Hello...
If you're reading this, do one thing for me...
Pray...
Pray to God...
Pray for forgiveness if you've done something you're not proud of. I know that's what I'd do. If you're wondering what I'm talking about, I'd rather not say, but let's just say I've been trying to get my life together and back on track, especially with me starting college in January. And I want you guys to bare with me and stick by what I said. Pray. Please. Show love. Be good. That's all I ask of you.
Now, as for this chapter, we're gonna see Blake's family again, and see Jake follow some Hollywood Arts students who are visiting the crime agency... and something happens. So, I hope you enjoy it!
Warning: Contains some violence... stabbing to be exact.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 21: Possible New Leads?
"I hate Jake... I hate Jake... I hate him SO MUCH!" Blake growled as he fired another shot at the dummy with Jake's face on it. He was currently in the basement of his home, practicing his target range. Just in case he needed it. It wasn't always easy for Blake to hold a grudge against someone, but when that someone is Jake, it was as simple as it got.
Ever since the heated drama that night, Blake lost all respect, if he had any, for Jake. He lost his trust, he lost his faith, and he pretty much lost any sympathy he had for his rival. The hate he had for him only grew stronger. He blamed him for what happened to their house. He blamed him for letting D.P.K.T.I target his family.
But most of all... he blamed him for what happened to his daughter.
After Blair was poisoned, she was rushed to the hospital. Thankfully, they were able to flush the poison out, though Blair was to stay overnight. Unfortunately, it had already affected her body, and no longer was she the happy toddler who made her parents smile... she was now a more quiet and mysterious child, who rarely ever smiled now.
And that not only broke Ally's heart, but it infuriated Blake so much, that he vowed to kill Jake if D.P.K.T.I wasn't taken care of.
The Clark family hadn't really been the same since Blair's change. Ally still worked with the Crime Agency. However, Blake had forbidden her from associating with Jake in any way. What he didn't know was that she still was... behind his back. He didn't realize that they were partners in this case, and needed to work together. And as much as Ally wanted to tell him that, she knew he wouldn't give a damn.
As for Blair herself, she was now eight years old. She was a splitting image of her father still, but had her mothers personality and mannerism. Anyone would go awe at the sight of her, and she would appreciate it... if she wasn't so antisocial. Trying to get her to talk is a challenge, and she barely said anything outside of, 'Hi', 'Momma', 'Daddy', or 'Bye Bye'.
No matter how much help Blake and Ally tried to get for their daughter, nothing seemed to work.
And Blake blamed it all on Jake.
"Damn you, Jake! Why do you always have to ruin EVERYTHING for me?" The former villain seethed, firing another shot at a target, "I swear to God that if D.P.K.T.I fucking hurts my family one more time, I will kill you, Jake! I am DEAD SERIOUS! You fuck this up, I will fuck you up!"
After firing more and more shots, he decided to take a break. Thankfully, since it was Saturday, he could finally spend sometime with his family. He had been at his job all week long, and he needed some time to relax with his wife and daughter.
He walked out of the basement, and into the kitchen to get a drink. The new house they moved in was different from their old house. A bit smaller, but it had a lot more space. Ally used one of the rooms as her office space, for when she needed to get work done. There was even a playroom for Blair, where she would play, or do her homework.
The relationship between Blake and Ally seemed to also have changed. Because of his anger towards Jake, Blake was more focused on that than he was ever focused on his wife.
And he was more protective of Blair than ever. Anyone who tried to harm his daughter, they would meet an unfortunate fate with him.
"Nobody hurts my babies and gets away with it." He muttered as he grabbed a can of beer from the refrigerator. After opening it, he walked into the living room and sat down next to Ally, who was working on her laptop. Blair was currently in the playroom.
"So... are you done with your daily Jake rages?" Ally asked him jokingly.
Blake glared at her, "I told you to never mention that name in this house..." He replied.
"Honey, you have to get over this hatred. I keep telling you that it wasn't his fault..."
"He was suppose to make sure that D.P.K.T.I never targeted our family! And look what happened! Once again he fucks everything up for me! And not only do we lose our home, and our daughter turned into a zombie! But we have been living in this shitty place for SIX FUCKING YEARS in hiding, in hopes that those bastards won't find us again!"
"It's not so bad... at least we still have each other as a family. Things could have been way worse than they were. Blair could've died from whatever was injected in her. But she didn't... she's alive... she's well... and we should be happy."
"But she's not the same!" Blake exclaimed in annoyance. "She used to be happy, energetic, and lovable! But now it's like she hates us or something. She barely talks. She barely smiles, and she just wants around like she doesn't have any sense! And I hate it!"
Ally sighed, "I know what you mean... I can't remember the last time she even said 'I love you' to either of us... but... she's a growing girl... we just have to give her some time to learn how to communicate better..."
"She's eight years old, babe. She should already know."
"Which is why I'm hoping to get her some help in the near future. But for now, we just have to be patient with her... and love her for who she is..."
"All I know is, is that Jake better fix the mess he made... or I'm gonna make a mess of him..."
With that sentence, he gulped down a huge sip of his beer. "Please don't drink too much today..." Ally warned him, concerned over his obsessions with beers. "I honestly don't plan on, darling..." Was his response.
"So... when are we gonna tell them...?"
"Tell them what..."
"You know... me being..."
"Oh... um, well, when do you wanna tell them?"
"Well... I was hoping to set up a dinner, and invite my parents, Skylar and her family, and Jake's family-"
At the mention of 'Jake's family', Blake immediately gave his wife a death stare, "Oh hell no. Why are you inviting Jake's family? They don't need to be there!"
"Blake, remember, they just got their daughter back. And she saved the universe! I haven't gotten the chance to meet her yet."
"I told you that I didn't want you associating with anybody related to that idiot!"
Ally frowned at her husband, "Please. You can't hold a grudge against Jake forever you know. I know you feel like he failed you, but he's still doing the best he can. And he won't rest until he finds out what D.P.K.T.I is up to, and puts a stop to it. You gotta learn how to trust him.
"I can't trust anything he does anymore after that night. I gave him a chance, and he blew it."
"But you can give him another chance..."
"Another chance to screw things up?"
"No... another chance to make things right..."
After a few moments of silence, Blake groaned. As much as he hated to admit it, he hated to disappoint his wife. So he just said, "Fine... I'll give him one more chance... after this, no more..."
Ally smiled, "Oh, thank you, baby... I love you..."
"Love you too, doll..."
The couple shared a kiss, not noticing that Blair was watching them from her playroom... with a small smile...
Later on...
"So, Kari. The first place I wanted to show you was my office. I have the weekend off, but I want to tell you more about what I do.." Jake said to his daughter as they walked into the agency. The eight year old looked around the place. It sure was big, with people walking all around, talking, carrying stuff, and what not.
Jake smiled at how amused she looked, but could tell that she was a little nervous as he took her hand, "It's okay, sweetie. The people who work here are nice people. Though my boss can be a bit tough." He assured her as he walked to the front desk, where secretary, Missy Jones, was sitting with a smile, "Hi, Jake. Isn't it your weekend off?" She asked in a chirper tone.
"It is, but I wanted to bring this little one here so she could see where I work." He picked up the child so his friend could see her better, "Say hi..." He told her.
"Hi..." Kari waved.
Missy gasped, "Oh, is this your long lost daughter? Oh, she's so cute! Hi, Kari! I'm Missy. I work as a secretary here. I answer the phone, and fill out papers. It's kinda boring, but I love it!"
Kari just smiled, "And I think you came on the perfect day, because we have a high school class coming in for a tour!" Missy added, "Oh, I love when kids come in to see what we do around here."
Jake chuckled, "On a Saturday, though?"
"I guess sometimes you can't do it on a weekday."
"I wanna meet the students!" Kari spoke up, "When are they coming?"
Missy checked her watch, "They should be arriving right about... now!"
As if on cue, the three heard a bus outside of the building. Looks like the high school class was already here. Jake walked to the door to get a better look, and recognized the class as sophomores. Why? Because he spotted Kiara within the group. And he knew that she was in tenth grade. He watched as they entered the building with their teacher, "Alright, class. Settle down now. The tour will begin shortly."
Jake smiled when Kiara looked in his direction, "Hi, Kiara. Didn't know you were going to be here." He greeted, walking over to her with Kari, "I'm sure you haven't met my daughter yet, have you?"
"Hi..." Kari greeted softly.
The fifteen year old merely waved, not saying a word. "Daddy, does she talk?" Kari asked her father.
"Not much... then again, I don't see her as much..." Jake whispered, "But let's just be nice to her, okay?"
To be truthful, much like Tori was, Jake was also concerned about Kiara's strange fixation on D.P.K.T.I, especially when she was younger, and how she spoke about how the evil organization will rise in the near future. From what he could gather according to Tori, she still went on about it, even writing journal entries about it.
Somehow... he had to get his hands on that journal...
Maybe whatever she wrote could be a founding factor, or even the key to this whole mystery.
The students stood around until a woman walked towards them. Jake recognized her as one of the top investigators, Mia Sanders, another good friend of his. "Hello, class of Hollywood Arts. Welcome to the LA Crime Agency." She greeted, "I'm Mia, and I'll be your tour guide. Here, you will learn about what we do when a crime happens. If you'd please follow me..."
With that, she began to lead the students down a hall. As she did, Jake noticed that one of the students was lagging behind a little... her head bowed, and she seemed to be following directly after Kiara. As if... she were a slave following her master. Maybe they were friends...
This made Jake curious, as he decided to follow them, "Let's tag along for the tour, Kari." He told his daughter, who took his hand as they walked.
From there, the tour went well so far, with Mia telling the students about all the notable crimes that they have investigated and solved, and even Jake had a say in the crimes that he had investigated over the years. But all the while, he still kept an eye on the one girl who kept her head bowed and remained silent. He was hoping she would say something, but all she did was follow the rest of the group silently, not saying a word.
Something is definitely going on with that girl... and I intend to find out what...
By 11:30, the tour was coming to an end, as Mia had one last thing to show them, "Alright, everyone! In our little museum of crime weapons, I wanted to save the best for last!" She opened a nearby curtain, and behind it was... a knife on a pedestal, secured in a glass case.
"This knife was used in the 2055 massacre of a local restaurant here in LA. A masked criminal came in and started stabbing people out of nowhere. The thing is, the suspect escaped, and hasn't been found since. But we've found the weapon used and placed it here... so we can remember..." She explained.
Some of the students looked interested, some of them didn't seem to care. Kari whimpered at the sight of the knife, which Jake noticed, "It's okay, sweetie... I got you..." He assured her. Jake was aware that the abuse she went through with Shawn involved knives, so he knew she was going to be wary and nervous around sharp objects.
What he didn't notice... was Kiara staring hard at the knife, before she whispered something to the silent girl next to her.
After that, Mia led everyone to the cafeteria for lunch. Most of the students sat together, so Jake took the time to speak to some of them, "So, did you like the tour? I hope it some of our cases have fascinated you." he asked.
One of the boys shrugged, "It's alright. Don't know what it has to do with performing arts though."
"Yeah. Why did we need to come here for crime investigating?" Asked a blonde girl.
"Well, it is educational. And who knows, maybe one day, one of you might want to do the same as me." Jake explained. "To think I started off as a pirate, and now here I am solving crimes."
As he spoke with the students, he noticed that Kiara was sitting by herself, away from the other kids. Curious, he decided to talk to her, "Um... hi, Kiara..." He greeted as he sat down beside her, "How come you're not sitting with your friends...?"
"I'd rather be alone..." The fifteen year old said quietly, "And they're not my friends... I don't associate with them..."
"What do you mean they're not your friends? Everyone should have a friend."
"I don't need friends... those other kids are going to fall when D.P.K.T.I rises..."
Another mention of that. Jake frowned, "Kiara... how do you know so much about D.P.K.T.I?"
Kiara glared at him, "You don't deserve to know..." She growled, her eyes flashing dangerously. Jake was taken aback a little. The teen had gotten a bit hostile there. What did she know that he didn't deserve to know? She had to have known.
"But, sweetie. You have to tell me. D.P.K.T.I must be stopped."
"There's no stopping it... they have put their plan in motion already... they will rise!"
As much as Jake wanted to question her even more, he knew she wasn't going to spill anything. If she was that secretive, who knows what Skylar's been teaching her or letting her do. But it was okay...
Because he was going to get that journal... that journal most likely had the answers to his questions.
"Um... okay then, nice talking to you..." He said, getting up and walking away.
He made his way over to Kari, who was eating a sandwich he had made at home for her, "So, did you enjoy what the Crime Agency had to offer so far, sweetie?" He asked her.
Kari nodded, "Yeah... the people here are nice..."
Jake smiled. He was glad his daughter was getting along with everyone. Even the students, since earlier he took notice of her talking to some of the kids. Speaking of the students... where was that little silent girl? The former pirate looked around, but there wasn't any sign of her sitting down eating lunch... she wasn't even in the room.
Maybe I should look for her... we can't lose any students...
As Jake was about to search, she came in... her head still bowed... and it looked like she was holding something in her hand. He watched her carefully, as she made her way over to a group of students eating...
Suddenly there was a scream...
And then a lot of screaming...
It all happened pretty fast...
Before Jake could react, the girl grabbed another student, a brunette girl, threw her to the floor, pinned her there, and started stabbing her with a knife in the stomach. The other students were too shocked to do anything, Kari was horrified, but Jake soon found himself running towards the girl, and pulling her off, pinning her to the floor after grabbing the knife away from her.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
She remained still, with tears streaming down her cheeks, "Stop! Don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me!" She exclaimed frantically. That was the first time Jake ever heard her talk, "Shhh... calm down... I won't hurt you... nobody will hurt you..." He turned to Mia, who was nearby, "Mia! Call 911! We need an ambulance!"
The other students were tending to the wounded brunette, who was breathing heavily, sobbing, and holding her bleeding stomach. Another worker of the agency made his way over to her, "Alright stand back, kids. I got this..." He had a thick cloth with her, and began to wrap it around her waist to stop the bleeding, "There, that should hold the flow until paramedics arrive..."
As for Jake, he continued to hold down the silent girl... she wasn't struggling at all, but he wasn't going to take any chances and let her go.
He looked down at the weapon she used. For some reason... it was eerily familiar. Too eerily familiar...
Finally, it clicked in his head.
It was the knife they had seen minutes ago!
How did she get her hands on it?
"Honey... tell me your name..." He said softly.
"D... Dana... Dana Deville." She replied with a sob.
Dana... Deville?
The name made Jake freeze for a minute. This student had the exact last name as the very man who harmed his family. Could it be...? He tried not to think about it as he spoke again, "Okay, Dana. I'm about to let you go. You're not going to try anything else... are you?"
The teen shook her head, as he nodded and released her. She stood up shaking, and sat in a nearby chair, "Just try to relax, sweetie..." Jake attempted to comfort her. "Can you tell me the name of the student you stabbed?"
"Um... Aria... Aria Gomez." She answered.
Gomez?
Now this was getting suspicious. Dana has the same last name as Mr. Deville, and Aria has the same last name as Sophie. He feared the worst... and didn't want to think about it.
This case is getting more and more interesting and suspicious.
Later on... Jake was once again in his study. In the aftermath of the stabbing incident, he was able to convince the police not to arrest Dana, for he believed she was a troubled child in some way, and didn't stab Aria by her own will. So, she was let off with a warning, however was suspended from school for five days.
As for Aria, she barely made it. She had lost a lot of blood, and thankfully survived, and was currently in the hospital. And just as Jake suspected and feared, she was indeed the daughter of Sophie Gomez. He never knew Sophie had married and had children.
However, when he looked through her records, he found out that she had divorced a few years back, and Aria was her only child. Why he hadn't heard of her before, he'll never know...?
And then there was Dana. He didn't want to think that Dana was in any way related to Mr. Deville. If so, he would feel sorry for the child.
As he thought about this, his phone began to buzz. It was Tori, who was looking to talk to him. He answered it, "Hello?"
"Hey..." Tori greeted on the other end.
"Hi, Tori... what's up?"
"I heard about what happened today. I hope that girl is okay."
"She's okay. She barely made it."
"Oh thank god... I wonder why that other girl stabbed her like that."
"That's what I wanna know... but I have a feeling that she didn't do it on her free will... I think someone told her to do it..."
"What makes you say that?"
"She seemed pretty scared... when I saw her today, she was silent the whole time until she started to stab the other girl. As if... she were following orders for someone... and here's something scary... her name... is Dana Deville."
He heard Tori gasp, "Dana... Deville... Deville as in the teacher who hurt Troy?"
"Yep... though I'm not so sure. I have a feeling she may be related to him."
"Well no wonder she stabbed the other girl..."
"And here's another thing... the girl who got stabbed... was Aria Gomez... that last name sound familiar?"
"Gomez... as in Sophie Gomez?"
"Correct... Aria is her daughter."
There was silence on the other end. Jake could tell that Tori was shocked by what he told her. After a few more moments, she spoke again, "My god... Sophie had a child... someone was actually sane enough to marry and have a child with that she beast."
"According to her files, she divorced a few years ago, so Aria's her only child."
"With the way she flaunts around, I wouldn't be surprised if Sophie didn't give a shit if her daughter was injured."
Jake frowned, "I wouldn't be so sure of that. Sophie was immediately contacted, and she wants to sue both the school and the agency... oh boy..."
"Gosh... so much is still happening... it's a good thing you were there."
"I know... hey, didn't you mention Kiara having a journal?"
"Yes...?"
"I need to get my hands on it. I need to see what she's written."
Tori seemed unsure about that, "I don't if that's a good idea. Her journal is like a diary. I don't think you'd want to invade her privacy."
"I know." Jake replied, "But I have a feeling whatever she's written in there might shed some light on the D.P.K.T.I case. I have a feeling that Kiara knows more about this than we do. And I bet she writes it all down in that little book."
He definitely had a point, and Tori couldn't help but agree, "I guess you're right. But good luck getting it away from her, though. She can get pretty possessive about her things."
"Right..."
"So anyways, I wanted to tell you before I forget. Ally's invited me, Skylar, and her family over to dinner next Friday night, and she's also invited you and your family over too."
Jake was taken aback by what she said. A dinner? And with his family? "Wait... she's inviting my family? How... nice."
"Yeah. She says she has some special announcement she wants to make. I have a feeling I know what it is, but I still wanna know that day. So... you up for it."
To be truthful, Jake wasn't sure if he wanted to go. As much as he would love to see Ally and Blair again... he knew he would also have to face Blake, who at the moment, hated his guts. "I'm surprised Blake allowed her to do this, since he hates me so much now. I'm sure he would love for me to come over to his house, so he can rip my head off."
He heard Tori giggle a bit, "Oh, I'm sure he won't do that. Yeah, he may still be a bit mad at you, but I'm sure he's gotten over it... somewhat. It's been six years. But I'd really like for you to be there. Ally wants everyone. And Blair misses you. She wants to see 'Unca Jake' again."
At the mention of Blair missing him, Jake blushed. He never thought of that, especially with how the poison affected her. And he also remembered that Kari was the exact same age as Blake's daughter, so maybe they could be friends. That is, unless Blake doesn't allow it.
"Well... okay. I'll let Izzy and Kari know, and see if they want to come."
"But if you're worried that Blake might try and kill you, I suggest bringing your sword with you, just in case."
"Victoria, it's like you read my mind..."
"Oh, stop it, Jacob..."
With that, and after bidding each other goodbye, Jake hung up. This was going to be an interesting dinner, that's so sure. He hadn't really spoken to Blake in a while. Or seen him. And when he did, Blake only gave him death glares in response, and at times, the middle finger along with it.
"Well... Friday's going to be an interesting day. Time for the dinner from hell..."
So a lot more happened in this chapter. Blake still hates Jake. And we've got a stabbing incident at the Crime Agency, and the two girls involved might have a connection to two certain people. To be honest, I had no idea what do to with this chapter as well. But I still got it done. Next chapter, we'll see the dinner from Hell that Jake mentioned. Why will it be called that? You'll see. Until then, I'll see you guys later, and don't forget to review, please. Thank you!