Hooked [Complete]

51. New Normal

Author's Note: What I like about this chapter is the contrast with the heaviness of the last chapter.  C&C have such history and depth. Sean and Dru's love was so new and tentative. I can't decide which couple is sadder...the tremendous love lost, or the the potential love never fulfulled. Hmmm...

Song for this Chapter: It's Bella Donna again...the only repeat. Sean and Dru's theme song.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Lana asked anxiously, as she watched Sean pack twenty-five camouflage geocache containers in a hiking backpack.

"This is a great idea," Sean grinned and winked at Dru. "Hearne won't let any inexperienced hunters on the field on Beltane. Dru's idea to have a geocache scavenger hunt the day before for the class, and the Mystic Mountain kids? Genius."

Dru smiled at him from the kitchen of the lodge, where she was packing waters and snacks in her own pack.

Lana shook her head impatiently, her long dark locks shimmering. "That's not what I meant," she grumbled as she continued arranging care packages that would go in the hunting cabins. Hearne was going all out for this fundraiser, but then again, some of the Sabit alumni had donated quite large amounts for the privilege of hunting at Beltane, so the least Hearne could do was provide them with bottled waters, bags of his homemade jerkey, and mason jars of Martin's moonshine. "Are you two sure it's a good idea go hiking alone together?"

"Don't worry, we have permission," Dru grumbled.

"From which one? The Lord or the Lady?" Lana asked.

"Both," Dru and Sean said at once, and then they both laughed.

As they shouldered their packs, Lana grabbed Sean's arm and murmured, "You know he can spy on you with his god's eye, right? Don't do anything that will get you killed."

Before Sean could answer, Dru smacked Lana on the back of the head. "Don't say anything that will get you killed, Lan. I don't like the fact that you are implying I would cheat on my fiance, and I've been known to slit throats for less of an insult than that."

Lana grinned. "You don't scare me, girlfriend. You front like you are some ancient demonic devil-worshipper, but you can't even watch American Horror Story without freaking out."

"That show is fucking scary," Dru shivered. "Okay fine, I didn't do ritual killings—throat slittings, disembowelings, none of that. I have killed a few murderers and rapists when I was in a bad mood, though."

"Who hasn't?" Hearne said cheerfully as he came jogging up the stairs of the back deck, his bare chest covered in sweat and new scratches. He, Sucellus, and Carrie were clearing brambles and brush for a ritual site, about a half mile from the lodge, although from what Dru could tell, Carrie's contribution was sitting high up in a tree and serenading the gods below with ancient, bawdy songs.

"I haven't," Sean said pointedly.

"You don't know that," Dru pointed out. "Just because you don't remember your past life, doesn't mean you didn't have one. Who knows what you might have done?" She stuck her tongue out at Sean.

Hearne pulled a bottled water from the fridge, and pointed a finger at Sean. "She's got you there. Now, you two get going. You are burning daylight. I don't mind you guys hiking to set this hunt, but you sure as hell aren't staying out there overnight in that micro-tent I saw you pack, Faraday," Cernunnos gave him the I-see-you gesture with two forked fingers as he loaded more waters into his back pockets.

Sean shrugged. "Carrying it is just a habit.In case of emergency."

"In case of emergency, don't crawl in the tent with the Boy Scout Sexwitch. Use your damn phone and I will be there in a flash," Hearne murmured to Dru as he kissed her a little longer than necessary, and adjusted her pack.