February 16, 2002 - noon
She arrived on the flyball field just in time. The game against Pakistan was scheduled for 18:00, but the team had a practice time before it.
"Spill. Did you talk to him? Did you make a decision?" said Sebastian as soon as he saw her.
Coralis looked around to make sure no one would overhear them talk.
"I stopped by his place before coming here but didn't have much time to talk. If I don't get called to go to Chicago right after the game, I'll go see him and, well, I'll reveal myself to him. I have to."
"Good call, I think he can handle it. What made you decide that instead of ending things with him?"
"He wants to move off campus. He thinks that I should come home to him, so we'd see each other more. I liked the idea of coming home to him, he got me at that, but there is no way I'm going to move in with him if he doesn't know what I am at the very least. Considering that I have a phone book thick of enemies, well, he also needs to know about what he'd be signing up for if he wants to go there with me. You were right, it's time."
"Just in case you need to go to Chicago in the middle of it, you should warn Stephanie. I probably will have to go there too, or I'd volunteer to take over. You know he is going to have a lot of questions and might get upset that you didn't tell him sooner. He probably will want to talk to his sister, because, well, she's human and family, it might help him to swallow your revelations."
"Good idea. I'll call her after practice. I also need to warn Victoria. I met him through her, and he knows we went to school together, so me telling him about our world will also reveal her. I don't think he'll want to talk to her once he finds out, and he probably will be pissed at her for not telling him before we started dating."
"Wanna bet that when Stephanie talks to him, and we know she has been looking forward to that day, she will have him come to a home game before we leave for South America?"
"Sure, that'd probably be the best scenario if she can convince him to come see a game before he runs away. Think it'd be a good way to introduce him to our world. I'm a flyball player before I'm a damn EBEE pawn after all," said Coralis as she started walking toward the others. "However, how in gods' world I am supposed to initiate that discussion?"
She started the practice before he could reply anything. Their coach arrived a few minutes later. She had trouble focusing on the practice, her mind kept going to how she should start the dreaded conversation and how he would react. A part of her hoped that she'd have to go to Chicago right after the game, so she'd have more time to think about how she should initiate it but she needed to know sooner, instead of later if he could handle what she was and what she did.
When they ended practice, so the other team could also have some practice time, she decided to called Stephanie and Victoria before she joined her teammates in the locker room. She couldn't reach Stephanie, but Victoria picked up the phone.
"Two things. Are you going to be home tonight?"
"Probably, why? Is Frank coming over after the game?"
"No, but he might call you, either pissed off or with questions. I'm sure I'll need to leave for Chicago at some point tonight, but I told him that I'd tell him all about what I am and what I do after work, and well… he probably will ask me if you knew or if you're one too."
"Oh! Yeah, right, it's that time. I'm sure he will be mad at me, but hopefully, he'll understand why I couldn't tell him about it."
"Hopefully. Well, I'm mostly hoping he won't run away. To be honest, I think this is the scariest thing I ever had to do. Don't worry, I won't talk about you unless he asks."
"I don't mind you revealing me out to him in the process, I understand very well why. When you talk about me, if my name comes up in your conversation, please tell him that my dad is human, it might help. Hell, his sister is dating Sebastian and he's one of us."
"I will, and thanks."
She managed to talk to Stephanie just before the game started. Stephanie was thrilled at the idea that'd she finally be able to talk to Frank about their world, that was something she wanted to be able to share with him. She agreed to take over if Coralis had to leave for Chicago in the middle of revealing herself.
As soon as the game ended, she took off. Sebastian wanted to wish her good luck, but she was already gone. They won their game, but Coralis' mind wasn't in it. She couldn't stop thinking about how she was going to breach the subject and feared he'd be afraid of her.
"Hey!" said Coralis, as soon as he opened the door to let her in.
Hey!" said Coralis as soon as he opened the door to let her in.
She took her coat off and sat on his couch. He couldn't stop looking at her, wondering about what she could possibly have to tell him that was so important, that it had to be a condition for her to move in with him.
"Drink?"
"Yes, please. To be honest, this is the scariest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life, and I don't even know where to start. I hope that you will not be afraid of me, but if you are and don't want anything to do with me anymore, I will understand and you will see me no more. I probably will have to leave for Chicago soon, but if I have to go before I'm done, you can call your sister or Victoria if you have questions, they know about what I'm about to tell you."
Frank handed her a glass of red wine and she drank it all in one shot.
"I called my sister after you left earlier. Like I said, I don't think you could tell me anything that'd make me change my mind. I kind of thought that you were something like an FBI agent, or like a James Bond type of agent. I guess I wanted to make sure that you weren't a hitman or something like that. All she said was that I was somewhat close to the truth, and to not be mad at you for not telling me sooner, that you really couldn't."
"She didn't mention that when I spoke with her earlier. I have done some consulting work for some intelligence agencies, so I suppose the analogy isn't all wrong regarding one of my works. However, that's the job I'm technically an intern."
"Really?" said Frank, while pouring her another glass.
She chugged her glass.
"Yes. I'll start by telling you this: I didn't lie to you. I omitted a hell of a lot of stuff about me, but I didn't lie. I am indeed an orphan and grew up in the system. I never knew my parents. You know I was emancipated at 15 and went to school in Scotland. All of that is true. Now, about the rest."
"It can wait for another night if you prefer," said Frank, handing her the bottle.
"No. It needs to start coming out now. You need to know before it goes any further between us."
"I'm listening."
"Can you promise me that what I will tell you, you will not repeat to anyone who doesn't already know? I can only tell you this because of the relationship between you and me."
"Yes, I promise you that, but you said my sister and Vic know about it?"
She took a long sip from the bottle.
"Yes, they do. Your sister found out about me because she saw what I do at her workplace, and Vic, well, you'll understand. Now, time to rip the bandage off. The reason I couldn't tell you anything about what I do is because it relates to what you'd call the supernatural world. Both of my works are considered classified for that reason."
"For real? What do mean by the supernatural world? How?"
"Yes, for real. Witches, werewolves, vampires, they're all real. As for the how, well, the answer to that one is well above my paygrade, you need to ask the gods and goddesses about it."
"Okay, but how do you know, then? Did you know before you got recruited?"
"I knew all about it before I got recruited into my line of work, yes. I knew because I belong to that world... I am not a human. I am an elemental, a mage."
Her pager went off, she cursed and finished the bottle. Frank still looked at her in disbelief, trying to process what she was telling him. She wasn't human.
"I need to leave for Chicago now. Uh, I'm in the middle of a vampire war over there. Talk to your sister, she knows. Call me if you want to talk to me again, or when you're ready to hear more from me. I'll answer all the questions you may have. Please don't be mad at Victoria, we can't talk about what we are to humans, unless, well, we entered a serious relationship with one."