JP - Early Christmas

Tzeitel nodded, trying to not think about the first time she met Esther, a little girl tied up and screaming from unbearable pain. She was triggered enough. “Riley… what can we do for him?” Tzeitel asked helplessly.

“Be there for him like he was for us.” Klaire said. “You can stay and help him if you want, but I’m going to go find and save James…” She hugged her stomach, thinking of the man she now loved that had become more of a father to her children than V ever could have been.

“I have to go with you.” Tzeitel told Klaire, watching her worriedly. It had already crossed her mind how less complicated things could be if James never came back- and felt like a shitty friend for even thinking about it. Klaire loved him and Tzeitel could see that losing James would hurt Klaire even worse than losing V did.

“I know you’d rather he not come back, though,” Klaire said, staring at her friend. “I know you hate him. I get that, but he’s not who you remember him being. He’s kind and gentle and makes my children feel like they have a real father in their lives. I love him and I will save him, even if I have to kill Thrane on my own.” Turning, she headed down the hall toward her room so she could prepare.

“You don’t have to do any of it on your own, dammit.” Tzeitel cursed and followed Klaire. “I don’t want you to have to go through what you did with V again…” even though at times Tzeitel thought V was something of an idiot, and controlling. He made Klaire happy for a time. James was actually an upgrade.

Klaire could only nod as she reached her room and opened the door so they could get her boots and some other needed supplies. “Leon and Lotus are with River, so they’ll be fine. I can trust them to keep the twins safe for us.” She tied her boots on as she spoke.

Tzeitel nodded. “Anastasia… was she ever Loreen if she doesn’t even smell like her?” The only thing that worried Tzeitel about her godchildren being left with River was that Loreen/Anastasia being there. “And what was that about Canestone getting her?”

“...from my understanding, Anastasia was handed to him and he raped her…badly.” Klaire said and a growl vibrated from her throat. “Fucker is gonna pay for hurting someone else…”

Tzeitel grabbed Klaire’s wastebasket and carried it into the hallway to vomit into it. After a while she returned sans wastebasket. “That’s what I was afraid of… I knew he would just keep on hurting people. He won’t stop until we kill him- and there are two of them.”

Klaire cringed when Tzeitel had to run out of the room, but knew that it had to be done. The triggers were just…horrid. Grabbing some ammo, she shoved it into a backpack. “And we have to kill them. Both. Of. Them.” She went over to her closet and opened it, pulling out a box and handing it to Tzeitel. “Happy early Christmas. Make good use of it.”

It would be a new crossbow for Tzeitel with specialized bolts made by Abe to stab into Canestone’s hardened skin.

“Oh, wow.” Tzeitel took out one of the bolts to admire the tips, noticing that the material was different and looked much sharper than any bolts she had ever had. “This will get through their skin?”

“Abraham made them, so yes.” Klaire said. “I wanted to give it to you as a Christmas present but this is an emergency and with those two lowlifes around it’ll be needed. Just…don’t touch the tips by accident. They’re super sharp.”

Tzeitel carefully put the bolt away. She set the crossbow down and hugged Klaire tight. Her eyes were full of tears but she was smiling. “Thank you.”

“We’re like sisters, you dork.” Klaire said as she hugged her back. “No need to thank me.”

“I’ll fucking thank you anyways, dammit.” Tzeitel sniffled. “I feel like I have a chance now.”

“Okay,” Klaire laughed slightly. “Lets kick ass.”

Tzeitel wiped her eyes and grinned. “Lets stomp on those fuckers’ crotches.”

“I’d agree, but I’m scared my shoes will get an STD.” Klaire replied jokingly. “I’ve never met a more whorish man in my life.”

“Burn the shoes afterwards.” Tzeitel said, picking up the crossbow again. She loved the old crossbow Klaire had given her, but this one felt even more natural in her hand. It was clearly even better quality. She could not wait to use it.

That was when they heard a knock at the open door and would see Colt standing there with all his healed injuries.

Klaire looked at Tzeitel for a moment and then back at Colt. “Uh…aren’t you supposed to be in bed?”

Tzeitel stared at Colt. “How the fuck are you healed?” She demanded.

Colt shrugged. “Woke up this way.” He said and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Ami said you needed me?”

What he said wasn’t a lie so Klaire couldn’t smell it, but she had her assumptions…

“#&@ $@*( $*(@ dammit!” Tzeitel swore. “The energy for healing has to come from somewhere! What if someone gets seriously injured before Cody recovers from this?”

Colt sighed heavily and crossed his arms. “Look, he did it while I was asleep, Tzeitel. Couldn’t stop him.” He told her. “You and Klaire are going to do something. What is it?”