Chapter Text
Here is Sanctuary
calikocat
Word count: 1364
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A scream ripped from her throat as terror gripped her tight; rotting hands reaching for her, reaching for her husband and son. There was gnashing teeth and dead eyes coming for them all with a hunger for the living that only the dead could possess. She fought and tried to call up her magic to keep them at bay, but there was nothing...her power didn't answer...which meant one thing.
She was dreaming.
Another scream was torn from her as she sat up in the dark, covered in cold sweat, and the sheet wrapped and tangled around her. Movement beside her on the bed made her shriek again and she fell off the bed, scrambling for the baton she kept under it. Her hand wrapped around the base and she flicked it so it extended while she readied herself for battle.
The lamp on the other side of the bed clicked on and John stared at her with wide, blinking, shocked eyes. “Claudia?” Her own eyes watered and the collapsible baton fell from her hand as she sobbed. John was off the bed and taking her into his arms in just a couple of seconds. “Honey? Claudia what is it?”
All she could do was cry for the longest time. She has had warning dreams before, and moments of clarity, as part of her magic and second sight...but never had her dreams been so intense. John held her tight and rocked her, which only helped for the moment; it wouldn't do anything for them in the long run. She knew it, could feel it, and if they were going to survive they had to move. Now.
“We need to call Talia, and we need to pack.”
John pulled back from her with a frown. “What?”
“Something bad is coming; we have to get out of Beacon Hills. We have to get to Sunnydale.”
“Sweetheart, you're not making any sense.”
“John, something bad is going to happen.”
“How bad?”
Her words wouldn't come for a moment… How do you tell your husband that you had a dream about being attacked by zombies? A dream that would come true, and the only safety to be had was in the company of werewolves.
“Mommy?”
Their eyes met for a moment before turning to look at their son. Claudia managed to find her words, “Hey kid.”
His eyes were red from crying, haunted the way hers must be. “I had a bad dream.”
Ice shot through her heart and she bit back a sob. “What kind of dream Kostek?”
“Dead people were trying to eat us.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks and he ran to them, crawling into her lap, and she wrapped her arms around their little boy. “We have to leave John. Call Talia, tell her Kostek and I had the same dream. It won't be safe here much longer.”
“Claudia, what are you talking about?”
“The virus, John. The one on the news?”
He blinked. “The new flu strain? The one that makes people feral?”
“It’s going to spread.”
“How far?”
She swallowed her fear as it rose up in her throat. “Everywhere.”
John made the call, and Talia was there in minutes. Claudia went over it all again, this time in detail. Kostek nodded along, confirming he had indeed had the same dream. John was still skeptical, but then he was still adjusting to the supernatural side of things. Talia, however, took the dream very seriously and agreed that they needed to start packing. She left to go wake her family up so they could do the same.
When it was just them again they put Kostek on the couch and he fell back asleep. Claudia started the coffee pot and got dressed before getting out their suitcases and duffel bags for their clothes, her tools, and herbs. John dressed as well, still skeptical, but he got the camping gear out of the garage and put it in the back of his truck. There were other things to be found and added to the luggage - candles, matches, lamp oil, and extra lanterns. He almost left it at that, but then Claudia looked pointedly at the gun cabinet in the study. Reluctantly he got the guns out, one by one, and the boxes of ammo. Claudia raided their pantry for food and started filling their travel jugs with water.
It was well after dawn when she started making calls to the few witches and practitioners she kept in touch with. A few heeded her words that something was coming. Others were more skeptical, like John. One, who was jealous of her power, hung up on her and Claudia had a feeling the woman wouldn't last long.
Finally they got Kostek up, dressed, and fed before they let him take a few things from his room. Things he couldn't leave behind. They did the same, grabbing a few sentimental pieces, including pictures.
Then they climbed in John's truck, the two of them in the front and Kostek in the back of the king cab, and headed for the Hales.
Talia's station wagon and Elden's SUV were already packed when they got there; Seth's car seat buckled up in the backseat of the wagon. There was no sign of the Hale Pack outside. Once they entered the house, however, showed the Hale children piled up on the couch, all drowsy with sleep, dressed and ready to go.
Peter, however, was glaring at them and whining. “I can't believe we're doing this because the kid had a nightmare.”
Talia rolled her eyes. “Claudia and Stiles had the same nightmare Peter. Mother and child, both with magic, whatever is coming is real.”
Claudia managed to smile at her friend. Ever since Xander had told her son that his name, Kostek Stilinski, had style...he'd wanted to be called Stiles. Talia had respected that, as had the rest of her pack.
Talia turned red eyes to her, on edge and she had every right to be. “Derek wants to ride with Stiles.”
Kostek gave a shout of glee, awake for the moment, “Road Trip!”
John nodded. “That's fine. Derek, help Kostek get back in truck?”
Derek roused grumpily, eyes flickering gold; before he took their son's hand and led him back outside to their truck, backpack over his shoulder.
Talia continued to speak once the boys were outside. “Peter and Seth will be in the station wagon with me. Laura and Cora will be in the SUV with Elden, will you be in the lead of this caravan?”
John looked to Claudia and she nodded. “We will...tell me you're packing weapons.”
Talia frowned. “Elden has a rifle. That's the only gun we have.”
“We'll need more. Not right away, but we will need them. Everyone will need a weapon of some kind. We can stock up in Sunnydale.”
Peter finally stopped glaring. “We're going to Sunnydale?”
Talia smirked at her little brother. “Didn't I mention that part?”
He grinned, grabbed his own backpack, and headed toward the door, happy with the prospect of seeing Heidi again. “Come on, what are we waiting for?”
All of them, the adults, shared a nervous laugh and put the last of the Hale's supplies in their vehicles and got the kids situated as well. Then John pulled away from the house first and started down the long driveway.
“Back roads. Keep to the back roads.” Claudia told him.
“Okay.” His skepticism was fading, which was good. She needed him at his best.
The end of the world was coming...and no one would be able to stop it...
“We'll make it.” Kostek said, sleep already starting to pull him under again. “If we're with Xander we'll make it.”
She nodded, eyes watering and chest tight. “I know. We'll be safe with the White Knight.”
John gave her a look but kept driving...and Derek stayed quiet in the back...already fast asleep. It would take a few days to reach Sunnydale...but it would be worth the drive. Because Kostek was right. If their group was with Xander's, they'd all survive.
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