Disclaimer: Girl does not own any JoA characters. So far, I only own the plot, the mysterious Sheep Slayer, and a various assortment of original characters. And I know I sound redundant in saying this but... damnit I wish owned CuteBoyGod... or even his alter ego Kris Lemche.
A/N: Wow... the reviews are in and they are a KILLER! As in, I am killing with suspense! LOL I'll take that as an honored compliment. Thank you all! Okay, this chapter that you are about to partake in... well, it is my shortest one of all the chapters (epilogue not withstanding). I actually intended this chapter to be the shortest because it is the next chapter (number Eight) that is not only important, but there's a dynamic about to be changed. In other words, get ready for a major plot twist. Which is why if it takes me a while to update, it's not because I'm slacking... it's because I'm putting my all into the upcoming chapters that'll lead up to the climatic end. So... enough chit-chat: Enjoy!
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CHAPTER SEVEN
Apartment of Gavin Price -- Downtown Arcadia -- Maryland
April 15, 2006 -- Saturday
"Mr. Rove. What a pleasant surprise."
Adam Rove gave a tentative wave and a somewhat awkward smile, "Hey, Mr. Price."
Gavin Price crossed his arms, clearly amused. If someone was to tell him back in 2004 that Adam Rove would be at his door, wanting to talk to his nephew, Dane Price, who had become an acquaintance of Adam Rove and company, Gavin himself would have laughed in utter disbelief. And afterwards, he would suggest to said someone that, for their own well-being, they admit themselves for psychiatric treatment.
However, Gavin found that time -- and yes, even people -- can bring about not just change, but surprise. One in which the biggest surprise in the form that Dane, a young man that he considered like a son ever since he was conceived long ago, started dating Joan Girardi. His Dane seeing a young woman who had pulled off some questionable activities in the past and often or not even now, though not as intense as her first year attending Arcadia High. Though, he trusted Dane's judgment and if his nephew saw something special in Miss Girardi, only for him would Gavin bite back a protest... at least for now.
Thus another con to bear in having Dane dating Joan was Gavin having to cross paths with both Adam Rove and Grace Polk outside of school grounds -- much to both parties reluctance. "Y'know," Gavin began thoughtfully, though there was a trace of mocking in his voice, "When Dane came to live with me and to attend Arcadia High a few months back, I had always hoped that he would become the best of friends with -- of all people -- yourself, Mr. Rove, with Miss Girardi, and Miss Polk. Now I can certainly rest easy in knowing that my nephew, who is like a son I never had, is in fine company."
Adam clearly saw the sarcasm though refusing to point it out. Instead, he replied with a soft, "Uh... thanks..." Glancing inside, "Can I talk to Dane? If he's home, that is..."
Not missing an opportunity to take a jab at the student, with a glint in his eye, "May I."
"Huh?"
His arms were still crossed and a smirk was evident on his face. "Try using the phrase 'May I' next time, Mr. Rove? Not only is that a proper way to ask permission, but it sounds a lot more courteous than what your generation's used to saying."
"Uncle Vin, what have we talked about before?"
Both eyes at the doorway turned to face Dane's approaching form. The young man crossed his own arms, though not directing his own amusing glance at Adam, but at his uncle. With mock disapproval, "How many times have we been over this? You are only to cause trouble to Girl Scouts, salesmen, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Not my friends."
Gavin glanced between Adam and Dane before giving a compliant nod. Before he walked back to the living room, and back to his novel, Gavin reached over, smirked, and ruffled Dane's soft blond locks. "Smart-ass."
Dane chuckled, smoothed his hair, then turned his gaze towards Adam. He reached over to hold the door open, "Hey, Rove. Come on in."
Adam began cracking his knuckles while shuffling his feet and looking back and forth between inside the apartment and out the halls. His actions of uncertainty caught Dane's, who was ever the observer, attention. He leaned against the door frame, once more crossing his arms. "Hey, what's up, man?"
"Grace is waiting in her car." Adam began, "We're getting something to eat at a diner not too far off. If you haven't eaten lunch yet..."
As Dane caught the small troubled plea in Adam's eyes, a sudden knot in his stomach twisted as one thought came to mind at his friend's "We need to talk" subtlety. He quietly asked, "Joan?"
All it took was recognizing that same mirrored look of concern in Adam's eyes for Dane to nod, "Yeah-- yeah, I haven't eaten yet. Let me just grab my things and we're out."
Adam smiled gratefully at Dane, once more reassured that he can trust him with their Joan.
The young man momentarily disappeared into his room, then reappeared with his jacket, wallet and keys. As Dane began placing his jacket on, he turned to his uncle, who was watching him despite holding his paperback. "Uncle Vin? Can I--" Dane stopped, bit back his tongue and with a twinkle in his eye, "I mean, May I go out and have lunch with my friends?"
Before Gavin could give his approval, his nephew was already half way out the door. Calling out to him, "Hey! And what about your Calculus exam?"
Dane poked his head back in and tossed Gavin his patent "Dane the smart-ass" smirk before replying and shutting the door behind him.
"Oh, don't worry about it! Check this out: A square plus B square equals C... you later!"
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Home of Will Girardi
April 15, 2006 -- Saturday
"Your move, Einstein."
Joan Girardi gave an encouraging smile at her younger brother, Luke. While she patiently waited for Luke to make his move on the chessboard in front of them, Joan took the time to observe him.
It had been a few hours since the morning's unfortunate incident, and only a mere hour or so since their mother, Helen, was able to break through Luke's shell shock psyche. With his mother by his side, the young man was able to sit down and verbally relive the morning to an officer -- not his father -- for the standard routine procedure. When the statements were taken, Joan took it upon herself to keep her brother occupied... and maybe keep a watch just in case he were to unexpectedly break down again.
So here the two younger Girardi siblings sat. In the dining room area with a chess set between them. Joan had decided that if there was any activity worth keeping someone with a mind set like Luke busy, it would be this game of strategy. Despite all her brush off's and incessant complaining of the game, over time and with a few games played here and there between the two -- most by Luke's own insisting -- Joan had grown fond of chess... though she still won't admit to it.
The young woman momentarily glanced into the kitchen area. Her mother had just gotten off the phone with Kevin and was now keeping herself busy in the kitchen. If Will hadn't come in earlier, by now her mother would be serving breakfast for the entire Arcadia Police squad.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Luke's slightly hunched form and studious eyes scan over the board. Finally, he reached over to make his move; which was having his Knight capturing one of her well positioned pawns. Despite losing one of her pieces, Joan smiled at this.
After which, she feigned surprise and annoyance. After talking to the police, her brother had withdrawn back to silence. Under normal circumstances, Joan would have considered that as a miracle, for she had often quipped for Luke to stop rambling about whatever scientific odyssey that has recently turned him on. However, she was beginning to think that the old Luke wasn't so bad after all. "Hey! Not fair... can't believe your horse took my pawn thingy... piece..." She knew the actual names of the chess pieces, but for the sake of getting Luke to talk again, Joan was willing to play dumb.
However, the only reaction she received from him was silence. Joan slumped a bit into her chair, contemplating her next move not just on the chessboard, but also opening Luke up from the stupor he had placed himself in.
They continued such a pattern, with Luke succeeding a move and Joan complaining about it, for nearly fifteen minutes. Suddenly, a few moves later, she had gotten a breakthrough in a form of an inquiry.
"Do you think he knows their names?"
Not just startled by his voice, but thrown by the question itself, Joan replied, "What?"
With a nonchalant in Luke's tone and his eyes holding steady on the board game, "The murderer. Do you think he knows their names?"
Joan sat up, still puzzled by his question. She took a moment to consider it before answering with soft sincerity, "I don't know... maybe."
"I hope he does."
"Really?"
"Yep."
Feeling as if she was on her way to having a somewhat normal conversation with her brother, she asked, "Why?"
He finally gazed up at her, though the look in his eyes nearly scared Joan. It was almost enough to cause her to fall off her seat, terrified. With his eyes cold and his voice threatening, he said, "Because if that bastard comes anywhere near you, I want him to know that Luke Girardi was the one that pulled the trigger."
Joan stared at Luke in shock and disbelief. She didn't know which part of his reply to fear most; the look in his eyes or his dangerous vow. Joan would have allowed a laugh -- albeit a nervous one -- to escape her lips and ease the growing tension, but Luke beat her to the punch by placing his queen a few blocks ahead on the board and abruptly jumping out of his seat to leave the room.
Her eyes followed Luke's stalking form before landing back to the chessboard. Realizing what his last move detailed, Joan reached for her black King and laid it down in its cornered position on the board. She sighed wearily and closed her eyes as she murmured, "Check mate."
"He's just saying what we were all thinking."
A familiar voice woke Joan from her concerned thoughts about her brother. Her eyes gazed towards the kitchen area and a relieved smile appeared on her face. "Hey, Kev."
Twenty-one year old Kevin Girardi gave a nod at his little sister as he made his way towards her. Despite having to adjust to a new way of living with a new set of wheels, due to a paralyzing accident of long ago, there were two constants in his life; his family and his role as big brother to his younger siblings. The latter is especially important now that it seems his baby sister could be in harm's way... and there was no way in hell that Kevin was going to let some deranged madman take Joan away from him.
His eyes landed on the chessboard, still disarray from earlier play. As he reached over to push the chair aside, bringing himself closer to the table, "Help me set this up."
Giving him an amused smile, "Why? You actually want to play chess with me?"
"Of course..." A small smirk soon appeared on his face as he teased, "Unless you can't stand the fact of losing two times in a row."
Joan gave an offended laugh at his challenge. "Oh... bring. It. On."
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A few minutes into the game passed before Kevin glanced at where Luke made his sudden exit, "He's going to be okay. Luke? He's going to be fine. You know that, right?"
Joan looked up at him before gazing back down to give a slight unsure shrug, at which Kevin continued. "He's just passed the phases of denial and optimistic point of view. Now, he's probably in at the same place that dad is in; which is defensive anger and fierce protectiveness."
"There are phases?" She asked in disbelief.
"Believe it or not, yeah. It's not exactly PHD psycho babble, Joan. Just common human behavior." He made a move on the board and with a softer tone, he added, "Mom called. Told me what happened this morning."
Joan nodded as she quietly spoke, "Luke... he actually touched it, y'know?" She gave a small gulp before adding, "He said it was real. Do you think that's why he said that? Why he's so angry?"
"He probably wasn't just talking about the blood." As he moved his Rook, "When he said that it was 'real', he probably meant this whole situation. I mean, last night we were all hoping that this was just one big nightmare that we needed to wake up from. There was no real logic as to why your life was being threatened by a force we know nothing about. And you know Luke and logic go together like peanut butter and jelly. So of course it was easier for him to deny that this whole thing was really happening... Your move."
Joan blinked for she was too caught up in Kevin's speech. She gave an embarrassed laugh, which caused him to smile at her as she made a feeble move of her pawn.
Continuing, "I wasn't here to see his reaction. God, I wish I had been, Joan but... from what mom's told me and from what I've just seen, I have to assume that when Luke saw the actual blood on his hand... it terrified him. And not the fact that it's real, but if I were him..." Kevin gazed up and locked eyes with Joan. The look in his eyes expressed fear and pain. "It would be the thought that it could very well be your blood."
Joan looked away, refusing to allow her brother to see the tears in her eyes. She held back a sudden sob that was threatening to escape, but her body began to tremble at the attempt. Kevin's hand reached out to hers as he looked upon her with concern. The moment she met his gaze and saw that his eyes told her not to hide her fears did Joan allow the tears to fall.
Kevin moved closer, all chess forgotten, as he held his baby sister in his arms. He stroke her hair in a comforting manner, hushing her cries with a soothing, protective promise. "Luke and I... we won't let anything happen to you. Okay? Though we don't say it much, we love you." He gave a gentle kiss on the forehead, "I love you, squirt."
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Thirty minutes had passed and it was nearing the lunch hour... which meant that Joan Girardi only had a few minutes to sneak out of the house to meet with her best friends at a diner in downtown Arcadia.
She poked her head out of her room to check out her surroundings. After her crying session with Kevin, she took it as an opportunity to leave for her room. Though she had to admit, sobbing like so in front of her brother came as a surprise. She had originally intended that after a game or two with Kevin, she'd make an excuse to go back to bed and then, when no one was looking, sneak out.
Earlier, before the two chess games and during the time Luke had still locked himself in his room, Joan herself was keeping busy around the house while her mother tended to her little brother. If anything, various chores and tasks around the house served as an outlet for Joan not to break down. However, as she further thought about it, her own reaction to the morning's situation, that had been kept at bay, was finally released thanks to Kevin's talk.
Prior to her talk with Kevin and around the time that Luke was non too eagerly giving his statement, Joan had also called Agent Michaels in hopes that talking to him would calm her growing tension and unease. It proved a failure upon realizing that, as the talk progressed, Michaels wasn't going to give her the answer that she was looking for.
Thus, despite Michaels's warning, Joan dialed up Adam Rove. It was all in hopes that he and the others would be her answered prayers for an escape. After informing Adam of the morning's unexpected delivery, together they began planning not just Joan's escape but also on how to go about telling this all to both Dane and Grace. Adam had suggested for the four of them to meet at this diner not too far from the Arcadia Police Department, which was a location Joan reluctantly agreed to.
Noticing that the coast was clear, the young woman began silently pacing herself down the steps and towards the living room. She would have gone the back door route had there not been an obstacle in the form of three people (her parents and Kevin) having a conversation in the kitchen. Joan docked and dodged being seen by the parental units until she nimbly cast herself in the living room. "Eat your heart out, Tom Cruise." She quietly snickered at her own Mission Impossible-like style of escape.
Feeling a sense of deja vu, Joan once more pulled back the window curtains to view the outside world -- starting with her own front porch. A relieved smile played on her lips upon seeing that everything -- bloody box, police bodyguards and all -- was cleared out as soon as CSU had finished their job. She gazed at the streets and noticed -- much to her own surprise -- that there were no squad cars in sight. Joan took a moment to contemplate, sighed, then decided to take the chance at being caught by an unmarked undercover officer.
Joan slowly started towards the front door with her senses at high alert. With each step made, she glanced to the side to assure herself that her parents and Kevin were indeed unaware in the kitchen. In a moment of self victory, upon her hand finally secured around the door knob, Joan allowed a smile and a breath of relief.
However, in her state of satisfactory, Joan Girardi had dropped her guard and as she began to open the door... a hand from behind reached out for her.
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