The sun rose over the horizon, and when Chloe came into Diana's room to see her snuggled up with Nadroj, her heart nearly melted. She took a quick picture to show her daughter later before shaking them both awake.

“Rise and shine, sleepyheads,” the mother giggled.

“Wha…” Nadroj looked around, forgetting where she was.

“Don’t tell Dad,” moaned Diana, pulling the covers over her head and pushing her face into Nadroj’s arm.

“Don’t worry hun, he’s already left for work. Said he was going to give an earful to the station for not being able to help find his daughter.”

“Station?” Nadroj asked.

“Mhm. Thomas is a detective at the station downtown.”

“Oh… so that would make him Detective Hawthorne?”

“Mhm, best detective on the force if you asked me.”

“Mommmm,” Diana said. “Five more minutesssss.”

“Up. Now,” she said sternly. “I’ll go make breakfast for you two.”

Chloe went downstairs and started making some pancakes for all of them. Nadroj got up and stretched while Diana took the blanket and bundled up with it. Nadroj smiled. Diana was just so damn adorable. An angel even. There’s no way they wouldn’t make the happiest couple and grow old together.

“C’mon Diana, let’s go eat.”

“Mmmonemoreminute.”

“Let’s go,” Nadroj groaned, carrying Diana on her back while she kept trying to get her five more minutes in. Diana didn’t get any lighter the second time she had to carry her though. And this time Nadroj had to keep her balance going down a set of stairs.

“Diana Fluffy Hawthorne,” her mother scolded. “Don’t expect houseguests to carry you out of bed like that!”

“Mom, not the middle name!” she exclaimed.

“I can and will use the middle name, young lady.”

“Your middle name is Fluffy?” Nadroj giggled.

“I don’t like it,” Diana moaned, turning red and burrowing her face into the back of Nadroj’s shirt.

“Aw, I think it’s cute though.”

“It’s a family name. From some dumb grandparent’s snake-”

“Don’t you dare call Great-Aunt Beatrice dumb! Her pet Fluffy was a family treasure.”

“Didn’t she die from like, running her mouth and getting beat up?”

“You won’t speak of her like that!” Chloe admonished. “She and Great-Aunt Maxine were attacked by a mob on the streets for defending an innocent woman. So honor her memory. Carry the name Fluffy with pride.”

“Fineeee,” Diana gumbled. “Are the pancakes ready?”

“I got a few ready, yeah.”

Chloe set a few chocolate chip pancakes on a couple plates for Diana and Nadroj. Diana took hers without a second thought, but Nadroj hesitated for a second. Her own mother had never done anything like this for her. She’d had to make her own dinner since she was old enough to grab things by herself. Hospitality like this was almost frighteningly foreign to her.

“Go on hun,” encouraged Chloe. “There’ll be more than enough by the time I’m done.”

Nadroj nodded and took her pancakes along with a fork and knife. She turned the utensils over in her hand. It was just a butter knife, but she’d killed with less before. It had become a habit to just think about how she could kill the present company with what she had on hand. It happens after thinking like that for years. But she had never been in this position before. There was something just… not right about it. 

“Nadroj, what do you major in?” Chloe asked, sitting down with her breakfast.

“I don’t go to school,” Nadroj said.

“Oh, I’m sorry hun. I just assumed you met Diana at university.” She curiously bit into her pancakes. “So how did you two meet?”

“Well,” started Diana. “We were… And I… Then she… Um…”

“Don’t strain yourself,” giggled Nadroj. “I’ve already told you the story like a dozen times in the last few days.”

“That’s just ‘cuz I don’t remember! You tell her.”

“Alright, I will.”

“Better be absolutely romantic,” teased Chloe.

“So I work as a bartender, and one night Diana came strolling in with a few friends. Of course, she’s underage, so I had to mark her hands so she only got served water and apple juice. But some guy started hitting on her in the corner-”

“Oh yeah,” recalled Diana. “This is my favorite part.” Nadroj cracked a smile.

“So the guy had cornered her and would stop hitting on her. Diana’s friends were too busy messing around to realize it, but I saw from the bar. She had a look of helplessness on her face, so I started walking over without a second thought. I’ll tell you, I asked him to leave and he refused. He even pushed me away.”

“Tell her about the fightttt,” Diana pestered.

“Fight?” gasped Chloe.

“I’d hardly call it a fight,” grinned Nadroj, shoving some more pancake in her mouth. “I just took an empty old bottle and gave him a good knock in the back of the head. He was fine.”

“My hero,” sighed Diana, clinging to Nadroj’s arm. “Even if I don’t remember-”

“Well well, looks like my daughter has a guardian angel then!”

“Yep that’s me,” Nadroj rolled her eyes. “Guardian angel. Won’t let her out of my sight as long as I live.”

“Good. Our little pumpkin gets into the worst trouble when nobody’s watching.”

“Hey! I do not!”

“Mhm, and you didn’t give your cousin Lucie a black eye?”

“She tried to say I was fat,” Diana complained. “She had it coming.”

“I’m sure she did, hun. I’m sure she did.”

*   *   *   *   *

“You’d better leave before Thomas gets home,” Chloe advised Nadroj. “I don’t think he’s very keen on you yet.”

Nadroj had stayed over the entire day, also eating lunch and having a snack with the Hawthorne’s. Chloe was mostly cleaning the house most of the day, but Nadroj had to admit that it was a great day with Diana. She obviously didn’t really go over to houses, because she didn’t have any friends. Any that she did have were six feet under already.

“Oh yeah?” she asked, tensing up.

“It’s the cop in him,” Diana said, laying down lazily on the couch. “He’s probably background checked our peanut butter.”

“He’ll warm up to you at some point, hun,” Chloe assured. “Just give him the chance.”

“Ok…” Nadroj nodded. 

Dammit, why did he have to be a detective?! She’d have to be extra careful with this one, and maybe it would work out. She had to call her friend down at the station as soon as possible. Hide or alter any files they had on Nadroj to fit her story.

“Well, Diana and I can be on our way then, since it’s getting late.”

“Oh hun,” the mother giggled. “Diana stays with us. This is her home, after all.”

“But she was happy staying with me still,” Nadroj said. “She’s my girlfriend, and I can take care of her. I thought I was her guardian angel.”

“Don't worry honey,” Chloe said, giving Nadroj a surprising kiss on the forehead. “You’re our daughter now too, so you can come whenever you want. Just… please knock first, and don’t go through the window.”

Nadroj froze up. How did she know about the window?! Then she looked into the mother’s eyes and came to a realization. Chloe’s smile was wide and soft, the kind of smile that you’d associate with comfort and security; it let you know everything would be alright. But her eyes? Nadroj knew what fear looked like. She knew it was easy to put on a brave face, but when victims were against the wall in the face of a knife, their eyes showed all the terror inside. And Nadroj saw that fear in her eyes.

“Before I go, I’ll be right back,” Nadroj said with a happy facade. “I think I left something in Diana’s room.”

“I’ll-”

“Mom, can you change my bandages?” Diana asked, rubbing her ribs. “They’re starting to smell again.”

“O-ok, honey,” Chloe stammered. The first slip up of her nerves.

Nadroj walked up the stairs while Chloe went to the bathroom, eyeing her before going out of view. She walked into Diana’s bedroom and dropped to look under the bed. The knife that was supposed to be there was gone. Shit. Things went from bad to worse. Nadroj walked back downstairs to see Chloe re-bandaging Diana.

“I’m heading out then,” Nadroj said, reaching for the door. She turned to Diana. “See you later, babe.”

“See you later Nad. Or maybe Roj. Which do you prefer?”

“Nadroj.”

“Ok then.”

“Take care, hun,” Chloe waved. As Nadroj walked out the door, she could hear a sigh of relief as the door locked.

Nadroj walked down the street, thoughts whirling around as she wondered what to do. She had to have Diana for herself, but her parents definitely weren’t going to let her go without a fight. That was alright though. She was used to fighting. Nadroj took out her phone and dialed up a number.

“You got a reason for calling me right before I punch my card?” a voice asked.

“Yeah, I need you to make sure nobody goes poking around my files. Change some of the details around too.”

“Too late, bud,” the man sighed. “Already noticed someone poking around your name.”

“What?! Who?”

“A Detective Thomas Hawthorne.”

“And you didn’t stop him?!” she growled.

“Can’t do that without looking particularly suspicious. Man’s sharp as a knife.”

“What good are you as a record keeper then?”

“I alphabetize like a demon.”

Nadroj hung up and let out a cry of frustration. She had so much time to take care of it while she took care of Diana, but got distracted. So stupid. She’d never been this careless before… She’d have to fix that though.

“No loose ends…” she mumbled, walking down the sidewalk with a fire in her eyes, a killer blinded by her own love.

*   *   *   *   *

Diana woke to a loud thumping noise at somewhere around midnight. She yawned and drowsily crawled out of bed. She might as well use the bathroom while she was up. On her way, she heard another thump coming from downstairs. That’s weird. Her dad should still be in bed. Unless it was her mom making cookies at an ungodly hour again. Ooo, maybe she could get the drop on her and steal some before she can stop her!

Diana sneaked downstairs without a sound and tiptoed her way to the kitchen. She didn’t find her mom. The lights weren’t even on. But a ton of the kitchen drawers were open, and there was silverware and stuff all over the ground.

“Mom…?” Diana called out. She could definitely tell something wasn’t right. “Dad?”

“Diana!” called out a voice. It wasn’t her mom or dad though. It was…

“Nadroj?” she asked, confused as she walked out into the living room. “Nadroj, what are you doing in-”

Diana froze in her tracks. Her heart skipped a beat, maybe even a few beats. In her living room was her girlfriend holding one of their kitchen knives standing over her parents, who were bloodied and slashed. She struggled to move, struggled to talk, struggled to do anything that wasn’t being paralyzed in fear.

“Diana, look!” Nadroj grinned excitedly. “You said they’d never let you live with me, but now they can’t stand between us!”

“N-Nadroj…” Diana said shakily, starting to cry. Her girlfriend frowned.

“What is it?” she asked. Nadroj tried to get closer, but Diana stepped backwards in fear. “Diana’ what’s gotten into you?”

“W-What… what did… what did you do-” It was hard to get out any words between the choked sobs.

“Diana,” she laughed. “Your parents are gone. They can’t stand between us anymore.”

“Y-you… k-killed t-them…?”

“Yeah…?” Nadroj said, confused. “Don’t worry about them anymore, Diana. Like you said, we’re the most important things in each other’s lives.”

Diana couldn’t begin to process it all. Why? Why in the world would Nadroj do this?! She couldn’t have. No way. Not the sweet Nadroj who had said all those things and kissed her. No, this had to be a dream. A horrible nightmare she’d wake up from any second. She couldn’t accept it.

“So are you ready?” Nadroj said, interrupting her thoughts.

“R-R-Ready…?”

“Yeah,” she smiled enthusiastically, the knife glinting in the small traces of moonlight. “Ready to come home with me.”