Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers
After All These Years
Central Park
Derek knew this was a bad idea. Central Park on a weekend. With a festival going on. He could kill Simon…and Tori for that matter, for going along with Simon. For some reason Derek let Simon talk him into bringing Kelsey to this mad house. It had only been ten minutes since they got to the festival and Kelsey was already lost. Derek turned as Simon ran up to him.
He rested his hands on his knees, catching his breath "She wasn't…by the…bounce house…"
Derek suppressed a growl and looked around again, his search growing more and more desperate.
"She wasn't by the swings." Tori said coming up on to the right of him. "Why don't you use your wolfy senses?" She suggested in a nonchalant way although her voice wavered slightly at the end.
"Don't you think I thought about that?!" He snapped, not truly regretting his tone. After all it was partly her fault his baby girl was lost. He had tried using his "wolfy senses" as Tori put it but there were too many smells in the air, too many noises.
Derek growled and turned to look by the kids obstacle course when the PA system buzzed, interrupting the kid friendly music. "Derek Souza please come to the DJ booth. There's a brave little girl waiting for you. I repeat Derek Souza please come to the DJ booth, your daughter is waiting for you."
The music came back on and Derek raced over to the booth, Simon and Tori on his heels. When they reached the DJ booth they were met with the sight of Kelsey sitting next to a little boy about the same age, with dark blonde hair. The two children were sharing a funnel cake.
"Kelsey!" Derek yelled over the music. His little girl, with black hair and green eyes just like his own, looked up and smiled at him. She had her mother's smile
"Daddy!" Kelsey placed her fork down on the plate with great care, hopped off her seat and ran to him.
She giggled when he hoisted her into his arms "Where'd you run off to huh?" he tickled her stomach until she laughed
"I wanted to get my face painted, but then I got lost, and then I met him." Kelsey explained as she pointed to the boy she'd been sitting with.
Derek looked at the boy, his hair was neatly combed and his clothes were tidy save for his Batman shirt which had alarming amounts of sugar on it. The boy looked at Derek, his baby blue eyes seemed so familiar, and smiled. Derek smiled at him and walked closer. As he did he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen this kid somewhere.
Derek put Kelsey down and squatted in front of the kid. "Hi there."
The boy's smile grew wider and it struck a chord somewhere deep in Derek, a place he thought he had long since buried. "Hi! Are you Kelsey's Daddy?"
Derek nodded "I am."
"Who are they?" the boy pointed behind Derek.
"I'm Kelsey's Uncle Simon, and this is her Aunt Tori." Simon explained
The boy nodded "Cool. My middle name is Simon. My first name is Christopher. My friends call me Kit."
Simon and Tori exchanged a look, that sounded just like their father.
Derek smiled a bit "Well thank you for helping Kelsey to the DJ booth."
'Kit' nodded "It's fine. Mommy says we're supposed to help people. And I have to wait here for Jey anyway. And Kelsey likes funnel cake too."
Kelsey nodded "Uh huh!"
Kit smiled at Kelsey then glanced behind them as a tall curvy Polynesian woman with long dark hair ran up. Derek knew from the previous conversation that this woman was most likely Jey, the woman he was supposed to wait for.
"Ready to go sir?" the woman asked bowing her head slightly. Derek looked at his adopted siblings, 'Sir' the balance of power was even more off.
Kit hopped off of his seat and nodded at Jey. "Yes."
"Aw! You're leaving?!" Kelsey asked, disappointed.
"Yeah, I only came for the funnel cake, Mommy said she couldn't bring me today, but we're going to the zoo tomorrow!" Kit said happily.
He handed the plate still holding an enormous portion of funnel cake to Kelsey "Here!" then turned to Derek, Tori and Simon.
"Do you have business cards?" Derek blinked; it was an odd thing for a six year old to ask "Yes. Do you want one?"
Kit nodded "I collect them." Simon and Tori once again exchanged a look but complied with his request, pulling out their respective cards and handing them to the boy.
"Thank you!" Kit gave Kelsey an awkward hug and walked away.
Kelsey turned to Derek "I hope I see him again Daddy. He was nice."
Derek nodded taking Kelsey's hand "In the meantime, you do not let go of my hand young lady."
Kelsey giggled "Okay Daddy! Hey Aunt Tori, wanna get matching face paint?!" Kelsey looked up at her aunt, emerald eyes pleading. Derek laughed as Tori groaned
"Yeah come on Tori let's go get matching face paint." Simon goaded, pulling her towards the line. Derek smiled as Kelsey's laugh filled his ears. Even as he did so, he had this feeling that something was coming.
Jey watched her Young Master through the rearview mirror of the town car.
"Sir, how was the funnel cake?" She asked returning her eyes to the road.
"It was really yummy. Mommy and I can go get one tomorrow." Kit said smiling into the rearview. Jey smiled, if you'd told her six years earlier that she'd be working as a body guard and driver for this kid she'd have laughed at you. But the day the Madam came into her life changed everything.
"And those business cards?"
Kit looked down at the heavy slips of paper in his hand. "I like Kelsey; I want to play with her again." He explained looking out the window at the busy Manhattan streets.
Soon Jey pulled into the parking garage of the building the Young Master lived in. She opened the car door for Kit and he hopped out. She escorted him to the private elevator that would take them up to the pent house. Kit reached up on his tip toes and pushed the penthouse button; it was one of his favorite things to do.
After arriving at the two story penthouse, Kit raced out of the elevator and up the stairs, headed toward his mother's office. Jey smiled as she walked behind the Young Master. Kit came to a stop once he rounded the corner to the office. Jey wondered why until she saw that the red light above the French doors was on, meaning that the Madam was not to be disturbed.
Jey put her arm around Kit's shoulder and was about to lead him away when the light turned green. "Mommy!" Kit pushed forward to open the door when Jey gently grabbed his hand.
"Young Master, what has the Madam always told you?"
Kit sighed "Knock first." With an over exaggerated groan that made Jey smile, Kit lifted his hand and knocked.
"Come in." The Madam's voice rang clear.
Jey released Kit's arm and he burst through the door.
"Mommy, Mommy guess what?!" Kit ran over to and jumped into his mother's lap.
The Madam laughed "What's all this excitement? Is this powdered sugar?" She asked stroking her son's hair, not minding the white powder that drifted down from Kit's t-shirt.
"I made a new friend! Her name is Kelsey! And I got three business cards to add to my collection!" Kit said, bouncing in The Madam's lap.
He took out the cards from his pocket and handed them to her. Jey watched curiously as Madam's look of joy turned into one of horror.
"Mommy? Are you okay?" Kit asked pushing his mother's strawberry blonde hair from her baby blue eyes, eyes they shared.
The Madam looked at her son, her world. She smiled "I'm fine sweetie. Jey, would you take Kit downstairs for a snack? I'll join you in a moment. I have to make a phone call."
Madam kissed her son's forehead and lifted him off her. "Kit, Mommy's going to hold on to these cards for a little okay?"
Kit looked at his mother, then nodded "Okay! Make sure you laminate them!"
The Madam chuckled "I will."
Kit grinned and walked past Jey into the hall. Jey gave a small bow and followed the Young Master out, closing the door behind her.
Once the door was closed the Madam flipped the switch, turning the light outside her office red. She sighed, looking at a photograph of Kit. He was her world.
Making a decision she picked up her office phone and hit five. The line rang twice before it was picked up.
Madam wasted no time. "I need job done." She said into the phone.
The line was quiet before the other person spoke. "Who, may I ask is making the call?"
The Madam smirked, knowing it was all just protocol
"This is Chloe St. Cloud. I need a job done."
