Woaaaah... what is this? Chapter 3? Looks like that :D Guess what: I am currently working on chapter 5, so time to upload a new chapter over here as well :D
Let's be honest, I wanted to write it as a happy moment in the whole storyline - but then it turned out to be like 'Hi, this is Drama and Angst, act II'. I do plan to write some happiness for this poor kid, but not today Emmett, not today xD
Nope, no beta-reader and still not mastered English literature, so yeah, sorry for that.
The life in Crawley was calmer and much-much slower than in London. Also the air was fresher and honestly, it was good to see some colours after so much of cobblestone and metal. No whores on the streets, you don't really have to be afraid to be knifed to death in the middle of a street in Whitechapel and also people didn't seem to be that greedy altogether.
If Emmett wanted to be 100% honest, he kind of liked being here. It was good just to take a moment of peace. But it wasn't perfect. Jacob wasn't there with him to hear his father's constant complaining about how bored he is and how bored it was in his younger age, but secretly enjoying it and sharing good stories about his life with Evie here, what they did and how they lived. He wasn't here to show Emmett around, even boast about his gambling and fighting skills and of course hint that how famous he was among the ladies. Emmett would just roll his eyes and making faces, not believing his words and Jacob would be loud about that and everything would be great and they'd be laughing, probably sharing some drinks together and Jacob would mock his son whenever they walk over a pasture with some horses, telling Emmett how he loved the animals as a kid. He would tell his old man to leave it, but eventually ending up petting the horses, as they come closer to them, because Jacob got some sweet apples in his pockets.
It would be lovely. Peaceful. Perfect.
Except Jacob wasn't here but with Jack, who knows where, who knows in how much pain or even he was alive or not.
At the start Emmett was full of hope, after all Jacob is very well trained and had years of experiences, Abberline is his friend and probably every officer in London is looking for Jacob and trying to catch Jack, that had to mean something.
But as the days passed and became weeks, the younger Frye started to lose those rays of hope and exchanged them for more and more worries. And he wasn't the only one.
George tried to keep up the hopeful façade for him, but Emmett knew what the truth was. The teenaged boy sometimes sneaked on him and the other Brotherhood members, who came when they thought he was asleep for hours now at night, discussed about what they will do with him if Jacob never returns.
"He can stay here." George offered "He can finish his training here and then, when he is ready he can go back to London – or wherever he wants to."
So no-one believed his father will ever return? Will he never come back to him? Joining to his mother and Emmett will never see him again?
One day when he was at the fighting pit, Emmett made a mistake. Head full of his own pride he misjudged his opponent and that was a big mistake: ended up with a broken, swelling arm and the sharpest pain he ever knew in his life. After that he thought there is nothing worse than an injury, than the psychical pain. But the thing he felt when heard George suggesting he willingly takes him in if Jacob dies?
That piercing feeling in his chest, that burning pain was just too much. He'd rather break his arm again if he could exchange the feeling to that. In that moment Emmett understood how mere feelings can change a man. Did Jacob change too, when he lost Emmett's mother? Will he himself change after losing his father?
Not like he was angry or even hurt by George because of that idea – even if the thought of losing his father pained him greatly, Emmett was grateful for poor, old George to offer his home to him. Jacob often told stories about George, who was the twin's father's friend and a fixed point in the twin's life and he was more than willing to raise an another Frye, if he needed to. George gave him nothing else, but warmness and consoling ever since Emmett arrived and the lad welcomed it. He was like a good grandfather what Emmett never had.
And just like any good grandfather, George also offered up lots of great and even embarrassing stories about Jacob – what Emmett found rather entertaining.
But he knew they cannot act like nothing happened back in London.
That morning when he came down from his room for breakfast, George was already there, looking over the window, clearly thinking hard. That late-night meeting happened only a few days ago, when George made his offer and Emmett knew what he wanted to talk about.
When he heard Emmett's steps, the old man turned toward him, greeted the boy with a "Good morning" and even tried to give him a smile. Failed with that one though. After a sigh, completely gave up trying to act there is nothing wrong.
"We need to talk." and with that motioned to a chair close to him, signing it will be a serious conversation.
What if he got some fresh news? God, please no…
Emmett walked closer and sat down onto the chair George pointed out to him. He must saw something on the lad's face, because the first thing the older man said was about Emmett's fears.
"I didn't receive any news from London."
That calmed the boy down a bit, let out a breath what he held inside.
"But we need to talk about your future."
Much better than receiving news about finding Jacob's mutilated body. Still, it also had a bad sounding, like everybody accepted Jacob's death - and Emmett didn't want to hear about that. His own worries and nightmares were more than enough.
"We don't. Father will come back and I go back to the City and that's it." His voice was firmer and colder than he meant to be, but if only they'd have some more faith in his father.
Another sigh and a pair of sad eyes. Was that… pity? A totally new emotion was gushing its way to the surface: anger.
"I know you strongly believe in Jacob and God is my witness I do too. But we need to be realistic Emmett, we need to consider your options, just in case if Jacob…"
"If what?" he barked, wasn't minding George never got the chance to finish his sentence. Usually Emmett was very peaceful and kind – others considered him too kind for being an assassin someday – but he was capable to feel violent emotion, like anger. "If my father is dead, like everybody suggests he is?"
George tried to keep calm, but looking at Emmett with understanding won't help: how he could understand this? This pain, this fear, this emptiness?
"Emmett, we have to be prepared to everything and his death is something we seriously need to consider. We know Jack got him and no-one can find him and as time is passing… you cannot return to London if he is dead, Jack owns the city now and you'd be his next target. But here… you are safe here, you can stay here with me, if you want. Finish your training and then finish what your father has started or make your own path."
George was trying to be nice, Emmett knew. He wanted to make the boy sure, he has a place in the world and he is not alone, Emmett knew all that. But emotions took control over him sadness, anger, fear, a strange, but powerful mixture gnawed a hole into his guts, making him slightly shaking, wasn't sure he starts to scream or cry in the next second.
A warm hand reached his, making him notice his own fingers curled into a fist.
"I know this is hard…"
Bolted, jumped up, the force of his movement pushed the chair away and made it fell onto the floor with a loud thud.
"You don't know that!" Screaming then. "You have no idea how it feels like, hearing everybody talking about how my father is dead, how they have no faith in him at all and then looking at me with pity, like they see a stray puppy. Poor Emmett first lost his mother, now his father too."
George tried to respond, but Emmett didn't wait for that, with a sudden turn he was out of the conversation and soon enough of the house too by marching toward the door and ripped it open, slamming it behind himself.
The chilly air of the season hit him hard, like the cold tried to reach to his bones. How everything could be so peaceful when nothing was okay around him? How other people could live their lives while his was in the middle of a storm? Why his father? Why his family? Why not another boy is threatened to lose everything and not him?
This was selfish, he knew and Jacob taught him to be better than this. But if his father claims that he wasn't selfish when he lost his own father or his sister, well, that would be a lie.
Being around people right now was unbearable – needed to get away from it, from this, everything, to get lost just for a moment. "Can't I be lost item without anyone finding me?"
Started to run, not minding where just away. "They are not right. They know nothing.", chanted silently, repeating it like a mantra or a pray. If he repeated it enough will it be true?
The scenery quickly changed as he left he houses behind – trees and open spaces, forest and pastures existed peacefully next to one another.
"If I ran far enough the problems will still find me?"
Colours changed rapidly over the season – the chilly weather suddenly tightened its grip around the small village, forcing the leaves to turn their colour to various shade of brown, red and gold. As horrible as this autumn was in London, it was so beautiful in Crawley.
"If I run fast enough can I leave everything behind myself?"
Needed some time to recognise the burning pain in his lungs, but when he did it forced him to finally stop. Gulping the air down and calming his pulse, Emmett finally noticed the world around him; the blissful silence, the cold smells, the warm colours – no wonder his father wanted to be as far away from here as he could; he needed more than this, more than the peace and silence. But right now Emmett didn't wish to be anywhere else. Tears blurred his vision, but no, not this time, he couldn't cry all the time, like a small boy. The adult's world was confusing yes, but it was time to face it.
Quickly wiping the wetness away from his eyes looked at his side and walked toward the wooden fence; pretty new thing, probably was built this summer by a farmer who finally invested into it to keep his animals on the pasture, not letting them wander around, destroying someone's infield. Everything was so peaceful, so beautiful, while his world slowly collapsed leaving nothing behind, but pain and agony and memories of a better life.
"Yes", he sighed, as looked at the scenery, smiling to himself faintly – he wasn't too ruined to notice simple things around him, that was good. "Father would love it here."
I seriously planned for George to be involved in this, even if he is too old to be alive in this era, but let's say he is extremely lucky xD Also Jacob and Evie seriously had no-one after Ethan's death, only George whom I always saw as a step-father for them - even if Ethan raised them, George was always around so I do think he'd willingly take Emmett in if the boy needs a home. And as it looks like now, he seriously in the need of one.
And what about Emmett? Seriously sick of everbody's negativity and about to tell everyone to get lost for fuck's sake and ready to show his inner Jacob in the topic of cursing xD But also knows he has no luxury of being under the wing of his father anymore and needs to face the real world; he cannot live his life denying everything around himself. Deep down he also knows how things look like, what is Jacob's logical fate by now, but his inner child-part is too scared to grow up so suddenly and deal with the coldness of the reality. But there is a point when you have to do what you have to do. So maybe he is done with the emo-style after this xD
This was also part of my original ch 2, like I mentioned the 'George is willing to adopt the Frye heir' thing, but decided it needs some details.