Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the WWE. Just any OCs!
Summary: AU. "Never take anything for granted. For everything can be taken away in a heartbeat." When a brutal attack causes Phil Brooks to lose his memory, he struggles to not only piece his life back together and regain what was lost, but also to discover who still wants him dead.
Author's Note: All righty, so, here we are with another update! This is the chapter that I think you guys have been waiting for, which is where we find out what happened to Phil (gotta admit I kinda feel bad now after meeting the guy :P Haha!). But, we'll see what happened to get Phil into the situation that he was in in chapter one. Clues have been there about who's behind things, but if not all of them were caught, it's okay. We still have a long way to go before the answer is revealed, and more clues will definitely be presented to you. So, enjoy and happy hunting :)
Warning: The last section of this chapter contains more violence than we've seen so far. Nothing too graphic, but it's still there. Just throwing that out there now, lol.
Chapter 12
Wednesday, 8:00 AM
Phil had never been so thankful to walk through the automatic doors of the police station. He smiled slightly at Layla, who gave him a friendly wave back, before he pushed open the door that led to the back offices. He walked down the narrow hall past a few open doors until he came to the one that belonged to him, turning on the light and taking a seat behind his desk. He cracked a couple of his knuckles before logging into his computer, raising his hazel eyes from the screen when the door opened again.
"Hey, you're back!" Trent Barreta said with a smile, shutting the door behind him before crossing the room and setting his bottle of Mountain Dew on his desk across from the other officer's.
"Yep," Phil replied as he leaned back in his seat. "And it's good to be back."
Trent's smile lingered as he sat down behind his computer. Phil watched him for a moment before he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket when he felt it vibrate. A smile appeared on his own face when he saw Kofi's name on the screen.
If we meet Sat, I might be a little late. Business meeting.
The officer quickly sent his response back. It's fine. I'll have to see how Sat goes myself.
Kofi's answer came quickly. Ok, man. Talk to u soon!
Phil slipped his cell phone back into his pocket just as a knock was heard at the door. It opened a moment later to reveal Darren, Matt Cardona following close behind. "So, Phil, I'm gonna have the two of you start off easy today," the Chief said. "I'd like you to patrol this morning. I know it's no' your favorite, but we haven' gotten any emergency calls ye' today, and we still have people on these leads with the incidents involving your mother."
Sighing, Phil rose to his feet, but a small smile appeared on his face as he turned to his rookie. In truth, he was just relieved to be back at work so he could put the events of the past couple days out of his mind. "All right, kid, you ready?" he asked.
Matt nodded earnestly, and Phil chuckled quietly as he approached him and Darren. He glanced briefly at the Chief when he patted him on the shoulder before beginning to walk down the hallway with Matt close beside him. "So, I see you survived working with Scott for a couple days," he said.
"Yeah, it was definitely different," Matt replied with a slight laugh. "He and Nick are gonna keep looking into this Michael Bolton guy. And the used car dealership. Something's up with that place."
Phil nodded once, remembering Scott updating him that something was suspicious about the car dealership, before a slight smirk appeared at the corner of his lips. "How can you say that with a straight face?" he wondered.
Matt just shrugged as he watched his mentor pull the keys to his squad car out of his pocket as they entered the lobby. "So, am I ever gonna get to drive?"
"Hmm." Phil's smirk broadened as he glanced at his rookie when they passed through the automatic doors and stepped out into the cool morning air. "We'll have to see."
Wednesday, 10:30 AM
Phil pulled away from the Starbucks' drive-thru after having a brief but friendly conversation with Kevin Kiley, setting his tea in the cup-holder nearest him while Matt unwrapped his strawberry croissant. "Little stops like this is the best part of patrolling," he admitted quietly, a slight smile on his face as he came to a stop at a red light.
Matt returned the look as he took a bite of his croissant. "Agreed," he said. "Especially since I haven't eaten anything yet today."
His mentor laughed as he drummed the steering wheel a tad impatiently while waiting for the light to change. "Well, they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day," he replied. "Not that I really eat much breakfast either..."
"And you're supposed to be setting a good example for me," Matt joked as he leaned forward and turned up the radio a little bit when the commercial for dog food finally ended.
"Hey, now." Phil arched an eyebrow as he turned to his rookie. "I'm supposed to set an example for you in matters of policing, not personal habits." Matt laughed, and the other officer sighed as he turned ahead of him again. "What is taking this damn light so long?"
Then, both Phil and Matt looked up in time to see a car speed down the intersecting road in front of them just as the light turned yellow. "They had to be going at least forty over," the latter muttered to himself.
"Yeah, no kidding." Phil reached forward to turn on the siren, but before he could, he and Matt both lurched forward when another car bumped into them from behind. "You have got to be kidding me..."
Matt watched as Phil picked up the squad car radio and called in the speeding car to any other officers who were out on patrol in the area, receiving a quick answer from Trent Baretta, before he stepped out of the car. He then followed his mentor to face the car that had hit them, watching as he first checked on the damage done to their own vehicle as well as for broken glass around them.
"Not too bad," Phil murmured, running his hand over the couple dents in the back bumper before he rose to his feet and turned to the powder blue car behind them, which had sustained a little more damage in the minor accident. The driver stepped out soon after, and he felt his stomach tighten.
"I'm so sorry about that," Eve Torres said as she hurried over to Phil and Matt. "It's my fault. I... I didn't see you guys..."
Phil's jaw remained set tightly as he crossed his arms. "You're right, Eve, it is your fault," he agreed. "You'll soon be getting a call from the station's insurance place, I'm sure. And a ticket as well."
Eve's eyes widened slightly as the officer turned on his heel and walked back toward the squad car to write down his information for her and grab a fresh ticket. She went after him, grabbing onto his arm. "Wait, Phil," she muttered frantically. "Let's talk about this. There must be another way."
The Latina was slightly surprised when Phil actually stopped and turned to face her. "Hmm, another way than me doing my job? Nice try, Eve, but no."
"Come on, Phil. My car is more damaged than yours!" Eve continued to try to persuade him. "If you're just doing this because you're my ex..."
Phil laughed, causing her to stop. "You really think that's the reason, Eve?" he asked. "If so, then that's just pathetic. Now if you excuse me, I have a job to do."
Eve sighed and let go of his arm, and she pursed her lips slightly and crossed her arms as Phil opened the driver's door. She then turned to look at Matt, who was waiting by his door, and smiled slightly as she gave him a quick wink when he met her gaze. The look broadened when she saw the slight color that graced his cheeks.
But then, Eve quickly looked away from him when someone cleared their throat impatiently, and she watched as Phil held out the ticket he had written in front of him with a tad of frustration. "I need your insurance information," he stated formally.
Rolling her eyes, Eve took the ticket from his hand along with the station insurance information and turned to walk back to her own car to write down hers. Matt watched after her, his eyes remaining on her as she quickly jotted down what the officers needed to know. She then stepped out from behind the wheel, but instead of giving the small slip of paper to Phil, she handed it to the rookie.
"There you go," she said, a smile lingering at the corner of her lips. "I'll be expecting a call."
"And you'll be getting one," Phil told her irritably before the other officer could reply. "Matt, get in the car."
Matt shook his head slightly and blinked a couple times at his mentor's words, holding onto the paper she had given him as he opened his door while Phil climbed back in behind the wheel. However, he glanced back at Eve once more, watching as she gave him another quick wink before he sank down into his own seat and shut the door.
"So, you used to... date her?" he asked as Phil began to drive away when the light turned green, remembering what the woman had said about his mentor being her ex.
Phil sighed as he kept his eyes on the road ahead of them. "Yeah, for two years," he answered quietly. "I ended the relationship after... after my mentor was killed. I didn't want to be involved with anyone. But she's been harassing me ever since. Just can't get over it, I guess. It's been six years, so you'd think that she'd get the point and move on." He paused, glancing at Matt. "Don't think of getting involved with her. Too much trouble."
Matt felt slight color rise to his cheeks once more before he handed the sheet of paper she had given him after the minor crash over to Phil. The other officer rolled his eyes in annoyance when he saw the small heart Eve had drawn next to her cell phone number and dropped the sheet on the dashboard.
A few minutes of uncomfortable silence passed between the two officers while Phil drove before Matt finally glanced over at the tattooed man. "How... how was your mentor killed?" he wondered quietly.
The only answer he got was more silence.
Wednesday, 1:20 PM
"Ah, there you are, man!" Scott said with a smile as Phil and Matt sat down at the same table that he, Nick, and Cody were sitting at toward the back of the Wendy's they had previously agreed to meet at. "Most of your lunch is gone!"
Phil chuckled quietly as he set his tray down on the table and began to unwrap his fish sandwich. "Yeah, well we had to bring our car back to the station to get it looked at and get a new one," he replied while Matt nodded his agreement. "We got rear-ended, but thankfully the damage isn't too bad."
"Seriously?" Nick asked as he raised an eyebrow and took a quick sip of his soda. "Who the hell rear-ends a police officer?"
"Eve Torres," Phil answered with a slight smirk. "Tried to flirt her way out of trouble too."
Cody rolled his eyes with annoyance. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered, opening another ketchup pack for his French fries.
"I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that she's still bothering you," Scott added with a slight shake of his head. "That's what I call one psycho bitch."
This comment elicited a laugh out of Phil, who nodded as he raised an eyebrow. "I think I'll agree with you on that one, Scotty."
Nick took a bite of his chicken sandwich, but his eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed that Matt was staying rather quiet, and he couldn't help but wonder if something was bothering the younger man. But he didn't have much time to dwell on it when Phil reached over and lightly hit Cody's left shoulder.
"Must feel good to get that sling off, huh?" he said.
Cody chuckled, quickly raising his left arm in the air before lowering it again. "You have no idea how great it felt walking into the hospital this morning," he replied with a smile. "Normally I'd never say that, but it's great to have my arm back. And I can't wait to come back to work tomorrow."
"And I can't wait to have you back, partner," Nick told him with a smile. "Though I'll admit it hasn't been too boring without you. We'll have to check out what's going on at a used car dealership for Scott while he focuses more on finding Bolton. So, you already have your work cut out for you!"
The other officer's smile lingered. "Can't wait."
"Just tired of being Darren's secretary, huh?" Phil wondered jokingly, taking a sip of his iced tea.
"You mean Darren's bitch," Scott murmured, causing the rest of the table to laugh.
Cody chuckled a little too. "Don't get me wrong, it was better than sitting restlessly at home. But yes, I'm looking forward to getting back out in the field."
"I hear ya on that one," Phil muttered in agreement.
Nick smirked, dipping one of his French fries into his vanilla Frosty before turning his attention to Cody. "So, with all that time at home, did you think of a way to propose yet?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his light eye.
Cody nearly dropped his soda at the question. "Um, well..."
However, he didn't get too much further when Scott leaned forward on the table. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up!" he interrupted. "Hold everything! Did you just say what I thought you said, Nick?"
"You're gonna propose to Layla?" Phil added, his gaze on Cody while Matt watched with interest.
Slight color appeared in Cody's cheeks. "Well, cat's out of the bag now," he murmured, causing Nick to smirk. "But yes, I am."
"Congrats, man!" Scott said with a laugh while Phil nodded. "When did you decide to do this? Do you have the ring yet?"
"Thanks." Cody smiled slightly. "I've been thinking about it for a long time. And yeah, I got it a few days ago."
"Well, good, I'm happy for ya, man," Phil told him. "Make sure to keep us updated, okay?"
Cody nodded, picking up another fry. "I will, man. Thanks."
Phil smiled as he leaned back in his seat, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket when he felt it vibrate. This time, the text was from Mike.
Are u guys meeting Sat?
The officer quickly typed in his answer. I expect to see u there, Mizanin.
He chuckled quietly when the response came back. Fine, Brooks. Let me know when and where!
Will do when I know myself. Phil slipped his phone back into his pocket after he sent the text, stretching his back out slightly.
Scott smiled as he looked at the other officers. This was his favorite time of the lunches that they had together. "All right, hypothetical question time," he stated, and the other men groaned, except for Matt, who really had no idea what was about to happen. "Uh, Phil. You first."
The officer in question glanced at his best friend. "Fire away," he said, stirring his iced tea a little.
"Hmm." Scott looked thoughtful for a moment before he chuckled. "Say the five of us are dealing with a psychopath. Who would you take a bullet for?"
Phil raised an eyebrow. "That's kinda depressing," he replied.
Scott shrugged. "That's why it's hypothetical!"
The dark-haired officer chuckled slightly as he leaned forward on the table. "Well, not you because you asked the stupid question," he mused, smirking when Scott gave him a look of mock hurt. "I'm kinda obligated to do so for my rookie, so Matt's lucky. Nick... well, you have a pregnant wife, so I guess I'd do it for you. And Cody... only on a good day."
Then, Phil started laughing along with the rest of the group when Cody threw an ice cube from his soda at him. He was definitely glad to be back.
But, the fun festivities of that day's lunch soon began to wind down after everyone else said who they would take a bullet for, Scott being the only one saying no one while Matt didn't quite know what to say. "Well, I suppose it's almost that time, huh, guys?" Phil said with a sigh.
Nick pulled out his phone to check the time. "So it would seem," he muttered. "Back to the ol' grind."
"Yep," Cody agreed as he rose to his feet and picked up his tray while the rest of the group did the same. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Phil agreed before he and Matt walked away from the table and threw their trash away.
"So... can I drive yet?" Matt asked with a slight smile as he and his mentor left the fast food restaurant.
Phil smiled as he unlocked their squad car, chuckling quietly as he climbed in behind the wheel. "We'll see, kid," he answered as his rookie slid into his seat beside him. "We'll see."
Wednesday, 6:15 PM
"So, how'd everything go today?" Darren asked as he looked up from his desk. "Besides tha' minor accident, tha' is."
"Not bad," Phil answered with a slight shrug from where he stood leaning against the open doorway. "About as good as patrolling can go, anyway."
The Chief chuckled quietly as he rose to his feet. "You really don' like patrolling, do you?" he wondered.
"Honestly? No," Phil told him, crossing his arms. "I get that it's especially important with a rookie to help learn the ropes and everything, I did that a lot with Scott too, but I prefer other things."
"You've always been tha' way," Darren muttered with a fond smile. "Always wanting to be ou' on the front line." He paused for a moment, leaning over slightly to check the files on his desk he had been going over before the other officer had come into the room. "Well, Sco' is still doing well with the domestic disturbance incidents, and I have Nick and Cody investigating tha' used car dealership. Bu' don' worry. I should be able to find something for you and Matthew tomorrow."
"Thanks, Darren," Phil said with a slight smile himself. "I appreciate it."
"Yeah, yeah." Darren chuckled quietly as he looked back at the other officer. "Now, there's something I want' to go over with you, bu' since tonight's the night you always spend with your family, we won' worry abou' i' now. It's nothing bad, so don' worry abou' tha'. I just wan' you to be aware tha' we'll have to find a time to talk."
The younger man arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" he wondered. "I mean, if it won't take long, I don't mind..."
However, his sentence trailed off when Darren raised a hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, Phil," he said.
Phil looked at him curiously for a moment before he nodded. "See you tomorrow," he agreed.
Darren smiled slightly as he watched Phil leave his office before glancing down at the sheet of paper on the bottom of the pile he had previously been going over, his gaze passing over the application for the assistant Chief of Police position.
Humming quietly to himself, Phil walked down the narrow hallway until he reached the lobby, waving to the Englishwoman behind the front desk. "Have a good night, Lay."
"You too, Phil," Layla replied with a smile. "See you tomorrow."
The officer nodded, his smile lingering as he stepped out into the cool evening air, the automatic doors slowly sliding shut behind him.
Wednesday, 7:05 PM
See u on Sat, man!
Phil smiled slightly as he sent a smiley face in return to the text he had received from Bryan while he had been driving, wondering where the old gang would be meeting that weekend. He slipped his cell phone in his pocket as he rang the doorbell of his mother's house, noticing that the living room window had been replaced before the door opened a few mere seconds later. A broad smile appeared on his face when he was greeted by a dark-haired woman who had similar features to him.
"Hey, Nat, good to see you!" he said, pulling his twin sister into his arms.
Natalie Brooks hugged him tightly, chuckling a little. "Yeah, it's about time, you punk," she replied, pulling back to look at him. "It's been too long, oh crazy brother of mine."
Phil nodded his agreement, glad to see her after their lunch plans fell through during his couple days off. "You've been behaving, I hope," he muttered as he stepped inside and slipped his shoes off.
"Nah, what fun would that be?" Natalie wondered as she followed him into the living room.
The officer smirked as he glanced back at her. "That's my girl."
The twins entered the kitchen, and Phil's smirk melted into a smile when he saw his nephew sitting in a high chair at the kitchen table, eating some sort of baby food being fed to him by Cheline, who had her back to them. Parker, however, started to bounce excitedly when he saw them.
"'il! 'lie!"
"Hey, little buddy," Phil said, reaching out and ruffling his nephew's light baby hair. He chuckled quietly when the small child made a sound of content as he grabbed his finger.
"How's my favorite nephew doing?" Natalie wondered, leaning down and kissing his chubbier cheek, which caused him to laugh. "Eating well for Mommy?" Parker released the officer's finger as he turned his attention fully to his aunt, reaching his small hands out to play with a loose strand of her black hair.
Cheline smiled at her older siblings as she rose to her feet. "Hey, there you are, Phil," she muttered, passing the container of crushed peas to Natalie to keep giving to Parker.
Phil pulled his sister into his arms when she wound hers around him. "Good to see ya, Chel," he replied. "Sorry we couldn't meet for lunch."
"That's all right. At least we get to see you now." She glanced back at Natalie, who continued to talk to Parker, making him laugh, as she fed him before turning back to her brother. "Has... has Michael talked to you at all? I know it's hard for you to talk about, Phil, but we have to see why he's here."
"Yeah, he stopped by my apartment a couple nights ago, but he didn't stay long," he told her, his gaze darkening slightly. "Though I'm not buying what he's been saying so far."
Cheline sighed, brushing some brown hair out of her face. "Don't you think it's time to try to put all of this aside?" she asked. "To try to make peace?"
"Only if he proves to me that's truly what he wants," Phil answered stubbornly.
"Well, we'll be meeting him tomorrow for lunch," Cheline stated, leaning on the chair nearest her. "Why don't you join us? That way, we can all be there."
Phil shrugged slightly. "I'll have to see how my work schedule is."
Cheline opened her mouth to reply, but she instead turned over her shoulder when she heard approaching footsteps. Phil raised his hazel eyes away from his sister, and a smile appeared on his face when he saw a familiar petite woman had entered the kitchen.
"Hey, Mom."
"Good, I'm glad you're here, Phil," Lynne said, hugging her son for a moment before hurrying over to the oven to turn it off. "Because you're just in time for supper."
Wednesday, 11:03 PM
Phil ran a hand through his loose dark hair as he drove down the dark road, turning up the radio a little bit when a song he recognized broke through the speakers. Cheline had left with Parker a couple of hours before since she had to get him to bed, and he had spent time playing games with his mother and twin before he had left himself so he could relax a little before having to get ready for work the next morning. Natalie was going to stay with Lynne for a while longer, and he had promised to give them a call when he got home.
He came to a stop at a red light, rubbing his weary eyes as he leaned back in his seat. The officer had to wonder what kind of assignment from Darren he and his rookie would get the next day, as well as what the Chief wanted to talk to him about, but he knew that anything would be better than patrolling.
The light turned green, not taking too long since there wasn't too much traffic. Phil turned onto an almost empty street that would bring him to his apartment, but as he passed the brightly-lit bar on the corner known as Dead Man's Tavern, he slowed his car slightly when what appeared to be a disturbance caught his eye. Looking closer, he saw there were a few clearly drunk men arguing loudly outside the door, all with bottles in their hands and a couple with cigarettes in their mouths.
For a moment, Phil put his car in park as he debated about trying to settle them down. But, he reasoned, he was off duty and didn't even have his gun, and there were plenty of people still on duty who could take care of it if it proved to be a problem.
Phil pulled out his cell phone to make a call to the station, but before he could dial the number, the driver's window suddenly shattered. He covered his head to protect himself from broken glass just as the door was unlocked and pulled open. The officer didn't have much time to react when his seatbelt was ripped off, but he held back a cry when his right knee twisted slightly when it got caught in the belt as he was pulled out of the car, his phone dropping from his hand.
Instinct alone caused him to throw his hands out in attempt to block his fall as he was tossed to the hard asphalt, and he winced when he felt his knees and palms get scraped up a little from the impact. Phil quickly glanced over his shoulder, seeing his assailants were two men wearing dark sweaters with hoods to conceal their faces. He quickly looked ahead of him again, reaching out with his left hand to grab a decent sized rock to defend himself with.
However, his fingertips merely brushed against it when a black boot came heavily down on his hand, and this time, the officer couldn't hold back a shout of pain when he felt the bones in a couple of his fingers snap under the weight. "You won't be needing that, Phil," a familiar electronic voice said quietly from behind him.
Phil felt dread flood through him, and even though the voice itself came from some sort of device, he recognized it immediately. He had seen these two men before. The officer slowly began to turn to face them again, only to be met with a heavy fist colliding with the side of his face that sent him back to the ground. Before he could fully recover from the impact, a couple kicks landed on his torso, and Phil rolled onto his side in attempt to escape from them. He wrapped his arms around his abdomen and closed his eyes tightly when it continued to burn, and he wouldn't have been surprised if a rib or two had cracked under the pressure.
However, he knew he couldn't give up so easily, and Phil lunged his foot out angrily at his assailants. He smiled slightly with satisfaction when it connected with one of the men's knees, causing him to drop momentarily, but he was rewarded by a foot of the other man connecting with the side of his head. He lay on the hard ground for a moment to catch his breath, able to taste some blood in his mouth, as he waited for the pain to subside slightly before he attempted to push himself to an upright position.
"You just won't quit, will you, Phil?" the man who had spoken first muttered, shaking his head slightly as he reached into the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. "You never have. Here. Maybe this will finally teach you to just lie still for once and keep your nose out of business that does not concern you."
There was something about the ominous tone of the other man's voice that made Phil uneasy, but he still pushed himself to a crouching position, wavering slightly on his bad knee before glaring up at the two men. However, his eyes widened fearfully when he saw a small handgun in the shorter one's black gloved hand aimed directly at him, and he didn't have time to react before it went off, the sound muffled slightly due to a silencer.
For a moment, the pain didn't even register. But then, a cry ripped from Phil's throat when an intense, burning sensation began to radiate from the spot in his right side where the bullet had entered his body as he collapsed to the ground.
A quiet laugh reached his ears before the same gun then connected with the side of his head, nearly causing him to lose his already loose grasp on his consciousness. "It's been a pleasure, Phil," the man muttered, leaning down close to his ear. "I would say we'd see you again, but I don't think that'll be the case."
Phil didn't even have the strength to resist as each man grabbed one of his arms and dragged him over to the sidewalk. They carelessly tossed him down near a closed shop, and a quiet whimper escaped from the officer's throat when he landed hard against the side of the brick building. He couldn't even open his eyes as he listened to the men's retreating footsteps shortly followed by the louder sound of squealing tires that soon disappeared into the distance. He wasn't sure how much time passed, though he knew it couldn't have been long, before the pulsating pain in his side finally claimed the last of his consciousness.
Author's Note: Well, we have quite a bit presented to us here, including some important details that definitely shouldn't be overlooked. But, as I said, we have a long way to go yet before we get to the answer of who is behind everything. So keep an eye out! Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!
