Work Text:
*5PM*
Laura had just gotten into the car after her shift. Damn, working at that convenience store seemed harder than cutting off a bear's head
She decided to call her cousin but got no answer; he must have been busy. Oh well, when a relative doesn't answer, look for your best friend
As she reached the traffic lights that were turning red, she dialed Rowan's number. He answered almost immediately
"Hey Rowie! How are you doing?" She said cheerfully, forgetting all the tiredness due to work
Rowan sighed "Not good. Felix and Linda have broken up"
"Oh really? Did she find out you two hooked up?"
"Come on Laura, stop joking around. He's devastated alright?"
"Ok ok, but why? Did something happened?"
"You know, Felix can't stop drinking, and he often exaggerates. It's difficult to stay with an alcoholic"
The lights turned green. Laura turned the corner, heading toward Bon's Burgers. It would have opened in a few weeks, but this news might have postponed it
"Yeah, bad shit. Where is he now?"
"I don't know. Maybe he's with Jack"
"Got it. I'm going to Bon's Burgers now, maybe they're doing some paperwork"
"Ok. Call me later, okay? Bye Laura"
"Bye Rowie"
The call ended. Ugh, shit, poor Felix. Everyone knew that sometimes he couldn't control himself, and now that he was alone, who knows what he would have done if not observed. It didn't matter, she would meet him soon
She entered through the back door and arrived at Jack's office. He was sitting there, completely absorbed in whatever he was doing. She came out from behind and covered his eyes, making him jump
"Guess who it is?"
"Laura, for the last time, grow up a little" Jack said, but in the end he smirked a little
"Where did Felix go?"
"He took Edd and Molly to the school party. I told him to bring them back at 9"
"What? Really?" Laura said, surprised
"Yes, why?"
"Linda left him this morning. Rowan told me"
"Linda- oh... Oh god, I didn't know that-" Jack sighed "Why didn't I think about it?"
"Hey, nobody knows about it. If he agreed to stay with Edd and Molly this means that he wants to have fun with them to feel better. That's good"
"Yeah, you're right... Well, let's hope they'll have some fun tonight then"
Laura smiled and leaned against the desk while Jack went back to looking at a contract. In a couple of days, this place would be a favorite for adults and children, that was for sure. Everything had to be perfect
*9PM*
Everyone was home. Everyone except Felix, Edd, and Molly. Everything had gone according to plan: Jack had finished work, the dentist appointment had gone well. But Edd and Molly? They hadn't arrived yet
It was nothing at first: maybe it was the traffic, maybe they decided to stay more but... It was already half an hour. Half an hour late because of traffic? It was unnatural of Felix. Then, half an hour became an hour, and an hour became two hours, and two became three
Jack, let's say, was losing patience. A lot of patience. He had already tried to call him over and over again while Rosemary was trying to keep Sophie out of this
Rowan and Laura had decided to come and help. Do something at least. Rowan had even gone to Edd and Molly's school, but the only person who had seen them was a teacher, saying that Felix didn't seem to be lucid but didn't pay much attention to it
Laura was at home. She walked through the hallways and saw from the doorway of Sophie's room that she had just fallen asleep
"Felix! Pick up the FUCKING phone!"
Oh good god... Laura closed Sophie's bedroom door and went straight to the living room. Rosemary was in the kitchen trying to keep calm, Rowan was making her some coffee
"It's been THREE hours since I told you to get Edd and Molly home. What happened to my children!?" Jack raised his voice even more, making Rowan flinch from the kitchen
"Jack!... Jack..." Laura whispered
Jack turned sharply to Laura, his face frowning and his smile completely gone. He didn't look like himself. Not the Jack Walten Laura grew up with. But it was understandable
Laura motioned for him to give her the phone. He seemed to refuse, but what choice did he have? Jack handed her the phone and tried to call. No response. Leave a voicemail
"Felix... Listen, I know it's been hard for you today. We're worried, okay? Did the car stop? Just tell us where you are and we'll pick you up. Just... Answer soon Felix"
Laura sighed and hung up the phone. They had to wait, and Jack didn't have time for that. He walked over to the coat rack and grabbed his jacket. Rosemary came out of the kitchen followed by Rowan and they tried to convince him to stay. Just as Jack was looking for his keys, the phone rang. Laura immediately picked it up
"Hello?"
"Laura..." Felix
"FELIX!" Laura lowered her voice, realizing that she might wake Sophie up "Where are you?"
"I'm so sorry... I tried... I really did, but... I..." Felix began to sob lightly "Edd and Molly... Their bodies... Aren't moving"
Rosemary flinched and stiffened, and Jack's eyes were blank, shocked. Rowan found the car keys and said they had no time to waste. Rosemary covered her face and her husband held her in his arms, promising that they would return soon
"Where are you, Felix?" Laura asked
"Near... Saint Juana's Forest... Help them... They're... Red..."
Laura was shocked for a few seconds, then headed outside with Jack. Rowan decided he would stay inside with Rosemary
"Bastard. You ugly bastard. You... Ugh! What the actual fuck is wrong with him!?"
"Jack, please, calm down-"
"How can I calm down, huh!? My children are in danger because of that stupid, insufferable, ugly-"
"JACK!" Laura screamed "We do NOT have time for this. Let's hurry up, we might be able to help them if you focus on the road. Then, you can be as pissed off as you want"
Jack tried to protest, but the thought that his children were in serious danger second by second convinced him to look at the road and increase the force on the accelerator pedal. Laura put a hand on his leg, trying to reassure him, even though she knew it would be useless
After what seemed like a century, they arrived in front of Saint Juana's Forest. There, they saw the car. The front was completely destroyed, the windows shattered
"EDWARD! MOLLY!" Jack ran to the car
Laura looked away from the car and saw Felix lying on the side of the road. He was covered in blood but didn't appear to be seriously injured. He was still, motionless, not daring to breathe
"Laura, help me! I... I can't get them out of here alone!" Jack's voice began to shake
"Call 911, I'll try to drag them out" Laura said
Jack stepped back and called 911. Laura walked to the back of the car. The windows were completely broken but the door latch was still secure. Peering inside, she saw Edd with his head turned backward, his neck in a twisted, red-dirty position. Molly had her head turned to the front, her eyes wide open, but she didn't move a muscle. They were visibly simple, but lethal, shots
Laura felt vomit rising in her throat, but she had to hold it back. She reached forward and felt for the door lock, finding it. A piece of glass lodged in her elbow, scratching her. She groaned in pain, but still managed to release the lock and open the door
Slowly, with one arm she took Molly by the legs, and with the other she took her by the nape of the neck, holding her tightly and pulling her out. Her heart sank as she felt the blood still warm but the skin cold
Without wasting any time, she did the same thing to Edd. When she pulled him closer, his head fell to one side, without resistance. Fuck... Fuck fuck fuck
The two children were now lying on the ground, the grass around them turning redder with every drop of blood that flowed out. Jack, not far away, saw them, and his body stopped working. He collapsed to the ground, trembling, his eyes fixed on his children
Felix slowly stood up, taking a few steps toward Laura, then stopped. His face was filled with horror, but more than anything, the realization of how his obsession had taken away two people dear to him. Two young souls. He burst into tears and covered his face with his hands
Laura couldn't believe it. It just wasn't possible. Those children were still there until a few hours before, those children loved her, they called her "aunt", they always told her secrets, they played with her. They were like her own children, and now? Just two corpses. It was too cruel to be true
"Hey... Molly, honey, come on, stop playing these pranks. You too, Edd, your father is getting worried..."
"Laura..." Felix said
"And- and your mother too... It's not right, right? Please just... Just stop it already"
"Laura please!..." Jack sobbed
" B-but Jack, don't you get it? It's just a prank! Yeah! A-a... A bad joke! A really bad joke!"
Felix stood behind Laura and tried to move her, but she clung to the two children. She started crying too, but without even noticing it. She was in a total state of shock
When the medics arrived, they said they'd died instantly. Nothing could be done. They checked Felix too, but he was fine. Of course he was fine, the bastard
How would they tell Rosemary? And Sophie? She had lost two siblings that night, all because of some fucking stupid alcohol. Yeah, it was its fault, not Felix's. Yeah, it was right...
The funeral was held earlier than they expected. Rosemary couldn't hold back, her eyes had been burning for more than two hours. Sophie was... She was so confused. She didn't understand how this could have happened. "It's not Uncle Felix's fault, is it?" "What happened to Uncle Felix?" "Uncle... Felix?". Felix, Felix, that fucking Felix everywhere
Jack was simply devastated, but he couldn't show it to anyone, or so he thought. But what about his wife and cousin? The two of them knew it, they just decided not to let him notice it, not to make it weigh him down
One evening, Jack was at Bon's Burgers again. One last errand to take care of, apparently. What did he care anyway...?
Laura walked in. Felix was in the other office, not moving, just staring at the wall. She walked over to Jack, and slowly, silently, put her hands over his eyes. He didn't react at all
"Guess who it is...?"
Silence. Jack sighed slightly and lowered his head, then Laura hugged him from behind. She swears she heard him sobbing