This is a series of short stories, detailing the adventures of Chelsea Childling. You can start with her origin story or pick any story from the index.
***

“My sister comes back tomorrow.” 

Chelsea ignored the statement and sipped her coffee. The table held scraps of donuts from the local bakery, but nothing cooked. They’d all been sleeping since they’ gotten back from killing the kindermord.

Keegan settled in the chair beside her, casting a look at Jackson, begging for help. Jack smiled, warm and broad, and seemingly devoid of any thoughts whatsoever.

Keegan opened his mouth and then sighed.

She decided to put him out of his misery. “So you’re kicking us out?”

Jackson took his coffee and stood. “C’mon Bentley! Let’s go for a walk.” He and her dog skittered out the door on nearly silent feet.

Keegan rolled his eyes. “He’s better trained than the dog.”

“He isn’t kicking me out.”

“Neither am I. But let’s get real Chelsea. I have a baby. It’s hard to have guests who don’t hunt monsters. Let alone people who sleep all day and are up all night.” He slumped in his chair. “Kate just started sleeping through the night, and she’s going to be off schedule.”

Anger poured through her. “Bullshit.”

He opened his mouth, and she talked right over him. “And don’t even start with how to explain us staying here to your sister. Because the truth is, you’re keeping me away from her.”

Keegan leaned back in his chair. “You know this is why, right?”

She glared at him. 

“This is her house, Chelsea.”

“And she’s a bitch.” She’s never forgiven the woman for how she acted the last time she’d been here. The way she’d talked down to Keegan. “You’re here taking care of her kid.”

Keegan’s eyes narrowed. “My kid.”

Guilt and self-loathing floated up like scum on a pond, but she waded through it. “It’s not your job to care of everybody.”

“I took care of you.”

She opened her mouth, anger boiling, and leaned forward.

Jack’s calm voice came from the front porch. “Don’t say it.”

She froze.

“You don’t say it if you don’t mean it.” The screen door opened, and he leaned through. “Right?”

She nodded and sat back in her chair.

Keegan looked between the two of them, confusion plain on his face.

Jack shrugged at him and smiled again before closing the door.

“I thought he was taking Bentley on a walk,” Keegan muttered.

“You know Bentley mostly walks himself.” She sipped at her coffee. “So this is why we don’t date.”

Keegan glared at her. “Yeah. You still piss me off like nobody else.”

“Same.” She met him glare for glare. “I don’t have to respect anyone who talks to you like your sister does.”

“Which is why you should leave before she comes back.” He swallowed, and some of the anger left him. “She’s working on her issues.”

“Why do we have to leave, then?”

He looked her over, amusement shining through his frown. “Because you’re spoiling to pick a fight with her, and you know it.”

Jackson snorted a laugh from the front porch. 

Keegan tossed a glare that way and the last of her rage guttered. She walked her coffee to the sink “Fine, we’ll get out of here.”

He sighed. “It’s… C’mon.”

“I get it. It’s a family thing.”

He refused to meet her eyes. “Chelsea…”

“Call me if you need anything.” She headed for the front door.

“You don’t have to leave this second.” Desperation gave his voice an edge. “You still need to pack.”

“We did that when we got up.” They’d never really unpacked. Just some clothes.

He nodded, still not looking at her.

She waited a few moments, but he didn’t say anything, or even move. “Bye, Keegan.” She trudged out the door to Jackson. He frowned, but only slung an arm around her waist.

Bentley hurried over. He put a paw on her leg and barked.

“Let’s go, Bent.” She headed for her car, Jackson in step with her.

Bentley barked again, still from behind her.

“Let’s go.”

The dog only stared at her with insistent blue eyes. 

“Bentley, heel.”

He barked again, but didn’t take a step.

Keegan appeared in the door. Bentley, now sitting calmly, barked louder.

“Bentley, hush! And get over here.”

Keegan opened the door and the dog calmed. Laughing, he hurried down the stairs and wrapped his arms around her. “The dog really does call the shots.”

She hugged him back. “I told you so.”

Jackson chuckled and scratched at Bentley’s ear.

Keegan pulled away. “We’ll figured this out. Because you were right the other night. I can’t go out all the time, but I’ll find monsters. And I’ll need help.”

She hugged him again. “You call, I’ll come. That’s it.”

Jackson clapped arms around both of them. “Same here.” 

Keegan sighed loudly, but rested his head on Jackson’s. “Good.” 

Jackson squeezed them both for a second, then gestured to Bentley, and got the dog settled in the car.

Chelsea stepped back and rested her hand on Keegan’s shoulder. “I’m walking away because Kate is a literal baby, but once she’d older…”

Keegan gave her a big smile. “Oh, I cannot wait until we can send her off to weeklong camp in the summer, so you can stay here and lay into my sister.”

“Deal.” She hugged him again. “I love you, asshole.”

“Love you, too, princess.” He flashed Jackson a wave and muttered. “Can you ditch him every now and then?”

“No.” She winked at his transparent shock, before strutting to the trunk. Her black duster shook out in the every blowing desert wind. “Time for me to hit the road.”

Keegan batted at the fringe. “You still have the hat?”

She nodded. “I bought the boots after you left.”

He opened her car door for her, and with one last wave, Keegan settled on the steps and watched them drive away.

Once they hit the business district, Jackson relaxed next to her. “So…”

She headed for the highway. “I know we talked about seeing Andy, but I cannot handle New York again so soon.”

“Yeah.” Jackson laughed. “Snow sucks.”

“So do people.” She squeezed his hand, briefly. “Present company excluded.”

“Yeah…” He pulled back. “And, and, Amber… might have been seen in Seattle.”

Shock ripped through her. “When?”

“About a week ago. I saw the post on the way here.”

“And you’re just telling me now.”

“Well, yeah.” He seemed baffled as to why she might be upset. “We were after the kindermord. We weren’t bailing on that no matter what, so we needed to focus. And then you and Keegan decided to fight over his sister.” He laid a hand on her knee. “This is really the first good time to mention it.”

“Fair.” She huffed out an annoyed breath. He had a point, but she didn’t have to like it. “What’s she doing in Seattle?” 

Jackson settled in his seat. “There’s an infestation of lake monsters.”

“So we head north?”

“Yeah.” He swallowed. “We head north.”