Chapter 4: More Information and Rules

"So, what did you call me here for? Find out anything else?" Daryll asked, Craig taking a sip of his coffee.

"Something that I missed in my initial search. It's about Stonehenge. It seems that there is a book on display in the Smithsonian," Craig informed. "Though it is scheduled to be shipped back to the UK in a few weeks. In one week, it will be put away and under go the process of being prepared to be shipped."

"So I have to figure out how to get it before it ships is what I'm hearing, correct?" Daryll whispered.

"That is right. I'm not sure how much help it will be, but you will always take the chance if it can help. However, don't you feel like you're breaking Rule Ten?" Craig asked.

"I can't break it if I don't have any coworkers," Daryll reminded.

"That's Rule Twelve. Rule Ten is never get personally involved in a case," Craig corrected.

"I'm not personally involved," Daryll spoke.

"Really? Yesterday you said you gave her a gift," Craig reminded.

"It would be rude not to give her a gift on her birthday, considering that I know her," Daryll informed, Craig nodding, understanding his logic.

"Fair enough. So, how do plan on proceeding?" Craig wondered.

"I'm going to steal that book. And Jaune will be helping me. I'll start laying out a plan when I get home. So, what else is on the schedule today?" Daryll answered.

"Well, other than the news I wanted to deliver was from Leroy. He said that he would be delivering Jaune's papers, ID, and passport today personally. Rather not have to go through the trouble of the post office and not have to go to jail should he be caught. He said to expect him around noon," Craig added.

"I see. So she should be good to travel then," Daryll concluded.

"That's what I assume. So, what do you have cooking in that head of yours?" Craig asked, seeing the wheels turn in Daryll's head.

"As long as you don't let anyone know about this, I might let you know," Daryll whispered.

"You have my word," Craig nodded.

"So, just a basic plan, I'll flush out the details later. So, I'll get a security badge off of a guard, and then get into the off limits areas. I'll search until I find it. I'll probably have to have a decoy book to replace it with so they don't start looking until they realize it is too late," Daryll informed.

"That is a pretty good plan, but how will you get the decoy in?" Craig asked.

"I don't know yet. I was going to flush out the details later. So, onto more pleasant things, how are things with your brother?" Daryll asked.

"Not so good. We still aren't talking to each other," Craig answered, still thinks that I am in this for myself."

"You got the job to help with your mother's situation, right?" Daryll reconfirmed.

"You know that's why I took this job. I've been helping, but I am hardly ever home now," Craig repeated.

"As long as you know why you took the job, you shouldn't let your brother bother you about it," Daryll started. "Just don't second guess yourself."

"I'm not second guessing myself," Craig replied.

"Good. Make sure you don't second guess yourself. That's my personal Rule Three," Daryll informed.

"Why?" Craig asked.

"Once you start second guessing yourself, you start to doubt everything you do, which will make for mistakes you can't undo. Life is too short to have regrets," Daryll explained.

"Why is it that you can be deep one moment, but not the next?" Craig wondered.

"I'm an enigma. Best not to question it," Daryll smirked.

"Here she comes," Craig informed, Daryll hearing someone sit next to him.

"You sure took your sweet time," Daryll said.

"It seems that there is always a line for the ladies room," Jaune replied.

"Welcome to America. Land of the free, and where women have to take all day in the restroom," Daryll sarcastically greeted her.

"Why can't you just be normal like everyone else?" Jaune asked.

"Being normal is too dull and boring. I'd rather be weird or an outcast as long as I can be myself," Daryll answered. "Wait."

"What?" Jaune and Craig asked, seeing Daryll take out his phone. He took a picture of Jaune, and then looked at it.

"This could pose a problem," Daryll remarked, biting his lip.

"How bad is it?" Craig asked, seeing that lip bite before. Daryll has only bit his lip when he is in an extremely bad position.

"Take a look for yourself," Daryll handed his phone to Craig, who saw Jaune with cat ears.

"So, she's wearing ears. How is that bad?" Craig questioned.

"Look at her again," Daryll informed, Craig looking at Jaune.

"She doesn't have them on right now. So what?" Craig informed.

"Security cameras relay images back to the main network to give security guards a better idea of what is going on around them. Those cameras can pick out a face from across the room, something most phones can't. Those ears, are real. That's why I am headed to Stonehenge, to get her back to her world," Daryll explained in a hushed voice.

"So that's why you need the book. Wait, if they are real, how are you going to hide them from cameras at the Smithsonian, or even here?" Craig asked.

"A hat maybe? I don't know. This just means more work. I might have to have Leroy come along with a laptop so he can disrupt the cameras. No, that would mean we won't be able to get the book," Daryll spoke, trying to find out how he could get the book and hide Jaune's ears and tail.

"My older sister might be able to help. She also wants to go to the Air and Space part of the Smithsonian. The way I see it, that's two birds with one stone," Craig suggested.

"How would that help us?" Jaune asked.

"She was a programmer, and she spends most of her time preforming small hacks just to see what she can do. I'm sure she would love to get her hands on a highly secured building like the Smithsonian. Of course, that was a year ago, she might have quit the hacking game," Craig informed.

"I assume we would need someone who is good at that sort of thing, right Daryll?" Jaune asked, seeing Daryll remain silent. "Daryll?"

"Please don't," Daryll spoke, not looking at either of them.

"Why? She could help you," Craig said, trying to help Daryll.

"Sophomore year," Daryll reminded Craig.

"Ah, right. I forgot about that. So she's off the list as well," Craig remembered, Jaune being the only one left out of the loop.

"What happened?" Jaune wondered.

"I will never go near her again. That's all you need to know," Daryll informed. "So, do you think that we can get someone? I don't meet those kinds of people while working you know."

"It's near impossible. So, what do you want to do now?" Craig asked.

"Go home and wait for Jaune's papers. I'll flush out the details then," Daryll spoke, unsure of his plan now. Leroy was somewhat untrained, and could possibly wind up screwing them over, and the personal problem with Craig's sister put her out of the question, which left no one else he knew.

"Jaune, we might be on our own for this. I need to go to my thinking spot and figure something out. Head home while I put together a plan," Daryll said, getting up. Walking away from the group, he left the mall, leaving the two slightly confused.

"Well, if what he says it true, which it usually is, he is going to figure out a plan for stealing that book without anyone noticing it until it is too late," Craig informed. "Honestly, I'm hoping he doesn't go through with stealing it."

"Without it, I might never return home. Why do want him not to steal it?" Jaune asked.

"The repercussions it will have on him and his family. He steals that thing, and he is as good as dead, and his family will constantly be harassed by everyone. He must be thinking of a backup plan so that nothing will happen to his family or him," Craig explains. "Besides, he usually just says things. I've never once seen him act on any of his words."

"He saved me from being attacked when first coming here. Used his knife to do so," Jaune informed.

"He is a person who helps others, and doesn't think before doing it. He lives in the moment," Craig replied.

"It doesn't seem like it. Not from what I've seen," Jaune responded.

'He might not be personally involved, but she is,' Craig thought, seeing a fire in her eyes that he saw only when someone is defending someone they love. He has seen it many times before in both movies and a few times in the real world. He felt sorry for her, since Daryll had claimed not to be personally involved.

It was late at night, most people being asleep or getting home. Daryll however was walking back home after picking up a few supplies at different stores. He grabbed two identical book bags, some crafting supplies, and even had to go to a rather shady part of a shop to buy a glass cutlass that could be hidden in his boot. That purchase was of course cash, since he didn't want that kind of thing on his card. Once home, he opened the door, and saw his mother and Jaune, Jaune looking down, some papers in his mother's hands. He instantly knew where this was headed.

"Daryll, explain the meaning of these," his mother demanded, knowing to hold on to the full name card until she needed to.

"Those are exactly what they are," Daryll answered, knowing that hiding things at this point would be useless.

"Where do you plan on taking Jaune, if that even is her real name?" she interrogated.

"Home," Daryll answered. "Before you ask anything else, I think I owe you an explanation. The truth is that Jaune is not from this world. We've been discussing different things about our two worlds, and I promised I'd help her return to her world. I've been making preparations for her return, however, things got complicated as of today, and we now have to stop in DC before we can go to Stonehenge. That is as much as I can say."

Daryll felt his mother's glare, even though he was no longer looking at her. He was just praying that she didn't-

"Daryll Jethro Winchester." Use his full name.

"I can't say. Otherwise she might never be able to return, and I can't have anyone stop me. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it," Daryll spoke, some tears falling on the floor. He was doing his best not to involve his mother for her own sake, but he knew that if he didn't explain things to her, their trust and relationship would suffer.

"You plan on stealing something, aren't you?" his mother spoke, concerned for her son. "You'll be locked up and I might not see you again. Have you thought about that?"

"I have! And I don't care! There are people who are worried about her! As far as they know, she might be dead! I need to put their minds and worries to ease, even if I have to bend some rules," Daryll shouted, startling Jaune. She hadn't ever seen anyone lash out at their family like that where she was from, and started to feel bad, as she was the cause of the fight after all.

"Listen," Jaune started, Daryll raising his hand, cutting her off.

"Don't apologize. I am the one who said I would help. You are not the cause of this," Daryll interrupted, already knowing what she was about to say. He faced his attention towards his mother. "All I ask is that you don't get in my way, or get otherwise involved. Please give those to Jaune. She needs them."

"Why didn't you just tell me that from the beginning?" his mother asked.

"Who would believe that she came from a different world? I can tell you don't believe me," Daryll answered. He then remembered something. "But I can give you proof."

He pulled out his phone, showing his mother what he was doing. He opened up the camera app and pointed it at Jaune. She looked at Jaune, and then the camera. She had to look at Jaune again to make sure she was seeing things correctly. Daryll walked next to Jaune, his mother seeing that the camera had not changed his appearance.

"How does that work?" she asked, wondering what was going on.

"I don't know. But the one thing we all agreed on is that the naked eye cannot see them, but things like cameras and phones can see them. I didn't notice at first because I was trying to see where she was from when I first brought her here. I didn't look at the details," Daryll explained to his mother, who handed him his phone.

"Why don't you just ask for help? I would be glad to help," his mother reminded.

"I'd rather not have both of us behind bars," Daryll answered. "Now please, don't pry into this and just let it happen.