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Chapter 21: Picture Perfect
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I could only imagine the horror-struck look on my face as Grissom had said those words. Well, okay. Maybe I wasn't completely filled with horror, but it was shocking. Maybe even a little too shocking.
"But, wait. What?" I rambled, completely confused.
"You're going to Hyrule," Grissom repeated, "Need me to repeat a third time?"
"Agh!" I let out a frustrated growl that was filled with a bit of excitement- a load of excitement. Hah! His parents are letting me go! "How come?"
"Carrie Blake and her husband think it is better that you go to Hyrule and aid a few teenagers on any misfortune that might come their way." He replied with a small smile.
"Serious? I get to go? I mean, really?" I blabbered, my eyebrows raised in disbelief. "When?"
"As soon as possible."
"Sweet."
"But, there's a catch."
"Eh?" I stopped fidgeting and watched Grissom as he leaned over on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees.
"You can't let them know." He answered, staring at me intently.
"What? Not even Link?"
"Not even Link."
I sighed, "All right. But how do I get around without any help?"
He shrugged, "I guess it's time they name a video game after you, then."
XxxxXxxxX
Exactly 12:45 p.m.
I'm standing inside the Crime Lab saying my goodbyes to the CSI team. I'll spare you the drama.
Basically, it was tough all out saying goodbye to the ones that helped me out of all this mess. Not only that, they were going to do their best with the DA to persuade them that Kenny Blake had claimed mentally challenged.
And, of course, it didn't end there; Gil Grissom promised to get a hold of my parents by the time I came back.
He ignored the "if" I sent his way.
"You'll always have a home here, all right?" Grissom said, staring down at me with those ice blue eyes.
"All right. I won't forget to drop by when I get the chance. Thanks, Grissom" I said with a grin before I tackled him with a hug. I could tell he was a little shocked, but it didn't seem to last for long. I backed away and turned to Greg.
12:55 p.m.
I was saying goodbye to Greg Sanders.
Damn. I was really going to miss him. This was really hard, and I thought I could have left last night without saying farewells. How stupid.
"I'm going to miss you, kiddo." The blonde CSI said with a small smile.
"Kiddo?" I repeated, "I'm not a kid."
"You are to me." He remarked and I rolled my eyes.
"Bye!" I squealed and tackled him hard with a hug. I glanced around when I realized how warm I felt in the face because of how I might have just looked. Nick was smiling wide, his dark brown eyes glinting. Sara, on the other hand, had a hand covered over her mouth, trying to hide her own laugh. And Warrick, he was watching us in the most amused way imaginable. I smiled sheepishly and backed away from him. Greg was chuckling and Grissom was smirking while Catherine was merely watching with a small smile and wide eyes. I growled inside my head at my stupidity.
… Pass the next few minutes…
I turned to Grissom once again as we made our way out of the Crime Lab where Kenny's parents waited.
"Grissom," I did my best to feign a smile, "I'm really going to miss you. You did a lot for me and Link."
"It was nothing," I swear- if I didn't know any better, he was blushing. Hah! Grissom blushing. Well, he was smiling, and I was really going to miss the guy who acted like a second father to me. Wait, he was a second father to me. I wondered what would happen if my biological dad was placed in the same room with my foster dad. That would just be crazy as hell.
Oh, right. Moving on to the next few minutes when I actually had to leave.
I shoved my duffel bag in the trunk of the Blake's black Volvo parked outside the Crime Lab. Carrie and John were already in the car, waiting. It wasn't rude if you counted the fact that they believed it was safer to talk inside the car.
I took a long, last glance at the Forensics building, wondering when I would be able to see the people inside it once again. Well, it had to be soon. Then, I turned my head to watch Grissom as he backed away from the driver's side window where he had been associating with the couple. I smiled sadly and waved to him. He smiled back. How could I leave my foster parent completely? I sighed and swung the backseat door open and plopped inside.
The smell of fresh upholstery made it obvious that the car was either new or it had hardly been used. But, what did it matter? I was heading back to California for the next few days, trying to make it obvious that Link and I were visiting family and friends.
"Jade, do you remember how to use a sword?" I heard John Blake ask once we were traveling on the Interstate 15, the one Link and I had walked only a week or so before.
"Um," I thought for a moment, "I might, not so well. Sort of… I'm a little rusty…" Both Carrie and John chuckled and I smiled sheepishly.
"We have a sword you can use in the meanwhile," Carrie said, glancing at me from over her shoulder.
"Cool." I replied with a shrug.
"Just don't accidentally hold it by the blade, all right?" John added and I widened my eyes as it suddenly jogged my memory of a certain farm owner's house in Termina. I hadn't even thought of that place in months, and now I just had to be reminded of my clumsiness. Great…
"Jade!" Link called. I was just about to climb over the gate when I turned to him. He threw a sword at me, and I made a blind attempt and grabbed it. Unfortunately, my reflexes weren't so good so I grabbed the blade instead of the hilt. How stupid of me! I yelped and quickly grabbed the hilt with my other hand while the other- bleeding, of course held my place on the top of the gate while the three men down under began shaking it. I groaned in frustration, but decided without anymore thought, leapt off the gate, and back onto the road. The three men turned around, unsheathed their swords, and began circling around me. They laughed with an evil glint in their eyes. I narrowed my eyes at them before I readied the sword. I was only used to fighting with my katana, and a sword just seemed so much more different. Anyway, I turned around quickly, surveying my position so I wouldn't make a stupid mistake. It was finally time to put all my practice into motion, and see just how well I had learned.
"How did you know about that?" I asked, baffled as I stared at Kenny's father through the rearview mirror as his eyes narrowed while he laughed.
"Word gets around fast?" he replied.
"Yeah, I'll have to thank Kenny for that…" I retorted, folding my arms across my chest and slouching down on the seat.
XxxxXxxxX
"Wow," was the first thing that escaped my lips as I walked past the doorway of the Blake's "humble" home. It was a mansion, if you asked me. They lived on an estate up in the hills of Southern California where the property was surrounded by nothing but forest.
The outside where green lawn, wildflowers, willow trees, and fountains decorated the lawn behind the stone walls and metal doors was a cobblestone pathway that led both up the drive way and the large-two door leading into the house. The three-story house was made of cut limestone, including the chimneys and the area around the balconies, main door, and large, arched windows.
Inside, as I entered the foyer, there was a hardwood staircase that led up to the upper floors. Beyond and below the spiraling staircase, I could see blurs of their Victorian fashioned furniture in what I assumed to be the living room. A large glass door stood straight across, showing off their large, forested backyard.
I placed my duffel bag on the dark marble floors and walked farther inside where I could see the large dining room to my right. To my right was what I assumed to be the family room with its old-fashioned furniture decorating the large space; the silver-lined plasma hung up on the wall looking like a marvelous painting drawing the room together in an odd-fashioned way.
"I hope you find our home comfortable to settle in for a little while so we can prepare." I heard Carrie Blake as she stepped inside the house behind me.
"Of course," I said in amazement as my eyes traveled upwards where I noticed the enormous candle chandelier hanging above. I cocked my head to one side; taking in the picture of the decorative candleholders that had been placed on top of the rust-colored metal ringlets.
"I don't think we have much time to relax. We need you to return to Hyrule as soon as possible," John Blake stated as he closed the door behind him, "We just need to make sure you can handle a sword."
"I can," I remarked a little sullenly, "But I can always practice when I get there, I guess. Although, I really don't get the plan yet."
"Ah," Carrie turned around and faced me, her eyes gleaming as she smirked, "That was what we were preparing for."
"Oh," I muttered, unsure what else to say.
"I'll get the sword. Carr, tell her what we're planning, yeah?" John called as he went up the stairs.
"I always knew my sons would grow up being stubborn and slightly stupid," I widened my eyes and she quickly added, "In how they handle situations like this. Do you understand?"
"Lots," I replied as I followed her down the foyer and into the living room.
"Kenny made a good choice choosing you to help him, and now he's off with that blonde Sheikan who is only there because she wants my son."
"Seriously?" I inquired, "Before they left, it looked like she was interested in Kado."
She smirked, and for those brief moments, it was as if she looked twenty-five. Of course, she looked that way almost constantly since I had met her. Amazing, isn't it? I wasn't shocked. These people were Sheikan, and I could never reach their stature. I just wished I knew why they wanted me to help them.
"That girl is a drop-dead flirt. I wasn't too happy when she arrived on our doorstep offering her help. Her parents are conceited to make such a smug plan."
"What do you mean?" I asked just as we entered the modern, stainless steel, chef's kitchen with the granite counter tops. My mother would just die if she saw this kitchen that was at least five times the size of the one we used to own.
"Just like any old-fashioned couple that wants to keep their heritage in the family," I continued to watch her wide-eyed and she continued, "They want her to marry my son like an arranged marriage so that we can keep the Sheikan blood inside our family tree." I nodded in understanding, leaning against the counter of the small island in the middle of the kitchen.
"So, exactly, what am I supposed to do when I get there?" I asked, slightly perplexed while I watched the raven-haired Sheikan pull her hair up in a tight bun and facing the microwave nearby.
"We want you to follow them. Never go nearer than thirty feet of them, especially if Kenny and Liyanne are around. They can spot you farther than that, but you have to be quiet." She turned to me and I noticed, when she creased her forehead, the slight wrinkles there deepened while the dark shade around her eyes showed that she hadn't had much sleep the night before. Her thin lips pursed for a second before opening once again to speak, "We want you to help them along the sidelines. Please don't allow Liyanne get close to my son. I don't trust her."
"Why not?"
"She just doesn't strike me as someone who I would want my son to be around."
"So, how can I do this without them knowing I'm there? Make a distraction or something? It's a little hard." I remarked, folding my arms across my chest.
"Do whatever you can. We trust you, Jade. Even if you have to, under the most difficult circumstances, show them you are there. You can help them and they can help you. Don't forget that, all right?"
"All right," I sighed just as footsteps bounded down the foyer to end where the family room began, under an arch doorway with a ceiling light to show the way.
"Okay, Jade," John began as he shrugged, raising his arms slightly to show the sword in his hand. It was plain, nothing special about it that I could see with its dark leather sheathe and silver hilt. A cloth, or possibly more leather- was wrapped and tied around the hilt to steady the grip. The belt was included. Luckily. "This was Kenny's first sword. He uses a katana, now, so I doubt it would matter if you borrowed it for a little while."
"Did Kado take Link's weapons with him when he left?" I mentioned when it suddenly popped into my head.
Carrie shrugged and replied, "We saw him take them with him when he left."
"Oh," I mumbled, realizing I hadn't even noticed the possible pile up of weapons somewhere in the living room where Link had probably taken when I hadn't even the slightest clue.
"Well, I guess there isn't much time left. Go directly to Hyrule Castle and inform the princess you're there, but make sure she tells no one. Until then, wait until they make their first move out of there." John said before handing me the sword.
It was heavy in my hands and I weighed it out, trying to see if I could balance it in my right hand without dropping it. Unfortunately, their was a close call, which made me all the more anxious to not go. I wanted to head back out to the wild prairies and mud villages and the millions of acres of countryside, but I figured I would be with people. Instead, I'm going alone. By my lonesome where I could only keep myself company by singing loud, out-of-tune songs that I would have to make words to because I wouldn't remember the lyrics.
Oh, so much fun.
"Stay a step behind them." Carrie handed me a brown, leather patch and I stared at it inquisitively.
"We packed a few things in there you might need: rupees, extra necessities, and a few weapons that might come in handy."
"Thanks." I replied, eyeing it warily before slinging it over my head and onto my shoulder.
"All right. Is there anything we're forgetting?" John asked with a sigh.
"Um, yeah," I said slowly, "where's the bathroom?" The couple smiled and Carrie told me it was out the foyer, to my right and in the family room near the end of the room that automatically connected to the game room in the back.
I scurried off that direction, placing the pouch next to my duffel bag before entering the family room. Pictures of the family were framed and set on the desk table against the wall. My eyes skimmed over one showing the two brothers, arms wrapped around the other's shoulder as they smiled into the camera. They looked around eight to ten in the picture, and I couldn't help but notice that both of their eyes were dark blue. It suited them, but I quickly looked away, realizing that I thought my attempted murderer was one of those childish and immature boys.
Plastered white smiles, ruffled black hair, gleaming eyes, Long Beach boats in the background, and blue skies. It was a mere second in time, frozen in place to be relived and remembered when one would look at it when they had the chance. It was an unforgettable moment, when brothers would stop fighting and stand side-by-side with a smile that brightened up a day. It wouldn't end, not in that picture.
It was picture perfect.
It didn't belong in a world where perfection was never achieved, in a place where people strived for something they could never get.
That was the reality of it, and I was stuck in it just like everyone else.
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Hi, y'all! I'll make this short since I'm dead tired today, so I just want to thank all those who reviewed chappie 20- you guys are awesome! Just a tad more and we make it to 100! Lol. Anyhoo, if you're wondering, Jade did say bye to the entire CSI team, I just didn't mention all of them It would take too long and I really hated writing about it. I'm more of the suspense/thriller not the romance and goodbye and shy and small talk kind of person. I call that mush, and I don't want my stories to be filled with mush. Lol. Not too much anyway. Right, anyhoo, thanks again and hope you all stay posted for the next update.
P.S Sorry, this was one of the suckiest chapters I've ever written. Plus, my lptp was being stupid so it took longer. Sorry! I wish it didn't suck so much. It was tough writing about Kenny's parents so I'll have to try and develop their character a wee bit more even if they won't be in the story for more than a couple of chapters. I'll definitely try and have a way better chappie up by next week to make up for the lack of this one. Hope you all stay posted!
xbluxmoonx