4
THE CASE OF MISSING YOU
Emma got out of the yellow bug and sighed. It was now noon and she was already fuming with anger thanks to Neal. She crossed the parking lot and headed inside the station, nodding to her officers and heading straight to the back interrogation room. When she arrived, she let out a long breath. One because she didn't know what was going to happen after she stepped inside that room and two because she suddenly felt uneasy. Emma cleared her throat and opened the door, eyeing down a very relaxed August Booth and a very annoyed Leroy.
Leroy turned to her, "Glad you're here. He hasn't spoken since we arrived."
She rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her, before crossing her arms and saying, "August, you need to talk."
He shook his head, "Whatever I say will come around to bite me in the ass."
"But something might get you out of here." she said as Leroy stood and invited her to sit down in front of August. August shook his head again and leaned back in his chair as Leroy rolled his eyes and left the room.
Emma leaned back as well, as if she was challenging him, and sent him a small smirk, "You have two choices here, August."
He raised his eyebrow.
"The first, and in my opinion, your best choice, is to tell me everything you know so you can hopefully get cleared," then she leaned forward, "The second, you can stay here and rot in jail while I go find Neal myself, and be doomed to pay the price of not only your actions right now but also the price of whatever Neal is doing as you're holding me up here."
August cleared his throat and shifted his eyes away from Emma's dark and devious ones. He flinched at her words almost as if he was actually scared of her. Then he spoke, "You always were a tough one. Bitchy almost."
Offended, she hit her fist on the metal table and sighed, "Just because I look tough doesn't mean I can't be soft, right?"
He squinted at her words, mostly because they came from his mouth back when they met, and also because she was barking up the wrong tree. She didn't know what happened after their conversation, and that was something that made him pissed. His eyes grew instantly and he leaned into her space, before whispering to her, "You wanna know the full story?"
"Full story?" she asked.
He nodded, "Yeah, after we met that day."
November 2011
August let his fake smile fade as he walked away from Emma. With a raised eyebrow, he headed into the school and stuffed his helmet in his locker, before it was suddenly slammed shut by Neal.
"Going soft on her, are you?"
"What's it matter to you?" August said, "You two aren't together anymore."
Neal wrapped his fingers around the collar of August's leather jacket, before yanking him down the hallway and into the janitor's closet. Neal threw him against the shelving unit and locked the door, "Emma is off limits, pal."
"She dumped you, buddy," August dared, "You don't get a say in her future."
"Ah, that's where you're wrong."
Neal leaned against the door as August cautiously fixed his posture. With a raised eyebrow, August stepped toward Neal and said, "What do you mean?"
"I'm about to tell you something you cannot repeat," he said, "And if you do, you won't see the next morning."
August gulped loudly.
Neal pushed his body off the door and took out his phone, "This is Killian Jones, Emma's ex-boyfriend. They dated for nearly five years until her moved away. That's when she came here, met me and we had a great time, dated for a year and a half. The whole time we were dating, she wouldn't stop telling me about this man who had changed her life for the better and how she missed him, and later on I found out it was Killian. Now she wants him back, but I want her back."
"Sounds like there's nothing you can do-"
"But there is something you can do, for me."
August raised his hands and shook his head, "Ain't no way I am getting into your mess."
Neal pushed him back against the shelving unit, "You will do as I say."
"What do I get out of it?"
"What do you want?
August brought a finger to his chin and gave Neal a little laugh, "Money."
"I don't have any money."
August shrugged, "Then, I better go ask Emma out."
Neal pushed him once more and started to panic, "I'll get the money. Just stay away from Emma and make sure Killian never comes back."
"I'll fly out next week."
June 2017
"So, you just fly out of America just like that?" Emma rolled her eyes and stood from the metal chair. She clicked her tongue and strolled to the opposite side of the room before spinning August around in his chair and leaning towards him, "You're lying."
August shook his head, "I'm not lying-"
"I have this superpower that helps me tell when someone is lying," she squinted her eyes at him, "And you are."
August sighed and crossed his arms, then he gave her a stern stare and shook his head, "Neal wants you back. From what he's been planning for the past five years and from what I heard of his future plans, he'll do anything to get you back."
Emma scoffed, "I'm never going to get with him."
"He intends to make you want him."
Emma froze as she began to remember the real reasons he broke up with Neal in the first place.
October 2011
"Neal! Stop it!" she yelled at him, grabbing his arm. He then grabbed her wrist tightly and said, "If you ever tell me what to do again, it won't be pretty." She started crying.
"Neal, that hurts." she said, tears falling down her face. He finally let go.
"Don't you ever talk to that man again, do you understand me?"
"Neal, I was hurt, and you weren't there for me."
"You made a mistake, Emma, and now because of that mistake, someone had to get hurt."
"Neal, you did this to him, not me."
"Shut up, Emma. Forget about it, forget about him, forget about it all."
"Neal!"
"Let's go. This never happened. Don't bring it up during dinner time at my mother's house tonight."
He finally let go of her wrist. His tight grasp left a dark red mark on her wrist, one that soon turned into a bruise.
"No, I won't go with you," she cried, "I can't of on like this."
"I'm sorry, Emma. I acted irrationally," he said, "Forgive me, sometimes my father's anger issues trail up behind me."
She shook her head and tore off the beanie that calmly rested on her head, before rubbing her wet eyes under her glasses and pushing him away. Emma threw out her arms and shows her wrists to him, "Neal, I've dealt with it the other four times 'your anger issues trailed up behind you' and now it's just too much. I can't do it anymore."
Neal grabbed her hands and pulled her body close to his, "Don't do this."
"We're done here."
He shook his head and held her to him, "Please don't go. I love you."
"Well, I loved you."
Emma tore away from his grasp and sniffled as she ran out of his dorm room and into the front garden. Then, she was nowhere to be seen.
For days, for weeks.
For a month, she ignored him.
Until she came back and met August in November.
June 2017
Emma cleared her throat, "If you're just going to continue telling me lies, I have no other choice but to lock you up."
"You have to believe me, Emma. Open your eyes, look at the bigger picture here." he began to beg her.
She felt his hand grab hers and tug on it, making her spin around quickly and step towards the door, "I'm going to find Neal. In the meantime, I'd get cozy with the cold cell you'll most likely end up in."
As she stepped out of the room, August stood and yelled, "I don't know how far that stick is up your ass, but I'd take it out if you ever want a chance of happiness ever again!"
Emma heard his voice echoing through the department's hallways, loud enough for each and every employee to hear. She bit her tongue and shut her eyes, hoping that no one had heard his remark. Her phone buzzed.
Up for a high speed chase?
Emma raised an eyebrow and texted the unknown number back,
Who is this?
Just to be clear, by high speed chase, I mean a few rounds of go kart racing downtown.
She rolled her eyes and laughed,
Killian, should have known.
Is that a yes? Am I fortunate enough to say that I have broken into the Swan at just the right moment and gotten her to come out with me?
She texted back,
I'm only saying yes because I really need a break from work, but understand that I have to leave if my job calls.
I would never be offended if you left for your job.
She smiled genuinely, something she rarely had done in the past few years,
Meet you there in fifteen?
Fifteen it is, love.
Emma stuffed her phone in her back pocket before heading towards the door to the parking lot. She felt an odd feeling in her body - something of a mix of nerves, anxiousness, dizziness, excitement, and sadness. All of it planning to make her fall to her doom, she thought. She didn't want to let Killian in, especially if it meant that hed make her feel all those feelings again. Even more so, she didn't want him thinking that she wanted him. Or even thought of wanting him. Not after what he did.
He didn't deserve those feelings from her.
She got into her car and began driving to the park downtown, where she remembered she had first ridden go karts when she was a little girl with her parents - before they discovered she wouldn't fulfilled their dream of becoming something more important in life. Emma stopped at a red light and sighed before she heard a loud tapping on her window. Cautiously, she rolled it down and leaned over, "Can I help you, sir?"
"Names Jefferson. My daughter, she seems to be missing, and I can't find her." Panic was in his voice and fear took over his face.
She nodded and pulled over, "Good thing I'm the sheriff and not just any stranger. Can I have a description of your daughter?"
He reached into his coat pant pocket, pulling out a black wallet, before flipping through the pictures and handing her a wrinkled picture of a young girl.
"Grace is your daughter?" Emma said.
He nodded, "Yes, do you know her?"
"She volunteers at the station frequently," Emma said, "For a nine year old, she's quite mature."
Jefferson let a small smile form before he said, "I was just with her. She asked for money to get ice cream next store and told me to wait for her because she wanted to be a big girl, and when she didn't come out, I ran and found you."
Emma looked around for the familiar child. She called over her radio, "All units keep eye out for nine year old, Grace, long blonde hair and brown eyes. Missing as of ten minutes ago."
Jefferson ran his hand through his thick, curly hair and sighed. He tapped his foot anxiously and stared at Emma, "This is all my fault."
"Sir, it isn't your fault-"
"If I hadn't let her go into the ice cream shop by herself, she would be with me and it would all be fine."
Emma held Jefferson's shoulder and rubbed it, "We'll find her."
Jefferson nodded and leaned against the brick wall, "Yep."
"Stay here."
Emma patted Jefferson's shoulder as she rounded the corner and headed towards the ice cream shop. She headed inside and rang the counter bell. A man had his back faced towards her and said, "Can I help you?"
"I'm Sheriff Swan, and I need to ask you some questions about a customer you may or may not have had." she said, leaning on the counter.
He didn't turn around, he just stood facing the wall, "I have a terrible memory, so I don't remember any customers."
She scoffed, "It's a little girl who must've left here five minutes ago or so. She's missing and we need all the information we can get."
The man shrugged and moved to the opposite side of the his little area, still not turning around.
"Sir, I need you to cooperate with me. This girl could be in danger and you not communicating clearly with me could be the reason she gets hurt." Emma urged.
He still didn't turn around, "I said I can't remember anyone."
"She's young, short, has long blonde hair and brown eyes. Her father sent her in with money to get some ice cream-"
"Sheriff, I do not remember anyone."
She rolled her eyes, "Maybe if you turned around and I showed you a picture, you might find it a bit easier."
He froze.
"Turn around."
"I'd rather not, my back hurts a little-"
Before Emma could snap back and reach over the counter to grab the man herself, Jefferson ran inside the ice cream shop and pulled Emma towards him, "She's safe."
Emma let a smile form on her face, "Where did you find her?"
Grace looked up at Emma, "I'm fine, Sheriff. I never went into the ice cream shop."
"Then where did you get the ice cream?" she asked.
"Grace?" Jefferson said, concerned.
She licked it and shrugged, "A man gave it to me."
Jefferson grabbed the ice cream from his daughter's hands, "You know not to take anything from strangers!"
"What did the man look like, Grace?" Emma asked.
Grace shrugged, "Blonde with green eyes."
Neal's accomplice.
Jefferson shook his daughter and said, "Never leave my side and never take anything from strangers ever again. You could've been hurt or taken away from me."
She looked to the ground and pouted, "I'm sorry, father."
He hugged her and stood to shake Emma's hand, "Thank you."
"I didn't do much, but-"
"You did more than I could by myself," Jefferson nodded and started for the door with Grace, "Sorry to interrupt your day."
Emma nodded, "No problem at all."
She glanced at her watch and noticed the time, "Shit."
She forgot about Killian.
Emma spun around to attempt to buy something sweet for Killian in apologies, but she was suddenly taken aback by a kind, old woman. She raised an eyebrow, "Where did the man go?"
The woman shrugged, "What man?"
Emma shook her head and headed out of the ice cream shop and back to her car. She quickly drove to the go kart grounds and parked. Emma ran through the parking lot and into the building, where you purchased tickets, before scoping the area for Killian. The was no sign of him.
She reached for her phone and noticed the ten missed calls and eleven text messages from Killian, all of them topped off with the final message:
You didn't have to make a fool of me. You could have just said no.
Emma felt terrible.
Terrible that she couldn't find Grace herself.
Terrible that Neal had once again gotten her.
Terrible that she missed plans she accepted.
And terrible that Killian was now hurt. And that - that was the most pain she had felt in a long time. A long time ago, hurting Killian meant hurting herself, and now, that feeling was coming back.
A/N: So sorry for the late update. In return for your unlucky suspense, next chapter will be up on schedule and will be extra long! Love all of you beauties and hope you're enjoying this story.
Follow me on twitter (jenmonoghue) and leave me a review.
