A/N: Hey yall! So still on break but as it turns out, life is a funny thing. When I was waiting for a doctors appointment for my surgery….I got covid. I am fully vaccinated with Pfizer but I got the delta variant of covid which left me to quarantine and take time off from work. It sucks, I'm still sick but all this time has left uninterrupted time to write which was awesome. The actual covid part wasn't awesome but, hey, silver lining. So, I hope you all enjoy this newest installment, I'm going stir crazy so hopefully, this will bring all of you joy as it did to me to write it! Also, huge PSA: Wear your masks, get vaccinated and stay socially distant. This virus really sucks, it kicks your butt and my husband (who is 30) and me (23) both had to go to the hospital for breathing treatment and fluids and our doctor straight up said that it was the vaccination that prevented full hospitalization for both of us, especially my poor husband who has asthma. However, were good just tired, somewhat cranky and re-watched both the twilight movies and harry potter so my husband is so ready to be better. Luckily, I have my laptop!

Enjoy!

Little Girl Lost

Chapter 13: One night in October

Chapter Summary: Paige and Tessa explain some of their past and how their mother got involved with the 86ers that resulted in drama 13 years in the making.

"Why are we talking about the past? When the present is so tasty?" Ray Spiewack Season 2 episode 7 Crazy Train

"They killed one of the members of the 86ers" Paige murmured as her heart pounded against her chest. The collective intake of breath from the group and Toby's disbelief and stunned expression almost made her sigh in relief.

Almost.

"It was so quick, it wasn't supposed to happen as it did but…..well it's pointless to say what was supposed to happen. Really it's hard to say what was supposed to happen and what was only preventing the inventible. I'm not even sure what that is anymore. I mean mom has always been, well, reckless, with who does business with but when we were younger, we were kept in the dark about a lot of things." Paige said as the group slowly shifted and got comfortable (as comfortable as the situation allowed anyway) sensing that this would be a long and unhappy story.

"Mother…. she was always careful who she did business with. Those with a big payday she made sure to keep her books clear except that one time…. she got greedier than she knew what to do with. Drew was a runner for the 86ers and introduced her to his boss when we lived in Vegas after dad died. They tried to steal 1.6 million dollars from them." Paige explained as she tried to rub her temples, a sudden headache coming on.

"Correction. They did end up stealing 1.6 million dollars in a petty loan and when they couldn't pay it back, they tried to run; obviously, that couldn't have worked with one daughter 6 months pregnant and another, a hacker that can track their every move. Not as if they couldn't have used the money but….I told Veronica I had it under control." Tessa groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Why did she need that much money?" Sly asked looking uncomfortable as Paige ruefully smiled.

"Dad" Paige answered as she sighed "To start at the beginning, Mom and Dad were never a good match together. Mom was too wild, always on the move. Never satisfied with what she had or who she had." Paige scowled remembering all the times; her father sat heartbroken over the phone calls that mom sent, telling him she wasn't coming home that month. "She would always give one excuse or another about leaving us and then sending money with photos of her latest fling as dad tried to do what he could to raise us."

"That must have been very difficult for your father and not a very functional dynamic for your family" Toby noted as Paige nodded.

"There was no family dynamic where mom was concerned. It was just us. Me, Tess, and Dad. We were all we could depend on, at least until mom started taking Tessa on 'field trips, she started to exploit her for her mind and her get rich quick schemes," Paige scolded as Tessa refused to look at her.

"I was 13 and Paige was 11 when I started helping her. Dad started to get sick, and we didn't have a lot of money. I did what I needed to do to help us, even if it did come from Veronica." Tessa argued, defending herself.

"Dad never liked it. He told you to stop, that we could have figured something else out." Paige muttered, more to herself than anyone.

"And did we Paige? Dad's job and stipend helped for a few years and sure you got straight jobs ever since you were 15 but what else? Did those jobs get dad's meds? No, I did. Did Dad support you when you dropped out of cheer to work more shifts? No, he hated it! You only went back at Dad's insistence, and I assured you the money came in and it did. I worked the odd jobs, scrapped the plates off cars, and took money from banks that they didn't even miss. It was small jobs to pay for big bills. The lesser of two evils."

"You weren't around Tessa!" Paige exploded as her anger shifted to the surface. "Dad was sick and I was alone helping him by myself. Yes, the money was appreciated but Dad would have wanted you there. I wanted you there. It was bad enough mom made it blatantly clear she didn't want to be around us, but you! You loved us, and you still kept away. You only came back for the big stuff and it was only after I won nationals and dad was barely breathing did you stay. He missed you, Tessa. We both did." Paige said as Tessa blinked and clenched her teeth together.

"I did what I needed to do and it's not like I stayed away forever. I knew Dad was getting worse and those stupid ra-ra championships for coming up and they were important to you. I showed up for the big stuff and after that, I stayed. Give me some credit for that Turn Paige. I knew I should have come back sooner okay! I knew it! But I also knew that bills were piling up and the jobs I needed couldn't be found in the backwoods of Vermont!" Tessa said evenly as Paige sighed and nodded her head.

"I know, I just …...we missed you, Tess. We missed you and we missed mom." Paige said small as Tessa frowned.

"Well, I won't say anything for that woman but I – I missed you too. I'm glad I came back when I did. I got to spend more time with you….and dad."

"Vermont?" Florence whispered as Paige whirled and cracked a smile at the sudden realization that they still had an audience.

"Yeah" Tessa smirked as Paige took over.

"When Tessa was 10 and I was 8, mom was doing a stint in jail for attempted robbery, assault, and assistance of arms dealing. Heavy stuff for kids so dad packed everything we could, told her we were leaving, and took us to Vermont where he gave us the best chance of a normal childhood. It was the best decision he ever made."

"At least it was an attempt at notal. Paige had a better time fitting in than I did, she was always popular with people while I, well, I marched to the beat of my own drum as Paige called it" Tessa smirked. "I learned quickly that I could do things the other kids couldn't, and dad pulled me out of school to tutor me at home. Of course…I still got into trouble. I had access to the computer and learned everything I could about them. Hacked my first bank when I was 11." Tessa said proudly as Paige rolled her eyes.

"Oh, cute….I hacked NASA." Walter said as Paige couldn't help but chuckle.

"….the national bank." Tessa finished raising her eyebrow as Walter frowned and leaned against his desk, scowling.

"Do we really want to compare how early we committed felonies?" Sly asked nervously as Happy looked on.

"You stole over five thousand dollars by the time you were 12 Sly, hardly the man to talk about committing crimes."

"You committed arson when you were 13!" Sly fired back as Happy shrugged.

"Yeah, that orphanage sucked."

"I'm going to pretend I haven't heard any of this talk and I recommend we don't talk about it anymore!" Cabe said loudly tapping his badge as Sly and Happy both got quiet, and Tessa just looked on with a challenging stare.

"Tess" Paige hissed as Tessa sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, I learned to hack when I was younger and only got better. For the sake of argument….I won't mention what I did" Tessa smirked in Cabe's direction "But it was all highly illegal and I would do it again. Safe to say no one messed with my little sister and no one messed with my dad and no one messed with me. It was simple, easy. Until Dad got worse. His cancer escalated and despite the treatments available, he refused all of them. He didn't want to be sick anymore."

"He ended up passing away when I was 17. He hung on until I finished high school but…he just, was so tired. He had stage 4 cancer and the outlook…. wasn't good. We were trying to make him comfortable in his last few months and we didn't have the best insurance. Long story short the hospital bills were enormous. Just to pay off a few we had to sell the house and we were going bankrupt. We were living out of my car, I was working three jobs just to make ends meet. Tessa was working the best she could and went to work with mom. Tess sent money my way on the jobs she worked but mom….was in trouble too." Paige said delicately as Tess scoffed.

"Yeah, she was in trouble all right. Not even attempting to come to spreading of the ashes or helping you with any of the medical bills. Whatever I made went to Paige as long as Veronica got a cut first to pay off her own debt. I was still working cleaner jobs then and the money wasn't as good…..so Veronica made us an offer that we just couldn't refuse." Tessa said bitterly as Paige bit her lip and rubbed Tessa's shoulder as she shifted away uncomfortably.

"Mom was able to open a money-laundering business disguised as a club in Vegas that was doing well thanks to a scam she got from a bank. The club was bringing in money, but she wanted more. Tess and I weren't doing hot and she offered us jobs. We could dance, waitress whatever we had to do, and we could get a cut from the overall profits. We could pay off all our debt and even from the money, I saved from my portions and some scholarships I was able to go to school and be in a sorority" Paige smiled as the memories of a simpler time came flooding back.

"I was accepted to a school in Missouri and figured it was the best chance I could of getting out of the family business. I was going to be a history professor or diplomat. I liked talking and dad always said I had a way of connecting to people. It was a way for me to be different than mom. Make a clean living and get out of the business of doing dirty money. I even got accepted into Pi up and did well in classes. Everything was going good until…. until I met Drew." Paige bit her lip as the façade of happy memories broke and she was sating instead into the faces of 5 concerned geniuses but focused instead on her son.

Her son's face was so much like her father's. Really the only resemblance of Drew was his ears but even that was closer to Tessa and hers than his father. Paige wasn't sure how to digest that information. The older Ralph got the more he looked like her father with traits of her and Tessa mixed in. Tessa and Paige's nose was on his face. His hair color was a mix of hers and Drews. His nose was her dad's. His ears were her father's and Tessa's. His mouth came from her. Where was Drew in this (art name) that was her son? Now that he was gone, (and she was pretty sure Drew didn't have any other children) what was left of his legacy? Although he wasn't the best father or the best boyfriend….he didn't deserve to die. For his memory to be erased. Paige and Ralph were the only people left of Drew. What would that mean for her if, after all this, she would have the same ending?

Although Paige and Drew were two very different people. There was this huge possibility that they would have the same type of ending.

Violent and uncaring and…. empty.

Paige had her sister, her team…. her son. All these amazing people that would carry her memory on if she would be gone but…. what about something else? She did have more. She had everything she ever had, with Walter.

Looking at him now, so serious and guarded and…. hollow. None of the warmth that she had come to know was here. He was all business, listening to the novella that was Paige's life but what about after? What role would he have in her life once the story ended? After all, everything she was saying from her time with Drew happened in the past.

How she met him through her pi up sisters. The dashing baseball player who made her feel special. How she became pregnant her third year of college and only after 6 months of dating. This was all in the past. Her relationship with Walter was in the past too.

By that logic…both relationships in the past of her very different stages of life would have an equal measure, but that wasn't true at all. One went in the blink of an eye both in her past and present and the other standing right in front of her. She was foolish, so foolish for letting that go and if there was any hope…. the smallest chance that he could be in her life again she would take it.

She didn't want to end up like Drew. His memory was solely in the hands of her and her son with no one else to mourn him. She wanted her best friend back. She wanted him back. She wanted Walter back in her life….no matter what.

Blinking away the sudden realization, her mouth was moving but only now did her brain catch up with her words. That when Paige was 2 months pregnant, they had rented a run-down apartment, but Paige's morning sickness was getting more severe than she needed to be around her family. Drew didn't have any family so Paige dropped out early and they all moved back to Vegas to live with Tessa and their mother.

"It was one of the worst mistakes I ever made, leaving, and going to Vegas. Introducing Drew to my mother. Everything went downhill so quickly after that. Drew and my mom both had the same weakness for money….and it showed."

"Drew lied to Paige and told her he got a job working as the third baseman for one of the Vegas team but really, Veronica got him a job as a runner for the 86ers. It was a debt paid. Veronica didn't owe any more to them and the 86ers got free labor for 6 months. That was the deal anyway. I knew…. that Drew lied to Paige but, I never said anything because I was dumb and…. I wanted to spare her the truth." Tess admitted as Paige sighed and stepped closer to her. Paige knew all this of course, and they forgave each other long ago but hearing it again, especially seeing the reactions from the others, from Walter, it was hard to watch.

"Paige was finally happy; she had her life. A boyfriend that was supposed to love her and take care of her, but, ultimately did a really good job of lying about it. Even to me." Tessa said quietly before she continued "and a baby on the way. They were looking at houses and schools and the best hospitals. I even saved some of the home videos on my laptop." Tessa smiled as Paige gasped and grasped Tessa's shoulder in thanks. "Paige was happy, and I thought that if I kept my eye on him and Veronica things would be okay, at least until Ralph was born and I could set something up to get them out of there but Drew complicated things. He was greedier than I thought and more daring than I credited him to be. I blame myself for that."

"You couldn't have known. The 86ers are crafty Tessa; they make a living out of lying to people." Paige said harshly as Tessa remained quiet.

"What happened Tessa?" Walter asked curtly as Tessa glared but remained silent.

"I gave you my word we would help, and we're going to help but we need all the facts in order to do so." Walter continued as Toby pursed his lips and walked over and placed a hand on Tessa's shoulder as she tensed but didn't move, eyeing him carefully.

"Tessa, I understand this is difficult. The psyche does an excellent job of protecting us from pain. PTSD is something that everyone experiences differently, especially those who have gone through particularly violent experiences. I understand that retelling the story is hard, it's opening an old wound and shifts through the details, remembering pain…. that's something that's hard for anyone to do, especially for a genius. Our brains are wired to remember any little details. Those details are painful to remember, especially if they involve ones we love and want to protect but Tessa, in order for us to help…. we need to know what you remember. You and Paige." Toby concluded as he eyed Paige and she stood there slightly shocked.

"Toby, I don't have PTSD." Paige huffed as Tessa remained silent.

"Paige, I'm not trying to insult you, and it's nothing to be ashamed about but…. you do. I recognized the signs. Tense posture, sweating, any time events or the night in question is brought up you both exhibit physical signs of trauma like sweating, shifting eye movement and Paige you unconsciously bring your hand to your stomach as a marker of protection towards an unborn child." Toby started as Paige looked down and dropped her arm as it was hugging her middle.

"Paige you've mentioned nightmares to me before about something….it doesn't take a genius to determine that whatever happened on that night was the cause of them. I've noticed over the years that whenever a gunshot is heard you jump, more so than the others and it lingers with you. It's okay to talk about it, Paige. You're safe. You both are safe in this environment, with us. We are people that you can trust. At least with this" Toby finished as he looked at Tessa who regarded him carefully and then looked to Paige with uncertain eyes.

Paige shrugged and looked down at her shoes. Although Toby made excellent points (a lot of excellent points really) Paige wasn't sure if they could all be trusted with the events of that night. Maybe 90% of it…. but not all of it. She couldn't do it. She wasn't strong enough.

"I was 8 months pregnant with Ralph….I had just come home from a doctor's appointment and….Drew was supposed to be at home but – he wasn't there. When I got home….the apartment was trashed. Furniture was broken and on the walls…was blood. Drews blood. Everywhere." Paige whispered as she kept looking down at her shoes, at least this way she wouldn't have to face their reactions and it was easier to get it all out.

"Tessa wasn't home, and mom was supposed to be at the club. There was a lot of blood, but on the wall, there was a message written to me, in his blood. It said that I had to come to an address and bring some money. Drew and mother….they stole from them…and they wanted it back or – or else…" Paige had to take a deep breath for this part. She remembered that message clear as day and she would never forget it.

"I had to deliver the money to them or else…they would cut my baby from inside of me and kill us both. I only had a few hours and they wanted thousands of dollars….money I didn't have so….I bailed. I ran and called my sister, hoping she could get it and we could leave…together, but….that didn't happen. Instead….it tore us apart. It broke us and what you're looking at…. that's the fallout. We barely got out of there with our lives. We had to pay a price" Paige whispered as a lone tear escaped her eye as she brought her head up and stared at the wall behind the geniuses.

"We had to pay a price….and we paid it; we traded my life for one of theirs," Paige whispered as she hastily wiped away tears and felt a steadying hand on her back before she saw that Walter was handing her a tissue. A look of support and anger under the surface but all she could see was Walter as she subtly leaned into him, the weight of the situation falling onto her shoulders, but it was alright, Walter had them both upright. He supported her.

"Paige called me and was frantic. They wanted their money in cash, and they were willing to do anything to get it. They were taken to a warehouse out in the desert, and I hacked my way inside their security where Drew and Veronica were tied up. We got them free but there were, um, complications. The 86ers blocked off the exits and we were trapped. There was no way out and my gun only had one bullet left. The boss had us cornered. Paige was pregnant, Drew and mom were drugged out of their minds and I was up against the boss and two of his goons. I was able to knock one of the guys off but the other got the upper hand. I was going to die that night." Tessa said stoically as she blinked and retold the harrowing events with little emotion on her face.

"I was going to die but…..Drew, picked up one of the guy's guns and shot the guy that was holding me down. The boss…..well that was his son, his oldest if I'm being specific. He ended going to the hospital for blood loss but the boss. He ended up going for Veronica when Drew fired off another shot towards the boss. He ended up dying that night instead of us and when we left we knew we couldn't; go back. We were indirectly responsible for the murder of the boss of the 86ers. That made all of us enemy number one." Tessa sighed as Paige took in a deep breath the sister's locked eyes, secrets shared that were never spoken as they both recalled the terrifying moments of the shot fired.

"I was going to give birth in a few weeks and I couldn't fly so Tessa was able to secure me a ticket on the train going out of the city that night. She gave Drew a sedative so he wouldn't remember much and Paige was towards the back when the shot was fired. They never saw her face, so as long as her name was changed and her records cleared…. she was going to be safe." Tessa explained as she sat down on one of the desks.

"As for me and Veronica though….they got a good look at us. Veronica knew how to keep a low profile and me…. well I could handle my own but Paige. That was no life for a child." Tessa said as she looked at Ralph who remained shell-shocked at his mother's tale.

"Ralph couldn't come into this mess that I was in. It wasn't fair to him and it wouldn't give him his best chance so….I ran. I ran as far as I could. All the way to the biggest and busiest city I could find which was here. After Ralph was born we kept a low profile, bouncing around from city to city until well…you all know the rest. Tessa and I kept in contact the best we could, but after Tessa forced me on the train, I never saw her in person again. Not until yesterday." Paige said looking at her sister.

"Not until yesterday" Tessa repeated with a strange look on her face. "So what all of you see now, the mess we're in….it's all because of that. They want blood for what happened. Retribution, money isn't enough. They want revenge. We killed their boss and now….they want to kill us."

A/N: Regular updates won't happen until August 31 but honestly, I can see a potential two more chapters come out because of all this time to write from covid. Hey, silver lining, right and I finally got around to change all the chapter titles so if you want to re-read the story until the next update you'll notice the change in titles too from chapter 1 to chapter 9. If there are any mistakes kindly point them out, please? I'm working at about 70% of my usual brain power so I couldn't catch as many mistakes, but I did my best! See you all later!