Jamaica Blue Magic: Chapter 13

There's always an aftermath to a disaster...

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Chapter 13.

One problem with being a witness to murder, Dylan knew from his time in New York, was that the police would want to talk with you about it. At length. The paranormal division of the Jamaican Constabulary Force was no exception. He and Tina spent the next several hours separately and together, being carefully questioned about every aspect of the event—which was, Dylan had to admit, strange even from a paranormal point of view. The whole process was uncomfortable and awkward, especially since both of them were visitors, not natives, which complicated the entire situation.

The police, of course, had another problem: they weren't the only witnesses. The attack had happened shortly after midnight, but it was a resort, and you could count on there being someone up at just about any time of night. At least one or two of the witnesses were mortals, which just put the icing on the whole disastrous cake.

With all of that to tangle the situation up, it was nearly dawn when they were released. The constables gave Dylan a friendly warning to stay away from the investigation, as expected, but that just made Dylan more resolved to pursue the case than ever. If he—a trained Hunter-turned-unstoppable-revenant—couldn't catch a psychotic Tinkerbell, how in hell did these guys think they could?

He leaned against the side of his seat and looked out at the passing darkness as Tina drove them back, and wondered how they'd deal with the mortal witnesses. "Magic’s illegal here, isn't it?"

"Magic, yes, but not psychic intervention. I think they’ll use psychics to mindwipe the poor bastards," Tina said with disgust. "They get a lot of bigwig vampires vacationing here, they don’t want to risk their profits, let alone the big secrets getting out." She glanced over to him, her dark eyes filled with worry. "Poor Rachael, she was… broken. I wish we could have done something for her."

"She was going home to family, at least that’s what she said." Dylan answered, thinking about Rachael and how she had looked, shell-shocked, lost. Kid is fast as lightning. I was right there, and I still failed. "I didn’t get there fast enough. We should have followed him."

"Didn't get there fast enough? Dylan, you shadow-walked. There isn't anyone on this island that could have gotten there faster. You just didn't have a chance to stop her. She was already attacking by the time you moved. She froze him to crystal and he shattered. Only a magician or another fae could have fought that—and not most of them, either," Tina said, her voice filled with sympathy. She reached out and touched his arm. "Stop beating yourself up."

Was he beating himself up? Well, maybe he should be. Sure, they were up against a fae kid with magic, that wasn’t anything he’d come up against, but he was trained for this kind of thing. He should have been ready. "Rachael’s alone because David was a good guy. I think he could have made a difference. The demon targeted him because of politics, everything is leading to that. Niccoli wasn't the only fossil with money around. He must have found another campaign contributor."

"Just let it go, all right? For now? Please? You need some mental health time. You know, the reason you came here to begin with?"

It was an incredible effort to divert his angry musings; the revenant within was always happy to push any obsession farther. But he managed it. He nodded, and closed his eyes. "How are you holding up?"

"Me? I want to see a band tomorrow," Tina said. "That’s how I’m holding up. I just saw a man die in front of me today, Dylan. A man who wanted to do exactly what I want to do. It’s a bit… sobering."

"Sorry T. I wasn’t thinking." He still felt chilled from the blow he took, and rubbed his arms. He knew something was bothering Tina. "I’m sorry..."

"Really? Why aren’t I swallowing that hunk of horseshit, Dylan? I’ll tell you why. I didn’t expect you to notice. Damn it. You never notice a damn thing when you’re in hunt-to-kill mode! You refused to move to New Orleans with your friends because of it, you neglect people because of it, and you take advantage of people because of it. Just one day, I’d like you THINK about following a different path, that’s all, so you can." She returned her gaze to the road. Her words were cold and unyielding, and even her follow up was tense, filled with a revenant chill that would have frozen the Hudson River solid. "But I understand, rationally, it’s the nature of the beast."

"You don’t need to make excuses for me. It was me being an insensitive dumbass, T," he said, after several minutes of uncomfortable silence. She was, of course, absolutely right, it was just addressing a solution to his ongoing drives as a revenant

She pursed her lips and fingered the steering wheel. "If I don’t make excuses for you, my revenant is going to rip your lungs out," she said, glancing over at him. "But you said it."

"I just don’t think."

"John doesn’t, either. You can be two peas in a pod sometimes." Was that it? Was it just a "guy not understanding the needs of a woman" thing? Was it about John and not him? Tina was difficult to understand at times.

He straightened, now was as good as time as any. He knew his best friend had affections for Tina, he just wasn’t good at expressing it. "Is that why you’re not together yet? Damn, Tina, he loves you, always has."

"Is this discussion remotely about John and me? No, it’s not! Damn it, Dylan, let’s not make this about me, ok? You need to check your privilege and look at yourself here! I was in group therapy too! "She returned her attention to the road and sighed. "John… He’s got a lot of growing up to do still. I think he needs to face a few things before we can be together. And anyway, I’m not sure yet if that is what I want."

Like him, John did need to face his past before he could even think of having a relationship. The younger revenant was still bitter inside, and frightened of returning home. The fact that she hadn't fought too hard about him asking the question told him Tina needed to discuss it —and he’d better push on, because experience had shown she’d turn the discussion to him soon. "It’s a lot for him to make that step, T."

"I know it is." Tina smiled weakly. "Don’t say it. I never went home, I know. But John’s situation is different. He’s got other responsibilities gnawing at him. He needs to go back. It’s what his sire wants of him."

He’d never gone home, either… but then, there wasn’t much left to go back to. What would he have done if there had been? No telling, really. "I guess we all still need to grow up in some way."

"Well, isn’t that the truth? Grow up? That’s really harsh, considering we’re all stuck at the age we were made at. John’s frozen at an eternal sixteen, with all the baggage of a high-school sophomore, I’ll be a forever nineteen-year-old college freshman, and you’ll be eighteen forever, with all the kudos of not quite being a man that hands you. We’re still trying to solve problems the same way our age group did, despite our experiences. It’s going to be even harder for us to grow up than most." She sighed.

He thought about Angelus, and winced. Because of his family network and non-revenant nature, his vampire friend was more together than he was. "Anna was my anchor."

"I know. John, Henry, and Paula are mine. We stick together like glue, Dyl. We catch each other when we fall. Where’s your glue now? Or are you too proud to admit you need glue?"

He twitched. The ball was back in Tina’s hands. Or was it always there? "We all take care of each other."

"But do you let Jason, Filipe, Angie, the twins, Louis or Qui really take care of you when you need it?" It was a hard question, and Dylan knew what was coming next. "Anna took no horseshit from you, Dyl. None of us did, and I sure as hell am not taking it from you now."

"Okay, I’ve got a pride and letting-go problem, but I promised Filipe and the others I’d trust them and try not to bottle it up, and ask for help if I need it." He glanced over to Tina, feeling unaccountably guilty. "I promised Lou I’d even see the shrink more. I really don’t know what else I can do."

Her quick glance didn't make her look convinced. "It’s a start. Have you thought about letting the others help with your territory? Or does that hurt your poor white boy pride?"

That was something he had never dreamed of asking. In fact, the very concept was unheard-of in undead society. Needing help with your territory meant weakness, and weakness meant death. Dylan looked away, and feeling his hands forming into fists. She had hit a bitter cord. "I don’t know what my territory has to do with this."

Of course it does, I was born white trash and being the son of a white Irish Vet was one of the few things I could cling to in the past. I keep trying to prove myself because I was never smart enough, never rich enough, never powerful enough to best the bad guys in the government when I was a boy. So when I got this territory, this thing that was mine...

"It has everything to do with this, Dyl. It’s trust, and you're afraid to lose it, because you’ll have to earn it again. So you do too fucking much and don’t trust the folks around you to help because if you do, you’re afraid Liam and Jason won’t trust you. What are you trying to prove to Liam? You’re still his disposable toy revenant soldier? Maybe you have to decide what you want to be, and be it. A hunter, or a café manager and halfway house counselor, or someone running part of New York under Liam… but not all of them at once.

"I will also remind you, Liam is over six thousand years old. His list of crimes against humanity exceeds yours. And people work with him because he’s powerful," added Tina sternly.

He drew a breath, and thought hard. Tina was right. "Anna’s gone, and I know I can’t take her place, but I have to if the old warrior is to respect me." He looked across the purple sky. Liam terrified him.

"I can count on my one hand the people Liam respects." Tina said. "We can all gain his respect by outwitting his old, fossilized ass as a team."

The certainty and knowing in her voice made him feel like a little kid. Dylan thought of Susan, and Anna, and Doc Sacco. Christ, T should have been a therapist. "Just a thought, that’s all," she finished, as casually as though she’d only been suggesting a restaurant to stop at next week.

Peachy, all of us confronting him on some council issue. He’d probably snort and toss us out on our noses. Not one of the Muffin Gang made it to the SoHo council.

"Fuck it, Tina, it’s all important to me. I just got to get past this rough bit and get better, that’s all." He didn’t want to fight, but Tina had a way of bringing up topics that made him uncomfortable.

They pulled into the driveway to the cottage, and the sky was already bleeding into a faint purple-pink. The sun was rising. Tina didn’t have time to go back home; she’d have to crash there. He’d give her his room, and he’d take one of the closets. "I know you’re pissed at me, but I got a room, you can stay in there today. It’s safe."

The young woman rolled her eyes and opened the door. "Not pissed, just worried, and, okay, yes, pissed because you’re so stubborn, and that makes me worried, that’s all." She extended an arm. "Still friends?"

Looping his arm around hers, he nodded. "Yeah, I get it. I worry the same way about you. Just don’t always say it, 'cause, well, you guys are down there, and I’m up in New York, and we just don’t hang like we used to, and I don’t feel it’s my place."

"Don’t ever feel it’s not your place. I like knowing you’re worried. Makes me know you think about me now and then," Tina told him gently.

Had he been that bad? So caught up in his denial of Anna, and working in the Center and hunting that he had forgotten to care about his friends in New Orleans? "Oh, Jesus, Tina. Why didn’t you say so? I do care, always have. I know I haven’t written or called you in months. Just been ...."

"Distracted?" Tina finished. "Revenants. Nature of the beast. I’ll try to express my feelings as well. "She gave a sad smile. "But you need to do your part, too."

"It’s a deal; the Sight don’t let me read minds." He opened the door and let her in. "You’re right, I mean about all of it." How was he going to say this? He had so many regrets of late. Anna was no longer there because of the path he chose. "Sometimes I think I made the wrong choice, following the path of the revenant. But it’s what I am now, Tina; gotta live with my choices, right?"

Tina sadly smiled. "’Fraid so. We all do, but if it means something, your path helped us all, Dyl. It showed me I needed to fight, but in my own way. So don’t regret the good things you did. It sucks for your karma, but it helped a lot of people." She brushed his waves from his face affectionately. "Which is why I worry. Someday you need to take care of that karma of yours. Cause if you don’t, it’s a one-way ticket to a living hell."