December 24, 2003 – 06:00
Coralis was making coffee when Samantha woke up.
"Good morning, Samantha! You're up early."
"I couldn't sleep. Are you sure it's fine if I come with you guys tonight?"
"Yeah, if they told us you're welcome to come, then you are welcome. They're very nice people, and they know about us. Well, they know about me and Sebastian, Stephanie knows about you, they won't mind what you are."
"If they know I'm not human and still want me to come, I think that's already more than I can hope for."
"Think about it, I rank 11th on the global list of witches to kill on sight and they still want me to marry into their family. What does that tell you?"
"All I need to know."
Twenty minutes later, while the girls were making breakfast, Frank woke up. It had only been 5 days since Coralis returned home after a long absence and to him, it still felt like it was the day before.
"Considering the time it was when you got home last night, shouldn't you still be sleeping?"
Coralis jumped, she didn't hear him coming.
"No time for that, I've got to leave in 30 minutes for the airport."
"It seems that it's me who needs to get used to you flying by plane," said Frank after kissing her.
"Thankfully it's not that often. I don't like having to coordinate myself with flight schedules, it's worse than weekend buses," said Coralis, which made Samantha laugh.
"I'm thinking of finding a job just so I can sign up for a driving school and get a car," said Samantha.
"I'll pay for that if that's what you want," said Coralis.
An hour later, a taxi dropped Coralis off at the airport. While she waited for her flight, she received a call from an unknown number. She looked at the time: she still had 20 minutes before her boarding time. She rushed to a bathroom meant for a disabled person, as it was the only place she could think of where she'd be able to talk privately. The majority of people calling her from an unknown number were not humans. She activated a mute-ball while answering.
"I'm listening."
"Blue Thunder, I have good news for you this morning!"
"You got my attention, Mal."
"The United Kingdom will still be participating in the global witch hunt, but will no longer be syncing to the lists posted by the US and other participating countries. As of today, your name has been removed from ours and Jorgie Fluk entered it. The names Sebastian Larameer, Erik Fullemon and Henry Fullemon have also been removed from our lists."
"That's indeed very good news, thank you for that."
"In light of new information coming out of Clear Valley, the names of Veronica Bowinger and Eva Suri have also been removed from our lists. However, we have received troubling information coming from Spain concerning Andrew Waterway. Therefore, he will remain on our list for the moment. During the upcoming months, we will review and investigate the other names and will adjust our lists consequently."
Remembering Andrew's plan, she figured he might have done something against an elder there.
"Understood."
"If we receive intel regarding a radical cell of supernatural, the type that should be posted on our lists, can we still count on you to help us counter them, as discussed when we last spoke with you?"
"Yes. As you know, I would have taken them down anyway, as I come across them. I never stood against humans. With the news you just told me, it does make me more willing to continue collaborating with SIS and MI5."
"I'm glad to hear that. Have a good day and Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you too."
Coralis ended the call and looked at the time: boarding was in 2 minutes. She rushed out of the bathroom stall and ran to her gate.
After landing in St-John's, she took a shuttle leading to a parking lot. There were too many cameras in and around the airport, but from a remote parking lot, she knew she'd be able to find a shrub or an obscure corner to disappear and take off.
While on her way to the student gathering spot, she called Veronica. She wanted to give her the official update she received before boarding her flight, but also needed to talk to her about the vampire essence found in the werewolves she encountered the previous night.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" said Veronica after Coralis told her about the previous night's events.
"Dead serious, no pun intended."
"I think you and I need to find another Waldorf's warehouse to burn down."
"That's where my mind went last night. We weren't dealing with ghouls, but damn, I think that was a worse experiment."
"You and I are meant to be, somehow. Let me see if Charlie can dig up the location of another warehouse associated with the Waldorf clan. Hendrick will be glad to hear I'm off the UK list, thank you for that."
"One last thing before I intentionally forget about it just because it scares the shit out of me. March 27 is when the wedding will happen."
A few hours later, Frank stood on Louis's and Linda's front porch. Samantha was next to him. Even if Samantha had been staying at his place for a few weeks, it felt weird to him to be showing up at his family with her next to him. It should have been Coralis. He knew that he had to get used to Coralis arriving later to their family reunion on Christmas Eve because she had to pick up Audrey, and he was the one to invite Samantha to come with them, but he didn't like to be away from Coralis and hoped she won't disappear again on him.
"Hey Frank!" said Linda as she opened the door. "You must be Samantha!"
Linda pulled Samantha into a hug before letting them in and introducing her to the family.
"Coralis and Audrey should be here around 7 this year. Their flight hasn't been cancelled, but she couldn't get a direct flight for the way back."
"Speaking of Coralis, have you heard the news today?" said Stephanie.
"I refused to turn the television on today, no radio either," said Frank.
"She's no longer on the kill list for the UK, neither is Sebastian," said Raymond.
"I knew about that. She met with the Secret Services there the day she cleared her name regarding Massina's murder, they told her that it might happen. They called her while waiting for her flight this morning to confirm it. I didn't know it made the news, she called me while waiting for Audrey."
"I am so happy for you," said Molly while hugging Frank. "Coralis and Sebastian are still not entirely out of this nightmare, but we'll take any good news we can get."
"I agree, I can't lose Blue. If it wasn't for her, I don't want to imagine what my former leader would have turned me into, if he hadn't gotten me killed."