After Arundel (RP)

"I would really appreciate that" Emma's expression softened with relief "Could you tell them I would reach out to them? I need to talk to Sarah first, make sure she's on board before making any arrangements" Emma wasn't important, or well-connected. She wasn't sure she could bear the costs of smuggling Sarah out of the city, so if she was going to meet people would demand something of her in return, she had to make sure Sarah was actually willing to leave the city first.

It looked like the night wasn't a total bust after all, but there was one other thing she was hoping to get out of Miriam. She wasn't (only) thinking about her well-being, but about the stories she could gather from her for her novel. It was a bit selfish, but it would require her to drop by her apartment every now and then and spend some time in her company, which she was sure would be good for her. So, win-win?

"And I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to drop by sometimes. Just to check in. I think it’d be good for both of us; keep some normalcy, you know?" she decided to leave it at that, and not mention how she would like to talk about Miriam's life experience. That would come later, once the Vampire Hunter felt more comfortable talking about what she's been through.

Emma climbed into bed late that night, snuggling against her husband. He was a safe harbor in a world that felt more and more crazy, and tonight, she couldn't help but feel guilt weighing on her. Sneaking around behind his back, like a thief in the dark, was starting to wear on her. She was tired of keeping secrets from her husband. Maybe it was time to tell him everything. About the vampires, Sarah, the whole mess she had found herself in.

The only thing holding her back was that she wasn't sure how he might react. Finding out the supernatural world was real could shake a person's beliefs to their very core. That it hadn't shaken hers, was only because she didn't spend a single moment considering the cosmological implications behind the existence of vampires. Or demons...

But how could she continue to call him her husband and still keep all these secrets from him? She had to tell him. She just needed to figure out the right time.

****

She woke up the next morning to the sound of heavy rain tapping against the windows. It was cold, and dark, and all she wanted to do was stay hidden under the warm covers for the rest of the day. Had David was still there, she would have persuaded him to spend the rest of the morning in bed with her. But her husband was already up, and she remembered how much she had planned for today

With a sigh, she pulled on one of David’s thick hoodies and a pair of jeans. She brushed her teeth, and ran a comb through her hair, before finally stepping out of the bedroom. The apartment was quiet. David was tapping away at his laptop, and Sarah was still asleep on the couch. The young woman’s presence in her home still felt strange. She hadn't fully adjusted to her being in their space, and modesty was the last thing on her radar that morning.

Not giving the sleeping young woman a second thought, she walked over to David and wrapped her arms around him from behind, leaning forward and pressing her cheek against his as she looked at the computer screen:

"Good morning" she said softly. Then, noticing what he was looking at, raised an eyebrow "Shimmerman & Silverman? I’ve never heard of them. Who are they?"

Emma's arms tightened around her husband's body "A police case?" she was completely caught off-guard "What police case?"

Emma slowly lets go of David. She shifts to sit beside him, facing away and looking out the window as the sound of the rain continues to pour outside. She could have lied to him, but she knew she couldn't keep hiding the truth. There were cameras. Pictures. He will find out eventually, and then, what will she say?

"There’s something I need to tell you" she took a deep breath, still looking out the window "While I was at the party in Arundel… someone accused me of 'breaking and entering'." she turned to meet his eyes, and pressed on with her explanation, before he could say anything:

"I was just touring the castle grounds, walking around, taking pictures. I found this old church. No signs, nothing warning me to stay out. So, I went inside for a bit, just looking around. And before I knew it, someone started yelling at me for trespassing."

She pulled a blonde lock of hair behind her ear "but I swear didn’t steal anything! Nothing like that. I didn’t even think they’d actually press charges, you know? I thought it was just some misunderstanding, but I guess the police got involved" she lowered her eyes, as if she was preparing to cower before him "I'm sorry" she lowered her voice to almost a whisper "-I didn't think it was such a big deal"

"Or I can call the administration at Arundel Castle and convince them to drop the charges. It would be better that way, right?" crawling back to Uskglass made her sick to her stomach, but she had no other choice. The bastard got the upper hand on her. She knew she didn’t do anything wrong, and was completely innocent of any wrongdoing, but that didn’t change anything. The ‘Administrator’ was friends with the police commissioner, and they could very well pin murder on her if they felt like it.

The thought of going back to him and apologize for something she didn’t do made her skin crawl, but it seemed like her best option. She could only hope there was some way to get back into his good graces, and put this entire thing behind her.

"So, what are our plans for today?" She changed the subject, as if the entire situation were a minor inconvenience she could resolve with a wave of her hand "I was thinking of having a few friends over later this evening, and I still have some work to finish, but my schedule is pretty flexible."

Poor David. Emma hated seeing him like this. She knew how much the promotion meant to him. He was shouldering most of their financial burden. His salary was barely enough to provide for their most basic needs, and not nearly enough to support a family. She could only imagine how much stress he must be under. She couldn’t stand seeing him struggle like this. She had to find a way to fix things.

Besides, searching for a lawyer seemed like such a waste, when there were so many better ways to spend their time. Even with Sarah staying in their apartment, they could still sequester themselves in the bedroom...

"Let me make a quick call to Arundel," she rubbed her hand over his shoulder "and then, I’ll help you unwind" With a playful wink she slipped quietly toward the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

She had Mr. Uskglass’s number, thanks to her hacking into his laptop. Her fingers hovered over her phone as she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself before calling that oily bastard. Only when she felt she could keep her cool did she finally place the call.

"Hi, Mr. Uskglass. It’s Emma Harper speaking..."