Hallows: Duets

He Started It

The Smashing Pumpkins- Bullet With Butterfly Wings

Ashley:

I didn't get in trouble. In fact, Mrs. Dubois asked me if I needed more time to deal with the situation but I just dismissed her. The rest of the week was simply a distraction. The school pulled me out of cheer and honestly, I'm not too upset about it. I was really worried I'd get in trouble. I then wonder what situation Mrs. D had been referring to is. I don't think Carter would tell her the truth.

"Hey," Lily sits down on the edge of my bed as I get something together so I can spend the weekend with Dante.

"What's up?" I look up at her.

"You tell me," she shrugs. Tam told me that she's been really helpful with the others. Her dad is really excited to meet me. 'The girl that taught his baby to behave'.

"I don't know how to help him," I admit. "He's shut everything out. All I feel is guilt and pain," I sit down next to her needing to take a moment to myself before I start crying again. "Mine and his. I feel like this is all my fault. I got between them,"

"No, Ash," she places her hand on my head. Even Lucifer comes over to me and places his pointy face on my lap. He lets out a low whine. I carefully place my hand on his head. "I talked to Carter and he shut me down too,"

"What?" I look up at her.

"I know what I saw," she bumps me. "That wasn't some breakup fit. He did that s**t. He helped them. He was pissed from the moment Dante started that meeting. I know you saw it too or are you just going to sit here and f*****g pretend he's not working for the hunters like the others? He knows a lot about them, Ashley. Tony and Dante and all of them are in danger,"

"Wait, you believe me?"

"I believe what I saw, hun. I don't care what Kels or Teegan says. That motherfucker is a traitor. It's not the first time I catch a rat and I know you felt that s**t too. We've been on the same f*****g page from the start, Ash. You need to tell the big man,"

"I can't," I shake my head. "I don't have any proof. We could be wrong and I'd just be stirring s**t up for Dante. We need to find a way to get some solid proof,"

"How? We've got watchdogs galore. Kels and Tam have been telling me about everything and the more I learn the cooler this s**t gets," she grins.

"f**k, Lily. I completely forgot you were in on this now. I haven't even asked how you're doing,"

"Fang-f*****g-tasic," she beams. "I was right," she giggles. "Half my stepmoms who told me I was a freak are sucking my evil astral d**k right now,"

"I told Tony you'd be okay with this," I grin. "I have notes,"

"Like notes on how to be a human mate of a hallow?" her eyes widen.

"You can't tell the others. They'd kill me. But yeah, I mean there are patterns to each of them. It's really cool. The only ones I haven't really been around are Teegan and Beli,"

"I'm around them all the time. So, what is this like just cliff notes on what they are?"

"How they react to certain interactions. You know like what to do when they're pissed. If you ever see Tony get angry just let it run its course. Kelly can be reasoned with but that might be because it's me and she's usually just pissed at Carter,"

"Oh, good s**t, Villanueva," she takes the composition book. "I will keep this safe," she flips through some of the pages. "O.M.G. there are little drawings. So cute,"

"I doodle," I shrug.

"So we're just going to keep this s**t to ourselves? What if he comes for them? I mean I'm new here but I am totes not going to like someone hurting Tony. I'll gut a b***h. It's been that way since Kinder. I never let the other mean girls f**k with him. That's my thing,"

"We're probably going to have to," I nod. "You're going to have to be armed at all times, Lils. Stay alert. James is watching Dante right now but I swear I can't even f*****g think when he's not close. If David is working with the hunters it's going to kill him," hot blinding rage floods through me and I slap a trophy off my vanity. "f**k, dude. He was so happy. Like really f*****g happy. He was smiling and he was- I can't believe this motherfucker. I am so angry and f*****g hurt. You have no idea. I could kill someone with my bare f*****g hands right now. How could he?"

"I don't know, hun but you guys aren't the only ones hurting. The others are way down too. Carter has been moping. I didn't even know that was something Carter f*****g Kennedy could do. How can I help?"

"Does David know your guys?"

"Not that I'm aware of,"

"We need to have someone watching David. Pictures, videos, anything that we can get our hands on,"

"b***h, yes," she gets up and opens the door. "Michelle,"

"Ms. De Laughrey," she pops up out of nowhere. She has to be a f*****g demon or something.

"You're going to send her?" I ask.

"She can get on and off campus," she nods.

"I am going to go get James so she has that extra protection," I look her over.

"Nice," she nods. I take my things and head up to Dante's dorm room. James is sitting outside of the room. I look around hoping Carter isn't here.

"Miss-" he starts but I put my finger to my lips and wave him over to me. He gets up and smiles humoring me.

"James. I need your help,"

"Anything," he bows. The look on his face, when I explain what I need help with, is a lot like the one Carter gave me. "Miss-"

"I know. I know, James but what if I'm right? It would implicate the whole stone. I will rather be wrong than risk either of them. I need this peace of mind, James. Even if it's just to get it out of my head,"

"Do it," we both look up to see Carter coming over to us.

"Carter," I swallow the knot in my throat. Busted.

"I talked to Li and I trust her. You're right. I rather prove you wrong than risk Kels like this. I let Lily run lead on this since we can't leave the school and if you're right, you win the bet,"

"f**k the bet. I don't care about that right now. I really really need you to put on your best asshole pants and prove me wrong. I don't care if I have to spend the rest of my life listening to you mock me for this,"

"I don't say this a lot, Villanueva but I'm sorry for the way I reacted. That was unprofessional of me. David is my friend and that's not something I toss around lightly,"

"Don't apologize to me, Carter. We work because we hate each other,"

"I'd have to give a f**k about you for me to hate you," he smirks. I laugh.

"Get out of here. I'm going to try and get him out of there so he can feed,"

"Don't leave the school alone," he warns me and walks away. James goes with him.

The room is once again destroyed. Dante is sitting at the desk asleep. I turn the lights on and he mumbles something but doesn't wake up. I clean up the mess and open up a window to let the smell of weed out. On the bed, I find a bunch of pictures of them. I sit down looking at them. There are pictures of all of them at different ages. David and Dante are always together. In the pictures of them as kids, they stand together but as they get older they get closer and closer.

The last one is of the three of us. Dante and David are sitting next to one another on the bleachers. I'm standing behind them with my arms around them both. I'm laughing, David is looking at Dante grinning, and Dante is looking at me with a smile on his lips. I had just pissed off Carter and it was hilarious. Tam was the one that took the picture.

"I didn't hear you come in," Dante sits up and looks around a little disoriented.

"I just got back," I lie. "Good nap?"

"I've had better," he sits back in the office chair and stretches. I set the pictures down and go over to him.

"What are you working on?" I ask. He wraps his arm around me and pulls me onto his lap. He took a shower today and shaved.

"Weird emo boy s**t," he jokes and I smile.

"You should get dressed,"

"Oh, yeah? You taking me on a walk?" he smirks.

"Yes, so be a good boy and listen," I glare at him.

"Cheeky," he pinches my chin and pulls me to him for a kiss. I stand up when he pulls away. "Give me five,"

"Take your time," I say looking over the handwritten pages on the table.

There are hundreds of them. Some of them are just David's name written over and over covering the entire page. Others are really dark poems and lyrics. His handwriting is beautiful. It's obvious he's practiced for years. I stop at the page labeled Eulalie. It's surrounded by roses and thorns.

"So, where are we going?" he asks coming out of his closet.

He's dressed in jeans and a t-shirt I open my mouth to say something as he slips on the black Dodgers baseball cap I got him in LA. I laugh going over to him to wrap my arms around his waist.

"I know that was going to look so good on you," I rest my chin on his chest. The grin he gives me makes my insides flutter.

"Thank you," he leans into me a presses his lips to mine.

"If you want more hats, I am more than happy to get more," I smirk.

"No, darling. For being here for me. For being so f*****g patient. I've never had that before," he gets serious. I pull him down to me.

"That's what I'm here for, Dante. I needed this too," it's not a lie in the slightest.

"Okay," he nods.

"I know it's too soon but I'm going to need you to feed, sweetie. I can feel how sick you feel. How empty. It's a little distracting," I change the subject.

"Are you okay with that?"

"If I knew what you were in the mood for, I'd bring someone up here for that," I admit. He grins holding my head face between his hands and leans in to kiss me.

"All in," he whispers against my lips.

"That's what I agreed to," I nod. I step back taking his hand and pulling him with me.

Everyone is looking at us as we make our way through the cafeteria. Tony, Rudy, and Teegan are sitting at our usual spot. They all sit up and try their hardest to not look at Dante with pity in their eyes. I had warned them this morning.

"What's up, emo boy?" Teegan greets him. They all exchange their weird handshakes before Dante takes a seat.

"Oh, you know. Heartbreak and Darkness," he jokes. I laugh and go over to the ICEE machine to get us some. As I'm filling his cup with Coke ICEE my phone begins to ring. I take it out of my pocket and do a double-take.

"Mom?"

"Ashley," she chokes out.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Es tu papa," she whispers. "He's gone,"

I walk back to the table and set the two cups down between Dante and me.

"Do you need me to come home?" I ask calmly.

"Si," she starts to sob.

"Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can," I promise. I set my phone down not wanting to look up at the others. I get up without saying anything. I turn around accidentally running into someone.

"Watch where you're going, b***h," the guy shoves me enough to make me stumble back. I hear the guys all stand up but I didn't even hesitate.

My fist connects with his face. He stumbles back and I don't hesitate to rush him. I grab the front of his blazer and tuck my leg around his until he falls on his ass so I can reach him better. I pull back hitting him over and over as I hold him up to me by his collar.

"Villanueva," Carter shouts and comes over to me to lift me off of the guy. "Why the f**k are you assholes just watching her?" he growls. He spins me around grabbing my shoulders. "Calm down, Ashley. What the f**k is wrong with you?"

"He's really dead," I say looking up at him. His eyes search mine and then he looks back at the guys.

"Who's dead?" he demands.

I don't know what comes over me but I hug him. He tenses up lifting his arms up like I'm the most disgusting thing in the world.

"Her dad," Tony is the one that answers.

"f**k," Carter sighs and relaxes a little. He puts his hand on my forehead and pushes me away. "You have my condolences,"

I let go of him.

"s**t. That was weird," I admit dusting myself off. He nods. "My bad f**k stick," I look down at my bleeding hand and then at the unconscious guy on the floor. "He started it,"

"Did he?" he grins.

"Yeah," Teegan laughs. "That s**t was crazy,"

"I'm going to need to go home, Carter. My mom is alone," I try to get a hold of myself.

"Take Lily and Anthony with you guys," he nods. "Let me know if you're going to be sleeping in the little storage room you call a home so I can set a perimeter,"