What's Meant For You

She loved him when he let her in his home during the chicken epidemic at 10. She loved him at 16, when he swallowed his hatred and took her to homecoming. She loved him on the night of their graduation, when he spent all night worshiping her. She loved him when he left without a trace. She loved him when he didn't call, text, or email for five years.

And, fuck her, she loved him when he turned up out of nowhere, asking for her forgiveness.

Huey P. Freeman x Jazmine DuBois

Romance. Hurt/Comfort. Friendship. Family. Humor.

Rated M

Chapter Sixteen: Lie in Wait

THERE WAS A FEELING. One that overcame her the second she set foot on the ground in Italy. It was breathtaking. Indescribable. Beautiful.

And now, it was nowhere to be found.

She promised to make Thomas pay for the joy he stole.

"It's beautiful here," Cindy spoke softly beside her.

Jazmine turned to her sister and watched the sadness in her soft blue eyes as she took in the city before her. Since their talk, it had been almost impossible to keep them too far away from one another.

She promised to make Thomas pay for the fear he instilled.

"When this is over, we'll come back and we can truly enjoy the beauty of this country," she promised.

"You'll enjoy it this time as well," Huey said, walking up behind them. Jazmine tossed him a confused glance.

"But we're here t-"

"I know, moonlight," he said quietly. "But I won't let him tarnish the beauty of this place for you. Ever."

It was then that Jazmine realized that his statement was for him as much as it was for her. This was his safe haven. Alicia's safe haven. The one place they had to count on when they couldn't turn to anyone else.

She began to feel that feeling again. The magic that she couldn't find anywhere else.

"Of course," she replied, giving him a small smile. "Let's get everyone to the manor."

The drive there was quiet, with Alicia still sleeping following the flight.

The air was filled with the obvious fear and tension - fear of what they would find and what they would return home to.

But the beauty of it all was too grand to ignore. The manor resided far within the countryside, allowing the best views of old architecture, clear skies, and valleys of lush greenery and vineyards.

Jazmine willed her anxiety to take a backseat as she held fast to that little bit of magic she'd felt earlier.

It wasn't hard as she recalled childhood summers roaming the fields, eating meals she missed through the year, and the warmth that her grandmother exuded. And when the manor came into view, tears began to sting her eyes.

Huey placed a hand on her thigh, rubbing his thumb gently back and forth.

She laughed a bit, recalling that just like all the years before, she arrived while the skies were warm. And after the most terrifying winter of her life, she invited the comforting spring.

"This place..." Cindy whispered as they pulled into the round-a-bout. "This is so beautiful."

"Thank you," Jazmine replied. She'd made sure that the house was tended to in her absence. She'd only been back once since her grandmother's passing. To lay her to rest. She couldn't stomach coming back. And though she hadn't anticipated such a reason for her return, she was happy that she was here now.

They took their time getting settled in. Though Jazmine, Huey, and Sarah were familiar with their surroundings, seeing the astonishment on everyone's faces was something to behold.

"I think that before we get to the inevitable, we should take a tour and enjoy some lunch, yes?" Jazmine offered.

With everyone in agreement, she showed them around - the priceless artwork, skillful architecture, the vast gardens and vineyard, the fountains and pools, and even her grandmother's memorial. Once they were done, she took everyone to their respective rooms - Sarah sharing a conjoining room/bathroom with Alicia - and took Huey up to their bedroom.

Having the master, the room was large with a gorgeous en suite bathroom and a balcony overlooking the grounds. Jazmine stepped out onto it and inhaled deeply. Huey came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.

"I want to take you somewhere beautiful before we leave," he stated. She turned in his arms and kissed him soundly.

"After we get answers, we'll make this memorable."

With a few kisses shared, they made their way down to the foyer, where everyone was waiting.

"Any idea where we should go?" Sarah asked once she saw her daughter.

"Greta's," she replied without hesitation. "They have the best sandwiches and she has a lot of vegetarian options."

A smile spread over Sarah's face. "Goodness, I don't remember the last time we've been there."

"Me either. Greta may not even recognize us anymore," Jazmine joked.

A joke quite far from the truth.

"oh mio Dio gentile!" the older woman cried, racing around the counter and wrapping Jazmine up in her arms. "La mia bambina!"

Jazmine couldn't fight the joy she felt as she hugged the older woman back. She smelled sweet and warm, just like she did when Jazmine was younger.

"Ciao zietta. Come stai?" she asked.

Greta pulled away and looked into Jazmine's eyes. Her own dark eyes were filled with tears and her olive skin was tinted red.

"I'm good, sweetheart. How are you? I've missed you so much!" Despite her thick accent, Jazmine understood her perfectly.

"I'm good, auntie. I've missed you too. I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to see you." She waved Jazmine off.

"You're here now," she said. She turned her attention to everyone else. "And you've brought company. Sarah! Oh my goodness, is it my birthday?"

She let Jazmine go to wrap the beaming woman in a tight hug. "My beautiful girls. Oh Gino just ran to the store but he'll only be a minute. Sit, sit so I can feed you and meet your friends."

Huey raised a brow but said nothing while everyone else sat back with small, shy smiles. Jazmine shared a grin with her mother, excited to see everyone meet the cheerful storm that was Greta.

"Zietta, I'd like you to meet everyone," Sarah said. She reached for Cindy first. "This is my little girl, Cindy. We were able to adopt her just a few years ago."

Greta pulled Cindy into a tight hug, which she returned shyly. "It's so nice to meet you honey. Call me zietta, yes?"

"Yes," she replied. "Thank you."

Greta pulled away and pat her cheek affectionately.

"Next to Cin are Robert and Regina, very good family friends. And the little girl in Regina's arms is my granddaughter, Alicia."

Again, she passed out hugs, throwing a curious look at Sarah, who only smiled. "So nice to meet you all."

"And Riley, Cindy's boyfriend."

"Oh, handsome one I see. Trouble," she joked, pulling him into a hug. Jazmine could have sworn his cheeks tinted red as he carefully hugged her in return.

"And this is Riley's older brother, Alicia's father, and Jazmine's boyfriend, Huey."

Greta took her time taking him in. It felt like an eternity before she gave him a bright smile.

"Sei il ragazzo dolce di cui ho sentito parlare così tanto," she said. He raised a brow, which only made her smile wider. "Grazie." There was a ghost of a smile that tugged at his lips.

Greta whirled around to face everyone. "Let's get you all fed!"

And that's exactly what she did. She closed down and fed them as much as she could. When Jazmine tried to pay, she refused, though her and Huey managed to give much more than the meal was worth.

They talked and laughed caught up as much as they could, finding even further joy when Greta's husband, Gino returned. Always good-natured and family oriented, he had a way of making everyone present feel welcomed.

But eventually the food slowed and the merriment with it. Greta, as Jazmine expected, knew she wasn't just here for a visit.

"Okay," she said gently, gathering everyone's attention. "Does someone want to tell me why you all are really here?"

The change in the air was instant, though no one spoke immediately.

"Thomas," Huey said finally.

Greta and Gino exchanged knowing glances before turning back to the group.

"We hoped this day wouldn't come," Gino said, his gruff voice sounding much more grave.

"What are you talking about, zio?" Jazmine asked, leaning forward.

Gino looked at Sarah sadly before returning his attention to Jazmine.

"When your mother was pregnant with you, all she craved was Greta's famous chicken sandwich and my dumpling soup. So, as you can imagine, she was here every chance she got. It was because of your mother that we got to know Thomas a little better."

Jazmine looked confused. "But I thought you and my grandmother were long time friends. You met before my father was even born."

"We were. But when your grandparents got dual citizenship, so much of that time was spent in the states, making sure your father could have a future. They returned after they set him up for college. Since he was gone so often, we had no real time with him."

"And then mom started coming..."

Greta nodded. "You know you remind me so much of her at that age. She was a ray of sunshine. So kind, eager to learn, and ready for adventure. So when I met Thomas again in his younger years, he didn't seem like someone who was meant for her. Hell, he didn't seem like he could be Sophia and Armani's kid."

"Do you remember what you told me, zio?" Sarah asked. The look in his eyes suggested that he did. "His eyes tell secrets his lips can't. To always be watchful of his eyes. I should have listened to you."

"If you did, we wouldn't have, Jazmine," he said. "For that, I'm happy you didn't."

"What made you tell her that?" Jazmine asked.

"Thomas always seemed... squirrel-like. Strange and fearful. But there were moments where he found himself slipping. Moments where his eyes seemed almost sinister. He offset me. But again, I didn't know the kid. And as much as she felt like it, Sarah wasn't my daughter. All I could do was warn her."

"Did you ever question why she stayed here with me and Thomas didn't?"

"No. We knew that if she wanted to tell us, she would," Greta said. "And we weren't opposed to you two staying here in Italy forever. I wasn't pleased when she told us she was leaving. Going back to the states to be with Thomas. But she promised to make sure we saw you often, which we did until you all got a bit older. But she help me make an account online so that I always knew you were okay."

"Did my grandma ever talk to you about Thomas? Or about mom staying here?"

"She didn't talk about him much. But she did express concern about your mother leaving to go be with him. It unsettled her greatly. Unfortunately, she never told us why," Gino replied.

"Sophia told us that the answers would be here in Italy," Huey replied. "How true do you think that is?"

The sadness in Greta's eyes was enough to unsettle Huey. "If she promised you that they would be here, they will be. But knowing that she needed you all the way out here to find it means that whatever it is, it's far from good."

The ride back to the manor was completely silent. Not even Alicia made a peep. It wasn't until they were inside that Cindy broke the silence.

"How do we know what to look for?" she asked. "This place is beautiful. Like a museum. How are supposed to find something that...?"

"Taints it," Sarah completed. "I don't know sweetie."

"Did she say anything at all before about what it may be?"

"Not really. The most I've honestly ever seen her truly interact with Thomas was when I fell. She screamed at him, demanded he leave immediately. No matter how much he pleaded, she refused to listen. She was by my side and taking care of me every single day but never mentioned him unless I did. And when I did, she was careful with her words. Evasive almost."

Huey and Riley exchanged glances but said nothing.

"How about we all shower up and take a nap for right now, yes? It was quite the trip and we could use the energy and fresh minds when we start the search," Regina offered.

Everyone agreed, going to their rooms to shower and climb into bed. Huey let Jazmine shower before him. When she emerged in one of his old shirts, he was going over paperwork that was spread out all over their bed.

"Go shower, Huey," she instructed gently. "We can look at everything when we wake up."

He stopped shuffling through papers and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and stood in his silent comfort for a moment before he went to shower.

She cleaned off the bed - careful to keep things organized - before climbing in and waiting for Huey. As exhausted as her body was, her mind refused to allow her rest. She stared blankly, lost in thought. She didn't even realize that Huey was out of the shower until he was climbing into bed with her. Instinctively that wrapped around one another.

"Quiet your mind, Jazmine," he spoke quietly.

"I can't," she replied. "No matter how I try to dice this, I can't win. If we find nothing then our chances of bringing him down for good or lower. And if we do catch him there will always be something floating in my mind, trying to understand. But if we do find something, then I'll know how he became a monster."

"I wish I had the words for you, Jazmine," he said. "I'm sorry that things became what they became."

She didn't respond immediately. "Thank you for coming back," she whispered. "I wouldn't have survived this without you."

He made her look at him. "You're the reason I'm here. I promise you that coming home to you is what kept me going."

She responded with a kiss; slow, sensual, and passionate. When she pulled away, she snuggled back into him.

"I love you, Huey Freeman."

He held her tighter as she drifted to sleep.

Jazmine was happy to see that there was still daylight when she woke, but she knew the sun would be setting soon.

She shifted and sighed, stretching as best as she could with Huey holding her gently from behind.

He shifted beside her, slipping a hand beneath her shirt and running it along the length of her side and stomach.

"Are you ready to do this?" he asked quietly.

"No," was her immediate answer. "But I'm ready to put an end to this."

He kissed the back of her neck before they both got out of bed, dressed, and headed out to find everyone.

Voices led them to the kitchen, where everyone sat together. When Alicia saw them, she crawled out of Sarah's lap and made her way to Huey, who picked her up quickly. She hid her face in his neck, still tired despite her nap.

"We were trying to figure out what it is we could possibly look for that would tell us anything about Thomas," Sarah spoke gently.

"It could be another journal," Cindy offered.

"Maybe pics," Riley offered.

"A video?" asked Granddad.

"Documents," Huey stated.

"Either way, it's probably something that requires some digging," Jazmine said. "Leave nothing beyond the realm of possibility."

"Then we should look for different things," Huey said. "Granddad and Regina should look for any old home videos. Cindy and Riley can look through some old photo albums and for any journals. Sarah, if you can look around the house for anything you remember that strikes you as odd at all, that could be helpful. Jazmine and I can try to find any legal documentation we can find. Maybe we can find something worth noting."

They all agreed and went to look for anything they could find, Sarah taking Alicia with her.

The words shared were those of need. An exchange of information. The tension was easily felt through the entire house as they searched for what they were looking for.

Jazmine and Huey for documents. Cindy and Riley found videos and full journals. Robert and Regina found seemingly endless piles of photo albums. And Sarah and Alicia stumbled upon places she's never seen before. Still, it was nothing worth pause.

Until an hour into their search. When Sarah found a room that had once always been unlocked. And today it wasn't. Robert and Regina found a much smaller album that wasn't quite like the rest. Riley paused on an image in a video that left him speechless just as Cindy gasped as the words on a journal page. And Jazmine... Jazmine found a collection of documents she's never imagined she'd see before, bundled with a picture that made her shoot up and head to the bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach.

Huey picked up what she dropped, his hard eyes focusing on the three particular pieces that stood out.

A birth certificate. The same day as Thomas' with a completely different name. A death certificate dated 14 years down to the date and time of the birth certificate. And a picture of hard, wooden stairs covered in blood.

I would like to begin by thanking you all for your patience. There's been a lot happening in my life and it's been a little difficult. Though I thought about writing every single day, I just couldn't. I hope you understand and I hope this chapter was something you all love.

Thank you all for your beautiful comments. I love reading them all.

I look forward to continuing. I just ask that you be patient with me for now. I promise to continue to make an effort.

Q. I.