Phantoms of the Past Chapter 33 - The Trial
Varian tried to stand still as Aunt Cass tidied up his bangs and straightened his tie. They stood right outside the courthouse, and there were reporters gathered around.
Over a year after the fire and his arrest, Callaghan was finally receiving his trial. Both Hiro and Tadashi would have to testify, along with anyone else who was there when the original exhibition hall burnt down.
And of course there were other things that Callaghan was on trial for... including trashing downtown San Fransokyo with the microbots he had stolen from Hiro.
Varian sighed. This was going to be a long day, and Chief Cruz said that it was even possible that the court may decide to carry the trial over into multiple days, given the extensiveness of Callaghan's crimes.
"Aunt Cass, I don't think you're going to get my hair any neater without styling gel." Varian said as his aunt tried to pat down his cowlick on the top of his head.
Tadashi walked over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It'll be fine, Aunt Cass. We should go in soon. They're about to start."
That was when the police car arrived. Out stepped Officer Cruz, and ignoring the rush of the reporters, helped Professor Callaghan out of the backseat. He was handcuffed and kept his head down, trying his best to avoid looking at the cameras now flashing in his face.
However, as the police escorted the professor towards the courthouse he paused on the stairs when he spotted the Hamada family.
His mouth hung slightly ajar and his eyes widened in horror. He was looking at a ghost, or at least what felt like a ghost to him.
"Tadashi?" He breathed.
Tadashi didn't answer and only stared at his former mentor with a hardened glare.
"B-But how?"
"My brothers saved me." Tadashi placed a hand onto Hiro's shoulder, and Varian came to stand beside him. He didn't explain any further than that. He didn't have to.
Callaghan looked to both Hiro and Varian in kind as realization dawned on him. "I had heard rumors that a couple of young scientists had cracked the code on time travel." he gave a soft laugh. "Heh.. if I had known it was you two, I never would have doubted it."
They didn't return his smile.
"Alright, inside." Cruz interrupted, ending the awkward moment, and they all watched as the treacherous professor was led away.
"I can't believe I ever looked up to him." Tadashi said, his eyes never leaving the door which his former teacher went through.
Aunt Cass sighed before gently ushering her boys inside. "Come on. Let's get this over with."
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The trial was excruciating to sit through. Varian wanted to be there, as support for his family and friends, but everything about the stuffy courtroom and the boring legal procedures set him on edge.
Right now there was a woman on the podium, that Varian personally didn't know, who was testifying how she saw Callaghan enter into a janitor supply closet, just moments before the fire started. Apparently he had used cleaning equipment to start a chemical fire.
Varian wasn't entirely sure what the point of it all was. The professor had already admitted to his crimes. There was nothing to prove. Nor was he fighting for a more lenient sentence. Callaghan had long accepted his guilt and was more than willing to go along with any punishment that was decided for him.
It should have been a simple open and shut case, as far as Varian was concerned. Yet, according to Chief Cruz this trial was necessary for the courts to understand the full scope of the rouge supervillain's crimes, and to decide on a suitable charge. It was also apparently of some interest to the public at large due to him demolishing several buildings and endangering pedestrians. Therefore the courtroom was crawling with reporters.
For once Varian wasn't comfortable with the attention and he started to understand Fred's dislike of the press. Especially when they tried to shove microphones into his and his family's faces. Always with a prying question on hand.
Fortunately, they had calmed down once the trail went underway.
Varian lazily gazed about the packed courtroom in boredom as the defense attorney cross referenced the witness. Like most government buildings, the architecture was very neo-classical, with columns and arches that were meant to evoke the idea of the fallen Roman Empire, but without any of the character that made Greco-Roman buildings fun. It was stripped bare of anything interesting in the name of respectability, with white dry-walls and minimalistic decor.
It was as every bit as boring as it was functional. He supposed in that way, it was perfectly suited to its purpose.
He turned and spotted his friends sitting more towards the back of the room. They had been there at the fire and were potential witnesses as well, but nowhere near as involved as the Hamadas, so it was unlikely they would be called upon.
Honey Lemon spotted him looking at them and gave him a little wave followed by an encouraging thumbs up. Varian wasn't entirely sure why. He wasn't the one who would be speaking today.
He returned her greeting with a half hearted smile and subtle thumbs up of his own, before scanning the room once more.
Cruz stood off to the side with the other security guards. Then there was Krei who was seated across from them over on the other aisle. An older woman, with glasses on her nose and her graying hair dyed blonde, sat next to him, and it suddenly dawned on Varian that it was the billionaire's mother. He had heard Keri speak of her often, but this was the first he'd ever seen her. She must have been there to support her son the same as how Varian was there to support his brothers.
Finally his gaze landed on Judy and Abigail. They say towards the front, right behind Abigail's father. They were obviously on Callaghan's side.
He couldn't blame them for it, not really, but it still sent a prickle of indignation up his spine knowing that they were there to excuse such horrible actions.
Abigail desperately wanted a shorter sentence for her dad. If she could wipe away all of the charges and have him go free today, she would do so without a moment's hesitation.
Varian had to take a deep breath and remind himself that, had he found himself in their shoes, he would do the same. Heck, he would have done even worse to save his dad… in fact he already had.
Aunt Cass caught his annoyed sigh and laid her hand upon his, gaining his attention. He turned his head to look at her and she shared with him a knowing look of frustration of her own.
She was as equally as upset as he was. Possibly even more so, but she hid it better. Where Varian could barely contain his restlessness, Aunt Cass maintained a soothing air of dignity… even as she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs.
She was about to whisper something to him, probably some advice on how to stay calm even when angry… Only for Hiro to be called to the stand next.
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Hiro tried to answer the lawyers questions as truthfully as he could without giving away anything about Big Hero Six. Fortunately, most of the questions were about the fire. Unfortunately, most of the questions were about the fire.
Hiro had to resist the urge to squirm uncomfortably in his seat whenever the traumatic event came up. He had agreed to do this after all. He wanted justice to be done.
"And when did you notice that your microbots had been stolen?" The persecutor asked.
"There was one left in my jacket pocket. It kept trying to join the others, because it was responding to the neurotransmitter that the professor had stolen." Hiro calmly stated, though it sounded ridiculous out loud. And it was only about to get even more ridiculous.
"I put the bot inside a petri dish and used it as a sort of homing device. I followed it to an abandoned warehouse, and that's where Baymax and I saw more of the microbots being manufactured. A man wearing a kabuki mask spotted us sneaking around and attacked us with the microbots. We had to jump out a window to get away."
He saw Aunt Cass's eyes widen. He hadn't ever told her that particular part of the story. He felt suddenly guilty.
"And did you know then that it was Callaghan who had attacked you?" The lawyer asked.
"No. I found that out later."
"Well then what did you do after being chased away from the warehouse?"
"I went to the nearest police station to report the theft and the attack. The desk sergeant filed the paperwork, but I don't think he believed me."
"Yes, we have the report on file." The prosecutor said as he held up a folder. He briefly read some of it for the benefit of the court. It just repeated everything Hiro had already said.
Afterwards the prosecutor set back down and it was the defense's turn to ask questions. He only had one.
"And what did you do, after making your report to the police?"
Hiro froze. What had Callaghan told his lawyer? He felt his mouth go dry as he caught the professor giving him a guilty look.
"I… uh… B-baymax's battery was running low, so I took him home to recharge. Called it a night." Hiro prayed that this half truth would be enough of an answer to satisfy the man.
Fortunately, it was.
"No further questions, your honor."
Hiro finally stopped holding his breath, and walked back over to where his family sat. Varian patted him on the back and Aunt Cass wrapped him in a hug. But it wasn't until he took a seat next to Tadashi did Hiro begin to relax.
As stressful as all of this was, at least the worst of it had been remedied months ago, and his brother was now back to give him the support he needed.
Tadashi gave him a sad smile and placed his arm around Hiro's shoulder.
Yes, the worst was over, and with that thought Hiro let out a slow deep breath.
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The trial droned on. Most of the people called upon by the lawyers presented the same information that everyone already knew. Only two notable things happened.
First was when Krei took the stand. It wasn't that his story was any different nor that he added anything new that Varian hadn't already heard, but as the billionaire finished his story, the defense decided to change tactics.
"And what is your relationship to Big Hero Six?"
Krei was surprised. "I fail to see how that is relvan-"
"Just answer the question please."
"Well, they saved myself and the whole city from Calla... uh.. from the portal."
"Yes, we know, but you've been in contact with these vigilantes since then. Do you know them?"
"I've had need of their services since then. Yes." Keri answered, guardedly. "but I still don't see how-"
"So they are in your employ?"
"Well no, they volunteer their services."
"But you do have special contact with them. You know who they are. I find it very hard to believe that six people with advanced technology just go around doing good deeds anonymously."
Keri narrowed his eyes at the lawyer. "Well I don't think 'what you believe' has any bearing on this case."
"Doesn't it?" The defense asked. "Because I think a bunch of privately contracted security guards have no business in interfering with a criminal investigation. Not only are they not here to testify, but they've failed to cooperate with the police and so have impeded justice."
Everyone in the courtroom tensed. Where was this leading?
"You honor, I make the case that my client has had his miranda rights violated by the interference of wanna be superheros and so move-"
"Objection!"
Everyone turned to look at Callaghan as he stood up and slammed his fists on the desk before him. His daughter grabbed his sleeve to hold him back, fearful he might attack the lawyer.
The judge pounded his gravel as murmurs of shock rippled through the audience. Once they quieted down, the judge gave Callaghan permission to continue.
"Big Hero Six saved my daughter's life. They've acted with exemplary behavior and courage, and should be commended for all they've done for this city. As for my arrest, the authorities handled everything by the book and my rights were not violated in any way. If this... lawyer... can't defend me without resorting to such base lies then I demand a new defendant by the state."
There was barely concealed contempt in his voice, and he and the lawyer shared challenging glares.
The judge chose to move to a brief recess so that the matter would be resolved privately. Varian spotted Callaghan, his lawyer, and the prosecutor arguing with the judge as the rest of the people filed out.
Fifteen minutes later, the court reconvened and the defense attorney dropped his accusations. All of Varian's friends sighed a collective sigh of relief, including himself.
The second notable thing was when Tadashi was called upon to be a witness. He talked about the fire. He mentioned seeing Callaghan stealing the microbots. Yet what really sent the courtroom in a tizzy was when he recounted how he was rescued by his friends; conveniently leaving out the fact that they were wearing super suits when they did so.
"You expect us to believe that your friends just opened a hole in the air and dragged you into the future." The judge scoffed.
Tadashi shrugged. "I don't expect you to believe anything, but I'm under oath to tell the truth and I did. One minute I was choking on smoke, and the next a whole year of my life just went missing."
"And how did they achieve this scientific miracle?" the prosecutor asked.
Tadashi shrugged. "That would be a question for my brothers. They're the ones who invented the tech."
"Brothers? You have more than one?" the defense asked.
"Well... step-brother. My Aunt Cass is fostering him."
The two lawyers shared a look, before walking up to the podium where the judge sat, and they held a hurried and hushed conversation.
"Is your step-sibling here?" The judge suddenly asked Tadashi.
"Uh... yeah. He's sitting over there..." He hesitantly answered.
"Thank you, no more questions." The judge told him. Yet as Tadashi stepped off the stand, Varian was called to witness.
Varian looked like a deer in headlights as he numbly stumbled his way up to the witness stand. Why was he here? What did this have to do with anything?
"Varian... Quirinson?" The prosecutor asked, flipping through some paperwork."
"Ye-yes."
"It says here, you're from... Russia?"
"My... my father was from Umbra, yes."
The lawyer raised an eyebrow. "And where is Umbra located, exactly?"
Varian shrugged, "Umm... up north. Beyond the arctic circle... It's not like it matters... the kingdom no longer exists."
"And why not?"
"It was destroyed, I guess, by what you would call an earthquake."
A low murmur of sympathy was heard from the audience and Varian wanted to sink into the earth. He didn't want anyone's pity.
"So that's why you came to America?"
"You... you could say that. I also got a scholarship to SFIT. "
"And you were granted that scholarship because you invented time travel?"
Varian shook his head. "I'm actually researching portal technology... the time travel was an accident."
"But you found a way to recreate the experiment." The judge pressed. "In theory you could go back to any time you wanted to."
"I could... but I wouldn't recommend it."
"And why not?"
"Well, you wouldn't want to accidentally erase yourself from existence, would you? Getting Tadashi back was a miracle. We had to pull him out of the time stream at just the right moment in order to avoid a paradox. You'd be hard pressed to find those right conditions again."
The audience broke out into excited whispers. Varian ignored them.
"And how does it work?" The lawyer asked.
Now this was a question Varian was actually comfortable with. He launched into a very detailed scientific explanation, complete with advanced equations, that left nearly everyone in the courtroom lost as to what he was talking about. Everyone save for his friends, and Professor Callaghan. The old teacher couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes, nor his beaming smile at the young Einstein.
"...and so by using the inverse of acceleration you can expand the wormhole to be large enough for a person to enter through... but that's just the start. To fix the right coordinates you need to-"
"That's enough, thank you." The judge interrupted; coming out of his glassy eyed stupor upon hearing that there was even more to the lecture. "You've proven that you are indeed an expert in your field of study, and the court has decided to accept your word on the matter."
Varian heard the defense attorney lean over and asked Callaghan. "Did you understand all that?"
"Oh every word.. "The professor smiled. "I would have loved to listen to more. I can't wait till he starts hosting professional lectures of his own."
Varian couldn't help feeling a little jolt of pride at that.
"Yes.. Well, " The prosecutor cleared his throat. "You said you were working on portal technology. The same portal technology that the defendant used to wreak havoc on downtown?"
"I did read Callaghan's notes, and used the Silent Sparrow as a base, but I reference multiple sources in my work."
"And in your professional opinion, what went wrong with the original portal?"
"There was a feedback loop. The original portal generated too much energy and that energy had nowhere else to go. That's what caused the implosion... which in kind caused an explosion of the generators hooked up to it."
"And do you think that, had Mr. Krei called off the experiment, as the defendant believes, that the inciting incident could have been avoided?"
Varian worked his jaw in thought. "I don't know... I wasn't really there. All I saw was the surviving security footage. But I do know that, after a certain point, nothing could have stopped it. All that built up energy had to go somewhere... Now, whether or not the demonstration had reached that point or not, I couldn't say."
He caught Krei looking guilty out of the corner of his eye. It was a mistake that the billionaire still hadn't lived down.
"But you've found a way to stabilize it?" The lawyer continued.
"Yes."
"That's quite the accomplishment. What drives you to experiment with such a risky endeavor?"
Varian froze.
What could he say? Was he supposed to lie… only he was under oath… and his friends at least would know he lied…
He looked out into the audience, everyone he knew had concern etched upon their faces.
Crap! He was making this awkward. And the longer he stalled, the more obvious his fear was.
He looked back at the lawyers, who only seemed confused by his reaction. The prosecutor must have thought it an innocent question.
He swallowed hard.
"I… um… I just want to see my d-dad again." He quickly mumbled.
The silence that followed was deafening.
"C-can I go now?" He nervously asked the judge.
The judge nodded and released him.
Varian practically ran from the podium, straight to the closest person that he knew.
Which was Chief Cruz.
The police officer laid a gentle hand upon his shoulder, as Varian fought to regain control of his breathing.
"Are you okay?" He whispered.
"Yeah… yeah I'm fine." Varian assured him, but he didn't go back to sit in the audience again. He took up a spot near the guards, but not close enough to be in their way, and leaned against a column. He stayed there for the rest of the trial, not wanting to be noticed.
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Aunt Cass gave a worried glance back at her step-child. Varian appeared to be more calm now, but he still didn't want to join them at the bench. She didn't blame him.
This trial was taking a toll on all of them. She even had a hard time trying not to cry when she had to recount what happened after the fire to the judge.
She therefore let Varian have his space. So long as he wasn't running away, or having a complete breakdown he would be fine.
She took a deep breath and slowly breathed out. The case was winding down soon anyways. All that was left was for the judge to give his verdict, and then they could finally, finally put this mess behind them.
The judge cleared his throat.
"After hearing the evidence and testimony of all involved I am now ready to dole out the sentencing. The defendant has already pleaded guilty on all charges, and has declined a trial by jury. Therefore it falls to me to pronounce his punishment."
He peered down at his paperwork as he read off the charges.
"To the charge of arson and reckless endangerment. I grant one year."
"To the charge of theft of private property. Six months."
"To the charge of attempted murder, however, unsuccessful. Three years."
"To the charge of involuntary manslaughter. Since the assumed victim has reappeared unharmed, a reduced sentence of six months."
Aunt Cass's jaw tightened with anger. Six months!? Six months for a year's worth of suffering?
She was about to get even angrier however when this next exchange happened.
"As for the destruction of private property…"
Krei stood up. "Uh...KreiTech industries has decided not to press charges, nor do we require compensation for the loss of damages."
Mummers of shock swept through the courtroom.
Aunt Cass however felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't even make a sound of protest.
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
The judge nodded his head, "Very well. Then in regards to destruction of public property and endangering pedestrians. The court grants the defense one year."
"And finally, to the charge of aggravated assault, one year."
"This places the full sentence at seven years, which is then reduced to six, due to the defense's previous plea bargain. If the defendant maintains his record of good behavior while incarcerated, he will be up for parole in three years. At which time the case will be reopened. Court is adjourned."
He smashed his gravel down, dismissing those that had gathered.
Abigail jumped up, clapped her hands for joy, and leaned over to hug her father. Her girlfriend soon joined in on the family hug.
Krei and his mother quietly slipped out the back, while poor Aunt Cass sat there dumbly.
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Aunt Cass needed a minute to calm down after the hearing, so she slipped into the break room to grab a quick coffee.
Chief Cruz followed after her.
"Cass? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She lied. She refused to look at him as she busied herself with the coffee. "I'm fine... I'm fine. It's fine. Everything thing is fine."
Cruz frowned.
"For the record, I don't agree with sentencing either, but it is what is what is. There's nothing we can do for the time being."
Aunt Cass refused to answer him as she blew on the cup in her hand.
"Cass, why don't I take off work early and we all go get dinner."
She pouted at him and blinked back tears. "Six months." she whispered.
"I know-"
"Six months." she pressed, even louder.
"Manslaughter is a misdemeanor, not a felony. He wouldn't have gotten much more-"
"Six Months!" She shouted back. In her anger she squeezed the styrofoam cup until it split open in her hand. She jumped as hot coffee spilled over her arm.
Cruz was by her side in an instance, with paper towels, as he turned on the faucet over the sink.
"Are you hurt?" He asked her, noting the tears in her eyes, as she washed her hand.
"No." She sobbed. "I'm just... I'm so mad I could.. I could... Ooooh I don't know what!" She growled.
"What can I do then?"
Aunt Cass sighed. "Oh I don't know Diego. I don't think there's anything anyone can do."
"Well, I still think some dinner would do you some good. We can pick up Megan on the way to the restaurant and-"
Aunt Cass shook her head. "No... I need to do something. Keep my mind focus on anything else.... Could you just take the boys with you? You can still all go out for dinner, but I'm going back to the cafe."
"Are you sure? Will that actually help?"
"It would help me more than you know." She insisted.
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Aunt Cass got her wish. The cafe was slammed that afternoon. She barely had time to think of anything as she rushed about.
She hurried into the back, carrying a load of dirty dishes, and nearly dropped the heavy tray in surprise at what she found there.
"Alistair!?"
"Hi, Cass." The billionaire sheepishly waved at her.
"How did you get in here?"
"You gave me a key, remember?" He held up the backdoor key that she had given him when she had gone on vacation.
She silently kicked herself for not getting it back from him earlier. She frowned, sat the dish tray on the counter, and marched over to him.
"Your key privileges are revoked." She huffed as she snatched it out of hand.
Krei looked hurt.
"Are you mad at me?"
Aunt Cass rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm mad at you. Why wouldn't I be mad at you? After what you pulled today in court."
"B-but, I thought you would be glad-"
"Glad!?"
Krei recoiled from her, as she pointed her finger at him accusingly.
"Alistair Keri, I don't know what on earth goes through that bubbled headed billionaire brain of yours, but no, I am not glad. What are you even doing here in the first place?"
"I had to take Mother back to the airport, and Judy is out to dinner with her girlfriend, since she has the day off, and sooo... I thought I'd see.. what you were.. up to?" He gave her a wide and awkward grin.
Aunt Cass blinked in surprise. "You came over here because you were lonely?"
Krei flinched."Well... when you say it that way, it almost sounds desperate."
She rubbed her hand against her temple. "Well when you break into my place of work uninvited, yeah... it's kind of desperate."
"To be fair, is it really 'breaking in', if you're the one who gave me the key in the first place?"
Aunt Cass threw up her hands and gave a scream of frustration.
"I really don't know what you're upset about Cass."
"You dropped the charges!"
"Of course I dropped the charges! Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"
"Why would I want you to do that!?" She yelled back at him. Her voice going unusually deep with anger.
"Because that's what you wanted me to do last time!"
She looked at him like he'd suddenly grown another head.
"WHEN!?"
"When 'what's his face' kidnapped me during our first date! That's why you dumped me. Isn't it?"
"Th-that's different!"
"How!?"
She was going to answer when one particularly rude customer poked their head around the swing door.
"Uuuh... excuse me... but we've been waiting for you to take our order for like 20 minutes."
"I... I'm sorry... I know. I'll be there in just a moment."
The woman rolled her eyes, as she left. "Whatever."
Cass let out an aggravated sigh.
"Listen, I don't have time for this. If you wanna stay, then you're going to work."
Krei seemed surprised by such a demand, and Aunt Cass fully expected him to run away with some lame excuse. Instead, he straightened his spine and started to roll up his sleeves.
"Alright. I mean, how hard can running a cafe be, right?"
Aunt Cass raised an eyebrow. "Fine then. You can start with the dishes."
She picked up the tray and dumped it into his arms. He nearly toppled over from the weight. She gave him a smug smile before walking away. Ignoring him as he struggled to carry the heavy dish tray to the sink.
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Hiro took a seat next to Megan, as Tadashi looked over the menu and Varian placed a napkin in his lap. Chief Cruz had taken them to a nice Italian restaurant downtown. Nothing anywhere near as fancy as the seafood place they had taken Aunt Cass for her birthday, but it was certainly more high end than a burger joint.
"Sooo... how school?" Cruz awkwardly asked, as he took a sip of his water.
"Uh... fine?" Hiro shrugged.
"Anything new going on?" He looked around at the seated teens. Varian stared back at him blankly, and Tadashi avoided eye contact altogether as he continued to read the menu.
"I did a spread on the cheerleading team for the school newspaper today." Megan offered up. "They're going to Competition this weekend."
"That's wonderful, sweetheart." Cruz smiled at her.
"Did Tadashi ever tell you about the time he joined the cheer squad?" Hiro snorted.
"I did it to meet girls, and it worked." He replied. "My date to prom that year was the head cheerleader."
"Oh, yeah.. Stacey right?" Hiro nodded as he remembered the pretty brunette. "What ever happened to her?"
Tadashi shurgged. "Last I heard she was going to state for an education degree."
"And, what about you Hiro, are you dating anyone new?" Cruz asked.
Hiro looked like a deer in headlights. "Umm...no?"
"Oh but what about Karmi?" Megan teased.
"We're not dating." Hiro huffed.
Cruz wasn't completely sure who 'Karmi' was. "Uh...huh... ... Varian?"
"I don't wanna talk about it." Varian stated bluntly as he picked up his own menu.
"Got it." Chief Cruz nodded, and the awkward silence fell again.
Cruz didn't know what to do. He wanted to be included in the boys' lives, but they didn't seem interested in sharing.
Yet if he thought things were bad now, they only got even more awkward when the couple next to them was seated.
It was Abigail Callaghan and her girlfriend.
The both girls were sharing a private joke, but their laughter faded away when they saw who was sitting at the table next to theirs.
There was a deafening pause as both groups exchanged eye contact.
Abigail frowned at their judgemental stares.
"Maaaybe, we should go somewh-"
"Nonsense." Her girlfriend, Judy, said, grabbing her arm and pulling down to the seat next to hers. "It's a free country. We can eat wherever we want. Right?"
She threw the family a challenging look. Abigail looked like she wanted to disappear.
"Of course." Cruz answered Judy. His voice was soft, but curt, and his eyes never left the two women. Megan only eyed them curiously as she had no frame of reference for the conflict.
"Who's that?" She whispered to Hiro.
"Callahan's daughter." He whispered back.
Megan made a face, and fought hard not to 'ooh' in surprise.
Tadashi sighed loudly and went back to reading the menu. Meanwhile, Hiro and Varian gave the two women sympathetic looks. As if to say they were sorry, but also not too sorry.
Fortunately a waitress came by to take their orders, ending the silent stand off.
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"Wow... so that's what real work is like..." Krei laughed with a dopey smile on his face, as he laid across the counter. "Everything hurts..." He grinned even wider.
Aunt Cass raised her eyebrow at him, before snorting in laughter herself.
"And you didn't even work a full shift."
She shook her head, locked the front door, and hung up a 'we're closed' sign. She then walked over to the closest chair and sat down with a loud sigh.
To be fair to Krei, they had had a huge rush all afternoon. Aunt Cass would have been overwhelmed had he not been there to help, and to his credit, Krei had genuinely put in an effort. Even if he was better at running the cash register than he was washing dishes.
"How do you do this, day in and day out?" He asked her.
Aunt Cass shrugged. "Well, everyday is different. Sometimes you're on the go all day long and sometimes it's so slow you almost lose your mind with boredom... "
"But why?"
"uh... to pay bills..." Aunt Cass slowly pressed.
Krei returned her stare blankly.
"Don't tell me... you don't even pay your own bills." Aunt Cass folded her arms.
"I think Judy has those on like an 'automatic payment' thing...." Krei mussed. "most of the time I just put everything on credit."
Cass rolled her eyes. "Well not everyone can just live off of credit indefinitely... in fact most people can't do that at all."
Krei frowned. "So you don't just do this because you enjoy it?"
"Well... I do like my job. I like being my own boss, I enjoy baking, I like meeting new people, and I live right above my store so I don't have to drive home from work." She laughed at her own joke. "But that doesn't mean that it's not difficult sometimes, or that there aren't things that I don't enjoy that I have to put up with..."
"Like that rude lady who refused to tip." Krei jumped in, pointing out a particularly annoying customer that he had to deal with that day.
Cass smiled and nodded her head. "Yes.. like the occasionally annoying customer, or not getting time off.... I hate to close the shop because I don't want to come up short at the end of the month. You never know when you'll be hit with a string of slow days and that takes a chuck out of your savings, you know?"
"Well, Cass, you know that if you were ever in any trouble I could-"
Aunt Cass held up hand to stop him. "I know what you're going to say Alister, and I appreciate the thought, but no."
She firmly shook her head when the billionaire tried to vainly protest, cutting him short once more.
Keri sighed, and put his hands in his pockets as he began to sulk. "Are you really that angry at me? Isn't there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
Aunt Cass heaved another weary sigh. Sometimes, dealing with Alistair was like talking to an overgrown kid. "Yes, I'm still angry with you, but that doesn't have anything to do with me not accepting the money, and no, there's nothing you can do. The trial's over with, and we... I... just have to accept it."
Krei gave her a pitiful look.
"I'm sorry..." He whispered.
Aunt Cass rested her face in her hand, refusing to look at him. "I know... you thought you were doing the right thing... or that I would be happy... or… oh, I don't know what... Why did you drop the charges anyway? You could have put away for good if you had held him accountable for the damages."
"Because Judy would have never spoken to me again if I did." He blurted out.
Aunt Cass blinked in surprise, "Your secretary?"
"And besides you, the only other friend that I have..." Krei sighed. "Judy is dating Abigail, and Abigail was looking for a shorter sentence for her father, because of course, who wouldn't want their dad out of prison... especially if they've been separated for five years already..."
Now it was Aunt Cass's turn to frown. "You... still blame yourself for what happened to Abigail, don't you."
Krei suddenly avoided eye contact with her, turning his head towards the window as he worked his jaw in thought.
"You heard Varian... there were unusual energy readings and I ignored them..."
"He also said that it may have not mattered if the portal was on for too long already."
"Well I guess we'll never know, because I didn't even try to stop it." He snapped, and then he gave her the most anguished look. "Listen... I know I'm not that great of a person... I'm rude, thoughtless, stubborn, prideful, greedy, I'm not above skirting around the truth, and I can't for the life of me remember most people's names... And don't try to argue with me, Cass. We both know it's true.... But I at least always tried to do right by people... Well... I like to think that I do... I mean I pay more than minimum wage, I offer great benefits, and I don't steal.. oh, well ok, I might have pulled some dirty deals involving contracts a few times... but the other person signed it... it's on them to read it..."
He paused when he saw Cass's disapproving glare, and gave up.
"Alright... you win. I'm not proud of what happened that day, and yeah... I do regret not calling the experiment off. I thought... I thought dropping the charges against Callaghan was the least I could do. Happy?"
"No." Cass softly said, and Krei hung his head.
She sighed, stood up, and to his surprise, gently lifted his chin. "but I at least now know why you did it.... I don't like it... yet, I can't blame you for it either."
Krei raised a hopeful eyebrow. "Sooo you're not mad at me any more?"
"I guess not." She sighed.
"Then... does this mean I can have the key back?" he smiled.
"Nope." She said as she turned away and gathered up the last of the dishes.
Krei cringed at the rejection, and gave an awkward laugh "Well, can't blame a guy for trying, can you?"
Aunt Cass rolled her eyes as she headed back towards the kitchen. Keri held the swinging door open for her, and followed her inside.
"Hey crazy idea.. Since you're off work, why don't we go out... do something fun?"
She didn't answer him and only waved a dirty glass back and forth to indicate she was still busy. Krei didn't take the hint and grabbed the glass away from her.
"Oh, come Cass. We both know that you're stressed out, and I don't wanna go home just yet. Why not go somewhere... like say a comedy club? Huh? How about it? Everybody could use a good laugh now and then."
He started to casually toss the glass into the air and catch it as he leaned against the dishwasher, his normal cocky smile returning. Cass snatched it back from him before he could break it.
"Just because I've forgiven you, doesn't mean that we're besties again." She huffed as she finished loading the dishwasher. She made it a point not to look at Krei's pleading face. In truth a night out at the club, with no responsibilities hovering over her, did sound wonderful, but she didn't want to make it that easy for him to waltz back into her life without care.
"I think they have an open mic night at the Comedy Barn." Krei pressed. "I'll paaaay… Hmm… No Dice? Huh?... I'll go on stage and make a fool myself then."
Aunt Cass couldn't maintain her standoffish composure any longer, as she snorted with laughter again. "You'll go on stage on open mic night?"
"Sure.... I stink at 'stand up'... It should be a rite" He gave her the biggest grin.
Aunt Cass looked at him like he was crazy, but she couldn't fully wipe off the smile on her face. "Tell me... what's with this sudden obsession with doing stuff that you know that you'll hate?"
Krei shrugged. "Well I don't know if I'll actually hate it until I try it, now do I? Besides, I'd do anything to spend more time with the most amazing woman in the world."
The next thing she knew, Krei had scooped her into his arms and was twirling her around the kitchen. They both burst into uncontrollable giggles.
"You're incorrigible." She laughed.
"And you're beautiful." He said, leaning closer.
Aunt Cass blushed and turned her eyes downward. What had just happened? How did she get here? She gently pulled away and playfully turned her nose up.
"I thought you weren't trying to get back together?" She teased.
"I assure you my intentions are pure, my good lady, scout's honor." Krei boyishly saluted.
"So we're only going as friends?"
"If you want to go, yeah."
"Let me change out of my work clothes." She agreed and walked out the kitchen.
She couldn't help but notice out of the corner of her eye Keri pumping his fist in triumph, believing that she couldn't see him. He straightened abruptly when he caught her looking, and plastered on a big grin.
"I'll wait here." He said.
She smiled to herself as she hurried up the stairs.
--------------------
Abigail giggled as Judy went on and on about one of her co-workers.
"And then Ian snorted milk out of his nose… hahaha." She said, ironically almost snorting beer out of hers, which in turn caused Abigail to laugh harder, nearly spilling her own glass of wine.
Despite the initial awkwardness, the tension in the room had slowly dissipated as the food arrived and the night wore on.
Both groups had mutually agreed to just ignore the other, in an unspoken truce of sorts. Abigail could finally breathe now that Hamada boys were no longer giving her judgemental looks.
She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt whenever she saw them. She owed them everything. Yet she wasn't going to apologize for helping her dad.
Her father was more than sorry for what he had done. He'd already pleaded guilty and served time. He was still going to be stuck in prison for years… What more did they want? Heck, it turned out that Tadashi wasn't even dead anymore. Why should her dad be punished for that?
Abigail knew why, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. She took another swig of wine.
This was supposed to be a celebration party. She and Judy were going to press for an early release due to good behavior.
They were going to have her father out in enough time to...well...Abigail paused to feel the little ring box in her pocket.
She had planned to propose that night. Yet, it didn't feel right to do so now in front of the Hamada family. She wanted the moment to be more intimate anyways. There'd be plenty of time for it after dinner.
She was sure Judy would say yes. Just as she was sure her father would get to walk her down the aisle….
"What are you smiling about?" Judy asked with a playful smile of her own.
"Just… that I love you." Abigail smiled even wider and lifted her glass. "Here's to us."
"I'll drink to that." Judy said, and they clinked their glasses, a little too hard in fact.
Red wine spilled all over onto Abigail's cream colored sweater dress.
Both girls couldn't help laughing even more over the accident.
"Well… looks like I'm just going to have to tie-dye this dress now." Abigail giggled.
"Or you could cut the sleeves off and wear it as a sexy tank top." Judy suggested with a sly smile.
"Oh don't worry, I got something plenty sexy to change into later." She winked back at her girlfriend. "In the meantime, I'm going to try to clean up. I'll be back."
With that she stood up and walked to the bathroom.
--------------------
"And then the other guy says to me, 'that's just the way with chickens… they always need to know what's on the other side."
Aunt Cass snorted loudly at the bad joke. Krei was right, he was terrible at 'stand up'. Yet that made it all the funnier.
Few joined in on her laughter, Krei didn't seem to care.
"Thank you, folks. I'll be here all night." Krei bowed, and placed the mic back in its stand, someone in the audience groaned.
Aunt Cass was still giggling though, when Krei rejoined her.
"That was awful." She gasped with delight.
"I told you so." Krei laughed right along with her. "Having fun?"
"I am… Thank you for inviting me. You're right, I needed a good laugh."
"Anyone with as pretty a face as yours shouldn't ever be made to cry." He said, suddenly serious, as he swept a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.
Fortunately the lighting inside the club was so dim that he didn't see her blushing.
"What happened to having the 'purest of intentions'?" She laughed.
Krei placed a hand over his heart as if she had wounded him. "And what nobler intention could there be, then trying to make the most wonderful woman in the world happy?"
Aunt Cass shook her head, but with a smile still playing on her lips. "I'm not falling for that."
Krei shrugged. "Yeah, I knew it was a long shot… but it was enough of a distraction for me to get the key back."
He waved the cafe key at her like a little kid who'd just pilfered a cookie out of the cookie jar under his parents nose.
Cass gasped and quickly double checked her purse. "You pick-pocketed me!" She yelled, not really angry.
She then tried to grab the key away from him as he tried to play 'keep away' with it.
Aunt Cass had to practically crawl over him as he leaned backwards, his long arm just out of her reach. They both snorted with laughter as the chair nearly toppled over, and Keri had to grab hold of the table with his other hand to keep from falling. It was enough of a distraction for Cass to snatch the key back from him.
"Ah ha!" She proclaimed in triumph. She stood up and gave him the smuggest grin. Then, looking him dead in the eye, she dropped the key down the front of her dress.
Krei's eyes widened.
"Oh, please tell me that's an invitation to try and pick-pocket again." He whispered.
Aunt Cass rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
"That wasn't a no."
Cass sighed again, but she still couldn't hide her smile.
"It's a no." She said, and Krei tried his best to hide his visible disappointment.
"Well… you win then. Tell me, what do I gotta do to get that key back?"
"I don't know.. prove you can be trusted with it?"
"How do I do that?"
"I don't know." Cass shrugged.
"That doesn't give me a whole lot of direction." Krei complained, but not without a breathless laugh.
"Well, you have to figure it out. It's a part of the challenge." She giggled.
"Challenge?" Krei raised an eyebrow and worked his jaw in thought. "I do enjoy a good challenge… hmmm… ways to prove I'm trustworthy…" then he suddenly jumped up and slapped his hand across the table. "I got it. Tell me a secret. Something no one else knows, not even your best friend, and I'll show you that I can keep it."
Aunt Cass pouted in thought, "huh… well it's not like I'm hiding anything from Diego…"
Krei made a face. "Diego? You mean Chief Cruz? I thought your best friend was Tracey?"
"Well she is… and Diego is my other best friend."
"You can have more than one of those?" Krei asked in awe.
"Yeeeaah…" Aunt Cass tried her best not to laugh, but it was hard.
"Am I one of them?" He asked her.
"Umm… weeeell… maybe once we get to know each other better?" She slowly said skirting around the question. "Keep in mind I've known both Diego and Tracey for years."
"Ah, say no more, Cass. I get ya. I'm having to play catch up." He leaned back, placing a foot on one of the table legs to steady himself. "Okay, then hit me. What's your secret?"
"Well hold on now… if you really want to be friends, then this has to go both ways. You have to tell a secret too."
Krei straightened up again, and then placed his elbows on the table as he thought about it.
"Hmmm… a secret that I've never told Judy about… Boy, that's hard. Judy knows everything… except… naw, it's silly, barely worth mentioning."
"No.. what?" Aunt Cass insisted, suddenly curious. "What is it?"
"Sometimes… I like to watch soap operas…. Usually in languages that I can't even speak… and I bawl like a baby every time. The current one I'm watching is a Bollywood production about two star crossed lovers. His mother doesn't want them to get married because she's a waitress, but he's from money… you know classic stuff. Anyways, Priyanka just ran away when she spotted Aamir cuddling with his betrothed, Kangna… only he wasn't actually making out with her, but in fact breaking up with her, and the only reason why Priyanka thought he was cheating on her is because his mother set it up so that Priyanka would walk in on them at the wrong time… cause you see Kangna and the mother-in-law are in cahoots together and-"
Krei suddenly stopped when he realized he was rambling. He turned to see Cass softly smiling at him, her face resting in the palm of her hand.
"Go on," she encouraged. "Tell me what the fiance and mother-in-law are planning… it sounds interesting."
Krei nervously laughed, "Well… I … I don't want to spoil it for you in case you want to watch it for yourself. Besides, isn't it your turn to spill your guts?"
Cass sighed. "Alright… something that Diego definitely doesn't know… and can never find out.." She pointed at Krei in warning. "Because I'll never hear the end of it, if he did … I… I sometimes like to sneak off to Good Luck Alley and compete in Food Fight competitions." She squeaked.
"Woah, oh, oh… Aunt Cass has a naughty side… I'm impressed. Have you won any?"
"Hmmmhmmm." She nodded excitedly. "I'm kind of the reigning champion."
"I wouldn't have suspected anything less." Krei smiled. "You should let me know next time you complete. I'll come by to cheer you on."
"Really?" Aunt Cass gasped, then she coughed to compose herself. "Of course you can come if you want to. It'd be nice having someone I know watching. Oh, and maybe you could show me one of those soap operas sometime. I love a good soap. I tend to put them on when it's slow at the cafe."
"Yeah, really?... Sure. Maybe I can swing by on one of those 'slow days?'"
"Yeah, maybe.."
And they shared a smile.
--------------------
Abigail finished wiping off the wine as best she could, but she still frowned in frustration as she rubbed the damp, and soapy paper towel across her sleeve. She had been right, it was going to stain. She sighed and gave up.
Oh well, no need to let this ruin her night. She pulled out the jewelry box to look at the engagement ring. It was a thin platinum band with a black onyx as the stone, entrusted with a circle of tiny diamonds. She knew Judy would appreciate the unorthodox jewel, but Abigail couldn't help but add an element of the traditional to her proposal.
Yet, as she stared at the iridescent black stone, it seemed to practically glow under light. Then suddenly she heard a laugh. A cold cruel laugh.
"W-who's there?" Abigail asked, as she looked every which way. No one was in the restroom with her. All of the stalls were empty, but the laughter continued.
She turned around and started looking for a hidden sound speaker. She didn't notice the eerie green light coming from the mirror behind her, until it was too late.
--------------------
Cruz paid for the meal, handed the receipt and pen back to the waitress, and thanked her.
"So is there anything you guys want to do before heading back to the cafe?" He asked the kids.
"Oooh can we stop and get ice cream on the way home?" Megan asked, jumping at the chance.
"I could go for some ice cream," Tadashi agreed.
Cruz smiled. "Alright, we'll get dessert on the way."
There were cheers from the teens as they put on their coats. Yet as they started to head out, Abigail stumbled out of the back, clutching her head.
Judy rushed to meet her.
"Are you okay?" She asked her girlfriend.
"I'm... I'm alright. I just have a bit of a headache." Abigail said, with labored breath. Then she forced a smile on her face. "I think I need to lay off the wine for the rest of tonight."
As she tried to laugh off her dilemma Cruz wrinkled his brow in worry. "Do you need anything then? I could call you ladies a ride if you want."
"We'll be fine. Thank you." Judy tersely replied.
"I have some Tylenol if you want it." Varian called out to them.
Abigail gave him a pained smile. "No, it's okay. You go on and get your ice cream."
The three brothers exchanged a shrug before following Chief Cruz and his daughter out the door.
--------------------
Krei and Aunt Cass snickered together as they walked back to the Lucky Cat from the bus stop. He was showing off his origami skills to her again. This time he had made her a rose out of a fifty dollar bill.
"For you, my good woman." He bowed as he handed it to her.
"Thank you." She accepted his gift with a giggle. She pretended to smell the fake flower. "Mmm... it smells like the gas that's going to fill my car up tomorrow."
They both broke out into laughter once more.
"Well, I'm glad I could help." Keri snorted. "Gee, it's good to see you smiling again."
Aunt Cass didn't reply as she demurely kept looking down at the paper flower in her hand. She knew Krei was staring at her, in that way that he always did. He had accepted their breakup, but the attraction was still there. And Cass couldn't fully deny that she liked him back... but he was exhausting sometimes, thoughtless, arrogant, not to mention rather immature on occasion.. She began to mentally list off the reasons why she had dumped him in the first place. But each fault would be replaced with a virtue as soon as they came to mind. He was also exhilarating to be with, enthusiastic, attentive, to her at least, and he got along great with the kids...
As she debated with herself Krei continued. "It's also really great when you're not mad at me."
He turned back to her and noticed her worried expression. He stopped and frowned. "You're still upset."
Aunt Cass paused and looked at him surprised. "Oh... oh no.., no... I'm just... I'm just thinking about tomorrow's menu. I need to make more biscott-"
"Cass... please. You don't have to lie to me to spare my feelings. I screwed up. Again."
Cass sighed. "Alistair, I already told you. I forgive you for dropping the charges."
"But forgiving isn't the same thing as being okay with it. I guess I didn't do the right thing after all."
He kicked a pebble on the sidewalk and into the gutter.
"Oh, I don't just know Alistair." Cass shook her head. "I don't know what's right or wrong... I don't know if it even matters any more... like... I get it. I do. I understand why Abigail wants to be with her father. I can see why Judy would want Abigail to be happy. And I know why you'd want to try and help them.... but..."
Her bottom lip quivered, and she gave a shaky breath... "but none of you had to bury your own child."
Suddenly she burst into tears. She couldn't hold her feelings back any more and over a years worth of pain and grief started to pour out of her.
Krei, in a panic, wrapped her into a hug and she held on tight to him as she cried.
"I... I know Tadashi is back now..." She sobbed, "and I'm soo, so grateful... b-but... that doesn't change the past. It doesn't change what we had to go through... what I had to go through..."
Keri gently rocked her back and forth in his arms as he stroked the top of her head. "Sssh.. please don't cry... I'm sorry... don't cry... I don't know what to do when people cry, c-cause if you cry, then I'll start crying… and, and we'll both have runny makeup...bawahaha."
Cass couldn't hold back the snort of laughter that abruptly interrupted her tears. Poor Krei sounded so pitiful when he whined.
"B-but I'm not wearing any makeup." She gently corrected him as she sniffled.
"No?" Krei sobbed. "Dang, what's your skincare routine? I need it." He joked, and they both broke down into giggles again.
It was so bizarre. They were both laughing and crying at the same time, and never before had Cassidy believed that a person could feel literally everything at once, yet that's how she felt right now.
She just about choked on her own confused feelings as she dug through her purse for some tissues. Krei handed her his hanky that was poking out his front jacket pocket.
"Thank you." She said as the tears and laughter started to die down. "I didn't know guys still carried these around anymore."
Krei shrugged. "Hey you never know when it'll come in handy. Plus it completes the look, you know."
He straightened his jacket collar and struck a pose. Aunt Cass couldn't help but start giggling again. Krei didn't seem to mind though.
"Yeah, it does, but what look are you going for?" Cass asked. "1950s sitcom dad goes to Wall Street?"
"Ouch! That's a good one. Next time you should do the stand-up." He clapped back, and this only sent them both into a fresh new wave of giggles.
--------------------
Chief Cruz parked Cass's car in front of the Lucky Cat. She had insisted that he borrow it, given that the squad car couldn't fit everyone.
"Hmmm… the lights are off." Hiro pointed out, confused.
"Maybe your aunt went to bed early?" Cruz suggested as they all got out of the vehicle. "She's had a hard day. You boys be quiet when you go in. Megan and I will just head on home in the police car, and I'll talk to Cassidy later."
He walked them all to the door at least, only to find it locked. Cruz frowned… Now that was unusual.
Fortunately Tadashi had the keys to get in.
Yet, no sooner did he unlock the door when they heard laughter coming from their left.
They all turned to see Aunt Cass walking towards the cafe, less than a block down the sidewalk, and Keri was with her.
Everyone stood still in shock as they watched the two of them interact.
Cass and Krei barely even noticed they were there. They were too busy joking around, laughing, and talking with one another. It wasn't until they had almost reached the front door that Aunt Cass suddenly stopped, mid-joke, and noticed her family staring at her.
"And so I told Tracy that- Oh… oh hi! How was dinner?" She asked, with a wide smile.
"Hiii?" Came Varian's guarded reply.
"Did… did you two go out to dinner?" Tadashi said… daring to ask what no one had the guts to do, but desperately wanted to know.
"Well, not exactly…"
"We went to the Comedy Barn." Krei offered up. "Tuesdays is open mic night, you know. You should all try it sometime… How about Diego? You seem like a fellow with a good sense of humor."
Diego was in anything but a humorous mood, as he gave the billionaire a stern glare.
Krei slowly backed away from the officer.
"Ooookaaay then… I see it's a tough crowd everywhere tonight." Krei awkwardly laughed as he straightened his tie. "I better go Cass. It's getting late and I have a meeting in the morning. I'll see you on Thursday?"
"Yeah, before lunch will be best."
"Will do, see ya later. Bye guys." Krei waved at them before heading back to the bus stop.
There was a pensive silence as they all watched him leave. And as soon as he was out of sight, Aunt Cass felt everyone's eyes turn towards her.
"Brrr… is it chilly out tonight or what." She said, hoping to change the subject. "How about some hot chocolate before bed? I'll go make some."
She tried to run into the cafe but Cruz suddenly stood in her way.
"I'm afraid I need to get Megan home. It's a school night, remember." He folded his arms and gave Cass a disapproving glare, as if she was one of the kids. Oh how she hated it when Diego gave her that condescending look. She placed her hands on her hips as she stared him down.
"That's fine. I'm sure the boys will be heading to bed soon."
The four teens shared awkward looks at each other as they picked up on the adults' not too subtle hints.
"I'll make the hot cocoa." Hiro said, and the boys headed inside.
"And I'll just go wait in the car for you dad." Megan said and hurried off to the garage.
Once the adults thought the kids out of earshot they began to lay onto each other.
"I thought you hated that guy?" Cruz asked. "Especially after what he pulled in court today."
Cass rolled her eyes. "I never said I hated him. I just was angry, at everything and blaming anyone I could… and that's not fair to anyone."
"So, what? He waltzes in with some flattery and you just automatically forgive him?"
Cass stamped her foot on the ground. "No, we discussed the matter like mature adults, and he explained his point of view."
"What point of view!?"
"He thought he was doing the right thing… that he was sorry for what happened to Abigail, and was trying to make up for it, and he came over to the Lucky Cat today just to apologize to me. Really, Diego. You don't ever give people half a chance. Alistair is really very sweet once you get to know him."
"Alistair?" Cruz nearly choked. "Since when are you on a first name basis?"
"Since forever. Alistair and I were dating before you ever even moved back to San Francisco."
"Yeah, and I thought you dumped him for being a jerk."
"Well…I did…but he's been putting in a real effort at changing-"
"Cass, people like that don't ever change. I can't believe you falling for his game-"
"I'm not falling for anything! We're just friends. Nothing more, and I don't need you to lecture me like a child. I know very well what I am doing Diego. You don't see me making a fuss whenever you call your ex wife."
Now it was Cruz's turn to roll his eyes. "You know very well that's to discuss Megan and what she needs. I don't just talk to Maria for the fun of it."
"Really? I thought you were trying to remind friends?" Aunt Cass, genuinely concerned now.
"No, I said we're trying to remain civil, and… and wait a minute, how did this become about me and my divorce? We're discussing you crying your eyes out one minute, and the next heading out on the town with the very guy who upset you in the first place."
"I wasn't crying my eyes out." Aunt Cass muttered.
Cruz raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe her.
"Cass, I know that you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, but you have this tendency of trying to take on everything at once all on your own, till you're overwhelmed, and then you start making rash decisions."
Cass rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, like what?"
"Like running away to Florida, by stowing away in the luggage compartment, at 17 and when you had yet another argument with your parents."
Cass rubbed her forehead with her hand as she remembered the incident. "You're never going to let me live that one down are you?"
Cruz laughed. "It was the best prom ever."
"Yeah… I kept falling asleep though half of it because of jet lag, and the only thing I had to wear was a pair of daisy duke shorts and a bikini top that stole out someone's bag."
"Like I said, best prom ever."
They both laughed at the memory. Sharing a moment that only two people who'd know each other since childhood could. But then the moment passed and Cruz grew serious again.
"Cass… I'm just… I care about you. I don't want you to get hurt, and I don't trust that guy."
"Well I do trust him, and I would appreciate it if you trusted me just a little more. Especially since it's been decades since the prom fiasco."
Cruz sighed. "Of course I trust you… but that doesn't stop me from worrying."
Cass smiled and laid a hand upon his shoulder as she started to head inside.
"Diego, nothing ever stops you from worrying." She gently teased.
"Yeah, and you don't worry enough so I gotta work overtime for the both of us."
"And that's why you're my best friend."
And with that, she gave him a peck on the cheek before closing the door behind her.
Cruz stood there a moment in shock, as a smile slowly formed upon his face.
Then he jogged back to the car whistling a tune.
"Oooooohhh… Diego and Cassidy sitting in a tree." His daughter called out as he neared.
"Haha, very funny, young lady. Now put your seatbelt on." But, as stern as he tried to sound, he still couldn't wipe the smile from his face.
--------------------
Judy sighed contently as she wiggled deeper into the front seat of the convertible.
"Ahhh… I know.. you said you shouldn't have any more wine… so I think I drank enough alcohol for the both of us." She laughed as she slurred her words.
"That's alright. One of us had to be the designated driver tonight." Abigail said as she entered the other side of the car.
"Hmmm… I love you." Judy sleepy added as her girlfriend cranked the car and started to drive them home.
"I know. " Abigail said, keeping her eyes on the road.
Suddenly Judy gasped, as a thought came to her in her drunken haze. "Oh .. you're not upset with me, are you?"
"For what?"
"You said… you said you had something romantic planned tonight."
Abigail smiled. "Did I? Well it'll just have to be for another night. We need to get you home so that you can rest."
"So you're not disappointed?"
"No… I want the moment to be just right when I give you your surprise."
Judy laughed. "I like surprises… hmmm… is it a dozen roses? A new nightdress? Uh, chocolate raisins? My fav! Oh, no, I know, matching underwear."
Abigail shook her head. "You'll find out soon enough. So just get you some sleep for now."
Judy yawned and snuggled deeper into the seat. "Okay… but tomorrow… ahh… I'm tearing up the apartment to look for my present. You know that, right?"
Abigail didn't answer, but just gave her a sly smile. Judy returned it with one of her one before closing her eyes. She was soon snoring as the car sped down the road.
Seeing that she was asleep, Abigail turned on the radio. Only as she pressed the button green energy, like lightning, shot out of her finger tips and engulfed the dashboard.
The radio sorted through various stations before landing on, well nothing… nothing but eerie silence.
"Well?" A distorted voice came through the speakers, breaking the silence.
"I'm in." 'Abigail' replied back as her eyes suddenly glowed green.
