The two men walked beside Violet and Moo along with two more in the back so they wouldn't try to run off. Violet felt so embarrassed that she had to go see the leader of Charlottesville in just her nightwear. Moo just wore some baggy sweat pants and a white sleeveless t-shirt with his messy dreads hung down. He looked even creepier without his glass eye not having time to put it back in his socket. Moo wouldn't let the men take Violet unless he came with her or else she wasn't going at all. It was weird that he could just talk to these people any certain way without being punished.
After about twenty minutes, they made it to where Violet recognized it as the city hall. She remembered it by how tall and big it was, with it being all white scattered with shining lights by each window making it look like shining stars at night. It was one of the most beautiful buildings she's ever seen.
One of the men shoved her a little to the doubled doors that were the entrance. Moo whipped his head around glaring at him.
"Don't touch her like that asshat," he hissed, making the man back up, intimidated by Moo's attitude.
They all walked in and Violet saw that it was still gorgeous from the inside, diamonded chandeliers, marbled floor, and gold railings. She noticed as they walked towards the stairs there was a long table with plenty of chairs instead of the same office desk. They walked up the twisted stairs making it to the second floor which led to a wide hallway that had velvet carpeting all the way down. While walking down, they made it to the end which had a large door marked with the same painted red rose she saw on the gates before entering.
One of the men knocked on the door before a voice called out, "Who is it?"
"It's us, ma'am," he called back, "We brought her as you wanted."
"Ah, come in."
One of the other men opened the door for the rest of the five before walking in into one of the most beautiful rooms Violet's ever seen. She guessed they walked into the living room since on how big it was, there were nice black leather couches, the floor was also marbled but more polished and clean along with a glass coffee table under a deer furred mat.
"Gentlemen, you're excused," the voice called out again as the men left one by one closing the door them.
Minutes later, a little girl walked out of another room wearing pink flowered pajamas and her dark hair tied in a ponytail. She smiled widely at the sight of Moo running towards him as she jumped into his arms.
"Moo, why didn't you tell me you were back?!" she exclaimed happily.
"Sorry," he apologized, "had to show an old friend around town."
"Old friend? Have I met them before?"
"Nope," he cocked his head over towards Violet, "before I knew it was her, she saved my life."
The girl gasped, " Wow! Is she... good?"
Moo scoffed, "Of course she is, before you know it, you two will be closer than ever."
What did he mean by that?
She hopped out of his arms walking over to Violet and stared at her inspectingly. She narrowed her eyes then smirked.
"You kinda look like my mom."
"Uh... thanks, I guess?" Violet looked back at Moo with a confused look as he just shrugged.
"I'm Sapphire," she held out her hand as Violet awkwardly shook it, "a friend of Moo is a friend of mine."
Violet smiled, "That's sweet."
"You guys waiting for my mom?"
"Yeah, and just between you and me, who was the little rat that told your mom about Violet?" Moo asked quietly getting down to Sapphire's level.
"Cash."
He rolled his eyes, "Figured."
"I'll go get her for you guys so she can meet Violet, be right back!"
"Wait!" before Moo could stop her, she already ran into the other room.
Moo fell on the couch sighing heavily pinching the bridge of his nose. Violet kept wondering why didn't he want her to see their leader so badly? Was she hostile? She didn't like newcomers in her territory? Violet really wanted to know what was wrong.
"Violet," he finally spoke in a more serious apologetic tone, "if you don't wanna come back here, I understand."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just... when you meet our leader... just... don't get upset too much. I don't wanna see you hurt tonight."
"What the hell do you mean, Moo?!" she started to get impatient with him, "Just tell me—"
A few moments later, Sapphire had sprinted out and stood next to Violet with an excited smile. Violet then looked up to see a woman with a bright purple robe rubbing her tired eyes yawning then she looked up at Violet with her tired expression quickly changing.
But this woman... she knew this woman...
Long raven-haired, light tan brown skin with bright green eyes that were pink. The same woman who had to work three jobs just to provide for her and her father, the same woman who mentally abused her, the same woman who was traumatized by what she had done and abandoning her never coming back for her when the outbreak started...
This woman was her mother, and she was now in charge of this whole town.
Her mother started to stare at Violet with a flabbergasted expression while Violet just stared blankly at the woman who partially ruined her life. Then after a while, she ran over to her daughter wrapping her arms around her sobbing into her shoulder while Violet didn't hug back. She then pulled away putting a hand over Violet's bony cheek kissing her on the forehead. Violet turned away crossing her arms glaring as Moo and Sapphire looked awkwardly at each other.
"I can't believe you're here," her mother breathed, "I thought I lost you."
Violet just stayed quiet.
"Cash told me that Moo brought someone back with him and I had to see who it was, I just didn't expect it to be you."
Still nothing.
Her mother furrowed her brows, "Violet, don't you... remember me?"
"Yeah," she said coldly still not looking at her mother.
She tried to touch her shoulder, but Violet just shoved her away turning to glare daggers at her mother.
"Why are you acting like this?" she spat making her mother look a little more hurt, "I thought you didn't want me, remember?"
"Vi, that was a long time ago and I really didn't mean that..."
"Well the damage's been done, you never came for me and now you come crying saying you miss me? Fuck off."
Before her mother started to say anything else, she marched out the room slamming the door behind her with Moo starting to follow after her looking back at Violet's mom as more tears of regret and sorrow started to spill.
"I'll talk to her," he sighed walking out following after Violet.
—
The next morning, Moo got up a little early to make breakfast for him and Violet. He rarely cooked even if he had girls over that stayed the night, he usually just picked something up from town. But he liked doing something special for his friends, especially if it was his best friend.
He scrambled some eggs, fried bacon, and made some toast. He looked down at Smokey and Rosie who sat beside him whining at the scent of greasy bacon. Moo smiled as he threw a couple of pieces down as the dogs gladly accepted.
"Better enjoy, it's the only pieces you're getting," Moo said while the dogs ignored him chewing on the bacon.
When he was done, he divided the cooking by putting them in separate paper plates and getting two forks. He then carried them into his room with the dogs following behind him. He saw Violet curled up in the covers not looking at Moo when he knew she was awake and... upset.
He walked to the bed sitting beside her placing the breakfasts on the nightstand sitting beside her. He saw that the pillow wet with her eyes almost red. She looked up smiling weakly then looked back down.
Moo frowned, he felt so sorry what happened last night with her seeing her mother again. He tried his best to protect his friend from the truth, but it was bound to come out eventually, maybe from Storm. Over time, he could really tell Marisol truly missed her daughter. They really couldn't go anywhere because they were on lockdown, he was just one of the people who escaped in search of his friend. But deep inside, he never forgave Marisol and Lucas for what they've done to Violet and Storm. Even when Marisol became leader taking him when his mother suffered from sickness and depression, recruiting him as a soldier and even thought about making him her official second-in-command, it still didn't make up for what she did.
"Vi," he said quietly, "I made breakfast."
She closed her eyes breathing heavily, "Thanks, but I'm not hungry."
He sighed, "I really didn't want you to see her, I knew you would get like this."
"I know, you always avoided the conversation."
He gently rubbed her bare arm squeezing it gently, "I hate seeing you like this."
"You would be the first."
She got up sitting up beside him leaning onto his chest as he wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer. He started to shake his right leg while Violet just looked at him with a curious expression.
"Uh, Moo?"
"Mhm," he said quietly resting his chin on her bed of pale blonde hair.
"Your leg, are you alright?"
He shot open his eyes then quickly stopped shaking, "It's a tick."
"Oh, okay."
They stayed there for a little while until Smokey started barking as a knock came at the door. Moo rolled his eyes and sighed getting up and grabbing one of the plates off the nightstand handing it to her.
"Go ahead and eat something," he said, "It's probably just Storm or one of the girls."
She nodded stiffly as she watched him leave out of the room.
He headed to the door groaning before opening it, "Storm, your sister's not in the mood today..."
When he opened the door to find Marisol with Sapphire standing beside her. She wore her usual fur-lined green denim jacket with her tamed long raven hair hanging down. She looked well dressed but he could tell by her face that she's been crying as much as Violet has overnight with her dark pink eyes and dark circles around them.
"I told you I'll talk to her," he snapped out of frustration, "she doesn't want to see you."
"Well, that isn't your decision," she snapped back as Moo looked taken aback, "She's my kid, I should talk to her."
He sighed, "Can it wait? She's eating breakfast right now."
"I'll wait. In your living room."
"Mary, leave!!" he hissed impatiently, "She doesn't want to be bothered by you, she's upset don't you fucking get that?!"
"I'm upset too!" she exclaimed angrily, "Let me in this apartment, Moo, right fucking now and let me see my daughter!"
"I keep telling you—"
"Moo," Sapphire interrupted making the two stop fighting, "Mom doesn't mean any harm, she really wants to talk to her."
Moo sighed heavily, "Sapphire, it's complicated, I don't want Violet getting hurt."
"But wouldn't it be best if Mom and Violet should talk to each other on how they feel instead of one of them holding it in?"
She had a good point. Moo did think a little that the two should settle their differences and leave the past behind them. He knew Marisol had changed, he knew she left Lucas, he knew that she mourned Storm and Violet greatly when she thought they were dead.
But Violet didn't know that, and the only way she could know if she and her mother talked after all these years.
Moo stepped aside letting the two step in. While Marisol thanked him, Sapphire hugged him tightly as he hugged back.
"Thanks, Moo, she really needs this."
He closed the door behind them then Sapphire sat on couch while Marisol started to look around the apartment for Violet.
"Where is she?" she asked with much desperation in her voice.
While didn't say anything, he led her to the door to his room that was closed. He looked down as he hesitantly grabbed the doorknob. Marisol touched his shoulder with not paying her any attention as he just stood there silently.
"Can I do this alone?" she asked with him still just looking down, "I promise I won't do anything stupid like with Storm."
He scoffed, "I don't care if you're her mom, I won't let you near her again if you hurt her."
"I won't, I give you my word."