Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

I woke in a tangle of limbs. A calf rested across my forehead—Ivy's. Two sets of arms snaked around my middle—Ivy's and Citra's.

It'd been years since the three of us had slept in my bed together. The last time was back when Citra was in fourth grade and I'd miscalculated the appropriateness of the haunted house outside of town. To my credit, it had been advertised as family-friendly. Unfortunately, the girls hadn't found strobing lights and bloody, screaming clowns with chainsaws particularly fun.

I hated the idea of them being as scared now as they'd been then. I also loved the feeling of them here with me, so I lay as still as possible to make it last as long as possible.

"You awake?" Citra whispered.

I tilted my chin toward her and found her hazel eyes blinking up at me, not a hint of sleepiness in them.

I nodded.

"I didn't sleep," she said softly.

It probably felt that way. She'd slept, but she'd tossed and turned a lot.

"You can close your eyes now," I whispered back.

She shook her head. "Too hungry. And I have to pee."

"I need to pee, too." My bladder felt ready to explode, especially since that seemed to be where Ivy's elbow was pressing.

"How long will we have to hide from The Library?" Citra asked.

"I'm not sure," I said. "Uncle Davey and Aunt Brianna are coming back today. Hopefully they'll be able to help."

"Uncle Davey is so different."

"I know. He still cares though, and we'll all have to get used to each other again. He's had a lot of big changes lately."

"He's nicer. I like him better now. Don't you?"

"He is nicer," I agreed.

"Why don't you like that?"

She was so perceptive sometimes it caught me off guard.

"I'm just not used to it yet," I said.

"Change is hard."

I nodded. "Sometimes it's good though."

"Yeah. I'm going to pee now." She slowly rose from the bed and headed toward the bathroom.

I thought about what she'd said, and everything that Brianna had told me about what her and Davey had been through. It wasn't fair for me to expect my brother to be the same person he used to be, just like I could never be the same person I was before I'd kissed a werebunny. I needed to accept my brother as he was. We'd have to figure the rest out together, but I would make sure to give him a chance.

"I need pancakes," Ivy said, her voice scratchy with sleep, her eyes still closed. "It's the only cure."

"Cure for what?" I asked softly, unsure if she was dreaming, or if she was waking up.

Her stomach growled, as if in response. I chuckled.

When Citra came back from the bathroom, Ivy stretched and woke the rest of the way up, then we headed downstairs to stir up some breakfast. As we went, I wondered if Hugo had stayed the whole night and if he was still as enthusiastic about me after having a night to sleep on it.

We found him in the kitchen cooking pancakes.

The stack on the counter had happy faces on them somehow baked into the batter, and by the looks of them, blueberries inside.

"Good morning, ladies," he said, as he delivered a fresh spatula of pancakes to the plate.

"You're too good at everything. It makes me suspicious," I said.

He grinned. "Early days as a firefighter are only trial by fire in the kitchen. You have to learn to cook quickly and well to earn your place."

"It's a bunch of guys, so don't you just eat ramen noodles all the time?" Citra asked.

"No, then no one would have the energy to save people," Hugo said.

"How'd you make the face on there?" Citra asked, as she sidled up beside him at the stove.

I couldn't help but smile at how she was coming around to him, and how well he did with her.

"You put down the pattern first. Want to try?" He offered her a squeeze bottle.

"Okay." She squirted batter onto the pan.

"I want to do it," Ivy shoved her way between Citra and Hugo.

"Wait your turn," I said.

"Careful not to touch up here. It's hot," Hugo said.

"I know," Ivy said.

"Now we give that a minute before putting on the rest," Hugo said. "Do you want to do that part, Ivy?"

"Yes." She ladled in a big scoop.

"Great work. Now we wait for bubbles before we flip."

"I want to do that," Citra said.

I wished they were half as enthusiastic about helping me make dinner.

Halfway through eating breakfast, the doorbell rang. Everyone froze.

"Don't answer, Mama," Ivy said. "Once the door opens, it's too late."

"It'll be all right," I said as I headed for the door.

I checked through the peephole to be safe. It was Brianna and Davey, so I let them in.

We said hello, and I gave Brianna a hug. Ivy called for them from the kitchen. As Brianna started that way, I held Davey back.

"Hey," I said, pulling him into a hug.

"Hi."

He squeezed me back twice as hard as I squeezed him. It might not have been the same as it used to be, but it was nice.

I pulled out of the hug and forced myself to look past his smile into his eyes. "I need to apologize to you."

"I don't think so."

"I do. I'm sorry I haven't answered as many of your calls as I could have."

"That's okay." He beamed at me.

"It's not. I was hurt when you showed up with Brianna in Marshmallow after you disappeared."

He opened his mouth to say something, but I raised my hand to ask him to wait. He nodded.

"I understand now at least in part what happened, how you didn't remember anything, and none of what's happened is your fault. I've had a hard time adjusting to the change. But I want to do better. I want to know you as you are."

He raised his brows, a wordless ask if he could speak yet. I nodded.

He said, "I would love to tell you everything, have you and the girls out to Marshmallow, show you my new life."

"That sounds nice," I said, and even though it made my stomach twist a bit, I meant it.

As we headed into the kitchen to join everyone, I felt lighter. I should have tried to talk with Davey sooner after his return, but there was nothing to do about the past. I could only choose to do better from here forward.

"There was a hullabaloo in the middle of town," Brianna said. "A guy playing the flute, and bunnies hopping all around him."

"That sounds fun," Ivy said. "We should go play, too."

"It's not safe outside," Citra said, "Right, Mom?"

"I wish I knew," I said. "I didn't see any suit guys with vacuums out front."

Brianna said, "No way The Library won't come running to that pied piper nonsense."

"We suspect the dancing guy is the source infector," Davey said.

Brianna handed me her phone, with a photo of the scene unfolding on Main Street. There were rabbits everywhere, and the person in the center—the source infector—was Chet.

"If we stay inside and wait, The Library will come, cover everything up, and it'll be like none of this ever happened," Brianna said.

A buzzing filled my head.

Mr. Hanson said he never had a white rabbit with black ears. Chet had said some weird things about him and me being connected. Had Chet really gone to the farmer's market and transformed into a rabbit inside the petting zoo area with the intent to infect people with berpes?

"Kinda hard to cover up a town full of people turning into rabbits," Citra said.

"Trust me." Brianna adjusted her glasses. "They have their ways."

Hugo said, "That's not ominous at all."

She smiled. "It probably won't hurt. And then no one will have to worry about transforming into a rabbit ever again."

She said more words. I didn't hear them. I watched her lips moving, but I couldn't get past what she'd said.

No one would ever transform into a rabbit again? Not me or Hugo?

That wasn't fair. We didn't ask for this, but now that the ability was ours, it wasn't right for someone to swoop in and take it away.

I needed to do something. I needed to stop Chet from causing any more damage and drawing more trouble to Dogwood.

I glanced around the kitchen at everyone. Bringing Hugo would put him at risk, and there was no way he'd let me go alone. Brianna was squarely in the wait-for-The-Library camp. Someone needed to stay here and watch the girls.

I excused myself to the bathroom and grabbed some paper and a pen on my way. I scribbled a quick note telling everyone not to worry, then listened to make sure no one was coming and snuck out through the laundry room.

As soon as I stepped outside through the door, a big figure appeared out of nowhere and moved into my path.

It was Davey.

I grabbed my chest. "You about gave me a heart attack."

"What are you doing?" He crossed his arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Following you."

"Why?"

"You took a pen into the bathroom. I knew you were up to no good." He dropped his arms. "Now what are we doing?"

We. Well, I could take my brother with me, and then I wouldn't be alone. It wasn't like I had a better plan.

"I need to talk to Chet before The Library does," I said.

"Brianna said?—"

"I can't lose my werebunnyism. I can't, Davey."

He frowned. It was the most Davey thing I'd seen him do in forever.

This was completely unlike me. It wasn't responsible. But being able to transform into a rabbit meant the world to me. It made me special. It was special because it was a part of Hugo's and my story together. I refused to give it up without a fight.

"What if something goes wrong?" Davey asked.

"It won't. I know the infectious guy."

"But what if it does?"

"Then you'll be there to electrify him, right?"

Davey frowned harder.

"Give me five minutes to talk to him, then we're out of there." I gave him a smile I hoped would win him over.

He grunted, and I knew I had him.

"When you said you wanted to bond, this isn't what I had in mind," he said.

"I know, but it really is like old times, right? Really old times, like when we'd sneak out as teenagers to go to parties."

He cracked a smile. "I guess it is. But when Brianna yells at me later, I'm telling her this was your idea."

"Fair enough."

It was a quick walk to Main Street, and when we arrived, there was no sign of The Library.

Chet was still playing his flute and doing a merry little jig, looking like he was on top of the world. The image of him like this was quite opposed to the bro persona he'd spent decades crafting.

Bunnies of all colors hopped along the ground around him, but there were fewer than there'd been in Brianna's photo.

Concern hit me then, hot and fast, like an arrow to the throat.

If Chet was the bunny pied piper, whatever control he had over the rest of the bunnies, he could have the same control over me. Except I could hear the flute, and I didn't get even a twitch of compulsion to transform.

"If I turn into a bunny, punch that guy in the throat," I told Davey. Then I approached with caution. "What are you doing, Chet?"

He snapped his head in my direction. His face split in an elfish grin.

"Making love," he said.

Eww.

"Everyone who carries my strain is a part of me. Why is it so hard for you to understand, Dais?" he said. "People need love. You kissed me, you know. You were supposed to love me."

"No. Love is not a word I would use to describe what I feel when I look at you. For the record, there's a better way to win people over than forcing your berpes onto unsuspecting innocents."

"Is there? I don't think I like you calling it berpes." He clenched his jaw. "Everyone rejects me. You rejected me."

The bunnies slowly began to hop away from Chet, like they'd lost interest. He wasn't controlling them after all.

"You can't make people accept you," he said. "You have to be kind, show compassion."

He barked a laugh, then his smile slowly fell. And I saw uncertainty. He was a sad, lonely man.

"Who's this?" He nodded to where Davey was slowly circling in on him. "Your boyfriend?"

"He's my brother."

Chet frowned and narrowed his eyes like he didn't believe me. It didn't matter what he believed.

"You need to get out of here," I said. "Isolate yourself so you don't end up?—"

"Stop in the name of The Library," a familiar voice said from behind me.

I froze, stuck my hands in the air. I knew that voice as well as my own heartbeat, but that made no sense. There was absolutely no way she could be here.

I turned around slowly.

Sure enough, I found a short blonde with a button nose. "Tess?"

She wore the same kind of suit as the men who'd wielded the Ghostbuster-esque vacuums. But there was no question, this was my bestie.

"Daisy? Oh thank goodness." Tess threw her arms around me and squeezed.

I hugged her back. "What are you doing here? You're with The Library? The ones who are kidnapping all the rabbits?"

She nodded. "Yeah, and it's a good thing you mentioned your situation on the phone or I wouldn't have been the first one here. We need to get you out of here before?—"

"The whole world will take a part of me, be just like me, and then they'll have no choice but to love me," Chet announced, clearly annoyed about no longer being the center of everyone's focus.

He was, just like always, flat wrong.

This thing that happened to me, he may have been the cause, but it didn't change anything about the way I thought of him.

Tess rolled her eyes. "Do you want to keep being able to turn into a rabbit, Daisy?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation.

"That's what I thought," Tess said with a concerned expression.

"What were you thinking?" Brianna's voice cut through the sounds of the rabbits, Chet's erratic attempt at playing the flute, and every single one of my nerves.

I flinched involuntarily and turned around.

Brianna approached in long strides for her short legs, and with enough vitriol to light the entire town on fire with her disapproving glare.

"It was all her idea," Davey said, just as he said he would. And he was pointing a finger of accusation right at me.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm trying to do the right thing here."

Then I saw Hugo and my girls trailing behind my sister-in-law.

"You shouldn't be here," I said.

"It's not dangerous for them," Hugo said. "I would have come with you."

"I know. But it's dangerous for you," I said.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed my temple. "I was worried."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"You're being a take-charge hero, I understand," he said. "But let me be by your side next time, all right?"

"Deal," I said.

"Pay attention to me!" Chet stomped his foot like a tantruming toddler.

"Once the source is cleansed, no one will be able to spread the virus anymore," Tess said.

"No," Ivy pleaded. "I want to be a bunny, too. Please, Mama, please."

I looked around at my family, at my people. Being able to transform was a nice thing. This was my one chance to give that gift to Ivy. If she didn't want to transform later, she wouldn't have to, but if I did this, she'd always have that choice.

"It'll be a whole other thing to clear the virus from those who are already infected," Tess said. "I'll hide you."

I held out my arms for Ivy. She ran over and squeezed me. I planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

Immediately she transformed into a bunny.

Her fur was white with dark spots like a dalmatian.

My heart was a balloon, inflating with each beat. It expanded with pride and an overwhelming love that anchored me firmly to the spot. Tears threatened at the corners of my eyes.

I scooped bunny Ivy and her clothes up from the ground.

I was so filled with joy I couldn't seem to recall why I hadn't agreed to do this sooner.

Citra stepped over to me.

I handed Ivy over to Hugo, not sure what exactly to expect, but wanting to give her my full attention.

"I want to do it, too," Citra said, as she chewed her lip. "We might not share blood, but I want to share this. It's better."

I didn't think it was possible, but my heart inflated even fuller until I thought I might burst. I nodded, because if I spoke I was definitely going to cry.

Then I kissed her, too.

Citra turned into a white bunny with caramel spots, halfway between my own rabbit form coloring and Ivy's.

Tears of love and joy spilled down my cheeks as I scooped her up.

"Okay, you have to go. The library is going to wipe memories and the ability to transform. We're out of time," Tess corralled us to the cross street. "Go. Now."

We hurried off. Just as we made it onto the next block, I heard a strange noise so I turned to look back.

Shimmering ovals appeared above the street where we'd just been. Men in suits stepped out of the ovals, seemingly from nowhere. A few weeks ago, the sight would have shocked me. Now, I wasn't sure anything would shock me ever again.

Tess slapped handcuffs on Chet's wrists.

He lurched forward to try to kiss her.

Brianna slapped her hand over my mouth to make sure I wouldn't cry out and warn Tess, which I appreciated, because I just might have.

Tess had everything covered on her own though, because she kneed Chet in the nuts. He toppled over while the rest of the suit guys gathered rabbits.

Tess held something glowing with bright light over Chet's head.

"No!" His screaming echoed down the streets. "I'm nothing if I can't spread my love. Nooooo."

The screams devolved into sobs.

Rabbits began turning back into naked people.

"Shh," Tess said. "Everything's okay now."

Another librarian said, "Forget."

"We should go." Hugo took my hand and offered me a warm smile.

"Yeah. Let's go home."

I'd seen enough. It was over.

We ran. We weren't going to forget. We were going to remember, and it was a special bonding experience that we'd share forever.