Rosa felt betrayed. But frustratingly didn’t feel like she knew why, or more accurately it was like she didn’t feel she had the right to be. Fuelled by everything that had recently happened, it burnt inside her, twisting like a cyclone of indecision and irritation.

Rosa brute forced herself deeper into the passenger seat of sister’s car as her sulking evolved to even greater heights. Sam was a hunter!? Rosa furiously ruffled her hair. She’d rushed out the HQ before any interaction could ensue, but it was definitely her. Standing stunned in the black officer uniform, mouth agape unable to say anything, a hint of guild in her eyes. She’d clearly not been expecting Rosa there either.

It was true Sam never had any obligation to say anything about this to her, but it opened up too many questions. Rosa had only just discovered the truth and now she uncovers her closest friend, who was meant to be ill and who had seemingly gravitated towards her all those years ago, was involved with the hunters. It didn’t sit well with her. Sam had come to her house for god’s sake on multiple occasions and her and all of Rosa’s family acted like they had no idea who each other were.

“So what is she?” Rosa questioned.

“Are you still going on about this?” Emma asked in disbelief, “it’s been ten minutes. Let it go”.

“How am I meant to let it go? The person I’ve considered my best friend has been part of a secret organisation that fights the supernatural. She told me she was sick! I didn’t realise she meant in the head” Rosa stated, “Was it all fake? Was she just placed in my company as some kind of babysitter. Forced to be my friend?”.

Emma sighed. “Do you know who would be able to tell you? Sam. Ask her” she stated bluntly. 

“I don’t want to speak to her” Rosa grumbled.

They arrived back at Louie’s house and Emma parked up in the street. 

“Just tell me if she was purposely planted into my life” Rosa said following her sister out the car and towards the front door.

“Are you still rambling on?” Louie questioned as he unlocked the front door.

“The whole ride home” Emma informed.

“Let it go” he said before entering the house, “So your friend might have originally been ordered to interact with you, it happens. You have to move on. If it’s any comfort whatever, bond you formed with her is most likely real. Audrey’s little sister can’t lie for shit”.

Rosa stormed into the house after him, barley registering any of the words Louie said.

“Nice place” Emma commented as she trailed in after them, her eyes appreciating the house’s exterior.

“Thanks” Louie muttered. As Emma shut the door behind them they entered the room living room passing by the two enormous bags of all the Elacti’s belongings.

“I’m assuming the bags are ours” Emma said.

Louie nodded before asking if anyone wanted tea. Emma and Rosa accepted his offer before taking a seat on the couch. Rosa searched for the TV remote but her sister was far too fast, snatching it up before Rosa could even spot it.

A small smirk shone on Emma’s face and Rosa grumbled as she relaxed back into the couch.

“You always pick what we watch” Emma said, “today I am”.

Rosa remained silent as her sister skipped through the TV channels until she landed on the natural geographic channel showing some kind of documentary about primates. Thankfully Louie soon returned to the living room with three mugs, laid them on the table and sat in his armchair. He glanced at the television and his brows compressed into a deep furrow.

“Do you just watch documentaries in your spare time?” Louie asked.

“Is there a problem with that?”  Emma questioned.

“No” Louie said quickly before sipping his tea. “A bit defensive aren’t you” he mumbled and gave Rosa a quick confused glance. She hid a smile and shrugged, Emma ignored them both. Reluctantly, Rosa watched her sister’s program in silence and drank her tea. However, it quickly became apparent she’d overestimated her patience, as her body began to jitter and her eyes started to wander around. She turned to Louie.

“Is there anything we can do?” she asked.

“Erm … You could start unpacking those bags. Get yourselves properly settled in” he suggested.

She felt her eyes sparkle and leapt from the couch. “Yeah let’s do that”.

“You and Emma can” Louie said, “I’ve got to go out”.

“To where?” Rosa inquired her shoulders slumping.

“None of your concern”.

“Is it a hunt? If it is can I come again?”

“Again? You took Rosa on a hunt!” Emma suddenly barked, her attention snapping towards them.

“That’s my que to leave” Louie stated before departing the living room, “I won’t be back till late so don’t wait up”. Rosa watched him rush around hallway and after only a few seconds he was gone.

“Going to kill him” Emma mumbled.

“Don’t get all protective Em. He didn’t want to leave me alone after everything that happened. He told me to stay in the car while he killed the Direhound. It was my stupidity that made me rush in a put myself in danger” Rosa explained.

“Hmmm” Emma mused, “What do you mean, you put yourself in danger?”.

“So should we start unpacking the bags then?” Rosa asked quickly changing the topic.

Her sister released an exasperated sigh. “Sure”.

Rosa wandered into the hall and tried to the lift one of the bags by its straps. It didn’t budge. Just how heavy was this damn thing? Rosa felt like she trying to lift a boulder.

“How did Louie carry it with one arm?” Rosa mumbled. Emma joined her in the hall and grabbed hold of the bag Rosa was trying to lift.

“I’ll count us in” she stated. Rosa nodded. “Three, two, one. Lift”. Together they pulled the bag up from the ground and carried it into the living room, however Rosa felt like she barley contributed to the bags transport. They pushed the coffee table to the side and placed the bag down at the rooms centre. Sitting back down onto the couch Rosa went to grab one of the rucksacks many zips when she noticed the primate documentary still playing on the TV.

“Could we maybe put something else-”

“Documentary stays on”.

“Fine” Rosa grumbled and unzipped the top of the bag.

The two of them spent the next hour searching through the two bags. Rosa was surprised at how many items had been crammed into the two bags, it was now no wonder they weighed so much. It was like the hunters had stuffed every piece of their house they could inside. Rosa found herself pulling out clothes, medicine, to small random devices they must have found in the draws, to even all their kitchenware. Emma even found the living room TV packed into one of the bags.

“Aww look at this” Emma said happily as she handed over a safely wrapped photo frame. Peeling away the bubble wrap, she could see the picture depicted an extremely young Rosa, awkward and terrified, standing with her new family. Rosa chuckled at her younger self’s expression.

“Back from when you were first adopted” Emma grinned, “Look at your expression. I forgot how shy you were back then”.

“Can you blame me? I was just a little Mexican girl plucked off the streets by a stranger and brought here” Rosa joked.

Emma laughed and continued to search through the bag.

“Ahh, all the photo albums are here” Emma said enthusiastic.

Rosa shuffled across the couch to her sisters side and glanced down at the book of memories in Emma’s hands. Together they scanned through its pages. Emma chuckled at a picture of Rosa seemingly baffled at the sight of snow.

“I completely forgot dad captured it. Your first time seeing snow. Look at your face”.

“I’d never seen or even heard of it before” Rosa grumbled.

They continued to flip through the pages of their photo albums, reliving their life as a family. Rosa’s first day of school, their first time at an amusement park, Emma’s graduation, Easter, a picture of a very stunned Rosa during her first Halloween been given sweets, their first Christmas as a family, Emma’s eighteenth birthday. They moved onto a different album. They were pictures of James teaching Emma how to drive and Mary teaching Rosa had to ride her bike. Photos of her family teaching her how to swim, every single one of her birthday’s. The shy terrified girl slowly vanishing as the years passed until she finally transformed into what Rosa was today. However, despite all the joy and nostalgia the pictures brought, Rosa couldn’t stop staring at her parents, as they shown themselves in every memory doing their upmost best to make sure she lived a fulfilled life and experienced the world to the greatest. A lump grew in her throat as they continued to scan through the album and eventually they reached the end of the final book filled with memories of their most recent years.

“I can’t believe they’re … gone” Rosa said breathlessly.

“I know” her sister replied, her voice breaking at each word. Emma took in a deep breath and placed the album on the pile with the others. “But we can’t let it destroy us” Emma stated, “the last thing they’d want is for their deaths to bring our lives to a stop. We need to accept reality and carry-on marching forward … if not for us at least for them”. Rosa nodded in agreement, whether they wanted to or not, they had no choice.

“Hey, Halloween is only a few days away. Do you remember what we use to do?” Emma asked turning off the TV.

“Horror movie marathons” Rosa smiled, “I would always get scared and hide behind a pillow”.

“How about we do one tonight, for old times’ sake” Emma suggested.

“Yeah ok”.

“Alright then, plans are settled. First lets unpack the rest of the bags and get set up in the house, have a quick wash and we’ll start. I’m sure Louie will have snacks in, if not well go out and grab some. Rosa nodded and they both eagerly got to work.

Long after the night’s darkness had swallowed the day, Louie returned home. It’d took him awhile, but he’d been able to complete everything Ruthor needed of him. It was safe to say Liverpool was now short of quite a few monsters and that their entire community now knew he was back. Louie hung up his coat and weapons and he wiped his eyes. He was surprised, for the first time in a while he actually felt exhausted, well slightly at least.

He wandered into the living room to see the TV was still on. It was playing some variety of horror film. He had no idea which one, he’d never really gotten into them. When you spent your life hunting the creatures the films try to depict Louie felt as if it took away from the movie’s charm. He wandered across the living room where he found both Emma and Rosa fast asleep on the couch, a peaceful expression on both their faces. A tiny smile cracked across his face. He grabbed a blanket from the corner of the room and lay it over the two of them. Louie then turned off the TV and headed into the kitchen shutting the door behind him. He switched on one of the lights so the kitchen was dimly lit and then searched around in the far bottom draw. He pulled out an old bottle filled to around halfway with whisky and a round, wide glass before taking a seat at the dining table. He poured himself a glass and relaxed by into the chair. Taking a sip of whisky he let the burn run through his body, inspiring all his regret and pain to rise. He glanced to the heavens

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for your last moments” Louie muttered, “… but I’ll make sure your dream comes true and I’ll damn well make sure your avenged … even if it’s the last thing I do”. He took a sip of whisky then chuckled, glancing back towards the living room. “I was able to save your daughter. Gods knows what I am going to with her, as you know I’ve never been good with kids … But I’ll do my best, with both of them. I promise”. Louie raised his glass to the sky and then downed its insides. “Rest well”.