This is a series of short stories, detailing the adventures of Chelsea Childling. You can start with her origin story or pick something from the index.
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Chelsea pulled up to the desert-dust-colored rambler with the setting sun. Her heart skipped as Keegan unfolded himself from his perch on the cement steps. He was the same, all long limbs and shaggy, dark hair blowing in the desert wind.

The engine barely cut when he had her door open. She was on her feet and squeezing him back before she could think of doing it. “Hey asshole.”

“Welcome back, princess.” He stepped back and looked over her car. “Good to see you too, man.”

Jackson laughed. “You too. Andy’ll be happy to get an update.”

Outrage overtook her joy and she pushed Keegan further away. “Wait a minute. You know Andy?”

Keegan’s dark eyes looked towards the empty sky, annoyance already crinkling at the corners. “I knew him from the New York scene. Ran with his crew for a few weeks, but that’s really it. We aren’t friends.”

She punched his arm. “You could have introduced me to Andy a year ago.”

“What the hell?” Keegan looked back to Jackson, rubbing at his bicep. “They really that close?”

Jackson beamed at him. “Of course they are. They have somebody to talk about art, opera, and trash with.  He actually left the city to hunt for her.”

Keegan sighed. “She pulled an legit miracle. I might have to take Catholic saints more seriously.”

Bentley scratched at the window and Chelsea jumped to let him out. The big mutt immediately darted over for pets. Keegan dropped to his knees to oblige the dog.  “We should head inside. I have pizza coming and cold beer already here.”

Jackson lingered at her trunk, so when Keegan headed for the house with Bentley she said, “We’ll be right there.”

She popped the trunk in silence, letting Jackson take his time. Eventually, green eyes met her own. “You guys dated, huh?”

Guilt settled in her stomach. She’d been so laser focused on helping Keegan that she’d forgotten to tell Jack exactly why she had to help. “Nothing serious, and honestly, we realized we made better friends pretty quickly. But he’s… he’s my first real friend I made as a hunter. And he asked for help and…”

“Oh, I get it. He’s your partner. Has nothing to do with the job ending.” Jack’s big grin was a relief as he grabbed his bag. “I’m just a little shocked ‘cause Keegan doesn’t date.”

“I know.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t what you’d consider typical, by any means. I was in a terrible place and I kinda needed a hands off, but stable relationship. Keegan… I still don’t know what he got out of it.”

Jackson kissed her temple. “He got you.”

She laughed. “Tell me if you still believe that at the end of this hunt. We tend to get on each other’s nerves.”

Jack just laughed again and handed her a bag. “Honestly, it’s cool seeing Keegan hug someone. He’s never been the friendliest guy in the world.”

“Yeah…” Chelsea thought back to Andy’s place in New York, and his crew. “I can’t see Keegan with Andy. Like the whole found-family, team of many, living together, it’s not his scene.” It hadn’t been hers, either.

“It wasn’t, for sure. Andy was far too nosy and pushy for him. Then he and Amber took off on a hunt outside the city, and Keegan just… never came back. Andy keeps tabs on him, because… well, it’s Andy, but he’ll like to hear what he’s up to from a person.”

Chelsea shouldered her bag and closed the trunk. “Wish I had known. I would have happily talked shit on the asshole for hours.”

Jack grinned at her. “Maybe we head back East and give him an update after this.”

She shrugged, smiling at the thought. “Maybe.”

The inside of the grey rambler was as dark and narrow and dated as she remembered once Chelsea and Jack settled at the table. 

Keegan handed out beer and pizza. “My sister and I went to checkout a preschool for Kate–”

Chelsea choked. “She’s not even a year old!”

“And?” Keegan shrugged. “There’s a two year waiting list.”

“Oh Jesus save me from the pretensions of the upper middle class.” She rolled her eyes as Jack snickered before stuffing his face with pizza.

Keegan smirked at her over his beer. “Hey, we can’t all be legacies and scions of plantations.” 

She stuck her tongue out at him and let out her natural Georgia accent. “But you’ll take my money for your daughter.”

Jack snickered as Keegan continued. “Anyway, while we were touring, one of the kids said they saw a monster. The staff was cool, asked questions, even got the kid to draw it.”

Jack’s face grew dark. “And then said it was imagination.”

Keegan sighed. “Yup, but it’s definitely a kindermord. Purple tentacles, lumpy, nasty smells from dark rooms. If it hasn’t attacked a kid already, it’s getting ready to.”

Beside her Jack tensed further, and she knew what was flashing through his head. So she gripped his leg under the table. The muscle there was rock hard.

If Keegan noticed anything, he continued as if he didn’t. “There’s a back gate with a padlock. I hate to bust it open, but we need to get to the school after hours.” He sighed. “And there are cameras everywhere, so masks and no Bentley.”

Chelsea nodded along with Jack. She had never had to worry about cameras before. Andy took care of that in the city and she tended to smaller towns mostly. Bentley would have to stay at the house. He sure as shit wouldn’t stay in the car.

Jack sucked in a deep breath and the leg under her hand relaxed. “Sounds like we have a decent plan in place.”

Keegan smirked at him. “Andy taught me well. I’ve already been to the hedge doctors for the sweet cedar and everything.”

Jack slapped the table before standing and stretching. “How about I take Bent for a long walk and let you two catch up.” Before she could do more than nod, he and the giant mutt were out the door.

Keegan leaned back in his chair with a deeply faked nonchalance. “So, how’s it going?”

Her smile hurt her face. “Really good actually. I needed help in Tucumcari and we’ve been together ever since.”

“And Amber?”

She shrugged. “Jack’s looking for her.”

Keegan’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”

“He promised.”

“And how much looking has he been doing poolside in Vegas?”

She shrugged again. “I haven’t asked.”

His obvious disbelief boiled her temper. “He promised he’d find her for me. I’m not going to be a bitch about it.”

“Okay, okay, relax.” Keegan shook his head, a mue of distaste twisting his lips. “I’m just curious why you aren’t looking for her.”

Chelsea slumped in her chair and took a long drink of beer. “Because I found her once already and we were happy. I don’t– I can’t go through that again right now. I don’t have the energy.”

Sympathy softened his face. “I’m glad he’s with you though.”

“Me too.” She shared a smile with him.

Keegan took a long drink of beer. “Can I admit something potentially embarrassing to you?”

“You can tell me anything.” And she meant it. As she couldn’t mean it to almost anybody else.

“I was kinda looking forward to sharing the bed with you.” 

Her face warmed and she had no idea what to say. So she finished her beer.

He fiddled with his beer bottle. “In the nonsexual, cuddly way, of course.”

“Of course.” She smirked at him. “You can share the bed with Bentley.”

He lifted a middle finger at her, but one of his rare smiles warmed his face. “Like he wasn’t gonna join us in the first place.”

She laughed with him and a slight weight lifted from her shoulders. She hadn’t realized she was worried about bringing Jack here, and what it meant for her and Keegan. But in the dim light of the dining room, she knew Keegan would always be the same for her. No matter who she slept with.