24 ~ More Questions, More Answers
"So, how was your first night in the Bane house?" Nora asked the next morning when she came down to the kitchen. Carol was already up, of course , always the early riser.
"Good thanks. It's been a long time since I've slept in an actual bed, and not just the cot on my ship." Carol held up a notebook that had been sitting on the counter beside her. "I found this."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, in your parents' room. I'm thinking it might have been tucked under the mattress or something, cause when I moved around it fell to the floor. I had to dig it out from under the bed."
Nora took the book from her. "So they must have been trying to hide it."
"That's what I'm thinking too."
With closer examination, Nora realized she recognized the book - Jenny's journal. "This is Mum's journal. I used to see her writing in it, all the time actually. Wonder why she'd try to hide it..." Hiding it suggested it was important, and contained sensitive information. Also, if this were the case, why wouldn't Jenny have taken it along with her on the fated expedition?
1991 was the year this book was started - also the year Nora was born. This entry took place seven months before she was born. A name she recognized, but hadn't thought of until now, caught her eye: Bridget.
Dr. Bridget Turner had been her parents' work partner early on in their career, before they had parted ways. Harry, Jenny, and Bridget had kept in touch as far as Nora knew.
"What is it?" asked Carol.
"I think I may have a lead."
"Would you like me to go with you?" Carol asked.
"Thanks, but I think I've got to do this on my own," Nora replied. Carol understood, of course. This was a deeply personal matter, after all.
"Nora, what about the staff?"
Right, the 3D print of the final, missing piece would be finished by now - ready to see if it would fit together with the other pieces.
But the staff and her powers were new - this information about her parents was eleven years in the making.
Nora stood in front of the British Museum, where Dr. Turner worked, Jenny's journal tucked against her chest. Time to get some answers - or so she hoped.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Dr. Bridget Turner," she told the receptionist.
"Is Dr. Turner expecting you."
"No. But if you tell her Harry and Jenny Bane's daughter is looking for her, I think she'll understand."
She was right - mere minutes after the receptionist called Dr. Turner's office, Bridget herself appeared, appearing shocked.
"Elenanora Bane, I'll be damned. Look at you. How are you?"
"I'm doing all right, all things considered. Yourself?"
"Oh, good. Busy. I'm so sorry about your parents."
"Thanks."
"What can I do for you?"
"I was hoping to talk with you, actually. About your work with my parents. It's fairly urgent."
Minutes later found them seated in the museum cafe. Nora slid the logbook/journal across the table towards Bridget. "I found this, it's Mum's journal. It starts in '91, back when you three were still working together - and the year I was born."
"Yes, I remember it. Remember seeing Jenny scribble away."
"It says here you were in the Mediterranean investigating what was supposedly an ancient Witches tomb - I mean, you've got to be shitting me, right? Witches? I mean, come on."
But Bridget remained serious. "Yes, it was an extensive investigation. As you know, your parents were obsessed with potentially magical artifacts-"
"I knew they were interested in them, but not 'obsessed.'"
"They were, definitely. I had my doubts about this project-"
"Yeah, no kidding." Witches, seriously?
But, this did add up with the staff holding cosmic magic.
"-But they were dead serious about it. Your Mum was pregnant with you at the time, so she probably shouldn't have even been doing the job."
Well, based on how they had just up and left Nora years later, it was like Jenny to risk her pregnancy like that.
"Turns out, it was a bad idea, overall."
"How do you mean?"
"When we finally excavated enough and reached the tomb, there was a blast that came from it."
"A blast?"
"Yes, all this pink light and fog..."
Pink light - just like her newfound power. This was all adding up...
"Your parents got caught up in it, but amazingly were not harmed. In fact, they seemed completely unaffected."
"What was the blast, then?"
Bridget shrugged. "We have no idea. Still, to this day. But, since it was a witch's tomb, we have our speculations that it could be magical."
"Bloody hell..." Nora shook her head - both from how this was all connecting and from the sheer ridiculousness of it all.
"I know, it's a lot. But I hope it helped."
Nora was distant. "Yes, thank you. It really helped..."
"Here, come with me back to my office. I have something for you."
Nora followed Bridget to her office in a daze.
"I can dig through my old notes from that expedition and see what I can find for you."
"Thanks."
"Here." Bridget handed her another notebook, which she had dug out of the bottom drawer of her desk, very similar to Jenny's book.
"What's this?"
"Your mum's journal."
"But I found her journal." Nora held up said book.
"That was from earlier on. I have her work journal from later on in their career."
"Around the time they disappeared?"
Bridget nodded. "Yes." She held it out. "Take it. She would have wanted you to have it."
"Oh, I'm not sure..."
"She would have. Now take it."
"Thank you, so much. This really helped clear things up."
"I'm glad, you're welcome."
Nora looked down at the notebook. "Wait, so would this have answers in it as to where they were going before they disappeared?"
"Maybe. I think it's a good place to start."
Now Nora was even more overwhelmed. "But why did you have it?"
"They were getting nervous, suspicious about the people they were working with-" S.H.I.E.L.D., as Nora now knew. "-That's why your mum gave it to me, for safekeeping. They didn't trust the rest of the team. I knew it must have been very important. I would be careful with the information inside, if I were you."
Nora was nodding, but barely registered that she was doing so.
Bridget continued. "This is a very personal matter, so it's not my place to tell you. I think your parents should tell you themselves."
"But they can't."
"They can." Bridget tapped the cover of the journal. "In here. I think you'll find a lot of answers in here."
The prospect of that was both equally intriguing and terrifying all at once.
Wow, I'm absolutely blown away by how many reads this story has gotten! :D Thank you so, so much!
So sorry for the delay, I've been focusing on my other stories lately. But finally, here's another chapter!
Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story and I hope you enjoyed this (late) chapter! :)
