Abigail's New Family

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 13, Post Number 311

-Oak Town, the ruins of Abigail's house, 12:47 P.M.-

Dressed in a green t-shirt and black skirt with white tennis shoes, Victoria stood beside her longtime friend Abigail Windstrider, who was wearing a blue t-shirt and blue jean short shorts with white tennis shoes that had been bought for her by Victoria's sister Lorelei. Victoria's DH-40 Centaur was parked and waiting a short distance behind them. They were standing outside the space Abigail's house once occupied, which had been cleared of debris and was now sitting empty. Victoria had brought her friend here at the latter's request because she wanted to see where her home used to be one last time.

"I can't believe it's gone. That was the place I lived for my entire life. I lived there with my parents and I lived there after they were killed." Abigail said to Victoria, her voice showing the emotion that was not showing on her face.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Abigail." Victoria told her friend with total sincerity.

"Don't be, Victoria. You weren't the one who torched the place, so you have nothing to apologize for." Abigail assured her friend that the latter was not responsible for the tragedy. Victoria noticed the use of the full version of her name and knew that the blonde was serious. The brunette would use the full version of the blonde's name in return.

"I know that this won't bring back your house, but I killed forty or so of those cultists who sent the guy who did the deed. I don't think they'll be paying us a visit in Capital Crocus any time soon. If they're dumb enough to target my place after the beating I gave them I've got Larry and my uncle watching for them." Victoria told Abigail what she had done to make sure the blonde's new home did not suffer the fate of her original one. The blonde mage looked towards her with a look of concern.

"I'm grateful that you went to such lengths to get revenge for what happened to my home, but I don't want you to get yourself into trouble, Victoria. Based on what you told me about that cult they're bad news. They're probably gonna come after you with everything they've got for you being such a thorn in their side." Abigail expressed her concern that Victoria might have only angered her enemies instead of deterring them like she believed she did. The brunette took a moment to think before she replied to her friend, gazing at the empty plot of land as she did so.

"I've already been marked for death, so I'm not too worried about me. I'm more worried about you, my uncle, and my sisters." Victoria confessed that the conflict with the cult had long ago passed the point she was worried about getting on their bad side. They had tried to kill her during the first encounter long ago and the Sabertooth mage had been trying to kill them ever since. Abigail's concern did not let up.

"I don't want you to get killed because of me." Abigail told her. Victoria looked towards her friend.

"I'll be fine, Abigail. I'm fighting those guys not only for you, but for everyone in Earthland. They have plans for this world that aren't good and they need to be stopped before it's too late." Victoria told Abigail her purpose for fighting a demon-worshiping cult despite the risks. The blonde gave a smile.

"You've changed a lot since we first met, Vic." Abigail said, using the brunette's nickname. Victoria simply grinned.

"Yeah. And you're the reason, Abby." Victoria replied. The blonde looked surprised to hear that.

"When we took that job to Lycan Woods a few years ago and we got into an argument about my only being in the mage business for money you told me that there were better things to fight for than money and an adrenaline rush. You were right." Victoria got straight to the point. Upon hearing that the blonde soon recovered from her surprise and smiled at her.

"I remember us meeting in Sakuramori Forest long ago back when you were still in your short and boyish form. When we first met I didn't think we'd end up being friends. When we started working together I thought we'd end up killing each other." The blonde reminded the brunette of how they had first met and alluded to the clashes they had had before finally becoming friends. Victoria laughed.

"Yeah, our relationship definitely got off to a rough start. I didn't think we'd become friends either." The brunette remarked while thinking about the arguments they had gotten into.

"But here we are. Several years and several adventures later we're close friends. We're such close friends that I'm living in your house now." Abigail remarked on how time had changed their relationship.

"And you'll always have a place in my house, Abby." Victoria replied with an assurance. The blonde had no words... instead she smiled. A minute or two passed as the blonde took one last look at the vacant land in front of her. Once she had looked to her heart's content she faced Victoria.

"There's nothing here for me in Oak Town now except for the gravestones of my family. Speaking of that, do you mind taking me to the cemetery for a few minutes before we go back to Capital Crocus?" Abigail asked another favor of Victoria. The brunette smiled.

"Yeah, sure thing." Victoria agreed to grant the favor.

"Thanks, Vic. You're a real friend." Abigail told the Sabertooth mage. The pair then turned around and headed for the Centaur. Victoria climbed on first and put the key in the ignition once Abigail was seated behind her. Once the blonde was securely on board Victoria cranked up the Centaur and headed for Oak Town's cemetery.

[Post Word Count: 980]
[Total Word Count: 980/11,000]

-The Sheridan Estate, the living room, 5:32 P.M.-

After completing the long drive from Oak Town to Capital Crocus Victoria and Abigail had just arrived at the Sheridan Estate after parking the Centaur a short distance away from the garage and had taken off their footwear. They were standing in the living room, which was empty. The television was also off, which was unusual because it usually stayed on around the clock and was frequently tuned to a channel that was devoted to showing old Western movies.

"This place is so empty. Where is everyone, Vic?" Abigail asked the brunette. Victoria turned her head and was about to speak when the double doors to the dining room opened and in walked Laura.

"Good afternoon, Miss Sheridan and Miss Windstrider. Mr. Sheridan and the others are currently away on an errand. They left here around 1:00 P.M. and will be away for quite some time." Laura informed them of the whereabouts of the rest of Victoria's family.

"Thanks, Laura." Victoria thanked the silver-haired maid for telling her where the other Sheridans were. Laura seemed to have an uncanny ability to arrive when she was needed the most and that was a trait that was both helpful and alarming. It seemed like she appeared out of nowhere whenever she or someone else needed help and Victoria wondered how the silver-haired young woman had acquired that talent.

"If you two would like something to eat there is a fair quantity of Caesar Salad left over from lunch." Laura informed them that food was available before walking away and towards the stairs to the second floor. Victoria looked at Abigail.

"I'd like something to eat, Vic." Abigail told Victoria that she would take the maid up on the offer.

"OK, Abby. I want something to eat too, so I'll join you." Victoria replied. With that the two mages walked towards the dining room to prepare a meal of leftover salad.

-Victoria's Room, 7:00 P.M.-

The blonde and the brunette had taken their time eating because there was not much going on at the Sheridan Estate. Lawrence and the others had finally gotten back from their errand just as they had finished eating around twenty minutes ago. They were eating in the dining room while Victoria was in her room checking her iLac for any text messages or missed calls from clients. The brunette had not been contacted by Ms. Ashford or anyone else, so she had put her iLac back on the nightstand next to her bed and looked at the blank screen of her television.

She did not feel up to playing Malevolent Tenant tonight, so she would find something else to do. Maybe she would go to the basement and make a Screwdriver or two and have a drink. Maybe she would just go for a ride around the city on her Centaur. Or maybe she would go talk with Larry and see if he had spotted anything out of the ordinary while standing guard over the estate's backyard.

Victoria walked out of her room to go speak to her uncle and sisters. Maybe they would tell her what they had went to Capital Crocus for.

-The Dining Room, 7:05 P.M.-

Victoria entered the dining room to find Lawrence, Lorelei, Amy, and Laura seated at the table eating romaine salad with a side of breadsticks. The burly man noticed his niece's presence and lowered his fork to make eye contact with the brunette.

"Hey Vic." Lawrence greeted her in his usual laconic style.

"Hey Uncle." Victoria returned the greeting.

"Florence and I have a date in a few days and she wanted tickets to a retro movie night that's happening at the movie theater. Lorelei and Amy helped me get tickets for the retro movie night and helped me shop for some clothes that are a little more fancy than what I'm used to wearing." He told Victoria the errand he and the other Sheridan sisters had went to the city on. Victoria smiled at the news of him having a date with her mentor.

"How did the shopping trip go?" Victoria asked him. Lorelei lowered her fork and faced her sister.

"It was a bit tough since Uncle's a big, muscular guy and it's hard to find shirts that fit someone like him, but we managed to find him a nice blue long-sleeved turtleneck to wear and some khaki dress pants. We also found him a pair of black dress shoes to wear." Lorelei chimed in on the results of the shopping trip. Victoria was pleased to hear that.

"He deserves some nice clothes to wear. He also deserves to date someone like Florence." Victoria made her happiness with the upcoming date clear to everyone in the room.

"I think they're a good couple too, Vic. They seem to like each other a lot and definitely have chemistry." The oldest Sheridan sister opined. Lawrence looked down at his plate for a few moments before facing Victoria again.

"I feel like I'm way outta my league with her." Lawrence told Victoria directly and everyone else indirectly. His nieces all faced him and waited for their uncle to explain what he meant by his remark as Laura got up from the table and excused herself to go see if Abigail wanted or needed anything. When the silver-haired maid had left the room Lawrence looked at the three brunettes and appeared to be uncomfortable... he looked like he was struggling to find the words to explain what he had meant.

[Post Word Count: 926]
[Total Word Count: 1,906/11,000]

"For one thing I don't know the first thing about how to date a woman. I've spent a good chunk of my life fighting and don't have very good social skills even in the best of times. Second, my face looks like a road map and I scare a lot of people just by looking at them." Lawrence lamented two aspects about himself that he wished he could change. Victoria found it a bit distressing that her uncle had such a low view of himself because it reminded her of the time he admitted that he was starting to feel his age and was not quite as strong as he had been when he was younger.

"Don't say that about yourself, Uncle!" Amy spoke up in an effort to dissuade him from speaking so negatively about himself.

"I think Miss Manderley is a perfect match for you." Lorelei chimed in.

"You should totally date Florence. I mean, you two have a lot of chemistry and it's obvious that you like one another. You should go for it, Uncle." Victoria seconded Lorelei's opinion. She could tell that Lawrence and Florence really liked one another and felt that her uncle should give it a shot. The blond man made eye contact with the youngest Sheridan.

"To be honest I like Florence. We've been friends for quite awhile... at least sixteen years, if not longer than that. I can't remember exactly how long we've been friends, but I bet she could tell us." Lawrence confessed that he had feelings for the blonde woman. Victoria analyzed his body language and saw that he was telling the truth, so she would say something else on the matter.

"I say you should go for it, Uncle. If you're into Florence and Florence is into you then don't let the chance pass you by!" Victoria repeated her point.

"I'm going to, Victoria. It's not like I have other women walking up to me and asking for a date." Lawrence replied with a statement that sounded like he did not believe that he had any potential partners other than Florence. Victoria did not quite know what to say to that, so she kept quiet. It did not take long for Amy to speak up.

"Is there anyone else you'd rather date?" Amy asked candidly. The blond man was taken aback by that unexpected question and was struggling for words.

"AMY!" Lorelei scolded her sister as if the older brunette were the mother figure of the family. Amy did not back down.

"I think it's a fair question to ask, Lorelei." Amy flatly defended herself. Lorelei frowned at Amy and the two sisters locked eyes and the atmosphere grew tense.

"I don't think it's fair to put Uncle on the spot like that." Lorelei explained why she had reacted so strongly in a tone of voice softer than the one she had used to deliver the one-word admonition. Amy frowned at the heterochromatic brunette for a moment before opening her mouth.

"My point is that I don't think there's anyone else he's interested in besides Florence." Amy stated plainly, making it clear that she was not about to back down.

"How do you know that? Can you read minds?" Lorelei asked pointedly. The blue-eyed brunette frowned again but did not say anything. Amy then took a quiet breath.

"Regardless of how I feel it's Uncle's choice as to whether he dates Florence or not. I think he should date her, but that's just me." Amy replied. It sounded like she was not swayed by Lorelei but was trying to avoid a fight with the older Sheridan sibling by toning down her previous statement. The other Sheridan was not convinced but did not go for Amy's throat like Victoria was expecting her to do.

"I don't think you should have put Uncle on the spot, Amy. I also don't think it was fair to make it sound like no one else wanted to date him. That's not what he needs to hear right now." The older sister told Amy in a gentle tone.

"OK, maybe I could have phrased my question better." Amy begrudgingly admitted. At this point Lawrence spoke up.

"Look, everyone, it's all right. There's no need to get into an argument. I feel like Florence and I have got something going. She's beautiful, she's smarter than I am, and she's not repelled by my face. Those are definitely things that attract me to her." Lawrence ended his silence in his usual candid fashion. Amy and Lorelei looked at their uncle.

"Date her only if you want to, Uncle. Don't feel obligated to just because we said something." Amy told him.

"Date Miss Manderley if you think it'll make you happy. Don't get into a relationship if you don't feel you're ready for one." Lorelei counseled.

[Post Word Count: 808]
[Total Word Count: 2,714/11,000]

"As much as I want to be out there and be in the middle of the action like Victoria is, I just can't do it anymore. I'm getting too old for that sort of lifestyle. Being a mage is a young person's game and I'm in my late forties. I'm not ready to be buried, but over two decades of fighting when I was younger has taken its toll on me." Lawrence confessed to everyone. Victoria felt a twinge of sadness at her uncle reiterating what he had told her a year or two ago about his age beginning to catch up to him. When he had rescued her from slavers when she was ten the burly blond man looked like an invincible hero who could keep going forever, but she could see the truth in his words thanks to her ability to discern the truth from someone's body language.

"What are you going to do about making a living, Uncle?" Amy asked him. Lawrence shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do about a job, but I want to have some peace for awhile. I want to just stay at home and live like normal people do. I want to have a life with my family and have a relationship with Florence, but only if she wants to have one with me." Lawrence replied truthfully. Victoria felt a second twinge of sadness to hear her uncle talk like that.

"I know that all of you are young women who are old enough to not need a parent any more, but I swore to my brother that I'd take care of my nieces if he died. Me and my brother had our differences... I thought that he was an alcoholic skirt-chaser who was more interested in having a good time than being a responsible man and he thought I was a serious square who needed to find a girlfriend. But I'm going to keep my promise to him because once he met Octavia he changed his ways for the better... minus the alcohol, but I'm not one to judge him on that since I drink vodka from time to time." Lawrence told them. Victoria chuckled about the part involving her uncle's fondness for vodka since that was her favorite drink too. She was also interested in his description of her father as a skirt-chaser.

"What do you mean by our father being a skirt-chaser?" Lorelei asked before Victoria could. Lawrence made eye contact with the heterochromatic Sheridan sister before speaking.

"When he was your age your father Phillip was a young man who was interested in any pretty woman he saw and wasn't shy about chasing them. He didn't care if they had a boyfriend or not... if they caught his eye Phil would go after them. I can't recall how many times I had to save him from getting his face punched in by some woman's angry boyfriend." He replied with a bit of information on her father that was new to Victoria. She had always thought he only had eyes for her mother Octavia, but apparently that was not the case.

"He was also quick to commit to a woman only to forget that commitment when another one caught his eye. That was until he met a young woman named Octavia. When Phil met her he changed for the better, probably because she slapped him whenever his eye started to wander." He gave the Sheridan sisters more information on their father. Lorelei looked mortified to hear about her father's past while Amy and Victoria grinned in amusement at what their mother did to set him straight whenever it looked like he was about to wander off. Abigail looked lost and unsure what to say or feel about what she was hearing. Laura remained silent with a serious expression on her face.

"Anyway, when your mother met your father he made a serious lifestyle change. He gave up his skirt-chasing ways and committed to her and her alone. He settled down and became a somewhat responsible man who was still a drinker but stayed faithful to her. Octavia didn't mind the drinking because she was fond of wine, as you guys have probably learned by now." He added. The doorbell rang and interrupted him before he could give the Sheridan sisters any more information on their mother and father.

"I will answer it." Laura announced and moved towards the front door before anyone else could react. She opened the door and in stepped Florence, who was dressed in a modest white long-sleeved shirt and knee-length black skirt with white sandals. She had a medium-sized black suitcase in her left hand.

"Florence? What brings you here?" Lawrence asked the blonde woman with undisguised curiosity.

"Forgive me for arriving without notice, but I was told yesterday that I had some vacation time I had to use or lose, so I'm using it. I decided to come here and spend some time with you... if that's OK with you, Lawrence." Florence told him. The burly man blushed.

"O-of course it's OK with me, Florence. You're always welcome here." He replied with uncharacteristic meekness. The blonde woman looked around at the Sheridan sisters, Abigail, and Laura before she focused on Lawrence again.

"Was I interrupting something important?" She asked him without sarcasm. He shook his head.

"Not at all, Florence. I was just telling my nieces a few things about my younger brother, who was their father." He answered. Florence smiled.

"It must have been a long trip from Sakuramori. Do you want anything to eat, Florence?" Her host offered. She shook her head.

"Not yet, Lawrence. There's something I'd like to talk to you about, though." She made a statement that drew the undivided attention of everyone present.

[Post Word Count: 956]
[Total Word Count: 3,682/11,000]