The Gravity Between Moons

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Rory sat nursing her cold coffee, absolute exasperated at her lack of

focus. She couldn't think of a single thing that was helpful, and she was anxious to get

home to pick up the present that was supposed to be delivered. She still needed to wrap it

up for Lexie.

“Rory, when you walk me home, would you mind staying for a bit?” Lexie asked, eyes glued to the floor, her arms hugging herself as she worried her lip with her teeth.

“Yeah, whats up, babe?”

“I need to go through my Dad's things. It's time. We're out of money, and I am hoping somewhere in there is some information that can connect some dots here. There just doesn't seem to be anything pointing to foul play in these murders, but there definitely is something wrong here that I can't put my finger on yet. It's really bothering me.”

“OK, well, we aren't coming up with anything here, let's just head towards your house and grab some food on the way. Some nice comforting beefy noodles from the Asian place a few blocks down?”

Lexie grinned. Noodles really were the way to her heart. Especially when combined with steak.

Rory grabbed her hand and lead her out.

Lexie's scent was almost overwhelming in the closed space, and there was a new sharp scent in the air that tickled at Rory's memory but she couldn't quite place it.

“Hey Lexie. Rory.” A tall shadow with a soft voice addressed them. The shadow stepped into the light beside them at the Chinese restaurant.

Garrett held a large paper bag full of steaming containers, a large savory bao bitten open in his hand.

“I was grabbing some dinner for me and a friend. I guess we have the same taste in food.”

As he devoured the last of the steamed bun in one bite, a little bit of sauce smeared on the bottom of his lip. Without thinking Rory reached up and wiped it off with her thumb. Immediately getting self conscoius, she withdrew her hand with lightning speed. She side eyed Lexie, but luckily this had

unnoticed as she was studying the daily special menu.

Garrett licked his lips and awkwardly looked at the ceiling while he tried to figure out what to say.

“Rory, will you order our favorites please, while I talk to this gentleman?” Lexie sniffed at the bag Garrett was carrying. “Why, I don't think I've ever seen you hang out with anyone that isn't your family, dude. They must be special, because I smell the chef's special duck and.... even soup dumplings? Wow, you must be from a rich family or something.” She laughed as he squirmed.

“Oh,” she gasped. “Do you have a freaking girlfriend? Boyfriend?!” She scrutinized him closely, jumping up and down.

Rory's ears perked up at this, she stared him down as they waited for a response.

His face turned red. “The only ladies I'll be around anytime soon are you two.” He shoved another large bao into his mouth to avoid further conversation.

Lexie grinned, “I told you we're not doing a three-some Garrett.”

Garrett choked, bending over to cough.

“s**t, Lexie. What the hell?” Rory grabbed her water bottle from her bag and handed it to Garrett whose eyes were now bulging out of his head with his gasps.

“Inside joke I guess.” Lexie was bent over the counter laughing.

Rory's face was as red as Garretts. She hadn't yet told Lexie about their late night encounter without her clothes. She really wanted to forget it happened.

Luckily their order was ready. She grabbed the bag and Lexie's arm.

“We've got some things we need to do. Bye!”

“We'll see you later for our date!” Lexie shouted as she was pulled out the door.

“What?” Rory panicked.

They sat in Lexie's father's office, Lexie perched in his chair, shoving her mouth full of noodles and beef, trying to shove down the emotion the space was producing.

“I suppose we should get started.” she said quietly.

“If you're ready.” Rory rose from the seat next to her and kissed her forehead. “How do you want me to help?”

Lexie pulled a stack of paperwork from a corner table. “ I guess we can sort through everything, put anything important in a box, have another box for anything pertinent to our research-” She swallowed. “And a box of things that I can sell.”

“Ok...let's go slow.” Rory flipped through a folder. “This is just receipts, household bills...it looks like it's from a few years ago. Might be useful in the future, so we can put that over here for you and your mom.” She started arranging similar folders in a box. “That's not so bad, right?”

Lexie nodded.

Next came some dusty old dictionaries, encyclopedias, and uninteresting looking texts on carpentry, mechanics, and plumbing.

Lexie laughed when she saw them. “Those can go out. He never even looked at them...always the optimist though about learning new skills and being sufficient. We always had to get help from a friend or something when anything broke though. Maybe I can get a few bucks for them at the local bookshop.”

They continued on like this for a couple hours, stopping to eat their food and for Lexie to reminisce about her Dad. The boxes of things to sell and things to continue going on about her life without the patriarch of the family grew to be overflowing.

Rory placed two thick folders on the desk. One in front of her, and one in front of Lexie. “Shall we dig in?”

Lexie's folder was filled with her father's handwriting. Her heart warmed as she remembered his poems and short stories. They were full of magic, adventure, and the promise that there was always a solution to the problems they faced.

Rory opened her folder to reveal intricate drawings and maps of locations she didn't really recognize. Handing them to Lexie, she looked further to find pages that seemed absolutely random. There were no rhyme or reason to the things on the paper, the text didn't seem to make sense. It was also handwritten.

“Do you know what these are?”

Lexie drew in a slow breath as she looked at them. They were maps of the fae realm, the witches woods, the land where the rogues ran at large... mostly dangerous or forbidden.

“I never really told you, but...we used to leave the pack's land a lot when my father was still around. It's really the only way we survived. Really, there is like this whole other world outside of the pack land. For the longest time it felt more like home than being here.”

“Whoa,” Rory's mouth was agape. She took a few seconds to process this information. “What was it like? What did you do? Why did you go there? How did you go there?”

“I really never thought too much about it, it was just something we had always done. I met and played with a lot of fairy kids, a few of the witches had children too. It was... really nice. They were always kind, treated us like family, and made sure we had plenty to eat and drink. We never got sick because we always had their medicines, and I had the absolute best toys they had enchanted. They never treated us like we were lesser than, and we always had value. We always had money to pay our bills because they needed small items for their magic, or werewolf weapons for their small guard. It was warm, there are these gorgeous little lights flitting about everywhere almost like glitter, flower petals that fall like confetti during their moonlight parties...I miss it.”

“Wow, that sounds incredible.” Rory couldn't imagine anything outside of their pack's comforting community. It was all she had ever known. She could definitely sympathize with the pain that must make life miserable for the families of the working class though. Her family and the other 'upper class' in their pack frequently looked down upon others.

“Oh look,” Lexie held up a worn page. “Here is one of my Dad's poems from the 'other' realm.”

She cleared her throat and began to read aloud.

“When the moon is high, and it's companion moons near,

the night's Goddess will pull them nigh.

With her silver hands she will weave their fate, pull the strands tight and bind them straight.

One moon to heal, one to love, and one to kill. Two moons eclipsed discerning will.

Thrice they are bound in an invisible embrace. Two moons one face.

Many paths they may travel, with hell to pay. The gravity between them where love betrays.”

Something about it gave Rory goosebumps.

“That's really beautiful.” she whispered after a long pause.

Before they could discuss it further her phone rang loudly,startling them both. An alarm that her package had arrived. She looked around the office, trying to decide if it would be appropriate to have this be where they left off for the day.

Lexie noticed her sudden restlessness and told her they could pick up the following day. “It's fine if you need to leave. I want to read some of my Dad's journals and stuff. Remember him for a bit. You can go.”

She rose to kiss her girlfriend goodbye and walked her out the door. “Thank you so much for being here. Obviously I can't begin to tell you what it means to me and how helpful it was having you be with me to do this. Already I feel closer to him, and I have a few things to sell to make ends meet. I love you. Now get out of here.”

She kissed Rory quickly and then promptly turned her and kicked her butt towards the stairs.

“Anytime. I will see you tomorrow. I love you too.” Rory blew a kiss and then made her way to the street.