearest the stove. Since her options were let the grilled cheese burn and avoid her father but draw attention to that fact, or keep cooking and risk contact, Evelyn chose the latter.

Mathias eyes looked between them before he nodded at the couch, where the nightly blankets had been neatly folded and stacked to make more room to sit there, should anyone want to.

“You’re a better young man than me,” he grinned. “If I’d had a girl like this invite me over and the offer to sleep in her room was on the table, I wouldn’t have been able to keep myself on the couch,” he said, jerking his thumb toward Evelyn and giving her a meaningful once over. If he’d been closer to Heinrich, he might’ve elbowed him in some semblance of a wink wink. Evelyn dropped the spatula, surprised and angry. He’d been mostly not terrible all week and now he was going to make this weird? “Except she’s so clumsy,” he added angrily, watching Evelyn pick up the spatula.

Heinrich stared at the man with a very clear mixture of offended shock and horrified censure. This, this, was not the sort of thing Fathers should be saying about their daughters. Heinrich felt he was on good authority to believe that, in an alternate universe where Dad was not in prison, if anyone even thought about doing such things to Hilda while they were under his roof, they would die. They would die badly. And they would not die quickly. And it might be the first time his parents killed someone for fun and not just profit. And then they’d go to jail in that reality but they’d think it was worth it. And Hilda would never forgive them.

Because that’s what parents did. They protected their kids. They protected them from outside threats, and they protected them from their own poor choices like sharing a room with their presumed boyfriend.

Mr. Stones was a terrible parent. He’d known that before. It was even more apparent now.

Evelyn stood up with the spatula clutched to her chest, looking between her father and Heinrich and hoping to Hades if she had to that neither of them would pull their wand on the other. Heinrich's parents had nothing to do with this worry of hers, it was because Heinrich absolutely would have been justified in doing so. On her father's part, it was because it wouldn't have been the first time he'd done so.

Heinrich’s eyes narrowed in anger. Evelyn deserved so much better than this slimy creep for a dad. She had an age line on her bedroom door so he couldn’t beat her. She got berated for being clumsy when she dropped things with perfect justification when her dad implied - no, he flat out stated - that he would have happily gone around sleeping with girls he wasn’t married to with their fathers right down the hall. Talk about things you don’t want to know about your father. He’d thought being an international dark wizard assassin had been bad.

He did not reach for his wand, but that had more to do with the fact that he didn’t want to scare CJ than because he was still underaged. “That would be disrespectful,” he stated tightly instead as Evelyn's eyes widened in shock, “and irresponsible, and I have nothing but respect for Evelyn,” and none for you, he did not say, but felt it was somewhat implied, “and her consent to that arrangement was not clear and explicit enough to accept an offer that came from you and not her.” He had thought that was strange at the time. It was downright disgusting now.

A mix of dull horror and dull gratitude made Evelyn's face almost blank, except for the dampness in her eyes. No one had ever stood up to her father for her before, in part because there hadn't been that many people around to hear her father talk to her this way - or about her, as the case may be - and she was surprised. She also felt very warm and cared for. And scared. She wasn't sure what her father's stance on retaliation was, but she had to stay here several days after Heinrich left, and who was to say how terrible he could make those days?

Mathias raised an eyebrow at Heinrich and put his hands up in mock surrender. He wasn't about to stoop to insulting this kid just because he had fantasy ideas of what chivalry and respect looked like, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Didn't realize this was such a touchy subject," he drawled, rolling his eyes. "What, teenagers can't even get off without running in circles about what everyone else thinks about it? Boys will be boys, kid, you do what you want."

22 Evelyn Stones The face of adversity. 1422 Evelyn Stones 0 5

Heinrich Hexenmeister

May 14, 2020 1:08 PM

Good wolves are better than bad wolves. by Heinrich Hexenmeister

OOC: Continuation of the co-write BIC:

Heinrich bit his lower lip until it hurt, trying to decide if it would do more harm or good to argue the point. It seemed like the man was just saying his piece before leaving and Heinrich wanted nothing more than to see the back of him. But what he said was wrong and the Aladren in him wanted to correct it.

Mathias turned to reach for the bowl of fruit that was on the other side of Evelyn from where he was standing, picking an apple and leaning close enough to Evelyn for her to have to choose either to shrink out of his way or let them bump into each other. She practically climbed on the counter to avoid the latter, and Mathias paused for a moment, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" he growled quietly. "You're upsetting your guest."

With that, he withdrew and left the room again, and Evelyn let out a big shaky breath. She blinked to clear her eyes, willing herself not to cry in front of Heinrich, to be brave and strong and stoic, but her trembling gave it away.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly to Heinrich. "I'm so sorry, you shouldn't have to see that."

“You shouldn’t have to deal with, with, that,” Heinrich said, waving an angry hand at where her poor excuse for a father had gone. English failed him. Merlin, even German failed him. He’d been too young to learn properly insulting curse words in his native tongue. He scowled at Mathias’ office door. “My parents are superior human beings.”

Evelyn nodded mutely. Just don't cry. Just don't cry. Just dont-- ah, stupid tears. She turned to the grilled cheese and poked them a little with the spatula, suddenly not hungry at all. But they weren't burned, so she plated them up and smiled a little at CJ, who seemed blissfully unaware of most things. She poured the soup for herself and Heinrich.

"Thank you," Evelyn murmured to Heinrich, wiping her face as subtly as she could manage.

Heinrich looked down at CJ when Evelyn did, and took the opportunity to give his schoolmate a little bit of space. He opened his arms and the kid came running. As the week had progressed, Heinrich had gotten more used to the kid’s open affection, and he picked the kid up now almost like he’d been born to it. “You,” he said, addressing the kid and bopping him lightly on the nose, “need to get away from him, too. Those are very corrosive opinions your dad has. You need to be good to people. Good wolves are better than bad wolves, CJ.”

CJ babbled happily in response. “Be good,” he agreed.

It was sort of amazing seeing how comfortable Heinrich had become with CJ. Evelyn couldn’t help smiling a bit when she saw them interact, but it also broke her heart to think that Heinrich was the first decent male CJ had ever met as far as she knew.

“I wish I could get him out of here,” Evelyn said quietly. “I was thinking about that. When I’m seveeventeen, I’ll still have another year at Sonora. But when I’m graduated . . . it would be good to get him a better home.”

Heinrich nodded in agreement. “Sooner is better. Next summer, he will be Hansel’s age when we left Germany. Hansel likes Karl the best of us. Hansel speaks the best English. Older is harder to change. Habits, ways of thinking, already exist. Will Mr. Stones let you just take him?”

It was a good question. If it had been a child like herself, Evelyn had no doubt that her dad would’ve been perfectly happy to give her to any willing takers. In some ways, he had been. But CJ was his redemption arc and his second chance. That being said, he was going it alone this time, and certainly didn’t seem to be missing Evelyn’s mom too much, so perhaps he’d be happier as a bachelor. The man with the tragic backstory and the kids who abandoned him. He could play it up for attention, no doubt. Better way to get a promotion anyway.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted finally. “He likes him a lot more than he likes me.” She tried to avoid using the toddler’s name in case he suddenly decided to pay attention a little more closely. “But that’s because he has more magic than I did.” Granted, that was arguably his fault, but still. “He probably wouldn’t mind having a bit more room to himself.”

She tried to picture herself as a young adult, stepping into the world with her baby brother in tow. Ms. Heidi would probably be happy to help her in whatever ways she could, but it would depend on how much her dad put up a fight. Evelyn certainly didn’t want to have to fight him in court again.

She cocked her head at Heinrich, considering him a little more closely. She knew him as a brave, albeit quiet person, who was more prone to thinking than acting. That was just as well since Evelyn very much tended to be the opposite.

“No one’s ever stood up for me before,” she told him. She wanted to say more, and she wasn’t sure whether she should. She wanted to take Kir’s advice and be direct, but this didn’t seem like the right time. Also, she wanted to give him her whole story, despite her fears in that regard, but this really didn’t seem like the right time for that. If a rude comment was enough to make Heinrich react verbally, she hated to think what more information would do. Plus there was the chance of being overheard. Instead, she settled on saying exactly what she meant, without having to worry about coming up with new words for it: “You’re a very good wolf, Heinrich.”

He smiled at her. “Thank you.” Under the circumstances, he couldn’t imagine a better compliment. “You, too. If you need help with CJ, I will be there for you.” He smiled at the kid in his arms again and tickled him a little. “And you.”

1 Heinrich Hexenmeister Good wolves are better than bad wolves. 1414 Heinrich Hexenmeister 0 5

Evelyn Stones

May 16, 2020 11:03 PM

End of an Era by Evelyn Stones

CW: child abuse (on screen)

Evelyn stood in the yard and watched Heinrich go. CJ sat on her hip, waving excitedly and a little sadly. Evelyn understood the feeling, but there was something else. Two more days, she reminded herself, and then she could leave.

When Heinrich had gone, Evelyn didn't go back inside. She set CJ down on the doorstep and told him to go play. Then she turned and left, heading for town. Let people see me now. Let them all see me. She tried to dismiss the niggling feeling in the back of her mind that told her that it would best to keep walking. To find someone to help her get to the McLeods'. To help her get home. To send an owl to her family. A number of scenarios came to mind and she played through them all, seeing where they'd get her. With friends like Ness and Heinrich, logical problem solving should have been easier. But it wasn't, because the only thing she kept coming back to was the look on CJ's face when Heinrich had picked him up.

He'd agreed to be good, but this was the first time he'd ever seen anyone be good. Did he understand what he was agreeing to? Would he in a year? Or two years? Evelyn wasn't sure she could do this alone, but she wouldn't have to forever. If Heinrich really meant it, she'd have him, and she knew she always had Ness and Ness' family.

It was well into dusk, even on the coast where the sun kissed the horizon goodnight, by the time Evelyn returned to her father’s house. The lights inside were on. If she had thought about it, she would've left her bedroom window open to climb in that way, but she hadn't. And she wouldn't want to miss saying goodnight to her brother.

So she made her way through the front yard and paused with her hand on the front door knob. Maybe it would be okay. Things had been better, relatively speaking, so they could be okay.

Her father was sitting on the couch where Heinrich had slept, abolishing any safe scents that might have lingered there. He wasn't watching a movie, because he still thought such things were generally below him, but he was sitting there as if he might be. CJ was asleep on the couch beside him.

Evelyn shut the door behind her and made to cross the room, hoping she could clear her door frame without a confrontation. The feeling in her stomach, she knew, was cold fear. The kind that makes getting up at night for a glass of water hard, because even though you know there's nothing in the dark, you still want to sprint down the hallway before it can get you. Except it wasn't dark and Evelyn knew there was something there, and exactly what it could do.

"Did you tell him?" Mathias spoke, breaking the silence and making Evelyn jump before she could get more than a few steps into the living room. It would've been a shorter route to go around the other way but that would've put her much closer to her father.

"Tell who what?" Evelyn asked quietly. Her father, she noticed, seemed to be trying not to wake CJ up.

"Did you tell your boyfriend about your social worker and all the crap you've put us through?" he asked darkly. He didn't sound bitter, which was almost worse. He sounded like a man ready to be disappointed because he already knew he would be. "And the trouble you caused because you didn't like getting in trouble all the time?"

Evelyn swallowed. Her father's idea of discipline was not one she wanted to think about. Her eyes darted to CJ and back to her dad.

"He's asleep," he said. "Let's keep it that way."'

He moved carefully, as if maybe he really did care not to wake the toddler. Evelyn shrank as he approached, although he would have towered over her even if she hadn't.

"Please," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes before she could beg them not to. "Please, I just want to go to bed."

Mathias moved suddenly, grabbing the tops of Evelyn's arms and pushing her backward. A bookcase dug into her back but she didn't dare complain, and she didn't dare make a noise that might wake CJ. What was the good wolf thing to do when a bad wolf was biting? She thought that keeping the bites limited to one piece of prey might be the best she could do.

"Boys don't get angry like that about their girlfriends," he growled. "Not unless they've been lied to and are already angry. Have you been lying to your boyfriend, Lyn?" His grip tightened and Evelyn knew she would have bruises. He shook her, demanding a response.

"He's not-- I didn’t-- "

"Merlin, you're stupid." Mathias withdrew some in disgust, looking at Evelyn as if he'd just realized he was holding a sack of old potion ingredients. He turned so he was holding her under the arm on one side and pulled her to the kitchen. She walked up on tip toes, anxious and unable to help herself. "And messy," he added, pointing her towards hers and Heinrich's plates that she'd left near the sink to wash when she got back. "You're useless, Lyn. I should've known he's not your boyfriend. Who’d want to be your boyfriend?”

Evelyn couldn't help crying then. She thought exactly the same thing, but she liked to think Heinrich didn't. Ness didn't seem to. Heinrich hadn't seemed to think so. She knew her father to be the bad wolf, but it was hard not to listen to him.

He let her go, shoving her towards the dishes, and she took her cue to wash them as he walked around the island. She turned with a yelp as something hard hit her back, leaving a stinging welt under her shirt. Her father cast a charm, his wand out and pointed at CJ's plastic plate that was now levitating between them.

"Be. Quiet." His voice was lower still as he grabbed the plate and set it on the counter. She willed her magic to come. Any magic at all. Nothing did. She thought of Professor Wright but it was too hard to breathe or to think, and she didn’t have her wand on her anyway. "What's wrong with you, Lyn? You're just like your mother. You can't manage a lick of magic? You're just going to that school to find a boy toy then huh? Just like your mother."

Evelyn was silent, and Mathias reached towards her again. She couldn't help it. The urge to fight hadn't worked, freezing hadn't work, so she had to flee. She had to run. But she wasn't fast enough and he caught her wrist, pulling hard on her. She stumbled and landed hard on the linoleum, covering her mouth with one hand to keep from making too much noise.

"Stop it!" she cried desperately, her voice still quiet. She had to be quiet. "Stop it stop it!"

Mathias squatted beside her, his eyes dark. He moved fast again, reaching out and slapping her hard across the face. Heat and pain throbbed across Evelyn's face, radiating from a spot below her eye.

"Don't talk to me like that in my own house," he growled again before standing up. "Since you're so keen on no one coming in your room, perhaps it's best you don't come out. Stay there until your new family comes to pick you up. Obviously you don't want this one."

He spit at Evelyn and stepped over her on his way to pick up CJ with gentle, caring arms. Evelyn put a hand to her mouth again, doing whatever she could not to cry or scream. She was so angry and so scared and nothing was happening. She still couldn't do any magic.

"Go," he told her when he'd come closer again, nodding towards her room. She obeyed as quickly as she could and heard an incantation Professor Wright had taught her in a very different context. Her door was locked, and she would not be saying goodnight to CJ.

The next afternoon, Evelyn was glad to discover that her father hadn’t found the stash of non-perishables in the closet in her room. She hadn’t originally stored them there in case food was otherwise withheld, but it was turning out to have been a good decision now.

There wasn’t that much time left until she’d be returning to the McLeods, but she didn’t have access to an owl to send them word any sooner, so she passed the time pacing in her room and trying to get in any exercise she could. She’d been scared, but she didn’t want to be scared anymore. She wanted to be strong and brave and happy, and until she was able to take CJ away from here, she was never going to come back.

She was a bit worried about how much she was going to have to tell Ness, though. Ugly blue and red splotches covered her upper arms, and her hip and knee where she’d landed on the floor. Her back was spotted with marks from the bookcase and the floor and what was left of a thin cut along her back from a plastic plate with a frog on it. An ugly black eye was making her thin face seem gaunt. When school started, she’d be able to wear long sleeves, and then this situation would be her own to control again, but she had to hope the McLeods could do something about her face. It would probably heal by then, but still. If it was gone, she didn’t have to tell anyone. Normally she wouldn’t mind telling Heinrich, but she didn’t want him to think it was his fault. It was not. And, she realized, it wasn’t her fault either.

The morning she was due to depart began with the sound of her bedroom door unlocking. Evelyn was already awake and quickly took the opportunity to shower and dress while her dad made breakfast for CJ. She was already packed, so her only thing left to do was say goodbye to her brother. She wore a long sleeve hoodie to cover her arms, preferring to avoid provoking her father, although she couldn't do much about the eye.

"I'll see you soon," she promised, kissing CJ's forehead. She had no intention of actually seeing him soon, but again anything to avoid provoking her father.

CJ pulled on Evelyn's shoulders to get her to stoop a little lower and he kissed her cheek, grinning. "Soon," he agreed. Evelyn didn't know if he knew what that meant.

Grabbing her bags and making her way to the front door, Evelyn had already decided to skip breakfast. She was interrupted by a hug that made her jump.

"Bye, Lyn," her father said, hugging her tightly and pressing his cheek against her hair. Goosebumps erupted down her arms and on the back of her neck. "Happy birthday."

He handed her a bag and walked away, leaving her to close the door behind her on her way out. She didn't open the bag until she'd gotten into town where she'd be meeting her pickup. Sitting on a curb, out of the way of passersby, she reached her hand inside to find the frog plate, and a toy car.

"Vroom vroom," she whispered to herself, placing the latter on the former, suspecting it was the closest she was going to get to learning to drive for a while. The plate, she decided, would not be an instrument of fear as her father perhaps intended; it would be a reminder of a little boy who needed to get out of a wolf's den before he got bit, too.

22 Evelyn Stones End of an Era 1422 0 5