Chapter Text
1931
He should’ve known, he just should’ve known.
The maker fledgling bond was special but he just thought it was Louis coming back from getting more newspapers to sulk over Claudia some more but it wasn’t and he should’ve known because it didn’t feel the same: his heart didn’t fall into that comforting rhythm… the only comfort in this house these days.
But he should’ve known it was Claudia at the door but when he opened it he saw her, still looking like that child he had turned so many years ago but the way she held herself, the look in her eye, was that of a woman.
Those eyes went wide before she schooled her expression back to that of indifference “U- Lestat…”
“Claudia… what do we owe the pleasure?” He drawled, letting her in only because the neighbors were nosy, nothing else, though the house did suddenly feel lively as she walked in… as she limped in.
“I’m here to get Louis” Claudia squared her shoulders and held herself high.
“He’s out, he’s getting some books and papers…-” he suddenly felt so ashamed of the state their home was in these days, boxes upon boxes stacked high with every news paper, every rat, cat and any other animal Louis decided to starve himself with… he blinked, realization dawning on him “-you’re here to get Louis?” He felt anger pool in his stomach.
“Yes. I’m here to get Louis and take him to go find more vampires like us” she looked away for a split second but still let her anger show.
“More vampires! And where do you think you’re going to find them?!” He laughed, unable to contain himself from laughing at something sounding so ridiculous.
“I’ve been at school, been reading up about our kind and learned all about the places we are the most. Bulgaria, Hungary, Rome, Paris-“ she listed off many places on her fingers.
Lestat tensed “Claudia, trust me, you don’t want to go and find any other vampire like I’ve told you before they are vicious!” He spat.
“Vicious? Are they going to make me watch the boy I love burn? Turn me against my will? Do any of the other awful things you’ve done?” Anger was the emotion at the front, in her voice, in her body language but in her eyes was sadness.
“I wouldn’t be shocked-“ he cut himself off, she’d tried to put weight on her leg but flinched ever so slightly “-what happened to your leg?”
She flinched again, only slightly but still “What?”
“You have a limp, is there something going on in the streets?” Concern for Louis was his first thoughts, he was weak, he couldn’t protect himself if something was.
“No I- I got into a… bit of trouble in Texas but I’m fine!” She said with a little too much force… he said the same kind of thing to Nicki after-
He met her eyes silently, she didn’t look away though he could tell she wanted to but she didn’t. they just stared at one another, with sudden understanding of what had happened to them both, for an uncomfortable length of time it swept over them in this painful wave of knowing.
He just knew, She just knew,
but then the lock clicked and he felt his heart -one he didn’t know was racing- fall back into a steady rhythm and that soft, sweet, loving voice he had so longed to hear rasped “Claudia… oh Claudia” Louis had her wrapped in his arms in the blink of an eyes,
She buried her head in his shoulder as he almost wept.
“Hey…” she spoke softly, near tears herself.
Louis took her face in his hands “I missed you so much, are you ok? How have you been? Where have you been?”
“Louis I-“ she grabbed his hand, determination wrought on her face but then she looked to Lestat again and it faded into something softer “-I… it’s a long story, I had to figure myself out and I’m sorry it hurt you much but I’m just glad to be home” …What was her plan here?
Louis was just crying now, red tears streamed down his face as he pulled her into another crushing hug “we’re so glad to have you back, ain’t that right, Les?”
He looked to Lestat with such hope and it was beyond words how happy was to see Louis out of his melancholy so, despite his deep reservations on Claudia’s plan and Louis’ growing tired of him he smiled and said “yes, we are. All you’re things are just as you left them”
“Yeah and we’ll, uh, we’ll clean up some… Oh! Have you eaten?” Louis was suddenly concerned for the state of their… fledgling despite her seeming reasonably fed but Lestat was always for encouraging Louis to eat more. he seemed to need so much more blood when it wasn’t what he truly needed and Claudia seemed to take in his fragile state so she nodded with a smile.
“Yes, I haven’t hunted tonight so maybe we could all go?” He offered.
“Yeah and maybe we could, uh, talk?” She offered.
“You alright, baby girl?” Louis rubbed her arm, he clearly missed her and it made his heart ache and that anger returned in turn; how could she leave Louis like this?
She opened her mouth to speak but looked down at her legs before looking back up and saying “I, uh, got a little hurt but I’ll be fine”
His eyes went wide and teary again “Hurt? How’d you get hurt?”
“It’s fine” Claudia insisted, pushing him away slightly.
He narrowed his eyes “…if you’re sure”
“I’m a vampire, Louis, I’ll be fine in a day or two” Louis winced at his own name though Lestat found it weird himself, she had never called him by his name in all their years, always daddy Lou.
“Yes, mon cher, I’m sure Claudia here will be fine by tomorrow" he ventured to take a step closer to Louis.
“What happened?” He looked to Lestat briefly but then back to her.
“I, uh… just broke my leg” she braced for Louis’ reaction.
“Broke your leg?! How in the hell did you break your leg!?” Lestat had no idea where he got this energy from the care, however, it wasn’t new, it was about all Louis felt nowadays; worry for Claudia.
“I just fucked up and I’m fine!” It wasn’t clear to Louis through his hysteria but Lestat could tell she didn’t want to talk about this anymore, nor did he, it trudged up awful memories.
“Louis, please, while you were gone she told me all about it and I’ll tell you after we hunt” she gave him a look one could venture to call thankful and he grabbed Louis shoulders, the most physical contact they had in… so long.
“Right… ok” he nodded, not exactly happy to let it go but Lestat also felt his relief, his his saint hated to talk about such things… how they all did.