Just Because I Love You (Hollstein High School AU)

Not a Secret Kept

"Dad you're eating too much icing! You're gonna spoil your dinner," Laura smacked her father's hand with her spoon, "Woah...it's like I'm the parent now."

"Keep dreaming. You have some time to go." Sherman put his stinging fingers into the bowl one last time before dodging another swing.

"Besides, we're having tacos. I think he'll live." Bob joked.

"Am I interrupting?" Carm joked, stepping inside the kitchen with an entertained smirk.

"Hey! You're here," Laura bounced over, wrapping her arms around Carmilla's neck, nearly knocking them down with her momentum. As they separated, Laura noticed the dark tinted frames on Carmilla's face. She was a little sad that she couldn't see her eyes, but she was happier that Carmilla was even there, "Hey."

"Hey." Carmilla just stared at her. Laura couldn't see it, but Carmilla was staring. She didn't mean to stare, but she couldn't get caught with her sunglasses blocking her gaze. So, why not?

"Wow. Such an extensive vocabulary! Riveting conversation! Can we eat now?" Sherman spoke up, flopping into his chair at the dinner table.

Everybody just laughed, following his example. Laura dished out the tacos and dug into her own. Occasionally, she'd reach forward to grab a cookie from the platter in front of her. Carmilla focused more on the cupcakes.

"Carmilla, are you catching a cold? Your nose is looking pretty red if you don't mind me saying." Bob spoke up after the normal, light conversation died down.

"Actually..."

"That doesn't look like she's sick. That looks like a bruise." Sherman wiped at his mouth with his napkin, eyeing Carmilla with that fatherly suspicion.

Crap.

Carmilla hadn't thought to apply makeup to her nose as well. Probably because of how painful it was to touch. Laura, trying not to go too fast, pressed her fingers against Carmilla's nose gently.

"Ow!" Her yelp made Laura jump a little in her seat. She frowned, taking Carmilla's face in her hands. Moving it from one side to the other, trying to examine Carmilla's nose as best she could. She'd barely touched her and Carm had yelled out in pain.

"What happened?" Laura released her; her voice soft.

"Eh. I think I just borrowed your clumsiness today. Wasn't paying attention to where I was going and walked into a door! Hurt my nose. I'd ask you to kiss it, but it hurts too much." Carmilla smirked at the smaller girl, who blushed immediately. She hoped to defuse the situation before the fuse actually lit.

"A door?" Bob asked. He didn't seem convinced at all.

His thought process was obvious. He was breaking it down.

"Yeah, Officer Beanstalk. A door. Ya know, swingy swingy?" Carmilla adjusted the sunglasses on her face nervously.

"Carmilla," Sherman leaned thoughtfully on his arm, his eyes watching her intently, "You know the rule, kiddo. No shades at the dinner table. No haters here. Take them off, please?"

Why'd you have to be cops? Why couldn't you be anything else today?

Slowly, Carmilla slid the eyewear from her face, folding them in her hands. Taking a glimpse around, she played with the handles of the glasses.

"See? That wasn't so bad was it?" Sherman joked.

"Wait..."Laura frowned again.

Grabbing Carmilla's chin again, not as gentle this time, she grazed a finger across her right eye-eliciting yet another yelp from Carmilla. The air sucked out of the room. Carmilla was suffocating. She hung her head, preparing for whatever was coming next.

"Well, that was one hell of a door." Bob scoffed, fingers squeezing each other. Probably picturing somebody's neck in between them.

"Who did this to you?" Carmilla wouldn't look at Laura. She couldn't. She was afraid of what would be looking back at her. Sadness. Pity. Anger. She didn't want any of that from anybody.

"I told you. I ran into a door." Carmilla shrugged. Her ears were starting to get hot.

"Unless your door is covered in fists, it didn't hit you. So, try again." There was definite anger. A hint of sadness.

"Laura-"

"NO! DON'T LAURA ME!"

Carmilla jumped in her chair, Laura's sound level surprising her. This is what she spent so many years avoiding. And for good reason.

"Who did this," Laura made Carmilla look at her, a hand forcing her face to the side, "Please don't make me ask again."

"Cupcake what does it matter?"

"We do have ways of figuring these things out. So, make it easy for all of us," Sherman spoke up. He seemed the lividest of all, which is saying a lot compared to Laura. Then again, she seemed more ready to cry than punch a wall, "I feel like- in some ways- I raised you. You are like a daughter to me. You are my daughter. And if someone has hurt you, I want to know who it is so that I can RIP THEIR HANDS FROM THEIR SOCKETS AND BOIL THEM BEFORE THEIR VERY EYES!"

Whoa...

"My mother." Carmilla whispered, feeling the burn in her eyes.

"What the hell did you just say?" Sherman growled, his own eyes growing wilder. Was that even a possibility.

Carmilla didn't think she'd ever seen an angry Hollis before; but here she had two. Two wild Hollis' in their natural habitat. And she was in the middle of it all. She was the reason for it. She didn't want to repeat her reveal. Maybe if she just kept quiet, everything would just go away.

That's the dumbest idea I've ever had. What has silence done for you so far?

It was too late to come up with a lie. Too late to just ignore it. Too late to let it go. The damage was already done.

"My mother." She spoke louder. The silence was smothering her. Tears engulfed her. She fought them, but she couldn't hold them in as they streaked her face.

"How long has she done this?" Bob questioned.

Carm closed her eyes, hating to admit this after so long of keeping it her secret, "Since Father died."

A loud bang and Sherman was on his feet. His chair flat on the floor the source of the noise. Bob quickly stood, hands on Sherman's shoulders to calm him. It wasn't working.

"10 years..." Laura breathed out once, a shaky breath, "Why didn't you-"

"Tell you? Because I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want Sherman to get angry. I didn't want you to be angry. I didn't want to-," A sob choked her words. Quickly, she cleared it away, "I didn't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me." Laura gasped, pulling Carmilla's head against her chest in comfort, upset that Carmilla hadn't come to her years ago. Carmilla used Laura's heartbeat and the warmth of her touch to try to calm herself.

"You driving or me?" Bob grabbed his jacket from behind his chair.

"You drive. Pretty sure I'll exceed the speed limit." Sherman replied. He never stopped looking at Carmilla's injury.

"Screw the speed limit. Let's go get this woman. I'm calling it in." Bob shrugged the police jacket over his shoulder.

"You're not actually going after her?" Carmilla frowned, unsure if her mother would even be in jail 24 hours from the time they handcuffed her.

"Damn right we are," Bob put his phone to his ear, "Come on, Hollis. I want this woman."

"Yeah. I get to stab her first," Sherman lifted a finger to the two girls across the table, "You two. Stay here."

"I've got a hotel until I can move into a new apartment in a few days. You don't have to-"

"Cancel it. Until your place is ready, you're staying right here where we know you're safe," Sherman grabbed his own jacket, pulling it on, "Nobody messes with our girls and gets away with it. Now stay here."

And with that, the couple was out the door, both yelling orders into their cell phones.

And then there was two.