Chapter Eighty-Three: One Last Afternoon And Dinner

(pre-Suzie, Do You Copy?, Pt. 2)

***

*trigger warning: mentions of racist and homophobic slurs and language*

An explosion and Javier's infuriated, "AMARANTHA!" alerted Rowan to where her cousins were.

Still, she smirked as she saw her cousins barrel out of a portal, cackling like over-caffeinated hyenas as Amarantha closed the portal on a furious Javier's face, which was covered in ash and Rowan saw a box that looked to be suspiciously smoking on the floor of his bedroom, as he yelled, "Amarantha, when I get down there I'm gonna kill you and our cousins you el pedacito de mierda!"

"Holy shit, he's pissed," Ash laughed out, a grin on her face.

"I know! Mama better not hear what he just said or he's getting a chancla to the face," Amaranth said with a grin, as Sage noticed Rowan.

"Rowan! Hey!" she greeted, smiling sunnily as her tight curls swung around her face, as the rest of her cousins noticed her presence.

"Hey Rowan!" they greeted, Ash wearing a despicable smile as she said, "You missed the greatest prank ever."

"It was hilarious!" Kieran crowed, a mad grin to match his sister's. "Javier thought we were getting him an early birthday present, but it wasn't! The look on his face!"

Kieran dissolved into uncontrollable laughter as Rowan grinned.

"I bet it was," she said. Looking at her female cousins, she asked, "Hey, are you still heading out?"

"Uh, yeah, we are," Amarantha affirmed. 

"Definitely since Javier will be on the warpath for you, Ame," Sage interjected with a grin, the younger girl shooting her cousin a look. 

"You still helped!" Amarantha shouted, the older teen shrugging before she turned back to Rowan.

"Yeah, we're heading out. Why? Are you coming?" Sage asked.

"Yep," Rowan confirmed.

"Hell yes!" Ash yelled, grinning as she slung her arm around Rowan. "We got one of the cool cousins!"

"I thought I was the cool cousin!" Amarantha objected.

"Rowan and Alistair fought monsters in their hometown. That makes them the cool cousins along with Aunt Aco being the cool aunt," Ash reasoned, that grin still on her face. 

"Fair," Amarantha muttered with a dramatic huff, but she couldn't hide her grin and the admiration in her eyes—Rowan knew her second youngest cousin idolised her for kicking inter-dimensional monster ass, just like she did for Alistair and Aunt Aco—as Sage linked her arm through Rowan's.

"Shall we, dear cousin?" she said in a dramatic tone.

"We shall, my fellow cousins," Rowan said in an equally dramatic tone as Ash scooped her arm through Rowan's free one and Amarantha linked arms with Sage—back in Hawkins, Rowan knew her drama nerd best friends would be shedding tears of pride right now.

"Onwards to freedom, my fellow women!" Ash cried, Rowan, Sage and Amarantha nodding solemnly before snorting with laughter at their dramatics.

"Hey! What about me!?" Kieran shouted as the four of them frogmarched to the door and loud footsteps sounded on the stairs.

"You've got super-speed!" Ash shouted back over her shoulder, Rowan turning to see Javier descend, a murderous look on his face as Kieran's eyes widened comically before he raced off, a blur of movement. At seeing one of his targets gone, Javier paused before he saw Rowan with Amarantha, Sage and Ash.

"Hey!" Javier shouted, bolting down the stairs.

"Girls, let's go, go, go!" Amarantha screeched.

"Okay, okay!" Sage laughed as Rowan jerked her head, the door opening and they barrelled out, snorting and cackling as Ash slammed the door close and they ran down the street a minute before Javier opened it, yelling, "HEY! GET BACK HERE!"

But it was too late, as Rowan had teleported Ash while Sage copied her teleportation for herself and Amarantha to get past the fence, grinning at an infuriated Javier before they bolted down the street, Javier shouting, "AME! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY WHEN YOU GET BACK! SAME WITH YOU, ASH AND SAGE AND ROWAN!"

The girls responded by throwing middle fingers and devilish grins at Javier before continuing their sprint down the long, winding trail out past the woods that hid the Graveswood manor.

And into Lynn.

***

For being in different states, Lynn reminded Rowan a lot of Hawkins.

It was a small town, like Hawkins, but unlike Hawkins, Lynn had a bit more history to it, and was only a drive away from the more infamous Salem... and there was no lab looming over the town with traumatised, experimented on kids with superpowers and an inter-dimensional gate in its basement.

And how unlike Hawkins, Lynn knew her family's secrets.

Well, knew was maybe a strong word—rumour was better. Lynn seemed to know something was off about her family, but no one commented or confronted them, just looked at Rowan and her family when they went into town in the same way some would look at Hazel and Tristan and Ash, Sage and Kieran, at Imelda and Damian and Amarantha while they didn't look much at Javier. They especially stared at Rowan and Alistair; when Ash took them to a diner that all the teens apparently hung out at when they weren't at the mall or arcade, she had whispered, "Most of the grown-ups knew about your parents, knew you were their kids and that you stayed with Aunt Aco after they died. They're surprised you're back after years."

It had been just as much of a surprise to Rowan, just as much as her blood boiled and she wanted to sucker punch the way a person would give a dirty look to her family, but she'd pushed it down. Well, until someone decided to get vocal about their hate for her cousins. Then she wouldn't be held accountable for breaking all the bones in the bastard's body.

But now, she, Ash, Sage and Amarantha were walking down the street, Rowan's arms linked with Ash and Sage's while Amarantha was squashed between her and Ash. Rowan was glad to be next to Ash; her cousin always ran hotter due to her powers. It was an amazing side effect, especially when Sage copied her sister's powers, so it felt like Rowan was walking with two humanoid heaters. A look at Amarantha told Rowan her cousin felt the same. As they walked, the four chatted about school—Rowan and Alistair didn't have school, since they technically were still attending school in Hawkins—her cousins griping about assignments, the pranks they pulled and how Ash set a meathead jock's letter jacket on fire after he was a prick to her brother, the embarrassing stories they told of Kieran and Javier with glee that Rowan returned with her own stories of Alistair, and of her friends in Hawkins as they told her about their friends, about music tastes and movies and career interests and personal interests. 

The four arrived at the diner as Rowan and Sage were having a debate on which Stephen King book was better, Amarantha pushing the door open as Rowan argued, "No, Carrie is his best work hands down, Sage, are you insane?"

"Yeah, but it's also his first work. And come on, please don't look me in the eye and tell me you don't think The Dark Tower or Christine aren't better."

"Uh, yeah, I will, because Carrie is literally a masterpiece and I will fight you, cuz," Rowan shot back.

"Yeah, but—" Sage started, but Ash cut in, "Listen, nerds, you can talk about this when we're inside, okay?"

"Fine," Rowan and Sage said in unison, calling a temporary truce as they entered the diner

Rowan sighed as bliss filled her at feeling the warmth of the diner after the chill of the Massachusetts' winter air outside. Inside, the diner was reminiscent of the 50s, with a checkered floor, jukebox and booths and counter stools upholstered in red leather. A jukebox was playing Elvis and the smell of coffee and bacon filled the air as did the noise from the machine and Elvis' voice and the chatter of the teens, elderly people and families that congregated in the diner.

Rowan loved being here. And she knew that, if she ever told the truth to Robin, Valerie and Chrissy, she was bringing them here.

Ash made a beeline to their table—a booth in the back. Rowan, Sage and Amarantha followed, sliding into the worn leather seats.

Rowan, who was right across from Sage, narrowed her eyes at her cousin into a glare and said, "Okay, we need to settle this right now, and that is by how Carrie is the fucking best—"

"Hi, can I take your orders?"

The four Graveswood girls looked up to see a teen girl standing there, dressed in a skirt, blouse and apron, pen and notepad in hand. The light made her skin a deeper shade of brown, and she smiled at them.

"The usual, girls?" Eden Cheong asked, to which Rowan looked at Ash, who had a grin at Eden.

"That would be a yes, Miss. Cheong," Ash confirmed, as Eden rolled her eyes at the formality and said, "So two coffees, one black, one with sugar and milk, a green tea and a hot cocoa?"

"Yep," the four girls chorused.

"It's like you read our minds, babe," Ash said with a wink. Eden smiled, looking at Ash as Rowan watched her cousin's eyes widen before she grinned wickedly, and a second later, Eden's brow raised.

"Could you two stop flirting with your minds, please?" Sage groaned, Amarantha elbowing her cousin and saying, "Shut up, it's sweet."

"Yeah, shut up, Sage. How else am I gonna flirt with this gorgeous woman without any small-minded assholes overhearing?" Ash shot back in a low voice, a grin still playing on her lips. Sage glared back at her, but couldn't think of a retort.

"Hey, I'll get your orders, then I'll be right back—my shift's nearly over," Eden informed. She gave Ash a look that a second later had her eyes blow wide and Eden grin before marching back to where the coffee machine waited.

Rowan watched her cousin's girlfriend go, remembering when she first met Eden, thinking she was an experiment like El before the Korean-Black girl told her that she was like Rowan and her family—that was, her family on her dad's side also had gifts. Her father could control water, while Eden could read minds and her little sister could control metal and her older brother could feel and manipulate emotions like Rowan's uncle could. It had been a shock to meet another family like hers, but a welcome one—the Cheongs were nice, if skeptical of hers and Alistair's reluctant recounts of their fights against the Upside Down.

"If dimensions with monsters existed," the patriarch of the Cheong family, Min-jun Cheong, had said at a shared dinner once, "we would know. The familys' books would know."

"They do," Rowan had muttered darkly, her mind full of faces that opened up and rotting, warped dimensions. "Trust me, they do."

That had been the end of that conversation, but whenever she and Eden spent time together this past month, Rowan could feel Eden's skepticism—she didn't need telepathy to read Eden's mind for that.

After seeing Eden slide back behind the counter, Rowan turned to her cousin and said, "Okay, Sage. I'm giving my final statement. Carrie is the fucking best because, yeah, it's his first work, but it's horror that feels real. Like, a teenage girl can just snap after being pushed too far and kill everyone in her school and her mother, powers or not. Plus, the movie adaption fucking rules as well."

Sage worried her lip, before she sighed and glowered at her. "Okay, you have a point. But Christine's his best work because it feels like an allegory of a possessive girlfriend in the form of a demon car. And The Dark Tower is just an amazing work of fantasy and horror, just like The Stand is."

"Fair points," Rowan conceded, before she raised her hands. "Look, let's agree that The Shining, Firestarter, 'Salem's Lot and Pet Semetary  are some of his fucking best works."

Sage nodded. "Can't argue with the truth."

The two shook hands, solidifying the agreement.

After the debate over which of Stephen King's books were better had ended, Ash asked, "Are you two nerds done with your nerd debate?"

"Yes, we are, Ash," Sage said with an eye-roll as Rowan tried to smother her laugh.

"It's so fucking weird to be called a nerd for reading Stephen King. I always call Alistair and Eddie nerds for reading Lord Of The Rings and other fantasy shit," Rowan remarked.

"Well, I'm Sage's sister so I call her a nerd for reading horror," Ash said, as Sage scowled and swatted at her while Ash leaned back. "And you like horror, too, and want to be a shrink, so you're a nerd as well."

"Aren't you a nerd as well since you want to do something with space or some shit?" Sage questioned, brow arched as Ash frowned and leaned over to pinch Sage's arm and Sage yelped.

"Shut up, nerd," Ash said before she twisted over to Rowan. "Anyway. Rowan, you and Alistair are leaving for Hawkins tomorrow. Any chance we can get you to stay a bit longer?"

"None, unless you want us to miss out even more on school," Rowan answered.

"Sure you can! Fuck school!" Ash exclaimed.

"You sound like Eddie. Are you sure you haven't met him?" Rowan inquired with a grin.

"No, but he sounds really awesome."

"Well, anyway, we can't miss school because unless Harvard or Princeton somehow think skipping school is acceptable—"

"Here you go, ladies," Eden's voice cut in, as the smell from the drinks in her hands filled Rowan's nose. "One black coffee with sugar and milk for Rowan..."

Eden bought the coffee down in front of Rowan and the dark-haired girl immediately grabbed it, drinking the coffee and sighing happily as Eden kept doling out the drinks. 

"One green tea for Sage. One hot cocoa for Amarantha. And one black coffee for Ash," Eden said, placing the drinks down and receiving smiles. When she put the coffee in front of Ash, Amarantha noticed the cookie next to it.

"Hey! How come she gets a cookie?" Amarantha demanded.

Eden smiled and said to all of them in their minds, Because she's my girlfriend. Girlfriends get free cookies with their drinks.

"Damn right I do," Ash said with a grin, holding Eden's hand as she gave the other girl an adoring smile, Eden returning it. Amarantha smiled, a hopeless romantic at heart, while Sage and Rowan rolled their eyes, but Rowan couldn't keep back the smile at the casual act of love, when the world wanted to destroy it just because they were two girls. It just wasn't fair.

"So," Eden said as she sidled into the booth next to Ash, making Rowan move closer to the wall, "what is acceptable?"

"I was saying it wasn't because Al and I—especially me—can't afford skipping school if we want a snowball's chance in hell to get into a decent college," Rowan clarified, taking a sip of her coffee. Rowan was amazed how much her attitude toward school had changed—don't get her wrong, she still hated school as an institution and couldn't wait to graduate, but she couldn't afford not missing anymore school than she had if she still wanted to head into a good college. 

Eden frowned. "Why? I mean, I get not skipping school—my dad always says my harabeoji and the ghosts of all my ancestors would rise from their graves and kick my ass if I skip school or fail a test. But aren't our families like, kinda rich?"

"Al and I live with our con artist aunt in a trailer park. And Aunt Aco always told me and Al to work hard and be self-reliant rather than let money talk, and only accept handouts if it's an emergency or if we really need it," Rowan explained. "Which, kinda ironic for a con artist to say, but that's our aunt."

"I want to meet Aunt Aco even more now," Ash said, side-eyeing Amarantha. "You're so lucky to meet her."

"Yeah, she's kinda awesome," Amarantha concurred while Eden looked right at Rowan.

"So I assume all this talk is because you and your brother are going back to Hawkins?" Eden asked.

"Yep," Rowan confirmed, popping the "P".

"You know, you and Alistair can always stay here," Eden said. "I know it isn't my place, but you and Al are with your wider family here, and maybe your aunt can come back too, and you can go to school here."

"Yeah, pass," Rowan said. "Look, nothing against all of you, but Hawkins... as much of a shitty town it can be at times, it's still home. The people we know, the friends we've made, Aunt Aco... they're our home, and I don't want to leave that home. Neither does Al."

It was tempting, to stay in Lynn, where Rowan and Alistair would be around family, around another family like them. But she couldn't and neither could Alistair, because staying would mean abandoning Aunt Aco, abandoning Eddie and Chrissy and Robin and Valerie and Nancy and Jonathan and the Party and Hopper and Joyce Byers, abandoning Steve, abandoning everyone who made living in Hawkins worth it.

"And besides, we have a... friend we can't leave behind even if we want to," Rowan said, eyeing the coffee shop—no way was she risking El's safety, not even several states away, by saying her name—and keeping her voice low as she went on, "She's like a sister to me and Alistair, and there's no way in hell we're leaving her behind. And if..."

Rowan swallowed, but pushed the words out. "If the Upside Down comes back, I'd rather be in Hawkins than here."

Eden frowned, her skepticism clear but she didn't say anything, which Rowan was glad for—sorry Ash, but she would zap Eden if she tried again to say that the monsters Rowan fought against, that had killed so many people, including Barb and Bob, that had taken, possessed and traumatised Will, that had almost killed her, Alistair, the kids, Nancy and Jonathan, Hopper and Joyce, and Steve so many times, that the nightmare dimension that haunted Rowan's nightmares, weren't real.

"Well," the telepathic teen said instead, shrugging. "You and Al better come and visit us. Especially if you can bring this aunt of yours and Ash's I keep hearing a lot about."

"Trust me, we will," Rowan promised as in front of her Amarantha said, "Sage and I are right here, Eden!"

"I know," Eden said, smirking.

The five girls sat in silence, four of them sipping their drinks. Ash broke her cookie in half and handed the other half to Eden, who accepted it as they gave each other goo-goo eyes, before the silence broke as Amarantha excitedly talked to Sage about a new project she was doing at school while Ash recounted when she set the jock's jacket on fire.

"He was sitting right there, and I just so happened to look at him. The next minute, the end of his jacket was up in flames," Ash recounted, a vindictive smile on her face. "Almost set the fire alarm off and he kept jumping around and screaming, but that's what he gets for messing with my brother."

"I swear, you're a real psycho sometimes, babe," Eden murmured.

"For those I love, I'm always a little psycho," Ash said, grinning.

"Oh, I know. I don't care. It's really hot," Eden said, a wicked smile curving her lips as her hand drifted underneath the table and added, "But what's more hotter is when you squirm..."

Ash stifled a yelp as Eden grinned like a madwoman and Rowan rolled her eyes while Sage said, "Please, not while we're drinking."

Eden pulled her hand back up as Ash cleared her throat, summoning back up her cocky smile as she said, "Anyway, setting that asshole's jacket on fire was deliciously sweet."

"I bet it was. Reminds me of when I used to fantasise about setting Steve's hair on fire," Rowan ruminated, a wistful smile on her face. God, they'd come far from when they'd been enemies. Steve had come far from those asshole days.

"Steve, right? The same Steve you keep talking about when you're not talking about your friends, those kids your brother's friends with, that girl or the place with monsters?" Sage questioned.

"Yeah, that Steve," Rowan confirmed, feeling eyes on her.

"Oh! We have some bad blood here," Ash said with too much glee, propping her chin up on her hands. "Do spill, dear cousin."

"Ash, don't be a gossip," Eden chided.

"Hush, you literally read people's minds, babe. Let me have this."

"We don't have bad blood—at least, not in a while," Rowan admitted. "He was a douchebag nearly two years ago, and I hated him—I even punched him and got into a fight with him when he spray painted on the movie theatre that his now-ex was a slut just because he saw her with another guy."

Eden's eyes narrowed, Sage winced, Amarantha sucked in a harsh breath, and Ash looked like she was trying not to set something on fire, but the temperature had heated up.

"Anyway, long story short, he wised up to his assholery after that and ditched his asshole friends. Throw in fighting an inter-dimensional monster, babysitting a couple of lunatic kids, and fighting monsters again plus a kinda messy breakup as well, and he changed, to become a better person," Rowan finished, sighing. "Which, I'm kinda glad for. The Steve I know now is a much better person than he was two years ago."

"That's good. He sounds like a better person anyway, now," Sage said, smiling.

"Yeah, but Rowan, if I meet him, don't hold me back from punching him in the face," Ash muttered, arms folded and scowling. Rowan had quickly learned, just like her, Ash didn't like when women were called sluts or whores just because they'd been seen talking with another guy and their boyfriends got pissy about it.

"Trust me, Ash, you won't have to. Like I said, he's a good guy now," Rowan assured.

Ash didn't look convinced, but Sage looked at Ash and said, "Speaking of the fire thing... can't believe you didn't get expelled. And you know Mom and Dad gave you a lecture about that, right? What if someone noticed?"

"No one did—only the jocks were around and most of them have nothing but air in their skulls instead of brains," Ash said, rolling her eyes.

"Ash, speaking from experience, you do need to be careful," Rowan put in, mind flashing with images of Brenner, of a lab with cold walls and colder people, of El and her trauma, of what Rowan had seen when she dream-walked into her memories, of her fears of Hawkins finding out about her powers—of finding out about Alistair's powers. "If the wrong people find out, it'll be bad."

"I know. I'm not an idiot," Ash huffed, her voice softer since Rowan knew her cousin knew what she said was from a place of love, of very real worry. "Besides, I—"

"Graveswood."

As one, the four Graveswood women turned, and Rowan saw a teenage boy she didn't recognise—he had brown hair, a logo shirt under a baggy denim jacket, and tight acid-wash jeans. He was glaring at Ash, and Rowan realised this must be the asshole jock who made fun of Kieran and Ash set his jacket on fire.

"Hey, asshole. How can I help you?" Ash drawled, her voice uncaring and her eyes glowering into the jock like she was trying to set him on fire again.

The jock glared back at her. "I want to know how you did it."

"Did what?" Ash said with an innocence that did not fit Rowan's wildcard cousin.

"I know you did some freaky Satanist shit on me, witch," the jock spat, and Rowan felt her own glare forming, moving to step in but Sage reached over the table to stop her.

Ash, however, looked non-plussed by the comment. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. Maybe I wouldn't have too if you and your douchebags didn't bully my little brother."

"I was only calling him for what he is—for what you all are," the jock said, a nasty grin on his face.

Rowan's glare intensified. God, this guy was as big of a prick as Hargrove and Jason, as Steve had been. 

"And what are we, Hudson?" Ash asked, voice dangerously light.

"You're all freaks," the jock, Hudson, growled; past him, Rowan saw a pack of jocks migrating their way towards them. "You're all Satanists and witches who sold their souls to the devil for freaky powers and shit. That you're all little queers."

He spat the last word with venom and Rowan's blood boiled, thinking not just of her cousin, her uncle and Alistair, but of Eddie, of Robin, of maybe Will and Valerie. 

"You deny it, but we all know what you are, what that freak girl's family is," Hudson said, that nasty smile on his face as he looked at Eden, who gave him a poisonous look. "You're all witches. You should have burned in Salem, Graveswoods, and you should go back to your country, Cheong."

At that, the leash on Rowan's temper snapped.

"What the fuck is your problem!?" Rowan snapped as she stood up.

Hudson looked at her. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Rowan. Rowan Graveswood," Rowan said, a venomous smile on her face as the asshole's eyes widened. "And unless you want to have kids, then you and your cronies better get the fuck out of my sight and leave my family alone or I'm tearing off your dick and shoving it down your throat."

"Bold words. How do we know you're a witch like they are?" a jock called out while his friend hissed, "Dude, don't provoke them. They're witches, remember?"

"You don't. But trust me, the last time a piece of shit like you said something like what you just said to my cousin's friend, I beat the shit out of him and almost barbecued him alive," Rowan said, a dangerous smile on her face as she rounded back on Hudson.

To his credit, he wasn't intimidated. "Is that supposed to scare me? I can take you. You're just a girl—and a short one at that. Get out of this before I break your pretty face."

Rowan's smile sharpened. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. I can get real scary."

"Buddy, I've fought scary. And unless your face can open up into a four-sectioned mouth of death, then you're not scary. You're pathetic."

Hudson stared at her. "What the fuck you just said?"

"You heard me. Now, go away. Before I fry all the hair off your head. The ladies would hate to see a guy like you go bald so early," Rowan threatened, a smirk she only saved for assholes playing on her face.

Hudson glowered. "Listen here, Rowan Graveswood or whoever the fuck you are, I don't care who you are—and by what you're wearing, you're obviously one of those freaks—but stay out of this or I will—"

Before he could say another word, Rowan had moved forward and swung a punch at the jock's face. He reeled back, turning and Rowan saw blood dripping from his nose and lip, before his features twisted.

"You fucking bitch!" he yelled and grabbed a fistful of Rowan's shirt, but before he could throw a punch back at her, Rowan smelled something burning. She saw a fire starting on the top of the jock's shoe, and as he was distracted, Rowan zapped him.

Hudson howled, letting go of her and stamping his foot to snuff out the flames as his friends stared wide-eyed at them, one of them grabbing him and hissing, "Come on, let's go before they curse all of us!", running out of the diner.

Once they were out, Rowan felt eyes on her, eyes on them all, eyes that turned back—the rumour of the Graveswood family secret at play.

Eden, however, looked at them all, concern in her eyes.

"You okay, Rowan? Ash?" she asked, looking at Ash with more concern.

"I'm fine. What about you, Eden?" Ash asked back, face twisted between anger and concern. "I swear, if that asshole said one more fucking word about you and your family..."

"It's okay. I know," Eden murmured, smiling. "Besides, I was ready to tear his mind apart for you and your family, anyway."

Ash's face softened.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," Eden murmured, before she looked at them all—at an angry-looking Amarantha and Sage, at Rowan, who still felt anger course through her as well as her lightning, shaking her hand out slightly to clear the stinging from her knuckles—and asked, "Okay, we're all getting some waffles. On the house."

The four Graveswoods gave Eden thankful smiles as she left to get some cake, before Sage looked at them and said, "We're going back home, aren't we?"

"Yes," came the response from Ash and Amarantha, the latter looking at Rowan.

"Sorry our hangout was ruined by those assholes," Amarantha apologised.

"It's fine," Rowan said, before she gave her cousin a grin. "Just means next time I come back, we hang out with less assholes around."

Her cousin returned the grin.

"And if he does, he better bring better insults," Sage muttered. "Witches? Seriously?"

"I mean, isn't that kinda what we are?" Ash pointed out. "I don't know about you, but I don't care being called a witch. In fact, I rather like it."

"Me too," Rowan agreed, a wicked smile on her face, a smile shared by her other cousins.

Yeah, they had powers, so what if they were called witches? All men who were scared of women and their power were called witches, all people considered different were pushed onto the stake because they were frightened. And if their story was true, that an ancestor escaped the hangman's noose from Salem... then let them try setting Rowan and her family, and Eden and her family, and other families like theirs, and El, on fire.

After all, how could witches burn if they found home among the flames?

***

It was the voices that alerted Rowan to the chaos in the kitchen. And yet, it was still a sight to behold her aunt and uncle bickering like they were kids themselves.

"Percy, get out! How many times have I told you to stay out of the kitchen!?"

"I just want to help, Hazel!"

"Yeah, help give the kids and us food poisoning and burn our home down! Now get out!"

Her uncle obeyed, grumbling as he stalked out of the kitchen. Hazel watched him go before she noticed Rowan.

"Oh, hey sweetie," Hazel greeted. "Dinner's almost ready. Why don't you sit down and play a game of cards with the others at the table?"

"Sure," Rowan said. "Oh, hey Aunt Imelda. Hey Javier."

Imelda smiled while Javier nodded. "Hey Rowan."

Rowan smiled back before going to the dining room where she could see her cousins, Alistair and the Cheong siblings were playing a card game—not Poker, otherwise her brother and Eden would be wiping the floor—but it still caused a commotion whenever someone lost. Or apparently cheated.

"Okay, I saw you that time, Daru! You cheated!" Kieran accused.

"I didn't! You're just a sore loser!" Eden's little sister, Daru, shouted back, sticking her tongue out as a shard of metal flicked out from her wrist at Kieran. Her cousin dodged it easily, glaring at her.

"Kids, don't use your powers at the table!" Hazel and Imelda called from the kitchen.

"Sorry!" Kieran and Daru apologised, but gave each other dirty looks.

"What game are you guys playing?" Rowan asked, making everyone recognise her presence.

"ROWAN!" Daru shrieked, making Sage and Daru's brother, Danny, jump.

"Daru! Don't shout like that!" Danny scolded, but his little sister was unapologetic, grinning broadly at Rowan who gave a little wave to the young girl. Looking at Rowan, he explained, "We're planning Go Fish. But apparently my sister's cheating."

"I don't! Eden, tell him!" Daru denied, looking right at her older sister.

Eden shrugged, leaning against Ash as she answered, "Can't really say. I'm right over here."

Danny shot his sister a murderous look, but Rowan looked at Danny, who seemed to be the card-keeper as well, and asked, "Hey, can you deal me in?"

Danny looked back at her and shrugged. "Sure."

As he dealt her in, Rowan slid into the free chair between Alistair and Amarantha, leaning over to her brother and asking, "Okay, how crazy has this been?"

"Ash tried to strangle Danny when he deliberately kept a card from her, and Kieran and Daru have each accused the other of cheating multiple times. Sage's winning and Ash and Eden keep giving each other their cards. Me and Ame are doing the same, right Ame?" Alistair explained, their cousin giving a wicked grin.

"Right. Here," she said, handing a card to Alistair under the table.

"So... the usual game?" Rowan summarised.

"Yep," Alistair confirmed, shuffling his kids as he said, "It's my turn. Eden, you have any threes?"

As Eden surrendered her threes, Rowan leaned back, awaiting her turn. In all odds, it was pretty tame—in fact, every game was tame compared to the Monopoly War of January 11 '85. There had been screams, arguments over who got to be the dog, cries of cheating, multiple yells of unfair jail time and stealing properties, sides being drawn and alliances made and broken, fireballs and lightning bolts and metal thrown, Hugin croaking, the board being flipped over and money being scattered and poor Kieran who offered to be banker torn between evil laughter and watching as sheer chaos unfolded. Rowan was still uncertain if there had been a real winner—Amarantha boasted she was. Daru argued she was. Sage butted in she was. Alistair had confided to her he was.

Especially when, despite cries of cheating and accusations Eden was reading their minds to guess which cards they had—"I'm not, you just have the cards I want," Eden had defended; "Likely story!" Kieran had shouted—the game ended in the clear winner of Sage, like Alistair had told her. Surprisingly, Rowan only lost her temper a couple of times—definitely when she was accused of cheating, which she was not—which was a new record for her.

Before anyone could suggest another round, there was a cleared throat and they all turned to see Min-jun and his wife and Danny's, Eden's and Daru's mom, Edith, there.

"Kids, it's time to go," Min-jun said.

"What? No! Please, just a little longer!" Daru pleaded, giving her best puppy-dog eyes.

"I'm sorry, but we need to go. Tonight's an important night for the Graveswoods," Min-jun explained, looking right at Rowan and Alistair. Rowan squirmed; she and the Cheong patriarch never got along after the talk of the Upside Down and he thought they were lying when they weren't and without a gate, Rowan couldn't prove those bastards and the hell-world they originated from was real.

"But—" Daru tried again.

"Daru. We're leaving. End of discussion," Min-jun interrupted, giving his daughter a firm look and, thankfully, looking away from Rowan and Alistair.

Daru huffed, but got out of her seat as her siblings did the same, saying goodbyes that Rowan and Alistair returned along with their cousins, as Min-jun and Edith said their own goodbyes to Hazel and Imelda, before they all left, leaving Rowan and Alistair with their cousins and two aunts.

Looking at them, Amarantha asked, "Does anyone want to play Snap?"

However, before the cards could be dealt, Hazel shouted, "Dinner's ready! Ash, Sage, Kieran, help me and Imelda and your cousin, please?"

The siblings gave groans but got out of their seats and went to help their mom, Imelda and Javier while the others sat—but not for long, as the adults finally joined.

Robert Graveswood gave the grandkids still sitting a kiss before he sat at the right hand of the head of the table, Uncle Tristan talked to his wife and they shared jokes while their kids shuddered at the jokes, Quinn ruffled Amarantha's hair—and scolded her for the prank—and Percy strutted in after being banished, Ryan with him who rolled his eyes as Percy bellowed, "I have returned from my exile!", but smiled fondly as he gave Rowan and Alistair tight hugs—after all, it had been Ryan's and Percy's apartment Rowan's and Alistair's parents had stayed at before they went on the run. Last to enter was Vervain Graveswood, sitting at the head of the table and her and Robert giving each other adoring looks.

When everyone was seated, plates of food were set down—spaghetti, mashed potatoes, concha, and empanadas. 

Rowan's mouth salivated, and she reached to grab a plate and fill it with food, before Vervain clearing her throat stopped her, and realised no one had reached for food—that Vervain had something to say.

"A month ago, Rowan and Alistair came here to train," her grandmother began. "But they did not come here just to train their powers. They came here to get to know our wider family—to know their parents better."

Rowan gulped and she looked at Alistair, whose face flashed with pain. That had been a bittersweet thing—to hear stories of their parents, and know they couldn't hear those stories from their parents themselves. 

"But, it has also been a chance for us to know our lost family better," Vervain went on, smiling as her eyes shone with tears. "It has been a joy to know you two, and I love you both so much."

Rowan's heart squeezed, something pricking her eyes at the unguarded, raw emotion on her poised grandmother's face.

"And it has been a joy for us, as well," Hazel said, speaking for herself as well as Quinn and Percy and their spouses. "I've only met you, Rowan, a few times before your parents had to run with you two, and Alistair I barely met you at all, and Quinn and Percy, and Tristan, Imelda and Ryan can attest to that. But this month has been a true blessing, getting to know the brave, strong, talented children of our beloved Bella and Ben."

"It has been," Quinn said in agreement with his sister, smiling at Rowan and Alistair.

"It's also been fun as well," Javier said. "We've all grown up hearing stories of Aunt Bella and Uncle Ben, of Aunt Aco and our cousins Rowan and Alistair. So, it's nice to meet our infamous cousins at last."

"And know you and apparently Aunt Aco are cooler than what our parents have said," Ash piped in, grinning as she whispered loudly, "Monster fighters for cousins and an aunt."

"Ash," Hazel scolded.

"What? Just stating the truth."

"The point is," Vervain said, drawing Rowan and Alistair's attention back to her, "we are glad that you were able to stay with us, to know our lost family better and for you to know us better."

"And that, to hope this can continue in the future. That while this is your last night here, to have the hope you will come back to visit, to train. To heal the rift that damned Hawkins National Laboratory and that damned man Martin Brenner drove, to heal the pain," Vervain continued, murmurs of agreement coming. Rowan looked down, mouth twisted and eyes glowering. Even the mention of that had Rowan grip her knife and fork tighter, to feel vindictive satisfaction that the Demogorgon did something good by killing Brenner, that thanks to Nancy, Jonathan, Aunt Aco and her aunt's friend Murray, Hawkins Lab had been taken down. 

"To new beginnings and family healing!" Vervain cried, as the Graveswoods echoed it back.

Rowan and Alistair didn't, but Rowan couldn't stop smiling, even when it was officially declared they could start eating and Rowan's tongue burst with the flavours of the different foods, each one as delicious as the other.

It may have been a goodbye from their family, but Rowan knew it wasn't forever. That as much as there was a hesitance due to the call that Vervain claimed could have been risked being overheard via a bug, Rowan loved her family, that she did want to come back and visit them.

And yet, Rowan knew her true home was back in Hawkins.

And there was now only a night till she was back home.

***

Another long chapter, but needed.

I love love LOVE writing Rowan interacting with her cousins, especially Ash, Sage and Amarantha. The POWER these four Graveswood women hold 😌 And yeah, Rowan found a Stephen King lover in Sage... only to pay the price since they will argue about which of his works is better 😂

(Although, if the cousins ever came to Hawkins, the chaos they'd bring would be unbound. Several things—and people—would be on fire. Amarantha and Kieran have pranked people several times over. Sage and Javier are trying to wrangle their respective chaotic siblings but failing. Hopper is regretting the day he ever met Aco Graveswood and believe she was the only chaotic family member. Steve is having several heart attacks thanks to Kieran and Amarantha popping out of nowhere for different reasons along with Hopper. Vecna has given up. El is corrupted not by Mike or Max, but by Ash and Kieran and Amarantha into being an agent of chaos. All the asshole jocks in Hawkins are cowering because of the power and collective rage the four Graveswood women hold. It's just sheer chaos 😂)

And yes, we met Ash's girlfriend (secret, because 80s), Eden Cheong! And yes, the Cheongs are another family like the Graveswoods! I did say that there were more families like the Graveswoods... And yes, Ash and Eden are an absolute power couple who flirt telepathically in their minds who are childhood friends who evolved into lovers.

Ash and Rowan, tagteaming to take down asshole homophobic, racist, prejudiced jocks. We love to see it 😌 (and yeah, Ash would have punched Steve 😂)

And the last bit with the games and dinner! I loved it so much, even if it's a bittersweet moment

But next chapter, we're back in Hawkins! Who's ready to see Steve again??

Translations:

El pedacito de mierda: Little shit

Harabeoji: Grandfather

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!