⌜ chapter twenty-one ⌟

"I hate you." Letty says as she looks at Eric. "Why the hell did you drag me to this thing?" She asks as she glances around the filming studio that they're in to watch some nerd show.

"I thought you'd wanna come to support Shawn." He says as he looks at her.

"I could've done that from home. Where I was— Oh, yeah! Not here." She smacks his arm.

"Alan, I used to watch High School Quiz Show when I was a kid." Mrs. Matthews says from where she's sitting on the other side of her husband. "I remember all the contestants were really smart."

"Are you asking me why Cory's on this show?" He asks, and she nods.

"Yeah."

"George?" He looks at Mr. Feeny, who's sitting on her other side.

"We live in a random and chaotic universe." The older man says.

And then the announcer starts talking. "It's Knowledge Fever with the Knowledge Fever brain cell dancers and your humble announcer Milton Prong and your host Sweet Artie 'K'." He says, and people cheer as an older man with mostly gray hair and a black leather jacket walks out.

"Okay, then." The host smiles. "Welcome to the show that makes learning hip, hot, and happening. Oahu Beach Face Savers presents Knowledge Fever." He holds up a card that says exactly that, and the crowd starts clapping. "Our returning champions are in the house. So, let's give it up for John Adams High School." He motions to Topanga, Cory, and Shawn.

"Returning champions." Letty whispers as she leans toward Eric. "Why didn't I bring my camera? Shawn will probably never hear that again." She says, and he chuckles.

"And the challengers, three smart kids from some other school."

The crowd — including Eric — starts booing Einstein Academy, and Letty shakes her head as she looks at her boyfriend.

"Okay, now, let's get down with the first round, and the category..." He puts on his reading glasses. "Oh, what a surprise, The Lifeguards of Baywatch." He says, and Cory and Shawn both smack their buzzers. "I haven't—"

"Pamela Anderson plays sexy lifeguard C.J. Parker." Shawn says, and the point counter scrolls.

"Sexy lifeguard C.J. Parker is correct for one million points."

"Why can't he store educational information in his head that easily?" Letty questions as the crowd cheers behind them.

"That is educational." Eric smirks, and his dad slaps the back of his head.

"And with the score John  Adams High School — one million...and their future employers — zero." The host looks toward the camera. "Let's pause for a few words from our sponsor because that's the way the world works." He seems less than enthusiastic, and then the dancing girls from before come back out with signs that they're waving around as some rap song plays.

"And we're back with round two." The host says as the girls run off.

John Adams High ends up with five million points, and the lady who runs things gives the kids some weird pointers during a commercial break. Letty shakes her head as she watches the three kids — Topanga's all smiles as she moves her hair, Shawn's got his lips pushed out, and Cory has a goofy grin on his face.

A few days later, Shawn's following Letty around the bookstore asking her what she thought of the show, and she's intentionally doing everything that she can not to answer him. Tyler thinks it's funny that Shawn's bugging her the same way that she's usually bugging him, and then the younger boy gets in front of her, and she sighs as she looks at him.

"Alright, you asked for it." The brunette sighs. "Now, I'm only saying this because I love you, and you asked me to be honest with you."

"You've never said that to me before." He smiles.

"Don't get used to it, bud. I'm softening the blow." She says, and his eyebrows furrow. "You're making yourself look like an idiot on tv."

"What?"

"Shawnie, they dumbed down the questions, and they're making you dress and act like a moron." She tells him. "I mean, you sit there with your lips puckered, and you talk about comic books. Kid, they asked you guys where the moon is."

"So?"

"So, Faith points at the sky at night and says Lulu because Hope's teaching the girls Spanish as well as English." She says, and he looks down. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad—"

"No, I know." He nods as he looks back at her. "Thanks for being honest." He says, and she offers him a small smile before he leaves to shoot the next episode.

"It's not so fun when you're the one being harassed, is it?" Her boss asks as he looks over at her.

"Shut up, Tyler." Letty shoots him a dirty look, and he chuckles. "Hey... Was I too harsh on him? I mean, should I just be letting him have his fun?"

"Honestly?" He asks, and she nods as she turns to face him. "I think you did the right thing by telling him what you did. You've only ever looked out for his best interests, and he knows that."

"Thanks, Ty." She says, and he nods.

Letty's walking home from work that night when she hears something behind her. It's late because she was closing up for Tyler, and it's dark because there aren't many streetlights in this part of town. She can hear the quick and quiet footsteps behind her, and she starts taking longer strides, though not trying to look as though she's rushing.

John and Bobby always taught her to be vigilant of her surroundings, especially if she's alone, especially at night. And she has a pocket knife on her at all times, but that's it. She had to stop carrying her hunting knife after she started dating Eric because the last thing she needed was for him to grab her waist and find a huge knife sheathed on the back of her jeans. She hasn't had a need for it before now, so it didn't feel like much of a loss until this moment.

Just as she reaches for the knife in the front pocket of her jeans, someone attacks her from the side — a blow she wasn't expecting. It knocks her sideways, but she's quick to turn with the momentum of her body and face her attackers head-on. She recognizes them immediately, and she knows that this isn't a random crime of opportunity.

The boy who came at her from the side — Walt — lunges at her again, and she side-steps as she turns to face him. She brings her knee up into his side, and he grunts as the impact knocks him to the side and he stumbles backward. The one who put her in the rush that made her miss her second attacker — Roy — moves forward then and tries to grab at her, but she gets a hand around his wrist and twists his arm. He turns, and she bends his arm behind his back until his hand's between his shoulder blades, and he yells out in pain.

Walt tackles her, and the two of them roll across the cement until she lands on top of him. She punches him in the face, her knuckles connecting just under his eye, but then she quickly moves when Roy runs at her with a knife. She's on her feet and poised for another attack when he swings the blade at her; she jerks back, but the steel slices through her already torn shirt and she feels the sting when it gets her arm as well.

Letty manages to disarm him, but Walt's up and he bulrushes her, his shoulder going into her ribs. The brunette grunts as her back is slammed into the brick building behind her, but she recovers quickly. She grabs the shirt he's wearing, over his back, and forces his body down as she brings her knee up hard. He stumbles back, and she looks at Roy again — he has his knife.

A whistle gets their attention, and Roy spins around to see who's intruding. He grinds his teeth when he sees Eddie standing a few feet away from them, and then repositions his knife to take him on instead. Letty groans in annoyance when Walt gets back up and turns to her. Her hands ball up into fists as she squares her shoulders, her body moving instinctively as she spaces her feet shoulder-width apart.

Both Letty and Walt are able to land their fair amount of punches before he slams her down on her back, causing a strangled scream to form in her throat when she lands on the asphalt. She can hear the impact of the punches being thrown by Roy and Eddie, and Walt gets on top of her with his knees on either side of her hips. He punches her, and her lip splits under the pressure.

Just as he pulls his arm back to throw another punch, she lurches up and gets a hand around his throat. He's taken by surprise, and she's able to get him off of her. They roll, and then she gets to her feet. Walt's up quickly and about to go after her again when something small, cold, and hard presses against the side of his head, and then he hears a gun cock.

"R-Roy?!" He calls, but doesn't get the response he's hoping for.

"He's a little unconscious at the moment." Eddie tells him.

"Oh, shit."

"Here's how this is gonna work." He starts. "You and your dipshit brother are gonna leave Philadelphia, and you're never gonna go anywhere near Scarlett again. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yeah."

"I ever see you again, you're a dead man." Eddie tells him before lowering the gun in his hand, and then Walt runs over to Roy.

—

There's a bang on the Matthews' door, and Mr. Matthews quickly gets up to open it. His eyes widen when he sees the two teenagers standing on his doorstep. "Oh my—"

"She wouldn't let me take her to her house because I guess there's babies there." Eddie says as he moves past the older man and then lowers Letty into the chair closest to the door.

"What happened?" Mrs. Matthews asks as she quickly gets to her feet.

"Some guys jumped her. Do you have a first-aid kit?"

"We should call 9-1-1."

"No." Letty shakes her head. "I'll be fine. Just some Aspirin and water is more than enough."

"I need to stitch up your arm too." Eddie tells her.

"You're not going anywhere near me with a needle."

"Do you have any better ideas?"

"Reggie Price."

"That idiot bar owner?" He questions.

"He has E.M.T. training." She tells him, and he looks surprised.

"Alright, I'll call."

"The phone's in here." Mr. Matthews says as he starts toward the kitchen. "I'll get you some water and something for the pain."

"I'll get the first-aid kit." Mrs. Matthews quickly heads up the stairs to the bathroom.

Eric rushes into the room a couple minutes later and his footsteps halt as soon as he sees his girlfriend trying to shrug out of her bloodied sweater. "Letty?" His voice gets her attention, and she looks up at him.

"It looks worse than it is." She quickly tells him. "Especially for me."

"That doesn't make me feel any better." He says, and she sighs.

"Come here." She holds her left hand out toward him, and he walks over to her. He takes her hand in his as he sits down on the table in front of her. "I'm okay, really. It'll just be a few bumps and bruises."

"Why do you sound like you're trying to comfort me?"

"You look like you need it more than I do." She smirks.

"This isn't funny." He shakes his head. "My mom said that you don't wanna call the cops. Why the hell not?"

"Because the guys who did this are already long gone. They're stupid, not brainless."

"You know who they are?" He questions, and she sighs before nodding.

"I've known 'em for years. They were pissed because I hustled them out of two hundred bucks awhile back." She tells him. "But they got their payback, and now they're gone. Calling the cops won't do anything. It's over."

"Did you know that they would come after you?" He asks, and she laughs.

"No. I didn't think they had the balls for something like this."

"Why are you making jokes?" He stands up, getting mad by the way she seems to just be shrugging this whole thing off.

"I'm not joking." She shakes her head. "Eric, I told you, I can take care of myself. They ambushed me, but I'm fine. These are mostly superficial wounds, I'll be fine in a few days. A week, tops."

He shakes his head and then turns around and walks out of the living room. He wants her to get help from a doctor and to file a police report, but he knows that she's too stubborn to do it if she doesn't want to. And he can't keep this argument going round and round without a better outcome, so instead he leaves before he can start yelling at her to handle things differently.

The next day, they're all at the Matthews' house to play a game. All except for Eddie, that is. He may have helped her the night before, but they aren't friends again. He just couldn't let those guys double-team Letty in the street like that. He knows who they are, just like he knows how she and those two know each other, so he knows how far they would've gone to get back at her.

"It's too bad we lost." Cory says, talking about the game show that he and his two friends were doing on tv.

"Hey, at least we got this lovely home version on the show." Shawn says, referring to the model on the coffee table in front of them.

"Okay, so I'll be Kiki." Topanga says as she shoots out of her chair. "Alooooooo-ha! Okay, for a zillion points — milk, where does it come from?" She asks Mrs. Matthews, mocking the woman who took over the host's job from the show.

"The refrigerator." Letty mumbles as Mr. Matthews leans forward to pretend to consult with his wife on the answer.

"Hope." Jason says, and the girl in question punches him while the others all laugh.

"Cows." Mrs. Matthews answers Topanga after the laughter dies down.

"Is right!" The teenager says. "But not the answer we're looking for. Boys?"

Eric, Cory, and Shawn, all lean toward each other to consult on their answer. "A carton." The oldest says.

"More specific." She tells him, and they lean together again.

"A milk carton."

"Ding, ding, ding, ding!"

"Kids win, parents lose." Cory says as they cheer.

"You know what that means!" Shawn shouts, enjoying himself as they play their game.

"They're voted off the island?" Letty asks as she holds her hands out to Jason. "Up." She makes grab-hands, copying how the twins ask to be held.

"Ooh, does the baby need assistance?" Her friend asks as he walks over to her.

"Make fun all you want, Singer. I'll be better soon, and I know where you sleep." The brunette says, and he chuckles as he helps her to her feet.

Letty walks into the kitchen, and Reggie turns to look at her. He's standing over by the sink as he eats a slice of pizza. "Hey." He's talking around a mouthful of food. "How's your arm?"

"Better than when you poured rubbing alcohol over it last night." She tells him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Alec's girlfriend and his son that he never sees..." She starts, and he sighs as he looks down. "He told her, didn't he? About...why we were trained the way that we were." She lowers her voice.

He hesitates and then nods as he swallows his food. "She thought that he was nuts. Told him to leave and never come back." He tells her. "He was already trying to fix things with you, so he just moved back here to live with me and Tyler."

"Why did he decide to tell her after so long?"

"He thought that withholding that part of his life from her was part of the reason that he couldn't fully commit to their relationship. He was hoping that it would...change something if she understood part of the reason he could be so distant." He shrugs. "Bit him in the ass. Why are you asking?"

"The way Eric reacted last night." She says, and he nods. "Two jackasses jumping me in the street doesn't really rattle me when I know about the real monsters that are out there."

"You think you should tell him?"

"I'm...wondering."

"Are you ever gonna hunt?" He asks, and she shrugs before shaking her head.

"It's not a plan of mine. I prefer my life here, with him."

"If you had to choose right now, what would it be? Hunters life, or a future with your boyfriend?"

"Eric." She says. "Without a doubt."

"Then don't tell him. Commit to normal." He tells her. "Graduate, go to college, live with your boyfriend. Leave what's in the past where it belongs."

"Yeah, you're right." Letty nods. "Thanks, Reggie."

"Anytime, kid." He walks out of the room, and she goes over to the fridge to get something to drink.

Eric walks into the kitchen as she's shutting the door with a water bottle in her hand. He makes his way over to her, and she looks up at him. "I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to snap at you like that, I was just upset seeing you that way." He tells her, and she nods.

"It's okay." She says, and he's careful as he wraps his arms around her and pulls her to him. Her lips pull into a smile as he presses a soft kiss to the uninjured side of her mouth, and she wraps her own arms around his torso. "Thank you." She whispers.

"For what?" He asks, his voice low as well as he rests his forehead against her temple.

"For caring enough to get angry." She says, and he smiles.

"I love you." He kisses the corner of her lips again.

"Hey!" Jason barges into the kitchen and looks at Letty and Eric. "What's going on in here? A little kiss and make up?"

"You're so funny." Letty says sarcastically as she flips him off.

"You guys are so cute."

"Get out, Jason." Eric says as he turns back to his girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her and holding her against him.

"They want you back in the living room." Jason says, pointing at the door that leads back the way he came. "You don't care. I'll just go alone... No one loves me." He fakes a sob as he leaves the couple in the kitchen.

"Has he always been such an idiot?"

"Pretty much." Letty nods.

"I heard that!" Jason yells from the living room, and the brunette chuckles as she looks up at her boyfriend.