Jun 18, 2024
Someone tell me why I have an urge to rewrite "A Bundle of Secrets"... again... but finish it this time lol
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Someone tell me why I have an urge to rewrite "A Bundle of Secrets"... again... but finish it this time lol
Part of me really wants to rewrite my first fic "A Bundle of Secrets" but I just really don't have time right now and honestly, I swear I'm not saying this for attention, I don't know if anyone would want to read it lol
A Bundle of Secrets (Rewritten)
Chapter 1
The sound of feet against pavement echoed through the dark as a young woman rushed into an abandoned building, carrying a bundle of blankets in her arms.
She forced open a secret panel in one of the walls, carefully tucking the bundle inside with a teary smile and a kiss before closing the wall back up, leaving the slightest crack open. She hurried back to the entrance, looking frantically at her surroundings as she unlocked her phone.
“Hello, 911, what’s your emergency?”
“Please, you have to send help!”
“Ma’am, what’s wrong, is everything okay?”
She could barely breathe as she heard the faint click of polished shoes getting closer and closer.
“I can't, just--when you get here, make sure you search this place top to bottom.”
The operator grew concerned at this. “Where are you right now?”
“It’s not safe here, get her somewhere safe!" There wasn't any time to explain, they would find her any second now. "Please. It’s too late for me.”
“What’s too late? Ma’am?”
A shot rang out and all that was heard was a choked whisper. “Please take care of her...”
“Take care of whom? Who’s there? Ma’am, I need you to tell me--”
There was another sudden shot, but this time the bullet went through the young woman’s forehead. She crumpled onto the floor, dark curly hair feathering out around her.
“Ma’am, are you still there? Ma’am-”
An expensive-looking shoe kicked the phone out of the dead woman’s hands, cutting off the call for good and then nothing. Only a shadow hovering over the body and a blank stare in the woman's lifeless blue eyes.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
“And that is how you pull it off.” Cameron waved his hands with a flourish as he and Kay pulled up to the crime scene. “Honestly, it’s a piece of cake once you get over a fear of fire.”
Kay stifled a smile as she rolled his eyes at his childishness. “You know Cam, sometimes I think you value pulling off a stunt more than you do about your own safety.”
It wasn't bad though. He wasn't quite back to his usual carefree self, but he looked lighter, his smiles quick to come and more genuine than before.
“Well, it’s worth it if it works, right? Though Johnny always thought that one was stupid.”
Kay was quick to notice how his eyes clouded over, his smile slowly fading as he mentioned his brother.
“How’s he doing?" She was hesitant to broach the topic. "I mean have you… have you heard from him at all?”
“No,” Cameron sighed heavily, “And quite frankly, I don’t want to even wanna think about him right now. He’s clearly not.”
Kay put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I get that you’re upset with him and you have every right to be. But he’s still your brother.”
His hand covered hers as he gave a weary smile. “I know, I know, it's just--I’m just not ready to see him and... I’m tired of looking for him. Thankfully he doesn’t need something from me. Not yet, at least.”
“Well, whatever you might need, I’m here for you.”
“Thanks Kay.”
The abandoned warehouse was already filled with police officers when they entered.
“So this is where the 911 call came from huh?” Cameron only saw bleak stone and crumbling concrete no matter where he looked. “There’s probably all sorts of hidden secrets about this place. Being an abandoned building and all.”
“It actually used to be an old group home for foster kids, but it closed down a few years ago for safety issues and the group was relocated elsewhere," Kay elaborated as they headed towards Mike, who was standing over the victim. "The operator said she has no idea who our victim is; all she could tell us was that she sounded like a young woman who was desperate for help.”
“Hey Mike, so who’s our victim?”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have an ID yet and it seems she came running here with not much on her,” Mike replied. “But she was clearly running from something.”
“Whatever she was trying to escape from obviously found her,” Kay added as she looked at the woman’s wide unblinking eyes. Poor girl, she thought, feeling that something seemed oddly familiar about those eyes.
“Judging from her clothes, it doesn’t seem like she was planning on running,” Cameron observed, noting the cool autumn breeze and the fact that the victim was wearing a thin sweater with a light summery skirt, “Maybe she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Got mistaken for someone else...”
Cameron trailed off. It was faint, but he thought he heard something. Something a little farther into the building. He couldn't tell what it was just yet…
“Maybe. Mike, was there any other information that the operator gave about our victim?” Kay asked as Cameron wandered off.
“Oh yeah. They mentioned how our vic went on about making sure that whoever was chasing her did not get to her.” Mike explained.
“Who's her?” Kay frowned in confusion. “If we can figure that out, maybe we can find out who our victim is.”
Meanwhile, Cameron was searching the building, he was sure the sound was coming from this direction. He happened upon the wall and noticed a tiny crack where it should be. What he saw when he pushed it open shocked him.
“Uh, guys?” Cameron yelled from where he was.
“What is it, Cam?” Kay called back.
“Look, I know I’m not supposed to touch anything before you guys have finished a complete search of the premises...” He said in a rush as he hurried back to them, carrying that same bundle of blankets that the woman had held just a few short hours ago. “But I don’t think this can wait.”
“Cam, what on earth could you have possibly--”
Kay met him halfway, wondering what was going on when she went speechless at the sight. Peeking out from the bundle in Cameron’s arms, wide awake was a bright eyed, curious baby. The little girl was probably only a year old at most with very pale skin, big brown eyes that seemed to smile at everyone, and the same dark curls as their victim.
Cameron grinned, oddly cheeky and sheepish at the same time. “I think you can understand why I thought it couldn’t wait.”
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
“So you found the baby in the same building as our victim?” Deakins was as stern and sharp as ever as Kay and Mike watched Cameron entertain the little girl, making silly faces as he bounced her on his knees.
“Yes, due to the timing and that she bears some resemblance to our victim, we think it’s reasonable to believe that she might be related to our Jane Doe,” Kay explained.
“Any idea on who our Jane Doe is?”
“We’re still working on it," Mike replied, "We should be finding out soon.”
“Alright, keep me posted.” Deakins walked away, her face softening with a quick flick of a smile as she took one last look at Cameron and the baby.
“I’ll go see if we have an ID yet,” Mike said to Kay as he motioned his head towards Cameron, amused at the sight.
Kay rolled her eyes before sitting next to Cameron and the baby. “You two seem to be getting along.”
“Babies are so fun to entertain, everything you do is like a magic trick to them, watch this!”
Cameron covered his face before then quickly pulling his hand down and went, “Peek-a-boo!”
The little girl burst out laughing. It was so infectious that Kay and Cameron couldn't help but join her.
Kay's smile only grew. “I see what you mean.”
All of a sudden, the baby pointed at Kay, gurgling and smiling as she reached out her arms to the agent.
“I think the little lady wants you to hold her, Kay.”
“Oh…" An unsure expression spread over her face, "I don’t know, I’m not really--”
Cameron held up the baby in front of his face and spoke in a high-pitched voice, “Please Kay, I want a hug and Mr Cameron is starting to run out of ideas to entertain me!”
Kay snorted, rolling her eyes for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day and gently took the little girl from Cameron. The baby just cooed and stared up at her with bright, innocent eyes. There was something about her that just seemed so familiar, yet she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“She likes you.” Cameron's voice broke through Kay’s thoughts.
“What?”
“I tried giving her to Mike earlier and she almost burst into tears,” he chuckled.
“Really?”
Kay laughed as she settled the baby in her lap, a hand supporting the little girl’s back. That had to have been a blow to Mike's ego, seeing how he often bragged about how good he was with children. She looked up just in time to see Cameron smiling at her.
He was always smiling, but this one was slow and subtle, harder for her to read.
“What?”
“Nothing, just never really pictured you with a baby.”
Kay raised an eyebrow at that.
“N-not that I picture you in any way, shape, or form," He backtracked with a flustered look on his face, "Not that I mean anything by that, what I meant was--”
He abruptly leaned down to face the baby. “Can you help me out here, kid?” The baby just grabbed his nose and laughed. “Yeah, real helpful.”
“Hey guys," Mike walked in at that moment, "we finally found--why is the baby holding Cam’s nose?”
“He tried to ask her for advice,” Kay grinned before she turned back to Mike, “So any news?”
“We found an ID and…" Mike shook his head briefly, "Let's just say I’m glad you guys are sitting down.”
Kay frowned, “Why? What is it?”
“Well, our victim’s name is Fiona Jonbroni, twenty-six years old, was placed in the foster care system when she was four after her mother died in a car accident.”
Cameron grimaced, “Poor girl, I’ve heard the system’s rough.”
“It can be.” Mike sighed, “She bounced around foster homes until she was eighteen, found a job where she met a Shawn Blanc and they were married three years ago.”
“What happened to him?” Kay grew concerned, instinctively holding the child closer without realizing it.
“I just sent a team to their apartment to see if he’s there.”
Cameron looked at the innocent little girl. “So there’s a chance that she’s still got a parent out there?”
“That’s what we’re hoping for.”
“Do we have the kid’s name? I mean, we can’t keep calling her Little Lady or Kid.”
“It says here that her name is Farrah Blanc, with two Rs.”
Cameron smiled at the little girl before taking her back from Kay.
“So, your name is Farrah, huh? Well, it makes sense. You’re like the fairest of them all.” He joked, noting that the girl’s pale skin and apple red cheeks could give Snow White a run for her money.
Kay shot Cameron an unamused look. “Cam, come on, you know how I feel about puns.”
Cameron simply grinned. “It’s after nine, Kay, I think I'm safe.”
“Wait,” Suddenly Kay was confused, "You said you were glad we were sitting. What's going on, Mike?”
“Well, Fiona’s birth certificate listed her mother as Violet Jonbroni and...” He hesitated, clearly reluctant to keep going.
“And her father?” Cameron prodded.
“And... the father listed here is someone you might recognize." Mike's face grew grim. "Sebastian Black.”
Cameron’s eyes suddenly went wide with shock. “W-wait,” He let out a nervous chuckle. “A-are you saying that our victim was my father’s daughter? But that’s imposs--that would mean...”
“Cameron…" Mike's throat went dry; he could barely say the rest.
"I think our victim was your sister."
No, you are not experiencing déjà vu, this is the same ‘A Bundle of Secrets’ I wrote over a year ago... however as I have been writing the sequel and rereading it... ‘A Bundle of Secrets’ was my first real fanfic I took seriously and it sorely needed improving.
I hope that you had enjoyed the original version but with the help of my good friend @s4karuna, we have revamped ‘A Bundle of Secrets’ into a smoother and more enjoyable read.
I want this story to be the best it can be and I am grateful to my friend for helping me rewrite it... this is gonna be fun, you guys are gonna see a lot of additional/deleted scenes!
A History of Secrets Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Lara grinned at Jonathan’s surprised face, “Well, even though you probably don’t have seniority here, may I come in?”
Jonathan’s flustered expression fell to a slightly playful smile, “Well, I don’t know, I might have seniority here; Kay is going to be my sister-in-law.”
“And your future sister-in-law says that Lara can come in.” Kay called out.
“Well, I don’t know who that was but I think that it’s alright to let you in.” He joked.
Lara rolled her eyes as she walked into the apartment. Dina was about welcome her when Farrah shouted, “Hi!” And the child tried launching herself from Dina’s arms.
Dina laughed as she held the baby close, “Well, it’s clear who’s the most excited to see you.”
Lara chuckled as she set her bag down. She walked over to Dina and Farrah. Farrah reached out a tiny arm and waved it around. Lara let Farrah take her index finger, “Hello Farrah.” Lara cooed, she then looked to Dina, “It’s good to see you again Dina.”
Dina smiled, “Same to you, I’m so glad you could join Kay and I for girls’ night. We’ve been needing more women in our circle.”
Lara grinned, “I’m glad I could join you.”
Cameron’s phone buzzed, “Oh, the guys are here.”
“I guess we should head out then.” Jonathan said. He smiled at Lara, “Good seeing you again,” Then turned his head to the other women in the room, “You guys have fun.”
“You have fun too.” Lara smiled back.
“Johnny!” Farrah exclaimed as she stuck her arms out.
“Sorry Munchkin, Uncle Johnny and Uncle Cam have to go to the Archive.”
Farrah then stuck her arms out to Cameron’s direction, “Cam’mon!”
Cameron walked over and placed a kiss on Farrah’s head as she grabbed his hand, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Cam’mon stay!”
Dina couldn’t help but grin at the adorableness of Farrah not wanting to see Cameron leave.
“You’re going to have so much fun with Kay, Dina and Lara. You’re not going to have fun if you come with us.” Cameron tried to reason with the toddler but she wasn’t having it and just pouted. This called for drastic action, “Hey Farrah. Would you rather come with me or... stay with Kay?” He asked as he took his niece from Dina and brought her over to Kay.
Kay rolled her eyes at her fiancé’s antics. Farrah immediately reached her arms out to Kay as the agent smiled, “Come here baby girl.”
Cameron smiled for a moment as Kay took Farrah in her arms before it turned a bit mischievous, “You know, I’m starting to think she likes you more than she likes me.”
Kay shook her head as Farrah copied her action, “Of course not, she just knows that she’s not going to have fun watching horror movies.”
Cameron grinned as he kissed Kay’s cheek before leaving, “I’ll be back to pick her up.”
Kay smiled, “Don’t worry, you enjoy your time. We’ll have a lot of fun here.” Farrah giggled as Kay gave her a tight hug and Cameron and Jonathan left while Farrah was distracted.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
It didn’t take the guys long to reach the Archive.
Cameron hesitated as he took out his key. It had been almost a month since they had last entered their home away from home.
In fact... this had been the first time they had ever locked the doors of the Archive.
“Cam?” Jonathan spoke up as his brother hesitated to unlock the doors, “We’re all here so don’t worry, we’ll be fine.”
“Right...” Cameron took a deep breath as he unlocked the doors and went inside.
They all carefully made their way inside as they looked around. Nothing had changed since they had been there last. Not a single object out of place. Nobody had come or gone. It was clear. It was safe.
“Well! I’m gonna go find a movie, Gunter, go get the TV!” Jordan exclaimed as he ran off in one direction of the archive.
Gunter rolled his eyes as he went to get the television set ready.
“I could go make some popcorn.” Mike offered.
“Let me show where it is.” Jonathan nodded as he and Mike went off to the kitchen leaving Cameron standing by the door.
Never would he have thought that he would have felt the need to hide away from the one place he had considered home his whole life. The Archive was his home but with their former mystery woman having escaped, he still wasn’t sure it would truly be safe until she was found.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
The women had started their girls’ night with lounging on the couch with some sparkling cider in champagne glasses. Dina and Lara couldn’t help but notice that Kay kept glancing at Farrah or that she kept twisting her ring when she spoke.
“Kay... what’s wrong?” Dina asked.
Kay’s head slightly snapped up, “Hmm? Nothing, nothing.”
“No...” Lara pressed, “There’s something up.” Kay took a quick look to Farrah who was busy clapping and giggling with the music of the movie she was watching. Lara and Dina gave each other a quick look as Kay stared at Farrah a little longer than she had planned to as she fiddled with her engagement ring, “It has to do with Farrah, doesn’t it?”
Kay’s eyes widened for a tiny moment but she figured there was no use hiding it, “I love Cameron and I love Farrah but... it is starting to hit me that I’m basically going to be Farrah’s stepmother when Cameron and I get married and it’s just... it’s a little scary.”
Dina noticed Farrah get up from where she was sitting and start to waddle around, “What’s scaring you? Have you talked to Cameron about your fears?”
Kay nodded, “He was very sweet about it but this is more my issue, I’m just worried that I might not be enough for Farrah.” Just then she felt a tiny hand pat her knee. She looked down to find Farrah looking up at her with her big brown eyes, “Hi baby girl, you want up?”
Farrah nodded and lifted her arms, “Uppy. Up.”
Kay lifted her up and placed the little girl on her lap as Farrah giggled. Lara smiled, “Well, I don’t think you should be worried about being enough for Farrah, she could have gone to any one of us just now but she chose to come to you. You are definitely someone important to her.”
Kay gently brushed Farrah’s hair back with her hand as Farrah gurgled and snuggled in Kay’s arms, “You think so?”
Dina nodded, “She loves you. When she’s not going to Cameron, she’s going to you.”
“Marriage and motherhood isn’t easy.” Lara spoke up with a gentle and slightly sad smile but quickly gave Kay some reassuring words, “Especially when it happens all at once but nobody knows these things at first. You’ll learn as you go and I think you have a bit of a head start.” She grinned as she motioned to how Farrah seemed to be content watching the screen from far away as she stayed very still in Kay’s arms.
Kay smiled down to the little girl in her arms and looked back up at her friends, “You’re right...” She placed a kiss on the top of Farrah’s head causing her to squeal with glee and look up to Kay. “The best I can do is making sure she’s loved and taken care of.”
Dina smiled, “You’re going to be, dare I say, amazing.”
Kay gave a small laugh, “Thank you.”
“Now...” Dina grinned, “We need to talk about the wedding, have you and Cameron settled on a date yet?”
“Actually... not really, we haven’t really talked about the wedding all that much yet.”
“Are you planning on having a wedding?” Lara asked, “Or would you prefer just going to the courthouse?”
“Well...” Kay gave a tiny smile, “I’m not against the idea of having a big wedding but I don’t think I’d want anything too fancy.”
“Knowing Cameron, he’ll probably train doves to fly away at the moment you both say ‘I do’.” Dina joked.
That got a laugh out of Kay, “I wouldn’t be surprised.” She felt Farrah try to wiggle her way onto the floor, “You want to go play again?”
Farrah gently grabbed Kay’s hand and said, “Food?”
Kay looked at the time and realized that it was time for Farrah to eat. She picked up the little girl and handed her off to Dina and Lara as she went to her fridge to get some baby food she kept stored when Cameron and Farrah would be over.
She brought over some mashed sweet potatoes that she knew Farrah liked. She sat back down on the couch as Farrah flapped her arms and clapped her hands in anticipation for her food. The women couldn’t help but coo at Farrah’s actions as she ate with glee.
Lara smiled, “It’s good that she likes food so much, some people have real trouble getting children to eat.”
“Yeah...” Kay smiled, “We’re very lucky...”
“Speaking of food,” Dina said, “We should order some takeout. I don’t know about you two but I have been dying for some orange chicken.”
“That sounds really good.” Lara replied, “And some garlic broccoli and chicken dumplings would be great.”
“And some Szechuan noodles would be wonderful.”
“Guys, stop talking and start ordering.” Kay laughed as she continued to feed Farrah her dinner, “You’re making me hungry.”
“We should also pick a movie to watch!” Dina exclaimed.
“Nothing involving horror, please.” Lara asked for.
“And make sure it’s something that’s fine for Farrah to see.” Kay requested.
“No worries, I believe I will pick... how do you two feel about one of these cheesy Hallmark movies?”
Lara and Kay both laughed. Kay nodded her head, “As long as it’s not set in a coffee shop.”
Dina laughed, “Fair enough.” She began searching through Netflix until she found a movie, “How about this? A woman returns to her small hometown after spending years away as a chef in the big city only to return and find that her town’s fancy restaurant has gone downhill because the owner’s son plans to sell it.”
Kay laughed, “That sounds...” Suddenly something dawned on her, “Brilliant.” Dina and Lara both give her a confused look. “I think I have an idea for the case...”
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
The men all let out a scream just before the credits of their movie popped up on the screen, “I told you that you wouldn’t see that ending coming!” Jordan laughed.
Mike ran a hand down his face, “That... wasn’t pleasant”
“There has to be a sequel,” Cameron shook his head, “The evil guy’s not dead yet... that’s just freaky.”
“No, that’s just horror.” Gunter smirked as put away the film, “It should leave you with a sense of dread.”
“Never thought I’d miss the endless amount of Disney movies that Farrah likes to watch.” He laughed, “At least when there’s a great evil, it’s gone by the end of the movie.”
“I think she just likes the way the characters move and sing.” Jonathan pointed out, silently laughing at how just the other day, Farrah attempted belting out ‘Let It Go’ but only getting maybe five words right and ended up babbling the rest. He smirked, “Maybe she’ll end up on Broadway one day.”
Cameron laughed, “I don’t know if Farrah would be comfortable with big crowds.”
“Speaking of big crowds,” Jordan spoke up, “Are you guys ever going to perform again?”
Mike perked up and smiled, “Yeah, it has been a couple years but I bet the world would be more than excited to see the Brothers Black again.”
Cameron and Jonathan looked at each other and were silent for a few moments. Although it must have been longer that because even Gunter had a concerned look on his face as he pressed, “Boys? Is everything alright?”
Cameron coughed, “Well...”
“We’re not...” Jonathan tried to say as he cleared his throat, “Well, I don’t have any plans on performing anymore. It’s not what I want to do.”
“What do you want to want to do?” Gunter asked with genuine curiosity, it just dawning on him that it was a question that Jonathan was never really asked.
Jonathan took a deep long sigh and shrugged, “I’m not really sure...” He let out a tiny chuckle, “Never really thought about it until recently.”
“What about going back to school?” Mike suggested. The men all looked at him with confusion, “Well, just based on what Cameron’s said in all his stories, you guys never got the chance to go to college.”
Jonathan gave a slight smile, “That’s a nice idea but Cameron and I technically never went to school so I don’t even have a GED.”
“So get it.” Mike replied and continued with a kind yet firm and somewhat brotherly tone, “If going to college is something you’re interested in, there’s nothing that says you can’t get your GED now.”
“Come on Mike, aren’t I a little... old to be thinking about this? Hell, I just got a birth certificate six months ago and Cameron and I are almost thirty-two.”
“Better late than never.” He shrugged, “But again, it’s only a suggestion if that’s something you’d want to do.”
“It’s not a bad idea Johnny.” Cameron spoke up.
“I guess... I guess thought if I did end up going to school, I’d have to figure out what I’d want to study.”
The men all laughed as Jordan turned his attention to Cameron, “What about you Cam?”
Cameron’s laughter died down as he paused to think, “You know... maybe someday I might go back to the big shows but if I were to go back to it now...” He remembered how much time they would spend preparing just a single show. “I’d miss out on so much, like Farrah growing up, I’d miss out on spending time with you guys, I mean like this. How many times were we all just able to hang out like this when we were doing shows?”
“Not a lot.” Jordan admitted.
“Exactly.” He shrugged, “I mean we are well off enough to take a break for a few years. Plus I do like working with Kay on cases.”
“She does seem to be the only one able to keep you in line.” Gunter joked.
“Oh, ha, ha.” Just then, his phone buzzed, alerting him of a text message from Kay. He smiled when he opened the text to find a photo of Farrah clutching her bunny with one arm and drinking from her bottle with the other. He couldn’t imagine leaving his little girl behind for anything.
“Cam?” Jonathan spoke up, breaking Cameron’s train of thought.
“Hmm? Sorry, Kay just sent me a picture of Farrah. She’s doing okay.”
Jonathan gave a light smirk, “You know, your over protectiveness is funny now but Farrah’s probably not going to like it when she’s older.”
Cameron chuckled, “That’s a problem for the future.”
Suddenly his phone buzzed again as Kay sent him another text;
“I wanted to wait until morning but I have an idea for the case but we’d need to gather everyone to come up with a proper plan.”
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
Miles away in uptown New York, at the Blanc Residence, Valentina Blanc was trying to come up with her own plan.
“What do you mean we can’t get Corvus Vale to assist us in this?” Valentina exclaimed, “Whatever happened to the donations my father made?”
“You mean the same father who killed an innocent young mother in cold blood?” A woman resting on a tacky white and gold couch said, “And after the incident with that conspiracy theorist over a year ago, they don’t want to be involved in anything suspicious that could have the pubic draw attention to their little elitist club. Not even the Black brothers wanted anything to do with them.”
Valentina gave an annoyed sigh, “So that restaurant incident was all for not?”
“I wouldn’t say that much.” The woman said with a grin on her face, “It definitely got Cameron and Jonathan’s attention. They’ll most definitely find a way to be at Originale at the end of the week.” She did raise an eyebrow, “Is all this really worth the money though? Don’t you have enough of it already?”
Valentina gave the woman who was sitting on the couch a cruel look, “Hey, remember why you are working for us. For once in your sad, miserable life, you’re not in control and you can’t afford to lose our business. So do this right or you will regret it.”
The woman stood up with a firm expression, “How dare you talk to me like that.”
“I will talk to you however I wish.” Valentina replied with a haughty expression, “You can’t afford to leave our employ and you know it.”
The woman didn’t reply for a moment but stood her ground to not let this spoiled brat of a woman intimidate her, “I may not be able to afford to leave but you can’t afford to have me leave either. Lest there be another public scandal from your family.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Valentina glared.
The woman was unfazed, “Until freedom is guaranteed, I just might.” She sat back down, “You assisted in my escape because you need me to assist you with this and only I can help you so stay on my good side.”
Yup, I’m finally back with a new chapter. I’m sorry these are taking longer to come out but I’ve been working on some personal projects and some new fanfics (#shamelessplug). “A History of Secrets” will be finished eventually and there is a twist coming that I can’t wait to get to but I want to do this right.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and let me know what your favourite part of the chapter or the story so far was. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Hopefully I’ll see you guys soon again.
A Bundle of Secrets (Rewritten) Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Cameron was anxiously pacing back and forth with a pensive face, so deep in thought that he didn’t realize that Farrah had begun to squirm and fuss in his arms.
“Cam?” Kay finally spoke up.
“Hmm?”
He looked up to see the caution and concern on her face. She made no move to reach out to him, not wanting to startle him any further.
“Do you need me to take Farrah for a minute?”
"Hmm?" Cameron was puzzled for a second, snapping out of his daze when he noticed Farrah’s discomfort. “Oh. Yeah, thanks Kay, I think she needs a bottle or a diaper change or... something.”
Kay took the little girl from him, Farrah quick to bunch her little hands in Kay’s jacket.
“This means that Farrah’s my niece…" Cameron's voice was barely audible. "Doesn’t it?”
“If the DNA results come back and confirm it." Kay's voice was gentle. "But I think she is.”
"God, why does my family have so many secrets?" Cameron’s eyes began to water, frustration and grief rolling over him. "I mean Fiona... did she even know she had brothers, that we would've taken her in no matter what? What if she already knew? She must have thought that we--that I didn’t care she existed.”
“Of course you'd care!" Kay snapped, "You're one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. You’re loyal, and caring, and you would do anything for the people you care about. I mean, you were even willing to break your brother out of federal prison because you knew he was innocent--”
Her rant was cut off when she noticed his wry little smile.
“What?”
“You think a little too highly of me.”
“I'll have you know I'm being perfectly rational. Just take a look at Farrah.”
Cameron's nose wrinkled in confusion as Kay tried coaxing Farrah into look at him.
“Farrah? Farrah, look at Uncle Cameron.”
Farrah happened to look Cameron’s way and the little girl let out a happy squeal upon seeing him. Kay couldn't help but smile as she shot Cameron a knowing look.
“You get it now?”
"Nope." He gave a puzzled frown. "I’m not following at all.”
Kay rolled her eyes. “I meant that babies are the best judge of character. You can tell a lot about someone based on how babies react to them.”
Just then Farrah flung out her arms towards Cameron, whining when she couldn't reach him and he hurried to grab her when she nearly launched out of Kay's arms. Kay's smile turned smug at his dumbfounded expression.
"I rest my case."
“You sure about that?" Cameron smirked back, looking more like his old self by the minute. "Mike’s a good guy too and she almost cried when I tried to hand her to him.”
“That's because she doesn't know him. But you?" Kay's eyes were calm and sure as she gave a warm smile. "You’re her uncle. She can already tell that you’re a good person.”
"Huh, I'm an uncle." Cameron gazed down at Farrah who was busy tugging on his shirt collar, seeing so much of himself and his brother in her little face as it finally sunk in. “I’m her uncle.”
His arms tightened around the little girl, his eyes determined.
“Kay, we have to find out what happened, not just for Farrah, but for Fiona too. My sister deserved better than this.”
Just then Mike walked in. “Hey guys.”
“Hey Mike, got anything?”
“Yeah, we managed to track down Fiona’s last known address.” Mike noticed that Farrah was starting to nod off, her eyes squeezed shut as she let out a tiny yawn, and his fatherly instincts immediately kicked in. "Cam, I think she’s getting sleepy, you might want to hold her head up before she hurts her neck.”
Cameron was quick to fix the way he was holding her, his hand now gently supporting her head. “Thanks Mike," He sighed in relief. "I don’t exactly have much practice when it comes to kids.”
Mike nodded in sympathy. “How are you holding up?”
Cameron shrugged. “As well as anybody would given the circumstances, I guess.”
It was so much for him to process and he didn't know what else to say before Mike announced that the DNA results came back.
Kay perked up. “And?”
“Fiona... it turns out she was Cameron’s sister, which means that Farrah's your niece.” Mike's face was unusually sombre. “I’m so sorry you found out this way.”
Cameron's face nearly crumpled at this and Kay's chest tightened painfully at the sight.
“Cam, why don’t you take Farrah with you to the Archive?" She softly suggested. "I’m sure that the team would want to meet her. Mike and I can go see if we can find Shawn.”
She got a sad smile in return.
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Can you guys meet us at the Archive when you find Shawn?”
“Of course.”
Cameron was nearly out the door when he remembered something. He almost smack himself for not realizing it sooner.
“Actually Kay, could you give me a ride back?" He turned back with a sheepish grin. "You picked me up for the case so I didn’t bring a car. And even if I did, I have no car seat so... do you mind?”
Kay rolled her eyes at him as she stifled a laugh. “Sure, come on.”
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
Cameron wasn’t sure how to explain the situation as he wandered into the Archive, but he was amused by the way Farrah was looking at her surroundings and pointing at stuff as they passed through the entrance.
“Cameron darling," Dina’s voice call out, "is that you? You took so long that Gunther and Jordan started taking bets on when you'd be back. They're still squabbling somewhere.”
“Yeah!” He called back as he made his way into the main room of the archive, “I have a good reason though.”
Dina hummed, her back turned to him as he caught sight of her. “I’d love to hear what made you leave Kay at the beginning of a case. Normally you’d be pouting like a big baby.”
Cameron looked at Farrah in amusement, playfully raised his finger to his lips and winked at her.
“Dina?” He couldn't keep the mischief out of his voice.
“Hmm?”
“You might wanna turn around.”
“Why, what is it?” Dina turned around, only for her jaw to drop when she saw the baby in his arms. “Oh my God, what in the world--?”
“Dina, meet Farrah.” Cameron smiled as Dina rushed over to get a better look at the child.
“She’s adorable, Cameron," she cooed, marveling over Farrah’s round cheeks and bright eyes. "Wait, tell me you didn't steal her from someone's shopping cart.”
Cameron rolled his eyes once again.
“That was one time and I gave her back, didn't I? It's not like the parents didn't know I picked her up, they took pictures! Anyways, can you get Jordan and Gunter in here? There’s something I need to tell you guys.”
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
“Cameron?”
Gunther was struggling not to glare at him, not wanting to frighten the child in Cameron’s arms. Jordan didn’t seem much better, looking back and forth between them like he was watching a tennis match.
Cameron perked up. “Yes Gunter?”
Gunther threw his hands up in exasperation at his flippant attitude. “Do you want to tell us why the bloody hell do you have a child with you?”
“Gunter!” Dina scolded. “Language!”
“Don’t worry, she’s not a random kid I picked up.” Cameron assured as the little girl blinked at the three adults sitting around them, “This is Farrah. She’s my niece.”
“Excuse me?” Jordan was flabbergasted, his mind not quite putting the pieces together. “Since when did Johnny have a kid?”
“She’s not Johnny’s kid, okay!” Cameron took a deep breath, wondering where to start with all this. “Apparently... Dad had a kid with another woman.”
“What? How?”
“That’s impossible!”
“What are you talking about?”
Questions came flying from the three of them, the unexpected noise caused Farrah to start crying. Cameron shot the others a look, shushing them before he tried to soothe her.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay.”
Farrah began to calm down, hiccuping slightly as she rested her head against his chest as Cameron cleared his throat.
“I don’t have all the details yet, but it’s related to the case. I found Farrah hidden in a wall at the crime scene.”
“Inside a wall?” Gunter said in amazement.
“Yeah, she’s the daughter of our victim, Fiona Jonbroni. Dad was apparently registered as Fiona’s birth father and we just got the DNA results back. Long story short,” he huffed out a disbelieving laugh, “I guess this makes me an uncle now.”
“Oh my God, you’re an uncle.” Dina gaped at him and the small child he was holding, her eyes tearing up. “But that means that--”
“Yeah,” Cameron’s throat went dry. “Johnny’s an uncle too. But he’s not gonna find out.”
“Cameron--”
“No, Dina,” Cameron’s eyes shone with remorse. “He left us. I may not know why exactly and I might never know. Just like I didn’t know I had a sister and now she’s just… gone.”
“It’s not your fault Cameron, you couldn’t have known.”
“She grew up in the foster system, Dina.” His voice almost cracked as he said it. “She probably thought that no one cared, but she managed to make a good life for herself. She got married, had this...” He looked down at the baby in his arms, her eyes heavy with sleep. “This adorable little girl. And all of a sudden, she’s just a body at a crime scene. Why? What did she do that got her killed like that? That got her killed at all?”
“That’s what we need to find out, Cam.” Kay’s voice interrupted as she entered the Archive.
“Wait, Kay?” Cameron shot up from the couch with a worried expression as Kay walked in. “How come you’re back so soon? Did you find Farrah’s dad?”
Kay hesitated. “We found Shawn, but...”
“But?”
“I’m so sorry Cameron.” Kay didn’t want to disappoint him again, but she knew there was no sugar coating this. “He’s gone.”
“W-what do you mean he’s gone?” Cameron frowned in confusion. “What happened?”
“The apartment door had been forced open and there were signs of a scuffle. We found Shawn’s body in the living room. He’s dead, Cam.”
His heart dropped. “How?”
“Same way Fiona died.” Kay’s lips were pressed into a thin line. “Now we don’t know who the intended victim was. All we know now is--”
“I’m all Farrah has left.”
He collapsed back into his seat looking at the little girl, now fast asleep in his arms.
The little girl who had no idea that she was never going to see her mother or her father again.
Once again, thank you to @s4karuna for helping with this rewrite!
A History of Secrets Chapter 7
Chapter 7
The team all sat down to eat. Dina might not have been able to help Lara in the kitchen but she was more than capable of getting everybody to sit down for dinner. Farrah was sitting on Kay’s lap as Lara brought the food over.
“Lara, this looks great.” Kay smiled.
“I hope it is.” Lara said as she sat down next to Dina, “I honestly didn’t have many hot spices to work with so in case you were worried about it being too spicy; don’t be.”
“Well, in your defense, you were using the home supplies of two single white men.” Dina stated making Lara laugh.
“Excuse me? Do you not see the ring on my fiancée’s hand?” Cameron exclaimed taking Kay’s left hand and showing off the ring he got her, “I am very much not single.”
Kay quickly patted his cheek before he let go, “Calm down babe.”
He chuckled as he took a bite of the rice pilaf, “This is very good.”
Lara grinned, “I’m glad you like it.” Farrah wiggled herself out of Kay’s arms to the ground and toddled over to the woman. Lara smiled down at the girl, “Hi Farrah.”
“Hi.” Farrah beamed. She held her arms out to Lara, “Up?”
Farrah gave Lara a curious look before pointing to the food on the living room table and then looking back at her. “Are you hungry?” She asked. Farrah nodded her head. Lara looked to Cameron and Jonathan, “Do you mind if I give her some rice and veggies?”
“Can she eat those?” Cameron asked.
Lara nodded, “Children at these age can eat soft foods like cooked rice and vegetables. Plus it’ll help develop her flavour palate.”
“Well, I don’t wanna be raising a picky eater” He remarked making everyone laugh a little, “Yeah, not a problem.” He replied with a smile.
Jonathan got up from his seat, “I’ll just get her high chair.” He brought over Farrah’s high chair and placed it next to his seat. He walked over to Farrah and picked her up, “Come on Munchkin.” Farrah giggled as Jonathan picked her up and placed her in her seat. He brought a chair over and to sit next to her.
Lara came over with a child-sized bowl of food, “You go eat. I can feed her.”
“No, no. It’s fine I can do it.” Jonathan said as he tried to take the bowl.
“I’m serious, I don’t mind.”She smiled.
“But you just cooked.”He insisted.
“So I know I made plenty. I can wait.”
“But-”
“Would one of you just feed the poor child?” Dina interjected, “She’s getting impatient.”
Lara and Johnny noticed Farrah trying to reach for the bowl of food that was beyond her grasp. Jonathan looked back at Lara, “You’re not gonna let up, are you?”
“Not a chance.” She stated bluntly.
Jonathan gave a slight grin, “Alright.” Jonathan did end up taking over hallways through despite Lara’s objections. However he claimed that it was only logical seeing as he had to put Farrah to bed soon after but he also knew that Lara would eat until Farrah was done eating. Despite her protests, he was able to convince the stubborn woman to let him take over. Farrah didn’t really mind who was feeding her; she just flapped her arms every time the spoon full of food came her way.
“She looks like a baby bird,” Jordan joked.
Jonathan rolled his eyes as Farrah continued to eat. She definitely had this zest for eating, grabbing Jonathan’s hand to try to get the spoon in her mouth faster. “Whoa, slow down Munchkin.” Jonathan grinned as his niece continued to eat with gusto. He turned his head to Lara, “She really likes your food.”
This made Lara’s eyes light up, “Really?”
He nodded, “Farrah generally likes food but I’ve never seen her eat with this much enthusiasm.”
“That’s probably because she finally eating a home cooked meal that has some flavour.” Dina remarked with a smirk.
“Hey, I resent that.” Jonathan replied.
Dina shrugged as she took another bite, “Well, it is true. I remember that Cameron never had cinnamon in the cupboards. He only got some after he met Kay.”
Kay’s head turned to Cameron, “You did?”
Cameron gave a sheepish grin, “Well, when I figured how you like your coffee and thought why not?”
Kay smiled and kissed his cheek, “That’s sweet.”
“Ugh, can you stop?” Jordan joked, “We’re trying to eat here and this is actual good food... I’d like to enjoy it. We finally have someone like Lara now who actually knows how to cook.” Everyone laughed as they continued to eat. If Lara hadn’t alright made it into their good books, she was now.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
The next day, they were back at the bureau and still no leads. One thing they were all thankful for was that so far, nobody had been hurt. Having a criminal on the run was one thing but this woman was ruthless. Jonathan knocked on his future sister-in-law’s office door, “Hey Kay?”
Kay didn’t look up from her computer, “Jonathan. Cameron just stepped out for a minute; Farrah was getting a little fussy. They should be back in a few minutes.”
“Actually, I came to talk to you.”
“Me?” Kay looked up from her screen, “What can I do for you?”
“Well...” Jonathan started, “I... I never got a chance to look at Fiona’s file. I just can’t help but think that... I don’t know that much about her. Where she was born, where she grew up...”
“You’re trying to figure out why Fiona went into that abandoned warehouse aren’t you?”
“Yeah... I guess.” He admitted.
“Well my guess is that because it was probably one of her old foster homes.” Jonathan furrowed his brow at her explanation, “That building was abandoned just five years ago. It used to be one of those high-end boutiques but the owner closed it for some reason.” Kay explained as Jonathan sat down, “However before that, it was a foster home that closed in 2001 after the home owner was bought out and Fiona happened to have been in a home around that area during that time.” Jonathan’s face had an unfamiliar expression. “Hey... you alright?”
Jonathan shook his head, “I just feel guilty.”
It was Kay’s turn to furrow her brows, “Guilty?”
“It’s just... Dad was still alive in 2001... Fiona was probably nine or ten, she didn’t have to be in a foster home, sh-she could’ve been with us. She could’ve been safe... she didn’t have to die.”
Kay gave a sombre look. She knew that both brothers had felt guilty about not knowing about their sister but this was only the second time she’d seen Jonathan have an upset reaction like this. She could speak from experience. Losing a sibling wasn’t easy especially when you think you could have helped them. “Hey... her daughter, your niece is safe with you.”
“Yeah but for how long?” Kay furrowed her brows again. “I mean, it’s not always going to be like it is now where we can keep an eye on her all the time. She’s going to grow up a-and go to school and it’s not like we can go with her and be those annoying helicopter types. She needs to be able to have the space to become her own person.”
“But at the same time, will she stay safe when none of us are with her?”
Jonathan nodded, “Exactly.”
Kay just looked at him for a moment. Cameron and Jonathan were identical when it came to their appearance but Kay had known both of them long enough to tell them apart. However, in this moment, Jonathan looked exactly like his brother; he just wanted to keep his niece safe. “Well, all I can say is that I can guarantee you that the Blancs won’t be able to take Farrah away from you and Cameron.”
Jonathan gave an unsure smile, “How can you be so sure about that?”
“I just am.”
Jonathan smirked, “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Kay just smirked back, “For how long?”
“Until Farrah goes off to collage.”
She chuckled, “Fair enough.”
“Alright!” Cameron exclaimed as he walked back into Kay’s office with Farrah in his arms, “That’s one baby freshened up.” Farrah giggled. “You know, it doesn’t matter how well-behaved a kid is. They’re all poop monsters.”
Kay chuckled, “Cameron?”
“Yup?”
“We’re still at work babe.”
“Right. Sorry.” He placed Farrah on the ground who waddled over to Jonathan and held her hand out to him. Cameron then noticed his brother, “Johnny. Didn’t see you there.”
Jonathan grinned at his brother as he bent down to take his niece’s hand, “I just came to ask Kay about something.”
“Oh.” Cameron smiled, “Well, okay then. Did you find what you were looking for?”
“I did.” Jonathan’s eyebrows rose in realization, “I actually also had another request.”
“Go ahead.” Kay responded.
“Well, I think I found another clue of Cornelia’s connection with the Blancs other than... well, you know.” He cleared his throat, “But in order to confirm, I’d need access to the FBI archives and-”
“And Lara’s the best person for the job.” Kay finished.
“Yeah. Plus, it’d give me a chance to thank her for making dinner for all of us last night.”
“She likes Japanese food.” Jonathan raised an eyebrow at Kay who just smirked at him, “It is lunch time and Lara forgets to eat sometimes. At least I remember her doing that. I think she’d appreciate it. There’s a good take out not too far from here that I think she’d like”
Jonathan cracked a tiny smirk of his own, “Text me the address then, I was about to go get lunch anyway. Plus it’s my turn to babysit.” He knelt down to Farrah’s level, “Farrah, do you want to get lunch with Uncle Johnny?”
“Food?” Farrah responded.
He chuckled, “Yeah, do you wanna get food?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded as her little curls bounced. She held her arms out to him, “Uppy.”
He rolled his eyes slightly as he picked her up, “Alright. Come on Cutie.” He turned to Kay and Cameron, “I’ll let you know if we find a lead.” With that, he left the office with Farrah in hand.
When Jonathan and Farrah were out of earshot, Cameron turned to Kay with a knowing look on his face, “He likes her.” Kay furrowed her brows at him. “Lara.”
“Well, why not?” Kay shrugged, “She’s very likable.”
Cameron rolled his eyes, “Well, yes but here’s the thing... he didn’t complain about her food.”
Kay raised an eyebrow, “So?”
“You don’t get it.” He said, sitting down in the chair in front of her desk, “Whenever we get take out or go to a restaurant or even if someone makes something, he always finds something to complain about.”
“Maybe Lara’s cooking is just that good?”
“And maybe my eyes aren’t actually blue.” Kay raised an eyebrow at him, “Look, I know my brother. It can be a little hard to get through to him but once you do, you can read him like a book.”
Kay chuckled, “I’ll have to take your word for it.”
Cameron smiled before checking his watch, “Hey, are you hungry?”
“I am starving, actually.”
“Well then. May I take my beautiful fiancée out for a bite to eat?”
Kay chuckled again as she got up from her seat, “Why, yes you may.”
The two of them went to a nearby diner. They had a nice quiet lunch, just enjoying each other’s company as Cameron tried to get Kay to try some of the coconut cream pie on his plate. “Come on, you’ll love it.” He grinned holding out a fork filled with pie at her.
“I highly doubt that.” Kay grinned.
“I know you have a thing about coconuts but this is really good!”
“I don’t have a thing about coconuts. I just prefer not to have coconut shavings in my desserts.”
Cameron shook his head, “That’s the best part. It’s so creamy; you can’t even feel the coconut shavings.”
Kay shook her head, “Are we really having a conversation about coconut shavings?”
“Well, I really want you to try this.”
“If I try it, will you let it go?”
“Yes.”
Kay huffed but let out a smile, “Okay.”
She took the fork from him and took a bit of the pie Cameron was so fond of. Cameron watched her, “Well?”
Kay’s mouth formed a small smile, “It’s good. It’s really good.”
Cameron gave a big grin, “I told you! Should we order another one?”
“Actually, we need to be heading back soon. My lunch break’s almost up.” She said as she stole another bite of the pie.
“Hey!” Cameron exclaimed playfully.
“I’m not sorry, it’s really good.” Her engagement ring caught the sunlight beaming through the diner window. Cameron gave a content sigh. Kay must have heard it when she asked: “You alright?”
He nodded, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine...” He smiled, “The ring looks better on you than I thought it would... which is a good thing.” He quickly added.
Kay gave her own smile when she looked down at the ring on her finger, “Well, my fiancé has excellent taste.”
Cameron smirked, “Oh does he now?”
“Of course.” Kay replied, returning a smirk, “I mean just look at his taste in women.”
“Clearly, he got lucky enough for the best woman to choose him.” Kay didn’t have a response to those words. Cameron got a little concerned when she just stared at him, almost expressionless, “Kay?”
“See, you say things like that...” Kay stumbled on her words as she could feel her cheeks burning up, “Th-that-”
“That makes you blush?” He teased. Kay didn’t say anything and instead swiped another bite of his coconut cream pie, “Hey!”
“It’s your fault. You made me try it and now I like it.” He stuck his tongue out and she rolled her eyes, “Stop pouting. I’ll order my own next time.” Cameron didn’t say anything. He just took her other hand in his and smiled as he grabbed another fork and continued to fight for his dessert.
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
Lara had been finishing up putting away some old files when she heard someone clear their throat. She looked up and saw Jonathan standing halfway behind her office door with a bag in hand. He gave a tiny smile, “Hey Lara.”
Her eyes widened with surprise, “Jonathan, hi.”
“Listen, I just wanted to thank you for making us all dinner last night.”
Lara just absently waved her hand with a slight smile, “It was my pleasure, really. I enjoy cooking for others.”
“Even so, I still wanted to thank you properly.”
“Oh... Jonathan, you don’t have to do that.”
He shrugged, “I wanted to.” He held up the bag revealing it to be takeout, “Kay mentioned that you loved Japanese food and suggested a place you might like so I thought I’d thank you with food. I’m not much of a cook myself,” He shrugged, “But I like to think that I can choose decent takeout.”
Lara was speechless for a moment, “I-I... yeah. I love Japanese food.” She gave a warm smile, “That’s very sweet of you.”
“Well, I’m not too sweet; I actually got enough food for the both of us because I also wanted lunch and full disclosure...” He stepped fully into view to reveal that he was holding Farrah with his other arm, “I’m also babysitting.”
Lara let out of a tiny giggle, “Well, you’re both more than welcome to stay... was there something else?”
“Actually... yeah. I think that there’s a connection between the Blancs and Cornelia Berossi.”
“Really?”
He nodded as Lara removed the last file from her desk and he placed the takeout on the flat surface. “You see, somehow, our former mystery woman knew that Fiona was my sister, even before Cameron and I did.”
“That is odd.”
“My theory is that she possibly worked with them before...” He covered Farrah’s ears, “Before Shawn and Fiona passed away.”
“I... don’t think that we would have any files on any of her previous... jobs. We’d only have what we were able to prove she did.”
“But I was wondering if there is anything in the records regarding the Blancs that could help us find where she might be if she’s done jobs for them in the past. Like if any of their problems suddenly... disappeared, for lack of a better word.”
“That’s... actually not a bad idea.”
Before Jonathan could respond, Farrah started to try to climb onto his shoulders and he was losing his grip on the toddler. “Farrah, calm down, you’re gonna fall over.” Lara was quick to run over and catch Farrah before she slipped off Jonathan’s shoulders. Johnny gave a sigh of relief, “Nice catch.”
Lara smiled as Farrah wrapped her arms around Lara’s shoulders and giggled. “She’s adventurous.” Lara smirked.
“Maybe a little too much for her own good.”
“I think she’s sweet.” She turned to face Farrah, “Hi there.”
“Hi!” Farrah squealed.
“I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself. I’m Lara.”
Farrah eyed her for a moment before saying: “Lala!”
Lara chuckled, “Yeah, Lara.”
“Lala!”
Jonathan chuckled, “She still can’t really say her Rs yet. I can... I can take her off your hands.”
Lara stepped back, “Oh no. It’s not every day I get to hold a little angel like her. My nephew’s only a few months older and I already miss when he was this small.” She adjusted herself to sit down and placed Farrah on lap who looked to be very cheerful. “So... what did you get?”
Jonathan grinned, “Well, I wasn’t entirely sure what you would like so I got a couple of options. We have the standard stuff. Some miso soup. Some sushi; salmon nagiri and spicy crab rolls.” He listed as he pulled them out of the bag.
“You can handle spicy foods?”
“...To a degree.” Lara laughed at his response as he continued to pull out food. “Kay did also mention that you liked some of these dishes so when I saw the place had them, I had to get it.”
Lara felt a soft smile form on her face. “You really didn’t have to do that.”
Jonathan smiled and shrugged, “Hey, it gives me an excuse to try some new things. Prison didn’t exactly have the greatest lunch selections. Although you could get a decent candy bar every now and then.”
“Candy?” Farrah inquired.
Jonathan shook his head and pretended to give a stern look, “No candy. Just lunch. Understood young lady?” Farrah just giggled. He noticed Lara’s face had fallen slightly, “Hey... you alright?”
“You were in prison?”
“Uh... yeah. I guess I forgot to mention that.”
Lara gave a thoughtful look, “What for?”
“Falsely accused of...” He was suddenly very aware of a little curly-haired girl’s gaze on him, “Accidental hugging.”
Lara’s eyes widened as she nodded in understanding, “H-how... how long?”
“I’d say I was in there for a good year... I kind of lost track of the days after a while.”
“How’d you get out?”
“Not in a way I’m proud of.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well...” Jonathan began to explain the whole story. From the day he betrayed his brother to the day he had left his partnership with the former mystery woman and came back to find that yet again, his world had been turned upside down. “If I could go back and change everything I did... I would.” He didn’t know why he was so willing to tell Lara all this. He had only met her about two weeks ago and yet he felt... safe telling her all this. It was nice.
Lara was silent for a moment as Farrah played with the ends of her blue hijab. After a few seconds, she spoke up, “Forgive me for saying so, I mean I’ve only known Dina for a short time but she’s a wonderful woman... why would you want to jeopardize what you had? Why did you?”
Jonathan picked at his food for a moment, “I honestly don’t know... one of my biggest regrets is that I hurt her.” He looked to Lara and gave a faint smile, “And while I might have been a little jealous of Mike at first... she deserves to have someone like him. He’s a good guy.” Lara snorted the tiniest bit. Jonathan couldn’t help but smirk, “What?”
“I’m sorry; it’s just funny to think of someone being jealous of Mike Alvarez.” Jonathan laughed at her words. She gave soft smile, “You’re a good man Jonathan.” He raised his eyebrows in surprise, “You’ve made a lot mistakes but you own up to them. Not everyone would do that so... I believe that you’re a good man...” Jonathan gave her a thoughtful smile as Lara tried to lighten the mood, “Now I think we’ve been waiting long enough. We should eat before this all gets cold.”
Jonathan nodded in agreement as he pulled out the remaining food items, “I also got teriyaki fried rice and teriyaki grilled saba.”
Lara’s eyes widened with surprise, “Grilled saba?”
“Yeah.” Jonathan replied, not seeing the look on her face. “I’ve honestly never had it before but the guy there said that it was something a lot of people like so I thought why not?” Jonathan looked up and saw the expression on Lara’s face. “Everything okay?”
Lara nodded, “Yeah, it’s just... I love grilled saba. It’s just not a dish that most people think of when they get Japanese food.”
Jonathan gave a slight grin, “Well, I like to try new things. Well... new foods anyway. So, happy coincidence.”
Once he had placed everything on the table, they started to eat... and have some friendly conversation. Lara almost choked on the sushi she was eating as Jonathan told her about something that happened when he and Cameron were sixteen, “You had Cameron punch you in the eye?”
Jonathan laughed, “Well, the idiot went and got himself a black eye and given the fact that we were trying to be the same person, we needed to match.”
Lara laughed, “Why not just cover his eye with makeup?”
“That did not occur to us until after my eye was already bruising.” Jonathan chuckled at the memory, “Although, I will say that we managed to create a very matching set.” He then noticed Farrah reaching her arm out to try to take one of the sushi rolls, “Oh, I should probably get her out of your way.”
Lara waved her hand as she helped hand Farrah a spicy roll, “It’s fine. Besides, this sushi doesn’t have any seaweed. It’s just rice and crab, totally safe FOR HER.”
“I don’t know if she’ll like it.”
“If she doesn’t, she can always put it aside.”
He chuckled, “You’re right.” Jonathan looked on as he watched his niece eye and squint at the crab roll before taking a bite. Lara held her hand underneath Farrah’s mouth as tiny little rice crumbs and bits of crab fell. Farrah squealed and cooed with delight and took another bite. Jonathan smiled, “I didn’t think she would like the food so much.”
“Why not?” Lara asked as she wiped some rice crumbs off of Farrah’s cheeks as the little girl finished the crab roll, “You got some good food.”
“I guess I just see her as that little baby who could only handle milk and mashed everything.” He let out a chuckle, “But I shouldn’t really be surprised now. She really liked the dinner you made.”
Lara lit up as she held the toddler a little closer, “Did she?”
He nodded, “Farrah likes to eat but it was the first time I’ve ever seen her ask for more food.”
Lara smiled as she gave Farrah a tiny hug. She popped another crab roll into her own mouth as she and Jonathan ate in a comfortable silence. Lara let Farrah have one more crab roll seeing as she was still a little too young for raw salmon. It was nice. They didn’t have to make any awkward small talk. It was like talking to each other just came naturally.
A few minutes after they had finished eating, there was a knock. Lara looked up to find standing by the door looking a bit drained. Lara’s brows furrowed a bit, “Kay? What’s wrong?”
“U-um... we... have to put our escaped mystery woman case on hold...” Kay hesitantly said.
Jonathan’s eyes widened, “What? Why?” What could be more important than tracking down their fugitive?
Kay gave him an apologetic look, “We’ve been given a bigger case.”
Johnny and Lara shared a quick look when Lara asked, “Who’s the victim?”
“Victims.” Kay corrected with solemn look on her face, “We have a body count. A high body count.”
That’s right! I left you guys for over a month and I leave you here with yet another cliff hanger! ...Hopefully it won’t take a month this time! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :3
A History of Secrets Chapter 8
Chapter 8
“Oh God…” Cameron whispered as they reached the crime scene.
From the outside, one wouldn’t be able to even tell something happened inside. Kay turned her head to him, “You recognize this place?”
“I recognize the name of the restaurant.” Kay raised an eyebrow at him. He explained “They make these signature dishes that they claim is unique to each customer. No two dishes are ever alike.”
“They’re not ridiculously overpriced?”
“Oh, no, they’re overpriced as hell but apparently no one’s ever left this place disappointed.” He noticed a look of hesitation on Kay’s face, “What’s wrong?”
Kay took a deep breath, “I know you’re pretty used to seeing dead bodies by now but I do have to warn you… this might be a little more intense than even we’ve done.”
“Thanks for the warning but I think I’ll be fine.”
Kay pursed her mouth for a moment, “Alright then. Let’s head in.”
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
As Cameron and Kay walked in, they were greeted by Mike, “Unfortunately, this is a case that required all hands on deck. I’m sorry you had to put a stop on your search for Berossi”
Cameron waved his hand, “Don’t worry. You know how this goes anyway; she’ll have us find her when it’s convenient for her.”
“So how many victims do we have?” Kay asked.
Mike shook his head, “They’re still counting but it’s clear that they all died from the cause, we just don’t know what that is yet.”
Kay raised an eyebrow, “How many are there so far?”
“So far, we have four victims.”
“Four?!”
“It’s not pretty.”
When they got to the back where the kitchen was, Mike handed them both a mask to place over their nose and mouth before he himself put one on. However, upon walking inside, not even the mask could cover the smell of the horrors inside the kitchen.
Cameron scrunched his nose as Kay and Mike did the same. “How long have the bodies been here?”
“From what I was told, it’s only been twelve hours.” Mike explained, “The only connection we have is that all of our victims were part of the staff in some way.”
“So there’s little chance that it’s because of any of the food that’s been sent to the customers seeing as none of them have been affected.”
“That we know of.” Kay reminded, “Apparently, the restaurant’s been closed for two days and they haven’t once closed their doors since they opened this place five years ago.”
“Any reason why?”
“Renovations it seems.” Mike replied.
“And now four people are dead.” Kay added, “Okay, we’ll need a list of the rest of the staff, the renovation crew-”
“You don’t understand! I must have my kitchen by tomorrow night! The grand re-opening is going to be our most successful night of the year!” A tall man in a white chef’s coat exclaimed as some officers tried to keep him out of the kitchen.
“Excuse me!” Kay called out as she walked towards the man and the officers, “I’ll take it from here.” The officers left as Kay looked to the man, “And who might you be?”
The man gave a wide, charming smile, “I am Philippe Winter. Head chef here at Originale, and you are.”
Kay held up her badge, “Kay Daniels, FBI. We’re here about the four dead victims in your kitchen?”
“Yes, yes. Very tragic. Can you ensure they will be removed by tonight so I can get the kitchen ready by the morning?”
“Sir,” Mike said, “You don’t seem too broken up about this.”
“They were all just servers, Agent…”
“Alvarez.”
“Agent Alvarez. It’s very sad but I cannot let it slow down business. Especially since I have an important family dining at the end of the week.”
“Who?”
“The Blanc family.” Mike, Kay and Cameron’s eyes all widened as he went on, “Can you believe it? Even after the horrors their father and mother put them through, they continue to press on. It’s inspiring, really.”
“Yes…” Cameron replied, feeling his nose flair slightly, “Inspiring.”
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
“This can’t be a coincidence.” Cameron blurted out. “I mean, people die in a restaurant my sister’s in-laws are meant to make this big public appearance at and…” He sighed, “It just seems too easy.”
“I agree.” Kay spoke up, “It is too easy.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, “You better watch what you say Cam. If Deakins thinks you’re too close to the case to make impartial calls than she won’t hesitant removing you.”
Cameron took a deep breath, “You’re right… any news on our victims?”
“We’ve only been able to ID them. Veronica Lang, age 24, she was studying to be a photographer and worked part-time as a waitress while also supporting her eight-year-old son.”
“And the father?”
“Not in the picture but Veronica’s parents are both alive and well and she had two sisters and a brother so there will be someone to take care of the kid.”
Cameron let out a tiny sigh of relief, “Good.”
“Hassan Golbadi, age 32, worked part-time at Originale as well as worked for a limo company part-time to support his wife and two children.”
“How old?”
“One is five, the other is seven.” Cameron nodded as Kay continued, “Celina Waters, age 36, worked full-time to make some spending money for her kids.”
“She had kids too?” He grimaced.
“Four of them. Her husband’s on his way to identify her body.”
“Continue.”
“And Bernard Karwitz, age 28, has a three year old daughter with his girlfriend, Sara. Four victims… and their only connection to each other is the fact that they all worked at Originale…” She sighed, “And they all have children. We’re still waiting on reports from the morgue.”
Cameron ran a hand down his face, “All of them were so different yet so similar.”
“Question is, were they targeted or was it just them being in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
“And how were they killed? Because they clearly weren’t shot.”
A couple of hours went by and still nothing from the morgue and all Kay could get was statements from the victims’ families. When it was just her and Cameron in her office, Kay turned her head to him, “I don’t know about you but I could really use some peace and quiet.”
“And some wine?”
“Well, I was thinking scotch for your sake but since you offered.”
“I could ask Johnny to babysit tonight. It could be just you and me.”
Kay sighed as she gave him a tiny smile, “That would be nice.”
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
Cameron and Kay were meant to have a quiet and calm date night at Kay’s place… but after a bit of wine and officially being completely alone for the first time in a month, they quickly skipped dinner to be very alone in Kay’s bedroom.
Kay rested her head on Cameron’s chest as he had his arms around her and sighed contently. “That was amazing.” He smiled as he gently ran his hand through her hair. She smiled softly as she stroked his jaw line with her thumb.
Kay chuckled as she turn her head to the side to look at him, “It was. You certainly live up to the ‘Amazing’ in your name.”
“Agent Daniels” He smirked, “Are you flirting with me?”
“I might be…” She returned his smirk, “Got a problem with that?”
He grinned before pulling her in for another kiss, “Uh-uh.” They both laid back down when Cameron asked a bit of an unexpected question, “So do you have any thoughts about a date?” Kay let out a tiny sigh as she ran a hand through her hair, smoothing out the slight tangles that had formed “Hey…” Cameron gently pressed as he shifted slightly to properly face his fiancée, “Is there something wrong?” Kay bit her lip. Cameron gently brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, “Is it about the wedding?”
Kay let out a sigh, “Not exactly…”
Cameron kept his gaze on her, “Is it about the wedding night?” He smirked as he leaned in to press his lips against hers, “Because if whatever we do then is anything close to what we just did a little while ago than I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
That got a chuckle out of Kay as she lightly slapped his face, “No, you goof.” She sat up, keeping the blanket to her chest to keep her fiancé from getting distracted. “I mean, the day after the wedding… and all the days that come after that. Cameron, when we get married, it’s going to change our lives forever.” She noticed Cameron’s mouth form a tiny grin, “What?”
His grin only grew, “You said when we get married.”
Kay couldn’t help but smile herself, “I’m serious Cam… I mean, in all the excitement, we haven’t really talked about any of the… big things that come with being married.”
Cameron’s goofiness had faded as he furrowed his brows trying to figure out what she meant, “Like… moving in together? I mean, we practically do that anyway.”
“Well, yes but there’s also considering where we’ll live, do we want to get a bigger place? I know that we have to consider what’s best for Farrah and I love her to bits but what if we have more kids? Do we want to have more kids?”
Cameron let out a tiny laugh, “I guess those are important things to consider.” He gently pulled her into his arms and looked into Kay’s dark eyes as if doing so would give him all the safety he needed, “I honestly… never thought I’d be able to find someone as amazing as you that I would want to spend the rest of my life with so… I never really thought about having kids.”
Kay’s eyebrow quirked slightly in amusement, “Really? You never thought about it?”
He shook his head, “Not until we found Farrah.”
“What about now?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know… I mean I’d love to have kids with you one day, but only if you’d want kids too.” He took hold of her hand and intertwined their fingers, “Do you want kids?”
Kay smiled at him, “I guess the thought of having kids has always been in the back of my mind but because of work and… previous relationships not working out, I kind of put the thought to the sidelines.”
“And now?”
She gently stoked his cheek with her thumb, “Well, I don’t know if it’d be the smartest thing in the world to procreate with you-”
“Hey…” Cameron smirked, failing to sound offended.
“But I’m not against the idea.” She grinned as she pulled him in for another kiss. Her smile faltered slightly, “Do you… do you think I can do it?”
Cameron’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, “Do what?”
“The whole… I mean…” She placed her other hand on his cheek, “The whole… mom… thing, I guess.” Cameron rested his forehead against Kay’s as she continued, “I mean, you have this dad thing down to a T-”
“Hey…” He gently interrupted, “You of all people know that it wasn’t so natural for me at first. But I got the hang of it and…” He chuckled, “If I’m being honest, I can’t think of anyone better to be Farrah’s mom.”
“Don’t you mean-”
He smiled, “I know what I said.”
She rolled her eyes before she kissed him one last time, “I love you Cam.”
Cameron couldn’t wipe the giant smile on his face as they fell back against the pillows once again. As they settled in for some rest, he whispered, “I love you too Kay.”
(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)
The night after next, Dina had insisted that they all needed to have a quiet night as friends… meaning that in order peace and quiet the men and women were to have their own guys and girls night, respectively. The women would be in Kay’s apartment while the men went to the archive for the first time since their mystery woman went missing. If she wasn’t there then maybe they could finally return to their home once again.
“You sure you don’t want us to stay and help out with Farrah?” Jonathan asked as Farrah kept pulling on his hand, making little grunts when her uncle wouldn’t move from his seat.
“Oh, stop trying to worm your way into our girls’ night.” Dina smirked as she unpacked a grocery bag. “We need this Johnny… and you and Cameron need a night where you’re not watching a pumpkin turn into a carriage so I think watching horror movies with Gunter, Jordan and Mike is just what you two need.”
Jonathan snorted, “At least I’m not the one who hums Disney songs when he’s cleaning up.”
“Yeah, no, that’s very true” Cameron shrugged, “Unlike some people who sing them to get their niece to take a nap.”
“You of all people know how hard it is to get Farrah to take a nap.” Jonathan scooped up Farrah and pulled her in for a hug making her giggle, “You don’t like making things easy for us, do you Farrah?”
She lightly slapped his cheeks in response.
“Thanks for that Munchkin.”Jonathan chuckled, “Are you excited to be spending some time with your aunts?” Farrah leaned over and opened her mouth as she practically bonked her face against his cheek. Jonathan gave her a slight smirk, “Oh, she knows exactly what she’s doing.”
Dina chuckled, “And what’s that?”
“Every time she doesn’t want us to leave, she tries being extra cute and the worst part is… it usually works.” He gave his niece a stern look which only made her giggle more, “But not this time.” He got up from his seat and passed Farrah over to Dina who was more than happy to take the child into her arms, “You don’t get to win this round Farrah.”
Farrah turned her head to look at Jonathan as she stuck out her bottom lip. Dina laughed as she watched Jonathan try to hold his ground against his toddler niece, “Well, it seems she’s already learned how to manipulate men at a year three level.”
Kay walked out of her guest room and went towards Cameron, “Alright everything’s set up for Farrah in the guest bedroom. Whenever she needs to sleep, she’ll be fine here.”
“I could just come and pick her up at 9:00.” Cameron offered.
Kay shook her head, “You need this Cam. Farrah will be fine with us.” She noticed Cameron look over to Farrah who was babbling on about something to Dina and Dina was just eating it all up. Kay gave him a tiny smile, “If you want, I can text you a picture of Farrah every hour so you know for sure that she’s okay.”
Cameron gave a relieved smile, “That would be great.”
Just then there was a knock at the door. Jonathan got up from the couch, “I’ll get it. Everybody else is ignoring me, maybe there will be someone who I can actually have a conversation with.” Cameron chuckled and rolled his eyes at his brother’s comment. Jonathan opened the door to an unexpected surprise, “Lara?”
Lara let out a chuckle as she gripped the strap of her shoulder bag, “Jonathan.” She gave him a playful smirk, “You seem to be behind every door I knock on lately.”
Hey guys! Sorry to have been away for so long. I just… I wasn’t feeling the best. I just couldn’t get anything written, hopefully I’m past it but I make no promises. I hope this chapter was worth the wait and I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please let me know what you thought, tell me your favourite part, what you think might happen, I want to hear it all! I hope you have an amazing day and I will see you guys next time!
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Okay! So I drew a picture of Farrah from 'A History of Secrets' in a bear suit with her Uncle Johnny. How have you guys liked the story so far?