#outofhatboxes

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

Fortunately, neither of them had to wait long-June and Wilhelm, unable to sleep on account of their son's absence, had been sitting up wide awake in the living room, and were thus able to run to the door when they heard Emily's call. June threw open the door, and Randall, in an effort to stand on his own two feet, moved to collapse against her, mumbling, "Ma...Emily...saved me..."

"What?"

"She didn't...hurt me..." he continued, voice strained as he spoke-even through the haze of pain hanging over him, he wanted to make it as clear as possible that Emily saved his life. "Got mugged...she saved me..."

"Shh, shh, don't speak," she soothed, her expression uncertain as she looked between her badly battered son and the vampire standing on the front porch. She wasn't sure what to say, but for now, she settled for bringing Randall inside, asking Wilhelm to bring her the first aid kit, something he rushed to do, sparing an equally uncertain look towards Emily as he hurried upstairs.

Once he'd had a chance to lie down and recover, letting his mother tend to his wounds, Randall was able to explain the full story of what had transpired that evening-how Emily had coming seemingly out of nowhere to rescue him, opting not to drain his attackers, but instead give them a good scare before rushing him home.

"And she didn't...bite you...?" Wilhelm asked, keeping his voice low as Randall took a deep drink from his water glass, saying, "No, Pa, she didn't." She had every opportunity to do so, but she didn't. He hoped that would be enough to change their minds about her, as he ventured to ask:

"Can you...can you please bring her in?"

At this request, his parents exchanged a nervous look-should they? Would she turn vengeful as soon as she crossed that threshold? The look in their son's eyes said no... ...but that was a painful concept in itself, as it meant that they had been wrong about her all this time...

Swallowing back their worries, June gave her husband a curt little nod, and so, with some hesitance, some lingering uncertainty, Wilhelm slowly opened the front door, letting Emily into their home once more.

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Uh, lass? Halloween isn't for a good few more months-it's a little early for practical jokes like that!"

"It's not a joke, Pa," Randall sighed heavily-he should've anticipated this, in a way; that if they didn't immediately become alarmed over this revelation, that they wouldn't believe them, and instead think this was some sort of big joke. But that wasn't it-far from it, and he tried to hammer this in as he insisted, "Emily is telling the truth!"

"Randall..." June asked, tone wary and expression full of concern-it wasn't like her son to try and pull their leg like this, but surely, that had to be what it was, right? Surely he didn't really think they'd believe him when he said his girlfriend was a vampire?

And surely...he didn't really believe that himself, did he?

Sighing heavily, Randall looked around for a way to prove it, before gesturing to the mirror hanging on the wall by the front door; a little something for the Pace's to look into, make sure they looked nice before they headed off to work. Pointing it out, he sighed heavily, "Look, if you want proof...look into the mirror. You'll see me on the couch, but...you won't see her."

His parents exchanged concerned looks at this, and Randall sighed again, saying, "I know it sounds crazy, but please...we don't want to keep this a secret from you-Emily was very honest about it with me last night, and we decided earlier today that we'd be honest with you. Please, just...trust us. And trust us when we saw that Emily doesn't mean me any harm. I love her, and she loves me."

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

Why is she so cold? Randall half-wondered to himself, as he listened to her with a tender smile: He couldn't help but notice this as he held her hand, wishing for nothing more than to warm her with everything he had. He hated to think this poor woman was cold, even in the summer, and so he found himself taking her hands the way a lover might, hoping he could chase away the chill.

"I...I'm glad you came in last night," he smiled, giving her hand a little squeeze. "I...I know how you feel, in a way; my life, it's...been pretty lonely too lately, it's been very, uh...monotonous, I guess is the word. I get up, I go to work, I go to bed...rinse and repeat. And so for you to come along and just...shake up my whole world, it feels like? It's wonderful."

He didn't know what compelled her to come into the shop last night. He didn't know what drew her in put them on one another's path, nor did he knew what about himself it was that so attracted her, but he wasn't about to question it, as he finished shyly, and yet completely earnestly, "I'm...I'm very excited for tomorrow night too-there's no one I'd rather spend an evening out with than you."

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Oh, you'll love this one, this is Randall's first Halloween, oh, he was the cutest, chubbiest little pumpkin on the block!" June cooed, taking the photo out of the slip to allow Emily a better look at it: Sure enough, it was little baby Randall, all chubby cheeks and baby fat, smiling all big for his picture (if one looked close enough, they could see Wilhelm's hand, tickling his little foot, no doubt making him smile and giggle for the photo).

"Watch the birdie never really worked for Randall," Wilhelm admitted, as June smiled fondly at the photo ("I still have it, it's upstairs in the cedar chest," she commented to Emily), and Randall, face red, tried to hide his embarrassment (though he smiled behind his fingers all the same). "But he was always ticklish on his little feet, and so when he was a wee lad, one of us used to reach over and just give him a little tickle, and we'd get some great pictures!"

"Pa..." Randall chuckled in embarrassment, averting his gaze, though his smile didn't falter as Wilhelm whispered to Emily, "Whenever he was being pouty as a boy, I used to tickle him-and that frown wouldn't stay on for very long when I did!"

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Of course we did," Randall replied with a shy smile, as he leaned over to press a loving kiss to her cheek, adding, "I just...didn't think it'd be fair, y'know, for us to sit down and eat and you not getting a chance to, I-I don't want you to have to go hungry..." Especially since she couldn't partake in family dinner, it seemed wrong for them to eat in front of her, without making sure she had at least a little something!

"Do whatever makes you comfortable, dear," June reassured, not wanting to shoo Emily out of the room while she drank her meal-it was how she ate, what she had to do to survive, and no one could fault her for that. If she were to be completely honest, June had the distinct feeling that she'd seen much worse at work as a nurse (even a pediatric one)-a little blood, even being drank, wouldn't rattle her too much, she felt.

And although he didn't voice it, Wilhelm felt similarly: He'd seen some pretty nasty injuries his coworkers had sustained on the job when things went awry, and even before that, he had long been accustomed to some of the less-than-palatable sights that came with growing up on a farm, the sorts of things people didn't think about when they looked at their supermarket-purchased meat and poultry and so on. Thus, if Emily was comfortable eating around them, he'd be comfortable with that.

And of course, Randall had already seen Emily drink before-he wasn't bothered then, and he knew he wouldn't be bothered now...

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable asking, Emily," June said gently, as she pushed her dinner around her plate (a part of her could hear her father admonishing her for it, but truthfully, she was much too nervous to think about eating), adding, "I just...well, it's like you said, you don't feel like you're over a hundred years old and, well...you certainly don't come across that way."

That night that she and Wilhelm kicked Emily out of the house (a night she continued to regret), her perception of the young woman had changed, going from a sweet, soft-spoken young lady her son was smitten with, to a manipulative monster looking to sink her teeth into Randall's soft flesh, and that image stayed with her long after that night...

...but now, in the gentle light of the kitchen, looking at her now, that familiar visage of a good-natured, gentle-hearted woman returned, though more tinged with melancholy, for reasons June now understood, and was sympathetic towards. She saw not a monster, but a very lonely soul, in need of love.

"Well, uh," Wilhelm commented, similarly eating little (despite his usually strong appetite, it was, like his wife's, waning this evening) as he took a stab at humor, joking lightly, "You look pretty good for a centenarian, lass!"

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"I wish you could've too," Randall lamented, as he embraced Emily for a kiss-having watched her read these letters, having seen his old handwriting (looking hardly different from the chicken scratch he called his penmanship these days), he felt an ache in his hands as they seemed to remember penning each and every one of them, as well as an ache in his heart, knowing how long she'd had to wait to read them.

That was never the case: It was supposed to be a surprise that night; after their walk, he was leading them back to Minnie's, he hadn't told her he had a surprise waiting for her back at the shop, but he was eager to return, and present them to her-a sort of early wedding gift, in a way; something they could maybe put into an album, to look back on their courtship fondly over the years to come...

As much as he didn't want to remember, he knew he had to confront that particular memory of the woman in white, coming down the sidewalk as they walked along. He vaguely recalled being taken aback by her being dressed all in white (like a bride, he realized), but wasn't going to think anything of it when she reached out and grabbed him, and he saw her fangs...

He suppressed his shudder to the best of his abilities, and tried to stay in the present as he parted from the kiss, saying, "I...I'm so glad you've finally gotten to read them now, though. I always wanted you to, even when I was too scared to tell you how I felt, even in a letter..."

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

It was strange to come into work and find it so different, and yet not at all. In truth, very little had changed between then and now: The counter was a little bigger, the displays were situated differently, and the shop had of course expanded beyond hats made in-house and now sold mass-produced dresses, suits, and other apparel, but even with these changes, Randall could see the echoes of the past even in the present.

"I was right," he recalled, looking back to Emily with a little smile, as he turned his gaze from their surroundings back to her. "I don't think we ever would've gotten to where we are now if you hadn't been so bold as to ask me to meet with you here-I, uh...I don't think I'd have been able to buck up the courage to tell you how I felt, let alone kiss you.

I...I must've written you a hundred letters, trying to tell you how I felt..." he smiled, another memory lighting up his brain. "I-I'm sure they're...lost to time, sadly, I don't remember if I ever shared them with you, but...I tried again and again to write to you, to tell you how in love I was, but...I never had the courage to tell you. I tucked them away in an old hatbox; it was overflowing with them, last I remember..."

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

Randall's breath hitched at the touch of her Cupid's-bow lips against his bony hands, to say nothing of his heart fluttering at the notion that his presence made his bride's life, topsy-turvy though it was now, a little easier. It was all he could hope for; that after everything she'd been through (then and now), he could be a light for her, just as she'd been one for him.

Wanting to lighten the mood, to move away from this topic (even though she'd reassured him that she wasn't upset, he still didn't want to press it), he instead chose to ask her, "Tell me, darling, tell me about some of your happier memories from...the future. You've told me about all the parties Dorian threw, but what did we do together?"

Although the idea of living in an attic, the very place their lives came to an end, sounded a bit morbid to him (though, perhaps, ghosts had a different perspective on that sort of thing?), he loved what Emily had told him so far, how cozy they made their little home together, turning it from a mere storeroom to a place all their own, adding their own personal touches to it. It was an unusual place to call home, sure, but it was theirs, and all she'd told him about it, it sounded really quite lovely-it sounded like they made some wonderful memories there.

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Sounds like Dorian alright," Randall chuckled; even as a boy, his best friend seemed to take any and all opportunities he found to try and throw a party, and although these attempts didn't always pan out, he still tried. Even as a child, Randall knew it wasn't because Dorian enjoyed being the center of these parties (unlike what some suspected), it was simply because he wanted everyone to have a good time drinking, dancing, playing party games, and just overall having fun, and that especially went for Randall, who got to enjoy some of these lavish get-togethers through Dorian, who always insisted his best friend and his mother get to join in.

(And who knew-maybe that'd still be the case once they made it to California; Dorian throwing parties. They'd probably be scaled down from the wildly over-the-tip ones held at Gracey Manor, of course, but he could see his dear friend still putting quite a few on for even the most minute of celebrations.)

"I wish I could see these dresses too," he smiled, brightening at the idea of making him and Emily matching outfits, and especially giving his all when it came to his bride's dresses; he'd never do anything by half when it came to her. It was a shame she couldn't have brought them back with her from the future, he really would've liked to see them (and see if he'd any gotten better post-mortem-Lord knew he had all the time in the world to practice and improve!)

"Did you, uh, have a favorite that I made, for a particular party, I mean?"

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

The rest of the evening passed quietly, with Randall holding Emily's hand throughout the rest of the runtime, while Wilhelm mentally kicked himself for having made their guest so uncomfortable. He didn't know (he could he have?), granted, but that didn't really make him feel much better.

He knew what it was like to have what some would define as an irrational fear: There was a long stretch of time in Randall's childhood when taking baths was out of the question; after his accident, Wilhelm was quick to install a showerhead in the bathroom, so that he could at least take a shower after work. But even so, even the most shallow of kiddie pools or even a full sink gave him the shivers long after it happened, and to this day, he still wasn't all that keen on sitting in a full tub.

(He'd never confided this in anyone other than his family-he knew damn well the fellas at work would have a good laugh at his expense for it. Wilhelm Pace, who loomed willow tree-like above most of his coworkers and could sling heavy bags over his shoulder like it was nothing, was afraid of a little water? No, he could hear the teasing now, and maybe he could laugh about it now. But even with a little humor to take the edge off, he still wasn't able to shake that discomfort.)

And so, as he stood in the kitchen, pulling out what he hoped would be a little peace offering to Emily before she left for home, a little apology in the form of something sweet, he wondered if she was in the same boat; where something had happened in her youth that caused her to be so unsettled when it came to stories of vampires and the like. Maybe she caught Nosferatu on one of the late night channels as a youngster? Had a nightmare about Count Dracula hovering over her throat one night? He couldn't say. All he could say, really, was that he was sorry.

Coming back out into the living room, he flashed the young woman a sheepish smile as he handed Emily the little wrapped disc, saying, "Randall told me you liked the soda bread he made tonight, so I thought I'd share with ya a different sort I baked up the other day-more of a dessert-y bread, it's got raspberries and walnuts in it, and a little carraway seed too. I, uh, I hope you like it!"

[theheadlessgroom]

@erika-de-claire

"I'd love nothing more."

Honestly, it baffled Randall how much junk he and Erika had to sift through in order to dig out that couch and that TV: When he and Emily first came to the Mansion, they had a number of worldly possessions, sure (all carried in a large steamer trunk, containing heirlooms and keepsakes from both their families), but they all paled in comparison to all the confounded junk the Black Widow had brought with her. How in the world did one woman have so much garbage, and how did she manage to stuff it all into one attic?

At any rate, they managed to finally find the couch (still cushy after all these years) and the old TV; it briefly put up a fuss upon being plugged in and fiddled with, but overall, it came back to life with relative ease, putting a smile on Randall's face as he looked back to his daughter.

"That was a lot of work," he commented (his old bones would be complaining about it for the next couple of days, he was sure), adding, "It certainly up an appetite, I'd say-why don't we go downstairs and get ourselves lunch, maybe some soup and sandwiches, and bring it back upstairs here. We can eat and watch a movie together, if you'd like."

Oh, how many days did he spent worked on a number of projects with the TV remote beside him, and a cup of coffee at his elbow? He especially did so when Erika felt under the weather, keeping her company while she was bundled up in a warm, cozy quilt, the two watching movies until she eventually dozed off, the combination of a bowl of hot soup, a little medicine, and the cozy atmosphere of the attic doing the trick...

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

Damnit, she remembers the strawberry preserves incident! Randall blushed with a little grin, recalling him telling her the story long, long ago, just as his mother had recounted it to him with great fondness and amusement: How he managed to somehow get his hands on some freshly-made preserves his mother had just jarred and downed the whole thing, getting himself plenty sticky and smeared with strawberry in the process.

"Oh, it was plenty of fun!" June snorted, shaking her head as she thought back to that sunny spring day-she leaves the room for two minutes, and her son makes an absolute mess of himself and the kitchen counter. "I just remember him sitting there on the counter, all big-eyed, with strawberry...everywhere! His clothes, his hair, the countertop, oh, it was a mess!"

"And he'd just had a bath too!" Wilhelm added, as he looked to his son-who was looking a bit like a strawberry now, given the way he was blushing. "Junie and I had given him a bath after breakfast, I went out to grab something from the corner market, and when I come back, she's got our boy back in the tub!"

He was deeply bewildered by that: He looked at his son, peering out at him over the side of the tub, and then to June, who was dropping a set of red-stained clothes into the hamper, commenting with a hollow laugh, "You won't believe what your son did!"

As Wilhelm continued to regale Emily with some of Randall's other misadventures, June couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to give Emily back that taste of her favorite berry. She had to drink blood to survive, but would it still be possible for her to enjoy what she used to love, all those years ago? Could there be a best of both worlds, she wondered?

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Lass, you can't blame yourself for that!" Wilhelm insisted gently, and without a second thought, he reached out and gently lay a warm hand over her cool one, brow furrowing upon hearing this-it just seemed deeply unfair of her to blame herself for what happened, to beat herself up for it. She had no way of knowing what was going to happen that night, and she shouldn't hold it against herself.

"Wil's right," June agreed, as Randall too reached out to take Emily's hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze as his mother continued, "You shouldn't blame yourself, Emily-you...you thought you were doing right by our son, and I...I can understand that. You came from a place of love, trying to...spare him the heartache, I know. But...even when you tried to stay away, you couldn't, because you love my son. It's why you were there that night, watching over him like a guardian angel. And you were his guardian-you saved his life, and I thank you for it."

"You didn't fail me, Emily," Randall assured gently, as he pressed a loving kiss to her knuckle. "Far from it-you saved my life! Even when we were apart, I still loved you-and you still loved me, enough to keep watching out for me, even if it broke your heart to keep your distance. Your love saved me, Emily! That's...that's not failure, far from it!"

[theheadlessgroom]

"It went great," Randall smiled warmly, as he removed the last of the boxes and tucked them under the bed, before he moved to turn the sheets down and fluff up her pillow for her, wanting to make sure she was as comfortable as possible.

"I...I think they're well on their way to being open to the idea of you joining the family," he continued, his smile not fading as he said this: Maybe he was putting all of his eggs into one basket, but given the way the Paces spoke with her all throughout the night, getting to know the truth, better understanding her, to say nothing of how they happily shared their most favorite family stories with her, how they fretted over making sure she stayed fed, and was shielded from the sun...it spoke volumes to him about how they felt about her, and how much they came to care for her.

"I...I don't think we'll have anything to worry about," he asserted gently, as he turned back to face Emily, to wrap an arm around her and kiss her again, to better put her mind at ease before she got some rest-maybe they'd talk about the future with his folks tonight before she left, maybe they wouldn't. But whenever they did, he had a good feeling the conversation would go well, and that his parents would welcome her into the family with open arms.

"That's not...hopelessly naive of me to think...is it?"

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"...so I go looking for the little scamp, and I find him under the bed, looking extremely guilty, and with plenty of whipped cream still smeared on his cheeks," Wilhelm was recounting sometime later, having fallen into family stories, chiefly ones from Randall's childhood (the more endearing, the more embarrassing it was-all the more reason to tell them!), grinning to Emily as he continued, "Of course, he tries to tell me that he didn't eat all the whipped cream his ma just baked-told me it was the Whipped Cream Fairy who came in and ate it all."

"Pa..." Randall groaned, burying his reddened face in his hands at his father's storytelling, at which Wilhelm grinned, "It was cute, lad! Yes, your mother was a little irked in the moment, but she was able to laugh about it pretty quickly!"

"I was," June commented to Emily, resting her head in her chin as Randall continued to hide his face (though she caught a glimpse of a smile between his fingers), leaning back comfortably in her chair, enjoying the relaxed nature of the conversation as she recalled, "I spent all day baking up a banana cream pie, and I'd been so proud of my piping work with the whipped cream...I leave the room for all the more of five seconds, and when I come back, it's like I'd never decorated it at all! He could be very sneaky when he wanted to be, very soft on his feet when he was little, don't ask me how he pulled it off."